Free Dark Legion by Paul Kleynhans

man.”
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    We stepped out into a frosty morning. The sky was a boiling mess of gray, but I could not help but smile. The town looked a lot nicer on a full stomach. A boy sat on the corner playing his lute, the case open in front of him. He was good, and as we passed, I tossed in a few coppers. The boy missed a beat, but corrected himself quickly and nodded his thanks.
    We walked down a street that passed the large port. Seven ships were moored, along with a multitude of smaller craft. The largest of the ships dwarfed the remaining vessels. I knew nothing of boats, or their larger cousins, ships, but it was clear that I was looking at an uncommonly great example. Apart from being enormous, it was also grand. Few would bother to add as many decorations to the hull as this one displayed. It sported the emperor’s personal banner, in addition to that of the empire, which explained rather a lot.
    We paused to watch as men lowered a large crate to the dock. It was larger than our room at the Shady Oak and had a number of warnings painted on its sides. The men unloading it looked to be taking great care with it.
    I looked at Marcus. “What do you suppose that is?”
    â€œIf I were to venture a guess, I would say something large and valuable.”
    â€œCould be.” The large ship certainly looked important. The type of vessel one might expect to use for valuable cargo. My feet itched to get aboard. To be that close to the crown and ring, and yet to just stand there… it grated on me.
    Men were climbing about the masts and securing sails. My suspicion that the ship had only arrived that morning was confirmed when a gangplank was lowered a few minutes later. A large number of legionnaires walked along it and down to the dock. The first made his way along to the bottom and stepped to the left; the next did the same but stepped to the right. This continued until two long columns of legionnaires were lined up, a couple of meters between them. I watched as the men, used to a rocking ship, tried to stand perfectly still. Many struggled.
    A small crowd gathered around us. Any idiot could see that someone of import was aboard the ship, and people were ever nosy creatures.
    Four figures in red robes stepped onto the gangplank and slowly made their way across. The rumble in the crowd when they appeared turned to hushed conversation when they were halfway and dwindled with each step they took, until the Dark Legion arrived to deathly silence. They walked through the passage left between the legionnaires and assembled a short distance away. I took a step back into the crowd. While I’d rarely had to deal with the Inquisition directly in Castralavi, I still feared that I would be recognized. Their hoods were up, but I thought I could make out black tattoos across all of their faces. Black tattoos were preferable to silver, but while these weren’t sorcerers, they were still high-ranking Inquisitors. The Dark Legion inked their skin with small black letters that covered their bodies. The confessions and last words of those they put to the question were written on their skin. The writing was small, and it took many years to look as black as these men did. I reckoned that if I’d followed their custom, I would have been as black as Marcus a long time ago.
    â€œNow who is this?” Marcus asked. “I’d like to meet her .”
    I took my eyes off the Inquisitors and looked back to the gangplank. A woman came walking across, looking down on those below as though she owned the place. She wore a dark blue dress, her black hair tied back in a bun. A rather ordinary-looking woman, but she was far from ordinary. “No… You really don’t want to meet her.” I said.
    â€œWhy? Do you know her?” Marcus asked.
    â€œNot personally, no, thank the Gods. That, my friend, is Princess Milliandra.”
    â€œThe princess? I have not heard good things… she’s nice to look at,