Chapter Nineteen: Rhenoussia
Two months had passed since Magnus, Callixtus, and their new companion Kari had left the Mountain Kingdom. They had returned to the Isle of Mages, where Joab took charge of the treasure they had received for the sale of the Oriflamme. This was augmented by funds from the Order of Mages and sent to the Empire on the Veskan warship. Joab questioned Kari carefully about the mountain kingdom while his companion Gravillax made notes. Afterwards, he told the boy he could stay on the island at the expense of the Order of Mages; but Kari asked if he could stay with Magnus and Callixtus, and so it was agreed.
So the three companions found themselves once more on the fast Sassid schooner owned by Captain Tammuz, and on the agreed date of the twenty fifth of March - the first day of spring according to the Imperial calendar - they had a happy rendezvous with the unicorn Shalmaneser and his elf companion Lendulio.
Shalmaneser had succeeded in wielding together all the petty principalities of the southern shore into an allied army which he was now leading westwards in an invasion of Rhenoussia, a country of arid steppe and semi-desert now allied with the fire giants. In early spring the steppe was at its finest, as for a short time the grass was green and fresh and sprinkled everywhere with a profusion of wild flowers.
The army had halted, and under a large silk awning, Shalmaneser was reviewing the military situation with the War Council. This consisted of himself, Magnus, and the commanders of three of the most important allied contingents: Voloubos of Angiskor, Makris of Volantia, and Skanderos of Megaros.
"The invasion of Rhenoussia would be a lot easier", mused the unicorn, his golden tail swishing behind him, "If the Rhenoussians had proper towns and cities like other men. Defeating nomads is not so easy."
He was standing over a table and peering at a map, and managing to look full of power and authority and
dignity, despite the fact that he was entirely naked, with his huge pendulous member hanging down for all to see.
Magnus said, "But do we really need to defeat them? I thought our mission was mainly diversionary - to threaten the enemy flank and rear and cause them to fall back from their invasion of the Empire. The main struggle will take place when the Fire Giants and their allies erupt through the mountain passes and are met by the Imperial Legions, several hundred miles to the north-west of here."
Shalmaneser said, "You are right of course, Magnus. If we can prevent the Rhenoussians from attacking, that is good. If we can defeat them, that is even better, for then we might take the Fire Giants from behind, and catch them between ourselves and the main Imperial Army. That is the plan that Joab has entrusted to us."
Baron Makris of Volantia, a thickset, barrel-chested man of sixty, said "The Rhenoussians will hardly let us march past and take the Fire Giants in the rear. At some point, they will try to block our advance, and that is where the decisive battle on this front will be fought. This seems a likely spot - " and here he jabbed a gauntlet at the map - "this is the shortest route through to the north west, and the only practicable course for our baggage wagons." He squinted at the map, and with difficulty read out the place name - "Nazzal Shireem".
"That is the Rhenoussian for Field of Tulips" said the soft, camp voice of Voloubos of Angiskor. " At this time of year, I imagine it will be a carpet of wild tulips - a most beautiful sight." The speaker was a short, fat, greasy-looking man, his beard dripping with fragrant oils, wearing the long black-and- white chequered clothing of a cleric of Angiskor.
"Thank you, Archimandrite Voloubos. Your knowledge of Rhenoussian is, as always, most valuable" said Shalmaneser. The cleric gave an unctuous simper.
"Have there been any more reports of the enemy, Lord Skanderos?" asked Shalmaneser, turning to the third allied commander. He was a youth of twenty three - the son and heir to the Sovereign Prince of Megaros - tall and strapping and handsome, with a magnificent head of curly blond hair, not wearing armour but a cornflower blue cloak over a white tunic, and a sword at his hip.
"My cavalry scouts have reported more sightings of the enemy's scouts" said the Megaran noble.
"There is no doubt we are being closely watched and followed. Of the main enemy host there is no
sign. I agree with the Baron of Volantia that they are most likely intending to block our advance
at the Field of Tulips."
"In that case" said Shalmaneser, "We will advance and meet them there. I expect the decisive battle to occur in about three days' time."
While the military council were at their deliberations, Lendulio and Callixtus were practising their archery - firing arrows into a straw butt - while Kari sat watching them, sharpening a machete which he had taken to wearing strapped on his shoulder. A group of archers sauntered past , their yellow surcoats over white tunics indicating they were part of the army of the County of Podolia.
"Can we share your butt? Your archery butt I mean!" one of them said to Lendulio. "Or does he!" said another, to shouts of laughter from the others.
Lendulio sighed and ignored them, but Kari said - "He only takes unicorn cock - so if any of you can show you can match that, pull it out and give us a look - otherwise fuck off!"
The Podolians did not seem at all upset by that, but burst out with renewed laughter and went on their way. In the last few weeks many of the soldiers had got to know Kari, and they liked his
lack of respect for authority and his coarse banter. Quite a number of them were also glad to see his thin wiry frame bent over his outspread legs while he sharpened his machete, his long thin cock hanging free and smooth between his narrow hips. They were much more careful about approaching Callixtus:
it was obvious that he and the mage were together, and besides, Callixtus was much shyer and less confident than Kari. He had after all spent most of his life in seclusion in the villa of the Lady Domitia, whereas Kari had lived a communal life amongst hundreds of others in the Halls of the Mountain King.
The sort of banter the boys got from the Podolian archers was something they were getting used to, largely on account of their total or partial nudity. The Archimandrite Voloubos had - unsuccessfully
- tried to persuade them to adopt at least some clothing whilst on campaign.
"The followers of Giskor disapprove of public nudity" he had told Magnus. "We have a saying, "Only a dog reveals his testicles" - please may I implore you, as the only one of Lord Shalmaneser's companions who covers himself properly, to ask your friends to do the same."
Magnus told him it was absolutely out of the question. Clothes were an abomination to the elf, and to the unicorn; Kari absolutely refused to wear anything other than his orange headband and mountain-leopard leggings, and as for Callixtus....well, had he not adopted the sheepskin jerkin and loincloth since he left the Isle of Mages?
"The loincloth exposes more than it reveals" said the oleaginous cleric, running his little pink tongue over his fat squishy lips, "And for those of less pure heart than ourselves, it is a worse inducement to lustful thought than total nudity, by drawing attention to what it so imperfectly conceals." Magnus did not respond directly to that, as he could hardly disagree.
"Look here, Archimandrite" he said, "We are not in the territory of Angiskor, so we cannot be bound by the customs of your land. The Knights of Angiskor don't cover the sexual organs of their stallions, so why should Lord Shalmaneser cover his? He is at least as much equine as human. As for the elf, for a forest elf to wear clothes would be as bizarre as seeing clothes on a dolphin or a leopard. And Callixtus and Kari are hardly the only ones to run around naked, or virtually so. The Megarans normally wear clothes, I grant you, but nevertheless Lord Skanderos and his Noble Companions often strip naked and indulge in wrestling bouts and other martial training in front of the rest of the army....and what about the Volantians? The Baron's heavy infantry are all clad in leather armour, it is true, but they also have a large contingent of slingers - fine looking youths between the ages of sixteen and twenty, all chosen for their agility and speed - and they normally wear only a piece of linen across their shoulder, leaving their lower body bare, and indeed they fight and exercise completely nude."
The Archimandrite wrinkled his nose in distaste, but did not argue. He knew when he was beaten.
Kari had nothing but contempt for the "followers of Giskor" - as the Angiskoris called themselves - but then he seemed to have little regard for anything. The casual way he spoke to almost everybody - except perhaps for Shalmaneser himself - was a continual source of wonder to Callixtus. They had both been brought up in servitude, but somehow it hadn't seemed to enter so deeply into Kari. Or maybe it had, and this was how he reacted to it.
Callixtus said, "Well, I think I've had enough archery for today. I'd better go and find our baggage wagon and start seeing about the evening meal."
Magnus, Callixtus and Kari all shared the same tent, but there was no comparison with the tiny tent they had shared on their way back from the Mountain Kingdom a few months ago. This tent was large and luxurious - it was also put up and taken down for them by a squad of Angiskori soldiers who had been specially detailed as their bodyguards.
As they lay there on the finely embroidered plush silk sheets and cushions waiting for Magnus, Callixtus said - "Kari, have you ever...you know....had feelings for someone? I mean, really strong feelings?"
Kari said - "Yes. I have the strongest possible feelings for myself, and my own welfare."
Callixtus said, "You know that isn't what I meant."
Kari said, "I know what you meant. You are in love with Magnus, and he is in love with you. Good luck to you. I'm glad it doesn't stop either of you fucking me. You're cute, and although he's really too old and hairy for me, I must admit there's nothing quite like what he does with that cock of his when it's up my arse.... but I just don't feel the same way that you do about anybody, and never have. I think if you reveal too much of yourself, you only end up getting hurt. If I don't love anybody, nobody can hurt me."
"But won't you be missing out?" said Callixtus. "Maybe...you know...maybe there is someone for everyone?"
Kari laughed. "You know Callixtus, you are a bit of a soppy little poof. I've no time for that nonsense."
"But what if things were different" persisted Callixtus " - what if - imagine if - you were a really powerful mage and, you know, you could make anything you wanted happen?"
Kari became serious all of a sudden. "What I'd really like" he said thoughtfully "is Lord Skanderos....I was watching him exercising yesterday - and, by the ancestors, what a fabulous body! That mop of curly blond hair, and those muscles! And totally smooth too....mind you his cock wasn't that impressive, but you can't have everything I suppose....hmmm just imagine...getting fucked by the heir to the Prince of Megaros...would that make me a Princess, ha ha! But just think...if someone had a body like Skanderos and a cock like Magnus.....now there's something to think about...." and Kari started tugging musingly on his own growing hard-on at the thought.
Just then the tent opened and Magnus entered. "Hello boys! Sorry to be so late! I can see Kari is getting impatient, at any rate!"
He came in, disrobed, lay down between them, and gave each of them a lengthy French kiss. And now, he thought to himself, the most enjoyable part of the day begins....but just then - as Magnus had his tongue in Callixtus's mouth and his hand on Kari's cock, while Kari was tugging at the mage's swelling organ - the tent flap opened unannounced and a robed and turbanned figure glided in, like smoke filling a bottle.
"What is this!" said Magnus, annoyed at the unannounced intrusion. "Who are you, and who let you in?" The Angiskori guards should know better than to allow unannounced visits, he thought - especially at a time like this.
"Sorry for the intrusion, Mage Magnus" said the intruder, with a thick guttural accent, "but I have a gift for you - from Rhenoussia!" and as he said that, he produced a vicious looking curved dagger from his robes, dripping with a black viscous poison, and thrust it towards the naked mage.
Callixtus rolled away from Magnus, who lay frozen where he was - but as the assassin lurched forward, he let out a sudden scream and was suddenly contorted almost double - blue sparks danced all over his body, and there was a perceptible smell of burning flesh and smouldering linen for a few seconds, when suddenly he fell to his knees and then stretched out, blood gushing from his mouth.
"He's dead" said Magnus, after a brief examination.
"How did you kill him, Magnus?" said Callixtus.
"Well," said Magnus slowly, "the interesting thing is....I didn't. He did" - and both he and Callixtus stared at Kari, who was sitting upright with a look of shock on his face.
There was a pause, then Kari said - "Yes, I think I did. I mean, I just held out my hand and felt some kind of energy leaving me and hitting him. But as to HOW I did it, I have no idea."
"Kari, my dear boy" said Magnus, "I think tomorrow you and I will have to have a little talk."