Clash of Captains

Chapter 8

The throne room seemed even darker than usual as Devyn stepped carefully inside. She had been too exhausted the previous day to meet with Chancellor Kemble, but she had scheduled a meeting early this morning to go over a new plan for taking down Ledah once and for all. She shivered in the dank air, feeling as if a dozen tiny crawly things were climbing their way up her arms — which was far from possible, considering the throne room was kept in such pristine care. Her boots clicked on the floor as she crossed the room, finally sinking into a crouch and bowing her head as she approached the throne at last.

"Rise, captain," Kemble's gravelly voice demanded. Devyn hesitantly straightened up, pulling her shoulders back. Chysgod was once again watching her with one of his milky eyes. He gave a soft cluck and, ruffling his dark feathers, stuck his beak under one of his wings to take a nap. Devyn nearly laughed out loud at how absurd his behavior seemed; the chancellor's shadow raven wasn't a morning person.

Devyn realized after a tantalizingly still moment of silence that the dark-haired man was waiting for her to speak. She cleared her throat. "As you're likely aware, Ledah's soldiers launched a last minute attack on our soldiers' camp. However, they seemed to be unprepared for a real fight and were tired quickly. Their captain called for a retreat."

Kemble shifted on his dark wooden throne, arching a single thin eyebrow. "Is that so, captain?" His voice sounded hollow, mocking. Devyn narrowed her eyes, feeling tension build all across her body.

"Yes... Why wouldn't it be?"

The man stood suddenly and Devyn flinched. Chysgod hopped off of his owner's shoulder and chittered unhappily as he glided a circle around the room. His eyes seemed to follow Devyn the whole while, two milky white orbs glinting in the darkness. For a moment the raven disappeared completely in the shadows, and it reminded Devyn of the species' abilities. Not only are they built to hide well in darkness like this... She thought to herself, apprehension trickling through her. But they can tell a person's character. They can figure out when someone's lying; they can figure out someone's true intentions, if their handler is talented enough. Devyn stole a glance at Kemble, who had collected his long wooden staff from its usual spot beside the throne. He rested both of his pale, slender hands on top of it. His dark eyes caught the light, watching Devyn with the careful precision of a hunting predator. She knew that she was the prey. The only question would be as to whether she was quick enough to escape his traps.

Chysgod finally emerged from the shadows and slowed himself until he was perched once more on Kemble's shoulder. The man held out a hand, offering the bird a small strip of meat. The raven made an eager garbling sound and snapped it up, tipping back its head and swallowing the chunk whole. Devyn gritted her teeth to stop herself from gagging as fear and apprehension built up in her throat.

"I feel as if you have left out some details," Kemble murmured. Despite his voice's soft volume, his words resonated through the room with a hint of an echo. Devyn vaguely wondered if that was purposeful, if he had done something while building the room to allow him to sound more powerful. She fixed her gaze back on the chancellor as Chysgod hopped onto one of his hands. Kemble stroked the raven's iridescent feathers. "After all, I've heard a different story from a few... witnesses of the battle."

Devyn bit back a snippy response, forcing herself to consider the man's words. Witnesses? He must have sent some sort of spy to confirm that the battle went alright. But I don't understand what he would have found out that I haven't told him. "Are you talking about the course of the fight, my liege? I won't lie and tell you that the soldiers weren't exhausted; they could barely stand up straight after the battle. It's true that it lasted longer than one might have anticipated."

"Hm," the man rumbled in response, still running a finger down Chysgod's back. The bird seemed to enjoy the attention, ruffling his feathers and leaning into Kemble's touch. "I suppose that is all good and true."

What do you want me to tell you? Devyn wanted to shout. I've told you all that's gone on; what more do you want from me? But she couldn't say that, not without angering the man. "The opposing side's captain is fairly evenly matched with my own abilities, so I was not able to take her down completely as I had hoped. However, I do believe that there are still ways of besting her."

Now the chancellor finally seemed interested in the young woman's words. He shifted his weight forwards, his eyes flicking up to meet hers in an intent stare. She rubbed the goosebumps from her forearms.

"All we have to do is to get an idea of her weaknesses. I can head out to the Ledian stronghold and see if I can catch a glimpse of her training. All I need is to see her fighting techniques and gauge where she falls short. Then, I can use those against her when we next cross blades." Devyn explained, enjoying the way her voice came out. It wasn't shaky as it sometimes was when talking to the chancellor; she sounded almost powerful. She decided it sounded good.

Kemble nodded slowly, considering her idea. "Yes... Yes, I think that could work." He raised his hand and signaled for Chysgod to return to his shoulder. The bird stepped up and turned so that he was facing Devyn. She would never cease to be unnerved by the raven's unnatural gaze. "Go on, then. Depart as soon as you can. We don't want to waste any time in taking down the captain and her wretched army." Devyn nodded in what she hoped was a respectful manner before turning on her heel to leave the room. She paused as the sound of his staff hitting the ground echoed through the air. Instead of turning, she inclined her head slightly to listen.

"Next time, Captain Devyn, I hope you do not feel so inclined to hide the truth." His voice rang through the room, causing Devyn to curl her hands into fists. "There are plenty of ways to tell whether you're lying to me. Remember that."

Devyn faintly heard Chysgod let out an amused caw as she walked out of the room with as much grace as she could muster.