The Grey Ones
The Dark Before the Dawn: II

RICHMOND

“So you think you can sneak into my city to assassinate me?” Richmond growled through the bars at the pathetic man in the cell.

The prisoner, ill-fed and robe-clad, spat at his direction. “You will pay for what you did to our Duke! In the name of the Builder, you will pay!”

“And what is he going to do from his grave?” Richmond smirked and looked at the man down his nose.

“Westbridge never forgets,” the prisoner hissed. “You and your children will all be hunted for your sins!”

“Oh, the horror,” Richmond drawled. “Westbridge is nothing but a shit hole, and the only reason it even exists is because of its bridge and its toll. There is no army left in Westbridge, the Duke is dead, his heir is dead—what the fuck do you think such a shadow of a city could ever do to me?”

“Lord Arthur is Duke now,” spat the prisoner, “and he will avenge his father’s death and bring the wrath of the Builder upon you all!”

Richmond huffed. “That brat is what? Twelve? He couldn’t hurt a maggot even if he tried.”

The man behind bars was a commoner, a pauper—how dared he run at the Duke of Noxborough with a knife in hand? How dared he shout that his actions were in the name of Westbridge? In the name of the Builder? How dared that child Duke send such an amateur to do a man’s job?

But he knew what this man was. This man was a devotee, an acolyte of the Vault and the Pillars—clearly, the Architects did not like having a devoted ally killed. But they would have to do better than to send a half-starved man in sandals and robes if they wanted to kill the Duke of Noxborough.

With a huff, Richmond turned to the guards and said, “Execute him.”

“But sir,” said one of the guards, “this is a man of the Vault. Shouldn’t he be tried by the Architects?”

Richmond snapped his head at the guard and growled, “He tried to kill me. If you disobey me, you will commit high treason.”

The guard swallowed and nodded. “Yes, sir.”

Richmond sighed and fixed his coat. “Be quick about it.”

He knew his son would not agree to his methods, as he was very keen on voicing once Richmond came upstairs and into the study.

Sebastian was restlessly pacing the room, and he was not happy. He glared at his father and asked, “What are you going to do to him?”

“What do you think I’ll do to him?”

Sebastian shrugged. “Imprison him?”

“Don’t be naive, boy,” Richmond muttered. “He tried to murder me. He must die.”

“But Father,” Sebastian said, “he is a man of the Vault. It would be against the law to execute him without a trial.”

“It is also against the law to attack a Duke, no matter in what dukedom,” said Richmond.

His son glared at him. “You attacked a Duke.”

Richmond took a deep breath and poured himself a glass of wine. He knew he had broken the King’s Accords and he knew it was a serious offence—but his city, his dukedom, was under attack. He would do whatever he had to or order to save it.

“I did,” said he. “He betrayed me. He left us to get fucked from behind by those beasts. What would you have done? Ignored such an insult?”

“What does Garret say of it?”

Richmond scoffed. “Garret doesn’t need to know everything.”

“He would advise against it,” Sebastian pointed out.

Richmond huffed.

“If we survive the Grey Ones, then you’ve launched us into another war,” Sebastian muttered. “Riverport will rally at Westbridge’s side, as will both Kingshaven and Eastshore since you’ve broken such a sacred rule.”

“Ravensgate will aid us,” Richmond muttered.

Sebastian laughed out loud. “The shit hole on the other side of Nornest? Yes, that’s a brilliant idea! Why not meet in the middle, then, quite literally?”

“Don’t be so cynical,” said Richmond. “You’re far too young for that.”

“I’m not being cynical, Father,” Sebastian spat. “I’m being realistic. If we survive the invaders, we’ll have no defences left when the others come for us.”

“If we survive the invaders,” said Richmond, “we’ll be gods. The other cities won’t dare to attack us.”

Sebastian shook his head. “It’s all if we survive. After what happened, the men aren’t too keen on fighting. They’re afraid.” The boy sighed. “I don’t know what they used, but whatever it was, it was strong. If they use that against us again, there won’t be a fight. It will be child’s play for them to destroy us.”

Richmond slammed his glass onto the table and shouted, “Damn those dogs! They are killable, mortal! They used a dirty trick, that’s all. I doubt they have any others up their sleeves—if they did, why haven’t they taken over the city yet? They’ve been here for months.”

“They steal people from the lower districts every day,” sighed Sebastian. “Their support from the people—our people—grows stronger every day. They take advantage of people’s suffering. Soon enough, they will have doubled their army by poaching our own people. Perhaps they’re simply just biding their time?”

Richmond sighed, frustrated and angry. “Well, while they are doing that, we need to prove to our men that they aren’t demons—that they are killable.”

“How?”

“It’s quite simple, my son,” said Richmond. “We have to kill one, for everyone to see.”