Richard Tuttle - Web of Deceit

The sound of footsteps caused Veltar to turn and see Grulak, leader of the Jiadin, approaching. Grulak’s muscles bulged beneath his red-dyed armor and his footsteps pounded loudly across the stones as he moved to the edge to stand beside Veltar.

“Greetings, Your Excellency,” bowed Veltar.

“Not quite yet,” scowled Grulak. “I thought I might find you up here.”

“It will be soon,” Veltar assured the leader as he waved his hand over the plain below. “See how your armies gather. Already you have amassed the greatest army and you have not even invited the other tribes to join with you.”

“The people recognize a great leader when they see one,” Grulak blustered. “Convincing the other tribes will not be so easy though.”

“You will prevail,” snickered Veltar. “I guarantee it. Has not my advice already brought you all of the new recruits each season? No longer do the young ones seek to join just any tribe, they now seek to join the Jiadin Tribe.”

“Yes, your advice has been good,” admitted Grulak. “That is why I have made you my most trusted advisor.”

“The only advisor you need,” Veltar pointed out. “The others trembled when you decided to move your forces here and reoccupy the sacred temple.”

Grulak looked down at the plain and saw his army encampments. From horizon to horizon tents were pitched and more men were arriving every day. Tens of thousands of men had rallied to him in the past few years.

“Are you sure these village slaughters are a good idea?” asked Grulak. “It may make the other tribes feel as if we are invading their territories. They might be less likely to join with us then.”

“On the contrary,” smiled Veltar, “it shows them the distance of your reach. The tribes only understand power. For years they have existed by displaying their power over the defenseless villagers. Now we are doing to them what they have been doing to the villagers. They will tremble and beg to give you allegiance. I do have a concern with the slaughters though.”

“Oh,” Grulak said as he continued gazing down upon his armies. “What is the problem?”

“My men are not treated with due respect,” declared Veltar. “Your patrol leaders will often do things that obstruct what my men are trying to accomplish.”

“Your men,” reminded Grulak, “are merely servants of an advisor. The patrol leaders are in charge of the raids. What part of that do your men not understand? You are the only advisor who has men going out on the raids. You should be satisfied with that.”

“I should be,” frowned Veltar, “but I am not. I want my men to be of a position over the patrol leaders.”

“Preposterous!” exclaimed Grulak. “You overstep your bounds. You cause me to suspect your desires for power, Veltar. You are but an advisor and one I can dispense with. Mark your territory wisely.”

“Of course, Master,” bowed Veltar. “Forgive my suggestions, but I am only trying to serve you to the best of my ability.”

“Well,” lectured Grulak, “just remember your place in things. My patrol leaders are well trained and suited for the positions I have given them.”

“I would not have even brought up the subject except for the welfare of Diakles,” smiled Veltar.

“Diakles?” queried Grulak. “What does my son have to do with the patrols?”

“I have had another vision,” Veltar reported. “I did not want to disturb you with it, but the problems with the patrols makes it necessary.”

“What was in the vision?” trembled Grulak. “Is there danger for Diakles? What kind of danger?”

“I saw a battle and Diakles was in the vanguard,” stated Veltar as he assumed a trance-like pose. “He was magnificent in his splendor and his men followed him with pride. They loved him almost as much as they love you. The battle was fierce, but Diakles easily trounced the enemy and declared victory. There was, however, one lone survivor amongst the enemy ranks. It was a young man around the same age as Diakles and this man looked not like a warrior.”

Veltar closed his eyes and stretched his hand to Grulak’s shoulder as if for support. “This man had a crescent mark in the palm of his hand and he held that hand up and demanded that Diakles put away his weapons or he would die. Diakles laughed and charged the man, but his weapons appeared to do no harm to the stranger. The vision grew dark at this point, but I heard the scream of death before it ended.”

“Whose death?” demanded Grulak. “Who died? Surely it was the stranger?

“I do not know,” Veltar said opening his eyes and removing his hand from Grulak’s shoulder. “This is strange in itself as my visions have always been clear when you were the victor. It has caused me great concern for Diakles’s well being.”

Grulak felt a tremor of terror race down his spine as he envisioned his son’s death. “I will keep him with me at all times,” declared the Jiadin leader.

“The vision clearly showed him leading the army,” Veltar pointed out. “You may try to alter the outcome of my vision, but things that are seen, will happen. Diakles will lead that army and he will fight that stranger, if that stranger still exists that is.”

“Yes,” nodded Grulak, “that is the answer. Find this boy with the mark on his palm and kill him now, before Diakles must meet him. That way we do not have to worry about the outcome that your vision did not show.”

“That is exactly what I have been trying to accomplish, My Lord,” smiled Veltar. “Yet you have just rejected my plans to do this.”

“Rejected?” questioned Grulak. “What are you talking about? You are to do everything in your power to find and kill this boy. How have I rejected your help?”

“The patrols, My Lord,” explained Veltar. “My men had located the boy and planned to destroy the entire village. The patrol leader, however, refused to wait until my men could verify that the boy was there before they attacked. The village was destroyed, but not the boy. He was elsewhere at the time.”

“Who is this patrol leader,“ fumed Grulak. “I will have him hung from this platform for all to see.”

“It was not the fault of the patrol leader.” Veltar pointed out. “As you have commanded, he took his orders from you, not my men. How can you fault a man for following your orders strictly? Had the patrol leader been told to listen to my men, the outcome would have been much different.”

“Or if the patrol leader had been aware of your vision,” suggested Grulak. “I should make sure that everyone knows of this boy.”

“Making them aware of the need to find this boy may be fine,” agreed Veltar, “but do not cause your men to think Diakles is weak and must be protected. He will follow one day in your footsteps and he must be loved and seen as strong. My men, on the other hand, know how to be discreet. I can explain the vision to them and they will never repeat it. So you see why I have suggested the arrangement I have. It is not for my own needs I have asked for this, but only to better serve you, My Lord.”

“Yes, I see that now,” nodded Grulak as he placed his hand on Veltar’s shoulder. “I should have known better than to suspect your motives. You have had only my success as your goal. I will issue the orders today making your men advisors to me. The patrol leaders will defer to them in the future.”

“Excellent, My Lord,” smiled Veltar as he changed the subject swiftly. “I think it is time to send out the couriers to the other tribes. They have had enough time to feel your reach, and yet, not so much time as to formulate any plans of joining against you.”

“You mean to call the meeting of the tribes so soon?” queried Grulak. “I thought we were going to continue putting pressure on them for a while yet?”