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  Kanii seemed to enjoy their arrangement well enough, as she received much of the same responsibility she had grown familiar with before, without the constant pressure of having to score quick earnings or risk mutiny. Additionally, she now made twice as much money while uniquely answering only to Tiberius.

  The dark skinned Ti'esh’iit people, whom Kanii called her own, live far to the south. Being either from North Ti'esh or South Ti'esh, the Ti'esh’iit are famed for their longstanding hatred of the Empire, but luckily, Kanii, in many circumstances, placed wealth above ethics. And oddly, Tiberius sometimes preferred a scoundrel like Kanii over well-meaning men, as he never had to question an honest scoundrel’s motives, and likewise their actions are often fairly easy to predict. It was the actions of those who were well meaning and loyal to the empire that caused Tiberius complications. Because of this and other reasons, he preferred recruiting those that were loyal to him first, not the empire.

  Kanii stepped forward and continued as she rubbed the ship's port side, “I heard about the fight; too bad she lost.”

  Tiberius responded with a smirk, “But then, who would pay you?”

  “It's not about the money, it's about personal principle; I want your ship.”

  The praetor, being slightly humored by this comment, gave reply, “It is about money, otherwise you would have taken the Andromeda years ago. Besides I wasn't even the least bit aware that you possessed principles?”

  “What are you talking about, my life is run by many good principles, the greatest of which is that if I see something I want, then I take it; it's simple and straight to the point. The complication of your life, and the lives of other land lovers, baffles me. Unfortunately that is true though, I do at this time want your money more than your ship, a fact I regret. But I give you my word as an honest pirate that I will inform you as soon as that changes, “ Kanii finished with a half bow.

  “I would expect nothing less,” Tiberius paused before continuing, “Did the woman give you any trouble?”

  “No, she hasn't said a word or made any attempt at aggression since she was delivered late last night,” responded Kanii as she glanced toward the floor entrance to the cargo hold.

  “Good, bind her hands and have her brought to me at the end of the dock,” commanded Tiberius as he turned. Then, putting the sun directly behind him, he began walking straight out toward the open ocean on the solidly constructed wooden platform.

  A few minutes passed as Tiberius gazed out over the sea, watching the many ships go in and out of the harbor, listening to the sound of the gentle tide brushing up against the long dock's strong pillars. He once again pondered the previous day's surprising events, not completely allowing his mind to become lost to the sea's welcoming charm. His thoughts were then suddenly interrupted by the completion of his own command.

  Not turning, Tiberius spoke to the soldier who had brought Gretel to him as instructed, “Leave us.”

  After giving the order, Tiberius heard the soldier's heavy footsteps move away, toward the other side of the dock. There was a moment of silence before Tiberius began, “I love the smell of the sea, but I always feel that the scent or site of the great body of water's presence is never fully realized until you are close enough to hear its song, to see its dance, to feel its calm presence, or to be fearful of its indiscriminate rage.”

  Tiberius could barely hear Gretel's soft footsteps as she moved forward. Standing directly to his right, following Tiberius' gaze, she replied, “What is to become of me?”

  Tiberius glanced at the woman before looking back out over the sea, “I do not yet have that answer. All I know is simply that you are not a liar. If you were a liar as many would claim, then you would not have gone to such great lengths, and I can think of no political reason for a lord to hire a woman like you for such a foolhardy deception. So, as it stands you are either crazy, mistaken, or your claim, as inconceivable as it may be, is the truth; and at this juncture I do not see crazy. But, then again, perhaps I am missing something.”

  Some time passed before Gretel responded, “If only you knew how many times you have raided the same village to which you were born as you sought to crush the very Gahnen rebellion which your father believed in and unjustly died for over twenty five years ago. How many of our father's friends, and their wives, and their children are you responsible for murdering little brother. I was old enough to vaguely remember some of their faces, faces which now lie buried below the ground, with only their tombstones to give evidence of their tortured existence.”

  “The rebels did what they believed was right and I did my duty,” responded Tiberius coldly.

  Gretel let out a short sarcastic laugh as she replied, “What they believed was right? Tell me noble Praetor, what do you believe is right? Have you ever even been to places like Southside where millions live in poverty like rats, fighting brutally for little scraps. They have no freedom, no hope, no safety, and no protection from the lords who keep them there.”

  There was a moment of silence before Gretel continued , “It's true, you haven't been there have you? How shameful. Well there is ultimately nothing I can do to prove my claim, but you have already anticipated that, so I will ask one thing of you; go to Southside, see how they live, see the true mark of the man you serve, then make your decision.”

  Tiberius remained silent as he pondered the truth behind many of her words. It was true, he had never been to Southside, and even if he had been to places like it, it would have been due to war by the emperor's command, not of his own accord, and not under a flag of peace. The golden haired Gahnen rebel struck a cord. Was he such a monster as she claimed? Perhaps; his failure to give an immediate no to that answer troubled him greatly. Was he growing weak to be moved by such an accusation so quickly, or was his hesitancy to answer his own minds quandary with a simple no, justified, giving the woman's harsh words credence.

  Tiberius proceeded by changing the subject, “Your claim was obviously realized by the sight of my mark. What do you know of it?”

  “Nothing, except that I remember it from when you were a young child; before our parents were murdered, before you were taken,” Gretel finished with a voice resounding the sorrow which she clearly sought to hide.

  Gretel after a quick moment continued, “Your mark is unique, and unmistakable.”

  As Gretel's words trailed off, Tiberius tried again and again to remember something before his life at Five Spires, anything that might corroborate her story. But try as he might, his efforts proved just as futile as they had before.

  Tiberius, deciding it was time to bring this to a close, turned saying, “You put me in a difficult position; I do not wish to deliver you to the Ministry of Justice for I know first hand what awaits you there. But I also can not risk believing you based solely on your word alone. I will think on it and give you my judgment in two days time.”

  “So it shall be,” responded Gretel coldly.

  As Tiberius escorted his prisoner back to the Andromeda he considered what she had claimed about Southside. Was it truly as bad as she claimed? To Tiberius that was not inconceivable, however he was appalled by the prospect that he had never been there; in this Gretel was right, that was shameful. The fact that he had no reason to go was true, but that, in his eyes, was a very poor excuse, as a commander should always bear witness to the results of their actions. Tiberius, if he was honest, like it or not, did bear at least a small piece of responsibility for Southside and the many places which were like it, as Tiberius was directly or indirectly responsible for taking many a man's family, home, livelihood, and freedom, throughout the empire.

  Perhaps I will go.

  Upon reaching the Andromeda, Tiberius handed the potentially doomed rebel to one of the guards, giving him instructions to resume the woman's imprisonment. Then Tiberius turned before moving toward the captain who was, at this moment, kneeling down on the dock near the bow, rummaging through various chart maps.

  When Tiberius arrived, Kanii spok
e as he leaned back against the thick wooden rail on the starboard side, “How long do I have to keep her down there?”

  “I will reach a decision in a couple of days,” said Tiberius as he began to stroke his currently well trimmed beard.

  “Good, she's taking up storage space.”

  “Why would you concern yourself with storage space, or the lack thereof? You planning on going somewhere Kanii?”

  “I assumed you wouldn't want to stay here long, and you know how I feel about this damn city. So, that being said, I want the ship ready to leave in a moments notice.”

  “Good; your assumption is correct, I don't intend to stay here long.”

  Kanii stopped whatever occupied her and looked up with an inquisitive expression, “What are you thinking about Tiberius, I know that look.”

  Tiberius stopped stroking his beard, and after folding his arms he replied, “Take me to Southside, I have certain business there today.”

  With a surprised and puzzled expression, Kanii asked, “Southside? What business could you possibly have in Southside? You do realize how dangerous it would be for someone like you to wander its streets? I've been there, and have seen enough to know that it's not a place you want to be... You're serious?"

  “Yes very serious,” responded Tiberius.

  “Very well, I'll fetch some of the soldiers and have the Andromeda ready to depart for the other side of Kingsgate shortly.”

  Tiberius nodded his approval after a brief yawn, before turning to move toward the aft.

  Tiberius took two steps before Kanii again spoke, “And Praetor, get some sleep; you look tired.”

  “Praetor... Praetor wake up, we've arrived,” said Kanii as she stood over Tiberius who was quickly becoming fully alert.

  After setting sail, Tiberius had settled in, hoping to catch the sleep which had evaded him in the early morning. He was pleased to learn upon waking that he had found success in that simple venture. However his pleasant mood soured immediately upon hearing Kanii's following words.

  As Tiberius reached his feet the Andromeda's captain followed, “Shortly after you fell asleep our ship was tailed by the Imperial ship of Legatus Malcus. I attempted to lose him, but we, unlike them, are laden with cargo, and the mild winds wouldn't have it. He is unfortunately drifting up to the dock as we speak, you have my apologies.”

  Tiberius turned to face aft and saw the larger ship snug up to the long dock behind the Andromeda. Instant anger and irritation began to bubble to the surface as the unexpected arrival of his rival caused deep seated emotion to be resurrected from the depths of his subconscious.

  As Tiberius immediately pushed down his powerful emotions in a fairly successful attempt to regain his regal composure and controlled persona, he replied, “What could he possibly desire to obtain from a meeting with me, and an informal one at that?”

  “Your guess is as good as mine; are you going to want an escort,” Kanii asked as Tiberius walked toward the starboard side and exited the ship, quickly moving across the small boat ramp before setting foot onto the long boat dock which was much the same as the last.

  “A complement of six should be sufficient,” commanded Tiberius as he began walking quickly toward the larger ship. A hastily chosen six man escort speedily caught up as Tiberius neared the large ship's wooden exit ramp. The tall, slender, middle aged man, known famously as Malcus the Scarred, then emerged, sauntering patiently down the ramp to join Tiberius with his own five-man escort in tow.

  “Greetings Tiberius, I presume to anticipate your befuddlement as to the purpose of our present meeting, so up front I will at this time dispense with common pleasantries and unveil the reason for my curious appearance. Whilst I was in court I overheard the emperor issue a summons for you so I took it upon myself to volunteer... Pardon me Lord Tiberius but would it be too presumptuous to request your enjoyable company on a brisk walk?”

  Tiberius moved his arm out leading the way, motioning his agreement to Malcus' fraudulently humble request. As they began walking, Malcus continued, “Anyway, I could have delivered the summons by messenger, but alas, I feel as though the last time we met was not on the best of terms. I wish to change that by offering my presence off of the battlefield, away from our war, in a method more desirable to those who desire... peace.”

  “Peace is our purpose, is it not my esteemed colleague?” Said Tiberius as they entered the city.

  “Perhaps, but even you must admit that the only way to achieve true peace is through war. That is, the peace which is achieved when one side destroys the other. The concept is highly despised by civilized men these days, but the irony is that the use of this concept is what gave birth and continues to preserve their current position, wealth, and status. Do you disagree?”

  Tiberius did not dare to answer foolishly by bluntly answering no as he knew much about what the legatus now said was true, so he instead took his time, making Malcus wait for his answer.

  Tiberius took the moment to scan his surroundings, looking for the truth behind Gretel's words which she had spoken earlier. He found that truth instantly, as the sadness which came from that which he saw turned his stomach sour.

  There was a child in front of him and to his right which looked up at him as he walked by. Hunger was made obvious by the bones which jutted out from inside her skin. She tried to stand up straight in the snow, clearly seeking to get his attention. There was an eagerness, hidden by the hopelessness which consumed the small child's face. However, weakness, caused by starvation, then resigned her to lean back against the wall of a rundown shack which had propped her up before her partly futile attempt at discovery.

  Tiberius wished to give her money, to silence the little girl's hunger pangs, even if only to ease the child's suffering for a day. But, as he looked around, noticing the other starving men, women, and children, some in even worse condition than the helpless girl; he realized that to hand her scraps was to resign the poor child to certain death, as the others would certainly kill for any one of the gold pieces which were currently in his coin purse.

  Tiberius felt the disparity which consumed this place, it was on everyone's face, it was in the way they walked, it was in how they treated each other; it was like a disease which spread to anyone who entered. Tiberius' attention now turned to a shop standing in the distance. It was easy to tell apart from the rest of the dilapidated shacks which were stacked one on top of the other, called home by many poverty stricken families, widows, and groups of orphaned children. He wondered how the shop owner protected his humble establishment from being raided by the many starving citizens, as he saw no other policing force around which would keep a hungry mob at bay. Tiberius concluded that the man must have an agreement with one of the powerful gangs which he'd heard had formed to control the populace of Southside; an arrangement which the government appreciated as it allowed them to divert their policing forces elsewhere.

  Many watched from the street or in their houses as Tiberius and Malcus passed by; anger and hopelessness were often worn as a mixed expression showing clearly upon their faces.

  As two of his soldiers nudged some peasants aside, Tiberius gave his answer as they made way toward the small shop, “Far be it for me to disagree with such reason, for there is substantial truth behind such simple logic. However I would enlighten you to the fact that we are still at war, and therefore far from peace.”

  “I do not recall myself suggesting that peace need not be maintained. In fact, to the contrary, the maintenance of peace is our purpose, in that we agree. It is the method, in which we potentially disagree,” responded Malcus.

  “Is that so? Why then, if you agree with my earlier supposition, are you responsible for creating so much conflict? I wonder to myself if the war which I have been so recently relieved of was truly necessary in the first place. I wonder if perhaps the extremity of your methods creates opposition which should never exist, and therefore subsequently makes peace harder to find. You did have command first; perhaps we
re peace your true motivation you would have been more successful in its conjuring.”

  After Tiberius' mild mannered rebuke trailed off, they found themselves standing near the entrance to the small general store. As Tiberius opened the door and made movement to enter the humble establishment, Malcus replied, “If you will excuse me Tiberius, I believe I shall wait here.”

  “As you wish,” said Tiberius as he closed the door behind himself.

  The small store on the inside, unlike what it appeared to be from the outside, was neat and orderly, having various supplies and foodstuffs decorating the shelves. There were holes in the walls, and places where the roof didn't seem as though it could hold true through anymore winters; but aside from these things Tiberius could see the visible signs of the effort which the shop owner clearly put into keeping up a pleasant atmosphere. Light was let into the shop from two small shuttered glassless windows at the front, but much of the light seeped in through the wall's many cracks.

  The shop owner came out from a back room as Tiberius arrived at the front counter. The short gangly man was no doubt surprised by his arrival, as the owner was likely not accustomed to serving many customers due to the shops location and status.

  The man paused for a moment, then as a quick look of recognition passed across his face he bowed low uttering a greeting, “How have the gods granted me such favor that I am to welcome you, the great Lord Tiberius, to my meager shop?”

  As Tiberius motioned the man to rise he answered, “I have never come to Southside and my decision to wander through it's streets today was made with haste, so I lack a proper guide. I am truly just passing through and have seen all that I came to see, however would you mind telling me whether or not any charity is offered to these starving people?”

  After Tiberius spoke, a small woman peeked around the corner. Tiberius nodded in her direction. Then as she too recognized Tiberius, the woman immediately came out and bowed before the famous legatus saying, “It is an honor, me Lord.”