Giam Alghieri, Traitor to the Ordo di Santa Cassia

The crisp winter wind crept into the gaps in my armor, dulled by the padding beneath that spared me from frostbite. It was impressive how strong the winters are in these lands despite being nestled in the south, shielded by the highlands from the warmth of the southern seas. I had a comfortable feeling about this place, a rare comfort I hadn’t expected coming somewhere so maligned. Cantesso & Brula, or in this case simply Cantesso, with Brula lying east. It wasn’t long ago that Janus Hessi declared himself archbishop, and Cantesso & Brula his archbishopric. He was posturing him as the first domestic threat to face the emperor in a while.

It was only recently that I nearly lost my left arm to Volghurs. Likely hired by that damnable council of Orphans to push me into hiding. Janus was much like those orphans, a religious firebrand whose ideology was hammered in gold rather than steel and who appealed to High Heaven rather than the people for his providence. So long as he opposed Alessandro I could rest easy in what is functionally foreign land, assuming Janus finds me favorable. I’ve too important of a name to simply show up here and hide rather than offer myself to him as retainer.

My musings echoed on in my head as I trudged forth, my stamina defying my age over what felt like hours uphill until I was met by a flicker of light cresting a nearby hill. I hastened my pace, pushing myself until the head of a small garrison came into view, a rolling fire dancing off mirrored surfaces illuminated it and the surrounding area. long, flowing banners of white adorned the sides of the garrison’s protruding lighthouse, a crown flanked by three stars depicted on their faces rather than the phoenix of Ascadia. I pounded my fist on the door until I heard a muffled retort from within. The door swung open and without hesitation the metal head of a crossbow thudded against my bevor.

“I seek audience with Janus Hessi.” I said.

The dark figure of a man outlined by fiery light stared at me for a moment before adjusting his crossbow against me roughly. “Why?”

“I wish to offer myself to him as retainer, in exchange for asylum in his land.”

He withdrew his crossbow, dropping it to the side of the door as he swung it open. “You’re an Order Spellsword, from Corbaglia.” He stated.

I nodded. “You’ve a keen eye, what tipped you off?”

He gestured to me “Your armor, your posture, the fact you came here of all places, bordering on Corbaglia’s march.” He said, his gesturing hands carrying quite a bit of emotion as he spoke. He stuck one of his hands out. “Giulio, by the way.”

I grabbed his hand back, shaking it firmly. “Giam Alghieri.”

He grinned. “I had assumed so, why else would an Orderly be fleeing south to this treacherous domain. The wind is fond of your name, Ser Alghieri, we’ve all heard your name in the holy lands.” He said, moving aside to welcome me. “You’ve a reputation down here, a free spirit and a vagrant flame. You’ve spoken strong words against the liars of the council in Providence, much alike the archbishop.”

“Is that so?” I said.

He spoke as I moved to sit “It is so, Ser, the orphans pretend, they scorn us, it is rare for one of the privileged spellswords of Providence to stand against the pretenders, let alone for one of them to defect to a traitor state.”

“Mhh.” I crossed my legs ahead of me as I sat at a large cushion on the floor. “So Janus, he will take me as retainer?”

“Damned if I know.” He shrugged. “He simply knows your name, never talked about you. I will take you to him, to figure out the rest.”

“And I must warn you, I am hunted.”

“Volghurs, I know, they harry us as well. Like enemies of a like foe after all.”

I frowned. “And they have clearance in the bishopric?”

“They’ve clearance wherever they please, they ride like a storm and rampage like an inferno. We can simply stop those who confront us directly.”

“And if they harry us on our passage?”

“Pfah. You survived them once!” He said, throwing his arms out beside him.

“Nearly lost my arm.”

“A shame, truly, but many die with lesser bounties and greater luck.” He retorted. “You’ve come in the dead of the night, I must remind you, the barracks are empty, simply a waystation for passing vincolati and the like. You’re free to use whatever bed you wish.”

“And why are you here, then? Do the vincolati pay you?”

“Nae, I’m a servant of Ser Hessi, like us all. Cantesso & Brula simply has history of operating in alliance with the private armies. Many of them rose alongside Ser Hessi to secure our independence, and so we manage these waystations as policy just as we had before our independen–” He said, before interrupting himself. “And once again, I must remind you its the middle of the night.”

I stammered a bit, laughing. “Ah, yes, I will excuse myself.” I pushed my hands against my knees and stood up, groaning. I moved to the door of the barracks, stopping for a second to turn around. “And thank you, Giulio, for this.”

“Ah, it is nothing Ser Alghieri, your name warrants respect.”