Chapter 98: The Price of the Road
The expedition left the small village shortly after sunrise.
For the first time in several days, the road ahead was clear.
No mountains blocked their path.
No strange forest twisted their route.
No enormous beast waited beneath a lake.
The capital was close.
The soldiers could feel it.
Their pace quickened.
Even the horses seemed to know they were almost home.
But Kael wasn’t celebrating.
He rode near the front of the column, quietly watching the road.
The events of the expedition kept replaying in his mind.
The monsters.
The ruins.
The hunters.
The villages.
The problems that had nothing to do with war.
He had learned more during this journey than he expected.
And he knew the Emperor would want to hear all of it.
But before they reached the capital...
There was one more problem.
Near midday, the expedition reached a massive stone bridge.
Or what remained of one.
Half of it had collapsed into the river below.
The river was wide and violent.
On the opposite side stood a small Imperial checkpoint.
Several soldiers were gathered there.
One of them waved frantically.
"Stop!"
Colonel Gareth raised his hand.
The expedition halted.
A soldier from the checkpoint ran across what remained of the bridge.
"Colonel!"
"What happened?"
"Three merchant caravans tried crossing this morning."
The soldier pointed toward the river.
"The bridge collapsed."
"Anyone injured?"
"Two."
"Dead?"
The soldier hesitated.
"One."
The camp became quiet.
Gareth sighed.
"How long before it’s repaired?"
"At least three days."
Darius looked toward the river.
"We can’t wait three days."
Gareth nodded.
"We don’t have to."
He looked at Kael.
Kael already understood.
"We find another route."
The River
The scouts searched for another crossing.
There wasn’t one nearby.
The river stretched for miles.
The nearest bridge was almost a day’s journey north.
The expedition could take the longer route.
But that would delay their arrival.
Gareth looked toward the broken bridge.
"We could build a temporary crossing."
One of the engineers shook his head.
"The current is too strong."
Another said:
"We could reinforce the remaining structure."
"Too dangerous."
Kael watched the river.
Then looked at the surrounding forest.
"How many trees?"
The engineer looked confused.
"What?"
"Trees."
"Plenty."
"Good."
Kael dismounted.
"We’ll build our own bridge."
The Black Dragons began working.
Some soldiers cut trees.
Others carried ropes.
Engineers directed the construction.
Even the branch-family soldiers worked beside the main-branch soldiers.
At first, there were no problems.
Then one of the branch officers began complaining.
"This is ridiculous."
Darius looked at him.
"What?"
"We’re Imperial soldiers."
"We’re supposed to fight."
Darius continued tying a rope.
"We’re supposed to follow orders."
The officer scoffed.
"You understand what I mean."
Kael heard them.
He walked over.
"What exactly do you mean?"
The officer straightened.
"Prince."
"You think building a bridge is beneath you?"
"No."
Kael stared at him.
The officer hesitated.
"I simply believe our talents could be used better."
Kael nodded.
"Perhaps."
Then he pointed toward the river.
"How many soldiers would die if we tried crossing without one?"
The officer didn’t answer.
Kael continued.
"Leadership isn’t always about swinging a sword."
"Sometimes it’s knowing when not to."
The officer lowered his eyes.
"Yes, Prince."
Kael walked away.
Darius watched him.
"You didn’t punish him."
"He wasn’t disobedient."
"He was complaining."
"There’s a difference."
The bridge was almost finished when the river suddenly rose.
A massive wave slammed into the supports.
BOOM!
One of the ropes snapped.
A wooden beam shifted.
A soldier fell toward the river.
"GRAB HIM!"
Two soldiers caught his arm.
Another secured the rope.
Darius shouted orders.
"Pull!"
The soldiers pulled together.
The man was dragged back onto solid ground.
Kael watched.
Nobody panicked.
Nobody waited for an officer to tell them what to do.
They reacted.
They protected one another.
Kael smiled faintly.
The Black Dragons were beginning to become what he wanted them to be.
Not fifty people following one prince.
A unit.
By evening, the temporary bridge was complete.
The civilians crossed first.
Then the supplies.
Then the soldiers.
The horses were guided carefully across.
Finally, Kael crossed.
Halfway across, he stopped.
He looked down at the raging river.
The same river that had seemed impossible to cross that morning.
Behind him stood fifty soldiers.
Ahead lay the capital.
Kael smiled.
"Keep moving."
On the other side of the river, the expedition encountered one of the merchants whose caravan had been damaged by the bridge collapse.
The merchant recognized Kael.
"Prince Kael."
Kael turned.
"Yes?"
The merchant bowed.
"I wanted to thank you."
"You don’t have to."
"I do."
The merchant looked toward the temporary bridge.
"You saved us another day."
Kael nodded.
The merchant hesitated.
"There’s something else."
"What?"
The man’s expression became serious.
"There’s been trouble on the western roads."
Gareth stepped closer.
"What kind?"
"Not monsters."
Kael’s attention sharpened.
"Bandits?"
The merchant shook his head.
"Worse."
Darius frowned.
"What could be worse than bandits?"
The merchant looked around before answering.
"People pretending to be Imperial soldiers."
Silence.
Kael’s eyes narrowed.
"How many?"
"I don’t know."
"What are they doing?"
"They stop caravans."
"Take supplies."
"Ask questions."
"And sometimes..."
The merchant swallowed.
"They take people."
Kael’s expression hardened.
"Where?"
"Nobody knows."
Colonel Gareth immediately ordered the scouts to investigate.
Kael didn’t say anything.
His mind was already working.
The expedition had spent weeks dealing with monsters.
Now they were approaching civilization...
And the danger was human.
Darius approached him.
"Could they be connected to the branch families?"
Kael shook his head.
"Don’t assume that."
"Then who?"
"I don’t know."
Kael looked toward the road.
"And that’s exactly why we investigate."
The scouts returned before nightfall.
They had found evidence.
Broken wagon wheels.
A burned campsite.
Several pieces of Imperial-looking armor.
But no bodies.
No survivors.
And no attackers.
Grom crouched beside one of the abandoned helmets.
"Fake."
Kael looked at him.
"How do you know?"
"The insignia."
Grom pointed.
"Wrong placement."
Kael picked up the helmet.
Someone had attempted to imitate Imperial equipment.
Poorly.
But well enough to fool ordinary travelers.
Kael handed it to Gareth.
"This isn’t random."
Gareth nodded.
"I agree."
"We’re close to the capital."
"And someone is impersonating Imperial soldiers."
"Exactly."
That night, the expedition doubled its guards.
Kael didn’t sleep.
He sat beside the fire with Darius.
The mysterious egg remained hidden inside his belongings.
The strange token from the forest was also there.
Two pieces of a puzzle he didn’t understand.
Darius looked at him.
"You’ve been quiet."
"I’m thinking."
"About the fake soldiers?"
"Partly."
"What else?"
Kael looked toward the darkness.
"The expedition."
Darius smiled.
"You survived."
"That’s not what I mean."
Kael looked at the fifty soldiers sleeping around the camp.
"When we left, they were soldiers."
"And now?"
Kael thought for a moment.
"They’re becoming something else."
Darius nodded.
"Your company."
Kael shook his head.
"Not mine."
He looked at Darius.
"Their own."
Darius smiled.
"That’s probably the first real thing you’ve said about leadership."
Kael laughed quietly.
"Maybe."
Just before midnight, a rider arrived.
He wore the Imperial colors.
The guards immediately surrounded him.
"Identify yourself."
The rider presented his seal.
"Imperial courier."
Gareth was called.
The courier handed him a sealed letter.
"From the capital."
Gareth broke the seal.
He read it.
His expression changed.
Kael noticed.
"What happened?"
Gareth looked at him.
"The Emperor has ordered us to return directly to the palace."
Kael frowned.
"Why?"
The colonel handed him the letter.
Kael read it.
The message was short.
Imperial Command
The expedition is to return immediately upon reaching the capital.
All commanders are to report directly to the Imperial Palace.
Prince Kael is specifically ordered to attend.
The Emperor will hear the expedition’s full report personally.
Kael folded the letter.
"When?"
Gareth answered.
"Tomorrow."
Kael looked toward the distant horizon.
The capital was finally within reach.
But instead of returning to his estate...
He was going directly to the palace.
And after everything that had happened during the expedition...
Kael had a feeling the Emperor wasn’t simply interested in hearing about monsters.
Someone had been watching the Empire’s western roads.
Someone was impersonating Imperial soldiers.
And now the Emperor wanted Kael in the palace immediately.
Kael stood.
"Darius."
"Yes?"
"Tomorrow, we finish the journey."
Darius nodded.
"And after that?"
Kael looked toward the capital.
"Then we find out what has been happening while we’ve been away."
Far in the distance...
Beyond the road...
A figure watched the expedition from a hill.
They wore no Imperial armor.
No noble crest.
No recognizable insignia.
They simply watched.
Then turned away.
"The prince is coming home."
And disappeared into the darkness.