39 Writha Pass

Writha Pass was a desolate place. Caught between two of the tallest mountains in the entire Teralya mountain range, the Pass was the only way to get through to the neighboring kingdom of Yoru for a great many miles. The rest of the range was deemed too treacherous to cross, and so both kingdoms maintained outposts at the pass to monitor the traders and travelers crossing through.

Jacob's post was one of the most tedious, though it was definitely a promotion from being a glorified janitor. Watching the gates was his task, checking travel permits and inspecting the goods the merchants were reported to be bringing into Delreya. Initially, Jacob had been shocked to see people that resembled Earth's Chinese people, but after a month of tending the gate, the novelty wore off. It was still pleasant not being among the shortest people in the pass, as the majority of Delreyans were built like Vikings; huge and intimidating.

Rod - the most junior of his unit – was often beside him. That was another pleasant point; the only person in the Fourth who didn't look at Jacob as a source of revulsion being within talking distance for most of the day did much to relieve the hatred he bottled up within. A couple of weeks ago, he had failed in keeping his temper in check, moving to disobey his corporal's orders. The action caused him unbearable pain, even worse than when he had wanted to kill the king.

It rankled Jacob to be essentially a dog on a leash, but the "training" was working. He was terrified of being hurt by the collar. To that end, he still practiced his magic, much more able to do so now that nobody was requesting him to build the foundation for a building or a tent. Just now, as he waved a covered wagon through the gate, Jacob summoned a small spike of rock on the ground, ruining the smooth landscape. Jacob grinned; he was getting used to moving the heavier and more tightly-knit molecules.

Rod watched on in silence, giving in to Jacob's eccentricities. Jacob appreciated the boy's silence. A large caravan approached, several heavily armed men accompanying them. Doing his duty, Jacob went to halt them. The driver of the lead wagon, a plump man with thinning hair, smirked as he increased the packhorses' speed.

Jacob scowled; every few days or so they had some uppity merchant or noble who felt that dealing with the gate guards was beneath them. This would hurt. It would hurt less than disobeying Commander Ericksson's orders. Standing in front of the wagon, the wagon knocked him onto the ground. Only now did the merchant stop his caravan, the armored warriors approaching to keep their employer safe.

"Why in the hells did you do that?" the merchant asked, looking down his nose at the fallen Jacob.

"Orders. I'm sure you know how it is. May I please see your papers," Jacob grunted as he got up from the ground, holding out a hand to receive the papers. The merchant looked positively distraught, looking to what appeared to be the mercenary captain. Plate armor creaking as he moved, the captain approached.

"Milord lost his papers due to a strong wind. He was hoping to get his papers back upon returning home to Steelshade," the captain said apologetically, though his hands never strayed far from his sheathed blade.

Great, another Steelshade-bound merchant. As Jacob had found out from his brief discussions with those he saw through Writha Pass, there were three great cities in Delreya. The most important city, the seat of the king and most of the merchant houses, was Kingsrest. Following closely behind was Steelshade, the most militaristic of the larger Delreyan cities. The majority of the generals were trained in the various War Colleges, while the most illustrious of mages were trained in Steelshade's Academy. Riverbank was a smaller city than either of the previous, but it was the center of the kingdom's international trade, being situated at a major crossroads in the river that ran across the entire continent: the Grandios. Together, they formed a sort of triangle, with Kingsrest in the north, Steelshade in the southeast, and Riverbank in the southwest.

Those traveling or returning to Steelshade were always the most irritating to deal with. They always transported weapons or armor - the intricate designs of Yoru a favorite among the nobility – and a massive ego. This man was no different.

"I'm sorry, sir. I must see those papers. Without them, you will be deemed a security threat and will be arrested if you step a single foot through the gate," Jacob replied, staring the merchant straight in the eyes. The big man's eyes blazed with an unsaid anger, clearly feeling slighted by an impudent gate guard. Knowing his employer, the mercenary captain stepped between Jacob and the merchant.

"You must be able to make an exception for us. This man is the youngest nephew of the Duke of Steelshade," the captain reasoned, though it sounded far more like a command than a request. If there was anything Jacob had learned about himself since his servitude began, it was that he hated commands. Rod, sensing the growing tension between the two parties, intervened.

"Please, sirs. The papers are Delreyan policy. There is nothing we can do to change that," Rod explained, hands in the air.

"Not even for a gold each?" the merchant smirked, flashing the two coins. Based on how confident he was, he frequently made it past this checkpoint without proper documentation. It brought into question just what he was transporting, and whether the infantry battalion the Fourth had just relieved was corrupted or not. The gold was a great motivator; his salary as a private was half a silver a month; fifty copper.

Unfortunately for the merchant, the collar was an even bigger motivator. Rubbing at his neck, Jacob forced the merchant and his caravan to turn back to Yoru to collect proper paperwork. A temporary pass could be obtained at the other kingdom's outpost, but it made the caravan subject to a thorough search. Something shady was going on here, but Jacob didn't care to report it or make it his problem. He worried that Rod, being a smart enough boy, might have puzzled it together as well. As straight-laced as Rod was, their superior officers would be hearing of this by the end of the day. Jacob sighed.