The Inheritance 3

Kain paced up and down in his study room. He had ordered that no one bother him. He was fuming with anger and irritation.

"Those goddamn Timurians," Kain cried out, slamming on the table.

In his eyes, the Timurid Empire was the real reason for the poor state of his house. The Timurid Empire and the Kingdom of Renumia were mortal enemies due to their close proximity with each other.

Three years ago, while he was in the far East land of Babylon with his master, the Timurid Empire attack the Kingdom. The Kingdom, which was less superior in wealth and military power struggle hard to protect itself. If it wasn't for the Ashur Kingdom and Zephyr empire pressure on the Timurid Empire to cease the invasion, the Empire will likely have consumed the Kingdom. However, the two southern powers threatened the empire because if the empire conquered the Kingdom, then they will be next. Nonetheless, the war took such a toll on the Kingdom that the power of the royal family had fell leap and bound.

It was the Dyke family who took the most damage. Their opponents was the most powerful house in the Timurid empire, the Malfyx duchy. In the war, the family lost much including the Viscount eldest son, Gerald Dyke. Even after the ceasefire had been declared, Duke Malfyx who had reached the outskirts of the castle had his demand. He had conquered most of the Dyke territory. Because of the peace treaty, he had to leave but before that, he was entitled to a ransom. The invasion was waged under the command of the emperor but the Duke had done it at his expense.

The Dyke family at that time was suffering. The coffers were almost empty and half its army cut down. They didn't had enough to buy the ransom and the Duke refused all other means to resolve the ransom. In the end, the Duke demanded the western territory which had two silver vein and several other metal veins. Renumia's King and Timur's emperor agreed to the demand and the Dyke family had to give in to the demand for the sake of peace.

But it was not all. The Duke had also taken the youngest of the Dyke family, Elena Dyke, who was Kain's younger sister to be the future bride of the third son of the Duke.

The Duke had not only crippled the biggest income of the Dyke family but had a powerful bargaining chip against them. According to Ronald, it was not the loss of the mines but Elena, which had led to the poor state of the family.

Kain's father, the former Viscount, Lord Avaric Dyke never recovered. He became an empty shell after the war. He had lost his eldest child in the war and his youngest sent off as more of a hostage than a bride to be into a hostile state. In addition to that, the Duke set many demands such as matter relating to trade and military expansion.

The former Viscount turn a blind eye when the bandits began to infest the basin. He did sent some expeditionary force in the beginning but soon stop sending them. He even forbade his new heir, the second eldest, Aldrick Dyke in culling the bandits.

He told no one why he was not taking any action not even to Robert, his most trusted aide. But not once did he stopped in rescuing the refugees from the bandit infested area nor did he stop aiding them with the food stored in the granaries. He even did not kick out the refugees from the Southern war out of the land and regularly gave them some aid.

"Maybe he was grateful to the Kingdom of Ashur and Zephyr for ending the war between Renumia and Timurid," said Roland.

Kain knew better. That was just how his father was- A kindhearted person for the weak and a fierce warrior to the strong. He also had a guess why he didn't cull the bandits but it was only a guess.

However, two months ago, his father roused up an army, a thousand of them to cull the eastern bandit crew. News had reached the Viscount about the massacre of a hundred peasants by the eastern bandit and he was enraged.

He forbade Ser Roland and Aldrick from joining him. Roland relented but Aldrick did not. He chased the Viscount army at the head of another five hundred strong army. Neither army return, not even a single soul. The dead bodies of the Viscount and Aldrick were delivered by some peasants, who were sent by Alwen Khyne. If he hadn't, then Ser Roland will have marched with the rest of the army to the swamp to recover their corpses, no matter what.

It was at that time that Gerard sent Ronald in the search for Kain. It seems that the Viscount and Kain's master regularly sent courier birds to each other. However, the Viscount had forbade Ser Alrond from speaking of the family dilapidated situation to Kain because he wanted his youngest son to one day reach the realm of warmaster.

At that time, Kain was in the City States of the south retracing his step homeward after he lost his master in the Island of Crevant. He met Ronald in the Azerback Canton, west of Zephyr and south of Renumia, looking for a way to make money after having depleted his money. The civil war in Crevant didn't pay much as he fought for the losing side.

"They will pay,'' he growled through his gritted tongue,"everyone will pay. Neither the Old Schemer nor the little Schemer can deny me my wrath. Hear me, Oathtaker, I, Kain Dyke, Son of Lord Avaric Dyke swear that I will bring back my sister from the land of my enemies, willing or unwilling and destroy all of my family enemies and all who did us wrong. If I fail, let me be doomed to Hel and not joined my ancestors in the Hall of Feasts. This is my vow and my inheritance.''