Render Unto Gaiseric [Completed]

[North Timistania]

Neuanfang, Capital of Essalanea
1 week after the riot

The streets outside the grand moot building were deserted, common halls were closed and normally bustling streets were host to naught but gusts of wind, a city of 300,00 had been reduced to a ghost town overnight. That was except for the patrols of soldiers and police stalking the empty districts.

'like the bloody Karg war never ended' Euric thought as he scanned the avenues in front of him

The riots between the Karg and Hochvolk had put the entire capital in a state of lockdown and with 100 dead and hundreds more hospitalized it felt like the war all over again. High Chief Gaiseric had moved quickly when the initial trouble had begun, soldiers from the nearby base had been called in to bring the riot under control, it had been a bloodbath by that point with both sides fighting pitched battles. Today Gaiseric would preside over a trial of both clans, the mood was tense.

'Commander? Embassy patrol reporting' the radio buzzed

'Receiving embassy, what's the status of embassy row?' Euric responded leaning into his shoulder radio

'Tense but under control, streets are empty and we have snipers on the roof' the radio voice replied

'Good, keep me appraised' Euric responded before returning to his watch

A military helicopter, one of the few currently in the nation's arsenal, swooped overhead, no chances were being taken today. The trial verdict could calm the entire situation down or provoke civil unrest to make the events of the previous week look like a minor bar brawl, the entire city was under martial law to make sure any further displays of violence were culled quickly.

'Any idea what Gaiseric is gonna do?' Sturberic one of Euric's squadmates asked with a sly grin, nothing ever seemed to bother that one, Euric sometimes wondered if he was all there

'No one ever knows what Gaiseric is going to do' Euric responded dryly

It was true enough, Gaiseric was an anomaly as far as High Chiefs went, before his ascension to the rank most of the heirs of Essalan were little more than figureheads who held a moot once a year. High Chieftains were to be respected certainly, but before Gaiseric they had been respected from a distance and otherwise ignored. The son of Hesseric had changed the formula, old rules had been overturned, rebellious clans brought to heel and he ruled the steppe in both name and practice. No one ever knew what Gaiseric was going to do next, but the fact he had the ability to do so was scary enough.

'Let's just hope we aren't shooting again in a few hours' Euric said grimly

He patted his rifle for luck, clan justice was a bloody business, he did not hold out much hope of things ending peacefully.​

 

[North Timistania]

Neuanfang, Capital of Essalanea
Inside the Court of the Grand Moot

The assembly had the feeling of a funeral, someone would die today, people were certain of that fact. The Karg and Hochvolk had clashed in protest last week, opening old wounds from the war that everyone else had been eager to forget, the old laws were clear on what to do with clans that broke the peace of a moot. Everyone knew what came next, a ruling of clan annihilation.

Helbrandt had not been present during the riots, he had been busy in the south co-ordinating army exercises, now he might preside over the destruction of his entire clan for the crimes of a few fools who had lost their temper. Clan law was collective, the sins of one would be considered the sins of the many, he hoped he could convince Gaiseric of his people's innocence.

His opponent, Avina Hochvolk, was presently making an impassioned case both for her own innocence and for the punishment of the Karg. She was a fierce-looking woman, short and stocky like most Hochvolks, her hair was shaved save for a single long braid that flowed down the right side of her head and she applied ash to her scalp each day in traditional mourning for the dead, she appeared like a wraith come to torment the living.

'My lord high chief! we Hochvolks mourn the dead from the riots with you, what happened in the square was a tragedy, what happened to my people was also a tragedy! there were eight thousand Hochvolks before the war, now there are less than three! if there is any guilty party in this it is the swine who stands across from me!' She said in an impassioned tone before flicking Helbrant a look of pure hate

Gaiseric sat upon his throne in the center of the court, he seemed unmoved by the speech, a look of irritability seemed to be etched onto his face as though he were stone, that was a bad sign, Gaiseric was rarely angry. He said nothing and instead tapped his fingers on the table in front of him, as though he was bored and waiting for amusement at dinner.

Helbrandt felt his anger rise, he would be damned if he allowed an uncaring judge and a crazed rival to dictate the end of his clan without him having his say, he glared at Avina balefully and then spoke in a loud, booming voice

'What utter nonsense! My opponent is living in the past! the war is over, my people have already paid the price of losing many times over, Ulli Karg is dead and he took many of our people to the grave with him! let his acts remain in the grave with him!' Helbrandt said slamming his fist on the bench for emphasis

Avina's gaze became even more hateful, a feat Helbrant had not thought possible, she spat in his direction before turning back to Gaiseric to speak. Gaiseric remained silent, the man whose word could end everything was refusing to speak!

'My Lord! can you not see that this man is as guilty as Ulli was! he was shelling your capital three years ago! We need justice and as long as this man draws breath the dead shall not rest!' she said wringing her hands in a gesture approaching begging

Helbrandt felt his anger spiral out of control, she was baiting him and it was working, he had indeed commanded the siege of Neuanfang and he had ordered his soldiers to shell buildings, but he was no war criminal. Helbrant was a warrior, he obeyed the code of honor, her accusation lit his anger like a wick to gunpowder.

'You have some nerve Hochvolk! I did not murder your family in cold blood! I am a warrior, not some bandit you can offend! I should call a duel and take your head for that insult!' Helbrandt snarled no longer able to contain his anger

'See the true face of the Karg my lord! see the face of a trai...' She did not have time to finish before a loud and enraged shout silenced her

'Enough!!! I have heard all I can stand to from both of you! I have made my decision' Gaiseric said his eyes fixing both chieftains with a look that would have better suited an executioner than a chief

'Here it comes' Helbrandt thought grimly 'One of us is bound for the Seelewald'
​

 

[North Timistania]

Gaiseric observed the arguing chieftains below with barely contained anger, it wasn't often that the high chief felt that emotion but they had managed to provoke it in record time. The riot had killed over 100 people, including over a dozen security officers, Gaiseric had visited countless more injured citizens in the hospital, the tally would likely rise as those in critical condition began to die. He was in no mood for the back and forth debate that was playing out below him.

The old law stated that drawing steel during a gathering would carry death for the clans that did so, that wretched, unwieldy law demanded that two of the most prominent clans in central Essalanea be erased, Gaiseric tapped his fingers on the table in front of him restlessly. It was a wretched situation, punish the clans in the traditional manner and lose thousands, show leniency and be seen as weak, he felt a surge of resentment flow through him

'It would almost be worth beheading them both' he thought with a rare flicker of malice

It did not help that both clans had sympathetic arguments for their actions, the Hochvolks had indeed been victims of genocide, they had been wronged but they had also started a riot and while the karg had not done anything to discourage the ensuing violence, they were still at least partly a victimized party in this whole messy affair.

Avina was presently arguing that the Karg deserved to be punished, that Helbrandt was as much a criminal as his cousin and predecessor Ulli, Helbrandt was already going red in the face, a display of the infamous Karg fury was imminent.

'I should take your head for that insult!' Helbrandt roared, Gaiseric was infinitely grateful neither chieftain had a weapon

Avina had smiled, a sneering and poisonous expression, pleased with her goading of the Karg chieftain. Gaiseric felt his anger rising like a pot soon to boil over, this was his people's time-honored justice, open, visceral...and utterly petty.

'See the true face of the Karg my lord! see the face of a trai...' Avina had said in a tone that almost could have been that of a gloating child

'ENOUGH!!!' Gaiseric roared, his voice echoing through the courtroom and silencing the entire assembly

'Yes Enough' He thought angrily

The Clans had butchered, feuded and maimed one another over a thousand grievances since they had first arrived on the steppe, Gaiseric had no illusions that he could change such a culture overnight, but a start had to be made somewhere. The riots had embarrassed Essalanea, they threatened everything that Gaiseric was trying to achieve, they would be dealt with before they could do that.

'I have decided' he said icily

He regarded both chieftains, these were the leaders of the clans, the representatives of the people, that they had failed to rein in the passions of their kin was lamentable, but losing both to outdated laws was no solution.

'Too many Essalaneans have died already, I will not send any more to their end simply to satisfy outdated traditions' he said calmly

Helbrandt and Avina both looked at him incredulously, the assembly was much the same, they had expected blood and instead, he had ruled out death entirely. Avina's lip curled into a snarl, it was clearly not the decision she had expected.

'So you will do nothing then!?' She yelled in a rage

Gaiseric held up a hand for silence 'I did not say that Avina Hochvolk and you would do well not to interrupt me or put words in my mouth' he said sternly

He rose from his throne and descended to the floor below, as he walked he took in the sight of the courtroom, his people had come to witness his decision in the hundreds, Bondsmen from countless clans, soldiers and even foreigners filled the room, they regarded him with a mixture of fascination and fearful deference.

'For as long as I have lived this land has been defined by the old law, it worked well for our fathers and mothers and we saw no need to change it. But the world has changed and we must change as well' Gaiseric said as he paced the hall, it was utter silence save for his footfalls

'Avina' he said turning to look upon the Hochvolk chieftain, she was the niece of the murdered Steiner Hochvolk, a woman who had been wrong in her time, he sympathized with her plight but not the methods she had used to draw attention to it.

'Many of the placards your protesters carry accuse me of ignoring the losses your clan suffered in the war, I assure you I am well aware of the Hochvolk genocide and will hold Clan Karg responsible' Gaiseric said in a gentle voice

'Hold us responsi...' Helbrandt growled angrily, his raged died when Gaiseric fixed him with a stare that was utter rage

'The next person to interrupt will not have a tongue to do so again! yes Helbrandt, responsible, your cousin killed thousands and your kin still occupy the clan homeland of the Hochvolks, you be held to account for this, but another outburst and you might not survive to see my decision!' Gaiseric snarled

Silence returned to the court, Gaiseric took a deep breath before continuing 'I know of your dead Avina Hochvolk, but know this, I lost tens of thousands of my kin at the battle of Neuanfang, the karg lost thousands more in battle, we have all suffered the wounds of war and opening new ones will not heal those we have already sustained' he said, the crowd was listening intently

He paused for a moment to collect himself 'We must build a new Essalanea in which the feuds of the past are left behind, Therefore I have decided the following' he said, people leaned forward in their seats, they waited in agonizing silence for his answer

'The Karg shall return the white hills to the Hochvolk clan, they shall provide the Hochvolks with daughters and in turn, those daughters shall send children to the Karg for fostering, you shall build new ties and bury the old ones, from this day forward your fates are bound together' Gaiseric said gaze shifting from Avina to Helbrandt, they seemed unsure but the look of incredulous anger had turned to a quizzical silence

'My people will never lie with Karg women after what has happened! how am I to tell them to bear children with their enemy?!' Avina asked her voice suddenly desperate

Gaiseric grinned mirthlessly 'This is not mercy I offer you both, it is a last chance, you will find a way to work together, and if you break the peace again have no doubt I will be less lenient, an army swears allegiance to my name alone and if you threaten the future of our nation I will unleash that force upon any and all belligerent parties, I will be watching, this court is dismissed' Gaiseric said motioning for people to leave with a wave of his hand

People began to stream out of the hall, the two chieftains were the last to leave, they walked out into the light of an uncertain future, co-operation now imposed upon by at metaphorical and potentially literal gunpoint. Alone finally Gaiseric wearily ascended the steps back to his throne and sat exhausted with his hand in his head.

***********************************************************************************
Weeks passed and the city returned to some semblance of normalcy, the markets bustled once more and though the scars and pain from that day would remain just out of view, the city moved forward regardless. But something else stirred an idea that gestated and grew in the drunken conversations of common halls and market squares.

'Did you see how he dealt with both clans!' they whispered excitedly

'He silenced the Karg chieftain like he was a spoilt brat!' they chuckled

'He has an army loyal only to him and they have weapons greater than any before' they muttered in fearful voices

'He made peace and still looked strong doing it!' they boasted proudly

And as the rumors grew and spread they soon flowed across the steppe-like a flood, one line seemed to repeat endlessly, sometimes excitedly, sometimes fearful, but always it was there.

'This is no High Chief, this is something else, This is a King!'