Read Online Jonathan Moeller - The Ghosts 06 - Ghost in the Forge by Jonathan Moeller - Free Book Online

hers. 
    Halfdan himself drove a wagon laden with goods and supplies, surrounded by a ring of thirty grim Sarbian mercenaries in their sand-colored robes. Their leader, a towering man named Saddiq, was a Ghost. He was one of Marzhod’s lieutenants, and Caina admired his level head. 
    Of course, Caina had rescued him after Nicasia and the Defender had turned him to stone, so Saddiq admired her, too. 
    In the end, over a thousand men marched south towards the low mountains dividing the fertile coastlands of Cyrica from the harsh land of the Sarbian desert. They passed hundreds of plantations growing wheat and tea and rice on land owned by Lord Khosrau Asurius or another powerful Cyrican noble. Caina saw countless slaves toiling among the crops, men from Caeria and the Szaldic provinces and Istarinmul and Anshan and Alqaarin, men kidnapped from every nation under the sun. 
    Gods, but Caina hated slavers. 
    “So many of them,” said Claudia. They sat in Halfdan’s wagon, Corvalis striding alongside them. Caina would have preferred to walk, but the haughty daughter of a wealthy merchant would not walk. Later, she could find an excuse to stretch her legs. 
    “Aye,” said Caina. “It was part of the treaty that ended the War of the Fourth Empire. The Cyricans wanted to keep their slaves in exchange for rejoining the Empire. The Emperor was in no position to refuse, so he accepted. And this was allowed to continue.”
    “I see why you oppose it so strongly,” said Claudia, staring at a Szaldic man naked but for an orange kilt wrapped around his waist. The layers of whip scars covering his back flexed as he walked. “This is vile. Men should not be chained and driven as beasts.” 
    “It is the way of the world,” said Corvalis. “The strong do as they like, and the weak suffer as they must. Or are turned into weapons to serve the strong.” He looked utterly weary as he said it, and Caina wanted to take his hands. But it would not do for Master Basil’s daughter to show affection to Master Basil’s guards.
    “Nevertheless, it is still wrong,” said Claudia. “It ought to be stopped.”
    Caina felt her opinion of Claudia rise a notch.
    Claudia sighed. “I only wish the high magi of the Magisterium could be made to see reason. They could take the nobles in hand and force them to end these corrupt practices. The magi could do so much good for the Empire.”
    “Then,” said Caina, keeping her voice mild, “you think the magi should rule the Empire?” 
    Corvalis shot her a look.
    “No, of course not,” said Claudia. “Certainly not with men like my…”
    Halfdan cleared his throat.
    “With men like the First Magus ruling the Magisterium,” said Claudia. “But if better men governed the magi, the Magisterium could shepherd the Empire, could guide the nobles and the commoners to be better than they are.”
    “To force others,” said Caina, “to do as the magi will?”
    She had heard similar speeches from the magi before.
    “Yes,” said Claudia. “But only in the name of the greater good.” 
    “Pardon,” said Caina. “I need to stretch my legs.”
    She dropped from the wagon seat and walked away without another word. 

    ###

    Thankfully, Caina and Claudia had separate tents, so that night Corvalis was able to sneak into Caina’s. 
    After they finished, Caina rolled off him and flopped against the blanket, her skin beaded with sweat. She rested her head against Corvalis’s chest as he caught his breath.
    “I have taken,” he said at last, wiping sweat from his forehead, “many journeys across the eastern Empire. Never have I had something so pleasant to look forward to at the end of the day’s traveling.”
    Caina laughed. “Nor I. I have been to Marsis in the west, Rasadda in the east, and Cyrioch in the south…and you are right. This is more pleasant by far than a cold blanket at the end of the day.”
    “Then you are better traveled than I,” said Corvalis. “I have never been