Chapter 11: Aftermath
The editing process for the older chapters is now complete. I changed a fair amount of how the final scene in the last chapter played out thanks to me coming up with a borderline crazy idea. I would recommend rereading the last scene at the very least. If anyone can even come close to guessing what I am plotting I will give you cyber cookies.
Therum woke up the next morning with the worst headache he could recall in recent history. He wasn't joking when he told Colbert that he wasn't suited for using darker magic. Having a chaotic good alignment tends to work against using death magic, even if the life sacrificed was an evil one.
It was still nearly an hour before the time he was supposed to wale Louise up so he decided to take inventory of how badly banged up he is after the excitement yesterday. Over all he was not too badly off in the terms of lasting damage despite everything he went through. He had a number of bruises and small cuts that would be plenty fine on their own and a pretty severe partial fracture on his left arm. That would need to be taken care of as soon as possible. At times like this he really hated the fact that he never learned any serious healing spells. Most of the spells that he inherited form Alexander were orientated towards causing damage or taking life and not restoring it. The man had a very interesting youth where he traveled the world as a mercenary learning to fight fire with fire. This left Therum with a massive wealth of battle magic but a comparatively small collection of other branches, most of which he made up with a growing mastery of chemistry and potion crafting.
Contrary to popular belief healing potions rarely work instantly and are some of the hardest to brew. The variation that Therum tended to keep on hand was one of the ones that had very heavy draw backs. It does all the work that it is going to do in a matter of minutes but forces the drinker to relive every injury that currently plagued them in exact reverse order. Pain medication doesn't work either. So shortly after drinking the potion Therum got to live through the battle with Wardes, the mercenary bandits that got in lucky hits and both encounters with the golems that still had lingering damage. Despite his best efforts he was not completely able to keep his pained sounds quiet, thus attracting the interest of his roommate.
"Hey Therum are you alright you sound like someone is kicking the shit of you down there." Kistna flew down from her apartment to check on her master who was writhing slightly on his bed.
"Yeah, uhg, I'm alright :wince: I just took a potion that should have me back in fighting form soon." He was interrupted by a particularly loud and painful crack from his arm signaling that his arm was finally reset. As suddenly as the pain started it was over and the mage was back on his feet flexing his limbs. "I think I am going to beat the person who invented that particular potion."
"What exactly did it do? It looked like you were in more pain from drinking the thing than if you just let it heal properly."
"Actually that's not too far from the truth, but doesn't make it any less worth the effort. I lived through all my recent injuries again but came out at close to 100% fighting potential in about ten minutes."
"That makes sense. Actually something like that would be insanely useful in a war. You could give it to a soldier that was near death and have them back in the fight in no time."
"That's true I could do that, but it would not be cost effective. This stuff is a lot harder to make than most healing draughts because it works so quickly. Most take a full day to work instead of minutes. There is also the cost of the ingredients to consider. I don't even know if I can get some of them here considering how rare they were on earth. "
"If the stuff is that valuable why did you take it for those relatively minor injuries that you had? Why not let them heal naturally?"
"There is a war going on not 500 miles from here. I needed to be ready to defend Louise at all times."
"As a soldier myself I guess I can understand where you are coming from with that."
"Glad that you understand, now would you give me a little privacy? I would like to get dressed"
"Did you get shy on me all of the sudden? Don't worry I won't peep on you milord" She gave a very over exaggerated curtsy before flying back up to her room to get ready for the day herself.
***BREAK***
Therum dressed himself a little nicer than normal before going to wake up Louise. He dressed himself in another one of his renaissance fair outfits that was meant to look more like an aristocrat than his normal merchant outfits. He considered wearing the cloak that the prince had given him but decided that it would be in bad taste to wear something like that when telling the princess that her beloved was most likely dead. Once he left his room he was surprised to find that Louise was already awake and dressed.
"Good morning Therum you are running late this morning."
"I thought that you would have wanted to sleep in this morning after all of the physical and emotional turmoil that happened yesterday."
"I know and I appreciate that. I just didn't sleep well last night. I kept thinking about Wardes' betrayal and that last spell you used on him. I knew you knew some questionable magic but I didn't think that you practiced something that bad."
"I don't practice that kind of magic if I have another option. The knowledge of that entire branch of magic was something that I didn't have a choice whether or not to learn. It was literally forced into my brain. Wardes was going to die a slow and painful death anyway so in a sense I not only gave him a better way to die but granted him some redemption in the process."
"What other type dark magic do you know?
"Let's just say that it's a good thing that I have no interest in world conquest and leave it at that for now. We need to go see Henrietta this morning and inform her of what happened yesterday. If you would like we can go down and have breakfast before leaving."
"I would like that very much Therum. I meant to ask, how is your arm today? I saw Wardes hit you pretty hard on that arm."
"Please, as if a little hit like that could keep me down for long." He made a display of flexing his arms and beating on his chest, causing the girls to giggle.
"You are absolutely ridiculous. You know that right."
"I am well aware of this. I find normal to be extremely overrated. Why don't we eat with the rest of the students today? You need to keep up the occasional appearance."
"Alright, I could use the distraction."
"Are you coming with us Kistna?"
"You bet your ass I am coming with you. You two get into far too much trouble when I am not there to keep an eye on you."
"You probably just want to be there for your own amusement."
"I never said I was going to keep you out of trouble, only that I want to be there when it happens."
***BREAK***
Therum and Louise made it a whole three steps into the student dining hall before the latter was tackled to the ground by a red blur.
"Darling where have you been? I've been looking for you for three days!"
"We are going to have to work on your greeting practices Kirche. Jumping on people this early in the morning and bombarding them with questions is typically considered a bad thing where I come from."
"Are you well?"
"Yes Tabitha, both Louise and I are perfectly fine. We had to run an important errand for Princess Henrietta.
"Dangerous?"
"It was a little dangerous, but nothing that I haven't dealt with before."
"You are so brave my love."
"I was just doing my job girls. Nothing any good friend would not have done in my place." Louise shot him a look that firmly displayed her disbelief in that statement. "Let's tuck in I haven't eaten since the night before last and I have managed to work up quite the appetite since then."
The group took their seats at the second year table. After a brief scuffle the seating order was decided to be Therum at the head of the table with Louise on his right and Tabitha on his left. Kirche being the loser of the draw took her seat next to Louise. Kistna took a seat at the corner of the table seated at a special table and chair that Therum pulled out of one of his pockets. Moments later several servants came by with trays of food fresh from the kitchens. One of the trays attracted Therum's attention more than the rest. Not only was it the tray carrying a pot of tea but the person carrying it was also of interest.
"Hello Siesta why are you working the breakfast shift this morning?"
"Good morning Mr. Therum I am just filling in for one of the other maids this morning. She caught a terrible cold and couldn't report in this morning."
"You are nice to a fault sometimes girl. I wish every student at this school had your work ethic."
"Oh stop it please. I am just helping out a friend. They would do the same for me if I even needed them to."
"Still, you should take some time for yourself every once in a while." He took the tray that the girl had been holding and pulled up a chair next to his at the end of the wide table. "Right now would be the perfect time to do just that."
"I couldn't possibly do that. I have to work."
"They can wait a few minutes to get their tea. I've claimed this pot for myself anyway so you can tell anyone who has a problem that you were just trying to get the pot back. In the mean time you can enjoy a nice breakfast with your friends." Siesta felt an invisible force push her into the chair that then pushed it close to the table. Any attempt to push the chair back failed miserably. The other girls all looked slightly miffed at the man's actions. Not because they did not like Siesta but because she has stolen the spot closest to him and had so easily gained his attention.
"I don't really have a choice in this do I?
"No not really. You should just quit fighting it and enjoy a nice cup of… cold tea." He looked at the cup in his hands with mild distaste.
"I'm sorry about that Mr. Therum I'll go and fetch a fresh pot right away."
"Nice try Siesta but I don't think so. Kirche if you would be so kind?" He held his cup up to the girl in question. She happily obliged with a quick flick of her wand leaning the tea more than hot enough to be enjoyable.
"You see darling I am the only woman you will even need."
"I appreciate the favor but it doesn't mean that I am suddenly more interested in sharing your bed with you. You would be much better off if you stopped seeing me as a potential lover and just saw me as a friend. If I were interested in you from more than your cheery personality you would know it by now."
"Told you so"
"That's right as a familiar of the Vallière family he would never dare sink so low as to flirt with someone like a Zerbst."
"Come now Louise, you should know me better than that by now. Someone's birth status has absolutely no influence on me when considering their potential as a girlfriend. Siesta here would stand the same chance at winning my favor as you or Tabitha or even Henrietta."
"What have they got that I don't?"
"Tact and the ability to take a hint tend to be a good place to start you dumb milk cow."
"Who are you calling a cow you stupid little pigeon. I feed things bigger than you to flame for breakfast!"
"Easy there girls put the claws away before someone gets hurt, namely me."
"Maybe he's a homosexual." That was a bad time for the poor man to be taking a sip of tea. The stuff is nowhere near as good when it comes out the nose.
"I am most certainly not into dudes."
"What other explanation do you have for ignoring the advances and lustful looks that you are receiving from most of the female population of this school? The man with eyes in the back of his head can't be so oblivious to not notice the way they look at you. Tabitha alone has glanced at you seven times since we sat down." The afore mentioned girl redoubled her efforts to hide he face behind the wide pages of her book.
"I just had a relationship end in an explosive argument before I came here. At this point in time I am not interested in pursuing a romantic relationship with anyone right now."
"What you mean to say is that you enjoy leading on these poor girls until they either give up or you get really horny." This time Siesta and Louise are the ones to spit their tea up.
"I am not leading anybody on. I just turned Kirche down with very little room for interpretation. Can we please just talk about anything other than my love life, or lack thereof?"
"I agree, Therum we should be leaving soon if we want to get to the capital at a reasonable hour. I would really rather not have to take the express route again today."
"What are you going to the capital for? Does this have something to do with where you two went for the last few days?"
"I have some very important news to deliver to the princess and that is all you really need to know Kirche."
"You know Tabitha, I could use a day away from the castle do you want to go into town today too?"
"I need books"
"There you have it; we will accompany you into town today. Siesta should come too to make things fair"
"I don't have a choice in this either do I?"
"Nope," chorused the four other girls. Siesta shared a pained look with Therum who knew that he would be spending the afternoon as a pack mule again.
***BREAK***
Transportation to the capital proved to be a rather interesting ordeal. Therum proved to not be much of an animal person and refused to ride on Tabitha's Dragon with the rest of the girls. He instead insisted on riding his motorcycle where he would be the one in control. This left another debate on who would ride with him and who would ride with Tabitha. Louise was still not overly fond of the machine so she opted out of the debate leaving the open seat to either Kirche or Siesta who were both more than willing to fight for the chance to ride with the man. To keep the arguing down, he eventually decided that Siesta would ride with him to the capital and Kirche would get the return trip. With that little SNAFU cleared up the rest of the trip went without much excitement. Sure Siesta clung to his waist a little more than absolutely necessary but that could be blamed on her being afraid of the speed and noise of the machine.
As usual he stopped slightly down the road from the city gated to hide the bike from the general population.
"Now you can't tell me that that ride didn't excite you at least a little bit."
"I have no idea what you are talking about Kistna. There was nothing unusual about that trip."
"Are you seriously trying to tell me that you had an attractive well endowed girl clinging to you while deliberately pressing her chest into your back and you didn't get slightly aroused? That gay idea is sounding more and more plausible."
"For the last time woman I am not interested in men!"
"Then prove it to me."
"I think I'll do just that." He pulled his wand out of his wrist holster and shouted a brief incantation at the mouthy little girl. A bolt of light shot out from the wand and hit her directly in the chest. Other than that it looked to all as if nothing else happened.
"What the hell was that man? How is a flash of light supposed to prove anything?" He just returned her question with a smirk and held up three fingers. He slowly counted down from there until he hit zero. As soon as he hit zero a cocoon of light enveloped her and she grew nearly five feet in as many seconds. The entire group was shocked into silence not only from the wild display of magic but from the following act of Therum Seizing his familiar in a very unchaste kiss.
"Are you convinced now?" The extremely shocked Avorian just dumbly nodded an affirmative before falling off her feet.
"That was by far the coolest thing that I have ever seen."
"What kind of magic is that? I have never seen a spell that can make people grow nearly five times their size like that."
"That was a spatial distortion spell. From what I know it is a similar branch to your Void magic."
"Fascinating."
"If you have been able to do that the whole time why didn't you do that when Kistna first got here?"
"There are a couple reasons I have never done that the first being that I never had any indication that she would like to be any bigger than she has always been. The second reason that I never enlarged her before is because that spell very temporary on living creatures and tales a whole lot of energy to cast."
"How long do I have to be like this?" Apparently she had regained her senses enough to get back on her feet.
"If I had to guess with the amount of power I put into that spell I would say somewhere around a day or two."
"Could you make this permanent if I asked you to?"
"Sure thing all I would need to do is mix up a stabilizing potion. It is the same spell that I use to shrink other things like my motorcycle and swords. The only reason that it doesn't work on living things for long is because living things have a natural state they try to maintain and this spell messes with that. The potion just tells your body that this is your new natural state so it can stop trying to change back."
"I think it would be nice to be the same size as everyone else around me."
"We can talk about this more at the end of the day once you have had time to get use to the larger size. For now we still have to meet up with Henrietta and tell her what happened yesterday. Also you should probably try to hide your wings for now. These people are used to seeing a lot of strange things but a winged woman might be a little much for them right now. Put this on." He tossed her the navy cloak that he had been wearing as part of his nobleman's outfit.
"Can I learn that spell someday?"
"Sure thing Louise I'll teach it to you once you have some of the other basics down. You will probably have a better time using it than I do. It is in your affinity after all. Now does anyone else have any questions regarding how awesome I am or can we get on with the rest of this trip?"
"Why do you hide your magic?" Tabitha gave him what might have been a questioning look.
"He said it has something to do with chess pieces and hidden abilities of a queen."
"What the heck is that supposed to mean?"
"The analogy that she was trying to use meant that for right now it is to my advantage to keep the extent of my ability a secret."
"Won't people ask questions when they realize that Kistna has grown five feet since breakfast?"
"Don't worry about it Louise. Everything will work out just fine."
***BREAK***
"Halt, who goes there?"
"Hey Agnes don't you recognize me? I did give you that sword that you are pointing at me after all.
"Sir Therum I am truly sorry. There is open war in Albion right now and that has the palace on lockdown. We have to be suspicious of everyone not traveling in a royal carriage."
"I understand completely. Is the princess available right now? We have some important news about what is going on over there."
"In that case I will take you and Miss Vallière to meet with her at once. Your friends will have to wait outside the main hall for security reasons." Kirche looked like she was going to protest before Therum cut her off.
"That will be perfectly acceptable, but I must insist that Kistna here be allowed to join us. She was with us for the whole trip to Albion after all."
"So that's where you two went! How did you get there and back so quickly?"
"That's a classified secret sorry." Kirche pouted while being led off to a place where she, Siesta, and Tabitha could wait for the others to finish their meeting.
The other three companions were escorted my Agnes herself to the throne room to meet with Henrietta. When they entered Henrietta rushed to the door to embrace her friend in a bone crushing hug.
"Louise I am so glad that you have made it safely back in such a short amount of time. Tell me what of the Prince and where is Wardes?" Louise bit her lip before replying.
"I have the letter you sent me to collect from the prince. Unfortunately Wardes was a traitor and the prince is likely dead by this point."
"He wanted me to give you this ring and tell you that he died with the honor of Albion intact." Therum removed the wind ruby from his ring finger and gently placed it in the hands of his friend.
"Did he not read the letter I sent with you? Did he care nothing for how I might feel?"
"He did what he did as much for you as for his country. He knew that if he sought refuge in Tristain that it would be all the excuse Reconquista would need to invade. He refused to put you into that kind of a position." The princess was on the verge of tears as she slipped the ring on her finger and resized it with a quick spell.
"What of Wardes? What form did his betrayal take and what has become of him?"
"The traitorous bastard declared himself part of Reconquista and ran a sword through Wales' chest. He then fought a badass fight with Therum before having his back broken by the prince and getting stuck to a wall with a sword."
"A little more attention to detail would be prudent in the future Kistna."
"How could Wardes stab Wales in the chest and then get have his back broken by the person he just stabbed?"
"Therum gave the prince some sort of magical necklace that brought him back to life."
"In that case I thing that Mister Magnus here has some explaining to do." Gone was the innocent little girl that Therum was accustomed to. In her place were the iron features of a leader.
"What have I done? I am nothing but a simple swordsman."
"I hardly think that is the case. Let's start from the beginning and examine the evidence shall we? Simple swordsmen rarely have access to an unheard of technology that they sell to random merchants so that they can buy a pocket watch nor do they have them magically engraved for people they just met. Simple swords men do not wield heavily enchanted magical weapons in what account to little more than schoolyard fights. I have never met another swordsman that can perform the tricks you used during the familiar exhibition. Simple swordsmen do not assault the home of a powerful noble and come out with their target and not a scratch to show for it. Finally, simple swordsmen do not randomly carry devices that can cheat death or defeat the captain of my mage guard. To compound matters, she was a foot tall three days ago and is now taller than I am."
"Apparently some do because those are all things that I have done in the last couple months."
"As someone who you called a friend I want you to tell me who or what you are because you are much more than some simple swordsman."
"Are you sure you can handle the truth?"
"You just told me that my lover just died at the hand of one of my most trusted soldiers before coming back to life and rushing off into a hopeless battle. I doubt that there is anything more you can surprise me with at this point."
"If that is what you wish. I am a battle mage from another planet capable of wielding not only your five elements, but other more terrifying magic as well. I am the one who forged and enchanted every weapon you have seen me use thus far. I summoned Kistna as my familiar around a week ago, and I enlarged her about an hour ago so that I could kiss her and prove that I am not gay. That's the quick explanation to all the points you just brought up." Henrietta and Agnes just stared with wide eyes and open mouths at his casual declaration.
"I was just expecting you to claim to be a fallen noble from some lesser family, but that does explain a lot more. I don't suppose that you would be willing to share your story in more detail would you?"
"I would but I have friends waiting for me out in one of the guest halls. It would be rude to keep them waiting or bore them with this story over again."
"How many people know about what you can do?"
"Louise, and Kistna know of course, as well as the three in the other room, Professor Colbert, and Headmaster Osmond. You two are the most recent addition to the worst kept secret in Halkeginia. Wardes knew that I can use magic in the end and Wales got a longer version of what I just told you."
"I would love to hear the rest of your story sometime."
"How about I tell you over dinner sometime?"
"I suppose that that would be acceptable. I will send notice as soon as I have a time available."
"Would the two of you care to join us on the rest of our shopping trip? One of our companions invited herself along for a day on the town and seems to be growing restless."
"How do you always know where I am?"
"Haven't you heard Kirche? I have eyes in the back of my head." The princess let out a small chuckle.
"I am afraid that I will not be able to accompany you six today. With these recent occurrences it looks like I will have even more to deal with than I originally planned on top of my wedding preparations. Which is why I would like to ask one more favor from you Louise."
"I would be happy to serve in any way that I am able." Henrietta walked over to the throne in the center of the room and retrieved a rather old looking book.
"I would like you to take this book and be the bridesmaid at my wedding next month. The position is more of a formality than anything of dire importance. I can think of nobody that I would rather hold this position than my dearest childhood friend."
"I will do my very best my princess."
"One last order of business before we part ways for today." Henrietta walked over to where Therum stood and took his hand in her own. "Sir Magnus for the service you rendered to this country I am willing to grant you any single request within my power."
"I would like an acre or two somewhere on the outskirts of the academy where I can build a forge and a workshop."
"Are you sure that is all you wish to be granted?"
"That it is."
"If that is all you want then consider it granted. Feel free to pick any spot you want outside the academy walls and it is yours. I will have someone draw up the papers at once."
"Thank you very much Henrietta. You have no idea how much I miss my favorite hobby."
"You do realize that she could have made you a Barron or a Count right?"
"I know that Kirche but I have no need for such a title right now. All I needed was a good place to build a new forge to replace the one I left behind."
"You really are a simple man aren't you?"
"It's about time you figured that out. If it alright by you Henrietta I believe we shall take our leave of this place."
"By all means do not let me keep you any longer. Thank you for informing me of what occurred on the mission that I sent you three on. You should be hearing from me soon to finish telling your tale."
"I wouldn't miss our date for the world."
***BREAK***
"Seriously Louise what do you need all of this stuff for anyway?"
"You were the one who offered to buy everyone something when we went into that store to pick up that stupid watch of yours."
"I was expecting you all to get something like a necklace or that sundress and hat that Siesta got. I was not expecting you and Kirche to take it as a challenge to buy everything in your size the store had. If that stupid pen salesman hadn't wanted another 500 units I would be extremely broke right now."
"I didn't hear you complaining while Kirche and Kistna were modeling outfits for you."
"Are you jealous? They just wanted my opinion on the outfits."
"Why are all men such pigs?"
"I don't know what you're talking about Louise. I think he has excellent taste. With the alterations that he made on these outfits I finally have something to wear other than my armor."
"Does that mean that you want to stay that size permanently?"
"I like being able to sit at a table with the rest of the group instead of on top of it like some sort of pet."
"In that case you are going to need these." Therum handed the girl a vial containing a dark green liquid and a necklace with a set of wings as a pendant.
"I get what the potion is supposed to do but what's with the necklace?"
"The necklace should allow you to hide your wings when not using them. I used a couple drops of your blood in both items so I am pretty sure that they'll work without any complications."
"How sure is pretty sure?"
"With the potion, about 98.7%, with the pendant I'd say closer to around 84%." Kistna looked slightly uncertain but went ahead and drank the potion.
"It tingles a bit but I feel better than I did a moment ago."
"That would be you regaining equilibrium. Give it a few more seconds and then put the necklace on." She'd seen him pull off crazier things so she trusted him enough to put on the necklace and was utterly surprised when nothing happened.
"It didn't do anything."
"Try concentrating on hiding your wings." The winged familiar did as she was told. It took a moment but the wings slowly sank into her back until the only evidence that they had been there was the two openings in the back of the dress she was wearing.
"That felt really weird."
"Trust me it looked as weird as it must have felt," quipped Louise. "That is a handy trick though."
"Hey if I am going to be this size from now on where am I going to sleep? I can't exactly fit into my old room anymore."
"For right now I suppose that we will just have to set up an extra bed in either Louise's room or my own, whichever you prefer."
"I think that I will room with Louise for now. She has more open space than you do at the moment and I think it would be awkward in the mornings now that we would have no separation from each other."
"I agree that sounds like the best idea."
"In that case I will see you girls in the morning. I am going to go parade around my room naked for a while and then see if I can't get some sleep."
After the door closed, "He never gets any less strange does he?"
"I think I am just getting used to it more than anything."
***BREAK***
Back in Albion while the rest of the world moved on with their lives, three hundred soles fought against an army that had them outnumbered more than 100:1. Contrary to what the Reconquista forces thought, this was not proving to be an easy battle. They were winning that's for sure but the number of their losses was making it a very hollow victory. For every one of the Royal forces that they managed to bring down, more than ten of their own soldiers were brought down by some combination of magic, sword, or musket fire. The most decisive influence in the battle turned out to be the leadership of the young prince who lead the defense forces himself. From the top of the walls he wielded his wand cane in one hand and a sword in the other. He dealt death and retribution to any foolish challenger with equal ease from either source.
As the battle waged on he was forced to rely more and more on the sword and less on his diminishing stores of willpower. Magical swords are by far one of the biggest mysteries created by the hands of man. Therum crafted a dozen identical blades from the same set of Titanium ingots when he was refining his blacksmith skills. Of that original dozen swords six have been given out as gifts to people who have proven worthy of such an act. In each case, the swords evolved from their original forms into something more suited to the needs of the one wielding it. In the case of the sword being used by Wales, it was quickly picking up on his desire to protect his home and the ideals of his nation so it adapted. The prince's convictions were so strong that the sword took on a blade sentience much quicker than any other enchanted weapon before it ever had. As it evolved it took the single minded ambition to protect his country and adopted that as its own purpose.
The battle waged on much longer than anyone expected. It took the invading army a full day and night to crush the royal hold outs at a cost of 4200 of their own soldiers. Prince Wales Tudor fought bravely to the end. The sword and his ambition kept him going long after exhaustion and injuries would have dropped a lesser man. With his dying breath he jammed the point of his sword into the earth of the palace courtyard trying one last time to regain his footing to keep fighting. In a bizarre act of magic he bonded a small piece of his spirit with the blade giving it one last task to accomplish. Much like the tale of the sword and the stone in English mythology this weapon would never be moved by anyone not worth to take up the crown. A magical engraving in the earth detailed as much stating that neither the sword nor the stain of blood in the courtyard would ever come out except for the rightful ruler of these lands.
After the battle a man in bishop's robes made his way through the ruins of the once great castle taking inventory of the damage that would need to be repaired before he could take the fortress as his own. He stopped his tour once he came to the fallen body of Wales Tudor next to an immaculate looking sword. As something that once resembled a bishop, the man had little use for a sword himself but could appreciate quality workmanship. If the prince had wielded this blade at all during the battle it should have accumulated a number of dents and chips in the blade yet it looked a finely honed as the day it was forged. Whoever crafted this weapon was a master of their craft. He then noticed the engraving in the blood stained earth next to the sword. Being the vain individual that he was the man tried to pull the sword from the earth and claim it as his own. Not only was he unable to remove the sword from the earth, but he received a nasty shock for his efforts. Thanks to his unique forging process and personal affinity, all of Therum's blades develop a similar defense mechanism once they accept a master.
This bishop was not the type to give up easily. He decided to pull out his signature move and preformed a chant over the corpse of the prince. At the end of his aria all the wounds the prince had obtained during the fight disappeared and he stood up as if he were previously just taking a nap. The only things that gave away the illusion of life in the body were the dead eyes and the cold skin. The reanimated corpse turned and addressed his new master.
"What are your orders sire?"
"Be glad Wales Tudor you are now a member of Reconquista under your Emperor Oliver Cromwell. I want you to pick up your sword and hand it to me." The reanimated Wales did as he was told and tried to remove the sword from the ground. He did not receive a shock because the sword understood him to be already dead, but it still didn't let loose its hold on the earth. A dead man cannot be the ruler of a nation. After a few minutes of trying the zombie prince admitted defeat.
"I am sorry sire it appears to be stuck beyond my ability to remove it."
Leave it for now we will find someone who can pull it out later. Right now I wish to locate Viscount Wardes and find out why he has not returned to my service yet."
"I know where he in milord. He is in the chapel on the second floor of the castle."
"Take me there immediately."
It took the duo several minutes to navigate the destruction to reach the chapel. When Cromwell finally located his former servant still stuck to the wall where his slayer left him. If it weren't for the hat and the clothes it would have been nearly impossible for Cromwell to identify the husk of man. One thing he noticed was that the sword that was impaled looked nearly identical to the one left in the courtyard. Learning his lesson the first time he has Wales try and remove the sword first. Unlike the first attempt, this sword pulled freely from the stone when the prince grabbed it letting the body of Wardes slump back to the ground.
Cromwell tried the same trick on Wardes that he used on Wales without any success this time. There was absolutely no spark of life left in the body for him to rekindle. This left the false bishop more than a little unsettled. There were very few ways to end a life thoroughly enough to make his ability ineffective. Other than destroying the body or having it rot for too long the only other possibility is a dark magic ritual. Whoever did this would either have to be converted or destroyed. Someone that dangerous could not be left free to oppose Reconquista.
"Wales do you know who did this to Wardes?"
"I did not see it happen myself but the last person I saw with Wardes when he was alive was a man who calls himself Therum Magnus. Apparently he was summoned as the familiar for one of the students at Tristain's Magical Academy."
"Do you know anything else about the man?"
"That is all I can remember at this time. My memories are a bit foggy right now."
"Very well, come on we have an invasion to plan."
A/N Sorry for the long wait everybody things got really hectic there for a while. I hope this chapter pleases everybody as much as it does me. Let me know what ya think.