God Rising: The Cult of Ainz
Written by: AtheistBasementDragon
Edited by: The Usual Gang of Drunken Perverted Idiots
Chapter 187: A Gourmet's Secret Recipe
...Forton...Neia's Quarters...
She relaxed with ease after sending the messages out that she needed to, and felt better for it. It helped that the water was blessedly hot and Neia patiently allowed Sylva to clean her up, the gentle scrubbing went on, and she kept her eyes shut as the touch went on and on. The sound of dripping water as the sponge was wrung out before being reapplied to her back, was very peaceful. Her breathing slowed as the elf woman worked. 'Why does it feel so different?' Neia wondered as the elf's tender fingers went over her skin, 'Why is everything different?' She wondered, and turned her mind back to the day it all changed and the true clash with Remedios began. 'Am I so different now? I don't even recognize that girl... if I could put who I am now, into myself then... I wouldn't have just let Remedios hurt me... I would rip her apart with my bare hands... now? What did Enri say? That Remedios's words and mine were one and the same?'
She let her eyes open slightly, and caught sight of the elf woman in the long mirror of the counter, Sylva seemed serene in the way she performed her duties, at ease, at peace. Her hands and arms moved like a graceful dancer, not a motion wasted or extraneous in any way. Outside her window, she heard a slightly falling rain begin. "Mistress, I need to tend your front, please relax backwards."
Neia obeyed the instruction, but only absent-mindedly, she closed her eyes again, 'Remedios... this is really the difference I guess, if there is any between you and I. She's not afraid of me. What's the difference between a monster and a hero, except for who is in front of you and who is behind you?' She sighed as the woman lifted Neia's leg slightly and scrubbed it slowly.
'Maybe Enri was right, maybe I am more like you than I want to admit, but is that the only option? If so, if being you breaks the Theocracy, then I'll be you, only I'll be better at it, and... I'll be more merciful than you. At least as much as I can be anymore. They wanted terror, so terror they will have.' Neia smiled tranquilly and kept her eyes closed as Sylva finished her front.
"All done, mistress, unless you require further attention, I will see to your clothing." Sylva said happily, a radiant smile on her face as she looked down at the relaxed human in her bath.
"No, you did a wonderful job, that felt amazing." Neia said gently, as her arms draped along the sides of the tub.
"It was my joy and privilege, I will boast of attending you, until the day I die." Sylva said with a bow. "Now please relax there while I fetch something for you to wear."
"As you like." Neia said pleasantly and savored the warmth and the sound of what must surely have been a freezing rain beyond.
It felt like no time had passed at all before the soft press of elven hands came to her shoulders, "Mistress, your clothing, please stand, and I will dry you."
Neia rose from the bath and stood, enjoying even the sound of the water as it fell from her body, it felt like being prepared for battle. 'Prart, it's like at Prart. Or a hundred other battlefields? How many has it even been since I've helped someone with their armor?, or when did others begin to help me with mine? Yet today I go out to another kind of battle, one where my armor is not metal, and my weapons are neither bow nor sword.' She felt the same confidence fill her body that she'd felt before every engagement she knew she couldn't lose, and would not allow herself to.
The towel patted her dry completely, she held her arms out at her sides and allowed it all to be done, her eyes closed, she felt everything more keenly. It reminded her of the time with Skana, of their more intimate play with one another. 'How I miss her...' Neia thought, "I can't wait to do this with her again..." She said softly, and then slapped her hand over her mouth in sudden embarrassment.
Slyva laughed from down on her knees while she dried Neia's feet. "I won't say a thing, mistress." She stood up and backed away, then went and held up her selection. A black and white affair, emblazoned with the symbol of the Sorcerer King over her heart, and her organization's symbol next to it, as if to ward his mark. The white and black crossed at an angle from one side to the other, and was complemented by a green sash. Dressing went quickly, with Sylva wrapping the sash around Neia's waist, and then tying it off, they were inches from one another, the elf woman caught her breath as she stared into the blue eyes of her savior and yanked the knot tight.
'My god, elf women are beautiful... no! Bad Neia! Look, don't touch! Besides, she's a servant, and you don't take advantage of those under you.' Neia blinked away the thoughts that came unbidden to her mind, and Sylva, as if she knew them, tittered and stepped aside to reveal how Neia looked in the mirror.
"Do you approve, mistress?" Sylva asked with a wink.
Neia tried and failed to keep a faint rose from her cheeks, and moved her arms from side to side and up and down, the sleeves were form fitting but did not constrict her movement, the sash was a nice touch. "I like it, you have impeccable taste."
Sylva politely nodded her head, "Thank you, Mistress, it pleases me that you favor my choice."
It was then that a knock at the door interrupted them. Sylva went briskly to answer it as Neia slipped on her shoes for herself, and another stood in waiting, a man dressed in the attire of a butler. "General Neia, you are called to the office of the Sorcerer King."
Neia quickly ran her fingers through her hair in an improvised attempt at brushing it. "I am at his command. Sylva, thank you for your help this morning, I wish you a wonderful day and a wonderful life."
As Neia strode quickly over the floor, the elf impulsively grabbed her into an embrace. "Thank you for giving me my life 'back' to make it wonderful in the first place."
Neia felt herself tense for only the slightest moment as Wenmark flooded her memory again, and then relaxed and folded her arms around the maid. "It'll be so for the whole world over one day, no matter what it takes."
Their cheeks touched, and Neia felt the warmth stirred in her breast, she felt the woman's face move as she nodded. Then the moment passed and Neia marched out the door with her back straight, eyes forward, a tingle of power in every inch of skin as she felt the resolve to reshape the world even if she had to break it first, secure itself again in her heart.
Reaching the Sorcerer King's office, she rapped on the door, waited until she was called to enter, and pushed one side open with one hand. She immediately fell to one knee as he approached her, awed as ever by his majestic presence. "Neia, my most ardent follower, my human hand, my human voice. My daughter, as surely as if you were born to me." He said in his noble, powerful voice that all but moved her to tears.
"Sire, father, divine god, you call, and I answer." She said with her blue eyes facing up to his red orbs, her every gesture spoke of her affection and devotion.
"Good, though I am afraid this is for less than joyful reason." Ainz said as he held her shoulders in his hands and her gaze in his.
"Father?" She asked hesitantly. "Have I done something wrong... something else, I mean?" She asked, suddenly embarrassed and ashamed of herself again.
"Neia, no, it is not that. You will pay the price you must and that will be the end of that... but there is much to say... perhaps I should begin by saying... I spoke with General Enri." He said in a quiet voice that thrummed through her veins.
"I can guess what she said." Neia said softly, letting her eyes fall away and down to the floor, she felt his left hand come under her chin and raise her eyes back up.
"First then, let me praise you. Your abject dedication to my cause is second to none, your will to see this opportunity in this way speaks of your observational skills as much as your strength of will in carrying it out. So many... they hesitate when the time comes, and let chance slip from grasp never to come again. You have not." Ainz remarked. Her expression however, did not change as she waited for the other shoe to drop.
"However, first, you have misunderstood the intention of bringing you here. I did not bring you here to break or manipulate the delegates, to do so would violate the spirit of peace I wish to promote. Perhaps they would never detect what you have done, but perhaps others would, or would suspect it even if they could not know it. In the short term, we may make great gains. But in the long term, we may create more enemies." He stroked her cheek as he spoke, as a parent would to a child who has tried too hard and overwrought themselves.
"Do you understand, Neia?" He asked gently.
"My Lord, I do... but then... why 'am' I here?" She asked plaintively. "I am no Queen like Draudillon or Calca. I am no great governor of your great test city like Enri. I am no Emperor or King, nor even an ambassador. I do not even have a home anymore. I am nothing but a voice, a look, a weapon you can wield to..." He stopped her words before they could continue, by placing a finger over her lips.
"No, Neia. You are more than that, and when this war ends, you 'will' have a home, the finest residence anyone in this world has ever seen outside of Nazarick. You will not live your life in a saddle any longer. But more than that, you are much more than that. You are a 'chance' that I have taken, and it has paid off." He explained patiently.
"A chance?" She asked without any hint that she understood him.
"Yes, it is true, you are my mortal voice. So I do wish you to speak, but speak for the faith as it will emerge, let the wider world know what you intend, so that they will welcome your emissaries without fear. But that too, is secondary. I brought you here so that you could get a glimpse of what tomorrow would look like. So that you could see the fruits of your labors as they begin to break through the earth to grow into a great tree under which the world will find shelter." He stroked her hair gently.
"Father, I..." She began, only to stop as he shook his head.
"Neia, I brought you here so that you could find hope. You've lived most of your life either preparing for wars or fighting in them. You needed to see, more than anyone else in my service, how that is going to change." He said affectionately.
Neia felt her lower lip quivering, and she fought back tears. "Father, what you hold out is such a wonderful gift that I can never be too grateful for. But if Enri said all that I think she did..." She unconsciously reached up and touched her own neck.
"She did." Ainz said, deducing her thoughts. "And yes, I do have to send out agents to investigate, after your army leaves, the Eight Fingers agents that we've taken control of will conduct a thorough examination and recording of events. They will question citizens, soldiers of both sides, everyone they must. Even if it takes years."
"Years?" Neia asked with surprise.
"They'll be spread a bit thin since they'll have to find out what went wrong in General Enri's lands. How the Agante were able to spark riots so thoroughly without her knowing it was coming, suggests a failure or oversight somewhere, and we must find and fix it. Also, I will be putting these former criminals at the disposal of a new agent of Nazarick, the former Thousand Mile Astrologer, to help hunt the Agante." Ainz explained. "That means Wheaton is a lower priority as, for better or worse, there is no danger left there."
Neia nodded numbly, "Then the gift of looking ahead means more to me than even your infinite wisdom can know. May I go then, and work your will as you intended?" She forced a charming expression onto her face as she pushed aside thoughts of the pending investigation to one side. 'One day, my father's justice will come for me, and I will answer for my sins. But until then, I will use my days to lay this world at his feet, it will be his temple. Even if it is too late for me to be anything more than its sacrifice..' She thought to herself as her only lord slowly inclined his head in approval.
"You may. Go, and do great things." Ainz said proudly, "And know also, that I am truly proud of you, no matter what else you've done."
"Father!" She exclaimed happily, her smile shone genuinely as she rose, "There are some things I must go and say, but then, may I come back here and see you?"
He nodded, "You may, I have little appetite, so... take your time." He joked, and once again wondered what was wrong with this world's humor when she did not laugh as she exited the room to go join what was no doubt a sizable gathering in the main hall.
...Forton...Main Hall...
Emperor Jircniv sat opposite General Enri as they enjoyed a brief meal. Beside him sat Queen Zesshi, and she felt their faint glares at her. "Don't pretend you're not aware of the looks you're getting, General Enri." Queen Zesshi said in a frosty voice.
Enri set her fork down and looked over at the Queen. "Alright, explain them."
"My soldiers are out putting down insurrections in your territory, instead of advancing against the last Theocracy Strongholds. That all happened on 'your' watch." Jircniv said bluntly.
"Neia Baraja is the reason I even have a side to join in the first place. Her efforts at saving half my heritage and telling the world that elves are people too, is the only reason my sister has a place to call home. You told her she should be hanged, are you think I should kiss you for it?" Zesshi added, and clenched her jaw, her black and white eyes and black and white hair only added to her expression of anger.
"Where were 'you' when my sister was crawling like a dog?" Zesshi asked. "In my book, anyone who undoes that, is automatically the hero."
Enri looked down at her plate, with a shamefaced expression they did not expect to see, her eyes closed and her fingers trembled at the table. "I know this. Maybe I was too cruel to her. It's true. I tried to be kind to peasants and commoners, because I 'am' one!" She exclaimed as she found the will to meet their glares with one of her own. "No matter how high I rise, I am as I was born. I didn't check for abuses, but... I did set those I found, free. I thought if I could just punish those who held onto the old ways, I could create a path to peace... that was my hope. I underestimated their hatred though. Or underestimated the control their priests had over the people, or their loyalty to the gods... I don't know, maybe all of that."
She swallowed hard, "I also admit, yes, I was somewhat envious of Neia's place, if not the rest. But truly, all I really wanted was to end this war as peacefully as I could. When I was in Carne, back when it was still a village, we didn't really care about nobles, gods, priests, kings, or anything else. There was only the harvest and staying alive. I thought if we let people in the Theocracy do the same, then we could... you know... bring them slowly into the fold. It made sense, and for awhile it worked!" She slammed her fist down on the table, hard enough to draw looks from up and down the line from other delegates.
"Well, it isn't working now." Jircniv said unhappily, "And every soldier of mine who dies, is on you."
"I know." Enri said with bitterness and anger as her eyes went hard as steel, "And I will never... ever forgive the Theocracy for it." She looked to Queen Zesshi, "And you... your highness, you are right. But I believed, and still believe, that Neia went too far. It's one thing to kill breakers, slavers, recalcitrant types who refuse to change or give up their ownership of others. But it's another to kill the tanner, his wife, and his child, just for being behind the walls you're taking. I'm not saying we should love them, embrace them, and sing songs together. I'm not saying we should forget everything that happened... Perhaps I'm wrong, and Neia shouldn't hang. But she's the living symbol of the Sorcerer King's justice. If she can do this without a second glance, then it can be done by anyone, at any time, for any reason. At the very least, questions, hard questions, have to be asked and answered."
"About that, General Enri speaks the truth. For me, for she, and for all who have served in the course of this terrible conflict." A powerful and unmistakable voice thrummed through their souls from behind where Zesshi and Jircniv sat.
Neia approached the long table as other delegates were filtering in, and sat down beside Queen Zesshi. "I have things I have to answer for, I accept that. But the time for answers isn't yet, first we need the quietness of peace, without the clashing of swords. The last fight is still ahead, after all. Time enough for whatever comes, when that is done." She placed her hand on Zesshi's shoulder, "Majesty, I thank you for your praise, but what I did, what I said, should never have been needed in the first place."
The half elf smirked a bit, "But at least you said it."
"True. One day, eventually, I'd like to see the elf kingdom that brought some dear friends into the world." Neia said enthusiastically.
"I will keep a room at the palace for your use." Zesshi said with equal enthusiasm.
Enri went back to her plate, only to find Neia reach out across the table to take her hand. "You weren't wrong, not about anything and... I'm sorry about before. I'm feeling... good today, optimistic." Neia said as she pumped all the charm she could into her voice.
To that, Enri responded with an apologetic look of her own, "We all have our justice to keep, don't we... it is a shame when it must clash, but if it must be, then at least it is over a worthy cause."
"Agreed." Neia said, and as an elf servant laid down a glass of juice in front of her, she looked up and down the table, seeing the remaining delegates enter for the morning meal, she stood.
She gently tapped her spoon to the glass, slowly drawing the eyes of the long table to where she was, some leaned forward, others back, in order to see her, and reminding her to her annoyance, that she was not as tall as she wished.
She rolled her eyes and wondered for the thousandth time if her master should have chosen a taller speaker, then laughed internally at herself and began. "Yesterday, my lord, my king, my god, father to myself and his empire at large, addressed you regarding the future state of the world. And I, in pale imitation of his glory, spoke of how enmity is to be dealt with. Today, with the breaking of the dawn, I wish to speak on something nearer and dearer to all of us. I say this with confidence, because even the strong wish their children to grow up. Even the wealthy, wish for the security of peace to enjoy their wealth."
She felt the eyes of minotaur and troll, goblin, human, half elf, and others, on her, and she quickly fell into her rhythm. "I speak of course, of the matter of peace. Many of those at this table, have in the past found their nations at odds with one another." She gestured with her glass to King Zanac and the newly arrived Princess Renner, and then to the Argland Council State's quiet dragon lord avatar. She gestured to King Rargnan and Queen Calca, and from the Wyvern Riders to the Troll Kingdom ambassadors. There was quiet acknowledgement of this obvious truth, "Yet now, as this war slowly ends, we must turn ourselves to the means to ensure that it does not happen again."
She took a deep breath as she allowed them a moment to process what she'd said, and then went on, "To pursue peace, we must understand why war happens, while there may be many causes, at the core of it most of the time is that war happens because of want. Food, water, goods, resources, land, or even simple power. But with the innovation of His Majesty and this great assembly of nations, where all nations may debate all matters with ease, we find a tool for peace like nothing the world has ever known. If one nation grows hungry, then all nations can come together to solve the problem without imposing a great burden on any one. If we create an internationally developed reserve, then no one nation need fear a great drought. If we create a means to certify movement from overpopulation, then a new nation may benefit from new citizens, without forcing a nation to go to war to find new space for its people."
She saw the lights go on in countless eyes as they began to see the advantages of such a system. "I don't suggest that this will solve every problem, but if it solves many of them, then will we not reduce the probability of a wasteful war? Imagine building monuments to your legacies that could stand for a thousand years, instead of throwing a hundred thousand lives away for a victory that will be irrelevant in ten years, and forgotten in a hundred!"
It didn't take evangelist power to entice great lords and ladies with the prospect of such a legacy, and even they knew that much about themselves, yet they embraced the pleasant thought for what it was. "In that capacity, my people, Black Justice, will do all we can to assist. Our priests heal all people without charge, without concern for their race or the nature of their injury. Our temples provide the inexpensive labor given by the Sorcerer King. Our Red Paladins provide safe escort for travelers no matter the risks to themselves. We promote learning and teach for free. Where we go, opportunity follows. Ask any nation into which we have ventured, if they are worse for our having come to them." She let that hang in the air. "We fear no sickness or violence, only weakness and ignorance. The justice of his majesty is carried in our hearts, and if you have seen even a fragment of it, you will begin to understand why we serve him. It is not for power, but for excellence in noble virtues, that we follow." She clutched her free hand over her heart, closed her eyes, and looked down, unable to forget that she had in her own mind at least, let her master down. "Though we are but a pale reflection of such glory, we mere mortals, may at least try, and in that effort, come a little closer to what it means to be divine. I urge you all, as you treat with His Majesty in the coming days, allow us to help you as we were helped first. In that spirit, I drink to peace, before I depart to go about my father's work."
Glasses went up. "To peace." They drank, and Neia did not sit down, instead, she bowed gracefully, and made her exit.
She made her way out of the hall with all swiftness, her crisp steps echoed like the march of time, and like time's forward march, she did not look back behind her. She went straight to her king's office, and knocked.
"Come." A voice within called.
Neia entered, and a broad smile was clear upon her face, ear to ear it spread, beneath shimmering blue eyes that sparkled like sapphires. 'Were it not for their shape, she might have been thought beautiful by this world, rather than terrifying beyond all reason.' He thought somewhat sadly for her. "What is it that you needed, Neia?" He asked as he set aside the document in his hand.
"Father, I have worked your will and addressed them in the light of hope you sought for this gathering... but... I fear my continued presence will be an inhibition to your aims." She chewed on her tongue for a moment as she let those words hang in the air, "I am a weapon, a thing of terror, while I can charm a crowd, moving their hearts, at my core I am... well, you saw yourself, My King, how I was even 'before' I became as I am today. As long as I remain, it will be as if you are walking around with a drawn sword. I am truly thankful for your intent, and I have seen it, but the longer I linger, the more of an impediment to your peace I will be."
She went to one knee and bowed her head humbly, "Please, let me return to my armies, let me be the one thing I truly excel at. We have preparations to make before departure, and... I'm sure my wife misses me greatly."
"Very well, go out, and prepare the armies to bring down the final stronghold. When you are ready to move, Tuare and Sebas will join your ranks and you will begin to pay your debt." He said with an eye toward easing her troubled heart, "Lakyus arrived a few minutes ago, and I believe she wanted to speak to you... but that can wait until she returns to Wheaton."
The gate opened, and Neia stood, bowed, and withdrew through it without another word.
...Ruins of Wheaton...
"I hate meetings." Skana said bluntly to the attendees at the meeting she herself had called. Her expression told them she was only partially joking, a resigned little half smile that brought mild empathy from the rest of her command team. "But what can we do? Got to get information, and there's no other way, so... let's get this going so we can all do the tasks we'd prefer to be seeing to, shall we?"
Cenna propped his feet up on the table and leaned back in his chair, "Sure thing, by the way, I'm basically incapable of taking anything 'too' seriously, least of all meetings, so please don't take offense if I look bored."
Skana's eye blinked at his blunt 'apology' only for her to relax into her chair and wave her hand dismissively. "It's fine, I'd prefer to be swinging my sword into somebody's face than swinging a pen over a piece of paper, myself. So here's the deal. Thanks to the captured harvest we have enough food, even without resupply from His Majesty, to campaign for three months. Our best estimates, which are almost to an ounce in terms of reliability, say that Kami Miyako has enough food for three weeks."
Cenna raised an eyebrow at that. "That's odd."
"What?" Skana asked.
He stroked his chin with one hand while his sword bounced up and down off his shoulder, "Kami Miyako has never had a lot of grain storage space, most of their supplies were held at C'Teon or were shipped directly from Wheaton and Crossroads."
Oma set her head on the table in front of her and looked down at the document sitting there. "Well, this has the same estimate she just read, so... why don't you just tell us what you think the problem is in more detail? I mean we know they started a new distribution plan, couldn't they have held back some from what the farming areas sent to them? And adding in more fish to their diet from the river? And what about the food that was to go to their armies, couldn't they have some of that left over since they don't really have much in the way of an army left?"
Cenna was quiet for a moment as he thought that over, 'It'll take some getting used to, seeing a head talking to me independent of the rest of the body.' He thought to himself before refocusing on the questions she'd raised. "I... guess." He replied, "But still, look I'm new, I joined for Zesshi's sake, I'm late to your little party, I don't know how good your intelligence operations are... our intelligence operations are, but I am telling you that if they have 'that' much food left, despite refugees and fish catching, something else is going on."
Skana shook off the chill that went down her spine. "I will... request a further inquiry."
"On a related note, I sent a request to His Majesty to hide General Boabdil's wife." General Oma said in passing, "He is going to do what he can to facilitate as peaceful an end as he can, he's probably already gone to his army and explained things, and by now is likely halfway to Kami Miyako. The problem being, he was ordered killed by Dominic, so most of the Theocracy... what is left of it at least, thinks him dead. So when he shows up, it's possible that his wife will be killed as a result."
"I see." General Musan said as he swirled his spoon around in his cup of tea to mix the sugar and milk more thoroughly. "Small favor to a friend?"
General Oma shrugged her headless shoulders, "Not really, he'll just commit more fully if he knows she's safe, it shouldn't be hard to hide one old woman, or to remove her if it comes to that. I did appreciate the help he sent us though... so maybe it's a bit of a professional courtesy."
"Fine, doesn't hurt things, but how long do we take before we move out of here and on to our last objective?" He asked with a burning anger in his eyes.
"Not long, another day, maybe two. His Majesty didn't say how long the Forton Conference would be, but since he's just introducing concepts to them and explaining the post war plans for the new Sorcerous Empire... it won't be long." Skana said confidently. "But speaking of the post war consequences, what have the outriders found in the search for refugees who fled the city?" She looked away uncomfortably, "My own have rescued a handful, a few hundred at best. Many more are... frozen, or we've found some who were murdered by their fellows."
General Musan spoke up next, with a neutral, professional indifferent distance from the subject. "Mine found villages that had been destroyed by the refugees, or villages that had destroyed desperate refugees, my guess, based on what we've seen so far, that the first villages to be attacked were successfully destroyed, the survivors fled farther away, and were prepared, and defeated all attacks later. Some were already occupied by your orcs, and those kept villagers safe from refugees. But it's a very mixed result, but we've found not many more survivors than you have."
"Thirg, you've been quiet so far." Skana remarked, glancing at the elf vampire.
He nodded, "Yup. Look, you want to know what we've found? Whole lot of dead people, and not one of em do I regret being dead. So far we've found no survivors, we have found indications that some 'did' survive, wagon tracks, horseshoe prints, that kind of thing. But by this point they're well beyond normal scouting range. As I see it, anybody who has survived so far, is going to make it to Kami Miyako, not that I expect them to have any luck after that."
"What do you mean?" Skana asked thoughtfully.
"They're not going to get into the city. I promise you." Thirg answered as he folded his arms in front of his chest. Seeing the looks from the others at the table, he went on, "Cenna said it himself, there's not enough food but for a couple of weeks, they're not going to bring in useless mouths to feed. That means they either hang around outside and freeze waiting for us to come and capture them, or they move on. Some will become bandits and prey on villages, we've already seen that. Others will hide in the woods and try to live off the land, with mixed results depending on where they come from... and a little luck. But most of them will outright die. I promise you, as we move on, we'll find a lot more empty villages as people run from us, and those will have been empty for awhile."
"Awhile?" Cenna asked, cocking his head curiously.
"Yes, awhile. Word spreads a lot faster when the words spread terror, and two things spread terror over this whole country. Theocracy propaganda about the demoness in the west... that would be your wife, Skana." The Vice Commander bristled at that, but Thirg went on as if he didn't notice, "And of course... the demoness herself. The ones she sent running with mutilated hands, the children I hear she sent riding all the way to the capital, assuming they made any progress, I guarantee they spread the word to all the outlying villages, and they warned their neighbors and so on. Nobody else is getting into Kami Miyako."
"I hate to admit it, but I'm inclined to agree with our vampire friend here." Cenna said, gesturing to General Thirg. "Kami Miyako is the largest city in the country, but it can't house the refugees of C'Teon, Feron, Wheaton, Crossroads, Ikari, and any who fled from surrounding villages. They'll take food and fighters. And everyone else can freeze or starve. They have no choice or everyone dies."
"That doesn't bother you?" General Oma asked in surprise.
Cenna looked over at the head on the table that had addressed him. "I'd be lying if I said I were happy about it. But I grew up in the Theocracy, the priests have always talked a big game about protecting humanity and human superiority. They've even given people like me a kind of 'special place' and status, and... yeah, I'd also be lying if I said that wasn't kind of fun. But I've seen the way they throw people away. I know about the burnout rate for some of the scriptures, and some of the missions we've gone on have been for anything but the 'greater good of man'." He snorted derisively and made little air quote symbols with his fingers. "I stick by my comrades, Zesshi trained me, Raymond led me, if they're both on the same side and they insist that they're right with such fervor that they'll make themselves traitors? Yeah, I believe them. Besides, Zesshi told me about her baby sister, if they'd do that to the family of their trump card, what would they do to anyone more disposable?" He shook his head confidently, "I'd be on their side if they were on the side of my brothers and sisters, but they're not, so I'm not. Not to say I want a lot of dead common people but... do you know another way of waging war? Because I sure don't."
"Good enough answer for me." Skana said with finality and began to pass documents down, "Here are our final positions for the line of march, scope of scouting responsibilities, communication signals, and so on. This is 'it', people. When we arrive, we'll be linking up with General Rockbruise, General Zaryusu, King Zanac, Chindai Khan, General Enri and probably General Nimble, assuming everything is wrapped up smoothly. We'll have the largest army the world has ever seen, all gathered in one place. An army like that, could capture the entire world... and all we're going for, is one city. Please go over what I've just handed you, ask me any questions you may have, and then we'll get out of here and get to work."
"Will the Sorcerer King be joining us?" General Oma asked hopefully.
Skana grinned wolfishly, "Yes, but from the last I heard he's got something... special in mind, before he joins us."
"I can't wait." Said several voices all at once, before similar predator grins formed on every face and they focused on the task at hand.
...Kami Miyako...
Raymond left with dread drowning his soul. He barely noticed his exit, barely noticed climbing into his doorless carriage, and barely registered the chaos in the streets. People begged for coin from anyone who looked like they might have one. It was the only thing that stopped the brawlers or the destruction as buildings were torn down for wood. 'It won't be long until they're killing people for wood to burn, this is a bad winter.' He thought miserably as the cold started to bite him like a hungry animal. Not far away he saw children chewing on a raw rat. 'Not even a means to cook...' He shuddered as he made his way home, and wondered where their parents were. Alive? Dead? Imprisoned? Hanged? 'I wonder how many orphans we're making all by ourselves?' He pondered as he got out in front of his home.
To his surprise, there was an older human woman standing in front of his manor, looking like the definition of uncertain. She fidgeted with her feet and paced back and forth like she wasn't sure if she should stay or go.
When his carriage clattered to a halt and he stepped out, she turned behind her to see who had arrived, and he saw relief appear on her face. She had graying hair and a gaunt face that might once have been plump, her hazel eyes were full of worry, but even bundled up as she was, he could imagine what she must have been like in the flower of youth and beauty. Her hands were wrinkled, and rubbed together without any gloves to protect them, but at least she had a heavy coat around her too ward her against the weather.
As he stepped down, she scurried over, "Are you Cardinal Raymond?" She asked hopefully.
"I... yes, I am. I'm sorry, you've got the better of me, you look familiar but I cannot place you." He said apologetically.
"I'm Illal, wife of Boabdil. General Boabdil. I... I was told to come see you. I was told by..." She swallowed very hard, "You... please, can we speak inside? Your manservant, your butler, he wouldn't allow me in until you arrived. I'm so... cold. I had almost given up and gone home. Please, the cold saps my strength."
Raymond did his best to hide his suspicion. "Was there a whorling black void involved? Or a noble voice of incomprehensible power?" He asked gently. 'If neither of these is true, I have to get rid of her.' He thought unpleasantly. 'General Boabdil is dead, killed himself, so why should she be here?'
Her eyes went wide as saucers, "You... know? She spoke the truth?" She asked urgently, her frozen fingers clutching for his hands.
"Who?" He asked patiently. "A young girl, one of great beauty, in a flowing maid outfit with purple hair, she called herself 'Entoma' she said I was to come to you for protection, that you would hide me."
Raymond swallowed as he felt his heart try to leap out of his throat. "Alright, come inside, but understand, what you see beyond that door is not to be spoken of. And once you are in, you will not be leaving until this war has reached its dreadful end. Do you still want to come in?" He asked gravely.
She nodded anxiously, "I do, I must, I haven't any choice... please... let me in. In the name of the gods... I beg you, it is difficult for an old woman, but if you demand I go to my knees..."
"No... that will not be necessary." Raymond said as he put his hands to her shoulders to stop her descent. "Come in with me. We have no tea left, but we have a barrel of wine, given to me by... someone amazing, during the new year."
She followed uncomfortably, her little steps filled with trepidation as much as with weakness brought on by age and cold. Raymond knocked on the door, and his butler opened, admitting her. "Thank you... thank you so much..." She started to say as the door creaked open, and her eyes, worn with fear and exhaustion, having only just restored themselves to normalcy after his short revelation of familiarity with her speaker, went back to enormous as she saw what he was hiding.
Scurrying about the house were numerous elves, all busy with various tasks, all clothed and well fed, they tended to many tasks, but among the many laborers, there were elf and half elf children on furniture reading or playing games. The fear that held the city in its grip, held no power within those walls.
"What... is this place?" She asked in utter incomprehension.
"My secret, my atonement for my lifetime of sin, my... redemption, if you want to call it that. Every one of those you see here is free, none wear collars unless one 'must' venture out of the house. As you know this much, you may as well also know, that the facilities beyond the city that produced our last harvest, serve the same end." Raymond said proudly as one of the little half elf ones ran up and clung to his leg, he hefted the boy and put him on his shoulders.
He rocked back and forth on his heels for a moment, and then set the boy down and with a pat on his back, sent him running off again.
"Come upstairs to my office, we can speak there." He said, and turned to the butler as he passed, "Has Nua returned with Solution yet?" He asked.
"Not yet, Sir." He replied formally.
"Very well, send them up as soon as they get here, oh and bring cups for wine. I get the feeling we'll all want some." Raymond said tiredly.
When they were seated in his office, Raymond did not dance around the matter. "Please, explain what happened, and why you are here."
Her voice was older, cracked with age, but still had the power of a woman of her class, one confident and firm in her convictions. "First, my husband is not dead, he is alive. Dominic ordered him killed... but the Agante, they failed. He faked his death somehow. He's going to come here, back to the city, and try to... I don't know, fix things, stop things... but he asked for me to be protected. I was used as a hostage before, to get him to submit to death. I won't be used that way again! I won't be a tool to control him!" She said urgently as she rolled one hand anxiously in the palm of the other.
"So... he asked... someone to help me, that someone, whoever it was, went to the Sorcerer King, and the Sorcerer King sent the one called 'Entoma' to me, and she in turn told me to come see you. Now... here I am, and I suspect why that was." Illal looked at him pointedly, relaxing some as she felt the warmth of the inside of the house, and the reason she could expect some safety became more evident.
What might have become an uncomfortable silence was interrupted by a knock at the office door, followed by a brusque, "Don't bother." from Solution as she breezed into his workspace with Nua scurrying in behind looking utterly terrified.
Raymond shot to his feet when he saw her downcast gaze and trembling body. "Nua are you...?" He looked over to Solution.
"She's fine, she actually did pretty well, kicked a squealer right in the balls." She giggled with amusement, "And she fell the right way too, a little scared, a little stung, but I took care of the rest. The supplies are ordered, what little there are." She saw the older human woman, and asked, "Who is this?"
"The wife of General Boabdil, it looks like she'll be staying with us for a little while." Raymond replied as his heart began to beat faster. "But... that's minor, nothing more than an extra bed and one less handful of grain per person. I... got my answer, or rather, your answer, Nua."
"Raymond...?" She looked up with trepidation.
"The meat wasn't coming from a secret project or hoarded animals or salted preserved resources... it was... brace yourself...they've been eating elves. Some of them at least. Elves and... the dead. Humans too, it seems like. Cardinal Yvon... he wanted to have all the elves gathered together and kept for slaughter like cattle to feed the population." Raymond touched his throat as the image of swallowing such a meal almost brought him to retching.
Nua's thoughts froze for a moment that seemed like an eternity before she fell to her knees and barely managed to cover her face with her hands that were shaking like a leaf facing a tornado, as she let out a sound of despair that could touch even the heart of the most despicable demons before going in a wail of denial, "No... my people... my brothers, sisters... why... we weren't put on this world just to be... just to be food for our owners! That can't be! It can't be!" She lowered her hands and balled them into fists, she looked up at Raymond fiercely through eyes half blind from tears. "You're lying! You have to be lying! Tell me you're lying! That this really was a game, and that you're just another monster after all! Please! Please! Even that! Even THAT would be better than this being true! Please... oh god please no..." She fell to a blubbering whimper on the floor and rocked aimlessly back and forth.
Raymond went from his desk to where she was on the floor, "What else is left?! We're not supposed... nobody... nobody is supposed to die that way..." She let herself fall into his arms and sob into his shoulder as the horrible truth chased down her denial and killed it.
"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..." Raymond's little soft words caressed her ear. "But I won't let them get you, any of you."
"That does sound like something Dominic would do..." Illal said in disgust.
Raymond helped Nua up to her feet and over to a chair, and gently laid her in it. She fell to sobbing more quietly.
"No, actually Dominic flatly forbade it." Raymond said keeping his flinch internal as she reminded him of the games some twisted humans played with Nua and those like her in the past. "It seems even he will have none of this."
Illal shifted uncomfortably in her seat, "I've heard rumors of this sort of thing, but I didn't believe them. 'Long eared sheep...' that's what they meant..." She suddenly began to turn green, her hand went up and covered her mouth, her eyes widened in horror and her body quivered with disgust.
Solution, ever the observant maid, took up a waste bin as the others turned to Illal when she spoke. The beautiful blonde maid laid it at her feet. "Use this, I'm good at cleaning, but prevention is better than cure." She said with casual indifference.
Illal snatched it up and began to vomit, before Nua's horrified eyes, meaty chunks flew out of the aged woman's mouth, along with the rest of her meal.
Nua launched herself from where she sat, hate on every inch of her beautiful face, her eyes wide and unblinking, her fingers stretched out like claws, her hair bounced high behind her, and Illal flung herself to the side to put distance between herself and the wrathful elven girl. The chair toppled with a loud clatter as she backed herself against the wall, only for Solution to catch her with a single arm.
"I didn't know! I didn't know! I swear I didn't know!" Illal said as she sank to the floor, her bones ached as she did so, but she barely felt it. She started wiping her mouth chin with disgust, and the bin she'd dropped as she fell, tipped over on its side, spilling the contents onto the floor after all, rendering Nua's screaming utterly mute as she looked at the remains of some unknown member of her people, transfixed with horror.
"Name. Give me the name." Raymond said to her with the eyes of a Black Scripture member, he recollected the days of his youth when he tore life apart with ease and none could stand against him, and in that instant, he was that man again.
Illal looked up at him as if she'd barely registered the order. "You wish to stay here in safety... you will atone with the name of the one who served 'that' to you." He said as he gestured to the half digested flesh.
She finally understood, and whispered answer. "Kasa... a... a neighbor, I had a m-meal at her home. N-No wonder she laughed when I asked what it was, and wouldn't answer when I'd asked where it came from... I... I feel sick still. Please... I didn't know... I didn't know..." She clutched her vomit stained hand to her hair and barely moved except her lips to repeat her denial of knowledge.
As Solution held the now unmoving Nua, Raymond looked over at the elf girl, "I will take care of this." He said in the voice of death, reminding her and Solution both, of a faint imitation of the Sorcerer King.
"Looks like she has some killer instinct in her after all." Solution said with the inhuman smile on her face, "You should take her along for this one."
Nua nodded emphatically, "Yes... yes... let me do it... I want... I need this one... please." She asked.
Before Raymond could answer, Illal caught sight of the monster smile on the blonde maid.
"You're not human..." She whispered in a tiny, vulnerable voice.
The maid shook her head, "No, I am not. I am a battle maid, what you might have heard of as a maid demon, a servant of His Majesty the Sorcerer King, here to assist Cardinal Raymond." She let Nua go, and the elf dropped to the floor and went to gather up the little pieces of meat, she covered them with her hands and began to pray to gods she was now convinced did not exist, for the former living beings to find some peace, and promising to at least bury their remains with some dignity.
Illal began to hyperventilate, her lips moved as if to speak, but instead, unable to bear the sudden stress, she fainted entirely.
"That was an unpleasant introduction." Raymond said with a grimace, while Solution could only giggle with delight.
AN: Bombs away. 187-195 in one drop, enjoy. Also review, reviews feed me. :)