Though assuming the shape of a lowly human repulsed the female doppelganger to no end, especially one that had the audacity to defy her lordher lord and master, Zam nevertheless managed to maintain her cover as she signed the necessary orders that would help to speed up her master's conquest of the Slane Theocracy.
Of course it would take some time for the orders to be followed, the curse of having to impersonate a man who was forced to rely on messengers instead of instant communication spells, but she knew that General Mara, and more importantly Lord Morbus would be pleased.
It hadn't been easy to assume the role of one of the Theocracy's highest ranking Cardinals, specifically the one dealing with matters of military intelligence, but after hiding the dead body of her target, and coming up with a plausible excuse to cancel her new found appointments with the capital's prostitutes, the Utumno native felt that her mission had so far been a success.
Especially since her newfound position afforded her access to several pieces of useful information.
However, only two pieces of information had proven interesting to her molten eyed overlord.
The first one described, in detail, the Theocracy's attempts to find powerful beings, regardless of moral affiliation, and brainwash them into its service. She was uncertain why Lord Morbus found this piece of information to be interesting, especially the part how one of the Theocracy's teams had been declared deceased after investigating the hideout of some bandit, but it was not her place to question her master's will.
The second piece of information she discovered however, that one she could understand since it gave the forces of Utumno a very strong hint to the still hidden location of their true enemy. As a low ranking officer in Lord Morbus's army, she hadn't been told what her superiors had done with this piece of information, but Zam would bet that at this very moment, her master's spies were scouring the lands surrounding the place known as Carne Village.
Of course, the agreement between the forces of Utumno and the forces of Nazarick would be honored so long as their respective rulers decided to focus their attentions for expansion elsewhere, but knowing the exact location of the enemy base before the outbreak of hostilities was a useful advantage that could not be denied.
Sadly however, such an occurrence would not be happening until long after the destruction of the Slane Theocracy. For her master had left little doubt that this human nation was but the first to fall to the might of Utumno's armies.
And considering she had heard whispers of what Lord Morbus had asked of his Supreme Generals, Zam knew that it was only a matter of time before that happy occasion.
...
Though he could have chosen to give himself the ability to fly, either through the use of a spell or his shape changing abilities, the former librarian had decided to take to the skies in a manner that left him regretting his rather impulsive decision.
Yes his saddle was comfortable as well as functional, a perk of being the supreme authority of an expanding empire. And yes he managed to steer his aerial steed with little difficulty, which was rather important when one was trying to maintain the image of a composed warlord.
No, the problem was that like the majority of the creatures under his command, there was an odor that could never be described as pleasant.
Of course he possessed the ability to lessen or completely remove his sense of smell, a rather useful ability as it turned out since the majority of Utumno's population was comprised of beings that had been known for their stench, but since he didn't want to explain to his aerial escort as to why he lacked a nose with nostrils, Morbus resigned himself to his current situation as he regarded the soon to be destroyed.
"Hmmm. It appears that despite the nature of some of their more recent defeats, our enemy has still to fully grasp how…versatile my armies can be. Or do you think their lack of appropriate defensive measures is caused by a sudden lack of resources"?
His curiosity earning a chuckle from his accompanying General, the Fell Beast riding shape shifter found himself nodding in amused agreement as Ancalagon answered his question.
"It is probably the latter option my lord. While the involvement of my lesser brethren has been limited due to your desire to see just how well these insects fight, the 2 battles that you have allowed them to take part in have nevertheless revealed your mastery of the sky. So either the fools below lack the necessary resources to construct even the most feeble defensive measures, which is highly probably considering that you ordered the Warg packs to disrupt their internal supply routes, or they idiotically believe themselves to be immune to your wrath".
Pleased at the reasoning skills of his reptilian servant, though slightly amused at the unmistakable tone of disappointment that had entered the Dragon's voice when commenting on his lack of involvement in the war, Morbus raised his arm to gesture behind him as he responded to Ancalagon's observation.
"Then it's a good thing that our actions this day will serve to remind them of my command of the air. While I cannot deny the usefulness of having an enemy that fails to learn from their failures, it takes some of the enjoyment out of this if I have to spend little effort in achieving my goal".
His words managing to earn snorts of agreement from not only the giant black scaled dragon, but also the smaller red and golden scaled aerial repitles, the molten eyed ruler of Utumno raised his voice to give the order that his winged minions had been waiting for.
"Go. Destroy the city and all who dwell within it".
His command being met with roars of approval from his winged minions, and well aware of the similarities between what was about to happen and the opening sequence of the last film of the prequel trilogy, Morbus could only come up with 6 words to fit the upcoming firestorm.
"I am fire. I am death".
...
(Here follows the account of Father Bardian, the only member of Thisian to survive the destruction of the city)
Though Thisian was still far away from the encroaching hordes of the demon Morbus, the citizens of the city been fully mobilized to contribute to the Theocracy's war effort.
It's resident magic casters, regardless of gender, were learning the spells that could enhance the abilities of their nation's armies, either through the use of combat or healing magic.
The population was forced to work longer hours for less food in order to increase the production of the necessary weapons of war.
And perhaps the most important of all, the clergy, of which I was humbly apart of, was doing its best to maintain belief in dream of a final victory.
But on that tragic day, I came to know that the one they called Morbus could never be defeated by mortal men. For how can the human race hope to defeat an enemy that controls such ferocious beasts?
Though somewhat suppressed by my superiors, rumors had already spread how the Dark One had at used a dragon to destroy our initial attempt to drive him back. But on that ruinous day, not only were the rumors of a giant red scaled dragon proven to be more than rumor, but it was also made clear that Morbus had more than one such creature of that terrible nature.
But while the red one, which as all know goes by the name of Smaug, and its golden companion wrought great destruction and terror with each blast of liquid fire, it was the third dragon that served to convince the burning garrison that they had no hope of defeating such an enemy.
For not only was it at least 3 times the size of its smaller brethren, but its hide was as black as a starless night. And when it opened its mouth to bathe the city in its flame, it was like watching the end of the world.
For while Smaug and the one they called Beogelina required multiple passes to bathe an entire district in flames, the black one, the one rumored to be the personal guardian of Utumno itself, only had to complete one pass before everything in its path was reduced to ash.
And while I alone survived the unholy firestorm that engulfed the city, I knew that it had little to do with divine providence.
For by the greatest of luck, or misfortune considering the nature of my wounds, I found myself taking refuge in one of the first districts of the city that had been attacked by the fire demons of Morbus.
To this day, though my remaining eye is steadily dimming, and the pain of my burned flesh continues to rob me of a moments peace, I can still recall the smoldering remains of what had once been a thriving market place.
Not a single surface had escaped the fire, be it the melted streets of cobblestone or the smoking ruins of stalls that had once been bursting with the products of the Theocracy.
But what was worse was the bodies that darted the landscape.
As far as I could see in the smoke filled ruins, the streets were littered with the charred bodies of men, women, and children.
And while the human subjects of Morbus's empire might praise their inhuman master for the things he has done in improving their lives, it must never be forgotten that his empire was forged with blood, steel, and flame.
...
Though he hated to disturb his lord and master, especially after he had been placed in a position where he had to discipline one whose previously unquestionable loyalty had been compromised, Demiurge felt that it was his duty to alert Lord Ainz of what he probably already suspected.
"Excuse me Lord Ainz. But is it alright if I speak with you"?
Bowing low as he addressed the only Supreme Being that had chosen to remain with the denizens of Nazarick, the specactled Arch Devil was presented with further proof of his master's intelligence by the answer he received.
"Yes Demiurge you may. I trust that this has to do with whoever forced Shalltear to rebel"?
Nodding his head in a manner that hopefully conveyed his utmost respect for his skeletal master, Demiurge kept his tone reasonable as he sought to convince the Supreme Being of the validity of his concerns.
"Partially my lord. While you have already ascertained that the preten….I mean Morbus is not personally responsible for Shalltear actions, I suspect that his actions are still to blame for this occurrence. For unlike your master plan of gaining control of the Re-Estize Kingdom by posing as an upcoming hero, the forces of Utumno have provided the people of the Slane Theocracy with an easily identifiable enemy. And since their power, while less than Nazarick''s, surpasses anything that the humans possess, it stands to reason that they would force their enemies to adopt more desperate measures to slow their advance. Like say, causing your loyal servants to blasphemously forget who they owed allegiance to".
As expected of his glorious master, not only did Demiurge have his concerns addressed in a respectful manner, but also once again had sufficient proof that Lord Ainz deserved the position of being the wisest of the Supreme Beings.
"While I understand, and appreciate your concerns my loyal servant, I had already discovered the cause of Shalltear's….actions. And rest assured that I have already expressed my less than pleased opinions towards Morbus, whose involvement in this unfortunate incident was proven to be accidental".
Briefly scowling at the mention of the one being who possessed both the ambition and resources to threaten the existence of Nazarick, the bespectacled Arch Devil adopted a more sinister expression as he explained his plan to get back at those who had dared, albeit indirectly and unknowingly, to turn the loyal Vampire into a traitor.
"Then perhaps, in order to make sure that Utumno fully understands the gravity of its mistake, the forces of Nazarick should also…indirectly cause them some damage".
For a moment, his skeletal master was silent. But the words that followed that brief moment left little room for doubt that Demiurge would have to tread carefully.
"May I remind you Demiurge that I have given my word that I would do nothing to interfere with Morbus's conquests so long as he does nothing to thwart my plans for expansion. And while the conflict with Utumno is inevitable, I have no desire to be start it earlier than planned. Especially since, despite out best efforts, we have yet match out rival in terms of land seized, and peoples conquered. Factors that would no doubt contribute to their ability to resist our efforts to wipe them out".
Nodding his head to show that he agreed with Lord Ainz's wisdom, the suit wearing RACE ensured that his tone was properly deferential as he explained his idea.
"Which is why what I have in mind cannot be traced back to you Lord Ainz. For it follows a similar pattern to what those human fools had attempted during the day they bore witness to your greatness. Of course our efforts will be more subtle, and serve to only temporarily inconvenience the conquest of Utumno's armies, but I guarantee that that it will work".
Allowing a hint of desperate to enter his voice as he made his plea, for the sole reason for his existence was to thwart the ambitions of those who would dare challenge the Supreme Beings, Deimurge had to fight the urge to cry in relief as his master regally waved his hand to show his agreement.
"So be it. Just ensure that Utumno can't trace this back to us. Because if we can exploit a loophole, rest assured that they can do so as well. I'm trusting you with this Deimurge. So don't make me regret this".
Eagerly nodding his head, which was already filled with plans on how to carry out his mission to the letter, the dapper RACE maintained his posture of deference as he bowed himself out of the room.
Unknowing that his skeletal master was currently wondering if perhaps he had made the right decision.
...
Annnd gonna stop here for now. Apologies for the long wait, had over half of this chapter finished for a while, but lacked the motivation/creativity to finish it XD. Always the issue when an anime you enjoy gets supplanted by another.
Anyways, hope you all enjoyed this.
Reviews welcome. flames are not.
til next time.