Thank you, everyone, for reviewing within 72 hours after the update!
Abe: Everyone hates Becker, they do. But I have to disagree that Godred deserved to die - he's not the worst of the bunch. In any case, Becker's mind had been ruined by all that had happened to him. And spreading rumours isn't exactly an uncommon tactic back in the day. Sigrun... *facepalms* Why? I mean, she probably doesn't know what happened to him, but... ah well. Arn's coming! Maybe. A sliver of a chance, but a chance nonetheless...
Keva: I didn't expect Becker cuffing Thordan too. In the early drafts, anyway. I hope everyone would like Becker more once some other prequel is released, but we'll see. Or even a sequel, perhaps? Assuming Becker lives, of course.
Seb: Becker... yeah. A tragedy of errors, it seems. And I assure you that Becker has suffered quite enough... or not. There's still a few chapters. Alfyn and Egil! I've missed them as well. I don't want to push them into side characters... but it seems that I've succeeded in making them relevant. Plot armour? What is it? Never heard of it. ;) Poor Thordan.
Grey: Reflection is very important in a sprawling fic. Call-backs is just as critical as foreshadowing. Sigrun isn't really sympathetic here... let's hope she apologises! Becker not being a good uncle is quite the plot point. One day, you'll see him and Sigurd talking. One day... Dagbert's visions maybe I'll touch upon them in Prequel 2. Or even the remaster... and now, the Lightningshard!
Blind to the Dark
VARGO, KINGDOM OF OTHARN, HIGH KINGDOM OF PARMA
"I am glad to receive you," Niels said quietly as Lord Valdemar watched. 'You may rise."
Lorelei's elder son stopped kneeling before the king while Valdemar failed to betray his emotions. The little upstart was more emotional, as if he was overwhelmed by emotions. Skywards. All the same they were, not being able to shut their mouths when silence is needed.
Corrado Truetide had sworn his traditional oath of loyalty, but oaths can be broken. Lord Canute had been asked to swear fealty to King Thordan all those seasons ago, in exchange for nothing but empty assurances. Of course, Thordan betrayed him at the first opportunity, so there was that. They could have torn each other apart if not for the intercession of Valdemar himself and Erlend Swalestrom - the otter was likeable enough to collaborate with for a few months, despite being married to her.
"So," Niels rubbed his paws. "About the Ilsadian question." The king nodded at Valdemar.
"Your mother was quite insistent about letting you rule the entirety of the Ilsadian realm in the name of the king." Valdemar had been named Royal Vicar in place of Niels himself, probably a measure to placate him and to perhaps intimidate Lorelei. Or he could have been manipulating the whole of Parma since the day he was named Royal Vicar, moving the pieces on both sides of the chessboard. Valdemar will not be surprised if it was suddenly revealed that he was King Thordan's assassin, or the one behind Guido's conniving actions since the day he began his rule. It is fortunate that he was meek - or that could also be an act.
"However," Valdemar continued. "We have not heard your thoughts on this matter yet." In a way, he had spoken the truth and nothing but the truth. Just not the whole truth. "Would you kindly state them?"
"My thoughts?" Corrado mused to himself as he rubbed his chin. "I'm not sure about the whole thing, to be honest with you." He would of course be honest. Niels had raised him, and he saw him as his father more than he did his biological one, or Erlend for that matter.
"How so?"
"Well, I have enough work to do." The other otter sighed. "Do you know how hard it is to rule a realm in your own name, another in your son's, and take care of your family?"
"Well I do." Valdemar lifted up a finger. "Governing my lordship is hard enough, especially when my father left more ruin than blessings."
"From what I have heard from you, you seem to do a shoddy job of parenting." Corrado huffed. "Your children are arguing like the Swalestroms, and at least Lord Gavin had the excuse of being dead to do nothing!"
"You-" Valdemar growled until Niels lifted up a claw.
"No need for aggression now, Corradino." The diminutive name was usually used to indicate the other Corrado's name, but Niels had called him just that. This was probably why Corrado the father calls Corrado the son that as well - old habits die hard, Valdemar supposed. "I am amazed at your good parenting, young Corrado, and to be honest, I would like to meet your children someday. Perhaps after my Parman coronation." He shook his head, with the aim of clearing it, though Valdemar would not really know if he can really do it. "But back to official business." He paused for a while. "So you don't really want the job, right?"
"Correct." Corrado nodded. "Oh, does Mother want it alright. But I am very happy where I am. Thank you for your consideration."
"Well, Queen Lorelei did nag His Majesty for an entire week," somebeast said, and Valdemar realised with horror that it was himself.
Corrado smiled. "That does sound like my mother."
Before Valdemar could probe a bit more to the interesting family dynamics of House Skyward, Niels gestured Corrado to leave, which he did after bowing.
"Nice otter, is he not?" Niels smiled ever so slightly at his nephew.
"Better than his mother, I suppose." Valdemar rolled his eyes. "She expects everybeast to bow to her all too often, I believe. She has yet to know that pride comes before a fall."
"I lived with her for most of my life, and I would not have survived if not for a certain Dagbert's advice." Seeing Valdemar's confusion, he quickly added, "Change from within what cannot be changed from outside. Submission is a terrible weapon to behold if it is wielded well."
"Just like any other weapon." Valdemar huffed.
"Well, this one you should have enough time to master. I mean, Corrado did so, and he's a better vassal than his mother. Take your leave - the night comes, and both of us are getting more tired by the minute."
Valdemar nodded, then walked out of the doorway. To change from within… that would indeed be a good idea. Perhaps this is why Niels prefers Corrado to him. He knows what to do. The voices in his head affirmed this.
Perhaps this is why little Thordan kept his life while Valdemar's father had him in his mercy, despite Valdemar urging the young otter to be terminated as soon as possible.
Perhaps, in due time, Corrado will be swayed away from his mother's vile grip, and serve Parma in his own fashion.
Of course, as a loyal son of Parma, Valdemar would be there to help him along.
FLORET, CROWNLANDS, KINGDOM OF SOUTHSWARD
"And here comes the Crestworths." King Gideon smiled at Bellamy as the two otters entered one after the other.
King Gideon had been her father's accomplice in searching for a husband for the ottermaid, all while ignoring her losses. All three of her brothers were dead, and her mother followed them to the grave, no doubt happy to be reunited with them again.
But Bellamy was still alive, and still a slave to her duty.
Having called a tournament gave her room. Twelve suitors would fight for her paw, competing against one another on subjects that she so wished. After all, that is the best way to test for the strength of a bloodline. In normal circumstances, seven will come from Southsward itself, three from neighbouring holts, one from Triel and one from Parma. The dearth in eligible Southard otters caused these regulations to be laxened this time, which was not the most fortunate thing to happen for Bellamy. The last thing she wanted was to be bound to a foreigner for the rest of her life.
Twelve boars and a maiden were not enough to constitute a tournament. After all, the whole point of it was that the maid can refuse to marry whoever her parents wanted her to. She would need a champion to defend her rights.
If the champion wins a tournament, then another will be held. Once the champion has seen victory five times, then the maid will then have no obligation to marry anyone against their will.
Five times. Five whole moths of anxiety - at best. But Bellamy knew who to call up. After all, her brother had left detailed instructions.
Bellamy seldom saw eye to eye with her brother - that much was clear. But she never doubted that her brother would gladly lay down his life for her, and in a way he did.
The brothers bowed to the king, and a few gestures were made. Sverker never once looked at her, while Harald exhibited a habit of staring at Bellamy, making Alfyn Stalwart seem polite in comparison. Harald Crestworth was the sort of beast who tries his best to turn away all that could ever like him, then complain about it. Sverker seemed like a louse in comparison. He may look stoic, but Bellamy just knew that almost quivering in nervousness or fear.
More words were exchanged, but Bellamy wasn't listening. All about how good guests they will be, how good a husband one of them might be and all that. King Gideon seemed interested at first, but it did not take long for his patience to yield. The Parmans took the hint, and they saw fit to retire to their rooms.
"What do you think of them, Bellamy?" The squirrelking turned his head. Bellamy already had two loving parents, but Gideon was a second father to her and her siblings. He was what Erlend could, and should have been.
"One's too boring, the other one's too interesting to do his duty." Bellamy scoffed. "Domans seldom know moderation, and most of those who do know not expression."
"Domans. Heh." The squirrel coughed, apparently choking on his wine a bit, but in a while he was back to normal. "Stuck-up reserved folk. They make better servants and friends than spouses, I see."
"That's true." Bellamy sighed. She was not in the mood for further conversation.
"Seriously. You could have spared yourself a lot of trouble if you went for the Trielian." The squirrelking shook his head. "Alfyn Stalwart is a brave creature."
"Bravery isn't the only thing a maid looks for in a husband." Bellamy countered. "Besides, when had Lord Alfyn showed that he could be responsible for anything?"
"Beasts change, Bells." The squirrelking shook his head. "Often for the better."
"This is not necessarily the case." Bellamy smiled. It was not a genuine smile, but Bellamy needed every smile she can afford to produce.
"Oh yes." The king's smile was not fake, but was not one of mirth. It was summoned from the deepest curiosity of his heart. "Your champion. I have a feeling that he would gladly fight for you - too gladly, in fact."
"He will." Bellamy's smile shifted to a genuine one. They both will.
LEAMONDE, KINGDOM OF VALNAIN
A king would be chosen soon.
Unlike those elections of Parma, which King Thordan had carefully set up rules (that, admittedly, favoured his own family), everyone with a title of 'lord' or higher gets a say in who the next king would be.
This, of course, caused squabbling beyond all measure.
Lord Maurice of Graille could do nothing as the congregation slipped further into chaos. All was well in the beginning, with Renart admitting that there will be no way for him to be crowned after the loss of Arn's Southpaws. Not that Valnain will not desire a vermin king - if a rat, weasel or any other fox happened to be born well, the electors would have gladly chosen him, or perhaps even her if the situation called for it. But Renart was… Renart. Renart chose to be Renart, and other beasts saw Renart like Renart.
Thus, the pair decided to allow Maurice to submit his candidacy. The otter knew for a start that he was not cut out for the duties of kingship, but that did not matter. He was good at delegating.
Besides, competence has no place in a ruler's accession - apparently bloodline and popularity amongst the right people can do that for you. That, unless if you live in a city. It's still about popularity, but the crass masses will flock to anyone who spreads the right idea, be it practical or not.
"Would there be any more beasts who would declare their candidacy?" The mouse speaker shouted. Maurice looked at Renart, who gave him a smug smirk in return.
"There is one! There is another!" A beast shouted from the opposite side of the doorway, which an otter swiftly walked through, escorted by a train of followers. Renart gasped aloud, while Maurice suppressed his own reaction.
Guido Aldabreschi was always fond of surprise entrances, and this time he was accompanied by a few important personages.
"I nominate Raimon, Captal of Aldernan!" The mouse hollered. This one hadn't even made peace with the Parmans yet! How could he be here?
"For what do you do this?" Renart stood up.
"For Valnain, of course!" The Captal shouted aloud. They say that he had just married to Avelyn Stalwart of Arnet, and it showed on his face. "What I do, I do for Valnain."
"And how would we know that?" Renart countered. "You give off the impression that all you did was to get under Parman nerves. And you as well, Ilsadian!" He pointed at the mouse. "Where you go, you only bring Parman attention and ruin to all the lands you had ever set footpaws on!"
"Nonsense!" Guido shouted. "Yes, where I go, Parma follows, but this is the nature of their 'High Kingdom'. To put all others under it. I know Niels well. He is a scholar and a goodbeast, and that means he is as unsuitable a king as possible. Now is the best and only time to make Valnain a kingdom again!"
"Valnain is always a kingdom, fool of a mouse!" Renart screamed. "Old King Thordan could have taken the throne for himself at any time. Why did he not? Simply because he knew that staying here does more harm than good."
"What do you mean by that?" Raimon asked.
"Thordan could have squashed this realm and all of it to dust. Could have. But he did not." Renart said calmly. More accurately, he said this as calmly as he could since he was still agitated. But Maurice could spare the details.
"And we expect to believe your opinion that he was so benevolent that he left this kingdom to its own devices, while exacting mountain after mountain of gold from your kingdom?" Guido snarled at the fox. "I doubt your ability to think straight, vermin."
"I doubt your ability to think at all, woodlander! You can't be free as corpses-"
"Can everyone just think with their heads for a second?" Everybeast turned to look at Maurice, whose voice dwarfed all else for a single moment. "You, all of you are but children squabbling about toys. This throne is no child's plaything, I can tell you that!"
The otter turned to Lord Guido, who flinched. "You didn't defy the full might of King Thordan just to throw a temper tantrum in front of the entire nobility of Valnain!" Renart was his next target. "And you! Yes, fox. Could you have stopped antagonising your peers for a single week? Or even a month?"
Maurice collapsed into his chair. "Valnain can wait for her king. In the meantime, we should rest, and think our way out of this deadlock."
A tense silence followed until Captal Raimon nodded.
"You speak sensibly, Lord Maurice. Heads need to cool. In the meantime, we should withdraw to our quarters." With a gesture of his paw, he retreated from the chamber, alongside all of his attendants. Even the hardheaded Guido had no choice but to follow them.
"That went pretty well, I think." Renart smiled.
DALAGAB, THE LIGHTNINGSHARD
Arbert could say that he had seen a lot of things before.
He had seen woodlanders and vermin work in mysterious ways, calling wind and rain from corners far, or willing a beast to breathe their last.
He had seen worlds aplenty, with all that he knew overturned as if one was false and the other true. He had seen much more than he bargained for, and did things that he did not know were even possible.
But this was new. Wholly new. The Lightningshard was a place of wonders, after all. Nobeast could ever deny that. Could the Source be so advanced after a few centuries?
"I see that you two would like to see more around here," Emetselk stopped in a room with a few chairs a table full of drinks, and a steel statue of some kind of monster with claws outstretched. "Wine? Beer? Muir cider?"
"We would much rather stay sober, thank you very much." Dagbert said, right when Arbert reached for a glass of cider.
"After you had seen what I had seen, you would need a drink too, brother." Arbert said as he guzzled down his beverage.
"Hersent, want a drink?" Emetselk smiled at the vixen. Dagbert said that the otter was too friendly with vermin, especially females, but here Emetselk exhibited a surprising display of restraint. Aside from the beverages, of course.
"I don't think I should. I won't risk it." The vixen was too young to ingest strong drink anyways.
"Ah well." The otter turned to the moles. "You two are called here for a reason. A very good reason. To share a bit of information. Arbert, what had you seen in Loamhedge? You mentioned your lover -" Arbert coughed, and the otter took the hint.
"I saw three visions, as usual. The first is Lord Garrion announcing to me that Emetselk here had saved the world, killing himself in the process."
"That one's void. Garrion is dead. The Trielians got him." Dagbert solemnly said, wasting no words unlike Emetselk or his previous self.
"Then we don't have to worry about dying." Emetselk nodded. "Continue."
"The second is that I died in some random battle and everyone forgot that me and Dagbert existed for the latest seasons, while the third is me slaying a battle-mad Thordan Swalestrom and Dagbert getting demolished by your Ward."
"Charming." Emetselk moved into a slouching position. "Hersent."
"Ah yes. I got my three questions answered. "Properties of Bonding, the fact that any woodlander-vermin pair can get questions answered and see visions in Loamhedge and the imminent appearance of a Taggerung."
"Imminent Taggerung?" Arbert almost spat out his drink. "But, but that would mean-"
"The Juska, perhaps?" Emetselk was awfully docile. "We would never know. But in the meantime, we should move on to more important things."
"Like what?" It was finally Dagbert's time to speak? "You popping worlds like balloons?"
"Precisely. But we are perfectly willing to put our world-hopping and world-popping schemes on hold indefinitely, for a simple price."
"Name it."
"Saving Thordan Swalestrom from any fate your king will inflict on him."
A/N: This took me five weeks. Five weeks, which I got slammed with writer's block again and again and again. I even had to delay my schedule to see it uploaded at all.
But anyway, I hope you all like this one. And the cliffhanger. Especially that.
Chapter 44 (Unspoken) will be up on 12/13 February.