Boyzilla: Certainly, Hakuno is a bad liar. She simply does not have enough experience interacting with humans (she has been living for less than a year) to invent a credible lie and not know enough about Warhammer's world to understand a lie of its inhabitants. Nevertheless, she has a 'perfect poker face' that makes her a top-notch 'liar'... and she repeats like a parrot (with a monotonous voice) everything that Kay and Agravain tell her. And these knights are used to very complex diplomatic situations... Agravain could even give lessons in manipulation to the Druchii...
Once again, the Dark Elves think she's a genius.
Clamantes Puerum
(Child's cries)
"We ride until the sun sets and only then do we cease. We look first to our steeds when we halt, for as they care for us when we ride, so we are obliged to care for them as we rest. Each hoof must be diligently tended, each tired muscle cared for. Of all our weapons, our steeds are the greatest. With them, we are swift, tireless, the quicksilver scions of the hunters of old. Without them, we would be lumbering and slow, like our foes. When we strike, it is with bows first and we strike the enemy where he is weakest. Ours is not the way of other knights, we attack swiftly and withdraw before our foes can gather their might. As for nourishment, we take it where we can. When we hunt, we never kill more than is needed, for we need the blessing of Kurnous, and the Hunter god favors not the wasteful nor the cruel..."
Warhammer Armies: High Elves (7th Edition) pg 53
Excavation work was progressing rapidly in the ancient palace of the Lord of Minolta. A good third of the passage had already been freed from the rubble. The tunnel was heading east, towards a large crevasse that ran along the cliff to the north. There was no ruin in that part of the valley. It must be said that the ground was not flat and that rocky pitons of any size were coming out of the ground. In fact, this part of the valley was rocky chaos where it was easy to hide.
Mizhan had decided to suspend 'Shadow Mirror' until the work of clearing the secret passage was completed. He was... feverish. Even Hakuno realized that this was not usual behavior for the leader of the Druchii privateers. However, for the first time, he had a serious clue as to the location of the medallion adorned with a dragon. The purpose of their expedition being at hand, the Dark Elves were showing impatience, a human feeling that made them less... alien in the eyes of the Servants who spied on them.
Escorted by Sir Lancelot, Hakuno Kishinami advanced through the ruins of Minolta. After several thousand years of abandonment, the buildings were almost leveled. One could step over the palace walls, or jump over a monument lying on the ground.
However, the excavations had removed the accumulated soil from the streets and buildings, as well as the bushes and other plants. It was like walking in the middle of a 1:1 ground plan of a city.
"Master, we have company."
Turning away from the ruins, Hakuno looked at her Servant. Clothed in purple armor with golden parts, Sir Lancelot du Lac was a colossus with purple hair, barely lighter than his armor, and a narrow, skinny face. His eyes were the most remarkable part of his face. They were purple, oblique, and piercing. He had the eyes of a bird of prey, and it was intimidating.
He was watching two Druchii privateers coming towards them.
It was a patrol. Four or five identical duos were to survey the ruins at any time.
Less diplomatic than their leaders, they looked at them with contempt and said a few words in their own language. What they had said was of course incomprehensible, nevertheless, the mocking tone made it easy to guess that it was not a compliment... Lancelot answered nothing, he crossed his hands on the knob of his sword and looked at them with his hungry hawk's gaze. The two Dark Elves hesitated for a moment and decided not to insist.
Nevertheless, the Knight of the Round kept an eye on them until they got away.
"Come on, Master, let's go back to camp."
Hakuno nodded.
The constant verbal aggression of the Dark Elves, their contempt for the 'inferior' humans as opposed to the pride of the Knights who served her, made her uncomfortable. The Inheritor of the Moon felt that the truce with the Druchii was abnormal and could not last very long.
When they arrived at the camp, Saber greeted them with a tired smile. She had followed Günter Braun and Werner Gauss all day long. And the legendary King Arthur kept going from one to the other, like a sheepdog trying to gather his flock.
The only people who were enthusiastic about the situation were the two scholars. They could watch Dark Elves in their natural environment without being interrupted or bothered... of course, most Druchii were not particularly pleased with their presence but they respected the truce to the letter, merely insulting archaeologists... who couldn't care less. After all, they had learned more in a few days that by browsing the libraries in search of the rare books devoted to this mysterious elf's race. It must be said that the writings dedicated to the Dark Elves were only compilations of unverifiable rumors and a few rare translations of Asur texts... inevitably biased.
The two archaeologists were however disappointed by their inability to communicate with the Privateers. They did not speak the Western language and made no effort to communicate with 'inferior' humans.
The only exception was Dargin.
Undoubtedly, the necromancer was frightening. He confessed unapologetically to indulging in filthy rituals to control armies of the undead and considered curses a hobby. In addition, he was accompanied on a permanent basis by a detachment of animated skeletons. Even his appearance was unattractive and lean, his head shaved, and dressed in a black magedress.
However, he spoke Classic(1). A language that Saber and the two scholars understood. Showing a very rare open-mindedness for a Druchii, he had remained to speak with them for nearly an hour. Since his arrival in the valley, Dargin must not have had many opportunities to talk to cultured people. Finally, the Privateer who served him as bodyguard had been forced to remind him of his duties so that Dargin left them, with regret.
It was rather ironic to note that even among the Druchii, one had to be wary of the first impression. In fact, Dargin was probably the nicest Dark Elf they had ever met. And he was a necromancer...
Saber was finishing her account of their expedition to the ruins, while the two archaeologists were showing their drawings when Hakuno raised her hand and asked them to be silent.
She was getting a message.
[Master?]
[Bedivere?]
Sir Bedivere, the one-armed knight, was exactly the opposite of the traditional picture of a Knight of the Round. Far from being a flamboyant character that charged against an enemy of greatly superior strength, he was an efficient but dull manager and his only passion was for boiled vegetables.
Patient, calm, and silent he had settled at the top of the tower at the entrance of the valley. Invisible in his astral form, the Knight of Loyalty served as a sentinel. In five days, he had not spoken once.
Except now.
[Master?]
After a few moments, the answer came.
[Bedivere?]
[Master, a troop has just entered the valley, thirty Druchii escorting fifty chained humans. ]
By spying on the conversations between the Druchii, Sir Agravain had learned that not all of the Dark Elves in Mizhan's expedition were in the valley. This was confirmed. And as Iron Hand Agravain had speculated, the missing Druchii were busy kidnapping humans to replace slaves who would die of exhaustion or ill-treatment at the excavation site.
Escorted by Saber, Hakuno approached the ruins of the Khaine temple. The sentries let them in and, following a hallway covered with frescoes almost erased by time, the two women arrived at the meeting room. Mizhan, Sithel, and Dargin were in conversation with a privateer wearing more ornate leather armor than those of ordinary fighters.
The elf jolted at their entrance and put his hand on the knob of his scimitar in the shape of a lightning bolt. Hakuno looked at him for a moment and raised an eyebrow under the effect of surprise. It was the first time that the Victor of the Moon saw an elf that was not thin with narrow shoulders. On the contrary, the Druchii leader was heavily built, with bodybuilding musculature. His face was tattooed white, so as to give him the appearance of... a skull face. His head was shaven except for a long mat. When he opened his mouth to speak, she shivered... the teeth of the dark Elf had been cut into points.
"Dantrag asks what you are doing here" translated Sithel. Thanks to the spell 'gift of languages', she could speak the Western language.
It was Artoria who answered.
"We came to fulfill our side of the bargain."
After Sithel translated for the other Dark Elves, Mizhan replied through her.
"What do you mean, Saber?"
"You have given your word that the slaves will be free when you find the dragon medallion. In return, we gave you our word that we would help. I would like to speak with your new... slaves to explain to them that working as quickly and efficiently as possible is in their interest as much as it is yours."
Mizhan acquiesced before turning to his sister to order her to escort their 'allies' of circumstance. Even if the privateer lord kept a perfectly impassive face, it was obvious that all this did not please him... he depended on Sithel's role as translator, even though he knew that she was plotting against him.
MIzhan looked for Hakuno's gaze and bowed his head, seeking to convey a non-vocal message... The Sovereign of the Moon imperceptibly nodded in response.
Escorted by Sithel, Hakuno and Saber were taken to the slave perimeter fence. Artoria explained the situation and their agreement with the Dark Elves.
Things went rather well, except for a few excited people who called Saber a 'traitor'. But she had already been publicly insulted and kept an impassive face. The legendary King Arthur tried to calm the prisoners' worries and promised them that she would do everything in her power to protect them. Nevertheless, the Dark Elves would ruthlessly punish any rebellion and they demanded that their slaves work hard.
As they returned to their camp, still 'escorted' by Sithel, Agravain commented on the situation.
[A few more days and the Druchii will locate the medallion... who knows what will happen then.]
[Lancer?]
Agravain's sigh was audible in the telepathic conversation.
[Master, I know I lack objectivity about Sithel. Nevertheless, even setting aside my little affection for women... my answer does not change. Beware of her! Master, I am convinced that Sithel will seek to take the medallion at all cost... besides Mizhan also is also ready for anything. As soon as the medallion appears, we must prepare for the worst... because I believe that the valley will turn into a bloodbath. We'll probably have to take sides... and I think Mizhan is less dangerous to us than this... manipulative, cruel, and pushy madwoman. His brother has at least some sense of honor and keeping one's word. If we live up to our own commitments, I am sure he will live up to his end of the bargain. Master, the last thing you need to do is take Sithel's side. She didn't promise anything, didn't give us her word, Sithel just tried to manipulate you by presenting herself as a poor victim. If she wins, I think she'll just laugh at your naivety before she executes you with all the other witnesses.]
After Sithel returned, Hakuno summarized the discussion she had had with the Black Knight. Saber slowly acquiesced.
"I agree with Sir Agravain."
Hakuno turned to Lancelot. The Berserker/ Saber hybrid hesitated for a moment... It was not a novelty that the two knights hated each other. But in the end - albeit reluctantly - the Knight of the Lac agreed.
"I think this is the kind of situation where Sir Agravain is perfectly comfortable. Give me an enemy that I can face with the sword in my hand, and I will prove to all that I am indeed the best of all knights. But fighting words, treacherous insinuation... that's not the kind of fight my sword can be of any usage. If King Arthur says to be wary of Lady Sithel, then so shall I. But ultimately, you are the Master, I submit to your judgment."
Hakuno nodded. With a serious face, Saber was thinking.
"I think we should strengthen Lady Sithel's surveillance."
The Inheritor of the Moon replied immediately.
"Sir Kay told me he was following her everywhere."
Saber knew her foster brother well and the answer surprised her. He was usually rather lazy and just did the minimum amount of work.
"Is that what you asked him to do, Master?"
"No, he volunteered."
There, it was even more astonishing... Artoria and Lancelot exchanged disbelieving looks. During the years spent in Camelot, the king had seldom succeeded in inducing her foster brother to take an interest in the affairs of the court... unless she offered him a rich reward.
Ingenuously, Hakuno quoted the conversation she had had with Kay... without understanding what she was saying.
"Kay said that his work was a reward in itself because Sithel took off her armor before bedtime..." The Sovereign makes a head tilt, turning to Saber for an explanation. "Why is he so interested in Siethel's armor?"
Hakuno Kishinami would have asked other questions, but she stopped and looked at Artoria... the King of Knights didn't seem to be doing very well.
The legendary King Arthur was all red...
Waving furiously her arms in confusion...
And looking to the right...
—and then to the left...
And she whistled like a kettle!
Lancelot had never seen his king in such a state, but he at least understood that Hakuno's innocent question could not have been answered so innocently... and that Artoria must have been furious with her foster brother.
Lancelot gave Kishinami his best smile.
"Master, would you come with me? I have... I have... uh... something to show you."
The Knight of the Lake grabbed Hakuno by the arm, dragging her almost forcibly out of the tent...
It was a long day.
Sithel had just returned to her room, once the apartment of a priestess of Khaine. Over time, the furniture had turned to dust. A simple leaves mattress was her bed and a safe was used to store the Dark Elf's belongings. There was nothing else, but the room was clean, the slaves having removed the dust and debris that had accumulated over the centuries
Having undressed, she stood in front of a basin of water, rubbing herself with a damp cloth to remove the sweat and dust from her skin. However, after a few moments, the Dark Elf lady stopped and suddenly turned around. The room was empty... yet... for a moment she felt a libidinous gaze fixed on her... Would her imagination play tricks on her?
"Gaooooooooo!"
The roar of a furious lion sounded at this moment and Sithel instantly forgot this impression of being peeped on. That scream brings back bad memories... During a hunt in the Obsidian Peaks, she had come across a wounded and enraged manticore... the monster had roared exactly like that.
If the Black Elf had been able to see into the astral plane, she would have discovered that her unpleasant impression was well founded. But, at that moment, the Peeping Tom wasn't doing very well. Indeed, Sir Kay was as white as chalk. To him too, this furious lion roar evoked bad memories... Like the day he had pushed his sister into the pig wallow. Kay had laughed, but his hilarity didn't last long. He swallowed and shivered with terror... oops... it seems that his sister understood the real reasons for his ardor to... uh... spy on Sithel.
It was getting late.
The sun was descending towards the west illuminating the valley with bloody clarity. The shadow of the hills and mountains was spreading in dense darkness.
They were outside the ruins, where the tunnel ended. The trench dug by the slaves to reveal the secret passage was clearly visible.
Hakuno turned for a moment to Dargin. The necromancer had sat on a stone, surrounded by his guard of skeletons. To the surprise of the young Japanese, he replied with a smile. The Druchii sorcerer looked tired.
Escorted by ten privateers chosen from among his most loyal supporters, Mizhan was pacing nervously.
Hakuno had to turn around completely to see Sithel, with three privateers.
With Saber, the Inheritor of the Moon stood between the two bands doing their best to ignore each other.
Hearing Dargin breathed out deeply, Hakuno turned once again towards him. He stared at the sun as it cast its last rays, disappearing behind the mountains. The necromancer began to mumble incomprehensible incantations. A flame as cold as that of a will-o'-the-wisp surrounded him as two magical circles appeared in front of the palms of his hands outstretched forward.
There was a frightening tumult, a concert of cries of protest and moaning.
Suddenly light forms came out of the ground and began to fly around the Druchii, Hakuno, and Saber.
The Victor of the Moon shivers. She was not particularly impressionable, having seen numerous horrible things, but these strange 'comets' had faces with pointed ears typically elvish! With their mouths open in an inaudible cry of pain and terror, the dead protested that they had been torn from the tomb.
But Dargin continued his incantations, when he shouted the last verse, the whole valley trembled as the work of time and war seemed to be reversed. The ruined buildings regained their splendor as the streets were once again crowded by Druchii.
"Nunc expectandum" says Dargin.
"Now we have to wait" translated Artoria for her Master.
For the eighth time, Hakuno witnessed the surprise attack of the Asur and the Dwarves' allied army. By attending the battle from outside the city of Minolta, she could see the role played by the Dwarf artillery. Under heavy cannon fire, the buildings collapsed, filling the streets with rubble, massacring combatants as well as women and children alike. It wasn't a battle... it was an execution. With her hands crossed over her sword knob, Saber acquiesced slowly, her face impassive... refusing to show the emotions that the battle inspired her. Nevertheless, the course of her thoughts was not very different from that of the young Japanese woman.
"It is said that the surprise effect is half of the victory and this confirms it again. I don't know how the High Elves and Dwarves managed to completely encircle the city without its inhabitants realizing it, but they won the battle before they even shot their first arrow" said the King of Knights.
Most of the eyes had turned to the city.
Fortunately, several privateers were specifically ordered to watch the rectangular hole that opened in the ground. When Dargin had cast his spell 'Shadow Mirror' a camouflaged hatch had reappeared, hiding the hole rediscovered during excavations.
The hatch suddenly opened as one of the privateers called his leader.
Immediately all heads turned in this direction.
Two warriors in scale armor with conical-shaped helmets had just come out. They held halberds in their hands. After looking around them to see if they were expected, one of them helped a woman and a little girl to get out.
Saber looked at the elf woman, notiicng her long blond hair, and her white dress. On her neck, she wore a heavy stone amulet held by a black iron chain. An amulet representing a dragon!
"She's the one with the amulet you're looking for!"
But those words were useless. Sithel and Mizhan had already seen the medallion. The light that had just lit in their eyes reflected a devouring hunger... a hunger for power. Whatever the amulet represents, it was the key to claiming a high position understood Saber.
Escorted by the two halberdiers, the woman lifted up her child and set out, after a last look for the city, probably thinking of her husband who was fighting his last battle.
Leaving behind Dargin, one of the privateers, and the skeleton guard of the necromancer, the Druchii, Hakuno, and Saber headed east, following the spectres.
The rocky chaos northeast of Minolta made it an ideal area to hide while waiting for the end of the battle. It was obvious to the ghosts and the living that followed them... but it was also obvious to the Asur of the past.
One of the privateers noticed them at that moment. Turning to his leader, he shouted a few words.
They were there, lit by the moon, horsemen on magnificent stallions as white as snow. They were dressed in white with chainmail vests, some with conical helmets, but most had only headbands decorated with a blue or red feather. All were armed with bows with quivers hanging from the saddle of their mount.
One of the soldiers had a banner as blue as the sky after the rain. On the fabric ran a unicorn with burning mane and hooves.
Illyrian Reavers!
These archers on horseback were troops specialized in forwarding reconnaissance operations of an Asur army. In battles, they excelled in harassing enemy infantry units.
The ghosts had also seen the threat. Unfortunately for them, their fate had been decided 5000 years ago. The two bodyguards remained behind as the mother began to run, her child clasped in her arms.
As the Druchii of the present also began to run, Artoria lifted up her master... like a princess... and leaped, falling close to the escaping elf.
Looking over the shoulder of her Servant, Hakuno saw the Reavers shoot their arrows at the two guards before continuing on their way... having transformed the halberdiers into pine cushions.
The horsemen passed or rather, like the ghosts they were, passed through the living Druchii, without paying attention to them. Ghosts were doomed by the 'Shadow Mirror' spell to repeat the last hours of the city of Minolta.
Frightened, the ghost of the elven woman stopped for a moment to put her daughter on the ground and then passed the amulet around her neck. She made a gesture, shouting a single word. Even for someone not speaking the elven languages, the scene did not require translation. The mother had just ordered her daughter to run.
Drawing a paltry dagger and murmuring incantation, she faced the Reavers... but collapsed before she could cast her spell, pierced by several arrows.
Saber had again leaped, staying close to the little elf girl who was running while crying. The scene would have moved the most insensitive heart... but Saber had not forgotten that the child had died centuries and centuries ago.
The Reavers passed the corpse of the girl's mother pursuing the last survivor. One of the horsemen took an arrow in his quiver and...
"Master, don't look."
Artoria's gloved hand veiled Hakuno's eyes. The Sovereign of the Moon heard the horses outrun them, then a discussion in the Asur language, before the horses again surrounded them before moving away.
Slower, the Druchii came at last.
Questioned by Sithel, Artoria replied with a few words.
"The little girl received the medallion from her mother. Wounded by an arrow, she dragged herself to the edge of the rift. She had the strength to throw the medallion into the abyss before she died."
Saber pointed to the long crevasse between the city and the hills to the northeast. Questioned by her brother, Sithel began to speak in Druchii.
The explanation must have surprised the privateer lord because he turned to Saber and said a few words in a questioning tone.
Understanding that she could not rely on Mizhan's sister's... let's say fanciful translation... Artoria made the gesture of removing an object from her neck and mimed the gesture of throwing it away before pointing to the bottom of the chasm.
MIzhan thanked with a nod before yelling at Sithel... As the privateer lord turned to his subordinates to give them orders, his sister gave Saber a hateful look.
Less than an hour after daybreak, chained slaves had begun to descend into the rift. Equipped with shovels, picks and sieves, they were ordered to search the bottom of the crevasse.
It was the final straight.
They almost found the locket.
Author's note: this chapter ends just before the Dark Elves find the dragon medallion. I don't think I'm spoiling the next chapter by saying that Mizhan and Sithel are going to fight each other over the possession of the locket.
I may surprise you, but I haven't yet decided on the winner.
Who's gonna get the locket?
Mizhan?
Sithel?
It's up to you!
My dear readers use the Reviews to vote for your favorite Druchii. The winner of the confrontation is destined to become a recurrent enemy. Would you prefer that our adorable Hakuno face the manipulative Sithel, or the honorable (according to Druchii standards) Mizhan? Dargin will remain neutral during the clash and will rally the winner... which means that the holder of the medallion will be able to use his legions of the undead in the future.
Vote wisely, because this story will take a very different turn depending on your choice.
(Now the story becomes interactive!)
(1) A little reminder about languages spoken in Warhammer Fantasy. The human peoples use real-world languages. Bretonnians speak French while Sigmarites speak German, and Marienburgers speak Dutch. The Classic is the name of the Latin in Warhammer Fantasy.