Alex looked around the Khan's yurt, fear building within him as he observed the looks of surprise on all the chieftains' faces. One man spat out his wine all over another warrior, but that warrior was too stupefied to react to the unexpected deluge. Galdan's mouth was agape, the grease from his lamb meat still running down his chin. Sengge's eyes bulged as he stared at them in shock along with a hint of betrayal. Even the Khan was shocked by the lilim crashing his feast, his golden cup clattering to the floor and spilling his wine.
As both parties stared each other down for a long second, Alex wondered how he and Druella were going to get out of this situation.
We've gone right into the lion's den, and the lions are all wide awake!
"Um, Druella?" Alex whispered as a few of the Tazchek broke out of their shocked stupor and reached for the nearest saber, knife, or blunt object they could find, "I think it's time we made a run for it."
"Kill them!" Turgal Khan screamed, his loud voice shattering all lingering hesitation. Fortunately, Druella was quick to react. She grabbed Alex by the collar and pulled him in close before lifting her arms and shouting a spell. Before the nearest Tazchek could reach them, a sudden blast of wind bursted out in all directions, knocking the Tazchek back and snuffing out all the torches and fires in the yurt. Shouts of confusion rang out as the feast plunged into sudden darkness.
"Whatever you do, do not let go of me, Alex!" Druella shouted before quickly picking him up in her arms and running to the center of the yurt. The lilim crouched down for a moment, a glowing circle of magic emanating around her knees. Then a shockwave blasted beneath her as she jumped in the air and right through the yurt's smoke hole, bringing them to a hover 100 feet above the yurt. The finely decorated structure shuddered for a moment, then its wooden framing crumbled with a loud crack. Alex watched as the yurt collapsed in on itself, its occupants yelling in fury and confusion as they were buried in pounds of felt.
"Thank goodness we were able to contain that." Druella said, her eyes still wide from those few seconds of sheer panic. "It'll take time for the Khan to dig himself out. Let's just fly back to the centaur herd before anyone sounds the alarm-"
A warhorn suddenly tore through the evening silence. It was somewhat muffled due to the blower still being trapped in the collapsed yurt, but it was loud enough for someone to hear it and pass the message. More warhorns bellowed throughout Soutoru, rousing the Tazchek Khanate to battle. As Druella and Alex realized the enormity of their danger, an arrow suddenly whizzed right by Druella's head, narrowly missing her.
"It's a monster, right above the Khan's yurt! Take her down!"
A second arrow flew up, but this time Alex was quick to block it with a mana shield. Druella did not stick around for a third one- with a flap of her wings she began flying to the edge of the tent capital, holding Alex tightly in her arms as he occasionally raised a shield whenever a Tazchek had time to loose an arrow.
Thank god for Primera's lessons! Otherwise we'd be pincushions now! Alex thought to himself as he blocked yet another flurry of arrows as Druella soared over the camp. The lilim was increasing in elevation as she flew, the stunned and angry expressions of the Tazchek residents becoming more and more indistinct.
As they got closer to the edge of the camp and to safety, Alex finally broke out of his adrenaline-fueled panic long enough to think about Turgal Khan's announcement during the feast. The Tazchek Khan wasn't going to be satisfied with merely raiding monsters- no, he wanted to eradicate them entirely.
Alex thought about all the nations and cultures throughout history that found themselves ravaged or even wiped from the face of the earth through pissing off a nomadic empire. The Khwarezmians, the Song Dynasty, the Jalayrids- all of them were subject to death and destruction at the hands of the warriors of the steppe. Some horror scenarios were already playing in his head- Lescatie suffering the same fate as Baghdad in 1258, all the cute monster business burning down, Castle Lescatie razed to the ground…
Alex stopped himself before he could distract himself further. If there was one lesson he could take from his thoughts, it's that the Tazchek Khan needed to be stopped before he could gain too much momentum.
But damn it, he's already planning to attack the moment his people are all gathered! We need more time!
Then Alex noticed something at the outskirts of the camp- a series of wooden corrals all filled with horses of various sizes and colors. Although plenty of Tazchek kept their horses right next to the yurts, these probably served as backup mounts or as rides for those too poor to afford their own.
A plan developed in Alex's mind, one inspired by his lilim wife's questionable equine ethics. Lifting his head up, he yelled "Druella! I have an idea that'll delay the Tazchek and buy us some time!"
"There's no time for any plans!" Druella yelled back in response. "We need to escape this camp!"
"If we're quick, we can pull it off. Just trust me!" Alex then raised himself as high as he dared and whispered the plan into her ear. Druella's eyes widened, then she smiled.
"Hmm, that is a good plan Alex!" Druella exclaimed, her eyes gleaming. Then she veered downward towards the horse corrals.
As they landed in front of the corrals, a teenaged Tazchek groom was pacing around the wood fencing, looking around alertly for intruders. No doubt he heard the horns emanating from the camp, but the sight of a lilim landing in front of him caused him to yelp in surprise as he drew a knife out of his belt.
"Don't be frightened, little human." Druella said, her red irises glowing. The groom, his eyes locked into hers, dropped his knife. "We're not going to hurt you. Just go home and stay there until morning."
The groom quickly nodded before sprinting away from them. Alex could hear the approaching shouts of the Tazchek, but he estimated they still had a minute before the Tazchek caught up with them. Though, considering that he could also hear neighing in the distance, they might have even less time than that.
Druella turned towards the horse corrals, her arms stretched forward with her right hand atop her left. As a shimmering magic circle glowed beneath her feet, a glowing ball of white light grew in front of her.
"Be free!" she screamed as a shockwave emanated from her and traveled over all the horse corrals. When it faded away, for a moment it appeared that nothing had happened. Then the wooden corrals shuddered for a second before collapsing into splinters.
The horses found themselves suddenly completely unrestricted. They trotted around for a few seconds, confused at the sudden disappearance of their fencing. Some snorted at the wood chip piles that once made up their confinements, others began gingerly stepping over them. A few brave horses realized what this meant and trotted in whatever merry direction they wanted to go.
But the majority of horses stayed where they were. Alex could understand why- like the Mongols in his world, the Tazchek likely trained their horses rigorously to prevent them from running away.
But they hadn't prepared for Druella. She raised her arms again and unleashed another spell. A loud, cracking boom broke through the night, causing Alex's ears to ring. Druella's spell was harmless, merely a sound. But it had the desired effect- the spooked horses scattered in every direction, leaving the Tazchek with the difficult job of rounding them all up again.
"That'll buy us a little bit of time!" Alex yelled. Then he remembered that they were still the Khanate's most wanted. He turned around just in time to see billowing dust approaching them, along with the glow of torches being held by hundreds of steppe riders.
"Druella, let's get moving!" he yelled while raising up another mana shield. Several arrows bounced off of it as the Tazchek riders attempted to shoot them down.
"They released the horses! Kill the intruders!" one of them yelled. But Druella didn't need to be reminded by Alex twice; she picked him right up again and jumped into the air. In just a few seconds, they were already soaring again.
Alex looked down and held his breath. The Tazchek were certainly quick for battle- hundreds of torches illuminated the riders as they pursued the fleeing lilim and her human, determined to strike down these intruders. Alex kept another mana shield up, deflecting the stray arrows that managed to reach their elevation.
Fortunately, Druella could fly faster than a horse could run. The Tazchek party slowly fell behind them, their torchlight receding into the distance. Then, it vanished entirely.
Alex breathed a sigh of relief. His mana shield vanished, and he allowed himself to finally rest in Druella's arms. Although the night air was rather frigid, being this close to the lilim kept him warm.
That was close, far too close. I feel like I'm running on fumes, my mana is nearly expended. But hopefully they'll have to spend a day or two rounding up all their lost horses before launching any further attacks. Maybe even longer, depending on how far the horses run off.
Alex looked up to Druella- his lilim wife also looked pretty rattled at the last few minutes of sheer panic.
"Druella, where are we going now?" he asked.
"Back to Chieftess Khultula's herd." Druella replied. "Now that we know the intentions of the Tazchek, we must warn them and prepare for the oncoming danger. I may need to call in reinforcements from Lescatie as well."
"Did you find out what was in that box of tribute from The Order?"
"The Khan wore a golden ring with The Order's sigil." Druella answered. "The ring must have some sort of mind-controlling curse enchanted into it, making it the cause for his sudden anti-monster aggression. But we will discuss this more when we return to the centaur herd. For now, rest in my arms, my husband. I'll keep flying until we get there."
Alex nodded. Druella smiled contentedly before returning to focusing on her flight trajectory. Although the anxiety over their current situation threatened to keep him awake, the fatigue from his lack of mana ended up winning the battle. The lilim held him a little closer as he fell asleep, keeping him warm against the cold night air.
[]
When Alex awoke, the sun was already up. But it wasn't the sunlight that woke him up- rather, it was the fact that the lilim was holding him right up against her bountiful chest.
"D-Druella! I can barely breathe!" Alex exclaimed with a muffled yell. Fortunately, Druella heard him. After looking down, her eyes widened for a second before loosening her grip.
"Sorry Alex!" she apologized, her cheeks red. "You were just so cute while you were asleep, I just had to hold you close!"
Alex gave her a miffed look for a second. Then he asked- "I see that we're still flying. Where are we?"
"Just a few minutes away from the centaur camp!" Druella replied. "Just hold on for a little longer!"
"As they crested over a hill and got a good view of the centaur camp, however, they noticed that something was wrong. A black cloud of smoke drifted high in the air, and there were several yurts that appeared to have been burned down, their blackened remains still smoldering. Both Alex and Druella looked on in fear- what had happened while they were gone?
The lilim landed meters away from the nearest burnt yurt, allowing Alex to finally hop off and stand on solid ground. There were centaurs milling about the remains of the burnt tent, picking through the rubble for anything salvageable. A few held bows and formed a perimeter around the area. They did a double-take at the sight of Alex and Druella, but then calmed down again.
"Fetch Chieftess Khultula! Lady Druella is back!" one of them yelled. A centaur guard trotted off. After about a minute, she returned with Chieftess Khultula in tow. The centaur chieftess looked rather stressed, with dark circles underneath her eyes and her black hair a frizzled mess.
"Chieftess Khultula, what happened here?" Druella asked.
"We were raided again, Lady Druella." Khultula replied, her teeth gritted in frustration. "A small group of Tazchek raiders attacked my sentries after nightfall and lured them into a chase. While they were distracted, another hundred Tazchek charged right into the camp! They didn't even try to take anything, they just burned down some yurts and fled before we could mount a proper counterattack!"
The centaur chieftess stomped her hooves in frustration. "It's like their sole purpose was just to cause as much damage as possible! I have no choice, I will have to initiate hostilities against the Khanate!"
"I would hold off on doing that, Khultula." Druella replied, her voice grim. 'This situation is far more dangerous than any of us thought."
The dark-haired centaur's eyes widened. "So, did you find the reason for the Khan's aggressive actions!"
"Oh, we most certainly did." Druella said. "Khultula, arrange an emergency meeting at your yurt this evening. Call representatives from other herds if you can. There is much to discuss."
Khultula nodded. "So it's that dangerous? Very well, I'll go make all the arrangements." The centaur chieftess then trotted off back to the direction of her yurt, leaving the two alone at the sight of the carnage.
The two stood there silently for several minutes, observing the damage the Tazchek caused. Alex could only grimly stare at the burnt yurts. A centaur stood crying in front of one of the smoldering structures, her husband doing his best to console her.
If we don't stop the Khan, the rest of the camp will soon look like this. Along with plenty of other places.
"Lady Druella! Alex!" A familiar voice pulled him out of his mulling. Looking up, he saw a blonde centaur trotting up to them. Sarnai.
"I'm glad to see you're both back! Though I do wish it was under better circumstances!" The centaur's initial happiness faded a little, but then she managed to chirp up a little. "My husband heard from Chieftess Khultula that you returned, so he wanted to invite both of you for lunch!"
Lunch? That sounds nice, at least then we can keep ourselves occupied until this evening's meeting.
Alex smiled at the blonde centaur. "That sounds like a great idea, Sarnai! What do you think, Druella?"
Druella smiled. "Alright Sarnai, tell Bartuk that we'll be there!" Her smile then faded a little. "Also, remind him to show some manners."
The centaur nodded. "Um, I'll try Druella. But I cannot promise I'll be successful!"
Alex and Druella then followed Sarnai to her yurt. But Alex then noticed that Druella was pouting a little.
"You're still not over him questioning your strength, huh?"
"...no, I'm not." Druella said in a quiet voice.
"Don't let him get to you Druella. No matter what he says, just remember that I consider you to be the most amazing monster ever! He's just jealous that I got to you first!"
Druella cheered up a little from his compliments, and gave him a light nod.
I always thought I'd be the one needing her for emotional support. But I guess Druella continues to surprise me in entirely new ways.
[]
"Welcome, Alex!" Bartuk exclaimed, greeting Alex with a wide smile. "Oh, and you too." greeting Druella somewhat dismissively.
Alex could already see that Druella was starting to fume a little, so he quickly stepped in before she could say anything.
"Good to see you too, Bartuk! Thank you for inviting us!"
"No need to thank me!" the Tazchek exclaimed with an eager grin. "I merely desired the opportunity to learn more about you and your exploits! But first, sit down and eat!"
Wow, he's a lot more open to us now- or, more accurately, open to me. I guess he still has the wrong idea that I'm the one wearing the pants in the relationship.
Alex sat down with Druella at the low table near the center of Bartuk's yurt, with Bartuk and Sarnai sitting across from them. Strewn across the table were various dishes- meat-filled dumplings, fried noodles, barbequed meat and mutton, and some sort of yogurt dish for dessert.
There was also a jug of wine on the table, but Alex did not partake of it; he never drank much alcohol during university since he had no one to drink with anyway, and drinking by himself in his cruddy apartment was just too depressing of a picture to even contemplate doing. As for his new life- while he wasn't against doing a Lescatie pub crawl with Druella someday, mamono alcohol had rather interesting… side effects, so he abstained. As for this current occasion, that drunken Tazchek back at the Khan's feast really killed his desire for any drink for a good while.
"So, Bartuk," Alex spoke to his host while trying out some of the mutton, "how exactly did you meet Sarnai, if you're willing to share the story?"
Bartuk gave him a small smile and cleared his throat. "Very well, I'm willing to tell you. I was part of a raiding party made of 50 other warriors. When we attacked the centaur herd in the dead of night, I split off with a companion of mine to raid through some of the yurts. The first two we went through contained nothing of interest, but the third one instantly gained our attention. There were sacks of gold strewn all around the interior of the yurt, along with belts and brooches studded with precious gems and several unopened chests. My companion and I were elated- with a haul like that, we could buy ourselves an entire herd of horses for ourselves!"
Bartuk's smile grew a little wistful. "But alas, our greed proved to be our downfall. When my companion tried to open one of the chests, it flung open and a woman popped right out of it! Before any of us could react, she had grabbed him and dragged him inside, closing the lid behind her. I tried prying the chest open to free him, but then an arrow hit me right in my back! The last thing I saw that night was a certain blonde centaur nervously holding a bow at the yurt's entrance."
"The yurt was a trap we set up to lure in the raiders!" Sarnai interjected, her face containing a mild blush. "We knew the Tazchek could never resist some easy loot, no matter how suspicious it looked!"
Bartuk gave his wife a smile before continuing. "When I woke up, I was tied up in a yurt with an angry Sarnai looking down at me. She began chastising me for my people's raids, telling me how important it is to respect people's property and not to take what does not belong to us!" Bartuk chuckled a little. "It was like I was a misbehaving child being scolded by his mother! All I could do was sit there in disbelief and nod along!"
"And after I finished giving him an earful, I was pretty worked up!" Sarnai added, her blush now more intense. "I was going to claim him no matter what, but to my surprise he accepted it!"
Now even Bartuk was blushing a little, though he was trying his best to hide it. "Haha, I could not help but be impressed by her having the gall to treat a warrior like me as if I were some bratty adolescent! I could tell she had a fiery spirit within her, so I decided to accept her marriage offer!"
Bartuk took hold of his centaur wife's hand, causing Sarnai to blush more than ever.
"Wow, that's a pretty cute meetup story." Alex said. "And it's good to see that you're both happy with each other!"
"Hmmph, Sarnai was right about you being a bratty adolescent." Druella muttered under her breath.
Bartuk ignored her. "Now, Alex, do you have any stories to share? I'm sure you have performed grand exploits worthy of poems and songs!"
Alex gulped for a moment, but then remembered that he did have one story he could share, one that certainly could be considered a grand exploit.
Thank goodness our Steylian adventure came before this one, or I'd have absolutely nothing to share!
"Well, there was this one time me and Druella prevented a city from falling into deadly riots and saved an Emperor from a palace coup!"
Bartuk's eyes widened. "Oh? Please, go on."
So Alex proceeded to tell Bartuk about their time in Steylia- meeting the Emperor, discovering Phokas' plot, and their scuffle with his agents at the Temple of Ares. Both Bartuk and Sarnai listened on with rapt attention as those events were retold to them. But there was one part of the story in particular that really got Bartuk's interest.
"So, realizing that we were completely outnumbered by Bardas and the rest of Phokas' goons, I summoned Druella over by removing my ring, and she came over and defeated all of them-"
"Wait," Bartuk interjected. "So you can summon your lilim wife at will, whenever you please, just by removing a ring? And she has to answer?"
"Um, well it's not exactly like that Bartuk. It's more of a distress bea-"
But Bartuk was no longer listening to him. Instead, he was now laughing uncontrollably.
"Haha, the Fourth Princess of Lescatie, being called around like a dog answering a whistle! You really have tamed her, Alex!"
"Um, you're really mixing up the context here, Bartuk!" Alex said, trying to correct his host's misinterpretation of events before the apocalypse brewing next to him could be unleashed. "Druella came to protect me! She doesn't answer to me like that!"
But it was to no avail- the Tazchek warrior had his own idea of what went down, and he was laughing way too hard to hear Alex's futile attempts to correct him. Sarnai looked over at her husband with concern, as she did not want him to get into any trouble. Meanwhile, Alex could tell that Druella was certainly not amused at how this conversation had turned, her eyes glowing an angry red as she looked ready to scream in fury.
Alex quickly grabbed her hand and gave it a squeeze in an attempt to mollify her. When the lilim stopped staring daggers at Bartuk in order to look at him, he gave her his best reassuring smile.
"That is not how things went down, Druella." Alex whispered to her. "I am forever grateful that you came just in time to save us. Remember that."
Those words seemed to calm her down a little, the glow in her eyes fading down as she regained her composure. Druella managed to go through the rest of the lunch without losing her temper at Bartuk, but she held Alex's hand the entire time.
Bartuk eventually got out of his laughing fit and allowed Alex to finish his story, but Alex did notice that Sarnai was looking at him nervously the whole time.
We have one thing in common, Sarnai- we're both married to lit powderkegs.
After he finished the story with an account of the Order's disastrous defeat, Bartuk gave an approving clap.
"That was splendid, Alex! You truly have a warrior's spirit, if not his body. But that can be worked on. If you ever wish to accrue true physical strength, I can help! You're not the first person I've taken under my wing!"
"Um, thank you Bartuk!" Alex said. "I'll be sure to think about it!"
But after seeing Druella crossing her arms at that announcement, he knew the answer would probably have to be No.
Just then, another centaur walked into the yurt. She was one of the centaur guards from earlier.
"Lady Druella, I apologize for the interruption, but we just caught a young Tazchek warrior arriving at the outskirts of the herd. He claims to be seeking a lilim and her husband, so I thought you might want to know about him."
Alex and Druella looked at each other- they had a good idea of who this mystery visitor might be.
"Thank you for telling us." Druella replied. "We will be out momentarily."
The centaur nodded and left the yurt. Druella nodded and turned to their hosts.
"I apologize, Sarnai, but I'm afraid we'll have to end this lunch early. Thank you for inviting us!"
"Oh, don't thank me!" Sarnai replied. "Thank my husband, it was his idea."
"Thank you Bartuk!" Alex said, knowing full well that Druella wasn't going to be the one thanking him. "We both enjoyed spending some time with you and your wife!"
Bartuk smiled and gave him a nod. "Farewell, Alex. Do return with new exploits to share!"
Both Alex and Druella then left the yurt, though Druella appeared to almost be in a hurry to leave.
"Ugh, that man is insufferable!" Druella exclaimed once they were finally outside. "I am the Mamono Lord's daughter! How dare he treat me with such flagrant disrespect!"
She truly is still a princess at heart, Alex thought to himself. My bratty, prideful princess.
"If you ever want me to challenge him to battle to defend your honor, just let me know!" Alex exclaimed, hoping that the mamono princess would appreciate his attempt at being her knight in shining armor.
It worked. Druella smiled at his proclamation, her temper finally abating. "Thank you, Alex. But I'd prefer it if you trained further with Wilmarina before challenging a warrior like Bartuk. But I do appreciate your offer, my sweet little hero."
Alex nodded as the two continued to follow the centaur guard. After walking around another yurt, they finally encountered their unexpected guest.
Sitting on his horse with an unamused expression on his face was Sengge. Two centaurs stood on either side of him and held his horse's bridle to keep him from escaping, but the young Tazchek warrior did not appear in any hurry to make a break for it. Instead, he coldly stared at Alex and Druella.
"Hello, Altan and Amarja," he said with a frosty tone. "But I guess those aren't your real names, are they? Now how about you properly introduce yourselves this time?"
Druella spoke first. "I understand you must be greatly angered at us for deceiving you, Sengge, but we had our reasons. I am Druella, Fourth Princess of the Mamono Realm. And this is Alex, my husband."
"Druella, huh." Sengge said with some bitterness in his voice. "So not only did I bring a lilim within a few paces of my father, I brought the Conqueror of Lescatie herself. Ugh, just staring at both of you fills me with shame!"
"If you are so angry at us," Druella replied, "Why did you come here?"
Sengge stared at her angrily. "What do you think, Fourth Princess? I brought a lilim and a foreigner right into the Khan's yurt! Because of you two, my status in the tribe has fallen from 'wheezing embarrasment' to 'potential traitor'! If I had stayed, the vultures would be picking at my corpse by now!"
Alex and Druella looked at each other- both now felt incredibly guilty. In their haste to escape the Khanate after being unveiled, they hadn't even thought about the consequences their guide might face for leading them there!
Oh, we really screwed him over, haven't we?
"Sengge," Alex started, "I'm sorry we lied to you and put you into this dangerous situation. If there is-"
"I don't want your apologies, I want answers." Sengge interrupted him. "Why were you both attempting to sneak into Soutoru? What were you planning to do to the Khan, my father?"
Alex decided it would be better if he spoke instead of Druella- the Tazchek warrior might not trust the words of a lilim. "Sengge, me and Druella were infiltrating the Khanate to find out why the Khan had turned against monsters! We had no intentions of hurting him or your people! And although our mission ended in disaster, we did find out the true reason for your father's sudden change in attitude!"
Sengge perked up in interest, his anger being replaced with curiosity. "Go on."
"Your father wears a ring with The Order's sigil on it, and Druella suggested it might have a mind-control spell enchanted into it. That's the true reason your father is now anti-monster- he's being mentally manipulated by The Order!"
Sengge grit his teeth in anger. "So those cross-worshippers are behind this? Those bastards will pay for trying to misdirect us! We'll burn down the Holy Capital itself and melt the Pope's throne into coins!"
"Listen, Sengge," Alex continued. "If we all work together, we can find a solution to free your father, and the Khanate as a whole, from The Order's schemes!"
But Sengge appeared uninterested. "I still cannot trust both of you, Alex and Druella. You've deceived me before, how can I be sure you will not do it again? Perhaps my father will be freed only for monsters to take The Order's place? I am aware of your reputation, Druella- I will not allow my people to be made puppets by anyone!"
Alex didn't know what to say next- Sengge had entirely valid reasons not to trust them, and he had every right to mistrust Druella's intentions. Alex looked over at his lilim wife; with infiltration no longer being an option, what will she choose to do now?
"Sengge, you're here now? Haha, it's good to see you!" came a voice from behind them.
Alex and Druella turned around- Bartuk had apparently come to see what the commotion was about, and he looked rather happy to see the Khan's second son.
"Bartuk? You're alive?" Sengge exclaimed. He quickly jumped off his horse and walked over to him. The two Tazchek warriors grabbed each other by the arm and greeted each other heartily.
"I thought you had been captured or killed in the last raid!" Sengge said. "And yet here you are, walking around freely in this monster camp!"
"Being under monster captivity is not as bad as you think!" Bartuk answered. "I'm now married to a lovely centaur- I'll introduce you to her later!"
"Wait, do you two know each other?" Alex finally asked.
"Bartuk is my mentor, the one I thought was missing." Sengge replied. "He was the one who taught me how to use a blade when no one else did."
"All the other imbeciles in the tribe were unable to look past his cough." Bartuk said with a smile. "But I could see the potential within him- even if he was to be forever hampered by his lungs, he could still become a warrior! So I trained him myself!"
Huh, so he really does commit to his personal views on strength! Even if he has completely misjudged me, it's good that he was able to give Sengge a chance!
Bartuk turned to his former pupil. "Sengge, Alex here once saved a city and stopped a coup! He may not look strong, but there is a warrior within him! I am confident he can help solve the crisis afflicting our Khanate!"
Sengge raised an eyebrow, then looked back at Alex. After about a moment, he finally spoke.
"I still do not trust you, Alex, and I especially do not trust you, Druella. But in order to free my father from the sways of The Order, I am at least willing to cooperate with you. Besides, I still owe both of you for rescuing me."
Alex nodded. Just then, a new arrival interrupted their little meeting, trotting over while being escorted by two other centaurs.
"Lady Druella," Chieftess Khultula said, " I've summoned all the other centaur chiefs. The emergency meeting is ready to start when you are…"
The centaur chieftess' voice trailed off when she caught sight of Sengge. The centaur stared at him with her dark eyes, examining him up and down.
"Lady Druella, who is our young guest here?"
"Khultula, that Sengge, second son of Turgal Khan. He had to flee his people, and now he's willing to cooperate with us to stop the Khanate's aggression."
"Second son, hmmm." Khultula looked at Sengge with further interest. "Welcome to my herd, Sengge. I am Chieftess Khultula. We are honored to have you here. If you have any need for anything, please do not hesitate to tell me."
"Um, sure. Thank you for your hospitality, Chieftess." Sengge said, blushing a little as the dark-haired centaur continued to look at him. After a few awkward moments, the centaur finally managed to break out of her leering and turned back to Druella.
"As I said, Druella, we are ready to start when you are."
Druella smiled- the lilim hadn't missed the looks Khultula was making towards Sengge, and clearly was already scheming some new ideas. "Now is as good of a time as ever, Khultula. We will be joining you momentarily."
Khultula nodded before turning to Sengge and smiling at him. "You are also welcome to attend, Sengge."
The Tazchek warrior nodded, his eyes not leaving the centaur chieftess even as she turned and went back to her yurt.
Bartuk chuckled and turned to his former pupil. "Haha, now she would be a woman worthy of you, Sengge!"
"Hey, cut it out Bartuk!" Sengge exclaimed, his face red. "Right now, we need to worry about my father and the Khanate, not women!"
But Bartuk continued to chuckle. "Hah, once you've been with a monster once, all those old priorities of yours will vanish. Now come, I'll introduce you to my new wife."
As the two Tazchek walked away, Alex turned to Druella. The lilim was deep in thought and blushing a little.
"Druella," Alex said. "As Sengge said, let's worry about the Khanate first."
Druella broke out of her thoughts, looking rather disappointed. "I suppose so, Alex. But it is a pretty picture, is it not?"
Alex sighed. "I guess it is a little cute. But remember that Sengge's trust in us is still pretty tenuous. Let's avoid playing matchmaker until after the Khan is stopped."
Druella nodded, though her disappointment remained. "Very well then, let us proceed to Khultula's yurt and begin the meeting."
[]
Unlike the last time Alex and Druella visited Chieftess Khultula's yurt, the tent was now packed to the brim. Druella sat in the front of the yurt, with the Chieftess along with various other high-ranking centaurs flanking her on either side. The rest of the yurt was filled with various other centaurs, along with a few other mamono as well. Some human males were also present, having been brought along by their wives. Alex, meanwhile, had chosen to sit with Sengge, their Tazchek guest, near the rear of the yurt.
Ugh, why does he have to be here too? Druella thought to herself as she noticed Bartuk sitting with Sarnai at one of the long tables. If you dare interrupt me on this serious occasion, I'll have the most sadistic of dark elves teach Sarnai some moves to use on you!
After a few more seconds of waiting for any stragglers, Chieftess Khultula raised an arm, causing everyone to go silent.
"Welcome, everyone! I wish this meeting was called under more pleasant circumstances, but I'm afraid we have an incredibly serious matter to discuss. Lady Druella, you may begin."
Druella stood up, preparing to give her rundown of the danger presented by the Tazchek Khanate. She noticed that several mamono and humans within the crowd were staring at her awestruck- they probably never expected to see the Fourth Princess of the Mamono Realm in person.
Fufu, look as long as you like, only the Mamono Lord herself is superior in beauty! Though do not stare too long, Alex might become jealous.
"Thank you Khultula." Druella replied. "I have recently infiltrated the capital of the Tazchek Khanate together with my husband. Although my cover was eventually blown, we were able to discover the truth of the Khanate's aggressive raids- The Order has tampered with the mind of the Khan himself!"
Several members of the crowd began murmuring at this news, while the few Tazchek present appeared to be gritting their teeth in anger at the theocracy's interference in their tribal nation.
"The Order accomplished this feat through a simple ring they gave to the Khan as tribute." Druella continued. "I am unsure of the exact type of curse placed on the ring, but it is the cause of his sudden change in attitude!"
"Okay, so the Khan is being mind-controlled," one of the centaur chieftains spoke up. "But a few raids can be handled. What is the emergency here?"
"I am getting to that now." Druella replied. "The Khan is planning to do more than just raid nearby monster communities. No, his desire- or rather the desire forced upon him by The Order- is to exterminate every single mamono on the Steppe, and beyond!"
The crowd went absolutely silent from this dire news, their fear being evident on their faces. One particularly nervous centaur was shaking so hard that her companions had to quickly whisper reassurances to her.
"But fear not!" Druella continued. "I swear to you as Fourth Princess of the Mamono Realm that I will not allow any harm to befall the monsters of the Steppe! Turgal Khan will be stopped, and a loving peace will return to this land!"
"But how are you going to do that?" another chieftain spoke up. "You just said that your cover was blown."
Druella held back a sigh, for the centaur chieftain was correct in her observation. "Yes", Druella replied, keeping her tone confident to avoid any demoralization. "Simply infiltrating the Khanate to isolate the Khan and remove the ring from his finger is no longer an option. Besides the fact they are now wary of my presence, the Khan possesses a spellcaster capable of dissipating glamors and other forms of stealth magic. Any future attempts to infiltrate the heart of the Khanate would end in disaster."
"Therefore", Druella spoke quickly before her previous words could hurt the crowd's mood any further. "We will need to implement a larger solution. Through the quick-thinking of my husband, we've bought ourselves a few days. The centaur herds will also have to retreat further away from the Tazchek to buy ourselves even more time. While that is going on, I will contact the Mamono Lord and inform her of the situation. We will bring in our armies from both Lescatie and the Royal Makai itself, and if open battle becomes unavoidable we will defeat the Khan before he can gain too much momentum."
"But I do not plan on just buying time until the Tazchek force us into battle. Although the majority of their chieftains follow Turgal Khan's wishes, there were a few that already possessed mamono wives. If we were to contact them, we could gain allies on the inside. Dissent could be fermented, the people reminded of their former friendships with monsters, and the Khan will find himself politically isolated."
Druella then gave the crowd a wide smile- she had saved the best news for last. For every crisis, there are always new opportunities!
"But, my dear monsters, we can do far more than merely neutralize the Khan. Once the Khanate has been properly infiltrated, we will be in a perfect position to bring the Tazchek into the Mamono Realm! No more raids, no more looting, just unending peace under the Mamono Lord's rule!"
And no more treating fellow humans like garbage simply because of their shortcomings, Druella thought to herself.
"It will take time, and the centaur herds will have to continue moving around until the right moment comes. But when it does, the monsterization of the Tazchek Khanate will be done!"
Many of the monsters now cheered at this news, elated at the idea of the Mamono Realm spreading further and The Order suffering a further setback. Druella looked around in satisfaction- having the support of a crowd always gave her a fluttery feeling of happiness inside.
But why is Alex looking so nervous? Is he worried that something might go wrong? My poor dear husband, monsterizing a realm is something I am well versed in. You need not worry, I will take care of everything.
But all of the sudden, the cheering was cut through by a single naysayer.
"Wait, what do you mean by 'monsterization'? Just what the hell are you planning to do to my people?!"
The other monsters fell silent at this interruption. Druella looked around to see who had spoken up. Eventually, she located him- Sengge, standing from his seat with an angered expression on his face.
Oh, I forgot how scary monsterization can sound to humans. I'll have to explain it to him.
"You need not fear anything, Sengge son of Turgal Khan. Your people will not perish or come to any sort of harm- instead, they will find eternal happiness and bliss under my mother's banner! Your men will find the pleasure and delight that comes with being with a monster, and your women will be brought into our wonderful world of monsters, so they may find someone of their own to love. No more fear, no more suffering. Just unending love."
But if Druella thought her words would mollify the Tazchek warrior, she was mistaken. Sengge looked infuriated, his face red with anger.
"So instead of just freeing us from The Order's influences, you plan on subjugating us with sweet words and feelings, destroying our way of life all for the sake of your so-called utopia? No, I will not stand for this! We Tazchek bow to no one, no matter how soft or pleasant the serfdom may be!"
The other monsters stared at Sengge with surprise- they never expected a human to stand up to Druella herself! Even some of the men looked shocked, though Bartuk had a more impressed expression.
Even Druella was put off by Sengge's anger and resistance. "Sengge," she said, trying to make her voice sound as reassuring as possible. "While your people's way of life will change, their individual minds and personalities will remain the same. And my mother is a lenient Overlord- you will not have to pay any sort of tribute or perform any duties, all you have to do is treat humans and monsters with love and compassion and never take a life ever again. Doesn't that sound wonderful?"
Druella then added a more personal touch to her explanation. "I've seen how your tribemates and even your own father and brother treat you- mocking you, belittling you, dismissing you all because of a cough. In the Mamono Realm, such treatment is nonexistent- a monster would never belittle a human like that! Besides, your cough will soon disappear after you've been matched with a monster, and you can finally be the strong warrior you always desired to be! In fact, I am willing to give you the Khanate itself if you so desire! You can be a mamono-friendly Khan serving under the Mamono Lord's banner, and you can have any monster you want to stand by your side!" Druella stood a little closer to Khultula to emphasize that last point. "All of that and more could be yours, Sengge."
But Sengge wasn't interested. "How dare you try to tempt me with your sweet gifts!" he yelled in anger. "I will never betray my people just for the sake of pleasure! A rough existence is what defines us, strengthens us, transforms us into warriors! I would rather jump on my own blade than willingly become your vassal, you foul temptress-"
Sengge suddenly fell into a coughing fit for a few seconds, his face red. Once he got control of himself, however, he looked right back at Druella, his eyes staring right into hers.
"True, I've been mistreated by my people, and I do desire to earn their respect. But not like this! Despite everything, I am Tazchek, a Warrior of the Steppe, and me and my people will never submit to you!"
The entire yurt was silent, all eyes trained on Sengge. The young Tazchek finally seemed to calm down a little, but his eyes remained trained on Druella.
"Since you have no good solutions for freeing my Khan, my father, from The Order's control- I'll do it myself. I'll challenge him to a Warrior's Duel, and take the ring as my prize!"
Druella could not believe what she was hearing- was this human suicidal or something? "Sengge, have you completely taken leave of your senses?" Druella exclaimed, not even trying to be reassuring anymore. "You could not defeat your brother in your current condition, and yet you want to challenge your father? You'll die in the attempt!"
"I know that." Sengge quietly replied. "But I would rather fight like a warrior and perish rather than see my people fall under subjugation. Consider this repayment for my life debt. Goodbye, Lady Druella. I do pray you will lead all these monsters to safety."
Sengge then turned around and walked right out of the yurt. The crowd remained silent for a few seconds longer, shocked at what they had just witnessed. Then a roar of laughter broke the silence.
"Hahahaha!" Bartuk laughed in glee. "I taught that boy well! He truly does deserve to be called a warrior!"
"He has spirit, I'll give him that." Khultula said, her cheeks slightly red. "But Lady Druella, we cannot allow him to get himself killed!"
"I agree." Druella replied, still rattled from Sengge's outburst. "Send some centaurs out to restrain him. We cannot allow him to leave the camp."
"Wait, let me go stop him." Druella turned to the speaker- Alex was now standing up. "I'll convince him out of this, or at least get him to think it over a little more!"
Perhaps a human voice will calm him down a little. "Very well, Alex. But if he continues on his misguided quest, call for assistance so he doesn't leave!"
Alex nodded before he turned and ran off after Sengge.
What is with humans and their irrational desire for freedom? Why put yourself through so much pain and toil when there is a way to free yourself from all of it? My mother is kind, benevolent- everyone under her rule prospers in happiness and pleasure!
And, most of all, why does that boy hold so much loyalty towards his people, who have done nothing but treat him terribly? So much loyalty that he's willing to throw his life away for them! Ugh, I will never understand some humans! All we can do is stop him, for there is no way I will leave the future of the monsters of the Steppe to one sick human!
Druella then remembered that the emergency meeting was not quite over- they still had to plan out their path of retreat, contact the Mamono Lord, and formulate a battle plan against the Tazchek. So, despite the rattled state of the crowd, she straightened herself and continued speaking.
[]
"Sengge, wait up!" Alex yelled as he pursued the young Tazchek.
Alex had listened in awe as Sengge stood up and challenged Druella's plan to monsterize the Tazchek. While he was against the warrior going into a battle he could not win, he understood why he was so angry.
Damn it Druella, monsterizing the Tazchek is a terrible idea! Surely there are other ways we can get the ring off of the Khan, even if we have to openly swoop down and kidnap him!
Or were you just waiting for an excuse to monsterize them the entire time? I guess Steylia wasn't enough to convince you.
"Wait, Sengge!" Alex exclaimed as he caught up to him just before he was about to mount his horse. "You can't do this! If you just stick around, surely we can find a better solution!"
"I've made my choice." Sengge replied. "Even if my chance at victory is slim, it is far more preferable to servitude."
Then he gave Alex a hard stare. "Besides, why do you care? Druella is your wife, is she not? Aren't you completely on board with her plan?"
"No, I'm not!" Alex replied. "I'm actually just as against it as you are! I've actually been trying my best to keep her from monsterizing people and nations!"
"Oh?" Sengge gave Alex an accusatory look. "Then why didn't you speak up and say anything?"
Oh. Sengge had hit Alex right in the core. While he was thinking of various alternative solutions when Druella made her proclamation, he didn't actually protest her idea.
Why didn't I say anything? I promised to myself that I'd lead her down a better path, yet I kept my mouth shut.
"Um, well, it's because…" Alex tried his best to think up an answer, but couldn't.
"Hmmph, Bartuk was wrong about you." Sengge replied dismissively. "You're no warrior. Just a coward." Then he turned around and went back to preparing his horse.
"Wait!" Alex yelled, causing the Tazchek to turn back around. "Yes, you're right, I am not a warrior! I want to stop Druella from going too far with monsterization, but I'm unable to bring myself to confront her directly! Even though she loves me dearly and would never lay a finger on me, I'm honestly still terrified of her! Her level of power is something I could never hope to reach! And I am really worried about how she would react when I tell her how I truly feel about her ideals!"
Sengge stared at Alex for a few moments, then his face became slightly more sympathetic. "Hmm, I can see that your desire to stop her is genuine. But Alex, you will have to confront her if you want any hope of changing her. If I had just mulled around and complained bitterly about my cough, I would have gotten nowhere. No matter what you fear might happen, if you want to get anywhere you'll have to face that fear."
…he does have a point. I can't convince Druella to tone it down with the monsterization if I don't eventually tell her exactly what I feel about it. Sure, she'd probably be angry, but surely she'd at least give my thoughts a chance? I'm her husband after all.
Alex nodded. "You're right, Sengge. I will have to confront her eventually. So far, I've only been redirecting her to other solutions, not even explaining to her WHY those solutions were better."
"You can try to keep redirecting her," Sengge replied. "But there'll be a time where even that will no longer be an option." Sengge then gave Alex a small smile. "Hmm, you may not be a warrior yet, Alex. But there is still hope for you."
Sengge then looked back at his horse. "But alas, there is no other option left for me. I will ride back to the Khanate and challenge my father. Either I win the Warrior's Duel and seize the ring, or die trying. Either way, at least my honor will be intact."
"Wait, about that!" Alex exclaimed, remembering the original reason he ran over here. "There has to be something else we can do! How about we have Druella challenge the Khan instead? He may be physically strong, but not much can stand against a lilim like her!"
Sengge stared at him like he was an idiot. "Alex, if we allowed anyone to participate in a Warrior's Duel, The Order or any hostile nation could send out their strongest champion to neutralize our leadership. Only Tazchek can participate in Warrior's Duels."
"Oh". Alex said. "Wait, but what if we gave you some sort of enhancement potion, or used magic to boost your abilities? That way we can overcome that cough!"
Sengge shook his head. "Alex, that would be cheating. Enhancement spells and items are forbidden in Duels. The only exceptions are divine miracles and blessings- after all, there is little that can be done against the will of a god."
Alex was starting to run out of ideas. "What if Bartuk did the Duel instead? If he trained you, he must be capable!"
"If Bartuk wanted to, he would have said so." Sengge replied. "Besides, he is married now. If there is one thing we Tazchek fear more than a pathetic death or dishonor, it's an irate spouse."
Alex tried to think up other ideas, but couldn't. "Well, can you at least not leave immediately? Just stay here a little longer, at least until tomorrow!"
Sengge mulled it over for a second, then nodded. "Fine, I can at least do that. But don't try to stop me, Alex, I've made my decision."
The Tazchek warrior then walked away back towards the Chieftess' yurt, leaving Alex all alone.
Damn it! He thought to himself as began making his way back to the yurt. Everything in Steylia worked out well, why couldn't the same thing happen here? I don't want Druella to monsterize the Tazchek, but I can't convince Sengge to change his mind! There has to be something I haven't thought of, something I can still do! Otherwise, the only option left would be to tie Sengge up!
Alex then looked up- because his mind was full of fear and apprehensions towards the current situation, he had completely failed to pay attention to where he was going. He was now in the center of a circle of yurts. These yurts did not appear to be residential in nature- instead, they appeared to be shrines.
The first yurt was a pinkish-red, with torches spouting pink flames standing in front of the entrance. A pleasant, flowery scent emanated from the tent, causing Alex to feel warm and fuzzy inside. He quickly took a few steps away from the tent when he realized he was breathing in some sort of aphrodisiac.
The second yurt was pitch black, with skull designs on the fabric and torches spouting white flames at the entrance. The yurt had an intimidating appearance, but for some reason it was not entirely unwelcoming.
The third yurt was a deep, dark purple, with purple torches. Scenes of lewd depravity were etched onto the fabric. Like the pinkish-red yurt, an aphrodisiac emanated from within. However, this one was far more potent- Alex had to quickly back away before he'd find himself sprinting back to Druella.
The fourth yurt was an ocean blue, with blue torches and the salty scent of the ocean emanating from the entrance. Considering that they were in the middle of a steppe, it was a very out-of-place scent.
The fifth yurt was a light green, and appeared to be the only one currently occupied. Shouts of laughter and joy emanated from within, along with the scent of alcohol.
The sixth and final yurt was an orange-red, with torches that had entirely normal flames. Scenes of battle were etched into the fabric, and just staring at them made Alex feel a little pumped up, like he was ready to deadlift 300 lbs.
It took Alex a moment to finally realize what these yurts were for- they were for the worship of the Gods of MGE!
Ah, so I guess the first yurt is for Eros, the second for Hel, the third for the Fallen God, the fourth for Poseidon, the fifth for Bacchus, and the sixth for Ares! It makes sense they don't have a yurt for the Chief God, since she isn't exactly mamono friendly. But how did I find myself here out of all places?
Then another idea popped in Alex's head, something Sengge had mentioned.
"The only exceptions are divine miracles and blessings"... wow, I am truly desperate now. But, I guess in a world where gods definitively exist, why not ask them for help?
…but Gods rarely give their gifts for free, at least not in most myths I've read. But what other option do I have other than acquiescing to Druella? Now, which God to ask for help?
Eros, Bacchus, and Hel wouldn't be much help, unless I want to resurrect Sengge if he dies. The Fallen God- absolutely not. Poseidon is pro-mamono, but we're pretty far from the ocean.
That leaves Ares. There's a fight coming up ahead, surely she'd be interested? Besides, I did sort of help save her Steylian Temple from going up in flames!
His decision made, Alex strode into the red-orange yurt.
The interior of the yurt was lined with more torches, with a small podium at the far side of the yurt. On this podium was a statue of Ares that appeared to be a smaller version of the one present at Steylia, spear aloft in the air. Beneath the podium were small bowls, likely meant for offerings to be given to the God.
Alex stopped for a moment- he had no offerings to give, and he wasn't even sure how to ask the god for assistance. The wise thing to do would be to go ask someone for help, but there was a nagging feeling within him that told him to stay…
I guess I'll just try praying? Alex proceeded to kneel before the statue of Ares, the god's angry stone eyes peering down at him.
Here goes nothing. "Um, Ares, God of Fighting, my friend Sengge needs your-"
"Ugh, why does everyone kneel?!" came a rough yet feminine voice behind him. "Get up, only the defeated should be kneeling!"
It took all of Alex's willpower to not scream. Flinging himself to his feet, he turned around to see who had interrupted him.
Standing before him was a warrior woman with tanned skin, muscular arms, and fiery red hair. She wore silver armor and a helmet that made her look like a classical depiction of an Amazon, with a spear tied behind her back. She was certainly not human, however- a faint orangish glow emanated from her, and her amber eyes glowed with a red-orange light. Besides that, Alex could practically feel the power she possessed- this being was not someone to be trifled with.
"Whu-uh" Alex didn't know what to say.
"I am Ares, the God of Fighting." the god said, her eyes still staring right at Alex. "What is it you wish to ask of me, Alex?"
[]
Author's Note: I did say Alex will go up against the Gods themselves! Though it might not necessarily be 'against', the first god just arrived.
Sorry I had to end it in another cliffhanger, but I'm doing some traveling over the next two weeks, so I wanted to get another chapter released so none of you have to wait too long for new content. Plus it'll give me more time to plan out the very important conversation that'll happen next- interactions with gods should never be written lightly.
In other news, this story will soon have its own cover image- I commissioned some art of our girl Druella, and it should be arriving sometime next week. So look forward to that!
