Disclaimer: See Chapter One
A Story of Eighteen Years
by Centurious the Azure and Storm Wolf77415
Daughter of the Stars (The Girl With Twin Souls)
Two years, twenty-four months. On the one hand, It didn't seem like such a long stretch of time. Yet, on the other hand, it could be an eternity. At least that's how the young woman riding down the wide cobblestone roads felt. Her dapple-gray horse was covered by a blanket in a shade of deep, rich blue trimmed in silver on the edges. This particular hue was a recurring theme, given the girl's cape, and skirt matched it. Even her hair, reaching all the way to her waist, tied back in a low ponytail, was the same shade of blue.
Hanging at her side was a longsword with a handle that seemed to be made of a luminous crystal, glowing an ethereal blue color with air of a brilliant night sky full of stars. The sheath was the same shade of blue as everything else about her. The light breastplate covering her upper torso was silver, inlaid with the same blue crystals as her sword. Hanging on the saddle was a teardrop-shaped shield, covered in etchings and more of the crystals embedded within, inside hung a long staff, fashioned of a dark grayish blue metal, topped by a large pointed blue crystal.
The large, curved sword hanging on her back in a sheath-colored blood red stood out so much from all the blue. Grunting, the female knight hopped off the horse for a moment, stretching out her back. "Sorry girl, nothing against you, but I need to walk for a while. My backside is getting numb." She gave her loyal mount a loving pat on the side before gently pulling by the reins. "Not going to lie, it will be nice to be home again after training up north for so long."
The girl stopped in her tracks, realizing something of great import. "Wait a minute, why didn't I just ask a mage to open a portal back to Pythagoras when I was still up north?" She smirked for a minute at the memory of a certain boy. "Ezra would have said portals were for the birds, and Aunt Yesenia…" She sighed. It wasn't a memory she liked to bring up, no one did, to be honest. Her hands balled around the reins. "It's not fair. They were ripped away from us, all of them were! Aunt Yesenia, Uncle Naaman, Kieran. It just happened so fast."
Crystal blue eyes looked skyward and saw it. A tree that would have put the greatest of mountains to shame, letting off a brilliant golden glow the sun at twilight could never hope to emulate. The leaves shook in a non-existent wind, breaking off and fluttering down to the ground, vanishing into glowing particles of gilded dust before completely vanishing from the world. Her delicate eyebrows knitted together in mild disdain. "Of course, coming home isn't without its downsides, namely having to see this giant eyesore every time. The Erdtree, it's supposed to be perfection, but I've never seen it once."
"I mean, every tree in the region seems locked into a perpetual state of fall. The leaves are always red and gold, it gets so stale after a while, let me see some blooming flowers and green for a change. And the grass is always gold, everything seems to be just a step away from dying." The girl shook her head. "I don't know why everything around here is like this, it's only the place on the entire continent this way. Pythagoras and Leyndell, the twin cities that brace the Erdtree, the seat of the divine throne, and even the center of the entire world." She shook her head. "Wow, why don't they crank up the hubris a little bit more?"
She looked to her horse, giving off the same blank stare. The girl knight took a moment before breaking out into riotous laughter. "Wow, I really have been out in the wilds for too long if I'm talking to you!" Her master's school had been far in the wilderness, the closest city was a half a day's ride by horse. But she then gave the horse a gentle kiss on the nose. "Of course, you also won't criticize me for what I'm saying, unlike some other people I know." A little farther, and she could see a city on the horizon, bathed in the Erdtree's majestic light. "Home sweet home." The girl mounted her horse and made her way toward Pythagoras, the capital city of the Midgardian Imperium.
Pythagoras buzzed with activity. She approached the Northern Gate, where she saw several men in golden armor, armed not with swords, spears, and shields, but with brooms, rakes, and large trashcans. The cleaning crews were kind of a requirement, given how many leaves were scattered about the city walls. It was nothing new to the girl, literally every tree in the city sprouted leaves of brilliant gold and red, and they fell everywhere. If the City Guard wasn't actually guarding and patrolling the city, they were working on clean-up duty picking up the damn leaves. It was worse than a golden retriever shedding. She passed by the guards and into the city proper.
The street opened up on a large marketplace where countless merchants were hocking their wares. Children were playing off in the corner while their parents shopped. The girl smiled as she passed back, making her think of her childhood. Her gaze then fell on the wall and did her best to stifle her laughter. It portrayed a knight in the same golden armor from earlier, holding a broom aloft as if it were a holy weapon of great power, an image of the Erdtree looming overhead in all its gilded radiance. "Got Nothing To Do? Pick Up A Broom! Help Keep Our Holy City Clean!" The tagline blared in brilliant golden letters. In smaller text underneath was written. "A message promoted by the Royal Guard of Pythagoras."
If it was one poster alone it would have been funny enough, but the whole side of the building was wallpapered in them. The girl stifled her amusement and continued on through the city, letting all the old feelings start rolling back to her as she took in the grandeur of Midgard's pulsing heart. To a newcomer, Pythagoras really did seem like a glorious place. Every building was painted in a mixture of gold, and white, trimmed in a deep proud red. The gold made sense given that it was the main color of the giant tree they worshipped, and the golden light of the Erdtree itself just made the entire city shimmer. The people of Pythagoras had it made, some of the most prime real estate on the continent. What could possibly be wrong with that?
For the denizens of the city, those who really knew the place would quickly set the record straight. A sense of bittersweet melancholy saturated the air, the glow of the Erdtree was spectacular, but it always kept everything locked in a constant twilight. The smiles were artificial, devoid of any true warmth. And those who didn't even bother with a facade wore a constant dour expression. The people of the capital were alive, but not really living at all. Of course, the young knight already knew that. She had been born and raised here, and was able to see the truth of things that many others could not or would not.
To say Pythagoras was huge would be a massive understatement, but it truly was. If viewed from above, it could be argued the entire capital was really three cities in one. At the center of it all was the district known as Leyndell. Situated on a giant hill made entirely of brilliant pure marble, this was the original capital when it and the tree suddenly appeared out of nowhere eons ago. It was considered holy ground, and off limits to all others, not that many hadn't tried to scale the treacherous crags to hopefully reach the gilded promised land, but their moment of glory wouldn't last long, because it was zealously guarded, and no one returned alive.
As such Pythagoras itself grew around the hill. The architecture of the main city was quite an impressive mishmash. The part directly buttressed up against the marble hill aped the sweeping columns and frescos of Leyndell itself. But the farther out one got it began changing into something completely different. Massive towers forged of steel and glass that despite reaching into the skies were minuscule compared to the Erdtree's towering edifice. The glass panes caught the light of the Erdtree even better than the other buildings, contributing much to the glow that permeated the area.
This is where the so-called "academic" zone of the city began. It had materialized at the same time Leyndell and the tree itself appeared, growing out of a giant hole in the ground that vanished into the very depths of the Earth itself, seemingly growing at an acute angle. The city was nothing but miles of glass and steel towers, all looking haggard and broken, akin to a massive war zone. It's called the academic part of the city because of the fact that many scholars from the Pythagorean Academy of Mystical Sciences believed it held the secrets of 'The Old World'. Those same scholars pitched a fit when several square miles of the ruins were cleared out to make room for modern Pythagoras after the end of the Shattering War. So the High King put them in charge of the entire region just to keep them quiet and shut them up.
Regardless, the need for a new capital was quite real. As such the Golden Order dubbed Leyndell the holiest of holy places, where no one would be able to venture and put under the protection of one of their strongest, most capable warriors. It was here the throne of the Elden Lord resided, and anyone brave or daring enough to try to claim it would be promptly put down by said warrior. As long as the Golden Order existed in its current state, that throne would remain as empty and barren as Leyndell and the Academic Zone itself. The girl continued through the city toward the hill leading up to the Sacred Zone, where a collection of tall golden spires was collected.
This was the Imperial Palace, a structure as imposing as it was majestic. Standing at the gate was someone the rider recognized all too well. A young woman about the same age as her. She was a little taller than the girl in blue, her skin was a dusky, swarthy color, a stark contrast to the other girl's near-porcelain countenance. Her dark hair framed brilliant golden eyes. Her attire was simple, a short sleeve black one-piece dress revealing a pair of long-toned legs, adorned with black knee-high boots. She wore a sweeping cloak, also in black, but trimmed in gold. Hanging off her back was a large nodachi in an obsidian sheath trimmed in red.
The girl rider swept off the horse and into the black-clad girl's outstretched arms, relishing the embrace of someone she hadn't seen in almost two years. "Hey Mishal, I'm home."
"Welcome back home, Niobe." The dark-skinned girl chimed in reply. "You're late, I was expecting you yesterday."
The knight girl, Niobe, just shrugged. "Yeah, really sorry about that, the ship I came back on from Scandinavia got blown off course due to a really bad freak storm, and I only made just made it back. It's a ten-day ride from here to the coast, and let me tell you, I wouldn't be surprised to see a couple of saddle sores when I take a bath. Because my backside is killing me. Seriously, Mishy, why couldn't the capital have been built on a river?" This earned Niobe a gentle pat on the shoulder from her cousin.
"Tardiness aside, I'm very happy to have you back. I'm sure the rest of the family feels the same way. So tell me, has your skill with a blade improved any since you left to train with Master Mad Dog?" Mishal's hand went to the sheathed nodachi at her side for emphasis.
Niobe scoffed. "Oh please! Like any improvement I could make means I could put a scratch on you. Your innate strength and magic alone are enough to overwhelm me. Not to mention your constant need to light things ablaze with your combustion magic." Niobe sighed. "I just haven't been able to find anything unique to me the way you and Phoenicia and Alisha have. I haven't found my special demigod skill."
Mishal sighed, and forced down a cough. This was a topic that was often brought up between them, and it was something that bothered Niobe greatly. "That isn't entirely true, Rebekah found that power."
This elicited a groan and a facepalm from Niobe. "Please don't mention my other sister right now." Her fingers brushed against the burnished bronze handle of the red-sheathed sword on her back. "She's been an outright terror lately. One of the newer students kept mouthing off to me, and she took offense to that. Just pounced on the poor guy and started manhandling him. Beat him so badly he was unrecognizable." The blue-clad knight shivered all over. "And Master watched it with a huge grin saying that was how a real swordsman fought, unpredictable and unrelenting. The way Rebekah fights is just so barbaric, Mishy. That's not the kind of fighter I want to be, there's no dignity in it."
"Well, considering there's not a lot of dignity in actual combat anyway, Master Mad Dog does make a valid point. He was known as the Sword God for a reason." Mishal harrumphed, flourishing her cape. "If you don't think you have the stomach for it, perhaps then Rebekah should join the Ten Stars instead of you?" Niobe then took a closer look, seeing the golden embroidery that had not been there when she left two years prior, namely of a golden tree with ten branches each holding up ten gilded stars.
Niobe let out a huge squeal of delight that practically everyone in the palace could hear. "Mishy, you made it in? You made it into the Ten Stars?" She had to look at the cloak again just to make sure this wasn't some kind of illusion spell Mishal was using to troll her. "I can't believe it! When did this happen?"
"A couple of months ago." The other girl just blushed. "It's not that big of a deal, Ni. I just did what was ordered. It's nothing worth that much praise."
Niobe couldn't believe the words spilling out of her cousin's mouth. "Uh hello? It is a big deal! It's a colossal deal in fact! You deserve all the praise in the world for that promotion. The Ten Stars are the ten best generals in the whole empire, and they serve Father directly! I am so jealous of you right now."
"You know what it really is? Nepotism." Mishal scoffed. "The only reason I got my posting is because I'm a Heurassein as well. I have no doubt Uncle Hawthorne would snap his fingers and gladly give his little girl a place in their ranks if you just asked." She paused for a moment, her voice dropping lower. "No offense, Ni, but we both know it's true. He only fills his cabinet and other top positions in the Imperium with people he knows and trusts." She put a special emphasis on that last one. "I'm only really good at fighting, and truth be told, I'm not even the strongest one there. Plenty are stronger than me, both within and out of their ranks."
Niobe's face scrunched up into an adorable pout as she grabbed her cousin by the shoulder. "Oh, you are so humble it hurts!" But then she smiled and hugged her again. "But that's what makes you Mishy, and however you feel on the matter, I'm proud of you."
This made Mishal smile and hug her back, giving Niobe a gentle pat on the back as they did so, giving her ponytail a single sweep of her elegant fingers. "Thanks Ni. We should probably get going." Her face turned red. "People are staring at us." Niobe looked around and saw that the guards and staff were all indeed giving them inquisitive looks. They quickly broke their embrace and started walking off into the depths of the palace, but they could hear what everyone said as they passed them.
"Hey, that's Princess Niobe and Princess Mishal, right?" One guard whispered to his partner. "When was the last time they were seen together? Wow, they both got hot, didn't they?" Both women screwed their faces in irritation at the lecherous tone his voice took at the end. A perverted chuckle came from the other guard's lips. "Aye, it has been some time, and they did get hot. You can tell they grew into real beauties. I can't tell under their cloaks, but I bet they've grown up in more ways than one if you catch my drift?"
"Swine." Niobe hissed, half wanting to hurl a spell at them, only for Mishal to elbow her in the side. "What was that for?"
"You're going to insult pigs by comparing them to that gutter trash? Pigs at least have some productive uses. Have some class, Ni." Mishal smirked a little.
A couple of the maids tittered in the corner. Despite giving the appearance of working, they clearly were not. How much shinier did that mirror need to be? "Oh, what a cute sight that is! I remember when they were just young girls! They've blossomed into such lovely women."
The other maid gushed as well, all the while rubbing the same spot on the priceless antique vase she was supposed to be polishing. "I know right? They've become such stunning beauties. I am so jealous of how smooth their skin looks. I wonder if it's the moisturizer or if it's a demigod thing?"
Both girls started blushing again, while the comments from the guards weren't pleasing. The maids complimenting their beauty was rather nice to hear. Niobe was feeling her anger rising still. "We should go Mishy, I'm not sure I want to let certain someone out to play and cause trouble when I just got back." Her cousin nodded, and they quickly left deeper into the palace. A few moments of silence passed as they trod through the corridors, golden light filtering through the tall glass windows. "So how is Uncle Morgott doing? It's been some time since I saw him."
Mishal came to a halt, and she flinched. "I wish I knew." She finally said, grimacing. "It's been a long time since I've seen father, much less spoken to him. Let's face it, he's a very busy man, and has been for a long time." It was Niobe's turn to flinch, as Mishal's hands balled into fists. Both girls knew all too well what kind of work Morgott did. "I mean, eighty-six years on the job is something to admire, but it wouldn't hurt if he took some kind of sabbatical, would it?"
"No breaks, no vacations, just hunting dissidents against the crown and heretics against the Golden Order." Niobe put it simply. She stopped by the window as she looked out on the city beneath them and the titan known as Erdtree still looming overhead, radiating gold as ever and the leaves falling still. "All in the name of the Greater Will's grand design. What even is the Golden Order in the end? What is the Elden Ring?" The words made Mishal blanche in horror as Niobe mused. "I mean the Elden Lord's throne has been vacant ever since the Shattering War ended. What's the purpose of the title if no one is ever going to claim it?"
Mishal opened her mouth but then stopped. "I honestly don't know why, Ni. Father always said." She cleared her throat, her voice taking on a deep throaty tone. "'Now is the not moment my little apple bloom. You must wait until the moment is just so. The sweetest fruit is always best plucked when the time it is ripe. Just like you, sweet daughter, the Erdtree shall bloom afresh. The springtime of man shall return. We need to just wait patiently as the Greater Will commands. You cannot understand the will of the stars above. It simply is.'" Mishal tried to quash a giggle. "So how was my impression of father?"
Niobe huffed, rolling her eyes. "Eh, I'd give it a 7.5. Your words weren't flowery enough. Let's face it, Uncle always had a certain poetic flair to his words. That's like how mortals say 'the gods work in mysterious ways' when applied to us. I don't get how we're supposed to be gods if we answer to a higher wibbly wobbly starfish alien monster from the skies we've never seen before. Have you ever seen a Two Fingers at all? I know I haven't. Father is the only one allowed to speak to them. It's something I've never understood. I just don't get it."
Mishal recoiled at her cousin's outburst, madly looking about before clamping a hand over her mouth. "I do hope you're not just rambling about such things in public. Definitely not in public, if mortals hear this kind of talk it will make them nervous. I mean, you're basically talking blasphemy against us. We're gods, right? Don't do things that would be perceived as ungodly." Niobe's eyes narrowed as she gently pushed her hand away.
"I get it, Mishy, I do. But I can't stop myself." She said, shaking her head repeatedly for emphasis. "I've had a lot of time to mull on these things while I was practicing up north with Master Mad Dog. I'd be swinging my practice blade a thousand times a day, thinking sure we have power, but does it mean anything in the end? Does that make us fit to be running things in a century or two? We all know what Grandma did to the Elden Ring. I can only imagine the fear she felt, the terror, not to mention the sheer sadness at seeing her kids butchered by an assassin. All the hate she must have felt for the world, it must have been unbearable."
Mishal had no words as Niobe leaned against the window. "One person nearly ended the entire world. We're still picking up the pieces caused by our forebearers, the previous Demigods. The name Heurassein might carry a whole lot of honor and prestige, but personally, I believe it also carries the weight of an indelible sin that's just too much for me to bear. I can't live with myself knowing I didn't do anything about it to try and make things better, Mishy." A moment of silence passed between both women. Niobe's words weren't exactly something that a person of her station should be speaking, and this wasn't the first time Niobe had mused on the nature of their divinity and the consequences, good and bad, that went with it.
Mishal sucked in a breath, really knuckling down to think of a proper response. Despite being cousins, she and Niobe were close and almost saw each other like sisters. So, she knew her response had to be measured. "So, what do you think is the answer then, Ni? Would you claim the title of Elden Lord for yourself? You realize to do so would mean hunting down the Shardbearers and claiming the Great Runes in your own name, despite the High King, your own father, clearly stating we were not to do that? I don't think I need to bring up the imperial decree explicitly stating that the Erdtree is off-limits. To even go near Leyndell, my father's domain is the greatest sacrilege possible unless you have the express blessing of both our fathers."
Niobe said nothing, but her stance was firm. Mishal continued. "Even to get near the base of the tree where the Elden Throne, the golden seat itself, is located. That's like trotting upon the graves of our forefathers. Leyndell itself is a massive headstone for the original dynasty. For the past age, even. If it wasn't me you were speaking to about this, you'd be shown the harshest of punishments for even venturing the thought of such a taboo. We both know what it all means if this conversation were to ever be made public."
Her hand went into her cloak, producing an ornate curved dagger with a golden handle, encrusted with jewels, the symbol of the Erdtree engraved into the blade. The young mage knight remained silent, merely producing an identical blade. The dagger was forged of pure Erdsteel, a type of blessed metal afforded only to royals such as themselves. It was a mark of their station and a weapon they hoped to never use.
"I'm aware of it, Mishal." It was a testament to how serious Niobe was that she used her cousin's full name. "It would only lead to my death." Her fingers brushed along the blade, taking note of the grass crest. "You've never been wounded once, much less even touched in battle your entire military career. I wouldn't stand a chance, not that I wouldn't make it easy for anyone who did come for my head." Mishal was glad that Niobe hadn't implied it would have been her. Mishal's insides tightened. She understood where her cousin came from. Despite her accomplishments on the battlefield, she was disgusted by the Imperium's constant strife and warring. Killing wasn't something enjoyed only because she found it so trivial and wasteful.
"Looks like you two are conspiring about something." The girls turned and saw Alisha approaching them. "Mind letting me in on it?" She was fully clad in her armor, polished to a bright finish. A white satin cape with pink stripes hanging down the back. "Hey Niobe, welcome home! It feels like forever since I've seen you." Both girls just gaped at her. Alisha put her hands on her hips. "Really? This is the welcome I get. You both look surprised to see me."
"Uh sorry about that Lis. We kind of are." Niobe said, inwardly she was relieved to see her other cousin after so much time. Clearly, Alisha had done well for herself in the past two years. "Last I heard you were out in the Eastern Theater with Knight Commander Artorum. It's a two-week ride from there to here. How did you get back home so quickly?"
Alisha sighed, shaking her head as she put her hands on her hips. "Girls, portals?" She said it was like the most obvious thing in the world. She grinned when she said it, and both girls mirrored that grin, and they all broke into laughter. After having been apart for so long, it was a nice moment that let them all bond as a family. Although, the joviality quickly faded. "I couldn't help but notice how tense you two looked. Let me guess, discussing matters of faith…again? I mean it's ironic you even say such things, Ni, given we're all demigods."
Mishal deflated under Alisha's questioning eye. "It's Niobe's fault. She's the one who started the whole debate." Despite being a fearsome warrior, seeing her pout and folding her arms inside the folds of her baggy poncho cloak. "She pushes the blasphemy every time, what would mortals think if they heard this kind of talk? It sets a bad example. Something I've warned her about, something we've both warned her about time and time again! And she's only gotten worse since then." Niobe scratched her cheek in embarrassment as her face turned red.
"What can I say? Master Mad Dog is a very blunt type of man. He never felt the need to sugarcoat things. So I kind of got used to just speaking my mind without thinking." Mishal just rolled her eyes. Like there was ever a time Niobe thought before she spoke! Alisha let out a delicate titter, covering her mouth with a gauntlet-covered hand. "And just what is so funny about that?" Niobe demanded to know.
"I can't help it, neither of you has changed at all in this time. Let's face it, Niobe you have no filter about your opinions, and Mishal you have always been way too sensitive about that particular topic. You two are like oil and water set on fire."
To which Mishal just rolled her eyes. "I suppose I'm the fire and oil at once in that analogy. given my combustion magic."
Niobe said nothing and leapt on Alisha with a huge, bone-crushing hug. She almost fell, but Alisha kept herself upright, merely returning the gesture of affection. "It's been too long, Ni. I thought about you every single day, hoping you were keeping warm up north, wondering if you had improved with your blade work and sorcery. You were always way braver than me, no way you could have made me go all the way up north for any period. I hate the cold, and the less said about frostbite or hypothermia the better." It made her shiver to think of losing a foot or hand to that.
"It's an acquired taste to be sure, but the Northlands are not as bad as you've heard Lis. You can always use magic to stave off the cold." Niobe hugged Alisha tighter. "Still, it has been a long time. Two years felt more like two hundred to me. No matter how I may feel about the Golden Order and certain things about it. There's nothing like being back home with family."
"I could do without the divine criticism for another two years," Mishal commented, but she smiled despite herself. The three girls had grown up together and they were all but sisters in spirit. The Imperium was only stronger now they were all together again. "The only thing that would make our little circle complete is if dear Phoenicia was here." That immediately made Niobe perk up, Mishal inwardly cursed for letting that slip out and Alisha looked very uneasy.
"Ah, my sweet little sis! I haven't seen her in forever." The blue-haired knight girl got wistful for a few minutes, always thinking how Phoenicia was trailing after her when they were younger. "She was always such a crybaby. Now that I think about it, she should have been waiting at the gate with you, Mishy." Niobe's eyes narrowed slightly at the nervous looks her cousins were giving her. "Mishy, where is my younger sister? Lis, do you know something that I don't?" Mishal and Alisha both looked at each other, nodded, and sucked in a breath.
"We haven't seen her in several weeks, and that's because she's not in Pythagoras at all." Alisha nervously tapped her fingers against her breastplate.
"Your sister actually headed north with the High King for a wedding ceremony." Mishal whimpered slightly before saying the next part. "Her wedding ceremony, because her hand was promised to the King of Scandinavia." Silence reigned in the hall for a few seconds. It was as though Niobe needed to really process what Mishal had just said. Finally, it all clicked for her, and she threw her back her head screaming. "WHHHAAATTTTT?" Echoing through the palace walls and probably could have been heard as far as Vizima. Both girls recoil at the volume and shrill pitch of her cry.
"Who in Gehenna thought this was a good idea? Why wasn't I told about this?" In that moment her hair flashed Radagon red for a few seconds.
Mishal put a hand on her shoulder. "We knew you would react this way. It's why we're going to wait until we get to the Tower of Stars." Niobe straightened up. The Tower of Stars was where the Imperial Circle met.
Alisha looked away, tears in her eyes. "I'm sorry I didn't mention it in any of my letters, Ni." It clearly pained her having to keep something so important from one she cherished so much. But it paled in comparison to how her meeting with Ezra in Vizima went. Not that either of them needed to know how that disaster unfolded just yet. "But it was a classified arrangement between top-level officials in the Imperium's Diplomatic Service. Grandfather, I mean the High King, and the Scandinavian Royal Family. Everyone was sworn to silence."
"Not even the Ten Stars were informed until the very last minute. I was just as shocked as you are, Ni. Can't way be too pleased about it myself, but the High King's word is law so I couldn't do anything about it." Mishal informed, tenseness coloring her body language. "It's why we're escorting you to the Imperial Circle, to debrief you about the whole situation."
"But still, why?" Niobe put a hard emphasis on the word, her face twisted in a mixture of confusion and anger as she smacked the stone wall, sending servants scattering. "It makes no sense at all to me! What was father thinking in marrying my baby sister off to a man who's three decades her senior? I can only imagine how frightened she must be right now." Her hand curled into a fist, her rage growing more. "So, THIS is why father asked me to come all the way back home with no explanation in his last letter. He knows I would have objected and marched right in to give him a piece of my mind! Perhaps I should let Rebekah handle this. She'd relish the chance!"
"Oh please, Rebekah would have rampaged all the way down south, and left a huge pile of bodies in her wake." Alisha remained calm as she folded her arms. But Mishal's swarthy features turned pale at that particular image.
"Uh, I'd rather deal with a slightly upset you than Rebekah on a tear. I may not have been touched in battle once, but if anyone could pull it off, it would probably be her! That's like going toe to toe with Starscourge Radahn himself."
Alisha coughed into her first. "Or if you wanted to get more current and a more topical comparison, how about Uncle Thor on a weekend-long drinking in Jotun-held territory?" Niobe and Mishal both paled white as a sheet at that mention. Alisha closed her eyes, lifting up a finger with a sly grin plastered on her delicate face. "Sorry about that, girls. But I can't help myself. Seeing you two go stark white like that is simply far too hilarious to pass up."
Mishal shuddered all over, even with her cloak on she suddenly felt cold. "Are you trying to give me waking nightmares, Lis? Have you worked with Uncle Thor before? I'm surprised he hasn't used that oversized mallet of his to stomp you into paste just because he was bored."
"Yeah, I love Uncle Thor, but there's a good reason I never went to see Phoenicia when she was studying under Grandpa Odin. The only thing worse than that is an all-expenses paid trip to the Caelid Wilds, topped off by a week at the Beast Cathedral with Master Gurranq." Now it was Niobe's turn to wear the cheeky smile. "I actually did that with Master Mad Dog. I even let Rebekah take the reins for most of that part of the journey, it was not a cakewalk by any means let me tell you." Both girls couldn't quite comprehend what she just said, unable to believe what Niobe had told them.
"Mama said that's the place bad girls go when they don't finish their veggies," Alisha muttered, taking a handkerchief to wipe the sweat from her face.
"You're making that up," Mishal stated flatly. To which Niobe responded with an elegant shake of her head.
"Unlike you two, I don't need to make things up. Unless you want to ask Rebekah, she'll set you straight." She grinned, putting her hand on the red-sheathed sword for emphasis.
"We'll pass!" Both Mishal and Alisha said at once, and Niobe just laughed.
"I missed both of you girls so much." Niobe's face became stern, she was happy to be back with her girls, but there was a pressing issue that had to be addressed. "But still, I want answers as to what's going on with my sister. I don't care if they are the rulers of the Imperium. These old men can't expect to keep me from knowing what's happened to my own blood." Alisha put a hand on her shoulder.
"You're right, it would be poor form to keep Grandfather waiting any longer than we already have."
"I suppose we've tarried long enough. I can only imagine how impatient that human-shaped turd is." She paused for a minute. "That is what Prime Minister Sadoz is getting right now." Mishal shot Niobe a glance, covering her mouth as if that would mask her words further. "When we get a chance, I must hear about those giant plague crows, T-rex dogs, and those walking shrimp monsters. Were they really as tough as I heard they are?"
"I had to fight one of them off while I was bathing, but we can discuss that later." Niobe chortled, and the three women headed for the chamber. The Tower of Stars was one of the highest spires in the entire palace. That way the Imperial Clan and the minister who helped administer the Imperium could look down on the entire realm as if they were the very stars in the brilliant night sky. Niobe thought it was kind of presumptuous, but she was in enough hot water with her views on the Golden Order anyway, no need to poke that dragon any more than it already was. Even though the doors leading into the chamber were on the gaudy side, carved with all kinds of arcane runes that went completely over Niobe's head, Phoenicia would know what they meant.
Her heart wrenched at the notion of her kid sister all alone in a foreign land, and her soul blazed at the idea that such a thing had been kept from her for so long. A part of her seriously considered letting Rebekah out for this little confrontation. They didn't always agree on many things, but their love for Phoenicia was really the only thing that let them co-exist in something of a peaceable manner. Alisha sensed Niobe's distress, laying a gauntleted hand on her shoulder. It was simple gestures like that which refreshed the young knight's resolve for the unpleasantness to come.
The liveried guards opened the door for the three Princesses. The circular chamber had a round table made of the finest mahogany possible and given a deep ebony stain. It was to make the familiar gilded tree carved into it stand out even more. Banners in red, white, silver, and of course gold, covered every inch of the small room, and the golden curtains billowed in the breeze. Niobe's eyes were beginning to hurt from staring at all the gold. Couldn't they tone it down just a little bit? Little over half a dozen seats surrounded the table, but only three of them were currently filled, and by the three most powerful men in all of Midgard.
"What do you mean we couldn't find the Grimoires? Our plan was foolproof!" The man sitting in the rightmost seat thundered, making the girls cringe in fear. If one word could sum him up it was white. From the stark white armor, trimmed in gold with the Erdtree emblazoned on his shoulder pauldrons, to the pristine white cape with the Erdtree embroidered in the middle. An ornate longsword hung at his side in a white sheath, and a brilliant shield with the golden tree on the front was propped up against the table. His hair was a stark white, the only other hint of color was his stark pink eyes, and they were narrowed in rage.
"We convinced everyone that we were going to hit Nilfgaard, and they weren't expecting us to drop half of the Order's forces literally in their backyard and we slaughtered the lot of them!" Saul Lilywhite, supreme commander of the Golden Order's knighthoods banged his hand angrily on the table, making the girls jump in fright. "The King of Scandinavia is known for hoarding all kinds of magical artifacts. You're telling me you couldn't find any trace of them in his archives? We put so much time and effort into this invasion and we don't even have anything to show for it!"
"Oh, come now, Lord Commander Lilywhite, it wasn't a total loss. We silenced a troublesome enemy and claimed all of their magical secrets and treasures." The man sitting across from the first said, his voice was silky smooth and calm. He wore simple but well-tailored robes in a deep blue, trimmed in green and gold. His black hair pulled back into a ponytail. He exuded a quiet, composed demeanor that set people at ease, even if Saul was anything but in that moment. "I'm quite curious to see what the King of Scandinavia was hiding from the world. Now it can be used for the good of the Imperium." Prime Minister Nemaz Sadoz looked unperturbed by the turn of events.
"That's beside the point, Sadoz, we didn't achieve our primary objective!" Those pink eyes seemed to get even brighter as Saul jabbed the table for emphasis. "It took years to put this operation together. Numerous resources went toward the singular goal of regaining possession of those damn books after that she-devil, Yesenia, and that inbred trash of a knight captain, Naaman, stole them! I expected results and it was all for nothing! You know as well as I do how important the Grimoires are for our plan to work. Who knows where they are now and there's no way to tell if we'll ever get them back!"
"You worry too much, Saul. The Prime Minister makes a valid point. We've one less rival to deal with now, and our glorious Imperium has expanded northward." The man in the center rumbled, tall and broad-shouldered, he wore the most elaborate attire of all. His robes were gold, trimmed in silver and white, and the elaborate fur-lined cloak adorning his shoulders was a brilliant rich red, with the all too familiar golden tree. His hair, a lustrous silver-gray framed a weathered face, steel blue eyes radiating pure authority. "In the end, it was all worth it." This was His Imperial Majesty Hawthorne Radamanthus Heurassein, the master of Pythagoras and High King of the Midgardian Imperium himself.
Hawthorne grunted, sitting up in his seat. "I would appreciate it if you didn't bring those two up again, Saul." He sighed wearily, clearly not liking the memories it brought back. "Just hearing their names is like a curse on the entire city. That contemptible woman and her entire line would doom us all."
"It wouldn't have happened if you had just been nice to them." A light, but harsh voice spoke. There was a cawing sound, and a large black bird flew into the room, circling once before landing on the table in front of the men. It was a raven, flaring its wings it cawed again. The cawing intensified as a flurry of birds swirled into existence, revealing a pair of men that couldn't be more physically different. The first was a giant of a man, his hair and beard, a brilliant angry red, was tangled and unkempt, and his upper torso was exposed revealing a slight pot belly, and tattoos of elaborate runes. A pair of leather pauldrons covered his shoulders and arms wrapped in thick bracers of the same material. Rough-hewn, dark blue pants, and sturdy leather boots covered his legs and feet. Hanging at his side was a massive hammer, the head covered in runes, and small bolts of lightning arced off it. Thor Odinson, the God of Thunder looked bored as all get out, much rather being on the battlefield or in a tavern getting hammered.
But it was the bald-headed man wearing an eyepatch accompanying him that radiated power and authority only Hawthorne could match. An ornate walking stick made of a light-colored wood clenched in hand. His attire was just as elaborate but in a more rustic manner. A long blue tunic with the shoulders in gold, dark brown pants, and expensive-looking boots on his feet. A brown overcoat with a green leaf pattern and gold braiding along the edges was draped over his shoulders. His lone visible eye, the same steely blue, narrowed, showing his deep disproval. "It's what I said to you since the beginning, Hawthorne. Be nice, it's all you had to do to keep the plan on track." Odin Borrson, Thor's father, and King of Asgard scowled deeply. "But you didn't, and it cost you. That alone is bad enough. But was it really necessary to kill off a bunch of my best worshippers? I don't need to remind you that Scandinavia is my home turf in this realm. I think that voids most if not all the agreements we made?"
Odin swept through, taking a seat at the table next to Saul. "Not to mention there's the fact you decided to offer up my star pupil as part of a wedding deal that was never meant to be. Dear, sweet Phoenicia was the best apprentice I've had in centuries since Yesenia." He said it with a special emphasis. "Sit down, Thor." He indicated to his eldest son. The God of Thunder just grunted and took a seat. "Don't mind him, he's hungover." He then noticed the girls still standing in the doorway, awkwardly waiting for a break in the conversation. "Ah, my lovely granddaughters! Glad to see something right has occurred. Come on in, sit down ladies."
All three of them couldn't believe what they had heard, Mishal was gripping her cloak tightly, and Alisha was close to tears. Niobe woodenly walked into the room, taking a seat, while glaring at her father. "So, it's true then? You used my little sister as bait?" Her hair turned red for a few more seconds, her gaze severing breaking from her father's stone-cold visage. Oh, how she wanted to pummel her bastard of a sire in the face, it didn't matter if Saul killed her before she moved an inch. Niobe would try, even if it meant letting her better half out. "All to gain some magic books? Dare I ask what happened to Phoenicia?"
Sadoz just shrugged. "Truthfully, Lady Niobe, we have no idea. She screamed like a banshee in terror and ran off. It really wasn't intended on our part. But it was a truly splendid and well-thought-out plan on my part. It was all about lowering the King of Scandinavia's guard during the festivities. Everyone was very drunk by the time the knives came out, and the entire royal family was eliminated. I believe the king himself was on his sixth tankard of mead when he was suddenly impaled in the throat by one of the Temple Confessors, the gurgles that came out of his mouth were exquisite." The girls were disgusted at Sadoz's words. "Oh, it was a truly red wedding. The queen was screaming as she was stabbed repeatedly in the stomach before being impaled in the top of the head."
"The Crown Prince tried to fight back, but Commander Lilywhite decapitated him before he could even draw his blade, oh the blood sprayed everywhere, I'm sure a couple of the lady courtiers fainted when it splattered across their faces. Regardless it was one of the best kills of the day." Saul just harrumphed and folded his arms. Niobe felt sick. Alisha was about to start crying. Mishal just wanted to leave even as Sadoz continued. "The princesses suffered especially, taken away by a couple of the knights for them to be broken in before they died." Sadoz sighed nostalgically, his eyes were demented, and his teeth gnashed in savage glee. "I must say, I haven't seen a purge in a very long time. The screaming and blood will remain in my memories for a few months at least. Those monkeys died in a very undignified manner, of course, animals deserve to be put down as animals should. I suppose we should have filled Lady Phoenicia in before she ran off in terror."
"She would have never willingly agreed in this…bloodbath!" Niobe sputtered, shaking her about in denial as her blue long tresses swayed furiously.
"Ah, you are correct in that regard, Princess Niobe. She always did have a heart of gold, let's face it she would have been wasted on that old fool. I hate to imagine what their wedding night would have been like. The poor girl would have probably died in fright seeing him naked." Sadoz shivered at the thought. The girls did too. It was simply too much to imagine.
"Like I would have ever let one of my children be defiled by a line of mudbloods like that in the first place." Hawthorne frigidly spoke, only to be met by Odin's disproving glare again. "What is it, Lord of the Hanged?"
"Let me remind you that line of mudbloods was my one means of keeping order in the realm. I propped the Nordic tribes up to keep them all in line." Odin was snippy, looking disapprovingly at the king. "Apes they may be, but if no one is there to lead them around by the nose, they start getting ideas above their station and decide they don't need us anymore!"
Sadoz just let out a light chuckle. "It sounds like you have an infestation on your hands, Master Odin. Perhaps Scandinavia could stand a fumigation? We did you a favor in some ways, cleaning out the unwanted pests. It sounds like it was long overdue if you ask me."
"Heh, nothing like a little good old-fashioned genocide to solve your problems." Thor finally spoke, his eyes glazed over slightly from the massive hangover he was suffering. "Makes me think of the good old days when all the Frost Giants fell, thanks to good old Mjolnir here." He laid the massive hammer on the table for emphasis. "The whole thing was fun until they all retreated to their precious little giant land and locked the doors behind them." He placed a hand upon his enormous hammer again, really wanting to just smash something at that moment. "We'll never be able to finish the job now."
"Cool it with the genocide talk, that was a righteous war to secure the realm." Odin cut him off, voice full of disapproval. "They were overly ambitious and warlike, so they had to go. The remaining giants did us a favor by scurrying off to their little hole. Let them rot there for the rest of their days and die out forgotten and alone."
Hawthorne snorted. "Yes, I remember that. We were just finishing what the Queen Mother and our Lord Father started with the Fire Giants back home." Alisha sniffled, tears in her eyes. "You don't approve of our actions, daughter?"
"I most certainly do not! This talk of casual mass murder isn't just horrid, it's totally barbaric!" The young knight princess exclaimed, tears openly falling now. "Father, you can't possibly believe that such actions are warranted. Aren't we supposed to be better than that?" Both Mishal and Niobe nodded their approval of their sister's words. But the older men at the table were unmoved by the passionate discourse. Odin just shook his head.
"I hate to say it, Granddaughter, but it's just how things were back in the day." The Aesir King was trying to sound comforting, but none of his granddaughters were buying it. "You wanted something the other guy had, you had to be willing to wrench it out of their hands before chopping them off to ensure they couldn't take it back. It was the only way to get your point across. No number of words or reason would be enough to dissuade them otherwise."
"He's right, it's the harsh reality of governing these lands. Our empire was built on the blood, bone, and sinew of the dead. Nothing can be made without sacrifice; creation can't happen unless something else is destroyed to fuel it."
"None of you brats could ever understand it unless you were there on the ground, up to your knees in blood-soaked dirt." Thor's words were a little less slurred, as though the discourse was helping to dispel the hangover quickly. Even talking about a good fight was enough to bring the mighty titan to his senses. "The wars we fought were to ensure a brighter future would be possible for your generation and the others that followed. So, you little missies be grateful we put our asses on the line so you could have all this luxury."
"Indeed, appreciate the sacrifice for what it is, girls," Saul spoke up, pointing at the table for emphasis. "You wouldn't have time to moralize all your fancy, progressive ideals unless the bloodshed happened in the first place."
"It's not the same this time!" Odin slammed his staff down on the floor, roaring at the armor-clad man. "The bloodbath was completely unnecessary in the first place. We could have made peace, twisted their arm until they gave up the location of the Grimoires for us." Only for him to be met by Hawthorne's hand slamming the table, even harder and louder than Saul did earlier.
"Peace was never an option when it came to that line of knuckle draggers!" The High King's voice rose ever more, echoing with power. "They were descended from a pack of tribalistic barbarians who never gave a thought to who or what they swung their rusty old swords at. As far as I'm concerned, they should have been exterminated a long time ago!"
"Chill out!" Odin's admonishments weren't helping Hawthorne one bit. Sadoz seemed delighted at how the meeting was deteriorating before him like he was just hoping for a fight to break out. Both of these men were fearsome not just in the political arena but had proven themselves many times on the battlefield in the past. The way Odin's fingers tightened on his staff was a reminder that it wasn't just a simple walking stick.
"I will do no such thing!" Hawthorne rose from his seat, a golden aura sparking around him. "What happened eighty-six years ago should never have occurred!" There was tension in the room, no one was sure what would happen next. The High King straightened his cloak and sat back down, but the venomous gaze in his eyes remained as he never broke his gaze with Odin, looking every bit as unmovable. It was a battle of wills between the two monarchs.
"I understand your plight, Haw." Thor grimaced, giving the High King a sympathetic look. "It ain't easy losing someone you care about."
"For once he speaks the truth," Odin admitted plainly, sympathy in his voice. But still, a lecture from your parent was a lecture you'd get. "It's never easy to lose the ones you care about. How do you think I feel about your little purge of my worshippers? They're my family as well. And you know what? They're your family by extension too, my son. Forgiving your family is the right thing to do, but you went in the complete opposite direction. It's not what I taught you, and it's certainly not what Marika taught you either. May her soul rest in peace." This drew snorts from Saul and Sadoz, they knew it was all gilded bullshit delivered from on high.
"Funny you bring her up, given what happened to the realm thanks to our esteemed Queen Mother." Sarcasm laced Hawthorne's tone with those final two words. "The Shattering War was an overreaction to our lord brother, Crown Prince Godwyn's death." All of them were silent after that. Even if they loathed what Marika did to the Elden Ring which caused the massive headache that was the Shattering War to occur, Godwyn had been liked by all of them. Things would have been much different had he lived.
"It doesn't matter in the long run. We put all of that to rest when Mimir and Tyr were silenced." Odin gave a dismissive wave of his stave, solemness in his single eye.
"Yeah, funny you mention that given the old goat is still alive. Not quite willing to let go of his brain yet? I suppose for being the smartest man alive he has his uses, but it's not like being attached to that tree does him many favors." Sadoz sneered, running a hand through his lustrous black hair.
Only for Thor to stand up, hand on Mjolnir threateningly. "Hey, he goes to the tree every other week to mete out his punishment. Real slow and deliberate at that. He deserves no less."
Odin spat on the ground, cussing in his native tongue. "Less said of that Pan reject the better! Death was too good for him. He's a traitor to everything we stood for. He was a liar and deceiver; I swear he was the devil himself with those horns and his honeyed words that turned Tyr traitor against us." The ravens perched on the light fixtures and cawed as if giving their agreement in support of their master.
Sadoz snickered, dubiously squinting his eyes in a foxlike manner at the man. "That's a very intriguing line of logic. It does beg the question of how the queen's Blades were turned against the crown prince. 'Tis truly a pity that his holiness Lord Godwyn couldn't die a true death. He deserved far better than to be picked apart the way he did." For the first time in the conversation, Odin's composure broke, and he stood there frozen like a deer in the headlights. But luckily Thor was there to bail his father out of a tough spot.
"Aw, we never did manage to get that out of Mimir the whole century and change he's been imprisoned. It's a real pain in the ass." The God of Thunder let out a guttural belch, scratching his stomach, and making Niobe wince. There was a guttural, loud discharge of gas from the posterior of the God of Thunder following this. Mishal grimaced, pinching her nose. Alisha gave her friend a sympathetic look. The dusky-skinned demigoddess was unfortunately downwind of their good, gaseous uncle.
"He always was a stubborn old goat. You do have to admire the tenacity I suppose." Odin regained his composure as he cleared his throat, taking a cup of water and knocking it back in a single gulp. Thor had to get from somewhere. "I suppose I'll go extra hard on the nipple clamps this week. Maybe that will finally loosen his tongue." Alisha shivered at the image while Niobe's hair flashed Radagon red, really wondering if Rebekkah shouldn't just take over because she was having enough of the arguments between these arrogant old men.
"Ugh, I wouldn't have the stomach for that. Anything like that is beyond my capacity." Sadoz sniffled. But Mishal rolled her eyes, letting out a mocking laugh. The Prime Minister gave the princess a hurt look. "And what exactly is your problem with that, Your Highness?"
"Oh, I just think it's humorous you said that Meister Sadoz, given it's well known you were the Lord Praetor for the Inquisitorial Branch of the Confessors," Mishal said lightly, a sneer of contempt showed off her perfectly white, prominently fanged teeth. Her eyes narrowed, flashing the molten gold of their grandmother, Queen Marika the Eternal. It was a truly beautifully terrible thing of wonder. "I heard you were quite skilled at meting out all kinds of brutal torture on heretics and traitors. I would think you would delight in seeing what Grandfather does to Master Mimir. Perhaps you've even suggested certain means of tormenting him yourself?"
"Yes, that was my initial station at one point, but becoming Prime Minister means I don't have my hands in that kind of dirty work anymore." He let out a small groan of disgust, turning his nose up. "I never liked the appointment anyway, so I'm glad for the career change." Niobe could swear that Sadoz's hair wouldn't need to be tied back given how greasy he was.
Saul spoke up then in a conversational manner, waving a hand casually as if he spoke of bad weather. "Yeah, breaking people in the dungeons was always more brother Rykard's thing. Not a day went by he wouldn't be down in the torture chambers making prisoners' lives hell for whatever crimes they had committed against the people. Or just for his own amusement. It was hard to tell where he stood by the day."
"Speaking of which, how is the campaign on Mount Gelmir going, Commander?" Hawthorne asked of Saul, turning to his Minister of War with a curious expression on his bearded, kingly visage. The white-haired man just shrugged; it was a thing of grace somehow in all its disregard. He had been rather enjoying the war of words flying around him. Not quite the same as if spells and steel were being slung, but he would take whatever he could get.
"Hard to say, Your Majesty. It's the only front of the Shattering War we've never closed out." The man in red replied, tapping his finger on the table. "I mean technically the war has been going on for about a century and a quarter now. Take it however you see it." Hawthorne tapped his chin before giving an idle shrug, displaying a twin to the other man's disregard for all things sane.
"Eh, you can't win them all." He finally just said carelessly, disgusting the three women, who had been sitting in silence and not able to get a word in edgewise throughout the entire discussion.
"You can't with them all?" Odin asked pointedly, gesturing at the man with his stave. "How about the ones you hold a significant grudge toward like Enno?" None of the girls missed how Hawthorne's entire being seized, his hands clenching up and the sneer on his face growing so far as to show his teeth. "Oh yes," the God of Wisdom nodded repeatedly, his one blue eye was alight with the terrible fury of a star, "you thoroughly enjoyed the fact that Rykard's men butchered one of his wives like a stuck pig and enjoyed her squeals as you did so, and then hung up her remains like so many pieces of dried meat for everyone to see?"
An evil chuckle escaped Hawthorne's lips as if he raised a finger in seeming admission. "I suppose you're not wrong, Father, I do owe brother Rykard for that freebie. I wished I had been there to see it in person myself, sadly I was indisposed for 3800 years. No thanks to that little cock bastard Enno." His hand curled into a fist again, the golden aura appearing, lighting up around said fist as if to emphasize his wrath.
"I managed to spring you from the Evergaol eventually. You should be grateful I did so." Odin replied venomously, stamping his stave against the floor for emphasis. Huginn, one of Odin's ravens of legend, cawed shrilly from the mantle above the fireplace to also seemingly bolster his master's argument. "I was going to need you for what to come." Saul was about to open his mouth when it was Niobe's turn to pound the table. The girls had been sitting through the entire exchange, unable to even so much as get a peep in. Truth be told, Mishal, Alisha, and Niobe were getting quite disgusted at seeing what high-level politics amounted to, and it was time for them to be heard.
"I can't believe we're hearing any of this!" Niobe growled viciously; her blue eyes changed to a furious shade of gold short moment. A thing of terrible beauty for all to register. It only meant the beast's leash had been loosened further. She leaned forward in her seat, slapping the table with her armor-gloved hand. "You're discussing old wounds from ages past when it has absolutely nothing to do with what I asked about? Phoenicia panicked and ran off when you decided to massacre the entire Scandinavian royal family, rightfully so, I might add. And now she's missing, and no one has any idea where she is." Alisha and Mishal both nodded in agreement, hoping and praying that she was still alive. Niobe stood up, and looked right into her father's eyes. "It's like you old coots don't even care what happens to her! You go on about how important family is, Grandpa," She turned to Odin, snapping an accusing finger at the All-Father, "and yet it doesn't seem like it matters at all!"
"Now that is not true!" Hawthorne and Saul both denied it at once. Only for Odin to hold up his hand, silencing them both.
"Oh, you two are quite the pieces of work, ain't you? I'm not sure which of you is more twisted." Odin jumped on the accusatory bandwagon, completely ignoring the fact he was one of the criminal parties in question. A smooth means of taking the heat off of himself indeed. His one eye shifted between both the High King, and his old Minister of War, raising an eyebrow that wasn't hidden by his eyepatch. "The father who used his daughter as bait for a convoluted revenge scheme, or the father who treats his daughter as nothing more than a glorified chambermaid? Hmm?" The tankard Saul was holding shattered in his hand. The girls looked on questioningly. In all the years they knew the Ivory Order's lord commander, there was never any indication he was married, or much less had children. But Odin knew if the all-knowing cocky smirk on his lips was of any indication. "Ah yes, perhaps I should bring dear Lanca here, and see what her opinion is on her place in the family?"
"Don't you dare bring her up, Old Man!" Saul snarled, throwing down the remains of the tankard's handle onto the floor. It clattered to the floor with the fury of a god tilted in the direction of conflict. It was then the ravens, Muninn, the twin raven of legend, leading the cacophony of cries, on the light perches began cawing menacingly.
Odin's smile just became wider, his one gold tooth glinting in the light of the sun. "I will because I can, Saul my boy. I know everything about what's going on in your hold." The jet-black Huginn flew, and landed on his shoulder, beating its wings about as if to build emphasis for Odin's point. He patted the bird with one hand as his stave floated magically in the air, spinning in place. No doubt via telekinesis. Obviously, in a show of dominance. "I always know. I will give you credit where it is due. It's a very neat little operation. Very tight and well organized at that, but you're doesn't even begin to hold a candle to what I did with the Godskins." The bird familiar cawed, taking off from his shoulder to his earlier perch with its flock. Odin took his stave into his hand once more, pointing at Saul with it, the Glintstone crystal embedded in the head flared Carian blue in the light. "I guess you didn't quite fully copy my notes, but I'll give you a blue ribbon for effort."
"The plan wasn't convoluted!" Sadoz pouted in protest, looking like a small child as he folded his arms petulantly, looking away. "I spent years on it, dreaming it up, plotting every last detail down to the decimal place." Niobe just found it weird to see Sadoz pout like a little girl. Truthfully, it was something that Phoenicia herself would have done in the rare times she got mad. And she made it look cute. But seeing a grown man do it was just weird and truthfully kind of disturbing. All the while a voice was stirring in the back of her head with mystified aggravation.
"Come on sis! Just let me out already!" The harsh voice spoke in a raspy contralto, prodding the back of her brain with all her might. Enough so that it was beginning to make her mind ache dully. "These old men are so freaking annoying! I'll admit I may not be as smart or graceful as you are, but even I can see bullshit when I sniff it. Let me have a few words with daddy dearest and the rest of them and we'll find Phoenicia in short order!" The young girl knight glowered at the adults present as she listened. Niobe was seriously considering it when Thor looked at her suddenly, giving her a stern blue eye and a surprisingly subtle shake of the head.
"Don't even think about it niece. I know that look all too well. Rebekah is goading you, isn't she? As much as I enjoy her special brand of mayhem. This is not the place for it." Niobe could almost hear Rebekkah's resigned sigh of disappointment before she vanished into the depths of her mind. She looked to both Mishal and Alisha. Both of them were thinking the same thing: 'Maybe Niobe was onto something after all.' The three demigoddesses locked eyes, knowing the truth was indeed gospel.
Not that it mattered much, Hawthorne and the others hadn't paid it a single thought, instead comforting the distraught Sadoz who looked a few moments away from crying openly. Odin reached over, patting him on the shoulder reassuringly. "Okay Sadoz, I'll give you that it was pretty brilliant. I can appreciate that, even if I don't like the end result. You put your all into it, just as you manage to keep the Imperium running smoothly from day to day. You did good, and that's coming from me."
Saul gently smiled, gesturing to his comrade of the political scene. "You should take that as the compliment it is, Sadoz. It's about the highest praise you can get, coming from the all-time liar and deceiver himself." Sadoz in turn bowed to Odin, grinning like a little boy all the way.
"That you acknowledge my cunning truly humbles me to the depths of my soul, exalted All-Father," Odin grunted, sucking a breath. His brow creased; he was beginning to be irritated. But the Prime Minister's grin never broke as he looked at him through half-closed dyes. "Please, I say that with the greatest respect possible. I simply mean that you're a true master of all things. I've endeavored to pattern my very career as a politician and a mage, especially that last part, after you. You truly are the pinnacle of it all, Master Odin. I simply wish to emulate you in every way possible. You are the god of everything."
Odin wasn't about to turn away a fairly good bit of brown-nosing. "You really know how to turn on the charm, Sadoz." His irritation was replaced with appreciation as his expression lightened up, breaking into a small smile. He indicated his seat with the tip of his index finger. "Perhaps you should be sitting here instead of me." Sadoz got out of his chair and prostrated himself before the Aesir King, before sitting up, kneeling with his hand on his heart, glowing with radiant warmth.
"Oh I would never dream of acceding to such lofty heights, Lord All-Father. You are over there and I am down here basking in your glory. I am not a god. You are. I know the true order of things, better than most others considering I used to be a holy man of the cloth. You keep being you, and I'll keep basking in your splendor. You truly are the most honored one throughout all heaven and earth to me." It was then Mishal nudged Alisha, leaning in close to whisper.
"Yeah right, he doesn't mean that at all." Her voice dripped with sarcasm. Alisha opened her mouth with shocked astonishment. "I know he's a practicing Buddhist."
And so it was Alisha's turn to pound the table. Her steel gauntlet left a dent within the solid hardwood with the sheer force of her god-tier strength. It was plain to see that she was holding back as she could have easily left a hole the size of her fist. "Enough of this farce! I know for a fact that you're the heart of all the evil within our beloved Imperium, Prime Minster Sadoz!" Her face contorted in contemptuous disgust, her eyes awash with tears at the callous disregard these men held for the people they were supposed to serve and protect. "You're nothing but a charlatan and a fraud! That seat is not worthy of you, one bit! You walk in with a magic artifact from ancient times and all of a sudden you're prime minister after the former one died of old age?" She put a special emphasis on those last words. Alisha then reminded all she was a princess and stuck her nose in the air in disdain. "Give me a break!"
Mishal smirked a little, nodding strongly in agreement. Niobe felt could have kissed her with tongue at that moment. Or was that Rebekkah's thought? Either way, it was distressing.
A whoop of joy came from the back of her head, showing that Rebekah fully supported what had been said. Even Thor seemed to approve of Alisha's actions if the way he looked at her in appreciation was any indication.
Sadoz looked utterly confused and saddened at Alisha's outburst for his part. He put his head in his hands and openly started weeping in sorrow as he collapsed into his seat with all the grace of a basket of Rowa Fruit. "Why must you be so cruel to me, Lady Alisha? I was simply doing my duty to the Imperium when I brought the artifact to your father and the court. I would think such a deed would be worth an equal reward." The girls all had blank faces, half expecting water to come gushing out of his eyes as he bawled uncontrollably. "I try my hardest for everybody! Especially His Majesty!"
Thor's fingers twitched, sorely tempted to just smack Sadoz across the room and embed him in the wall. He wouldn't even need Mjolnir to do that. Just one backhand would be enough to render him a bloody paste.
Saul reached over to pat the Prime Minister on the shoulder repeatedly. "There there, Sadoz my boy. You're a very good prime minister. Don't let the petty words of a vapid little girl get to you." He gave Alisha a look of extreme disappointment as if she were a mere girl of five once more. "I'd dare say you were the best Prime Minister, ever, of all time."
"Indeed, Sadoz is a good boy, the very best boy." Hawthorne drew comforting circles on the man's back as the Prime Minister looked to his High King for the support he so needed. "Now if you can't appreciate that, Alisha. I don't know what else to say." None of the princesses were convinced, just seeing a bunch of crocodile tears at work.
Thor wasn't impressed either, displaying a look of disdain as he gesticulated dismissively. "Oh please, pull yourself together man. Is this what all Yuyakeans are like? I thought you guys were supposed to be stoic samurai or whatnot. Not a group of sniveling weaklings put to shame by a little girl."
"I'm not a little girl, Uncle Thor! I am a holy knight of the Golden Order!" Alisha shot back in protest. Her teeth ground together in frustration. Alisha was seventeen years old, a woman! A holy paladin! And she wouldn't have them forget it!
Only for Thor to airily wave his hand. "To everyone here, you still are, honey. Especially the gods. Live a little bit first. Get six thousand years on me, and then we might talk." Anyone with a lick of common sense probably would have stopped right there. Thor's mood could shift in the blink of an eye, one minute he's knocking back mead, the next minute Mjolnir's in hand and he's sent some poor sap's head clear to the other side of the continent, and odds are he wasn't even trying that hard.
Alisha wasn't intimidated once by the God of Thunder. A simpering smile grew on her face. It was time to pull out her trump card. "Okay, maybe you're right about me lacking in experience compared to the rest of the people in this room. But my opinion about the Prime Minister still stands." She shot her most cruel glare at Sadoz, her blue-green eyes turned molten gold. Flickering with a molten light too scornful for most to endure. His tearful demeanor was gone, replaced by his usual sinister scoff as he squinted at her with those dead-looking coal-colored eyes. They were more of a shark's than the countenance man's gaze. "He's a fraudster and a manipulative piece of scum. Why else would he have filled your head with lies about how Ezra is evil, Father?" That…made the entire room silent. Both Niobe and Mishal gasped in shock, their jaws nearly hitting the floor. And Odin's staff nearly fell out of his hand, his one blue eye going as wide as a saucer of tea.
"Ezra…is alive?" Mishal ventured hesitantly, her voice small with disbelief.
Despite the painful memory of their earlier meeting. Alisha remained resolute, closing her eyes for a moment. She took a breath, gathering her courage. "Yes, Mishy." She faced her precious sister in reply, determination coloring her now blue-green gaze. "I saw him in Vizima. It wasn't the best reunion, but he was there and alive. He's out for blood for what happened to his mother and Naaman. Perhaps you fine gentleman can shed some light on that?"
"Did you know he was alive, Father?" Niobe stood up, her hands on the top of the table as she leaned forward. Hope flickered in her eyes. Surely, if he was alive, that meant Yesenia was as well. Right…?
Hawthorne sighed deeply, steepling his fingers in front of his face. "Yes, I did." He stated frankly, closing his eyes in pause for a moment before continuing after a moment's consideration. The girls only saw the icy eyes of a cold-hearted man. A tyrant in shape and form. And not the man they called uncle, grandfather, and father respectively. "We were told by one of our agents. You needn't worry about it, girls. He will be dealt with in good time. The kill order is very explicit."
"Kill order?" Niobe repeated aloud, feeling her hope replaced by chill horror. Alisha just broke down into tears, salty discharge stinging the corners of her divine eyes. Anger flared in Mishal's expression; her Grace-given golden eyes filled with rage.
"Let me guess, it was one of Georg's little flunkies?" Mishal demanded, snarling at their liege. The way the old man coldly smiled back at her aggravated her further. Her voice cracked as she went on in frustration. "So who was it? Zhangpo? Yaha? Hanch? It was Hanch, wasn't it? So what detestable act has that witch committed to try and snare Ezra?"
"Yes, it was, Lady Mishal. He had been holed up with a bunch of elves hidden in eastern Temeria on the border with Redania. They were quickly routed thanks to aid from the Redanian forces King Radovid was kind to lend to our hunt, but he managed to escape to parts unknown. At least until we heard he made it to Vizima. What exactly is the point, Your Highness?" Saul informed with all the dryness of a man ordering a mead, leaning back in his seat. His fist propped up his chin as he did so with his elbow on the fine oaken chair's armrest. "The Temple's militant arm has a kill-on-sight order for young Ezra, and it must stand, regardless of how you feel about it."
"And what exactly did he do to warrant a kill-on-sight order?" Mishal's dusken fingers twitched on the tabletop, about ready to let Niobe release Rebekkah, and then both of them were going to do some murder themselves. Even Alisha seemed ready to cause some trouble, and she was the most lawful of the three of them.
"There's something you girls never knew about him, but the fact of the matter is Ezra is a dangerous threat to the entire Imperium, his existence is a cursed one, and thus must be dealt with before it spreads and consumes the entire continent," Hawthorne explained, noting all the girls had his full undivided attention. He lifted up a casual hand as he spoke as if to emphasize his point. "You're all aware of who Enno is correct? It pains me to say it, but Ezra is a descendant of his. He comes from the line of Marika proper like us. Within his blood courses the madness that led to the Shattering itself. He has the Crest of the Sovereign, and thus his claim to the throne." He shook his head, grimacing. His fingers curled into a tight fist. "And that cannot be allowed."
Alisha cringed, wondering if they had somehow caught on to her faction's plan. Mishal's eyes darkened. And Niobe quivered all over. "So it justifies murder then?" The blue-haired mage knight hissed. "Tell me, is this what happened to Aunt Yesenia and Captain Naaman?" She looked up, her eyes blazing in gilded divine fury. Her hair flashed the brightest, most glorious red yet. "Answer me right now, Old Man! You owe me that much!" Her voice echoed off the stony walls of the chamber. Before the anger faded, much as the red reverted to its usual Carian blue.
"You might want to do what the little lady asks, I can tell how much her other half wants to come out and play." Thor rumbled, reaching down for his hip flask. He clicked his tongue, realizing he had left it at home. Niobe gave a slight nod of appreciation to the Thunder God. "If they're going to inherit your great legacy, they may as well get the whole story." Hawthorne let out an exasperated groan at the sardonic tone in Thor's voice. But Niobe, Mishal, and Alisha were united in this, they weren't going to be deterred any further.
Relenting, the High King settled back. "Very well then, girls. I suppose it's time for a history lesson, but know you have been warned." He straightened himself, his golden eyes sweeping over the three young women watching him intently. "The Shattering wasn't merely a civil war over a simple gilded chair. It was a war for the dominion over all of creation itself. But it wasn't a war prosecuted with sound body and mind. A horrific thing happened that triggered the conflict: the Night of the Black Knives. It was a ruthless, brutal execution of the many children your grandmother had over the eons." He slid two fingers over his thick, muscular neck for emphasis. "Demigods, our all-powerful immortal kin, would never see a proper demise. Most importantly, that's when my dear brother, Godwyn died. He and the rest were butchered like animals without any remorse at all."
It was at that moment they saw that despite how unfeeling Hawthorne could be most of the time, there was a spark of humanity even in him. They could hear the wistful sadness pang in his voice. "I loved every single one of them dearly, but Marika, as our mother, felt it a thousand million times worse. Make no mistake, she was as cold and calculating a ruler as you can find. She could even be extremely cruel, and put the hardest tyrants to shame…but she loved like no other, of course, it meant the opposite side of the coin was true. She could hate infinitely more than any normal person. She was the vision of our beloved order, and yet she was its demise all the same." No one said a word as Hawthorne let the memories of that begotten era play in his mind. He sure was in another place as he spoke in a distant tone of the greatest tragedy of the last age.
"Every blow she laid down with her divine hammer was the thunder of judgment itself. It was worse than the Sodom and Gomorrah the humans of this world wrote of. The very globe on which we stand felt it down to its very core. And Death was mangled by that blow, as it should not be. The lands were rent asunder and salted by the rage of our great and terrible mother. The skies cracked and shattered, even time and space itself were distorted and all of reality felt her hate. My siblings who survived were shattered, poisoned by the mad taint of the shards of the Elden Ring's star-shaking might, and driven mad by the power those shards gave them."
"And as if a final insult. Your grandmother's mad, graven will was pressed into the minds of everyone born and unborn within our bloodline. Even Ezra was touched by the madness. His anger and hatred won't go away with a simple wish, girls. Queen Marika's wish for this world to be unmade lies in the heart of the old dynasty. That is why I was made king and given the burden of carrying on the Golden Order." A rueful ironic smile sprouted on his lips. "I was spared that fate by my unluck alone."
"It still doesn't make any sense to me," Odin spoke up after being silent for so long, narrowing his single eye on the king. "Just writing off anyone like that is cruelty even I find distasteful. Ezra had great potential. If you give me the time I could probably fix it, straighten the boy out, and he'd be a huge help to the Imperium."
"We just don't have the time, Allfather," Saul interjected gravely. "The balance of the world is in danger, we can't worry about the wellbeing of a single boy."
Thor just grunted, questioning wryly. "You mean the tree needs its war fix?"
Odin's lone eye darkened, displeasure rose in his voice. "That's what this is all about? This is why my worshippers needed to die? You have to feed the damn tree to keep its warm healthy glow?"
"The nature of the tree hasn't changed once, even since the Age of the Crucible eons ago." Hawthorne sharply eyed the Allfather, speaking as if the old man had forgotten in his old age. "To fight, make war, and savage our enemies was always the tree's purpose." Saul strongly nodded his agreement, several times.
"You can't make an omelet without cracking a whole lot of eggs!" Sadoz's grin was elated, broad in its measure. And a good bit mad.
"You can't actually mean that!" Alisha cried out, thoroughly appalled by this revelation. This was the first time she had ever heard of the Erdtree spoken of in such a matter.
"Don't try deflecting from the true issue!" Niobe snapped, somehow not surprised in the least. Mishal stared at her questioningly. Surely, this was a bigger deal. From her lack of reaction, Mishal supposed perhaps she already knew the grim truth. "You're just trying to keep us from talking about Ezra!"
"Regardless, we should be trying to prevent war not start it!" Alisha objected with her hand on her gentle heart.
"Ah, but the two are very much connected, especially due to the Thronebreaker Prophecy. Or simply the burning of the Erdtree as the prophecy was known back in the day." Sadoz waggled a finger, seeming all too cheerfully delighted at the prospect. As the twisted grin had not lifted from his visage. "You do have to love how stories get exaggerated and embellished before being stripped down and starting the whole process again. It does ensure the legends become so fantastically it's difficult to believe. But that's how it started."
Mishal gasped suddenly in dread. "The first cardinal sin. I know that one because Father spoke about it all the time."
This was a surprise to Alisha, who looked scandalized by the very untrue prospect. It simply wasn't a thing by the rules of nature. "But that can't be possible. The Erdtree isn't even in this physical realm according to the Golden Order Principia. Only those who have magic, the gift of Grace, can see it." Sadoz gave an exaggerated round of applause, causing all three princesses to groan deeply, roll their eyes in displeasure.
"Bravo! Bravo, Lady Alisha. You have clearly done your homework as the Principia is a thick text, enough to knock a man out with." He pointed out, rapping on the side of his temple with a playful fist, sticking out a tongue as he did it. Then, his expression shifted into a meaningful squint. About as sincere as the man could get. "I commend you for connecting the dots. There is a way for the Erdtree to be burned and Ezra is a central part of it. He is the entire heart of the matter, surely. You see, Crests are made of tiny fragments of the stars. The primordial matter that the Elden Ring is made of. The very stuff of life itself."
"Yeah yeah, any child could tell you that. It's on the first page of every Golden Order prayerbook." Niobe said dismissively. Sadoz clapped again, just as passionately. The sharpness of his condescending applause only served to get on Niobe's nerves further.
"Well done, Lady Niobe! You're quite studious as well. I dare say you could even give Lady Phoenicia a run for her money. She's really taken to that glintstone sorcery, not to mention her mastery of the staff." His chest puffed out in pride, placing a hand upon it as if touching the heart of the matter itself. "She's gotten quite mean with a stave thanks to my tutelage in bojutsu." Sadoz's little rant was cut short by an animal-like growl from Niobe. He quickly shrank back with a squeak. Suddenly, the princess looked much larger than the full-grown man.
"Save your false praise for someone who gives a shit and get to the fucking point with Ezra!" Niobe snarled through grit teeth. Her hair once again flashed bloody, bloody red. Rebekkah was starting to drip through now. She was a tremendous potty mouth and the minute any kind of cussing came out of Niobe's mouth was usually a good indication to just shut up and let her calm down.
"That's scary stuff." Sadoz whimpered like a small child. "Please, Master Thor, will you protect me?" The minster skittered to the side of the much larger man, latching onto him like a cheap date latched onto their meal ticket. Thor just grunted, shoving him off roughly.
"Shut up and be a man for once!" Thor barked, having enough of his antics. Odin let out an exhausted sigh, touching his temple. The Father of All was suddenly starting to develop a migraine from all of this.
"I may as well finish it, so these little ladies understand." He mused aloud, turning to his granddaughters with a grim expression. "The truth of the matter is that Ezra hit the one-in-a-million lotto the same way Enno did. He got an extra special prize. The fragment of starlight he inherited was the darkest light possible. He managed to inherit an ember of the black and red fires of the Rune of Death." All three girls gasped. The Allfather gave an all-knowing nod to them. "Are you starting to understand now why everyone's so worried?"
"It's because he's like me," Mishal whispered, trailing off. She was a million miles away in her thoughts as she stared into her lap.
"That verifies everything I managed to decipher about the prophecy thus far." Alisha frowned thoughtfully, she had gone to great lengths to learn all she could about it, and the revelation that the Thronebreaker was connected to the Erdtree burning was something she hadn't missed.
Niobe was thoroughly stumped by all the new information being thrown in her direction. "How is all that possible?" She was puzzled, a bemused expression on her delicate features. "I thought true death was locked away by Maliketh the Black Blade. As long as he possesses it, Destined Death shouldn't be possible." That's when it sunk in for her. "And all souls return to the Erdtree to be reborn." She looked to Hawthorne, fingers steepled in front of his face. He just nodded slightly, her statement was correct.
"Not all of Destined Death's essence is accounted for. Before Brother Maliketh took up the mantle of guarding true death, the honor went to the Gloam-Eyed Queen. Apparently," he continued, revulsion coloring his already sullen expression. "Some of her cessblood got into the gene pool of the Carian Royal family." He gave a pointed glare at Odin. The latter looked unperturbed at the accusation.
"It's no secret I dabbled in genetics and eugenics. My thing is only everything after all." Odin admitted outright, he was proud of this fact. The three girls appeared to look on in discontent. They were just further disgusted at seeing so much of their elders' dirty laundry aired out like it was another day at the office.
"And you have not answered for those particular mistakes at all." The High King glowered fiercely at the other god, his eyes glowing shimmering gold wrathfully. An aura of gold manifested about the king, increasing the pressure of the atmosphere. It felt as if one would fall to their knees in obeisance at the High King's might. "Your dalliances led to the birth of that Gehenna-spawned abomination. The first Erdtree was reduced to cinders on the wind, and now her legacy seeks to see the piper paid." The girls tensed, wondering if a fight between the High King and Allfather would break out right there.
But Odin remained where he was, unperturbed. He was as confident in his place as he was in the heyday of Terca Lumireis four millennia ago. He checked his fingernails, blowing a warm breath on them. That's how unconcerned he was.
Sadoz sweated, losing that squint. It was replaced with a look of sheer wide-eyed terror. Saul watched with a small smile; his chin still propped up by his fist. Thor locked eyes with him, wearing a murderous look. It surely would break out into a fight if anyone so much as moved the wrong way.
"Now, now… Let us be at peace." The Prime Minister stammered out, breaking up the awkwardly terrifying silence. "Perhaps we should get back on track? The princesses came here looking for answers. Perhaps it's time we gave them what they wanted?" All three of them sat up straighter. "Perhaps we should bring the girls before the exalted ones themselves. They may be able to help determine what direction they should take?" This got questioning looks from everyone.
"You mean, we'll actually get to speak to the Two Fingers ourselves?" Alisha breathed, disbelief becoming her voice. Niobe wondered if perhaps her father and his advisors did have eyes and ears everywhere, given her earlier mention of none of them ever getting to meet the oracle of the Greater Will before. She bit her lip nervously, noting that Alisha was doing the same. Mishal just looked uneasy. "Certainly they wouldn't deign to speak to us?"
"Ah, but how wrong you are, Lady Alisha." Saul drawled. "None of you ladies are satisfied with the direction the Imperium is going, perhaps they can help point you in the right direction." He held up two fingers as he said this, leering at his own genius. "Ha ha! I made a funny!" Sadoz thought it was hilarious, given that he nearly fell out of his chair. Even Thor seemed amused by it, breaking into a slight grin that could be seen past the redness of his great beard. None of the girls were laughing though, looking as if they wished to be put out of their misery. "What in the hell is your problem? It was a quality joke!"
"How about we keep on task and go meet the Two Fingers?" Niobe bluntly suggested, glazing at the other god with no expression.
At this point, Niobe just wanted to end this conversation. find out where her sister had gone. This was getting way too painful. Hawthorne stood up, his cloak furling about him. Moving briskly, the High King's advisors were quick to follow. The trio of princesses struggled to keep up. They had descended from the Tower of Stars and were now heading far into the cavernous depths of the palace. None of the girls thought their father could move so quickly, but here it was. The gathered people now stood in front of a pair of elaborate double heavy metal doors. A massive, gilded carving of the Erdtree was engraved into it, and many rubies, garnets, and topazes were embedded into it as well, glittering in the candlelight, representing the multitude of colored leaves of the varying seasons.
The High King whirled about, Niobe, Mishal, and Alisha wilted slightly under his stony gaze. "Behold The Chamber of the Gilded Hand. Herein resides the emissary of the Greater Will." Hawthorne slowly looked to each of the girls in warning. "It goes without saying to be on your very best behavior. The Two Fingers demand the greatest respect if you want their guidance. You want your voices to be heard?" He put his hands on the doors. "I'm giving you your shot!" A mighty heave and the doors swung open, revealing a darkened room. Hawthorne boldly strode in with the girls at his heels. There was a distinct earthy smell in the air. It was as if the entire chamber had been hollowed of the earth itself.
A snap of Hawthorne's fingers and a series of braziers on the wall flashed to life, and the girls jumped, Alisha even screaming at the sight of the entity on the raised dais in front of them. A giant hand made of a dark fungus-like material that seemed to be inlaid with a reddish hue akin to coral with two fingers extended upward, gently undulating. A small altar sat before the Two Fingers, where a bevy of different offerings had been left. "Behold, the Two Fingers of the Greater Will." He boomed, his voice carrying throughout the chamber itself. Let them be your guide in this troublesome time." Hawthorne bowed his head in reverence. The girls nervously approached, not knowing what.
"SPEAK AND BE HEARD DAUGHTERS OF MEN." A whispering echo of a voice swept through their minds, obviously speaking through telepathy. Something twitched in the back of their minds, squirming discomfortingly as it communicated with them. It almost seemed as if the fingers were twitching, beckoning the girls to approach them, it, or whatever it was. "SPEAK UNTO ME AND FIND ENLIGHTENMENT UNDER THE BRANCHES OF THE GREAT TREE OF LIFE AND KNOWLEDGE." Sharing a look, the princesses slowly walked up to the altar and fell to their knees, bowing their heads in the deepest reverence Niobe, Alisha, and Mishal could perhaps muster.
"Thank you for this great honor." Alisha intoned; her voice subdued. Her hands folded in front of her as if in prayer. Despite her earlier fright from seeing the Two Fingers earlier, she valued her faith deeply. "We're humbled to speak to the envoy of the Greater Will. I hope we're not intruding, but my cousins are." She paused for a minute, trying to find the right words. "Unsure of what our place in the greater scheme of the Golden Order really is. It's our hope you can divine for us what path we're meant to travel upon."
"Indeed, whatever guidance you give us will be met with great appreciation." Despite Niobe's reservations, if this helped her learn of her sister's whereabouts and find some peace of mind, so be it. There was nothing but silence for a few minutes. When the outstretched fingers suddenly jerked upwards, from the palm of the hand came a stem bearing a tiny golden bud, the petals slowly unfurled one at a time, blossoming into a gorgeous-looking flower.
"I ALWAYS ENDEAVOR TO AID MY CHILDREN WHEN THEY ASK FOR IT." A new voice, much stronger, and feminine, radiating authority spoke. It was a good thing the girls were already kneeling. None of them were expecting this to happen today. Mishal panted heavily, finding it hard to breathe, and Alisha was on the brink of tears. The Greater Will itself was speaking to them. Niobe knew it was just a projection, a simulacrum that used to appear in their world, but she couldn't help but feel the deity was looking straight at her. "YOU ASKED, YOUNG DAUGHTER WITH TWIN SOULS? SO WHAT DO NEED OF ME?"
Niobe had her hand over her chest, trying to keep her heart from jumping out. She then felt someone take her hand, and saw Alisha looking up, giving her an encouraging smile and a slight nod. Her breath steadied, bowing low. "Thank you, Exalted Greater Will. I never thought the day would come when you would speak to us directly. If you can help me, I'm trying to find my younger sister, Phoenicia, she went missing some time ago. Is there any way you can tell us where she may be? Is she even alive and well?" Worry tinged her voice. "Even the slightest hint would be appreciated." The fingers undulated more, as the flower petals twitched.
"YOU NEEDN'T WORRY, CHILD OF GLINTSTONE AND STEEL. THE ONE YOU SEEK IS WELL, AND IT SHAN'T BE LONG UNTIL SHE IS REUNITED WITH YOU." That alone pulled a ton of worry off Niobe's shoulders. At the very least she knew her baby sister was at least okay. "YET THE FUTURE IS ALWAYS IN MOTION. I CANNOT TELL FOR SURE WHERE EXACTLY SHE IS. IF YOU TRULY YEARN FOR THE ONE NAMED PHOENICIA, THEN YOU MUST GO AND SEEK HER OUT YOURSELF. HAVE FAITH AND BE EVER VIGILANT. YOU WILL FIND HER."
"Like that couldn't be any vaguer," Niobe muttered under her breath, deciding the thing wasn't helpful at all. Still, she kept her posture submissive. After all, it was a really bad idea to upset a deity that could squash them all like a bug underfoot, and then who would look for Phoenicia if they were all dead? "I understand that much, Exalted Greater Will. I have to actively search for Phoenicia. I would have done that anyway, but can you at least point me in the right direction? Just give me a starting point and I can do the rest from there. Please." She bowed her head lower still for the sake of her beloved baby sister.
The fingers undulated again and the golden flower's petals delicately fluttered before the Greater Will began speaking. "HEAD TO THE EAST WHERE FLOWING WATER MEETS BLAZING FLAME. THE GLEAM OF THE STAR OF THE DESTINY ATTRACTS ALL TO SEEK THEIR FORTUNES. THE CITY WHERE CHERISHED GODWYN LAID THE FOUNDATION OF A NEW ORDER ON THIS RUINED CINDER OF EARTH. THE VANQUISHED STAR OF EUROPA. 'TIS THERE YOU MUST START YOUR SEARCH, CHILD OF GLINTSTONE AND STEEL, DAUGHTER WTIH TWIN SOULS. THAT IS ALL I CAN TELL YOU AT THIS TIME." It was vague to be sure, but it was also enough for the princesses to get the wheels in their heads turning as they tried to sue out the cryptic words.
"A city to the east where the star of destiny attracts all to seek their fortunes?" Mishal tilted her head in thought, her lustrous black tresses shifting in concert. She ran it through her mind, sure it had to be…
"Where water meets flame and Lord Godwyn established order?" Alisha tapped her chin thoughtfully. It was then it clicked for her, her eyes widened in realization. Her blue-green eyes lit up like a candle in the night. "Novigrad! Niobe, it's telling you to start your search for Phoenicia in Novigrad!" The knight girl sounded excited, a grin plastered on her face.
"I gathered that much. But still, it's not like I can expect to just find her when I stroll in the front gates." Niobe was grateful she finally had a starting point, but still, she couldn't feel there was something off about this whole thing. Regardless she held her tongue and just continued lowering her head to the Two Fingers and the Golden Flower. "Thank you, oh Exalted Greater Will. I can breathe a little easier and endeavor to bring Phoenicia home to us safe and sound."
"YOU ARE QUITE WELCOME CHILD OF THE RED WOLF." Niobe couldn't help but flinch at those words. Yet the Greater Will continued with little heed. "YOUR JOURNEY IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN YOU REALIZE. THE CHILD OF THE BLUE GLITTERING STARS IS CRITICAL FOR THE FUTURE OF THE WORLD."
"What do you mean?" Mishal asked, curiously taken aback by the One Star's words.
"BECAUSE ALL FOUR OF YOU ARE MEANT FOR A GREAT DESTINY, CHILD OF FLAME. FOR IT IS WITHIN THE SOULS OF YOU FOUR TO HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO BECOME EMPYREANS AND ASCEND TO THE HEIGHTS NOT SEEN SINCE THE GREAT MARIKA HELD COURT UNDER THE LIGHT OF THE TREE." No one was sure what to make of that. They looked back to where Hawthorne and his advisers stood. The High King just nodded in acknowledgment. Both Saul and Sadoz looked to approve of it as well. Although, Odin was rather surprised at this. All three of them then passed glances to each other. What more was there to say?
"You mean…we are meant to take the throne?" Alisha ventured, making sure it wasn't some kind of hallucination. But the Two Fingers were unreadable. The flower cradled in its palm twirled in a nonexistent breeze.
"THAT IS CORRECT CHILD OF LIGHT. THE THRONE OF MARIKA HAS SAT EMPTY FOR TOO LONG. 'TIS TIME FOR ANOTHER TO CLAIM THE POWER OF THE ELDEN RING. YOU MUST GO OUT AND FIND THE GRIMOIRES OF WHITE, GREEN, AND BLUE. ONLY THEN WILL YOU BE CAPABLE OF APPROACHING THE THRONE AND LEADING US TO A NEW AGE OF PROSPERITY." It all seemed too good to be true from Niobe's point of view. They had seen the ugliness of Imperial politics and now they were being allowed by God itself to try and reform it after doing business as usual for so many years? On the other hand, this was the only lead she had on Phoenicia, would it be worse to not take the Greater Will's advice and set down this path?
Before any of them could get a single word in, the Greater Will spoke again. "HOWEVER, YOUR WILL AND STRENGTH MUST BE TESTED. THINK OF THIS AS THE FIRST STEP ON YOUR JOURNEY TO CLAIM THE THRONE." The doors suddenly shut behind them and an oppressive miasma seemed to push down on them, despite appearing to be just a gentle mist. "READY YOURSELVES DAUGHTERS OF MEN. FOR YOU WILL NOW FACE CHAMPIONS OF AGES PAST. PROVE YOUR SKILL WITH THE POWER OF ARCANE AND STEEL, AND PROVE YOURSELVES WORTHY OF BEING CALLED EMPYREANS!" The girls pulled out their swords, as the wind whipped through their hair, causing their cloaks to billow out as two forms coalesced out of the mist. "DRAGONSLAYER ORNSTEIN! EXECUTIONER SMOUGH! YOUR SERVICES ARE REQUIRED, GENTLEMEN. GIVE OUR FUTURE HEIRESSES A GOOD WORKOUT."
The mist continued forming, taking physical shapes. Deep footsteps echoed off the chamber as the summoned warriors stepped forward. Both wore suits of brilliantly polished armor. The first was a towering behemoth, his armor fashioned as if for an obese person if the exaggerated pot belly and sagging pectorals were anything to go by. Alisha found it kind of disgusting really. His helmet resembled a creepy-looking statue, its eyes were dead and lifeless. Hefted in his hand was a massive hammer that could easily crush a full-grown man into a fine, bloody paste.
His companion was much more normal sized, his armor much more elaborate, forged from gold itself fashioned to resemble a mighty lion. A long red plume dangled from the back of his helmet. Clenched in the knight's hand was a massive cross-shaped spear, also inlaid with gold. It sparked with lightning every few seconds, implying the kind of skills he would bring to the table.
Alisha snapped her fingers, allowing a gilded light to flash in the air. It was then Alisha hefted her spear. "I've heard about these two," Alisha began to explain, falling into her combat stance. She leveled her spear on their two legendary foes. "They fought for Leyndell during the war with the Dragons over fifty-two hundred years ago! The big guy is Executioner Smough, he was a sadist who would eat the remains of the people he executed for the crown." That alone was enough to make the other girls' stomachs turn. Hopefully, none of them would end up on his dinner plate tonight. "And Dragon Slayer Ornstein was just a complete titan on the battlefield. He was one of Marika's most valiant and devout knights. He was known for his powerful lightning incantations. His specialty was slaying dragons, hence the moniker!"
"Oh great, just what we need! A cannibal and Uncle Thor's less drunk dragon-humping cousin!" Mishal hissed, reading her black-bladed nodachi. Her hand drifted over the blade flat of the blade, flames began spreading over its entire length. "I'll engage them up close, Niobe provide support with your sorcery, Alisha, you'll be our healer!" She brought her sword up to a guard position. "I don't care if you are legendary warriors of the past, you'll fall here just as easily!" With that she rushed them, swinging her blade around to send a crescent-shaped gout of flame at Ornstein.
Only for Smough to step in front of it. The giant hammer moved with a seemingly impossible speed toward Mishal, but she was much faster, easily able to evade as the weapon embedded itself in the soft earthy ground. Mishal sent out another gout of flame, which the big knight was going to tank again, but this time the dusky-skinned girl smirked, snapping her fingers. "Boom." She said quietly, causing a good-sized explosion right in Smough's face.
Niobe kept her Carian Knight Sword sheathed, pulling out the Glintblade Staff from her in the other, taking slight comfort in the glowing blue light in both weapons. She looked inward at her other self. "You want me to take over?" Rebekah's voice wafted up from the depths of her mind, anticipation coloring her voice for what was to come. There was truly nothing she loved more than a good fight, and this was going to be one of the biggest possible.
"Not yet, but you will get your chance." Niobe put a special emphasis on will. "Something tells me I'll need it today." She could almost hear her better half's smirk. It wasn't often they saw eye to eye on things, but this was going to be the greatest challenge they faced to date, and both of them had to be on the same page if they were going to eke out a win. Mishal had leapt over another hammer strike, but it left her vulnerable to a thrust of Ornstein's spear. "In the meantime, I should probably start helping Mishal out!" The light of her staff flashed to life.
"Glinstone Crystal Barrage!" She cried out, broadsiding Ornstein with a shower of glowing shards of blue light from the tip of her Glintblade Staff. The golden knight faltered for all of a second, lightning already gathering on the tip of his spear but Niobe wasn't done. "Glintsone Arc!" Swinging her staff, she let loose a widening plate of azure magic arcing out. The lion themed knight's spear charged with electricity, the spear swept across, sending a yellow tinged arc of energy. The two waves collided, negating both with a spark. But that was just a distraction for Niobe as she suddenly rushed him, ramming the Dragonslayer with her shield before conjuring up a blue spectral great bow and and launching a glowing projectile at him.
It was a testament to Smough's speed, despite his considerable bulk, that he was able to get in between it and Ornstein in time. The Executioner took the spell full on. The Lion Knight's spear sparked one more time, and this time he was able to let loose the lightning bolt, nearly the size of a javelin. Niobe was about to conjure up another spell, only for another lightning bolt, nearly the size of the first to collide with it. Niobe smirked to see Alisha, her own sparking lance pointed outward.
"Thanks for the assist!" Niobe hear Mishal cry out, and winced to see that she had barely avoided meeting her end under Smough's hammer. Her eyes narrowed, she gestured to the other girls, and they quickly rallied together. Mishal quickly rushed over, just wanting to avoid becoming a crushed girl steak. "We need to come up with some kind of strategy and quick. These two work really well together." Niobe looked to Smough, quickly advancing on them. "I say we go for the fat guy first, just because the sight of him offends me."
"I can work with that," Mishal said lowly, flames leaping on her blade in response to her growing anger. "I really don't like getting squashed like a bug."
"Agreed, the sooner that cannibalistic monster returns to the depths of Gehenna, the better!" Alisha would be happy to see the fat bastard disappear. She gazed at Ornstein and couldn't help but feel a kinship with the Dragonslayer, looking down at her lance, and recalling what she had done earlier. Seeing how Ornstein had sent that lightning bolt at Niobe, and on instinct, she had mimicked it. She would definitely see about learning some more offensive miracles when she had the chance. But her attention shifted to the larger of their two adversaries, trying to find some pattern to Smough's movements, hoping to exploit it.
Not to mention there was something else she was looking for, her eyes looking through the fog for something, but she couldn't see it yet. Shrugging it off for now, Alisha raised her spear and leapt into battle against the two spectral warriors. Letting out a war cry she lunged at the Executioner, parrying away the massive hammer before ramming the butt of her spear into his armpit. She started chanting rapidly, letting out a shockwave of energy in all directions, knocking Smough off his feet but Ornstein avoided the worst of it by jamming his spear into the ground to use as a support. "Now Mishal!" Alisha cried.
The dark-skinned beauty conjured up a massive ball of flame in the palm of her hand, hurling it at the two knights. Smough raised his hammer to smash it, only for her to clench her open hand into a fist, causing the fireball to erupt outward. The explosion was enough to send Ornstein flying across the room and smacking into the wall, taking him out of the equation temporarily. Now the girls could focus everything on the larger of the two knights. Niobe's staff flared as she let loose another hail of crystalline azure shards that showered over the obese metal carapace. Smough let a giant armored fist fly which the Glintstone Knight tanked on her shield.
Alisha flanked Smough, her lance sparking as she dashed in front of him and slashed at his greaves, cutting up his knees, causing blood to spray, and the Executioner faltered, even while Mishal leapt over her. Her blade red hot with the blazing heat she commanded. The blade swung, and the blade found its mark, cleaving through the helm, only to find nothing there. It was like he wore a statue on his head. The onslaught had taken its toll on him, and he slumped, seemingly ready to collapse. Niobe was there, her Carian Knight Sword in hand. "Time to end this!" She snarled, the glintstone in the handle and blade flaring to life, producing a massive magic blade.
Niobe brought it down, bisecting Executioner Smough in half from shoulder to hip. The two pieces of the spectral warrior hit the ground. All three girls smirked, they had taken out the first target. It was then Ornstein approached, having regained consciousness from earlier. He put his hand on the upper part of Smough's corpse, lightning began sparking across his entire body and he started growing before he was as tall as his fallen partner. Brandishing his spear, a small clap of thunder made the girls jump as Ornstein walked toward them. "I guess this is round two then." Mishal looked to Niobe. "You ready for this?" The knight responded by tossing her sword and shield with staff to her.
"Oh yeah," Niobe said, going for the handle of the sheathed sword at her back. "Rebekah…he's all yours!" Several things happened all at once. She practically vanished, closing the distance with Ornstein. There was a harsh clang of steel, red-hued cutlass straining against golden lance. A booted foot lanced out, striking Ornstein square in the chest. The blade lock was broken, and the red blade flashed, swinging upward, leaving a gaping hole in Ornstein's breastplate. A low, husky chuckle escaped her lips.
"It's about time she let me out to play." Niobe's voice dropped to a harsher, guttural contralto, flicking the blood off her blade. "Niobe is always so uptight. She needs to relax more. Oh well, I suppose that's my department." She cracked her neck and turned to face Alisha and Mishal. Her hair was now free of the ponytail and turned a brilliant flame red. Rebekah's golden eyes held a playful gleam as she propped her sword on her shoulder. "Hey, girlfriends! Your favorite bitch is back!" The other girls looked at each other, groaning inwardly. While they were grateful to have Rebekkah's strength for this moment, it was hard to deal with her because she could be so relentless at times.
"Good to see you too, Bekka," Alisha said measuredly, eying the alter ego of her surrogate cautiously. "We can catch up later, don't forget we have a very angry ghost knight to contend with?" They all looked toward Ornstein, still looking so dignified despite how dented and mangled his armor had become. There was also the issue of the very long spear clenched in hand. The girls had to figure out how to end this and quickly. "There's got to be something here that called those two back from the other side."
"Maybe it's one of my father's conjured phantoms?" Mishal offered. Her lips arched downward thoughtfully, racking her brain to figure out the solution. "The Two Fingers could be channeling them directly? Although, I don't think attacking the Greater Will's personal emissaries would be a very good idea."
"Yeah, I have to agree with that, Mishy." Alisha winced at the thought, shaking her head vigorously. "The Fingers are divine constructions. We couldn't kill them unless it was through very sacrilegious means. I doubt any of us could do that. Not even Rebekah would sink that low." She looked to her cousin whose smirk faded just a little bit. A rabid dog of war the redhead was, but even she had some level standards.
"It's very possible, you don't what you're capable of if you try and put in the effort!" Odin hollered from the doorway, gripping his staff tensely.
"Don't lose focus girls! He's not going to stand there all day!" Thor called out, cupping his hands around his mouth to intensify the loudness of his voice. His eyes narrowed on the great enemy, leaning forward. Whether it was protectively, or out of interest in the battle was up to debate.
"Do not lose in general. Ornstein is a legend, but he wasn't unbeatable." Hawthorne put his two cents in, folding his arms casually. "The Greater Will has given you her blessing. The least you can do is make a good showing of it." A girlish titter came from the flower, to which everyone looked in sheer disbelief. The main deity they worshipped could giggle like a teenage girl?
"You know it's a shame this is a fight to the death with so much on the line. I was going to make funny faces at them as they fought Ornstein and Smough." Sadoz snickered. Only to flinch when Thor put a meaty hand on the Prime Minister's shoulder, giving him a sharp glare while lightning flashed in his eyes.
"I would rethink that, or it might mean losing your head…literally," Thor growled.
"Please refrain from that, Master Thor, We need him alive so not just yet." Saul's words made Sadoz's face go white at the mention of yet. He looked to Saul who just shrugged and went back to watching the fight. The Prime Minister would have slipped away, but Thor's hand had locked him in place.
Another titter came from the flower, It just sounded weird to hear it. "OH PLEASE KEEP QUIET BOYS. THE GIRLS ARE SMART AND CAPABLE. THEY CAN FIGURE IT OUT ON THEIR OWN. I ONLY HELP OUT THOSE WHO HELP THEMSELVES, SO GET TO WORK. STRUGGLE ON MY LITTLE WOULD BE EMPYREANS! MAKE MOMMA DEAREST PROUD! WOO!" A shrill horn sounded, and for a moment it seemed confetti of a golden color was falling from the ceiling, only to fade away as quickly as it appeared.
"I don't have a mother." Mishal rolled her eyes, her lips contorting into a scowl.
"I was adopted, so thank you very much." Alisha scoffed, annoyance coloring her features.
"My mom died a long time ago. I don't have any room for a stepmother." Rebekkah snarled, only to be met with another annoying giggle. She looked to the other girls, all equally frustrated by the unnecessary support from the sidelines. "Okay, let's keep this little campfire fast and to the point. What is keeping these ghosts here and how do we get rid of them?"
"I'm guessing a Spirit Calling Snail. They're a necromancer's best friend, and more than capable of anchoring spirits to the mortal plane." As the resident paladin of the family, Alisha had more than her fair share of dealings with exorcising nasty phantasms such as this. "They can conceal themselves visually, like a concealment spell. Rebekah, hold the big guy off while Mishal and I try to winnow out where it's hiding." The redhead needed no further direction. It had been so long since she had been let out to play, and how often would she get to face a legend like the great Dragonslayer Ornstein?
"Time to break out the heavy shit!" Rebekkah sneered, her blade flashing to life. "You may have made a name for yourself taking out oversized garden snakes, but you've never faced the likes of the Savage Red Hound before!" She bum-rushed Ornstein, bodychecking her foe, her blade aiming for the neck. But the lance parried it away. Rebekkah wasn't dissuaded, instead whipping her booted foot in a hard sidekick, sending him tumbling back, followed by a wide swing of her sword, the blade glowing as she activated a sword skill, flashing a brilliant green.
"Wolf Fury!" She cried, swinging twice diagonally across Ornstein's torso, finishing with a broad horizontal strike, and chaining it with a back kick and a hard elbow. "This right here is the main difference between Niobe and myself, she's a mage knight, pretty handy with those fancy Glintstone Sorceries of hers, although baby sister is even better, and she's really skilled with that shiny sword of hers. Me? I could care less about casting spells of any kind. For me, my magic goes all to bolstering my physical strength!"
She brought her crimson blade down on the Dragonslayer's helm twice. "Pure power right here! No wand waving or lengthy incantations. I just use the mana to make me hit harder than I normally do!" Rebekah's blade flashed again, and she delivered a powerful single upward slash. She threw a series of punches at Ornstein's abdomen, stomping on his foot before backhanding him across the face. Ornstein's spear came down, and Rebekah deftly caught it in her free hand. "Nothing against you, but I think it's time for you go back to that great big sleep with your buddy." She snapped off the spear tip before bodily hoisting Ornstein in the air, a feat that clashed with Ornstein's colossal size in that moment. "Here it comes, girls! Get ready!" Rebekah called to Mishal and Alisha, heaving the Dragonslayer's battered form into the air.
Golden lightning danced on Alisha's fingertips as she slammed her lance into the ground. "Spear of the divine, strike my enemy true!" A crackling javelin of electricity nearly as long as her physical lance formed in her hand, Alisha took aim at Ornstein rapidly falling to the ground. "Praise the Sun and the life it gives! Lightning Spear!" She hurled the lightning bolt and it connected, Ornstein's body twitching and writhing as it slammed into the ground. "Hit him now, Mishy!" She cried.
Like Alisha, Mishal had sheathed her weapon, drawing forth the greatest heat she could manage with both hands, her gaze not breaking from where Ornstein had fallen. Even now she could see his silhouette staggering to his feet, but he wasn't going to get a chance to regroup. "Flame Tempest!" A bed of fire erupted outwards, consuming Ornstein in a sea of fire that would have made even the most hardened of dragons wince in pain. But the girls weren't done yet. Quickly Alisha and Mishal rushed to Rebekah's side, laying their hands on her sword, rapidly chanting.
"Oh Gilded Holy Light, Erdtree Full of Grace. Strike Down the Forces of Chaos that would seek to stifle your honeyed rays of sunlight." Alisha intoned, her hands glowing with a soft golden light that many would be familiar with.
"Oh Mighty Divine Flame of Ruination, Undoer of Creation. Heed My Command Henceforth." Mishal joined in, flaming fell runes shirled about the air around her. "Twist the Laws of Nature in the names of the Greater Will. The One Star Direct Thee Henceforth: BURN!" Mishal's fingers danced with magnificent warming flames. The two energies coalesced and became one, drenching Rebekah's blade in a brilliant golden flame.
"Holy Flame of Ruination!" All three princesses belted out at once. Rebekah moved, rushing where Ornstein stood completely dazed, the golden flames on her sword flaring even brighter as she made her own contribution to this grand coup de grace, the conflagration growing longer and longer until it was almost as tall as Ornstein was. A might leapt and Rebekah was in the air, sword clenched in both hands as she fell toward her target, with the final blow readied. Rallying every bit of strength she had, Rebekah brought her weapon down, swinging in every direction, flames spreading everywhere.
"Savage Wolf Fury!" Rebekah bellowed, ending with a power stab to the chest. A huge explosion of light and fire erupted outward, kicking up a massive cloud of dust. This is what Mishal and Alisha were waiting for, because as the dust fell, a shape formed, as the Spirit Calling Snail's location was revealed. "Do it, Niobe!" Rebekkah screamed, as angry red faded back to calm blue, blazing golden eyes giving way to hardened sapphire. Mishal tossed Niobe's weapons to her as Rebekkah's sword was sheathed. Holding her staff aloft and with her sword in hand, the glintstone inside both flaring with azure energy.
"Mighty Loretta, bless my arrow and let it seek its target unfailingly!" Niobe intoned, her arm unbending. A spectral blue greatbow manifested around her stave and sword as she slammed gem end pommel together. She pulled the ghastly bow stringback with a grunt of exertion as a spectral great arrow appeared between her fingers. "Loretta's Greatbow!" The shining projectile flew forth, striking the snail directly in the deck and pinning it to the wall with a pained screech. But the girls weren't finished there. Alisha raised her hand, chanting another spell as golden energy gathered there. Mishal was next to her, handing hands with the other girl, chanting another spell, more orange red flames dancing in her palm of her upwardly extended hand. They held hands, letting their energy mix as once.
"Flaming Rings of Victory!" A disk of golden energy, ringed by brilliant orange red flames came forth. Together they set it catapulted it forward with the forceful combined swing of their arms. It flew forward with force and blinded speed, cleaving the snail in half, while also setting it ablaze as it let out one final screech before it became ash on the wind. The girls could let themselves breathe for a minute. A light chuckle escaped Alisha's lips as she looked to Niobe and Mishal, both looking equally triumphant. They all came together, proud of what they had accomplished. "Good job!" They all exchanged high fives, looking to where Hawthorne and the rest of the council stood. But something seemed off, given how Sadoz was leering. It seemed far too smug even for him.
It was then it hit her. The fog hadn't dissipated, and it was starting to swirl like it had earlier when bringing forth Ornstein and Smough again. The Glintstone Knight's eyes widened in shock and horror as a familiar form was beginning to appear.
A huge form manifested before them, looming above them, all gilded in shining armor. It was somehow more frightening as the armor was all made of harsh angles, and bladed bone like edges. The visage offered not a brave lion but the snarling face of a dragon with an authoritative bladed brow acting as its dreaded crown. It held a severe looking broad bladed cleaver aloft consisting of a shaft as long as the grand figure was tall. It was wrong to call it a cleaver. It was also wrong to call it an axe. It was a promised of death made manifest.
And it held a massive, fluted round great shield aloft in its other hand. Somehow, the shield seemed to have the composition of gilded bone like the main armor itself. It was an uncompromising thing. A shield of grand defense as well as a cudgel that could break any challengers upon the rocks of conflict.
This knight, this settler of the woes for the queen, was surely not a thing to be taken lightly. A specter of the past who served valiantly. A spirit not unbroken even as he faced his last moments against monsters so great the very land itself shuddered in terror. It was for this reason he served the Erdtree, and therefore the Greater Will as a thrall most unbeatable in the many eons passed since his demise.
"Uh, girls? We're not done yet!" Mishal and Alisha turned to see the apparent return of the Dragonslayer, when a crack of thunder resounded, and a massive bolt of blue lightning flew to a corner of the room, illuminating a second of those ghastly white snails appeared snake like it in its horridness. It twitched and writhed under the electrical onslaught before it faded into phantasmal ash. Niobe let out an audible sigh of relief as the phantom specter faded away, while the others girls' shoulders sagged.
"Is there any other surprises for us?" Alisha asked the Two Fingers, glancing about superstitiously.
"Yeah, I wasn't particularly looking forward to a round three." Mishal glared at the thing declaring itself "God" above all.
"Thanks for the assist at the end, Uncle Thor!" Niobe chirped, waving to the God of Thunder. Who in turn just grunted in reply as he holstered the still smoking Mjolnir on his belt, expression bored and just plain annoyed.
"I just wanted to end the whole damn charade." He threw a venomous gaze to Sadoz. "Let me guess, that was one of your little tricks, was it sorcerer?"
Sadoz just shrugged, giving an irritated foxlike squint at the remains of the serpentine like snail. "Did you really have to do that to my beloved pet," he groused dramatically, much like a teenage girl would have done. Those snails are incredibly hard to breed, much less domesticate. They don't grow on trees after all!" He threw up his hands in defeat when he saw Thor's lips twitch, and decided to drop the subject. "But all's well that ends well, right? I'm sure the Greater Will is very impressed with your performance girls. Would everyone agree with that?"
"Hmph, I'm sure it was all a request from our esteemed patron." Odin bit out, to which Hawthorne just rolled his eyes.
"Oh yes," He said, looking exhausted. Yet somehow pleased with the result. "The Great She does love her tests, just for her own amusement." The High King planned on breaking out the good wine tonight.
"Yes, I'm sure there's a greater layer to all of this, or can we just move on now?" Saul shook his head, looking at the door intently. His feet hurt from all this standing. Frankly, he only wished to have lunch as his godly stomach grumbled with divine dissatisfaction.
The Two Fingers drooped a little, and an annoyed whine came from the grand gilded flower. "AW YOU GUYS ARE NO FUN AT ALL! ARE YOU THAT UNFOND OF MY CHALLENGES? I CAN TELL YOU THAT IT WAS FOR EVERYONE'S BENEFITS."
Odin just let out a raspy, hawkish laugh as he banged his staff on the ground. "Ah yes, you're thinking this is a moment comparable to your old friend Abraham and his boy, Issac? It was just convenience that ram just happened to get stuck in the thorns when he was ready to slit the boy's throat. It was all just another of your little tests of character and faith. Like I haven't pulled that kind of shit in the past before." The day had been one of many firsts, including listening to the Greater Will start sputtering indignantly. The echoing voice finally coughed.
"UMM, YES YOU ARE VERY RIGHT FATHER OF ALL. VERY COMPARABLE. IT WASN'T MERELY A TEST FOR MY PROSPECTIVE EMPYREANS. IT WAS A TEST FOR EVERYONE PRESENT IN THIS ROOM. THOR PROVED HIMSELF QUITE WORTHY OF A GOLD STAR. I HOPE EVERYONE KNOWS THE VALUE OF WATCHING OUT FOR ONE ANOTHER IN TIMES OF STRIFE AND TAKES THIS LESSON INTO THEIR HEARTS AND SOULS FROM HERE ON OUT." Everyone grunted, only mildly acknowledging the Greater Will's words. None one wished to protest because it was both blasphemy, and not worth the effort of questioning further.
"Gold Stars don't put food on the table. I doubt it will get me a single lager." Thor grumbled, his massive shoulders slumping in disappointment.
"Oh quit whining. I'll have a shiny medal made for you when we get home. I'll give it a nice Carian Blue Ribbon and everything." Odin waved his dismissively, swishing his stave about in the other hand as if he was casting a spell of grand derision.
"You're generous as always, old man." Thor mumbled, a couple more sparks of lightning jumping off him as he stumbled out of the chamber. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm hitting the pub, I'm getting the extra large helping of mead to deal with all of this stupid crap." Odin just harrumphed and vanished in a swirl of ravens, granting no goodbyes to his beloved son or extended family present. Not that anyone was bothered since he was a pain in the ass anyhow.
Saul and Sadoz simply began making for the door without any ceremony. The girls looked to where the flower had closed up and was now concealed by the plant matter like fist of the Two Fingers once more. It seemed the Greater Will had given them all they would get.
"So, what now?" Mishal finally asked curiously, glancing between the girls. "I mean, Niobe has her mission to Novigrad. Maybe we should all head there together?"
"That doesn't sound like such a bad idea." The paladin princess suggested helpfully, glancing to Mishal meaningfully. Alisha would have liked to get a little bit of sleep in before moving on such a journey, but given Phoenica's life was at stake, rest would have to wait. "I can rally the Temple's Seventh Knightly Battalion and we can be underway in a couple of hours with the help of select portal jumps. Mishy, you could gather us up some extra troops, can you?"
"I know a few people who owe some favors." The dusky skinned princess of flame nodded strongly, her expression determined. Mishal would have gone to any lengths to find their wayward sister/cousin. Only for a firm clap from Hawthorne to silence them. All three of them came to face their liege most high.
"That won't be necessary, or possible. Niobe will be traveling to Novigrad by herself." He announced, stern voice brokering no argument. Somehow, he sounded both a liege as liege, and a parent handing out chores. "I have need of your services elsewhere. Or have you forgotten what the Greater Will told you already about your status as Empyreans and what you were required to do to be able to stake your claim to the throne? She said that you would need to recover the Grimoires, so that is what your task must be."
"You and the Seventh Knightly Battalion will head for Scandinavia and start sweeping our new gains there in search for Grimoire Verde. Mishal, a ship is waiting to take you to the frontlines in Yuyake and you will begin to uncover the whereabouts of Grimoire Weiss." Both girls glanced sharply at one another, looking rather discontented with their assignments. "And despite the importance of ascertaining her sister's whereabouts, Niobe's main goal will be acquiring Grimoire Azure." Sadoz rubbed his hands together from across the room at hearing this. Even though they should have left, Saul and Sadoz lingered eagerly upon hearing the High King's orders. Like young women trying to eavesdrop on the latest greasy, finger licking good gossip. "It will be a stirring test of your abilities to find the books, but I'm sure you'll prevail."
"Your search for Phoenicia must be undertaken with the greatest discretion, Niobe. The less people involved the better, if you and other girls were to venture on to the sovereign grounds of Novigrad with a small army at your backs, it would cause a massive uproar, and we have enough problems here on the homefront." Hawthorne held up a hand to forestall any protests. "This is my word, girls, and it cannot be disputed, no matter how you feel about it."
"You want me to go to Yuyake? That's so far off from the mainland, I may as well be in Afroka, given how far south it is!" Mishal protested, her hand cutting the air. Her cloak flapped about the air along with it. "Not to mention it's not even a major front at this time. It's not even a place we need even if it is a major trading route for us." Mishal was livid. Even if the tome was supposedly so important, certainly it didn't require her direct attention at this moment. She'd rather be helping look for Phoenicia. But Hawthorne was unmoved, his eyes cold as the stone of the palace itself.
"We have a long-standing alliance with Lord Oda." The man most kingly replied sternly. "He will welcome having a warrior of your caliber there to aid in his efforts."
A low growl escaped Mishal's lips, furiously kicking at a rock on the floor. Which she soundly kicked across the room where it shattered into many more splintering shards. "I wonder if this whole Empyrean gig is really all worth it when Phoenicia's life is in danger?" She looked directly to Niobe, who just gave a grateful nod.
"Yeah, and I'm going to be sifting through the ashes of Scandinavia for a single book? Wow, I may as well be looking for a glass needle in a haystack." Alisha huffed, feeling as though her time was being equally wasted. "What is so important about these books that such resources are being dedicated to their retrieval?"
"I'm afraid that information is strictly need to know." Irritation was beginning to color the High King's tone due to all their complaining, and questions. Why couldn't the youth of today simply do as they were told? "The three Grimoires are that great of a state secret and are vital to the future of the Imperium itself. When the time comes you will be given more information, and only then."
"Do I at least get a portal to Novigrad or do I have to cross the entire Land of Deserts to get there?" Niobe folded her arms, looking expectantly to the sorcerer across the room with great impatience. "I'm sure Rebekah would love to make that trip, she would get a kick out of dealing with any bandits stupid enough to attack her, but I'm not so inclined for it."
"Of course, Princess Niobe. I will gladly do it for you myself. No one wants to cross the Land of Deserts." A wave of his hand and a swirling golden-brown portal materialized in front of her with grand light and sound. It was probably the nicest Sadoz had ever sounded in the years Niobe had known him, and that said a lot.
Hawthorne just snorted, looking as if it was only a matter of course. He gestured as if to say, "what do you take me for?" "It would be too dangerous even for Rebekah. There are too many unpredictable elements out there in that massive stretch of sand. The general rabble rousers are bad enough, let alone the fact the Archadians have been expanding in the area for the last year or so. I would have insisted you fast travel there anyway." Niobe glanced at the swirling vortex before her gaze turned back at her fellow princesses. There was hope in their eyes, and it put her at ease. Despite everything that had happened, it was comforting to the Glintstone Mage Knight knowing that she wasn't alone in her worry for her sister.
The three of them embraced, sharing in mutual sisterly warmth. "Good luck, Niobe. We know you'll find Phoenicia eventually." Mishal said to her, her voice cracking. Not bothering to hide the growing tears in her eyes. "And I'll do everything in my power to try and search for her as well. The minute I hear even the slightest morsel. You'll be the first to know."
"That's right, and it will be the same thing for me. I don't care if it's the most minor rumor about Phoenicia. I'll send the fastest courier I can and you'll know immediately." Alisha whispered, her voice breaking as she wiped away her own tears. It was then Hawthorne surprised all three girls and swept them up in a huge hug. It was totally unexpected on the High King's part. Fatherly pride was clear in his eyes.
"I'm so happy to see how much the three of you have grown up. I know I've been rather aloof as of late, but you have to see how dangerous things have become abroad. I feared for the future of our glorious nation, but perhaps that worry was misplaced in how bright your stars have become. I am so proud of you girls, and I am very certain your grandmother would approve as well. Any of you three would be worthy to her throne. I've just been keeping it warm until such a proper successor would come along." None of them were sure how to take this, but given how taciturn and cold he had been since getting back, this was a welcome change. Sadoz was watching it all with that all too familiar smug grin and his arms hidden in his robes. He was about to open his mouth, when Saul slapped him on the shoulder.
"We should probably leave this tender family moment. We have further planning to do anyway." The commander of the Ivory Order said.
Sadoz pouted like a little girl. "More work already? Oh it gets so tedious at times." He quickly brightened up. "Oh well, I suppose it means I get to work on my pet project with Yuma and her darling apprentice Soren." A crow like cackle escaped his lips. "I may not have raised Yuma, but she has done so incredibly well to follow in Yesenia's footsteps." Sadoz winced when Saul's hand dug into his shoulder. For a moment, silent rage was fuming on his face. It was then he let out a loud laugh, running his hand through snow white locks.
"Oh Sadoz, you do love to troll people by bringing that name up." Saul kept laughing, dragging the Prime Minister away by the nape of his neck. The Prime Minister gave one final wink before vanishing behind the door with a great crash. Hawthorne likewise had flinched, trembling in quiet rage.
"Are you okay, Father?" Niobe asked worriedly, only for him to break into a gentle smile, gently stroking her cheek as he broke the hug.
"I'm fine dear. There is still much work to be done for the coming age. The struggles are great but I expect you to endure as Empyreans should. You are the hope of the future, not just the Imperium but all mankind. Go my gorgeous daughters. Make yourselves mighty lords and true goddesses of strength. Succeed where your predecessors failed. Or else…" He halted for a minute, considering his next words, clearing his throat. "Or as mother herself once said, you might only amount yourselves to only sacrifices to pave the way for the next age. I know what it is to be as such. So do not fail…please. The pathway to the Elden Throne will only open for those who achieve. The ones who do not. Well, look at your forebearers and see what happened to them."
A light laugh came up from Niobe's head. "As if we would lose. Maybe if we take the throne then the Greater Will will split us apart? No offense to you, but the place is pretty cramped. I can only imagine how grandmother and grandpa felt towards the end. That's why I don't intend to continue this arrangement any longer than necessary. Let's find this stupid book and our baby sister, and prove to everyone why we're the best! Once and for all!" Niobe just nodded in silent agreement but made no reply mentally. Again, they didn't always agree on much, but this was one thing they were totally on the same page for. It would be nice for her headspace to be her own again.
The trio of demigod princesses separated, still holding hands in a circle before the High King. "It goes without saying, but I will be queen." Niobe declared with a cheeky smile on her face.
"I love your fire when you set your mind on something." Mishal grinned brightly. Alisha looked past Niobe to the shimmering portal with intensity.
"You go and find her Niobe. Rest assured I won't be sitting on my laurels either." The paladin princess now wore her own cheeky smile. "The next age will be mine, so you'll have to forgive me if if yourself on your butt at the end, and mine sitting on the Elden Throne." This brought joyful giggles from both girls.
"I also vow to take this world on a better path if I win. One without war. So don't break down crying if you end up eating my dust. I am the only one who can win this." Mishal squeezed their hands, as they shared a final gaze with each other. All three girls nodded, and then Niobe looked to Hawthorne, who merely folded his hands behind his back and gave a slight nod. No words were required. The challenge was clear, and now it was up to them to do the legwork.
Rebekkah snorted. "I'm going to kick his ass the moment we get our own bodies. I'm going to make him pay for what he did to us."
Niobe turned her back, there were no more goodbyes to say, and while there were many tears, she wasn't going to shed any in that moment. That was going to be saved for her reunion with her baby sister. "Wait for me, Phoebe," she whispered aloud, "I'm on my way." She spoke the name her younger sister preferred to be called. Taking a final deep breath. Niobe strode through the portal, and it vanished from the physical plane with a loud popping sound, akin to a bubble bursting, and all was silent.
Mishal and Alisha bowed to the High King. "As for your ladies, you have your standing orders. I trust you will not fail in the tasks given. Now if you'll excuse me, I'd like to be alone for a while." They both departed from the chamber, the doors swinging open and banging shut, louder than they should. With that Hawthorne sighed. "Teenage girls, so passive-aggressive." He muttered, hands behind his back. The delicate titter came back. "And you just had to encourage them, didn't you?" He spoke to the projection of the flower again grudgingly.
"INDEED, INDEED. BUT THEY ARE TEENAGERS, WHAT WERE YOU EXPECTING HAWTHORNE? DON'T FORGET YOU WERE ONE YOURSELF AT ONE POINT?" The Greater Will's voice echoed through the chamber, so full of amusement. "SO TELL ME, WHICH OF THEM DO YOU THINK WILL PREVAIL IN THE END?"
Hawthorne closed his eyes and just scoffed after a long, silent moment. "Oh please, why are you even dignifying such a question? You're God, you already know the answer. Why make me say it?" The voice clicked her tongue in disproval.
"YOU ARE SUCH A KILLJOY SOMETIMES. I MUST SAY YOU MAKE A CAREER OUT OF BEING AS NOT FUN AS POSSIBLE." She sounded genuinely disappointed at the High King's constant lack of humor. "REMEMBER WHAT I SAID ABOUT YOU BEING A TEENAGER LIKE THEM AT ONE POINT? YOU WERE SO MUCH MORE INCLINED TO HUMOR ME BACK THEN."
"That time has long since past and you are damn aware why that is!" Hawthorne snapped at the empty room. A gentle resigned sigh responded back. Hurt colored the voice of the Star Above.
"OKAY, POOR CHOICE OF WORDS. I SUPPOSE FOUR THOUSAND YEARS IMPRISONED IN THE EVERGAOL WOULD SUCK THE FUN OUT OF ANYONE. HOW MANY MORE TIMES DO I NEED TO APOLOGIZE FOR THAT SO YOU CAN LET IT GO? EVEN I CAN BE WRONG AT TIMES."
He waved a dismissive hand. Hawthorne murmured, closing his eyes in reverie. "I suppose it's all a moot point now. Those three girls will do their best. Finally it will all come to an end, and this desolate Age of Fracture will become something else entirely." A sudden wind swept through the chamber, and the flames of the candles danced and the Two Fingers twitched again.
The Greater Will tittered one last time. "For once we agree on something, it's time for us to sing for this age's end. What will come…not even I know."