Eostia: Harem Quest

by EostianScribe

The Gods have given mortals the power of The Gamer as a pass time. A hobby. A means to compete and relax. One goddess, however, sees it as a means of salvation; starting with one world. As such, she rolls the dice... (Harem, Citrus and Eventual Dark Content Warning)

36. Act II-Ch XV: Spoken in Shadow

[ - Author's Note - ]

Here we are with the next chapter... That I'm writing between bouts of the Steam version of Final Fantasy 7 Remake. Yup; another distraction in real life to contend with. Oh well.

Things turned out a little differently then I had intended, but I think it'll do what I wanted it to do. Anyway, let's move along and start.

[ - Act II – Chapter XV: Spoken in Shadow - ]

Verlangen had always had a policy that can be summarized as 'the strong should rule and the weak should submit' and he was more then happy to debate this ideal with others. By 'debate this ideal with others' I mean decapitate or bisect any man who attempts to do so and have raped any woman who argues with him on that point. His conquests spanned all of what we now know as Eostia, modern day Garan and parts of what was Rycall and Balanar. He was more then apply to apply a sword to most problems.

That's not to say he was a muscle-headed fool nor did he not have standards, although I am convinced he only had standards to keep his realm in order. As examples of said standards, married women were forbidden from laying with men save their husband or be forced into prostitution (Yes, even if they were raped). Men couldn't rape married woman (Aside from their own wives who had no right to refuse). All males of ages thirteen and older must train in a weapon for five hours a week at least so they could be quickly raised into an army. Theft was forbidden as was murder, but if someone died in a legal duel, well, you could help yourself to their belongings.

He also encouraged (Relatively) free trade within his empire and with nearby allies and built large amounts of infrastructure. Indeed, many roads, forts and even towns were built at his direction on the foundations the Unitum Imperium left behind and repaired it to working order as well. Fortress Skycrown, while not one of the modern Seven Fortresses of Eostia, was his seat of power and the strongest fortress of it's era and remains as the capital of Ken. He also kept the Aberrant in check, something that wouldn't be truly accomplished by the Alliance until three hundred years after Eostia's founding, and before Garan rose up. He was strong enough to conquer but was wise enough to not overreach; he didn't keep marching his forces onto more conquests because he knew he could only control so much land at once.

While the Empire of Brazen seemed to be a bastion of power the honest facts were the cracks in the foundations Verlangen laid had been there from the start. Uprisings came about all the time that had to be put down, many of his lieutenants were lining their own pockets with coin and more then one was seeking a way to overthrow him from the start to the end of his empire. People tugged and chaffed at the lack of freedoms and overtime rebels became more and more common. Slowly allies were alienated more and more, reducing trade and wealth. Corruption, banditry and uprisings became much more common and Verlangen had to keep himself and his armies marching to stamp out these fires while wasting time, energy and manpower.

Indeed, Joanna and the Seven Legendary Shield Maidens largely won because the bulk of his army was off fighting across all of the Brazen Empire; fighting notable bandit bands, quelling a series of growing uprisings and other rebels, Dreadrick Arbalde's betrayal as he kept his forces in the north and prepared to found his own self named empire, large scale desertion of the ranks (With the Conquers of U'ra joining Joanna's cause being one of the worst blows to Verlangen), and much of the merchant class throwing money at any rebels they thought could dislodge Verlangen from his throne.

His one hundred year reign was finally ended by Joanna and her shields on the fields of modern day Arndale. It wasn't long after that the Seven would found the Seven Shields Alliance. Some of their critics at the time declared that her alliance of seven kingdoms wouldn't last a tenth of the time the Empire stood, seeing them as weak and incompetent, Joanna in particular.

As if this writing it's stood over almost twenty times his reign with far greater stability.

~Dominic James Pencraft, The Eostia Historia

[-]

Unmarked Warehouse
South-West Section of Greenback City

"What!?" Caldwell let off as he glared at Haley. "What do you mean you were found out in moments!?" A line of open windows let light into the warehouse he had come to to get an update on his plans only to be given a bad one. The warehouse in question was well aged but it's sturdy, good construction showed. A series of crates and barrels were stacked up and around the area, two high at most. The center, however, was left clear for meetings like this to easily occur as several people were present. Himself and Beardsley wore cloaks to hide their faces on the way over (And Beardsley still hid his face under his hood), plus his six man bodyguard, plus the now berated actress. In addition to them were a series of ruffians and thuggish looking types, seated on crates or on the floor and leaning into them or simply leaning into them as their boss sat in one of the few chairs in the place. "I told you not to do it right in the square! Sally was bound to be nearby to listen in for the upcoming debates! The market district would have been a better spot!"

"Ugghhh... But it was the best stage..." Haley let off, sighing and hanging her head in an over-dramatic fashion. "And it's not like it mattered if she was there or not, that jerk pulled the pendant right off my neck!"

"Jerk?" Caldwell let off with a huff to try and prompt her to explain.

"Some... noble looking guy in blue armor!" She let off, throwing her hands in the air for a moment. "Called himself an 'enchanter' or something and yanked the pendant right off of me! Said he saw through me right away!"

"The Noxdecus lad..." Beardsley said, getting Caldwell's attention, the merchant turning to look at his friend under the hood. "He's been making a device to let people speak over large distances and has been installing a sort of... network to increase their ability. Needless to say he's a very talented enchanter and likely can sense other enchantments around him."

"Tsk. Luckily he'll be gone soon." Caldwell said as he cupped his chin. "Haley, keep your head down for now. We'll need to undermine that drow in another way."

"We can't exactly be too blatant about it now though..." Caldwell turned to the leader of the roguish group; the smugglers that he had been using; Shani the Blood Axe. She was maybe six feet tall and well toned with tanned skin, bearing short, red hair and green eyes. A long scar ran down over her left eye but didn't hinder her vision at all. She wore a dark tan leather, closed vest with white fur at the collar. Matching, leather short shorts with a fur trimmed waist hugged her hips as knee high boots boasted fur trim around the top and leather bracers around each forearm with fur slipping out both ends. A thick, leather strap held a double-headed axe to her back as she snorted. "Once this little incident gets out some people won't trust anything that looks defaming. Hell, it might make her look better to the people..."

"Hmmm..." Caldwell let off as he thought about it. The smugglers had been a key part of his business for awhile now and through his contacts and operations he could help them smuggle their goods around; mostly illegal drugs, banned goods like Dominious vodka or controlled drugs and medicines with various side-effects for a cut while they provided his businesses with cheaper goods to sell and raw material for his production around Pulca. If nothing else Dominious goods were cheaper as people sold what they could just to eat the next day as the Dominious Civil War raged onward.

Of course getting all of these goods into Greenback was tricky, even with his connections... But there was always a way.

"My advice would be to not target the candidate." Beardsley said, speaking up as everyone looked at him. "Target the votes, or at least those who count them."

"Hmm... That's an option. Pulca's military commander is the one who oversees such things, Commander Finlay Cridhemath... But gaining leverage over him will not be easy; his wife is scarier then he is." Caldwell Coeurnoir let off with a sigh. "And his daughter is young but nearly always by the mother's side. ... Although..."

"Although...?" Shani prompted with a nod of her head.

"His son Duncan is a part of the guard. Strong lad, but green." Caldwell let off with a chuckle. "He's a bit more vulnerable; although not helpless."

"Leave it to me and my boys here." Shani said, giving a wicked grin. "Course we'll need to... Silence them once it's all said and done... Can't let them blabber on about what happened after the voting's all done and counted."

"Ah, of course. Even if they die and people suspect something they'll be unable to overturn the votes without evidence." Caldwell let off with a chuckle.

"What about that Noxdecus brat?" Shani asked as Beardsley and Caldwell blinked at her. "He fucked up Haley's plan, what's to say he won't stick his nose where it doesn't belong a second time?"

"Because he's on a job; he can't stick around for long." Beardsley explained with a huff. "Even if he wanted to stick his nose into our business he'll be gone in the morning. He won't be a thorn your side."

"What if he comes to the Red Light District for some 'fun'?"

"Oh please..." Beardsley snorted to the woman. "He's accompanied by two mongrels, his halfling maid, and an Eastern wench. He doesn't need to pay a woman to bed him; why in the hell would he need or want to step foot there?"

[-]

"I do not like walking under an illusion like this."

"Noted, Makoto." I replied with. "But we need to be quiet and not draw attention to ourselves, and this is the easiest way to do so." Each of us was under an illusion; making us look like a small group of seasoned mercenaries. I used scry to see into the district before doing so to get an idea of how much would be too much, so to speak. Our goals were two fold; get something to point us towards these smugglers (Be it by overhearing, bribery or some other means) and find Haley who could point us in the right direction. I prepared some spell stones with tracking spells and modified voxlux spells on them, just in case.

The buildings in the area were a mix of well kept (Mostly around the brothels) and less well kept (Almost everywhere else). We were exploring the district and dipped into a store; a general store by the looks of it. We all made a show of browsing and seeing what was on offer. It wasn't long before Riri directed me over to a series of barrels with a simple label; vodka. Vodka was a fairly uncommon drink in Eostia; made from grains, corns or potatoes and is a rather cheap, easy to make alcoholic drink. These properties made them unpopular in the relatively wealthy Eostia and even then the lower classes preferred ale. On the other hand it was very popular in Dominious and considered by many to be their national drink.

And Dominious vodka was banned in Eostia.

And a prohibition on something tended to make that something attractive to people who wonders what all the hub-bub was about. As such it was a rather popular item to smuggle in and sell at much higher prices then one could buy it. I slipped Riri a small stone and nodded to her as I went back to browsing. By the time we left we bought a few, small items and left a stone hidden between the cracks in planks of wood near the counter. We'd stop in at a dingy pub and Riri would sneak a few stones here and there to let us listen in as we ate surprisingly decent, if overly seasoned food. We didn't get much but we were pointed towards a few warehouses as two men commented on work involving 'goods'. It was as we were heading off to look at those warehouses that we got a stroke of good luck.

"Riri, that hooded figure there..." I said, as I got my maid's attention. The figure's face could just barely be seen from this angle. If I hadn't been tagging everyone around me with Observe I'd have missed her too.

"It's her..." She whispered back to me, glaring to the woman.

"Follow her." I told my maid, giving her a glance as I passed her a stone. "See what she's up to and slip this on her, if you can."

"On it." She said, slipping the stone into a pocket and moving to blend into the crowd as she moved to follow the woman.

"Meanwhile we'll skulk about a bit more... Let's see if we can't find this warehouse..." I said as we moved onto explore...

[-]

Eastern Greenback City
Shopping District

Duncan Cridhemath was the son of Pulca's military leader, Commander Finlay Cridhemath and a fairly new guardsman. He stood at five foot eleven and bore short, ginger hair with freckles splattered over a youthful, pale face. He wore good, scale mail armor and carried a militia club in his hand, shouldered as he patrolled and kept watch for crime, although the club bore a thicker then normal band around the end and a bladed spike at the end. At his left hip was a well made short sword and a two foot wide, round shield. A black tabard covered his torso and armor down to the knees with the Pulca emblem over the front and back.

While his armor and weapons were of a higher quality then his fellow guards it was bought and paid for by his father who was worried for his well being as a parent tended to do. On top of his hard training good gear was what Finlay hoped would keep Duncan alive and well, if worse came to worse; after all as safe as Greenback City was things could still happen to a guard. Still, Duncan enjoyed his job and enjoyed helping the people and while he wasn't sure he wanted his father's job down the line it was worth considering.

In truth he was just happy to help and was smiling to the people he passed... At least until he saw it.

A woman, a redhead with a striking scar in a modest dress was walking down the street before an arm reached from an alley she was passing, yanking her in with a yelp. Gasping, he un-shouldered his weapon and charged in, pulling his shield into his off hand. Turning the corner into the alley he glared and stopped a few steps in. Two ruffians, pulling the woman into the middle of the alley, mouth covered as she kicked and squirmed. "Halt!" He gave off in as commanding a voice as he could muster as he started to approach, shield raised.

The two thugs ginned to him, tossing the woman to the wall; thankfully she was able to catch herself and was unarmed as they drew their arms. He grit his teeth and kept moving forwards, eyeing both thugs, shield up and before him... It was the sound of gravel scraping under a boot that made him turn his head. His father's training kicked in as he swung the butt of his weapon back behind him...

"Ack!"

And caught a third thug sneaking upon him holding a simple wooden club on the jaw with his hard backwards swing. "Tsk..." Duncan let off softly in worry. There was another two men, sneaking in behind him... There was something wrong with the situation...

The struck man staggered back and gripped his jaw in his off hand as the other passed him and took a combat stance with another club as Duncan backed deeper into the alley. Boot on stone with gravel scraping between alerted him to the coming attack from behind. He turned, feigning thrusting the spike of his weapon out and making his assailant stop short and lean sideways in surprise however the motion instead turned the militia club over Duncan's head and the young guard brought it down solidly onto the man's unprotected head with a loud crack as the militia club's metal band impacted the top of his skull, sending the thug out cold to the floor, collapsing like dead weight onto the ground. He then followed it up by charging the other man in the alley. He made to look like he'd use his club once more but instead slammed his shield into the man's chest, turning to ram him hard into the wall before turning; facing all four of the men (One on the ground, one leaning into the wall and sliding down, holding his ribs) and with the woman behind him, putting himself between them. "Stay behind me Ma'am, I'll handle these thugs!" He told her to try and keep her calm...

Before the back of his head exploded in pain; dropping his weapon to the ground as he fell to his hands and knees, gasping out as stars filled his vision. Weakness and confusion filled him, unable to do much as his helm was shoved off his head, a large dent in the back of it. He could do nothing as a boot stomped to the back of his head, slamming his face into the ground and knocking him out.

"Ahhh... That lil' bastard's tougher then I thought..." The first man struck let off, rubbing his jaw as he walked over to Shani holding a club that was hidden under her dress, her foot pressed to the back of the guard's head still. "Gah, I'll feel that tomorrow."

"Tell me about it." The shield-bashed man said, clutching his ribs. "Greg, you okay?" He let off moving to the downed thug as the one, still unharmed one moved to the guard, sighing.

"Glad the wagon's close..." He said, moving to bind the guard before sliding a blanket over him. "Hate to think of how hard this would be otherwise."

"Shut up." Shani said with a huff. "Be glad he was a naive idiot."

"Shit! Greg is dead!" The woman and other two thugs turned to look at the one checking on the downed thug. "He ain't breathin'!"

"Bastard!" The untouched thug gave the young guard a kick in the ribs... And yelped as he shook out his foot after connecting with the man's armor.

"Keep your voices down, you fools!" Shani hissed out, glaring at them as they silenced. "Get the bastard moved to the wagon. Now."

The three men would grab the covered and bound guard moving him to the end of the alley. When no one was paying attention to them the young guard was loaded into a wagon, the jaw struck and unharmed thugs quickly moving to grab the handles to start to pull the wagon away...

Moments later two figures saw the dead figure and moved to the other end of the alley. Seeing four, suspicious people carrying odd cargo on a wagon they moved to follow...

[-]

"I think it'll be this one." I said as we moved down to an alleyway and to a series of buildings. The warehouses here were large, two story buildings. They bore roofs with a single slant and windows to let in light; not glass ones but open, wooden ones held open by small posts. There was a mix of colors for each building but the bulk were white washed with maybe different colored roofs or trim to mark which was which at a glance. The one I was looking at bore red walls and a dark blue roof in particular. Riri had called in for a brief report and it was rather promising, although I still needed more proof to pin Caldwell to the wall.

"How are you so sure?" Makoto asked me as she blinked over it as I smiled wide.

"Because, it's the only one here with a scry shield applied." I replied as she nodded. "Come on." Once sure no one was looking we moved next to the warehouse and I gently lifted Makoto to my arms before using Levitate to move to the roof. I crawled to a window, motioning for her to do the same. Once there I took a moment to cast an Illusion spell to hide our positions from someone outside of the place. "Let's wait and see what goes on here..."

The warehouse was full of barrels and crates; full of what I didn't know but many barrels looked full of some liquor or another. Vodka, maybe? I could see an iron animal cage set into place as various thugs (Levels nine to thirteen) milled about. A trio were gambling with dice, two were arm wrestling and a couple were doing actual work. One would open one crate, write something on a scroll, shut the crate and repeat with another. The first sign that these were the smugglers was when one man grabbed some mugs and moved to a barrel set up on another barrel. A tap was in it already and he poured something into the wooden mugs. What I could see was the liquid was as clear as water as they grinned and started to drink and talk.

"For what reason do they have a cage?" Makoto asked me as I hummed in thought.

"They must be planning to put something in it. For now let's keep watch. Boring as it is..." I whispered back as she nodded.

Keeping watch was boring but we started to get an idea of what was going on... However it wasn't all that long before there was a knock at the door in a specific pattern; tap-tap-knock-knock-tap. One man would rush to the door and opening it for four people to come in, a well dressed woman with a scar on her face and three thugs. With them they pulled a wagon with something covered on it, pulling the cover off before the door shut to showcase an armored man. I frowned as they moved to the cage as one thug sipped his drink for a long moment then looked them over to the newcomers before giving a frown. "Where's Greg?" He asked simply and briskly.

"Damn bastard killed him. We had to leave him in the alley." The woman let off with a huff. "One blow too." She let off, moving to a stack of crates that were two high. "No peeking you assholes!" She let off as I used Observe on her.

(-)

Name: Shani the Blood Axe
Title: Smuggler of the Underground
Class: Warlord
Level: 22
Alignment: Hostile
Reputation: 34
Status: Healthy, Annoyed, Relaxed

Romance Rating: 75
Corruption Rating: 87

Known Traits
[?]

[An Axe To Grind] You love your axes! +3 Damage to all Axe Weapons in your Hand
[Moxie] Each time you defeat a foe in battle increase your Con, Str, End, Dex and Agi by 2%, up to eight times. This lasts up until one minute after your last fight
[?]

Born to a Brazen Blade bandit of a father and a whore of a mother a life of crime and lawlessness was all but set in stone for her. Despite being pushed into a brothel she didn't feel a life of just sex for money was going to fulfill her and she would, instead, become a smuggler. After learning the ropes from her old boss she killed him, his closest aides and managed to blame it on a low ranking lieutenant. Now the boss of the Pulca Underground she rules with an axe in one hand and coin purse in the other.

(-)

There's the smuggler's boss then...

And the armored man?

(-)

Name: Duncan Cridhemath
Title: Youthful Guard of Pulca
Class: Fighter
Level: 17
Alignment: Friendly
Reputation: 43
Status: Healthy - Unconscious

Known Traits
[?]
[Ironclad] You wear any metal armor like you were born in it. +10% bonus to all Resistances for Chain Mail, Scale Mail, Splint Mail and Plate Mail.
[Gone Clubbin'] You are an effective user of any and all clubs and maces. +2% to all damage when using any club or mace. +3 to Str.

Son of Commander Finlay Cridhemath of Pulca Duncan admired his father since a young age. Inspired he decided to become a member of the guard to do his part to help the people of Greenback City and Pulca. Trained by his father he is a capable, if inexperience, combatant.

(-)

Damn. I was starting to see what could be happening here as I glared down to them. "What do we do about this?" Makoto asked as I took a moment to think.

"...I dunno..." I let off as Duncan was stripped from his armor, leaving him in shorts and an undershirt before being moved from the wagon into the cage and starting to chain it shut. "There's too many for us to take alone, doubly so with a hostage." I began to weigh my options as we kept watch.

Do we call in back-up? Miria should be back at Pulca Manor so it wouldn't be long until we got it. But if they were noticed as they moved it could cause a headache.

Do we wait for nightfall and sneak him out? Possible but who knows how heavy a guard they'd leave, let alone what else they'd set up?

Leave and sneak back in with more? What if they moved him in the intern?

Once more the choice was taken from me as a side window was broken open as two figures leapt into the room...

Alicia and Agni...

"Oh no..." I let off softly, sharing a look with Makoto. The thugs turned to see what was happening and their boss (Topless and with a leather vest in one hand and a double headed axe in the other) ran back to quickly join them and see what the noise was about as the Princess Knight drew her blade.

"Hold it right there!" The blonde barked out.

"I knew they were an odd bunch, but I did not expect so many to be here..." Agni let off, fists lifted into a combat stance. "Perhaps leaping in was not so wise a choice for us?" She hissed to Alicia.

No shit!

Alicia let off a 'tsk' but her eyes stayed on the thugs. "Drop your weapons and surrender! And you, put your vest on and cover up!" She barked out as I resisted the urge to facepalm. She really didn't understand how bad things were for her, did she? No, rather she did and was trying to what she could to command them to stand down... And likely knew it wouldn't work.

One of the thugs just grabbed a militia club and pulled the chain from the cage which was still yet to be locked and tossing it away before opening the cage wide and setting the spike to Duncan's neck looking to her. "Maybe you should take your own advice, girly."

There was a tense feeling in the air as I bit my lip. I started to rapidly form a plan in my head but needed to play it smart. "Tsk." I let off as I thought for a moment. An idea was finally forming in my mind as I turned to Makoto. "Okay... I think I have an idea... I need you to stay up here and do something for me..." I whispered to her as she nodded to me. I then started to explain what I needed her to do...

[-]

Alicia was at a loss for words and ideas. She and Agni shared a look. The dead man in the alley caused them alarm and when they checked the other side to secure the scene they saw something odd; three thuggish men and a respectably dressed woman. Faint tracks in the gravel hinted the wagon sat outside of the alley before being pulled and the two made to follow as quietly as they could manage to investigate.

They saw the man on the wagon just before the doors shut when the cloth was pulled away and knew they had to rescue him. In reality Alicia was the first to move but Agni was quick to follow on her heels, desire for justice in their veins as they leapt in through a wooden window to take the people off guard and dish out punishment to the wicked...

Only to be put in a disadvantage as soon as they landed on the floor. Hissing softly Alicia started to lower her weapon, glaring to the female boss of the thugs.

"Your Highness..." Agni hissed to the princess. "We cannot surrender! We do not know what these men plan to do here. If you die think of the state of the kingdom!"

"...I know, Agni... I know..." Alicia let off, the weight of her mistake crushing her shoulders as she shivered. Indeed she was in this position from a foolish error... Did she save herself and hold herself above the guardsman as a Princess of Foeh should..? Or surrender and save the man at her own expense as a Knight of Feoh should? "...But I must ask... Could I live with myself?"

"..." Agni had no answer as Shani grinned wider, shouldering her axe. The man with the militia club lightly prodded the guard's neck with the point of the club and finally Alicia sighed and dropped her weapon to the floor, letting it clatter loudly.

"Better..." Shani chuckled, smirking. "Boys, tie them up..." She ordered as four of the men walked over to them, two more moving to get rope before joining. Together the six men would grab the two women and bind their arms behind them firmly, one picking up Alicia's sword, before leading them to their leader who finally set her axe down to don her vest.

"Heh. The Princess of Foeh herself, huh? Damn shame..." Shani let off, grinning hard as the man moved from the guard, shutting the cage and chaining it shut. "That's trouble."

"What do we do with her?" One of the men let off, leering down to Alicia's breasts with a smirk.

"Nothing, yet." Shani let off with a huff. "The Princess of Feoh is a hell of a bargaining chip... But if she goes missing then nothing will save us from the combined forces of Foeh, the Knights of Iris and more from coming down on our heads."

"Shit... We can't fuck her then?" Another thug asked as she shook her head.

"Nah. Maybe something later, but for now, no. We need to be smart about this."

"Tsk. What else could go wrong..?"

"Never ask that." One thug quickly answered his fellow smuggler.

"Why not?"

"Something else will go wrong! That's why!"

Tap-tap-knock-knock-tap

"Huh?" Shani let off as everyone looked over to the door. The man nearest to the door moved to open it before Shani could say anything, seeing who stumbled in, panting softly was...

"The boss?" One of the thugs let off as Shani let off.

"C-C-Caldwell Coeurnoir!?" Alicia let off, eyes wide as the man panted a bit and shook his head when offered assistance by the thug. Realizing he and smugglers were on friendly terms as he stood up and walked to the smuggler's leader Alicia realized that he had been the one who hired them.

"This is a bad time, Boss." Shani let off, crossing her arms under her bust. "...And where's your guard?"

"Stalling the city guard." Caldwell let off, huffing and moving around towards Shani. "A body was found in an alley and someone mentioned something about the local gangs and a 'Greg'. I imagined something went wrong."

"Well this complicates matter that you showed up now of all times..." Shani said with a sigh, shaking her head.

"Yeah, but with the Commander's son here we can make sure that the Commander will count votes how we want for you." Shani sent the speaking thug a sharp look before looking to Alicia.

"Now though we'll have to kill these two. Damn." She let off, sighing. "This is gonna be a cluster fuck..." She let off, looking to her boss as he cupped his chin, standing next to her before turning to look at Alicia; wide eyed and nearly in shock.

'Caldwell really is crooked...' She thought to herself, gritting her teeth. 'But what can I do to get out of this..?'

"Ah, your highness I must say..." Caldwell said as he grinned... Then his look changed slightly, almost seeing a wink in his eyes. "Miria says duck."

"Huh?" Alicia, Agni and Shani let off as one as the thugs blinked... Before Caldwell grabbed Shani by the back of the neck, lightning crackling in his hand to everyone's shock as the woman screamed out and convulsed for a long moment before she was let go by him, falling to the floor, out cold. Even before the hand gripped the neck something clicked in Alicia's head as she ducked down, Agni mimicking her movement. The thugs were just starting to respond before the closest to him were hit with a wide, burst of wind from Caldwell's other hand, flinging them back with the man holding Alicia's sword dropping it.

"What the hell!?" One man let off as Caldwell moved to the two, bound women and drew a knife, a throwing knife no less, from behind him and quickly cut the ropes binding them.

"You're a bit too headstrong at times, Alicia." Caldwell let off in a much more familiar voice to her as the image of Caldwell wavered and vanished replaced with James.

"How did you...?" Alicia let off as he shook his head.

[-]

"Later..." I told her, smiling wide. "We can compare notes later. For now..." Now free Alicia grabbed her sword and turned to face the thugs. "We need to deal with this."

"Agreed." Agni said, smacking a fist into a palm as she glared at the men. I looked around; all in all some dozen and a half men, I'd say. We were outnumbered six to one... With Alicia being one of the later.

I liked our odds now.

"James, if you would be so kind to watch the guard..." Alicia let off, as she held her sword in both hands. "I wish to have a discussion with these men about good manners." I nodded and smiled, giving a chuckle. The men, sensing strength in numbers, charged. For the most part they had clubs, the odd axe and one had a staff. Alicia and Agni met them, rushing in side by side and what a sight to behold!

The first to meet Agni in combat was slammed with an elbow to the gut as she dashed under his weapon before it could be fully swung, knocking him back and to the floor. She would turn to the next with her knuckles colliding with another man's chin. A wide swing of a club was dodged as she leaned back, bridging her body and planting the top of her head to the floor before kicking up with her foot knocking a man back by the jaw, flipping her legs over herself before mule kicking another man in the gut.

For her part Alicia cut apart a man's club with her blade and slashed his neck at the same time before thrusting her weapon's pommel up into another foe's jaw as he got in close. Another was given a front kick into the gut, knocking him back before turning and running through a man trying to get behind her. As she pulled her blade free of him she would elbow another man, staggering him back before slashing down over his body, almost bisecting him.

The pair whittled down the goons pretty quick; as the last four were left they realized how utterly doomed they really were and moved to make it to the door... Only for Agni to dash forth, planting a foot onto one of their heads and leaping up and ahead, handing between them and the door before mule kicking one man into another before turning to face them.

The men screamed as the Princess Knight and the Monk descended upon them from two sides...

[-]

"Rather then call you up on the voxlux I decided it would be better to find you by looking around town. We assumed you must have gone to the market district and decided to go look for you and maybe shop a little while we were there." Alicia explained to me in the aftermath. Makoto had come down and joined us as Agni tended to and healed a still dazed but recovering Duncan. I had explained that I was looking into the smugglers Sally had mentioned, curious if they did have connections to Caldwell or not. Riri's trailing of Haley paid off in that aspect as she went to a dingy bar to drink and mention her boss, by name, to some thug while making conversation; a slip up I was happy to take advantage of. Alicia would continue her explanation. "Agni spotted the body in the alley and as we moved to secure the area we saw a group of a modestly dressed woman and three thugs leaving with a wagon with the tracks starting at the alley. Needless to say we found it a bit odd and followed and saw the guardsman before they shut the door." She sighed, hanging her head slightly as she blushed in shame. "I was so outraged that they were kidnapping a keeper of the peace that I just... Well... Charged in..."

"Agni didn't try and stop you?" I asked as Alicia squirmed before me.

"I, ahh, might have expressed a rather similar opinion." The monk said, chuckling nervously and blushing in shame as I groaned.

"Alicia... I like you... You're a good friend..." I told her before lightly bopping the top of her head with the bottom of my fist as she winced in response. "But you cannot just rush in like a bull to a red flag!" Another two bops followed. "You need to stop and think... You need to stop and spy for a moment, get some intelligence on the situation. This isn't some grand story where the knight rides in on a white steed, lance in hand and puts the fear of the Goddess into everyone!" I said, realizing as I spoke my voice was raising. Taking a calming breath I kept going. "You need to stop, you need to think and you need to remember how valuable you are; not just to your people or as a target to your enemies. Think of what Prim would be like if she heard you died." I said as she flinched hard. Low blow? Yeah, but it got the point across. "Miria would be pretty broken up to and don't think I wouldn't be quite upset to." I added as she looked up to me, the blush of shame deepening. I was sure it was shame, at least. Grabbing her shoulders I pulled her into a gentle hug, squeezing her firmly as I felt her arms wrap around my torso. "No more unneeded recklessness, okay?"

"Of course... I'm sorry..." She said sighing as she let go and looked to Agni. "To you most of all; I dragged you into this and-"

"As I said, I have my own blame of the situation." She said, finishing her healing magic and standing as she helped Duncan up to his feet. "It is a lesson for us both."

"Well, I for one, am thankful for all the help." Duncan said, rubbing the back of his head and wincing softly. "I should have been more careful too. I knew something was off, but I didn't know the lady was with the thugs. Ugggh, my old man is going to give me a talking to..." He said, sighing.

"Well, we know Caldwell is crooked thanks to you and Riri..." Alicia said, frowning hard as she cupped her chin with one hand. "But how do we prove it, exactly?"

"Oh, I think we're quite fine on that..." I said chuckling as she looked at me funny as I grinned to her. "I decided while bailing you out I'd just kill two birds with one stone."

"Huh?"

[-]

That Moment
Central Greenback City

"Get him!"

"There's the bastard!"

"Don't let him get away!"

"You won't get away with this you son of a whore!"

"I-I-It's a mistake! A farce! A ruse! That wasn't me, I swear it!" Caldwell let off as he cowered in an alley, knees shaking as three guards on either side held off a growing mob. That said mob was mostly unarmed was the only reason he hadn't been lynched yet but even then his bodyguards looked quite scared. It was all going so well! He saw his friend Beardsley off with well wishes, he enjoyed a pretty whore from his favorite brothel, he even had a good bowel movement before moving into town once more to carry on his election campaign...

And then some weird orb now atop the Adventurer's Guild lit up, got everyone's attention and projected an image of... himself? At the smuggler's warehouse!? With a captured guard and two women!? With the smugglers openly calling him their boss!? And exposing his plan to manipulate the votes!?

Needless to say no one was asking questions before the image vanished and simply turned on him. Worse he almost made it to his manor before seeing the local guard had two of their men outside and his front doors open. He knew there was a chance they'd find all of his hidden documents and realize exactly how deeply in bed with the smugglers he had really been. He decided to try and get out of town but the mob caught up with him and now he was trapped and unable to move. Either his guard would surrender and abandon him, the mob would finally swarm and overwhelmed them all with numbers or the city's guard would arrive and toke them all into custody.

Even if he could squirm his way out of this his chances at becoming Count Elect were officially gone...

[-]

"Safe to say, Caldwell will have to explain some things." I said with a chuckle as Alicia giggled lightly with me. "Turns out, Makoto has a knack for recording these things."

"I would have preferred to join you in thrashing the lot of them, to be honest." My bodyguard said as I chuckled. "But someone had to do it."

"All's well that ends well." I said as the door to the warehouse opened.

"Ugghh, she's heavier then she looks..." Riri let off as she sighed, a bound and gagged Haley on one shoulder. Given their size differences it looked kind of odd as she moved towards us, just dropping the actress like a sack of vegetables... Who immediately tried to scoot away from the body of the man Alicia nearly cut in twain. In addition I noticed she had a broken, bloody nose, a purple, swollen left eye and assorted bruises on her thighs. I gave Riri a look with a raised eyebrow. "I wanted a long... talk with her about hurting people."

I was surprised. Not that Riri would beat the crap out of someone who tried to kill me (I shouldn't need to explain why given her history) but I was surprised she didn't have a scratch on her; Riri, Miria, Makoto and Aeris had reached up to level fourteen recently, but Haley was level sixteen. I assumed that Riri just clocked her when she wasn't looking and then... went to work. I wasn't going to pity the woman, all things considered.

Wait, wasn't something missing here? Oh yeah, my XP!

...

Wait...

I didn't do any of the fighting, I just knocked one woman out...

...

That didn't count?

...

Dammit! I wanted my XP!

[-]

We spent the rest of the day reporting into the local guard who picked up the smugglers (Well, the still breathing ones anyway) and spent time combing over Coeurnoir Manor. Needless to say I don't think he was getting elected anytime soon... Interrogations and investigations had begun and Albert offered his services, at least until we were underway once more. He would join the interrogation team, in particular. Meanwhile Commander Finlay Cridhemath was quite thankful for us saving his son, myself and Alicia in particular. Already they found some pretty damning documents in Caldwell's home and more in his businesses. As it turns out we wouldn't need the extra day, but oh well. We'd still have a spare wheel, just in case.

Speaking of, the next day Darrus and Sally both had speeches. Both focused on their main platforms, as far as I could tell, and both decried Caldwell's actions and crimes. Oddly Sally was the one who focused on it less with Darrus pulling no punches and going on a long, Trump style (And if I was honest, rather entertaining) rant on how it was men like Caldwell that was as large a threat to Eostia then Garan, if not even more so. 'The Enemy Beside Us', he called him.

He wasn't wrong, really. I know one of them answered to the name of Beardsley.

It was near the end of that day that I spotted something odd. I had bathed and decided on a walk in the garden before retiring for the night. As much as my antique enchanting book deserved my love and attention (I... May have slept with it in my bed once. Don't judge me...) I needed a break from studying. As I was heading out I could see, leaning on a post holding up a light emitting spell orb, Albert out of his armor and in a simple black tunic with red trim and the Arcturus House Emblem over the left chest and brown, leather pants and black boots. He was clearly brooding and deep in thought over something. Curious I wandered closer to him. "Copper for your thoughts?" I asked as he lifted his head, turning in a couple degrees, his eyes moving to look right at me before returning to his brooding pose as he sighed deeply.

"... I am worried about something," He said simply as I gave a nod of my head as I slightly turned it, indicating he should go on and elaborate. "... Our interrogations went well and we gleamed much of their work and crimes but... ... According to our inquiries there was someone else who accompanied Caldwell to that warehouse when he gave them orders to abduct Finlay. In fact it seems that it was... His idea..." He said. I didn't interrupt as he paused, eyes closed in thought and just waited for him to keep talking on his own. "A man in a cloak. His face was hidden from them but all the smugglers we spoke to described him in mostly the exact same way. A middling of height man, heavy set but not quite obese and with the voice of an elderly man. No one in Caldwell's employ fits the bill... I only know one man close to Caldwell who could fit the man described."

"Lord Beardsley." I supplied for him as he gave a shallow nod.

"Aye, Boy. And there is the rub for me." Albert said, pushing off the post to look at me fully now. "Lord Beardsley is the Prime Minister of all of Foeh. He's served well and nobly for decades! He is my brother's most trusted servant, perhaps more trusted then I myself. He is to my niece as close to family as a man who does not share blood or wedding oaths can be! He is honorable and loyal... And yet..." He groaned and shook his head. "And yet... Caldwell was a good, honest man of commerce... Or... So I thought... So I had known... What if Beardsley... What if the Prime Minister of Feoh is a... traitor..? I cannot fathom it..." I sensed a bit of an opening and decided to try and make a soft little hint to point him in a direction...

"True, but as Prime Minister his position could allow him to do a lot of harm or cover up such." I said as he frowned deeper. "If you're so troubled over it then why not investigate Beardsley and his doings?" His head turned and he gave me a firm look as if offended I suggested that, which given what I've learned of the man's personality isn't much of a surprise. "Look, this is clearly going to keep bothering you if you don't. If you look into things and find nothing you can rest easier. If you look into things and find something amiss... Then it would be better to check the problem sooner rather then later, don't you agree?"

"Hmmm... I am... forced to agree... There is reason for concern, yes, but no proof as of yet." Albert said with a nod. "If I find reasons to dispel my concern then I'll find proof of innocence, I'm sure..." He said before looking up to me fully once more. "Thank you for the advice... I'll be off, I've plans to make." He said, turning and leaving for the manor.

I sighed deeply and smiled to myself. I managed it; I sicced Albert on Beardsley... Kinda. It was clear Albert still though well of Beardsley and still didn't want to think ill of the man, but he was going to investigate. It wasn't the ideal situation, but it was the best I could hope for right now. With a bit of luck and if Albert was serious about chasing down the truth behind Beardsley I might just have the old man in Checkmate while territories away.

I just had to hope for the best.

We would leave the next day for Sanka as I hoped Beardsley was the worst of what I had to deal with...

[-]

Primus City, Capital of the Dominion of Geofu
Abandoned Church of the Nine
Late Evening

Standing before the old building was an elderly man. Looking over it he snorted; they were alike in a way, he and the building. Old, worn and past their best days but proud and standing strong. The man bore a halo of spiked, gray hairs that wrapped about the back of his head, the locks holding a hint of it's former brown color. This hair and it's spikes moved down his sideburns and wrapped around his chin into a beard matching and blending with a handlebar mustache. Sharp brown eyes were shaded by thick, spiked eyebrows as he huffed with his six foot three frame.

He wore steel plate armor over his body, the breastplate covered with a layer of cloth and a white, rectangular cloth hanging down the front from the collar down, trimmed with a off-black color. A yellow cloth was wrapped around the hips and thighs loosely to obscure the position of the plates and joints under it. Steel pauldrons sat on each shoulder with darker edges and designs on it, under which a red cape hung down. Gauntlets and greaves trimmed with brass were fitted to the limbs. At his back was a large, two handed sword with a brass colored grip and slight swell of the handle between the hand holds and a large, brass cross guard. Magics weaved onto it meant it would never dull, rust or dent and would attach to the back of any suit of metal armor. He didn't claim to understand how, something about magnets.

He huffed once more. The Church was old, the whitewashing had faded decades ago, if not longer, and the bare stone was coated in places with moss, vines and dirt with only the rain to clean it. Once it was the place of gathering for a religion called the Followers of the Nine. They gave prayer to a series of gods over nine, different domains; Conquest, Coins, Craft, Harvest, Shields, Beasts, Gathering, Love and Spells. The Nine were popular in the days of the Unitum Imperium and each settlement had a shrine dedicated to one of them and larger cities boasted churches to all of them.

Of course prayer to Larentia was much more popular outside of it when the Imperium first formed... Then it began to conquer everything it could and did their damnedest to suppress Larentian worship, doing their best to end the goddess' reign of dominance in the hearts of men. And for a time it seemed to; The Goddess of Light only being prayed to in the shadows where the eyes of the Imperium couldn't see. Perhaps it would have ended one day...

Then the First Age of Conflict came and saw the once mighty Imperium shatter into dozens of fragments vying to establish their own power and indepenace with many former provinces restoring Larentia to their hearts openly. Some destroyed the shrines and churches of the Nine while others converted them into Larentian Churches. A bare few allowed the Nine to stay but still brought Larentia back in to leech off their followers. Only in the Unitum Imperium, weakened as it was, did the Nine remain as the sole source of divinity.

Then the Imperium was conquered in full and replaced by the Brazen Empire which would go one to conquer what was now Eostia and Garan. Worship wasn't banned in the Empire, per say, but it wasn't encouraged either. Still, Emperor Gottes Verlangen seemed to prefer striking down Larentia's followers and left those following the Nine alone...

And then the Empire fell and the Seven Shields Alliance rose in it's place with the concept of 'Freedom of Worship' being instigated, neither supporting or banning any religion. Yet regardless of what they did or didn't do Larentia rose once more as did her church... Which then splintered into the respectable if unhelpful Faith and the arrogant if useful Church. Overtime, in this very city, the Nine lost more and more followers until the final priest of this Church passed on. This Church of the Nine was a monument. Not to religion, no, but to a better time.

A time where men of vision and power led great empires and not so-called-Goddess-Reborns who preached of peace and cooperation seeking to do with words what must be done with swords.

A time where the strong imposed proper thought and law on the people like ironclad shepherds and not letting them aimlessly wander around in mindless 'freedom' they knew not what to do with.

A time where one banner flew over most of Sererus and united millions of peoples to one cause and not a realm divided between petty, lesser rulers and squabbling dynasties fighting over patches of land.

A time where Nine gods ruled and gave their directions to mankind to steer them correctly and not a single, lone goddess who's reborn avatars were more then happy to let people wander off to their own, odd paths.

A time where great works began!

A time where men could take their glory!

A time of order and law!

A time of growth and conquest!

A time of a united empire!

Gloria Unitum Imperium!

He snorted and walked forwards. Of course Eostia, soft as it was, was no push over of a kingdom. It had held after seven hundred years of war and thirteen hundred years of other trials and rivalries. No, Eostia was not weak but the softness of it's leaders hindered it's true power and potential... The true potential of a reborn Unitum Imperium, a new one without the cracks that fractured the first one apart, would be unmatched and wash over the continent with it's glory. And now the opportunity might be near to steer the land in the right direction. The direction of true power.

A reborn and mighty Imperium.

He opened the worn, oak doors on rusted hinges as he resisted the urge to wince at the sound. All the benches where people would once sit were removed; sold, looted or donated away he imagined. Cracked but unbroken windows coated in layers of dust and grime let in some moonlight still, showing off a fresco painted into the back wall. He'd seen it before; the Nine Gods standing with the implements of their domains in hand standing over a proud city... Sadly the image was covered with so much dirt and dust that one could only really make out what it was in the daylight on a clear day. Two statues once flanked where the priest would address his flock. One broke at the hips and fell to the floor, shattered apart; a plaque calling her Sofí Mitéra; Imperial Birth Mother. The other had fell over fully, only a piece of the face surviving in anything resembling what it once was; a bearded cheek and eye with a hint of a nose. The plaque read Dynatós Patéras; First Father of the Imperium.

None of this, however, was why he was there. It was instead the massive man standing in the shadow where a podium for the priest to speak once was; his outline clear even if the features were not. He narrowed his eyes. The man was larger then himself and younger. A start. "So, you're the man calling himself 'Varro Batzorig', eh? Oh don't even pretend you're him. I've heard of that mercenary and as well told as his deeds are his death is as well known."

"Indeed... You would know of him. You in fact hired him more then once, didn't you... General Grave Levantine?"

"Hmmm... So... You were a part of the Howling Hounds, weren't you?" The elder of the two let off with a huff.

"Heh. I was."

"Humph." The old warrior let off, crossing his arms as he scowled. "That explains why you knew what to write to pique my interest. Given what you call your followers you would be from the legacy of the Hounds."

"Heh, you don't know how far that stretches, do you?" The shadowed man said, moving a hand to rub a thumb over the stubble of his chin. "The founder of the Hounds was a survivor of the Midnight Mongrels." Grave's eyebrow rose slightly at that. "And they were founded by a man who survived the Onyx Wolves. And their founder survived the fall of the Jagged Jackals. And they were founded by the man who lived after the death of the Diamond Dogs!"

"How much damned history does your chain of survivors goes back?" Grave let off. He was well versed in military history and this man had named dropped four of history's most notable and brutal gangs of mercenaries the continent had ever known.

"The beginning of it all... Was the Ninth Brazen Army."

"The Ninth? You don't mean Walter's Wolf Pack!?"

"One and the same."

"Tsk." Grave let off, a hand moving to stroke his beard. "This explains a lot..." While his wimp of a son was the one wasting his time on researching this and that, silly useless things like how mass and energy are triangled or some other shape he had spent his reading time well upon the history of the land's many militaries and their tactics. The Unitum Imperium's glories and efforts were his favorite but he also read up on the Brazen Empire's military history and it's most famed army; Walter's Ninth Army, better known as the Wolf Pack.

In the final years of the Empire the Wolf Pack had a single job; kill rebels. From modern day Pulca in the west to Ferrosica in the east, to what was now Garan's Blazecrown, down to Eostia's own South Point they hunted rebels where ever they were and they were quite good at their job; stalking and hunting their prey in the dense forests many rebels hid in and moving in sync with one another. They earned their nickname as they would wordlessly emerge from the trees to slaughter and slay while herding panicked cowards into another pack's kill zone, stalking and hunting like a pack of feral and hungry wolves. They were not the army that stood and fought you nor the one that met you on open fields, charging to meet shield to shield. No.

They were hunters. Assassins. Scouts. The Emperor's Judgment made flesh. They were decorated, disciplined and ruthless and earned their keep in coin and collared flesh alike and their leader was loyal to his Emperor and Empire. A soldier's soldier who didn't flinch at making examples of peoples and his men or doing what needed to be done, no matter how many bodies piled up. It was said, without evidence to back it one must say, that Igor Walter once presented Verlangen with enough skulls to make for him a house. A thousand women was said to birth their children from a single week of punishment, murder and hunting. However they had two failures in their history.

The first was they never caught Joanna of the White Cloth and her Seven Shield Maidens; they always managed to slip away. Likely the skills of Sheila the Huntress of the Wilds and Sulla the Fox's Foot helped them evade such seasoned hunters. Had they ever caught up to the women Grave was sure all seven would be used and nailed to the inside of the capital's walls as examples of what was done to the defiant.

The second was falling into the trap laid in Pinewall where they were hunting down yet another batch of rebels... Only to have the forest set ablaze around them. A long heat wave in the region, coupled with rebels deliberately spreading dried tinder in the forests gave the fires around them ample fuel, along with the pots of oil launched into the flames via catapult and spell for even more fuel for the hungry flames. Those of the Ninth who escaped the blaze were cut down by rebels awaiting their retreat. Rumors of betrayal in the ranks followed after word of their loss came to the emperor. "But Walter's Wolf Pack was cut down to the man, or so it was said." Grave let off as the man chuckled.

"Indeed, none survived Pinewall... But one Lieutenant Hans Einsamerfalke wasn't present when the forest went ablaze. He was recovering from an injury in the capital, escaped persecution by the new rulers and vowed vengeance on the new kingdom and would found the Blood Fang Mercenaries." Grave noted that was yet another notable gang of mercenaries the man had name dropped.

"A curious piece of history you have there. But that's all it is. The more important matters are here and now." Grave let off as the shadowed man nodded.

"Agreed. I called you here to finalize bringing you into the fold, after all. But something else of note has come up that you'll be in a position to help us with. I am made aware that soon your Daughter-in-Law, Claudia, will be playing escort to a young nobleman of House Noxdecus with no small amount of Enchanting skill; or so I've been told."

"Tsk. I care little for men without iron in their arms who simply read books on whatever fancies them. I prefer them to read things of use."

"Heh... Then you'll be glad to know he is a fencer of some growing skill." Grave gave a soft 'hrn' upon hearing it. "But it is what he has made that is of greater interest to me, and should be to you. I assume you're unaware of what it is?" Grave gave a soft nod, his arms crossing in annoyance. "A means of instant communications."

"That...!" Grave let off, gasping for a moment. "Impossible! Faster then spell paper!?"

"Instant." The man said firmly. "I've yet to see it myself but my sources are solid. It is a means to project your image and voice across large distances. And Claudia's escorting him to lay down a network of devices to allow them to project from one to the other easier and clearer across the realm. Likely with Dawn Templars in tow."

"Instant battlefield updates... Scouting reports from behind the lines... Reports of readiness of every base in the land... Orders given from across the realm... Such a tool..."

"Could change war as we know it." The shadowed man finished for him. "And you and your military mind should now understand fully why I am so interested in it and it's use."

"... It's a game changer. He who controls this new magic-"

"Controls the battlefields to come. The wars to come." The man finished for him once more with a chuckle. "This needs to be accounted for and while I'll soon have examples for my mage to study the fact is I need to know more about it, and as quickly as possible. Limitations, functions, weaknesses and fail safes."

"Fail safes?" Grave let off, raising an eyebrow as the man nodded in the darkness of his shadows.

"I am told some mages like to install... insurance in case an item of theirs ends up in hands they don't want them to or even sabotage the ones using them." The man in the shadows said as Grave frowned deeply. "Imagine if he could take control, mid-conversation and listen in? Or pretend to be one half of the conversation and send false information? Or simply turn them off?"

"... I'm beginning to see what you mean... That would be troubling to deal with..."

"Exactly." Came the response of the man to Grave. "As such I need you or someone you can rely on to investigate him and his device. Join in his escort with Claudia or have someone do so in your place and discover his device's secrets and weaknesses. Information is Ammunition, after all."

"Humph." Grave let off, nodding. Indeed, for their mission to come to completion they needed to know more about this device and how to use it, copy it and more then likely counter it. "Agreed. But I must also lay my terms to you before I pledge my blade to you."

"Ho?"

"My son, Klaus, hasn't deigned to impregnate his wife yet." He said with a deep huff. "Waiting for 'the right time', they call it. Bah! That is, of course, if that shrimp has more fertility then desert soil that is... As such I must take the needs of my family dynasty in my own hands. Therefore I will impregnate her myself and watch her bare my child and see that child raised under a proper hand. My hand."

"Hooo? Could you just not get a new wife and do that?"

"Bah." Grave let off in response with a wave of his hand. "Have you seen Claudia? She is the closest to perfect you could ask to bear a true warrior son! No, I've sired more bastards then my wimpy son has read books but she if the only one fit to give birth to a real heir." Indeed, between the woman's strength, child baring hips and worthy blood he could think of none better to birth a child to extend the legacy of the Levantines; better still if the child was his own.

Regardless of her willingness in the matter...

"I see..." The man said with a chuckle. "Agreeable, yes. I have no issue with that."

"The next is my place in the military command. I want to be sure when the new empire rises that it's future commanders are prepared properly so they will not fail. Whatever shape the next empire takes, be it more like the Brazen Empire or be it more like the Unitum Imperium or a mixture of both we must ensure that when we pass and only our legacies remain that what follows goes down the right path. The path of true power and conquest."

"Hmmm... Yes, you would be a wonderful teacher for any aspiring commander. I can agree to this."

"And finally..." Grave said reaching behind him to draw his massive, heavy blade as the man watching raised an eyebrow in the shadows. "I must test you personally. If you desire to be the one to found an empire as a warlord as Gottes Verlangen had once done or as a commander overthrowing the weaknesses he found like Dynatós Patéras did then you must be tested and not found wanting if I am to follow you."

The man man in the shadows chuckled and reached behind him and drew his own, heavy, two handed blade in a single limb before starting to walk to the elder warrior.

The spar would prove to be a near duel to the death as it wore on for hours into the evening...

[-]

Arguably Feoh's most religious state (A position the others wouldn't challenge, in all honesty), the Duchy of Sanka has a church in each town, the Divina Crucis is employed in as much artwork and decoration as possible and if Eostia did not have laws banning the mixing of Church and State amny of the Dukes and Duchesses of Sanka would apply to become a member of the clergy. Officially they support the Una Vertias Church but they have no ill will towards the Anima Lux. Indeed, the Dukes and Duchesses of House Caelum have traditionally tried to mend the rift of the two sides of Larentian worship to reforge them into a single church.

While their Saint Iris Cathedral isn't one of the Three Great Cathedrals of the Kingdom it is still a respected and honored place of worship. Indeed, a traditional pilgrimage to visit all Three Great Cathedrals often starts by gathering at Saint Iris. In addition to Larentian worship there is many Unitum Imperium influences left in the region; gladius blades are on the shield of House Caelum and the lightning bolts used in many Imperium imagery are present as well.

Other religious sects do have a place within Sanka but they are such a minority that it's hard to find and often those followers attend mass and events held by the Larentian Churches. While persecution of non Larentian followers is forbidden under Eostian law there are those who will do so regardless of the right or wrong of it; a failing of human nature.

~Dominic James Pencraft, The Eostia Historia

[-]

The final territory of Feoh we'd yet to visit, Sanka was our next stop. After that it was back to Foeh to drop off Alicia and her entourage before heading back to Mungale for a brief rest, restock on boosters and other supplies and check up on things before heading back out, this time to Geofu.

Sanka was the sole Duchy in Feoh and boasted a series of small spell stone quarries, good lumber, excellent farm lands and a few ore rich hills to mine. Sanka's artisans were their most well known export however; religious art, items, Larentian Crosses (Yeah, they were called the Divina Cruscis, but Larentian Crosses were more common a name) and even simple furniture; usually with the Cruscis on it somewhere. My dad's desk came from a well known maker in the state.

The road to the capital was smooth and mostly level, only curving a little around a large town. It didn't take long after passing that town that we reached the capital of Sanka, Sunpraise City. The city walls were painted a bright yellow with defensive towers that were built with whitewashed roofs. It was another location with no castle outside or inside the city walls rather a manor within them. I've heard that Sanka Manor is a bit odd; it's supposedly shaped or designed like a small cathedral. Given how religious Sanka is in general and House Caelum is in particular it wasn't all that surprising.

Speaking of House Caelum, their emblem was proudly displayed over the gate; a twin set of poles and a bar between them hanging the massive, thick cloth the banner that was made from for all coming to the city to see. The overall shape was like a pill but with two main differences, the bottom came to a soft point in the center and the top pulled in hard before curving up and coming back up into a rounded top. The outline was a silver gray and the inside of the shield was bright yellow. At the top was a white Divinia Cruscis of the Larentian faith outlined in silver gray with the sun emblem filled in full and tucked into the upper circle. On the sides, next to the cross was a pair of gladius swords in the same colors, points aimed down with about a quarter of the blade under the cross in question. Finally from the center to the bottom, dropping from the left to the right was a set of four lightning bolts, in the same colors with three edges, the right side and top boasting a thicker outline.

It was about mid-day, just past noon and while we could have bypassed Sunpraise to make better time Alicia wanted to stop in at the Saint Iris Cathedral. I had no large complaints about this and it wouldn't set us back more then half a day at worst, so why not? We rode to Saint Iris' once we were waved into the city and once we arrived at the holy building we disembarked. The one thing I was divided on is if we'd stay in the city for the night or stay in an outlining town. House Caelum was pious as all get out, and as Biblica Lux says 'for those in need of rest offer them a cot, so they may carry on their own faithful path', and they would be obligated to house Alicia as she was the Princess of Feoh. On the other hand did we really want to stay with a bunch of people who feel the need to bow their head to every Larenthian Cross they see?

In a state where said symbol is everywhere?

Doubly so as it's on their House Banner!?

Yeah, exactly.

The Cathedral itself stood tall and bore white, pristine walls and yellow trimmings with the odd, blue highlight here and there. The building started with four walls at one story tall with pillars standing outside of the corners and lining along around side of with only a larger gap by the front gates. Atop of it, extending out to the pillars, was a pyramid like structure with various windows to let in light to the first floor and to house additional floors over it, with the second floor boasting a balcony. At the tip of the structure the pyramid had the top flattened down and atop of it was a statue of a woman in robes with a hood over her head, her face peering upwards; a visage of Saint Iris herself.

While I wouldn't say the place was crowded or packed it wasn't idle either; people were coming and going. While services weren't being held right now it was a well known and beloved spot (IE; tourist trap) and the priests still offered blessings and the like. Additionally the priests were talented in healing magic, so the place was also something of a clinic to many wounded and injured people. We entered the large, double doors with Alicia at our point as she moved to another statue at the center of the room; also of a kneeling Saint Iris. I, however, was the first to speak... Because of who was there. "Channer?"

"Huh?" Turning to face up from speaking with a priestess was none other then Channer Von Blitzhaus; fellow enchanter, student and friend of mine, despite the whole 'family rivalry thing' between our houses. "Oh, funny seeing you here. I heard about your voxlux; installing a booster here?" He asked as we stopped before him; myself shaking my head as the priestess took a moment to excuse herself before moving to speak with someone else.

"No, we put one up in Pulca though." I said as he nodded once. "We were on our way home for a short break before carrying on. What about you, what brings you to Sanka?"

"Ah, I'm stopping in on my way to Delconna to drop off some documents for my father." He said as he smiled. I nodded and while I maintained a level face I couldn't help but think it was slavery related; both Elddale and Delconna were both slave states, after all. Still, no reason to get too upset over it; it wouldn't improve things in anyway right now. "I figured I'd go sight seeing in other states before going home. Hearing you were on a bit of a journey made me realize I still had a lot of Eostia to see."

"Ah, I see. Well, quite a few things to see, trust me. Just be mindful; we've run into spots of trouble here and there." I said as he chuckled and rubbed the back of his head as Miria moved to my side, chipping in.

"Yeah, we bumped into... more then a few unfriendly characters." She added as Channer nodded once more before speaking.

"Ah, sure. I'll be mindful." He replied, chuckling. "I was hoping for a blessing or two for insurance and-"

"You would dare deny the truth of the Archbishop!?" A voice let off. From the corner of my eye I saw Miria stiffen, as did Channer and Riri... Then the memories hit me and I did the same.

"Shit..." We let off as one as we all turned around, me, Channer and Miria standing side to side and Riri moving to stand before us so no one from behind us could see her. The others looked at this and blinked before sharing looks of confusion as Miria wrapped her tail around her waist and flattened her ears to try and look less like a Catalan.

"What do we do!?" Miria let off in a harsh whisper, biting her lip.

"We need to leave, calmly, so he doesn't notice us!" Riri added.

"The Anima Lux is a false path! Only the true glory of the Una Vertias can light our way!"

"We can have Channer distract him as we sneak away." I added quickly as the Blitzhaus looked at me with a glare.

"Why do I have to be left to deal with him?"

"He's your cousin." I shot back quickly.

"Nay! All of the so called 'Faith' Heathens should be removed until they can see the light and the truth of our glorious Archbishop!"

"Not by choice!" Channer hissed back.

"Let's just made a break for it, okay!?" Miria let off as we started to walk to the doors... Slowly... Calmly...

Only for Alicia to grab Miria by the back of the shorts and pulling her back, making my sister yelp. "What are you going on about and who is yelling!?" Alicia let off... A bit too loudly for my tastes.

"I yell because people accept heathen into their mix and... Oh, cousin. And... the heathens Noxdecus." I sighed as feet walked/stomped closer... We were caught so nothing else to do but deal with it as we turned about and saw the man who was yelling.

Channer sighed and shook his head before putting on a forced smile. "Hello Cousin Palmer..."

(-)

Name: Palmer Von Blitzhaus
Title: Zealot of Elddale
Class: Cleric
Level: 16
Alignment: Hostile
Reputation: 12
Status: Healthy, Self-Righteous, Zealous

Known Traits
[?]
[Faith in the Light] You are a true believer and this belief fuels your magic! +10% to the damage, healing and effects of all Holy magic. -5% to the damage, healing and effects of all non-Holy magic

[No Indoor Voice] When you bellow your voice projects with extra volume. +20% to vocal range

Nephew of the Count of Elddale his father abandoned any claim to throne of that state to become a bishop of the Una Vertias. Palmer was raised mostly amongst the clergy and given a strict and constant religious education. Unlike his father he is still in the line of succession for Elddale's throne, although he is merely thirteenth in line. While an able priest even his peers finds his zealotry to be overbearing.

(-)

Yup... This guy...

Have you ever met, in person or somewhere online, that one guy who felt his holy book of choice was the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth and all who oppose his book and his faith must be evil because only the evil would deny such truths and good faith?

Yeah. This guy. He stood about six feet tall and bore light brown hair and a short, slightly unkempt beard. Piercing, ice blue eyes looked back at me as he set his hands on his hips, wearing a set of white robes that fell to the knee with red trim and the Crusis of the Una Vertias Church over his left chest. Black trousers were under them, tucked into red boots. White gloves were on each hand with the Una Vertias Crusis on the back of each hand outlined in red with 'Our Light' scribbled under the left one in black and 'Our Path' on the right. At his hip hung a mace, off a black belt over his robes; the mace's head had a brass color to it and was perfectly round save slight groves slipping it vertically into three parts and had intricate carvings on it's surface depicting the three aspects of Larentia; the Sage, the Knight and the Wanderer. On his back was a tower shield with rounded ends; brass edges, red background and a golden outline of the Una Vertias Crusis on it, filled in with yellow. His eyes fixed on Miria as he glared to her.

"Why did anyone let the mongrel in this house of the Goddess; such heathenry should be allowed in here." He let off (Thankfully at a normal volume) as I gave him a glare, my sister hissing a bit.

"You know, for someone who claims to be so well read in the books, you really don't practice what's in them." I shot back as Palmer glared at me. "How did it go; 'Human, elf and all of such form are blessed by her touch and meant to walk to the gardens of light, hand in hand'?" I said, quoting something at him as he glared to me firmly for a long moment.

"...Such form does not come with such and ears and a tail." He hissed back to me moving to stand right before me. "Those are the parts of an animal."

"Well, I imagine you'd know everything there is to about being an animal, am I right?" I replied smoothly... While resisting the urge to deck him in the nose. "All you do is bark after all."

"Did you call me a dog, heathen?"

"Keep it up and I'll take you out back for a walk." I told him in a very firm manner.

"Oh? And what do you think you'd do?" He sneered leaning in almost nose to nose to me as he tried to intimidate me. It failed.

"Keeping fucking around and you'll find out." I told him while not backing down at all; additionally I channeled a bit of ice magic through my body for a long moment to make him shiver, trying to make him wonder if it just got cold in here or if he just had a fear response..

"Ahem." I heard someone cough as they moved to the side of us, looking to myself and Palmer namely as our heads turned slightly to look. He was an elderly, but still rather fit looking, priest who smiled at us both (Father Samson Gell, according to what Observe told me), smiling at us both in a set of white, red trimmed robes that fell to his ankles as he set his hands on one shoulder one each of us before stepping in and gently pushing us apart. "No threats in this house of worship, young man." He said as he looked at me, blue, squinting eyes looking to me, his head and face hairless and wrinkled with age before he looked to Palmer. "And no disrespecting those who are in it either. Palmer, such behavior is befitting of a man of cloth. Shame upon you, my boy." He said gently but quite firmly.

"But Father Samson, I am just-"

"Ahh, ahh, ahh, my boy. That's enough." He told Palmer gently but firmly, never raising his voice an octave. "Go read the Biblica Lux and Primum Verbum once more if you find yourself forgetting that with believers and non we are to act with her grace, wisdom and above all else love."

"But I must-"

"Did I stutter, boy?" I blinked as the old priest spoke in a much, much sterner tone. A grandfatherly tone that demanded respect and obedience... And all without raising his voice in the slightest.

"Y-yes, Father Samson..." Palmer said, sighing and hanging his head before moving to leave as I let off a breath I wasn't aware I was holding. Once he was out of ear shot I turned to the old man and smiled.

"Thank you, Father. He's always been a pain in the, well, everyone's ass." I said, shrugging a bit.

"Eh, the boy might be able to be forged into something yet..." Samson said with a chuckle. "Sadly he takes our faith too seriously... Much like our Good Duke... Man once screamed his head off when someone didn't bow at the statue of Larentia he had in front of his own home."

"Ummm..."

"I'll be off now. Blessings of the Goddess upon you." He said, bowing once before turning and leaving.

"...Next town when Alicia's done?"

"Agreed." Miria said in reply to my words.

"We won't be long." Albert added quickly. "Niece, if you you would be quick about your business..."

"Of course, Uncle."

[ - Author's Note - ]

The whole Caldwell plot was meant to extend for the whole chapter, initially, but I didn't want to force it to be longer then it was. That said, the Sanka section was meant to take place in the upcoming interlude next chapter... But putting it here works as well. That's fine as I have a bit that will be in that chapter planned.

Additionally I got the chance to introduce Palmer! I'm sure you love him already! Joking aside I have a plan for him way, way, way down the line; he'll be a case of 'Small Role, Big Impact' when the time comes and if all goes to my plan.

Regardless, it's time for a new poll! This will be the last chapter we'll be in Feoh for the time being so it's time for me to ask which of Feoh's banners do you like the best? Keep in mind this isn't about the house or the characters attached to the banners, but just the ascetics and designs of the shields. The poll can be found at /polls/7MZ0zvBoBno strawpoll (dot com) /polls/7MZ0zvBoBno for you to vote on it. I worked hard on all of them!

Anyway, as stated next chapter is an interlude with a history lesson. In addition we'll be peeking in on a few other characters here and there and see what's going on behind a few curtains, so to speak. It should be a nice change of pace, one would hope.

After that a brief stop back in Mungale for a bit and a brief... Tale there. And then after that what many of you have likely been waiting for; James heading eastwards into Geofu and to meet Claudia once more.

Until the next chapter!

~~Eostian Scribe