Uldeer, Church of the Cross
1 Day and 9 Hours after the Cataclysm
Sir Nami, Emperor and warlord
Going down the spiral stone stairs, we soon reached the basement. It was filled with barrels and boxes full of supplies of many kinds locked behind thick bars and strong locks.
In the wide "hallway," about a dozen people were huddled with blankets covering their forms, most of them small, almost my height. Players who had recently died? Probably, although that didn't explain why they were on a prisoner transport.
- Hello - I called, none of those present were surprised by my voice because their ears were pointed at me since I had arrived - Can you speak my language? - I asked remembering the reports informing that apparently they only understood a Valkyrie
- Should I look out for the Valkyrie? - Dan seemed to read my mind, but he probably knew about it from reading the same report as me.
- Go ahead - I commented as I sat in a nearby chair with a handful of blank papers, and inkwells with brushes. Obviously HoldenC had tried to create translation seals of some kind, but seeing the absence of said effect, all their attempts were useless.
Watching Dan walk back down the stairs seemed to reassure the foreigners who began to murmur in that strange language they used.
In fact, a small number approached me carefully. Looking into their eyes, I saw their childish curiosity... childish? It must be the age... no child under 18 can play SaS, it is protected with biological tests!
One of the little ones revealed my sharp ears by moving my hair. It wasn't a secret that I was an elf, really, it was just that my ears were sensitive and always got stuck in weeds, so I hid them under my hair, but apparently that seemed to surprise the rabbits quite a bit.
- I am an elf - I remembered comically. The large rabbits surprisingly separated me from the entrance with speed, but before I could shout or attract anyone's attention, the sound of metal colliding with metal, and boots descending the wooden stairs was heard by my sharp ears.
- Emperor! - Someone called my title from the stairs. A man who seemed to be dressed like an officer because of his saber hanging on his left side, and large bicorn hat dressed horizontally, appeared. We both looked at each other for a moment - Am I coming at a bad time? - The man asked while indicating with a gesture the paper he had in his hands.
- Not that I know of - I said before trying to escape the rabbits' grip, but no matter what I did, their grips were incredibly strong - Maybe? - I muttered. The officer, seeing my predicament, unsheathed his saber and took out his pistol, preparing to shoot, making the little ones retreat after the big ones, who also took combat postures almost like springs ready to jump. Luckily that was all I needed to escape his grasp to go to the officer.
But that wasn't all, because before I even reached it, I felt the wind pass by me as the rabbits sprinted at horse's speed past me, moments later an "explosion" was heard and screams reached my ears. Looking at the officer, he had a flintlock pistol with a smoking barrel pointed at one of the adult rabbits who was on the ground clutching a wound in the chest which was bleeding profusely.
- BACK! - The officer demanded, clearly surprised by the attack.
Heavy footsteps came quickly, and through the door appeared Dan with his heavy saber in his two right hands as well as two other pistols in both left hands. Behind him, a Valkyrie stood between me and the rabbits, spear in hand.
The rabbits, meanwhile, grabbed their ears painfully, and those who didn't, looked at the officer in surprise and then looked at Dan and the Valkyrie.
- QUIET EVERYONE! - I screamed when I saw how the tensions were skyrocketing.
- Sir, they have...! - The officer tried to reply
- Be quiet! - I pointed my finger at him, immediately the man fell to one knee as a sign of submission - Dan, bring the surgeons, NOW - I left no room to argue so the giant insectoid saluted his sword before putting it away to go for members of HoldenC - You, tell them to stop making a fool of themselves - I bent down to the rabbit wound. Considering that the bullet was practically .50 caliber, it was a miracle that she was still screaming and not dead.
- Your Highness! - The same angel from before came down accompanied by two knights and Dan
- Set aside - The knight who was next to the angel said as he took out from the depths of his clothes a small wooden box that upon opening it revealed a dozen small vials, many of which were currently empty - There is no exit wound - The knight noted as he took out two of the small vials which had small needles on one end protected by leather sheaths.
- Sir, wouldn't it be better to cull her? - The practice of culling the seriously injured was something done for convenience and resources as people did not like having to be trapped in a bed for even days, depending on the wound that would possibly kill them anyway, or ruin their experiences in one way or another
- No, give her some fucking morphine please - I growled, since the cataclysm people were suffering the pain that they will really suffer in real life, so the supplies of morphine that until now was only used to prevent the "fear" stat from going up and for roleplay, were now being used in large quantities - You, what did you come for and who are you - I asked the officer who still maintained his kneeling position with his bicorn hat now in his hands
- Lieutenant of "The Horde", I have multiple important messages - He said while stretching out his hand with multiple papers in it
- Why does a lieutenant work as a messenger? - I asked while taking the cards - Oh shit - I accidentally crushed the cards with my hands. The letters told how in many of the isolated cities and towns revolts and riots were beginning to arise, how imperial citizens were looting warehouses and how even some members who were part of the army had joined the revolts - Dan, call the senators and warlords -
- Anyone specific? -Dan asked
- All of 'em -
Uldeer, Church of the Cross(2)
1 Day and 9.5 Hours after the Cataclysm
Fuuleri. rabbit warrior of the Kanaet tribe
- What just happened? - Dana asked no one in particular as she watched most of the strange beings leave her corner.
- The emperor has been called for an important meeting, do not take it into account - The winged woman named Ruph commented while resting her weapon on her shoulder. Since we had arrived in this strange city, Ruph now wore equipment clearly for combat, although its design was strange. Under the long skirt she now wore metal plates with high boots that reached to her knees similar to what most people wore here, on her head meanwhile she wore a helmet of strange design with a plume similar to the imperial one, but this was on its side and hair similar to the ponytail hung behind her back over her wings.
- Is that child the emperor's son? - One of the little girls asked from her hiding place behind Dana.
- Er… no, he IS the emperor - Ruph responded as she adjusted the strap that kept her helmet on her head.
- A child?! - I asked, perhaps his parents were the previous leaders but had died leaving the child as the only leader?
- It may seem like it, but he really knows what he's doing. Why did you attack the Lieutenant? - Ruph asked with a serious look, to which many of us looked away embarrassed.
- We believed that the elf needed help - That man was an adult human, we all thought he was going to take the little elf as a slave, that was at least until the little one pointed his finger at him and he immediately knelt down, exactly what humans should always do
-...If that is the case, I will write a report stating that everything was a misunderstanding -
-And where have they taken Gann? - I asked worried
- "Upstairs". There they will try to save his life, but a shot at such close proximity without armor... don't expect miracles - Ruph explained before sitting down again at the table full of papers and brushes of all kinds where he began to make those strange doodles.
"By the sacred cross, may the voice reach me,
May the secrets of language be revealed,
May my mind receive the clarity of meaning.
"So I decree."
Ruph muttered strange words, but the paper caught fire again after a few moments. She used a magical system completely foreign to what I had seen the imperials or our shamans use. Her words were almost always slightly different, but their meaning was always the same.
- Can I go upstairs to see Gann? - I asked
- It is not my permission that you need. Ask the knights, they are the owners of the church - Ruth said before returning to her spells. Nodding, I went to the door that the emperor had used - Let it be one at a time please, the people are quite tense since the cataclysm - During the time I had been with Ruth, she told me about the cataclysm, how apparently they were not from these lands, and the truth is that I believed her, the city and land that we were currently in did not exist until a few days ago. An island with a single maritime entry point in the center of the great sea? All the clans and tribes would have fought to control it, since who controls the lake controlled the river of the Rim
It was certainly far from the plains that we inhabit, our ancestral territories, but since ancient times our influence on the lands was there.
I was also able to see the state of the lands here as we marched to where we were now. Sharp peaks pointed to the skies, cracks large and deep enough to swallow entire towns without a trace, and the stone and wood cities that these people inhabited were now rubble and some still stable buildings.
Something I couldn't understand was the variety of races that had inhabited this city alone, although humans were the largest number, I was able to see centaurs, the strange winged creatures that to be honest reminded me of divine messengers, and even those strange "insectoides"giants, a small spark of hope reached my heart. For a year imperial legions had relentlessly attacked our territories, my Kanaet tribe had been completely annihilated a few days ago, and those who had not fled at the call of the supposed "queen" had been captured and sold as slaves, our severed ears revealed our humiliation
Our fate would have been the same, sold like meat, if it hadn't been for Ruth. Perhaps she really was a message from the gods, Emory precisely, Ruth did not know the name, but her divine halo made her stand out as a light in the darkness as a messenger of the gods.
- I'll go - I announced to my sisters in battle. We were all exhausted, so after the imperial threat to massacre all our daughters, we had no choice but to bow our heads.
- The demons are upstairs - Ruth informed - Don't bother them and try not to look at them too much, their presence causes "fear" - Demons? No, they can't be the same creatures I know from legends... right?
With steps full of doubt I went up the stairs passing the floor full of injuries of all kinds, although there were none seriously injured, these were apparently sent "upstairs." Going up to the second floor, a door separated the outside from the inside with a sign written in a language I didn't recognize. This one looked vaguely imperial, but it wasn't the same. Knocking gently on the door, I heard a padlock unlock from the inside and a small window open.
From inside, a man with gray skin and red eyes appeared, half of his face hidden by white cloth, and his hair tied up in more white cloth. The window suddenly closed, but before I had time to knock again, the door opened.
The man was well-shaped, muscular and tall, exactly my type if it weren't for his strange grayish skin and disturbing red eyes. The man was wearing pristine white clothes that covered practically his entire body with the exception of his eyes. He gave me a white cloth similar to the one he used on his head. Placing it, the man guided me through a hallway full of doors and those strange crosses, eventually however we arrived at a small room, inside it was completely dark with a single glass window? pointing to a room with a bed in it, Gann was in it
Next to her, I saw an image that made me feel incredibly jealous. Two of these "demons" were next to her, one kneeling while keeping his palm open on his chest while praying words that I could not understand even with my acute sense of hearing.
The other demon meanwhile was dressed only in pants and a white apron, exposing his muscles decorated only by incomprehensibly complex war paints, or at least what looked like war paints.
- ...Son of a bi… - I heard a voice reach the room we were in, turning around I found an equally surprised Ruth, the mask she was wearing had been changed for a new one. I really don't understand these people's almost compulsive obsession with hiding their faces.
- That? Did I do something wrong? - I asked confused
- ...No, it's just weird to see that people actually go up with demons - She said before addressing the demon present - No offense - He simply shook his head before leaving the room
- What are they doing? - I asked as I saw the half-naked demon lean over the wound, completely hiding my view.
- Check the wound, remove the bullet if it is not too deep, prevent infections, and close the wound I suppose, I am not a doctor - I tilted my head to the side - The one who is kneeling is blessing the wound so that infections do not occur, whether due to internal or external bacteria. The other is the surgeon, the tattoos are seals so that no parasites stick to him and accidentally cause infections in other patients -
- Oh - I said slightly disappointed - And they're not going to do anything else? - I asked with some fantasies in mind
- Probably fall unconscious due to lack of sleep, the poor bastards have been almost without sleep for two days and non-stop treating wounded people - She said tiredly - Come on, we can't distract them - Ruth said as she took my hand
She was weak, if I really wanted to, I could get out of her grip, she was stronger than a human but not by much. But I preferred to let myself be guided
Imperial Fortress
1 Day and 12 Hours after the Cataclysm
Sir Nami, Emperor and warlord
- Nami, everyone is here - Dan told me as he walked in circles like an animal locked in a cage.
- It's about time! - I growled as I walked towards the room where the senators and warlords were waiting. Entering, the conversations died almost instantly and a deadly silence attacked the room.
- Sir Nami - One of the warlords saluted. Most of those present were minor warlords, not all guilds were the same, some were stronger and larger than others, so their influence also changed, even so, counting minor warlords, there were barely fifty men and women. The senators were no better either as there were only a dozen or so that I could recognize at a glance.
- Why the emergency meeting so soon? - A senator asked
- Major revolts - I said as I sat in my chair, as expected, many looked at me in confusion, but for a few moments no one said anything - Also that we have multiple army guilds joining the revolts - That seemed to worry more
- Do you know what units? - One of the upper warlords asked. The minor warlords were really there to learn from first hand what the meetings said rather than to actually add things.
- Minor clans, but I am more concerned about the civilian population than the army - I declared
- Why? They are civilians, they can't do much damage - A senator asked
- Mr. Hakin, there is no such thing as "civilians" in SaS - I said firmly - The "army" and "civilian population" only exist for roleplaying reasons. I remind you that all of us have spent most of our lives playing "DeepDive" games. All of us know how to wield a sword, an axe, how to wield a simple spear, how to shoot a gun accurately, how to ride a horse... - I named a few skills - Our "armies" are just players who like the looks and the idea of it, but really we are ALL soldiers. The baker knows how to wield a rifle, the surgeon knows how to wield a sword, there is not a soul in the empire who is not armed with at least a sword, plus, the soldiers "KINDA" respect a command chain, civilians do NOT. So yes, I AM MORE CONCERNED ABOUT THE CIVILIANS THAN THE ARMY - I said while grabbing my head - We can't even threaten death, can we just respawn remember? There is no real fear of death, if people realize this…. The empire will burn - People always forget that in a game, people act more bravely because the real danger was basically zero - Mr. Hakim, the empire is not a nation with an army, it is an army disguised as a nation - I added
In the worst case, people would simply leave the game, but now that was not an option…
- ...Sir, I wanted to add something else to this meeting, taking advantage of the fact that we are... Mostly, all of us here - Another major warlord added. There were still multiple guilds and clans in the army that were too far from Uldeer or the fortress, or were trapped in the revolts on one side or the other - do you know how many casualties there have been in total? - The gentleman asked
- Many, more than 10,000 dead confirmed according to reports - I responded causing several whispers of concern
- Have you marched through the cities? - He asked, which I refused, it was true that I walked through Uldeer, but that was just a walk directly to and from the church - There are hardly any infant players. Shouldn't the streets and ruins be flooded with infant players? - The question caused murmurs of approval. Searching my memory I remembered the old streets of Uldeer and how they were barely devoted of infant life
-...What are you suggesting? - I asked
- I'm not suggesting anything Emperor, I'm just noting something... Loss of access to the menus, filters completely disabled... apparently no respawn... - This one started counting
- You are not suggesting... - The leading senator Sir Wellington muttered
- I don't suggest anything - He quickly added
- In that case why not try to do something completely prohibited to refute the chance of... completely - Another senator suggested - I can ask my lads to try to make a percussion cap, it shouldn't take much - The reason why SaS was technologically limited to flintlock muskets was because percussion caps were completely banned with an AI specially designed to eliminate such objects, percussion caps were the small back section of a bullet that allows you to have cartridges prepared and ready to fire, but without them, we were completely forced to use matchlock or flintlock rifles if we wanted to use firearms
If we could really create and use such objects, and if we were...:? Dear god...
Shaking my head, I agreed to the senator's suggestion. If the possibility of us being… then the danger of riots had increased 10 times more
- Considering that it seems that our stay is going to be long, and the multiple clans without leaders, or low numbers of people, I am going to form a temporary army under the same flag. If there are enough of them, hopefully the revolts will be extinguished without much further damage - I stated - If any warlord, major or minor, with, or without men under his command, wishes, he can invite himself -
Some gentlemen accepted, but as expected, the majority did not. It didn't matter, I have so many troops lost that I can form an army without your help. In the warehouses of my fortress I should still have the uniforms of the old guild. "Black Skies, these had been disbanded a few months ago and the uniforms they used plus the spare ones they had were given to me because they could be easily dyed for other units, but now there was no time for it." A few small fixes and adjustments to your uniforms and they should be usable. After all, you couldn't have an army if everyone wore different uniforms and different colors.
Large groups could use their original banners, small groups meanwhile will be given "Black Skies" banners.
- Excuse me - I said as I stood up to start sending orders - Damn… FUCK -