Hrm.
So uhh.
Warded Scroll.
That threw all my ideas out the window.
Fish drone maaaybe works but uhh.
We want the scroll for the Dragon, so it can be protected and not read…
Maybe…
Just double down?
Leave it there, add whatever defenses the Horde can, leave some Stationed at that village so if anyone goes after it they get intercepted…
That sort of thing.
Or at least, my personal 'Displacer' - one I didn't even name yet - found it for me, and brought me there, through the shifting spatial rift they used for nearly instantaneous travel through the ever shifting void.
It was all but an eye blink.
I didn't know, relative to my previous position, where the place was, but it couldn't be that remote, considering that the pervasive sensation I had from being in the proximity to the mysterious sunken place, possibly with the magical scroll buried in the sea, didn't go away.
It still lingered, suggesting we were still relatively close. I had, however, no idea how far the sensation, a 'signal' of sorts, could reach, so my assumption about distance was relatively moot.
The fishing village wasn't in sight, that much I could confirm, with small cliffs and rocky outcroppings blocking the view from two directions, while the rest was either the wide sea on the one side, and the wall of the verdant overgrowth of the other.
This would be for the best, I presumed, as I didn't know how I should behave in front of the humans in some form of ceremonial role to represent the invisible, supposedly celestial dragoness. Luckily for me, I didn't have to. Ari was a local, one that likely saw the ritual. The man the 'Lady' assigned to us was, presumably, even schooled in it.
I, in the meantime, enjoyed the privacy while I planned my next step.
The beach, equally rocky as it was sandy, wasn't as picturesque as one would imagine - again, this wasn't exactly the tropical paradise - but it was out of sight, much better than standing in the middle of a dirt road.
I wasn't exactly alone there either.
The reason behind the nearly toxic shades of green among the unexpected, budding natural barrier, made itself known very quickly. There were a few 'Corruptors' - my little lizard girl followers - were already there, and the wild, untamed greenery was certainly their doing.
They worked fast - I'd even say too fast, if it wasn't to my benefit - , and were quite enthusiastic about my visit to their personal seaside grove.
"For Master! Master! Master!"
They flocked to me, their girlish voices raised, eager to socialise a little, and show off their work. Their outfits resembling one of the Hawaiian dancers, with grass skirts and flowers, were relatively thematic to the beach, even if this wasn't remotely equatorial weather.
At least I didn't have to worry about getting them clothes if they preferred purely organic outfits. There was still a shortage, even though we had looted the human army's stores.
"Master!"
My little reptilian monster girls were quite cute, I couldn't deny.
Soon, I was surrounded by the couple of them, all striving for attention, while the 'Displacer' hung closer. I caressed a few of them, their scales soft and pleasant to touch, while their feather-like 'hair' was tickly and surprisingly fluffy. It seems a few of them were brought here, in the wake of the 'Mutators' fly-by.
Which meant, their conversion of the local flora was far too rapid. It was worrying. Their work was too fast after all.
The 'Displacer' cat girl crawled into my lap, almost as it was her way of saying it was her turn to receive the attention, not her 'Corruptor' cousins, but aside of the soft hug, I didn't pay much attention to her, as I was preoccupied with the other things.
Namely, how far the horde had spread from our original location.
How many of you are there?"
"For Master?"
Only six of them, besides one dispatched to accompany me. The 'Corruptors' - one which wasn't exactly expected to be there - were quite interested in staying. A few new species of plants were here, the seaside, which interested them. I did not have the heart to tell them that we weren't supposed to settle down here, merely executing the 'Lady' plan to gain the worshipers she needed.
We were originally supposed to just deliver a 'blessing' as the 'Lady' dragon put it, not to turn the entire segment of the coast into nightmare fairy Neverland.
"You are…"
I stopped. When I thought of it, they were right to come here. We couldn't just leave. Not without either recovering the buried artefact hidden beneath the waves, or, alternatively, confirmation that the strange, pulsating energy I felt wasn't what I took it for. Until then…
"I guess we need to double down." I said, thinking aloud: "We would have to create an outpost here, with at least temporary residence until the scroll is retrieved."
Until I find a reliable way to lift the treasure from the bottom of the ocean, the fishing village would have to have us.
"For Master!" They replied cheerfully, very much intended to spread their magical influence around.
I had to wonder what they meant by eggs though.
"Are you going to lay eggs?" I asked, confused, as it was something entirely new to me. Despite the several off-hand mentions Mai had made regarding it there was no reason to assume they would do so regularly. After all, they didn't mention it until…
"For Master!" They chirped in unison.
"Mai would?" I checked, unsure if I even understood them, but it seemed to be the case.
I recalled her behaviour.
"For Master." The little one answered in unison, their minds touching mine, all trying to communicate at once.
They were scouting it here. For all the strangeness, being surrounded by the anthropomorphic lizards, which were not in fact true reptiles, but the odd cross between them and mammals, with the memories of the life of Earth colliding with my present-day situation, I was suddenly feeling protective, there are going to be my bride's eggs, as weird as it sounded.
My girls need to be safe.
Though we knew next to nothing about the area, and nothing about the dangers it held.
"Unless you explicitly need the sea and beach for them, don't." I decided, "It's not safe around there. Make a nest deep within our territory. They need to be protected, and we could do it there.."
Mai had her own garden, albeit with the permanent 'Mutator' tenants and their arcane tree. They could certainly get along.
"Kirke and her girls would help you with it, I am certain. Failing that, you could use the fortress. It would be reasonably secure, too."
"For Master!" They agreed, without objection, even if at least a few of them would stay here either way, to play with the new species of plants, to subsequently transplant them elsewhere.
True, as far as I knew, the valley didn't have rice. Wheat, or millet, or barley, I think. Corn, even, even if it went against the geography I know from Earth.
"For Master!" The 'Corruptors' have their own idea about the origin of species
Just let them tinker. We needed diving equipment, even if only primitive ones.
Speaking of which, if we were going to stay, at least with the small contingent, we should scout the place, as our experience with the locale was this a single fishing and farming settlement tucked on the coast, seemingly isolated from the rest of the world, or at least the rest of the country.
But was it?
Our presence here was, at least originally, a side job, done on request from the dragoness on matters originally unrelated to the whole artefact hunt. While I was there, the city was at Arke's tender mercies after my plan to bolster relations failed spectacularly, and most of my 'Fleshspeakers' were occupied putting down the rebellion.
Everything was getting out of our hands.
Was this village even part of the same province, or were we trespassing on someone else's turf, with its own local lord and his militia?
I didn't know. If humans had a large maritime port, would it be nearby?
Or was this location selected because it was so remote, and insignificant, that neither conquerors nor treasure seekers would bother to even note its existence?
We desperately needed a geography lesson. Both mundane, and the special, supernatural one, allowing a systematic retrieval of the magical artefacts.
How many places like this were scattered around the land, with their own hidden treasures which would stay undetected until I got within a certain radius from the magical Scroll's final resting place?
Irked by the lack of answers, I tried once again to call the 'Lady', hoping her priests could draw. A city could spare a piece of paper, this time an ordinary one, not imbued with any special powers.
"Lady?"
No answer, except for the weak, pained moan, drowning among the endless sea of whispers I was getting used to perceiving as the permanent background noise at the back of my brain.
I tried to focus.
No joy, only I could sense was exhaustion, one which wasn't mine, but hers. This time, however, I didn't need a miracle. A simple conversation would suffice. Anything that wouldn't require us to enact the brute force approach.
Now, ironically enough, an absence of one voice from the infinite cacophony was more distressing than the presence of the endless hum of the vast host of minds joined as one.
"Answer me, you damn dragon!" I said aloud.
"For Master!" The nameless 'Displacer' still clinging to me meowed, agreeing with the sentiment. She and her sisters weren't particularly fond of the dragoness.
A query about the safeguards, places about artefacts, and relative distances between the scattered samples. I didn't ask for much. Considering how annoyingly pervasive our supposedly telepathic, or perhaps spiritual, link otherwise was, the 'Lady' wasn't able to answer, and whatever Tama and the rest, along with Ari, apparently didn't provide the results instantaneously.
I suspected the 'Lady' wouldn't be happy if she found out how much 'improvements' - as 'Corruptors' put it - we would make to the land by the grace of staying, and letting my little scaly friends run amok.
Curses.
I considered recalling them, but before I spoke the word, or even finished the thought, the new swirling portal had torn the air before me, and Tama accompanied by Miwah stepped through, with Sora closing the swirling rift of eldritch power behind them.
Report, then. Tama had a different idea.
"Should I be jealous, Master? You, with my cousins there, alone, on the beach." The vixen said in her familiar sultry tone. I was certain we weren't 'alone' - there were a half-a-dozen 'Corruptors' and I was certain a 'Mutator' was circling nearby as well.
Tama walked closer, with her trademark seductive sway, her multiple fluffy tail swishing hypnotically behind her.
When she leaned in for the kiss, one which I granted, she scratched and nuzzled the 'Displacer' kitty on my lap, not as jealous as she claimed to be. Sometimes I had to wonder what this was about, but Tama was Tama.
"Were we going to share a bed with her, Master?" The silvery vixen asked.
"For Master!" The little 'Displacer', however, agreed. She and Sora exchanged meaningful glances and thought it was appropriate.
I was tempted, but I had worries other than flirting. Namely, securing this place so we could rest for the day. Then maybe flirt in safety.
"Any luck with the humans?"
"Oh. They are a little more cooperative than usual, Master." Tama purred, "Didn't have to burn any of them. Or eat their livers."
Maybe it was not a good idea to leave Tama with the humans.
"Ari is still talking to them, Master. Narita stayed behind to convince them, though healing their ills, and Kuma and Ekaterina were watching over. Seems they are slightly more popular." Miwah added, and also came closer, to share her affection as well. A lamellar carapace of the armour robbed me of the softness of her assuring embrace, but I welcomed it nevertheless.
I think I liked Miwah's approach more.
"And Kirke?"
"Representing the blessing, Master. She could boost the plants Narita could harvest," she said, taking a position on my side.
It made sense.
"We will make sure the humans are properly subjugated, Master."
I wasn't entirely sure about subjugation. The idea for Narita to provide healing was brilliant though - or horrible, considering the side effects - but as the mysterious power beneath the sea continued to beat, I was more and more driven to get the dragoness back to consciousness.
We were running out of options, and being reasonable didn't always help.
If the humans could withstand the aftereffects of the life-energy transference, they would maybe appreciate the fact they could be healthier, while we could determine how many humans could be immune to the degree Ari was, if any of them could.
Yet, disappointment we wouldn't, and couldn't, give the 'Lady' the boost so she could repay us with the intel we needed was very palpable. I was getting impatient. If only I could push the time a little forward.
"Ah…" I said, disappointed, "No result then. Make sure she doesn't cause unnecessary pain. We need to convince them, not kill them."
"Yes, Master." Miwah said in acknowledgement
There was no telling how this even worked - would 'Lady' wake up today, tomorrow, in a week? Were the rituals Ari was likely organising right now even working? They could do something. We had experienced it with the pyre in the aftermath of the siege, but we were not any wiser about what it really did.
"Tama?"
"Yes, Master?" She hummed,
"Bring Helmy and all the riders they made, and send them …" I paused, …"south, following the road. Find if there is any other settlement."
North was, if I remember, the direction we came from, even if the teleport made it quite confusing.
"Yes, Master." Vixen said, "Are we going to … relax on the beach in the meantime?"
An embrace of fluff was, despite the warm day, very pleasant, but I didn't let myself be swayed to anything more than a few gentle touches and a little closeness. I still have issues to sort out, and tasks to plan out.
"No, Tama. I am sorry." I said. "We would relax back in the fortress later."
"Yes, Master."
I would have to get my information elsewhere. The other human, the advisor to the Viceroy, came to mind, reasonably educated. It was time to make a visit once I made sure we won't be attacked here, near the sea. We couldn't let this place be, not while the artefact is present.
"Sora?"
The cat-girl, or rather panther-girl, considering the recent development, came closer, and leaned forward, getting a little affectionate. Cute, too. Her eyes flashed.
"I suppose you know what is to the north?"
"Yes, Master." She meowed, "Partially. We knew the villages were abandoned past the battlefield we visited. It is our hunting ground now."
Maybe it is where they were snatching all the animals they caught after our part of the valley was stripped of any prey. There were thousands of stomachs to feed, and there would be more. I felt like seagulls foresaw their approaching doom, as the wildlife went suddenly silent soon after we arrived there. If only the noisome pests could be silenced first.
Another reason to stick to the coast. The sea held an ample source of food.
Still, I didn't like the fact this village was somehow missed while the others fled. It warranted investigation.
"Could you look through them?" I asked, "Just a quick look, teleport around to find if any of them have inhabitants. Or barriers, for what matter. We need to find if there are any priests of the other dragons than the Lady's"
They were the fastest to spot the barrier, as it was a no-go zone for their teleport.
"A detailed look would be done by flyers after,"
The idea of my feline going splat against the ground made me shiver.
"Hmm, there could be something we had ignored." The larger feline pondered, "I will, Master."
"Do not engage if you find any." I managed to add, but Sora proved to be as impulsive as she always was. She glanced at the distance briefly, and then answered affirmatively with the usual "Yes, Master." before she opened a portal for herself, disappearing into it without a delay.
I could only hope she would be reasonable.
The little version of her, however, stayed behind for personal attention. It was a strange quirk of her, always leaving her little kin to keep me company.
Briefly I wondered why it wasn't the arcane fruit 'evolved Warpstalkers' with their panther-like elegance, compared to the small bluish 'Displacer' that got the 'adjutant duty', but I couldn't complain.
I was stretching their power to the limit. There was always a 'Warpstalker' or 'Displacer' to give their less mobile cousins a lift.
The smaller feline did not protest against her exclusion from the adventure, and meowed. She wanted to stay.
Fair enough, I thought. There was something adorable about the small, rank-and-file version of 'Displacers'.
Where was my bat-girl, or possibly the moth ones? Kirke was busy, but she had her kin around - at least a few could be spared for reconnaissance. A 'Mutator' was around there, somewhere.
Almost as an answer, the shadow had passed overhead, and the 'Fleshspeaker' - or rather 'Overseer' since she was darker and bigger - landed on one of the many rocks scattered around the beach.
Finally!
I freed myself from the soft embrace with my wolf, and my fox, and my kitten, to come closer.
The bat-girl jumped down, spreading their wide wings. It was quite impressive they could take off from the ground, considering that their 'evolution' blessed them with the even larger wingspans.
They were quite enormous, even if not as large as Arke's, and didn't take anything from the exotic charms their breed held.
Even if the skinny, fleshy outfits they crafted for themselves distressed a part of me still. It even moved, suggesting that the 'Fleshspeaker' did control their outfits.
I headed to greet my not-so-little chiropteran, but paused, reminding myself of the practicality. Although I still touched her gently on her face, caressing her fur and hair.
My flying fox bat.
"For Master?" she muttered, liking it, but I needed her to be more than just my winged beauty.
She would be an overseer for the coast, literally and figuratively, considering how they were called. But first, she needed a name. And her own company - a flock of 'Fleshspeakers' that wouldn't take away from all my busy little and not-so-little bats managing the madness of the provincial city. They would hopefully manage to make a drone of something aquatic, sending it down there.
"I'll name you …"
Is there a messenger themed name? Perhaps then I would memorise it.
"...Rye."
Maybe I would come to regret excessive use of this feature.
The system, as much as unreliable as it normally was, number wise, reacted almost enthusiastically to the input, and the notification invaded my view soon after. This time, however, it resonated with the mystic energy underwater.
A rush of energy, feedback, more enticing than ever before.
The power wanted to be used. Wanted to be combined.
I bobbed my head, trying to shoo away the feeling, the urge.
The Unit Named! Rye, Named Overseer.
Skill "Messengers of the Ever-Living Horde Lvl.17" gained.
The message came, and with it, a brief burst of the familiar red fog, from which a new life has been born, with eight more 'Fleshspeakers' has been brought to this world. It would be worthwhile to find out why they always came from that fog. It was an aspect of my power I had no explanation for, but finding out was the very reason why I needed that artefact.
"For Master." They squeaked in unison to announce themselves and tried to wrap their wings around themselves to hop a little closer, but Rye - a freshly named one - blocked their way as she shielded me with hers in an almost possessive way.
Tama behind me giggled.
The rest, ordinary 'Fleshspeakers' did not argue, but the crowd of them was rather awkward as they needed to wrap their wings tightly around their bodies to accommodate, only to get closer to me. .
"Girls. Girls." I said and looked at my named chiropteran companion.
"For Master?" She looked at me questioningly, awaiting the instruction, clearly preferring to stay close.
"Yes, Rye. I place you in charge of the coast, to talk with humans, and so on." I said, "However, first, try to catch some aquatic animals, which you could send underwater to check the source of that energy. You feel it too, don't you?"
Miwah certainly could.
"For Master!" They confirmed.
It would be easier this way. This way, they should be able to stay away from danger, sending the enthralled animals forth to test the ground before we have anyone to dive to recover the item. Or, alternatively, to confirm it was not worth recovering.
I could sense her mind, filled with the ideas, some stranger than others, like wiring the brain of the fisher, skilled in navigating the rough water and the rising tides, into another creatures ,
"No. Explore it with your puppeteer's animals." I added and empathised: "Avoid puppeteering additional humans if possible."
"For Master?" They asked, all in unison, making me confused why they were so interested in catching a human - each wanted their own personal zombified servant. It would not bore well for the natives.
"Just don't. If you need them, transfer ones the others had already zombified in the city, rather than harming the inhabitants of the village." I offered, "Do not convert more unless it is absolutely necessary."
If they stun and control the human that had already attacked them, it would be better than just killing him or her. The 'Fleshspeakers' answered immediately, in unison.
"For Master!" They did not object to that. As much as unsettling their idea about sharing the toys was, I knew that whatever the other 'Fleshspeakers' did to the human they caught was irreversible, and taking the afflicted away would be for the best, even if it may cause some resentment.
However, before I came to terms on how to justify it, even if those humans could be as good as dead, they had a better idea.
"For Master!" They suggested enthusiastically.
"Crabs?"
"For Master!" They agreed.
"Crabs are fine." I was allowed. Why they wanted to catch a crab was beyond me, suddenly, was beyond me, but I supposed it wouldn't do any harm.
"For Master!"
I looked around.
A lone 'Purifier' got on the beach, with a pleased grin, holding a half-scorched bird. Where, and when, she caught it, I did not know. When she got here? I had assumed that the 'Displacers' - as impatient as they were - already started teleporting the most bored members of the horde itching for action for the seaside hunting trips the very second I green-lighted our presence.
It was escalating quickly.
Yet the 'Fleshspeakers' wanted a crab, and a human, and were particularly insistent on that, and …
Considering they were the types which fashioned outfits from still living skin, I would rather not think about what to do with those.
"There would be Corruptors to help you and get hold of a Mutator too." I decided, "We would need to establish a permanent presence here, either way. You could pick where your lair would be."
Or share - the little 'Corruptors' were already decided on having this beach for themselves. Maybe I should give it to Lily. She could get some trade exchange with the humans, after all.
"For Master!" They responded all in unison. My winged girls agreed with their scaly cousins.
The link buzzed with the ideas. I could sense it. A 'Mutator' flew above, finally showing up.
"Yes, they could help you catch some crabs." I said, giving Rye a brief kiss before she and her 'Fleshspeaker' sisters left, taking off one by one.
I watched them circling above, almost as they looked for the animals to catch, before they headed out somewhere along the coast. Everything was silent for a while, it was beginning.
"Now…" I said, more for myself than for others, turning to Tama and Miwah. The little 'Displacer' immediately rushed to me. Now Rye and their bat cousins were not blocking her way, I would not get rid of her anytime soon.
"Do we know where the…" I asked, pausing, then resigned to adding: "..,whatever the name of the advisor is. The sage?"
"His name is Hyun-Ki, Master."
Awkward, however, I had far too many names to remember, with all the abuse to the mechanic I did. I was starting to confuse all of them, leaving no space for one's like the rarely cooperative natives.
Maybe I needed a secretary. An assistant. Or maybe just never leave without Miwah on hand.
"He still tries to complete the treaty you wanted him to write down, Master," she said.
Now, it was a question of how to fix the situation within the city, and the chaos that would reign even if the Viceroy never recovered.
The original agreement was unsustainable.
This Hyun-Ki, on the other hand, was educated - which was supposedly rare around here - and familiar with the city and the surrounding lands.
Perhaps the city would need a mayor. A human one.
For all my poor memory regarding the names, and such, I did recall the conversation, and the Sage was, as far I could recall, entirely obsessed with finding the very same relic that we sought for at the moment.
Not only could he give me a lesson in some of the intricacies of artefact hunting, he should be able to order up the city a little, allowing us to switch our attention elsewhere afterwards. Here, more precisely.
Briefly looking at the waves washing over the rocky beach, with the pulsing magical energy for what lies beneath, made me realise the thing.
I knew exactly how to motivate the Sage.
Feeling that I was getting a grasp of the entire situation, I scratched my personal 'Displacer' and ordered:
"Excellent, take me to Scribe. Sage. I have a proposition for him."
…That Sage if I recall thought those Scrolls held some sort of 'innumerable wisdom' didn't he?
Which means if he gets his hands on the scroll…
Well, another Scroll activated, another power Joined to the Root…
And a new horror for those not of the Choir of the Root.
…That Sage if I recall thought those Scrolls held some sort of 'innumerable wisdom' didn't he?
Which means if he gets his hands on the scroll…
Well, another Scroll activated, another power Joined to the Root…
And a new horror for those not of the Choir of the Root.
Wellp.
That's probably going to get the Master in trouble with the Lady for sure. But I can also see from their issues communicating why the Dragons don't seem very good at this:
They seem to need a surplus of strength to communicate to mortals and I bet they also need it to even see what the mortals are getting up to.
Wellp.
That's probably going to get the Master in trouble with the Lady for sure. But I can also see from their issues communicating why the Dragons don't seem very good at this:
They seem to need a surplus of strength to communicate to mortals and I bet they also need it to even see what the mortals are getting up to.
The Lady is in quite the pickle. She tried to contain the magical scrolls they couldn't contain by making a deal with the protagonist, which made essentially appointed a goat for gardener. This didn't bode well for her as other dragons didn't like it a single bit, and they deposed her, cutting her away from her worshipper. She doubled down and transferred the tops of her own clergy to the protagonist, in order to preserve them, and thus the source of her power, but they went insane from exposition to the hive mind. Now, cut from her own power source, she tried to establish herself in the less populated area, which surprise surprise led to more issues as cut from her original worshippers she has no strength income. She is very bad in resource management
Yeesh that is bad…
Only reason The Master is functional is probably the Root helping him manage that Choir…
And of course those Fleshspeakers are probably no help and probably would require direct order from the Master to help if they could.
Yeesh that is bad…
Only reason The Master is functional is probably the Root helping him manage that Choir…
And of course those Fleshspeakers are probably no help and probably would require direct order from the Master to help if they could.
The horde could manage themselves just fine. They are individual minds, networked together, with Brides and Alphas acting as commanders.
Fleshspeakers actually add to the mix as they create a flesh drones from animals or humans which they control. The protagonist even forbid them to capture and zombify more humans unless necessary ... but they fleshcrafted large insects to serve like attack hounds, modified horses, evn fleshcrafted their own outfits.
A centre of the mountainous province whose name I couldn't quite recall, eighty kilometres away from the artefact's last resting place, was hardly relevant to the relic hunt, but it still was a major population centre within the visual distance of our own base of operation, and a hot test-bed for our future interactions with the native humans of this world if I could call it that.
It hadn't gone well so far, and the brief moments spent in the shifting, physics defying void the 'Displacers' travelled through made me think whether it was at all worthwhile.
Immediate returns were not in sight, as difficulties, inconveniences and obstacles piled up, only to be replaced by new ones once the previous were solved.
However, we had no other choice than to stand up to the promises and guarantees we had given to the city's viceroy, only the local authority figure open to the dialogue with us, in order to secure our position for the future endeavours, and prove to the world we could be reasoned with as well.
If the closest - or second closest - treasure spot was on the coast eighty kilometres away, others would be even farther away, and I was worried that any attempts to recover them would put us in direct conflict with their respective local lords, and at least two mutually hostile factions of humans, if not more.
Having an arrangement or agreements with one or more could be a wise choice, instead of continuing the cycle of violence.
Although, would the other provincial lords even respect that we acted on behalf of the one from the neighbouring regions?
With 'Lady' still in some form of coma, would secular authorities even mean anything if we ran into the priestesses of other 'celestial' dragons?
Who was the one ultimately in charge of human affairs?
I didn't know, but I wanted to be careful. We were aware of the two artefact burial spots, one of which we found, while recovering none - there was no point in rushing to ever more distant places tempting fate.
There was no telling what awaited us there. There must be more nations in this world, aside from the two kingdoms currently embroiled in the war, with us trapped in the middle.
Sadly, we would have to face them all, eventually.
As our numbers swelled and new discoveries were made, it became abundantly clear that a plan to simply settle in 'our' side of the valley was no longer a viable solution, not with us drawn into the conflict with the dragoness' recent action.
The expansion was against what I wished. I had no desire for war and certainly didn't want their lands or gold, or other valuables, let alone the people.
I, however, wanted to finally understand what it was all about. Why were we there, where the power that fuelled our growth came from, and again, why? Why the system, with its broken numbers?
So many hidden secrets, so many unspoken questions, so few answers.
That pulsing energy of the sunken relic, like the beacon, promised the explanation we sought so dearly, and better yet, a chance to control all this madness. So close, yet so far away.
It would be easier if we could just dive under the waves.
There were so many variables, although it would probably be for the best to not explore those, to not provoke other dragons while 'Lady' was out. Their role and interests in all of this were also a mystery.
Attempting to coexist within the valley was our best bet for now, if only I knew how to do it. It was a mess. A mess I wanted to avoid elsewhere.
As I fell through the void bent by the 'Displacer' magic, barely paying attention to it - my trusted little feline guided me through the currents of headache inducing, space time violating dimension of madness, while I, for all those moments, tried to remember the names.
Of course, I didn't even recall the names of the current viceroy or his province.
Chunnan - the city, it was called Chunnan by the natives, something I had to mentally remind myself of.
Going out to explore the world, seeking the scattered pieces of some grand collection of magical relics, also meant visiting places. Which, in turn, meant remembering the names they were given by the natives - I still couldn't make up the name of the scroll's equally mysterious author that sounded almost as 'Oscar', but I thought I nailed the pronunciation of the municipality.
A miniscule bit of progress, but progress nevertheless.
It must be important in some other way, the place and time - there was a reason why I awoke the ruins in this province's forested hills, rather than anywhere else on the continent, but I didn't and couldn't puzzle the answer yet. Another reason to deal with the accursed city.
Normal space was eager to wipe away the profanity the 'Displacer' had used to deposit me on my destination. I was definitely used to it. It used to be more vertigo and disorientation inducing earlier, and the space beyond that defied the concepts of distance.
The noise of the organised chaos welcomed me. The city turned on itself was in complete disorder, its inhabitants scattered, fled or already captured and corralled into different neighbourhoods. I will yet to figure out how to salvage this situation.
"For Master!"
My little cat-girl guide announced our arrival as I still tried to collect my thoughts on the geographical names I could find, even with our recently expanded interaction with the humans. There wasn't much. I was, however, quite certain I was told at least some.
"For Master!" The anthropomorphic feline meowed. I patted her head as a thanks.
"Chunnan, the centre of Surao." I whispered quietly, repeated only to myself, as a reminder, and looked around.
The city was an excellent example of the typical, eastern Asia styled architecture so prevalent in this world, with its iconic lightweight wooden buildings, hip-and-gable roofs tiled instead of thatched as most outlying villages had. While I had no context for what constituted a truly grand metropolis in this world, the city - Chunnan - it was two steps above anything the countryside has to offer.
The only damage caused by the recent, or maybe still outgoing, unrest, broke its colourful, well-kept appearance, with the various scattered debris and items littering the ground, and occasional scars of battle with entranceways damaged as houses had been broken into.
No humans were to be seen, though, only voices, distant screams, carried off by the wind were a sign that they weren't gone. At least the fighting died down.
My girls, on the other hand, lurked around.
A few 'Purifiers' loitered around the street, picking through items left in the aftermath of the riot, or carried from the nearby houses, their foxy forms with a new outfit they likely looted.
Nearby, a few ursine 'Ravagers' in full armour stood guard at the estate with its gate broken open.
Above them, a 'Fleshspeaker' - or 'Overseer' as the bat-girl was larger with dark fur - sat atop of the same gate with the wings spread, ready to fly, her eyes scanning the street.
A hulking abomination, once a human twisted by 'Fleshspeaker' magic, came into view, body misshaped, with oddly cancerous muscle growth, dressed in tatters, with the scythed arms replacing the hands, followed by the two oversized insect-like 'roach-hounds'.
It paid me no attention and continued its patrol.
"For Master!" The bat-girl yelped, half in surprise, half in excitement, mentally hurrying her fleshy drones away, while 'Purifiers' echoed her expression, rushing closer. My little 'Displacer', and the personal escort, refused to budge. A couple of 'Eviscerator' appeared immediately after, dropping their invisibility, all armoured in salvaged soldier outfits, rushing to me.
"For Master!"
The very moment that a new portal tore the air, bringing in Tama and Miwah, I was surrounded by two dozen of their respective smaller breeds, all vying for attention, while two more 'Fleshspeakers' circled above. Even a 'Mutator' decided to visit.
Only the 'Defiler' came later.
"You would be a translator?" I asked, since the 'Alpha', Arke, wasn't around, looking up from the crowd at one of my chiropteran followers on her perch, patiently waiting as her cousins swarmed the ground.
"For Master!" She confirmed, while the crowd echoed with enthusiasm: "Master! Master!"
Itching for their share of attention, they only let me pass after I moved, likely due to Miwah and Tama taking their post at my side, and I properly greeted at least a couple of them, hugs included.
The bat-girl didn't follow me inside when I went ahead. There had to be another flesh puppet around, I assumed. That worried me a little - how many humans did they turn?
I shook my head, rather not thinking about the implications, trusting my monster girl's judgement on the matter, and also believed that the alternative - the killings - may be even worse.
"I take it this is sage's house?" I queried, looking at the miniature paved courtyard behind the destroyed gate, then heading up the three steps to the stone platform the wooden villa stood atop of.
"I don't know, Master." Miwah said, "But he was there when we informed him you would come."
"I see." I answered, nodding. Maybe the Sage - I still struggled not to call him Scribe - was a well-paid occupation.
When I entered the building, I started to doubt it ever was an actual abode, in the classical sense.
A library, perhaps, or maybe an archive, with a few low tables, and shelves upon shelves filled with parchments, tablets and scrolls of likely non-magical mundane variety as they didn't give up that strange, indescribable aura, all haphazardly scattered, almost as if the house itself was recently looted.
Maybe it was.
There was an overturned brazier, and the traces of recent fire that were recently put down, while 'roach-hound' snooped around the debris - if the dog-sized hybrid between the cockroach, spider and some other animals could sniff. A glazed-eyed human with thick, blackened veins stood in the corner, a zombified townsman judging from the fine, but dirtied robes.
I didn't consult the overview yet - it was too unreliable to dwell on - I was certain that there would be much more 'drones' when this was over.
The Sage didn't pay attention to any of it. Neither the state of the city, nor the fate of his countrymen concerned him, so it seems, not even the 'Devourer' dressed in the flesh-and-chitin outfit sitting on the table intently staring didn't break the man from his concentration.
Not disturbed by the presence of my gorgeous rat girl, he continued to scribble something on the large sheet of yellow-ish paper, lines, and letters, neither of which I could understand.
His hand holding the small brush moved quickly and efficiently, not spilling even a droplet of ink, quite impressive considering the simple, primitive writing utensils.
I didn't know how literate the general population was, if at all, but he was certainly trained for this. Perhaps referring to him as the scribe wasn't that far from the truth - I wouldn't be able to write this neatly with the simple tiny brush, with such precision, as he did.
The purpose of the document eluded me, even after exchanging a meaningful glance with the 'Devourer' that supposedly guarded him the entire time, but I decided to not interrupt the process, turning my attention to the rest of the building.
He still did not notice us.
The documents stored there gave no sensation of the supernatural, unexplainable energies the magical equivalent would have had, but there were a lot of them - this was, very likely, an actual hall of records.
My girls had to force their way in.
The gate had been broken through, and the signs of a fight were present.
The scroll was, indeed, a common format, as opposed to the bound books - but those were in poor shape, didn't explain the unseen forces that kept the relic equivalents somehow intact for centuries exposed to elements, while the ordinary papers were threatening to fall apart. Perhaps that was why some were still done though wooden tablets, lost in all this mess.
What information could this all hold?
Was the place secured because of the riot, or was this supposed to be hidden from us?
The questions once more outnumbered the answers.
It was clear this wasn't a relic cache, that much was certain. However, other important documents could be hidden here.
Chronicles, historical documents, tax and property records, depending how well developed their bureaucracy has been before the war, and our arrival, ruined everything.
If we knew whose house was which, I could confine the humans to their respective houses, without confusing them one for another, and just bring them water and food until they decide to behave.
I had no intent to confiscate those from them, even though the clothes the 'Purifiers' pilfered would likely never be returned.
There would be maps, I thought, no need for Sora and her 'Displacers' to draw me one from their skydiving sessions.
My girls started to look through it, but they clearly weren't any more gifted in understanding the local script any more than I was without the help. We would need an interpreter either way.
Who was in charge of this place?
The Sage continued to write, lost in his work, not noticing the human sized anthropomorphic rat in front of him.
I made a few steps closer as he was making a few finishing touches to the document he was so captivated with, and hurried to complete finishing it with a lead stamp made in red ink, as opposed to the text in all black.
"For Master!" The rat-girl sighed, apparently frustrated by the human she guarded.
He yelped, surprised, jumped up and spilled the ink on the table upon noticing the 'Devourer', the writing supplies scattering all around. I didn't think my rat-girls, especially the 'evolved' variant, were so unnoticeable as they had the size of a grown human, but the Sage managed to overlook one in front of him, so engrossed was he in his work.
If he cursed, I didn't know. I didn't understand the language, but it took him a while to finally acknowledge the presence of the monster girl that was there all along. It was an impressive display of hyper-focusing on the task, or a serious issue. I couldn't tell.
"He has been working on this document since you asked, Master, but didn't say what it says." Miwah helpfully explained, in a hush tone.
Treaty between us and the humans, one we never got to sign?
A journal entry, describing the events?
Or perhaps an official letter, hence the stamp I just saw?
Before I could speculate on this even more, he noticed me.
He turned away from his work and bowed down, mumbling something, perhaps an apology. His body language betrayed what I thought to be nervosity, not fear or anger like his countrymen.
I decided to start the conversation with something other than the seaside site after exchanging glances with Miwah. Tama didn't appear too flirty when the humans were around, but remained on my side to show their status.
"Do you know of any tombs nearby?" I asked, carefully, without realising he doesn't understand our tongue any more than we understand him, but the zombified human lurking in the corner mechanically barked the translation. It shook, almost like a seizure, with the creature's muscles moved forcefully by the magic.
It bothered me, but not the Sage. He answered.
"There…the tomb… house … of Gam…rich…province." Translation was barely intelligible, the human puppet struggling with our speech, an equivalent by the machine script than a living speaker, despite being made of flesh and bone.
I looked at Tama, regretting we couldn't get quite a large 'Overseer' inside, so it was either her, or Miwah interpreting.
Though recently able to understand a conversation, I wasn't quite able to distinguish the individual voices from the endless hum.
They didn't have such a restriction, making my closest crucial to the interaction with the world. My girls could talk to each other over enormous distances through their telepathic link, after all, and who had the authority over the respective didn't matter that much.
"We were told those names, Master."
It was Miwah who spaced out, consulting the host.
"Gam Family? House or clan, perhaps? They had their family tomb and other rich ones have been buried in various places of the province, Master."
"Gam?" I asked. Was I supposed to know the name?
Names, either of the natives themselves, or their nations, regions and towns, were confusing, and my memory didn't fare well even in case of the dozens of my girls I so recklessly named to abuse the mechanic that gave them life.
It was all starting to backfire.
Either Tama and Miwah would have to check it for me.
There was an exchange of words, all equally undecipherable,in the local language, but luckily for me, the translation seemed to work with decent efficiency if there was the flesh-puppet in the area, and any of my girls, not just 'Fleshspeaker' or 'Overseer'.
Arke's ideas had merit, as horrible as wiring native human's brains to their other creations was, but I refused to entertain them right now.
To his credit, the Sage wasn't bothered by the way it was done now, even if he seems distraught in general.
"Viceroy's relatives. He described where it was. Apparently, it seems disrespectful to burn the bodies of … important people, Master?" Miwah interpreted, even if it took her some length, and there was an uncharacteristic but notable sneer at the importance of humans.
Didn't he say burning bodies were acceptable before? Did I cause the unrest because there is a specific ritual for specific people?
There were so many things to pay attention to. Maybe even Ari didn't know the intricacies, despite the fact she was a human, there might be customs varying between regions, and so on.
I hated it already - so many things that would offend humans besides the usual, logical things - but it was beyond the point now.
"Miwah? What is the name of the author of the scrolls?" I asked, and quickly added, considering we were in the library, or the archive, of the mundane variety: "The magical ones."
I would have to update my terminology eventually.
"Pho-us-kah, Master."
"Pho-us-kah…" I tasted the word with considerable effort. It still sounded like "Oscar" to me, even from a strictly rational perspective there wasn't any reason to assume there wasn't any correlation between it, and similarly sounding words from Earth's languages.
If that person being related to my powers hinted at a similar otherworldly origin, the name the natives used might very well have come from them adapting the actual one to their language, too.
Although, there was no proof that either was the case.
At least, it was easier to remember this way..
Saying it aloud did, however, get us some attention, as the Sage jumped on his feet obsessively.
"It is not what I had in mind. I was told that one of the scrolls of Pho-us-kah was buried in the tomb nearby. Do you know what they may have done to secure it?"
"No, he didn't have an idea the forbidden texts are there…." was the answer, predictably, though the man rushed to burst out of the door only to be stopped by the 'Ravager' blocking the entrance.
"...he is willing to check them one by one, Master. Waited for too long…"
There was no point in desecrating the random tombs in the area. We already knew, roughly, where to look. The 'Lady' managed to give us this direction before her untimely disappearance - through the eastern entrance to the valley, north following the mountains - we just need it to check it against whatever records, if any, the province had.
The man protested, but I, for one, had a better idea.
"We don't need you to check every one of them. We need you to identify the right one."
My words, mangled to the local speech, came from our 'interpreter zombie'.
The obsessive wiseman calmed down a little.
With his help, we could not only save us a considerable amount of time and effort, avoid sending out the valuable and busy 'Fleshspeakers' and 'Mutators' on exhausting aerial reconnaissance missions, and more importantly, get two artefacts as the prize of one once the diving issue is solved.
We could test what standard wards even were, without the risk of drowning…
Local equivalent of a deranged academic didn't seem to be good at waiting, it seemed.
"Calm down. Is there any map of this land? A province? Even the entire kingdom? I assume not all tombs are in the same place"
Now, the man's attention quickly changed towards the shelves holding the stacks upon stacks of the rolled paper, glancing through them in the frantic, manic search, clearly not finding what he was searching for and disappearing deeper into the building.
After a few loud bangs, which without a doubt were the sign of his rage against some locked container, he came back, this time with the rolled piece of paper.
The map.
It wasn't a good map by any measure, at least by modern standards, resembling more a doodling made in colourful inks, but it was still better than anything we could produce in the limited timeframe and next to no experience in cartography - there were a very clear outlines of rivers, hills, and the mountain range, along with the remarks made in the local script.
Perhaps it wasn't for nothing after all.
The Sage said something.
I waited for the translation. A questioning look towards my girls, and the mindless flesh puppet stumbled forwards, prompted likely by the 'Fleshspeaker' or 'Overseer' away from sight.
"A map of the lands under the governance of the Viceroy of Surao, Master," Miwah offered, taking her time to question the host after the unheard, but felt exchange.
A province, municipality, not the entire country then - it worked for us, we had to start small, and instead of trying to obtain the information about the more distant sites the man likely didn't hear out, I decided to verify the direction the 'Lady' had given much earlier.
"The kingdom's capital is on this map?"
"No, Master."
Good. At the moment, we cared only about the closest locations too.
I came closer, kneeling near the table it was placed on. Luckily, neither the map nor the document the Sage had written, has been soaked by the spilt ink.
"Where is the north?" I asked, trying to orient myself to the image presented even if I couldn't read the annotations normal, native, reader would focus on, explaining what we were looking at.
A tough attempt at translation followed, not bringing me any closer to even understand the basic words. The Sage pointed at the map. I was looking at it wrong - it was drawn sideways - and turned the paper.
"Is this an eastern pass out of the valley?"
I asked. There seems to be an agreement, eventually, for all our difficulties with communication, and our attempt to circumvent our limitations.
"Through the eastern pass, to the north." I moved my finger, briefly worried my touch would damage it: "My…."
I paused, allowing the puppet to follow, spitting the words mechanically, while I silently settled on the term how to refer to our horde so they could understand us better, opting on something rather impersonal, hoping that my furry menagerie wouldn't be offended by it..
"...my forces were supposed to move north and find the burial mound somewhere along here, where the scroll of…"
Another pause - don't call him 'Oscar' I reminded myself.
"... Scroll of Pho-us-kah is hidden."
Briefly concerned, the complex sentence would confuse the man, but he seemed focused, more focused than before, and was seemingly able to catch the meaning of my words even after the 'zombie' scrambled them rapid fire.
The Sage stroked his chin, and said something.
Of course, I didn't understand. His outburst seems rather lengthy, but Miwah was able to summarise it quite well.
The zombified human mechanically droned as he spoke.
"There is nothing there, Master." My mate's words summarised it well, even if she need a few pauses to gather her wits about it: "The area between the mountains and wide river is mostly empty, save for the settlements on the main, royal road, and the riverbanks. It has been searched before…"
The Sage, countied the tirade, speaking, pointing at the map, never stopping.
When he finally stopped, the summary was forthcoming. My girl's memory was unparalleled.
Unsurprisingly, we weren't the first ones to search for the ultimate collection of over six hundred of those mysterious parchments, with the bigger players included not only the government, or rather former kings, of this state we were in, but also their enemies.
They all failed, with the so-called Forbidden Library remaining the largest collection of what was known to mortals, which …
We already knew that part of the story. I had no desire to challenge the seat of this kingdom's government.
"The Viridian High Lady…" I said, dragoness title annoying as ever, "...she knew where they were."
I was expecting a dismissal, but he did not question our rather unusual source of intel, and after another pause, and waiting for the translation again.
He continued.
A fact about their previous rulers, this land being a site of some historical battle, names of which flies above my head, answered very little, aside from the interesting curiosity that this was where the author of those scrolls of eldritch knowledge lived. A hermit in the mountains, writing a tome of the forbidden knowledge, sounded like a cliche story, but I wasn't one to complain.
Was one of the scroll in the tomb of its author?
"Do you know where he was buried? Oskar." I asked, and corrected myself: "Pho-us-kah. Where was he buried?"
"No…"
A tirade continued, showing the man's significant frustration.
It, apparently, stood to reason that the mysterious, legendary manuscripts could be hidden where their equally elusive author lived, or died, but so far, it has not been found after the gods drove the 'poor Oskar' insane. While I would have doubts about the late part, normally, I met 'Lady'.
"Cruel punishment to be exiled there…" Miwah concluded the translation, while Tama only sneered at the man's complaint.
The Sage had years to think this through, we did not.
Even if I didn't get the full meaning behind his words, it was quite clear that the place didn't seem to be on the map. It was something the 'Lady' said herself. I was aware, but I expected there would be a place of note.
There wasn't one. No ancient memorials of the times long gone were around, aside that ruins the forest, everyone avoided one we already searched.
The map seems to acknowledge there was a major road - and anything it touched - but it was just about it.
We wouldn't find the tomb by the method of elimination.
On the next one, then.
"Other place is on the coast…"
I tried to point my finger, tracing it along the map, but that part wasn't even drawn in - the sea was, as far as I understood, to the west, but the coastal fishing village wasn't even recorded there. In fact, nothing was.
Sora said south-west, didn't she?
While it was possible, likely even, that the Viceroy himself wouldn't be concerned with a few huts of the coast, far away from his own seat of power, possibly several days of travel away even at the best of circumstances
Not under the viceroy's authority?
It wasn't helping and was confusing the situation even further.
He started to rattle on - the Sage ready to burst through the door, possibly to dig out the relics himself, perhaps even with his bare hands, and this time it was the 'Devourer' that had to rein him in a little.
"There is a …" Miwah tried to translate, while Tama looked like it was undignified to bother with the humans. I could feel her desire to be just done with it.
I gestured to her to have patience.
The lecture continued, as I briefly checked the translation.
The family of the local lord has been supposedly buried in the hill in the centre of the valley.
It was a completely different spot, and I wasn't too keen on tomb raiding - especially if it would just anger the natives, put another village in disarray, and gain us nothing of value.
The Sage really dwelt on the idea of the tomb though, since he kept returning to it.
There was, as far as I could tell, no connection between it, and what we were shown, or had learned ourselves, especially considering the seaside place wasn't a tomb. Unless it was flooded, it would imply the drastic changes to the coastline in the past, long before people even settled in the village. Ari was just trying to convert.
It didn't add up.
Ransacking the last resting place of Viceroy's family on the basis it is a burial place was a horrible idea.
Even more so if the 'scroll' - a real, magical one, I would have to put the terms straight later considering everything was technically in the same format - the relic was elsewhere.
I wondered whether they were buried in some pattern, but so far, we could just draw the line. Enough of it.
"Did you know how the scrolls were secured?" I tried to redirect the conversation to more practical matters.
This time, however, was an explanation, which brought me to the kingdom's capital and their personal collection. A king's vault, armed guards, magical wards, that sort of thing.
The Sage didn't know what the dragons and their followers did to hide the rest.
"Our scouts would have to find it the hard way."
He, however, became increasingly agitated, and it was leading nowhere.
"I have an offer for you." I said, to distract him from his obsession with the artefact, towards the task I have for him.
The Sage's attention peaked as the fleshy drone repeated it in his native tongue.
"As I said, my scouts could search for the scroll, but I have to divert them away from dealing with this city…"
I gestured around.
He said something, while Miwah followed up: "He understands."
"We need your help in pacifying the city, confine the citizens to their respective houses, each to their own, until they accept the new rule. We need someone who they could trust to speak to them."
There was a reply.
"He does not understand now."
As far as I understood, he lived here, within the city, and was a known person to them, unlike Ari we picked up from the squalor earlier.
"I should make you a mayor of this city. You know the people, the sooner they accept our rules, the sooner we can resume searching for the scroll." I offered, "And in exchange, once we recover the Scrolls we would make sure you are able to study them first. You would be the first and only human that would have access to them for…"
I didn't have a chance to finish my sentence.
He didn't even hesitate, his answer quick, and decisive, and was out of the door before I could even ask what it was about.
This time, the 'Ravager' guard didn't stop him, while the 'Devourer' - I assumed was assigned by Narita to be the man's handler - tried to catch up to him, much to the amusement of the 'Purifiers' lurking at the entrance. It irritated the roach-hound too, and it too gave chase.
I was, once again, alone with my girls, as the 'Overseer' sent her fleshy puppet away. A few 'Eviscerators' decided to sneak into the library, though, and picked through the paperwork I couldn't read.
My 'personal Displacer' also decided to join in. Even though she wasn't too keen showing in front of humans, she clearly thought that she should remain in touching distance when they weren't around - preferably on my lap.
I paid her no mind, looking at the door which the Sage left.
"What was that about?"
"He would do anything for access to those scrolls, Master."
I sighed.
Even though motivating the Sage wouldn't clearly be a problem, there was very little we could learn from him, considering he wasn't privy to the dragons' motivations to scatter the elusive artefact to the wind.
We were where we started. A little bit wiser, but still…
I picked up the other document - one he forgot about, careful not to smear as it was freshly written, handing it to the nearby 'Purifier'. She giggled.
"For Master!"
"Don't burn it.I want that translated too." I ordered, and she run off,
"For Master!" Apparently, Arke would have to actively look for someone who could reliably read that.
So, without the lead to follow, and without a specific task to fulfil, I was there, sitting on the ground, in the half-ruined city archive, with Miwah and Tama on my side, and the very affectionate 'Displacer' demanding attention.
"For Master!"
I wasn't fine with that.
With 'Lady' out of commission, and our objective separated from us by metric tons of water, the only thing we could do was to wait until we devised a safest way to dive to unspecified depths, avoiding the wards placed on the sunk artefact.
"An evening relaxation of the beach, Master?" Tama offered, leaning closer, nudging me gently, her fluffy tails soothing me, while Miwah decided that she too wanted a little bit more personal attention after being my professional aide.
It didn't sound that bad - even though the beach wasn't as secure as our lands were.
However, I wouldn't calm down so easily, it seems I didn't exhaust my options to obtain the abilities we need before I could retread back to rest.
A little 'Displacer' - for some reason an ordinary, unnamed version kept me company even after her named sister was evolved - and it brought me to another idea.
It was neither my desire, nor my plan, to stay within the city walls, at least not in the long term, but what once meant to be a temporary stay, a sign of goodwill, spun into a complete disaster requiring our intervention. Occupation, even if I could call sending my anthropomorphic psychic bats to quell a riot as that.
Whether I liked it or not, we were here to stay. At least until the Viceroy recovers, if he recovers, and could return to office
I had promised him help, intervened on his behalf, and thought of it as an important gesture to bridge the gap between us and the humans. Not particularly with a foolproof approach, considering the challenges, but the best we could manage. Humans willing to even negotiate with us were in short supply and deranged sages or unpopular governors were still preferable to being locked in the forever war against the entire nation, if not even the world.
Pacifying Chunnan, that's how they called this city, and installing the relatively friendly governor willing to deal with us, or assuring he stayed in power, was the best bet.
While I didn't have to stay in person, since the castle was only one portal away and the 'Displacers' laughed at the concept of distance, some of my girls would have to keep watch over the city either way.
Arke was the most likely candidate for that, to wrangle the dozens of her chiropteran-kin patrolling the skies, or lurking over every major street and entrance. They were irreplaceable in the effort. Crowd control, mind control, flight, communication, they had it all.
None of it meant we needed to have our 'tree of arcane fruit' there. There was no reason to have it so close to the conflict zone. Mai's personal grove was a better fit for it, rather than devastating the local ruler's personal garden, but the damage was already done.
I sat in the said garden, completely remade with the out-of-bounds magic of the 'Mutators' and examined the tree's very special fruit.
It still has this strange shape somewhat resembling a twisted, spike-covered pineapple with more pronounced thorns, infused with the eldritch energies source of which I wasn't quite able to explain, and worse even, trace, making each example unique, or at very least costly.
Not only we didn't yet figure out what the nebulous 'resource' they consumed for each sample was, their production was proving to be rather dangerous and time consuming if any resemblance to safety procedures were to be observed.
Merely three I had at this very moment were brought forth at the cost of the total exhaustion of eight 'Mutators' working in unison, one of which was nearly fatal, and only the respawn mechanic prevented us from paying the ultimate price for the lack of patience, and made me hesitate.
Eight anthropomorphic moth girls were currently dozing off, tended to by the 'Defilers', and even one that was brought back to life by the ruby fog was far too tired to properly function, all of them requiring either a considerable infusion of the life-energy from the surroundings, or lengthy recuperation.
While they could technically absorb the tree and regrow it elsewhere, or have multiple instances of it, attempting it felt unfeasible. At least, until we understood it better.
Miwah and Tama tried to cheer me up, even the little 'Displacer' and the freshly reformed 'Mutator' that nearly sacrificed herself, but I wasn't paying them attention, submerged in thoughts.
I stared at the fruit intently, but no answers were forthcoming.
The toxic looking green glow they were all emitting, one that was already noticeable even at daylight, would without a doubt illuminate the garden during the night.
It was unnatural, but it wasn't what made it special. Otherworldly as it looked, there was nothing appearance wise that would indicate it was the last of today's harvest, no matter how much I gazed at its misshapen shape.
Aided by the magic of the 'Mutators' they grow insanely fast too, faster than any natural plant could, but there was some kind of rule, production limit, one that prevented me from having them just willed into existence on demand any time they wanted, or needed.
Why, I wondered?
My girls needed rest. I understood that, and wouldn't deny it to them, but it would seem that I couldn't have them working on it in shifts either, almost as there was a hidden, obscure limit, tied to the period, rather than depending on how rested my people were.
Strange, but not unfathomable.
I saw their rebirth being tied to the timer before.
Their attempts to rush the process with the 'arcane tree' were punishing, it would seem, so restrictions were certainly there. Poorly understood, poorly defined, completely arbitrary, yet very real restriction I couldn't afford to ignore until I understood how they worked.
I wasn't going to exceed some imaginary, random quota, and lose one or more of my moths permanently. It was unacceptable.
They looked so peaceful, drowsing in the shade of the plants they remade.
Putting the fruit away for the moment, I shifted my gaze to the horizon and said,
"Overview."
The strange, overlay window appeared in its dull, monochromatic glory, almost eagerly. I don't inspect it often these days. I didn't know what to expect now.
It was rarely reliable or desirable, but it might shine some light on the mystery of the fruit. Without the access to the magical scroll that was a key to all of this, there wasn't any better action to do.
The Master
<The Root of All Evil, level 8>
<Divinity, level. 1>
Skills <8/8>
<Scorched Earth lvl.33>
<Slayer of Men lvl.33>
<Great Devourer lvl.71>
<Green Hell lvl. 41>
<Slayer of Champions lvl. 20>
<Stalker on the Boundary lvl. 10>
<Messengers of the Ever-Living Horde Lvl.17>
<Viridian Dominions Unbound lvl.4>
<Unlock in 2>
Resource: 319
Mates
Miwah, The Bride of Shadows
Tama, The Bride of Flames
Narita, The Bride of Essence
Mai, The Bride of Forest
Ekaterina, The Bride of Soul Steel
Units (Active)
Helmy, The Purifier Alpha
<Commands>
<2,932/3,308>
27 Named Purifiers
2,905 Purifiers
Brave, The Eviscerator Alpha
<Commands>
<3,127/3,503>
61 Named Eviscerators
3,127 Eviscerators
Mia, The Devourer Alpha
<Evolved Alpha>
<Commands>
<1,320/1,392>
8* Named Devourers
1,312 Defilers
Lily, The Corruptor Alpha
<Commands>
<2,848/3,160>
14 Named Corruptors
2,834 Corruptors
Kuma, The First Obliterator
<Evolved Alpha>
<Commands>
<332/812>
4 Named Ravagers
327 Ravagers
1 Obliterator
Sora, The Warpstalker Alpha
<Evolved Alpha>
<Commands>
<198/758>
4 Named Warpstalker
194 Displacers
Arke, The Overseer Alpha
<Evolved Alpha>
<Commands>
<187/698>
7 Named Overseers
140 Fleshspeakers
40 Overseers
Kirke, The Mutator Alpha
<Commands>
<24/640>
1 Named Mutator
23 Mutators
Auxiliary
Ari, The Herald of Root and Serpent
84* Acolytes
427* Flesh Drones
Units (In queue)
None
None
None
None
Sealed units
None
"Hmm…" I murmured.
The 'resource' was the number of 'upgrades' or 'evolutions' I could have induced in total.
A straightforward, single number, nothing more, nothing less, not even the slightest hint that I should concern myself with a yield per a single tree, per number of workers, within the time interval, and other productivity statistics.
It was just a number, forcing me to guess all the above from the very limited experience with it.
I spent nearly fifty - forty seven to be specific - today, during this entire city debacle, to strengthen the 'Fleshspeakers' to become 'Overseers'. Twice as many as the total number of 'Mutator'.
Seemed simple, but then, the initial batch was made only by eight. Strange.
Add the three more glow-fruits and I was looking at the production cap of fifty per day, after which I risk the unforeseeable penalties, ranging from the 'Mutators' exhausting themselves, to even their deaths. I was still terrified some of these could be permanent.
Although the 'Corruptors' could farm for the regular produce for days, with those blood-like juicy, scaly, apples, my feline loved, and converting the entire forest into the orchard was relatively trivial, the glow-y, supposedly arcane fruit were an entirely different matter.
The glowing ones were royal jelly equivalent for us.
Why? No idea. It was almost like the system made it up as it went.
I blinked. Did the number shift?
Annoying as it was, there wasn't any need to rush this issue.
With a hard limit of fifty daily, assuming the system stayed consistent with the numbers, we would run out of the 'resource' in under a week, with no idea how to get more, so overspending was out of the question.
I knew it was 'arcane' - thus eldritch, magical - hence supposedly rare, but there wasn't any rationale why I couldn't give all of my furry and scaly menagerie their very deserved 'evolution'. It was not like their current abilities were any less supernatural already.
Was it calculated from our total population?
Harvested from the world?
Did I miss the worker-bee equivalent breeds?
Or was it granted as the reward for some specific action?
Killing 'major enemies' perhaps, encouraging us to continue the war?
Why was that?
What was in the individual relic scrolls that demanded the death of so many people?
I didn't know, and there wasn't any good basis for any assumptions I could make on the matter, so I decided to leave it be, for the time being, and play it safe.
A mystery would remain a mystery until I retrieve one of the relics, either from the secret tomb, or one from the seafloor.
There was still one last thing I could try.
I tried to prod the floating window with my finger. No reaction. If there was any information on how to harvest 'resources' - and it was another stupidly vague name - the system screen won't tell me.
Lame.
If all relics were some ancient wizard's revenge from beyond the grave, as the system's obsession with the 'major enemies' suggested, he should leave a more specific hit-list, rather than leaving us to figure it out ourselves during the crisis.
"Damn you, Oscar." I whispered, no nobody in particular. No reaction.
Although, to be honest, it was possible that the whole screen simply evolved based on circumstances - it changed its appearance once already - and we simply weren't worthy of its full might yet. That, however, was another hypothesis I would have to prove in the future.
Nevermind. Fine, system - or not-Oskar: Have your secrets.
I prodded Arke's name.
I knew it would work, even though the information it provided would be less useful for deciding my next step.
"Messengers of the Ever-Living Horde, skill level 17 out of 80"
Unit Count:
Limit Until Root Expands
Unit Type:
Element:
140
698
Fleshspeaker
Flesh / Mind
47
698
Overseer
Flesh / Mind / Arcane
My bat-girls were positively magical now. At least, a little more magical than they were before, now sporting three elements instead of two. It could even make them the most powerful members of our host, and one of the largest considering it came with size, and in case of the bats, meant wing-span.
My flying cuties. I would have enough fruit for all of them if I wanted.
It made me wonder whether my moths could also get high from their own supply, so to speak, as it seems this was what had happened each time the essence had been transferred, but I had my doubts.
They were already 'arcane' to begin with.
Looking at the little 'Mutator' sitting on the ground, sleeping, her head supported by Miwah's leg, I decided to not waste her effort to make the last fruit over the limit.
Then, If I gave the fruit to 'Corruptor' would it create a 'Mutator' though?
Would the upgraded 'Fleshspeaker' be able to create their own version of the tree by the grace of having the same element now tied to them?
No, I would test that later. One fruit, per breed, to test it, before I commit to any further attempts to bypass the limitations. If upgraded, 'Corruptor' equaled the 'Mutator', achieving it via the fruit seems a waste.
There was a way to get more 'Mutators', even though I would prefer it didn't involve using weaponized fungus spores to kill the humans.
Sitting in the shade of the mutated tree, conjoined from the varying plants that once adorned the perfectly matriculated garden, I did not want to know what the 'Fleshspeaker' made equivalent would look like.
I didn't need more methods to rewire the local ecosystem.
What I could, and even should, show appreciation for my current 'Alphas'.
It would be the both 'thank you' as it would be promotion or the medal of service.
Three samples of our 'royal jelly' and three 'Alphas', if I didn't count Kirke, which may as well be immune to her own concoction that composed the mutated pineapple. It was merely finding the correct method of infusing them with the fruit's power, since I couldn't safely verify the spiked-thing was even digestible.
"Is Narita still busy?" I asked, waving the overview away. I could trust her implicitly.
"She is currently overseeing the village conversion, Master, making sure they won't attack Ari." Miwah answered, "Humans have a tendency to attack Ari.."
"Reasonable humans are in short supply, Master." Tama added. She had a point in that.
Even though I could leave the safety of Ari to one's like Kuma or Ekaterina, they were both mountains of muscle and steel in one charming, fluffy package. Depriving them of the healer on site didn't seem wise.
"No need. I just want to try to strengthen more of us…"
I said, truthfully. Also, if Narita was comfortable dealing with humans, even for the short while, something that didn't come easy among my girls and their rather misanthropic disposition towards the locals, I should leave it to her - the whole idea of the creating the cult of this world's dragoness made me feel uneasy, but I didn't have a choice.
Endangering Ari wasn't a good idea, either. They could, and perhaps should, continue the show. Perhaps it would cause the mystical 'resource' to tick up. Who knew?
The elusive 'Lady' was only a source of semi-reliable information these days, and I had reservations against the whole powered-by-worship concept in general, but we were running out of options very quickly.
I would still prefer to delegate the whole matter. The 'Herald of Root and Serpent' has to do. It was where our little passenger wanted to go, and what 'Lady' asked us to do.
We could only hope that the intangible, invisible dragoness would have her beauty sleep, and then finally provide us with answers.
The sun almost finished its journey across the sky. It was already late afternoon, or early evening, and I had the last task to do.
Glanced at the three fruits, still radiating its unsettling green glow, I made a decision, and I would, for once, not confuse Mia and Mai.
"Bring me Mia." I decided, scratching the 'Displacer' a little, "Then get Brave. She would receive a promotion"
Mia was 'Alpha' too. Even though she did receive her own dose of magical empowerment, I often skipped her in favour of commanding her sisters through Narita.
"For Master!" Meowed the little feline, one I didn't name yet, and Miwah soon added her own acknowledgement: "Yes. Master."
Before long, Mia, Narita's replacement in the position of the Alpha, stood before me, brought before me by yet another small 'Displacer'. They got Brave there soon after, and once again, our teleporting kitten left her there, only to disappear into the rift they used to teleport.
It would seem that only 'Defilers' and 'Mutators' hang around the palace garden, the 'Purifiers' clearly preferring the places where they could engage in some of their pyromania, stare into the campfire.
I looked around.
The 'Ravagers' stood at the entrance, though I wouldn't be able to tell how many 'Eviscerators' lurked in the shadow cloaked in their own invisibility. It was still for the best. I didn't want a heavy presence there.
There was just enough presence to scare the humans away. It was supposed to be only me, and my girls now.
"Your orders, Master?" The 'Eviscerator Alpha' said, interrupting my thoughts.
I freed myself from the current company and approached Brave. She resembled the past Miwah quite a lot, the black fur with the shadowy gaze, and the deep azure eyes, not to mention the gorgeous body, even if it was now covered by the looted lamellar armour.
"I hope you aren't angry at me for leaving you in that mining town, are you, Brave?"
"Of course not, Master." She said, straightening herself, "We almost tamed the humans already."
"I should at least try to help, try this evolution on you. I offloaded enough responsibilities to you already."
"Lily helped, Master."
I, however, focused rather on her appearance than on her words: she looked quite professional, yet still very approachable, familiar, intimate even. Like Miwah, even though their respective colour palettes were swapped.
There was something I liked about her.
All 'Eviscerators' seem to prefer to wear armour - a practical choice, considering they were often stuck in the brutal melee with the enemy any added strength and toughness the 'Ravagers' had - and Brave was no different.
Only this time, instead of her smaller kin offering their help as handmaidens, it were Miwah and Tama, who could help her out of the armour. Unlike her smaller kin, she had one of the better ones, instead of the shoddy puffed breastplates of leather and cloth.
"We better lose that clasp, Master." Tama teased
"I don't need to admire her body." Not that 'Alpha' didn't have the body to admire, but it was beyond the point right now.
"Oh, do you prefer her dark fur, or the bright white one like ours?" The vixen continued, her voice sultry, while Miwah remained silent. I also decided to not contribute to the discussion.
They still helped Brave out of that armour.
That was a reasonable idea, considering the fruit would cause spontaneous, instant growth.
Not only Mia, but all 'Devourers' were considerably larger than their 'Defiler' sisters and most would be crushed within the outfits if they wore tight suits of armour. I didn't notice it before, but all of them present had these distressing, living looking dresses. It just ranged from preserving modesty in smaller ones to a chitin carapace on Alpha.
Brave, on the other hand, had a cloth tunic beneath, and nothing else.
Rather than staring, I picked up one fruit, put it on my outstretched hand.
"Mia, if you could, please." I asked, "Try to channel it into Brave here."
"Yes, Master."
It was only a moment. A 'Devourer', despite their new name, had their original powers greatly enhanced, not only absorbing the vitality of the object, but transferring it instantly, with merely a wave of their head. When the 'arcane fruit' faded to ash, Brave began growing, transforming in front of my eyes.
Her fur became softer, shorter, her wolfish snout longer, her canine ears more pointy, elongated, and her posture straightened, while her light blue eyes shined with more magic.
"Master…"
She breathed out as the offending window invaded my view.
Unit evolved! Brave, The Eradicator Alpha.
318 could be Evolved until innate resources run out.
I waved it away - annoying windows, for the most part it didn't even help - and focused on Brave.
Where ordinary 'Eviscerators' were anthropomorphic wolf-girls, each with an almost iconic werewolf image, albeit ones very attractive and charming with their undeniable femininity, their 'evolved' form became something else.
Still undeniably beautiful, and still feeling very distinctly feminine, they weren't wolf-like anymore. Anthropomorphic canines, perhaps, but certainly not wolves - jackals, perhaps, of somewhat idealised Anubis-like variety, with certain added grace to them, becoming taller, more athletic, rather than bulkier. Though they retained the usual mane of hair, their fur was softer, shinier, with the more pronounced shadowy gleam to it, with added silver highlights.
"You are lovely, Brave." I remarked, and came closer, rising to my hands, caressing her face a little. Neither Miwah nor Tama seem to mind. If anything, I was encouraged to act this way.
"Are you feeling well? Does your power work?" I asked, worried.
Brave closed her eyes and disappeared. Literally. Unlike 'Eviscerators' whose invisibility left at least some trace of their presence, a mirage like appearance of the shiting air when they moved, their 'Eradicator' form was completely invisible, without any hint that she was still standing in front of her.
I could sense the new 'Alpha', touch her, but not see her. A perfect camouflage.
"Her invisibility is even better than Miwah's." I remarked.
Then, Miwah could teleport through shadows, an ability I would not use with the 'Displacer' being around, not to mention I preferred to have Miwah close on my side during the night.
My mate also disappeared, but I could at least glimpse her movements. A shifting of the air, a heat shimmer, like a horizon on the desert far away, but close enough to touch.
Then both appeared again. Almost as she sensed my thoughts, they both pressed herself to me, and now I was sandwiched between Miwah and Brave. The little, unnamed 'Displacer' that was so over attached to me right now didn't want to be left out either and clung like a pickle hanging half-out of a sandwich.
Tama huffed, her multiple fluffy tails dropped.
Miwah had still the armour on, but I liked her support, while Brave was soft and warm. I leaned on them.
"Excellent …" I said, though this time I referred not to the displays of affection, but to the fact that upgrades genuinely upgraded the pre-existing abilities, rather than giving them new. Unless it worked differently for every species.
I was about to try the 'Overview' again - checking what element was my new, jackal-like follower listed as, and if the arcane was indeed a universal, second tier element, I could infuse my girls with.
My gaze shifted to my vixen.
While Tama usually just pretended to be offended, to get attention, I didn't want any member of the host, or any breed, feeling left out, and underappreciated, and quickly decided I should spend my 'fruits of arcane' on their 'Alphas'.
"Could Helmy get there in a minute?"
A moment after, I had my second, underappreciated vulpine there.
I would prefer if she didn't ride her horse-mutant-mount here through the rift, with the cheering 'Displacer' sharing a saddle with her, but I wouldn't be a killjoy that would ruin their ability to amuse themselves with the little things. I thought I knew where the other teleporting felines were - they played at wild hunt with the newly fanged riders.
Nevermind, this was to reward Helmy, not to punish her.
"Master?"
"Patience, my dear. I would still have you return to your scouting, but with a little something to help you." I said, hushing somewhat her enthusiasm, feeling rather bad that neither of our little 'Displacer' guides would receive any power-up today.
I already knew what the evolutionary fruit did to them, anyway.
From a little blue-ish kitten to fearsome panther-beauties. It made me wonder what the 'Purifier' would become.
After the short preparation, with armour removed, and her iconic helmet discarded, I ordered to have Helmy infused with the second of the three 'evolution fruits'.
As the new notification flashed in front of my eyes, and my second most favourite 'Purifier' grew into her form, I wondered whether I should invent a new name for the spiky, glowing product that makes it happen.
Unit evolved! Helmy, The Purger Alpha.
317 could be Evolved until innate resources run out.
I waved it away.
Though Helmy was overjoyed with her new look, the effect the fruit had on her was rather underwhelming. She was every bit the fiery vixen she had been before, or Tama had been before. Beautiful, feminine, her red-ish fur even more vibrant, her tail a little fluffy, but otherwise remained very similar to before.
Though I wasn't against giving my furry vixen a kiss and a hug. While even Tama approved, I was rather disappointed with the scope of the changes.
Surrounded by my tempting companions, I still decided to check the result against the 'Overview' as much as the unsocial act it was in the moment, and free myself from their embrace.
The bland, monochromatic window once again appeared, with only change being that both Brave and Helmy were listed under their new, more exotic breed types. It made me briefly wonder who made up the naming convention for the entire process.
Resigning to comprehend the logic of the system, if it used any, I just decided to verify whether there was consistency in the results, at the very least.
A further investigation revealed that our good old Helmy, as the 'Purger' instead of the 'Purifier' indeed became infused with the arcane element as well. It seemed to be all, end all, evolution, which would disqualify the 'Mutators' from being ever affected by their own products.
No chance of getting the 'water' alignment either.
Then, I tried to check on Brave, a mere formality. Now I know what the effects of the fruit were. An element bestowal.
However, when I thought I figured it all out, the results surprised me.
"Slayer of Men lvl.33, skill level 33 out of 80"
Unit Count:
Limit Until Root Expands
Unit Type:
Element:
1
3,503
Eradicator
Shadow/Death
3,126
3,503
Eviscerator
Shadow
The power beyond the entire process showed their penchant for unpredictability and not only it gave Brave, a rather overlooked girl in our host, it had picked one I often overlooked, for the implication it would even worsen our relations.
I looked at Brave.
She had a certain sleek charm to her, in her new form, but doesn't look like the personification of death.
It, however, still made me think how the power behind this system even decided the respective appearances for each of the breeds, and if it did understand anything about the Earth mythology at all. We were in another world, after all, one that didn't take any inspiration from that portion of history at all.
There wasn't any logical reason to remake Brave from anthropomorphic wolf to the perfectly sleek, black and silver jackal, even if I had to admit it quite suited her, and the new glow behind her still blue eyes made her even more mystical.
She looked good next to Miwah too. For a brief moment, I contemplated a night with them together.
"Do we look good together as well, Master?" Tama asked, posing next to Helmy respectively.
I had to admit they did good - after all, Helmy had all the perks that came with her being the 'Alpha'.
"Perhaps you are tempted by Helmy as well, Master." One vixen said sultry, gesturing to her sister's belly. "We would have a world to repopulate."
I sighed, and for the first time, I was successfully lured into the flirting exchange with Tama. We were close, in the way, already. I didn't give in to temptation easily, and it was always the work before the pleasure, but this time, this time I slipped.
"Perhaps I should try the next fruit on you to make you more … fertile? What do you say, Mia?"
"Oh…" Tama, of course, wasn't even slightly discouraged by positive reception, just the opposite. "I would…"
This was expected. Tama was Tama. Her personality was centred around it.
What I didn't expect was Mia, the main facilitator of the power transfer, to drain the very last fruit, one still left on the bench, and into Tama.
I didn't have a chance to object before her enthusiastic "Yes-yes, Master." spelled out what was going to happen.
The change was immediate.
The vixens body reshaped in front of my eyes, gaining even more voluptuous curves coated in the silvery-blue shine of the previously unseen magic, her ears become longer, her eyes shone with gold, while her multiple tails split to create a fluffy fan behind her back as she floated up slightly, before landing gracefully on the ground.
"Oh…" she breathed out, "Master, I would want nothing more."
Looking at her, nothing was subtracted from her vulpine charm - if anything, it felt like she became more than she had been before, as another of those pointless windows announced the process was over.
Unit evolved! Tama, The Broodmother of Purging Flames.
316 could be Evolved until innate resources run out.
I felt that the system was taunting me, but worse yet…
Worse yet, with the daily supply of fruits exhausted, Lily would have to wait for her promotion a little longer.
…Hunh.
Death Element? That's curious…
Aand I suppose this shouldn't be a surprise the Master applies the fruits like this, to whatever's on his mind in the moment.
Isn't applying one evolution fruit per breed to see what it unlocks a reasonable thing to do?
Displacers, Defilers and Fleshspeakers all received their sample.
Isn't applying one evolution fruit per breed to see what it unlocks a reasonable thing to do?
Displacers, Defilers and Fleshspeakers all received their sample.
That certainly does make sense, to check the effects per breed. I hadn't thought of that- was thinking of it more from the perspective of the Master seemingly losing sight of what he had intended, mostly because I'm worrying over his mind getting worn away until nothing but what the Root thinks The Master should be.
That certainly does make sense, to check the effects per breed. I hadn't thought of that- was thinking of it more from the perspective of the Master seemingly losing sight of what he had intended, mostly because I'm worrying over his mind getting worn away until nothing but what the Root thinks The Master should be.
Honestly…
Probably a mix of both, but to a point I feel as though I'm not sure which factor is the more vital one, though I will in this moment say it's probably the non-systemic thing, especially with how it comes across, to me at least, almost as he was thinking 'I should give one to Lily' and then Helmy and Brave arrived and he went: ' a fruit for Brave for doing a good job, a fruit for Helmy to see what happens- oh oops I forgot to give one to Lily!'
…
A part of me kind of wishes he'd give some to the humans for Cult purposes but the problem there is how badly humans have interacted with the magic of his girls so far-even powers that shouldn't be a problem on the face of it go pretty badly, given the defiler and displacer cases…
Going to be fun convincing myself to let that idea go…
A part of me kind of wishes he'd give some to the humans for Cult purposes but the problem there is how badly humans have interacted with the magic of his girls so far-even powers that shouldn't be a problem on the face of it go pretty badly, given the defiler and displacer cases…
Going to be fun convincing myself to let that idea go…
Then there is a question of either wasting a limited supply of mutagen on human that might die ...
Or alternatively give the mutagen fruit to Ari who always had a positive reaction to their magic, but then hope that mutation comes with shapeshifting so she could look human for the purpose of the interaction with natives ...
Then there is a question of either wasting a limited supply of mutagen on human that might die ...
Or alternatively give the mutagen fruit to Ari who always had a positive reaction to their magic, but then hope that mutation comes with shapeshifting so she could look human for the purpose of the interaction with natives ...
A Sphinx girl would have a human face, It would really hammer home that Ari's the human face of this horde.
She's always talking and saying things in grandiose ways which sphinxes are prone to do. She's prideful and feline In mannerisms already. She's a guardian of her chosen master. Sphinxes also sometimes have feathered wings which I don't think any of your current horde has. Sphinxes are also often said to be mystical or arcane. (Optional: love of puzzles and riddles, occasionally speaks in rhyme). It would be yet another way the system is messing with him by keeping some part of her as human while removing everything else.
I know my vote means nothing but I vote Sphinx girl if Ari ever takes a fruit.
Edit: what I think it would be called in the system:
(Keepers of forbidden knowledge)
Because she was once human then learned the forbidden secrets of the master and was transformed. She also acts like a secret keeper/cult leader and sphinxes guard secrets.
Human Transformation disguise powers are optional.
I apologize if this is obnoxious. I just get ideas sometimes.
Sorry for spilling my brain on this page.
Kind of, that is the most modern example I can think of. I was imagining it more in your style though. Unless you have had plans for quadrupeds at some point. No I was imagining one of your anthros, but keeping her face and giving the rest of her body a leonine form. Maybe giving her fangs, making her ever so slightly off and uncanny in the face. And maybe with wings. I mean eyes on the wings sounds really cool but I'm not sure of any of your designs had that kind of Eldritch affectation. So I was thinking either patterned or white wings.
I can kind of see that as well but I was thinking Sphinx because there are so few examples of it in fiction So if I get a chance and I see an opening I went for it. Lol. Honey badgers are fine but I can't see them for representing humans as a whole so unless you plan on having humans become different creatures if they get transformed at all there's no one element that represents humans entirely in a honey badger for me. What are humans but people that often chase after forbidden knowledge? And what are sphinxes but those that guard forbidden knowledge? I don't know I'm probably just trying to justify it.
Unless you do something really crazy you've got me to stay I've been here a while but I haven't been very loud. It was the possibility of giving fruit to humans especially Ari that gave me the inspiration to speak. Forbidden fruit indeed. Really like your story.
I can kind of see that as well but I was thinking Sphinx because they're so few examples of it in fiction So if I get a chance and I see an opening I went for it. Lol. Honey badgers are fine but I can't see them for representing humans as a whole so unless you plan on having humans become different creatures if they get transformed at all there's no one element that represents humans entirely in a honey badger for me. What are humans but people that often chase after forbidden knowledge? And what are sphinxes but those that guard forbidden knowledge? I don't know I'm probably just trying to justify it.
I deleted my previous post. I decided it was too out there and more than a little weird. I have seen some strange things on the Internet. Going back to on topic and less of my deranged rambling:
I wonder what the actual result or end goal of these scrolls are. Why did the ancient civilization make these scrolls? What was their end goal? Considering our viewpoint is usually the MC I wonder if we'll find out soon or even at all. What would Hyun-ki actually find if he opened a scroll? What are they even for?
Enough of my silly theory crafting. I for one am excited to see where you're taking it. You haven't let me down yet. Don't mind my ramblings.
I wonder what the actual result or end goal of these scrolls are. Why did the ancient civilization make these scrolls? What was their end goal? Considering our viewpoint is usually the MC I wonder if we'll find out soon or even at all. What would Hyun-ki actually find if he opened a scroll? What are they even for?
The strange, nagging sensation was tugging on his mind, forcing him awake; a quiet speech somewhere beyond the limits of the hearing drawing his attention, like whispered words too mumbled to distinguish.
It was always worthwhile to listen.
Many secrets were revealed to those who take notice of the little things in the background.
He looked around.
The viceroy was back in his chambers, alone, lying spread on the bedding, his robes of the office still on, a hat discarded nearby.
There was no one around.
No servants speaking in hushed tones, no guards to watch over him, no healers to tend his wounds, no one. The room was empty. Devoid of life, devoid of movement, devoid of speakers, devoid of witnesses, or threats.
Only shadows and silence kept him company.
The room was darkened, dusk was setting in, the setting sun cast long shadows on the spacious bedroom.
He tried to tune in on the whispers, distant, yet still audible.
For the moment, he thought there would be someone just behind the doors. A silk stretched between the ornamental frames of the door would betray his, or her, silhouette, even if there wasn't any oil lamp burning in the hallways.
Unlike the fortress he had lost, the palace hadn't been built with the defence in mind. It was a place built for comfort, well-lit and spacious, to represent the influence and wealth rather than hold the attackers.
Youngjae knew very well what to do if he didn't want to be overheard in a place like this. He knew what he should pay attention to both to avoid eavesdroppers, and to nudge the secrets from the conversation.
His instincts seem to be betraying him.
There was no one out there.
Yet the whispers continued, quiet, nagging.
A creak of wood.
Those of status often overlooked servants, acted as though they weren't there. Although Youngjae was certain there was no one behind the door in the hallway, there had been things he had learned to pay attention to.
He still couldn't shake the uneasy feeling of someone staring at him, raising the hair on the back of his neck unpleasantly. He kept listening.
Moments passed when he was almost certain it must be his mind playing tricks on him.
Only then he tried to stand.
Strangely enough, he could, no pains or aches, and certainly no blood, only the sweat against his silky garments, sore throat and dried lips.
Perhaps…
The last thing he remembered, a sharp agony which made him lose his consciousness, was more confusing than anything else, making him wonder what had happened, what the Spirits had done.
It was their work, no doubt. There was something strange, something off, going on.
He recalled the angry crowd, the Evil Spirits, a winged creature spilling from the tear in the sky made of wrongness that defied descriptions or comprehension - then a pain, and voice, and screams, and weakness, and…
Youngjae didn't feel hurt, injured.
Only thirsty. Very thirsty.
There was a small tray next to his bed, a cup with a teapot. There wasn't any tea, merely the water, already cold.
He poured the water into the cup and drank it, then another.
It didn't occur to him, not at first, it may be poisoned. It was such a basic mistake.
However, before he could curse his own carelessness…
A mistake that could cost him dearly.
Whisper.
Behind his back!
He turned around.
There was no one there.
Corner of the room was drowning in the dim light of the day's passing, empty, as it had been the moments before.
Then…
Then, only briefly, he glimpsed the unnatural, inhuman eyes staring at him from his left.
However, before he could throw the now empty teacup at the supposed assailant, it disappeared, leaving him, once again, alone, leaving him wondering whether his own sanity was slipping away.
Hushed voices echoed in the empty chamber as he scanned the room for enemies.
His breath was growing faster, and his heart was thumping inside his chest, and he couldn't shake this unpleasant sensation he was being followed, he was being chased, even if he didn't leave the confines of his chambers yet.
Youngjae couldn't see anyone.
No assassin brandishing a dagger in the shadows.
A setting sun cast the room in gloom, with no lamp to illuminate it, but left just about enough certainty that he was, he should be, alone.
He looked around once more.
His armour was there, on its stand, in the other corner of the room, and he found his sword in its stand where he had put it the day before.
Youngjae never thought of himself as a warrior, but it doesn't mean that his enemies would leave him here with both the weapon and the armour. Or would they?
The voices intensified, almost mocking, some nearby, some far away.
He took and drew his sword.
Yet, there was no opponent to cross the blades with. There was nobody in the room but him at all, only the voices. An endless, ceaseless choir echoed through his mind, like the ceaseless thunderstorm that threatened to bust out of his head. It was too much. They only got worse.
His weapon clattered to the ground.
The voices ceased.
Not ceasing, quietened, continue to whisper to this ear, or perhaps through them, almost as if he wasn't even there, like a distant conversation he wasn't part of, held behind his back, like the court scheme he wasn't part of, threatening to uproot his position, his life…
Maybe he was going mad.
Or was it just a trick, a magic of the Spirits, as he recalled how the mad priest rattled on and on about the 'ancient minds of evil kind'?
He reached for this sword.
Picked it up. Looked at it.
A cold steel blade, polished and clean. He didn't use the weapon recently, and he decided he wouldn't use it now either.
Gam Youngjae was above the thoughtless fools to die valiantly in the pointless battle, achieving nothing that inspired even more of the same idiots to do the same, assuming they weren't forgotten completely in the mud of the distant battlefield.
He was better than any of them. By far.
He sheathed his blade and returned it to its stand, and braced himself, forcing himself back to focus.
A hailstorm of whispers continued regardless, distracting him, again and again, with the unparalleled ferocity, yet there was no one present to use this opportunity to attack the distracted viceroy from the shadows.
He stood and watched.
There! Shadows which moved when he didn't look.
One to the left, then one to the right. He could catch the glimpse of it from the corner of his eyes.
He steadied himself.
The Evil Spirits. They left him here. After all, they were the last thing he remembered.
It was their doing, Youngjae was certain now, and he decided to act as though they were already there.
"Speak." He commanded, tired of the silly games. Normally, it would be mad, to speak to the thin air, expecting answers, but the Viceroy was proven right before he could question his unreasonable assumption.
The wolf spirit materialised on his left.
He thought he saw that before, with the dark, black gleaming fur, dressed in the same armour his soldier wore. It spoke. She spoke, it was certain it was, in truth, her, but the meaning of the words spoken in the strange, alien tongue. Two words.
"Repeat the words and the crack in the truth shall appear…" was the seemingly senseless quote San Hyun-Ki once mentioned he just recalled. Youngjae had dismissed them back then, as the unimportant babbling of his questionable advisor.
He decided to not repeat the words.
It only made the cacophony inside his head worse.
Viceroy Gam Youngjae wouldn't get where he was if he couldn't control his emotions in a tight situation.
Nevertheless, for all his collected posture, he was still shocked when he saw more wolf spirits appearing, the cold air shifting like the horizon on the hottest of summers, defying all what has been known.
It wasn't just that one.
There were six of them, all kitted with the same outfit, ready. They didn't even need to open the door. They were already there, lurking in the dark.
He wouldn't, and couldn't, fight the six of them. There was no point. They would have jumped him before if they wanted.
Of course, the Viceroy would be guarded. It was silly, foolish, to think he would be left alone. Guards - or jailors - were to be expected. He would, however, never expect them to appear from nowhere, but he couldn't show any fear or concern.
Youngjae remained silent and collected. Listened.
They said something; it was like the chant of the two words, but he didn't understand their language. He wouldn't understand if they were the Jin, either, but the barbarians would, at the very least, feel somewhat familiar, unlike the speech of the Spirits, which was not similar to anything known. Their speech simply defied comprehension.
The whispers inside his skull were maddening, but Youngjae managed to keep the straight face.
"Where is your warlord?" He asked. His eyes met with one spirit, and it's - her - inhuman blue eyes.
It - she - didn't answer.
Did he leave the city?
He must have left, leaving one of his lieutenants to deal with the city, if they didn't have any specific orders about the Viceroy.
"Take me to whoever is in charge!"
Gam Youngjae wouldn't deal with the underlings. It took a while, but he couldn't help himself to think that soldiers were equally dull wherever he looked, and the Evil Spirits were no different in this regard. Their matching looks made them hard to distinguish.
They, however, led him out of the room. Whether they understood him remained a question. They hesitated, but only for a brief moment, no longer than he would have spent conveying with the advisor to translate.
Where was his advisor, anyway?
He collected his gat, an official part of his robes of office, customary for a high-ranking official, but left the weapon behind, while the Evil Spirits didn't obstruct him, even in the slightest.
No pushing, no shoving - maybe they were smarter and more behaved than the average Jin barbarian after all, he thought to himself. Youngjae would commend them for it if the endless, raging storm of voices, all inside rather than outside, didn't threaten to burst his head open.
It was worse when he looked at the spirits. They wore whispers like a cloak.
He would still follow them if he didn't catch the sight of his remaining men in the next chamber, one that was normally reserved for the special quests of the reigning viceroy, or his family, but left empty since he assumed the office.
First, Youngjae thought they were dead, lying on the ground next to the table.
The Wolf Spirit escort didn't protest, or even attempted to stop him when he headed to inspect the bodies.
There was another of the Spirits there. A strange creature, with feathers like a bird for hair, and scales like a lizard, dressed in the celebratory folk dress often reserved for weddings, or other special occasions, the very best the commoners could afford.
Youngjae struggled to think of it as a, but it seemed to be the case. The shape behind the dress betrayed its femininity, even though it defied any sense. The Evil Spirits in general defied any understanding. They may have reasons he would understand. At least he believed they did, but the rest of them were beyond this world.
"What did you do to them?" He demanded instead.
She said something. Well spoken, more than the soldier wolf-likes, not repeating the strange mantra. There was a variety in her strange, incomprehensible speech, but the Viceroy didn't understand the words, and she wasn't afraid of him either. Rank, perhaps?
Viceroy Gam Youngjae made a step towards the feather-head lizard.
"Who are you!?"
Their eyes met.
It was a mistake. There was more that he could bargain for behind those amber slit pupils. The continuous cacophony inside the Viceroy went a thousand times worse, threatening to bring him down to his knees.
Only after regaining his footing, and his focus, he noticed the food, the spilt porcelain bottle of liquor…
The scaly one gestured.
His men, a remnant of his personal guard, were not dead. They were drunk. Completely drunk, with the finest wine from the palace, most likely, with the remnant of the modest feast, likely supplied by the Evil Spirits themselves. Some fruits he couldn't name or recognize didn't do well with alcohol, even if it was the best one on the land.
Whatever they drank, or ate, drove them to complete stupor. It wasn't unusual for soldiers to get drunk, even if it was with much cheaper alcohol.
There was a fitting punishment for his men…
For stealing, for drinking on duty…
He could think of several, but he dismissed the thought - there simply wasn't the point now.
Too petty, too inconsequential, there wasn't anything to gain in attempting to maintain the discipline in the situation when it does matter.
He picked the bottle, a fine porcelain one that couldn't come from anywhere but the palace's selection, its content half split, and considered taking a sip. Drink with his men, who followed his orders without question, even if they were not awake to see it.
Viceroy Gam Youngjae was trying to focus on the greater goal of securing his position now, the palace was already overrun, and the few men he had left would not make a difference even if they performed their duty without fail.
"No," he said to himself, putting the bottle back. As much as he needed to dull the endless murmur threatening to burst his skull open, worsening with the well-dressed Spirit presence, he needed to keep his mind sharp, and focused.
Later.
"Who is in command here?" He asked, trying to keep his voice firm, demanding answers. Looking into the snake's eyes promised only pain from the endless onslaught of incomprehensible, yet commanding, voices.
He didn't get an answer.
A few demands after he was gestured away.
What were the scaly ones?
They were too well dressed for servants. This one certainly was.
Their healer called to see what was happening to his men?
He had to leverage to keep the power. Any power.
The scaly one had enough of him and gestured him away, unimpressed.
Him!
The insolence.
But then, his city was taken, likely. It was dead quiet now, and he recalled the angry crowd.
Viceroy Gam Youngjae was still largely clueless about how the Evil Spirits were commanded - but he would have to figure it out if he was to remain a viceroy. It required patience and self-control.
Swallowing his pride, for now, and the pain of the choir screaming within his skull, he was led away. For his own good, it seemed, as keeping distance from the lizard decreased the ferocity of the voices within his head.
Through the hallways again - towards the chapter from which he was supposed to rule the province.
An audience, in what was once his throne room. The irony wasn't lost on him.
Viceroy Gam Youngjae may not be in control, but he was still in the know.
He could leverage said knowledge.
Inside the hall, on the seating that was once reserved for him to hold the meeting, and carrying the important decision, sat the terror personified, wrapped in the form vaguely resembling the enormous bat, its dark, leathery wing huge enough to hug a portion of the room. The body, vaguely feminine but covered in the soft black fur, was draped in the outfit that would be considered scandalous if it wasn't made of the skin of a human.
Youngjae struggled to maintain his calm against the primal fear growing deep inside.
He watched the shambling bodies of men, controlled by unseen force, picked through the extensive collection of papers piled on the table that had been brought into the room, a content of the city's archives, gutted apart, their keepers enthralled by the powers beyond the human ken. They presented them to the Spirit with wings, their movement ragged, devoid of will.
Gam Youngjae's plans began to shatter.
They knew about the archives, and already attempted to make sense of the records, and enlisted help of the inhabitants, even against their will.
Do they even need him?
The inhuman eyes glowing with indescribable eldritch powers looked up to him, away from the documents. They even had the map, Youngjae noticed.
The voices, edging the corners of his consciousness, erupted in unparalleled intensity, like a storm, threatening to sweep everything, including himself, away, like torrents in the season of floods, plaguing the more fertile region. His mind was in the tide.
The louder the voices, the higher the rank, he thought, in an attempt to distract himself from the experience.
He realised he was spoken to.
"...you know… the secret… Royal Inspector… in the city." A human, a man, with his eyes empty, his veins blackened and bulging, spat out, and shook, almost like in fever, controlled by the Evil Spirit's power.
The human thrall presented a document to him stained with blood.
"What?" Youngjae managed, in surprise.
"Secret royal inspector."
Gam Youngjae stared at the letter, pressed with the royal seal, tainted in the blood and gore, in surprise, then in disbelief, and then, with comprehension.
Suddenly, his mind, fragmenting under the pressure of the voices, focused. He knew what it was.
A letter of appointment. With the king's seal on it.
Among the madness and the powers beyond the mortal ken he was surrounded with at this moment, an official document was something he understood very intimately. He latched onto the idea.
Secret Royal Inspectors were the eyes and the ears of the king, sent to local provinces to covertly monitor government officials, with the authority not only to access the local records, along with the office of local magistrate, but also to dismiss the officials in the king's name. They were equal in rank to the local governors, and the Viceroy, if presented with the letter now in front of him, would have no option but to cooperate.
They would not only preside over the retrial for any cases they deemed unjust but also report any wrongs by the previous and current officials, back to the capital, and to the king.
Except he never had a chance to meet with the undercover official.
Why did the Evil Spirits care?
"Where is the Inspector?"
"Dead… we … think…killed armed men … causing … riot."
Of course, he thought to himself, despite the whispers.
"What is … secret… inspector?" The spirit queried
The city magistrate acted to depose him!
They knew.
Someone in the court, possibly the king himself, must have been suspicious of him before the war even started, otherwise there wasn't enough time to appoint the secret official to keep an eye on him.
Instigating a revolt was unacceptable, the royal court would frown upon such action, even from the man appointed by His Majesty himself, but the war made any pleas and reports undeliverable, and the official royal hearing was impossible. Viceroy Gam Youngjae couldn't be dismissed in the usual manner, in those circumstances, even if the Royal Inspector had the authority to do so…
War ruined everything. Not just Youngjae's own plans.
Magistrate's action suddenly made more sense.
He was, however, not going to admit guilt.
Not even to the monster from beyond.
It was painfully clear that they were aware of the Inspector's mission - either beaten the answer out of the man himself, or found the letter in which order was written - and intended to use the suspicion as a leverage against the Viceroy.
He didn't expect that.
"They were to investigate the city's magistrate." Youngjae said, maintaining calm, even though it was just as likely they were here to investigate him specifically. Despite its rather prestigious status, the Surao had the appointed Viceroy - him - and there was also the city's magistrate. He could deflect blame.
In smaller regions, with only a magistrate to govern them, there wouldn't be an option. He could consider himself lucky that the province he oversaw balanced on the thin line of unimportant and large enough.
"Magistrate dead. City. Chaos. Magistrate we appoint. San Hyun-Ki magistrate! Pacify! Peasants!" The helpless human, its mind possibly long gone, spat out under the influence of the evil magic.
"That is not acceptable!"
They couldn't do it! Should the magistrate die in the office, it was the Viceroy who assumed complete control until a new magistrate would be appointed! It was customary law.
"The deal. He made. For you."
He was presented in another document.
With his own seal on it already.
It…
Youngjae read it, carefully, and after the second go through the writing, his sheer anger pushing away the ceaseless choir of voices that had assailed his mind with such ferocity to this point.
"Treachery!"
He found no other words for it.
The decree, made in his name, would have him executed for treason on the spot, should he, along with this document, fall into the wrong hands. It reached far beyond agreeing with the tribute. It denounced a royal authority completely, pledging his full, unwavering assistance in the conquest…
Gam Youngjae wasn't interested in the artefacts inside the forbidden treasury, even if the document pledged his full cooperation in seizing them.
He blinked in disbelief.
This was treason, an open rebellion against the throne. Defiance of the mandate of heaven. The ancestors would be rolling in their graves if they knew.
The sheer audacity rendered him speechless. Something like this hadn't happened in a very long time, a few generations. As long as the current dynasty ruled, none of their appointed officials had turned against them in such an openly hostile fashion.
He couldn't possibly agree to something like this.
Viceroy Gam Youngjae was about to snatch the false decree presented from the enthralled man's hand, but the voices nearly drove to the background by the sheer anger he could no longer effectively hide, heaved with the fury that drove him to his knees.
They didn't whisper anymore; they didn't even talk, they screamed, demanding order, demanding obedience.
The headache robbed him of almost all his focus, of all his composure.
The louder the voices, the higher the rank,
Youngjae could sense the presence of the Spirit's warlord long before he entered the hall, flanked by more of his followers. It was nearly impossible to stand in the presence of the warlord's immediate retinue. The voices in his head screamed.
He finally understood the maddened priest's warning - do not go near the white ones.
However; the Viceroy wasn't ready to give up just yet.
As his skull pulsated with pain, he pointed towards the offending parchment, and nearly yelled, the voices in his head like the incoming storm that drew closer, but he wasn't easy to roll over. He might not be one to win on the battlefield, but this, this was the fight he wasn't going to lose.
He didn't understand the spectral warlord's words, but the translation came soon enough, barked out by the seizing helpless thralls.
"Healing? Need? You? Lord Viceroy?"
"It was not agreed upon!" He protested. The agreement was beyond treacherous, it was idiotic, too - San Hyun-Ki has no authority to do this, and he, Viceroy Gam Youngjae, has no authority over the matters delegated there. Relics, property of His Majesty the King, was something he wasn't even entitled to know, yet alone to decide.
"Not agreed." The warlord admitted, through his mouthpiece, "We found. It. Written. Your advisor. You sleep then."
"It is…" He yelled,
The reply was quickly translated, the quality of which was rapidly increasing as the fiercest of tempests screamed within the Viceroy's skull.
Why?
"Without knowledge, yours done? Destroy paper. Never speak of it again, we will."
A fox spirit, her fur white as death itself, flicked her fingers, and the brazier in the corner erupted with flames. The voices didn't stop. They ran on, on and on, without cease, without sense, or reason, of fire, of forts, of control, of crabs, as the very definition of insanity manifest.
Where did all those thoughts come from?
Focus!
Youngjae grabbed the paper, ready to hurl it into the flames, destroying all the evidence of this. Then he stopped.
He looked back.
The thrall, once a young man, now more a statue of flesh enslaved to the otherworldly powers, still held the letter of appointment, stained by blood of the Royal Inspector that had been appointed to watch, and investigate, the officials of Surao.
The hapless man couldn't even move without the power holding him released.
"We named sage the magistrate to restore the order. You remain the Viceroy."
He said, translating the warlord's incomprehensible speech instantly, the previously mumbled words suddenly far too understandable, making Youngjae to stop. He considered:
The treacherous, forged decree did specify his full support as the Viceroy, and the province he governed, as long as he governed it.
Whispers beyond his hearing continued their innate, nonsensical conversation about the eggs, and the positions to reinforce.
The fact he understood them terrified him. It was like he was at the edge of losing his mind to the throes of madness that came with the Evil Spirit's presence, but among all that disorder and nonsense, there was a thing that worried him even more.
Would he be trusted if he went back, if his very appointment already warranted the time of the secretly appointed inspector to walk in his footsteps, even before the accursed barbarians had invaded?
Shouldn't there be a war, his ability to manage the province would be brought to question in the court either way? It wasn't unheard of to abuse the Inspectors as a tool for the intrigue, and might not hold the position much longer should the king's army fend off the Jin.
He looked at the paper.
A few words were spoken.
He didn't pay attention to whether he did understand him, once again inspecting the official decree, and then read its wording, made in the proper form, in his language, and there for the short moment, his battered mind focused, aside of the chaos, and whispers, and voices, and insanity, and he read it again.
Yes, it was treason.
It may not even be within his previous responsibilities to decree such a thing.
But if followed as written, he was appointed for life to enforce it. After all, the Spirits were after the relics, not the land, and could sail into the sunset with their prize.
He carefully moved it away from the flames.
Sparing the appointment of the inspector at the last glance, sent to recall him possibly months after he, himself, assumed the position, Viceroy Gam Youngjae made a decision.
