"You shall not have what is mine by right. Usurper!"
Saal’Xhir's ultimatum towards Uumaries when the latter tried to steal the Sphere of Love. Sparking the ongoing war between the two Goddesses.
Lucrezia felt incredible sadness, it had been days or what she thought of days inside this shared soul space. Since her talk with William, the boy had been silent as a rock as she hurled insult after insult towards him.
Was it his family on earth that had instilled this brutal sense of justice on the boy she wondered? his memories were very cagey, but Lucrezia wasn't dumb enough to miss the clear distaste he had for them when he stood up for his friends against the bullying.
She saw him bashing the perpetrators, how very Terran of him, to resort to violence because those two were untouchable via the proper channels.
"But isn't the same here, didn't we almost resort to a suicide attack on the Highway?"
She was a hypocrite of the greatest order alright, she saw the horrors her Parents inflicted on the innocent and even then begged to spare them. Would William do the same if it were his own flesh and blood she wondered?
She got the answer from the Monolith. Which pulsed with blueish lights, a feeling of Conviction washing over her.
"Without flinching even huh?" Lucrezia sighed in despair, no God would forgive her Mom and Father, not after figuring it out they were dealing with the evils beyond the stars, even dealing with the Fallen or Devils would pale in comparison when it came to the punishment dealt by that crime.
Lucrezia walked towards one of the many brutalist buildings that dotted the landscape. A figment of William's soul she felt was calling for her, the many birds and animals chirping and calling each other, she felt alone, truly alone while walking towards the building.
As she neared it, the young woman saw the strange yet familiar light coming from a window. A monitor or TV screen she recalled, he went up the stairs and found the room the light was coming from. A deep sense of nostalgia and longing slammed Lucrezia, who almost tumbled into the room. She was reminded of her childhood, reading storybooks in her bed, or riding horses in the summer, there was a movie playing on the TV, she didn't know its name but decided to watch it anyway, it didn't take long before Lucrezia fell asleep, the words and sounds from the movie washing over her.
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William watched with cold detachment as Erwin punched and kicked Eustace. Lucrezia's parents and he were moved to the now fixed Headquarters Lucrezia and the druids had taken over. The man laughed madly while spitting blood and teeth fragments over the floor.
"Your family begged and screamed when we were done playing with them Erwin, and you couldn't even-" A kick so fast William barely saw the Ki in the Knight's Commander leg as he planted his foot on the man's solar plexus. Eustace went down again and William had to call Erwin, lest he killed the man right here and now.
"Patience Knight Commander, they die tomorrow and it will be me doing the deed, not you"
Erwin took a moment to recompose himself and left the cell, he took a long hard look at William and spoke "It is not common for nobles to dirty their hands even when they want to make amends, I know the Oath with the Crown drives you my Lady, but I can't help but feel there's something more there." The man was right, William felt, there was more here.
"Would you believe me if I said I'm doing this for the people of the Duchy, Ser Erwin?" he moved to respond but William raised his hand "No, no you wouldn't, you and your men are loyal but not stupid. No Erwin, there's a personal reason for why I'm doing all of this, including subjecting myself to the upcoming Curse of Uumaries." he walked towards the cell where the Duke and Duchess where it had been 6 hours ever since the final battle. William had yet to use that magical device the Royals from Granarius told him about to announce to the duchy about the current happenings.
William stopped at the entrance to the cell, Lucrezia's parents now in prisoner rags looking terrified. William didn't need to guess why, as they heard Erwin beat the crap out of Eustace.
"Last year Commander Erwin, my parents here entertained the visit of one First Prince Galius, I'm sure you remember the parade my parents had you and your men do for it?" Erwin nodded as William unlocked the cell. Lucrezia didn't respond when he called her so either she was sleeping or somehow blocking her senses.
"My daughter please listen to u-" the Duke spoke fast but not fast enough as William gave the man a right hook punch with the Magnetism boosting his strength, the Duke went down like a sack of potatoes. Saliva and blood flying everywhere. The duchess screamed and tried to prop her husband up, placing him on top of their bunk bed.
"How dare you! insolent wretch of a daughter! He is your Father you cannot put your hand's o-" Conjuring the Blade of Winter together with the Crown, he grabbed the woman and slammed her to the cell wall, putting the blade right below her chin pressing against the neck.
"I'll be very clear here Mother, I speak, you answer, if the Crown tells me you are lying, I'll personally beat the shit out of Father. Understand?" William whispered loud enough for Erwin to hear, the woman nodded, fear oozing out of her, Now that Wilson had managed to break their ritual site the two knew they were in deep trouble; With no help coming from whatever evil beyond the stars they were praying to.
"The pillars, was it Galius who gave it to you?" William asked Malar who's eyes went wild "No! It wasn't him it was Kapha'tur!"
"SHE LIES!" The spirit screamed, William shook his head and with three swift movements, broke Amadour's arm. the man screamed so loud Malar cringed, William dropped the man on the ground.
"Talk"
"Damn you! rotten whore! my God will-" William sighed and kicked Amadour in the ribs. The snapping of his ribcage made Malar's face go pale.
"I won't ask again. Talk"
"Yes! He's the one who gave the bloody pillars in exchange for us joining his faction!"
"...And your hand in marriage" Amadour spoke while hissing in pain "Daughter please, forgive us! we were manipulated by the mage. Surely you can find it in your heart to let bygones be bygones, We are your parents! your only family in this world"
"Lies! you and the mage were tied by blood oath!" William was surprised it was the Sword so spoke not the Crown. The Winter Spirit was seething with rage.
William looked down to the Sword with a puzzling look. Maybe the relationship between it and the Duke was deeper than what the game had told him.
"Did High Priestess Chole involve herself with the Pillars in any shape or form?" He asked Malar again.
"No! she knew nothing. A masked priest from the capital did the work and then the mage took over I swear!"
"Daughter please listen to-"
"Shut your rotten mouth before I break your windpipe. Last question"
"Who or What is the one you four were praying to?" William knew they wouldn't be able to say the name. The game ended with a sequel bait against this Hidden Evil, Malar tried to speak but nothing came from her mouth. The woman plopped down on the ground after a while.
"Won't let you speak huh? and it's not like I can beat it out of you. Any torture method I can think off wouldn't work either" William took a deep breath to compose himself and take a good hard look at the damage he had inflicted on Amadour. He wanted to cringe, to have doubts that what he was doing was wrong. But alas he knew the damage these two had caused to untold innocent people and many more had he not done what he did.
It felt Just.
Correct.
Self-righteous.
To see Evil, true Evil being reduced to nothing but a shambling mess begging for mercy. Just like when he broke those bullies two years ago on the Football field. When his father turned a blind eye and their Mother tried to have him jailed.
"It's the only Choice" he heard the echo of Lucrezia's voice whisper to him, William was taken back to a talk he had with his Grandfather, a month before beating the Bullies. His mother was terrified of the man, and said he was a criminal. Yet when he talked with him the man was very much a fount of wisdom, and a single piece of advice stuck with him.
"Don't hesitate, not for a second, even if the end is bitter as sucking on raw lime, don't hesitate"
"There won't be no mercy, no burying the hatchet and no forgiving for the evil you committed. Come tomorrow I will personally kill you both. Your blood will wet the grounds of this land and the Wulfgrem name will be cleaned from the shame you two brought to it."
The Duke and Duchess couldn't believe what their daughter was saying. Even if they had stopped worshipping Uumaries they both knew what would happen.
"Foul, Uumaries's curse will bind you to the Whore Goddess, you will become a pawn! sent away to work in her Brothels HA!" Malar's laughter was interrupted by a fierce coughing fit that quickly turned bloody.
The side effects of trying to speak the Entity's name William remembered. The same happened in the game but it was faster there.
"No Curse will stop me from doing what is Right." William saw them tremble in fear and a small part of himself hated it. He felt like the Villain here, even if he and everyone around him knew about the truth, it still felt horrible.
"Goodbye. Malar, Amadour. May your souls rot in whatever hell the Gods send you two"
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Lucrezia was having another pizza lunch in a huge banquet hall in the castle, Erwin and a few Senior Knights joining him, they were enamored with the new dish, some even suggesting new toppings to William while they ate.
The doors were opened and Karl rushed in, the man looked pale. "Lady Lucrezia! Velkarius has sent word that First Prince Galius Dragonblood Shatter-Spear himself is leading a punitive force against us! They will be ready to move in the 5 months!"
William held out his hand, the priest looked confused "You...You already knew? but how?"
"My parents were in the First Prince Faction. Where do you think they got those pillars from?" William finished his pizza slice and got up.
"Erwin, Karl, if you could follow me to the war room please?" the rest of the Knights saluted and made their way to their Headquarters. Erwin and Karl followed Lucrezia to a huge war room, not the ones William was using before, this one was the main one.
Maps, books, tables, were spread all over the room. Waiting for them were Serkj, Wilson, and Idun. Saa'ryu and Leanu as well, It seemed that William had already formed his Inner Circle.
"30 minutes ago, I got the information that my Parents got the Uumaries Pillars from First Prince Galius as payment for joining his Faction, and Karl here tells that Velkarius herself was given him the grim news. The Royals are sending him with a Punitive force"
Gasps and curses all around the room, Saa'ryu looked at William waiting for him to speak again but the boy was waiting for the shock to wash over. Once everyone calmed down he placed a huge map of the Duchy on a desk and called them over.
"We have 5 months, In 4 I will have my blessings but until then we must muster an army-"
"My lady I can't train Knights in 4 months! it takes years for a squire to properly handle their Ki" Erwin cried on in protest, never mind the squires, even getting the blood Dire Horses would be a pain, with the early Winter's End they went deep underground. Living near the lava lakes.
"I didn't say Knights did I? no Ser Erwin I don't want an army of Knights"
William Smirked.
"I want a Standing Army, strong enough that even the Royal Knights won't be able to destroy us"
Erwin looked bewildered, but William raised his hand again to explain himself "Now I understand it takes more than speeches and bravado to raise an Army. Infrastructure, Mining, Food in a scale the storm won't let us farm it until it blows over but" William pulled a sketched out image of a Gribeauval 12 pounder. One hidden skill of Lucrezia they both didn't know about, William suspected God meddling but until the Blessings came, he couldn't prove it.
Idun's eyes glowed with arcane blue on them, the dwarf's hands almost grabbing the piece of paper from William's hand. William once again held his hands up stalling the dwarf who looked a little heartbroken.
"As you can see by Master's Idun reaction, this weapon I've invented will shift the tide in our favor, Its munitions can be both solid metal or mana crystals, and for close-range targets, all we need is to build a canister with smaller rounds, its effective range with the round munition is of about-"
"900 meters for the round shots and 600 for the canister ones, which could decimate anything short of a warhorse charge plated and blessed, maximum firing range of almost 2.000 meters" Erwin spoke in an almost robotic tone. His Blessing worked out the details from the sketch alone.
"With enough Magi-Tech, I can triple the range of these...What are their names again Lady Lucrezia?" The dwarf spoke over Erwin who was shaken, the Knight almost fell over but Wilson and Elanu helped him.
"Forgive me Lady Lucrezia that was" the man said, his voice trembling. "That was a far rougher than the last time with the musket, these weapons of yours they require way more training and men, 15 plus horses and the ammo wagons"
"With my God's blessing it can be taken down to 3 men and no horses, I already have the designs in my mind Lady Lucrezia, this weapon right here will...Gods above it will change how we look at Warfare!"
"Not so fast Master Idun, you forget to account for Warmages and Spellblades, sure this might tip the balance in our favor but war isn't fought in a vacuum. Don't forget the arcane arms race when the Crossbow was invented. In less than a year, we had spells ready for it, stuff that would take centuries to happen otherwise" The dwarf nodded "Forgive my excitement, Master Wilson. But you can't deny the First Prince's troops won't know what hit them when we deploy these beauties in the battle to come!"
"If we have the ore for it, the mines we have won't wield enough iron and coal for an entire army," Erwin said to which William smiled "Inside this castle there lies an ancient mine. Master Idun, you surely have heard the tales, yes? That's right, the Evermine lies in the castle grounds"
"Holy shit!" the dwarf said which made everyone raise their eyebrows "Forgive me, everyone. It is an ancient tale of dwarven lore, it is said that deep in the north, hidden among many mountains therein lies a mine. Free of monsters and with infinite ores, every ore you can think of really. A blessing by our Creator God when he was invited by the All-Father to live here in this universe."
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"And you mean to say that the entrance to such a bounty is here? in the castle grounds?" Leanu asked bewildered, she knew the castle top from bottom. There was no way the entrance of a freaking mythical mine of yore would've escaped her!
"The entrance is hidden behind a series of spells. Wilson and its people should be able to break them but unless you have the exact position of it, it's undetectable by conventional magic" William pulled a map of the castle and marked a location beneath one of the ballrooms "Send your mages there. After the Execution" everyone went a little quieter.
"And how did you find out about such a mine in the first place Lu?" Saa'ryu asked while eating grilled fish, the maid cast a suspicious glance towards William. But he knew he couldn't stop it now, it was time to go all-in and jumpstart the war machine of the duchy.
"A vision, from Velkarius herself" William lied, Karl praised the Goddess while he cringed to himself, Jesus at this point he might as well ask for a spot in the priesthood of the blasted Goddess, that is if she doesn't become High Priestess of Raa’Tyrius first.
Saa'ryu didn't press for more, William sighed inwards then spoke up "But we will need more than ore, trade deals with the merchant clans, House Maygriam. The Magi and Beast-Folk of the deep when we repair the deep-sea port"
William thumped his chest with both hands "I am but one woman, in these days to come I'll rely on you and others to claw back to the Light, so the people and land can know peace and prosperity once again."
Leanu had a tear in her eye as William finished his little speech, Erwin nodded and spoke "I and Serkj will make sure every single able-bodied civilian will be combat-ready My Lady! Let the Prince come, and we will drive him back with Fire and Steel."
William gave the man a hug feeling a bit emotional, he then turned to Idun "Master Idun, I have another task for you. As you can see the city won't last under the onslaught of Winter's End. Are you familiar with the great sewers of Kehheim?"
"Aye I'm Lady Lucrezia, one of the flock worked on it before joining us" the man took a quick look at the map " If I'm reading this correctly you want to pipe the entire city with steam from the lava lakes and running water?" he picked a piece of coal and began to drawn lines around the map.
"Not just water and Steam, but a full-blown underground network in case of an emergency, big and wide enough to support the entire population of this city" William tapped on all districts and drawn domes beneath them "Until we can establish contact with the farmers who have gone until hiding thanks to Minor Gods in the countryside our only way to get grain will be via the Maygriam Highway" William drawn another circle near the entrance of the Highway, which scouts had reported was clear of Devol Peacebringers, Erwins Knights were already in the waystation.
"I don't like relying on the Maygriams, rotten people the lot of them," Said Wilson spitting in the ground, William had to nod, the Maygriams were hated among many due to their less than legal tendencies but they were still one of the Five Houses. Respect was demanded in a way.
"So you gonna need an entrance to their Highway as well?" Idun quickly figured it out William "Those things can withstand the storm I reckon. Make a large enough tunnel in the Waystation and have the grain shipped straight into the heart of the city" Idun was grinning like a madman then he suddenly lost his luster "Lady Lucrezia, a project this big would take years. Labor that would take people from the Army, how in the name of Raa’Tyrius do you plan to have this built-in a month?"
William Smirked.
"Why master Idun, the elves, of course. The druids will work together with you and the workers of the city and in" William did some math in his head "3 or so months this will be done with ample usage of mana crystals of course" Idun nodded, the spark returning to him "Yes, Yes! with the druids and their magic we will have an underground city! warm and full of food!"
Leanu coughed "The meat will be supplied via that temptation made real in the dungeon I assume?"
William was taken aback, temptation? "What do you mean Leanu?"
"What I mean, My fair Lady is whatever that is. Is making my maids slack off! constantly crying to "enjoy the beach" as if any of it was real and not some magical mumbo jumbo!" Wilson placed his hand on her shoulder and turned to William "It's been an ongoing struggle Lady Lucrezia, I've checked over with the core and it can produce about 10 tones of pork per week, which if rationed properly will be more than enough for the populace. If we get the grain that is"
"How's the core doing down there by the way?" William couldn't lie to himself, he was worried the thing could've gone berserk while he was fighting in the Private Wing. He had read about it in the game after all.
"It fulfills its duty perfectly Lady Lucrezia, all readings report that the core will work flawlessly, one of the Acolytes even though it was a hidden blessing," the mage said with a smile on his face, William caught himself staring at Wilson, the visage of the grim half-crazy necromancer coming like a ghost. This whole room was made of dead people and that fact had just started to sink in.
After all, both he and Lucrezia were meant to be dead as well.
"Leanu, have the workers prep soup bowls for the populace, Idun I need a stage on the Castle Plaza built by high noon" they both saluted and took off, Erwin and Wilson going after them.
The room was deserted now, Karl being the last to leave muttering a prayer towards William who threw himself into a decadent divan "Give me a few minutes Saa" he said, and the maid nodded.
"Lucrezia? you there?"
Nothing, William dived into the shared soul space. Landing near the Monolith this time, he was getting better at "landing" near it. Not finding the woman near it he walked around a bit, it felt peaceful down here. In a way that didn't the last time
"Lucrezia! where are you?" he screamed but once again he was met with silence, William then noticed a faint light coming from one of the commieblock building, walking up to it took some time, he had to walk through one of the rivers that were in this place. It was like the water was trying to stop him. As he got out of the river and into the building, he heard some familiar sounds.
"Is that music?"
the sound got louder as he rushed the stairs, he found an open room flooded with artificial light. Lucrezia laying on a sofa looking like she had just come out of a nasty fight, tears, and snot in her face.
"Holy shit, Lucrezia are you ok?" Wiliam walked towards the sofa, the woman waved him off and cleaned her face with a towel.
"I...I was watching movies, I just finished watching one called Blade Runner and its sequel and I must admit, it got me and it got me good." she sighed as finished cleaning her face "Yes I didn't answer you because I was watching a movie" she laughed and smiled "Well I also took a nap but it was the movie really" she made space for William to sit "It was my first time watching and not at the same time, but I was still able to enjoy it, it was hmm. Quite the experience" she said smiling.
"I watched the Sequel with my ex, she was the one who got me into watching the classic stuff, some of that emotion must've bled off into you," William said as he watched the credits roll.
"You wanna talk?" He asked after a short silence.
"Yeah, let's talk"
"I'm sorry William, I didn't mean to insult you the way I did earlier." Lucrezia said as the credits rolled, she refused to look at his face. Her emotions were a mess William felt. He on the other hand was more composed or at least trying to.
"I saw the evil my parents made real, I even saw the atrocities in-game and still I asked for mercy. I even...I even tried to harm you via the contract we established but I saw reason. And I hope you can forgive me"
"I forgive you Lucrezia, be at ease" William said after sighing and resting his head on the divan.
"At ease?! really?" she asked, finally looking at him "No demands? no outrage? you must want something William, at least tell me I'm a spoiled brat. Say something bloody hells!" she punched the divan, taking William's out of his thoughts.
"Why would I demand anything from you Lucrezia? Haven't I stolen enough from you? your life, body, friends?" he took a deep breath "I know you want me to let them go Lucrezia, and you know I won't let that happen, you saw my memories, you saw how I deal with these types of people"
"I won't demand nothing, It is me who's in the wrong here, not you"
She held his arm.
"You are not guilty! it could've been anyone from Terra! We had this talk before William, you might be some kind of tinpot savior sent here to right wrongs but savior you are nevertheless. You shouldn't make me bring this topic again you hear? next time I'll punch you to drive the point home"
William laughed, which made the young woman ease up a little
"If you want I can look the other way for your...Other necessities" she said shyly "I didn't know how bad it was before but now I can feel it down here William, it is driving you half-insane since you bury it so much"
"No, I won't do it" he said, he could feel relief from Lucrezia, but also great curiosity
"It's not my body Lucrezia, I won't cross that line because of hormones, I'll just suck it up and pray"
"As in?"
"There are rituals that should keep it under control, even after we get cursed by Uumaries Until we fix this soul meld situation at the very least. I'll speak with Karl after the-"
"The execution," she said staring back at the TV, another movie had come up but William couldn't remember the name of it "It's funny how you refuse to do some things and is more than eager for others"
"The word you are looking for is hypocrisy Lucrezia," William said with a little too much venom in his voice. He knew it was true, for all his convictions and bravado. He had a streak of hypocrisy on him.
"I suppose we both are then" she stretched and got up, standing right in front of him, William was reminded of how beautiful the young woman was, but he could detect a trace of sadness and resignation in her as if she had finally come to terms with what was happening.
"Kill them, Fulfill the Oath you made with the Spirits, and we shall speak of this no more" she gave him an order, William nodded and said.
"As you wish"
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A stand was placed in the plaza that leads to the castle gates, many of the townsfolk were waiting in lines as they got bowls of soup, a few enterprising individuals selling bread and other items, there was hope in the crowd, people of all races talking and smiling amongst themselves.
Those who grieved were also there, many waiting for their prayers to be finally answered. The rumor that Lucrezia had already fulfilled her Oath had spread across all the city and the communities beyond.
As did the many rumors that the Duke and Duchess were the cause of all this madness. The people of the north were one of tradition, and blood demanded blood.
Even if kin slaying was to be done.
Knights, Castle Guards, the Dwarven Magi-Tech Vanguard, and even the druids were all present. The populace exchanging stories and happenings with them. The new faces, in particular, getting attention from the people, many Magi-Techs were crafters and trinket makers first soldiers second. Making stuff for kids and adults to crack a smile eased the pain of their lost friends
"To think a new Duchess of Vermilion is allied with the King. This life just keeps on surprising you eh Princess?" Veronica asked her Lady. Both were manning a food cart selling cheese and beer, a perfect cover according to Emilya.
Veronica thought differently but there was nothing she could do. The Princess was very stubborn when it came to her plots after all.
"One crazy enough to kill her kin and be cursed. Maybe Father was right, after all, Humans are batshit insane"
"Not just Humans my Lady, Not just Humans."
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"Lu, we have finished installing those things you told us to, it took Wilson to figure out how to power and connect them all but it's done, superb craftsmanship of the arcane he said as well." Saa'ryu said and she undressed William for a proper bath. his cheeks reddening at any stray thought it came to his mind.
"Goddamn, it Lucrezia" He sent the message to the young woman who was sleeping as far as he could tell. He decided to rely on the old reliable method of moving mana across his body, both Ice and Magnetism flowed like a river, the effect calming his mind enough to focus on cleaning himself.
After the bath. Saa'ryu came together with Leanu and another maid, they had a very ornate dress ready for him, William knew it well, it was the Wulfgrem Regalia, best in class for Lightweight armor in the game.
In Leanus hand, a Crown wrought in Enchanted Ice and Steel. The other maid carrying a Scepter made of a tree branch from the Woods of Kallista.
"I look like a queen don't I?" William said laughing a little, trying to lighten the mood of those around him, Saa'ryu cracked a smile but that was about it. Leanu finished setting the dress up and off they went to the stage.
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Panels of arcane light flared in the entire city, many that couldn't come to the stage watching from their homes, in the streets and pubs, William stepped onto the stage. Behind him were the duke and duchess, plus Eustace in chains.
"Citizens of Wulfgrem! My people! today I deliver you justice. Today those who pillaged and raided your homes, families, and livelihoods pay for their crimes!"
William's voice boomed across the arcane panels, loud enough for the entire city to hear, and beyond. He knew the Magi-Folk of the deep were listening too.
And Kallista had made herself known by perching on top of the castle's tallest tower, the Dragoness's icy eyes watching all from above.
The Winter Spirit that was nested on top of William's head spoke.
"Today marks the day this child atone for the sins her blood committed, Rule she will by kin slaying!"
A sharp gasp among the crowd, many talking in hushed voices. But it was a lone child who stood at the very edge of the stage who spoke the loudest. Her hand holding the frail arms of an ancient-looking dwarf.
"Blood for the fallen" the child spoke loud enough that few around her stopped talking, the many crows nested around the plaza began to caw loudly.
"Blood for the fallen" Boomed the Spirit, and the crowd repeated the words again and again until the entire city was caught demanding blood for those who were gone.
The crows and ravens joined the populace in a macabre and sinister dance, as they screamed and begged for the death of their rulers more birds showed up. The overcast sky darkened by sheer numbers.
They converged into the stage and from the small hurricane of birds a Tall elven woman appeared, her deathly pale face bearing scars of old, on her back a mighty staff made from bone, and on her hand a spear. Its tip tinged with rusted blood.
The crown kneeled, William's eyes almost coming out of his sockets. Fucking Velkarius herself came!
"SHIT SHIT OH FUCK-" he heard Lucrezia losing her shit and he couldn't blame the woman.
He was close to losing it as well.
"It is not a common occurrence when a mortal, human at that actually delivers on their promises, much less a noble heh. I've found your kind tends to be hmm. Flexible when it comes to dealing with the rot that plagues your society." The elven Goddess spoke, the air cracking as she walked near the guilty, she ran her nails on their skin, enough to draw blood.
"So many killed, tortured, raped, and more. And now your own flesh and blood have to kill you wretched abominations pretending to be human."
She turned to William and spoke.
"A Greater Blessing for you my child, and support of my church in the upcoming trials to rebuild your Duchy" Using the blood she had drawn from the guilty, Velkairus shaped a ghoulish-looking ax, William sucked up air, he knew the weapon.
"The Axe of Kalaamur"
The Goddess raised her eyebrows, Lucrezia began screaming again but quickly went quiet as Velkarius spoke.
"Not many know about that nasty dragon, it pleases me some still remember his name, and the evil he stopped" she walked up to William, who felt a power unlike mana or ki baring him down. Like gravity itself was bending to this powerful entity in front of him.
"A gift" With a smile the Goddess walked away, standing near the side stairway, Saa'ryu by her side. The maid nearly lost her cool when the Goddess stood by her and Smiled.
Kallista at that point dropped from the castle and assumed her Dragonkin form, all she did was nod when she walked to Velkariu's left flank. But the boy did see the Dragoness fangs for a split second.
A smile? or anger? he couldn't figure it out, once again William had to steady himself.
Hopefully, no more gods showing up before the sun is down eh?
He gripped the ax and turned to face Eustace "Bring him to the front" he spoke to Serkj who was herding the three, with a shove they made the man walk. Eustace was quiet, a mad smile on his face.
Serkj made him kneel in front of William and the man spoke with a maddening voice "The one beyond the stars will save me!" he screamed at William.
"For the crimes you Committed against my people and my land, I deliver thee to the Long Queue." William said as he raised the ax, it stayed in the air for a split second before the boy dropped the thing into Eustace's neck, removing the head from it in a clear cut. As if the bone wasn't even there.
A clap of thunder came from the north. Crimson lighting flooded the skies as Velkarius gave a small clap before licking her lips.
The duke began to scream "Who gave you the right to be jury, judge, and executioner! the Royals will never accept your rule, you whore of a daughter!" Serkj slammed the man with the butt of his spear making him eat sawdust from the floor, he then kicked the Duchess and had both kneel before William.
"Uumaries will get you O daughter of mine hahaha, SHE COMES!" the Duchess screamed as William chopped her head, the Duke cried in terror and begged one last time.
"Forgive me Lucrezia! PLEASE FORG-" the ax went down again, the skies now booming with thunder and crimson lighting, the populace of the city dead quiet as William and Lucrezia had a shared sigh of relief.
The three Winter Spirits made themselves manifest in full, the crown all gasping, Kallista turned into her dragon form and flew up above them, and they started to speak as one.
"Thy Oath fulfilled"
"Thy Duty Begins"
"We anoint Thee Duchess of the Wulfgrem, Let no Mortal or God speak otherwise"
Velkarius appeared beside William and placed her hand on his shoulder
"I Stand as Witness"
"It is done then, Now to fix the mess they left behind"
William smiled and sent his thoughts to Lucrezia.
"Together Lucrezia, we will fix it Together"'
Just as the skies cleared and people began to stop praying to Velkarius, Karl and Chloe showed up, Karl looking happy in a way William had never seen in-game. Chloe on the other hand was nervous. She kept looking to the south and muttering to herself, William was about to ask what was wrong when Velkarius spoke.
"Hello Cousin"
A golden and blue circle showed up in the sky, golden thunderbolts coming out of it, they boomed twice as loud as the crimson ones. Striking houses and trees around the Plaza.
From the circle, William saw a Sigil. A house surrounded by vines.
Uumaries came