There was a great view of Sinco from atop one of the hills west of it. From it, Rick could look upon the remains of the battlefield as well as the untouched city, but he could only grimace at what lay there waiting for them. The land was pockmarked by scorch marks and unnatural, jagged cuts and craters. The trenches and tunnels had mostly collapsed, turning the terrain into an irregular criss-crossing of small crevices that’d filled out with water. Further back, off in the distance, was Sinco, with its ugly, spiky black and brown walls, little columns of smoke indicating there were actual signs of life therein.
It might as well have been a scene plucked out of some kid’s story. The only thing missing would’ve been the large evil mage tower or fortress within the city itself.
“It rained?” Rick couldn’t help but ask, noticing the puddles and ponds spread all over.
“We had the Neigix redirect a small storm to wash away the blood and prevent drawing in disease or ferals, or both.” Dia informed as she stood next to him, pointing at a small group of a few dozen trees that had not been there before. “We cremated and buried the unidentified and enemy dead there. Ours were given proper burials, as you ordered.”
Enemy.
Dia spoke the word like it was an absolute.
Looking at her, at how her once beautiful pink hair had turned ashen, at the wings of bone, and the severe look in her eyes that would come out from time to time… Rick wished he could unmake that whole fight. For better or worse, he couldn’t, however, so he tried to focus on what came next.
“I bet there’s a mountain of paperwork waiting for me.” He chuckled earnestly. Having to look over every damn receipt and business proposal Rollo had come up with since the fight felt like a better alternative than what he’d just gone through. Rick became silent as he looked around for another moment. “Where did it happen?” He asked. “Where did Eva…”
“Somewhere over there.” Dia pointed. “It was… massive. A tree of crystalized blood-energy. It was like nothing I’d seen before.”
“The size was certainly impressive, but with how much blood-energy was running around, it is hardly that noteworthy.” Camilla commented dryly. The former Empress was the only frame of reference they had for what their Vampire had done, but apparently it had not been that odd. Once upon a time.
Rick was still slightly miffed by the fact that Camilla had a look-out somewhere spying on the battle, but that was just one more rock to the pile. “It doesn’t seem to have lingered.” He commented. There was no skin-tingling going on, so whatever energy there had been, it had completely dispersed by now.
“Do you have any immediate plans regarding the Vampires?” The Elf Queen asked.
“I know Eva’s alive, and by the looks of it, she went to them willingly. Or at least willing to some degree.” He let out an exaggerated sigh. “This is going to be a mess.”
It was effectively a no-win situation. The tribe might make crossing the deadlands possible, even to the point they could show up to the Vampire’s domain and exert some pressure. But ignoring everything that could go wrong in that scenario, the clans and the Vampires had been at the top of the kingdom’s shit-list for decades. That the kingdom chose to contain rather than overwhelm and eradicate was a good indicator that the blood-suckers had entrenched themselves well.
And the thing keeping them contained had just been destroyed.
Rick really hoped that wouldn’t come to bite him, but was absolutely certain it would.
“We’ll try to figure something out.” He wasn’t even sure where to start on this, but he’d definitely need to talk that one out with everyone.
“This will have to be goodbye for now.” Camilla turned to face him. “My own garden needs tending.” She reached out to shake his hand. “If you wish for my advice, dealing with the Thorleys and their city should be your priority. Your victory will no doubt have created turmoil, and this presents an opportunity.”
“I don’t have any plans to conquer another city.” He quickly replied.
“You need not keep hold of something to make use of it…” Her hand squeezed a little tighter. “A city is, after all, a very valuable bargaining chip.”
Rick wasn’t sure how to answer that. “Thank you for the help either way. We’ll keep in touch.”
“I would certainly hope so.”
“And… tell Urtha I miss her, and that we might need to mobilize the tribe soon.”
The Elf Queen merely nodded at that, turning to leave towards the forest, trailed by the Golden Elves she’d brought along… and a few others Rick was sure had not been part of her retinue. “Do I want to know?” He asked, looking at the maidens nervously marching off the ageless ones.
“Not unless you’d want to know more about her recruitment efforts.” Dia replied dryly.
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“I’ll… consider the favor of coming to save me paid on her part, then.” Rick really did not want to get into it. And hey, if some maidens wanted to go join the plant-lady in the middle of the forest, then he wasn’t about to stop them. “Well, one thing at a time.”
Glancing over his shoulder at the ones gathered there, he took stock of the feralborn maidens, Lisa, and the Tigress “cub,” then at Monica and all the others who’d come just for the sake of rescuing him.
“First things first, I’m going to need a warm meal, a shower, and a bed. I think all of us do.”
Dia straightened out. “I’ll arrange-”
“That includes you.” He reached out to grasp her arm and pull her closer. “Mind helping me?”
Everyone needed a touch of normalcy, but it was clear as day that helping Dia wind down was at the top of that list. She tried to hide it, but it was like looking at a pressure cooker that’d blown out and half-melted. She needed not just physical mending but mental and spiritual too.
The healer clearly fought to keep her face passive, but despite her best efforts, a familiar smile peeked through, cheeks gaining a touch of color. “I… will see what I can do.”
“And Mon-”
“Monica show kitty city!” She eagerly pipped up.
“My name is not Kitty.” The child angrily hissed.
“Then what’s your name?” Rick prompted.
The little Tigress clammed up fast. She shot Dia a full death-glare, then promptly turned away. The lack of pleasantries might have been because Monica was currently holding said maiden by the back of the neck and keeping her entirely unable to do anything but pout.
He could tell Monica’s decision to take the kit in had been made in no small part out of the memory of the stillbirth she’d had while feral. Rick still wasn’t sure what to make of her, the fact that she was Throag’s child didn’t make it any easier. But if Monica wanted to give this a try, he’d help however he could.
He just did not know how to be able to help in the first place.
The kid clearly didn’t like them, but it wasn’t like he could just leave her to fend for herself in the deadlands… right?
For now, though, there were bigger things he needed to take care of.
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Monica had a responsibility.
Well, a not-cub.
The little kit was full of determination, which was good.
She also wanted to maybe-kill Dia, which was not-so-good.
But Monica trusted Dia could protect herself, so for now that was a smaller concern. No, what mattered was taking the little Tigress and showing her all the good hunting spots in the city. It was important that she understand and learn the rules of this place, otherwise she would not be able to fend for herself.
“Ugly and smelly.” The little one complained as they approached the city, arms crossed and tail limp as she kept glaring towards Dia whenever she had the chance.
“Yes.” Monica acknowledged with a sage nod. “But hunting is good, just tricky.”
The little one looked around as they crossed the gates, at the citizens cheering, gasping, bowing, and greeting as they approached. The frown in her face deepened as she kept looking around, more focused on the way the people were paying attention to Rick than anything else.
“You are stronger, why do they ignore you?” She asked.
“Monica likes it this way. Less annoying.” Monica replied easily enough. “City complain too much. They talk to Rick, and they not bother Monica.”
“Oh.” The little one stared at her in wide eyes. “Smart.”
With the kit now being more attentive of their surroundings, Monica lifted her up and sat her down on her shoulders. It would give her a better vantage point to see things, which would be important soon. But as soon as she’d been put there, the little one pounced off, scurrying to latch herself to one of Monica’s legs instead.
Looking down, she noticed the little one staring up into the sky, full of apprehension.
Overhead there were several of the flying ones, Monica hadn’t even been paying attention to them. “Good instinct.” She patted her head, resuming her walk, barely even noticing the weight of the little one. “Flying ones here will ignore you.” Monica added. “But only inside city. Outside, they might not.”
“Why?”
“Because they’re not hungry. They have good food.”
“...always?” She asked, suspicion heavy in her little voice.
“Yes.” Monica nodded, voice firm as she puffed up with pride. “Rick made it.”
The little one’s face scrunched up in disbelief. “How?”
“Stinky stuff. Makes more food.”
Rick had explained about how that worked, repeatedly, but it wasn’t really something Monica was very interested in. Stinky stuff went into the ground, and the grass-smelling weak ones walked around a bunch, and then almost-food came out of that… it was a lot of things, one after the other, all to make something that would never be as good as boar meat. But many of the weaker ones liked that sort of stuff, which should’ve meant more meat for Monica, but it didn’t.
She’d promised to look into it at some point, there was definitely some trickery involved.
The little one didn’t look convinced, but kept quiet. Her ears were perked, tail stiff, eyes wide and looking every which way. Even while firmly attached to Monica’s leg, the tiny Tigress tried to present an outward calmness, but it was obvious to everyone.
“What do we have here?” Sweet-bread maker called out from across the street, looking out of the little window in her little shop and staring at the little-one. “Did the Lord rescue this one?”
“Monica find cub.” The Sabertooth proclaimed proudly, reaching down and prying the Tigress off of her leg, picking her up by the armpits. “Give sweets?”
“For a cutie like that? Sure!” The weak-one gently tossed a bread-bun-thing.
Catching the bun with her tail, Monica put the little-one down and split the bun in two. She quickly ate one half of it while giving the other half to the Tigress, watching as she sniffed, licked, and then nibbled the bread, then gagged. “This is human food.” She hissed and spat it to the ground.
“It’s sweet!” Monica replied, putting the little one down while picking the bread up with her tail.
“It’s human food!” She replied. “It’ll make you weak, soft, and fat.”
“Monica not weak.” With the declaration, she gobbled the other half.
It was clear that the little one had a lot to learn.