V8: Epilogue part 2

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Interlude: Celia

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The remains of the Wraith materialized after the destruction of its core.

Or, rather, when its true form was killed in the shell that it was housed.

“It is much like a Lich, but not like a Lich.” Tormund hovered over the small creature. It reminded me of a large insect pupa, but it had the face of a man. Within the red orb that it inhabited, it provided immense power to the body that it inhabited. No. The more accurate term was chassis. It used flesh that it took from powerful creatures and mortals and reformed it into a chimera-like abomination. “Its ability to phase through objects is a form of projection. It most likely kills an individual within a defensive line, then takes control of it from outside while hidden.”

“If its range is across a whole town, that will make it quite the infiltrator.” Catherine came to examine the creature at my request. My teacher was typically assisting in managing the security of our lands. Few things were more important than ensuring that we could find spies, now that we can make the King of Wisdom bleed if he tried to take our lands through warfare. “I imagine the methods it implements also circumvents issues that I would face when proper protections are in place. You say this Wraith managed to go through enchanted walls and defenses?”

There are very few Phantoms in existence. Most of them were under our employ. My teacher could turn invisible and phase through solid objects. She told me that it was like floating and swimming blindly through the darkness, and if she found herself faced with a mage or even a normal guard armed with a magical knife after such an act, then she would swiftly perish. Too much of her power would be expended for her to defend herself. Imbuing walls and structures with even passive improvements to their defense would also soundly rebuff her and her kindred.

But such was not the case for this Wraith.

The reports were sparse, and information regarding the extent of its abilities was old and from worn texts.

Jack’s Champions were not interested in sharing their findings during its pursuit, either.

But the fact remained that it was an asset that we could not ignore.

An infiltrator that can double as a warrior, who can take over bodies, and required magic to defeat?

It would be a powerful Champion.

Or, if we could not produce such a Champion, then powerful agents and forces on the field.

My teacher obviously realized my intentions as I looked upon the creature.

“The Council will not approve of this… but I agree that we have need of such creatures. I am hearing troubling reports all over the coalition. Rumors of people with many faces and forms that disappear when pursued.” Catherine spoke, and Tormund nodded at the head of the table. He held out his skeletal hands and began to chant, while glass was lowered around the corpse. He was storing it in a vacuum for transit back to the Citadel where more specialists can pour over the creature and determine how to create more. “The Forgers are beside themselves and they’ve replaced their lead inspector twice already.”

“What have the Merchants and the Wardens done?” One of our few unified fronts was in clandestine operations. We agreed that we should work together to glean knowledge and information from Jack’s lands. It was partly because how advanced and how much farther ahead he was. Though I was sure that we all wished to spy upon one another, it would be a waste of time and effort if we did. It was simply better to infiltrate his lands and gain more from the same effort. “Have they been replacing their people, as well?”

“The Merchants operate with a team-based system that watches one another. One or two fall away from the group and they’re replaced, but they’ll establish themselves quickly. As for the Wardens… they’re busy. They won’t say much, but I’m hearing rumors of their lands becoming less unified as of late.”

I closed my eyes and put myself in Jack’s shoes as well as I could.

When I opened them again, a cruel truth that I tried to ignore once I allied with the Wardens came to light.

“Khalai and his people are the only ones that will never surrender. Their fanaticism towards their religion will have them fight to the end, unless extraordinary circumstances arise.” I could see him breaking each faction down, weighing each of against one another. My people are recovering as our lands were the most affected by the Death Lord. The Merchants are still in disarray. The Forgers are insular and at us like people to subjugate. Meanwhile, the Wardens received his assistance once their received their Citadel, they’ve had time to find their bearings, and they have not had to engage in any wars in their territory. Unified behind a single goal, with an untouched industrial base, and with the ability to resurrect past Saints and their fallen… it was obvious that they were his main target now. “The question is if we should move to assist them.”

I would have never asked those words before.

Honor demanded that I march to assist Khalai and his people against any attack, big or small, mounted by the King of Wisdom against him.

However, the Wardens were fanatics, and they demanded all worship as they do.

One of their demands to ally with us, along with connecting their Citadel to ours, was that their religion would become the official religion of our lands. It took much negotiation, and they were only satisfied when they were informed that they would be able to do their missionary work as they pleased without interference as well as sell their literature to our populations.

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We merely delayed the inevitable.

Their temples have spread across our lands, their books and writings and music have begun to permeate the streets, and their priests and priestesses perform more rites and ceremonies with every passing day. There were some people in the Council who were intent on countering them, of extolling our own virtues and culture amongst our people, but they were too slow and too late with their proposals. Their long lives have clouded their vision, and they lack understanding of how fast the present moves.

But they are powerful, wealthy, and influential over the people that I rule, thus I have need of their strength.

“Send a message to Khalai informing him of our findings. It may lead him to finding the source of discontent in his lands. If we find anything more, then we can provide more. However, we will not intervene militarily or provide further support.” Catherine bowed her head at my words and followed me. The camp was being disassembled and everything was being placed on wagons. People were returned to their homes and the former lands of the Academy under our control were now set to be productive once again. This may be the last time I visit these lands peacefully. “I worry more of the Forgers. I suspect that they will make use of the opportunity when the Wardens fall apart. They can be held in check by us and the Wardens, but without them, they will prey upon the Merchants.”

“It may turn into a race for the Merchant Citadel. A bloody one that might have the Merchants fight against everyone to try and retain the cornerstone of their nation. If it is lost, they will have nothing.” Catherine floated beside me. She adopted a ballgown with a parasol as we walked together. She turned heads. A gray lady in the middle of the day dressed for an evening ball, but in a forest clearing. I appreciated it. She was shielding me from attention. “Or, they’ll make a move of the Wardens.”

“No, they know that attacking the Wardens would unify the peoples of that land. They’ll let them fall, especially since they counter them strongly.” The speed and numbers of the Wardens would allow them to overwhelm the Forgers with time. Many would perish, crushed by the sheer strength of the Forgers, but the Wardens would win the war. Their weapons can pierce Forger armor, and they held the advantage in numbers. Not only that, but they may be able to sway the ‘lower castes’ of the Forgers to leave their ‘betters.’ The Forgers could find victory, but only if they concede more of their population than they cared to lose. Thus, they would allow the Wardens to destroy themselves, and they would attack the Merchants. The lands of the Guardians are, after all, too much for them to surmount as well. “We must keep our gaze towards the Merchants, if the Wardens begin to crumble. I shall contact Executive Harper.”

Catherine was about to speak, ready to continue to inform me, when the beating of massive wings reached my ears.

I turned upward towards the sight of the messenger and felt my stomach drop at the sight of black wings.

We had very few capable couriers, so we adopted Jack’s design to have a dedicated courier of riders.

Since the black, winged horses were the swiftest, we adopted them for the task as he did.

Usually, I always had two such messengers with me, ready to relay my orders to my Citadel.

Another pair was at the Citadel, waiting only to send messages solely to me.

They were only to be used for events of the greatest importance.

Events that would shake the entire continent.

I waited with bated breath until the messenger arrived, weary and tired from so harshly pushing themselves to reach me swiftly, and I bid that they be taken care of.

The simple envelope that messenger carried felt like a dangerous artifact in my hands. One that I dared not activate.

Still, I knew that I had to.

And, so, I broke the seal and read the contents and felt a great and terrible weight fall upon my shoulders.

I almost tore the paper apart instead of handing it to Catherine for her to read.

“He found one of the lost Pantheon.” My words were a half-whisper and a half-growl. The urge to strike at something, anything, almost surmounted me. However, I was surrounded by my soldiers and my people. People who looked to me for leadership and strength. Such weakness could not be tolerated. “The Goddess of Life of the Children of the Elm.”

“…The expeditions they were sending out weren’t merely for scouting. They were searching for Ancient facilities near the continent. Facilities too dangerous to place here, but too vital to keep away from the defenses.” Catherine spoke softly, and I took a deep breath. I stalked to my wagon, furious, but doing my best to control myself. Frustration welled up inside me. All my efforts, all my works, and all my accomplishments… were they all destined to falter and fail in comparison to him? “Celia—

“I know. We need to send out our own. Now. We’ll press the nobility to do it. They can’t refuse this call. It was our duty to protect their rise to prominence and we failed.” It was long ago, longer than even the oldest of my people, but we remembered. We were the protectors of the realm. The Conquerors were the military arm of the Ancients, their strongest sword against their foes, but we were the protectors of it all. When the Ancients were on the cusp of victory, when they were set to begin controlling reality itself, we failed them. The Pantheon was targeted, many were destroyed and others were lost to time, and we believed that we failed in our most sacred of duties. Until now. “They will answer, they will expend themselves, and after they do… we will take power.”

“Celia?” Catherine’s voice was filled with apprehension for a moment, before she steeled herself. “Do you truly mean that?”

“I do. The Council has held us back for too long. We can’t afford this any longer.” Catherine listened intently. I wondered if she would strike me down, if my teacher had any alliance besides to me. However, I was ready as well. I had my hand on my blade and another on my revolver. My spirits were restless, responding the maddening frustration in my heart. Enough. I have had enough. “We must act more quickly, we must be less constrained, and we cannot continue to simply react.”

I have already begun moving towards this path, as I have been training my own Champions, but I’ve been too slow.

Jack held absolute dominion over his lands, as well as knowledge that I could not surmount. However, if he only had the latter, he would fare poorly. If he had a council constraining his moves, if there were people to refuse his decrees, then he would not achieve as much as he has. Meanwhile, I could not compare to him as a leader, yet I was constrained by a council while he was not.

I had to remove them from the equation, or at least curtail their influence, if I wanted a singular chance at victory.

“We’ll have them compete and surge outward towards the unknown lands. Many will falter and they will fall. We’ll move in to take over what they leave behind, and create replacements. Find the most amenable and understanding amongst them, and we will retain them for our future conflicts.” I feared Catherine would call me a usurper or a betrayer, but she simply nodded at my words, while I boarded my stagecoach. Mallory and Christine were approaching swiftly and they noticed my foul mood from a distance. Their gazes were tight as Catherine gave them the letter detailing the latest leap the King of Wisdom has managed. “Search for mercenaries, as well, and find all the Necromancers and Liches under our employ. I will have Undead working in factories, tilling fields, and other onerous tasks by the end of the season.”

We cannot continue like this.

We cling too strongly to traditions and laws passed down through the ages, and now we are behind.

So ludicrously behind that it was almost laughable.

I didn’t even know if we could catch up, even if I became a tyrant and forced change after change upon my people.

However, I did know one thing.

I will struggle until the very end to match the King of Wisdom.