Even with enhanced hearing, it takes me a few seconds to sift through the cacophony of sounds coming from the workshop and the street to find the clerk's voice. She's standing behind a large man leaning over a worktable who is holding a piece of... Is that chalk? He is using it to draw lines on a piece of leather.
“... re definitely suspicious.” The clerk says.
“Do your job and don't get involved.” A man replies in a rough voice.
“They both look like veterans, there is a kind of tension to them even when they joke around. I could ask news from the war, aren't you worried about your son? I want to know if sister's village will be near the front-lines.” She tells him.
“Look, they're hiding their identities. That means that they don't want to be found out. We have no business hindering their mission.” The man admonishes the clerk in a tone that brooks no argument.
He picks up a ruler and a sharp knife to start cutting a smooth piece of leather. The clerk insists, apparently seeking permission to talk to us from the man. He shoos her away after a short while to focus on his work, telling her to go to hers.
The redheaded cutie pouts and starts heading back to the front of the store. I join Vikiana near the counter. I can make use of the clerk's view of us to probe for information without seeming suspicious.
“We just came back from the south and haven't really had time to stop, any recent news we might have missed?” I ask her.
“I heard a few worrying rumors.” She replies hesitantly. “But none really believable.”
“Oh?” I say, interested.
“Do you know where King Cenwalh set camp?” She questions suddenly.
“We don't.” I shake my head. “We took a ship here.”
“A ship? From Hetlan?” The clerk asks with a confused expression.
“No, upstream from the south.” I correct.
“From Port-Odo? Oh, I'm so sorry, you must've heard...” She says compassionately.
“We have.” I nod sadly. “We left just as our Emperor's Due arrived, the city fell to the Rykz in spite of it. This time, Nobility bit far more than it could chew.”
“Truly.” The clerk agrees sadly. “I heard that most of the Due was sent here in Meiridin, King Cenwalh called on his vassals as soon as he heard.”
“Did Duchess Hetlan join them?” I ask.
“The Duchess did, but not for free.” She tells me with a scornful look. “That gree...” She pauses. “Noble Lady got Caeviel army's contracts from the Royal Forge in exchange, which means we'll all get less work.”
“I'm sorry to hear that.” I say. That probably means that whatever Edusa planned, it failed before it even begun. “What else can you tell us?”
“It's said that Emperor Rasaec is sick, but it's only because some old Templars say that the Order's Grand-Master in Kruzser has been handling requests.” She says.
“It isn't unusual for the Grand-Master to handle communications from Mirus or Caeviel since we don't share borders with the Rykz or Lisilese.” Vikiana says, ignoring or forgetting my instructions. “It might not be the case anymore but I doubt that going back to that indicates sickness.”
“Can He even get sick?” I ask, frowning.
“I doubt it. I think our glorious Emperor is simply focused on the build-up of Rykz forces on the border.” The clerk tells me.
“Build up?” I press, concerned.
“You haven't been told?” She questions, surprised. “We recently heard of it but it has been confirmed that the insects are gathering their army near Steso and Haitia's borders, that's been going on for over a month.”
“We haven't been in the loop for a while now.” Vikiana tells her.
“Well, there's another piece of news.” The clerk speaks up. “My cousin works for a Baron, who is a runic construct expert and supplies the phalanxes with their armor-piercing runic sarissas.” There is pride in her voice when she says that. “He told me that they've stopped stockpiling and have been sending their production east, which could mean that the phalanxes won't be coming here but I don't believe that.”
The Rykz played the Emperor. Queen Grikyz opened a western front, deep within the Empire, and the other Queens are now applying pressure on the traditional eastern one to prevent any reinforcements from being sent to Caeviel.
Even the fact that Vikiana found out about the Silver Hive too soon and warned Kingdom that the Rykz are here before they were ready wasn't nearly enough to disrupt their plans. I throw a glance at the Exemplar, she looks torn. I cut the conversation short, having much to think about and unable to talk to the Exemplar with the clerk present.
“How long until it's ready?” I ask.
“A few hours, I can offer refreshments if you wish.” The clerk replies.
“That won't be necessary, we'll come back in two hours.” I tell her.
Vikiana and I step out as another client walks in, an old rich looking man. I search for a tavern with her, deciding to take a bit of a risk to obtain more information. We find one in an alley and the Exemplar stops me short of entering.
“You were right in the end, Jay.” She admits in a whisper. “And Master Amand's concerns were on point, he warned me that this could happen. They won't be reinforcing us if they're not stockpiling sarissas. It confirms that we're redeploying phalanxes west to east, not the other way around. The best we can hope for is that we won't be forced to stretch our forces too much along the southern Lisilese border.”
“The best we can hope for is that I succeed and that Caeviel signs the treaty banning experimentation, and later the Empire.” I correct. “But why are you suddenly this worried? I thought the Emperor prepared for this, it's bad news for us but...”
“Call it a hunch.” The Exemplar replies. “The Rykz usually attack one Kingdom, not two at once. They go for the weakest one which is usually Haitia during a Horde raid or after it's been repealed. When Steso sends too many of their forces south to Haitia to help, they attack them. That's if they don't try to invade Fringia, north of Steso. Sometimes as a feint to weaken our center in Steso, other times as a double feint when we don't react. Historically, the Rykz have concentrated on singular portions of land to gobble up.”
“But this war is different, it isn't about territory.” I say.
“It isn't and we already know that a Queen took over the Silver Hive. What do you think that means?” She asks.
“That they're retaliating with more forces than they've engaged us with before, which means more Princesses.” I answer, wondering what point she's trying to make. I'm usually the one trying to convince her how serious the threat is, this is new and concerning.
“The Rykz typically have as much flow as we do when they engage in mid to large battles, which is rare. The reason is that we depend on leylines or Nobles. Overall, we have more energy available but it is spread out until we're certain they're committed. What I'm trying to say is that a single Hive can usually achieve parity of flow with a Kingdom's regular army or the phalanxes deployed there, they have historically made their moves to avoid engaging the two at once. If what you've told me about the number of Queens they have is even remotely true and more than a few Hives attack us...” Her voice dies down.
“Wait.” I say, baffled. “I saw Celyz' reserves, I estimated about five hundred times a human's access.”
“Try multiplying that by ten.” Vikiana replies. I inspect her traits but I see no deception or doubt there. “And that doesn't even come close to the access their Queens have. However much flow you see the Rykz use, assume that they concentrate it a lot more than we do. Flow distribution is different for the Rykz, Jessica.”
I think back to when Celyz showed me how much flow she has, she may have tricked me and shown only a portion of it, but I doubt it. At the time, I didn't inspect it with my other sense, I didn't need to focus on it because it shone through like an intense sun. I can believe that there was more than I realized.
“How did you ever plan to win against a Princess with thirteen Templars?” I ask, baffled.
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“It's quite simple really. The more flow you use, the larger the construct, the more is wasted and leaks out. That puts a sharp limit on how much energy they can use at once and we did have the Due to match a Princess long enough to win. It isn't exactly easy to overwhelm a Princess but they are singular beings after all, their capacity to process events is limited. It requires extensive knowledge in a field to create a construct, Elizabeth, and the formulas involved are complicated beyond belief. It requires precision to remain in control and imperfections in the segment structures can collapse a construct at higher levels of energy.” Vikiana explains.
“How much access do their Queens have and why is there a difference?” I ask.
“Queens are estimated around fifty thousand portions, ten times that of Princesses. We assume that they depend entirely on their Queens for new Princesses and drones, that they're the only ones among their species that can reproduce. It would be the reason they have more access.” Vikiana answers.
“I need to do math.” I note, disgruntled.
“I'm not going to be much help there.” The Exemplar comments.
“I don't need any, I get the logic of it, I just don't like it.” I sigh. “How many people are there in the Empire?”
“Around a million per Kingdom, so six? And the capital, Kruzser. So seven or eight maybe.” She replies hesitantly.
I pause for a moment and run the numbers. If I believe what the Rykz have told me about the number of Queens and Princesses, and if their theory that every sentient species has the same overall access to flow, that means...
Five thousand times a thousand Princesses, added to that are a hundred Queens with fifty thousand portions. That makes too many zeroes. I grunt and drag Vikiana inside the tavern. We take a seat at a table and order two beers.
I open my left hand under the table and use my fingers to count. A thousand times five thousand makes... hm, five million. Fifty thousand times a hundred... makes the same. That's an odd coincidence. So, the Rykz have access to ten million human portions in total. Which means, three million humans that don't live in the Empire.
“Hey, the Lisilese, do they individually have the same access we do?” I ask the Exemplar.
“No, they have a little less, we estimate two-thirds of ours.” She answers. “Some claim that it's because they're less intelligent, but that would mean that a Rykz Princess would be five thousand times smarter than any human so that theory doesn't hold water.”
If the Rykz' theory on flow distribution, if all are equal in flow access... Then the Lisilese have a population of thirteen million beings. Almost twice the Empire in numbers. I suppose that explains why they can pressure us and hold onto the humongous southern plains.
“Vikiana. How many Hives would the Rykz need to overwhelm the reinforced border?” I ask.
“It's difficult to say, it depends a lot on where and how they attack.” Vikiana shakes her head. “Suffice it to say that the fact that we're redeploying phalanxes, thinning our defenses against the Lisilese, means that the Rykz currently pose a larger threat than the Lisilese.”
“Are you talking about the war?” A waiter asks as he approaches to give us our beers.
“We are.” I reply.
“Terrible thing that is. I heard the institute is behind it, I don't understand why King Cenwalh tolerates that dreadful place.” He says sadly.
“Apparently they took one of their Princesses on the King's orders, I don't know if I believe it.” I reply carefully.
“Well, whether it's true or not, these insects are foolish to think they can beat us. Our army might not match theirs in numbers but we have the Lake's blessing on our side.” The waiter tells us.
“Hm.” I mutter noncommittally.
The waiter leaves with a polite nod, no doubt as confused by the fact that my response lacks fervor as the Exemplar seems to be.
“Is your faith in the Lake wavering?” Vikiana asks.
“Actually no, what I'm going to say might seem contradictory but I don't think that the Lake is exclusively on our side anymore, yet that change of opinion strengthens my faith in the Lake.” A Lake of Fire that could turn out to be the sun which equally shines on all species. “I think the Lake shares its blessing with all sentients without bias.”
“What about the Emperor?” Vikiana questions. “He has lived on for hundreds of years, that is conclusive proof.” She argues.
“Perhaps the Rykz' First Queen is also one such being.” I say. “The Lake doesn't judge us, I think it does not pull its blessing from those who abuse it to preserve... our autonomy.”
“Free will?” Vikiana asks.
“Yes, that.” I nod. “Which brings us to the Lisilese, do they have a leader?”
“No, they have an assembly of Patriarchs and Matriarchs called the Grand Tribune.” The Exemplar explains. “The greatest Hersir, Horde leader, among the entire species leads but does not rule it. The Lisilese who stands above them all in prowess is called the Atcheson while the one they defeated to take the position is called the Eschaton. It is said among their legends that the day an unworthy Hersir becomes Atcheson will be the last. At dawn the next morning, the Eschaton will rise with from the dead with the Hunter's Blaze in his hands and extinguish all life on the plains in righteous fury at the desecration of their most sacred tradition. The end of days, Ragnarok they call it.” She pauses. “Oh and don't mention that you've helped kill a Tianeel in within hearing range of a Lisilese, they consider these animals as sacred. Hunting and killing a Tianeel in single combat, without flow, is one of the most revered tasks a Hersir can accomplish.”
“Good to know, I guess.” I say. “How do they challenge the creatures?”
“I don't think there are any rules on that, as long as it's a one on one hunt, anything goes.” Vikiana replies.
“So, that Atcheson could be said to be Chosen as well.” I note.
“None has lived as long as our Emperor Rasaec.” She denies.
“They may simply have all died before then, falling to the younger and stronger warriors that challenged them.” I argue. “Rykz Queens live very long and that is natural to them but who knows how old the First Queen is and whether she is past her natural lifespan?” I ask rhetorically before continuing on to avoid getting bogged down on that point. “Either way, who are those Matriarchs and Patriarchs?”
“Those who govern the great clans, Hordes are formed and disbanded but the great clans always remain because they each rule over one of the two dozen Lisilese Forge Cities.” She tells me. “They're the equivalent of our High-Nobility, their access is a magnitude above that of a Duchess or a Duke but not quite at the level of a King or a Queen, human of course. Hersirs, on the other hand, can gather even more flow than our rulers depending on the size of the Horde they lead. Some of those Hordes, like the Fire Bloods, or the Smothering Embrace, are perhaps older than the Empire.”
“Interesting.” I nod. “Tell me, what do you think about this rumors about our Emperor Rasaec being sick? Is it even possible?”
“I don't know, Aisha doesn't either... or refuses to say any more than that He paid a price. He might not be sick but recovering.” Vikiana replies.
“I find it more than a little worrying that our Emperor would have to pay a price to send the Due through the leylines, isn't that what they were created for? Transporting flow from one corner of the Empire to another.” I say.
“Not exactly.” Vikiana shakes her head. “Some leylines were specifically dug to bring the energy from Kruzser to the Temples near the front-lines but not upstream to Caeviel or Mirus. It took the Empire hundreds of years and an unreasonable amount of energy to do this but the Due is worth it as it a seventh's of the Empire's entire flow regeneration can be used to protect the whole of it, it made us less dependent on Nobility.”
“So there is a backlash to using that much flow? Similarly to how feeble you feel after draining your reserves all at once?” I ask.
“I don't know, possibly.” Vikiana answers.
“You don't know much do you.” I comment.
“I would tell you no but it would be an educated guess from experience, not a certainty.” Vikiana tells me.
“Fine. Now explain to me why we're only on parity with the Rykz and are on the defensive against the Lisilese when we should have more flow available there than both of those species do. After all, when we're fighting on our land, we should have a lot more energy available because of the leylines and the fact that only the border Rykz Hives made war with us.” I press her.
“Well...” Vikiana frowns. “Not all of it is used militarily by the phalanxes, there is the Order, the University, then there are the field hospitals. But that's a minimal consumption...” She pauses and suddenly opens her mouth to answer but shuts it just as quickly.
“What is it?” I ask.
“Well, I was going to say that you're not wrong but I think that we're missing something so I didn't.” Vikiana replies with a thin smile.
“Telling me I'm right twice in one day is too much for you.” I tease.
“I'm not a logistics officer so I wouldn't count on my estimation.” She continues, ignoring my comment. “I might simply not realize how much each branch of the Empire consumes, the Shades don't depend on the Due to operate like the Order does but they may still use some of it for their covert work. There is also a large reserve of flow held somewhere near Kruzser for emergencies, which is likely what was sent to Caeviel.” She tells me.
“Hm. I honestly thought I was off the mark.” I admit.
“Let's see, the Lisilese do use rivers to move flow from one point to another at times and their Hordes are huge. We aren't on the defensive because we're too weak but because it is the best strategy available to us. We typically create fortifications south of the river during winter that they have to assault and then retreat to hold the bridges and the shallows. On the other hand, the Rykz... no, that actually destroys my point.” Vikiana's frown deepens.
“What does?” I question.
“I was going to say that it is normal for us to have been parity with the Rykz in flow because they're an entire species but that's not correct, I'm still assuming that those Hives we knew constituted most of those that existed when there are a lot more. The truth is, they're much stronger than we thought. The general consensus was that they're a plague but weaker than us and that's why they don't dare to face us in battle. Yet, that's also a falsehood because they've been they've been eating up the Empire's territory piece by piece with inhuman patience.” Vikiana explains. “That brings us back to the point I was trying to make and its destruction. We can't have been sending the Due to the eastern border because we were on parity with a fraction of their Hives. Regardless of what the Due is being used on internally, it can't think of anything more important than securing our borders.”
“Me neither.” I agree.
“But it is not our place to question the Emperor.” The Exemplar tells me, locking eyes.
“It is not our place indeed.” I nod. But that doesn't mean it isn't my place to seek the truth. The Lake's Chosen Emperor, huh. The Empire still stands strong, I'm not going to risk my life and risk destabilizing it for an answer I don't want.