XXX. FAITHLESS

  “I was not rude.” Alice spat as she set the teacup down hard on the glass table top. “That woman doesn’t deserve courtesy.”

  Clarissa smiled wanly as her attendant quickly and silently mopped up the spilled beverage. Alice tightened her scarf about her neck against a sudden gale, and set up another heating glyph in response. While the view of the Gojira mountains was stellar, she would have preferred it if they had tea indoors. The cantilever balcony towered over the city, with a two hundred and seventy-degree view of the city and its surrounding hamlets. The floor was made of steel and several sheets of tempered glass, bringing a severe sense of vertigo to the unprepared.

  “I understand your feelings, but she is his sister. Even so,” Clarissa said vigilantly, “I don’t believe his relationship with you will change in the slightest. Aichlan genuinely cares about you.”

  Alice sneered. “That’s not my concern.”

  Clarissa laughed. “Isn’t it?”

  Alice pouted and stared Clarissa down for several moments. “What do you know anyhow?”

  “In this arena?” Clarissa snapped her fingers and her attendant silently refilled both of their cups. “A great deal more than you my dear.”

  Alice was about to rebut, when a great blue pillar of light in the distance caught her eye. Confused by her guests' sudden slack jawed appearance, Clarissa turned around and gasped in alarm. The column of light had struck some point several hundred miles away from the city, yet from their perspective, it was a scar rising up to the heavens, filling the horizon. The tremors quickly followed, as the tower began to rock and sway. The fine porcelain amassed on the table rattled and the teapot tipped over, smacking the ground with a terrific crash.

  A great roiling cloud of vaporized snow and dirt soon formed across the horizon, marching towards them like charging stallions. Alice shot up from her seat, knocking it over in her haste as she backed away in terror. Clarissa’s silent attendant quickly bustled her away back into the tower, as several more nuns came out to assist.

  A cleric grabbed Alice by the arm and directed her back to the tower. “Perhaps we should retreat back inside.”

  Alice nodded, wide eyed, barely able to tear her eyes away from the column of light.

* * *

  Advisors, both military and civilian, ran about like chickens with their heads cut off. The king was missing, his expedition to the Gojira mountains was already overdue, now compounded from the massive pillar of light from the northeast. The council table was laden with untouched food and towering stacks of parchment. The few that remained seated around the long table were either in tense, frantic conversation with peers or staring blankly at nothing. Aislyn fondled the cameo around her neck, the gift her husband had given to her when they traveled incognito. Her advisor, an older man with a reputation of being unapologetically corrupt, prattled on about something or another, no doubt vital information, but she simply could not focus on his words.

  “The Alliance army is currently mobilizing as we speak.” The advisor mopped his brow with a rag.

  The man looked like he hadn’t slept since the beam struck yesterday. His clothing was disheveled and his wisps of thin white hair looked to have lost a battle with a cyclone. Like her city and much of the palace, he was covered in dust from the ensuing explosion the column of light had produced.

  “The alliance? I thought they were still east of the Tear.”

  “Well, they are your Grace, I was referring to the soldiers under the patronage of Countess Templeton.”

  Aislyn snapped her fingers several times over her shoulder to get the attention of a servant. “Why am I just being informed of this now?”

  The advisor sunk into his seat as his eyes darted about, avoiding her piercing gaze. “She didn't exactly tell anyone.”

  As the servant approached, Aislyn pointed to a goblet to be filled. “And where is the Cardinal? Was she not supposed to keep us apprised of and prevent these sorts of knee jerk responses?”

  “She’s…joined them, your Grace.”

  Aislyn took a sip of wine. “Then bring them to me. Now.”

  “We’ve already-“

  The doors opened and all eyes turned to Ashe with her child, and the Colby-Nau councilwoman, Hratchouhi, as they calmly weaved their way past harried servants and tense noble men. Aislyn’s advisor breathed a sigh of relief as he rose from his chair to usher the women out.

  “Excuse me ladies, but this is a closed council.” He placed one hand on Ashe’s waist and pointed to the door with the other. “Now if you’ll please-“

  Ashe smacked his hand away with disgust and definitely approached the queen. “Ay know what this is, an’ I aim tae be a part o’ it.”

  Aislyn smiled politely and stood to greet Ashe. “I can understand your concern, but this council is trying to determine how we proceed. It is really no place for a mother and child.”

  Ashe smiled back broadly and produced a letter from her belt. “While its sweet her majesty has so much concern fer little ol’ me, I’m here as lady Alice’s representative.”

  “I see,” Aislyn flipped the letter over to see Alice's seal, and tossed the unopened letter into the pile of other documents, “and where is lady Templeton?”

  Indignant and red faced at being ignored, the advisor stomped forward. “I must protest your Grace! This council is no place for civilians!”

  Aislyn held up her hand and cut her eyes in annoyance. “That’s quite enough.”

  The advisor flinched and quickly bowed. “Apologies, your grace. I meant no—”

  “I said that’s enough.” Aislyn barked before turning her attention back to Ashe and her friend. “You are welcome to join us, perhaps you can give us some insight into the lady’s current course of action…”

  Hratchouhi smiled and offered her hand. “I’m just here to observe, I head back to Vergas when the roads clear a bit more.”

  Aislyn briefly took her hand and nodded disinterestedly. “Of course.”

  Aislyn placed her hand on the backs of two chairs. Their occupants looked back at her, quickly gathered their things and scampered away from the table. Ashe and Hratchouhi nodded and offered their thanks as they took the newly vacated seats. Aislyn took her own seat and motioned to a servant to serve the newcomers.

  “We were just discussing Lady Templeton’s mobilization of the army.” Aislyn crossed her legs and leaned against the armrest as she idly swirled her wine. “I hope this isn’t merely reactionary on her part.”

  “No, there’s a reason fer it.” Ashe politely declined the offer of wine from a servant. “Just tea for me please.”

  “May I remind the lady that she addresses the Queen and gracious host.” A noble said indignantly. “We’ve no time for vagueness and riddles.”

  “T’wasn’t bein vague if’n ye’d let me finish.” Ashe retorted as she piled sliced fruit onto a plate. “Given that beam o’ light wreckin’ shop as it did, she wants to move the timetable up a bit. She marches to Sorn to regroup with Fiora and send word to The Aes Sidhean allies.”

  “And she couldn’t see fit to share that with me or my staff?”

  “Both Alice and Aichlan have found the bureaucracy of your court…” Hratchouhi paused to think of a delicate term. “limiting. As such, Alice has made the executive decision to act autonomously. Given how such an act could be seen as defying the will of her majesty, the lady Templeton thought it wisest to take the army out of Duvachellé in a timely and quiet manner.”

  Any hint of amusement quickly drained from Aislyn’s face. “I see. How considerate of her.”

  Hratchouhi packed herself a pipe as a servant filled her glass. “She has left behind Councilwoman Órfhlaith and several teams of craftsmen to oversee repairs, as well as Mister Séverin and of course, ourselves.”

  Aislyn smiled outwardly as she screamed internally. If they left behind Séverin, she must have realized he was feeding her information. It was no wonder she didn’t hear about this move until now, he likely didn’t know himself.

  “Is she certain such a move is wise?” Aislyn stalled, thinking through half a dozen ways she could delay or prevent the departure. “Aren’t we currently unaware of Major Fluorspars location in Sorn? For all we know, the army could be walking into a trap.”

  Ashe tossed an orange rind onto the half empty plate and dabbed her mouth with a napkin. “Actually, we know right where she is.”

* * *

  “Whatever that light was, it struck my homeland.” Rowena slammed her hand on the table, knocking over a mug of stale ale. “If Yggdrasil was damaged in that attack, you can’t possibly fathom the horrors that await.”

  Sargent Gunther righted the mug and mopped up the mess with a dishrag. “Yig da what now?”

  Fiora leaned forward against the cluttered kitchen island and rubbed her tired eyes. “What do you suggest we do? We number only a couple hundred, and the forests of Alfheim are far to the north.”

  “Not that we could even enter the blasted wood.” Another officer snarled. “You fuckers keep it locked up tighter than the Wraith.”

  “Enough.” Fiora said flatly and massaged her still sore shoulder. “I’ve had Senka send word to Lady Templeton regarding our situation.”

  “That witch?” Gunther scoffed. “Did she get off the pipe long enough to send it?”

  Fiora ran her hand through her hair and took a deep breath to steady herself. Her shoulder was still stiff and she never felt quite right after leaving that tub of goo. Each day she became more convinced that she had died and been resurrected, and wondered if Aichlan felt similarly. In addition to feeling out of sorts, Senka was a known poppy sap addict, and spent days at a time locked in a dark room smoking and astral-projecting to gods know where.

  “What’s so important about this tree?” Fiora covered her mouth as she yawned. “This Yggdrasil?”

If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

  Rowena crossed her arms across her chest as she leaned against the sink. “What isn’t important about it?”

  Fiora rubbed her eyes again, hanging her head in tired defeat. “Just the key points please.”

  “It’s the very same tree that drew the poisons from the soil and water after the collapse, it was the progenitor of life on the barren Silex, its roots are said to encircle the globe.”

  Gunther barked a humorless laugh. “Tall tales and pagan elf beliefs.”

  The other officer pointed dismissively at Rowena as he leaned in close to the Major. “Surely we won’t jeopardize our forces on the basis of this testimony?”

  “If the world tree falls, then horror infinitely more terrifying than anything we’ve seen up to now will be unleashed upon the world.” Rowena smacked the officers hand away as she approached Fiora. “Our entire home, all of Alfheim was created for the express purpose of guarding and protecting Yggdrasil so that Silex would not know such tragedy again.”

  “But you must admit,” Fiora motioned for the officer to take a seat, “from an outsider’s perspective, it sounds rather far fetched…”

  Before Rowena could rebut, the council was interrupted by a young man with golden eyes and a woman with violet hair, both had skin the color of coffee with cream. Two soldiers stumbled into the cluttered kitchen after them. The young man shrugged off the soldiers grasp as he strode purposely towards Gunther.

  “I’ve words for the one in command here.” He declared.

  “And who are you to make such demands?” A junior officer marched over to the young man to toss him out. “Get these two out of here!”

  “No, no, it's fine.” Fiora said with a tired smile. “You’re Zuri aren’t you?”

  “Are you in command?” His fierce expression gave way to confusion. “Women don’t lead n Duvachellé…”

  “We are not Duvachellé!” Gunther spat, red faced.

  “I am.” Fiora said calmly. “And we are soldiers of Sorn.”

  Zuri scoffed and crossed his arms. “Good going…”

  “Enough Zuri.” The woman said as she stepped forward. “Forgive my brother, he means well. I am Leila, we took care of the monk and cavalier before you arrived.”

  “In addition to shoring up some of the gates. You have my gratitude.” Fiora tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “However, I am afraid we are quite busy at the moment…”

  “And we will only be but a moment.”

  Fiora pursed her lips together and motioned for Leila to continue.

  “You have in your company two individuals who stole from us and caused the death of a friend and protector, we seek justice.”

  Fiora swore under her breath and stood up. She had thought they had seen the last of this uncouth behavior with the execution of Arkona.

  “What were their names?”

  “François and Emarosa.” Zuri spat. “they took my fucken oxen and caused my sister’s boyfriend to get mauled by dusk borne.”

  “Emarosa?” Fiora exchanged confused looks with her officers. “Emarosa is an Arch Bishop in The Order, I can’t imagine her being involved with theft or murder, accidentally or otherwise…”

  Gunther nodded adamantly. “And as far as I know, we have no soldiers by the name of François.”

  “He’s a sickly lookin’ Morlock, hard to miss.” Zuri glowered at Gunther for several moments. “Left us stranded here.”

  “Ransom.” Fiora growled and punched the counter. “While we cannot return your missing property, or return life to your fallen comrade, justice will be served to the rogue responsible.”

  Gunther cleared his throat. “Major, if I may suggest a more, tempered response…”

  “Where I come from, blood pays for blood.”

  “Now see here young man!” The second officer said sternly. “We aren’t in the practice of executing men on the accusations of another.”

  Zuri jerked his thumb back towards his sister. “Leila was there too.”

  “That’s still not sufficient!”

  A black puddle formed on the ground beside Zuri and his sister. They looked down in confusion at first, leaping back in surprise as a woman rose up from the inky sludge. Her skin was as white as death, her eyes dropping and bloodshot. Heavy black smoke rolled off of her tattered and dirty academy robes, she looked and smelled like someone who hadn’t bathed in weeks. Fiora recoiled and surreptitiously covered her nose as she caught the smell of the women. Her overall appearance was that of a body spent the summer in a bog. Senka summoned a chair with a wave of her hand, nearly knocking over one of the soldiers that flanked Zuri and Leila, and plopped down with a tired groan.

  “What the fuck is this bitch?” Zuri swore, receiving a swift smack from his sister.

  “Senka, so glad you finally decided to join us…” Fiora muttered.

  Senka’s head dipped and her eyes fluttered. Fiora pinched the bridge of her nose and called out the woman’s name again. With a start that nearly toppled her from her seat, she quickly jerked back up, looking to unfamiliar faces with confusion.

  “Ah, major, so good of you to come.” She smiled, revealing teeth black from smoke and whatever toxic concoctions she used to sustain herself. “I have delivered the message as you requested, though, I am afraid I’ve only bad news to return.”

  Senka retrieved a long opium pipe from her robes and clumsily sprinkled in some elven herbs, spilling most on the floor.

  “It’s...a…verdamnten…its…”

  “You can do that later!” Fiora snapped, slamming her palm down upon the counter. “What is it you’ve come to report?”

  “Huh? Oh…” Senka lit the herbs and took a long drag. “Right, there appears to be a sizable force approaching from the southwest, a queer combination of man an beast.”

  Gunther and the officer exchanged worried glances. “That’s Aglaë…”

  “Are you certain?” Rowena asked incredulously. “Or were they the conjuring of an addled mind?”

  Senka shrugged, her head lolling to the side and her eyelids drooping as she took another drag. “I assure you, though my body decays, my mind has never been sharper.”

  She exhaled a large cloud of violet smoke that rapidly took on the shape of a bird flapping its ephemeral wings as it climbed to the ceiling before dissipating. Zuri started to clap slowly, but abruptly ceased upon catching Fiora’s withering glare.

  “Do you know how many?” Fiora asked. “How far away are they?”

  Senka closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “Hmmm…. good question….”

  They watched in silence as she sat motionless, tiny tendrils of smoke rising from her pipe as her breaths became shallow and few between. After several moments, Gunther smacked his hand against the table.

  “Drug addled bitch nodded out on us again.”

  “No…” Senka said through slow and labored breaths. “Just…. looking….”

  Several more tense moments passed, with the military men and Zuri both anxiously tapping their fingers or bouncing their foot in annoyance.

  “I just want my fucken ox and that bastard's head.” Zuri grumbled. “Didn’t come all this way in the cold to watch some spooky broad take a nap.”

  “Zuri, hush.” Leila whispered with a barely concealed grin.

  Senka abruptly opened her eyes, briefly appearing a decade older. “Around two thousand men, and I lost count of the beasts at around six thousand. They appear to be making good time as well…”

  Fiora felt her breath catch in her throat. “Eight thousand?”

  Senka took a hit from her pipe and shook her head. “No, no, I said I lost count. Probably double that. In the next day or two.”

  “Madness!” Gunther thundered. “We can’t repel such a force with our men! We can’t even employ proper fortifications in that time!”

  Senka shrugged. “I’m not the one who decided to build the three cities in this light forsaken country right next to each other.”

  “Gunther,” Fiora snapped. “Get men on those walls now, the southeastern and north-western corners are the most defensible, see if we can build some sort of barricade.”

  Gunther shot up and rendered a stiff salute. “Ma’am.”

  “Y’all are fucked.” Zuri let out a long resigned whistle as he scratched his head. “Just give me that morlock and I’ll be on my way.”

  “I am afraid I can neither spare the men or the supplies,” Fiora sighed and ran her hand through her hair. “We will do our best to protect you until-“

  “We can’t even protect ourselves, Major.” Senka breathed lazily to the emphatic nods of Zuri. “Making a stand is, beyond the pale of stupidity.”

  “That will be quite enough witch!” The officer snapped. “She is in command and you will carry out her orders!”

  Senka took a hit from her pipe and blew a cloud of smoke from the corner of her mouth. She turned her weary gaze to the officer, and the gears visibly churned as she attempted to recall who the man was or his significance.

  “Who even are you?” her words were barely decipherable, but laced with condescension.

  Fiora stamped her foot once and held out her arm to bar the officer from leaping up. “Enough. We’re done running.”

  “So you die on your feet?” Senka scoffed. “How utterly noble.”

  “As opposed to dying starved, half frozen and exhausted in the expanse? You’re damned right!” Fiora’s voice thundered off the rafters, her ferocity and emotion causing those present to inadvertently flinch.

  “Major,” Rowena began softly in the ensuing silence, “I can understand your sentiments, but there is no way we can stand against this force.”

  “Our goal is not to win Captain, but to halt their advance until reinforcements arrive.” Fiora snapped her fingers to get the Officer's attention. “Escort them to their home, and keep a guard on the mage. I want her lucid when the time comes.”

  Senka pulled herself to her feet and stretched grandly. “For what?”

  “I expect you on the wall with the rest of us when the battle begins.” Fiora said sternly.

“Oh.” Senka flicked her wrist in Fiora’s direction “Sure, sure, I’ll be on a wall. Come Zuri,”

  Senka wrapped her arm around Zuri, leaning heavily upon him. “You can be my escort.”

  Zuri recoiled and tried to break free, covering his nose and mouth with his scarf. “Gods woman! You stink!”

  Senka leaned in closer and smiled drunkenly. “Then you’ll just have to run me a bath.”

  Leila pried the mages arm from about her brother’s neck and stood between the two as they left. Senka pouted and not too subtly raised her arm to sniff it.

  “You’ll draw your own baths thank you,” Leila glanced over her shoulder and leaned in to whisper. “then use that magic of yours to get us the hell out of here.”

  Fiora jerked her head after them, and her officer quickly stood up to follow them. She sighed and leaned against the nearby counter, hanging her head in her hands. Upon feeling the piercing gaze of her second in command, Fiora looked up with an exasperated sigh.

  “Say it.”

  Rowena’s green eyes flashed briefly before she tossed back her hair and turned up her nose. “There are other options that don’t involve a futile ‘heroic sacrifice’.”

  “I’m not doing this for the heroics!” Fiora shouted indignantly. “We can’t run, there is nowhere to run to.”

  Every settlement they had come across was abandoned, its inhabitants either dead or fled. Fiora had visited her family's tailor and home when she first recovered, it had been thoroughly looted, though there were no signs of her parents or siblings. She hoped they managed to escape, but after not being able to find them among the refugees of Marquez, she held little hope. Auld Ferrons was the last stop, between the endless grass sea and the empty Larione.

  Rowena snorted and looked down her nose at the Major. “So you will die here?”

  Fiora stood rigid as her fists trembled and her eyes welled with hot angry tears. “If that is what the gods have planned for us. We are here as soldiers, and soldiers follow orders.”

  “Don’t dare presume to lecture me on duty!” Rowena stabbed her finger in Fiora’s direction. “My duty as guardian of the forest is to safeguard the forest, to prevent long sealed evils from making a resurgence. I am following my mandates Fiora, and that does not entail dying vainly in some doomed engagement to satisfy your pride!”

  Fiora recoiled at the unexpected vehemence, but as her cheeks flushed with embarrassment and anger, she snapped back with equal vigor.

  “Pride? This isn’t about pride; this is about justice. Damnit Rowena, this is bigger than all of us!”

  “Something I understand more than anyone here.”

  Fiora sighed and her expression softened ever so slightly. “I am not doing this because I have a death wish. I’m doing it because we have no choice.”

  Rowena met her commander's gaze with stoic determination. “And neither do I.”

  “What the hell is that supposed to even mean?” Fiora pleaded. “Rowena, I don’t want you to be my enemy!”

  Rowena closed her eyes and took a deep breath, and reopened them with a wan smile. “That’s not what I am saying.”

  “Then what are you saying?” Fiora blurted, pausing to wipe away tears. “I know our odds, but I also know our men. We very well may die here, but we also may hold out until our friends arrive!”

  Rowena scoffed. “That’s a lot of if’s Fiora-“

  “And so what if it is? This world hasn’t made sense in over a year, and even before then it was an unjust and confusing mess. Maybe this time fortune will look kindly upon us for a change.”

  Fiora wiped her eyes and turned her back on Rowena, leaning over the counter as sobs wracked her body. Rowena watched her for a moment, a look of contempt and pity on her face, for the undue optimism and defeatist attitude the major had taken on. After several silent seconds, Rowena turned on her heels and left.