The paperwork was sure to catch up in the following days. On Alisson’s new appointment and subsequent promotion to General of the 7th. Alisson had never heard of a so-called 7th army up until this point – Sidonia had always used five armies, and a sixth army had been cobbled together and subsequently destroyed on the outbreak of the war. This 7th army was probably brand new, and made up from stragglers of the 6th.
Alisson tried not to think about military affairs, at least until it all became official. He needed to settle his mind instead of worrying about the big picture, at least for a little while longer.
Despite what he said last night, Alisson still paid a visit to Celis’s and Ashlynde’s rooms in the morning, seeking some sort of clue as to what went wrong. The doors were left open, and the rooms had been turned upside down – They had clearly been searched by Inquisitors. He found Celis laying on her bed with all her clothes on, wide awake.
“You should really get in proper attire for the night…” Alisson muttered, knowing that his words would phase through her.
He neared her bed and caught a scent of her, and frowned. “And you should really bathe. You stink.”
Whatever automaton that had taken over Celis’s mind seemed to be very rudimentary at working on its own.
“Yes, Alisson.”
“You don’t have to acknowledge my every command either. You don’t happen to know what happened for you to get strung up like that by Sidonia, do you?”
Celis sat up, and locked her eyes on him. “I did not do anything. Incriminating documents were found on my apprentice that detailed messages exchanged between heretics and a human mafia. I was punished by my proximity to a heretic.”
A human mafia? Just what had Celis’s plan been? He had given her full creative control over the operation to seize Enhérejär. Involving a criminal organization outside the borders of the country was certainly outside of the box. He could probably pay a visit to the Inquisitor’s field station in the capital and ask if they still have the documents that were seized. He may be in Sidonia’s bad graces now, but he doubted that the average bureaucrat would really say no to him.
He noticed that Basil, Celis’s pet lamia, was writhing around on top of Celis, and obviously knew something was wrong with her. Alisson scooped up the lamia. With Celis out of it, no one would be around to take care of it. Alisson didn’t want to have to raise a lamia on his free time, so it was probably best he turned it in to the Orphanage for safekeeping. He knew the orphan-keeper there personally, she would be happy to watch over Basil in their stead.
Deciding to set out for some fresh air, and with a couple errands to now run, Alisson left Celis in her room for the time being, guarded by Dascha. He finally changed out of his armor and cloak, and into some more normal clothes.
“You know, you don’t really have to wear anything…”
Firo whispered giddily to him. He sighed. “I know, you can probably make it look like I’m wearing anything. That still doesn’t mean I wouldn’t be nude.”
“You’d still be wearing me…What makes clothes and a slime that much different? We cover you all the same…”
Deciding not to engage in pointless conversation with Firo, he exited the Nuam keep and took a walk to the Orphanage. It looked like a normal house from the outside, but Alisson could already hear kids roughhousing on the inside. The keeper here was actually a well-vetted warrior, and could protect those entrusted to her on her own, the position was highly respected. He entered to find the keeper tangled with a pair of kits, trying to calm them down. Upon seeing Alisson, the young ones scattered and watched him anxiously from afar.
Alisson explained briefly of Basil’s past and that he’d found her on Sabasa for simplicities sake. The keeper was certainly confused to be entrusted with an endangered species, and a tiny little snake at that, but readily accepted Alisson’s words. Basil wrapped itself around the keepers arm tightly. As much as seeing guileless children put his mind at ease, Alisson decided not to linger. Some of the kids knew Alisson from his previous visits, and waved him goodbye, asking him to stop again to give them more lessons on swordsmanship.
Alisson’s smile faded as he left the orphanage, setting his mind on more grim topics.
An unsuspecting building near the Rolaign hosted some of the worst torturers and police that Sidonia had to offer. As Alisson entered, he eyed some of the surrounding Inquisitors that were on station, waiting to act on any calls of violence or heresy. It could’ve very well been that one of these men had been involved in seizing Celis and Ashlynde. He decided not to hold a grudge against them, and continued on to a desk behind bars.
He informed them he wanted access to any documents and information regarding Ashlynde Chasettes. They held primary evidence for at most a few months before incinerating it, so Alisson feared they may have already disposed of any evidence involved with Ashlynde and Celis, but thankfully, they hadn’t. He was led to a vault and an inquisitor handed him a folder. Under supervision, he inspected the primary documents which were supposedly found on Ashlynde.
On a day like any other, she was subjected to a random search by Inquisitors. No doubt this ‘random’ search was ordered by Sidonia. The same with Celis, but they didn’t find anything on her. Ashlynde had been on her way to deliver these documents somewhere, but was stopped before she had the chance to.
The documents were a part of a correspondence with the Gofyfielze, a mafia situated in the city of Curlessi, in the Jedathari Caliphate. Celis knew the Gofyfielze from the time that she and Alisson had traveled through there on their trip up north; so she was probably the one to reach out to them. It looks like she was inquiring to get a certain sword made to a specific aesthetic.
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
It was simple to understand what her plan was – She wanted to make a copy of Enhérejär out in human lands. A good enough decoy that could be switched out with the real one. Since no one but Alisson and his sister ever used, or could use, Enhérejär, it’s not like people would find out that it was a fake once it was replaced.
What exactly Ashlynde was doing out and about, alone, Alisson couldn’t determine. It seemed to be purposeful on Celis’s part to make Ashlynde do all of the hands-on dirty work, and that’s probably one of the reasons why she wasn’t the one to be killed. Alisson, satisfied with knowing at least a little more of what happened, said his thanks and left the Inquisitor station.
The sun was setting by the time he returned back, and he found Lente lingering by the gates of the Nuam keep.
“Ah, glad to have caught you.”
Alisson stopped and bobbed his head in greeting.
“Alisson. I know you’re probably tired from your mission and with Celis’s apprentice being, well you know.” He paused for a moment, and continued, “Be sure to tell Celis that it wasn’t her fault. These days, anyone can turn out to be a traitor. I heard that girl and my younger brother were good friends, so I hope he’s taking it well…”
Lente was rambling. Irritated, Alisson closed his eyes. “He’s shut himself in his room. He’ll probably need time to himself.”
Lente bobbed his head in understanding. He withdrew a folder from his coat. “It looks like Sidonia’s finally tapping you for something big, Alisson. Or rather…” He smirked, “General.”
Sighing, Alisson accepted the folder. “I’ve been expecting this. Good day.”
Lente nodded and said his goodbyes as Alisson entered the keep. Alisson threw the folder across his desk, its contents lazily spilling across its surface. He would read it later. For now…
There was someone using his bath. Alisson hadn’t told the servants to draw him a bath on his return, so curious, he peeked in. He saw quite a profound site. Sitting in the bath, with water pouring over her head, was Celis, her legs splayed and staring blankly at the wall.
“…What are you doing?” Alisson stepped closer and realized the water was ice cold.
“I’m bathing.”
Alisson frowned. “Get up, you’re going to catch a cold like that…”
He grabbed her under her armpits and pulled her out of the freezing cold water. Her hair was soaking wet. He wrapped a towel around her shivering body and pulled her close. She didn’t hug him or react back. Alisson remembered why he hadn’t told her to share his bed. It was too painful to see her like this, acting like a doll; unreciprocating of his love.
He called for his servants and told them to draw a proper bath. It looks like he’d have to be the one washing her. He sat on his bed, waiting, clutching Celis on his lap, trying to warm her up with the towel as best he could.
“The bath is ready, master.”
“Please tell any visitors that I’m not to be disturbed.”
“Yes, master.”
He entered the bath with Celis, and stripping her of her towel, dropped her in to the warm waters. Following close behind, he scrubbed her back and body with soap. He was expecting her to react in someway, but she didn’t just blankly looking ahead.
He almost forgot that Firo existed when she peeled away from him into the water.
“Slime baths are superior to your ‘soap’!”
The water of the bath became more slime than water and it felt quite odd, but therapeutic in a way. He gave Firo permission to engulf Celis and clean her. Alisson watched Firo work when someone opened the door to the bath.
“I thought I said not to disturb-”
Alisson turned to look, expecting to see one of his servants, but he saw Dascha instead, still in her armor. Her tail was wagging. She probably wanted to join. Alisson sighed. It’s not like he could refuse her, and its not like she didn’t already see him vulnerable when Firo had imprinted on him. Celis probably wouldn’t care if a slime and dog saw her nude either, if she was present anyway.
“Fine. You can join.”
“Yay! The more the merrier!” Firo said from somewhere below.
Alisson regardless averted his eyes when Dascha started to strip down, her tail wagging furiously now.
“Erm…that’s…interesting…”
He heard Firo, who was suddenly offput by something. “What is it?”
“Nothing!”
Dascha was quick to enter the bath, and pressed herself against Alisson’s back. He frowned, but figured it couldn’t be helped. A sliver of Firo crept up his arm and against his ear, and whispered to him,
“You’re not looking, but uh…”
“What? You don’t have to whisper.”
Firo continued to whisper anyway, “Dascha has a…a thing.”
“Use your words.”
“Look, I absorbed your prudence too, so I don’t like being vulgar! It’s a member! She’s a he!” Firo said, slightly louder into his ear.
Alisson’s eyes widened. He then took a deep breath, and centered himself. “I don’t care.”
“I just thought you should know!” She hissed, and then the slime retreated down his body.
Despite saying that it didn’t matter, Alisson’s curiosity got the better of him, and he stole a glance behind him. Seeing this, Dascha only became more excited. He looked down and saw what Firo was talking about.
Just how had he managed to find himself in these situations? Alisson sighed and looked away. “So, you’ve actually been male this whole time.”
“Not…male. Not female. Both.”
Dascha said quietly behind him. Alisson was left speechless for a moment, finding his mouth parted in disbelief, but promptly straightened himself. He had seen alien monsters of unspeakable horror and men torn apart in the most gruesome ways imaginable. He refused to let himself get flustered over something like this.
“Are all Sabasa hermaphroditic, then? I don’t recall hearing about this.”
Dascha didn’t respond to his question, but replied, “Bathe…You.”
Dascha stood up and began scrubbing Alisson’s hair roughly. He was already clean, but he supposed it wasn’t really about that for her. He let her do as she wished, sometimes acutely feeling ‘that’ grazing his back as she moved back and forth.
Firo was quick to comment, “I’d watch out if I were you, master, she’s going to stick that somewhere unpleasant if you let her!”
Alisson closed his eyes in a sudden bout of anger. “Alright. The two of you have had your fun. Get out.”
“Even me?” Firo seemed disheartened. “Baths are great for us slimes!”
“Even you. You can survive for a while without me, right? Just go hide in a corner somewhere.”
Dascha and Firo unwillingly complied with Alisson’s orders, and left him and Celis alone.
He took a deep breath, savoring the peace and quiet. Friends were nice and all, but he was an introvert at heart. He held onto Celis like a pillow on his lap, and moved the hair out of her eyes.
Tomorrow he would assume control of the 7th army. In doing so, he would prepare it for war. He would prepare the 7th with the sole objective of destroying the nation known as the Irine Principality.
He found himself not able to enjoy himself as much as he thought he would, even bathing with all his close friends. He had found himself so, apathetic, despite the situation. The prospect of being able to release some of his pent up rage on the other hand, grew ever more appealing the more he stared into Celis’s lifeless eyes.
***
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END MOVEMENT 4