Chapter 46: At What Cost

In many ways, the battle’s aftermath was yet bloodier.

Rel and Electra had landed the skywhale inside the city. They’d found their way to the riverbank just as the Militia finished carrying the dead and wounded through the north gate. The waters of the river ran red, and corpses of countless monsters bobbed gently on the surface of the water. Rel had spent enough time near the ocean to know that dead things on the water reeked worse than any other odor known to man.

Dee met them at the gate. “Made it just in time.”

“That’s me!” Electra winked, before becoming more serious. “How bad were our losses?”

“Bit over twenty dead, and almost the whole militia is wounded.” He sighed. “We were moments from routing when the ships came.”

Electra elbowed Rel. “Smallest blessings, eh?”

“So it seems.” Rel let out a breath. “Twenty is many, all the same.” The militia was small enough that twenty men was almost a tenth of its strength. If they’d had more time to train more soldiers, more time to build more defenses…

Dee’s words shook her from her maudlin thoughts. “Their lives bought all of ours.” He let out a breath, almost deflating. It was only then that Rel noticed he was wounded as well, a long gash running the length of his arm. It had yet to be wrapped. “Any man or woman less, and we wouldn’t have held until those ships arrived.”

Rel glanced out of the gate towards the water. “And where did the ships come from?”

“No idea. Corvandr, most likes,” Dee replied.

“They have the Royal Family’s sigil.” Rel crossed her arms as the ships slowly shifted away from the cost in a tight loop. “Have they done anything?”

“Nothin’ yet.” Dee followed Rel’s gaze. “Looks a bit like they’re comin’ round to dock at the port. Or a few of ‘em at least.”

“Good job only three of ‘em can fit, right?” Electra asked. “Not that it’ll matter much.”

Rel nodded. “We should be gracious hosts then.”

Dum grunted. “Let me get the rest of my people sorted, and I’ll meet you at the docks.”

Rel glanced at Electra. “We should both go.”

“Ah well.” The other woman stretched her hands up over her head. “Who wants to live forever anyway?”

They stayed just long enough to ensure that everyone would be treated, and that no more stragglers would come out of the jungle and try the palisade, before the two women turned and once again crossed Lady’s Port, this time to the docks.

Rel’s eyes flicked to the streetlights as they walked. None were lit, even as the sun slowly dipped closer and closer to the horizon. “If…” She stopped, a lump in her throat.

“Hm?” Electra tilted her head.

“If Lady Via…does not return,” Rel managed. “Will you be able to fix the Lightning Mill? Or will the lights be lost to us entirely?”

Electra sucked her lip. “Let’s not think about that right now.” She managed a weak smile. “I mean, sure I know how to make a generator with some wire and a magnet, but there’s a lot more to a power plant, y’know?”

Rel nodded silently.

The wind of the ocean pushed back the growing scent of death spreading from the river. Of the twelve warships, only one had made its way to dock. The other eleven remained in formation just off the coast, just out of easy arrow shot.

It did little for Rel’s worry. The two of them alone wouldn’t be able to stop all the combat classers on even one boat, let alone another eleven behind. For as long as Relia remembered, the Royal Family and the Senate of Corvandr had paid little attention to the governance of the northern part of the island, so much so that few in Silverwall even remembered that they were part of a larger kingdom.

Now, that had changed.

The vessel sliced into port, coming to a graceful stop at the quay with a single backstroke of the oars. Ropes were thrown over, and at Rel’s gesture, what few men remained on hand tied the ship to the dock.

Soldiers lowered an ornate boarding ramp, and no one spoke as an honor guard of twenty soldiers in gleaming cuirasses and white leather bracers marched off the ship.

Then Ishanti glided down the gangplank after them without a single care in the word.

Rel’s eyes widened. “You!”

Ishanti ignored the outburst with aplomb, instead she glided forward down the docks like she owned it. Her honor guard fell in step beside her, and the whole parade came to a stop at the bottom of the rough stone steps leading up to the rest of the city.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

“Greetings, Lady Electra, Lady Relia.” Ishanti raised her head, silver hair flaming around her like a halo. “From myself and from Corvandr.”

Rel found herself at a loss for words.

“Hey, Ish.” Electra folded her arms behind her back. “Heard you flew the coop, didn’t expect you to roll up with an army of all things.”

The princess’s brow wrinkled. “Flew the—?” She shook her head. “Regardless, the army is not here for Lady’s Port, though it is fortuitous that we arrived in time to forestall the stampede.” She pitched her voice to carry. “Just another sign of Hawkwright’s perfidious attacks on any and all who will not bow to his ego.”

Electra hummed, faint smile flicking over her face. “That’s a good party line. So, what are you all here for? Not that we don’t appreciate the help.”

“Is it not clear? During my time assisting the Outworlder called Empress, I gathered proof of Hawkwright’s crimes. I presented my evidence to the Senate, and they dispatched a fleet, under the leadership of Admiral Felniv, to see the man brought to justice.”

Electra made a show of peeking around Ishanti. “Is he on one of those other ships? Figured if he was leading this thing, he’d, y’know, come talk to us.”

Princess Ishanti huffed. “I assured him of my ability to negotiate with my allies in Lady’s Port.” She reached into her sleeve, withdrawing an ornate role of parchment. “In that vein, if you have returned, then surely Lady Via has as well. I wish to present to her a town charter from the senate, as a reward for bringing Hawkwright’s perfidy to light.”

Electra and Rel shared a glance. “And after that?”

“After that, we shall make full speed for Silverwall, and depose Hawkwright by any means necessary.” The woman gave a pleased smile. “Surely you did not think I would bring an army for such a small settlement?”

Electra shrugged. “I didn’t ask what you brought the army for. But there’s one little hiccup in your plan.”

Ishanti raised a brow. “Oh? Do tell.”

“Well, as you know, Lady Via and I went to Silverwall to uh…confront Hawkwright with his crimes.” Electra crossed her arms, nodding happily. “When he attempted to kill us, working with vile assassins no less, we, like, took justice into our own hands.”

Ishanti blinked. “What do you mean?”

Electra buffed her nails on the leather of her armor. “Oh, you know, tore down the inner wall, stormed the palace, and took our problems to the good seneschal personally.” She put on an aggrieved sigh. “Unfortunately, Empress didn’t make it out, but last I saw she was pulling the place down around Hawkwright’s ears.”

Ishanti’s eyes narrowed, but Rel could see that she quickly made the connection. The only way one person would manage to take an entire castle by herself was with the Ash of Creation. The reasons Via was forced to remain behind, on the other hand, left more open to interpretation.

“You mean to say that Silverwall has been taken from within.”

“Well, I don’t know if I’d say taken.” Electra waved her arms. “But if you march up with this army of yours, I doubt anyone left’ll put up much of a fight.”

“I see,” the woman said. “In that case, I shall present you, her deputy, with this charter.” She turned to her guard. “The admiral must be informed of this development. Time is likewise of the essence; we should take a column up the main road, and see the state of the city for ourselves.”

“Your highness.” The soldier at her right saluted, pressing a fist to his cuirass. “I’ll have the ship relay your suggestions.”

“Please do.”

The man jogged back to the ship, leaving three women and half a company waiting on the docks.

“So,” Electra said, “how about them Saints?”

Ishanti sighed. “I did not think I would miss Lady Via’s sharp tongue.”

“I wouldn’t count her out yet, if I were you.” Electra grinned. “She’s survived worse. And don’t even get me started on the Banana Bread Affair.”

“I shall refrain.”

Electra’s grin grew wider. “You sure? It’s a real doozy!”

“Quite sure.” Ishanti held out the town charter. “Now, if we could move quickly? I’ve just been informed we have a city to take.”

“Not even gonna wait for what the Admiral decides to do?”

Ishanti met Electra’s gaze. “I am quite certain he’ll see sense.”

“Long as you know I’ll be coming along,” Electra replied. “Rel too.”

The princess sighed again. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

They didn’t have to wait long for the Admiral’s reply to come from the fleet. He saw sense, and would be dispatching three ships’ worth of men to march on the city.

Sometimes things just went according to plan.

Night fell before they reached Silverwall. Normally it would be dangerous to travel in the dark hours, but the soldiers made short work of any monster that hadn’t been swept up in the stampede.

Rel dozed for most of it, nodding off in the back of a cart as the army marched through the night.

Even still, never had a day felt so long. It was near midday when they came within sight of the city. For a moment, Rel worried they would not be allowed in, but the herald raised the Royal Family’s banner, and the people of Silverwall threw the gates wide open.

It took Electra physically restraining Rel to keep her from racing ahead of the army. Nearly a thousand soldiers marched down the main thoroughfare in lock step, the sound of their steps echoing off the buildings.

As for the citizens themselves, there were no cheers, no thrown garlands. Men, women, and children watched silently. Guardsmen, what few had not already deserted, were taken into custody. None resisted.

Somehow, they reached the castle. It lay abandoned.

The only sign of what happened were piles of golden sludge, hardened and inert, that covered the corridors. Rel could only assume they were the remains of Mistress’s demons, and only time would tell why no one had returned to the castle in the day since.

It didn’t take long to find Lady Via.

She lay in the remains of Hawkwright’s Solar, amidst the wreckage of a once fine map table. Her long black hair was splayed out over the splinters like a shroud, face half-hidden against her knees. She was curled into a ball, chin tucked against chest, arms wrapped around her shins. Asleep.

Or worse.

Her armor, on the other hand, was very much awake.

Both of her gauntlets sat open, weapons that Rel could make neither head nor tails of slowly sweeping the room. A red light at Via’s collar blinked slowly, and Rel could only hope it meant that her Mistress still lived inside of her metal coffin.

“Well, sugar.” Electra scratched the back of her head. “I think she’s in safeguard mode or something. It’ll probably shoot anything that gets close.”

“What do we do then?”

Electra opened her mouth, then she paused, looking at Rel. “Maybe take a page from Empress’s book.”

Rel raised an eyebrow.

Electra gave an apologetic smile, and then shoved her into the room.

Rel squawked, backpedaling frantically as the Via’s armor chirped.

“R E C O G N I Z E D—R E L I A, P R I O R I T Y = T W O. D E A C T I V A T I N G.”

Then, with another beep and whirr, the weapons folded away, leaving just a single light still blinking softly at Lady Via’s collar.

“See?” Electra walked forward. “Works like a charm. Now c’mon. Here’s hoping she’s still alive in that thing.”

Rel rushed past the hero, too worried to be upset. She knelt at her Mistress’s side, holding a hand in front of the woman’s lips and praying, desperately, for breath.