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“So what’s the verdict?” Seraphiel asked tiredly. She’d been up all night, healing the wounded soldiers. The Elves had borne the brunt of the battle, but they were not the only ones hurt. The Dragons had many injured and dead, and the Draenei and Asha’man had their own injuries. Draenei because they’d been at the thick of the fight the entire time, and Asha’man because some of the demons had managed to infiltrate the flying fortress where they’d been posted.

Teclis was quiet for a while, going through his magical diagnostic spells. "I can't tell. A large part of it is just to keep tabs on you, but that's obviously not all. I can't tell what else though, unfortunately. It's not actively hurting you."

“That’s much I already figured out. Otherwise, my own Skills would be working harder against it.” As a Paladin, she was very resistant to most curses. “Can you lift it?”

"No. Even though Kairos is the one who cast the curse, he wasn't the one actually forcing it on you. Tzeentch was. Kairos was just the channel through which the god worked." Teclis looked at her a bit queerly before very carefully pointing something out. "I know you two don't get along well, but Alarielle…"

“No. Hell no.” She retorted sharply. “I wouldn’t ask her if I was dying, and she was holding the only way to save me. And she’d rather burn any rescue method than help me.”

“She is the expert in cleansing any Chaos taint.” He finished a little feebly.

“Absolutely not. Like you said, the curse isn’t actively harming me. I’ve carried a curse from Slaanesh for eons. I’ll survive until I can either remove it myself or find another method to remove it.” She stated firmly. She’d rather kill herself than go begging Alarielle for help.

“You couldn’t ask that Goddess of yours to help?” Teclis asked.

"That's the first thing I tried. She thinks the whole thing is amusing. She's using the excuse of fostering self-reliance, which is another reason I know the curse isn't too serious. If it was, She'd remove it. She can be kind of protective that way. If it's just inconvenient though, she'll get more amusement from not removing it." She explained.

“Sounds complicated.” Teclis offered, not really sure what else to say.

The two move to the large tent set up by King Tyrion to deal with the aftermath of the battle. “…and the forces of Slaanesh seem to have weakened considerably in other theaters as we suspected.” One of the Elven commanders reported through a communications crystal as they stepped into the tent.

“Enough to push them off the island?” Tyrion asked.

"Not quite yet. The presence of our darker cousins makes things more challenging on that front, but we're already pushing deeper into Chrace. Since the Druchii still control Nagarythe, we can't pressure the Demons from the west, but we are sallying fort from the mountain gates while pressuring the Demons from the sea as much as we can without running into the Black Arks of the Druchii." Another commander, as there seemed to be several of them taking part, reported.

Tyrion seemed to consider the strategic situation. “We’ll be able to push them out eventually, but it’s going to take time.” He came to a conclusion. “Then we’ll be able to deal with the other problem.” He clearly referred to the Dark Elves. “Keep up the pressure and don’t allow them to regroup. Chaos will be disordered after that battle and we’ll have to take as much advantage as possible.”

The King looked at General Kuren. “I was a little…distracted when you dealt the killing blow to N’kari. I heard the story, but I’d like a bit of clarification. You called for a being of light to banish him. I don’t want to doubt your power, but I need to know how badly he was hurt.”

General Kuren seemed to consider the question for a moment. "The Naaru are powerful beings of Light, and their power to purge Demons is great, but I've only seen it done against other kinds of Demons. I cannot accurately estimate." The Draenei Paladin finally admitted.

Tyrion looked towards Seraphiel, knowing she’d likely be the best to answer, which surprised some of those present. Seraphiel’s lips twitched a bit in amusement. “General Kuren is right. Naaru are very good at what they do, and the Light is the second-best weapon against all Demons. N’kari will not be back very soon.”

“Second-best?” Tyrion asked.

“Well, as beings of the Warp, naturally Warp-based psionic abilities are the most effective when it comes to dispersing their essence.” She shrugged. “If I had more levels under my belt, and we weren’t fighting a Slaaneshi Greater Demon, I would’ve offered my abilities to do it, but as it is…”

She'd actually gained quite a lot of levels from the battle. She hadn't killed that many enemies, but the System still recognized her as partially defeating Kairos and contributing to the overall victory by hurting N’kari at a critical moment. Not an overwhelming number of levels, but over a dozen levels with her Classes combined.

Tyrion grunted in acceptance while leaning his hands against the table he was standing next to. “Either way, I think we can call this operation a success. As much as I’d like to keep you all here to help push against the remaining Demons, I know you came to assist us for a reason. The Empire needs assistance from us.” The Shinigami had already gone back to assist the Humans, leaving only Ukitake to deal with the aftermath. Half of the Asha’man had also left for the same reason. The Draenei had stayed to help heal the wounded. “We can spare Teclis and some of our more prominent mages to help right away, and more once our own island is clear of enemies. That latter might take some months though.”

The Elven King dismissed the generals and commanders with a gesture, leaving only a small group inside the tent. “The other mercenaries already got their rewards. You didn’t mention what you want. While your group was small in comparison, your contributions were vastly outsized. I don’t think things would’ve gone well with Kairos if you hadn’t been there, and you gave General Kuren the opening to attack N’kari. Your allies were also instrumental in dealing with some of the enemy heavy hitters. So. What is it that you desire from Ulthuan?”

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

Seraphiel didn’t hesitate even for a second before pointing at Teclis, who reacted by pointing at himself dumbly. “Me?” He asked.

“My mercenary group is strong, as you already noted, but we have some rather glaring holes in our roster. The largest of which is the lack of proper magical support. So, Teclis.” She explained.

Tyrion frowned a bit. “That’s a tall ask. My brother is the High Loremaster of the Tower of Hoeth. His support to the Empire would be instrumental.”

“We both know he’s frequently embarking on sojourns anyway, and seeing worlds outside this one would fit right in. He’d most definitely come back stronger and more well-rounded. As for Empire, we’re going back there anyway. He can do work there as part of our mercenary group just as well as in his old capacity.” She argued.

Tyrion looked at his brother. “What do you say? You’ve worked for Ulthuan tirelessly for longer than either of us care to admit. What do you want to do.”

Teclis’ eyes moved rapidly between his brother and Seraphiel, and it was obvious that the issue was more complex than at first sight. “I am amenable, but I have a condition.”

“Fair enough. What kind of condition?” Seraphiel asked, not entirely surprised. It was a tall ask as Tyrion had mentioned.

“While I return to the Empire, I need your friends to do something else for me. I need you to travel to Grand Cathay. There is someone I want you to find.” The mage explained. “If all goes well, that might earn you another ally and a companion.”

“Sounds tempting. Who do I need to find?” She asked, intrigued.

"Shen-Zoo. She's the youngest child of the Dragon Emperor and the Moon Empress, the beings ruling over Cathay. She's missing, and her disappearance or abduction has thrown the mighty empire of Cathay into disharmony. This matters especially since they are one of the main bulwarks against Chaos. I also believe that with the aid of their Astromancers and the Wu Xing Compass, we could push the Demons back towards the poles. That would relieve the pressure on all the nations of Order in our world. That would easily give me the liberty to leave elsewhere without constantly worrying." Teclis explained his reasoning, though Seraphiel could tell there were many details the Elven mage was leaving out.

“Hmm. Sounds like a potentially profitable endeavor either way. I’ll see what I can do.” Seraphiel agreed. She had an artifact that allowed her to track people after all.

-------

The Emperor-to-be was of course glad of their success in bringing the High Elves into at least a tentative alliance. The defeat of a powerful Greater Demon, as well as weakening the forces of Chaos was a grand success in his mind. In addition to material rewards that Seraphiel would need during her next Class Evolution, Karl Franz and his advisors were also able to provide suggestions and information when it came to Grand Cathay.

“The thing to know about Cathay is that it is a very insular nation, surrounded on all sides by potential enemies. Merchants are welcome, but only in small numbers. The nation is ruled by a single family of immortal Dragons. These Dragons are practically worshipped as gods, and in the case of the Emperor and Empress as actual gods, even if that is inaccurate. You should tread carefully when approaching them, however, the ruling family is likely the best source of clues to finding Shen-Zoo. If you can get to them.” The Emperor-to-be gave a brief summary.

One of the court wizards leaned forward. “Your best bet is likely going to be Zhao Ming the Iron Dragon. He is the ruler of the Western Provinces, and of his family, he is the most welcoming to outsiders, and also governs over the one city open to traders, Shang-Yang.”

Karn Franz cleared his throat a bit. “There are also rumors that he might be tainted by all his alchemical experiments, but that is neither here nor there. One thing is rather clear though. You shouldn’t fly your ship directly to Shang-Yang. I don’t think they’ll take that well. I’d advise landing in the nearby mountains and traveling the rest of the way by foot.”

They took the advice offered to heart. The flight to the Mountains of Mourn that marked the border between Cathay and its neighbors didn't take long on a ship that could be used to travel between worlds. "The Ogres might be a bit of a problem," Teclis commented as the local expert. "They're rather belligerent, albeit not inherently evil. They simply love a good scrum, and might see your ship as good loot."

"I'll stay to protect the ship with Chachamaru," Tatsumiya promised. "We can fly the ship away if we meet too many enemies."

The Mountains of Mourn made an almost impenetrable barrier between Cathay and the outside world. Only a few mountain passes allowed traffic of any size to pass through, and even those passes could be treacherous at least to normal mortals. Their group had much less trouble as all of them excelled in mobility, with the possible exception of Wrex, who simply cackled and charged his way through any trouble, be it mountains or the beasts inhabiting them.

The mountain pass they followed joined up with the main pass letting out just in front of Shang-Yang, the main hub of trade through which a lot of wealth flowed. Several caravans were coming and going, mostly made up of Humans and Elves, but there were also Naga from Kuresh and the Dwarfs of the various Karaks. Even here, their eclectic gathering drew some attention. Wrex didn't exactly look like a Naga, and while Yoruichi and Kaede looked Human, Seraphiel increasingly showed her Angelic heritage.

The military of Cathay was extremely regimented, being mostly divided into three distinct categories. Their peasant militias were similar to most of their kind on a thousand worlds, though perhaps more trained. Most of their professional soldiers were known as Jade Warriors, clad in heavy splint armor and wielding swords or halberds with simple metal shields. Their elites were called the Celestial Dragon Guard, soldiers clad in golden armor. The guards around Shang-Yand seemed to mostly be made up of the Jade Warriors, with a few peasant auxiliaries for numbers. Artillery lined the walls of the city, with floating lantern-like airships providing air cover.

They didn’t get far into the city before they were approached by a pair of golden guards, who told them to follow them to Zhao Ming. Since that’s where they wanted to go anyway, they saw no reason to resist. They were led to the palace, which was filled with opulence and the fruits of all the trade that flowed through the city. The walls were lined with objects from faraway lands, and objects that they assumed were created by the alchemists of the city.

Zhao Ming was a large man exuding the aura of a powerful Dragon. His pupilless eyes offered no insight into his personality, his armor was mostly practical, even if well-made and decorated, and he wore a headdress created by a pair of crossing horns. In Seraphiel’s opinion, the man’s beard was a bit funky, but to each their own.

Before even getting close, the Iron Dragon spoke. “Welcome off-worlders. Not that your kind aren’t welcome, but we rarely see your kind. What brings you to Grand Cathay?” He asked directly, avoiding most diplomatic niceties, favoring efficiency.

Teclis stepped forth. “The rest are here on my request. I am the High Loremaster of Hoeth, and the brother of the Phoenix King of Ulthuan, Teclis.” He nodded respectfully.

“Titles known even in our land, though that doesn’t answer my initial question.” Zhao Ming pointed out.

“We are here for a dual purpose. We believe we can help you, while in return we’d like your help.” Teclis stated.

“Go on then. How will you help us.” The Iron Dragon leaned forward.

Teclis gestured towards Seraphiel. “She has an ability to locate things. Or people. Missing people.” He allowed the implications to settle.

“You speak of Shen-Zoo, my sister.” The Iron Dragon’s voice had turned more serious, clearly not tolerating any nonsense. False hope could be dangerous. His empty eyes looked towards Seraphiel. "Tell me, Angel, can you fulfill this promise the Elf is making in your stead?"

“I can, though the more information I have on my target, the better my ability works. The better I understand what I’m looking for, the less the ability has to deal with false leads.” She gave a curt explanation.

The Iron Dragon chewed on that for a moment, before turning to Teclis again. “What kind of help are you looking for in exchange?”

Teclis launched into a rather long and detailed explanation of what he wanted, and by the end Zhao Ming was eagerly nodding along, offering his own theories. “Ultimately, my father needs to make a decision on this, but I’m confident in him seeing the benefits. Especially if you can return Shen-Zoo to us. It’s going to be a massive undertaking, but the advantages…well, we’ve been struggling ever since the Demons gained the ability to bypass the Great Bastion. That our work might solve the problem and benefit the other order-aligned nations would be a major diplomatic boon as well, even if my siblings are not as open to others as I am.”

He ordered one of the servants to bring in information on Shen-Zoo, something that Seraphiel quickly read over and absorbed. She then used her artifact to try to search for her target. "Well, the first bit of good news is that she is alive at the moment." She revealed as she got a response.

That brought a relieved sigh from everyone involved. It would’ve been really bad if Shen-Zoo was dead. “Where is she?”

Seraphiel walked up to a map and studied it for a short time. “I’d pinpoint her current location somewhere in what you call the Darklands.”

“Chaos Dwarfs, Hobgoblin Tribes, Ogres, and Undead.” Zhao Ming summarized. “Of those, the most likely to hold one of ours captive would be either the Ogres or the Dawi-Zharr. Problematic either way.”

"I can get a more accurate location if I get closer," Seraphiel suggested.

"That can and will be arranged. I will lead an army to the Darklands if necessary, but let's try to avoid it for now." The Iron Dragon decided.