In the ruins shared by Del’vhario with the idiosyncratic vawikyns, X settled into the central room on the ground floor. A noticeable change in the structure was apparent: most of the holes in the walls had been patched, and the roofs repaired. Well-fastened wood covered a significant portion of the openings and also delineated additional partitions, serving as extra rooms utilized by Del’vhario for storage.
The redheaded elf took a sip from a cup filled with liquid drawn from one of the barrels within the room. It tasted not exactly like water, but equally refreshing. X no longer concerned himself with the precise nature of the liquid, which might have been derived from various plants, or dissolved creatures mixed with a generous portion of arreci. He had become accustomed to this world.
Initially thrust without care into these peculiar circumstances, he now savored this bluish liquid while standing at the far end of this chamber. He enjoyed touring the ruins, usually commencing by tasting a beverage in the room farthest back. From this vantage point, he could gaze out of a newly installed window onto the rear side of the ruins, observing the expansive horizon.
“Hey X, have you talked with Sikue?” asked Mau, who had just arrived after completing his duties somewhere between the borders.
“Yeah, he seems alright. He did mention that during his captivity, he devised a way to advance his research for our little project.”
“Well, whatever he concocted in that diminished skull of his, I just hope this time he doesn’t blow up the workshop,” complained the gnome.
“I hope he doesn’t blow himself up. He’s useful,” replied X.
“You think so? Meh... I don’t know what you see in that particular feralis. Hell! Half the time I don’t understand what he’s talking about, and the other half he’s too wasted to comprehend.”
“As long as he produces my spells... and keeps researching what I requested, I’m satisfied with our arrangement with him.”
“I still say it’d be better to buy the spells,” stated Mau.
“Then we’d be at the mercy of the sellers, producers, or whoever else... or whatever else. Anyway, how’s Nila doing?”
“She’s good, you know. The best in this shit. She’ll have the information we need soon... and then—”
“Then we make our move on Silifran.” X interrupted the weary gnome. “All of it. The dawn of our empire is nigh.”
Mau smiled broadly. These weeks had been a continuous stream of work, though not of the enjoyable variety. While he didn’t voice many complains, he eagerly anticipated a change of pace, craving less menial tasks and more blood. That was all he asked for.
“Our war chest is growing,” Mau remarked, helping himself to a glass of the same liquid X had been enjoying, then settling with his arms resting on the center table in this room, fondly caressing his Skull Ripper. “Your decision to steal from the Lanaen Band and then sell their product as our own is making us piles of gold.”
“That’s merely the beginning,” X replied, sampling the tongue-numbing liquid once more. “We’re cultivating a special market.”
“With Marika? Tailored for the elves?” inquired the gnome.
“Oh, indeed. Now that... that’ll be a true marvel... and source of gold.” X raised his glass, the light passing through the crystal revealed several sedimented particles and floating chunks of some unknown creature.
“Not gonna lie, this shit is good,” said Mau, gently swirling the liquid in his glass. “What a nice mix we’ve come up with.”
“And it will only improve once Sikue completes the cursed research he’s been conduction since joining us... you’ll see, Mau, everyone will.”
Mau lifted his cup to his lips, taking another sip of the dense liquid.
“When’s our next hit on Lanaen?” inquired X, wanting to stay updated on the daily movements of Del’vhario.
“They’ve been more vigilant with their schedules and security measures, but there’s a caravan arriving tomorrow at noon,” replied Mau.
“Excellent. Take care of that, and then lay low for a couple of days. I have a nice mission for you and your commando.”
“For Ferraria’s sake, no more mind-numbing shit.”
“Well then, you’ll be shedding tears of joy. This task will require your most capable subordinates.”
While the top members of Del’vhario resided in these ruins, the rest, including the newest recruits. lived in the towns or settlements scattered around the borderless region. However, in recent times, many had been crowded into Silifran’s outer ring and the surrounding cities—kinhayas to elven cities and the few humans they had into the Human United Front’s border cities. X took great care to ensure that only they, the original few members, were privy to the existence of the lair.
An elated grin spread across Mau’s face. “What are we hitting? Or who?”
“The Valentians.”
“Hell yeah! Finally! Those bitches have been getting uppity.” Mau’s easily excitable nature ignited instantly. “Damn it, I’m going to start prepping for it. Oh, Ferraria, it’s time to test all the new shit I’ve come up with.”
“Yes, it is time. Those who don’t respect us need to learn their lesson.”
“They fucking do!”
After exchanging several more pleasantries, they both exited the room, each going their separate ways.
Enjoying the temperate days, X spent time with Kratzika. The chit’tan always brought calm to the elf’s troubled soul. They sat outside the ancient edifice, near the earth’s fissure at its back.
“Have the vawykin been behaving?” inquired X, gazing down into the blackness of the giant crack.
“They good.”
“And what about our new guest, Marika?”
“She do funny sound.”
“Right? I’ve told her to change her... sounds, but not everyone is open to criticism these days.”
“You?”
“Me? I’ve been alright, Kratzika, living my dream...” The elf turned his sights at the clear skies. “I feel exactly like that,” said X, gesturing towards the heavens. “Unclouded, untouched, on top, and... myself.”
Kratzika nodded, though not fully grasping his words. These peaceful moments shared with X meant the world to the chit’tan. His treatment of her, and even of the vawykins, differed from that of everyone else. Perhaps the dregs and other lifeforms, like the redheaded elf, could not communicate on a deeper level, but here, in this place and moment, they understood each other, and lived side by side.
After relishing this time beneath the star that illuminated this world, X descended downstairs into the basement and the cave system below.
Acting upon the redheaded elf’s insistence, the vawykins had carved out additional caves under the ruins, connecting them into an expansive system that stretched deep and led to the fracture in the earth at the back of the ruins. Here, the vawykins created more space for themselves, leaving the upper levels mostly to Del’vhario. The most notable change in the vawykins’ living quarters were the chambers filled with barrels—some old, but most recently acquired. Given as a gift to them from X, these barrels held the highly prized royal jelly, important to both the vawykins and Del’vhario. Thanks to good fortune and X’s initiative, its production showed no signs of slowing; it kept expanding relentlessly.
From the outset, X had endeavored to persuade the vawykins to share some of the royal jelly with them, but initially, they denied his requests. However, witnessing the increased production and the expansion of the kukiles farms, which now extended inside the giant crack in the earth, they gradually warmed to the idea. The final push came when the redheaded elf brought more barrels and several portents, which the vawykins believed housed their ancestors. They incorporated the portents into their rituals and most sacred ceremonies. With this in mind, X began to engage in trade with these dregs—he provided them with items they could not produce, and in return, they shared a portion of the royal jelly production, of which they possessed vast quantities.
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As the vawykins primarily dwelled beneath the ruins, their interactions with the other inhabitants were limited. However, this didn’t entail their complete disappearance from sight. The inquisitive dregs still roamed the ancient structure, driven by curiosity or engaged in patrols. Initially cautious of the newcomers, they eventually accepted them as part of the local fauna upon observing their tendency to keep to themselves and their assistance in jelly production and trade. For those who cared, this community served as a shining example of dreg-kinhaya relations.
The one aspect that did concern X about these creatures was their burgeoning numbers. Their population continued to swell, prompting the vawykins to delve deeper, expanding their quarters and accommodations in what seemed like and endless cave system. While X harbored worries, he postponed any further contemplation for another time.
Descending underground, the royal guard escorted X into the Queen’s recently excavated chambers. The dreg’s opulence showcased in their rock-sculpting craftsmanship and their meticulous attention to detail in all the figurines they fashioned from the portents of magic, marveled the redheaded elf. He never thought they could achieve this proficiency in their religious-aesthetic search. Following the customary greetings, X settled into the specially crafted chairs reserved for her guests.
“Queen Laklek, how’s the production of the royal jelly?” the elf cut straight to the point.
“Good. Better, never.” She flashed her rows of dysgenic teeth—a gesture X learned to interpret as a smile somewhere along the way. “What you here?” she asked.
“We are neighbors. I’ve come to see how your colony is doing, and I’ve noticed... your subjects are increasing. More and more vawykins live down here.”
“Numbers good. Soon, we send vawykins with new queens to make new colonies.”
“Ah, I see. So that’s how you do it...” X fell into thought, pondering the vawykin way of life. “We will need more royal jelly,” he stated bluntly, revealing his true reason for descending into the depths of this underground labyrinth.
“No! Royal jelly is for best vawykins. You good elf, but no best vawykin.”
“You always say the same... Look, I understand, Queen Laklec. So tell me, what do you want?”
She studied the redheaded elf before her. Initially distrustful, she had come to view him as reliable and someone who honored his word. Despite the newcomers taking over much of the ruins, the vawykin’s expansion of their cave system and increased farming output had greatly contributed to the stability of the colony. Now, with plans of further expansions and settlers ready to establish new colonies, vawykin life here couldn’t be better.
“I want... that...” she gestured towards the elf.
“Clothes?” X glanced at himself. “You want a dress? But of course, you’re a female! You want to look feminine— oh, I get it, you want to increase your sex appeal. Imagining being nude and all, isn’t that—”
“Quiet! I want protection.”
“Ah, armor...”
“Yes! And shiny rocks, ancestors inside!” she demanded.
“Those things I can procure for you.”
Queen Laklec flashed her rows of teeth once more.
Once, while touring the cave system, X stumbled upon the vawykins praying before a shiny rock they had recently excavated. Intrigued, he spent the majority of that day observing their rituals. That giant piece of rock emitted a peculiar greenish glow. Later, Nila explained to him that these rocks were imbued with magic potency. The portents they all used were refined from rocks like that one. Although to the vawykins, these glowing stones spoke to them, in a metaphorical sense X preferred to interpret. They communed with their gods and ancestors through them, or so he surmised.
After concluding his discussions with Queen Laklec on a positive note, X resumed his tour of the ruins that they now referred to as headquarters. Following the repairs and updates to the ancient structure and the establishment of various provisions and divisions, his Del’vhario companions each claimed their own spaces. While Mau and Nila often spent their time outside, the rest utilized the headquarters for experiments, research and thriving businesses.
It had been several exciting months since the end of the rainy season. Working diligently and swiftly, Del’vhario had carved out a significant presence in the underground scene of Silifran, expanding into Fildereal and making some incursions into human cities, as well as numerous settlements and towns in-between the borders. Gradually, their influence spread throughout the region, establishing multiple nodes and cells in various towns. Their initial contact with these locations had proven to be a highly successful.
Recruitment efforts were primarily spearheaded by Nila and Mau, who possessed intimate knowledge of the towns, cities and the diverse races inhabiting this world. As the head of operations, X managed distribution and production, among other responsibilities. The trio kept a well-greased organization amidst the chaos of the battle for territory and the struggle for criminal supremacy.
After ascending from the underground, X made his way upstairs to the first floor, entering what had once been the music room. Renovations had also reached this area. While not expecting any luxury, the room had been transformed into a usable space. Most leaks had been addressed and the hole in the wall had been converted into a window. Surprisingly, he found countless decorations and dozens of small cages piled up in the the south corner of the room. All of these changes tailored to the lifestyle of the current occupant—the fae whom Del’vhario, by destiny or luck, had encountered in the middle of the road not too long ago and subsequently brought here.
Inside, beautiful music permeated every corner of this chamber. A ballad, sung and accompanied by a harp, resonated through the halls and stone of the ruins—a composition to rival those of the greatest musicians.
“Marika!” X interjected.
She ceased playing and looked up. “Ah, it’s you, Ekk’s,” replied Marika, resting her hands on her lap and sitting upright. She retrieved a pipe from a nearby box and lit it up.
“I’ve mentioned this before, but music should be...” Having engaged in this debate previously, X struggled to find the right words. “It should have rhythm. You know, it should be faster... harder... Definitely not dull.”
“Yeah, you’ve said that, but what the fucking hell do you mean faster!? Harder?! Shit is how shit needs to be!”
“Put passion in your performance, otherwise, it’s music for old creatures. Are you old?”
She halted abruptly, then rose in a flash.
“Say what?”
“You should play real music, as I’ve said before. Give it a try sometime.”
“You don’t like my music? Tough shit. This is the legacy of the fae, great songs that nourish the soul, derived from the deepest divinity, through our celestial voices and the harmony we weave with the harp, flowing from us.” Her arms moved aggressively with each impassioned statement.
“Mhmm.” X swayed his head from side to side. “That’s not enough. Maybe it’s the freakish instrument or something, but no, you need to play harder, faster, with rhythm! Real music!”
“Yeah, fuck you too,” retorted Marika, allowing herself to fall back down onto her stool. She left her pipe on a small table nearby and resumed playing the harp. X settled into a chair in a corner, observing her.
“If you’d say something positive about my music, we could both enjoy ourselves, you know...” Marika spoke softly.
“Really? That’s all it takes these days, huh? It’s a crazy world we live in, though I think you need it more than I do. I just want to hear real music for once in this freaking world. That’s all I miss really... Not this crap my grandparents surely wouldn’t even listen to.”
“Why are you here?” she asked dryly after halting the music again, her eyes flashing with bloodlust as she stared at the redheaded elf.
“How’s our little business doing?”
Marika’s black eyes shined with excitement, her enthusiasm evident in her grin. “See those cages over there?” She gestured towards the cages piled up in the opposite corner. “All empty. None of my pakaos are here. They’re all, as of right now, flying to our victims.”
“Customers,” X corrected her.
“The fuck they are. Freaks, worms... maybe.”
“Regardless, we need more,” continued X, ignoring her words. “Much more. I’m thinking of getting rid of the cages entirely. We’ll renovate the tower and enclose it. There, an aviary will be born. Cram as many of your birds in there as you can and let them soar into the skies.”
Marika took a puff of her pipe, of the good kind, and glanced out of the window. The midday star shone brightly in the sky, and the distant clouds vanished with the winds that had brought them.
“You hate the fucking elves more than me. Your kin,” she remarked, still gazing out of the window.
“Nah. Hate is such a strong word. Let’s call it, indifference. What I need from them is their continued patronage.”
“Their deaths, you mean,” she retorted, turning her sights toward the elf.
“Look at it this way... they’re cattle for us to milk. They’ll be at our mercy, in the palm of our hands. If you really despise the elves as much as you claim, then killing them isn’t the best punishment. Extracting wealth from them while they barely function in society... that would be the vengeance you seek. What else do you want?”
Sometimes, X’s train of thought unnerved her, not because of its cruelty, but because of how quickly he formulated those justifications. Sensing the end of the conversation, she resumed playing her music.
“Just a question before you go,” said Marika, engrossed in her harp. “Where did you meet the human?”
“Lord Jarailo?”
“Yes, that one.”
“Why? Is he misbehaving?"
“No, he’s good at lying, that’s all.”
“I met him in Silifran in the— wait, do you want to shag him?”
Marika remained silent.
“You do know he’s human?” questioned X.
“And? He does have a cock, doesn’t he?”
“You can ask him that yourself.” X stood up. “You do you...” and walked towards the exit of her room.
“About the aviary idea, I fucking like it. Make it happen.”
Her words stopped him at the door. X turned to see her focused on playing her shiny new harp. At least she hadn’t slit their throats in their sleep, X thought as he exited the room.