Del’vhario’s members had a rough idea, its lieutenants had an inkling of the plan’s scale, but it was X alone who comprehended the full scope of this attack. He knew the elves, given the ongoing violence in their border cities, particularly Silifran, the crowing jewel of the region, would dispatch their special forces. Those Legazz and all the other elven soldiers would pose significant obstacles for a burgeoning group like Del’vhario, striving to ascend to the pinnacle. X desired their involvement in the carnage to diminish their numbers, thereby affording Del’vhario the time needed to consolidate their power and influence. Despite the inevitable consequence of becoming the elves’ public enemy number one, X calculated that once entrenched in Silifran, there would be no way to root them out.
With a smile, X watched as his subordinates stepped out from their protected spaces and traversed the remains of the sewers. Moonlight filtered into the chamber through the non-existent ceiling, many sections having been blown away or buried under tons of rubble. During the explosions, even Del’vhario doubted about their survival, as their chosen hiding locations cracked under the unleashed forces. However, most endured, bolstered by countless Reinforcing Spells that shielded these chambers.
“This is it, you fucker!” Mau yelled at the human leader, standing in the deepest part of their headquarters. From the ashes and smoke, several figures surfaced. Poised to strike, the surviving top members of the Lanaen Band gathered here.
“You won’t survive what’s coming to you!” shouted Fylian, the half-elf dressed in skimpy black leather, brandishing her daggers at the Del’vhario forces surrounding them.
“Maybe, but then again, you won’t be alive to see that,” spoke the redheaded elf.
“Woouf! I rememember woouf!” barked Kunia, the dogoon feralis.
“Who the fuck are you?” asked a fat gnome.
“Are you the so-called, Del’vhario?” questioned the human boss, unflinching, unmoving.
Nila laughed. “Finally you understand who your killers are!” she shouted, baring her blades.
“Ah... you’re that gnome... of course... now it makes sense,” exclaimed Fylian, visibly shocked.
“Too late, you bitch.”
“Is it?” snarled the female half-elf.
“Your members are gone, your headquarter is gone, your distribution centers are no more—gone. Your entire organizational structure lies in ashes, scattered by the fickle winds. Even the elven army that came here is buried under the rubble. And soon, you’ll be gone too. Forgotten by all, remembered by none. This is Del’vhario’s punishment!” X’s voice rose with each word. Mirroring his intensity, a roar erupted around them. “You asked who we are? We are your redeemers. Leave your soul in our care,” he grinned.
As the redheaded elf spoke, the Lanaen Band members knew they had nothing left, with so few members remaining, rebuilding their group would require years, if they managed to survive.
“Our forces are out there in the smoldering ashes of your dreams— I mean, of these sewers, killing anything that still dares to breath. Whether it be you or the elven soldiers foolish enough to enter your foul realm. We leave no survivors,” declared X.
Trembling, and with nowhere to run, the surviving Lanaen Band members faced a crucial decision.
“You went as far as attacking your own kind? The elven army? They’ll eventually fuck you up,” exclaimed the human boss, standing amidst the ruins of his empire.
“Oh, I planned this all specially for them. Not for you. Crushing your paltry organization was merely a bonus. But the elves... they need to learn their place. It seems you’re sincerely concerned about us. Rest assured, we’ll manage. Don’t worry,” replied X.
Darting his eyes at his executors, the human boss grasped the direness of his situation. If he wished to survive, he needed to offer them something. “Listen, we can negotiate.”
“What are you proposing?” inquired X.
“We’ll give you a share of the business, fifty-fifty. We’ll restrict our operations to this section of the outer rings, and let you manage the production side of things,” said the human boss.
“You offer what you no longer possess,” Nila scoffed at his words.
X raised his right hand, signaling for silence. “I want those two behind you...”
The human boss turned. “Kunia and Fylian?”
“Yes.”
“Agreed, they’re yours.”
“Aarf! Wef woof nof arfffin barfves!” the dogoon and the half-elf objected vehemently. “Seriously? You’re considering his offer?”
“I haven’t finished,” X interjected. The redheaded elf didn’t really care about those two; he aimed to gauge the human boss’s resolve. “I also demand control over Silifran’s inner ring distribution, to sell and taint with any dust as we see fit.”
“As I mentioned earlier, those two are yours... but about the other demand, I must speak with...,” the human boss began.
“Your superior?” asked X.
The human nodded. “Yes, with my boss.”
“Fuck it!” X yelled, and pain immediately invaded him. Between growls of agony, the redheaded elf gestured to Mau. The gnome brandished his Skull Ripper and, in one swift motion, obliterated the upper half of the human boss with a single shot. His chunky remains rained over several of his underlings whose last lingering will to fight back vanished along with their boss’s upper torso. Many of them dropped to their knees, imploring mercy.
“I knew it! He wasn’t the freaking boss! Holy tarnation!” shouted X, gritting his teeth as he fought through the pain.
“Hey, Ekk’s, why the long face? We won!” questioned Mau.
“Don’t you understand? The Lanaen Band true leader is an elf, and he or she resides in one of the inner rings of this city.”
“What? How do you know?” asked Nila.
“You sure?” Mau expressed his doubts.
“Think. Why did the elven army head straight for the sewers? Wouldn’t it have been more logical to dispatch forces to the sites of the explosions in the taverns and elsewhere? But no, they suddenly forgo reason to come directly here. It’s perplexing... to fools, of which we are not. You well know that the Lanaen Band nor this human freak has ever sold dusts to the elves themselves, nor dared to venture beyond the outer ring of Silifran. Contemplate that and return to me later.” Upon regaining his bearings, X swiftly surveyed the surroundings. Spotting the remaining survivors, he made a throat-slitting gesture to his subordinates. The Del’vhario members promptly ushered them to the rear, killing them one by one.
“What do you mean?” Mau struggled to grasp X’s words this time.
“Stop doing so much Purple Haze; it’s screwing your head,” advised X.
“Nah, I think Marika already implanted her eggs in his brain,” quipped Nila, facing Mau. “Soon you’ll only think about lying in some hole for those to burst out!” she sneered.
“Listen,” X sighed. “I always wondered how a human could bribe the proud elves, but then it dawned on me. Because this human isn’t the true leader of The Lanaen Band. No, the real leader resides in one of the inner rings—an elf. Did you ever see these suckers dealing dusts in the inner rings? Of course not. They solely operated in the outer ring. Why? Because they were allowed to do so. Oh, but here in Del’vhario, we are equals. We believe in equal opportunities to get as high as in your wildest dreams!”
The decimated surroundings trembled under the clamor of the assembled forces. Following another round of killings, X approached the two sole survivors of the massacre.
“You’ll live for now, but your continued existence depends on your usefulness,” he declared.
“Tssch... if you pay, I’m game,” remarked Fylian, sheathing her daggers.
“Woof Woof! Arf Arf!” barked the dogoon.
“Eh?”
“She says the same,” translated the female half-elf.
“Good. You two will come with me, and be very careful in your actions,” instructed X, scanning the ruins they stood upon one last time. “Well, then—”
“I was thinking,” interjected Mau, addressing the redheaded elf, “and what you said does makes sense, but then why did you kill the human boss? He could’ve revealed the identity of their real leader.”
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
“No. He never met his superior, he merely received instructions and resources. He was just a figurehead.”
“How can you be so certain?”
“Because that’s what these paltry and cowardly beings would do.”
Nila stared at him, chuckling. “Elves?”
“Yes! But not us, not Del’vhario!”
Another chorus of shouts echoed throughout the ruins of what was once a formidable criminal band, now resonating from their conquerors.
“If you were aware of that, why did you attack now? Why not wait for more information about their real leader?” inquired Nila.
X smiled. “Because you asked nicely, and I am but a simple-minded individual.” The redheaded elf glanced ahead as the smoke began to dissipate. “Now, let’s depart from here. Reinforcements must be on their way, and we need must vanish...”
Del’vhario left behind only ruins and flames. The lair of the Lanaen Band burned, along with a section of the outer ring. The blow to the sewers and to the elves rippled through the upper echelons of elven society. Whatever forces remained within The Lanaen Band fractured. Del’vhario absorbed some of them, while the rest scattered into the winds that gladly welcomed them. Those deemed too dangerous or prideful to surrender to Del’vhario were promptly dealt with.
Some swear that The Lanaen Band still existed, licking its wounds and regaining strength. While most members of Del’vhario scoffed at such claims, X listened with caution. Aware that their true leader possible resided in the center ring of Silifran, the highest echelon of the city, the redheaded elf awaited their response patiently. To deliver the raging bull the final thrust and cut its ears and tail as souvenirs. He would put an end to The Lanaen Band’s true leader once and for all, in due time. For now, kings and queens strolled through the quiet outskirts of Silifran.
*
The news of the attack on Silifran outer ring spread rapidly throughout the Elven Kingdom. With the King’s seal of approval, the army and every level of the elves’ political hierarchy were authorized to pursue the perpetrators of this assault. While certain details remained shrouded in secrecy, such as X’s elven origins, the news permeated all border cities and gradually seeped into the elven territory’s heart. The elves endured not only mental anguish but also a blow to their pride. Calls from within the kingdom to sever alliances with other races and expel non-elves residing within their borders gained momentum.
As elven forces mobilized, conducting searches and raids, they suddenly encountered an impasse. The primary suspect, Del’vhario, had vanished without a trace. Despite days of relentless pursuit and the apprehension of numerous suspects for interrogation, they gleaned no definitive answers, only further questions. All the undesirables the elves questioned told them tales, the stories of Del’vhario’s exploits elevated to the rank of legend and myth but not the information of real and tangible individuals. Unable to sustain such an intense operation indefinitely, only special units persisted in the search. These units, many of whom suffered significant losses in the sewers, voiced their apprehension. If Del’vhario had truly disappeared, why did the influx of dusts did not diminish? On the contrary, it increased. Nevertheless, with their resources stretched thin and elfpower waning, the elven political elite opted for the path of minimal resistance.
With scant elves available for deployment, the Elf Kingdom established a specialized task force comprised of remnants from other units, charged with hunting down the criminals. Operating on a tight budget, their capabilities were severely limited. With little fanfare, the broader elven operation subsided, and the army returned to its primary duties.
*
“Drink! Drink!” shouted the crowd at their leader. X gulped down one of those inebriating liquids.
After departing Silifran, Del’vhario’s forces temporarily relocated to Fildereal, fleeing from the ongoing criminal hunts in its sister city. Here, they found respite and space to breathe at their leisure.
The celebration lasted for several days within a two-story residence located in the seediest district of the city. Guarded against external interference by sentinels and Reinforcement Spells and boasting the finest selection of female companionship this section of the city had to offer, Del’vhario reveled. A dedicated team meticulously screened all female attendees, ensuring their discretion or enforcing it if necessary.
“So... X... do tell, how did you know.... the army would come?” asked Nila, nearly fully intoxicated.
“Just a... a... what did you ask? Oh yeah, a... hunch,” replied the equally inebriated redheaded elf.
“Damn it! You’re both sprinting ahead!” yelled a recent arrival. Mau had just come from cleanup duty at some undisclosed location.
“Then... huh... hurry up?” said Nila, her disjointed thoughts attempting to coalesce into a full sentence.
With briskness, Mau chugged down whatever libation the male gnome managed to get his hands on. After several drinks, puffs and inhalations, Mau stood toe to toe with his peers. Something had been nagging at the male gnome for a while.
“And those... two... things besides you...” he spoke.
X tugged the chains attached to the beings. “These?” he asked.
“Yeah...”
“Introduce yourselves,” ordered X.
“I’m Fylian and this is Kunia, formerly lieutenants of Lanaen’s Band, now under Del’vharios watch.”
“Shit! No wonder I knew... them... and now they’re your... what? Slaves?” inquired Mau.
“Slaves?” Fylian spat. “You wish...”
“Woof arff a deal,” barked Kunia.
“Eh... these two. Nah, this is just... what can I call it... a thematic costume... for this party?” The redheaded elf shrugged.
Mau’s inebriated state hindered his comprehension abilities.
“Tell... him,” said X.
“We discussed it with Ekk’s, and for our lives, we pledged ourselves to him. To serve him in health and sickness, until... until what, Ekk’s?” Fylian’s confused face stared at the back of X.
“Death... death comes and takes you... or me... Something like that. See?” the redheaded elf smiled at Mau. “And some gold exchanged, of course.”
“I don’t know Ekk’s... these ones seem... too easy to grab onto the first... opportunity,” stated Mau.
“Or the first... cock,” added Nila. “Regardless... I think they’d been... house trained before.”
“Hey, I just enjoy... the fruits of others labor.”
In due time, everyone succumbed to excess, intoxicated beyond their limits, and rendered incapable of coherently stringing two words together. The following morning, the hedonistic activities persisted unabated, fueled by those with the vigor and vitality to endure. Every chamber and hallway teemed with sentient beings indulging in one another’s company, making use of every available inch of wall space. In the central chamber, X lay with his two recent acquisitions, now his personal lieutenants.
“Mister Ekk’s,” said Esshiela, a recent recruit and a female mermyd, upon entering his chambers.
“What? So early in the morning...” he replied.
“They have arrived.”
“Who?”
“The ones you instructed us to monitor.”
“Oh, those... where is Mau?”
“Wasted somewhere?”
“And Nila?”
“Last we saw her, she disappeared, with an orc and a gnome, into the floors above.”
“Tarnation, okay... give me a minute... or several...”
With Esshiela’s departure, X rose, attempting to stand straight.
[Was the party enough to wipe clean your hands? Now, I know those you killed this time were evildoers themselves, but that ain’t making you a good guy.]
The apparition materialized at the room’s door.
“And I wondered where you... screwed off to.” X grappled with donning his trousers. “Hey, hey, tell me. Did you party... with a pair of spectral titties?”
[Coarse as ever.]
“What? Why do people deny their natural given impulses? Though... ah my head... you’re no longer... people... right?”
[I am more than you ever will. And you once spoke of building an empire, yet this is nothing more than a band of degenerates.]
“And what do you think an empire is... but degenerates with too much power to wield?”
[Given your... chosen lifestyle, you should have already learned from last time to fuck off into the mountains. Remain in the shadows, peacefully living while your greasy tentacles spread throughout the region. Why stay here? Why give them all face? This way you’ll end up death sooner rather than later.]
“I’m acquainted with that kinda of life... when I was with my old boss, we had to endure some seriously screwed-up conditions in some remote and forsaken, cursed sierras. Maybe when I’m old and wrinkled, that will be my fate. But for now, I’m too youthful and alive to make a prisoner of myself. No. I’ll face it head-on. This world is capable of bearing me.”
[You overestimate yourself... and anyway, when the time finally comes, I’ll be here...]
His eternal shadow stared at the bed.
[A... half-elf and, oh surprise, a feralis. Who knew you’d backtrack on your words so soon? Did they tempt you, or was this always your dream?]
X glanced at them, soundly sleeping on the bed, the fine sheet barely covering their nude bodies.
“Go on,” X gestured towards the bed. “Take my place between their juicy flesh, their soft skin, and even greater lust.” He turned his head and cast a glance at the shadow lurking within his thoughts. “Oh, you can’t... though you can always dream of the marvels that only I can taste.”
X received no response.
“The feralis feels like screwing one of those plush toys, fluffy and soft... I don’t know. It’s freaking strange, yet also good, weird, isn’t it? And the half-elf... uff... Now I understand why everyone wants an elf, I want to try one too. Add it to my collection...”
And soon the shadow retreated back into his mind.
“I thought so... sucker.”
Reality loomed, and a night without end finally came to a standstill.
Following the initial days of unabated revelry, Del’vhario returned to claim the vacuum left in their wake, doing so with sheer force. Everyone was brought under control through violence or, the simple but effective, threat of violence. Betrayals were met with the harshest retribution, with punishments varying based on degree of fault committed. Soon, Del’vhario established a well-lubricated system. Those who kept silent, obedient, and toiled hard under Del’vhario’s rule found their lives transformed. Except for the occasional punishment, no one bothered the kinhayas in the outer ring. This new reign under the new kings and queens of the underground was embraced by most, while those who yearned for the old ways remained silent, dissuaded by the severity of the punishments.
Frankly speaking, no one desired for the good times to end, nor the flow of dusts to dry up. To the addicts of this city, the source of the dusts was inconsequential, they only craved their continuous supply from whoever sons of whores produced them. A blissful conclusion to a highly moral tale, as it ought to be, found the redheaded elf gazing down from the top of his lands, lost in thought, and schemes.