We stayed there a moment, frozen in our poses, and then Soriya sucked in a shaky breath. “Well. That was one of the top 12 things I never want to experience again!” She said briskly.
My nascent sobs turned into choked laughs, though I could still feel tears threatening.
I suppose I should be grateful that Eshaan isn’t trying to comfort me. I swallowed, and felt a strange well of determination rising in me, otherme extending that gentle hand, and her soft whisper in my mind Now we need to do the next right thing.
I took another shaky breath, and then climbed to my feet using my staff as support. “You’re right. We need to do what we came here for.” I pressed my lips together. “Soirya? Is the Cavern still suitable? Did… did he do anything to it?”
Soriya licked her finger and held it up. Blue and purple sparkles trailed from her fingertip. “He… it… did something alright, but the cavern still counts. At least for a little while.”
I nodded, taking another shaky breath, and then started heading to the now empty center of the arena, where the dragon spirit had been, the runic lines and sigils now dark and dead.
Eshaan hurried after us. “Wait! What’s going on? What was that all about?!” I shook my head, unsure what to even say. It was all so heavy.
Soriya came to my rescue. “That was what we came to defeat! It’s a… a dark spirit! The evils of the village! It’s part of the trials! We need to do a ritual to banish the darkness within us!”
Eshaan’s face scrunched up. “I don’t understand. There were three of them, and that other boy… he seemed so angry! Like he hated miss Lilyanna for some reason?!”
Soriya flipped her hands dismissively, smiling brightly.
Too brightly. That other her… just what is it that Soriya is running from?
“It’s fine, it’s fine!” She said with the same cheerful optimism I’d started to understand was her natural defense against the darkness inside her. “We’re going to do a ritual here! So if you’d just stand right there, and guard us from any slimes or bats, we’d be ever so grateful!” She leaned over just a bit, and I saw Eshaan’s gaze lock to her cleavage.
I shook my head in disgust. You’ll never catch me doing that!
We reached the central pit, and Soriya and I started pulling out the material for the ritual, colored chalk, candles, and several rather intricate sheets of mathemagical formula. I could see they went completely over Eshaan’s head. He studied the formula for a bit, his eyes unusually intense, then shook his head. “Well it’s beyond me.” He smiled. “Bat and slime guard duty, 24/7 service!” He drew his sword and made a ridiculously formal flourish with it. I couldn’t’ help it, my hand went to my lips and I giggled. He smiled at me, and nodded. “Good! Everything is better with a positive attitude!” he declared, and headed up to the rim of the depression looking about sharply.
Soriya knelt down and started drawing chalk lines, occasionally examining the formula sheets before drawing another careful line. I knelt down next to her, and joined in. It was still over my head, but it seemed I understood more of it than Eshaan. The sound of chalk on ancient stone filled the air for a while, then Soriya softly said “I think Eshaan is going to betray us.”
I sucked in a gasp, and looked up at where Eshaan stood. He turned his head and gazed down at me in concern. “Is everything alright, Miss Lilyanna?”
“Um. Urm. Well.” I laughed nervously. “Not really. You know. Thank you for standing guard!” I ducked my head again, whispering softly. “What do you mean?! You think he’s part of … of that… of it, somehow?!”
Soriya blinked, paused in her drawing, then returned with a steady hand. “No. I mean I think he’s here for your pendant, I think his boss asked him to keep an eye on it. The one we’re going to destroy?”
“You think he’ll try to stop us?”
Soriya nodded. “Yeah. Don’t get me wrong, he’s dumb as a post, and painfully earnest to boot. I think he’s a pawn, but an earnest pawn… he’s going to try and stop us.”
I sat back on my heels. “Soriya… do you think… is there…” I choked back a sob. “Is there even a point anymore? After what I’ve done-”
Soriya looked up at me, her violet eyes fierce. “Don’t talk like that. You didn’t know what would happen. You didn’t know the break would occur here or what it would do. In a way you’ve already thrown the plot off. I’m pretty sure this wasn’t supposed to happen. We’re still going to save our home. I have to believe that, because it’s the next right thing.” She drew the last careful curve of the magic circle on the ground, and sat back, wiping her hands free of chalk dust.
“Besides. It can only be to the good if we eliminate the plot coupon… I like that term by the way. Cute. If we eliminate your pendant, then that… it that killed the cavern can’t get it.”
I swallowed. “But he knows that’s what we’re going to do!”
Soriya nodded. “Yes, it does. But it left. It left without a fight. I think… I think it was scared, Lily. You didn’t see the flare of mana when it touched you. I think it left because it was scared. And that means we have a chance. So don’t you dare give up on me!”
I choked a sob back. “I thought I was the one who was supposed to be giving comforting speeches of heroism and determination?”
Soriya leaned over and hugged me gently, rubbing my back. “Nobody can be strong all the time. Not even a healer princess heroine.”
I will not cry. I will not! I told myself, as my eyes watered. I have to get this done! We have to save the village!
And otherme quietly added We can have a magnificent cry in our bed when this is all over.
I took another shaky breath, and let go of Soriya. Sitting back and examining the circle for any flaws. It looked right, but Soriya was the expert. She took a final glance and then gave me a thumbs up. “Right.” She said quietly. “Keep your pendant hidden until the last moment, but otherwise, just as we planned. Ready?”
I nodded firmly. “Ready.”
We learned forward, placing our hands on either side of the magic circle, and pushed mana into it. The circle immediately flared into brilliant light, almost as bright as the mote of my light spell overhead.
Soriya spoke, her voice gone echoey and strange. “Spirits of that lie beyond the mortal coil, fragments of the all that twirl in distant silence, we call on you!” Purple black shadows flickered and flared around her. I could feel my mana being drawn steadily out of me, the circle flaring brightly and darkly, an ominous reflection of what Benj-… what… what it had done when it, I dearly hoped, fled.
Dimly I was aware that there was some commotion at the edge where Eshaan was, but I couldn’t break my contact, I had to keep feeding mana into the circle or everything would fall apart. Time seemed distant and stretched, I was no longer sure how long I’d been here, feeding mana into this circle. Had I always been here? Was I even here now? Space and time seemed to bend and warp, flowing one into the other in a never-ending spiral. A tension was building, a breathless expectation, a held breath that rose and rose as we poured our mana into the ritual.
“We implore your aid; we beg your power!” Soriya continued her incantation. “Shield our hearths from harm, protect what we hold dear! We offer power, we offer the warmth of purpose!” Soriya looked up at me, and nodded, mouthing ‘now’.
I reached under my dress, pulling out my pendant, hauling it over my head and placing it in the center of the circle.
It cracked through the middle, a splintering shattering noise. I felt otherme’s cry of distress and anguish at the same time I heard a scream of denial from Eshaan.
“No! Wait, what are you doing!?” And sudden rough hands on my shoulders, my arms, pulling me backwards. The pendant glowing with all the colors of the rainbow, the purple black tendrils of power reaching out from the voidspace we’d opened, reaching greedily for it, and the pendant shattered into a million motes of shimmering rainbow light. The light of the circle was almost blinding as Eshaan roughly dragged me backwards. Very faintly I heard a multitude of voices like dark velvet whispering “Your bargain is accepted; our pact is discharged.” And the tension that had been building with the steady flow of mana was suddenly released, like an arrow from a bow, a sense of power and directed purpose taking hold.
The light of the circle winked out and I was suddenly so impossibly tired, every muscle in my body ached. I’d never felt like this, not even after the fight with the pixies.
Eshaan dashed into the circle, frantically scooping the glittering motes together in his hands. In the haze of exhaustion I noted idly He’s filthy. When did he get so dirty? There’s slime on everything, and blood smeared on what’s not slimed.
The motes of light twinkled in his hands and faded away into nothing. The cavern was silent. And then a gentle rumbling tremor filled the cavern, and the dead runes that wove their way through the cavern pulsed, flickered briefly, then condensed into a single bright mote that shown in midair, bursting outwards into a glowing figure of a dragon coiled around a tower.
“Child of the æther, daughter of the goddess’s wish. We see you.” It… her voice was beautiful, melodic, and echoing in a way that was like and unlike the voice of the dragon that summoned our shadow selves.
“We recognize your sacrifice.” She went on. “The determination of your soul. You are worthy of our aid; we will join you in your quest.”
The apparition collapsed into the mote of silver-grey light once more, and then darted towards me, vanishing into my chest. I laid a hand on my chest in shock.
You may call upon us at need, æther child. The tower dragon’s voice echoed softly in my head, and then was silent.
“Holy shit!” Soriya exclaimed, breaking the extended silence. “Was that an summon!? Did you just become a summoner?!”
And the voice of the world whispered in my ear “{Arcanist} Unlocked. Thanks to making a pact with the Arcanum of the Tower, you have unlocked {Arcanist:1}”
“It seems the world calls it an {Arcanist}.” I said wearily.
Eshaan looked completely lost, his face filled with conflicted emotions. I could see it coming before he even opened his mouth. He drew himself up, squaring his shoulders and taking on a mantle of authority.
It looks good on him. A part of me thought. I was too tired to figure out which part it even really was.
He pointed his sword, still smeared with slime and blood, at me. “I really am very sorry about this, Miss Lilyanna, but I must place you under imperial protection!”
Soriya laughed mirthlessly.
Eshaan frowned at her. “This is not a joke, Miss Soriya, you see-“
“You are an imperial agent sent by the guild proctor to keep tabs on us. Yes, of course.” Soriya finished, leaving Eshaan gaping like a fish out of water.
“You… you knew?!” He spluttered.
She shrugged. “We suspected.”
“How did you get so filthy?” I found myself asking.
He turned back to me, his mouth working, then finally said “There were… several attempts to disrupt your ritual. I held them off, while you finished.” He scowled. “Though I admit, I am regretting that decision! That pendant was vital to the future and security of your homeland!”
I felt a stirring of emotion in my chest, a now familiar feeling of strength wrapped in softness. “It was mine, Eshaan. Not the empires. And I have used it to protect my precious home.” I got to my feet, and wobbled. It was almost funny to see Eshaan fight with his own urge to steady me. I smiled at him tiredly. “It’s ok. I’ll go with you. It’s not like we could resist you, we’re completely tapped for mana. And we did what we came to do. Breezewood is safe.”
Eshaan scowled. “Safe from what?! What was that ritual?! If you felt you were in danger, why didn’t you call for an Imperial garrison!?”
I looked over at Soriya, who was also wearily getting to her feet. She grabbed a mana potion from her belt, uncorked and swallowed it. Oh yeah, that would help, wouldn’t it? She met my eyes and shrugged. I dithered for a moment, covering it by drinking one of my own mana potions, feeling the fatigue ease immediately.
“I don’t trust the empire.” I replied simply.
“What was all that about the spirits of darkness and your rite of adulthood?! Was that a lie too!?”
It stung, hearing him accuse us of lying. I felt heat return to my voice and I replied without thinking. “And what about you? Was your interest in this cavern merely playing along? Was that all a lie to get close to us?!” I realized that I had balled my fists and was leaning towards him angrily.
If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
He took a step back as though I’d slapped him. “T-that’s…”
Soriya lazily slid up next to him. “That’s the price of assisting the Empire to get what you want, is it? Hm. Seems some prices are steeper than anticipated. Come on. You’ve ‘captured’ us fair and square. Where are we going? I’m sure a big strong man like you doesn’t need to tie us up?” The smile on her face was positively wicked.
I scowled at her. “Soriya! Be nice!” She looked at me with surprise, her eyebrows raised, and tipped her head thoughtfully to the side.
“Well. If you’re asking…?” she said.
Eshaan scowled and waved his blade at us again. “Right! You’re both under imperial custody! My superior needs to know what’s going on here. He’ll decide what to do with you.”
I just nodded wearily, and proceeded meekly ahead him. I wanted a nap, a good long cry, and a bath, in that order and right now I didn’t even care too much about the order.
The journey out was much smoother going than the journey in, but the faintly glowing traceries of runework we’d spotted on our way in were all dead. If I hadn’t known better, I would have said that they had been that way for millennia. They certainly looked it, fractured, splintered, and ground as though by uncounted time. No slimes challenged our exit, and only the sad drops of blood indicated that bats had been fought in this or that passageway.
We emerged into the clearing, the late evening rays of a setting sun just touching the top of the forest. So late?! It’s almost dinner time?! I guess we did lose time in the ritual!
This thought was interrupted by a steadily increasing rhythmic ‘thrud thrud’ of sound coming from above and increasing wind that made the trees dance. I looked up towards the sound, shading my eyes to see, then let out a little squeal of excitement. “Oh! OH!! It’s an airship!” It was indeed an airship, a sleek hybrid fusion of ship and blimp, with spinning bronze gold propellers and ornate metalwork on its sleek hull. It was a silly thing to get excited about, of course there were airships-
We’ve never seen one! They’re incredibly rare!
-in this genre, and yet… and yet! It was a real airship!
Eshaan looked up at the ship which was slowly approaching for a landing, his face a mixture of puzzlement. “But that’s the Leimoniad. What’s she doing here?”
Soriya pointed over the forest. “Forget her, what’s that one doing?”
I followed her finger and saw the shadowy outline hovering far away to the south.
That’s the village. Why is there an airship near our village?! Why are there two airships near our village!?
The chill of fear from otherme was bracing, but I felt a subtle smile spreading across my lips, reassuring her.
This is what our ritual was for. This is what we prepared for. Relax. Everything will be fine.
For the ship to be visible at this distance, it must be a truly massive ship. Eshaan shook his head. “I… I don’t know. I don’t know why the Leimoniad is here. She was supposed to wait on the other side of the hills…”
“Well.” I clapped my hands together in front of me. “Let’s speak to your overseer. The proctor, Khine, right?”
Eshaan nodded dumbly as the airship Leimoniad slowly touched down, unfolding delicate wirework landing struts and settling to the ground. Even though she was a smaller ship, she more than filled the clearing, her bow and stern flattening the young trees surrounding the edges. She was really a beautiful thing, all elegant curves, bronzegold metal and propellers, the upper half a sleek shape like a fish, and the lower an ornately decorated metal and wood shell. And she was a real jrpg airship!
A panel on the side of the hull lowered, unfolding into a set of stairs, and proctor Khine made his way to the ground, followed by several empire troopers in full armor. I noted that Khine was no longer wearing the ‘almost’ military uniform of a guild proctor, but rather a true imperial uniform.
I nudged Eshaan gently with my elbow. “Well? We’re your captives. Go on, report to your superior.” I smiled gently at him. Eshann’s face was a wonderful mixture of confusion and guilt-
He really is so handsome!
Alright, stop that! No!
-but he pressed his lips together, nodded, and marched up to Proctor Khine. “Commander Khine, sir! Ensign Nakamu reporting!”
Oh sure. The hero gets a last name!
Why does he have two names? That’s just confusing!
I shared memories of vast cities filled with too many people.
Such a place exists!?
Sure. It probably exists in Spyre.
But so many people!?
Khine returned Eshaan’s salute with what seemed an awful lack of care to me. “Report, Ensign. What is the status here?”
“Sir, I… I must report failure. The… The object you sent me to guard has been… destroyed.”
Khine’s gaze snapped to me and then back to Eshaan. He frowned. “Destroyed? How? Details, ensign, details. Details are key to all decisions.”
In a few quick sentences Eshaan outlined recent events from his point of view. I noted that he downplayed his own competence with charming modesty, but didn’t make himself seem a fool.
Khine nodded and lazily strolled over to me and Soriya, looking us over casually. “So. You have memories of another realm, performed a strange ritual that summoned and banished shadow forms, destroyed an artifact from the Gods War, and your village protects an Ancient’s ruin. You are indeed a most interesting person, Miss Lilyanna. And I suspect you are hiding much more.” He turned and paced, his hands behind his back.
Our pendant?! A relic of the Gods War!?
I told you we were special.
But… but the Gods War?!
“Regrettably, I do not have the leisure to sate idle curiosity.” He turned to face me again. “I find myself pressed for time. You will tell me the purpose of these ruins and the reason your village has concealed them from the empire. And then you will tell me why it was so important to destroy a Gods War artifact that you left 4 days ahead of schedule. You will tell me these things, or I will have the Conqueror destroy your village.”
He’s… he’s a bad man!
So you believe me now?
Yes! And we have protected the village from him!
Eshaan said, with an apologetic glance at me, clearly conflicted, “You should tell him what he wants to know, Lilyanna. We only want what’s best for everyone.”
I felt my chin lift in defiance, both parts of me fully aligned. “I will tell you nothing.” I replied. “No threat you have will work!”
The commander paused, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "An interesting hypothesis. Let us test it." He yanked a pistol from his side and fired into the air. Brilliant streamers of blue and white and green elemental energy flew up hundreds of feet, and then burst into colorful fireworks.
What on earth was that about?
Look! Look at Eshaan!
Eshaan’s face had drained of color, and he looked towards the distant outline of the ship hovering over my village with a horrified expression on his face.
Flashes of light in a mingled assortment of elemental colors twinkled from the sides of the distant airship, and then a dome of rippling elemental light expanded upwards, rising over the tops of the distant forest. A roar of elemental thunder that shook the ground and a wind strong enough to make us sway followed shortly on its heels.
Oh my god, he did it! He did it! You were right! He really did it! I felt a surge or horror and shock from otherme, her emotions lifting my hands to my mouth and widening my eyes in shock.
Beside me, Soriya burst into high pitched hysterical laughter. I was tempted to join her. After all, this was what we had worked to avoid, what I hoped we had avoided. But the horror of what the commander had so casually ordered lodged like a burr in my mind.
The commander glanced at Soriya in puzzlement, then turned to me. "And nothing of importance was lost. Shall we see what else you care about that I can take away?"
I swallowed, and then said, as casually as I could manage "You know, I've always wondered. Why did you destroy the village? That was your leverage, your sole point of pressure. Now you have nothing. Why would you do that?"
The commander was clearly nonplussed by my reply. He snapped "Nothing? I have you. And if you insist on being a such a stubborn lock, we will use all the tools at hand." He turned to Eshaan-
Oh Eshaan. Oh I’m so sorry! You poor boy! Floated through my head. I wasn’t even sure who was thinking it.
“Ensign Eshaan. Cut off that woman’s arm.” He pointed at Soriya.
Eshaan turned to the commander, horror written all over his face. “W-what? Commander…!?
The commander turned to Eshaan, his eyes like chips of ice. “Ensign? I gave you a clear order.”
Eshaan gestured wildly. “Commander! This is outrageous! You can’t-“
Three sharp BANGS interrupted whatever impassioned speech he was about to make, and he crumpled to the ground, blood soaking the front of his tunic.
“C-commander…? W-why?” he gasped out, then slumped.
Commander Khine stepped over Eshaan’s body, holstering his pistol. "Ah, I see we missed a villager." He turned to one of the troopers by the airship. “Lt. Isha. Carry out my order.”
The trooper snapped to attention. “Sir!” and drew his sword.
It had been a little funny at first. A little sad and pathetic, with a touch of triumph, but mostly funny. Now it was not. Eshaan… well he was annoying and the hero of the story and I really didn’t like him or what he represented, but he was earnest. And honest. And sincere. And, alright, damn it, also very cute. He hadn’t deserved that. And Soriya was my friend. My only friend, right now. I had protected my village at great cost. Could I do any less for my friend?
I felt a bubble of rage building inside me, a familiar feeling like a crystal shell of perfect clarity.
Daughter of the goddess, the price will be high, but we know you will pay it. That is why we chose you. The dragon’s voice echoed in my mind.
The crystal shell floated up through me, burst out of me, throwing my head and arms back, my mouth open to the sky in a soundless shout, and the silver dragon coiled around her grey stone tower burst into existence around me. In a flash, my mana was gone, and she demanded more. I gave, and it hurt. It hurt almost as badly as the pixies. But somehow I could bear it, I knew I must bear it. And I gave.
The dragon opened her mouth and bellowed with words that echoed in my soul.
YOU HAVE BEEN JUDGED. YOU ARE FOUND WANTING. Brilliant spears of light stabbed down out of the heavens, striking the airship, the ground, the imperial soldiers. Explosive thunder filled the air, and when the spears vanished, there was nothing left where they had fallen.
I fell to my knees, something feeling torn and ripped inside me. I coughed, and bright red blood splattered across the ground. Around me there was chaos. Commander Khine shouted orders-
Why is he still here?
-a solider I hadn’t seen grabbed Soriya by the arm and hustled her towards the airship-
No. Not fair. Why?
-and the airship lifted into the air, torn fragments falling from it to the forest floor, holes punctured through it’s beautiful gleaming bronzework superstructure, three of its the ornate propellers shattered into useless scrap.
I watched it go, feeling a deep pit of anger growing in me again.
We cannot come to your aid again, æther child, the strain would kill you.
Not fair! I was supposed to have won!
Proctor… no. Commander Khine leaned over the railing and yelled down.
“We will talk later, after you have recovered your senses! If you do so quickly, you may even talk with your friend before I remove hers! We await your arrival Farna!" He waved Soriya’s hat tauntingly, letting it fall floating back down into the clearing as the airship retreated into the sky. I was left alone in the forest clearing with the wreckage of my plans.
I don’t know how long I sat there, feeling nothing but numb emptiness before I heard a faint moan of agony from Eshaan. I looked up and felt an intense burst of hatred for him. My hands clenched at my sides.
Of course he was alive. He was the hero! Nothing was allowed to happen to him!
Are you sure? I think he really will die if we don’t do something.
I spat blood from my mouth, and staggered to my feet, taking stock. No potions left. I staggered over to Eshaan and fumbled at his belt. He didn’t have any either. I got up and looked around helplessly, noting for the first time the empty suits of armor, and fragments of gear and weapons.
Oh. Like Soriya said. Drops. The bodies just evaporate. I felt my head spin, and I gagged.
I killed people. Real people this time. Oh spirits, what have I done?! This was supposed to be exciting. Fun. Aren’t isekai’s supposed to have power to shake the world without moral questions? And now my best friend is kidnapped, I’ve killed people, and I’ve got a useless spiky haired hero that I have to save.
Otherme whispered softly The next right thing. I pressed my lips together and nodded. It was all I had. I staggered over to the sad piles of Drops and knelt down to see what I could find.
***
The airship engines throbbed like a stuttering heartbeat, catching itself then chugging anemically before stuttering again.
Soriya sat on the decking of the bridge feeling the throb of the engines in her bones. Her hands had been tied behind her, she was gagged, and what the empire soldiers had solemnly assured her was an explosive collar that would trigger if any spirit channeling occurred near it was fitted around her neck.
It’s like they’re scared of me or something. She thought fiercely. Good. They’ll see what a witch’s fury is like soon enough. She twisted her hands in their bonds, trying to ease some of the pain. If only I knew what had happened to the village?! The bitterness of a possible failure chewed at her stomach far worse than the coils of rope bound around her arms and waist. And worst of all, she was missing her hat. She really liked her hat!
The Lt who had captured her looked over at her motion. “You’ll find our knots are more than equal to a hedge witches’ skill.” He sneered. Commander Khine entered, and Lt Isha snapped to attention and saluted. “Sir!”
Khine retuned the salute. “At ease Lt.” He glanced at Soriya. “Has the witch been properly secured? I don’t want any more unexpected incidents to interrupt our task.”
Isha saluted again. “Sir! She has, and the explosive rune collar fitted!”
“Good. Have her moved a holding cell when we dock. Status?”
“Reporting, sir! We have rendezvoused with the Conqueror who has taken us under tow. We are currently enroute to the provincial capital, Farna. The engineers report that they’ve been able to bring one of the Leimoniad’s primary engines online at 50% power, and one of the backups at 30%. We expect to make the airship docks in a little more than two hours.”
Commander Khine tapped his foot and frowned. “Unfortunate. That girl has thrown quite a spanner in our works.”
Lt. Isha fidgeted uncomfortably, then said “Sir, permission to speak freely?”
The commander turned to him and raised a single eyebrow. “You may speak.”
“Why didn’t we just kill the girl? She attacked us! She killed 12 imperial soldiers and damaged an imperial frigate! We should have-”
“That’s enough, Lt.”
“But sir-!”
Faster than Soriya could follow, the commander slapped Lt Isha across the cheek with a loud report, leaving a red welt.
"Idiot.” Khine said without heat. He started to pace slowly about the bridge, coming to rest next to one of the gaping holes that Lilyanna’s summon had cored through the airship. Soriya could see flashes of cloud and sky through it. “That hole is the size of your torso through forged steel thicker than your greatcoat, and there are four of them. The power she conjured did that with a single attack. To stay there would have consigned all of us to pointless death.” He turned and continued his slow pace.
"We ask unquestioning loyalty of our soldiery, and the only way to reward that is by honoring it with intelligence, awareness, and the understanding that we will not spend such coin on frivolity. We will gather forces appropriate to our end and prepare for her heroics. I have studied her and her village for more than five years. She will come for this one.” He gestured to Soriya, crouched on the decking. “She won’t be able to help herself."
Soriya smiled behind her gag. You’d better believe it. That girl is far more of a hero than she lets herself believe. … I hope she remembers to bring my hat.
"But why did you destroy the town? What purpose-"
The commander silenced the man with a sharp wave of a hand. "She viewed my words as a threat. It was not. You see, Lt, it is important to never threaten. We are not children, nor thugs attempting to scare fat merchants from their wares. We are soldiers of the Imperium. We explain terms, make promises, and then… we fulfill them. I gave her a choice and took the payment. That village was the price for making me ask a second time."
Lt. Isha was clearly displeased, but swallowed it. “I see, sir.” He gave a short bow. Another solider knocked on the door. “Sir!”
Khine nodded to the solider. “Go ahead, airman.”
“You wanted to be informed when the Conqueror completed its after-action report.”
Khine nodded. “Go ahead.”
The airman handed Khine a clipboard with sheets of paper on it, and recited “Two hundred HE rounds expended, totals are 50 Fire, 50 Earth, 50 Bolt, and 50 air. Gunnery teams report that the battery operated at peak efficacy, and the gun barrels do not appear degraded.”
Khine nodded. “Observed effect of the High Elemental rounds?”
“As expected, sir, the village was completely eliminated, no trace of it remained once the elemental storm debris had cleared.”
Soriya felt a stab of horror and dismay through her. Had they failed? Had it all been for nothing?! What had the ritual even done!?
Khine flipped through the notes on the clipboard, then paused. “What’s this?”
“Sir?” The airman looked over at where Khine indicated a spot on the paper.
“Ah. The observation team noted a slight irregularity. The rounds interaction appears to have smoothed out the terrain to an unusual degree, and the nearby lake’s water level has lowered a surprising amount. They also noted that the blast wave has damaged the surrounding landscape and the local forest was affected.”
Khine shrugged. “Such interactions are to expected when detonating High Elemental ordinance. We have more pressing matters to attend to than minor irregularities in a weapons test.” He turned to look out the bridge windows, his hands behind him. “The fate of the empire itself may be at stake.”