Monster Girl Survival Game: Current Events This thread serves as a platform for the admins and officers of the MSG to post events that are happening or have happened recently in the MSG world. Besides the fact that they are hopefully amusing to read, they also add lore and flavor to the setting, while at the same time allowing the staff to put certain things in perspective. This could be something that has happened in a story and is here presented from the perspective of an ordinary (mamono) denizen of the world, or an event that affects many denizens in a certain area. As this thread's purpose is to provide a platform to the staff to communicate events to the readers and writers. We kindly ask you not to post comments here. Should you have (an idea for) an event you would like to see added here, please contact emeraldtryst. Editor's remark I: For now the index shows the events sorted geographically. This might change in the future to chronological sorting Editor's remark II: If there are two numbers behind an event title like this: [X/Y] that means the event writeup is too big to fit in a single post. The X refers to the post number for that event writeup and the Y refers to the total number of posts the writeup spans. The links on this page should send you to the first post INDEX Amarante Haktiva: End of an Era by Emeraldtryst [1/3] [url=][/url] Elizabeth [url=][/url] [url=][/url] |
MetallumOperaturMar 17, 2017 5:25 PM
| Haktiva: End of an Era by Emeraldtryst [1/3] Article from The Alnor Accoster By: Skittle Glitter, Faerie Juggler Where has everyone been for the last couple days, right? It’s strange...fairy fairy strange indeed. It used to be, in the far off age of last week, that this writer couldn’t perform her singing and juggling act for more than a few seconds before being slapped with a rolled-up copy of this fine periodical and told to skedaddle. Now it takes whole minutes. One person on the scene was quoted as saying, “Please, just go bother someone else.” While another added, “If you don’t take that dusting ass out of here and stop bothering my customers, I’m going to go find a Kraken to keep you busy!” As any long time reader of the Accoster should be able to tell, those reactions suggest that nothing is amiss. However, this writer will do her due diligence and keep a fairy close eye on this developing story and possible conspiracy! ----------------------- Special thanks to Beast and dcw for their input and dcw for allowing the reclusive Amarante out of her secret shed, if only for a bit. Due to extreme length, will be spread over 3 posts. Haktiva: End of an Era Part 1 - Darius Darius had been drilled over and over on how to deal with these strange mamono but found himself what one of the elders might have called "vulnerably curious" about the one he found himself dealing with on his first time as a member of one of the small trade expeditions his people made to purchase the things they couldn’t hunt for or make themselves. Flashing the young man a wry smile, the lizardman merchant addressed Darius. "Oh, it's one of you guys. We've got fresh fruits, vegetables, some recently caught game...but I bet you're going to tell me-" "Coarse grain, please," Darius answered as he'd been instructed. "Of course," she replied, having heard the exact same response dozens or hundreds of times before. Gathering up the prepared sacks of grain as requested, she looked back at the nervously uncomfortable, yet very well-muscled boy. "You don't need to be so nervous. I won't bite unless you ask nice. Should a warrior be so skittish in the first place?" Darius was flustered, to say the least. After the stories he'd heard, he expected that he'd be dealing with a beast--nothing at all like a human. What he saw instead was a beautiful woman that was smiling at him in a way he'd never even seen his wife smile. "Y-you could have set up an ambush," he stated quietly, looking around the open plain for any signs of the impossibility he'd just suggested. "An ambush?" she replied with a light laugh. "Do I look like a danuki to you? These are the same prices you always get." She smiled again as she took the small handful of coins from the boy. "Looks like your friends are still inspecting the weapons. What's your name? I'm Lucy." "Y-yes. I shouldn't--I mean...Darius." He answered, cursing himself. He'd be told that some monsters could steal his soul just by having his name. "Well Darius, that's a mighty fine sword arm you've got there. So do they make all of you Haktivans so big?" She asked, taking a slightly seductive tone. Confident in this answer at least, Darius answered, "Compared to many of my brothers, I'm quite small." "Oh, I'm sure you're big enough where it counts. Actually, we should have a couple minutes if you want to show me how well you can handle that sword." She finished with a wink as she leaned in seductively. Also certain of this answer, Darius happily replied. "Our swords do not taste wind outside the village unless we are accosted!" Seeing the adorably vacant look on the young man’s face, Lucy tried to remind herself that to most of the Haktivans she’d dealt with in the past, getting one of them to pick up on a double entendre was a lot like trying to fish without a hook. “I uh...right.” Lucy shook her head in amused exasperation. “So do you like fighting? The way you fellows carry yourselves, it certainly seems like you see a lot of it.” Now Darius was perplexed as he answered, “I do not understand. All of us that are born within Haktiva’s walls train from sunup to sundown to hone our skills so that we can defend our home. Do I like it? It is my duty.” Lucy blinked twice, “You do that every single day?” “Oh, no. Any of us on special detail like this do not. When we are on watch duty we only train for half the day and we get a day every other month entirely to ourselves. Those that excel in training can even earn up to another full day of leave every month,” Darius replied bashfully as though he was spoiled by that arrangement. This was the most conversation Lucy had ever gotten out of one of these men. While they were never rude, they had always been entirely about business, ignoring her attempts at small talk. “So you must be under attack constantly. Kaori slavers?” Lucy attempted, trying to make sense of what Darius was saying. Darius shook his head. “No. The elders in the council have said we are under the protection of Amarante, but that at any time she could--ah...nevermind.” “Well now I’m curious what you think the Calm Lord is going to do. Amarante hasn’t been at war as long as I’ve been alive and she’s about as fair a ruler as I can imagine,” Lucy answered back as she measured the young man’s reaction. Adjusting his armor to distract from his look of embarrassment, Darius hesitantly replied, “Monsters are--no, I do not wish to offend you. You must be unique if you are willing to trade with us.” “Sweetie, I’ve fought alongside Talon mercs...there is nothing you could say that could possibly offend me,” Lucy said with a smile. Looking over to the rest of his trade detail to see them still inspecting the weapon shipment, Darius turned back to Lucy and spoke in a whisper. “Monsters are...impure,” he said, visibly flinching as he said it as he nervously added, “The others I mean...not like you.” Is that what he thought? What they all thought? Lucy was more intrigued than anything as she swung her sinuous tail and smiled back with another hint of playfully sweet seduction as an idea began to take form, “No, not like me. If a succubus or a baphomet got her hands on you, she’d twist your mind around so fast that you’d forget that you’d ever even heard the word ‘impure’ before she locked you up forever.” Seeing the young man’s horrified look, Lucy stifled a smile and continued in an almost apologetic tone, “That’s just if you haven’t prepared though. Just for your own safety, I suppose I should ask...have you ever been with a woman, Darius?” Shaking off images of being slowly torn limb from limb, Darius breathed a small sigh of relief at the change in topic. He nodded as he visibly calmed, “Of course. I was married a year ago at sixteen. I have lain with her eight times since--” Darius cut himself off with a fierce blush as he realized what he was saying. Lucy gave a comforting smile in response, “It’s nothing to be ashamed of, silly. We lizardfolk are just like you...we do what feels good. Sort of surprised you wouldn’t mate with her more often if you’re married.” Darius balked at her suggestion. “M-more?! It is just...my duty. She is very beautiful but...any more would be…” he trailed off as words failed him in considering the possibility as he added, the only thing that came to mind, “Too much...right?” With a light laugh and small step closer to the flustered boy, Lucy was now close enough to feel his body heat. “Is it? Wouldn’t you know better than I?” Trying to respond with the scattered teachings he could remember, Darius attempted to answer, “The elders have said-” Lucy took another small step closer and leaned casually against the young boy, her tail brushing against his leg and her smile turning more seductive as she closed the jaws of her trap. “With as much training as you do, when your body can’t handle any more--it’ll definitely tell you, right? How about when you feel hungry or thirsty? It’s the same when your body craves the touch of a woman--ah, it looks like you are craving that touch now, aren’t you?” Darius shook his head, “I don’t--” “Darius!” one of the other men finally shouted, nearly throwing the young man out of his boots in surprise. “Let’s move. We need to be back before nightfall.” Cooly stepping away from Darius, Lucy pulled a few coins from what she had been paid for the grain and handed it back to the young man. “You can tell them you talked me down on the price. That should help make sure that you get to stay on trade detail, right?” Flustered and trying to hide the obvious signs of his excitement, Darius nodded quickly, “Y-yes. I think so.” “Good, then maybe I’ll see you in a month?” Lucy suggested with a lingering touch of her scaled hand on the young man’s arm. Darius simply blushed and shouldered the heavy sacks of grain as he moved to quickly join his comrades. He spoke no answer, but the fire that had been lit in his eyes was all the answer Lucy needed. ---------------------------------------- Part 2 - Mikal “Lower your stance next time and don’t forget that your shield should be another weapon in single combat,” Mikal chastised one of his students as he looked down at the fallen boy and extended a hand. “Yes sir! Thank you sir!” the young trainee yelled as Mikal pulled him back to his feet. Mikal had been training Haktivan soldiers for nearly ten years. Long enough that he had long since stopped hearing the canned replies the young soldiers always offered in response to his advice. “That’s enough for today. Those of you on night watch, report to your posts. Everyone else give me ten laps around the city before dinner and then lights out. You’ll all be training with Harker for the next six months starting tomorrow so get plenty of rest...and you’d damn well better not make me look like a fool,” Mikal added as he sheathed his sword and stood before the assembled men. “Yes sir!” they called out in unison without a hint of hesitation as they busied themselves with what they’d been ordered to do. It was always the same for Mikal, one of the few within the city that had the gift of something akin to true freedom. He’d long ago proven himself as one of the best warriors among the Haktivans, but it was the time after proving himself that had been...unique. Even though many of the more xenophobic Haktivans hated to admit it, nearly all of their exceptional arms and armor came from mamono, either directly or via practiced refinement techniques. Arachne silk, dwarven steel, mermaid blood...many of his fellow Haktivans had a knack for forgetting where their prized equipment truly originated. Mikal, however, was more intimately acquainted with the concept. It couldn’t ever be made public to the rest of Haktiva, but after numerous skirmishes with mamono over the years, the elders and the harbinger had become very aware that their insulated world meant that they would never be able to improve their martial skills beyond a certain point. Even allowing for the arrival of people from elsewhere, there was still little chance that even an offworlder with exceptional training would be able to so much as match the 3rd year students. While the council publicly refused to agree to allow more extensive foreign expeditions, there was no reason they couldn’t allow one of their most trusted warriors to nurture his talents by seeking training amongst the best the “enemy” had to offer. That’s what they told themselves anyway. After ten grueling years of travel all across the island, Mikal had taken his skills far beyond what most of his comrades even thought possible for a human. This was due entirely to training and techniques he acquired from those that were most definitely not human. In his journies, Mikal had trained in nearly every conceivable aspect of combat across nearly the entire island and even beneath the sea. He’d trained and faced off against everything from pixie blood swarmers to ancient war golems and everything in between. With each new technique or tactic he mastered, he found two more that he needed to learn. As much as he loved to learn, he knew that he could never hope to master even one of the several dozen disciplines in which he’d trained unless he found some path to immortality. It didn’t matter that most mamono weren’t martially minded in the first place when they could set aside a decade in training that amounted to little more than a long afternoon of their impossibly long lives. Mikal’s most humbling experience had been with a small order of (mostly) ascetic kunoichi that had developed a style of swordplay that was called something like the Fuku Hakai no Ken. Described to him as a method of removing clothing in the most efficient way possible with the aid of a sword, Mikal had made the mistake of thinking that was all it had the potential to very quickly remove. He’d paid for that lesson and his subsequent angry outburst with two weeks of what they called “meditation”. Coupled with his experiences everywhere else on the island by then, he already knew exactly about what he’d be meditating. Arguably the most useful skill Mikal had refined and perfected...was his acting. He could no longer remember if he’d ever hated mamono like some of the younger and more ignorant of his students, but he did know that the council would have stopped sending him out across the island if he didn’t express at least some...distaste for monsters. The reality was that he had grown to hate his gilded cage and longed to go back to being a mysterious wandering swordsman for the mamono to gossip about. After the first that rumor spread had turned into a very spirited week, he knew there was no fully going back. After that he spread the rumors himself, like a game, to bring the curious right to him. Training was fine but it was nearly worthless without practical application and so this made sure he could kill two birds with one stone...or fill two birds with one bone as the case often was. Sometimes he won those fights and other times he lost. Regardless of the outcome, he would happily extend his male courtesy as the spoils or the consolation. He tried to feel guilty about laying with the enemy almost as much as he tried to feel guilty for enjoying it. After a while the only thing he had about which to be guilty was the fact that he didn’t feel guilty at all. He thought back to where everything had really started to change… Perhaps it had been fate that brought him across the path of the young Bladetail warrior or perhaps it had been the rumors he’d spread at the nearby trade outpost. He certainly hadn’t planned on winning against a Bladetail, but then the young lizardman fought as though it was her first real encounter, unlike the other far more hardened legionnaires he normally encountered. Not flinching in the face of what she thought was her death soon to arrive, she was more than pleased when Mikal produced a far different weapon with which to finish her off. In their second meeting nearly five years later, they’d fought each other to a standstill over several hours. The pair of them declared the match a draw to hide from a pair of centaurs that had come to see about the rumors he’d again been spreading. “You’re better than any human I’ve ever fought. What’s your name, o ‘mysterious swordsman’?” She whispered from beside him in the bush they’d used to hide. “That’s not much of a compliment, you know. And it’s Mikal,” he answered with a smirk. “You’re a lot better than you were last time but you still take your swings too wide.” “Don’t patronize me! If it was such a weakness you’d have made me pay for it...unless that human body just isn’t up to it,” she shot back in a huff. He smiled and poked at the soft scaly flesh near the top of her ribcage, eliciting a pained yelp from her. “Looks like someone else has been making you pay for it already. Didn’t seem nice to make it any worse.” Looking embarrassed at the centaurs and hoping she hadn’t been heard, she scowled back at Mikal. “Oh that’s it...next time we’re going to settle this for good and I’m going to work you over until you can’t even walk straight.” Leaning in against the attractive scaly girl, Mikal snaked his free arm around the small of her back. “I don’t have anywhere to be now. That is if you aren’t too winded from out duel to try and work work me over now.” “Wait,” she whispered as she was still another several minutes until the centaurs finally wandered off. She then pulled Mikal into a deep kiss. “I like the way you think, Mikal. I’m Karen.” The second leg of their duel was also grudgingly called a draw when the sun started to rise many hours later with both combatants fully satisfied to let a true outcome be determined at some later date. It was only three months later that Mikal ran into Karen again. She didn’t even hesitate as she charged him in an attempt to end the fight quickly. Seeing her movements as she approached, Mikal raised an eyebrow before moving to defend himself, disarming Karen and knocking her down after barely more than a minute. As she fell, Mikal knew something was wrong and rushed forward, tossing his weapons as he did so. “Karen! What’s wrong? Is it poison? Plague?” Seeing Mikal’s concern, she pulled him into a kiss. “There’s nothing in me that you didn’t put there.” Confused at what he was hearing Mikal moved away slightly. “You don’t mean...no--but I thought that mamono couldn’t...I thought that was impossible.” Karen shook her head. “You knew I was young the first time we met and you haven’t seen any male monsters, have you? How exactly did you think we had children?” “Magic?” Mikal said hopefully as he slumped back onto his ass and tried to consider what Karen was telling him. “It’s rare without a Lord getting involved, but it does happen. I’ve been looking for you so that I could tell you.” She frowned a bit before continuing. “A man of your skill would definitely be welcome with the Legion. I don’t know where you’re from but I’m sure-” “No...I can’t, Karen,” Mikal interrupted as he shook his head in answer to dozens of other unasked questions. Sitting up and putting a hand on his shoulder, Karen gave a conciliatory smile. “Didn’t think I’d ever see a look like that on your face. It’s okay...I know this wasn’t what you were planning. You know where to send a messenger if you change your mind and even if that means I’ll never see you again...you’ve already given me a gift more valuable than you know.” “I...have a lot to think about,” Mikal answered as he tried to consider this current sin thrown on top of the others he hoped he’d never had to explain to the Haktivan council. “This is a lot more complicated than it should be.” Karen smiled at Mikal. “Well then worry about something else...like how you’re going to deal with the dangerously aroused and pregnant Bladetail Legionnaire you’ve so callously defeated.” “Did you seriously just say I should have gone easy on you?” Mikal mused before becoming serious again. “But what about…” he trailed off as he let his open palm rest gently upon Karen’s midsection. With a quick movement, Karen pushed Mikal back and pinned him to the ground. “Tsk tsk, so telling you that you’re going to be a father is your fatal weakness, hmm? I’ll have to remember that so I can use it again.” Karen placed a lingering kiss on Mikal’s lips before adding, “She’s the child of a Bladetail and the most talented human warrior I’ve ever seen. She’ll be just fine.” No longer in a position to refuse even if he’d wanted to, Mikal let the sensuous happiness of the moment smother the many worries that would surely assault him later. -------------------------------- It had been four years since his last meeting with Karen, and Mikal decided that he had played the part of the worldly general long enough. He had honored his sense of duty to Haktiva by training soldiers as best he could but there was another more important duty Mikal felt he needed to carry out. Sending the letter via secret messengers, Mikal arranged to meet with Karen to see his daughter. He knew that he might never be able to return to Haktiva, but he was satisfied that he’d imparted as much of his knowledge as he could. A small detachment of Bladetails was set to meet him in the forests not far from the city. Mikal was skilled, but no single man could have hoped to hold off a full party of slave hunters and they’d been far more active lately. Karen insisted upon an escort. The rest of the small unit was given a description of the distinctive colors Mikal was likely to be wearing to make certain that he wouldn’t be attacked on sight. It was all fairly routine. There wasn’t much that could possibly go wrong. ----------------------------- Mikal had used his considerable stealth training to come upon the group of Bladetails as they travelled, the lot of them making about as much noise as possible. “Come on, Karen...you’re overdoing it a little,” he whispered to himself with a smile. Within another day, Mikal would finally get a chance to see his daughter. It wasn’t until Mikal saw the outworlder that had been training with Melnik stumble into the open that he grew concerned. He hadn’t seemed all bad until he’d started listening to Isaac spewing his ignorant lunacy. Perhaps Mikal could convince them to go a bit easy on the boy. That was what he thought as he took a step forward and hesitated only long enough to see hell itself unleashed upon the completely unsuspecting patrol a few moments later. It had to be Isaac and his group. Mikal was more than a match for any three of them at once, but he had no idea how many of them were in the Haktivan patrol even after most of them had charged from hiding. More than being caught flat-footed, the patrol was moving like they thought this was another of Mikal’s silly tactics. He wanted to scream out, to warn them, to charge into the fray and turn the tide. All he could bring himself to do was watch helplessly as the patrol realized far too late that, despite wearing the same colors and fighting with the same weapons, this was not Mikal and his friends that had engaged them. As Mikal sat and shivered alone in the dark, watching his supposed comrades pick the patrol clean like vultures, destroying any sign that they’d been there and making it look like a slave hunter attack, he made the only meaningful decision of that night. If the Bladetails hadn’t been expecting Mikal, they would have had no problem holding off that ambush, however well executed it might have been. If the Haktivans had been trained by anyone other than Mikal, they wouldn’t have stood a chance in the first place. If it hadn’t been for Mikal, none of them would have died. If it hadn’t been for Haktiva… Mikal stopped only a moment over Karen’s body. He may not have loved her, but nobody deserved such a fate. And after a few years with Karen and his daughter...who knows? He placed a tiny kiss upon lips that had taken on the night’s chill and uttered an apology. At least one girl had been left without a mother. How many others might have been left without mothers, sisters, or daughters? Getting back to his feet, Mikal swore an oath and set his feet on a course for the Bladetail camp. He was going to make sure they knew what had happened at the hands of his own countrymen and, if asked, pay the price for their hatred. Whether that price was his life, his body, or his willful treason--he’d offer it gladly. ----------------------- Part 3 - Ulysses Siegfried Gaylord --10 years ago-- “What’s your name? And be quick about it before we decide to make an example of you, monster lover,” the large man said as he leered down at the unexpected spoils of his unit’s raid on this ogre’s cave. Laughing at the sword that had been pointed at his face, the young man responded without a hint of worry. “Ulysses Siegfried Gaylord. Yeah...drink it in. There isn’t a damn thing you can say to me about my name that I haven’t already heard.” Assuming the unarmed boy simply hadn’t seen the steel threat being pointed in his direction, Isaac sneered, “You’ve got a pretty big mouth for a kid we basically had to peel out from between that monster’s legs. You might want to change your tone or-” Completely aware and almost welcoming of the blade that had been pointed his way, the teenager jumped to his feet in anger, cutting the soldier off, “Or what?! Oooh, big man with a sword. You’re just like the rest and I don’t fucking care anymore! If you have something to say then say it or put that sword to work, asshole. You’re not getting a single tear from me.” Isaac had seen a lot of reactions in men that had to watch their “mates” put to the sword, but this boy, barely into his teens, seemed different. His words appeared to the hardened Haktivan as much more than mere bravado as he stared up the length of Isaac’s gladius without any trace of fear. “Let’s try this again. This cave is very near the sovereign lands of Haktiva. What were you doing with that...thing?” Isaac asked. He wasn’t above being reasonable, but Isaac also had little tolerance for collaborators with the enemy. “I was her plaything between meals. It was pointless to fight back, not that I even know how. It’s always pointless,” the boy replied coldly. In the boy’s response, Isaac saw a helpless resignation. The boy was a tall, gangly, wisp of a man that looked like he’d never even watched someone hard at work, let alone done any himself. Someone like this normally wouldn’t be worth the trouble to even save, but Isaac also saw an ember burning in those eyes that he’d seen in himself once, many years before. “Ulysses, let’s-” Isaac began a bit more calmly. “If you care, just call me Sieg,” the boy cut in again. “Okay, Sieg. We’re avoiding a few harpy patrols so we’ve got some time to kill. Why don’t you tell me your story and then we’ll decide what to do with you,” Isaac said as he sheathed his weapon. “Why even waste the breath? Why do you care?” Sieg asked as he sat back down, sliding himself away from the ogre’s body as he did so. Tossing Sieg a spare cloak to cover his nakedness, Isaac the sat across from the boy. “My grandfather’s name was Ulysses. It’s a strong name of an ancient hero. Why be ashamed of it?” “Fine,” Sieg spat with finality. “I don’t want your pity but it’s not like I have anything else to do.” With that, Sieg related to the chain of events that had led him to this world and this filthy cave. --------------------------- “Hey, Gaylord! I know you love balls but throw it back over here!” his schoolmate Tim shouted. “Yeah, real funny man. Here,” Sieg said as he threw the ball back over the fence. It was at that moment that Tim had decided to look over at one of the girls from their coed gym class running by. Sieg didn’t have a good arm or any sort of athletic talent so it wasn’t moving all that fast, but that still didn’t give his target enough time to react before the baseball hit Tim right in the face. The class went silent as Tim looked back up at Sieg in embarrassed rage. “You think that’s funny? I’ll show you fucking funny.” Tim’s girlfriend Kristy put a calming hand on Tim’s arm. “Let it go. It isn’t worth it and it was just a mistake right, Sieg?” Shaking in fear, Sieg eagerly nodded. “Yeah, man. I wasn’t paying attention, sorry.” Angrily reaching down to pick up the ball, Tim stormed off. “Whatever.” It wasn’t like this was anything new. Tim was always looking for a reason to make Sieg’s life a living hell--though most times he didn’t even need a reason. Sieg had been thrown to the ground more times than he could count, had his things taken or vandalized, been shoved into lockers for hours at a time, been beaten and forced to lick the bathroom floor...or whatever else Tim and his friends could think up that would make the tall beanpole feel like less of a human. Some time around 6th grade, he’d given up on trying to tell the teachers about what was happening. “If we didn’t see it then it didn’t happen,” they’d always reply. The last time he got that response while trying to report an incident, he shot back at the uncaring teacher. “Yeah, I dunked my own head in the toilet you fucking union tool.” As a result, Sieg was suspended for insulting a teacher and his parents read him the riot act as though he was some sort of problem child. Oh, but his parents were another joy all their own. Doting and loving, they still only ever managed to hear exactly what they wanted to hear when Sieg told them about his day. “What?” his father answered one day after being told that Sieg had been pushed down the stairs and nearly broke his arm trying to catch himself on the railing. “If someone pushes you around, son...you’ve got to push back. We love you but we can’t fight your battles for you and even if we could, we can’t always be there.” “You’re right, dad. I’ll take care of it,” Sieg assured. The next day Sieg tried to follow his father’s advice after having a carton of milk poured over him during lunch. Quickly getting to his feet, he turned and slugged Tim in the face as hard as he could. Sieg didn’t actually remember what had happened after that. He just knew that he had two black eyes, a concussion, and a missing molar...and another suspension from school for “starting a fight.” The icing on that particular cake was being grounded afterwards by his father...for following his exceptionally helpful advice. Sieg blamed plenty of his problems on his parents. Who the fuck names their kid Ulysses in this day and age? But it wasn’t as though they didn’t care...they just didn’t understand what he was going through and wouldn’t listen when Sieg tried to tell them. What exactly could Sieg do? He found online groups full of people that were in similar situations...some even worse, but talking about his problems just made him more angry. He was fine being weak, slow, and even with not having any friends. If it had just been that, he’d have been okay. Why did Tim and his friends have to make things even worse? Sieg eventually stopped even asking the questions that had no fair answer and let himself be punished for being an outcast, the life he’d never wanted in the first place. The only thing that kept him sane was Kristy. They lived next to each other and had grown up together. She was absolutely beautiful and had always stuck up for Sieg until they’d gotten old enough for both of them to realize that her attempts to help him just ended up backfiring and making things worse. Despite being in completely different social circles, Kristy’s parents liked Sieg and invited him over often. Kristy liked the tall waifish boy in a more serious way than even her parents suspected. The pair of them occasionally spent time together on weekends, but only if they could get their parents to drive them to the next town over. Kristy and Sieg both knew that it would only cause both of them problems if they were seen together by anyone at their school. More than that, Kristy was “dating” Tim. Sieg was long past caring about his own reputation, but Kristy deserved better than having the entire school call her a whore and Tim was just the sort of guy to spread those sorts of rumors if things didn’t go his way. To celebrate entering their freshman year of highschool, Kristy and Sieg had gone to see a movie together. It was about a future in which idiots had taken over. Sieg had to laugh at being reminded of Tim by nearly every moronic character. Afterwards, outside Kristy’s front door, Sieg decided to ask Kristy about something that had been bothering him. “So why are you with that jackass?” Kristy sighed, the look on her face plainly showing that she’d expected this question at some point. “He isn’t as bad as you think, Sieg. I mean...his dad is a drunk and his life at home is pretty terrible. He keeps trying to...move faster than I want to go but he…” At that point Kristy broke down into tears. Sieg wasn’t sure what to do and assumed the worst. Placing a hand gently on Kristy’s shoulder, he quietly asked, “Did he...do something to you?” “It isn’t about him, it’s about you! Why didn’t you ask me to the homecoming dance?!” she yelled at him. Sieg looked away. He hadn’t been planning to go to the dance and didn’t want to imagine what Tim would do if he decided Sieg had taken “his woman”. Kristy was upset and Sieg knew he had to be honest about how he felt. “Look Kristy...we’ve been friends all our lives and...I l-like you. I didn’t want to mess things up if you turned me down, you know? Plus you’ve got friends and-” Cutting Sieg off, Kristy looked back up at him with a smile, tears still in her eyes. “Well you want to know a secret?” “Secret? What se-” he started to ask. Before he could finish his question, Kristy pulled Sieg down and kissed him full on the lips. “I’ve always liked you, Sieg. You were the only boy in class that wasn’t making fun of my braces and finding excuses to snap my bra strap. I don’t care about what Tim does as long as I can have you. Plus you know my dad’s a cop and he’d love to show you how to fight if that’s what it’ll take to get those guys off your back.” “Y-you’re serious?” Sieg asked in disbelief as his his heart pounded harder than he’d ever felt. Taking Sieg’s dazed look of happiness as a yes, Kristy kissed him again. “Does that answer your question? I’ll break up with Tim after homecoming and then I’ll...um...be your girlfriend, okay?” “Okay! But...c-can I k-kiss you one more time so I’m sure?” Sieg said with a coy smile. “Okay, but only one more. My parents are watching,” Kristy said with a giggle as she muffled Sieg’s surprised response with the final kiss of that evening. Afterwards, Kristy opened the front door revealing her imposing father standing just beyond. “Uh...goodnight, Sieg!” Kristy said as she dashed inside. Crossing his arms with a frown on his face, Kristy’s father stared at Sieg. “You’ve gotten a lot taller, son. I’m not going to have to show you my gun collection like I did that thug Timothy Waters, am I?” “N-no sir. Kristy and I are just friends,” Sieg nervously replied. Kristy’s father smirked at Sieg’s response. “Damn shame. It’s not often a father knows firsthand that the boy his daughter likes is a good kid. Anyway, swing by tomorrow and I’ll show you how to have those punks screaming uncle.” After a firm handshake, Sieg was sent on his way. What a difference a day could make! Sieg’s walk home felt like it was on a bed of clouds with how lost he was in happiness. Was it possible for his life to turn around as quickly as flipping a switch? Barely even paying attention to where he was going, Sieg ran into the one person he never even wanted to see again. He felt the impact of the punch before he heard Tim’s voice shouting down at him on the ground. “Are you fucking kidding me? Kissing my girl, you piece of shit?” Still ecstatic and not about to be brought down by Tim’s usual bullying, Sieg just smiled up at his tormentor and two of his friends. Tim spit in Sieg’s face, the scent of alcohol on the young boy’s breath. “We swing by after practice to hang out with Kristy and here’s your Gaylord ass. You know she only talks to you because she feels sorry for you.” Sieg actually laughed at that. “Sure, Tim. I’m just a fucking idiot like normal.” Sieg then moved to get back to his feet. There wasn’t anything Tim could do to hurt Sieg today...or so he thought. “Fuck this, hold him down,” Tim spat as he stepped away for several moments. “What are you going to do, man?” one of his friends--Randy or something--asked. “I’m going to put this piece of shit in his place,” Tim said as he walked over with a landscaping brick in his hand. “Whoa whoa, you’ll kill him, dude!” Randy shouted. Ignoring his friend, Tim got in Sieg’s face and whispered. “My dad’s out of town this weekend and Kristy’s going to be at my party. If that stupid slut wants to fuck around on me then I’m sure she’ll be happy to fuck the whole team. Even the varsity squad’s all falling all over themselves to get piece of that pussy.” “Tim, I swear if you fucking touch her I’ll-” Sieg began before the brick came across his face. “Shit, my hand slipped. Don’t worry man, come to my party if you want. I’m not a complete asshole. We’ll give you sloppy seconds...or twenty-seconds.” Tim smiled cruelly down at Sieg. “Or did you have something else to say?” Sieg was dazed from the impact and was barely holding on to consciousness. “Think it over, man. Pretty sure she was on the rag a week ago so maybe you’ll be the lucky one to hit that bullseye,” Tim taunted. “Tim...he looks pretty fucked up and doesn’t a cop live right over there?” Randy asked as she backed up a step. “Nah, he’s fine. Aren’t you Gaylord? One more for the road,” Tim said before bringing the brick straight down onto Sieg’s face. The last thing Sieg remembered was swallowing a mouthful of teeth before blacking out. -------------------- Sieg spat on the corpse of the nearby ogre. “Then I woke up somewhere in this bullshit world. I didn’t think I had anything left to lose when the first of those horrifying bitches raped me and left me for dead in the road. Then there were more of them, then whips, chains, and more rape.” “Sounds like slavers...Kaori isn’t a nice place for an outworlder to end up,” Isaac added with a note of compassion. Sieg’s visage darkened further. “Yeah well after that I to deal with a few months of them trying to make me feel like being raped was some sort of gift. And that was between having my back beaten raw and having red-hot brands marking me as different bitches traded me like a fucking CD...then this huge fucking thing--I think she said her name was Ura--shows up to ‘rescue’ me. Wasn’t any different with her except she liked it when I fought back so I stopped even doing that. She kept trying to bring me shit like it was going to make up for the fact that she raped me at least three times a day, every day, like clockwork.” Isaac held back a smile at having found the perfect kindred spirit. This was the sort of story that could get the council to open their eyes to the necessity of exterminating the monster threat. “I’m impressed. A lot of men would be broken by now, weeping at the death of one of these monsters like it was a real human bride,” Isaac said with certainty as he leaned forward. “I’ve seen over a hundred of these monsters and every single one of them was a bully...just like Tim. At least Tim was honest about being an asshole. These monsters took any hope I had of getting home, my freedom, and my pride...then acted like I was supposed to fucking thank them for the privilege.” Sieg paused and took a deep breath. “That’s all I’ve got to say, so if you’re going to kill me just make it quick.” “I’ve got a better idea, Sieg. You saw it just a bit ago--these abominations are strong but they aren’t unkillable. I can see it in your eyes--you’d fight if you thought you could, right?” Isaac asked as he stared straight at Sieg. Sieg gave a chilling laugh. “You’re telling me..what? That you’ll teach me? Fucking look at me! I can’t even run straight!” “Yeah, I’m saying I can put you in front of the best training humanity has left to offer in this twisted world. Not to mention…” Isaac trailed off as he quickly tossed a small rock at Sieg’s face, smiling when the boy easily caught it. “...that you outworlder boys always seem to have such good reflexes.” “Video games, I guess. And nobody offers something like that for free. What do you want?” Sieg asked as he tossed the stone away. “I want more people that think like I do. This isn’t a free ride, boy. You’re a lot older than any of our rookie trainees. Whatever hell you’ve been through, the sort of training you’ll need to do to catch up might just have you wishing to be back in this ogre’s arms,” Isaac answered without hesitation. “No...I’m done with bullies. Whatever this training is, I’ll handle it and then I’ll put every god damn one of these monsters in the ground or die trying,” Sieg said with cold determination. “That’s exactly what I like to hear. Let’s get you to your new home. This is unofficial until the Harbinger gives the okay, and there’s no reason he wouldn’t...but you’re a Haktivan now, brother,” Isaac said as he stood and extended a hand to Sieg. Sieg didn’t hesitate as he took one of the only kind hands that had been extended toward him in his entire life to begin that life anew. In the ten years following Sieg’s unconventional recruitment into the Haktivan ranks, he’d worked as hard as any two other trainees put together. He easily caught up and then surpassed the majority of his brothers as his tall frame filled out with lean, powerful muscle and his skill at arms grew as though he’d been born to be a warrior. He soon joined Isaac’s group of skirmishers working to defend the Haktivan border and even reach slightly beyond it at times. ----------------------------- “The more of these depraved monsters put down, the safer all of humanity will be,” Sieg forced himself to remember even as he struggled to watch the weaker among the enemy beg and plead for their lives. He only made the mistake of listening to such lies once, right before a witch added to his tally of scars with a blast of flame that would have incinerated him to ash if he hadn’t thrown himself clear at the last moment. “Some of them look human, I know. Those are the hardest. I know you won’t let it happen again, Sieg,” Isaac calmly explained afterwards as he handed Sieg a healing tonic. “No Isaac...that will never happen again,” Sieg said with a nod as he downed the foul bloody-tasting potion. Even with his many scars and slave markings, he looked to his Haktivan brothers as more god than man. While Isaac and the rest of his only true friends still called him Sieg, the other Haktivan soldiers had taken to calling him the name that now fit him as well as it could fit any man: Ulysses. -- Continued in next post -- |
MetallumOperaturMar 17, 2017 4:58 PM
-- Continued from previous post -- Haktiva: End of an Era by Emeraldtryst [2/3] -Alnor- -Part 4 --Present Day-- Flanked by a goblin and orc wearing the colors of the Bladetail Legion, the angry lizardman that was the head of this diplomatic mission slammed her fist down upon the desk. “More than a dozen of our sisters are dead, we have one of their own as a witness, and he’ll testify to more attacks than just this one. If you try to use Amarante’s protection as a justification one more time, we might just take our chances in open war.” The assistant to the interim defense minister was not having a good day. Despite her attempts to appear surprised by the news the Bladetail contingent was delivering, Amarante’s own scouts had already discovered the scene of the crime and put together most of what had happened. While the defense minister herself was in talks with Amarante about how to deal with the situation, the Bladetails only grew more furious waiting on a response. “I understand that you’re upset and I’m not telling you to put aside your anger. You just need to realize that this is the domain of the Calm Lord and she does not make such decisions lightly,” The functionary replied. “We’ve already waited three days in this whore’s den and we will not wait another. If Amarante isn’t going to handle this, we’ll take care of it ourselves,” the Bladetail emissary said with finality, leaving the room uncomfortably silent afterwards. Striding into the silence with confidence, an armored woman with flowing dark hair spoke quietly. “And while you’re wasting time on a siege with a well-supplied enemy in a hardened position, what happens in Kaori while a civil war is on?” “You must be joking. It’s a human city!” the Bladetail countered with amusement. “We could have that entire city to the torch in days at most.” “I wonder if your patrol had similar thoughts before they were cut down. You have no base of operations, no supply lines, and are currently fighting a war on at least three fronts. Assaulting one of Lord Amarante’s holdings would only stretch your forces to the point of breaking,” the armored woman quietly answered with certainty. “How could you possibly know where the Legion is engaged?” the Bladetail replied with a note of doubt creeping into her voice. “Who are you?” “I am the special military advisor assigned to this task. You may call me Bethany.” Rolling out a map across the wooden table, the armored woman stepped forward and pointed to Haktiva. “This is the target. Transportation and logistics teams have already been dispatched to points here and here. Assault forces are currently being gathered and should be ready to depart within the day.” Having worked within the Alnor bureaucracy for many years, the assistant to the defense minister was the most surprised. She’d never even heard of anything being approved so quickly and nearly gasped when she saw Amarante’s personal seal on the map. The Bladetail woman angrily pounded the table again. “Wait a damn minute! We were the wronged party here and we should handle the assault.” Bethany shook her head and gestured to various points on the map. “That is quite impossible. I’ve taken the liberty of noting current Bladetail Legion engagements. As I’ve shown here, you would need to dangerously weaken your northern vanguard just to have any viable supply lines. This would leave your assault force mired in a siege for weeks while allowing your enemies in Kaori to split the bulk of your forces in two.” The Bladetail swallowed hard before continuing with a frown, “I’m not even going to ask where you came across this information, but what business is it of yours or Amarante in the first place?” Bethany looked up to meet the gaze of the legionnaire before her. “I will not claim to know the Lord’s mind, but it seems fairly obvious if you examine the battle plan.” Now at a loss for the first time, the Bladetail shook her head. “I don’t see it. What is this marking supposed to represent? And you didn’t answer my question.” Bethany nodded. “I will explain. It should be fairly obvious that Amarante is a land of peace. There are currently many factions vying for control of Kaori and we have believe the...uncommon nature of the Bladetail Legion should be preserved. It is therefore in our best interests to assure that these reasonable mamono control Kaori’s western front.” Taken slightly aback by what was being proposed by Bethany, the legionnaire scratched her chin. “That...isn’t what we were expecting.” Bethany continued calmly, “While it could prove disadvantageous in the future for Amarante to be seen allied with any Kaori faction, if the Bladetails were to subdue this small city with a force of approximately ten soldiers, those soldiers could come away with a large cache of supplies without weakening the Legion presence in other theaters. Amarante’s assault force will be running training exercises in this area and has been ordered to afterward abandon their supplies and any others taken as spoils should these training exercises lead to conflict.” “How many supplies are we talking about?” The Bladetail emissary asked, suddenly intrigued by this turn of events. Bethany nodded. “Enough rations and Alnor-made weapons to supply a small army for some time. It also happens that if Amarante were to discover a suitable location in that area, such as an abandoned or fallen city, such a location would be considered safe enough to store other supplies as insurance in the unlikely event that the Kaori conflict were to spill across the border. These supplies would be woefully unguarded until the end of the Kaori conflict and it is unlikely that small groups of Bladetail Legionnaires would be accosted if traveling in this area.” The Legionnaire finally smiled. “So to apologize for this mess you’re going to let us send ten of our girls to participate in your ‘training exercises’ and then you’re going to give us supplies for the war effort afterwards?” Bethany shook her head. “Do not misunderstand, Amarante has no wish to become entangled in the Kaori civil war either directly or by association. If your Legion were, by happenstance, to discover a secret cache of supplies that we will continue to maintain until the end of the Kaori conflict, Amarante would be terribly upset at the loss of these provisions. It is unfortunate that by the time a formal complaint makes it to the office of the defense minister, assuming a formal complaint was filed, the Kaori conflict will have long resolved. As we have no way to accurately track how many supplies could potentially be lost in this scenario, we would be forced to concede that it is a fair recompense for hostilities carried out by an Amarante protectorate upon Bladetail Legionnaires.” “Interesting. I’ll take the heat if I’m wrong on this, but I think we’ll accept. I’ll send the message ahead and have ten of our girls ready to see these...training exercises. Should they bring wagons?” “That would be wise,” Bethany said as she rolled up the map. “In situations such as this it is best to be prepared for any potential windfall. We should begin our exercises in approximately three days.” “I’m sure we’ll be there.” Placing the map into a scroll case which she then placed under an arm, Bethany made a quick bow to the trio of Bladetails, her head inadvertently falling from her shoulders onto the table. With the first real sign of emotion of their meeting, Bethany let out a girlish yelp as she then dropped the scroll case to retrieve her head and then scrambled around on the floor for several seconds to grab the fallen case. The dullahan’s face was completely flushed in embarrassment as she situated her head back on her shoulders. “Yes...well then. Good day,” she said as she made another quick bow, this time holding the top of her head with one hand. ------------------------------ --Darius Revisited Lucy saw the approach of the Haktivan trading envoy and clearly identified the young man she’d set her sights upon two months earlier. Looking over to her partner, she spoke gravely. “Okay, Janice...I need you to do me a huge favor.” The holstaur Janice shook her head “You owe me a story if things work out. You’ve been talking about him for two months now. Fine, I’ll keep them busy as long as possible with the weapons again. Don’t get too attached though...if any of those rumors are true he might end up-” “I know I’m being an idiot but there’s just something special about this one,” Lucy remarked as she tried to shake off her own nervousness. “I’m going to give you as much grief as possible if it works out.” Janice smiled and added, “But it is nice seeing you excited about something so good luck.” Darius tried to contain his own excitement at being allowed on a third trade expedition. He tried to pass of his elation as a side effect of having discovered that he had a talent for haggling. The Harbinger and a few others had seen the signs of possible “weakness” in the young man’s heart and would have pulled him from any further expeditions if they hadn’t been trying to deal with a certain “political matter” that had the Harbinger and the Haktivan council at each other’s throats. In his mind, Darius tried to convince himself that his excitement wasn’t at the thought of seeing the beautiful lizardman merchant with whom he’d been dealing. The best he could manage was the belief that seeing Lucy was just an added bonus. As the rest of the small trade detail moved to the large nearby tent where Janice had the military wares on display, Darius tried his best to appear nonchalant as he approached Lucy to handle the grain transaction. His cool shattered right about the time she opened her mouth to speak. “I see you’re still on trade detail. It’s...nice to see you again, Darius,” Lucy offered with a smile. Darius forced a smile as he considered that this might be his last excursion. “Greetings, Lucy. A few of the commanders have voiced concerns about my “haggling methods” they say. This might be the last chance I have to...trade with you.” Lucy was very quickly taken aback by the news. Given the rumors that she’d been hearing about turmoil in the area, she couldn’t help but worry that it was related. “I see...well, come into the tent and let’s at least get business out of the way.” Stepping inside the tent of dry goods, Darius felt a pain in his chest. “Are you upset about something? This is the first time I haven’t seen you in a good mood.” Quickly grabbing the handful of coins from the young man, Lucy slumped against a small nearby wagon and turned back to the object of all her recent fantasies. “Darius, let me ask you something. If I told you that I was upset that I might not get to see you again, what would you say?” Darius blushed fiercely as he stared at Lucy’s scaled feet. “I...don’t know what to say. I’ve enjoyed being around you...but if they order me off of trade detail, I can’t protest. All Haktivans must be loyal to their duty…” Lucy shook her head, feeling like a fool for even entertaining her crazy fantasies in the first place. “No, you’re right, Darius. I just had...silly ideas about...things.” Seeing the only woman he had come to think of as a friend upset, Darius gently laid a comforting hand upon her shoulder, close to her neck. “It’s okay...we’re f-friends, right? I mean...I don’t want you to be upset. Sorry...I’m not really good at this sort of thing…” Feeling his warm touch upon her skin set Lucy’s heart aflutter. She craned her head slightly and reached up to enclose his powerful hand in her own. “Darius...I...need you to forgive me.” Oblivious to the emotion that had overcome her sadness as it smouldered in her eyes, Darius simply nodded. “No...I understand. If you’re upset, I’m happy to-” “I meant for this,” Lucy quickly interrupted him as she closed the distance between them and placed a small kiss upon his lips. Shocked into silence, Darius knew that if he didn’t step back, speak up, or at least pull his hand free, that things could quickly spiral out of control. As Darius felt the fire of passion for the first time in his life, however, he remained stunned. Just the tiniest bit disappointed that she felt no resistance from Darius, Lucy kissed him again, this time more insistent as his intoxicating taste danced upon her tongue. His initial reaction was to again go rigid in stunned silence. She was further dismayed that he seemed deathly afraid to return her affections in the slightest...that is until she felt his grip waver ever so slightly upon her shoulder. As Darius regained the presence of mind to realize what had just happened, he saw his friend staring with expectant desire into his eyes. Even never having seen the look before, he knew what it meant. Amazed at his own reaction, he slid one hand up to Karen’s neck as his other hand reached to her hip. “We shouldn’t…” Darius whispered, even as his hands pulled at Lucy with a quickly growing need. “No,” Lucy said as she pulled herself close against him. “But...if we did…” Despite wanting to spend hours enjoying this shared embrace, the pair of them realized that they had very limited time. That thought whipped the pair of them into a frenzy as they pawed at each other with lustful abandon. Darius picked Lucy up and set her down on the edge of the nearby wagon and clumsily attempted to kiss her again, oblivious to the far more skilled hands that slid lower and worked to clear the obstacles between the two of them becoming one. The young man hadn’t even considered that things would go as far as they were about to but he didn’t hesitate to heed nature’s demands upon him, clutched as he was in Lucy’s unyielding embrace. In that moment, Darius’s friend became closer to him in their shared passion than even his wife had ever been. He had been with his wife sexually, certainly, but the thought of her had never made him feel so desperate. The hurried pace only made that realization that much more painful to him. The pair of them pulled at each other in escalating passion, their impassioned voices the only things they worked to restrain. Several minutes later, as the pair of them were catching their breath, Lucy was the first to speak. “Darius...I know you can’t leave your home, but I want you to know that whatever happens...this was more to me than just...what it was.” Feeling somehow at fault for what had happened, Darius looked back at Lucy with determination. “Lucy...I...have to try to convince the council that what we’ve been taught about monsters can’t be right. They have to know that-” “No, Darius...you know what will happen. Don’t put yourself at risk. There truly are dangerous mamono out there and your people might just think you’ve been corrupted,” Lucy said as she tried to think of a way for everything work out and about the rumors she’d heard. “There’s been talk...I need you to promise me something.” Darius nodded as he took in the gravity of Lucy’s serious tone. “Name it.” Lucy sighed “First...if you ever chose to give up your home...I would find another for you. But what I need you to promise is to keep this just between us. Even if...even if you were to see me on the battlefield as an enemy...you must treat me as just another monster.” Flinching at her request, Darius tried to answer, “But I-” “Swear it!” Darius nodded in confusion. “I...swear it.” Just then, the pair of them heard a shout from outside. Lucy helped Darius carry the grain as the pair of them emerged from the tent. “What were you doing, Darius? You look more than a bit winded, brother,” the leader of the trade detail spoke. Darius straightened up as he unloaded the grain into their own wagon. “Just helping move a few things. Are we departing, sir?” “Yes, and not a moment too soon. Damn cow talked our ears off. Move out!” detail captain Ulysses commanded as he looked back at the lizardman with a murderous scowl. “You should hope we don’t see each other again, creature.” “I’m sorry?” Lucy asked, not certain she’d heard the man correctly. Without another word, the Haktivan trade detail headed out. Something in the captain’s look didn’t sit right with Lucy, but that was just the extra motivation she needed to ask around in Alnor about the rumors she’d been hearing... --------------------------- -The Haktivan Approach “Report?” Bethany asked, standing at the head of a column of two hundred Amarante irregulars. Startled slightly at being noticed for the first time that day, a grey-clad woman with elven features kneeled before Bethany. “I was going to say that my mission was accomplished without a hitch, but if you saw me commander, I’m sure at least a few of them must have. They’re sneaky little bastards, but I subdued the ones I found and dragged them to our rear camp.” Bethany nodded, making sure to hold her head firmly as she did so to prevent another incident. “I didn’t see you. Based on your service record and the scouting reports I received, however, it seemed likely that you were within earshot. With their level of paranoia, they’re likely to have realized that their patrols are not checking in by now anyway. Fall back to the siege battery--if they know what’s coming, that’ll be their primary target.” “Sure thing, commander,” the scout answered with a nod as she quickly made her way toward the rear of the column. “Little light on discipline?” asked the captain of the small Bladetail Legion contingent. Bethany pulled at her armor straps as the target came within sight. “Certainly by your legion’s exceptional standards. It’s a small price to pay for plausible deniability on my Lord’s part as it pertains to this entire operation.” Bringing the company to a halt at a distance of several hundred meters, Bethany could see the entire city scrambling to readiness. They were certainly disciplined and well organized. Turning to face her group of mismatched soldiers, Bethany made a gesture as one of her assistants called for magic to amplify her voice, enabling the dullahan’s powerful voice to carry to each of the troops that had been chosen as part of this operation. With her arms crossed in authority, Bethany began. “Before us stands an enemy that has stood protected within our borders since antiquity. Each and every one of these humans has trained nearly their entire life for combat, their arms and armor are among the best ever forged on the island, and they outnumber us at least three to one. If that weren’t enough, we are also expected to preserve as many lives as possible in this engagement. Our request for surrender was refused and so now we must secure that surrender through other means with the small force we have assembled here today.” Bethany then took one glance back at the city of Haktiva before turning back to her assembled force. “It hardly seems fair that they will pose so little a challenge.” With that, Bethany raised an arm to signal the first assault by the siege company upon the outer wooden fortifications. Moments later, a barrage of flame and stone fell upon the outer defenses, crushing them to flinders in mere instants while the ancient stone walls beyond held against the first wave. “Support! Bring up a wind wall for three counts and then loose the second barrage,” Bethany commanded calmly as the arrows from the Haktivan defenders fell useless upon the momentary gale brought forth by the magic of a pair of witches. The much thicker stone walls were far more resistant to the magical siege assault than the outer defenses had been, showing no damage after several dozen more salvos were sent in. “Those walls are as solid as any I’ve ever seen, they could hold up in there for weeks like this,” the Bladetail envoy remarked to Bethany. Bethany nodded. “Remind me to lodge a complaint with command about the lack of proper magical artillery. Regardless, my time table has this wall falling by noon at the latest and I have no intention of allowing any deviations.” Then turning to her assistant Bethany commanded, “Bring me the prisoners and Cass.” “The wurm? Uh...okay,” the assistant said with no small amount of doubt in her voice. “Everyone else assemble in formation! They’ll be charging the moment that wall comes down!” Bethany powerfully commanded over the slowly rising din of the battlefield. --------------------- “We’re under attack!” one of the Haktivan sentries called out in horror as he watched the outer wall vanish in moments under the crushing weight of magically conjured stones and fire. As every defense plan went into effect, Melnik cursed at the council that stood before him. “You see?! This was bound to happen with your failure to accept that these monsters have always wanted us dead!” One of the elder council members angrily replied, “It was your actions that forced their hand! Until you broke the terms of the treaty, we were protected by the Lord herself as we have been since before the time of my great grandfather.” “So I suppose you would have us lay down our arms and welcome the invaders through the gate?” the Harbinger spit back. The council members looked at each other to come to a consensus before the head councilman shook his head. “No...we are Haktivan and our pride demands that we fight to the last to defend our home. However...have Isaac and his squad evacuate the children and non-combatants into the mines.” Melnik balked at the request. “Are you old men insane?! Those are our most capable soldiers!” “Then perhaps it might have been in their best interests to use those talents to defend Haktiva instead of bringing war and death to those around us. This is not up for negotiation, the council is unanimous in this decision,” the council leader said with authority. With only a tiny nod to acknowledge the demand, Melnik left the council chambers with his guards, slamming the massive wooden doors behind him. With a sigh, the speaker of the council shook his head. “The young never want to listen to their elders. Is it the same for you?” Seeming to appear from nothing, a woman stepped up beside the old man. “If not worse.” The kunoichi coldly states. She has visited many times in secret over the years, reporting directly to Amarante of the size and strength of the city. It was only by chance many years ago that Jeremiah encountered the skilled kunoichi during one of her missions. Ever since the two have met whenever she came to verify that the treaty has been upheld. Now… “You know what must happen.” Leaning back in his chair the council head groaned with the pains of old age. “I know, I think even Melnik knows. I doubt he’ll follow even a direct order from the council now, not that it matters. Seeing it all before us, it’s clear now that this would be the only possible outcome.” “Will you sign?” the woman asked as she placed a formal surrender before the old man. The old man shook his head slowly. “Thank you for attempting to handle this with dignity, but our pride demands only one response. Every Haktivan must offer every ounce of himself to defend his home. We must take to the field with our children and brothers.” “You are not a young man anymore, Jeremiah,” the woman responded softly, her voice carrying a memory of a more intimate affection. Jeremiah, the head of the Haktivan council smiled up at the woman as an attendant helped him dress in his armor. “And you’re even more beautiful than the day we met, all those years ago.” Smiling one last time, Jeremiah then handed a piece of parchment to the woman. “Those are the names you asked for. I shouldn’t ask you for more than I already have...but spare as many of my sons and brothers as you can. Call it...a favor for an old friend.” “It’s unfair to ask that of me, Jeremiah.” The kunoichi has a difficult job, to show pity is to show weakness. “I’m aware but then perhaps I’ve gotten a bit senile in my old age. Or maybe I’m just like the rest of the halfwits out there...too foolish to listen to my elders,” Jeremiah said with a wistful smile as he strode with the rest of the council, now armed for battle, out the large doors of the council chamber. ------------------------------------ --Back at the front Bethany paced before the bound prisoners. “Given half a chance, Cass here will drag one of your brothers somewhere into the mountains or back to her home if she recalls where it is. She’ll have more than half a chance when she breaks through your walls in a few moments, so I offer you all this choice. If one of you would prefer to volunteer to-” “Any of us would be glad to die for any of our brothers!” one of the younger men shouted. Bethany blinked in mild confusion. “I see. That’s rather...noble, I suppose. No, what I am offering is a chance to voluntarily become her mate.” The youngest among the prisoners shouted back, as though reading from a script, “None of us would let your foulness twist our hearts! We are-!” At that one of the older men cut in, “Cole, shut your mouth.” Then looking up at Bethany and then another look across the ranks at the large wurm, Cass, the older man added, “What...would happen to us?” Bethany smiled as several of the prisoners scowled at his words while the dullahan kneeled down next to the older scout. “Cass isn’t terribly bright but she’s sweet and considerate. Her mate would be treated with caring affection until the end of his days. It isn’t a prison or a death sentence--though it may feel that way if you aren’t interested in her. But I will say that after this battle ends, each and every Haktivan will be forced to answer for any potential crimes they may have committed.” “Crimes?!” Cole shouted. “Kyle, we have done nothing beyond defend our home! Monsters aren’t even-” The older man, Kyle, cut in again, this time kicking the younger boy. “Cole, I said shut up!” Kyle then swallowed hard before he began again. “I need to answer for my crimes here and now...and if you think I should live, then...I’ll volunteer.” “So you believe that what you have done is criminal?” Bethany asked. Kyle nodded. “Some of us don’t know any better...but I do. I’ve been living with those screams for twenty years and I just can’t do it anymore. I don’t deserve it but I want to feel like I’ve been forgiven or face judgement.” Bethany placed a hand on the man’s shoulder as her eyes reflected his past actions for a few brief moments. “My assistant could give a more thorough accounting, but you pass. It’s written upon your face in every death you experienced that you knew they were wrong, even then. I cannot give you the forgiveness you seek, but I can accept your offer to volunteer. You might just find the peace you so desperately need within those arms of hers.” Kyle just nodded and rested his head on his knees as some small part of the weight he’d been carrying was lifted. Bethany rose and stepped over to the large wurm, whispering something in her ear. A moment later Cass nearly leapt from the ground in excitement, her tail acting like a spring. She slid her large body closer to Kyle. “Ah ah, not until you’ve done what I asked,” Bethany commanded with a note of fear in her voice...as though she’d have had any chance to stop the wurm if Cass hadn’t been in the mood to follow orders. “Just words,” Cass said as she leaned in closer to Kyle. “You don’t hate Cass?” While the other men backed away in fear, Kyle looked up into the most innocent pair of eyes he had ever seen. The deep mahogany of those eyes took in everything he was and gave back only acceptance. It was a step, at least. “No, Cass. I don’t hate you. I’m Kyle,” Kyle said earnestly. “Kyle...Kyle...like smile.” With a set of tiny claps that seemed out of place from the large woman, Cass smiled. “Just wait. Be back soon.” Cass then dashed off heedless toward the city as Bethany quickly shouted orders to advance. The wurm saw the ancient stone of the walls that had been carved from the mountains themselves. She saw those walls as the only thing keeping her from the man that had said he loved her. That he hadn’t actually said those words exactly was immaterial. “Not hate” was close enough for Cass. As her powerful body and inhumanly thick horned skull crashed into those massive walls, shouts went up on both sides of the battlefield as the ancient stone was nearly blown apart from the impact. The rest of the walls soon followed as the gleeful Cass sundered and tossed them apart like a child kicking over a sand castle upon a beach, completely oblivious to the hundreds of spears and arrows that tried in vain to do anything more than scratch her. -------------------------------- Within the isolated confines of Amarante’s castle, in the middle of the wooden floor of her modest home, Amarante quietly meditated. Her long tail tightly coiled around itself as she sat upon it, hands clasped together and eyes closed. Like this she could watch over any human or mamono within her territory but at moment her focus was drawn to the human city that had overstepped its bounds for the last time. She could feel the emotions that had been building up to this moment. The anxiety for battle as well as the curiosity and excitement toward the human settlement felt by the youngsters that had only just joined her service. But to meet those feelings were the fear, paranoia, and hatred fostered by the hundreds of years of closing themselves off to the outside world. “It will all be over soon won’t it?” Amarante’s faithful cat girl Yoko yawned, her arms and legs lazily dangling by the side of the wooden rafter. “Yes, it will.” Coming out of her meditation, the calm lord slithered over to a window for a bit of sun and to get a more conventional look at her city with a smirk. “It is almost a shame really. There is always something fascinating about a human settlement. They live such short lives but the pass so much from one generation to the next. At times they can show craftsmanship and ingenuity that puts the dwarves to shame, but at the same time they continue to stew in their own delusions. It really is quite amusing.” “If you like it so much why don’t you call off the attack?” Yoko asked as she began to stretch herself awake. “No.” Amarante answered with a light shake of her head. “It is time for that chapter in history to finally come to an end. The city and the beliefs within are a relic from the past, a relic that should have been worn away by time long ago.” After a moment of silence she glanced to a dark corner of the room. “Back already Sauda?” Stepping out of the shadows, the kunoichi Sauda took a knee and bowed her head before the calm lord. “I take it they refused to surrender?” Sauda did not answer, there was no need to. The lord knew what the answer would be before she left. “Well that is a shame.” Amarante crossed her arms as her tail made a convenient seat again. “But no matter, the youngsters should be more than capable of handling it.” She quickly unfolded a paper fan to cover her mouth as she chuckled. “To think there are those who believe they can reclaim the entire island? The fools.” As the calm lord mocked the humans for their misguided beliefs, she noticed her servant’s expression lower slightly. “Yes, I know. You wanted to handle the situation by yourself. But your skills are better suited for more… subtle assignments.” Amarante chuckled. “For something of this scale a traditional approach is more prudent. If there are some losses, then they die fighting for something they believe in. There are far worse ways to go.” As she lightly fanned herself she noticed Sauda being… glum? That was not like her. Amarante has ordered Sauda to perform assassinations for crimes far less than some of those carried out in Haktiva, orders she had carried out without hesitation. “It is not like they will all be exterminated, I gave strict orders to take them alive where possible. Of course they have crimes they must answer for, but I trust Bethany with give them a punishment befitting their crimes, no more and no less.” Sauda nodded. Regardless of how she felt, the lord’s commands were final. “Forgive me.” Sauda muttered. “And what is there to forgive?” Amarante rhetorically asked with a chuckle. “You are a woman just as I am, just as the rest of us are. Maybe the next time you see that friend of yours you will not technically be enemies.” “Hehe, if you need any personal leave just let me know.” Yoko commented with a laugh as she hopped down. “I’m sure I could cover for you while you’re…” Yoko shirked back when she met Sauda’s glare. “…yikes, you could kill with that look alone.” It has always been Yoko’s tendency to stick her nose into other people’s business. It was a habit Amarante finds quite useful but for which Sauda has no patience for. “Behave yourselves ladies.” Amarante interjected with a chuckle. “Now that this clock has been wound all we can do is wait and see if it will keep time on its own. I will need you both ready should the timing be thrown off again.” -------------------------------- As the sun beamed down from its apex upon the massive cloud of dust, the Haktivans watched in disbelief as the single enemy that had obliterated their defenses, now covered in blood from at least a handful of telling strikes, still had the strength to excitedly slither back beyond the uneven advance of the enemy lines. Calling out to the disarray around him, The Harbinger bellowed forth, “Hold fast, brothers! The strength of Haktiva is not stone or steel but in our flesh and unyielding spirit! Breathe deep the air of freedom and use those breaths to fight! We will not bow!” The echo of their masculine baritone poured forth across the field, so assured in its unified fury that the assault force was given leave to doubt the certainty of their victory. Not a single soul among the mamono could truly have understood how that roar would affect her, the very concept of an army composed almost entirely of men being so impossibly foreign. If the roar of the Haktivan’s defiance had shaken the assault force, the vision that appeared as the dust cleared was more than many could fully comprehend. In tight formation, their arms and armor gleaming brightly to share in the day’s radiance, warriors beyond counting poured forth like a steel tide onto the field. Not even fantasy, children’s tales, or in their wildest imaginations had the assault force seen anything so breathtaking. Even the simplest among the assault force knew that this something that that no living mamono, save possibly the most ancient or the Lords themselves, had ever seen such a glorious sight. Such beauty was painful for the monsters to behold, that beauty made all the more heart-rending at the realization that such a sight would never be seen again. Pulling a massive claymore from her back and fearlessly stepping forward, Bethany shook off the breathtaking awe of the moment to call out her orders. “Hold formation! Charge on my mark!” As the quickly advancing Haktivans reached a distance of a hundred meters, Bethany screamed out her order, even the magic amplification of her voice barely able to pierce the cacophonous noise of shouts and approaching footfalls. The edges of the two forces finally met with a crash as steel fell upon steel, the Haktivan phalanx performing exactly as it was meant to. Two full rows of Haktivan spears tore grim roads into the ranks of the mamono assault force without any sign of slowing down. Taking a powerful swing with her blade, Bethany nearly cut straight through one of the large shields before her as she continued to shout orders. “Retrievers, pull back the wounded! Close the gaps and push toward the center!” While Bethany and several others had made gaps in the Haktivan lines, the Haktivans were far more adept as closing those gaps as they appeared to be making progress in slowly winning the battle through attrition and superior organization. “Horde breakers, push now!” Bethany called out suddenly as the mostly even battle lines were broken into a dozen jagged pieces as several mamono simply charged straight through the Haktivan lines, trampling or pushing aside the enemy. With the ground shaking at this thunderous charge, Bethany’s force pushed into the gaps of the enemy soldiers. Against a phalanx, most the mamono physical superiority was difficult or impossible to utilize. Broken into pieces, however, the Haktivans were being picked off as several wedges were pushed deeply into the Haktivan lines. For nearly an hour, the assault force slowly picked up more and more momentum as the tide began to turn. Bringing the flat of her blade into the chest of a young man hard to send him sprawling into his fellows as she quickly adjusted to avoid or deflect four counterattacks, Bethany called out her final order. “Second wave, engage!” The “second wave” to which she referred was not soldiers that had been kept in reserve, but the first of the wounded that had been magically healed enough to rejoin the fray. Bethany’s plan was proceeding almost exactly as planned. ------------------------------- Despite having trained for precisely this moment nearly his entire life, Darius was very conflicted about this battle among many other things. Holding fast in the reserve ranks, Darius was able to look over the battlefield at the monsters that had finally decided to assault his home. Where were the demons? Where were the seducing devils turning entire companies to ash with their foul promises? All the young man could see arrayed before him were women that were not unlike Lucy in their appearance. Several of them wouldn’t have appeared as monsters at all until revealing their superhuman capabilities. It wasn’t that he was afraid. Even if he truly was, Darius had been trained to use his fear as another weapon, the resulting adrenaline helping him ignore pain and push himself beyond his normal capabilities. What Darius felt as he saw his brothers striking down these mamono and being struck down in turn...was a confused sadness. Was this truly what he had been training for? The stories had made it all seem so much more wonderful, but even as Darius made his first real attack of that day, he couldn’t help but feel that everything was wrong somehow. If Darius had seen a rampaging dragon or tentacled horror, he knew he wouldn’t have felt such unease, but there was nothing like that in the enemy force. All he saw was people that cried out when struck and bled exactly as he did. Once the enemy’s tactics were finally revealed as he was driven away from the larger group into a smaller, isolated unit, Darius was suddenly on the front lines in a fight he wasn’t sure he even still supported. The fruits of the brutal training that he and his brothers had endured were definitely showing as both sides of the conflict began the last desperate leg of the battle. Even if the enemy commander’s tactics were nearly perfect, it would take more than that to overcome their Haktivan pride. For Darius, however, all it took was a single clashing of shields to shake his resolve. Stumbling back from the impact, Darius tossed his long spear, drawing his spatha as he looked up to see Lucy standing before him. “Lucy?” Darius asked, his honest voice somehow cutting through the deafening noise of the battle. Pulling the visor back down on her helm, Lucy smiled at Darius. “You’d better not hold back!” With that the two of them began a dance of blades. stay tuned for the stunning conclusion in post #3! -- Continued in next post -- |
-- Continued from previous post -- Haktiva: End of an Era by Emeraldtryst [3/3] And the conclusion! Sieg had been convinced that this attack would be coming the entire time he had trained with the Haktivans. After what he had been through, he knew that monsters couldn’t be trusted and this final insult was just another on top of a lifetime of similar insults. Completely cut off from Isaac and the rest of the best Haktivan warriors, Sieg had more than made up for the shortcomings of his own small group, bringing down nearly a dozen enemies with his own hand. It all seemed too convenient, however, how the monsters would always press forward to prevent any real killing stroke. Even with the way the monsters ran together in his head, Sieg was sure that he’d fought some of them more than once. During a small lull in the fighting, Sieg called the remaining soldiers around him to regroup so that they could try to push toward one of the larger Haktivan groups and renew their attack. Sieg heard another close impact and looked to his right to see the young Darius knocking a lizard girl to the ground with a skillful feint into a shield bash. Sieg scowled as he quickly stepped toward the fallen woman. “Finish her and let’s regroup with Melnik, Darius,” Sieg said as he watched the younger man’s eyes warring over some unspoken conflict. Sieg had to wonder if Darius had been turned. He’d certainly been acting weird after their last trade expedition. Sieg wasn’t going to take any chances--if Darius was a traitor, better to remove the source of the problem than let potential treachery endanger his people any further. “We don’t have time for this. I’ll handle it. Get ready to move,” Sieg said as he stepped toward the dazed Lucy as she tried to blink away her dizziness. Sieg wouldn’t let himself be fooled by appearances. He’d been tormented by everything from childlike pixies to massive ogres. The one thing he had learned since coming to this world was that monsters were all the same. Even if Darius had been turned, Sieg still saw him as a brother and it was better to put down the cause of his indecision than to lose another brother. Raising his spatha to deliver the killing blow, Sieg frowned. It had taken until that moment to realize that perhaps he had become the bully. Why must the world be so cruel? --------------------------- It had been three hours since the start of the engagement and even with alchemical fortification, Melnik could see his men flagging from exhaustion, all while his men were driven further and further apart. Turning to Isaac as the pair of them pushed back a dangerously curious cat girl with a coordinated series of attacks. “Whoever this general is...she’s good.” “I appreciate the compliment, Harbinger. Does that mean you are prepared to surrender?” Bethany’s voice asked as she forced the old Haktivan back with a powerful swing of her claymore. While her guard was weak from the swing, Isaac lunged with his blade and very nearly managed to penetrate Bethany’s thick armor. Melnik used the opportunity to step back up as well as he attempted to force a thrust toward the less-armored gap beneath Bethany’s arm. Her voice staying calm as she stepped in the first strike and around the second, Bethany continued. “The battle is lost. Your eyes see the truth as clearly as mine.” “Just monster filth and lies,” Isaac spat. “You’re the only reason this bunch of little girls hasn’t already run back to their whore’s den.” With a series of lightning quick strikes, Melnik and Isaac pushed Bethany onto the defensive as several of their comrades rushed up beside them with weapons drawn. While her movements appeared more frantic as she held off seven of the skilled Haktivans at once, Bethany’s voice remained placid as she spoke again. “I have not yet heard an answer, Harbinger.” Melnik shook his head as their small group worked to surround Bethany. “If you know me, then you know we would never surrender the last stronghold of humanity.” “It was worth the asking at least,” Bethany remarked as the men charged her at once. Quickly sidestepping and grabbing one of the spears that had been thrust at her, she spun the pair of long weapons about her to halt the advance and then tossed the spear back to the man that had attacked with it. In the moment of distraction, Bethany lunged forward and brought the hilt of her large blade up into the man’s solar plexus with enough force to break through his armor. She then pushed the flailing soldier towards Isaac to halt his advance, bringing her blade across and through the ankle of another attacker. Two more swings and she was left facing only Melnik and Isaac again. This time she didn’t hesitate as she hurled her claymore at Melnik and then caught Isaac’s blade between her gauntlets, snapping the blade a second later and then bringing a series of heavy punches directly across Isaac’s chin, sending the man reeling to the ground at the edge of consciousness. Having dived out of the way of the way of the massive blade, Melnik knew Bethany had no more weapons as he charged to his feet toward the enemy commander. Before he had fully realized what had happened, however, he found himself looking up at the sky after an unexpected impact directly to his face had clotheslined him. Looking up at Bethany as she picked up her weapon again Melnik started to black out. “How…?” Blushing slightly as she kicked the Harbinger’s weapons away, she readjusted her head back upon her shoulders from its slightly crooked state, her forehead now also bearing a large red mark. “Trade secret, Harbinger.” With that, she bound the group of men and called for them to be retrieved. Looking up at the sun, Bethany cursed. Her plan had dictated that this was supposed to have ended by now but there still seemed to be one small pocket of resistance remaining. “Those two will need a healer and soon. Start regrouping and moving the prisoners toward the council chambers,” Bethany called out to her assistant. “I’m going to handle whatever is destroying my time table.” Bethany then began quickly moving toward the last remaining fragment of resistance. ------------------------ “No!” Darius screamed as he threw himself ahead of Sieg’s strike with his shield, deflecting the blade deep into his side. “She isn’t like the others!” “You’re wrong, Darius. She’s exactly like the others. Whatever she’s told you is a lie. Do you need me to show you my slave brands or any of the countless scars I received from these monsters?” Sieg had made a mistake just like this once. Looking around, Sieg grimaced as he watched the Haktivan forces being dismantled piece by piece. This battle was over and everyone still standing knew it. Even with that knowledge, Sieg had sworn to himself that he would never be a slave again. If he could spare one of his brothers that pain...it was his duty to do so...even if it was his last duty. “Step aside Darius. The moment she opens that mouth, she’ll say the same things monsters always say. You’ve heard it already, haven’t you?” Sieg asked with genuine compassion for his brother. “She’ll say she cares about you or that you’re special...or that she wants you to stay with her. Those are all lies. You’ll be thrown into chains just as I was. But now...there won’t be a Haktiva left to save you as I was saved.” “You don’t know that! We’ve traded with Lucy for years and she’s never once done anything like the monsters you describe!” Darius protested as he tried to hold his bleeding midsection. “I am already a traitor anyway,” Darius thought to himself, so it was foolish to back off now. Sieg took a step forward and raised his weapon. “You are my brother Darius, and there is no way you can understand the suffering that will follow if you remain upon this path. Even if you hate me, I won’t let you damn yourself to a life like the one I lived. If you don’t step aside, brother, I’m going through you to get to her.” “But I don’t…” Darius fumbled with his words. “She has to be different...isn’t she?” Sieg opened his mouth to speak and then fell to a knee as he reached up to the back of his own head. Turning before he passed into unconsciousness, he saw the head of the council standing behind him with a crude sap in his hands. “Fight’s over, son. And that’s really a matter of opinion,” Jeremiah said before sitting on the ground next to Sieg and putting his hands on his head. “Might want to drop those weapons, boy.” Darius looked around in a daze to see himself completely surrounded by dozens of mamono. “Are you going to take her?” he asked without any trace of fear. Stepping into the open, Bethany nodded. “We’re going to take you. You are in desperate need of a healer. She can follow if she likes but I won’t have you disrupting my time table any further. Come along.” Fighting through the dizziness, Darius looked down at his wound and nodded. With a gurgling wheeze starting to become more pressing, he wouldn’t last much longer anyway. ----------------------- Securing the area had taken far longer than the actual battle and had been a great deal more difficult for Bethany and her few trusted advisors. Even under strict orders, her unruly force of mamono had nearly gone into full revolt after learning that they were not permitted to simply have at the Haktivan prisoners. Many were convinced Bethany was being deliberately cruel in also forcing her soldiers to tolerate sleeping in one of the repurposed barracks. Few on the assault force could even imagine any place being so fully saturated with the scent of man. Punishment for disobeying orders was ramped up beyond what most of these mamono had ever experienced. This situation wasn’t as simple as most of them wanted to believe. The choices and actions taken here could have easily had very far-reaching effects. Bethany’s orders had been explicit that this had to be handled with an extra measure of care. “Report,” Bethany demanded as she threw herself into the main chair within the Haktivan council chambers and rubbed at her aching forehead. Having handled dozens of similar issues in her lifetime, Bethany was still not prepared for the reality of needing every single one of her prisoners placed on suicide watch. Three Haktivans had already taken their own lives the first day with two more the second. She needed to somehow get a handle on this situation before things got any worse. If it hadn’t been for the admirable discipline and effort of the small Bladetail contingent, she’d have probably had nothing around her but corpses and more justifiable hatred. Jumping a bit in surprise, Bethany’s assistant began. “Y-yes...all of the men on the list have been secured except for one. It appears the outworlder left some time ago. At final count we have twenty seven dead and two more that probably won’t make it through the night. There are just over three hundred Haktivan survivors not counting the noncombatants. I’m sad to say that those men killing themselves actually improved morale...what good is a mate, after all, that’s just going to off himself at the first opportunity? The same talk is still out there, but we’ve at least got a bit more time. Was there anything else?” “No. Put out some feelers to look for the outworlder but he isn’t a priority at the moment. Have the men on the list brought before me and fetch Juniper, Isabel, and Marie. I want our interrogations done by dawn,” Bethany said as she set her weapon down on the table. Bethany planned to have the dryad Marie use her skills with mind magic to determine the extent of any offenses carried by the men that had been willingly offered up by the Haktivan council in exchange for clemency in determining the fate of the rest. If Marie found anything like what Bethany expected, Juniper and Isabel would be called upon to carry out the punishments. If things were even worse than she predicted, Bethany had been ordered to make certain that death would seem a pleasant afternoon to those judged to be guilty of war crimes. It would not be a quick process but every hour that passed without revolt brought this whole mess closer to a true resolution. The task at hand now required precision far more than haste. ----------------------- Marie said little as she set about her task, poring through the minds of each man in turn to not only determine the truth of their actions, but the lay of their hearts in carrying out those actions. Each moment in time painted an emotional picture, some in the simple colors of hate or anger and others composed of far more complex hues. Of those on the list, the minds of Leon, Martin, Gerald, and Ian were the most simple. Plain ignorance and misguided hate came together with the need to feel accepted. Such emotions might not have been damning on their own, but taken with the complete lack of remorse it meant that these men would all need to be recommended for serious punishment. Isaac was a different story. His thoughts and actions were based on the belief that humans had once ruled the island and deserved to “return” to that time. Even touching the pitch black well of his heart made Marie feel physically ill. It was as if the concepts of love and even happiness were foreign to Isaac. There was no saving this man...Marie hoped she’d never even have to touch him again. The Harbinger Melnik’s thoughts and emotions were far more complex than Isaac despite being similar in many ways. Melnik had a greater sense of honor, a deep sense of pride, and an ever present fear of seeing his people come to harm. Far more worldly than the others Marie had touched, Melnik had a great deal of compassion and felt remorse for each of the many deaths he’d been a party to. His case was not nearly as grievous as Isaac, but he knew what was transpiring and rather than make any attempt to stop it, seemed to almost encourage it. There was guilt associated with those thoughts and fear--as though Melnik felt it was acceptable to loose the heartless Isaac upon mamono even though Melnik’s own heart couldn’t bear the weight of so many murders. The harm Melnik had allowed to transpire as the Haktivan leader demanded punishment, but the man was not beyond saving. The punishment wasn’t up to Marie, but her recommendation was for something akin to rehabilitation. The last person Marie touched was Sieg. Experiencing each of Sieg’s thoughts was like walking deeper and deeper into a gallery that depicted human suffering and anguish. Moving from the present toward the past, Marie experienced a tormenting picture of despair in nearly every action this man had taken. Having become a paragon of human strength and tenacity, Sieg had brought down far more mamono than any of even his most bloodthirsty brothers. Marie saw the colors of hate just as with the others, but directed at unfamiliar concepts that Sieg had somehow associated with mamono. Marie stood as a silent observer from just beyond Sieg’s shoulder as he hesitated with every single strike he made, his thoughts a struggle in every moment, the colors confused and unordered. His only solace was in the bright feeling of acceptance and brotherhood that followed those singular instances of turmoil. And to Marie’s surprise, even those were not enough to completely control his actions...or to wash away the stains of emotional colors she’d never seen. Sieg had never made an intentional killing blow. He had been violent, brutal, and unforgiving...but never cruel. It was interesting that if not for his comrade Darius, he might well have killed Lucy near the end of the battle. The pains of his most recent years were nearly great enough to force Marie to break off contact and render her judgement, but Sieg’s true motives were deeper--born before he’d come to Haktiva. She didn’t fully understand but it was impossible to render a fair judgement without seeing the entire picture. She pressed deeper until she fell upon what she felt was the likely catalyst for his thoughts and actions in the horrific experience he’d been forced to endure at the hands of merciless Kaori slavers. Marie felt the cloying miasma of Sieg’s unfocused hate, choking on it like fetid air as he drew all of his pain ever inward. “Marie?” Bethany asked as she saw a look of growing sadness upon the girl’s face. “Is everything okay?” Sieg scowled, struggling far more than any of the other men had under Marie’s touch, his gag only barely keeping him silent. “No...no this is not okay,” Marie whispered, her soft voice wavering as it echoed through the council chambers, her hands never leaving the confused Sieg. “Oh…this…” Drifting even further from what she had expected to find, she found that Sieg’s capacity to hope and dream grew even more distant as she wound back through his life to the foreign place beyond her own world. Like being forced to stare at every horrific act in a theater of tragedy, Marie’s eyes filled with tears as the bleak images stretched to the very limits of Sieg’s earliest memories. The singular truly joyful memory, shortly before Sieg had been claimed by the island, had even been used to further mock and torment him. How could she judge a man that had seen more suffering in his short life than most mamono would see in a thousand years? Any punishment Bethany could imagine would seem to this man as nothing more than another step along a road that came from, moved through, and ended at pain. Heedless of the watching eyes and despite Sieg’s struggling, Marie pulled Sieg’s head gently against her chest and cradled him as though he were a wounded child. As she held him close, she wept. For his actions, Sieg needed to be punished; for his reasons he deserved none. To fulfill her duty, Marie needed to render a verdict; in her compassion she could find no verdict to offer. “Your judgement?” Bethany asked after some hesitation at seeing Marie’s inconsolable state. Marie looked up as Bethany gestured to each man in turn, grimly shaking her head as Bethany pointed to each. As her finger moved finally to Sieg, Marie could only blink away tears. “Mercy,” she begged with a single spoken word, her expressive eyes continuing a wordless plea that seemed to stretch into infinity. Making notes upon a piece of parchment, Bethany handed her orders to Juniper and Isabel. “To be carried out at dawn. I will speak to the other,” she said as she added with emphasis in Marie’s direction, “alone.” ------------------------------ “You’ll get nothing from me,” Sieg stated coldly as Bethany removed his gag. “That remains to be seen. Why do you think you are here before me?” Bethany asked, her expression unchanging. Sieg remained silent as his eyes strayed to a nearby window, his stoic demeanor shaken as he saw his home for the past decade full of the monsters he had come to despise. Bethany stepped to the window and closed the thick shutters. “You have been found guilty of assaults beyond counting, treason, sedition, and murder. Do you have nothing to say?” “Just kill me then. No monster will ever hear me beg again, not that it would matter any more now than it did then,” Sieg answered with no small amount of self loathing in his tone. “You monsters are all the same. None of you really care about us as long as you get your meal. You think stealing a life with your inhuman charms is any different than doing it with a blade? A prison is a prison whether it binds you in chains or in lies.” Bethany scratched at her chin, pondering a moment before responding. “I can’t deny that there is some truth in what you say. However, just because you were forced to suffer at the cruel hands of slavers does not justify the wholesale slaughter of innocents.” With a cold laugh, Sieg looked directly at Bethany. “Innocent? I’m not an idiot. You think those slavers were the first to sate their vile hunger with me? I was raped more than a dozen times by by your ‘innocents’ before I was ever touched by those slavers. Your almighty and benevolent Amarante watched as I begged for someone--anyone to save me...and did nothing. None of you are innocent.” Bethany shook her head as she started removing her armor. “Do you blame a fire for burning you, an ocean for smothering you, or a desert for starving you? That is nature. Fighting it is as futile as trying to shout away a storm. The slavers and other horrors of Kaori are not like us. We have powerful desires, yes, but it is also in our nature to care for and protect you.” “Is that what you’re doing now, monster?” Sieg angrily asked. “No, I intend to show you something,” Bethany answered as she turned away and pulled up her undershirt to reveal the skin beneath. The dullahan’s back was marked by dozens or hundreds of scars left by whips, blades, and fire. Just like Sieg, she also bore countless marks where a scalding brand had been pressed into her skin. “Like you, I was a human brought here against my will and stripped of my dignity and innocence,” Bethany said as she pointed to a long chain of simple tattoos that ran from the back of her shoulder all the way down her back. “Unlike you, I was locked in a cage and forced to breed, knowing that my own children would also be born as slaves. For the crime of trying to touch one of my own newborn children, I was tortured to death and thrown into a shallow grave.” Bethany continued, her voice empty of emotion. Sieg looked away, the thought of Bethany’s experience only further darkening his view of the world. “And yet you defend them. Why are you telling me this?” Pulling her undershirt back into place, Bethany turned back to face Sieg. “To remind you that the world can be a cruel place but it is far less forgiving if you attempt to fight against it.” “Then what’s the point? Why was I even born?!” Sieg yelled, his emotions a swarm of painful conflictions and endless contradictions. Bethany nodded before fetching a pair of small metal bracelets from a tiny chest across the room, snapping one of them around Sieg’s wrist and the other around her own. “Marie has never asked for mercy for anyone. I can’t tell you the meaning of life, but I am willing to let you find the meaning in your own. Your brothers will not get this chance.” “Why me? I was no better or worse than anyone in Isaac’s unit,” Sieg protested, suddenly less certain that he even wanted to live. “Because Marie asked and because, even in death, I have not found an answer to your question.” Bethany then dragged Sieg to his feet. “Your punishment is twofold. First, you will bear witness to the sentences of the other members of your unit. Second, you will live until you find an answer to your question. That bracelet will let you do no harm to yourself or another--and the twin that I wear will allow me to find you if you should ever lose yourself again.” “No! At least let me die alongside them! This isn’t fair!” Sieg took a step forward only to be pushed back by Bethany. “Life seldom is. I am at least as familiar with that concept as you. Now move,” Bethany demanded as she grabbed the small chest from the room and lead Sieg back into the council chamber as the first flowers of dawn’s light bloomed upon the horizon. In the center of the chamber were the five other members of Isaac’s squad as well as Melnik, encircled in a runic design. Seeing Bethany without her armor, the looks they sent Sieg allowed for only one possible assumption on their parts. “Less than an hour in the room with one of them and you’ve already turned traitor? That might be a record,” Isaac called out with a hateful grin. Melnik turned to Isaac. “Shut your mouth and die with honor.” Isaac shot back, “I don’t need to listen to you anymore, old man. This is the result of you and that pitiful council. We’d have taken back half the island by now if I’d been calling the shots.” “Ah,” Bethany interjected. “Before your sentences are carried out, I feel the need to enlighten you all on a few things of which you may not have been aware. In an effort to prevent a cross-region war from starting up as a result of your actions, I was given leave to request as many soldiers as I felt were needed to handle the assault. Perhaps it would surprise you to know that not only did I bring as few soldiers as possible, but I also drew them exclusively from the newest recruits.” Isaac held his arrogant smile. “Lying monster filth. Certainly no surprise there.” Dragging Sieg to the middle of the room, Bethany continued, “You didn’t find it strange that I brought no demons, slimes, or magic users in any great quantity? Haktiva needed to be beaten conventionally with the worst Amarante had to offer--and you were. Had we brought even a tenth of Amarante’s true military strength, we could have reduced this entire city to a pile of dust before you’d even been aware you were under attack. How else would Amarante have been able to exist for thousands of years while sharing a border with the Kaori warmongers?” The silence that followed was enough proof that Bethany had been believed. Bethany crossed her arms and continued, “Perhaps you are wondering why I would even bother telling you this when your lives are about to end. The truth is that the only thing ending is your lives as you knew them. If your own brothers hadn’t made it clear that death was what you all seemed to truly desire, you might have been sentenced to death. Instead you will be sentenced to the opposite.” Stepping forward Bethany loudly read off the charges and verdict. “Leon, Martin, Gerald, and Ian--you have been sentenced to seven hundred years in psychic sexual torment.” “What...does that mean?” Leon asked in nervous trepidation. Bethany nodded. “It means that you will think and feel as you do now, but your body will hunger for the energy of mamono. Receiving that energy will only make the hunger grow. Because of your crimes, you will not be allowed to forget how you feel about mamono throughout the period of your punishment.” Leon shot back, “Wait! You can’t-” “Juniper, proceed,” Bethany said with grim determination. In response, the small witch pulled a handful of diamonds and other precious gems, all covered in runic symbols, from a satchel bearing Amarante’s mark. With a short incantation, the gems shattered into dust as the magic circles surrounding those four men illuminated in brilliant crimson for several seconds. When it subsided, the men looked at each other in confusion. “Release them,” Bethany said after snapping metal bracelets on the four of them, each similar in design to the one now worn by Sieg. “Those will prevent you from harboring any harmful thoughts--toward yourself or others.” “Filthy monster lies!” Isaac shouted in response, the first signs of nervousness now showing on his face. Bethany tossed a dagger on the ground before Leon and turned her back to the four of them. “Then strike me down if you can.” All four of the men stared at the weapon, looking as though they couldn’t even understand its purpose. After several moments, Ian picked it up and moved forward a step. Before he could get any further, his hand began to shake and the dagger fell from his hand to clatter on the ground. “If there’s nothing further, escort them from the city,” Bethany said as she turned back around to face the four of them. Seemingly by accident, Martin suddenly spoke in a whisper, his eyes already showing signs of a growing need, “But…” Bethany nodded, “If you so wish it, I can have you escorted to our barracks instead.” All four of them simply stood in shocked silence, before eagerly accepting Bethany’s offer. As they were escorted from the room, Isaac screamed in rage. “You traitors! No...this is all a trick, it has to be!” Bethany continued down the line, ignoring Isaac’s increasingly infuriated shouts. “Harbinger Melnik, you bear the weight of your own crimes as well as those of your men. Do you have anything to say?” Melnik shook his head with a look of total resignation. “Pretty sure Isaac’s just about said it all. I did what I thought was right...and I’d do it again.” “Your dedication is admirable. Such dedication will help you in the punishment to follow,” Bethany said without emotion. “What, you going to give me some ridiculous sentence like those other four?” “No, your debt to the land could be repaid in as little as a year. Juniper? The blood,” Bethany answered as Melnik was force-fed a vial of dark red fluid by the witch. The circle around him then lit up in crimson light as with the other four. As he choked on the thick liquid, a slightly different bracelet was secured around his wrist. The change in Melnik was almost immediate as his features softened to look many years younger and his irises turned a bright red. Bethany spoke again. “Harbinger Melnik, to repay your debt to the land, you have also been blessed with an ever growing hunger that will not cease or wane until you have sired two mamono for every one that has been killed by any Haktivan since the founding of the city itself.” Already scratching at an uncharacteristic bulge in his pants, Melnik shook his head in disbelief. “That’s impossible...there could be thousands!” Bethany nodded, “There certainly could be. The bracelet will fall off once you have repaid your debt. If you’d like to join your brothers in the barracks, I’m certain my girls would be more than pleased with the company.” “No, no...I’m stronger than that. This is simply a matter of will…” “As you wish. Guard, escort Harbinger Melnik from the city.” Isaac growled as his anger peaked, “This is insanity! What did you do to him?!” Ignoring his outburst entirely, Bethany finally came to stand before Isaac. “Do you have anything to say for yourself, Isaac?” His answer was to spit in Bethany’s face, “Damn you filthy creatures! This isn’t over--there are plenty of others just like me! You things are a sickness--a plague upon humanity and the land!” Bethany nodded. “I had planned to give you the same punishment as Melnik, but you have swayed my opinion slightly. I believe the punishment will be the same, but with an extra condition. Isabel?” The other witch handed a small flask to Bethany and made a small bow as she produced a massive quantity of the runed gems and aligned them on the magic circle surrounding Isaac. Bethany took a large sip from the flask and then kissed the helpless man, forcing the liquid down his throat as she did so. Isaac sputtered and choked as he tried to cough up the liquid that tasted like nothing more than water and Bethany’s lips. “Bitch! What did you just-” Bound within the circle, Isaac was unable to move but his face became a mask of pain as he twisted in agony, his insides burning as though he’d swallowed acid. Bethany wiped her mouth with the back of her sleeve before placing the last bracelet on Isaac’s wrist, answering, “It is not in my nature to be cruel so I gave you the last kiss you will ever receive as a human. Isabel, the ritual.” Isabel nodded as she placed her hands on the circle, the many priceless gems becoming a bright scarlet flame as she did so. “What...are you...doing to me?” Isaac choked out, his voice cracking as the indescribable pain rushed over him. “I apologize for the pain...a weaker man would have fainted by now. All will become clear in a few moments.” As the circle glowed more and more brightly, the room was suddenly engulfed in a bright flash. When it faded, the circle had dissipated and Isaac was left lying face down on the cracked stone floor of the council chambers, still moaning in pain as he struggled to move. Bethany crouched down next to the fallen Isaac and began whispering in his ear. “It had occurred to me that if you were to survive, you could well gather other like-minded individuals to mount a foolish campaign of resistance. Several other mamono would likely die as a result and when you were again eventually apprehended, you could easily have just ended up swinging from the gallows.” “Bitch...the only way to stop me is to kill me,” Isaac began as he looked up at Bethany with a new terror showing on his face. “What’s...wrong with my-” “It was a quandary. How do you convince a mortal enemy to change sides? The solution is simpler than you might imagine.” As Isaac tried to move, his entire body began to glow again as he groaned at the return of the pain. Bethany then got back to her feet and continued, “As I said before, your task will mirror Melnik’s. In your case, however, it will take quite a bit longer to fulfill given that-” Leaping to his feet, Isaac screamed at Bethany, “I’ll die first! I’ll--what did you do to my voice?” “Your voice? Nothing. I think it suits...one such as you.” “You couldn’t have…” Isaac remarked as he finally took a moment to look at himself. “No, no, no…” Isaac’s scream followed a few seconds later as “he” found a set of tiny horns had sprouted along with a pair of tiny wings and tail. Bethany sighed. “Don’t be so dramatic. A great many people might consider this a gift. That hunger you have now is little more than the hunger of a mamono. Once the curse sets in it will continue to grow until you’ve finished repaying your debt to the land. And don’t worry, we’ve made certain that you won’t be able to accidentally stumble into danger. Just like the others you will not be able to conceive of violent thoughts and these bracelets can also be used to magically remove you from dangerous situations. We need to keep you safe while you perform your task, after all.” Isaac fell numb to the cracked and broken stone beneath, no possible combination of words able to capture the unexplainable mixture of hate, confusion, and utter disbelief that clung to every thought with fiery fingers. Bethany turned to Sieg. “There is another task that falls to you now. Your remaining Haktivan brothers are not guiltless and we are well aware that there may be many that think exactly as Isaac.” Having been staring at Isaac in growing horror for many minutes, Sieg turned to Bethany in anger. “How are you okay with this?! Death would have been kinder!” He backed a step away from Bethany, any of his other confusion about mamono quickly being replaced with overwhelming horror. “Get away from me, you...you-” Her calm expression falling away for the first time, Bethany shouted back, “Monster? Say it!” Sieg flinched in fear for the very first time since arriving upon the island. “What else are you?! This is so heinous that I can’t even-” Bethany sneered up at the man that was easily a head taller than her as she cut him off. “You think I enjoy being Amarante’s punisher?! Think what you will of me but this is nothing more or less than my duty. Did you ever see a man swinging from those gallows outside and blame the hangman? This is what Haktiva earned for their crimes!” Sieg looked away from Bethany’s piercing angry eyes, staring at the ground as he shouted back, “This is too much! Every single monster I’ve ever met tried to take everything from me!” Sieg then looked back up at Bethany in his own growing anger. “Many of my brothers only acted to defend our home from uncaring horrors that would be more than happy to press us all into slavery! Call me a liar or introduce me to your children!” With an almost bestial growl, Bethany stepped closer to the large Haktivan. “If you weren’t defenseless right now, I’d cut out your tongue. You were spared a similar fate only because you knew nothing of the treaty, the laws, or Amarante’s protection. It is only by my and Amarante’s grace that your entire city was not handed an even darker fate after your act of war was carried out. If Amarante had been dragged into a war with Kaori, Haktiva would have fallen within hours to the same type of people that enslaved you. You think it more cruel to ‘curse’ the most guilty among you with nearly eternal life and a hunger that is only slightly stronger than the one every single mamono is born to understand than to let you all watch as your youngest are turned into monsters or...forced to breed their own parents to make even more eternal slaves?” Sieg could see that Bethany never had any intention of speaking the last part of that. Despite the sickening feeling he felt at the thought of that situation, it started to move his thoughts toward an understanding of how close Haktiva had come to such a fate. “What are you going to do with us then?” Sieg asked softly as he shook his head. Taking a breath to calm herself, Bethany regained her composure before answering, “Amarante is prepared to offer the remaining Haktivans preferential asylum within Alnor. The Bladetail Legion might also be willing to accept some of you...likely with some severe conditions--they are fighting a war after all and male warriors could serve a...dual purpose.” “How is your asylum any different than what we would have seen under those slavers?” Sieg asked, his mind turning over the possibilities that could have lead to this conversation in the first place. “I was once a human outworlder just like you so I can understand how this world may seem when viewed through your eyes. Having been reborn as I am gives me an understanding of the difference in how mamono feel.” Bethany sighed as she continued, “However cruel you see our sexual hunger, it is tempered with an inborn desire to please men. It manifests in different ways for different species but with the exception of groups like the slavers and the odd individual here and there...that desire is universal. We want your happiness as much as we want...the rest.” This was nothing like what Sieg had been taught or what he had experienced. If Bethany wasn’t lying, it put a lot of other things into perspective. Even if his training and Haktivan education was screaming at him that monsters would tell any lie to get what they wanted, Sieg knew that the assault force had no reason to display any pretense of justice if they planned to simply devour him and his brothers. “I can’t fully believe you...at least not until I’ve seen some sort of evidence,” Sieg conceded before quietly adding, “Even if you are lying...I’m sorry for what I said before.” Nodding in acknowledgement, Bethany gestured for Sieg to follow, “I have a person for you to meet and something for you to see that should hopefully suffice as the proof you desire.” Bethany led Sieg to a smaller outbuilding near the council chambers that had been converted into a temporary barracks adorned with the now familiar symbol of the Bladetail Legion. After two knocks, Bethany led Sieg inside. Within, Sieg saw the very unexpected sight of an ogre in Bladetail colors, tightly embracing a much smaller man. “I’ll be okay, really. It’s over now,” the man said in a consoling voice, almost fully concealed from view within the ogre’s large arms. “Are you okay?” Pulling the man in tighter, the ogre answered back, “You did a good thing, but you stop smiling when no one else is watching. She should know her father.” “She should know her mother,” the man said, shaking his head. “The Legion can raise her better than I could.” Bethany cleared her throat to announce her presence as politely as possible. Releasing the man from her powerful arms, the ogre wiped some tears from her eyes. “Karen was like a sister. If you want punishment, force yourself to smile for her daughter until she’s old enough to understand.” With a simple salute of respect to Bethany, the ogre turned to leave. “We will talk later.” “You!” the man shouted as his eyes fell upon Sieg, his hand going immediately to his weapon until Bethany raised a hand to halt him. “This man has already been judged but remains ignorant of a great many things. Would you speak with him?” Bethany asked. Sieg immediately recognized the man and made a salute. “Swordmaster Mikal? I...don’t understand. We heard you left on another study mission.” Still not at all happy with this situation, Mikal released his sword hilt and crossed his arms. “I’ll talk to the boy if you want but I wouldn’t expect anything from any member of Isaac’s team.” Mikal then turned to Sieg, “That’s a lie--probably fabricated by Melnik. I left Haktiva for good after I watched you, that outworlder, and the rest of Isaac’s team slaughter that group of Bladetails. I’ve been staying with the Legion since.” Sieg was aghast at the admission. “You’re a traitor?!” “Damn right I am,” Mikal answered without remorse. “Or I would have been if they’d needed anything I had to offer. If you’re talking about my heart falling to the so-called corruption...you’re about two decades too late on that.” “But you’ve been training us for years! How is that even possible?!” Sieg asked, as he tried to wrap his mind around the possibility. “Boy...you were one of the best students I ever had so I want you to listen and listen well,” Mikal began as his hard gaze focused on Sieg. “I was born in Haktiva and happily swallowed all that bullshit they fed us. When Melnik and the council sent me out of Haktiva to train, they already knew what I’d find out there and it wasn’t anything like what they tried to make us believe.” “Then why would they lie? What does it gain any of us if we learn to hate monsters?” Sieg continued in confusion. Mikal shrugged before answering, “Pride maybe? Probably to keep you loyal. Within a week you could be in Alnor and see that everything they told you is complete tripe. Even most of Kaori is fine if you manage to stay clear of the slavers. Kaori is a risk I wouldn’t take again, but I was just like you once--arrogant and convinced of that ‘human superiority’ they tried to sell us. You’d have seen for yourself a few months from now when they gave you my position, Ulysses.” Sieg growled in anger as he stepped around Bethany. “Then why didn’t you tell us the truth, old man? You know what I went through--you knew I would have had no reason to doubt what Isaac told me!” Mikal shook his head. “I’m selfish. They’d have stripped me of my position and I wasn’t going to let myself be a captive in my own home or to swing for not agreeing with slow-arm Melnik. It wouldn’t have worked anyway. Melnik and even Isaac both know what’s out there and it never changed how they felt.” Sieg turned to leave. “This is such bullshit.” “You think I’m lying?” Mikal asked before Sieg got out the door. “No, and that just makes me more angry.” Sieg then turned back to Bethany and said, “You said you had something to show me?” “Follow me,” she said as she led Sieg past several curious mamono to one of the few buildings that had stuck very close to its original purpose in treating the sick and wounded. Sieg was surprised to immediately see that nearly all of the people being treated here were human. In addition to the Haktivan medics at work, there were a handful of mamono that seemed to be assisting in whatever ways they could. Peeking her head into a curtained-off section, Bethany waved Sieg over with an additional gesture begging quiet. “This boy took a pretty bad hit when he tried to stop you from finishing off a lizardman. We barely got to him in time but he should pull through.” Nodding in approval, Sieg replied, “That’s...nice and all but I don’t see how it-” “This boy was already married, and his wife and that lizardman had it out over the whole situation. The report said that he met this lizardman on a trade expedition and things quickly escalated,” Bethany added quietly. “Darius? I knew he did something in that tent! That lizard’s friend must have been in on it with how long she held us up yammering on and on about dwarven smelting techniques…So what happened to the girl and his wife?” “See for yourself,” Bethany said as she allowed Sieg to peek beyond the curtain. What Sieg saw might have been enough to change his mind even before the many revelations of the day. On the bed was the boy Darius, sleeping or unconscious as he took slow steady breaths. Fresh bandages made it clear where he’d taken the wound that put him here. He appeared to have been well tended-to. The more interesting thing he saw behind the curtain was a scaled lizard girl and a young human woman sitting asleep next to the bed. The two women leaned against each other in a way that couldn’t have happened if they’d been fighting when they fell asleep. Whatever outcome Sieg might have expected from a human fighting with a monster over a man...wasn’t what he was seeing. The evidence of many tears over Darius’s condition was clearly visible on both of the women’s faces even in their slumber. Sieg could see that, while the two women physically supported each other by leaning against one another, they both held the unconscious man’s hand as if to ensure that he would know that both of them had been there for him and would remain so when he awakened. Backing away and and allowing the curtain to close, Sieg quietly asked, “What task do you need me for?” Waiting until the pair of them were back outside, Bethany gestured to the barracks where the Haktivan soldiers were being currently held. “You will tell your brothers of the punishment you witnessed and make them understand that we will show far less restraint in the future if we should ever discover another instance of Haktivan crimes. And I can assure you that if we are forced to act on any incident like this in the future, our necromancers will guarantee that not even death will be an escape from justice.” “I will tell them what they need to hear,” Sieg offered. Bethany nodded before turning to head back to the council chambers. “Once you have done so, you are free to go or to remain here with any that wish to seek asylum within Alnor or the Legion.” Sieg sighed and looked up at the brightening morning sky before setting off to explain the impossible to his remaining brothers. After that...who could say? And so the city that was Haktiva was no more, destroyed as much by its ignorance as by its arrogance. |
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