NOVEL NEXT V11: Chapter 8
V11: Chapter 8
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Additional 2000 words commissioned by ChaosBrain
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Interlude: Eminent Void Blade: She Who Glides Between Sunbeams
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The King of Wisdom asked, and the dead answered.
For hours and hours, he asked and wrote, while officers came and went. Only the Iterants stayed through the whole ordeal, while he simply sat, gathered information, and ensured that everything was recorded. When everything was done, when he was satisfied by all the answers, he ordered copies made and then retired.
He bade me to do what I wished with their souls, as he had no use for them, and then left me to ponder what was to come next.
I wondered for the whole evening, as I ground down their souls for power and rendered onto them what they did to others.
Then dawn arrived, and the King of Wisdom returned.
My mission is in his hand.
"For a period of one year, you will terrorize their lands. Your goal will be to kill as many of their mortal chattel as possible. Deprive them of the blood, flesh, and souls that they declare theirs to use." He gave me my mission in the command tent. Officers from all the races were present, listening and watching with bated breath. The Iterants almost forgot to feign being truly alive as they stared at him unblinking. "Let it be known this day that I sign the death warrant of all those who you will slay in the lands of the demons."
The order was written on parchment thrice over, and he placed his seal on each one and signed it by his hand.
"May future generations revile me for this. I set loose a great force upon the world to kill and lay waste to people who I could work to save. But I will bear this atrocity under my name for the sake of my people." He understood every word that he said. The number of lives that will die by his command through me was immense. It should have been beyond his understanding, but he understood perfectly, and still he committed the act. He believed that he would be hated for this action. Still, he moved onward. "Goddess of Death, I beseech you to lay waste to the lands of the demons. Kill their soldiers and armies when you can, but your true mission is to create a barren wasteland between their land and our own. Let their immense armies and people suffer to reach us."
Everyone present knew the truth now.
An empire that stretched across the world. That had colonies in other continents. Millions of souls are ready to kill and fight for an emperor who glutted himself upon a hundred souls and lives a day. The remnants of the Ancient's foes were an indomitable nation with souls to spare and fearsome magics at their beck and call.
But they were still lacking.
"You will do this to buy time for our nation to rise. They do not have Citadels. They are lacking in alchemy, industry, and magic. We are outnumbered, but we have our own advantages. Advantages that we must put to use." The King of Wisdom rallied his people. The force that bore down upon the world did not have firearms. They did not have flying castles. They were not unified and squabbled with one another. "Weaken the outlying regions. Have them fall prey to one another. Make them consume one another. They will fight, they will consolidate, and they will realize the truth only to find a land ready to defeat them and their own foes. A land that can hold against them until they can be destroyed."
He made them rightfully fear the demons, but he also gave them hope.
Hope not in a singular weapon, but in themselves, their work, and their own efforts.
There was no applause, no cheering, and no calls of joy, but as I was handed my mission, I looked around.
Stoic faces with stern gazes filled with the determination to see the fight through lined the entirety of the room.
There was fear, but courage outweighed it.
Ah.
My dear creators, despite all their missteps, I am sure that you would be proud of those who came after.
…
I met with the King of Wisdom after my mission was given.
It was in a room with over a hundred Iterants.
"They will be your supporting element. Their main purpose will be to gather intelligence, increase their numbers, and understand the culture of the demons. Once they have managed that, they will infiltrate and begin efforts to turn the nation against itself." There was no longer any grandeur. His voice was soft and controlled. Every word was meant to inform me on how I will fulfill his command. We were in a carved-out tunnel near the base, behind an outcropping of rock beside a trail, and the hidden compound was filled with supplies for an Iterant force. A force that had been prepared before I was even found. "In ancient texts, there was said to be a disease that allows the undead to create Undead by killing mortals. Are you capable of that?"
"I am, but only with your command, my dear master."
"Permission granted. Infected individuals will be carried and seeded through their nation by Iterants. Terrify, destabilize, and create chaos so that warlords vying for the throne have their opportunity. The Iterants will kill anyone who is likely to stop the chaos. They will be provided the prototype weapon in small quantities." The King of Wisdom informed me, and I listened with nearly bated breath. He anticipated. I did not know how, but I could assume. He saw the length and breadth of the world thanks to the Citadels. He knew that the continent was surrounded by defenses, filled with resources, and that outside there were only monsters. Taking all that into account, he knew that he had to create methods to answer such threats. I was just a potent addition. "You will only strike at their capacity to wage war whilst you retreat. The Iterants will stay behind and provide information while creating a smuggling route for more potent attacks later."
"May I ask what kind of potent attacks you intend? If such attacks will create bodies and not more poison, I can make it so that those who die will return to fight against the demons." I offered and received a swift nod in reply.
"The first assault will be with our aerial forces. A firebombing campaign across all that we can reach, during the height of summer, and after they planted their crops." He explained as we walked through the long hall. We passed by Iterants shifting forms using drawings from previous expeditions and even the corpses that we acquired. They shifted the faces, added subtle features, and differentiated themselves from one form to another. Such a potent force would have made my creators hesitant and fret about possibilities of rebellion. Every Iterant present, however, looked at the King of Wisdom with adoration and at me with envy. "While the fires rage, industries will be targeted by Iterants on the ground. We have certain compounds that can burn through rock and metal with ease from the alchemists."
We passed through cloth doors inside the hall, and he wordlessly created a light.
It shone across the room, and I stopped in my tracks.
Core after core of Iterants was on the shelves.
The formation of an Iterant from a core was automatic after they were produced from the body of an existing one. That meant that one infiltrating Iterant could become a team of three after reaching their target. In a few months, three became nine, and so on.
But there was another way.
If an Iterant's core was extracted from their body, they could choose to remain a core so that they could be taken to safety. It was an emergency measure. A failsafe to give them another chance after their chassis was destroyed.
They were using that emergency measure as a weapon.
That was clever, but what made my heart race was another fact entirely.
The Iterants were willing to give up their bodies and render themselves unfeeling and immobile for their leader.
"Every Iterant under your command will be carrying twenty others in their inert state. Two thousand Iterants will infiltrate this demonic empire. They will multiply, they will grow, and with time they will see it fall." My master called it sabotage and espionage, but I saw what he truly created. This was a killing blow. A tumor that will grow within the demon's nation. Year after year will pass. The Iterants will infiltrate, ingratiate, and settle themselves into demonic society. Then, when the time comes, they will be unleashed while armed with potent alchemical weapons that will not affect them. "After the firebombing, they will wage a fighting retreat, destroying everything that they can and extracting as much information as possible. After that, all operations will be conducted via our aerial fortresses and from high altitude. Bombardment from the skies."
A plague of Undead to sow terror.
Inciting discord and giving opportunities to those who want more.
A firestorm to sow more chaos while destroying industry.
Then, unleashing tens of thousands of killing machines across the nation, before they retreat, fire comes from the skies without ceasing.
"It will only buy time." My glee at his words must have been obvious, as he spoke to me with a shake of his head. "Time to take the rest of the Citadels and cripple the rest of the threats that encroach. Time that can be used to find your third, last sister. We will be taking from them as much as we possibly can."
"They were struck with more than this and survived." I agreed with a small nod at his words before allowing my brow to furrow. "What can be taken from the Demons that does not entail sacrificing the people?"
If he asked them, they would give their lives without question, but such was not my master's path.
"Their average soldier is as strong as our own, after they have been given the Ancient's gifts. They carry little in terms of supplies, and their magic can heal what Holy magic cannot. Those alone will empower our armies." He motioned for me to follow him, and I did. We went back to the room where the rest of the Iterants were preparing. Some passed us by with bags ready to carry the cores of the waiting Iterants. A hundred bodies will become two thousand upon reaching their target. Two thousand that will increase and increase every few months. 2000 will create 4000. 6000 will create 12000 for 18000. More and more, until a small army of living shapeshifters is in the midst of the demon's empire. Such a simple method, to ferry cores of other Iterants in packs, but the potential was terrifying. "As for their sacrificial rites, we will take them apart for countermeasures and perhaps find augmentations that can be used with our own magic that needn't take blood, let alone lives or souls."
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I nodded and listened to every word.
Contentment filled me as I asked questions, received answers, and allowed myself to cease worrying.
No more worrying about my creators gathering resources for the next generation instead of fighting.
No more concerns regarding my creators holding back because of their own morals and beliefs.
No more thinking about usurping command in order to try and save the people that I care for.
All that I had to do was kill.
All is well.
…
After sweating through giving everyone the bad news and spending more than two hours clarifying every little thing with Eminent, I was pooped.
"Ayah, I'll be having my dinner now. Please grant me some time to rest before I sleep as well."
"Yes, my lord." Ayah gave a bow at my words, while I looked around my tent. My usual prefabricated housing was still stored away, since I had no intention of sticking around here for more than a day. I'll sleep this evening, then go travel back to the Citadel tomorrow. My last vacation was a few months ago, so it was about time for another one. "What will you have for your meal this evening?"
"The usual." The usual was a light soup and some jarred fruit. It sounded shitty for a king, but I was half a day away from a potential battle in the middle of an expansive mountain range that was perpetually snowing. Canned soup and jarred fruit were luxurious. "Thank you."
Ayah bowed and was ready to retreat when outside the tent I heard the flapping of wings and the harsh breathing of a flying horse.
A priority message.
Damn.
"Belay my request for now; get that message."
"Yes, my lord!"
Ayah scurried away and returned within a few minutes with a message in hand.
All sorts of scenarios and possibilities ran through my head.
Did Morgan fail in her pacification of Academy lands?
Did the Forgers get the Citadel instead of the Merchants?
Was a war declared by the Guardians of the Moon because they found Riegert's expedition and defeated them?
Were we getting hit by some unknown force out of nowhere that I hadn't prepared for?
All those questions ran through my head while Ayah was away, until I opened the letter.
It was from Khanrow, who I had stationed at the Merchant's lands.
I read through it, then I read through it again, and sighed.
"The Forgers found and leaked the existence of the Merchant's efforts to create artificial champions and elite soldiers. An armed revolt is sweeping through the nation." I didn't know whether to be pleased or pissed. On one hand, I wanted the Merchants to get the Citadel since they needed it to hold against the Ascendant. On the other, since this was happening now, we could potentially get another Citadel… or give it to the Guardians." Forget dinner and prepare the carriage. Get a letter off to the Guardians."
"Your Majesty?" Ayah questioned while I got to a box in my dining room. There were a couple of spare bars of rations and water in packs within the small shelves. For me, if there was no time to eat or if we needed to make a quick getaway on foot. "What do you wish to say to the Guardians of the Moon?"
I considered the situation for a moment before answering.
"Ask them if they want to prolong this needless suffering or if they want to halve the continent, face off against the coming threats, and figure out who leads after we all survive."
Their alliance was dead, I had two goddesses on my side, and now two citadels were up for grabs.
Might as well see if we can seize the Forger's Citadel too.
With that in mind, I went off to fly into the dead of night to see if I could broker a deal with someone who really hates my guts.
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Interlude: Celia
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Two visitors arrived at my Citadel in the dead of night.
Harper arrived first on horseback with most of her household with her. She asked for asylum for herself and her people while her nation burned with the fires of revolution. The expedition was clean and well-prepared. She had with her not only a great amount of wealth to re-establish herself but also a truly immense amount of information and research.
In the handful of meetings I had with her since the formation of our alliance and the war she waged against the Forgers, she had implied she was losing control. The initial rebellion against her had been hard-won, and she had conceded her power for support from other wealthy merchants. Those on the 'table' of executives demanded, and she could only give. Those concessions were used to gather more strength and wealth, and now she was ousted by the same people who she had relied upon as they saw her as unnecessary.
How much of that was true and how much of it was by her own hand, I did not know.
But I did know that the King of Wisdom arrived mere hours after her and requested guest rights.
Both were now in my manor, in entirely separate wings, and the contrast between the two was stark.
"Executive Harper's people are scouring the city and searching for opportunities. They're contacting quite a few members of the senate. We had familiars listening in. Their intentions are to create a trading corporation based here." Mallory watched the Merchants while Christine watched the King of Wisdom. Mallory recounted the findings of her retinue concisely. "Their primary interest is in agriculture, especially in our efforts to cultivate the new plants and species with our Undead. If Executive Harper intends to do something with her military force, she has made no show of it."
"Even if the reason why she is here is not true, her goals seem to be. Or, that may be what they wish for us to think. This may all be a ruse. Keep watch, Mallory." My former fledgling, now full-blooded Vampire Knight and Champion, bowed at my words and awaited my orders when she raised her head once more. Only a few years have passed for her to reach her current level of strength. Conflict after conflict forced her to quickly grow in strength. What should've taken decades took less than one. "Have you heard back from your sister?"
There was another reason why they were chosen. Thanks to their similarities in mind, body, and spirit, they were able to communicate with one another across vast distances without issue. They also always knew if their twin was whole and hale. When circumstances permitted, they fought together like they were of one mind and two bodies. They never feared harming one another, supported one another perfectly, and could overcome most challenges together with ease.
I hoped that they would be a fine answer to the likes of Ilych and Rita.
"Christine states that the King of Wisdom is fast asleep and that her watch has been encroached upon by his personal guard twice over. They know that she is there, and they permit her presence." Mallory allowed a frown to grace her features. To allow a champion in the presence of the King of Wisdom meant that they were confident in their ability to overcome that champion. They were calling Christine weak. "I cannot dispute it. Ilych, Rita, and Sirena all stand guard over him. If Morgan and her apprentices were here…"
Mallory trailed off and grunted with a shake of her head.
I knew not how the King of Wisdom managed to sway the Sword Saint to his side, but she was here now, and with her support there was nothing that could be done to assail the King of Wisdom as he now slumbered. Though he was at the very heart of my city, of a supposed foe, he slept without any fear whilst his powerful sentinels stood watch.
Was he in the den of the dragon, or has a dragon come to roost at my home?
"Tell her to return. She will find nothing besides stares and tests throughout the night. We will discover why he has come tomorrow." I stated with a shake of my head. Catherine should be here, but I dispatched her to gather intelligence on the ongoing war in hopes of finding a solution to the conflict that would satisfy both sides. I would have made sure my teacher was present if I knew that the King of Wisdom would arrive. Mallory's brow furrowed at my words, and I took note. "Share your thoughts with me, Mallory. I value your words. You know this."
Mallory gave a sharp nod at my words, her helm's chin nearly colliding with the gorget at her neck.
"My lady, what if he shared with us the truth? What if his intention is to have us seize the rest of the Citadels? All those not under her control?" Mallory broached the question with care. I had already shared with her my thoughts. It must be some sort of ruse. A trick that would have me move into the palm of his hand. I was sure of it, but Mallory still voiced her concerns and met my gaze through the slit in her visor. "The great threats loom ahead. Why would he not see us reach our full strength?"
I opened my mouth to answer, but none came.
All I could do now was go forth and listen to his words.
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The three of us sat together at a replica of the table we used to meet to confront the Death Lord. That meeting where the whole continent was rallied to a singular cause, before the formation of the short-lived alliance between my people, the Merchants, the Forgers, and the Wardens against the King of Wisdom. After that I met with my allies a handful of times across a few seasons, and I watched as my allies grew in power, resentment, and distance to one another as he grew stronger still.
Now, the Merchants were engulfed in civil strife, the Forgers were seizing the lands of the Wardens in the turmoil, and my people were supplying weapons, food, and equipment for all the conflicts across the continent.
While he loomed over us all, his strength having only grown while we fought amongst ourselves and exploited one another. Even with our new Wraiths coming into being, after we defeated that creature left behind by the Academy with his forces, I saw an insurmountable force. Reports from across his land showcase ancient technologies coming into being.
Trains and tracks bind his realm together and offer insurmountable projection of force in wartime, and during times of peace his cities may as well be side-by-side. It only took his trains five days to reach one end of his empire to the next. That shipping capacity freed up immense numbers of flying transports for military use without even considering the implication of four regions being able to coordinate and play to their region's strengths rather than do everything alone.
His armies were massing at an incredible rate. The small, elite professional force he kept and supplemented by Citadel Guardians were now training hordes of volunteers. In just a year, I was told that he will have a quarter million troops. Troops that will be armed with rifles that use cartridge technology and reload on their own after firing a shot, if our intelligence is to be believed, are improvements over the large rifles produced by the Citadel itself. These troops will have uniforms suitable for any theater that they reach, have all the supplies that they need, be provided with new cannons that can fire at an ogre and kill it with a single shot, and be anywhere in his lands within a week.
His strength and power were without question.
But he sat across from us with an unthinkable bargain.
So unthinkable that former Executive Harper forgot all her fears and hissed at him after he stated them.
"What is this farce!? Do you expect us to believe that you'll give us half of the continent and four Citadels!?" The impossible offer left his lips after we greeted one another and sat. Not even a single second had passed. Harper's incredulity had her stand once more with balled fists against the table. "What's your game, King of Wisdom!?"
The King of Wisdom looked her way.
To her credit, Harper may have flinched, but she kept his gaze.
Jack sat back in his chair before speaking with his usual calm, controlled cadence.
"Just under two days ago, the first incursion by the demons arrived. They were dealt a decisive blow and destroyed through an avalanche. Survivors were dispatched by my Champions, and information was extracted from the dead by my Divine Engine." I felt myself freeze in my chair at his declaration. An incursion past the storm barriers set up by the Ancients? Already? If that had occurred at our part of the continent, then we would have—I need to hasten the construction of defenses there immediately. "The Demons, alone, are a nation in truth with hundreds of millions of slaves and tens of millions of their ilk. They fight to dominate the world and see this continent as their means to achieving rulership over the entire planet."
A shiver went down my spine, but he continued to speak plainly and without leveling any accusation our way.
He was recounting facts, doing nothing at all to persuade us, yet I could only sit and listen to every word.
"I will be sending the Divine Engine of Death into their lands. The Iterants have asked to move against them, and I am aiding them as we speak to infiltrate and sabotage those vast lands. But the Stymphalians, the Ascendant, and the Sahuagin remain. I am introducing disease to their slave populations where I can, but it can only do so much." He held his hands outward and shrugged his shoulders. A casual move one would expect from a half-hearted apology. Not admission of using disease as a weapon and deliberate targeting of slave populations. Those were terrible crimes, but at the same moment I knew that I could not deny them. The whole world was bearing down upon us. "My game, therefore, is that I wish to have only one potential foe on this continent rather than three, because otherwise we will also perish."
Then, my senses for danger flared, and my instinct told me to run as he reached for his neck and pulled out a small, circular locket.
He placed it on the table and opened it.
A vibrant, glowing substance was encased within it, and every sense that I had told me to not move as he placed a finger against it.
"King of Wisdom, what have you snuck past my guards?"
"A deadly, powerful poison that can kill everyone at this table in under a minute." He glanced behind him, and I followed his gaze. His champions were frozen and stock-still behind him. They were caught unaware of his current move. Even Ayah, who was always by his side, was shocked into complete stillness. "And it will if you don't agree to ally with me and unify your half of the continent."
Silence pervaded the room until Harper spoke.
"You will die if you break that. You won't do it."
I didn't believe her.
No one in the room did.
Probably not even Harper herself.
Still, the King of Wisdom answered.
"My death will galvanize my nation into action. Even if the two of you survive, it will send them into a rage, and they will put at risk what I have created to use. They will seize this entire continent, absorbing all casualties in the process, and use all that I have created to protect it." With every word, the gravity of the situation bore down more and more upon me. "My role as the king of my nation is to secure happiness and prosperity for my people. If the price for that is my life, then so be it."
Instead of holding anything we held dear hostage, he held himself hostage and demanded we do as he said.
And there was nothing we could do to oppose it.