Manifest War: The Weapons Within

Shortly after the Empress left his office, The High Priest quickly met with a few of his subordinates to go over his plans. Within the room were two high ranking generals of the Lumen military, Von Melrose the commander of the Holy Core Saint Order, and his second in command, Claudia Vandel.

They stood at attention as Leo Vaux’Hallah informed them of the impending war. Their all white uniforms, accented with gold trims, glowed brightly as The High Priest discussed his plan.

“As you know, we’ve been preparing our forces for a potential altercation. I have purposely hidden the reasoning behind this to keep our plans from leaking. But today, I will reveal everything and our operation can begin right away.” The High Priest started to tell his highest ranking officials of the plan he and the Aristan Empress had come up with. They looked on with great intent and surprise, not expecting their reasoning to be so elaborate.

“Now, I know what you all might be wondering. Why even entertain this idea? Well, as you all are already aware, the Lumen Theocracy is by far the smallest nation of the six on Resotera. Our population is beginning to catch up with our size and expansion is seeming more and more necessary as the years go by." The priest briefly paused as he readjusted the tall white hat on his head.

"If this invasion is successful, Arista has agreed to cede a significant portion of Volaire to us, allowing Lumen to expand eastward and extend our reach further. It would benefit our nation greatly and even give us an opportunity to spread the Core Gospel to areas unknown.” He continued with great wonder in his eyes.

“A conquest operation sounds superb, sir! It makes sense that you would want to do something that benefits our citizens. I expect nothing less from the one that communes closely with the Core!” General Colvin replied, shooting infinite amounts of praise to the High Priest.

“Yes, I knew you had a good reason for rounding up our forces. We will carry out your orders to perfection. My men are yours to command, Sir!” General Dunty responded with an equal reaction.

“Excellent! Commander Melrose, I want you on the front lines forging a path for our forces. Once we reach our first point beyond the border, the Arista Imperial Army will meet us there and combine with our military. From then on, you will continue on the front lines alongside Varric Clover.” Leo’s voice was brimming with excitement as he explained the plan.

“Cause as much havoc as possible! Lay waste to the Volairen soldiers until Azhane Belouis makes her appearance. Do whatever it takes to force out that Manifest ability of hers. Now, let us mobilize and begin this operation. We have no time to waste!” The High Priest added with loud authority, riling up his subordinates with each word.

“YES SIR!” Everyone responded in unison and swiftly exited the room, not wasting a single moment. Von Melrose headed down the hall with Claudia Vandel following him closely.

“Commander, what will you have me do? Shall I join you on the front lines as well?” Claudia asked, hoping to get in on the action.

“No, there is no need. I want you and the other Holy Core Saints to be on standby. Someone needs to stay with the High Priest while we conduct this operation. Even though our force will be overwhelming, we still need to err on the side of caution. We mustn't get overconfident.” He replied with his usual proper and deep tone.

“I understand, sir. Although, I do find it regrettable that I won’t be able to assist you in battle.” She responded with a slightly saddened tone. Von Melrose paused as he turned around to face his subordinate. Claudia’s short blonde hair swayed around her neck as she came to a sudden stop, surprised by Von’s quick pause. He looked directly in her piercing blue eyes and began to speak.

“Do not worry, Claudia. I assure you that your skills will be utilized to the fullest during this battle. When that time comes, I need you to not hold anything back. But for now though, I need you holding things down during my absence.” He said as he placed his hand on her shoulder, reassuring his second in command with a smile. Claudia nodded and appreciated his words before responding.

“Thank you, Commander Melrose. On my duty as Vice Captain of the Holy Core Saint Order and my honor as a Blade Monarch, I will not fail you!” She stood at attention before bowing her head, showing great respect toward her leader.

“Good, now let us embark with haste!” They quickly continued their trek to the transportation wing, ready to begin the invasion into Volaire.

Through the halls of Castle De Belouis, Asiah of Three finished dropping Caleb off at a room in the guest wing of the castle. She continued to the next open room with Priscilla following her closely. As Asiah looked over at the young girl, she couldn't get over how filthy she was. It was as though she was never allowed to bathe or something.

Priscilla’s bodily stench attacked Asiah’s strong sense of smell and she started to breathe from her mouth, hoping that would help. As they rounded the corner, Asiah spotted Nadine approaching them and she flagged her down. Nadine quickly came up to them, bowing her head deeply.

“Lady Asiah, how can I assist you this evening?” She asked with a soft and humble tone.

“Please bathe this girl and fetch her some new clothes. She’s a guest of the Queen, so treat her with the utmost care.” Asiah replied as she stepped aside, allowing Nadine to see Priscilla.

“As you wish, m’lady.” Nadine glanced at Priscilla and smiled warmly before holding out her hand.

Priscilla looked over at Asiah, as though she were asking if it was okay. Asiah nodded and smiled, then Priscilla took Nadine’s hand as they walked down the hall towards the washroom. While they made their way down the hall, Nadine started up a conversation.

“What might your name be, young miss?” She asked with a motherly smile.

“Uhm.. P-Priscilla” She replied, stuttering over each word.

“My, what a splendid name! And may I ask how old you are? You remind me so much of my granddaughter.” Nadine replied, hoping to earn the girls trust. Priscilla pondered the question for a second, fiddling with the frills on her dirty dress.

“Uhm.. I’m.. eleven.. I think.” She softly responded, unsure of her answer. Nadine smiled as her heart melted over this adorable child.

They arrived at the washroom and Nadine ran Priscilla a hot bath, telling her to get undressed. Priscilla agreed and started to undo the buttons of her dirty, tattered and ripped, black dress. Nadine looked over and her eyes went wide as she saw the girl’s bare back.

Priscilla had a multitude of bruises, scars, and lacerations that raced down her back and upper thighs. Even though they were fairly old wounds, It was clear that she had endured multiple severe beatings.

“My goodness, who would do something to such a sweet little girl?” Nadine wondered with great concern, growing furious that someone could lay their hands on a mere child. Priscilla finished undressing and was confused by Nadine’s shocked expression, wondering why she was staring at her like that.

Nadine snapped out of her funk as she quickly assisted Priscilla with her bath. She scrubbed the dirt off of her body and shampooed her purple hair, not missing a single spot. The process took a solid thirty minutes and once finished, Nadine presented Priscilla with a new gown.

It was silk white with blue trims and on the chest was a cute little bow. It fit her perfectly and was considerably more comfortable than her previous attire. She twisted her hips side to side and admired how pretty and flowy it was, surprised that anyone would give her something this nice.

“Is it to your liking, young miss?” Nadine asked with a smile. Priscilla blushed and silently nodded, happy to have received such a gift.

“Good to hear! Now, I’ll take you to the room you’ll be staying in tonight. I’m sure you’re exhausted. Follow me, Miss Priscilla.” After a brief walk, they arrived at a guest room and Nadine opened the door, revealing an extravagant room fit for royalty.

The bed was massive, the marble floors sparkled, and the furniture screamed expensive. Everything in this bedroom was pristine and the energy of it all was incredibly welcoming.

Priscilla’s eyes went wide as she saw her new room, absolutely floored by its size. At the Boundless Palace, she was confined to a small, closet sized room that had nothing more than a cot and a bucket for a bathroom. They treated her like filth and thus gave her nothing even remotely close to this.

“Well, Miss Priscilla, here is where you will be sleeping. If you have anything that you need, please don’t hesitate to call for assistance. Ring that bell over there and a maid will arrive with haste. Do you have any questions for me?” Nadine asked, being the best host she could be.

Priscilla shook her head no while still gawking at her room. “Alright, have a good night, young miss.” Nadine smiled as she bowed her head, swiftly leaving the room and shutting the door gently.

Priscilla slowly approached her new bed while looking around at the grand amenities of this room. She touched the silky sheets, feeling how soft and plush they were. It was calling her name with every press of her palm. She cautiously hopped on and scooted to the center, rubbing her hand on the bed once again. In that same moment, a drop of water splashed against her hand.

Multiple more drops fell and the water raced down, hitting the bed below. Priscilla was in tears. For the first time in an incredibly long time, she felt safe and happy. Briddle wasn’t there to beat her into submission, Boundless soldiers could no longer demand services from her, and she no longer had to sleep on a rock hard cot.

The amount of relief that came over her body was incredible and all of the emotions she had suppressed were released in droves. The kindness shown to her in the past few hours was too much to bear and her tears flowed with no signs of stopping. Priscilla continued to cry until she fell asleep, getting the best sleep she had ever had.