Chapter 24 – Oath in ashes – Part Two

Chapter 24 – Oath in ashes – Part TwoChapter 24 - Oath in ashes - Part Two

Ushu had watched the battle against The Destroyer with muted awe, waiting for his moment to provide the assistance the Lord had insisted would become clear when the moment itself arrived.

Staring at the coalescing amber mana in the sky, Ushu knew that his moment was now upon him. Thrusting both hands into the large pouch at his waist, Ushu withdrew two fistfuls of mana stones and did his best to clear his mind.

Banishing such a powerful spirit was beyond Ushu’s abilities, he instinctively knew as much. So instead, Ushu sought to even the playing field by summoning a spirit to fight on their behalf.

“GREAT KISHK! HEAR MY CALL!” Ushu fell to his knees and raised both mana stone-filled hands to the sky in supplication, “YOUR PEOPLE ARE IN GRAVE PERIL AND IN NEED OF YOUR AID!” Grey mana erupted from Ushu’s chest and travelled up his arms, engulfing the mana stones and causing the gathered mana to increase tenfold in the span of a second.

Lord Tim’s Banner Bearers, brothers Hesk and Hessik, both looked expectantly towards the sky. It was incredibly rare for a Shaman of the tribe to manifest their patron and guardian Spirit, and they did not want to miss the opportunity.

However, much to the brother’s disappointment, and Ushu’s confusion, Kishk, the great pale serpent, patron and guardian of the Bleak-Fang tribe, remained absent.

With more than half the mana stones in his hands already turned to dust, Ushu tried again, this time with more urgency. “POWERFUL AND VENERATED KISHIK! WE HUMBLY PLEAD FOR YOUR AID! WE BEG! DELIVER USS FROM THE APPROACHING EVIL!”

Again, the three Serpent-Kin looked expectantly to the sky, and again, they were disappointed.

The amber mana had finished coalescing into its spiritual form, a crude simulacrum of a man set ablaze like a bonfire. More or less ignoring Lord Tim and his warriors, The Destroyer had turned his attention towards the heart of Sanctuary.

Very nearly brought to panic, Ushu felt a calming wave of reassurance emanate from the nearby banner. With Kishik unwilling or unable to answer his summons, Ushu settled upon his backup plan. Forbidden by his old teacher and master, Ushu weighed the damnation of his soul against his duty to the tribe, and found the former wanting.

Drawing the crude bone knife from his waist, Ushu clenched his jaw and pressed the point of the blade into his skin.

In their ignorance, neither Hesk or Hessik understood the enormity of what Ushu was undertaking, or in the unlikely event that Ushu should survive, that their duty would be to execute him on the spot. Ushu did not blame them for their ignorance. With the elite cadre of warriors and the old chieftain’s line all dead, only Ushu and his apprentices knew the law he was now breaking, and Ushu prayed that they would have the moral fortitude to follow through with their sacred duty.

“Shaman, Underlord? Iss there anything you need from uss?” Hesk inquired worriedly as Ushu’s blade continued carving the sigils required for the ritual.

Ushu tersely shook his head and concentrated on the task at hand, his hands trembling ever so slightly from the pain.

“DAR!” Lord Tim’s roar echoed through the relative silence, centring Ushu’s mind and introducing a fresh sense of urgency, “BRING THOSE REMAINS TO USHU!”

The cacophony of metal plate armour drawing closer announced Underlord Lash’s approach and likely indicated that Lord Tim was close behind.

“Ushu! Is there anything you c-” Lord Tim had come running around the improvised bulwark that had sheltered the trio of Serpent-Kin from The Destroyer’s flames. “What are you doing?!” He demanded, pointing down at Ushu’s self-inflicted wounds.

“Lord,” Ushu winced as the sudden intake of breath stretched his open cuts, “I am grateful for everything you have done for my people,” tears welled in his eyes and Ushu continued cutting, “You gave us shelter and ssusstenance when we were weak...” He looked up from his bloody work and into his Lord’s eyes, “For thiss, I gladly offer my life in payment!” Looking away from his people's saviour, Ushu focused his attention on the accelerating form of The Destroyer. Drawing as much mana from the few remaining manastones in his pouch as he could, Ushu wished that he had more to offer in exchange for the lives of his people, that he had been stronger...

As before, grey mana poured out of Ushu’s chest, only this time it was accompanied by crimson streaks as the dense mana supplemented its volume with Ushu’s own blood. Terrified by what he was about to do, Ushu again sought comfort from the banner’s presence as he steeled his nerves.

“Ushu! What are you doing?!” Lord Tim’s voice seemed distant somehow, fainter than it had been a few moments ago. “Hesk?! Hesik?!”

“SPIRIT ANCHOR!!!” Ushu roared in defiance, projecting his will and sending the crimson and grey mana streaking towards the incorporeal form of The Destroyer. As the mana continued towards its target, it took on the form of a great serpent, baring its fangs as it raced after the now fleeing enemy.

Just as The Destroyer was about to clear the outer briar wall, Ushu’s projected serpent slammed into the enemy’s back and established the connection.

“GRAH!” The Lord cried out in pain and a moment later Ushu felt it too, like someone had pressed a lump of hot coal into his brain.

Blinking through the pain, Ushu desperately focused upon drawing The Destroyer back from Sanctuary, tears running freely down his face as the pain continued to slowly build in intensity.

“Tim!” Lash cried out from nearby and a wave of amethyst coloured mana swept across Ushu’s vision, intensifying the pain to such a sudden degree that he nearly collapsed on the spot.

“Wait...Lash...don’t...I...I can take it!” Lord Tim insisted shakily, his words seeming to sap the majority of Ushu’s pain away, “We...We can do this!” Lord Tim grunted determinedly and rested a large hand on Ushu’s shoulder, lessening the Shaman’s pain still further.

With the fate of Sanctuary in the balance, Ushu had already committed the remainder of his life to the protection of his people. However, the presence of his Lord and fellow minions reminded Ushu that he was not in this fight alone and that they each had their part to play. Ushu just hoped that he would be able to last long enough to see his part through until the end.

*****

The ground shuddered and shook with every step of Qreet’s vegetation reinforced body. Shaped more like Hana than should honestly have been possible given the raw materials available, it made a sort of sense when considering it was Hana pulling the strings and not Qreet.

Far more savage and emotive than the Daemons, Hana had seemed to take great pleasure in disembowelling and inflicting pain on The Destroyer’s outer shell. However, the immaterial nature of his true form had allowed The Destroyer to escape into the sky and begin making his way towards the Grove, and heart of Sanctuary.

Ushu’s ability had established a tether between himself and The Destroyer, seemingly maintained through force of will, rather than raw mana output. Whatever it was, my proximity to Ushu seemed to force my hand in sharing the load, generating a searing pain in my mind. Lash seemed capable of temporarily severing that connection, but it was abundantly clear that Ushu could not handle it on his own. So with some reluctance, I had to wave Lash off and stop her from doing it again.

I could feel Ushu trembling beneath my hand and I was worried that even with my support, his spell would fail and The Destroyer would be free. However, contrary to my expectations, Ushu grit his teeth and shakily took hold of the mana tether with both hands. Hissing in pain, Ushu began trying to draw the tether towards himself, aggravating the deep cuts he had somehow collected on his chest and abdomen, filtering more blood into the grey and crimson tether.

As if fuelled by the bloodshed, the tether began to ever so slowly retract into Ushu’s chest, incrementally increasing the pain in my mind as The Destroyer was drawn closer.

Dar cleared the barricade and dumped the mangled mess of The Destroyer’s shell to the ground. It was completely beyond recovery, literally a pile of scrap metal.

“Can...Can you use it?” I asked Ushu, stumbling over the words as I struggled to form a coherent train of thought.

With the smallest motion, Ushu shook his head, causing a stream of blood to fall from his nose.

Subconsciously touching my own face, I was surprised to find as I drew my hand away, that it was wet with blood as well.

*Thump, Thump, Thump*

Hana’s avatar of vegetation had begun pacing back and forth, eyeing The Destroyer’s ephemeral form with hatred. “YOU. ARE. MINE!!!” She howled, sending rippling tremors through the nearby undergrowth and twisting the briar wall into a host of twisted faces.

“LOOSE!” A familiar woman's voice barked.

A moment later, an arcing hail of arrows, most from the direction of Sanctuary, but also joined by four from a short distance to the east. Easily numbering close to a hundred, most passed through The Destroyer and were reduced to smouldering ash. However, a dozen or so arrows struck his incorporeal form and tore small holes in The Destroyer’s body before being incinerated like the others. Each successful strike was also accompanied by the tether drawing him closer to the ground.

“LOOSE!” The voice barked again and was almost immediately answered with another withering hail of arrows.

“MINE!!!” The Druids avatar roared frantically, its right arm distending into whip with Shiverfang at its tip. Recoiling its arm, the Druid's avatar body anchored itself to the ground with a plethora of thick tree roots.

*CRACK*

A near blinding flash of light forced me to avert my eyes. The pain in my head had temporarily abated but was quickly returning. Feeling an intense heat coming from above, I looked up and was surprised to see The Destroyer was far closer than before and drawing closer with every passing moment. While the progress had been only a snail's pace before, the ethereal amber form of The Destroyer was practically racing towards us now.

“COME BACK HERE!!!” The Druids avatar screamed in fury, awkwardly lurching to the side as it retracted its distended arm and tried to give chase.

“Ushu-” The words caught in my throat as The Destroyer reached the end of the tether and slammed into Ushu’s chest, sending the Serpent-Kin shaman toppling backwards and giving me a mind-shattering migraine that dropped me to my knees.

“LET ME GO! LET ME GO!” The Destroyer wailed, each syllable raising the ambient temperature by a degree or more.

Squinting my eyes against the heat, I saw Ushu jerkily rising up into a sitting position, amber flames flickering from the cuts in his chest and out of his mouth.

Lash and Dar both quickly obstructed my view as they took up warding positions between us.

“Ushu...” I didn’t understand what was going on and the migraine threatening to split my skull open did not make it any easier.

“DIE!!!” Bodily towering over Lash and Dar, I saw Hana’s face contorted in an expression of pure hatred as the Druids avatar charged past.

*BOOM!*

Even with Lash and Dar serving as a shield, a sudden wave of searing heat forced me to close my eyes and hold my breath.

*BOOM!*

Another wave of heat washed over me a couple of seconds later, more intense than the last and seared my exposed skin.

*BOOM!*

A third wave, more intense than the previous pair combined, pushed me over the edge and sent me into a coughing fit as I gasped in pain, filling my lungs with smoke. Teary-eyed and gasping for breath, I could see Lash collapsed at my feet while Dar was stoically holding the line.

“Dar...” I gasped, struggling to find the air I needed to speak.

<?...> A unique silence, almost a void responded in my mind.

Too desperate to overthink it, I shoved myself to my hands and knees and used the fresh source of pain to drive back the searing agony in my head. <TaKe...LaSh...SaFeTy...> I nearly collapsed again and would have done so, if Dar’s scaly claw hadn’t ripped through the armour on my right shoulder, forcing me to remain semi-elevated.

There was smoke everywhere and I could hardly see anything past a few feet, with two glaring exceptions.

The first was Ushu, or what remained of him. Immolated in amber flames, his body was broken and heavily depressed into the ground, smouldering like the coals of a bonfire.

The Second was the Druids avatar, blackened and badly burned, it had its fist raised high for another blow, Shiverfang’s blade protruding from between the fingers forming the avatar’s fist.

<Dar obey...> I barely noticed the reply, only that Lash’s body had begun to move, that I was moving as well seemed less important compared to events unfolding in front of my eyes.

Dar wasted no time in putting as much distance between us and the prospective danger, dragging Lash and myself low to the ground as he loped off and along the briar wall on his comparatively short legs.

Struggling to breathe, my vision began to fail.

*Boom!*

The ground shuddered and another bright flash of light illuminated a towering silhouette. I tried to blink away the blurred after image, but found my eyelids had become too heavy.

*Boom*

The ground shuddered again but didn’t seem nearly as intense as before.

A faint flicker of light passed through my eyelids, and as the light faded, I saw familiar black boxes appear in my peripheral vision. The sudden absence of pain in my head was too much and I felt myself slip into unconsciousness.

[Settlement Alert {Sanctuary}: {Overseer} Hana has slain {Underlord} Ushu. This is in direct violation of {Sanctuary’s} LAWS. Impose Sanctions? (Y/N)]

[Settlement Alert {Sanctuary}: Minion Qreet has slain {Underlord} Ushu. This is in direct violation of {Sanctuary’s} LAWS. Impose Sanctions? (Y/N)]

[Settlement Alert {Sanctuary}: Minion Mors has slain {Underlord} Ushu. This is in direct violation of {Sanctuary’s} LAWS. Impose Sanctions? (Y/N)]

[Settlement Alert {Sanctuary}: Minion Krel has slain {Underlord} Ushu. This is in direct violation of {Sanctuary’s} LAWS. Impose Sanctions? (Y/N)]

[Settlement Alert {Sanctuary}: {Underlord} Ushu has been slain.]

[Congratulations! You have slain Kai - Infernal Revenant {Pyromancer}!]

[Awakened Inheritance: None.]

[Keys of Awakening: Pyrrhic Will.]

I had been stripped of all my armour and most of my clothes, and one of the Surgeons, or perhaps several, had lathered my body in strong-smelling paste. Staring at the black wall of notifications in front of my eyes, I felt...numb.

In spite of all I had seen, I expected, had hoped, Ushu would somehow survive...

The remotest shred of comfort I could find in the whole situation was that The Destroyer...Kai...hadn’t been the one to kill him. I felt at a loss on what to do.

My eyes throbbed painfully and it was difficult to see anything besides the Status notifications. For whatever reason, they were perfectly clear and crisp, a stark contrast to the blurry forms in my immediate surroundings.

I could hear Lash at least, another small miracle, although her snoring was not nearly so loud as I had grown accustomed to.

I continued laying there for a long time, rereading the Status notifications over and over again. This was my fault. I should have known something like this would happen. I had been fooling myself into thinking I was some sort of military leader, but I’m not. Someone else could have come up with a better plan...Any plan at all would have been better...

“Lord?” It took me a moment to recognise Wraithe’s voice. “Lash suffered minor injuries, but is stable,” she said it in such a way that made it clear she was fishing for a response of some kind, “The Serpent-Kin brothers, Hesk and Hesik, are both already fully recovered...” Again, Wraithe attempted to bait a response, “Gric was the worse for wear on arrival, suffering from a number of severe burns, but treatment and additional rations have resulted in a full recovery...”

Wraithe waited patiently for a response, but I gave none, so she just stood there quietly for a long time before eventually backing away and leaving me alone again.

Gradually, my vision returned and the pain in my eyes subsided. “Severe smoke inhalation,” I wheezed absently and rolled onto my right side. Trying to get a better look at Lash, I was confronted again by the obtrusive presence of the Status notifications. I wanted to get rid of them, but I just couldn’t bring myself to do it.

With a substantial volume of grief counselling still drifting in the less frequented areas of my memory, I was very much aware of the fact that I was being irrational. Dismissing or allowing the notification to remain would not change what had happened, and it wouldn’t bring Ushu back. Even still, I couldn’t bring myself to dismiss the notification.

Similarly, Qreet and the other Daemons were blameless in this. They lived to serve and would do anything commanded of them. They were not guilty of Ushu’s murder, I was. I could have commanded them to disobey Hana, found another way to end it without killing him...

Qreet, Mors and Krel’s Status notifications flickered and then disappeared. As much a part of me as my own thoughts, I assumed Sanctuary’s Totem had sufficiently determined my intentions to make a ruling, dismissing the trio of notifications and their prospective penalties.

I really didn’t want to blame Hana, especially given everything she had told me. I understood her anger, but she had killed one of our own in pursuit of her revenge. Ushu had been nothing but helpful since I first encountered him. Sure, I had led a rescue party to help save his people and then offered them a place to live, which would be enough for most people to feel grateful, but he had never tried hiding anything from me either.

Then again, the same had been true of Hana too...

It was difficult and at the same time incredibly easy to rationalize Hana’s actions. If someone had killed my mum, I couldn’t promise I wouldn’t do just about anything to get revenge on whoever was responsible. But it still didn’t excuse what Hana did...

[Settlement Alert {Sanctuary}: Do you wish to Demote {Overseer Hana - Corrupted Dryad}? (Y/N)]

I closed my eyes and let out a deep sigh. When I opened them again, there was a new notification.

[Settlement Alert {Sanctuary}: Settlement requires an {Overseer}. Nominate a minion or {Underlord} for Promotion.]

Strictly speaking, it wasn’t even a punishment. I never had any impression that Hana wanted the authority afforded by the position, and with the unexpected return of her sister...She was probably going to request a demotion anyway...

[Settlement Alert {Sanctuary}:Confirm Promotion to {Overseer} for {Underlord} {Gric - Lesser Daemon}? (Y/N)]

“Confirm...” Gric had earned it, and I needed time to process things...

With all but the last notification removed, I was relieved to see that even though Lash had some patchy burns and lost most of her hair, she seemed to be alright.

Suppressing a cough, I closed my eyes and ignored Gric’s attempts to establish contact. I would try and face everything tomorrow. Succumbing to the alluring oblivion of sleep, I knew that there would be many things waiting for me when I woke up, and even though I didn’t feel up to doing anything, I would have to regardless. I still needed to select a new leader to represent the Serpent-Kin and apologize for failing in my promise to protect them.

Daylight poured in from the hospital window, but somewhat surprisingly, my eyes no longer hurt and seemed to have lost their excess sensitivity. Sometime during the night, Lash had left her own bed and joined me in mine.

Already awake, Lash rose into a sitting position and gently stroked my back. “You are sad,” she observed quietly, “Sad for losing...Ush-hoo,” Lash struggled to pronounce his name as his own kin did, failing but having made more effort than I ever did.

I tensed slightly and nodded, feeling pathetic as I recalled just how many people Lash had lost when they were banished from their clan and escaped into the swamp.

“Warriors die,” Lash stated bluntly, her expression shifting slightly to reflect a familiar sense of loss. “Warriors die,” she repeated, “So clan survives. Remember dead, honour sacrifice.”

I exhaled slowly and sat up. Lash was right. Her hand had drifted to my shoulder, and I placed a hand on top of her’s, taking a moment to centre myself and place things in proper perspective. Ushu had died under my command, but there was more to it than that.

Not counting the humans, the six of us had placed our lives on the line to protect our home and people. The fact that Ushu was the only one to die, should be seen as a success and not a failure. The alternatives would have resulted in far more deaths, which was why I had elected to use an elite force rather than a swarm strategy in the first place.

“Thank you Lash,” I pulled her in close and rested my head on her shoulder, taking what reassurance I could from her warmth and the faint yet determined beating of her heart. “Your people, when warriors died for the clan, what did you do to remember them?” I asked quietly.

Lash was quiet for a while. “We tell stories, of life, of battle, of death...Children learn, remember sacrifice, honour our dead.”

“What about statues? Carvings or drawings, anything like that?” I asked curiously, I knew so little about the traditions of Lash’s people, and with so few of them still among the living, they were likely to be lost if they weren’t shared.

“Sometimes, small drawing for children, help understand,” Lash admitted. She leaned back into me and let out a mournful sigh, “Many dead,” she whispered, “Hard remembering sometimes...”

I nodded to show I understood but otherwise said nothing. A written record would help, in the long term at least, but in the short term, perhaps we could hold a funeral service or something.

“Lord?” Wraithe had returned and was lingering just at the top of the stairs.

Having already committed to being productive today, I released a sigh of reluctance and raised my head off of Lash’s shoulder, “Yes Wrathe?”

Wraithe approached somewhat hurriedly, “There has been an incident,” she chittered nervously, “During the chaos of the attack, several humans attempted breaking into the Grove, while others attempted a kidnapping.”

Now fully awake, I felt my blood come alive, “The soldiers?” I snapped.

Wraithe shook her head nervously, “No, Lord. Most involved were captured and are being held prisoner under Overseer Gric’s orders. However...one human has claimed sanctuary with the soldiers and the Colonel will not release him to us until he has a chance to speak with you first,” she wrung her rodent-like clawed hands agitatedly.

Dressed only in a pair of boxer shorts style underwear, I got to my feet and helped Lash up as well. Without having to ask, I knew she wanted to come with me. Humans were a sore subject for most monsters inside of Sanctuary, and Lash was nothing if not aggressively protective.

Descending the stairs to the ground floor, I was only slightly surprised to see Clarice and Nadine waiting for me near the entrance.

“See? I told you he was alright,” Clarice smirked and then waved to myself and Lash in greeting, ”Hey Tim.”

“That’s not what I meant, and you know it!” Nadine countered, her expression deadly serious, “Tim, we need to talk. Some people tried kidnapping one of your Surgeons.”

“What?” My blood ran cold, “Someone dared to kidnap one of my Surgeons?!” I seethed, looking back to Wraithe for confirmation.

Wraithe nodded, “One of our recent novices from the Sunrock tribe,” she clarified.

My right eyebrow twitched, “The kidnappers are in our custody, correct?”

Wraithe nodded and Nadine blanched.

“As per my agreement with the Colonel, we will hold a trial for the humans who attempted breaking into the Grove, as well as for those arrested for the kidnapping,” I hissed through my teeth, my words seeming to put Nadine at ease, “Assuming the Colonel surrenders their leader.”

Nadine stiffened and looked to Clarice for support.

Unfortunately, Clarice was nodding in agreement, “Can’t give those guilds an inch or they will take a mile.”

“Guild?” My eyebrow continued to spasm.

Clarice locked eyes with me and nodded, “It was a member of the Merchants Guild, allegedly,” she emphasised the last by air quoting sarcastically.

“We don’t know that...” Nadine snapped back quietly, “For all we know, the soldiers might be trying to cover their own tracks...” She didn’t seem to believe it, but didn’t seem convinced by Clarice’s claim either.

“We will see then,” I growled, “Come with me.”

Clarice gladly tagged along, her eyes flashing eagerly at the prospect of the inevitable confrontation.

Nadine was more reluctant but nonetheless hurried along behind us after a short period of deliberation.

In the light of day, Sanctuary looked like nothing out of the ordinary had happened, with the notable exception that the army camp was packed to the point of bursting at the seams.

“Did you have a chance to check on Toofy and Ril?” I asked Clarice, knowing she would have been watching over the Vanguard Minion egg in the Nursery right next to the Grove’s fountain.

“Seemed okay last I checked at breakfast,” Clarice replied supportively, “Though, the Daemon seemed pretty tired.”

I sighed and nodded. I hadn’t expected Ril to be capable of creating a stable portal of that size to begin with, let alone maintain it for as long as she had. “And the innkeeper's family?” I asked somewhat apprehensively.

“They are fine too,” Clarice confirmed, “I convinced Gric to let them stay with us in the Grove. He has Daemons shadowing them, just in case, but I figure extra protection couldn’t hurt, and it makes the locals less nervous, y’know?”

I nodded again in agreement. They were trustworthy, so far as I knew, but the other residents of Sanctuary didn’t know that yet. Trust would take time.

Approaching the human camp, the residents of Sanctuary would bow, salute or otherwise make signs of respect and deference as we passed. After some thought, it made a sort of sense. Because of Ushu’s sacrifice, we had rather literally saved their lives and secured what I hoped would prove to be a lasting period of peace and prosperity. Of course, the meeting with the Colonel could change all that.

Seeing us approach, the guards on watch sent a runner into the camp. For the first time, the guards attempted to bar my way by crossing their spears. I ignored them and pressed on through, heading straight for the command tent. Sanctuary was mine, and they were guests at my leisure, not the other way round. Perhaps realising this, or maybe out of self-preservation instinct, the guards allowed us to continue deeper into the camp without contest, short of a few stammered attempts at conversation.

Having reached the command tent, we found four soldiers uncomfortably engaged in a staring match with a trio of grizzled and well-armed men in their own matching uniform bearing a talon-like crest.

“Mercs,” Clarice muttered warily, loud enough that only we would hear her.

The soldiers on guard duty noticed our approach first, and just like the perimeter guards, one of them ducked inside the tent, while those who remained moved to block our entry.

Glowering down at them, I watched their determination falter and shift directions. Rather than barring our entry, the guards now stood in the way of the mercenaries, the fact that they had made no attempts to enter the command tent was seemingly irrelevant.

Entering the tent, I found a senior officer meeting that had likely been stalled by the guards announcement of our arrival. Recognising Col. Klive, Cpt. Kristof and Lt. Rooke down the far end of the table, I also noticed the distinct absence of their special forces Captain, and assumed he had likely died while fighting The Destroyer.

“Ah, Chieftain Tim, we were not expecting you so soon,” Col. Klive apologise nervously and gestured to a hastily vacated chair, “Please, sit. With the hostile variants defeated, there is much to-”

“Where is he?” I demanded flatly.

Col. Klive gulped involuntarily and paled somewhat, “Are you sure? There are other matters that-”

“Where is he?” I repeated.

Col. Klive gave Lt. Rooke a nearly imperceptible nod.

Responding with a slight nod of her own, Lt. Rooke left her seat and exited the tent without a word.

Despite the state of both my own and Lash’s degree of undress, it was obvious that the younger officers in attendance were profoundly intimidated by our presence. Something Clarice seemed to relish for her own personal reasons.

“You are going to have a choice,” I growled to the room at large. “Honour our agreement, or face the consequences.” My proclamation unsettled some of the officers, while others seemed indignant.

Col. Klive and Cpt. Kristof shared a weighty look with one another but didn’t say a word.

A thin weasely looking man in his early thirties was thrust unceremoniously into the tent from the opposite entrance. “-go, you insolent wench! Guards! Guards! Do you know who my uncle is! You will hang for...this...” He all but froze on the spot and his eyes grew wide in terror open seeing myself and Lash, his otherwise fine clothes becoming soiled as the pungent aroma of ammonia filled the air.

Col. Klive released a quiet sigh. Back straightened and shoulders squared, he fixed the weasley man with a withering glare. “Samuel Gendry, you and your hired men, stand accused of breaking the king's peace, conspiring to kidnap allies of the crown, and assaulting the subjects of an allied kingdom. How do you plead?”

Samuel Gendry paled and grew limp for a moment before seeming to fall back on an untapped reservoir of pride and spite. “On what evidence?!” He hissed, “You have no witnesses! I will see to it that my uncle has you hanged for treason!” Samuel gloated, his pencil-thin moustache quivering with malice.

The lordling’s outburst seemed to galvanise the officers present, even the most junior amongst them sat straighter in their seats, scowling at the accused with unconcealed contempt.

“Several eyewitnesses, as well as the victim, gave testimony against the actions of your men-” Col. Klive began reciting but was rudely interrupted.

“Peasants and monsters!” Samuel Gendry hissed venomously.

“Credible witnesses,” Col. Klive rebuked, “How do you plead?”

“You can’t judge me! My uncle will-” Samuel Gendry spluttered indignantly.

“HOW, DO. YOU. PLEAD?” Col. Klive growled, sternly and loudly annunciating each word in turn.

Samuel Gendry just stared at the Colonel incredulously, no doubt wondering why his threats didn’t seem to have any effect.

Col. Klive turned to his officers, “As officers of good standing and moral repute in his Majesty’s army. Having heard the evidence and testimonies, and in accordance with martial law, state your judgement upon the accused.”

“Guilty,” the reply came almost immediately, as if they had rehearsed in secret to synchronise so flawlessly.

Samuel Gendry blinked and looked around the tent in a state of shock, “B-but m-my uncle...” He stammered quietly.

Clarice snickered.

“As per our agreement,” Col. Klive winced slightly, but pressed on, “Final judgement and sentencing is reserved for Chieftain Tim or his designated representative.” He, and every other officer then turned and looked at me expectantly.

I had made up my mind a while ago, and the fact that the mastermind of the attack and attempted kidnapping was so readily contemptible only made sticking to it that much easier. “Zero tolerance. Strip them, bind them, and then throw them into the pond.” I wanted a deterrent and had arrived upon the most terrifying and traumatic execution method I could think of. Well...the second most traumatic execution method. The first involved live vivisections for the purpose of educating the Surgeons on human and humanoid anatomy. But I didn’t quite have the stomach for that. Throwing people into the piranha pond was already pushing it.

Several officers blanched, but none spoke out against my decision.

“D-drowning?!...” Samuel Gendry gasped in horror.

“Hrmf, not drown, eaten,” Lash corrected approvingly.

Lt. Rook dragged her prisoner out of the command tent before he could say anything else.

An awkward silence began to settle on the tent.

“Is this sufficient?” Col. Klive asked, his expression somewhat pained.

I nodded, “You have upheld your end of our agreement, even after it was obvious that it will come at a cost.”

Col. Klive nodded wearily, “That man’s ‘uncle’, is Baron Royce Gendry, the lord of Stormspire city. An influential man at court, to say the least.”

“And yet you still did the right thing,” I replied appraisingly.

Cpt. Kristof smiled grimly, “We follow orders and trust in his Majesty’s judgement,” he stated simply.

Clarice rolled her eyes but stayed silent.

“There is no sweeping this under the rug you know,” Nadine said quietly, “Nobility keep a close eye on each other, and doubly so on family. It’s only a matter of time before they find out what has happened.”

Several officers shifted uncomfortably, but had otherwise determined expressions on their faces.

“Can you vouch for the integrity of your officers present?” I asked the Colonel. I had a proposition for him and his king, but I did not want to risk the information leaking any further than it had to.

Col. Klive straightened his back, squared his shoulders and nodded with heartfelt conviction and surety, “Aye, I vouch for them,” he replied confidently.

The Colonel’s officers each sat a little taller for receiving the confidence of their superior.

“I have a proposition for you and your king. A trial of sorts,” I smiled a little as some of the officers seemed troubled by my choice in words. “A practice run, a test,” I elaborated, “But it will require a great deal of organisation and secrecy on your part in exchange for the benefits. Are you interested?”

Cpt. Kristof suddenly straightened bolt upright and looked expectantly at the Colonel, as did a few other senior officers. It almost seemed like they had been preparing for a moment like this.

“His majesty, the king, has given me discretionary authority to make decisions in all matters regarding this Labyrinth in his name. If there is secret knowledge, suggested amendments to our alliance, or other matters that you wish to discuss, you have my undivided attention,” Col. Klive replied hurriedly.

“You have proven that you will enforce Sanctuary’s laws, by abiding by our established agreement. I want to be clear,” I explained, “If you had attempted to subvert justice in any way, I would not be making you this offer.”

Most of the officers seemed both intrigued and relieved by this news. Likely, they were relieved that at least they were getting something in exchange for the proverbial shitstorm that would be coming their way in the near future.

“I can offer you and your King, limited access to self-adjusting Master tier Rulership Classes,” The tent went dead quiet.

“Hey!” Clarice whispered loudly, “I thought You said I was next?!” Sёarch* The Novёlƒire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

A dozen different voices all began speaking at the same time.

The Colonel gave Cpt. Kristof a crisp nod.

“SILENCE!” Cpt. Kristof’s booming baritone cut through the clamour like a thunderclap, his peers and subordinates suddenly shocked into the requested silence.

“What are the conditions for this access? And is there any way we could negotiate for increased access?” Col. Klive asked in a measured if somewhat eager tone.

“Increased requirements for secrecy and loyalty. This is non-negotiable,” I explained bluntly, “Only myself and delegated subordinates are capable of administering a necessary title of leadership, which is required for unlocking the Class. Losing the title will similarly remove access to the Class.”

Col. Klive nodded in understanding, “And these Leadership Classes? What do they do?”

“It depends,” I replied honestly, “They cater to the individual and change based on hidden and unknown prerequisites. Both myself and my Mate Lash, have the Leadership Class, but our Classes and Abilities are different.” I held out my hand as an offer to invite the Colonel to see for himself, making sure to limit his party access to our Classes and levels only.

The Colonel accepted and a few moments later became even more excited, “Do these titles and Classes make you quest givers?” He asked eagerly.

I nodded, “That is why they have the Eminence Class Ability.”

Col. Klive gulped dryly, and I could practically see the frantic calculus taking place behind his eyes as he tried to determine what I would ask for in exchange.

“Sanctuary’s laws take precedence, always, no compromises. The titles are a privilege and profound responsibility. Accepting this deal will bind you and your subordinates to our hierarchy and you will be expected to respect that hierarchy. Does this still sound agreeable to you?” I asked baitingly.

This was a test of sorts. I wanted to know how far their superiors were willing to go for special Classes. If they accepted, then their loyalties would be bound to Sanctuary, and the oaths I would extract from them would ensure a far more proactive peaceful agreement than our current one. In effect, the Asrusian army, or at least the elements that participated, would become Sanctuary’s own army.

Furthermore, I did not intend to offer the Underlord titles at a one to one unlock rate. At my current level of understanding, every two hundred and fifty minions unlocked an additional Underlord position. So, with that in mind, I would offer the Colonel a two to one split. For every two Underlord positions unlocked, the Asrusian army would receive one promotion, while Sanctuary would receive the other. This would be Ushu’s legacy, I would make sure of it. Sanctuary would have a whole host of elite defenders, so next time a sacrifice would not be necessary.

Surprisingly, the Colonel nodded in agreement, “This is acceptable, assuming we will be free to refuse requests that constitute treason by Asrusian law. I am to assume that this agreement will functionally serve as a...long term allied military collaborative effort that serves both our people's best interests?” Col. Klive asked shrewdly.

“It is,” I agreed, “Although I would highly suggest that your King promote you to a higher rank in order to make the best use of the prospective title I intend to offer you specifically.”

Col. Klive seemed confused, “Do you mind explaining why?” He asked somewhat nervously.

I smiled a little and nodded my head, “Your army has an established hierarchy already,” I pointed out, and the Colonel nodded politely in agreement to show he was listening, “The title I intend to offer you, the Overseer, has similar responsibilities to a Baron or grand mayor. In your city, your authority would be second only to mine, understand? There is more to these titles than assigning quests and receiving Master tier Leadership Classes. Creating and enforcing laws, managing a census, reviewing the individual Statuses of your subordinates, it all changes.”

The tent had gone quiet again, like none of the assembled officers dared to breathe for fear of drawing attention to themselves and risking impeding the negotiations.

“A Baron?...” Col. Klive gulped dryly.

I shrugged, “A rough approximation. Your village, town or city would be under your near-absolute purview and authority. Protected borders expanding with your oathsworn population. So yes, Baron would seem a reasonable approximation for beginnings,” I agreed.

It was something I had noticed about the Asrusian army rather early, a similarity to the adventurers, they were almost all commoners. It was the lack of a surname that gave it away. One of the things I knew from Earth’s history, was that until the black death swept through Europe, only very well off merchants and the nobility had surnames. In some areas, it was law, while in others it was out of laziness and pragmatism. Surnames were not hugely important when you already knew everyone in the village. So, offering titles had now taken on a different context for the gathered officers. Social advancement on an otherwise unprecedented scale of expectations.

Throughout history, it was reasonably common for kings and queens to promote incredibly loyal commoner high ranking officers. But that was almost always to secure a freshly seized territory, so the Barons in question frequently died within a decade of receiving the title. Functionally, I was doing the same thing.

Assuming the Colonel accepted, we would agree upon a suitable location for his own Settlement, and then I would issue a quest to seize it in my name, or something. Then, after it is successfully completed, a second settlement would be added under my authority. I assumed. The information available through the Totem was a bit vague beyond claiming territory in terms of what to expect.

Lt. Rooke reentered the tent and patted down her somewhat dirtied uniform, “Have I missed anything,” she whispered quietly to Cpt. Kristof as she took her seat at the table.

Cpt. Kristof gave her a strained look in response, but was interrupted before he had a chance to reply.

“Lt. Rooke!” Col. Klive barked nervously.

The lieutenant immediately stood bolt upright and at attention, “Sir!”

“I need you to immediately send an encrypted message to his Majesty, requesting an emergency meeting as soon as possible. Our ally has made an offer beyond the scope of my authority to immediately accept and his Majesty will not want to allow this opportunity to pass by!”

“Sir!” Lt. Rooke snapped a one-handed salute, but had begun transmitting the message through her magical communication device the moment the Colonel began making the request. Her effortless proficiency made it clear why she was the Colonel’s go-to person for sending the message.

I cleared my throat to draw Col. Klive’s attention, “I am prepared to offer one title for each five hundred oathsworn under your banner. Just something to bear in mind. The method for unlocking the Master tier Leadership Classes will be explained after you accept the overseer position. Does this sound agreeable to you?” I asked in a carefully measured tone. I did not want the Colonel or his men to think I was cheating them, but I also knew that the Colonel would become aware of the ratios of minions to titles once he became my second Overseer. So it was important to make sure it was presented as a negotiation, not a demand.

“I...Uh...” Col. Klive looked quite surprised, likely not having expected they would be given access to so many, and on a fixed scale no less. It took him less than a second to do the math, “Yes! Chieftain Tim, I agree to these conditions, provided his Majesty also gives his approval, of course.”

“Of course,” I agreed amiably, “I have other issues to deal with, but I hope you will keep a closer eye on potential troublemakers in the meantime,” I said the last part to make absolutely sure there would be no need for throwing more people into the fishing pond.

“Kristof! Burns! I want you and your men to personally watch those adventurers around the clock. We will be heading back to our own base within the hour, and I think we can all agree that one slip up has been more than unacceptable. Am I clear?” The Colonel barked.

Cpt. Kristof, and a middle-aged woman I assumed to be Burns, both snapped to attention, “Sir!”

Confident the Colonel had things well in hand, I motioned for our group to leave and then left the tent.

The trio of mercenaries from earlier were now gone and the ground heavily scuffed and churned up around where they had last been standing. Having not heard a disturbance while we were inside the command tent, I wondered if perhaps the tent had some sort of noise dampening enchantment or something. If it did, I wouldn’t mind one of my own for personal meetings, and maybe for mine and Lash’s bedroom. With the girls now back in Sanctuary, I suddenly felt profoundly more awkward about the thought of being intimate with Lash in our bedroom. It would probably help them sleep better without hearing Lash’s snoring either.

Temporarily distracted by my thoughts, I hadn’t realised Nadine had asked me a question and found her staring expectantly at me, clearly waiting for an answer. “Sorry,” I apologised, “I was miles away, what did you say?”

Nadine sighed slightly exasperatedly, “I asked whether you really intended to go through with that deal with the army?” She repeated anxiously.

I nodded, “Sanctuary needs more protection. Sacrificing our people is unacceptable. If we had more elite warriors, a wider range of skills...” The knuckles in my first hand popped as I clenched my fist to suppress my anger.

Nadine was taken aback for a moment, “So this is about Ushu after all...”

We continued walking in silence a short while longer, generally meandering towards the cooking fires to get something to eat. With the immediate external threats dealt with, Gric had already reorganised hunting teams and there was a feast of sorts taking place now that vast amounts of meat had been returned to the menu.

Settling down to eat through some of my lingering depression, I was surprised when Clarice suddenly snatched the small woven basket I had been using for a plate. “The hell Clarice?” I grumbled and moved to snatch it back.

“Sorry Tim!” Clarice grinned, “You're gonna want this meal to go anyway. The Daemons just told me the egg is about to hatch!”

“Really?” This was much sooner than I had expected, and I found that a little disappointing. Stronger monsters were meant to take longer to hatch, and I had been hoping that the Vanguard Minion egg would provide another elite powerhouse for Sanctuary.

“Yeah!” Clarice replied excitedly, snatching another basket of roasted meat from one of the Serpent-Kin passersby, ‘This girl’s gonna be huge I know it! Come on!” She began running off towards the grove, nearly bowling over a half dozen goblins in the process.

Nadine sighed and shook her head, although she was smiling in evident amusement.

“Well, we should probably bring some more food as well,” I suggested, getting a knowing nod of agreement from Nadine and a curious look from Lash.

“Never witnessed hatching,” Lash admitted somewhat excitedly, “Family only most times.”

Nadine smiled, “Well, you're part of our family, right Tim?”

“Right!” I agreed, hefting the raw carcass of a large Swamp Lurker over one shoulder. “Besides, I doubt Clarice would turn us away when she realises how little food she actually brought.”

Lash grinned and nodded, following my example hefting two large bull-horned toads.

I gave her a curious look, and Lash blushed a little.

“Babies need soft meat,” Lash mumbled.

I was going to raise the question of why the humanoid monsters all seemed to have breasts, but quickly dropped the idea. There was a distinct possibility I wouldn’t like what I would learn, and I was quite content to continue enjoying my ignorance.

Rushing to the Grove, we entered the nursery, and to my immense surprise, it was damn near packed with prospective parents. Realising that Gric must have given the green light for hatching their young, I scanned the crowds, trying to find Clarice.

“There she is!” Nadine confidently strode into the crowd, leaving Lash and myself little choice but to follow after her.

Without our armour, Lash and I actually blended in amongst the Deep Orcs reasonably well, given how distracted everyone was. It was actually something of a refreshing experience after being watched everywhere I went for the past couple of weeks.

Clarice’s nursery area was less crowded than most, but not for long. Besides Clarice, Toofy and Ril were already standing by the dividing wall that served to keep newborns from ‘escaping’ and attacking one another. Once, Lash and myself deposited the monster carcasses off to the side, the booth was getting quite crowded.

“We still don’t know what is yet, do we?” Nadine asked curiously.

“No,” Toofy replied derisively, “Is baby, silly.”

Clarice covered her mouth and tried not to laugh, while Nadine flushed with mild embarrassment.

“Besides being a beast type with some form of venom attack?” I shrugged.

“Wait...” Nadine frowned for a moment and then grinned, “Is that why you were talking funny yesterday?” She demanded, rounding on Clarice.

*Crackle, Crackle, Crunch*

Sounds and movement from the egg drew all our attention before Clarice could form a coherent response, giving her a convenient out.

“You see that? You see that?!” Clarice crowed, “My girl’s gonna be huge!”

She may very well be right, considering how violently the egg was rocking around.

*Crackle, Crunch, Crack!*

A full quarter of the eggshell suddenly exploded, causing the monster within to suddenly tumble out and into the open space of the partitioned area.

Far smaller than the violent motions and size of the egg would have suggested, the little monster was coloured a bright neon green like it’s eggshell, with black stripes. Roughly two feet long, including its tail which was roughly a full third of its length, the monster bore something of a resemblance to a komodo dragon or goanna, albeit with a broader wedge-shaped head and dorsal crest running down its neck and tail.

Concentrating my mana, I slowly reached out to touch the beast monster.

“Wait!” Clarice suddenly grabbed my arm, “If you have any of those titles or whatever, do you think I could do it?” She asked somewhat sheepishly, although there was an intense yearning in her eyes.

“Sure Clarice. Just give me a minute, but you should probably start feeding her just in case,” I retracted my arm and extended the open Underlord position to Clarice. I was actually a little nervous after having made the offer to the Colonel earlier, since technically I wasn’t sure if humans could be granted the titles or unlock the Master tier Leadership Classes at all. I had simply assumed they could.

[Settlement Alert {Sanctuary}: Confirm Promotion to {Underlord} for minion {Clarice - ???}? (Y/N)]

A little unnerved by the race section being marked out like that, I considered holding off and letting the army be the one to trial run the promotion. However, the steely determination in Clarice's eyes changed my mind, “Confirm.” Taking a moment to confirm through the Settlement that Clarice had in fact been promoted, and that nothing weird was going on, I gave her a thumbs up.

Grinning ear to ear, Clarice concentrated really hard, and after a few moments, a thin sheen of near translucent mana took shape around her forefinger.

The newborn had not been idle in the meantime and was busily snacking away on its shell, snapping off large pieces and then smashing them to bits as it snapped its jaws repeatedly, revealing a mouthful of serrated teeth and viscous saliva.

Lacking sufficient reach, Clarice had to enter the partitioned area in order to get close enough.

[Settlement Alert {Sanctuary}:{Unidentified Species} detected. Performing {Settlement Scan} to identify primary abilities.]

The sudden reappearance of the Status notifications caught me off guard.

<Lord, are you also seeing this?> Gric asked warily.

<I am. Do you know what is going on?> I didn’t think the Labyrinth would give me a monster egg if it didn’t already know what it was. Or had it made something new and expected me to trial run it on its behalf?

[Settlement Alert {Sanctuary}: {Unidentified Species} primary abilities identified.]

[Settlement Alert {Sanctuary}: Do you wish to name {Unidentified Species} and select primary abilities based on the determined tier of evolution? (Y/N) ]

I set aside the notification for the moment to ask Clarice for her input, since she would be the one taking care of the monster and all.

[Settlement Alert {Sanctuary}: {Dhisi - Fester Maw} was recruited by {Underlord Clarice} as a beast minion.]

“Wait...What?” I looked back to the notifications and then back to the lizard. “Oh...Fuck me...” It suddenly clicked, the notifications were not talking about the lizard at all, they were talking about Clarice...