Chapter 57: The Mechanic Plays Nice

Chapter 57: The Mechanic Plays Nice

Fort Twilight comes into view as the large marching force moves at a steady, but slow pace. Many of those in the ranks are weary soldiers, kept healthy during captivity, but also driven as much as possible to keep them exhausted so they don't try to rebel. Twenty thousand soldiers are difficult to keep fed, hydrated, and rested without there being resentful, even though Daniel and Hekate didn't have to spare them.

Thankfully, Princess Erimaya is with them as they progress, her carriage and escorts fit into the middle of the formation in case there's a surprise attack. Xyreko's golems are forming the perimeter, but they are not all powerful, and protecting Erimaya is the highest priority.

Of course, she and Hekate are playing a game of chess, which Daniel taught them, in order to help pass the time. Daniel is riding on the rear bench of the coach with one of the male knights, although Hekate is easily the most dangerous person present.

Regardless, it's simply an escort mission to see the soldiers and Erimaya safely home.

Ryuogriar, watching the game while sitting next to Erimaya, commented, “I do not understand this game. Why is the Queen so powerful, but a king so weak?”

Hekate, playing the black pieces, proudly takes her queen, which looks like a miniature version of herself, “Because, Ryuo, look! See? I'm powerful, the queen is powerful. That's why.”

“I believe Daniel could defeat you.”

Ryuo inspects one of the pawns that have already been captured, which are modeled after the golem soldiers.

“I agree, but...”

Daniel chuckles, having listened through the rear window, which they have open to talk to him. “The game’s rules have been around far longer than me. The king is the most important piece, because the game ends when he is trapped. The queen, probably based somewhat on feudal politics, can generally move somewhat freely around courtrooms in comparison behind the curtains, making her able to reach anyone and, were it feasible, assassinate someone. After all, the wrong moves with the queen can endanger the king. Wars aren’t won entirely on the battlefield.”

Erimaya adds astutely, “And, as Daniel said, ‘A queen’s battlefields are the court and the ballroom.’” She blushes, murmuring, “My mother always says that to me and my sister.”

“I see, now, I see,” says Hekate warmly.

Ryuogriar lounges against the corner of the carriage, sighing. “Seems like it still doesn’t mirror real battle.”

Again, Daniel chuckles. “It is just a game, Ryuo.”

She sighs. “And, it’s missing the most powerful piece of all; dragons.”

“Dragons don’t exist on Earth,” retorts Hekate cheekily.

“Isn’t this you, lady Ryuo?” Erimaya holds up her queen, which Ryuogriar takes for a moment. She gasps. “Oh!? I stand corrected.” She hands the piece back, saying proudly, “Yes, this is obviously the most powerful piece.”

“Ha!” scoffs Hekate. “Second most powerful, at best.”

“Hmm. Perhaps we should settle this once and for all, yes?”

Hekate grins as she cracks her knuckles, and Daniel says only one word; “Xyreko.”

Xyreko bonks Hekate on the head with a softened blow, and Hekate instantly nurses her head. “Ow! Ugh! Daniel! What was that for!? SHE started it!”

Ryuogriar snickers until she’s similarly bonked on the head, and she instantly glares at Xyreko, who reclaims her seat next to Erimaya.

Hekate calms down with a simple huff, and Ryuogriar pouts, “Daniel... I thought I was your favorite...”

“Justice knows no favorites, Ryuo. No duels on the road. Save it for the Citadel.”

Erimaya giggles as she finally makes a move on the chess board, while Hekate watches, still nursing her head with her ears pointing outwards. Suddenly, they perk up. “Daniel!”

He looks at her, as do the rest, since her tone shifted from her playful or immature whining voices to serious. “What is it?”

“I... There are monsters approaching.”

Ryuogriar cocks her head as she focuses. “Yes. I paid them no mind, but I suppose they could be troublesome. There are a lot of human-kin present.”

“I’m a human-kin,” retorts Daniel dryly. Ryuogriar blushes, but avoids looking at him.

Erimaya asks nervously, “Wh-What are they?”

“Sounds like Gulpoxen,” replies Hekate as she listens intently.

“G-Gulpoxen?”

Ryuogriar scoffs. “They’re little more than livestock that we feed to...” She again looks at Erimaya, who is a small, frail human. “Drakes...”

Erimaya looks back at Daniel, who sighs. “Let me guess, they’re humongous, and no trouble at all for dragons to keep as livestock.”

Ryuogriar looks away, but nods. Hekate nods as well. “They can be really mean to anything smaller than they are, which we all are.”

“Got it.” Daniel immediately pulls his rifle out of his bag, asking, “Which way are they coming from?”

“North,” “North,” answer Hekate and Ryuogriar in a race to answer him first.

“Got it. Ryuo, Hekate, protect Erimaya. Xyreko, have the golems begin directing the eastern soldiers south and away from the creatures and form firing lines.” Daniel stands up on the bench, “COMPANY! INCOMING HOSTILES NORTH! ALL SOLDIERS SHOULD MOVE SOUTH! CLEAR THE AREA!”

“Daniel!” snaps Hekate. “Where are you going?”

Daniel checks his helmet, and he replies warmly, “To help make sure the lines hold.”

“Not alone you’re not!”

“Hekate, we need to protect Erimaya at all costs. I’m more useful striking first and fast and then running away. You have magic.”

“And, that’s precisely why one of us should come with you, Mukori,” adds Ryuogriar. “You are the Emperor of the Fievegal.”

He sighs. “Clowns. You two decide quickly and catch up. Xyreko, keep them honest.” Daniel hops off of the moving carriage, jogging through the south-east-bound troops trying to keep moving forward, but also get south. As he’s weaving through the soldiers, Muindis briefly snags his shoulder, “Lord Daniel!”

“Keep moving south!” Daniel replies without knowing at first who he’s talking to, having to shout over the noise.

“What’s going on? Do you need help?”

“Keep the troops orderly as much as you can if you can. We’re fending off local wildlife.”

Muindis is surprised, but Daniel doesn’t have time. He pulls free and keeps filing through the soldiers of all races and sizes of the east.

Once he clears the crowd, he runs towards the gathering golems as the monsters appear, bellowing fearsomely like a line of monstrous buffalo threatening the golems.

Just as he’s slowing down, a white dress patterned with metallic red, gold, and platinum flutters down next to him as Ryuogriar lands at his right side. “Mukori.”

“Ryuo.” Daniel studies the Gulpoxen for a moment, and he thought their names would come from a big mouth or stomach, but it’s nothing so obvious. They also don’t share much in common with oxes of Earth, other than being mammallian. They are bulky creatures, but more akin to elephants without the trunks, and with low, lizard-like postures and a bony plate that extends a little past their bull-like nose up to the forehead, likely for headbutting. The biggest one’s plate is dented and cracked, likely from years of shows of strength. The beasts tower over Daniel and the golems, as well as Ryuogriar in her humanoid form, bellowing to chase them all away.

Ryuogriar says informatively, “I’m told that, in the absence of beings stronger than themselves, these lowly beasts are quite territorial.”

“What about ones that are someone’s stock?” asks Daniel as he points at a particular one. It has what looks like a plow harness on it, but made of metal.

“That? Oh, that’s a weight used to slow them down, so they become lazy and fat, rather than muscular... Oh...”

Daniel, who was staring at her as she replied, doesn’t have to say anything. She thinks about it for only a moment, adding, “It seems the acolytes were unable to contain the livestock at Shaiulvalgarro’s hoard once we all had been defeated at the Citadel.”

“You don’t say...” retorts Daniel a little dryly.

The lead gulpox bellows, and it pads its humongous foot one last time before barrelling towards the firing line.

“Ryuogriar, please stop them peacefully.”

She crosses her arms. “You must address me correctly, first.”

“Pardon?”

She huffs, looking away.

“Oh for f-... Fine. My beloved Mukori, would you please deal with these gulpoxen as peacefully as possible?”

She grins. “It would be my pleasure, Mukori.” She giggles gleefully as she transforms into a dragon, and Daniel can hear the rather quiet and far away din of the soldiers retreating away from the attack line suddenly spark into a chorus of screams and yells.

A full size, mature dragon just appeared, and she spreads her wings to amplify her apparent size. She roars, but the gulpoxen don’t stop.

Ryuogriar leaps into a short glide to intercept the lead gulpox with her presence, but it only braces its neck and barrels as fast as it can at her. This seems to surprise the dragon, and she catches it with her massive claws, coughing and roaring as she is pushed back, tearing through the ground as the large beast -only slightly smaller than the dragon- tries to knock her over like a linebacker. The other gulpoxen, only a few paces behind the lead bull, are passing them.

Hekate sits up more, putting her hand on Erimaya’s lap. Erimaya matches Hekate’s gaze, and the young feldrok empress replies gently and sincerely, “You came here to undo damage you felt your kingdom had done. You crossed into enemy lines to do it. As... um... ill-conceived as some would call it.”

Erimaya smiles at Hekate’s complex wording. She’s trying.

But, more importantly, it still feels like Erimaya was only really acting for her own benefit.

“That’s easy for you to say. No one gets angry at you if you indulge yourself. No one stops you from doing whatever you want on any given day.”

Hekate whispers deviously, “Join us, Erimaya. Join us.”

The princess scoffs and chuckles softly.

“In all seriousness, I received tons of anger and hate growing up...” admits Hekate. “I was told I was ugly, and I should never have been born. But, now I have people who don’t hurt me. If they get angry or frustrated with me... they play the ‘Hekate game’.” She grins with rosy cheeks. “If I cross a line, I’m swiftly admonished by someone who does it because he cares about me. If I’m being foolish, I get ruthlessly teased by my rival.” She whispers directly to Erimaya. “I’ll never admit this to any of them, but I’m constantly learning from them every day. I will surpass them all and be the best empress I can be.” She smiles. “I might not be the best in a noble courtroom, but... I get what you meant.” Hekate looks up at the sky, and Erimaya looks as well. “It’s difficult to want to give up childhood, especially when you barely had one. But... It’s also nice to master things.”

Erimaya nods. “Agreed. Children can’t rule the world. And, I’m far from a master. So, we can learn together.”

Hekate nods. Her ears perk up, and she looks in the direction the monsters were coming from. She climbs to her feet, helping Erimaya up. She then picks up the chess pieces, which Erimaya takes, and Hekate carries the chessboard.

“Took you long enough!” calls out Hekate when Daniel approaches, carrying a thoroughly pleased and relaxed -and definitely not exhausted- Ryuogriar like a maiden.

Ryuogriar lifts her head from her bliss long enough to look directly at Hekate, and then she very obviously feigns weariness as she slumps sloppily in Daniel’s arms, hanging her head like she’s on death’s door.

“Ooooh, your Greatness, I expended soooo much of my strength protecting your wards. I did it all for you, your Greatness. I haven’t even the strength to take a single step.”

Hekate crosses her arms, and Erimaya asks softly, “Do you make her call you that?”

“I should, but no. She’s being sarcastic.”

Ryuogriar’s lips twist into a smirk, even as she continues to feign a total loss of her strength.

Hekate adds seriously, “Ryuo is my rival, though. As a good competitor, I can afford her trivialities.”

“You’re so mature,” teases the elder dragon. “Even I, a greater dragon of... many years can learn from you.”

Hekate huffs, but she retorts with all the mercy of an executioner, “You’re not too mature to play a game to see who went with Daniel and then fake weakness to be carried like a maiden.”

The blonde matron blushes, looking away from Hekate.

Erimaya laughs softly, trying to hide it, and Ryuogriar looks at her. Hekate instantly points at the dragon sternly. “Don’t you dare bully my friend, Ryuo. Don’t even think about it.”

The dragon looks at Hekate, finally climbing down from Daniel’s arms as he helps her stand up. She says proudly, “I wouldn’t dare. This sweet child is a true master of flattery.” Ryuogriar cups her own cheek in a doting expression. “I daresay I would adopt her if she asked me to.”

Erimaya blushes. “Th-Thank you, Lady Great Dragon Ryuogriar.”

“Please, sweet child, do not feel a need for such formality with me. ‘Mother Ryuo’, or just Ryuo are acceptable.”

Erimaya chuckles bashfully, and Daniel finally comes to her rescue. “We’ve got a bunch of soldiers out here baking in the sun. Let’s get them back to Twilight.”

The three agree, and they all climb back into the carriage to continue their journey.

During the last leg of the trip, Erimaya teaches Hekate simple etiquette things, such as how to sit to emphasize her posture and look beautiful and refined, as well as situations where she can relax -which are rare for a princess-.

For now, it’s just simple bonding as new friends, as Hekate has a long way to go before she’s seen as a refined lady.

But, that doesn’t prevent her from being the Empress of the Citadel.

***

“General! We have an emergency!”

General Bhargyle, a shenwulf -wolf-like humanoids with more canine features than human features to their faces specifically-, rolls out of his bed. He was just getting to sleep after a long day, and he grunts, “What is it? Are we under attack?”

“Not yet, General. But... It’s... at the gates.”

“Out with it, boy. If we’re not under attack,...”

“It’s... Em-Empress Hekate... the ruler of the Citadel.”

Bhargyle’s blood runs cold as a chill ripples violently up his spine. The last he heard of Hekate was the 20,000 troops that departed Fort Twilight, which General Bhargyle commands, have yet to return, and a letter was delivered from the self-proclaimed Empress declaring that she has them prisoner.

“Sh-She’s... at the gate?”

Lieutenant Tilleck, a young human officer, nods quickly. “It’s... She has... the soldiers...”

“Soldiers? You mean...? The ones in the siege force?”

Tilleck nods again.

Bhargyle hurriedly throws his cuirass on and grabs his sword, tying off as much of his armor straps as he can on his own as they jog out of the main garrison fortress to the outer wall. The outer wall is conveniently lower than the main fortress grounds, making it easy to see over and still hold a strong defensible position.

However, what it also does is reveal the sight to be seen well before they reach the wall. Bhargyle slows to a stop, seeing the twenty thousand troops at his walls.

Of course, at a glance, they appear to potentially be the siege forces that were sent west several weeks ago, but it could be a trick.

As they reach the outer wall and ascend the stairs to look down from the top of the wall, Bhargyle can make out a voice shouting up at his soldiers with his excellent hearing.

“... marched all the way here with these guys, and my Darling and Rival put themselves in harm’s way to protect them! I’m not even here to threaten you! Open up and take these inferior soldiers off my hands!”

Bhargyle looks over the wall, and he almost has to double-take. He knows dragons are sentient and can speak -though, they’re said to only utter taunts and threats in the eastern languages.

Regardless, the one speaking is far from a dragon. She stands no taller than a teenage girl, with big black triangular ears and a poofy black tail. Otherwise, she would look like a cute little human girl.

Even if that were the case, Bhargyle is trained in magic swordsmanship. He never had the luxury of training to be a battlemage like the Stalvaltan Guard, but he can sense and use magic quite well.

And, he nearly vomits from the overwhelming pressure rolling off of the tiny girl like a heavy, invisible fog or stifling heat wave.

“You! You look important!” She points towards Bhargyle, and then gestures at the people behind her. “These are yours. Tell your people to open up so I can return them. If you won’t, I’ll start launching them over the wall.”

Some of the guards stir nervously, and the archers have their bows nocked, while crossbows are aimed at the little girl.

Bhargyle is a general, though. He has a responsibility to be skeptical and defend his fortress from traps. “Excuse me, but can you prove you are who you say you are?”

The alleged Hekate crosses her arms and sighs in disgust. “You want proof, do you? Fine. I’m coming in.”

The girl marches forward, and Bhargyle warns, “We will release a barrage! Back away from the gate!”

“A mere soldier does not command me,” retorts the fox-eared girl.

“Warning shots! Loose!” While he has to defend the fortress, he’s not sure if this little girl is delusional, and he doesn’t really want to order the death of a young girl.

Crossbow bolts, arrows, and magic spells fly. Rather than impacting the ground around the young girl, they are captured in mid air, seemingly freezing in place briefly thanks only to a small gesture of her hand. She then flicks her hand forward, and the entire volley of attacks slams the wall, shaking them as it explodes violently from the magic, and arrows and bolts splinter against the wall. Hekate shouts, “Clear the doorway or you’re going to die!” She draws a strangely shaped, broad staff, almost like a strangely-shaped oar, but made of metal, from a magic bag. A white mist rolls out of the thin end of the strange object, which she points towards the gate. “Last chance, flee the gate or die!”

“Stop her! Full attack!” calls out Bhargyle.

In spite of their efforts, none of the attacks reach the small girl, and she grins up at him. “Have you heard knock-knock jokes? Knock knock! Now, you say, ‘Who’s there!’” Her strange oar-shaped device spits a ball of white magical energy, and Bhargyle leans over to look at the gate. A swirl of energy hits the gate, and then it explodes violently in a burst of instantaneous freezing wind that causes the gate to turn into a massive block of ice. Hekate then lowers the weapon, holding up her palm, even as magic and arrows continue to magically steer away from her without any effort on her part.

A gigantic ball of fire, even larger than Hekate herself, appears above her palm, and she proudly smiles. She throws it like she’s throwing a simple ball, and the fireball hits the ice block, exploding the gate open with a large billow of mist and steam. Soldiers cry out in shock and surprise, and they continue trying to attack her, since she’s the only one in range.

Just as Bhargyle is running to the inner face of the wall to look, he halts immediately after a mere blink. Standing on the battlement he was just about to look over is the girl herself, having seemingly instantaneously appeared before him, even though she spent the effort to destroy the gate. She is standing taller than him only thanks to the battlement, and her presence startles the soldiers nearby, who drop any ranged weapons and draw swords. Bhargyle grips his own sword, and Hekate snaps her fingers.

Bhargyle yanks his sword hilt, but it won’t budge. He panics, glancing at his sword, then Hekate, and then more desperately tries to fight his sword out of its scabbard.

“Ice,” states the little girl, confusing Bhargyle for a moment. He looks at his scabbard, but she adds mockingly, “‘Ice, who?’ Ice-eem to have let myself in. Heeheeeheeheee.”

The shenwulf general can only stumble back a few steps, and Hekate takes the new gap to step down onto the same level as him. She puts her hands on her hips as she looks around fearlessly at the large soldiers of fearsome eastern races wielding swords, but hesitates to charge her for good reasons.

“Now then, gentlemen. Ladies, I see you there, too.” She faces Bhargyle, smirking wickedly. “Since you obviously couldn't hear me down there, let's talk about returning those foolish soldiers home.”

***