Chapter 4b: Outcast

 

Surrounded by Praetorians, Victor clenched his jaw as he stared at the protective purple veil that surrounded the empire's border.

Even at the center of the empire, thousands of miles from the border, the magical barrier that separated the citizens of Apheriam from the foulspawn could be seen.

Powered by the Emperor’s power, it was the veil that shielded all life from the horrors that lived outside the light of his majestic grace.

At least, that was the official word.

Victor had never doubted it, at least until now as he looked over his shoulder towards the cold city of white and gold.

What did you mean about founding the empire? Victor said to himself, with more questions than answers thanks to his run in with Prometheus.

“Taking one last look at Paradise before you're kicked out?” Jesta said from atop his fine wood chair carried by serfs as another servant fed him grapes. “Seer it into your eyes dear brother, I do believe it'll be quite some time before you see it again. If you see it again.”

Jesta’s laugh grated at Victor's nerves, but he had more things to worry about as his attention darted to the side of his vision at the notification.

[System Reboot Success! Reconfiguring…]

“No matter, I have no intention of ever returning,” Victor replied as he turned to the ivory circular gate that would take him to his destination.

He watched as the Praetorians moved the dial that spun the blue sigils on the gate to lock in the destination.

Another feat of his father, the Waygates were fantastical devices capable of teleporting objects from one destination to another in an instant.

Unfortunately, due to the exotic resources they were made of and the energy cost of operation, Waygates were mostly used in case of emergencies and could only be operated if one knew the exact coordinates of the other gate.

Victor glanced over to the Praetorian operating the dialer who lifted the gold medal of the Fierce Household.

And if one had the blessing of the Emperor.

“Lord Fierce! The portal is ready,” the station guard said, turning Victor and Jesta’s heads as the final sigil locked into place and the waygate buzzed with a wavy blue energy that solidified into a wall of bubbling mass.

“Well, off with you now, I have a spa appointment to get to, my cuticles need a touch up after a long day of official work,” Jesta said, checking his well manicured finger nails as he shooed Victor off. “I hear Dresul is twenty miles east from the border waygate. If you hurry along, you may be able to reach the town wall before sund-”

“Lord Fierce!” 

Victor spun, his eyes wide at the sight of Destiny in a Sunday dress on rapid approach with Matilda hastily trailing the silver-haired woman with luggage in tow.

Oh. Oh no.

“Goodness! I made it in time!” Destiny said, the woman clearly out of breath as she knelt before Jesta.

“What is the meaning of this? This is a restricted area.” Jesta said, holding a hand aloft to cease his grape feeder. 

“My apologies Lord Twentieth,” Matilda said, bowing low alongside Destiny. The maid reached into her belt, producing a scroll stamped with the gold sigil Victor recognized, “Per order of the Court of Lords.”

“Serf,” Jesta commanded with a servant handing the scroll to him.

“A writ of company?” Jesta raised a thin brow, glancing between the paper and the two women. “You realize that by producing this, you forfeit all titles and assets, yes?”

“My lord, there is no future for a rejected bride in the Imperium. My House has disowned me, and what little I have is born upon my person. I have no future here, the only way for me to save face now is to be banished alongside the man who sullied me,” Destiny kowtowed. 

S-sullied?! Victor nearly protested but kept his mouth shut upon noticing Matilda's glare.

“I see…” Jesta muttered before he clapped his hands and his serfs lowered his chair to step upon the ground. He stepped forward, reaching down to caress Destiny's narrow chin while ignoring Matilda. “You have fair features. Soft bone structure. I wouldn't mind taking a delectable chick under my wing, little bird.”

“To join your harem would disgrace your name milord,” Destiny replied. “For what would the masses speak about if they were to learn that your magnificence took on recycled goods.”

Jesta raised a brow, taking a thoughtful look and shifting his eyes away. “I suppose even a broken clock is right twice a day. I do have my public image to consider. Go now, cling to the coat-tails of Victor's faded grace.”

“Thank you Lord Twentieth,” Destiny said, causing Jesta's porcelain features to slightly crinkle at the word Twentieth.

“Get out of my sight.”

Without missing a beat Destiny quickly rose and joined Victor in front of the gate with Matilda in tow.

Victor reached out, stopping the woman.

“Do you realize what you're doing? This is banishment, not a trip in a park or-” Victor said, to stop as an overwhelming pressure could be felt beside him that emanated from the maid.

“I told you before, that I was dedicated to learning about you, or did you believe me to be a liar?” Destiny retorted with earnestness.

“As touching as this is, I have a appointment to get to, go. Go. Now before I reach the limits of my patience.” Jesta yawned, climbing back upon his chair.

Realizing he wouldn't convince the woman, Victor spun and faced the waygate.

“Jesta…” Victor said as he stood before the wall of blue energy that would take him to his new life.

“Hm?”

“You’re a cu-” Victor began only to be kicked by a Praetorian through the portal before he could finish his insult. “-nt!”

The smell of smoke and ash assaulted Victor's senses the moment his body flew through the portal and struck the forest floor.

He rolled, his vision swimming as Destiny collided with him and the pair spiraled into a tree.

“UHK?!”

Matilda appeared a moment later, the maid landing eloquently on her high heels with Destiny's luggage as the portal closed.

“Is everyone alright?” Victor asked, helping Destiny to her feet while he scanned his surroundings of sulfur and blackened trees. From the looks of it, a fire had rampaged through the area, leaving nothing but charcoal and ash in the air that stung his lungs and eyes.

“Y-yeah, I'm okay,” Destiny said, her hands patting down her white dress stained with splotches of soot before glancing over her shoulder to the purple border wall at their backs. “I've just never traveled through a waygate before! This! This is all so new!”

“We must move, quickly,” Matilda said, her eyes and voice deadpan although she made no attempt to disguise her hands clenching the brown suit case handles tightly.

“Matilda-” Victor reached out, wondering why the maid had tagged along only for her to brush him aside.

“We are five miles from the nearest outpost and twenty miles from Dresul. In three hours it will be nightfall and the foulspawn will be out in force,” Matilda said, pressing forward.

Victor and Destiny shared a look before they followed after the maid through the desolate landscape.

“Are you sure about this Destiny? You aren't exactly equipped for a long trek,” Victor said, pointing out the woman's dress and black heels. 

“Regrettably, I didn't have time to change or prepare. I immediately rushed down to the waygate upon hearing of your dismissal!” Destiny replied.

“With… luggage?”

“Oh, that's all Mrs. Matilda's belongings,” Destiny said, with Victor realizing that the woman accompanying him had nothing in her possessions except the clothes and bits of jewelry on her back.

Victor stopped in his tracks.

“What? What's wrong?” Destiny asked.

“You realize this isn't a game right? I’m depowered and unarmed. I can't protect you if we're attacked,” Victor said, drawing Matilda's eyes.

“Oh, I know, that's why I've retained Lady Matilda for her services as my personal maid and bodyguard,” Destiny replied nonchalantly.

“What?”

“Well, since you were banished and her job was to facilitate your needs, she was suddenly without a job,” Destiny explained, hugging Victor's arm and dragging him forward. “And due to the scandal, none of the other Houses would hire her. Fortunately she was accommodating enough to accept my urgent plea.”

“I… see,” Victor said before he fell silent and continued his march while more notifications pulled at his attention.

[System Config Success!]

[Overriding…]

[Success!]

 

-[Deck Selection Available!]

-[Encyclopedia Available!]

-[New Card Obtained!]

-[Available Cards]-

[Card XIII: Prometheus LvL 1]

-[Claimable Card Available]

Claimable card? Victor thought, raising a brow as a giggle echoed through his mind.

****

 

“Contact front! Fix bayonets! Fix bayonets!” Garo shouted, the Lieutenant of the Dresul Watch unsheathing his saber as he stood from the trench line to face the charging mob as explosive cannon fire struck nearby.

At five, five, with short choppy brown hair, and a sleeveless brown duster covering his muscular body, the man acted as a bulwark against the wave of foulspawn assaulting Dresul.

“Damn those waller cowards! Don't they realize they're shooting us! We're on the same side!” A dragunoot mercenary hissed over the boom of inaccurate artillery.

“If we get out of this killing field I'll murder the signal officer with my bear paws!” A Koboldt added.

Garo reached down, taking a swing of his bottle of holy water as his eyes glanced toward the rough walls of Dresul unleashing another volley of cannon fire.

“INCOMING!”

More booms, more screams. Some from foulspawn, others from the penal warriors of Dresul unfortunate enough to be caught in the attack.

“Shut up! Shape up and get your heads back into the fight!” Garo spat, cutting down a feral wolf before throwing his bottle of holy water at a skeleton. “If you're second guessing your decision at being shot at, maybe you shouldn't have signed on the dotted line!”

“Easy for you to say! You get paid a lieutenant’s salary!” A soldier shouted, firing his musket.

“Ha! I don't get paid at all!” Garo laughed, firing his black-powdered pistol into the skull of a charging zombie. “I'm in this for the love of the game!”