...Re-Estize Kingdom...
In that gentle night, the last of hours of peace died, like a candle burned to long, it flickered and died away. People from the farthest South of the Holy Kingdom, to the deep woods of the Elf Kingdom, to the far North of the Baharuth Empire, slept soundly in their beds, never knowing that those who moved through the night were taking the final steps towards war. There were twelve teams moving through Re-Estize that night, each one with a different goal.
The first team climbed the tower of the palace, slipped in to the chamber of the King, one took a poison bottle out, another took a pillow out of his pack, then two men grabbed his arms while the third dumped the poison into his mouth when he opened it to express his shock, and then the third covered his face to stiffle any noise. It was over in less than minutes...then the long ruling King of Re-Estize...lay dead. They had one more task, this one only made difficult by the youth of the victim. Climb, they knew, slept near to Princess Renner, and thanks to the sieve like gossip of the maids, they already knew his schedule and when he would rest. Him they would take alive. They moved back out the window through which they'd entered the King's quarters, and moved along the rooftops and walls until they'd reached the tower where his isolated chamber lay. He was only close to the princess's room, but that was the only place he wanted to be, and his relative social isolation made this even easier. They went in through the window, one by one letting feet fall soft on stone, their padded shoes making not a sound, they went so quietly that darkness itself might have overlooked them. There they beheld the sleeping form of a handsome, youthful blonde male, in the flower of youth about to bloom, and the ruthless assassin felt a twinge of regret that one so young should be caught up in forces he could never have understood. Still, he had a duty to his nation, and he carried it out, nodding to his comrades, they gently went to grab his arms as another pillow was brought out. It was doused with tincture of the zina plant, and would induce unconsciousness in short order. Then they grabbed and he started awake, trying to reach for his sword, but the pillow was over his face and though he was uncommonly strong, he was outnumbered four to one and could not flail even a little...well...maybe a little.
"Thenner! Pwintheth Thenner!" The boy tried to cry out, but held at legs, arms, and head, and muffled as he was, it was over soon, and the boy was unconscious.
"Loyal lad." The leader said softly under his breath. "You are a lucky one, if the loyalty is returned to you as much as I am told, rest easy, you will see her again." They then stuffed him into a very large sack, and crept back out the window, and climbed down to the ground where a cart was waiting to race them away. An inside agent would be slipping a note under the golden princess's door soon, informing her of Climb's abduction and telling her what to do if she wished him back alive, and promising to deliver her pieces of him if she even appeared to stray from command.
The other teams targeted the families of the royal or noble factions who had both the clout and the wisdom to avoid conflict with the Sorcerer Kingdom, each one seeking out and snatching someone of significance from their household, an heir, a wife, a brother or sister or grandchild, leaving a note behind cautioning silence and demanding compliance while also promising their safe return. There would be mourning and fear throughout Re-Estize when the sun came up again.
...Elf Kingdom Palace...
The Slane Theocracy ambassador stood before the elf king, the elf was imposing and dangerous looking, and he clearly looked down on the human ambassador as somewhat of an insect, but disgust with his people was greater than the loathing he held for the human ambassador, who at least had some strength in his nation, and so he listened.
"You and I both know you did not attack our Kingdom for want of gold or land." The Slane Theocracy ambassador said.
"How do you know that?" The elf King said, already bored by prattle as he sipped from his goblet of wine.
"Because of what you did with the woman you took from us. You didn't do that just to start a war, you wanted powerful children, you wanted what your people failed to provide you, but we could." The ambassador said calmly, keeping his temper carefully restrained as he casually mentioned the elf King's rape of a black scripture woman.
This perked up his attention. "And? What of it? Either my people will grow strong, or they will be exterminated, I have no use for weak children or weak people." He said with a sneer at his own court.
"What if I were to tell you that we can offer you what you want?" He asked.
His ears twitched. "How?" The King asked.
"The Sorcerer Kingdom has many powerful females, as does the Holy Kingdom. If your armies march with us, if YOU ally with us, we will let you have the first night with any female you believe worth getting a child on." The ambassador said, swallowing the bile his offer induced in him. Part of him wondered about the women he was damning, beginning the future to forgive him in his nation's desperate hour.
"Even if she's a human?" He asked pointedly.
The ambassador swallowed hard.
He couldn't bring himself to say a simple yes, the question hung in the air, finally he got out, "I am authorized to accept that as well."
The elf King drank the last of his wine and cast the cup down, "Then I accept!" He began to laugh heartily, happily, like a child given exactly the gift they wanted on their birthday, and the ambassador felt stained by the very sound of it, silently reminding himself that it was for humanity's sake...and he had to bear with it for now...and so would his victims.
...Draconic Kingdom...
The Theocracy Ambassador stood in front of the little Queen, Draudillon Oriculus, who he knew quite well did not really look the way she appeared. "My nation is asking for your help." He said flatly.
"And my nation is saying no." She replied with a frosty tone. "When we sought your help during the beastman invasion, you did nothing. When they ate my citizens, you did nothing, when they captured my cities, you did nothing, now you come to me for help with a problem you began, and I will do for you what you did for us. Nothing." Her voice had a winter chill so cold that the ambassador felt that Ainz Ooal Gown himself would have shivered.
"We could not help you because of the Sorcerer King, he destroyed the scripture that bled for you in the past, and even now he runs rampant through the Holy Kingdom through his vile proxies. Its only a matter of time before he turns his gaze on you." The ambassador said.
"He DID turn his gaze on us." She said flatly.
"What?!" The ambassador said with utter shock.
"Yes, after our third city was consumed and you rejected us again, after he defeated Jaldabaoth, we appealed to his Kingdom for the help you denied us. He provided what you did not, and the Beastmen withdrew." She said.
"Ho-wha-in..." He spoke, starting and stopping, trying to find the right question to ask.
"In exchange for allowing him to buy some of our land on which to settle refugees, we'd lost much of our territory anyway, so trading away a little of what we already lost was nothing. So he bought a strip of land spanning the length of our border with the beastman kingdom, and extending west just over the nearest of the dead cities to that, and a strip of land wide enough for several roads to connect it to his own kingdom. The only condition was that he stop the invasion." She said.
"And...he did?" The ambassador said.
"Its why I'm still alive and so is around half my population." She said with a thin lipped expression.
"How...?" He asked.
She shrugged. "I have no idea. All I know is that he went where we didn't, did what we couldn't, and the beastman kingdom withdrew all of its forces and even released all the humans they hadn't yet eaten, and they have not come back."
"But he hasn't occupied any of the land yet...so...wait..." He froze as he remembered her exact words. "You said...on which to settle refugees."
She nodded seriously. "I didn't understand it at the time, he had no refugees, there was no war in the aftermath of the conflict with Jaldabaoth except for mine, but he bought it anyway, to settle refugees on that did not exist yet. Now I wonder ambassador...where did he get the idea that he'd need the space for that?" She cocked her head slightly to one side and gave him her best childlike expression of curiosity.
The Theocracy ambassador went pale as ice. "He saw this coming...years ago."
"And I think he said exactly what he did, exactly so I would tell you what he said, he wanted you to know." She said. "He knew you'd do this, he knew he was better off with us neutral and he knew he'd need a place to settle people. Do you know what else?" She asked.
He shook his head, unable to form words.
"He's had small numbers of undead working on that area since he cleared it of beastmen. I've had people go look it over, there are villages with no people there, farms being laid out ready for planting, just...waiting. I've even gotten reports that he's had undead laying out orderly towns, ready for people to move in and occupy." She said.
"Why didn't you tell us this...?" He said with a frostyness that matched her own.
"That would be doing 'something' she said, and I was only willing to do for you, what you did for us, and that was...nothing." The silence hung between them like the sword of Damocles about to fall and cut the last thread of peace. "Go to hell ambassador, you're dragging your entire kingdom down into annihilation, the only thing I'm willing to do for your nation is this...when the Sorcerer King moves through your lands and decimates them, I will send wagons to ferry the refugees to settle under the rule of the Sorcerer King. Your grand alliance, will be nothing but a very big fire that you all burn on, and I will not be joining you, my people have suffered enough for nothing." She said with ironclad finality.
"We will not forget this." The ambassador said coldly.
"Neither will Ainz Ooal Gown, and between your memory and his, I choose his. Now get out of my sight." She said, and her guards moved to escort him out, only for him to turn on his heel and stamp out.
...Holy Roble Kingdom...Hoburns...days after the swift coronation...
King Handor signed the missive with a satisfied flourish in front of the entire royal court. "There, that useless drain on our resources has now been dealt with. The crown will no longer pay for any adventurers outside of or inside of our kingdom to protect Black Justice temple members."
There was a smattering of applause, they were polite but subdued, but smug grins were on many a priestly face. Gustav's was not among those who applauded, or who appeared smug. He was departing again in the hunt for Remedios today after he finished replenishing his forces, but he had been ordered to remain for some unknown reason, along with all his replenished numbers.
"Next..." He said, and another sheet was presented to him, which he likewise signed with a happy flourish. "From this point forward, the use of undead in any form is strictly prohibited, they will not serve as labor or security or perform any task whatsoever, this vile necromancy is an affront to the gods, and it will no longer be tolerated in a kingdom that has long prided itself on its holiness before the gods."
Again the smattering of applause and smug looks were abound, and again Gustav did not share the expression, he'd seen the way the use of undead labor had benefited people's lives, taking that away would be a hard blow, farming would suffer, harvests would be smaller, everything would get worse.
"Anyone caught engaged in this affront to the gods will be imprisoned and their property confiscated." He added for good measure. Gustav felt a shiver under his skin, this was directly attacking Black Justice practices, they would be outraged.
Another order was presented to King Handor, and he signed that one with a flourish as well. "There, from this point forward anyone caught engaging in healing without an official license from the crown will be subject to fines and imprisonment."
There were very few applause for this, and the only satisfied looks were from priests, Gustav was sickened, he already knew what would happen, there would only be enough licenses for the old gods temples, this was targeting the core beliefs of the Black Justice temples and the practices that made them popular. He swallowed hard, he could already envision the riots.
"Now...Commander Gustav, please step forward." Handor said with a smug entitled voice. Gustav gritted his teeth, approached, and knelt.
"You are to have some of your people ride out immediately, seek out Remedios Custodio, and present her with this." King Handor gestured to a functionary, who brought forth a sealed scroll.
Gustav took it curiously. It bore a royal seal. "Majesty?" He asked curiously.
"It is a full pardon." King Handor said. "Commander Remedios was manipulated, deceived, and was striving to protect our country, she was not wrong in her actions, King Caspond was wrong in condemning her. She will be restored to lawful status and given the task of enforcing our decrees."
This was to much for Gustav. He knelt, holding the scroll in utter shock, horror, disgust. He'd seen what Remedios had done to villages, to villagers, the guilt had been weighing on him, eating at him, knowing he...he was responsible for releasing her, allowing her the chance to do the things she'd done. He wanted to vomit, his eyes went cold as he stared at the pardon as if he was holding a live snake...or...more accurately, a fetid mound of dung. He closed his steel eyes as decision struck and the King looked at him expectantly.
He bowed his head. "It will be done your majesty, but...finding her may be difficult and dangerous, even though almost all the demihumans are dead, the roads are still dangerous, I will need a company of men to be sure of success."
King Handor nodded. "Of course, and I'm sure you're eager to give the good news to your commander yourself, so please, see to it that this is done, personally." He answered, his voice dripping with false sincerity.
Gustav stood and bowed deeply, glad not to look at the unworthy King, and he backed away and left the hall. He went out to the barracks where his men were packed and ready to go. "Time to ride!" He snapped, and the various unit and line leaders rushed about, and within the hour the Paladin Order rode out of the capitol again, refreshed and riding with two thousand paladins and six thousand squires...sounding more impressive than it truly was given their relative inexperience, but making for an impressive appearance as they rode out of the city in bright armor reflecting the light of the Sun, and leaving behind the capitol city.
Gustav said nothing as he rode at the head of the column, he said nothing to anyone all day, not until they were many miles from the capitol and stopped to rest and make camp for the night, he ordered a camp erected and ordered a formation be made ready to hear him out.
They did that well enough, and as the Sun began to set, they stood close to hear him.
"You all know who I am, how I am, and what I am. But what you do not know is why we are here now." His voice, which had carried over the din of life and death battle, carried over the men like a leaf in a gale force wind. "You also know what Remedios has done! Some of you marched with me, you saw the destruction, living in the capitol, you know of her attempt at massacring our own people in their beds, is there anyone among us now who feels the horrors that she has wrought are justified?!" He asked, nobody spoke, nobody raised a hand.
"Then you should know this, despite our earlier instructions to hunt Remedios down, our new King..." Gustav paused and spat on the ground in visible disgust, as if to expel the saliva that the word 'king' had passed over, "has given me a document pardoning Remedios and restoring her to legitimacy in the eyes of the crown, whats more, she's ordered in this document to actually hunt down all those who violate the new laws. Such as the prohibition on healing, which I know some of you personally benefited from when the Black Justice priesthood saved your relatives or even yourselves. The King is attacking everything that has been improving our lives and rebuilding our kingdom."
There were hateful mutterings among the corps.
"I do not intend to follow this order." He said. "I intend to hunt down Remedios and make her pay for what she's done. If you do not wish to march with me, fine, run back to the capitol and tell the King I did this." He said, and holding Remedios's pardon aloft, he took a torch and held it up, and burned it into ashes.
"I mark myself traitor to the King, but I mark myself loyal to my country. Anyone who wishes to make the same choice I did, we're riding out in the morning to resume the hunt for Remedios, if you don't want to do that, get out now. Nobody moved.
"Alright, then get some sleep, tomorrow will be a long day. Fall out." Gustav said, and the formation broke apart and the gossip began as men and women went to their tents to sleep.
Gustav went to his bedroll and laid himself down to rest, it was a hard and bitter day, and he had little confidence that tomorrow would be an improvement.
...Wenmark...
Neia's conversation with Sudaj had gone better than she hoped, he winced at every scream, and the noise restrictions on the city began to make a lot more sense, without the loud noise of hustle and bustle, the screams of those being punished were heard far more clearly and by far more people, elf, human, criminal, and free person, it had to be very effective. He looked with pity at the elves, and he seemed to shake with impotent rage when he saw an auction, an elf woman was torn away from an infant who was clearly not a full blooded elf, and she barely had the strength to resist, and even that was sorely punished with heavy blows.
Neia ached to start cutting people down, but she would settle things soon enough, without its underclass of property, this city could not function well, she was sure a mass escape would be almost impossible to respond to.
She gradually lead the way back to the Golden Roan, and went to Tinamoc's room, which she found to be empty, and let him in. She gestured to a seat, and he looked around him in awe at the expensive materials, the wealth, the taste, the opulence of it all, he almost hesitated to sit, until Neia did, and he forced his distraction back.
"I need your help." She said.
"With what?" He asked.
"Getting the elves out." She said.
He blinked. "I'm sorry, I don't think I heard you."
"I said, getting the elves out. I'm going to do a mass escape in a few days, but I need an edge to be sure I'm successful."
"By...edge...do you mean all the gods descending from heaven to fight for you, because that is what you need, and even then you might not win." He said flatly.
"I'll settle for beer." She said bluntly.
"I'm lost." He said.
"I want to get the city guard as drunk as possible the night of the escape. The more they're weighed down by beer in their guts, the less effective they'll be at a critical time, this final edge should be what I need to get almost all the elves out of the city." She said.
"So...what do you want from me?" Sudaj asked.
"It'll look suspicious coming from me, my reputation is to well known, I'm only able to do as much as I am, because I'm tied to Tinamoc, but this would draw a suspicious gaze my way. However if it comes out that a 'loyal soldier' such as yourself did a great favor for a great merchant, say recovering some incredibly valuable lost item...then a donation to you to distribute to the city guards would be all but entirely unquestioned." She said. Basically it puts two trusted layers between me and the act itself. Do this for me, and we will alleviate matchless suffering." She said.
"And what then?" He asked, "Suspicion will fall hard on me." He said.
"Come with us." Neia said.
"And do...what?" He said.
"Join me, join us. You'll get to fight for something worthwhile instead of just enforcing evil for a handful of coins. Do you really just want to muddle your way through the middling ranks of city guard work for the rest of your life?" Neia asked.
He looked down. "Fair enough." He said. "But...why are you trusting me?" He asked.
"Call it a leap of faith." She said, "It is a risk, but so is everything I do, everywhere I go."
"Alright." He said. "I'll draw up an order for enough beer to get the garrison drunk, you just say when you're ready for it to be distributed, and I'll have the bill sent to Tinamoc." He stood up and looked at her with worried eyes, "I sure hope you know what you're doing." He said, and started to walk out.
"Me too." Neia said softly, and that was when the bells began to ring all over the city.
The sound of running was everywhere, and Neia and Sudaj shared only a momentary look of confusion before they rushed outside.
"King Caspond has been killed!" The news flew everywhere, many people were openly cheering while others were shocked into silence, criers shouted about his violent death from every street corner and public square. The city government, not being a fan of Caspond, responded within hours and announced a temporary moratorium on work and trade, declaring a public holiday and an impromptu festival wherein all license requirements for noise and music were suspended. Neia swallowed, that would slow things down a bit...but on the other hand...perhaps that wasn't to bad of a thing, even if, as it turned out from further reporting, that the death was being reported late this far South.
She was still thinking that when she returned alone to the hotel and began to speak with Tinamoc, Illyana, Skana, & CZ, explaining what she'd learned and discussing the death of Caspond when she paused and received a message from the Sorcerer King. "Neia Baraja, your presence is required." The Sorcerer King said politely.
"As your majesty commands." Neia said. She looked to the curious parties and said, "The Sorcerer King, he is summoning me."
A portal opened. "Don't keep him." CZ said, and Neia bowed to her friends, then stepped through the portal, and found herself in, of all places, a village.
