Chapter: 661 – Twice

Tala watched the arcanes slowly disperse around her—moving away from the former location of the hold of the House of the Frost Lance—feeling a tremendous sense of accomplishment. She’d set out to accomplish exactly this. She’d been opposed, and she overcame.

A smile pulled at her lips, and she allowed herself to bask in the victory.

The previous hold of the Frost Lance was being added to Ironhold as she considered things, the door being re-placed as she situated the hold within a not-quite mountain near Irondale.

She wasn’t exactly sure what it would be used for, and in truth, it would likely be parcelled out eventually—apparently Lyn had already been informed about the addition and was poring through various options—but for now, it was a trophy of her recent conquest.

That in mind, she began to notice a theme in the looks arcanes were casting back her way.

They’re afraid.

-Of course they are. You just went out of your way to make them afraid.-

Yeah… Something about their fear pulled at her. After a moment’s thought, she realized what was bothering her. She was on the precipice of becoming something she despised.

When she was taken, she had been afraid of those above her, unable to do as she wished or be who she really was. Now, she was back with enough power and authority to do as she wished to others with startling ease. She was even planning on moving them toward giving up large portions of their culture and identity, as she wanted to strip co-opted vestiges from every facet of arcane life.

In fact, it wasn’t even just her future plans. It could be easily argued that she was actively doing that, forcing her will on those weaker than herself. The House of the Fated Clash opposed her and the House of Blood, and she was putting pressure on them—instilling fear within them—in an attempt to force them to her way of thinking.

She frowned.

Alat obviously sensed her growing trepidation, and decided to interject, cutting off the growing cascade of thought. -You aren’t a tyrant, Tala. In most things, you don’t care what people do one way or another.-

No, I just want them to obey me where it matters.

Alat picked up the implication, the real root of the issue. -You are nothing like Be-thric, Tala. This is like your discussion with Lea. Sure, your actions are similar in the broadest sense, but this is a question of degree and methodology. In those two, critical areas, you are nothing like that man.-

Tala nodded to herself, forcing her momentary frown away.

-Rane is ready, by the way. Shall I give him clearance?-

Tala gave a slow shake of her head. “Come on, Lea. We’ll have dad join us once we’re a few blocks away.”

Lea smiled. “Bakery?”

Tala nodded. “Bakery.”

“Hurrah!” Lea practically skipped forward as the two women strode away from the obviously odd, blank wall behind them.

How long before that spot is refilled?

-Who knows. The Revered City Lord should be happy, though.-

Oh? She considered for a moment. Oh, right. He can charge someone else for the hold charter now.

-Exactly.-

It sounds like he will be both irritated and happy with me.

-Most likely, yes. We are dancing an interesting line, probably a dangerous one, too.-

Dangerous for our cause, yeah… I believe we could escape any threat, but we are here for a purpose…

Again understanding what Tala was thinking, Alat decided to offer some comfort, -We haven’t jeopardized that, Tala. Our actions were directed and approved by the House of Blood, and while that doesn’t instantly make them okay, it does mean that we aren’t taking actions that are absolutely unacceptable to those we are seeking to aid gated humanity against the Black Legion.-

Yeah… She firmed her shoulders. On the previous subject, she had an important thought. There was another key difference between her and that man. She was doing this for others rather than for her own benefit. This was not a case of the ends justifying the means, but her motivation did matter.

By the time Tala, Lea, and Terry were near the edge of the District of Doors, those who were still around them were no longer looking at the three of them with the reverent fear of those who had seen what Tala did to the House of the Frozen Lance.

I wonder how soon word of what we’ve done will spread through the city.

-Probably not too long, honestly.-

They were on the far side from the city center, so the holds in the area were theoretically the poorer houses or even non-house entities. Regardless, some Major Houses chose to have their holds in these parts as their power was more mercantile than militaristic, so being near the merchants and craftsmen who were wealthy enough to have holds in the District—no matter that they weren’t near the city center—was to their advantage.

It was from one such hold that an Eskau strode, the weight of his age and authority moving with him like a mantle despite being obviously restrained with a level of control that spoke to true mastery.

His aura was an aquamarine which alone spoke of power, but beyond the color, there was a depth to it that Tala had basically never experienced, making the sensation feel like looking upon an ocean from the deck of a sturdy ship.

Lea couldn’t properly perceive the man’s power, but her instincts—or something within her body—made her almost unconsciously move to Tala’s other side. Terry fluffed his feathers but didn’t make a sound even as his eyes locked onto the man.

He wasn’t human—that much was obvious—but his species wasn’t easy to suss out. His skin was the gray of sea-cliffs, his hair a mane of white that was both so wispy as to drift about him like a cloud, and so thick as to completely obscure that which was beyond it. His eyes were an oddly glowing tan, and the frown he wore was weighty enough that Tala half expected thunderclouds to begin forming in the sky above to match the gravitas of the expression.

His eyes had initially flitted over the three beings before him with disinterest, but when he saw the symbol on Tala’s tunic, the frown had been born. He spoke, his voice deep and calm as a dwarven well. “A human Eskau? Again?” He tsked. “Did they not try that already?”

Tala turned to face him, despite his words seeming more a self-musing than a question directed her way. “We are but passing through. Is there an issue?”

The man’s frown deepened. “She is a powerful one, but still human.” He shook his head. “I am Jiyan, Eskau of Commerce for the House of Stone.”

There was an odd force of expectation from him after his pronouncement, and it demanded Tala reply with who she was more insistently than a scream or a blade to the throat. “I am Tala, Eskau of the House of Blood.”

An Eskau of Commerce was very similar to an Eskau of War, in that the one in the position was outside the normal structure of the House, an Eskau that had no Pillar because they needed no Pillar. Where an Eskau of War oversaw a conflict, an Eskau of Commerce would oversee just that, commerce.

Other Houses had other such posts, but they were rarely filled, and Tala had been too weak when she was in Platoiri previously to have ever encountered one as more than a vague mention, if even that.

Eskau Jiyan grunted, clearly recognizing her name. “Ahh, so you aren’t another human Eskau, you are that human Eskau. Interesting.” He chuckled, his frown melting away at the mild joviality. “So, you are that girl.” He looked her over again, clearly with an eye to her power and weight, even if she couldn’t see exactly how he was analyzing her. Finally, he gave an approving nod. “I can see why you’ve caused such consternation.”

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

The House of Stone was on good terms with the House of Blood, but this man could change that, given his position. Tala was entirely thrown off by this random encounter, and she was struggling to regain her balance.

“Very well… I am departing Platoiri regardless, so it hardly matters. I did not mean to cause you delay.” The man gave exactly the appropriate bow when their relative power levels and political positions within their houses were taken into account. The man even placed his hand exactly correctly on his chest to denote the level and type of alliance between his house and the one to whom he was giving honor.

Of course he did, Tala. This is his role. He probably didn’t even have to think about the specifics. It’s like you choosing the right words to form a sentence. Tala returned the gesture, modified for her position relative to him in turn. She did have to think about it and was incredibly careful to do so.

And that was it.

Eskau Jiyan strode away without further comment or interaction, seemingly also without a care.

Only after he departed did Tala realize something that should have been incredibly obvious.

He didn’t have a vestige on him. The only weapon he seemed to bear had been a stone knife at his belt that looked more ceremonial than martial but seemingly no less deadly for that fact.

An Eskau without a protian weapon… I didn’t think that was possible.

-It isn’t in the House of Blood. The House of Stone must be different. There was something odd about that knife, but I couldn’t really sense it properly through his aura.-

Yeah… You don’t think it was a concept blade… was it?

-I don’t think so? It didn’t feel exactly the same as the other we’ve encountered.-

Tala grunted and dismissed the oddity, ushering Lea forward.

The transition from the district of doors to the surrounding mercantile area wasn’t sudden, but it was stark.

The roads looked the same, and the same people seemed to be meandering around without regard to some arbitrary line. Even so, the businesses that were within the district, and which were fully ensconced within holds, were obviously a bit nicer and ‘full featured’ in their services.