Chapter 205: The Land of the Dead.

“Look, neither of you are going to like my answer very much.”

 

Viv leaned forward on her seat in the council room. To her right, the cliffs of Sinur’s Gate descended onto the vast plains leading north towards the distant capital and the outposts already seeded along the way. It was still a dead spot filled with gray and black under the perpetual gloom of rainless clouds, a grim reminder of the work left to do. It didn’t help the mood right now. Rakan had taken on a resigned air while Frosthawk bristled with barely contained outrage.

 

It was a sad reality of ruling that, sometimes, Viv had to pick between angering one person or the other. This time, she would pick both. Rakan and Frosthawk would have to compromise. By definition, a compromise left at least one party disappointed.

 

“Due to his successful experience managing a teaching establishment, Frosthawk will be the headmaster of the Harrakan University of Magic.”

 

Rakan deflated. As for Frosthawk, his expression was one of relief rather than triumph. Viv assumed he expected her to favor a more loyal subject. Rakan was completely dedicated to Viv now, especially since his magical prowesses had grown following his recovery.

 

“However, Rakan’s broad understanding of the subject, as well as his time learning in Helock, makes him the best candidate to design the curriculum. He will be the dean and decide on a multi-discipline training program. New professor appointments need the approval of both Dean and Headmaster, with me making a final decision if there is a tie. I hope you two gentlemen can come to agreements without me having to step in…”

 

The two turned from annoyed to thoughtful, each one calculating and making plans in their heads. Goddamn high mental stats twits. She had no doubt the next questions and objections would come soon enough.

 

“And finally,” she continued before they could recover, “the University will be in Frost Bay.”

 

“What?” Rakan blurted, “but…”

 

Viv lifted a hand to stop him right there.

 

“Kazar is already overcrowded. The mage tower is nowhere close to sufficient to accommodate the dozen of trainees we already have. The city is already sprawling over the nearby fields, smothering extremely valuable fertile lands. Frostway’s fort and academy will be renovated so that it is more suitable for people to live in.”

 

“It has sufficed for centuries,” Frosthawk grumbled.

 

“It’s a derelict and windy pile of rocks as cold as a tax collector’s heart.”

 

And thank fuck her tax collectors were remorseless assholes.

 

“We will renovate the place so the most likely cause for missing class is hangovers, not pneumonia. It might also enliven the city a bit. The gods know it could use a little help.”

 

“Perhaps if your paramour could stop hanging people…” Frosthawk suggested with a perfect poker face.

 

Viv paused.

 

This was getting a bit troubling. Sidjin was officially her viceroy for the newly assimilated Remnants. For the most part, it was going extremely well. The remote villages adored her for providing tools and lifting most of the draconian rules on poaching etc. They were naming kids after her inner circle. The difficulty came from the deposed elites and privileged members of society.

 

“You two should go. I want to talk to Abe before the next council. The University will still be established in Frostway, but you’re right. I may need to talk to Sidjin.”

 

The two mages left the room with neutral expressions so at least there was that. They didn’t sound too pissed. Viv was fairly certain they’d get friendly, eventually. They both respected magic and competence too much not to bond over spreading them. Abe came a moment later. He was her Minister of Justice, so he would be attending the later council as well.

 

“I am worried about Sidjin,” Viv said. “I’m not sure how to broach the subject with him. He’s being too bloodthirsty.”

 

“Pulling the rot out of a society requires drastic measures,” the false albino replied.

 

His locs moved as he shook his head. Chimes brought a nice background to the dark conversation.

 

“Those he hangs believe themselves above the law. They have lived their entire lives free of consequences, and now that there are some, many still believe it doesn’t apply to them.”

 

“It’s been over a year already.”

 

“Again, many of those families have never experienced the… what did you call it?”

 

“The Find Out phase.”

 

“Yes. No matter how many macabre fruits hang from the walls, it always happens to other people. Not them. Remove sympathy from your heart, for those are thieves and pillagers who have lived off the people all their lives with no shred of sympathy, honor, or kindness.”

 

“It’s not them I’m worried about,” Viv replied with some frustration. “Don’t you get it? It’s about Sidjin. We’ve been told Oleander has become a tyrant because he tried to bring the rule of law to a corrupt culture. I don’t want him to feel the same. I don’t want Sidjin to turn into a monster.”

 

Abe smiled with patience and kindness. The comforting sight eased Viv’s worries. She felt the barest touch on her soul and allowed his skill to take hold. He was trying to influence her, yes, but only to help her. She could trust him.

 

A measure of calm soothed her worries.

 

“None of Sidjin’s executions were arbitrary. He never harms anyone except for the guilty, and never without proof. In most kingdoms, entire clans would lose their rights over the transgressions we are seeing. Besides, the number of public executions is in constant decline.”

 

“That might just be because there is no one left to hang.”

 

“No. Sidjin is not a monster. He’s given the guilty opportunities to redeem themselves after the first few hanging. His insistence that he was not one more power to bribe but an actual defender of justice eventually got through thick skulls. I believe people just… didn’t believe you when you said you wanted justice. To them, it is just a tool of control in the hand of the sovereign.”

 

He sighed. Viv wondered how much was natural and how much was pretending he wasn’t an undead brought back to biological life by a merciful goddess.

 

“I can tell that you are worried. Have you two not talked about it?”

 

“I’m reluctant to do so because I trusted him with the job and so far, he’s doing great. No one is complaining. Well, no one except for the bereaved families who demand their rightfully stolen bribes returned alongside some wergild. He’s doing the job I wanted him to do. The Remnants are rising from the ashes at record speed. Our income is positively exploding. Really, I can’t complain. And I don’t want to. Look, he was a prince, then he fell, then now he has to follow me.”

 

“You are afraid he might be feeling… emasculated by your behavior?”

 

“Yeah! Glastians don’t really face their own feelings that much, from what I can tell. He’s already being very open. I just can’t go to him and take back what he rightfully earned.”

 

“You are not questioning his loyalty. You are merely expressing concern for his well-being, which is traditionally done by Glastian wives behind closed doors. It will be fine.”

 

“If you say so… alright, I’ll talk to him later. In private.”

 

“I am certain there isn’t much to be concerned about,” Abe softly said. “I would have felt it.”

 

He lowered his voice and his stance. Now he was the concerned uncle patting her back and asking how things were going, really, except he was a tall mage of great power and a servant of the god/goddess of death.

 

“This is a harsh place, Viviane the Outlander. Sometimes, you forget that you are already being kind and lenient for a ruler. Sidjin is only making sure your people do not mistake benevolence for weakness. And I will be here too, to distribute punishment should the need arise. We are not forgetting your vision. We are merely… adapting it to the situation.”

 

“That sounds ominous as fuck.”

 

“We are not beasts, Viv. Trust us.”

 

“Oh fiiiine. Alright. Time to start the council, I guess.”

***

 

“The Water Guild’s proposal is as follows. With the help of your mages, we shall dig reservoirs across the land in carefully selected areas in order to collect rainwater. For a very modest fee we shall levy, local villages may use the water thus collected for their own end. Meanwhile, the guild shall carry the surplus to border villages to be sold at reasonable prices. In return, the Water Guild will carry out maintenance on the reservoir while also guaranteeing the quality of the goods.”

 

The merchant rubbed his hands together, though it was more a gesture of submissive stress than of greed. He certainly looked like the evil wizard’s smart servant, the one who makes sure to keep the orc goons properly armed and fed so they can march on innocent villagers without concern for logistics. This was Viv’s life now. Water systems. She should get a T-shirt that said ‘I turned an Evil God back to good and all I got as reward was the lousy T-shirt and public utility meetings’. For fuck sake.

 

Well, it was important to stay hydrated. The thing was, Harrak was stuck in between democratic modernity with regulated public services on the one hand, and Knight orders on the other. The water guild thing was a perfect illustration of that. They were an ancient form of monopoly, but also a semi-public entity with strict regulations.

 

“I agree on one condition. The crown shall set the selling price for water to a fixed and very modest fee for use by surrounding villages. The villages will also have priority for water consumption. If there is no water to trade, there is no water to trade and you gotta source it from other reservoirs.”

 

“Of course, your majesty. May I inquire about the amount?”

 

“We will start at…”

 

She ran some calculations.

 

“Two iron bits per standard Harrakan barrel?” she asked, giving Lady Azar a glance.

 

She nodded without pause so it was probably a fair price.

 

“Would you consider prohibiting resales by local people?” the merchant added.

 

Oh yea, some enterprising cunt was definitely going to try to empty the reservoirs, collect all the water in a warehouse, then try to resell everything at a premium. Fucking scalpers. So predictable.

 

“Agreed. Alright, we’ll start with that and see where this is going. The Crown reserves the right to change the agreement should I find you have abused my trust.”

 

Viv gave the man a pointed glare. It was for nothing. He was already bowing with his body at a precise 45 degrees angle. She could have left a beer mug on the back of his head and watched the foam come down.

 

“Your offer protects both our profit and the people, Your Imperial Majesty. The Water Guild shall not fail you!”

 

Viv hesitated to throw a few more ominous ‘I will be watching’ or ‘it would be your last mistake’. Where was Solfis when she needed him? She waved the man away to scurry out of the council with servile celerity.

 

“Alright, what’s next?”

 

“The upcoming Manipeleso loan is due in three days. We must choose between delaying the aqueduct renovation and taking another loan. Both the northerners and your daughter have made tempting offers.”

 

Harrak was eternally strapped for cash. Even with their income skyrocketing at an insane speed, there were always more projects to fund to get even more money.

 

“Let me see the…”

 

Viv paused and frowned. Her mana senses picked someone approaching at great speed using gray mana. Messenger paths used wind spells to move much faster. Soon, there was a knock on the door.

 

“Yes?”

 

The messenger was red and puffy. It must have been urgent.

 

“Your Majesty. We’ve lost contact with Asterley. The city’s teleporter is disabled. Something is interfering with communication altars.”

 

Asterley? That was currently the last major stronghold in the long line of fortified outposts meant to carry her forces from here to the old capital. It was well fortified and properly defended.

 

“What?” Viv asked, not believing her ears.

 

“The army’s out of contact. The last messages speak of a major attack.”

This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author’s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

 

“By whom?”

 

“Undead ma’am, in numbers never seen before.”

 

Viv’s mind ran on overdrive. Undead hordes were not as dangerous as they used to be, not since the army had become so strong and mana poisoning was much less of a factor. And even then, no undead ought to have thought to disable a teleporter.

 

What the fuck was going?

 

“Who’s there with him?”

 

“The brunt of the army. Two and a half thousand heavies and crossbows, plus followers and staff,” Abe said. “And a squadron of Liberators. There will be civilians in the outpost as well. Prospectors and adventurers. General Sahin was moping undead migrations to hone the newest recruits.”

 

Ok, that was bad. And also urgent.

 

“Get Solfis and his nearest children to the teleporter. Lady Azar, a message to She-Who-Feasts-On-Many-And-Collects-Much.”

 

“It will be done. May I suggest calling for reinforcements?”

 

Viv hesitated. The army was expanding, but the new recruits were still undergoing maneuver training. They weren’t ready for large scale battles. Hell, most of them were still in the middle of the second step! They needed help.

 

“Call the knights. The zealots too. Have Sidjin wait by the previous node with whatever mages he can gather. I’m going first.”

 

What the hell was going on? She hoped she wouldn’t be too late.

 

***

 

Viv flew under the thick cover of dark clouds, on Arthur’s back for once. The proud dragoness had mentioned the urgency of the situation as she was at risk of losing ‘valuable assets’. She just liked her humans, Viv thought, but she didn’t feel like teasing. She could see the problem.

 

Far in front of her, past desiccated forests, the dead swarmed. In an endless multitude, they gathered like grains of black sand into a slow storm that blotted the land and in this case, even the skies. A lumbering hurricane of fliers rotated lazily over the fallen town, in such numbers that even looking at them all made Viv’s mind buckle. They were an uncountable number. Her gaze followed the heartland of Harrak to the left and right. Trails of undead came from the farthest reaches, some so distant that they became tiny black veins of congealed blood. Worse, some of that cancerous growth was sending offshoots south towards the various outposts leading to Sinur’s Gate.

 

“Holy damn. It would take even me several months to clear them all out.”

 

Mother, clad yourself in the black.

 

We need to find them.

 

Viv didn’t say that figures already shambled over the walls, and that there were no signs of resistance. No spells. Nothing. She used Coating to cover herself in her armor.

 

For the briefest moment, her control over the black lurched.

 

“What the —”

 

I feel it as well, mother.

 

“What is happening?”

 

It is not us.

 

Something is pulling on the black mana.

 

Parts of the veil of undead fliers peeled off from the main body. They were still kilometers away.

 

“Wait, they’re going for us!”

 

It shouldn’t be possible. The undead relied on mana sense more than sight proper. They shouldn’t be able to perceive Viv at this distance. Even if they somehow did, her black mana ought to mark her as a kindred entity.

 

They are attacking.

 

Mother?

“We need to break through. I don’t want to believe that we lost everyone.”

 

Agreed.

 

Mana rose to answer her call. Again, something pulled on the black though it was soon overcome. Out of curiosity, she called for transparent mana. That one was fine.

 

“Is your red mana resisting as well?”

 

A plume of fire emerged from the dragoness’ mouth in an incandescent spray so hot, Viv’s hair was pulled back by the sheer heatwave. The world around her lit up with dark red. The veil of creatures in front of them caught on fire, torched. They fell in a thick ashen rain. Arthur and Viv flew through the massive gap and closer to the heart of the maelstrom.

 

No.

 

Just the black.

 

What could it mean?

 

“I don’t know!’

 

More are coming.

 

Viv focused on her surroundings. The hurricane was slowly breaking part, with entire squadrons of giant bats and other flying horrors making for her. A dry stench filled the air. The black mana concentration was increasing to the point that it filled the abominable creatures with an unholy frenzy. Viv called for a hail of ‘yoinks’, her reserves increasing faster than she could deplete them. Arthur was more conservative.

 

The wall was upon them. Viv’s spells formed a bubble of death and disintegrated matter around the pair but the deeper they went and the smaller that bubble grew. Arthur pulled back, sending wind and hail to smash against the creatures yet for each that fell, more took their place. The world darkened from the monsters above. They were getting boxed in. They were going to be so swarmed that they wouldn’t be able to move.

 

Viv couldn’t believe her eyes.