Valkyrie's Shadow-Chapter 1Before the Storm: Act 1,

Chapter 1

“I-I’m doing what?”

“I don’t think I can do this…”

“Yet you must!” Cha’ac said.

A pair of plaintive whines rose into the air. From atop her throne, Xoc watched a gang of elders bully Enhgroli and Enrrhal out of the corner of her eye.

“It is the lot of a lord,” Cha’ac said far too authoritatively.

Xoc looked away to avoid eye contact with the two slumlords. Or were they now former slumlords? The two had the misfortune of showing their faces the morning after the elders started discussing matters of governance with the lords from the Sorcerous Kingdom, and so they had become the first victims of her court’s push to put its plans into motion.

Reading; writing; law; public health; finance, and all manner of unfathomable terrors from the realm of civics assailed them. It was unlikely that either had foreseen their fate back when they had taken control of their respective splinter gangs. Perhaps most concerning of all was the fact that most of what they were learning already seemed like common sense to Xoc.

“Il-Enxoc?”

A voice drifted up from the base of her dais. Xoc’s gaze turned down to meet Enludmila’s…or was that Enzahradnik’s?

“Hm? Sorry, could you repeat that?”

“Would it be possible to arrange a meeting with Nar Ki’ra? I’d like to develop a better understanding of Rol’en’gorek’s conflict with the Jorgulan Commonwealth.”

Xoc wasn’t familiar with the Undead, but Enludmila’s interest in the war felt in character for beings rumoured to revel in death and destruction.

How should I answer? What does she plan on doing?

After the Black Scale Dragon Lord casually revealed Enludmila’s role to Xoc’s court, no one was sure what to do about her. The Undead were said to be enemies of all life, but the people of Rol’en’gorek: particularly those of the interior: had little to no experience with them. Xoc hadn’t even known that the Undead looked just like Humans. She always imagined them to be more gruesome, somehow.

“With how busy they are,” Xoc said carefully, “I don’t think I can get them to come here to speak with you. We send them equipment every two or three weeks, so maybe you can join the next shipment if you’re still around.”

“Is their clanhold very far away?”

“It’s two to four weeks upriver,” Xoc replied, “depending on the season and how dangerous things get. The Jorgulan Frontier is as far from the Nar Ki’ra as Nar Ki’ra is from us.”

“Has Enverilyn been to their territory?”

“Enverilyn…? Oh, yeah, she’s been there before. I think she went north after that, though, not east.”

“Hmm…”

A few moments later, Winter Moon came padding up the steps to the courtyard. The Krkonoše or Dragon or whatever she was swiftly made her way to stand with Enludmila.

“You called?” Winter Moon asked.

“Who did?” Xoc asked.

“Where have you been?” Enludmila asked, “I wanted to introduce you to Queen Oriculus.”

“I had a sudden craving for Yeti,” Winter Moon answered, “so I went to the Worldspine to have some.”

“There’s no need to be so wary of her,” Enludmila said, “she’s a good person.”

“What does being good have to do with anything? A Dragon Lord is a Dragon Lord.”

The Dragon Lord in question had left early that morning after spending some time with her subjects. Before that, she had spent the night speaking with Xoc and her court. Honestly, what she had to share with them was a major relief.

She wasn’t interested in pursuing past grievances despite how much her country had suffered at the claws of the western clans. Instead, the Queen implored them to join the growing community of peoples associated with the Draconic Kingdom. To that end, she offered assistance in the form of territory where Rol’en’gorek could temporarily accommodate millions of people and would give them an early opportunity to begin replenishing their dwindling herds.

Xoc couldn’t speak for all of Rol’en’gorek, but she couldn’t see the clans refusing. Not only was it a tremendous help in the short term, but the notion that they were no longer surrounded by enemies was a profound one. After untold generations, Rol’en’gorek was alone no longer.

“Enverilyn? Enverilyn!”

Winter Moon’s ears swivelled in the direction of a vaguely familiar voice. A heartbeat later, she bolted in the opposite direction, disappearing behind a nearby pyramid. Not long after, a figure appeared at the top of the stairs to the courtyard, followed by several shorter individuals.

That should be the Human with the Goblins…or is she Undead?

If Xoc recalled correctly, Nemel Gran was some sort of arcane magic caster. Did that mean she was one of the Elder Liches mentioned by Saraca? Overall, her first experience with the Undead was far from what the visitors from the Beastman Confederacy suggested it might be.

The Elder Lich came before Xoc and Enludmila, bending her knees in an odd gesture.

“Il-Enxoc, Enzahradnik, good afternoon.”

“Hello,” Xoc replied.

“Good afternoon, Engran,” Enlud–Enzahradnik said.

“Have you seen Enverilyn?” Engran asked, “Someone said they saw her come up here”

“She fled as soon as she heard you coming,” Enzahradnik answered.

“Tsk.”

Xoc glanced in the direction of the vanished Enverilyn. How powerful did one have to be to scare off Winter Moon?

“Do you have some business with her?” Enzahradnik asked.

“Well, since we’re both here, I figured we could go over some of the paperwork that’s been piling up since she left.”

“I see. I’ll have her sit down with you sometime today. How have you been getting along with the local mystics?”

“Quite well, actually,” Engran said. “We’ve actually gotten to the point where trading magic is a possibility.”

“Trading magic?”

“It’s not usually a topic discussed outside of the Magician Guild,” Engran replied. “Generally speaking, magic casters of all types jealously guard their repertoire of spells as a matter of competition. It’s never occurred to the tribes here or in the Sorcerous Kingdom that they could trade magical knowledge with outsiders.”

“The thought would have never occurred to me, either,” Enzahradnik said. “And here you were wondering whether you would be of any use on this trip.”

“You are too kind, Enzahradnik,” Engran lowered her head. Now, if you will excuse me, I have a Dragon to catch.”

Yup, it’s a good thing they aren’t enemies…

Casually talking about catching Dragons aside, the Sorcerous Kingdom’s army–no, a portion of one of the Sorcerous Kingdom’s armies had handily driven back Rol’en’gorek’s coalition in the Draconic Kingdom. The Black Scale Dragon Lord, who was one of their allies, had single-handedly wiped out the coalition forces. Undead or whatever, if they had decided to come as aggressors, there was little Rol’en’gorek could do but roll over and die.

“I’m back…”

A tired-sounding voice once again drew their attention to the stairs. There, il-Enclara dragged herself towards them with three cubs hanging off of her.

“Popular, as always,” Enludmila said.

“They pounced on me as soon as I stepped off of the lift,” il-Enclara sighed.

“They wanted to jump off of the cliff with her again,” Enflorine said with a smile as she came up behind il-Enclara.

“Where’s Wagner? Enludmila asked.

“She went to see the monkeys,” Enflorine answered.

“The monkeys?”

“We came across a group of Ocelo preparing to hunt some animals living in the upper canopy,” Enflorine said. “Wagner somehow convinced herself that they might actually be a race of Demihumans.”

Despite her experience with the creatures, a sliver of worry worked its way into Xoc’s mind. What if they were Demihumans? Over the course of their guests’ stay, Xoc maintained that her people hadn’t ever hurt the tribes of other races. What if that turned out to be untrue? How would the Sorcerous Kingdom react? She felt that the fact they were ignorant about hunting another race would make things look worse.

“I see,” Enludmila said. “How about you? Have you decided what to do with the cub?”

A sense of sorrow emanated from the Human Lord.

“I don’t know what else I can do,” Enflorine said. “I can provide him with everything he needs in a material sense, but I can’t offer him the upbringing that a Nar cub needs. It isn’t even about the danger his instincts pose to others anymore. Not letting him go would mean that he’ll grow up unable to speak a proper language and he may become both physically and psychologically stunted. I can’t do that to him.”

“There won’t be any shortage of families willing to take care of him for you,” Xoc said. “Especially if you’re willing to provide for all of his material needs. I can find someone if you want.”

“Thank you, but I already have some people in mind. With your permission, I will make the arrangements myself.”

“Sure, I don’t have a problem with it.”

Enflorine lowered her head.

“Thank you, il-Enxoc.”

“We’re the ones who should be thanking you,” Xoc said. “Even with everything we were doing, things weren’t looking very good before you arrived. Now, well, our situation’s still pretty bleak, but we’ll still save millions more than we expected to.”

“How will the Confederation at large receive these developments?” Il-Enclara asked.

“The warrior clans are a pragmatic bunch,” Xoc answered. “And they’re pretty reasonable…at least when it comes to their dealings with the other warrior clans. My guess is that they’ll judge things from a military perspective. No longer needing to worry about a western invasion by the Undead means that they can divert more fighting strength to the Jorgulan Frontier. More people surviving everything that’s happened because of the floods means that we’ll be better able to sustain the war effort.”

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“Speaking of sustaining the war effort,” Enludmila said, “you mentioned that you were currently contributing by manufacturing and delivering equipment to the front lines.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Would the warrior clans consider using equipment produced by my artisans? They would first have to learn how to fashion items that your people can use, but I can vouch for the quality of their craft.”

Xoc considered the Undead Lord’s offer. The idea that Rol’en’gorek could trade for goods from the outside world for something other than salt was still so new to her that it never crossed her mind unless someone else brought it up.

“I’m sure they’d be more than happy to use anything they can get their claws on,” she said, “but why would you involve yourselves in our war?”

“Our involvement would not be as deep as you believe,” il-Enclara said. “As far as we know, only direct intervention or donations of goods to a warring party would be considered interference in a conflict. Obtaining equipment through fair exchange is simply considered trade.”

“In that case…well, I’m not sure if they could afford to trade for anything right now…”

“With access to trade,” il-Enclara told her, “many avenues may be taken to achieve the desired result. For instance, your clan may purchase equipment from us, which in turn frees up your clanhold’s industrial capacity to support your war effort.”

“I see,” Xoc said. “That does sound like something we would be willing to do, but what would you accept in return?”

“My people are mostly interested in raw materials,” Enludmila said. “When the time comes, I’m certain we’ll be able to agree on an exchange that will be fair for both sides.”

“We look forward to it,” Xoc said. “How long will it take to…”

The words died in Xoc’s mouth as the acrid stench of singed fur was carried by the wind. With the odour appeared il-Enliane, though there was no sign of her being burnt in any way.

“I’m back,” il-Enliane said.

“Why do you smell like that?” Enludmila asked.

“I went to see the monkeys,” il-Enliane answered, “and the monkeys breathe fire. They couldn’t get me, but they got one of the guys I was with.”

Ah, that happens sometimes, I guess…

One of the risks that came with hunting Canopy Screechers was getting caught by their fiery breath. It usually wasn’t fatal for Beastmen, but it did leave one with embarrassing patches of missing fur once in a while.

“So,” il-Enliane said, “what’s everyone up to?”

“We were just discussing a few things,” il-Enclara said. “Gagnier has decided to have her cub raised here.”

“Ah,” il-Enliane said, “so she’s giving up her kid.”

“I’m not ‘giving him up’,” Enflorine’s tone grew cross. “I’m still providing for the needs I can take care of and I’ll visit him when I can. It’s not much different than having a nanny.”

“What’s a nanny?” Xoc asked.

“Nobles and wealthy individuals who can’t dedicate the time required to properly raise infants will hire someone to do so in their stead,” Enflorine answered. “For Human Nobles, the lady of the house usually assumes responsibility for the child’s upbringing once they are ready to receive basic education. There will be complications in our case since education designed exclusively for Humans is physiologically incompatible with many races: including the Beastmen of Rol’en’gorek: but I’m sure this issue will be mostly resolved by waiting until the cub reaches a later developmental stage.”

“Does that mean he’s coming back with sharper claws and bigger teeth?” Il-Enliane frowned, “If so…what?”

The delegates from the Sorcerous Kingdom turned their attention to il-Enclara, who had raised her hand to her ear for some reason. They waited patiently until she lowered her hand again.

“A Message from our liege,” il-Enclara said. “We must return to the Sorcerous Kingdom immediately for an emergency session of the House of Lords.”

As il-Enclara spoke, a strange black space grew in the air not two metres away from her. Xoc rose from her throne at the sight, her ears and tail raised in alertness.

“You must excuse us, il-Enxoc,” il-Enclara told her. “This matter will take up the rest of the day, at minimum. We will return as soon as possible.”

Xoc watched in dumbfounded silence as the four lords and their attendants disappeared into the void. A moment later, the three cubs that had been clinging to il-Enclara tumbled back out.

Gooseflesh rose on Clara’s arms as she stepped out of the sweltering heat of Rol’en’gorek and into Castle Corelyn’s rooftop garden. Of course, one of her magical accessories rendered her impervious to all but the most extreme of weather, so it was the familiar wintry scenery of the Katze River Valley all around her that evoked the reaction.

“Welcome back.”

Not far away stood their liege, Lady Shalltear Bloodfallen, in her familiar black ballroom gown. To Clara’s surprise, she wasn’t accompanied by the usual set of Vampire Brides, but by Lord Mare and Lady Aura.

“Thank you, my lady,” Clara said as she returned her liege’s greeting with a curtsey. “Lord Mare; Lady Aura, it is good to see you again as well.”

“Mhm.”

“Un.”

“Are those gifts for me?” Lady Shalltear asked.

Gifts…?

Ludmila came over and picked off the cubs clinging to her dress, casually tossing them back through the Gate one by one. A slightly disappointed look washed over Lady Shalltear’s countenance.

“Clara mentioned something about an emergency…” Ludmila prompted.

“Let us discuss this in my court,” Lady Shalltear said. “You never know who might be listening, after all.”

Clara looked up at the overcast skies as they followed their liege. Did that mean the emergency had to do with an adversary with the ability to employ divination magic? Lady Shalltear’s court had most of the known counter-divination measures installed, but the region’s limited knowledge of magic cast the idea that it was completely secure in doubt.

A small table had been placed in the centre main chamber, and their liege gestured for them to take their seats on the long couches placed on either side. Clara cast a critical eye on the bounty of refreshments set before them.

Aren’t we supposed to be in the midst of some sort of emergency?

As if in answer to her unspoken question, Lady Shalltear produced a folder from her inventory. Liane was the first to receive it. Not thirty seconds passed before she burst into laughter. Florine took the folder from her, a furrow forming on her brow as her eyes went back and forth over the pages within.

“I can almost hear Lady Albedo screeching from here,” Liane said as she wiped away a tear.

Florine let out a sigh and passed the folder to Clara. Ludmila shifted closer to read its contents alongside her.

Regarding the problems faced by the team supporting the Holy Kingdom’s grain management…

Clara frowned as she flipped the cover page over. As Liane had so eloquently put it, she could almost hear Lady Albedo screeching from where they were. According to the documents, which were made up of a series of related reports, one of the humanitarian convoys being paraded through Re-Estize on its way to the Holy Kingdom had been waylaid and looted. The publicity stunt carried substantial risks considering the near-lawless state of certain stretches of the Kingdom’s highway network, but, in the case presented by the report, the attacker wasn’t a band of brigands or opportunistic Mercenaries, but a member of Re-Estize’s aristocracy.

To add insult to injury, the individual in question was not a Noble known to express the anti-Sorcerous Kingdom sentiment that was common in Re-Estize’s Royal Court, but the scion of a minor house: the very same scion who had been chosen to lead the ‘third faction’ supported by Lady Albedo’s agents and collaborators in the Kingdom. With the scion’s actions, however, Lady Albedo’s plans had been drastically compromised, if not blown apart in their entirety.

“Wh-What do you think?” Lord Mare asked.

“This is war,” Florine said.

“It’s war,” said Ludmila.

“We’ll soon be at war,” Clara sighed.

Lady Shalltear looked back and forth between them in confusion.

“I’d expect this response from Ludmila and Liane,” she said, “but both of you, as well? Florine, especially…I never knew you were so bloodthirsty.”

“It’s not a matter of being ‘bloodthirsty’, Mistress,” Florine said. “War will produce the optimal outcome for both sides, politically speaking.”

“I don’t get it…”

“It’s a matter of political and contractual logic,” Florine said. “Attacking a convoy bearing the flag of the Sorcerous Kingdom constitutes an attack against the Sorcerous Kingdom from the Sorcerous Kingdom’s perspective, no matter that they were under the jurisdiction of a foreign power. The first step in righting this wrong is to have Re-Estize admit fault and then demand reparations. The problem is that, if Re-Estize accedes to the Sorcerous Kingdom’s demands without contest, it probably means the end of Re-Estize.”

“How so?”

“Because a liege is contractually obliged to defend their vassals in court. If King Rampossa gives up the offender without a fight, it sets a certain precedent: that the Crown will no longer honour its contractual obligations. The Kingdom will be in a state of civil war shortly after because there is no reason for the Nobles to honour their contracts with the King and the King isn’t strong enough to hold the Kingdom together through sheer martial might.”

“So their options are war and war…”

“Yes, Mistress,” Florine said, “but a war with the Sorcerous Kingdom is preferable in this case. They will undoubtedly lose and be forced to pay reparations, but at least honour will be satisfied. It is far better than having the entire country shatter into countless warring factions.”

“Losing to us isn’t even that much of an indignity,” Liane said. “No one expects Re-Estize to win in the first place, so it’s just better for them to get it over with and take their lumps.”

“It is also the best-case scenario in terms of losses,” Ludmila said. “A swift and decisive victory on our part may only mean the deaths of a few. Millions will suffer and die over many years if Re-Estize enters a state of civil war.”

The calculation was a simple one for any rational mind trained in court politics. Unfortunately, the upcoming conflict between the Sorcerous Kingdom and Re-Estize would be subject to scrutiny by every country in the region and she feared the irrational conclusions that might be drawn from the contest. Even in the best-case scenario, unfounded rumours and fears born out of the biases held against them would impede diplomacy for years to come.

“Then how would you wage this war?” Lady Shalltear asked.

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“Teleport to wherever this scion and his accomplices are and dispatch them,” Ludmila answered, “and then hang the lot of them over the gates of Valencia Palace. Re-Estize will instantly capitulate with their defendants dead.”

“That seems a bit too quick,” Lady Shalltear said. “Shouldn’t we make them suffer a bit?”

“If His Majesty deems it appropriate, Mistress. There is one thing I don’t understand, however…how was this allowed to happen in the first place? Isn’t this ‘Philip Montserrat’ operating under the guidance of Lady Albedo and her agents?”

“We are only able to make pre-emptive moves against the strategies of some genius,” Lady Shalltear raised a finger. “Seeing through an idiot’s rash actions is far more difficult.”

Across the table arrayed with tea and pastries, Clara frowned.

“…I hope you don’t actually believe that, Mistress.”

“Wh-Why is that?” Lady Shalltear visibly faltered.

“Because, given the context,” Clara said, “your statement is a clear logical fallacy.”

“But isn’t it the truth?” Lady Shalltear asked.

“Perhaps it is in isolation,” Clara answered, “but that’s beside the point. It’s a motte-and-bailey argument.”

“What’s that?”

“A motte-and-bailey is a simple type of wooden castle,” Ludmila said. “It consists of a motte, which contains the highly defensible keep of the structure, and the bailey, which is the more difficult-to-defend wall. A motte-and-bailey argument is when one conflates a difficult-to-defend statement: the bailey: for a far more defensible one: the motte.”

“I don’t follow…”

“The statement that you made just now: the idea that one could not prepare for the events that transpired because one cannot precisely predict the actions of an idiot : is the motte. The ‘bailey’ is the notion that the Sorcerous Kingdom could not prevent the attack against the grain caravan or mitigate its effects. This is indefensible since the Sorcerous Kingdom has more than the adequate means to do so. Your statement is a deflection from the true issue, attempting to assert something that most people would agree with to wave away the fact that a gross act of negligence was committed on the part of whoever was responsible for this scion.”

“Also,” Liane said, “whoever was in charge of that leg of our logistics was utterly incompetent. Proper planning against this sort of thing is something that our companies do every day. “

“A-All that aside,” Lady Shalltear said, “the House of Lords is assembling soon. Do you have any last-minute preparations to make?”

“Our usual outfits should be fine, Mistress,” Clara said. “Let’s just get this over with so we can return to our work in Rol’en’gorek.”

The report shared with them left little room for debate and the Sorcerous Kingdom suffered no fools in the ranks of its nobility. All that was left was to express their support for the war, which was probably the purpose of the emergency session.

Lady Shalltear opened a new Gate, which brought them to the teleportation gazebo in E-Rantel’s central district. They made their way directly to the Royal Villa and soon saw several other Nobles doing the same.

『Hah, look at how they’re all dressed. Everyone knows what’s comin’.』

Indeed, the atmosphere of the gloomy winter day was made heavier by the black outfits and dark veils worn by their peers. Clara and her friends looked positively jovial by comparison, and this in turn drew sidelong glances from everyone who noticed them. No one said anything, however, and they all silently filed into the chambers of the House of Lords. Countess Jezne appeared to address them exactly at the appointed time.

『Is it just me, or has she gotten super old in the last few months?』

『It can’t be helped. She’s been working as the Speaker of the House, liaison to the Royal Court, and she’s raising a new heir on top of all of her other duties.』

Every eye followed the venerable noblewoman as she purposely made her way to the stand. Countess Jezne slowly swept her gaze over the assembled Nobles before raising her voice to speak.

“I assume that everyone’s received the Prime Minister’s report, so I won’t waste our time. Before we get to it, does anyone have anything to say about what’s happened?”

Silence. Several of the Nobles shifted in their seats, but nothing came of their discomfort.

“Very well. All in favour of war over the actions of the Kingdom of Re-Estize, rise in affirmation.”

Every Noble in the chamber rose. Countess Jezne nodded grimly in response.

“It’s unanimous, then. The House of Lords stands in full support of the Sorcerous Kingdom’s prosecution of war against the Kingdom of Re-Estize. May the gods have mercy on their souls.”