Valkyrie's Shadow

Empire in Chains: Act 1, Chapter 6

Empire in Chains: Act 1, Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Haaaah…I really went and did it with her…

Ilyshn’ish’s weary sigh filled the air, drifting down the long corridor of E-Rantel’s Frost Dragon aviary.

She, a Dragon, had willingly submitted to a being far weaker than herself. There was no great battle, no contest of wills: only the slow sense that she was being drawn in closer and closer to the Undead noblewoman. No, it had started long before that: from the moment that they had been introduced, while she was still Human.

Baroness Zahradnik was an insidious tactician in more ways than one. Ilyshn’ish prided herself on being an excellent hunter, yet she had been slowly cornered like prey. Her realisation of what was going on only happened about halfway, and even with that awareness, she could find no way to escape.

If the noblewoman had been forceful in her methods – used threats, aggression and violence – resistance to her advances would have been a simple matter. It would have been equally simple to deny the Baroness if bribery, kindness and overflowing generosity had been employed. Ilyshn’ish could not flee, so she braced herself for a long, painful fight in a confusing and complicated reality that her poor Frost Dragon self struggled to keep up with.

Instead, nothing of the sort happened. Lady Zahradnik simply was. Ilyshn’ish was provided with a comfortable home because she needed one. Anxiety was answered not with reassurance, but unshakable certainty: what would happen was what would happen. The Baroness did not coddle her subjects – she armed them with the weapons required to fight their own respective battles.

At the same time, she was a Warden. This was more than a simple title: it represented a concept that differed from species to species. To those who dwelled in natural settings, like the Krkonoše, a Warden was one who maintained the balance of nature and ensured that it thrived. In ‘civilised’ nations, they upheld the order of society, keeping threats to that order contained or at bay.

A keeper of balance. A keeper of order. A force of nature and a force of will. An icon of stability; a place of sanctuary in a world that teetered on the precipice of unprecedented change. The Krkonoše had immediately recognized the significance of her role, but their concerns revolved around the survival of their society. Other mortals sensed it in the ways allowed by their limited understanding.

Ilyshn’ish mostly cared only for herself, and in her selfishness, she found that the Baroness had become an irresistible existence. She was a place of safety that Ilyshn’ish could always return to, like a reliable lair she could always rely on for reprieve. Over time, she came to understand that giving up her freedom to Ludmila Zahradnik was the best way to ensure both her continued safety and freedom.

At the same time, Ludmila Zahradnik was ignorant and vulnerable in a myriad of ways that she still did not comprehend, which annoyed Ilyshn’ish to no end when she considered the Undead Warden’s place in the grand scheme of things. Rather than becoming a pet, Ilyshn’ish felt like she had become some sort of minder. This assuaged her Draconic sensibilities somewhat, and since Lady Zahradnik was open to what Ilyshn’ish had to share, a comfortable sort of equilibrium had settled between them.

The outcome very much had the sense of being preordained. How much of this was planned by Lady Shalltear? How much a product of intuition? Perhaps few aspects were the result of sheer happenstance, but Ilyshn’ish felt that something else was meddling in everything. Coincidences of this scale never happened.

Not that she particularly minded such meddling. As she had mentioned to Lady Zahradnik, Dragons were as much a personification of primal forces as they were people in the conventional sense that mortals understood. The greatest of dragonkind were the keepers of the world, and to be granted purpose by the world conveyed a sense of gratification and pride unmatched by any treasure or achievement.

She also received tangible benefits from their relationship, of course. In addition to the authority conferred to her by her station, being both a pet and a loyal vassal meant that Ilyshn’ish was bestowed quite a number of perks. Not only had she gained slightly in power, but her competency improved by a small margin compared to the memories of her past performance. Her mental state was reinforced, which was a great boon for a Frost Dragon who was constantly surrounded by unfamiliar things. She was a bit dubious over the fact that she felt an increased sense of security when Lady Zahradnik was riding her around, but that might be a hint at further benefits to come.

?Hello??

?Yes, what is it, Ilyshn’ish??

?Nothing – just seeing if it still works.?

The bond that they shared was convenient, as well. Ilyshn’ish had dropped Lady Zahradnik off at the construction camp in the Upper Reaches – which was roughly 140 Kilometres from E-Rantel – but it still worked from that distance. Now, she could ask questions whenever she encountered something she wasn’t sure of.

Telepathy was unlike Message spells, where one conveyed words to a recipient. It was the sharing of thoughts – of self – laying bare the small part of their minds that had connected. As such, it was far more effective than the conveyance of mere words, and it was impossible to ‘lie’. Even if one conveyed a lie, the intent, feelings and truth would all come along with it.

?How do you feel about me, my lady??

?You are very precious to me.?

?What about Lady Shalltear??

?She is very important to me, as well.?

?And the Sorcerer King??

?Having three of his children every fifty years or so would be nice–stop that!?

Ilyshn’ish chortled to herself. Due to the legends rendered by the local Bards and the everyday presence of Frost Dragons in E-Rantel, more than a few Humans thought it might be nice to have a Dragon as a pet or a mount. Little did they know what that entailed.

Stopping mid-way through the aviary, she opened the icebound door to one of the new accommodations.

“Dear brother, I’ve come to…”

Ilyshn’ish stopped halfway into Hejinmal’s room, and her tail lashed over the icy floor of the corridor outside. Her brother was lying side by side with Kali’ciel, their heads nearly touching. Ilyshn’ish’s claws tapped steadily over the stones.

“You understand that we all share the same father, yes?”

“Y-you’re misunderstanding something, dear sister!” Hejinmal shifted away from their half-sister, “I’m teaching Kali’ciel how to read, and these books are very small…”

Her gaze went from Hejinmal to Kali’ciel, who nodded emphatically. A book lay open between them: one of the ones about magic Hejinmal had requested that she purchase for him. Letters, words and symbols were etched all over the layer of ice caking the walls, making the room look like an abode of some insane individual.

“Have you learned any magic, by the way?”

“I have!” Hejinmal drew himself up proudly, “Handling books and such has become much easier, now.”

“How so?”

“Allow me to demonstrate.”

Her brother cleared his throat and pointed a claw at the book on the floor.

“?Mage Hand?.”

The book closed itself and slowly rose from the floor. At Hejinmal’s direction, it went over and placed itself into a space in the nearby bookshelf. Her brother’s wings shifted in a self-satisfied way.

“No more trying to move these tiny books around with my claws,” he said. “This will become even more useful as I age and grow larger.”

Ilyshn’ish couldn’t deny that it was a useful spell to have – especially for Hejinmal, who lacked the means to alter his appearance.

“Have you learned anything else?” She asked.

“Erm, that’s the only one I have at the moment. I’m working on Read Magic next, which will allow me to decipher magical script on scrolls and such.”

“What tier of magic is that?”

“Read Magic is a cantrip,” Hejinmal replied, “just like Mage Hand. I figured that I would start with some easy spells first. Once I’m confident enough to do so, I’ll have my agent shop around for Comprehend Languages. It’s strangely rare here.”

“Does every spell that you plan on learning revolve around your hobby?”

One of Ilyshn’ish’s spellsongs had the combined effect of Read Magic and Comprehend Languages. They wouldn’t have gotten anywhere with the texts in Feoh Berkana if she hadn’t figured the spellsong out first. She and Hejinmal usually divided their tasks, so things like translation had been up to Ilyshn’ish while Hejinmal sifted through the materials that he could already read. Ilyshn’ish supposed that, in their current circumstances, she couldn’t be around to translate everything.

“Erm…mostly?” Hejinmal seemed to shrink back from her, “As you should well know, Frost Dragons aren’t exactly prodigious innate casters. Since we work for the Sorcerous Kingdom, there’s no need to learn magic for combat, either. With that being the case, utility spells are the best option, yes? You’re an Adult as well – what have you been learning, sister?”

Ilyshn’ish suppressed a grimace. She hadn’t learned anything at all. When it came to spellsongs, she awed other Bards with her superlative mastery. When it came to arcane magic, however, she could get nowhere. It was not for lack of trying, either.

“Cast that spell again, brother.”

“O-okay…?”

Ilyshn’ish opened her senses. Hejinmal cast the spell, and the book from before came back out of the shelf, floating over to settle on the floor. She eyed it with a scowl. As usual, she couldn’t get a feel for the magic.

“Where did you learn that from, anyway?”

“Ryurarius – that Naga mother entertains a few times a month. He has many spells that I’d like to eventually learn, and his tuition is very reasonable.”

The Naga was a reptilian being roughly eight metres long, so it made sense that he had utility magic that would be of common interest with a Dragon.

“By the way,” Hejinmal said, “what have you come by for, sister? I thought we had run out of time to dig things up about the Empire.”

“We have,” Ilyshn’ish replied. “I just came by to see you before I left.”

“Come to think of it, you always did that in the past. There’s no Nuk this time, though.”

“I don’t have to worry about you starving here. I will be in the Empire for two or three months, so is there anything that you need before I head off?”

“Some souvenirs, I suppose? You did promise me that you’d bring some back once you started exploring beyond our home.”

It was perhaps the only promise that Ilyshn’ish had ever made before entering into Lady Zahradnik’s service. Wrapped up in her excitement about the world beyond in her younger days, she had carelessly pledged to do so.

“Of course, dear brother,” she said. “Make sure you don’t get yourself skinned by Lady Aura while I’m away. Speaking of which, how do you address her in private?”

“Um…why?”

“I’m just curious.”

“‘Mistress’ should be the proper term, yes?”

“I see. Well, I’m off – Kali’ciel, if Hejinmal tries anything funny, bite off his tail.”

“Yes, dear sister!”

“Wha–!”

Ilyshn’ish closed the door behind her and went on her way. Her mother appeared to be on a delivery flight and Ilyshn’ish spared little thought for her other siblings, so she left the aviary. Before entering the stairs to the Demihuman Quarter, she assumed her Human appearance.

?Mistress??

?Yes??

?Nothing.?

It did feel more appropriate, but Ilyshn’ish wasn’t sure whether she liked it or not.

Dawn had finally broken over E-Rantel’s eastern walls, and the denizens of the Demihuman Quarter were ‘changing shifts’, as the Dwarves liked to call it. Nocturnal races retired to their homes or into the underground while diurnal ones appeared to take their place. Her gaze went to the entrance to the underground tunnels, a locale she had often frequented in the past few weeks as she accompanied Zu Chiru.

The Quagoa Merchant and his apprentices were probably resting at the imperial border. Ilyshn’ish was due to meet them in the next two hours or so, but there was one last place that she needed to visit. After following the lane that made a wide circuit around the central lake for a few dozen metres, Ilyshn’ish turned to enter the grounds of the Justice Dragon Dojo.

Her steps slowed as she tested the air. Tsuare’s scent was weak enough that Ilyshn’ish felt confident she had left for work. Inside, Master Tian was meditating at the head of the hall, awaiting the arrival of his morning class. Ilyshn’ish brought her hands in front of her, inclining her head as she pressed a fist against her open palm.

“Good morning, Master Tian.”

The old Human opened his eyes. He arose from his kneeling posture, his steely frame bending forward slightly as he returned her greeting.

“Shiver,” he nodded. “All prepared for your trip to the Empire?”

“I’ll be flying out soon,” Ilyshn’ish replied. “I came by to pay my respects before leaving.”

Master Tian smiled slightly in response.

“Does something amuse you, Master Tian?” Ilyshn’ish asked.

“You have grown considerably,” Master Tian answered. “Enough to be mistaken for a different person than you were half a year ago.”

“I have much to thank you for, Master Tian,” she said. “Though most of these ‘changes’ are only on the surface. Half a year is not a very long time for someone like me, and I am quite satisfied with my nature.”

“So I have learned. Perhaps it was a lesson for me, as well – many of His Majesty’s subjects are much the same in this regard. One nation united under the will of a supreme sovereign, yet each subject is free to answer their respective callings. My meagre imagination cannot fathom even the closest reaches of the Sorcerer King’s awesome benevolence and wisdom.”

It occurred to Ilyshn’ish that she had never met or even seen the Sorcerer King. Hejinmal mentioned that he was something like a powerful Elder Lich and many appeared to regard him highly. The only thing her Frost Dragon imagination could construct out of this information, however, was an Elder Lich that was shinier than other Elder Liches. Could Elder Liches have bones made out of platinum? She assumed that he was at least not made out of stone like the statues outside the city.

“Have you had any luck finding another Dancer?” Ilyshn’ish asked.

“Not yet,” Master Tian answered. “There are many Bards available, but they are performers for hire. The Dancers performing in the city are similarly disinterested in employing their craft for martial purposes. I suppose it can’t be helped, considering that they are Humans.”

When it came to martial training, a Bard was invaluable as their songs of healing accelerated recuperation. The alternative would be employing divine casters with limited mana or using alchemical alternatives, which would become prohibitively expensive. With Ilyshn’ish’s success as a Dancer, Master Tian was now looking to repeat that success and have one or two for every class. This, in turn, would expand the scope and quality of his dojo’s training.

“What about Demihumans and Heteromorphs?”

“I am honestly at a loss when it comes to that. As far as I know, all of the Bards that might qualify to become Dancers live outside of the city in their respective communities. My hopes were pinned on the Quagoa in the city since they are natural Monks and might be able to smoothly pick up Dancer classes as a result, but the Quagoa do not have Bards for some reason.”

“The Quagoa do not have any magic casters,” Ilyshn’ish said, “but I’m pretty sure that they have Bards. I heard that they were subjected to some calamity in the spring, so the clan here may have lost all of theirs.”

As a Bard, Ilyshn’ish felt that this was a shame. Tribal cultures like the Quagoa were reliant on oral traditions to pass on their lore, and Bards were instrumental in maintaining them. If the Quagoa no longer had any Bards, they would be hard-pressed to retain their history and culture.

“With this being the case,” Ilyshn’ish said, “I suggest that you ask around for a Quagoa who is working to collect and preserve their lore. The Quagoa are a very social race, and matters of culture are important to such races. They will not so easily give up their collective identity. Once you figure that out, you have likely identified a Quagoa who is on the path to becoming a Bard. With an offer of support, you may be able to entice them to train and become a Dancer.”

“I see…” Master Tian stroked his beard thoughtfully. “This had not occurred to me. I should look into it as soon as possible. You should be on your way soon, but before you leave, I have something for you…”

The old Human reached into his uwagi and produced a long strip of sparkling material. Ilyshn’ish’s nose twitched: it was an item that smelled about as valuable as the equipment that Lady Zahradnik wore.

“A gift,” Master Tian said. “You’ve been a great help these past months, and I am proud of how far you have come as my first pupil. Furthermore, you are embarking on an important task for the Sorcerous Kingdom – this piece of equipment should be of great use to you.”

“What is it?”

Her draconic senses could pinpoint its material value, but without using the appropriate spellsong, she could not identify the properties of the item.

“A Belt of Magnificence,” he told her. “It doesn’t have any special abilities that you can activate, but it does provide a modest boost to all of your attributes. As you are a Bard whose talents do not only involve combat, I thought to offer you something that could be of use in any situation.”

Ilyshn’ish took the gift from Master Tian’s hand, raising it in front of her. It was woven out of some sort of silvery metal that shimmered with even the smallest trace of light. Hopefully, she could do something about that.

“…will this work on me?”

“I don’t see why not,” Master Tian replied. “The only restriction that I know of for Dragons is body armour.”

Power infused her as she finished equipping the belt. The magic item adjusted to her body, becoming a slanted band that hung off of her right hip. She moved around experimentally, finding that it did not impede her movements in any way.

“This might look a bit strange as a Dragon,” she muttered.

“Frost Dragons are quite slim, so it shouldn’t stand out too much.”

“Thank you for the gift, Master Tian,” Ilyshn’ish lowered her head. “Everyone else seems to only ask things of me when it comes to this trip to the Empire.”

“Consider it a token of their esteem,” Master Tian told her. “To be entrusted with duty is the greatest honour.”