Valkyrie's Shadow

Stone and Blood: Act 2, Chapter 2

Stone and Blood: Act 2, Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The following morning, Florine woke up to find the Vampire Bride kneeling beside her cot.

“Good morning,” Florine yawned.

“Good Morning, Lady Gagnier,” the Vampire Bride replied.

“You didn’t have to be here all night.”

“Our mistress ordered me to keep you from being despoiled.”

Florine sat up and stretched, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

“I’m the only Human in the area,” she said. “The biggest threat of being despoiled comes from Lady Shalltear.”

“I believe she intends to keep it that way, my lady. We must never disregard Lord Peroroncino’s wisdom.”

Lord Peroroncino’s wisdom, huh…

Lady Shalltear’s father was an odd fellow and his wisdom asserted all sorts of dangers in the wide world. Maybe he was just a doting father trying to protect his daughter, but Florine had never heard of Demihumans and Heteromorphs ravishing nubile Human maidens or even expressing any interest in them. If anything, she enjoyed being around other races precisely because of this.

There was no real point in disputing Lord Peroroncino’s ‘wisdom’, however. Florine threw back her blankets, shuddering from the chill. How could it be so hot during the day, yet so cold at night?

After ensuring the Vampire Bride wouldn’t do anything weird to her, Florine allowed her to help her prepare for the day. Despite being a handmaiden, the Vampire Bride couldn’t cook or do most of what was expected of a personal attendant, so Florine had to prepare her own breakfast. She went over to the administration’s pavilion, cradling a cup of hot tea in her hands.

“Good morning,” Florine said. “Did the requested security forces come in?”

“They arrived an hour after you retired for the night, Lady Gagnier,” the Elder Lich from the Royal Army said. “We have dispatched them to the western borders to enact standard customs protocols.”

“Let me know if they meet any resistance. What about the new template?”

“Copies have been prepared for the next week,” Isoroku replied. “The escort and baggage train have also been prepared.”

“In that case,” Florine said, “are we ready to go?”

“The forward team has reported no issues,” the army Lich said. “We await your command.”

“Then let’s go,” Florine smiled. “Oh, let me finish my tea first.”

Her entourage consisted of Isoroku, four of the ‘junior’ Elder Liches, the two Soul Eaters she had brought with her from the Upper Reaches, her Vampire Bride attendant, and one infantry squad. In addition, they were accompanying the latest shipment of provisions slated for the north. The Elder Lich from the Royal Army remained behind with one from the administration to coordinate things from their base of operations.

They set off, going north up the river from where she had come. Burdened by the half-sized containers they were bearing, the procession took an hour to reach their first stop. Florine looked around at the arid surroundings, looking for any sign of the tribe being supplied with provisions. All that she could see, however, were the river and the shrubs along its banks.

One set of Death Knights carrying a cargo container between them set down their burden. While two worked to pull back the top of the container, the other two went to pick up a pile of skulls that Florine mistook for a pile of stones.

“What are they doing?” She asked.

“Retrieving materials,” Isoroku answered.

“Materials for what?”

“This tribe consumes their food raw, so any remains qualify as unprocessed materials.”

“In that case,” Florine said, “why are they just leaving the skulls?”

“Only one part of a corpse is required to raise new Undead servitors.”

The Death Knights removed the cover of the wagon and started pulling out frozen Beastman corpses.

Ludmila would say that it’s an efficient use of resources, but…

A queasy feeling filled Florine’s stomach. The campaign in the Draconic Kingdom resulted in over a million Beastman corpses, but feeding people to other people still didn’t sit right with her. She averted her gaze from the Death Knights, scanning the surroundings for any signs of the local tribe. They were supposed to be some sort of shelled rodent Demihuman, but the descriptions in her materials weren’t very helpful.

“I don’t see anyone…”

The last of the skulls flew into the container and the cover was replaced. Florine frowned as the Death Knights took up their burden again.

“Are they not coming to get their food?” Florine asked.

“They will only come out after the delivery has been made and the convoy has moved on,” Isoroku answered.

“Don’t tell me this is going to happen with every tribe…”

“The shipments are on a tight schedule,” the Elder Lich told her. “The convoys are not in the position to observe any changes.”

In other words, it was probably happening with every tribe. There was no reason for the tribes to risk themselves; all they had to do was wait for the Undead to go away.

“Then how do we know they’re getting enough food?”

“We have received no complaints, nor have we noted any anomalous behaviour. There appear to be no issues with the initial estimates for provision.”

Florine urged her Soul Eater forward as the convoy continued on its way. They were still four tribes away from the first one she wanted to speak to, but the way deliveries were being handled presented a problem. She had at least expected some representatives to come out to receive the shipments. How was she going to start a dialogue if they wouldn’t come out at all?

She quietly observed as the process repeated itself three more times. With no good ideas, she simply waited with the rows of dead Beastmen left for the fourth tribe. The rushing waters of the confluence nearby filled her ears along with the sound of the wind through the stands of aspen along the water.

If they want to eat, they’ll have to come out at some point…

“Shall we retrieve one of the locals for you, Lady Gagnier?” The Elder Lich sergeant asked.

Florine briefly imagined a tribe of terrified Demihumans being pursued by the infantry squad. Except the descriptions were so bad that she couldn’t figure out what the Demihumans looked like.

She frowned down at her map before addressing her escort.

“Have the infantry squad withdraw. Um, make it look like you’re going away? The rest of you too.”

Everyone left, except for the Vampire Bride.

“If you fall into the Demihumans’ clutches,” the Vampire Bride said, “Lady Shalltear will be furious.”

“I’d at least have a chance to talk with them if that happened,” Florine muttered.

Would they see the Vampire Bride as one of the Undead? From a distance, they mostly looked like Humans. Non-humans probably had trouble distinguishing them to the same degree.

Thirty minutes later, they caught the first sign of the local tribe.

“I see something, Lady Gagnier,” the Vampire Bride said.

“Where?”

“In the trees above the riverbank to the southeast.”

Florine followed the Vampire Bride’s gesture, but she couldn’t see anyone.

“We won’t hurt you,” she called out. “I’m from the Sorcerous Kingdom – I’d like to speak with your leaders about a few things.”

If there was anyone there, they didn’t respond. Maybe they would have better luck finding something like a village if they even had one.

“What was it like when you first came here?” Florine asked the Vampire Bride.

“The same as now,” the Vampire Bride answered. “Everyone is very elusive.”

“I’m amazed that we have any information at all on them,” Florine said. “The tribes to the north of E-Rantel were nowhere near as cautious as this.”

If it was the Orcs, would they be just as difficult to meet? Dyel and his people were extremely wary as well, but they spoke readily once she got to know them. Hopefully, the other tribes would be the same way.

Ten more minutes passed. Florine let out a sigh and went to sit on a small boulder nearby.

The boulder pecked her in the rear. She jumped up with a shriek.

“Be gone, pale Hobgoblin-thing!” A shrill voice sounded, “This land belongs to the ghk–!”

Her assailant’s voice was cut short. She turned around to see the Vampire Bride holding up a small, bird-like creature by the neck.

How does that match the description at all?

The reports did say that the tribe nearby was a race of avian Demihumans, but the person dangling in the Vampire Bride’s grip didn’t look like any bird that Florine was familiar with.

It had a tapered beak with thin, wispy feathers in earthy hues that matched the arid landscape. It didn’t have arms – only a pair of stubby wings that looked too small to fly with. Its three-toed talons kicked crazily as it thrashed in the Vampire Bride's grip.

“Shall I dispose of this, Lady Gagnier?”

“Of course not!” Florine told her. “Can you loosen your grip without losing it?”

The Demihuman continued to thrash about.

“Unhand me, you ugly brute! How dare you do this to Liolio, Champion of the Ylii-miq! I’ll–ghk!”

The Vampire Bride tightened her grip again.

“Are you sure this one is worth your time, Lady Gagnier?”

“I can’t exactly tell if you keep choking it.”

The Vampire Bride loosened her hold.

“Foul–ghk!”

Florine frowned at the Vampire Bride as the Undead handmaiden squeezed her hand over the Demihuman’s throat again.

“But it’s fun,” the Vampire Bride said.

“Aren’t they citizens of the Sorcerous Kingdom?” Florine told her. “You can’t harm them for no reason.”

“But it attacked you, my lady,” the Vampire Bride said. “A few centimetres to the left, and its beak would have entered your–”

“I’m unharmed. It just startled me, that’s all.”

The Vampire Bride set the Demihuman down. It wobbled for a few seconds before falling over. Florine knelt, gingerly touching Liolio’s soft body with the tips of her fingers.

“Are you alright?”

“Eat me if you must, but Liolio will never break!”

“I’m not going to eat you,” Florine said. “We weren’t even…”

Well, technically, the Vampire Bride had been torturing the poor thing.

Florine picked Liolio up, cradling the Demihuman in her arms. The Ylii-miq were probably the smallest Demihumans she had ever seen. Liolio wasn’t even fifty centimetres long from the tip of its beak to the end of its tuft of tail feathers.

“Anyway,” Florine said. “You mentioned something about being the Champion of your people?”

“Liolio is not weak!”

“I didn’t say that…”

The avian Demihuman squirmed around, righting itself and perching on Florine’s arm.

“Liolio, he is the mighty Champion of the Ylii-miq! No one will harm his people!”

Liolio puffed up his feathers, looking left and right as he hopped back and forth. Eventually, he hopped onto Florine’s head.

How should I start with this one…

Even Florine could tell that Liolio was rather weak, but he was also full of pride. That wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, and he seemed to take his role seriously.

“What does your name mean?” Florine asked.

“It is the sound of the wind through the rushes by the river,” Liolio answered.

“Are all of your people’s names like that? Do you think I could meet with them?”

Liolio hopped off her head, landing with a flutter of his stubby wings. He darted around, inspecting the handful of Beastman corpses nearby. After several minutes of running back and forth, he raised his head and let out a nearly imperceptible cry.

The sound of the wind picked up. It took a moment for Florine to realise that it wasn’t the wind at all. A swarm of Ylii-miq appeared from the brush along the riverbank, forming a brown carpet that rushed toward them.

They flowed around Florine’s legs on their way to the Beastman corpses and then, just as quickly, flowed back. All that they left in her wake were skeletons stripped of flesh.

“Now, you have met them,” Liolio told her.

“Wait!”

The Ylii-miq Champion stopped mid-step, regarding Florine with a beady black eye.

“I still need to speak with your people,” she said. “My name is Florine Gagnier. I’m a Human Lord from the Sorcerous Kingdom. I’ve been sent to assist with the administration of the Abelion Hills.”

“A Human? I have never seen a Human before. But I have heard the tales. Scrawny Ape Beastmen with steel shells and short arms. You do not match the description.”

Florine had never seen an Ape Beastman before, so she couldn’t say if Humans could be compared to them. According to her materials, the Abelion Hills had a species of Ape Beastmen called Cabens. They had a population of roughly sixty thousand before they were destroyed over the course of Jaldabaoth’s cruel reign.

“I assure you that I am indeed a Human,” Florine said. “The ‘steel shells’ are just something that our warriors wear.”

“But if you say you are a Lord, then should you not have a steel shell? Or maybe a mithril one?”

“Human Lords aren’t always warriors.”

Liolio let out a piping laugh.

“Nonsense!” He said, “If Human Lords are not strong, then who will fight enemy Lords? You would cease to exist. Never have I heard such a foolish thing.”

“I’ve heard that Dwarves come to trade here,” Florine said. “Their Lords don’t necessarily have to be strong, either.”

“This is a lie,” Liolio replied. “Dwarf Lords are strong. The legends tell of the mighty Dwarf Lord who fought alongside the heroes of old to defeat the Demon Gods. He was as an unbreakable stone, wielding a mighty hammer that shook the earth with its thunder.”

Argh…

When weighed against the lore that Liolio accepted as truth, Florine’s words failed to convince. She needed to find a better way to convey herself to those whose reality lay so far from hers.

“You mentioned the Demon Gods,” Florine said. “How do you know about them?”

“Who here wouldn’t know about them?” Liolio twitched his head to and fro, “The Demon Gods were defeated in the Abelion Hills!”

Was that true? In Human lands, the legend recounted the final battle with the Demon God King, but, as far as she could recall, no location for the confrontation was given. She had always assumed that the Bards were being tactful or ‘cheating’, allowing the imagination of their audience to paint the landscape for them. Then again, the written histories were the same way, which was decidedly odd.

What would the world be like if people had known about it? Would the Abelion Hills be seen as a land of heroes instead of a desolate wilderness filled with savage tribes? Liolio seemed to see it that way, at least.

“I didn’t know that,” Florine said.

“That is strange,” Liolio said. “Are your histories in such a sad state? There were Humans amongst the heroes, you know?”

“Of course I know,” Florine replied. “The leader of the Thirteen Heroes was Human.”

She jumped at Liolio’s high-pitched whistle.

“That is a lie!” He told her, “The leader of the heroes was Ylii-miq! Also, there were far more than thirteen.”

The incensed Demihuman went on to recite dozens of names. Most of which Florine had never heard before.

“It’s just the name that we have for them,” Florine said. “Anyway, could you take me to speak with your tribe?”

“Why do you want to speak with Liolio’s tribe?”

“As I said, I’ve been sent to help with the administration of the Abelion Hills. Getting in touch with the tribes and seeing what I can do for them is a crucial part of my work.”

Liolio fell silent, bobbing back and forth on his scrawny legs. Florine’s head started to bob with his movements.

“This Liolio does not know what can be done,” he said after several moments. “But I will take you to see the others.”

The diminutive Demihuman hopped onto Florine’s shoulder and then her head.

“We go,” Liolio said.

“Er, where are we going?”

“Silly Human, you must follow Liolio’s beak.”

Florine rolled her eyes upward, but she couldn’t see a thing.

“I can’t see the top of my head,” Florine said. “Can’t you just lead me normally?”

“This is ‘normally’!”

How could that be? Did they always ride on other people’s heads to get around?

Florine held out her arm.

“At least stand where I can see you,” she said. “Also, I’d like to bring some of my colleagues along.”

“So long as there are not too many. Liolio can only defeat three or four of you.”

“Of course,” Florine smiled.

She looked across the river to a stand of aspen trees.

?I’ve convinced someone to take me to the tribe. Isoroku, come with me. The rest of you can wait here once we’re on our way.?

Liolio’s claws dug into her arm and he flapped his wings as if he could carry her away.

“Evil comes!” He said, “We must flee!”

Isoroku hadn’t even left the trees on the other side of the river yet. Liolio’s senses must have been extremely sharp.

“That’s one of the colleagues I spoke of,” Florine said. “It’s only just this one. You said that you could defeat three or four of us, right?”

“Are you evil, as well?”

“I don’t see what ‘evil’ has to do with it, but no. Isoroku is working as my adjutant. It won’t do anything bad to you or your people.”

The Demihuman continued to grip Florine’s arm tightly, eyeing the approaching Elder Lich. He occasionally puffed himself up and flapped his wings as if to take flight.

“This is Isoroku,” Florine said once the Elder Lich came up to them. “Isoroku, Liolio.”

Isoroku simply stared. Liolio stared back. Florine gave her arm a shake.

“Let’s get going, shall we?”

Liolio gave the Elder Lich one last, wary look before turning his head. Florine followed his strange manner of giving directions, making her way up an animal trail through the trees. Strangely, the way up the valley turned out to be easier than expected.

“You’re a very good guide,” Florine said.

The Demihuman on her arm raised his head and let out a satisfied-sounding trill.

“It is as I said, is it not? Liolio is the Champion of the Ylii-miq!”

She wondered what that meant beyond sounding like a prideful boast. Tribal Champions were usually comparable in power to Lords, but Liolio didn’t have any sense of being strong. Maybe it was because he looked more cute than dangerous.

“What else does a Champion do?” Florine asked.

“We stand and watch. The safety of the herd is our charge.”

“The herd…not the flock?”

Liolio didn’t reply, and they continued up the valley in silence.

The trees grew more sparse as they ascended, and, eventually, they came to the top of the trail. A grassy vista strewn with huge grey boulders stretched out as far as Florine could see. Several Ylii-miq sitting atop the stones nearby rose to their full height and started making peeping noises.

“Alert!”

“Alert!”

“Danger!”

“Evil!”

“Intruders!”

“Undead!”

“Alert!”

Their warnings rolled across the hills as more and more Ylii-miq took up their cries. The birds – regular birds – nearby took flight and she spotted several animals bounding away.

“Everyone isn’t going to run, are they?” Florine asked.

“Maybe? Liolio is not sure.”

The Ylii-miq directly in their path scattered away while the others continued crying out their warnings. A kilometre from the top of the valley, they came to a small stand of trees surrounding a shallow depression in the hill. Hundreds of Ylii-miq stood before her, showing no sign of scattering as before. Florine swallowed, recalling how quickly they had stripped the Beastman corpses to the bone.

“Liolio!” A voice called out from the crowd, “What have you done?!”

A high-pitched clamour filled the air. Liolio seemed to shrink away. It seemed that he wasn’t as important as he made himself out to be.

?My name is Florine Kadia Dale Gagnier, a Baroness of the Sorcerous Kingdom. I’ve been tasked with assisting the administration in the Abelion Wilderness.?

The flock – or was it herd? – of Ylii-miq fell silent.

“What’s a Baroness?” Someone asked.

“A Human liar,” Liolio said.

“A Human Lord,” Florine corrected him.

“Liar!”

“Liar!”

“Liar!”

Hundreds of high-pitched voices refuted her claim. Florine decided that claiming to be a Human Lord wasn’t worth the headache.

?I’ve come to help the Ylii-miq–?

“Miq!” An anguished cry filled the air.

“Miq!” Came another.

“Miq!”

“Miq!”

“Miq?” Florine frowned.

“We are the Ylii-miq no longer,” the first speaker said. “The Ylii are gone, slain by Jaldabaoth and his minions. The Ylii-miq are no more; only the Miq remain.”

Florine tried to figure out who was speaking, but they were effectively invisible in the sea of feathered bodies.

“So are the Ylii another species?” She asked, “Or is it something else…”

“The Ylii were our friends. Great beings many times the size of the Miq. Many times your size, with four arms and four legs and a strong, bony shell. For an age beyond all memory we lived together, but that age is no more.”

A gust of wind punctuated the end of the speaker’s unspeakably sorrowful explanation. Florine clenched her fists at her sides.

“Why would Jaldabaoth and his minions do something like that?” She asked.

“Why do Fiends do what they do? They claimed it would make us happy. Happy to be alive while the Ylii were dead, and, because we were the Ylii-miq, we would never forget our happiness because a piece of us is gone forever.”

“…I’m sorry.”

It was all she could manage. How was she supposed to help with that? She couldn’t replace the relationship between one race and another. She couldn’t even fathom what they had lost.

“Is that why you have come, Human liar? To remind us of our great sorrow?”

“No!” Florine said, “No. I didn’t come to…I came to help, but I don’t know what I can do for you. Are your people well-fed, at least? Do you have enough territory to live on?”

“We do not starve. As for territory…we do not know. The Miq have always accompanied the Ylii, who ranged far and wide. Our territory spanned from the Baafolk to the west, the Orcs to the north and The Neck to the east. Now, it is much smaller.”

“Then what was your relationship with the Ylii?”

“We watched. We guarded. We tended to their great bodies and hunted the Ofooli and Keega who would come to infest them. They are gone now, too, destroyed by Jaldabaoth.”

“Is that a good thing, or a bad thing?”

“An entire people dying is never a good thing, Human liar. Life fades, and the world becomes less.”

Florine looked over at Isoroku, who was busy taking notes. The Miq’s problems were so intangible that she wondered if the Elder Lich understood that they couldn’t be solved by improving logistics, adjusting borders, or implementing bylaws.

“Do you know of any other places where the Ylii dwell?” Florine asked.

The swarm of Miq shifted as they exchanged looks.

“No,” the speaker from before said. “If the Ylii still exist in the world, we do not know where they might be.”

“I see. How about any other races you might be able to live with?”

Her question was met by a wall of puzzled expressions.

“There was only the Ylii-miq,” the speaker said. “We know of nothing else.”

“Then how about gainful employment?” Florine asked, “Your entire race seems to be composed of Rangers, or at least your traditions give rise to them. There is a great demand for Rangers in the Sorcerous Kingdom, so we may be able to find places for you to fit in.”

A high-pitched buzz rose into the air as the Miq considered her proposal. Maybe it was a stupid idea, but she didn’t have any better ones. Did the concept of employment even exist in their culture?

She looked at Liolio, who was still on her arm, preening his feathers. He seemed to slip into his old ways upon agreeing to guide her, at least.

“Many of the words you use are unknown to us,” the unknown speaker said. “But a few of us will try…if only to fill the yawning hole that stares at us from inside our souls.”