Valkyrie's Shadow

Stone and Blood: Act 2, Chapter 7

Stone and Blood: Act 2, Chapter 7

Chapter 7

They followed Iliky’ie up a small river that joined with the Abelion after carving its way through the hills on its eastern flank. The bottom of its gulley was wooded and steep, bringing them past many sets of tumbling rapids and stepstone falls. Florine scanned the surrounding vegetation, trying to get a sense of how far they had come. All she could discern, however, were all of the headless skeletons propped up against the trees to ward away intruders.

“This is quite the distance,” she said. “Why not relocate closer to the river?”

It was what Humans would have done, at least. The presence of infrastructure, industry, and resources determined how settlements were positioned.

“Because it is not safe,” Iliky’ie replied. “Those who came before lived where we do for the same reason.”

They came to an escarpment that the Y’y’yoiy were somehow scaling while carrying the massive Beastman corpses. Florine gazed up at the rainbow cast upon the spray of water overhead.

“How are we going to get up?”

In response to her question, Isorouku pointed a bony finger at her.

“?Fly?.”

Florine froze as her Soul Eater lifted off of the ground, not daring to move until it alighted atop the escarpment. The Vampire Bride and Boobeebee effortlessly climbed up after her. After that came several chains of Death-series servitors who clung to the legs of those above them as the one at the top lifted them into the air. She watched the Undead sway back and forth in the wind as they took turns detaching from one another to land on the ground.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen them do that before…”

“It is unwieldy,” Isoroku said as it settled down beside her, “but the most efficient method in this situation.”

“Our home lies further,” Iliky’ie told them. “Come.”

Thirty minutes later, they came to a steep bowl nestled between a set of hills. A large, spring-fed pool lay at the bottom, surrounded by a myriad of grottos pockmarking the slopes.

“I can’t tell whether these are natural or artificial,” Florine said.

“This was once the village of a Spriggan tribe,” Iliky’ie said. “It was they who shaped this place.”

The ground shuddered and the infantry squad closed in around Florine as a mound of liquid earth rolled by. Iliky’ie quickly turned around, raising her cute little paws.

“Please!” She said, “Do not cause trouble with the spirits! They will not attack if you do not harm this place.”

“What are they?” Florine asked.

“Elemental spirits of earth,” Boobeebee said. “Earth Elementals. This location is a nexus of power. A place sacred to the elements that few would consider attacking.”

Another mound of earth rumbled by. Florine glanced over her shoulder at the scratching sound of Isoroku’s pen.

“Do the tribes of the Abelion Hills worship the four elements?” She turned her attention back to the Earth Elementals wandering around the slopes of the grotto.

“Worship?” Boobeebee twisted her long head slightly, “No. The elements are venerated amongst all the tribes, but not worshipped.”

She idly wondered how that compared to the worship of the Four Elemental Gods. Then, another thought occurred to her.

“Isoroku,” she said, “have we documented the locations of these nexuses of power?”

“No,” the Elder Lich said. “Shall we call for survey teams to catalogue their locations?”

“It may save time to just ask the tribes as we visit them,” Florine said. “More importantly, do we have any way of protecting these locations?”

“This is not impossible, but the Royal Army will require justification for the deployment of security forces.”

“That’s because…”

It was a resource. At least that was how outsiders would see it. The local tribes considered the location a sacred place, but potential travellers from the Holy Kingdom and other, more developed, realms would see it as a spot to capture Earth Elementals. The Magician Guild offered high prices for them as they were essential for Golem creation.

“They may be targeted by poachers,” Florine said. “Or you could say that they’re citizens that need to be protected? These Elementals aren’t summons – they’re intelligent beings that dwell in the Sorcerous Kingdom. In that case, targeting the Elementals for capture could be considered raiding for the purpose of taking slaves.”

Could they be classified in that fashion? The problem brought her recent discussion with Ludmila to mind. While intelligent, Elementals were beings with values and behaviours alien to those raised in Human civilisation. They wouldn’t pay taxes nor participate in industry and had no use for money. They would attack perceived threats to their territory. As far as Florine knew, they contributed nothing to a nation’s economy unless they were captured and used. They simply existed.

“Iliky’ie,” Florine said, “Do you do anything special here?”

“Special? This is where we were told to dwell. Were we expected to do more?”

“I was just curious. Boobeebee mentioned that the tribes considered places like this sacred, so I thought it might have some special activities.”

Iliky’ie looked around the spring. Hundreds of Y’y’yoiy were eyeing them warily from the entrances of their new dens.

“It is a sacred place even if no one dwelled here,” Iliky’ie said. “Nothing special must be done to make it so. I do not understand what you are trying to say.”

“I believe that Humans construct their sacred places,” Boobeebee said. “At least that is what I saw in the Holy Kingdom of Roble. The Humans gather in those places to venerate the elements.”

The Y’y’yoiy shook her head unknowingly. Florine cleared her throat.

“We can take our time learning about one another,” she said. “That’s part of why I’m here, after all. Let’s move on to more mundane things, shall we? Do you have a family?”

Iliky’ie turned around, leading them along one side of the spring. She stopped in front of a grotto not dissimilar to the others, Nine adult Y’y’yoiy poked their heads out of the entrance and twelve smaller heads poked out between them. Their glistening noses twitched in Florine’s direction.

“This is my family,” Iliky’ie told her.

“It’s so large,” Florine said. “Are all Y’y’yoiy families like this?”

“Yes…”

“Which one is your husband?”

Iliky’ie stood up on her hind legs, waddling over to the group.

“This one,” she pointed a claw, “this one, this one, this one and this one.”

Ah, mother…I’ve found the woman you wanted me to be.

“Who are the other adults?” Florine asked.

“They are the mates of my mates.”

“Hah? Th-then, what about the children?”

Iliky’ie’s nose twitched in the direction of the group. The long pause made Florine suspect that she was trying to decide.

“These three,” Iliky’ie pointed at a cluster of heads.

“…and who are their fathers?”

“The fathers are my mates, here,” Iliky’ie gestured to the adults she had pointed out before.

“…could you be more specific?”

“No.”

Florine rubbed her right temple with her fingers.

“Is something the matter?” Iliky’ie asked.

“Just something I hadn’t considered before,” Florine answered. “Please don’t mind me.”

She wasn’t sure if it was that big of a deal or not, but it seemed that way. The Sorcerous Kingdom adopted Re-Estize Law, and Re-Estize operated under Human logic and customs. One of the major cornerstones of those laws was the concept of inheritance and how it was determined. Whether it was a contract of vassalage, the ownership of a business, or the assumption of debt, the law assumed that the people involved followed Human conventions of family.

With the Y’y’yoiy, one could not apply laws of inheritance because lines of inheritance could not be drawn. At best, they could be drawn between groups of offspring and those offspring would likely mature to go their separate ways and form new family groups, making it impossible to keep track of anything.

Florine tried to imagine what would happen if a family of Y’y’yoiy moved to a territory in E-Rantel. Any Noble who signed a tenant contract with them had no idea of the chaos that awaited. Integration wasn’t possible; the concepts that the law was founded on were fundamentally incompatible with the race in question. By now, the Sorcerous Kingdom’s lawmakers had a sense that the law needed to change if the country was to be a place where many races lived together in harmony, but the realities that came with those changes still hadn’t sunk in with most.

When she worked with the tribes north of E-Rantel, Florine was focused on how they could participate in the Sorcerous Kingdom’s economy. She was so pleased with her progress in that area that she didn’t think about how everything else might work or how her influence might affect the other aspects of the participants’ societies. Perhaps it had something to do with her Job Classes generating a bias toward certain things, but she had to think carefully about what she did now that she was directly tasked with the management of the Abelion Wilderness.

“By the way,” Florine said, “does this tribe have a Lord?”

Going by how Ludmila did things, it was easier to deal directly with Lords. Every Lord seemed to have a good understanding of the things that she needed to address. The Lords, in turn, acted as a sort of ‘translator’ when it came to bridging racial and cultural differences, as well as identifying various problems and figuring out solutions for them.

“She was slain by Jaldabaoth not long after our tribe was captured,” Iliky’ie replied. “No new Lord has risen since.”

“Then what prompted you to speak for your tribe?” Florine asked.

“No one else wanted to?” Iliky’ie answered, “It did not seem that we would be able to eat until someone answered your call, so I decided to come forward.”

Does that mean that she has the makings of a Lord?

She wasn’t sure how it worked. For some races, Lords were born, but, for most, it was a seemingly mystical process. Ludmila had successfully trained one, but how did they occur normally? Did they become Lords because they did something extraordinary?

“This might sound like a strange question,” Florine said, “but do tribes usually have a Lord?”

“That depends,” Boobeebee said. “We do not encounter the Lords of other tribes until they have become fully-fledged Lords. Some Lords, like those of the Zern, are kept safely away from danger at all times. At the least, I know that Goblin and Ogre tribes do not usually have Lords, nor do most Demihumans and Heteromorphs that lead solitary lives. Humans are strange in the fact that they seem to have Lords on hand nearly at all times and most of those Lords appear to be very weak.”

Florine turned her attention to Iliky’ie.

“I am not old,” the Y’y’yoiy said. “I have only known one Lord of my tribe.”

“Do you know anyone that might remember other Lords?”

Iliky’ie shook her head.

“Jaldabaoth slew the strong and the old. Or perhaps they were strong because they lived long lives? Either way, no memory remains beyond that of my generation and what our elders shared with us.”

“This is consistent with the way Jaldabaoth did things,” Boobeebee said. “The old and experienced were tortured and killed. Only the young tended to remain – those easily manipulated by the machinations of the Fiends. I suggest that you be wary of this.”

“Wary in what way? Are you saying that Jaldabaoth and his minions might have conditioned problematic behaviours into the remaining tribal populations?”

“That may be true, as well,” Boobeebee said after a long pause. “It does seem like something that Jaldabaoth would do – leaving scars behind as a lasting legacy of his actions. What I was referring to, however, was the fact that the young are often impulsive and lack the experience and wisdom of their elders…speaking of which, how old are you? It is difficult for me to tell with Humans.”

“I would be considered a young adult by my culture’s standards,” Florine replied.

“Truly?” The Zern hero’s voice rose in surprise, “I thought the Sorcerous Kingdom would have sent someone older for this task.”

Florine tried to imagine what Countess Jezne would do in her position.

Nope, that wouldn’t work at all…

“Our elders come from the country that the Sorcerous Kingdom won its land from,” Florine said. “They are undoubtedly more experienced in the ways of that old country, but the Sorcerous Kingdom is far from the same. In a way, I am much like the people here when it comes to being the first generation needing to adapt to the new way of things. Perhaps that is part of the reason why I was sent.”

“I suppose that makes sense, in a way,” Boobeebee said. “But what it is that you are trying to do still eludes me.”

“The end objectives are clear enough,” Florine replied. “My task is to figure out how to incorporate the population of the Abelion wilderness into the Sorcerous Kingdom and turn them into productive citizens, if possible. Doing so with so many different races and cultures is easier said than done, however.”

“That much, I can believe. We were allies of the Humans in the Holy Kingdom against Jaldabaoth, but I don’t believe we ever developed an understanding of them. The only race in the Abelion Hills that could be found cooperating under many other races were Goblins, but I have not seen a single one since the region was liberated.”

“My materials mentioned that, but I couldn’t quite believe it myself. The last place where I worked, Goblins were everywhere.”

Remarking on it didn’t help, however. She had to work with what she had.

After spending all morning and most of the afternoon with the Y’y’yoiy, Florine felt that she had a much better grasp of the mostly-cute Demihuman race and its customs. If what she had learned so far was any indication, every race in the area would add another layer of complexity to her task. Before she departed, a quick review of her notes reminded her to ask about something.

“Iliky’ie,” she said, “are there any amongst your people who would be interested in becoming Travellers? In the Sorcerous Kingdom, there would be no need to mark any candidates as such to protect your tribe from any retribution for their actions. Preferably, I would like anyone who is curious about the world and can also share the ways of their people with others.”

The Human-sized rodent Demihuman seemed to consider her request.

“No,” she said after a moment. “There would be no one that matches your requirements. Our people have no reason to stray from their homes, and the world around us is filled with danger. If you must take someone, however, I will come.”

“You don’t have to force yourself to come…”

Iliky’ie looked over her shoulder, to the grottos where her people had long returned to their usual routines.

“I have no choice,” she said. “It is our way. In stepping forward when you first called out, I have become recognised as the bait that draws danger away.”

“That’s terrible…”

“Is it?” the Y’y’yoiy asked. “How would it be with Humans?”

Florine fell silent, a furrow forming on her brow. If that same scenario was applied to a Human by their community, it would either be considered a heroic act of self-sacrifice or a stupid one. And then there were the people who would order or fool others into doing so for their selfish ends.

“Forgive me,” Florine lowered her head. “I suppose that an action taken for the greater good of one’s tribe shouldn’t be seen as something terrible. You’ll have to bear with me while I become familiar with your people and their ways. Will your children be alright without you?”

“…just to be sure,” Iliky’ie said, “I am not going to be eaten or turned into one of the Undead, am I?”

“Of course not,” Florine smiled. “By coming with me, you will be performing a great service for your people. Hopefully, your safe return and the benefits that your travels bring to your tribe will encourage others to travel, as well.”

“In that case, the children will be fine. Caring for one’s young is a task divided between all members of a den.”

“I see. Well, if you need to return for any reason, just let me know. We will be travelling all over the place, but nothing should be farther than a day or so from your home by Soul Eater. Ah – we’ll be providing food, so please only pack what you’ll need aside from that.”

“Pack?”

“Any belongings you’d like to bring with you while we travel…”

Florine eyed Iliky’ie up and down. She wasn’t wearing anything whatsoever. The only members of her tribe that did seemed to be the mystics who wore colourful accessories that mostly consisted of unprocessed items such as flowers and feathers.

“Can you think of anything that you need to take with you?” Florine asked.

“Nothing in particular,” Iliky’ie replied.

She couldn’t imagine not taking anything with her while going anywhere – even if it was just a stroll around E-Rantel. While the Y’y’yoiy had their furry coats, Florine couldn’t imagine why they wouldn’t carry containers or belts for holding everyday items.

“In that case,” she said, “let’s get going. Er, you’ll at least tell your family that you’re coming with me, right?”

“Of course.”

Florine waited while Iliky’ie disappeared into her den. When she emerged again, the heads of her family poked out of the entrance to watch her leave. Florine couldn’t tell whether they were sad, anxious, or simply curious.

They departed the grotto, walking back down to the Abelion River. From there, they followed the river downstream to the Dale of Defiance so Florine could update the administration’s information on the Y’y’yoiy. Iliky’ie seemed to grow nervous as they approached the bend in the river where the office was located.

“Is something the matter, Iliky’ie?” Florine asked.

“When we were in captivity,” Iliky’ie replied, “some of the other prisoners said that the Dale of Defiance was where Jaldabaoth first fell upon the hills.”

“For some reason,” Florine said, “everyone that I’ve spoken to so far seems to recognise this location by that name. Why is that?”

“Because it is where a legend known by all took place,” Boobeebee told her. “Where the mighty heroes of old came together to defeat the Demon God King and his remaining followers. Of course, a battle of that magnitude would have spanned many dozens of kilometres, but the Dale of Defiance is where the heroes made their stand before the fighting commenced, and it is where the Demon God King fell. Jaldabaoth fell upon us here as if to spite the achievements of the past.”

Florine looked across the shallow crater as they crossed the first security perimeter. If so many different tribes of different races and cultures of the Abelion Hills shared that common point of lore, then there was a good chance that it was true.

“How did everyone find out that Jaldabaoth first appeared here?” Florine asked, “Did the tribe that once lived here spread the word?”

“No,” Boobeebee said. “No tribe dwelled in the Dale of Defiance. It is a special place where everyone respects the fact that the many races of the Abelion Hills and beyond came together to destroy a great threat to the world. Out of that respect, no one claims this place as their territory, nor does anyone bring their conflicts here. Jaldabaoth fell upon a great celebration held in midwinter to commemorate the victory over the Demon Gods.”

Florine froze in her steps just before she entered the main pavilion.

“Wait,” she said, “are you saying that something like a festival is held here every winter? One that every race in the Abelion Hills attends?”

“It wasn’t held last year for obvious reasons, but yes.”

Why didn’t you say so earlier?

Her steps resumed, carrying her straight to her desk. It was mostly her fault. The accounts of Jaldabaoth’s reign of terror were so atrocious that she wanted to hear as little about it as possible. What she had heard was already enough to give her a lifetime of nightmares.

Florine produced a pen and snatched a fresh sheet of paper.

I can use this…probably.

A common point across cultures that everyone respected. One that even had a communal ritual observed by every race. All she needed to figure out was how to not offend everyone or trample on existing traditions while making use of it.

Once she scribbled down her thoughts, she returned outside. Boobeebee, Iliky’ie, and Liolio were gathered in the shadow of the tent.

“Sorry for the wait,” Florine said. “Iliky’ie, do you have any special requirements for accommodations? This is the main off–erm, the place where I return to after going out to meet the various tribes. We return here to sleep, when possible…at least those of us who need to sleep.”

The Y’y’yioy’s head swivelled back and forth as she scanned the surroundings.

“I can dig a new tunnel,” she said. “Where may I do this?”

“Have you considered something like a tent?” Florine gestured to one of the tents nearby.

In response, Iliky’ie went over to inspect the tent. A minute later, sprays of dirt erupted from the entrance.

That’s not what I meant…

The scene reminded her of when the Quagoa first arrived in E-Rantel. They had prepared houses for the new arrivals, but the Quagoa immediately started digging a tunnel to hide in. Even after they figured out what was going on, the Quagoa refused their new homes in favour of tunnelling out living spaces under E-Rantel. Since the Y’y’yoiy didn’t appear to suffer from day blindness, Florine thought that things might be different. Apparently not.

A pair of patrolling Death Knights stopped in front of the tent, eyeing the activity curiously. Florine waved them away, letting them know that everything was alright.

“Boobeebee,” she said, “would the remaining races in the Abelion Hills still respect their customs surrounding the Dale of Defiance?”

“I am not certain,” Boobeebee replied. “Before, it was a custom that celebrated the triumph of the tribes and the unity of the heroes of old. Now, it may only be a bitter reminder of Jaldabaoth’s reign.”

Florine feared that it might be the case. Bad things always tended to rise to the forefront of memory. Once again, Jaldabaoth played true to his fiendish nature. He may have wrought physical ruin to a catastrophic degree, but that was secondary to the lasting, intangible damage that his actions caused. Hearts and minds were broken; traditions and values that might be considered good were drowned in a flood of suffering and tragedy.

Her first thought was to take advantage of the old custom to bring people together. At the same time, she could open a simple market to promote trade within the Abelion Hills. The market would serve various purposes, including helping to identify valuable resources, seeing how the new subjects could fit into the greater economy of the Sorcerous Kingdom, facilitating the exchange of ideas and giving rise to the beginnings of a collective regional culture.

Trade was a worldwide activity; one that was engaged in by more races, countries, and cultures than she could name. She had no reason to believe that it couldn’t be encouraged in the Abelion Hills for its beneficial effects. Due to Jaldabaoth, however, Florine was sensitive to the possibility that opening something like a market might be perceived as shameless exploitation.

“Did the tribes participate in trade during this celebration that you spoke of?” She asked.

“Yes,” Boobeebee replied. “The Dark Dwarves would put up a tent where they displayed their merchandise and exchanged goods with the local tribes.”

Urgh…

The fact that things would have probably gone smoothly since the tribes would recognise what she was doing made Jaldabaoth’s actions hurt all the more. Now she was being foiled by his machinations and he likely didn’t even know that she existed.

Those old tales about the far-reaching evil of Fiends have nothing on the real thing.

Florine still believed that her idea would work, however. She would just have to be very careful about how she laid out her plans.