Valkyrie's Shadow

The Tiger and the Dragon: Act 13, Chapter 13

The Tiger and the Dragon: Act 13, Chapter 13

Chapter 13

A layer of disturbed dust swirled into the air, rising as if stirred from an ageless tomb. Ludmila stared up at the unknown ceiling of a chamber shrouded by eternal night.

She shifted where she lay, sending more dust into the air as she turned her head to look around. It was a luxurious suite that must have been ten times the size of her home in Warden’s Vale. The ceiling was arched and supported by columns carved from white limestone.

Yet, the beauty of her surroundings was marred.

Soot streaked the walls. There was no furniture: only broken stone scattered over the floor. She walked over to the vaulted windows, staring out at the scorched towers looming in the mist.

Ludmila was in Lagaš, the lost capital of what Clara dubbed the ‘High Empire’ – the ruined metropolis that lay at the heart of the Katze Plains.

But why was she here? She summoned her memory and immediately regretted it.

She had been defeated. Even with the Royal Army at her command and everything that the Sorcerous Kingdom had invested in her, she was bested in every conceivable way. Hopelessly outclassed by a powerful Beastman Lord.

No, he may have been a Lord, but he was also something else. With the luxury of quiet and lengthy review, she understood that what he did with his warband was far too structured. She could recognise everything that they had done and could only come to one conclusion: she had fought a true Captain – one that could stand amongst the great Captains of legend.

While she was still struggling to piece together what pittance of capability she could out of limited knowledge and lack of experience, she had come across a master at their craft. The forces that could send the nations of the region into utter despair had been toyed with, rendered helpless before his onslaught and summarily crushed.

Ludmila sighed, brushing the dust off of the edge of the open balcony before sitting down. She straightened and shivered at the cold stone against her rear. It was then that she realised that she was completely naked. Her head turned as she scanned the chamber again, ensuring no one else was around.

What in the world is going on here?

She was certain that she had died, but it didn’t look like anyone had resurrected her. The only signs that someone had frequented the place in the last forever were left by herself.

A Wraith lazily drifted by, following some mindless routine that it had probably been doing for centuries. Ludmila leaned forward to examine the city streets below, but the thick mists obscured her vision, making it seem as if she were sitting inside a cloud. Her hand absently went to her waist, but the Infinite Haversack with her pocket watch obviously wasn’t there.

There was no way to tell the time of day or even know what day it was. How long had it been since she fell in battle? Ten thousand years might have passed for all that she knew. At least a day had gone by based on the last time she had gotten up on her own. Going by that, the battle she had fallen in would be long over; there was nothing further she could do to influence the outcome.

The reason why she hadn’t been resurrected was probably because she had been found woefully wanting. They had no use for such a useless Captain, and civilian Nobles were better at managing their territories. Her territory had probably been given over to someone like Liane and transformed into a dismal sprawl of mines and manufactories to achieve the so-called ‘productivity’ that the central administration desired.

Was there any point in showing her face? Maybe it was better to sit in her razed tower for the rest of eternity.

The telltale metallic tread of a Death-series patrol rose from mists below, echoing off of the city’s alabaster towers. Ludmila gathered her dangling legs beneath her and stood back from the balcony.

Well, it isn’t as if hiding in this room forever really helps with anything...

As much as she dreaded facing whatever the future held, there was little point in shutting herself away from the world. Maybe she would be able to find a position in the junior household staff of a minor Noble.

Would Miss Gran hire her? She had a good head on her shoulders and Ludmila could work as a forester. Surely something like that wouldn’t lead to the same, catastrophic results that she had produced in her foolish misadventure as an army officer.

Ludmila wandered around the chamber, looking for something to clothe herself with. As expected, she found nothing: any such articles would be long rotted away even if they had survived the fires. With little other choice, she descended a broad spiral staircase that wound around the tower’s central column.

Her path took her past dozens of minor Undead standing in perfect stillness. She could have probably gone by them unharassed, but she concealed herself anyway, sneaking behind them whenever she could. The rational part of her knew that they were mindless and it didn't matter if they saw her. As a Noble, she was also accustomed to her attendants seeing her in various modes of undress, yet something deep inside demanded that she do her best to avoid notice.

Perhaps it was because any one of the Undead standing around might be a dominated sentry. Being detected would make their controller aware of the naked woman wandering around the city. Yes, that was probably it. They would hunt her down and drag her through the city streets for all to see. Her public indecency would end up becoming part of an official report, forever preserved in the Sorcerous Kingdom’s administrative archives and used as a case study for every Elder Lich from now until the end of eternity.

She padded through the ruined arcade at the bottom of the tower, passing broken fountains and burned-out storefronts on the way to the arching street entrance. Her steps slowed as she strained her senses to detect where the nearest patrols were. While her senses were still far superior to the average person’s, they weren’t anywhere near as absurd as they were with her equipment so she took far more time than she was used to. Once she was confident none of the distant patrols was approaching, she scurried across the street to hop into the dust-filled canal running alongside it.

According to Elena Gran’s journal, the canals were confirmed to be ‘streets’ as well – thoroughfares for Lagaš’ aquatic and semi-aquatic citizens. The ongoing interpretation of the relic offered insights into the city that were often foreign to regional thinking, so coming back to Lagaš to reenvision what the city was like in the past was one of the many things Ludmila meant to do when she had the chance. She never imagined that it would happen like this, however.

Ludmila made her way ‘downstream’ to where the canal eventually joined a larger one. The convenient concealment came to an end, however, when that canal completely filled out part way through one of the city’s many plazas. Sounds of wagon wheels rumbling over the pavement, people and things being moved around, and a variety of sterile voices issued through the fog from the north. She stopped and cocked an ear to sort them out.

“Please stand by for inspection.”

“Is this your first time in the Sorcerous Kingdom?”

“Warehousing for goods passing through E-Rantel is currently being offered at Corelyn Harbour.”

A frown crossed her lips as she overheard the familiar routines. According to Clara, E-Rantel would grow to absorb Corelyn Harbour within a century so that much time hadn’t passed, at least. Unless they were referring to it as a district of the city. That aside, things at least sounded the same as they did when she was last around the Sorcerous Kingdom. As slowly as laws and procedures were amended, things still would be significantly changed if decades had passed.

“Contraband has been detected. Executing procedure D-1. You are under arrest. Resistance is futile.”

“Oh, no!” Came a woman’s desperate voice, “We wouldn’t dare defy the will of the Supreme One! Please punish us until we scream!”

It sounded like they were practising the militia duties that would eventually be assigned to them. Unfortunately, the Vampire Brides seemed to be acting out their role in an entirely wrong way.

“One of the suspects has escaped,” an Elder Lich announced. “She was last seen headed south with her contraband inventory.”

A moment later, the ghostly figure of an invisible Vampire Bride in civilian dress hopped into the canal with Ludmila. The Vampire Bride took one long look at her before smiling and placing the satchel she was carrying into Ludmila’s hands. Then, she ran away.

Eh?

Ludmila winced at the sound of rapidly approaching Death Knights. She jumped out of the canal and ran south, away from the exercise area.

“Potential breach of public decency laws. Escalation to procedure D-3 is advised. State morality must be enforced.”

She sprinted into a large ruin on the southwestern end of the plaza, scurrying up the stairs and streaking through the corridors. On the way, she tossed the satchel of illegal goods into the entrance of a collapsed room. After that, she jumped out of a back window and into the window of the next building over.

After going from building to building for several city blocks, she landed on the wharf along the Katze River. A Vampire Bride in the uniform of the postal service raised her clipboard to cover her mouth.

“Oh my,” her crimson gaze seemed to twinkle. “Is our Mistress playing another game with you, my lady? Might there be room for another?”

Ludmila stared at Vampire Bride for a long moment. The Vampire Bride stared back, though not in the same way.

While they were generally pleasant and businesslike when dealing with the public, Lady Shalltear’s Vampire Brides were every bit as lewd as their Mistress. Each was about as sadistic as their predatory nature might suggest, but they were also unapologetic masochists who only saw being hunted, punished, abused and even killed by Lady Shalltear as an exquisite reward.

“No, she’s not,” Ludmila replied. “Erm…is Lady Shalltear here?”

“Not that I am aware of, my lady,” the Vampire Bride replied. “Shall I ask one of the Elder Liches to contact her for you?”

“Yes, please. By the way, what are the time and date?”

“It is six o’clock in the evening on the thirtieth day of Middle Wind Month, in the first year of our Lord.”

“I see.”

It seemed that a whole day had passed. More than enough time for everything to have concluded and for everyone to make their conclusions. All she could do now was stew in her regrets.

The Vampire Bride turned to head down the wharf toward the harbourmaster’s office.

“Wait,” Ludmila said. “Might I borrow something to wear…?”

In response, the Vampire Bride reached into her inventory, pulling out the sheer alabaster fabrics that were their ‘default’ garb. When Ludmila imagined herself wearing it, her soul recoiled at the pitiful image.

“What about something like a postal worker uniform?” She asked.

The Vampire Bride reached up to unfasten her coat. After she handed it over, she pulled her shirt over her head. The full force of the femininity contained within was violently unleashed upon Ludmila.

“Just the coat will do,” she said quickly.

She followed the Vampire Bride past the rows of containers filled with goods for the Draconic Kingdom. The Undead busy at work didn’t spare her as much as a glance, which she was grateful for. She took a seat at one of the desks in the harbourmaster’s office and idly stared at the rates posted on the wall.

Do the Elder Liches here use the postal service at all?

Maybe they mail-ordered office furniture or something.

Fifteen minutes later, the black portal of a Gate appeared outside of the office. Lady Shalltear entered, dressed in her usual black ballroom gown. Ludmila rose from her seat, genuflecting before her liege.

“It’s about time you got up,” Lady Shalltear said.

“My most heartfelt apologies, my lady,” Ludmila stared at the stone floor. “For…for everything.”

She tensed as she waited for her punishment to be declared. It wouldn’t surprise her if she found herself waking up a week later in yet another dusty tower.

“I don’t recall anything that requires an apology,” Lady Shalltear said.

“My lady?”

“Your frustrations may lead you to believe that you’ve done something wrong, but Lord Ainz said that you carried out your orders to his satisfaction. He noted several things of interest while watching your performance, as well.”

“He did…? No, wait – he was watching me?”

“That’s right,” Lady Shalltear told her, “he was observing the entire battle at Eastwatch.”

Ludmila slouched forward, going to her hands and knees. She crawled under the nearby desk, curling up with the Vampire Bride’s coat covering her head.

His Majesty had seen everything. She wasn’t sure how much more complete her mortification could be.

Something poked her in the shoulder.

“Are you alright?” Lady Shalltear asked.

“No,” Ludmila answered. “If I could burrow like Ilyshn’ish, I’d have buried myself in a hole by now.”

“You can dig your holes later,” Lady Shalltear said. “You still have a function to attend.”

“…a function, my lady?”

“Clara said something about the first set of formal agreements between the Sorcerous Kingdom and the Draconic Kingdom.”

A pair of loud thumps issued through the top of the desk. Ludmila poked her head out to find her Infinite Haversacks sitting there.

“As the Royal Army’s liaison to Oriculon’s Royal Court,” Lady Shalltear told her, “your duties await.”

?I can’t be reading this right.?

Liane wasn’t the only one thinking that.

Sitting at her delegation’s desk in the throne room of Oriculon Palace, Clara wasn’t sure she was reading things right, either. Before her was a small collection of documents penned on embossed noble paper, which consisted of the diplomatic and commercial agreements proposed by the Draconic Kingdom. They were more than anything Clara had imagined they might achieve in their rush to salvage the situation in the southeast.

It was not the fact that the proposals had been made, however. That much was a given after all that had happened. It was what those proposals implied. They were a prelude to something far greater; something she didn’t dare hope for so early in their efforts.

?This is a good thing, isn’t it??

?It’s not about it being good or bad, it’s about it being impossible. At least I think it’s impossible.?

?After what I’ve seen of this country and its people, it seems entirely possible.?

?But this is…it’s as if our reality isn’t the same as theirs. It’s ludicrous.?

Indeed, that was Clara’s first thought upon digesting the details. The implications were utterly ludicrous to anyone who possessed the common sense of the Human countries north of the Theocracy. In a different way, it was also beyond the common sense of the Theocracy itself. If their time as Nobles of the Sorcerous Kingdom had taught them anything, however, it was that the reality that they were raised in was actually wrong.

If one asked any aristocrat, bureaucrat, or sovereign in the north what they would do if their country had been subjected to occupation and had lost sixty per cent of its population, their first reaction would be to throw up their hands with a laugh and say that they were doomed. That sort of catastrophe put a country on such weak footing that trying to put together a recovery effort simply wasn’t enough. It was the beginning of a downward spiral where their clear weakness would invite further invasion not only by the tribes and monsters that dwelled along their borders, but also by other nations seeing an irresistible opportunity to make gains for themselves.

Even if it didn’t happen by some miracle, a nation’s leaders would focus on domestic affairs, restoring its gutted population over generations while nursing its shattered economy back to health. That logic didn’t seem to apply to the Draconic Kingdom.

The Draconic Kingdom’s proposals contained a very clear plan for those who had the eyes to see it. It was as good as a promise put to paper. In a word, they were expanding. Clara had a feeling that they would explore the diplomatic avenues once closed off to them by their relationship with the Slane Theocracy, but she never expected it to happen so quickly and so aggressively.

In a situation where Kings and Emperors might despair, Queen Oriculus instead went on the offensive and her entire country was ready for it.

Her first move was to consolidate her surviving subjects into the most productive lands of the Draconic Kingdom – namely the coastline and the lower riverlands. The unmanaged territories would be patrolled by security forces leased from the Sorcerous Kingdom. From there, the Draconic Kingdom’s efforts would not be focused on eventually repopulating the unmanaged territories in the east, but on the south.

Three new cities were being chartered on the sea along the Draconic Kingdom’s southern coast. Those cities were but the first step to an even greater objective, which was to open the Syrillian Way. The tribes and countries of aquatic Demihumans, Hetermorphs and even monsters that had shared a long, peaceful relationship with the Draconic Kingdom were included in the effort.

According to the Draconic Kingdom’s Royal Court, the ones that they had contacted had already agreed to the Queen’s proposals and even welcomed the expansion of her domain. The piles of pearls, coral, precious stones and various unknown objects sitting at the base of her throne were all expressions of goodwill that her envoys had returned with.

I thought we were saving a kingdom, but it looks like we’ve gained an empire…

“You seem to be having trouble digesting Our proposal.”

From atop her marble throne, Queen Oriculus regarded them with a look of mild amusement. All of the fear and uncertainty they had seen from her in the past seemed to have vanished. Even the terrible sense of danger that lingered about her before the Battle of Eastwach was gone. In its place was a feeling of serenity. While still childlike in appearance, she no longer gave any indication of being one. Instead, she gave off the air of what she truly was: a being that had lived for many Human generations, possessing wisdom and experience beyond that of any common mortal.

“I admit that it wasn’t in line with our expectations, Your Majesty,” Clara replied.

“Considering that half of Argland is underwater,” the Queen smirked, “it should hardly be a surprise. Well, it isn’t as if We don’t understand your confusion. Human perception aside, the cultural influence of the Theocracy is strong in the north. With the advent of the Sorcerous Kingdom, however, that influence will be dispelled sooner or later.”

“But will things work out as these proposals suggest, Your Majesty?” Liane asked.

“There will be many things to work out,” Queen Oriculus answered, “but they should. The Draconic Kingdom has maintained good relations with its aquatic neighbours since before We were born. Honestly, it’s not too hard since there are boundaries that one cannot cross even if one wanted to. As long as treaties are respected, things tend to go in favourable directions.”

“What Your Majesty proposes for the future is different, though,” Liane said. “All of those aquatic tribes and countries must have conflicts between themselves.”

“Oh, they do. But they have also existed alongside one another all this time. As Nobles from a multiracial country, you would do well to understand that ruling over many races is more a matter of guidance than it is of raw power. At best, raw power is a means by which one is afforded the opportunity to lay a lasting foundation for such a country.”

Did that mean that she would be running her country much as Ludmila did her territories? Her ‘Human development’ aside, the style of management that Ludmila enacted could be described as ‘loose’ or even next to nonexistent. Most of the population lived as they always had, with some caveats. She was in no rush to encourage the type of development most Nobles aimed for, instead focusing on weaving a cultural tapestry that all of her subjects could be a part of.

That aside, the most important aspect of Queen Oriculus’ proposals – to both Clara and Lady Albedo, at least – was that they were well on their way to establishing the diplomatic and economic foothold that Clara had originally proposed for the southeast. If things went as Queen Oriculus suggested, they would be running years or even decades ahead of schedule. Everything needed to be reevaluated, recalculated and adjusted to match.

It was all to the Sorcerous Kingdom’s benefit, however. Lady Albedo would likely be pleased that at least one ‘front’ was advancing faster than planned since the others didn’t seem to be getting anywhere very quickly.

“These changes to agricultural production,” Florine spoke up. “They appear to be well above what we’ve stated our current demand to be. May we ask Your Majesty where it will be going?”

“Not very far,” Queen Oriculus replied. “Those industries will grow in line with the demands to the east in the future. The market in the Sorcerous Kingdom is just what We need to get things going.”

“…the east? Do you mean with the Beastmen?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“I see.”

“I don’t,” Liane said. “Can you really just show up one day and say ‘hey, we have stuff for sale’ and the people that have been eating you for generations suddenly change tack? Not to mention them getting over a million of their people obliterated here just recently.”

“Yes, We can.”

A disgruntled look leaked out from behind Liane’s mask. Queen Oriculus covered her growing smile.

“One must consider the circumstances in which everything has happened,” she said. “You may feel that the Beastmen attacking the Draconic Kingdom was some special case, but We will have you know that it isn’t. Friction between different races is common in the world. It is common and the solutions are also common. Those different races may not be Human, but they are not as inhuman as many in this region believe them to be. Also, tribal types are especially honest in various ways. We will not have any major issues dealing with them now that We actually can.”

“Alright, I’ll give Your Majesty that much, but there’s still the whole thing with the Undead…”

Liane jerked to the side as Florine’s elbow found her ribs. She was getting too sloppy with her speech. Queen Oriculus, however, only tilted her head curiously.

“Why would the Undead be a problem?” She asked, “We will just let them know what happened.”

“Y-you will?”

“Of course. There’s little point in saying otherwise. We have a one-thousand-year lease on your Undead so they aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. Many believe that the admission of what they consider shameful or reprehensible leaves them at a political disadvantage, but those games of power and deception are simply not worth playing most of the time. What’s done is done, and they can only move on from there. Besides, what I did was far worse. It is something I must take responsibility for.”

“Is that a part of why you’ve left your eastern territories unmanaged, Your Majesty?” Ludmila asked, “The Marshal’s security arrangements were a surprise.”

According to Ludmila, the Undead security forces were limited to patrolling a small buffer zone just beyond the inhabited provinces of the Draconic Kingdom. Additionally, their orders weren’t to summarily execute any Beastmen that they came across, but to drive them away.

“It is the first step,” Queen Oriculus nodded. “While I cannot return what I have stolen, I can help nurture what grows in its place. Leaving the land wild and open for hunting for the time being will help speed their recovery. Hopefully, this will also help with the problems that they will surely face elsewhere after losing so many of their warriors. In time, I will see to it that they have a chance to enter the Sorcerous Kingdom’s sphere of influence in a not-so-unfortunate way.”

“We will be sure to inform our Royal Court of your intentions.”

Ludmila sent Clara a look. Clara nodded in return.

“Good,” the Queen smiled. “Now, We believe that Our proposals satisfy the objectives of your Royal Court? The Sorcerous Kingdom is ushering in a new order. Rather than coming to the Draconic Kingdom as a conqueror, it has extended its hand in friendship. As such, We can only believe that you desire strong, independent voices in your hegemony to legitimise its status as a benevolent actor on the world stage. Everything that We have done so far has been to accommodate this, and We shall continue to do so for as long as it is the Sorcerous Kingdom’s intent.”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Clara replied. “That is exactly what we came here to do. I will deliver your proposals to the Royal Court for review, but I can only imagine that they will be pleased with these developments. Thank you for your cooperation, understanding and patience. We look forward to working with you in the future.”

Clara and her delegation rose from their seats, lowering their heads before the Queen. Though everything had happened in an entirely roundabout and unexpected way, the Sorcerous Kingdom’s diplomacy appeared to be off to an exceptional start.