Valkyrie's Shadow

Winter's Crown: Act 7, Chapter 6

Winter's Crown: Act 7, Chapter 6

Chapter 6

The scent of rain on the wind filled Ilyshn’ish’s nostrils as she was taken from the Magician Guild. On the street between the Guildhall and the market stands of the main plaza, six more Death Knights awaited on the street. A dozen Elder Liches were in the air surrounding the building. No matter how she looked at it, Ilyshn’ish thought it too much for her poor and harmless self.

A light drizzle started to fall, which rapidly progressed into a downpour that drove the citizens under the eaves of the buildings lining the streets. She cringed under the stares of the men and women waiting out the weather as the grim procession of Death Knights and Elder Liches led a soaked and miserable beauty under the harsh glare of the streetlamps, oblivious to the pouring rain.

Several minutes later, she was brought past an extraordinarily powerful Undead sentry with a shining crown and purple cloak. They ushered her into a small room of the southern gatehouse leading into the central district. Ilyshn’ish was seated alone at a wooden table, and the Death Knights and Elder Liches returned to wherever they had come from.

Sniffling in the damp air of the dark room, she pondered her fate. Why had she received such a nonsensical accusation?

The first thing she had done after being released from the postal service’s delivery schedule was to commit the laws and customs of the city to memory as quickly as possible. Admittedly, there were many terms and concepts she did not truly understand, but she was certain that she hadn’t committed any crimes. It was perfectly legal to trade goods, and many people did just that without being accused of selling. It wasn’t her first time selling something either, and those other times they weren’t even goods that she had produced herself, unlike her eggs.

There was a strange phrase used when it came to dealing with the authorities of the city: the innocent have nothing to fear. She thought it a silly notion, as the world generally didn’t care if you were innocent or not. Ilyshn’ish cared nothing for the innocence of her prey, nor did anyone else. The innocent had plenty to fear – especially from those who had the power of life and death over them. Such words being used by the powerful was extremely suspect in itself.

Resistance was pointless, however. Actually, resistance was markedly not conducive to one’s health in the Sorcerous Kingdom, having clear repercussions outlined in the codified laws that she had studied. And so she nervously waited, watching the rain fall beyond the barred window. Across the street, several Humans had gathered. They gestured towards her and whispered to one another with fearful expressions. Having never been arrested before, she had no idea what would happen and it didn’t help with her mounting anxiety.

It was not long before she felt two figures stir in the nearby office. The sound of silken robes whispered over the stone floor, mixed with the telltale tread of Death Knight boots. An Elder Lich appeared in the door frame with a clipboard in hand, followed by a Death Knight carrying her Infinite Haversack in a gauntleted hand.

The Elder Lich went to stand at the head of the table after activating a magical lamp that glared down from overhead, and the Death Knight stood across from her, placing the container down between them. The Undead mage raised a pen and cleared its nonexistent throat.

“You have been reported for the theft and attempted sale of His Majesty’s property,” it said in a dusty voice.

Contrary to Guildmaster Raksheer, the Elder Lich’s words carried no sense of agitation, excitement or accusation. Or it could just be because it was one of the Undead. Then again, the Vampire Brides working for the postal service were expressive and sociable enough once one got to know them. Ilyshn’ish tamped down on the bitterness at her unjust treatment, but it still leaked out of her reply.

“That much was quite clear when you all came storming in,” she said. “Was it really necessary to organize such a ridiculous response? The people in the plaza must have thought a Dragon Lord was inside that building.”

“It was appropriate to the reported transgression,” the Elder Lich replied. “If one was capable of stealing from a Frost Dragon, we must assume that the individual involved is strong enough to evade the notice of all the security measures they would have to get past…and the compliance of the suspect is not guaranteed.”

“If someone was sneaky enough to do that,” Ilyshn’ish pointed out, “they would just leave the city and conduct their business elsewhere.”

“That is highly likely,” the Elder Lich agreed, “but it is not an excuse to shirk our procedures. Due diligence is warranted in all situations.”

The Death Knight reached down to loosen the opening of her Infinite Haversack, reaching inside.

“W-what are you doing?” Ilyshn’ish sat up in alarm.

“Following procedure.”

The first item to come out was her tag with the ‘19’ upon it. With mixed feelings, she gestured to the plaque.

“There. That should be enough to prove who I am, right? No one would bother stealing that.”

At first, she had thought to return to her Dragon self, but then she considered that it would do nothing as she had been reported for trying to ‘sell the Sorcerer King’s property’. The Death Knights might have done something like stabbing her as well. Lady Shalltear would also likely stab her for causing a commotion in the main plaza. Aside from that, she preferred that people not realize that she was a Dragon in some other appearance, as it provided her with many interesting perspectives that she would not have gained otherwise.

The Elder Lich picked up the tag, examining it with a critical crimson eye.

“While the item itself appears to be genuine,” it said, “it has been…modified. It may be an attempt at forgery. The penalties for such acts are severe.”

The scratching of pen on paper filled the air with its sterile condemnation.

“I-I wasn’t the one who did that!” Ilyshn’ish protested, “The Vampire Bride scribbled the number in it when it was assigned to me! At least send for one of the postal staff to confirm my identity.”

The Elder Lich looked up from its writing, then turned around to exit the guardhouse. A Death Knight stomped off into the Central District. When it returned, it nodded at the Death Knight in the room, who continued to take things out of her bag. A frigid tendril of agitation rose within her.

“Wait!” She said nervously, “What are you doing?”

“Following procedure,” the Elder Lich said.

“Shouldn’t we wait for the Death Knight to return with one of the postal staff?” Ilyshn’ish reasoned.

“This would not alter our procedures.”

Her clenched fingers started to crush the edge of the wooden bench she was seated upon.

“P-please stop…”

“Why?”

“Because it’s my stuff! T-this isn’t good…”

Ilyshn’ish’s mind swam as she tried to think of a reason for them to stop. She couldn’t tell them that she was about to jam the Death Knight through the bars of the window for messing around with her possessions. The powerful Undead outside with the shiny crown would probably jam her through the bars of the window immediately after that.

“W-wouldn’t you think it’s embarrassing to have someone go through your things like this?”

“No.”

More items came out of the bag. Ilyshn’ish hoped that they wouldn’t blame her for the missing chunk of the bench. She tried distracting herself by pretending that she was making an account of her personal belongings.

There were several curiosities, two valuable-smelling stones that she had purchased from an Ogre for one copper each, several useful potions, and a few Message scrolls. Several dozen books about Humans, their cultures, and lands joined them on the table, followed by a stack of rolled-up parchments. The Death Knight unfurled them one after another, revealing maps of E-Rantel and locations around the Sorcerous Kingdom, as well as more crude maps of the surrounding nations. The Undead sentry turned its head to exchange looks with the Elder Lich.

“Are you perhaps…a spy?” The Elder Lich asked her.

Was she a spy? Many of the tasks that Lady Shalltear intended for her were something like what spies were described to do: learning about peoples and places, investigating foreign locales for the eventual expansion of Lady Shalltear’s influence, collecting all manner of maps and crucial information about logistics, trade and resources…

“I see.”

The Elder Lich spoke into her silence, and the scratching sounds of the pen filled the room.

Her five eggs were placed on the table, followed by her drum. The Death Knight felt around the bag for several moments before turning it over.

“Wai–”

In a cascade of metallic clinking, a small pile of platinum coins spilt over everything. Small diamonds sparkled in the light of the lamp overhead. Ilyshn’ish sat mesmerized by the sight of her accumulated treasures.

“How suspicious,” the Elder Lich muttered.

She blinked in confusion. Ilyshn’ish was quite proud of it. Why would it be suspicious? She held back the urge to arrange the pile in a more pleasing configuration.

As per ‘procedure’, her belongings were catalogued as a part of the investigation. Her mortification grew as they pored over every little detail, asking her intrusive questions.

A Vampire Bride appeared near the end, and Ilyshn’ish rose from her seat, rushing forward to throw her arms around her dripping waist.

“I’m so relieved to see you!” Ilyshn’ish cried, “Get me out of this prison!”

“This is a gatehouse office,” the Vampire Bride said, “not a prison. What did you do?”

“Nothing! How could you just assume that this is my fault? We’ve known each other for months!”

“You do tend to get yourself in trouble for all sorts of things…”

The scratching of the pen started again.

“F-forget that for now!” Ilyshn’ish said hurriedly, “Make them return my things!”

“I can’t make them do anything,” the Vampire Bride told her. “They are performing the tasks assigned to them in an appropriate fashion.”

They waited as Ilyshn’ish’s possessions were put away. Her eggs, however, remained on the table.

“What about my eggs?” Ilyshn’ish asked.

“Research and development has expressed an interest in them,” the Elder Lich answered.

“But they’re mine.”

“They are the property of His Majesty.”

“But I thought we determined that they weren’t stolen…”

“Correct,” the Elder Lich put its clipboard away somewhere. “You are free to leave.”

“I laid those eggs,” Ilyshn’ish told them. “Why are they being taken from me?”

“All subjects, possessions and property of the Sorcerous Kingdom are the property of His Majesty.”

“Wha–! That’s not right!”

“His Majesty is always right,” the Elder Lich said.

Flabbergasted at its arbitrary response, she looked over at the Vampire Bride.

“How would you feel if you were considered His Majesty’s property?”

“If His Majesty considered me his personal property,” the Vampire Bride raised a hand to her faintly flushed cheek, “I would be pleased beyond measure…but Lady Shalltear would become jealous. W-what do I do?”

The Vampire Bride squirmed in place, and Ilyshn’ish sighed. She was clearly at a disadvantage in the company of these people. Ilyshn’ish snatched her bag from the table and fastened it back over her waist before storming out with the Vampire Bride in tow. It was still raining sheets, and they were soaked through within seconds. The Humans that had been watching the proceedings from across the street openly gawked at them.

Outrageous. How could they go from frightened to aroused with the flip of a coin? Maybe it was some strange survival instinct for weak, mortal races.

“Where are you going?” The Vampire Bride asked as Ilyshn’ish made her way up the main promenade.

“Back to my place,” Ilyshn’ish said. “The world obviously has it out for me today, so I’m going to sleep.”

“There’s actually something that we need to discuss,” the Vampire Bride told her. “Please come with me to the main office.”

What now? She didn’t even want to ask. They turned right before the city’s administrative office and went a short distance before entering the Vampire Post headquarters. Walking by the Vampire Brides at the reception and ascending the stairs, they made their way through a long, unlit hallway until they arrived at a large, open office on the third floor.

Within, a dozen Vampire Brides worked at desks lined along the walls. A circular table, five metres across, dominated the centre of the room. Upon it was a giant map of the regions surrounding the Sorcerous Kingdom. Eighteen triangular white markers were placed in various places, and a Vampire Bride would occasionally move one of them with a long, stick-like instrument.

The Vampire Bride with Ilyshn’ish led her to one of the desks. It was clear of any clutter and the only adornment upon it was a pyramidal object with a ‘19’ etched onto its faces.

“I get a desk?” Ilyshn’ish asked.

“It’s my desk,” the Vampire Bride replied. “I’ve been assigned as your personal agent.”

Ilyshn’ish looked at the other desks nearby. Each had their own number, and most were occupied with a Vampire Bride doing some sort of paperwork.

“What does a ‘personal agent’ do?”

“Something like a manager, I suppose?” The Vampire Bride seated herself, “Now that we have formed a stable framework for the transportation network’s basic operations, proper staffing arrangements are being made. Normally, this means seeing to the scheduling and various needs of each Dragon in order to ensure the smooth operation of the system as a whole.”

“So you’re not something like a Merchant Guild agent?”

“What’s that?”

“Um…something about purchasing them temporarily and they go out and earn treasures for you?”

“Certainly not,” the Vampire Bride told her. “Compensation for delivery flights is something that is currently being worked out, but I am not your personal servant.”

“I see…wait, we’re being paid now?”

“For deliveries, yes. You, however, have been removed from the delivery schedule, so the only time you’ll be paid for deliveries is if you’re fulfilling courier requests. At any rate, your duties are apart from the others, and I have been selected by Lady Shalltear to work with you.”

The Vampire Bride reached down to retrieve a narrow file from a desk cabinet.

“Was there any particular reason for that?” Ilyshn’ish asked.

Was she a specially trained Vampire Bride? Having a superior ‘agent’ would be something to boast about to the other Frost Dragons, at least.

“I believe it was because she fancied the combination,” the Vampire Bride answered.

“T-the combination?”

Did she pick up the meaning wrongly, somehow? It shouldn’t be the case…

“Yes,” the Vampire Bride nodded. “Lady Shalltear decided that, if she were to take you to bed with one of us, I would be the most pleasing match. I look forward to working together with you.”

“Huh?”

“Anyways, here are your new orders from Lady Shalltear.”

The Vampire Bride waggled the file in her direction as if she had just not said something entirely incomprehensible. Ilyshn’ish hesitantly took it in her hand and flipped it open, furrowing her brow at the content.

“R-reassignment? Permanent?”

“Lady Shalltear has decided that your new residence is to be at the location listed within. Since you were dissatisfied with your accommodations in the city, I thought you would be pleased with the new arrangements.”

“It says ‘at management’s discretion’ here,” Ilyshn’ish frowned over the dubious line. “Anyways, I don’t think this is necessary. Lord Mare has fashioned a comfortable lair for me in the Adventurer Training Ar–”

“Lord Mare informed us that the course is being altered,” the Vampire Bride said. “Something about a volcanic crater…or was it a lava lake?”

“What!” Ilyshn’ish squawked.

“With this being the case, it was decided that now would be the best time to make the move…unless you wish to remain in your current accommodations? Or was there perhaps something you left behind?”

“N-no, but this is just too sudden,” Ilyshn’ish said. “I just moved in last month! Dragons don’t move from place to place like some sort of bird!”

“It will be your permanent personal residence,” the Vampire Bride said, “so wouldn’t it be best to get accustomed to it sooner rather than later? The local management at your new assignment is quite adept, so I’m sure you’ll be provided with a suitable domicile.”

“What about my work in the city?”

“It’s less than thirty minutes from E-Rantel at your usual cruising speed, so continuing with your tasks here should not present any difficulties. Lady Shalltear will be awaiting your arrival, so do not keep our mistress waiting.”