Legacy of Death_Revenge

by Thomas J. L. Green

  “This is weird… we should have met some spiders by now,” a voice echoed through the tunnel.

  “Yeah… where are they? We are almost at the main nest,” Another voice sounded.

  “This is beyond weird… what?” group of people stood at the southern entrance of the cavern and stared.

  “Hi! Got some chocolate?” Astril bumped into them.

  “Wha… who are you?”

  “I’m Astril. That’s a nice backpack; there’s gotta be some chocolate in it!” Astril weaved between them while poking into their backpacks.

  They were six, four clad in heavy metallic armors and two in lighter leather armors. All looked young and had brightly colored hair and paint on their pale skin.

  “I’m Jack, Jack Carlyle. Pleasure to meet you,” in armor with silver-red hair recomposed himself and offered Astril a hand.

  “Don’t greet me… I’m just looking for chocolate. Zerae’s the boss,” Astril ignored the hand and motioned toward Zerae.

  “Leena?” Zerae asked softly.

  “Clean one,” Leena replied.

  “I am sorry, but what is happening?” Jack looked around confused.

  “I apologize for the rude introduction. We are Faye. I am Zerae Hellwind, War Leader of the Hellwind clan,” Zerae stepped toward Jack.

  “Jack Carlyle, heir to the house Carlyle of Langburn,” Jack went to Zerae and they shook hands.

  “You look pretty, you should have some chocolate,” Astril bumped into a woman in heavy armor.

  They all looked confused.

  “Chocolate is not a codeword. She really wants chocolate; if you would happen to have some, it will shut her up for a while,” Zerae breathed awkwardly.

  “Here,” the woman handed Astril a small wrapped package.

  Astril unwrapped it. “CHOCOLATE!” She bit into it and walked to the side of the cavern to not have to share it with anyone.

  “Sorry for the interruption. I know this sounds stupid, but who are you people?” Zerae asked calmly.

  “I believe you surfacers would call us the cavern people,” Jack smiled.

  Zerae looked at Leena, Astril, then back at Jack. She just shook her head.

  “Alright… you live under the sun, right?”

  “We do,” Zerae agreed.

  “We don’t. There are massive caverns deep under the surface; our civilization lies in there. I will say it straight, I don’t know what Faye are either,” Jack admitted.

  “A type of us surfacers. I hope you don’t mind the spiders,” Zerae tossed up.

  “Oh… so it was you who killed them. Thank you. We have been dwindling down their numbers for weeks. I guess this is the end of that,” Jack evaluated.

  “Not a problem. Do you know what that is?” Zerae motioned to the massive carving in the wall.

  “No. May?” he turned to one of the armored women. She stepped forward to take a closer look.

  “Nope. Spiders have infested this place for over a century… what do you think it is?” May asked.

  “No idea,” Zerae lied calmly.

  “Mayyyeeee… pretty girl… got some more chocolate?” Astril caught May from behind. May jumped up in her skin but didn’t evade.

  “You ate all I had,” she said awkwardly.

  “Hmm… you got one more thing I would like to eat,” Astril whispered in her ear as she latched herself onto May.

  “I’m not into that plus I have someone,” May breathed as she instantly turned red.

  “All pretty girls have someone… doesn’t mean they don’t deserve more,” Astril breathed and caught May’s neck by her lips.

  “ASTRIL!” Zerae cut her off.

  “Later then,” Astril gave may a quick kiss on the neck and weaved herself away from her.

  “Langburn… that sounded like a ciiiiittyyy. How far is it?” Leena asked.

  “Half a day of walk. You are more than welcomed to come visit it with us! There was a reward on these spiders and it would be unjust for us to cash it in when you did all the hard work,” Jack offered warmly.

  “I am not sure we have the time for it,” Zerae refused.

  Astril, Leena, Elizabeth and Chloe all pierced her with a stare.

  “While this might well be the first time we Faye met you cavern people. I believe it would be proper to make a formal visit at a more convenient opportunity. It has been an honor to meet you, sir Carlyle,” Zerae ended the motion.

  “BOOOOORIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING!” Leena shouted.

  “Oh, come on, Zerae, I’ve got a cavern snatch to taste!” Astril added angrily.

  “SHUT UP!” Zerae shouted.

  “I understand. In case you change your mind, here is a rough map of the area. That should lead you to our city from this place. Out of pure curiosity. What does Clean one mean? Because that was a code if I had ever seen one,” Jack smiled.

  “Clean means you carry no dangerous or interesting magical items, one means any one of us can easily dispatch all of you in case you would want to fight. Do not worry though, we have no interest in fighting your people or raiding your city or anything of the sort,” Zerae smiled charmingly.

  “I will keep that in mind, lady Zerae.”

  12

  Zerae

  “What do you think?” Zerae whispered to Sibyl Voidwalker and Claire Darkscream. The three commanders of the lower council sat together to prepare themselves for the meeting with matrons.

  Zerae kicked Sibyl under the table to wake her up. “Gah! Right… well… I don’t like it. Any of it. We are getting dragged into someone else’s war and it might not be one we can win,” Sibyl announced confusedly. She picked up the fallen golden tiara and quickly rearranged her long moonlight hair.

  “Getting scared?” Claire taunted her.

  “Actually, yes. We have had four demonic princes visit us in past months. All were likely asking for something… I don’t want to know what the matrons did or didn’t promise them,” Sibyl replied.

  “Let’s share our intel. Do you have any information about what happened in those meetings?” Zerae concurred. Claire turned serious as well. She was the youngest of the three commanders. Of their council, Zerae had the decisive power, but she and Sibyl were her second and third in command.

  “Not much… grandmother doesn’t want to talk about it. What I got is that all four of them think they are under attack and think the other three are more or less involved in it,” Sibyl admitted.

  “Elaine says nothing, but has tripled her practice regime in the past half a year,” Claire concurred. “That never means good times are ahead.”

  “All I get from mother is that our future will be glorious,” Zerae smirked sadly.

  Demon princes are the worst types of guests. All Faye know it. But… do our matrons? I wish I weren’t unsure about this.

  “We need to infer it from something. Did your scouts pick up anything interesting lately?” Zerae asked.

  “A massive Palai army is going rampage to the east, beyond the mountains. It took Cinderwell after a short siege and handed it over to Salazar of Xona. Now it’s going genocidal on everything it doesn’t like to the north from there,” Claire started.

  “Massive fleet of Palai warships left from Xona. It’s over hundred warships strong and bound to arrive in the Sea of Serpents some time now,” Sibyl added.

  I know these… but didn’t know the scale. Come to think of it, to the north there is nothing, to the east there is a Palai army and to the south will soon be Palai fleet. It’s not that close to us… but still. Hundred warships, those carry easily over fifteen thousand soldiers… more than all Faye in Voidspire.

  “West is… I don’t even know what to say about it. There used to be a massive population of bird and snake demons all over the west, stretching from Zaraguza highlands all the way to Cotton Woods. Over the past two years, almost all of these demons have been wiped out. Nobody knows by whom; nobody knows how, nobody knows why. The crows think it was the snakes; snakes think it was the cro
ws. I believe neither of them. They are not capable enough to make something like this happen,” Zerae revealed.

  Palai from the East, Palai from the South… guess who’s coming from the West?

  “Matrons will accept you now. Please come in,” one of the guards said from the door. The commanders stepped in and faced the matrons.

  “Report,” Mathilde Hellwind, head of the high council of Faye matrons started the meeting.

  “Search for the Goddess is proceeding without any significant progress. The map which was recovered remains the only clue, if applicable and is yet to be deciphered,” Zerae started.

  “In summary, you are failing at every accord,” Mathilde interrupted her.

  Ouch. You sent me to find something that may well not exist… but this still hurt.

  “Yes, matron,” Zerae confirmed coldly.

  “That’s enough of the present. Time to turn to the future. We have received prospects that should accelerate our search. In particular, we shall be aiding lady Kayleanne and lord Ebilezerhar in investigation and solution of the murders of their subjects. Moreover, we shall be assisting lord Nallach in protection and reallocation of refugees from the area of Kerrulnar and finally, the pirate lord Ur’Thul’Gar has asked us to help in scouting for his fleets. This request shall be granted as well,” Mathilde revealed.

  “Have you all gone insane? You sold us out to the demons? Dragged us into their wars? We do not have the military capacity to carry out any single of these tasks,” Zerae shouted.

  “SILENCE! The high council has already decided this. Your opinion is irrelevant,” Mathilde cut her off.

  “As the highest commander of our military forces, I do have a say in any matters that involve it which these clearly do,” Zerae saw the anger and hatred in her mother’s eyes, but she couldn’t stay silent. This was pure insanity, the insanity that might well cost them all their lives.

  “Due to your repeated failures to deliver any results in the search, as of today morning, the commandment of our military has been transferred to the high council.”

  “You can’t do that; we have laws which we all abide by. You cannot transfer command of the military from individual champions,” Zerae contested.

  “By the decision of the high council, those laws had been adjusted to meet the current needs of the clans.”

  “Changing of military laws would require the agreement of the grand council, I do not remember any such changes being voted upon,” Zerae held her ground.

  “They were. Since you were unavailable to attend, your sister Allicia took your place for these meetings,” Mathilde smiled poisonously.

  Did she send me off in the search to do this? Sibyl was also gone, so if she had Allicia vote in my place while Sibyl was missing without replacement, her, Karmen and Allicia could pass anything she wanted.

  “That’s a loophole at best; there is no way our people will accept you tricking me out of my position like this,” Zerae breathed.

  “Won’t they? Remind me, daughter, how much time and effort did you spend on searching for the Goddess? What have you delivered in return? It’s been way over two years and there are zero useful results. A War Leader who cannot fulfill her duties has no right to lead. We all know that,” Mathile jabbed.

  Her words pierced through Zerae. Have I… lost? I still have my position, but it’s just a word if the decisions are done without me. I have failed.

  “Yes, matron,” Zerae slightly bowed her head.

  Mathilde’s smile was cruel and victorious.

  “I shall oversee the cooperation with Ur’Thul’Gar myself, Elaine shall handle the investigation for Kayleanne and Ebilezerhar while Karmen shall oversee the operation for Nallach,” she continued.

  “My second in command shall be my dearest daughter, Allicia. Gather your finest warriors; we meet in the war room by tomorrow’s dawn,” Mathilde concluded her speech.

  “Yes, matron,” Zerae bowed.

  “Claire, please get me whatever top dream seers and scientists you can gather, from any clan. We meet in our war room in two hours,” Elaine Darkscream commanded.

  “Got it,” Claire nodded.

  “Sibyl, see me privately right after we are done,” Karmen Voidwalker smiled at her granddaughter.

  Sibyl just smiled back in agreement.

  “Looks like it didn’t go well,” Astril mused as she saw Zerae enter her room.

  “Matrons decided to take over our armed forces and sell us to demons for empty promises. I am effectively demoted to nothing,” Zerae admitted in a weak voice. It took all her strength to not break down crying.

  “Welcome to the club,” Astril smirked.

  “Leena! Get Elizabeth and go to the Darkscream war room, now. Elaine will lead the investigation for whatever is happening in the west and I want to know what the hell is going on over there as well. Get hold of Elaine in private and make sure she doesn’t do anything outright hostile. Setup a meeting with me if she doesn’t agree. Astril! You lay low. I will get help from the Matron for defying her today and the last thing I need is to add your bullshit to it,” Zerae ordered.

  “Sure,” Leena confirmed and left with Elizabeth.

  They were alone in the room, just her and Astril. Zerae collapsed to the bed. Astril weaved herself into her and softly stroked her hair, “it will be alright.”

  “It won’t… I have failed. We’re all going to die and there is nothing we can do about it.”

  “Don’t say that,” Astril breathed, “you will find a way out of this, I’m sure you will.”

  “How? We are joining the demons at the time when Palai Order is coming at them with the largest army they had ever had. We’re like a leaf in a hurricane. Now we will fly around, then get crushed by the wind when it hits us from the wrong side. We will either die on a pyre or be eaten by demons.”

  “There is always a way,” Astril exhaled, “and you will find it, I’m sure of it.”

  “I don’t know, Astril, I don’t know.”

  “You will find a way to save us, I’m sure of it,” Astril added.

  “Your belief in me is unfounded. I got outplayed by Mathilde without even realizing she’s doing it. I am a failure.”

  “I tell you, Zerae, you will find a way.”

  Zerae grabbed Astril’s head and engaged her in a kiss. “Make me forget.”

  13

  Elizabeth

  “Alright, nerds, listen up!” Elaine Darkscream opened up the meeting. There were fifteen other Faye in the room. Elizabeth was hiding behind Leena, pretending to not be there.

  “I had Claire gather you here because you are the smartest and nerdiest Faye there are. The purpose of this group is the following. The blue dots on this map,” Elaine pointed at a large map on the wall, “are the crow demon nests that were wiped out in the past two years. They have a rough time estimate of when it happened. On this map,” Elaine pointed at a map to her right, “the green dots are demon snake lairs that were wiped out in the past two years, same issue with the dates. On the table is the combined map.”

  “The demons think it was the other one doing it and want us to investigate. I don’t give a damn about that. What I need is to find out who is doing this and meet with them. First goal is to answer the following question – how the fuck is this happening? In particular, how does one find all the demon nests and lairs without being detected?” Elaine finished her presentation and looked around the room. Everyone was busy going through papers or swarming to the maps. She observed it with content.

  “May I interrupt?” Leena bumped into her from behind.

  “Hmm?” Elaine turned to her.

  “Zerae sent me to ask you if you would please consider doing nothing hostile toward the potential suspects. I know that’s not how we usually do things, but the circumstances aren’t exactly standard,” Leena said in a calm voice.

  “Tell me, Leena, for how long were you preparing these two lines?” Elaine asked.

  “About half an hour,�
� Leena admitted awkwardly.

  “Tell our War Leader that I see things the same way. Please also tell her that I did get outvoted at the high council at literally every decision in past year,” Elaine smiled.

  “Thank you,” Leena whispered and walked back to Elizabeth.

  “So? Don’t tell me you don’t have anything yet?” Elaine asked mockingly about an hour later.

  “Well… everything we can think of is impossible,” one of the Faye replied.

  “Elaborate,” Elaine commanded calmly.

  “Flying doesn’t work because you can’t see the snake lairs. Walking doesn’t work because you get detected and can’t really see the bird nests. Being random doesn’t work because you would backtrack a lot and that’s not the case by the times. Dream World doesn’t work because connecting even one group to a physical location would take too long,” she summarized.

  “I agree… what makes the Dream World option take too long?” Elaine asked.

  “You need to go through bubbles until you find one that feels like it belongs to a demon. Then you need to check the ones around to see if they belong to demon too and if they are from the same time. Then you need to calculate their relative location in the real world… I mean, in terms of time, if all of us here cooperated it would take over a week to find just one of them,” another girl joined in.

  “That doesn’t sound too hard. Just go to Dream World, quickly hop through bubbles, remember where you went, do some simple math and you got a location,” Elaine contested.

  The room went silent.

  “Ehhh…. well…. Matron,” one of the Faye women regrouped herself.

  “Give it to me straight. We are trying to solve this, not play on formalisms and honorifics,” Elaine commanded.

  “Well… matron,” she started again.

  “Elaine.”

  “Well… matron Elaine.”

  “Just Elaine.”

  “Well… Elaine… going to Dream World isn’t so simple. It’s extremely hard to do at will and almost impossible to do consecutively as it would just make you go insane. Even Leena, who is the best dreamwalker from us, has to take drugs pretty much all the time to handle,” she started carefully.