Ogre Tyrant

Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 46 – As needs must – Part One

Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 46 - As needs must - Part One

It had been one of the longest nights of my life. Gric’s telepathic updates had been frequent but unsettling. The Liche’s second invasion of Sanctuary was reported to have followed the same playbook as the first. While expendable undead and the Vampyr sought to create chaos and draw attention to themselves, the Liche and an elite cadre of powerful Vampyrs had appeared inside of the Grove without warning.

Only this time, the Liche had attempted to head straight for the tunnel that led to my home. She was coming for me and my family. It was only through good fortune that Lash had taken the children out of the Grove.

As best I could piece together events from the perspectives of Gric, Lash, and Toofy, since Ril was in a mana fatigue coma. Ril had been warned of the attack by Gric, and then immediately acted to move herself, Toofy, Anette, and my family from harm's way.

Figuring out why she had chosen to flee to the Laine Labyrinth had required some assumptions on my part, but I believed I had arrived at the most likely answer.

The Liche had already demonstrated that she could move through the Hurst Labyrinth with seeming impunity, so nowhere could be relied upon to be safe from her reach. The Mournbrent Labyrinth was the Liche’s home territory and going there would be begging for trouble. This left the Laine Labyrinth as the only available location theoretically outside of the Liche’s immediate reach. Of course, that would change if the Liche became aware of the Gateways and managed to bypass the control measures, but even that was preferable to having the Liche appear directly inside of the Grove without warning.

The fact that the Liche would now have to spend some time reconstituting her body before making another attempt was the only silver lining I could find. Dozens of militia had been wounded while fending off the undead, and several had been killed by the Vampyr before she had made her escape.

I had failed to protect them.

With the Liche temporarily destroyed, Gric and I had agreed that the Nursery would be open at all hours for the next couple of days. With the Liche temporarily out of commission, it would be best to make the most of the situation.

Gregory quietly shifted his weight from one foot to the other, the sudden movement drawing me from my dark thoughts.

“What is it?” I asked somewhat irritably, making an effort to lower my voice. Lash and our children were sleeping in the house behind me, and I was sitting in front of the doorway. This also made it so Gregory and I were very nearly at eye level with one another.

Gregory had already explained what he wanted, but I had forgotten after becoming distracted by my previous conversation with Gric.

If he was in any way put out for having to wait so long for an answer only to then have to repeat himself, Gregory made no signs of it. “Our Scouts have confirmed that your raid on the enemy camp appears to be having a greater impact than initially expected. Several smaller elements of the enemy force seem to be preparing to abandon the siege. The high command would respectfully wish to borrow the talents of your Majesty’s Earth Mage to enlarge the secret escape tunnel out of the city.”

“Why do they need the tunnel made larger?” I asked warily.

“High command wants to harry the fragmenting elements with our cavalry, but sallying out the front gate would largely defy the point and result in unacceptable casualties. However, if the escape tunnel were sufficiently enlarged, then it would be possible for our cavalry to manoeuvre without being detected by those maintaining the siege,” Gregory explained patiently.

“Alright,” I agreed, “You can have Ochram return from Mournbrent so he can modify the tunnel. But I want the Dominators to accompany your cavalry so they can seize control over any Slaves.”

Gregory bobbed his head respectfully, but shifted somewhat uneasily, “That may not be the most effective use of their talents, Majesty. It is common practice in Imperial warfare to sell Slaves to other armies already deployed in the field rather than bring them back to the empire. This saves them the trouble of feeding and watering the Slaves, as well as allowing them to return to the empire that much sooner.”

“So they would only keep their personal Slaves and sell the rest?” I ground my teeth in irritation, “Fine, the Dominators stay here. But I want Nila and her team to join the hunt. I need someone I can trust to make every effort to save any Slaves they come across.”

Gregory looked surprised and made as if to glance over his shoulder before catching himself, “Ah, does that mean that-”

“Cooper will be going as well?” I interrupted, “Yes, he will. I doubt the splinter elements will go down without a fight, and this is a good opportunity for Nila and her team to get experience fighting out in the open.”

Gregory seemed at a loss for words. It wasn’t all that surprising considering how powerful Ushu and Cooper were when compared to the mounts used by the Asrusians and the Imperials.

“Ask Nadine to send one of her most promising students with Nila for field experience,” I added, not wanting to risk losing Cooper to an otherwise treatable injury. It would be downright embarrassing if Cooper was disabled by another blow to the ankle or shin.

“Ah, of course!” Gregory agreed, almost falling over himself in his eagerness to make the most of the opportunity, “I will make the arrangements right away!” Gregory turned to leave but stopped himself at the last moment, “Ah, but the matter of Her Majesty’s protection?”

“Handled,” I grunted, nodding towards the armoured Orcs surrounding the immediate area, “For now.”

Gregory considered my answer for a moment before apparently deciding he wasn’t going to risk his unexpected gains in a fight he was not going to win.

Watching Gregory leave, I released a deep sigh. I had made a deal with the Orcs that imposed a number of additional enforced requirements in exchange for a fast track to citizenship. Lash’s brief appearance had been more than sufficient to earn unanimous participation.

I had thought about the situation a number of times and realised that the deal was actually skewed rather heavily in their favour. Similar to the Gnolls, there were a number of attributes and qualities that Orcs considered when choosing their mate. Height, build, skills, ability to provide, combat prowess, and prestige.

It was that final quality that the assembled Orcs would accrue in abundance. Personally serving their Tyrant, his Tyrantess and their children. For lack of a better term, they would be our royal guards, a unique position of status within Sanctuary. This was quite fortunate for them since they would only experience a single Evolution in their lifetime and would otherwise lose out as Variant Orcs dominated the competition for partners through bulk obtained through accumulated Evolutions.

The Humans would all be facing a similar bottleneck of Evolution. The next generation would be something different entirely. Many soldiers had already reached the limits of their Evolution, and no small number of civilians in the Hurst Labyrinth had as well. A handful of Human and Orc Hybrids would be hatched in the next couple of days, and they would be the first examples of what Human Evolution was capable of.

As a means of sweetening the deal with the armoured Orcs, I had guaranteed them each the means to Evolve within the next couple of days. It wouldn’t take many resources and would make them all the better suited at their intended role. Of course, I had made the offer before realising how valuable the prestige of their position would be, so I was a little annoyed at myself for not having better business sense.

I very likely would have still evolved the Orcs anyway. After all, their effectiveness in protecting my family would only stand to be improved by Evolving. However, I would have also asked for more in exchange. Each Orc had taken vows to die protecting my family if necessary, but I had felt too guilty to push that vow into specifics. Knowing now the value of what I had offered in exchange, I would have stipulated actively intercepting attacks upon my family with their own bodies if needed, something akin to the trope from action movies.

I ‘could’ still make them take another vow, or force them to the act through Command, but it felt wrong. I just had to take the loss and do better when negotiating in the future.

The scars on my left forearm itched as the cold night air brushed over my skin. The scars were twins left over from the same injury. While retreating from the enemy camp, a javelin fired by a ballista penetrated my shield and tore through my arm.

Nadine had insisted on tending the wound herself, but after we confirmed that there was no arterial damage, I resolved to let the wound heal on its own after being sewn shut. Nadine hadn’t been happy about it, but the wound had closed entirely within an hour, and I didn’t even have to pull out the stitches.

My mysterious biology seemed just as capable of breaking down foreign matter as it was breaking down food. After the wound had healed, the stitches on the outside of my body had simply brushed away at the touch.

Receiving the stitches revealed a potential problem. Nadine had struggled to push the needle through my skin and had to resort to a larger needle just so she could apply more force. As I continued to Evolve, this problem would only grow more difficult. Other monsters would have similar issues as well, as their Racial Abilities defences hindered the application of first aid and minor surgery.

Thankfully, a solution to that problem was already in the works. The push to have as many different Species trained in the Surgeon Classes and in the necessary medical practices would allow each Species to tend to their own in emergencies. Even in a worst-case situation, a Surgeon could direct someone stronger to make the stitches, although it likely wouldn’t be as effective due to a lower level of skill.

I wasn’t sure when I fell asleep, but waking with the sun on my face, I felt a sudden surge of panic as I recalled what had happened during the night. My heart didn’t stop hammering in my chest until I made sure Lash and our children were alright.

Lash had swaddled Pete and Suzy in soaked cloth from Ril’s cauldron. Lash cradled them both to her chest while she slept, ignoring the discomfort imposed by the damp. I wanted to stay, but I had to check on Fesk.

Fesk had taken two arrows and a crossbow bolt to the back while we were retreating from the enemy camp. None of the injuries had been life-threatening, but they had been severe enough to require Nadine’s expertise and supervision.

Ushu was still waiting by the portal, just as I had left him. He stirred at my approach, huffing irritably and shaking himself to cause the armoured plates of his barding to clunk and rattle noisily. A pit beside Ushu was stained with blood and littered with stray scraps of flesh. It was the remnants of the feast I had rewarded him with for so zealously assaulting the enemy camp.

“I’ll have them remove your armour so you can rest in peace,” I promised before heading for the portal.

Ushu huffed loudly in irritation, displacing a cloud of dust in my wake before closing his eyes.

I sent one of the guards posted on the other side of the portal to rouse a team of Ushu’s handlers to remove his barding. The guard was profoundly relieved upon realising he would only be serving as a messenger and not approaching Ushu himself.

I set out for the field hospitals on foot, and it didn’t take long for a patrol to fall into line behind me. I could only figure that soldiers were under orders to follow me if they ever found me travelling the city alone.

The field hospitals weren’t seeing much traffic, which was reassuring. Not only because there were fewer soldiers requiring treatment for injuries, but because it meant that the enemy offensive had continued to stall.

I found Fesk sitting on a cot and conversing with Nadine in sign language.

#-maybe once the war is over.# Nadine signed before pausing briefly. #I am needed here.#

Fesk nodded in understanding, but his hands remained still as he looked towards the entrance to the warehouse and found me ‘eavesdropping’ on their conversation.

Following Fesk’s shift in focus, Nadine gave a small start as she noticed me as well.

“Uh, Fesk is doing better?” I asked somewhat awkwardly, wanting to defuse the situation but unable to think of something else to say.

“Uh, yeah, he is,” Nadine’s cheeks flushed slightly, “There were some minor complications, so it was for the best that we kept him under observation...”

“Complications?” I was relieved that Fesk was healthy, but learning that not everything had gone as expected was somewhat disconcerting.

Nadine nodded, rapidly regaining her composure as she manhandled Fesk to expose his back.

Fesk’s body was littered with scars, both large and small. Some of them were from burns, others from cuts, and a few looked reminiscent of frost burn. I had seen these scars before, so I wasn't particularly shocked or surprised.

Nadine pointed to a fresh scar near Fesk’s spine and above his right shoulder blade, “There was a piece of corroded iron lodged in the bone of his shoulder blade,” she explained and pulled a small object out of her pocket.

It looked like a small arrowhead.

“Fesk said that it is probably from a training exercise when he was younger,” Nadine grimaced and shifted uncomfortably, “Training exercise, not accident,” she repeated sourly, “Apparently, the Liche has the Thralls train with lethal force...Most of those scars are from...training...Fesk...He’s been in pain for years...”

“But he couldn’t tell anyone, or no one cared enough to remove the source of pain,” I guessed sourly.

We used similar training methods in Sanctuary, but participation was optional, and healing was made available on the spot to avoid complications and dramatically reduce the chances of death and maiming. The combat experience was entirely different and far more valuable than traditional sparring, so it wasn’t surprising that the Liche forced her minions to engage in the practice.

“Have you checked for other shrapnel?” I asked, concerned that Fesk might have more pieces of rusting metal causing him pain.

Nadine blushed again and nodded, “There were a couple of other pieces, but nothing bigger than a splinter...”

I nodded thoughtfully, “Scar tissue can encapsulate foreign objects to prevent them from causing more damage, but metals and organic material will be broken down over time. Those splinters might have once been several times larger.”

Nadine just nodded, while avoiding eye contact and returning the corroded piece of metal to her pocket.

“The Liche attacked Sanctuary again,” I stated bluntly, both as a means of changing the subject and informing Nadine of what had happened.

Nadine’s face paled and her eyes grew wide as she took in a sharp breath of surprise.

“The attack was put down before the Liche could do any damage, but several guards were killed fighting off the Vampyr and her vanguard of sacrificial undead...”

“But Lash and your kids are fine?!” Nadine pressed with intense concern. It came as a surprise to me that she hadn’t asked after Clarice or Emelia first, but I was also touched by her concern.

“They weren’t there when the attack happened,” I replied carefully, unsure of who I could fully trust with the details of what had happened, “They are being kept out of the Liche’s reach.”

Nadine gave me a curious look before briefly glancing at the soldiers waiting outside on the street and the small number of soldiers resting in cots on the far side of the warehouse. Nadine nodded in understanding, quite obviously having realised I couldn’t speak freely.

“If you want to accompany Fesk back to the Labyrinth, we can discuss his recovery plan further,” I suggested.

Nadine tightened her lips and nodded, “He will recover faster with the Settlement buff anyway,” she commented slightly louder than was necessary before getting up off of Fesk’s cot and heading to the rear of the warehouse where a small number of her students were gathered.

#Sanctuary is safe?# Fesk signed with a look of concern before stiffly getting to his feet and revealing that he was stripped to his loincloth.

#Complicated.# I signed back.

Fesk nodded in understanding as he pulled on a fresh pair of pants and a tunic. Instead of his old padded armour, Fesk materialised a coat of dark padded silk. He seemed just as surprised as I was. The Asrusian royal crest was still emblazoned over the heart, but the toothy smiling face of Sanctuary was boldly stitched over the back from the collar to the waist.

“Spider silk,” I explained, suddenly realising where the materials had come from, “The weavers must be sourcing a supply from the Desert Orcs.”

Fesk wasn’t to know who the Desert Orcs were, or perhaps even what a spider was, but he seemed to trust me enough not to make a fuss over it.

“It should be much stronger than your padded armour,” I added, trying to reassure him.

Fesk just nodded and did his best to don the rest of his armour, drawing attention to the hole in the back of his breastplate.

“That’s from the arrow that hit you?” I asked, pointing to the hole.

Fesk nodded as he forced the spurred metal flat again with the heel of his boot, #Archer Class Ability.# He signed. #Armour Piercing Arrow.#

I scratched the scar on my left forearm and realised that I must have been hit by the same attack made by a ballista. “Does it require an arrow?” I asked, already suspecting the answer but wanting confirmation.

Fesk shook his head, #Could be a rock. Could be a knife. Could be anything hard.# He had finished flattening the spurs and moved on to strapping his breastplate into place.

“You will need new armour,” I pointed out, earning another silent nod from Fesk. He wasn’t the only one. My vambrace would need to be replaced as well.

By the time Fesk had finished donning his armour, Nadine had made her arrangements with her students and was prepared to leave.

Fesk and Nadine struck up another conversation in sign language while we walked through the city, but I decided to give them some privacy and paid more attention to our surroundings instead.

Upon returning to the topmost district of the city, my escort returned to their duties, leaving us in relative privacy as we entered the Labyrinth shortly afterwards.

“-aren't you just the cutest!” A familiar voice exclaimed, drawing my attention to our right and towards Ushu.

Clarice was running a hand along Ushu’s pale scales with a look of intense admiration, earning a prideful rumble from Ushu in response.

Dhizi was keeping her distance and prowling the edge of Ushu’s feeding pit for scraps.

“Clarice!” Nadine cried in surprise, “What are you doing here?! You should be resting!”

Clarice staggered away from Ushu in surprise, clutching at her chest, sweating and breathing hard as she looked towards Nadine, “Bloody hell! Give me a heart attack, why don’t you?!” Clarice exclaimed exasperatedly, earning a sympathetic hiss from Dhizi.

Ushu huffed with impatience, nudging Clarice from behind and nearly bowling her over.

“Ushu is rather vain,” I explained with a smirk, recalling how Ushu had relished basking in the awe of the city’s citizens.

“Ushu?” Clarice was quiet for a moment and then nodded solemnly, “I think it’s a good name,” she agreed while returning to running her hand over Ushu’s scales.

#In memory of a hero. Who sacrificed themselves. For Sanctuary,# Nadine signed to Fesk with the same solemn expression as Clarice.

The reminder of the Bleak-Fang’s abandonment by their guardian Spirit and Ushu’s sacrifice dominated my thoughts for a short while before I was able to find my voice again. “You loo

k like you are doing better,” I commented, “You aren’t nearly so pale and thin as before.”

“Y-Yeah,” Clarice agreed awkwardly, “I’m feeling a lot better too. Ophelia insisted on helping me get back into shape so I could rejoin the fight.” This almost certainly meant that Ophelia had used her own Ability as a Fallen Angel to take the last of Clarice’s persistent damage from the Liche into herself, allowing Clarice to begin recovering in earnest.

Dhizi hissed excitedly in agreement but suddenly grew quiet as she drew Ushu’s attention.

“Where did you find him anyway?” Clarice asked while examining one of Ushu’s scars, “Drakes are damned rare! And super intelligent!”

Ushu huffed with pride, sending a small cloud of debris flying over Fesk and Nadine.

“I found Ushu and Cooper in the Mournbrent labyrinth-” I began to explain before stopping abruptly as Clarice gave me an even more curious look than before.

“Who is Cooper?” Clarice asked warily while eyeing Fesk.

“The other Drake,” I replied, “I allowed Nila, his rider, to name him,” I explained quickly, wanting to distance myself from the blame.

“Cooper?” Clarice demanded, her voice laden with justifiable incredulity, “You named a Drake, Cooper?...”

“Nila did,” I corrected somewhat defensively, “And besides, it's a far better name than the Vampyrs gave him anyway.”

Without saying a word, Clarice made it clear that she highly doubted it. “So who is this then?” Clarice demanded, nodding her head towards Fesk.

“His name is Fesk,” Nadine replied quite suddenly before I had the chance.

“Fesk?” Clarice didn’t seem particularly impressed with his name either.

#Hello.# Fesk signed, but his face was hidden beneath his helmet.

“Uh hi?” Clarice waved her free hand back at Fesk before looking back to Nadine, “What’s with all the waving?”

“Fesk is a mute,” Nadine replied somewhat heatedly, “And that waving is how he talks!”

“Ehhhhh? Ooookay,” Clarice didn’t seem convinced but also didn’t seem to want to fight over it either.

“I’m serious!” Nadine insisted, “Tim knows this whole language that can be spoken by using just your hands!”

Clarice looked even less convinced than before.

#You are being stupid!# Nadine signed emphatically.

Clarice narrowed her eyes warily at Nadine, “What did you call me?” She demanded quietly, her free hand tensing into a fist as her lips curled into a snarl.

“I thought you didn’t believe I could speak with my hands?” Nadine demanded in return.

Clarice’s eyes narrowed further, “I know when someone is slagging me off!” She growled threateningly, “Even if it’s made up!”

I imposed myself between them and then directed my attention towards Clarice, “It’s called sign language, Clarice. There were multiple kinds of it used back where I came from. This is the version I learned and taught to the others. How you move your hands and fingers signifies what you are trying to say. Some signs are obvious, but others are more nuanced. Toofy calls it hand talking, which is a good way of putting it I suppose.” I tried to end the explanation on a more humorous note to try and dissipate the tension.

“Hand talking?” Clarice seemed less doubtful than before and was less angry, but she seemed convinced not to let the insult go.

“Nadine just said you were being stupid, and you kind of were,” I added, “Or at least, you were being excessively dismissive.”

“Hrmf,” Clarice huffed and turned her attention back to Ushu,

Nadine and Fesk excused themselves and moved off towards one of the benches down the main road.

“Is sign language really real?” Clarice asked quietly, the anger in her voice replaced with uncertainty and regret.

“It is,” I replied honestly.

Clarice sighed and shook her head, “Figures,” she muttered bitterly, “I just...I don’t like it when people mess with me...” Clarice admitted defensively, “I don’t like it when they call me stupid either...I’m not stupid...”

“I know you aren’t,” I agreed supportively. Clarice was impulsive, abrasive, and prone to reckless confrontation, but not stupid.

Still looking determinedly at Ushu’s scales, Clarice gave a small smile, “Thanks, Tim.”

“Are you really in good enough shape to fight?” I asked after a while. I was uncomfortable with the idea of Clarice joining the fighting if she was in less than her prime condition.

Clarice shifted uncomfortably, “Good enough,” she hedged, “I wasn’t planning on fighting in the thick of it anyway, Dhizi wouldn’t allow it.”

Dhizi hissed in agreement.

Reminded that Clarice shared a link with Dhizi, I was a little less apprehensive about Clarice joining any potential fighting. Dhizi would not indulge Clarice’s recklessness if she thought it would put Clarice in mortal danger.

“I just...I figured it was about time I helped end this war already,” Clarice insisted, “The Liche can’t be allowed to keep attacking our home!” She slammed her fist against Ushu’s side, but he didn’t seem to notice.

“It will be nice to have someone else I can trust watching my back,” I admitted honestly. Despite my steadily increasing combat experience, I was still painfully ignorant when it came to elements of common knowledge the natives took for granted. Like the fact that an Archer was not limited to using a bow and arrow to use their Class Abilities.

Clarice’s smile widened and she glanced briefly in my direction before looking away again, “You do have a big back,” she joked somewhat awkwardly, “Did you really let someone name a Drake after a barrel maker?”

“I did, but I still think it is far better than the edgy names the Vampyrs gave him,” I chuckled.

Low growls and nervous giggling came from a short distance behind me, and looking over my shoulder I found loose packs of Gnolls appearing from the portal. I would have been concerned if they didn’t have crude approximations of Sanctuary’s sigil stained into their padded armour.

The Gnolls' arrival meant that the other floor was locked down and Rikit was ready to consolidate her position.

Sure enough, Rikit appeared shortly after the first hundred or so males had passed through the portal, her borrowed bow held tightly in her left hand. “Tyrant!” Rikit growled eagerly, shoving aside any of the other Gnolls that didn’t get out of her way fast enough, “Rikit ready for next task! Warriors need blooding!”

“You mean they need to be tested?” I asked, wanting to make sure I was understanding correctly.

Rikit nodded enthusiastically, “Rikit find fresh meat!” She pointed determinedly at a small group of Gnolls that were slightly larger than the others, but far less confident and lacking the padded armour of the others.

“They joined freely?” I pressed, carefully looking the Gnolls over for signs of Slave Collars.

“Yes, males join Rikit’s pack,” she agreed emphatically, “Still need blooding to prove strength!”

“The other portal still needs to be taken,” I pondered aloud, “But I want Ochram to go with you. The portals need to be properly fortified and defended, and I doubt the Asrusians have the manpower to spare at the moment.”

“Rikit obey Tyrant,” Rikti bowed her head, “Pack rest, gather strength,” She turned away and raised herself up to her full height, “PACK RESTS!” Rikit barked, immediately quieting the smaller males, “FOLLOW RIKIT!” She then began stalking off down the main street towards the distant gate, and the armoured encirclement of Orcs.

“I better go with her,” I hurriedly explained to Clarice, “try not to feed Ushu too much, he had a large dinner last night.”

Clarice was about to make a reply but was cut off by an angry growl from Ushu who no doubt disagreed with my request.

To their credit, the Orcs didn’t back down an inch, even after Rikit threatened to gut them with her impressively sharp claws.

“Rikit, they are guards tasked with protecting my family,” I explained patiently.

Rikit paused and sniffed at the air for a moment before cocking her head curiously to one side, “Tyrantess here?” She muttered quietly in confusion before looking at me, and then back towards the large stone house. Rikit’s eyes widened and she grinned maniacally, “Tyrant pups!” She exclaimed excitedly, giggling happily and making to press past the wall of armoured bodies still blocking her path.

“Rikit may pass, but you will also need to clear a path so the rest of her pack can leave the Settlement,” I explained while motioning first to Rikit and then to the hundreds of nervously giggling Gnolls packing the street behind us.

Rikit paused at the mention of her pack, “Pack wait!” She snarled impatiently before turning back to the house.

Before Rikit could make it to the door, the curtains parted and Lash came outside, both twins squirming and wiggling in an attempt to free themselves from her embrace. “Rikit,” Lash looked surprised but rather abruptly pushed Suzy into Rikit’s chest.

Without missing a beat, Rikit took a firm hold on Suzy.

Left with only Pete to look after, Lash quickly regained the upper hand. Not that Pete seemed to mind. In fact, without Suzy clawing and kicking him, Pete settled down almost immediately.

“Bwa!” Suzy cried incredulously at her sibling’s betrayal of the cause. However, Suzy’s attention quickly turned from her brother and mother to Rikit. She patted Rikit’s fur awkwardly, slapping Rikit’s neck hard in the process.

Rather than becoming upset, Rikit gave Suzy a lick across the face, leaving a thick streak of drool and surprising Suzy into momentary silence. Moments later, Suzy began burbling and giggling hysterically while flailing her arms towards Rikit’s face.

Pete had already nestled himself against Lash’s chest and was yawning like he was about to go back to sleep. Not that Lash seemed to mind.

Rikit lost two whiskers before Toofy came outside and provided a second cauldron full of water for Suzy to play in. “Vigorous!” Rikit declared approvingly while wagging her finger over the cauldron.

Lash beamed with pride, her fatigue banished by the compliment.

There were murmurs of approval from the Orcs, which only served to make Lash stand all the taller.

I found the absence of criticism against Pete's sedentary nature to be somewhat surprising given the praise Suzy was being given for the opposite behaviour. However, I was happy that no one had criticised him. After all, there was no real telling what Pete’s temperament would be like as he grew older.

I fished Suzy out of the cauldron long enough to give her a hug and play with her a little before returning her to the water. While it was clear the twins didn’t need water, they were prone to aggressively expressing their discomfort, so it was best to avoid irritating their gills or drying out their skin.

Pete actually woke up long enough to give me a curious stare before returning to his nap. Not that I blamed him. With Suzy as a sister, he might not have gotten enough undisturbed sleep and was instead attempting to replace the shortfall in quality with quantity.

Ochram arrived sometime after midday, and Suzy had long since tired herself out. Ochram appeared quite tired himself, slouching his shoulders and dragging his feet as he came down the street.

Leaving the encirclement, I gave Ochram a rough idea of what I wanted but stressed that he could take his time and recover first.

I wanted Ochram to build a fortress around the portal to the next floor. Not only that, but I wanted it to be able to accommodate someone of my size. I was getting annoyed by all the small doorways and having to duck under gateways. Furthermore, I wanted him to build another fortress in place of the sprawling Settlement we were currently standing in.

Sending Ochram off with Rikit, I had the expectation that they would continue claiming and fortifying the Laine Labyrinth until given cause to do otherwise. After all, the civilian evacuation of the city was likely to begin at any moment, and there wasn’t exactly an abundance of Settlements that could readily accommodate such a huge influx of people.

The Settlements in the Hurst Labyrinth were the size of small towns. The city of Laine had a population that would likely number in the high hundreds of thousands.

The only sensible solution seemed to be in resettling them as close to their original homes as possible and maintaining comparative isolation from the other Settlements in case of spies or saboteurs. Once the siege was broken, or the war ended, the civilians would have the opportunity to return to their original homes. But I doubted most would have any practical reasons for doing so.

In many respects, living inside of the Labyrinths seemed easier than living outside of them. The primary reason for this was due to most resources originating from the Labyrinths in the first place. Furthermore, with the barrier size determined by the native population of the Settlement, there was no risk of attack barring extenuating circumstances. Invaders like the Imperials would be scattered to the winds and be forced to fight monsters while attempting to regroup their forces, leaving them exposed and vulnerable.

So long as the civilians weren’t left in subpar accommodations for too long at the beginning, I felt confident that most would adapt to life inside of the Labyrinths in a similar fashion to the soldiers and adventurers.

In anticipation of the civilians' arrival, I had Ochram move a few of his buildings to make a new road leading out of the Settlement and fill in the old gate so no one would have cause to approach the Gateway and my family. I had to give Ochram a number of the new mana potions to accomplish it, but it was a price I felt justified in paying all the same.

The armoured Orc bodyguards were now free to occupy all the surrounding buildings and outright barricade off this section of the settlement, making it that much easier to defend.

After making sure the Orcs would recognise and allow Fesk, Nadine and Clarice to move freely, I decided to relocate Ushu closer to the Gateway. After all, the civilians probably wouldn’t react well if they came face to face with Ushu immediately after arriving in the Labyrinth.

“MAJESTY!” A hoarse voice called, from the direction of the Orc blockade, “Let me through! I have news for his Majesty!”

Leaving Ushu to settle himself in, I quickly made my way over towards the direction of the voice which was now arguing with the Orcs.

The voice belonged to a young woman, a runner for the army. She had seen, or felt, me coming and had stopped arguing with the Orcs. Instead, she was now fumbling for the latch of the satchel hanging at her side, “Majesty! I have news from the front!” She bowed her head briefly before pulling a letter written on a thick cardstock from the satchel. The letter was tied shut and bore a wax seal over the knot. “For you, Majesty,” the young woman nervously held up the letter with both hands.

She wasn’t to know that I couldn’t read their language, but the commotion had drawn Nadine and Clarice, and I knew for a fact that Nadine was profoundly literate.

I accepted the letter and handed it to Nadine.

Nadine wasted no time in cracking the wax seal, pulling away the string and opening the letter. Her eyes rapidly darted back and forth as absorbed its contents before abruptly coming to a halt. “The Imperials have requested a temporary truce...” Nadine raised the latter and pointed to the lower portion of indecipherable sigils, “They want to mourn the death of their Consul Isaak Aleskeevich...”

“Why would they need to ask for a truce?” I demanded, “They are the ones laying siege to the city. They could just choose to not attack.”

Nadine shifted uncomfortably, “The death of a Consul is a big deal Tim. It’s like the death of a king or other member of the royal family...”

“Why send me this letter?” I pressed, still not quite understanding the situation, “I assume that isn’t from the Imperials themselves,” I poked at the letter.

Nadine slowly nodded, “This is from the Lord Regent...Only he has the authority to use the royal seal. I think he wants you to honour the truce...”

I couldn’t help but scowl as images of the aftermath of the Liche’s first ambush against Sanctuary came to the forefront of my mind. “How long is the truce?” I hissed between my teeth.

Nadine avoided eye contact, “It doesn’t say. But it could be as long as a week or more...The Imperials do things a little differently, and it's not like the Emperor died...”

I fought to push back against my rising anger and frustration, “Is this truce universal? Will it extend to the entire war? Or just this siege?”

“It would be the entire war...” Nadine replied hesitantly while looking through a gap in the barricade towards the runner for confirmation.

The runner silently nodded.

I clenched my fists and forced myself to take several deep breaths, “Fine!” I grunted irritably, “You can go,” I waved dismissively at the runner who was only too keen to leave.

Scaling the barricade, I made my way towards the gate out of the Settlement. I was not going to waste the unanticipated downtime. After clearing the gate and scattered buildings, I gathered my mana and quickly reviewed the list of Daemons and their current Classes before making my decision.

*Tingling*

A maroon skinned and Orc-like Daemon appeared before me. Her muscular frame was protected by thick plates of steel but left exposed the single horn protruding from her left temple.

“Cin, we are currently on the first floor of the Laine Labyrinth. I know that you have been trying to unlock the Earth Mage Class, so I want you to catch up to Rikit’s pack and learn from Ochram in person,” I ordered while pointing towards the portal to the second floor of the Laine Labyrinth, “The Asrusians have an Elixir that can reset your Class choice. I will make a custom redemption quest for you to earn one as part of your training in case you need it or think it will accelerate your training.”

Cin fell to one knee and bowed her head, “I will do as you command, my Tyrant!” She swore passionately, slamming her fist over her heart, “I will not fail you!”

“I know you won’t,” I softened my tone after being reminded of the Daemons' fanatical devotion and that I shouldn’t take advantage of it, “Once you become an Earth Mage, you will become responsible for working with Hana, Kohana and Qreet to fortify Sanctuary, and to answer the summons of the Asrusian army to do the same for our other holdings. Your role is crucial to our ongoing survival, so you will be allowed five of the strongest Evolution Elixirs to give you a headstart. This is important Cin, but I know you can do it!”

Cin bowed her head further and then her projection suddenly disappeared.

I felt a small portion of the mana I had used to activate the ability return into my body. This was surprising because it was the first time I could recall it having happened. Usually, any excess mana I committed to a Summoning was lost entirely.

Still thinking over the ramifications of the unexpected mana return, I gathered my mana for a second Summoning.

*Tingling*

A pale grey orb of flickering flames appeared in the space Cin had just left. I could only assume that this was Wisp’s true form, the immaterial soul that otherwise occupied the corpses of the fallen.

I wasn’t sure if Wisp would be able to speak, so I decided to forgo any semblance of pleasantries and be as blunt as possible. “Wisp, I have a task for you, and I need it to be your highest priority.”

“Of course, my Tyrant,” Wisp replied, his disembodied voice carrying the same hoarseness as the one I had heard while he occupied a corpse, “You command and I will obey to the best of my prodigious abilities!” He insisted loyally, but there was an unmistakable hunger in his tone as well.

“I want you to become strong enough to ward against the Liche,” I commanded, “Leave the Mournebrent Labyrinth and temporarily relocate to the Hurst Labyrinth instead. Make sure to have the Asrusians provide you with an appropriately high-level marker so you can make the most of your temporary hiatus. Understood?”

“Yes, my Tyrant,” Wisp agreed excitedly, the pale flames flickering more quickly and excitedly than before.

I found Wisp’s eagerness unnerving so I decided to make something absolutely crystal clear, “And Wisp, you are absolutely forbidden from harming or being responsible for harming any Variants,” I growled, “If you encounter any Variants, make a note of their location and move on. You are only allowed to harm a Variant if your existence is in immediate danger. Do you understand?”

“Of course, My Tyrant,” Wisp replied obediently, “I will do no harm to those you classify as Variants unless my very existence is in imminent peril of eternal destruction.”

I still didn’t fully trust Wisp’s answer, but it wasn’t like I could send a team of soldiers or volunteers with him either. The most efficient means of Wisp increasing both his level and Evolution was to raise the corpses of his enemies to do the fighting for him. My campaign against the Liche would lose a great deal of its moral authority if people found out what Wisp was doing. Especially since it was becoming increasingly obvious that he may just be my only means of putting the Liche down for good.

*****

Wisp stopped his borrowed body mid step and grinned wide behind his cloth veil. While he had no particular grievances against not making the full use of his Abilities, being presented with the opportunity to test his limits to the fullest was an unexpected gift, to say the least.

With the attacks against the fortress coming few and far between, Wisp had very little opportunity to gain Exp or Essence to any meaningful degree. Being set loose in the Hurst Labyrinth would change that.

Wisp was well aware that his Tyrant had a not insubstantial number of Daemons serving beneath him, and seemed quite aware himself that their projections could be Summoned for a mutually beneficial fee. Unfortunately, Wisp was also aware that his choice in vocation was not particularly well received by the majority of the Tyrant’s subjects, thus limiting his own potential benefits from such an arrangement.

Worse still, Wisp knew that he would need his Tyrant’s explicit permission before engaging in such arrangements. While not as clever or knowledgeable as himself, Wisp knew his Tyrant was not to be underestimated, not least of which because the Tyrant had demonstrated an awareness of his own shortcomings. A fool who believed themselves a scholar and a genius could be manipulated through flattery, large words, or a glib tongue. A man who believed himself ignorant was much more difficult to deceive, as they would seek the advice of those who had experience and learning in the subject in question.

Besides, Wisp didn’t want to ruin the good thing he had going for him. His Tyrant was going places! And Wisp would be taken along for the ride so long as he remained loyal and demonstrated his value.

The conditions pertaining to avoiding harm against the so-called Variants were not of much concern to Wisp at all. If it came down to it, Wisp would be happy to sacrifice any of his mindless undead minions in droves in order to avoid direct hostilities, even shedding his borrowed body. It was somewhat ironic, but outside of his home Labyrinth, there was bound to be precious little that could actually harm him in any meaningful way.

Wisp suspected that this was very likely the cause for his Tyrant being so pedantic with the conditions of his foray into another Labyrinth. Lesser servants had most likely been put in similar positions before and been found wanting, thus requiring the explicit conditions of engagement.

Turning on his heel, Wisp headed for the portal out of the Labyrinth.

Explaining the cause for his prolonged absence was unsurprisingly easy. Wisp’s position as an Overseer, even a relatively newly instated one, carried a great deal of weight. The Human colonel had only insisted on being allowed to communicate Wisp’s imminent arrival in the Hurst Labyrinth so the other Humans would not mistake Wisp for a minion of their enemy.

It was a fair request, so Wisp insisted that the tokens his Tyrant and mentioned be made available upon his arrival as well. After all, Wisp wanted to enter the highest floor available without having to travel through each of the weaker floors first.

The Colonel had been kind enough to provide Wisp with an escort to accompany him through the abandoned human city outside of the Labyrinth as well.

Passing through the city to the Gateway had set Wisp’s borrowed teeth on edge and caused his true self a small degree of truly unique irritation. The grounds of the building surrounding the Gateway had been imbued with the energy of Angels, and if it had been stronger, or wisp had been weaker, it would have caused his true self actual harm.

Wisp was profoundly relieved to leave that place behind.

After passing through the Gateway, Wisp had a few minutes to look around the immediate area while his Human escorts explained the situation to their superiors and that information was corroborated.

Similar to the city Wisp had briefly travelled through minutes before, the Human Settlement was neat and orderly with buildings erected in straight lines that allowed efficient movement from one place to another. Most of the buildings were made of wood rather than stone, but the streets were well paved and kept relatively clean.

A large river passed by the Settlement on one side, and the Humans had built strange wooden craft to navigate the water out of reach of the monsters below. Propelled by the current, the wind, or broad ended wooden staves, the wooden craft could move at great speeds when they desired it. Wisp was actually disappointed when the time came to leave. He would have liked to continue watching the wooden craft and perhaps ask about their construction.

Knowing that there would be time enough to investigate them later, Wisp passed through the portal, accepted a small wooden token, listened to the explanation of its use, and then stepped back through the portal.

Wisp had been told that the token would take him to a Human Settlement on a much higher floor of the Labyrinth, but unlike the previous Settlement, this one was considerably smaller, in a state of severe disrepair, and completely devoid of Humans.

The tip of a wooden spear erupted through Wisp’s back and out of his chest. Wisp briefly lamented the damage to his robe but remembered that clothing could be purchased from the ongoing War quest in exchange for killing monsters.

Whoever owned the spear lifted Wisp into the air for a moment before throwing him off the spear and against the crumbling stone wall of the nearby building.

Wisp chuckled to himself and decided it was probably time to take the situation seriously. He could feel that his borrowed body was just about to fall apart, so Wisp abandoned it.

Free of his material shell, Wisp had no trouble in detecting the life force of the owner of the spear. Unfortunately, in his natural state, Wisp couldn’t exactly ‘see’ who or what it was. Not that it mattered much anyway.

Gathering his mana, Wisp floated towards the concentration of life force and let loose a stream of negative energy.

Like a fire in a hurricane, the monster’s life force flickered for a few moments as the monster howled in pain and terror and then its lifeforce was snuffed out.

Settling into the now unoccupied body, Wisp felt a surge of mana enter his system as his spirit consumed the host’s mana stone. His borrowed lips split into a wide toothy grin and a crackling chuckle sounded from his throat. Wisp was going to enjoy this assignment a great deal indeed.

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