Chương 108: BECMI Chapter 107 – Ripple Effects

Word of what was happening to the Khirifi actually made it to them from the other direction, as visions sent from their Immortal Patron made it clear that something momentous was coming at them from the east. Divination magic and Scrying from increasingly frantic priestesses following up soon deduced that they'd lost the entire Duchy of Elb and thus their eastern territory. Death was coming for them, and all their Divinations revealed was skulls and roses.

They knew of me, having their own spies paid from among the Northmen and merchants who would happily sell anything for the right amount of coin. The fact I was key to the victory over the Batrachians had certainly come to them, but me being possessed of such individual prowess was not known by anyone in this time and place. The other problem was that their communication capabilities were not necessarily the equal of their desires, and messengers riding around on horseback weren't doing it.

It didn't help that I was eliminating any messengers or patrols I was encountering as I swept through the east… and slowly and ominously began to expand my range west, into the territory they'd long seized from the Korshwa horse-clans.

"Lord Elder, how can I help you this morning?" I addressed the Scrying pool of purified water, matched by the identical pool made out of a Disk in Hanvol's possession.

Our Federyn mage was finding his ready spellcasting talent and genial nature earning him great popularity in the Kingdom of Darkmoor, but he and his fellows were with the rest of the Free Company in the Weirwoods, doing a lot of hunting of beast-men and monstrous creatures in the adjoining territories as they worked on their forestry and hunting skills. Lord Equavus had prevailed upon the Federyn mage to contact me, as he was the named public contact with the King's Council.

Belle certainly could do so openly, but she was naturally deep in her own training.

"Greetings, Lady Edge. Word of your exploits has crossed the North very quickly," he began diplomatically.

"The Meanyl are demanding in terror and irritation that you bring me to heel and stop this mad war against an insane foe that uses Soul Eaters openly?" I asked acidly. His expression was more bemused than offended.

"Oh, they've spoken to you already?" he asked lightly.

"They want the path of Elven Magery, and they do not want to give up anything for it. Let them stew."

"They are not the only ones getting nervous, you must realize…"

"Have the Northmen rethought their plans of a mass raid on the kingdom, or is it just the Imperials?"

"The Iron Graf is understandably nervous that Antius has found an ally of such surpassing puissance," the elven lord smiled again.

"He might even be appealing to the Empire to send some of the true elder Wizards that support the Empire." Men who couldn't be bothered to deal with a mere renegade province, and were likely the peers or teachers of Daffid the Red. Would any be willing to risk themselves for the Iron Graf? I doubted it, or they would already be here. The Church of Iberon itself had not come to act against the people of the North, why would the Imperial mages?

Naturally, that did not apply to the Arcane Cabal of the northern wizards who had chosen not to rebel against the Empire. But the recent information gained from their agents had cost them four of their number and all of their safe-houses and meeting places, something Marius the Bronze and other wizards loyal to King Antius had been prosecuting with great energy.

Indeed, with Interdictions and Stillflights able to lock them down from instant escapes, the Ketcher's agents indicated that most of said wizards had rapidly withdrawn from the North and were now serving far more safely at the Iron Graf's side. They really wanted those magicks of mine to set traps and ambushes of their own against the kingdom's spellcasters, but were reportedly having no luck in the matter. Knowing it was possible was not a case of knowing exactly how the spells worked. Mmm.

New magic WAS something that could be used to tempt an elder mage out to investigate. Especially since an elf was using such things, when we were well-known to have crap for magical innovation, and certainly not to have access to higher Valences. So, there would be someone coming from the south. I'd have to greet them appropriately when it was time. If they had any sense they'd set up a trap or Teleport destination at one of the surviving Khirifi towns or fortresses...

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"Are you suggesting a course of action, High Lord?" I asked him calmly. He was clearly hesitating. I had a noticeable level of magical power that he did not, and I was from the future, not one of the clans he nominally held power over.

"You took the initiative to attach your name to what is being done to the Khirifi. There is no question that they deserve what you are doing to them. But the kind of power you are displaying naturally will make great powers nervous, especially since they know you approve of King Antius. That is both dissuasion and a threat they will be forced to act on."

"Indeed. I am quite familiar with the habits of aggressive and self-interested powers to stomp down heavily on anything that would harm their interests. However, I cannot countenance a force sinister enough to employ Soul Eaters." He frowned deeply.

"That effort has been destroyed. Do you not think they will accept the warning?"

"It is not their decision. It is the will of the Immortal who took their whole tribe and sent it on a path of conquest. Do you think the will of Gulguz in this matter has changed?" The elven lord looked away, wincing.

"Immortals being thwarted by mortals? It is more likely He would see the entire tribe annihilated before He would change His plans for them. They are just pawns to be sacrificed for His entertainment."

"And His entertainment includes the summoning of Soul Eaters. I am of the opinion that His opinion of mortal lives is simply nil. He is doing this for fun and to see what happens. The Khirifi are doomed to spend their lives against Darkmoor or the Empire, the only difference is when they die or if they finally wise up and abandon the arse."

"It is true the Church of Iberon in the North has issued a Writ of Condemnation on their faith, but while that might rouse some against them, it will not make them fear you less for what you are doing," he warned me.

"That is true. They will judge me on their own standards, that those who stand against power must seek power over others themselves. Something as absolutely banal and non-profitable as reaping those who would use the souls of others as fuel for their plans is just not a believable motivation for actions on the scale I am taking, is it?" Black skulls floated into existence around me and cackled hollowly.

"Well, their lack of view for the long term is not going to sway my actions, Lord Elder. I have the right to fight for what I believe in, and I do not have to rely on their help to do so.

"However, I do believe that is within the means for the Lord Elder to profit from the very sudden absence of the Khirifi in several ways, and to be forewarned that their influence is about to be severely diminished. For instance, the surviving Elbers are going to need multiple levels of aid, and we both know the Meanyl clans are going to do little to nothing for them.

I believe building some influence with nothing more than generous donations of time, help, and instruction in this time may be a way to extend your own influence. The fact that you might have more pull and sway in the Duchy of Elb than the elves who dwell there should be very much to your advantage… and most of the combat duties can be handled by Darkmoor troops.

"They need training and direction now, not more warriors.

"As for vengeance, you can assure them that I am taking care of that problem."

"Indeed." I could see that I had sparked some different thoughts in his mind.

"I think the biggest short term threat would be banditry and raids by the Northmen…"

"And elven scouts are the very best troops to use against both forces, showing them the proper teamwork and way to handle matters. The Elbers are as fiercely independent in their own way as any of the Mealyn clans, but if elves can work with humans, Elbs can work with Moorfolk."

"That is true." He paused significantly.

"The forces of Darkmoor employed the strange 'science weapons' from the Frog Island, said to be from the Palace of Gods. By all reports, they were extremely deadly and effective. They are going to change the entire face of open battle." He had absolutely no idea.

"Yes. The Palace of the Gods was my intended ultimate destination when I departed your Court, but this matter demanded my full resolve to prosecute. I will be heading there when this matter with Gulguz's pawns is resolved. The rise of science does indeed herald great changes, but they are changes the elves are uniquely qualified to address. I will go over them in the future when I return to reclaim my Company.

"Are there any other matters I may help the Lord Elder with?" I inquired calmly.

"We will keep watch on Imperial movements at this time. In the meantime… those who deal with demons deserve what is coming for them, Lady Edge."

"I bring their Last Day. Let them call it what they wish, it is coming." Aelryinth would have to forgive me for borrowing his catchphrase….

I had to reconnect my Lived-line, which meant less high-up flying. It wasn't that I didn't have the capability to do a Teleport w/o Error and cross greater distances, but it was a higher Valence I didn't want to have to spend unless needed. I had considerably less sustained Valence power than I was used to… although likely any native who knew how much I had would have given me a very strange side-eye for daring to say that. I hadn't even invested in any Pearls of Power or anything for now. In time, in time.

My current project was getting my third Ring Haima charged up… as a Ring of Regeneration. Suitably warded and concealed as something innocuous, it was more important than having multiple more spells around, but it took 90 goldweight or days of Naming Karma to charge up. Which meant I had to stay busy. I was keeping incidental goldweight, but any wealth obviously looted by the Khirifi I was leaving behind for survivors to make use of.

Duum was fine with being towed around and staying Invisible as long as he was close to me. If he wanted to soar up high and give me a longer view ahead, that was also perfectly fine, although it also drew the attention of other flying aerial predators… and the hill country around us was a favored territory of dragons of various kinds, who were definitely going to investigate anything so large infringing on their territory. Regardless of that, I was still pursuing the Khirifi, and when I met them, they were dying.

Their patrols, their camps, their supply caravans, their slavers… they were all dying and going to die. I even fine-tuned my Detect Non-Good to twinge off the very particular brand of Evil espoused by the Gulguz religious doctrines, flagging all of the believers in that total arse of an Immortal. Their Faith would be their doom, and I was hunting them.