“All of that is true, your Majesty,” I replied honestly. “And your people are dear to me for those very reasons.”
“Yet you intend to lead them into war,” he responded bluntly.
“No,” I replied with conviction as I looked him in the eye. “I intend to lead them to victory. Victory over the evils that plague this world, victory over the petty divisions that have led to so much senseless slaughter, and victory over the Dark Lands themselves. And ultimately, victory over the rest of the vile scum that preys on them much like the Bloody Hearts once did.”
“I believe you,” Nerec answered me. “But still, as noble as your cause is, you cannot deny that many lives will be lost in the process.”
And there it was. Nerec had hit upon the subject that had been troubling me for quite some time. After even the relatively minor battles we had already fought, we had suffered losses—losses that I was powerless to prevent, and only had a very limited ability to restore. Even with the power of Death’s Embrace, I could only bring back three fallen soldiers, a paltry number considering the tremendous loss of life that would follow after each and every battle I was certain to have to fight.
But what other option did I have? I simply refused to let things remain the way they were, with people dying in senseless battles and bandits killing and abusing innocent people wantonly across the entire continent. The injustice of it all galled me, and even just considering it caused the rage inside me to begin stirring in violent waves of anger.
“Scrolls,” I finally replied when the idea came to me from nowhere.
Well, not nowhere, I realized when I recognized the tingle of Nentai’s influence. The Goddess had often irked me in our early interactions, but more and more I was truly coming to not only appreciate her, but also even love her after a fashion. She was shepherding me though some of my most difficult moments, but still refused to tell me why. Despite the fact that her motives remained a mystery, I was still grateful for the inspirations she sent to me.
“I need resurrection scrolls,” I repeated more confidently. “Enough to at least attempt to bring back every single soldier that falls in battle under my banner.”
“Forgive me Empress, but are you mad?” Nerec replied in astonishment. “That many scrolls would cost a fortune, and not to sound crass, but is the life of a mere soldier worth such an expense?”
“Every life is worth that expense, Nerec,” I informed him as I held his gaze. “That concept is the very heart of the Empire you have sworn your allegiance to. And while I understand that the beliefs I hold are strange to you, I think that in time, you will come to see the value in them.”
“Your standards are quite… unique, you are certainly correct in that,” he replied thoughtfully. “But if it is change that we seek, then we must also be willing to be part of that change as well. I look forward to seeing the Imperial Charter that our representatives produce. From what I understand, it will herald great change indeed.”
We spent the rest of our time talking about lighter subjects, and I found Nerec to be a decent and honorable man. And although he was firmly rooted in the traditions of this world, he also had a deep and sincere concern for the well-being of his people. When we finally parted, I was convinced that Nerec would try his very best to adapt to the dictates of the new world I was trying to bring to Arrika.
Nerec offered me a shallow bow as I left, and I returned his gesture with a slight inclination of my head. We had been made aware of the new protocols that had been devised, and we both smiled as we performed them for the first time.
“I take it that things went well,” Karina inquired as we left Nerec’s suite and the rest of my escort joined us.
“As well as could be expected, I imagine,” I replied to her honestly. “We’re asking a lot of them, and it won’t be easy to accept all the sudden changes we’re requiring them to make.”
“Yet I’m certain that somehow, you will get them to do it,” Karina smiled back at me.
“So, you’ve noticed that, have you?” I grinned at her in return.
“I’d have to be blind not to,” she chuckled.
Aiva, Karina, and the rest of my guards had become my constant companions over the last several months, and although they were consummate professionals, we had also become friends during that time. So, it wasn’t unusual for any of us to share a casual exchange when circumstances allowed. In fact, I actually encouraged it. Being surrounded by stuffy guards who refused to treat me like a person was an entirely unappealing prospect for me. So, while they maintained a sense of professional decorum when it was required, I did my best to make them feel comfortable around me otherwise.
When I arrived back at my residence, I tried to return to lay with Tási and Bane, but he had flown off in search of food again. Although his rate of growth had slowed somewhat, his appetite was still quite voracious, and he frequently went off into the forest beyond the wall to hunt the larger game that roamed in the wilds. I had a hunch that his forays involved more than a mere need to satisfy his hunger, as I sensed a growing desire in him to simply make the kill. While his newfound bloodlust seemed to be under control, it was a certain sign to me that the changes he was undergoing weren’t strictly physical in their nature.
“So, how did your meeting with Nerec go?” Tási asked as I settled into one of the soft couches in my chambers.
“Well, I think,” I replied to her. “He’s a good man, and I believe that in time, he’ll come to see things my way. But there was something that came up during our discussion that I need you to follow up on for me.”
“Of course, what is it?”
“One way or another, we’re headed for war,” I explained. “And while there’s no way for me to avoid losing people in the conflicts to come, I need to know that we did everything we could to save as many lives as possible. I can bring back three lives with the power that Lady Death has given me, but that is simply not enough. I want as many resurrection scrolls as we can get. Enough to raise our whole damn Army if we can get them. Every single soldier that fights for me needs to know that we will at least try to bring them back if they fall.”
“That’s… going to be expensive,” Tási replied tactfully.
“Use your imagination,” I responded. “Recruit Curates who can cast the spell, hire scribes—I don’t care how you do it, just get it done.”
“Some of the best casters are among Queen Nadiel’s people,” Tási replied thoughtfully. “You have already impressed her greatly, so that should help. As far as scribes, there are many among the elves of Íforn, but they hold onto them closely. Gaining access to them may depend on whether or not you can establish a good relationship with Queen Líann.”
Great. Aside from the few moments where she had been overwhelmed by our God-forged gear, the elven queen came off as a bit too formal and reserved for my tastes. And while I didn’t much like the thought of having to cater to her whims, I resigned myself to indulging her prudish, stuffy airs if it meant that I could save more lives.
“Well, I am scheduled to visit with Nadiel over supper tonight, so maybe I’ll bring the subject up with her then,” I told her. “And after lunch with Broda’s uncle tomorrow, I’m supposed to have dinner with Líann, so I’ll see if I can make some headway there as well.”
“Be careful with her,” Tási cautioned. “Líann is known to be a bit… reserved, and is quite unaccustomed to hearing the word ‘no.’ Even though she’s now your sworn vassal, you shouldn’t push her too far.”
“So,” I replied dryly. “You’re telling be she’s a stuck-up bitch?”
“I don’t think that’s the first time she’s been referred to in that manner, though never to her face,” Tási smiled.
Great.
Fortunately, I had some time before my dinner with Nadiel, and Tási and I were able to relax together for a while. Time was an odd thing for us—it seemed like we either had all there was of it to spend together, or practically none. With that shared feeling,
we simply enjoyed every moment, often spending a great deal of time just sitting together or lying peacefully in each other’s arms. Words were often unnecessary, since we were able to communicate the most important things to each other in a much more profound and direct way.
Several hours passed where we could have been doing more productive things, but instead, Tási joined me on the couch and we laid there sharing little tendrils of affection for a while. It was perhaps the purest and sweetest thing we had discovered as we explored our shared abilities. The light touch of the thin threads wasn’t quite strong enough to evoke our desires, but still managed to convey our feelings in a way that brought me pure joy. Finally, when the soft knock inevitably came at our door, I slipped out from beneath Tási as she lay on me and left her lying on the couch as I headed for my meeting with Nadiel.
Aiva led my detail now, but as we walked through my offices, she seemed oddly preoccupied. I realized what her distraction was almost immediately and brought it up as soon as I did.
“Did I make you feel uncomfortable earlier?” I asked her.
“No,” she replied a little too stiffly.
“Aiva, don’t make your Empress work too hard here,” I teased her.
“I’m not comfortable discussing it right now,” she answered me, making it clear that she was reluctant for any of the other guards to overhear what she had to say.
“Halt!” I called out as I brought my escort up short. “The lieutenant and I need a moment, wait for us in the next room.”
“Explain,” I practically commanded her when the sergeants left us alone.
“It’s difficult,” she stalled.
“Aiva, I trust you with my life on a daily basis,” I soothed her. “I would hope that you might feel comfortable enough to trust me in return.”
Aiva swallowed hard before replying.
“You make me feel, Empress,” Aiva confessed. “I’ve always been somewhat shut off from the world, but since I’ve been around you, I’ve started to actually feel things. To have emotions, and to actually care about people. I even went on a date the other night for the first time in I don’t know how long.”
Her words reminded me of what Nentai had told me some time before. The Goddess had warned me that there would be many who would be drawn to me, people who would be in need of my help. People that would be healed by my Sintári powers. Some, like Aiva, needed very little from me. Just being close to me would be enough to help them. Others, like Ella, would require more… direct assistance to heal their wounds.
At the time Nentai came to me, I had been distraught by Tási’s revelation that I would be called upon to heal others in the same intimate manner that Ella required. Doing so was like a betrayal of Tási’s love to me, but Nentai had assured me that there would only be a few who’s needs rose to that level. Those words, and Tási’s reluctant acceptance of it all, helped me to come to an uneasy sense of peace with the situation. While Aiva’s initial words had caused me some alarm, her eventual confession that she was healing just by being around me, and even more so that she had just been on a date, brought me a great sense of relief. At the moment, I was still balancing my relationship with Tási with my mutual need for both Venna and Ella, and I was not ready to add another person into that confused jumble of emotions.
“I understand, Aiva, and I’m very happy for you,” I replied genuinely. “I’m also happy that I’ve been able to repay your dedicated service. I hope you find great joy in your new connection with the world around you.”
“Thank you,” her voice cracked as she answered me.
“Would you like another hug from your Empress?” I asked her with a smile.
Aiva nodded her head and I folded her up in my arms. I hesitated for a moment, and then whispered to her softly as she cried on my shoulder.
“You know something of my powers. Will you let me share them with you?”
I felt her head nodding slowly against me and sent her a thin tendril in response.
Inside the tiny thread, I wound together some of the images I had of her with the strong feelings of trust, respect and admiration she had earned from me. As the little fiber of images and emotions filtered across to Aiva, she clutched me tighter, and I could feel her resisting the positive emotions that I sent to her. I could sense that somewhere, deep inside, there was a part of her that refused to believe that she could ever be that woman. It reminded me of Broda, and the trauma that she’d endured that had caused her the same difficulties. But I didn’t sense that same burden inside Aiva. Hers was a self-inflicted wound, born of doubt and a lack of a sense of worth. So, with the thread still running through her, I lifted Aiva’s head and gazed into her tear-filled eyes.
“That’s you, Aiva,” I told her firmly. “That’s really you. I couldn’t make those images if they weren’t real.”
“I… I can see them, but it’s just so hard for me to accept,” she admitted.
“I have shown you the truth, Aiva,” I said as I slowly withdrew. “It’s up to you to believe it.”
She nodded her head and wiped away her last few tears and I gave her a moment to compose herself before we rejoined the rest of the escort.
“Some bodyguard I am,” Aiva joked as she pulled herself together.
“I wouldn’t have any other,” I replied.
“You’re going to make me cry again,” she chuckled.
“Perhaps, but not today,” I smiled back at her before adding. “If you ever need me to show you that again, let me know.”
“Thank you, Empress. I will,” she replied, in a somewhat more relaxed tone than usual.
We rejoined the rest of my guards, and the remainder of our trip down to Nadiel’s suite was thankfully uneventful. Aiva accompanied me inside, and just as before, waited outside the doors of the small room that had been set up for our meal together.
“Welcome, Empress,” Nadiel greeted me warmly. “I wasn’t sure what you’d like to eat, so I had several different things prepared for you to try.”
She gestured to the table as she spoke, and I saw that there was an array of different dishes set out, most of which I couldn’t identify. Fortunately, Nadiel gave me a quick description of each, all of which came from her native land, and I took a small sample of a few of them to try.
“So, what do you think of halfling cuisine?” She asked after I’d had a chance to try a few bites.
“It’s delicious,” I replied honestly. “I might have to keep your chef when you leave.”
“She’s yours,” Nadiel laughed. “I already promised my Ambassador that I’d leave her with you. Dalona does get a bit grumpy when she’s not well-fed.”
“So, Dalona will be your Ambassador?”
“It seems like the perfect arrangement,” Nadiel confessed. “With her being Tási’s aunt and all.”
“Speaking of Tási,” I began cautiously. “I am in need of some spell casters, both for my personal guard and my armed forces. Evokers for certain, but also Curates with the ability to cast resurrection magic.”
“That is a rather curious request,” Nadiel observed.
“I told you that there will be war,” I explained as she nodded back at me. “Many will die in the battles ahead of us, and I intend to bring back as many of the fallen as possible. I may not be able to save them all, but it won’t be because I didn’t try.”
“These spells are not easy to cast,” Nadiel replied. “There is a reason that the Curates charge for their services.”
“What the fuck is it with you people and money?!” I threw up my hands in frustration as I exclaimed. “We’re talking about lives here. Your people’s lives. I don’t give a shit how much it costs, I’m going to bring back every single one of them if I can!”
“Forgive me, Empress, I didn’t mean to offend you,” Nadiel practically recoiled from me.
“You have my apologies also, Nadiel,” I replied more calmly. “I should have explained myself less forcefully. I’m just having a hard time accepting c
ertain things.”
“Perhaps, if I explained?” Nadiel offered.
“Please, do,” I responded.
“Resurrection magic is costly, both in the making of scrolls and the casting of spells,” she began cautiously. “The materials required to make the scrolls are rare and expensive, and the spell itself is extremely difficult to learn. It’s not unusual for even an accomplished Curate to require years to master the intricate magic.”
“Do you have Curates that will be willing to serve me and how much am I going to have to pay them?” I asked her reluctantly as I conceded the issue.
“As for the first part of your question, I don’t know, but when I return home, I will find out,” Nadiel replied. “Regarding the cost, it is typically at least a full Talon per attempt.”
Her wording was not lost on me. The price she quoted was just to make the attempt—success was not guaranteed.
“It seems that the scrolls may still be my best bet then,” I sighed, knowing that meant that I’d have to deal with the prissy little elf queen.
“For that you will need scribes, and I can tell by your reaction that you know that they will only come to you from Líann,” Nadiel replied mirthlessly.
“What can you tell me about her?”
“While she’s been quite fair to me and my people,” Nadiel volunteered without hesitation. “She does have a well-deserved reputation for being a bit… stiff. You will find little humor in her and even less warmth. Her comments at the reception the other night were quite out of character for her, and I’ve never seen her as out-of-sorts as she was when you revealed the gifts you’d received from the Gods, but then again, they had the same effect on the rest of us as well. She will have recovered from the shock of that the next time you see her, so you should expect a colder and more calculating person than what you last saw.”
“So, in short, she’s a bitch?”
“That word comes up often when she is discussed, yes,” Nadiel replied with a thin smile.
With Líann’s temperament confirmed for me once more, we dropped the subject of the bitch-queen and, as with my discussions with Nerec, finished our time together talking about simple matters and pleasantries. I found Nadiel to be quite charming, and I couldn’t help but feel drawn to her. She had an engaging personality, and aside from my outburst, our conversation was extremely pleasant. But when it was time for me to depart, she surprised me by stopping me at the door.
Second Skin: Unified: A litRPG Adventure (Second Skin Book 3) Page 59