by Pirateaba
“I won’t agree to your plans. It sounds…unreal. And I don’t trust you. I’m sorry, but I came here for aid against Az’kerash. I will help you with the Goblin Lord, and in exchange you’ll help me with the Necromancer. That is why I came here. More than that I won’t promise.”
Magnolia took Zel’s words silently. For a few moments she stared at Zel, face impassive, and then she slowly nodded.
“I see.”
“Don’t mistake me. I think our peoples should work together. But you—I won’t ally myself with you blindly. If I did commit to an alliance, if I even thought about raising an army and tying my name to yours for a greater cause—it would have to be after I talked to the Titan himself. Him and this ‘magic user’ you’re hinting about.”
Magnolia’s eyes widened. Zel turned to her and bared his teeth.
“You have too many secrets, Reinhart. I don’t trust you at all. But I will admit—you make sense. And you have money, which funds armies and wins wars. Given that—if you can introduce me to people I can trust, I might, might come back with them and agree to your insane plan.”
Lady Magnolia Reinhart’s face was completely blank for a second, and then she burst out laughing. It surprised Zel so much he took a step back and nearly tripped onto the couch. Magnolia sat, chuckling, and Zel saw her wipe tears out of her eyes.
“Oh dear. That is the most—Ressa, I hoped for fortune and I received something like it. You want to meet my magic user and the Titan? Well, I can’t promise either, but I will ask! And oh my, if I arranged such a meeting…time to use every carrot and stick I think, Ressa.”
“Indeed, milady.”
Zel glared suspiciously at the two Human women.
“What’s so funny? Who is this magic user?”
Magnolia shook her head and brushed away a tear with a finger.
“Secrets, my dear General Shivertail. I cannot reveal who he is…yet. And I have a few more matters I’d gladly discuss with you and him—perhaps that’s the very key to getting him to agree, Ressa. Bring up the children—I’m sure I could get one of them to give him one of their devices if he’d agree—”
“One of those ‘tablets’, perhaps?”
“Indeed. Why, we could arrange it within the week if we put everything together. After the Goblin Lord of course, but if we sent Reynold to collect one and I sent a [Message]—”
The two were suddenly chatting with each other, talking about the magic user. Zel couldn’t make heads or tails of the conversation though, and cleared his throat. Magnolia broke off and smiled apologetically.
“Do forgive me General Shivertail. But I think I can convince you after all. As for the Titan—I will indeed try to talk to him.”
“I…see. Well, I’m willing to meet with either one.”
Zel wasn’t sure what he was talking himself into, but curiosity had taken hold and…he was already in trouble for coming this far. He might as well have something to show for it. Magnolia nodded briskly, suddenly all business. She looked at Zel—far more concretely now, and with none of the idealism she’d shown when talking about the future.
“For now it seems like we are allies of convenience, General Shivertail. I’ll give you an army—ragtag and disorganized though it may be—and you’ll help me deal with the Goblin Lord. After that, we can discuss Az’kerash.”
She hesitated and raised a finger.
“I may also need you to squish an annoying pest that’s popped up close to my lands. I seem to have a problem with [Emperors], or at least one…”
Zel folded his arms in disgust. One second she was talking about peace, the next…an [Emperor]? How? Wait, hadn’t he heard Erin saying something about an [Emperor] to Ryoka one time? It had been a passing conversation…Zel brushed that aside for the moment.
“I’m not your sword to be pointed at anyone you please, Reinhart. Besides, you’re the scion of a famous house. Why can’t you assassinate them in the middle of the night or crush them yourself?”
Magnolia smiled in embarrassment.
“I ah, seem to have a problem with loyalty and hired killers at the moment. Which is another problem I’d like to discuss—as for dealing with him myself, I was aware of the issue, you know. I had hoped he’d be content with a village or two, but it seems this damnable Goblin situation had sent people rallying to his banners. And while I’m sure our cultures are different, you must agree that attacking a local hero is not generally helpful to one’s reputation.”
“True. So why deal with him at all? You’re afraid he’ll take your lands? Can’t you…talk to him?”
Zel grunted. Magnolia hesitated.
“I don’t like [Emperors]. Every one I’ve met has had a few tricks up their sleeves. Nasty ones. And as a [Lady], I am regrettably disadvantaged when opposing them. Hierarchies and social classes, you know. I prefer not to get near this one if I can. I had a particularly bad experience with the Emperor of Sands in Chandrar. You know, the new one? He was quite objectionable and I had trouble dealing with him. Of course, she was worse now that I think of it…”
That was another odd statement that didn’t make sense unless you knew more about the Emperor of Sands. Zel shook his head.
“[Emperors] are none of my business. Goblin Lord, Necromancer—that’s all I’ll help you with. You want to deal with him, do it yourself.”
“Cheapskate.”
Zel grew exasperated.
“Don’t you have a Skill that controls other people? Use that on him. I’ve heard about you and your charmed words.”
“Believe me, I would if I could, but my Skill is not powerful enough to sway anyone with a powerful class—or strong will. I’ve learned that the hard way recently.”
Magnolia made a face, which surprised Zel.
“I would have thought a high-level [Lady] would have more persuasion Skills than that.”
“Oh, Skills. I have lots of those, but charming others isn’t a vital Skill for me by any means. I have Skills in far more useful areas I’m pleased to say.”
“Such as?”
She clicked her tongue dismissively.
“Skills that boost the welfare and safety of my lands, Skills that help me train servants, protect myself, manage my estates…”
“And your highest-level Skill?”
Magnolia Reinhart hesitated and eyed Zel for a second.
“Why do you want to know?”
He shrugged.
“We are allies. It’s helpful to know what your best Skill is. I’m sure you know mine.”
“Hmm…I suppose so. Very well. My highest-level Skill is [Aegis of Grace].”
“I’m unfamiliar with it.”
“Not surprising. It’s a powerful Skill that extends across my lands. To simplify, it wards off any settlement affiliated with me from attack. Thus, my mansion, Invrisil, and other holdings deter casual [Bandits], monsters and so on from attacking them. Attacks do occur of course, but that is one of the reasons why Invrisil had grown so prosperous of late. Adventurers do their bit, but my Skill—and the reputation I have worked so hard to dismay you with—also protects my people.”
Was that a joke? Zel blinked and nodded. Magnolia smiled at him.
“It may not seem like much considering your Skills can literally turn the tide of battle, but I suspect one of the reasons why all these Goblins have been raiding other settlements and cities is due to that Skill. After all, peace brings prosperity and with enough money I can do a great deal.”
“I can appreciate that. Thank you for telling me.”
Zel nodded to Magnolia. She dipped her head graciously, and then put down her empty cup and stood up.
“Well, I do believe that was a profitable little talk. However, I think that you and I have gone over…most of the points we wished to discuss. You aren’t beholden to me, and I am your ally of circumstance. For now.”
Her eyes twinkled and Zel suspected she planned to turn him into an ally for good. But he made no comment, simply rising to his fee
t.
“I’m fine with that. If you’ll show me the way, I’ll finish assessing my army and sending out instructions—”
“Oh psht. That can wait. Reynold and Sacra are very good at their jobs and I have something for you. I was going to give it to you tomorrow, but I suppose that since we’re tentative allies, now is the best time. You do need to know what you’re working with after all. Follow me.”
Magnolia was either a night owl or she’d had far too much sugar, because she strode towards the doors and down the hallway at a brisk pace. Zel followed, his legs and tail almost asleep. Magnolia led him down a flight of stairs, through a hallway full of [Maids] and [Servants] who stared at Zel, past a Gnoll [Maid]—
“A Gnoll [Maid]?”
Zel had to take a step back to look at that. Magnolia walked back to him as he saw a Gnoll [Maid] serving a plate of food to a man dressed all in black in a small sitting room. Both Gnoll and Human glanced up and froze as they saw Zel peeking in. He turned away and saw Magnolia and Ressa peeking as well.
“Oh, don’t mind her. Bekia’s been in my service for years. As for the rather young and nervous [Assassin] there—that’s Theofore.”
“Theofore?”
Zel looked blankly at the [Assassin], who’d gone pale at the sight of a famous Drake [General]. Zel tried to remember what the open bounty on his head was and forgot. He’d gutted more than one [Assassin] after his life, which was probably why the young man was so afraid. Magnolia nodded sympathetically.
“A young fool. I have some…trouble with the Assassin’s Guild, and he was blindingly unaware of the entire affair. Suffice it to say he’s marked for death by his own guild, which is why I’m letting him stay here. Rather charitable of me I know, but I suppose I’ll need at least one [Assassin] once I’m done cleaning up.”
Both Zel and Theofore eyed Magnolia as she turned away. The [General] followed Magnolia into the main hallway, and then, to his surprise, out of the doors and into the garden.
“Why are we going out here?”
“Oh, don’t worry—I keep my estate’s weather controlled by magic.”
Magnolia reassured Zel without answering the question as she strolled out into a pleasant, cool night that was at odds with the dour wet cold of the fleeing winter outside of her mansion. Zel followed her into a veritable labyrinth of hedges, flowers, and so on, and stared at a giant cloud floating very low overhead.
“You have a lot of magic in your mansion.”
“Yes, don’t I? I collect it. Mind the ground—looks like the cloud’s just been through. Oh, and Ressa, do make sure it doesn’t shoot lightning by accident, will you? I’d hate for anything to strike our [General], especially as he is wearing armor.”
Zel eyed the passing raincloud warily and walked a few steps away from it. Magnolia was preoccupied however. She walked through a hedge maze, calling out loudly.
“Nalthal! Nalthaliarstrelous! Please don’t make me call your full name again! Where are you?”
There was a rustle and Zel turned and saw a dour-looking old man in dirty robes appear out of the hedges like a dirty, scruffy ghost. Unlike every other servant in Magnolia’s employ, he was not professional, did not bow to her when he appeared, and instead leaned on the hoe he was carrying and glared at Magnolia, Ressa, and Zel all at once.
He made the Drake’s scales prickle. Magnolia smiled as she greeted Nalthal, her [Gardener]. The old man grunted as she approached.
“Nalthal, I do apologize for the late hour, but I was hoping you had my two you-know-what’s around here? In the maze perhaps? And I’ll need the rest of the artifacts my grandfather gave me.”
The old [Gardener] grunted and eyed Zel. The [General] felt his scales prickle again and took two steps backwards. Magnolia frowned.
“Oh please, General. Nalthal doesn’t smell that bad. Although I do agree he is rather…pungent.”
“It’s not that. I’m just getting out of his range.”
Zel folded his arms and stared hard at the ‘gardener’. He noticed Ressa was also standing away from the old man. Nalthal muttered something incomprehensible and scratched at one armpit. Magnolia looked at him and then at Zel and her eyes widened.
“Oh! Warrior’s instincts, is it? Ressa hates standing near Nalthal too. Although that may be the smell again…Nalthal, I do appreciate your display of animosity, but my grandfather’s things?”
He grunted irritably at her. Unperturbed, she poked him and he shuffled off through the hedge maze. Ressa brought up the rear and Zel kept narrowing his eyes at the [Gardener]’s back. There was definitely a field around him that Zel didn’t want to enter. He looked at Ressa as the [Maid] frowned at Nalthal’s back.
“Excuse me. Miss Ressa. That [Gardener] is a warrior, isn’t he?”
Ressa nodded shortly.
“He is. Although he’s no warrior, but rather a mage.”
“Really? What kind?”
“[Druid].”
Zel paused. He looked around at the garden, and realized it was not so much a beautifully tended delight of flowers, but an infestation of greenery just barely curtailed from overgrowing the mansion.
“And she lets him tend her gardens?”
Ressa’s face said it all. Nalthal, the dangerously irritable [Druid] led them through the maze and several twists and turns. It didn’t seem that protected, but Magnolia explained to Zel as he walked.
“You see, I had a break in last month…terrible business and I have some rather powerful artifacts here, so I decided to place them with Nalthal. I do have a treasury, but some of the items are ah, rather large and Nalthal is quite good at his job. I believe his shrubbery ate two [Assassins] when they attacked. Oh, here we are!”
“Ancestors!”
Zel roared and nearly dove out of the way as he rounded a bend in the maze and came face-to-face with a giant metal monster. A Golem, a monster with knives for hands and a huge metal body inscribed with runes and armored like a Dullahan stared down at him. A glowing white light shone from its mouth—it had no head, just a giant opening which was his mouth and eyes and face all at once.
It was huge. And it was one of a pair. The second battle Golem loomed over Zel, a mass of metal and magic that shone with inactivated spells and deadly intent. The [General] backed up fast from the two Golems, staring at Magnolia.
“Dead gods, are those War Golems? Where did you get these things from?”
“Oh, the Reinhart family vaults of course. I have a grandfather—whom I would very much like to kill if you and Niers do agree to join me—who has a few lying about. I thought they would be a fine addition to the army. They certainly are good at killing things.”
Magnolia twinkled at Zel. She walked over to the hulking War Golems without fear. That was more than Zel could do—his heart was beating out of his chest as he recalled stories of how War Golems would wade through armies leaving a trail of death in their wakes.
Ressa clearly had heard the same stories, because she was eying the huge metal monsters with the same trepidation. Both War Golems were over twelve feet tall and were more than a match for any monster they encountered. Only Nalthal’s overgrown hedge maze could have hidden them. The [Druid] seemed unimpressed with the War Golems as well. He kicked one and walked around it, muttering as Magnolia explained.
“I requisitioned some soldiers from my estate as well. They’re already at the meeting place—oh dear, I hope they have food—well, I’m sure they’ll be fine. They’re [Knights], and [Mages]. A small force and they don’t see combat much, but they are well equipped.”
“And the two War Golems? They’re for me?”
Zel stared upwards, scarcely able to believe a relic from the past would be put under his command so easily. If he’d had both of them before, Ilvriss would have thought twice about attacking him. Any army would. A War Golem was worth at least a thousand soldiers used correctly. Ancestors, no wonder Magnolia Reinhart could speak about creating a perfect army! Give him a hundred of the War Golems
and he’d take down a Walled City!
Well, maybe not a Walled City, but anything up to that point—Zel’s mind spun with the possibilities of how he’d use them in battle. He wondered what a [Strategist] would make of them.
Magnolia smiled, and then turned as she saw Nalthal dragging something across the ground. She cried out in dismay.
“Oh come now Nalthal! That’s not the way to treat General Shivertail’s armor!”
“My what?”
Zel looked over and saw Magnolia fussing over a huge and clearly magical breastplate. She couldn’t lift it herself, so Ressa and Nalthal had to pick it up. It was dirty, but the dirt couldn’t hide the impressive nature of the armor. The golden-red metal shone in the dark night, and seemed to blaze as if a flickering fire was right in front of the armor. Nalthal sneered at it and nearly dropped his end until Ressa kicked him.
“This is a set of armor from the Reinhart vaults, General Shivertail. I selected it myself. It’s a powerful artifact and—”
“It’s stolen.”
Zel folded his arms. Magnolia blinked and broke off.
“Excuse me?”
The Drake [General] glared at Magnolia and Ressa alike. He pointed to the armor with a trembling claw.
“I recognize that armor! That is the Heartflame Breastplate, one of my people’s national treasures! We thought it was lost after General Ironscales was slaughtered and her corpse disappeared two centuries ago—you Humans had it this entire time?”
“Oh dear. Did we Ressa?”
“Probably.”
The [Maid] shrugged and glared at Nalthal as he dropped his end of the armor and stomped away. She offered it to Zel unapologetically.
“The Reinharts steal everything. Regis Reinhart acquired it and we had no idea it was in his possession until we asked. It’s yours now.”
“Mine?”
Zel stared at Magnolia in disbelief. He lifted the breastplate gingerly in his claws. It was indeed heavy, but if legends were true, it could stop an enchanted lance thrust to the heart without a problem. Magnolia smiled at him as the Drake looked at her in disbelief.