“Yes, My Lord,” each of them murmured, saluting him and half bowing.
“Acting Captain Gareth. You are in charge of reconstituting your company for the time being,” Jared told the startled man, smiling at him slightly. “You are to keep track of the status of the injured and inform me if any more succumb to their wounds. You are also to arrange appropriate attention from the healers for all the injured. Captain Mareth will require at least four months of treatment, so you will also be required to select new soldiers from recruits and get them settled. I expect you to have the company in basic order by the time she returns and you take your place as her new second in command.”
“Sir!” Gareth’s back straightened a little more as he was given new responsibilities.
“Dismissed, Acting Captain.” Jared waited until Gareth had left before turning his attention to Lieutenant Kendrick. “Now, Lieutenant Kendrick, did you see anything beforehand to suggest this… deplorable outcome might have been avoided?”
“I’m afraid not, sir. I didn’t see any signs of them moving off the trail to set the traps at all, so I’m afraid that in the same situation we’d have walked into it anyway,” Kendrick replied ruefully, shaking his head. “Those rockslides were extensive, sir. We would have lost even more people if Martin, here, hadn’t warned us to run immediately.”
“How did you know to tell them to run, Martin?” Jared asked curiously, eying the man, who shifted uncomfortably, his hands wringing his cap and his eyes almost involuntarily darting to Topaz, who was standing behind Jared and to his right.
“I… I was a hunter in the Serpentspine before I joined up, Adjudicator,” Martin managed after a moment, gulping. “I’ve seen rockslides before, and that was one of the worst. The sounds that precede it just sound like pops, but it’s the sound of stone shattering, sir.”
“I see. Well, you did good work out there. Give Martin a standard bonus for excellent service, lieutenant, in addition to the same for all the surviving scouts,” Jared told Kendrick with a slight smile. “Keep it quiet, hmm? We both know that your people were the ones doing the real work when tracking.”
“Yes, sir!” Kendrick also stood straighter, and then continued quickly. “But there was one thing I wanted to show you. One of my men found a few items in the caves that he initially thought were just odd rocks, but I saw them and thought they might be of interest to you.”
“Oh?” Jared asked, and Kendrick pulled a cloth out of his pouch and unfolded it, revealing several stone shards, as well as a crystal one. Jared gestured to the desk, and Kendrick set them down so Jared could examine them more closely.
Looking carefully at the fragments, Jared narrowed his eyes slightly. The shards seemed mostly normal, but there were worn grooves that looked like writing on one, and what appeared to be painting on others. But it was the last one which made his eyes go wide. The layered, crystalline glass was something that didn’t occur naturally, and this was obviously a piece of a solid orb. He smiled broadly as he spoke, excitement running through him. “Interesting!”
* * *
Topaz hated Adjudicator Jared Falgrave. She also loved him, in a horrible sort of way. The past week had been an exquisite torture for her. Jared was polite, and never deliberately hurt her. He also didn’t care about her feelings at all, and she saw that he treated slaves as though they were a normal class of society. He didn’t really care about them at all, even though he had ensured that she would be well-treated.
Jared wasn’t a terribly imposing man, either. He was a bit under six feet in height, with carefully trimmed brown hair, brown eyes, and a clean-shaven lantern jaw. He generally dressed simply but in fine clothing, not worrying too much about his own appearance.
He also ordered her into his bed every night. That was part of why she loved and hated him. She could feel something within her mind twisting her slowly into something different. Someone who she wasn’t. Time after time, she’d tried to remember her original name. To remember who she was. But his order was… pervasive. At first, she’d been able to remember it by thinking back to her parents calling for her when she was young. But the previous day, when she thought back, the only name she recalled them calling out was Topaz, and that wasn’t what it was supposed to be. She knew that it wasn’t, and yet her certainty was starting to waver.
She also possessed skills that she had never learned before. Once Jared had asked her to make him a cup of hot chocolate, and despite never having made it before in her life, she’d instinctively known exactly how to make it. It also applied to more… carnal skills, which she was starting to enjoy in spite of her initial revulsion. Though part of that was due to what he’d done to her body.
Over the last few days, her body had changed. She’d almost fallen several times as her hips slowly widened, even as her waist narrowed. Her bust had swollen as well, to a point that she thought few elves could rival it naturally, and her already golden hair had taken a more gem-like hue. Even her eyes hadn’t remained untouched, as they’d changed to the color of topaz crystals, and her facial features shifted to make her more perfect to his eyes. He’d seemed all too pleased with himself, especially since her skin cleared up and her calluses vanished like they’d never existed. And worst of all, all of her senses were more acute than they had been, which she had not appreciated the day she trod on a rock brought in by his boots.
But worst of all was the humiliating clothing she was forced to wear. Apparently, slaves were expected to go about their daily business with their brand exposed at all times, weather permitting. The nobility took it a step further, often making their slaves wear even less. Jared couldn’t allow himself to be upstaged, which was why her clothing would barely be considered underwear back in Yisara. The halter-top was tiny and made of thin white silk, while the lower part… she didn’t care to consider how little it covered. She was almost furious when Jared had told her he was having a gold collar, bracelets, and anklets made that all matched and were all set with topazes. Though even there, she was finding it hard to keep her rage at her circumstances and enslavement. She could manage to fear the brainwashing, at least. But she was uncomfortably certain that it was far too late for that fear.
She was both uncomfortable and aroused as the three soldiers ogled her while making their reports. But she didn’t react, as Jared expected her to. All disobeying got was an order that sliced away at her few remaining freedoms. She barely glanced at the objects, then continued staring at the wall, watching the light slowly change from yellow to red as the sun set.
But then Jared spoke to her. “Topaz, what do you make of these?”
Topaz froze for a moment in surprise, then walked over and looked at the objects, examining them for a moment. She didn’t want to answer, yet she knew that he would order her to answer if he had to. Since he’d ordered her early on to never lie to him, it made misleading him incredibly difficult. But not impossible.
“The glass is from a process lost before the Godsrage, commonly used by the ancient kingdoms for enchanting. The fragments appear to be from pottery dating to the same era. The script appears to be old elven, though there is not enough for me to determine what it might say,” she told him, keeping her voice as calm as possible.
“That’s what I thought.” He seemed satisfied with her reply, to her relief, and turned back to the men. “Thank you, lieutenant. This could be very promising indeed. I will have to consider what to do with the information.”
“Thank you, sir,” they spoke, and then slowly left.
Topaz felt her relief grow as she considered what she hadn’t told him. That glass had been primarily used in the old elven capitals, as part of the lights for the richest cities of the kingdoms. It was a small victory, but every one of them gave her hope.
Chapter 12
Looking over the edge of the ridge carefully, Serel examined the mountain valley with a critical eye. It had taken quite a bit of time to spot the variety of ancient wardstones around the valley, as they had mana
ged to guide Serel’s scouts around the valley at first. They had to help greatly in keeping out the variety of monsters that inhabited the mountains. Wardstones were old magic, of a type that had been lost in the Godsrage and thus irreplaceable, and yet one of the soldiers had had the temerity to suggest destroying one, to open the temple to an attack which might weaken their defenses. Fortunately, no one else had thought it was a good idea, as their greatest advantage at the moment was surprise. It was also a good sign that the wards didn’t contain any spells to warn when people crossed the barrier, which removed one of Serel’s greatest concerns.
The valley itself wasn’t large, and most of the usable ground was taken up by fields of crops, obviously tilled as early as the ground was ready in the spring. The growing season had to be short up here. But the main concern to Serel was the temple itself. The structure was an imposing edifice of granite, and at first glance, she would have thought that the central tower was more of a military keep than a temple. But attached to the tower was a large chapel and several more outbuildings, as well as a relatively fragile-looking wall surrounding the entire compound. It wasn’t terribly secure from what she could see, but the appearance of any church could be deceiving due to the variety of spells they could cast.
But this was also a very strange place for the church of Medaea to maintain a temple. Medaea was the goddess of healing, purity, and the sun, after all, not secrecy and hiding. And a temple that was kept secret, with the church not telling anyone where it was? That made it very interesting indeed. But as the priesthood was well-known for only accepting virgin women to its order while tending toward the more beautiful members, as well as being a primarily elven faith, the temple was a potential goldmine for Kelvanis. But the question was, why were even her orders kept secret until now, and why had nine other Enforcers been sent with her? Likely as not she could have dealt with the temple properly with a single army company and herself. It was a mystery to Serel, and she hoped her orders would shed light on the reasons.
Moving back down the mountain, she hiked a mile before she reached the small camp where her force was set up. Two dozen elite Kelvanis soldiers were camped there, while the other nine Enforcers watched her calmly. She looked at the soldiers and picked one, pointing at the man. “You. Take your partner and go to the ridgeline. Keep watch on the inhabitants, and count how many come in and out of the gates. Don’t be seen or enter the valley.”
“Yes, High Enforcer,” the man replied instantly, and went to rouse his partner from their tent to get moving.
Serel eyed the large number of mules they’d brought with them to carry the heavy equipment they’d been assigned, then nodded to herself. Looking at the Enforcers, she smiled thinly. “We’ve seen the temple. Now I get to find out what this is all about. I will inform you shortly of what I’m allowed to.”
“Right, Serel,” one of them replied laconically, grinning slightly and prompting a thin smile of her own. She appreciated other Enforcers. They were competent. Few others could meet her standards.
Going to her tent, she pushed aside the flap and sat at the mobile desk, pulling out the thick packet containing her orders. Undoing the sealskin wrapping, she tossed it on the desk and studied the envelope, her fingers now trembling. The envelope was sealed with purple wax, and the elaborately designed three-pointed sigil was that of the Archon himself. She took a deep breath before breaking it and feeling His magic wash through her. It was hot, heady, and dangerous, more powerful than what she could command by far. Not having been burnt to ashes, she relaxed slightly and pulled out the first sheet, opening it to read the contents.
High Enforcer Serel,
Knowing your personality, I am certain that you are uncertain and annoyed as to what all the secrecy surrounding your mission is about. I assure you, this is of the highest importance to Kelvanis. Your success may propel us to the greatest heights of power imaginable, while failure may lead to utter disaster for the entire nation. But most importantly, none may know of this until after we are completely done. Full orders on how to proceed will be covered in individual sections, but what is written here may only be shared with your Enforcers, and only if you believe they need to know. I have enclosed as much information as I can, though I am uncertain how much of it is actually necessary. All precautions must be taken, even if they prove unnecessary.
It is well known that after the Godsrage, the gods largely retreated from the world, only extending their grace via powers granted to faithful worshipers. Only those deities which were relatively weak could continue to take direct action, and even those could be killed if powerful enough forces confronted them, beings such as demigods and lords of the pit. What is not known is that Medaea, one of the most powerful of these beings, was so grieved by the battles that she chose to lay down to sleep eternally in the manifestation of the deities’ mistakes, the Godsrage Mountains. She sleeps deeply within the temple upon which you laid your eyes, Serel, and if you perform your task correctly, we can claim her as the most powerful slave in the world, and take her as our national guardian. Such a task will take a decade once she is here in the capital, but it cannot be done unless you perform your task first. I have full faith in you, but know this, if you make but a single mistake, it could lead to her waking and destroying all of you. Tread cautiously.
Contained in your supplies are pendants that, when charged with mana, will hide you from Her divine attention, as well as the lesser wards of Her servants. If a conscious being is directly monitoring the area, they can sense the gaps they create, but She is not conscious. You also have been supplied with a significant supply of Dreamless Dark, which I’m certain you can use to capture the priestesses with little trouble. More importantly, you must not kill any of the priestesses in your assault, and one must remain on the temple grounds at all times until you have captured Her, or She may notice that her body is unattended. It is not a certainty that she might notice, but no possibility can be neglected. Similarly, as your mundane soldiers cannot shield themselves, they must remain outside of the temple until She has been captured, nor can you properly desecrate the altars. I’m certain this will make things more difficult for you, but there is little that can be done.
The steps required to capture Her are listed within the additional orders I’ve left for you. I have attempted to make them as direct as possible, but be warned that each of the stages must be done at least one day apart, else She will wake. I do not wish to lose you to such an occurrence, nor Her. Finally, on exiting the temple, you must make certain it appears that nothing happened to it in order to delay arousing the suspicion of others. If the soldiers must be eliminated, so be it. For the priestesses, I have included an order with my Command embedded that will allow you to force them to never speak of what has occurred there, unless by My direct order.
By My Own Hand,
Archon Ulvian Sorvos
P.S. Not even Adjudicator Falgrave knows of what your precise assignment is. If he made any requests that seem reasonable, carry them out. He is among the most loyal and reliable Adjudicators in the kingdom, and he will not pry when you tell him that you cannot inform him of what happened.
The information written was stunning, and Serel sat back to mentally work through it, her mind in a daze. A goddess was sleeping beneath the temple? The shocking, horrifying arrogance of the Archon’s plan made Serel almost recoil in terror. It shook her, and she doubted that such an ambition could be made to work. A goddess couldn’t simply be enslaved. Could she?
She knew how powerful the Archon was, though. How meticulous he was about building his alliances, and not breaking them unless there was no other choice. He would never attempt something which he believed had no chance of success.
So as she tapped her lower lip, she finally nodded, murmuring. “Well, if he thinks I can manage it…”
Setting aside the letter, she began to read the other instructions, wanting the full picture before she began building her plans.
Chapter 13
“Easy as pie,” the handsome, brown-haired man replied in a drawl, then held up the crystal pendant he was carrying. “Might take a load of mana to charge this and go invisible, but I’ll get this into their food no problem. Only worry is that they might bump into me when I follow them through a door, but don’t worry, I’ll manage.”
The other Enforcer had been tasked to deliver the Dreamless Dark to the kitchens of the temple. Dreamless Dark was a refined version of dreamer’s aide, a common drug that allowed those who used it to fall asleep more easily. On the other hand, Dreamless Dark was designed to not take effect until the user was ready to sleep, and when it did, it would cause them to fall into an incredibly deep slumber from which they wouldn’t wake for ten to twelve hours. It was perfect for this task since the priestesses didn’t seem to have anyone keep a night watch, assuming they could get it into the primary food supply.
Even so, it would be difficult. She had a large number of mana stones and crystals available, but most of those would be needed for Medaea, so she didn’t dare use too many of them. The important thing was to take down the priestesses and turn as many as possible to their service. She snorted to herself as she recalled the Archon’s postscript and the request that Adjudicator Jared had made. He’d asked for a half dozen beautiful priestesses, including the High Priestess. While she thought it somewhat ridiculous, she should be able to easily manage the request with the numbers of priestesses in the temple. What did he want, a priestess for each day of the week? It made her respect for the Adjudicator dim somewhat.
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