Valkyrie's Shadow

Empire in Chains: Act 2, Chapter 8

Empire in Chains: Act 2, Chapter 8

Chapter 8

What am I doing?

It was perhaps the twenty-third time Nemel had asked herself this question over the course of the day while she smiled beside Dame Verilyn at the counter of the merchant stand. As the hours wore on and evening fell, the true power of the ratman stand came into play.

What had started out as a slightly upscale merchant stand gained in lustre until Nemel could only compare it to the outlet of a high-profile atelier in Arwintar. At the centre of the tasteful displays glittering softly under magical lighting stood Dame Verilyn, who tirelessly interacted with the seemingly endless flow of customers. The Dragon-turned-Elf was now an Elf-turned-Human…or something like that.

This Human form had – at least in Nemel’s humble estimation – three times the impact as her Elven one. People that weren’t even prospective customers crowded around, waiting for the chance to speak with the enchanting woman ‘running’ the merchant stand. For Dame Verilyn’s part, she didn’t care that they didn’t buy anything. Everyone received a bit of her attention and time, walking away with a bit of happiness.

The subdued market gained an energy it probably hadn’t had since before the Eighth Legion was disbanded. Men and women came and went; goods and information flowed freely, and Nemel Gran started to comprehend the absolutely ridiculous calibre of Dame Verilyn.

Spying? Subterfuge? Who needed that? Certainly not Dame Verilyn. The entire world seemed to just come up to lay itself bare in a desperate effort to please her.

A voice from under the covered table drifted up at her.

“Officer Gran, if you please.”

Nemel looked down to see a bag held up in a ratman apprentice’s paws. She gingerly reached down to pick it up and place it on the counter. The operation of the stand was an intricate thing in itself. While Dame Verilyn managed the displays and interacted with visitors, Master Chiru negotiated sales. The apprentice hidden under the table helped with transactions while the other three were in the tent managing inventories.

Even Nemel was incorporated. An officer of the Sixth Legion’s Imperial Air Service wing, providing security to…valuable inventories? A guard for a stunning beauty? Or was she there to reassure those who were worried about the ratmen? Her presence reinforced the sense of legitimacy that such a high profile business should have; she even cast spells to ensure that measures were accurate and goods were as advertised.

This is probably not what General Ray had in mind…

She was doing what she could to help, but it wasn’t really the sort of ‘help’ that made one stand out. Keeping track of everything that Dame Verilyn did was impossible, and it felt like any extra effort she put in in an attempt to assist her would only be an impediment. Nemel wasn’t even sure how she would report things. It would be even more boring than a day on patrol without incidents.

There was nothing important of note that someone like General Ray would be interested in; no spies or other agents to identify. Rather than that, everyone had effectively become a ‘spy’ for Dame Verilyn. The range of information that she collected was so broad that Nemel couldn’t discern any patterns whatsoever, nor could she remember most of what Dame Verilyn discussed with the stand’s visitors.

Nemel couldn’t even know what the Frost Dragon had possibly observed, as a Dragon’s senses were far beyond those of a Human. Dame Verilyn had recognized Nemel’s face from over 5,000 metres away – as long as she had an unobstructed line of sight, she could read things without anyone at all realising that she had.

The tales of Dragons simply didn’t do them justice…or perhaps it was simply Nemel who hadn’t truly appreciated what was conveyed. Dragons were wise. Dragons were powerful. Dragons were an existence that stood far above mere mortals. The tales did say that, but it felt like no one ever considered what it actually meant. To most – Nemel included – it was all shoved aside to make room for the image of a monstrous threat to be vanquished or avoided.

Dragons were simply unfair. And why did people always think that they were always ‘elsewhere’? Looking over at Dame Verilyn, Nemel wondered if there wasn’t one living cosily in Arwintar unbeknownst to all of its neighbours.

Late in the evening, Master Chiru decided that they had done enough for the day. As Nemel helped to put everything away, a wave of dizziness overcame her. Someone steadied her from behind, lifting the heavy crate she was carrying smoothly from her hands.

“Officer Gran,” Dame Verilyn said, “are you alright?”

“I…thank you. I’m just feeling a bit lightheaded.”

“I don’t recall you eating anything since you arrived at the inn last night.”

She was right. Swept away by events beyond her control and desperately trying to figure things out, she hadn’t eaten anything since the baked potato in Arwintar.

“Shall we go somewhere for dinner?”

“I can head over to the garrison for some–”

No, she should avoid the garrison. General Ray might have left further instructions for her or left demands for a report with the office. She needed to minimise his influence and personally appeal to Dame Verilyn.

Nemel nodded silently and she left the plaza with Dame Verilyn, one arm in hers.

“Can you still use your Invisibility item?”

“We’re hiding ourselves again?”

“I prefer to avoid complications if possible.”

What complications? They could have been anything from being approached due to her appearance to evading Imperial Intelligence or some powerful, unknown enemies. She didn’t know what could possibly threaten Dame Verilyn, but the Sorcerous Kingdom was a powerful nation that should probably have powerful enemies. Else it would have conquered the entire world by now.

They made their way back north towards the central plaza, and Nemel could only be astonished at how Dame Verilyn wound her way through streets with busy people who weren’t aware of their presence. One thing about Invisibility that its users quickly learned was that, even if people couldn’t see them, they could still run into them – usually at full force. If an invisible person didn’t watch out for themselves, it wouldn’t be strange to get trampled by horses or flattened by carriages.

“How about some bread?”

Nemel looked up at the sign of the bakery ahead.

“That’s a bit…”

She couldn’t say it. The bakery was known for being very cheap, but it was also known for using grain from the Sorcerous Kingdom. Rather than try to hide this fact to promote sales, it actively flaunted it. The only customers were those who had fallen on the increasingly hard times in Engelfurt. Not only did people fear eating cursed food, but purchasing anything from the shop was basically announcing to everyone that they were poor.

Dame Verilyn seemed to sense her trepidation and they wordlessly walked by, much to Nemel’s relief.

“In that case,” the Dragon asked, “what about there? Humans place importance in such places, yes?”

Nemel’s eyes widened once she located the establishment that Dame Verilyn was referring to. It wasn’t a place that someone with the salary of a Junior Aerial Mage could afford.

“How about we return to the Angel’s Rest?” Nemel did her best not to pull away, “We can get a good meal and take it back up to our room. You said that you wanted to continue where we left off last night, right?”

“Are you certain?”

Dame Verilyn somehow sensed Nemel’s nod through her Invisibility. Upon entering the central plaza, Dame Verilyn’s steps slowed. Eventually, she stopped, but Nemel couldn’t see the Dragon’s Human form, despite holding onto her. She glanced about nervously, wondering if they were being targeted by some equally powerful being.

“…this should be the Engelfurt Adventurer Guild branch, yes?”

Nemel turned her attention to the building beside them.

“Yes, it is…why?”

“It feels rather empty,” Dame Verilyn said. “Even if what you said last night was true, there should be work that the Imperial Army can’t handle…”

“How do you know that it’s empty?”

The windows of the Adventurer Guild were shuttered; its door closed. There was nothing to indicate that it had shut down, but it did look rather forlorn.

“I can sense it from here,” Dame Verilyn told her. “There appear to be two receptionists, one person sitting in a back office and three fellows drinking around a table. They do not appear to be very happy.”

“Did you want to take a look inside?”

What was she saying? Dame Verilyn already knew what was going on inside.

“There is some business that I have with the Empire’s Adventurer Guilds,” Dame Verilyn started to move again, “but this one appears to be a waste of time. Continuing what we were doing last night carries far more benefits.”

Business with the Adventurer Guild? Come to think of it, the Sorcerous Kingdom now had some sort of new Adventurer Guild. An Adventurer Guild for monsters…if Human Adventurer Guilds commissioned their Adventurers to hunt monsters, did a monster Adventurer Guild commission their Adventurers to hunt Humans? Or maybe she was here on a job to destroy Human Adventurer Guilds or kill a specific Adventurer. Or a list of them that had crossed her monster employers in the past…

Considering how insanely stealthy and powerful she was, Dame Verilyn was the perfect assassin. She could probably snatch the Emperor right out of his bed and no one would even notice until they were long gone.

Back at the Angel’s Rest, Dame Verilyn ordered two meals. They were the hearty ones that those who performed heavy labour preferred, piled high with roasted potatoes, cured and roasted meats, and rich gravy. Then, the Dragon paid for both of them.

“W-wait,” Nemel said, “I can pay for my own meal.”

Nemel’s hand went to the purse in one of her belt pouches. A sinking feeling filled her as she felt how empty it was: she sent most of her salary to help her family since her basic needs were provided by the army. What was left amounted to pocket money for the occasional indulgence. Expenses surrounding the operation of a noble house – even a minor one – built up quite rapidly.

The earnings of arcane casters provided for a more than a comfortable living, but she had more than just herself to support. Everyone in the family had to pitch in to maintain House Gran, or their ventures would collapse and a lot of people would be out of work.

“You’ve more than paid for your meal already.”

“…I have?”

“You cast thirty-one cantrips and First-tier spells, plus four Second-tier spells while helping out with the stall today. I’m not sure what imperial rates are, but that’s two silver, five copper for the cantrips and First-tier spells alone going by the rates in E-Rantel. Do you take trade currency?”

Nemel’s ‘pay’ appeared on the counter. Weren’t Dragons supposed to be greedy? Aside from that, even if she was released from her usual patrol duties, as an imperial officer her mana still belonged to the Empire. They went up to their room and, after wrestling with herself for a few moments, she placed the coins on the table between them.

“I can’t accept these,” Nemel said. “I’m being paid by the Empire to do my job…well, this isn’t my usual job, but I’m still working. If anything, my spells are services being rendered to you by the Imperial Air Service. It’s alright if my expenses are being covered, but I can’t just pocket the rest.”

“I see,” Dame Verilyn said as she settled into her seat. “You know, Lady Zahradnik and her friends would like you, I think.”

“Who is Lady Zahradnik?”

If Dame Verilyn was a Knight from the Sorcerous Kingdom, was this Lady Zahradnik a Noble of the Sorcerous Kingdom? A monster Noble? Or would that be a Lord-type Demihuman…

“She is the Baroness of Zahradnik,” Dame Verilyn told her. “I believe her territory once went by the name of ‘Warden’s Vale’, but it is only a small part of her title now. Hmm…her land is about as wide and long as the distance between this city and the border.”

A Baroness with that much land…shouldn’t she be a Countess instead? Unless…

“Is she a Noble from the border?”

“Why yes – are you familiar with them?”

“The Empire has a lot of border lords,” Nemel said. “They’re basically the backbone of the Imperial Army. Almost all of them become commanding officers or captains of elite companies. At least half of the Great Imperial Knights in every generation of Emperors are from border houses.”

“An army full of Lady Zahradniks,” Dame Verilyn mused. “It’s a wonder that the Empire hasn’t conquered all of its neighbours with how long it’s been around for.”

Nemel furrowed her brow as she nommed on a roasted potato. Imperial border lords were certainly more powerful than the average legionnaire, but she didn’t think they were that strong. Maybe this ‘Lady Zahradnik’ was a monster, after all.

“At any rate,” Dame Verilyn continued, “Lady Zahradnik and her friends are all very, how do you say it…austere when it comes to their duties and business affairs. Dragons always keep their word and pay their debts, but they’re a whole other creature entirely.”

With her stuffed mouth, Nemel could only nod slowly in response. The stories sometimes said things like that. Even the evilest Dragon kept their promises and paid their debts. At the same time, repayment could come in an undesirable or even horrific form, so the Heroes from the tales had to be very shrewd when dealing with Dragons.

According to her instructors at the Imperial Air Service, Frost Dragons were evil, feral and vengeful. Dame Verilyn, however, was gentle, kind and forthright. Nemel couldn’t help but like her. Maybe Frost Dragons weren’t all the same, or maybe Dame Verilyn was just a very special Frost Dragon.

Wiping her lips with a napkin, Nemel took a deep breath, steeling her resolve.

“Dame Verilyn, there is something I need to ask of you.”