Valkyrie's Shadow

Empire in Chains: Act 4, Chapter 19

Empire in Chains: Act 4, Chapter 19

Chapter 19

In a secluded chamber deep in the fortress on The Spill, Ludmila quietly smiled down at Ilyshn’ish as she gently stroked her silky, frost-white hair. The Frost-Dragon-turned-Snow-Elf had fallen asleep as they waited for nightfall, her head resting on Ludmila’s lap.

Though they shared a telepathic bond that allowed them to express their thoughts and feelings to one another, she still couldn’t wrap her head around all of the reasons why the Frost Dragon had agreed to become her companion. The way that Ilyshn’ish thought was so extraordinarily broad that Ludmila could somewhat understand why she considered the world in the ways that she did and had trouble grasping the world that Humans made for themselves.

At the same time, she did have that selfish ‘draconic’ side to her which was so often conveyed in songs and other forms of folklore. To even call it draconic barely scratched the surface. Being bonded with Ilyshn’ish did not give Ludmila any sense of being an expert when it came to Dragons: she only knew her Dragon.

Ilyshn’ish considered herself a Frost Dragon exemplar, meaning that she had a feral, solitary nature to her that one might perhaps compare to the proverbial lone wolf. She was proud, independent and – even when she was physically amongst others – in her mind she was alone. Being in unfamiliar situations created levels of paranoia and stress that Ludmila decided a Human would simply go insane under.

Since Frost Dragons were always this way, it amounted to being ‘normal’ for Ilyshn’ish. Where it seemed to matter the most was when that stress and paranoia diminished. Her confidence, ability and true personality would be unleashed, allowing Ilyshn’ish to display her full potential. This same behaviour was what led to her falling asleep on Ludmila’s lap.

After examining the small, sparsely-furnished room – it was actually a dungeon cell where they had concealed themselves from potential flyovers by the Dragon Lord – Ilyshn’ish plopped herself onto the bed next to Ludmila, who was using their wait as an opportunity to catch up on her reading. The Frost Dragon yawned, stretched and decided right then and there that she would take a nap. As Ilyshn’ish had not slept for over a month, Ludmila couldn’t exactly say anything, but it did drive home one of the core aspects of their relationship.

Among some other things that Ludmila couldn’t quite grasp, Ilyshn’ish saw her as a refuge – a haven in a dangerous world where she could lay down her head to rest. It was beyond being a friend or a companion: as Hejinmal had put it, his sister had decided to accept Ludmila as a constant in her life. A special place had been made for Ludmila in Ilyshn’ish’s generally solitary existence.

Ludmila couldn’t help but frame their relationship in Human terms, but she understood that it did not accurately portray what it truly was. Romance, affection and friendship were unnatural concepts to a Frost Dragon. Love and intimacy were gratification and pleasure that was safe. Any friendships she formed were rooted in the sense that the other party was both reliable and beneficial.

One might be tempted to categorise such an outlook as distant, mercenary or even evil, but there was something else to it. No matter how beneficial, mortal relations were transient. Ilyshn’ish’s approach was a way by which those with unlimited lifespans could reliably maintain their relationships over an eternity.

It was a sort of immortal ‘love’ that transcended the limits of mortal ties. Something that beings with limited lifespans could not genuinely comprehend, never mind consider. To Ludmila, Ilyshn’ish’s perspective was a priceless insight: people often held romantic notions of how friendship or love could be eternal, but they never considered how those relationships could be realistically achieved or how precious they truly were.

Ilyshn’ish stirred and opened her eyes.

?Someone’s coming. Enz. Germund. Roberbad.?

A dozen seconds later, steps from a distant stairwell echoed down the corridor. Ilyshn’ish rose to sit upright on the bed and Ludmila straightened her skirts. The glare of a magical lamp washed over the dark stone floor. Ludmila put away her copy of Dreams of Red III before Commander Enz, Captain Germund and Officer Roberbad came into view.

“How did it go?” She asked.

“We had a tense moment near the end, my lady,” Commander Enz answered, “but my lord father was able to convince the Dragon Lord that nothing was amiss.”

“What happened?”

“It wasn’t directly related to our operation,” the Commander said, “but she was somehow aware that something had changed in the west. This, in turn, aroused suspicions over the amount of tribute that was owed. There have been no reports of her being active in the past decade, so it’s more than a bit worrisome how she knows this.”

“Dragons can sense the domains of other Dragons,” Ilyshn’ish told them. “Especially if they favour the same environment. The more powerful the Dragon, the larger and more apparent their domain is. The Dragon Lord here should have had a vague awareness of the White Dragon Lord’s domain in the Azerlisia Mountains, but its abrupt disappearance would have certainly been noticeable.”

Commander Enz furrowed his brow at Ilyshn’ish’s explanation. As far as the Second Legion knew, she was Ludmila’s Knight and a Bard who possessed a wealth of information on Dragons. With the small swarm of agents shadowing her as she travelled with Zu Chiru, it was also likely that more than a few people in the Imperial Army were aware of her travels through their connections.

“Out of curiosity,” Commander Enz asked, “would it be possible for the Sorcerous Kingdom’s Frost Dragons to sweep the Empire for the domains of other Dragons?”

“It is, but Dragons don’t usually settle on a domain until they become Adults, so we’d miss anyone younger. Additionally, the domains of Adults aren’t as expansive as those of Dragon Lords so it would have to be a very thorough search.”

“Adults…” The Commander stroked his beard, “Is that why the Ancient Green here kicks her kids out of the nest when she does?”

“That’s right,” Ilyshn’ish nodded. “It doesn’t happen with all Dragons and sometimes not even with Dragons of different species in the same area, but, for Green Dragons, it is the point when one’s offspring are recognised as rivals.”

Ludmila stood from the bed, examining the three men before her. Though not fearful, the apprehensive air that hung about them was palpable. That much was understandable – they were about to pick a fight with a Dragon Lord, after all.

“Does the plan require any alterations?” She asked.

“Aside from that one hiccup,” Commander Enz answered, “nothing indicates that she suspects anything is going on at all.”

Was it plain luck, or was it due to the situation at large? Then there was the matter of the Dragon Lord’s ‘agents’ amongst the Human population. Even if they were collaborating with Imperial Intelligence, whoever was keeping things suppressed was doing an incredible job: plugging up five cities’ worth of information leaks as well as those of the local towns and villages was an extraordinary feat.

“Then I suppose it’s my turn,” Ludmila said. “Do you know if they’ve left sentries?”

“Our Rangers have reported nothing up to the beginning of the jungle,” Commander Enz said. “We have some mages periodically using Locate Object to check on the progress of the tribute and it seems that the Demihumans aren’t on the alert for anything. A single Juvenile Dragon is overseeing the convoy. By all appearances, it’s the same routine as previous years.”

“How far have they gone?”

“Not far,” the Commander said. “All that treasure is heavy and the route they’re using is more severe than a narrow and uneven animal trail. The procession is five kilometres in, at best.”

The ring of metallic steps sounded over the stone as Ludmila issued her orders to her Undead contingent. They made their way out of their cells and up the stairwell. She looked over her shoulder to where Ilyshn’ish was fidgeting slightly.

?Ready to go??

?I’d rather we not go at all.?

?The sooner we get this over with, the better. You have your new ‘minions’ to show me, as well.?

“Erm…do you need time to equip yourself, my lady?”

Ludmila turned her attention back to the three men.

“I’ll be fine, Commander,” she replied. “The first part will mostly be in the hands of our Undead forces. After that will be a long wait.”

In the courtyard of the fortress, she briefly reviewed the Undead ranks. The Death Cavaliers would be wasted in the dense jungle, so she left them to continue their exercises with the Imperial Army southeast of Enz. What remained were ten Death Knights, ten Death Warriors and five Death Priests.

They were enough to destroy the Empire a dozen times over, yet most likely insufficient to slay an Ancient Dragon.

“May the gods watch over you, Lady Zahradnik; Dame Verilyn,” Commander Enz said. “I suppose the Undead wouldn’t appreciate that, so I’ll just leave my blessings with the two of you.”

“Thank you, Commander,” Ludmila smiled slightly. “You’ll be heading out as well?”

“The men are already on their way back to the camp at Lake Allag, so we have some catching up to do. Hopefully, this ploy works out or we’ll all be choking on Dragon fumes in a few hours.”

Hopefully.

She offered them a salute before jogging out of the fortress gate with the Death-series servitors. Unlike the battle in the Upper Reaches where she had the advantage of superior troops and the excursion to the Katze Plains where she conducted operations under the Sorcerer King’s watchful guidance, there was a distinct lack of control in the upcoming fight. Everything was predicated on uncertain assumptions and their opponent had the power to do as she wished.

As she reviewed the past few days, it became apparent that the ‘exercise’ was not just for the benefit of the Empire and their leased Undead forces, but for Ludmila as well. As her time as a Noble of the Sorcerous Kingdom went on, she slowly became aware of the restrictions that even Lady Shalltear and the other powerful vassals of the Sorcerer King were subject to.

If it was only a matter of dealing with a specific target or place that they had an abundance of information on and could easily keep track of, moving to act against them was simple. This was, of course, provided that they did not suspect that some other powerful adversary was lurking beyond their awareness.

When it came to broad power projection, however, even the martial might of the Sorcerous Kingdom only covered so much. The bulk of their nation’s forces were positioned in defence of its current territory and His Majesty’s most powerful vassals were mostly stationed in or around critical areas.

Beyond that, things became hazy and unreliable. Information was far from perfect and forces were limited. In addition, Death-series servitors, Elder Liches and other ‘standard’ Undead troops could only die once. While they could get around quickly, the nation’s most powerful forces could not be everywhere at the same time.

With the Sorcerous Kingdom’s expanding sphere of influence would come an ever-increasing need for Commanders, Diplomats, Merchants, Sages and a myriad of other agents to represent its interests abroad. Those who currently acted in that capacity were pioneers, learning the lessons that would go towards building the institutions of the Sorcerous Kingdom. With those institutions, they would educate and train those who would serve important roles in the future.

Upon leaving Darkvision range of the fortress, Ludmila increased their pace. She scanned the jungles that grew denser with each passing minute and the mountains that rose on both sides of their route.

?Have you noticed any observers, Ilyshn’ish??

?No, but concealing oneself at a distance in these conditions is a simple matter. The only ones who could see us from so far that they elude my detection would be Dragons. However, I doubt that young ones would be lingering so close to the edge of their territory. I know you people tend to consider us universally powerful for some reason, but we have many predators in the early stages of our lives.?

Ludmila quickswapped into her combat equipment as the undergrowth grew thick around them. Calls of nocturnal insects, birds and other animals filtered through the trees. Most were unfamiliar, making her peer in every direction as the trail turned into a muddy, uneven pathway crisscrossed by thick tree roots. More than a few Death-series servitors slipped and tripped as they tried to maintain their pace.

?Let’s slow down a bit. Ilyshn’ish, can you check how far ahead this convoy is??

Ilyshn’ish swiftly padded ahead, vanishing into the trees on one side of their path. Ludmila wrinkled her nose at the smell of rotten eggs issuing from the steaming waters of a stream nearby. Wildlife moving through the undergrowth before the advance of the Undead column made it difficult to discern if anything was watching them through the layers of dense vegetation above and below.

Fifteen minutes later, Ilyshn’ish’s thoughts sounded in her head.

?I found them. Do you think I can keep some of that treasure??

Ludmila halted the column.

?That treasure belongs to the Empire. How far away are you??

?Um…less than two kilometres further on. The trail follows that stream into a steep gully. Or more like the trail merges with the stream. They’ve mucked their way about halfway through to the river on the other side.?

She resumed their advance, eyeing the surroundings for Demihuman scouts. If the convoy was stuck navigating a narrow space, the Death-series servitors would be able to dispatch them with few complications.

?Do they have a rearguard? What about sentries posted above the gully??

?There are several hundred Demihumans here, so I guess the bunch still waiting to get through count as a rearguard…a Juvenile Green is watching from the ledge above on the northeast side. I don’t see anything else…?

?Are there any particularly strong ones??

?A few, by Human standards. Actually, they’re all quite strong by Human standards. If we go by the ranks of the Sorcerous Kingdom’s Adventurer Guild, they’re all Gold and above. There are a few dozen Lord-types ranging from Mithril to Orichalcum directing everyone else.?

In a straight contest, it wouldn’t be a problem for the Death-series servitors, but she wasn’t sure if the Lords possessed any Skills or Abilities that might complicate things. Then again, she wanted a sizeable portion to flee and report the attack.

?We’re about a kilometre away. Can you take care of that Green Dragon? We’ll–?

?Done.?

?Eh??

?I just killed him. That’s what you wanted, yes??

Ludmila urged the Undead column into a sprint. A handful tripped over the treacherous terrain and fell on their faces. One Death Priest stumbled and tumbled into the nearby stream. She winced at the loud splash.

?I did want that, but I was hoping to time it with our attack to create more confusion.?

?Well, uh…ei! There! I threw his corpse into the gully. A Dragon just landed on them and now they’re plenty confused. S-see? It worked out in the end.?

Ludmila narrowed her eyes at another notion that was conveyed through their bond.

?You were worried about something else…?

?I-it’s a valid concern! If one of those Death Knights got the Dragon, we’d end up with a Squire Zombie Dragon.?

?I don’t see a problem with that. It’s actually a rather intriguing prospect.?

?It’s a waste! Have you tried skinning a Zombie??

Now that Ilyshn’ish mentioned it, Zombies didn’t yield any workable crafting materials.

The Undead column made its final approach. Roughly three hundred metres away, the Demihumans gathered at the top of the gully turned to look back at the clamour coming towards them. The range of their Darkvision was limited, however. By the time the Undead and Demihumans finally came within sight of one another, it was too late for a proper reaction.

Dozens of hewn bodies were thrown into the air upon impact, crashing back onto the heads of the confused Demihumans further ahead and rolling down the stream. It was only then that cries of panic started to rise towards the canopy.

?Not too messy! Get full squads of intact Squire Zombies and as many Zombies for them as possible. Avoid damage to the wagons. If any Dragons show up, don’t zombify them.?

The ten Death Knights stepped to the fore, forming a line that pushed into the mass of Demihumans. The confused procession quickly turned into a stampede as Demihumans threw down their burdens and tried to flee. Directing things from behind the line, Ludmila focused on identifying Demihuman Lords for the Death Warriors to eliminate.

Since the handover of the Empire’s tribute was a ceremonial affair, the Dragon Lord had gathered the strongest of The Blister’s tribes as a show of prestige. With this being the case, Ludmila’s opening attack was an opportunity to liquidate the Demihuman leadership and paralyse the tribes. Ideally, it would minimise effective resistance against the Imperial Army when they came to do their part.

Zombies rose as the Death Knights and their squads smashed through the ‘rearguard’ and started working their way down the gully. Roughly halfway down, they stepped over the corpse of a Green Dragon. Its long neck was folded over itself.

?…did you do this??

Ilyshn’ish hopped down to join her, leaning forward to examine the dead Dragon.

?…yes? It’s a good way to minimise damage to the corpse. For materials and such. I’m selling that, by the way.?

Ludmila silently shook her head as she watched her companion stuff the body into one of her Infinite Haversacks. When they reached the bottom of the gully, she called off the attack, allowing the remaining Demihumans to flee. She turned to address her now-much-larger Undead contingent.

?Let’s get this cargo back out. We’re proceeding to the next phase.?