Chapter 734: War on the Horizon

The armies of Frost Rim marched up the hills of Dusk Valley with unified steps, the slamming of thousands of feet shaking the earth beneath them. While lesser soldiers would have struggled marching through the nearly endless hills of the valley, to the men and women of Frost Rim who had grown up on the steep, frigid mountains of the north, the valley hills were child’s play.

An order to stop was shouted from the vanguard and quickly traveled through the rest of the army. The sun was waning in the sky, but it wasn’t evening quite yet. Soldiers glanced at each other. The order could only mean one thing. They were near.

Sure enough, the leaders of the army had gathered atop the foremost hill and stared at the small silhouette on the horizon. The City of Shades. The Ebon Tower stood tall, looming over the city, a symbol of power from the ancient Ebon Lords of the past. Yet the city’s once iconic black walls were now a frosty translucent and seemed almost white from a distance.

A palanquin of dark steel and gold was carried up the hill and from it stepped out a vampiress of pale beauty. Her hair was jet black and her lips a scarlet red. A cloak of fur was wrapped around her slim shoulders. She sauntered over to a retinue of soldiers that had already formed a small perimeter.

Ignoring the rest of the soldiers, the vampiress made her way to the one soldier who loomed over the others. A dire drow with broad shoulders and corded muscles covered in the scars of a hundred battles. Despite her rank and noble blood, the drow had opted to march alongside her men instead of resting in a palanquin. A fact that she clearly held pride in, if the disdainful look she gave the vampiress was any indication.

The beauty curled her red lips in a smile, unfazed. “Why so glum, Maud? Don’t tell me you’re missing the cold already?”

“Lady Lilith.” Maud gave her a curt nod. “It’s General to you.”

“Aw, don’t be like that. Not when we’re so close,” Sera Lilith wrapped her arm around Maud’s waist, or at least tried. The dire was too large.

Maud glanced down at her fellow archmage and considered smacking her in the face and running those perfect fangs, but decided it wasn’t worth the effort. Unlike her calm husband, Sera was always flirtatious and playful. But the moment someone crossed her, they would learn why people feared Sera far more than her husband.

Instead, Maud shoved her away with a simple push. Sera stumbled backwards, but recovered with a swift twirl of a dance. “I always forget how strong you are,” she pouted with pursed lips.

“I forgot how frail ladies in fine silks can be,” Maud said with a stoic expression, though the small curl in her lips betrayed her.

Sera grinned, “There’s my Maud. I was wondering when you’d loosen up a little. You’ve been so stiff ever since we set off from Frost Rim.”

“This isn’t one of your hunts, Sera. This is war. We mean for victory. Many are going to die,” Maud said.

“Indeed,” called out another. A vampire older than anyone in the entire legions of soldiers. He strode up the hill atop a bear of ink-like shadows. The soldiers bowed as he passed.

Maud saluted and bowed, “War Master.”

Even Sera inclined her head, hand on her heart. “Lord Edil.”

“So it’s true,” Edil ignored them and stared at the city on the horizon. “The walls of Hollow Shade have fallen.” With a thought, he dispelled his summon, and the bear melted back into the shadows of his cloak. Even on the ground, the old vampire stood tall. Even Maud, for all her dire nature, was only slightly taller.

“I never thought I would see the day the Great City of the Ebon Lords would fall so low. Hm.” Edil’s crimson eyes were filled with hunger, though his expression remained calm. “It’s a pity Elzri Noir is no longer alive. I would have liked to cross spells with him again and settle our score once and for all.”

“One less obstacle, if you ask me,” Sera said.

“Ah, Sera. Not everything in life is about seeking the weakest point of attack. Sometimes, the greatest thrill of a hunt is fighting a beast at its greatest,” Edil said.

“Forgive me, I was not born in the same sadistic, bloodthirsty era as you,” Sera said.

“And yet, you remain one of the most sadistic members of our city council,” Edil noted.

Sera turned away from him and stared at Hollow Shade. “...Even with Elzri gone, the Sword Paragon is still a threat.”

“Gian Gale lost an arm during the siege. He is not the threat he once was. My men and I will deal with him,” Maud said.

“Eager to test the blade of a Gale, I see,” Edil said.

“It will not be the first Gale sword I break,” Maud said.

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“Gian is not just a Gale. He is older than even Edil. The man lived through the Schism and brought the Veres back from near extinction. His arch magic may not be on par with Edil or Elzri, but coupled with his sword skills, there is no doubt that Gian Gale is the most dangerous individual in the realm,” Sera said.

“You sound almost as if you admire him,” Edil stared at her, his eyes ever so slightly narrowed.

Sera cocked her hip and crossed her hips. “What? Would you like me to lie? We all know my family’s long history with the Veres. Just because we had a falling out doesn’t mean I suddenly became an idiot. I know what Gian is capable of. If we are to kill him, we must overwhelm him all at once. Otherwise, he’ll cut us down one by one.”

“And what of the Ebon Lady, Aurelia Veres?” Edil asked. “Can we trust you not to hesitate if she appears before you?”

Sera scoffed. “Aurelia is no Veres. She’s not even a vampire. I hear she looks like a goblin more than anything.”

“She is the Blue Rose’s granddaughter and an Ebon Lord. I would not underestimate her,” Edil warned.

“Which is why she needs to die. Can you imagine what might happen if she figured out how to repair the Shade Wall?” Sera said.

“Nothing good,” Edil said.

“We’ll kill her before she gets the chance,” Maud said. “Half the archmages of Hollow Shade are either dead or still recovering from their war with the Valley Tribes. Their armies' numbers are still recovering, as well. We will not give them that chance.”

“I do like the enthusiasm, but we must wait for our allies to arrive first,” Edil glanced at the army of soldiers flying green banners marching towards them from the west.

“Just on time,” Sera smirked.

~~~

The young Calex Thorn met the three Frost Rim lords at their pavilion at the base of the hill. He was flanked on either side by drow battlemages, but whereas Maud’s complexion was a pale blue, theirs was an ashen grey. The Thorns were known for having a paler grey complexion than most, but Calex seemed particularly pale, almost sick. The dark bags under his eyes hinted at nights of little sleep.

Edil did not blame him. Inheriting a throne after the sudden death of his mother and wresting control from an entire noble caste right after losing a war was no small feat.

“Welcome, King Thorn,” Edil gestured to a chair at their table.

“Lord Aldine, Lady Lilith, Lady Winter,” Calex regarded each one respectively, before taking the seat Edil had offered him.

A map of Hollow Shade, the Dire River, and the surrounding territory was spread out before them.

“I hope your trip was unproblematic? For your sake,” Sera teased, looking Calex up and down.

“It was uneventful,” Calex replied calmly, refusing to take the bait. “Where is Lady Rotrusk? I was told she would be here.”

“Amalia refused to partake in this battle on account of the death of her son, Cornelius,” Edil explained.

“Who happened to die fighting your armies and those of the Valley Tribes?” Sera said. “So if you’re looking for someone to blame, I suggest blaming Ophelia.”

Calex looked Sera in the eyes, “Mention my mother again and I will have my armies retreat from this war and you will deal with Hollow Shade on your own.”

“~Relax~ little lord, I was only playing,” Sera said.

“If the next words out of your mouth are not, ‘Apologies, I understand, Lord Thorn.’ I will walk out and your forces are on their own.” Calex leaned forward, “Do you think I am playing?”

Sera narrowed her eyes and bared her fangs in a cold smile.

“Lilith. Do as he says,” Edil said without even glancing at her.

Sera leaned back and draped her arm around her chair. She looked Calex over once more. “...Apologies, I understand, Lord Thorn.”

“Threatening a Lilith is not very wise,” Maud noted.

“Does it look like I care?” Calex said. “Let’s make this clear. I do not care for any of you. My family left Frost Rim a thousand years ago to avoid people just like you. I am here, because it serves my interests to be. As I imagine it is for all of you. So, if we could move past the arrogant posturing and get to the plan at hand,” Calex tapped the map, “I’d like to hear what you have in mind.”

Lilith licked her red lips. “You are not like what the reports said. How interesting.”

“Lady Maud, if you’d please,” Edil said.

Maud nodded and began to explain their strategy, pointing at several points on the map.

~~~

Their talks lasted until the late hours of the evening. By the time Calex returned to his own tent, he was exhausted. A messenger had left him a stack of letters on his desk.

Calex sighed. The work of a king was never over. He walked over and began leafing through each one. Most were from smaller lords complaining about one thing or another, the ‘another’ oftentimes being his sister, whom he had left in charge while away. The lords and ladies would complain about Lerdea and try to manipulate her, but she was as tough as Ophelia, they would never break her.

One of the letters bore Lerdea’s sigil. Calex cracked the wax seal and read its contents. It was mostly an update about Undergrowth’s state of affairs, but the end was about the garden Lerdia had begun tending to after their mother’s passing. The flowers still had months to grow, but Lerdea had used a bit of magic to help.

Calex couldn’t help but smile at her antics, the first smile he had in weeks. Ophelia would have never approved of Lerdea using her magic for something so mundane as flowers. Then again, Ophelia never did approve much of anything Lerdea did, even though she had spent most of her life trying to live up to Ophelia’s expectations.

The thought of his mother was enough to make Calex sigh. He quickly leafed through the last of the letters, searching for any that might demand his immediate attention. He paused as he reached a letter with no wax seal. He turned it over. Still, there were none. With a frown, he took his knife and sliced the envelope open. There was no letter inside, only a smooth white flower petal.

His hand trembled. He recognized the petal. How could he not? It belonged to the cloak of flowers, Blossom; one of his family’s greatest heirlooms, lost when the Ebon Aspirant had claimed a surprising victory at the tournament. There was only one person who could have sent him the envelope, but how did he—?

“Hello, Calex.”

Calex slowly turned around.

Stryg sat on a chest, leg crossed over his knee, Krikolm in hand. “Let’s talk.”