Chapter XLVI: It Has Begun

            The title’s pretty cool, don’t you think, dear reader?

 

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            Emerging from the darkness of the tunnel was a large black elder dragon. Its loud roar shook the place, enough to wake up Sticky, Maria, and Kat. As for Crisostomo, well...

 

            “...*snore*... God damn it, Elias... You can’t use Varignon’s Theorem like that...”

 

            “You useless prick”, Yvaine scoffs.

 

            “What the heck! Is that a dragon!”, Sticky exclaims.

 

            “Please stand back, everyone.” Naiya summons her orb, taking up a defensive stance. She looked at the beast in the eye, unhindered by its ferocious appearance. “I apologize, dragon. I don’t want to hurt you, so I’ll grant you a swift death.”

 

            In response, the elder dragon... laughs heartily?

 

            Hey, wait a minute! We’ve seen this dragon before, right, dear reader?

 

            “Hahaha... You really think you can harm me with your puny magic?”

 

            He... He sounds like Morgan Freeman.

 

            “Did that dragon just talk?”, Kat questions.

 

            Well, you’re a talking cat in this story so there’s at least one animal of every kind that can talk.

 

            “Wait... I know that voice”, Naiya eases herself and approaches the dragon.

 

            I know that voice anywhere too. It’s Morgan Freeman!

 

            “Hmm... I see. You’re as sharp as I remember, young one”, the dragon muses.

 

            “Apothecary... I never thought I’d meet you in a place like this.”

 

            “Indeed, the string of fate must have a tight knot between us.”

 

            “It is quite pleasant to hear your voice again, old friend”, Naiya speaks with delight.

 

            They had a nice chat about how they’ve come to meet. She explained to him how she had been travelling all this time to find her brother. Meanwhile, Yvaine and Sticky were quietly discussing about how insanely classy this conversation sounds.

 

            “What the hell are they talking about? I don’t understand a damn thing they’re saying”, Sticky whispers.

 

            “I don’t know. Fancy-talk, I guess. I can barely even understand what she says when she’s talking to me”, Yvaine replies.

 

            “You think we should bail out? I thought this girl was a huge turn-on at first but-“

 

            Yvaine lifts him by the collar with a spiteful look. Hell, she must be really strong if she can carry him with an injury like that.

 

            “WHERE THE F*CK DID YOU LEARN HOW TO TALK LIKE THAT!”

 

            “Aaah! What! What did I say!”

 

            “HOW OLD ARE YOU!”

 

            “Um... I’m twelve.”

 

            “EXACTLY!” She holds his face close. “YOU’RE NOT ALLOWED TO HAVE THOSE THOUGHTS UNTIL YOU HIT PUBERTY!”

 

            “Okay! Okay! I’m sorry, Yvaine!”

 

            “THAT’S[1]  ATE TO YOU!”

 

            “I’m sorry, [1] ate!”

 

            There was a long awkward silence after that. Everyone just stared at her as she let him down, and it was the dragon who dared break the silence when he saw Yvaine’s wounds.

 

            “You there, white-haired one.”

 

            “What? You gonna give me a boring lecture on how I should treat my underling?”

 

            “No, rather, I might have something to give rapid treatment on the lesion on you tensor fasciae latae muscle.”

 

            What the f*ck does that mean?

 

            “I... I’m sorry... You lost me when you started your second statement.”

 

            “He means he might have something to quickly mend the wound on your thigh”, Naiya translates.

 

            “Oh... That would actually be very helpful.”

 

            “Come along, then. I may have taken the form of such a heinous creature, but my skill as an apothecary is still unmatched. I’ve taken the liberty of setting up my own lair since the place was abandoned.”

 

            “Then, by your lead, Apothecary”, Naiya inducts.

 

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            It’s been a long ride, but the emissary of The Upper Kingdom, along with her entourage, was finally able to reach Berial Magus to deliver a message from King Daelin.

 

            And... Hopefully we get some more Yuri scenes from this chapter. It’s been to long since the last one.

 

            Lena and De’Ann were led inside the palace surrounded by countless towers that pierced the sky with their spires. It almost looks like [2] Dalaran... you know, before [2] Archimonde sacked the place. Beside her lady, De’Ann looked around and was astonished by Berial Magus’ peculiar form of architecture.

 

            “Pretty...” She mumbles to herself as the lights on the towers sparkled.

 

            “De’Ann.”

 

            “Yes, Lady Lena?”

 

            “Please keep in mind that we’re here under King Daelin’s orders. We’re not here to fool around”, she scolds without looking at her. “Furthermore, these people are not quite welcoming to citizens of The Upper Kingdom. I’m sure you know of the history between the two regions.”

 

            “Of course... I’m sorry, Milady.” De’Ann then thinks to herself. “I guess she can be really serious at times like this.”

 

            There was a long entranceway where bright mana powered bulbs brightly lit the way. Before long, the guards who were with them dispersed and moved in front of them where the king’s throne would be. Atop the steps leading to the throne, the king’s brother stood to receive them in place of the king.

 

            “What is your business here, lowlander?”

 

            Lena stepped forward and bowed humbly.

 

            “Lena Ciara Lavoisier. I come as an emissary of The Upper Kingdom as per the orders of His Highness, King Daelin. I was given specific instructions to relay his message directly to your king.”

 

            “Vetoed”, he rejects. “His Highness is currently busy with an event taking place.”

 

            That was obviously a lie because we’ve been reading about Berial Magus since yesterday, dear reader.

 

            “Then I shall relay my message once he is finished with-“

 

            “That won’t be necessary, especially for the likes of you. If you insist on talking with him directly, I suggest you leave and wait for him elsewhere. Otherwise, I will have to force you two out.”

 

            “Well, if I may be so bold, when can I return to be granted audience?”

 

            “How about you wait until the next month?”

 

            There it is. He just dropped the pleasantries. Lena found it hard to withhold herself when he said this. It doesn’t look like she can stand this any longer.

 

            “I understand. I shall return in due time”, she ends it all before she gets any more pissed.

 

            Suddenly, the king emerges from the back of the room looking idle. He immediately notices the two lowlanders before the throne.

 

            “What is all this, brother?”

 

            “My King, these lowlanders claim to have-“

 

            “Your Highness, I am Lena Lavoisier”, Lena greets and bows humbly with De’Ann. “I come as an envoy of King Daelin from The Upper Kingdom. I was asked to relay-“

 

            “You insolent pest”, the king’s brother opposes. “How dare you make a mockery of-“

 

            “Brother”, the king stops him.

 

            “My King, I strongly suggest that we dispose of these fools before they-“

 

            “Abishai!” The king angrily scowls, calling him by his name. Abishai then bows and dismisses himself out of the room. “Pardon my brother’s rudeness. Now, what is this about King Daelin?”

 

            “Forgive me, Your Highness, but I was given explicit instructions to relay this message for your eyes and ears only. Might I suggest we speak somewhere private?”

 

            The king looks around the room and says to the guards, “Well, you heard her. Leave us.”

 

            “I’ll be right outside the door, Milady”, De’Ann excuses herself and exits along with the guards.

 

            Once the door was closed, the king took his place on the throne as Lena began to speak.

 

            “King Dagon, the king of The Upper Kingdom, His Highness, King Daelin, has proposed that you should-“

 

            “Hang on.”

 

            “Yes?”

 

            “Look, I’m gonna be honest with you”, the king says. “Please cut the crap on the formality. A girl came here talking like that yesterday and it was pretty tiring to keep up with her.”

 

            “Oh... Then if I may be so blunt...” Lena clears her throat. “The king wants you to let his troops into your territory. Generally speaking, he wants to make peace with Berial Magus.”

 

            “Make peace? His father’s the one who put up that wall and now he’s asking me to let his men go to my side? No offense, but he’ll have to do better than sending some girl to ask me to get along with him.”

 

            “I see.” Lena takes something out of her pocket: A letter. “He also said you might reconsider if you were to...” Lena rewords it into a less confusing statement. “He told me to give you this.”

 

            She hands it over to him, and as the king read the letter...

 

            “Well, this is terrible news... How long has he known about this?”

 

            “I’m sorry, Your Highness. I was not entitled to know the contents of the letter.”

 

            “Hmm... In any case, something like this just won’t do. Tell him to meet me tomorrow personally on neutral territory at Stone Haven. We’ll discuss the terms there.”

 

            “Understood, Your Majesty”, she bows again. “Thank you very much for taking the time.”

 

            “Likewise. You are dismissed.”

 

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            At the market square right outside the palace, Winston was left to mind the carriage. A black vest held his long-sleeved white suit along with his posture, an attire frequently used by butlers in The Upper Kingdom with matching black slacks and leather shoes. If he weren't wearing those black leather gloves on his hands, I wouldn't be second guessing about him being an assassin. He stood there leaning against the wall with a handy stainless bottle of Akkadian Syrup, lost in his thoughts, but as he took another sip, someone bumped against him, making him drop the bottle and spilling his drink.

 

            “Woops! Sorry about that, buddy”, the guy says sarcastically as he walks away.

 

            Winston doesn’t react. He merely picked up the small bottle like it were nothing.

 

            Damn, these guys really hate “lowlanders”, but I guess the amount of persecution they demonstrate toward “lowlanders” isn’t nearly enough to match the persecution they faced in the old days.

 

            “This man doesn’t seem to realize that I’m not from The Upper Kingdom.”

 

            As he put back his bottle, Winston suddenly felt an ominous, shadowy presence looming about him. It’s almost as if...

 

            A dagger was suddenly thrust from his side. If his reflexes hadn’t played their part and stopped the hand that was holding the weapon, it would’ve plunged his side and ran through his lungs.

 

            “Bonjour”, the man holding the dagger greets with a smile. He had a chef’s apron and hat on himself.

 

            “Annyeong”, Winston greets back with a chuckle as he lets go.

 

            It attracted a lot of attention from the townspeople, but as soon as Winston started laughing, they assumed the two were just joking around.

 

            “Almost got you there, didn’t I?”

 

            “I’ve been drinking, Sheldon. Can’t even trust myself to trust myself. Any dumb assassin could’ve killed me right then and there.”

 

            “Akkadian Syrup is only 2.5% alcohol, Winston. Besides, I’ve been up all night because the king suddenly ordered me to make waffles. You know how hard it is to go back to sleep at a time like that, right?”

 

            “I don’t give a damn about your excuses. Anyway, you got something to report, right?”

 

            “I found two of them here. Heard something about being ‘teleported’ to Bania. What about you?”

 

            “I got four. They’re headed for The Lower Kingdom after receiving a tip that there are another two at Origami Canyon.”

 

            “That’s eight of them... We’re all set, then?”

 

            “Not yet. We’re still missing the two amulets.”

 

            “Let me guess... Kevlar’s on the job?”

 

            “He’s on his way to the Plaguelands right now.”

 

            “How the hell is he supposed to get out there without getting caught?”

 

            “Beats me. He says ‘Mein furher shall protect me!’ or something like that.”

 

            “That dumb b*stard’s gonna get himself killed.”

 

            “He’s probably in Bania too right now. Wanna go after him?”

 

            “I don’t know. Can you handle things from here?”

 

            “Just gonna drive a carriage for two ladies back to Xenovia, then I’m off to another hunt.”

 

            “Great, because I just got fired.”

 

            “What did you do this time?”

 

            “I ‘accidentally’ spilled some syrup on the head chef. I tried to help her out by taking off her clothes and... Well, you know what happens next.”

 

            “Dude...”

 

            Sheldon shrugs at him.

 

            “Well, I’m off to Bania.”

 

            “You’ll need this.”

 

            Winston hands out a purple key.

 

            “Thanks.”

 

            As they bid each other goodbye, Lena and De’Ann were on their way back from the palace.

 

            Who the f*ck are these guys?

 

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            “Aaah... Crap... So damn tired...”

 

            King Dagon collapses on his bed with exaggeration, face up.

 

            Come on, dude. You’re thirty-two. You sound like the writer when he’s about to beat his meat on the bed after his finals exam.

 

            So much went down right after his three-year break. He’s been idle for so long that his body and mind isn’t as conditioned as it was before. The other day there was an incident with the Xen Emulator and he had to supervise the whole thing as it was being recharged. Shortly after that, there was this guy from [3] Eleusis looking for a blacksmith. He went around town screaming [3] “WHERE’S THE BLACKSMITH” and he had a key with him for some reason. Needless to say, he won’t be bothering anyone anytime soon after the king sent him to solitary confinement.

 

            “Are you okay, daddy?” Cebu asks, hauling around Mister Hastur.

 

            “Baby, come here and lay next to daddy.”

 

            “No! You smell like grease!”

 

            “Oh, come on...”

 

            “But... I’ve spent all day with daddy already. I want mommy! When is she gonna come home?”

 

            The king was taken aback by the child’s demand, and it took him a while to respond.

 

            “I... I’m sorry, baby. Mommy’s not coming home yet.”

 

            Sh*t...

 

            That hits too close to home...

 

            “Daddy... Where did mommy even go?”

 

            “I... I’m not sure baby, but when she gets back, we’ll give her lots of presents, and she’ll be happy. Does that sound good, Cebu?”

 

            “Really? Then, I’m gonna go make a list of what we should get her right now!”

 

            Cebu happily runs out the room with Mister Hastur being dragged along.

 

            As his daughter left the room, the king sat up and just stared at the mirror in front of the bed. As he saw how pathetic he looked, he realized the grief in his heart was as fresh as it used to be, and it’s as if the closed wounds were being ripped open again, causing more pain than the original cut. He lost his wife. He lost his child. That was the end of it. The pain he felt had vanished when he shut himself from the world. But to see his daughter back alive was blessing, and yet it cuts so deep to watch her live without a mother.

 

            It’s just so... frustrating... to see the splitting image of his wife grow so scarce from the love of her mother.

 

            A sudden knock on his door pulled him back from the depth of his depression.

 

            “Come in”, he prompts.

 

            “Brother, a survivor from an attack at Blightcrystal has come before us”, Abishai reports. “Would you like me to take care of it?”

 

            “No. I’ll be there right away. I’d be an embarrassment as a king if I can’t even listen to my people’s needs.”

 

            He gets up from his bed and picks up his crown.

 

            “Of course.”

 

            “Damn... This crown is a lot heavier than before.”

 

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            The king was seated in front of a woman at the age of fifteen. As she remains silent at her seat, waiting for a prompt to speak, the king notices that this young lady is clearly shook from whatever happened to her.

 

            “What is your name, miss?”

 

            “My name is Sasha. I am from Blightcrystal”, she introduces herself calmly, yet barely able to save face.

 

            “Are you alright?”

 

            “I... I’m fine, Your Highness.”

 

            “Is there anything you need? Would you like some water?”

 

            “No thanks, my king. There is something I want to report... I just want to get over it now, if you don’t mind.”

 

            “So be it.”

 

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            Sasha’s daily life was quite simple. Everyday she’d wake up at 5 A.M., R.W.T. to wake up her older brother so they could make their way to opening up their shop. At that certain day, however, she woke up 2 hours earlier than usual after hearing the town bell ringing.

 

            “An emergency?”, she thought to herself as she slipped from her blanket.

 

            The bell hadn’t been rung since the last bandit raid occurred in her tiny village. She quickly checked to see if her brother was still there, but knowing him " someone who’s always spoiling for a fight, he wouldn’t be staying home at a time like this.

 

            Seeing that the room was empty, Sasha left the house and ran as fast as she could toward the town square where the city’s people were instructed to assemble if the bell had ever been rung again, but with every step she took, mournful sobs, first faint yet gradually growing more horrifying, sent a chill down her spine.

 

            The home that she lived in was quite far from the town since quartz crystals can only be obtained close to the riverbank, and all the other spots on the town were already occupied. Even though she feared of what must have happened to the townspeople or her brother, she followed the trail while cautiously treading in fear that something might pounce on her.

 

            The night grew dark as a black cloud seemed to engulf the reflected light of the moon. There were no stars in the sky. The only light the young quartz merchant could sight was the faint glow of the torch atop the bell tower. The bell’s chime echoed loudly but the blood-curdling screams about the town muffled the continuous ringing of the bell, enough to make her want to rush through town just to find out if her brother is safe.

 

            Sasha was able to make it to the usual entrance she too to get into town: The back door of their chapel. She tried to push it, but the double doors were barred from the inside, so she took a step back and tackled the doors open, leading her to break through and fall on the chapel’s exterior room tiles.

 

            As she raised her head, she found something red in front of her. A repulsive smell of blood consumed the bitter gust of smoke that was ignited by a fallen torch.

 

            Her eyes followed the trail of blood until she was able to find the source.

 

            The crucifix has always been a holy symbol for Christians, but before Christ died, it was a disgraceful means of execution. It seems here that the cross in their chapel was used for the latter function...

 

            Plastered behind the wall where the altar should be, the sacred symbol ran red as if it were drenched in blood. Heaps of human flesh were impaled with spears and swords against the surface of the large cross. Severed limbs and torn body parts were stuck against several open mouths of disembodied heads.

 

            Unfortunately some of them were still intact enough to experience the pain. Not all of them were dead, and these few who remain alive sob and cry whilst impaled next to their friends and families. Some had their limbs torn off and some were about to bleed out from their ruptured blood vessels.

 

            The gruesome image of mutilated pieces of flesh left Sasha in a state of shock. Never has she seen a dead body before, let alone a pile of them stuck together, brutally torn apart. An indescribable surge of fear paralyzed her from where she lay. She was so terrified, and she could only think of one thing to say:

 

            “Lord, have mercy!”

 

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            “My friends... they weren’t just killed. They were tortured to death... What I saw there, I never thought I could ever imagine. I witnessed every person I ever cared about being quartered, disembowelled, burned, and torn apart by those... things. And worst of all-”

 

            “You’ve said enough, Sasha. Please calm yourself.”

 

            She suddenly got up and grabbed the king’s robes to testify.

 

            “They... ate him... They ate my brother! They took everyone and locked them in the town square. And after they’ve done their dirty work in setting fire to the village they went back to the town square and started eating people! They made sure to gorge on their flesh so they could feel the pain while those damn things took turns gnawing on their body parts!

 

            “I SAW MY BROTHER AS THOSE F*CKERS BIT OFF HIS HEAD!”

 

            Reacting quickly from the screams, a pair of guards came in the room and restrained her.

 

            “That’s enough! Let her go!”

 

            The two guards released her and she fell to the floor crying hysterically.

 

            Feeling sorry, he approached her.

 

            “It’s alright, Sasha... You’ll be safe here”, he reassures her with his embrace.

 

            “But what about my brother..? All my friends are dead!”

 

            “Calm down, alright? Just stay here, and we’ll figure something out later.” The king lets her go and stands up. “You two, give her anything she wants. Make sure she’s safe.”

 

             “Yes, Your Highness.”

 

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            The king exits the room and meets with Abishai at his throne room.

 

            “What do you need, brother?”

 

            “Arrange for my departure.”

 

            “Why so sudden?”

 

            “I’m going to Stone Haven.”

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References

1. Pronounced "a-teh", which means 'big sister'

2. From Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos by Blizzard Entertainment

3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsJO-ZSqcjw

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he won’t bothering anyone = forgot about the "Be" there