Lord of Azure Flame Chapter 27: War

[-Cynthia-]

Politics

If the Grand Marshall commands all the soldiers, why does he not simply seize all the power for himself? These supposed hierarchies make no sense- no wonder the demons nearly conquered them. They may be wild, feral beasts but at least they have clear chain of command. Morgan thought to herself as she walked towards the bickering nobles.

"If the Lord of Azure Flame is not defeated, any troops you hold back will be of no use to you. You saw how easily the demons tore through your city without the aid of others- are you all such imbeciles to believe that holding back a few meager swordsmen will actually save your lives?" Morgan interjected loudly.

Soon-to-be Politics

"A morning it is, but I wouldn't call it a good one," Tristan responded to Eric glumly.

"Good morning General Sagesse, Sir Eric," Charlotte replied, curtsying and ignoring Tristan's sullenness. "We are waiting for Directus troops to escort us to the palace. I am not sure who we are meeting with as of yet- I would like an audience with King Reginald, but he may be too busy after the attack to receive us. We should at least be able to meet with the noble assembly," she informed the newcomers.

[Phoenix]

Light and Darkness

"At least refrain from wielding both at the same time, Damian," Stephanie pleaded.

The mage frowned a bit, feeling like his colleagues were missing out on something spectacular.

All Or Nothing

(Oh I knew she was going to hop right into the discussion like that,) Viveka thought to herself and sighed. Strangely enough, Jasmine still had her ears covered from the all the bickering, funny if not disrespectful.

"Well I suppose a wandering criminal wouldn't see the importance of maintaining a sizable security force for one's own home," one of the nobles replied to Morgan. "If we commit everything we have to this demon BUM RUSH you're all planning, the bandits will clean us out before the demons make any sort of headway."

"We aren't asking that every last soldier be thrown into this, only those that can be spared given the extreme circumstances. The issue is that you interpret the gravity of the situation differently than we do and hold back as a result," Conrad added. "You're holding back too much when the simple fact is, no army no matter how large will stop what's coming. We're fewer in number now than we were during the last demon war; we don't stand a chance."

"Hmpf ... we have done our own research as well, Grand Marshall ... General ... crimson vagrant. The crimson weapons were not necessary during the last war, so they should not be necessary this time either. For Goddess' sake, Grand Marshall, they didn't even exist before and the Lord was still defeated. We can simply repeat our actions during the latter days of the demon war and put a stop to this. That is precisely why we've asked Lord Harold and Lord Percival to spearhead this effort. There is likely very little the crimson weapons can actually do save slay demon minions a bit more effectively than the average soldier."

"That is exactly how we got here in the first place! During the last war, the so called 'heroes' didn't finish the damn job! They obviously didn't defeat the Lord, only sealed him," Triton fired back. "Now this generation is paying for that mistake. I won't condemn the next with a shortsighted solution like that. We can't just try to seal the Lord, we must end him."

"It's even worse than that," Conrad quietly noted. "We actually can't do what they did the last time ... not with Helenos gone. It's all or nothing now."

"What?" Triton and several nobles reacted in unison.

[Ether]

"I'll do whatever it takes to end this... I feel as though this can give us an edge against the demons..." Damian replied, shaking his head slightly as he pointed to the hole above them.

"That kind of destructive power is on a different scale than anything else we have access to. If I can wipe out a decent chunk of an advance force before we even make contact, do you think I won't take that opportunity? We don't have anything to hold back here, Stephanie, if we do, we'll all die."

[-Cynthia-]

Morgan

The shock at this reveal gave Morgan the opportunity to inform the woefully ignorant. "Kaileen and Helenos worked together to seal the Lord of Azure Flame underground. The seal was temporary however, hence the inevitable second coming of demons which anyone with any amount of sense saw coming. Bethold at least had the foresight to craft weapons which would destroy the Lord of Azure Flame permanently, but his efforts were hindered by demons capturing some of the Crimson Weapons," Morgan explained, already finding this process irritating and tedious.

"You can rely on a cowardly, useless, pompous imbecile like your 'Lord Percival' who did not even defeat the demons in the first place or you can support the one thing that may save your lives. Presuming you enjoy your continued survival, the choice is obvious."

[Phoenix]

Alley of Beams

"And what if you kill yourself before you have a chance to strike at the Lord?" Stephanie inquired boldly. "There's only so much ... healing magic can do," she added quietly a second later.

"Maybe there's some way to avoid that," the mage speculated. "Some way to keep any unhealthy side effects in check. I can't think of anything off the top of my head, but there's got to be something."

"The easiest way to avoid unhealthy side effects is to not use the weapons that way in the first place," Stephanie said to the mage in an agitated tone. She certainly regretted having him along by that point.

Shattered Dreams

"W-whaaat ...?" said one of the more dumbfounded noblemen.

"Conrad, is this true?" Triton asked. His feelings on the matter were mixed. On the one hand, Morgan and Conrad had hammered the last nail into the 'hero coffin' and thrown the whole thing into a ravine. On the other hand, it meant that the crimson strategy really was all they had going for them and failing that, it was the end of the world as they knew it.

Conrad nodded saying, "According to Kaileen, one of their 'heroes', yes."

"Helenos ...? This-this Helenos worked with Kaileen to seal the Lord?"

"Yes, and we already killed her ... right before the battle ended I might add."

"... goddess, what have you people done?" another noble spoke up, feeling that relying on the same tactics as before would have been a better option.

Another said, "Why are we only now hearing about this?! Why didn't Harold and Percival verify this?! Why didn't they let us know what had happened?!"

"Why bother? The threat probably looked dealt with and they could easily convince you people that they were just 'that powerful'. I suppose the masses did eat that up easily," Triton mused aloud.

"So you see, our only viable strategy now is to destroy the Lord with the crimson weapons Bethold created," Conrad followed up and concluded.

"But there is no PROOF that the crimson weapons can do the Lord any real harm!"

Conrad didn't bother responding to that. If anyone could debunk the crimson theory, it meant that there was no hope for victory in the end, at least as far as he was concerned. With the crimson weapons being their only known options remaining, actual proof was no longer necessary for the most part. Going all in was against the general's very nature, but he put those feelings aside for the moment.

[Ether]

"I have no intention of bringing about my end with this... I can keep fighting so long as I don't pour everything I have into it." Damian replied, looking over the runic circle some more as he spoke.

"Consider what happened the first time to be the result of not knowing what I was doing... in a literal sense. It happened without my having any idea it even was happening, and thus I was unable to regulate it, and it blew up in my face." Damian continued, before stopping to look towards Stephanie.

"As for what happens if this kills me? Same as if anything else does... retrieve the lance, find a new wielder, and soldier on." Damian finished, his tone and expression growing somber.

[-Cynthia-]

Morgan

"Are the actions of the demons themselves not evidence enough? They attacked a well guarded estate to take the weapons and have hounded our group ever since. In any case, none of you have any significant knowledge on the weapons and being wielders makes us experts on their nature and abilities. Therefore, you will submit to our authority on the matter that they are the only way to defeat the Lord of Azure Flame." Flemeth was right- the heroes really did take credit for much they did not do. Perhaps this revelation will rid me of Percy to deal with in the future.

[Snike]

Sagesses

"Hopefully they'll be more cooperative than at the summit, milady," Eric said, before turning to the Prince. "I take it you are less eager, Prince Tristan?"

Alex acknowledged the greeting, but remained silent.

[Phoenix]

Soldier On

"It's not that simple," Stephanie countered. "Replacing Esphyr was ... I hate to say sheer luck, but perhaps it was. Unless you plan to bring along Miranda of all people, I doubt you'll be replaced in time, and more importantly, you shouldn't be taking such chances with your life, Damian. Not like this. Being a crimson wielder is enough ..."

Noble On

(Oh goddess, she said the S word and the A word ...) Viveka braced for the inevitable response the nobles would give. It was kind of sad but they were going to focus on just one little thing Morgan said and not much else.

"Submit to your authority? Absolutely not, you madwoman! You hail from no-" "It's the king's decision how we proceed regarding the distribution of elyisimian forces, and we'll all simply have to live with it. Speculation about the crimson weapons is now irrelevant seeing that they are the only option left to us," Conrad cut in, ending the rant before it could get underway ... because no ... just no.

"He'll agree with this course of action then," Triton assured those present. "But I don't want things held up by you sheltered barons and your incessant barking. We're wasting time even now."

[Ether]

"I promise you, Stephanie... I have no plans to take any further chances with my life than I do already by virtue of fighting... I know it seems odd but... I've had this lance as far back as I can remember... it and I have a connection that I couldn't ever fully explain to anyone... I want you to trust me." Damian replied with a dour expression.

"Regardless, this has opened my eyes... we need to have a countermeasure ready in the case that one of us falls, be it in battle or otherwise. If I or any of the others get impaled through the chest and we have no way to transplant the weapon, it won't matter what any of us do."

[-Cynthia-]

Morgan

Morgan decided to ignore the nobles calling her mad, she had been called that before and suspected she would again. They were wrong and she was right.

"I agree, we have little time to spare. The demons have retreated but they reproduce at extreme rates- the will likely be ready to strike another target very soon, perhaps multiple targets. We must act offensively and remove the threat at its source. Call a war council or whatever it is you military people do during times of crisis," Morgan said, waving her hand in the air.

Tristan and Charlotte

"Honestly, I'd rather face a demon horde than a room of squabbling nobles. At least the demons have the decency to try and bite your head off promptly, the nobles take so much longer," he responded to Eric.

"It is essential to engage in diplomacy with your allies when you share a common foe. As prince of your country during a foreign invasion, I would expect you to take this a little less lightly," Charlotte responded critically.

"Urgh, you sound like my mother," Tristan groaned, prompting Charlotte to roll her eyes.

[Phoenix]

Trust

"Well ... as much as I hate to admit it, Miranda is a ... convenient answer to that problem, but I also feel that her recklessness is an issue. Not to mention that traveling with a demon in general--friendly or not--could lead to all sorts of problems."

"Friendly demon? What?" asked the now curious mage.

Distrust

"The king is in a meeting at the moment; we'll have to wait a bit longer before I can speak with him about this matter," Triton informed Morgan. "However, I can at least make certain that when I do see him, this issue of solving all of our problems with cowardice and worn out old heroes doesn't come up again," he added, scowling somewhat threateningly at the nobles.

"Grand Marshall, you and your colleagues have made your point, but please keep in mind that even if this insanity wins the day that the approach you take could very well leave Elysima open to attack. You'll leave us with minimal security at best and I can assure you that a country defended by skeleton garrisons is not 'defended' at all."

"Let the officers worry about brigands and the other countries. Go relax and enjoy your morning tea; it doesn't concern you people anymore," Triton shot back.

[-Cynthia-]

Morgan

"You fear common brigands when you have gates and walls to hide behind? That an idiotic reason to reserve your troops. Your king had best have more sense than your noblemen- not a difficult feat to accomplish," Morgan scoffed.

[Phoenix]

Priorities

"They're just scared because of the bandit incident a few months back ... when you crimsons first showed up here in the capital," Reese pointed out to Morgan. "After that, the order came down to reorganize the defense force."

"And let's not forget the razing of the Bellmire estate ..." another noble chimed in. "We are rightfully cautious. Allow me to put it into terms even a vagrant such as you can comprehend. Ahem ... an emerging and prominent threat is no excuse to blatantly ignore prior ones. We must consider all of our foes and their purposes before making any sort of move, lest we defeat one only to fall victim to another."

"I honestly don't mind if a few noble houses fall. This twenty-five year faux of a peace has made our forces soft. Fighting to take back a few provinces would be good for us," Reese commented. He was serious but the nobles desperately hoped he was only joking, so much so that they flat out assumed he was despite his tone.

Edited March 12, 2013 by Phoenix

[Snike]

Eric

"I would take the room of nobles over the demons, seeing as the former are prone to see reason," Eric said, before adding as an afterthought, "No matter how long it takes to get them to see it, anyways."

[-Cynthia-]

Morgan

"Yes, your country has grown decadent and complacent in peace," Morgan said, nodding in agreement to Reese's assessment. "What meeting is the king in that is more important than this matter? If it something other than the existence of his nation, he is a poor king."

Tristan and Charlotte

"More patience than I have then," Tristan responded to Eric.

"I wonder if Jace will be at the palace...I certainly hope not, we have enough of a mess on our hands without the heroes mucking things up as well," Charlotte remarked

[Mercakete]

After they'd arrived at the palace, Beau had informed one of the king's heralds his business at the palace. The man had hurried off to tell his lord the news directly after that and finally Beau was beginning to feel a sense of normalcy beginning to return. As vague as the sense was, it was quite welcome, though in a way, it was also a bit sad. The young duke, after all, knew it would not last and soon he would be back in one form of unfamiliar circumstances or another. Soon enough, the herald returned and showed Duke Bellmire and his two attendants to the throne room. Formal introductions were had and the meeting began.

Raemond was doing quite well at keeping a blank face, but he still wasn't entirely sure how to take how he'd been introduced. Of course, Tiria had her title of being Captain of Duke Bellmire's personal guard, so that had been accurate. He, himself, would have felt better about being referred to as an associate of Beau's, rather than the mischief the monk suspected the young duke had pulled. He'd been referred to as his temporary chief adviser during the introductions. It was minutely distracting. However, most of his attention was directed towards the conversation going on between Beau and the king.

"Your Royal Majesty," Beau addressed the king with a respectful bow, straightening up again mid-sentence, "thank you for meeting with me. It has become quite clear to me that my own plans must change. That is, in light of the recent events in once-fair Illyphina, I simply cannot begin reconstruction on Bellmire Estate. Not yet... The workers you would have loaned me would serve far better here, rebuilding and reinforcing our fine country's capital city."

[Phoenix]

Main Hall

"Mooorgaaan," Viveka moaned.

"Insolent whore!" One of the nobles shouted. "Were you not the wielder of a crimson weapon, you would be dragged off to the gallows for such a disgusting remark!"

"Relax," Conrad cut in. "She has no ties to our nation or customs, so you should expect nothing less."

That just left Reese to answer the question that prompted the outburst. "The new duke came by earlier requesting a meeting. That's not to say it's more important, but the entire city is in shambles. We're practically on a first come, first served bases when it comes to gaining an audience with the king or even the nobles themselves. The best I could do was convince his man to set aside some time for a meeting around noon. I was planning to use this time to convince these people to support the plan and not oppose it. Much as I hate this, we need unity right now, not a narrow majority and bickering."

Throne Room

"Huh. That's both a surprise and a pleasure to hear, Duke Bellmire," King Reginald replied with a smile. "Some of the noble houses believe Elyisima is the first and primary target of the demons. Unsurprisingly, many are going to great lengths to secure their lands while others seek asylum here in the palace, fearing the dangers of traveling with the demons on the loose. It's ... it's good to know your concerns are for Elyisima itself."

[-Cynthia-]

Morgan

"Do you regularly hang people for speaking the truth in Elyisima? This poor leadership may explain why your capital is so easily overrun by bandits and demons and whatever else wishes to pillage your lands and kill your people," Morgan noted casually to the nobles. Ordinarily I would take a threat of hanging more gravely, but these are weak, craven fools. I could kill the lot of them extremely quickly if necessary.

[Phoenix]

Main Hall

"Morgan, stop. Freedom of speech is not a thing here," Viveka warned. "If you weren't a crimson wielder, the guards would be locking you up right now."

Viveka had already said what Conrad planned on pointing out, so he focused on helping Reese with the noble diffusion. "Perhaps we can continue this a bit later? Emotions are running high right now and frankly we were lucky to make the progress we did regarding defeating the Lord. Let's not push that luck any further."

One of the nobles sighed. "Very well ... but put a muzzle on that dog for Goddess' sake!"

"Enough, please. No more insults," Conrad said, putting his hands up at the nobles.

[Snike]

Eric

"...He said he was going to go gather some reinforcements and march towards Halton last time I spoke to him," Eric said, looking away for a moment. "That reminds me, though. We are going to have to return to Jerdon at some point before we set out against the Lord. Do you have any idea if Duke Munktan will be willing to cooperate?"

[-Cynthia-]

Morgan

"I agree that this discussion has run its course. We must wait to meet with the king I suppose- let these fools go back to doing whatever it is that they do," she said, waving her hand towards the nobles dismissively.

Charlotte

"Duke Munktan should be organizing forces for the rebellion, although with our recent diplomatic progress he should be preparing to fight the demons instead. I...do not know if I will have time to return to Jerdon before we face the Lord in battle. My duty as ruler of Jerdon and servant of the Goddess dictates that I destroy the forces of evil whenever it is necessary. I think the best course of action may be for me to assist the Crimson Weapon wielders in a direct manner," she stated.

[Mercakete]

"Of course, my lord," Beau replied somewhat matter-of-factly with a small, more off-handed bow this time, "Bellmire Province is only a part of the great country of Elyisimia, after all, and Illyphina is its heart. If Illyphina is not well, then the whole country suffers quite tremendously. Therefore, it is imperative that it is mended with all due haste and precision. Besides that, if the capital's walls are strong again quickly, if not stronger than before, then it will help to sustain hope and peace of mind to the Elyisimian people, will it not? Perhaps, it will also show the demons that the Elyisimians are not so easily defeated, but instead, stand back up when knocked down, and prove an example and deliver the same message to the other countries. There are also the more obvious use for walls, such as keeping other threats out. That way, what forces that are sent away from Elyisimia will not be missed due to mere dependency."

Beau paused a moment then, feigning the slightest sliver of near-bashful modesty, summarized, "It was...the clear decision to make."

[Phoenix]

Main Hall

"Morgan, cut it out," Viveka quietly snapped.

One of the nobles looked like he was about to attempt a retort, but Reese stepped halfway between him and Morgan, looking at the man expectantly. "... bah!" With that, he was finished and turned to leave the gathering along with the rest.

Reese sighed before turning toward Conrad, Morgan, and the pegasus knights. "Morgan, your diplomatic skills are as deplorable as ever. I'll be sure to ask for your help if I want to start another war after this." Sure, Morgan's remarks were grounds for jail time, but the Grand Marshall actually had far worse feelings toward the noblemen than she did. She was in good company for the moment if only because he had no intention of having anything done to her whatsoever.

"Mmmph," was Viveka's response to what he said.

Throne Room

"Indeed, and hopefully more of the houses will follower your example," Reginald replied. "I despise giving ultimatums just to secure even the least bit of cooperation in times like these. I'm curious, though. With the restoration of your province on hold, what do you plan to do personally for the time being?"

[Ether]

"She might be reckless, but she helped us before... and if it weren't for her what happened to Esphyr might have been game over." Damian replied, before turning to the TISME mage.

"It's a long story that I don't really know the details of. From what I know, she's a human woman reincarnated as a demon."