Chapter 11: Through Others' Eyes
CHAPTER 3 INSIGHTS:
"Well, you really did it this time, Remedios." Gustav said sharply.
Her eyes tensed as he used her name without her title, but as she had begun to calm down, she started to realize how badly she'd erred, but still she preferred not to see that and asked, "How do you mean?"
"You attacked Neia Baraja in front of the King...in court...after a failed assassination attempt on her by a PRIEST! How do you think that looks?!" He shouted, glad that they were in an isolated room far from any prying eyes.
"I don't care! She's the servant of the undead! She's not one of us anymore!" Remedios snapped.
"What do you mean?" Gustav said darkly, his visage lowered to meet her gaze.
"If I put down a skeleton in court, would you have said anything?" She asked.
"No." He replied flatly.
"There's no difference." She said, folding her arms defensively in front of her.
"There IS! Even if you don't see it, all the others DO! I don't care how much you hate that woman, you can't pretend whatever you want and expect all the world to go along with it!" He snapped, "Wait here, I'll go see if I can smooth this over so you don't end up hanging beside that stupid priest." Gustav said and walked out without another word.
Remedios was about to protest that he was her subordinate, not the other way around...but the door slammed behind her, and she was too shocked and embarrassed to follow. Instead, she paced the room like an angry lioness until he returned.
"The King ensured you would not be charged, your actions were treated as the response of sudden emotion, and ignorance of what the priest had done, rather than part of a conspiracy to eliminate Neia Baraja." He said as he slammed the door behind him.
"What?" Remedios asked dumbly. "How?" She asked.
"After you left, the King asked Neia to consider it as such to avoid embarrassment. Neia agreed, and they're going to consider whether or not she should actually get the temple she wants."
Remedios burned with unbridled wrath and stormed out, swearing just barely enough under her breath not to be considered shouting.
CHAPTER 4-5 INSIGHTS:
The members of the council gathered around the table with King Caspond, who leaned back in a rather bored fashion. "Well?" He asked. "Do we grant her the temple and the trial of the priest or not?"
A priest standing next to Remedios...and Remedios herself immediately shouted "NO!"
Count Handor, however, had a different idea, "Majesty, if I might suggest something?"
Caspond gestured to Count Handor generously. "Please do."
"May I speak freely?" He asked the King.
"Please do." Caspond replied.
"There is no viable way to deny them the temple now. Not without massive problems to come." Count Handor said.
The priest began to sputter a denial, and Remedios looked about to scream, but Handor raised a hand to silence him. "Hear me out."
"That does not mean we have to set a condition where their temple can actually thrive or survive." The count continued.
This prompted the nobles to lean in and the priest and Paladin Order commander to take notice.
"Temples cannot survive without income or royal patronage." He said. "So let's grant them what they want, in exchange for taking no public issue with a private trial and the exile of the guilty priest to preserve the image of the temples...and frankly, the Paladin Order. However...they cannot charge for healing, cannot build with public funds, and cannot gain any patronage from the crown."
The priest looked rather pleased, those gathered around the table tried to imagine the temple trying to make ends meet without income, unable to afford services that allowed other temples to thrive, unable to support a priesthood of their own...but Remedios retained her furious look, "We will be letting the wolves in among the sheep! This can't be allowed, Calca would never tolerate this! In her name, we cannot have this travesty, this blasphemy! This..." She shouted until she was interrupted by a fist slamming on the table. "I am the KING!" Caspon said violently, "My royal sister IS dead! It is not HER decisions and what SHE would have done that rule here!" He shouted.
Remedios's eyes went wide with shock, and Gustav chimed in, "Of course, your majesty, we didn't mean to imply otherwise. Please excuse our Lady Commander, she is just concerned about the implications this has and for the legacy of your esteemed family."
King Caspond nodded and began to rap his fingers on the table..."I understand..." He said. "But the Count has a point. We can grant the request and then make granting it meaningless. Let it be done. We will try the priest privately and have him exiled. Remedios will not have to bear the public stain of having tried to slay Neia Baraja after the capture of the assassin...and they'll get a temple that...well, won't last." He said. "Meeting adjourned." Caspond said.
They walked out generally happy, except Remedios, who stared daggers at Count Handor until he mouthed silently to her, "Meet me at the top of the North tower."
She was confused, but stayed silent, and after the gathered host was gone, as Gustav approached, she waved him off and said, "I'm going to go cool off, we'll talk later."
Gustav let out a sigh of relief, she hadn't blown up further. It was, as he saw it, a rare win.
Remedios however, did not go to cool off, she walked up the long circular stone steps of the North Tower, her footsteps echoed lightly as she walked, brooding and seething in silence as she imagined a black temple to the undead in the city of her precious Holy Queen Calca, she wanted to cry, to scream, to rage, to kill Neia Baraja, to beat Count Handor most of the way to death...but she was held in check by her curiousity, and when she arrived at the top of the tower, she found the door open, and nobody there. There was, however, a bottle of wine and four glasses sitting on a decent but old wooden table.
She sat facing the door and waited...and waited...and waited, for how long, she wasn't sure, but long enough to almost give up before the echo of footsteps could be heard coming closer. Remedios tensed and clutched at her sword until she saw the face of Count Handor, and began to relax, only to tense up again as two other figures in hoods appeared behind him.
As he came closer, he said, "Be at ease, Remedios, no harm is intended, I swear it." Remedios did not grow any more at ease, but she didn't move, and she did stay silent. The other two men sat quietly at the table with her, and Handor did the same. He took the wine and poured it into each of the glasses.
"You didn't like what I did there, did you?" Count Handor said.
"What the fuck do you think?" Remedios replied sharply as the hoods of the two men came back, revealing relatively young faces of serious demeanor.
"They don't either." Handor said, gesturing to the two men. "And if I'm being truthful, well, neither do I, but there wasn't any help for it, she was going to win that round thanks to you." He finished speaking and slammed the bottle down.
Remedios looked outraged, but stayed quiet. "You tried to kill her, it wasn"t even subtle. To keep you out of prison and the priests from being humiliated, getting this concession was the only viable option, if we'd done anything else, the whole city would know everything." Handor said as he started to drink.
"But," one man replied, drawing Remedios's eyes to him, "it can be made right. We just have to make sure there is no attendance at the temple."
Remedios looked at him in greater detail. He had smooth skin and blonde hair, as well as an olive complexion offset by bright blue eyes, but what she really liked was what he said. "Explain." She said.
"Kill all of them, and there will be no one to build it, or to go even if it were built, it's really your only chance." He said.
"Kill humans?" Remedios said in shock.
"They're not humans anymore." The other man said, his eyes were brown and hard, and his skin lighter and bearing scars over parts of his hands and face, his voice was gravel like and rough, in contrast to the smooth silken speech of his companion, "They serve the undead, they are monsters, yes they wear the skins of men, but they are demons in disguise. They are servants of evil." He said.
Remedios looked surprised, "If you found a human working with Jaldabaoth, who was hoping for profit or power, and he had Queen Calca prisoner, what would you do to free her? Would you strike down such a human?" The silk-voiced man said.
"I...yes...I'm a Paladin, I have to protect the innocent." Remedios said.
"Are the demihumans who served Jaldabaoth innocent?" The man with a gravelly voice asked.
"NO!" She snapped.
"What about those who side with the undead? They'll kill the innocent, they'll kill the children on dark alters to their evil god, they'll burn down everything and offer the ashes to the undead as tribute." He continued.
"...that..." the silk-voiced man said, "and they will trample all over Queen Calca's memory, how can anyone be human, if they don't follow Queen Calca's ideals?" He asked.
Remedios didn't have a good answer.
"They"re less than human. They brought this on themselves." Count Handor said, pouring another drink in each glass.
"You're not killing humans, you're setting the souls of the damned free of the undead's control, they're no different than the undead themselves, they just look human, inside they're demihumans, spiritual heteromorphs who don't value the world your precious Queen Calca tried so hard to create for all her people." The silk-voiced man said.
Remedios began to weep softly, and her gaze went down..."Calca...Calca..."
"How can they be human, see how you, a person, respond to the wishes of your loving just Queen?" The gravel voiced man said, "Yet they celebrate the undead, they cheer his name and not hers, only the undead, demons, or spiritual heteromorphs would do that, can you just imagine it...the great black temple of Ainz Ooal Gown, his name shouted in praise as the undead move beside his worshipers, Neia Baraja before a dark alter intoning his name, the cheers growing, the crowds growing, Calca's memory fading every day until nothing about her matters anymore except to you, and her ideals thrown out like so much garbage to be trampled underfoot by heteromorphs in human skin?"
Remedios's face turned red as tears flowed down her cheeks..."No...No...NOT CALCA...NO!" She choked out through her tears as she imagined the world without Calca's beliefs.
"They'll do it, they're raising spiritual heteromorphs, they're praising Ainz, they're praising Neia...there is nothing left of Queen Calca in them, nothing left of humanity in them, they're just evil wrapped in skin, all of them." The silk-voiced man said.
"But what can I do?!" Remedios said as she drank another glass, "I messed up, but even I can't kill everyone by myself, and only some of my fellow Paladins are with me." She said.
"They're going to get the news about the building of their temple soon." Count Handor said, "They'll be happy, distracted, I and some of the other nobles will lend you soldiers, and these men represent the interests of the gods, they have worked to build connections to all the faithful, and they are willing to offer their lives, if you will lead the charge and pierce the evils wrapped in false human skins with your holy sword, they will follow you." Count Handor said softly.
"If you don't strike for justice, for Queen Calca, your whole country will end up as the slaves of the undead. These aren't people, these are the spiritually dead, these are the minions of death, heteromorphs hiding behind false skins. They know the evil that they do, and they do it willingly. This is your last big chance to protect Queen Calca. You failed her in life..." The silk-voiced man said.
"Now will you fail her legacy to humanity, too?" The gravel-voiced man finished.
Remedios stood up suddenly, her eyes wide with horror, "NO! Not that! Not again!" She said, as if she were holding the remnants of Calca's shredded and battered corpse all over again. "Yes, you're right, I've got to slave these spiritual heteromorphs, these monsters, before they bring a new evil on all of us!" She snapped, "Have your people ready tonight, Neia Baraja and Black Justice will be dead by DAWN!" She snapped, and the three men raised their glasses and finished the wine.
PERSPECTIVES 1:
The thug ran along the road, armed to the teeth and ready to kill, he'd been part of many a bandit gang in the past, even one during Jaldabaoth's invasion that had preyed on humans trying to escape, but nothing like this, nothing this big, and he was sure the Black Justice people had plenty worth stealing, when he'd been given the chance for a certain massacre, he took it, and now it was happening, inside the city no less. He'd been thinking happy thoughts all the way to the slaughter as one column after another broke off to their assigned positions...until he hit a wall...literally. A huge pile of barrels was blocking the way forward. "Get those barrels out of the way!" Someone shouted...and several ran up to do exactly that, but they hadn't even moved four of them when several flaming arrows sprouted in them and set the...apparently very flammable contents, on fire. His expression went from joy to shock, which only increased when several more arrows came from above and behind him and struck his companions. They glanced up, and there along the rooftops were barely illuminated figures, people...armed with bows, and they began to fire with impunity and the densely packed ranks he found himself trapped in, what had been strength, now became weakness, and corpses began to form, they'd planned on stabbing some people in their sleep, not...this, so almost nobody had a ranged weapon like a bow or sling, a few tried to throw their spears, but in the dense mass, little could be done. Panic set in, he pushed and shoved, and people began to run back the way they came, only to find another cart moved into their path, overturned, and lit aflame. Shouting became panic-filled as arrows came down like rain, and an arrow pierced his eye, and then he knew no more.
PERSPECTIVES 2:
Paladin Yangi marched behind Remedios with his shoulders squared, and with a deep sense of pride, he was going to execute the justice of the gods, and most importantly, he was going to execute the will of Lady Commander Remedios Custodio. He'd been watching her since his earliest days in training as a squire, and he'd been instantly smitten. He'd doubled and redoubled his efforts, trying to bring his skill and power up to equal her own, and he'd done very well...but it was never enough. He desperately wanted to tell her how much he loved her, how he couldn't take his eyes off her, but until he had the strength to equal hers, he couldn't bring himself to speak his heart. Perhaps with this, though, with this service to the gods, he could show...truly SHOW what he felt for her, and bring himself to say what he'd always wished he could. That was what he was thinking, until he heard a loud distant popping noise, and the head of the man beside him exploded, sending brain matter over his armor, he saw Remedios shout at someone and take off running, and then the sound of clashing and charging figures hit, he found himself fending off swords being stabbed and slashed at him with shocking speed, he tried to fight, he used all the martial arts he knew, but every time he reached, a free hand pulled him off balance, somehow his opponent controlled the flow of battle, and he could hear the twang of bows as arrows seemed to hit the people behind him, in the darkness of night, he could only hope for more fire to help him understand what he was facing, the chain of command had fallen apart, the massacre that was to be, had instead become a pitched battle, and Yangi fought like there was no tomorrow.
And when the sword penetrated his throat, there was none, not for him.
CHAPTER 6-7 INSIGHTS:
Remedios fumed inside her prison cell. Her holy sword was gone, her armor was gone, her chains were tight, and she was secured against the wall with arms and legs out, wearing little but a brown sack with holes in it for her head and her limbs, and a lecherous guard kept looking through the door at her. It was cold, it was uncomfortable, it was not what she deserved.
"I'll kill them, I'll kill them, I'll kill them, I'll kill all the demihumans, I'll kill all the undead and the undead servants, I'll stop everything, I'll save her...legacy...my precious Calca...my Queen...I swear it isn't over..." She said softly, hour after hour, as the faces of men revealed themselves to be merely the coverings of monsters, "They were right...those were all monsters...those who serve the undead are monsters...evil monsters, I have to save my people from the monsters...I'm a paladin, I have to protect the innocent...those who make themselves monsters are not innocent, they're wolves dressed as sheep, demihumans dressed as people...they're evil, and I must fight all evil, no matter what it looks like." She said to herself, until her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of screams echoing throughout the city, it was loud, it was long, and through the window bars she saw great orange light, the light of fire, and large fires at that, and then the sound of shouting and crashing of metal and stone, and voices echoed beyond her cell.
She stayed silent, but looked at the door. "Remedios, Commander, where are you?!" A voice well known to her shouted, "Here! In here!" she yelled, and soon she saw Gustav fumbling at the door, his face looking at her with relief from the other side of the bars. His gaze didn't linger, it darted down, and she heard the sound of him fumbling with keys.
"We're getting you out of here!" He said. "What of the priest?" Remedios said sharply.
"I've sent another team to rescue him, but listen I don't have long," as the door swung open he dashed in and began to work on her chains, "Count Handor introduced me to some people, with a little help from them and some of our own, we've started some fires as a distraction, and we've taken out the guards here, I sent people to rescue the priest who tried to kill Neia, but now we've got to get you out before anybody notices anything is wrong." Gustav said in a rushed and swift voice as he got the last of her chains undone, she fell forward into his arms, and he helped to steady her.
"Your armor is gone," he said, "as is your sword, but this should do for you," he gestured to the door and some paladins entered carrying some equipment for her, "Get into it quickly, a few of our number are going to ride out with you, but you've got to go in a hurry, the first aren't a big danger, they just look threatening, once you"re free, go do what you need to do." Gustav said. "Are you coming?" Remedios asked as she got her armor strapped on faster than she ever had before.
"No." He said, "I'm being appointed as your replacement. I'll feed you what information I can, but one of us has to be here in the city. For now, the few going with you will seem to be the only rogue elements. Now go, I have got to go fight fires." He said, and quickly gave her a salute, which she returned, for a moment, silence reigned, and then he rushed out back the way he came, and Remedios and the few remaining Paladins hurried out of the prison, and found horses waiting for her and her companions, they leaped on and spurred them as fast as they could, all the way out the gate, and they did not stop until there were many miles between themselves and the city.
CHAPTER 8-9 INSIGHTS:
PERSPECTIVES 1:
Grelkor walked past the skeleton, and for the thousandth time, he was surprised it didn't attack him. The first night had been the worst, it passed by his home every few minutes or so, wearing nothing but the cloth bearing the mark that the formerly living person had participated in the attempted massacre of Black Justice, and it gave him the willies, he stood at his window and watched it walk past over and over again carrying goods and supplies back and forth along the same route, never looking at anyone else, it seemed to never carry less than several full grown men, and it did not tire in doing so. By the time Grelkor got ready to rest, it was still working, and he found himself rising now and then to go to the window to see if it was still walking past his home...and it still was, seemingly without pause. That night, he'd barely slept as a result of the shock, but in the morning...he got up, walked out the door, and walked past the skeleton like it wasn't there. The shock was still present, but reduced to mere surprise, like a friend coming behind him and saying 'bo' not the visceral terror he'd first felt.
"Perhaps this undead labor isn't so bad after all. If I had labor like that on the farm, I could feed a city almost by myself." He said as he walked off to work.
PERSPECTIVES 2:
Tani was a priest of the gods, and this was most definitely not the will of the gods. She tried to bless the skeleton, but it did not fall, she tried to attack the skeleton, and it only held up a small truncheon, blocked her blow, and then went on its way...she tried to call the guards and warn them of the undead, but most of the guards were now Black Justice members and they'd laughed it off, they'd only grown concerned when she said she'd tried to attack the skeleton to bring it down...that was how she'd ended up being arrested and brought before a judge who had imposed a fifty silver fine on her. "It's UNDEAD!" She shouted.
"Are you dead?" The judge asked.
"No." She said.
"Are you undead?" The judge asked.
"No." She said again.
"Are you doing the work that the skeleton was doing?" The judge asked.
"No." She said.
"Then leave it alone and let it work, it has work to be done and can't be bothered to stop for every paranoid fear-mongering priest, these undead are controlled and will not do anyone any harm, just let them work so that the city can be restored. That will be a 50 silver fine, 10 for the cost of the court, and 40 to Black Justice for attempting to damage their labor force and slowing their reconstruction efforts." The judge said, and Tani stood aghast at the ruling. She was still in shock as she mutely took 50 coins out of the temple coffers, put them into two sacks, and had them sent to the respective parties...thus making herself the first person to ever pay a fine for attacking the Undead in the history of the world. It was not a place in history that she sought for herself.