I sit down a respectable distance from my other half, ignoring the cold stare I get from Huldr as her song quiets down in my presence. I get just close enough that I can use Share Nutrients, no closer.
Who knows if the Malice is able to extend its influence towards me if I get close enough. Better be careful and keep away for now. I expend as much SP as I dare recovering Hers. Of course, since my SP pool is a fourth of Hers, it doesn't amount to much.
My task finished, I get back up, leaving quietly as Huldrs song starts up again. She's been inconsolable since the fight with the Hero, not even leaving Her side to eat, instead being handed food by the Gyger and Jotun, who are understandably quite upset with this as well.
I settle back in the sun to make the most of the last few hours of sunshine. The sun's setting earlier and earlier for each day that passes, and the nights are getting longer and colder. Most all the leaves are gone from the trees, and winter's just around the corner.
We have plenty of food stocked up, so I'm not worried about that, so my worries are instead focused on the issues of the moment.
Speaking of, I get a front row seat to the interrogation of the two surviving soldiers, the ones I dragged to safety. They were given a simple choice. Die, or allow me to bond their minds to mine via Hivemind so that I can use them as spies.
Millibelle would have pretended to be upset with me for doing this, however, I know that she'd want to do this herself. After all, I'm her dark side.
Closing my eyes, I focus inwards. There, two other minds, separate from mine and Hers. I chose to view the world through the eyes of one of them, the male one.
We're in a simple room, sparsely furnished, though one can tell that this room functions as an office by the furniture that is there. The male soldier is sitting next to his companion, the female soldier. They're both in civilian clothes, their arms, chest and legs covered in bandages.
I won't lie, I was a bit rougher with them than needed when I carried them to safety.
On the desk in front of them sits a crystal of the same kind that I've seen being used for long-distance communication before. It's not active yet.
"I-Is She there?" The woman asks the man, seems I outed myself by making him study the room. My view moves up and down, he's nodding. I'm glad I share my other half's desensitization to this, or else I'd be nauseous.
Both soldiers snap to attention as the crystal starts glowing. A hazy image of a serious-looking man comes through. His hair is starting to grey at the temples, and judging by the way he holds himself, this is a very stressed person.
The pair rise to salute, only settling down once a voice emits from the crystal. "At ease. Now, Status."
"I will end both your lives should you let slip our little deal."
I force both their bodies to not betray the fear both are feeling at the moment. Once I relax the control, they begin speaking, retelling how the fight went up until they all got knocked out by Our Cry of the Damned.
As the story unfolds, I take some delight in the distinct paling of the man on the other side.
"You're sure? The Egis started leaking something, and the Monarch reacted negatively to it?" He's sweating bullets, as if his worst fears had been confirmed. "Yes, sir, it is correct. That wail, it... I haven't heard anything like it since I did my Pale's Duty."
A shiver goes through all three. A quick check of their memories tells me that the Pale's Duty is something all Harmekian soldiers have to do during their service as a requirement to reach past a certain rank. It's basically giving the news of death to next of kin in person. Seems the intention is to instill a fear of having this happen to their own loved ones, and a desire to survive at all costs.
"I..." The man on the other side composes himself, clearing his throat before continuing. "So you're certain that you're the only survivors? And what of the Hero?" He asks.
"Ah, well, after we got knocked out... We're not quite sure what happened. We awoke a distance away from the site of the battle, and all we found was this half decomposed metal monster. No sign of any of the others. We're not even sure where the Monarch went."
A lie I told them to tell. I went back and razed that abomination from the World once She was safe. The soldiers never saw the form the Hero and their companions took, I'm quite sure it would have broken them.
In fact, they're already having trouble dealing with the fact that they're the lone survivors, having been saved by the enemy.
"I see. Now, I'm certain I don't have to tell you this, but I will remind you, just to be sure. Do not speak of this with anyone. We will figure something out, but for now, you two need to get back to the castle." He stares intently at the two soldiers, and I can almost feel him staring at me, too.
"Dismissed." The image flickers and fades along with the glow of the crystal itself.
"You did good."
I praise my unwilling spies, before retreating into my own mind once again. Ah, the sun's getting low. It's crept past the trees, and now it doesn't provide enough to perform Photosynthesis. I get up and stretch.
Now, I suppose I should quickly check in on the Air and Lightning Dragons. Seem's they've taken shelter from a ferocious blizzard, though they're close to the top of a mountain.
I withdraw my gaze once again. If they're this close, I'll get a notification soon enough. I just need to be patient for a bit longer. Doing a quick sweep of the various Undead that patrol Our Domain, nothing is out of the ordinary.
Content, I snuggle down with Osseous Slime in the little hut the Jotun made for them.
Capital of Harmek
As witnessed by the Divine
Moments after the end of the call to the two soldiers
General Knark shakily retrieves his trusty hip-flask of Balefruit juice. The Balefruit, much like coffee, carries caffeine in its flesh, and the lightly fermented juice is a popular pick-me-up that the Harmekian Army General has used and abused for many years in lieu of a general ban on alcoholic beverages within the army.
Taking a good swig, he grimaces as he shakes the flask, revealing it's mostly empty now.
Muttering under his breath, he turns away from the crystal on the table before him. The sudden appearance of Jax, the Spymaster, makes Knark jump, his mutterings cut off abruptly, replaced by a shocked gasp.
"By the Queen, Spymaster, have you no manners?" Knark angrily shouts, the color of his cheeks rapidly returning as they flush red with anger and embarrassment. "I apologize, but it is always entertaining to see just how unobservant the Queens most trusted are." Jax nonchalantly says as he cleans his glasses of spit.
"Now, what of the survivors?" Jax places his glasses back onto his nose, carefully shoving them in place. Knark sighs. "Vasper Brookmarr and Faye Emberbore, seems they got knocked unconscious just before whatever happened, well, happened." He says as he walks over to his cabinet, filled with ornate flasks of many a design, all containing Baleberry juice.
"By the Monarchs wail. I heard. Most likely augmented by some Skill, like 'Cry of the Damned'." Jax shakes his head at Knarks offer of a glass of juice. Knark shrugs and pours more into the glass instead. "So, seems like our 'allies' supplied us with forbidden goods. That sort of a reaction... The Monarch knew very well what that odd liquid that spilled from the broken armor was." The Spymaster sighs.
"It cried out in sorrow for the loss of the Hero, is my take. Their choice to accept its offer of a peaceful solution... High treason at the very least." Knark takes a sip of his glass. "Judging by the testimony of the survivors, something happened with the Heroes armor just after it seemed like the Monarchs plan had worked. Too bad there's not even a drop of blood left at the scene. A solid slab of melted and hardened soil, as if a volcano had gone off in the area, was all that's left."
Jax takes pause at this. "Then how did the two survive?" He asks. Knark shrugs. "Perhaps the Monarch tossed them out of the way? It seems quite fond of humanoids, even if they're enemies. Remember those spies we lost? Turns out they ran into the Monarch, and it captured them when killing them would have been easier." The Army General sets down his glass.
"Bottom line is, the Hero chose themselves over us, and something within their armor took over. The Hero was infected with Malice most likely, and died fighting the Monarch. Whatever happened to the five other elites is a mystery." Knark sums up, eager to get Jax out of his office.
He has, after all, still to come up with a way to let the Queen know in a way that won't end with his head on the executioners block. There's also the matter of the two Dragons that showed up to aid the Parshuran soldiers, but he feels that's of lesser concern.
"I'll leave you to it. Do you wish for me to take the responsibility of telling Her of the two Dragons?" Jax asks, the tiniest hint of a mischievous glint in his eyes. He knows Knark's too proud to leave such matters to-
"Yes, I'd like you to do that. A Life and a Death Dragon, along with a Lurastray. Please, sometime today, thank you."
As a slightly deflated Jax soundlessly leaves the office, Knark can't shake the grin he's wearing. Serves the cur right. Squirm a bit, feel how it is to be the bearer of news the Queen doesn't like to hear.
Finishing his third glass of Baleberry juice, Knark gets to work with formulating his report to the Queen.