Cambrian
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The Soul Engine Ch. 33 (Original Fantasy)
🕑 Added 2023-10-11 22:00:03 +0000 UTCA/N: Mikael and Company have successfully fled into Zuveria. But what's next now that they know the truth?
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Seated in a tavern a few days ride away from the border between the Zuverian Empire and the Kingdom of Ocreatha, a pair of men nurse drinks between themselves as they talk back and forth across a solidly made wooden table.
“Oi, you hear the news from across the border?”
“Hm? No, what happened.”
“Tch, where you been man, living under a rock? That Regent-Lord fella over there went and declared himself the Supreme King of Ocreatha.”
The second man’s eyes bulge out of his head at that, before he lets out a laugh.
“Bahaha! ‘Supreme King’! The balls on that fucker! But wait, isn’t there some Council of Lords over there or something? And they’re just letting him get away with it?”
The first man shakes his head, grinning the grin of someone who knows something that his companion doesn’t.
“That’s just it. Part of the declaration was that Supreme King Sangrey disbanded the Council of Lords. They can either fall in line or get crushed beneath his boot, I guess.”
“… Huh. Damn. Can’t imagine they liked that one bit, did they?”
“Some of them sure didn’t. But from what I hear, those ones aren’t around anymore. Ocreatha’s new Supreme King didn’t move without certain assurances, ya see?”
“Assurances. Pah! Where’d ya learn such fancy words, mate?”
“Oi! Shut it! I’m plenty sophist… sofistic… I’m plenty smart, alright?”
“Alright, alright!”
The first man gives the second man a side eye for a moment until the second man raises his hands in apologetic surrender. Only then does the first man continue on.
“Anyways… from what I hear, the Council of Lords was pretty fucking corrupt as it was. Hear that they were doing all sorts of awful shit over there. Turning a blind eye to slavery, practicing evil, forbidden magics. Calling himself ‘Supreme King’ might be a little silly, but it might not be so bad having a man like Foss Sangrey in charge of Ocreatha. After all, he didn’t do a half-bad job as Regent-Lord right?”
The second man just shrugs and takes a long pull from his mug before smacking it down on the table and burping.
“Pah! What does it matter, really? We’re in the Empire of Zuveria! What happens in Ocreatha doesn’t mean anything to us mate!”
“Oi! Idiot! It could mean something if war broke out, you moron!”
“That’ll never happen! Ocreatha is Ocreatha and Zuveria is Zuveria. They wouldn’t dare!”
“Hmph… whatever.”
As the first man subsides into grumbling and the second snickers at his more politically minded friend’s expense, a cloaked figure at another table nurses from his own drink right up until a second cloaked figure walks up and speaks to him in a quiet tone.
“Mikael. We’ve secured a room for the night.”
Throwing back the last of his mug of alcohol, grimacing at the poor taste, Mikael nods to Thayla and rises from his chair, followed the hooded Knight of the Rose up to the tavern’s second floor where Avina and Bula are already waiting for them in their room.
Getting this far into Zuveria hadn’t been easy. They hadn’t known if Foss would send a force after them or not, nor had they had actual horses to ride. Technically, Mikael and Bula could both run at the same speed as a horse, and for as long as one too. But Thayla and Avina could not, and while carrying Avina WAS possible, carrying Thayla with all her gear would have undeniably slowed them down.
Besides, fleeing in a straight line would have been the height of foolishness. Instead, they’d basically fled in a roundabout fashion, circling back on themselves what felt like half a dozen times, trying to make sure that no matter what, they weren’t followed.
As such, even though this Zuverian Town was a few days’ ride from Alether, it had taken them three weeks to get here all the same. And it also wasn’t on the main road out of Alether and into Zuveria either, but on an off-shoot side road to hopefully throw Foss completely off their scent. Whether that had worked or not… well, only time would tell.
One thing was for sure though, Mikael was sick and tired of roughing it out in the wilderness with what little resources they’d managed to scrounge up as they went along. Maybe it would have been fine if they could have gathered some supplies before leaving Alether, like bedrolls or basic camping equipment, but their flight from the city had had to be too fast for that. If they’d dallied for even a few minutes, the newly titled ‘Supreme King’ and his undead army would have closed off any possibility of escape.
Of course, as nice as it was to be indoors for the night for once, this also meant it was time to discuss next steps. Perhaps they could have done so at any given point over the last three weeks, but at the end of the day, they’d been much too busy just trying to make sure they weren’t caught by any would be pursuers. This was the first chance any of them had had to truly breathe in all this time.
“Tch. Still think we should have slowed down and seen if they were really after us. Could’ve killed anyone who followed us into Zuveria.”
Of course, out of the group of four, Bula had made her position on their ‘cowardly’ fleeing quite clear. While she’d accepted that staying in Alether itself wasn’t in the cards, she felt that they should have stood their ground and seen who was actually after them. Only her debt to Mikael had made her listen to him when he’d kept them on the move. And only Mikael’s concern for Avina and her inherent squishiness had in turn kept him from trying out Bula’s idea.
He wasn’t afraid for himself or Bula, or even Thayla. Not even against Foss’ undead heroes. But Avina? His Soul Mechanic wasn’t much of a fighter, regardless of what the bastard had said about her family being ‘Trueborn Necromancers’.
“Still, what’s done is done.”
Crossing her arms over her chest, Bula grunts.
“If we’re finally talking about what we’re gonna do next, I say we forget about all that Ocreatha bullshit. There’s always room for mercenaries here in Zuveria. Let’s find ourselves a proper battle and sell our services for some coin!”
The half-orc uncrosses her arms in order to punch a fist into her palm, a savage grin on her face as she offers up her suggestion. Of course…
“What?! Forget about Ocreatha?! Don’t be absurd! Foss Sangrey MUST be brought to justice! You don’t care that he was Zadicus’ Master?”
Thayla sounds offended that Bula would even suggest not trying to bring Foss to justice. Bula, in turn, snorts derisively.
“Why should I? Zadicus was the bastard who tricked me. He’s dead now. I’m happy. Foss is just some old fucker. Let him rule Ocreatha. Wasn’t he ruling it anyways for like twenty years or something?”
Straight from the mouth of babes. Bula isn’t wrong. Has anything really changed in Ocreatha? The only difference now is that Foss is ruling openly, instead of from the shadows. However, the half-orc is ignoring the elephant in the room.
“… We can’t just forget about it. Or at least, I can’t.”
Avina’s tone is quiet when the freckled young woman finally speaks up, but she commands all of their attention, nonetheless. Looking up from her hands, the former Princess frowns.
“Foss Sangrey will stop at nothing to get me back now that I’m out from under his thumb. He’s spent the past decade using my research to create his army, but I never succeeded before Mikael… and so his… creations are subpar. Now that he’s seen what Mikael and the Soul Engine can really do, he won’t stop until he can retrieve me… and likely Mikael as well. He’ll want both of us. Me to force my service, and Mikael to dissect, just like he said back in the tower. Maybe he hasn’t sent pursuers after us just yet, or maybe we shook them for now… but one way or another, he will hunt us down.”
Straightening up, Avina’s jaw clenches, her dark lips pressing together in a thin line of disdain.
“And to that… to that I say good. Let him come. Because I’m not going to forgive or forget either. The bastard killed my family. I may not want to be a Princess anymore, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want revenge. I’m done running.”
There’s a brief beat of silence at that, before Avina turns her gaze onto Bula and Thayla.
“Of course, Bula is right. Mikael and I might have no choice but to stand and fight, but you two… you have no stake here. You can leave if you want and Foss probably won’t pursue you. If you want to part ways from us here, then I won’t blame you.”
There’s a challenge in her tone, even as she says those words. Mikael can’t help but be a little amused because it’s clear to him that Avina knows exactly what she’s doing. Thayla scoffs while Bula bristles, but it’s the Knight of the Rose who speaks first.
“No stake? Don’t be ridiculous. Setting aside that every crime I pursued Zadicus for can also be laid at Foss Sangrey’s feet, and many more at that… besides all that, do you really think a man like Foss Sangrey will stop at just Ocreatha? It’s only a matter of time before he points that army of undead heroes in the direction of the Zuverian Empire. And with so much of Zuveria’s armies tied up in defending against the constant encroachment from denizens of the Savage Lands, Ocreatha might actually be able to do some real damage. He needs to be stopped.”
Thayla takes a deep breath after that long diatribe… and then the white-haired female knight flushes and tosses a glance in Mikael’s direction, biting her lower lip.
“And besides, my service to Sir Mikael does not end simply because Zadicus Quinn is dead. A life for a life.”
Seeming pleased with Thayla’s response, Avina has a smirk on her face, even as she looks to Bula next. The half-orc stiffens at the challenge in Avina’s gaze, before finally scoffing and shaking herself as she growls.
“Tch. As though I would pass up such a glorious fight. I’m not going anywhere.”
There’s a brief pause at that, given Bula had just been advocating that they all go just leave Ocreatha to its fate. But no one calls her on it. Instead, Mikael steps forward and gives his own two cents.
“Avina is right. The ‘Supreme King’ won’t ever stop hunting the two of us. And Thayla is right too. A man as ambitious as that, with an army like that at his command WILL eventually invade his neighbor. Whether it’s to get at us or just because he wants to expand his power. This isn’t a fight we can run from.”
Avina and Thayla have grim expressions as they nod. Bula, meanwhile, grins a savage grin, looking almost like she wants to either fight or mount him right then and there. He’s not sure which. As it is, he can’t give her what she wants either way right now. Because first…
“The only thing is… how? How are the four of us supposed to take on Foss Sangrey and his invincible army?”
That… brings a period of silence to the small room. Avina looks uncertain. Bula looks mulish. Thayla on the other hand… Thayla winces, looking very much torn. But finally, the Knight of the Rose speaks up.
“We need help. We need the Order.”
Avina scoffs at that.
“You mean the Order of the Rose? I remember you suggesting that before, Thayla. And I also remember shutting down the idea. I don’t know if the reasons for doing so have changed, exactly.”
Thayla grimaces at Avina’s sarcastic drawl but doesn’t back down.
“Yes, I’m talking about the Citadel. The Order of the Rose is Zuveria’s largest Knightly Order. Things have changed Avina. Dramatically. The Order NEEDS to know what Foss is up to… what he’s done in Ocreatha. We can argue for aid based on the things we’ve seen and the actions he’s taken. This isn’t the same as it was with Zadicus. Foss Sangrey’s crimes threaten the entire continent. His army is an affront to every good, sensible living being on Vaclatora. I am confident that the Order of the Rose will see reason once we explain things to them.”
Them. Mikael notes the use of the word, even as Avina scowls angrily and crosses her arms over her chest.
“And if they don’t? What then, Thayla? What if they decree me a heretic and Mikael an abomination to be put down? What if they kill us where we stand?”
But Thayla shakes her head, Avina’s old argument clearly not holding as much weight with the female knight anymore. And perhaps it shouldn’t.
“I won’t let them. And neither will Mikael. Things have changed, Avina. Not just in regard to the threat we face, but for our group as well. If… if the Citadel attempts to harm you or Mikael, I will not allow it. I will stop them.”
That definitely catches Avina by surprise. She looks taken aback, even as she regards Thayla in a new light.
“… You would fight your fellow knights for us?”
With no hesitation, Thayla nods sharply.
“I would. Not that I expect I’d be nearly as effective as Sir Mikael himself. Having fought him myself and having seen him do battle… I suspect that he could take on the entire Citadel by himself if it were necessary. After all… the Order of the Rose is not nearly as soulless as Foss Sangrey’s army.”
Thayla’s dry tone makes Mikael wince as she brings up Bula’s old idea of how he might be capable of singlehandedly killing an army, albeit in a roundabout way. Seeing his wince, the female knight gives him an apologetic smile.
“I don’t believe it will come to that though, Sir Mikael. I believe the Knight-Superior, leader of the Order of the Rose, can be convinced that the situation is too serious to censure you or Avina. I believe this with all my heart.”
He can see in Thayla’s blue eyes that she means her words. He can see her conviction. Still… Mikael looks to Avina to see how she’s feeling. After a long moment, his Soul Mechanic sighs.
“Well… it probably is our best bet of getting reinforcements against Foss, I suppose. If nothing else, if we can convince them that the undead army is real, they’re sure to jump on it like a dog on a bone.”
Thayla flushes at Avina’s description, but also doesn’t argue the point. Mikael just nods.
“Very well then. It’s settled. We’ll head for the Citadel tomorrow. Thayla, we’ll be counting on you to get us there.”
“O-Of course, Sir Mikael!”
Looking around at the three women in the room with him, Mikael finds himself adopting a rather crooked grin.
“I would say let’s get some rest… but from the looks all of you are giving me, somehow I don’t think that will be possible, will it?”
Bula growls in agreement, while Thayla blushes and then sheepishly nods her head. Avina hums and then shrugs.
“It has been some time, hasn’t it? All these weeks running and sleeping with one eye open… we haven’t really had time for any… fun, have we?”
Mikael just snorts. He might not need the sleep, but that didn’t mean his girls didn’t. It seemed that it would fall to him to make sure that they all were too tired to do anything but rest then. Such a heavy burden to bear… but he’d bear it gladly, he supposed. He opens his mouth to speak, only for Bula to finally lose her battle with her self-control and lunge at him with a lustful growl.
Right then. He’d start with her.
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A/N: Three weeks on the run didn't leave much time for hanky panky. Needless to say, Bula ain't the only one pent up, fufufu.
Leave a Like if you enjoyed please, and if you have the time be sure to let me know what you think!
Comments
PieBoy4242
I wonder if Mikael or Bula would think to go to the Orcs of the Wild Lands and tell them "hey, want the best fight of your life? Foes who can keep going and going? Come fight the undead horde!" Granted, that might run the risk of the orcs rampaging if/when the horde is put down.
PieBoy4242
You might be thinking of Maidenless No Longer. Elden Ring story, the MC has restarted the "game" countless times trying to get everyone their Happily Ever After. The story is his final "perfect run".
KnightzOmegaZ
Btw a friend recommended me one of your og series. He can’t remember the name but he said it was the MC getting reincarnated multiple times and he lives in a castle with his girls or something
RanmaChaos
Thanks for the chapter
Cambrian
Hahaha
Kaijucifer
Attagirl, Bula! Flex all over these inferior women!
Cambrian
Mikael is too :P
Nanaya7Nights
Now I am worried about possible corruption in the Order of the Rose.
