Undying Empire: B2 — 13. Threatening Forces Abound (Patreon)

PoV :   Empress Elinor (what lurks around our baby Empire?)

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A soft smile played at the corners of Elinor’s lips while watching her nighttime valley; Iris had returned, currently hiding inside her shadow while her maids silently stood around her.

Ke’Thra’Ma’s private room was a rather grand space; although, it was surprisingly bare compared to what she’d imagine from the massive ape.  There were dozens of curious items, but identifying all of the artifacts she’d inherited after taking control of the dark city would come in time.

Theresa had sung several songs over the hours, but currently, Elinor was enjoying the stillness while exploring her Empire.  Between studying the valley, city, minions, and new citizens, watching them through her Unintelligent Undead, she’d learned a lot.

She shifted to the opposite side of her silken throne, resting her cheek against the back of her hand and crossing her legs to the right.  It was nearing the time she’d need to pay her daily Death Energy toll to death, but Tiffany told her things had been prepared in advance.

Her gaze shifted between areas of the valley.

To the left were Violet and Azalea; they seemed to have come together, which put the concern she felt at ease.  Azalea appeared to have found a place much deeper than even Iris was aware of, and the unknown had spurred her into action, sending her sister as support.

The ruby-colored great lakes beyond the mountains ahead of her hid the Nalvean Empire; Klaus seemed to be on their way back to the Capital, which meant she’d get her first report on their activities.  Although, Camellia was staying behind.  At the pace Klaus was traveling, it would take most of the day to return; it was an impressive speed for over a hundred miles up the massive river.

In the jungle below, Quin, Garu, and Rigrach were swiftly rising to a level where they’d be able to communicate with her.  The giant Elite Hunter might have even reached that stage, but her orders were for them to stay out, hunting until they could tell her what she wanted to know.

The piles of extra food their slaughter brought back into the city had caused a stir among the Ri’bot, humans, and Yaltha’ma as Antonietta taught a certain number of them how to cook proper meals.  Ingredients were constantly being brought back by scores of Unintelligent Undead Ri’bot that she’d raised for grunt work.

Things were currently progressing well; her religious influence was spreading rapidly with the first wave of missionaries Valdar had prepped and sent into the Clanless areas.  Her High Priest was about to begin his journey to the last remaining clan in the valley that hadn’t either left or fallen under her influence.

The Prume Clan had enjoyed relatively safe isolation from the other Clans, choosing to stay neutral in all conflicts.  Valdar hadn’t even spoken to their Chief in over thirty years after their declaration, but that didn’t mean their borders weren’t patrolled.

The brown and pink spotted toads held a good territorial height advantage while boasting a decent army in the past.  Valdar would report how they currently stood after his return, likely in the following night.

Elinor opened a connection with Iris, Tiffany, and Edmon.  We’re teaching everyone about the food here, but when will we be able to leave them to govern themselves, and where will they be housed?

Edmon was quick to respond to the question; Iris was not interested in contributing to the topic.  “In terms of housing, I am currently sectioning out the city using the maps I’ve found.  Ke’Thra’Ma designed it into many districts for a reason, and I think it’d be best to organize the populous into the areas that they’d be the most useful to contribute.”

“I assume the humans would do best in the agriculture district unless you’ve discovered another use for them?”  Tiffany asked.

“Yes, it is a good area for them, but I haven’t had the chance to scout out that section of the city.  Although I believe from what I’ve seen in the designs … you’ll be speechless,” he chuckled.

“Edmon … don’t be a tease,” Tiffany huffed.  “We have Mauricio as the Groundskeeper for teaching them … I don’t have the time for something like that,” she grumbled.

Smiling at the Witch’s pout, Elinor cut into the conversation.  You can pop in to see how things are progressing.  Plus, won’t you need to section off an area for Witchcraft ingredients?

“Of course, but I’d love to explore it,” Tiffany sighed.  “Edmon makes it sound truly grand.  C’mon, give me a little more to imagine!”

I’m kind of interested, too.  Elinor mused.

Edmon released a low laugh.  “How big is the fortress in square miles?”

“Three hundred,” Tiffany quickly replied.  “Well, that’s the estimate you gave me.”

“What if I told you fifteen miles is dedicated to greenhouses?”

Elinor calmly rose from her seat, walking around the tower while staring at the massive buildings and towers below; she couldn’t guess what many of the strangely shaped facilities were for, spaced across her colossal fortress.

Tiffany’s excitement fell at the news.  “Well, don’t get me wrong, this fortress has nearly the same landmass of New York City, and fifteen square miles is a big chunk, but to support how many residential districts?  Does that include rearing animals, too?”

“Ahem,” Edmon’s smug voice told Elinor that Tiffany was missing an important detail.  “Are you sure we could really compare this magical city to NYC?”

“Hmm … okay,” Tiffany mumbled, “tell me what I’m not grasping, and in my defense, I haven’t looked at the plans.  My focus has been centered on other areas.”

Elinor examined the massive glass structure near the northeast side of the city, and it was indeed quite the spectacle, but upon seeing it, a thought occurred to her.  However, she kept her silence, listening to Edmon’s unfolding visual.

“How many levels does this fortress hold … and how big do you suppose each one is?”

With that simple bit of information, Elinor could see the Witch’s mouth drop open.

“You don’t mean … thirty levels if I recall, which means … oh, my.  Fifteen square miles on the surface, and that would change the city’s landmass to … wow.  Are you telling me we have 450 square miles of agricultural land to work with … 288,000 acres, and this fortress is 9,000 square miles of real estate?  How would … the gems can transfer sunlight?”

Edmon’s amused chuckles followed her mental leaps.  “It may not all be functioning properly at this time; I still need to learn more about how these stones work, but according to the designs, yes.  Theoretically, we may even be able to accomplish that.”

“Oh … oh!”  Tiffany squealed.  “If we can get our hands on a powerful Arcanist, then she might be able to develop an illusion of the outside world across all the interior, which would mean … with the transferral of solar energy, we might be able to create thirty levels of outdoors experience.  How fun would that be?  That would definitely mark our city as a potential hotspot for other nations.  There are so many possibilities!”

“Well … let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” Edmon mumbled.  “I still need to figure out all of these things … although, an Arcanist would be nice since these stones would fall more under their specialty.  Also, why can’t the Grand Ritualist do such a great work of art?”

“Ugh … are you trying to kill all of my free time?”

“Hehe, I see how it is.”

Elinor released a soft sigh, causing her maids to stare at her with concern, but they didn’t press.  So many things I’m missing.  Although, I suppose I’m doing a decent job after two days of beginning my Empire.  So, in short, Edmon, you need to secure 9,000 square miles, which means, I need to expand faster … I need more Minions … more followers to support their cost … the cycle continues.

“One day at a time!”  Tiffany cheered.

“Agreed.  We have much to do, but we are making progress.  Empires are not built over a weekend.”

She didn’t respond, studying the mass of Jukal continuing to flock to the city.  There haven’t been any attacks, right?

“No,” Iris promptly responded.  “The Jukal have only observed since I killed the previous group.”

… Ironic, really.  I conquer the Ri’bot of the valley just to be introduced to a new looming threat.

Tiffany hummed thoughtfully.  “It was bound to happen in this alien world.  We know so little.”

“Not just that,” Edmon commented.  “We are busy sinking resources into developing this fortress, spying on the Nalveans, managing the living within the valley, and probing for threats close to him … to say our efforts are split is an understatement.”

“I’m also busy developing the ritual for the religion,” Tiffany piped up.

… You’re saying I need more minions.  Elinor replied with a slight frown, vision rising to observe the imposing ice-capped mountains the fortress sat at the base of.  I’m open to suggestions.  I’ve already used all of the dead Ri’bot that Camellia recovered from the Delthax.  How long do bones normally last?

Tiffany moaned softly.  “Contrary to popular belief, not long at all if exposed to most elements; the spider family has an extremely durable framework, which allowed them to last for so long, but after 80 or so years, most Earth bones will crack as the soft collagen inside them deteriorates, even in a coffin.  In a warm, humid jungle?  Yeah, extremely fast.

“There would need to be exceptional circumstances for them to last … in dry environments, like the catacombs, bones can, CAN, but not will, last hundreds of years.  If mummified or put into an arid place with very little oxygen, the bone’s deterioration time can be extended by thousands of years since bacteria cannot survive in cold or dry areas and are essentially useless in places without enough oxygen.  That’s why most modern human caskets are built like that.

“Freezing environments could yield us some decently preserved bones, and I’ve been thinking about these pits the Ri’bot throw their dead into … there might be some pits that have crystallization properties at the bottom that would also allow you to bring back the creature.”

So … sending an expedition up the mountain could give me strong minions?

“It’s possible,” Tiffany replied, but she seemed conflicted.  “It’s just improbable that we’d find something so quickly without being pointed in the right direction.”

I’d need to be there to act as a soul detector.  Elinor concluded.  What about fossils?

“Eh … well, actually, what most people see as fossils are not actually bones … to be honest, I’m not confident you could bring back, well, a dinosaur.”

“Dinosaur?”  Iris asked.

“I’ll fill you in,” Edmon replied, swapping to a private conversation.

“Ahem … anyway, the dead rarely last an extended period in their buried forms.  Maybe the Thélméthra could find cave-ins that blocked out air and moisture, leaving behind the grizzly fate of those inside, but I wouldn’t get our hopes up.”

… Alright.  I suppose it’s getting near the time I need to pay the daily price, which means I’ll have enough energy to revive our Head of State.

She smiled as Edmon’s emotions soured at the news while Tiffany’s excitement rose; the Witch would have fun making the Doom Guard jealous, giving her even more attention, and Elinor felt a new chapter blooming between the pair.

“I can’t wait!”  Tiffany cheered.

There was only silence from Edmon, and Elinor peeked into the conversation Iris was having with the Doom Guard.

“... I do not understand the need to worship weak creatures of the past that died.”

“I wouldn’t really call it worshiping them,” Edmon mumbled.

“... This religion business continues to confound.  These creatures are given ritualistic burials and monuments yet not worshiped?  You construct buildings around them, visit and craft symbols around them, give up resources to, and study both throughout your life.  Some humans dedicate their lives to the creed, yet don’t worship them?”

“I … suppose some people could make a religion around it or could be seen to worship them, but it’s not the primary purpose.”

“Regardless of the purpose, the actions are present, are they not?”

“In some regard.”

“...”

Elinor left the discussion with a lifted eyebrow.  Iris certainly has a different brain than humans.

Announcing her direction, Elinor took the elevator to the tower’s ground level, leaving her maids in the center of the galaxy-like hall.  Tiffany was waiting by the left wall where a table had been placed.

Her heeled boots creased the grass as she made her way to the beaming Witch, anxiously waiting for Elinor to inspect her work.

The table seemed to have been crafted into a decagon recently by Mauricio, constructed for human use; a complicated occult design was burned into the green wood with all three of the glowing white poms inside.

Elinor walked around it with an entertained hum.  Okay, Tiffany, I’ll bite.  What did you do?

“Oh, this was a work of art!”  Tiffany squealed, pointing at different sections of the table.  “These fruits hold an incredible amount of energy, and so, I decided to use them against each other to form a containment field; their own force will be used to suppress them, while Death Energy can pass through unimpeded.

“This white section here … this is a controllable link to all three, allowing you to siphon off the energy safely … well, at least somewhat safely, but the design will glow red when there is a danger of the ritual breaking.”

Excellent … which means I just need to use Life Tap?  She asked, activating the ability, and sure enough, the corrupted Life Force was pulled from the link Tiffany had shown her.  Hmm … well done, Tiffany.

“Thank you!”

Elinor extracted the fruits’ energy until the time the toll came, draining a massive chunk of what she’d gained, but her cheer fell as the ritual’s black markings slowly brightened with a red light, and once the time passed, she ceased the extraction.

Tiffany’s nerves had continued to spike as the time passed, and she breathed a sigh of relief when she stopped Life Tap.

“Hehe … it seems I was right to worry.  They are releasing a lot of energy … almost more than can be cycled through, but if things continue as before, then they’ll retreat.  Perhaps we should leave, though … just to be sure.”

She heeded the Witch’s advice, but her vision lingered on the table as they left.  I couldn’t gather the amount I needed for a Transcendent Spirit … in fact, it was less than last night.

“Hmm … that is troubling,” Tiffany mumbled.

The door was closed behind them, and Elinor returned to Ke’Thra’Ma’s former room, now hers, speaking to Tiffany as she went to perform more study on the religious rituals; her maids joined her, silently waiting for any order she might give.

“It might be an issue of filtering with my ritual.”

Or the fruits themselves are becoming resistant.  Elinor replied.  After everything Violet discovered … it’s a possibility that these fruits could be evolving, and whatever creature they might produce would be my greatest enemy.

“It’s not impossible … to be fair, they may not be eggs at all.  We simply don’t know enough about them.”

Which is why I need you to spend what extra time you have figuring them out.  Is it possible to … no, that would require moving the Ri’bot into the space.

“Um, yeah, I would advise against moving my research lab into the room … after Violet’s insights, there is a delicate balance that could be upset by spilling blood or other such things inside.”

This might be more…

Elinor’s thoughts paused as Iris appeared beside her, peeling away from her shadow, and her eyes shone with a deadly red light.  “Empress, Violet and Azalea have returned to the city with urgent news.  A new enemy creeps below the surface.”

Edmon and Tiffany were instantly brought into the conversation as Violet explained the black clawed energy that attacked them.

A field of rot energy?  Elinor asked with growing concern.  Are the Undead susceptible to something like that?

“Undoubtedly,” Tiffany replied, tone mirroring hers.  “Edmon has excellent resistances to nearly all forms of energy, but I only have moderate resistances.  Violet appears to have higher resilience since she is of such a high Grade, but Azalea may not be so lucky.”

Edmon stepped into the conversation.  “While your Undead can function within a field of Rot-based energy, once it reaches their bones, then it is over for them.”

Iris’s response silenced everyone, leaving her regal tone the only voice spoken for a time as they thought.

“I am more concerned about the location.  If Valdar is to be believed, the Avana created that hole.  An investigation needs to be made.  Was the Avana there for whatever lurks below, or the Gray Queen?  Perhaps both were involved with the dark force?  Were there three parties involved, more, and was there some underlying reason for Ke’Thra’Ma selecting that location for his fortress?

“Is this force an instinctual act, an artifact, or the work of intelligent creatures living far below the valley’s surface?”

All very good questions, which had the Royal Court’s minds swimming for the best path forward, but it was Azalea that came with an answer.

“Oh, Empress!  I found a bunch of Quen’Talrat bones down there, too; I wrapped them up to bring back.  I dug into this place that was pretty dusty … the ceiling was really hard, and I chipped a nail!  I brought some back to show my mom…”

Tiffany’s enthusiasm bled through the Nexus.  “Lea, you beautiful, beautiful little princess!”

“I am?”

Edmon’s tone lifted dramatically.  “Huh … we have Quen’Talrat that were probably present during the time of the Gray Queen, and a new substance that Tiffany can analyze that might give us some information regarding the lower layers.  Excellent work, Azalea.”

Iris’s calm voice followed.  “Exceptional, both of you.”

The little blue spider-girl was practically melting from the praise, insides squirming with delight, and Elinor was afraid her mother’s words might have knocked her unconscious by the heat she felt through the Nexus.

Violet took the praise well on the surface, but not one member of the Royal Court couldn’t sense the youngest spider sister’s internal screams of pleasure.

“Bring them to the tower immediately,” Iris instructed.

When the two sisters arrived, Elinor was a little amused by the massive ball of silk carrying all the bones.  Now would be the time to see if she could increase her Undead Capacity to return the apes, but before that, she needed to assess their Grade.

Her butterflies blazed to life from the fire that burst across her arms, flaring out to hover around the silk as the sisters untangled the mess; Violet seemed almost perturbed with her sister’s silk craft, and the middle sister was a little embarrassed with her younger sibling sorting through her sloppy handiwork.

The thoughts quickly died upon discovering the spirits trapped within, mouth watering with anticipation; these didn’t need to level up to speak their secrets.

She fed her desire into increasing her Minion Pool:

Base Lich (Race) Abilities:

Minion Pool I:  (Cooldown: N/A; Cost: N/A; Duration: N/A; Range: N/A) Passive Skill, Death-Type, Level Six, Rookie Grade, Rank Nine.  Increases Elinor’s Minion Pool.

1. Intelligent: 69 (Previous 30; 29 used)
2. Unintelligent: 329 (Previous 150; 126 used)

Elinor found the exact number of the expansion rather dubious, and if she didn’t know any better, figured the System might have a sense of humor.  It was quickly overshadowed as the sisters finally unraveled the tight bundle of thread, and she brought the six Elite Quen’Talrat back to life, giving her 35 Intelligent Undead.

Green flames sent eerie lights across Ke’Thra’Ma’s floors and ceiling, causing each skeleton to release an ominous breath as life returned to them, and a decent chunk of her remaining energy from the fruits left her.

The six imposing figures rose into the air, muscle, fat, sinew, veins, tendons, skin, nails, and fur forming from the fire; most weren’t complete, showing bone and muscle, but one stood taller than the rest, parts of its chest, arms, and back showing muscle, but no bone.

She had her hands on five Heroic and one Epic Quen’Talrat, the same rank as Camellia; this must have been an elite squad that met their end in the tunnels below.

Elinor was a little surprised the one in front of her only had two arms and two legs; its tail was just as long as Quin’s, and it had two ape-like heads, but the pure muscle on the creature was more than a little intimidating.  Still, it stood at least 23-feet tall, towering over everyone present.

The other five Heroic spirits weren’t nearly as large but managed to make it 18-feet, standing above Quin.  She started to feel a bit bad for her first Elite Hunter.

“Welcome to my Empire,” Elinor greeted as all six smacked their chests with a deep grunt, making a thunderous boom sound throughout the chamber before dropping to a knee and lowering their heads to her.

Expectedly, the largest spoke, in a shockingly feminine voice.  “I heard the call, and I serve.”  Her frosty glowing eyes opened while rising to face her while the others kept their heads lowered.  “What am I to accomplish?”

Elinor hummed thoughtfully, having the Unintelligent Skeletal Quen’Talrat move her chair to her.  Sitting, she crossed her legs while eyeing the imposing creatures.

Some of her maids were appraising the giants with impressed emotions feeding through her connection to them, while Iris was unsurprisingly disappointed in their quality.

The restraint and discipline within the six impressed Elinor, though; they had many questions swirling around their skulls, but orders came first, and they would obey without batting an eye.

“First, tell me about yourselves; the only other Quen’Talrat I’ve spoken to was Ke’Thra’Ma.”  Sensing the hope and strength the name brought, Elinor shook her head.  “He wished to serve no creature after his death, and I granted him that boon.”

“I see,” the leader replied with a grave sigh, intense blue eyes falling to the floor.  “The Great Ke was truly marvelous … and I sense the same strength within you, my Empress.  It will be an honor to serve the Empire.”

Standing high, she released rumbles in her throat and made extravagant hand gestures that seemed to be a part of their language.  “I am Amra’Cora, daughter of Ka’Roga’Amra, the Gray Queen of the Silver Plane’s Blood.  Behind me is my troop.  Is there anything the Empress wishes to know specifically?”

Elinor knew a bit from the Nexus, but having the commander’s name was enough.  “I will learn more about you as time allows; for now, tell me how you died?”

Amra’Cora’s nose creased, releasing a dark growl.  “The Ka was invested in keeping our location; she was convinced an artifact from the North would give us the power to destroy the other races that had surrounded us, and so we dug below the foundations of the fortress.”

“Searching for something?”  Tiffany cut in, still in the basement, working on her rituals.

“Yes, but for what the Ka wished to find, I am unsure.  There were creatures below; they feared our flames but had other means of combating us.  We were ambushed; they were not like the Thélméthra,” she stated, glancing over at the Queen with a low hum.

“These creatures used a dark force that could rot the flesh, but it seemed that their intent was not on defense, but attack; they burrowed through the earth to attack the keep once aware of us.

“My squad were sent on a mission to discover a path through the shadowy traps they set, but … we were sealed in with some kind of strong sticky substance that swiftly hardened … that is the last that I remember.”

“This stuff?”  Azalea asked, using her two front spider-legs to hold up a chunk of stone the size of a man’s head.

“... Yes, it seems like the same,” Amra’Cora concluded upon closer inspection.

“Yeah … it’s pretty tough stuff!”  Azalea mumbled, tapping it with the back of her spear-like leg.  “It damaged my exoskeleton,” she huffed.  “Just a little, but still!  I found you guys inside the space, all wrapped up in the stuff, and I thought the Empress might have use of you; so, I chipped ya out … took a little bit, hehe.”

“Interesting,” Tiffany mused.  “Edmon, if it can be…”

“Yes,” Edmon replied before she even got six words out.  “I could use something like that as a sealant!  If it’s hard enough to make a Thélméthra complain, then it’s bound to be a useful material we could incorporate, and it started out as a liquid?”

“Yes,” Amra’Cora replied, glancing between Azalea and Elinor.  “It was the first time I was made aware of such a thing.  None of my weapons or abilities allowed me to escape.”

“Do you know about something called the Avana?  A gigantic flying reptile?”  Tiffany pressed.

“I do not.  I have heard of large creatures such as that in the far north, but we were born after the Great Northern Occupation.  Few of the warriors that left returned; only the most powerful survived.”

Elinor’s eyes narrowed slightly.  “I was under the impression tens of thousands of Quen’Talrat entered the North, even hundreds of thousands?”

Amra’Cora nodded.  “84,007 to be exact, or at least from what the Ka told the Blood.”

How she talked about her mother made Elinor aware of the relationship they shared; Amra’Cora may have been the daughter of one of the most powerful Quen’Talrat in existence, but their society likely was entirely based on strength, not birthright, and Elinor could sense a bit of self-loathing hidden within the female warrior ape when mentioning her mom.

“The strongest went, leaving the weaker forces behind to tend to the land and prepare for their return … 769 came back.  I was among those left to help govern … and we maintained the Blood Union.  Our people flourished within the years they were away, and we grew to untold numbers, expanding south as we were directed by the Ke…”

“Thank you,” Elinor interjected.  “I’ll enjoy the recount later, but for now, we must identify the creatures you fought.  Did you ever see them?”

Amra’Cora shook her head with a depressed sigh.  “We did not, but there were reports of others encountering them.  They are both solid and ethereal, an ability similar to the white Ri’bot that the Black King eradicated, but these creatures could do much more, changing their shape and attacking as dark energy.”

“They burrowed, though,” Edmon pushed, “meaning they cannot pass through solid objects, or at least not for a certain distance.”

“Correct.”  The giant gray-furred ape scratched her muscular chest with irritation.  “Fire repelled them, but there was a special fog they’d use within the tunnels that would force our flames to dim.  Our imbued weapons could counter many of their dark magic, but that substance was something new, something we were not prepared for.”

Edmon’s interest piqued.  “You understand how the stones around the city function?”

“Yes, to a degree,” Amra’Cora stated, sounding a bit confused about why he wouldn’t.  “The technology and resources were mined from the Amaranthine Forest; To’Reha’Je, King of the Blood Throne, was left behind after their return to oversee the gathering.  It revolutionized our entire civilization … allowing for the construction of our fortresses.”

“Excellent!  You’ll be able to give me a rundown of everything you know, then,” Edmon replied in almost an uncharacteristic cheer.

“Great, you’ve found new toys to play with,” Tiffany giggled.  “So, in short, we do have an enemy below us … and they can burrow.  It seems like we have a fairly deadly neighbor to contend with … the question is, should we be friends or enemies?”

“That depends on their response,” Edmon returned.  “The issue is communication.  We need to find one that is dead, or kill one ourselves.”

Having heard enough, Elinor set the issue to rest.  “We’ll wait for Klaus to return with news from the south … we need to pick our battles.  In the meantime, Iris, we need someone watching that pit.”

Iris’s eyes slid to Adoncia, her maid, which caused a lump to drop down the girl’s neck, and Elinor couldn’t be sure if she’d actually choose her for the task just to rid herself of the maid, but in the end, her intimidating red irises slid to her youngest daughter.

“Violet, scout the area and set up surveillance webs to find any threats, including the caves.  If these creatures are moving below our feet or within the jungle, find them.”

Violet swiftly left to complete the order, her own beloved personal maid, Valerie, helping her with the elevator since her human form was on cooldown.  Elinor could tell Adoncia was a bit jealous of the different treatment the other maids received but kept her peace, glad she didn’t have to take on the dangerous job.

Elinor started to retract her oversight within her Nexus; it was so much more fun to guess her minions' current temperaments as they interacted with one another, but she still chose to cheat every once in a while.

“Alright,” she hummed, turning to stare down at the valley; Klaus was still a few hours away, and it seemed as if he was taking the boat.  However, Quin and Rigrach were now running through the streets, indicating the bird had reached an acceptable level to speak.  “Amra’Cora, you’ll leave to spend time with Edmon.  Your squad will also help with the city’s repairs; I’m sure he could use your brute strength.”

“As you command,” she replied, and Elinor was still a little shocked at the feminine flare to her tone.

Everyone left her except Iris and her maids; she learned later that Valerie had joined Violet in the jungle, acting as a messenger in case news needed to be sent.  Some of the maids, Emelina, for instance, had no issues getting dirty, but others still held a bit of a detest for the muddy jungle outside the fortress, Valerie was included in that group, but she soldiered through.

When Rigrach and Quin finally came into her Nexus’s distance, she heard her mount speak for the first time, and her opinion instantly changed.  “We are back, and the task is complete, Empress!”  The female voice reported.

Quin?  I … thought you were a male.

“I am whatever my Empress needs me to be,” she replied in a cheerful tone.  She suddenly slowed, Rigrach swiftly outpacing her.  “... You have raised more of my people?”

Yes, she goes by the name of Amra’Cora.

“... Daughter of Ka’Roga’Amra?”

That’s right.  Is that a problem?

“No … no, Empress.  She is a strong Elite Hunter … unlike I.”

Hmm … well, you have other talents.

“... Yes, I do.  Thank you, Empress,” she mumbled, going silent.

Elinor was half-tempted to invade her privacy, but in the end, decided to let it stand.  If more attention was needed, then it could be handled later.

Rigrach, you can speak?

The utter personification of a manly voice responded.  “I would not dream of staying silent after my Empress addresses me!”

Right … okay, Rigrach, can you tell me why your fellow Jukal are here … in my valley?

“To follow the Supreme Molifoph’s commands, my Empress!  His lovely voice has guided us beyond words to speak.”

What does he command?

“Our tiny brains cannot hope to understand the almighty Molifoph; such the same as I cannot comprehend your magnificence!”

Tiffany’s tittering laughter fed to her through a private connection.  “Haha!  He’s adorable!”

You mean, an idiot…

“Can’t they be one and the same sometimes?”  Tiffany pleaded with a lingering giggle.  “Oh, I love him already!”

Elinor returned to the bird with exasperation.  I see … where is the Supreme Molifoph?

“On the great peak; in the grandest cave; with the most exquisite beauties; he sits on high, directing the young with his everlasting wisdom!”

… He’s on a very big mountain, got it … how far north?

“To look north is to see the glorious nest of him who hath grasped the sky, torn it asunder, and crafted an egg!”

Tiffany came to her rescue.  “Oh, lovely!  He’s just up the mountain from us, then?”

“Indeed, my most exquisite beauty of the puzzling words!”

Why would he call you that?  Why?  Elinor asked in utter dismay.  What’s with that way of speaking?

Iris’s voice entered her mind.  “Azalea has reported hearing similar conversations filling the streets.”

Tiffany forced a chuckle.  “Oof … actually, having thousands of squawking birds that you can suddenly understand … yeah, kind of annoying.  I can see it.”

The thought of terminating Rigrach’s life actually crossed her mind for half a second, but in the end, she relented.  … We need to understand them, and if I can get a bunch of them … do you think Unintelligent Undead can store information?

“Oh, good question!”  Tiffany praised.  “If you could gain that ability, then they can fly over the land, recording information for us to process.  Although, I’d suggest getting a Communications Intelligent Undead to process it all.”

Hmm … that’s a really good idea.

Connecting to the bird again, Elinor asked, how big is the Supreme Molifoph, and is he as big as … like a mountain?

“Oh, negative, my Empress!  The glowing gem of the starlit north is the burning shadow of unending fire, toppling mountains in her unyielding streams of smoldering air!  The Supreme Molifoph is the grand Jukal, the leader, the supreme!  It is his ultimate glory that receives the messages of the divine light of the sky!”

Well … okay, then.  Not a giant dragon.  I suppose we have a reason to go up the mountain now.

“It seems so,” Tiffany mused.

Elinor sighed, telling Rigrach to listen to his people and gain an idea of what the current topic was while waiting for Klaus.

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