TtOW! - Chapter 54: Friends of the Empire (Patreon)

Back in the Legion keep, Ateia and Taog just returned, stumbling into one of the barracks. Miallói stood there, making sure the wounded Selkies were settled and as comfortable as they could be. She turned and nodded to acknowledge the pair, then raised an eyebrow.

“Friend?”

Ateia frowned and looked down at the ground.

“She’s leaving…”

Miallói froze, her eyes widening slightly.

She closed them and heaved a sigh.

And there went the last bit of hope.

Not that there was much to begin with. She knew it would be a tough ask from the start, convincing this unknown, unaffiliated benefactor to go to war on their behalf. And even if they had, one powerful benefactor was unlikely to overturn the situation entirely. But it had been the last unknown quantity, the last hope that the equation might change.

And now that hope was gone. The situation was as it appeared. They would have to face the full might of the Dobhar with some Imperial militias and a handful of Selkie warriors, whatever her people might spare on a hopeless fight.

They would lose, for sure now.

“You two, staying?”

Ateia and Taog slowly nodded.

“We’re Exploratores…we won’t leave while our people are in danger.”

Miallói nodded at that.

“Come, then. Let’s fight and die for our home, together.”

***

The next day, Miallói let the pair into the war room of the keep. Dux Canus, Magister Tiberius, and Governor Aemelia were there, along with the legates of all the limitanei legions and what Exploratores remained. They were standing around a table with a map of Castra Turannia spread on top of it.

Dux Canus turned his head. He nodded at Miallói, and then leaned in towards Magister Tiberius. Magister Tiberius just heaved a sigh and whispered to him.

“Dungeon Conqueror, with a core in hand. No, I have no idea how. Miallói stopped by and agreed for Aesdes knows why.”

Dux Canus raised an eyebrow.

“Well, the last part is obvious. She’s desperate.”

Magister Tiberius heaved another sigh.

“As are we.”

Governor Aemilia looked at Miallói and nodded.

“Good, everyone is here then?”

Magister Tiberius shook his head.

“We’re still waiting on the Selkies. They should be sending us a warband or two.”

And then…everyone in the room heard a sound.

A horn was blowing in the distance.

Legate Opiter jumped and trembled.

“I-Is that…”

But Dux Canus just placed a hand on the legate’s shoulder and smiled.

“Steady man. That is no Dobhar horn.”

Everyone made their way to the windows.

And froze at the sight below.

Everyone’s eyes widened, even Dux Canus’s.

Especially Miallói’s.

Down below them, in the streets below the city, a column of warriors marched towards the keep.

They wore armor of bone and leather, with the occasional addition of Empire-forged metal.

They wore furs and cloaks made of the hides of marine mammals over their armor.

They carried barbed spears made of bone and solid bows, again with the occasional addition of Imperial blades.

They had slightly pointed ears, webbed hands, and beautiful faces that attracted all who saw them.

The Selkies had arrived.

The Selkies were a client people of the Empire, and required to provide troops according to the treaties they had signed. But these troops were provided in the form of auxiliaries that were integrated into the Legion. The Selkies had already made their contribution for the year, and the Legion had already sent those recruits elsewhere, to reinforce other parts of the Empire with greater need and value.

It was assumed that the Selkies would contribute to the defense of their home province, with good reason. But there was no official obligation for them to do so, so it was up to the Selkies how much they wished to send for any given situation. Normally they would send a warband or two at most, a group of young warriors who needed experience in large-scale combat and a handful of veterans to advise the Legion on local conditions. Anything more required negotiation and likely concessions.

In this situation, when the full might of the Dobhar was on the way and the Empire had effectively abandoned the province (and their allies within) to its fate?

Magister Tiberius had expected the Selkies would send a token contribution, just for the record, and then preserve the greater part of their strength to defend themselves.

So he had expected they would send a hunting party or two, maybe a warband of a hundred warriors or so at most.

But that is not what they sent.

Five thousand Selkies had arrived, armed to the teeth with all the most powerful weapons and armor their race had available. The most experienced and deadly warriors from every tribe in Turannia. The elites who braved monsters and tribes in Turannia and the North Seas all their lives…and hunted them down.

And there was an entire legion’s worth.

The Selkies were going all out. 

All to aid an overlord that had abandoned them.

Miallói trembled and rushed out of the room. The Imperial leaders glanced at once another and followed after her.

The gates to the keep opened up as Miallói arrived in the courtyard, the Selkies marched inside. An elderly Selkie man stepped forward as Miallói rushed towards them. She saluted the man and then they clasped hands. Miallói whispered to him in the Selkie language.

“How is this possible? This is…”

The Selkie man frowned and nodded.

“Come, First Hunter Miallói. We have much to discuss. With you…and with our Imperial friends.”

Just then, Governor Aemilia, Dux Canus, and Magister Tiberius arrived in the courtyard. Dux Canus and Magister Tiberius glanced at one another, and the Dux couldn’t help but smile.

“We just might have a chance after all.”

***

The group reconvened in the war room, with the addition of the elderly Selkie. Governor Aemilia put on her best smile and nodded at the man.

“I, Governor per Turannia Aemilia Hibera, greet you, Chieftain Déighen. You are most welcome here.”

The man nodded in return.

“I, Chieftain Déighen, representative of the Council of Hunters, greet you, Governor Aemilia Hibera of the Empire.”

Her smile grew.

“Thank you, Chieftain, for coming to our aid. I don’t know how we could ever repay you.”

Chieftain Déighen nodded.

“That, Governor, is what I’d like to discuss.”

Governor Aemilia’s smile dropped ever so slightly.

“I see. It sounds like you have something in mind?”

Chieftain Déighen took a deep breath and then spoke.

“We would like for the Council of Hunters and all the Selkies they represent to be declared an Amicitia Populi Elteni, and granted the right to land within the Empire.”

Governor Aemilia froze. Miallói’s eyes went as wide as they could go, and then started to quiver.

Chieftain Déighen glanced over at her. He smiled sadly and then nodded.

“This will be in acknowledgement of the contributions of the Selkies’ finest warriors, and their brave stand at Castra Turannia on behalf of the Empire.”

Governor Aemilia frowned and nodded.

“I see. May I discuss this with my council?”

Chieftain Déighen nodded.

“Of course.”

As Governor Aemilia took Dux Canus and Magister Tiberius off to the side, Miallói rushed over to the elder Selkie, whispering in their language.

“Chieftain, what are you doing?!”

Chieftain Déighen frowned and heaved a sigh.

“What I must, First Hunter.”

Miallói trembled.

“With this many of our warriors…if we fall here we will not be able to protect our people, our land!”

Chieftain Déighen shook his head.

“We already cannot, Miallói. The Empire is no longer interested in defending us here and we lack the strength to do so ourselves. We must adapt if we are to survive. We will hold the line right here and now…or we will open a new path for ourselves if we cannot.”

Miallói grit her teeth.

“So we’re abandoning our land?”

Chieftain Déighen shook his head once more.

“We are a people, not a place, First Hunter. And if they agree to this, we can remain a people, preserve our independence and our way of life. We might lose our home, but we will endure regardless.”

Miallói trembled as she looked down. The Chieftain smiled sadly and gently placed a hand on her shoulder.

“I must ask much of you, First Hunter. Fight, win if you can, and earn our people’s future in either victory or defeat. And if you cannot win, return to us with as many of our warriors as you can.”

Meanwhile, in another corner of the room, Ateia and Taog whispered to one another. Eventually, Ateia leaned over to the man silently trembling next to her, Legate Opiter.

“Hey, do you know what an Amicitia Populi Elteni is?”

Legate Opiter jumped.

“W-Who, me?!  I-I don’t know anything, ask…”

Then he looked to his side and saw Ateia. He took a deep breath and shook his head.

“Oh, yes, a friend of the Elteni people.”

“Ah, yeah, we know that. But, do you know what that actually means? Why would the Selkies ask for it?”

Legate Opiter nodded. He did what he did best and recited what he knew from Legion policy.

“It’s something of an informal alliance with the Empire, someone who doesn’t have any treaties or obligations with the Empire but who the Empire acknowledges as a friend worthy of respect. According to policy, the Legion’s supposed to treat them as honored guests, and offer any reasonable assistance they request.”

Ateia rubbed her chin.

“I see, do you know why the Selkies would want that? Aren’t they already allied with the Empire?”

Legate Opiter nodded.

“Well, they are already a client people of the Empire. But being declared an Amicitia Populi Elteni would elevate them into something more like an equal partner. If I understand correctly, for a client people like that, it would grant them official independence from the Empire while maintaining the benefits of an alliance, allowing them to retain access to Imperial resources and assistance. Especially if they need to apply for asylum. Otherwise they might be broken up and integrated as the Empire sees fit.”

Taog was listening quietly as Legate Opiter spoke. Suddenly his eyes widened.

“Ateia, I just thought of something! Come with me!”

“Huh?  Wait, Taog!”

Taog grabbed her hand and ran around the table. He rushed forward to where the Imperial leaders were speaking.

“Magister Tiberius! Exploratore Cadet Taog, with something important to ask!”

The Magister Exploratores looked up from his conversation.

“Oh, Taog Sutharlan, was it? I trust you have a good reason to interrupt right now?”

Taog nodded.

“The Amicitia Populi Elteni, can the Governor give that title to anyone? Like, to a wandering knight?”

Magister Tiberius raised an eyebrow.

“What are you talking about cadet…”

Suddenly his eyes widened.

“Wait, by wandering knight, do you mean NSLICE-00P by any chance?”

Taog’s eyes widened but he nodded.

“Yes, could we offer that title to her? She’d gain access to Imperial aid and resources without officially joining the Empire, right? Something that would help her a lot with her main mission?”

Magister Tiberius’s eyes widened. He spun around as quickly as he could, facing Governor Aemilia.

“Governor, are there any restrictions that we should be aware of regarding Amicitia Populi Elteni? Could you potentially offer this to a second person as well, a wandering foreign knight specifically?”

Governor Aemilia tilted her head.

“Well, I can’t just offer it to anyone and there will be big questions if I do it two times at once but yes, hypothetically I have full authority to do so at my discretion. It might be overturned later if it’s deemed to be undeserved, however, so they would need to have done something worth the title. Especially if it’s coming from me.”

Magister Tiberius practically grabbed the Governor and Dux Canus and dragged them to a nearby room.

About half an hour later, they exited the room. Dux Canus’s eyes were as wide as they could go, the first time in a century the man had displayed shock in front of his troops. Governor Aemilia was trembling and muttering to herself with a grin on her face. Magister Tiberius marched straight up to Taog, and motioned to Ateia.

He handed Taog a scroll.

“Exploratore Cadet Taog Sutharlan, Exploratore Cadet Ateia Niraemia, I charge you with a mission of the highest urgency. Take this offer to the wandering knight known as NSLICE-00P, and convince her to aid our cause.”

At that moment, Miallói took a step forward, her arms crossed. Magister Tiberius turned to face her.

“I’m sorry for overstepping my bounds with your cadets, Miallói, but we really need them to do this.”

She ignored him and turned to Ateia and Taog.

“Friend?”

The pair nodded at her. Miallói nodded back.

“Good. Go quickly. Let the ocean speed your way.”

Ateia and Taog nodded. They saluted her and Magister Tiberius, and then they ran out of the room as fast as they could.

They prayed that they could catch up to their wandering friend in time.

And so the Imperials in Turannia regained just a bit of hope.

Author’s Note:

Magister Tiberius: He’s talking about an official, Aesdes-appointed hero who solo-ed a corrupted dungeon.

Dux Canus: Get her. Whatever it takes.

Governor Aemilia: DIBS. Where do I sign?

Miallói: What are they…ooooooohhhhhh yeah, go!

Chieftain Déighen: Um, what’s going on right now?

Legate Opiter: WHYYYYYYY?!!!

Well, we'll see if NSLICE-00P considers that enough to get involved in a third party conflict. Tiberius and Canus are just thanking the Aesdes they have a good excuse to get Ateia the heck away from there.

Anyways!

Can the Empire hold the line with full might of the Selkies at their side? Can Ateia and Taog find NSLICE-00P in time? Can they convince her to get involved in a war like this? Tune in next time, to find out!