PoV :
1. Empress Elinor (Let’s Expand!)
Recap: Three days have passed since the events of the last book, and Elinor has been pondering on the directions her Empire could take. Now, she needs to make an important decision on what perk she needs to upgrade at this early point in her growing Empire. What will she decide?
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Finishing her meal with Luisina and Theresa, Elinor had the overly-caring Maid clean up to keep her mind away from any other issues she saw as her own to tackle.
Moving her vision to the considerable distance to their north, she saw the expanding blizzard and signs of various aviary creatures, swiftly flying south from the jungle between the city and mountains.
Edmon had been preparing the group and the survey team was focused on being lightweight, but needed tools to navigate the area; it wasn’t a happy thought to many of the Quen’Talrat specialists, which put things into perspective for Elinor.
As harsh as it may sound, she only had access to 3rd and 4th-rate figures in the former Empire, and most of its soldiers that were stationed to oversee workflow had been redirected during the major conflict that had swept the valley in the eight allied nations’ assault.
Moris’Luar had a member involved in scouting out a passageway into the mountain, allowing more simple access through its complex networks; a lot could change in a hundred and fifty years from his initial expedition, though.
It was common knowledge amongst the gorilla creatures that the Ke was very secretive and selective at who would obtain which task, and oversaw almost every project to some degree. The combination of merit and need-to-know tasks fashioned a deadly and productive Empire yet without all of those moving parts, Elinor was handicapped on many fronts.
One such issue was that every Quen’Talrat could tell her there were dozens of hidden passages to navigate the inner workings of the mountain, yet none of them could tell her where.
The Ke, Kings, and Queens were as selective about the construction crews as much as their plumbers or defense grid operators. Miners, the ones she’d been lucky enough to find in mass, were at the bottom of the list.
Yes, the occasional elderly worker could be brought back in their youth to help, but with how the Quen’Talrat Empire had rapidly risen, none of them would have expert knowledge of advanced systems since it would be more efficient for the Ke to train the youth.
So, Azalea, and her little group were left to linger in the city while all of the Quen’Talrat puzzled out who had the best knowledge to support the desired outcome—most trying to weasel their way out of it by throwing the others under the bus.
It was an odd change of pace to how her Undead army usually responded; they were happy to help the Empire, but if they could avoid it, they’d rather not go into a deadly situation.
The more she thought about the veiled mountain and what they’d already had to deal with, Elinor couldn’t help but feel there was a storm on the horizon. It forced her mind to return to the few options she had, but each would severely limit her short-term options.
Taking a long breath, she turned away from the mountains to go below; Luisina was still gathering the few pieces of ceramic utensils they’d recently started to craft using the Ri’bot’s rudimentary skills onto a cart specifically fashioned to bring her food up from the palace’s extensive trip between its basement kitchen and the Tower’s top floor.
Theresa noticed her actions and called over the Thélméthra throne for her to sit, but Elinor raised a dismissive hand. “No need; I need to work on my stamina … I don’t know if it’s possible to exercise this body, but it is worth a try.”
“As you wish,” the Maid replied, ordering it to follow behind them in case she wanted it later, which was a smart move, considering something could come up that required her speedy attendance.
Luisina, once you finish, join us in the Life Room … I have some things to consider.
“Of course, Empress … Thank you for always being so considerate of me.”
The comment held mixed feelings for the woman, but Elinor knew her heart; on one hand, it touched Luisina that they’d be so concerned for her health and didn’t want to trample on that, yet that was contrasted by her desire to help others, which Elinor restricted her on.
Hmm … If you’d like, go meet with Tiffany and receive an update on how her experiments with those flowers are progressing once you finish cleaning the dishes.
Her low spirits improved on the drop of a dime. “Are … you sure, Empress? Can’t you gain a much faster report by…”
Luisina…
“Yes?”
Just go, Elinor sighed. She caught sight of her while passing one of the large pillars; the woman was clutching her hands against her breast in hopeful suspense. Ask all the questions you want of her, and bring me back a ‘full’ report; just make sure you’re not bothering Tiffany’s normal work … besides, she loves to talk.
“Heh, I suppose you’re right; thank you, Empress!” Luisina curtsied from over seventy-five meters away before hurrying to load the cart to get answers from the Witch as quickly as possible.
Theresa’s small smile creased her blue irises. “That was nice, Empress,” she whispered, moving to activate the crystal that opened the large door.
Elinor’s own expression lifted. “Knowing all of the details should help her set some expectations and goals … By the way, how are things with your husband and kids?”
Proceeding through the door and into the hallway, she noticed Theresa’s gaze move to the strong visual images of Ke’Thra’Ma that were crafted into the walls with glowing gemstones. “Life is returning to some form of normality, Empress, and it is all thanks to the protection you’ve provided.”
It helped Elinor, knowing she was making a difference in their lives; with how much she’d lost, seeing the aid she was bringing to those under her rule gave her something to hold as an accomplishment.
Hands held behind her back, she examined the perfectly preserved furniture in the hallway and trophies leading into the Ke’s room; displays of unusual prizes were on show and only for the Warlord’s eyes once this high in the Tower. It was as if he wanted to be reminded of the victories and possibly even the losses of his past; there was a lot she could learn from reflecting on the tyrant’s methods.
“Tell me about the children; how are they adapting?”
Theresa lifted a hand to her lips, eyes closing. “He-he-he, well, they certainly do enjoy the stories I tell them; many of the women have come together to have a nightly play of sorts. It gives them something to look forward to and dream about when going to sleep.”
“Smart … I’m sure it would be fun,” she whispered, vision drifting to the polished floor; the elevator was only thirty meters ahead of them. “I’m guessing the women work on the plot during their work hours?”
“They do,” she confirmed. “It helps to pass the time and as it’s continued, more women and men are joining the effort. I have heard talk about the Ri’bot catching wind of the activity, which might prompt it to spread.”
“Hmm…” Elinor did a quick check on the expedition party and was a little exasperated to find the Quen’Talrat still going over details on what personnel and equipment would best be needed. However, her attention was soon pulled back when Theresa added a pleasant point.
“A prime attraction as of late has been Camellia’s addition to the storytelling; she’s been explaining the various creatures and how they live … Heh, she gets quite the cute reaction when the children pelt her with questions, and she can’t answer them. In fact, the kids are very invested in watching her daily recovery; they are even growing less frightened of her Spider Form.”
Peering through the Nexus, she felt a little better upon examining the eldest Spider Sister; Camellia was less focused on her broken body and more about pondering the random questions the kids asked her, providing an introspective view she’d never had.
“I’m thrilled to hear that, actually,” Elinor said, standing at the platform’s center as the Maid operated the gem to take them to the ground level. “Camellia does seem to be healing … and not just physically. So, she’s becoming a celebrity?”
Making the appropriate motions on the crystal’s surface, Theresa returned to Elinor’s side. “She is, yet no one can beat Sari’aél; she has spent the last four days learning about every individual, personally taking time with them while at work or within the palace. Everyone idolizes her, and morale couldn’t be better when she’s nearby.”
“I have no doubt…”
The Seraph was currently engaged in observing Edmon’s project; since the Quen’Talrat were working on the Fortress’s technical side and learning about it, Edmon took the opportunity to evaluate the construction and structural integrity of their new home. Now that they were gaining the expertise to operate it, they didn’t need the place collapsing around them from neglecting its basic maintenance requirements.
Sari’aél was strong enough to even give Edmon a run for his money while she was suppressed from the Divinity Release restrictions. Several areas required attention nearby, and learning how to operate the equipment was becoming a necessity.
Pepe Fontanez, her Treasurer, and Federico Fallas, her Curator, were involved in Edmon’s other project of separating the unusual artifacts into practical or decorative, which was moving slowly since they had to reference all the written manuscripts and records Ke’Thra’Ma kept and reorganize it into their own system.
“Plays…” Elinor whispered. “We do need a few solid forms of entertainment, and small-scale things like that can work for the short-term, but we do need a more diverse supply. We have theaters grander than anything on Earth.
“Hmm … There’s also a colossal coliseum where I could put on shows of Unintelligent Undead fighting each other for sport. Wrestling or some form of narrative-driven conflict could be fun, as well…”
Reaching ground-level, Elinor followed the galaxy-like hallway to the glorious vision ahead of her that was basically the Ke’s representation of ascension.
Theresa had never been beyond this point, causing her to take in the awe-striking visuals. “I’m positive that many activities will take root once we better establish the Empire. Sports teams, board games, music, and perhaps even hunting. I knew of a few men that enjoyed the activity; my husband has always been drawn toward fishing.”
Elinor chuckled, remembering the fish farm that Iris had fashioned below the city, which was helping to mitigate much of their meat needs; it was meant to supplement a certain percentage of her workforce, after all.
“I’m sure we can work many of those in … We’ve worked hard to get where we are; Lucky will meet with the group leaders to organize days off and shifts when things become available.”
Her mind shifted to Violet, still observing the Maw; Angélica, the former Colombian military sharpshooter, had taken a liking to the activity. She had chosen to attend to the Thélméthra, allowing her to travel freely through the jungle, and took up a more permanent role as Violet’s messenger.
While enjoying Violet’s creative side, Valerie Meyer was more suited for less laborious tasks as a Songweaver and helped to provide relief to various job efforts when available with her violin.
“I … know Violet has spent a lot of time over the past … has it really only been nineteen days since we’ve come to this planet?” she asked in slight disbelief.
Theresa blinked, doing the mental math in her own head from what she’d heard of the time between her death and resurrection. “Hmm … Given the thirty-hour days, it certainly feels much longer, but judging by sunrise and fall … Nineteen days.”
“Incredible,” Elinor shook her head with an extended discharge of air. “We’ve been working non-stop, so it’s hard to conceptualize how much we’ve been able to accomplish … I suppose when you don’t need sleep or rest, it opens up a lot of time.”
Refocusing her mind, Elinor centered on her previous question. “Over the past nineteen days, Violet has been creating at least one pair of undergarments and clothes for as many of the humans as possible, as I understand it, but how close are we to relieving her of that duty?”
“Mmh,” Theresa nodded, brushing back her bangs. “Splitting Violet’s attention isn’t good, I’m sure. So far, she has custom-tailored undergarments for all of the girls between the ages of eight to forty-five; the older generation insisted she start with the youth.”
Bringing her hands to rest in her lap after managing her black locks, Theresa’s focus returned to the gigantic double doors they were nearing. “As to the tailoring effort, strides are being made, but we are still in the beginning phrase.”
“Understandable,” Elinor sighed, weighing all the options flowing through her mind. “There’s so much to do.”
Silence ensued as they stopped in front of the closed, thick stone door; it opened toward them, and the only grip was a pair of halo-like rings part way up the massive barrier. Elinor felt a little bad as the woman’s lips tightened slightly.
I should have brought a Quen’Talrat to open it…
Smoothly stepping out of her heels, Theresa hiked up her dress and jumped; grabbing hold of the ring, she positioned herself to use the opposite door as leverage to force it open. Once it was a crack, she returned to the ground, pressing down on her billowing fabric.
Still, not one complaint passed through her link to the woman; her only concern was if she’d be able to accomplish it or be forced to call for help. In fact, she was rather pleased with the feat of strength she’d achieved and would likely brag to her kids and husband.
Using the crack, she pushed it open with her back as support against the stone.
“That’s enough, Theresa,” Elinor said with a soft smile.
Her strained expression eased as she returned to her side; the woman didn’t even sneak a peek inside, unsure if she was allowed. Finding her efforts endearing, Elinor proceeded inside.
“You may join if you wish.”
Curtsying as a response, Theresa followed, trying not to expect anything, but Elinor could still sense the wonder upon entering the bright, celestial room.
“Amazing, isn’t it?” Elinor asked, walking to the right side of the room to where her targets had been moved.
Theresa giggled. “It does have that magical … No, that’s not the right word … It has an ecclesiastical emotion to it that makes me want to whisper in reverence. Was it constructed by you, Empress?”
Elinor turned to give her a dubious look. “Absolutely not,” she said with a hint of humor. “Ke’Thra’Ma likely spent decades constructing it … Not even taking into account the materials he had to gather. However, that there … that is the reason why we are here,” she mumbled in satisfaction.
The Maid followed her gesture to three figures; one was her Head of State, the other Ke’Thra’Ma’s massive bones, and the third was the Supreme Molifoph of the Jukal.
“Are you going to raise them?” the Maid asked, vision lingering on the human. “Is this the Head of State I’ve heard the other’s whisper about?”
A long puff of air passed by Elinor’s cheeks as she hissed. “Unfortunately, these candidates aren’t so easy; each of them is of a significant enough Grade that I need to make a decision on who to bring back.”
“I see,” she hummed, her vision sliding between each. “I am here if you need me, Empress.”
With a curtsy, she backed away to leave Elinor with her thoughts.
Green irises settling on Ke’Thra’Ma, Elinor grimaced; the memories of meeting with the overbearing Warlord resonated in her mind. He was powerful and beyond impressive, in physical and mental capacities, yet there was still the question of returning him as an Unintelligent Undead.
I respect him … Ke’Thra’Ma helped me put things into focus and understand I can’t just be a battering ram … I could, and there’s the possibility I succeed, but it’s not the kind of path I want to force my people down.
Marching out in mass to meet hordes of enemies in battle might sound fun for a fantasy novel … It’s far from efficient and burns all bridges, though, and given this continent’s history with the Quen’Talrat, they’d be much quicker to draw arms.
There are so many positive things I could use the Ke’s body for that … it’s stupid not to peruse … And yet I find myself hesitating. Is it his willpower that impressed me … The ability to look at life in the face and say he’d never bow if it meant to serve? Maybe so.
I could use him as a symbol of power and strike terror in anything that reared its head; perhaps one day I will be forced to go down that path, but for now … I’ll honor him by allowing the Ke to rest in the most sacred place he’d spent much of his life crafting.
Her vision drifted to the Supreme Molifoph’s corpse, still wrapped in Iris’s threads; it would require one of her daughters to unbind. She had no clue how he looked, but considering she could raise him to a Mythic-Grade was shocking, and it was actually within the Lower Court as a Communications Assistant Director.
He was more of a manipulation-type when it came to combat traits, falling into the Songweaver territory, which wasn’t much of an upset.
If I raised him, I could start my Air Force, which would broaden my scope by a considerable degree, but should I even be thinking about that at my current stage? I haven’t even expanded into my own valley or explored its depths.
It could allow me to play a game of telephone to even the Nalvean Empire through the Nexus, though, and that’s worth considering in its own right, but the cost is so great … 3,205 Death Energy for just the initial cost, adding 256 Death Energy to my daily.
I still need to raise more humans, Nalveans, Ri’bot, and Yaltha’ma, as I promised during the general conference, as well…
The thought pulled her gaze to the Head of State, causing her gut to churn just thinking about the cost.
6,405 Death Energy could go toward so many other areas, and I do need more Maids to ease their load and provide more comfort to their families. More Maids and Butlers would increase their productivity by a substantial margin.
And yet … It would also cause more stress on Emelina and James, which is their job… How many Maids should be under a single Head Maid … No answer…
“Hmm…”
Checking on the Quen’Talrat expedition, she discovered they’d solidified five members, which included Moris’Luar. They were being kicked into gear by Azalea upon learning about their sluggish response; the spider girl was itching to see more action, and exploring a new area she hadn’t been to yet had whet her appetite.
Ramuk was almost back to the fortress upon receiving Edmon’s summons to join the crew, and the two Nalvean girls were chomping at the bit to prove themselves. They seemed to have been roped into helping Tiffany with some of her rituals, which wasn’t meshing well with their nerves—the Witch and her Maid scared them.
To her surprise, Vergil, the leader of her newly established Argent Dawn company, had taken Edmon’s orders like a call to arms, and from the chatter passing through her Nexus, he was currently with Pepe, her treasurer, receiving Nalvean currency to begin their travel.
Many of the humans were finishing their own breakfast and hearing about their new orders; she’d have to see how they felt about it after seeing their departure.
Edmon.
“Yes, Empress?”
As an afterthought, what do you think about Vergil making a big show out of leaving? They can show off the armor and weapons Violet fashioned for them; it could be a big morning event.
The Doom Guard didn’t sound too sold on the idea. “It is still early, Empress. It won’t be as big as you think, given how many people will be able to attend on such short notice.”
That’s fine; whoever can make it will have a story to tell their friends, and it will cause the news to spread quickly.
“I can see that … I’ll set it in motion.”
Also … I can see the need for a Head of State, Edmon … I can, but at our current level, I think it might be more beneficial to raise the Molifoph. A rapid communication network between here and the Nalvean Empire with possibly aviary spies … It would cut down on my Death Energy cost and provide so much more utility.
“Hmm … I see no issue with that logic.”
Not receiving any counter, Elinor was a little caught off-guard; Tiffany had been the one to espouse the communication angle. Then again, the Witch also liked to play with Edmon’s feelings about the handsome man’s looks.
When do you think I should raise the Head of State?
“It is a good question, and I think it primarily corresponds with your available Death Pool. He will make things much easier for us, but Sari’aél is phenomenal at multitasking. Lucky can’t get enough of her support and presence, and since she’ll be staying inside of the city to be close to you, his presence would be somewhat redundant at the moment.”
Elinor hadn’t considered that angle, mainly because trying to listen to the Seraph’s internal thoughts was just as bad as trying to read the Thélméthra girls—a jumbled mess she couldn’t understand. So, she mainly focused on their emotions over keying into their thoughts.
I see … That settles it, then.
She was a little afraid he’d turn out like Rigrach, though; Elinor still couldn’t deal with the theatrical way he spoke.
We just have to hope he’s more grounded than his cousins.
“Good luck with that,” Edmon chuckled, returning to his work drawing up measurements and comparing them to the original blueprints he’d found in one of the area libraries.
Azalea.
“Mmh? Yes, Empress?” the energetic girl asked. “I’m getting these furry lumps of meat to hurry; we’ll be gone in a bit!”
Before you go, can you come and remove these threads your mother wove?
“Oh, of course! You’re … in the Life Room? Be there in one minute!”
Elinor waited for the girl to close the distance, and she couldn’t even see her enter the room before the human-disguised blue-haired girl popped out of her shadow.
Theresa’s eyes snapped to her upon revealing herself, spinning forward to look at Elinor. “Oh … Yikes!”
“Hmm?” Elinor asked, focus moving from her to the bound corpse.
“Eeh,” she grimaced, flipping back around to study the webbing. “My mom was … I’ve never seen her weave thread like this, Empress … I … uh…”
Not seeing anything out of the ordinary, Elinor closed the distance to look down at the cocoon. “Something wrong?”
“Umm … It’s just really, really tight … If I didn’t know any better, I’d say she was super frustrated, but only Violet and Camellia get flustered like that … I mean, are you sure this wasn’t Violet?”
Elinor shook her head, remembering how furious Iris had been that the insects impersonated their kind and that her prey was denied her. “No … It was a stressful time.”
“I see … Hmm … Ugh.” Azalea put her fingers on the thread, brow furrowing while shifting positions. “It’s like … a maze, trying to find the proper place to start; like she was facing another Queen, and … Mmh…”
“Wait…” It soon struck her what the girl was trying to say. “You can’t remove it … She made it Thélméthra proof?”
“I just … It’s what she taught us to do when facing each other, and … This is so much more complicated than anything she showed us.”
Azalea sucked in a sharp breath of air, turning with a shrug. “Yeah, I’m sorry, Empress, but I don’t know if even Violet could deconstruct this … It gives me a headache just trying!”
“I see.” Elinor pulled in her lips. “I suppose I’ll have to see if I can burn it away.”
The spider vanished, reappearing beside her in an instant to look at the cocoon. “I wish I could help, Empress.”
“It can’t be helped,” she sighed.
Iris must still have been in her mental state of fighting two World Queens.
Her arms lit with emerald flames, causing Theresa to lift her head to follow the eight butterflies that fluttered out to land on the plump bird. Luckily, her fire could consume the thread, given that Iris was connected to her seed.
An interested hum left Azalea’s throat as the big, roly-poly bird was consumed, and what replaced him was a slim, eagle-like bird with silver feathers on top and black underneath; crimson trim glistened at the tips, creating a pattern.
Its powerful beak and foot-long talons were an image of its dominance in the skies, and small, brush-like feathers would trail behind its tail when flying. It seemed as if the creature had gone through a strange transformation upon coming south if this was him in his prime.
He was huge, rising into a standing position that put him over fourteen feet tall as he centered keen, illuminated sky blue eyes on her. “My empress,” he tweaked, voice smooth as water, “I hear thy call, and I obey. What can this humble servant do for your majesty?” he bowed his head in humble subservience.
Azalea appraised him with a slight grin. “He could be tasty.”
Grin lifting her own lips, Elinor couldn’t take her eyes off the magnificent specimen. Much better.
“Your name?”
Beak rising, he adjusted his posture to better observe her below. “In life, I was given the title of Supreme Molifoph by the Northern King of Kings; we sang to him in his slumber, providing nutrients for him to feast upon to not blot out the heavens in his fiery wrath. However, we do not have names but use our voices to identify each unique member of our family.”
Studying the noble figure, Elinor’s vision continued to note every detail of the aviary predator. “In that case … I will give you the name Voukey.”
He bowed again. “I am honored, my Empress, and will wear it as a badge of pride.”
Mythic-Grade, Songweaver, and close to the higher-echelon of her Lower Court, Voukey would allow her to take control of various aviary creatures to gather under him as his new flock, and even if his original family had flown far to the north, he could start again here.
She had the linchpin of her airforce, and it was looking better by the second.
The news of the Argent Dawn’s departure was making its way through the halls, and it seemed as if they were preparing in the Main Hall; Elinor decided to see them off with her new addition to the Empire.
“It’s good to let the people know more protectors have joined the cause. Let’s introduce you, Voukey.”
Azalea opened the door large enough for them to exit before closing it behind them, and Elinor took her throne, which Theresa was thoughtful enough to bring.
Maps:
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