[Contested Mortal Realm!]

[Minor Connection— Nil]

[Greater Connection— Nil]

[Ire-Reais 616 Friction— 42%]

I'm worried about that. I've been worried since it stopped counting how many ripples have occurred, now it's just damage. King's liberty with [Planar Rift] isn't the only thing causing the damage—it can't be and it wouldn't make any sense that it would.

I don't say a thing.

In my solitude, the dunes of mist and sand I've constructed billow into shrouds. Shrouds of people, of Dragons, and of a person long forgotten.

"Come splash with me," it lets out in a low growl, a haunting sound coming from the pink gust of Essence twirling into a shroud of my drowned daughter.

Her eyes are a hollow, swirling pit of Essence, as is her toothless smile. She reaches to pick my hand and another shroud forms from me. Poured into reality, the new shroud hefts her up, twirls around, and plants her on its leg, inciting a precious giggle.

"What do you fight for?" the two echo in eerie unison as their maelstrom eyes expand at me. Their eyes bulge, growing and mixing the two shrouds of Essence into a single, rising whole—until it drops, washing over me like the Mage-cast tsunami that took her.

Death is surplus here. Blood Orange scorn, my soul Crystal is a phantom zone of thousands more years than I've even forgotten. King's memories sit here too—the undeniable truth of both our existence is here, and I've seen mine, as King has seen hers.

I think I've seen enough of hers to know I'd gain nothing from speaking to her—there's no amount of tricks either, she's far too devious to fall for anything I come up with in here. Every word I utter would sound like a beggar's cry for food, clothing, and shelter, and she would walk right by.

That's the kind of King she is. Her obsession with her right to rule is… inexcusable, no matter the circumstances. A thousand years and more have passed since the events driving her. Since before I met her, she's been down this path of domination, and now I've gotten roped into it—or maybe not, especially if I never get out of here.

Escape is a thought that still crosses my mind even after two months locked in my [Soul Crystal]. King would still be trapped if I didn't go ahead and listen to the disembodied voice telling me what to do and who's lying.

I cut myself some slack after seeing some of King's oldest memories. There's no way to escape this, not actively at least. King will see through any attempt at deception, she's been in this position—I've glimpse at her memories toiling away in solitude.

She's gone mad and sane in them. Whatever she is now, she'll never let me loose if it means she comes back here. The only way out is through. I'll have to wait for an opportunity to present itself, otherwise, without King allowing me to, I've got absolutely no control of anything beyond the [Soul Crystal].

A voice, loud and without a haunting growl, alerts me to King's surroundings. Whatever she schemes next I can't miss out on. I let my disembodied soul forge with the rest of the Essence in the [Soul Crystal], and it's moments before I'm privy to the scent of daisies in bloom, King's gown and choker constricting movement, and even the faint, rising heartbeats of Valery and Lumina as King walks into a palace room.

There are a number of reasons Valery's heart would beat faster in King's presence. Though, to be fair, the majority has something to do with her paranoia and negative bias toward Demons. And with Lumina, there couldn't be anything other than a desperate desire for King's approval.

While I've been away, King's made short work handling the two Elves. Valery's let her guard down. So far she's allowed Lumina to fraternize with King, and Lumina's still the Princess-heir she's always been, unchanged but scarred and hapless to King's whispers of brilliance.

Valery and Lumina aren't the only ones with heartbeats up in rhythm though. An Arch-Priest of Vuius and a luxuriously dressed, later-aged Elf I've seen and heard speaking to both sisters stand present.

All eyes set on King as she catwalks into an overly exuberant bow. "Lumina, Queen, I was asked after?"

The older Elf gives a wry, forgiving smile as she corrects, "Summoned. You were summoned."

King fixes her darkened eyes on the Elf, but she doesn't let up the challenge, even as I sense King pulling on Essence to peer into her mind with [Mesmer]. Unfortunately, I won't learn any of what King learns should she be successful—I have to learn from what I see and hear.

The Arch-Priest clears his throat and shifts in his robes and hood. He manages to look down at a towering King and say, "You have committed a number of atrocities in an effort to… aid our war. The incident at Dersen is a particularly tragic one we, the Apostles of Vuius, are praying ceaselessly for forgiveness regarding."

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King snorts, "Have you prayed for an army large enough to fend off the Sainid? Or have you already begun praying for mercy?"

The Arch-Priest blanches, slighted by the offense, but Valery cuts him off before he can say anymore.

"So? You've made an army of skeletons out of Dersen, haven't you? And you've drained the city of its souls… literally. What have you been waiting for over the past week? March them into Sainid before they can organize even more guerrilla attacks."

Valery dons a light, Mithril-plated armor that curves along her joints, making combat with the large black staff at her back feasible and possibly even enjoyable. There are a few miniscule-sized dents poking across her armor's torso, and her quick-tied golden braids have seen better days.

She's a scarcer sight than I thought she would be, given only she and Lumina have the carnal words to bind me. However, as commander of a large bit of the future Hescarian Army, battles on the fringes of the border have taken her attention.

She turns to Lumina, and I find desperation in her as well. "We should be pressing the momentum we've built, winding up, recruiting and training more Elves to join the battle, not sit on our defenses."

The older Elf chuckles. "Oh, Valeria, the Elves of Hescaria do not need training for battle." Valery cringes but doesn't fight the name. "If you've forgotten in your rebellious phase, this duchy is built on the heritage of ancient Elven Warrior Mage families. War is not easily forgotten."

King cocks her head to the side at the Elf and says, "I'm sorry, I don't believe we've been properly introduced."

The old Elf shrugs and lifts a finger to point at King. "Demon. Countess Gertrude, elected representative of said Elven families and determiner of Queen Lumina's reign. We're well acquainted already."

"What does she mean, her reign?" King asks. A dangerous edge takes her voice as she glances at the still-silent Lumina.

Making a fist, Lumina says, "She represents the families holding powerful, ancient artifacts that will help Valery's militia and your horde of undead. They're families that have bred brilliant Warrior Mages with secrets as old as the continent. She represents the heart of Hescaria and can speak to my worth or failure as Queen."

None of that sounds like anything King would want to hear—her puppet has other strings? Unacceptable.

"Well… will Countess Gertrude tell these ancient, oh powerful ones to come out of their hiding places and fight a war?" King starts, mana soaring smoothly through pathways and in the air.

The Countess takes a step forward, her stick clacking on the fine floors. "Only if the plan is feasible. This is Hescaria's ancestry, Hescaria herself! I will not give a foolhardy Queen and a rebellious Princess the key to destroying this kingdom."

The Arch-Priest straightens up and finds himself in the Countess's voice. "Yes, we mustn't let Hescaria fall. Only two months, and already I have reports of terrors of Crimson night monsters. I thought it was simply Valeria mucking about as usual, but now there's word of a cult! A cult!"

Valery growls at the Arch-Priest using her name but holds back as Countess Gertrude tuts, "If something isn't done and done right, you three will pull Hescaria into the depths of suffering untold. You challenge the Empire, you challenge Vuius, and you even challenge tradition! I cannot make rhyme or reason of your actions, but I will not let Hescaria be dragged down into the pits of the consequences you lure."

King still stands, unmoved from where she's been the entire time. She cocks her head at the Countess, then glances between Valery, Lumina, and the Arch-Priest.

"So, I've been… summoned to solve all your problems. I'm a Demon, not a djinn." She amuses herself with a short cackle before adding, "But what a coincidence that I do have the answer to… some of your questions."

The Countess makes a point of tapping her cane as she demands, "Well? Tell us. If it's worth—"

Her words fail to make it out of her crowded throat. King looms over the Countess, one hand cradling her choking, convulsing head and the other four fingers deep in her throat.

"King!" Valery's the first to raise the alarm. Lumina keeps still, seated on the less extravagant throne the room manages to have. "If you kill her, I'll put you in the ground."

It's a valid threat, like every other she's given—she has more reason than most to be violent with either King or I.

"Maybe. But then your ancients won't help you because this woman won't say so, and then my undead will run free, likely straight into Hescaria, as it's the closest populated area and they seek to spread their curse. Charitable creatures, undead."

King offhandedly notices the Arch-Priest muttering prayers. He plays with a cubed object and starts to summon the courage to use it on King. She whips her hand out of Gertrude's mouth and snaps her fingers at him, tearing his hand off with a thin blade of wind.

"W-what… ahh… I! Vuius save us!" In a mixture of confusion and faith-fervored shock, he lets out a terrible wailing and crumples to the floor. Blood spurts out of his new stump, spilling all over the floor.

"Yeah, you might have to ask Vuius what that cult is all about, but aside from that, I have a solution to all your problems right…" King makes a slow show of poking her head, "… here. I'll even deal with old Gertrude so your word is law, as it should be."

Valery, who's already taken out her staff, levies it at King, but I don't miss the frightened look as she glances between her sister and the Demon she personally summoned.

"Lumina! Don't."

"Says the Princess. What say the Queen? Let's round up those ancients! Bring Hescaria under your canopy and march an army of undead, have that Dragon of yours take to the sky, and let Valery do what she does best."

"No! Not like this," Valery pleads, forsaking her stance against us altogether as though realizing this has never been a physical battle.

"Then how! How, Valery? You're the one who summoned King," Lumina starts, hands balled into a fist and mind corrupted.

"No, I summoned Nil. And as evil and cruel as that creature was, I could tell its motivations were… simple. Hers are… I don't know what they are, but it's not right, it doesn't feel right!"

"Baseless accusations. This is a war, Valery," King says, stepping over both the Arch-Priest and the Countess on her way to Lumina. "You can't win a war on whims. You have to have a plan, and I have the perfect one already. Isn't that right, Gertrude?"

The old Elf picks up her cane, dusts herself off, and turns, presenting an eerie ear-splitting grin, "Of course. Lumina, consider the Turlens, Revens, and Hescai at your disposal."

Valery's breath hitches at the Countess. She glances between King petting Lumina, Gertrude grinning, and the unconscious Arch-Priest.

It should be a sight to see her shoulders fall, defeated in speechless silence, but I know exactly how she's feeling locked up in here.

"What do you fight for?" another warbling shroud of my little girl asks. "What do you fight for?"

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