Devourer

Chapter 134: The Right to Conquer

Cecilia stared down the Archangel as she sat back in her chair, her wings extending out so as not to get in the way. Her six wings furled out giving her an almost ethereal appearance. Cecilia could feel the ambient ether leaking out from Uriel, it was plainly obvious that she was extremely powerful. The amount of ether emanating from her body made it a little hard to breathe, it wasn’t nearly as bad as the Primordial Font. But this time Cecilia did not have any of the protective relics that Mahaila loaned her so she could feel it quite acutely.

Her friend made an intentional effort to suppress his power from leaking out so as to not make it uncomfortable for anyone else. Mahaila did the same so this pressure was not something Cecilia was used to. Suppressing this pressure had the effect of also making it harder for enemies to read your strength.

Cecilia had no doubt that was part of the reason why Archangel Uriel was so suspicious of her friend. Mahaila mentioned that her friend was uncannily effective at hiding his power. So effective in fact that to the uninitiated they would feel nothing and to the initiated it feels like something was missing.

To Cecilia that arrangement worked just fine, their entire angle for persuading the angels was based on the angels not being sure of what exactly her friend was. That was why they used the ancient vanguard hive story. Thanks to information from Malegaros and Mahaila they knew without a shadow of a doubt no one knew definitively what happened to the first vanguard hive. All anyone knows was that the first vanguard hive was a rebel and all the vanguard hives that came after were absolute nightmares to fight.

Most other hives adapted after the battle, vanguard hives had the nasty habit to evolve in the middle of combat. So if you wanted to win a battle against a vanguard hive you better have a counter-strategy for the counter-strategy of your initial strategy. Needless to say, the vanguard hives won far more battles than they lost. They were by far the most dangerous of the Firstborn’s servants and the Eternal Mother’s vanguard hives were also significantly more dangerous than those of the other Firstborn.

So by saying her friend was the first vanguard hive, this raised a great many questions and concerns. This will cause hesitation, especially when peace was an option and the forces of the Seraphim were tied down in the north. Furthermore, there were more problems brewing on the horizon…

“You are concerned about us as you should be. But you are concerned because we have the capacity to be a great hindrance or even a threat to you.” Cecilia said as she picked up the freshly poured glass of blood-red wine.

“In truth, we are concerned about all of you as well, it appears belief and devotion to the Seraphim mean very little, especially considering what happened in the north.” Cecilia said as she took a sip of wine.

“Balder Frostfang here is the last male heir of the Clan Frostfang. Does he looked familiar to you Archangel?” Cecilia asked as she gestured to Balder who just sat there stiffly. Cecilia could tell he was terrified, Cecilia was playing a dangerous game but as it stands nowhere was truly safe. The bid for the throne of all three worlds was about to begin. Those that won would gain a great many things and those that lost would lose everything.

“I helped him escape to your lands. Of course, I am aware of who he is. How is the empress treating you young Frostfang?” Uriel asked.

“Very well Archangel, the Empress has been generous and benevolent beyond my wildest expectations. If I may be so bold, I truly believe the Empress can bring great prosperity to the lands under her control. She is adored by the people and they are experiencing an unprecedented era of prosperity.” Balder replied sincerely.

“I see…” Uriel said as she shifted her gaze to Cecilia.

“Is that not what a ruler should do? A ruler should care for the needs of the citizens.” Cecilia said. Cecilia smiled internally as she knows she has now tied Uriel hands even further. If there was no overt reason to attack the land, the people would not see the angels favourably. The faith of the south would shatter into a million tiny pieces and the Seraphim would lose an entire region’s worth of prayers.

Cecilia and her friend have effectively tied Uriel’s hands by doing exactly what the Church of Order has said one should do.

“That is indeed that is what one should do, but I would like to see it for myself.” Uriel said.

“That can be easily arranged, although if you want honest answers you might need a disguise. People like us tend to be met with grovelling and blind deference when we walk among the common folk.” Cecilia said as she tried to find some commonality with Uriel. It was a classic manipulation tactic, if two individuals have some common gripe then they would be more predisposed to each other.

“That is certainly true, it is almost impossible to get any honest answers out of the common people for individuals of our station.” Uriel replied with a small sigh.

“I can relate Archangel, I mostly solved it by just spying on the population. There would be no consequences for criticism towards me of course. In fact, I do hope for some criticism, it does help highlight problems to resolve.

I tried to create a forum for the common people to bring their grievances to me but it only worked for the most obvious issues. The smaller issues and inefficiencies have to be brought to light through different means.” Cecilia said with a small chuckle.

“But before I visit your city I would like to ask, what do you know of the situation in the west? The vampires are stirring.” Uriel said and I smirked at those words.

Uriel was testing us to see how much we knew. Information on the Vampires and Umbarans to the west was sparse. Especially for the human nations, most of the information on their darker cousins has been confiscated by Heaven because they felt that knowledge was “dangerous”.

But Heaven was right to fear the darker powers. They were extremely weak to it afterall. The Light and Dark branches of magic had a unique interaction with each other. Both were extremely effective against each other with respect to offense but both were also pathetically weak at resisting each other. So battles between opposing type users often had a first strike type strategy, the one that landed first hit usually won. So those proficient in the Dark branches of magic like Necromancy, Hemomancy, Daemonolgy and Shadow Magic presented a threat to angels. Their most hated enemy Nemesis was a master at Shadow Magic and Hemomancy. Nemesis was the foremost master of Hemomancy in the world as far as most knew, she was very proficient at utilising angel blood in particular.

“Marche De La Morte.” Cecilia said and Uriel narrowed her eyes.

“I told her, funny little trick they do to achieve their so called immortality.” Cecilia heard her dearest friend say from the side.

“Did you teach her how to perform it? We will not tolerate use of such…” Uriel began but her friend just laughed in response.

“Do not insult me, you think I need to use some crude method like that to extend her life? Why make a withered body last longer when I can just create an undying body or just a completely new one. A human body is hardly that difficult to make.” her friend replied.

The “Marche De La Morte” means the “march of death” it was essentially what the other nations call the Vampire’s Black Crusade. The Marche De La Morte was only the first part of a ritual that allowed the Vampires to extend their life indefinitely.

The first part involved a crusade that claimed many lives. This would generate Necromatic energies that would be used to fuel the next phase of the ritual known as the “Danse Macabre” or Dance of Death when translated to the common tongue.

Usually, at the end of the whole ordeal entire cities are left depopulated, their populations slaughtered to the last to acquire Necromatic energies for their dark ritual. This would be completely unsustainable if it wasn’t only required every thousand years or so.

“The vampires have two options, well technically three but the Vulpus are hardly attractive targets. That leaves the Elves and the Lizardkin, after they deal with one of those they will inevitably turn their gaze here.

I can tell you right now that the Lizardkin are not prepared in the slightest to repel a Black Crusade. Their entire civilisation is going to be folded like an omelette when the vampires arrive.” Cecilia said as she took another sip of wine.

“I doubt the Vampires will go for the elves even if they have wanted to corrupt their ancestral tree for who knows how long.” Cecilia said as she scanned Uriel’s face. Cecilia could tell Uriel was not happy with how much Cecilia knew. But that was hardly surprising, the Seraphim prefer their humans, stupid, ignorant and docile. Basically creatures who only know how to survive and pray to them to fuel their power.

“This brings me onto one of my suggestions. In the event of a Black Crusade I would like an assurance from you that will not intervene when I choose that moment to conquer the west.” Cecilia said and Uriel sat back in her chair.

“Conquer the west?” Uriel asked her voice low and clearly giving Cecilia the manage to choose her next words carefully.

“The Zarimans are finished you know, if a Black Crusade comes they are as good as dead. I would rather take control of whatever land I can grab and put up a proper defence. The alternative is to sit on my side of the border and watch all the lizards get turned to necromantic abominations. Then said abominations are going to be thrown at me, I would rather march forward, take the land and evacuate as many of the Lizardkin as possible.

I am certain my Empire alone is enough to repel the Black Crusade but I would rather not expend more resources than necessary.” Cecilia said.

“If you are so confident in your ability to repel the Black Crusade, why be a conquerer? Why not be a saviour? March forward to save the Zarimans.” Uriel said and Cecilia cracked a smile in response.

“You think the Lizardkin don’t have more problems? Corruption is rampant in their nations, their people suffer under the yoke of power hungry sycophants. Their governments have enough red tape to make a carpet. If I march I will be both conquerer and saviour.” Cecilia said and her friend let out a little chuckle in response. Cecilia raised an eyebrow as she shifted her gaze to her dearest friend who was chuckling to himself. Cecilia noted that Uriel was doing the same as the two gazed questioningly at the giant laughing monster.

“Well personally I have another reason for conquering, another reason why charity like that is a bad idea.” her friend said as he flashed Uriel a smile of serrated fangs. His mouth widened showing his curved fangs that were the size of great swords, reminding everyone in the room that he was not only able to drink out of wine barrels. He could just as easily bite a knight in half if he wanted to.

“You know what they say, if you can do something well, never do it for free…” her friend said and Cecilia cracked a smile as well.

“Wise words.” Cecilia said and Uriel turned her gaze to Cecilia, her gaze clouded with concern and wariness. It was clear Uriel had no idea what to make Cecilia, her mind was like this mix of a benevolent human and a twisted monster.

“If I am to expend the lives of my soldiers to defend Zarima at the very least I have to justify their sacrifice. As it stands the Lizardkin are hostile towards my nation, they have formed an alliance specifically to oppose my empire.

What would my citizens think if I was to help them for free? What would they think if I threw their sons and husbands into the fire to save an alliance that is openly hostile to us?” Cecilia asked and Uriel nodded slightly. On this point, only a fool would disagree but Cecilia was sure there would be a counterargument.

“Yet there have been cases where enemies united against a common enemy.” Uriel said. Cecilia smiled at those words. Cecilia knew Uriel was just testing her, that point was technically true but there was a key factor she was omitting.

“Those instances were against a great enemy. The vampires do not qualify, at least not to my empire. The question is if they are worth destroying and if the Zarimans are worth protecting.” Cecilia replied. This was an empty threat, Mahaila cared alot about the Lizardkin for obvious reasons. Cecilia felt she owed Mahaila at least this much, plus if Mahaila was in control of Zarima it would be one way to cement her authority in the region. So this was just a ruse to milk the benefits of this exchange. If she was going to do it anyway she might as well try to get something out of it.

“So you would consign an entire civilisation to undeath because its not worth it?” Uriel asked as she raised a brow.

“Yes, but I do believe Zarima is worth it. That’s why we are having this conversation. You allow the conquest and the south remains stable. You get your prayers, I get territory and an easier defence against the vampires.

This course is not completely without sacrifice you know. The Zarimans do not have that many fortifications. Their tactics rely on using the desert itself for attrition. I assume I don’t need to tell you why attrition against a group of shambling corpses is not that effective?” Cecilia said as she locked eyes with Uriel. It was a fair trade and Uriel knew it. Everyone at the table knew it…

“So you want an agreement of non-interference, in exchange you will defend the south and also save Zariman but only if I allow you conquer them.” Uriel said and Cecilia nodded in assent.

“I suppose your friend here can also deal with the native Hives in the desert while you are at it. They were called the Armazaftund if I recall.” Uriel said and Cecilia smiled at those words.

“They have already been dealt with, the Zarimans would have been in an even worse state if I hadn’t wrested control of them.” Cecilia’s dear friend said.

“Hmm, you work quickly. Very well, before I make a decision I would like to see your city and speak with your people.” Uriel said as she rose to her feet.

“I assume that can be arranged.” Uriel stated and Cecilia nodded with a graceful smile. “I assume you have a disguise.” Cecilia said as she cast a spell and her appearance changed to that of a blonde haired woman with sapphire blue eyes.

“I will manage just fine.” Uriel replied as she cast her own spell and she too turned into a blonde-haired beauty.

Then Cecilia just smiled as she stood back up still in her disguise.

Would you mind if I join you?

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