Valkyrie's Shadow

Chapter 18

The sharp, metallic stench of the dead Bronze Dragon punctuated Dame Verilyn’s ‘offer’. The surrounding Assassins dropped their weapons to the snow.

“That was quick,” a disappointed look marred Lady Shalltear’s impossibly perfect face. “Are you sure you don’t want to fight? Just a little bit?”

“We might have a reputation when it comes to our work,” an elderly man said, “but that reputation doesn’t help Ijaniya if the clan is destroyed.”

“Drat,” the Vampire clicked her tongue. “In that case, pack up your things: you’re all moving out. Come back here when you’re ready. Hanzos.”

Five figures appeared out of the darkness. They looked vaguely similar to the surrounding Assassins and the men and women of the complex stared as the Hanzos lined up before Lady Shalltear.

“Ensure that no one escapes,” Lady Shalltear told the Hanzos. “If they try, bring them back here.”

The Hanzos vanished in a blink and the Assassins dispersed, leaving Nemel, Dame Verilyn, Lady Shalltear and her six Vampire Brides standing over the remains of Erenos’iphilii. Dame Verilyn came over to stand beside Nemel. Glittering turquoise eyes seemed to measure Nemel for a moment before her liege addressed her in a quiet voice.

“You said something about Bronze Dragons sounding like good Dragons,” Dame Verilyn said. “Do you still believe that to be true?”

“I…well, yes,” Nemel replied. “You said that they’re all about order, justice, righteousness and that sort of thing. He even came down to help thinking that we needed it. I don’t understand why he was killed.”

“You didn’t think anything strange of him just before his end?”

Nemel frowned at the Bronze Dragon Head in front of them. A few of Lady Shalltear’s attendants had gone off to find the upper part of the corpse, following the length of intestine stretching into the distance.

“He didn’t like what you said about employing Ijaniya,” Nemel said, “so he stood up for what he thought was right.”

“Indeed,” Dame Verilyn nodded. “That is the nature of a Bronze Dragon.”

“But what’s wrong with that? Standing for what you believe in is an admirable thing. It’s rare for people to be brave like that. Most just look away or try to justify why they shouldn’t act if things become frightening or inconvenient.”

The portal of a Gate appeared nearby. Four Vampire Brides stepped out of it, making their way over to carry Erenos’iphilii’s head away.

“For Erenos’iphilii,” Dame Verilyn told Nemel, “it had nothing to do with being brave. As I said: it is a Bronze Dragon’s nature. That’s why I stopped trying to convince him to leave…because he couldn’t.”

“Why not?” Nemel looked over at her liege with a frown, “He could have just changed back into a Dragon and flown away once he understood that he couldn’t win.”

“You’re thinking like a Human again.”

“I am a Human!”

Dame Verilyn fell silent, looking over at the Assassins moving their belongings out of their homes.

“What I meant was that you are considering Erenos’iphilii as if he were a Human,” she said after several moments, “as most Humans are wont to do with other races. But he’s not. Order; justice; righteousness – did you also happen to frame those concepts in the same ways that Humans of the Empire do?”

“Well, yes…”

“Would it be inconceivable that a Bronze Dragon’s sense of order, justice and righteousness is not the same as yours?”

“Of course not,” Nemel replied, “but it couldn’t be so different that it becomes irreconcilable with how Humans see things.”

“It doesn’t have to be very different,” Dame Verilyn said. “Just a little bit is enough. Back before he flew over to us I told you that Bronze Dragons readily involve themselves in conflicts that they believe to be just; that they tend to avoid killing or even injuring others unless they believe that doing so is similarly justified. You appear to have viewed this in a rather positive light.”

“Yes, because that’s how good people behave.”

What was so wrong with being good? She couldn’t understand what Dame Verilyn was trying to get at.

“Then you should consider what I said rather than how you’ve framed it. Bronze Dragons readily involve themselves in conflicts that they believe to be just, they tend to avoid killing or even injuring others unless they believe that it is similarly justified. This means that a Bronze Dragon answers to their own sense of justice.”

“That still seems decent.”

“Is it?” Dame Verilyn raised an eyebrow, “They can visit ruin without reservation because of their sense of justice. Any remorse that they experience for the act would be reflection over what could have been if only their enemies had shared the same sense of righteousness. That’s why I urged you to be neutral when speaking to him. There is no discussion over what is right; no compromise – if you disagree, you are simply wrong and unjust and thus the punishment that they visit upon you is justified. If anyone intercedes on your behalf, they are unjust for siding with the unjust and the resulting actions against them are similarly justified.

“Dragons become very powerful, Miss Gran. The more powerful a Bronze Dragon becomes, the more power it has to impose its sense of justice upon others. An Ancient Bronze Dragon’s domain will seem like a bastion of goodly order but what most observers won’t realise is that it is that way because a tyrant is imposing their will upon everyone and those that openly harbour ‘unjust’ views cannot exist there.”

Was it truly possible for someone to be so upright that they became a tyrant? It felt absurd that good could become something intolerant and seemingly evil.

“In Erenos’iphilii’s case,” Dame Verilyn added, “his proximity to the Sorcerous Kingdom’s sphere of influence would have inevitably caused him to commit suicide by self-righteousness. At best, he met a premature end because he was confronted with something he had to make a choice over, and that choice was made by the fact that he was a regular Bronze Dragon.”

“You said that this was a Bronze Dragon’s ‘nature’,” Nemel said. “But Dragons are supposed to live forever, accumulating wisdom, knowledge and experience. How can you have all that and still be a slave to your nature?”

“Because it’s all that we need? It’s not as if many things can come by and force us to admit that we’re wrong. More often than not, the moment that we are proven wrong is also the moment of our demise. Besides, adhering to one’s nature isn’t limited to Dragons. From what I’ve seen, Humans are just as bad – individuals of your race may vary widely, but outcomes are quite predictable once you understand where someone stands. Your societies are especially prone to this: problems are ignored, explained away or blamed on something else until reality unkindly visits a correction.”

“Then what is a Frost Dragon’s nature?” Nemel asked, “I’m supposed to be working for you, but this whole thing about draconic nature is scaring me.”

“I don’t think I’ve purposely hidden any of my nature from you,” Dame Verilyn answered, “so it should be as you’ve seen. Frost Dragons are simple, independent hunters.”

“A hunter…wait, is that why you’re an Adventurer?”

Her liege’s look turned thoughtful and her gaze went to Lady Shalltear.

“That’s a very good question,” Dame Verilyn said. “Lady Shalltear, is that why I’m an Adventurer?”

“No,” Lady Shalltear replied. “You’re an Adventurer because I thought I might be able to gain something from your achievements in the Guild. Though after listening to all that, I did feel that it was fitting…”

The Sorcerous Kingdom seemed like a terribly haphazard place. Dame Verilyn; Lady Zahradnik; Lady Shalltear – they all appeared to sense and feel their way through weighty matters.

“Oh, I agree, my lady,” Dame Verilyn nodded. “Especially with this Adventurer Guild in the Empire. You hunt people down and they pay you – it’s like being paid for breathing. Is that why you’ve sent me on all these tasks as well?”

“M-maybe…”

“So that’s it?” Nemel asked, “Frost Dragons are hunters? Does that mean when you get even more ridiculously powerful you’re just going to hunt everything?”

“Er…probably not. I explained this back in Oestestadt, yes? Just take what I said back then and apply what you know of Frost Dragon nature.”

Was Dame Verilyn suggesting that Nemel could anticipate what her liege would desire of her? This was a skill that many Nobles considered valuable in vassals and household retainers, but would she be able to do so for a Dragon?

“I’ll do my best, Dame Verilyn,” Nemel said. “I just wish I had some examples to study…”

“You’ve had an example to study for weeks: the Azerlisia Mountains have been the domain of Frost Dragons for centuries.”

“But the Azerlisia Mountains just look like the Azerlisia Mountains.”

“Precisely. Many Dragons are predators and their domains serve as a hunting ground, but Frost Dragons are the hunters if that makes any sense to you. We exist within the natural order of the world and understand the nature of things. The independent aspect of our nature means that we also value freedom. I may share my insights to help you understand matters from outside your Human perspective, but I’ve never coerced you into doing anything, have I?”

Reflecting on the time since she had met Dame Verilyn, Nemel realised that it was true. Though she shared her thoughts on the Empire and Human nature with Nemel – often in very blunt and uncomfortable ways – everything significant Nemel had done in that time was by her own choice. Fendros and the others were the same: everything they had ended up doing was concocted by themselves or as members of Zu Chiru’s staff.

Barring the little things like asking Nemel to deliver lunch to Zu Chiru, the closest thing to a demand that Dame Verilyn had made of her was conveying Lady Zahradnik’s wish for people to ‘do what they were supposed to be doing’, which Nemel supposed was essentially doing what was in their ‘nature’ to the Frost Dragon. While Dame Verilyn was a significant factor in their lives, her touch was so light that it may as well have not been there.

“You haven’t,” Nemel said. “That’s quite strange for a Noble. We’re used to having obligations and duties and all sorts of things that we’re supposed to observe. It’s to the point where even if you haven’t really demanded anything from us, we’ve imposed those things on ourselves. But if you’re the way that you said, how do you handle being Lady Zahradnik’s vassal? She’s a lot like the martial Nobles in the Empire.”

“Despite her seeming like the personification of a rulebook, she and I see many matters from a similar perspective. There are also several other things going on between us, but Lady Zahradnik mostly leaves me to my own devices.”

“She’s also Ludmila’s pet,” Lady Shalltear added.

“And that.”

Huh?

The Vampire Brides who had gone looking for the front half of the Bronze Dragon returned. One of the Hanzos was carrying the entire thing back over its head while a pair of attendants gathered up the entrails as they went along. The rest of Erenos’iphilii went into the Gate, which closed shortly after. All that remained of the ill-fated Dragon was his blood soaking the snow of the yard.

“What was that about being a pet…?”

“Ilyshn’ish is Ludmila’s pet,” Lady Shalltear told her. “I arranged for it, by the way – aren’t they perfect together?”

“H-how is that possible?” Nemel looked back and forth between Lady Shalltear and Dame Verilyn, “The Empire’s veteran Beast Masters and Dragoons can handle Griffons at best! There’s no way that anyone could tame a Dragon.”

“Lady Aura tamed my brother,” Dame Verilyn said. “I became Lady Zahradnik’s pet voluntarily, though. There were quite a lot of perks that came with it – including that land you’re going to be managing.”

So Dame Verilyn’s demesne was something like a pen for a Hippogriff? Or maybe a pasture for a horse…no, that wasn’t right. Nemel mentally waved the strange thoughts away.

“As a Frost Dragon,” she asked, “you desire to keep your land natural?”

“‘Natural’ means a lot of things,” Dame Verilyn answered. “Since it seems inevitable that I’ll have at least some races on my land who can live in the same sort of environment as Humans, I’m setting aside some space for them sooner rather than later.”

“So you’re not doing it for the taxes?”

“I am, but Dragons never do anything for a single reason, even if we don’t realise what we’re doing at the time.”

The first set of Assassins returned with their things. Many didn’t look much like the figures from before who were shrouded in their black uniforms. If anything, they looked like normal villager families bundled up in winter clothing.

“Are those your actual families?” Nemel asked.

“It’s a Ninja village,” one of them answered. “Why wouldn’t we have our families here?”

“There were about two hundred of you before,” Lady Shalltear frowned. “Including your families, how many will there be?”

“Roughly four hundred.”

“Eh…just a minute.”

Lady Shalltear produced a scroll, which went up in a flash of azure flame. Her crimson eyes gazed at nothing in particular as she held a hand to her ear.

Did everyone in the Sorcerous Kingdom do that when they used a Message spell? Nemel supposed it was a good way to indicate that they were magically conversing with someone. After a minute, the Vampire lowered her hand.

“We’re still good,” Lady Shalltear smiled pleasantly. “It will be a bit crowded for a day or so but, rest assured, suitable permanent accommodations will be provided. Please listen to the person giving out instructions on the other side or you will die.”

With that, another Gate opened. Lady Shalltear gestured lazily with her hand and her attendants helped to move the Assassins’ belongings through the portal. Nemel couldn’t decide whether the situation was pleasant or terrifying. Maybe it was both – too many strange things had happened in rapid succession, causing her to doubt her reality.

Several batches of Assassins and their families came from their homes and departed through the portal. Nemel found her eyes increasingly drawn to Lady Shalltear. She was powerful enough to instantly slay a Dragon with a swipe of her hand. Dame Verilyn deferred to her and she referred to Baroness Zahradnik by her first name.

“Was there something you wished to ask?”

Nemel blinked at Lady Shalltear’s question.

“I, um…”

“Since you are Dame Verilyn’s vassal,” Lady Shalltear told her, “that means you are one of mine by extension. This affords you the privilege of asking me questions related to your duties. Decorum and pleasantries have their place, but none of that will save you should I find you lacking in your service. With that in mind, it is better to be forthright so I don’t misunderstand your capabilities or intentions.”

“Then,” Nemel swallowed, “my lady, I’d first like to know the position you hold in the Sorcerous Kingdom and what your relationship to Dame Verilyn is.”

“My official position in the Sorcerous Kingdom is the head of the Department of Transportation and Logistics.”

“You’re…you’re the Minister of Transportation? As in a member of the Royal Court? B-but what is the Minister of Transportation doing out here?”

“Transporting, obviously.”

Was that how it worked? No, definitely not.

“As for the rest,” Lady Shalltear said, “Dame Verilyn is Baroness Zahradnik’s vassal. Baroness Zahradnik is my vassal. Simple, no?”

“I see,” Nemel nodded. “So that makes you a Countess? No, since you’re so powerful, a Margravine or a Marchioness?”

“A Floor Guardian.”

“Hah?”

Nemel blushed at the embarrassing sound that escaped her lips. Lady Shalltear’s lips turned up in a charming smile at her reaction.

“Ilyshn’ish has a point about you trying to frame everything in Human terms. The Sorcerous Kingdom is not a Human nation; if you intend to serve as a valued member of His Majesty’s administration, it is best that you adopt our perspective on things. You will not get very far otherwise.”

The pale morning light was struggling to break through the overcast skies by the time the last of the villagers was led away. Dame Verilyn returned to her natural form, stretching her wings with a toothy yawn.

“Now that that’s over with,” she said, “it’s time to pick up the others.”

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