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>>42034539

“Sorry…” Izu’s face is downcast with perfectly painted shame.

“I’m not angry.” The Empress assures Izu. “But Sophia is right, certain things are better left unasked, for both parties involved.”

An interesting thing to want to hide, and surely for a reason. Maybe that reason can be used to your advantage. Even Grievermillion doesn’t know what her true identity is, so you’re left wondering if anyone alive might know that secret.

The Empress reaches down to pick Izu’s clothes off the floor, which she then gently hands to him. “Now Matt, there’s something Sophia and I need to discuss in private. Go wash your face and then get something to eat in the main hall.”

“Okay.” The boy responds while slipping through his tunic.

“If anyone gives you any trouble, tell them I gave you permission.” She adds as the boy stands up. “And watch out for the woman with the bright hair.”

“Bow.” You mouth to him, with added hand gestures.

“Bye!” Izu says sunnily as he waves to the both of you, and leaves the room.

A strange silence hangs over the room for a moment before The Empress rises, clearing her throat. “I did not mean to be overly forward, he was just such a peculiar boy.”

She doesn’t even know the half of it.

“But who is he really?” The Empress’s simple words cut deeply.

Ah, you had almost forgotten that what you just witnessed was one huge farce. They knew their own roles, but how much did they know of each other’s? And with that role The Empress played lies the fact that she now has something to use against you.

But you’re not going to be stopped by that. So, to answer her question, you can admit he’s your apprentice, disguise the lie with some truth, or maybe
something that will allow him to more easily leave?

>Tell her he’s your apprentice.

>Tell her he’s just some boy you find entertaining.

>Write in.

>>42034539
>"I am so sorry, so very sorry, for the behavior of my ignorant loveslave."

>>42034604

>Tell her he’s your apprentice.

>>42034604
>Tell her he’s your apprentice/ fucktoy.

>>42034539
>“You don’t have a real name?” Izu instantly follows with a veneer of complete innocence.
God dammit Matt.

>>42034604
>>Tell her he’s your apprentice.
We were separated when you returned, and I tried to keep him away do to certain parties taking far too much interest in children.

Hello everyone, welcome back!

>>42034624
>>42034660
>>42034733
Apprentice and more.

>Writing~

>>42034761

It’s most important to hide both of your true identities from The Empress, so a little mix of truth and lies might just do the trick.

“He’s my apprentice, and I apologize for his ignorant behavior.” You walk toward the edge of your bed. “But I do admit, he has other uses…” You slide your hand on the bed as you walk.

“Oh?” The Empress remarks with an unreadable expression. “Strange timing for him to show up now, isn’t it? Why hasn’t he been with you since the beginning?”

“We were separated upon your return.” You respond shortly, insinuating the slightest bit of fault on her part. “I had reason to keep him away from certain parties that have an insatiable appetite in children, but eventually I grew impatient.”

“Well, that’s it then.” The Empress looks over to the mess of covers on your bed.

“It is.” You pull her attention back to you. “But I don’t think you came here for those private details. Battle plans, wasn't it?” You stand next to your darkly colored armor and stare directly into The Empress’s eyes.

You remember what you learned about it the night before and begin to wonder just what part, if any, The Empress had to play in that curse. It was a devious attack, but somehow it just doesn’t feel like she would perpetrate something lacking in masterful subtlety.

[1/2]

>>42035501

“Right.” The Empress returns to the original reason she visited you. “I think about time we finished this siege.”

You dutifully nod your agreement.

She pulls out an ornate hand fan and continues. “You and the other councilmembers will be given a few more days to recover from your injuries. From there we’ll move to break through the palace walls and eliminate Nahldol Ignisval.”

You feel your face contort with surprise. “There’s no way to break through those walls or else we would have done so already.”

“There WAS no way to break through.” The Empress corrects. “During that ambush of theirs, I collected about six hundred of them.”

Six hundred? It could only be the Pyromancers.

“So you intend to use them as shields?” You suggest, trying to grasp her plan.

The Empress smiles. “That’s only a very minor part of their roles. Inside every one of those six hundred soldiers lies a flame that can be awakened with deadly purpose.”

“They’re bombs then.” You push a strand of hair away from your face. “Do you think we’ll be able to get them close enough to detonate on the wall?”

Her fan snaps shut and she points it directly at you. “There lies the problem. I know Nahldol cares deeply for his kin, but he is nothing if not a man of duty. He might shoot them all down with the palaces defenses before they reach the walls, unless we think of something to help ensure our success.”

You remember meeting him, and you can’t disagree that he was a man of duty. Perhaps a large escort of flesh soldiers might work, but maybe there’s something you know that you can use against Nahldol?

>Suggest an escort of flesh soldiers to protect the Pyromancers.

>Write in.

>>42035535
oh god I can't remember
>Suggest an escort of flesh soldiers to protect the Pyromancers.

>>42035535
Could you remind us what that something is?

>>42035638
Regular flesh shield.

>>42035779
I can't, but there's still time before the final part of the siege will commence.

>Writing~

>>42035829
How about teleportation magic? What if we initiate the magic, seal it open, then travel to target, confirm it works, and have them run through?

>>42035829
Time to go archive diggging

>>42035535
>>42035829
>Catapult them with the pyromancers in the center of a ball of flesh

>Seal them in a compact, efficient sphere that we can fire. Unseal them when they are close to the wall

>Use them as a distraction for infiltrators to get in.

>>42036214
Teleportation is for self use. Unless you mean interplanar travel, which would require a lot of energy since the Pyromancers won't willing transport themselves like your flesh soldiers.

>>42036254
This is an interesting strategy, the only problem would be with how volatile that many compacted soldiers would be.

>>42036310
Only thing i found about him is that he like redheads.

Internet went down for a few minutes, update incoming right now.

>>42035829

“We’ll have to use our soldiers to make sure they make it to the walls.” You propose.

The Empress is silent in thought. “Nahldol will have no qualms firing upon them, so we’ll have to bolster their numbers and manipulate their bodies for defense.”

That plan will take some time to implement, but you should be able get most of it in order in your recovery period.

“I met him once when he was younger.” The Empress looks up in remembrance. “Hardly more than a boy, youngest child to only a lord in Kyraen’Asils.” She begins to walk out of your room. “How strangely harmless they seem when they’re young, but they all grow up.” She looks at you once last time before leaving the room. “Even the most innocent ones.” She adds cryptically and then finally leaves.

You raise your bowed head. Who else is included in that they?

~

“Then he asked me if I knew how to use any weapons.” Izu regales you with his encounter with Zarn in the main hall. “He said that someone as bold as I am surely has received some training.”

“What did you say?” You lean forward in your chair in interest.

[1/2]

>>42036781

“I asked him if his hair was always that white.” Izu replies with a grin. “He seemed kinda sad after that and left me alone.”

You break into a wide smile. Not even in your wildest dreams could you picture a crestfallen Zarn. It reminds you of all the times Izu would tease Marissa…Speaking of which.

“Earlier you told me that Marissa wouldn’t mind you leaving. What did you mean by that?” You look into Izu’s bright eyes.

Izu lies his back on the floor and looks lost in thought for a few moments. “We found people after you left. Twin girls.” He holds up two intertwined fingers. “Marissa saved them from a monster using her powers, and they were really thankful.”

It’s the first you think you ever heard of her using her powers for benevolent uses.

“They came back with us and were really nice, but…” He intertwines three of his fingers now.

Figures that it would end up something like that.

“Marissa made them her apprentices and spent most of her time training them and doing other things with them.” He sits up. “So I left without telling her..”

Maybe you do have something to be angry about with her.

Izu moves to where you’re looking now. “Do you think she’s happier I’m gone?”

Now that’s an interesting question. She seemed rather discontent that Izu wasn’t fawning over her like she was him, so maybe she moved on. But then again, she was quite attached to Izu, even from the start.

>"Maybe you shouldn't have left without saying anything to her."

>"It's better that you left sooner rather than overstaying your welcome."

>"Write in.

>>42036587
He had a thing for young girls in general, because of aya, maybe we can use that?

>>42036832
"Honestly Izu I don't know. She was unhappy you weren't fawning over her, but honestly I am thankful for that. I am fairly certain she is not happier, but I don't think she'll realize it with her new "apprentices" for a while. Either way it was probably wise you left. I just wish my apprentice, and surrogate little brother wouldn't charge headlong into danger. Speaking of how come you can read my though but not the reverse?"

>>42036832
>"She'll feel bad about it later, after thinking about it. She might feel it was your fault to begin with, or she might feel that it was her own fault. I at least don't blame her frustrations of you being a complete mystery."

>>42036896
Is it time for Ali's teleporter to risk herself in huge undertakings, again?

>>42036913
We can put all the young female pyros at the front, make him hesitate to order the attack on them

>>42036832
>"Maybe you shouldn't have left without saying anything to her."

>>42036903
>>42036913
>>42036989
With some editing, I think i can get most of this in.

>Writing~

>>42037037

You gently push Izu away, who’s been slowly drifting his forehead toward you while you’ve been thinking. “I can’t speak for Marissa, so I honestly don’t know. Maybe you shouldn’t have left without saying anything to her. Maybe she’s not happier and she’ll get tired of her new apprentices after a while.”

Seeing how serious you’ve become, he plops down next to you and patiently listens to your words.

“She’ll likely feel that it was your fault to begin with, but with some time to think about it, she might be the one feeling guilty in the end.” You lean back in your chair. “But I can only say for certain what I feel.”

Izu perks up suddenly at your words.

“I can’t blame her frustrations with you, since you’re not always the easiest person to read.” You poke him in the cheek. “In fact, sometimes you’re a complete mystery.”

His expression asks you to explain your meaning further.

“You charge headlong into danger even though you’re still so young, you know so much about me, yet I hardly get a fraction of what you sense. Why is that?” You ask not only him, but the world around you.

A vast silence hangs in between the two of you, as you wait for Izu's answer.

“I was made this way. I know nothing else.” His voice bounds clearly throughout your mind, and you stare into emerald color of his undisguised eyes.

Made, not born. Izu’s only been in existence for a few short months, yet you ask why he is the way he is. He seems unfazed by your question, but you can never know for certain. The secret lies with his creator, who’s very likely not far away from you at all right now.

You stand up immediately, walk over to your armor, and begin putting it on. It’s not like either of you to be so morose, so you move to change the mood.

“You better be right about the curse being gone.” You warn as you slip into your chestplate.

…

Hmm, no retorts.

[1/2]

>>42037825

You hear the sound of him shuffling around behind you, but you focus on your armor until you’ve finished putting it on.

You turn around and much to your dismay, find the world around you to have suddenly become dark, as well as a heavy weight riding upon your shoulders. But, soon you recognize the feeling of your cloak upon your skin, and the weight on your shoulders begins to giggle wildly as it holds onto you.

With how Izu shoved your cloak on backwards, you struggle feebly to reach the boy in your attempts to fling him to the ground, which only fuels his amusement and your rage.

“You are in control of your knowledge.”

Excellent timing. You manage to slip off the hood off your face, and even Izu now hangs limply on your body, likely having heard the voice himself as well.

You kneel down and let Izu off your back, while you wonder how you should apply the choice this time around.

Perhaps improving your enchantment will allow to perceive any curses you may come across in the future, or maybe you should go with a solid bet and improve your Pyromancy. But then there's the advice that Ali sent to you about improving your delving.

The choice is yours. What will you improve?

>Enchantment.

>Pyromancy. (Write in details.)

>Delving.

>Write in.

>>42037881
>Delving

>>42037881

>Delving.

ugh, I want enchantment, but I don't want to die

>>42037901
>>42037935
Going back to the first thing we learned.

>Writing~

>>42037881
>>Pyromancy.
better precise control after we throw it

>>42037825
>Hmm, no retorts.
HE PUT HIS OWN CURSE AHHHHHH

>>42038056

The strange and ancient truths that you learned the last time you improved upon your delving have not left your mind. You want to grasp those strange realities shown to you, master them, and make them malleable to your will.

You direct your thoughts to the transient bridges formed through delving.

The world goes completely black around you, but this time not due to a certain boy’s prank. An oppressive emptiness hangs over you as you exist among the nigh nothingness for what seems like hours upon hours. You desperately try to escape, using all skills available to you, but this void is seemingly infinite and that includes everything but your consciousness.

After what feels like days, the slight and familiar warmth you associate with delving is no longer comforting as it once was, but it now suffocates in your endless prison.

You want to leave. You want to leave. You want to leave!

You’d give anything to leave this place. ANYTHING! ANYONE!

“JUST LET ME LEAVE!” You try to shout, but nothing exists that will let you.

…

As you submit to your new fate, your world comes back to you. Izu cradles your head as you hope with everything you have that this isn’t a lie.

“You were gone!” Panic clear in the boy’s voice. “It was only a few seconds, but you were completely gone.” He desperately clings close to you.

Only a few seconds?

Your self-inflicted prison completely warped your perception of time. So even that can be manipulated in these transient realms of your own creation. You imagine forcing someone else into that reality. If you were to manage to hold them there for weeks, maybe even years on your end, they will be forced to endure an unbearable amount of time in that abyss.

You think you’re starting to see what Ali might be thinking.

It’s been quite some time since you’ve felt compelled to write your thoughts in your journal, but this calls for it.

[1/2]

>>42038878

The more you learn about the nature of that place, the more you can shape it to your will. You’ll have to go back eventually, but for now your content with writing in your old journal and tightly clutching a small boy’s hand, glad to be gone from that place.

~

Two days later, you oversee two thousand of your army’s flesh soldiers being molded into thicker, and much less deadly shapes. The process is lengthy, and the wailing of several hundred prisoners behind you makes you want to leave.

The Pyromancers have been pulled into the ground by your soldiers, leaving only their heads exposed to world.

Too bad they need to breathe.

Disgur slides up next to upon your high perch. “Everything is going according to plan, and we shall finish the shaping by tomorrow morning.”

It’s a large amount of soldiers to be diverting from the front lines, but if you can’t break through the walls, then flesh soldier losses will be the least of your concerns.

Disgur turns to look behind you. “They on the other hand need to be made more pliant to transport. The Empress has given me permission to remove their limbs, then our soldiers will ferry them to the walls while protecting them. The rest will be up to you and The Empress.”

A firm plan, but one not flexible to any surprises. You had thoughts of sealing the Pyromancer’s into dense spheres as you had in the battle, and then catapulting them, but if you can’t maintain their shape for any reason, the results would be catastrophic. You also remember Nahldol's softness for young girls, but you've yet to come up with a solid plan to take advantage of that.


>Have Disgur go ahead with his plan with all the Pyromancers.

>Save a fraction of them for catapulting, the rest go into Disgur's plan.

>Write in.

>>42038932
>Take all female Pyromancers your age or younger and have them lead the transport. The rest into disgurs plan.

>>42038932
I'd rather not leave this one up to a roll, so I'm going to wait for bit longer.

>>42038932
what do you guys think about going without armor, without wings, and trying to meet Nahldol?

>>42039064
>>42038932
backing

>>42039064
>>42039155
There we go.

>Writing~

>>42039154
Sounds like a good way to die, no offense

>>42039217
none taken, it might've been easier if we had less screentime as a FLYING death machine.

>>42039183

You think you may have just come up with an idea to take advantage of Nahldol’s weakness for his niece and everyone like her.

You turn to Disgur. “Do you have numbers on how many females we have among the prisoners?”

Instantly Disgur jumps from the platform and onto the earth beneath you. He drops down to all fours and unexpectedly, a large number of tendrils shoot out from his limbs and pierce the ground. For a few minutes, the female prisoners cry out in surprise and fear, while Disgur closes his eyes in deep focus.

His long tendrils snap back to form his limbs once again. “Of the six hundred and three prisoners we have, one hundred and sixty of them are female.”

You don’t want to know how he did the counting.

You cross your arms and consider the reported number. “Of those, tell me how many of them are my age or younger.”

“One moment…” Disgur shoots his lengthy extensions back into the ground. This time taking time to consider certain details with disturbing care and focus.

You patiently wait for several minutes before you hear the sound of him reforming again.

“Fifty-three.” He announces with the utmost certainty.

You somehow want to know how he did the counting even less this time.

[1/2]

>>42039810

“Those will be exempt. I plan on using them to lead the procession.” You declare firmly. “The rest you can shape to however you see fit

“Hmm…”He considers your words with deep, moist, and raspy breaths. “What is your reasoning?”

You turn back to look at the palace with him. “Nahldol Ignisval has a great fondness for his niece and anything that reminds him of her. Those girls are going to get us to those walls.”

A strange twisted smile forms on his face. “Those kinds of weaknesses…I shall confer your plan with The Empress.” Instantly, he is gone from sight.

Tomorrow will be the day that decides if this siege ends up in victory or defeat for your forces. A sure to be huge battle on the front lines, and a mission to break through the walls. Your tactics helped give you the upper hand that you have now, and they will very likely come into play again for this final battle.

Your thoughts wander as you stroll back to the manor.

Hmm, there was a time you thought you were going to live and die having only seen one small town. You hold your head up high as you walk among hundreds of buried Pyromancers that curse and try to spit at you as you walk by, but you hardly even notice them.

A long bath sounds really nice.

Your huge crimson wings stretch out and flap behind you, kicking up dust into defenseless faces.

After all, you’re not going to get the chance tomorrow.

~

>>42039837
Okay, that's where I'm going to end it for tonight. As always, I want to thank everyone that played!

If you have any questions or comments about the quest, please feel free to post them in the thread, and I will do my best to respond to them.

If not, then I wish you a good day/night, and hope to see you again next time!

>(Twitter)
https://twitter.com/QM_Auri

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>>42039810
>You don’t want to know
I thought we wanted to know everything?

>>42039982
You pretty much know how he counted, perhaps it'd be better to say that you rather not think about it.

>>42039874
Sophia is getting more and more like the usurper, isn't she?

>>42039874
What's our relationships with the other casters, the usurper and the generals at?

>>42040016

That is a possibility, perhaps she's always had a little something in her that wanted to rise above everyone else.

>>42039874
thx 4 runin budi gud thred

>>42039874
where the HELL is Ali?

>>42040066
Currently you have no other casters in your forces besides the generals, but that can change very soon. You have a cordial relationship with the usurper, since it helps to seem that way to each other, but you don't trust her. In summary, most of the generals have a level of dislike for your superior attitude, but respect the fact that you can back it up.

>>42040075
You're very welcome, anon!

>>42040098
Ali is on a infiltration mission with the human forces.

>>42040129
was our delving boost taking us beyond the manta?

>>42040290
That's difficult to say for certain, since hardly anyone knows what's beyond the Ancillary Manta. But needless to say, it's going to help you get there at the very least.

>>42040346
Is Ali's plan basically we follow/force the Usurper in then nope the fuck out somehow by bypassing the barrier?

>>42040378
The transient bridge realms made through delving are entirely at the will of their creator. Now if someone were to force and hold an enemy in that realm, then many endings can be created for that enemy.

>>42040433
So basically Level delve up until we are a demi-god and nuke her in our own realm of power?

>>42040534
That appears to be the plan to Sophia, but there's also the matter of how to get someone into that realm of your creation.

With that, I'll be stepping out for the night. Until next time!