For the next couple of weeks, the monsters of Redfall didn't bother with the falling kingdom, rather they watched it's people fall to the abominations birthed from the spawns of Othare, Reuthar had still some fighting personnel that thinned with each passing day while Calledra began it's fall.
While screams filled the air, blood thickening the rivers and chaos ensuing Jarren and his lot merely drank and laughed at the carnage of it all. Magdalene grew more familiar with her roles, the elves of Caerthalas grew wary with the tension between Redfall and them.
Whispers had began to roam the lands, speaking of an inner court capable of controlling the plague that was the abominations. As much as it was meant with suspicion and ridicule, the thought never quite faded from the minds of people.
...
"They've proposed to offer a legion with us." A voice spoke grimly in the court of Calledra. "They state of making us a vassal and you call it a legion?!" Another shouted back in rage and frustration. The scene played out in front of the king, his eyes apathetic of the matter. Done with the constant back and forth, he broke the noise.
"It would be foolish of us to turn down this offer, after all with each passing day we only grow weaker while Redfall amounts power." It was a realization he came to, bitter as it was he knew that it would have been better than to delude himself in lies. "Father, you're not-" His son spoke with fear lacing his words, his mind already concluding the worst.
The monarch raised his hand, final with his judgement. "We have to become their vassal should we want to see another day." His face etched with dark lines, he was met with faces of weariness and worry, nothing new with the current tides of the battle.
...
"We've lost fifty more men Isolde." The news like a pile of bricks to Isolde whoa glanced at the map laid out for her. Power had been long out of their privilege to afford. After the death of Atherion, most of the nobles had fled to Calledra as it was the last standing bastion against the monolith that was Redfall.
The other kingdoms were now nothing more than corpses, their leaders either turned to dust or assimilated into the mold of Redfall. Other than them and the elves, the demons and the dwarves managed to stand. "Damn it." Her fist crashing onto the table as she grit her teeth.
Her chest heaved in frustration, the more days came to lapse, the more the death toll grew on their men at the hands of the damned abominations. "We can't keep on going like this." Another knight stated, his frame a shell of it's former self. Their modern firearms were all spent, they eventually ran out of fuel for the vehicles, malcore was a resource far too precious to be used to casually.
Not to mention those who could make such weapons were already in Calledra or scooped up by the elites of Reuthar before it's fall. Now they had their crude weapons, swords and spears. "Madam! We have company. A proxy sent by Redfall." The mention of Redfall made her blood boil as she lashed out.
"Tell them to go back with their lures. We won't yield, we rather face death." Her words met with silence, something that had grown in the passing days. Her words once fueling the men of Reuthar now sounded nothing more than wishful thinking. "This one is different, he wishes to speak with you."
The air chilled, the weight falling on Isolde. "...Fine, take me." She stated as she followed the messenger out to the open. Her eyes hovered over the walls that had yet to fall, most of the soldiers still on guard however the air of hopelessness was thick around them. Most of them had lost their loved ones either to the damned or to Redfall.
Still, she knew that she had to fight back, her pride for her kingdom wouldn't allow her to yield without a fight. The drawbridge raised up and what she saw made her eyes widen with shock. 'Such a massive army, it could wipe up all out.' She mused in her mind as she saw the banners or Redfall and the army that came with it.
The sentiment of fear was shared with the rest as prayers began to drift into her ears. "Dame Isolde Veyline! We are here for a negotiation." A voice echoed through the still men of Redfall, silence blanketed over them like armor. 'Are they even alive or nothing more than husks?' The thought made her skin crawl.
A figure made it's way to her, bathed in silicone and bleeding technology that contrasted with her medieval armor. The helmet turned into ash revealing a face, blank and empty. It was Isen who had fallen to the Hine, he was nothing more than a disposable toy to the monsters of Redfall.
"You say that you want a negotiation and yet you have such a massive army with you." Isolde snarled, her gaze drifting towards the men behind Isen. "They won't make a move, after all I'm sure that with the rising numbers of abominations safety is a luxury hard to come by." His attempt at easing the air between him and Isolde failed as she maintained her sharp gaze on him.
"Do you want us to be like you? Husks for a kingdom that doesn't care with your lives? Sending you die for monsters couped in silk and wine?" Her words didn't faze Isen as he made his remark. "We aren't here to make you one of us. Quite the opposite my queen wishes to see Reuthar flourish back to the state that it was before this whole mess began."
Isolde narrowed her eyes with suspicion, her gut warning her to be careful with her words. "What's the catch? I doubt that I would be that easy." Isen paused, the silence between the two overwhelming before he broke it. "Of course queen Magdalene wishes to see this kingdom be nothing more than a vassal for Redfall, it would be wise to take this deal. Calledra has already yielded."
His last words made her scalp tingle. 'So even Calledra couldn't survive the onslaught of Redfall. If so then wouldn't that make all human kingdoms under the rule of Redfall.' A time when Redfall was nothing more than a developing kingdom surfaced in her mind, it's monstrous growth shocked her. "I want to talk to your queen."
She glanced over her shoulder. "And protection to be given to Reuthar as it begins it's recovery." Isen didn't interrupt her, his hollow eyes never leaving her body. "Of course." As soon as these words left his lips, an aircraft darted over the scene which raised Isolde's guard. "I thought that you weren't planning on fighting."
The aircraft, sleek and flown with perfect precision hovered above the small city before darting off into the forest. "We aren't fighting, the numbers of mutants have to be culled during your absence." Cries came from the forest which made her blood curl. A swarm of abominations made their way to the city, however not a flicker of dear could be seen on Isen's face.
*Whoosh-Whoosh-Whoosh*
The army behind him cocked their plasma rifles unleashing a light show that coated the swarm. In a blink of an eye, the life threatening swarm was no more. A horse was presented to Isolde. "We have to get moving." Isen said flatly as he mounted back onto his horse waiting for her. Isolde was still lost with what she had seen.
'Doesn't that mean that they had the power to wipe up out and yet they hadn't. As well as deal with the abominations. Maybe they have other plans for them.' With such overwhelming force from a small platoon, she could only dread the full force of Redfall.
"Don't tell me that you're going to Redfall?!" A subordinate of hers quickly stated, his eyes never leaving Isen who watched Isolde's back. "I have to, after all you've seen what this army alone could do. Not to mention with the amount of people they've assimilated, do you think that this is all they have?" Her words met with silence ending the conversation.
"Just make sure that you make it back in one piece." She shone a light smile. "Of course, and I'll make sure to make Reuthar great again." However she knew what the negotiation with Magdalene would result in. She knew that the title of being a vassal was already benevolent given the other fates that awaited them. Reuthar would be built back but now under the watch of Redfall.
She made her way to the horse given to her. "Well let's get going, we wouldn't want to keep the queen waiting." Her words as sharp as her gaze. "Of course." There was never a fluctuation with Isen's tone which subtly unnerved her. 'What monsters! Stripping people of their will for power.'
...
"They've decided to grant us a gift thanks to our loyalty." The words of the rather than to be met with eased tones was met with wary ones. "What could this mean for you?" One of the dwarven nobles asked, his mind filled with justified worry. So far their relationship with Redfall had been well, and they out of all the other kingdoms had faced minimal to no abominations.
They were sure that they had a means of controlling them. "If they have a gift then why not give it to you as they have in the past?" A sharps voice echoed attracting the attention of the elites. It was the princess, her beauty captivating however her face didn't bother masking her suspicion.
"After all why change now?" As much as the king wanted to ignore her, he knew that she had a point. "It could be that the new queen wants a private conversation, after all it is natural." The new queen which took them aback. 'For a new queen to be placed so casually would mean that there are other hands above the throne.'
'Could it that man Jarren or Callista?' With their locations currently unknown, he had to guess that they were back in Redfall for such a major change. "But father, what if they choose to kill you?" The king gulped, his face though shining a relaxed smile failed to hide his worry underneath. "Redfall has the power to take over Arcana."
His words met with murmurs, some shocked with the boldness of his words. "To have a weapon that turns foes into allies is already potent enough however they control over Earth's technology and relation with the demons could make them unrivaled. Dare I say invincible." The air grew thicker at the thought.
"If they wanted to kill me I'm sure that they would have done so darling therefore I'll be taking my leave tomorrow." The court erupted in shock at his words, some stunned that he would take the invitation and yet he knew what it meant should he decline. "We do not have the luxury to turn them down. Calledra has already fallen under their grasp, Reuthar is nothing more than a corpse and Caerthalas is the only opposing force."
"It would be foolish of us to turn on them now." His words final as he rose to his feet. It was clear he wasn't open to debate about his choice however his daughter chased after him. Now alone in the empty halls, she voiced her mind. "But father! I don't think that you should go." Her tone laced with worry.
His arms rested on her shoulders before cupping her face. "Worry not, I'll be back and be your father as I always have been. Now go back and check with your sister, I'm sure that she would love your company." And with that he took his leave. "Be careful father." A mutter escaped her lips as she watched her father march down the halls.
...
"So father is really going?" A set of sharp words landed on the princess's ears. "Of course he would, daring Redfall means courting death." And yet the older sister still seemed down trodden with the choice her father had made.