There is no discharge in this war.
Excerpt from The Beasts of the Dungeon.
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Hargraf pulled his horse to heel, his personal guard halting beside him. Below, in the shallow valley, stood an army. The Royal Mirranian army, to be precise, and the one his own forces would soon be joining.
He didn't want to be here, in truth. Some would call that cowardice, no doubt, and he could see the logic of combining their forces, but the soldiers he'd brought were needed at home. Leaving his land to be defended by militiamen and undisciplined recruits would bring nothing but disaster.
But the King had ordered him to raise his banners, and so here he was. A boy he might be, he was an Archmage now, and one whose limits Hargarf no longer knew. Even if he had been contemplating treason, which was stupidity to start with, the man might very well appear without warning or reason.
No, any notion of treason was done with. Dead. The King had played the game, and heavily stacked in his favor though it might have been, had won it. Now all that remained was to seek favor in the new court, and only three factions mattered for that.
Duke Helios and his Loyalists had it easy. Having aided—and perhaps enabled—the King's rise to power naturally translated to their own influence. Their lands may still be relatively few, but dominating much of the sea monstrosity fishing had made them wealthy.
His own Moderates should have come out on top, but the invasion of the Empire burned that advantage to ashes. Not only had his lands seen the vast majority of fighting, they had been pushing Imperially aligned politics.
In his younger years, the current King's father would have probably hanged them for it. Edward hadn't had the power necessary to show mercy, and the Isolationists would have backed him on it.
The Isolationists. The rise of their newly named Duchess Soema was only a confirmation of the power they already held, so nothing much changed. Their lands were untouched by the war, but neither did their faction profit much from the reparations paid afterwards.
It would take time, years at minimum, but Hargraf was confident he could rebuild the Moderates. Trade with the Empire had never been more profitable, and in time people would forget the invasion. With money the court could be slowly moulded to suit his interests, and before then he had an informant within the Royal Family itself.
They knew of Mitzi's presence, of course, but that didn't actually make her any less effective. He had never been after state secrets in the first place, and even the slim chance that his little dagger would earn the Queen's ear was worth it.
Hargraf stiffened when a group of black-robed mages passed him by, his guard closing their circle of protection. Behind them shambled nearly three hundred Hounds, mostly birds and bats. The things couldn't even fly, and Hargraf questioned the wisdom of raising them.
But the King had ordered the recruitment of necromancers, so that is what the Royal Academy had done. Most were former—and petty—criminals, and even then their number didn't even reach sixty. Not that he couldn't see their strategic use, of course.
The Dungeon created an seemingly endless number of Hounds, so why not use their corpses? It was logical, but dangerous.
Handing power to criminals was, in his own experience, never a good idea.
Hargraf shook it off, moving towards the army. It would be good to ambush the King, if possible, and showing up late would let someone else take the opportunity. Helios, most likely, though Soema wouldn't be far behind.
But the closer he came to the camp, the more sober he grew. The Royal Army was fundamentally different from his own household guard, but both were soldiers. Both shared similarities, even if their structure differed.
He hadn't seen this combination of exhaustion and decline in his own people, though. Thousands of soldiers, mending equipment and more, but the look of them… Hargraf was used to them rising, bowing, even saluting.
These men and women just watched him, tracking his progress and not much more. There was little aggression, but no welcoming air either. He'd kind of expected some, to be honest.
Then again, they might not think they were being saved. Which they were. With the combined forces brought by him, Helios and Soema, their numbers would more than double, and it wasn't like they'd brought conscripts.
No, this was a force of household guards. Experienced militiamen and more, those that knew how to fight in groups and alone. It was an army, and one the King sorely needed.
Hargraf wasn't going to be blunt about it, of course, but neither was he going to waste such an advantage. Neither would his fellow Duke and Duchess.
So the journey continued, and Hargarf passed dozens of officers heading towards his own army. In pairs and groups, from lieutenants to commanders, but all appeared organized. Mages, too, alongside several companies of soldiers.
He didn't think much of it, not until he got to the command tent. Royal Guards checked him over before letting him pass, which he endured, but even without his own guards he knew how to manage an entrance.
Hargraf walked inside, and almost immediately came to a stop. Because on the far side of the tent, the King stood with two mages at his side. A flickering portal stood between them, clearly maintained by the lesser mages, while the King himself was rapidly sketching runes on paper.
Closer but much less noticeably, the Queen presided over a large table. Hargraf blinked and finally realized the inside was much, much larger than it should have been, and by the time he'd internalized that, his entrance was already spoiled.
"Ah, you. Come here," the Queen ordered. Hargraf moved on instinct more than reason, something about her having changed. He really would have preferred to speak with Mitzi before coming here. "My scouts said you have nineteen thousand men with you, correct?"
Hargraf took a moment to ensure his voice came out steady, offering a light bow. "Just so, my Queen."
My people didn't see any scouts. Bluffing, or did we miss them? She doesn't look like she's bluffing.
"Good. After transferring the non-combatants back to Mirrania, that should bring us to a total of thirty five thousand troops. I want your officers assembled within the hour, and the soldiers to be drilling the new techniques by morning. Where are Helios and Soema?"
One of the people with the Queen offered him a small bundle of papers, which Hargraf took. He belatedly recognized the man as Baron-commander Zotor. The man sported a fresh scar on his neck, and was already turning away before Hargraf took the papers.
He glanced at them, seeing rough sketches for formations and an accounting of supplies. Hargraf blinked, glancing at the King. This was all well and good, but he wasn't here to be informed about the army. That was Helios' job, so—
"He's under a privacy illusion," The Queen said, unprompted. Hargraf looked at her again, almost feeling the weight of her stare. "And not to be disturbed. The work he's doing might very well save the human race, so let's let him focus, shall we?"
Hargraf assumed that wasn't a question, so he nodded slowly. The Queen hummed. "Now where is Duke Helios? I need to speak to him about the necromancers."
He answered, then answered another dozen questions, and all the while the King kept working on Silent Gods knew what.
I really need to speak with Mitzi.
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Hargraf watched Helios and Soema moving towards the tent he'd left some minutes ago, honestly wishing them luck. The King hadn't even glanced at him during the half hour he'd been there, and the Queen was hyperfocused on the war.
Whatever goal his fellow nobles had, it wasn't going to work. His hadn't.
But now he had some time, already having sent out a messenger to inform his officers. Helios was technically in command of the overall forces, but he had a feeling that the Queen wasn't going to appreciate any excuses.
Hargraf didn't mind. He had abandoned military power as a valid political tool the moment the King had become an Archmage. Now he focused on economics and information as his levers of control, and with the former being unable to leave Mirrania, the latter had his full attention.
Mitzi. It would be good to see her again, regardless, though if she hadn't been his most valuable informant that probably would have had to wait a while. Luckily, he could have it both ways.
The perks of power.
He found her training alongside her other Life Enhanced soldiers, the very same order he'd once built. And while there was still a respectful silence when he arrived, Hargraf knew their loyalties would be divided. It didn't matter.
His little dagger all but bounced up to him, and Hargraf accepted the hug without reservation. He had missed her, and his image could take the hit. Mitzi tightened her grip until his armor started whining, letting go after another long moment.
"Its good to see you again," he said, nodding over her shoulder. She smiled, already moving towards the spot he'd indicated. One of his mages went with them, who would be making sure they had privacy. "Are you well?"
Mitzi rolled her eyes. "I'm fine, Duke Hargraf. The Hounds can't touch me, and I haven't had to fight Champions since we left the Eastfort. Now have your mage do the thing so we can actually talk."
Hargraf nodded to the mage, the man doing 'his thing'. The ward settled over them, and while it only blocked sound, it would do. The mage turned away, and Hargraf let himself relax. Mitzi's smile widened, and she pulled something from her pouch.
It was… a rock. Hargraf looked at it, then at her, before finally offering a shrug. "I have no idea what that is."
"It's part of the Calamity I fought," she replied, offering it more insistently. "Thoom, one of the healers, grabbed a fistful while we were running away. I've got another two, don't worry."
Hargraf took it, finding it to be just an ordinary rock. Still, his little dagger had fought a Calamity. Had fought a Calamity and lived, which was an accomplishment to rival any of his own greatest feats. Pride was too shallow a word to describe what he was feeling, though dread certainly was part of it.
"I'll want to hear that story later," he said, shaking his head. He offered her a stern, official scowl, which only made her laugh. "In detail, but I'm very, very proud of you. For now, I need to know what's going on. What I'm walking into. The King isn't seeing anyone, and the Queen is so focused on the war that pushing for politics will likely get me reprimanded."
Mitzi sighed. "That. Yeah. The Archmage awakened his sixth matrix, and the Queen herself deepened her connection to Life. It's… It's hard to describe, but she's powerful. They both are. I don't know if you heard yet, but they each killed a Calamity. Alone. I saw the dome, the melted rock. Either one would have killed thousands, and that's if we managed to kill them. More likely than not, the army would have been wiped out."
"I heard," Hargraf allowed. Only the day before yesterday, but he had. "There wasn't much detail."
That made her sigh, for some reason. Mitzi half turned away. "I love you, you know that right?"
"That might just be the most ominous thing I've ever heard you say," he replied, tilting his head. "But I know. I love you too, little dagger.
Mitzi's hand fell to her sword. "Good. Then listen to me. I know you have some scheme. Some plan to propel our House to greater heights. I don't know what it is, and I don't need to know, but stop. Just, stop. Secure what we have, bind yourself to the Crown, and do whatever you can to get in their good graces. And please, please, don't ever knowingly cross them. Don't needle them, don't pressure them, and don't try to trap them in some deal. None of it."
"I love you," Hargraf repeated, tone hardening. "But you are not in charge of this family. I'm sure you have good reasons, and I know he's an Archmage, but—"
"They laughed," Mitzi snapped, eyes blazing with power. Hargraf took half a step back in sheer surprise, something she barely seemed to notice. "I was terrified when I faced that monster. I nearly ran away when the Calamity attacked us, and it tore through our party like paper. And the King? The Queen? They were having fun. They hunted it. They played with it. They tore out its eyes after they butchered it like livestock."
She took a deep, long breath. "Power is nothing without will. You taught me that. You taught me how all the power in the world could not make a coward strong. Those two? They feed off each other. Push one another higher and higher. Before this, challenging them would have been foolish. Now its suicide. Because it won't matter if you manage to trap them, dad. It won't stop them from tearing us apart. If we draw their attention, we will shatter, and at best we'll have inconvenienced them in return."
His little dagger was here for a reason, Hargraf reminded himself. He'd sent her to get first-hand information, and now she was giving it. So instead of snapping at her, which his temper would prefer, he took a breath.
Mitzi wilted while he did. "Sorry. Just- I don't want you to die. Those two swim in social circles we couldn't dream of, and if the King decides that the Moderates have grown more annoying than useful, that's it. The end of House Rose, the end of what we've built, the end of everything."
"I'll be careful," he promised. Mitzi glanced at him, and Hargraf sighed. "Very careful. Now come, we must—"
The mage ensuring their privacy tapped on his shoulder, the ward dropping some moments later. The man cleared his throat. "A messenger arrived, sir. The Academy is presenting their gifts."
"Thank you," Hargraf replied. The man bowed, and Mitzi raised an eyebrow. He grunted. "I'll explain while we walk. It was scheduled for tomorrow, but Helios probably moved it up. We have to be there, or it will look like we didn't have anything to do with it."
Mitzi fell into step next to him, tone curious. "Did we have something to do with it?"
"Of course not. The Council of Three has the well under their control, and this was their project from the start."
She actually seemed affronted, which was nice of her. "We are House Rose. We have a right to be involved."
At least she hadn't been cowed completely, then. Hargraf shook his head. "The situation at home has changed, little dagger. The Academy Tower is rising higher by the day, and the time when it relied on the Royal Treasury is over. Thousands of students already call it home, and it's quickly becoming the heart of magic in the Kingdom. The Council of Three wields as much power as I do, if only in Redwater."
Mitzi blinked, then shrugged. Which was fair enough, really. It wasn't her duty to keep an eye on the Kingdom, and it wasn't his to keep an eye on the Royal Family.
The place for the ceremony, it turned out, was nothing but an empty hill. A table had been set up, which appeared to be displaying the armor itself, but fortunately neither the King nor Queen had arrived yet.
Hargraf blinked, and suddenly the Royal Couple was most certainly there. The trio of mages standing near the table jumped in surprise, and though most of the soldiers seemed used to it, Hargraf himself found it… disconcerting.
Neither of them looked towards where he was standing, so Hargraf was forced to just listen. He could have, maybe, forced his way next to them, but there wasn't much to gain. Instead he paid attention, and noted with growing interest how close the King and Queen were standing.
One of the Academy mages stepped forward, bowing low before speaking. Hellon, that was it. Their best enchanter. "Your Grace. It is an honor to present yet another collection of items created by the Enchanting Department, this time coming in three separate pieces."
The Queen had already turned towards a heavier set of scale-armor, which Hargraf could barely see. Hellon pivoted smoothly. "That is indeed yours, my Queen. A heavier, more comprehensive set of armor than what the King is currently wearing. With two overlapping shields and near total coverage, it provides additional protection at the cost of weight."
Hargraf watched the Queen wave her hand towards her husband, who could apparently interpret the gesture. The suit of armor started floating in front of her, the King himself inspecting what appeared to be a set of bracers.
Hellon was already explaining their use, words like 'elemental protection' and 'dual linked fire and ice matrices' floating around, but Hargraf wasn't really paying attention anymore. He was looking at Helios instead, the Duke looking at him from across the group.
Hargraf heaved an internal sigh, already knowing what was going to happen. By the look on the man's face he hadn't gotten what he needed out of his first meeting either, which meant this was about to turn into a fight for the King's attention.
It was rather demeaning, but needs must. Hargraf turned his mind fully to the problem, idly glancing to the side while he did. Mitzi had joined a pair of strangers, whispering fiercely about something, and he hoped whatever that was wouldn't become his problem.
There were a hundred things to do, and neither the Dungeon nor the army was truly important.
The Dungeon had tried to kill humanity before, and they were still here. No, it was what came after, that was going to matter most.
It had been a long while, but he could finally get back to work.
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