Clamouring desperate for forgiveness others spouting righteous indignation and casting Anera's holy symbols over the gates. My guards have little trouble holding the disgruntled nobles and their house back, although they look nothing like their titles would suggest.
Their robes in tatters from the dozens of rats and mice that tore through their hos, attracted by the scent of death, decay and rotting food. Their water turned sour, an added punishnt on my part, they reek foul stenches on par with the worse the Underground had to offer when it was active.
Hastra, the Diviner and I stand bold over the gates wall, staring down at the large congregation of nobles, "I thought you said you targeted the nobles that sponsored the protests?" I hiss at the Diviner.
He only shrugs, chuckling lightly at the raucous scene below, "I knew they had sponsors from high class families but I quite frankly couldn't be bothered finding out which ones."
"So you punished the last vestiges of the noble class?" Hastra completes, her stern, scolding voice mirroring mine.
He nods, "Exactly, now there'll be no such thing as 'I wasn't a part of this'. If everyone gets punished they'll be more inclined to police themselves, I think I've done you a favour, Lord Mayor."
Scoffing, I cast a glance at the ss of Nobles without a shred of nobility and raise my hand, silencing their cries.
Taking a deep breath I asure my voice so it booms loud and clear for all to hear, "Only one of you is allowed to speak so make sure you pick the right person."
The Nobles chatter amongst themselves, nearly devolving into infighting before a woman, no, a girl steps forward and screams at the top of her little lungs.
"Your plague has touched the innocent! My family and many families gathered here had nothing to do with the dissenters! They've shown themselves to you now haven't they?" She turns and casts her finger to her left, "The ones tossing symbols of Anera and laying curses even with the maggots biting at their flesh. Take them and free us of these plagues!"
Murmurs spread through the silenced crowd of Nobles, behind them is another growing crowd, Elves, dwarves and all the regular citizens, the passageway to my gates opened up for this display to go forward.
'Another one of the Diviners sches.' In the midst of the crowd of regulars I can pick out several of his acolytes, whispering lies into ears and crafting more rumour and legend.
'He's good at his job, I'll give him that.'
Letting out an exasperated sigh, I squint down at the little girl who's spoken. For a human I'd say she's in her teenage years, her cheek is sared with dirt and the dress she wears is poked full of holes.
"What is your na, child?"
Inwardly cringing at the word 'child' coming out of my mouth, 'I'm starting to sound too much like mum.'
"Paige Braxwood, second dau-"
"I only asked for your na." Her mouth clamps shut and a blush brightens her dirty cheeks, "Paige, I couldn't care less about which Noble spoke against the true faith of Aste."
It's a struggle resisting the urge to roll my eyes at my own words.
"So long as one of you did, you're all viable to be punished by our Lord, and you have, you are. The punishnt goes on until the faithless repent or die. The choice lies in your hands now."
Paige stares up at , mouth hung open with words edging on her lips. But rather than speak she clamps her jaw, tears her dress free and picks up a rock.
My eyes grow wide at the action, before anyone has the chance to speak out Paige launches herself at the few remaining Anera worshipping Nobles and cracks open the nearest person's skull.
Blood splashes over her clothes, her victim grabs onto her, muttering nonsense that's cut off with another skull crushing slug. He crumbles to the floor, spurting blood.
A cold silence blankets the gates, Paige falls to her knees and delivers several blows to the man's severely disfigured face, his blood pooling and staining the snow around.
Panting, Paige stands and glares at the other dissenters who just like the rest of us watched in shock, "Repent." she growls, "Repent!"
At her roar the lot of them fall on their knees, crying, sobbing and begging for forgiveness.
Still wide-eyed, a bright cackling stirs from the shock. Laughing and clapping heartily is the Diviner, he grins down at Paige and declares, "Now this! This is true faith! Co, let her in, get her clothes and food! Hahahhaha!"
The gates creak open before I can say otherwise and Paige marches in, barefoot on the snow. The Diviner leaves us, eager to et with this Noble girl that's just demonstrated the greatest show of faith to the pseudo-religion.
Gulping I et Hastra's eyes and words fail , she nods, understanding anyway and says, "Better them than you."
She takes my hand and leads away, but not before I catch a glimpse of the acolytes taking the dissenters away. 'Where are they taking them to?'
There's no ti to look for answers or intercept the Diviner to find out what he wants to do with that scared girl, that desperate child. My ring starts humming, the little sting from it letting know the call is urgent.
"Hold on, we need to take this." I let go of Hastra's hand and walk into the room in the guard tower, dismissing everyone in it.
Answering the call with a touch of mana a panicked voice cos through, Yelenia's.
"Kaylin! Get Asher on now!"
"What? Why? He's not here."
"What? Fuck! Call him, soone call him now we're fucking outnumbered and outclassed! It'll be a bloodbath!" She screams.
"Yelenia, what's going on out there? What's happening?"
"They're here, the Marquess' army is here. I thought since we took most of the March we'd have most of the n butscouts say otherwise. They have Mages, siege weapons and n ard to the teeth marching under her banner, they're a day away from us!"
The news racks with a greater fear than whatever the Diviner and his acolytes are moving out to do. At least with the Diviner I've got my strength as the Mayor but nowagainst the Marquess.
'No, no. She's far from here, it'd take days to reach us from Autue.'
I shake my head clear as Yelenia calls out for again, "Did you hear ? I said-"
"I heard you, loud and clear. I'll get in contact with Asher or at least Mayor of Dem, you contact everyone else, especially the Mayor of Dover."
"Aren is already on call with her, but she wants reassurances that Asher as well as everyone else will be there, that's another reason I'm calling. Her n are half a day away from us, they'll make it if we settle this soon."
"Fuck, this isn't the ti for assurances, we have a deal don't we? Aren struck a deal with her!"
"He did but now she's making demands, valid demands by the way."
"You're siding with her?" I seethe.
"I'm not siding with anyone, I'm simply saying Asher and his ghost companion could do with showing up at the frontlines every once in a while, would freaking help morale to see the man behind this chaos and know if he goes down then so do you."
"How does that in any way help morale? You know what? Don't answer that, get off, I need to call Asher."
"Do that and emphasize the fact that the battle starts soonvery soon." With the last word Yelenia, commander of the armies cuts off, leaving to break the dire news to Asher as I'm closer to him.
Hastra huffs and crumples down, squatting with her hair pulled back as she breathes.
"Are you alright?"
She says nothing, or rather can't. I hurry to her side as her breaths quickly beco laboured, panting and gasping for breath.
Frankly I'd like to be the one to shrink under pressure, but years of living underground, persecuted for being an Elf in my own city and fighting to stay out of the dungeons has given a tough skin.
I guess that and the fact that I'm a founding mber of this ss. 'It was just the three of us, when the idea for this Kingdom was born.'
Patting and rubbing Hastra's back, whispering soothing lodies in her ears, the sa ones Maylin sang for whenever I couldn't handle the pressure, I ntally prepare myself for what's to co.
War.
"You'll be alright, Hastra. We're going to win."
She gulps and snaps her tear filled eyes at , "And how do you know that? You heard Yelenia, their army isit's prepared for things we don't even have. Siege weapons? Is Aste going to be besieged? I can'tI-"
"Shhh, shhh, put that out of your mind. Instead, how about you rember I'm a Mage for a second, and then rember that I'm an Elven Mage. My magic is naturally stronger. We have the Mayors of Dover, Dem, Autue and even Frozia all on our side, not to ntion whatever hell Asher has brewed from hisexpedition in Dem's Forests. We will win, Hastra."
'At least I hope we do.'
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