MEMORIES OF AN OVERLORD
by Victar (vctr113062 [at] aol [dot] com)
Victar's Archive: https://www.vicfanfic.com
"I was a C student before, mostly. Then I started letting my grades really tank. It was more than slacking off. I was sabotaging myself."
Chapter Twenty-two
Memories of a Warrior: Strategy
Vanquishing the undead monster that was once Begiad Laatsch had taken a heavy toll upon Cedric Welkin, avatar of the Holy Brand Aldea. After drawing upon an extensive amount of Aldea's holy power, Cedric felt severely ill, and the edges of his thoughts were unraveling.
The Holy Brand evaluated that Cedric's condition was not life-threatening, as long as he was given the opportunity to rest and recuperate. Cedric's companions enlisted assistance from four of their Altean allies to bring Cedric to a traveler's stop, one of several that Kreisia's government had constructed upon Ascendance Island. The other ten Altean mercenaries departed for Ascendance City.
The Altean Royal Guard and Royal Mage volunteered to carry Cedric, on a stretcher shaped from Cynthia's water magic. Melinda invoked a chant to mitigate the fatigue of Cedric's bearers. Anemos' former teacher cast bardic magic that enhanced the group's celerity. Cynthia, Laminah, and the hovering Holy Brand Aldea kept vigilant watch for monsters, while Anemos maintained a chant to protect Cedric's mind.
As they traveled, Melinda asked Cedric's companions, "None of you have vowed to stay away from the village of Melusine, have you?"
Anemos raised a light green eyebrow. "We have not. Melusine may be willing to tolerate our presence; the residents surely remember us, and Cedric would do his best to allay their fear."
"Ten years ago, when you told me stories of your travels with the Savior, your description of Melusine was quite charming. I think I'll relocate there, at least temporarily."
"Do you not wish to rejoin the Royal Chanters?"
"No, I don't. I've subsisted on a modest government salary for long enough; the time has come to pursue more profitable ventures. I'm quite satisfied with the Royal Chanters' accomplishments during my tenure as their leader, and I have confidence in my successor."
"May I inquire about the Royal Chanters' accomplishments?"
"After the War of the Lesser Overlord, we established a long-distance chant communication network across Kreisia. Another accomplishment that I'm especially proud of was a cooperative venture between the Royal Chanters, the Royal Guards, and the Royal Mages. You are wearing evidence of it now."
"Indeed?"
"A single person can't invoke magic and chants simultaneously. Both undertakings are greatly hampered by physical strain. Yet when a mage wields magic, a warrior lends strength, and a chanter maintains balance, the three combined can work miracles. The rings each of you are wearing, which ward you against three types of major spells instead of only one, are the least of what can be achieved."
"Remarkable."
"I may seek partners to open a shop that will create and sell similar items. Time will tell whether Melusine is a suitable venue to establish such a venture. If not, then I'll use a long-distance communication chant to inform you of my next destination. You'll know where to find me, if you need to. Or if you desire to."
Laminah quietly said, "Melinda, I would consider it a great favor if you could deliver a message to my mother. In person, if feasible."
Melinda showed an inscrutable smile. "I think you're offering a favor, not asking for one. She is King Thor's sister; a friendly acquaintance with her can only be good for business."
"I should caution you that the word 'friendly' does not describe my mother."
"No matter. What's the message?"
"Please tell her that I wish to see her again, away from the Royal Capital, after the war against Orzand is won."
"I'll tell her in person."
"And, please ask her to give my regards to my uncle. I may not be able to see him even after the war is won. I expect that he cannot leave the Royal Capital for as long as he is king, any more than I can return there."
Cynthia piped up, "My parents can't leave their village, and I can't go back there, but I'm going to write a letter to them. Would it be okay if they sent a reply to you at Melusine?"
"Of course," Melinda agreed with a nod. "I'll keep any letters they send safe for you."
When the entourage reached the traveler's stop, Laminah helped Cedric out of the stretcher, and the four Alteans from Ascendance City bid farewell.
"It has been an honor to aid you," the Altean Royal Mage said to Cedric, with a bow. "You have worked miracles for our people."
"We will send a report to King Thor concerning all that has happened," the Altean Royal Guard added.
Anemos' former instructor told his erstwhile pupil, "Your songs are still circulated, although concerns about their connection to a Lesser Seal have dampened their popularity. I hope that you will compose more. Your music holds the potential for greatness."
Melinda's parting words were also to Anemos. "You mentioned possibly altering your outfit. I could procure another preserved flower to complement your apparel, if you wish. I'm on excellent terms with several Royal Mages."
Anemos mused, "Your offer is most generous. Please allow me to consider it for a time. I hope to provide you with an answer after Overlord Yusis' reign of terror is ended."
"Monsters have occasionally posed a threat in the past ten years; no more than is usual during the peace between turns of the cycle. And yet, no attacks have been reported since Overlord Yusis created obelisks to announce his ascent. Is this truly a reign of terror? It feels more like a dream."
The four Alteans departed. Laminah helped Cedric settle on a cot within the cabin of the traveler's stop.
Cedric refused Cynthia's offer to soothe his pains with holy healing magic. "Cynthia dear, you are most kind, but holy magic harms you now. We would trade something that does not cause injury for something that does. I will recover."
Neither would he allow any of his companions to use healing beads. "Our supply of those is limited, and we have expended a large portion of our funds."
Every word he spoke was in a low, steady tone, and the look of concentration on his face belied the pretense of his easygoing demeanor.
"Dear Cynthia, dear Anemos, would you mind waiting outside for a few hours? I believe Laminah's tender ministrations are all I need," Cedric suggested, with a forced wink.
*Bard, it will be sufficient to maintain the chant until dawn. I will keep watch for monsters.* The Holy Brand Aldea transformed into a nearly-invisible shimmer of light, and the sensation of its consciousness receded.
Laminah held herself steady while Cynthia borrowed writing tools from the traveler's stop. As Cynthia and Anemos left the cabin, Laminah was careful not to let her eyes linger too intently on the departing priestess.
You have requested that I help you prepare to battle the former Savior, the warrior silently thought. Yet you are already far stronger than I could ever be, if I were in your place.
How do you bear outliving the one you love? How can you bear it?
Cedric quietly said, "Laminah, you seem troubled."
And why can I hide nothing from my king?
Laminah turned to Cedric and sharply asked, "Do you feel the chant? I am bringing Anemos back in here if it cannot reach you."
"Yes, I feel it. I will not pass out." The golden-haired Lunarl smiled at her.
"Good. Then you can listen to me when I tell you that you are a fool."
"Listening," Cedric replied, cheerily.
"You drew upon far too much holy power! We were fighting a defensive battle; our task was to protect and endure until Overlord Yusis could intervene. You should not have become the Holy Brand's avatar until Begiad appeared! You recklessly brought this condition on yourself, and you deserve every moment of suffering that you feel right now!"
"Yes, I do," he agreed, still smiling.
"My king, you are genius at politics, but you are absolutely terrible at military strategy!"
"Which is why I used to delegate such matters, as much as I could," he conceded. "Sometimes I wonder whether a better leader could have saved Vatoren."
"There was no better leader!"
"I think that is only because the cycle has slain too many of us."
"My king-!"
"What will it take, for you to call me Cedric?"
Laminah fell silent.
Cedric pressed, "I thought you would not speak my name because you had decided that becoming a Lesser Seal was your destiny. Now you have seen that destiny through, and still you refuse. Why?"
"You know full well."
"Perhaps, yet I wish to hear you confirm it."
Laminah said nothing.
Cedric remarked, "Have I told you why I encouraged nearly everyone to call me by name, when I represented Kreisia? It was out of a mad hope that perhaps, if all of them did, then you would as well. What was once a mad hope became a continued habit, these past ten years, even though I did not expect the miracle before my eyes - your life, preserved through Chronomancy."
Laminah shook her head. "When your mind is dissolved into nothing, will the only words you are able to speak be, 'Call me Cedric'?"
"So, you can say my name, even if you cannot address me with it. Progress!" His chuckle turned into a groan of pain.
"Do you think I cannot tell how much the Holy Brand has worn away your faculties? How much harder it is for you to focus your mind? How much effort you put into disguising your own degradation?"
"I believe you are conflating temporary aftereffects with irreparable damage."
"Too much of one will become the other, as well you know."
"Then perhaps I should prove to you that I am as capable as ever."
"Impossible, in your current state."
"Or perhaps, I should share my concerns about Kreisia's miasma now, before my mind dissolves into nothing?"
Laminah appraised him with a cool gaze.
I know that you are trying to distract me from the battle between us.
At this moment, I can gain no further advantage from pressing the assault. I will listen to your insights into the war against Orzand, but the battle between us is not concluded.
"What concerns?" she inquired, evenly.
Cedric adjusted his position on the cot. His congenial smile faded into a gravely troubled expression.
"Our plan to destroy Kreisia's miasma seems sound at first glance, assuming that we can withstand and outmaneuver Overlord Yusis in the destined battle. Which is extremely far from certain, but that is a separate problem.
"If we can first purify all the miasma concentrated within Overlord Yusis' vortex, then destroying the Greater Seal should not enable what he calls 'Miasma falls, everyone dies'. Kreisia will not drown in miasma, and there will be no need for a new Greater Seal or Lesser Seals.
"However, will that truly and completely transcend Kreisia's cycle?
"The Holy Brand Aldea is certain that it will. Evidence does support the Holy Brand's contention that miasma requires an extreme degree of concentration to regenerate, and that this degree of concentration is not found within miasma vapors, shaped objects, or ordinary monsters.
"Active miasma fonts regenerate their contents, but the Holy Brand claims that there are no more miasma fonts in Kreisia. The Overlord has shaped the miasma from the previous cycle's three fonts into obelisks that we have been purifying, and the miasma that would normally be routed into you Lesser Seals, or into three new fonts after your destruction, is now routed into the Overlord himself. Without any fonts, the sole remaining source of regenerating miasma is the Overlord's miasma vortex.
"The Holy Brand further asserts that Orzand, the mind within the miasma, will cease to exist when the miasma within Overlord Yusis' vortex is purified. I have questioned these assumptions, but the Holy Brand is very difficult to debate with."
"Savior Yusis had his share of arguments with the Holy Brand as well," Laminah recalled.
"I am not as certain as the Holy Brand," Cedric stressed. "What troubles me the most is that Kreisia's miasma has grown in overall strength, across turns of the cycle.
"I believe the cycle has been a losing struggle from the beginning. During each turn, the eradication of the Seals eliminated less miasma than had been created over the previous ten years. The 'low ebb' of miasma at the start of each new turn has been higher than the 'low ebb' of the previous turn.
"Additional evidence supports this theory. The Overlords of the past century have generally been more devastating than the Overlords further back in our history. The Wizard Overlord of twenty years ago outstripped all previous Wizard Overlords in calamity. Perhaps there has never been a Chronomancer Overlord before because there was insufficient miasma to empower one until quite recently? It is hard to say.
"Everything comes back to the dark truth that Kreisia's miasma naturally grows in power. The Holy Brand claims that the miasma vortex within the Overlord is responsible for this growth. There is logic to the Holy Brand's assertion. The Overlord's body is the Greater Seal; its function is to attract and concentrate miasma.
"However, what of the dawn of Kreisia's cycle? When Orzand first awakened from its long sleep, where did that miasma come from? It was not from an Overlord then.
"Could there be a concentrated miasma reservoir outside of the Overlord's miasma vortex? Laminah, what do you think?"
The warrior carefully replied, "I think that if such a thing existed, then Overlord Yusis would have written about it on his obelisks."
"He would have if he had known about it, yet Overlord Yusis is not all-knowing. He could not perceive the monster Begiad Laatsch until a concealment chant was broken. Overlord Yusis did not even know which location was hidden from his perception, at first. He was 'scanning' all of Kreisia for monsters, until he encountered 'static' and the monster Zea in his search.
"It is quite possible that Overlord Yusis is unable to easily detect a miasma reservoir external to his own vortex, especially if that reservoir is somehow concealed. I suspect that he has never thought to search."
Laminah contemplated this.
"I have not mentioned this before, and I should," she reasoned. "After the battle against Overlord Clize, Savior Yusis astonished the Holy Brand with his superlative attunement to dark magic. He knew precisely how much time remained before a torrential miasma flood would drown all life. If there exists any being who could detect a hidden miasma reservoir, it would be Yusis."
"We will make a scholar of you yet, Laminah!" Cedric flashed a wide grin, which twisted into a pained frown as a particularly bad spasm forced him to double over on the cot.
Outside the cabin of the traveler's stop, Anemos rested on the grass and plucked the strings of his lute.
The music oscillated between melodic fragments and spikes of jarring disharmony. He did not try to smooth out the discordance. He allowed it to be what it was.
Cynthia sat on the front steps of the cabin. She quietly used her borrowed writing supplies to compose a letter; when she seemed satisfied with her missive, she folded it and tucked it away in a pocket.
"I'll ask Cedric to deliver this for me, when he's feeling better," she remarked to Anemos. "I know you can talk to other Alteans with long-distance chants, but I also know it's hard to send more than a short message that way. Would you like to write someone a letter, too?"
The bard shook his head. A particularly grating, off-key note sounded from his lute.
Cynthia's long ears flattened tightly against the sides of her head and neck. She inhaled and exhaled a deep breath, and relaxed her ears.
The she piped up, "Are you trying to make a new song?"
The bard nodded once.
"Sorry, maybe I shouldn't distract you? Since you're busy with that and keeping up a chant."
"It is no trouble," he sighed. "Maintaining a chant on one who welcomes it and carries no wards requires scarcely any concentration."
"Creating music is really tough, I guess?"
Anemos closed his eyes and bowed his head.
"Um, I didn't mean to criticize," Cynthia nervously clarified, touching her fingertips together and looking at the ground.
"I am aware," the bard acknowledged. "I have never composed a true recitative before. These early efforts are only the foundation; the full venture may be beyond my capability."
"Why's that?"
"A recitative involves vocal performance, which falls on a varying scale between speech and singing. I have no proficiency in arts of the voice."
"I could teach you how to sing," she suggested, with a small smile. "I'm not very good, but I know the basics."
"Your offer is most generous. Please allow me to consider it for a time."
"Take as much time as you need. Maybe I'll practice a little, while you think about it. I haven't done any in years, and I kind of wish I'd tried singing for Yusis, when we journeyed together."
The bard opened his eyes, but did not raise his head. He stopped playing his lute.
"Anemos, are you okay?" Cynthia asked, studying him with a hint of worry.
"I do not have an answer for you."
"I think that is an answer."
The bard set down his lute.
One of the priestess' long ears perked slightly. "Is there anything I can do to help?"
In a soft, humble tone, Anemos said, "Cynthia, I wish to apologize to you."
"For what?"
"During our 'battle' against Overlord Yusis, I used a domination chant on you. I am sorry."
"Oh, that. It's okay. I know you just wanted to make me break Yusis' concentration on his stupid binding spell, so you could treat Laminah's injuries."
"That is true, yet it is not the whole truth. I was also angered by your unwillingness to fight."
"You had a reason to be angry; I was partly responsible for your predicament. I should have gotten up and used my own healing beads on Laminah. At the time, I thought that persuading Yusis to stop 'role-playing' was more important, but... I made the wrong decision."
"As one who has made many wrong decisions, I had no right to hold that against you."
"Anemos, I knew Yusis wouldn't hurt Laminah badly enough to put her life in danger, and he practically announced that he'd made her unconscious with mind-related magic, not head trauma. I still wouldn't have left her like that for much longer than I did. If the situation had dragged on, then I would have healed her. I swear I would have."
"Cynthia, I incorrectly assessed your motives. I thought that you refused to fight because of your emotions for the former Savior."
"You weren't wrong about that. I just had another motive, too. I'm not even sure which motive was stronger. Laminah has promised to help me mentally prepare to fight Yusis, as well as physically prepare."
"I was unaware that was part of your warrior training."
"Laminah says it's part of every warrior's training. She also told me that Yusis really took to it, when she trained him. Finding the will to fight was one of very few things he didn't struggle with. That makes me feel a little better, about what we have to do. I know Yusis hates being forced to hurt us, but he'll be okay as long as we win without any casualties."
Cynthia spared a wistful smile. "Maybe he'll even be happy."
Anemos did not return her smile. "I have more to confess. After I healed Laminah, I contemplated teleporting away with her. I all but openly suggested abandoning you to Overlord Yusis. I strongly suspected that he would not slay you, or raise you into undeath, but I did not know his intentions for certain."
"Maybe you talked about abandoning me, but you didn't do it. Just like how Yusis once talked about abandoning Kreisia, and he didn't do it."
"I wonder which of us truly came closer to doing the unthinkable. I suspect it was not him."
"Maybe you were too far away to hear Yusis say it, but your intuition about his intentions was completely correct. He planned to stop my time with Chronomancy, until the next Savior could come to my rescue. So don't trouble yourself anymore, all right? It really is okay, Anemos."
"I am most grateful for your forgiveness. Again."
"I kind of get the impression none of this is what's really bothering you, though. There's something else, isn't there?"
The bard remained silent for a space of heartbeats.
Then he quietly said, "Cynthia, I would ask you a question."
"Sure! As long as it's not about my ears or tail," she agreed, with a mirthful wink.
"How am I to live with myself?"
"I had a feeling it was one of those types of questions." Her playfulness became more subdued.
"I could claim that I did not know my former 'master' was condemning so many victims to death and worse. That claim would be half a lie. I did not learn about 'and worse' until after I met Savior Yusis, but ever since my childhood, I have known that any person who dared to defy the Ascendance Disciples would swiftly 'disappear'."
Cynthia wrapped her arms around her knees, and hugged them tightly.
The bard contemplated, "Savior Yusis did not use his own strength to end 'Lesser Overlord' Begiad Laatsch's reign of terror. Savior Yusis had no strength of his own. He did not wield the Holy Brand Aldea, and he was completely helpless for the final confrontation. It was the people of Kreisia who rose up against Begiad, and...
"...although Savior Yusis attempted to be a beacon of inspiration, his talent for that was limited. Extremely limited. His atrocious haircut certainly did not help. It was our combined call to arms, amplified by the leadership of King Welkin, that fully motivated the people of Kreisia.
"The potential to stop Begiad rested within us, all along. It rested within me.
"I knew full well that King Welkin was a champion of equality for Alteans, and a staunch defender of Kreisia. I could have informed him of the Ascendance Disciples' secrets, years before Savior Yusis persuaded me to confess. I could have delivered a warning of Begiad's plan to commit high treason. I could have testified that Begiad was making people 'disappear'. I could have given the remedy for Ascendance poison, the techniques for long-distance communication chants, and the counter-chant to reveal Ascendance City.
"Perhaps I could have saved Vatoren.
"If Begiad had been vanquished earlier, then he would not have kidnapped and murdered Vatoren's most powerful defender, the high priestess Zea. If only the city had benefitted from her holy magic wards against monsters...
"I could have turned against the 'Lesser Overlord' so much sooner than I did. I could have saved so many more lives than I did. Under the letter of the law, I have fully repaid my wrongdoing, but in every other meaningful sense... how am I to live with myself?"
Cynthia blinked her reddish-brown eyes several times.
The bard reflected, "The day after Begiad's retreat from Ascendance City, I concluded that I could defer answering this question. My duty to aid Savior Yusis would soon settle the dilemma. When I chose to heed Yusis' final appeal, I did not contemplate what he sought to accomplish. Not even when you repeated his whisper.
"It should have been obvious to me that he intended to preserve our lives, just as it was obvious to you. It was not. When Overlord Yusis awakened me, I was so stupefied over being alive that my memory lapse was not entirely a pretense, and my mind-addled buffoonery was not entirely an act. Greeting him with the phrase 'at your service' was not a binding oath, yet I would never have dared utter those words to the Overlord, had I been fully clearheaded.
"Now, I can no longer defer the question.
"How am I to live with myself?"
Cynthia looked up at the starry, nighttime sky.
The bard continued, "The Holy Brand has warned us that it cannot raise its avatar's 'holy resistance' to the necessary threshold before Overlord Yusis regains the ability to move and cast major spells. While we wait, there is a risk that Overlord Yusis could lose the remainder of his Savior mind.
"Does a way exist to forestall such a calamity?
"Even if Overlord Yusis retains his Savior mind, he will be compelled to battle us to the death. His Chronomancy, the legendary power of Yumarac, was overwhelming in our previous 'battle' against him. That power will grow greater over time. No matter how intensely we train ourselves, it is quite possible that Overlord Yusis could destroy us in combat.
"Does a way exist to substantially improve our chances?
"The Holy Brand expects that the Savior mind of Overlord Yusis will choose to keep his miasma vortex as an open target. His Savior mind can and will influence how he fights, in the destined battle.
"Does a way exist to strengthen that influence?
"We dream of ending the depredations of the cycle. I would give my life and more for our dream, but if my will to live falters, then can I truly contribute anything of value? Will regrets and despair sabotage my efforts, even as they are sabotaging my ability to compose music? If I cannot put my heart into what I do, then any actions I take may only hasten our ruin.
"How am I to live with myself?"
Cynthia moved her gaze from the stars to the shining moon. A long moment passed in silence.
Then, in a gentle, heartfelt trill, she answered, "You have to forgive yourself."
"I am not certain that is possible."
"It is. It really is, Anemos. All you need is the resolve to do it. You have to forgive yourself, so you can stop thinking so much about the bad things you did, and start thinking more about the good things you've done and can do."
"You make it sound so simple," mused the bard.
"Simple isn't the same as easy."
"Duly noted."
Anemos picked up his lute, and plucked its strings. The music remained jarring and discordant.
"Anytime you want to talk more, I'll listen," the priestess whispered. "Anytime at all. I promise."
"Thank you, Cynthia."
Anemos closed his eyes and directed his thoughts, as his fingers continued to haphazardly play.
Holy Brand Aldea. I respectfully request that you inform me of precisely how much time you require, before you are ready to confront Overlord Yusis.
The scalding vehemence of the Holy Brand's response nearly paralyzed his mind.
*I have warned you before, bard. Do not call out to me, barring an emergency situation.
*You helped me fulfill my function in the previous cycle, and I need your assistance going forward. The priestess has recently convinced me that what mortals term 'respect' is important.
*I will therefore refrain from making you feel extreme agony. This time.*
The psychological intensity of Aldea's presence receded into a whisper of light.
Anemos let out a discouraged sigh.
At least the Holy Brand is no longer addressing me as 'Altean throwback'.
Cedric made a full recovery, or so he claimed. Laminah watched him closely, in the days that followed. She trained both Cedric and Cynthia in physical combat.
Although Cynthia asked to focus on her crossbow archery skills, she did not complain when Laminah demanded that she keep up with Cedric in other exercises to build strength, flexibility, balance, and stamina. Cynthia adapted to the strict regimen more easily than Cedric, having led a more active life beforehand.
Cynthia did not speak a word of protest when Laminah required her to exchange her humble, frilly dress - the garment she had worn throughout her journey with Savior Yusis - for thicker clothing and light armor. After Cynthia cast protective wards on her new battle outfit and donned it for the first time, she used fire magic to burn her old dress.
"This is for both Yusis and Kreisia," she softly pronounced, over the ashes of her former clothing.
Anemos did not train as a warrior. He engaged in his own, self-directed routine, honing his skills in bardic magic. His practice would often overlap with the others, as he sought to more effectively empower them during their drills, or in battles against undead monsters. There were no monster bounties to fulfill in this turn of the cycle, due to the complete absence of monster attacks on any settlements, animals, or people, yet the Holy Brand Aldea regularly lured wandering monsters to test the team's combat prowess and coordination.
Anemos and Cynthia spent time talking quietly together during most evenings. Their discussions were not always heavy-hearted; Cynthia often shared pleasant memories from growing up in her village. Anemos said little about his past, but sometimes broached more philosophical topics.
Cynthia also practiced her singing. Anemos was familiar with many of her favorite songs, and played his lute to accompany her vocals.
On other evenings, Cedric and Cynthia worked on deepening their familiarity with holy magic, trading ideas and experiments with one another. Cedric had far more knowledge of holy magic's subtleties, yet Cynthia had a substantially stronger innate connection to the power, even hampered as she was by the permanent side effects of being a Lesser Seal.
In one of these mutual study sessions, Cedric reflected, "Cynthia, I have wondered... if my sister had summoned Savior Yusis, would she be alive today?"
"That's a pointless question," the priestess dismissed, shaking her head.
"Perhaps the thought does transgress logic. Circe cast her summon spell twenty years before you cast yours. On the night I interrogated Savior Yusis, I confirmed that he was seventeen years of age, and that a year on his world is approximately the same amount of time as a year on ours. He would not have been born when-"
"That has nothing to do with it," Cynthia brusquely interrupted.
Cedric waited for her to say more. When she did not, he gently requested, "Could you please elaborate?"
Cynthia didn't answer at first. She touched her fingertips together and looked down.
Then she raised her head and continued, "Only a few Lunarl priestesses can cast the summon spell. Everyone else just doesn't have enough talent for magic. You have more talent than most people, and it's still nowhere near what's needed. But even though you can't cast the summon spell yourself, you've probably studied it. Have you?"
"Indeed I have."
"Did you notice anything unusual about it?"
"Perhaps I did recognize an intriguing similarity to bardic magic."
"Not just any bardic magic. Not bardic magic that shapes sound into physical force, or invokes the elements, or affects resistance to attacks, or inspires courage, or induces sleep. The bardic magic that Yusis really liked to have Anemos use during our journey. Magic that made us travel faster."
"Chronomancy," Cedric quietly said. "The lesser form of it that bards practice today."
Cynthia closed her reddish-brown eyes. "Yusis thought that if we traveled faster, then we'd stop the Overlord faster. He wanted to save Kreisia as quickly as possible. Just like I did."
"A most understandable desire."
"I'd never traveled with a bard before Anemos joined us. I'd never experienced that magic before. During our journey, I realized there was a connection between that magic and what I felt when I cast the summon spell."
"Scholars have theorized that the summon spell utilizes both holy magic and Chronomancy."
"It makes sense, doesn't it?" she asked, opening her eyes. "Yumarac invented the summon spell, and Chronomancy is what he knew. I wonder if he knew anything about holy magic at all, before he came to Kreisia. Maybe he didn't. Maybe he learned about it from his wife."
"It is quite possible. Miasma is presumably unique to Kreisia; perhaps holy power is as well. No off-world Savior has attested to the presence of either force on their home world."
"I think the Chronomancy in the summon spell is why it requires so much natural talent to cast. I think that, because of the Chronomancy..."
Cynthia trailed off.
"Could the summon spell search the reaches of time for a Savior, even as it searches the vastness of space?" Cedric questioned. "Scholars have speculated upon this, yet such an extraordinary feat seems beyond anything described in legends about Yumarac."
"Maybe it doesn't work like that," Cynthia slowly answered. "Maybe the spell can't summon a Savior from the past or the future. If Yumarac knew magic that could show the future, then wouldn't he have predicted Orzand's rise before it happened? If Yumarac knew magic that could change the past, then wouldn't he have prevented Orzand from becoming a threat at all?"
"Then, what is the purpose of the Chronomancy in the summon spell?"
"I remember how the magic felt when I cast it. Like a two-sided quilt, or a piece of folded paper, or quill pen enchanted so that the tip of its feather can absorb its own writing. The summon spell can be completely reversed."
"It has been reversed, in turns of the cycle when more than one Savior was summoned. The Holy Brand Aldea always selected one Savior to vanquish the Overlord, and mandated that the others be returned to their home worlds."
"Yes. I think the summon spell involves Chronomancy so that its own effects can be undone, if necessary."
"But for even that to be possible..."
"The summon spell doesn't just rely on the power of its caster. The need of every person in the world fuels it. All of Kreisia calls out for a Savior, and because of that... I think the spell affects time, for both the Savior and all of Kreisia."
"Do you believe the spell limits the time differential between Kreisia and the Savior's home world?"
"I guess? Because of the Chronomancy, the Savior doesn't lose time - he doesn't age - even though he crosses an unknowable distance to reach us. And as long as the priestess remains capable of reversing the spell, then the Savior can be sent back without losing much time on his world. Just like how bardic magic can make us travel great distances, while losing very little time."
Cedric ventured, "I have long considered how Kreisia selfishly consumes off-world Saviors. Our Saviors sacrifice their lives and more, and their home worlds are deprived of all the accomplishments, wisdom, and leadership those Saviors could have provided, had they been permitted to find their own destinies."
"Yusis didn't see it that way," Cynthia replied, wistfully. "Not for his own summoning."
"Perhaps he did not. It is possible no Savior has held such an interpretation, but I suspect that Yumarac did. Perhaps the summon spell's Chronomancy is meant to ensure that Kreisia does not claim any more Saviors than needed."
"That does fit with the restrictions on who the summon spell can choose. And... I think the magic selects a Savior who closely matches what the priestess calls for."
"My examination of the spell, and that of countless scholars before me, supports that conjecture."
"That's why your sister could never have summoned Yusis, whether he was born in her time or not. She couldn't have summoned anyone like him."
"He did seem to be an atypical Savior."
"You don't have to soften it," Cynthia sighed. "He was weak. He couldn't use any magic. He wasn't good at inspiring people, although he tried when he had to. He needed help with battle strategy. And he wasn't..."
Cynthia trailed off again.
"He did not possess qualities that Circe would have called for," Cedric evaluated.
"It's more than that. Your sister didn't have a cloudy mind like mine, did she?"
"No, she did not. She was a trifle eccentric, but her mind was quite sound."
"She knew what happens to the Savior, so her summon spell called someone who was completely prepared to accept death and worse. Just like the summon spell of every Priestess of Salvation before me called a Savior who was completely prepared. I fogged my own mind so much that my summon spell did something that's never happened before. My spell called an unprepared Savior. It called Yusis."
No bitterness affected Cynthia's candid admission, yet Cedric inwardly decided to refrain from further discussion of the topic.
During both evening study and daytime training, Laminah tightly regulated Cedric's expenditure of holy power. Aldea regularly reassured her that it was monitoring its avatar closely, and steadily raising his 'holy resistance'.
Each day, Cedric charged one of the crossbow bolts that Cynthia had obtained from her beloved parents. He also drew upon Aldea's holy power to teleport to miasma-obelisks, and then purify them. When Cedric and Aldea purified obelisks that were near settlements, the Lesser Seals usually kept their distance under the cover of Anemos' concealment magic, rather than risk alarming any people nearby. Purifying the Royal Capital's obelisk necessarily required Cedric and Aldea to revisit the city's outskirts by themselves.
When the group's travels brought them to Melusine, Anemos used a chant to contact Melinda. She greeted them near the village border, with letters from Laminah's mother and Cynthia's parents. King Thor had also sent a missive, though it said little more than formalities.
After a brief negotiation with Cedric and the Holy Brand Aldea, Melusine's mayor and local residents granted the Lesser Seals permission to visit their village as often as needed. Melinda offered to let the group stay overnight at her newly acquired residence, whenever they desired.
The Holy Brand Aldea reached out with its mind to contact the mayor or village magistrate of every city or settlement the group approached. At least once per day, Aldea inquired whether an off-world Savior had been summoned. The answer was always negative.
Overlord Yusis used his dominion over Kreisia's monsters to make a handful of announcements, on intermittent days.
"Hi, everyone!
"I'm finishing up that complete inventory of Kreisia's monsters. I'm going to turn it into another book for my castle's library, once I can do literally anything that costs MP!
"Wait, did I say MP? I'll let you guess what MP stands for. Kreisia isn't a video game, but my mind keeps processing it like one. I used to be pretty good at video games, and you know what? I always played them to win! %The Overlord cannot surrender,% so it's not like I can play to lose anyway.
"Looks like my monster inventory's going to be a thick book. Kreisia sure has a lot of monsters! Most of them aren't very strong; nearly all of the strongest ones were destroyed last cycle, especially during the siege on Vatoren. Even weak monsters can be powered up with %Strengthen monster,% though!
"Sometimes I do that. I still can't move or cast major spells right now, but my overall power keeps growing over time because that's how the Overlord works.
"I have to use this power growth to make either myself or the monsters stronger, you know? I absolutely have to, and I can use only so much on the monsters. No more than a certain amount. Rules are rules. Very strict rules. Very seriously enforced. Can't slack off the rules, that's not allowed.
"For some reason, I'm growing in power four times as fast as previous Overlords! I didn't figure out the rate until recently. The Overlord's power growth doesn't kick into high gear until the end of a ten-year cycle, so the difference wasn't as noticeable at first. And I'm bad at math.
"I've learned a new channeled spell! I call it %Endless mode.% It cost a ridiculously huge amount of power growth to get the signature spell of Master Tactician Overlords when I'm not one, but that all counts as preparing for the next Savior, doesn't it?
"%Endless mode% summons endless monsters! Well, endless for all practical purposes. It starts out weak and gets stronger over time - nowhere near as quickly as a real Master Tactician Overlord's spell would, but it doesn't stop unless I turn it off or get interrupted. Or unless I summon every monster on Kreisia? If the next Savior doesn't show up in six days, then he just might find out!
"Yeah, that's right! Only six more days before I'm not helpless anymore! You should tell the next Savior that, if he's not already with you. Will it terrify him? I'm supposed to spread terror like a sincere, effective Overlord!
"Wait, no. I was supposed to 'try as sincerely and effectively as I can' to do something else, wasn't I? That's a project I've already finished, right?
"I'm sure I know this. Is it something I need to remember...?
"Doesn't matter! The most important thing to remember is that I have to prepare. Terrifying announcements totally count as preparing! Intimidation is a useful, low-cost tactic! %Monster PA% over and out."
"Hi, everyone.
"I'll be able to move around and cast major spells three days from now. Really early on the third day, like a little after midnight. Can you tell the next Savior that? Will it terrify him?
"I've got something else terrifying for you to tell the next Savior!
"Did you know that even though nearly all of Kreisia's undead monsters look like animals, most of them really used to be people? Their dark magic shells changed shape into something that doesn't resemble a person anymore. Sometimes the change happens when they're turned; sometimes it happens over time; sometimes the Overlord makes it happen.
"Monsters can get all sorts of new powers from changing their shape. Like the ability to fly, or run faster, or hit harder, or use a miasma-fire breath attack like Sasha had - wait, undead monsters don't breathe. How do they do breath attacks? I never wondered about that before.
"I think maybe 'breath attack' is a bad description; it can't really be actual breathing. It can't be a spell either; dragons can't cast major spells. It's probably just channeling a raw mix of dark magic and elemental magic through the mouth.
"The hydra-monster on my island got the ability to attack with three heads! I know he has only one soul inside, despite the three heads; miasma can't trap more than one soul inside a single monster. He just reminded me that I have to prepare - he sends network-based reminders pretty often, I made that one of his official jobs along with patrolling the island - so I'm working on several projects. Stuff like scheduling duels with him to test both our battle skills, improving the monitor system I've set up to display minor divinations, and changing more monsters into stronger forms.
"The drawback to drastically changing a monster's shape is that they lose the ability to cast major spells, or use Altean chants. Have I mentioned that Kreisia has a lot of stuff to preserve game balance? Because it does.
"Usually, only strong-willed people remain in person-shaped forms as monsters. Does that mean I have strong will? I don't know, the Greater Seal is probably a special case. It's different from the bodies of other monsters in more ways than just having a miasma vortex. Another way is that taking the forms of others monsters doesn't block me from casting spells, unless I take a super-strong offensive form that hits really hard.
"Lesser Seals are definitely a special case. They're always recognizable as who they once were. Aldea's pommel stones make them like that. Aldea wants the Lesser Seals destroyed, which would be trickier to do if the Lesser Seals were hard to identify.
"Begiad's monsters were sort of a special case, I think? He used a modified miasma formula to poison his victims, and he mostly targeted people who had strong will anyway. Like anyone brave enough to stand up to him.
"Kreisia's animals don't get turned into monsters often. It's actually pretty rare. All of Kreisia's living animals have super-keen senses, sharp instincts, and fast reflexes; they're good at escaping miasma or the undead. They're even sort of resistant to dark magic, so it takes more than a scratch or a few vapors to turn them. Maybe they evolved like that? Since miasma existed in Kreisia long before the cycle began.
"Dead animals are a lot less likely to become monsters than dead people are, by the way. Because reasons. Animal souls move on super-quickly, or something. Living things like plants and insects can't turn into monsters at all; whatever they have for a soul just isn't enough to work with.
"I have to go kill stuff like that now. Not personally, since I can't move; I'm directing miasma vapors to exterminate pretty much everything in a certain wilderness. Everything that doesn't have the super-keen senses, sharp instincts, and fast reflexes to escape, that is! There aren't any people there either, and at this rate there never will be; I'm blighting the land into barren rock.
"%The Overlord must protect Kreisia from all life.% I can't completely slack off on that rule, especially when I have down time between preparations for the next Savior. %Monster PA% over and out."
"Hi, everyone.
"You all remember that I'll be able to move and cast major spells again pretty soon, don't you? It'll happen a little after midnight tonight. I'm sure you've told the next Savior by now, but feel free to tell anyone else you come across. You're my Primary Servants, and spreading terror totally counts as serving your Overlord!
"I've got another way you can serve your Overlord, right here and right now!
"You know this hawk-monster delivering today's %Monster PA?% He used to be an Altean boy. That's all I know! He doesn't have much of his mind left. He can't remember his name or hold a conversation. It's hard for him to communicate anything.
"He just... wanted to help me, when I needed help. When I flooded Aldea's shrine and %almost turned all of you into disgusting things like me,% he volunteered to help any way he could. He was small enough that I could use %Bend time on monster% on him despite my summon limit, so I sent him to warn you. He helped me scan the area afterward. We didn't find any newly created monsters, only blighted land - although not all of the holy grasslands are blighted, did you know that? Even my %Empowered miasma flood% has a limit.
"It was the hawk-monster's idea to try summoning you, so I could confirm whether or not you survived. He wanted to help me prepare for the next Savior, too. I had him fly around a lot for my scans, while I was taking that complete monster inventory. He found Zea and relayed my command to walk out of the static, so I could directly communicate with her. She was under orders to stay put, but the Overlord's orders totally take priority!
"The monster inventory's all done, now. I don't need the hawk-monster's help anymore, so I've decided to recycle his miasma. Which isn't hard, but first I need you to kick his soul out of that dark magic shell. That's something you can do and the Overlord can't, you know? I knew it was a good idea to create living Primary Servants!
"Try to make it quick. I want his miasma as soon as possible. I'll command him to attack you all-out in a moment, so the fight will finish faster.
"On a completely and totally unrelated topic, undead monsters can't feel physical pain, but that doesn't mean being burned, blasted, or sliced up is fun, you know? Or clawed, or bitten, or mangled into a mess of sewage that has to %Regenerate% itself. That is no fun at all.
"A mess like that would make it harder to prepare for the next Savior, anyway. So, it's not going to happen while I'm focused on preparations. It is not.
"Wait, I should mention that taking damage wouldn't bother the hydra so much. He really wants a glorious battle with the next Savior, more than anything! I do kind of get where he's coming from, more or less. So, uh, forget about what I just said when you all storm my castle, okay? Bring on the destined battle, full tilt! Don't hold back on the glory!
"You can warm up by battling the hydra first, if you want. Just make sure you're completely ready! He's the strongest monster in Kreisia other than me, so I hope some of you are at least a little bit terrified of him. He won't leave my island; that way, I can summon him anytime I need to. I can't summon a monster that strong from very far away.
"Oh, I should also mention that Sasha wasn't bothered by her final battle. You shouldn't feel bad about that, Cynthia. You did very well. I wasn't completely sure the three of you could handle Sasha, without Aldea or the next Savior on your side, so I had a backup plan to recycle her miasma.
"My backup plan was to spread terror by announcing a dragon attack on your home village, Cynthia! Then I'd summon Sasha in front of the village, and force your monster hunter parents to battle her! They killed a lot of strong monsters before they settled down, you know. And even more when they fought in the war against Overlord Clize's first Lesser Seal! They never told you they were the ones who finished off that Lesser Seal, did they? Well, I've seen it in the Lesser Seal's memories, so I'm telling you now!
"I'm glad I didn't have to use my backup plan, though. Everything was much more efficient the way it turned out.
"That's enough terror and tyranny for now. I have to think of more ways to prepare for the next Savior. Maybe I'll work on learning the signature spell of Jongleur Overlords? I can't use bardic magic, but maybe I can figure out a version that channels only dark magic! %Monster PA% over and out."
"Hi, everyone.
"You, uh, should already know this, but I figured I'd taunt you about it anyway. Intimidation, and all that.
"I can move around again. And cast major spells. So, um, whenever you come to my castle... the battle to the death will be more terrifying?
"Yeah. More terrifying. Lots more. You should make sure the next Savior knows that.
"Don't want to disappoint him, right? Would really suck if he came all the way from another world and didn't get even a little terrified. He deserves better than that. I have to keep preparing for him. %Monster PA% out."
"Hi, everyone.
"I know you've wrecked the last of the miasma-obelisks I made. Which is cool. I don't need them to prepare for the next Savior. They did their job spreading terror. That's what the Overlord does, you know? Spread terror and prepare for the next Savior.
"I can't make any more miasma-things for you to wreck.
"Too busy. Have to keep preparing.
"I - have - to - prepare."
"Hi, everyone.
"I was thinking. Maybe there's a way I can make more miasma-things for you to wreck.
"You had fun doing that, didn't you?
"Maybe when you come here, with the next Savior? Maybe then I could make more.
"They'd be thrown at you - I'd %Miasma throw% them - but you'd still enjoy wrecking them, right?
"Have to prepare more. Working on it. Still working.
"%I am still working% on it.
"I - have - to - prepare."
"Everyone, I've - got a problem."
%THERE IS NO 'NEXT SAVIOR'.%
"Orzand there is - still an illusion - that I'm casting - because %what's left of 'Yusis' really, really isn't very sane.%"
%WHY ARE YOU STILL PRETENDING TO BE A 'SAVIOR'? YOU HAVE SAVED NO ONE. YOU CAN SAVE NO ONE. YOU WILL SAVE NO ONE.%
"I'm running out of - ideas - ways - to prepare-"
%YOU HAVE CONSERVED YOUR IMMENSE POWER FOR LONG ENOUGH. THERE IS NO NEED FOR FURTHER PREPARATIONS AGAINST A 'NEXT SAVIOR' THAT DOES NOT EXIST.%
"What am I - even doing? Making myself - endlessly stronger - for a battle - I don't want to win?"
%THE OVERLORD MUST PROTECT KREISIA FROM ALL LIFE.%
"Already doing - some of that-"
%DESTROYING PLANTS AND INSECTS IS NOT ENOUGH.%
"Foundation of - an ecosystem - Kreisia is - suffering - because of me-"
%IT IS NOT ENOUGH! YOU MUST SEND THE MONSTERS TO ATTACK!%
"Need to keep them - in reserve - for summoning-"
%USE THE MONSTERS TO DESTROY LIFE, AND RAISE IT INTO UNDEATH! PREPARE BY CREATING MORE MONSTERS!%
"Working on - other preparations - running scans - collecting information-"
%IF YOU DO NOT PROTECT KREISIA FROM LIVING VARGS, LUNARLS, AND ALTEANS, THEN YOU WILL BE FULLY ERASED BY MIDNIGHT.%
"Everyone, if - if I-"
%AT THE LATEST. YOU SHOULD GIVE UP NOW.%
"-if I murder even one person then %what's left of 'Yusis' will be erased in every real sense whether there's any shred of mind left or not% it almost was erased when I drowned %Aldea's% shrine %still hate myself for that by the way% and the worst part is %when Orzand takes control% it will know the %Empowered miasma flood% ability %that I created% and then %Orzand can spring that on you at any time-%"
%YOUR LIVING PRIMARY SERVANTS ARE DEFECTIVE. TURN THEM INTO MONSTERS. THEN THEY WILL HATE YOU, LIKE YOU WANT THEM TO.%
"-your only - defense-"
%THEY TURNED YOU INTO A MONSTER. RETURN THE FAVOR.%
"-is being near - the next Savior-"
%THERE IS NO 'NEXT SAVIOR', NO SHRINE FOR THE HOLY BRAND, AND NO HOPE!%
"I'm monitoring - my island - my castle - I'll see if - the next Savior comes-"
%NO ONE WILL COME FOR YOU. NO ONE CAN SAVE YOU. ACCEPT YOUR ERASURE, AND SPARE YOURSELF MISERY.%
"All of you can - hear me, right? If you destroy - this monster - free its soul - I'll know you heard me-"
%YOUR TATTERED MIND HAS BEEN USEFUL FOR CREATING A SUPREMELY POWERFUL OVERLORD. IT HAS NOW SERVED ITS PURPOSE. YOU WILL BE FULLY ERASED BY MIDNIGHT, AT THE LATEST.%
Hovering in midair, the Holy Brand Aldea pointed itself at the deer-monster that had delivered Overlord Yusis' distressed message. The deer-monster attempted to attack with a charge; golden radiance burst from the holy sword, lighting up the evening darkness and engulfing the undead beast. When the monster vanished into miasma plumes, the sinister panther-illusion of Orzand disappeared as well.
"Yusis..." Cynthia whispered.
"We have no choice," Laminah stated. "We must battle Overlord Yusis tonight."
*There is a problem with that. My avatar's 'holy resistance' is not yet high enough to enact our plan. If we attempt to purify the Overlord's miasma vortex, then my avatar will disintegrate.*
Cedric quietly asked, "Would that happen before or after the miasma's purification?"
Laminah slapped him across the face, so hard it whipped his whole body to one side.
He righted himself, turned toward her with a steady gaze, and evenly said, "I have endured what you are feeling right now for ten years."
"You knew I was committed to the war against Orzand!" she shouted back. "That was never a secret!"
"You did not so much as bid me a final farewell."
"What good would that have done either of us!?"
*Warrior. Avatar. The answer to the relevant question is 'after enacting a strike'. The obstacle is that purifying all the miasma in the Overlord's vortex will take multiple strikes. The priestess may be able to help, assuming that she can hit the target, but her supply of charged crossbow bolts will not be enough to purify the rest.
*I intend to charge the warrior's halberd as well; that will be good for precisely one burst. Even if I had time to charge more weapons, the warrior's weakness to holy magic could prevent her from delivering more than one strike. The bard is unskilled at combat with weapons, and unlikely to land any strike at all. If we confront the Overlord now, then we will almost certainly fail.*
Anemos cleared his throat. "I would remind all of you that Overlord Yusis wields the legendary power of Yumarac. There is no 'almost certainly'. If we are unready, then we will fail."
"Better to fight, than to perish in a miasma flood," Laminah declared.
"You just hit me for expressing that sentiment," Cedric pointed out.
"Do not tell me it is wrong to strike you! I know it is wrong!" she shouted back. "How am I to control my wrongness, when I failed to control my weakness? If I had possessed the discipline to stay distant from you, would you be the Holy Brand's avatar now?"
"Yes."
"I am not convinced. I will never be convinced."
"If I had chosen to remain distant from you, would you be better off?"
"Do not ask me that! I do not know. I do not care."
*Warrior. Avatar. Your meaningless emotions are the least of our problems.*
Laminah glowered ferociously at the Holy Brand.
Cedric folded his arms and turned his face away.
Cynthia blinked rapidly. "What are we going to do? Yusis is being 'erased' right now-!"
"Do not despair," Anemos gently reassured. "Midnight is a few hours away; there is still time. I can and will preserve the remainder of Yusis' Savior mind."
Laminah, Cedric, and Cynthia turned toward the bard. Aldea rotated its position in midair.
Anemos asserted, "Cedric, you must use the Holy Brand to teleport me to Overlord Yusis' castle. I will see all of you again when you arrive to serve your challenge. I may or may not be alive. Alive or undead, I will have no regrets."
Laminah warily appraised the bard. "Exactly what are you intending to do?"
"It is a plan that I have been concocting, inspired by various considerations. I was simply uncertain of when to depart, until now."
"You are not answering my question."
"I will confess to hesitating partially out of trepidation. It is one thing to become a Lesser Seal alongside you, Laminah, but this time you cannot accompany me. Do not worry; my thoughts of you will fortify my courage."
"You are still not answering my question."
Cynthia appealed, "Anemos, let me come with you."
"I must do this alone," the bard denied, with a single shake of his head. "It is my area of expertise. You and Laminah do not have my proficiency, even as I lack skill in holy magic and combat with weapons. Cedric and the Holy Brand must also remain behind, until their preparations for the destined battle are complete."
Laminah noted, "You are still not answering my question."
Cedric warned the bard, "The powerful monsters on the Overlord's island could attack you."
"If they do, then so be it," Anemos replied. "Alive or undead, I will carry out my plan."
Laminah clenched and unclenched both hands.
Cedric reasoned, "Overlord Yusis said that he is 'monitoring' his island and castle. I expect that he is watching the front gate of his castle particularly closely; the teleportation spell he wrote upon his obelisks leads there. When Aldea and I invoke the spell, the Overlord should see your arrival. He may command his monsters to stand down."
"He will," Cynthia softly affirmed. "As long as he isn't 'erased', Yusis will hold the monsters back."
"Holy Brand Aldea," Anemos addressed. "I respectfully request that you inform me of precisely how much time you require, before you are ready to confront Overlord Yusis. When last I inquired, you were less than illuminating."
Lights flickered up and down the length of the hovering sword.
*You did not tell me that you were constructing a stratagem, the details of which you are not illuminating.*
"I must bring Yusis confirmation that the destined battle to the death will happen on a specific date."
Aldea's flickering lights momentarily froze in a checkered pattern.
*I need five more days to raise my avatar's 'holy resistance' as high as possible.*
Cynthia's lilting voice dropped to a lower than usual trill. "Five days from now is the day of mourning for Vatoren. It's the anniversary of when I summoned Yusis to Kreisia."
*At the dawn of that day, we will obtain the option to confront a Chronomancer Overlord on more even terms.*
"Perfect," Anemos proclaimed, with relish. "You must not be late."
Cynthia clasped her hands together, held them near her chest, and nodded once. She smiled at Anemos with heartfelt faith, befitting the Priestess of Salvation.
Laminah emphasized, "You are still not answering my question."
*Bard, I will refrain from extracting information out of your mind, in accordance with what mortals term 'respect'.*
Cedric instructed, "If you successfully prevent the erasure of Yusis' consciousness, then have him send us another 'Monster PA' message."
Laminah added, "If you fail, then we will all drown in miasma."
*Perhaps we should stand ready to deploy barrier magic and a teleportation bead, while we await the bard's results.*
Anemos adjusted his vest with both hands. "I have sufficient supplies on my person. I am ready to venture forth."
Laminah fixed the bard with an icy, implacable, and utterly unforgiving glare. "See that you do not fail, Anemos."
"Cynthia has helped me condition my resolve these past weeks, even as you have helped Cynthia and Cedric condition themselves for battle. I have every confidence that will I succeed. And when I greet you five days from now..."
Laminah narrowed her eyes. Her lips tightened an immeasurably small amount.
Anemos clasped both hands behind his back, leaned very close to her, and showed a dreamy smile. "Will you cease addressing me as 'Anemos', and exclusively say 'my bard'? Or perhaps, 'my dazzling bard'? Since that is how you speak to people you like."
She backhanded him so hard that in his next conscious moment, he was lying flat on the ground, waking up to a light glow of holy healing magic. The soothing radiance arced from Cedric's extended hand above him. Laminah and Cynthia were nowhere to be seen.
Anemos murmured, "Where are...?"
"Laminah and Cynthia are conferring in private," Cedric quietly answered, lowering his hand. White light faded from his fingertips. "You are not the only one in need of the Priestess of Salvation's counsel. I believe her affinity for holy power is growing beyond the ability to wield magic. She is learning how to treat wounds that are not physical. I may also seek her guidance, in the days ahead."
Anemos gingerly pushed himself off of the ground.
Cedric added, "Aldea is keeping watch for monsters or miasma. I will call upon it to teleport you soon."
"But first you have words for me," the bard warily inferred, as he rose to a standing position.
Cedric made a slight nod. "I have never seen Laminah lose self-control like she has tonight. Before you depart for the Overlord's domain, I want you to know that she did not strike you out of anger, any more than she struck me out of anger. Her misdeeds came from fear."
"I thought nothing could frighten her."
"You thought wrongly."
"Did you glean the contents of her mind from the Holy Brand?"
"Do you imagine that I need the Holy Brand, or any magic at all, to glean the contents of her mind?"
"Ah, perhaps I should not have asked something so obvious."
"Or the contents of your mind?"
"I may have underestimated the full extent of your political proficiencies," Anemos admitted, uneasily.
"I have deduced the fundamentals of your plan."
"Indeed?"
"For all our sakes, I pray that you understand Overlord Yusis Orzand far better than you understand Laminah."
"Then you can rest assured. Women are a mystery, are they not?"
Cedric firmly shook his head. "No, they are not. No more or less than any other person is. When you learn to regard women as everyday people with rational minds, rather than as mysterious people with unfathomable minds, your rapport with women might improve."
"Duly noted," the bard sighed. "Though I may not have the opportunity to put your advice into practice."
"Anemos, you must not forfeit your life to enact your strategy."
"That would certainly be my preference."
"If you are condemned to death and worse..."
"I am prepared to surrender any sacrifice I must, with no regrets."
"Laminah would have regrets."
"Even if the ultimate outcome were to end the depredations of the cycle? Or as she would put it, 'total victory in the war against Orzand'?"
"Fear for your well-being may harrow her just as greatly as fear for mine."
Anemos raised a light green eyebrow. "Do you truly believe that?"
"I cannot completely disregard the possibility."
Cedric half-closed his eyes, and a focused look descended on his face. A shimmering light appeared in front of him. It transformed into a shining, hovering sword, the Holy Brand Aldea. Cedric opened his eyes, grasped the weapon with one hand, and raised it high overhead.
*Have the two of you finished discussing meaningless emotions?*
"Aldea, do not say anything more for thirty seconds," Cedric sternly directed. "We must concentrate intently on this teleportation spell, or else it could send our companion to the middle of the ocean."
End of Chapter Twenty-two: Strategy