Kairos 62: The Wages of Victory

As promised in last month's poll, today is a double Kairos chapter day (to make up for the double Perfect Run post earlier). Underland will start publication on Tuesday 7th. 

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The battle was won, and it left a bittersweet taste in Kairos’ mouth.

One day ago, a great city had stood beneath the waves, a paragon of wealth and glory. Its history stretched back to before the Anthropomachia, and the greatest human empires of the surface had lived in its shadow.

Now, only ruins remained. The trident dragon had flattened whatever buildings the storm didn’t destroy first, and the torrential waters finished the job. One disaster after another had leveled the capital to rubble.

These are precious ruins though, Kairos thought, as he sat at the Foresight’s bow, shielded from the waters outside by a barrier of translucent slime. The trident shard in his hands radiated with a warm glow, and the hydra fang crown had never felt so heavy to bear.

His ship had climbed over the ruins of the palace, overseeing the desolation it helped bring about. Hybris floated in the waters outside the protective dome, while only Rook remained to keep Kairos company.

The Travian’s men were scouring the city to take their share of the loot, and make an inventory of what would go back home to fund the colony. The Abysseans had little interest in wealth besides land and magical items, so all the metalwork, the precious stones, pearls, and other wonders would fund Kairos’ coffers. The king doubted any other Travian had ever gotten their hands on a hoard of this magnitude. Andromache investigated the palace, to figure out which spells the merfolk had used to amplify the shard’s power, and Agron…

The minotaur had come out of the battle as its major victor behind Hybris, claiming a [Legend] of his own at last. Yet instead of claiming gold and silver as Kairos had expected, Agron had asked for a ghastlier trophy.

After its death and separation from the trident’s shard, the dragon’s corpse had rotted at an accelerated rate. Without the relic to sustain it, the flesh had fallen off the bones and the skeleton had collapsed into what had once been the city’s market street. The Abysseans had tried to claim it for themselves, until Hybris decided to let Agron keep what he had killed.

The minotaur had, predictably, decided to make new weapons and armors out of the remains.

The idea of using the dragon’s remains sent a chill down Kairos’ spine, and he almost forbade it… but didn’t.

Kairos had condoned Agron’s murder of the merfolk prince, knowing such a thing would happen. The blood had been shed, some of his own crewmates had perished to claim the city and bring the creature down. Refusing to use the remains would just be hypocrisy.

In it for a silver coin, in it for a gold one, the captain thought sourly.

“A shame that your ship would not eat it,” Hybris said, his voice echoing through the water. The sea serpent coiled around a sharpened stone; what little remained of the palace’s top after Triton had broken out of it. “I shudder to imagine how powerful it would have become.”

“I am a [Hero],” Kairos replied. “That creature was a [Demigod]. My ship can’t devour something stronger than I am.”

“You will have more than enough corpses to feed your vessel.” Hybris spat out a white blubber, one that had once belonged to a whale [Demigod]. Kairos couldn’t fathom how the Cetus managed to digest his prey so quickly. “And more will come. Now that the capital is ours and the royal family exterminated, the merfolk will fail to form a united front. Generals will proclaim themselves kings, and false princes will sprout like algae. None of them will prove a threat to us, but we will have to bring them to heel.”

Hybris’ army had crushed the last few pockets of resistance in the city, and though he had promised that all of those who pledged their loyalty to the new Abyssean Empire would be spared, the merfolk population had largely fled. A few others hid, and would probably submit. With the fall of its capital, Orichalcos faced times of chaos.

“And the merfolk?” Kairos asked, slightly worried. The Abysseans had contained their savagery during the sack, but he wondered if it would last.

“Do you worry about racial purges or pogroms, my friend?” Hybris shrugged. “My allies and I have no desire to rule an ocean of the dead. The merfolks who accept the new order shall be treated no differently than Abysseans, and they will enjoy the benefits of my protection. Some of them might prosper even more than under the previous administration, for we honor strength and skills above birth. Those who resist us will die. We could use assistance on that front...”

“Are you offering me to join in a prolonged campaign?” Kairos shook his head. “I will have to decline.”

“I’ve been wet enough for a lifetime!” Rook complained, echoing his partner’s thoughts. This whole adventure had already lasted far too long to his liking.

“I had a feeling you wouldn’t help us further, but I offered you the opportunity anyway… as a friend. It will take years before we fully secure our control of the depths, but we will. A hydra whose heads cannot fight as one is doomed to perish.” Hybris’ multiple eyes glanced at Kairos. “Your kindred are taking joy in looking for trinkets, but not you.”

“Most of the wealth will go to my kingdom,” the human replied.

“A strong king should have his own fortune, separate from his realm’s. One never knows what the future holds.”

“Frankly, it’s already too much.” Kairos never thought he would say something like this, but that was true. “My second-in-command informed me that we would need ten thousand ships to take everything from this city and we only have one.”

“I can send carriers to the surface,” Hybris offered. Victory had made him grateful and generous. “It is the least I can do, to repay the favor I owe you.”

What a quaint word to describe this slaughter.

Hybris floated in front of the dome, the monster’s many eyes glancing at Kairos through the membrane. “You do not share in the spoils of victory out of practical concerns,” the sea serpent guessed. “You stay away because you feel tainted.”

Yes, Kairos felt guilt.

In truth, the king had sent his men away because he needed a moment alone. Only Rook remained, because the human couldn’t keep anything secret from his [Animal Companion]; not even his thoughts.

“Are you going to tell me that they all deserved death?” Kairos asked morosely.

“Some of this battle’s casualties were innocent,” Hybris conceded, “and though most merfolks did, some did not support their rulers. In an ideal world, they would have lived a long and happy life.”

Kairos looked away. “But we don’t live in an ideal world.”

“No, and this is the only one we have.”

“Truth be told, this isn’t the first time I sacked a city,” Kairos admitted. “Though in today’s case, wealth was a secondary motivation. I wanted to destroy an existential threat to my kind.”

“You did.”

Indeed, and yet somehow Kairos felt less justified in sacking Orichalcos than Beoetia, even though the latter hadn’t been a menace. Perhaps it was the sheer magnitude of today’s destruction.

No, his morosity ran deeper than this. One sack was a happenstance, two a pattern.

“All I ever wanted was to move my homeland of Travia away from piracy and barbarism,” Kairos replied. “Yet I feel like I only perpetuated a cycle.”

“Ah, and this where you are wrong,” Hybris replied, his lure flickering with a gentle, reassuring light. “For you have broken a cycle. You abided by the terms of our agreement, and I shall do the same. My kind shall no longer raid your surface, and I will hunt those who betray our pact. We shall coexist in peace, and perhaps one day, we shall trade together.”

True, peace with the Abysseans meant that thousands of ships wouldn’t mysteriously sink each year, and coastal settlements would become a lot safer. Many surfacers would thank Kairos for securing this deal, and wouldn’t care much about a city beneath the waves. Some would call him a warlord though, and condemn his actions.

But in the end, Kairos had made that choice for his people’s greater good. Orichalcos had destroyed islands in the past, and intended to support an Old Gods restoration attempt. One that, if successful, would condemn the surface to oppression again.

I don’t want my children to suffer what Andromache went through, Kairos thought. I would rather die than see those events repeat.

He would bear the guilt and the consequences.

“There is however a small matter which we must discuss,” Hybris rasped.

Kairos glanced at the trident shard in his hands. “My Skills aren’t powerful enough to fully analyze it.”

“Mine are,” Hybris replied. “Which is why I cannot leave it to you. Its power is too great.”

“Then I shall bring it to Orgonos for destruction,” Kairos decided.

“Or you might simply give it to him for safekeeping,” Hybris suggested. “The old cyclops’ twin obsessions are peering into the abyss of magic, and making sure the Old Gods never rise again. The trident will never see the light of day in his hands, and he would certainly prove grateful.”

When he put it that way… Kairos expected to give Orgonos the [Rock of Theseus], but a shard of Poseidon’s trident would make the former appear like a worthless trinket in comparison.

“Would you let me have that freedom?” Kairos asked Hybris with a frown. “Or do you expect an oath?”

“No need, I trust you. We are family now, and if we have a disagreement, Mother Gaia shall see that we find common ground. In fact, I believe your [Idols] and those of your mate will join mine, once we have rebuilt this city’s temple.”

Kairos couldn’t help but chuckle. “The Cetae are more likely to turn to you. You planned this battle, and you won it.”

“True… Perhaps one day, after I have united all creatures of the depths under my leadership, I shall ascend as the deity of the sea,” Hybris replied, his lure’s light turning into a mighty shade of crimson. Kairos wondered how much his desire for glory had motivated his actions today.

A plan within a plan, the human thought. He had no doubt that today’s events had been but the first move in his Cetus ally’s long game, one that would either end with godhood or death.

“But some of my kind will find you more to their sensibilities,” Hybris said, as he began to move away from the Foresight. “Those who straddle the line between the wild and civilization. Others might look up to your minotaur, if you agree to let him in our [Pantheon]. You are a bridge between worlds, Kairos, and this is your strength. Stay true to it, and the world shall become yours.”

The human answered with a slow nod, and the Cetus swam away to survey his new realm.

Congratulations, you earned four levels (total fifty-five) and 12 Skill Points.

Conquest paid well, in more ways than one.

Still, Kairos had expected more levels for being involved in such a historic event. He checked his stat screen, and the experience requirement for his next level.

EXP Progression

2,000,000/2,250,000

Kairos remembered being at around one million four hundred thousands in total experience before the battle, meaning he had gained more than half a million points for helping mastermind Orichalcos’ fall. Such an amount would have immediately pushed a normal person above level forty.

The experience requirements were getting exponentially harder as Kairos approached the level cap for [Hero] Rank and approached demigodhood. From now on, only legendary exploits would help him get stronger.

“He is right, you know,” Rook said, with the simple wisdom of a young bird. “We can’t protect the world’s nests. Ours is already a lot of work!”

Kairos raised an eyebrow. “Shouldn’t you take a shiny trophy while you still can?”

“Shinies are important, but not as much as your happiness.” The griffin moved in front of Kairos, and locked eyes with him. “Let’s fly together after we reach the land. Nothing better than fresh air to blow away dark thoughts!”

Kairos couldn’t help but smile and pet his friend on the head. The griffin’s relentless positivity never failed to cheer him up. “Tell me, Rook… how would you feel about wearing shining armor?”

“How shiny?” The griffin squealed. “I want gold, gold everywhere, and emeralds because they will go well with my eyes! Rubies too, but I don’t want them to look better than my feathers!”

“I’ll do what I can,” Kairos replied. Now that the battle for the depths had concluded, he intended to explore the limits of [Telchine Metalsmithing 3]. It had been a while since Kairos could get away from politics and simply craft.

Since he could make Rank 3 weapons, the Travian King could also start outfitting his allies with powerful devices. Agron’s axe needed improvements to become worthy of a [Hero], and though Tiberius didn’t lack in courage and intelligence, his combat prowess left much to be desired. A magical weapon would help on that front.

And then, there was the newest recruit...

“You hide well,” Kairos said, as he glanced at the water beyond the slime dome. “But not from me.”

Rook looked at the water with a puzzled expression, until something invisible hit the slime dome. The mermaid Nausicaa had become visible before she even hopped on the deck like a fish out of water, though she seemed as dry as a desert. She glared at Kairos with squinting eyes, holding a new obsidian spear that she probably salvaged somewhere. Her fishtail slammed the ground with irritation.

“How did I notice you?” the human asked with a smile. “It’s a secret.”

In truth, Kairos had simply made an educated guess and bet that Nausicaa would reveal her presence. He already had experience with sneaking in under the veil of invisibility, and he knew how [Rogues] thought. The mermaid must have been studying him from afar, gathering information on her new allies.

“No fair, you were listening all along?” Rook asked, and to Kairos’ surprise, the mermaid nodded. She probably had the [Beast Tongue] Skill.

Kairos had to admit that her stealth skills surpassed even his own. The [Invisibility] spell shouldn’t have prevented her from creating perceptible movement in the water, and yet the mermaid hadn’t given any hint to her position. Or at least, none that the human could observe.

Come to think of it…

Kairos focused for a moment, and realized that Nausicaa didn’t make any sound. If she breathed, she did it in complete and utter silence. “I don’t suppose you would be interested in assassination missions?” he asked. “I know a king in dire need of a dagger to the heart.”

Nausicaa raised a hand, mimicked a human walking with her fingers, and then shook her head.

“Yeah, I figured as much.” She couldn’t move as well on land as in the water, unlike Andromache. “We might help with that though. My consort has a lot of experience with shapeshifting.”

The possibility of walking on land seemed to amuse the mermaid rogue.

“If you want to come with us,” Kairos added. “You fought on the winning team, and Hybris would probably welcome an [Assassin] in his retinue.”

Nausicaa mimicked a slitting throat motion, and then pointed a finger at her new captain. For a moment, Kairos thought that she wanted to eliminate him one day, before she pointed at herself next.

“You don’t owe me anything,” Kairos replied, after understanding her meaning. “Let alone your life.”

Nausicaa shook her head, and put a fist against her chest. She had already made her choice. “Very well,” Kairos said. “Welcome to my crew and kingdom, Nausicaa.”

“We could fish together,” Rook proposed, immediately making the new recruit feel welcome. “I control the skies, Kairos the earth, and you the sea. No fish shall escape our sight!”

“Few fish walk on land, Rook,” Kairos quipped. The Foresight let out a sound which its captain took for a mocking laugh. “You are an exception, my friend.”

Nausicaa seemed enthusiastic about the proposal, and started making quick signs with her hands. Though Kairos was completely lost, Rook’s eyes brightened with interest. “Kairos, she says she can teach me how to hunt better!” the griffin said. “She’s very passionate about it!”

“You know sign language?” his human partner asked.

“No, but I understand food language!”

Kairos shrugged, and let these two ‘discuss’ hunting strategies. The human sat on the deck, in the shadow of his ship’s mast, and meditated.

It should be twilight above the sea, and time to make contact with his colony.

After focusing for a few seconds, Kairos’s mind left his body and the bottom of the oceans for his [Idol] in Histria’s temple. He needed to discuss with Julia about the political fallout of today’s conflict.

The fact Mithridates had hired merfolk scouts to spy on their colony bothered Kairos greatly. Orichalcos’ fall would probably put an end to this, as the oceanic kingdom’s surviving generals would need every pair of hands, but some soldiers might turn to Pergamon for asylum. Mithridates thrived on discord, and the depths would face turmoil for years to come.

To Kairos’ surprise, his spirit found Julia facing his [Idol] inside Histria’s temple, covered in a red cowl. Her face was pale, twisted into a frown.

‘TOOK LONG ENOUGH,’ Kairos sent as a short message through his statue, feeling both frustrated and relieved. He hadn’t managed to contact his wife in days, and started to worry for her safety.

Their safety, he thought, his gaze wandering to his wife’s belly. The thought awakened something primal inside the rogue, an instinct as old as mankind. I did it for them.

“I was away, and I just returned,” Julia replied. Though her tone remained unapologetic, Kairos detected a hint of worry in her gaze. This surprised him. Julia had always been unflappable, and yet she appeared rather anxious today. “Are you well, my husband? I was told you had gone to war.”

Kairos thought about how he should answer that, especially with the limits of their method of communication, and decided to sum it up in one sentence. ‘I CAME I SAW I CONQUERED.’

His wife answered with a wolfish grin. “I wouldn’t expect anything less from you.”

She didn’t even seem surprised. Perhaps it was always bound to end this way, Kairos thought. “WHAT ABOUT YOU?”

“I have met with Euthenia,” his wife explained, immediately catching her husband’s full attention. “A most delightful lady, and I am saddened that we left on the wrong foot at my wedding. She told me a great many things.”

“SO?”

“So I know what Mithridates is building,” Julia explained, her expression darkening. “I have seen it.”

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