Chapter 39 - War Council

“Alright,” said Lukas, “I hereby call this war-council to order.”

They were all sitting around in Tanya’s room, which was considerably larger than his own, and perhaps the only one with some touch of artistic design in them. It was funny, since Maude had mentioned how he had been getting five-star treatment for being the fabled Outsider. The oni had simply pointed out that Tanya was the yokai Queen, at which Lukas had sagely nodded and dropped the topic. After all, aristocracy getting preferential treatment was probably a multiversal constant, and anyone willing to contest that fact didn’t know what they were talking about.

Either way, it didn’t matter. He ended up sleeping in Tanya’s bed on most nights anyway. Not that they got much sleeping done, but that's another story.

“War-council?” asked Elena. “Are we going to declare war on the Shimizu?”

“It’s a….” He trailed, wondering how to explain it. The Asukan tongue didn’t have a word-equivalent for metaphor. Or if it did, the pendant didn’t know how to translate it.

“Remember what I said about ‘metaphors’?” he asked Tanya, using the English word.

“A what for?” asked Olfric.

Lukas eyed him. He had already run himself ragged in explaining Earth-references to Tanya in the borderland and then Solana and Maude and again, Tanya ever since they had begun living here for good. Things were finally looking up and up, so he was not looking forward to explaining the whole list to these aliens.

“He’s comparing two things that are otherwise unrelated,” said Tanya, coming to his rescue.

Bless her! Lukas thought. The girl had paid attention.

“It’s part of his home-world’s literature, I think. A cunning attempt at wordplay.”

Olfric didn’t seem enlightened.

Lukas sighed. “Forget it. We’re up against a powerful clan, and I figured more minds would be better than one.”

“You sure?” asked Tanya. “I thought it’d be dangerous for us to know.”

Lukas rolled his eyes at her scathing reply. She was more than slightly pissed at the way he was playing his cards close to his chest.

“It is dangerous,” he said, “but I want to know what’s cooking in everyone’s minds. I don’t want anyone to fuck up my plans because I didn’t keep others in the know.”

“Oh you’re overexaggerating it, Lukas,” said Tanya playfully. “Your plans go wrong just fine without any outside help.”

He glared at her.

Maude giggled.

“How are we going to get Zuken back?” Elena asked seriously.

"Eh, I’ve a couple of things in mind," said Lukas. "A couple of tricks, ideas for a distraction or two."

“That’s useless,” she simpered. “We’re up against a Warlord in a fortified castle. Your tricks and distractions mean nothing.”

“And how did you gain that foresight?” Tanya shot back, clearly agitated at her remark against Lukas. “By running away with your tail between your legs while Banksi bought you time?”

Elena bristled.

An amused smile flickered on Lukas’s face. Elena’s response was within his expectations. She was fiercely protective of Zuken. It was Tanya’s fierceness that had taken him by surprise. He still remembered the woman that stubbornly guarded the tenets of her professional relationship with Banksi.

“Who said anything about facing the warlord?” He asked. “I was thinking of a quick get-in, get-out without anyone knowing any better.”

“Shows what you know of our world,” the changeling grunted.

Lukas clasped Tanya’s shoulder with his right hand, keeping her from exploding at Elena a second time. He exhaled as her body calmed down at his touch, but that didn’t stop her from giving him a dirty look.

“You’re right,” he said. “Hence this meeting. I’ve had interactions with some pretty terrifying people as of lately, but none with both personal and political strength. I’d like to know your impressions about this.”

“Impressions?” asked Olfric.

“Mujin Shimizu is the real power behind the Shimizu name, and Ultaf is cashing on that. Is it possible to just avoid a confrontation? I mean, Tanya is the heiress, and she has Ezzeron bound to her. Is it possible, with your Shogun’s help, to go through diplomatic channels to gain her legitimacy?”

Olfric frowned. “Potentially possible, but difficult. Mujin is the first person since the Wind King to become a Warlord. Granted, that’s not the same as being King, but it’s the closest. Tanya might have Ezzeron bound, but she’s a Level-3…” he hesitated, glancing at her. “... I think?”

She nodded. “In the same league, yes.”

“There,” Olfric continued. “Mujin can argue that he can become the next Wind King. After all, he’s still in his prime.”

“In power, yes.” Lukas pointed out. “But what about age?”

Olfric frowned. “There are ways to extend one’s lifespan. Having powerful regeneration skills is one.” He glanced at Maude from the corner of his eye. “Consuming small quantities of vanir blood is another, though it’s quite illegal in the Empire.”

“And we both know how much legality matters in the Empire,” Tanya scoffed.

Olfric did not refute that.

“But even if Mujin becomes a King, he’ll do that with his own kami, correct?” asked Lukas.

Several people nodded.

“What happens to Ezzeron?”

“Any number of things,” said Tanya. “Ezzeron is King-class. So he can try to get a future descendant to go through what I did. What he and my father did.”

“And… Ultaf?”

Tanya snorted. “He does not have potential. Not even to become a Warlord.” She inclined her head at Lukas. “We could go through diplomatic channels, but the fact is, even if Lord Naowa supports my legitimacy, and I become the Heir, Mujin will hold power over me, just because he’s a Level-4 and I’m a Level-3. He can ask me to return to Shimizu settlements, and we know exactly what can happen after that. Accidents are… not uncommon, when it comes to spiritist training, especially in higher levels.”

“So, it’s not an option.,” Lukas concluded sourly. “What if we hold your heritage over him as blackmail?”

She snorted. “Makes no difference. Oh he’ll agree, initially, but once he’s got me under his control, it’s moot point. If I vanish, then you can yell out to the entire world, but it will be your word against his.”

Lukas sighed. “Direct confrontation it is, then.”

“I’m surprised,” said Elena. “You’re going out of your way to avoid this fight. Looks like someone’s afraid.”

Tanya bristled, but Lukas held her hand tightly. He met Elena’s eyes and smiled. “I know it looks otherwise, but I actually go out of my way to avoid conflicts. But,” his voice steeled, “if there is one, then I will win it.”

Elena looked away.

“So,” he said, looking at everyone. “If we’re to attack this Warlord, I want to know everything about its aftereffects. How does it look to the Empire? Enemies, allies, factors that can get involved should this escalate, and possible reactions we might need to address in the future… that sort of thing.”

The others looked at each other.

“Where do you want to start?” asked Maude.

The beginning feels like a nice place.”

For the next two hours, the entire group gave him a complete rundown of Asukan society in general. It helped that he had already gotten a layman version from Tanya during the borderland, plus the basic stuff he had gotten from his discussions with Solana and Ryu. Maude in particular, talked about the divide between Asukans and other races, and the persecution faced by the races of the Time Before, including svartalfars, dokkalfar, jotunns and the like. Olfric, in return, argued over the official reasons for the Empire’s policies, and the laws that would permit other factors to enter this conflict. Lukas was specially interested in the frost-variant of jotunn, who called themselves himthursars, the racial opposite of the muspel he had faced. He mentally screened for each and every creature they mentioned, as well as their possible counters within his prototype array. Unlike before, he actually had a ton of monster prototypes at his beck and call, with sound knowledge of their abilities and weaknesses. Tanya and Ofric gave him a summary of where the Sacred Eight stood in the Empire’s political hierarchy and the powers they could call on for help should they need it. Lukas listened to them with rapt attention, his eyes flickering to whoever was speaking but never speaking himself.

“So,” he said finally, after everyone had finished. “Because it is a Sacred Eight matter, the majority of world powers will shy away from interfering. But that also cuts down any allies we could get from other kingdoms, if any. The Shimizu can request the services of the Cobalt Army by declaring us as enemies of the Empire, which will massively lower our chances, but it’ll also mean acknowledging Mujin’s own weakness as a Warlord.”

“Which he probably won’t,” said Tanya.

“Probably being the keyword,” Olfric pointed out.

“No,” Tanya argued. “The last thing he wants is to look incompetent. Everyone knows that Ultaf does not stand a chance to take up the mantle of the Wind King. Just by requesting the Army’s aid, he’s acknowledging that I, and… my army, is a considerable threat to me.”

“Which hurts his political status,” Lukas caught on. “And you can take advantage of that.”

“We can take advantage of that,” Tanya corrected. “We’re in this together, Lukas. None of this would be possible without you.”

He smiled.

“You two can get a room later,” snapped Elena. “Can we focus on the matter at hand?”

That… rankled. Lukas knew that Elena held no lost love for him, or Tanya, but she was now getting on his nerves. He only hoped that Tanya would control herself, or else things would turn sour really quickly.

“Elena…” Maude warned.

The changeling just scoffed.

“We’re forgetting one crucial detail,” said Olfric, probably in an attempt to distract everyone. “The Earth King. He’s Mujin’s ally. I mean, there’s always a chance that he might send a small contingent of high-level soldiers as personal aid, without involving the Army. Right?”

“... that is possible,” said Tanya.

“Shouldn’t make a difference,” said Lukas boldly. “Unless the Earth King’s army can magically cross four kingdoms in a matter of hours, I doubt it will make any difference. Whether we win or lose, the outcome of the war will be decided by then.”

Even Olfric grudgingly nodded at that.

Lukas allowed his gaze to crawl across every single person in the room. “What’s the disposition of the enemy?”

“I’m sorry?” said Olfric, exchanging glances with Elena and Maude.

“What’s the nature of our foe?” Lukas explained. “Troop numbers, quality, and type of opposition we might face? Tanya and I faced hundreds of monsters in the borderland but they weren’t an army. They were a rabble, fighting against a common enemy. I’m imagining the Shimizu troops will be better coordinated than that. I need to know what kind of armaments they have. Logistics. Troop morale.”

He regarded Elena. “I thought Banksi had an entire group of people at his command. Spies, adventurers for hire, that sort?” At Elena’s nod, he continued, “what happened to them?”

“A third of them lived on the same hill, within the mansion’s wards,” said Elena. “They, and their entire families, were killed by those monsters.”

“And the rest?” Lukas pressed. “What are they doing to get Zuken out?”

Elena frowned at him in disapproval. “I contacted them. They’re doing their best to get Zuken out.”

“I’m not asking your opinion on what they are doing,” said Lukas curtly. “I’m asking what they’re doing to get Zuken out.”

Let’s see how you like it, he thought spitefully.

“I don’t think—” Elena began.

“Don’t think,” said Tanya. “Stick to charming. And telling him what he needs to know.”

Elena clenched her teeth. “They’re in the Eaborid kingdom. Keeping an eye on the Shimizu settlement in Cyffnar. They have no news about Zuken being there, so I imagine he’s trapped at the Peak, like Maude said.”

“I didn’t. Leader did,” Maude corrected.

“Most of the people at the Peak would be aeromancers,” said Tanya. “The Peak is grandfather’s stronghold. He has hundreds of monsters and half-breeds bred to man the boundaries. He has an entire army of soldiers who….” she hesitated. “Grandfather makes them go through a process called the Initiation, where psions rewrite the personality of the initiates.”

“Rewriting their personalities?” Lukas asked. “That’s —”

“Very much possible,” said Tanya grimly. “The soldiers are utterly loyal, absolutely obedient, and only move to follow their Lord’s will. They cannot be bought, bullies, reasoned or negotiated with. There is nothing they will not do. No act too vile, no sin too cruel, no crime too reprehensible for them. They are fanatics, and Mujin Shimizu is their god.”

“This just keeps getting better and better,” snarked Lukas.

“I haven’t even started,” said Tanya drolly. “The last time I was there, he had at least two hundred of those soldiers stationed at the Peak. I can only imagine how many he has now. Plus, the Shimizu Well is also at the Peak, and it connects to a really dangerous icy borderland. It’s his monster breeding ground.”

Translation — the monster numbers could not be limited in size, quantity or skill-level, especially if he had been essentially ‘farming’ the borderland. On the other hand, it would be the perfect place to  get out of this Peak. But if his experience with the svartalfars had taught him anything, it was that they’d guard their Well with the best security they could afford.

“When did you last visit that place?” asked Olfric.

“Around seven-eight years ago?”

“So your information is outdated by eight years,” Olfric surmised, and regarded Lukas. “If anything, the defenses would be a magnitude greater than what she remembers.”

Surprisingly, the sneer on his face was missing. Perhaps his utter inability to do anything to get Banksi back had mellowed the man? Tanya had mentioned that he had gotten a new kami, and it was a powerful one. Maybe he could face the man in a practice spar just to see where he stood?

“Agreed,” said Lukas. “What’s the possibility of them deploying heavy armaments?”

Olfric did not seem enlightened.

“How many heavy-hitters do they have? If shit hits the fan, what are the chances that they’ll be deployed first? If they see us winning, what are the chances they’d not hesitate to blow the zone apart just to end us all?”

“Given the force that attacked the mansion, I’d bet on at least thirty  Level-3 fighters, spiritists and warriors included. And there’s those beasts, and who knows what other monsters they have at their command,” said Olfric. “And if what she says about those men are correct… then they would happily commit suicide if it means taking out the enemy.”

“Powerful, skilled, Level-3 suicide bombers,” murmured Lukas. “This day just keeps on giving.”

“They attacked the svartalfars,” said Maude. “Obviously someone doesn’t care about who they attack or what they do. The way I see it, he’s risking everything, the Shimizu’s reputation, connections and even the wrath of the Emperor over one single thing.” She paused and looked at Tanya. “Ezzeron, and her.”

“Why her?” asked Olfric. “If they have the kami then…. Oh, I see.”

“Everfrost,” said Tanya. “My legacy from Tsurara, the Winter Witch. My… mother, who I don’t know is still alive or not. That’s one question I need answers from Grandfather before I kill him.”

“If you kill him,” Olfric corrected. “He’s a Warlord, and has multiple Level-3’s in his army. Even with Ezzeron and your… other powers, even with him,” he gestured at Lukas, “and me and all of this, the yokai… somehow I doubt it’ll be enough.”

“And he has Zuken captive,” Elena put her two bits in.Lukas exhaled. “We have some breathing room here. Lord Naowa can lock Mujin Shimizu for a day, or at least, a considerable number of hours. For all I care, he can use the massacre of the Zwaray Keep as an excuse. Kidnapping Zuken is one thing, but the Keep has a treaty with the Empire. Surely there are diplomatic options…”

Tanya grinned. “That’s actually a good idea. I will send him a letter.”

“The svartalfars are in good rapport with Leader. She can coordinate with them.”

“At least that’s something,” Lukas murmured. “If Mujin is away, that makes the fortress less… difficult to breach into. We get in, find Zuken and get out. But to do that, we need to know what the defenses are, the state of manpower, and the fortress’s makeup. Our best shot lies in surprising them, but once they get over it, the enemy has the homeground advantage, and unless we can find Zuken and get out before Mujin returns, we’re fucked.”

“That’s not an option,” said Elena. “That’s a suicide mission.”

“Never claimed otherwise,” said Lukas jauntily. “Alternative. We bait them. Get them out of their stronghold, to where we hold the homeground. A place that we know, and can prepare traps.”

“You mean bait them into coming into the Desert?” Maude asked, her eyes glinting with interest.

“It’s the best location we have, yes,” Lukas agreed. “Apart from it being yokai territory, there’s the entire Desert’s curse. The shadows. The lack of Eternal light. Yokai can attack in the dark. We hold both spatial and psychological advantages here.”

“Yeah, but there’s a problem,” said Olfric gloomily. “Mujin Shimizu’s a warlord. And an aeromancer. Psychological advantage means nothing when he can snap his fingers and make a half a mile radius explode. And in the Desert, with all the empty space and the winds, his power would be doubled.”

“Yes, but so will mine,” said Tanya.

“And you have enough power to face off a Warlord?” Olfric challenged.

Tanya opened her mouth to speak but then decided otherwise.

Lukas clasped her shoulder again. “He has a point. You aren’t ready to face him in a frontal assault. Neither am I. None of our specialties mean anything if he can casually make his entire radius explode like that.”

“I can get the drop on him using the Haze,” Tanya began.

“And if you miss, he’ll drop you with one hit and will win the battle before it can even begin. On the other hand, if we attack the Peak and he shows up, chances are he’ll limit his power or else his own army would be slaughtered.”

“Trust me,” said Tanya. “He’d get over it.”

“And there’s the issue of getting Zuken out,” Olfric added. “If we bait him into the Desert, he’d likely just kill Zuken off, or worse, use him as a hostage against us.”

“Isn’t he already?” asked Maude.

“No,” said Lukas. “Not against Tanya, he isn’t. You use a hostage when facing someone powerful. Ultaf Shimzu doesn’t expect Tanya to come attack him to save Zuken of all people. No, the ones he’s baiting are—”

“Us,” said Elena. “Me and Olfric.”

Lukas nodded. “He knows that you work for Zuken, and the same goes for Olfric. He’s seeing if the two of you will reveal what Zuken hasn’t. Especially with this entire Lady Kandra business in place.”

“But there were abductors in Haviskali,” Olfric pointed out. “They saw me, I mean us, with Tanya. No doubt the Shimizu know about this.”

“Yes,” said Lukas, “which is why they'll believe you when you sell out Tanya’s location in exchange for Banksi’s safe return.”

“And then what?” Elena demanded. “You think they’ll just believe me like that? And even if they did, they have no reason to let any of us go. We might as well just surrender.”

“Not if Mujin isn’t there. Especially not if you have someone to help you get out, preferably with Zuken.”

“You mean—” Olfric began.

“Facing Mujin in the Desert has better advantages than at the Peak. And I’d rather have him weakened as much as possible before that happens.”

Elena snorted. “Weaken him? Weaken a warlord? What are you going to do? Annoy him to death?”

“That looks like your territory,” Tanya snapped. “It’s the only thing you can do after all. All of us are trying to find a way to get Banksi out, so either say something useful or get the fuck out.”

Elena glared. “Stop pretending to be magnanimous, Tanya. If not for you, all of this wouldn’t have happened.”

“Then maybe you should’ve charmed Zuken from hiring me in the first place.” Tanya shot back. “And it's because Zuken tried to protect me that I’m trying to get him back.”

“That sounds like so much bullshit,” snapped Elena. “You’re only doing this because you’re scared. Without Zuken, the Cobalt Army will come for you.”

Lukas winced. That was not going to end well.

“Yes,” said Tanya, her tone glacial and her eyes slanted into slits. “The Cobalt Army will come for me. Do you know why? Because I carry something in my blood that Mujin Shimizu had brought into this world through endless slaughter, just to satisfy his greed. I’ve toiled day and night, I’ve run from city to city, country to country all my life, all because I have power and I wanted to live life my way. Unlike you, a useless, worthless changeling that gets to sit on her high bicorn and look down on people because Zuken Banksi thinks you make a good bed warmer.”

“You know nothing about me,” Elena hissed.

“I know enough!” Tanya hissed. “You’re a changeling, not even a full elf. What? You got so lazy warming Zuken’s bed and enjoying comforts that you couldn’t even make the Change? I doubt you’d survive the hard life of a dökkálfar, but who am I talking to? Even a lowly ljósálfar living off as a sacred prostitute has greater skills than you, Zuken’s doll.”

“Tanya, that’s enough!” Maude said, playing peacemaker. “Neither of you really know each other enough to—”

“Well I know enough to understand that she’s a piece of filth that brings nothing to the table,” Tanya spat. “Olfric gained a kami and is training all day. You’re our healer. I’m overlooking all the mindfuckery Solana did with me just to prepare for my grandfather. Lukas doesn’t even have anything to do with this conflict and he’s worrying his ass over all the fucking time. Even Lord Naowa will have to risk his political power to support us. Maybe all of this will just fall on our heads and we’ll all die while trying to get Zuken out, but we’re trying aren’t we?” She sneered at Tanya. “And Elena? She’s got nothing. She has no skills. She has no power. Ultaf has enough psionic training to resist being charmed. All that good-for-nothing changeling does is sit around and make acerbic comments on someone who’s at least trying to do something.”

Meanwhile, Olfric was just sitting there, fists clenched, watching Tanya tear Elena a new one, but saying nothing. But it  was Elena that really surprised Lukas. He had expected her to retort back, with heated words and trash talk if nothing else. Truth be told, he had always wondered why Elena was a changeling, when according to Tanya, most changelings transformed to ljósálfar — light elves, or dökkálfar — the dark elves by their early teens. And while ljosalfars had tremendous psionic capacity, dokkalfars, apart from their tremendous lifeforce prowess, boasted specific affinity towards the shadow element, which was why they were heavily persecuted by the Empire and were forced to live in fringes, far away from the lands of Eternal Light. Elena was neither, and instead, remained a changeling, committing to neither, becoming neither, content to stay the worst of both.

It made absolutely no sense.

So either Elena was an ambition-less, materialistic bitch that was content to stay on Zuken’s lap. Or something else was going on.

And judging from the darkness marring her face, Lukas suspected it was the latter.

“You’re right,” said Maude, interrupting Tanya’s tirade. “Elena’s done nothing to contribute to this.”

Lukas turned around at her, wondering why the oni was making the situation worse. He was about to ask her to stop, but the look on Elena’s face froze him on his steps. There was no anger there, no sense of betrayal from someone she considered a friend, no resigned sentiments either. No, a blank surprise shone on the changeling’s features.

“In fact,” said Maude, standing up. “I think Elena’s going to be instrumental in breaking Banksi out.”

“How?” Elena asked.

“By unleashing your nightmare.”

Elena stilled.

“Her what?” Olfric mirrored.

“Nightmare?” Lukas asked, puzzled. He had heard of a great many species in this world, and a lot more from absorbing the prototypes from the Crypt and his latest incursion into the Haze. But he had never heard of a nightmare before. He looked at her. “What’s that?”

“I… I’ve no idea what she’s talking about.”

“Oh, I think you do,” asked Maude, smirking. “I saw you manifest it when Mizo possessed Olfric. Your familiar shattered Olfric’s bonds with his kami with just a glance. Mizo was… crazy, for weeks. I don’t think she’s still gotten over it. I didn’t know it was possible to affect a spiritual being like that with a single look.”

Lukas blinked. A spiritual beast that could shatter spiritual bonds between a bremetan and his kami, and undo possessions? He ran another mental search, but the Screen returned with nothing.

“Wait, when did this happen?” asked Tanya, squinting her eyes.

“You won’t remember it,” said Maude. “Nobody that suffers the gaze of a nightmare ever remembers it. But I do. One moment you were fighting me, and the next moment, you looked at it and changed into your frosty self.”

Tanya narrowed her eyes and then looked accusingly at Elena. “Is she telling the truth?”

Elena looked at her, then at Maude, panic rising in her features. “ I — I —”

“Elena,” Olfric asked suspiciously. “Is that true? Do you really have this… nightmare?”

Lukas almost subconsciously edged back, giving the changeling some space. Had her lower lip been trembling? Surely he hadn’t seen right? For just a moment, Lukas had an image in the back of his mind of an animal growling to try to drive off a predator larger than itself.

Surely she didn’t expect them to attack her, did she?

“Elena,” Maude said, soothingly. “You need to come clear. Tell me. Tell them. The stakes are way against us, and we’ve passed the point of keeping secrets. We need your help.”

Elena gave her a hard look for a long second, before she exhaled, and her shoulders drooped. “You’re right. I do have a nightmare as my spirit familiar, but trust me, he’s not evil like everyone thinks he is.”

Maude cackled. “Sure he isn’t.”

“He really isn’t,” Elena stressed. “Yes, he shattered some bonds in the past, but it’s his nature. He can’t help it. Peaches, my little Joey can’t even talk.”

Maude blinked. “You named a nightmare, a creature feared by bremetans and yokai alike, Joey?”