Theft of Decks 4, Epilogue (Final Chapter)

Apparently, a lot of people are eager to read my commentary along with the Savior’s diaries. It would seem that the perspective of an outsider provides an angle that Liberty as a whole is not used to, but helps understand the entire transition. That thought is slightly intimidating. Yet, I will honor the request in the spirit it is intended. As such, I am not going to redact anything in my commentary. May history judge me fairly.

Cilia. Liberty/Darkborn crafter. Born and raised in poverty in the Lightborn empire.

(scratched in the margin right below:) “Don’t worry, Cil. We’re always watching. Always judging. Smooches. Kith.”

“Explain that one to me again, only slower, please. The agreement was to ‘Sneak in and steal a deck. Then return to the bloodied grounds and form a proper home.’ Right?”

A vein pulsed on Half-Swart’s forehead as his fists clenched at his sides. With his dusty skin and gleaming, bald skull, it made him look like the epitome of fury.

The throne room in the palace didn’t look anything like it used to. The throne was gone, for one. They were still in the process of planning the exact constellation of their future system of governance, hence there was no point in starting to craft anything fancy. For now, a simple wooden lectern was placed where the throne used to be, facing an open circle, ringed by a large number of chairs haphazardly fanning out. Toward the back of the room, a number of smaller tables with chairs were placed. Speakers would be able to swap places at the lectern quickly, walk back and forth to mingle or talk in peace at the back of the room, while the official decisions, votes and proceedings took place at the front.

The trappings and decorations were almost unchanged. ‘Almost’ meaning that any murals or wall hangings depicting the supposed history of Liberty were annotated with plaques on the walls describing both the actual history and any important places in the Savior’s diaries that spelled out the truth. It was one of the rare few decisions everybody agreed on right away. They’d learn from history, not avoid it.

They stood in a half-circle near the back of the room. Kith hemmed and hawed, scratching his cheek. “Really? Getting in and out without any issues? That doesn’t really sound like us.”

Chase smirked. “Let’s just say, there were a few… what should we call them?”

Sera draped an arm over his shoulder. “Extenuating circumstances?”

“Yeah. That works.” Chase nodded merrily.

Tatiana Skysworn laughed, a clear brilliant sound. “Killing this Savior of theirs does sound like something beyond your every-day occurrence. Which Tier did you say he was again?”

Chase shrugged. “We have no way of knowing. Sera and Cilia tried to do some guessing-”

“Math.” They said in unison.

“Educated guesswork, based on how much Ænima he was likely to receive, how much additional Ænima you need to Tier up and a bunch of other dull stuff. Their best guess is ten to twelve.”

“I don’t care that you killed a god.” Half-Swart erupted. Then he blinked, taking in what he’d just said, before shaking his head. “You could have returned to us without the deck. Or as soon as you got the deck. This was beyond reckless.”

Sera shook her head. “We could not. With all due respect, Half-Swart, that would have left Liberty to fend for themselves – in one scenario, bound in slavery to a tyrant, and in the other, with their fledgling independence crushed and usurped by the Lightborn empire. Neither of those were inducive to our long-term well-being.”

“See? This is why I’m marrying her. All those brains and that figure?” Chase smirked, fending off the cuffs to his shoulder.

Tatiana smiled in disbelief. “Disregarding the late Savior for a minute, I cannot state just how strange this all feels to me. You insist that the Lightborn have stopped invading? My informants claim the same, both concerning Earth’s Ward and the Furyborn borders. Yet, I keep expecting some ugly surprise to surface and threaten us all. “

“It’s the archbishop.” Kith said. “I was going to run him through, just like Chase did to that nasty Lord Beforant. Liam stopped me, though, which turned out to be a good choice. We’re working on returning him to the lands of Light, and we’re milking it for all it’s worth.”

“What Kith means,” Cilia added drily. “Is that we’re holding him, along with five lesser nobles and about five thousand surviving Lightborn soldiers ransom. With that, we are pushing for hard assurances from the Church of the Circle that they will not move against us. If the rest of the Lightborn empire were united, they might simply push to elect a new archbishop and move on. Only, they’ve got other problems. Lord Beforant had a tight grasp on his power. With him gone, we have trouble even finding a representative who can speak for them all.” Her lopsided grin grew brighter. “Of course, it doesn’t hurt that they’re facing pressure on several fronts. With Gunnha hard at work, the Dark cards are spreading throughout their lands like wildfire, providing an alternative path to personal power. Also, we have you to thank for keeping them in check.”

That sparked a ferocious smile on Half-Swart’s face. “You best believe it. The past weeks have been the easiest the bloodied grounds have had it for decades. The tree keepers of the Heart Halls are planting seeds right up to the very edge of the official borders. Give us a few years, and they’ll never be able to root us out, even if they wanted to.”

Tatiana inclined her head gratefully. “The same goes for us. As you are aware, our power is not as heavy in soldiers as other nations – but we are pushing the Lightborn hard diplomatically. Also, we will be expanding the walls, granting us added space for farming and… co-operating with powerful foreign forces.”

Kith barked a laughter. “Is that what we are now? Powerful foreign forces?”

“You tell me.” She countered. “The world, as we know it, has changed. You are the fulcrum of that change. We, along with the world, are at this moment waiting to hear what your wishes and desires for the future are.”

Kith’s eyes widened comically. He erupted into a wheezing, coughing laughter that left him unable to answer. Liam, nodding in understanding, patted his back.

Once the worst had abated, Cilia answered. “Please ignore him. We all do.” Giving Tatiana a rare smile, she said. “High Elementalist. Half-Swart. We set out on this insane journey with one simple desire. To find a home. Somehow, we actually managed.” She indicated their surroundings. “However, we aren’t planning to be kings and queens here. We only aim to help them get a new, better society built, protect them in case of trouble. Yet, one thing they have already agreed on is that the borders, from here on, will be open to anybody friendly to Liberty. That includes you and all of yours. Anybody who wants cards will always be welcome here.”

“But… our plans fell through. We don’t have anything to give in return.” Half-Swart said.

“Please.” Chase snorted. “You helped us. You gave us a deck. You trained us and outfitted us – Furyborn and Elementals both. Are we supposed to forget about that, now where we’ve hit a stroke of luck.” He sneered. “Not happening. You’ll have to argue the specifics with those back there, and they’ll probably try to nudge you into some agreements on trade and defense and whatnot.” He winked. “A little hint. If you think they’re being bastards, they absolutely adore Sera and are likely to follow her example in anything. As well they should.”

Half-Swart and Tatiana blinked and shared a glance. He bowed his head. “Thank you. I believe my kin out there discovering Salvation at the moment will be pleased learning that. We’ll try to respond in the same spirit. What do we do about the Lightborn, then?”

“What about them?” Sera asked. “You could engage in all-out war while they are weak to punish them for past atrocities. You could make the most of this, steal back lands and power. Or, we could use this chance to build a lasting peace, build a balance that will endure regardless of one party.”

“You really think that’ll work?” Half-Swart asked incredulously. “They’ve been aiming to rule the world for hundreds of years now. Damn well nearly succeeded, too.”

Liam flexed. “Now they’ve got us to deal with. Plus, they’ve never been weaker, and they’re not just dealing with three separate powers, but allies. If they make too much noise, we can deal with it. The hard way.”

“Then… what is the plan? How are your thoughts on how best to handle this going onward?” Tatiana asked.

Chase grinned. “I’m so glad you asked. We have talked this over thoroughly and have worked out an in-depth plan.”

“We have?” Liam asked.

“Oh yes, we have. Kith here, for instance, is going to spend a lot of time sleeping.”

“What?” Half-Swart frowned.

“Liam has ambitious plans, too. He intends to get to know at least ten percent of the unmarried young women of Salvation.”

“Damn straight.” Liam agreed.

“Cilia is a hard one. She’s probably going to lose herself in crafting and emerge in a year or two, with enough new inventions to rock the entirety of Ordei.”

“I resent that.” Cilia said. “Not least how correct it is.”

“Of course, all the actual work will go to my wonderful Serafine Valerian.”

“Oh really?” Sera crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. “Exactly what do you plan to do with all your time? I do not believe I agreed to getting married to a wastrel.”

“I am going to be performing the most important task of them all. Being an inspiration.” He tapped his forehead with a finger. “When I stroll around on the streets of Salvation, everybody will be asking, ‘You? You saved us?’ That will teach them the most important lesson of all.”

“That your upbringing doesn’t matter as much as what you do with your life?” Tatiana hazarded blinking.

“Please. No. The obvious lesson here is this: As long as you manage to secure yourself a woman with morals and a serious work ethic, you’ll be able to laze about for the rest of your days while your wife and crew do the real work.” He instantly dove to the side to evade the slap flying in his direction. Resurfacing, he beamed. “Ha! I-” and took an apple to the forehead.

Liam leapt on top of him straight afterward.

“This is what the future of Ordei looks like?” Half-Swart gaped. “We’re doomed.”

With a small smile playing on her lips, Tatiana replied. “Honestly, I find it reassuring. If you can go through an ordeal such as they have, and still emerge as a loving family, malfunctioning though it may be? There is hope for us all!”

“See? I’m an inspiration!” Chase managed, before Liam managed to put him in a headlock.

“You’re inspiring me to kick your ass!” Liam growled.

Half-Swart flung up his hands in disgust. “On your neck be it, then. When the bards want this discussion repeated for posterity, this is exactly what I will tell him. That the most important power struggle in the history of Ordei ended with butt jokes.”

From within his headlock, Chase froze. Then he laughed. “I have never heard of anything more fitting.”

The end of Theft of Decks 4, the final book in the Theft of Decks series.