Crimsoncrest: Chapters 40

Last normal chapter of this book, but there's an epilogue as usual. I basically said my piece last time, so let's just get into it and leave the news for after the book is over.

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Chapter 40

There had been too many people lately, so Fiyu observed from the shadows. It was her duty to monitor the situation and prevent any slides back into chaos, but she could do that without speaking to anyone.

In the wake of the battle, everyone clustered together as an instinct against unknown threats. Fiyu understood part of this, since it was reasonable to maintain formation in such circumstances, but she did not share the apparent desire for interaction. So many were talking or embracing simply to recover, not as a precaution. After seeing the aeon-class organizations, she could not relax enough for such things, not yet.

For one moment she had been forced to engage with others: the Asplundat Movement wanted to acknowledge her role in the battle. They meant to praise her for standing against three Dominions, even briefly, and helping Citizen Dominion, but they only stressed her. At the end, however, they had given her a Fithan weirkey, then allowed her to escape.

Now she roamed near the center, where Friend Theo and the Asplundat Movement had requested the presence of the Orphic Cabal. Their representatives, who had been so fearsome before, were now something of a comfort since they might ward off enemies. It was strange to see Fithans and Arbaians meeting like this, with Friend Theo near the center.

"The issue is not market forces," one of the Arbaians was saying, "but sublime epistemology. Given your unfamiliarity with superlative sublime materials, any estimate of its value will by necessity be skewed. Some level of trust will be required, no matter what precautions you insist upon."

"And we're just supposed to take your word?" Citizen Dominion answered. His injuries had been healed first of all, though the muscles under his tunic still trembled at times. "You have leverage over us here, but we won't become a vassal to some inter-world empire."

"We are not an empire, only a consortium."

Friend Theo stepped forward and, despite the power of the group, they listened to him when he spoke. "I can bring in a neutral aeon-class arbiter, if necessary, but I don't think that's the right path. Can't we frame this as an ongoing relationship? First we exchange sublime materials, the Blacksilvercrest for materials suited to Strongholds and Dominions. Consider this an initial investment that supports continued study of the infusion process."

"Rational," the Orphic Cabal representative said.

"You're using collective terms," Citizen Dominion pointed out. "I won't deny that we couldn't have won without the Ruling Cities, but do you expect us to share everything we've gained with all of you? For many in the Movement, we are still trapped between two empires."

"Do you think you can defeat Tymetron without us?" Friend Theo asked. "I'm not here trying to grab resources for Blacksilver, I'm advocating for further cooperation against a greater threat."

"Well... it would be unfair of us not to pay House Blacksilver, given their contribution. And perhaps the House of Coin deserves to be compensated as well..."

They continued the discussion, making no mention of House Crimson. It seemed that it had been truly eradicated - not the people it contained, but the idea of it as an organization. Perhaps that was what failure on such a grand stage meant.

Fiyu noted that the Orphic Cabal watched these arguments with only mild impatience. She judged this to be good: they considered themselves entangled with these Fithan organizations, so they would serve as some defense against greater enemies. Until the Blacksilvercrest was actually removed, Fiyu would remain nervous, but this was a step in the right direction.

Wandering on, Fiyu observed all of the Asplundat soulcrafters recovering. Friend Nauda was assisting with the healing, and Fiyu longed to go directly to her, but she made herself analyze the others more carefully. Were there more betrayers who had been paid off by the Eternal Spectrum or other organizations? She understood why the Asplundat Movement would be so nervous, after being deceived by one of their own.

Ally Homez had no healing abilities, but he still took a key leadership position in the aftermath, guiding the removal of debris. Even Strongholds, who should by all rights outrank him, listened to his instructions, so it seemed that his prestige in the Movement had risen once again.

The House of Coin had also set up operations, offering support free of charge. Yet not truly without price, since they fully expected to receive organizational compensation for their role in the battle. Fiyu spotted Associate Kathina in the middle of things and felt that perhaps she should say something, yet she hesitated. Associate Kathina was Friend Theo's associate, not hers.

Finally Fiyu allowed herself to go and be near Friend Nauda. She remained hidden for some time, merely watching her future lifemate tend to the injured. When the other woman finished, however, Fiyu emerged and took her hand, guiding her to sit on a broken boulder.

"You cannot work forever," Fiyu told her. "You must tend to yourself as well."

"Thanks." Friend Nauda smiled and squeezed her hand. "I wish I could have done more to help you. I mean, our position turned out to be important, but I would have preferred to be fighting with you out there."

"You will soon, Nauda. Now that the immediate danger is past, we will help you ascend to Stronghold."

Friend Nauda smiled, but that didn't ease the tense muscles in her back: apparently her worry had another source. She was silent for a time before speaking. "There hasn't been any sign of Tythes since the battle, not unless you've spotted him?"

"No, I have not."

"He knocked me unconscious, so I'm not sure about the last step." Friend Nauda rubbed her chin as she spoke. "House Crimson had some sort of device that created an illusion around the crest, so Tythes must have repurposed it to undermine his father. But I woke up while the crimson illusion was still in place, and I never saw Tythes leave."

"It likely worked at range, so you could not have." Fiyu tilted her head as she examined the other woman more carefully. "This is a source of deep concern for you."

"Yeah, I guess so. It seems like Tythes did all of this solely to destroy his father... at least, I think? I admit, House Crimson had deeper connections than I expected, and it could have been a real problem if Wiltur had pulled off his plan."

"But...? There is more you have not said."

Friend Nauda shook her head slowly. "I don't know. Maybe I was hoping he wanted more than that, maybe I'm just worried because I don't understand. Is he going to pop up again and try something different?"

This was a reasonable concern, but Fiyu was far more worried about what had been described. "You said alarming things about his transformation... could he have been replaced by a fleshmasker?"

"No, I don't think so, it was completely different. And I got a good look at his soulhome... it was the one I saw before, I just hadn't understood what I was seeing. So... I don't know, maybe it won't matter at all. Maybe he'll run off to some distant bar and drink for the rest of his life."

Fiyu remained there for a time, both to enjoy Friend Nauda's presence and to prevent her from throwing herself back into healing too soon. Eventually, however, they both needed to return to their tasks. As soon as Fiyu slipped back into her stealth technique, she was reminded of how much still needed to be done around them.

She continued on, through the wreckage, and discovered that another group was scouting: Ally Krikree patrolled around the perimeter with Associate Senka hovering beside her. Unexpected.

"You gotta help me convince Theo to find the rivers," Associate Senka was saying. "I was out of luck, but if anyone knows their locations, it's the Orphic Cabal. If we want to survive against Tymetron, we need more than local alliances."

"Not!" Ally Krikree said. "Senka-food too small to help."

"You little gurfoop... you've seen my attack, you know better!"

"Not. Senka-food too small. Needs eat, become big food." Ally Krikree drew a spear to poke at her playfully and Associate Senka bit off the tip.

Those two also appeared to be... functioning. Fiyu passed by them without letting either know of her presence, seeking something else. Everyone sought out companions in the wake of the battle, and Fiyu had enjoyed her time with Friend Nauda, but now she required the presence of a relative.

She found Relative Guchiro standing far from the center of things, floating in the air hidden to all but her. His injuries had been addressed, yet she felt even more concerned for him than during the battle. All his muscles hung loose except for his jaw, which was set in a tight frown.

Fiyu flew up behind him and their stealth techniques merged seamlessly. For a long time they did nothing but float together, staring out over Fithe.

"Is this not a good outcome?" she asked eventually. "Our allies are intact, our enemy is diminished, and even you can benefit from sublime materials granted by an aeon-class organization like the Orphic Cabal."

"I admit there are positives," Relative Guchiro said. "But this is not an unalloyed good."

"Whyever not?"

"I spoke to my contacts... the divine ice has melted. It should not have done so, not for years, but the process is never exact. The problem is opportunity cost. No matter what we gain, we sacrifice other potential benefits. You can return to a path you previously chose against, but you can never take the journey you might have chosen as a younger traveler."

"I see." Fiyu lowered her head, more hurt by the news than she had disappointed. She had been assuming that the divine ice would wait for her and she could take all her companions to Ichil to seek it.

"There will be other opportunities. The Jukkean Ice is still a higher priority to me than this continent." Relative Guchiro put an arm around her shoulders, however, and she felt his expression soften. "But do not worry, this is also a priority. I admit that this place is... more entangled with everything else than I had believed."

"Then you will help in the war? "

"If I can." Once more, his jaw set and the muscles around his eyes tightened. "We killed one Dominion from Tymetron, but how many do they have? I spoke to the others and they don't even have an accurate estimate of the empire's strength. Worse than that, this Plutalgion is well beyond Dominion..."

"Is it..." Fiyu hesitated. "Is it possible that we might help you ascend to Ophaon? I believe that I could convince the others to prioritize assisting you."

"Impossible. The step between Dominion and Ophaon is just as important as the ascension to Authority, but we know less about it. I was able to rise to Dominion swiftly without loss, but that is as far as my decades of planning could take me. Now we face a difficult road of unknown dangers."

With so many companions, Fiyu felt confident that they would be equal to those dangers. Yet it seemed like she was the only one. As she stared over the wreckage of their battle, the first in what could be a much longer war, she could understand their despair.