"Haha! If it isn't my good buddy Gin! Hoaaahh!" Krychek
He lifts me up by my armpits and swirls me around..... I was dreading this kind of encounter the whole way here. Inival even got me some special robes to try and hide me..... Right now we are currently inside the previous stronghold. The place has changed quite a bit, lots of elves that aren't soldiers are walking about. It seems that the place is now somewhere between a city and a town. The place is still a military installation though so, Krychek is still in control.
Looking at this giant, he seems a bit different. He's no longer a drow and is a devoured elf.... Honestly he looks more like an ogre than an elf. He still wears greaves and gauntlets with a bit of armor covering his lower torso.
"Why are you staring at my chest man? I'm not willing to marry dudes. Hmmm.... Perhaps a species that could switch between genders? what would happen of they switch while I'm in-" Krychek
*Foom
Inival saves me from the grasps of this giant. I hear quite a few comments from the broodmothers and Set. A few even have some murderous connotations..... One is about food.... Ravel walks up to Krychek and looks up 150° to look at his face.
"Krychek. You've been bothering Gin. Stop." Ravel
Her bubbly personality receded. This one reminds me of how she was when the noble hunt went down. I feel a few goosebumps. He seems a bit shaken up after hearing that voice.
"Wh-! Why if it isn't miss Ravel. I guess I have not been courteous enough to our saint..... A-anyways, you guys have come to be teleported to the field camp right? Mede! Lets get these guys going!" Krychek
He roars and a small red elf comes out of a side passage. Mede is a bit different as well. She looks at Krychek with surprise.
"Y-you actually plan on acting like you should? Have your- Queen Ravel? You-? Look a bit different but, there is no mistake with a chest like that." Mede
"It's nice to see you again Mede. So, has Krychek been acting up a recently?" Ravel
Tears leak down Mede's face. She runs up and hugs Ravel.
"Everyday! Everyday he proposes to me and half of the women in this place! He sneaks into the bathrooms while we-! While we-! He says that it's his duty as our superior to make sure that we are not having any difficulties excreting!?!? What kind of boss does that!?!" Mede
Ravel pats Mede's head as she smiles at Krychek. It is a smile that does not reach her eyes. I hope that look is never directed at me. I watch as Krychek is a bit nervous. His eyes are darting around, as if looking for a place to hide.
"It seems that I need to have a talk with Madam Farblight." Ravel
*Boom
He drops to all fours and begs at Ravel's feet.
"NO!?!? Anyone, anyone but my cousin! Please!" Krychek
His voice goes hoarse as he continues to beg quietly. I feel a bit bad. It's like he is begging not to be killed.
"Mede, if he acts up again, you or your subordinates can contact us. I'll make sure to tell Farblight al~l about it!" Ravel
She goes back to her cheerful bubbly self halfway through her sentence. It's a bit odd saying this now but, all of my broodmothers are a bit weird..... Mede showers Ravel with some corny fanatical lines and then gets onto her job. Not much later we are all teleported to the field camp. This is a different one from the previous camp as that was one made to launch attacks into the union. This camp is to defend against the attacks from both the Union and the Black Iron Pyre. It seems that the Union has launched attacks into he theocracies' lands making their previous peace agreement invalid, making this whole thing, a giant team deathmatch. A three-way deathmatch.
'We both need to be very careful master. Both sides should have an idea on your worth to the Gin Theocracy so, you will be a strategic target.' Set
Set says this is a very serious voice which makes me value what she says even more. Everyone follows Ravel as she seems to have an idea on where to go. We reach a big jet black tent. Some odd music is playing inside. An instrument that sounds like a hybrid between a saxophone and oboe..... Rather melancholy, not something that I would expect to come from here.
Ravel pushes aside the flap in the tent and we all go in other than Nemesis and Vulki. They stay outside the tent with a bunch of Ravel's fairy spiderlings. A lot of spiderlings are scattered around the Theocracy and, a good amount of them are working for the military as well. This is to make sure that whenever we need a large force we can easily gather one.
The most eye-catching thing in the tent is a human-sized obelisk. It looks to be made of obsidian but, this being a different world, I could be wrong..... A red elf is sitting next to the obelisk and is brushing his hands against it, producing the music that is resounding through the tent. He suddenly stops and turns to look at us. He is wearing a black and red suit. With his slicked back red hair and his sharp features, he looks a bit devilish.
"Lady Ravel, Saint Gin. Miss Inival as well." ????
He nods at us. Ravel gives him a confused look.
"What are you doing here? You never leave the palace. Not since mom-, the previous queen died." Ravel
"Well, our grudges have faded and now that our lifespans are so long, we need not worry about our deteriorating bodies." ????
"Ummm?" Gin
"Ah, where are my manners, I'm Siegfried. The leader of the old royal guards. I must thank you, Saint Gin. My life along with some of my comrades were ending because of age. So when Ravel revealed to us old fellows a way forward, we crushed our grudge against her." Siegfried
?????
"Before you ask I'll tell you~. To become queen, Wetho and I killed my mother. If my mother hadn't been as aged as she was..... Anyways, since I did that, the royal guard underneath my mother refused to follow my orders unless it were a matter of safety to the country." Ravel
This. She killed her own mother? I can't just..... I couldn't imagine doing that. I loved my mother..... Thinking on it. This world is in a medieval state despite the existence of AI so, maybe matricide is not uncommon?
*Floop
I hear the flap of the tent open. Spider? It's been a while since I've seen him. The leader of the previous spider faction. All the factions are fused now. Even Crow who was the most reluctant has taken up Sillith as his patron god..... Sillith..... I wonder what is going on?