Chapter 73 – Interdepartmental

It happened again.

Kairon’s left eye twitched.

It was pure madness! Someone had clearly dug up some crazy footnote from that archaic compendium and utilized it to further move up the audit timeline. Which meant there must be something else at play. Something that he wasn’t privy to. It continued to elude him as to why whoever was pushing for his city to be the target of this mysterious audit even desired such. What did they stand to gain?

Either way, the demon knew it hardly mattered. As long as the audit came after Operation Shakeout, this timer he was shown was just that.

A timer.

But the sheer gall of whoever kept pushing for his audit to be sooner. Did they truly have the proper requirements to invoke not one, but two timeline accelerations? He’d need to revisit his favorite night time readings.

If—and it was a big if—the plane could see some kind of input and output usage on his city readout such as imp spawnings, then perhaps there could be some sort of flag. Yet, it just seemed so outlandish. That his little city could make such a ruckus.

“Honestly, this is just one more reason why this illustrious table needs someone with more… craft like myself in their midst. Ridiculous. Just, ridiculous.”

Hissing in consternation, Kairon pushed the thoughts away. For the time being, he could only prepare. To that end, if the audit was just in two weeks, it was time to have a chat.

***

Bean was the last to arrive. He stumbled inside, claws and skin still caked in dirt and mud. His crews had just made it in from the final excavation site.

“Sorry! Just back!” Bean collapsed on the citadel floor, heaving breaths into his little body. “Haven’t. Been. Farm,” he struggled to squeak out. By his side, Shiny tossed him a water skin.

The little imp began slurping greedily.

“Went by farm,” said Shiny. “All okay. Had several my worker stay. Take care of it. We speak about later.”

The little farmer frowned, still struggling to speak. “Who?”

“Fin, Bow, Chop. Few other.”

Bean spit out the water in his mouth, the corrupted liquid sloshing on the stone flooring. “Shiny… Bad diggers! Why send? Now need fix…” Bean’s expression turned quite sour at that realization.

“Beggar not chooser,” proclaimed Shiny, looking at his master.

“Actually,” cut in Nod, pursing his lips. “Hauler work farm…. This interdepartmental…. Seem irregular. Not sure I like. How keep safe? How know rules?”

“It dig. How hard can be?” Shiny yawned.

Bean nearly fell over. “How hard?! Digging is… Very intricate business. Shiny! You should know!”

“How—” began Shiny, only to be interrupted.

Kairon cleared his throat. “If I may, the issue here doesn’t seem to be compliance as much as it is competence. Shiny, you are saying Bean needed his farms worked while his crews were digging. Bean, you are saying that Shiny’s haulers and gnawers don’t know how to properly work the farms. Correct?”

Each grunted in affirmation.

“Then, Nod is right. Interdepartmental collaboration is irregular. We rarely have ashroot workers do anything other than, well, ashroot stuff. Like the gnawers, they’ve become specialized.”

“Specialized bad holes.” Bean made another groan. “Gah… More work…”

“Not necessarily,” began Kairon. “We can use this as an opportunity. Shiny… Why don’t we have some of your brood imps accompany Bean tonight and spend the early evening on a departmental field trip!”

“More?!” Bean nearly shrieked at the idea.

“What for?” asked Shiny.

“Let me explain. Basically, this is the pitfall of specialization. When workers need to be shifted around for varying circumstances, they have no competency in doing so. So, tonight, teach your workers how to tend the farms. Just the basics.”

“But,” protested Bean, “the farm alive. Take time learn. Not one day. And the bugs!”

“I know, I know,” sighed Kairon. “Like I said, just the basics. They don’t need to, and frankly should not, be experts. We just need the brood imps to understand enough to help out if needed.”

Shiny was the first to buy into it. “I think I see… This smart. Maximize brood imp potential. Versatility, while not lose specialty.”

“Exactly! Now, this one-time field trip will be more work than we’re typically willing to allocate to this endeavor. So, going forward, I want you to work out a rotation. Each day, let’s say one or two imps from each primary department—that being wood and farming—should rotate. Perhaps just for a few hours. Get some claws on training, and head back. And maybe the same with stone, but only every three or four days for them given their smaller size.”

Nod sniffed. “I suppose work. But still seem irregular. I supervise this… rotation.”

“Of course. That is fine,” assured Kairon.

Bean glanced around at the other supervisors, before finally adding his approval as well. “Okay. Better dig. We try!”

As he listened, Kairon allowed his source connection to activate. And, while none of his subordinates noticed it, Kairon certainly did. The interior of his citadel was awash with color. Nod had a golden string of universal energy half as large as Boney’s wrath string had been, and Bean had gained a verdant tinted one that smelled of brood. It was tiny, but there.

As for Shiny…

Kairon had to bite his lip to keep from laughing aloud. If their city didn’t have war at their doorstep, he was certain the little brood imp would have been the first to evolve. Even now, a string of energy more green than gold pulsated behind Shiny’s back. Kairon wasn’t certain, but he’d say it was only a claw smaller than Boney’s had been before his evolution.

Soon, my friend. Soon. It won’t be long before Brood too adds another demon to its ravenous ranks.

“Great! That’s settled. Keep me informed of how it goes, would you?”

“Oh! I will. Be watching closely.” Nod put both claws on his hips.

“Next order of business, I want to ensure everything is ready to go, both for tomorrow, and for what comes after. Bean. Report. Where do we stand with our points of interest?” asked Kairon, using his staff to point out the three X marked points on the war board.

“All three done! Excavation success!” reported Bean.

“And the environmental protective containment pits? Did you double check their depths?”

“Five meter!”

“Spread?”

“Spread meet guideline!”

“Good, good. Any issues with the ichor?”

“About that.” Bean gave his master a displeased look. “We didn’t expect. Many last change… Workers were mad.”

Nod nodded in agreement. “Yes. Yes we received several complaint. Brood mad. Made many stick. Now useless. Say work was waste.”

Kairon winced. “Listen. What have I told you both? We must be willing to pivot. The ichor well’s usage was far more opportunistic than anticipated. Besides, when I originally drew up these plans, we didn’t have the brand yet. There was simply no way of knowing.”

“Well. Crews were working tirelessly! They spent. Now this field trip…”

Kairon rubbed a claw under his chin. “Maybe we should postpone it until tomorrow then?”

Nod, seemingly much less worried about the tired imps and more worried about the ichor, cleared his throat. “Not important. More worry about… The incident. Tell him.”

Bean rubbed a claw over his face sheepishly. “Ah… Tell what?”

Nod gave him a flat look.

Deflating, Bean turned to his master. “Uh. We did have… what master call? Minor snafu.”

“What sort of snafu, Bean?” The city lord knew there would be some turbulence with the last minute change of plans with the ichor, but he was hoping it wasn’t anything detrimental. “Was anyone hurt?”

“Ah. Not really.” Bean laughed nervously.

“What do you mean, not really?”

“Small problem. But!” Bean replied, holding up a claw. “We fix! All better.”

Nod snorted. “Small?! He call small. Master, did know accident occur? Again! This time…. Two imp burn. Like candles!”

“Only small burn!” retorted Bean. “They fine now. Digging help.”

Nod’s eyes nearly fell from his head. “You made them dig?! After hurt?!” he shrieked. “I did not know this! When happen?!”

Bean’s brow furrowed. “Brood strong! Boss say so! Not weak. We used work. Help feel better. Not like DR.” The moment he said that last part, Bean knew he’d made a mistake.

The Demonic Resources manager’s gaze hardened. He stepped closer, putting his little head right against Bean’s. “You think weak?” Nod’s voice had gone very cold.

Shiny put a claw over his face, shaking his head.

“N-no. Sorry supervisor Nod. It was slip. Slip of tongue!” tried Bean.

“Was it? Was? Because sound confident. Sound like meant!” snapped Nod.

From the side, Shiny tried to step in and save his friend. “It fine. It fine… Calm down.”

“Not fine!” Spinning around, Nod pointed one trembling claw at Shiny. “You do this? Say DR weak?!”

“No, no,” said Shiny in a calming tone. “This misunderstanding. Don’t worry.”

Kairon was watching, considering how to best play this. Oh dear. Perhaps I should—

“Shiny! We been very lax. Maybe too lax. Speak with Bob and Shake? Maybe increase inspection? Or… Inspect closer.”

Kairon knew exactly what the little manager was referring to. The special purple grub he’d specifically forbidden DR from intervening with. Thus, Nod was clearly making a threat he couldn’t keep.

But Shiny didn’t know that.

A dangerous gleam shone in the small, unassuming brood imp’s pupils. This time, when the brood aura that was tied to his back drank upon his domain, Kairon wasn’t the only one to notice. A tremor entered the room. The distant sound of tearing flesh, gulping throats, and crunching bones sounded somewhere far in the distance.

“I say misunderstand. You question me?” growled Shiny. He licked his dry, red lips, taking a big breath in, and another out. “You say dangerous thing, Nod. Dangerous,” he said breathily.

Kairon raised an eyebrow. Did he say dangerous?!

For the first time since Nod began walking the path of compliance, he hesitated. His claws went slack. Based on the expression he was giving, Kairon recognized what was happening. Somewhere deep in Nod’s mind, a piece was wobbling. One that was subservient to the demonic.

It brought up old memories for the demon. Ones of what Bureau managers did when a flag came across their desk that perhaps, just this once, they wanted to overlook. Even if the manager knew they shouldn’t, the trouble just wasn’t worth it.

Internally, Kairon was conflicted. Things were certainly getting out of hand, but… those sounds. That aura. It was eerily similar to Boney’s evolution. If he allowed the exchange to continue, even if Nod and Shiny came to violence, perhaps Shiny would have a chance at his evolution…

No. Not yet.

The city lord had a specific part for his favorite supervisor to play. He had a hunch that allowing his carefully concocted schemes to be the tipping point on the scale would have some very… tasty benefits.

Nod was clearly still formulating a reply when he decided to step in.

“Enough,” spoke Kairon firmly. “I expect this from Vorathrex. Sythara, even. But not you three. I need my middle management on the same page. We have two enemy forces at our doorstep, weeks of preparation to finalize, and less than a day before Operation Shakeout. This argument stops now. Shiny, Nod is an imperative part of keeping everyone safe. Nod, Shiny is an integral part of ensuring we scale and grow. And Bean, for what I want to do after, well. Let’s just say you may be the most important of all. So, for the love of the plane, put down your claws and get over it!”

The longer he spoke, the more downcast the other imps became. By the time he’d finished, the aura of brood had dissolved, and Nod’s fury had ebbed.

Shiny rubbed the back of his head, before sheepishly grinning. “Got carry away.”

“Yes,” agreed Bean. “You scary, Shiny.”

Even Nod smiled slyly. “Slip of tongue.”

Bean bobbed his chin up and down rapidly. “Yes, yes. Slip tongue. We same team!”

“Exactly! We’re all on the same team!” exclaimed Kairon. The little guys really had been picking up on his phrasing. Deciding to change the subject, the city lord put a claw on Shiny’s shoulder.

“Say, Shiny. How has the waste recycling initiative gone with the feeding pits?”

“Very good! Put sign by both! Followed all step.”

“Signs are compliant!” chirped Nod.

“Perfect. Oh—Shiny, I actually need your input on a report I’ve been working on.”

“Report?” asked Shiny.

“Of course! Haven’t I told you about our corruption emissions reduction plan?”

The room went entirely silent.

Shiny was the first to break it. “We have… emission reduction plan?”

“Of course! I briefly told Bean about it before.”

“What in plan?” asked Nod.

“What plan require do?” cut in Shiny, asking the true question.

“Ah. Well. That’s the beauty of a plan. You don’t have to really do anything!”

The imps all cocked their heads in confusion.

“Then… what point?” asked Shiny.

“The point is that we have a plan that meets the guidelines set by the demonic regulatory compendium. Here—let me explain…”

***

That evening, Kairon’s black scales shone under the moon. He and Vorathrex were alone, side by side, standing atop the northern walls. Two fists of wrath imps were dispersed around the ring of stone, but none were within earshot.

“We find ourselves here again, fledgling.”

“We do. Only this time, we’re far more prepared. Green squad’s been keeping careful track of the clan’s movements, and the paladins are now within my vision in The Spines.”

“And?” asked Vorathrex.

“And our estimates from our scouting lined up. Hundred paladins, several hundred foot soldiers.”

“A great foe to face,” mused his general.

“You’ve gotten quite cautious lately. Shouldn’t that excite you?”

Vorathrex was silent at that.

Interesting.

“Tell me,” said Kairon, “are the warriors ready?”

In the distance, a soft howl filled the night. Moments later, others joined it. “That one is,” said Vorathrex.

“The Red Claws certainly do seem to be eager. Though, they aren’t who I’m worried about. What of our warriors, wrath councilor? How has the training gone?”

“You have seen so yourself. They are ready. After that little night drill, even more so.”

“And the ichor? That was a last minute addition. Have they had enough time in one afternoon to understand it?”

Vorathrex shook his head. “No. They do not understand it. But they know enough.” He paused, before cracking his massive hands. “And I know enough too, fledgling. That blood…”

“Controlled substance,” corrected Kairon.

“The controlled substance is quite the treat,” he amended.

“As long as you do not hurt yourself. Speaking of, I meant to ask you. The ichor. Does it not burn your fists?”

The giant cocked his head. “Why would it?”

“Well… It explodes on contact when weaponized. And if you’ve covered your hands in it…”

“Mmm. Wrath is of destruction and rage, but that can be focused. If you do not wish to destroy yourself, why would the wrath do so?”

“That seems to imply you can both convince the wrath of that, and control it all the while.”

“That it does, fledgling. That it does.”

“And the warriors can do this?”

“Just a clawful of the ichor… Yes,” Vorathrex replied simply.

As far as Kairon was concerned, that was good enough. He turned, gazing out over the city behind him. Despite the late hour, the place still felt alive.

Several patrols on the walls and streets marched in their fists. The Red Claws prowled, following their new demonic pack leader as he led them through the void district. Even the darkness of the night was pressed back against the warm glows of the rookeries and the coals of the cooking fires.

Spinning around, Kairon drew his focus outwards. Towards the south, and then the east. Where new enemies were practically at their doorstep.

And, lastly, to the little group of scouts that had been hiking steadily towards the upcoming location for Operation Shakeout. Not of their own volition, of course, but Kairon’s. He’d been using the same trick he used on Hector’s party, only inverted. With a natural will, he could make his domain press its presence upon them.

Over the last few days, he’d been testing that out. One key difference he found was that for some reason, the clans’ scouting group resisted far harder than the Valdren militia men had. He’d had to keep adding considerable effort until finally one of the scouts had suddenly collapsed. From there, it had gotten easier for him to get the desired impact. So much so that he made an invisible, subtle funnel. Three sides of his domain that pressed in subtly like a furnace, leaving the direction he wanted to feel far more hospitable.

Like mice, the humans followed. They strayed here and there, but a firm claw brought them back. Kairon found that with only around a dozen of them, it wasn’t that difficult.

Had there been more, that might have been different.

He’d considered being more direct about this whole thing instead—such as using the void imps or Boney—but Kairon firmly felt that subtlety was of the utmost importance. The humans had to believe they chose where to go—not an outside force.

Not only did this play directly into his future plans, but it was a great example for Boney. Kairon had high hopes for the demon. Hopes that had him doing more than simply swinging claws and slaying foes. If he could show Boney they could make the scout group do as they desired without bloodshed, following his trail and going exactly where he wanted. Well. Kairon thought that was the best he could do.

From there, it would be up to Boney. If Operation Shakeout went to plan, Kairon actually planned a little test of sorts. One that would further his nourishment of his newest middle manager in the direction that he and not the plane wanted.

He already had a war general with Vorathrex. For Boney, he needed something more… diplomatic. Surgical, if you will.

As for where the clan scouts themselves were actually going… Well. Kairon couldn’t be certain which of the three locations the upcoming battle would take place at—and that was a big deal as he needed the party to witness it—but he could lead the clan scouts in the general direction of them and fine tune their position just right the night of.

Lots of events had to click into place to make all of this work.

But that’s the fun of it, isn’t it?

The challenge had its own type of thrill. One that Kairon truly appreciated.

Sitting back, the city lord let out a long breath. He looked up, staring at the apex of his citadel. Atop it, a violet eye blinked back at him.