Realm of Monsters - Chapter 657: A Miracle
Chapter 657: A Miracle
A week had passed since the Lunar Elects met with the Seven Ruling Houses in the High Chamber. The Sylvan armies had gathered their belongings and once again mobilized for war. Lord Katag Krall had ordered a retinue of soldiers to be stationed throughout the entire path, from the Commoner District to the city gates, in order to prevent any disgruntled Hollow Shade resident from trying to ‘interfere’ with the goblins marching down the streets. The last thing the city needed was for a drunk idiot to throw a rock at one of the goblin warriors.
People lined up on the side of the streets to watch the goblin army march down the cobblestone streets, spears in hand. The goblins didn’t wear the heavy armour favoured by Hollow Shade soldiers; instead, they opted for lightweight leather and grey mottled cloaks that blended into the ashen trees of Vulture Woods.
The giant Frost Wolves led the army, while their smaller wolf cousins brought up the rear. Despite being far smaller than Frost Wolves, the wolves of Vulture Woods, like so many beasts from that forest, were much larger than any wolf found in the Northern Lands. People stared, and children pointed excitedly at the wolves and their riders.
Stryg stood on the wall, atop the city gate with Gale and some of the Sylvan leaders. Watching and waiting for the army to arrive. Stryg worried that a small fight might break out amongst the residents and the army, but when he spotted the army coming down the street, he was surprised to find the crowds of onlookers cheering and wishing the goblins well.
“How…?” He had expected many outcomes, but not this one. Stryg had the cruelty and indifference that the people had towards the goblins. To see them cheering his own kind, it broke something in Stryg, and he felt his throat tighten at the sight.
“My lord?” Gale asked.
“It’s nothing, just… It’s like they’re cheering on heroes.”
“They are heroes,” Gale said. “If it wasn’t for the Sylvan, the Commoner District would have been the first to have burned and been ransacked. To the people living here, the goblins are the heroes.”
“You should mingle with the people more often. It would do you well to learn how their sentiments have changed. Especially about you, Little One,” Lunae said.
“When was the last time you mingled with the people?” Stryg cocked an eyebrow.
“My farsight allows me to see them just fine from up here, cheeky boy,” Lunae flicked him on the forehead.
“Ow.” Stryg winced and rubbed his forehead. “Aren’t you two supposed to protect me?” He looked at Gale and Elayne, the captain of his Sylvan honor guard.
“Not from her,” Elayne replied.
Gale just laughed in his face.
“They will be arriving soon. If you’ll excuse me, I’ll head down first.” Elayne glanced at Stryg and bowed, “It has been an honor fighting by your side, War Master.”
Stryg returned the bow. “The honor was mine, Captain.”
Elayne smiled, then turned to Lykos, the Warrior Elect. “Father.”
Lykos nodded, “Daughter.”
Elayned bowed one last time to Lunae, more deeply than the rest, before heading towards the wooden lift hanging from the side of the wall.
“I’ll be heading down as well,” Lykos hoisted his spear.
“I’ll join you,” Aurelia said.
“I need to speak to you first, Aurelia,” Lunae said. She was in her humanoid form, only a third of her usual height, though still taller than any goblin. A cloak of silken white wrapped her shoulders, but did nothing to hide her lustrous pale hair.
Lykos glanced at Aurelia, but said nothing, then bowed to Lunae and left.
“How may I serve, Mother Moon?” Aurelia stared at her feet.
“Fir the last twenty-five years, you have served me well, as an acolyte and then as my priestess. But,” Lunae’s eyes grew hard. “You broke your vows and not only slept with a man, but had a child.”
Aurelia’s face grew pale at the goddess’ words. Lumi, the Shaman Elect, watched on in silent surprise, a small smile tugging at her lips.
Stryg stepped forward, “Lunae, you can’t fault her for–”
“Silence,” Lunae held up her hand. “I can and I do. Aurelia knew very well what her duties and vows entailed. And still, she broke them. To make matters worse, she fled Evenfall to escape her punishment.”
“My mother fled to protect me!” Stryg said.
“I said silence!” Lunae snapped. “You have done much since then to redeem yourself, Aurelia Veres, but that does not absolve you of your crimes. For far too long, your punishment has been withheld. But as a new dawn begins for our people, I cannot allow the crimes of old to go forgotten.”
“I understand,” Aurelia whispered meekly. She dropped to her knees and bowed her head. “I will accept whatever penance you deem worthy, no matter how severe.” Head still bowed, she glanced at Stryg and silently mouthed, ‘I love you.’
“For your crimes of breaking your divine vows and abandoning your post in the Celestial Shrine, I strip you of the title of Sylvan Motherhood.” Lunae tore the scarlet-black laurel from Aurelia’s head and tossed it over the wall. “You shall never bear the name of First Mother again. You shall never serve as shaman of a tribe. And you shall never lead the armies of the Sylvan Tribes. Do not try to fight alongside our warriors in search of absolution; you are forbidden from joining their ranks. From this day forward, you are banished from Vulture Woods. I suggest you find another home, Aurelia Veres.” Lunae turned and walked away.
Aurelia slowly looked up, tears in her eyes. “…Thank you, Mother Moon,” she called out quietly.
Lumi’s jaw hung slack in disbelief and incredulity. “W-What…? You can’t just—!”
Lunae glared at her, daring Lumi to say something. The goblin shaman shrank back in fear and hurried to move out of Lunae’s way.
“What just happened…?” Stryg muttered.
“I get it…” Gale smiled.
“Get what?” Stryg asked.
Gale leaned and whispered into his ear, “Lunae just relieved your mother of all her sacred, life-long duties. Your mother could have never chosen between the responsibilities to her tribe and to your family; so Lunae made the choice for her, absolving Lady Aurelia from any guilt or judgment from others. She is now free to stay in Hollow Shade with you and live as Lady Veres.”
The Shaman Elect glared daggers at Aurelia, but said nothing and followed after Lunae.
“Mom… are you alright?” Stryg asked carefully.
Aurelia hadn’t moved. She was still on her knees, tears flowing freely. “I’ll be okay.”
~~~
Beatrix dai-Morrigan watched the Sylvan procession from atop the roof of a tavern on the docks. Her injuries had almost fully recovered thanks to the week of rest and the expert treatment of the Katags’ white mages.
“We were supposed to meet with the ship captain inside the tavern,” Lady Evelyn Katag grumbled as she hoisted her dress, and clambered out the window and onto the roof.
“I wanted to see the Sylvan army,” said Beatrix.
“You can see them from the window.”
“I wanted to feel the breeze.”
“You can feel the breeze with the window open—”
“I don’t want to be in a stuffy room for another minute.”
“Fair enough.” Evelyn sat down next to her. “I’ve commandeered the fastest ship money can buy. You will be heading out tomorrow night. The Dire River is rough this time of year, but large armies move slowly. You’ll arrive at Murkton and have at least two weeks to get my son out of the city before the Sylvan forces arrive.”
“Stryg isn’t joining me. Did he tell you that?” Beatrix asked.
“He did. It seems Lunae has forbidden him from getting directly involved. Don’t worry, I’ve arranged my own personal guards to accompany you.”
“Does that not bother you?”
“Try to be more specific, child.”
“Gods walking among us? Does it not bother you?”
“Does it bother you?”
“Of course, it does! Why do you and Lord Krall seem so nonchalant about it?”
Evelyn shrugged. “We are mortal, Beatrix. Krall and I have never had any disillusions about that. We do not seek to circumvent the natural order of this world, unlike so many mortals who’ve wielded power. We understand that true power has always belonged in the hands of gods, long before we knew they walked among us.”
“What are you saying? That we cannot go against fate?”
“No. I’m saying that if you don’t want to be crushed beneath the world’s heel, it’s best to stand on the shoulders of giants. My House has already pledged itself to Lunae and is building a shrine in her name in our gardens. A few words of wisdom, child; if you wish to survive what is to come, it is best to swear yourself to a god, not a lord.”
Beatrix thought of the deal she had struck with Stryg and its potential lethal ramifications. If it hadn’t been for Stryg informing Beatrix and Evelyn of their mutual knowledge of the divine, Beatrix wouldn’t even be able to speak a word of any of this to her without breaking her side of the deal.
“It’s easier said than done,” Beatrix scoffed.
“I suppose it is, but nothing in life was ever simple. Wait. What is that?” Evelyn narrowed her eyes and pointed at a massive white wolf that had emerged from the front of the Sylvan procession. The she-wolf towered over the other Frost Wolves and the rest bowed as she walked by. “Is that… Lunae?” Evelyn whispered.
Lunae walked over to the shore of the Dire River and stepped into the river, but where her feet touched the water, ice formed around her paws, keeping her afloat, and forming a path of ice behind her. The river was massive, its width about a league across, even more when it rained. Lunae walked across the river until she stood at its center, a small white speck amidst the vast waters.
The sun was beginning to set and the mostly full moon could be seen hanging above the orange skies. Lunae tilted her head upwards and howled a deafening sound that sent massive waves outwards, smashing many of the boats into the docks.
“Why is she doing this?” Evelyn grabbed onto the roof in a panic.
“She doesn’t want Hollow Shade’s armies to follow,” Beatrix said in understanding.
“Lunae really doesn’t trust the city council.” Evelyn cracked a wry smile. “Wait, I see something!” She pointed to the river.
Massive peaks of ice jutted out of the water like spears. No, they weren’t spears, Beatrix realized in horror, they were the bows of ships. Frozen galley ships formed out of ice rose from the river. The ice path Lunae had created now served as a pier leading outwards towards the frozen ships that now lined its path.
“A miracle…” Evelyn whispered in awe.
Beatrix and Evelyn could hear the Sylvan army’s cheers even from atop the docks’ tavern as they marched onto the ice path, unafraid.
“I don’t think it’s going to take weeks for them to reach Murkton,” Beatrix muttered grimly.
