Realm of Monsters - Chapter 694: Children of Katag

Chapter 694: Children of Katag

  It was a beautiful day, the sun was shining, and there was not a cloud in the sky. In many ways it was a perfect afternoon. And yet, for Gilgard Morrigan, everything was about to crumble apart. He simply didn’t know it.

  Veronica reclined lazily over a daybed in Gilgard’s personal balcony, looking out over the city. She sipped at a glass of wine and sighed, “Damn it.”

  “Oh?” Gilgard leaned his arm on the parapet and smirked.

  “Don’t make me say it.”

  “It’s not fun if you don’t say it.”

  “Fine,” she rolled her eyes. “You were right, Murkton wine is better than Frost Rim ale.”

  “I knew you’d see it my way, my lady,” Gilgard brought over the bottle and offered to pour. “More?”

  “Please.” Veronica dipped her empty cup. “How do you manage to keep it so smooth but potent?”

  “The Silent Marshes have the most fertile lands in the Ebon Realm. Throw in a group of dedicated green mages, and a noble caste with a penchant for drinking, and you get some of the most well-cultivated vineyards in the land.”

  “I’d very much like to see these vineyards.”

  “Your wish is my command, Lady Sientia,” Gilgard gave an extravagant bow.

  “You don’t have to do that, you know; fawn over me.”

  “I’m not. I just want you to have a good experience while you’re here.”

  “Oh and why is that?” she smirked.

  “Maybe it’s because I want to be a good host? Or maybe it’s because I like you?”

  “No need to lay it on thick. I already accepted your invitation. I think it’s pretty clear I’m interested in you, too.”

  “In that case, could I interest you in some lunch?” He offered her his arm. “Our cooks are some of the finest in the realm. I’d dare say they are better than those cooks back at Undergrowth.” 

  “Oh, is that a challenge?” Veronica grabbed his arm and let him pull her to her feet.

  “Maybe.”

  “Do you plan to win this time? You’re showing at the Tourney didn’t end so well.”

  “Oof, you wound me. I’ll have you know, Miss Nalla had an orichalcum weapon on her side.”

  “Is that an excuse?”

  “Nope, because this time I have an even greater weapon.”

  “Do tell.”

  “Wine and good company. I’m unstoppable,” he leaned in and whispered.

  Veronica smiled. “Is that so? Are you finally going to introduce me to the rest of your family?”

  “You don’t want to meet my family. They’re not good company. My cousin, Lucas Katag, on the other hand— He’s quite charming and an avid admirer of grapes and wine. I think you two will get along quite well.”

  “What are we waiting for? Lead the way.”

  “As you wish, my lady.”

~~~

  Anxiety over the fate of her brother filled Tauri’s heart. Was Lucas okay? Had Lord Morrigan discovered what had happened to his brother back at the Katag manor before Beatrix could explain the truth? Would Lucas be held as a hostage for the Katag’s relation to Stryg, the Sylvan’s War Master?

  Her thoughts only grew worse as she slipped through the castle hallways. It didn’t take long for her to find the door of her brother’s guest chambers. Or at least, she hoped it was his chambers. It was the usual place her family’s emissary stayed at.

  It was common practice for a member of House Katag to visit Murkton every odd year, as it was common enough for a Morrigan to visit Hollow Shade every even year. The alternating emissaries served to strengthen the two Great Houses that had a shared ancestry.

  Taking one last furtive glance to search for any prying eyes, and finding none, Tauri knocked on the door.

  There was no answer.

  She knocked again, a dark pit forming in her stomach.

  No answer.

  Throwing caution to the wind, she reached for the doorknob and twisted. It opened with a click. The door swung open on silent hinges and she peeked inside. A snuffed candle sat on a table. It was noon, there was no need for any lit candles, but its presence suggested someone was staying here.

  Hope and anxiety gripped Tauri’s chest and she hurried inside, closing the door behind her.

  “Lucas…?” she called out in a whisper.

  Still, there was no answer.

  Then she heard it. Her brother’s muffled voice.

  Tauri sprinted across the solar room and threw the bedroom door wide open. Lucas was lying in bed, his chest bare, hands folded across his head. A scantily clad woman lounged next to him, feeding grapes into his waiting mouth.

  “Mm. That is so good,” Lucas hummed.

  The woman giggled, “Young master Gilgard had them especially picked out just for you.”

  “My cousin has good tastes— Tauri!?” Lucas scrambled to sit up. “What are you doing here?”

  Tauri gave him a flat look. “We came to save you, but maybe we should have just left you.” 

  “Save me? From what?” Lucas asked.

  “Who is ‘we’?” The scantily clad woman looked at the door, as if expecting someone else to appear.

  Tauri looked her up and down. Her scarlet skin was pristine save for a particular tattoo of a fox on her thigh. “Since when does a courtesan presume to involve herself in the affairs of the Great Houses?”

  The courtesan had the wisdom to appear embarrassed, but Tauri knew better. A woman like her would not be allowed fifty meters near the castle if they hadn’t been expressly invited. No mere prostitute would ever set foot in Lord Morrigan’s home. No, this woman was a courtesan, trained by the best Madams in the city to serve more than in the arts of flesh. She was no doubt an agent for the castle’s spymaster.

  “Sister, Livia meant no offense,” Lucas said.

  “You, shut up,” Tauri glared at her brother. “And you, out.”

  “As you wish, my lady,” Livia rose from the bed in one languid, smooth motion. She stooped low to pick up a silk robe from the ground, making sure to give Tauri a full view of her voluptuous bottom. 

  Such charms had no effect on Tauri. “Stop wasting time. Move.”

  Livia hid her look of disappointment and bowed in assent. “Farewell, my lord and lady.” 

  As Livia walked out the doorway, Tauri channeled Brown magic into her arm, empowering her muscles. Tauri grabbed Livia’s head from behind and smacked it against the doorway with a satisfying thunk. The courtesan crumpled to the ground, with barely a surprised grunt.

  “What did you do!?” Lucas leaped to his feet and rushed over to Livia.

  “How can you be so stupid, Lucas? She’s a spy,” Tauri said.

  “I’m not an idiot, Sister. Lord Morrigan always sends a courtesan whenever I visit. Father told me to not reject them.”

  “What? Why would Father tell you that?”

  “Because it’s better to have a spy nearby where you can control the spread of secrets. I tell her what we want her to know and she takes it back to her grubby little spymaster. I’ve built a rapport with Livia in particular. She trusts me enough to believe whatever I ‘accidentally’ slip out while ‘drunk’ or you know, ‘going at it’—”

  “Stop, I don’t need to know any more details.” Tauri shivered at the thought of her brother naked.

  “Well, it doesn’t matter anymore. Seeing as you just knocked the ever living lights out of her.” Lucas gingerly touched Livia’s head and pulled back with a grimace; his fingers were covered in blood. “Shit. That’s not good.”

  “She’ll be fine… I think.”

  “You do realize that even if they are spies, we can’t simply assault the servants of the castle, right? We need to get her to a healer.”

  “There’s no time for that. We need to get out of this city. If Beatrix can manage to distract her father for long enough, then we won’t even have to attend dinner. We could slip out right now.”

  “Slip out? We’re guests here. Lord Corvus is our uncle. Why would we need to sneak anywhere?” He grabbed his sister’s forearm. “Tauri, what is going on?”

  She glanced around, her eyes distant. Finally, she focused her gaze on him. “Ivander Morrigan is dead.”

  “What?” Lucas stumbled back a step. “What happened?”

  “He was assassinated while he was meeting with our family. 

  “Wait, Ivander died in our manor? Do you have any idea how bad this looks? Ivander is Corvus’ younger brother. The Warlord won’t have any mercy if he believes our family was somehow implicated.”

  Tauri shook her head. “Our parents were both injured. Beatrix barely survived. They’re all fine now, but we lost over a dozen loyal guards. Our family was victims of the attack just as much as the Morrigan emissary.”

  “Father and Mother are okay? Are you certain?”

  “Yeah, they’re fine now.”

  “Who attacked us?”

  “A Sylvan assassin.”

  “The Sylvan? I thought we were friends with them.”

  “We are, well— it’s complicated.”

  “I can handle complicated. What happened to the assassin? Did we kill him? Imprison? We need answers from him. Tell me Father got the best purple mages to break him.”

  “He escaped.”

  “The assassin escaped!?”

  “Look, I’ll explain more later. We need to get out of this city as soon as possible.”

  “Why? Is the assassin coming for me now?”

  “No. I’ll tell you all about it later, okay?”

  “No, tell me what’s going on now. Are we in danger?”

  Tauri sighed. “How much do you know about the Sylvan fleet?”

  “The boats made of ice? Not too much, really. Just that the goblins have cobbled together some ice floes and called them a fleet. They’ve managed to raid a couple of towns off the coast. The commonfolk seem worried, but the nobility are unruffled. Lord Corvus has already sent Murkton’s own fleet to put the Sylvan army down.”

  “And you think that the Sylvan army will simply lie down and be defeated? You saw them at Hollow Shade. They decimated our enemies. I’ve never seen warriors as efficient and deadly as the Sylvan. Have you?”

  Lucas scratched at his cheek. “I admit that having grown up in the most dangerous land in the realm, has given the Sylvan warriors an edge above other soldiers. But that was on land. This is seafare combat. None is more skilled on water than the Murktonian fleet. The Sylvan will lose and retreat.”

  “They won’t.”

  “Retreat?”

  “Lose. This isn’t just some cobbled-together fleet. The Sylvan have a goddess on their side.”

  Lucas scoffed with a chuckle, “Yeah, so does every other army. That doesn’t mean they’ll—”

  “No, listen to me.” Tauri grabbed his shoulders. “The literal goddess of the moon, Lunae, Watcher of the Realm, is on one of those boats. It doesn’t matter who the Morrigans send. They will not win against Lunae. And when she comes here, the Sylvan will rain destruction down upon every orc in this city, including us if we’re still here.”

  Lucas grabbed her hands and gently pulled them down. “Sister, you look tired. I’m not sure where you’ve heard these rumors, but once you get some rest, I’m sure we can figure out what is really going on.”

  Tauri pulled her hands away. “I know it sounds crazy, but I’ve seen her. I’ve seen the goddess of the moon and she is terrifying. Murkton cannot win this war.”

  Lucas stared at her for a long moment. “Okay, suppose I believe you. Shouldn’t we warn Lord Corvus of what’s happening? Try to arrange some sort of armistice at the very least?”

  “No, you don’t get it. There is no stopping Lunae. She wants blood. The best we can do is get out of the way. House Morrigan is doomed.”

  “House Morrigan is our family.”

  “And we will die with them if we stay.”

  “If what you say is true, then we can’t just not tell Lord Corvus of what’s coming,” Lucas insisted.

  “Lord Corvus won’t believe us anyway.”

  A knock at the door drew their attention.

  “Who is that?” Tauri asked.

  “Probably Gilgard, he mentioned he would be stopping by later. Let me go check.”

  “Lucas, wait.”

  “It’s fine. Relax.” Lucas went to the door and opened it.

  Tauri peeked from the bedroom. A pair of vampires draped in dark cloaks stood in the front doorway. The sunlight reflected off a pair of medallions around their necks. Tauri recognized the flame symbol from Belle’s description of her mother’s cult, the Ebon Order.

  “Who are you?” Lucas asked.

  One of the strangers stepped forward and punched Lucas in the throat with a quick jab. He folded over, coughing for breath.

  “Lucas!” Tauri shouted.

  The Ebon Order’s agents swerved around and met her panicked eyes.

~~~

  Stryg lay on the floor, limbs spread, staring up at the ceiling. His mind wandered towards his conversation with Gale and the memories of his ancestors buried in the book Uncle Jahn gave him.

  His stomach growled with hunger. How he wanted to go find some food, but Beatrix and Tauri had made it explicitly clear that he was to stay hidden in Beatrix’s chambers until they came back for him.

  Stryg raised his hand and stared at the scar on his palm. It had suddenly appeared during the recent storm. He wasn’t sure how he had gotten it, only that it belonged to him, in a way like nothing else in his life did. The scar was a part of him, as was the odd cold sensation of power flowing through it.

  ‘What are you?’ he wondered.

  His pointed ears perked as Tauri’s scream, far off in the distance, cut through the noise of his mind. He shot up and barreled through the front door. Gale heard the screech of iron hinges ripping apart and rushed into the room, but all that was left was a broken door on the floor. Stryg was gone.

  “Shit,” Gale muttered.

  Belle burst out of the bathroom, half-naked, scarlet hair still wet. 

  “Belle? What’s going on—?”

  The godling bared her fangs, “The pack howls. We go to war.”