studiobondurri Before the Storm: Act 6, Chapter 2
Before the Storm: Act 6, Chapter 2
Before the Storm: Act 6, Chapter 2
Chapter 2
You grew feathers.
I didnt grow them.
Xoc flicked an ear in annoyance as she came out of her home and into the morning light. Several days had passed since she had sent invitations to the lords of the nearby cities through Merchants plying Ocelo Pachans growing trade network. In the meantime, the world seemed to constantly find things for her to do, definitively proving that there was no way she could leave the city to represent her clan when they sent their material support to the eastern front.
They should be here any day now, she said.
Who? Winter Moon asked.
Thethethewhoever! Those lords from the nearby towns and cities who wanted to see me.
Dont you have some better way to keep track of them? In many of the other places that Ive visited, there are protocols for this sort of thing
The warrior clans use runners, Xoc said, but we dont have any who can travel faster than a river barge yet. We dont have time to spare for anything fancy, either.
In hindsight, confirming audiences through her Merchants might not have been the best of ideas. From what she had seen of the civilian lords when they came to the city, they had lofty and expensive tastes. Shipping them back to her along with a boatload of meat wasnt exactly the most glamorous mode of travel and the clanholds they were accustomed to staying in had been occupied by refugees from the flooded areas of the city.
Actually, Xoc looked up at Winter Moon, could you help entertain them?
Me? Why?
Because youre a Bard? Arent Bards supposed to love that kind of thing?
Dont you have any Bards of your own? You have nearly a hundred thousand subjects these days.
To be honest, Xoc replied, Ive been so busy that I havent given that particular side of things any thought.
Then, couldnt you just put up a posting for one?
A what?
Its something that Humans do. If they need something, theyll put it in writing in a public place for people to see. That way, they dont need to chase people around.
That sounds convenient, Xoc admitted, but no one can read here. Except for the Humans. Maybe thats why Humans do it?
Generally speaking, Humans seemed extraordinarily capable. From what she had seen, they were better than Beastmen at almost everything.
Its not as if Humans are born knowing how to read, Winter Moon said. They use criers to reach the illiterate.
I dont have any criers, Xoc said.
Then hire some?
The criers that the warrior clans use are all highly skilled, though
Thats because theyre Bards, Winter Moon told her.
Xoc stared up at Winter Moon.
...so youre telling me to use Bards to find Bards.
Simple, isnt it?
But I dont have any Bards!
Then hire some.
She glared at Winter Moon.
I know Im not exactly sophisticated in your eyes, but I still dont like being made fun of.
Im not making fun of you, Winter Moon replied. Beastmen arent born as Bards, so you just have to make some. If people do things as a thing, then they become the thing or something.
Is that how you became a Bard? Xoc asked, Someone hired you?
No. I became a Bard because I felt like it.
what are you doing up here, anyways? I thought youd be wandering around outside of the city as usual.
Vltava wanted to check on some of the stuff up here before your renovations accidentally destroyed them, Winter Moon replied.
We wouldnt destroy something valuable on purpose, Xoc said. Wheres Vltava right now?
Winter Moon turned and walked in the direction of one of the old ruins on the top level of the clanhold. They went around to the back of a half-buried pyramid, where Xoc was surprised to find it wasnt buried anymore.
You dug all of this up? Xoc asked.
Vltava summoned an Earth Elemental to do it, Winter Moon replied. He hasnt had any luck yet.
Luck with what?
It wasnt as if her clanhold was some long abandoned ruin. On the contrary, it was part of the bustling metropolis in the heart of Rolengorek. The ground that Vltava had excavated was created by the slow buildup of soil over the generations, so anything of value should have long been discovered and sold at market.
Xoc peeked over the edge of the hole, watching Vltava, Pinecone, and Pebble pore over a section of exposed wall. It looked like they were pulling out bricks that protruded slightly at regular intervals. Pebble yanked one out and examined it for a few moments before adding it to a small pile of similar objects.
Are they old carvings? Xoc asked.
Yes, Pebble answered. But they are not only that.
That one looks promising, Winter Moon said.
Which one?
That one. No, higher. Higher. Lower. Lower. Now left. Too far. You overshot. Too far again. Backargh!
With a frustrated noise, Winter Moon hopped into the pit. She reached out to grab a brick that Xoc was fairly sure wasnt there before and tossed it over to Vltava. The ball of fluff caught the object and held it up to his central eye.
It lives, he said.
Its a block of stone, Xoc said.
Yes.
Xoc backed away cautiously as Vltava floated out of the pit. She tucked her tail away protectively as he alighted in front of her, but he seemed disinterested in biting it. Instead, the ornery little thing continued examining the brick in the sunlight. Xoc leaned in as close as she dared, eyeing the carvings on the piece of masonry.
Whats so different about this brick? She asked.
The others in that pile down there are next to worthless, Winter Moon hopped out of the pit.
She didnt get it. How could Winter Moon figure that out when the thing was still stuck in the wall?
It is memory, Vltava told her.
I can see that, Xoc replied.
Much like almost everything else on the topmost level of the clanhold, the brick was covered in carvings that told some tale from the distant past. Xoc couldnt read what was written on them, but, as a child, she liked to imagine what was going on in each of the scenes.
Vltavas quiet displeasure at her reply was palpable. Xoc hid her tail again.
It would be better if we just showed her, Pinecone said. She lacks the vocabulary and conceptual framework of her ancestors.
If Xoc didnt know any better, she would have taken the words as an insult. According to Saraca and his companions, Winter Moons mysterious party were members of an ancient civilisation that had existed for millennia, if not longer. Pretty much everyone else was a primitive to them even people from the Beastman Confederacy who seemed unfathomably advanced to Xoc.
We shouldnt make them wait, Xoc said, lets go.
It would be better to receive them up here, Chimali told her.
What? Why? Itd be rude to make them come to us. They came from so far away already
Its a matter of positioning, Chimali said. You have something that they want, so they should come to you. You are in the superior position and must act the part. Oh, Winter Moon, you should be close at hand during this.
Why?
A mysterious Bard from a foreign court will add to our prestige. Also, we can have Vltava sit on the great il-Enxocs lap
Would you like to experience the sensation of incineration, you moronic mewling?
Vltava cut Chimalis suggestions short before he got even more carried away. A group of short figures in the corner of Xocs vision caught her attention.
Look, Xoc said, there are still Humans wandering around. I need to go and stall for time.
I can
Xoc ignored Chimalis protests as she walked past him. There were limits to how pretentious she could be.
Their guests were still disembarking from the newly arrived barge when Xoc stepped onto the sweeping balcony overlooking the Cuorocos Cliffs. It took her a moment to spot the visiting lord amongst the dozen or so Ocelo retainers that had accompanied him. All of them came dressed as members of the urban elite, draped in rich furs adorned in colourful feathers and jewellery.
Do we have a name for this guy? Xoc asked as she watched her father receive the visitors.
We do, Chimali said. This ship runs the Atazli route, so the biggest fellow down there should be Enmatzli, the principal administrator of the city under ocelo Atazli.
Who are those people in his retinue? Theyre too dressed up for regular servants.
Were not sure, Chimali admitted. My guess is that he rounded up what notables he could for clout. Only one or two of them have the look of lords.
If they had the look of lords, it was only a little. Even Enmatzli was barely a head taller than a regular Ocelo, so he might have been casually mistaken for a warrior from a prosperous clan.
NotablesI wonder if Enmatzli had to deal with the local gangs, too.
Xocs father led the visiting delegation to the wharfs cargo lift, which had recently been completed and deemed safe for regular operations. Their guests all hesitated to step into the bamboo cafe, though after watching their baggage get loaded onto it and conveyed to the top of the cliffs, a few of them seemed almost eager to experience it for themselves.
Those ones must be Merchants, Chimali said.
How do you figure? Xoc asked
They became excited when they recognised the lift, Chimali answered. A device like this represents great savings in time and labour.
In short, they all want to know how they can profit from it.
The light scratching of Chimalis claws joined the sound of the wind as he kneaded the stone railing.
Master Leeds says that this is another thing that our clan may benefit from. I do not know if something similar to our lift exists elsewhere in Rolengorek, but we can install and operate them wherever theyre feasible and collect tolls that Merchants would be more than happy to pay.
You shouldnt be so focused on profit with this crisis looming over everyones heads, Xoc said.
If it puts things more and more under our control, Chimali said, I dont see why we shouldnt. We are the ones most suited to dealing with this crisis, after all.
She doubted that the lords of Rolengorek would readily agree with Chimalis reasoning. The Confederation was exactly that: a collection of independent clans that worked together to tackle common issues. It wasnt some sort of super clan that took orders from a single lord. Master Leeds idea of turning her into an Empress or whatever didnt worry her much due to that.
The first set of guests arrived at the top of the cliff, immediately pouring out to investigate the surroundings. They were all too quick to identify the mechanism that powered the lift: a set of four treadwheels operated by a crew of Nar. The poor labourers were immediately assailed with multiple questions from every direction.
Xoc rushed over before the Nar decided to flee and leave the lift disabled. She did her best not to squirm when the Merchants gazed up at her with awestruck looks and all but stepped on one another trying to sort themselves out. They were still quietly arguing by the time the lift arrived again. To Xocs great displeasure, Enmatzli strode forward and loosed a torrent of words that were about as pleasant to her as the garbage washed downstream by the floods.
By all of the gods, he placed a paw over his chest, I never knew such noble beauty existed so close to Atazli! No, going by the rumours of what had befallen the city, your presence can be the only explanation as to how order has been maintained.
Xoc stood in a dumbfounded stupor, wondering what new form of stupidity had manifested before her. To her misfortune, Winter Moon took the opportunity to escalate the situation. The Bards rolling voice seemed to shake the very core of Xocs being, freezing their guests in place as she spoke.
You are in the presence of il-Enxoc ocelo Pachan, Vanquisher of the Xigaoli Hordes, Harbinger of Order, Bringer of Knowledge, Restorer of Clanholds, Unifier of the North, and rightful ruler of Ghrkhorstorofhekheralhr and all of its subject territories. Supplicate yourselves before Her Majesty and be recognised!
Enmatzli and his entourage immediately went to all fours, lowering their heads with their tails tucked between their legs. Not only that, members of her clan nearby stopped what they were doing to kneel in her direction.
Oh, il-Enxoc, Enmatzlis voice rose from the newly-cut pavement, word of your wisdom and the ingenuity of ocelo Pachan has spread far and wide. On behalf of the people of Atazli, this Enmatzli humbly beseeches your benevolence in these dire days!
Can I go back to bed now?
She didnt want to sink any deeper into the madness that seemed to have claimed everyone around her. It would hopefully go away after sleeping for a few hours, but that probably wasnt an option.
Welcome to Ghrkhorstorofhekheralhr, Enmaztli, she said. Your concern for our people is one that I share, but I fear that these dire days may be more dire than you think. However, with the initiative of good lords like yourself, we may yet weather the trials ahead.
Where did those words come from?
Something was making her more lordly than she ought to be, and the thought frightened her.
You may raise your heads, Winter Moon intoned.
A lump formed in the pit of Xocs stomach as Enmaztli and his party rose to their feet. The sparkly look in their eyes had gotten five times worse. Chimali stepped forward and presented himself with a respectful bow.
I am Chimali, a confidante of the great il-Enxoc. Some of Atazlis future needs are known to us, but not all of them. We have organised a tour of our markets for this morning to explore this, followed by lunch in il-Enxocs court. After that, we will go farther afield to visit some of the facilities that you may have already heard of. This way, please.
With a handful of smooth gestures, Chimali managed to divide their procession into three groups. He gathered the energetic Merchants in the front, leaving Xoc and Winter Moon with Enmatzli and his accompanying lords. Two patrols were conjured from nearby to form an escort. It all seemed haphazard to Xoc, but their guests appeared to be genuinely impressed.
I must admit that Ive never been welcomed in this manner, il-Enxoc, Enmatzli said.
It must seem wasteful to you in these troubling times, Xoc said.
Wasteful? Enmatzli scoffed, Not at all! This is exactly what we need these days. Order. Purpose. I can feel the confidence in your rule exuding from each and every citizen. To battle the forces of chaos is every lords lot, and you seem to be succeeding where anyone should understandably fail.
She tried to think of a way to downplay her success, but the other lords nodded in agreement.
How much have you heard about the situation here, Enmatzli? Xoc asked.
A little bit here and there, Enmatzli answered. The flooding has taken a third of Atazli, so we knew that the lands around the lake would suffer far more. To make things worse, Ghrkhorstorofhekheralhr had no presiding warrior clan to maintain order. In all honesty, we fully expected this place to become a lawless wasteland by now. It is a testament to ocelo Pachans prowess that the opposite has occurred.
Il-Enxoc was recently challenged, Winter Moon said.
Hoh, what happened?
A major gang had taken control of the neighbouring clanhold, holding sway over thirty thousand or more. They thought to move on ocelo Pachans more recently established operations, but they were destroyed in a single night.
Enmatzli and his retinue gaped at the account.
A singlecan it be true? From a clan unknown to us until recently?
Many claim that it was as if the Demon Gods returned in all of their wrath.
What are you saying?!
W-We did hear something like that, Enmatzli seemed to shrink, but we had dismissed it as nonsensical gossip.
That gang shattered shortly after, Winter Moon said. Many fragmented groups that were once a part of their number have sworn themselves to il-Enxoc. You may question them if you wish.
Enmatzli looked Xoc up and down before hastily replying.
There is little reason for us to doubt your claim, he said. Il-Enxoc is clearly a mighty lord and her clan is undoubtedly just as formidable. It pleases us to have such powerful allies.
Since when did we become allies?
An uneasy feeling filled her as she pondered the connotations of Enmatzlis statement. Technically, the Confederation of Rolengorek was an alliance between the kingdoms, clans, and tribes of the jungle basin, but this was always treated as a given. No one went out of their way to emphasise that relationship.