The Empress of Beasts, page 14
part #13 of The Wandering Inn Series
“Councilmembers. My apologies for the delay. I had to help escort the previous Council from the building. Watch Captain Zevara, reporting before Liscor’s Council.”
She straightened and gave them a perfect salute. Olesm was tickled by the performance, but it had always worked on the old Council. This new one was more relaxed. Lism just scowled at Zevara.
“Why doesn’t the vote of the Council matter where the Minotaur is concerned, Watch Captain?”
She returned his look unflappably.
“As part of my duties as Watch Captain, it is my job to inform this Council about certain laws that govern Liscor and all Drake cities. As a new Council, you have the authority to oversee a number of aspects of the Watch. You may give Watch orders, but I may choose not to obey a Council’s orders if I deem it necessary for the safety of the city. Similarly, the budget is in your control, as is my position.”
“You didn’t answer the—”
Zevara spoke over Lism. The trick was in not hesitating; he fell silent, glowering as she went on in a loud voice.
“Part of that decision is choosing a new Watch Captain. The Council is free to replace their Watch Captain, but the City Watch’s Senior Guards can oppose that decision and nominate a new candidate from within their ranks. In either case, a Watch Captain’s orders have precedence in times of military emergency and she or he has jurisdiction in Watch affairs. Prisoners are under my authority. I thought I made that clear during the election.”
She paused. Lism glared.
“And if we disagree?”
The Watch Captain returned his gaze steadily.
“You can overrule me. In which case you’ll need to select a new Watch Captain as well.”
And there it was. Jeiss whistled and sat back. He shook his head as Alonna, Tismel, and Zalaiss looked at him. Raekea was shaking her head too. Elirr smiled. So did Krshia.
“I consider the issue tabled, unless you wish to vote to replace Watch Captain Zevara, Lism?”
“No. I do not.”
Lism ground out. He looked frustrated. And then, surprisingly, he sighed.
“Fine. Second order of business. Funding the wall. Expanding Liscor. We won’t be taking Antinium money or aid—”
“We will, because it makes sense and you will debate this with me for all present to hear, Lism—”
“Furthermore, in my capacity as Watch Captain of Liscor, I have a second and crucial duty to impart to you!”
Zevara bellowed over Krshia and Lism. Olesm clapped a hand to his earholes. Zevara paused.
“I understand this Council plans to enact a number of changes to Liscor. I’m all for that, and the Watch will fully support your endeavors. Including, I hope, approving my budget requests for this year’s Watch. I don’t know how you’ll get the funds. That’s not my job. But this is. And it will inform your decision regarding the Antinium. Strategist Olesm, it’s time for the presentation.”
She looked coolly at Olesm. He hesitated.
“Now? But we usually wait for the first week before we give it to them—”
“I think they can handle it.”
Olesm hesitated. He saw Krshia perking up her ears, but ignored the quizzical look Elirr gave him. He nodded, and hurried out of the room and into his office. He took nearly five minutes getting back, because he had to use a magical key and then find the requisite files—he didn’t use them that much. When he did, Zevara was midway through her lecture.
Olesm knew it by heart. He’d given it to the other Councils, and the look of apprehension on the faces of the current Council was only compounded as he pulled out paper documents and began passing them around. Zevara tapped her piece of paper as Olesm handed her a copy.
“These are the real numbers we’ve projected for Liscor’s Hive. At any given moment, I estimate that they have at least nine thousand Soldiers and twenty four thousand Workers they could bring to bear on the city. The numbers fluctuate, but that puts their Hive at around thirty thousand fighting soldiers at any given time, with the understanding that Workers will fight if ordered to do so…”
“Dead gods, they could overrun us at any time!”
Tismel clutched the paper, staring at the projections of the Hive’s numbers. Olesm sighed. The Drake had a wide-eyed look on his face. And judging by the way even Krshia was on the edge of her seat, Zevara had begun the hardest part of any Councilmember’s job—realizing just how dangerous the Antinium were.
“Not so, Councilmember Tismel.”
Olesm hurried to reassure the Drake. He hoped Zevara hadn’t started recapping the Antinium Wars just yet. Or describing how dangerous a Soldier was in combat. Councilmembers had outright fainted or gone into panic attacks, and this wasn’t even the worst of it. He cleared his throat nervously. Zevara nodded at him and he took on his role.
“As Watch Captain Zevara has no doubt told you, Liscor considered the Hive of the Free Antinium a very valid threat. Not only do the Antinium have a reason for attacking Liscor, they have far more numbers than their allotted standing garrisons of six thousand Workers and three hundred Soldiers as agreed by the treaty. We are not saying they are likely to attack at this given moment! But our contingency plans extend to any scenario. And we have extensively prepared, so that even if their army currently outnumbers our Watch by a ratio of…”
Olesm hesitated and looked at Jeiss shaking his head past Tismel’s white scales.
“…er, by a significant ratio, we have any number of fallbacks designed to even the odds.”
“Enchantments no one knows about.”
Krshia said that as a fact, not a question. Zevara nodded.
“As Councilmembers, you are sworn to secrecy. But the nature and location of the traps is confidential even for Councilmembers. In case of…interrogation.”
Tismel shuddered. Lism just narrowed his eyes. Olesm winced.
“We’ve placed a number of enchantments on areas where the Antinium could invade from. Back when Liscor’s Council signed the deal with the Hives, we laid as many spells into the ground and city as we could. We cannot go into details, but some of the traps will render tunnels uninhabitable, or seal parts of Liscor from being burrowed under. It would effectively—hopefully—damage the nest with the Soldiers and Workers in it. Possibly even wipe them out if all the traps work.”
He bit his tongue, remembering all the key-spells he had access to. It had kept him up for months when he’d first become [Strategist]. A select few could trigger the spells, including him. Lism stared down at the list of non-descriptive spell effects and locations.
“How did Liscor afford all this?”
“It didn’t. The Walled Cities all paid for extensive protective spells. And Wistram itself sent some of its best mages to do the work while giving us a discount. No one was taking the Antinium Hives lightly after the Second Antinium War. Rest assured, we don’t either, but you must understand, even with the spells, conflict with Liscor’s Hive is not something we want to risk.”
Zevara clasped her claws behind her back. Elirr frowned as he stroked his chin.
“If Liscor has so many emergency spells, why did we never use them when a Goblin Lord’s army was knocking at our door? Or when the moths attacked? It seems like those would be worthwhile emergencies, even if they must be remade or it tips our cards, yes?”
Zevara shook her head.
“Most of these spells are focused inwards, Councilmember Elirr. We can’t dismantle them or change where they’re aimed and, I think, neither can the Antinium. They’ve tried on some, or so we suspect. But we can circle back for questions. Strategist Olesm? The next papers.”
“Here you are, Councilmember Alonna.”
“What’s this?”
The Guildmistress leaned back and handed the papers to Lism as she stared at the dates and numbers. Olesm cleared his throat.
“Understanding the Hive also means understanding some of the subtleties of the Antinium, Councilmember. This is a short summary of the phenomenon known as Aberrations. You may be familiar with them?”
“The crazy ones? When you ask them their names?”
Lism looked up sharply. Zevara paused.
“Close. Aberrations are, as we understand them, some aspect of the Antinium gone wrong. Either they rebel or simply go…insane. They attack friend and foe until killed. The Antinium execute their own, but over time, some have gotten loose into the city and caused injuries or deaths. This is a list of all the casualties due to Aberrations over the years.”
“Damn. I remember this one. I killed that Worker. Nearly took my head off.”
Jeiss whistled as he ran his claw down the list. Olesm nodded.
“It’s not a substantial number, and I think most Aberrations occur within the Hive and are…disposed of there. But you can see a trend.”
Krshia looked up, her brows knitted together.
“They increase in number year by year. Until this year when…they stop.”
Zevara nodded and gave Olesm a significant look.
“That’s correct. And that’s also when the phenomenon known as the Painted Soldiers occurred. We don’t have a dossier on them yet, but Olesm and I are putting them at a Level 20 threat ranking as opposed to regular Soldiers, who are around as dangerous as a Level 15 threat. Don’t let the numbers fool you; that is a substantial upgrade in our appraisal of their combat abilities. On par with the other specialists the Antinium Hives can produce. This is the threat Liscor’s Hive presents apart from simply taking Liscor. The fact that they are—and now are successfully—creating their own specialists.”
She let that sink in. Olesm muttered as he found the next papers.
“Which is why trusting them—ow!”
He sidled away from Zevara. Olesm fell silent. He and Zevara hadn’t talked on this issue, but they clearly had different opinions. Like Erin. Why couldn’t they see the danger? Maybe they did, but it wasn’t what Olesm saw. If he thought about it some nights, he didn’t sleep at all.
“Excuse me, uh, Watch Captain. You said…other Antinium specialists?”
Tismel was breathing hard as he raised a claw again. Zevara nodded. She took the papers from Olesm and handed them out. This time everyone at the table recoiled from the image sketched there.
“What in the name of the Ancestors is this, Watch Captain?”
Lism held the parchment back from him. The hair had gone up on Raekea’s body and Krshia’s. Elirr just stared at the image grimly. Zevara tapped the dark, almost transparent form and angled body. Scythe-like limbs. Olesm shuddered.
“This is a sketch of the Silent Antinium’s covert spy-assassin. You may have heard rumors of them during the First and Second Antinium wars. Well, they exist, and one of the six Hives produces them. Not in number, thank the Ancestors, but Manus estimates they have six times the numbers they fielded during the last war. This is what we refer to as the specialized units the Antinium field. Until recently, we had classified four types. Armored Antinium—very similar to regular Soldiers but with armor, Twisted Antinium, radically different in size and shape, the assassin-type Silent Antinium, and the Flying Antinium’s…fliers. Here are [Artist]’s sketches of each. This is what the Antinium can field against us, and why keeping Liscor’s Hive in check is vital towards a possible future war.”
“Can we win it?”
Alonna looked up, her claws nervously moving back the pictures of the Twisted Antinium. Some of those would give you nightmares on sleepless nights. All of the Council, Drakes and Gnolls, looked at Zevara. She paused.
“The Walled Cities have their own precautions, Councilmembers. However, this briefing is standard for every leadership position in a Drake city, and mandatory for Liscor’s Council. It’s not to frighten you, but to impress on you the seriousness of your duty.”
It was actually to frighten them, a bit. Olesm knew it was important for the Council to actually think on matters regarding the Antinium. He was just surprised Zevara was springing it on them now given how she’d tried to support the Antinium’s cause during the election. Lism threw down his sketch and looked around.
“Look at this. Do you see why trusting the Antinium is a fool’s game, Silverfang?”
Krshia was staring at her sketch. Slowly, she looked up.
“I see it. But I do not see much of Liscor’s Hive that alarms me. Everyone, even the most foolish cub, knew that the Antinium had more than three hundred Soldiers, yes? And they have fought for Liscor, sacrificed for the city. From Skinner to the moths to the siege with the Humans, their Soldiers have died fighting for us. Is that not so, Strategist Olesm?”
“I…have some reports archived in my office. I could bring them here if you’d like.”
“Please.”
Olesm went to get them. When he came back next, Zevara was speaking again, outlining evacuation protocols in case of emergencies. This Council was paying attention. The Gnolls were alert, and his Uncle was asking questions. Senior Guardsman Jeiss wasn’t paying as much attention—but that was because he probably knew the answers to each question given his role. They looked up as Olesm began passing around archived reports he’d written himself.
The contents were illuminating to the Council. They showed a side of the Antinium they’d only heard about, or heard about in gossip. Here it was confirmed; Olesm had done analysis after analysis of the Hive and written it all down. It made him feel good knowing someone was reading it. Of course, he sent the reports off to the Walled Cities too, but he never got a reply to those letters.
“Huh. So they were actually fighting during the Face-Eater Moth attacks?”
“They took at least a thousand casualties during that battle. Getting any other estimates is virtually impossible, but I saw how many Face-Eater Moth mothers they brought up. I have reason to believe that the Antinium…do endure the brunt of the assaults from the dungeon without us knowing a thing.”
Zevara nodded. Olesm shifted uncomfortably. This was painting the Antinium in a good light again. He tried edging the Twisted Antinium’s sketch to the top of the pile until Zevara glared at him.
“What about the undead attack with that…Skinner thing? The Antinium showed up at the last moment. What’s the reason for that?”
Alonna frowned at another report. Zevara sighed.
“A change in leadership, Councilmember. You may recall that Senior Guardsman Klbkch was thought dead during that time. His replacement elected to prioritize the Hive’s safety. When Klbkch was…returned, he immediately led the counterassault. Frankly, that situation was caused by the [Terror] effect by the Skinner guardian. If the Watch hadn’t fled the walls rather than raising the alarm or closing the gates, we would have held the undead attack off easily without them.”
“Why don’t we have enchantments or something to protect the [Guardsmen] on the walls from magical effects like that? There’s got to be amulets or something that stops that, right?”
Raekea frowned. Zevara’s bitter smile spoke volumes, as did Olesm’s.
“On my proposed budget list, Councilmember Raekea. It was rejected by the last Council, but I’m sure you can understand the necessity.”
“I can. And I’ll be damned if I’m facing that thing without gear this time around.”
Jeiss looked up with a toothy grin. Zevara’s lips quirked and she nodded to him. He gave her a tight nod back, and Olesm felt better. At least the Watch would be funded this year regardless of what else was decided today.
No one asked if it was a conflict of interest. As far as Drakes were concerned, everything was their interest, and Gnolls shared the opinion.
“So they’ve been protecting Liscor all this time? Is that what we’re to understand here?”
Lism looked up, unconvinced by the reports. Olesm hastily interjected, shooting a quick glance at Zevara.
“A counterpoint, Councilmember. It’s my opinion that they were hoping to claim the dungeon for themselves all this time and thus expand their Hive into it without our knowledge. However, due to years of failure, they elected to reveal the dungeon to reduce the damage to their own Hive.”
“Exactly. You see, Silverfang? They’re only in it for them. All these warnings, these types of Antinium—they’re preparing for war! We can’t aid them. Not one inch. And you, Watch Captain! How can you argue for giving the Antinium a lease on expanding their Hive if you knew all of this?”
Lism hurled one of the papers at Zevara. It floated past her and she snatched it out of the air and slapped it back on the pile on the table. The sound made everyone look at her.
“Because, Councilmember Lism, I have considered the facts as well as everything I personally know and believe about the Antinium. They may be warlike. And dangerous. And I will fully admit that the Grand Queen and the other Hives are a deadly threat to the safety of all of Izril. However, I know one of my [Guardsmen]. Senior Guardsman Klbkch. And we knew him only as Klbkch the Slayer.”
Olesm turned his head. Zevara walked back and forth in front of the Council.
“When he came to Liscor, he was every bit the impartial monster we thought of all Antinium as. But he’s changed. And when he tells me there is a chance that Liscor might not be swallowed by a war with the Hive under our feet, that we could change the Antinium by working with them—I believe it.”
She stopped and turned to face them.
“I believe in giving the Council all the facts before they make their decision. My opinion is that the Free Antinium of Liscor can be trusted more than the other Hives. It’s a gamble to give them aid or allow them more freedoms. But as it stands, they are already positioned to strike Liscor. It may be, however, that the existence of the Painted Antinium, of these new Antinium like Yellow Splatters or Pawn, might be able to change the Hive as a whole. Or throw the entire network into chaos.”
Her words were greeted with silence. Jeiss spoke up after a moment.
“You believe that, Watch Captain? The Ants seem pretty unified to me.”
“Antinium, Jeiss. And that’s because they’re one species even if they looked different. But Aberrations? Painted Soldiers? They’re different. And somehow, I don’t think the other Queens like different things.”
