Gentleman’s Guide to Fantastic Beasts 48 and 49

Gentleman’s Guide to Fantastic Beasts 48

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Wordcount: 2500

Commissioned by Sivantic.

…

A small fleet was given to me to start the evacuation.

“The four smaller vessels are for defense and transport. They will bring your people and supplies aboard the larger vessels, and provide defense when in transit.” The Princess spoke simply and concisely. I listened and nodded. “The two large cargo vessels will carry people and supplies and eight more will follow. The large cargo vessels will remain with your people, but with their flight cores removed they can no longer fly. They will be able to provide everything needed to establish a great settlement anywhere in this world.”

“I see. And, how will the loyalty of the crews be ensured?” I could feel her guards glaring at the back of my skull with my chosen method of address. However, I cared not, and the princess did not, either. Her countenance was stern and eyes calculating. She wished for my assistance and pursued the path to gain it while remaining true to her objectives. A creature of political realities. “Soldiers?”

“No, you wouldn’t trust them. Mercenaries who you will choose and who will follow your orders, during the exodus.” I gave a grunt of affirmation at her words. She was correct. I would not trust her soldier and knights with the protecting of the people I had saved. This land’s soldiers were the ones who refused to help them. The knights were sent to destroy them. Mercenaries fighting for gold, under contract, were more trustworthy. “Fifty or so will do for each ship. Intendents who have banded together. I doubt you’d wish for mercenary troupes under our employ.”

“I would also want some who will be willing to stay. More hands make light of great labors.” My words seemed to catch her interest for a moment. But it was only a passing moment. Her mask was returned a moment later. “I wish to vet them myself.”

“Binding oaths enforced with magic could be of some use to you.”

“I don’t want slaves, even for a brief period.” I denied that suggestion outright. The people of this land swore oaths with magic on their lips, just as others spoke chants to guide their mind and will to create effects. The clever can word their oaths carefully and effectively break it. It was more a trick to make matters seem more convenient, like a contract on paper, but with too much fine print to read. I didn’t trust such things. “Present me with the leaders of the mercenaries, and I shall meet with them. If those leaders suffice, then that will be the end of the matter.”

“Very well, that shall be done.” The princess nodded and turned to her servants. They scampered away after a few words from her. “Now, I would wish to know the extent of your abilities. What can you do to aid our cause?”

“I thought that your intent was for me to provide for the Tree of Light that you have there. To lighten the burden upon your relatives.” She hummed at my question and leaned against a wall with a patch of shade. At rest, she reminded me more of great beast of predation lounging and basking in its superiority over all creatures. The dream-like vision of an imploring princess searching for a hero seemed silly at best. “Do you not intend to use my strength for all the days that I promised to that venture?”

“For the majority, yes, I do. You’ll give time for the expanded reserves of my siblings and cousins to refill to their new limits. They will eat, they will rest, and they will return to their duties stronger.” She crossed her arms and looked towards the great tree of light in the distance. Memories of my father came to the forefront once again. His plans took precedence over everything else. It had to. He had responsibility over the livelihoods of hundreds of people. Her authority extended over hundreds of thousands in this city alone. “Five days will be all that will be needed. So, I have you for five days more.”

Her gaze was cool and calculating, the fifth in line for the throne must be a difficult position to maintain.

“I will have you strike at the heart of the brewing infestation. I have spent some time and effort in locating the center of power of these creatures. Harold, show him.” The Archmage came forward at her behest and unfurled a scroll that he had within his robes. It stayed steady in the air as a map of their kingdom. The Hierarchy of Avelia was its name. At the center of the map, as if to proclaim it was the center of the world entire, was the capital. It shared the name of the country. “Observe the westfold. The intensity of the attacks there is the most numerous and match the strength of our defenses. There is so much it threatens to flank our north and south. The east, meanwhile, is barely plagued by slightly more frenzied packs of monsters.”

The attacks of monsters were represented by red, forking arrows which advanced until they met x’s where either blue fortresses or blue arrows met them. Each blue arrow stemmed from a city farther back in the line. Regions between the fortresses and cities were encircled and with golden borders. Places that I was sure that they could not afford to lose. The lands they left behind were greyed out and with markings of settlements that remained. The place where I came from was in the southwest and showcased the network of havens established in that land. It was encircled red, like a possible enemy concentration.

She ignored my glare upon realizing that fact and spoke.

“As you can see, the enemy is spreading forth from a single location. The monsters are being concentrated and marshalled before being sent to try and break through defenses. If they were spread evenly across all our defenses, then we would fare far better. However, such is not the case. Attacks on the south and north are even weakening, while the west is buckling.”

I realized what she was implying.

“They’re gathering monsters from surrounding regions to keep pressure on your defenses.”

“Correct. Slowly, but surely, the attacks are increasing in intensity. We estimate in four months that there will be a breakthrough.”

“There already has been a breakthrough. On our path towards the first city from the southwest, many villages were emptied and caravans dead.”

“Only ten thousand people lived in that space. It is a fabricated weak spot entrusted to one of our strongest generals.” My blood ran cold at the statement. The villages and places we found emptied, the people we found dead, had been bait? “We created it to see if we can lure our foes and have them present themselves. It worked. Now we have one captive and they are easier to study. We are closing it as we speak with a dedicated counteroffensive.”

After thousands died.

It made my stomach turn to think I willingly worked with these people.

“Our trackers have taken stock of the captive and traced its path. It travelled along our roads and we found its point of entry close to the main offensive.” She traced a line through the map back to the greatest conglomeration of red lines surging against blue. “It is enough reason for us to believe that there is something there that has authority and acts as a leader. Which is why my father is now heading there and preparing for an all-out assault.”

If her father was as strong as Kan’Is, and armed and armored with the mystical equipment of these lands, that would mean he had plenty of strength to spare.

I did have a concern, though.

“Your father and his guards must be strong, yes? Measures must be taken to ensure that they aren’t infested. A powerful body gained by the infested will only be further empowered. They may not have your father’s skill and memories, but they will have his raw strength to multiply.”

“My father will not fall to these lowly creatures. Nor will his custodians.” Lassandra stated the fact like it was absolute truth, but I could only shake my head. “You may be his peer in terms of raw strength, but not in talent nor in skill. Where he goes, there is only victory for our people, and only time constrains him from saving our kingdom in its entirety.”

“Warn him, at least. Prudence does not imply weakness. Preparation is a strength all its own.” I encountered such people before. Those who believed themselves beyond accidents or disease. The simple fact is that only one success is needed for an accident or disease to bring ruin to a person. Vigilance and careful preparations are essential to survive as a normal individual. Someone venturing forth to face infestations that took over bodies? Led by a malign intellect? It would be the height of foolishness to not warn someone, at least. “With your father there, I suspect that you have need of me elsewhere?”

“Indeed, you will venture further beyond with our most skilled trackers.” Lassandra made no confirmation one whether she’ll relay information to her father. I let the matter go. I didn’t wish to pursue it any longer.  Her hand traced a line far past where the two lines met. “We wish to find their creches or whatever they have a city. Then, you can use the same method you used to melt stone upon it.”

They were going to use me to strike at the infestation’s hive.

Their most heavily protected stronghold.

Where the infection sprawled from like a tumor.

I didn’t agree with most of their ideas, in fact I detested most of them, but this one was fair.

“It will take two days of travel to reach that place whilst flying on my mount.” I told her.

“I will be lending my ship to you. You will be there in a day. You will rest after you support my siblings and cousins.” The timetable was sharp, but I could not complain. Five days supporting their efforts to maintain their source of light, a day of rest, and then the rest spent fighting against the source of the infection. Some may call it desperate, but even if I failed in purging the cluster of infection, the people supporting the tree of light will have rested properly. “If you cannot purge it within four days, do as much as you can, and you will still receive your reward.”

I suspected that it would not be simple, and that her ship would not remain that long with me.

I’ll bring Cornelius along just in case.

Harold closed the map after Lassandra gestured at him to put it aside.

She was silent for a while, as if expecting an argument from me, before speaking again.

“You have no doubt that you will accomplish the second half of your task? You will not argue for another task entirely?”

“No. I will not. I will do it, in order to ensure that your end of the bargain is kept.” Lassandra’s eyes widened for just a moment, until she closed them with a faint smile of respect. “Yes. You may be rid of me and the promise you made, if I only supported your siblings and cousins, but if all in this land know what I did to the greatest threat you’ve faced? You will have no choice but to abide.”

“An astute observation. You’re well-versed in politics, despite your immaturity when it comes to the necessity of sacrificing the few to save the many.”

I glared at her before replying.

“What is the point of absurd strength if not to be able to save all that you can?”

These people are ridiculous.

All their power and strength, yet they’ve trade lives for the stability of their rule and traded even more after this assault by the infested began. They robbed the populace of their potential to control them, but did not have the commensurate strength to keep the people as safe as they would be if they had not. Now, even as they have force to spare to protect their core regions, they use thousands as bait to lure in their foes.

The power that they have is wasted, and as talented as this young woman is, I had no faith in the future of this land.

She did not answer my words, simply shaking her head, and condemning the idea to oblivion with barely a mote of understanding.

I would spit at her feet, if I were not masked.

“The reports indicate that you travelled with a skilled huntress that you taught much. I would like to recruit her to your cause.”

“She is in the north sharing information on the infection with those rebelling. You will find that she has no common cause with you.” I told the princess simply. Her guards hissed at my statement and even Harold frowned. “She will come along with the exodus. If you have concerns for her future actions against you, I will restrain her and drag her away from these lands by force, if needed. You have my word.”

“I see. There were reports of a strong fighter in the north. Rumors from our spies that there is someone there that the rebels are listening to and has them acting. Someone who has already left them.”

“She’s making her way towards Lucien’s city.” I took a length of bandage from my satchel and wrote upon it, before holding it towards the princess. “Lucien can give this message to her. If she accepts, she can come along. Otherwise, she will return to the remains of her village and join the evacuation.”

The princess nodded sharply, before inquiring once again.

“And, the powerful As’Kari warrior that was with you?” This time she spoke with more concern. Djet’Is was equal to me in strength and far more skilled and talented. She also trained for combat and rulership. And, someone who kills. A true rival to their king. Of course, she would be more concerned. “She was last sighted heading towards the villages you protected.”

“She is heading to the As’Kari before returning to Lucien’s city. She goes to inform them of the threat. It will be months before she returns.”

“I see, that is a shame.” Her relief was barely noticeable to her companions and servants, but I noticed it. Naturally, she and her people would respect the likes of Djet’Is. “Then, I shall have my people wait for your friend in Lucien’s city. We make our way to the capital.”

As she spoke, a sleek ship descended from the heavens composed entirely of metal and crystal, instead of timber and sails.

The vessel that she claimed would take me across their lands in a single day, I suspected.

Gentleman’s Guide to Fantastic Beasts 49

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Wordcount: 2500

Commissioned by Ichypa.

…

Unlike the creaking wooden ship that I sailed into the inner lands of the Hierarchy, the princess’s ship was silent and more like a castle shaped like a ship carving through the air. The princess boarded and her servants already awaited her. The crystals on the starboard and port sides reminded me of engines. It was all carved from stone and put together. Marble-like with faint glowing flushes of crystal embedded within.

Harold took notice of my interest.

“It is an amalgamated material, much like my staff. One stone holds the crystal in place, and allows for power to flow through the entirety of the vessel. It makes a core unnecessary.” He looked upon the vessel fondly. I recalled the princess mentioning cores within the ships being given having their cores removed upon the completion of the journey. It would make them unable to fly. I see. The vessels under the direct control of royalty did not have a need for such an exploitable weakness in combat. Harold saw through me and cleared his throat. “Nay, this is a more recent advancement and the techniques are being spread and taught. It will be decades yet, but these will be the most common ships.”

“Their efficacy in load bearing, their swiftness, and the decreased cost of fueling them demand it, physician.” The princess addressed my unspoken thoughts as well. A wry smile flitted across her face. “I’m sure that many of my family would like to retain it only for our use, but the benefits it would bring in the whole kingdom are too great.”

“Were it to be only for the good of your people, I would find no issue with it. However, I know that this will be made use of in war.” The increased speed, efficiency in fuel costs, and the loss of a great weakness? That outlined the future of this vessel and its kin for warfare. The skies will be teaming with these ships and spreading the influence of the Hierarchy. “Before this reaches the hands of the people, you will have ones that can hunt what you allow them to have.”

“And, the As’Kari do not give the finest to those with the most merits to keep the rest under control?” The imposing female knight that followed us always spoke up. I already forgot her name. She removed her helm though. She had a wild mane of golden locks, but what interested me were her eyes. They were bright red like Averi’s and her were so close to fangs that I wondered if she had difficulty eating fruits and vegetables. This one was a predator barely constrained in human trappings. “The strongest of the Desert tribes have the finest weapons and keep the rest in line, no?”

Harold sighed, while I just scoffed at her words.

“Nay. I’m afraid you’re wrong there, my friend. The people of the Great Desert are all warriors. It would take too much for their finest to be armed as to be able to fight the rest of the population.” Harold was well-learned regarding the tribes of the Great Desert, though he lacked the specifics. The towering, armored blonde scowled but did not bite back at the lean and wiry Archmage. Despite his smaller stature, it was obvious who was stronger between the two, and who had more authority. “Though, I believe some chieftains are expected to be able to battle their entire council and win.”

“It would be foolish of us to restrain our population from gaining the strength needed to survive.” I stated simply, and ignored the growl that came from the titan. The princess just sighed and ignored the statement, moving forward into the vessel.

The inside was well lit and there were windows with glass being closed by servants. Rather than a captain’s room, we entered an office with shelves of books with a long table with many chairs preceding a section for the princess to work in peace. Stairs led downward into the rest of the ship and tea was served on fine silverware. I looked outside and realized we were already flying. It did not feel like we were moving at all.

“I see that you noticed it. The control over movement that makes this vessel so incredible. The costs of maintenance falls drastically because so little is worn down.” Harold’s excitement was palpable. It was easy to see why. This was a vessel that was at the apex of his craft. A combination of various fields of expertise that brought about a great and grand result that was wanted by the whole nation with many practical applications. “A ship of this size only needs one trained mage and it lifts so much! If we wish to travel for days, we only need two mages to continuously power and fly it incessantly! If we wished to go faster, we could even have two piloting at the same time.”

His enthusiasm was a bit infectious. I almost had to remind myself that this man willingly worked for a bunch of treacherous bastards.

I refocused instead of lashing out with that thought.

His childlike innocence made me want to ask him why he did not leave the Hierarchy as many knights did to protect the common people.

It was a pointless question to ask.

“How fast could it go, if I were the one to give it power?” I chose instead to make small talk with the man, if only to avoid speaking with either the princess or the knightess. The question made Harold’s eyes bulge in surprise. His jaw dropped as he went through the calculations. “Well?”

“I… I don’t believe that this vessel is resilient enough to withstand your full strength. The crystals would shatter even with the support of the stones around it.” He closed his eyes and his thumb ran over the joints of his fingers. His mouth moved wordlessly as he whispered calculations to himself. His surprise only grew and grew. “However, if it were all steel and the lattice was carefully laid through the hull… the speed you would be able to move through the world should allow you to circumnavigate the world in a week’s time.”

“Make such a thing for the King first, Archmage.” Lassandra addressed the matter simply. Harold was quick to apologize and bow his head. However, the princess eyed me with some passing interest. “How much can the ship withstand, though? We can reach the capital much faster if he powered it, I imagine.”

“If I power this ship, then my service to you begins. Would you rather it start now or when I relieve your cousins and siblings of their burden?”

A huff of faint laughter left the princess’s lips.

“Nay, I think not. I shall have you aid my family for a full five days starting from the moment you reach and empower the Tree of Light.” I thought such would be the case. Still, the young woman looked over at Harold. “But the speed is still necessary. Perhaps, we can get him to the front faster if he powered the vessel after the five days are over?”

“He will need rest, and this vessel would not be able to withstand his strength.” Harold replied simply, before gazing at me. For a moment, he hesitated before some idea occurred to him. He held his staff my way. “For a moment, can you indulge me, young man? You needn’t touch it with your bare hands. One of your threads shall do.”

I obliged him with a nod, doing nothing more than extending a wire towards his staff and connecting the smallest point to the surface.

The sensation was strange. Suddenly, it felt like I had a new limb. Unlike the wires and bandages I typically controlled; the staff Harold bid me to touch did not need a constant flow of power to control. Instead, it was like an empty vessel begging to be filled. Not only that, but just touching it made me more aware of many things. The movement of air all around the ship. The heat of objects and people. Then, finally, the familiar strangeness of the power that dwelled in all the creatures of this world and even some plants.

It reminded me of flames, in how it twisted and whisked around people and had faint ‘embers’ in the air. However, its coloration, luster, and clarity were myriad. Harold’s was a blue flame that was brilliant and nearly obscured him entirely. The Archmage looked as though he were in a bonfire at all times, meanwhile the titan of a knightess was different. Her flame was dull and almost structured. It barely moved around her, but at times it seemed to surge and burn more brightly and reach a deep crimson. Meanwhile, the princess had similar, faint flames akin to the people far below in the city that we left, but upon her person was myriad trinkets and little tools that seemed to contain different colors and lusters.

However, most importantly, I was able to detect something else.

“The perception of the infection is different. With this tool, I can find the creatures with far greater ease.” I saw it. The sealed specimen on Cornelius, where the servants took him in the hold. The specimen had faint embers clinging to it, as it was long dead and held only essence. However, it was black and sloughing, more like oil instead of flame. I was unable to discern differences with my regular senses, but with “Can I acquire something akin to this staff?”

I expected an answer, but Harold stumbled back and nearly dropped the staff.

The Princess and the knightess both suddenly looked his way, while I caught it with the thread.

“Archmage? What has happened?” The princess spoke tersely and approached him, while the knightess stood between me and Harold. I stayed put and raised a brow, while placing the staff away on the nearest surface. “Did he do something to you?”

The knightess’s hand was on the hilt of her blade.

I did nothing in turn, though I was prepared to flee through the walls to Cornelius if needed.

“No! Nothing. I was… simply shocked! It's one thing to see his power and another thing wholly to feel it.” Hm. He used it the same way that I did. The value of the tool was becoming more and more apparent. This was essential to discerning the ‘power’ that was within people. To a physician of this world, it was a fantastic diagnostic tool. I wondered if sickness effected the ‘flames’ of each person. Maintaining the health of a population would be far easier if you can simply see all who are sick within the city. “I see now how you managed to gain such strength, young man. You have been training with your power diligently, incessantly, and consumed monsters your whole life, but that wasn’t enough. You’ve been risking your very soul, as well. One wrong move with your techniques and you perish. It is only thanks to your diligence and precision that you now live.”

Hm.

I highly doubted that the ‘flame’ that I pushed to the limit so many times was the soul.

After all, I did not have this flame in my previous life, yet here I am in another world entire in a new body.

Whatever the soul is, wherever it is truly located, it is not the flame that encircles the body.

Still, I could see why messing with the flames that I just saw may cause death. It felt volatile and mighty. Crushing it against one another, grinding it so that it may grow stronger, would cause catastrophic harm if done wrong. It is good, then, that I took great care in doing so and always ceased whenever it felt too ‘tight.’ It was difficult, of course But precision came with practice, and I have always known the value of precision.

I suspected that few people in this world could stitch together innards, or put a limb back on after it’s been blown off with just surgical tools.

“That matters little. What matters in truth is that item allows me to peer more closely into others. The power held by the infected is different from regular people. It’s more viscous. Less like a flame, and more like a smothering oil.”

“Of course, your senses and attunement is far greater than any other. Coupled with the effects of my staff, that would allow you to search for the infested!” Harold was almost giddy. He went over to his staff and practically thrust it into my hands. “Can you see my power? My strength? Where am I lacking? If you take a close look at the base of the circle around me—

“There is more than a circle. It is a flame. Starting at your waist. The base is similar to a circle.” Harold’s mouth opened and closed, before his eyes widened and he went for the princess’s desk. Swiftly, he procured fine papers, and held it towards me. With a practice had, I obliged his unspoken request. I made a swift sketch of his frame, then drey the flames that I saw. It was centered around the stomach of a person and flowed outward and inward. For comparison, I drew the flame of a normal person for a baseline. I made notes and descriptions, just as I would some new animal or plant. He took the sketch with trembling hands. “I see. The theories are correct. There is more that we do not see. The circle is just the foundation of the arcane.”

I had many questions about how they saw the matter, but elected against asking.

Instead, I focused on the new diagnostic tool.

“With something akin to this, I can help find infiltrators and purge them. Can you prepare one before I finish aiding the capital? If such is the case, then we can fly over cities and I can deal with threats swiftly.”

Lassandra eyed me carefully before nodding.

“Keep that one. A new one will be procured for our Archmage. I doubt that one will do as he bids, now that you’ve saturated it with your power.” The princess turned away and gestured towards the knightess, who moved to follow her. Harold found a seat and poured over the description I provided him, ecstatic at the findings.

I wondered if I should help him more, or speak to the princess.

Then, I decided to attend to Cornelius, as I wanted to care for him just in case.

The less I interacted with these people the better off I will be.