Chapter: 651 Bonus - The View of the Houses

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Pillar Ze’ev, lesser scion and local representative of the House of the Lupine Moon, felt his hackles rise, even as his ears shrank back despite his best efforts. By the great moon above, he barely kept either a growl or a whimper from passing his lips, he knew not which would have won out, to his great shame.

The Black Legion.

If there was any room for doubt, he would have laughed at the sheer foolishness of such an idea. Though, he likely would have had nightmares for weeks after, regardless.

He’d been a cub when those glorious mistakes had turned victory into ash, and set upon their creators.

The House of the Automaton Lords had been annihilated outright, though he’d been too young to be told whether the Black Legion or the other Houses executed the final raid, and those involved—whether the perpetrators or simply those who had found the remains—took the truth of which to their graves.

Those graves had been filled to overflowing with the best warriors the Houses of the day had to offer. The weakening of his own House was a primary reason some of the elders had been open to allowing in others, lessers who were not the purest wolf-kin.

But even in the shadow of this dire news, he would not soil his mind with thoughts of the banished, the fallen. Those who had stooped so low as to allow in even hue-folk…

He shook himself slightly, taking comfort in the sway and rustle of his thick fur, his overskin shifting heavily with the hair.

No. They didn’t matter, only the Black Legion did. A part of him wanted to leave immediately, but the damage that would do to his House would be greater than any minor advantage they could gain with an extra couple of hours warning.

Soon, everyone would know.

Soon, the beings of metal and death would do more than haunt his nightmares.

After millennia, Ze’ev’s cubhood demons would return, and he would be among those expected to face them.

Even with his Eskau by his side, he didn’t know how he could possibly fulfill that obligation.

*

Eskau Dubon—bear-kin and Honored among those of the House of the Fallen Moon to belong to the Pillar in charge of their interests in Platoiri—shifted his great weight from planted lower paw to paw.

Normally, he would take great satisfaction in the clear horror on the features of the Pillar of the Lupine Moon—that stuck up House needed all the difficulty that could come their way—but in this, they were united in fear.

Dubon’s grandsire still bore scars from the fight with the Black Legion, despite achieving Revered advancement and seeking out the best healers on any continent. Something about the automaton’s attacks defied all forms of magical healing known to the Major Houses.

There were rumors of some healing their ancient wounds, but if there was any truth to the claims, the methods were hidden. That alone made Dubon doubt the validity of such rumors, as there were enough old, powerful monsters with such scars and deformities that anyone with such ability would never want for wealth or friends again.

Now, those ancient defilers were returning.

He wanted to doubt the gated’s words, but to do so, he would have to doubt the whole structure of his civilization.

Before him stood an automaton, even if she was apparently different enough that those who knew better than he weren’t obliterating her on sight.

That, and the testimony of not one but two Eskau? In the presence of nine truth seers? There could be no doubt.

Be it a day or another thousand years, the Black Legion was returning, and he would have to face them.

He felt his back straighten at the thought.

He, Dubon of the House of the Fallen Moon, would have the honor of clashing with the greatest foe known to the Major Houses. It was the threat of the Black Legion which had ended the campaigns against the gated savages to the north, and it was the unknown potential of their return which had been a pall over any further major clashes.

It wasn’t unknown any longer.

He felt a smile begin to pull at his lips, even as his legs threatened to shake with fear.

He would face the desecration of horrors, and there, he would meet his fate.

His smile grew marginally.

How blessed was he among bear-kin to know his fate? How valuable it was to see so clearly?

Today was a great day indeed, and he would have to see a worthy gift granted to the House of Blood for this forewarning.

He had time to bid his kith and kin farewell and to train, that his final stand would be one of consequence.

Yes, he owed the House of Blood a great debt.

His posture straightened with pride and the expectation of honor, completely overcoming the deeply ingrained fear that he knew would fill him until the end, whenever that may be.

Fill him, but never control him.

He was Dubon, Eskau of the Fallen Moon, and the Black Legion would feel his blades, claws, and teeth before the end.

*

Zenter, Eskau of the House of the Fated Clash, felt growing anger toward the upstart, youngling for the House of Blood.

Truly, that House brought nothing but disaster with them wherever they tread. The House of the Frost Lance had been right to flirt with going against tradition in order to snub this newly returned Eskau. After all, what good was tradition when it conflicted with what he and his fellows knew was right?

He didn’t care that his House was only able to secure a foothold within Platoiri because one of the House of Blood’s Eskau had seemingly gone insane and on a killing streak. That didn’t make it better in his eyes, nor in those of his Pillar.

This news was yet another horror brought to their doorstep by the same House.

He hated granting them that title. They didn’t deserve the station of honor. The very fact that they had married Eskau showed their weakness. Warriors should be devoted to the fight and nothing else.

The fact that most Houses allowed their Eskau to marry was of no consequence. In Zenter’s estimation, most Houses were unworthy of the title.

The House of the Fated Clash, however, had earned its reputation for powerful Eskau.

Zenter, himself, had only lost one of his past one hundred challenges—whether given or recieved—and he was still only the tenth most capable Eskau of the Fated Clash.

The only reason he was allowed at such an auspicious event—given the City Lord’s personal invitation to their House—was that his House was still new in the city, and thus, he was the best they had on hand.

Even so, he felt disdain for even their allies around him as many of them were clearly shaken by the gated’s claim.

She was likely mistaken—after all, seers couldn’t see the actual truth of a thing, just the honesty of the speaker—or in the unlikely event that the Black Legion was actually coming back, Zenter and his fellows would be sufficient to hold them at bay.

The ‘old guard’ was no longer worthy of any but the least of lingering respect for what they did in the past. As further evidence of this—not that he needed more—the few ‘old guard’ close enough for him to examine were practically quivering in fear.

He couldn’t imagine such cowardice. Who feared a fight?

No one of worth.

Eskau Zenter gave a final nod to himself.

Yes, the newer Houses would show just how foolish the old were for their fear over this Black Legion. Then, when the automata were sorted, they would bring the wayward gated to task and cement themselves in the tapestry of Houses once and for all.

Zenter smiled, content in his self-assurance.

*

Rauta lovingly stroked the iron plate which he kept in his pocket, barely paying attention to what the iron woman said as he allowed his senses to simply drink her in.

He honestly didn’t care what she said, despite his position as Pillar of the House of Iron. His Eskau would be paying proper attention, and she would report to him later.

She was all that dominated his focus.

A woman entirely of iron, yet somehow fully alive and powerful beyond expectation.

The council needed to hear of this, and the sooner the better. He wouldn’t break protocol and leave early, but he was sorely tempted nonetheless.

She embodied the concept underpinning their entire House.

He almost laughed at how weak his mere concept was in comparison to her reality.

‘I am iron.’ suddenly rang hollow, despite centuries of truth resonating within him. While he still knew it to be true—he’d defied enough magics of all kinds to think otherwise—the words still felt like a mockery.

This woman, this Eskau of the House of Blood, would either shatter the entire House of Iron, or prove to be its culmination.

He almost began planning to kill off her husband and offer a better replacement to bind her to them, but wisdom won as he remembered that the gated humans tended to be more attached to their mates than those of the Houses were on average. It was likely their broken souls making the unavoidable connection deeper than necessary and thus more damaging when broken.

It didn’t matter though. They needed her—Ruata needed her—not as a test subject, not as a prisoner, and certainly not as an enemy. That would all but surely shatter them.

No. The House of Iron needed this example of perfection to lead them to the true culmination of their pursuits.

She, and she alone, had achieved that which he and his had been striving for, through years uncounted.

The House of Blood had found a new ally this day, or if she was willing to depart, the House of Iron would empty its coffers to make it so.

Yes, Pillar Rauta knew when he encountered something important, and this seemingly simple social event had turned out to be monumental beyond all compare.

*

Kamen sighed quietly in resignation.

This was going to throw off all her plans, and what was worse, the news was utterly inconsequential, but these fools didn’t see that.

So, her plans would have to change, and the House of Stone would have to deal with all the noise as the foolish little Houses around them dealt with the ‘revelation’ that the Black Legion was returning ‘sometime.’

Foolishness.

Everyone with any sense already knew that such was true.

Those around her were like bats in the night, freezing in terror at mention of the dawn.

Still… if nothing else, this showed her the mettle of those she’d been dealing with. As Pillar of her House, she needed to have a good grasp on her trading partners and allies, as well as her opponents.

She had no rivals or enemies, those were long since dealt with, at least those among the other Houses.

She would use this foolishness as a means of seeing the truth behind the masks.

That way, at least, this wouldn’t be a complete waste of her time.

*

The City Lord of Platoiri could barely contain his glee at this news, as terrible as it seemed to be.

Authority and power were always tested, refined, and honed in times of great conflict.

This was exactly what he needed to finally take the next step. He was sure of it.

He had been wise when he had allowed this uppity Eskau to depart so long ago. Her new-found power had made him momentarily uncertain about whether or not he’d made the right choice, but his wisdom and foresight was beyond question now.

Things were looking up. War was on the horizon, and he would forge himself within its fire, rising ever higher, as he always did.

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