Chapter 32: The war report
"At the beginning of the Chain of Nightmares I departed to Antarctica with an idea that I would fight for humanity against the Nightmare Creatures. The Chain of Nightmares appeared to be as horrible as the Government could predict using Obel's scale, and even worse considering that being a witness to the thing is much more horrible, and life threatening than them just occuring.
We, as the members of the first army, had to defend civilians having very minimal support of the Three Great Clans. As I recall the clans, despite all their power they possessed, sent only three Saints to protect the Antarctic Center. Saint Tyris of White Feather, Bloodwave from the House of Night.
Due to that we had to face multiple enemies with very limited support. To those belong Goliath, Winter Beast, Terror of LO49, remains of the Heart of Darkness…"
The book in her gloved hands listed all the major Nightmare Creatures her clan knew about from Saint Tyris. One of the elders was reading it aloud for the convenience, and to spare the effort of concentration to the rest.
The list is supposed to be a secret between the Great Clans, and the Government. Civilians, and mundane soldiers shouldn't be able to witness them all, while Awakened were bound to not disclose. They were going to deal with that somehow, and prevent the leaks on the catastrophe that was. It was possible, because the witnesses are either dead, not knowledgeable enough or bound to not tell anything by their interest.
But all these games… She knows that in truth it's all just meaningless. Even one honest man is enough to make a difference between this being a secret, and everyone being aware of everything. Given that the honest man knows enough.
The report mentioned how the House of Night, and the Government took practically all hits, and were denied any more meaningful support. By the moment Saint Tyris wasn't able to bind the Winter Beast, and she was doing that for entire month, everything was lost.
The author stated the obvious conclusion: During that month Great Clans, especially Night, and Valor, were bound to know what's going on, and could do something to prevent the tragedy. A bit naive considering that the Winter Beast was a Corrupted Titan, but nonetheless there was some truth in it.
Why didn't they send more forces? Why did they expect one Saint to deal with a Corrupted Titan?
She was amused. For an outsider, even the most noble one, the most honorable one, it might appear strange, but it's nothing, but sane, and reasonable. As a descendant of War she knows that far better than most the truth: War is cruel.
If there were only Nightmare Creatures in the picture the decision would be really that simple. The Winter Beast should be killed. The earlier the better. But war doesn't allow that kind of luxury. There is preservation of resources, keeping the cards hidden, and different fronts. Even killing the Titan couldn't guarantee things going smoothly. War doesn't work this way. There are sides projecting the power onto each other. The essence of war is showing the enemy it can only surrender or die. That's why Valor sent Tyris. To show her, and her lovely clan, that's the only way for them to go.
Wouldn't Tyris kill Saint Cormac, Valor wouldn't even bother sending anyone. After all there was a greater enemy Valor had to face at that time: Song. If they didn't prepare their forces for the war with Song or exhausted them at the Antarctic Center, the victory would be less probable.
The report wouldn't be even that meaningful, but at some point she heard a very disturbing passage.
"By the use of some Memories I managed to make a boat, and sail my way towards East Antarctica. Despite my a bit beaten state, and seeing the death of all those people I left behind I found the Second Army, and discovered that the forces of Valor, and Song had arrived. Things were about to get better, but honestly with all my cynicism I didn't believe they would turn out to be caring, and benevolent. They didn't. When I arrived at the camps I found out that the clans are indeed going to fight the abominations coming from the Gates, but more than anything they were after a citadel located at some very distant location beyond Hollow Mountains, namely Tomb of Ariel, and had been using Gates to send there their soldiers through the power of Call. There was a bloody competition between the Great Clans about who's going to get there first. Valor, and Song arrived in Antarctica to wage a war against each other."
Her eyes glinted with dangerous curiosity. She leaned on her chair, but nonetheless they continued. The report contained many descriptions, and estimations regarding the forces of both clans. It's almost as if there was a third, comparable party involved. It was very clear that whoever tried it was one of the greatest spies she heard about.
'Is it Asterion?'
Given she was the heir of Valor Clan father personally revealed the existence of Asterion. It was another front she, the future general, had to be aware of. Even if Asterion's Domain isn't a territorial one, who dares to state that the citadels have no use to him? She definitely wouldn't, and Asterion has enough strength to consider himself relatively safe.
There was a guy that threatened her to tell things to the Government. She had told him telling things to the Government is meaningless, and that made him shut up. Who was that…
"What do you think?"
The elder asked the rest.
"It could also be someone else. It's not simple, and jumping into conclusion won't help with anything. The best way of acting in this situation is involving all parties into the investigation. Valor has their own diviners, and Song also has their own, some not much inferior to Saint Cassia. One diviner might not be able to tell much, but we have a branch of them, there's a very high chance for results. The text will cause us some image issues, though…"
Another elder took his voice.
"So what if one man revealed the truth? Now the world is going to be his enemy. The publication will be suppressed, we will make sure to inform the Government what they're going to do. No one will talk about it, and we will just deny everything. It was always like this."
Always like this… What a disappointment. Probably that thinking led her to being defeated by her brother. The situation has changed by a lot. Back then the Government could only suck it up because it had very little power, and it could be discarded at any time. Now it has five Saints. Before it had only two. And while the current five Saints still isn't that much, it's comparable to the House of Night. Therefore it's significant enough to defy the request. If they teamed up with Song, Valor would lose. If Valor teamed up with the Government, Song would lose. Well, such a war was still very possible to win, but there's no point in worsening your odds so much.
"Forget about that."
"Princess?"
Everyone directed their faces at her. Morgan slowly stood up, and then approached the elder holding the book. She dismissed her gloves. She put her hand on the book, making it cut into pieces. The paper scattered on the floor.
"We shouldn't worry about a piece of unreliable pieces written by an unreliable author. You may think we're mighty, but actually we can't do much anyway. It's already circulating. Can you go through the people, and encourage them to erase that from their brains? Or you prefer to tell Saint Cor that we messed up big this time, and he should fix it for us? You would ask him, and he would mock you with his face, tired of your antics. Or perhaps Saint Athena would be in the better mood to talk, which – I'll tell you – is something you really wouldn't want to experience."
"Princess, w-we won't le…"
"I thought so."
She paused for a moment. Her vermilion eyes turned at the remains of the book, and then she measured the room.
"Therefore we have more important things to do. That monster. I was supposed to outmatch Mordret in every way, and end his life. Up to this point I performed well. That's what you prepared me for. Or so we were thinking. Yet not only my bastard brother lived to see another day. He's a blasted Saint now, probably one of the most powerful now, on par with Lady Nephis, and if the King leaves this place we're unable to really stop him from coming here. People knowing our crimes aren't nearly as bad as him."
Everyone already knows what 'monster' means. There was only one person named this way by her, and funnily no Nightmare Creature qualified to be called a monster by her. It's as if the Forest that took down so many people wasn't even a threat anymore. And mind you it is. Which implies it's something special to her. Mordret has to be indeed a special thing. He isn't corrupted. He doesn't behave like a Nightmare Creature, even an intelligent one, and yet Morgan considers him something non-human with all this… ferocity.
"Excuse me my tone, Princess, but I would like to notice it's you who have failed. You had him, had everything you needed to kill him. What right do you have to speak of this matter?"
She grimaced as if to laugh. She didn't answer immediately, while the elders were still in anticipation. Among them Morgan was the most domineering figure. Even though she was only a Master, Saints never put them under as much pressure as she does. But there was also some unusual hesitation over the thing. Something weighed on her heart, which wasn't fake. Which is strange, because they were already the World Trade Center of fakes. At least for those who still can remember what that building was.
"A sword can't be blamed for it doesn't cut deep enough, can it? A blacksmith can be disappointed, but it's still his work. If a sword is weak, unbalanced, the blacksmith failed. If the blacksmith fails, the sword can only be discarded or reforged. I don't want to be discarded."
Some lowered their heads in regret, while the one asking looked deep in her mystic red eyes. He asked evenly.
"Are you ready for this?"
She shook her head with a helpless smile.
"Is anyone really ready to conquer the Third Nightmare? Even my dear sis looks like it was really tough for her, and she was top Master. But the King wants his sword, and it's the only way to forge it. There are materials, smith, furnace, and anvil. What else do we need? Moral support?"
"You might not see that, but you're precious. Clan can't afford to lose you like Madoc. If we did the main line…"
"Oh, I'm touched. Still that's the final decision. Find someone to take care of martial matters in my stead. I will face the Nightmare. Meanwhile you will think of ways to protect Bastion from him. If that monster is already a Saint I'm afraid becoming a Saint won't be ever enough. You will think defenses adjusted to his transcendent powers, and I'll eventually cut that Nightmare. Or perish trying, if my gamble won't work for us. It will be only the beginning of forming the strategy against him. No one else will do that. We're the only ones who can stop him, and he just wants to kill us."
She turned around. Walked towards the exit. Then she gently touched it's surface.
"Wait!"
The doors shattered, and Morgan left by stepping on the debris.