***
For the last six weeks Tangerine Stone has continuously turned my life upside down.
If she wasn't such a sweet girl I would have her shot. Alas, I am too soft-hearted.
The girl is changing, and not in ways that I'm always comfortable with, yet I can see that there is still a core of goodness there. She is certainly a killer, but she keeps trying to do well. To help others, even if it's only the people she knows.
She sees the city for what it is and my vision for what it could be. She also sees the bloody path that we will have to walk to get there. She, in so many ways, was made for this life.
I have a stronger fondness for the girl than I should and as long as she keeps trying to be human I will continue to protect her.
"We have to remove her from the Academy!" Yells Marcus Barrett, Bronson's father. "Get her somewhere secure, so we can take her apart and see what makes her tick."
Of all the people I would shoot if I could, he is near the top of a very long list. The heads of each rift officer family are sitting in the oldest place in the academy. The Grand Table hall. The place where the Great Rift War ended, and the Academy claimed dominion.
"I would like to remind you that Tangerine Stone is a ward of my family and any moves against her would be a move against me." I say at a reasonable speaking volume, because unlike some people around here, I am not an animal.
"The fact you have claimed that abnormality as your own, before bringing her up at the table, has not gone unnoticed." That was from Lady Beatrice, sister of Lady Angie. One of the few Rift Walkers that family has left. She is sitting near the bottom of the table, her family having fallen from its once lofty heights.
"I claimed an aberrant rift walker. I did not suspect her capability at the time," I lie, "I claimed her for sentimental reasons… because she is an aberrant like myself. And I understand how lonely that can be." I say, from the head of the table.
My position here is tenuous at best. Without any family backing me, the only reason I remain in the head seat is because each family wants to prevent anyone else from taking the position.
I survive on stability, allowing the families to grow fat and rich, like the gorging pigs they are.
Tangerine is a threat to that equilibrium. This realm, and many others, would not survive the balance shifting and a war breaking out.
"How lonely that whelp is does not justify your hoarding of her secrets. Making her your ward is an obvious and outrageous grab for power." Spoke by a weaselly little man, Daisy's father. The only reason he is at this table, is due to the fact they managed to scrimp and save to give their daughter the procedures that gained her the most measly of rift cores.
They took short cuts, many painful short cuts. Had they left her to develop naturally, Daisy would have become one of the strongest mages in the Academy. But that wouldn't give her father a seat at this table, so they tortured their child, leaving her with a barely functioning husk of a core.
I will kill him. Or at least give Daisy the opportunity. I think she will take it. Tangerine may be an outside context problem, but it's Daisy who concerns me. Because she is the one I most see myself in. Her parents may have crippled her, but that will not stop her. I suspect that one day, she will sit in my seat.
Hopefully she will be healed before then. Her picking the goblin gives me hope. I can see the advantages, but there are as many, if not more, disadvantages. It feels like a choice made for reasons other than value.
"My involvement with Miss Tangerine has nothing to do with her unexplained behaviour, and she has been very cooperative with the Academy as we investigated her unique capabilities." I smile as diplomatically as I can. I would purge every member at this table if I could.
But I cannot. Because everyone here is either a Rift Walker at the height of their power, or related to one.
I continue, "This meeting is not about what to do with Miss Tangerine Stone. She will remain in the care of the Academy. We are to discuss what will happen with the realm of shadows."
"A problem caused by your ward." Lady Bertrice comments.
"Never the less." I say, not that killing a god is a problem; the only good god is a dead god.
"What about the Realm?" Asks the ever so engaged Marcus.
"Since the death of their god queen, they have gone on a war footing. They mean to invade the city." I say.
"So? Just pop over there and lay waste. Like back in the good old days." Marcus dismisses the issue.
And here lies the crux of the matter - any one of the families could crush the realm. But to do so would require spending enough resources to weaken one's position before the other families.
A death sentence by another name.
The abnormality was not that Tangerine killed a god. I have crushed a dozen beneath my feet. It was that she, or her patron, managed to achieve such a feat with so little cost.
"I will not commit the resources of the Academy without the burden of the cost being spread amongst the families."
"Why should the families pay for damage that your ward is responsible for?" Lady Beatrice continues to undermine me.
"War is coming one way or the other. Either we march forward as a city and crush the realm quickly. Or we wait until they invade and fight them individually. I assure you, the latter will be more expensive in the long run." I say. "I will put it to a vote and the decision will need to be unanimous for the Academy to commit any of its own resources."
I raise my hand in favor of the invasion.
Marcus raises his, not out of solidarity but because the brute loves a good war.
Lady Beatrice raises her hand begrudgingly.
The rest of the major houses follow, and then all of the minor houses, after seeing which way the wind is blowing.
"All votes in favor of preparing an invasion fleet. The city will go to war. The Academy docks will be our staging grounds so assemble your war barges and void ships there. Thank you all for your time, if that is all then I will call this meeting ajur…"
"Wait."
Lord Edward Von Westra, father of Lillian. I thought he had been suspiciously quiet.
"If our information is correct, with the death of the Mother of Shadows, the curse upon Sister Sophia has been lifted. The church of Light requests that she is allowed to resume her duties."
Are they insane? I do not need to ask how they know the curse is lifted. I'm sure their pompous light God told them. I also do not doubt that they know about the relationship between Tangerine and Sophia. The information networks of each family is vast. Although with the Gestalt, mine is better.
"I will arrange a meeting." I gamble. At this point I feel like Sophia is attached to Tangerine and questioning her faith enough that she will refuse to return.
"Why would we need a meeting?" asks Edward, "pack her bags I will take her back with me. Lord Balin has been waiting too long."
There is a pause at the table, even Marcus is uncomfortable. He was in my class back in my Academy days. He knows where I'm from, what I used to be.
"...There will be a meeting because in this city, the girl will be given a choice." I say slowly, tension evident in my voice.
Lord Edward presses anyway. "The girl made her choice when she spoke her vows. Pack her bags."
Marcus shares a panicked look with Beatrice.
The memories come back, pushing the water wheel, the starving, the whip. The event that led to my core crack, how I became an aberrant Rift Walker.
I was a slave a long time ago.
Slavery does not exist in MY city because I ended it when I took the Dean's seat. It was an expensive feat. The major families didn't care that much - constructs and zombies are better than slaves. The lower classes were easily bullied. It was the minor families that gave me the most trouble so I paid them off with fracs or favors. Within two years of my leadership slavery ended. Legal slavery anyway. The gangs in the lower sections and the crawl continue to press people into situations, but I am known to be vindictive when I come across such situations and will happily make examples of those that flaunt my decree.
I stand and spin up my mana core, as I may be making such an example at this very table. "That sounded like a challenge, Lord Edward." The nobility of the city may paint themselves with the thin veneer of civility but we are all warlords here. If he wants to be stupid enough to cross the line that I drew in the sand, the line that the other major families agreed to, then none of them will rise to save him from me.
Lord Edward looks around the table for any support and finds no one looking at him. He is indeed alone. His face looks like he just sucked a lemon. "I… apologize, Dean Maria. I did not mean that the girl would be… required to return home with me. Merely that I am certain that she will honor her vows, but if you wish for me to go through an unnecessary meeting to confirm the choice I already know she will make… then House Westra will oblige the Grand Table."
I let myself relax, the instant sorcery Ghitu Fire tucked away back in my core. "Think nothing of it." I say through clenched teeth. "Just a misunderstanding. I will set up the meeting. If there is no other business then I will call this meeting adjourned."
With that I rise from my place - as it is customary for the Dean to leave first - and walk out the door.
***
After such a painful meeting; I visit Tangerine in Amber's observation room, only to find her asleep. This is unsurprising as she had already died by the time we reached her. Thankfully it happened just as we arrived and Amber was able to bring her back without any permanent complications. But with the combination of revival, the massive amount of healing she needed and the mana burn she received from casting whatever spell that can one shot a god, I would not be surprised if she spends the next week mostly asleep.
Recovery will be a long and painful road for her.
Sophia is sitting next to her bed, holding Tangerine's hand, looking lost in thought.
I feel sorry for the girl. While not the same as mine, her childhood had a brutality all of its own. It pained me to rob her of her last vestiges of normality, when I forced her to kill the mercenary. I do not pretend that it was a choice, I knew what she would do when I handed her the weapon. Her attachment to Tangerine is just as obsessive as Tangerine's is to Sophia.
But this is a dangerous world and I needed to give her the push so she can become the person she needs to be to survive it.
Or at least that's what I tell myself, so I can sleep at night, with the endless list of crimes and atrocities I have committed in the name of survival and a better world.
Sophia has taken to wearing suits since that day, and not with the casual swagger of Lillian. Sophia wears the suit like armor, buttoned up and ridged. The weapon I gave her, always visible in her shoulder holster.
I'm not entirely sure that the suit works for her, it looks like she is hiding herself… Maybe with a good hat? I will take her to see my tailor at some point.
There is never enough time to do the things that need doing.
"Good afternoon, Sophia." I say quietly, as to not spook her.
I fail. The poor girl still jumps. "G-good afternoon Dean Maria," she stutters.
"Sophia, I think at this point we are practically family. Maria will do."
"Yes, Maria." she says, still nervous. The girl will probably be wary of me for a while, but I believe in her. Tangerine was made for this world, but Sophia has potential to be molded for it.
"I notice you are not wearing your religion's necklace anymore. In fact, Tangerine seems to be sporting the chain around her neck, which is an… interesting choice?"
"I…" Sophia bows her head looking at the floor, "I am still struggling…"
A pause. I let the silence linger, giving her space to speak.
"...to believe what you said. But the M… Mother of S-shadows is dead and I feel that my curse is lifted so why…"
She speaks softer now, "...why did he not protect me? Why did he never answer? Why was I left alone for so long? Even if you are wrong, and only the… M-Mother is responsible for my curse, he still failed me. And what worth does a god that fails have?"
I rub circles on her back. She flinches at first, but doesn't pull away. "I was born a slave under my 'gods' rules, my entire realm were slaves for him. There are no gods that are worth anything, they are just out-sized mages with inflated egos."
"One of the first things I did when I became a Rift Officer and had accrued enough power, was to return to my realm, murder him and burn his civilization to the ground. I have done the same to many other 'gods' and I would do the same to your 'Lord' but unfortunately he is one of the smarter ones. He has a number of mages and some Rift Walkers under his thumb. His council of batter wives. They are too powerful for me to take on alone."
I look Sophia in the eye. "I cannot prove this, but it is my belief that he and the Mother of Shadows had a deal. They played it off as a game amongst gods, but I think the purpose was to break you. So then your 'god' could come sweeping in at the correct time to 'save' you, and give you a place at his side. This curse only ever happens to female mages and rift walkers. Your 'god' is a pig of a man. Nothing more. He is not worthy of you, and he never has been."
I give her a smile, "But that is okay, because you are free of his yoke. One day you will be far more powerful than him, and if you choose to, I will give you my help to make him pay."
Sophia tears up a little at that, water welling at the corner of her eyes. But she suppresses it, trying to remain strong.
"Tears do not make you weak, Sophia." I say, as I pull her into my embrace.
I've always been a hugger.
She sobs for a little while I hold her and stroke her hair. "Lord Edward Von Westra wants a meeting with you. Unsurprisingly, they already know that the curse is broken. They will ask for you to return back and fulfill your duties. The Academy and I will support you no matter what you choose; if you want to return you can leave with our blessing. If you want to stay we will defend your place here."
"Thank you, Maria."
"Think nothing of it. If you refuse to return, I do expect them to try something underhanded. Place you under a geas or use some sort of mind control. It is an awkward political situation. If I am in the meeting with you they will accuse me of manipulating you, and use it as an excuse to put the matter of your return to a vote at the Grand Table. So both Gestalt and I will be watching the meeting from a safe distance. We will respond if they try anything."
Sophia nods at this, worry in her eyes. I change the subject, "How is our girl doing?" I ask.
"She's doing well. The mana burn is hurting her a lot more than she is letting on, and she's only awake for an hour or so at a time. But Teacher Amber said that she will make a full recovery given time." Sophia smiles at this.
"That's good to hear. I will leave her in your excellent care." I give her one last final hug before I leave to start the preparations for the war.
A lot of turmoil is coming in the near future, and I suspect that those two girls will be at the center of it.
***
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