The Red Hand

News of Camilla's defeat quickly reached the Dwarven government, and needless to say, the mood rapidly shifted from one of optimism to that of absolute despair. They couldn't be sure if she was truly dead or had just been driven back, but either way, her disappearance put the Dwarves in a bind. Without Camilla's aid, defeating the monsters would prove much difficult, and that was if one didn't account for the fact that whatever beat her would likely turn its attention toward them next. It was a sobering realization and one that forced the Dwarves to contemplate just what they would need to do next to avoid the worst case senario.

"Lady Camilla is a lich, an undead being that reforms after defeat. Surely it's only a matter of time until she returns." Minister Saphirebringer said in an attempt to improve the mood of the conference hall. While he was no fan of the undead Camilla's assistance was greatly appreciated, though he knew that they'd probably have the pay the proverbial piper at some point for relying on her power. "We need only dig in and repel these creatures until then. That's what we're best at after all."

"And do we have any idea how long that will take?" Minister Hezmal growled. "I am no expert on liches, but everything I've ever heard about them tells me that it will be months if not years until she reforms from a total defeat. By that point, there may well not be anything to protect, and that's assuming that she'd actually return which is anything but guaranteed."

"Would Lady Reflia not send someone else in her stead?" Minister Earthbraids figured that the Goddess would send additional support. "She seeks the Power Reactor, and the Dawn Order has other members. We need only reach out and ask them to supply additional aid."

"The Dawn Order was always a small organization to begin with." Commander Bogram interjected. "While I have no idea how many members remain, one can assume they have nowhere near the resources that they once did. It's entirely likely that they don't have someone to send if they're relying on a lich acting on her own to assist us."

{And I doubt she can go to the other Gods for support.} (Bogram)

"But this is a matter of survival!" Minister Earthbraids exclaimed. "There was that Sun Elf. As much as I can't stand those arrogant bastards, we should be able to rely on her! She was equally as strong as Camilla! Why not ask her to return?" Elves and Dwarves,especially Sun Elves, had a poor history; but he knew that this was not the time to dwell on old wounds.

"We could, but there is no guarantee that she will come." Commander Bogram shook his head. "Sadly, I fear that we are not a priority."

"Wha?!?" Minister Earthbraids' eyes went wide in surprise. “What do you mean we're not a priority?!?”

"You refer to the fact that Lady Reflia is plotting something behind the other Gods' backs?" Minister Hezmal said while stroking his beard, his words catching the other two ministers off guard.

"She needs the Dawn Order for something. The Reactor is merely a means to an end, and now that one member has been defeated, she may not see reason to risk another." Commander Bogram nodded.

"Wait just a moment! What is this about Lady Reflia going behind the Gods' backs?" Minister Saphirebringer hadn't been informed of such a thing.

"The Dawn Order is an organization that stood against them during the Spirit War. They were declared traitors and ordered to be hunted down and destroyed." Minister Hezmal said. “That they are now aligned with Lady Reflia is unusual, no?”

"Yes, but the Gods could easily reverse that decision, and by working with them so openly, has Lady Reflia not done exactly that?" Minister Saphirebringer figured that the Gods were willing to work with the Dawn Order just like the Dwarves were willing to work with the Spirits or the Elves. Desperate times called for desperate measures, after all.

"Perhaps, but only if there were any open cooperation." Commander Bogram reminded the others that, technically, there'd been no formal declaration from the Pantheon on this matter. "Lady Reflia's involvement is only known to us and a select few members of government. As far as anyone writ large knows, the Dawn Order is simply acting on its own."

"I..." Minister Saphirebringer paused, the realization that they might be cast aside washing over him like a wave.

"There would be no reason for such a facade of plausible deniability if the Gods as a whole were involved. They could easily announce that the Dawn Order has been granted clemency, but no such announcement has materialized." Commander Bogram continued, the others listening to him with laser like focus. "I'll also add that when I touched upon the subject with Camilla, the evasive responses she gave more or less confirmed my suspicions. Lady Reflia is acting of her own accord and without the knowledge of the other Gods. Thus, I highly doubt she would be willing to sacrifice another member of the Order or risk her involvement becoming public by bringing in other factions."

"So we've been abandoned then... She'd leave us to die?" Minister Earthbraids said, defeated.

"We'd be far from the first or the last people the Gods hung out to dry." Commander Bogram said with a derisive laugh. "I know that we didn't have much of a choice, but leaving our fate in their hands was always a risk given our past history..." He sighed. "And now we face catastrophe."

{Catastrophe that I'm suspecting more and more is engineered by an outside power. But who that is I just can't put my finger on.} (Bogram)

"Then... What do we do?" Minister Earthbraids asked. "If you are saying the military force we have is insufficient, and the Gods will provide no additional aid. Then are you suggesting we give up? Should we evacuate our ancestral homes and leave them to these vile creatures to soil and desecrate?"

"Such an undertaking would cause mass panic." Minster Hezmal interjected. "We could theoretically evacuate the entire Kingdom's population from the mountains while performing a fighting retreat, but..."

"The moment word gets out, the people will begin to flee on mass, and even some of our own soldiers will desert." Commander Bogram sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. "In all likelihood, an evacuation order would do little but cause chaos as people attempted to escape on their own. The Highways out of the mountains would be flooded with refugees, and then we have to worry about the monsters. If they're as smart as I think they are, they'll strike the moment they sense the panic."

"Then we have to question where our people will go." Minister Hezmal said. "We'd have to cross multiple nations to reach one of the other mountains, each of which is governed by our Kin. We may not be welcome there either, and it's entirely possible we'd be kept out." Dwarves were not a united people, and while there were general ties of kinship between them, each mountain tended to govern itself separately. "The Misty Mountains are the only mountains unsettled, but they are within the Demon Kingdom and border Simoea."

"Our people would die in such a place." Commander Bogram shook his head, knowing all to well just how dangerous those mountains were. "We'd be better off going elsewhere, if possible."

"Then what do you suggest?" Minster Earthbraids grumbled. "That we stay here and die?"

"No." Commander Bogram shook his head. "Though the alternative may be fraught with just as much danger as staying and fighting on our own."

"We must seriously consider the Demon Lord's offer." Minster Hezmal said as he poured tea into his cup from a small pot on the table in front of him. "Is that what you are getting at?"

"As much as such a thing rankles my beard, yes." Commander Bogram nodded, which made the other Ministers' throats go dry. They didn't like Akagi at all and wanted to keep her at arm's length, but even they couldn't outright reject such a suggestion, given the desperate situation. "I categorically do not trust her. Demon Lord aside, she is clearly a being that schemes and plots to get what she wants. There is absolutely no way her statements about equal partnership and friendship are true. She wants something from us, end of story."

"If we accept her offer of aid, there will be no turning back." Minister Hezmal noted that it would be tantamount to a declaration of war on the Gods. "The Gods will view us as collaborators and order our destruction."

"That is a risk, but if the Demon Lord proves victorious in her war with the Gods, then there is no problem." Commander Bogram replied.

"Do you really think she can defeat a pantheon of Gods?" Minister Earthbraids thought such a thing ludicrous. "The last Demon Lord was vanquished by the Gods without much issue."

"I can't say, but I do know that we don't have much of a choice." Commander Bogram figured that it was either death by monsters or risking death by siding with Akagi, and only one choice gave a chance of survival. "If we do not take the Demon Lord's offer of aid, our people risk annihilation by these creatures. On the off chance that we manage to evacuate even a portion of the population, that will still be the end of our way of life." He sighed. "I would rather not have everything our ancestors built be wiped out if I'm being honest. At least if our people survive, we can rebuild, but I honestly don't see that happening without her aid at this point."

His words caused the hall to grow silent as the four men's faces darkened. They all knew a decision had to be made, and thus they resolved not to leave until their people's future was decided.

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<Nier POV>

"Something's off here." Nier said as the group queued to enter the Elven Capital of Kialru. There was a massive line that was backed up from the main gate which didn't seem to be moving much.

"Yeah, this place normally has tight security, but it's never been this bad." Katlyn commented as she leaned around the group in front of them, only to see a group of guards get rough with what looked like a merchant caravan. "Great..."

"Do you think we should just duck out of line and head straight to the Temple?" Kanato whispered to Nier, thinking that it might be best to just skip the city.

"If we leave now, it's going to look suspicious. "Nier shook his head. "And I'd rather not have a fight break out with a bunch of Elven guards, especially with you know..." He tilted his head toward Miz'ri.

"Yeah..." Kanato sighed, feeling something unpleasant in the pit of his stomach.

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