752 It begins
##### Author's Note #####
Hey everyone, this is a trigger warning. From the name of the chapter, you might guess what is going to happen, and considering current events, I feel it's appropriate to warn about it.
This chapter talks about war and the loss of innocent lives.
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Hera was walking back to the central part of the city, where the other dwarves were. She had just finished her conversation with Veridallion and was now thinking about how to complete the quest she was given.
"Do any of you have any suggestions?" Hera turned to her court, all of whom were already aware of the situation.
"She told us to change the stone. So maybe you can craft something out of it? Or use that essence extractor thing to change it," Livy suggested.
"Yeah, that's an idea. I don't know if it will work. The distiller, I mean. Also, I need to give that back to Shane. Now we are in a place where she can store it," Hera nodded.
"I don't know. Something tells me you can't distill that item. Remember, we tested a few things, and you couldn't get the essence of any items that were a bit more complex than simple materials," Lurize added.
"You say simple, but Hera used one of those gems with fire inside them to give Ember a seal," Nimbus chuckled.
"Yeah, but it was one item. A single material, not a compound thing, or something that was made by a quest," Lurize continued.
"Well… think about what you think Scryotra would want me to make with it then. Because, honestly. I have no idea. Not now, at least," Hera sighed and turned her attention to Daskka, talking only in her mind using the connection they had ever since the beginning, 'Are you okay? You've been quiet ever since the dungeon.'
'Yeah… I'm ok, mum. Sorry, it's just… Being close to Scryotra made me weird. It's the same with the resentment, but it's not as bad, at least,' the snake replied without looking at Hera.
'Are you sure? If it-'
"HERA!" Rayna came running from the corner of a street ahead. Without even getting close, she continued to yell while running, "The king is searching for you. Something is going on!"
"Nimbus!" Hera called. Without needing any more instructions, the Sentinel turned to his griffon form and started running towards Rayna. The Empress reached out and grabbed the Royal Explorer, pulling her to the mount. Using the tail to help Rayna steady herself. At the same time, the rest of the court went back inside the Legacy.
"The king is in that central building. The one he is using for the council meetings," the dwarf said as Nimbus continued to run.
"Got it," Hera nodded but she reached out to Daskka one more time, 'If going to that dungeon, or being close to the resentment is too much for you, let me know. I want to complete this quest, but it's not worth it if it traumatizes you in any way.'
Daskka looked up, 'Thanks, mum. I'll let you know. But I'll try to push through. I get that it wasn't all Scryotra's fault.'
'Don't feel like you have to push too much. You know I love you very much, right? Don't tell the others, but you will always be my favorite,' Hera smiled at Daskka, who created a mist hat to hide her face like Tara did, feeling embarrassed by the confession.
Nimbus didn't hear that conversation and just focused on running at top speed while not crashing into anyone or anything. 10 minutes later, they arrived at the building Rayna mentioned. It was the large pyramid-like structure facing the entrance of the city. Shane and the dwarves knew this was supposed to be like a town hall, a large area for meetings with everyone in the city, and smaller chambers where the bureaucrats would deal with any civic issues. The actual 'palace' and noble neighborhood was on the top floor. However, everyone agreed to leave that area for last. Noble houses should have a lot of culturally important things like paintings, sculptures, and even some potential records. It wasn't as if the commoners didn't matter, but it would be harder for them to be able to afford those kinds of things.
When they arrived, Rayna climbed down and moved back to where the Royal Explorers were training as Hera walked inside the pyramid. Ogryn noticed her arrival and guided her to one of the side chambers where Rutigan and Naka were watching something on their tablets.
"What's going on?" the Empress walked inside, realizing that she just passed by a soundproof bubble.
"Come watch this," Rutigan gestured for Hera to approach.
On the tablet, there was a man sitting in front of a desk, talking to the camera. Behind him was a mural of the three heroes and the word 'Guild' in golden letters, "… despite their best efforts, the city of Calitalina fell during the rampage. Most of the people who lived there are now dead. Explorers, civilians, and even children. All were killed during the rampage. That is not something that should ever have happened. The guild always sends more than the required number of defenders to a city during a rampage. And it never mattered if the city belonged to humans or to anyone else. What happened was that the elves, dwarves, beastman, triton, and children of the sky that were stationed in Calitalina left after the room was closed. They left the city to protect Wetra, the other city in the River of the Plains room. For those who are not aware, Wetra is a dwarven city. Part of their kingdom. I understand that we have our differences, and there have been some conflicts between humans and the other species that live in the MAZE. However, this…. This crosses a line. Their decision to abandon their post covered their hands with the blood of innocents. If they are willing to do such a thing, we must rethink our actions. Our dreams of peace can only work if all sides are willing to cooperate. Unfortunately, this proves that they have no desire for such a world. This proves that the terrorists, known as the Last Line of Defense, have infiltrated even the most trusted bodies of their government. We cannot allow an indirect terrorist attack to go unpunished. But I cannot just accept that there are no good people among them. For that, I am going against the rest of the board and making one final offer to all the other intelligent species in the MAZE. I've already sent this message to the leaders of the elves, dwarves, triton, beastman, and the children of the sky. They have until 8 P.M. Guild Standard Time to surrender all the members of the Last Line of Defense to us or to give us access to every single one of your cities so we may flush them out ourselves. If that request is not met, then, with a heavy heart, I will have no choice but to declare war against the species native to the MAZE. I hope you all make the right choice."
After that last line, the screen went black only to show Earth rotating with the words 'In the Guild we trust' framing it.
"What kind of bullshit was that?" Hera asked after the broadcast was over.
"Typhera had warned me about the situation. That's why I called you. We have a meeting in," Rutigan looked at the clock in the tablet, "10 minutes. I'm glad they found you in time."
"Ok. Did she say anything else? Like, why the other species left Calitalina?" Hera asked. She knew people wouldn't just abandon a city in the middle of a Rampage. No matter the situation."
Rutigan nodded, "Yes. She had some harpies stationed there, and they were chased out by the humans. They said they couldn't trust people who could be associated with terrorists to watch their backs. In the end, the humans just kicked everyone out. People tried to make some defenses around the city, but even then, they were chased out. Some humans even attacked them, saying that it was better to kill them before the rampage started instead of risking dealing with them during it. People got hurt, and they ran to Wetra. They weren't able to arrive before the start of the rampage, and a lot of them got grave injuries in the process. Most couldn't even help the city and only increased the strain on the available healers. Still, a few chipped in and fought, resulting in one of the least costly rampages the city ever saw. Then again, that was already going to be the case since everyone expected the humans to ditch Wetra, so when the Rampage warning triggered, they sent a message to everyone nearby asking for help."
Hera just nodded, and they moved to another room further back. This one was smaller and only had a single camera and a screen with a small microphone set up in front of it. According to the King, this was like the meeting room in the Aerie of the First Flight but on a smaller scale. Instead of connecting to all the other leaders, it would connect only with Typhera. She could then place them inside the meeting room for them to participate. Rutigan sent a text to the Queen informing her they were already set up. It barely took a minute for her to turn on the call. Typhera greeted them and had some small talk, but it was clear that she was stressed. Barely a minute later, more people started to appear in the meeting room. Soon, the leaders of all the species were once again having a meeting.
Elara greeted everyone but asked them to skip pleasantries and recounted the events of the last couple of days. The rampage, how the humans pushed the other species away from the city, and then how the guild was declaring war against everyone else. They all received that declaration a few hours prior to the announcement, so this was just a way to make sure no one was missing any important information.
When the elf finished speaking, Thrain, the dwarven King, spoke up, "So, our options are to give the guild what they want or go to war?"
"They want a war. We have no choice in the matter. We don't have a list of all the members of the Last Line of Defense. If we had, they would have been caught already," Thora, the beastman chieftain, scoffed.
"Just for argument's sake, what about giving them access to our people?" Nereus, the triton sovereign, asked.
"That is the worst option," Hera replied, making all the leaders turn to face her on the small screen. That reaction made her hesitate for a moment, but under the table they were sitting at, Rutigan grabbed her hand in support, "If we do that, we give the guild permission to harass and persecute anyone for any reason. And they won't stop just with those involved with the Last Line of Defense. They will use any excuse to imprison or kill anyone who disagrees with them. Our history… I mean, their history is filled with dictators who did similar things."
After Hera voiced her opinion, no one said anything for a while. Eventually, Grimclaw, the beastman spiritual leader, said, "Then this is it. We are going to war."
"I'm afraid so," Typhera nodded.
"Very well," Thrain stood up, even if it was a bit hard to tell considering his height, "I'm sure we all have much to do. My troops are at the ready, and I'll deploy them to places where they might be required. We already have come to an agreement. We are in this together. Even if we will need to work more with our own kind at first."
Elara nodded, "That is correct, and Hera, we will send your team towards you. The elf that will be part of your team will arrive in 4 days at the Aerie. Is there anyone who will arrive later?"
"The triton I had in mind will get there in 7 days," Nereus added.
"They will have a place to stay while they wait," Typhera said with a welcoming smile.
"I might delay my guy a couple of days then. He needs to finish some things around here," Thrain said.
"OK then. In a week, your team will be in the Aerie. Your first mission will be given to you in eight days' time," Elara turned back to the Empress.
The Ophidianite nodded, "If I may. What exactly is going to be our mission? I don't mean this one specifically, but what will we be doing in general? Just helping out like I suggested?"
"Yes. After you suggested this idea, we started to think about it more deeply. In the end, we looked at records for previous wars and realized how many problems the lack of personnel caused in the places that had to send soldiers to the battlefront. Rampages and overpopulation of certain monsters already caused issues in the past, and adding Wendigos to the mix, we realized that your idea was better than it sounded. Because of that, your team won't be the only one roaming around the MAZE to solve problems in the cities," Grimclaw explained.
Typhera stood up and continued the explanation, "Most humans who are on our side will also be on those teams. Not yours, specifically since the team is already complete. But we want our people to remember that not all humans are bad."
"Also, having a human in the middle of the battlefield would make the troops restless. Many would worry about the possibility of a spy or a saboteur," Thora finished.
"Got it. So in one week, I'll meet them in the Aerie, and then we start?" Hera confirmed.
"Yes. Our intention is for the missions to be focused on helping the various cities and settlements we have around the MAZE. However, we can't guarantee that you won't have to fight against humans. Are you sure you are up to this?" Elara asked.
"I am. I can't stay still while this is going on," Hera replied.
They all nodded and finished the meeting. There would be another one in the future to organize the troops better, but they had work to do with their own people before that. Hera thanked Rutigan for calling her and talked for a few minutes before leaving. She had a week before she would have to go away, and during that time, she wanted to solve Scryotra's resentment. Otherwise, she would have to find a way to get rid of it.
