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The original was posted on /r/hfy by /u/RangerFrank on 2024-11-04 19:03:18+00:00.

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War God Vasquez’s POV.

“What do you want? Are you here to gloat? I suppose you’re satisfied that your plan is unfolding exactly as you predicted,” I said.

“Are you going to do it?” Thrandil questioned suddenly.

…

“…If His Highness orders it, I shall do anything,” I said after a moment.

Thrandil clicked his tongue and shook his head in a disapproving manner. “Now that’s not a very healthy way of doing things. Didn’t you say you’re a brand new father? You can’t just leave your child so soon.”

“I definitely don’t want to hear that from you. I’m certain you sent many good men to their deaths, and the last time I checked…you aren’t on very good terms with what family you have,” I pointed out as I sat down behind my desk and began writing.

Thrandil took a seat and looked ready to contradict me, but he slumped back into his chair with a sigh. “Well…you have a point…but it isn’t representative of reality. That’s not very fair, right? I didn’t send people to do things I wouldn’t have done myself. And isn’t it because I’m on such bad terms with my family that you should heed my advice? I may know little in these matters, but I am certain you can’t exactly be a good, nor necessarily even a bad, father if you are lying in a grave.”

I placed my quill down and stared at the old Elf and told him, “And my family won’t have a place to live if I fail here. I have long since served His Majesty and his family. I will do whatever it takes to safeguard this kingdom, even if it means dying in the process. It’s as simple as that.”

Thrandil nodded with a smile. “Such conviction and honor…I wonder if things would have been different if people like you were at the head all those years ago. Perhaps the war would have never even begun,” he said solemnly.

“What? It was Tel’an’duth that started things. The events at Crescent Castle are well documented,” I said.

Thrandil’s brows furrowed as he sighed again. “You silly Humans and your short life spans…is that what you truly believe? It was Brax that started the war, not us. I had only just ascended to the throne after a brutal succession. I wasn’t even fully recovered myself before the first battle at High Towers.”

“High Towers? That was a fort on the border, and it only happened after you attacked Crescent Castle,” I argued.

“I may be getting old, but my memory has not left me yet, Vasquez. And do you genuinely believe that I would lie so many years later? For what do I have to gain? Indeed, it can’t be some amount of pity from a man whose father wasn’t even born yet when things began,” Thrandil countered.

I scoffed. “I know not what you have to gain, but I have seen plenty of information that says otherwise. I’ve read over many, many old texts and agreements sent by Tel’an’duth. Most, if not all, of them showed the gross ‘treaties’ that you attempted to force upon us in the name of peace.”

“And I was the one who wrote and read many treaties, and it was Brax who sent impossible demands. I even have the original documents in the Imperial Vault. I was even the first to broker peace, setting territory lines to how they were before the war with a hundred-year guarantee of peace. Do tell me if you read that one, mmm?” Thrandil asked.

Is any of this true? The discrepancies… are far too prominent in what he is saying and what I know. And it is true, what does the old, former emperor have to gain by lying to a single man in a besieged city? Could it be that…there was some foul play between our nations? A thi—a third party…a nation that played both sides of the war…I see…that is a possibility.

Just like today’s events, could the Holy Kingdom have orchestrated everything? Just like His Highness believes?

…

It matters not. Not at the moment, at least.

I put a hand up to stop him. “This conversation matters not. These events may as well be ancient history compared to what needs to be done today. You should attend to your own affairs. The undead may be at our doorstep before we know it.”

Thrandil shrugged as he stood up. “I suppose you are right. There is much that needs to be done.”

But he paused halfway while leaving the room, and gave me an annoyed look. “What now?” I questioned.

“You just called me ancient…that’s not very nice. That could very well be an act of war, insulting royalty in such a way,” he said playfully.

But am I wrong? I probably won’t live to see sixty, let alone a hundred. Three hundred years may as well be an eternity when I can’t remember what I had for dinner a week ago.

“Yes, I apologize from the bottom of my heart, Your Grace…please forgive this old soldier this one time,” I sighed.

Thrandil chuckled to himself as he walked out of the room. “Funny too…”

—

Kaladin Shadowheart’s POV.

After the meeting, I met with Sylvia in our room to discuss what had been said and what we were doing as we moved forward. The only reason she hadn’t been present was that she was resting after staying up for two days to be on call for any emergencies.

“You are saying that someone who is a powerful mage needs to die to use a dungeon item? What kind of crap is that?” Sylvia hissed.

“It’s true. Prince Xander and Thrandil both said as such. Apparently, the item is strong enough to destroy a large group of enemies and change the landscape forever, but at the cost of a life,” I explained.

Sylvia scratched her chin only to shrug. “And you want to avoid that…I suppose I may be able to do something. How does the person die? Do they…drop dead? Or turn into dust or something?”

“That I do not know for certain,” I said, shaking my head.

Sylvia rocked back and forth in the chair before saying, “Then maybe I could use the item? I’m not technically a mage in the usual sense, but maybe it will still work. The odds of me dying are pretty low after all.”

“Absolutely not. You directly using the item is out of the question,” I said firmly.

Sylvia smiled softly to herself and said, “Mmm, okay. Then I won’t even try. But if you want me to save someone, I must bite them directly. There’s no telling what may happen at that point. I could very well die with them.”

I put a hand to my face and sighed. “That…is true.”

Sylvia crossed her legs on the chair and gave me a worried look. “Can I ask what is making you so worried? Obviously, you don’t want some innocent person to die, but…if it’s a random person we don’t really know…would you stop them? Surely, everyone thinks this is a worthy sacrifice, so it’s not like it’s in vain. And to be clear, I am more than willing to help whoever it is.”

“That’s the issue. It won’t be a random person, will it? Prince Xander didn’t specify the exact details of a ‘strong mage,’ but let’s assume for such a powerful item to work, it needs someone at the Grandmaster level. Not many people can fill that slot…and the ones that can are all people we know,” I said.

Sylvia put a finger to her chin as her eyes grew dark with understanding. “Ah…you’re right. Not many people can be classified as such. And the top contender would be…Bowen, right? Or maybe even Vasquez,” she mused solemnly.

“Exactly, and regardless of who it is, I would prefer to avoid the needless death of another just to gain an edge in this battle,” I said.

Sylvia suddenly stood up and said, “Well, talking about it here won’t get us anywhere. If we want to know for sure, we have no choice but to go talk with Prince Xander.”

“Indeed.”

—

“This is not happening. Neither of you are allowed to use the item, which is final,” Prince Xander said before we even got a chance to speak.

“Exactly, this won’t do. I refuse, so don’t even bother offering,” Lauren added instantly.

I exchanged confused looks with Sylvia and explained to them, “That’s not why we came to you…”

The two royal siblings exchanged looks and even looked behind them to see Ren. Ren just shrugged with a soft smile.

Huh, it seems like the three of them are actually getting along. A few months ago, I’m pretty sure Lauren would have been ripping her hair out if she had to deal with Xander this long. Maybe the battle is just that dire, so putting their differences away is only natural.

Prince Xander awkwardly cleared his throat and said, “I see…then, I apologize for my hasty and unnecessary comment.”

“Then what would you like to talk about? Of course, both of you are always welcome to speak with us,” Lauren stated.

“Has anyone offered to take the position and use the item?” I asked.

Lauren gloomily shook her head. “No, not yet. It’s a rather complex topic to approach. We haven’t made demands of anyone but fear that we may have to decide ourselves in the end,” she said.

Sylvia raised her hand and asked, “Could you tell us how the person died when using the item? Like, what happened to them?”

“I was told th…

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