The heart thumped, pulsating in my hand.

Walking slowly along the Monarch’s corpse, my footsteps sounded loud thanks to how squishy they sounded.

It had fur. For its size, it was actually a small amount. But it was still about a foot thick, and it was dense. The kind of dense that would have protected it from even a sharp blade. Made even thicker and slicker, thanks to all the gunk covering it.

As I walked, I sunk into the mushy fur. My steps sounded real loud down here in the canyon, as the sounds reverberated up to the sky. Especially since the whole world was now… eerily quiet.

This thing had been loud. And not just as I tore its heart out. Even before I had even done damage to it, the thing had started to roar. Bellowing at the top of its lungs whenever it could.

A Monarch roaring wasn’t too strange… but it was odd for it to have roared so passionately even before it realized I was a genuine threat.

Odds are Landi had pestered the thing for months. There were thousands of spears and arrows all over the place. Before engaging the thing in battle, it had been covered in them. Most had dislodged, or broken, as the thing tumbled and spun as I fought it… but the broken shafts were still on the thing. Stuck in the thick muck it had been expelling.

The stuff was genuinely toxic. It burnt the skin, in a way that told me it was partly acidic. I had lost my shoes very quickly, and not just because the gunk was somewhat sticky and dense. The stuff had melted through my clothes and leather rather quickly.

“Wonder if this stuff will even burn,” I complained as I stepped up onto the thing’s head.

It had collapsed up against the wall of one of the cliffs. It had also curled up a little, coiling inward like a snake did, likely because all of its internal muscles had hardened as it died. I knew it’d start decomposing soon, like all Monarchs did, but I was in no mood for this thing to decay naturally.

This thing needed to burn, and fast.

Looking down at my hand, and the beating heart within it, I studied the dark crystal-like orb.

It wasn’t smooth. It was ridged, and even had some points. Yet it was still, like all Monarch hearts, in the semblance of an orb. It glowed, emitting a dark color. One similar to the color of the gunk it had been spewing.

The glow of its creator. In the palm of my hand.

For the smallest moment… I squeezed it.

With all my might. I clenched my fist, and strained myself. I clenched my teeth. I focused. I bent my arm inward, as to better use every muscle I could.

I squeezed with everything I had. I tried to crush it. To break it.

As I did, I waited for it. The snap. The crack. The eventual crush and break. The feeling of thousands of shards flying out of my hand, with half of them digging into my skin.

I knew the feeling. I knew it well. There were only a few gems on this planet I couldn’t break in my grip. And even those I could crack, sometimes. Especially when they were something as unsmooth and oddly shaped as this was.

My grip strength was not something one could ignore. Not something that could be denied. A tiny little crystal such as this was, should be, nothing to me. It should break and shatter any moment and…

Yet it didn’t happen.

Taking a deep breath I stopped my attempt at trying to break the Monarch’s heart, and sighed at the thing.

Turning it a little, I looked into the heart for any sign of stress. Any cracks or damage.

Like all the times before… I saw nothing.

It looked as if someone had just freshly cut it from a diamond. One that was unnaturally flawless. Something so pure it was almost frightening.

The little glow inside of it, gleaming steadily and dimming and growing brighter as it slowly pulsated… told me it was fine.

I’d done nothing to it. All my strength… and it hadn’t even noticed.

It denied every law of natural order.

“Damn things,” I mumbled as I turned my attention away from the heart and back at the surrounding mess.

The gunk was everywhere. Not just all over me, and the creature, but it had been poured for what was likely months. I knew, from falling into it, that there was actually many dozens of feet of depth to the gunk. Maybe even more in some places. The stuff was flowing away, seeping into the rest of the canyon and all the cracks around it, but it did so slowly. The gunk was thick, more akin to murky swamp slime than anything else.

And there were more than just broken spears and arrows floating in the gunk, too.

A nearby body was half floating. It, like most of the bodies around the creature, had been stripped. Just as I had. Their armor and clothes were gone… yet unlike myself… their flesh had not been spared. Some were laying on the surface in such a way that there were sections visible and not covered by the gunk.

What was interesting was the gunk seemed to melt and eat the flesh, but not the bones or muscles. It was as if it only ate the first few layers of skin, based on how they all looked. It gave the bodies an odd mummified look.

If not for the high sun over head, I’d wonder if my own top layer of skin was missing too. But I was able to see it, even through the stains and gunk.

I still had all my skin. Even the hairs on my arms and stuff were fine.

Not too much of a surprise. I was more durable than a normal human. But…

It was such an odd thing. Usually something that ate away flesh, or something acidic that melted it, didn’t just stop on the outer skin. It made me want to do a little research on the stuff, to find out just what it was.

But I knew better. Now that the Monarch was dead, and the source of its power removed… this world would likely never again see such an ability ever again. In fact, given a little time, most of the gunk would stop functioning too. It’d dissolve, and fade away.

Though…

“Would the disease?” I wondered.

I wasn’t really sure a hundred percent that the plague devastating the lands around here was thanks to this Monarch, or its poison, but it was definitely a likely possibility. To be honest I’d little doubt of it, and my assumption would only further grow until something decisively obvious showed me otherwise.

Stepping over to one of the thing’s huge ears, or what was left of it, I wondered what this thing had been.

It was shaped similar to a worm. Yet it had several sets of ears, and three mouths. It didn’t have any arms or legs, but that hadn’t made it defenseless. The thing had been able to move with massive momentum. It had rolled and slammed into the ground and walls with enough force to shake the whole area. With enough force that I was a little surprised at how fragile it had been.

“A few hours, maybe,” I said as I glanced up at the sky. The line of bright blue, and the shining sun in the middle of it, told me it had likely been less than half a day since I had fallen into battle.

Sometimes Monarchs were… weaker. Especially if they were many generations separated from their source. But usually those descendants were… not as big. Smaller. More normal in appearance and shape. For something of this size, with its strength… I had honestly expected a longer battle. When I had fallen in originally, and it had rolled over me as I approached it… or rather swam to it, and it had squished me I had expected a far fiercer battle.

But…

“She definitely harried it for months,” I said as I looked around again at all the carcasses.

Wait…

Frowning, I bent down to pick up one of the spears. Or at least, the remains of one. The shaft pole was about my height in length, and it was missing its tip. Likely stuck in the fur somewhere.

“Why hasn’t it melted this?” I wondered as I felt the iron.

It had melted the armor. There’d be no other reason for all the bodies around me to be naked. Most of her army up topside had been armored. Most in metal. In polished newer stuff, too.

Yet…

Tossing the spear shaft aside, I wondered if it was a purity thing. Maybe pig iron was able to be melted, but more pure metals weren’t. Some kind of chemical reaction maybe…? It made no sense. Why make something that melted materials but only the weaker ones? Did that mean the reason the bodies weren’t melted to mush was because the muscles and bones were too dense?

“Stop trying to reason a God’s creation, Vim,” I mumbled as I realized I was spending far too long on something that didn’t matter.

Sighing, I glanced around once more. To make sure my job really was done. Or at least, this part of it.

Sometimes Monarchs weren’t alone. Either because they had been created with a sibling, or because they had a mate or something. It wasn’t very often, since Monarchs had been made with the intent for them to not build bonds like that. They had been created to feel blood lust towards any other Monarch they encountered. Sometimes even with their own fellows.

But this one didn’t seem to have a companion. I neither sensed any other nearby, nor had been attacked or bothered from anything else during the battle.

If another Monarch had been here, and a companion of this one, it would not have been able to resist coming to its aid. Especially when it had bellowed in pain so much.

So…

“Just burn it all, I guess,” I said as I decided that was the best course of action.

I wanted to understand it better. To find the truth of its existence if I could, but the reality was… there was no need.

Anything I could learn by studying it would come at a cost. Every moment that passed with this things carcass, and its poisons, would only result in either more deaths or more corruption.

My interest in it and my desire to find out the truth of Landi’s actions were both pointless.

Even if I found out Landi had awoken it… what did it matter?

It wasn’t like I could punish her in any real way.

I rubbed the orb against my thigh for a moment, and frowned at myself. Why didn’t I feel my pocket or…?

Oh. Right.

Feeling stupid as I realized I was naked, again, I shook my head at myself.

“Pay attention,” I complained as I looked up the cliff face that the creature was lying against.

It was caked in the gunk, and for quite a distance. Thanks to the thing’s flailing, the stuff had flown everywhere. Plus it had tried to climb out, once it had realized I was actually a threat it couldn’t handle.

Even with all the gunk caking the cliff, I still quickly found a route that would work. I had to walk back down the dead Monarch’s neck a bit to reach it, but a few moments later I was climbing the cliff face.

The side of the cliff was not as hard as usual. Thanks to the gunk, some of the dirt had gotten a little mushy. I had to sometimes scrape away a layer of gunk and mud before I could find a proper rock to grab.

As I climbed, I wondered how to deal with Landi.

Should I even confront her…?

I wanted to. But that really wasn’t my responsibility. Even if I could prove that she had awoken the Monarch, or had been negligent in reporting it… well…

No one would blame her. Even the more religious, like those in Telmik, would chastise her but not want to punish her for it. A few might, since they hated her, but it would be accusations and demands made in hatred not logic.

After all Landi could just claim she had sent word, and that word had simply never arrived. We had no proof of negligence. If Landi’s motives had truly been nefarious, she might even have a back-up plan for it already. Like already written letters and reports that she could show as proof.

The mushy cliff wall became dry again as I ascended. It made climbing easier, but I slowed down enough to keep myself from reaching the top just yet. Especially since reaching the top might force my hand.

Knowing Landi, she was up there. Waiting for me. The Monarch had released a death cry not too long ago, an unmistakable scream. She might be waiting to hound me with questions, or excuses.

So I needed to make a decision about her before I reached the top.

“It’s always something,” I whispered as I reached for a crack. My fingers slid in, and I supported my whole weight with them for a moment as I wiped some of the gunk off my face. It had started to harden, and felt weird.

Hopefully Renn wasn’t up there too. I had asked her to keep a distance, but she sometimes let her emotions take over her common sense.

Though… this stuff was toxic, but it probably wouldn’t hurt her just by bearing nearby. She likely would need to eat it, or get it in a wound or something… but I wasn’t willing to take the chance of something like that happening. It’d be just my luck it was also some kind of weird airborne toxin too.

Nearing the top, I heard metal clank above me. Looking up, I frowned at the sight of a few long spears dangling over the cliff’s edge.

Men were staring at me. Soldiers.

Wonderful.

Sighing as I continued to climb, I wondered if Landi had told them to leave me be or if I’d be shortly relieving Landi of her army.

I was in the mood to punish her, but that didn’t mean I wanted to slaughter a bunch of innocent men. It wasn’t like it was their fault their Queen was a scheming piece of…

“By the stones,” the man whispered in awe as I neared the ledge.

“Step back, quick,” another said stiffly.

Well that was a good sign. They sounded terrified.

Fear worked. For a moment at least. Maybe it’d give me long enough to either escape or convince them I wasn’t some kind of demon spawn or something.

Pausing for a moment right before the ledge, I listened for any sign of them preparing to attack me.

I heard metal upon metal. Footsteps on dry, rocky, dirt. Whispers of concern.

But none sounded close enough to be a threat. Nor did I hear the sound of hands tightening on spear shafts, or deep breaths in readying for an attack.

No. I’d be fine.

Pulling myself up over the ledge, I glanced around as I rolled upward and brought my knees under me.

A good dozen men stood around, and they were all close enough their spears could be used on me… but not a one looked like they even remembered they had spears in their hands.

They were staring at me as if I was a ghost.

Standing up, I glanced past the glittering sets of armor, and noticed that they had hastily built some watchtowers closer to the ledge of the canyon. They hadn’t been here before I had dropped down. There had been others, farther away, but not this close. There were four of them, and there were…

Ah. I understood why as I noticed the wagons being pulled our way. Ones full of barrels.

Landi was readying her men to set the canyon ablaze. Good.

Where was she then…?

Looking around as I stepped forward, I was both happy to find Renn not nearby… but also a little disappointed.

“Um sir…!” a man stepped forward towards me, and his spear thumped into the man he had been standing next to. Hitting him in the head. Neither men seemed to even notice the mistake, as I tilted my head at him.

“Um… uh… We have a bath sir, ready,” the man stepped forward once more, hesitant.

Oh? I turned to study the armored man. He wore mostly leather armor, not metal, and looked…

“You the same guard who handled my cart for me?” I asked, a little surprised. I recognized that scar on his face. A burn mark.

The man quickly nodded and grabbed his spear with his other hand, holding it tightly as if for support. As if he suddenly weak in the legs. “Yes sir! I uh… Yes. That was me,” he said quickly, unsure of himself.

Huh. What were the odds?

“So, a bath?” I asked as I looked around. There was a group of men, and a watchtower not far but I didn’t see… Ah. There. Near the watchtower, a large cart with a huge barrel. One far bigger than all the other barrels on all the other carts and wagons.

“Aye sir. This way,” the guard hurried forward, leading me towards the watchtower.

Hm…

Was this bath Landi’s or Renn’s idea, I wonder?

I smiled as I followed the man and approached the watchtower. Some soldiers hurried down the ladder that led to the top, to watch my approach.

Did I really need to doubt whose idea it had been?

“So uh…” the soldier hesitated as we reached the wagon. The barrel on it was big. Big enough to give dozens of soldiers a bath each.

But although a barrel of water, it didn’t seem to have any hose or spigot to use.

“Do you um… want us to splash you with buckets or…” the guard stepped up to the wagon, to put his spear against it. There were a few buckets on the tailgate of the wagon, waiting to be used.

“Anything I can use to wipe off with? Or soap?” I asked as I looked for a towel or cloth of some kind. There didn’t seem to be any.

“Oh! Here!” another guard hurried off, to the front of the wagon.

Stepping up to the wagon, I crawled up onto the wagon’s tailgate. Ignoring the buckets, I simply stepped up to the large barrel. It was taller than me, but not by much.

“Ah, just going to get into it,” the man behind me said. He made it sound like it made a lot more sense than them cleaning me.

But no. What if they needed this water later?

Judging the barrel’s size and where I assumed the water was filled to… I picked a spot. About a foot below the barrel’s lid, not far from one of the first metal bands that held it all together.

“Your towel, sir,” the man from earlier returned, right as I punched the barrel.

The man nearly dropped the towel in shock as a loud crack rang in the air, and the whole wagon shook. Some water splashed outward, telling me there was no lid.

The thick wood snapped, and before I could even pull my hand out of the hole I had just made I had gotten doused.

Spraying out quickly, I didn’t wait to go about cleaning myself. First I just scrubbed with hands and fingers, but I didn’t take long to reach over and grab some of the cloth towels the men had laid on the side of the cart.

Scrubbing away, I wondered if I should have demanded soap too. I had asked for it but it didn’t seem any had been brought. But I knew better. This region used oils, not soaps. It was my fault for not specifying, especially to Renn earlier and…

Pulling my head out of my makeshift shower, I glanced at the soldier who I had a history with. “Any soap oils?” I asked him.

“Uhm… no sir… I’m sorry…” he shook his head quickly.

Wonderful. I’ll need to make sure Renn doesn’t get too close to me until I properly disinfected myself, then.

Oh well. This was better than nothing. At least I’d not be walking around covered in weird muck.

Returning my head under the strong flow of water, I paused a moment as I heard something odd.

Looking down, I frowned and realized I had made a mistake.

The gunk, although hardening and not as in as much quantity as had been on me earlier… was still something toxic. Still acidic.

And it was eating away at the wooden boards beneath me. The cart itself.

“Woops,” I mumbled as I quickly went to finish cleaning myself off. As much as possible.

“Uh… the wood is burning,” a man said worriedly.

“Sir!” the knight I knew shouted at me.

I know. I know.

Finishing up, I stepped off the wagon. The water pouring out of the barrel had lost most of its pressure, and had turned into a smaller stream. It would only be a few seconds and it’d turn into a trickle, and then eventually stop as the water’s surface reached below the hole.

“The wagon might break,” I warned as I tossed the used towels aside and went to grab one of the two that were remaining.

“Uh… it might, yes,” my knight companion said as he stared at the growing hole on the wagon.

I glanced at it as I dried off a little. The hole was near the tailgate, somewhat burning along its edges. There was white smoke, but… the cart wasn’t actually on fire, it was just sizzling. Luckily it seemed the gunk melted through the wood and metal bits quicker than not and so only melted what it landed on. It wasn’t spreading or eating away at it continuously.

It was interesting. It really was more like acid than anything else. An interesting ability for a Monarch.

“So? Where’s our crazy Queen?” I asked as I dried my hair.

“Um… well… in her tent, I’m sure. Do you want some clothes, sir? I suppose we should have thought of that,” the knight asked.

“Yes. Please.”

“Right… uh… I got a set, I guess,” he mumbled to himself as he ran off. Hurrying off towards the tents.

Hm.

I debated following him, but decided against it. I was being looked at funny enough as it was, running into the main encampment while buck naked was likely not going to help that fact.

Plus I wanted to dry off before seeing Renn… and…

Well…

I still hadn’t decided what to do about Landi yet.

“Wait… do we serve him?”

I turned, just enough to side-glance the man who had spoken. He was off near the watchtower, near the ladder they used to climb up into the sentry box. They were whispering to each other, wondering what to think of me.

Was I someone to serve? A commander? Or was I something like their Queen, an inhuman demon without reason or morals. Something to be feared and kept at a distance.

If only they knew.

I sighed at myself as I wondered how long the man would take. The encampment wasn’t too far, but it was a distance suitable for a rear command center. The man wasn’t even half way there yet. Even though not wearing a full-plate of armor, he was still running slowly.

And had forgotten his spear too.

I studied the thing that lay against the wagon. It was the same make and style as the many others in the canyon. The ones that had been broken and floating in that muck.

A piece of the wagon snapped, and half the tailgate broke off. It landed in the muddy puddle beneath the wagon, and I studied it alongside the rest of the on-looking soldiers.

Waiting for the whole thing to collapse, I was a little surprised when it didn’t.

Looking away from the dripping wagon, I studied the other carts and wagons in the distance. There were more than a dozen, and men were all around them. They were unloading the barrels, and readying them near the edge of the canyon.

“Anyone here know what kind of fuel they’re using?” I asked the nearby soldiers.

For a few moments no one spoke up, and then one of them coughed. I heard the familiar sound of a spear butting another man in the back, ushering them forward.

He sucked in air in shock and made a noise similar to a hiss. He’d remember his fellow comrade who had pushed him. He coughed and shifted, squeezing his spear in worry.

It was funny, and made me smile. Soldiers were the same no matter the era.

“Um. Some kind of oil sir,” the man who had been chosen as a scapegoat said.

Turning, I glanced at the soldier. He looked to be one of the youngest here. “Does no one know what kind? Whale oil? Grease? Animal fat?” I listed.

“I think it’s the same oil we use for our arrows, sir. The barrels look the same,” one said with a lowered head. He had answered but didn’t want to make eye contact. Though that might just be because I was naked.

Ah… The stuff they used on those basket arrows. That’d be a mixed fuel oil then. Using saltpeter as a base.

“That would work,” I said with a nod, glad to hear it.

“Will it…? Didn’t the first time,” one whispered.

“Don’t refute him, what if he takes offense?” another whispered back harshly.

Although that statement had bothered me enough to confront them about it, it wasn’t because I had been doubted.

I see. So Landi really had tried herself.

Well… that wasn’t necessarily proof she had awoken it though. Anyone would have tried to kill it as fast as possible, if able, as to protect themselves.

I’d not be able to discredit Landi for engaging the Monarch before I got here. If anything that should be something praiseworthy and…

My friendly knight had returned. He entered my view, running with another. A smaller and lankier…

I frowned and wondered if they had squires here. I called them knights in my head, but they weren’t honestly knights. They were more simply just common soldiers than knights. Yet that definitely looked like a young squire, following behind him. The lad looked far too young to be in this army, even for this era.

Maybe a son?

At least it wasn’t Renn.

They reached me after a few minutes, and with heavy huffs of exhaustion handed me a large sack. One full of clothes.

“I grabbed all I could, sir,” the young boy said quickly.

“Thanks,” I said and went to digging out a set I could wear. It was indeed full of clothes.

It didn’t take much effort. A perk of being a very average man, with an average build, made it easy to find clothes that fit. Even if a little stained.

The clothes weren’t dirty though. They smelled fine. It was just obvious that they were indeed the knight’s clothing. There were small worn rips and tears, and parts of the sleeves were torn completely. They only got a few sets likely, maybe only replacing them when required. Typical for a low soldier.

Once dressed as much as I could be, I ignored the fact that they didn’t bring shoes. They had brought socks, though. I decided not to put any on as I handed the bag back and nodded. “Thanks. Come on then, let’s go find the source of all this trouble,” I said.

“Source…?” the man and boy whispered to each other in confusion as I headed for the tents.

I didn’t run, as the knight and boy had, but I did hurry. We passed a small group of soldiers as we neared the encampment. They were marching towards one of the wagons, likely to get helping with preparing.

The encampment was much busier than when Renn and I had traversed through it earlier. People were hurrying in all directions, and there were orders being shouted. I ignore them all as I headed for the largest tent. The one with the several hundred foot long flag flying in the sky.

Nearing the tent, I quickly made out Landi’s loud voice.

“Just get them lined up! If they’re not ready by the time I get out there, I’ll be tossing more than barrels into that gorge!” she shouted as I neared the opening in the tent.

There were a few guards stationed outside, and each one of them was looking at me with a look of pure disbelief. They couldn’t believe I was actually approaching the Queen’s tent, in the way I was doing, with how I looked.

One of them got their shock under control before I could just step between them and enter the tent. He stepped over, and put his large spear and body between me and the entrance.

Or well. Not a spear. More of a halberd. It looked silly though, it was decorated with tiny flags.

“Let me in Landi, or barrels will be the least of your worries,” I said loudly.

Someone else had been talking. A man. But Landi’s voice cut through his spiel instantly. “Let him in!”

The guard hesitated, but didn’t need to be told again. He pulled his halberd aside, and I wasn’t bothered as I entered the tent.

Stepping into Landi’s command room, I scanned the crowd. Most were men, but I noticed several women too. One was even bigger, and stouter, than her male companions. She had crossed arms, and was glaring at me.

My eyes found Renn before I found Landi, even though she sat somewhat behind her. They paused a moment to enjoy her happy smile as she sat up from her chair before I pulled them away to glare at Landi.

The Queen of Stone was alone on her side of the table. Except for Renn, who had been sitting a few feet to her right. She didn’t look too bothered or heated, but she was looking at me with an odd look of concern, as if I was just another general here to worsen her headache.

And she had a sword on her waist.

“Did he actually kill it?” one of the men asked.

“Everyone out. Get the oils ready. I’ll be out to oversee it shortly,” Landi said quickly, before anyone else could ask or say something out of line.

Her generals and attendants quickly began to move. Although each one of them was unsure, they all knew better than to argue with Landi. I stepped aside as one after the other passed me by.

Glancing at the larger woman as she left, I noted the thickness of her arms. They were twice the size of my own.

Too bad she was human.

“And what are you doing here! Get to your position!” one of the men shouted from outside, and I flinched.

Right. Knight. My friend. Or well, my friend for the moment.

“Wait. Pay that knight something. He helped me out,” I said quickly.

“What…? Vim…!” Landi wanted to complain, but I didn’t hesitate. I stepped back out of the tent and quickly found the knight. Found him too late, that is. He was already running around another tent, heading away. His young squire following him dutifully.

“Damn,” I sighed as I stepped back into the tent. I wasn’t going to go chasing him, but I felt bad. This set of clothes was honestly not worth much at all, the coins and box of dyes he’d gotten from me earlier would buy him many wardrobes… but I still felt bad about it. Especially if he ended up not taking the box of dyes, for one reason or another.

“Vim?” Renn asked worriedly, stepping around Landi.

“Stay back Renn. I’ve washed but someone forgot to bring me soap,” I said.

Landi flinched as I walked over to the table. I didn’t get too close, or touch it, but I did glance at all the stuff on the table. It was covered in maps, letters, messages and reports.

Too many for this current campaign she was on. The largest map wasn’t even of this region, but the one to our west.

“Did you kill it Vim?” Renn asked happily.

“Of course he did. Don’t you see what’s in his hand?” Landi said.

My finger thumped the heart, that I’d not released from my grip since trying to squeeze it to pieces.

Interesting tone she had there.

I turned, to look at the tent’s exit. One of the flaps had been unfolded, but the other was still propped open. I could see two of the guards from this angle, and there were men and women running around outside. Hurrying to fulfill Landi’s orders.

“How do you plan to burn it?” I asked her.

“Pouring as much oil as I can into the gorge, and setting it aflame. I’ll keep the fire fed for as long as possible,” Landi answered.

I nodded. “Would you do it differently?” Renn asked me.

“No. The canyon is big, but not so big you can’t contain and sustain a fire on that level. In fact it’ll act as an oven. Especially if you don’t pour fuel in one of the corners, for airflow. It’ll be hard to keep it fed for very long, but it should last long enough to get the job done,” I said.

“Then why the glare, Vim?” Landi asked.

I frowned, and wondered if I really was glaring at her. I hadn’t thought I was.

In fact, I was actually doing my best to not smile back at Renn. She had a huge grin on her face, and even though I wasn’t looking at her I could still see it out of the corner of my eye. It was blinding.

My finger tapped the heart again, and I felt it pulse. It thumped in my hand, and thanks to how tightly I was grabbing it the pulsation had even shook my bones.

Keeping my eyes on Landi, I wondered why her hand was creeping towards her sword.

It was a scimitar. One built for use. It wasn’t decorated. Its sheath plain and rough.

A very strange thing for her to have.

Landi didn’t need a weapon. And not just because she wasn’t in danger. Even discounting the fact she was surrounded by a large battalion of her personal army, she was near her capital. The Monarch was dead. I was here.

She was in no danger.

Plus… that weapon… just as useless as it was to keep her safe, when in no danger; it was also useless in another way.

It was useless against me. And she knew it.

Even more so… it wasn’t her style at all.

Landi hated using weapons. She fought with her own teeth and nails. Her own fists. To her a weapon was a sign of weakness.

Yet…

Staring into Landi’s eyes, I kept myself still.

“Come here Rennalee,” I said.

Renn’s head tilted, and her hat shifted. It nearly fell off thanks to how quickly she had done so. She hadn’t understood my request. She had hesitated. It made her wickedly smart mind go into overdrive, as she tried to comprehend what I had just said. Her mind was trying to parse my request.

Come to me? After I had just specifically told her not to? When she knew that I could still be toxic? She couldn’t comprehend it. Couldn’t understand why I was being so contradictory. At least not immediately. I wasn’t a man to be so.

She hesitated because of it.

And that was why Landi had enough time to draw her sword.

I kept completely still as Renn yelped, and lifted up her head. She pointed her chin upward, as Landi’s long and thick blade came to a stop against her neck.

Renn gulped, loudly, as the whole world got deadly quiet.

The outside was noisy. Armor clanked. Horses. Wagons. Shouting. But inside the tent… here… in our little tiny pocket of the world…

“Don’t. Stay still, Renn,” Landi said softly. As if to not alert her very own guards.

“Um…” Renn worriedly kept still.

“You have moments, Landi,” I promised.

Landi blinked. “The heart for her,” she said.

My eyes narrowed as I suddenly realized I was wrong.

She mistook my expression for something else, as Landi nodded. “The heart and I’ll not kill her,” she said again, and held her other hand out.

She… she wanted the heart…?

For Renn?

“You’re joking,” I said, unable to believe it.

Renn’s hat fell off. She flinched, since it landed noisily, but Landi’s blade didn’t move hair. Landi hadn’t been bothered by Renn’s noises, or her movement. In fact she didn’t even adjust even as Renn somewhat leaned back and away from the edge of the blade.

I didn’t see any blood on Renn’s neck, but I knew not to feel relief from such a thing.

Landi, even from that outstretched position, could lop Renn’s head off several times over in the span of a single eye-blink.

“I am not. I know you cherish her. I’ll kill her now if you don’t give it to me,” Landi said.

“Why?” Renn asked.

Landi ignored her, and pushed her hand farther out.

“And here I thought you’d just try to excuse your act of awakening it,” I said.

Landi’s nose twitched and she snarled. “Don’t play coy! I know you treasure her and…!”

“Yes. I know. The heart for Renn. I heard you,” I said.

I ignored Renn’s look on her face as I kept my eyes on Landi’s.

“I’ll do it Vim,” Landi said through clenched teeth.

“I’ve no doubt you would, Landi,” I said.

“Then…?”

Shifting, I debated just tossing her the heart.

I mean… why not?

What was a heart?

The heart in my hand held no value compared to the heart beating in that woman’s chest. A mountain of the hearts I held couldn’t replicate the value of a single breath in Renn’s lungs.

Yet the heart in my hands was something not even the Societies rules could pry from me.

“Even if I give it to you. It won’t save you from me after,” I warned her.

Renn blinked, and Landi’s snarl grew darker. “You won’t be able to. Not after I do what I plan to,” she said.

I frowned at her and wondered what weird scheme she was currently trying.

Did… did she think the heart would give her power? Enough to face me?

She was kidding right?

What power could this thing give over me? Yes it was dangerous, and powerful… but… I mean…

The most she could do is gain the strength and ability of the Monarch.

The same creature I had just killed.

“Landi…” Renn whispered.

“Shush Renn. I like you. Don’t talk.”

Ah.

Instant relief flooded into my bones, as I realized what was happening.

Thank goodness.

Renn raised an eyebrow, oddly calm, as she glanced from Landi… to me… then back at Landi…

Then she simple stepped away.

Renn slowly, with a frown, stepped another step back. And even lowered her head a little as to keep her neck from being openly available for another appointment with the blade.

Yet even as she did, Landi didn’t move. She kept the blade in the air… which was now hovering without threat. No longer near Renn. Not close enough for even her speed and deadly accuracy. Renn stepped away again, and her ears fidgeted as she wondered what to do. She kept glancing from me to her.

“You can speak with them, can’t you?” Landi then asked.

Speak with them? I kept my emotions from showing on my face as I waited for her to continue. To let her reveal to me what I wanted to know.

Landi’s eyes narrowed, in both anger and…

Was that shame…?

“What’s wrong Landi…? Why go through such lengths?” Renn asked with a soft and concerned look.

Landi ignored her, and kept her eyes on my own. “Give me that heart, Vim.”

“Come take it,” I said as I lifted it.

The thing pulsated, and gleamed a little. As if it knew it was the center of attention.

Landi shifted, and her scimitar finally moved. It lowered a tad, and tilted. In a way that told me she had actually considered trying.

So strange.

She didn’t really want, or plan, to harm Renn. Her attempt at ignoring Renn, and even letting her step away, told me the truth of it.

If Landi had really wanted to hurt Renn, or use her against me, she’d have proven it by now. Either by cutting off an ear, or worse.

Which made me wonder…

“Why’d you wake it up Landi…? And why not just wait for me? Why risk your nation, and all the world around you in such a way? You poisoned the world for what reason?” I asked.

“Because of your stupid rules, Vim,” Landi said through clenched teeth.

I frowned… and then felt something odd.

In my grip. Something was… brushing? Or bothering my palm?

But there shouldn’t be. I had the heart in my hand. It was not a perfect orb, nor completely smooth, but… it wasn’t sharp or rough enough to feel like whatever was rubbing against my palm and thumb and…

Looking down quickly, I spun the heart a little, to see what could possibly be feeling so weird.

The sight of the cause was almost far more concerning than the current situation.

It had cracked.

“Rules…?” Renn’s voice was distant as I panicked.

The heart. It was cracked. How…? Why? All of a sudden?

Gulping a dry groan, I looked away from the heart and found Landi and Renn glaring at each other. I had missed an exchange. Stupid of me.

I lowered the glowing heart, and put away the crazy reality it had revealed, and frowned at Landi. “What rules, Landi…?”

“Your stupid Societies’! I’ve told you before Vim, if you want us to obey them you should at least tell us all of them. How can we follow them, if we don’t even know what they are?” she asked.

“The only possible rule the Society has concerning Monarchs is simple. Call me. Summon me. Nothing else,” I said.

“It’s not that Vim…!” Landi clenched the hilt of her blade. I heard the leather straps that wrapped around the handle cry out in stress under the pressure.

I kept an eye on her, and shifted my left foot a little. Just enough that I’d be able to pounce forward, to put myself between her and Renn, if I needed to.

“Then tell us, Landi,” Renn then said.

“I need the heart!” she said, a little too loudly.

One of the knights outside shifted. His armor clanked as he turned to peer his head in.

“Stay out!” Landi shouted at them.

The man startled, and quickly went to unfolding the tarp entrance. The tent got a little darker as it folded down, blocking the outside world a little better.

For a few moments we listened as many heavy feet, armored boots, ran off. Either in fear, or to get busy in hopes of avoiding her wrath.

“You’d not have even known. If I had succeeded. You’d never have known,” Landi said softly, mostly to herself.

“Then why even tell Vim about the Monarch…? We might have left without ever knowing it was here,” Renn asked for me.

Landi scoffed. “Please. He knew. Or if somehow he didn’t, he’d have found out. He can smell them,” Landi said.

I kept myself from telling her that Renn had been right. I honestly hadn’t noticed the Monarch. It was far enough from the city, and likely because of where it had been in that canyon, that I hadn’t smelled or sensed it at all.

The likeliest reason was actually because of how weak the Monarch had been.

“Then… how would he not have noticed, after? Wouldn’t he sense the heart? Once we came back next time?” Renn asked. I liked how she sounded so calm and sure of herself. She was acting as if Landi hadn’t just threatened to kill her, or still held a very deadly weapon and seemed intent to use it.

Even more so that she didn’t even realize she always included herself in my future endeavors.

Landi made an odd sound. Something similar to the scoff earlier, but with more scorn. “Why would he?” she asked.

Renn heisted, and I decided to interject this time.

“I would have,” I said.

“Oh… I doubt that,” Landi sneered at me.

“Why…? Because of the heart in your womb?” I asked her.

Landi dropped the scimitar.

Studying her as she gaped at me, I kept a close eye on the woman’s hands. They were curled. As if in recoil, as if from a slap of the face. Last thing I needed was for her to think she was cornered and go for Renn first.

“What…?” Landi whispered, and she actually stepped forward. Suddenly she had both her hands on the table in front of her, using it for support.

She had nearly fallen to her knees.

“You’ve had a heart inside you for… well… at least a hundred years I think,” I said as I tried to remember the first time I had sensed it within her.

“How…?” Landi stumbled. She fell forward, dropping closer to the table. She went from holding herself up with her hands, to her forearms and elbows.

Renn, being the kind woman she was, stepped forward. Worried for her. Luckily though she stayed a distance, and only drew a little closer.

“What I sense Landi, isn’t the Monarchs but their hearts. These,” I said as I lifted the thing again.

I did my best to not see the shining crack running along one of the extruding points.

Damn it really was cracked.

Landi said nothing, and only stared at me with wide eyes.

“What…? Why are you so shocked Landi? Of all the things you know about me, why is this so surprising for you? Or is it the fact you thought me incapable of keeping something a secret for so long? I’ll have you know I have secrets that make this one infantile in comparison,” I said, smiling a little.

Renn groaned, but I wasn’t sure why. I glanced at her to make sure she was okay, and by the time I looked back at Landi… she had lowered her head and released a deep sigh.

“I see. So…? What? Going to rip it out of me?” Landi asked.

It was my turn to sigh. “Why would I Landi? If I was going to do that I’d have done it the moment I knew about it,” I said.

“But… why…?” she whispered.

Frowning at her, I wondered if…

“Did… did you resort to threatening Renn, because you thought I’d notice or something? Is that why you panicked?” I asked, understanding.

Landi flinched, and then nodded.

“Landi…” Renn whispered softly.

Studying the crestfallen woman for a moment, I realized I had likely made this worse than it had needed to be.

She had been on guard of me. Thinking that I had simply decided her a liability. Something to destroy.

My fault really. I had been upset. Angry, even. Over her waking an antagonizing a Monarch. One that had infected a deadly disease into the world.

Yet…

It was more than that.

Ever since I got here I’d been upset. Snarky, even. I’d said and did things that had made Landi go on edge. Worried. For her own self.

Even though there had been no need for her to do so. My own failures of containing my emotions had simply been another factor. One beyond her.

I was tired. And I had been worried for Renn, about the boy.

No… that boy wasn’t a good excuse. The simple matter was I had a growing concern over the exhaustion within me. It was tugging at me even now, even though I hadn’t sustained much damage with the Monarch.

But my own exhaustion and troubles weren’t good enough reasons to scare and bother those I protected.

Glancing down at the heart, and the glowing crack, I had no choice but to admit it.

Renn affected me. In more ways than one.

I’d never once, in all my life, cracked a heart. Ever.

Yet Landi’s attempt to threaten her had been enough. To startle me to such a degree, that I had actually done it. Reflexively.

An impossibility, made possible thanks to pure emotion.

As always, even thousands of years later my parents had once more proven themselves right.

Funny.

“Let’s… take a step back,” I said carefully.

The two women looked over at me, and I found that Renn had finally made it to Landi. She had her hand on her back, and Landi’s head was hung low. Almost low enough I couldn’t see her eyes, thanks to her sitting lower than the table stood.

I nodded at them. “Let’s do… this…” I said as a plan formulated in my head.

One that hopefully I’d not regret later.

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