Lament of the Fallen

By the time Dee and Moirai reached their destination, it had become clear that this whole thing was bigger than just some Winter Wolves wanting to meet Dee. The meeting was happening at the large and official reception room of the Four Winds. The room was large enough for there be a second-floor balcony overseeing the proceedings, and many of the more powerful members of the Four Winds were using the vantage point to see and hear what was going on. The four representatives of each race had taken a more official seating that didn’t quite look like thrones but were not far from it either.

Arrayed before them were not just Winter Wolves, but members from several of the wolf tribes. It was clear that each of the tribes had sent a representative, and each representative had brought along a second person. In the case of the Winter Wolves, the representatives were the current Alpha Amarog and the presumed next Alpha Shunkaha. On the other hand, Dee also recognized Shunkaha’s fiancée Felan standing next to another golden furred wolf tribe male. It seemed most of the ‘seconds’ were members of a younger generation or advisers.

The wolf tribe beastmen were generally rather similar in appearance with lean and muscled bodies more meant for speed than power, but they had different colored fur growing in the places where they had any. Some, like the black furred and red-eyed wolfman than seemed a bit like a warg in Dee’s opinion, were bulkier in appearance. The fur colors ranged from the silvery-grey of the Winter Wolves to the black of the wargs and many colors in between not usually seen in nature, like red, gold and blue. Most of the wolf tribes were werebeast that were largely human in appearance with some bestial features, but there were a few demi-humans that looked more like werewolves or bi-pedal wolves than anything else. In entirety, there must have been at least twenty different tribes represented, with 2 members from every tribe.

“Well, this seems a bit more than you said.” Dee pointed out a little accusingly.

“Ah, yeah, the Winter Wolves I mentioned came first, but it took me a while to find you. The others must have arrived in the meantime.” Moirai replied a little apologetically. The isolated meditation facilities were found around the city, and Moirai had not known which facility Dee was using without using Mindscape. She had not been in a rush, so she had started out not using the psionic ability, as she knew Dee was not fond of being found that way. Dee had complained something about cheating before.

They all seemed to be waiting for something, and it soon became obvious what that something was. “Ah, good, Dee. You arrived just in time. Our guests requested your presence, though for what reason I do not know.” Nyx called towards them, waving Dee and Moirai to the front.

Amarog stepped forward, taking the role of representing the other tribes. “The reason isn’t all that complicated. We heard that she is a member of your community and we’ve had some dealings with her before. We’ve not really had dealings with your community on the other hand, so I thought it might be helpful to have someone who can vouch for both parties present. It’s partially because of her that we are here and not meeting with some other community of similar rank.”

“And I think it’s about time you told us why you are here.” The Anshar representative said, his voice shutting out all the other chatter, silencing them.

“We’ve received news that is…alarming, to say the least. You are of course aware of the situation with the highest ranked second circle communities vying for the spot in the first circle, which is about to become open.”

“We are aware, yes.” The Jun representative Shioko replied curtly but noticed Dee raising her hand up to ask for permission to speak. “What is it, Dee.”

“I’m sorry to be the ignorant person in the room, but I’m only vaguely aware of what you’re talking about. I’ve been a little busy lately.” Dee asked a little ashamed of her ignorance.

“That’s an understatement of the year.” Nyx muttered under her breath before continuing more forcefully. “Well, let’s see. I can give you a condensed version and it will also make sure we’re all up to speed as well. To make a long story short, the communities in the first circle very rarely change positions. That applies both to dropping out of the first circle as well as changing rank inside the first circle. They sometimes fight with each other, but as a whole, they have maintained a careful balance for thousands of years. That balance is about to be broken.”

“How, and why now?” Dee asked the obvious questions.

“Well, how do things like this usually go? Not peacefully. The second-ranked community is carrying the rather pompous name of Celestial Court and their so-called Celestial Emperor is a stickler for others abiding by his wishes. The thing is, their community alone holds almost a third of all the immortals in the Day city, so there’s a good reason for others to give him his due.” Amarog gave an explanation.

“So how are they only the second ranked with that many immortals?” Dee asked.

“Quality over quantity.” Nyx gave the concise reason. “The number one community is a special case. Anyway, that’s beside the point. The Celestial Emperor tried to force the leader of the sixth-ranked community to submit to his rule and join the court. The thing is, the sixth-ranked community is a little special as well. It’s the only community in the first circle that is actually just an individual being with a few weak servants added in. No one knows the exact nature or strength of that being, but it is one of the few thirteenth ranked existences in the Day city. Not surprisingly the being refused. The Celestial Emperor, of course, didn’t like this challenge on his prestige one bit.”

“A direct confrontation would have been a really bad idea for the whole Pantheon, but there’s more than one way to reach a goal. The Celestial Emperor reached out to the ninth-ranked community known as the Coven. The Coven is somewhat mercenary with their services and they, in turn, placed a heavy curse on the being that had refused the emperor. The curse is slowly killing that being. According to rumors at least. With the being dead soon, the only thing left of his community would be some servants who won’t be able to retain the spot in the first circle, hence a spot soon becoming open. Of course, that means the highest ranked second circle communities are salivating at the chance to become a first circle community.” Kawhena the Dagon representative finished the explanation.

“Now we get to the point why we are here.” Amarog said, returning to the original topic. “We all suspected that the communities of the Night city would not let the opportunity pass. At first, we assumed this would mostly affect the highest ranking communities of the second circle just mentioned, but now we are seeing evidence that this is not the case.”

“Explain.” Nyx prompted Amarog to continue.

“Well, a little background first. You are aware that the wolf tribes are among the communities that send our young to join other powerful communities to receive training and forge alliances. The recent struggle between the freelancers and the Radiant Sun has forced us and many other communities like ours to pull our members back to avoid them getting stuck in the middle. The thing is, many communities like the Lacademonians have continued to pull back their members from ALL other communities, not just the two I mentioned before. The interesting thing is that the communities that have pulled back all their members also all have ties to the Night city, even sister communities in some cases.” Amarog explained.

Sister communities were communities that were for all intents and purposes part of the same group, just divided between the two cities. The practice was especially prevalent among communities made up from a single race that liked to maintain a presence in both cities.

“So you suspect something bigger is going on?” Nyx asked, everyone’s suspicions rising.

“That was our first thought. Luckily we have good connections with the Lacademonians I mentioned before, and they mentioned that many of the communities in Night city are preparing to enter the Day city in force when the hostilities for the spot in the first circle begin. Some are even preparing to come before then to have a good foothold to operate from by the time things get really bad. We knew a few would come here, but it seems that there will be hundreds of communities striking out. Many are just planning on taking advantage of the chaos, while some are coming here to stay.” Amarog’s words caused a wave of commotion and whispering to happen among those observing the meeting on the balcony.

He continued. “That in itself would be bad enough, but here’s the thing. There are only so many spots in the second and third circle, which are the most likely areas to be hit. The communities coming from the Night city range from simple marauding groups to those that can give even the Crimson Path stiff competition and plan to stay here permanently. If there’s no room for them in the second and third circles, then they’ll make room violently. Some of the communities that have connections in Night city are forming alliances with other communities here, merging the communities together. Normally most communities would not be up for such hasty mergers, but this situation is special as they stand a better chance than alone.”

“I see where this is going.” The Anshar representative grumbled. The wolves were here to form an alliance or even a merger similar to the one Amarog had just mentioned. ”Why us?”

Amarog shrugged. “Well, a couple of reasons. For one, yours is already a community that brings together four separate races. If we wolf tribes were to join, we would not be at a horrible disadvantage. Four winds could become Five winds much more easily than trying to combine with many other communities. With enough time, we could become an equal partner in all this. Although we are not a match for the Four Winds as a whole, we can match any single race among you pretty well, so we’d pull our own weight. Secondly, we have heard good things about your community, and like I said, we already have a connection of sorts with you.” Amarog pointed at Dee.

He was aware that the Four Winds had high hopes for Dee and as such placed great importance on her. He also didn’t mention that they picked the Four Winds partly because the community had more power than their current position suggested. He knew the Four Winds was a third circle community with the strength of a second circle one. And that was before the Threads of Fate and the wolf tribes threw in their support. That also combined with the potential of some of the younger members like Dee and Shunkaha, ensuring that future also holds great promise. All in all, the alliance would give them a good chance to stand against the coming troubles.

Nyx suddenly grinned and looked at Dee. “I know I said you could pull more immortals out of your pockets Dee, but I didn’t know you were hiding a surprise like this in those tight pants of yours.”

----------

Dee, Moirai, and Faylen were sitting in the garden of Moirai’s house, enjoying a well-earned moment of peace. Dee and Moirai had spent quite a bit of time dealing with the negotiations between the wolf tribes and the Four Winds, especially Dee who had connections with both groups. Both sides asked a lot of questions about the other, and Dee answered to the best of her ability. Her knowledge about the wolf tribes was a lot less than her knowledge about the Four Winds, so the tribes got a slight advantage there. Luckily her part in the negotiations was now over.

“So, what’s the verdict?” Faylen asked from Moirai, who had much more information on the subject.

“Well, the news they brought has been verified and their offer is enticing. The Four Winds isn’t so old as a community that adding a fifth race would be a problem, but it’s a bit complicated still. The original four races were brought together by our weaknesses being covered by the other races, and the other races not really taking us seriously. The situation with the wolves is a bit different.” Moirai speculated.

“The beastmen are generally the recipient of quite a lot of bad will from other races, although the wolf tribes less than most.” Faylen pointed out. Just because the world of Pantheon brought together thousands of races, that didn’t mean prejudices simply disappeared. Certain races took a dim view of the beastmen.

Dee was glad to see that Faylen was not holding a grudge anymore. The elven woman had been a bit pouty thanks to being left here when Dee and the others had gone back to the elven forest. She was luckily getting over it now though. “I can vouch for that.” Dee pointed out. She looked like a beastman, although only if one didn’t look too closely. She hadn’t faced too much derision due to her race, but that was mostly because she excelled so much as an individual. Also, many others didn’t really know what to make of her. Interestingly the ones with the most biased view of her had been the kitsune she and Razark had met.

“In any case, the Four Winds won’t be becoming Five Winds just yet, but the basic idea is sound. The wolf tribes would be a useful ally, and at least for the time being our communities will be joining hands.” Moirai finished.

“Speaking of hands, I still can’t believe the leader of the White Wolves tried to have the alliance cemented with a marriage between you and Shunkaha.” Faylen laughed at Dee, making a joke about the old saying about taking someone’s hand in marriage. That idea had been presented and quickly shot down.

Dee just scoffed at the thought, while Moirai spoke with a laugh. “Gotta give the wolfboy some credit for persistence. He has chased after you for years. They saw a chance and tried to take it. Can’t really fault them for that.”

“Remind me to thank your mother for shooting the idea down so decisively.” Dee replied.

“Well, she knew they actually have no control over you, so they can’t make such decisions in your stead. Agreeing would only tick you off at best and drive you off at worst.” Moirai replied feigning honesty. Secretly she knew Nyx just wanted to keep her new gaming buddy around. Dee was the only one that could consistently match her mother’s wits, even though they rarely played.

Dee found herself in a peculiar situation. For the first time in a while, she didn’t have some large goal to work towards. Her transition towards immortality was currently happening pretty much automatically, and it was better if she didn’t try to rush it. Thanks to the recent dose of life energy from the Tree of Life, her body was brimming with power and required no physical training either. She had no grand battle to fight or a person to help, especially since she didn’t want to get mixed up in Razark’s revenge, for now at least. In fact, she was kind of just waiting for things to happen at this point. This was the first for her. What did people spend their time with when they had nothing else to do?

“What do people do to pass time?” Dee asked with a small frown.

The two others looked at her in confusion. “They have fun and relax?” Faylen half asked, expecting to have misunderstood the question.

“How do people have fun? Or relax?” Dee asked, equally confused.

At this point, Faylen and Moirai realized Dee wasn’t joking, and they also realized Dee might not really have had actual free time since being taken by the assassins. What made them feel worse was that it was partially their fault. First Faylen and her friends had filled Dee’s time with templar training, and then Moirai had taken over to cram decades of psion training into few scant years. After that, it had been the order and then Razark and the old man. Everything else had been one battle after another. Dee truly had no idea how to relax and just have fun.

“Well, that depends on what a person finds fun.” Moirai said stalling for time, thinking furiously. “If you like music or arts, then the Jun often hold shows for their work and perform for us.”

Dee enjoyed music greatly but had something of a weird relationship with it. She almost revered music, so listening to it just to pass time somehow felt…weird. She shook her head in denial for now. She could always try that if nothing else worked.

“Some people like both watching or participating fights. The best place for that is the Cauldron of Blood in the fifth circle.” Faylen suggested, knowing Dee appreciated fighting. “If you want to go towards a bit more normal route, you could go to a party of some kind. The standard types are more like festivals and if one wants to go the heavier route they could go to one of the dens run by the Coven.”

“The Coven?” Dee asked, recognizing the name. “Aren’t they the weakest first circle community?”

“In theory the weakest. The Coven is THE gathering of witches, and I mean actual witches and not those called a witch as an insult, like the Crimson Witches. Although their battle power is theoretically the smallest in the first circle, there’s a reason the Crimson Path has not tried to take their place. The Coven is the scariest community outside battle. They can curse an entire race or spread a plague that affects only your community, and that’s not mentioning all the normal curses and other methods they have at their disposal. They are also the largest purveyors of potions, elixirs, drugs and banned substances. That’s why the Celestial Emperor went to them for help. They are one of the communities that helped found Pantheon.” Moirai explained.

“They also throw the greatest parties thanks to their abilities. They can help you relive the best memory of your life, give you the most fabulous fantasy your imagination can’t even fathom alone, allow you to feel the greatest of pleasures and just give you the buzz of a lifetime. I heard they even throw legendary orgies every now and then. Some of them are completely hedonistic, but you can’t deny they can show you the time of your life. They have witches around both Day and Night cities and they have something called dens where the literal magic happens.” Faylen looked a little embarrassed while she explained. She had been dragged into one of the dens by Mazatl once. They’d had one of the milder experiences, but it still embarrassed her.

“Or you could read a book.” Moirai suddenly suggested instead, with a wry smile. With their sudden eagerness to help Dee find some interests, the duo had gone a bit to the extremes, especially with the Coven suggestion. Many pleasures and pastimes in life were simple.

Dee smiled at the simple suggestion. She had experience with reading at least. It was one of the few things she had actually done as a hobby of sorts, although half the time it was research and study. Another hobby she’d had was alchemy, so the idea about the Coven and their concoctions intrigued her. Still, it might be a bit much to dive straight into the deep end. Maybe she could start with something more familiar, like the Cauldron of Blood?

As she left towards the teleportation gates, she was both surprised and really not surprised to see Shunkaha’s fiancée waiting for her outside Moirai’s house. Dee had spent a lot of time here, and indeed lived here for now, so it was the most obvious place to find her. Dee idly thought it was interesting she’d just seen Faylen and was now meeting Felan. The two had quite similar names. “What brings you here?” Dee asked, although she was able to guess.

“Shunkaha has made his interest clear. Do you really have no intention of taking him up on his advances?” Felan asked sternly, going straight to the point. She was actually shaking a bit, afraid of angering Dee. The last time the two had fought, it had been made clear Felan had no chance and Dee could kill her with a snap of her fingers. In fact, if Dee really had intentions towards Shunkaha, Felan was now offering her own life on a silver platter and giving a chance to remove the competition.

Dee grinned as her suspicions were confirmed. The girl displayed a little bit of courage at least showing up here. ‘When did I start thinking about her as a girl? She can’t be much younger than me and might even be older. Is this what power does to your perception?’ She thought with a bit of interest. “My intentions are really not a concern of yours. However, I suppose I can throw you a bone and tell you that I have no such interests, for now at least.”

Her words left Felan frustrated, as they were not really a full confirmation. What if Dee changed her mind in the future? Suddenly Dee stepped closer and bent down to whisper in Felan’s ear. “On the other hand, I find you a little interesting. If you ever want to have a go at it, I might entertain you.” She blew a little air into Felan’s wolf ear and then walked past the flustered girl while laughing. Dee knew she was being a little bad, but quite enjoyed the girl’s reaction.

A shudder went through Felan, but even she wasn’t entirely sure why.