The Red Hand

Chapter 291 – Demon Politics.

"Welcome back, Your Highness." An older bearded Demon greeted Ariel as she appeared from the Palace's transport gate, along with her entourage and guards. Travel across long distances on Enoris was generally quite difficult, and even the most powerful of mages and the wealthiest of Kings would have to travel via more mundane methods. However, for a few select people, such as the Demon King or the Elven Primarch, there were easier ways to move across the continent.

Built in the ancient past by a civilization that rose to great magical prominence before collapsing, the large circular gates enabled instantaneous transportation across vast distances. That was, of course, if you knew how to activate and control them, something that few could do and even fewer would willingly share.

"I apologize for a slightly late return, Redrud. Negotiations with the Empire ended up taking longer than expected, and there were other complications." Ariel sighed as walked past him while her servants took her coat. Things were a bit colder in the Imperial Capital than down South, and Demons generally were not fond of the lower temperatures of the North.

{I swear that idiotic Emperor deliberatly chills that palace before our meetings just to irritate me!} (Ariel) 

"Were things at least successful?" Redrud asked, stroking his beard.

"Marginally." Ariel rolled her eyes, noting that success was a strong word when it came to dealing with the Lion Emperor. "Come, we'll speak more in my office." She motioned for him to follow, and the two walked side by side, escorted by heavily armed guards until they entered a lavishly decorated office with a window that showed the the Demon Capital below.

Targul was a massive city by Enoris standards, and the seemingly never-ending series of two and three-story brick and stone buildings that made up its skyline gave it a unique look when compared to most human settlements. As Ariel moved to a small cabinet of liquor near the window, she could see the tightly packed streets with different kinds of large and strange pack animals transporting goods throughout the city. Her people were prosperous, at least when compared to the humans, but she knew that things on the surface rarely reflected the truth below.

{If we don't handle some of our crop shortages soon, then I fear this winter will not go well for some of the smaller villages. It's already a strain to gather this much food for the Royal Army, and I hope we can make the coming campaign against the Cult quick. Keeping tens of thousands of soldiers near the Capital like this is neither logistically easy or politically desirable.} (Ariel)

"If you're going for drinks when it's still daylight out, then I assume things didn't go smoothly." Redrud shook his head as he took a seat in front of the desk. “I suppose this is to be expected though.” He sighed.

{Emperor Hadrus... If I didn't know for a fact that he was a brilliant man, I'd think him a fool.} (Redrud)

"The Empire is trying to push its claims to the former Spirit territory." Ariel said as she poured a small glass of black liquor. "They're claiming that since they were hit the hardest during the disasters, that it should be given to them as compensation." She downed the small shot before refilling the glass.

"That was about what we expected. The Union is also eyeing up that land for settlement, though with how thoroughly our forces scorched the land, I'm not sure how much value it has." Redrud had expected squabbling and politics to resume as normal once the Spirits were defeated, but for land disputes to break out just over a year after the war was unanticipated.

{And for it to be over such a barren place... I suppose we're back to business as usual.} (Redrud)

"From the way Emperor Hadrus was speaking, I'm confident that the Empire sees that land less as something economically useful , and more as a way to secure a beachhead." Ariel clicked her tongue in irritation. "That man..." Her grip on her glass tightened. "I'm convinced that he wants a war. It's just a question of when and where."

{Every Imperial Monarch has vowed to reconquer the continent and restore the Empire to its former 'glory.' Even Sheraldine, for as much as she professed a desire for peace, was no stranger to making threats to benefit the Empire. Its just too bad that her Grandson inherited her more bellicose personality traits without getting the empathetic parts of her as well.} (Ariel)

"The Elves have kept us at relative peace for centuries, and no Emperor would be foolish enough to attack us through the Whistlewoods." Redrud took a sip as he spoke. The Elves of the Whistlewoods inhabited a forest/swamp that sat at the center of the continent, blocking direct land access between the Empire and the Demon Kingdom. The Empire had tried, and failed, to invade through the dense swampy forests on multiple occasions, but it always proved disastrous. "It wouldn't surprise me if they saw the current political upheaval as a prime opportunity ot assert themselves, but that blasted land is no more of a threat to our territory than the current Imperial borders." The City State Alliance and several natural barriers sat in between, and it would likely be no easier to push through there than the Elves' home.

"Well, regardless of the feasibility of such an invasion, the Empire is pushing hard for 'compensation' as it's calling it, and with the backing of the Dwarves, that means this dispute won't end quickly or easily." Ariel had spoke with the Dwarven Ambassador and walked away with the understanding that they would back the Empire if it made any moves.

"No surprise there!" Redrud laughed. "Those tunnel rats have basically been in the Empire's pocket since they saw the amount of gold that humans would pay for their goods, and ever since Sheraldine forged that friendship treaty they've backed the Empire on practically everything."

{To this day I still don't know what that crazy woman gave them that resulted in that deal being signed, and I have a feeling that I might not want to know.} (Redrud)

"Sadly, this is no laughing matter." Ariel sat her glass down as she leaned on the desk. "I spoke with the Dwarven Prime Minister, and Glazer was not so subtly hinting that he would let the Imperial Army cross the Tindal Mountains via their tunnels." Such a thing would signal the coming of a massive war, and would likely cause a cascade effect that would engulf the entire continent in flames.

"Hrgh..." Redrud grumbled as he closed his eyes in thought. As the Demon Kingdom's Prime Minister, he'd met Glazer Treasureseaker on more than one occasion and knew that the old Dwarf would never threaten something like that on a whim. "That would violate centuries of treaties between our three nations."

"Well, Hadrus isn't the kind of man to allow 'precedent' or 'treaties' to stop him." Ariel shook her head. "Don't forget that it was his warmongering and wars against the northern beastkin that forced Amdamell to finally join in with the City State Alliance." He'd reversed his Father's policy of peaceful coexistence with the beastkin, whereby they paid tribute and acted as quasi-vassals in exchange for autonomy and conquered them all in a single year.

{That caused a massive fucking headache on our part too, since that basically ended any chance we had of crushing those rebellious traitors in the east.} (Ariel)

"I know, I know." Redrud sighed. "Your father was worried about the Empire, and it caused him countless nights of lost sleep. Though my biggest fear is the Empire invading-"

"And Northwind joining in." Ariel finished for him. "Trust me. I'm doing everything in my power to ensure that we don't end up in a two-front war against most of humanity."

{If that happened, there's no guarantee our people would survive. Worst-case scenario would see us driven back into Simoea like our ancestors.} (Ariel)

"Speaking of father, how is he?" Ariel asked about his health.

"I wish I could give you good news." Redrud continued. "His Majesty's condition is still deteriorating. I spoke with him yesterday, and I could tell that his words were only getting slower... Ariel... I think it's time that we." He paused as Ariel held up her hand, signaling him to stop.

"I know... I know... But please... Not yet. Not until we've exhausted all options." Ariel didn't want to discuss a mercy killing of her father, even if he was living in a quasi-lifeless state thanks to the curse placed upon him. "I would like to at least ask the Gods once again..."

{If anyone can break the curse those Demon Lord Cultists put on him, then it has to be them, but...} (Ariel)

"You should know by now that such a request... Won't be fulfilled." Redrud said as he slowly stood up. "They won't move for one mere mortal's life, no matter how much you plead." Enoris's Gods tended to have a light touch when it came to interacting with the world since, most of the time, when they tilted the scales, it caused disasters.

{I know that Tahena heals mortals for a price, but I know for a fact that she will not treat people of note or who have political importance. I suppose I can understand their unwillingness to tilt the scales in one nation's direction or another, but it still doesn't sit right with me.} (Redrud)

"If it comes down to it, I'll even ask the Church for help. The Hero Hitomi might be able to heal him, though I can imagine that a human saving the Demon King will not play well with most of the Electors." Ariel's position as Regent was only a temporary position and would expire upon her father's death or if the Elector-Kings that made up the Demon Kingdom voted the regency out of existence. Since the nation's crown was not hereditary, she needed to make sure that a majority of them would back her in a bid to succeed her father, but that was never going to be an easy task.

"You have at least three guaranteed votes out of the five that you need, but Bathrumd is making plays for the rest of the Electors, and he's most likely got an equal number in his camp." Redrud had been keeping an eye on the Demon Nobility's factional movements and was growing increasingly worried about the hawkish Ogre Demon's swelling support.

"If that dullard manages to take the throne, then war with the Empire is all but inevitable." Ariel pinched the bridge of her nose in irritation. "I'd hoped that the war with the Spirits would satiate some of our people's desire for conquest and battle, but I suppose that was wishful thinking."

{I suppose that's one thing we never manged to fully shake.} (Ariel)

"It probably comes down more to the fact that our armies sat on the sidelines while the humans did most of the work. As you no doubt know, that didn't sit well with many in the military." Redrud gave a wry smile.

"Why did the Gods not at least give us one Hero?" Ariel grumbled. "Every single one appeared in either a human nation or one that is allied to them." She clicked her tongue.

{Northwind might have a ton of other races, but it's still human at its heart.} (Ariel)

"I have theories on that, but I shall hold my tongue." Redrud turned to leave but stopped prematurely. "Oh, but one last thing." He pulled a small envelope from his waistcoat and threw it on Ariel's desk. "As per your request, I've had our agents dig into the Cult a bit more. You can read the findings there at your leisure. Now, please excuse me." He bowed before leaving the office.

"Those disgusting bastards." Ariel walked over and opened the envelope, her eyes scanning over the different documents. "So they're fighting the Blood Worshipers... I guess I should be happy that the two are busy killing each other." She turned through the different pages before closing things up.

{But that last page... If Cult activity is down and they've been slowly relocating... Then what are they doing and where? It's not like them to be this quiet and it gives me a bad feeling to hear that they've been in Northwind recently.} (Ariel)