25.7

Several nights later, alone in Dirk's study, Zyrdicia combed through Kai's records of the arcanium revenue as well as Karteia's currency conversion from local kolnas to Lyrian plats. Though the numbers seemed to balance superficially, they were impossible to reconcile them with Portia's balance sheets, or the figures in the arcanium mines' own records. The numbers showed a complex web of lies. The more she dug into Portia's betrayal, the more annoyed she was by the pair's arrogance. They had stolen millions of plats over a period of many months.

A soft knock on the door broke her concentration. Captain Nelor entered, looking flustered. He announced, "My queen, I'm sorry to disturb you. But Castle Tronin is under attack."

Zyrdicia dropped the papers in her hand calmly onto the desk. She leaned back into the chair wearily. She had, of course, forgotten about her business with Eric Greystone.

The timing was aggravating. Eric obviously had not heard the news that she and Dirk had reconciled, and that she was running the kingdom.

In some ways, it was probably better that Dirk was in a coma and not awake to experience this. She wondered how angry Dirk would be if he learned that this attack was her fault.

Nelor explained apologetically, "Eric Greystone's men have breached Castle Tronin's gate and penetrated the castle in the dead of night. We're suffering heavy troop losses. We need to send them reinforcements through the magic portal."

"Most of our army is already in Tronin," Zyrdicia said glumly.

"We could send the palace guard from Castle Blackpool."

She said evenly, "No. You will not leave Castle Blackpool undefended."

Nelor said, "But, my lady, we cannot let Tronin fall. They need reinforcements immediately!"

"Tronin won't fall tonight," she said in a calm tone. "But if our enemies are being this bold, there's no telling what they else they may try. Vector and Bethel are helping them now - and they know this castle better than any other."

"They wouldn't dare attack us here," Nelor scoffed. "They could never get troops here during the winter. It's impossible!"

Zyrdicia shook her head in exasperation as they walked to the magic portal connecting this castle with Tronin. She knew that no one in Castle Blackpool would ever believe that an attack here could be possible in the middle of winter. With a sinking feeling in her stomach, she also knew how likely it was that Greystone would time an attack to correspond with the one in Tronin, to hit the North while it was distracted. Unfortunately, warning her men would only make it likely that if Dirk woke up, he would eventually discern her own involvement in the problem. And she was not about to take that risk.

She said firmly, "I'll take care of Tronin myself. Get all the men in Castle Blackpool ready for battle."

"My lady, you must not go into battle in Tronin now, in your condition," Nelor corrected softly. "The prince you carry is too important to the kingdom to risk."

"There isn't any risk," she said crossly, walking past him.

25.7.1

Inside Castle Tronin, the invading southern soldiers had successfully corralled the northern troops into a single wing of the castle. An entire regiment from Baaldorf had managed to sneak in through several different entrances, and caught the whole castle unaware. The northern men were now trying desperately to regain control of the situation to avoid being expelled from their very valuable southern base.

The tide of the battle turned the moment Zyrdicia stepped through the magic portal.

She inhaled slowly, pulling the diabolic energy into her body. She had not yet had an opportunity to use Azriok's magic for a massive slaughter. Tonight she would put into practice what her mentor had taught her in the Hell Window.

She put her fingers to her lips and blew a kiss in the direction of the invaders. The gesture sent a black wave of death toward them. When the magic touched the southern infantrymen, their skin bubbled and hissed, as though it had been drenched in boiling oil. They fell to the ground writhing as they died a hideous death. Within seconds, their flesh liquified and eventually puddled on the ground. Agonized screams resounded loudly in the room.

The rest of the southern troops scattered in terrified disarray. An officer wearing Camerand's insignia ordered them to rush at her. Zyrdicia was quickly surrounded by fresh prey. She butchered every one of them effortlessly before they had any opportunity to strike a single blow.

As terrifying as she had been over the summer in Mora Valley, her skills were far more deadly now. Her Sephiroth mentor had taken her destructive powers to an entirely new level. Surrounded by a wicked black aura, there was no mistaking her for a mere human this time.

To her, the experience of wielding this sort of power was thrilling, despite her weariness. She could not help but cherish Azriok at that moment. Her dark mood was beginning to lift.

When she was finished, there was an eerie quiet in the room. "Are the more?" she called, smiling pleasantly.

"Two hundred and fifty more, at least," General Depin said in an awed voice, hiding behind a column on the other side of the room. "They hold nearly all of the castle but this wing."

Zyrdicia glanced around then, taking inventory of the northern officers. She noticed for the first time that their leader was absent. She asked, "Where is Geoffrey?"

Depin answered, "He isn't here. He left through the portal to Castle Blackpool about sundown. A lady friend was with him. I think they meant to go to Geshna for the evening. She's was veiled. He seems intent on keeping her identity a secret."

Zyrdicia smirked at the news. At least he had not delayed in making good on her offer to him. Her eyes moved around the room and lingered on the skinless skeletons that had once been a line of her enemies' soldiers. She was pleased that not a single one of the skeletons wore a Karteian uniform. Her magical execution had been flawless.

25.7.2

Within two hours, Castle Tronin was back under the control of the Karteian troops. Zyrdicia had personally annihilated hundreds of southern soldiers. The only work she had left for the soldiers to do was hunt down a few stragglers and mop up the mess.

Satisfied that the situation was well in hand, she made her way through Castle Tronin's passageways slowly to the magic portal. She was already tired, though there was no reason for it. The exhilaration of the magical high wore off too quickly.

When she reached the hall in which the portal stood, General Depin motioned her toward him urgently.

In a panic-stricken tone, he said, "They've attacked Castle Blackpool! This was all just a distraction. I just sent through every man we can spare here. You are needed there immediately, Your Highness!"

She nodded wearily, making no effort to look surprised, and said dully, "Of course I am."

Castle Blackpool was in chaos when Zyrdicia arrived. It seemed there was fighting going on in every wing. She slew her way to the throne room, leaving a trail of flesh and bone in her wake. There, she cleared the room of invaders with the snap of her fingers,

causing pillars of hellfire spontaneously to appear and swallow fifty men in a single instant.

The moment the battle in the room was over, it seemed that twenty Karteian soldiers at once charged in and babbled at her about the situation in the castle.

"Quiet!" she barked, her patience at an end. Scowling, she pulled the details of the situation from their minds, separating the threads of individual thoughts and putting them together to form a complete assessment of the various fights currently raging in different locations.

She calmly ordered the men to hold the throne room so that it could be a command center. The others she split up with instructions for one group to go room by room into the East Wing, and the other into the West Wing. She herself was going to the North Wing, where the royal living quarters were located. Fortunately, the old South Wing was accessible only by secret passages, thus eliminating the need to defend it.

Her presence was the only reassurance they need to believe that attacking Castle Blackpool was the greatest miscalculation of Eric Greystone's life. They charged from the throne room, bellowing "Hail Blackpool!"

25.8.1

Zyrdicia contacted Sindra telepathically. Silently, she asked, "Did you magically lock the door to Dirk's quarters when you were last there?"

"Of course. Is he in danger?"

"The castle has been overrun. If the invaders can get to him, they may kill him."

Sindra reassured, "Go take care of the attackers. I'll come now and put a few extra security measures on the room. I was planning to stop by to try out an idea for the coma later tonight anyway."

"Until the invasion is put down, please stay with him!"

"You needn't worry. I'll see that no one chops him into bits." Sindra paused a moment and added,"You aren't well. I can feel it from your mindspeech. You are projecting too softly."

Zyrdicia replied, "I'm so fucking tired I can hardly stand up. I just killed hundreds. And there are at least that many to go here."

"I would be more help to you with the men attacking your castle than babysitting your little pet.""Just stay with him!"