I remembered when the government unleashed smallpox on the people, the concentrations camps, and my escape. Forget the before times because if I didn’t, I would spend this second chance hunting down everyone responsible for hundreds of millions of deaths. So, I forgot the before times and pushed forward in this life. Let the dead bury their dead and live this life. Knowing that the Baron killed Washington hadn’t caused a spark of rage or even a raised eyebrow. I knew the boy would overstep.

We were in a world where might made right, and a single man could equal armies. Time and a little ingenuity could have made Washington a powerful entity, and he had the disposition of a revolutionary. Idealists, young or not, were always so passionate. With a little pussy thrown his way, some guns, and a direction, I could have made use of him when the gun-running business took off. Revolutions were good for arms manufacturers. Weakening the Prophet’s power base and destabilizing Triad while keeping my distance and observing would have been beneficial. Seeing the Prophet’s response would have been even better. Especially if I gave out the inquisitor movement technique.

Even if Washington still lived, he was out of play to use a Yugioh reference, and he wouldn’t be back for many turns. He might not be on my side when he comes back, either. Sooner or later, he’d subvert the entire fortress; already, he drained a 0.5-0.6% more qi than he had before. In a matter of years, the fortress would be entirely subverted if I didn’t exercise the tumor. Doing so might prove hazardous it acted as a battery storing ludicrous amounts of qi. Even my dragon fire closer to the tumor felt weaker, meaning it could even subvert my dragon fire. So, it had anti-dragon elements to its nature. That could be why Washington seemed to get stronger around me.

So, the best thing for me now was to get rid of the fortress. I didn’t need it anymore anyway, and I'm game if someone wanted to buy it like crypto before a market crash. But, of course, I was also going to harvest those crystals before I left.

Before I could put it into thought, Shadbak voiced a great question. “What do you think they’re willing to offer in trade?”

“We can’t know what these infidels value. They worship a sun spirit and offer spirit cores and other fire qi rich sacrifices to their deity in exchange for insight into advancement. Without their temples, none would be above Baron class.” Emily said.

Damn, I loved Emily and her way of laying things out. They valued their temples, resources, and knowledge. So, they were relatively human in behavior. I might have been in trouble if I were dealing with energy lifeforms with completely alien desires. But, instead, we were standing on a giant qi pump blasting pure fire qi into the air like it just didn’t care. That had plenty of value.

A smile spread across my face. “So, what could we get if we offered this place up to them as a temple?” I asked and hoped they couldn’t sense the slight decline in the spirit stream output. In a few weeks, it would become very noticeable.

“Can you trust an infidel to keep their word?” Emily asked.

“My tribe has had dealings with ashen merchants in the past. The ashen are honorable and believe in fair dealings. So if we give them an honest offer, they’ll do so in return. But, of course, if they think they can just take this place, and you give them just cause they will. So do not stare at their spirit cores; it's considered rude.” Shadbak said.

“What happens when we fail to meet up to their heathen expectations, and they attack for an imagined slight?” Emily asked.

“We transform. I’ll grab Shadbak while you take off for the South; I’ll follow behind you. Once we’re out of the ashen hills, we’ll take a new route. Then, of course, they’ll ransack my fortress take everything I’ve built, and either execute or take the Baron’s family hostage.” For a moment, my plastered smile turned into a grimace.” Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.” I said.

“You’re taking a risk with not just our lives but the Baron and his family. If word of this gets out, some will demand retribution. A peasant can’t have power over the lives of the nobility. It isn’t done.” Emily said.

“Then there can be no survivors,” Shadbak said and looked down at Emily and me looking for support. I nodded my head, much to her satisfaction.

Neglecting to give my full attention to protecting the Baron’s family while battling an invasion of demon hosts was one thing. On the other hand, if I actively endangered the Baron’s family by lowering my drawbridge and dealing with the ashen emissary, it could be treason. No witnesses could solve all our problems. But why would I be afraid of word getting out when I already planned to depose the government?

Triad wasn’t quite as destabilized as I would have liked. Sure, the border counties neighbored on ghostly Earldoms, Kingdoms, and Empires, but it hadn’t lost power at its core. If anything, the Prophet hadn’t lost anything. Empires swell and recede like the tide and sometimes collapse entirely. But with a single man in charge who will never resign or die of old age, the Triad had an unlimited supply of solid leadership. Combining solid leadership with a fanatical religion worshipping the leader made for a secure power base. If I stirred up too much trouble too quickly, I would have Seraphs, high inquisitors, and heroes breathing down my neck. I could handle a few with flight and a solid plan, but Emily and Shadbak couldn’t. So, I would stick to the shadows as long as I could. Besides, I had other moves to make.

“No, Lucio promised his sister’s hand in marriage, and that could be our ticket to legitimacy. The Prescott name might not have a Barony backing it anymore, but the name itself is noble. When I start my gun company and begin making real money and enemies, some legitimacy will be useful.” I said.

“You would have to marry her under the Prophet’s light in a cathedral. Nobles must be present and consenting to your union for your status to rise. She would gain power over your household. Do you really want to give that girl power?” Emily asked.

“Fuck no, she’s a little psychopath, and she stares too long at the spirits in the moat. For a mortal, she’s dangerous. But for better or worse, she might even be useful for navigating the higher world of politics in this world. Is there a limit of wives I can take in this world?” I asked.

“The Prophet proclaimed to be virile and fill his legions. So let a man have as many wives as he can support and take on the burden of the fallen.” Emily said.

“So, the Baron’s wife slew all her competition and their children,” Shadbak said.

“Indeed, she is a successful noble lady, and her daughter will inevitably follow in her footsteps. If you do marry her, we’ll have to watch what’s in our drinks and food.” Emily said.

We arrived at the drawbridge, and I waved my hand as a controlling gesture to send the flames away. The drawbridge lowered, and a carriage driven by six ashen horses approached, followed by the mounted knights. The least of the knights were equal to the Baron in power, and armored in thick plated armor riveted thicker than anything I’ve ever seen. Human limits weren’t a problem, so wearing hundreds of pounds of steel wouldn’t bother these superhuman creatures. With time and training, the humanoid ashen must have become accustomed to steel several inches thick. I saw chainmail and hide between the plates that felt particularly dragonish to me. Even the horses were heavily armored, and their saddles were practically armories. They had crossbows that looked more like ballista, heavy warhammers in easy reach, and a single heavy lance. Against a conventional human army, even with small arms, I couldn’t imagine any of them falling in battle. The ashen knights were definitely the arch predators of this land.

Once the carriage crossed the bridge, it angled to the side until the door faced us. Fancily dressed manservants moved quickly to place a stool at the carriage’s door. They were dressed in well-made clothes of orange and white fabrics to cover their grey flesh beneath, and all the while, on display was the light contained in their breast. Their spirit cores glowed brightly as they moved and dimmed when they rested. Once the horses were at rest and the stairs were placed, a roll of hide was prepared. The manservants moved quickly to unroll it over the ground to our pathway, adjusting it while the knights slowly dismounted. All twenty soon took their positions on either side of the rug and withdrew their swords.

The swords were all at once steel and flame equal to their wielder. From them, I felt the power of the sun itself and felt the blades practically square the knights’ battle potential. Even with my fortress and its seemingly unending qi against these beings, I would be cut down without my battle form.

The Baron didn’t want me to let them in as if there was a choice. Or did he plan to let me sacrifice myself and run or surrender to them on his terms? It was clear by this display that I would be dealing while in a state of weakness. So, I put a god damn smile on my face and prepared a strategy of probing questions, talking up the value of this place, and threatening to destroy it. This was going to be fun.

The door to the carriage opened, and it felt as if dawn had come again. All around us, the ashen were boosted by the presence of their leader. When the light dimmed, I watched a slip of a girl with hair the color of sparks thrown into the dark of night step out of the carriage. She wore a set of formation heavy glass slippers that might have been uncomfortable to anyone but an ashen Earl. With a single step from her, the formations across my fortress quivered like a lit candle in a rainstorm.

A part of me wanted to transform, rip, and tear until I found the spirit core I needed. But my humanity managed to hang on by a hair. This was just the prologue of what could be a long negotiation.

“Present arms,” the knight captain commanded. The twenty knights stood shoulder to shoulder and touched the tips of their blades together and formed a column for the lady Earl to walk down. My fortress shuddered with her every step, and I realized just how weak my foundation indeed was. There were talismans and amulets of unknown effects all over the woman's body. Some magnified her already incredibly powerful to ludicrous levels, while others acted as a fulcrum. This ashen lady could wield greater power than I could within my fortress through them.

One fact kept me here instead of running away to begin my hit-and-run campaign. Despite the overwhelming difference in power, the ashen hadn’t attacked us. Instead, the ashen put on a show, and the Earl walked me and curtsied briefly. Her knees might have bent a single degree, and her dress fluttered, and the curtsey was over. I managed a Japanese-style business bow of 30 degrees through barely remembered how-to videos. I probably screwed it up.

The ashen raised an eyebrow that looked painted on if not for the barest slivers of crystal peeking through. Something of a genuine smile tugged at her lips, and I might have been mistaken, but the overwhelming power of the knights might have dimmed slightly. I could only assume I’ve made a somewhat acceptable greeting.

“When she approaches you, be sure to loop your arm into hers and grasp her hand. It’s a sign that you accept her as a guest.” Shadbak said.

“Greetings from the court of rising stars. My name is Hela of White Star Hall; you seem to have wandered onto our land and built a dwelling. Did you come here to escape the harsh treatment of your Prophet and choose a kinder god?” Hela asked.

I looped my arm into hers and grasped her hand. The ashen lady raised a black and orange speckled eyebrow. To say her hand was warm was the say the tundra was cool. If I were still normal, my hand would already be covered in 3rd, and 4th-degree burns, and my bones would have started blackening. Her skin, if it could be called that, felt as smooth and tough as marble but strangely flexible. A steel ax would have trouble penetrating it.

She grasped my hand back gently, but I felt like I had been grasped by a machine press. To make matters worse, I’m sure she tried to lower the temperature of her hand. When I glanced to the side, her face was as orange as the sparks in her hair and her anime size molten gold pupils shined even brighter. Her face was so hot at that moment it could be used to weld steel.

“My name is Red; these are my companions Shadbak, a member of the Tropicthunder Tribe and Interrogator Emily Ramael of the inquisition. We came here originally to take a shortcut to the Gungale Tribe. But then the demon hosts attacked, and one of our party was injured. So, I built this place to isolate them from the demon’s influence and hold off the demon hosts.” I said.

“That is an impressive feat; how many of your men did you have to sacrifice to complete it. Your Prophet must have been generous indeed. I haven’t heard even a rumor of such a feat from any of the traveling merchants.” Hela said.

I formed the triad sign. “The Prophet protects, but I will admit I had few resources and a lot of desperation. Don’t think too poorly of the design. I practically threw the walls up in a day.” I said. It was my turn to posture and show off what I offered. This was my chance to show her the value of this place before we reached the negotiation table.

“I’m afraid I’m a danger to your beautiful structure. Even wood grown in these lands burns up in my presence.” Hela said.

I pulled a seed out of my inventory and grew it into a black scaled easter dragon coiling around itself with antlers and a long wispy mustache. Once the wooden sculpture was complete, I handed it to the bemused ashen lady. She gently took hold of the dragon, and her eyebrows raised. It hadn’t burst into flames as she had assumed it would have. She quickly turned the wooden dragon around, searching for any formations I might have placed on it. Oh, if she put her mind to it, the wooden dragon would burn but just holding it posed no danger. It still lived and mainly fed on fire qi at this point.

“Are you a druid? Merchants from the wooded deeps speak of men who worship nature in a human conclave. Through them, the natural world can adapt in ways previously thought impossible. It was through them that any trees grow here at all. Did you come to finish the process to strengthen our ties? I will not accept Panas’s proposal even this dowery is insulting.” Hela said.

The knights seemed ready to charge in at this point. Her grip on my hand began to crack my bones. “I don’t know a Panas, and we aren’t bargaining for a marriage. Now, do you want to see the inside, or would you rather we remain out here.” I said.

Her grip instantly slackened. “Ah, there is more to see than wood that doesn’t burn at the touch. Well, why didn’t you say so? I would love a tour.” The doors ahead opened at my command while the manservants filed in. When the lion skin rugs didn’t immediately burst into flames on the floor, we walked in together.

“As you can see, I’ve found a use for the demon hosts. These bristly manes are excellent at wiping the dirt from shoes, making it much easier to keep the interior clean. As you can see by the formations on the walls and ground, numerous applications occur as we speak. Though most of them collect and direct fire qi into specific rooms for cultivation. I’ve worked and reworked them several times, leading to my current set. Though fire qi is difficult to work, with my limited knowledge of formations.” I said.

Hela chuckled. “It is quite a mess; some of these formations are copies of copies that only show the barest resemblance to the original texts of starlight. I’ve heard the written word of starlight is banned in triad lands.” Hela said.

“We need no other word than of law,” Emily said.

“Your friend doesn’t seem to think so; I see a blending of the orthodox texts from many gods. Some of these scribbles are new to me, not because they are old or foreign but because they mix many. It's strange to see the triad symbol mixed with the Sol Invictus’s eyes or Black Friede’s tears. Even that bastardized versions I see here don’t stick to a single canon. Instead, I see traces of the Fallen Gaia’s roots, Atlantica’s scales, and Mab’s whispers. A few even older texts are used and sometimes abused and mixed with other written words. Some of these were even left unfinished.” Hela shook her head.

“I was very desperate and time wasn’t on my side, so I did what I could,” I said.

“Clearly, but do you plan to put down roots here and become a citizen of White Star Hall?” Hela asked.

Well, it looked like the plan to talk up my fortress had failed in the hallway. “That’s what I would like to discuss in the sitting room if you wouldn’t mind. You’re my guest, and it would be rude to discuss business in the hallway.” I said.

“Oh, so polite, that isn’t something I expect from someone who deals with the inquisition. But miss interrogator has barely said a word. What did you say your title was again? While your companions belong to a tribe or an order, you don’t. Why is that? Are you special or unremarkable? The latter can’t be true if you made this. Or is that a lie?” Hela said.

“This place is special because it was a product of an unplanned desperate experiment. Anyone with my knowledge could recreate it here; most of the work was already finished. The druids started the project; I just carried out the final step. Last names are used to carry on a legacy; if I never die, then I won’t need one.” I said.

We walked into the sitting room where Lucio, Maddie, and the Baron were still there. If they spoke a word out of turn, I would crush them.

The Baron stood up and made the triad sign, followed by his son and daughter. He made no move to bow or offer anything. The man held his chin up and didn’t say a word.

“It seems that you have little control over your people,” Hela said.

“They too are guests; unfortunately, not all guests have the dignity to behave themselves. Meet the deposed Baron whose realm was ransacked by the demon, his son and heir and daughter. I asked them to clear out of here for our meeting, but it seems they insist on staying. So, in the spirit of good faith, let's get down to business.” I said.

I pulled a chair out for her, much to the annoyance of the manservants. Once she was seated, I did the same for Emily and Shadbak before seating myself across from Hela. The knights stepped in behind Hela and formed themselves into a wall of intimidation.

“Let’s begin; you need this place to bring your Earldom into the Duchy realm. So, what are you willing to trade me to ensure this place continues to exist when I leave?” I asked.

Her eyebrows shot up, and the knights bristled. “Don’t be surprised you came to me not the other way around. You could have thrown out an olive branch and cleared out the demon hosts. I might have been grateful enough after that to give you this place. But it really wasn’t worth that much until I fired up the moat. Now you have pure fire qi blasting into your territory with no sign of stopping under the control of a human. So, you gathered knights and foot soldiers, planted yourself on my doorstep, and waited for me to invite you in. You made the threat of the alternative clear.” I said.

The point of all of that was to put them squarely in the wrong. My response to all the crap I had just spewed would have been what of it. Framing the situation didn’t change the fact that Hela had 20 knights that could tear me a new asshole. But I was still giving them an out. Yea, they lost out on a great deal, but they could still get what they wanted. I could snuff out the dragon fire with a bit of effort. That would stop the Ghostly Earldom’s advancement cold.

“This is my land; you are no different than a peasant that toils in the dirt. So what gives you the right to deny me my share?” Hela asked.

“What I have created I can also destroy. A peasant won’t destroy their own crops and starve to death. This place has already served its purpose, and to me, it’s an eyesore. I’m embarrassed to have created something so rough. I can rebuild in a few weeks better than ever before. But this place still has potential I’m sure a few of your priests could make this place into a delightful temple and really bring the fire qi under control. It's not like I’m going to ask for much. What’re a few trinkets compared to a new temple dedicated to Sol Invictus built on a well of fire qi and a ghostly Duchy?” I asked.

“You haven’t told me what you wanted. Instead, you gave me a trinket made of wood that doesn’t burn in my hands. That shouldn’t exist. Some ladies would consider that a proposition to your bed chambers. Then you led me through a hall filled with the texts of numerous gods merged into a symphony of purpose, including the Triad. Afterward, you insisted on pulling out my chair for me like a love-struck suitor even before your own women then sat across from me. Finally, you hold a spirit core in front of my nose and say if only you had helped us, we could have been best friends. I don’t think you’re after a few trinkets. You’ve been careful not to look at my own spirit core throughout our entire meeting but accidentally glanced at others. Do you not dare to stare at the sun?” Hela said.

Fuck she’s catching on in all the wrong ways. I need to do some damage control. “Those who stare at the sun will be blinded by its glory,” I said, falling back on using the religion of others as a shield.

Her cheeks turned orange in an instant, and she opened her mouth and closed it. Shit, did I just proposition her in front of the knights? One’s spirit core began to light up, and his shoulders were jumping up and down.

She turned to one of her manservants. “Find me something rich in fire qi to consume now. May my servants make use of your larders?”

“You’re my guest. Have anything you like. But may I suggest the black lilies they can be crushed into a poultice.” I said.

“Don’t let my appearance fool you; food that a human might enjoy could be detrimental to our health. Most of our meals consist of charcoal mined within the hills or traded from other lands. Water is considered alcoholic to our kind in small doses but deadly. A poultice high in fire qi would be considered an intoxicating drink.” Hela said.

She looked as human as the fucking man lions. The sparking flecks of orange that occasionally glowed like Christmas tree lights and the molten gold eyes were a dead giveaway. But if she were talking about the more subtle differences, then I could look at her orange-tinted pink fingernails. The radiating heat of her body. And the echoing tone of her voice. But really, if you took all of that away, she was practically human, just like Shadbak. Of course, if I fucked Hela, my dick would never be the same again.

One of the manservants returned with a wooden cup containing the ground-up mixture. He followed up by taking some charcoal and ground it against a rock, sprinkling powder into the mixture. Then he mixed it together and served it to the ashen lady. She turned the cup up and took a sip then slammed it down.

“So, I’m willing to put a copy of starlight on the table, but we will not trade you weapons or armor. The tools of our knights are sacred, and a human’s hands are unfit to wield them.” Hela said.

“I also want high-class spirit cores of pure fire, earth, metal, water, lightning, wind, and knowledge, 100 ashen horses of different sex, and a map of the ashen hills including its roads,” I said.

“You don’t have the manpower to herd 100 ashen horses ten feet let alone out of my lands. I’ll give you 6 horses, 5 mares, and 1 stallion though I doubt they can be bread outside these lands. The map is possible if you have the materials my knights can draw you one. As for the spirit cores, we sacrifice them to our god when we get our hands on them. I have one, and only one of the higher realm, but are you sure that’s what you want. If you take on another spirit, you’ll need to find a god of both fire and wood to assist you into the next realm.” Hela said.

“I’m sure I won’t make it far without more power. Am I even safe outside my moat from the denizens of these hills?” I said.

Hela pulled on a leather cord, drawing out a pale white sphere with orange in its center. I’ve always kept my twin’s core close, and I couldn’t bear to sacrifice it. But if I’m to be a duchess, then it's time for me to let her go and move on. A duchess must stand firm.” Hela said.

She handed the sphere to me, and I absorbed it without hesitation. Unlike with my higher wood spirit, this one didn’t put up a fight. There wasn’t much to this spirit; she was afflicted with a mental illness that ravaged her ashen body. For a possessing spirit, mental health was everything. I merged the spirit to my spirit vessel and felt my connection to fire increase. Now I only had three, five, or eight to go depending on my preparations and luck.

Instantly my power began to rise all the fire qi I couldn’t absorb fully before opened to me. A smile spread across my face, and I knew there was no reason to stay here any longer. I wouldn’t find what I needed here in the ashen lands. Still, Hela had helped me more than she knew, and I left a problem here for her. Maybe I should take care of that as a show of good faith.

“Well, six is a good start, but twenty would be better. We need to get the Baron’s family out of here as well.” I said.

“We could keep them as hostages,” Hela said.

“No, see here, I’ve never been your enemy before.” The Baron said.

“Yes, ever since we obliterated your great-great grandfather’s army, no Baron Prescott has dared to strike at us. Instead, you fund our enemies and wait for the day we’re weakened.” Hela said.

“No, my brother already promised my marriage to Red. You can’t separate us so soon after we just met.” Maddie said.

Hela raises an eyebrow. “This is now my fortress, and you’re my guests. Unless you would rather be prisoners, I suggest you behave.” Hela said.

“How about you let Lucio and Maddie go with us and just hold the rest of the Baron’s family hostage? Lucio can reconquer his father’s lands and pay to ransom his father and brothers once things settle down. That would also keep the heroes mostly out of the ashen hills while you settle the Duchy.” I said.

Her golden eyes glowed fiercely as she glared at me from across the table. “You no longer have anything fortresses to barter. We may never see each other again after this.” She smiled, and her cheeks turned orange once more. “I’ve heard that humans have a tradition of breaking in fortresses by taking young girls to bed. So while you aren’t a young girl, I will take you to bed tonight to break this place in before the priests arrive to remake it into a temple.” Hela said.

A few of the knight’s cores lit up, and their shoulders rapidly rose and fell. My dick wanted to protest what I was about to say. Emily and Shadbak reached over from either side of me to grip my thighs. It seemed I had really jumped out of the frying pan into the frier.

“I accept; let’s break this place in together,” I said and debated sending a prayer to Sol Invictus. If anyone could save my dick from Hela’s molten lava snatch, it was probably a sun god. But, unfortunately, I received no replies or magical flame retardant condoms.