The Mook Maker

The prospect of a diplomatic solution seemed to be a tough nut to crack. 

 

Progress has been made, yes, but I was far from satisfied. 

 

We could, technically, understand the language now, with the puppets that ‘Fleshspeaker’ created effectively sidestepping all issues with learning something we had no previous reference for, but it was far from perfect. 

 

I found out there were words - modern ones - which the natives had no equivalent, and made the puppet struggle with the vocabulary, ripped from the human mind. A ‘protectorate’ was such a word, along with one like ‘civilian’ and then perhaps a couple of more expressions we missed when the negotiations were cut short because of the city riot brewing outside. 

 

Perhaps educated humans, with more eloquent speech, would know them and we took the prisoners from the wrong social caste, or civil circles, to serve as translators. Both were equally possible. The man now enthralled by Arke’s magic in mind and flesh, was likely a conscript in the local army. While I had acknowledged the fact that this world lacked general basic education, I feel I quite underestimated the resulting limited vocabulary of the populace.

 

Although this difficulty might simply be a limit of our own mind magic, restricting how swiftly and effectively my bat-girls could sift through the memories of their fleshy puppets. I wasn’t entirely certain how I could even test it.

 

It would require a native speaker, well versed in both languages, telling us how good we were in terms of grammar and vocabulary, and all the cultural quirks and idioms they might have that just flew above our heads. 

 

Still, progress was made, I hoped. 

 

I needed faith in our abilities, so I would project confidence. We headed to face the crowd. 

 

More precisely, it would be the local human noble - the Viceroy was the official title, I had to remind myself - who would face them, and hopefully explain that a peaceful coexistence was an option. 

 

The idea was that if they heard it from their own trusted authority figure, they would be considerably more amenable to the idea, but I didn’t have high hopes. Even with his full cooperation, which was far from assured, we could face serious resistance from the native populace if we attempted to protect him according to his original request. Such conflict has already happened. 

 

It made me wonder whether the natives were naturally unruly.  

 

As we rushed through the halls of the local palace, to bring the Viceroy where he could address the city, and either command the citizens to cooperate, intimidate them, or reason with them. He certainly would have his methods. 

 

I had no illusion about those, considering that his men did rebel against him after he agreed to meet with us and vacate the fortress, but I couldn’t deny the fact we needed the recognition from local authorities either way, acknowledging they invited us, should our presence have any legitimacy at all. 

 

It was slightly better to be considered an occupant than being treated as the monster, and attacked on sight, even if neither left us in a positive light. 

 

I think I have chosen the lesser evil. 

 

There was no guarantee the lord, even after assurance we wouldn’t strip him of his lands and titles, would embellish the ‘sojourn’ of ‘friendly armies’ even if our presence here, at the other side of the border, was sparked by his plea for help.

 

Maybe we should have intervened, let the humans carry out the coup, and stick to our side of the river. 

 

But would the arrangement made by the Viceroy respected, should he be removed from power by his own men? 

 

The natives were prone to almost irrationally hostility, and exceptions in their largely erratic, but predominantly belligerent, behaviour were hard to find. We were almost obliged to defend them, not because of sympathy or any sense of loyalty, but because they were irreplaceable.  

 

I was almost tempted to start the expedition to track down Ari’s origin, to find the reason she was the only one who didn’t fight when we arrived in that village. Maybe the attitude was a cultural thing, and she, being an exile, may have come from a unique environment.

 

Be it may, we have to deal with this province first. Unlike Ari, and unlike the raving, half-mad clergy the dragoness left us with, our presence here, in this city, was a political move. 

 

We would soon see how well we could manage it. 

 

It wouldn’t hurt to be assured that it would be a smooth and mostly official transition, with the deal symbolised through the small military parade of sorts to remind the native humans of our presence here as the force that would maintain the peace and order.

 

I already had my doubts. It felt more like the tool of unsecure dictators that a meaningful action I should pursue, yet armies have done  so since time immemorial. 

 

“Tama, tell Helmy to muster some of our best equipped girls and bring them into the city.” I said, “On foot. She handles the official arrival.” 

 

“Yes, Master. Helmy would enjoy the new role.” Tama replied on behalf of her sister, and I couldn’t miss the vulpine grin on her foxy face.. 

 

While Helmy wasn’t particularly fond of humans, she would certainly enjoy being the ‘Lady Protector’ and hopefully, would rein in her pyromaniac tendencies. We needed the city intact afterwards, and preferably not turned into cinders. Even if we didn’t manage to prove peaceful coexistence with humans was possible, there were still numerous houses which could be used to accommodate my growing menagerie. 

 

We would see how well that is going to work. 

 

It would be for the best if we brought support for them. 

 

“Bring Eviscerators too.” I added, “Bring only a couple of Defilers for healing,” 

 

It reminded me that I should visit Brave soon. She was so far the only ‘Alpha’ that somehow somewhat managed the mining town with the human inhabitants, and it was an example worth to follow. Perhaps Helmy would learn a thing or two from her cousin. 

 

“Yes, Master.” Miwah didn’t protest. 

 

I didn’t think that the ‘Purifiers’ would particularly enjoy matching in formation, considering their impulsive nature, but my little cute vulpine were one of the most numerous breeds in our ranks, which doomed a portion of them towards the policing action, along with their more wolf-like cousins. 

 

Ironically, they might be better at it than the ‘Fleshspeakers’ were, at least in some capacity, despite the fact it was something my bats were born to do. 

 

My bat-girls might have unique abilities that allowed crowd control and communication, but their tendency to zombify the humans in order to create perfectly obedient, if mindless drones, created its own issues - it didn’t particularly inspire trust. 

 

However, if humans didn’t see reason, it would be inevitable to employ them, even now. 

 

After all, what good was a police officer that didn’t speak the local language? 

 

Would I have to abuse the magic of the ‘Fleshspeakers’ even more to create a perfect translation and speech available to everyone, through an organism tailored to our needs?

 

Would Angela, or other of her kin, simply run off to create an interpreter roach that followed the policing ‘Purifier’ around?

 

It was quite a conundrum. 

 

I kept puzzling over it as we crossed the palace grounds to its paved courtyard, and towards the still closed gates behind which the mob had gathered, shouting, demanding to be heard. I couldn’t make out the individual words. 

 

Sora, Kuma, and Ekaterina waited, along with a few ‘Eviscerators’, all of them remaining vigilant should the humans on the other side attempt to break inside. The bear ladies, in their full armour, demanded quite a presence, even without the other ‘Ravagers’ present at the moment. Sora, despite her slightly bored expression, didn’t look like she should be trifled with, either.

 

Among my girls, two male human soldiers present felt almost out of place, isolated from their kind, shy, on the edge, or unsure how to act. 

 

They couldn’t be used to my girls’ presence at all, yet, to their credit, remained at their posts.

 

Perhaps they were just nervous when the ‘ranks’ showed up. 

 

The Viceroy exchanged a few words with his human followers. I let him, my thoughts wandered.

 

The very fact there were human guards without my chiropteran girl controlling them certainly gave me hope - if the Viceroy convinced the remnants of his personal guards, he could convince their countrymen as well. 

 

Some of them, at least. 

 

I expected others to simply leave, flee the province, and cause problems for the neighbouring territories and their respective lords rather than continue pestering us, and continue the cycle of violence by forcing even more drastic measures from us. 

 

It was only a matter of time before the news about our presence reached the rest of the land. Our clash with one or more factions the humans were divided into was inevitable, especially with ‘Lady’s involvement, and our clashes with both sides in this war. 

 

I looked at the sky. It seemed the celestial dragoness wouldn’t make an appearance today -- and neither would rain --, so not a chance to solve our issues with the literal divine intervention. 

 

It might even be her plan to let me do the dirty work. 

 

I would be dealing with the mortals instead. 

 

A stray thought made me wonder how common the title ‘Viceroy’ was. 

 

I knew he was supposed to rule this entire valley, but it was about it. There could be a hundred valleys just like this one along the mountain range, each with a petty domain of their own. It was, however, equally likely there were noticeably fewer administrative regions with varying sizes. 

 

I didn’t investigate this in any great detail, too focused to even establish our presence on the relatively tiny strip of land.  

 

Although, if more regions sided with us…

 

I was not given a chance to think about it more. 

 

The humans kneeled as we approached, something I wasn’t quite comfortable with, but I expected this was more or less the norm for the palace guard. Their lord was, after all, accompanying us. Whether he was going to be helpful, however, would be a mystery for a few minutes longer.  

 

I held back Arke from taking flight. 

 

The humans needed to see the Viceroy first before my girls showed up.

 

As far as I could tell, the palace wasn’t a fortress per se; the large residence was completely walled off, with small battlements straddling its main gate, but nothing to hold off a concerted assault. 

 

Whether it was actually intended as the place from which the lords of the palace held speeches, or was merely a guard station to watch the main gate, I didn’t know. The football field sized courtyard was apparently too small to hold the greater population of the city. 

 

The viceroy was confident, stoic in his bearing as he approached the over-decorated balustrade, intending to address the people from atop the gatehouse. Accompanying him were two obviously more nervous guards.. 

 

I could hear the angry mob roaring from beyond the precipice as we ascended the stairs.

 

It wasn’t a good sign.

 

They gathered far too quickly, almost as they expected foul play as our negotiation with the local lord, one which they couldn’t possibly know about. Still, it was possible, even likely, that someone would be instructed to rouse the crowd should the assailants sent after the Viceroy did not return, regardless of what happened.

 

It made a certain amount of sense, even if I didn’t think of it before. 

 

No matter. 

 

I was certain we would be better off using the man that sided with us on his own volition, although with ulterior motives, rather than a mind-controlled puppet of the ringleaders. Our performance would fool no one. 

 

It didn’t seem that this post, albeit a roofed, didn’t provide that much of the cover from the attacks from the outside, which gave credence to my theory about the pavilion from which the crowd could be addressed. The ‘gatehouse’ - if it could be called that - seemed to be more for show rather than defensive structure. 

 

I wondered how often things like this happened around there. 

 

There was indeed a crowd. A hundred people, thousands even, perhaps the entire city, filling its main avenues arranged in orderly geometric patterns, quite unlike the random collection of huts in the smaller villages and towns. 

 

The human guards struggled to silence the crowd, their shouts drowned in the endless sea of noise. 

 

I was about to order Tama to intervene - her fireball may serve a similar purpose as shooting into the air, a firework that would harm no one, only attracting attention with the bang and the flash. It might also cause panic.

 

Arke resolved the problem for me when the zombified guard shouted at the crowd as well. Despite my unvoiced complaints about the limited vocabulary, the words like ‘Silence’ or ‘shut up’ weren’t beyond our abilities, and I assumed she wouldn’t be particularly worried should the vocal cords of the puppet give up. 

 

It was surprisingly effective, a minor miracle of its own that they were even willing to quiet down for even a short while, allowing the Viceroy to speak. 

 

However, I wasn’t quite certain whether it would be received well. 

 

The crowd didn’t kneel or bow down.

 

Personally, I didn’t care that much - I considered the custom quite meaningless and petty, and wouldn’t bother to demand this from anyone, but considering how much this world mimicked some cultures of East Asia, it wasn’t hard to guess it was expected.

 

Still, it was his chance to make an impression - if the people of this city didn’t recognize his title, or authority, he could still appeal to reason, common sense, arguing by the benefits the partnership would bring, or even threaten them with some poorly defined retribution. 

 

At the moment, I cared more about minimising the loss of life and avoiding the open conflict, than the morality of threats and intimidation.

 

I didn’t understand what he was saying. 

 

I could ask for a translation, of course. Arke shadowed me the entire time, and the human puppet she controlled was even several steps in front of us, but there was no point in attempting to intervene at this point. 

 

After giving Arke a questioning glance, I was silently assured that at least the very first words weren’t intended to spark a riot we would have to put down. 

 

“He argues we would guarantee the safety of those who submit, Master …lest everyone face the fate of the rebellious garrison.” 

 

He continued in the meantime. 

 

“There were … benefits… to our presence. Safety. Peace.” 

 

My translator continued, fragmented, but it doesn’t seem to indicate any attempt to subvert our expectation and trust. 

 

So far, so good. The crowd was listening, too, at least for a few minutes, in relative silence. It was promising. There might be some idle, thinly veiled threats involved, but as I had to admit earlier on, it was all but inevitable, considering how many interactions ended. 

 

When I sent Ari to speak to the village, they tried to stone the poor girl practically immediately, so capturing the attention of the natives for long enough could be considered an improvement. 

 

A glance at my bat-girl. A nod. 

 

He didn’t go off the metaphorical script, as far as we could tell. 

 

I was about to silently compliment him for being a skilled rhetorician, making this a complete success, but then it went wrong. 

 

There was a shout from the crowd. 

 

He ignored it. 

 

Then another. I couldn’t tell from this angle who spoke. It was a feminine voice, I assumed, but otherwise, couldn’t tell. 

 

The Viceroy reacted this time, in a dismissive tone, speaking to someone down the wall. 

 

“...about a traitor who tried to kill him who was put to death for treason, Master…” Arke caught up with some translation. That was, indeed, a threat, but I suppose it was technically truthful.

 

It was an exchange in the native tongue, a quick one. The opponent was, I was almost certain, a human woman.

 

I wasn’t quite able to understand what they spoke about, and the Viceroy’s poker face didn’t make things quite easier most of the time. I was certain now it was unexpected, even to him.

 

A stone thrown by one native flew over the gate. It didn’t hit anyone, but it triggered an entire avalanche.

 

I took a glimpse of the few humans lifting a squared timber, likely to be used as the battering ram, to tear down the gate. The situation changed drastically in the matter of seconds. 

 

What was wrong with these humans? 

 

No longer satisfied with lurking the few steps behind in the shadows, I stepped out onto the railing. 

 

“Stop this! Return to your homes and no one will get hurt!” 

 

I boomed. Or tried to. I wasn’t quite sure whether Arke translated it, since there was a shout a few words at the crowd myself, I was hit by yet another stone, hitting my arm, which sparked a violent reaction from my own followers.

 

Miwah covered me with her own body, as faithful as always. 

 

The gate under us shook as the mob attempted to break through.

 

Tama threw a fireball into the crowd below the railing, the fiery blast of the unnatural blue fire swept through the part of the street, and angry voices were soon replaced by the wailing cries of the burnt and wounded, as the part of the crowd began to flee, while others still attempted to batter down the gate.

 

Skill “Scorched Earth lvl. 33” gained.

 

From the ruby fog, a fresh group ‘Purifiers’ has been born, their minds and their voices filled with eagerness. 

 

“For Master!” They cried and laughed, all keen to join the fray.

 

A few more fireballs were thrown, but there weren’t more casualties, other than those caught in the initial blast.

 

The clothes of a few people caught fire, but it didn’t dissuade the mob from attempting to storm the gate anew, amidst the flames, with their improvised battering ram. 

 

Viceroy yelled something, but his own human guards dragged him away from the line of fire. 

 

Maybe he, himself, was surprised by the aggressivity of the mob, and thus the authenticity of the uprising. 

 

I would find out later. 

 

They tried to break through the door that wasn't designed to withstand any serious force. 

 

The staircase rattled as Kuma and Ekaterina rushed up on the not-quite battlements and then leaped down on the street, to keep the gate closed. The banging ceased. Screams came out instead, filled with terror and pain.

 

I saw a body being flung into the street like a rag-doll. 

 

Voices in my head sang the song of war. 

 

Voices down the street cried in pain. Kuma and Ekaterina advanced, forming shields as they continued down the street. 

 

I could sense it! One more kill, or two, and ‘Ravagers’ would be born. 

 

There was no time to think. 

 

“No! Limit killing!” I yelled, “Sora, start gating all the bats! Have them stunned everyone. Bring all the Fleshspeakers and put down the riot. Now.” 

 

The skies were torn apart the very moment the enraged mob clashed with the ‘Ravagers’ which, too faithful, took several hits.  

 

A first bat fell down from the portals opened above us, spread their wings and swept down just above the streets, their shrieks silencing all the humans raging across the city as more of the sickly rifts rained down batgirls, while the chorus in the back of my mind continued their serenade to the world remade in our image. 

 

I shook my head. It was no time for songs, my beautiful. 

 

The humans were collapsing across the street in seizures, as the mind attack stunned them, yet some decided to continue the fight. 

 

“Arke, stay with me.” I said before the ‘Fleshspeaker Alpha’ departed to join the fray, and added: “We need to stun or corral most humans.” 

 

“For Master!” 

 

The arrow flew by, hitting Miwah instead of me. Her armour may even stop the bolt, but I wasn’t going to let my girls suffer.

 

“Bring in everyone. Bring the roach hounds and the spider, whatever you made!” 

 

The insects came, spat out the rift closer to the ground brought by the ‘Displacers’, a mutated roach rolled over the wall into the city, as the anthropomorphic kittens jumped around, their shimmering rifts leaving the insect-like creations of the ‘Fleshspeakers’ behind each time they jumped. 

 

It was chaos, a pandemonium raged across the city as the hundred of my chiropteran followers circled above, as their psychic screams aimed to overwhelm, while they joined minds humming the tone to the flesh they would soon remake. 

 

I, once again, shook my head to keep focused. 

 

Screams, shrieks, and buzzing were interrupted only by the sporadic booms of the fireballs flashing between the buildings, as my flame foxes caught rides with the ‘Displacers’ to join the fight. 

 

Miraculously, beyond the initial blast, they didn’t kill anyone yet with their fire. 

 

Did they try to corral the humans where the ‘Fleshspeakers’ could hit them? 

 

I could see the flames in the city, and I could sense Helmy’s mind, as well as Tama’s. 

 

“Narita?” I looked back at my rodent-like companion. “I will need the help of your cousins. We will heal the wounded humans. We need to limit the number of deaths to a minimum.” 

 

“Yes-yes, Master.” She replied. Her eyes immediately darted towards the unseen horizons as she organised her sisters through our link where the several thousand voices whispered over one another in the beautiful symphony of the countless minds joined as one. 

 

Skill “Messengers of the Ever-Living Horde Lvl.13” gained.

 

The system announced, and the ruby fog once again bursted out from the ground, or rather, a thin air. I waved at the notification, uncaring about what it said. The ‘Fleshspeakers’ were hard to miss, their wide wings crowding the comparatively tiny guard post above the palace’s entrance.

 

 They came in batches of eight now, strengthening the song lingering at the back of my brain, mixed with the commotion outside. 

 

“For Master!”

 

They cried, all quite nervous in the confined space, but I hushed them away quickly, as I needed to clear the area. I would greet them and hug them later.

 

“Quickly. Go! Fly my pretties! Fly!” I ordered, “Go. Help your sisters, stun the humans.” 

 

“For Master!” They screeched, their enthusiasm almost equal to the mad giggling the ‘Purifiers’ usually gave out. I could feel it.

 

One by one, they jumped the railing, spread their wings and flew up, some barely managing to lift off before they hit the pavement, while I quickly retreated away from the post above the gatehouse.

 

There was space. 

 

The palace was spread over a sizable area for the sake of comfort or luxury, but I have to get to the open space where most of my girls could spawn. The balustrade was spacious, to show off the palace’s wealth, but not that spacious. 

 

Just in time. Another notification blinked before my eyes, and the fog returned in force, with yet another group of girls materialising from the red smoke with the alarming speed.

 

The courtyard would serve me well should the spawning continue unimpeded. 

 

Skill “Messengers of the Ever-Living Horde Lvl.14” gained.

 

Eight more bat-girls joined our horde, their minds joining the chorus, while I still tried to shake off the intrusive notification, along with the mental feedback it had created. 

 

“Go. Quickly.” I urged them, “I love you all, but you need to go. Pacify the city.” 

 

I looked around as they took flight, while the incursive tingling at the back of my head suggested this was not the end, and a lot of humans were going to die, along with causing an inevitable suffering to my precious girls.

 

The fog spat out a single ‘Fleshspeaker’.

 

Then another.

 

And another. 

 

The image of my bat-girl crashing down to her death against the pavement stuck me, while the ruby fog continued to rage, as the more life has been created and re-created among the madness.

 

It wasn’t enough. 

 

Skill “Messengers of the Ever-Living Horde Lvl.15” gained.

 

“Go! Fly!” I urged the fresh batch, dismissing the intrusive overlay window that helped nothing. 

 

“For Master!” 

 

My beloved girls and their creations had already rampaged through the city, bringing down all the resistance the citizens could muster, yet many of them perished.

 

A renewed fog returned a few more back to me after they perished in a fight I couldn’t see. 

 

I didn’t accept it. 

 

This crowd control was getting out of hand. 

 

I needed a better ‘Fleshspeakers’.

 

“Quickly, bring me Kirke, the upgraded fruit, with some Defiler for the transfer.” I shouted with little thought. 

 

My wish has been fulfilled in the brisk pace, though not in the way I wanted it to be. The red fog generously provided me with the entire pack of the rat-girls almost in the instant before as some of her kin, out in the city, brought now a likely a group of humans.

 

Skill “Great Devourer lvl.71” gained.

 

Wouldn’t the world be more beautiful if it were more of us? 

 

No, focus!

 

I rocked my head, refusing to allow myself to get lost in the feedback, as the countless minds shared their own excitement about the battle with me, urging me to bless this world with more of my people. 

 

Yet, I needed to rein this in.

 

I desperately needed a non-lethal means. 

 

When one of the ‘Displacers’ appeared from one of their countless rifts, depositing the ordinary Mutator' nearby, carrying one of those sickly, enchanted fruits, I barked out the order even before the little moth announced her presence. 

 

“Transfer the fruit’s energy to Arke!” 

 

Quality over quantity, I couldn’t give up to the urge to fill the horde to the capacity the system considered appropriate. 

 

The rough, glowing fruit faded away almost instantly, disintegrating into nothing but the fine dust disappearing into the non-existing breeze. The quick action seems to even surprise the anthropomorphic moth holding the ‘evolution’ fruit, while Arke even cackled as the sudden burst of vitality it had given almost as it slammed her brain with a veritable flood of endorphins. 

 

I could feel it, too.

 

I couldn’t keep doing this when the link was at its strongest. I could sense the other girl's mood. 

 

The thrill was palpable.

 

The link between us was already far too agitated by the ongoing fight. 

 

Unit evolved! Arke, The Overseer Alpha 355 could be Evolved until innate resources run out.

 

I waved the notification away. The resources were still relatively plentiful, and I could only hope that the next ‘evolution’ of ‘Fleshspeakers’ lived up to their name.

 

My plans for Helmy and ‘Purifiers’ to manage this city had gone down in the metaphorical flames, not the literal ones which threatened to torch the city. 

 

Sadly, I had to time to admire the more pronounced foxy features Arke gained upon her transformation and the fact that the biological armour grew with them. It all would have to wait.

 

“Arke, go, try to find out whether your stunning powers are stronger.” I ordered, “And bring me your named sisters. I will upgrade as many as I can.” 

 

“Yes, Master!” She replied. Her already massive wings grew even more majestic as she took flight, and the screeches of the bats echoing around the city went up in the frenzy, even among the reining commotion and chaos carried by the wind.

 

“Bring your Light to the humans, Master?” Kirke, the moth-girl, asked, holding a luminous, spiky parody to a pineapple in each of her hands, as she emerged from yet another rift. 

 

I didn’t reply. 

 

The red fog had brought more bats.

 

Skill “Messengers of the Ever-Living Horde Lvl.16” gained.

I dismissed the stupid window. 

 

“I want this city under control in an hour! Go, we will sort unconscious humans later.” 

 

A tall order, I was aware, but my patience with the humans had run as thin as the mental boundary between myself and my girls as the madness continued. 

 

The Viceroy watched the scene from the edge of the courtyard, sitting on the ground, cradling his head, almost as if he was overwhelmed by the noise, while the two of his soldiers had no idea what to do. 

 

“We wanted to resolve this without violence. I will hold you responsible for this.” I said. 

 

I wasn’t sure if they could even hear me, among the noise, but he visibly paled, gazing up with blank eyes.  

 

Maybe he too heard the song.