Imperatrix Fallen: Alith's Cradle

IX

VICTORY

The combined forces of the King's County and Sky County managed to repel the incomprehensible attack from Empress County forces on our sovereign soil. Experts already speak of an alliance to ensure the city's security...

Headline from "The Truthful" newspaper, Frontier III

"So, nobody knew each other, and it was all a coincidence?" Valz asked skeptically.

"That's what everyone says," replied Rola Mantis, the Psyche and Materialism Doctor. Small in stature but with a big heart, her large eyes reflected a curious spirit, making her look younger than she was. As the intimate doctor of the Alanic branch of the Russ family, Rola played a crucial role in Valeria's upbringing and recovery after the murder of her parents. One of her many skills was involuntary passive interrogation, a technique she used while physically examining the patients she treated as the chief medic of the Victrix army.

"Do you believe them?"

"Hah, of course not. The Music girl, Laura, was on a mission with her companions, Loreto, Lucia, and Lorena." Valz looked at her, not fully understanding. "Don't you know anything, boy? They are Ferrata elite assassins who serve directly under Princess Quinta. I recognized them because they're distant relatives of Cisa and have passed through the palace a couple of times. The fact that she was treated by us and didn't go directly to the Sacred Command indicates they were working secretly or independently. For some reason, during this mission, they ran into the mercenary troops of La Rue and captured Laura. That troop later arrived at the library where Carlota was held. The rest is known history."

"Did you get all that out of her? What does Cisa know?"

"Ridiculous! I got most of it from the students. Cisa only helped them years ago when they were orphaned or something like that... Besides, there's not much she can know about them... given her current state."

"Anything else?"

"If Valeria is going to interrogate me anyway, I'd rather do the report now. I don't like repeating things."

Rola stomped across the wooden floor, heading out of the office toward the room Valeria was temporarily using as her operations center. Valz followed, reluctant to keep talking with her; he was already irritated enough by their brief interaction. From the hallway, they could hear the morning birds chirping, which, along with Rola's footsteps, formed a peculiar symphony. Valz appreciated the rhythm until they reached Valeria's office.

"Speak. Tell me something that's not already in Carlota's report," Valeria ordered, seated at her desk, signing documents without losing focus on what she was doing.

"Disrespectful girl, you'll pay attention when I speak to you!" Rola scolded. Valz cleared his throat, showing his discomfort. The famous mother-daughter-like arguments between Valeria and Rola often ended with Rola's reassignment to some backwater village in the County and weeks of Valeria's silence, who was already a woman of few words. Valz didn't enjoy being present for any of it.

Valeria raised her gaze.

"That's better," Rola smiled warmly. "I already told Valz about the Music mercenaries. I suppose I should keep investigating, but really, it's a Sacred matter, and I don't think it has anything to do with what happened to Carlota." Valeria glanced at Valz, slightly annoyed. As always, Rola never gave her the complete information.

"I'll explain it to her later," Valz assured her.

"Yes, let him explain. That was the boring part. The Angel! Makia! They're the ones connected."

"What do you mean?" Valeria now had Rola's full attention.

"We already have the declaration of the mercenary who helped rescue Carlota."

"Blanca," Valz interrupted.

"Yes, her. They found the Angel, alone and naked, surrounded by  Rue soldiers, all dead, for only a few hours. The late Ágora thought it was humane to take her with them; she didn't speak and seemed to need help."

"Is that where they got the uniforms to infiltrate the library?" Valeria asked.

"Exactly, dear. Once in the library, everyone helped rescue Carlota and the other students, even a Rue mercenary named Anastasia. But one student stayed behind: Makia, the one-armed."

"The initial reports said that the last time they saw him in the library, he was missing an arm," Valeria questioned.

"Yes, hence the nickname... 'the one-armed.' In his fight with the Rue mercenaries, Makia lost an arm. I actually recovered it, and it's in pretty good condition considering it's been a day. I have it in a special preserve in the basement... Anyway, in his solo fight with the Angel, he severed his enemy's arm, and now he uses it as a prosthetic. Somehow, the Techno Creation fused with Makia's body, allowing him functional use. Sensitivity tests indicate he can feel as if it were his own skin," Rola explained, demonstrating with Valz's arm as a model.

"Is he...?"

"Alive and doped up to his ears with opiates. He struggles to speak and has grown fond of wrapping his arm in lots of bandages."

"Is there more information we can get from him?"

"His entire family was murdered the night before, including him, but somehow he survived and woke up in the morgue. He asked the attending doctor for pain medication and continued on his way. As for his institute friends, they're useless; they genuinely have no idea what's going on. Although one of them has a mother who's a renegade Rue priestess, an ex-Sacra, but that doesn't help either. I checked her, and she's clean. Beyond that, nothing more is relevant. Makia doesn't remember much and seems unaware of what happened to his family, and I won't be the one to tell him."

Rola rifled through the mess on Valeria's desk, finding a newspaper from two days ago. She flipped through it briefly and handed it to Valeria.

Valeria read aloud: "Family Murdered in Alleged Robbery... Three members, all stabbed to death... Alana, Arthut, and Makia, 15 years old."

"Where is he now?" Valeria asked Rola.

"At this hour? He must be in Quinta's presence. By the way, are we not going to discuss the dismal state of the Sacred army? They look like they've been pulled from a reformatory. Don't the Uldrich Counts care about their daughter?"

"What!? Why did you send him to her?"

"You ordered it; 'Once we're done with him, hand him to the Sacra, no sooner.' Those were your words."

"Didn't you think it was important that I speak to him before handing him over?"

"No."

"Damn the day..." Valeria grumbled.

"Enough, ladies..." Valz commanded, almost threateningly. Though the lowest rank in the room, Valeria knew angering the best warrior of the Victrix—and her combat mentor—had consequences. Rola also knew Valz had little fondness for her.

"One last thing, princess," Rola added. "I interviewed the person who saw Makia rise from the dead, a doctor named Maira."

"And?"

"'Mother, forgive me,' he recited before leaving the morgue for classes at the institute. I suppose he was referring to Alana..." Rola said, looking down. "I regret not having the time to ask Makia about it."

"Let's hope there's something left of him after the inquisition gets through with him," Valeria finished, not offended this time by Rola's often useless information.

Valeria leaned back in her chair. Valz and Rola left. A quiet morning had just begun.