Chapter Seventy-One: Suijin’s Return

    Serenity.

    This was the sensation Amelia felt shortly after Suijin had suddenly agreed to her request.

    Sure, there was an odd feeling of her body becoming something new and the unfathomable surge of power that now coursed through her very essence.

    But, after that?

    Serenity.

    Amelia felt like a calm winter’s lake, perfectly still. She instinctively knew she had control over Suijin’s power. It was strange... he felt familiar. It wasn’t the same as when she invoked Asclepius, where the messy communion made her manic and she needed Serena to calm her down.

    No, this time, Suijin was working with her. She wasn’t sure why; she’d been in the middle of giving the snarky deity a proper dressing down when the request was suddenly accepted. Nevertheless, he had accepted, and now she was once again in possession of more power than she knew what to do with.

    Amelia didn’t know what form she had and didn’t feel the urge to check. She did notice, however, upon opening her eyes and seeing Serena and Greatlord Oshiro hovering near her face with tense expressions, was how big she was. She was sure she could open her mouth and gobble them both whole!

    Heh. Maybe another time.

    “Hello,” she said. Her voice was melodic and lyrical. “Did you wait long?” she asked.

    “Amelia...?” Serena asked, her eyes widening.

    “Yes, I have control. Suijin accepted.” Amelia felt herself smile. She looked down.

    Oh my, she was enormous this time. Much bigger than Asclepius’s embodiment.

    The inferno licked at her sides, but Amelia wasn’t worried. That fire would need enough energy to boil an ocean before it would irritate her.

    How silly of it to rear its ugly head against her and Suijin.

    “I’ll begin now,” Amelia sang.

    She didn’t need to move, or make any gestures. No, Amelia was serene. She gently told her aether to manifest some water, and it did. A square kilometer of water, perhaps an inch thick, manifested near her feet, above the buildings. The water wanted to fall, to assault the insulting inferno underneath.

    So Amelia let it fall.

    You’re not welcome here, she thought, enjoying the sounds of the fire’s energy depleting.

    She summoned another plane of water, then another. Soon, the vast quantities of smoke were outdone by the rising steam. Another plane of water, then another. A few remnants of fire remained, so she summoned another, final plane.

    It was winter, wasn’t it? She kept the water warm, and instructed it to stay warm for the foreseeable future.

    “Amelia!” she heard Serena call. “I think... I think that’s enough!”

    Oh, that’s right. She’d essentially produced the equivalent of half a foot of rain over two minutes.

    She wouldn’t get in trouble for a little bit of flooding, would she?

    Amelia stretched her senses, detecting the lives of every resident still hiding in the basements. She was worried that water would pool in those locations, potentially drowning the last survivors of the now-extinguished fire.

    So she commanded the water not to enter the basements, and it obeyed her.

    Water was her element, after all.

    After such smoke and ash-filled chaos, the now water-logged lowlands were at peace. Amelia could relax and return to her original form. She’d done plenty now. She could hear the cries of relief of those she saved.

    She giggled, the noise sounding ethereal. It made her feel so good to help so many! What was the problem with a little Second-Word embodiment if it could produce such a positive result?

    She let go of Suijin’s power, returning it to the strangely obedient god.

    He spoke to her as she did.

    Such a kind soul, Suijin said in her mind. She would be proud of you.

    Maybe... if it’s you... she can come back.

    Starla knew arriving early to parliament was a good idea. The side-benches were not yet fully occupied so she was able to find herself a seat with a good view of the House. Although the five-hundred-year-old building - with its stained-glass windows depicting the Empress slaying the Enemy - first prompted her to open her mouth in awe, she was now used to it.

    The House doors were yet to open, but through them Starla could hear frenzied debate going on. She looked at the Lord Speaker, who was in discussion with the Clerk of the House and the Serjeant-at-Arms. The latter was the only person allowed in parliament capable of manifesting aura. The Serjeants-at-Arm’s name was Honora Duguie, a famous Speaker with an almost unrivalled military record and someone Starla greatly admired. The woman had retired to politics, where she famously refused Lordship, preferring to stay in the House of Commons over moving to the House of Lords. Now, she served as the House’s Serjeant-at-Arms, responsible for protecting the civilian delegations that were more of a danger to each other than any outside force.

    They wore tense expressions, no doubt mentally preparing for the chaos ahead.

    “Going to be a wild one,” she whispered to her colleague. “Hear that outside? They’re already clashing horns! Oh...” She fingered through the documents she carried, pulling out a report. “Here’s the sewage flow rate figures. Someone sent them to my desk instead of yours.”

    “Thanks, Miss Seraphine.” Her colleague took the paper with a smile. “Somehow, I think the sewage question won’t be on today’s agenda. What do you think he’ll start with?” He nodded towards the Lord Speaker to their left, whose seat overlooked the rows of benches waiting to be filled with the Empire’s delegations.

    “Surely it’ll be the fire, right? That’s on everyone''s mind and the honourable rabble outside won’t cool down till it’s discussed.” Starla reached back, tying her blond hair into a ponytail. Then she clenched her hands around her small Cerulean horns and gave her colleague a tired-looking expression. “This is how I expect we’ll feel by the end!”

    Titters erupted around her. Like her, Starla’s colleagues carried documents full of facts and figures, ready to supply the Centralis delegation should they need to double-check anything. With a minute until the doors opened, the side benches had hushed discussions about the upcoming session.

    “How angry do you think Yannis will get this time?”

    “Willem will have his horns wrapped around his fingers, ha!”

    “I passed through the lobby; the West sent a proper delegation this time!”

    “Oh? That’s unusual. Are they finally reacting to Thornheart?”

    As the final seconds ticked by, the anticipation rose. Even the noise outside the door dimmed down. Starla could imagine them now, crowding around the door, trying to be first in line.

    “Serjeant-at-Arms!” called the Lord Speaker. “The sooner you have those doors open, the sooner we can be done. If you could, please.”

    “Yes, Lord Speaker.” Honora nodded her head and walked to the other side of the room. Once at the doors, she lifted the large brass knocker and used it to knock thrice - producing powerful thuds that echoed through the House. “Make way for the doors!” Honora shouted before knocking three more times. She then moved the large bolt keeping the House’s doors barred and pushed them open, revealing the gathering of civilian delegations.

    The Centralis delegation entered first, their expressions dark, contrasting their fair hair and blue eyes. Whatever arguments had been going on beyond the door, it was clear they’d been in the centre of it. Still, with their dark robes trimmed with gold thread, they maintained their composure as they took their seats. The Head of the Delegation, the Right Honourable Willem Pieter, sat in front, flanked by his two officers: Johann Leopold and Maria Catharina. Behind him, the remainder of the delegation, more than two dozen pairs of horns, crammed themselves into the limited bench space. More than a few were relegated to standing at the back.

    Then came the Eastern delegation, led by the Right Honourable Tadashi Haruto and his two officers: Chen Liang with his thick-based Manwese horns and Jung Yoonah with her horns ending in the exotic twist found commonly in the Aindo people. They were all dressed in black and blue, their black hair and sharp eyes giving them a formidable appearance. Weapons were forbidden in the House, but Starla could easily imagine them as soldiers instead of the politicians they were. They took their seats opposite the Centralis delegation, their faces solemn.

    Next through the door were the Northerners in black and purple. Their horns were more curly than most, matching their curly brown hair. Starla couldn’t help but admire their handsome faces, adorned with prominent noses, well-defined jawlines, and green eyes. Even though they were red-faced, with some grinding their teeth, it did little to harm their eye-catching appearance.

    Led by the Right Honourable Yannis Theodoros, they sat down on the opposite side of the Centralis delegation, next to the Easterners. Yannis immediately entered into a hushed conversation with his officers: the angry-looking Mikkel Aslak and the sharp-eyed Freya Solveig. They occasionally glared at Willem Pieter and other members of the Centralis delegation but kept their cool.

    For now, Starla thought.

    Then, the striking Southern delegation came striding through the doors. What skin could be seen through the black and red robes seemed almost painted, but Starla knew it was a natural feature of their ethnicity. They sported a variety of horns: the thick ram’s horn of the Wami people, the straight and smooth of the Yamenian folk, and the thick singular horns of the far southern pyramid-builders, the Arakian.

    Their Head, a muscular, bald man named Lukas Stanislaw, sat down. Two female officers quickly followed him. Starla had seen them many times before: Aisha Laila from Yamen, and the elegant Nefertari Bastet from Jimar, home of the Empire-wide appreciated Jimari coffee. Nefertari especially caught Starla’s eye.

    If I stayed in the sun, would I ever get bronze skin like hers? she thought.

    The southern delegation sat down opposite the northerners, next to the Centralis delegation.

    Lastly, the Western delegation arrived. Their numbers were smaller than the rest, and most of them were threehorns. The Head of the Delegation, Santiago Manuel, carried himself with a neutral expression. He and his officer, a demon named Antonio Alejandro from Ipar Binarri, made the sign of the Petrine cross towards the prominent stained-glass window of the Empress before sitting down next to the Northern Delegation.

    “Silence! Damn you! Silence!” The gavel was slammed downwards thrice. “I will have silence!” The Lord Speaker shouted until his voice was the only one that could be heard. “Thank you,” he finally intoned. “This House will have order! Now...” he turned to his left. “I believe the Head of the Imperial Delegation, the Right Honourable Edward Alistair, has a comment! The floor is yours, sir!”

    The white-robed Imperial representative stood up. Edward Alistair took a moment to observe the room, and once he seemed certain everyone’s attention was on him, he opened his mouth and said, “The Empress intends to respect the Eastern Overlord’s right to Speaker Privacy. That is all.” With that, he sat down.

    “Lord Speaker!” Tadashi shouted before the commotion could start up again. “While the name of the individual is not known...” Tadashi greatly emphasised his words. “The name Amelia Thornheart is known to all of us. Although I call into question the veracity of the Right Honourable Sir’s report...” Yannis sniggered, folding his arms in protest. Tadashi ignored him. “I would like to continue our report regarding Thornheart’s actions!” The demon took a sip of water before continuing. “Lord Speaker! As we all know, Thornheart is a human Speaker! Not of Rula, the Word of the weaker human branch of healing... No! Lord Speaker, Thornheart is a Speaker of Aseco! The much more powerful branch of divinity!” Tadashi spread his arms wide. “Is this not a great thing for our Empire!?”

    At his words, many in the Eastern and Centralis delegation nodded, murmuring their agreement. Tadashi, seemingly finding his stride, continued, “I once again have to question the Right Honourable Sir’s incessant suspicion and argumentation regarding Lord-Prospect Thornheart!” Tadashi dramatically pointed to the stained-glass window with its rendition of the Empress shining down upon the House. “Our Overlord himself has sanctioned her! As I have informed the Right Honourable Sir multiple times in the past, I now once again remind him that she was successfully screened by Intelligence!”

    “That’s right!” someone from the Centralis delegation called out.

    “She’s on the Empire’s side!”

    “Servant of the Empress!”

    “A priceless asset!”

    “Lord Speaker!” Tadashi shouted. “The Honourable Sirs and Madams across from me have their horns straight! For Amelia Thornheart, a wandering healer born in Karligard, to find her way to the Empire while avoiding the clutches of the Vatican is a sign from the Seven Hells! A blessing of the Moons! During the inferno that claimed the lives of so many, Thornheart’s divine healing saved thousands from the same fate! She worked directly under the supervision of Greatlord Oshiro and Highlord Yasuda! Because of her, the Asamaywa Station was saved! Now!” Tadashi fixed his eyes on Yannis. “Do I need to remind the North how difficult it would be for us to supply the battlefield if we lost such a key part of our rail network!? I see the Right Honourable Sir is shaking his head, Lord Speaker! May I ask, why!?”

    Yannis stepped forward, raising his hands to the sky. “Lord Speaker, what has overcome us! Sometimes, I wonder if the Honourable Sirs and Madams think they should be worshipping Amelia Thornheart instead of our great Empress!” The Northern delegation sent out a series of jeers in support of the proclamation. The Southern delegation added their support while the East and Centralis delegations shook their heads.

    Starla glanced towards the Western delegation. They were sitting still, barely reacting to the chaos.

    “Lord Speaker!” Tadashi called out. “I see that the Right Honourable Willem Pieter is eager to address this hogwash! I give my floor to him!” Tadashi sat down as Willem Pieter stood up.

    “The House recognises the Right Honourable Willem Pieter!” the Lord Speaker shouted, banging his gavel.

    “My sincere thanks, Lord Speaker” Willem began, his face holding a sly smile. “I fear for the Right Honourable Sir from the North. He’s become as red as the red moon! I worry he may soon explode!”

    Laughter erupted from the Centralis delegation, prompting Yannis’s face to contort angrily.

    “I say only this, Lord Speaker,” Willem continued. “The presence of Amelia Thornheart continues to be, if you forgive the pun, a thorn in the side of the rebellion! Are we not well informed that this human Speaker of Aseco, who has allied herself with Cascadia, has seriously impacted the morale and unity of the human nations? Shouldn’t the North be thankful for the chaos this one singular human has caused amongst our enemies?”

    “Good point!”

    “Hear, hear!”

    “Ya!”

    “Lord Speaker!” Yannis bellowed. “The Right Honourable Sir must have his horns twisted! We hear different whispers on the battlefield! Whispers that the presence of Thornheart may prompt Christdom to formally join the conflict!” He pointed at the Centralis delegation. “Lord Speaker, they seem so relaxed. They think that just because Meppen has fallen, the war is over! Perhaps if Centralis would provide more divisions, then we might share with them their demeanor! The North bleeds!”

    “The North bleeds!” echoed the rest of the northern delegation.

    “Lord Speaker!” Willem protested. “I must find I am shocked to see such comments launched towards Centralis and its delegation!” He raised his two hands, palm down, carrying a puzzled expression. “Is it not true that the majority of munitions are manufactured by Centralis cities?” The Centralis delegation cheered. “Is it not true that we’ve supplied more than a hundred vessels to the North!? More than a hundred thousand men!?” More cheering. “Without Centralis, the North would have nothing to shoot! The North bleeds, yes.” Willem looked exasperated. “But so does Centralis!”

    “Perhaps, Lord Speaker,” Yannis growled. “If the Right Honourable Sir had ever served, he would understand things better. I note to the House that the Right Honourable Sir’s excuse for not volunteering was a medical reprieve, yet I’ve never seen him looking healthier over these last eight years! Why is that, do we think?”

    “You... you accuse me of cowardice!?” Willem spluttered, his previously controlled expression falling quickly to anger. “Is that your claim, Honourable Sir!?”

    “It is not, Lord Speaker!” Yannis scoffed. “I am merely concerned with what our peers might think while considering your questionable medical history!”

    Starla sighed. Here they go. Yannis knew how to twist Willem’s horns as much as Willem knew how to twist Yannis’s.

    “I-I will not stand for this!” Willem yelled. “Lord Speaker, I must demand an apology this instant, or the Serjeant-at-Arms must surely remove the Honourable Sir for improper behaviour unfitting of a parliamentary representative!”

    “There is no apology to be given!” barked Yannis.

    “I demand you take back your words, sir!”

    “Lord Speaker, I will not!”

    “I cannot let such an insult go unsatisfied, Lord Speaker!”

    “Then the Honourable Sir can request satisfaction, Lord Speaker!”

    “I will not be toyed with like this!” Willem spat, gritting his teeth. “I demand satisfaction!”

    “A duel, sir!?” Yannis sneered. “With your medical condition!?”

    “By the Empress, man! A duel it will be! I will shoot you dead, I swear on the moons!”

    “You shall not! For I will shoot you first! Then you’ll finally know what it’s like to bleed!”

    “I will not listen to this any further! Dawn tomorrow, Honourable Sir!”

    “Dawn, tomorrow it is! I will bring my pistol!”

    “As will I!”

    “Very well then!”

    “Hrmph!”

    “Tsk!”

    The men, reddened with anger, huffed and puffed.

    Starla couldn’t believe it.

    “My good men,” the Lord Speaker intoned. “Now that you’ve kindly agreed to make my job fifty per cent easier by the end of tomorrow...” The room erupted with laughter, with delegation members jeering while waving their papers in the air. “Let us proceed to the next matter while your blood cools. I believe the Southern delegation wished to-”

    The Lord Speaker cut off suddenly, his eyes fixed across the room. Starla followed his gaze, to see that Tenoch Xolotl had raised his hand. For a moment, the Lord Speaker only stared at the Westerner’s golden eyes before finally banging his gavel.

    “The House recognises the Honourable Tenoch Xolotl!”

    Tenoch stood up, his presence seemingly filling the room. Once everyone’s attention was transfixed upon him, he bowed towards the Eastern delegation.

    “Honourable Sirs and Madams of the East,” he began, his strange accent tickling Starla’s ears. “Although we are different, separated by many thousands of leagues, we, too, know the pain of fire.” For a moment, Tenoch looked like he would elaborate on that matter, but he simply moved on. “You are in our hearts. Our Overlord desires to gift three thousand bottles of loqua to the East. A reward for those who worked so hard in fighting the terrible tragedy. Would you accept our Overlord’s kindness, honourable friends of the East?”

    Tadashi stood up, bowing deeply. “We will accept, Honourable Sir.”

    “You were most fortunate,” Tenoch intoned. “To have Amelia Thornheart so close. We of the West are happy to see another Terra Firma receive such a boon. Her actions are also the cause of my presence here today...” he turned, taking a sealed envelope from a delegation member. “Clerk of the House!” he called. “A missive from our Overlord!”

    The clerk jumped, walking a bit too quickly to receive the letter from Tenoch. Starla could see the man visibly swallow. The Yoaltan must seem massive up close!

    Once the Clerk was reseated, Tenoch continued, “A letter... consisting of an invitation and a recommendation.” The demon bowed again towards the Eastern delegation. “Our great and wise Overlord extends a formal invitation to Lord-Prospect Thornheart to travel to the Western Terra Firma and enjoy our...” The Yoaltan smiled, revealing several of his teeth were made of green crystal. “...delights.”

    Murmuring and whispers spread throughout the House, silenced only by Tenoch continuing to speak. “Included is also a recommendation,” he intoned smoothly, glancing at his peers one by one. It seemed no one could meet his golden eyes. “From our Overlord to the Eastern Overlord, to sanction Amelia Thornheart with full Cascadian Lordship with all haste. For her noble and brave actions saving so many demon lives.”

    For a moment, there was silence.

    Then, a chuckle sounded from the door.

    Honora Duguie, the Serjeant-at-Arms, was laughing.

    And, as if her laughter gave everyone else permission, the House imploded into chaos.

    The resulting commotion made Starla realise that her earlier joke about clutching her horns in frustration would become a reality.