Lateral Movement

by Alzrius

927 - War of Words

The Autumnal Insignia that Lex had received was easily the weakest of seven treasures that he’d acquired.

Although the artifact contained both magic and aristeia, it had fewer of both than the other six items. Moreover, the Insignia served only to connect its bearer to the forces of Autumn, outsourcing the actual utilization of those powers to both the strength of the Insignia’s wielder and the current time of year on whatever world its bearer found themselves, presuming that the seasons held sway there.

The result was that Lex now had an entirely new form of magic – that of nature – at his disposal...but only with regard to the entropic forces that the autumn season represented. And while those powers were usable all year round, they waxed and waned dramatically in accordance with the seasonal cycle.

But even though those powers were at their strongest right now, since the autumnal equinox was only recently passed and the winter solstice still some time away, Lex knew they’d be of little help if he had to fight Gwynharwyf. Although the Llys Seren was part of the Seelie Court, they had no connection to the seasonal cycle, which meant that Gwynharwyf – like all eladrin – had no particular vulnerabilities to the powers of Autumn. And even if she had, her personal strength was such that Lex couldn’t see it making much difference if he was forced to fight her.

That strength, however, wouldn’t protect her from the political fallout of attacking a high-ranking member of the Autumn Court.

Indicating that he held such a lofty status was, as far as Lex was concerned, the Insignia’s greatest power.

“You’re a Marquis of Autumn?!”

“By the grace of Her Majesty, Queen Penelope La Gard,” replied Lex, enjoying the shocked look on Gwynharwyf’s face. “Who would, naturally, appeal to her husband – King Iubdan – if one of her most loyal retainers were to be assassinated by a leader of the Llys Seren.”

Gwynharwyf stared at the Insignia for a long moment, as though processing what to make of this new development. After a moment, she scowled, but didn’t relax her stance. “The Autumn Court has a great name,” she admitted, her tone neutral. “I remember hearing when one of the previous Autumn Kings, Fionn, smote two of Eschaton’s heads, and his wife Olwen struck down a third.”

Lex said nothing, not knowing who any of those individuals were. The Libram of Ineffable Damnation hadn’t bothered to identify any individuals – past or present – in the fey courts; the eladrin were the sole exceptions simply because they were also empyreals.

And he’d certainly never heard of any sort of multi-headed creature named “Eschaton.”

“But that was a long time ago,” continued Gwynharwyf. “Ever since those two lost their lives driving that monster away, Autumn has been in decline, with nothing more than a series of weak kings and even weaker queens leading it. Which is to say...”

She firmed up her stance then, raising her scimitars.

“...I couldn’t care less what your Queen Penelope and her husband will do.”

Cursing inwardly, Lex immediately retorted with the first thing that came to mind. “And what about Queen Mab? Do you care what she does?”

Gwynharwyf scoffed, but she didn’t attack. “The Winter Mother? Why would she give a damn about what happens to one of Autumn’s dogs?”

Realizing that he was fortunate to have managed to pull the names of the other Unseelie leaders from Penelope’s mind during their tryst, Lex smirked, ignoring Gwynharwyf’s insult as he did his best to project absolute confidence in what he was saying. “The Winter Mother is the de facto leader of the whole of the Unseelie. When she hears that a consort of the Queen of a notable Seelie clan killed a retainer of Autumn, the second-most prominent house of the Unseelie Court, she won’t let it go.”

“She will,” spat Gwynharwyf, though she still didn’t take so much as a half-step forward. “If the Autumn King is too weak to protect his own, then she’ll simply arrange for his downfall and let the next king worry about it.”

“Are you absolutely sure of that?” retorted Lex, letting his smirk fade in favor of a grave look. Gwynharwyf was the leader of the eladrin armies, and given her mercurial disposition, he was betting everything on that meaning that she left the political machinations of the court to her wife, Morwel. “Because I’m telling you, while the Winter Court will do nothing when it comes to Autumn’s internal disputes, your killing me won’t be seen as a private dispute between the Llyn Seren and Autumn; it will be seen as the Seelie declaring war on the Unseelie.”

In point of fact, Lex doubted that it would ever get that far. The fact that he’d cuckolded the Autumn King – who would likely find out what had happened very soon, due to Penelope’s retainers having received the same treatment; such a secret was simply too weighty to stay hidden for long – meant that Iubdan would likely see Gwynharwyf’s killing him as neatly solving a problem. Any face that he lost for a member of his court being slain by a foreign power could easily be resolved by asking for some sort of token apology...which Morwel or some other Seelie power would likely give, since no one wanted a war.

But Gwynharwyf didn’t know that. As far as she was concerned, he was a high-ranking member of the Autumn Court, in good standing with its leaders. If she believed that war would be the result of her actions here...

Frowning, the eladrin shook her head. “It won’t become a war. Morwel will talk to Mab, and they’ll work something out.”

Lex laughed, not having to fake the scorn in his voice. “Indeed they will. And I can already tell you that what they ‘work out’ – as you so simplistically put it – will be your beloved wife paying a price to appease your affront to the Unseelie. Tell me, what do you think the Winter Mother will demand of her?”

Gwynharwyf winced ever so slightly.

With her presence still condensing thoughts and emotions into the same process, Lex couldn’t help but feel a vicious sense of vindictive glee at the sight. That’s right. You pontificated at me about the importance of setting duty aside when it conflicted with your principles. Now let’s see if you can live up to your own words.

In many ways, Gwynharwyf reminded him of Celestia. Both were arrogant fools who were under the impression they could simply do whatever they pleased, treating their conscience as the ultimate arbiter of right and wrong with no thought given the weighty responsibilities that came with their authority. The end result was that someone else inevitably paid the price for their selfishness.

Celestia had rejected that lesson when Lex had tried to enlighten her, eschewing logic and reason in favor of childishly rejecting everything he’d told her.

The question now was if Gwynharwyf would do the same...

Slowly, the eladrin relaxed her stance, straightening up as she lowered her swords.

Then she began walking toward Lex.

There was nothing particularly aggressive about her movements. Her gait was slow and completely without tension. Her scimitars hung loose in her hands. Even her aura relaxed, letting thoughts and emotions be separate things once again.

And yet she came closer and closer, her expression icy as she stared him down.

Lex met her gaze evenly, refusing to back up as he kept Belligerence at the ready.

It was only when Gwynharwyf had come close enough that the two of them were within striking distance of each other’s weapons that she stopped her advance, glaring at Lex for several long seconds before she finally spoke.

“I challenge you to a duel.”

Lex had his answer ready before she’d finished speaking. “I refuse.”

Gwynharwyf bared her teeth at him. “Coward.”

“Call me whatever you wish. I have no reason to agree to fight you.”

“You’re of the Autumn Court, the murderers of the Unseelie. If I tell them that you backed down from a challenge, what will that do to your reputation among your fellow killers and assassins? To your queen’s reputation?”

“That’s not sufficient-”

Her arm seemed to flicker for a moment, and Lex felt a slight pain in his face, just under his eye. Then he felt a warm trickle running down his cheek, realizing it was his own blood.

He hadn’t even been able to see the attack, much less defend against it.

“How’s that for sufficient?” spat Gwynharwyf. “Now accept the duel!”

The beast inside of him snarled, infuriated by the provocation, but Lex forced it down. It was clear that – just like when he’d dueled Blueblood back in Vanhoover – if he accepted her challenge, it would constitute a mutual agreement that the outcome would generate no political fallout. And since he had no reason to agree to that, she was trying to shame him into doing so.

Which was itself an implicit admission that she couldn’t bring herself to attack him otherwise.

He’d won.

Gwynharwyf was the single strongest enemy he’d faced to date, and he’d just overcome her – not with his magic or his claws or even Belligerence – but with his wits alone.

Given how thoroughly sick he’d grown of finding himself in life-or-death battles, it was an exceptionally sweet victory. So much so that Lex allowed himself a triumphant grin as he looked back at Gwynharwyf, the wound she’d given him already beginning to close. “I told you before: I refuse your challenge.”

“Bastard!” Her other arm flickered for an instant, and another gash was opened across his face. “What’s the matter?! Are you only brave enough to bare your claws against women that you’ve already enslaved?! Put me in my place, I dare you!”

She continued to hurl insults at him, calling him every foul epithet that she knew while belittling his bravery, his masculinity, his parentage, and numerous other aspects of his character. Each one came with another cut from her scimitars, inflicting wounds that were shallow but painful, cutting through his defenses as though they weren’t even there.

Lex bore it all in silence, unflinching as he stared Gwynharwyf in the eye.

Her tantrum was nothing more than the braying of a loser.

Finally, she seemed to realize that she was wasting her time, ceasing her tirade as she sneered at him. “I should have known better than to think one such as yourself would fight to defend your honor, since you so clearly have none. Let me guess, you’re waiting for me to offer you some reward if you win, is that it? Hoping that I’ll pledge to spend the night with you, or offer you one service, or something else that’ll tickle your sick little fancy if you beat me?”

Lex said nothing, simply letting her stew in her own helplessness.

“Pathetic,” she sneered when it became clear that he wasn’t going to reply. “You can hide behind that little title that Penelope the Pretender gave you, but not forever. The Autumn Court doesn’t respect those who cower behind their masters’ banners, and no ruler wants such a cowardly servant dragging their name through the mud.”

Leaning forward, she spat in his face, her green eyes murderous. “Sooner or later, you’re going to lose your standing in the Unseelie. And when you do, I’ll be there to cut you down and free your sex slaves. Count on that, Lex Legis.”

She paused one last time, waiting to see if her final, desperate attempt to get a rise out of him would work. When it didn’t, she snorted, and a moment later Lex picked up a plane-shifting spell as she vanished from sight.

Lex paused just long enough to make sure she was truly gone, then sighed. His wounds were already healing themselves of their own accord, and even his appearance was fixing itself as the bloodstains – and Gwynharwyf’s spittle – fell away from him.

But he didn’t put Belligerence away as he glanced at Burly, confirming that the stallion wasn’t going to wake up for some time, before looking over at the multicolored dome a short distance away.

“Have you seen enough? Or do you intend to drag this nonsense out even more?”

No reply came for several seconds, until at last the dome dissipated, revealing the elves within.

Loraestil and Thilaera were both pale-faced and panting, their eyes wide as they trembled lightly.

But judging from where they were looking, it wasn’t because of what had happened with Gwynharwyf.

“No, Lex Legis,” announced Vystalaran as he strode forward, a wan smile on his lips as he came to a stop a few dozen feet away from the titan. “I’d say that was more than satisfactory.”

---

I bet you believed everything I said, didn’t you?

Gwynharwyf had already changed into her aerial form as she plane-shifted back to the world she’d left only seconds ago, her body having become a whirlwind as she reappeared high in the atmosphere.

As if I’d ever just run away and leave innocent women behind for men like you to play with. I might not be able to kill you without forcing Morwel to deal with the consequences, but I can snatch your torture victims right out from under you! And by the time you run crying back to Penelope, and she contacts Morwel about having them returned, they’ll already be free of that filthy soul-binding magic you’ve used on them.

Fortunately, it was easy to figure out where that scum had hidden his victims. Gwynharwyf had caught sight of the bondage he held them in before, having been able to trace it in the direction of a nearby village. And she could see it below, speeding downward toward what looked like a small stone keep with an odd-looking knight on its roof. One wielding a ridiculously large sword.

Strange, frowned Morwel inwardly as she descended toward one of the keep’s small windows. That looks almost like-

She didn’t have a chance to finish that thought as the knight’s helmeted head suddenly swiveled around. Immediately, they shifted their grip on their sword, kneeling down and bracing weapon over one knee as one hand grabbed it by the ricasso to hold it steady. Their other hand traced down the fuller, where...

Had she been corporeal, Gwynharwyf’s eyes would have widened at seeing the spectral strings that appeared then, stretching from the downward-pointed hooked end of the sword to the cross-guard, doubling back in a way that almost looked like the draw of a crossbow.

Especially since, nestled within the fuller, there was now a five-foot-long solid metal quarrel, the spectral strings stretched taut behind it as the knight’s other hand pulled it back, increasing the tension.

Well well well, mused Gwynharwyf, easily dodging the massive arrow as it soared toward her a moment later. So Fionn and Olwen’s daughter survived.

“GWYNHARWYF!” bellowed Branwen after her shot missed. “I CHALLENGE YOU TO A DUEL!”

Author's Note:

Lex manages to talk Gwynharwyf down, driving the eladrin to withdraw before he calls out...Vystalaran?

What's going on with the elf wizard? And with Branwen having caught Gwynharwyf trying to kidnap Lex's soul-bound servitors, will she be able to fend off the eladrin?

Comments

[Not so New Brony]

I almost can't believe it but Lex somehow succeeded in bluffing his way out of a truly dire situation though it appears that it's not over yet.

Still, it seems like Lex got quite a lot more than he bargained for when he made the deals with the lesser titans. Wonder if the others happen to have some kind of baggage that their mistresses wanted to offload onto Lex's claws to handle. Well, that or this was simply a coincidence though I suppose it doesn't matter if Gwynharwyf accepts the duel and causes havoc to the village, if only to spite Lex.

[Booster Spice]

Given the state of the other two Elves, the Magician is a few orders up the Courts than expected?

How many more of Lexs associates are protecting his assets now?

[Alzrius]

11855768 Well, at this point Lex has all of his seven new servants, along with Solvei, Nenet, and Mei Li, all in one place. Plus the adlets (who seem to regard him as something of a messianic figure now) as well, though I doubt they count for much. So do they all equal one Gwynharwyf? I suppose we'll find out.

As for why Vystalaran is suddenly acting like he's got the situation totally under control, and his comrades look shocked witless, well...that's also to be revealed (probably very soon ).

[Alzrius]

11855632 It was bound to happen eventually, that Lex would be able to use political maneuvering to end a fight before it started. Of course, Gwynharwyf is an exemplar of being Chaotic Good, so she's not going to let a guy who's Lawful Neutral with evil tendencies get away with (as she sees it) enslaving women for prurient purposes. Free spirits tend to see that sort of connection as soul bondage, and it oftentimes riles them up something fierce. Hopefully Gwynharwyf can be stopped before she kidnaps Solvei, Nenet, and Mei Li and tries to forcibly break their bond to Lex.

As for Branwen, her being a fey princess was something quite unexpected! Of course, we still don't know that much about her, other than the fact that she's crazy-strong and has some insane weapons. As for why she specifically is Penelope's emissary to Lex, that's currently unknown; perhaps we'll find out more in the near future?