For Aidios and Sigmar (Trails in the Sky x Total War: Warhammer crossover)

[BattleBrotherOfCalderis]

Liber Ark, S. 1203

Captain Julia Schwarz looked on with sympathy. Leonhardt, the newly-defected Ouroboros enforcer, had just taken his last breath. The warrior had given his life to help neutralize Georg Weissmann, one of the greatest existential threats to Liberl in the kingdom's history. Yet even as Joshua Bright wept, her own sorrow was directed elsewhere. During the battle against the Anguis, he had used his fell powers to seemingly vaporize Princess Klaudia. A million thoughts raced through her mind as she wiped a tear from her eye. She had failed in her duty to protect the princess – heir to the throne of Liberl, beloved by all, and someone she had grown to care and love like a sister.

Her train of thought was interrupted by a loud crash coming from behind her. Everyone except Joshua turned to look and was greeted by the sight of Weissmann attempting to flee.

And stopped in his tracks by someone who looked just like Princess Klaudia. Yet instead of the soft-spoken young lady clad in regal clothing, this "Klaudia" was clad head-to-toe in intricate plate armour and had a fire blazing in her eyes; a fire that Captain Schwarz had only seen among the most hardened veterans of the Hundred Days' War. And yet the thing that drew her curiosity the most was the symbol of a twin-tailed comet intricately stenciled onto one of her pauldrons.

Any relief Julia might have felt faded as Tita screamed. Estelle gasped as she covered the blonde girl's eyes. The rapier Celestial, treasured heirloom of the Liberlian royal family, had been skewered through Weissmann's midriff, trailing gore and a segment of his intestines.

"Chaos filth!!!" The woman who wore Klaudia's face snarled at Weissmann as she pulled out her rapier with a sickening squelch.

"Wh---what..." Weissmann could only manage those words before this "Klaudia" kicked him to the ground and plunged a dagger into his throat. Weissmann weakly tried to push her off even as she started to saw through his neck, his voice reduced to nothing but pathetic gurgles.

"KLOE?" Estelle screamed as Weissmann's blood sprayed onto "Klaudia's" armour and face. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Hello, Estelle. It has been quite some time." "Klaudia" said without any hint of emotion as she continued her grisly work. "This threat to Liberl has been left alone for far too long, and I am simply neutralizing it."

"You're taking this too far!" Estelle said while everyone stared on at the grisly sight.

"Klaudia" seemed far too practiced at the act of cruel butchery, for she had already finished severing Weissmann's head while Estelle was still speaking. She glared at the head for a few moments before she spat on it.

"Really, Estelle?" the venom in "Klaudia's" voice could not have been clearer as she kicked Weissmann's head into the chasm below. "After the sheer Gehenna he put the Kingdom and all of us through, I'm the one that's taking things too far?"

Everyone present was thrown off their footing by a series of rumbles.

"We have to leave, NOW!" Mueller Vander called out. "We can have this discussion back at the ship!"

After "Klaudia" took a few moments to collect the Aureole, the throng made a hurried retreat from the doomed floating city. When Joshua stumbled and fell, Estelle and "Klaudia" worked together to help him along to safety. Once they were nestled in the safety of the rapidly departing Arseille, the group congregated in the galley. By then, "Klaudia's" countenance had softened considerably. To the shock of the group, the first thing she did was wrapping Julia in a tight embrace – still clad in her gore-soaked armour.

Followed by a heartfelt wail.

"Y-your Highness?" Julia fought back tears of relief. "We thought you dead for those minutes you had disappeared."

"Minutes? Minutes?" Klaudia sobbed. "I have been stuck in a living Gehenna of a realm for years!

I've witnessed horrors you people would not believe...twisted men who willingly give themselves to devilish gods for the sake of power...I watched puppet-like corpses of fallen soldiers rising up to attack their comrades amidst the lands of the living dead. All of it will be seared into my mind for the rest of my life…"

"Kloe…it's okay. You're back here now. We're home now," Estelle joined in on the hug. "Why don't you have a seat and tell us what happened?"

"Oh, Estelle…" Klaudia sniffled. "How do I even start?"

---

2518 – in the reckoning of the Imperial Calendar

The Imperial Palace's bathhouse did little to soothe Emperor Karl Franz's weariness. He had returned from a grueling campaign to put a final end to the vampiric menace that had loomed over Sylvania for far too long. It had been made far more difficult by the sudden departure of the Supreme Patriarch and his troops, leaving him and the rest of the expedition in a less advantaged position than they would have preferred. Yet they had persevered despite Gelt's absence. With the lessons learned from the reclamation of Marienburg fresh in their minds, Karl Franz and his commanders had beaten back all the horrors von Carstein had thrown at them. In the final push for Castle Drakenhof, the creature had been slain by a Huntsman General fresh from Lustria – one that had the recommendation from the Huntsmarshal himself.

That same Huntsman General was now the new Elector Count of the liberated Sylvania.

Yet there were still many more battles to come. Missives coming from the Dwarfs of the Karaz Ankor were growing more dire, King Louen Leonceur's three-way war with Greenskins and the undead was at a standstill, and Tzarina Katarin had only barely begun to rebuild her broken kingdom - leaving Ostland and Ostermark bearing the brunt of Norscan invasions.

Not to mention the steadily growing rumours of a massive horde gathering strength in the Chaos Wastes. Respite seemed remote, if it would ever come.

The Emperor was jostled from his reverie by a commotion coming from the bathhouse's doors. He heard snippets of a hurried conversation between his Reiksguard and a visitor before a servant walked in.

"Pardon the intrusion, Your Majesty. The Supreme Patriarch has requested your presence," he said. "It is a highly sensitive matter."

Karl Franz let out a sigh of barely-disguised irritation as he waded out of the bath and dried himself off with a towel. Has he come to offer excuses for his departure from the war effort?

"Very well," he said as he gratefully accepted a set of clean courtly garments from another servant. "Send word to him that I shall arrive posthaste. Begin arrangements for a carriage in the meantime as well."

"There's no need for additional transport, Your Majesty," the servant replied. "The Supreme Patriarch…"

"…will personally see to His Majesty's transportation." Balthasar Gelt's booming voice accompanied the Supreme Patriarch's entry into the bathhouse. Upon meeting the still-changing Emperor, he bowed.

"A thousand apologies for my early departure from the war effort - and for my interruption," Gelt said. "They are rooted in the same problem which requires your urgent attention. Kaslain and Aglim are already waiting for us at the Colleges of Magic."

The last comment caught Karl Franz's attention. The Cult of Sigmar and the Colleges of Magic were cordial rivals on the best of days, and with Volkmar on crusade far in the Southlands, the Arch Lectors were the Cult of Sigmar's provisional leadership. An issue that prompted the two organizations to cooperate must have a truly grave one.

"Fetch my armour and Ghal Maraz."

---

As soon as Emperor and Supreme Patriarch boarded the carriage, it sped off towards the Colleges of Magic. As it rushed through Altdorf's labyrinthine streets, Gelt began recounting the situation with his typical flourish and wild gesticulations. Karl Franz's eyes went wide at the tale, for it was far more bizarre than his wildest expectations.

During the Sylvania campaign, guards patrolling Gelt's Solland estate had discovered what appeared to be a confused young woman with unnaturally coloured hair within his one of his alchemical workshops. Suspecting she was a spy from von Carstein, the guards had detained the woman and enlisted the help of a local Witch Hunter to interrogate her. The only thing that had saved the woman from a summary execution was the Witch Hunter's thorough probing which confirmed she had absolutely no links to the undead.

Yet neither the woman's sudden emergence within a secure area nor her strange appearance were the strangest things about her. Aside from a rapier and courtly clothing, the Witch Hunter had discovered a mysterious clockwork machine and a multitude of bright gems of seven different colours among her possessions. The machine had already been sent for analysis, with a contingency plan of enlisting the help of Dwarf engineers should Imperial experts come up short during their investigation. Due to their resemblance to Warpstone, the gems had been put under warded quarantine with a small sample sent to the foremost expert in the Known World that Gelt could trust – Prince Zhao Ming of Cathay.

The strange matter truly required Gelt's personal supervision, and the Solland State Army had been redeployed in order to deal with any further incursions which thankfully never materialized. As for the woman herself, she had been spirited away and held in a warded cell within the Colleges of Magic for ongoing interrogation.

Karl Franz pondered the implications of this event, the least of which was the favours he'd have to arrange to secure Zhao Ming's full cooperation. Was the woman connected to Chaos? Had the Ruinous Powers found a way to covertly insert their agents into even the most secure places of the Empire and her allies? Even if the investigation had been inconclusive so far, any new advantages on Chaos' part cannot be ignored.

Soon, they arrived at the Colleges, and the Arch-Lectors were already waiting for them. With Gelt leading, the group of dignitaries proceeded towards a secure wing where the mysterious individual was held. The Emperor opened his mouth, but Gelt shook his head before Karl Franz could probe the Arch-Lectors for further details.

Not yet. Karl Franz understood the hint. The matter was far too sensitive to discuss in the public wings of the Colleges. The group proceeded the hallways in silence, past lecture halls, offices, and the occasional mage who stopped to bow to the Emperor before they moved on. Soon, they passed through a set of heavily warded and armoured doors. Gelt led the group towards the observation cell before making a detour to a door guarded by two Greatswords. Inside was a long table on which rested a tome, a large plate of pastries, a steaming Kislevite samovar, and enough cutlery for the four of them.

This will take quite some time. Karl Franz understood the ramifications behind the setup.

---

Even with (or because of) Gelt and the Arch-Lectors being available to further explain the contents of the report, Karl Franz could not help but feel the onset of a headache. Overall, there were some major points outside of what Gelt had already told him:

1. The subject spoke a strange dialect of Reikspiel. She also vehemently denied that the language was called Reikspiel and insisted it was instead known as "Zemurian Common".
2. The subject – naming herself one "Klaudia von Auslese" - claimed to be the crown princess of an unknown kingdom called "Liberl" and experienced a great deal of confusion as to the identity of the Witch Hunters, Warrior Priests, and Wizards that had taken turns interrogating her. She had misidentified them at first as agents of an unknown power called "Erebonia" and demanded diplomatic representation.
3. The subject claimed to worship a foreign goddess known as Aidios, who was not known among the existing pantheon. Furthermore, she appeared to be completely ignorant of any of the gods that were known to the Old World.
4. She claimed to have fought in a gruelling battle against what sounded suspiciously like a Chaos Sorcerer prior to her arrival in Gelt's estate.

"I can see the potential ramifications of the language issue, but what of the efforts to locate this 'Kingdom of Liberl'?" the Emperor asked.

"Our immediate neighbours have no knowledge of this land, Your Majesty," replied Gelt. "There have been no replies yet from our outlying colonies nor more distant powers such as Ulthuan and Cathay. However, we are expecting similar results."

"Your Majesty, this individual must be a Chaos spy!" Kaslain demanded. "I recommend she be immediately put to the torch!"

"I advise moderation and further questioning, Your Majesty," Aglim said. "Proof of Chaos corruption, if it exists, may surface given enough time and patience."

"The cunning of Tzeentch cannot be underestimated," Kaslain restored. "Furthermore, her mutations are well within plain sight!"

"Are you speaking of her violet hair?" Gelt interjected. "That is hardly proof of corruption. None of my wizards have detected the taint of Chaos upon her."

"Our Witch Hunters and Warrior Priests have already wasted enough time on this wench!" Kaslain then turned to Gelt. "Surely you can agree as well with regards to your own wizards, Supreme Patriarch!"

"I'm afraid not, Arch Lector. This interrogation has proven to be a fruitful challenge to my subordinates," Gelt leaned forward. "My hypothesis is that we are dealing with the aftermath of an unprecedented phenomenon involving the Winds of Magic, where an individual has been spirited away from another world. Not the Realm of Chaos, mind you, but an entirely different plane of existence unknown even to Sigmar himself."

"Watch your tongue, Supreme Patriarch, for you tread dangerously towards heresy," Kaslain snarled. "Sigmar…"

"…may be a supremely powerful warrior and our divine protector, but none of our scriptures have made any mention of him being omniscient to the point of knowing everything there is to know about all the realms," Aglim said. "If so, how could he devote his attention to the Empire?"

"Before you continue with your position-mandated tirade, let me be clear that - as a fellow heir of Sigmar - I am not ignorant as to the inner workings of the church," Gelt said. "Given the Grand Theogonist's absence, someone in my position can only be…interrogated for heresy via a unanimous decision among the Arch Lectors. It appears your counterpart is hardly swayed towards that course of action."

Karl Franz had watched the argument impartially. It was the duty of the Arch Lectors to offer opposing opinions so that the Grand Theogonist or the Emperor can account for all contingencies that a body in unanimous agreement may have neglected. Yet he saw that Kaslain's fiery demeanor was nothing but a façade which hid his true opinions.

"This argument has gone on for long enough," Karl Franz said flatly as he stood up, turning his gaze to Kaslain. "Arch Lector Kaslain, I believe now is a prudent time to dispense with the theatrics. Tell me, what is your honest opinion on this matter?"

Kaslain nodded and his posture relaxed considerably.

"Your Majesty, I believe there may be some truth to the Supreme Patriarch's theory. None of our interrogators have found traces of corruption on her, and we are unanimous in our discernment that it may not exist. She has proven to be quite cooperative, especially after we moved to a softer approach involving Warrior Priests as opposed to Witch Hunters," Kaslain explained. "The resistance she initially displayed can be entirely attributed to confusion and distress, the latter of which she has continued to exhibit and with greater frequency."

"She has also experienced a great deal of naivety and ignorance – especially towards the Ruinous Powers - during interrogation," Aglim spoke up. "We judge it to be genuine and do not believe she is trying to deceive us. If she is indeed from another world, it has not been marked by Chaos."

"Can we send her back?" Karl Franz asked. "It appears she is nothing but a distraction that we should dispense with as soon as possible."

"I'm afraid we have no means to do so at this moment," Gelt replied. "Given the fact that her arrival in our world went entirely unobserved, replicating the exact fluctuations in the Winds of Magic that could guarantee her return will take quite some time."

"How long?" Karl Franz asked.

"Years. Possibly decades. Even if we could eventually manipulate the Winds of Magic to return her to her own realm, there is a major concern I have," Gelt said. "Tell me…are any of you aware of some recent discoveries made by the Cult of Shallya?"

"Are you speaking of their method to deliberately infect the citizenry?" Kaslain asked. "Which the Grand Theogonist somehow granted his blessing to?"

"It is a gross oversimplification, but yes. The art of 'inoculation', as they call it, has proven to be quite successful in combatting Nurgle's grip on our lands. Think of a plane of existence as one being, with Chaos as the disease. The peoples who do battle with Chaos such as us and our allies have developed a resistance to Chaos within our souls over successive generations," Gelt nodded. "However, the home realm of our subject does not appear to share that blessing. If we send her back prematurely, we may inadvertently sentence her entire world to damnation and thereby feed the Dark Gods. Even if she does not realize it herself, the corruption of her soul may have begun the moment she was sent here.

Before any of you ask, this is not a proposal to execute her," Gelt continued. "No, I offer two courses of action so that she may develop a resistance to Chaos and bring that blessing back to her world once the time comes…"

---

Royal Airship Arseille, Liberlian Airspace S. 1203

Kevin Graham's had deliberately settled in the very back of the room while Princess Klaudia began her tale. Nobody needed to see his jaw wide agape as she recounted the start of her ordeals beyond Zemuria's bounds.

He had no ill-will towards the princess for killing Weissmann instead of him. If anything, she had made the Church's job much easier by recovering the Aureole. Discussions with Her Majesty over future plans for safe storage will come. In the meantime, he pondered what he should do with the princess. She had been flung into The Beyond and came out heavily altered by the experience. There would have to be investigations and possibly a quarantine – all disguised in such a way as to not make the heir to Liberl's throne feel like she's some kind of criminal.

In the meantime, he had a thorny report to write…

 

[BattleBrotherOfCalderis]

Grancel Castle

Two weeks after the Liber Ark incident.

"Sorry for being late, Your Highness. I kinda underestimated how long it'd take me to navigate the castle," Kevin Graham apologized sheepishly as he emerged onto the balcony, where Princess Klaudia was already waiting with warm tea and pastries. "Anyway, you didn't put up that much of a resistance to my proposal. Why is that?"

"There is so much I've learned and experienced in that other world, and via the hardest and most brutal method possible. There is still a lot that I need help processing," Klaudia replied as she poured the priest some tea. "The nightmares haven't subsided yet either, and I want to make sure I will not be held back by my own mind should…should the inevitable come."

Kevin nodded solemnly at the implications behind the princess's words. Queen Alicia wasn't getting any younger, and it would do Liberl no good to be ruled by someone who woke up screaming every night about ratmen or devils.

"Now, the last time you met, you mentioned that you were captured and tortured by an 'Empire' and accused of being an abomination in the eyes of a god named Sigmar," Kevin consulted his notebook. "Yet when you came back to us you seemed to be working for said empire. What changed?"

"Emperor Karl Franz," Klaudia said firmly, her tone carrying hints of reverence for the unfamiliar monarch's name. "He was the man who truly helped me better understand their world. You see, our world – despite its ills – is a paradise compared to theirs…"

---

???

As soon as she heard the cell door open, Klaudia jolted awake and began to scurry backwards in blind panic. It was a natural reaction to – Days? Weeks? She no longer knew… - of ruthless interrogation and indoctrination by these strange Imperial agents. Her initial confusion and anger had quickly given way to despair. Despair from the possibility that these agents may have been telling the truth – that she was no longer in Liberl or even her own plane of existence. That the destiny she had taken the bold step to accept as well as her beloved friends and family had been forever ripped from her grasp.

Grandmother…Julia…Sieg…

Estelle…

Two knights restrained her arms, even though she had long given up struggling, and a third man – a so-called 'Witch Hunter' – roughly pulled a burlap sack over her head. Her submission did not earn her any preferential treatment, and the knights handled her like they would an unruly horse.

The intricate marble floor echoed with the clanging of boots, sabatons, and clogs as Klaudia half-walked and was half-dragged along the winding hallways. After what felt like an eternity of walking and several sets of creaking doors, Klaudia felt the chilly night air through her prisoner's rags before she was roughly shoved inside some kind of carriage which immediately sped off. After the last time she was in pushed inside one, she knew there was no point in trying to make conversation, so she slept.

And woke up in a bed.

Not the barely padded wooden contraption she was consigned to for the past several weeks. Not even a simple cozy bed like the one in Estelle's home.

An ornate bed draped in the smoothest linen, cushioned with the most comforting mattress, and actual curtains held up by poles just like back at Grancel Castle. One that had clearly specifically designed for royalty and dignitaries. Klaudia also felt refreshed and clean, almost as if someone had bathed her in her sleep.

Klaudia yawned and stretched. It was the most she had slept ever since the Orbal Shutdown Incident. Those Aidios-damned 'Witch Hunters' did a disturbingly good job and making sure she was as sleep-deprived as possible during their interrogations. Things had barely improved when those menacing bald priests had taken over with their ham-fisted lectures. Yet now, she finally felt fully rested and refreshed. She looked down and saw that somebody had replaced her prisoner's rags with a comfortable nightgown, and a pair of slippers lay at the edge of the bed – ready for her to step into.

This can't be right. This is too good to be true. Kloe thought as she stepped onto the soft carpet and felt the gentle fabric with her bare feet. As she stepped into the provided slippers, she looked around and gasped in shock when she saw her old courtly attire neatly folded and resting upon the top of a dresser, accompanied by her boots and rapier. She hurried over to examine them and feel them with her bare hands. Klaudia fought the urge to weep in joy when she felt the familiar clothing and weapon.

Aidios, is this real? Can I finally go home?

Her train of thought was interrupted by a knocking on the door. She hurried to open it – actually opening it as opposed to helplessly pounding against a locked door – and was greeted with a sight she thought she'd never see again. It was an honest-to-Aidios maid. A maid who bowed in her presence and carried sweets and a jug of some drink!

"Pardon the interruption, Your Highness," the use of her royal title and the sudden hospitality left Klaudia dizzy in shock and confusion. "His…Highness has invited you to dine with him this evening. I have been sent to help clothe you and prepare you for the event."

Her hesitation when referring to this apparent other royal's title had not gone unnoticed by the princess. Before she could pry further, the maid showed herself inside and set down her tray on the mirrored vanity table. Then she began to help Klaudia change.

"Who is this prince?" Klaudia asked as the maid slipped the gown from her shoulders. She sucked in a deep breath from the cold air on her skin. "And why does he want to see me now of all times?"

"I'm sorry, Your Highness, but the Prince of Altdorf would like to introduce himself rather than have a proxy do it for him," the maid replied as she slipped the silk shirt over Klaudia. "What I can say is that he has judged you worthy in Holy Sigmar's eyes."

Sigmar. The name of the foreign god sent shudders up Klaudia's spine. This god shared the same name as an important figure in the Septian Church, yet that was where the similarities ended. While the Erebonia-based cleric had a reputation for kindness and compassion, this Sigmar seemed to be a cruel and vindictive being if the Witch Hunters' behaviour were anything to go by.

"Sigmar damn you! Where are the other cultists?"

"Our archives have no record of this goddess of yours. That tells me you are lying!"

"Do you take me for a fool, mutant scum? Slaanesh's mark is clearly upon you!"

Klaudia winced as memories of backhand slaps and hair-pulling flooded her mind. She couldn't help but feel both dizzy and angry from those memories. For some reason, the insults regarding Aidios and the colour of her hair hurt the most. She was just a young princess who had barely begun her life. She did not deserve to be treated like some D⸫G cultist!

"Tell me, is this how your empire treats foreign royals who believe in a different god?" Klaudia asked bitterly as she put on her boots while the maid slipped on her jacket. The tunic and shirt felt larger than what she had remembered. Aidios…I must be emaciated.

"It is inevitable, Your Highness," the maid answered patiently as she help tighten Klaudia's sword belt. "Many of us including His Highness pray it could be different, but it must be so when dealing with unknown gods. Once again, he can explain it much better than I can."

Klaudia walked up to the standing mirror, and her suspicions about her figure was confirmed. Her cheeks were far hollower than what she was used to, and the tunic looked far too baggy for her liking. Those 'Witch Hunters' had gone to great lengths to make her imprisonment as miserable as possible. Sleep deprivation, starvation, beatings, endless interrogations. The only thing that her tormentors had not resorted to was the unimaginable deed that Klaudia prayed she would never experience. As she continued to look herself over, she noticed that her quartz, Orbment, and holster were missing.

"Excuse me, but something is not right," Klaudia explained. "I'm missing a device and its holster."

"I'm terribly sorry, Your Highness, while I am not privy to details, I do know that those artifacts were delivered to Nuln for further studies," the maid replied. "I do not anticipate you will receive them back any time soon."

Before Klaudia could ask any more questions such as what or where this "Nuln" was, the maid stood up and excused herself because she had other duties to attend to. Klaudia tried to follow the maid out the door only to be roughly pushed back inside by two knights. They are called…Reiksguard, right? It matters not, I am still prisoner here..

Klaudia flopped onto her new bed and stuffed her face into a pillow. She grit her teeth as she fought the urge to cry. Cry at the disaster that had fallen upon fair Liberl, cry at how she had been so cruelly ripped away from home and friends by that damned Weissmann, and cry at all the injustice that she had suffered so far ever since her arrival at that strange manor.

Aidios…please…comfort me. Show me a sign that my worst fears are not true. That I can return home soon enough. ANYTHING!

Yet no response came from the Goddess, but neither did tears flow from her eyes. She would not give these Imperials the satisfaction of seeing her cry like a little girl again.

After some time, Klaudia got back up and approached the tray with curiosity. Having been starved by her captor's for so long, she could not but feel intense hunger pangs upon seeing the intricately made pastries in front of her. A part of her screamed that something was wrong, that they were actually poison meant to kill her after they'd finally convince her to lower her guard.

Still, she relented. Being reduced to the bare minimum of bread and water - and only in amounts that would allow her to live – overpowered any semblance of discipline and will. Klaudia wet joyful tears as she gorged upon the pastries and took liberal gulps from the jug. She sputtered at first when she tasted beer instead of water, yet something about the brew made her crave more. After polishing off the pastries, Klaudia drank the beer dry and blissfully flopped upon the bed, with sleeping overtaking her soon after.

She was rudely awakened by the same maid returning, escorted by the same Reiksguard knights that guarded her bedroom door.

"His Highness will be pleased that you seem to have enjoyed your afternoon morsels," the maid said as the foot knights hauled Klaudia to her feet – far gentler than the previous times it had happened to her. "Dwarf beer truly is miraculous, is it not?"

Klaudia wasn't given the time to answer the rhetorical question or inquire about these 'Dwarfs' before the maid descended upon her with the same fuss and care shown by the ones back home. The Imperial maid smoothed out any wrinkles in her outfit before going over her face with a powder brush of some sort.

"There, now you are ready," the maid said with a hint of satisfaction as the Reiksguard prompted Klaudia to stand up. The way they ushered her out of the bedroom and down the hallways felt less like she was a prisoner and more like she was a confused guest at best, and a wayward pet at worst.

This is too good be true. What is even happening?

Unlike all the previous times she had been escorted down some Imperial hallway, Klaudia had not been blindfolded and was free to look around. Occasionally, the Reiksguard were even courteous enough to stop and ask her questions. The maid did all the talking, and all Klaudia managed to find out was a list of names of long-dead nobles as well as praises to this god Sigmar.

After several turns down winding ornate halls, they arrived at a lavishly decorated door inlaid with gold plated statues and griffons. The maid excused herself before heading inside, opening it soon after and gesturing for Klaudia to come inside. The Reiksguard heeded before ushering the princess inside and closed the door behind her, leaving her alone with the maid and a figure at the far end of a dining table. A figure that emitted an imposing aura despite being firmly seated. The large hammer resting just within the person's reach certainly did not assure Klaudia.

"Introducing Her Highness Princess Klaudia von Auslese of the Kingdom of Liberl," the maid announced as she bowed.

"Thank you," the figure said with a deep, booming, and clearly male voice that radiated confidence and authority. "You may resume your duties."

"By your grace," the maid curtseyed before she also left, leaving Klaudia alone with the man.

The man stood up with a methodical, deliberate precision and gestured towards the empty seat.

"Princess Klaudia, I greet you in Sigmar's name. I am Karl Franz von Holswig-Schliestein, Prince of the City-State of Altdorf in which you are now a guest," he said. His booming voice reassuring and intimating Klaudia in equal measure. "You must be famished. Come, sit. Let us wine and dine as equals."

Klaudia hesitantly sat down at the chair that was clearly allotted to her. On two large identical plates sat food that seemed nothing less than heavenly: roasted quail (three for Klaudia and five for this Karl Franz), assorted vegetables sitting in a shallow pool of gravy and their own juices, mashed sweet potatoes that smelled of nectar-like butter, and soft steaming bread. Accompanying the food was a jug of wine at the center with two glasses that had already been filled nearly to the brim. Klaudia poked hesitantly at one of the quails at first, but her hunger got the better of her. After scarfing down a portion of her meal, Klaudia hurried to wash it all down with some wine.

"I see this wine is to your liking. It is a well-aged Bordeleaux vintage, gifted to my father by the Royarch of Bretonnia after a great victory against a Norscan horde," Karl Franz said with no small hints of satisfaction as he sipped on his own glass. Klaudia's face went flush, and she didn't know if was because of the drinks she's had or embarrassment of not knowing the meaning behind any of the names mentioned by Karl Franz.

Or her growing irritation and resentment at how this "Prince" seemed blissfully ignorant of the injustices she had suffered at the hands of his subordinates or associates.

"I believe many questions have been asked of you since your arrival in this realm," Karl Franz continued. "Now, you may ask anything you wish."

Something snapped inside Klaudia after that statement. She poured herself a second glass before downing it in mere moments. Then, she gently pushed her plate off to the side. Aidios, give me strength for what I'm about to say next.

"Prince Karl Franz, I thank you for your kind hospitality tonight, but could it not have been extended to me when I first arrived in your lands?" she stood up and slammed her palms on the table. To his credit, Karl Franz did not seem phased in the slightest. "Why is it that you have only showed your grace, let alone your face, after your ruffians have done their best to break me? Why is it that you continue to feed me these fairy tales of lands, gods, and names that do not exist? Why in Aidios' name did you treat me with such contempt?"

A tense silence followed as she stared accusingly at Karl Franz. Yet there was no change in his stoic expression or even a subtle shift in his own gaze. He kept up his impenetrable mask of stoicism as he stared into her eyes, and Klaudia's confidence quickly gave way to uncertainty.

"Princess Klaudia, do you realize that your goddess and nation are as unknown to myself and my subjects as Sigmar and Altdorf are to yourself?" Karl Franz retorted calmly but firmly. "Consider the following: you appear out of nowhere in what is supposedly one of the most heavily guarded areas of my lands; You speak our tongue perfectly yet claim it has a completely different name; You worship a goddess whose name cannot be found in the deepest of our archives; You claim to hail from a nation that does not exist on any of our maps, and the colour of your hair is most unnatural. Would you not find a person like that suspicious if one turned up in your own kingdom?"

"Well…yes," Klaudia replied. "That individual would certainly be investigated for spying."

"Espionage, if it was as innocuous as that," Karl Franz mused bitterly. "The first instinct of any properly loyal and devout Empire man is to suspect that person of heresy and turn he or she over to the closest Witch Hunter."

Klaudia's mouth was agape. She didn't know how to process the fact the ordeals she had went through had been sanctioned at the very top. That those 'Witch Hunters' and 'Warrior Priests' were not rogue agents like Colonel Richard had been. Before she could form any coherent response or allow her anger at the sheer injustice visited upon her to erupt into something she would regret saying or doing, Karl Franz spoke once more.

"Princess Klaudia, I will make no apologies for Sigmar's servants fulfilling their duties, but I know myself that it is a cruel necessity the at best of times. Throughout this nation's recorded history, the only beings who break through the veil of reality and emerge in our world are either truly divine or evil beyond measure," His tone became a lot more sympathetic as he poured her some more wine. "I know you are no servant of the Dark Gods nor are you on some divine mission, but a confused vagabond who was hurled across the veil of reality to emerge in our own. Yet you are alone in that, and we could not have known unless the Witch Hunters conducted a thorough investigation. This nation – no, this world – cannot afford to come to ruin simply because of misguided mercy."

"Dark…Gods?" Klaudia couldn't help but shudder as she said those words. She wanted to continue her protest, but those two words drew her and scared her.

"Indeed. Tell me, does the word Chaos revolt you?" Karl Franz asked. "Does the mere mention of that word give you a deep dread you would not have otherwise felt in your own realm?"

Klaudia opened her mouth, but no words came due to an unnatural dryness in her mouth. Karl Franz was right. "Chaos" was just a word back home, yet ever since her imprisonment the mere mention of that word elicited a primal dread within her. It felt like being stalked by a vicious predator that who would only appear if it wanted to be found. A predator that would butcher its prey for nothing but its own sick amusement before using the victim's mutilated remains as lures for fresh victims. She tried to speak, but could only let out choking gasps, so Klaudia opted to just nod.

"I see, then you will understand what I have to say next. There is an ancient, deep rot in this world. It nests beyond the veil of reality in the Realm of Chaos and will take any opportunity it can to prey on the peoples of this world – body, mind, and soul," Karl Franz explained. "The corrupted souls can come in many forms: misguided cultists spreading the rot within society, acolytes who summon denizens of the darkness beyond via obscene rituals, even entire nations who give themselves to those dark powers and seek to conquer and subjugate in their unholy names."

"Wh-what does any of that have to do with me?"

"Firstly, for you to arrive in this world you had to have gone through that Realm even if you do not recall it yourself. To arrive precisely where and when you did meant some being directed your path here. Whether it is by the hands of your goddess, Sigmar, or any of the Dark Gods, I cannot say. However, I do believe there is some kind of plan for you," Karl Franz explained. "Of course, plans can be subverted and corrupted. I know too many tales of devout men of all faiths becoming twisted shadows of their former selves. If they already knew of Chaos and still fell, how will you bode when faced with such temptation? You, who were not born into this world and ignorant to its unceasing wars and its unending terrors."

That last question made Klaudia shudder. Deep down, she knew that Weissmann's wickedness could not hold a candle to one such follower of Chaos.

"Secondly, you are the inheritor of your nation's throne. One of Chaos' favourite targets is people with such authority. It is much easier to go astray when those entrusted to rule over you are leading you down the path of damnation," Karl Franz explained as he put a hand on his hammer's handle. "If, by Sigmar's grace, we somehow send you home, we absolutely cannot allow that to happen."

A long silence filled the room. Karl Franz's every word drew Klaudia's full attention, and the last remaining hopes of reaching home were finally shattered. It was a disgusting perverted jest, not by Weissmann, not by Ouroboros and its Aidios-damned Grandmaster, not even by the Goddess Herself and the thirsting gods of this world.

For all she could care for, they were all culpable. Klaudia tried to fight it, tried to keep true to her promise, but hot tears nonetheless flowed.

"Why? Why has this happened to me?" Klaudia began to weep, giving no care to the imposing older man sitting across from her. "I just wanted to help my nation, help my friends, help those I loved. I was finally willing to accept the crown, to embrace the destiny that I had been running from for too long. Why oh why in Aidios's name do I have to rot and die in this world?"

As Klaudia continued to sulk, she heard slow steady footsteps before she held a firm hand on her shoulder.

"I do not claim to know Sigmar's will, nor even Volkmar himself on some days. Even less so for this goddess of yours. I do know that you are fated for great things, be it here or in your own kingdom. Sigmar works in mysterious ways - so says the clergy of His church - and perhaps your goddess's followers share that sentiment," Karl Franz spoke with the stern but reassuring tone of a father. "Take comfort in knowing that the peoples of this world have fought, survived, and even thrived for millennia despite the myriad horrors assailing it."

"How? How could you possibly know?" Klaudia asked bitterly. "You admitted yourself that you are just the Prince of some city-state!"

"Princess Klaudia, I supposed this is the time for me to apologize for deception on my part. You see, Altdorf is no mere city-state. It is the capital of the Grand Principiality of Reikland, which I am Grand Prince of," Karl Franz explained sincerely as he sat back down. "However, the nations of this world better know Altdorf as the capital city of the Empire of Man. A nation united twenty-five centuries ago by Holy Sigmar Himself and has stood – albeit on a lame footing for most of that time – ever since. A nation of which I am Emperor.

"When I judge you to be free of Chaos taint; when I decree you destined for greatness, I speak from experience and from the burden of knowledge inherited from Sigmar's mortal days," Karl Franz filled Klaudia's glass and his own with wine. "But there is something I need to hear for myself first and not via dry written reports. Come, Princess Klaudia, tell me your story. Be not meek for surely it is both the latest chapter of a long saga and the opening pages of your own."

The final remnants of resistance, which had been steadily crumbling the moment Karl Franz had opened his mouth, finally melted away. Coloured by her treatment at the hands of Colonel Richard, she had distrusted this Prince and Emperor at first. Yet he shone with nothing but sincerity and conviction as he spoke. Perhaps she knew deep down that Karl Franz was someone could trust. Perhaps her will had finally been broken by the brutal truth about her actually being in an entirely different world with no possible way home. Regardless of the cause, she spoke as if Aidios guided Klaudia's tongue herself.

Karl Franz listened with rapt attention as Klaudia spoke. She talked of Liberl's beginnings when her distant ancestor had rallied the desperate survivors of a dying civilization. She talked of Liberl's neighbours and especially Erebonia and the Hundred Days War. She talked her wise grandmother, of her beloved late parents, even her scandalous uncle.

Finally, she talked of herself. A burdened girl who had tried to escape the destiny thrust upon her and only came to terms with it after adventures with a close friend. A young lady who had personally traveled her kingdom to study it firsthand and lend a helping hand wherever Estelle would take her. A determined princess who wanted to save her kingdom and was willing to put her life on the line to do so.

Karl Franz patiently listened to all of it, stopping only to ask Klaudia for clarification about things he was unfamiliar with. After Klaudia finished, the two enjoyed a few quiet moments with naught but wine for company.

"Sigmar's holy men truly did not do your saga justice when they relayed it to me," Karl Franz raised his glass in salute. "Your story, especially your previous insecurity about inheriting your throne, reminded me of myself in my younger days.

In fact, you spent your youth much better than I did. Where you busied yourself with your studies, I drowned myself in one of Altdorf's many taverns," Karl Franz continued. "Your story also reminds me of another. A tale my father loved to regale to me during my boyhood. Perhaps you would find it inspirational as well. It is the life story of a young nobleman from two centuries ago by the name of Magnus von Bildhofen."

After taking time to sip his wine, Karl Franz began as Klaudia couldn't help but lean in after being drawn in by the sheer conviction with which Karl Franz began the tale.

"It was a dark and lawless age, when Sigmar's legacy had been trampled into the mud and the Empire consumed by civil war and famine. At the same time, a Chaos Lord by the name of Asavar Kul united the dark tribes of the north and carved a bloody path through Kislev, a northern ally of the Empire," Karl Franz said. "At the time, Magnus was but a young nobleman, sent away by his family to study at a university in the city of Nuln because they found his devotion to Sigmar excessive. It was not quite exile, but the intent was the same. He was not ignorant to the horrors within the Empire and without, nor was he unaware of the malicious intent of his family, but did he despair?"

Klaudia felt like she already knew the answer.

"No, he did not. Even before word of the war in Kislev had reached him, Magnus had already established a reputation among his peers and teachers for his devotion and skilled rhetoric. He preached a message of unity and defiance in the face of overwhelming odds. At the time, the city he was studying at was under the sway of a Chaos cult. Yet within a fortnight, when the twin-tailed comet proudly blazed through the heavens once more, Magnus roused Nuln's devout in rebellion and purged the city of its corruption," Karl Franz continued, his voice and eyes filled with an unusually youthful wonder and admiration. "Then, he and his army spread forth from Nuln, spreading word of the salvation that will come. Even the most selfish and incompetent nobles were moved by his speeches and conviction, pledging themselves to his service. When challenged by acolytes of other gods, Magnus withstood every trial they had thrown at him, including walking through Ulric's sacred flame without a single singed hair.

"He was even able to secure the cooperation of the Dwarfs and the Asur, and with the greatest army known to Imperial history, he marched north. At the gates of Kislev, Magnus brought long-awaited deliverance. The combined Imperial, Dwarf, and Elven armies smashed into the Chaos host, standing tall even in the face of foul sorcery and daemons conjured from the deepest pits of Hell itself," Karl Franz continued. "Magnus himself challenged Asavar Kul - who already had the full blessing of his Dark Gods - and beheaded the Chaos warlord in single combat. Already on the backfoot from the counterattack, Kul's death drove the Chaos army into the depths of despair, causing them to turn their axes upon each other even as they fled.

"But Magnus's story did not end when the war did. For he was an equally capable statesman in peace as in conflict. With the unanimous agreement from the Elector Counts – the highest rank of nobility in the Empire – Magnus was crowned Emperor," Karl Franz said. "The Empire experienced prosperity and unity not seen since the days of Sigmar Himself, and during that time Magnus established many institutions that have long outlived him, with the Colleges of Magic being the most triumphant example.

"Magnus enjoyed a long peaceful reign, and after his death the Cult of Sigmar granted him the tile 'Pious' due to his deeds and devotion to Sigmar. There now exists a popular movement to have him canonized, and his bloodline still runs strong to this day albeit somewhat diminished in status," Karl Franz's expression suddenly darkened. "Yet in the two centuries since his reign, the lessons learned in blood have once more been forgotten. When I assumed the crown, a group of corrupt nobles attempted to overthrow me in civil war, and The Empire was once more under the thumbs of the craven and the greedy. I have fought enemies without and within for equal measure, and there is no end in sight. Perhaps The Empire and humanity as a whole is doomed to repeat the mistakes of their forebearers until the Dark Gods' servants have their final victory, but by Sigmar's name I will not let it happen during my time or my children's time.

"You are more like Magnus the Pious than you realize, Princess Klaudia. The Patriarch of the Bright College attempted to divine your fate and told me that you have a flame within you waiting to be ignited. This is what I have to offer you: to help you light that fire so it may blaze even brighter than you could ever imagine," Karl Franz began to wind down his tale. "But first, you must learn from us. It would do you no good to be cloistered in Mordheim, nor would working as a mere assistant for the Supreme Patriarch. What I offer you is a place among my retinue. You will aid the others in mundane tasks, and you will accompany me when I go on campaign. The finest guardians of the land will ensure your safety, and I shall endeavor to tutor you personally when I can…"

---

"It didn't seem like you had an option to turn him down," Father Kevin said as he frantically jotted down notes. "From the way you described this Karl Franz guy, he would have killed you on the spot if you refused."

"That was exactly how I felt at the time as well," Klaudia chuckled. "Yet he carried himself with such charisma that I did not want to refuse."

"As much as I want to pry further, we are running pretty short on time," Kevin apologized. "Maybe one last comment from you before I call it a day?"

"Of course. Know that my training started the day after," Klaudia said. "Practice duels at dawn with Julia is one thing, but sparring with Ludwig Schwarzhelm – Karl Franz's very own personal champion – was another matter entirely…"

 

[Lovnag]

Tbh I really wonder what would Zhao Ming make of orbments.

Sepith is somewhat like crystallized Winds, is it not?

 

[BattleBrotherOfCalderis]

Tbh I really wonder what would Zhao Ming make of orbments.

Sepith is somewhat like crystallized Winds, is it not?

Click to shrink...

Zhao Ming would probably love anything that'll give Cathay an advantage in war. Problem is a) getting over his rivalry with Miao Ying to mass produce Orbments in Nan Gau, and b) find a way to synthesize/transmute Sepith from Warpstone.

Come to think of it, yeah. The seven elements don't quite correspond to the Winds of Magic but the connection can be made.

 

[Lovnag]

Well, considering warpstone-dhar connection, should not be something completely impossible.
Considering how, from what I understand, warp energy is initially transformed into the winds through the technologies of the old ones, the idea of cleansing warpstone in such fashion doesn't seem that out of reach.
Then again, Zhao Ming is no Old one, and there's no better order-aligned alchemist I know of that works with warpstone.