House of Amarin

No matter how Lia looked at it, the situation was terrible. Wherever she walked, the streets were filled with people who had lost their homes, loved ones, or simply put, everything. She had already encountered some who couldn't take it and committed suicide right where the bodies were piled up, ready to be thrown into the burning fire-pits. It was a mess through and through.

"How's your end?" She sent a message through her bracelet while climbing the main castle's highest tower, wanting to see the city from above.

"We can deal with the injuries," Louise answered in a troubled voice, "But not with the damage caused to their mind. Many of them are a complete mess; I fear they would be very easily influenced if they met with an Undead. I sensed that many of them… if someone said they could bring back their loved ones, they would be eager to do anything for it."

"Same." Said Lorin in a heavy voice, "Some asked me if I have quick-acting poison for sale."

"Any traces?" Lia asked, taking a deep breath, stepping out to the balconies, jumping to the tiled roof so she could take in the full view without obstructions.

"None so far." They replied simultaneously. "What about you?"

"Give me a minute."

Sitting down, she let her mana boost her senses as she fell into a meditative state, enveloping the city with her consciousness. In the time while being with Solren and the 4th Branch, she learned how to find Undead. With the happenings of Cabrao, she also knew how an Undead would feel when disguised as a human. They can hide their presence but can't suppress their soul's underlying, unnatural fluctuations. She sat there for almost five minutes, slowly letting her mind soak up all the rampant emotions among the citizens. When she opened her mismatched eyes, she contacted Lorin and Louise with a heavy voice.

"I found fifteen…"

"..." None of them knew what to say in response to that.

"Most are in the sewers, concentrating at one point… I don't think they are intelligent, but…"

"If they are hiding," Louise continued her words, "that means an Intelligent Variant is hiding here, controlling or commanding them."

"Yes," Lia replied, standing up and looking around the city again. "I couldn't pinpoint the controller; he or she must be a strong one, or the slippery bastard is staying somewhere hidden."

"What do you suggest?" Lorin asked, ready to take action any time.

"If we attack the hiding Undead, the controller may slip away. I have an idea, but I will talk with the City Lord first."

"Quatlo? Is he trustworthy?"

"We will see," Lia replied, biting her lower lip and crossing her arms in front of her chest. "I lean towards that he is fine. But I still have some doubts, so I won't tell him everything."

…
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……

The following day, after giving a little respite to everyone, Lia visited Quatlo once again. He still looked horrible, but at least he had time to wash up and nap. The black bags under his eyes gave him a feeling he would collapse at any time, looking like someone who did not sleep for at least a week.

"Did you find something?" He asked, somewhat afraid of her answer.

"No." Lia shook her head with dejection but then smiled. "Which is good news for you!"

"I could do with some of those…"

"I understand. I have a difficult request to make." She said, her expression turning troubled.

"Please, just ask! I… I mean, we will provide!"

"Do you have a previous census ready?"

"I… I think we do, yes." Quatlo nodded after stuttering, thinking quickly where that would be. "It should be from… around a year ago."

"Good. I need it!" Lia clapped, smiling at him. "I will need everyone who is alive to come to us and report in. We will make a list of who died and who lived!"

"We already burnt a lot of the dead!" Quatlo said hurriedly, looking panicked that he did something horrible, "If an Undead sneaked in and replaced someone, we wouldn't know!"

"If you burnt the body, you couldn't have him sneak in." Lia reminded him with a kind smile, seeing him turn red and realize the error, looking like a fool before the daughter of Reyra. But… in Lia's mind, it was not a problem; it was something that further alleviated her doubts about Quatlo.

“S-sorry… the shock and… well, you get it…”

"I do, and I am sorry that I impose a task this heavy on you right out of the gate! But we need to know who died and who lives! You didn't burn all the bodies yet, but continue as you are! We will record the dead, and that will make it easy to get a list of who shouldn't pop up later!"

"Yes! I will do it at once!" He nodded eagerly, and when Lia left, Quatlo headed straight to the castle to gather the surviving politicians and get Lia the census of the people living and staying at Cathalica.

Back at their temporary camp, Lia called for Louise and Lorin, sealing their room via magic so they could talk without being spied upon.

"Are we ready?" She asked, looking at Lorin, who nodded, tapping the holding bag on his waist.

"Yes! I laid down the artifacts that Opparu made all around the city. With a signal, I can activate the seal, and it should make it so that nobody can come in and leave for half an hour! Not even those Undead underground!"

"I am also ready!" Louise reported. I let loose the peashooters we brought, and they will signal us if anything unnatural comes up!"

"Good." Lia smiled, happy with their quick setup. "The moment we get the census, we will start the mandatory checkups! The people who come, we need nothing more to do, just a little prick on their finger~!"

"And it will show if they are Undead or not!" Louise smiled, amazed by the simple and quick idea Lia had come up with.

"They don't bleed~!" She smiled, but hers was not that cheerful, "If it hides amongst the people, we will find him. Keep a clear watch, and I will deal with him when he appears! You will kill the Undead it may control and unleash! We can't let these people suffer anymore, got it?"

"Yes!" They answered, saluting, ready to do their best.

…
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……

Quatlo came back by the evening, delivering multiple boxes filled with paperwork detailing the city's population. It had names, jobs, ages, origins, everything, from birth to how long they lived here. Lia thanked him and asked to help them gather the people and help in keeping order. She wanted him to see what they were doing and come to a realization by himself. Lia wanted to know if Quatlo would offer himself to the test or try to slink away… it would be a perfect indicator and opportunity to fully clear himself of suspicion.

When the first people arrived, Lia told them they were trying to identify everyone, which wasn't a strange thing to ask for. She made a point that a drop of blood was needed to confirm their status as survivors, using an elaborate spell so none asked why and let Louise prick their fingers and take a drop of blood. When Quatlo, after an hour or so, came to visit and saw the process, he immediately knew why.

"Let me do it too!" he pressed his hand out, saying nothing and letting Lia draw out his red blood. After a moment of silence, he thought, "Can I…?" He asked nervously.

"You can. First, do it with your most trusted men. Then start testing the soldiers one by one. Keep yourself ready!"

"This means…" He caught on to why they were doing this, and his eyes filled with pain instantly.

"A dozen is hiding down under. One controller above. At least, that is what we think." Lia answered gravely, watching the young man shudder before recollecting his bearings.

"I will do my best."

"If you find it…" Lia stood up, leaning close and saying whisperingly. "Don't fight! Run. We will feel it, and I will be there in a blink! Let me deal with it… that abomination would kill you."

"I am not afraid of death!"

"Everyone is…" She replied in an even lower whisper, remembering the face of Rose and how the young girl died. Just that image, the feeling she had when she burnt her away, sent shivers down her spine, making her visibly shudder. "It is not a weakness!" Lia continued, looking into his eyes, "It is natural to be afraid of it. Nobody wants to die…"

"I will… do my best." He changed his words, bowing towards her before leaving, hurrying away to start helping out and test the people around him, watching who could not shed blood anymore.

…
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……

"Next!" Louise called out as a young man entered, holding the hand of a child who was missing her other arm and was bandaged heavily. The burn marks were visible on both their bodies, especially the teenager's hands. "Come…" Louise said gently, casting her healing magic, reforming the skin around the kid's and the youngster's hands.

“But… we have no money…” He spoke up, surprised, but Lousie just shook her head, helping them to the best of her efforts.

“It hurts… no more…” The child said, her faint, little voice trembling in surprise.

"We are here to take away the pain…" Lia whispered, looking at her, and couldn't help but hold her wrist behind her back, stopping it from trembling. The moment the child looked at her, she saw Rose in her place right when she plunged her sword into her chest.

"Really?" She asked, immediately adding, "Can you bring Mom and Dad back too?!"

"..."

Nobody had an answer to that, and her brother, seeing Lia's expression change, quickly pulled her closer and spoke pleadingly.

"She doesn't understand it yet!"

“It’s… okay…” Lia raised a hand, silencing them, nodding towards Lorin, who stepped forward, pricking their fingers, drawing blood, and checking their names and origin.

While the process was ongoing, Lia couldn't help but look at the small child and see and hear Rose in her. The image was getting hard to push back down in her mind, returning to the surface more and more in the past few days. She knew it had to be because of the destruction and the dead surrounding her… she knew she still couldn't get over it, no matter what she thought previously.

Somehow, Lia was getting to understand her ancestor and what Erias Amarin could have gone through. Hearing the stories of his wild early days, of when he was goofing around… and then remembering his memories. The feelings that he already harbored when meeting with the ethereal wolf and the fish demon, Swimmy. By then, he was already desperate, wanting to find clues, anything that would prove what he believed. That the end was coming, yet nobody was listening to him besides the dragons.

"Yet they didn't let him talk…" Lia thought to herself, pushing down Rose's image back to her subconsciousness. She didn't want to experience the same desperation that Erias had to go through. They were different now. They were prepared this time…

"Thank-" Lorin started speaking, wanting to finish the examination, when Lia disappeared behind him with a pop. He had not to ask why, as it was the only signal he needed, activating the seal around the city of Cathalica. "Stay here!" He told the siblings, "We will protect you this time!"