House of Amarin

"From our observation, it is clear that not everyone is influenced in the city." Heliett started, showing the marked areas and buildings in the city, some colored red and some green. "Our guess is that the influence they can exert cannot cover the number of people in the city!"

"I guess the red is where you have already verified their influence?" Lia asked, and Heliett simply nodded.

"They took over the City Guard first. Not all people, mind you! Only the high-ranking personnel. We can identify them via a very simple method: Survey them when they are alone!"

"They look dazed, out of space instead of sleeping, yes?" Sion asked to confirm what they saw when following the innkeeper. 

"Yes. Their mind is absent because it's under the influence of… something. Maybe it's a spell. We don't really know."

"Add this to your map!" Lia pointed at the inn they were staying at. "The innkeeper there is also part of them."

"An innkeeper?" Heliett asked, raising an eyebrow but still circling it in red.

"He is or was a Berison spy, here to observe the city."

"Oh… I see." She looked back at the map, a bit surprised, but it quickly passed.

"There could be more, people you have never investigated," Aurora interjected, writing her words in the air.

"We know, but we can deploy a limited number of soldiers only! Those who joined us moved their families down here, so they should also be clear. Many of our agents remain on the surface, working and acting as our lookouts and contacts. For now, we estimate that half of the City Guard is already under the influence of the necromancers while the other half is oblivious to it. We try and recruit them, but we have to do it carefully as they could take our approach as us being controlled and influenced! With how we operate... for the uninitiated, we may look like the suspicious and dangerous group!"

"My real fear is the spread of their influence…" Lia sighed, watching the map, closing her eyes feeling troubled. "They detain merchants cargo, yes?"

"Y-yes…" Heliett nodded and knew precisely where she was going with it, as it also occurred to her. "We can't tell if they send out someone or something when that happens… We don't know if they do temper with the goods or not… We are just too few, and the moment one of us appears on the surface could spell trouble, one that would kill us all."

"So, what was your plan originally?" Sion questioned, tilting his head, trying to figure it out but without success. 

"It started with my father so…" She answered, her voice heavy and melancholic as she put up another map detailing the King's District. "We have been preparing an assault on the palace to kill him. Hoping that if we cut off the head of this… infection, it will stop working. Or at least, it stops spreading."

"A longshot," Aurora commented, and Heliett didn't reject her criticism. 

"Yes, but the only thing we have. We are trapped here, and I would risk it instead of doing nothing! We have been setting up ambush spots, doing it covertly in the past months. Our plan is straightforward… We would create a diversion outside, draw the attention of theirs away from the King's District!" She continued, pointing at multiple parts of the wall on the map, "We have been weakening parts of it slowly but surely and leaving them looking intact via magic. When the time comes, we would infiltrate from multiple angles and head to the palace! Whichever group reaches it first and finds my… Father... They will send him to the afterlife. We are determined to do so! Not falling for pleas or lies! He wouldn't want it either…"

"We can help with that, but!" Lia drummed on the table, considering a lot of things. "I need to report to my mother."

"Of course!" The others replied at once, suddenly feeling that everything may turn out just fine.

…

….

…..

"This is worse than I thought!" Reyra exclaimed after speaking with Lia, walking up and down in her room.

"Mom, what should we do?" She asked through the connection of their bracelet. 

"I will announce a visit to the Berisons." 

"Wouldn't that…?" Lia wanted to ask, but Reyra interrupted her.

"No. I will ensure it's all documented and known that I want to meet with their council about Rinzen and her growth. It will be the perfect cover! If I appear silently, without announcing, and the Undead notices me, they will go into hiding again! It seems they are getting brazen, which means they are ready to act. We have to be the first to make a strike!"

"There could be multiple cities that are already infected."

"I know. I will notify the others, and we will covertly organize our forces to prepare for an outbreak in the Berison's territory! With me there, I would be fast to reply wherever that bitch pops up!"

"Will she?"

"We will make her!" Reyra answered resolutely. "Even if she doesn't want to! My guess is, wherever she is, that city or place has already gone beyond saving… Wait for my official arrival! Then make your move and judge the city to your own accord; you did well previously, too!"

"Well… huh?" Lia mumbled, feeling a sour taste in her mouth, "Okay. We will do so! I already have an idea!"

"Wait with it until I'm there! If the Undead doesn't react, we will start combing through every city, town, village… My heart is heavy, but we will place the Berison's territory under quarantine until we find her!"

"This is it… isn't it?" Lia asked, and Reyra answered with a sigh.

"Probably, yes… I think from now on, everything will come to the surface. And the war will begin for real."

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……

In the House of Ro's territory, Killieth, one of the Soulbound Supreme Elders, was smiling from ear to ear after reading his newest order, coming directly from Dalal, the leader of House Ro. It was ordering them to gather the army and join up with other forces, moving towards the Berison's territory. He knew full well why, as it was he who ended up coordinating the other Supreme Elders, now hiding in rulers' bodies throughout Meriath. 

"Good job, Loonah." He thought, his mind and soul directly linked with the others, receiving their answers quickly.

"I'm doing this for the Sect and for the Sect Master. Don't think I have become your subordinate by following your plan."

"No, no… of course not!" He chuckled before asking. "All of you received a similar order?" 

"Yes." Came the answer from all the others.

"Good! Our trap is ready to trigger, so don't slip up now!" 

"Human nature is so easy to guess! Nice job, big brother!" Yuya chimed in with a girlish, happy laugh, yet her current body belonged to a robust, well-built man, leading one of the subordinate kingdoms under the Amarins. She just couldn't help being fired up as the stress she was going through was the biggest among the others. In the past years, acting and remaining hidden was extremely difficult, amassing the group's most negligible forces, barely amounting to a few hundred souls.

"I told you all!" Killieth chuckled, his excitement spreading amongst the rest. "They will proceed this way when they think they have the upper hand. Now that we are on the move to surround their own ally, it is a perfect chance to explode! Just follow the plan!"

What Killieth came up with was relatively simple. Since they came down and took over their assigned bodies, they have silently converted, influenced, and outright soul-bonded most people of importance around them. They were building up their armies in secret, without many of the soldiers knowing their bodies were nothing more than sacrifices. Most of their actual subordinates, the other Undead souls, were in No-Space, outside of Meriath, waiting for their signal to rush in and take over the bodies explicitly marked for them. With a snap of his fingers, thousands upon thousands would suddenly turn into Undead and move as a real army.

And that is what they were planning to do. He was turning Loonah's previous reckless move of coming down and alerting them to an advantage. Using her as a beacon, a sweet scent, drawing the Six and, more precisely, Reyra into a trap, he was using Loonah as the bait. When the conflict is about to break out, and Reyra orders the army to move in and surround the Berisons, wanting to find Loonah, they will strike. 

Undead will appear everywhere around the continent, and people who they 'infected' will turn and wreak havoc, throwing the Houses's forces into panic and not knowing where to go first. Amongst that initial chaos, they will call in their true forces and transform multiple armies into Undead, pushing right into the Berison's territory with a simple goal: Kill. Kill as many as possible and turn as many as possible. They will transform the House of Berison into the House of Souls and establish a foothold that can even withstand the Six and their armies.

"This has to work!" Killieth warned the others with a grave tone, "Do you understand? We have the advantage of strength in the level they call the 9th Tier, but only for now! We can hold down the fort against their superior numbers with all six of us here! But for that, we must work together and follow MY plans!"

"Yes." The rest answered, including Loonah, even though she wasn't happy about it.

"We can't let them gain more strength! We need a prolonged conflict; we need death and fire up a steady stream of souls flowing towards the Sect Master! With him healed, everything will go smoothly! Now… Start preparing your armies! Soon… WE MARCH!"

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In the city of Sussarim, Lia was having a new meeting with Heliett, explaining the situation and her own ideas.

"Your findings say that they sometimes welcome guests, no?" 

"Yes." Heliett nodded, quoting some occasions when people were let into the King's District, usually visitors from outside and from other cities.

"We will do the same. We have an exotic cargo and will notify your father and his forces about it. We will play it as if we want to make a deal in hopes of getting a good price on it!"

"It has to be unique for them to let you in…" 

"Don't worry, the real bait is not what we are selling but ourselves!" Lia continued with a laugh, "We will mention that we thought about it because we know you from the Academy. Of course, we won't give names; just mention that we know each other! The fact that we have someone who attended the Institute of Eight Elements should be enough reason to welcome us in!"

"It would be someone they want to get under their influence…" Heliett murmured, seeing the logic behind her words.

"Exactly! When we are in, we attack without them noticing, and you will also have an easier time getting in!"

"It is promising!" The others joined in, going through her ideas in more depth with more details, asking their questions about the operation. When finally everything was settled, Heliett only had one question.

"When do we start?"

"When my mother has arrived at the Berison's capital! So… probably in two days."

"I will make everyone ready!" Heliett said, her tone firm, determined to see it through.

"You need to know, after all this, the city is going to be judged… by me." Lia exhaled, looking deep into her eyes, but she simply smiled.

"I was judged by you and your friends once… that time, I thought it was unfair. But I was wrong. It was completely right. I will trust your judgment this time from the start! Even if it means death. I know you would make it quick and painless."

"If it comes to it… yes. I promise you that." She nodded, raising one hand towards Heliett, who simply went to one knee, taking it and giving her a kiss, right on the Realm Key on Lia's finger, surprising her. "Err… Heliett?"

"Everything is as it should be." She replied with a lowered head as the others also followed suit, going to one knee. "The Six Houses are the protectors of Meriath. We accept our punishment without remorse. We are not traitors!"

"We are not traitors!" The others echoed the same, determined that they would show it with their action, and if the city can't be saved, then they would face their fate with a proud and calm mind, free of burdens.

"I never said you were…" Lia murmured, feeling her chest tighten, suddenly remembering Quatlo, the young city lord of Cathalica, who also went down with his city, refusing to give in and join the Undead. "I think Erias would be proud if he could see how people are, 4000 years after his death…"