To Kill Filius: Piza's Hunger


If you were to describe Fort Piza in one word, it would be... quick. Strange machinery lines the walls, and Magitechsmiths, soldiers, and beasts hurry through the fort. Though the average person would see nothing but chaos, the trained eye would see that this is nothing but efficent preperation. War was happening.
Soon.
Baron Piza the Conqueror was speaking with several Holy Soldiers, mercenaries of the Church who had a bone to pick with several nobles across the land. One such noble could possibly meet his maker quite soon.

Piza was enjoying a flatbread with one hand, and he pointed at a map with the other. Several Knights stood beside him, armed with strange weaponry.

"Supply has been cut-off; the merchants are all too happy to NOT have to deal with those badlands while I work on a 'project'. I have already held a meeting with several barbarians weeks earlier; just a few trinkets and they answer to me. I have revealed traitorous plans to the Emperor; all leading back to the wizard. The Flying Calvary is in place. The Airships are in place. The defenses are in place. My dealings with Lady Quinn are in place. Frankly, we have him dead to rights. Thoughts?"

The Crusaders looked over the map in silence. One spoke up.

"...You... You want that bastard wizard dead, don't you, Baron?"

Piza took his hand away from the map, and stroked his chin. He stared at the walls.

"Want him DEAD? Of course not. I would be fine with just his capture. Alas, it appears he will face an execution no matter what happens. I shall make his death swift. For that is what happens... when you go against God and the Throne.

The Crusader who spoke looked up from the map, and leaned towards Piza from across the table.

"No, no, no! Bollocks! You're not fooling anyone. You're not a holy man. You're not particularly loyal. I know that the Church has asked for your help, and you've barely offerered any. You don't seem the type to worry about the Emperor. Hell, you seem the type to want the Throne all to yourself."

Piza took another bite of his flatbread.

"Well... I'd be lying if I said I don't hope for some of our unfortunate friend's land..."

That same Crusader shook his head.

"That land? Bah, that land would have anyone killed within years. Old fool doesn't show it any respect. I've seen what those cretins, what those Monster Girls do. People just think they're a joke! Between them, the barbarians, and the fact that there's NOTHING there of value... what could you POSSIBLY want from it? You're willing to kill for a wooden ring among gold?"

The Crusader to the right of the particularly interrogative one spoke up.

"D'you know something we don't, Baron? Anything we should know?"

Piza smiled, and called over a beastman slave-servant holding a plate with drinks. As she walked over, he gently took the glass, put it to his lips, and set it back down.

"Now, if you're insinuating that I believe his land is key to or home to some nefarious purpose, you're mistaken."

Every Crusader leaned in even closer.
The slave slightly turned her head away, but the Knights beside Piza remained unflinching.

"Then what is it?"

Piza looked down at his plate, and waited for a moment, as if truly lost in thought, searching for what he would say.

"...I feel that he should be destroyed, personally. Not out of any sense of morality, or duty, but out of spite. He angers me. He annoys me. His policies, the way he acts... it's all just so... infuriating. So, I'll aid in his destruction. What even is an 'NPC'? It's as simple as that. The land to add to my collection is merely a bonus."

The Crusaders returned to their original position, and exchanged glances.

"...I see. That's a good as reason as any, I suppose."

Piza took one last bite of his flatbread.

"I'm glad you see things like me. Now then! Look lively! We've a wizard to kill."


In the garrisons of Fort Piza, neighing beasts and whirring machines were the tune to which well-trained professionals and simple slaves worked.

Several Knights tended to their Winged Horses, and with the help of both slaves, squires, and engineers, they fitted buzzing harnesses onto them.

Of course, it wasn't just specially trained Knights that were preparing. Airships of multiple sizes were being outfitted and checked, ready for lift off.

Piza enterred the room, talking with the Marshall and the lead Magitech Blacksmith. Piza stretched, yawned, and confirmed with his employ.

"Let us go over the plan once more, shall we?"
"Yes, monsieur. Ze plan is shockingly simple, and shockingly effective."

The Marshall (who had a slight accent) pointed towards the Knights and Winged Horses.

"My 'Armée Volante' will fly above ze domain of ze enemy and drop great bombs of fire. After zey finish the initial bombardment, ze 'Air Navy' will close in and finish ze job."

The Magitech Blacksmith started speaking.

"The, uh, Pizequus aerialus have, uh, specially developed harnesses, sir! Er, Winged Horses, that is, sir."
"Yes, I know what I had them named. Continue."
"Of course, sir! Uh, we've named the, uh, harnesses: 'Localized Weather Anchors', sir! Not to toot my own, er, horn, but they're really quite, uh, genius! No, er, matter the, uh, weather, these harnesses will, uh, protect the calvary, sir! Floating Stone is, uh, so wonderful, sir!"
"...Yes, it is. By the way, do work on your... way of talking."
"Yes, sir..."

Piza pointed at containers carefully carried by engineers.

"Those... those are the most wondeful part of this plan, yes?"
"Uh, of course, sir! Those-"
"I shall take it from here, monsieur."

The Marshall had cut the Blacksmith off.

"Ze Floating Stone truly is wonderful, but it's nozing compared to ze power of flame and brimstone. Zose bombs were engineered to perfection! Zey will surely bring ze wizard to his knees. After hitting ze ground, ze bombs will burst into deadly flames. Flames hard for water to even put out! Zey will have his domain incinerated... and ze inhabitants wiz it. Zat is not a problem, correct?"

Piza tilted his head back for a second.

"Of course not. I was a fool to object to it. There is nothing we can gain from those degenerates."

The Marshall nodded.

"Ah, don't be so hard on yourself, monsieur. On wiz ze plan!"

The Marshall then pointed towards the airships.

"Ze clunky airships are lacking in ze... mobility department. However, zeir firepower is simply sublime! After ze initial attack, ze airships will obliterate what is left! Alzough slower than ze horses, ze amount zey can hold is much higher! I'm sure you can see what carnage zey can cause."

Piza leaned close, and spoke a little more quietly.

"And what of the defense against teleportation?"

The Marshall slyly smiled.

"I understand your concerns, monsieur, but zere is no reason to worry! We have called in a few favors from allies and wiz ze trade of some Floating Stone, we are secure! From my homeland, zat is standard practice! Not to mention, our own Magitech defenses should have been fine enough. But, I understand your preperation. Like I said, standard practice, no?"

Piza nodded.

"Of course. Then, there is nothing left to talk about. Our victory is ensured. I'll head back to my chambers and focus on the defense of the fort."

Piza left the Marshall and the Blacksmith.
The Marshall's smile turned into a great grin.
He then turned to the soldiers, and rallied them with a tone full of confidence.

"HAHA, IT IS CRUNCH TIME, PEOPLE! WE ARE ABOUT TO RAZE A DOMAIN! GET MOVING!"


"I got you~!"

Although a grand storm raged in the heavens, the degeneracy of Filius' domain would not be impeded.

One of the few, poor people who lived in this hellscape was in the grasp of a barbarian rapist who wandered into the main town. The spread thin adventurers and lack of able-bodied guards were unable to properly defend the populace, and one unlucky bastard was going to the so-called "market" to feed himself.

The foul, inhuman creature had pinned her victim beneath herself, and was prepared to commit vile, impure acts.

"You can't get away~!"

The poor man, fear apparent in his eyes, could only watch as the barbaric fiend leaned down, mouth in a kiss. The pouring rain made the ground muddy, and even though he squirmed with all of his might, he could do nothing.

Then, he saw it.

In the dark, almost blue sky, a flash of orange was seen, and a slight whistling noise was heard.

The monster girl heard this too, and gave a confused look above her.

BANG!!

The two beings who were once there on the ground had departed this world. In a blaze of flame, both victim and criminal alike were gone. Suddenly, and without pain.
They were lucky.

BANG!!

BANG!!

BANG!!

All around the central civilized area of the domain, burning plumes of flame burst out of cold weaponry that shattered upon contact with Earth.

Chaos erupted next.

Crying, screaming, cursing, praying. No matter what, the result was mostly the same: incineration.

Of course, only mostly.

As the flames consumed some buildings, they may have filled with smog.
Others would creak, and collapse.
Some others merely found a place to hide and ended their own lives, quickly. And they were right to do so.

One such adventurer, who was only a moment ago drinking with his friends, laughing about how there was still things to do in a dump like this, was rolling on the floor.
He had heard that flames would be suffocated if you did so, and had even seen it happen once or twice, a friend doing so to overcome the breath of a firebreathing lizard. So, he rolled.
Of course, his rolling slowed, despite his best efforts.
The flames were winning.
Eventually, he stopped moving altogether.
And the flames consumed him, too.

BANG!!

And with another bomb that incinerated him entirely, no one would even know that he was there to begin with.

BANG!!

"LORD FILIUS! LORD FILIUS!"

A mere carpenter, one of Filius' infrastructure that did his best to keep the people of his domain from dying, was running up the steps of the wizard's tower.

"L-LORD FILIUS, WE'RE UNDER ATTACK, DO SOMETHING! LORD FILIUS!"

Running, as fast as he could up those damned steps.

BANG!!

Past a window, out of the corner of his eye, he saw the Barracks being annihilated by a plume of flame.

And in the distance, he saw something that terrified him even further. A rising pillar of flames, it seemed huge. He wasn't even sure if it was real at first.

He stopped for a moment, and then he heard it.

BANG!!!!

Like lightning with thunder, an even louder boom followed the visual of flames. And it terrified him.
That first volley, that had already brought the domain to its knees... why, it wasn't even the worst of what to come.

And so he ran even faster, to the top of Filius' tower. His only possible hope lied at the top of those stairs, with the only man he could rely on to save him.

So when he entered Filius' unlocked chamber, he had fallen to his knees.

A monster girl sat on top of Filius, moaning, and laughing with pleasure.
And as the carpenter saw Filius' eyes, there was no life in them. His face was even paler than usual.

He had been raped to death.

The monster girl couldn't even be bothered to look at the carpenter, she was focused only on her victim.

And the carpenter laughed. Laughed, at the irony.
Hellfire would consume them all, and the bastard responsible for the ire and rage had passed away in an entirely unrelated way. If he had passed away only a little sooner, none of this would have happened!
The carpenter had lost all hope.

BANG!!

BANG!!

The carpenter walked to the window of the tower, paying the monster girl no heed. As he laughed, he watched as the flames consumed all he had worked for.
And over the horizon, wavering flags of the Church grew ever closer.
There was no escape.

And so, leaning as far as he could out of the tower's window, the carpenter fell, laughing all the way down.

BANG!!

And the tower was engulfed in flames.

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Pub: 21 May 2024 20:58 UTC

Edit: 19 Jun 2024 21:54 UTC

Views: 232