Chapter 123: A Napkin of Scarlet
Jack descended into his thoughts, [Should I be called a god... I don't... Well... I don't want to split up the nation, and Leslie has a point. Should I berated people that want to worship me.] Jack wrestled with this thought.
[But it would be wrong to have people put their faith in me, if I'm something I'm, not right? But then again... I did get all this power from them... Does this power make me a god? What makes a god anyway?] Jack started to question the whole situation.
Finally, Jack came to a conclusion, [I've lied about everything else... If this is what the people want... Fuck it. What's the problem with lying about being a god?]
Jack remembered a classic movie from his last life, and a line.
The bad guy of that movie asked, "Are you a god." and when the humans answered no, they got shocked by lightning... One of the humans then said, "The next time someone asks you are you a god... YOU SAY YES!"
Jack rose from his memories and thoughts, and nodded to Leslie, "Alright, then I am a god. Does that make things easier for Us?"
"That I don't know, but I know this wasn't want you wanted to do. I can hear it in your voice. I can say that I think this will be best for the nation, and I can't lie... If my husband is a god, how can I not like that." Leslie giggled, as Jack got out of the water basin.
She dried off Jack with another linen towel, and after handed Jack a simple robe.
Jack put on his robe, as he decided, "I'm going to pay Boss Crag a visit. What do you think about me absorbing him and the company into the kingdom, and making him the Minister of Commerce?"
"A government position based on business? That's actually not a bad idea. I know that Stonedge has something like this in their parliament."
"Do you think Boss Crag can do it?"
"He's done well so far, but we do have to remember where he came from..."
"Can I bother you to keep an eye on him then?"
"I was going to do that without you saying, I wouldn't worry about him doing anything above board... Who pisses off a god that lives next door?" Leslie giggled.
"Alright, alright, haha. What about you? What are you going to do today?" Jack asked after laughing.
"I plan to follow up on former-Marquis Mark's plan to blow up the SEU Trading Company."
"He what?"
"I... I thought you knew?" Leslie paused.
"No? I know he led Jakahn into screwing over Julia and her armies and blew up Zitergall."
"The reason Zitergall blew up was because the former had already set up hexplosives to blast it. I'm still tracking down when and how he did it. He did this to every branch in every city."
"Damn..." Jack cursed.
"What?"
"I wish I got my hands on him that day."
"Yeah. We need to put him to true death as soon as we can." Leslie nodded.
"What? No! We need to recruit him back."
"Excuse me?" Leslie was taken back.
"The dudes a fucking genius! If he can slip by you! YOU of all undead, and played our armies like puppets, that's an undead I want to run my armies!" Jack spoke loudly and passionately.
"...You're joking, right? No undead here would suffer his actions to let him lead them." Leslie spoke with her brows knitted.
"If I can find out why he wanted to destroy us, then maybe I can give him what he wants. This world is about benefits, and very few people function on principal. If you can find him, give him a message I want to meet him, again. I don't remember much from seeing him before."
"If... If that is your will... I think you're playing with fire." Leslie said heavily but acknowledged.
"Well, I can't guarantee that he's going to rejoin Us, but if he's against Us, then I will just destroy him. Meh."
"Alright. We will do as you say."
"I also need to talk to Julia today," Jack stated slowly.
"Yes. She needs to talk to you as well."
"Haaaa~ This is going to be a hard talk. What little bit I already know... She really screwed up the battle at Zitergall."
"Yes... My agents already tell me of decent among the survivors of Zitergall." Leslie added as she knit her brows.
"What about the Military? Are they still behind Julia, or has she lost their favor?"
"Quicker's army, may he rest in peace, is indifferent, and so is Mossvale's. The Warbreakers and Spellslingers seem to still be on good terms. The other three armies don't know yet... Speaking of which, We should see Warmarshal Frostgard tomorrow. She's been on the move for a while."
"Oh, that's good," Jack said, while he thought, [I really need to get project Dues Vult Drive going.]
"What are you going to do?" Leslie asked.
"I'm... Haaaa~ I'm going to have to punish failure, but I don't want to bury her, either. War seems to be her favorite past time, and it would be stupid to remove such a good warrior from the battlefield. I think I have an idea, but it's going to be after I finish a few personal projects."
"Alright, then." Leslie smiled, as she came up to Jack, and looked back up at him. "If you have nothing going on tonight... I'd like to keep you company. It's been so long for me. I'm hoping your fun with sister Emily isn't going to make you forget about me..." As spoke softly, as she looked up to Jack with upturned eyes.
Jack wrapped his arms around Leslie, as he pressed her tight to himself, "If I didn't have things to do right now, I would try some of my new tricks... But We would need much more than two days." Jack said with masculine charm.
"Oh, I look forward to it. We need to clear a schedule... I'll see about taking off a week. I'm going now." Leslie said, as she slipped from Jack's grasp, and out the door.
Jack looked at the door close behind Leslie, as he thought to himself, [Ah... What a woman. I need to make sure I do right by her, if not one else. I guess its time to go meet Boss Crag again.]
Jack stepped out of his room and walked to where Crag was located.
*******
The door of a cabin opened, and out stepped the sickly beauty, Princess Eris. She looked even more thin than before she witnessed the Might of the Undead God of Light. Her skin that was pure white before, now had sickly green undertones, with slight shadows under her eyes. If one looked closely enough at this sickly beauty, one could see the use of concealer to cover the dark circles.
The ship rocked back and forth with reckless abandon, plowing through the lava flows pushed by a sanguinary wind. Around the hulls of each ship, one could see boiling blood lifting the ships as they buffered each ship. As the ships approached a wave of lava, the boiling blood while piercing through the lava, leading the ships through, as they rocked in the wake.
She moved slowly to the side of the captain, as she quickly pulled out a cloth napkin to cough into... She looked into the napkin to find that it was stained with bits of crimson red blood.
The captain panicked when he heard the coughing behind him, "Princess!!!! Please call for someone you wish to move around!"
"I'm alright. I just want to know how much longer." She coughed a few more times, into her napkin.
The Captain sighed, "Princess, please... If not for your sake, think of your late mother... Please drink some blood... Drink someone's... anyone's... Mine! Drink mine!" The captain held his arm out, as he took his dagger to put to his wrist ready to slice it the moment the word was given.
Princess Eris smiled, even as her face slackened with weakness, "You're sweet, but I don't want to drink. My new god will feed me. I just came out to know how long it will be before We reach the shores."
"...Tomorrow..." The Captain said with slight sorrow, as he continued, "You gave too much... A little blood would have been fine. Hell, it would have been fine if you drank more, but you don't! Why did you give so much!"
"Dear captain, don't question me. Know your place." The sickly beauty became icy in spite of her deathly appearance that lacked vitality.
The Captain quickly kneeled, "I'm sorry, princess. I spoke out of line, out of concern. It is indeed not my place."
"I know you care, but don't question my choices... After all, this is for my new god. I would give him anything... My life... Even yours. Remember that, captain."
"Yes, your highness." The Captain lowered his head.
"I do want to mention that seeing your first mate wailing as all of his blood drained during the ritual really added to the ambiance. If all goes well during this trip, captain... I don't mind seeing about your promotion to Admiral, only lower than Fleet Admiral Nikole."
"Yes, my princess!"
Princess Eris took one last look into the distance, where she could just make out the massive port of the barbarian lands, before turning to her cabin, and closing the door. She would rest, as she didn't have any energy left to entertain herself.
After the door closed, the captain stood and went to the shipmate down deck. As the shipmate looked up to see the murderous look of his Captain, he wanted to speak, but his face was already backhanded.
The shipmate covered his face, as he fell from his chair, head over heels. All the other shipmates backed up with their cups of bloodmead.
"You worthless wretch! You're sitting here filling your belly, while our princess walked out of her cabin unassisted! I didn't know she was next to me until she was coughing blood, you sorry limp blood vessel!"
"Cap-Cap... I-"
"I don't want to hear it. Clean yourself up... So, help me, by the Blood Emperor himself, if you do this again... I will feed you to the neophytes!"
The Captain randomly picked up a napkin on one of the side tables to clean the back of his fist smeared with blood, and dropped it on the floor, as he left.
All the other shipmates looked to the bloodied shipmate in pity, it wouldn't be long now that this shipmate wasn't with them. He had one last chance... Everyone on the Ship called the Bloody Mary had two chances... Then it was over.
"Ole' Captain Fairfield treats the princess-like his daughter... If I didn't kn-"
"Shut your blood hole, you stupid ass! Least the captain hear you!" The shipmate whispered in a yell, as he pulled the other closer to him, "The captain was appointed by the right-hand vampire of the Blood Emperor himself... If he misses up this mission, then all eight of his generations will be turned into blood slaves..."
The shipmates scrambled around, as they didn't want to hear such information. Sailors that knew too much, found themselves burning in the Brimstone Ocean if they were lucky.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
Voidmirage
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