Soul Magic
Jack arrived to Heather and Marv standing outside the dining hall, looking quite bored. A quick word revealed Rebecca was having a conversation with Hamlin, and a quick listen revealed she was having a morning session. If Heather was bothered by this, he never showed it. Eventually, Rebecca opened the door and invited them back inside, taking the book from Jack as they walked in.
"Now then, this book has an interesting spell in it, called the Soul Split." Rebecca said, opening it up. "However, there's a problem."
"Cursed to death by the Gods kind of problem or can't cast it kind of problem?" Jack asked, to which Hamlin nodded.
"Well... both." Rebecca admitted. "Lazarus warned me I would need to somehow discuss this with Lady Eigengrau before I even tried to comprehend how to cast this."
"So we need to not only track down Lady Death, but have a conversation with her as well?" Heather asked, groaning.
In response to Heather's question, an icy fog started to creep across the ground, leaving frost on every surface it touched. Looking down, Rebecca smiled.
"We don't have to find her. She's coming to us, Heather." Rebecca gestured.
"You are planning something most unwise, Dark Imperium." Eigengrau said, her body forming from the freezing fog that blanketed the dining hall, and using the Demonic name for Rebecca in a remarkable departure from norm. "I imprisoned Lazarus for good reason."
"Yes, he warned me to not even attempt to use the spell he showed me." Rebecca said, bowing before Eigengrau. "I bid you welcome to Ashe Manor, Lady Eigengrau."
Eigengrau smiled inwardly at the politeness Rebecca showed her, but made no hint of expressing it, other than bowing in return. "The pleasure is mine, Duchess Ashe. Context is, I must admit, required. You do not yet know why I must be so harsh against investigations into the most profane, Soul Magic." Eigengrau snapped her fingers, and Sirene Ignitis, a younger Sirene Ignitis, and a glowing golden orb appeared next to her.
"Eigengrau what's this about?" The older Sirene asked.
"Why does she keep being part of my life?" Rebecca asked, gesturing at Sirene.
"The Hero and the Villain and she asks this. Why indeed." The younger Sirene stated, looking amused. "Sirene is the greatest Hero this world will ever have, and you are the greatest Villain this world will ever have."
"Aren't heroes and villains supposed to fight more?" Marv asked. "The Boss and Sirene mostly begrudgingly help each other out."
"Duchess Ashe and Miss Ignitis are not two sides of the same coin." The glowing orb replied, its voice calm. "Rebecca is the heads of one coin, and Sirene is the tails of another. Back to why we are here."
"Yes, soul magic." The young Sirene said. "May I?" She asked, taking the book from Rebecca's hands. "We are at a dangerous point. If you continue down this path, you've seen the results first hand with Emperor Lazarus, the Soul Snare, and the time-locked ruins of Zimmil Ma."
"You mean to kill me." Rebecca said, standing and facing them. "I won't go down without a fight."
"Calm down, Rebecca." Sirene said, raising her hands. "If Eigengrau meant to kill you for this, you would have never been born."
"I am here to offer you an alternative." Eigengrau stated, approaching Rebecca in a non-threatening posture. "Neither will be the wrong answer."
"We know the problem you face." Young Sirene said, smiling. "The problems of station."
"What is your proposed solution?" Rebecca asked, crossing her arms. This conversation had taken an unexpected turn.
"You have three options." The glowing golden orb answered, which surprised Rebecca. "You go with your original plan, the Soul Split."
"I cannot personally recommend this one." Eigengrau stated. "You will have intended to only use it one time, but future needs of it will happen. You will start researching Soul Magic. You will discover the Soul Snare. Lichfield will be destroyed, time-locked forever like Zimmil Ma."
"Or you can simply bring me." Young Sirene suggested, pointing at Sirene.
"Me?" Sirene asked, to which the Young Sirene and Eigengrau nodded.
"What is more impressive than 12 of yourself? The Hero of Karand." Young Sirene answered. "That the Hero would work with you, is the greatest repudiation of the old order of the Kingdom. It would do wonders for your credibility, and Whitemire would shortly collapse, allowing you to form the new Kingdom of Lichfield with ease."
"There is a third option." The glowing orb stated.
"Are you sure it is wise?" Eigengrau asked. The orb pulsed in response. "Very well. Tell her."
"Assassination."
"Told you, Boss." Marv said.
"Oh shut up." Rebecca said. "Really?"
"It's actually the most effective solution." The orb stated.
"Sounds like you're trying to steer me toward it. Sirene, what's your take?" Rebecca asked, looking at Sirene.
"I suspect that's why I'm here. The God of Death gives you the option of Soul Magic. The God of Time," Sirene said, gesturing at the Young Sirene. "Gives you the option of Heroism. And Infinity gives you the option of Regicide, leaving you to decide which choice to make."
"It feels like an Elven trial. The decision has already been made and this is just window dressing." Rebecca said with a disgusted look on her face.
"I'll admit on the surface it does. They clearly want me to just go with you. But I don't think either of us want that." Sirene said, tapping her foot, arms crossed and a frown on her face.
"I'd already dismissed an assassination, too." Rebecca continued. "But, I want your perspective. I'm doing this for the sake of order for Southern Karand."
"Tell me your vision of order." Sirene said, sitting in the nearest seat.
"Whitemire is too weak to enforce law and order, even within its own borders. The neighbouring Kingdoms harbour bandits and thieves, to say nothing of the Barony of Thoryn. The Saffron Republic to the North puts on a very nice show but they are too weak. They let bandits go, even murder is punished by a stay in jail." Rebecca said, naming some problems.
"What do you propose?" Sirene asked.
"An Empire. A unified polity that doesn't treat crime lightly. Murder is met with the gallows, thievery with amputations, first temporary then permanent. Banditry with summary execution on the road. An Empire that evokes stability long denied to Southern Karand, order not seen since the Rozen Republica."
"The Rozen Republica, huh..." Sirene said, smiling for a moment. "You've really done your homework. Not many people remember the name of my homeland these days."
"The Fall of La'Rozen. The plague that nearly destroyed Karand. Events you saw first hand." Rebecca continued. "Ignition is a very odd last name, I always thought to myself. Then, I realized you probably never had one."
"How long have you known?" Sirene demanded. "My age has never been much of a secret, but everything about Rozen was lost with its fall! I won't let you use me for your plans, but I know which plan will save this cursed place."
"Do tell."
"The assassination. Every day you fuck around is another day I have to save people from criminals, only to be forced to kill them myself when they get set free again. I'm tired of being judge jury and executioner, Becky. Kill that worthless King, show them..." Sirene paused. She suddenly understood how Rebecca talked herself into this, and looked at Rebecca quite evilly for a change. "Show them the spirit of the Rozen Republica is not yet dead! That it only slumbered!"
"Sirene. How did the Rozen Republica punish thieves and murderers?" Rebecca asked, in a tone that suggested nothing good.
Sirene winked at Rebecca. "You know damn well the answer to that. You're an evil bitch, but that's what Karand needs. Nobody else could hold this place together long enough to make sure it didn't collapse again right away. Don't disappoint. Let's go, Master."
Eigengrau nodded, and clapped twice. The two Sirenes disappeared, as did the golden orb, leaving behind only herself and the freezing fog that still lingered on the floor.
"I am surprised you picked murder." Eigengrau stated.
"We both picked it. Sirene was right, though. The spirit of the Rozen Republica, it's been waiting all these years for an heir. Too long we neglected the ruins, ignored the scrolls buried only surface deep. Destroy that cursed book I took from Zimmil Ma, I have no need for its lies." Rebecca said, dusting off her hands.
"What will you call your new Empire?" Eigengrau asked, even though she already knew the answer. She just wanted to hear it from Rebecca.
"Isn't it obvious?" Rebecca asked with a smile. "They'll always assume I named it after myself, but sometimes a meaning known only to yourself is better. The Ashen Empire. Risen from the cold ashes of the Rozen Republica, an order long forgotten, returned to the homeland of humanity."