Joan sent a guard out to see why there was suddenly a jungle grown in the plain between the two walls.

“Your majesty. Commander Joan asked me to assess the situation.”

He stood up, light magic reduced his puffy eyes, water magic to remove the snot.

“She is an honored guest coming to deliver news to me.”

“You may call me Lady Marigold. I do not intend to stay long.”

“Shall I return to the commander with a message?”

“I will have buildings ready soon, once the refugees are ready, they can come, but I need beds and other comforts to be moved in by golems.”

“Very well, your majesty.”

He watched as the man hopped back on and rode away, finding an odd enjoyment in the mundanity.

Harlan never really saw people ride horses much, soldiers rode them, but for him he had long since replaced the animals with golems and he could outpace them on foot, let alone if he flew.

When he was back inside of the wall, Harlan went back to work on the buildings.

“Would you like some help?”

“If you would like to help, I won’t turn you down. But I’m not laying brick by hand.”

“Of course not.”

Marigold let out a golden aura not unlike what the Finger had done, and limbs of light came out of her to cast spells by the dozen.

It began slow, but things took a rapid turn.

He felt the ground shift up a dozen feet.

“What are you doing?”

“I like hill cities, these plains are boring.”

With a wave of another of the hands concentric roads were paved around, separating the undeveloped outer walled area into clear districts.

“Xol told me about how cities were set up where he is from. Everything is set up in blocks, I’m not sure about the sizes, so I’m guessing somewhat. And the curved roads are more my style, I’ve never liked square cities.”

“Please continue then.”

“Oh I will.”

She rose from the ground, the previously unseen tattoos lit up so bright that it was impossible for him to keep looking; she was trying to prevent him from learning the sigils she was using.

Spires of stone rose from the ground and split, the rocks held in the air became interlocked by roots, giving hardwood floors inside rather than cold stone.

Trees sprung up along the walkways, in each cardinal direction land had been set aside for parks with fountains and simple jungle gyms for the children.

The fields that were there suddenly grew to full, several cycles of harvest finished in just a few minutes, the vegetables and grains fell, ready to be threshed or simply picked up and sorted.

When she fell back to the ground she stretched side to side and then twisted her torso.

“I haven’t used such large scale magic in years, it feels wonderful to go all out like that.”

“That was…”

“Whoa?”

“Yeah.”

“You’ll never get to what I can do, but I think it is good to show what someone truly powerful looks like.”

“Never?”

“Like I said, I’m a creator. You aren’t. Now, it’s likely that if you had all these same spells you’d be able to dig out underground structures by destroying, but you’d never build buildings with plants and stone like me.

I’m the Champion of Aarde, that means I’m master of the six elements and those that derive from those elements. One day, you shall be master of dark, just as Sepul is master of light. He would never be able to do what you can do either, these spells would likely make hardlight structures, but no permanent residences.”

“Amazing.”

“You keep your mind right, you see the wonder of magic, but sometimes a reminder is fun, isn’t it?”

“Yes, of course, this is incredible.”

She giggled.

“Well, chances are you’ll never see it again. Aarde doesn’t like it when I play with power like this very much, but just this once to get you up on your feet, that’s fine.

“Also, we want you out here.”

“Why?”

“We should go somewhere more private to speak, why not while we walk through those new apartment buildings.”

Harlan looked at rooms, they were certainly better than anything he could’ve made on such short notice.

“Training. You were a big fish in an ocean inside of the veil. Out here you are more like a big fish in a large lake. But I’m going to give a warning, there are sharks in this lake. The Fingers of course, then the Hands above them. In Lith you need to worry about the Stones and the king. I believe the one right now is Old Path, which might be an issue.”

“What about the emperor.”

“He’s an Egregore now. He can’t hurt you directly, but he can act through those that have his pieces.”

“Alright. What is that then?”

“He gave up parts of his body and entered a comatose state to become a thoughtform entity.

a false god. But unlike the machine that made them, he can act as an actual god, granting power and miracles. Can you describe what his attacks were like?”

“He had a golden sword, cut through anything he used it on, once he stopped and then hit things that he didn’t make contact with. And then a beam, it cut through me, flesh and steel. Then afterwards everything exploded, I barely got out of it alive.”

“Sounds like light and or fire aligned. I’d say whatever you use isn’t going to be quite so flashy, but because you are dark, light, and fire aligned, you are likely to unleash something that isn’t easily controlled. When you start experimenting, do it far away from here, and if it gets out of control contact me, Xol, or The Darkness.”

“Magic doesn’t self propagate normally, unless I missed that class.”

“If you light a piece of wood on fire, it will burn until it has no more fuel, if you light a fire with sigils, it might be able to use anything as fuel. Part of my job is to ensure people don’t use sigils to make fires or plagues that never die out.”

“Like how I was sent to make sure someone didn’t make a dragon that could breed more dragons, but if I made one, it would be fine.”

“Exactly, that is the difference between runic and sigil magic. So be very careful.

She pulled out the black blade.

“You can have this back, it has served its purpose inside the veil.”

“No, give it back to him, he’ll need it more than me.”

“I was hoping you’d say that. Work on those sigils and you can eventually make something that far exceeds what that blade can do.”

She pulled out her own white gold curved swords.

“These are the result of thousands of broken blades unable to contain the power of my sigils.

I can’t stay, there are many things out here that I’m not supposed to do, but one day, when you are strong enough, all the champions and all of the servants of Aarde shall come together, and we shall strike down the false gods. Once that is done, we can finally remove the veil and you can go back home.”

He shifted his body, growing to 9 feet tall, just to be closer in size with the other species outside the veil.

“I can’t go back. I don’t think I could take seeing Adina again, or her child, or mom, dad, anyone else.”

“You’ll find another love, but that first one will feel like the only one you could’ve ever gotten. I’m going to tell you what Cynthia told the other, have a kid, it’ll take your mind off of everything. Granted you also won’t have free time, they are needy and dirty and wonderful little bundles of joy.”

“I have a kid, technically.”

“Oh, can I meet him?”

“I thought you had to go?”

“You’re right, and it’ll make it harder to leave if I sit and turn this into a social visit. I won’t make you give me any promises, I think you’ll be fine out here.”

“I don’t think I can say anything else, I’m not exactly excited about letting go either.”

“I’ll be back, I hope it is sooner than later, I’ll make sure everyone-”

“Just do what you can, that’s what a friend should do. I’m gonna miss these talks, gonna miss a lot of things.”

She seemed like she wanted to say something else, but instead she sniffled and then gated back to her home.

Harlan spent the next hour in the bathhouse, just floating around the hot water.

Eventually someone realized it was Harlan and not some other 9 foot tall horned man with pale skin, and from there Joan finally found him.

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“Your majesty-”

“Just call me Harlan.”

She leaned in close.

“There are others watching.”

“I don’t care.”

“Then Harlan, the new city, I’d like an explanation. As well as your new body.”

“I took a form closer in size to the people out here. And the city is a parting gift from Marigold.”

“Who?”

“Right, you people wouldn’t know about her. She’s not coming back, so don’t count on another city popping out of the ground.”

“I did hope that you found a powerful ally.”

“She’s a good friend, but she can’t help me. They want me to use this as training, eventually when the time comes, she’ll be back along with the rest of the champions and her husband, but not until this is ready to all end. I’m getting out of here, there is work to do.”

“What exactly? You don’t really keep a schedule.”

“I’m going to visit the other nations around us, those who would accept it, I intend to invite to a ball.”

Harlan called the slime that held his suit and armor inside of it to him; these had simple minds, which he could easily influence.

“Perhaps Mercedes should plan the ball.”

“She has enough on her plate. All a ball needs is wine, food, and people who think they are above the peasantry because they have a nice coat and enough money to make people follow their commands.”

“You should give this some more-”

Harlan floated up into a gate leading outside, and Joan jumped through after him.

“Naked in the bathhouse is fine, but not outside in the woods.”

“You didn’t give me the chance to grab anything.”

Harlan tossed his armor at her and it conformed to her body.

“Pleasantly warm.”

“The slime was just in the hot water.”

“We need to go back, there is a way to set these things up and surely you don’t know how to.”

“There are seven nations around here that I will visit, I’ll go to their capital, declare myself, and then demand a meeting when next available.”

“We still need to go back, ask Mercedes if she knows anything about these nations.”

“You said before that it was our age difference that bothered you. I’m immortal, so really it doesn’t matter much.”

“What?”

“I’m giving up on Adina, I thought I had, but now she’s married, it’s over, I’m done.”

“I’m not interested in some rebound relationship. And that isn’t the issue at hand.”

“Well, my father was a persistent man, and that’s how he got my mother, so I’ll keep asking since I think I have a chance.”

“Your father also wasn’t 12 years older.”

“We only have a gap of 8 years I thought.”

“As if I’m telling you my real age.”

“I like mysteries.”

“We still need to go back.”

“I don’t feel like it.”

Harlan walked through a gate and she followed him because she had no idea where they were.

They made their way to a town, and from there they forced directions to the capital out of the mayor.

The capital city of Drang, in the kingdom of Drang, was… a shithole.

From the unpaved streets outside of the nobles district to the children starving and begging in the mud.

He saw a child stab a man nearly to death for the bread in his hands.

“There is no need for that.”

Harlan bound the child who didn’t even have a shirt to wear in mud arms while he went to heal the man who had been stabbed.

It didn’t take long for guards to appear.

“I’ve healed the man, the boy-”

“Are you registered for magic use?”

“What?”

“15 silver for disallowed magical use then.”

“This man would be dead if I hadn’t.”

“If you cannot pay the fine you will be conscripted into the king’s army.”

Harlan suddenly remembered some of Sepul’s stories about walking through the frontier.

“Does your commander know you are doing this?”

“Are you refusing to pay?”

“Yes.”

The guards pulled their swords out, and Harlan held them in place with telekinesis.

“Joan, we are going to see the king.”

He thought back to Direhold, he was ready to slaughter every soldier there, but he held it together long enough to meet the count and everything was cleared up.

This was not that.

When he made his way to the king’s throne room it was empty, so he made his way to the dining hall.

The tables were lined with all manner of food, nobles dragged slaves around by chains, forcing themselves on the gagged people.

The sight of it all, the contrast between this castle and the shoddy wooden shacks filled with half-naked children that were so weak they could barely stay awake.

He didn’t really remember what happened, but when he woke up, every inch of the room was covered in blood.

He could feel Joan’s mind, she was in a side room huddled together with the newly freed slaves.

He knocked.

“Are you safe?”

“Don’t come in.”

“Alright.”

“Call in reinforcements, clearly negotiations have broken down, we need to conquer the kingdom.”

“Alright.”

Harlan made the call and a small army started to gather, waiting for him to open the gate.

He walked the halls, occasionally finding some poor servant who was huddled against a wall or under a table. He had never seen so much blood, and he didn’t find any pieces larger than a hand, but that didn’t give him pause, no, what bothered him was that he didn’t remember any of it.

Harlan reached his hand out to a Faun who was covered in blood, this kingdom was ruled by them.

He didn’t reach back, he just begged to be spared. Harlan expected this, when he looked at his hand it had long black claws, then he noticed his entire body.

He had bone sticking through his skin as a pesudo armor and compound eyes, giving him an appearance not unlike an Armaus mixed with a Praying Mantis.

So he just kept going.

When he stepped outside he saw the troops lined up, he could nearly near their armor rattling.

“LAY DOWN YOUR ARMS, YOUR KING IS DEAD, THOSE NOBLES WITH HIM ARE DEAD.”

He stepped down the stairs slowly as he spoke.

“ANY WHO SURRENDERS WILL BE SPARED, THOSE WHO STAND AGAINST ME, YOUR NEW KING, SHALL BE KILLED.”

The gate opened and a flood of golems came out.

Due to his use of empathy, the soldiers were entirely paralyzed with fear.

Just walking through the streets infuriated him, and the shadows around the city reflected this.

He could not see through them, but eyes covered every dark corner, and the city, gripped in fear, fell without any more bloodshed.

Harlan visited the other towns and cities of the nation, and found them in the same terrible condition.

He never cared for the separation of noble and peasant, but he had never seen it in such extremes.

He met them with the same brutality as he had their king, and rivers of blood flowed through the streets.

Harlan’s amulet lit up.

“Darrath, how are you?”

“Grandma wanted to know when you were back.”

He had put up a clear veil around himself, he could still use telekinesis to twist his enemies like wet cloth or tear them apart.

These people withheld magic too much, giving it only to those in the highest positions, it was really just a matter of time before someone crushed them into pulp, Harlan happened to be the first to do so.

“I’ll be back by dinner, I’m just seeing about getting some allies.”

“So you are talking?”

“Sometimes.”

“Why sometimes?”

A man’s head burst from the inside, Harlan used his pieces like shrapnel to kill several more soldiers.

“Bad people can’t be friends with us, and I can’t be friends with them, because they’d keep being mean to people I’m trying to help.”

“Oh. What are you doing?”

“Fighting so I can take the good people away from the bad people.”

“Oh, so I should do that too? I should do good things.”

“You are still young, I’ll handle this.”

“What if you aren’t around?”

Harlan was conflicted, either he put Darrath in danger, because the boy didn’t know how to fight or judge the strength of an enemy, or he said something he didn’t believe.

“Find someone else, grandma or Joan or golems.”

“What if they aren’t there?”

“Stay safe, you can’t help anyone if you get hurt. Sometimes you should just look away.”

Harlan felt a tightness in his chest, it was fundamentally against his nature to say something of that sort.

“No, you should always stand up for what is right, if you or I don’t stand up for them, nobody will.”

“Alright.”

He didn’t seem to fully understand the weight of Harlan’s words.

“I need to get back to work, but I’ll be back, if you are bored go play or see if Joan can have someone train you.”

“Ok.”

He hung up without another word.

Harlan dropped the veil, the rest of the soldiers seemed to get the message that fighting him was pointless.

“Joan, you are going back, find someone who can teach Darrath the basics.”

She seemed in a daze.

“Joan? Are you there?”

“Huh? Oh, did you say something?”

“I’m sending you back, find someone who can teach Darrath the basics.”

“Yes. Alright, that’s fine.”

“Are you ok?”

“I’m fine, it’s just… that dining hall. You waved your hand, magic I don’t understand, and those people fell apart.”

“I don’t remember it. When I saw the slaves, the brazen displays of depravity, I lost myself. Did I look like me?”

“You looked like yourself.”

She didn’t want to mention that he had been crying during the attack.

“Are there more cities in this nation, or have I finished?”

“From the map we found in the capital, this is the last. But we are going to be stretched thin trying to hold all of this.”

“With what I looted from the vaults, I can make thousands more golems.”

“The real issue is that the people don’t know how to be free, or even act like people.”

“I’m immortal, I don’t care if it takes a hundred years, I will set that place right.”

Harlan dropped her off directly in her office, if he happened to see anyone, he risked staying and chatting a bit.

Unfortunately, Mercedes was waiting for him.

“I’m glad that you’ve been having fun. But why exactly are we missing half of the golems? Including the ones you promised me earlier.”

“I got caught up in something.”

“Then get caught up in actually ruling this country like I said earlier.”

“I’ve been trying to gather allies from the surrounding nations.”

“And what has that accomplished?”

Harlan didn’t want to admit it.

“It was a poor first choice, but surely I can find one of them that we can be friendly with.”

“So you went out and slaughtered everyone in your path and brought more problems to our door.”

“They aren’t problems, they are people, living in the mud because their wooden huts are barely standing and starving in the street.”

“They are problems, because we cannot handle them right now.”

“Maybe I can solve two problems at once.”

“How?”

“What better negotiation can I make than giving a nation over to another. I just need to find someone who I can turn the people over it.”

“Good, find time to delegate to someone other than me.”

“Where do you suggest we go next.”

“Redhaven, go there. I need to get back to filing papers and making sure nobody is stealing from us by double checking inventory.”