"You really have to stop passing out like that," Lucian's words were the first things Anthemion heard, and he truly couldn't have hoped for a warmer welcome. The man held a platter of food stacked high in his hand and placed it on the kitchen table in front of Anthemion, who really wondered how he even got there.
"I-," he began.
"Just eat, man," Lucian interrupted and sat down on the opposite side, wasting no time in diving into the arranged food orchestrated in front of him.
Anthemion had a thousand questions, memories resurfacing and vanishing with each blink of his eyes. However, the tantalizing whirl of aroma convinced him that there was nothing more appealing or important in the world right now than tasting a bite of this delicious-looking treat.
After consuming a stifling amount of food and enduring Lucian’s incessant boasting during their dinner, Anthemion finally mustered the courage to ask what the fuck had happened. His memories had returned, but there were still some gaps that eluded his mind, particularly from the moments just before he lost consciousness. All he could recall was an expanse of white nothingness and the sensation of hurtling through realms faster than thought, landscapes shifting with the rhythm of his heart.
Lucian, equally perplexed, shrugged and replied, "It might have been a side effect of nearly tearing your soul apart."
Anthemion’s eyes widened as the realization of how close he had come to death horrified him to his core.
"But it seems to have worked. Your soul and body appear to have established a connection," Lucian added with a smile. “So, happy ending?”
"Can I use Reinforcement now? And other techniques and spells?" Anthemion asked, his initial shock giving way to growing excitement.
"Yes, you can," Lucian confirmed, "but I really wouldn't recommend it. At least, not today."
Anthemion understood the reason for the caution. He could feel the small tears in his soul, the minute injuries leaking energy that he had inflicted upon himself by pushing his spirit to the limit. He nodded in compliance.
"Good. So, now let's ju—" Lucian’s sentence was cut short by the melodic ringing of his cellphone. He raised a finger to signal silence, and Anthemion could only hear muffled voices and whispers as Lucian stiffened. After a brief exchange, the conversation ended, and the man stood up.
"Aurelius has requested our presence."
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There was a certain stillness, a whispering tranquillity to his chamber. A delicate melody of manufactured silence fluttered through his room and separated him from the pure chaotic waves of sounds echoing in the city streets.
He was separated, detached, and alone with nothing but his thoughts. And he relished it that way. It was a calming notion. Keeping outside influence to a bare minimum helped him think, and at the moment, he needed nothing more than to think. To try and find solutions for problems he hadn't caused, to manage the time allotted to him by the whim of a noble idiot.
Their recent gains had been staggering, almost surreal.
They had acquired extensive territory and abundant resources. With time to consolidate these newfound assets and establish a solid foundation, LUV would undoubtedly ascend to unprecedented heights.
His organization, and by extension, himself, stood on the cusp of a golden era marked by progress and expansion. All they required was respite, the chance to reap their well-deserved rewards.
Yet, their privilege was denied, their limits pushed even further. He couldn't ascertain if it was beyond their breaking point. The impending mission held the potential for even greater surprises than the wannabe war, or possibly doom them all. It hardly seemed worth the risk, not after accumulating more than they could comfortably chew.
However, he couldn't defy the noble's orders. Not due to the brat's personal abilities, no. He trumped the idiot ten times over in power, but because of his authority and influential backing. Defying him would invite the entire nobility to descend upon them like a devastating storm, like a crushing hammer on an anvil. The noble's imprudent commands had ensnared him in a precarious situation, solidifying his resolve to remove him at the earliest opportunity. Only if given a realistic and discreet chance, of course, as he had to be careful not to leave any traces of their entanglement or his involvement in the man's demise.
So, he could only wait and comply, hoping that his patience would eventually be rewarded.
With these thoughts in mind, he shifted his focus to the two guests in his austere room – one appearing wild and savage on the surface but harboring a calculating, somber demeanor underneath, and the other, a mere teenager – a child even.
Their losses in manpower had been regrettable, leaving gaps in their loyal ranks.
As the noble urgently required their assistance for his plans, he had summoned every available asset, he could find.
Even if some were… less than ideal.
"It appears you managed to secure a Scripture?" His words sounded more like a statement than a question, but Anthemion nodded still, fidgeting a bit with his fingers, though visibly more composed than during their previous encounter. The war had granted him somewhat of a spine, it seemed. A promising development, Aurelius thought. He would need it, where they would go.
Mild curiosity nudged him to inquire further about the Scripture and its contents, but the boy had already absorbed it, and its quality, while it felt decent, didn't warrant any debate or squabble. He chose to let go of the matter of him taking such a valuable spoil of war to himself.
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He needed them both, after all, and it was fortunate that another Conduit, even a fledgling one, had joined their ranks. In the recesses of his mind, he pondered a particular question: What was Lucian’s role in all this? Why was he supporting Anthemion? How had he facilitated the boy's rapid transformation into a Conduit? Had he provided an Awakening Pill or a similarly potent treasure? If so, these questions all circled back to the central query: Why?
Based on their conversation, it appeared to be a repayment for saving Lucian’s life. At least he mimed it that way. The man, he had known wouldn't have cared about owing favors.
The room was charged with tension as Aurelius scrutinized Lucian closely, squinting his eyes.
How much did the traitor think he knew about his dealings with the enemy? What were his intentions?
Yet, he needed him; the man possessed formidable power and his support could go a long way. So, he suppressed the urge to confront him, to rip him in half here and there. For the moment.
They had more pressing matters at hand.
And, of course, to avoid staining the immaculate floor. It was, after all, a nice, clean floor.
Instead, he summoned his best attempt at a friendly and welcoming smile. "I've heard remarkable things about your contributions during the war. Rest assured, you will be duly rewarded for your dedication and service to our organization."
His gaze fluttered to Anthemion. "Both of you."
The boy beamed with glee, and his attempt to conceal it was rather pitiful.
Continuing on, he added with a solemn tone, "But for now, I have another order for you. I can't divulge many details, but LUV has made a significant discovery - one that could propel us to the pinnacle and beyond. A hidden place from ancient times, filled with both opportunity and danger. Countless rewards await us there, and I want us all to seize them, make them our own."
Seeing the clear confusion on both their faces, he explained further, "I understand this field differs greatly from our usual expertise, but we can't afford to let this opportunity slip by. The timing is less than ideal, especially after losing so many good men to death. We need replacements, and both of you have been chosen as part of the select lucky few."
"Lucky few" was quite an overstatement. In reality, they were filling numerous gaps, and with both being Conduits - Lucian even a particularly powerful one, and Anthemion kept under control and loyal due to the threat to his family - they were natural choices. Even though he had reservations about including Lucian, he recognized the necessity of the man's abilities.
The man in question had stiffened, clear reluctance in his stance. Aurelius could see the battle of arguments forming and counterarguments rising to meet them in his eyes. The promise of fruitful prospects wrestled with the potential dangers inherent in this endeavor. Aurelius already knew the outcome, but he suppressed a grin as Lucian regained composure and steadied himself. He met his gaze square and determined.
Then, resistance came from an unexpected corner.
To say Anthemion was uncertain was a massive understatement, akin to downplaying the scale of the recent terrorist attacks as a minor inconvenience to the public rather than a catastrophic event of unprecedented magnitude. He had firsthand witnessed how utterly helpless he was when supernatural forces came into play. He had seen older, more experienced, and more powerful individuals perish in conflicts where a stray attack would have been fatal to him. Returning to this world so soon, even with his newfound abilities as an aspiring Conduit, was a difficult decision.
His mistrust of Aurelius and LUV only added to his hesitance. He couldn't forget how they had seemingly discarded him to a weaker attack group as a sacrificial pawn. He could and would never forget that. Still, he couldn't deny the order, if he wanted to leave the building alive and breathing. That option was off the table.
But... He needed an insurance, another known factor he could trust, at least to some extent.
A plan formed in his mind, triggered by the memory of a certain favor. Calming himself, he began, "We," emphasizing the word to signal that he and Lucian were a united front, "will, of course, gladly follow your orders. However, I have a request."
Both men raised their eyebrows, showing a mix of surprise and mild amusement.
"Go ahead," Aurelius permitted, leaning back in his seat.
"Would it be possible for a friend of mine to join us in this endeavor? She is also a Conduit, quite formidable, and could certainly be of help," he probed, maintaining a straight face.
"Why would you like her to join us?" Aurelius asked, more curious than angered by the suggestion.
This was the tricky part. Anthemion had to convince Aurelius that his friend could be a trusted asset and not a threat to his plans and motivations. It was a wide stretch, and an even larger one to assume she would agree to this peculiar request. But he had nothing to lose and a potentially powerful ally to gain in an unknown and potentially dangerous situation. He simply had to try. While his safety wouldn’t be guaranteed, it certainly granted him some wriggle room.
"Purely for her, and more importantly, our benefit. Forgive me for making assumptions, but based on my knowledge, I would say that after the surprise attack by the Syndicate, there's a significant shortage of capable manpower. She could help fill those gaps. And I know for certain that she's focused on nothing more than gaining benefits." The last part carried a sharper edge than he had intended, but he had already waded a toe into the cold waters, so why not go all the way? "We could utilize her, while she scrapes for her own gains." He silently added, much like you do with us, but dared not say it out loud. Hopefully, Aurelius would come to that conclusion on his own.
"It's certainly an intriguing proposal, but I'm not sure if introducing an unknown variable will truly benefit our..." His, Anthemion noted mentally, "cause," Aurelius countered. "How strong is she?"
Without hesitation, Anthemion responded, "I vouch for her. As I've only recently awakened my abilities, I can't provide an exact assessment of her combat prowess, but she's strong."
Seeing Aurelius still unconvinced, Anthemion attempted to tip the scales in his favor. "If you agree, I can provide you with her name, background, and a more thorough report of her abilities. I truly believe she could greatly assist our mission."
Aurelius shifted in his seat, and apart from that, Anthemion couldn't decipher his thought process. Had he succeeded in persuading the man, or had he raised suspicion with his suggestion? A small, irrational part of his mind, which he tried to suppress, questioned whether he had just sealed his own fate – signed his own death certificate.
"If she meets the standards and her abilities are satisfactory, you may bring her with you," Aurelius ultimately decided aloud, with the need for powerful individuals lending assistance in his upcoming adventure outweighing his reservations and better reasoning. It wasn't an ideal situation, but nothing about this venture was.
After all, what could go wrong with allowing her entrance?
What harm could one additional person possibly do?