“They are animals!” shouted Ignatius, sweeping the map and the paper weights from the table. “Do you have any concept how it makes us look that we can’t deal with a horde of savages? The rest of the world is laughing at us! Worse, they’ve lost all respect for our power and are waiting to invade! If those beasts can do it, then so can they!”

“Yes, High Commander,” said the general, his head bowed. The man had been at the peak for a century, and he could still be cowed by a little shouting. It was pitiful. “What would you have us do?”

Ignatius took a deep breath, and when he spoke, his voice was much calmer. “My orders have not changed. Abandon the indefensible positions, congregate in the larger cities, and turn back the tide,” he commanded. “Go. Now.”

The general saluted, then turned on his heel and marched away. Once he was gone, Ignatius turned to his Inquisitor and asked, “What do you think?”

Abigail blinked as if she hadn’t expected the question. For months now she had been distracted, as if she had lost faith in their mandate. Perhaps she was looking forward to the day when she could ascend. Doubtless, with the Sun Goddess’ favor, she would make it to the Ethereal Realm without issue.

So could Ignatius, but he had too much work to do. Such was his mandate. He could not ascend to his proper place in the universe – not so long as the Eternal Realm remained so chaotic. It was his charge to bring the savages to heel, to establish Shar Maelaine’s rule across the entire world.

And he’d made good progress, subduing all of their neighbors and combining them into the Imperium. That was, until they’d made the mistake of picking a fight with the savages that had destroyed Adontis. It was as if the gods were laughing at him as his forces experienced one loss after another. The vast majority of the enemy were monsters, and yet, they fought with discipline and precision characteristic of a well-established army. It was galling to think that his people – the proud of Knights of the Radiant Host – could be defeated by such creatures.

But they had been, and repeatedly.

Ignatius told himself that it was all according to his goddess’ plan. She only tested him to ensure that his – and the entire Imperium’s – faith remained strong. He hadn’t wavered, but he knew that some of his people had.

And if he was honest, he couldn’t blame them. In the back of his mind, he harbored plenty of doubts about the future of the Imperium. He hated that they existed, that he wasn’t strong enough to resist, but they were there all the same. Taunting him. Needling him. Subverting his faith.

He shoved them away, focusing on what really mattered. Certainly, times were difficult. He knew that. But that was the point. It wouldn’t be a test if it was easy. The struggle was the entire point. Shar Maelaine would not have put so many obstacles in his way if she didn’t believe he could overcome them.

And he refused to disappoint his goddess.

But he didn’t know if Abigail had such fortuitous faith. Certainly, when she looked up, he saw doubts etched into her expression. She answered, “He will lose.”

“Elaborate,” Ignatius ordered. He didn’t dare let any of his own thoughts affect his expression. His control would not waver.

“Our forces are too spread out,” she said, locking her eyes on Ignatius. “Zeke is not your typical enemy. Even if he was alone, he would be capable of destroying our armies.”

“That is right. You have a history with this tamer of monsters,” Ignatius mused. He wasn’t certain as to the exact nature of her past with the man – if man he truly was – but Ignatius knew suspected she had once known him quite well. Perhaps they’d even been intimate, the thought of which twisted his insides into knots. The notion of Abigail lying with such a creature was abhorrent. “Do you truly believe he is so powerful?”

“When I knew him, he was the most powerful man in the entire realm,” she said. “And he’s grown exponentially stronger since ascension. Within the Radiant Host, I am special. I can say that without false modesty, and I know you would not argue with the claim.”

“That is true.”

“I am a gnat to him,” she stated. “I am not proud of it, but that is the reason we parted ways. I could never hope to keep pace. And powerful and unique people flock to him.”

“Like the undead creature you fought.”

Abigail nodded. “Talia. She was an innocent girl, once, but no more. You call his army monsters, and that may be true. However, Talia epitomizes that label more than any other. I watched her eat her own mother’s heart.”

“Disgusting.”

“Her mother was insane, and the woman attempted to sacrifice Talia in order to resurrect her slain husband,” Abigail said. “She had it coming. My point is that these people are not to be underestimated. If you find yourself face-to-face with Zeke – or Talia, come to that – you had better throw everything you have at them. No hesitation. No measured responses. Otherwise, you will die.”

“I…see.”

“You don’t,” she stated unequivocally. “But you will. If you want to stop him, you need to make sacrifices. Abandon your cities and bring all of your forces here. Together, you might have a chance.”

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“Adontis attempted something like that,” Ignatius said. “I think we know how that turned out.”

“Adontis was our vassal for a reason. They were weak and lacked true leadership,” Abigail stated. “We are one of – if not the – most powerful force in the world. If we can’t stop him, then no one can.”

Ignatius frowned. He didn’t like pinning his entire strategy on a single battle, but he didn’t see much in the way of choice. Previous battles had told him that, for all of the Imperium’s might, they couldn’t stand against the monsters. Not in a conventional war, at least, and his people were not suited to asymmetrical warfare. For better or worse, the Knights of the Radiant Host was a straightforward sort of force.

But there was another option.

“What about diplomacy? Will they treat with us?” he asked.

Abigail shrugged. “Probably. He was never particularly bloodthirsty,” she answered with a faraway look. “He even tried to negotiate with the biggest villain in the Mortal Realm. However, from everything we’ve seen, he takes particular affront to the practice of slavery. Likely, any truce would involve freeing them.”

“That is not going to happen,” Ignatius stated. He didn’t hold the same views as many within the Imperium. As such, he didn’t believe beastkin and other races were inherently inferior to humanity. However, he did believe they lacked the culture to embrace excellence.

Not that it mattered. Without slaves, the Imperium would collapse. Economically, they were necessary. And if they were freed? Not only would those same slaves threaten public safety – after all, they likely wouldn’t forget how they’d been treated – but they would become a lightning rod for Ignatius’ political enemies. His hold on the empire was new and tenuous, and he couldn’t afford to show any weaknesses.

“Then there won’t be any diplomacy,” Abigail stated.

He shook his head. “Regardless, we need to try,” he said. “If for no other reason than to get a good look at him.”

He still wasn’t certain how a human could harness the bestial savagery of a horde of monsters, and Ignatius wanted to see for himself what sort of man could accomplish that feat.

And perhaps harness it for himself.

After all, Ignatius was no idiot, and the ease with which the horde of monsters had defeated Adontis had opened his eyes to a host of possibilities. What if he had such a force on his side? Of course, they would need to be muzzled – their leader included – but if they were proper directed, there was no limit to what he could accomplish.

“Don’t blame me when it all goes to shit, then,” Abigail said. “For my part, I want nothing to do with it. I’ll fight, but I have no interest in ever speaking to him again.”

“What you want is irrelevant. You are our only connection to him. He won’t kill you on sight. Nor will he turn on you the second your back is turned,” Ignatius stated. “Or am I wrong? You need only say so, and I will relent.”

“No. You aren’t wrong,” she said begrudgingly.

As much as she likely wanted to say otherwise, she would not lie to him. That was one thing he’d made abundantly clear the moment he’d elevated Abigail to her position. If she was ever untruthful with him, then there would be grave consequences.

“Then I am ordering you to put together a diplomatic force,” he said, leveraging the weight of his authority. “Once that is done, you will go forth and meet with this man. In the meantime, I will prepare terms for their surrender.”

“He won’t,” she said. “Surrender, I mean. You must know that.”

“I will give him an offer he cannot, in good conscience, refuse. I will give him power. Wealth beyond measure. A position within the Radiant Host. He would be a moron to turn it down,” Ignatius revealed. He’d been thinking about it for quite some time, and the way he saw it, no man would give up personal power just to spare a few monsters. “All he needs to do is work for us. He can kill as many people as he likes – the Imperium has no shortage of enemies. He only needs to follow my leadership.”

“If this is an order, I will, of course, do it,” Abigail said. “But I caution you – this will not end well for you.”

“Your objections are noted. Go and gather your people. You are dismissed.”

She bowed, then left the room. For his part, Ignatius sat behind his desk, and finally let some emotion show on his face as he permitted himself a small smile. If things went the way he expected, he would turn calamity into opportunity.

* * *

Abby wanted to punch something.

Her knuckles went white, her fists clenched as she strode down the hall. She paid no attention to the ostentatious décor. She’d seen it all so often that it held no appeal to her. Not anymore, at least. Perhaps it never had.

Once, she might have been blinded by the opulence of the Radiant Host – in terms of luxury as well as the power they wielded – but now, she saw them for what they were. Maybe Ignatius was correct in his belief that if they allowed Zeke and his army of monsters to win even a few more battles, then the rest of the world would see the Imperium for what it was. All bluster and no real power.

Of course, she knew that wasn’t necessarily the case. The Radiant Host was a mighty force that could conquer any number of kingdoms or empires. They had done just that when consolidating power after Ignatius’ takeover. Yet, they’d needed a horde of demons to make it work.

And now Ignatius wanted to do the same with Zeke and his army of monsters.

He didn’t know Zeke, though. Not like Abby. If the man she had once loved actually considered Ignatius’ offer, she would be both surprised. And disappointed that he would compromise his values.

What then, did that say about her that she’d done the same, and for something so small as a little bit of power? What did power mean, really? At present, she was one of the strongest people in the Imperium. Not the mightiest, certainly, but close enough that she should have been happy with herself.

She wasn’t, though.

Was it because of her habit of comparing herself to Zeke? Or to Talia? Or was it because she’d begun to recognize that the quest for power was a fruitless one? Increasingly, it felt like the second applied more fully than the first. What good was power when it was a never-ending struggle for more of the same? If she reached the peak, then was she destined to repeat the cycle in the Ethereal Realm? What happened after that?

One day, it had to end.

One day, she needed to make her own choices as to her future. Would she continue to chase a goal that she probably could never achieve? Or could she break the cycle and find contentment elsewhere?

There were so many questions, and Abby just didn’t know any of the answers. To say that she could simply get off the ride was one thing, but doing it was another altogether. She had responsibilities. People who depended on her. And years of effort lay in her wake, all in the interest of reaching her potential. She had given so much. Sacrificed everything she’d once held dear.

And she couldn’t stop now. Even if it meant pitting herself against the man she had once loved.

With that in mind, she headed to the requisition office and began to gather her team.