Two crypts lay before him. There were no markings or indications of what or who lay within; they were of black marble mined from the deep crust of Dessix; they were strong as metal and heavy. He had bowed to them countless times with regret; he knew not what to say or do. Life was not something he could control. He possessed all the power the galaxy could allow him; he could end a random life within a moment, sack a government and make one loyal to him by having it elected and taking the place of the old one. He could even start and stop wars if he wanted. But losing those he loved was one thing he could not control. So for centuries, he sought the power of Nihil, a mythical power that consumed a mountain. He was sure that it would grant him the ability to bring back those lying before him.
“Why haven’t you given me this power yet?” The question almost seemed to him as if it had not left his lips.
“The boy still needs to be trained. Without him, you cannot be strong enough to wield the extreme power promised to you. If I grant you this power now, your very essence will disintegrate and scatter over a million worlds; one has already tried and almost destroyed this planet and many others close by.”
The voice had been with Thanatos since he laid his hand on the stone, he had visions of the day the mountain was destroyed, and he craved this power ever since. It was his lust for this power that ultimately killed the ones he loved. It was only this power that could bring them back and bring back his sanity. He has tried to teach Izzar not to form attachments to cause him to grieve. Ultimately wielding great power requires a human to be in balance within himself and at peace with the world around him; this is what Thanatos thought Izzar would bring him, and the voice promised him that it will be so as soon as Izzar completes his training.
He slowly stood to his feet; his senses indicated something strange was going on somewhere far away. Somehow he knew it was not his new students or Izzar causing these peculiar sensations.
“What is this?” He asked quietly.
“You are sensing a plot against you. It has been put into motion.” The strange voice added.
“Where and by whom?”
“I cannot meddle in these affairs.”
Thanatos felt Nivshevus vanishing from the room; it no longer felt empty. Behind him, above the chamber door, a green light flashed. He looked at it for a moment and lowered his head with a sigh. The entrance door to the chamber was opened with a mere gesture of Thanatos’s hand; on the other side, the head of the monks was waiting for him with his head bowed, as was the custom.
“Why do you disturb my meditation?”
It was Ramon, the head monk of the Citadel; he was the only one allowed to disturb Thanatos and his meditations.
“Forgive me, your majesty; Iphis has made contact and wishes to speak to you at once.”
His eyes grew darker, his anger thickened the air, his gaze shifted towards the sarcophagi. Clenching his eyes shut sent him into another dimension, imagining those he once loved so dearly be with him; there was no escaping reality without the power he sought.
“I will take her call. Bring with the Gathering of Six to observe; I need you to share some wisdom if there are any after our conversation. Somewhere someone is plotting, and I will rule out no one, not even you.”
The monk bowed and simply replied, “As you wish, my lord.” And vanished from the door into the long gloomy hallway leading away from the chamber.
Then, deep within himself, a voice called out; he was not sure where this voice was coming from or who it belonged to. Looking at the sarcophagi, he thought it might have come from within one of them, but the voice stopped.
For a moment, he hesitated; it felt different in the room; there was a sweet aroma in the air that he hadn’t noticed before. Slowly it faded. For a while, standing there concentrating on the voice and the smell, he realized it was gone. He opened his eyes and saw nothing. An instinct within him drew him to the door, looking its way, but there was nothing there as soon as he did. All was exactly as he last saw it. Shaking his head, he tried to brush off the feeling, something he had never felt in his life before. Then, as he turned to give the sarcophagi a final look, something caught his eye moving across the door, he turned quickly to see it, but it was already gone.
From below his robe, he drew his sword, the only weapon he allowed himself to carry. This weapon was crafted from a stone similar to the tablet; it had powerful characteristics. The most important to Thanatos was the sword grew stronger after every battle, making it indestructible. Slowly he moved towards the door on high guard; moving through the door, he gestured with his free hand, and the chamber door closed behind him. He could not see anyone with him there. His mind calmed, and he hid his blade within his robes once more, sighing. He thought to himself that he only imagined things. Never has he been this alert in all his life.
As soon as the sword was placed back in its holster, the same feeling overwhelmed him, the scent of something sweet in the air. The voice he heard earlier was now more apparent than ever; it was that of a woman. Someone he had known a very long time ago.
“You need to leave this place.” The voice echoed in the corridors; Thanatos could not see where it was coming from.
“I cannot.” He replied softly.
“Then you will join the two who lay beyond that door within the month. Izzar will not complete his training, and you will not receive the power you so crave. But, if you listen to me and follow my instruction, you will live, and I will show you greater power than destroying a mountain. Destruction will never rule this galaxy.”
What was this voice telling him? He only knew of Nivshevus, who possessed the power he sought. He was under the impression that there was only one true power to be obtained, Nihil. Swinging his head from side to side, looking around him to find the owner of this voice made him frustrated and angry. He wanted to know who it was. There was no power more significant than that of Nihil.
“The Void has truly corrupted you.”
The voice disappeared, the aroma in the air with it. It could only be a trick by those who seek his downfall; the safest place he could be was in the Citadel, where he was surrounded by the best protection the galaxy has to offer; no one could infiltrate the citadel without him knowing. As soon as he communes with Nivshevus again, he will seek his guidance in this matter; for now, he could feel the presence to be gone. He had other business to attend to.
It took him no longer than usual to arrive in the Council of Six chambers; the monks were already in position in the dark waiting to hear from Iphis and council Thanatos on her motives. She had already stayed online for longer than she expected, but she knew better than to question or rush the Epsimus.
The holographic image of Iphis was flickering in the dark, she was waiting for Thanatos to appear, but he remained in the dark just far enough for the holographic recorder not to sense him, to study her well. Although, as was custom, anyone communicating with Thanatos was required to bow until they were acknowledged, Iphis did not possess this level of respect for the rules. It was something Thanatos could not stand for.
He studied her carefully and noticed her hostile stance; it was in a rush to battle, making her restless and hungry for blood. Her uniform was immaculate as usual; she took her office of second-in-command utterly serious. Something Thanatos admired of her. Her hair was golden blonde, and her eyes a cold light blue, unusual and intimidating at times. Thanatos decided after a few minutes it was time to reveal himself in the projection.
“Lady White, I acknowledge you.”
Iphis’ features relaxed for the first time; for a moment, she hesitated but proceeded to bow before him in the hologram. Thanatos was pleased with this.
“You may rise… State your case.”
There was no hesitation from Iphis; she knew wasting Thanatos’s time was an act sometimes punishable by death.
“I have come before you now for one reason, my lord. It is of the utmost importance that you resume your full duties as the Epsimus. We need you, your majesty; the order is falling apart.”
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Her body changed stance; she seemed vulnerable, unable to do Thanatos's tasks set out for her. It was unlike her to ask something like this of him. The monks realized this fact but remained silent and out of view, their gazes not once moving up to the hologram playing before them.
“I hope you will not continue to lay upon my shoulders the burden of this Order’s survival. If there is anyone that could keep this organization from falling apart, it is you, my lord.”
Thanatos glared at her with indifference; he showed no emotion or intention to answer her in any way. His attention was truthfully not even with her; his mind wanders to the strange voice he heard earlier in the crypt and the unusual presence accompanying it. A presence he has never felt before.
“My lord…” She continued with apparent irritation from his lack of response. “How long before you lead your agents again?”
After a moment or two without responding, he contemplated his answer; although his attention was not with her, he still heard precisely what she was saying; it was absurd of her to request this from him.
“Lady White, you bring before me words only you would be bold enough to utter. Perhaps you have forgotten your place and the mercy I’ve shown you over these last few years. Yet, you must not forget who placed you in this position of power you find yourself in. If the Order is crumbling surely, you can’t blame me when it is you who have the reigns.”
Thrown back by this statement, Iphis could not help but tremble; it was visible to everyone watching the conversation; she was lost for words. For a moment, she turned her head away from Thanatos to someone, not within the view of the recorder but quickly looked back. If Thanatos had not studied her, he would not have noticed the slight movement of her eyes.
“My lord…I-I was not trying to insist or demand.”
“Silence!” His voice grew dark, it sent waves within the chamber, and Iphis could feel it even though she was lightyears away from him.
“Have you forgotten your training?” His voice, more assertive than ever, was deep and evil. She had never heard him talk like this before.
“If you deem yourself unfit to fulfill the office granted to you, then you forfeit your place within this Order. Death is the only way of forfeiting your place amongst us. I will remain here on Dessix until Izzar’s training is complete, no sooner. Do you understand?”
“Yes, my lord.” The hesitation in her voice was apparent to all.
“Why the hesitation Lady White? Do the laws of this order need to be revised?”
“No, my Lord.”
“Then why do you defy them? They have been written down through countless generations of struggle and success. The laws and rules dictating this Order are sacred and are not to be broken by anyone. Even the Epsimus are bound to the rules and laws. We are bound to them even more so than you or the average agent that serves me.”
“My apologies, my lord.”
Her shoulders were up; it seemed to Thanatos that she was satisfied by the outcome of this meeting. However, there was something sinister behind it all. He played ignorance, leaving it up to the monks in the room to study.
“I feel you have a more personal matter that you wish to discuss with me….”
“I do, my lord.”
“Then speak.”
“It is about Sorath, my lord.”
“What is it?” Frustration entered his mind when Iphis mentioned that name. Sorath was his grandson, the elder brother to Izzar, the one the order wanted him to choose as his successor.
“He left my ship some days ago; I think he is planning on betraying you.”
“You are willing to sell your own son out for my favor?”
“No, my lord. I wish to beg you for mercy on his part. If he does show up on Dessix, release him to me, and I will deal with him.”
Thanatos could feel the Nihil filling the room; it was a sign that this was part of the plot to kill him. He realized he did not need his counsel for guidance now.
“I shall deal with him as I please, Lady White. If he wishes to set foot on this planet for whatever reason, it will be without invitation; he will be taken care of in the most brutal manner, grandson or not.”
“It will be so, my lord.”
“You know better than anyone else in this order how the laws are most sacred of all; why do you come here to question my ways?”
Iphis, being caught off guard, couldn’t find her words; she remained silent, visibly trembling.
“I can tell you why. For thirty-five years, I’ve exiled myself to this world in search of a new power to launch the Order into a higher plane; I do not expect you or anyone in the Order to understand. You have been against the idea of Izzar becoming my successor; you have even plotted against my son to secure Sorath’s nomination to take my place. I assure you I will mount his head upon the pinnacle of this Citadel if I discover proof of any form of plotting against Izzar or me. You were chosen to lead the order in my absence because you, out of all the councils, possessed the skills necessary to lead this Order; I am very quickly losing my patients with you. Do not let me regret my decision.”
Promptly the connection between Thanatos and Iphis is disconnected; the room around Thanatos went dark, not even the breathing of the monks could be heard in the room.
“Head monk, I acknowledge you.” Said Thanatos in a deep agitated voice.
“My lord, we have seen, we have heard, and now we shall speak.”
Thanatos moved forward onto the stage where the hologram of Iphis was displayed; behind him, a throne materialized, and he sat. Then, the room lit up, and all the monks became visible to Thanatos. Somehow, he could read all their minds.
“Speak, and you shall be heard.”
The order had many laws in place, including protocols for conducting meetings with the highest-ranking leaders of the Order. The Monks of Ipsimus were the ones to write them all; it would be taboo if a monk stepped out of line and broke any one of the laws. Only Ramon, as the head of the monks, had the pleasure and burden to communicate with Thanatos; no other monk was allowed unless they desired to be no more.
“We the Elder monks of the Ipsimus deem Iphis no longer suited to rule in our grand master’s place. Her words and gestures, her body, and her mind reek of folly. We believe strongly that she will strike at you very soon.”
“Will this strike come in the form of Sorath?”
“No, my lord. Sorath Velix has been tasked to lead a delegation to Prion; it is the goal of Iphis to make Sorath the Emperor of the Prionian Empire after the death of the late Emperor Veneus. Spies on Prion have confirmed that his ship is in orbit and is currently discussing the conditions for the seizure of power. However, in the last hour before her call, four head council leaders have converged on her flagship in the Unawel system, where most of the order’s fleet have come together in the last few days, as I have reported to you. We believe after witnessing her now that they are planning to launch a full-scale attack on Dessix in nineteen days if their fleet starts moving at once.”
Thanatos leaned forward, holding his chin, taking in all that information. He now understood what the plot was and what danger he was in. All the more reason to hasten Izzar’s training and hope that he will gain the power of Nihil before it is too late.
“We must accelerate Izzar’s training.” He added, now acknowledging the monk’s presence.
“If I am to die in nineteen days, I must make sure Izzar is strong enough to defeat Iphis and take the mantle of the Epsimus for himself.”
Thanatos looked up at Ramon for an acknowledgment of his statement. Even though he was facing down, Thanatos was able to read his face.
“You do not believe it would be enough time?”
“I do not, my lord. Though there is one way of ensuring that he will be ready for a fight.”
Thanatos sat straight in his chair; he was interested in what the monk was saying. If there was any way of helping Izzar complete his training, he would utilize it by any means possible.
“We can lock master Izzar and his new companions outside the gates for a few days issuing them a task that would be impossible to achieve?”
“What would this task entail?”
“Send them to the lost colonies to retrieve the Ipsimussian Sword of power.”
Thanatos stood to his feet as if a great epiphany came over him; the plan was almost brilliant. The journey alone would put the three students to the most significant test they would ever be exposed to. Dessix was a hostile place beyond the citadel compound; there was no way they would survive the harsh environment if they did not possess the skills they already did.
“Though we do risk losing master Izzar if he is not strong enough to make the journey.” Ramon continued in a somber tone.
“Tarium will accompany them in the shadows….” Thanatos stopped and thought about something for a moment. “…If the journey is too easy for them, he can even assist in their training by laying traps along the way.”
“As you wish, my lord.” Ramon bowed even further.
“Go and prepare him; we shall call the three before dusk. After that, they will travel with nothing.”
Ramon did not question Thanatos in any way or form; he knew such an act was punishable in the harshest manner. Instead, he turned, and as if choreographed, he and the rest of the monks ceremonially left the room. Not once did any monks look up to see where they were walking; the risk of seeing Thanatos was too great.
Meanwhile, on the bridge of the Iron Star battlecruiser, the flagship of Iphis, seven shadowy figures stand before their new self-proclaimed leader. Her smile broadened as the hologram of Thanatos disappeared; the seven figures before her nodded in approval.
“Now you all see the Epsimus’s inability to guide the order in the days to come. With his instruction, the order grows weaker. Finally, he will turn to us and blame us for the crumbling of this age-old institution that has kept the galaxy in check since the onset of interstellar travel. The time to dethrone him is now.”
Iphis seemed sure of herself; she had never felt more confident than she had at that moment, her plan was in motion, and there was no force in the galaxy able to stop her. Not even Thanatos, with all his powers, would be able to stop her now. The whole holographic meeting was a show; she never intended to tell him the truth, however little does she know Thanatos was not phased at any attempt against him. On the contrary, he was anticipating their defiance.
“Knowing Thanatos…” Said one of the dark figures out of turn. “…he will have a contingency plan; he is more advanced in age and knowledge. We’ve never known him to bet all his chips in one lot; he is not a man who gambles.”
“His contingency plan is Izzar. That boy stole the mantle from Sorath, and for that, Izzar will pay dearly. As soon as we get rid of Thanatos, Izzar will follow, no matter whether he is a boy or not.”
Those in the room agreed with her. They have watched Thanatos and the continued decline of the Order for a long time. A change was needed; they wanted someone in the lead with the power to bring the order back to their former glory.
Iphis turned towards the fleet's admiral; she smiled broadly; the day had come for her to finally put her plan into motion.
“Admiral, it is time. Move the fleet to Dessix. We shall launch our attack as soon as we enter orbit.”
The fleet all turned towards the stars, and the hordes disappeared into the emptiness of space in one great flash. The journey will take nineteen days to complete giving her forces enough time to prepare for the battle ahead.