The camera focused in on the stage. It was fairly vacant, but adorned to the needs of the event—made to look professional while purposefully not too eye-catching
“Why are there six podiums?” The man in the corner of the broadcast asked. His back was to the camera, and his head and shoulders were silhouetted by the lights on the stage. “Someone must have miscounted. But it’s fine and… ah, we’re live?”
“Welcome, everyone watching, to the first night of the quadrant debates. I’m Vench Closer, and I’ll be the moderator for this debate series. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the election and debate process, I will provide a brief recap.”
“These are the first official debates for the primaries of the upcoming election, to assist the voters with narrowing down the candidates who will be on the final ballot for President of Rathe. Given that this is a monumental vote of unscaled proportion that will poll the entire world, the responsibility has been passed to the Central Peace to ensure fair processes for all involved. From the debates, to the campaign tours, to the votes themselves. We will be monitoring and moderating it all to prevent any foul play.”
“Tonight we will be starting with the North-Eastern quadrant. These are the territories from Guzrinn to Anoint. Tomorrow will be the South-Eastern, followed by the South-Western, and North-Western over the next three nights. While those in different parts of the world may believe they have less stake in the other debates, I implore you to pay attention to all of it, because one of them may very well become the leader of our world.”
“Since the announcement, each quadrant has been narrowing down their contenders for the primaries. The only requirement was that each candidate must hold some office in their respective nation’s government. Not every nation nominated a candidate, and the North-East quadrant has the least by far, but that means their words will carry that much more weight. Following these debates, there will be a few more rounds over the next few months before the primary elections. There, each quadrant will be narrowed down to one candidate.”
“Then over the summer, the pool will be further reduced to our final two candidates. And finally, on the twenty-first of Nonovber, we will hold our final election to determine the President of Rathe. They will serve a minimum of five years before a new election might be held, so we need to make sure we find the best candidate to guide our hand to a better world.”
“Tonight’s debate will primarily cover introductions and platforms, then we will move on to general policy. We know there are a few hot-button issues that the world is clamoring for our candidates to discuss, but we are not yet at that time and place. They deserve a chance to cement their own footing before those with finite beliefs write them off entirely if not every view aligns.”
“And let’s talk a bit about the debate setup as well, for full transparency. Given the tumultuous times we live in, this debate is not open to the public, and there is no live-audience attending. In lieu of their participation, we have taken pre-screened questions from an open forum that I will ask at the end of the debate.”
“We are streaming from an undisclosed location, and only I am present here along with our candidates. All staff has been removed from the venue, and each candidate’s personal security is waiting outside. The cameras are being operated remotely, and we are taking no risks.”
“Now then, let us bring out the candidates for tonight’s debate.” Five politicians, all in the best dress, took the stage. Each planted their feet at their respective podiums, standing tall and proud, ready to give their boisterous speeches. All except for one young man who looked out of place, much greener and more inexperienced than the others. But he still did his best to hold firm compared to the political giants around him.
“Let’s st—”
“Let’s start the introductions.” Vench Closer’s voice suddenly changed mid-sentence, becoming more feminine, yet harsher, dripping with malicious intent. And his silhouette changed as well, the figure slimming down. While the body was still mostly encased in shadow, a few strands of long white hair were illuminated by the shining lights.
“What the mawhg?!” “The zjik is this?!” “Eh what?” “Hmph!” “What are you pulling here?”
The camera switched, showing a side angle of the candidates and what had just happened to them. Small domes had snapped out of the ground, clamping around each politician’s feet, rooting them in place so that they couldn’t walk around… or escape.
“Don’t worry, everyone,” the mysterious woman assured them. “These debates can get a little heated, so this is just to ensure that things stay civil. Let’s move forward. Our first candidate is Lanika Pirantae, Treasurer of Guzrinn.”
As the woman began introducing the officer, a cloaked figure strolled onto the stage. They walked slowly, with purpose, making sure not to outpace the words that were being spoken.
“Pirantae has been using her position to directly steal from the government and its citizens. She has been embezzling funds for decades now into offshore accounts, not just for herself, but for her close friends as well. Besides just money, she has also stolen land and power, disenfranchising her opponents and just anyone in general that she doesn’t like. The Treasurer is also a well-known domestic abuser of her children and her staff.”
The cloaked figure behind her suddenly stopped their steps. With two flicks of their hidden blades, the woman’s hands suddenly dropped to the floor. Blood started spurting, but vines suddenly wrapped around her injuries, halting the flow. The figure then kept walking, as if nothing had happened.
“And now her hands can’t hurt anyone ever again,” the moderator announced. Then through the screaming and panicked gasps of the other candidates, she continued. “Next we have Porcerer Putt, Central Peace Representative of Tooshifont.”
“Putt has told almost nothing but lies during his career. In fact, the deeper we dug, the more difficult it became to find any instances of him actually telling the truth. When his lies are ousted, he covers them up with even more. Saying what he thinks his constituents want to hear, touting policies he’ll never adhere to, taking credit for reforms he voted against. All just to hold onto his poor semblance of power, no matter what lives he has to ruin to make it possible.”
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Vines wrapped around the man’s head and forced his mouth open. A bulb then sprouted into the open maw where it burst and then began to dissolve. The vines vanished, but the toxin remained. And Putt started coughing and sputtering as tongue and flesh were ravaged.
“And now he won’t be able to spout another lie ever again.”
“No please, no please, no please, stop!” the next woman in line begged as the cloaked figure began to walk by.
“Quivering there is Sayne Overlight, Secretary of Defense of Segrevide. Overlight has used her position to spy on the entirety of her country, constantly using the information she gathers not to protect her citizens, but to blackmail and sway them. And lately, as parts of her country were rife with terrorism and oppression, she just sat back and watched, letting them suffer. And on top of all that, she just has a bit of an illegal voyeur hobby.”
Two thorns shot at the woman, one piercing into each eye. She reeled back, screaming as blood trickled. The woman tried to pull out the thorns, but they were buried too deep, and only caused that much more agony as she attempted.
“Now her greedy eyes will cause her nothing but pain.”
The fourth politician in line only stood still as the cloaked figure approached him. He breathed deep as he stared directly at the hooded burning eyes, awaiting his judgment, showing far more bravery than any of those with allegedly more gumption around him.
“And this is Callum Briz, Central Peace Vice-Representative of Regend. His policies… have only brought prosperity along with them. Briz has shown nothing but genuine sincerity in his strive to better the community he has been charged with, fighting for those without a voice, doing all he can to make the world a better place. Entirely without a single trace of personal motive or corruption.”
“He has been a very good boy.”
Callum still couldn’t help but slightly flinch as the cloaked figure made its move, but everyone was blown away by what happened. It wasn’t a blade or thorns that came flying out of the cloak this time, but a comically large lollipop, gingerly handed to the young politician who took it after a bit of pause.
“Uhhh, thanks,” Callum accepted. And not to be rude, the boy unwrapped the candy and plopped it into his mouth, watching as the figure moved on.
“Mawhg this zjik!” the last man in line shouted. He jammed his hand down into his uniform, pulling out a concealed pistol, and blasted the full clip at his approaching judge. The cloaked figure never broke stride, vines whipping in front of him, easily batting away every shot until the gun had spent its load and clicked with disappointment.
“With that pitiful attempt was Morc Masov, Admiral of Anoint. Throughout his career, Masov has been on a decades-long power-trip. So many soldiers and sailors lost under his command, but it was by design. Purposefully sent on missions he knew they’d fail, given incorrect and misguiding intel that would lead them to their deaths. All so that he could swoop in and play the hero, making himself the shining star amongst a sea of incompetence.”
“Through his actions alone, thousands have died as he laughed from the safety of his desk. And he was one of the main actors responsible for handing Anoint over on a silver platter during The Drazah War. A blatant betrayal that he was never blamed for, and only used to further cement his position. Truly, scum of Rathe.”
A hand shot out of the figure’s cloak. This time, Masov tried to grab a knife and fight back, but it was merely batted away effortlessly. The hand then grabbed the Admiral’s face, clenching into his skull. Red light then flared around the hand, rapidly absorbed into it. And the figure didn’t help himself to just a drop. No, Masov was sucked dry until there was nothing left.
His flesh started to crack and peel away, turning dry and losing its color. All light in his eyes vanished, and his will to fight back was robbed when his limbs turned limp. When the hand finally let go, Masov’s body collapsed to the floor. And as soon as it touched, his flesh disintegrated, leaving only dust strewn amongst his empty uniform.
The figure moved on to the last podium where he took his place, finally pulling down his hood. Like everyone else, he was dressed up in a suit, and his slightly long hair had been slicked away to not cover his eyes.
“And last we have Drim Drazah, The Fiendish King. His alleged crimes are too many to list, currently holding the highest criminal score in the world. And yet, so many would claim them as false charges, rallying behind him with support and all the good he’s done. Pardon him for not speaking, he’s currently nursing a bit of a throat injury.”
“But there seems to be another problem. Many of our candidates appear unable to continue the debate. And one has spontaneously gone missing. I’m afraid that we’ll need to reschedule for another time. We apologize for the abrupt issue. Now before we end this debate, would any of our candidates like to share any parting words?”
Callum was the only politician left able to speak, but he was still busy working on his lollipop and processing the insanity around him, so Drim leaned forward to his own microphone. It took a few attempts, and he was clearly struggling and straining, but he finally got the words out. “Thank you. All. For… watching.”
◆◆◆
“What am I even doing here?” Callum mumbled to himself, slumped into a corner of the dressing room at the debate venue. The other candidates had all fled immediately when their restraints were released, and the Drazahs had vanished entirely. But Callum wasn’t ready to leave just yet, to meet his own security retinue—small compared to the others—and to then report back about what had happened.
The boy plucked the now bare lollipop stick from his mouth and looked at it, twiddling it in his fingers. “Even without all that craziness, I’m out of my depth. I don’t belong.”
“Quite the contrary, Callum,” Drim and Phon suddenly appeared right in front of him. “You were the only one of them who deserved to be on that stage.”
The Vixen then crouched down and looked right into the boy’s eyes. “Now, we’re guessing your participation is all some ploy by Merigauld Viscelli. We doubt she suspects you to win, no one does, not even you. And frankly, even with all the support in the world, you would lose. That’s just how it is. Maybe if you continue your trajectory, and continue to flourish in your career, you could win at the next election, but that would still be slim.”
“However, we think that’s a damn shame. Gauld isn’t the only one who sees your potential. And we’re not here to ask you to drop out of the race. Quite the opposite, really.”
“While you may not be able to take office on your own, you don’t have to be on your own. We won’t stop our own endeavors, and if you stick around, we’ll crush you. Not physically of course, but you get it. So why not join us instead?”
“The Fiendish King would like to extend an offer. Would you, Callum Briz, be interested in taking up the mantle as Drim Drazah’s running mate? Where, if we were to succeed, you would become the Vice-President of Rathe, and you would work together to carry out our designs, to make Rathe the best place it can be!”
“So what’s your answer? If you accept, and are willing to pledge your service, you just need to reach out, and take Drim’s hand.”
The Fiendish King leaned down slightly, and extended his arm to the man on the floor, holding out his hand for the boy to take hold.
Callum looked up at Drim for just a moment, but he didn’t hesitate further. “Yes, I accept!” He grabbed The Slayer’s hand and was pulled to his feet. The two men then shook on the agreement. Callum Briz then declared boldly. “I believe we can do it, and there’s no one I’d rather stand behind. We will win this election and make you the President of Rathe.”