The silence of the throne room shattered like glass.

And with it the rulers and leaders of all the different forces of the Arthurian Empire began to argue, their voices rising to the point that they were shouting over each other. Yet in the midst of all the harrowing commotion, Aleister stood still, the world around him fading away as he focused entirely on his king, his grandfather.

Aleister looked up at the unearthly beauty of his ancestor and as Arthur’s eyes fell upon Aleister, Aleister felt a strange sort of elation run through him as his grandfather shifted his head once more to look at his descendant. Arthur’s golden white hair seeming to drift and defy gravity as the hair floated back down into position.

Shifting slowly but with a steady movement, Arthur interlocked his hands and with the faintest of movements he sent out a pulse of heavenly power that caused an almost tangible pressure to emanate outwards. An ethereal wave that barely touched the wall of the golden dome that Arthur resided in, one that didn’t originate from the Crystal Throne he sat upon. Nor did the power emanate from Excalibur that was sheathed inside of the backrest of the throne, the sword that was said to have been created and forged on the foundation stone of Heaven itself. As the shock wave of telesma passed by, it caused everyone from the mightiest seraphim to the weakest and frailest human noble to stagger backwards.

Feeling the shockwave pass over him, Aleister felt that dark hidden part of his nature rise to the surface and quickly to prevent the world from seeing him for his true self, Aleister clenched his eyes shut to stop people from seeing his true form. While encased in darkness of his sightlessness, Aleister forced that primal part of himself back. Once Aleister had control over himself, he opened his eyes to see Arthur looking at him with his fathomless, golden gaze, a gaze that saw too much and gave away far too little.

Of those present only the generals that ruled mankind’s army had been unaffected by the power of their emperor. Ivan and Argon, who were sheathed in mystery, withstood it through whatever secrets that they hid. John had been spared from the shockwave most likely by one of his inventions. Yet the fourth general, Mel had withstood Arthur’s dominance through his own sheer willpower and internal strength, all the while a light dwelt in his eyes. A light filled with a soft sadness, but at the same time it was a light that made Aleister wary, for sometimes he forgot that humans could be worse than any monster that had ever lived, breathed or crawled upon this world.

Or any other.

“Before you continue with talk about this God Squad, do either of you have anything else that you wish to report?” asked Arthur, his clear and calm voice both soothing and quieting those that had objections to the generals’ plans.

Pausing, the two generals looked at each other with a mix of surprise and amusement, as Argon stepped forward to address Arthur directly.

“I don’t believe we called the team ‘The God Squad’,” said Argon with an amusement that was clearly mirrored in his body language, “but if you desire it we can change the name to your suggestion your majesty.”

Seeing Arthur bow his head in agreement, Argon smiled before turning to his fellow generals and indicating for them to disgorge any extra knowledge they possessed. His gaze rested on the blue and white garbed Mel Macht, General of the North and ruler of the Macht Noble Family.

“I wish to report that the Sea of Ice, to our north, has quieted down considerably and even the monster incursions that have been coming from the Goblin’s Wasteland have died down. It seems that the Wastelands of Gozec and the Continent of Icefel have both gone eerily quiet,” said Mel Macht, his raspy voice filled with sadness, and a resolution to do what was necessary no matter how many lives were destroyed in the process. “So if we are to go to war with the wolves of the Wolfskard, now is the time to do it, for I fear that if not we will be besieged on all sides, by forces that are beyond us.”

As Mel Macht’s words filtered into the minds of those present, a silence fell which was disturbed by Arthur’s golden gaze turning upon the alchemist general. John Smith returned Arthur’s gaze with his own stare that showed a pride born from a bloodline that was said to have descended from Wayland Smith himself, the demigod son of the blacksmith god, the pagan god, Vulcan. A bloodline that was older than the seraphim race, and possessed a history intertwined with dragons and gods dating back to the fabled Dark Empire of Osiris, and perhaps beyond even that.

It wasn’t just pride in his heritage that bolstered John, but also pride in what was to become his legacy, as John was rather famous for helping in pioneering so many different alchemic inventions. Not to mention that John was certain of himself with such surety that he rarely if ever felt doubt in his actions, even before the awesome heavenly existence which was Arthur Exaltia.

“I have completed my work on the refinement of alchemic sugar,” said John as he held up a small square cube of sugar, which was glowing with a brilliant bright yet eerie light, flooding the domed throne room. “As you can see the refinement allows the light to intensify in output making it a viable replacement for train lights and the like. I already have them installed on all of the alchemic transport machines around the empire. I am also pleased to report that despite the fact that these sugar cubes shine brightly, they are still edible with no negative side effects.”

Aleister stared at the glowing piece of sugar and knew with a quick surveying glance that he wasn’t the only one who had been rendered speechless by the absurdity of such an idea, although at the same time Aleister could see the brilliance in the idea.

“Anything else to report?” asked Arthur, his usual, unflappable facade unfazed by the antics of his generals.

“No nothing else that can’t be contained in a report. Oh wait, yes actually our ships and merchant contacts report that the pirates of the Sea of Shard, which is adjacent to our southern most borders for those of you who fail at geometry, have gone quiet as well,” said John with a quick dismissive glance at all the nobles who he deemed illiterate.

At this report and the fact that Mel had also reported something similar, many of those present quietly began to murmur amongst themselves. They knew the meaning of those words that something was manipulating the world at large to either give the Empire of Geb a reprieve while they battled the Esper Lords of the Wolfskard or those very same espers had gathered up those chaotic and monstrous forces to serve them in the upcoming war with the angelically ruled empire.

Yet within the steady and unwavering gaze of their emperor, not even a flicker of panic or concern was born.

“Now then tell me more about this ‘God Squad’,” said Arthur as he once again turned his attention to the generals of east and west who both hid their true natures.

“We haven’t finalised anything as we had hoped to get your approval before even commencing this project, let alone such a…. grandiose name,” said Ivan, his face showing less emotion than a dead man, although many detected his distaste for the name Arthur had christened the squad.

“But you are correct in that we had hoped to create a squad that can be used to battle any renegade god that might wander through our realm, but for the moment we want to create a squad of diverse powers and backgrounds who will be able to break the Mirror of Reality,” said Argon, his tone and manner serious. Yet Aleister could have sworn that he heard whispers of laughter echo through his mind. Aleister paused as if trying to determine if his brother was trying to talk to him telepathically, but when there was nothing but silence, Aleister dismissed it as a random stray thought.

“Then why don’t you tell us who else will be in this squad,” cut in Romanji, the brown skinned Paladin Preceptor of the Fourth Order, the leader of all the paladins who guard the southern reaches of the Empire of Geb. His words were accented with the dialect found in the Sea of Shards. “Because from what you said, you want to include a certain combatant, that shouldn’t be allowed out into the world. Edward Maw is too monstrous and while I understand why he was allowed to live, I can’t agree to such a demonic beast being allowed to champion this empire. I mean he couldn’t control what he was born as, but if for no other reason than because it could be used to sway others, both inside and outside of this empire, he should not be allowed to show his face anywhere in this world.”

Hearing Romanji speak, many turned to regard Arthur who remained impassive. Everyone present knew that the paladins had divided the lands under the rule of Arthur into six different sectors with one of the six different orders ruling over each area. Looking at the outlined area from above or on a map, one would see that the shape was similar to a hexagon with Albion sitting in the centre of the hexagon.

Each order had been given a different number to mark the territories they had received with north being considered one and the rest of the numbers going in a clockwise direction. And as the impassive Arthur regarded Romanji, many wondered if the number of preceptors would decrease in that moment.

Turning his attention once more to the generals, who were overturning the balance of power in the golden court, Arthur spoke, his words filling a poignant silence, “I think you need to express clearly who and what will be in this squad of yours,” said Arthur with emphasis.

“For this squad, I desire to recruit the Witch of the Wormwood, the Mad Demon Hunter, the Angelic Gunslinger, the Demon Cleric and the Queen of Burning,” said Ivan in monotone, as he used the various different nicknames that the five entities had been given over their assorted careers. “But I don’t know whether their commanders would be willing to let me have their prised possessions.”

A different silence fell upon the throne room, but this time it was a silence of waiting and not one born from stunned and nervous tension.

“I Rin Hono, leader of the elemental guard and all mages associated with the Maze of Mirrors, sanction Jane Burnout’s involvement. She can join this squad of yours to fulfil this impossible crusade,” said Rin, his voice filled with pride at the idea that the woman that he had all but adopted would complete a task that was supposedly impossible.

“The Paladin of Gray is subject to his own judgement and not truly under the authority of anyone save Arthur and the archbishop, and even then,” said George PenDragon, the leader of the sixth paladin order and a proven dragon slayer. “And if you want to keep him then by all means keep him for the rest of his life, however long that may be.”

“If he wants in, you can have him and keep him,” said Nexus Darkstar, at the same time as George PenDragon, with a hint of relief at being freed from the hassle of having to deal with a logical madman.

“And finally…” said Argon as he glanced over at Aleister.

“You can take the angelic brother for he is a boon that we should all give blessings to, but the demon one should have been killed ages ago,” shouted out Ezekiel Engel, one of the six bishops for the Arthurian Church, who commanded the entirety of the eastern arm of the church. For much like the paladin orders, the bishops of the Arthurian Church had a maximum of eight, with at most two bishops ruling over a single cardinal direction.

Aleister turned on the bishop, his eyes so murderous that the priest dared to express such an opinion in front of him. However, he didn’t manage to get a word out as another person had already begun speaking.

“Are you a fool?” asked Mel Macht, his eyes radiating sadistic pleasure at the sudden look of alarm on Ezekiel’s face. “You would destroy one of our greatest instruments of war purely because of where it comes from? I’m beginning to think that maybe you don’t have the good intentions of our empire in mind. You must have such a hard time working with this fool,” said Mel as he gave Argon a quick glance.

“What?” cried Ezekiel in affront, yet it wasn’t only Ezekiel that flared up at the accusation, many of the other bishops rose to the defence of their own and many of the paladins had begun reaching for their weapons.

“You dare speak to a fellow bishop that way. Oh most divine and holy, most angelic Arthur, will you let such a diseased and dark entity like Mel and the even more demonic monstrosity Edward Maw exist in your kingdom?” cried out Thomas Bluebeard, one of two bishops who ruled over the western lands, his voice the loudest as he prostrated himself before the Crystal Throne. Atop of which Arthur watched with the patience of a statue never once indicating the true emotions that were held deep within.

Of course, this course of action ignited the rest of the various leaders that had gathered, and yet another shouting match had begun leaving Aleister afloat with a mix of different emotions. Many of the voices raised issue with why their forces were absent from the God Squad, or the validity of including witches, mages and demons into a squad that both represented Heaven and was designed to fight gods.

Looking down from the throne, Arthur had gone back to his original position with his hands interlaced and his golden eyes and majestic marble face set in the same impervious mask of impassivity. Aleister could see that behind those brilliant golden eyes Arthur was thinking about something and would eventually make a decision that would affect them all.

Opening his mouth, Arthur spoke and with it sealed the fate of both Maw Brothers.

“Ivan, Argon, I approve of this God Squad. Get together everything that you require and send the squad where they are needed,” said Arthur, his voice calm and even yet some strange alien emotion could be heard in it. “I think that before long the God Squad will not only earn its name, but do so several times over.”

Pausing both Ivan and Argon shared a smile, one wild and free, and the other cold and dead, before they bowed with a genuine respect for their emperor. Seeing this, the seraphim in attendance smiled and several of the guards stood up taller in respect when the two generals glanced in their direction.

“Spread the word around. I want all those involved with this squad to be sent to my office, so that I can get them started on the tasks that I have planned for them,” said Ivan, a touch of emotion blurring into his dead voice. His dead stare fixed upon the paladins, the Elemental Guard members and finally it fell upon Aleister Maw, who shrunk back from the full force of the gaze, a gaze that seemed to know secrets about him even Aleister himself didn’t know.

Saluting, Ivan turned on his heel and marched toward the door leading to the corridor which would ultimately lead to his office. And in his wake Argon followed after, and as Aleister watched him walk away he could have sworn that Argon was all but skipping with glee at the prospect of going to war.

Glancing at the remaining generals, they both saluted Arthur, who watched them with impassive eyes, before the two headed off to their respective offices. This in turn, opened the flood gate, making the rest of those assembled dissipate and leave the golden courtroom.

Seeing the court disperse, Aleister reached out telepathically to his younger brother to tell him that the two of them were going on a journey, on an adventure, and that they needed to talk. Hearing his brother’s location, Aleister bowed to his king, emperor and grandfather before he left the courtroom, not even bothering to look back. Falling into step behind the other leaders and politicians of the Empire of Geb, Aleister headed off down corridors filled with golden light and telesma infused matter that caused the entire inner city of Albion to seem as if it was created from nothing but glowing gold.

As Aleister walked away from the golden courtroom, he saw Rin Hono take a small, rectangular mirror out of his pocket and begin to tap away at runes written in light on the surface of the mirror. Pausing to watch as the master of the Elemental Guard began writing out a letter, a letter Aleister was willing to bet that he was sending out to Jane Burnout telling her to meet up with the Generals of the East and West, Aleister felt a hand tap him on the shoulder. Turning to face the Captain of the Guard, Aleister could see that while her face was set in a mask of stone, her three hundred year old eyes were filled with a kindness and a pride that made Aleister uncomfortable, especially when he thought about the power that dwelt deep within.

“Don’t worry, you did well in there,” said Lunete Rhoen, the Captain of the Guard, her voice filled with a warmth that hurt Aleister more than even he realised. All the while her three hundred year old eyes were filled with a cold hard glint. “But first a little piece of advice for you and your brother. When you head out into the world be careful of your actions. There are many here who would love to see the end to your brother, even if they lose you in the process.”

Hearing the warning plain and clear, Aleister schooled his face to a neutral expression even as the pain of betrayal laced through him, a pain that rooted itself in another fear that had been gnawing on Aleister’s mind for years, a fear that constantly tormented Aleister with questions of his own nature.

Lunete seemed to regard Aleister for a second or two before nodding her head and turning away to resume her duties as the guard of Arthur Exaltia, content that her warning and veiled ultimatum had been delivered.

“Don’t worry about what the bitch had to say,” said a new voice that shocked Aleister out of his internal struggles. Turning to Veronica, the preceptor of the northern most paladin order, the 1st Paladin Order, Aleister regarded the one eyed woman who ruled over an entire order of nothing but female paladins.

“Excuse me?” asked Aleister, not really sure how to deal with the paladin whose tight fitting armour revealed not an inch of skin, but at the same time hugged her shapely body leaving nothing to the imagination.

“Go find your brother and meet the generals, and when you go to war stand tall and proud and show the world, the beauty and might of the seraphim,” said Veronica as she looked at Aleister with respect and pride, “and know that you are not defined by your origin but by what you make of your life.”

Blinking in shock, Aleister watched as Veronica walked away, lance and axe in hand, all the while other female paladins gathered around and trailed after her. Not sure how to handle the encouragement from the one eyed paladin, Aleister couldn’t help but remember her personal history and know that she probably meant every word she said.

Shaking off the doubt and indecision, Aleister hurried on to find his brother in the library that lay to the south east of the Crystal Throne, which quite literally sat at the centre of Albion and the entire Empire of Geb.

Walking with a fluid grace, Aleister arrived at the library with ease. Pushing through the door, Aleister could feel that he was drawing closer to his younger brother with each individual step. Halting at the splendour of the library, Aleister realised that he rarely if ever came here and that he usually made his brother come to him. Shaking his head clear of the thoughts that filled them, Aleister set off towards his brother who was hidden deep inside the library away from the cruel and critical eyes of the seraphim.

Passing by a librarian, Aleister could see that she both recognised him and dismissed him with a single look, all the while indicating the direction and aisle that Edward Maw currently was in. Seeing his brother sitting on the floor with several books stacked high, Aleister couldn’t help but smile at his younger brother who wasn’t touched by the cruelty and hatred of others and who even in his isolation had found a form of peace and happiness, here amongst the books. Yet Aleister’s smile faulted as he took in the various titles of the books on the floor, for while some of them clearly were about Heaven, Hell and magic that any seraphim might be interested in, the rest of the books were dedicated to locations, people and items that were far from the confines of the holy city of Albion.

Looking up Edward smiled at his older brother, or at least he tried to as his lower face was still hidden behind black cloth to prevent others from seeing his demonic heritage.

“Brother, you’ll never guess what I found here,” said Edward telepathically, his mental voice filled with child-like delight, “It’s a book on dragons and not just any book. It even tells the names of the Eight Great Drakes. I mean, did you know that not all dragons are aligned with the Ten Elements? Or that we know people named after some of these dragons?”

“Edward,” said Aleister, his voice filling the silence of the library, and at the same time causing Edward to snap out of his wonder.

“We have a mission,” said Aleister, his voice raw with an unnamed emotion.

“When?” asked Edward, as he held up a card with several different symbols and circles on it that allowed him to talk as if his mouth had been born intact.

“Not when but where.”

Narrowing his purple eyes, Edward looked at his brother and saw the turmoil hidden behind golden eyes and a face adorned with a mask of serenity.

“We have been given orders to report to General Ivan’s office where we will meet with the rest of our team, Jane Burnout and Grey Silverman,” said Aleister as he slowed to take a deep breath before continuing, “and after that we will be heading out to the Wormwood to recruit our final member.”

Hearing the names and their implications, Edward’s eyes went wide before a blast of pure joy, passed through the telepathic bond the two brothers shared, one that spoke of a silent hope and longing to be set free from a city that was just a prison. Hurrying, Edward grabbed up the various books he had gathered on the floor and started putting them into his robes. But not before he activated the telesma plating that ran through the books, which both protected the books from decay and also acted as a magical tag to keep track of them, and as a way to loan them out to whoever desired said books. Finishing stacking the books into his clothing, Edward felt a swell of hope rise in him as he hurried to the checkout counter for the library, wishing to make sure that he had registered the books he would be borrowing.

Seeing the librarian wave him away, Edward didn’t even feel the pang that usually came when he was dismissed by his golden brethren, or when he was compared to them. Instead, Edward felt light as if he was set free of some terrible weight that had burdened him his entire 17 years of life. Gesturing for his older brother to lead the way, Edward slipped into his brother’s shadow, his entire being hidden away from prying eyes, and the two of them walked along through gold and white halls to reach the general’s office.

Arriving in the passageway leading to the general’s office, the two brothers stopped dead as the blue eyes of the Mad Paladin turned upon them, eyes that saw through the filter of insanity and therefore could see beyond the cloaked nature of Edward’s invisibility. Stepping out of his brother’s shadow, not wishing to get Aleister in trouble, Edward stepped sideways and the paladin’s eyes tracked him with an intensity that marked Edward as prey. Yet for its mad intensity, Grey Silverman’s gaze bore nothing but curiosity, one that sought to devour everything, a desire to know and understand.

As the Maw Brothers drew nearer the Gray Knight and the door leading into the general’s office, Edward couldn’t help but feel his mood dim at the looks that the Mad Paladin was giving him. Grey clearly had dismissed the belief that either of them were the demon that had destroyed his life, yet Edward could feel that the human before him had still to release the idea that they were in some other manner connected to his own personal tragedy.

Arriving before the paladin, the two brothers shared a look as the paladin simply tilted his head in a manner reminiscent of a bird. Watching with fathomless eyes, Grey gestured towards the door with his left hand as if to say you first. Edward, unsure of what to do, opted for the simplest action and opened the door and glided into the room knowing and trusting that his brother was guarding his back as surely as Edward would guard his brother’s.

Stepping into the room, Edward noticed that it was already occupied by three others who each turned to regard the new arrivals. Jane Burnout had found herself a seat in front of Ivan Stein’s desk, while the two generals stood opposite the desk and up against a window. Hastily stepping into the room, Edward allowed his brother and Grey Silverman to also enter.

Taking in the room, Edward realised it was filled with book shelves and despite the floor to ceiling windows the room had a stuffy and stagnate taste to the air that filled it. Yet the room was adorned with a simple beauty, with various swords and other weapons alongside the books, weapons that Edward had seen before in books. Swords that had been described in sagas and war ballads from millennia ago, a Black Sword of Anoir and a Glass Blade of Babel. But the one weapon that drew most of Edward’s attention made his skin crawl, for its history made all the other weapons in the room look like dull cheap blades. Ruhain, the Blade of Ruin, one of the 777 Eternal Blades was said to bring ruin to any living being that wielded it, yet Ivan had it sitting on his desk like an oversized paper weight.

Letting the others take seats for themselves, Edward retreated to a corner of the room drowned in shadows and stood there, his body partially blending with the darkness so that he could watch what was to come without truly being noticed.

“Finally all here,” said Ivan, his voice monotone yet still laced with a hint that he was impatient to begin, as he pulled up a seat at his own desk, while Argon remained standing to Ivan’s left.

“For the benefit of those that were not present when we discussed this with Arthur Exaltia, I’ll give a brief summation,” said Ivan. “Arthur Exaltia has ordered that the four of you are to form the God Squad, a team of elite beings from multiple disciplines that will be gathered and used to defeat and defend from beings of divine might. Any questions?”

“Several,” said Jane, drawing the focus of the room, with the exception of Grey who still seemed to be processing what he had just heard.

“First off can we decline? And more importantly who came up with the team roster?” asked Jane, her voice calm and melodious, a far cry from the persona that she used for the battlefield.

Hearing her questions, Edward began to realise that maybe his brother’s bleak outlook on this joint venture between the different powers that ruled the Empire of Geb might not work out, and Edward felt his stomach drop when Grey stirred from his idleness.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” said Grey, his face filled with disbelief as he stared back at the cool and calm gaze of Ivan Stein, and the amused eyes of Argon Krieg. “Just how mad are the two of you, for you to team up a demon hunter with demonspawn?” asked Grey as his eye flickered towards Aleister, before Grey’s eyes swivelled to look at Jane. “And you want me to work alongside her, a living horror tale of what happens when mages reproduce, she who burnt her way out of her own mother to be born.”

Edward could almost hear the verbal slap that Grey’s words had caused, yet when he looked to Jane to see how she was doing, all he saw was a look of pity. One not directed inward but at Grey as if he was some poor broken thing that needed help yet was in too much pain to let others near.

“Say what you will Grey,” said Jane, her voice not missing a beat, “but there is no true proof that I burnt my mother to death and even if it is true, I will not reject my flames because of it. I made my peace with what I am and I have pride in the magic that I wield, and I will use it to forge a better future.”

Edward felt the words that Jane spoke flatten the room, as everyone present waited for Grey to explode in a fury of rage and vengeance. Yet even with his face twisted with insanity, Grey didn’t respond, instead a smile spread across his lips that made his tormented face soften, a smile, that in Edward’s eyes, showed that Grey had gotten the answer that he had wanted.

It was at this point Argon, who had remained relatively silent, started to speak.

“As for teaming you up with demonspawn as you called them-”

“That’s what they are,” interrupted Grey, his body tensing with barely bridled emotion.

“That is what they are. What do you think of who they are?” asked Argon, his voice placing emphasis on the distinction between the two different words.

Slowly Grey turned and regarded both Maw Brothers, his mad gaze filled with a clarity that made Edward realise that there was something deeper, something hidden within Grey, a semblance of who he had once been.

“A broken angel and a demon with a human heart,” said Grey finally, after a long moment of contemplation.

If Jane’s words had flattened the room with respect and pride, then Grey’s words filled the room with shock, well at least most of the room. Both Ivan and Argon remained stoic and amused respectively, while Jane’s mouth had parted slightly in surprise and the Maw Brothers were lost in a swirl of emotion.

Edward could tell that his brother had been upset that Edward had been called demonspawn, yet when Aleister had realised that Grey meant Aleister and not just his brother, Aleister’s rage had frozen as he was gripped not by anger but surprise and fear. Now as Edward watched his brother, Edward could see that Aleister was even more disturbed by Grey’s words, and for how close they came to the truth.

Edward turned his attention away from his brother and focused once more on Ivan, who had remained his normal impassive self throughout the entire conversation, unfazed by what had transpired. Catching Edward watching him, Ivan stared back with eyes that made Edward shrink back instinctively, even hidden in the shadows as he was.

“Grey, I need to know whether you will be accepting the orders of the preceptors of the Six Paladin Orders, the archbishop and your king, Arthur Exaltia. Will you join up with this God Squad and work with me to bring down the Mirror of Reality?” asked Ivan with the first traces of emotion in his voice, that Edward could detect. An emotion that Edward could only understand to mean one thing, a promise of death both to the Mirror of Reality and any who dared get in his way.

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Either unhearing of this promise of death or simply not caring, Grey seemed to consider before a smile warped his face back into something from the depths of a nightmare.

“Oh, you will have my cooperation never doubt that, after all, I owe that Shadow blood and vengeance for the lives taken and the men maimed,” said Grey, a dark promise of violence in his voice, one that matched Ivan’s if not in tone then in intent.

“Good,” said Argon, his voice starting to sound wary and drawn thin from having to deal with Grey’s madness, yet all present could both detect from his stance and the faint twitching of his mouth the signs of amusement he felt at watching the four in the room try to mingle and mesh with each other.

Sighing, Edward felt Aleister try to reorientate himself from the storm of emotions he was feeling. Sending his support through their mental link to Edward, Aleister gathered himself and started to speak.

“Fine we’re going to work together,” said Aleister. “So who’s the fifth person and where exactly is this person located? Because from your previous words I assume that this ‘Witch of the Wormwood’ is not inside the Arthurian Empire.”

“Arthurian Empire,” repeated Argon with a smile, his sudden outburst hiding the fact that both Jane and Grey twitched in response to hearing that name.

Hearing Argon parrot his words back at him, Aleister frowned at the slip of his tongue but instead of being embarrassed, he waited patiently for an answer to his question.

“Yes, the Witch of the Wormwood, Lillian Darkseed, born of a wyvern and a witch. She is over seven hundred years old and possesses the power, strength and wisdom that it takes to live for that stretch of time,” said Ivan.

“More importantly she has the powers of a witch and a dragon imbued within her and if she is recruited to our cause she will be the keystone of what will be our success. Therefore, I want the four of you to travel to her home in the Wormwood forest and recruit her,” said Argon chipping in his voice, losing his normal amusement and shifting into something much more serious. “And if necessary I want you to drag her back here kicking and screaming.”

“And alive,” said Ivan with annoyance as he looked at Grey. In response, Grey simply cocked one of his eyebrows in amusement.

“Will she fight back?” asked Jane, an underline of concern filling her words.

“Perhaps,” said Ivan as he turned his cold gaze of the Queen of Burning. “However her history is also connected to the Mirror of Reality. After her mother was killed by vampires, she met Mirror and the two lived together for a while before things went sour.”

“He betrayed her?” asked Grey, his eyes obtaining a zeal that would make normal men cringe.

“That’s one way of saying it,” said Argon, his bronzes eyes narrowing in rage. Taking a breath, Argon closed his eyes and seemed to dispel his rage, and when he looked at the four assembled before him, there was a focus to him that bespoke why and how he had obtained his title of general.

“And that is why I am sending you four. You were present when Mirror appeared so you will tell her everything and give her this opportunity to rid herself of her past,” said Argon as he continued his speech, while Ivan watched and analysed the four before him.

“Unless teaming up with a dragonspawn is going to be a problem,” said Ivan as he gazed at Grey in quiet contemplation.

Shifting, everyone once again focused on the Mad Paladin, and after a short pause Grey himself seemed to realise he was being the one questioned.

“I’m a demon hunter not a witch hunter, not a monster hunter and most certainly not a dragon hunter. Unlike George and the rest of his order, I have no interest in killing dragons and claiming their names for myself,” said Grey with an acidic tone that spoke volumes on what he thought about the paladins who engaged in hunts of these ancient and eternal creatures.

“Good man,” said Argon with a genuine smile, only to receive an annoyed eye roll from Ivan, who had remained quiet throughout the discussion, and in Edward’s opinion was attempting to emulate a statue.

“Now that that’s sorted I will be sending you on the train heading west to Zephyr, where you will meet up with Colonel Io and she will direct you, both to Lillian’s home in the Wormwood and when you get back to Zephyr with Lillian,” said Ivan with a level of command that mirrored Argon’s own charisma.

“Who?” asked Aleister, while a mystified expression briefly passed across his face.

“She is one of the C4, one of four different colonels that stand all but directly beneath Ivan in the west,” said Edward telepathically to his brother, not wanting to disrupt the room.

“Besides which, shouldn’t we just use the Arthurian Church System or even the Mirror Gate System to get to Zephyr even quicker?” asked Edward telepathically of his brother, while Argon raised his brows as if in response to Edward’s telepathic words.

“Are you two done talking or do you want to share?” asked Jane as she watched the looks that passed back and forth between the Maw Brothers.

“My brother stated that travelling by other more mystical means we could save on the time needed for this mission by half if not more,” said Aleister as he reiterated Edward’s words.

“The Demon Cleric has a point,” said Grey, “If we take the Arthurian Church System, we can travel to the closest heavenly church to the Wormwood forest and from there, be at the eastern front in less than an hour.”

“Agreed, the Mirror Gate System could even allow us to travel behind Mirror’s battle lines for a quick and decisive attack,” said Jane, a flick of fire dancing in her eyes as she waded into the conversation. “Not to mention depending on how good this Lillian is with her magic, we can sneak in to Mirror’s base without him even suspecting that we will be coming. After all a witch’s power isn’t based on mana or telesma, the two things that he will be looking for.”

“All good points,” said Ivan with the faintest hint of a smile, “but the Mirror Gate System was damaged by Mirror, when he broke into the Maze of Mirrors to steal documents relating to magic. As such it has been shut down until it can be repaired and protected from Mirror’s further intervention.”

Hearing this, Jane tensed in rage at what had been done to the Elemental Guard, while a steely determination set upon her face, a look that promised that Mirror would pay for what he had done. Seeing this, Grey seemed to soften and even seemed to consider whether he should pat Jane on the shoulder as a sign of support, but before he could take action Ivan continued speaking.

“And the reason that I want you four to travel by train is so that I can get the four of you to work as a team dealing with whatever incidents that you encounter along the way, so that when you do meet Lillian Darkseed you actually appear a part of a trustworthy and cohesive team and not four random individuals,” said Ivan, his dead eyes reflecting his utter lack of concern that he might be angering four of the most powerful people in their respective fields.

Hearing this, the four members of the God Squad gave each other a quick glance before they all focused their attention back on Ivan.

“So you want this mission to be a proof of concept test,” said Jane as if it was already a confirmed fact.

“Pretty much, yeah,” replied Argon with his normal amusement returning. “While you are in the Empire of Geb, we will be able to monitor all of you and see how the group functions and any changes that will need to be made, but once you leave the borders you will be on your own.”

“Free,” said Edward telepathically without meaning to, yet Edward could have sworn that he saw Argon’s eyes turn towards Edward with nothing but sympathy and respect in them before they turned away as if it hadn’t happened.

“We want you to figure out who ends up leading you so we won’t appoint an official leader, but who wants to do the accounting?” said Ivan dryly as he stretched out a hand holding a stack of paper work detailing what needed to be done.

Seeing neither Jane or Grey move forward to collect the documents in Ivan’s hand, and his brother still hiding in the shadows, Aleister sighed before stepping forward to collect the paper work.

“I’ll give you until tomorrow morning to assemble at the train station and head west,” said Ivan as he stood up from his desk. “That should be enough time to get your affairs in order and ready yourselves for this trip. Oh and Edward, while I admire the idea of collecting information please note that it is both rude and detrimental to trust to bug someone’s room.”

Aleister spun around to look at his brother as Edward flinched away from Ivan’s words, not having realised that Ivan had noticed him playing with a card inscribed with listening symbols, a card which would allow Edward to listen into any conversation in any room. Withdrawing the card back to his cloak, Edward turned his purple eyes to look at Ivan and Argon both of whom actually appeared apathetic and impressed respectively. While both Jane and Grey shared a look before Jane just shrugged and started to walk for the door with Grey trailing after.

Bowing, the Maw Brothers turned and walked from the room all the while Ivan watched with eyes that Edward found saw far too deep. Falling into step with his brother, the two of them left Ivan’s office, while the two generals discussed matters of national security.

“You seem troubled brother,” said Edward as he marched along with his brother, the two of them lagging behind the Paladin of Gray, who appeared to be in deep conversation with himself, while Jane Burnout had already disappeared from the hall.

“Of course, I’m troubled. You almost jeopardised everything,” said Aleister aloud, not caring to reply telepathically.

“I wasn’t going to plant the card. I was just considering it,” replied Edward telepathically, while sending over his emotions so that Aleister could feel his honesty and the truth of what he said.

“Why?” asked Aleister, his voice filled with a horrified tone that stated the very idea was pure idiocy.

“Because they are not normal,” said Edward, his mental signature filled with fear and turbulence at the very idea itself. “They saw me brother. I was hidden in shadows that allowed me to be all but forgotten and lost to memory yet they both saw me as clear as day. Not even Mirror of Reality, an Omega Class Esper, something just under a god, could do that and yet they both could. Ivan had swords in there from legends dealing with pagan gods, stories older than the Empire of Osiris and weapons from before the first war of the god. Whatever they are, they are ancient and powerful.”

“That makes spying on them even more idiotic,” snapped Aleister, his mind filled with ragged emotions and a sense of being truly lost.

“No, it means that they know things, things that no one else knows or are willing to answer,” replied Edward, his mental voice raw with an emotion of longing. “I think they know about our father.”

Hearing Edward’s words, Aleister stiffened and stopped walking, his eyes filled with pain at the thought of their father and his demonic nature and the many, many different possible interactions that their parents could have had.

“I don’t care about that demon. I don’t care what or where he comes from. I care about us surviving,” said Aleister, his voice sounding hollow even to himself. Yet Edward knew that his brother was lying, the two of them searched and wondered what they were, for as long as they had known they were even more otherworldly than their seraphim brethren.

“I’m sorry brother if you feel it risked our lives, but I believe that it was necessary, the two of them are as inhuman as we are and even more mysterious,” said Edward, his mind bleeding the same fear and pain that Aleister was feeling, “And letting them have our fate in their hands without knowing what they are, was just pure madness.”

“Agreed,” said Aleister, in a faint whisper, “I just fear the day when it all falls apart.”

“I know brother, I know,” said Edward telepathically in understanding and forgiveness.

Breathing deeply, Aleister steeled away his heart and the two brothers continued on to their apartments to ready for their first trip out into the wide, mad world of Geb.

~~~

Watching the God Squad leave, Argon turned to regard his fellow general as the latter had already gone back to the assorted paperwork that was stacked upon his desk. Pausing to puzzle out the different emotions that had been on display, Argon’s eyes swept over the collection of different weapons that Edward had been staring at in wonder. Yet in Argon’s eyes, the weapons were worthless compared to the knowledge contained within the adjacent books.

Books filled with the names and deeds of all those that had enrolled into the army since it was officially found two hundred years ago when Arthur had assumed his crown. When before Arthur’s rule, the power and control of armies had fallen to the lords and their knights, many of whom possessed powers and abilities of varying mystical natures. Yet other books on display detailed other more esoteric knowledge, including things that had supposedly been lost with the fall of the Dark Empire of Osiris.

“You didn’t need to do that. The boy wasn’t going to place the card down,” said Argon at last, genuine puzzlement in his voice.

Pausing, Ivan turned to Argon and met the bronze eyed stare of the General of the East, and instead of seeing judgment and condemnation Argon was simply seeking to understand Ivan’s actions.

“The boy needed to be taught a lesson,” said Ivan as he focused all of his attention on to Argon, who had walked around in front of the desk Ivan sat at.

“A lesson in humiliation?” asked Argon with one brow raised as if to say that was a stupid idea.

“No, well not entirely, it was a lesson both in the command structure and that his shadows are not infallible, and that he cannot expect the darkness to hide him from everything,” said Ivan simply as if talking about some banal task.

“You intend to collar him?” asked Argon, his bronze eyes no longer reflecting his normal carefree amusement, a dark grim aura filling the room.

Sensing the promise of death, Ivan felt the chill of fear run through him as he faced his fellow general who seemed to bleed a promise of war and death from his very being.

“I don’t intend to collar him, at least not in the way that you’re thinking,” said Ivan unmoved and unflinching in the face of Argon’s sudden, horrific intensity. “I intend to shatter the chains his brethren are binding him with and then the two brothers can be free, although they might have to wear a bell so that I can keep track of them.”

Argon shifted as he thought through Ivan’s words before a half smile spread across his face, mirth returning to his expression as a small chuckle slipped from his lips.

“What’s so funny?” asked Ivan.

“Here I thought you had forgotten emotion, but you do care don’t you?” probed Argon, barely holding back his delight.

“Speaking of alterative motives, what’s the real reason that we’re sending them across the country to Zephyr?” asked Ivan, the faintest trickle of suspicion leaking into his voice, as he pulled out a map that detailed everything within the boundaries of the Arthurian Empire.

“Let’s just say I want them to check on something along the way. While everyone tells me that there is nothing out of the ordinary, I have a feeling that with Mirror’s war the world will begin to stir once more, and dark things hidden and dormant will start to encroach upon us all. That’s why I want as many experts as possible to prove me wrong and tell me there is nothing out of the ordinary,” said Argon, his voice getting distant as he stared off towards the west as if he could see through the very walls themselves and all the way to what he feared.

Hearing Argon’s explanation, Ivan began to scrutinize the map in front of him, looking at each of the different names of the towns and cities that dotted the line that the westward train would take. As he scanned the map, its imprecise nature caused Ivan to pause for a short moment to curse the gods who had dared to alter the dimensions of fixed distances. Ivan knew that if Argon feared something then that something was truly important to the future of the empire that the two of them both served.

“Symir,” said Ivan at last. “That’s the only place it could be. It’s the only city that predates the Arthurian Empire. Not to mention that the city worshiped Heaven long before the pagan gods went all but extinct.”

“Not as extinct as the Book of Rho would have you believe,” said Argon as he gave Ivan a side long look, his tone unchanged even though he had just dismissed the validation of the holy book of the Arthurian Church.

Tapping the table in annoyance Ivan watched Argon with narrowed eyes while he contemplated what the being in front of him was really planning.

“I know you only wanted the God Squad because of Lillian, but what do you really think of the rest of the squad?” asked Ivan as he glanced at Argon. Ivan’s grey eyes assessed his friend with careful scrutiny. For while the two were indeed friends, sharing the common burden of pretending to be human, they were still wary of each other especially when major plots were afoot.

“What about you?” asked Argon in retaliation, “You see them for what they are, don’t you?”

“And what are they?” replied Ivan with slowly dawning weariness.

“Broken, broken souls that have such tragedy and horror in their past that they can never truly escape, at least not on their own,” said Argon with his bronze eyes looking at Ivan as if his words were not for the absent God Squad but for the fallen human before him.

“What are you implying?” asked Ivan with a sharp warning blurring into his voice.

“Nothing untoward, just once a hero always a hero,” said Argon with amusement.

Sitting there, Ivan remained unmoved as he watched Argon with narrowed eyes. Argon’s words caused the mirage of human nature Ivan had possessed to evaporate which in turn brought the unnatural stillness of one without the need for breath down upon the General of the West.

“As for the God Squad we have a mage beloved by fire, causing her to be blessed or cursed with the name Burnout. A pair of brothers born of two opposing natures, natures so different from each other they are as distinct as real and imaginary numbers. And finally, we have the Mad Paladin, whose story is nothing but a tragedy, after all. A demon hunter seeking vengeance can really only have one origin,” said Argon unbothered and unrepentant of the fact that he had just dismantled the pain and burden of the God Squad down to their most mediocre forms.

Sighing in exasperation at Argon’s lazy answer, Ivan resumed his veneer of humanity as he turned his gaze once more to the map before him and the route that the God Squad would have to take beyond the boundaries of the Arthurian Empire and all the way to Lillian’s home. Seeing the route, the God Squad would take, Ivan spoke again, this time his voice infused with a calmness that spoke of the stillness of death and a dread finality to peace itself.

“Either way, what’s going to happen next will surely start us all down paths that none can foresee,” said Ivan as he returned to his paperwork, seemingly unbothered by the idea that the world would be once again torn apart.

~~~

Jane Burnout sat in her room as she watched her clothes spin and dance through the air, all of them flowing like water down a hill from her closet all the way to her travel bag where they were pushed in the supposedly cramped space. Yet Jane didn’t bother to use her mana to take the clothes and fold them in a neat and orderly manner, instead she just shoved them in knowing with full certainty that Rin Hono would be driven crazy by it.

Glancing in Rin’s direction, Jane couldn’t keep a small smile off her face as Rin seemed to twitch as every new piece of clothing disappeared into the bag, his handsome and middle aged face not reflecting his true age of over fifty.

“Jane, if you’re not going to do it properly then let me,” said Rin, his attitude one of someone used to having to put up with a gleeful and mischievous child.

Releasing the mana from the clothes, Jane watched as the mana danced with a blue translucent light before fading away into the air as if it had never been there. Jane knew that controlling mana especially in its pure form was much more difficult for some than others, but she could do it effortlessly. Yet even she was glad when she released her magic from the clothes as she could feel the element of fire calling to her. And while she knew that the fire she wielded would only burn what she desired, Jane was still cautious about using it on clothes, especially those that had been custom made for magical purposes.

“If you think you can get out of this by procrastinating until the others leave then you are wrong,” said Rin as he methodically removed the clothes from Jane’s bag and began to fold them before repacking them into the rune encrusted bag.

“I’m not. I know that I can’t get out of this,” said Jane with a smile that Rin responded to with a frown of suspicion as if he had realised he had been tricked but not how. “But why make me join?”

Pausing in his folding, Rin looked at Jane with a momentarily blank face before resuming his task, and when he finally spoke there was a weight on his words that seemed to hurt him as he spoke.

“For your own good and the good of the Elemental Guard,” said Rin with sorrow. “I know how dangerous this will be, but we need a presence in this squad and you are the best and brightest of those I trust.”

Smiling at the play on words, Jane knew why Rin would believe she had a problem joining the God Squad, but in truth she was thrilled at what was to come and the journey and adventure that it would bring.

“I am upset with you,” said Jane. “I know that you would never sacrifice one of us for personal ambition, nor for the desire to advance the power of mana. So why would you ever think that I would believe that putting me in the squad was for alternative reasons?”

Rin, who had flinched at the first set of words, seemed to notice that he had all but finished packing Jane’s clothes and turned to look at Jane who was idling in a chair watching Rin with amusement.

“Is that why I’m packing your things?” asked Rin with puzzlement.

“No you did that to yourself,” said Jane with a cat-like smirk.

“Very funny,” replied Rin with a returning smile and sense of mirth. “But seriously I worry about putting you in this squad.”

“Why, because I’ll not be able to handle the madman and the demon brothers or because of what I’ll be sent against?” asked Jane as she got up to stand next to Rin, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder.

“Both really, and a father can worry about his daughter all the while being proud of her too,” said Rin with a warmth in his eyes that was a mix of pride and adult fear.

“I’ll be fine, besides I’ve done crazier things before,” said Jane as she thought back to the last twenty or so years when at the age of four she had managed to rob her adopted father of his magically endowed purse with the ease of stealing from a sleeping baby.

Chuckling as if recalling the same memory, Rin turned away, a glint in his eye which exposed the emotions he was currently feeling. Finishing packing for Jane, Rin seemed to mill over what he was going to do next before he gave Jane a hug and began to leave out the door he had come in through.

“Oh Jane, one last reminder do not forget to go to the train tomorrow!” said Rin with a dark smile, he had perfected to instil terror in children, especially children that refused to do what they are told. “The trains are all equipped with Mirror Wards, so I will be able to see whether you are on the train or not.”

Seeing Rin’s smile, Jane smiled back at him with a dry humour that spoke of how she had weathered the same lecture and dark smile a thousand times before, and how she was as unfazed by the smile this time as she had been those thousand times before. Shaking his head in exasperation, Rin disappeared through the door closing it behind him with a soft hum of mana that sealed the door shut. The oak door was inscribed with runes that allowed the oak wood to remain alive even in its current state and thereby allow it to generate mana to not only keep the runes functioning but also allow for the excess mana to be used for extra functions.

Tracing the walls, Jane saw the elm and ash lining the walls, their innate powers allowing the mana to flow through them all to empower the rowan wood that lined the wall. Wood, which when infused with mana, was completely immune to the fire element. But the furnishing on the walls didn’t stop there, glittering like stars were rubies that had been embossed into the wood. These same rubies had been used to curb and control the flames of Jane Burnout with their alignment to the element of fire, the mystic energy that existed within all flame no matter how they were born or made. And like all gems, from the humble salt crystal to the mighty diamond and even the mythic Orikalkos, the rubies on the wall were capable of being infused with mana, storing it away for another time.

As Jane moved to the window that opened to a view of the entirety of the City of Albion, Jane remembered how the room that she stood within had been custom made. Not to act as a prison, but instead it had been constructed so that the little girl who had been adorned with clothes of fire could sleep in her bed without setting the world aflame.

Looking out over the city that had been her home for her entire life, the same city where she had lived in the hidden and forgotten back alleys of the holy city, Jane smiled as she remembered how she had come so far and learned so much. From tales of how Svar’s Sin had made the worlds of the living and the worlds of the dead collide to tales about Jupitor Soulstorm, the first mage who had created the system of runes that was used even to this day. The same man who had discovered the ten elemental energies and had been the first to contain and harness them.

Breaking off from her musing, Jane turned her view away from the city that was illuminated by so many different sources of power, magic and technology, to focus on what was to come tomorrow. Taking off her clothes, Jane covered herself in crimson flames that shared the same red glow as her hair, a clear sign that she had been born endowed with the power to shape the Element of Fire regardless of whether she had mana or not. Cleaning her body within a few seconds, Jane sorted out the rune encrusted clothes she would take before she took out a string-like cloth that had all 24 Runes written in order along it. Winding it around her torso, specifically her chest, in the form of a sarashi, Jane used a small flow of mana to bind the cloth together so that it would be stronger than steel and more flexible than the very cloth it was.

Finishing dressing herself, Jane regarded her reflection in the mirror as she surveyed what she was wearing. Knowing full well that the runes on the sarashi cloth were hidden and facing inwards so that only she knew they were present. More importantly, so that she could have a versatile use of the runes provided, at the expense of those unprepared and unaware of their existence.

Hearing a hum, Jane plucked her hand mirror from her bag and seeing the illusionary image displayed on the mirror’s surface, Jane smiled and extinguished her flaming hair before consenting to the mirror call. All the while knowing in the back of her mind that she was ready for what was to come tomorrow and that she would do the Elemental Guard proud and more importantly, she would use her flames to forge a better world.

Standing within the Grand Gardens of the Inner City of Albion, the only real garden of the Inner City, Grey Silverman stared up at the blue moon that covered the sky while the silver moon hung just a bit behind its blue neighbour. The size difference between them was perfectly portrayed as the blue moon, some called Leto, engulfed the sky in blue light, being three times the size of the silver moon, some called Luna.

Switching his focus to what was before him, Grey moved deeper into the garden heading towards one specific target, a place that he was allowed to freely come and go from, the grave of the Knight of Vengeance. Arriving before the gate to the mausoleum, Grey spotted the guards on duty and with a feral smile walked up to the seraphim that guarded a corpse they probably hated. Grey nodded in recognition and respect as he walked past, which was returned more from fear than either respect or recognition. Just before he placed his hand on the door, Grey hesitated before turning to the male and female that watched from the corner of their eyes, waiting for the first sign that they should flee.

“How has he been?” asked Grey, the way one might ask of a perpetually sick relative or friend.

Hearing the question, the guards went a bit wild eyed as they tried to think up a response that would be both non-committal and neutral in tone.

“About the same,” said the female to Grey’s right, having concluded what to say first between the two.

Nodding his head, Grey pushed open the door and let it swing shut behind him as he saw the look of abject terror pass from the face of the male guard changing to one of relief.

Stepping into the mausoleum, Grey surveyed the inside of the six sided room to see what had been changed since his last visit, noting that the marble walls had all remained unchanged, their white polished surfaces unmarked even by a single blemish. Seeing that the walls had remained identical to his last visit, Grey’s gaze shifted up to the domed roof. Except instead of the ceiling that should have been there, what Grey saw was a golden sky filled with clouds all adorned and glimmering with a golden light that basked the room in the same brilliant glow. The golden light of Heaven, the light of telesma itself, the substance that the seraphim and all those that worship Heaven had been built upon, the literal power of the angels and their very blood itself.

Losing himself in the shifting brilliance of the scenery of that floated above, Grey’s mind snapped back in on itself as his gaze lowered to a stone pedestal that sat in the middle of the mausoleum, its rectangular nature at odds with the geometry of the room around it. Sitting perpendicular to the entrance of the room, its positioning caused the ends of the rectangle to point towards the corners of the room created by the hexagon design. Despite its clashing nature, what drew the eye of any who stood within the room was the metal figure that lay atop the pedestal. Made entirely of manametal, metal infused with mana to the point of indestructibility, was the man that the mausoleum had been made for, Edward Crowley, the first paladin, the Knight of Vengeance.

Lying atop the pedestal in full battle armour, Edward Crowley lay as if a man upon a funeral pyre, his face calm and at peace, his eyes closed and his hands interwoven above his chest as if he was at rest. The only thing that prevented someone from thinking that the man before them was the real deal was the fact that his skin, flesh and even his hair was made from the same manametal that his armour was, a perfectly carved work of iron and mana.

“They think that you’re dead, you know,” said Grey at last, addressing the statue like an old friend, as he nodded his head backwards towards the guards that stood beyond the door. “I pity you having to deal with them all the time.”

Grey smiled as he spoke, his attempt at light heartedness ringing hollow even to him.

“I need your advice,” said Grey, his eyes filled with torment as he asked his fellow Knight of Vengeance for help, his right hand unconsciously fingering the sword, Slaphmir upon his back. The very same sword Edward Crowley had created two centuries ago.

“I’ve been assigned to a squad composed of multiple factions all with one objective, but two of those that compose of the squad, well they’re named Aleister and Edward, just like you, maybe even after you. But the problem is not who they are, it’s what they are… they’re demonspawn,” said Grey, a faint pause before the last two words came tumbling out.

“And not like any demon that I have ever seen before, yet despite this they are clean of the corruption of Hell,” said Grey continuing his monologue to the still and cold audience. “I think they are born of the Daemons of Discord, yet even then their souls remain clean. But they are still of demonic descent.”

Closing his eyes, Grey hung his head as he knelt before the statute of manametal, knowing full well that the guards outside the mausoleum were debating whether they should call someone to tell them that Grey had finally gone mad. Yet even hearing this, Grey didn’t care, instead he pleaded with the still statue, his voice raw with the ancient anguish he bore in his very soul.

“What should I do?” Grey asked of the first Knight of Vengeance, a man that was rumoured and often accused of killing the Warlord Enoch, who had been king of the seraphim before Arthur Exaltia.

That was why this room existed, that was why it was guarded and most importantly why the room was both sparse yet blessed. Enoch had been the second king of the seraphim and unlike his predecessor Rho, he had expanded his kingdom over his century of rule with blood and war, wars, which had filled the hearts of many with pain, fear, and most powerful of all, vengeance. So when, as the unofficial history stated, Edward Crowley had killed Enoch, Arthur Exaltia had assumed the throne at the age of 23. And one of Arthur’s first acts was to pardon Edward so that the Knight of Vengeance could remain in his service becoming the first official paladin for the Empire of Geb. Or to be more precise, became the template for the paladin orders as they currently existed where knights and clerics could become paladins through the appropriate training in their opposite and lacking fields. Knights would be taught of Heaven and the clerical nature of the Arthurian Church. Clerics would be taught the weight and use of any and all weapons that a knight could ever need.

Arthur had pardoned the Knight of Vengeance for two reasons, first because Arthur had seen the horror of Enoch’s wars and knew that the War-King had been driving their race to war with the entire world and consequently they had faced possible extinction. But the second reason was one that chilled many to the bone, and was why Edward’s presence in the history books had been slowly eclipsed by others, for Edward had been blessed with powers by the angel, Samael.

Of all the seraphs that still lived after Heaven’s war, Samael was the most feared and least talked about. While many called it the Angel of Vengeance for the act of killing its twin brother who had defected to Lucifer’s side, Grey knew it as the Angel of Death that stood before and guarded the gates to Heaven. A seraph, who granted its power to those wishing for death and in return, had its wings stained red with the blood of mortals and immortals.

And any being that could earn the favour of such a seraph was not one deposed of, even if he had killed kings.

Grey heard a faint metallic screech and looked up. Staring into the face of the Knight of Vengeance, the Mad Paladin smiled as he felt more than heard his answer.

“You’re right, they are innocent of the darkness that birthed them even if their parent is the demon I search for, and should they lead me to their parent and I find it is the same demon I seek, then it is even more reason to let them live,” said Grey as the twisted light in his eyes grew as the dream of vengeance blossomed in his mind.

As a smile twisted Grey’s face towards something just as demonic as the things he hunted, a faint whisper of mercy swirled through his mind.

“Yes, they are innocent but should they side with their parent if he is the monster that I seek then they will die, but until then they have nothing to fear from me,” said Grey with conviction that could overturn destiny.

Stilling as he again sought equilibrium inside his mind, Grey turned his attention to the blade that had earned him the name Mad Paladin, which now shone with its own internal light, a light that whispered of a promise of death to those that deserved it. Calming himself, the blade flickered as if whatever watched through the blade was filled with disappointment.

Disturbed by how close he had come to losing control, Grey turned to regard the sword’s last victim, the man that had been the sword’s creator. Edward Crowley had created the blade by fusing mana based magic with telesma based magic and the combination had created an immensely powerful blade, but the side effects on the user were devastating. The blade turned all who wielded it into the very same substance that it was made from, manametal. And that was why when Grey had picked the blade up and chosen to wield it, he had been branded a madman. For on the marble pedestal before him wasn’t a statue like the guards thought but instead Edward Crowley himself, after he had been turned into a completely living construct of manametal, his soul eternally bound within.

Restoring his control over the blade and making sure that his armour could be used at a moment’s notice to take in and counteract the sword’s excess power, Grey sighed whether from relief, exhaustion or disappointment, not even he truly knew.

Hearing the door behind him swing open, Grey turned to regard the nervous expression of the male seraphim that stood poised on the threshold of the mausoleum.

“Everything okay in here?” asked the male guard with a faint yet audible dread.

Watching the man with twisting, swirling desire spilling through his mind, Grey eventually snapped back to attention as he realised that he had been rotating his head sideways as he watched the guard unblinkingly.

“Yes, I’m fine,” said Grey at last as he saw the guard breathe a sigh of relief as some measure of sanity filled Grey’s expression.

“Anything you need then?” asked the guard with a civil tone as if that was the only thing he could think to say, while under Grey’s unblinking gaze.

“Yes, what is your name?” asked Grey as he saw the female guard beyond the door all but hit her head with her hand at her companion’s stupidity.

“Ahhhh,” said the Guard, before gathering the nerve to answer concisely. “Tristan Tauen, my name is Tristan Tauen.”

Hearing the name, Grey eyed the young seraphim, making note of the fact that his last name conveyed the origin of his family and when in the seraphim timeline of kings it originated from. Drawing the young seraphim into conversation, Grey walked towards the door to the mausoleum, his attention fixated on the entities before him. As Grey left the mausoleum, neither of the guards turned to look upon the man resting in the dead centre of the marble structure. Nor did they notice the fact that Edward Crowley had turned his head and opened his eyes to watch and talk with Grey Silverman.

Watching the retreating back of the man who had become his successor, Edward turned his head back to its original vertical position with spasming, shuddering motions that caused cries of protest and squeals of metal to ring throughout the room. Finally reaching his original position, Edward smiled and returned to his dreams, his eyes of varying, golden gradients closing so that the heavenly sky above was the last thing he saw.

And as the Knight of Vengeance, who had been consumed by his own creation, lost himself in the Dreamscape, he waited for a time when he could escape his prison.