The room fell silent as the figures walked in, Seven all armoured the same style of armour with three more in the group just as armoured but clearly not. Three appeared female with their slighter frame and their choices of weaponry by the assumptions of the adventurers in the large room. One had two hand crossbows holstered at the small of her back with twin short swords at her hips, another held a staff of ebony wood with the strangest mana crystal focus they’d ever seen topping it off. The third had a repeating crossbow and quiver upon her back with a second quiver at her hip with a short sword and a bandolier of throwing daggers hanging slightly down the other side of her hip.
Three of the males towered over the others with two looking like armoured hulks with one holding a tower shield on one hand and a mace of some sort on his hip. The other had a halberd and the off-hand gauntlet had a clearly thicker and wider forearm part acting as a buckler when a shield was needed. Both were clearly more heavily armoured than the others with the others having armours clearly designed for mobility as much as protection yet all fit a a similar style.
Then came one of the other two and the shorter of the two remaining, on his hip was an arming sword as well as a hand axe while a round shield was held in his off hand.
The last was the strangest of the group, almost as tall as the twin giants yet sleeker and clearly a mobility type fighter, if only it wasn’t for the swords slung behind him in a sheath connecting more to the lower back than at the hip. An executioners sword was a distinct weapon but rarely if ever used in anything other than what it was named for.
Behind the group of dark armoured team of seven came five more, not as distinct as the team of seven but all five wore full plate armours of quality make and were clearly sword with some board users. Adventurers with an eye for it noting that all ten newcomers had the type of armour which focused more on its ability to protect the user rather than looking flashy despite the eerie coordination of the first sevens armours.
The one wearing an executioners sword walked to the wall with bounties and jobs available to the mercenary adventurers in the head office serving as a strange mix of office building and tavern.
With but a single turn of his head he scanned the wall before pulling two of the jobs on offer and handing them over to the smallest male of the group of seven, three of the other five had joined that group and while the other six of the dark armoured group discussed it with the other armoured figures. The apparent leader walking over to discuss with the other two men that had followed his group in.
The two groups had intermixed and clearly had the senior members of each group were speaking while the younger or junior members spoke amongst themselves over choosing which job to perform. While some the adventurers in the hall had seen both of these two groups before and had learned to leave well enough alone a few of the newly arrived adventurer teams that hadn’t been present for the last time they’d entered and none of them seemed all that happy with their presence.
One of the officials of the Adventurers guild came hurrying to the clear trio of leaders or senior members of the twelve strangers that had entered. The spindly man spoke with them in hushed whispers but it was clearly a much more deferential treatment to the group than any other the adventurers in the hall had seen before. Even when it came to famous and powerful guilds that even had headquarters of their own didn’t get this level of treatment.
“Hey! Who the hell are you?” One of the braver ones of the part of the adventurers that hadn’t seen this group before. He didn’t seem like he was doing it out of rudeness but rather genuine curiosity, it was just an accepted fact that some adventurers spoke more crassly than most.
One of the two less distinctively armoured of the leadership trio reached for his sword but was stopped by the other, meanwhile the one in black looked over to his other companions and nodded to one of his own.
The shorter male of the three black armoured ones took a step forward after nodding back to his leader. “We are simply initiates of a knightly order using the least chosen jobs for training.” He said which appeared to mollify most of the adventurers but a few scowled a little still.
“So you start with what we don’t care much for and then move on to the rest? We are going to have enough problems with the academy putting up that schedule of periods they’ll be challenging any jobs of a certain rank for their students but now this too? How the hell are we to make a living?” Another half yelled as he stood up but then all stiffened as a blanket of power lay down upon the room and all looked at the one they thought of as the leader of those in black. Two baleful glowing red dots filled the slits of his helmet for only a second leaving many to think it a mirage as he slowly made his way back to the board picking out two jobs while still suppressing the entire room.
“I doubt we are going to be an inconvenience.” He said, his tone silvery and deep, cultured yet an undercurrent to it many knew from speaking with those very experienced in their fields along with those veterans in the military they met. “After all, all of you are so competent that a simple manticore or a small Ogrewolf pack are beneath your notice.” He said as he displayed a remarkable control over his spatial ring as a pack of Ogrewolves and a manticore’s corpse appeared on the floor next to him. Many looked down in a bit of shame as those had been posted up for a while and had been time sensitive due to possible collateral damage but none had the courage to tackle the tasks.
Another wave of his hand and he claimed the corpses back before looking over at the still man who had spoken. “Take it as a challenge to grow and adapt. I assume many of you have fallen into a funk or some habit that no longer pushes you in any way. Think of the coming days as a kick in the pants to get to improving yourselves.” He said as the blanket of his aura slowly retreated back into the man many of the adventurers now contemplative and once the group left the clamour of conversation rose to almost deafening heights. Some of excitement while others of grumbling and complaint.
Whatever anyone said however the reality of such wide changes to come made the validity of the words said sink in. Those still longing to improve but had fallen into a funk now felt renewed determination to improve. The official who had spoken with the group of leaders looked over the adventurers and had a thoughtful expression on his face, perhaps such situations could be engineered to breathe new life into stagnant groups of adventurers in some area or another? A thought that brought a cunning glint to his eyes.
Only for the entire guild to get up in arms as a knife was thrown from outside to embed itself along with an announcement declaring the possibility of those adventurers young enough could possibly join the royal academy as students.
(Theodore Dunleavy)
“So how exactly is that going to work?” Selma asked with a sceptical frown on her face. He had seen the girl come into her own under the guidance of Felix’s training. Already she and his son were more proficient with mana control than the average graduate of the royal academy.
Felix sighed a bit as he was leaned against a tree before the cavern related to one of the jobs he had decided on for the kids with himself and the emperor who stood next to himself. “What have I been teaching you idiots for the past two or so months now?” He asked with a raised eyebrow and a dry tone which made Selma pause and turn over to the others they had brought on to train and gain some levels in a constructive manner.
The kids all got together with the two Ettin-blood twins towering over them as they conversed and ran through ideas. He smiled a little to himself as he saw the young prince and his sons go through tactics and options while the others focused on figuring out what they’d find within the cave.
While the others were discussing Felix, Theodore and Augustus stood to the side watching them. “They’ll need to learn this, especially your sons.” Felix said just low enough that the two men would hear him. “While your sons are good men they will need to learn intuition and foresight as leaders of men to come, none so more than your own son Augustus. Yours has the empire resting upon his shoulders after all.” Theodore had to admit to himself that Felix did have a point.
None of the three men were badly trained or educated, all three having been groomed for their tasks though Theodore had the distinct fortune to allow his sons to pursue their talents rather than his own footsteps with his first son having eagerly stepped up to allow his brothers the opportunity.
A pang of grief hit him as he remembered his unfortunate son, the one Felix had killed. If it wasn’t for the fact he’d handed over his son’s body looking pristine but had also arrived at the service to grant a ritual wrapping to protect the body for even longer while he’d explained what he was doing, why and what would happen to their son’s soul as it moved on. It had been a gesture of not only good faith but sympathy he hadn’t taken the… whatever he was now, for.
“It is a shame though.” Felix’s words snapped Theodore out of his thoughts and he got caught up with the conversation that had gone on without him noticing.
“What is?” Augustus asked curiously.
“The potential of species you mostly view as monsters if it just wasn’t for a few obvious drawbacks they could do a lot of good. I mean theoretically imagine werewolves for example and I don’t mean those mutts most think are werewolves that only change depending on the moons. I mean the pure strain, the true-born ones, capable of changing at will. Imagine that kind of power in the capable hands of Theodore here along with a few select knights?” Felix proposed and Theodore and Augustus looked at one another and both could see Felix’s point. If nothing else it would make Theodore rather… effective.
“Given that Theodore is already one of the very few who I can spar with on an equal footing his strength would at least double if he had the added benefits of just the raw physicality of werewolves.” Augustus said then nodding and like Theodore seemed curious about where Felix was going with this.
“I see you get my point but then come the drawbacks. Sooner or later he would take your head if that were the case if you weren’t already a werewolf as well.” Felix said and then raised a hand at Theodore as he was about to voice his loyalty to his emperor. “I am not doing this to bring any harm or doubt upon you Theodore I’m stating a fact. Werewolves only serve those they view as stronger than them, it is the pack mentality along with the fact that it’ll take a lot of work for a human to subdue a pack of werewolves those wolves wouldn’t be exactly thrilled at being under a humans heel. No matter their original loyalty while human should we figure out even how to make such werewolves.
Sooner or later the wolves would rebel against a ruler they’ve seen as weak and would inevitably take control. This would make them need to make more of their own kind and if say only I could do it then they would create lesser wolves that might only be able to control the change if they went through racial evolutions. You can see then what might happen if these wolves criteria of turning might not be with the same scrutiny as the first wolves might have been selected with.” He finished.
“The empire would become their hunting grounds.” Theodore almost whispered in horror, seeing the sad nod from Felix. “It would only be a matter of time too, werewolves live longer than humans do so it might not even take a decade for that inevitability to come to pass. Of course it could go the other way as wolves are loyal to each other.” He then continued with his own thoughts given the state of the empire.
“The people might also not be very happy with a werewolf ruling over them, given that it is a race most consider as monsters so changing the ruler to keep a better reign on the pack might not work either in the case they wouldn’t display the loyalty they can be capable of.” Augustus chimed in with his own thoughts.
“Then what if this hypothetical was vampires instead of werewolves?” Theodore proposed and Felix frowned a little. He’d shown his reluctance to increase his kind unless through some rather serious and careful scrutiny. Theodore was certain that unless he hadn’t literally created Abhorash he’d still be the only vampire on the continent still.
“Well first off there are drawbacks to vampires as well. First the emperor would have to be the progenitor of his own bloodline for that to work and when you live until killed you begin to see less and less value in those that might live only a century when that might feel like a lazy hour to you. Another is the fact that turning into a vampire makes your more predatory instincts to grow along with a slight shift in mentality, after all if it wasn’t bad enough you’d grow less than sympathetic towards your people imagine if they are also your food?” He said and both men grew still as a shiver of revulsion and horror to run through the spines of both men.
“Then are you the same?” Theodore asked and Felix didn’t answer right away instead he pondered the question seriously.
“Something like that, I certainly don’t have a very high opinion of humans in general to begin but I don’t look at them as food… just yet. I think that might occur once I’m done with my first century or two. It helps that I don’t need to drink blood given I’m still among the living in this strange limbo I’ve found myself in however the dragon is a whole other animal with it’s own instincts and I’ve noticed I seek out much more meat and in greater quantities than before yet I don’t have to eat everyday as a result.” He said as all three men began to eye the huddled group that appeared to be almost over in their deliberations.
Theodore shook his head and ran his fingers through his short cropped military style haircut. “I still find it hard to believe you used to be human. Especially those noises you can make.” He said sighing as he spoke causing Felix to simply laugh good naturedly at the comment.
His reactions had changed since he became a dragon, much more in control and not the cornered and wounded individual he had been before. He hadn’t actually seen the man even close to truly angry since his change, he’d put on the airs true but being as involved in nobility and their ways’ he knew real anger when he was presented with it.
A slight stretch of his neck caused a trio of popping sounds to come from it but the satisfied smile on Felix’s face made it clear he was done waiting for the others as he manoeuvred himself to stand from the leaning position he’d had against a tree. “Well then how are you going to deal with this problem?” He asked while pointing at the cavern.
Raising his hand and reaching it towards the cavern Markus focused his mind before he looked over at Felix and almost growled himself at the man. “There are almost sixty living things in there!” He said angrily which made the others stiffen a little.
“And?” Felix asked with a hardly amused look upon his face. “It’s just trollings should be easy...” He paused and looked them all over. “If you prepared and are ready.” He finished narrowing his eyes a little at them before with an almost imperious command of his hand ordered them to march right into the cavern. The group of young adventurers did as ordered though a few glares were thrown Felix’s way as they walked past him. Once they were out of sight he began to cast magic and by the feel of the mana in the air it was a fifth rank spell. Only feeling like the most powerful fight rank spell he’d ever felt before nine streaks of light left him and entered the cavern. Once the spell had run it’s course a mana image of each of those inside the cavern grew out of the ground and stood still. “We’ll see any damage that they can’t block on their own show up on these dummy’s. If you feel the need to you can intervene if you feel the need.” He said as he pointed at the representations now moving in place exactly like Theodore figured they were moving inside the cavern.
“And what will you be doing in the mean time, I’d imagine you’d be just as worried for your child as we are for ours.” Augustus said as he looked Felix over, the man did seem entirely too calm for the situation even if he’d been in charge of training most of the group before hand.
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Felix smiled a broad smile, a smile he only showed those who knew what he was as it displayed his fangs rather prominently. “Because inside that cavern are a total of fifty six trollings with a half-troll one which I suspect managed that through evolution in some way.” He said while his smile turned almost sly and thoughtful at the same time.
“What?! Wouldn’t that mean something over level 100 is inside that cavern?!” Theodore almost jumped on his feet, feeling the need to rush into the cavern.
“No you won’t.” Felix said appearing next to Theodore and gripping his bicep hard enough that he felt the pressure of the grip. He still found it a wonder that someone of just level 70 was capable of lightly spar with a level 200 if Theodore took it slightly easy. “That particular trolling I believe ate a troll which allows them to evolve prematurely given they are the lowest of any creature even close to a troll. It’s level is around fifty or so. It’ll serve as a good learning opportunity for them.” He said as his eye suddenly turned to look deeper into the forest around them, a single direction holding his attention.
“What is it?” Augustus asked being quicker on the uptake by a hairsbreadth over Theodore's own.
“I think we might have company coming, something I’m glad the kids aren’t here to deal with.” He said as his eye narrowed a little as Theodore felt the subtle blanket Felix had around himself at all times suddenly contract and be turned into the direction he was looking into.
“How do you know?” Theodore asked, wondering not for the first time how mages saw the world around them given that Felix’s was by far the densest he’d seen which made feeling how he used his mana an easier task for Theodore to accomplish.
“I’ve been developing an ability for a while now, I spread a thin layer of my own mana to enhance my own mana sensing abilities. It’s almost impossible for it to be of any real use while I’m in the city but out in the wild like this, it makes it easy to detect things around me.” He said as he cocked his head to the side. “What is a very large beast with shaggy fur and a huge horn on it’s forehead. To be honest it kind of reminds me of a slightly heavier yet oddly more agile version of the Elasmotherium rhino.” He spoke in a more muttering to oneself type of tone.
“A wholly charger?” Thedore asked Augustus who nodded slowly in thought. “When was the last time we hunted one?” He then asked remembering the last time himself and Augustus had gone out on a hunting expedition.
“Wait the head mounted in your study?” Felix asked with a raised eyebrow and at Augustus’s smiling nod he half scoffed to himself. “At least it’s a better name than Elasmotherium, try saying that five times fast.” He said grinning now as he pulled his sword and sheath off his hips and put it into one of his storage rings.
With a flourish a large scythe appeared in his hand instead and after a simple twirl the scythe head suddenly snapped upwards turning the scythe into a curved type of glaive instead. “You guys mind if I face this one down first? I haven’t had a proper fight in a while.” He said as he moved his free hand in circles to limber up.
“I wouldn’t mind, I’ve yet to see how you fight Felix.” Augustus said and Theodore rubbed his chin. Both himself and the emperor had only really seen Felix fighting when training or the sparring match he’d had with Theodore. Granted he’d lost that match but it was to be expected with the level difference.
Placing the helmet over his head Felix took a stance as he waited for the wholly charger that came out of the forest with a bellow of anger as its beady eyes stared Felix down like he’d killed it’s child. It made Theodore think that perhaps Felix’s ability might have riled up the charger without his notice, or was it on purpose?
The charger came through the heavy undergrowth Felix was facing, like it had just breached waves of green as it continued it’s charge right through, trampling everything in it’s path. It’s bellow that of a creature that should by all means be twice the size of the charger as it came right for Felix. With a quick jump Felix had become airborne, the shadows around him somehow wrapping around and slowing his fall as the charger ploughed through the space he’d recently occupied and splintering a thick oak tree that had been behind him, barely slowing down as it went.
Felix landed softly on the ground and quickly oriented the tip of his glaive towards the charger as it turned around and this time stopped to stare him down. Felix’s movements suddenly turned slow and languid clearly he was determining his own motions as he watched the Charger. The charger noting the sudden change began to stomp its left front foot as it shook its head, acting like it was face to face with a predator instead of the man.
Slowly Felix moved the glaive in his hand until with a simple flick his glaive turned back into a scythe as Felix cocked his head a bit to the side.
Without anyone able to react Felix appeared next to the charger in prime position for what he did. The tip of the scythe blade was the last the chargers right eye saw as it plunged deep into the socket. Only for Felix to be smashed to the side as the charger slammed its head into his side causing the handle of the scythe to be the only thing you could see of the scythe embedded in the chargers skull. Somehow the charger was still alive as it roared in pain and then charged at Felix as he got up off the ground.
“You’re not that interesting.” Felix muttered and with a simple wave of his hand he sent a thunderbolt of purest black the thickness of a mans thigh right into the chargers horn. The creature stumbled and fell as it’s muscles tensed up due to the electricity coursing through it.
“See, when you don’t use that thing in your skull called a brain you become too easy. Annoying isn’t it? Unfair isn’t it?” Felix continued to speak as he lazily moved towards the struggling charger and Theodore noted that there was still a small almost imperceptible link of electricity that connected one of his hands to the charger, keeping it paralysed as it was.
“I’ll make it quick.” He said just as gently as he placed his hands on the charger’s horn and under it’s jaw, then wrenched his arms. The loud crack of the charger’s thick neck breaking was like he’d just broken a tree in half yet the creature went limp without any other sound.
He then slowly wrapped the large creatures body in a shadowy cocoon before it was displaced into one of his storage ring.
A light sigh escaped Felix’s lips once it was over and he gestured one hand to the side as his magic picked up and returned his scythe to him before it too was put into his ring after it had been left behind when the charger was put away along with his helmet. “Are you done?” Augustus asked before both shrunk back as Felix’s horrid aura blasted out from him. A ragged breath escaped his lips as he clutched at his heart as if something was attacking his heart and lungs with the breaths he let out.
Both men jumped to their feet and were about to rush towards Felix as he fell to his knees and black liquid began to pour from his eyes, ears and nose and then he began to scream. A howling so visceral, so primal that it caused both men to shrink back at the sheer volume and savagery of the sound he emanated. Only for it to turn wet and gurgling as the same thick black liquid bubbled out of his throat.
It wasn’t anything he’d been able to do before, it wasn’t the growls or rumbling of the dragon nor the hisses and roars of the vampire that had blended together into what he could do and sometimes let out unknowingly. No this wasn’t anything of the like, it was much too primeval as if death or oblivion itself had earned itself it’s own voice. Felix’s one eye was wide in horror and pain before it popped out of its socket as the black liquid continued to pour out of his orifices with increasing volume and pressure. Soon after the eyepatch he used to hide his healed eye did the very same.
A scream of visceral horror and of such guttural pain that his throat went ragged as it came out of bubbles through the liquid spilling from his mouth adding the burbling to only make the sound much more haunting and sickening as it grew to weak whimpers.
“Vald!” Marcus screamed as he emerged with the others, most likely drawn by the sounds of Felix’s cries. Theodore quickly intercepted and held back Marcus from rushing to his adoptive father. “Let me go! Damn it!” He screamed looking at Theodore and if the man didn’t know better if looks could kill he’d be dead right then and there. Like Marcus blamed Theodore for his fathers state.
Then as suddenly as it all started it stopped, Felix sitting there on his knees with his head leaned up to stare at the sky with his own eyes dangling from his sockets while the black liquid which by now had mostly coated his entire body, a light gurgling the only sound he let out.
Theodore looked back and saw the twins also holding themselves back but they looked just as worried as Marcus while Freyja, Selma and Camille all looked on with clear horror on their faces.
“What happened?” Andrew asked looking as unnerved as his brother and the prince.
“I-I have no idea, he just started screaming and that happened to him.” Augustus answered as the two men now made sure to stand between the others and Felix’s still form.
“Yes, it is a problem when mortals become higher beings. Isn’t it?” A voice sounding like the whispered words of thousands as a the world cracked above Felix. “My little hatchling, how hard it must be for you to keep your trifling humanity and morality on going despite your new nature and only half a soul.” The voice had caused Felix to slightly jerk as he slowly moved his head around, as if trying to see or hear were the voice was coming from yet his movements were so slow and sluggish it took a moment to realize he was moving.
The crack was slowly turning to a vertical line behind Felix before it split off to three different directions coming down into an upside down Y with a line fully down the middle of it with the three prongs each connecting down to the ground. From the two prongs that were on either side of Felix crawled a little along the ground as if to allow the two beings that then rose from the ground to manifest.
“Oh you poor child.” One of the beings spoke, it’s black feathery wings growing out from it’s back. The two beings appeared almost as angelic women, if it wasn’t for the predatory talons growing out from the bend in their wings, way beyond what a demon’s or even dragon’s wing might have, the talons on the huge wings appeared to be almost the size of a man’s head. Their faces hidden behind masks conforming as a faceless and slightly jagged shape with a central glowing yet narrow oval.
Their hips were draped in tattered remnants of a dress that had been shaped against their rather shapely yet athletically slim bodies but tattered extensively. Over their heads and even their wings was a tattered blanket creating something of the image of a corrupted nun of one god or another.
“The hatchling’s half so bright yet ignorant of it’s own self.” The other said, in the same voice as the first as both went down on their knees and gently began to caress Felix while carefully pushing his eyes back into his sockets.
Theodore however could see it in Felix’s eyes, he wasn’t in his right mind. He was lethargic and not just sluggish but barely able to keep his head upright if it wasn’t for the two angels now caressing him.
Then the two rose, picking Felix up to stand with one hand while the other gripped the crack in the world that had appeared behind the near limp man now in their grasp. “Wait! Were are you taking him!” Marcus yelled as he got past Theodore who had been rather stunned by the angels appearance, they didn’t appear much like what he’d figured Voidborn might be. Then he saw it.
The wings on the women suddenly sprouted eyes where the flesh was under the feathers and all stared at Marcus as he was approaching them. One let out a sound like she was sucking her teeth in annoyance as she moved to let Felix go and to approach Marcus, likely to kill him, only for Felix to suddenly shoot out his hand to grip her shoulder.
“We are taking the hatchling to compound it’s being before it unravels with out it’s other half. We are trying to safe it.” She then said appearing to have been calmed by Felix’s sudden movement and subsequent fall into lethargy once more. “You cannot be a mortal, god, concepts and Voidborn at the same time. We will take it to our Sovereign to heal it, to reunite it with its other half... after all the Sovereign wishes for her dear brothers hatchling to live.” She said but the absolute indifference and how her voice sounded like she was loathed to even speak to those she’d deemed mortals made it clear it was for Felix.
“Now leave us be.” She said and then both moved on over to pull the crack open to reveal something Theodore didn’t have the words to describe safe the fact his eyes and mind hurt from even a glimpse at the realm beyond the crack in reality.
The two angels then pulled Felix towards the crack, Felix managed to pull his head to look at Augustus and Theodore. Both could see the difficulty that caused the clearly utterly exhausted and ravaged man. “K… keep the-…m safe.” He let out and the emperor nodded to him as the crack in reality closed, leaving only three short lines of dead grey grass were the cracks had made contact with the ground.
“What di…. What did we just witness?” Camilla asked all colour drained from her face, much the same as the rest of them who had just witnessed two voidborn similar feeling to Felix himself, when he’d made his aura as mind numbingly horrid as he could. Not only capable of speech and rationality but also clearly intelligent, highly sentient and powerful.
Theodore had never felt the like. With Felix’s aura fully unleashed he felt short like he was merely a scrawny teenager before a giant. Those two however had made him feel small and vulnerable. It shook him to his core to think those were servants of something stronger and that it wanted Felix sent a shiver of such existential dread down his spine that his mind hurriedly locked those thoughts away.
Then they all screamed as the black sludge that had poured from Felix and had been left behind suddenly caught on fire. The blue ethereal fire was mesmerizing, with tongues of white and black at it’s edges crowning the fire. If only it wasn’t screaming like Felix had been just moments before. Then the sludge pooled together and the form of the upper chest and arms of a screaming humanoid figure began to rise from it. The wail it let out was of unbearable pain, loss and torment before it arched it’s back and fell apart as the fire burned the last of the sludge quickly afterwards.
“Ok What the ACTUAL HELLS JUST HAPPENED?!” Freyja then shouted after they had just stood there staring in disbelieving horror at the events that had just occurred.
“I-I am at a loss for words.” Augustus’s voice was shakier than Theodore had ever heard it before and could well understand why.
“He will return.” Dixaz suddenly spoke up, his gauntlet creaking as his grip tightened on his halberd. “He has to, he wouldn’t have asked you… Emperor Alocia.” He began but paused a bit and swallowed realising he was speaking normally to the emperor of Alocia but then continued. “He wouldn’t have asked you to safeguard his three children if he didn’t expect to return.” He then said nodding his head to show deference as well as he could with his towering build.
“I think so too.” Nerev said as he placed a reassuring hand on Markus’s shoulder. Theodore had noticed how these two servants of Felix were not just loyal but acted like the best of servants should at times. Helping the children of their master almost like elder siblings or uncles to help guide them in the direction their parent might wish.
He was only thankful that Felix didn’t seem to be raising his children to be murdering monsters but instead fully capable and self-reliant individuals with all the tools at their disposal that he could give them.
Markus’s face was twisted in a variety of emotions but surprisingly it was one of abandonment that dominated his face for a split second, only notable due to the fact that it was the strongest emotion he showed.
Then he hung his head, the girls moving to him and the group clearly seeking comfort in those they knew amongst themselves. Leaving Augustus, Theodore and his two sons Andrew and Alexander out of the supporting huddle.
“I just hope he’ll be back before the opening dance in six weeks.” Augustus then sighed rubbing his head with a trembling hand. At Theodore’s raised eyebrow and pointed stare that clearly asked if now was the time didn’t seem to deter the emperor from continuing. “I mean it’ll be a rather hard task to teach a few of the classes he’s the only one capable of teaching at the moment and given that the dance is to be held two days before the academy opens where we were going to introduce him as the vice headmaster officially despite the clear knowledge amongst our own nobility of what his role is.”
The two men had walked a bit away to allow the others their time of reassurance from one another. It was clear that what had happened had caused some trauma or some fear of Markus to surface. “You mean there might be diplomatic incidents?” He asked quietly as he now understood why the emperor was mentioning it.
He nodded. “There are a number of sheiks from the great desert regions and a few of our other allies are sending delegations of talented noble scions to study this new curriculum. You know we have these often given our academy is among the best in the region but the fact we are changing it has caused much speculation and curiosity to rise.” He then sighed and looked older than ever.
“Even Wolfsguard is sending their own little delegation to learn and I can’t really say no since we are in a sort of alliance even as strained as it is.” He said showing how tired he was of the endless political games he had to keep in mind while he governed his people.
“Then there is that matter of the oracles.” He continued with an almost disgusted scoff. “Saying the world is ending and the tremors we’ve gotten reports about along the coastlines is simply the sing of the end.” He scoffed again and shook his head.
“But it is true though.” Another voice spoke and both men looked up to see a thin gorgeous woman in front of them. Having appeared out of nowhere and yet he couldn’t for the life of him describe her. As if he forgot her features as he beheld them.
“I’m sorry but I need my to keep my hatchling’s mind safe so I’ll be taking Felix’s children’s souls so they can at least survive in the world their father is to be a god in This fake world is ending after all~.” She said in an almost sing song voice and smiled, then Theodore’s world went black.