Originally uploaded Aug 22, 2023

Virion Pov

All of the council members sat around a circular table. It was nothing too extravagant. A far cry from the luxurious main council chambers. The room was dark, outside the windows you could see grey clouds blocking the natural sunlight. Giving the whole room a gloomy feel.

But it served its purpose well. My son, Aludin Eralith was reading a battlefield report aloud. Reading off the notable conflicts and casualties.

This war, it hasn't gone as expected. While the asuras did warn us about the Alacryans and the Vritra... The only reason we weren't completely trounced was the small number of troops the Alacryans could transport across. Mainly done through sleeper cells or traitor groups who hijacked various warp portals and allowed them into our continent.

Not the mention the fleet of ships similar to the Dicatheous. While Gideon has said from the rough examination he did that they were slightly different from his design it did worry me. It would mean they had more agents and spies in places we didn't expect. Not even all the council members or heck even the Lances knew fully of Gideon's designs. Just how deep have they weaseled in?

"Commander Virion?"

I rubbed my temples as a growing headache threatened to overtake my mind. Fighting against the Glayder family last time was less painful than this. Despite our long history of animosity towards each other we still had a good grasp of their military strength. But the Alacryans were a complete mystery to us, when they seemed to know a great deal about us.

"Father?" My son's words snapped me out of my thoughts.

"What?" I asked, a bit harsher than I wanted. Perhaps it was the stress that was getting to me. The war for now wasn't a complete one-sided affair but there was still too much we didn't know and I doubt an asura like Agrona, who even the other asuras spoke highly of, would play things so casually. He was definitely playing the long game, and who would blame him? He was an asura, a being with strength only spoken in of legends and myths, beings that lived for thousands of years.

"Any words from master Aldir?" Aludin asked, I could see the hope in his eyes.

I only could gently shake my head in response. It has already been a couple weeks since any words from Ephetous. And with every passing day dread set in among the council members.

Was Agrona somehow blocking communication and movement between Ephetous and Dicathen? No, that seems unlikely. In such a scenario I doubt the higher echelons of Ephetous would sit still. The only reason they stood back was because this conflict didn't directly involve them yet. We were only mere pawns to their grand design.

I laid back in my chair as I took a deep sigh. 'Where was Arthur when you needed him?' He was a promising mage. Heck, he was an once in a generation genius. From the years he spent in Elenoir I could tell. The very mana seemed to move differently around him. For most mages it is natural the mana they share an affinity for would be drawn to their bodies. But for him, they mana seemed to avoid him, as if it was afraid. Moving out of his way as he made his way around. Perhaps he could have been a Lance of sorts.

But it already has been almost a full year since I have seen that brat. Even his family has no idea of his whereabouts. His father even seemed to have difficulty speaking about his own son, while his mother refused to see me. Just what the heck did you do Arthur?

He wasn't a boy who would hide out the war in fear. No, he even became an A-rank adventurer at such a young age. Even if you are a talented mage you don't do that by being a coward. No, he was the boy who would fight until his dying breath for what he cares about. I hoped he was training somewhere, preparing himself to aid us. I just wished he was around.

He had the appearance of the child but his mind was sharp, it always felt as if I was talking to a wise adult and not a mere kid.

Before I had realized the council meeting had concluded. As Glayder grumbled something under his breath he sat up from his seat. Joined by his wife they made their way out of the room. Blaine Glayder, he was quiet the character. He possessed abysmal talent in terms of mana arts. But he was the one who aided us end the last war with less bloodshed by assassinating his own father. Couple streaks of greying hair marked his wild fire-like hair with more lines and wrinkles on his face. Seems like this war is hard on everybody.

The Glayders left the room, leaving my family and I alone. Aludin and his wife also rose from their seats but didn't reach for the door immediately. Instead they approached me.

"Father." He beckoned in a pleading tone. He was speaking to me as son to father. Not as a king to commander.

"Any words from the dwarves?" He asked. The dwarves were a problem. They were originally in talks with Agrona directly. It was master Aldir who culled their monarchs and subdued their Lances. Even now we were keeping a watchful eye on them but a couple weeks ago all communications from their main city stopped. All of their supply lines were completely sealed off. Not even the dwarves that were out in the field knew anything about it.

Did the Alacryans somehow capture the underground city? If they did I would have expected them to make a big deal about it to crush our morale. Not to mention we were down one Lance, ever since the attack on Xyrus Alea was no where to be seen. Did she also turn traitor? Or was she killed in action somewhere. No amount of searching had yielded any tangible result for now.

It felt as though Dicathen was woefully unprepared for this war. The formation of this council was a reactionary action we took to forcefully unite this continent. But there were still pockets of hatred among each of the races. Such massive social changes don't happen overnight.

Aludin approached me, as he held my hands. I could feel his own mana radiating off of him in warm waves. He has aged much in these few years. No doubt I have as well.

"It's alright. I survived one war, I won't die that easily." I said in a joking fashion. I always tried playing up the goofy grandfather act. It was much easier than sulking over the past. I thought I wouldn't need to see the new generation face such hardships. I wanted to believe that the times of war were over. I pried for no more loses, to just see my grandchild grow up as a happy girl.

What a old fool I was. An asura was our enemy, and with no word from master Aldir I could only guess that we will be receiving no support. We were alone. A country unprepared and fractured against an unknowable foe.

I wanted to reassure my son. To tell him that despite the hard times we will go through in this war that we will prevail. But to tell him that now would be an insult to his intelligence. I didn't need to spell it out for all of us to see. The future is uncertain and things are only growing more dire.

A Lance missing and now the dwarves. Not to mention the sizable Alacryan army occupying the forest near the town of Slone that took our soldier's lives in the hundreds. But I had to put up the face of a confident commander. For the morale of our own people. I need to lead them through this.

I was old, I wanted a peaceful retirement. That was the whole reason why I gave away the throne despite being able. The weight of the whole situation dawned on me. The entirety of this continent rested on my shoulders. As the leader of Dicathen I had to go against an asura and his armies.

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I reassured my child as he and his wife quietly left the room, leaving me alone. I sat back down in my chair. The clouds now grew darker and closer as the lighting artifacts on the table gave off a dim light.

When I find myself alone like this, the sounds of war a distant melody. Doubt and fear deeps into my mind like a poison. I have fought so much for this continent. Poured so much of myself into war for the sack of other people there is always more on the horizon.

'Why... why did it have to be me? Is this punishment for my sins? Some cruel joke? I'm so tired...'

I rested my hands on the table. The soft rumbling of thunder could be heard in the distance as I sat there in silence for a moment.

'I'm so tired... But I must keep going. Everything, everyone is counting on me.'

"I must push these feeling away." I spoke out loud to trick myself of the doubt that infected my mind.

"I must keep my head up high." I said as I buried my head into my hand as I stared down at the stone floor.

"Father... Mother... Lania... Anyone... Help me."

Highlord Erurda Pov

Roaring waves crashed alongside the towering fortress walls. As heavy rain pelted my escort ship as I made my way down to the main entrance. The soft hum of aether propelling my ship forward was overpowered by the raging storm of Highlord Oliurk's realm.

Despite our abilities to edit each of our realm's specifications to a certain extent Oliurk insisted this hellish environment. A constant storm of rain and lightning with his main fortress standing in the middle of a vast ocean.

Originally being a simple metalworker Oliurk made his way up to his high position through political assassinations and other underhanded methods. Despite almost every other Highlord being aware of this there was never enough evidence to take him to court over. But in his style of architecture his feeble origins were made apparent. A military fortress constructed in brutal stone and metal that seemed to punch towards the heavens from the black waters of the deep ocean.

My escort vessel gently landed at the front entrance. A large landing area made in reservation for such council affairs. There were a couple ships already landed and docked. Most belonging to other Highlords, most weren't in the imperial council. There were originally only four members, with the fifth seat being added later to be the tiebreaker.

I was a newly appointed Highlord at the time. Overthrowing the previous one who was an useless old fool. And using my family connections I was able to secure a throne in the imperial court. The other members all looked down on me at first, but soon enough they learned to be wary of me.

The doors of my vessel opened as rain poured in. 'Couldn't he have at least stopped the rain for official matters?' I cursed in my mind. I had chosen to wear my finest robes for this. A soft, carefully woven velvet fabric fashioned into long robes that matched my lilac hair that matched the runes that covered my body. With phoenix features adjourning the plume around my neck.

A beautiful work of craftsmanship I didn't want ruined. I retrieved a small staff from my dimensional storage rune. Various runes running up and down the long shaft glowed a deep purple as the snake-like pathways of aether moved my body forward and into the main entrance chamber.

The insides were just as uninspiring as the outside. Large dark concrete pillars held up the arched roof. As a singular red carpet that stretch all the way into the fortress signaled any kind of welcome.

One of Oliurk's servants. A petite woman dressed in military attire bowed.

"Welcome Highlord Erurda, to the realm of Amrit. My master Oliurk is awaiting your presence." I ignored her. All of the low level servants and soldiers were all mindless drones. Being kept in stasis for too long has fried their processing capacity and dulled their minds. Only being able to follow the orders of their respective masters.

My long robes flowed behind me as I made my way deeper into the fortress. It wasn't long before I had arrived at the meeting chamber. Oliurk was the typical overly practical type. He wanted all of the fortress's important rooms and functions to be close by and not waste any time or space. Which was a relief, I didn't want to waste any more time here than I need to.

The large doors the the meeting room opened on their own. As the scene unfolded before me. A large half circle table, elevated high off the ground with a number of large chairs encircling it. Each chair was more akin to a throne, elaborately decorated and painstakingly crafted. Inlaid with precious gemstones and trophies of dead asuras. This was obviously the work of a different Highlord, there was no way Oliurk would take his time to craft things he deems unnecessary.

"Ah if it isn't Erurda!" A voice exclaimed. Turning to see who it was I was met by the old chronomancer. Using his staff of dilation to support his old and frail body with his gold headdress. He may appear to be just be an old man but he was a person I avoid dealing with. Achieving the title of master chronomancer was no easy feat, his future sight and divining abilities was second to none. Making him a pain to go up against.

Only Neoth, and his coveted body-hopping aether arts would dare challenge the old diviner. While none of the other Djinns know how he achieves such a feat, many are awaiting the opportunity to replicate the secret for their own needs.

"Greetings, Lord chronomancer." I greeted in the friendliest manner I could muster, making a slight bow of respect.

While Lord Vago wasn't technically a Highlord, he was a close advisor and personal diviner of the Emperor himself. And many of the other Highlords treated him as their own. But without the Emperor currently present on the throneworld, Vago was the acting Highlord for now. And nobody wanted to challenge the military might present upon the throneworld. Doing so would not only be suicide, but also lead to the excommunication of your entire realm should you somehow manage to survive.

"You are late." A stern monotone voice rang from above. Cranning my neck to see who it was I saw Oliurk upon his own throne. One made of simple stone, cut into sharp angles and shapes. He wore a simple battleplate, with engraves that denoted his status and realm. His dark hair was cut short and a serious look was plastered on his face.

Currently there were only three members of the imperial council left. Down form the original five. In the official report it was written that a malfunction in their stasis chambers were what lead to their deaths. But the truth was far more simple than that. My realm had awakened far earlier than originally planned. And I did not waste the precious time I had.

With just a bit of tinkering and aether knowledge, their murders were easy to cover up. And Oliurk was the thorn on my side. He and I saw things in the complete opposite fashion, and lead to us always butting heads. Getting rid of him would not only ease my manipulation of council affairs but also absorbing his own forces shall be a great boost to my own strength.

But we do not attack the head directly. No no. Within Oliurk's ranks was a general. One with a spotless track record. Being undefeated and a absolute nightmare to his enemies. The one with the nickname of Lightbringer. General Demeptah.

From my intel report he was placed within a healing stasis chamber deep within Oliurk's fortress. While he was a fearsome general he was well liked among all Djinn. And Oliurk fearing his own lack of charisma and the existence of general Demeptah would lessen his own control in his realm, decided to keep him in suspended animation for now.

I was here to awaken him and to recruit him for my own purposes. Having him by my side would not only strengthen my own forces but also deliver a massive hit to Oliurk's realm. That was the only reason why I would drag myself all the way out here for this.

"And you are not a very welcoming host." I shot back at my fellow Highlord as I went to my own seat. The three remaining Highlords has much larger thrones. Centered along the semicircle, we were the center of attention.

I sat down next to the empty seat on the right, with Oliurk sitting one seat to my left. The middle empty seat I presume was reserved for Varactor. The insane technophile.

Vago didn't have a seat at the table, instead he sat further back in the corner of the room in the shadows. While he had toe political power of a Highlord he didn't like exercising his power. Instead wanting to watch things play along on the sidelines.

"Where is Varactor?" I asked the openly to the room. The other Highlords grew quiet but none of them answered. They were all dressed in fancy robes and gowns, with runes drawn all over their bodies. All of them were just useless nobles who were given power. They were all pointless and caught up in their own political squabbles.

"Last I heard of him he was busy at work at the throneworld." Oliurk answered with a sigh as he rested his chin on his propped up arm. Giving off a completely bored experssion.

"My goodness Oliurk. I thought our host would be a bit more enthusiastic about having all of us here." I commented with a slight laugh.

"I wasn't the one who sent out those invites it was him." Oliurk pointed an accusing finger at Vago. His eyes were glowing a dim green as he stood up from his seat.

Picking up his staff again he made for the center of the room as all the Highlords had their eyes on him. News had gotten out that Vago was in communication with the Emperor himself, knowing he was alive would have stirred them enough, but knowing he is in active talks with one of our own was exciting to say the least.

Vago stood in center of the room. His dark purple, almost black cloak bellowed with each movement as he had his staff in his hand.

Various runes around his eyes glowed a light purple as his eyes continued to give off green light as he spoke.

"Yes, ladies and gentleman. I have gathered all of you here for purpose. A duty the Emperor himself as bestowed upon me."

At the mention of our great leader all of the others drew closer to the edge of their seat. A decree from the Emperor himself? That hasn't been heard of in thousands of years. All of us, including me awaited with baited breathes for Vago's next words.

"Everyone, excluding the two present members of the imperial council are to be executed."