Originally uploaded Jan 9, 2024

Vago Pov

The long staircase was illuminated with the light from my staff. As I walked deeper and deeper underground the temperature around me dropped, as I breathed out white clouds of air.

The vast cavern-like underground laboratory that stretched on for miles beneath the Imperial palace was in utter darkness. While there were lights installed to the ceilings Varactor insisted he work in complete darkness.

Something about being sensitive to the littlest of light and photons not interfering with his work. He was always a weird case. Being more machine than organic his mind was brilliant, if not eccentric to say the least.

In fact, calling him just he didn't seem quiet right. The Varactor I knew was a brilliant young man. A scholar at the top of his field. Mostly focusing on machinery and biology as well as their relation to each other. But in the thousands of year since the Great Scouring it seems much has changed about him.

I didn't know the full extent, but it seems there are more than just him in his own mind. Indeed, as I got closer to the ground floor I could see small pinpricks of red light that indicated his own research assistants.

Varactor wasn't less a name, more a title. Given to a research team, but all of the members of said research team all disappeared but him. It wouldn't surprise me if they had all melded their minds together into one body to pool all of their intelligence together. That would explain the sudden mood changed the mechanical Highlord would seem to have.

The end of my staff clacked onto the hard marble surface. It was flawless white, with not even a speck of dust. Pushing mana into my eyes I enhanced my vision to better see in the darkness when I was met by one of Varactor's servants.

It was draped in a crimson red robe like all of his people. Two orbs of gleaming red stared out from the dark shadow of its hood that obscured its face.

"Master Vago. How may I assist you?" The being croaked in a voice that sounded like it wasn't used in years and sounded far too digital than organic.

"Where is your lord?" I politely asked.

While most of the lower ranked djinn warriors did indeed lose their minds during the Great Slumber and were rendered mostly mindless, only responding to orders from their respective Highlord. Varactor was anything but normal.

His realm was more akin to a hivemind. All of these people, all working diligently on their own projects I didn't wish to know were all linked to him. They were more like limbs or small cells of a larger main body. And I knew for a fact Varactor could speak to me through this servant if he so wished.

"My lord is currently occupied, lord chronomancer." The hooded being replied.

Dealing with any Highlord was a touchy thing. While many of the Highlord grew too complacent in their roles and lazed around. The council members anything but that. Both Oliurk and Varactor have spent their years training their own bodies as well as their own forces.

It was Varactor who was allowed to research technology and magic that the previous coward djinn society forbade him from doing. And the one who supplied our forces as we struck back against the asuras. While his title was that of a Highlord many others treated him with more respect. He was an arms dealers and being cut off from his supply of weapons and war machines is not the most optimal situation to be in after all.

Even with my authority as acting Highlord of the throneworld it didn't mean I could order him around as I pleased. While I had enough resources to completely wipe him out if I wanted it, it would be a large blow to our entire race. The only man he truly followed was the Emperor. Perhaps he felt as thought he was indebted to him for freely allowing his research.

"Varactor." I spoke directly to the cloaked servant.

"I am here for serious business. I know you can hear me."

The red glint in the eyes that peeked through the dark shadow of the servant's hood shifted ever so slightly, but just enough to tell me something had changed.

Without breaking stride the servant bowed slightly.

"Please, this way my lord." It spoke in a rigid dialect as it led my deeper into the dark laboratory.

As we made our way into the darkness, many of his red hooded people were busy working. Artifacts of all kinds, weapons that hummed with ethereal energy as they glowed with aetheric runes to living organisms that were strapped onto large operating tables as the blades of the scientist cut through their skin.

There was a distinct odor of blood and metal in the air. Which wasn't unusual for the Imperial lab. Although I must say it was a bit orderly when the Emperor himself was at the helm of the empire's research. But having Varactor on our side was good enough.

And soon we came upon the Highlord. His form seemed to have grown even larger. Standing at least 3 meters even as he was hunched over, most of his massive body was covered in similar blood red robes.

Although his did have markings fit for someone of his position. As he moved tall appendages of silvery metal showed themselves, moving him around like a multi-legged insect.

As he moved I saw the large table of steel that rose up from the ground. Upon it were two bodies. One was of the djinn-phoenix hybrid. An abhorrent disgrace to our race we had discovered during our raid of Hearth.

The young abomination's body was flayed open, his stomach cavity was cut open with most of his organs removed. With his core resting on a smaller table next to him.

"Disgusting." Varactor cursed under his breath as he cleaned the blood from his multiple arms, both organic and inorganic.

Before he could continue his words were cut off by the agonizing screams of the phoenix that was strapped to the table next to the dead hybrid.

Her eyes were wild with what seemed like a mixture of sadness and rage. With her usual natural beauty marred by the scars that ran across her entire body.

She snarled through gritted teeth as she tried to pry herself free from her restraints. Varactor made his way towards her as he leaned in. I could feel her core struggled to cycle mana that was no longer their as she feebly tried to lunge at the Highlord.

"Your actions now seem to be fitting for a beast like you." He casually said as he laid a hand on her forehead and within seconds her head fell down as she lost consciousness.

Now the Highlord turned his attention to me. And under his hood I could see what little of him was actually left. His skin was a sickly pale grey, with both of his eyes replaced by large oculars that glowed red.

The lower half of his face was covered by a large breathing apparatus, with each of his movements the sounds of gears and the whining of arcane electronics sung.

"You have left me with quiet the work." He commented as he cast a gaze back at the two subjects that laid on his workbench.

"Are you not up to the task?" I asked a question I knew he would take great offense to.

Yet he just stared back at me, clearly his mind was occupied with something else.

"The physique of an asura is an interesting subject. And you are asking me to do what has never been done before."

"You can't do it?"

His eyes glowed with a growing anger and resentment as I pushed the question.

"I still question your methods of letting go of a perfectly good vessel." He said as he drew closer, towering over me. As he came closer I could smell the scent of decaying flesh and oil that seemed to emanate from his body in fumes.

"Demeptah?" I asked, I thought we were already over this subject matter.

"You claim he is the offspring of our Lord. Even if he was off limits his genetic material would have been indispensable in creating a suitable vessel for our master."

He was right. While transferring souls is a sparsely documented subject. With only Neoth of all people being the one to master it. It is widely agreed upon that the more similarities the target body had with the original the easier the transfer would be. And being derived from the same genetic line would no doubt ease the process.

"Perhaps. But do you believe he would have just let you take a genetic sample? Would he not question your purposes?"

Varactor made a sound that sound like a scoff. But I could never be quiet sure with him.

"Never mind that. I still wish to know your reasons for giving him all of the Highlords. While the residents of Hearth are more than enough to aid us in our construction, why?" He asked. In his mind it would make little sense. Varactor was always a straightforward person, even before he went mad.

He would always see things in the most subjective and mathematical way possible. Analyzing everything and acting upon the one that would give him the most desired outcomes.

In fact we would on more than one occasion butt heads over such decisions. He disliked the notion of chronomancing. Divining the future that had yet to come in his eyes was just hearsay. And was spitting in the face of actual scientific methods. Perhaps that was the reason why he never beat me in a game of chaturanga, even with his massive intellect.

He could only see the facts for what they were, never looking past them and seeing the bigger picture. And the reason why he never aspired to be nothing more than a researcher, despite his potential to be much more.

"The general shall be of great importance in our future bout with the asuras." I simply said. To which Varactor laughed lightly.

"Would you like to hear the chances of us winning such a conflict?" He shook his head as he turned to his workbench once more.

"I've heard rumblings through the aether. The lord general is mustering his own army, and culled many of the Highlords who opposed his ruling. It seems he plans on ruling over his own kingdom with a iron fist." It was truth. I still had many spies among their ranks. Demeptah seems to hold a certain disdain for his own creator. Deeming he had doomed our race to his pointless conflict with the asuras and now sees himself as the rightful successor.

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And while some of the Highlords were more than willing to join him, he demanded complete subservience and nothing less. Which had led to many of the lord being either outright executed or mindshackled to follow his commands and only his commands.

Varactor's many arms moved as he tinkered with some kind of large device.

"You believe he will be of use to us? Our last interaction with him seemed to indicate he was against the Emperor. We could just execute him for treason."

"No." I quickly objected. "He is of too great of an importance."

Varactor seemed to grow tired of my ramblings. We both knew this topic was going nowhere. While Varactor could put up a decent fight there was no way he was actually mad enough to go against not only the famed general but also cut his ties to the throneworld. He would listen to my orders, for now.

"But my old friend. I didn't just come here to sour your mood." I tired speaking in a more cheerful manner. Which seems to fall flat on his face. Neoth was always the more charismatic one between us when he needed to be. Often putting on the airs of a showman.

"You've already done so." He dismissed my approach. But I still withdrew an orb from my dimensional storage with a flick of my wrist.

"Ah, but I believe you will find this worth your time." I said as I activated the orb and offered it up to him.

He turned and looked back at me with doubt. Each of his slow movements seemed to take hours as he finally took the orb from my hands in his own metal one.

He held the orb to his face as an image slowly faded to view. Displaying what appeared to be a young boy. The long blonde hair flowing in the wind as a large dragon with scales as dark as night hovered just behind him.

Above the boy was a warship, of djinn design. Its heraldry and markings were of that of Neoth's. But that wasn't the thing that seemed to shock the Highlord. It was the sword the boy carried.

Its flaming blade that glowed like a newborn star. With unmistakable handguards fashioned into the wings of an eagle.

Varactor stared back at with. His voice quivered as he spoke.

"How long have you know about this."

"I've had an inkling for a while. But for certain? Not long."

Varactor stared back at the image. Studying it. Before he looked back at me again.

"What do you purpose, lord chronomancer?"

I couldn't help it as a smile crept up on my face.

"It would seem our friend Neoth has found someone interesting." I said, relishing each word.

"Indeed, if that kleptomaniac is working with that boy. Then he is of interest." Varactor agreed as he seemed to straighten up from his hunched posture.

"My dear Varactor. I do believe it is time we pay our mutual friend a visit don't you think?"

Arthur Pov

My footsteps echoed through the familiar castle. As I made my way through the floating building several soldiers and nobles stopped what they were doing and bowed to me.

I simply waved them off, it has been a while since I was a true king. And it was something I had to get used to. Back when I was still a Lance the most respect I would receive was when I had returned to Dicathen with a draconic body and aether core.

Perhaps I appeared too young before then. Of course when my abilities were made apparent even with a lesser body I was still highly regarded, even among the Lances.

'They don't just give anybody the title of Godspell you know.' Sylvie chimed in as she walked beside me.

Her short black dress made of her own scales caught the light and shined like the twinkle of starlight. To any outside observer we could have been mistaken as siblings. Although I guess that wasn't too far from the truth.

'Fair, and the nobles don't seem to be planning to make any moves yet.' I said back.

'You think they are stupid enough to try anything after what you did?' Regis retorted in disbelief.

Also fair. Despite there being unhappy rumors and murmurs surrounding the nobles especially at Xyrus, they haven't been making any open moves. In fact most seem to be on the fence about this change in leadership. Some have been vying for my favor, while others stood by and watched silently. They even seem to be leaving my family fairly alone for now. But I have already prepared for the worst case scenario.

Not that much has changed. I was still keeping the Dicathen council around. Delegating the royal families to handle their own regions and to rule over them. While I had most of my own forces still stationed at Vildoral.

I was only managing them from above. And while they still had a voice in the decision making of the whole continent I still had the final say. I didn't want to come off as a total tyrant after all.

But only time will tell. Back when I was a king on Earth I was more of a figurehead or a lead warrior than a true king. Being the face of my country and participating in paragon duels, most of the actual ruling and governing were done by a group of nobles and elders.

It has only been a few days since my ascension to the throne and things are quiet for now. After the initial shock and confusion died down most of the general public seems still apprehensive about me. As well as the djinn warriors that now made up a sizable amount of our military forces.

I still had to be cautious. Even if I alone could raze this whole continent to the ground I didn't plan no ruling over the dead. I would have to slowly gain the people's trust and confidence, and this war was a good way of doing just that.

But I had other issues to take care of for now. And I am sure Agrona or Kezess won't just stand by and watch idle with me running around. While I could get a read on what Agrona would do I still wasn't sure about Kezess.

He had his own division of future seeing diviners, and I am sure he recognizes the djinn technology and aether arts I was using. I just hoped the agreement he has with Agrona will keep him busy at least for now. He still needed to material world to survive so I doubt he would do anything rash, at least for now.

I soon reached a door at the end of a long hallway. The only sound was the slight hum of the light emitting artifacts that hung on the walls.

I turned to Sylvie, and she looked back at me with a concerned look. A face that reminded me too much of her birth mother.

"I'll handle this Sylv." I said with a sad smile.

She raised a eyebrow as she touched my arm.

"Are you sure about this Arthur?" She asked, her voice laced with worry.

"I dealt with far worse." I reassured her.

'Yeah, but emotions was never your strongest suit.' Regis pointed out.

I only chuckled lightly as I pushed Regis out of my core. He manifested into a wolf made of dark shadows and flames as he tumbled onto the ground.

"Did I just get evicted?" Regis joked, trying to lighten the mood but I could feel his own emotions seeping through our mental connection.

"She is my responsibility. I have to learn to deal with things like this." I stated as I patted Sylvie on her head.

"Now, run along now. Go and find Gideon and see what he is up to." And with that the pair turned, looking back multiple times but eventually disappeared around a corner.

And I was left alone. I could feel her familiar mana signature behind this very door. Virion had plead me to go talk to this granddaughter. It seems that the war didn't have the greatest effect on her still developing mind.

I couldn't exactly blame her for taking it in such a way. Eating very little and not talking to anyone. Even locking herself in her own room. She was still a teenager, and a sheltered princess at that. War was a place where even fully grown men are broken down.

I raised my arm to knock, but I let my hand hang in the air for a second. Hesitating, I stood like that for a couple seconds. Before finally knocking on the wooden door.

The first time I knocked there was no response. I tried again, this time a bit firmer. Still no response. I leaned closer to the door so my voice could be heard better from the other side.

"Tess?" I asked.

"It's me, Arthur." I said, although she would have recognized me by my voice. I waited for a moment but there was no response.

I knocked again. While I could have easily teared the door open or simply teleported myself in, now wasn't the time for just brutish actions.

"Tessia. I just want to talk." I beckoned. Still nothing.

I took a deep sigh. I as sat down with my back leaning on her door.

"I'll be here, waiting. Just tell me when you are ready to talk." I simply said, hoping she would hear me out.

I leaned back my head as I stared up at the castle's ceiling. A small chandelier-type light hung from the granite ceiling. Casting a warm light in the empty hallways.

I thought back to all I had done to get here. To return to this castle. I closed my eyes, and dived deeper into my inner mind. A task I didn't particularly like, in fact I disliked sleeping at all.

The silence and being alone in my own mind brought out unpleasant memories. I remembered my soul tumbling through the great dark void as string of pathways not yet taken fluttered by me at a million miles per hour.

In that moment, when I was merely a soul floating in the great nothingness did I truly see the reality we thought we knew. A great ocean of pure cosmic energy with tiny pinpricks of light that resembled the stars in the sky. All of them different worlds and realities. All of them doomed to the same fate. The fate I hoped I could fend off.

Truly thinking back to all of this, and the thing that gave me new purpose. It felt a bit meaningless. Even now Neoth had on more than one occasion said his doubts on my full plan. The device he was constructing was a combination of both our designs but even he seemed unsure.

But what other choice did I have? I might be able to defend the lessers from the wrath that are the asuras but that doesn't mean Fate would twist itself in the endless future. Was it not better to die trying instead of just accepting the hand Fate has given you?

I simply shook my head, it was far too late to turn back now. I had to strengthen myself. If it was my life that hung in the balance of all of creation than why shouldn't I do it? If one life stood in the way of countless ones than the choice was simple was it not?

I didn't know how long it had been, being a creature that didn't need sleep as well as my own mental age now time was a strange thing to me. It also probably had to do with me spending more and more time with Neoth. Sometimes I would close my eyes to ponder and something it would have been mere seconds, while other times it was hours to days.

The door behind me slowly opened. I turned my head and I could see Tessia peering at me from the tiny crack of the open door.

Her skin was pale, and she was a lot thinner than I had seen her last. Her hair was a mess of gunmetal grey and her eyes were puffy, no doubt from her crying.

I quickly rose up from the ground as I tried to approached her when she swiftly backed away from me.

"Tess, its just me." I said in a reassuring tone. "I just want to talk."

Tessia didn't say anything. And I took that as a yes. I carefully swung the door open as I stepped into her room.

Her room was dark, with only the setting sun casting a orange hue through the small window. The bed was unmade, and a pitcher of water and tray of food sat next to it on a small table untouched.

I turned my head to look back at her but she just avoided my eyes.

And now that we were this close the deep hatred and rage that was just beneath the surface of my being threatened to surface.

The rage and horror I felt towards this Legacy. The thing that was the catayslt for everything I had been through. Ever since I had met her at the orphanage she has been the reason for all my troubles. From the death of Miss Willbeck to her selfishly dying on my own sword. To being the one that dragged both me and Nico to this world in the first place.

And when she was reincarnated she had to audacity to claim that she deserved a new life. A life where she could be happy. Did she not understand the pain and misery she had inflicted to the people around her? How many lives were snuffed out for her? The only reason why she was still standing today was because I had deemed her worthy to my plans. If it weren't for that then....

I suppressed these thoughts and reassured myself that the hatred I was feeling was for Cecilia, not Tess.

I took a deep sigh, locking away the memories and emotions I had just felt. I knew it was a hopeless endeavor but I hoped there was the tiniest chance that she wouldn't become the Legacy again. That I could perhaps end the problem before it even began, but the Legacy was of still use to me.

I took a step forward and Tess took a step back in return. I tried to put on the warmest smile I could muster as I embraced her.

'Was she always this small?' I thought. She seemed so frail in my arms. As if the smallest wrong move would snap her like a twig. But I ignored such thoughts as I hugged her deeply, trying my best to comfort her.

She didn't seem how to react at first, as she stood frozen in shock. But it didn't take long for her to wrap her own arms around me and returned my embrace. As she sobbed.

Being so close to her I couldn't help such poison-like feelings begin to bubble up again. Even though I knew it was not her fault, that it was Cecilia who had robbed her of her body to do those deeds. In an effort to drown out those emotions I tried to find the love I had felt for her once upon a time. But I couldn't seem to find it. Was I becoming too much like the king I was once? Or was this something else entirely?

But my emotions weren't what was important now. I had to ease her inner turmoil. This was merely a child, and war was something no child should ever go through. I pitied her in some sad way. But mere feelings won't solve matters.

I will did what I could do for her for now. Console her and get her back on her feet. But was this truly the life I wanted? Being an unfeeling king doing things that he believes will be justified by the end?

I didn't know. Even with all my experience and strength I still felt it. Fear. Fear for the future. Fear for myself and others that trust my own judgement. There was some small part of me that wanted to flee. To run and hide and try to live a peaceful existence.

I hugged Tessia deeper, not as a show of affection. In this moment in time I couldn't parse through the mess that was my mind. I saw her as both my past love as well as the being that ruined the lives of millions.

No, I didn't it to comfort and reassure myself. And for the first time since I had returned to this world I felt something. Despite all the allies I had gathered. Despite still having Regis and Sylvie who were more extensions of myself. I was alone. I had no true friends or family like in my past life.

I was alone. In this war against Fate. The unsettling dread of my predicament settled in like a dark veil.

I swallowed a lump that was growing in my throat. We were already in this embrace for quiet a while now and I was the first to disengage.

Tess tried to hide her face as tears still streamed from her eyes. I couldn't just leave her like this. I still owed it to Virion to get his daughter back.

I forced a smile as I offered her a hand to take.

"Why don't you join me for a walk?"