“What do you have to say for yourself?”
The ethereal image of a man stood within a devastated world disconnected from the main one as if the two dimensions had been ripped apart. Only a small unstable rift joined them together, threatening to break apart at any moment.
Before him were three living husks. Their eyes were either sealed shut or became a dull grey, and their skins had almost completely dried up. Yet their seemingly fragile bodies still emitted an almost overpowering presence, and the man could barely conceive it.
How could these living corpses preserve their strength to this day?
Still, the man showed no doubts on his face, preferring to remain as neutral as he could. Still, this wasn't difficult for him, as most couldn't decipher his thoughts.
"Are you even listening?" one of the corpses said. "You were tasked with taking that city, and yet it still stands. Explain yourself!"
The husk's hoarse voice grew slightly in intensity, laced with an unfathomable power that made the world tremble. Still, the man's gaze remained calm as water. He only looked forward and replied with a voice that neither trembled with fear nor laced with the arrogance of youth. He only spoke what he knew to be the truth.
"I have no need to explain myself," he said. "I only came here at my father's insistence, but it proved to be a waste of time.”
“You dare!?” one of the other said, his features shifting to what the man could only believe to be a frown.
"Know your place!" the last one said, his might spreading in the surroundings. He even broke pieces of stone from the altar, making them drift away into the void. Still, the man stood his ground, unconcerned.
“I do know my place, and it isn’t here,” the man replied calmly. “The army still awaits my return.”
"What makes you think you still deserve your rank after your failure?" the first asked, not showing the same animosity as the other two. In terms of age, he was undoubtedly the oldest of the three but also the most level-headed. His visage clearly showed the passage of time, the eons he had been alive.
“What makes you think I failed?" the young man said, not backing down in the slightest, which only provoked the old men further. "My role was to lead the army to victory, and I have done just that. Our losses were minimal, while it would take years for our enemies to bolster their forces. Tell me, in which way have I failed?"
“The city still stands!” the second barked, the dry heat of desert sand coming from his mouth.
“How is that my problem?” the young man shrugged. “As I recall, you were the ones that were supposed to take care of the formation. Why haven’t you done so?”
“Is that why you chose to retreat?” the first said, raising a single dried-up hand to stop the other two’s fury from exploding.
“I will not sacrifice our clan's army just to take down one measly city," the young man replied; his eyes possessed a coldness that even chilled the men before him. Still, they were only slightly taken aback by the might and resolve laced within and quickly recovered their countenance. Only by observing them closely could the young man discern the shift in their attitudes.
“The Frontier, as they call it, isn't just one measly city," the third said, a slight hint of hatred in his eyes, yet it wasn't directed at the young man. "This is the barrier preventing us from reaching what should be ours. This is the way for our clan to finally prosper. What could be more important than that?"
“I don't deny its importance," the young man replied. "However, so what if we take it down? Is it worth the cost of our combined army? This is but the mere outer edge of their land. They still have countless resources in reserve to push us back. They are still divided. Some even believe we aren't a threat worth eradicating. What do you think will happen once we breach the Frontier?"
Stolen story; please report.
One of the men opened his mouth to object, yet the young man wasn’t done.
"They will finally take us seriously, even casting their differences aside and unite against a common enemy. Once it reaches that point, can we even hope to prevail with a battered and bruised army?"
"Even if the Western Region was to unite, our clan could easily take them on once we have access to the bountiful land beyond!" the second said, an aura of confidence oozing from him. Still, the other two remained skeptical, finally taking heed of the young man’s words.
“Probably," the young man added. "But do you think the Inner Regions would remain passive then? They may have their own conflicts, but they aren't stupid. External threats always take precedence. They may take some time to come to this conclusion, but we would have extended too far by then. We simply do not possess the momentum to make the whole world our enemy."
“Would you have us do nothing?” the third asked, a deeper frown on his face. “Even if the clan could accept such a result, our god certainly wouldn’t. Even this failure at taking the city has roused its ire. Someone needs to take responsibility for that!”
“That's none of my concerns," the young man said, shaking his head. "Did you not assure me you would deal with the barrier? What happened to your promise?"
“We even summoned the desert for you! Even using some of our limited strength left in the world of men!” the second yelled, the platform’s edges breaking yet again, only to be held in place when the first raised his hand, making the second finally calm down. Still, the young man showed no reaction.
“And yet the barrier stood," he replied. "I have no interest in sending my men to die only to satisfy our god's demands. If he wants my clan to die, he better make the reward worth it."
“Such blasphemy!” the third said as he raised his hand, projecting his might toward the young man while the other two only watched, them too feeling appalled by his audacity.
The old man's might took the form of a palm, crashing through the air as it broke the distance between him and the young man. Unable to react, the young man didn't even have time to form any defensive measures, as the power discrepancy between the two was a gap that only centuries could bridge.
He almost saw his life flash before his eyes despite the fact that his real body was worlds apart from this place. He knew the strike would be fatal despite everything, even traversing space and time through the connection that existed between the two.
He remained still, awaiting his end, as nothing could be done on his end. Still, he neither cried nor begged, remaining indomitable in the face of death. However, just as the palm was about to collide, it fizzled into smoke to the consternation of the old men who had powered it. Only a grey apparition remained between the two before it, too, fizzled out into nothing.
The young man showed emotions for the first time, stupefied by what he had seen. It was even worse for the three old men, unable to believe their eyes. Still, this wasn't something they could ignore. They could only accept reality, although it took them a long time to do so, wallowing in silence. After what seemed like an eternity, the first finally spoke out.
“Do not take for granted the second chance you have been given, lest you end up like your sister.”
“You have the nerve to mention her,” the man replied, a deep frown on his face. He didn't even try to hide his contempt for the man who spoke. "Is this all you can do? Rehashing old stories in the hopes of putting me in my place, is it? How low you've fallen. Did you spend too much time stuck in here that you lost all awareness of reality?”
“Watch your words!" the second cried out, growing tired of this insolent junior.
“Not anymore,” the young man replied. “I was done entertaining you the moment you mentioned my sister.”
He then turned and began walking away. The phantasm of his being slowly faded away in the distance yet stopped in his tracks as soon as the third spoke.
"Why take her side? Her punishment was right and just! You should be grateful it was only exile, as the clan's law for such an offence was death. If not for us being lenient, she wouldn't have escaped her fate."
"If existing is a crime, then all of us are guilty of it," the young man said, keeping his back toward the three old men. "Do not forget that the world itself rejects what we are... Who are we to determine an individual's worth?"
“Are you brave enough to go against the clan’s laws?” the second asked as the man turned around to face them. The young man’s expression was grimmer than the three old men had ever seen.
"I never intended to do so, not then and not now," the man said after a moment of silence. Still, his expression didn't change in the slightest. "I am as guilty as you are. I watched as she was cast aside for her ancestry while the man responsible for it, my father, could continue to enjoy the boons of his position as clan chieftain. I simply find it laughable that the clan's laws teach us to punish the victim.”
"The clan's laws exist for a reason, young man," the first said, his voice as stout as a rock. "Do not delude yourself into thinking anyone is above them. Not even your father can claim as such.”
“And the same applies to you?" the young man replied, derision clear on his face. Yet the first remained calm and composed as he answered. There were no doubts in his mind.
“They apply to all members of the clan, us especially. Our laws do not originate from the consensus of men but directly from our god. They are its precepts, its very own will. None of our blood can ever hope to escape them."
“Then I should thank you, for she has been freed from her servitude,” the young man said, turning his back once again, fading into the distance as he left the three old men behind in their own dimension.
“He possesses the will and the wit to lead us," the second said after letting the silence linger. "A shame his heart is still too pure."
“Not to worry,” the third added. “None can escape our lord’s will. He will come around in time, whether he likes it or not. As for his sister... humph!”
“He is still too naive if he thinks she can escape," the first said, softly shaking his head. "While her blood may be impure, half still belong to our clan. Once our lord is ready for her, she will have no choice but to submit. To think one can escape its reach by seeking asylum with our enemy is mere folly. She, too, will come around and realize her purpose in time. Our lord will never stop until it makes this world its own, even if it has to do so over a field of dried-up bones and the blood of all living beings."
“Soon, the day will arrive when we can finally leave this place to spread our wings alongside our lord and finally cleanse this world of their filth," the third added, an eerie smile on his chapped lips.
“Soon... indeed," the second said, letting the words linger until a grey mist enveloped the world, allowing it to fade into the void.