Sorin had retrieved the message from the dead drop that he and Euryale and chosen when she turned him loose to do what he needed. She was worried about a Sovereign...which was him and would be a problem in his next mission. Sorin opened up his HUD to see about turning it off otherwise his task was going to be much, much harder.

Name: Sorin Ekart

Path: [Aethereal Sovereign]

AP: 77433563/83144000

Body: 18250/20000(T12)

Mind: 25025/30000 (T15)

Spirit: 25000/30000 (T15)

Abilities:

1. Aetheric Sense(p)/(a) - sense aether clearly around you with the ability to look closer or further at a target depending on aether expenditure. Adjusting the view of your aether sense shifts skill from passive (p) to active (a). Nothing hides from your sight.

2. Aether manipulation (a) - You can manipulate all aether in your immediate vicinity that you are aware of. NAFs of those beneath your tier are subject to your rule.

3. Aether Wellspring(p)(a) heeds your presence. It swirls around you and will rejuvenate you in a passive state. Sleep, food, water, and air are no longer required for survival as you feast on aether alone. You may activate skill for greater absorption of aether and healing which are linear in their scaling.

4. Aether Reaver(a) - Forcefully rip Aether from another being and add it to your own. Caution: someone of a much higher tier may be able use this to destroy your own channels and core.

5. Aetheric Master(a) - Aether moves according to your while. Aether moves around you. If you can imagine it, you can do it provided you can bridge the right gaps to conform to Heaven's law.

6. Chain lightning(a) - use aether to build up your natural electromagnetic field enough that you can now direct it into a easily directed bolt of lighting. Caution! Extreme Aether required! If aether cannot be provided, it will be taken from the body.

Sorin was pleased with everything and his Spirit had just reach the same tier as his mind. His aether levels were off the charts allowing for more use of chain lightning which relied on his own electrical system to aim and launch even in a sustained arc of electricity in a capacity that could harm or kill the highest level of users around his own tier.

His path was in brackets which was new, so he focused in on his and with a feeling of relief and a breath of air, he read the prompt.

Disable effect of Sovereign?

Sorin affirmed the disable of the effect then closed his HUD. He would have to reply to Euryale, but not in writing. He didn't want to leave a paper trail leading back to him and at the same time he could make sure no message appeared to people as the letter from Euryale indicated.

- Some time later -

Euryale was hard at work plotting on her tactical map trying to figure out what all was happening across her area of operation. She was at a loss as the enemies were in full retreat or dying quickly. Her scouts had reported fewer and fewer enemies in her father's lands.

"Steam is coming out of your ears with the amount of thinking you're doing." A voice said causing Euryale to jump and pull her khopesh.

She looked up and saw Sorin sitting sideways in a chair, legs hanging off the side casually.

"Don't do that!" She hissed at him as she set down her weapons to reset the map that she had slightly messed up when he had startled her.

"I got your message." Sorin said kicking his legs to the ground and standing up.

She looked up at him. "Well?" She asked eyebrows raised and red eyes watching him like a hawk.

"Yes it's me." He simply said then picked up a book from the bed side table and started to leaf through it.

"Thats it?! What about the rest of my message?" She asked impatiently.

Sorin paused his perusal of the book and looked at her.

"Yes...it's me." He said slowly this time.

Euryale slumped into her chair and put her head down.

"Sorin, you have disrupted every single one of my battle plans resulting in pointlessly exhausted troops, and tons of wasted resources." She said into the table causing it to muffle.

"Yet...look at the results." He responded setting the book back down and pointing at it.

"Eury, I'll get you a copy of "Art of War" when I can figure out how to get home." He said. "Its a better read and better strategy than whatever that is. It's pretty bad."

Euryale looked up and glared at him.

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"Ok! Two things. One that book was written by my father and is considered to be a leading manual in military tactics and leadership in war and two you're off topic. I want you to stop and let me figure out what is going on and be able to re-establish control because there is a void now." She said causing Sorin to raise an eye brow.

"In response..." Sorin said referencing one of his favorite games when he was home."

"Distance yourself from your troops and affect an air of superiority. Doing this will allow commanders to use their troops with cold precision and execute missions with maximum efficiency." Sorin recited from the book.

"Though not necessarily wrong, that will only work when morale is high enough otherwise the men will desert and/or break when faced with a serious enemy. I would recommend you follow the book i was referring to.

"Regard your soldiers as your children, and they will follow you into the deepest valleys; look upon them as your own beloved sons, and they will stand by you even unto death. If, however, you are indulgent, but unable to make your authority felt; kind-hearted, but unable to enforce your commands; and incapable, moreover, of quelling disorder: then your soldiers must be likened to spoilt children; they are useless for any practical purpose."

This builds loyalty, morale, resiliency, and discipline as each soldier knows at the individual level that they matter and their lives will not be paid lightly and with careful consideration....also...I don't work for you anymore Eury. I will do what needs to be done. However...comma, pause for effect...my next action will align with your desires." Sorin said.

Euryale glared at him.

"Sorin have you lost your mind? My family rules these lands and those in it and I command you to stop." She said and began to walk away confidently toward a cabinet.

Sorin smiled, pulled out a metal tub. He unsealed it and pulled out the paper.

"No." He said holding it up for Euryale to see. She turned quickly and in a flash that a pre-system human would never have seen, she was face to face with Sorin glaring, but to her suprise, Sorin was not only more composed...he was faster.

As she was entering his personal space he merely took one finger and pressed it to her forehead and pushed her away lightly.

"Eury, I don't see a point to this posturing. You paid this price for my help to win this theater and I have done that. However, things are not going to my liking. I'm going for the throat. Is your family able to rule the entirety of this world or is that too much?" Sorin asked.

Euryale was startled at the casual ease in which he stopped her intimidation attempt and frustrated. She knew she had little chance of beating Sorin anymore, but she had hoped that he had some trauma or some instinct to back down as most of her family's subjects had built in, but no. She turned back to the cabinet and opened it. She took a large cup down and a purple red drink. After filling it completely full, she sat down and began to drink.

"Alcoholic." Sorin said sarcastically causing Euryale to squint her eyes at him.

"Watch it...you might not be my subordinate, but I still consider you a friend and will cut you." She said then went quiet and hung her head.

"Friends don't try what I did....do they?" She asked quietly.

"They do when under enormous pressure and stress. They also give commands when necessary, even to their friends when in a military type structure. We are friends Eury and you doing your job doesn't usually affect me personally and still doesn't in this case." He responded.

"How did that not bother you?!" She asked sharply.

"It's business and not personal. Why should I get bent out of shape about you doing your job? Plus, you don't have the power currently to enforce your will if you really tried and we both know this. I also think you know I have your best interest in mind." He replied before turning and getting more serious.

"Now I have some questions that I would like answered to save me some time and lower my risk factor." He said sitting across from the young woman.

She waved her hand for him to continue.

"Duke Pallas, how strong is he?" Sorin asked causing Euryale to look up eyes going wide.

"Sorin...you're not thinking‐-"

"I am. This war needs to end so I can get home. Remember what I said about going for the throat? How strong? He said and repeated.

"We believe he is around tier 14, but he us unusual. My father is tier 20, but is extremely wary of Duke Pallas because his body stat is insanely high. We don't know what tier it is, but if it gives my father pause it's nothing to scoff at." She replied.

"Do you have a map where the location of his seat of power is?" Sorin followed up.

Euryale didn't say anything, but with her free hand she opened a drawer on the desk and after a short leaf through she found a file and handed it over.

"Here is a map not just of the city called Hyperion, but also a map drawn by one of our spies of the castle. There are hidden passages all over that are impossible to find without other knowledge and asking would have given them away. There is believed to be hidden chambers too, but what they are used for? Who knows. I would further add that you need to be extremely careful."

Sorin took the pages out of the file, rolled them up and stored them in metal tubes to keep them safe.

"Will do. Also, does your father know of me?" He asked.

"He knows of you, but not that you're the Sovereign. I let him know there is a Sovereign in play and it will worry him." She replied.

"Why is being a Sovereign a big deal?" He asked.

Euryale set her cup down and let out a breath puffing her checks slightly.

"Becuase they are a few things to us. They are USUALLY sages of wisdom as they are extremely old and usually around Tier 30. These Sovereigns are Judges. There are usually a couple per each of the 20 regions of the Serpent Empire. For us here in Region three we have two, but they do not dwell on our planet nor have they ever come here often as far as we know. When someone reported the notification of a Sovereign it was two things. First it could be that an imperial commans had been given, or that someone in their stupidity had disturbed one that was either off duty and got angered or distrubed them in meditation...both of which are extremely bad, because at Tier 30 and above entire counties could get wiped out with little effort." She explained.

"So the Sovereign's are high level law enforcers?" Sorin asked.

"Yes....and no. They are free agents. If they do not violate the imperial laws they are left alone to do as they will...which generally is them enforcing laws and executing the worst criminals." She further explained.

She took a drink from her cup then continued.

"Ever hear the story of Atlantis?" She asked.

Sorin looked up and smiled. "Of course I have. It's a legend on my world."

Euryale nodded.

Its one of my favorites from the Eden lands. Long ago there was the Kingdom of Atlantis. It rose to power after the Divine struck down the Nephilim in the deluge. They had great commerce, trade, and power beyond words. However...they were engaged in practices that always lead to the destruction of a society.

They were sacrificing children to the entities known as Baal and Moloch. Eventually this nation made the mistake of taking a child who had just gotten away from its parents. The child's parents pleaded with the priests to stay their hand, but in their cruelty they made the parents watch as they dismembered and burned the child not knowing that the child had a Sovereign for an aunt.

When she found out what the nation had done, she grew so enraged that she called upon the full might of her path and sank the whole kingdom under water. There are some obscure additions to the story that say she submerged part of an entire continent, but we don't really know."

Sorin was excited by the story.

"My home world is what you guys call the Eden lands?" Sorin asked.

"Perhaps. I mean you haven't really spoken in depth, but I think it could be, which is concerning because the seals would be wearing off if you're here." She replied.

"Seals?" Sorin asked.

Euryale sighed.

"I didn't think I'd be giving a legends and mythology class today, but sure why not? Want to drink before we get started?" She said pushing the container toward Sorin who created a metal cup and poured a drink.

He raised it up to her and she did the same to him then he settled in to listen.