After another ten minutes, the small three-man team came to a large dome-shaped ceremonial chamber. The light in the room was dim, but it was still more than enough to see what filled the room. Their stomachs dropped and a bitter taste entered their mouths when they finally processed the sight they beheld.
Fenix had been unable to see it before but now, in person, he could see that every member of the Usurper Sect that had survived was present, and their intel had been horribly wrong. The initial estimate had been that there were only about thirty or so members left. That was nothing they couldn’t handle on their own.
However, at present, they easily counted over one hundred and twenty. This was far more than even their entire squad, which usually had eight members, could handle in such an enclosed underground space.
"Oh, wow! It would seem our suspicions were correct after all. My, my it's hard to come to terms with how gullible you people are!" said a pink-haired Order member in a deceptively high-pitched voice.
If not for the person standing in view of them, one could assume that it was a child that had spoken. However, the woman standing before them was anything but a child. Elaine knew all too well that this was the same lieutenant, Aylynah, that the guards before had spoken of.
"Hello, Fenix, my old friend. It has been such a long time since last we met face to face." came the voice of the Order member sitting on the throne at the rear of the room.
"Nuadha. Why am I not surprised that you had this whole thing planned? Tell me, who was it this time? Borin? Gamsly? Or was it just bad information on our part? returned Fenix.
Nuadha laughed and raised a silver-colored finger toward their group. "Why don't you ask the fool hiding in your robes?" Evan shot out at high speed and stepped away from Elaine and Fenix with a wicked smile on his face.
"Sorry 'boss', but you know I had to follow the path that would bring me the highest chance of survival. Nuadha might be cruel, but he's an honest man and promised me that I would have nothing to worry about if I just helped his cause out a little."
Fenix sighed as Evan finished speaking. "You foolish man... Why? We trusted you! Why would you do this to us?" asked Fenix in a tone that signaled not the hurt of deception, but pity for a man whose fate was already sealed.
"Because you people have no sense of the grander picture. You limit yourselves to protecting this world, but for what? Death and deceit and betrayal still plague this world! Am I not proof of that? Humans haven't changed at all in thousands of years. No matter how hard we try we remain the same.
“The ends justify the means, no matter how foul they may be. In the end, all that matters is who comes out on top. Your goals simply never aligned with mine. The Radiant Corps speak of bringing peace that never comes. They speak of a peace that is earned through struggle and strife and taking the hardest path possible. Humans won’t change on their own no matter how much time passes.
“The Radiant Corps think that peace is something that will just happen and I can see now how flawed that idea is. Nuadha on the other hand, now HE is a man of true vision! He can see that humanity needs to be forced to comply with peace. The strong must rule the weak and keep them in line. That is how we achieve true peace in this world of monsters. Not that you would understand!" replied Evan.
"Now, Master Nuadha, can I finally claim the reward you promised me?" asked Evan.
The two guards from before rushed up behind Elaine and Fenix and raised their spears to their backs, while three more rushed in front of Evan and blocked him from his former comrades.
"Oh my dear Evan, you shall have everything that is coming to you my pawn. You have played your part well, and for that, I will give you what I promised. As you said, I am a man of my word. Did you want power? Glory? Riches and fame? These are admirable things to wish for, however, you are too simple-minded to understand what those concepts truly mean. However, because of you, they will be concepts that are easy to grasp in the world to come," said Nuadha.
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He lazily lifted his silver-coated hand and Evan rose into the air, his personal wards shattering like frail glass as Nuadha’s Magick took hold. "What is this? What are you doing? No! Please master! I served you well did I not?" said Evan, the fear and anxiousness rising in his voice as he rose higher into the room.
"Indeed you did, however, even the best pawn eventually outlives its usefulness. As useful as you were, you are still a member of the Radiant Corps. Surely you did not think we could welcome one such as you into our sacred ranks, did you?" sneered Nuadha.
"You lied to me! You promised me-" Nuadha clenched his fist closed and Evan froze midsentence as the air was violently forced out of his lungs.
"I DID NOT LIE YOU MISERABLE FOOL!" Nuadha cleared his throat and started again, the visage of rage fading quickly from his features. "I never lied to you dear Evan, I promised that you would never have to worry about anything ever again, and I aim to keep that promise."
A look of horror rose on Evan's face despite his torment and before he could say or do anything, Nuadha launched a black ball of roiling Zight towards him. The attack hit Evan square in the chest and as it did, his body began to slowly melt away. Evan screamed in agony and utter terror as his body fell apart and within seconds, a pile of black and red liquid fell to the ground and bubbled away as the acolytes that filled the room chuckled softly.
Fenix and Elaine could only stare on in horror and disgust. After a moment, Fenix spat on the ground and glared at Nuadha, "Your evil knows no bounds Nuadha. You sicken me…"
Nuadha laughed mirthlessly and continued speaking, "Well, once again you are correct. However, what does evil even mean? Is it simply that I oppose you? That I do what you would call, despicable things? Because dear Fenix, from my point of view, your attempts to stop me and ruin my plans could be considered quite evil and despicable in their own right.
"As you and many others will come to learn in the world I seek to build, evil is quite subjective. When a boy steals bread to feed his starving family is that not an evil act towards the breadmaker? When a king raises taxes on the poor to increase the wealth of the Kingdom is that not an evil act towards the peasant?"
"No, evil is only a concept, Fenix. A simple point of view. But actions are more than that, and as you well know, I will take whatever actions are needed to achieve my goals. That was always your weakness Fenix. Good and evil… they are only the shackles strong men placed upon the weak in order to control them. But even those strong men were weak compared to one such as I!
“If it is truly the strong who make the rules in this world then is it not my right to change those rules? To decide a proper course for the lives of all those weaker than myself?”
Fenix lowered his hood and stepped forward, "Do not confuse compassion with weakness Nuadha! You might be willing to take the lives of the innocent just to achieve your sick goals, but I refuse to lower myself in such a manner! Good and evil might only be an illusion, but free will isn't! A choice has real consequences in this world! A choice can change the outcome of any situation as long as you make the right one.
"You claim to be strong, but only a weak man would take away the God-given right to choose!" Fenix removed his cloak and pulled out his Ark Cradle. He slapped it onto his waist and the iridescent belt appeared in an instant. In his other hand, he held his Ark, and in the next instant, he had slammed it into place on the Cradle. The acolytes surrounding them grew tense and gripped their weapons tightly.
"Enough of this mindless chatter. We are getting nowhere as usual," began Nuadha. "I see you have a new pupil. It's a shame that you're going to have to watch as she dies too. If your ideals were half as powerful as mine, your first pupil would not have died by my hand. I will kill this one too Fenix, simply to prove a point!"
"Not if I kill you first!" bellowed Elaine.
KA-CLICK-SHING!!
In one fluid motion, she too ripped off her cloak and unsheathed her Collapscythe which locked into place with a metallic sound.
Nuadha laughed again, "I find that very unlikely little girl, especially considering how outnumbered you are. Or, are you as blind as you are beautiful?" At his words, a chill ran down Elaine's spine. Revulsion filled her and she gripped her weapon tighter as she examined the situation.
He looked harmless enough at first glance with his smoothed-back red-orange hair. However, his black armor appeared glossy in the light of the chandelier and torches that dimly lit the room. His deep grey eyes held no empathy or shine to them, and his mouth was curled up in a smug smile that failed miserably to hide the malice and contempt behind his eyes.
Elaine was no fool. Despite her boasts, she knew that he was one of the most dangerous men in the entire world, and she also knew that she was no match for him. Her pride though, would not allow her to back down now though.