Gan-Rik – Zul #2851 – Circlet #1

Running through the footage for a third time, of the lone Party to have made it free of the interference generated by the Dimensional Siphon’s, the Second Spike of Zul The Merciless was thoroughly confused.

He had sent a full Tempering detachment to the phase one world known as ‘Earth’ and after loosing all but one of the squads, had discovered nothing but a bunch of weaklings, huddling together in their lack of strength.

Certainly, he could always send another detachment, but that would require talking to the Third Spike again to explain himself. This was due to solely to an irksome, if necessary, demarcation. Zul while mighty, had long ago admitted his shortcomings and delegated the majority of the running of his vast and indomitable empire to his Spikes.

While Gan-Rik and the rest of the spikes all had access to formidable resources in their own right, it was unfortunately the Third Spike who held the decision making power among them for anything out of the requisitional norm.

Unlike the other Spikes, Gan-Rik could see, at least on the surface of it, the reasoning Zul had made such a decision.

The Third Spike Eqo’Ja’Ven, was outlier for numerous reasons among their few number of powerful beings directly under Zul’s guidance. The thing was a master of subterfuge for a start, having overseen countless defections, counter surveillance and even insurgencies in some extremely rare cases against all the major intergalactic factions.

Secondly, it had a knack for understanding beings desires and fears, and excelled in torture far better than the classes based on such practices. Single handedly being able to string out an elevants suffering for thousands and in one case, tens of thousands of cycles, while still leaving them the barest sliver of sanity with which to beg and plead out of.

Grudgingly, the reason Gan-Rik knew the thing was uniquely qualified to oversee the distributions of Zul’s vast empire was for the simple fact that it was the only one among his spikes who was wholly invested in mind attributes.

So although Gan-Rik could see the point in the things oversight of such matters, it was no less humiliating when he had to clear his command room and engage the Holo-Vid to contact the unctuous individual.

Gritting his teeth against the fresh surge of annoyance as the loading symbol for the call occupied its display, he had to bite back an insult when the disgusting creatures face popped into existence in repulsive three dimensions.

“Hellllllloooooooooo my Beautifullll Gan-Rik! To whhhhat do I owe the pleasurrrrre of your calllll?”

It undulated, nauseatingly and Gan-Rik inadvertently destroyed the recently replaced armrest of his command chair, in his fight to maintain his calm.

Reminding himself that Zul would not suffer a failure to ascertain the information on the supposed ‘Forerunner’ a second time, he ground out.

“Grettings Third Spike Eqo’Ja’Ven, I shall save us both time and make this brief…I require a second Tempering detachment for the Phase 1 world known as ‘Earth’.”

Once more the thing moved in such a way that challenged his formidable Vitality and Strength investment in keeping his lunch down. The second spike long since relegated the motion that was accompanied by a high pitched trill, to be its approximation of a laugh.

Gan-Rik felt his bile reaching the back of his throat when it queried.

“Thiiiiiiis is not a problem ohhhh powerful Seeeeecond Spike and I will be overjoyyyyyyed to permit theirrr deployment.”

He felt an easing of his tensed muscles at the beings words, before it continued.

“Juuuuust as soon as you prrrrrrovide me with sufffficent evidence based justificaaaaaaaation for their transfer to yooooooour command.”

Then his lost tension returned twofold as he narrowed his eyes and ground out.

“This is an unnecessary formality Eqo’Ja, you have already been briefed on the reason for their initial deployment when I forwarded you the intelligence of the Amalgamations interference…I even went so far as to ease my own operational security in sharing the time frame for their insertion into the planets Siphon’s!”

His annoyance only seemed to amuse the thing as it began to vibrate and trill then subsequently rejoin.

“Be thaaaaat as it may Gan-Riiiiik…Given the importance of the Temppppppering Detachments to his merciful plannnnnnns. Everything pertaiiiiiiiiiining to them requires extensivvvvvvvvve checks and balances to be keeeeeeeept.”

Losing his composure for a moment he spat.

“YOU INSUFERABLE DIS-“

Before he reigned himself in, and continued while the veins in his temples pulsed uncontrollably.

“Let it be known that I’m lodging a formal protest at this time due to your pointless bureaucracy!”

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

Then Gan-Rik humiliatingly started the transfer of the Initiate Beastmaster’s amulet feed and his own personal report, tapping out a sequence of commands on his command chairs smoking and cracked console.

After a pause there was a bell sound from the holo-display and the thing trilled once more before replying.

“Your prottttttest has been recorrrrrrded Second Spike.”

Following which he saw the thing twitch as it plugged a jack into the back of what he supposed was its head. For several seconds the repulsive twitching continued while it wheezed before straightening up and removing the corded input and fixing him with a look that displayed serious concern.

It continued to let the silence hang before it furthered monotonically.

“Second Spppppppike Gan-Rik of Zul The Merciful’s vaaaaaaaaast and eternal empire. Yoooooour request has beeeeeen denied.”

Forgetting his earlier annoyance and revulsion, shock found Gan-Rik like he was level one hundred and one again and about to partake in his first blooding. Recovering from his near unprecedented surprise he asked incredulously as his anger built once more.

“Why in all his mercy would you deny such a SIMPLE REQUEST?!”

This time there was an abject absence of undulation and trilling as the things tone dropped an octave while it queried.

“Gan-Rik, connnnnnnsider for a moment if you wouuuuuuuld…Nine out of teeeeen Party’s of Juvenile Ravagers failed to suuuuuuuuuurvive in their Dimensional Siphooooooooon’s for thirty day’s, and thhhhhhe only one which made it oooooooooout was defeated before they coulllllllllld even take four Outposts byyyyyyyyyyyy the recently elevated naaaaaaaatives. What does such a resssssssult communicate to you?”

Exercising supreme self-control, Gan-Rik put off obliterating his command center for the moment while his pulsing veins continued to pump vital fluid to his extremities, whilst he attempted to reason with the obstructionist deviant.

“You saw the Beastmaster’s amulet telemetry Eqo’Ja! The only resistance found was a bunch of middling weaklings losing thousands to take down one Party! As for the nine other Party’s, who’s to say they didn’t simply eat their Beastmasters, amulet and all?”

Swaying slowly back and forth in what he interpreted as disagreement the thing supplied.

“Fooooor Elevants barely past theiiiiiiiiiiiir first class evolution, managggggggggggging to defeat even a singllllllllllle Party of Juvenile Ravagerrrrrrrrrrrrs is no small feat Second Spikkkkkkkkkke…To your latter point, eveeeeeeeeeen if the Ravagers ate their Beasssssssssssstmasters down to their smallest digit, their amulet shooooooooould have sent a location piiiiiiiiing as soon as the mindlllllllllllless magnificence’s made planet faaaaaaaaaall.”

Gan-Rik was about to let his further disagreement be known, but the thing wheezed and cut him off as it continued.

“No Gan-RRRRRRRRRik. What we are dealing wiiiiiiiiiiith here at the very least, issssssss a once in a million cyclical outlllllllllllier…Given that I have no reccccccccccorded occurrence with which to cooooooompare, as such, I will needddddddd to defer to his meeeeeeeeeeercifulness for judgment on thhhhhhhhhis matter.”

For the second time in as many minutes the Second Spike was stunned silent. To bring a matter of requisition to Zul was unheard of, let alone one for a mere Phase 1 planet, and one freshly elevated at that.

Rancorously Gan-Rik conceded that the thing was nothing if not loyal to their cause, and decided that if the thing had seen fit to shoulder the burden of this undertaking. It was now well and truly out of his claws.

Scowl slightly lessening, he allowed.

“If it is as you say Third Spike I will leave the matter under your remit...for now…Oh and do not forget to keep me informed on the matter of the meddling Oracle of the Amalgamation. And if there does happen to be anything left of her when you are through with your ‘inquiries’ I could always use another Precognitive.”

The thing undulated whilst trilling anew, finding apparent amusement in his request it rejoined.

“Thankkkkkkkkkk you for bringing this to mmmmmmmmy attention Second Spike, may we bbbbbbboth continue to be at hiiiiiiiiiiis mercy for cycles toooooo numerous to tabulate…However on the matteeeeeeeer of the Oracle, I’m afraiiiiiiid events are already iiiiiiiiiiiin motion and out of myyyyyyyyyy proboscis’…Thus I can givvvvvvvvvvve no assurances. Now if you will forggggggggggive me I seem to have oveeeeeeeeer exerted myself and am iiiiiiiin need of sustenance.”

At the things admittance Gan-Rik replied, somewhat hastily.

“May his mercy be eternal!”

Before trying and failing to end the connection with Eqo’Ja’Ven by way of his malfunctioning command chair. He felt his anger and annoyance transform into revulsion as a liquid filled [Mana Inhibiting Tank] in the background, floated forward.

Pressing at his malfunctioning command chairs console in vain and unwilling to give the thing the satisfaction of witnessing his discomfort or worse yet, display cowardice and flee the room, he could only watch mutely as the infant Elevant inside struggled.

As his bile rose anew, he morbidly mused at the reason the thing had not adhered to the balance of its vitality against that of its two main attributes... Especially considering it had more points to distribute considering it was a mind based monstrosity...Was it just so it had an excuse to consume underdeveloped Elevants in such a fashion?

While the Elevant’s skin began to liquefy and its breathing apparatus was removed, it violently thrashed in a pointless bid at securing its freedom from the unyielding [Mana Inhibiting Tank]'s walls. Lip curling in disgust at the unsporting nature of the occurrence, Gan-Rik forewent subtlety and smashed the command chairs console in pent up frustration.

The Holo-display cutout and the room was left in silence save for the sound of muted malfunctioning electronics.

Livid at being subjected to such indignity like a mere subordinate, whilst being unable to respond with his patented force. Gan-Rik continued his silent fuming in the now stilled room.

Drawing him from his internal maelstrom of anger he perceived the approaching guard long before it announced it's presence at the door.

“Honored Second Spike, I was sent to check on the conflicting commands your sent by way of the com-“

But alas it was too late for the dutiful guard, as the depressurization alarm sounded and an unimpressed Gan-Rik inspected the red viscera that was once the guards head.

Sighing at the lack of relief he felt from extinguishing the un-summoned subordinates life, he finished cleaning his hand with a patch [Pristine Ug’olun hide] and turned his mind to something that would no doubt be far more productive.

So as the automated repair systems finished their work and the circlet continued its languid rotation unperturbed, he made his way to a working console.

Once sufficiently situated in the far too small seat that feebly groaned in protest at his mass, he pulled up the scheduled subjugation's for the current cycle. Flicking impatiently through the list, Gan-Rik eventually found one with an environment that was tolerable and moved up its timetable to 6 hours from now.

And as Gan-Rik began to perceive the hive of activity that had been kicked into being about him, he relaxed slightly as he looked forward to exercising his dominance on worthy foes once more.