Kazius felt like he was practically on autopilot while he waited for Isolf to return. There were many things he was about to do that he knew were wrong. Still, he knew he had to do them. There was too much at stake.
The day Isolf had come by with his father, it had been early in the day. The sun shined brightly without a care about the dark deeds at play.
Kazius was in the middle of a conversation in the council room with his friends. Before Egil had come in to announce the presence of their guests, Kazius had already been well aware of their approach thanks to The Shadows.
Of course, their home and council room were built for Damon’s family. The building had a bigger doorway than most, but it was not enough to accommodate a Frost Giant. So, their meeting would have to be outside… It was better that way though… It gave them an excuse to be alone with everyone involved in the woods.
“We will meet them in the place we set up… I think you should be present, Egil. As a guard.” Kazius stated calmly. His smile looked warm, but it did not reach his eyes.
It was a familiar smile that Kazius knew well… After all, he had seen it all the time growing up. It was the kind of smile the clergy of The Church often showed. A kind smile that masked all sorts of malice.
“It would be an honor. I know I have a lot to make up for.” Egil assured, aware that he had messed up, but clearly, he did not even know half of it.
“To keep the amount of people small, I think it should just be Azanor, Egil, and you.” Damon suggested, despite them already agreeing to this group secretly in advance.
“I would like to go as well… But you are right. I wouldn’t be ” Alice agreed, knowing of the plan already.
“Perhaps it would be wiser… But if you need help, please call.” Caleb stated in concern, he was one of the few that did not know what was happening.
“Yay! I can’t wait to make new friends!” Eve chirped giddily, she was not aware of the plan.
“Yes, that’s right Eve… I will be back. I am sure by the time we return; the Frost Giants will be on our side.” Azanor assured with a smile. That much was not a lie.
Kazius nodded in agreement.
With that, the trio bid their farewells. As they left the room, Kazius could not help but notice the indignant glare Alice was giving Egil to his back. There was a satisfaction to her face though, clearly, she was happy with what was to come.
They walked to meet Isolf and his father.
As they walked in silence, Azanor spoke up.
“I don’t want to come off as rude, Egil… But… Kazius and I are really counting on your behavior today. I know you have promised to behave yourself… But I am also aware that ever since the events of our fight with the Frost Giants… Vind’s presence in Vargstam has been missing.” Azanor stated, a grim expression on his face.
Not a single lie came out of his mouth, but the way his words were carefully selected was practically an art form.
For starters, of course, Azanor would not want to come off as rude. He was acting friendly to manipulate Egil. Yes, they were counting on Egil’s behavior today. They were counting on his rashness and blind devotion for Vind to cause him to make a mistake. Vind was also practically gone since the Frost Giant’s attack, but that was their fault. It was not the fault of the Frost Giants.
By bringing it up now though, Azanor was manipulating Egil subtly to associate Vind’s disappearance and the incidents with the Frost Giants… That it was their doing…
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All in all, Kazius was beginning to understand the purposefulness behind the words of a Demon… And why Azanor constantly warned them about trusting any Demon other than himself. Manipulation came as easily as breathing to them.
Azanor intended to do this without lying, a handicap he was self-inflicting… Kazius was curious about the sort of beast Azanor had locked up. Then again, to some extent, Kazius knew what sort of person Azanor was before the incident with the old man, Victor.
Azanor himself told Kazius about the sort of mentality he once had. The incident itself had been traumatizing, but the humanity he gained in return made him who he is today.
Kazius himself could not chase away the wicked glee within him as he saw Azanor do his job… Neither could he contain his excitement at the idea of getting control of the Frost Giants. He had good intentions, but his lust for power was real. It was not fully a Shadow Fiend like his father… And perhaps the world was better off for it.
Who knows what sort of being he could become if he didn’t have that side of himself.
As Kazius thought to himself, he could already see Egil’s thinking process almost like clockwork.
“We are counting on you.” Kazius agreed.
“Of… Of course… I will try to prove myself with this… Even though we have lost plenty of good men thanks to these beasts… So… I hope we get proper compensation… And an explanation of what they could have done to Vind…” Egil stated, his words coming out through gritted teeth.
Egil was a good man… But his words were full of insubordination… To some extent… His fate was in his own hands. Kazius already felt no guilt, but any sort of pity for Egil faded at his words.
“I know a lot of good people were lost. I will do my best to help Kazius with the negotiations… We have no intention of letting go so easily considering they crushed some of our men to a bloody pulp… Those poor kids… And their wives too… Yesterday… It was… A tough event for Vargstam… Their families did not even get the assurance of Vind being there to take them to the afterlife.” Azanor continued, his words chosen to edge on his anger.
From Egil’s facial expression, it was clear it worked. His eyes had a dark and distant look, rage threatening to spill out.
Kazius allowed himself a small, satisfied smile. Azanor, Egil, and him continued to walk, soon catching up to Isolf.
Upon seeing Isolf and his father… It was clear that the wait had done Isolf no good. There were bags under Isolf’s eyes. He looked exhausted. From what Kazius could gather about the beliefs of Frost Giants… There was a large emphasis on honorable death in battle… A death that many of his men could no longer have. It was understandable why he was in such a state.
Then there was Isolf’s father.
He was the same height as his son. What made him stand out though was an air of wisdom about him… He carried himself with a lot of dignity. Despite this though, it was clear his son’s actions and the ramifications weighed heavily on him. He did not have the dark circles Isolf had, but his nearly ice-colored eyes held the fatigue he felt all the same.
Kazius could not deny his eyes held an intellect to them along with determination. A contrast to the tired and ashamed expression on his son’s similar-colored eyes.
From what Kazius gathered, Frost Giants were straightforward people. That was why Luna was able to manipulate Isolf so easily. They valued honor and strength… To the point that a dishonorable death spelled damnation.
Isolf had likely not been exposed to the outside world until recently. After all, Egil himself had spoken about how Frost Giants kept to themselves… Which only made Isolf’s actions all the more severe… And explained that despite their values in dying in an honorable battle, Isolf’s father had placed them in seclusion.
It explained why Isolf was not aware of the lies of the outside world until now… He may be more careful now… But his naivety made him perfect prey even now.
His father on the other hand was clearly sharper…
“Good morning, I appreciate you both coming all this way. Allow me to introduce myself again, I am Kazius, The Chief of Vargstam. What you may call a King. This is my aide, Azanor… And this is Egil, a concerned inhabitant of Vargstam. He lost a lot of friends, so I hope you don’t mind his presence. I’d like him to have a piece of mind.” Kazius stated as he gestured at each of them. He purposefully did not introduce Egil with any sort of status.
Isolf’s father nodded in acknowledgment.
“I am Reimdir, King of The Mountains of Kall. I thank you for having us.” Reimdir stated, his voice deep, sounding almost like the voice that belonged to a mountain. Despite his height, there was no arrogance to his voice… Yet he was forced to look down all the same… If Reimdir was afraid, he certainly did not show it.
Isolf on the other hand looked incredibly tense, a small tremble wracking him. He was terrified of what they were capable of.