Chapter 31

I bent over, gasping for breath as the metallic taste of blood filled my mouth. Why am I still failing?! My training with Mother was intense and only worsened with each passing day. Despite my combat sense and maneuverability steadily returning to me, I still couldn’t turn my flames white as I had before.

Frustrated, I stomped the ground, my magic accidentally resulting in a blue wave around me before I reigned it in. “What is wrong with me?!” I voiced aloud as Mother and her attendant, Claudia, came over to check on me. Claudia began to heal the frostbite that was affecting various parts of my body from my loss today as Mother urged me to calm down.

“Take a breath, Lydia.” She said, her hand on my shoulder. “Getting upset isn’t going to help you figure it out.”

“I know you’re right, but it's so frustrating!” I said, trying to contain my emotions. “I could do it just fine before, so why can’t I now?” It was like something was preventing me from condensing my mana, and I intended to break through whatever was holding me back. Once Claudia finished healing me, I asked for another round, but Mother shook her head.

“I think that’s enough for now. You’ve been running yourself into the ground for the last three days since we started. Your mind and body need a break.” My mouth opened to object, but she cut me off. “It’s not a suggestion, Lydia. You need to rest and recollect yourself. If you insist on training, do some mental exercises.” I grumbled as she ordered Leah to watch over me, then turned and left the field with her attendant in tow.

“She does know it’s your job, and she doesn’t have to order you to take care of me, right?” I muttered as Leah handed me a towel and some water to wipe my face.

“Her Majesty is just ensuring you can’t use your own status to escape.” After cleaning myself up and taking a drink of water, I led the way back inside the castle.

“I’m not some toddler to babysit!” I complained. “If I really wanted to, I could give you the slip anytime.”

“My lady… You haven’t gotten away successfully a single time.”

“What about all those times I snuck into town?” I said boastfully, only for her to deflate my confidence.

“I just followed you discreetly.”

“When I sneak into the kitchens for extra dessert?”

“I warn the staff ahead of time.”

“When I climb to the top of the towers to be alone?”

“Who do you think keeps the wind in check?”

I couldn’t believe it and stopped in the middle of the hallway. There’s no way Leah is that good… But I couldn’t confirm all of my escapes without ratting myself out. Then, a great idea came to mind. Leah looked a bit uneasy as a grin settled over my face. It’s perfect… I’m in the right clothes, and nobody else is around. It would make for decent training as well.

“Alright, Leah. You got me.” I said, keeping my tone even. I walked around her with a smile and my hands behind my back, positioning myself against the conveniently open window. “Mother has good reason to trust you.”

She eyed me cautiously, her perfect service facade slipping to reveal a wary older sister. “My lady, whatever you’re about to do… don’t.”

As soon as the words left her lips, I launched myself backward out the window with a burst of flame from my feet. Leah’s wind was a second too slow to close the heavy glass window, and I slipped right through as they slammed shut between us. I twisted my body toward the ground and used my momentum to roll into a full sprint across the courtyard. A pair of startled maids yelped as I ran past them, and I quickly shouted an excuse as I continued. Instead of going back inside the opposing hallway, I launched myself upward to the roof with another pillar of flame, pulling myself up to run across the tiled shingles.

I sensed a swell of mana before I heard a torrent of wind crash through the hallway beneath me. As I ran, I aimed for the lower roof at the end of this section. Right as I was about to jump down, I heard a loud bang and saw Leah rise up from the window at the end of the hall. Did she use the hallway as a wind tunnel? It was the only explanation for how she had gotten ahead of me.

Changing course, I slide down the sloped roof, Taking a couple of the shingles with me. Oops, sorry, Father! I thought as I grabbed the gutter at the last second, swinging myself back into the hallway Leah had just left. I leaped straight across the open space, putting my back against a pillar as a massive storm of wind blew through the hall, my gold hair whipping wildly.

“This is ridiculous, my lady,” Leah yelled down the hall. “Were you not just complaining about being treated like a child?”

“Don’t be like that!” I yelled back, my smile evidence of the fun I was having. “When was the last time we played tag properly?”

I’m twenty-three years old, my lady. I don’t play games unless I intend to win!” My eyes widened as a shadow fell across me from outside the window I was standing in front of, and I turned to see Leah smiling at me as she reached through to grab me. I quickly jumped away, and a pillar of flame erupted from the ground in front of her to obscure her vision.

“Were you using your wind to project your voice?” I asked playfully as I sprinted down the hall. A wind blade hit me in the back, but instead of cutting me, it wrapped around my body, increasing the air pressure. A grunt of exertion escaped me as I struggled to keep my pace, and then I retaliated with a dome of flame. The burst of heat caused the excess air to rise away from me, and I continued down the hall.

“You know I have the advantage in a game like this, my lady,” Leah said as she flew after me. “Your fire magic is more suited for doing real damage, not capturing,” I smirk as she catches up to me, her hand reaching out to grab my collar, but I duck to the side at the last moment.

“I also have an advantage you’re not considering,” I say with a smile as she turns around to face me, her light brown eyes wide. My hand was on an expensive vase of flowers on a decorative table. “My family owns this castle and everything in it.” With that, I grab the vase and throw it at her. Her attendant instincts kicked in, and she scrambled desperately with her hands to keep the vase intact as I ran past her and turned the corner.

I had no end point in mind, really. My goal was just to see how long I could go without being caught. I sensed another gust of wind behind me, signaling that Leah was back on my trail, and I quickly grabbed a bust of someone’s head and threw it behind me. The wind redirected, stopping the bust from shattering against the ground and giving me even more space.

Our game of cat and mouse continued all around the castle. Through the servant's quarters and around the knight’s mess hall. Across the roof of the stables and through the gardens. Eventually, I began to tire out and adjusted course toward my room. I surrender of my own accord! Before I could get there, however, the floor froze with a layer of ice when I looked back to check where Leah was, and I slipped and slammed painfully against the wall. Clutching my head where a bump was starting to form, I looked up tearfully to see my brother.

“What in the goddess’s name are you doing, Lydia?” Luke asked, his voice laced with exhaustion.

“Mother told me to relax… So I’m letting loose.” I said, holding back tears from the aching in my head. Leah finally caught up, bowing in apology to my brother.

“This is my fault for failing to stop her, Your Highness.” She said, but Luke just continued to stare at me.

“I doubt that, Leah. I’m sure this was entirely her fault. The whole castle has been in an uproar about your little rampage.” He bent down, flicking me on the forehead as his ice magic melted. I whimpered in pain as his finger hit me, collapsing back to the ground as he turned to Leah. “I’m surprised you couldn’t get her. You usually don’t play along with her antics.”

Leah bowed again in shame. “Truthfully, I got caught up in the moment myself and decided it would be best to let my lady play for a bit.” She looked at me with a smile, and the blood drained from my face as she snitched on me. “When I finally decided to stop her, she threw around valuable decorations to distract me.”

Luke turned back toward me, his eyes flashing with interest. “Oh? Tell me more.” I cowered as he bore down on me, and I already sensed the long lecture I was about to receive.

“I’m sorry…?” I tried to no avail. I sat on my knees for the next hour as he lectured me. By the time I stood up again, my legs were completely numb, and Leah had to help me walk back to my room.

“Sorry for getting out of control,” I said as I sat on the edge of my bed, and my lady-in-waiting moved to situate my pajamas for the night. It was a bit early, but my family was eating separately due to the workload Father and Luke were under, so I would have dinner in my room.

“There’s no need for apologies, my lady.” She said as she returned with a set of silver silk loungewear. “It’s important for adults to have fun every now and then. But maybe we should avoid property damage, even if you do technically own it.”

“Right…” I said sheepishly as she helped me change, and then I sat down on the couch with an exhausted sigh. “It really was fun, though.”

“I’m glad, my lady. You haven’t quite been yourself since Lady Audrey left, so I’m happy to see you glowing a little bit more.” The remainder of my girlfriend left me a little lonely, but it wasn’t the same pressing feeling I had been dealing with this last week. Even my magic felt lighter as a red flame appeared in my hand.

“Maybe I should take Mother’s advice and meditate for a while.” I ventured, and Leah nodded at me.

“Dinner won’t be arriving for a while longer, so why don’t you go until then?” I took her up on the offer, closing my eyes as I relaxed against the couch, letting the world disappear around me.

***

“Please be safe, Audrey,” Lucia said once we finished dinner. The sun was finally setting, so it was time for me to scout the imperial camp.

“I will be. I’ll be back before midnight,” I said, reaffirming our agreement. “If anyone asks, I’m just talking to my goddess in the shadows.” The knight nodded her head, though her eyes still flickered with worry. I gave her a quick, reassuring hug before sinking into the darkness. Making my way across the plains was relatively fast, and I soon peaked through the shadows of the imperial army.

“Well… this isn’t creepy at all,” I mumbled to Aurora as I saw the imperial soldiers hardly moving. Their camp was utterly silent, a complete contrast to the kingdom’s army, which kept itself active with all sorts of activities. I explored the center of their camp, noticing their command tent was completely barren. As I investigated, I realized there was practically nothing outside of the actual tents and banners.

“There are no supplies… no personal belongings… Nothing.” I whispered. The camp of thirty thousand was massive, so I might have been missing something. As I moved around, I didn’t witness a single imperial soldier move except for a few random pairs who seemed to be on patrol. The rest of their army stood like statues scattered through the camp. Their eyes were dull and lifeless, and there wasn’t a single conversation audible among the thirty thousand people. After another ten minutes of searching for any sign of life, I finally found it in a random section of tents. There was a flickering flame illuminating the shadow of a man inside who was grumbling to himself.

“I can’t believe I got stuck with this shitty job!” He yelled, and when I peeked inside the tent from his shadow, I saw the usual things a person would need: a cot, a simple writing desk, and bags of clothes and food. All things that were lacking from the rest of the encampment. When I focused my attention back on the man, it became apparent he was very drunk.

“Out of all the generals, it just had to be me stuck in this lifeless hellhole.” He took another swig of his mug, uncaring of the alcohol splashing onto his shirt as he leaned back in his chair.

“What should I do, Aurora?” I asked. It was obvious he was the one in charge. “Should I try and interrogate him?”

“That’s probably not a good idea… I doubt he’s the only conscious person here.” I hadn’t found anyone else, but it was possible they were just sleeping in one of the many tents I hadn’t checked yet.

“I suppose killing him is off the table, then?” I asked, already knowing the answer. If there were other people who could make a report of his death, it would likely just cause the imperial army to move forward with whatever plans they had.

“Just stay here for a bit… maybe he’ll spout some useful information.” She suggested, and I couldn’t help but smile at her.

“Convenient exposition only happens in stories…” Sure enough, I was right on the money. The man eventually passed out drunk without saying a single useful thing. Once I confirmed he was really out, I rose from the shadows and began to rummage through the tent, looking for anything I could take back to Abel. I found a couple of letters that contained orders that amounted to “Sit and wait.” Which made them basically useless.

“Seriously?! Just what is their strategy?!” I complained when my search turned out fruitless. I dashed back through the shadows, looking for any other signs of life other than the soldiers themselves. Eventually, I covered most of the imperial camp and still found nothing but lifeless puppets. There was no trace of supplies for the massive army other than what I saw in that disgusting general’s tent.

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“There are no horses and no signs of campfires. Surely the soldiers need to eat, even if they are under the influence of magic, right?” But my search for any kind of food storage, once again, turned up nothing. Finally throwing in the towel, I turned my focus toward the soldiers themselves.

“Hopefully, we can figure out what’s wrong with them, at least,” I grumbled, feeling disappointed by my lack of results so far.

“We need to get closer to see what’s affecting them, try to find a solider that’s alone on the edge.” Following her advice, I circled the outskirts of their camp until I found a prime target. A lone imperial soldier stood completely still behind a tent, mindlessly staring at the sky. I slowly rose from his shadow, keeping my mind aware of our surroundings. A shadow wrapped itself around his body, covering his mouth and binding his hands and feet. But the man still didn’t react at all, even when I moved to stand in front of him.

“What is wrong with them?” I asked, creeped out seeing their altered state first-hand. “It’s even worse than the reports said… why isn’t he trying to kill me?” The generals had made it seem like the imperial soldiers would go berserk whenever an enemy stood before them. I waved a hand in front of his dulled eyes, only to receive nothing again. That was when I sensed it.

My eyes widened, and I tentatively touched the man’s face to get a better sense, confirming my suspicions.

“There’s definitely stella in his body… That would explain why the mages couldn’t detect anything.” I said to Aurora, who didn’t seem surprised. I wasn’t surprised either, but it did confirm my fear. I closed my eyes and continued to push the man’s stella and mana with my own. It was similar to what I did with my own mental exercises but directed outside my body. When I tried to pull on the stella in the man, I gasped as it clashed against my own.

“This stella feels uncomfortable…” I said to Aurora as I fought the invading stella back.

“That is because it’s divinity that belongs to another deity,” Aurora said. “Divine guardians are incompatible with the power of other deities except in specific cases.”

“Like what?” I asked as I continued to carefully examine the man, trying to find where the mental lock was.

“Well, for instance… my sister and I. Our guardians are typically closely intertwined in every instance.” She chuckled as if mocking herself. “Though such a bond isn’t always for the better.”

I could tell there was some unspoken history behind her words. A few days ago, she had promised to tell me about her sister, but I decided it was best to let her start that conversation when she was truly ready.

“What does that mean for me then?” I asked, worried. “If I’ve manifested as your guardian, doesn’t that mean there is, or will be, a guardian of the day?”

My goddess paused before speaking. “Yes. But I can tell you whoever it is hasn’t awoken to their divinity yet.” I breathed an internal sigh of relief. If that bond was divinely powerful, then I was better off without it for now. As I got lost in thought, I finally felt the end of the stella in the imperial soldier.

“Found it… It’s wrapped tightly around his brain and mind.” I muttered. “I think I can remove it.” I flooded the man’s body with my own divinity, trying to destroy the stella invading his body. It took some effort, but I eventually removed the last of the divine power controlling him. But I stifled a cry of shock as the man fell to the ground. I had been casting my holy magic on him in an attempt to counter any adverse effects of removing the stella from his body, but when I crouched down to feel his pulse, his body was already stiff and cold.

“He’s dead,” I said in disbelief. “If removing the stella kills them, then there’s no way to save them…”

“I know it’s tough, Audrey. But you need to try again to confirm that’s the case.” I nodded grimly at her words, then sank into the shadows to find another soldier. This time, I tested another theory and just materialized in front of the woman, not bothering to restrain her. “What are you doing?!” Aurora screamed in panic before noticing that the female soldier wasn’t reacting to me despite the situation.

Again, I waved my hands in front of her eyes, even poking her face to try and goad something out of her, but she just stayed completely still, staring at something I couldn’t see.

“Well… that’s that,” I said definitively, causing Aurora to ask for an explanation. “I think whatever command they are under makes them determine friend and foe by the presence of divinity…” It was the only thing that made sense since the imperial soldiers were quick to attack the kingdom’s army but not each other. My Goddess hummed in thought before agreeing with me.

With that out of the way, I placed my hands on the soldier's body and began to unravel the stella more gently this time. Yet, even after tediously taking my time, she too fell to the ground dead as soon as the divinity was removed.

“That confirms it,” I said darkly, cursing aloud under my breath. “No wonder they don’t react to pain or the death of their comrades… Their minds are already lost.” I looked up to the now night sky, seeing I didn’t have much time left before Lucia tattled on me.

“This information is good enough for now, Audrey. You should head back.” My goddess said. I entered the shadows, and as I left the imperial camp, I was overcome with intense regret. My hope had been to save the lives of both sides by undoing whatever magic was at play, but now I understood. For the imperial soldiers, death truly was the only option.

***

I waited until the next day to report my findings to Abel and the generals. Once I had relayed the information and told them how I had gotten it, they stared at me in disbelief.

“You infiltrated the imperials all by yourself?!” General Wheeler shouted, and I winced at his booming voice. Noticing my reaction, he lowered his voice. “How could you do something so reckless, Lady Guardian?”

“He’s right, Audrey.” Abel chimed in. “Even with your divinity, that was still a crazy thing to do.”

“Well, it turns out the enemy doesn’t even see me as a threat, so it was fine,” I said, trying to shrug off the stares. “I just wanted to be useful.” My sentence was cut off by a yawn that I tried to hide behind my hand.

“Did you not sleep last night?” Abel asked concerned. “How long were you scouting?”

I shook my head at his concern. “No… I was back before midnight, but I had a rough time actually falling asleep. I just kept seeing the blank stares of the imperial soldiers.” My body shuddered with the thought, and another yawn came over me, causing Abel to give me a relaxed smile now that I’d reassured him I hadn’t been out all night.

“I see.” He patted me on the shoulder and gestured for Lucia to walk me out. “Go take a nap for a bit, and let us plan with the new information you’ve brought. Thank you for the hard work, Audrey.” I was a little reluctant just to leave, but I was starting to get very tired, even though it wasn’t even noon yet.

“Alright… I think I will. Goodnight.” I told everyone my sleepiness made me forget to address the generals with the proper etiquette. Lucia guided me back to my tent, explaining the situation to Hailey when we ran into her. When I finally laid back down on my cot, I practically fell asleep instantly and found myself in my goddess’s divine plane for the first time in a while. I breathed a sigh of relief because I knew my body would actually get some rest if I were here.

“Does this mean it’s story time?” I asked lightly, sitting down at the table that appeared in front of me. Aurora hovered slightly nearby, her face warped with anxiety before she finally decided to sit down as well.

“It’s best for me to just get this over with.” She took a deep breath, her golden eyes flickering with emotion. “As you know, while I haven’t had many guardians through the eons, you aren’t my first. The incident that caused my sister to hide away happened with our previous guardians about seven hundred years ago by your current calendar.” I listened intently as she began to relay the story.

***

Memories flooded me as I began to tell Audrey about the past. It felt like I was actually transported back to that time with Ulysses and Ezekiel. The war that had nearly destroyed the continent back then had been even worse than the empire’s current conquest.

“Please be careful, Ulysses,” I said through our bond as my guardian and his brother, Ezekiel, ran through the destroyed fortress of the woman who would become known in history books as the ‘demon king.’

“We’ll be just fine, my goddess,” Ulysses said back with a smile, even though I could sense his genuine fear at their upcoming battle. Whether these two men won or lost would determine the fate of this world for centuries.

“Don’t worry so much, sister.” I turned to find Azure standing behind me in my divine plane. Her vibrant platinum hair and silver eyes stood out against the emptiness of my dimension. She had a beautifully confident smile on her face that infected me as well. “Zek and Uly will emerge the winners of this little battle.”

Her casual use of our guardian's names comforted me, and I couldn’t help but be filled with faith in our victory. “You’re right, Azure.” Fate had made our guardians a pair of brothers whose bond rivaled ours in strength. There was no way for us to lose.

My sister came up behind me with a hug and laughed. “Zek says to stop worrying, too.” I could see the golden-haired hero through my bond with Ulysses and feel my guardian's pure respect for his older brother. I watched as my guardian brushed some of his long, silver hair away from his eyes, and the brothers paused briefly before entering the throne room where the final battle waited.

“Let’s do this, Ulysses,” Ezekiel said calmly, and my guardian nodded his head in agreement.

“We will win, no matter what.”

Had I been more attentive, I may have noticed the grim determination that flooded Ulysses at that moment. But I was so focused on our victory that the reality that came to pass extolled a significant cost. Yavera, Xenis’s divine guardian of war, was much stronger than any of us had anticipated. She had single-handedly taken on both brothers and nearly won.

“Is this all the great deities of the primordial day and night have to offer?!” She shouted, raising her staff to unleash another volley of her dreaded blood magic. Ezekiel blocked it with a wave of his golden fire, his power significantly boosted by his light magic. Yet, as the battle continued, Yavera only grew stronger with each drop of blood spilled from our guardians. Even if they healed themselves with holy magic, the war guardian’s strength was outpacing their stamina.

Battered and bleeding, Ulysses tells his brother he has a plan. I could sense his desperation but couldn’t bring myself to stop him. “Ezekiel. Distract her for thirty seconds. That’s all I need to end this.”

If Azure’s guardian hadn’t been distracted by the fight, maybe he could have convinced his brother there was another path. “All right, Ulysses. I trust you.” With a shared nod, Ulysses disappeared into the shadows, and Ezekiel charged Yevera with everything he had, doing everything in his power to give his brother an opening.

“What is this? Did the night guardian turn tail and run?!” Yevera taunted, her mind teetering on the edge of insanity from the sheer power she was wielding. A massive explosion rang out as Ezekiel’s last-ditch effort collided against the war guardian’s power once more, and when the smoke cleared… Ezekiel was lying on the ground, struggling to stand up again. Yevera stood over him; her staff raised to deal the final blow when her body was suddenly wrapped in shadows.

“Hmph, so you’re still here?!” She screamed. “You think your pathetic magic can stop me?!” Yet, despite her attempts, she couldn’t free herself from the shadows, and I already knew why. I collapsed to my knees, gasping for breath as my Guardian’s final thoughts rang in my head.

“Thank you for everything, my goddess. Please take care of my brother.” I wept silently as Azure panicked at my expression. Neither she nor Ezekial knew what was about to happen.

Ulysses revealed himself as the shadows surrounding Yevera, his eyes glowing a bright white as he unleashed every drop of divine power inside him. “This world is too bright for the likes of us, Yevera. Let me guide you to hell personally.”

The waves of power radiating from Ulysses sent Ezekial flying backward out of danger, and even as my guardian’s body fell apart, piece by piece, his stella invaded Yevera. Their stellas clashed and fought for dominance until Ulysses eventually disappeared in an explosion of light, taking their enemy with him. He had overridden Yevera’s divinity with his own through sheer determination to save his brother, sacrificing himself in the process.

“N-No…” Azure stepped away from my crying form, her own face twisted with grief. No doubt, a mixture of her own and Ezekiel's emotions flooding their bond at Ulysses’s death. I was so lost in the sudden emptiness I felt that I couldn’t stop Azure from retreating to her own divine plane.

***

“That was the last time I saw her…” Aurora said, her voice breaking. Tears fell down my face as the story ended.

“T-That’s so tragic.” It was the only word I could find to describe the horrific scenario I had just heard. No… I could almost see the memories myself.

“In the aftermath, Ezekiel was praised as a hero, and since Ulysses hadn’t stood out much, his part in the war was quickly forgotten and erased from history.” I could hear the hurt in her voice as she talked about her previous Guardian’s forgotten legacy.

“So… was Ezekiel…” I trailed off as she nodded.

“Yes. Azure’s previous guardian was Ezekiel Venyth, the founding hero-king of Venyth.”

I thought back to my lessons with Mr. Tressum when we covered this part of history early on in the year. “It’s said that Ezekiel was the divine guardian of fire, though,” I said.

“As for that… I’m unsure how that came to be.” She took a shuddering breath. “After Ulysses died, I lost my connection to the mortal realm, and since my sister closed herself off, I hadn’t been able to keep my promise.” To take care of his brother… “To make matters worse, I couldn’t keep track of the spirit born from Ulysses, either.”

“He… turned into a spirit?” I asked, confused.

“Ah… You don’t remember.” She said sadly. “Do you remember when you blacked out after saving Lydia from the assassin?” When I nodded, she continued. “The truth is, when a guardian uses too much divine power, their mortal body can’t handle the strain. While it allows the guardian to commit extraordinary feats, the consequences are permanent.” My goddess stopped and looked at me. “Their mind detaches from the physical plane, becoming a spirit with no memory of their former selves.”

My blood ran cold, the hairs standing up on my neck as an uncomfortable feeling settled in me.

“Are you saying that I nearly became a spirit that night?” When she nodded, I suddenly became nauseous.

“Luckily, I was able to convince you to remember ‘Audrey Rose,’ and you were able to reclaim your body. But…” As she trailed off, I picked up her thought.

“If it happens again, there will be no coming back.” I finished, and she looked away.

“I’m sorry for not telling you the details sooner, Audrey. All I could do was warn you not to overuse your stella.” I could understand her fear, so I shook my head in denial.

“There’s no need to feel sorry, Aurora. You’ve done nothing but protect me, and I know Ulysses felt the same way.” Maybe it was an insensitive thing to say since I wasn’t there. But a part of me knew it to be true.

My goddess could no longer hold back her tears, and she sobbed into her hands. “Thank you for saying that! It means more than you could know!” The table disappeared between us, and we hugged until no more tears were left in either of us.

When I felt myself waking up, I kissed Aurora’s cheek goodbye. “When the time comes for Azure’s guardian to awaken, I’ll help you repair things with your sister. Just as you did for me.” I whispered, and she nodded gratefully.

“We can talk more when you wake up. Goodbye, for now, my guardian.” The familiar flash of white was followed by my eyes cracking open to the sounds of the military camp going about it’s usual routine. All the information I had just learned was certainly a lot to digest, but I resolved to do everything I could to help. As all the pieces fell into place in my head, I smiled ruefully. I also need to update the report. The kingdom needs to know Xenis has returned… And the emperor is his divine guardian of war.

***

Far away, in the imperial capital. The bloodthirsty emperor sat on his throne, surrounded by riches, women, and fine food. He indulged to his heart’s content until a messenger arrived with urgency.

“Your Holiness.” the messenger said, dropping to one knee.

“You may speak.”

“We have received a report from our informant within the Kingdom of Venyth… Confirming a divine guardian among their army.” The emperor’s eyes flashed with interest that wasn’t directed at the usual sins he so loved, and as he heard the sinister voice of his god in his head, a wicked grin spread across his features. He leaned back with a manic laugh before giving a singular order.

“Let the war begin.”