Menoe appeared in a large, sprawling ice fort, rising far high into the dark–stellar void of space, and spanning miles in diameter. Despite her being here in her soul-projected form, the chilling cold radiating from the colossal fortress could still be heavily felt.

Although, she was a Spirit Lady who practiced the arts of winter, appearing here in a soul form left her in a very vulnerable position–more than with her physical body.

Menoe paused, suddenly feeling suffocated and heavy as a chilling pressure descended. She looked above, seeing a gigantic large snowflake. It glowed frosty white as a figure materialized under it, beginning to descend.

Spirit Queen Aisene was the complete embodiment of chilling. Snow white hair drifted onto a body almost matching in color. Her cold, frosty, white-blue piercing eyes looked over Menoe as she appeared, as if taking in her figure for the first time.

"Well met, Menoe," Aisene stretched her hands from the long sky-blue dress she was wearing, which was embellished with hundreds of half crescents all over.

"Well met, Aisene," Menoe replied, stretching her hands, also admiring the well-manicured snowy blue nails.

"You seem... Nervous."

"Well, you never gave me time to prepare."

"I'm sorry about that. Even I was caught on short notice. And unlike the previous times, this one required you to be present."

"Forgive me if I overstep, but can I ask why I was being summoned? Especially when the world down below is heading into chaos."

"Stop that, Menoe. How many times do I have to tell you not to apologize or act all apologetic around me? I have others doing it for me, I don't want you joining them."

Menoe nodded, "Noted."

"And to answer your second question, it was deemed very important that you be present to witness what is about to take place. It is paramount for the incoming war."

"And what if Solaria decides to attack while I am up here?"

"Trust me, they won't."

A giant snowflake suddenly appeared below their feet, rising to swallow both of them. When the snowflake finally dispersed, their figures were already gone.

***

They appeared at the entrance of a large cathedral-like double door; Soo tall Menoe found it hard to see the top, and that was putting into account her Spirit lady's perception.

In front of the doors, she looked tinier than an ant standing next to a full-grown human.

"From here on out, we carry out any discussion telepathically. Understood?"

Menoe nodded.

She waited as Aisene led the way, the woman gliding on the silver floor made of some smooth metal–glass structure that stretched from hundreds of miles behind down to the cathedral doors, and into them.

Menoe couldn't tell what kind of building it was, with the only thing visible to her eyes and senses being the doors.

They walked down towards the door, and as they approached, Menoe slowly began feeling a faint sense of suppression in her soul. Her eyes opened wide as she finally figured out what, or whom, was behind those doors. A few more steps in, and the faint feeling suddenly turned up a notch higher, flowing into a full-on crushing suppression. Unable to maintain resistance and keep her from moving, she staggered, as if a soul could even do that.

Aisene turned back towards her, frowning at first, before it finally clicked, "Oh, I'm sorry, I totally forgot you couldn't handle this amount," She apologized. "And those gullyheads in there can't help but blast out their auras," She murmured. "A bunch of old men forgetting that they're too old to be partaking in childish stupid dick measuring contest."

Aisene aura immediately bloomed, but instead of the cold-crushing feeling it usually projected, this time it had the feeling of protection, and preservation.

"Come on."

Approaching the door, Menoe stretched out her hands to feel the texture and form of the door, finding it somewhat metallic and rubbery at the same time.

Her real shock came when they passed through, Aisene immediately forsaking her 6ft stature in favor of growing to the height of thousands of feet, looking so colossal Menoe couldn't even see past her lower stomach.

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

"Do not panic. This is just a formality."

They arrived in what looked like a large oval room. Menoe didn't know how to put it in words how large the room was. Picture a humanoid figure thousands of feet tall, taller than any mountain. Now, picture a room capable of holding multiple of these figures with more space to spare; that was how large the room was.

Although she couldn't see the ceiling, she could still make out what were millions of twinkling lights of a variety of colors, just slowly drifting and floating about.

Equally as tall and running around the entire room were glowing crystal pillars of dozens of colors. In addition to the twinkling lights, together they lit up the room in a heavenly glow.

A colossally large and inverted half-crescent table ran around the room, both edges stopping as they faced the door.

Behind those tables were equally large thrones of various colors, glowing and blazing with immense powers–some thrones more than others. There was a deep Emerald throne, blazing with life, healing, and nature. Another throne of bloody crimson red emitted the feeling of an all-consuming hunger. The one which she was sure was meant for Aisene blazed a cold frosty aura to just bring a stop to everything–to freeze the entire world.

But despite all those thrones, there was one that truly drew Menoe's attention. It didn't glow or blaze the most; on the contrary, the feeling it emitted was of something in its nascent form–something new. But Menoe recognized the aura it emitted nonetheless, a feeling to consume all by just its passing. The all-consuming feeling it emitted was similar to that of the Crimson Throne, but it also lacked the primal feeling of the Crimson Throne.

Menoe looked around, seeing other colossal forms, all putting on expensive attires that outwardly broadcasted power for even the blind to see.

Menoe didn't take it to heart when none of them declined to even look at her nor acknowledged her presence, but she also didn't kowtow towards them, keeping her movements and attitude regal, as a high priestess should be.

As they moved towards the Icy throne, Aisene dished out and received greetings which came in the form of nods and "Well met."

The moment Aisene took her seat, her throne glowed, and a light ringing sound echoed through the whole room.

"What is this place?" Menoe asked, her eyes sweeping through the wondrous room.

"This," Aisene answered, her powers wrapping around Menoe and lifting her far up until she came shoulder level with Aisene. Then a tiny chair was created, sculpted out of manifesting ice. Menoe noticed that all through the instant of its construction, anything that might identify it as a throne was removed, made thoroughly to look like a simple chair. She didn't question why. "Is the iridescent hallroom.... Where the Council of Kings meet to discuss matters of imports."

Menoe frowned, "What does this have to do with the world below?"

"You've no doubt watched the beings present in this room. Can you tell me what you noticed about all of them?"

Confused, Menoe looked again.

The first person that she noticed was a human. A sandy brown hair that whipped through the air even though wind didn't blow here. He was wearing a simple brown coat and looked bored as he eyed the room. He looked like someone spoiling for a fight.

The second person was an elf–a sun elf to be specific. Glowing golden skin with matching golden hair and eyes. He looked like he was made of gold. The only thing identifying him as an elf was his pointy ears, and he was strangely familiar.

Familiar...

Menoe's head immediately whipped around, taking in some of the other people that were here. While they all had features that would be described as otherworldly, most of them were in a way–somewhat–familiar. Even through all the new features.

Now, being the high priestess of the Winter Cult on the planet, and having lived more years than most of the Spirit lords on the planet, Menoe had come across most–if not, all the ruling powers on the planet. She had attended hundreds of functions, and as someone of extreme import, she had been approached and introduced to the ruling powers of the planet.

"These are the Great families."

Aisene smiled, "Correct."

The Great Families were some of the oldest ruling families, with roots dating back thousands of years.

They weren't the only ones with roots like that, but they were the only ones still standing.

Years ago, there had been 7 Great families still ruling, but the cataclysm that devastated the Norelane continent–Now Desolate–had all but completely erased the whole family that had their territory on the continent. The survivors–small amounts who had been off the continent when the destruction took place–were now only considered amongst the elite only in name, with very little power to back it up.

"You should know better than most how the Great families failed woefully during the last war when they should have acted to curb Solaris' growing power during his early stages, and instead, they sat back and watched, thinking him a tiny flame that would soon burn out. That was their first and greatest mistake.

"And when they then saw that the tiny flame was turning into a forest fire, they made their second mistake. Instead of moving together to quash him, they left him to the jurisdiction of the Fyre's. We all know how that went. It took years for the Fyre's to recover from the massive causalities they incurred."

Finally understanding, Menoe said, "That was the reason the war stalled when it did. If Solaris had continued his war of conquest after just humiliating one of the families, the rest–even those outside the continent–would have then ganged up on him."

"Correct. I'll give that man credit, he might have been power hungry, but he knew how to control his urges."

Menoe nodded, reluctantly agreeing, "So, what now?"

"Now, we're here to discuss what happens next. Solaris has decided to descend, despite already becoming Spirit King. That is something the other families won't look away from. The Fyre's, the Handr's, and the Salron's have advocated to also be allowed to descend."

Menoe's eyes opened wide in shock, "But that's preposterous. The planet is already in chaos as it is; the descent of multiple Spirit Kings–even in lesser avatars–is something the civilizations down there can't handle. The World spirit won't stand for it."

Aisene nodded, "Yes. That is why we are gathered here. Watch, and be prepared."

And just in time, the entire hall glowed a blinding silver as multiple figures arrived, their titanic forms blazing with catastrophic powers.