They appeared in a quiet, tense, and unfamiliar room; a large oval meeting room of bright violet and black that accentuated a regal feeling. The high-backed chairs and the occupants sitting on them made Damien look like a supplicant in the presence of a council of judges.

"What is this?" He demanded, turning and making sure to take everyone in visually.

Of the other occupants in the room, Damien recognized a few; some he'd had minor scuffles with, and some were only first-time acquaintances. Most were people he hadn't met before, though, but he recognized them from their description. The sight of Menoe and his Emissaries sitting to his left didn't reduce the tension on his shoulders, though.

"You must be very powerful to require twelve Spirit lords just to summon you."

Damien turned to the speaker, a dark-haired woman of light complexion, putting on a dark maroon dress. Her violet eyes stared at Damien with a sort of calmness lacking by most in the room, though Damien could see through it into the tension locked within.

When Damien didn't respond, she continued. "I brought you here, just like everyone, to this gathering to find a way to sort through this vortex of self-destruction you all are so eager to jump into."

[Damien, that is a Spirit King, and not one in an avatar either.] Gray warned.

Keeping both his expression and body posture neutral, Damien calmly–though he was extremely tense inside–asked. "Who are you?"

The woman smiled, easily seeing through his concealed emotion. "Be at ease, I am not here beyond the need to plead with you all, non-aggressively, to desist from this war."

"Gray, is she telling the truth?" Damien said in his mind.

[She speaks the truth. I sense no deceit in her words.]

"Then what's she doing here in the first place, and with an ascended form no less."

[This Queen isn't a battle-oriented wielder, or the World Spirit wouldn't have permitted her presence on the planet. And judging from the essence I sense in her tightly restrained aura, she is seer.]

"A seer?"

[Yes, a seer. What, you thought only battle-oriented wielders could ascend to Spirit King?]

"No, not that. I wasn't aware there was a seer Queen, no less one who is interested in our matters enough to descend fully."

[Well, why don't you ask her, then?] Gray taunted.

"I'll do that."

Damien turned back to the woman. Although he and Gray's discussion had happened in an instant, the woman was perceptive enough to notice his brief lapse in concentration judging from the subtle, confused frown on her face. She didn't comment on it, though.

"While it is obvious you know me, I do not recognize you..." He left the sentence open.

The woman nodded. "Forgive my manners. My name is Selyria Molei, I am a Seer."

"You are a Spirit Queen."

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She smiled. "Sharp. I like it. Yes, I am."

"Why are you so interested in our matters?"

"Matter, singular. In all honesty, I care not for how you run yourselves."

"But you're here, now. For our matter?"

She nodded. "Yes," she waved toward two empty high-backed chairs close to his Emissaries. "Please take a seat."

Damien and Keilan moved, walking up the platform their chairs were placed on top to take their sit beside each other.

When they were finally seated, the woman addressed the whole room. "Until a few days ago, I had no desire to interfere in any manner whatsoever in your fights. I am generally a very hands-off person, only interfering when there is a threat of apocalyptic nature beyond the imaginable."

"Are you a doombringer?" Someone asked from the area occupied by the nature cult.

"In a way, high priestess," Selyria acknowledge. "I warned of the imminent destruction on the Norelane continent–desolate, as you now call it– but the Nesene family, who led the continent, heeded my warning too late. You can see the result of it now."

"We know that unimaginable destruction is going to be wrecked on the whole world because of this war, you don't need to remind us" a man said from one corner.

"No, lord Fyre, you don't, or else you would avoid this oncoming war like a plague," she looked at everyone. "Last time I divined destruction of such scale, an entire continent full of life and beauty was turned into a desolate husk of itself, with cataclysmic wandering storms. I can assure you that this time... It is much worse."

The quiet room became heavy, a gloomy feeling befalling everyone.

"What sort of destruction does it have to be to surpass the desolation of a continent?" Someone asked.

"I don't know," Selyria replied.

"You don't know?"

"Yes, because I did not see the results. Everything is suddenly consumed in deep blue and Emerald, and then... Nothing."

"Nothing?" Keilan said skeptically.

"Yes, nothing, Mr. Elason. I did not see the aftermath."

Everyone immediately turned to the Nature cult since they were the only ones whose essence came in Emerald.

High priestess Desane said calmly. "The Nature cult has no plans of such undertakings, at least that I know of."

They then turned towards the Winter Cultists. "We also do not have any plans of that capacity."

Despite their clear assurance, Damien could still see unbelief on the faces of all gathered, but they clearly couldn't do anything about it. Seeing that, Menoe again, spoke. "I can see you do not believe us, but let me assure you; The Winter Cult has no ill will towards you all."

Damien turned to Gray. "Do you know what she's talking about?"

Gray was uncharacteristically silent for a while, and then he quietly murmured. [This is not good. They shouldn't be moving this early.]

"What are you rambling about? What do you mean?"

But Gray didn't answer his question. Instead, he said. [I'll have to ramp up your training or all will be doomed.]

Damien was about to push further when he was interrupted. He turned to Keilan who had tapped him on the arm. "What?"

"Mr. Elason?"

"Uh hmm?" Damien turned to Selyria.

"I was asking if you would be amenable to reconciling this war?"

The room erupted in an uproar as multiple angry voices were raised. All from the Great families.

"Why ask him such a question?"

".... He does not speak for us..."

".... I don't recall him being made our leader..."

"... This is an affront to our authority..."

".... You disrespect us...."

But despite it all, the clergy for both Nature and Winter cults – the truly powerful – waited for his answer.

For his part, Damien considered it for a while before giving his answer. "I started on this path for revenge, to avenge those taken from me by the Empire. But despite being successful on my quest, I have since concluded on the fact that, until Solaris departs from his power-hungry conquering ways, I will continue battling him on every front."

"So in essence, what you are saying is that you will agree to an end to this war if Solaris does so?"

"Yes."

"Alright then, let us speak to Solaris."

"What answer do you expect from him? He doesn't have the full context of this meeting." Someone said.

Selyria smiled. "This is a matter that concerns all, and as such Emperor Solaris has the right to know, and he has been made aware."

As soon as she finished speaking, a voice thundered down from every direction, without an origin. It was clear and authoritative. "I have listened, and I have made my decision; the only way this will end is on the condition that you all submit to me!"

Damien turned to Selyria, seeing her downturned face. "Well then, you have my answer."

Selyria shook her head sorrowfully. "Your pride will be the downfall of you all."

Damien wholeheartedly agreed with her; he knew that. But this was a situation where to back down meant complete subjugation, and he'd rather die than allow himself to be put in chains.