Damien stepped onto the cobblestoned courtyard in the castle of Cirin. The place was chaotic as thousands of soldiers hurried from one location to the other. He moved forward, nodding back in greeting to the guards standing at the castle's large double doors.

Stepping into the castle proper, Damien took two turns, side-stepping the staffs as they carried on with their tasks while he admired the smooth, controlled chaos as both military and civilian personnel carried out one task after another.

He stepped into a large hall, his senses immediately, before his eyes, picking out the people awaiting his arrival.

It was Fenore who spoke first.

"How was the battle? We assumed that for it to warrant your personal intervention, it must have been beyond the ordinary."

"Yes, the armies were already being swarmed by Hive drones. If I hadn't intervened when I did, there might not have been any survivors left. Add that to the presence of the Torinian Clan chiefs, themselves, well…"

"I don't mean to presume, but I find it hard to believe that a few Clan chiefs or Hive swarms would be so powerful as to push you to withdraw,” SwordLord Danor said.

Damien nodded. "Shadow Hall paid me a visit," he said.

An instance of quiet enveloped the room, a deathly, still quiet, before Brunos spoke. "Shadow Hall?"

"At first it was just me against the Clan Chiefs. Two of them are dead, though, and I was weakened enough even against the remaining. I could have finished off the rest, but the Hands intervened," he explained.

"Hands? Shadow Hall must be really serious for them to send a couple of their Hands."

"A Cadre," Damien corrected.

"What?!" The whole room erupted.

"They didn't just send a couple; they sent a full cadre."

This time, the silence that came lasted far longer. Damien didn't blame them, a single average Spirit lord could hardly contend against a single Hand. Sending two against a target was a deadly sentence. Three was a guaranteed death. Damien had come across five and still lived to tell the tale. It showed how much his power had grown that Shadow Hall would send a full cadre of Hand-level assassins against him. And more importantly, it showed how desperate his enemies were to cut him down before he grew more powerful.

"How are you still alive?" Danor whispered.

Damien waved his hands nonchalantly. "Don't worry about it. There's a reason for everything. I'm sure this isn't going to be my last encounter."

"Do you know who put the contract on you?"

Damien nodded. "They exposed themselves by the extravagance of employing such level of experts. It would take the overall wealth of more than two major cities to be able to afford a full cadre. And we all know that any nation that can afford that would likely destabilize itself economically from the cost alone. Only a single person could afford such an amount without batting an eye..."

"Solaris."

Damien nodded. "Like I said, don't worry about it."

"Doesn't it worry you that he would stoop to paying such a steep price just to see you dead?"

Damien laughed gently. "Oh, I'm worried, alright. But since I can't do anything to avoid the arrow aimed at my heart, I might as well make use of its speed and trajectory to catapult myself higher, until their arrows can no longer reach me."

Brunos sighed. "I hope you know what you are doing. I am not proud or blind enough to ignore the major significance you hold in this war for dominion. Without you, we would be crushed like swatted flies."

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Damien stepped closer, placing a palm on the older man's shoulder. "Hopefully, I won't be going anywhere soon."

"If you say so, then, I will have to take you at your word.”

Damien nodded, satisfied. “How is the war on the other fronts?”

Brunos answered. “We have taken over the border cities of Cartsk, Telvu, and Corlsa, and are in the process of retrofitting them into staging grounds for our invasion into the Empire heartlands.”

Fenore continued. “Three of the great families, Aetheris, Tyria, and Rayun, have descended on the Empire's northern coasts. They have swept over and captured over four cities on their paths. Queen Yuseria sends her regards.”

Damien nodded, turning toward the sword lord, Danor.

“My disciples have infiltrated the border city of Yohle. Although they aren't trained infiltrators, they should be able to carry out their tasks efficiently. Though, they might encounter some problems.”

“Acceptable. The southern coastal cities are the only ones remaining before the noose begins to tighten around the Empire, but I predict fierce opposition seeing as those coastal cities have a direct route to the capital.”

“And we are forgetting the fact that the Emperor, himself, hasn't taken to the battlefield.”

Damien nodded. “Leave Solaris to me, he's my responsibility.”

“As you wish.”

“Alright then, if there isn't anything more, I'll be taking my leave. Do be cautious, though. I'm not personally familiar with Solaris much, so I'll give you the advice history taught the previous opposition. Solaris does not leave the kitchen.”

Damien nodded, making his way back out of the room. He took a corner, heading down and then coming up before a staircase. He smiled calmly as he walked up the stairs. He could have used the castle's internal transporter, but he needed the calmness that a simple stroll brought.

He took two more stairs before he came upon the open doorway of another waiting hall. The guards, recognizing him, bowed as they uncrossed their spears

"Hersk, how's the wife?" He addressed the man standing on the left.

The Monarch realm man, young in face but far older than Damien in actuality, grinned fiercely as he answered. "Twins, sir."

Damien stopped, a huge smile blooming on his face. "Twins?"

"A boy and a girl."

"Wow, congrats!" He stepped closer, giving the man a fierce shake and a friendly pat on the back. "Why are you still at work? You should be taking care of your wife."

"Well," the man rubbed the back of his head, an embarrassed look on his face. "She threatened to kick me into a mountain peak if I kept babysitting her."

"Ouch," Damien placed a palm on his chest. "Knowing Ceila, I don't doubt she wouldn't do it."

"Yeah."

"Anyway, congrats! I'll make sure to be there for the official naming ceremony."

Hersk adopted a hesitant look. "Uh, about that. I was wondering.... I–I mean, we were wondering i–if it would be possible for the high priestess to officiate the ceremony?"

"You want Menoe to officiate your children's naming ceremony?"

The man winced. "Don't worry about it, sir. It isn't my place to demand such precious time from her."

Damien brought his hands up, stopping the man. "Wait, wait. Hold on. I never said she wouldn't do it. Okay, here's this. I'll talk to her and see if she will be available on that day. Though, I won't promise you anything concrete, but let's see. When's the day?"

A hopeful smile ignited on the man's face. "Next Tuesday, sir."

"Well, till Tuesday, then," Damien said, already moving into the large waiting room. "Congrats once again, and send my greetings to the wife!"

Damien hadn't gone too far when Gray said with surprise. [Who are you?]

Damien, confused, asked. "What do you mean?"

[I haven't seen that side of you before.]

"What side?"

[The friendly neighborhood type. I thought you were all steam and anger.]

"Well, that's because you haven't known me for long."

[True, but the way you spoke with him implied a long acquaintance.]

"Oh, yeah. Me and Hersk go way back, a few months now. I met him at a bar in the city and he challenged me to a drinking contest," Damien smiled, walking past and nodding to everyone as they stooped and bowed.

[He challenged you?] Gray sounded flabbergasted.

"Yeah. Although he didn't know who I was back then, but that didn't stop him the second time," he continued smiling. "That man can soak in alcohol like a sponge. We still have an open contest going on."

[What contest?]

"Person with the most jugs"

[Isn't that dangerous? His body isn't like yours, he could die?]

"Nah, don't worry; I always have a healer on standby." Damien waved his hands, moving up another staircase and into a more prestigious section of the palace. This was a place where only foreign dignitaries and powerful figures stayed whenever they visited. Nobody below the Monarch realm was allowed in the section and even those were only let in when they had important duties to carry on.

[I can't imagine Queen Fenore letting you borrow one of the most important people In her kingdom just for a drinking contest.]

"Oh, she could say no, and the only thing I'd do is grumble and then promptly forget about it. But Fenore, deep down, fears angering me, and that stops her refusal."

[You are evil.]

Damien laughed, loudly. "No, I'm not. I'm just taking advantage of an opportunity."

They finally came to his destination, a huge, seven-foot door, sectioned off from the others in the long hallway. It was painted a dull bronze color and hummed to his senses.

Damien knocked, pulled the handle open, and stepped inside.

"Look who's home!"