The core system of the Imperium was an exquisite blend of artificial beauty and might. The star system, an unusual in a fringe galaxy, was comprised of four mid-sized planets arranged in a geometric formation, reminiscent of a colossal box, if such a box stretched light years apart in both widths and heights. And situated in the center of this celestial arrangement was a massive planet, a behemoth four times the size of its neighbors, its surface shimmering with an aura of raw power that warped the very fabric of space for light-years around.
Encircling this formation were ten moons, encircling and revolving around the planets in a mesmerizing dance.
And in separate corners of the system, three brilliant orbs of fiery energy hovered like vigilant guards: System guardians. Their radiant might was so imposing that space melted in their presence.
"What?!" The voice of the Supreme Primarch rumbled through his entire existence, shaking his being from the physical and into the Spiritual.
Fearing the consequences should his answers not be taken kindly, yet also fearing death should he refuse to answer, No'reth bowed deeper. "We couldn't find the Fragment."
No'reth only knew how close he'd come to death after he'd been saved. In the sky, in perfect view to all, a moon, out of nowhere, suddenly turned to dust, wiped out in an instant.
"Calm, brother," his savior said, wind essence flickering around him as his wings flared, its shadow blanketing the entire hall. "Or your wrath will see this planet dead."
No'reth agreed, and so did the World Spirit, if the subtle quiver he felt was of any indication.
"How do you expect me to be calm, Ko'seth?!" Supreme Ty'ranth roared. "My fragment is gone! No doubt stolen by that old bat's spawn!"
No'reth felt the Primarch's fury as a physical force, so thick and powerful that it made his knees buckle. He felt it as the planet physically trembled, earthquakes no doubt occurring in various locations on the planet.
"You," Primarch Ko'seth turned towards No'reth, eyes boring down into him like they could see into his entire existence, and that was probably true. Ascendants were still unknown even to Divine Kings like him.
"I assume you conducted an origin reading? What was the answer?" It demanded.
No'reth dearly wanted to shrink into himself, becoming invisible, if it meant getting away from those piercing emerald eyes. But he remembered the Aveanii pride and stood up straight, though he kept himself from flaring his wings. That could easily be taken as a challenge.
"Nothing, lord Primarch," No'reth said steadily.
The Primarch's eyes kept boring into him, which prompted him—with a little gulp—to continue.
"Multiple of us read the vault and also the prison; there was no evidence of the theft," No'reth said. "Our conclusion at the time was that the culprit was a Shadow wielder, probably from the Hall, b—"
"Enough!" The Supreme Primarch cut him off, its mere voice shutting down No'reth's existence for a brief second.
"Shadow Hall are not aware of the fragment in our possession," the Supreme Primarch said, facing its sibling. "And even if they knew, they wouldn't dare to rob me."
Primarch Ko'seth nodded slowly. "An ascendant moving anywhere close to the vault would have instantly drawn our attention, which leaves one of the prisoners as the culprit."
"What about the Verille Divine King?" No'reth's mouth snapped shut as soon as the question came out. He bowed his head as the two ascendants turned towards him.
"I spoke without permission," No'reth said with grim resignation. "I offer my life as compensation."
With blatant disregard, both attention immediately turned from him, no doubt wiping him from mind until they needed him again.
Surprisingly, Primarch Ko'seth choose to indulge his question. "The very fact that the Verille Divine King is still alive is evidence enough that he was nowhere close to the fragment."
"This makes it all the more worse, doesn't it?" The Supreme Primarch said. "One of the escaped prisoners is with my prize, and we don't know which one it is." Instantly, No'reth felt it as the essence all over chilled. Not just in his environs but the entire world. The will of a being above everyone else unfurled, quelling all others. "Give me one reason why I shouldn't go over there right now and take back what is mine?"
No'reth felt like a tiny branch against the raging river that was the will of the Supreme Primarch, a tiny branch that would have been swiftly swept away had it not been for the massive rock standing in front of him, shielding him from the full effects of the Supreme's wrath; but even he knew how quickly a rock could crumble under the weight of a river.
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"Brother," Primarch Ko'seth's voice was calm. "You know very well how ill-advised that would be. A movement from you will surely draw greater attention, including those from the core dominions. Barging into the heart of the alliance with nothing but a skeleton plan would swiftly see our endeavor fail spectacularly. No doubt, your first opponent will be the Duchess."
"I do not fear her," Supreme Ty'ranth growled, its golden orb-for-eyes glowing almost as bright as the System guardians hovering in the system above.
"And you should not," Primarch Ko'seth said. "You are a Supreme Primarch, a being on the threshold; and she is still just an ordinary Primarch, yet do not forget, we could see ourselves losing should we underestimate her. And let's not forget the others. This is not a battle we are ready for, yet."
Slowly, the Supreme Primarch calmed, and an instant later, the looming will hanging over the entire world, like an executioner's axe, died down.
"You have a plan," the Primarch Ty'ranth said. "Otherwise you wouldn't be so calm about this."
No'reth sensed the amusement of the second ascendant, and he couldn't help the shiver that passed through him at that. He preferred the calm nonchalant he'd been shown.
"They shouldn't be far," Primarch Ko'seth began. "Xirou cannot leave his guard post for long, which means he will be dropping them at one of their fringe worlds and heading off. I have set the owl specie in our ranks after them. Once the Verille King is gone, they are to bring back all the escapees."
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Merak hovered over the wreckage of what had once been the intact body of a dead world. The planet that had been desert-consumed, although still whole, was now a mess of floating rocks and all sorts of discarded minerals left behind from when the World Spirit was still alive.
While his eyes stayed on the planet, his senses swept over the entire star system, taking in every presence within it.
There wasn't a system guardian seeing as this World Spirit had been one of the few who'd decided to move away from its original location and into an unknown, probably to avoid being subjected to the whims of Ascendants in need of a place to call their own. The only presences he could detect, aside from his own, were those of the thousands of Aveanii's swarming the place, Multiple Divine Kings amongst them.
They couldn't detect him, as they should not. Divine Kings had no business catching the presence of an Ascendant in stealth, especially one of his caliber. The same was also said for the other ascendant—an Aveanii — supervising over the entire investigation.
Behind him, reality tore as a portal opened. Merak didn't turn, he already knew who it was. And like him, the new individual's presence was also undetected.
"This must be good, Merak," Leceia grumbled. "I had to leave a truly good meal unfinished."
Merak didn't apologize. Instead, he nodded at the floating wreck littering this portion of space. "Look through the origins of this planet."
The other Ascendant eyes narrowed at him, but still, she acquiesced, focus turning down on the planet.
It took only the blink of an eye for her to raise her head. "I do not see anything worth my attention, except for the presence of your ward." She cocked her head. "Wasn't he supposed to be sent to Lese? How come he's on an Aveanii outpost combating Spirit Kings?"
"I wondered the same thing," Merak said. "And I did the same thing you just did, yet I found no reason why the boy should have appeared here."
He took a deep breath despite no longer needing to. Old habits die hard. "Look again, specifically at the place of his arrival."
With a frown on her face, Leceia did so. Merak saw it as her face went through different emotions. Curiosity, surprise, and then shock.
"The entire thing has been wiped away, cleaned out of reality. I had to struggle through to get so much as a glimpse of them arriving here," She said with wide eyes. "I assume this is the work of the Minder construct?"
Merak nodded. "Gray, as he prefers to be called, would not have been so thorough had nothing important taken place. It took a little listening in on the conversation of the Aveanii Supreme and his brother to understand what had happened."
The way the other Ascendant's eyes bored into him told him how intrigued she was now.
"Someone has been fortunate enough to acquire a Fragment," Merak said.
"Who?" She moved closer.
Merak raised an eyebrow. "You know I can't say the name. We do not know who else could be attracted to this." He nodded back downwards. "Look closer."
Frowning, but understanding what Merak was getting at, Leceia obliged, continuing her scan. Although her focus had mainly fallen on the boy, Damien, he had no doubt that she had already taken notice of the adopted brother.
The woman sucked in a breath. "Both Ascendants and Transcendants will hunt him down should they learn of this." She whispered, horror plain on her face.
Merak nodded grimly. A fragment, inconsequential as it might look, was something every being with the burning ambition for the peak actively sought.
Leaving aside the fact that the Cult of The Unceasing Air would never leave a fragment of their Celestial in the hands of a person who wasn't among them, and who surely would never be, the other Ascendants and Transcendants with fragments of their own and who were always looking to acquire more would never leave the boy intact.
They'd tear out his soul to get what they want.
"I assume now you have to take him in under your protection?" Leceia finally said.
"He was already under my protection, by association. This just finalizes everything." He shook his head. "I'll have to inform the Sapphire Masters of this new development."
Leceia nodded, and a portal began forming close by, signaling her departure. She stopped just at the edge.
"Why do you have to protect him?" She asked. "We could simply take your original ward and leave the adopted brother for the wolves to find. After all, I don't think he's important to the plans of whatever is brewing."
Merak eyed the other woman. And they said Leceia was smart. "I don't know the full extent of what is happening, but the little I've been able to grasp tells me that the boy —Damien—is destined for something important. I don't know about you, but I do not want to face his wrath when he finds out what we did to his brother."
Without another word, the woman stepped into the portal, shutting it off behind her.