Lady Lust was not a woman who worried often, when you were one of the strongest in a world of strength you did not fret often. But she could not help but be perturbed by her new lord’s mood. She knew him, far better than most, having been the one to train him since childhood. One could even say she knew him better than his kin. In truth, they would not be mistaken to believe as such.

What she saw worried her greatly; the young man she’d practically raised was troubled. No matter how he tried to hide it she had known him for far too long for him to fool her. Her king sat before her, shifting through parchment after parchment, as he grew increasingly annoyed with the process. It was almost comical, a man at the head of one of the most dangerous races on the planet. Grumbling at having to sift through a bevvy of women who wanted to marry him and have his children.

No…no, it was absolutely comical, the leader of clan lust thought to herself. A broad grin halved her face even as the young ruler glared up at her when he noticed her amusement. A hand came up to wave her fingers at him and she was sure if the younger man’s face was visible she would see his brow twitching.

“Is there something you need, teacher?” The man asked, words sharp as a speartip.

“Nothing in particular.” She admitted the words hanging in the air for a moment.

The man lifted his gaze to meet hers, the holes of his mask an endless void that hid his eyes. The older ruler briefly rubbed her hands, as a sudden chill ran through her. Lord Wrath waved a hand and a maid stepped forward dutifully. Elvina was a slight woman and a full head shorter than Lady Lust. She dipped into a curtsy before the two nobles, her head bowed in respect, making her sandy brown bangs drop around her face before she righted herself.

“Refreshments, if you would.” The man spoke softly to the servant, nodding to her.

“Certainly my lord, excuse me.” She pardons herself, disappearing out of sight.

“Sit, my mentor, I need a break from this monotony.” Wrath sighed, leaning back into his chair he folded his arms across his chest.

The woman hummed at the request, waving a hand. A chair flashed into existence behind her and she took a seat. Clasping her hands in her lap she looked upon the man with curiosity, memories of days long past coming to her unbidden.

“What of your dealings with the church?” He questioned, chuckling at the annoyed huff his former tutor let out in response.

“Nothing new, cleanse the traitors, spread the word.” A hand waved dismissively at the subject.

“They do important work, Sword Matron.” She couldn’t see his face, but one could almost feel the smirk on his lips.

“You’ve become rather sarcastic in your manhood.” She snorted at him, amused.

“I learned from the best.” He snarked back at her, failing to hide a snicker of his own.

“Damn right you did.” Lady Lust affirmed, joining him.

The return of Elvina put a pause to the merriment, the woman carrying a large tray of sweets. Setting the bevvy of treats down she bowed and exited the room, shutting the door behind her. Lady Lust wasted no time picking out of the assortment in front of her, a pasty with some form of yellow fruit in the centre, biting into it her face transformed into one of pure bliss.

“Still weak to your sweets I see.” Lord Wrath spoke, not reaching for the tray himself.

“Oh, but they are just so good, my student!” She practically purred in delight at the flavours assaulting her tongue.

“If only it were so simple to make the other lords and ladies happy.” He responded, voice flat.

“I mean, you’ve never tried it.” Lady Lust shrugged, licking the tips of her fingers.

“I’ll send pastries and sweets to every lord and lady!” The ruler of the clans exclaimed in false excitement, lifting a doughnut in salute.

“Mayhaps even send them to the other high lords of the Blessed?” She japed, sniggering at the thought.

“HA,” The younger ruler’s shoulders shook with the sudden bark of laughter,” I could only imagine, I can see it now, the look on the Elf King's face!” He leaned back in his chair, throwing his head back, cackling long and hard.

The Lady of House Lust smiled to herself at the sight, it was rare to see her pupil lose himself like this. Soon enough, however, her lord recomposed himself. He stood, walking around the ornate desk to sit on the other side, looking down at her.

“We sure do live in interesting times…”The words trailed off, the man before her seemingly distracted from his thoughts.

“Your Majesty?” Lady Lust spoke softly, the younger Blessed looking back at the words.

“Just thinking about the Fang.” He supplied, humming to himself.

“They’ve grown far more powerful than we thought.” Lady Lust agreed, a grimace marrying her face.

He snorted at her words, a vast understatement, to say the least. Not only had The Fang Brotherhood grown in size over the last century or so, they even had members strong enough to engage his lord father directly and win. True, they had done so through the use of a demon blade and not open combat. But in the end, the result had been the death of his sire, something they wouldn’t have dared attempt a millennia ago.

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The Fang Brotherhood, a traitorous house that had allied itself with the Lords of the Abyss during the second cycle. Once known as the House of Pride they had been the ruling family before their betrayal came to light. When it was found that they had chosen to ally themselves with the archenemy of the Gods the other houses rose behind the House of Wrath. Soon the Lord of Pride found himself surrounded on all sides by enemies. To betray the very Gods that had blessed them in the first place was a sin beyond measure and a stain upon the entirety of their race. The Lord of Pride, his sons, his forces and even his servants had been exterminated to the last. For a time, that was thought to be the end of it. How wrong they had been, for the House of Pride had survived through the female line. Now, in the fifth cycle, the two factions had been warring for millennia.

“Every time we think we wipe them out they come out of the mud like the rats they are.” Wrath hissed at the thought of the vermin.

“They do seem to be rather difficult to get rid of don’t they?” His mentor smiled bitterly, thinking of days thousands of years gone.

“Again and again we wipe them out and always they persist,” He growled out. “It’s not bad enough that they are everywhere, but they breed like fucking rats too!” He stood then, beginning to pace.

“I don’t understand how they are so numerous, when they sold themselves to the abyss did it grant them some dark boon?” He turned to his teacher, not genuinely expecting her to have an answer.

“The Blessed have always had fewer children than other races,” Lady Lust agreed, uncertain as well. “Why I remember when you and your siblings were born so close to each other the high priestess Daria thought it a miracle from the Gods!”

“Urg, don’t remind me of that woman.” Wrath looked away, disgust in his voice.

“Oh dear, now what reason would you have to disagree with a servant of the Divine?” The woman giggled behind her hand.

“There’s a difference between worship and zealotry, she is the latter.” A shudder went through him, even thinking of the woman made his skin crawl.

“Oh to say such things, she’ll have you on your knees praying for a year for that!” Lady Lust chortled at the annoyed huff he sent her way.

“I’ll be sure to drag you with me,” He promised.”Surely, as my mentor, you are partly to blame for my lack of true faith.” The woman swiftly stopped laughing at that, a sick look on her face.

“By the worship of the one thousand Gods shall you find clarity and redemption,” He intoned, a parody of the high priestesses' own words. “Let their light fill your breast and let your every action be unto them, for what are we but extensions of their divine will and might!” He raised his hands in reverence with the holy symbol of the church, the half-eclipsed sun, dangling from a beaded necklace. The twin moons of the world, Leovis and Vorix before the star of Xal.

“I’m sorry I brought it up…” The older woman admitted, barely holding in laughter.

“I worship the one thousand Gods as much as the next man but that woman is insane.” Lord Wrath muttered to himself.

“The Gods blessed our kind for our service in the first cycle,” Lady Lust pointed out. “We are the first to be blessed by them, is it so strange that some would resort to such zealotry?”

“No, but that doesn’t make it any less disconcerting.” He shot back, leaning on the desk in thought.

The one thousand Gods of the world were beings that were both beloved and feared in the world of Xendrada. The Divine Monarchs of this world and the ones beyond. It was said that they had existed before the seas, before the stars, before reality itself. They resided within The Azure Sanctum, beyond the void that lay between the mortal realms and the home of the Divine.

“Yet she holds a great deal of power, Sister Daria may be rather…fanatical in her faith, but it is through that strength of faith that she has swayed many to her cause.” The woman sighed, bringing a hand up to tuck a crimson lock behind an ear.

“That’s a humorous way of saying she has created a holy order under the Twilight Church,” Wrath chuckled dryly. “The Churches of Dawn and Dusk must chafe at such a thing.” He went silent for a moment.

The Dawn Church believed that the way to holiness was through becoming as close to the Gods as possible. By following their tenets and seeking to become pure in the eyes of the Gods, they would be saved. One would often see a dawn priest preaching their doctrines in city squares, or offering advice to those in their darkest hours.

The Dusk Church believed in a more worldly doctrine, that through bettering themselves in the mortal realms they would be saved. Where a priest of dawn would embolden followers with healing magic and words of faith. A dusk priest would hand out bread to the starving and build a shelter for those same starving.

Both with the same goal, yet such differences had created strife in ages past. Bloody holy wars were waged between the two sub-faiths and entire empires were turned to ruin in the holy flames.

Then there was the Twilight Church, otherwise known as the anointed, the faith of all Blessed. The oldest of the three faiths by far, it was said the first Blessed Mask founded the church in the first cycle. They taught faith through battle, creation, sacrifice, death and rebirth. The Twilight Church taught that through creation and destruction were the Gods venerated. Even in death, when you entered the Veil, it was not the end and you’d be reborn in the mortal realms once again.

“Just another problem for my lord to keep track of.” Lady Lust teased, taking another pastry from the pile, this time a jelly-filled treat.

“Indeed teacher, mayhaps one day I will run out of such things.” The Lord of One Thousand nodded at his vassal’s words.

“Hehe, trust on an old woman your Majesty, the troubles never truly cease for those who rule.” She smiled at him, licking at the tips of her fingers.

“So it would seem…” He sighed as he took his seat once again.