Phase 5…
In the inner chambers of the temple of worship, a figure in gray robes meditated. Robes of leadership for a place like this. But despite being the arch minister, one who dishes orders, he chose to wear two symbols on his back. The half-eye of the cult, and the phoenix of the Astral Empire.
The blond man opened his eyes to address the woman who entered the room. The recruiter waved at him cheerfully. He did not return the wave, only gave she who bathed in the blood of her victims a frown. In fairness, the strict blond man frowned at everyone; however, he especially hated the overly cheery recruiter.
He recalled the news of her recent rejection. A count in a jail cell who accidentally triggered the Peace Spawner call. A count, someone with money to continuously add to their cause, yet the idiot fed him to a void-touched demonic beast. She reminded the man of the princess who killed his worthless son. Only physically attractive and as sane as a man imprisoned in a dark hole for years.
“What are you doing in my chambers, Mimi?” the man asked, his voice coated with disgust.
The young woman answered in a way that implied someone awarded her a million platinum coins. “I am here to report some good news, Arch Minister Zaster! That is, Master Ares has finally made contact with us,” she said. “He approached me and… well, here he is. He’ll tell you himself. Presenting, Master Ares the Peace Spawner. Standby!”
Zaster had no choice but to stand to attention, just in case this was the real deal and not another Ares-forbidden rumor. It wasn’t. The presence couldn’t be mistaken as it made itself known.
A man with white hair and red eyes simply appeared at Mimi’s side. He suddenly regressed into the form of a ten-year-old boy.
“Wanda’s ass, do you people know what a broom is?” Ares asked as he floated toward Zaster. And this test did in fact work to throw off the man, as he had no idea how to act. The rant continued. “A dimension of darkness is depressing enough. If you’re going to create a temple in my honor, learn to keep it clean. Hire cleaning staff, maids.” He manifested a cloth out of thin air and smacked Zaster with it. It didn’t actually hit the man, but the force from it destroyed the entire temple. Only scraps of rock and metal surrounded Zaster and the confused people of one hundred that were allowed to be in this branch of the cult. “Uh. Wanda’s rowing bum, don’t mind that.”
With just a flick of his wrist, the temple instantly restored itself. Perhaps what Zaster witnessed was Ares the Peace Spawner reversing time somehow.
He fell to his knees, head to the floor.
“Oh Wanda, don’t start this again, it took much too long to get this one to stop from kissing the floor where I walked,” Ares said. “It is almost as disturbing as the time a certain princess drugged my drink and I ended up massacring a fourth of the capital.”
Zaster looked up, eyes wide and alarmed at such a revelation. But was it true? Rumors spoke of her old habit of consulting with gray alchemists, buying their exotic poison pills and dissolving them into three people’s drinks. She likely planned to do something like that to the hero, but to Ramon Thunderblade’s credit, the lad was smart enough to get the hell out of there. Zaster would love to add both him and Raider to the cult elites. But a project like that would take some time and convincing.
Zaster knew that Ares had let that slip on purpose. With his reputation already ruined, he virtually did what he wanted. Anyone that challenged him, died.
But the call of Ling. That was intentionally ignored according to the rumors. Could the reason be something as simple as to keep up the charade?
No, he may not have been fully responsible for the capital massacre, but he most certainly wiped out a dozen sects, academies, a city or two, and even the kingdom of Merridon’s old enemy. Merridon’s ruler suspected that he was searching for something. Others mentioned armies provoking him. Eventually, the world learned to never say his name and title.
“Stand up, Arch Minister,” the Peace Spawner commanded. “I have a job for your… organization. Assuming you can actually be more useful than whoever’s in charge of cleaning this place. Do you know why alchemists must have clean spaces? Hazard prevention.” His eyes narrowed. “Gather your elites. It is time for a story of a dwarf, his cosmic elf wife, and an oddly shaped, leather-coated, cotton-stuffed toad that can magically expand to the size of a lord’s manor.”
Zaster swallowed as Master Ares sat in a meditative position and rose as high as two men. “It is then you shall assassinate a few targets for me. Perhaps look for clues in regards to an item I’m on the hunt for.”
He looked at Zaster. “Astral duke, you may want to tell your angry wife you won’t be home tonight. Don’t worry, I’m sure she’ll love hearing that.”
The command slammed into Zaster, but he simply sighed. He constantly pissed off his wife to the point where he suspected she began sleeping around with the Red Knight. Her admiration of the so-called ambassador made it obvious. But no matter how virtuous that man pretended to be, he was just like the others of Merridon. Dead, soon-to-be-slaves of the empire, or reassigned citizens. Most wouldn’t mind anyway, since their Lord Ruler wasn’t a monarch. That and he likely cared little for his people.
Maximus Truestorm, the Lord Ruler, found himself sitting in a council chamber with his sons. The generals and princes of the kingdom. At his side stood Royal Advisor Monroe. On his right sat Queen Cerial.
Something was off about her this day, but Maximus didn’t have time to waste on soft matters. Meetings annoyed everyone, including royalty.
“Lixin, have you heard anything from the Red Knight today?” he asked.
Lixin, a muscular man that spent most of his time assisting with the physical training of the armies, grunted. Hair cut short, green eyes dull, and a no-nonsense manner made up this son of Maximus.
But the Lord Ruler wasn’t sure if he could truly believe that his son was nothing more than a muscleman. Maybe if he hadn’t graduated at the top of his academy, he’d fall for the act.
“No,” Lixin said simply and didn’t continue.
Monroe chimed in. “Prince Lixin has made attempts to reach out to the Red Knight several times. The only reply he received was the one you already know.”
Maximus recalled that reply addressed to all of them.
I will do my job, be an upstanding citizen both here and back in the kingdom as always, and perhaps find myself a—
Maximus forced himself to cut off the last line from memory. He did not need to know the tastes of that weird masochist knight. How did someone like that excel to the point of being knighted by his eldest daughter?
And his eldest daughter was a great judge of character. A kind and smart young woman, but filled with the same weakness as the Love Saintess. She hated fighting. Even during the special private elite school, guaranteed to accelerate her growth as a magician, she refused to participate in anything violent.
As a result, her only friend was some dryad princess. Unfortunately, his eldest daughter’s friend didn’t get along with Ling most of the time. Their prank wars often went too far, one of which ended up with Ling developing an illness that made her unreasonably terrified of spiders. Given her… nature to whine and cry when nothing went her way, adding that on top of that…
Maximus shook his head, dismissing the thoughts of the past.
“Never mind the boring stuff,” Cerial said. “I’ve heard the rumors. What’s Raider like? Is he another hero? Where can I meet him? I could make him a knight!”
Her eyes shined with an unsettling amount of interest, as if she shared that same hero complex with Ling.
The princes had varying expressions. Prince Elric was, unsurprisingly, amused. Prince Myster, on the other hand, looked murderous, not that the Lord Ruler could blame him. An outsider participating in the fight for the throne without being involved in kingdom business was outrageous.
But at the same time, Maximus wanted to know what his sons would do when faced with a situation this unorthodox. The outsider doesn’t know. Would they let him be? Or would they attempt to kill him?
Maximus didn’t fully implement a no-kill rule like the Astral Empire did for his titanic children, but they would certainly be charged if the murder of a general was tied back to them. Self-defense rule aside.
