(Erik von Ranznedese POV)

The news rippled the world over the five days since it happened. The Eight Plane Lords have anchored to the Physical Plane. Ashen had openly stated that the Demonican Kingdom is housing them and that they will take responsibility for any further damages or incidents caused by the Plane Lords. I’ve been more than busy with meetings to even have time to wrap my head around it all. And it doesn’t help that the Cravaea Alliance and the Leprechaun King have been contacting me about the situation like I knew all the details. It’s bad enough that the Cravaea Alliance had their suspicions of the Demonican Kingdom, and of Ashen especially, but since I have friendly ties, I have been the subject of countless questions and threats. As one of the six churches of the world, they take this sort of matter as if it’s potentially lethal to the world.

I could never truly place faith in any of those six churches personally, as their ideals oppose my own quite severely. They wish for only a select few races to rule this world, leaving those unworthy to either be slain or shackled. It’s disgusting, but their ideas have been embedded deeply in too many of my people for me to attempt to openly oppose them. My great grandfather before me had tried and was executed that same day, betrayed by his own wife, Veltfonach von Ranznedese. Words didn’t contain enough value to express my hatred for that wretch, her twisted ideals had brought forth terror and fear into the lives of many races that the churches hate. The demons, the beastmen, and even the Orcs were slaughtered under her command. None were spared mercy, causing the demons to retreat behind the mountain range that splits these lands in two, and forced the beastmen races here to unite finally, forming their own country.

The Orcs, on the other hand, took horribly to her actions. War lasted 63 years, ending the same time I became king, with my father before me forcefully de-crowned. I was only a young boy back then, and I didn’t know what my job as king entailed, but over the years I’ve accumulated enough knowledge and experience to deal with the woes of my kingdom. I’ve made sure to keep my thoughts a secret, to not let the horrors of the past repeat themselves, not with the world as it is. The Cravaea Alliance had sided with the queen in that war, and should they see it necessary to de-throne me as well, then I’ve to be prepared. I’ve made ties with powerful beings, in an attempt to better prepare my own life for the future. I had made good terms with the new Demon Lord, Ashen. I’ve recently gone outside my comfort zone and managed to befriend the Great Fire Dragon, Flasgoborought. And I even made good relations and an alliance with the king of the Britgar Holy Kingdom, Arthur Redskill. Not to mention that odd clown of a man, what’s his name? Small Cloud? For a man of his size, I didn’t see why people saw fit to call him small, but oh well.

Just as my trail of thoughts was coming to a close, a guard came rushing into the throne room and kneeled in front of me. “Your majesty, I bear an urgent message from Saint Luix!” The leader of the Cravaea Alliance? What could he want with me now?

“Go ahead.” I’d be lying if I were to say I’m not nervous.

“Saint Luix said ‘The king of the Bandarainian Empire needs to choose a side. Will he be with his people, his very own brothers? Or side with the demons that have sought to slaughter them time and time again? Should he abandon his brothers, I will have no choice but to declare the Bandarainian Empire an enemy of the gods, and bring justice down upon the betrayer of all that is holy.’ And he also said that he will be coming here by tomorrow to judge you on your stance. That’s all, your majesty.” My heart was in agony, the news itself nearly killed me from shock alone.

My hand trembled outward as I dismissed the guard. “Very well then.” My heart pounded like a drum, nearly audible throughout the entire chamber.

A saint that’s been alive for two hundred years, always siding with the ‘righteous’ and disposing of anyone he labels a ‘traitor’. “If your heart beats any louder I’ll have to quiet it.” That same bone-chilling voice said though it’s lost its edge, perhaps over time, intent, or recent events.

“Misfortune, what brings you here?” I looked around for a moment before she dropped in front of me from the ceiling.

“I currently have two days to myself, away from duties. It seems like you need some reassurance of your survival, and I need information that only you can provide.” Of course it was knowledge she wanted, but what is she after this time?

She has returned unannounced on several occasions to pick my brain for random tidbits and answered a question of mine in exchange. “I’m in no position to deny, now am I? Let’s go someplace private, shall we?” Melia looked at me with hesitation at first, but she let go without a verbal struggle. I suppose she knew how important this was, or simply didn’t want to complicate things.

After walking through the deep chambers of my castle, we eventually reached a secure room where our conversation would be completely to ourselves. “I’m going to be brief with what I want. What are your goals with Lord Ashen, and the Demonican Kingdom as a whole?” I didn’t expect such a question, I was certain she would ask about some secret I’ve buried for all my life, but that didn’t make this any easier.

“Well, to be honest, It’s not much in the grand scheme of things. I simply wanted to protect my kingdom, myself, and my people from the potential threat that Ashen posed, and making good of him was the result. As for the Demonican Kingdom as a whole, I’d have to say that another nation to trade and commune with.” Not to mention the protection that such a nation and person would give.

“You’re hiding something.” Everything I said was the truth though, not a word was a lie. “You were going to say something but stopped yourself, what was it?” The face she made reinstated that first feeling of fear I got from her.

“I… I was also hoping that through Ashen’s rule, I could try to turn the world in favor of the demons for once. That maybe, just maybe, genocide can cease. I’ve lost hundreds of thousands of my men to the demons, and the demons lost millions to every single nation they fought. That amount of bloodshed can’t be sustained forever. Once the demons are gone, that killing won’t just end. It’ll keep going, targeting a different race and exterminating them. Then we’ll keep erasing each race, one by one until there is only one left. One unified people under one unified and horrible cause. I just can’t stomach the thought of such a world. Whether I’m on the winning side or not.” My stomach felt on the verge of rupture, this pain I felt wasn’t just physical, but an emotional burden as well.

“Where do you stand? With your ‘brothers’, or with the demons? As Saint Luix put it.” Do I abandon my family, my friends, and people, all for the sake of peace? Or do I simply forgo these feelings of peaceful times?

My heart and brain fought strong, nearly causing me to faint, but in the end, my many years of rulership as a king, led to my brain making the rational choice, the one I could live with for however long I have left. “If Saint Luix wants to call me a ‘betrayer of all things holy’, then I’ll have to embrace that. Even if it forgoes all I have, I’d rather go down for peace than for war.” I’ve already made my will iron, and my body has thrown itself at my dedication twice before, this will be my last.

“Poetic. I’ll have you know, your intentions are in the right place, though many will not think the same. How do you suppose you’ll deal with that?” The way she asked that reminded me of my great uncle as he was training me to be king after I was crowned. Pleasant times…

“Ah, I cannot command the army to settle the nation’s unrest if the army too is dissatisfied with me. So I suppose I will have no choice but to either convince all I can into joining my side or worsen everyone’s view on the opposing side. Though that’s easier said than done when it’s one of the Six Churches we’re talking about. I suppose It’s easier to just take with me the people that I can trust and flee the nation.”

“Wrong. If you wanted the best possible outcome, you’d simply change your people’s minds, by portraying the world as it is. There is no propaganda needed to display the horrors that have befallen the world and the demons. All you need is a change in perspective, to flip the story around would change the minds of many. A lot of people are currently unsure, and uneasy when it comes to their thoughts on the long war with the demons. It wouldn’t take much to push them over the edge either way. But it’s a ticking clock. Will you be fast enough to tip them towards genocide, or peace?” It was an odd sensation I felt, her words carried meaning and power so deep and strong, but for some reason, I felt at peace hearing it. Like she was encouraging me almost.

“How do you propose I deal with Saint Luix then?” I had small ideas starting to form in my head as to how I could do such a thing, but she seemed to have a much better plan already.

“There seems to be no chance for them to forgive you should they deem you a traitor of the gods, so a swift counter-attack seems like one of the few options left. Though an actual confrontation might be disadvantageous, it might yet be viable to damage the reputation of Saint Luix, or even prevent the meeting altogether. Though, the avoidance of meeting him could result in you being branded a traitor regardless, so that leaves one option. Saint Luix claims you to be a betrayer of the gods, and Lord Ashen is a god, therefore his claim is only partially correct. It seems likely that he will claim Lord Ashen is not a true god, or even a false god altogether, so I’ll attempt to bring Ashen and the dragon god, Oronix, to stand witness.” The dragon god, Oronix? Did Ashen have a connection to Oronix somehow?

“Are you sure you could arrange such a thing? I’m sure they’re both busy…” Something inside me told me the chances were teetering, but my mind wouldn’t let go of that minuscule chance.

“I can certainly try, though I cannot guarantee anything. The Six Churches have been an interest of mine for some time now, and I’ve been looking forward to investigating them. Though, I first need to do some more local work. If you can assist me in gathering information, then we have an acceptable trade, do we not?” So this was her offer, an offer I cannot refuse. If it was information she wanted, then I’d give everything I had to give it to her, if it meant the protection of my country and my own life.

“I accept your conditions, though I will need more clarification on what sort of information at a later time.” I’m sure she’d ask for many deep secrets, either about my nation or another, and I doubt I could supply her with much she didn’t know already, but If that’s what she wants, it doesn’t matter to me.

“Then It’s settled then, I’ll go uphold my end of the arrangement, you should focus on collecting yourself and preparing for tomorrow, or sooner. Something tells me that Saint Luix won’t show up on time…” She vanished after those words, leaving me mentally scrambled to figure out what’s next.

So I went back to the throne room and talked to Melia, and together, we would come up with some sort of plan.

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(King Arthur POV)

My heart pounded with violent intent upon the first word of the news. King Erik was going to be branded a betrayer of the gods. Saint Luix themself would judge him. That wouldn’t have been heart-wrenching, if not for Saint Luix declaring all allies of King Erik and Ashen that do not declare themselves independent are traitors as well. I still failed to see how Saint Luix could do such a thing. He would label a god an enemy of the gods, and his followers as well. Isn’t that just ludicrous? I can’t sit idle when I know one of the Six Churches intends to massacre a newborn religion. This isn’t a holy or righteous act, this is an act of war. This isn’t even the first time one of the Six Churches has decided to do such a thing. But I doubt this will end like the rest. Challenging a god means one of two things after all.

[Full Lunar Alignment has begun]

The three moons are lining up? Wait, no. There are four now, but yet it aligns so perfectly!? Ashen truly is something else. One of the guards in the room started grabbing his neck like he was being choked. The other guards watched as he removed his helmet and slowly the rest of his armor. His face was sweating heavily, and the shape of a crescent moon took form under his left eye. That’s a new position. Could it be linked to the new moon?

“What the hell is happening to me!?” The guard burst out in pain, small drops of blood leaking from his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth.

“My god, he’s a Lunar magic user!” Another guard spoke out.

“It’s killing me inside! Make it stop!” The guard continued to convulse on the ground like a rat that’s been run through.

“Calm down. It’s not going to kill you. It’s adapting your latent mana to be in attunement to Lunar mana. This process may be painful, but it’s not harmful. Just stay put and try to contain yourself.”

“I had no chance as a mage before! Why me!?” The guard continued to struggle in vain.

Small blue veins of mana slowly crawled his body, until it was reshaped. “The World System works in mysterious ways, nobody knows why Lunar mages are so randomly distributed. Though the sheer chances that you have become one are rather minimal… Rejoice, for you will be as strong as the hero of the Great War, after some training of course.” He still flailed slightly, but he was coming to terms with the pain and his newfound self.

“But I was content just being any other guard, I just wanted to serve you dutifully without being noticed! Why did it have to be me!?” He clutched his heart and went unconscious. This stage of Lunar mana conversion was normal, but two healers assigned themselves to his recovery regardless.

“King Arthur! I have urgent news!” A scout barged in right as the other guard left.

“Go ahead.” I readjusted myself on my throne, ready for the news.

“Across the nation, there’s been an abnormal amount of Lunar mage sightings, far more than expected. And this early into the alignment, it’s too fast! At this rate we expect nearly a hundred or more Lunar mages to pop up in our borders alone!” I suppose the inclusion of an additional moon would have this kind of effect but to such an extent?

“Anything else?” It’s hard to swallow that there will be many more Lunar mages, of which, their power will grow much stronger from this.

“Yes my lord, there have been at least 140 Lunar awakenings in the Onnonbrook Kingdom so far! And the way they are reacting leads us to believe they will revive their attempt at war with the Britgar Holy Kingdom, and the Demonican Kingdom. They have also been spotted increasing their military funding and expansion. As of last month’s reports, their army is now over 22 million strong. I doubt most are fully trained, but it’s still a threat to the nation. That is all your majesty.” So much to take in, too little time to do it. I expected the Onnonbrook Kingdom to redouble its military actions to eventually restart the war.

“Very well, rest up and continue your duties.” The scout saluted and walked off.

The one thing I didn’t expect was the sheer number of their army and especially the Lunar mages that appeared. It felt unreal. How could there be so many of these people when they can be so powerful? The world has surely gone mad before, but still? It’s an issue for later, I suppose. For now, I have to deal with the whole church issue. I have to get in contact with Ashen and King Erik, but I ran out of Ashen’s telepathy scrolls a few days ago. I could always use one of the scrolls that the royal court magician had made, but those were a scarcity I’d rather not lose. Though, tough times take tremendous tolls. I was preparing to call for him to show up, but I suddenly didn’t need to.

“Hello.” The odd woman’s voice came from silence.

The guards looked at her with the same fright as before, regardless of how many times she showed herself, which was a rarity, but regardless. “Ah, Misfortune, how can I help you today?” She appeared in front of me, a meter or so separating us.

“I’m sure you’ve caught an ear-full of the news by now. Saint Luix is throwing a surprise visit to King Erik von Ranznedesel. And I’m sure you know what that means in regards to you.”

“You’re straight to the point as always- Yes I know the situation. The question is a matter of action. What do I do in this situation? I know Ashen is in the right, but I can’t simply disregard one of the Six Churches. Its effects would be too hostile on my people and my country, unless you have any suggestions?”

“Ashen’s strength is something many in this world fear and desire, myself included. It’s undoubtedly a core reason behind Saint Luix's visit in the first place. But if you are too worried about your people, I know I cannot force you to appear when the meeting takes place. I figured that I would at least invite you, as I will Ashen and Oronix.” The dragon god is going to be present too?

“I’ll see if I can make it, but how can I get there, it’s quite the distance from here, you know?” Her body didn’t step, merely moved closer to me, dropping a small medallion-like thing into my hand.

“Put enough mana into this and you’ll come directly to me. It works only once, so use it at noon tomorrow. Unless you have anything else to talk about, I’ll take my leave”

“Actually, I was wondering as to how Ashen is reacting to the whole situation with the Lunar mages and whatnot?” She was ready to leave but stayed a moment longer.

“I’m sure he has his own difficulties with the situation, but I’m also certain none will hinder his performance.” Could the demons even be Lunar mages? It’s unknown to the world, but I suppose nothing is stopping them from being one, right?

She left, disappearing into nothingness as always, and I’m left to myself again. I’ve been doing nothing but questioning everything. My mind can’t help it anymore, I just can’t stop looking for the truth, everything is hidden with lies and cover-ups. Misconstrued concepts put in place to obscure the knowledge of the truth. It hurts my mind with how many hoops I’ve been forced to jump through to get to the truth, and I’m still forever away from reaching the truth as I am right now. It would take nothing short of a miracle to find out every little detail. Every obscured detail needed to understand even basic things. I guess I'll have to prepare for tomorrow. I can’t keep my mind occupied with the lure of knowledge. Fine. I’ve to face what’s in front of me. That’s what being king means. Facing challenges head-on.

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(King Nylian Eir De Les Syngewood POV)

[Light seal], that cursed thing that polluted my head with thoughts of doubt before. Why does it make me out to be in the wrong? This world tries its hardest to steal everything from me. I’ve built my whole life up to the moment I was king, then the world started tearing it all down. Hundreds of years thrown away like it was a waste of time. Why must my entire life’s work be brought down at the hand of a mere demon? A waste of breath, a mere mutt before a king? It angered me so deeply that I’ve already shouted on end for hours, broke all that I could, and nearly killed a maid or two that brought me wine. I’ve cast as many spells as I could into the sky and ground alike, and now my fatigue is nearing the same level as my hatred. I can’t say that I’m out of control, but I’m hardly caging my outburst.

Just as I seemed to reach a small moment of calm, a messenger came in. “King Nylian, I bring urgent news!”

“Speak.” I nearly yelled at the poor boy, but I held back.

“The Great Seraph, Naleem, has received a message from the gods. ‘There is no other way to fight the god of fire, Ashen, than to unleash the power of faith in the Forgotten One. As humble servants of her will, we shall carry the torch to bring the light in these dark times. Believe not in us, but the one above all.’ That was all the gods said.” It’s most disheartening, to say the least, that the gods consider that demon among their ranks, but it’s all the more crushing to hear they have no way else than the Forgotten One.

“If that’s all, leave.” The young boy bowed and scurried off to where he came from.

The god of gods, the god’s god, the mother of the gods, she held many names. “I’d be careful with your thinking.” a woman’s voice rang like a bell all around.

“Who's there!?” A small metallic scraping started to pop in and out all around, appearing in different places then moving to another.

“You should have just stayed the pawn you were, never should have grown a spine.” it progressively grew closer.

“Show yourself!” The sound of water, or another fluid, started to work its way into the scraping sounds.

“You had your chance at salvation, but you cast it away time and time again.” The World System flashed before me for a moment and showed something horrifying.

[Dark Seal has leveled up! Level 19 of 20] [Light Seal has leveled up! Level 19 of 20] [Awarding 0 Attribute and Skill Points]

A choking sensation took hold of me, my neck being tightened as if it were hollow. “The prevailing truth is not what this world thinks.” Before me, a figure arose from the darkening surroundings. “Disgrace my loved ones and you won’t have an end, no beginning, no existence.” Two purple eyes with scars running down both, long black hair that was torn and floated in places, with a streak of green and red coming down on either side of her face. “It’ll be like you were never alive.” Their appearance made me think nothing of her, but the timing, the connections were all in place, the Forgotten One, the Puppet Master.

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(Leprechaun King Abraduubidool POV)

[Results: Affirmative]

Good, very good. “Alice, bring me my prized possessions and prepare everyone for our arrival. We have finally found the one we’ve been looking for.” Oh, how long has it been, Ashen? How long indeed…

Alice nodded and left to grab the requested items. “Don’t get so cocky, we got plenty to catch up on, remember?” Ah, that good-for-nothing- “Spare yourself the thought of insulting me again, it gets old, doesn’t it?” She knows me too well.

Her slightly annoying voice always ticked me, even before we met up all those years ago… “Say, Calvary, have you no soul? Can’t you let me waste my own time with insults you’ll never hear?” She knew my rotten voice, she always said I sounded like a lawyer, but I’ll-.

“No! Insults are insults, even when not spoken!” What a total… "And shut up, will you?" As annoying as ever...

Her clothing reminded me of our leisure time, often spent crafting, but those days are all but hazy in my memory now. “Calm yourself, It’s nothing you haven’t heard before. Besides, don’t you have anything better to do than harass me for harassing you?” She often made a hassle out of simple stuff.

“Of course I do! That’s why I’m here, idiot! You said it yourself, you’ve finally tracked him down, didn’t you?” She’s been talking my ear off since she met with me all those years ago...

Never once has she even said a simple, ‘thank you’, or ‘good morning’, or even a ‘how are you’. “Yes, yes, I’ve got a location, but that’s to say the least. I’ve sent word that I was going to visit and meet with him a while ago, but It’s the transportation that’s the issue.” It nearly stole my breath knowing she just wanted me to track him down, and barely cared about me anymore.

We were on the royal vessel, already on course, but that never swayed her from complaining. “Oh? How come? Can’t you just teleport on over?” Of course, she didn’t listen before.

I’d have to tell her again. “No. He made a strong barrier over the closest Warp Node, and I’m unfamiliar with the terrain around it. If I just teleport on over, I risk being teleported underground, or worse, completely missing the continent.” It’s too risky, especially with all the current affairs going on over there, might pop up in the middle of two armies clashing.

She started to throw small slaps at me, which I promptly defended to the best of my ability. “Jeez, how far off can you miss? Then how about we use a Faerie Ring?” I swear every word I say goes in one ear and out the other.

I raised my voice, almost as if I was scolding her. “How forgetful can you be? The Faerie Rings have been lost to time. Three thousand years ago was when they last worked. They’ve all deteriorated to the effects of time. The means to repair them, along with the knowledge of how is now forgotten to the ages.” It’s like nature has slowly been reclaiming the wonders of the world like it’s all trying to return to a balance.

Just being on this boat with her was torture enough, but she nagged constantly about other methods of transport. “Fine, why don’t we just use the token thing-ma-jig?” Point proven.

I’ve said it a thousand times before, and I’ll say it a thousand more, “The Token of the Gatekeeper is an extremely rare item, why should we waste it when we can simply travel using normal means. It’s just a matter of time.” It’s a Supreme Godly item that only dropped from World Bosses, after all, we can’t just use it on a whim like that.

Alice came by with my lavish green robes, I thanked her and she returned to her station. “Then how come you always complain about being on this god-forsaken boat! We both hate it here, even Turtle despises this dump!!” I slowly started to adorn my outfit while contemplating methods of non-lethal harm to bring to her for calling the royal vessel a dump.

Only after I put my hat on, did I recognize the words she spoke. “Hey, don’t bring him up here, otherwise he’ll start complaining again!” Just like she does.

Almost directly on queue, Turtle popped up. “Wha-? I heard my name, like thirty times… The hell are you two talking about now?” His raspy voice and sleep-deprived yawns were assurance enough that he’d start complaining, or keel over, one of the two.

I just hoped that he’d contribute to the conversation instead of ruining it as he did to many others before. “Turtle, no offense, but you reek, when’s the last time you’ve had a bath? Or even used any soap at all? Let alone even touch some water?” As a Tumarin, a half-turtle as they were called, he didn’t actually have to be in water all that much, though, be it as it may, his foul stench forces me to wish he had to.

His skin was visibly rough and dry, so I doubted he’d been in water for quite some time, perhaps weeks, even months? “I get it, I get it! I stink so bad I need a bath, right?” Both of us nodded in response to Turtle’s obvious assessment. “Well suck it up, right now we don’t have access to a shower or any soaps. We have the sea and all that comes with it.” The one time I regret not having the tier 3 water spell, [Wash].

The muscle-head’s voice cried out, she’d been sitting quietly in the corner of the room, reading her magic book alone before this. “Hey, If it’s not too much of a burden, then I’d suggest we move this along, I don’t know how much longer I can bear being in the stench of you three.” I’d show her what’s for, if it wasn’t for her being the physically strongest out of the four of us.

As muscular and physically fit as she was, she was just so condescending all of the time. “Void, care to be just a little nicer? We are friends, aren’t we?” She scoffed, she actually just scoffed at me.

That little son of a- “I don’t care if we are friends, you all should be drowned in a kilometer of detergent for days on end. And I hate to break it, but I doubt you’d want your first impression of him in so long, to be of your foul odor, right?” Curse her and her being right!

"Hey! Even if you're right, don't insult your friends!" Like you're one to talk, Calvary.

"Maybe start pulling your weight and stop lazing around for once, then I'll give you the recognition and kindness you want. Until then, go drown in soap, you mound of foul waste!" I guess even Void couldn't stand her extensive laziness.

"Void, you do know that it's not just Ashen I found, right?" She looked at me like I insulted her, and I wish I did if that's the face she gave over nothing.

"Of course, dumbass! It's nigh impossible that Aeyrs isn't there by his side. Besides, Cloud already slipped me some info on the matter." Oh? And she thought to just keep that to herself?

"Well, let's hear it then!" She scoffed again, was our presence that much of a problem for her?

After a long-drawn-out sigh, she responded. "Fine, just shut the hell up already, it's bad enough I've to live with you, I don't need you yapping my ears off too." That little bi- "Cloud said many things, though our conversation was short. Ashen has his own kingdom, and even wife, among other shocking news." What could be more shocking than him being in love with someone? "He has claimed ownership of Oronix, the Dragon God, and Galvahanna, as well as the 8 elemental Plane Lords." Does he plan to siege the world? "Oh, and he's a god, a soon-to-be father, and is 8000 years old, yadda yadda." I'm pretty sure the three of us all felt the same way, and all nearly passed out from the sheer outlandishness of it all.

"Please tell me you're joking, you've gotta be." I had no will to admit it, but Ashen might have just become a World Boss himself.

"You know I don't joke about these sorts of matters." I suppose that means we have to prove we are still worthy of being in the guild, huh?

Turtle chimed in his bit, "Better not waste any time then, we've to make sure we still have a place back at the castle, hopefully, we haven't been rendered useless by circumstance." I just wish he would recognize us after all these years…

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(Beast King Thal Waterfang POV)

My people keep leaving at an alarming rate, almost all are leaving for that farming town recently claimed by the demons, Wheatberg. At least a million have left in the month’s time since we caught word of their departure. It didn’t bother me to have many come and go, but their destination was the important factor here. Wheatberg, the demon lands, that demon… And that fool Erik, what was that idiot thinking to oppose a demon lord? We beastmen may be closer than many races to the demons, but that makes us no different in our caution with them. Being on the opposite side of the continent was a security in itself, but the recent tensions with the demons and the Onnonbrook Kingdom warring with them. It felt like the strings of fate have been weaving closer together, to spell the end of the Third Moon Era. I welcome the Fourth Moon Era and all its soon-to-be glory.

Either a mountain of bodies will emerge, or a newfound power will stake a claim on this world, both are interesting options indeed. “My liege, I bring word from the Sovereign of Reichinvald.” Ah, that old man in the mountains, he was once a Pinnachel of mine, but he retired to his hometown for whatever reason.

“Go ahead.”

“He said that the demons have their roots deep into our land, there is one of theirs that’s been lurking in the shadows collecting valuable information. He ran into the figure once himself, but the only details he could make out were that she wasn’t a demon herself.” A female spy? And one that’s not a demon? Then what else could she be?

“Do we have any more information on the suspect in question?”

“In fact, we do. According to some scout patrols, sightings have been all the more common around important landmarks and buildings; your royal palace is but one of her main targets.” Why am I just being made aware of this NOW!?

“Explain why I haven’t heard a word before I act on instinct!”

“Apologies my lord, but up until now, we had no reason to believe that it wasn’t one of your Shadows. But with the disappearances of several scout squads and even some local lords, the problems began to compile until we connected the pieces.” I understand the mix-up with my Shadows, so I’ll forgive that part, but still, this leaves an awful taste in my mouth.

“I want her brought to me, dead or alive! I'll give the scouts one month! Should they fail, I’ll send them to the Arena for five years each!” The look on his face was the same as all the others, but that’s the price you pay for being incompetent.

After he ran off in a hurry, I returned to my thoughts. Why send a spy instead of an army? I understand the distance, but why have they changed their plans now? Over the thousands of years, they’ve only shown an effort in creating as large an army as possible. Only growing in size and strength, hoping to use brute force rather than tactics. A head-on battle was their one and only strategy. That’s not to say that It’s not appreciated that they have finally made things interesting. A change in pace might just make things a lot more enjoyable on the battlefield. The sudden appearance of a tactical aspect in their ranks means some sort of change is truly taking place. That Ashen is surely something, I thought he’d just be like any demon lord before him. It’s almost amusing how wrong I was.

Those demons have a real chance to make a comeback. Not only did they claim a human city on the other side of the mountains, but if my intel is right, then they have the Plane Lords on their side as well. And not only that but the calamity that was Galvahanna. What more did they have hidden up their sleeves? Perhaps an army of invincible soldiers? Surely not. Nothing in this world is unkillable, no matter how impossible it might seem. My people know that as well as I do. It’s not a matter of being mortal, it’s a matter of one’s abilities to protect their life. Even if a dragon could negate all damage it suffers, if it doesn’t take into account that minuscule chance of there being another way to kill it, then it too will fall, regardless of how infallible its defenses might have been. Swords and arrows can only do so much, even magic has its limits, but it’s that slight bit of ingenuity that poses the true threat in battle. Even a gnome with a dagger can kill a god if he prepares properly enough. Yes, even a gnome can kill a god...

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(Dwarf King Fairn Thunderback POV)

We’ve done it. We’ve finally processed all of the ore we had in our stockpile. That clutter was cleaned in months, which would have taken decades if we didn’t have those two from the Black Castle in our ranks. It may be temporary, but their help has greatly benefited our excavation team. Their ability to strip a region dry of materials and then regrow the ore made our industrial production nearly stumble with the workload. Almost drowned the poor workers in all the ore that needed smelting, let alone the crafters with all the processed metal. It’s almost unbelievable how efficient their work is. The two of them alone can nearly outpace half of the excavation force, truly awe-inspiring. But that’s not the matter to focus on now, more pressing issues arose. With the demon guarding and reaping souls, the undead infestation has finally been resolved, and now the only threat to the miners are cave-ins and monsters.

“My king, the eighth excavation unit has just encountered an earth dragon’s den. How do you suggest we deal with this matter?” Hmm, perhaps, yes…

“I’ll have the demon, Arath, deal with the creature, I’d like to see his combat prowess for myself.”

“Very well, my king. I’ll send a request immediately.” Let’s see what kind of power his underlings have, I’d be a fool to misjudge even their strength.

After a few moments, we arrived at the den, Arath the demon was just arriving at the same time. The small crevice was opened wide, and the screech of at least twenty earth dragons pierced our ears. Their claws dragged them out of their home and started to roar, stretch their wings, and even use their elemental breath. Arath paid little mind to the intimidation, that’s not to say everyone else was so lucky. Earth dragons were a rarity, but an udder pain to deal with. Even a single adult can slaughter a hundred dwarves. It’s a pain that we knew too well. Arath let out a thick breath, the seeping smog leaked into the dragons’ breath, and slowly their lungs grew empty. After they stop their elemental breath attack, they’d inhale the miasma, and soon perish to its deadly effects.

One dragon after the next convulsed then dropped lifeless to the ground. Soon, a dozen were killed without Arath even needing to fight. Truly a monster he was. But there was something more monstrous lurking in that den. Its body was massive, and I knew it well. Gravelth’nakorth, the Ancient Earth Dragon. It had killed thousands, if not tens of thousands on its own, and countless more to its family. Has its death come early? Is it finally due to pay the price after all these years? It would be a great victory for us all if that were to be the case. But Arath seemed to have different plans. Arath stretched his arm out and small lines of black shot forth. They ensnared its body, and soon the dragon that terrorized us for generations had been reduced to a prisoner in shackles.

“My lord informed me to keep any powerful creatures alive, so I must let this one live.” Oh? What reason could they possibly have?

Perhaps they wanted to control it, as a powerful subject under their command? “Can I ask why?”

“I have no reason to give, it was an order from my lord, thus I must follow it.” He’s more loyal than some of my own subjects, to not be given a reason but still do something so dangerous.

The dragon tried to escape as best it could, but Arath’s magic was something too strong. “Very well then. Please, do what you must.” I might hate that dragon with a passion, but that can’t cloud my judgment, it’s far worse to be on their bad side than to let the dragon live.

Arath slowly led the dragon out of the way of the excavation team and kept a close eye on the beast that was still trying to escape. “My king, is it wise to let that beast keep its life?”

“Which do you value more? The death of that wretched beast? Or the lives of all who live in this kingdom?” He froze, unable to respond. “If we disobey his master’s wish, it could lead to the fall of our country as we know it. I won’t risk our entire survival to remedy a grudge.” He merely bowed and silently stepped away. “Return to you excavation of the local terrain, we’ll have builders come by soon to support the chasms the dragons wrecked.” With my interest sated, I went back to my fortress.

Back to my throne, only to be met with a familiar face. “Greetings, King Fairn, care for another chat?” The woman frightened me, but never could I show it.

“What shall we discuss this time, Misfortune?” Something told me that there was an important matter at hand, separate from the dragon.

“I’m here to cash in that favor.” I gulped, what could she want this time?

“Ah, of course, what is it you seek?” I was more nervous about her answer than anything.

“I need your presence in a discussion tomorrow.” What sort of discussion? Perhaps she intended to force us into submission through legal means?

“Might I have more information to work with? There’s simply too much left ambiguous.” What was it? Subjugation or something else?

“Saint Luix has more or less declared war on you, the Bandarainian Empire, and the Demonican Kingdom as well as the Britgar Holy Kingdom. I figured before it becomes official, you would partake in the discussion so as to not fall into a war with one of the Six Churches, no?” No way. One of the Six Churches has the intention of declaring war on us dwarves? This cannot go unpunished.

My fists tightened with an unspoken rage. “Yes, I’d very much enjoy that opportunity. Just give me a time and place.” I felt as though the world was suddenly against us all again, but we won’t retreat this time. No, this time we will retake what’s ours, the pride we lost all those years ago...