《The Healer From The Fringe》Chapter 65: Speak Softly
Advertisement
“Two Archons assemble before us. Let’s raise Hell.”
Rasp Swift, , during the Riots of Gold and Glass
“The has declared war, Your Eloquence!” The , only slightly winded after running through the Palace of Paragraphs for several minutes, spoke with the urgency her message required.
“Then Diren’s assembled military and Diplomatic Corps will defend our shores, as is our right.” The , directly below the in hierarchy, spoke concisely and simply, sending orders as he breathed, though not in the way of Esultaran and , but more like a professor diagnosing logical faults.
“You don’t understand, my lord-- they’re declaring war on both Diren and Kandrev, and launching a dual offensive. And Zade the Merciless is heading the legions that are attacking us!”
“Get me and the rest of Command data. Level report, if you please.”
“He’s a level 31 , with twenty years of experience. At 45 years old, he’s the youngest general to achieve such a level on any continent in more than six hundred years. He’s known primarily for his fast, brutal tactics, lack of care for his men, and obsessive, bloodthirsty dedication to victory, even if it overextends his resources. He has pretty obvious buttons to push, if I may be candid. Additionally, his skill at naval warfare is minimal, so catching him before he can land and establish a firm front will likely disrupt his concentration and ability to fully exercise the power of his class.”
“A solid report. Make sure all the necessary individuals have it in triplicate. .” The used his most powerful Talent without blinking, and the felt her heart beat faster, and her mind and body flooded with power. She’d just seen a level 30 Talent, one that would take more than a week to regenerate, used as casually as could be. If anything declared the transition from peacetime to wartime, it was that.
Advertisement
The commanding man turned to the door not too far away from him as his messengers scattered. Behind it, a very old, contemplative man, the second-highest level living man on Esun (perhaps third if you counted Vainen, but the Speaker didn’t know that) was, as always nowadays, silent. He went forward to knock, hesitated, then did so anyway. Three wraps, proper and sharp, each one.
There was silence, perhaps a quiet shuffling, then the heavy old wooden door, dusty from lack of usage, hinges in need of an oiling, opened. A one hundred and three year old gentleman, clad in the robes of his station, stood there, expectant.
“I-- I just wanted you to know that we’re at war, Your Grace.” The ever-commanding, ever-well spoken sixtyish man spoke as if he was a nervous schoolchild.
“I know, Atradius.” The man spoke softly, familiarly, using the man’s first name, as if a father speaking to a son, or a teacher to a student. Every statement he made had an air of totality to it, as if he needn't say anything more to explain his point.
“I-I just meant, I thought it was about time you give a grand proclamation, o-or some such.” He didn’t know what had gotten into him.
“.” Quaed Aquarius, , was the second currently living person on Esun to have achieved level 40, or “the other one”, as many history books detailing his era would likely think of him. His voice was soft, but carried to all ears who would stop to listen, and many who would not.
“You know, I wished, in my youth, to be a simple , a bleeding heart content to whittle away at meaning in my little corner of this land. But a higher calling was asked of me, and I could in no good conscience refuse it. And here I am, three-quarters of a century later and thirty levels higher, and you ask for a grand speech. My class yearns to give it, but I have no stomach for such hollow theatrics any more. What I will give is life, and power. . Two hundred new soldiers were just created for your grist will, Atradius. Hurrah.” He spoke dryly, almost bitterly. “. That should put a few enemy ships at least on the backfoot, staring at the ceiling in the dead of night, wondering if they’re truly doing the right thing. . Something for the on-the-fence bastards, too.”
Advertisement
He listed off Talent after Talent, but there was something half-hearted, rote, and weary about the epic power the intellectual centurion was bringing to bear. It was a full three minutes later that he accepted a goblet of water and drank greedily, then said, without much fanfare: “There. I have contributed what five level 30 could to the proceedings, or perhaps ten . A century of life, a century of knowledge, dozens of Talents, all spent in minutes. Is that the grand last stand against the invaders you wanted? Or should I pontificate on the soul of man too while I’m at it?”
“When did you break, Your Grace?” A lowly , from nowhere, asked the question that people thrice his level would never dare to. Atradius turned to berate him, but the Archspeaker raised a pacifying hand and spoke after a moment of tense quiet.
“I broke in the Autumn, some twelve years past. I gazed upon the foulness of those that we worship, and my will broke, young man. I’m done with the theater, the trivialities of power rivaled by a handful, of the puppetry. I’m done with all of it. Oh, and one more thing: . I love that Talent.”
Like a shockwave, his greatest ability traveled across air and over water, igniting the hearts of every Direnian on the continent. And when the Continent of Diplomacy went to war, they did so with hope alight within them and the half-hearted force of one of the greatest leaders in all of history at their back.
Advertisement
Sins of the Father
Tell my story? Now that's an idea. I am called many things: the Lord of Souls, the Shadow of Death, the Undying Dreamer... I sired the Awakened of old. I have turned beggars into kings and kings into legends. I have argued the nature of man with the fathers of philosophy and spoken of gratitude with the first Sage. Since the dawn of my existence, I have walked the path of power with regard for little else. During the Great Trial, humanity's greatest hour of need, I dragged them from the jaws of their self-inflicted ruin for the sake of my beloved. Even now, few know the truth of it all. I am not a saint or a god. I am a watcher, a judge, a tormentor, and a killer. I am the Father. *** This is a cultivation story about an inhuman entity on its journey of power and self-discovery. The Father's story starts in ancient history and ends in a distant future but the majority of will take place in a near-future post-apocalypse setting. That said, the Urban Fantasy and Post-Apocalypse tags will be hinted at but won't come into play until Advent 3.1: The Great Dream. They'll come fully online at the start of the 3rd arc or 4.1 (story isn't there yet).
8 205Ducosym - My Dungeon Core System
In the world of magic, ‘Cores’ emerge. They are powerful entities with power over the very fabric of reality. They can alter the world through their mind, enslaving other creatures to build powerful structures only known as “Dungeons”. But what happens when a core isn’t born into the heart of lava or cold of ice, but the dirty mud? What happens when a core doesn’t start out as a tyrant over trolls or the leader of a nation, but the prey of spiders and bugs? “Huh?” Sunny wakes up in the prison of a gemstone, missing all his memories. And what appears to be just another fever dream soon becomes a challenge for survival. – – – Hi! This is a novel I’m very excited about. If you have any suggestions on what creatures and monsters to include in the next chapter, feel free to leave a comment on the latest issue! I love listening to your creative ideas! I have the best readers ever! ^w^ Don’t forget to join our Discord server if you like fantasy and memes!!! Discord: https://discord.gg/keXHAYP5
8 243The Pieces of a Broken Heart: a Jeid fanfic
JJ and Spencer have been friends for years. Close friends. They have the same job and understand each other very well.Will is JJ's long term boyfriend. He is a cop as JJ is an FBI agent. They get each other well, but not that much. They've had multiple arguments about their jobs, but this last one was the worst. JJ decided that it was time to move on.JJ and Spencer have a strong friendship, but will it get stronger when their boss (Hotch) puts them as an undercover couple for a case in Florida...for a whole weekend? Find out in: "The Pieces of a Broken Heart" (this book)
8 191Lost and Found
My favorite story that I have written ever. It is all original. Thanks for reading!
8 163Regrets (Jungkook X Reader)
Darkness is the word that I describe myself. Every day is a living hell. Other girls were jealous of me for marrying handsome young Ceo Jeon Jungkook, but nobody knows the deep dark secret hiding behind that handsome face. ⚠️ WARNING⚠️ contains violence, abuse, mature(18+). Please do not read if any of these things trigger you... I'm very sorry if my writing style is not good and if you guys are not satisfied. Feel free to share your opinion. Disclaimer:- The characters here have nothing to do with real life. This is just a story, my wildest imagination.
8 171Lost in the woods:A Silmarillion fanfic
My life was normal. I had a job, I had a beautiful cat and i was living in a small flat among many in New York. For a long time nothing have changed. And I liked it.Untill one day my life changed completely... Because one day i found myself in Beleriad the first age. The age which Morgoth was the Great Enemy and Noldor was trying to get back the Silmarills. A Silmarillion fanfic .✳️~~•| I don't own any of the original Silmarillion characters except the characters I made.I don't own the pic of the cover or any pic in the story( i only have add the names on them)Started: May 1st 2020Finished: June 25th 2021*The user name in the bottom of the cover is my old one*
8 172