“The King has two more years left,” Death said. “No heirs. No immediate family. The only one left in line for the throne is Talion.”

It was just the three of them. Chaos, Morpheus, and Death. This wasn’t a meeting worth getting the rest involved in. Nor were they in their usual meeting spot, either. Instead, the three of them were sitting at one of Morpheus’s temples in Rodenia. It was less like a temple, really, and more like a library. Despite not being back as the one down in Alenthia, this temple still held rows upon rows of bookshelves dating back generations.

“He needs to know, Chaos.” Morpheus told Him.

“I know,” He replied. “But he’s not ready yet.”

“We know,” Death added, “but the time will come eventually.”

“This is much more than being king. Much more than being my son. He isn’t just king. He’s heir to a fractured Empire. To us, a position like Emperor isn’t anything. But to a mortal, it’s power beyond belief. All this news just can’t be pushed upon him.”

There was silence for a moment. Morpheus sighed, looking up at the ceiling.

“Time’s ticking,” Morpheus said. “He will figure it out. Once the king dies, his court will track him down. You know how they are. They will scour the lands for the boy. And once they figure out he’s king, it’ll only be a matter of time before they figure out he’s the emperor. The way I see it, he either figures it out from them or from you.”

“And that’s not even touching on the elephant in the room,” Death added. “He’s your son. There’s no hiding it. I mean, come on; the boy basically looks like a shorter version of you. And… He has unimaginable power. Power that needs to be trained. That ordeal with the kruthiks is great and all, but what if he accidentally does it again? He’s done it before.”

“Ummm,” came a meek voice next to them. It was a keeper. And judging by his age, a new one at that. In his trembling hands, he carried a small silver plate that held a tea kettle and some cups. “Ex-excuse me. This… This is for you…”

The poor guy almost dropped the plate, only for Chaos to catch it just in time.

“Thank you,” He said, taking it from his hands.

“W-wh-wh-what is… What’s th-this about… Umm.. The emperor…?”

“Don’t worry about it,” Morpheus answered.

“Yessir. I’m - I’m… I’m…” the poor keeper’s sentence trailed off there.

The keeper was about to turn around to leave, before suddenly shifting around again to give an awkward bow.

“I’ll be on my way, now…”

He took a step back.

“Wait,” Morpheus called to him, “come here. Take a seat.”

The keeper took a step forward.

“Go on,” He ushered.

The terrified keeper slowly drew a seat, sitting down.

“Ori. That’s your name, correct?” Morpheus said to him.

“Y-y-yes sir…”

Death looked at Morpheus with a raised eyebrow. Ori was practically shaking in fear.

Chaos poured some tea into the cups.

“Tell me, Ori,” Morpheus continued, “how long has this war been going on for?”

“120 years, sir.”

“120 years,” Morpheus repeated quietly back to Chaos. “And just so my immortal friend could get a grasp on how long that is for humans, how long do they live for on average?”

“S-s-seventy-fi-five to… E-eighty… years.” Ori stuttered.

“Do you really want your son living out his life in a war, Chaos?”

“S-s-s-son…?” Ori quietly asked.

“Mind your own business,” the two of Them said in unison.

“Can’t you see you’re terrifying the poor kid?” Death signed, turning to Ori. “You may leave now. Thank you.”

Ori quickly stood up, nearly knocking over his chair. He bowed, and swiftly left.

“I think what Morpheus is trying to say,” Death added, “is that who he is, his true nature - his right to the throne must be revealed sooner than later. He and this crew of yours are the only ones who can reunite the Empire.”

“More bloodshed to bring peace…” Chaos muttered.

“There’s no other way around it,” Death told Him. “The gnomes already give whatever support they can to Trinal. The dwarves are willing to side with the humans. With enough convincing, so will the orcs. The only obstacle left is the elves.”

“They’re too stubborn. Too proud.” said Morpheus.

“But first, they need to prove themselves,” Chaos stated. “To each other, and to the people. They have another job tomorrow.”

“Still want me to come and see Dyra afterwards?” Death asked.

“Of course,” He answered.

“If we’re done here, I should get going.” Morpheus said.

“I should too,” Death replied. “Some guy is about to choke to death on an ice cube.”

Just like that, they were gone, leaving only Chaos behind.

“I don’t need to be a god to know you’re still here, Ori.” Chaos called out to him.

The kid shuffled from behind the bookshelf, head slumped below his shoulders.

“Come on then,” He breathed, “sit back down. Might as well fill you in.”