Devick was sweat-slicked and radiantly grinning by the time Jawem finally staggered to the waiting team in front of Malloon’s gates. The Hobfootie team was one of an entire throng: the rolling hills around Malloon had almost been entirely settled. Children in bare feet shrieked and chased each other down word, muddy paths. Nearby, an anthropomorphic rat squatted above a fire and sold skewers of roasted squirrel.

The low field directly in front of Malloon had been filled with shabby-looking huts. Meanwhile, several laborers carried rare poles to a clear area, setting up a more permanent-looking tent. Likely, this would become the central alehouse for those unfortunate enough not able to pay for entry into the city.

But Devick’s voice cut right through the low drone of Malloon’s defensive barrier and the babble of surrounding activity. “What a delight this is! These vests really work wonders! Despite our physical gifts, Tell, Jawem, and I all were in the second half of the team! Very markedly too.”

We were the last three, Jawem tried to wheeze out the words, but couldn’t find the air. He slapped the opposite shoulder to deactivate the equipment. Only once the Engravings disengage could he gratefully suck in a breath of air.

Still smiling, Devick patted him on the shoulder. “Take the rest while you can; we will be wearing these for the fast and slow runs as well. Oh, man, I need some food. Anyone have any of that walrus meat left?”

“We ate it all,” A woman muttered as she rubbed her stomach.

Jawem wanted to vomit at the thought of food. Several of the other players snickered behind their hands at his predicament. Most of them accepted his presence as a necessary evil to also have Devick, and also respected his capability on the Hobfootie team, but disliked him personally.

Especially because he often became especially brutal in Crusher training drills when anyone showed too much fondness for Byuresk’s daughter.

Before they proceeded closer to the obnoxiously droning barrier around Malloon, a massive flare of energy nearby had them all whipping around. A wave of Nether crashed against his face and Jawem’s instincts activated. He scrambled to put himself between the source and Devick, but hadn’t accounted for his body’s lingering exhaustion. His feet caught on one another and he ate dirt.

A howling wind rose up. Other travelers nearby screamed and began to scramble off the road to Mallon. The halfway erected tent swayed and collapsed. The owner screaming and tearing out his hair as he heedlessly ran to check if the pole had fractured. From a nearby hill, a pillar of Nether pierced the cloud covering. It umbrellaed outward, seeking to entirely encapsulate the city.

Before Jawem could even push himself back to his feet, an equally domineering bolt of energy shot out from Malloon’s barrier. In a single touch, it pierced through the pillar of Nether and began to eat its way down through the energy. In the next instant, a group of serious-faced, powerful individuals rushed out of the gate and made a beeline toward the source of the energy.

When the representatives of Malloon had shot past, Tell crouched down next to Jawem and batted his eyelashes. “My hero. Did you debase yourself, all for me?”

The team cackled, Devick bending over and slapping her knee along with the rest of the group. Jawem got back up, daydreaming about using these pieces of organic trash as welcome mats when he returned home and received his reward from Byuresk. He huffed out a bitter laugh. “Laugh all you want, but this is what happens when Nether forces try to act uppity around Malloon. The Westrisser Family is feared, even in Nether Lands. Hopefully, Nether King Hungry Eye won’t be so foolish in his arrival.”

“Honestly,” Devick’s eyes crinkled into crescent moons. “Something tells me he will do something even more silly when he gets here. But stop wasting time, Jawem. Let’s go inside! We need to rent a gym and do our punishment exercises~”

*****

“I cannot believe he agreed to the meeting,” Jotem whispered. The group followed a powerful guard through an ornate hallway. After the heavily fortified gates of the compound, the lack of any individual within almost made this seat of power even more ominous. Then the Half-Origin Beast cleared his throat and glanced sideways. “I-I mean to say, undoubtedly a man of Faelmac Westrisser’s stature has a calender positively bursting-”

Demetrius hid a smile behind the sleeve of his robe. Randidly rolled his eyes. “Relax. If nothing else, my status as a Nether King is actually useful for things like this.”

And our ticket wasn’t hurt by the offered donation of so much lumber, Randidly mused inwardly. But in his heart, he understood something else about this meeting; neither Jotem nor the donation was enough to have scored a meeting with a person powerful enough to level an entire Nether City. Not with the mountain of issues that undoubtedly plagued the leader of Malloon’s Council, considering the flood of bodies rushing to the area.

No, the real reason Westrisser had said yes was likely because he was curious. The inclination to meet and examine unique and foreign elements within his domain made Randidly have more respect for the man. That, and the massive blaze of power he sensed in the core of this place. His gaze flickered when he looked forward, the radiant waves of energy making rainbow novas along the hallway. Just from this proximity, Faelmac Westrisser existed as the most powerful individual Randidly sensed within the memory.

Even more so than the three representatives from the Cult of the Savior.

“The two of you must bow,” When they stopped in front of a wide set of double doors that had been heavily reinforced by energy in Randidly’s vision, the guard turned around and looked at Jotem and Demetrius. His lip curled up as he examined Jotem. “Press your belly against the ground, like a worm. And you-” The guard examined Randidly closely. Apparently, the inner calculus went in Randidly’s favor, because after clearing his throat he said. “Simply incline your head once as a show of respect.”

He pressed the doors open without waiting for any acknowledgment. “Nether King Hungry Eye and two retainers have been admitted in the Ancestral Hall of Westrisser.”

His voice echoed out through the hall as he stepped to the side and allowed the group to pass. Despite the look of annoyance on his face, Jotem followed the instructions. Demetrius took three steps forward and bowed as well. Randidly walked a little further until he stood on a black circle in the middle of the marbled floor and bowed his head briefly. Then he looked upon the face of Faelmac Westrisser.

He blinked in surprise, struck by a weird sense of familiarity in the sharp features. Yet suddenly the recognition aligned. He knew these features if only related by blood. Randidly sucked in a breath: he had seen them in the sleeping face of the Patron of Feathers. Except while that Patron and also Lady Iellaya had been called the raven-winged darkness, Faelmac Westrisser had ivory feathers as pristine and clean as freshly fallen snow.

I would bet Faelmac Westrisser… is the Father of the Patron of Feathers. Something else occurred to Randidly. Then although their names are different, it’s possible-

“Nether King Hungry Eye, welcome to my home,” Faelmac leaned back in his chair. He was a humanoid with tanned skin and silver eyes. Ivory feathers ran along his arms and a few more fluffy varieties clung above his ears. He burned in Randidly’s vision, a nebula of intense energy. Within the center of that supernova of energy, Randidly could almost see his image sleeping. A massive ivory serpent, its feathers acting as prisms and releasing little rainbows of light.

He leaned sideways and placed his chin upon his fist. Below him on the dais, several guards stood at attention; Randidly recognized Dogoel, the leader of the group who had been attacking Elhume’s Patrons. A small smile played across Faelmac’s lips.“However… I must admit I have a question for you. Why did you interfere with the business of my men when they were sent to deal with the representatives of Elhume?”

It was not an auspicious start. But Randidly allowed his own lazy smile stretch across his face and gambled. “Would you have truly dealt with those individuals, Faelmac? Considering their leader… was the daughter of your new Undersecretary.”

Faelmac grunted and waved a hand. “A half-daughter, only. And if it isn’t my responsibility to educate the straying children of my subordinates, whose would it be?”

Randidly’s mind raced at the confirmation. That’s why even in the present day, until they betrayed him and tried to reach the Pinnacle, the Swacc Family was kept so close to Elhume’s side. Because after the Patron of Truth was killed, how could he not protect her family?

Westrisser leaned forward. He had long fingers that gripped the armrests of his throne. “Let me rephrase. Why should I let a Nether King who stood against me just walk into my hall, unpunished?”

Randidly pushed those thoughts away; he couldn’t afford to be distracted while dealing with this man. Sizing the feathered warrior up, he definitely could push Randidly into shattering his way out of the memory. Lifting his chin, Randidly replied confidently. “Because that was that, and this is business for the benefit of Malloon.”

For a second, Faelmac Westrisser simply studied him. Then he smirked. “I agree entirely. Alright, Nether King Hungry Eye. How do you intend to benefit Malloon today?”