“I see you’re still troubled. Truly unfortunate,” Delph drawled. “Could we get back to the part where we kill things? I didn’t waste all that time training these little monsters just for them to sit around when we’ve got a war to win.”

“Do you take joy out of antagonizing me?” the Queen asked. “I am of half a mind to have you executed, consequences be damned. I don’t even want to think about how much damage you’ve done to the kingdom. Are you trying to undermine me? No matter what decision I make here, I risk the kingdom.”

Delph picked at his nose. “Truly unfortunate. Should have chosen an easier job.”

Stormsword’s eyes sparked with blue energy in anger. He took a step froward, but a band of light snapped around his waist and restrained the man before he could fly at Delph. The Queen pulled him back to her side.

“Heel, Stormsword,” Delph chuckled. “The Queen doesn’t want me breaking her favorite toy yet.”

“If I didn’t know better, I’d ask you if you were even on our side.” Damien rubbed his forehead. “This isn’t exactly the right situation to antagonize people.”

“On the contrary, I can’t think of a better time. It’s difficult to get this many powerful morons stuck in the same room for any period of time,” Delph replied. The guards surrounding them all shifted uncomfortably, but nobody made a move without the Queen’s permission.

“The more time we waste, the more time the Corruption has to prepare another attack,” Dredd said. He paused for a moment, then grimaced. “And the more time Delph has to set you at each other’s throats. I implore you to reach a decision before my brother turns this meeting into a brawl.”

“I believe there is only one conclusion that can result in anything that does not plunge the kingdom into a second war,” Nolan said. “Have some faith in your subjects, my Queen. You knew me as a child. You know your daughter. You know the professors, and the students speaking out in Damien and Sylph’s favor are some of the strongest in their classes. Even your daughter’s protectors – as overzealous as they are – do not believe him a threat.”

“If I am wrong, millions will die. The Mortal Plane could fall,” the Queen snapped. “Do you understand the consequences of this, Gray? The costs we will all pay if you are wrong?”

“Rejoice!” Delph thrust his hands into the air. “A sudden thought has struck me. Perhaps one more witness will sway your mind.”

A gray portal tore open in front of him. Golden light spilled out from within it and an immense pressure crashed down on the room, sending many of the guards to their knees. Stormsword staggered, surprise washing over his face. Damien’s mental energy swirled around him, but the force was nearly enough to take even him down. Sylph and the Queen both also remained standing, but everyone else was forced to grab onto something or fall.

Blue Ether crackled across Stormsword’s blade and he leveled it, putting himself between the portal and the Queen. The golden light receded and Hilla stepped out from within it, her features etched with fury.

“I present to you, Hilla Vale,” Delph called. “Damien’s mother.”

Hilla spun, striking Delph across the cheek with an open palm. His head snapped to the side, and a red imprint of her hand quickly formed beneath his stubble. He rubbed his face with a hand, grimacing.

“How dare you keep me from entering here while these fools discussed the fate of my son,” Hilla spat.

“It’s called dramatic effect, but I probably deserved that.”

“We’ll talk later,” Hilla said. She turned to face the Queen and Stormsword, and the golden energy filling the room grew even brighter. Arcs of Ether danced around her as Hilla’s hands and jaw trembled with unrestrained anger.

“Release the Ether,” one of the guards said, pushing himself upright and stepping toward Hilla. “We will be forced to assume that you are attacking–”

Golden vines erupted from Hilla’s hand, binding around the man’s mouth and yanking his limbs down to his body. He pitched back and hit the ground with a thud, completely immobilized.

“Calm yourself, Hilla,” the Queen said. “You spent many good years of service on the frontlines, but I cannot excuse attacks on my men.”

“And I cannot excuse an attack on my son.”

“Hilla, we can discuss this–” Derrod started.

For the second time, golden vines erupted from the ground. They snapped around Derrod’s hands and slammed his jaw shut as they encircled his head.

“Not another word from you,” Hilla spat. “More than anyone else, you should be ashamed. Accusing your own son with absolutely no knowledge of what you speak of. When was the last time you acted as a father? I saw your training the last time we were at home. I thought you and Damien just had some rough patches to work out, but now I see that the true reason for your faltering relationship is that I married a stupid, shortsighted, murderous dog that would sooner execute his own family than admit he made a mistake.”

Vines of light pulled Derrod out of the way as Hilla stormed up to the queen, coming to a stop just in front of the taller woman. She crossed her arms before her chest and leaned in until their noses were nearly touching.

“You’ve already taken my husband. Keep your bloody hands off my son. He’s done nothing but try to protect this kingdom.”

“How can I know for sure?” the Queen demanded. “Do you think I want to kill a child, Hilla? Do you think I enjoy this? I have to think of all of my people! Step back, Hilla. Release Derrod and my men. Stay out of the way, or I will be forced to use force.”

“Tell me something,” Delph said, raising a hand. “Nothing would destabilize the kingdom more than losing its leader, correct?”

“What kind of question is that?” the Queen asked. “Are you threatening me? I didn’t think you were that stupid, Delph.”

“Not me,” Delph said, shaking his head. He pointed a finger at Damien and Sylph. “You know how I determined Damien was still human and in control? I threatened Sylph. The Void cannot process emotions, but he acted to protect her anyway.”

“The Void can fake such things, can it not?”

“It can, but it’s about to be a moot point. Due to a series of unfortunate events that I may have some fault in, Damien’s memories of his mother were damaged. They only recently started to get to know each other again, and I think he would be very cross if you interfered in that. Forget the Void throwing the kingdom into chaos. Keep this path up and you’ll do it yourself.”

The Queen’s eyes bored into Delph. She gently moved Hilla out of the way and turned her gaze down to Damien. She pulled her blade from the ground and, keeping the point of the weapon directed at the ground, slowly walked toward him. She stopped a foot away, and they locked eyes with each other.

“Is this true?”

“If you were a poor enough Queen to hurt any of your own subjects without basis, then the Kingdom would be better off ruled by Yui.”

“And you believe you have the power to act on such impulses? In a room of my strongest soldiers? Even if you could defeat me, could you stop them from taking your friends and family hostage?”

Henry dipped back into Damien’s shadow. The lights in the room faded as he rose up once more. But, instead of his friendly shape, Henry emerged in his Full Manifestation. His gaunt hands settled on Damien’s shoulders and his skin-covered mouth wrinkled in a wide smile.

“When I arrived on this world, I fully planned on destroying it to protect the Cycle,” Henry said. “Damien stopped me every step of the way, until I realized that my goals were no longer what they once were. If it wasn’t for him, not a single one of you would still remain. So, when I tell you that the only reason you currently exist is because he wills it, I am not exaggerating in the slightest. I bore of this game. We have more important things to be doing. I could enter your mind and shatter your will this very instant if I wanted to, but Damien will not let me – yet. Continue pressing on this path and you will discover exactly what I am capable of.”

“I was under the impression that the Void cannot feel. Why do you care?” the Queen asked. She gestured to everyone in the tent. “What does any of this matter to you?”

Henry chuckled. “I am so much more than just a Void creature. I am Damien Vale’s companion, and he is mine. A meagre mortal such as yourself could never comprehend what we have become. If Damien wanted this kingdom to be destroyed, it would be gone.”

Stormsword grunted, trying to free himself from the vines, but Hilla’s magic held him tight. The Queen and Henry’s eyes bored into each other. Then she inclined her head, so slightly that Damien nearly missed it.

“Delph, can the Void lie?”

“It can, but not very convincingly. It much prefers omission. There is little reason for it to lie, after all. You lie when you are trying to manipulate a higher power. There is no higher power to the Void.”

The Queen nodded. “I have made my judgement. From everything I know of the Void, it cannot process emotion. This creature – Henry – does not seem lack the slightest bit of personality. I will choose to believe that Damien Vale and his companion are indeed more than what they appear as.”

A collective breath of relief passed through the room as some of the tension drained out of everyone’s stances. Hilla allowed her Ether to pull back, freeing the guard that she’d trapped. She did nothing to take the bindings off Stormsword.

“That wasn’t so hard, was it?” Delph asked. “All’s well that ends well. Well done, me. Say, Sylph, do you still have that book I lent you?”

Sylph mutely pulled it out and handed it to Delph.

“Thanks. I was missing it,” Delph said, tucking it into his pocket. The Queen’s eyes tracked the motion and raised up to meet his.

“Is that the Void-empowered axe that was meant to be delivered to my armory for safekeeping?” she asked.

Dredd cleared his throat. “Well, looks like we’re all done here. Cheers, everyone. Glad you’re getting along.”

He flung his cloak around him, folding up like a wad of gray paper and vanishing from sight with a faint pop. Dredd let out a heavy sigh.

“Madman,” the Queen muttered. She straightened and, after one last look at Damien, walked back to stand at her original spot. “I have wasted enough of our time as is. We need to address the Corruption. Their armies are indeed larger than we have believed, especially with the addition of normal monsters to their ranks. Hilla, please release Stormsword. We need him for this fight.”

Hilla pursed her lips. Then she shook her head. “No. He and I need to have a talk. You might be the Queen, but I’m his wife. I’ll return him to his duty once we’ve spoken. Dredd, be a dear and open a portal to somewhere private.”

“I’m not sure–” the professor started.

“That was not a request,” Hilla said, grabbing Derrod by the collar. The bands of light restricting him wound even tighter, until his entire body was encased in a cocoon. “Open the portal.”

Dredd opened a portal. Hilla stomped into it, dragging Stormsword behind her, and it snapped shut behind them. Everyone stared at him.

Well, I don’t think the legends of Stormsword are going to remain quite as pristine as they’ve been up until now. Getting dragged on your ass after you just got scolded isn’t exactly awe inspiring.

Sylph caught Damien’s eye and gave him a small thumbs up. It took a strong force of will to keep himself from bursting into laughter.

“If you want to tell her no, do it yourself,” Dredd said. “Did you see the look on her face? I’ve seen her fight on the frontlines, you know. The only reason that woman retired is because she got too bored of killing monsters. I’m not going to piss her off any further.”

The Queen cleared her throat. “Let’s return to strategy, please. For some reason, the Corruption is going after Blackmist in particular. Does anyone know why that might be the case? There has to be something it wants.”

Slowly, order returned to the room and it went back to its original purpose of determining the best way to hold the Corruption off. All the professors and anyone who had interacted with the Corruption voiced off suggestions as to why it might have been going after Blackmist, but most of them were just that Dredd had somehow done something to piss it off.

Sylph leaned in closer to Damien to whisper into his ear. “Is it possible that it’s not a thing the Corruption wants?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, the Void is the biggest threat to the Corruption, right? And, right now, it doesn’t seem to be really doing all that much to interfere with him. What if Second’s second isn’t Blackmist at all?”

A chill traveled down Damien’s back. “It’s us. Second is after us. Blackmist is just the bait.”