Love was in the air. Unfortunately, the greater atmosphere of tension, fear, and disgust was drowning it out. Zolyra had called for the war council. Ashier was here, or rather, somewhere close by. The gestalt was still stealthed to avoid Zozar's notice. Murdon was slowly looking around the large warehouse emptied and covered with the Commander's shielding runes, his face otherwise unmoving from its quieted rage.

The sight of that made Daniel grip Shuni's hand tighter as the team stood in the middle distance away from the central gathering. While everyone marching on Aurus wasn't here, Zolyra had relaxed her limits on who could attend. It'd be hard to maintain operational security in the coming future, but there was something else too. Something contained by an opaque pink barrier in the center of the room that would underscore the importance of the fight to come.

"I see everyone is here," Zolyra began, resolve burning in her eyes. "I am locking this room down, powers included. There will be no conflict amidst allies, understood?" That was directed to the other draconoid in the room, who stiffly nodded.

The runes on the walls began to break up, each splitting into four distinct variants of the original. Daniel felt almost all of his magic wand as only his bond survived whatever it was she was doing. This was fortunate in Hunter's case as otherwise he'd have been revealed as a true ringcat, which would've been a very bad look considering what was to come.

Shimmering into existence near the center of the room was an air gestalt. They didn't appear too different from others Daniel had seen, a general cloud being with clear blue eyes, but it was in the metaphysical they differed. Even with powers suppressed, they had a presence that contested the Blessed twice their level.

Before anyone else could react, Murdon growled a question to the Tyrant. "Why?"

Ashier glanced to the Commander as if to see if she'd intervene, but menacing apparently didn't count as conflict. On the ground, someone with faint mist issuing from their eyes turned to Murdon. It appeared that despite the suppression, Ashier could still inhabit their Proxy.

"That is not what we are here to discuss," the Tyrant answered coldly through their stolen voice. "The threat to the Octyrrum is more important than our history."

"Our history!?" It took the combined strength of Lograve and Tounaki to hold Murdon in place, though it looked like one of them was struggling to keep themselves back as well. "That is what you call betrayal? Murder? After ten years of friendship-"

"Employment," Ashier corrected him, before addressing the Commander again. "Commander Zolyra, we all know time is not with us. The history of the Thormundz is of little importance, save for the true traitors still hiding within. If you are willing to waste what little advantage we have on this, I see no reason for me to delay my attack any further."

It was a bold ultimatum made with no room for negotiation, completely cutting Murdon out of the calculation in the process. Even he was taken aback by what must have been a dramatic change in the person he knew. Zolyra sighed, but nodded her head.

"Murdon, they're right. The threat posed by the kingdom they want to form is too great."

"They used an influence power on an entire region!" Murdon roared, now directing some of his fury on Zolyra. "Hundreds died because of their actions. People burned alive in my own home! I have yet to hear a single reason we can trust them. With everything at stake, how can we not question their loyalty?"

Emotion played across the Proxy's face for the first time, the mouth grimacing and eyes widening. "Do not dare! You were the faithless coward who did not for a moment think to uphold your duty. I did everything I could to save the Thormundz, and then Aughal after that. It is not my old friend seeking a twisted crown!"

"So we are to ignore the one on your head!?"

"ENOUGH!" Zolyra shouted over both of them, so loud Daniel felt both his and Shuni's bones vibrate. She slashed a hand through the air and runes flew from the walls to coat Murdon, Ashier, and their Proxy. Despite Murdon outleveling the Tyrant, far more were needed to form a containing web around Ashier. In the silence, no one breathed. "Despite the truth on both sides, I can assure everyone of one thing. Tyrants cannot betray the Octyrrum. They can commit terrible, terrible atrocities, and I understand this one has, but they also represent the only ally available that can stop Soraso. Any reconciliation of your differences will wait until after he is dealt with. Am I understood?"

Both glared in their containment, Ashier's eyes storming over. Then the web around them flowed back into the floor. Breathing heavily, Murdon raised a hand toward Ashier, gritted his teeth, and then shook his head as he walked toward a far part of the room.

They are like a monster, Hunter commented, telepathy being the only safe way to communicate in this space. This Tyrant, they don't feel too much stronger, but I don't think our entire team could kill them.

Yes. Tyrants cheat, Tak acknowledged warily, thought the Totem Warrior was the least shaken of the three. At least they are on our side.

For now. Daniel thought about Rorshawd, who had wisely been hidden from these proceedings. Both Murdon and Thomas might try to kill them after this is over.

Should we help? Hunter asked.

Help talk them out of it, maybe. I hate them too, but it's like Zolyra said. We have bigger problems. Daniel looked at Shuni's hand holding his. It's not worth risking anyone on our team, anyway. Hunter grumbled mentally as he caught a scrap of what Daniel had just felt through the Empathic Link.

Their attention was dragged back to the center as the Commander began the actual briefing. "Alright. Apologies everyone, for the dramatics. Tensions are obviously high, and I'll need to ask everyone to keep calm. We haven't even hit the hard stuff yet." Most of the people in the room, of which there were over a hundred, looked at each other with apprehension. There were leaders of hunting teams and churches from both Aughal and Pinion's Point, all of whom had no idea what Zolyra had trapped in the force cage. Not even Quala, who was whispering to her sister in one of the corners.

The same map of the local regions appeared in midair as Zolyra manipulated her power. The range of its capabilities seemed insane to Daniel, who had initially thought of it as just a way to seal space from outside influence. Now it could also trap people, project illusions, and nullify harmful energy according to Janice. That was high level powers for you, those that allowed flexibility in their use at least.

Daniel listened as the Commander summarized the situation, in case any in the room weren't already aware they were here to kill a would-be King. The map zoomed in on Threst, and then Aurus in particular as she went into the mortal forces that could be expected to resist their siege. Including unBlessed guard, it numbered in the tens of thousands, double what they had between Pinion's Point and Aughal.

That and Soraso's defenders' advantage would have made it extremely difficult to take over the city, but that wasn't their goal. As Zolyra put it, "This is a decapitating strike, remember that. Our sole objective is to kill Soraso, Zozar too if we can manage it. Assuming control of the region is important, but it remains secondary to his death. Better that Threst breaks than becomes the nexus for the Octyrrum's fall."

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

Many avianoids in the crowd took issue with that, including those from outside the region. They were silenced as Zolyra held up a hand and gestured to the cage. "If those forces were all we had to worry about, I'd say we had a decent chance. But the enemy has a force unlike anything we have seen."

The barriers turned translucent, revealing a monstrous boar with one iron tusk. Daniel had assumed it was there, bound like Murdon had been, and was shocked to see something different. A scroll had been affixed to the head of the beast, the pink glyphs on it actively glowing. He couldn't identify the monster to tell what kind of effect was active, but the eyes were glazed over.

"A monster?" Ashier asked contemplatively as they stared into the cage. "Ah, I believe I see your point. Commander, I am of course aware of the mortals taken and twisted into tools of the enemy at the hands of Soraso. Hundreds attacked my city. Even if these so-called 'elites' join his defense, I wouldn't expect it to overshadow the threat of his larger standing force. That is not considering that they are attempting to keep their cooperation with the Crest secret. Making open use of these forces would go against that narrative."

"I agree, Soraso will likely keep any elites he controls in reserve until he has no other choice. But this is something else." A hard tone entered the Commander's voice. "Speak. Tell us who and what you are."

Some of the glyphs flowed off the page and into the irontusk grinder's fur. A flash of light briefly shone in the eyes, and then the mouth moved. "I am Torust, formerly of the air gestalt. I am a Druid who has chosen to serve the true gods of this world. What you see is my reward." Its voice was robotic, entranced, and yet faint moment of reverence entered in at the end.

Daniel's stomach twisted seeing it, and Hunter echoed that in his thoughts. This is wrong. Kill an enemy, take it and imprison it, spare them. Anything but this.

I doubt it's permanent. Even so, he remembered how the lake monster had controlled Hunter and felt an urge to charge over and tear off the scroll.

But what if they are given to a Beastmaster? That gave Daniel pause. Would Zolyra go that far?

Ashier didn't look like they were going to give him a chance to find out. The gestalt split off part of themself to form a disk that pointed toward the trapped monster. "You foul, loathsome traitor. This tongue does not have the words to express the weight of your sin, yet if you were still of my kind I would let you know my true thoughts plainly. Commander, lower this shield. I will end this thing."

Zolyra appeared a little consternated by the fact that Ashier kept pulling out powers immune to her suppression, but otherwise unconcerned. "No. They are a prisoner of war, and a valuable source of information."

"They are a stain on this world that has breathed for far too long already! I demand you lower this barrier." The Tyrant's will seemed indomitable, until the Commander started removing a scroll with blue metal threaded along the sides from her armor. She'd played mediator in the first fight and otherwise kept control of the room, but this was something different.

"You aren't the first Tyrant I've met," Zolyra said, dangerously calm. "Of all of them I can say this, it's always arrogance that gets them killed. You level too quickly and the power goes to your head. I don't want to take Aughal from you, but I do need your forces to pull this off. I will kill you to get them if I need to, Ashier, for the same reason I'm not letting Murdon release his grievances in the form of flame. We can work together without issue so long as you understand one thing. You aren't in charge here. This monster is my prisoner, and it's staying that way. End of discussion."

Slowly, the cloud disk by one of Ashier's hands dissolved back into their arm. "I will trust you have a good reason to allow this to continue to survive. What else has it told you?"

Zolyra didn't immediately answer, instead giving the monster a command. "Sleep." As its eyes closed, the barrier around it returned to full opacity. "I thought everyone would need to hear it to believe," she explained to the congregation at large. "There are, in fact, traitors to the Octyrrum who have gone so far as to give their souls to an enemy god within the Crest. The entire population of Marbleview, as well as Zozar's Sojourn, has been converted this way." Daniel frowned as he heard the familiar word and tried to place it, finding it difficult to do so. "We're referring to them as 'true elites' for now, and they are incredibly dangerous compared to normal monsters."

"They've retained their mortal powers," Ashier's Proxy commented, his attention diverting from where the Tyrant was still staring at the pink cube.

"More than that. This one claims they were given bodies that complemented them. They're a Druid, or was one, and the monster they turned into gives a compounding damage enhancement with their forms."

Daniel took there being a lack of outcry over this from people besides Ashier as everyone taking time to digest what this would mean if Soraso succeeded. Also that Marky had not been allowed in here. Quala looked sickened, almost distraught actually. Why is she-

"But their bond is the worst part. Every former air gestalt is still linked together." Daniel's thoughts veered off track with that. He'd known about the Empathic Link between gestalt from Khare, but it wasn't until he'd used his to fight with Hunter that he truly appreciated what that could do. His face paled as he realized how the hit team had been able to act together so well. It hadn't been a buff from Zozar, they simply possessed an inborn advantage.

Even Ashier, who had taken a death threat in relative stride, was moved. "How… how many do they have?"

"Torust wasn't completely sure. Less than two hundred, and most weren't leveled, but that's a tremendous advantage. If Soraso deploys that force, when he does, we'll be in the endgame. Tired, run out, and facing their best. If he wins, he can play it off as another attack from the monster gods trying to capitalize on our civil war." One of Zolyra's hands clenched. "He might even use it as further proof for kingship after he 'fights off' the surviving monsters. But make no mistake, once he has what he wants, they won't have to hide this any longer. There is no taking back a crown, and any who sway to their cause would be free to sacrifice themselves to these dark gods."

The silence grew prolonged, and Daniel found himself speaking up to voice a problem they should probably address before the siege. "About Soraso, he has Threst's Spoke. What's the plan if he teleports out and runs?"

Ashier seemed to regard him for the first time, and the look on the Proxy's face wasn't displeased. "Ah, you have done well since we have last met, it seems. It pleases me that another chosen servant of the gods has fought so fiercely against the Crest where others have failed." The entire room turned to him, including a large dusker by one of the entrances whose eyes flicked between him and Khiat. He remained calm, though Shuni stiffened by his side. "The very thing they seek to turn into a weapon against us can be used to check Soraso. So long as I live, I can detect where he is if I expose myself to our race's link. The pressure Zozar can put on any who share it would be problematic for most, which is why I am the only gestalt among my forces to leave Aughal, but my determination will not be found wanting against that traitor."

Daniel hated how conversational the Tyrant was with him, as if he were a colleague. The slight respect and even footing… ok, it wasn't the worst way they could be addressing him, but this was someone he did not want to be friendly with. I should tell Shuni about how I left Aughal after this, he thought, not wanting her or anyone else on the team to get the wrong idea.

Still, bigger issues. "Pressure, you mean through the Empathic Link?" he asked, keeping as much of the bile in his throat from his words as he could. "Is there an actual danger of Zozar turning gestalt against us?"

"Of course," Ashier answered, as if it were obvious. "They are at least level 6. The strength of one's mind advances as does all aspects of one's being with levels. Our race's Empathic Link is an open channel between souls. That comes with benefits, as well as risks."

Daniel looked over to where Murdon and Lograve were standing. The Arcanist looked like he wanted to say something telepathically to him, but Zolyra was still suppressing powers. Instead he just shook his head sadly. Good to know. Also good that Khare's not an air gestalt. I'd mention them now, but the Arcadian should be first. "Commander Zolyra, since we're on the topic of Zozar we should talk about my team's-"

"I understand your point, but no," the Commander overrode him. "That discussion can be had at a later time. I'm not changing our plans, but everyone is here to discuss the assault on Aurus. You've seen what they have to throw at us, but there's one last piece to the puzzle. We have someone reporting from Aurus. Before I contact our informant, I will remind everyone in this room that if anything spoken in this room leaks, no matter the intent, I will ensure they suffer the kind of death you can't imagine below level 4."

Sufficiently chastised, the audience watched as Zolyra called over Silora. The shavi had been doing a better job than most could trying to hide from the Tyrant given her height and quailed as Ashier glanced at her. Rather than engage with the Fate who'd departure had left Aughal without another, Ashier simply waited for her to do her job.

Zolyra removed a pre-scribed gold-threaded scroll and handed it to Silora, who shakily began casting. Some of the runes along the floor flowed up to support it from below, either to boost the magic or allow it to function amidst the suppression. Daniel was still wondering who exactly she could have had undercover, until an illusive screen appeared, and he realized there was someone he'd completely forgotten about.

William the Ranger.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.