Year 2: Prelude to War - Chapter 9

The Dread Keep never truly slept, not even in the dead of night.

After confirming Aeila’s plans of staging a rebellion, David sent Lilith and Jorōgumo away, then headed for his personal study.

Inside, there were four maps, one of Aangapea stretched across the large table in the centre of the room and three hanging on the walls, each with various markings and notes on them. There were piles of documents neatly organised on desks and chairs, though David wasn’t turning his attention to them at the moment.

Instead, he bent over the table and stared at the map, specifically at two fallen figures in the centre and in the north, marking his two latest failures.

I expected the Bloody Knight of the Beast Woods to fail, but the Scarlet Skulls were truly pathetic. David absentmindedly picked up the knocked over ship that marked the Scarlet Skulls and crushed it in his palm. We lost a good part of our fleet and gained nothing. Charledd’s days are numbered with us. When Eris lets me pick my next general, I’ll choose someone to fulfil his role and then find a way of getting rid of him.

As for the West, they’re going to be much harder to break than the East was. They know how we operate, they know our strength and they know theirs. If the heroes don’t get strong enough soon, it’ll be far too late for them. David smiled. Fenrir took down a whole team by herself; my generals aren’t invincible, but neither are your heroes, Eris!

“Speak of the devil, and she shall appear.”

“...You must be bored to visit me so soon after our last talk.”

“Oh, you wound me, David.”

David? He turned and saw her standing in mid-air, as if suspended in time. His eyes narrowed ever so slightly. “What do you want?”

“Nothing much, this time.” Eris laughed and took two steps towards him. “Sometimes, it gets quite lonely in the Endless Space and I’d like to have someone to talk to. And I imagine you wouldn’t hate that either.” She bent down and smiled brightly in front of his eyes. “After all, I’m the only one in the whole universe who knows who you are, who you were and who you’re going to become!”

Something’s…off. David glared at her. Then, angrily, he demanded, “Who are you?”

Eris lost her smile. “Have you gone truly mad, David Athelward? Or do you trust me so little that you think your eyes have started deceiving you now?”

“Who are you?”

Surprised, Eris blinked twice, then laughed wildly, unnerving David a little. That laugh’s just like hers, but-!

“I’m honestly shocked you managed to see through me.” The Goddess’s voice changed and distorted, as Eris’s skin fell to the ground like mud, before being enveloped by a dark shroud. “I wonder what gave me away.”

A new woman stood before David; her hair and eyes were mismatched colours and she was smiling playfully at him. Her right eye was bright red while her left was a soft, gentle blue; her hair was crimson on the left side and the right was sapphire.

The woman was wearing a fancy cream dress and a half-face mask with golden highlights.

“...Who are you?”

“Me? I’m Loki, the Greater Goddess of Trickery.”

“Loki?!”

“Oh, you’ve heard of me? I’m flattered!” Loki gave David a big grin and spun on one heel. “I imagine you didn’t expect me to look like this? Well, that can’t be helped.” Suddenly, a green mist enveloped her and her appearance changed again; this time, to a handsome butler with bright green hair. “Even this form isn’t familiar to you, is it?” Loki snapped her fingers again and then turned into a giant crow. “Hmm, perhaps not this. It’s far too difficult to speak seriously when I’m like this.”

The crow exploded, startling David before the woman in the dress appeared before David again. “So, to answer your question, I’m Loki. Nice to meet you, David Athelward.”

“...Why are you here?”

“Before I tell you that, I want you to tell me something - how did you know I wasn’t Eris?”

“Eris doesn’t stand when she comes here; she lies down, slouches or clings to me.” He stared daggers at Loki. “Why are you here?”

“To meet you, and to introduce myself. Eris invited me to come and watch her little game.”

“What?”

Loki laughed. “Ah, of course she didn’t tell you, can’t say I’m surprised. Well, it’s not just us two watching you anyway; Harmonia’s up there too, making sure that everything’s in perfect balance and all that. Honestly, so far, it’s been a great show. Please!” She suddenly leapt across the room and gripped his hand tightly in hers. “Continue to make this game more exciting!”

“Loki.”

“Ah, caught.”

The real Eris emerged from the shadows, grabbing Loki by the scruff of her neck. “I thought I told you not to interfere with my game.”

“You did, and I’ve taken that under advisement. However-!”

Loki disappeared in the blink of an eye. With a small sigh, Eris lowered her arm and then lay down on her stomach in the air before David, smiling sickeningly sweet at him. “I never knew that you paid so much close attention to me, David Athelward.”

“...It’s hard not to when my life is in your hands.”

“But it’s not just your life in my hands, is it?” David titled his head slightly, before realising his mistake, making Eris purr. “Yes, that’s it - you really haven’t changed, David Athelward.”

Slowly, she crawled through the air towards him, before pushing him gently onto the table, knocking aside many of the figures onto the floor. Then, she placed her hands on his torso, pinning him in place. “Tell me, do you even remember your sister’s face? What about your father’s voice, or your mother’s love? Do you think they remember yours?” She giggled and nuzzled his neck. “I don’t.

“Then again, it’s easy to forget when you have so many wonderful pleasures to lose yourself in. When Mania wasn’t enough, you found Lilith. I wonder, what will you do to the lovely little princess? Will you try to seduce her, make her fall for you, or will you just take what you want, like the monster you are? Will you try and say it’s a mercy?” Eris giggled as she planted a soft kiss on his neck. “Do you think she’d break and cling to you, discarding her station and people just for you?

“Does that sort of thing excite you?” Eris’s fingers gently ran down his face, his nose and tapped his lips. “Maybe women like Chelsea are more your type? Maybe you’ll have your fill of both of them, especially after they try and fail to rebel?” Eris lifted her face to his, leaving less than an inch between them, their lips almost touching. “What do you think, my Demon Emperor?”

When David remained silent and unresponsive, Eris licked her lips and said, “Don’t worry, I already know.”

Slowly, she raised herself off his body and floated into the air, swinging her legs around so they were facing one another again. “You haven’t let me down yet, and your sadism continues to grow. Are you perhaps learning from me? If so.” She giggled. “I’m flattered.”

“...I’m not going to rise to the bait that easily,” David said, sitting up right again. When he saw her smirking, he clarified, “Not anymore. I already know what I’ll do with Aeila and Chelsea when they’re caught, and so do you. Aeila will have to choose between herself or her people, and Chelsea will submit herself to me to shield Aeila. That’s all.”

“You’ve really embraced your true self now.”

“I know.”

Eris laughed viciously at that remark.

“...Your laugh.”

“What about it?”

“It’s more…malicious than normal.”

Eris purred. “Oh? I’m flattered you know so much about me, my beloved Demon Emperor.”

“Loki’s little performance as you told me that I know far too much about you - and that laugh just now confirms it. What are you hiding?”

Eris laughed. “I’m not hiding anything, David Athelward. If anything, everything’s out in the open.”

Then, before he could say another word, she turned into a cloud of feathers and vanished.

Ah, I can’t wait until you two meet each other again, Hailey, David!

***

It had been a long, lonely ride for Princess Raeanne across the country.

Alone, with little food or water remaining, she had made her way hundreds of miles away from Baron Tyrea’s estate, her heart grew heavy as her body grew ever more weary.

As she rode, fearful for her life, every little thing made her scared, whether it was the rustling of the bushes or the distant cries of animals. Even the gentle owls made Raeanne quiver. At night, she had very little warmth and often couldn’t start fires for fear of being spotted.

She came close to a few patrols in her journey, sometimes close enough to hear the clanking of their armour as they marched in formation. Whenever she passed by a busy road, she saw posters with her face and description on them, offering a huge reward for information on her.

I’m so tired, Raeanne thought more and more with each passing day. Her back and limbs ached, her heart neared its breaking point.

She recalled the faces of her lost royal retainers, the servants and farm boys who’d been by her side, and she wept silently for them.

She tried to remember Sir Hubert’s last words, but it caused her great grief.

“Live and make our dream a reality.”

It’s too hard - Raeanne smacked herself hard when she thought like that.

Despite putting on a strong face at that time, resolving herself countless times of the eventuality that befell them, Raeanne’s very soul neared its limit.

However.

No!

She did not stop moving forward.

Don’t look back! Ignore them and keep going!

Even with all of that threatening to destroy her, Princess Raeanne kept going, kept fighting, kept pushing through everything.

I’ll never forgive you, Demon Emperor.

I’ll take it all back, my throne, my people, my country - all of it! When I see your head rolling down the steps of the capital, then and only then will I rest!

Until then!

Raeanne kicked at her horse, making it run even faster.

I won’t stop!

Eventually, Raeanne arrived at a very specific crossroads in a desolate part of the country, where few had ever tried before the Demon Emperor’s rise to power. The village of Oder-hall had been abandoned for nearly fifty years, making it the perfect place to hide for rebels.

But, of course, the Demon Emperor’s spies would have reached that same conclusion which is why no one publicly used this space to hide - the only time they ever did was when they were desperate.

News will have already reached Gregor and the others about what happened at the Baron’s estate - with any luck-

“The Yellow-breasted eagle.”

“Hunts owls in the dead of night.”

“Why?”

“For it’s the only time that human eyes aren’t watching.”

From behind a nearby tree, a woman emerged wrapped in leather armour and green cloaks. “Princess Raeanne - it’s good to see you safe.”

“Thank you. Who sent-?”

“Gregor, my lady. Now, please, cover yourself with this cloak and follow me, quickly.”

Raeanne did so with the emerald cloth she was handed, and they marched along many paths and rough places, stepping through woods, over hills and rocks, until Raeanne felt she could walk no more. Her horse, sadly, had to be abandoned and set free, meaning that the rest of the journey had to be taken on foot.

After nearly an hour of walking without rest, they stopped before a nondescript part of a mountain’s cliff face. Then, the woman knocked in three spots and paused, before knocking twice more.

A flat part of the rock suddenly moved and was pulled back, revealing a long tunnel behind it, lined with lanterns and with twenty armed soldiers awaiting on the other side. They welcomed the two inside, then promptly sealed the cave door, before finally relaxing and bowing to the princess.

“Welcome, Princess Raeanne to the Revived Royal Kingdom of Aangapea,” the woman said with a curtsy. “I am Ingrid Perwin. Once, I was a marquis’s daughter in the capital, but now I am one of the scouts in the Revived Kingdom’s army.”

“Marquis Perwin was a childhood friend of Louis’s, though I never had the pleasure of meeting him myself,” Raeanne replied. “It’s good to see you are in good health.”

“The same can sadly be said for my parents, one of whom has passed and the other bows down at the Demon Emperor’s feet. My mother is a traitor to your kingdom - please, forgive me for-”

“A child does not bear the sins of their mother or their father.”

“...Thank you very much for your kind words. Please, follow me, Gregor wishes to speak to you immediately.”

Ingrid led Raeanne into the central chambers of the cavern which was an old abandoned mine turned into a town, complete with markets, schools, hospitals and blacksmiths. There were even livestock being paraded through the tunnels to the butchers for slaughter; the men and women looked well fed, though most were bruised and scarred and bore weapons.

Each person that saw the princess bowed as they walked, and the lively square turned silent. Eventually, they came to a table laid out in the very centre of the room, adorned with wine, fruits, vegetables and many fine, luxurious meats Raeanne had not seen or tasted in many months.

“Princess Raeanne - it’s been far too long.”

“Yes, it has been, Sir Gregor.”

“I’m not a knight anymore, Princess - haven’t been for many a year now.”

“Even then, you are still a knight to me.”

Gregor smiled a little sadly at Raeanne’s words.

Once upon a time, when Raeanne had been a small girl, her chosen knight had been Gregor the Brave, a famed knight whom many in the kingdom knew and loved. Sadly, after an unfortunate incident that occurred when he was drunk, Gregor had earnt the new name Bear-hand and become disgraced. Before the trial into the assault could begin, Gregor handed over his cape and sword, stating that a man who would act that way, even when drunk, did not deserve to be a knight.

A few years later, he was found innocent of all charges, but Gregor Bear-hand had now moved on and become a mercenary.

Despite being almost in his fifties, Gregor had not lost his strength, his courage nor his genius for warfare, which allowed him to become the leader of the most powerful rebel cell in the whole Demon Empire.

Count Barthlow had originally approached him with an offer to stand up and fight the Demon Emperor when he tried to liberate the east, but Gregor believed the plan would fail and had been proven right.

“Wallace sends his regards, but he’s occupied with-”

“Gregor, please, treat me like another comrade, not as your princess.”

“But-”

“Until the Royal Kingdom is restored, I am not your princess; I am your sister-in-arms, a fellow conspirator and someone who will fight alongside you to reclaim our home. One day, I shall be your princess again but today is not that day.”

“But you are still our leader, and our inspiration, princess. Even now.” Gregor gestured to the men and women behind him. “They are all here fighting for you, and the dream you shared with Duke Louis. One day, our homes shall be ours again and peace will return.”

Gregor bent down on one knee to her, as did the others surrounding them. “Please, Princess Raeanne, go along with our selfishness this once.”

“Gregor…”

“Humility is a wonderful thing, Rae, but it needs to be in moderation,” Louis’s voice echoed in her mind. “However, sometimes, what people need more than a humble ruler is one who inspires them. That’s what we’ll be when we unite the north-east.”

Right. Raeanne closed her eyes and gently smiled. I’m not just a comrade to them; I’m so much more than that.

I’m their symbol of their hopes and dreams.

The proof that the Royal Kingdom can and will rise again.

“On one condition, Gregor.”

“Anything, princess.”

“Teach me to fight,” she said loudly. “Make me strong enough to protect you all as you protect me.”

With a thin smile, Gregor asked, “It’ll be tough, spartan training - are you alright with that?”

“Of course.”

“Then.” Gregor stood up and beamed, stretching out a hand to her. “I welcome you, Princess Raeanne, to the Revived Kingdom!”

Raeanne returned the smile and shook his hand. “Thank you.”

***

In the dead of night, Mímir received a knock at his door from someone he never expected to see so late.

“What is it, Mania?”

“Can I come in?”

Cautiously, Mímir invited her inside.

“Why are you here?”

“I, uh…I came to…apologise, for earlier.”

“What did you do wrong earlier?”

“The…whipping. I went-”

“Why are you apologising for doing what his majesty asked you to do?” Mimir bluntly asked.

“But you, uh…I thought I went too-”

“Why are you apologising? It’s not as if you feel bad about it.”

“...You aren’t wrong, but.” With a heavy sigh, Mania sat down on Mímir’s bed and lazily looked at him. “I still remember how you helped me out back with the Sons of Tartarus, and when you said that we should all help one another out so we don’t disappoint Master.”

“Ah, Ryan and his men?” Mimir recalled. “Yes, I did say that we should all try to work together, but you and Abaddon both have shown little or no regard of-”

“But we need to, now more than ever. The Demon Emperor is so close to achieving his dream and we all want to help him make it reality, but…the other generals could end up being of more use than us.”

“We were his majesty’s first chosen generals and we are also the ones to fail him the most,” Mímir stated. “Truthfully, I wonder how many chances I have before I finally run out. It was my intelligence that led his majesty to recruit the Scarlet Skulls and it’s on my head that they disappointed him so much. I should have waited longer before recommending them and expressing their potential uses.”

“Hey, it’s not like I’m much better. I almost revealed our plans months ago, multiple times. I struggled to make Lawrence an Awoken before the Count’s army came east, and…even I’m scared that Master will give up on me, too.”

“...Yeah.”

For one, once-in-a-lifetime moment, the two generals sat in comfortable silence, basking in their mutual shortcomings, doubts and worries.

They had both thought of them multiple times alone, but never expressed those feelings to one another. Until now, they had always treated each other as rivals, trying to one up the other whenever possible. Whenever one of them failed, the others would always be quick to jump upon the wounded prey to inflict the killing blow.

At that very moment, however, they were both quiet and understanding of each other’s pain.

“...Have you ever spoken to Abaddon about this?”

“Of course not,” Mania hissed. “That idiot would just go straight up to Master and spill everything to him without being asked.” With a little kick of her legs, Mania leapt off the bed and skipped across the room. “If I told the Twins, they’d tease me about it until they died. The others would just be annoying to speak to about this, so you’re probably the only one I’d ever talk to about this sort of stuff.

“Oh, but don’t ever misunderstand me,” Mania angrily growled, thrusting a finger at his face. “I belong only to the Dark Lord and-”

“If you ever even tried to initiate that with me, I would kill you.”

“You’d fail.”

“I’d be extra motivated to see you dead.”

“How rude.” Mania giggled. “Still, if you keep that attitude up, you’ll never have a lover.”

“Who ever said I-?”

“Night.”

“...Night,” Mimir said to the closed door, before sighing a little.

Honestly, what a strange person.

***

With a gentle smile on her lips, Charybdis dug a long, thin metal stake into the rebel’s leg, piercing straight through to the other side.

With a guttural scream, the rebel yelled and tried to thrash about, but she had sixteen other stakes across his body, pinning him to the wooden table.

“Now, now, there’s nothing worth screaming about yet,” Charybdis lightly scolded. “This is something that you’ve brought upon yourself for lying to us. You said you’d tell us about Princess Raeanne’s allies in the north, but you then simply tried to kill the Demon Emperor. Honestly.” Charybdis picked up another metal stake. “You only have yourself to blame.”

“P-p-p…” The woman threw up blood and coughed, spluttering everywhere. “Please…spare me.”

“Spare you?” Charybdis laughed. “You dared to deceive us and tried to harm our Master.” Charybdis lined the stake up with the rebel’s eye. “You should be grateful that I’m only doing this much. Now.” Charybdis leaned in close to the woman’s face. “Start talking and I’ll heal all of this for you. Otherwise.” Charybdis opened her mouth wide, revealing the monstrous teeth inside. “I’ll eat you, piece by piece.”

“Sometimes, I wonder which of us is crueller, sis.”

“Oh, Scylla.” Charybdis retracted her teeth and smiled sweetly at her little sister. “Did you bring what I asked?”

“Yep. Two potions to heal our prisoner and one more that will induce a pain far worse than any other in this life.”

The rebel shrieked quietly, trying to run away, but unable to battle the metal stakes piercing her skin.

“Oh, don’t worry,” Charybdis said, gently stroking the rebel’s cheek. “If you’re a good girl and tell us what we want to know, this could be all over in a moment. If not, that poison will truly make you want to tear out your nerves just to make the pain stop. How do I know, you might ask.” The monster giggled. “It’s because it’s the same poison we use to turn into our other forms.”

The rebel started to cry uncontrollably but the Twins did nothing more than watch on.

“...You really do enjoy this, don’t you, you sadist?”

“Oh? All I’m doing is my job, and there’s nothing wrong with enjoying it.”

“It’s saying it with that smile that makes it worse, sis, though.” Scylla grinned. “I don’t disagree with you.”

***

“Were they really that weak?”

“Pathetically so,” Fenrir said as she and Abaddon exchanged punches. After dodging his next punch, she swept at his legs which the demon avoided. “Took all but one down with a single strike.”

Abaddon blocked Fenrir’s next three punches, before smashing his palm against her cheek, sending the great wolf scuttering across the ground. “No wonder the Lord Emperor told us not worry about them.”

Fenrir spat blood and grinned. “My thoughts exactly. Although.” She pounced at Abaddon again, kicking madly at his stomach, but the general managed to block her attacks. “I do hope they’ll be much stronger the next time we meet, especially the girl who endured my fists.”

Abaddon caught said fist with his hand, before twisting Fenrir’s arm behind her, then pinning her against the wall. “What was her name?”

“No idea.” Fenrir couldn’t break free and tapped Abaddon’s shoulder twice with her free hand, signalling the end of their fifth spar of the evening. “But she had these gauntlets on.”

“Her Divine Artifact, no doubt.”

“Hermes - what are you doing here?” Abaddon demanded.

“Is there anything wrong with me being here?”

“No, but you usually don’t ever leave your laboratory, even when the Demon Emperor summons his councils.”

“He has always told me to prioritise my research over the council, and so I have,” Hermes said with a small chuckle. “Tell me, would either of you care to be a part of one of my experiments? If you do, it could make you much stronger than-”

Fenrir dove at him and transformed into her wolf-form, growling and biting at Hermes. Hermes conjured a barrier to block her strikes and the wolf was unable to pierce them.

“It appears that I’m rather disliked,” Hermes whispered. “All I wanted to do was give you a fair offer - this sort of behaviour is totally uncalled for.”

“I disagree,” Abaddon said, putting a hand on Fenrir’s fur. “We’re not looking for cheap tricks or shortcuts to get stronger - we’ll do it the way we always have.”

“Then, I fear you might come up short to those summoned heroes one day.”

“Unlikely,” the great wolf spat.

“At present, perhaps. Well.” Hermes chuckled. “We shall see.”

***

“In here,” the gruff, bearded man grunted, gesturing Curtis and Bill inside. The second they stepped through the threshold, the door was slammed and bolted shut. “Not a word to anyone outside here. Understood?”

“O-of course.”

“Good. Now, take these.”

“Bandanas?”

“Wear them here, on your elbow. While you’re walking around with that and the ‘X’ showing, it means you’re one of us and you need to find an ally. If you leave it with the yellow dot showing, it means you’re just one of us. Got it?”

“Is this all really necessary?”

The bearded man glared at Curtis. “Do you have any idea how many rebel cells have been found and destroyed in the last few weeks alone? If we don’t go this far, we’re dead. Got it?”

Curtis nodded, before gingerly following Bill and the bearded man deeper into the isolated cottage, into the basement where two more men were waiting for them. The two men, both of whom were the size of a bear, moved a heavy bookcase to one side, revealing a deep underground tunnel lit with a few candles.

“Not a word, remember?”

Silently, Curtis and Bill followed the bearded man inside, just before the other two men sealed the entrance again. After walking for a minute, they were in a fairly spacious cave with beds, food, buckets of water and thirty men waiting inside, all with the same fire in their eyes that Bill had.

“Who were those men back there?”

“Loggers and miners,” the bearded man said. “They live in that cottage and helped us dig out our secret base, though.” The man grunted. “We haven’t finished it all yet. Those tunnels over there don’t lead anywhere, and that one way behind Patty leads deep into the woods. We hollowed out a tree stump and dug a tunnel there for us to use, if it ever came to it.”

“All right beneath the Demon Emperor’s nose.” Bill grinned. “I told you, Curtis, they’re the real deal!”

“I didn’t doubt that, but…I’m shocked you guys were able to build all this without anyone noticing you disappear each night, or on a patrol.”

“The Demon Emperor has eyes and ears nearly everywhere,” a blonde haired man said, stepping out of the crowd towards them. With a bright smile, he said, “But nearly isn’t enough. There are gaps, small ones mind you, in that invincible net that we can exploit. A pleasure to meet you both, Bill, Curtis - I’m Barry, former knight in service to the Holy Empire of Themis.”

“Pleasure.” The two men shook hands before Curtis continued. “Were you-?”

“At Themis? No. I was at Pilgrim’s Post when it fell and, as much as it shames me to admit, I ran, leaving my captain to die at the bridge,” Barry answered. “I know that’s not something that inspires much faith or confidence in me, but it’s the truth. I can fight and I’ve been teaching the lads here how to use swords, bows and spears, though we’re in short supply of all three. Yurik’s told me why you’re both here, and I’m sorry for your loss.”

“They’re not dead.”

“No, but they might wish they were,” Bill huffed. “Great Goddess knows what those sadistic freaks are doing to our women!”

“...I thought they wouldn’t be harmed if we didn’t take up arms.”

“That’s the official line, at least, but I’ve heard that some of the tributes have died,” Barry said. “At least, my ally’s spies tell us that much.”

“Allies? Spies? Wait, people have died?! Who? When? How-?”

“Calm down, Curtis!” Yurik scolded him, slapping his shoulder. “If it was her, we’d have told you, okay? We don’t know who it was, but it was before your missus ever made it to the Dread Keep.”

“But that doesn’t mean she’s safe,” Barry said. “For all we know, she could be being subjected to all the worst kinds of torture imaginable.”

“Or she could be fine!”

“How could anyone be fine in that accursed place?!” Bill screamed. “Curtis, I brought you because I thought you wanted to get your bride back - was I wrong or-?”

“I don’t want to get her or someone else killed by taking up arms though! Think about it, you remember what Lady Mania said - if we defied the decree, someone could die, and it might be from our home or someone else’s!”

“We all know that, but we’ve got a plan to stop that from ever happening,” Barry said with great confidence. “It isn’t just us in this fight, Curtis; like I said, we have allies and there are plenty in the Dread Town who would see the tyrant’s head roll. It’d be tough, it’d probably cost almost all of our lives, but we could do it and save so many more lives.

“That’s my-no, that’s our resolve, here, among the Banners of Themis. We’ll save every hostage from the Dread Keep by building up our forces, gathering supplies and then liberating the slaves in the Dread Town and other areas. Some cells in the north have already managed to do that, and so can we. I’ll gladly tell you both how, but.” Barry’s eyes turned deadly serious as he glowered at them. “But I need to know you’re one of us, a Banner of Themis.

“So, are you?”

Unbeknownst to them all, as they discussed and bickered, a spider observed them in the corner.

***

In the Endless Space, the Greater Gods watched on.

Each could see the many pieces on the board, the sides being drawn and the conflicts to come.

Eris’s game had truly begun in earnest and it would consume Aangapea.