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The following is a fan-based
FICTION
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Chapter 22: Closing In
Beta-Reader: Ant0nius
"I'm actually surprised to hear this. Sure, I knew the Empire had a few of us under their command but… I didn't expect it to be so expanded," The Bear Prime with red hair and light-brown fur replied with a serious tone.
The Wisdom of Crest looked quite uncertain about this discovery, but not disturbed much by it at a first glance. It was there that I finally had the chance to identify the mindset of someone born with the potential to become a master strategist of unparalleled talent, and there I saw how she had taken steps and studies to achieve such an impeccable degree of analysis. It wasn't just her approach to the situation that told me so, but her analyses and how she had carefully expanded a spy network all over Earth through the small hidden enclaves of Primes that had formed in the last few centuries. The 'colonies' were still led by descendants of loyal politicians from Old Prism, so they were going to be quite accepting of the arrival of the current queen. Plus, the fact that Adela managed to get most of the Crests from the Empire and the outer colonies was going to make a good starting point to achieve the best first impression we could ask for. We needed that display of 'strength' and this was going to help us a lot. But the topic wasn't the one I was more annoyed about. In fact, I was more troubled by the fact we learned how there was an extra Crest serving for the Empire. So, I needed to know how many there were on Earth.
"The feeling is mutual, but what it would be best to understand is to avoid any other surprises. While you already mentioned how you had a limited grasp of the Crests living on Earth, how many do you think there are currently on the planet?"
"Beyond me? Four. I know Light and Dark are here, I have felt two other patterns of energy in India and in one of the central zones of… Africa, yes. I believe one of them is Life so-"
"There are Five on Earth," Carmesi interjected, looking fairly distracted as she pondered about this discovery.
"Thank you, Ambar."
"It's an honor to finally speak with you, your majesty. I hope the journey wasn't… too difficult."
"We had a couple of… problems. But nothing to be worried about," The young queen remarked softly. "I suppose the rest have been able to settle down despite the few issues that humans might have been caused by."
Her gaze shifted with some unease towards me, and I noticed that she felt unsure on how to speak rightfully negatively about humans when I was there to listen. It did sound a bit offensive, but I knew better than the entire cast aboard how this was the truth. We would have shot first rather than just consider entertaining diplomacy. The Primes were, after all, a force of passive invasion, but not one meant to conquer Earth, but escaping a dictatorial regime. It was going to be a mess to explain that to the big leaders on the globe but… hopefully we wouldn't end up starting an accidental war in the process.
"I would say that we got the best deal out of it," Ambar confirmed with a small smile. "There were some close issues, but we managed and weathered the storm within just a century before… well, we got to this point."
I nodded. "If there is anything I can say about-"
"Grand Knight, I will be quite honest with you as I am aware you have a greater understanding of our earliest plights. Don't… apologize for something you weren't aware of and wasn't responsible for. We don't judge by species, but by their individuals' behaviors and actions," The Wisdom Crest interrupted with a somewhat stern but caring tone, her smile still there as it increased at my attempt to apologize. "And as far as I can tell, you have valiantly stood by our Queen's side to aid and defend her when necessary."
Another nod, but this time Adela spoke for me.
"Still, I wish to understand something. Are you completely sure that there hadn't been any attempts to open a diplomatic way with human leaders?"
"We… tried. Not extensively, but we had 'allies' on Earth which would be more than happy to help the cause. Sadly, it's been decades if not centuries, so we can't say for certain if they are still alive or not."
"Then, I know this might be a difficult question to answer on the spot but… do you think the current leaders of Earth would be willing to listen to our story if provided with proof?"
…
The Bear Prime took just a few seconds to consider what I just asked, her smile growing a bit tense at that heavy question and… yet she nodded.
"Yes. I believe it's feasible and possible for humans to accept the situation with enough tact. From what I remember, your ship has a group of specialists that can handle intelligence affairs. They can try to approach a couple of groups on Earth through distant communication and-"
"Hopefully, get a good-willed message in and not mess diplomacy up?" Grace offered with a nervous tone, stealing a couple of agreeing nods from the rest of the table.
"Indeed. I believe we can try something like that once you arrive close enough to Earth. I will tell you when we may begin 'first contact', and I hope you understand that making a smooth entry on the planet is going to take some time."
"We will not rush the process," Addie confirmed with a confident voice. "The last thing we need is to lose a possible ally in this war."
"I'm glad we share the same mindset, Lady Adela. We shall talk once more by the time you require my assistance."
"Thank you, Ambar. I hope you enjoy a pleasant week."
"Likewise, your majesty. Likewise."
A few days were left before Earth was in front of us. That's the best estimation they could draw and it was there that they needed to be prepared to open up diplomatic ways. No delay or hesitation, I could already tell some of the military satellites were going to pick up the fact that something big and unrecognizable was close to Earth. Without a quick response, only panic would ensue, effectively killing any chances of an alliance and friendship with humanity. And while the conversation with the Wisdom Crest ended on that note, the rest of the open debate regarding the diplomatic effort started just now with the rest of the individuals sitting by the table.
"Why are there doubts for Humanity to stand with us?" Pulsar asked rightfully. The question was something that was accepted by both Xea and Gracie. Even though I had told them about how humanity was militaristic, I didn't exactly explain why the entire process tied to gaining their friendship was going to be quite difficult. Much to my surprise, it was Carmesi that answered that question with a simple but actually fair point.
"If you were first introduced to Theo, seeing him armed but not knowing of his allegiance to the Queen, how would you have reacted?"
Gracie wondered about it, since it happened that way, but from a glance aimed at both Xea and Pulsar, it was clear that the query was more aimed at the two from the way the Fire Crest aimed her attention at both. They were born in colonies that had a degree of understanding of being guarded towards the unknown, so they understood this example better than she could much to her discomfort and… immense relief. Maybe she couldn't imagine how that would have been possible in her case, where everything would have been at least better than facing Minos' lies.
"Well… I would be worried-"
"If he has his sword unsheathed as you approach, trying to make sense of why he is here, how would you see it?" The Fox Prime pressed and the Ice Crest actually thought about it.
"I would be… worried?"
"That would make him look like a dangerous enemy," Xeanica added with a truthful tone, keeping her voice quiet as she still pondered on the scenario. "I guess that the humans would see us as a threat if they don't know why we are here and why we're ready for a war."
"They would think we are attacking them," Adela confirmed with a grim voice. "And that would set us between two foes: a vicious enemy with the Empire, and a misunderstanding with a species with a proper planet and plenty of resources to wage a lengthy war."
…
"I think I understand now but..." Pulsar aimed his gaze right at me. "Since your world is split into multiple nations, wouldn't it be difficult to rally them in a single alliance?"
I shook my head. "There have been times numerous nations tied each other against a single threat. If we convince three principal leaders, I think the rest will follow through due to that kind of move."
"Are you sure that would be enough? Only three?" Adela asked, having yet to study that bit of human society.
"Yes. If I have to be honest, Earth is divided in three spheres of influence, so convincing their leaders through this situation should be faster if not easier than just going nation by nation to gain their support."
There were some nods of acceptance at this fairly logical point, but while I was confident on this, I would still waste more than two hours trying to check things out with Archie. While we couldn't outright style the best diplomatic approach to offer to the intelligence clique since we didn't know who were the leaders in this different dimension, we still had the chance to… well, make something work on. A template, in a way.
And the more I studied it, the more hopeful I got as I could tell this was possible. We could do it.
Carmesi was a woman of many regrets. Especially when those were caused by her arrogance.
She knew she had a confidence problem at times, and it definitely irked her a lot when someone knew how to exploit it against her. And it was even worse when she decided to indulge in trying to make some more time to spend with Theo. She should be mad because she was being 'pushed' into it, but she couldn't help but actually dare herself to go through this event. One with her powers would easily know when to accept a natural limit that they shouldn't normally be trying to break through, and yet she didn't. She was dared and her pride set her up from quite the awkward swimming lesson through the human's caring approach. The fact she couldn't swim had never been a problem for her. She knew that she wasn't meant to be doing this. Not when she could actually snap, use fire and… get hurt? Carmesi never explored that phenomenon up until that moment, so she was rather… hesitant to dare herself into that unpleasant circumstance. What if she drowned in the process? What if it ended up burning the water and boiling the current occupants. Xeanica was swimming nearby, staring at them both from underwater as she gauged the 'baby step' the Fox Prime was taking. Pulsar was currently sitting by the edge, taking a brief pause after going through his usual 'workout' schedule and requiring a moment to dry a little bit while he looked at the unusual scene unfold. Nothing wrong in starting from the beginning, but it sure felt embarrassing to be taught at her age this.
'It would be even worse if anyone knew you can't swim.' Theo rebuked sternly, reminding her that it was better to suffer the short-term embarrassment rather than getting sneered at for not knowing how to swim.
Plus, it was a good form of exercise without stressing her body too much as she could tell from the pleasant duress she was getting out of it. She also blamed her love for him for this crazy choice. And yet the Fire Crest couldn't help but also spot a relaxing factor within the current situation. Moving her feet, getting accustomed to the temperature of the water and starting to get an idea on how to calmly keep herself afloat as Theo held her hand and got her to move around the modest-sized swimming pool. She could still remember when she heard him accepting to spend some time with Xeanica and Pulsar. Both had grown interested in competing with each other in swimming-related activities, something that most of the time ended up in some disaster. It was still an interesting sight to watch as it never got hold for her to see, but Carmie wasn't someone that dabbled in swimming. In fact, this decision came out of an immediate decision. But the moment she was in the water and not drowning as the human was helping her understand the mere concept of swimming? It felt somewhat refreshing. It was an exercise she never did and yet it was similar to those away from water because they demanded determination and caution over her own movements to achieve peak results.
The Fire Crest also decided to go for a full-body swimsuit considering how she didn't need to cause any distraction (yet) for her current teacher. He was already staring at her, a detail that had her smiling from time to time as she knew that despite the outfit being far from sexy, it was still pleasant to look at while she was wearing it. And that's if she ignored what embarrassment would come at losing her bikini bra if she tried her hand too much to show off her skills. Which she currently lacked. At least she was learning and she could tell those lessons were already giving her a clear understanding of how to keep herself afloat and then start moving onto the different swimming styles she could exercise and those she couldn't due to some elements of her body. The issue Carmesi reported early on as she tried the dorsal style, which was defined the 'easiest' among the others, was the fact she owned a tail. A big fuzzy tail at that made it rather difficult keeping afloat while swimming with her face aimed at the ceiling. An uncomfortable set back, but one that allowed her to 'skip' to the next style and… this one was amazing. Her chin bathed on the fast approaching water, feet and legs moving fast, and her and her arms arching forward and then pulling back once fully immersed one at the time. It was fairly simple to get the pace down into her brain and she managed to get through the 'freestyle' with ease.
So much that the Fox Prime almost forgot about her reluctance to enter the swimming pool. And also more than enough to forget that someone was looking at her as she happily swam around. It took her roughly ten minutes of free swimming to realize everyone in the swimming pool was staring right at her. Her visage burned brightly as a blush consumed it at the realization. She could hardly remember a time where she was as this fun of doing something that wasn't actual combat and… and it was so nice. The entire exercise lasted roughly two hours. It was a lovely way to pass time when it wasn't training, and, even though she mentioned that she didn't like it that much, Carmesi secretly planned a lone return to keep practicing what she learned today. The only one that knew already of her plotting was the very individual that had helped her learn the basics. Flustered hardly encapsulated the awkwardness of the human 'forcing' her to come back to the swimming pool right when she planned to get back at it. She made a fuss, a limited one, but still something that made it clear she wasn't doing it out of pleasure. A lie that the human caught onto without a single issue. And she was as surprised by how quickly he could pick up her behavior… but also endeared by it. Weren't lovers meant to know what one another felt? It definitely felt right for it to be the case.
A fond memory to remember forever.
The Imperial Palace was a dark spot within the planet's normally luscious grounds. Things had changed much from the desert-like nightmare that this world once was, all because the Emperor used his power to paint it to the desired landscape he craved way before his rise to absolute control. Only those priests and priestesses that had dabbled deep enough in Chaos knew. Only those that had tasted the ever-so corrupting energy that made the entity they were blessed to be commanded to an unbeatable force with the great ambitions of their race. A bearer of wisdom driven by allowing Chaos to mold him into the greatest representation of what all Narakhans and Chaos-Bearers could only pray to ever achieve in their insignificant existence. But this one 'humble servant' was special compared to others. She wasn't frightened by chaos' own maws, delving the deepest than many others, exceeding the limitations of fright and terror at allowing the purity of that darkness to swallow her entirely. A smile, the reminder of her power compared to others leaving her pleased as she walked through the silent halls of the palace. Guards passed by her, ignoring her presence either by fear of repercussions or because they were ordered to steer away from her. Which was fine, she didn't need any pets to play with… yet.
Her grin persisted until she arrived at her destination, the monumental doors opening slowly but still allowing her passage as she didn't stop in her walk. The throne room was mostly desolate. Nobody but just a few of those the Emperor demanded to meet were allowed inside as the monarch was far from being open and social with even the richest among the imperial bureaucrats. The throne was made from what had once been the Prism's unitary Throne. It was tainted, corrupted, refitted to the liking of a being that rightfully claimed a title beyond mere godhood. The priestess didn't hesitate as her step was decisive, driven by purpose and blessed by the peace of the tall figure sitting by the throne and waiting just for her. She finally stopped, the woman dropping to her knees as she regaled her lord with a posture of complete submission, of absolute loyalty.
"Your majesty, I am back from my divination."
He allowed a slow nod, seemingly musing silently about something due to his unfocused attention aimed at her.
"How long?"
"Two weeks, your majesty," The advisor muttered loudly enough from its kneeling position. "The stars have aligned, Chaos shall strike the hardest on that day."
"Good. I see that you had the opportunity to finally unlock your full potential… Darcy," The Emperor half-praised, the woman preening at the well-picked words. "Your drive is, as usual, impossible to doubt. Your loyalty is the same."
"Your words are too kind on a humble servant as I, your majesty."
"But now without thought. And definitely… without burden," The tall figure stated, his red eyes boring on the still-kneeling servant. "But your presence here is… helpful. I request an opinion that ties to incredible knowledge of chaos, even though the news might be unpleasant for me as… I need to know. For good."
"I will aid you with my whole self," She pleaded. "So please, my Lord, give me this burden."
…
"A few nights ago, I was given a vision that… left me perplexed, if not intrigued by its implication. And it was connected to the Old One."
Darcy paused, her eyes widening at the mere mention of that entity. The former holder of all Chaos, their former Goddess, the one that forsook them for the sake of self-disappointment and sorrow. The traitor that the Emperor tricked and then used to restore the Narakhans a chance to be free. She was… an unpleasant enemy that once betrayed them. One that was still revered by a few enclaves of Chaos that didn't espouse the Imperial manifesto. Traitors, all of them. But Darcy knew that, if the Old One was invested, this was nothing to scoff at and be worried about.
"And… what did she do, your majesty?"
"She mocked me. She called me a Champion of Chaos… no more," The Emperor explained slowly, allowing for the weight of each word to heavily set on his servant's mind. "Such a claim, albeit empty, concerns me as she mutters something absurd. Insane even."
Darcy's curiosity flared at that last bit. Another claim? What about? A possible new champion.
"She dared to assume that the filthy human had a better claim over that title. That he had gained her respect and that he isn't 'trying to act arrogantly with her powers'. Those are mine, Chaos is mine!"
Ah yes, the human. If he hadn't been allied to their enemy, Darcy would have tried to capture him herself. A specimen that could draw power from Order and Chaos at the same time? Who wouldn't want to experiment and torture that kind of abomination. In a sense, she was glad that he was an enemy of their cause, making her ambitions even more valid and giving her further acceptance to what she was planning to do once she had him captured and brought to her temple. 'So many horrible but sweet things would then happen~', she pondered with malicious amusement.
"Indeed, your majesty. She has no say on Chaos."
He nodded, his anger dissipating at the positive response.
"Which is why I require your assistance, Darcy. I wish for you to be in charge of a battle force to storm Earth the next time Chaos is at its strongest."
...What?
"M-My Lord, I am no Commander-"
"But your grasp of Chaos allows you to enchant our warriors, to give them the power needed to be a force worthy of its Imperial blessing. I wish for you to lead the charge because of your loyalty as… I know I can depend on you."
She preened under the compliments, and yet Darcy was confused by one thing.
"B-But what about the Earth Crest?"
The Emperor scoffed in disdain. "Minos will fail, for his mission is set to be doomed by my own hand. His staff is filled by traitors, rogue agents, and those dissidents that expect me to not know about their doubtful allegiances."
"Then why outfit an expedition if-"
"It's convenient for me. For us. For you see, Darcy, all our enemies shall be rallied on a single planet… and I shall make sure that they are removed from being a threat to our peace."
"Earth shall become… their common grave. The traitors, the Crests… the Queen."
"And the Dragon Gods," The Chaos Entity boomed fiercely. "They will perish under the might of my will. For you, Darcy, shall be my emissary as my ambition shall be yours."
The priestess felt overwhelmed in joy at that duty. She shivered, tears quickly forming at that divine duty bestowed to her. This was the greatest mission one could ever receive. She could feel her brethren rejoice through their bond with her, the Chaos within her bubbling in pure bliss at that honor and she bowed even harder at it.
"Y-Your majesty, it shall be done. They shall pay for what they did, for you command so. I shall be your voice, your eyes, your wisdom and your might. For you are my lord and I am your humble servant."
…
The Emperor smiled deviously.
"Good."
AN
Chaos moves-
And I am here!
So loud…
I shall screech as I want! It's been twenty two chapters since I spoke and I need to finally give my piece of mind when it comes to my brief cameo. It should have been longer, more detailed, in HD, and with the optional 3D to make things even more epic.
I have yet to unlock that might through writing.
Aww… still, I'm finally here! So, if any readers need answers to some of my questions feel free to ask~!
