"A Seraph is not like us; it heralds from a completely different evolutionary path. It does not feel pain, fear, doubt, or mercy. Its only goal is to destroy all that is not like it and become the dominant lifeform, in accordance with evolutionary imperative." Top secret Nerv dossier

IX

Power lay behind those doors. Tall, wooden, and wrought with iron, they were flanked by two fully armoured guards. Spears held at attention, and swaddled in black cloaks and plate, they appraised him from behind their helms with ruby red eyes. Despite his rank and obviously recognisable features, long white hair and black cloak over chainmail, they made no sign of acknowledgement as he approached.

Hreki Serdson swiped his hand out in command. Frustration bit at him, but formalities had to be observed.

"As you wish." The huskarls heaved the doors open with a great creak. Hreki could sense their disdain and ignored them. His work was dishonourable in their eyes. They forgot he was Erafir like them. With sword at his hip, he observed honour in his own way.

But in order to arise victorious, honour must be set aside from time to time. The spymaster, the raven on the shoulder of royalty, passed the precipice of mortality and into the presence of a god.

Darkness shrouded the meeting chamber, just as it had done back in lost Cynburh. Dragon headed pillars held aloft a pointed roof, lit embrasures hanging from their jaws. Iron, their most precious metal, was interwoven with them.

But the truest show of wealth in the room, was a throne of pure obsidian, elevated above and shrouded in shadow. Entire kingdoms had been worth less than that. Two terrible beasts with long snouts and vicious teeth, one black and one white, curled up at its foot. They watched the every move of anyone in the room. Coming up to hip height, they dwarfed the pitiful mutts humans had feared long ago. The wolves growled at his approach.

The king's assembly had been in session for a while. The usual bleating about grain and restless troops assailed his ears, but he didn't care. Outside this chamber, in the places they thought safe, was where he and his ravens listened attentively.

Look at them, bowing and scraping here yet calling him "Dark Lord" behind his back. Bile bit at the back of Hreki's throat, until his brow furrowed at an empty seat. The seer is absent again? What a surprise.

A dozen or so jarls stood before the throne, quailing beneath the gaze of the king and his hounds. Although his form was discernible, only the king's red eyes faintly glowed in the darkness. Upon Hreki's entrance, they flickered over to him. Lesser men would have died of fright.

"I believe our business is concluded." The king, his voice both snarl and rasp, a legacy of an ancient wound, gestured for his council to leave.

"My king, we still have the matter of the grain reserves to discuss-" Halfyr, jarl of Lafby, almost bit his tongue as he was fixed with a glare. Somehow his alabaster skin paled. "As you wish."

Armour clanked as the twelve men bowed and then filed out of the chamber. Human eyes would question their apparent youth for ones so senior, none looking a day older than thirty, but that was normal for their kind.

Odd. We reach full maturity at thirty, then stop. Humans just shrivel up and die after a while. Fitting for thieves like them.

As the jarls passed Hreki, their red eyes narrowed as they could barely contain their sneers. Not only was he a dishonourable cur, he was lowborn and weak.

The lords of forts, mines, ports and farms…you've not much left of anything to lord over now. Grain reserves and disgruntled soldiers, that is the limit of your concerns. Yet I still have my ravens.

Plate armour scraped against the throne of Norven royalty, occupied by Herwald the Great's heirs for countless millennia. The jarls hurried, whilst Hreki calmly walked over to the foot of the throne and dropped to one knee. As the great doors slammed shut, the only sound in the room was the steady, reverberating clank of a man who only took his armour off to sleep.

Thrymwald Hereson emerged, a foot taller than any of his kind, a race that stood head and shoulders over even the mightiest human. His grey hair short, and gaunt alabaster face slim, he'd the look of one who'd been at war. Aside from his height, he looked relatively normal for an Erafir, even down to his sharp ears. Obsidian plate covered him from foot to neck, although whether he needed it was a question many had asked. From his shoulder, a black cloak with wolf fur hung that reached all the way to the floor.

Black was the royal colour of the Norven, of volcanic ash and rich obsidian, and Thrymwald was king of all he surveyed.

"Hail Thrymwald." Hreki said, as protocol demanded.

The wolves continued to growl at him.

Why do those damned things hate me?

"Hoilst. Hasa." Thrymwald said sternly, but ruffled their heads nonetheless. The two faithful hounds snorted but did as they were told. Hoilst, the white one, rested its head whilst Hasa, the black one, kept careful watch on Hreki.

Loyal and obedient. Just like their namesakes.

The king, came to a stop just before his spy master "Rise, my friend." He lifted his hand in command.

Hreki obliged and met his lord's gaze grimly. "I wish the news was better, my king."

Thrymwald's warmth faded slightly. "Ierfr…"

"Is dead."

The king's jaw locked. "How many are aware of this?"

"Two of my ravens, me, and you."

"Keep it that way for now. I'll attend to his brothers and sisters personally." Thrymwald's hand fell to the hilt of his sword and fiddled with it.

"I'm sorry." Hreki said genuinely. He'd not known Ierfr too well, but the arrogant swordsman had seemed approachable and warm.

More like his mother than his sperm donor.

"…did my nephew die with sword in hand?" Thrymwald asked.

"Yes. He had a warrior's death. No doubt he'll be called to Walholl." Hreki said to a man who had become Ierfr's father in everything but blood. "He did not fall to any ordinary weapon, though."

"What killed him, then?"

"They call it an Evangelium. It is a giant suit of armour of some sort." Hreki paused, pondering how to put this. "It can wield a soul wall."

Thrymwald scowled. "Impossible. Man is weak. They do not have our strength and would not if they'd an eternity to prepare."

"Well…it seems they do, my king."

"…I should have dealt with this myself."

"No, my king." Hreki said, a part of his brain quietly acknowledging how insane it was for him to command his king. "You are what holds our people together. We lose you, then our race is truly doomed. Besides, even with their new weapon the humans were mostly lucky. Ierfr came very close to victory."

"How close?"

"He ran it through many times."

As he thumbed the hilt of his sword, Thrymwald looked up at the great black banners hung from the rafters of the chamber, red royal beasts emblazoned upon them. One of them, marked with cuts, had been the battle standard of Ierfr. "Tell me. How were your ravens unable to uncover the existence of this thing?"

"The enemy have been deeply secretive about Evangelium. Even among themselves."

"Are they aware we're prying?"

"No. It seems…" Hreki chuckled. "They perceive us as little more than mindless beasts bent on their destruction."

Thrymwald faintly smiled. "Well, half right." He thought silently for a moment more. "How thick is its armour? How strong is its sword arm?"

"As strong as any of your nieces and nephews, aside from Orcynn. Its armour is of less concern."

"That they could build such a weapon…" Thrymwald frowned, conjuring memories of an event seventeen years past. "Their tools of war are like thunder without lightning...how…"

"I take full responsibility for this. My investigations should have been more thorough…" Hreki's mouth glued shut when Thrymwald raised a hand.

"Do not apologise. Even the Gods are not above mistakes. Did not Waldin Allfather destroy the world in vain error?"

"That he did, my king."

"There you are then. You are at liberty to correct your error as you see fit, Hreki."

The spymaster nodded. "I will redeploy some of my assets to their stronghold. Cracking it will not be straightforward, but we've managed worse."

Thrymwald nodded half-heartedly, as if to himself. Dark circles hung heavily beneath his eyes.

Fire flickered in the braziers as it licked away the darkness. The crackling proved a welcome relief from the silence.

"Was the…Evangelium-" The king of the Inheritors struggled with that word, so alien to his tongue. "The totality of their defence?"

"No, Ardath. They had thousands of their war machines, worked by tenfold more warriors."

"And how did they compare to Evangelium?"

"Not much. Little different from when we last fought them."

Thrymwald hissed. "This is no normal weapon, especially of their ilk. Do you have any idea how it was built?"

"Only theories…"

"Share them."

Hreki licked his lips. He hadn't wanted to put forward any ideas until he had proof. "I suspect it may have something to do with the great spears."

Thrymwald stiffened. Even Hreki felt his blood run cold at the thought.

"They would not be mad enough…" The king caught himself. "No, they would. Our offensive grows ever more important, my friend. You must uncover the origins of this weapon with all haste."

"As you will, my king."

"Trickery and surprise. How befitting of a people risen from the dirt. Ierfr couldn't have fallen to otherwise?" Thrymwald growled. Red lightning briefly crackled around him.

"Not even a body to burn…" He sighed, fury giving way to malaise. "I need to get him a funeral gift for his journey to Waldin's table. Perhaps Grisca can help me…"

Hreki knew what that meant. I'm sure Grisca will be happy to compose a ballad of screams for his big brother.

"Grisca would jump at the chance to avenge Ierfr. He'll go…shopping for you." They both chuckled darkly.

"There was once a time when I'd have hesitated. His mother would never have let me, but now…" Thrymwald tiredly shook his head. "Now, I care not. Let them go screaming to the afterlife. Every last one."

As ever, at the mere mention of the Queen, the throne room felt just that bit emptier. Hreki's gaze fell to his boots.

I failed you.

"Much would be different were Aerid here, but she is not." He voiced what they both thought.

"No." Thrymwald's grip tightened around the hilt of his sword. "No she is not."

The king looked behind him, at the spot just in front of his throne where not a day before, Ierfr had stood. He'd bragged, he'd boasted and gone off with a smile. Now he was never coming back.

Thrymwald exhaled through his nose and massaged his eyebrows. "I shall consult the volva again."

Hreki fought the urge to sigh. He respected the Gods and their followers but had no time for prophecies.

All possibility, no fact.

"You disapprove?" Thrymwald raised an eyebrow.

"Of course not."

His master waited patiently, and eventually Hreki gave in. "She hasn't been quite the same since we awakened."

If she ever was normal.

"Being blinded does that to you." Thrymwald answered bluntly.

"But her whispers of your rule being humbled by a child?" Hreki shook her head. "My king, you've slain greater challengers than any whelp. Perhaps her grip on reality has simply slipped since her injury?"

"Careful, friend." Thrymwald's tone hardened just a little. "She is my daughter in-law and very much sane. Besides, I wouldn't want Heresyd to overhear you speaking ill of his bride."

"Of course." Hreki hid his wince.

"Enough of that." Thrymwald grunted. "I believe you had a report on my opposition."

Hreki had to bite back his despair and disgust. "My shadows know some of them scheme, Halfyr in particular. But what and with whom, we know not."

Another crackle of red lightning flared. "Perhaps sparing him was an error."

"Maybe…but Halfyr is the last of their old royalty, and there's a few hundred sons of Fyrgric ready to make their grievance felt should he come to harm."

"I am aware."

Hreki held his tongue, cringing a little. Though once ignorant of politics, the man that stood before him had become lethally sharp. A slow learner to be sure, but he learned.

"Forgive me. I forget myself at times." He bowed, only for Thrymwald to wave a hand dismissively.

"No…no…" the taller, stronger inheritor smiled tiredly. "You only seek to advise me, old friend."

They stood together in that vast, empty room, perhaps the most influential of their race. One reigned as a god king and the other acted as his silent knife in the dark.

The embrasures continued to crackle away. Thrymwald looked again at Ierfr's banner.

"Will that be all?" Hreki asked.

"One more thing." Thrymwald said. After staring at the black cloth for so long, his fist quietly balled and lightning crackled. "Tell me again of those who had a hand in my Aerid's death. Of those who have now killed my nephew."

The mournful malaise had melted away. Thrymwald's lip quivered. "Tell me of this…Nerv."


Author's note

And that is the first act. To my mind this is going much better than the original did, which proves just how helpful planning is. For some of the older hands among my readers, how does this all compare to the original? Hopefully it's at least a mild improvement.

Over the coming weeks, whilst I continue to work away and write new and shitty chapters, I will be hopping back over the first act and giving some touch ups here and there. Scenes with characters being introduced poorly or perhaps not taking matters seriously enough, I intend to fix.