Speech = ``…..´´
Thoughts = … ….
º
...The weak sharpen their minds, the strong sharpen their fangs...
º
As chaos consumed the exterior, and voices of concern began to rise among the castle's servants and guards, there was one soul who did not feel the same level of concern as the rest.
He had seen the situation begin and knowing that he couldn't do much directly he decided to redirect his efforts to something he could do.
Writing a letter to an old friend of his...to be wary of the threats that lay behind the shadows.
Threats that by the looks of it were growing more daring by the second.
That... had been the idea, until one of his bodyguards had though politely tucked inside the room and refused to leave. He had been waiting for a while for him to either greet him or rise his head from the letter.
That patience was running thin by now...
``My king, I don't know if you have realized it...but the city is under attack..´´
``I know..´´
``The buildings are on fire..´´
``I know…´´
``The people are scared..´´
``I...know….´´
Replied calmly once more a red haired, moustache man. Cleanly dressed like a proper man of his station. One of his hands taping the table before him slowly, yet never stopping while the other held a quill...
He was not bothered by the insistence of the man, but there was no point in losing their minds about it. He could not magically snuff out the flames or calm the people with the snap of his fingers.
They could not act rashly, or more would be lost under the thoughts of a well intentioned idea….
And who knew how many eyes were watching. Both familiar are unknown….
``Then-...´´
``You may ask or you may not..., but the answer will be the same. The situation will be taken care of in due time.., I am sure everything is been done to fix this matter as soon a possible and that no efforts are being spared to bring order to our beloved city...´´
``Y-yes, that is what we are trying to do...´´
``Then why are you here instead of outside.., Hubb?´´
He asked at the tall man with serpentine like eyes and pale skin. An appearance that should have been frightening to say the least to the weak of heart, even if he tried to soften it with that bright smile.
One that was starting to become into a puzzled expression as he looked at his own red eyes.
``I don't think I follow…?´´
``You know, that I know that you know….´´
Even though he appeared to be looking down at the enveloped, he was able to take notice of the way the man before him flinched, how his face grew lined and a spark of something appeared behind the depths of his eyes for just a second before they returned to the same calm, and smiling expression.
He had seen snakes with better self control than him..
``I am here to protect you my king, what sort of bodyguard I would be if I were to run away from my charge?´´
He replied softly, offering a courteous bow in the process..
He scratched the tip of is moustache, his eyes darting briefly to the side before switching back to the black knights own green snake like.
``I assure you, I may not be a fighter...but I am more than capable of defending myself´´
``W-well…, I still would like to recommend your highness that you at least consider the possibility to be sent to safety, my lord?´´
``On what grounds..?´´
He asked, though he was more interested in why he wanted to take him away from his office where nowhere else would be safer.
``The attack on the city grounds could be just a distraction.., they could be aiming for your head, my liege´´
``Who..? Why..?´´
``Pardon me..?´´
``Why would they do that? Wouldn't it be far easier to attack with out making such a ruckus? To cause so much chaos and make everyone on edge does seem a bit...counterproductive to say the least. I am sure even the towns around the capital have already heard what is taking place´´
``B-because your the head of state, is only natural that you would be a target for such hideous crime.., though who I-we don't know´´
...We...?….
``Target..? Well, I could be, but I don't think it will actually happen this time.., not with the way things have progressed this far..´´
``What do you mean, my liege..?´´
He shook his head, looking away and back towards the window.
`` Is there..something else in your report?´´
``The princess has taken matters into her own hands..´´
``Is that so..?´´
``Yes...´´
``I take Princess Iris is going to investigate this events? With or without my permission no less..?´´
He inquired, though he already knew the answer. He just wanted to see whether the man would share a new light of his own about it.
``Indeed, though given the circumstances it was bound to happen. She has called all the black knights and her Crimson Order that are in reach to aid her in such task..´´
``Has she specified what they should do? What is her approach to the situation..?´´
``To protect the citizens...´´
``Indeed, but what else…?´´
``….´´
He sighed, finally dropping down the quill as he started to pinch the bridge of his nose. Why was he not surprised by such answer...?
Truly, it made him wonder whether she ever listened to him...
``She never learned did she….?´´
``My king...?´´
He shook his head, dispelling those thoughts as he steeled himself back into a proper position.
``Nothing, if Iris is there then there is nothing to worry about… ´´ ...For now...
``But the attack-...´´
``As I said, the matter will be settle soon enough, now leave. I have much to do´´
The man looked disgruntled for a moment before he gave him a bow and shifted on his feet to leave the room.
Still…
There could be something else he could do than just write a letter.
``One last thing..., if you would..´´
He asked just as the man was about to leave through the door.
``Yes, your highness..?.´´
``Once you made your way down make sure to pick some of the men and put them in groups to lead and shelter the citizens towards the evacuation zones in an orderly manner. Blades are dangerous…, but a stampede will probably kill more people than we would be like..´´
``You believe princess Iris will fail to protect the citizens?..´´
``No, going out there to fight the direct threat is a fine choice, but is merely the one of many steps that have to be taken. The people need not just heroes but actual guardians to both shield, calm and lead them safely out of the danger zones..´´
``I see…, it will be done´´
And with that he was gone, closing the door behind him.
He really will have to make an excuse to put some eyes on him, there was something on that man that irked him the wrong way.
``Well, where was I…?´´ He muttered as he picked up the quill form its resting place. His eyes furrowing as they tried to search for the words that had been once in his head before they had vanished.
`` Ah, yes…., about your regards about your daughter Rose, I will wait patiently for your answer, king Orianaa...´´
ºº
Even in the depths of the underground passages the walls were shaken by tremors coming from both above and below ground, to the point that one did not need augmented senses to notice that the fighting was growing fiercer and closer...
Dust falling down the cracks on the ceiling into the floor each time...
In a throne, at the centre of the room...shrouded in darkness, bereft of any light but the weak and dim light of a few candles stood a white haired, young looking man whose face would have been considered attractive by most if not all. Dressed lavishly with expensive clothes, yet not cumbersome to hinder his movements, a sharp looking sword leaning to his side…
Always waiting a moments notice to be pick up to slice anyone who would dare incite his wrath, the shadows of the room making his young and harmless countenance appear threatening and dangerous.
And yet nothing compared with the aura that was emanating from him, heavy and dark...mimicking with terrific success the darkness around him.
He had lived for a long live, he had witnessed countless events before his eyes. From a simple assassin into becoming Fenrir the fifth seat of the rounds...
And yet he could only scowl at this turn of events with barely control anger. The grip he held over one of the armrest of his throne started to shatter by the sheer pressure.
``You have failed me….so spectacularly´´
His words were soft, even calm and collected yet they cut sharper than any blade. His eyes lacking the warmth and sanity that any normal soul should have as they bare down heavily on the one he was talking with..
He was a beast wearing human skin as he looked down at the old man kneeling down below him. The aged man's face was deep and filled with sharp angles, his hair falling down to his waist while he wore a
``No my Lord-...´´
His eyes narrowed to thin slits, crushing down the already weakened armrest while he rose from his seat in the process.
``Then who is attacking my domain so brazenly?´´
``We don't know.., the situation is..developing.´´
``Of course…, as if I would not have thought of that….´´
He growled bitterly, taking one step down…, then another.
The aura slowly crushing the old man against the floor, the Black Spider resembling more and more a sweating cockroach than the cold, calculated killer that had served him for so long even though he tried his best to not show it.
``Let me get this right, the kingdom is not the one that issued this challenge…?´´
``No, we have our men inside their ranks and they have not informed of any plan whatsoever to attack us. I don't think they even know that we exist in the first place´´
``Or those men are merely lying to cover their failure…´´
``Is under the spectrum possibility, but I would not think the men I hand picked would be that foolish and short-sighed to try such thing. The punishment would be too severe and fatal for them to enjoy their short respite...´´
``You should not underestimate the amount of incompetence fools would go as far to avoid admitting their blame..´´
``Is just as you say, my lord...´´
``Tsk.., even if the knights order has nothing to do with this assault….they will probably get involved any-ways when they take notice of their city burning left from right…, isn't it?´´
``I am afraid that….is inevitable...´´
He graved the handle of his blade, clenching it tightly as he took one more step down, then another before he rose the blade and left the sharp edge rest on his servants neck.
It had been barely a soft touch, yet blood was already slipping down the cut on the side of his neck.
``After all this years, we are in danger to be expose just like this..?´´
The Black spider remained resolute, his heartbeat remaining the same even though he knew that he could slice his head clean off in a second and he would not even notice.
``It doesn't matter, whatever the order tries it wont affect us in the long term. We have made sure of it, no matter what happens we will remain victorious...not unscathed by now, but still optimal to continue our operations ´´
``And yet we are under attack…, how..?´´
The scathing tone of his voice made the old man flinch. His servant seemed to grimace a little bit, clenching his teeth.
``We don't know…´´
``There are many things you don't know today, you disappoint me..´´
``My apologies, it was not my intention..´´
``I don't care what your intentions are, I want to know who are the ones that challenges me?´´
``Is just one man..´´
``….´´
``….´´
….What...!?...
``You jest.., do you really want to lose your head so much..?´´
``I-I wish my lord, but is the only thing our forces have managed to inform us before their demise. I too would have believed it nonsensical...but the amount of reports are too many to consider it mere cowardice or excuses..´´
There was haste in his words as he tried to speak out as much as he could before the blade started to carve a little more, a little push and he would nick an artery.
One man? That could not be, one man alone was incapable of doing all of this in such short spam of time.
And if there were they would not have escaped his or the cults notice, such power could not be hidden. It just could not...
He glared at the Black spider, burning two deep holes into his skull….
But he sense no attempt of deceit or mockery from him.
Much to his chagrin, the man believed what he had been told…
Still, he would have to dispel those notions form his mind. It seemed that even his lieutenant were prompt to making mistakes when put in such a strange position.
``Its a distraction you fools, the enemy must have faked those messages...trying to confuse us with the true numbers of our foes. They clearly must have realized our ways of communication and tamper with them…
``That's..´´
``A shrewd move if there was one, yet a strategy that could and would thrive in all this chaos´´
A look of realization dawned on the old man's face as if he had found out the secret of the universe.
``Of course, it all makes sense now..´´
``Good, then send Rex, he should be enough to deal with this nuisance...tell him to bring his dogs to chase and hunt down this fools, tell him that he is free to use as many pills as he wants..´´
He said, already pulling the blade away from the man neck as he started walking away…, but instead of a nod or an affirmative word only silence answered him.
Of curse...things could not go well for once.
``What is it now…, ?´´
``We have been trying to locate him, Lord Fenris...´´
One of his eyes started to twitch.
``Trying? That is a pretty way to say that you have failed to hail him as you should have...´´
``My apologies, but we believe Rex is dead…, alongside all the second and third children that companied him´´
``Such a weakling…, the lost of those third and seconds are nothing to worry about, but Rex...´´
He gritted his teeth, anger brewing inside him.
`` I should have known that to make him a named child was a mistake, even when he showed such promise…
``A terrible tragedy, my lord. More than probably he started fooling around and got kill for his troubles...´´
He scoffed at the Black spiders words, he hated when he was right.
But right now that was not what was important, it allowed him to gauge the difference on strength of the foe, but little else...
``Do we even know their goal..?´´
His servant shook his head, lines forming around his already ancient face. He too was clearly bothered by his inadequacy to know.
``No, their attacks are fast, violent and wild….but there does not seem to be any plan that we can see in their attacks on our installations and posts within the city. Could it be just blind luck?´´
Luck!? He wanted to rip out his spine for such stupid
There was no way in this world or the next that such amount of coincides in such short spam of time could be attribute to just mere luck.
He would have snapped out in rage at the sudden spike of idiocy that had been festering within his ranks.., had something inside his servants words not put pause to them.
Something that only with his own realization had shed light on the true nature of this threat.
...Of course! How had he not see it before? It all make sense now...
He thought, the realization did not bring him any joy or peace of mind...but they at least cleared some of the shadows that were plaguing this mess.
They were not attacking random buildings, their strikes never targeted the populace like a monster or warmongering mad man drunk with power would...instead they were systematically and hurting his minions, they were deliberately targeting every and each of his belongings.
Quick...
Precise…
Strikes….
...So that was how it is...
If the attacks had taken place outside his domain, in the outside outpost where the security and safety of those locations though safe, were not as hidden as the ones in the capital he would have thought that someone could have just find them and discover their existence.
But here..? At the heart of his power...?
Inconceivable...
There was no one in this world who would know such information about the locations of his men and the buildings they owned, where they were located and what their functions were with such accuracy and in such small amount of time that they would not have noticed.
He valued strength above all, but that did not mean he turned a blind eye to incompetence.
So no, no one but him and the cult knew. And since he was sure that he had not fallen into the spell of a witch to commit communal suicide with the rest of his men.., then it only led to the only and possible answer to this mess..
Especially since he refused to believe that an even more secret organization had pop up from the woodwork with none the wiser and had not just infiltrated their ranks, but study them for years to evaluate their strengths and weaknesses before the time to strike came.
Yes…, it had to be that.
It was the one that lead to the only and next possible explanation down the list..
He had been betrayed.
The cult had started infighting for whatever shrouded reason and he had become the target of one of his colleges mad ambition.., but why and who..?
Perhaps it was not one of them directly, but were using another aspirant for the rounds to attack him. The face of that weak worm of Petos came into mind.
A weak man with too much ambition and too little power to back it up.
Sadly conjectures did little to explain much though.
Had they lost their minds or their disdain for one another had prompt them to strike and wipe them out of the board to take their place as the sole remaining power behind the curtains instead of sharing their power too much to bear..?
He would have welcomed them for their bravery or idiocy to attempt such foolhardy act as it was more in nature with the carnage he enjoyed for an all out brawl, yet to do something like this in this moment in time, they would threaten to throw everything they had achieved down the drain.
It was petty violence that would serve no one but their foes, those who were aware of them and those who were not.
No, no….it made sense in a horrific, treasonous sort of way now that he pondered about it. One that he despised by the scheming, weak nature of such plans as only a craven worm would even attempt to bite the hand that feed them.
The one that possessed the arms would become the king of this world, especially if they had men prepared to recreate the tears of Diabolos for themselves only.
One could make one of them reach unimaginable power, what would happen if one were to take twelve at the same time?.
In that case they would beat and blast their way through any opposition, no need to act when. That man would be able to call the shots with no one else able to challenge them. All the cults resources, influence and money given to one sole man...
He grimaced yet a diabolical grin warped around his features as he contemplated the thought.
Clever bastards, they would have and made the rest do their biding if they were to be successful, but if they thought he would take this one laying down they were for a rude awakening.
Pawns and puppets could be replaced, buildings rebuilt and money regained with time…
But he would not allow his reputation to be tarnished as to be considered the first to be felled by their treason.
If they wanted a fight, he would give them one. They would finally get a taste of the Nightmare of Midgard in their flesh before they took their last breaths.
And now that he knew where they were going and he would put an end to their reckless acts of rebellion. The only thing he wished now was to see the face of the one that had attempted this madness.
He would make sure to rip it out as he humiliate the man before killing him in the most slow, gruesome death he could ever think of for all the troubles he was making him go.
``Master...?´´
``Send everyone, all of our warriors to search for him and Kill this bastard and anyone who is with him on sight…., I will not allow any more mistakes´´
``As you command my Lord, what will you do?´´
``I will go to make sure the arm is protected. We would not want someone to damage it or steal it from us...´´
He did not deign to look back as he made his way through the empty corridors towards the academy...
If his calculations were correct, he would find the one that orchestrated there.
And they would pay for their insolence.