From Mortal to Divinity (SI/CYOA Jumpchain)
By: xandou
Dying and meeting a ROB was interesting. However like Dumbledore said, "After all, to the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure." And for me that was literally the truth. CYOA, SI, Jumpchain.
Status: ongoing
Published: 2020-05-12
Updated: 2021-04-30
Words: 415135
Chapters: 162
Original source: https/forums./threads/66493
Exported with the assistance of
From Mortal to Divinity (SI/CYOA Jumpchain)
Introduction
Batman and Robin
Arkham
Poison Ivy
The Dynamic Duo
Interlude 01
Mass Effect
The Citadel
The Hunt for Saren
Fall of the Reapers
Interlude 02
Mountainslayer
Welcome to the Game of Thrones
Schemes
Power Plays
Throughout the Realm
The Warrior
Revelations
Interlude 03
Teacher
Identity
Assignment
Reunion
Ty Lee
Skirmish
World Changing Conversations
The Drill
The Dai Li
The Day of Black Sun
Twice Blessed Son
Senatus Populusque Romanus
Retribution
Quest
Older Brother
Quest Completion
NOT A CHAPTER, BUT PLEASE READ
Results
Repercussions
Invasion
Prelude to War
War
Son of Neptune
Meet the Greeks
House of Hades
Epilogue
Dun Scaith
Setanta Arrives
Ambrosius' Servant Profile (Not finalized yet)
Meeting Aife
Odin's Gallows
Odin
Rune God
Conversation
Parabatai
Setanta's Last Breath
Sentenced to Death
Moon Fall
Aftermath
Morgan le Fay
The Curse
Assembly
Caliburn is Drawn
Mordred
A Simple Conversation
The Fall of Camelot
Scheme
Apocrypha
Yggdmillennia Declaration
Summoning
The Servants
Preemptive Strike
Prelude to Battle
Apocryphal War
Pre-DC Universe
Arrival in Bludhaven
Infinity Island
Mushin
Return to Society
Invasion
Trouble in Paradise
Tartarus
Attack on Paradise Island
Attack on Paradise Island pt 2
Aftermath
Invitation
Sorry
Coming Tides
Tsunami
Rebellion
Achievement
The Light
Chaos
Hecate
The Goddess of Magic
Excidium
Plot Revealed
Darkseid is
Amazons of Bana-Mighdall
Injustice
Your Better
Confrontation
Toppled Regime
Battle of the Gods
Ascension of a Goddess
Godslayer
Godhood
Calm Before the Storm
War
Apotheosis
Fragmentation
The Source
Interlude Before Vacation
The Tower of Heaven
Arriving at Fairy Tail
Welcome to Fairy Tail
The Bifrost
Brief Conversation
Training Begins
Curse Lifted
S-Class Mages and Aces
Visiting Family
Overpowered
Introductions
First Mission
Family
Eclipse Gate
July 7, 777
Alternate Dimensions and Politics
A Crow's Blunder
Surprise
Plots and Attempted Plots
Welcome to the Family
Invasion of Fiore
Submission
Interlude to Mortal Kombat
Champion
Settup
Mileena
Soul Submission
Final Plans
Plot Foiled
The Queen Lives
Mortal Kombat
Benefactor
Pre-Highschool DxD
Arrival on the Isle of Man
Experiments
Angelic Knights
Morningstar
Family Reunion
Assault on Edenia
Edenia Remembers
Interlude: Edenia's Decleration of War
Mother of Edenia
Valefor and Botis Fall
The Fall of Marbas and Buer
Malphas and Leviathan Captured
Lundenwic
Human Monsters
Seraph
War Meeting
YHWH
Downtime
Batman and Robin
One thing that Batman fans have known since forever is that Batman is a hard taskmaster. From Dick complaining about never being good enough to Jason passing out on the couch from a gruelling workout it is a universal fact that Batman is a hard taskmaster. However, knowing it and experiencing it are two completely different things.
Eversince I've started training to become his partner, It's been one grueling task after another. From the long sparing sessions to the detective work, it's all been extremely difficult. If it weren't for my above average stats I wouldn't have been able to keep up. Then again, I wouldn't be suprised if he purposefully made the training harder after watching me bench press 180 lbs. at the age of 13.
However, I can't complain that the results aren't there. I've never felt so light and aware before. Don't get me wrong I definitly love being able to bench press 180 lbs at 13, It's just that now that I have the training to go along with it I can use it more effectively. The difference in effeciency is stagering. The closest comparison that I can make to it is Naruto's chakra control end of shippuden vs Naruto's chakra control at the start of the series. Naruto at the end of shippuden is more about effeciently using every last drop of chakra that he has while Naruto in the begining just brut forces it.
But I digress. After I've completed the brunt of the training all that I really needed was experience.
"Pay attention." Bruce says.
We were in the batcave facing the computer with a list of rogues on the screen.
"I am" I replied cooly.
He raises an eyebrow, asking me to reiterate.
"You were debriefing about which of your rogues are currently out of Arkham and who's most likely to make a move first."
He inclines his head to tell me to continue.
"Currently the only ones out of Arkham are Two Face, Penguin and Joker. Two Face is probably going to lay low for awhile, Penguin is now a "law abiding" citizen and Joker is most likely planning his next crime as we speak."
Nodding his head in affirmative he turns back to the screen and turns it off. Facing me once again he finally speaks, "Suit up it's time for patrol."
With a smirk on my face I turn around and ascend to the platform holding our uniforms with a set of acrobatic flips.
Patroling with Batman actually involves more than just running aroung rooftops looking for crimes. It's a very methodical process that even factors things such as the weather. Because depending on how well equiped a criminal is will decide where we patrol. For example, if it's freezing outside the chances are that most muggers and drug dealers and other low level grunts are most likely inside their home trying to warm up. However groups like the Falcones don't care about stuff like because they have money to buy warm clothes.
As we made our way through East End District the radio in our cowls goes off.
"Dispatch we have a situation at City Hall, the Joker is inside holding the Mayor Hostage! So far he hasn't made any demands yet. He is armed and extremely dangerous - proceed with caution!"
It looks like it's about time for Arkham Asylum to begin.
Capturing the Joker was easier than any other time that we've done it before. Other than a few bombs rigged with Joker gas and his goons it was fairly easy. If I didn't know the plot of Arkham Asylum I would have actually tought that it was all over and done with.
While Batman took him to Arkham Asylum I continued to patrol around Gotham waiting for the inevitable call about the brea-
"Robin this is Oracle, we have situation at Arkham."
Speak of the devil.
Arkham
As I flew over the bay on my way to Arkham I taught about the battlefield I was about to enter. While I do have experience fighting Batman's rogues, I was always by his side with him there to back me up should something happen. Now I'm going to face some of them on my own. The original plan was for me to get to Arkham and meet up with Batman. However, he decided that I was finally good enough to face some of them on my own.
"Robin, Joker plans to build an army of Titan fueled mutants. I'm sending you a scan of the spores found in the sewers. According to Ivy, it should be helpfull in synthesizing an antidote."
"On it."
I didn't think that we were already that far into the storyline, then again the only reason why the game was so long was because it was a game not a real life situation where a man who specifically trained for this was dealing with the situation.
Searching the computer on the plane for the location barely takes two seconds, and turning the wheel to change course takes another second. By the time that I make it there it hasn't even been 3 minutes. As I park the plane, I take a look at the cave under Arkham. The similarities between this cave and the one from the game is uncanny. The only difference being that the boxes contain backup gadgets.
Making my way to the computer, I upload the scan and set the computer to begin synthesizing the formula. While the computer works on that I make my way to the boxes to see if I can find anything useful that isn't already in my belt.
Looking over the crates I realise that Batman really is prepared for most situations. All the gadgets in the boxes are already in our belts. It's moments like these that remind me that this is real and not a game. The reason why Batman had to slowly aquire these is because if the players started out with all of these in the game it would have taken a much shorter time to finish it.
beep*
As I return to the computer I feel the cave shake all around me and I'm immediately on guard. With a cry of alarm I leap backwards just in time to avoid a large vine erupting from the ground. I rush towards the computer while dodging vines bursting out from beneath me. I'm only about a meter away when I feel something start to wrap around my ankle. Without a second thought, I immediately leap and turn into the air while pulling out a birdarang from my belt, cutting the small vine before it went taut. However just as I land the ground erupts under me and a large vine wrappes around my torso before darkness is all I see.
Poison Ivy
When I come to consciousness I make sure to keep my muscles relaxed and listen for any clues as to where I am.
"I know you're awake"
I open my eyes and face the voice. It's a voice that I'm intimately familiar with.
"Pam." I intone. That explains why I no longer have my belt and hanging upside down with my hands bound and no room to move. She's always been one of Bruce's smarter rogues. However, it doesn't explain how she knew that I woke up. The only way to know would be to feel my breathing change, but she's never been that receptive to her plant's sensory input. Sure she could control and sense them but she's never been able to feel what they felt. Nothing's changes about her since I've last seen her and the only thing that changed about the plants would be…
"The Titan formula" I say stoically.
"You sound and act like him more and more everyday." she says back
I smirk back at her and say "Yea right, the big man is as stiff as a wall. All jokes aside though it's good to see you. Looking sexy as always."
With a raised eyebrow she answers "At least you're a better flirt than your predecessor. Unfortunately for you I'm still not interested."
"So, what's the plan? Are you going to help the Joker stop Batman or are you going to strike out on your own and escape Arkham. Or is it option C where you stay and hoard all the Titan formula to supposedly make your plants stronger?"
Her face hardens as she asks "Supposedly? Explain."
"Think about it Ivy, when has the Joker ever made something that doesn't destroy. From his laughing gas to his special brand of acid. As a matter of fact have you seen what happens to his thugs' bodies after they inject it. After a while their body slowly starts to degrade along with their minds."
By the time I'm halfway done talking she's already pacing around the room. Which is perfect since it gives me time to administer the antidote without her looking.
Clenching my fist in a seemingly random pattern ejects a razor thin needle from the fingertip of my right hand's glove. With a show of trying to escape I plunge the needle into my left forearm just as she finishes pacing.
"You're right" she says. "However that doesn't mean that I can't revise it to make a better one. Nice try little bird." Having said that she walks to me and blows a pink dust, some pheromones, into my face. After a few seconds I can already feel my mind shifting towards accepting her as my master. It wasn't a hard concept to welcome. I've known Ivy ever since I saved her from a rapist when she was still Pamela. The rapist somehow managed to cut my mask in half and as it fell on the floor she managed to see my face. Ever since then she's been my best friend, even though I was 14 and she'd just graduated from college. So of course she would be my master, after all she's always been there for me so I'll do anything for her.
Looking at my master and best friend I speak "Ugh, can you please put me down. I can feel the blood rushing to my head."
She stares at me for a few seconds before instructing the plant to drop me. Tucking my knees to my chest I roll softly as I land. I take a moment to crack neck then, with a smirk on my face I turn to her. Just as I open my mouth to speak the door behind us opens and in walks the boss man, or would it be ex-boss man now.
Before he has a chance to speak I explode into run as Ivy yells "Stop him."
Without even waiting for her to finish I plant my hands on the ground launching myself into the air. Using my momentum built up from gravity I swing my right leg into a roundhouse kick and tilt my head to the right just as his fist passes by in an attempt to counterattack. From there we transition into a flurry of punches and kicks. While Batman is definitely the more experienced and skilled one of us, I am definitely the more agile one. With one more kick using my right leg blocked I take the opportunity to plant my left leg on his chest to launch into the air, retrieve two birdarangs from my belt and twist to arrive at his back. Landing just as he begins to turn to face me, I impale a birdarang into a gap in his armor where I know it will get stuck. With the press of a button the birdarang chocks him giving me time to leap at his face with my knee. With a resounding crack his head snaps back giving me another second to land and whip my left leg at his right knee. The blow forces him on a knee and I take the opportunity to sidekick him to the face sending him sprawling to the ground. Knowing that he wouldn't be down for long I begin a followup just as the antidote kicks in.
The Dynamic Duo
With the antidote kicking in it felt like a fog was lifting from my mind. Looking over at Batman I make sure to let him know that my mind is once again my own by clenching my right fist in a seemingly random pattern. With that done I turn to look at Ivy as Batman picks himself up and wipes the blood coming from his nose.
"What are you doing?" asks Ivy. "Finish him." she continues. Bringing my hand up for her to see, I clench my fist in the familiar pattern that ejects the needle from my glove's fingertip and say with a smirk "Antidote." With a cry of frustration she turns and makes her way to the middle of the room. Narrowing her eyes at us, she raises her hand and summons a colossal Titan infected plant from the ground. Sitting on the plant and covering herself with a yellowish dome, she glares and rages at us "Since you don't want to cooperate you'll just have to become fertilizer."
I glance at Batman from the corner of my eyes and ask "What are the chances that she's being influenced by the Titan formula."
Never taking his eyes off our opponent, he replies "It's more than likely. User's of the formula have shown an increase in aggression and a decrease in logical thinking and decision making. It's possible that she was unknowingly affected at the same time as her plants."
With that said we sprint towards our opponent birdarangs and batarangs held between our fingers respectively. No more words are spoken because there isn't a need to. We understand each other and our roles perfectly, we can tell what the other plans to do just from our body language. It's an understanding acquired through countless hours of training and fighting side by side. This is what makes Batman and Robin dangerous, this is what makes us the dynamic duo. It's not because Robin is a "mini Batman" as many like to say or because there's two of us. It's our near perfect teamwork and covering each other's weaknesses.
With a flick of the wrist Batman throws his batarangs at the dome only to have a vine come between them. However, just as his batarangs seem like they're going to hit the vine my birdarang flies by ricocheting of the latter two batarangs and sending the foremost one higher and overshooting the vine just in time for another batarang to collide with it and sending it right onto the minuscule gap on the dome. Not even acknowledging our supposed failure we continued on our way just as another vine intercepts me only to be cut down by Batman who jumped in front of just in time for me to use his back as a springboard to launch myself at the dome. Using the batarang stuck onto it as a grasp I hang from the dome long enough to spray our remaining batch of explosive gel onto the dome and back flipping to the ground as the gel combust and completely shatters the dome. Not even wasting a second, Batman throws two taser lines onto Ivy and shocks her with enough voltage to knock her out and off the plant into my arms waiting to catch her. Leaping back to avoid the falling plant I survey the room one last time to make sure that we didn't miss anything before setting her down and handcuffing her while Batman administers the antidote for the Titan formula.
With that done. Batman turns and looks at me for a few seconds before speaking. "Good work" He tells me. I smile back and ask "So, who's left?"
"Just the Joker" he answers. Before I can ask if he wants me to come with him he continues "There's no need for you to stay. Return to Gotham, I'll finish up here."
"Cool but radio me if you need help." Pressing a button on my left glove I call on the batwing and wait a few seconds for it to show up before jumping in.
As I circle around the Island I make a show of leaving before finding an empty spot near a tower before parking and getting out while pulling a sniper rifle along with me. I climb the tower the set up the rifle and lay on my stomach. Looking through the scope of the rifle, I get a perfect view of a Titan Joker's back. Smirking I load the rifle with darts, full of ricin, a venom with no antidote, can kill within days and leaves no trace. I confiscated it from a member of the League of Assassins who was sent by Ra's al Ghul to test me.
I aim and wait for him to turn to face me before firing the dart into his mouth. Naturally, he doesn't notice because not only does Titan increase aggression, physical stats and decreases the brain's function but it also almost completely erases sensory receptions. Which is why it takes running into the wall of a supermax prison, built to hold people like Bane and Killer Croc, at full speed just to daze someone doped up on the substance. With my work done I don't even spare the Joker a second glance before leaving the tower and returning to Gotham. As far as I'm concerned between the Titan formula destroying his body and the ricin, Joker is a walking corpse.
Interlude 01
The first time I met ROB, who refuses to give his name, was after I'd just died. How did I die? Not important. Anyway, the first time I met ROB he told me that he was going to send me on a jumpchain but with a few twists.
The first was that if I chose a background for myself in a world, than I'd have I've to not only design his life pre-canon but also live it out without my memories of the jumpchain and canon until a year before canon started. For example, in Arkham Asylum I had to actually live as a Gotham citizen from a declining high class family before being adopted by Bruce and getting trained by him. It wasn't until halfway through my training did I remember about canon events coming up.
The second twist, was that I had to actually earn my skills through training. I couldn't just buy a skill and have it mastered when I drop in. The only thing that buying a skill does is that it makes me a super genius when it comes to the specific skill, not master it instantly.
The last twist is that for some skills I won't be able to take them with me if it doesn't correlate with a world. That means if a world doesn't have magic than I can't take my magic powers with me to that world. However, if that world does have a type of magic system, chakra, mana, ki, etc, than I can take all of my magic with me. That means that I can definitely use bending from avatar in naruto. From metal bending my opponent's equipment, blood bending my enemies themselves to redirecting Sasuke's kirin. However, that doesn't stop from using my more mundane skills learned from Batman to whup people up.
"You assassinated the Joker." says ROB.
"Not only did you assassinate him, but you did it in such a way that even if people suspect foul play, you'll be the vary last person they suspect. I like that. So you can ask for me for one reasonable gift."
I don't even take a second to think before I reply stoically "I want a personal AI that's as good as CORTANA from Halo, and obeys me no matter what."
"Really? That's it? Where are you even going to keep her?"
"You'll see." I reply
"Ok then. Now pick your next jump and create your build."
Overall Build 2
Name: Ambrosius Malphas
Gender: Male
Age: 17
Height: 5'8
Hair Color: Black
Eye Color: Gold
Looks: Ozymandias
Build: Medium
Body Type: Athlete
Stats
Strength: 1 2
Endurance: 1 2
Speed: 2 4
Dexterity: 2 4
Appeal: 0
Shape: 0
Sense: 2 4
Metavore: Retain physically fit body no matter how much or what you eat as long as it's enough to keep from becoming malnourished
Cosmic Warehouse:
Belt O' Tools: Batman graciously seems to have loaned you a belt containing the tools that he'll be using for this adventure. This includes stuff like remotely applied explosives gel capable of bringing down walls (though never seems to kill when blown up near someones feet), to a cryptographic sequencer able to track signals, hack terminals, and listen to live radio broadcasts.… How did he know you'd be needing this stuff?
Animal Suit: A hightech set of body armor themed after an animal of your choice (DCAU Damian Wayne Robin suit). The head piece contains advanced electronics equipment that scans the environment for information and clues relevant to the situation. It can pick up anything from gaseous alcohol molecules that'll lead you to a crooked guard, to traces of tobacco on the ground to lead you to a hostage. You may also import a set of armor you already own to gain these qualities.
Bat Wing: Hmm, seems like you've picked up one of Batman's spare vehicles. The Batwing is a supersonic aircraft faster than many jet fighters, possess advanced stealth systems that make it invisible to radar, and can be operated remotely, or operate autonomously.
Bat Cave: A series of platforms and bridges situated within a small cave. Contains a computer with immense analytical abilities, a landing platform for any aerial vehicles you have, and some workshops for working on gadgets and gizmos. After the jump this can either be attached to the warehouse, or will appear somewhere nearby.
Mass Effect Build
1000 cp to spend
Race: Human
Age: 23
Location: Eden Prime
Origin: Marine (-100 cp) - Son of Caleb Malphas, Ambrosius was raised on Earth by his single father where he grew up listening to his father talk about their family's extensive history as marines. Eventually he would go on to promise to his father that he would make their ancestors proud by joining the Alliance. Unfortunately his father would never get to see that promise fulfilled due to meeting his end at the hand of a gang war. Grief stricken, Ambrosius threw himself into his studies and training using the left over notes and journals of his ancestors. By the time he was 18 and enlisted they only thing left for him to learn from boot camp was the current military tech, protocols and biotic training. This caused him to not only breeze through boot camp but he also almost beat the examiners in their final survival exam. In the end he was fast tracked to the N program where he was speculated to become humanities' first spectre. Currently on shore leave on Eden Prime after finishing N7 camp.
Class Infiltrator: Combining tech-savy with martial skills, infiltrators focus on quickly and stealthily picking off enemies one by one.
Perks:
Tactile Readiness: (-150 cp) You have very fine muscle control. For biotics, that means better and more powerful control over your abilities, a level of mastery so great it could be called telekinesis.
Finesse: (-300 cp) You instinctively keep track of your surroundings. Constantly assessing the situation, finding escape routes, looking for potential hostiles, nothing gets past your eyes.
Gear:
Loadout: (Free) Starter kit. Comes with a basic set of armor with a kinetic barrier, a basic weapon, one for every weapon type and an omni-tool.
Extra Credits: (50 cp) A credit chit holding 10k in credit.
Assistant VI: (-100 cp) Top of the line assistant model Virtual Intelligence. Can be stored in an omni-tool and keep track of large amounts of data.
Weapon Locker: (-100 cp) Cache of mid to high grade weapons of all types. Enough to outfit a battlelion.
Armor Locker: (-200 cp) Cache of mid to high grade armor of all types. Enough to outfit a battlelion.
Conflict Minerals: (-200 cp) Massive stash of various rare elements.
Drawbacks:
Shepard's Flock: (100 cp) You'll never have to worry about keeping with Shepard's adventures, the adventures will come to you. Expect shenanigans to ensue.
Bounty: (200 cp) Looks like you pissed in somebody's beer. Somebody important at that. Hunters will come after you, and every one you defeat causes the bounty to go up.
Mass Effect
The attack came out of nowhere. There were no sirens to alert us, nor did anybody use any type of loudspeaker system to warn us of the approaching mother ship or that we were under attack. It's almost as they teleported into orbit. One minute I'm enjoying lunch in my apartment and the next explosions and gunshots are heard throughout the planet. Without bothering to finish my meal, I don my N7 shadow armor, activate my omnitool and turn on my HUD display in my helmet.
"Max, run a systems check."
"All systems are online and functioning at optimal condition." answers my AI, or Max as I like to call him.
Strapping on my monomolecular blade and rifle I quickly step out of the building. As I survey the area, I hear the faint sounds of gunshots and immediately run towards it. I arrive just in time to see Ashley Williams run away from three geth troopers. Executing a flawless shadow strike, I quickly arrive behind the trooper that's furthest in the back and immediately decapitate it with an electric slash while stunning the other two. Not giving them time to recuperate, I arrive in between them with Sprint and waste no time in decapitating them also. Sheathing my blade I turn just in time to see Shepard, the armor design indicating that's it's a male, arrive with Alenko not far behind.
Before I can say anything, Williams aims her pistol at me and demands "Who are you?" However, before she can say anything more Shepard gently puts her arm down before he answers for me.
"I recognize that armor. What's an N7 shadow doing on Eden Prime?" he asks. With a smirk on my face I remove my helmet and answer "Ambrosius Malphas N7 Shadow class and this was supposed to be my vacation." He regards me for a second before replying "Commander Jake Shepard N7 Soldier class. Behind me is Lt. Alenko." We turn to face Williams and it takes her a few seconds before she realizes that we're waiting for her to introduce herself. "Sorry sir, Gunnery Chief Ashley Williams."
With the introductions done, I return my helmet to my head as Shepard asks "Do any of you know what's going on?" Shaking my head no, I turn to face Williams as she answers " We were patrolling the perimeter when the attack started, they cut off our communications so we tried to double back to the beacon only to walk in an ambush. I… I'm the only one who made it." Before she can continue I interrupt "We should probably check on that beacon. Other than the beacon there's nothing on the planet that would warrant such an attack." Nodding his head Shepard thinks for a second before shouting off orders "Williams you're with me and Alenko. Malphas scout ahead and report back on this radio frequency." I nod then swiftly sprint towards the beacon and expectantly find it missing.
"This is Malphas, I'm at the dig site and there's no beacon. It must have been moved." I report in and continue moving towards the research camp. Maybe if I move fast enough I can save Nihlus so that he can testify against Saren. That'd definitely save us some time. Before I can continue that line of thought I hear Alenko answer back.
"By our side or the geths?" he asks
"I don't know. I'm moving on ahead to the research camp."
"Roger that." Shepard answers.
As I get closer to the camp I see that it's predictably ravaged with two zombie like creatures roaming around. Without a second thought I draw my blade and Slide in between them cutting their legs off in the process. Then with practiced ease I sheathe my blade, draw my rifle and shoot them in the head until they stop moving. Holstering my rifle and continue to where I know Nihlus and Saren meet.
I arrive just in time to see Nihlus turn his back to Saren. Without thinking twice I execute shadow strike to appear behind Saren and sidekick him in the back just as he pulls the trigger causing him to miss. Hearing the gunshot Nihlus turns in time to see Saren readjust and aim at him once again. Quickly taking cover Nihlus yells "What are you doing Saren?" He turns to face me while answering "It's nothing personal Nihlus, it's just that you've seen too much." He looks as if he's planning to continue, but I launch myself at him before he can. Saren is a combat based spectre, normally that would have been a problem. However, close quarter combat is my bread and butter, from taekwondo, escrima and capoeira competions before the jumpchain to training with Batman and the N7 instructors during my jumps. By the time he realizes what's happening I'm already in his personal space. The first thing to go is his pistol with my blade cutting it in half. Then I continue with palm strike to his solar plexus, followed by a knee to the face and a roundhouse kick to the knee and an elbow to his pistol arm breaking it. I give him a few seconds to recuperate while acting out breath. He regards be for a second, inclines his head and frown. It's almost as if he's having a conversation with someone I can't hear. Before either of us can do anything else Shepard and the rest arrive prompting him to throw a grenade at us. However, just as I turn to take cover he lunges at me at me and the last thing I feel is pure agony before darkness greets me.
The Citadel
When Shepard came to, it was to the concerned faces of his squad mates and a puzzled Dr. Chakwas. Looking up from his medical files, she examines at him for a second before speaking "Good, you're awake. From what I can see, physically you're perfectly fine. However, you seemed to have an increase in rapid eye movement and unusual beta waves that normally correlates with psychological trauma."
"Normally?" asks Ashley
"Yes, normally. There is absolutely nothing normal about this situation and whatever that beacon did to him."
"I saw something." Shepard says. "It was a nightmare full of… No not nightmare, more like a vision. I barely understood any of it. The only thing that I understood was the genocide."
"Genocide?" asks a worried Ashley.
"Yes. An alien species, that I don't recognize was being massacred." replies Shepard.
"Hmm." intones Dr. Chakwas. "While that is worrying, Captain Anderson wants to speak with you to debrief before we arrive at The Citadel."
"Right." answers Shepard.
Arriving at the captain's office, Shepard enters to see Captain Anderson and a troubled Nihlus waiting for him. Captain Anderson looks at Shepard and says "Good you're here. Now we can get started. Nihlus already explained the circumstance to me. However, I'd like to know your side before you joined up with him."
As Shepard describes the situation, Captain Anderson becomes more and more somber as the briefing goes on. With the report done the group sits in silence to ponder.
"This is troubling." says Anderson. "If the Alliance finds out about Malphas' kidnapping, there'll be an uproar." Looking at the room's other occupants he continues "The beacon's destruction is a non-issue. From what you've explained it seems that the beacon's content were somehow transferred to your mind. While it's not ideal it can still be salvaged. However, an N7 Shadow getting kidnapped is cause for concern. Especially one as prominent as Malphas."
"I thought that a Shadow's civilian identity is supposed to be a secret?" asks Shepard.
"While that's true, you don't get to be as successful as Malphas without drawing attention to yourself, especially from your superiors." Anderson frowns before continuing "Even if they don't know his civilian identity, which I doubt, they can definitely find out that he's the one missing by having all the others report in or track down the docking bay where he last checked in as a civilian."
Turning to face Nihlus, Anderson asks "Do you have any idea what Saren could want with an operative, a human one at that"
After taking a second to ponder, Nihlus answers "From what I've gathered, your N7 Shadow Infiltrators are humanity's version of spectres for internal affairs. The only information that he has that could interest Saren would be classified information about the human race. But that still doesn't explain his interest in the human race."
"We have another problem. How do we explain this to the council?" questioned Shepard.
"We don't tell them everything. Not yet anyway. We tell them of the geth attack on the colony and the beacon's destruction. Later we gather proof of Saren's betrayal and report it in, otherwise it'll be my word against his and to be honest I don't like our chances against those odds." explained Nihlus.
"What about Malphas?" asks Shepard.
Nihlus considers for a bit before he answers "We make no mention of him and hope that he still lives once we find Saren. If the individual races learn of a spectre abducting an operative unjustifiably, no matter what race, there will be an outcry. The chaos from that would make it easier for Saren to hide." As Nihlus finishes speaking, Joker's voice comes over the speaker "Sir, we've arrived."
The Hunt for Saren
In Shepard's opinion, the meeting with the council went well. Not only was he able to get enlisted as a spectre, but it seemed that the Council didn't suspect a thing. Unfortunately, not all went well, Ambassador Udina seemed hellbent on publicizing Malphas' kidnapping. If the higher ups hadn't ordered him to put a tight lid on the news, then the galaxy would probably already know. According to them, it would cause unrest with many of humanities big shots and give Cerberus fuel for recruitment. While Shepard knows that those are valid reasons, he also isn't naive enough to think that the other race's view of humanity isn't a big part of it. If word got out that one of humanities' elites was so easily abducted, then they would look weak in the galactic stage. That's the last thing they need right now. Especially, not after they were finally able to get human into the spectres; it would make people question whether or not humanity really is ready for such a thing.
After the Council meeting, Nihlus led them to financial adviser Barlo Von. As it turns out, Saren has managed to somehow convince an employee of the shadow broker, Fist, to betray the shadow broker. This prompted the shadow broker to hire a krogan mercenary to take him out. According to Barlo Von, the mercenary, Urdnot Wrex, can be found at the C-Sec headquarters.
When they arrived at the C-Sec headquarters, they found Wrex there antagonizing an officer. After introductions and a quick exchange of information, it was decided that they would storm Fist's headquarters as a group.
After taking down Fist's henchmen, they learned from Fist that the reason why he's wanted dead is because he set up a trap to kill a quarian that possesses vital proof of Saren's betrayal after he promised her safety using the shadow broker's name. After obtaining what they came for, and watching Wrex kill Fist, the group immediately hurried to the meeting place to save the quarian and finally aquire proof of Saren's betrayal.
Arriving at the meeting place, the group was immediately set upon by gunfire from Fist's mercenaries. They managed to make quick work of them and saved the quarian, Tali'Zorah. According to Tali'Zorah, she managed to aquire a sound recording of Saren admiting to the betrayal while also implicating Matriarch Benezia as an accomplice. Ever since then, she's been hunted down by Saren and, the now dead, Fist's men. After thinking about her options, Tali'Zorah decided to help Shepard and crew capture Saren as part of her pilgrimage and to get him off her back.
With the evidence now in their possession, the group returned to the Citadel with a request for an audience. Once inside, Nihlus told the council of his suspicions. After listening to Nihlus' testimony and the voice recording, the Council stripped Saren of his spectre status and charged Shepard with apprehending him. However, they seem to disregard any mention of the reapers. Before leaving, the asari councilwoman, Tevos, informs Shepard of Liara T'soni's whereabouts, who may know where her mother is.
It started out as a whisper, a voice in her darkness filled mind. At first, she thought that she was going mad. It was the most the logical answer. It made no sense as to why she would be hearing a voice in her mind that didn't belong to those disgusting reapers. Then she focused, she listened to what it said. At first, all she heard were snippets of words, however that didn't deter her. She tried to track down the voice and found that it was coming from the reapers' mind hive and she immediately stopped. She initially suspected that it was an attempt by the reapers to give her a semblance of hope before ripping it away in an effort to finally indoctrinate her completely. Then, the voice spoke in a complete sentence. It was male and from what she could tell it was of human origin.
As an asari matriarch, Benezia was not only well versed in her people's mind melding techniques but she considered herself to be one of the most, if not the most skilled asari. As such, her surprise at seeing another mind not only defending but also attacking the reapers' hive mind, using a technique she's never seen before, could be understood. Looking closer, she noticed that it was the source of the voice that she'd been hearing lately. After debating on the decision to reach out to the mind, she finally decided that the only thing that she could lose was the last of her free will. At the rate things are going, she'll lose sooner rather than later. With her decision made, Matriarch Benezia took a leap of faith.
At first it seemed like any other human mind she's seen before. However, upon closer inspection she found that the mind was split into three partitions. One defended from the reapers, while the second one attacked, and finally the last one reached out to her. It was perhaps the most fascinating thing she's seen in a while. Reinforcing her decision, she connected her mind to the one reaching out to her and was bombarded with a set of memories and emotions not her own. With herculean effort, she managed to disconnect herself from the emotions while viewing the memories. Once done she was finally able to understand the voice.
"Matriarch Benezia, we finally meet at last. It is unfortunate that it isn't under better circumstances" spoke the voice of N7 Shadow Infiltration Ambrosius Malphas.
"It is a pleasure to meet you Infiltrator Malphas. Why have you reached out to me?" she asks.
"It's simple" he begins "I want to be free from these abominations and completely destroy them for even attempting to subjugate me to their will. While I could do it on my own eventually, with your help it could be accomplished before Sovereign finishes whatever their plans are. So what do you say?"
Thinking on it, she decides that she has nothing to lose and that if she dies or is completely indoctrinated in the process, than she'll go knowing that she hastened the reapers' defeat. With a wicked gleam in her eyes, Matriarch Benezia answers "Very well, what do you have in mind and when do we begin?"
Fall of the Reapers
I saw this coming. Actually no, I did not see this coming. In fact, I only predicted that things would go wrong due to the the "Shepard's Flock" drawback. Unfortunately for me, I underestimated what a ROB would consider 'shenanigans'. I thought that when shenanigans were mentioned that I, at most, would have to deal with things like broken equipment, misfiring guns or more enemies than anticipated. I did not expect Intelligence to take interest in our group, try to inflict the smallest influence on our minds, and abduct me to find out why they couldn't influence me at all.
Unfortunately for Intelligence, this isn't even in the top ten worst case scenarios that I've planned for. Before coming to Mass Effect, I decided that I needed something to combat the reaper's indoctrination. The answer came easily enough in the form of an AI; and what better AI to use than one that was specifically designed for the destruction and assimilation of enemy AI's.
This AI was designed with humanity's protection against alien hostiles, naturally I had to have the programming changed to my protection as opposed to humanity as a whole. Then, I had the AI bonded to my very being. However, I didn't expect for the bond to become even more thorough due to a constant exposure to the reaper's attempt at indoctrinating me. Now instead of sharing my head with Max, he's become a bridge to all subconscious functions to not only my body but also my mind. With his help I can now regulate things from my heart rate, long suppressed memories and experiences to changing my perception of time. The best comparison I can make to it would be a weird mixture of the sharingan for perception, occlumency for the mind and, a very diluted seimei kikan for bodily functions.
With these new abilities I bide my time. My imprisonment comes in the form of a windowless 12 by 15 feet room with absolutely no lights or sounds coming in and stripped of all my gear except for my armor. The perfect setting for one's mind to turn on itself. Unfortunately for them, I am above even those slated as above average in mental capabilities. One does not train with a man like Batman, a man who has kicked the likes of Martian Manhunter out of his mind using pure willpower, and come out mentally weak. So I sit here, meditating to master my new abilities and wait for the reaper's to attempt their indoctrination. Once they start it's a simple process to open a small hole to my memories of life in this universe.
Once I'm assured that the reapers believe that I am fighting their indoctrination to the best of my abilities, I begin to put my plan into motion. First, I track down the signal to it's source where I find Catalyst also known as Intelligence. Then, I have Max design a virus that would force all reapers and Intelligence self-destruct leaving behind the subconsciousness that keeps the Citadel in working condition. With Max possessing more raw power, skills and being specifically designed for this assignment, it was child's play.
Unfortunately as it turns out, Intelligence does not govern the reapers' every action. Intelligence gives them assignments and the reapers decide how to get the results themselves consequences be damned. While this means that I have to disguise the virus as an assignment instead of an order, it doesn't put me out of the running yet. First, I need to figure out how orders are structured and translated to the reapers, my location, then I'll need a bigger distraction than myself.
After some thinking, I've decided to reach out to Matriarch Benezia. While she is indeed under indoctrination, there is a part of her that still resists; just enough for her to help.
Convincing her turns out to be as simple as promising her the defeat of the reapers and implanting a virus that will remove all Intelligence influence when she meets Shepard. All it will take to activate will be her resistance against the indoctrination becoming stronger than usual. After a round of meditation to center myself I begin to work. Finding out my location was even simpler, considering that my jailer is Sovereign itself. So I sit there waiting for the time to make my move because believe me, for even attempting to indoctrinate me, I will destroy every single reaper and Intelligence even if I have to do it with my bare hands.
My signal comes in the form of shaking. While my room is light and soundproof, I can definitely the room shaking from the battle. Taking a deep breath, I regulate Max to the internal attack on the reapers while I make my way out of this soon to be rubble. Getting up I walk towards what I believe to be a doorway based on the minuscule airflow coming from there. With a shout, I summon the most powerful Push I can muster and completely destroy the doorway. Taking another deep breath, I step outside into a corridor full of geths. Normally this would be more than a match for me with at least a sword to even the odds however, with my ability to alter my perception I can simply look to where they are aiming and move before they even shoot. Without missing a beat I shroud myself in a biotic field and Charge. Stopping my Charge, I step to the side and dodge a shot intended for my arm. Grabbing the nearest geth, I quickly disarm him and completely blow it's head off with Punch. Dodging once more the right I use the wall as a springboard to launch myself in the air, grabbing another geth by the head in the process, and tossing it into the rest with a Push, completely obliterating them all. With that done I make my way through the ship destroying anything in my path.
Eventually, I arrive at what seems to be the exit. With a Punch I tear down the door and survey the battlefield below. From up here I can make out cybernetic Saren fighting Shepard's crew, including Matriarch Benezia. Checking with Max, I perceive that the virus will take effect in two minutes, just enough time for me to completely dismantle cybernetic Saren. Covering myself in a biotic field, to lessen the impact, I jump from the ship. Landing behind Saren, I kick out his left knee and snap his neck. Knowing that it wouldn't keep him down, I grab his right arm and rip it out. Enshrouding my arms in a biotic field I punch through his chest and completely split him in two, the entire fight taking no more than 17 seconds. As I throw the remnants of what used to be Saren away, I notice a shadow forming over us. Looking up I see a huge piece of rubble falling towards us. Working together Liara T'Soni, Matriarch Benezia and I are able to direct it away from the group.
Taking a deep breath I look to the Matriarch and say "Matriarch Benezia, It's a pleasure to meet you in person."
She nods her head as she answers "Likewise Infiltrator Malphas." Before more words can be exchanged, Sovereign implodes and all geths on the battlefield fall.
After surveying the battlefield, Benezia looks at me and speaks "Congratulations, your virus was a success."
Confused Liara and Ashley turn to me and ask in unison "Virus?". Looking at them I answer "I programmed an AI virus that caused all reapers to self-destruct while Sovereign was attempting to indoctrinate me." Looking at them it seems that my answer has confused them further. Taking a few minutes before excusing myself, I explain the nature of Intelligence and the reapers and how "using my omni-tool" I created a virus that forced them to self-destruct while giving Benezia my best bat glare. Once sure that she wouldn't mention my mental capabilities, I excuse myself and find a secluded part of the battlefield before calling ROB to take me away.
Interlude 02
Overall Build 2
Name: Ambrosius Malphas
Gender: Male
Age: 17
Height: 5'8
Hair Color: Black
Eye Color: Gold
Looks: Ozymandias from Fate
Build: Medium
Body Type: Athlete
Stats
Strength: 1 2 4
Endurance: 1 2 4
Speed: 2 4
Dexterity: 2 4
Appeal: 0 2
Shape: 0 2
Sense: 2 4
Metavore: Retain physically fit body no matter how much or what you eat as long as it's enough to keep from becoming malnourished
Cosmic Warehouse:
Belt O' Tools: Batman graciously seems to have loaned you a belt containing the tools that he'll be using for this adventure. This includes stuff like remotely applied explosives gel capable of bringing down walls (though never seems to kill when blown up near someones feet), to a cryptographic sequencer able to track signals, hack terminals, and listen to live radio broadcasts.… How did he know you'd be needing this stuff?
Animal Suit: A high tech set of body armor themed after an animal of your choice (DCAMU Damian Wayne Robin suit). The head piece contains advanced electronics equipment that scans the environment for information and clues relevant to the situation. It can pick up anything from gaseous alcohol molecules that'll lead you to a crooked guard, to traces of tobacco on the ground to lead you to a hostage. You may also import a set of armor you already own to gain these qualities.
Bat Wing: Hmm, seems like you've picked up one of Batman's spare vehicles. The Batwing is a supersonic aircraft faster than many jet fighters, possess advanced stealth systems that make it invisible to radar, and can be operated remotely, or operate autonomously.
Bat Cave: A series of platforms and bridges situated within a small cave. Contains a computer with immense analytical abilities, a landing platform for any aerial vehicles you have, and some workshops for working on gadgets and gizmos. After the jump this can either be attached to the warehouse, or will appear somewhere nearby.
Assistant VI: Top of the line assistant model Virtual Intelligence. Can be stored in an omni-tool and keep track of large amounts of data.
Weapon Locker: Cache of mid to high grade weapons of all types. Enough to outfit a battlelion.
Armor Locker: Cache of mid to high grade armor of all types. Enough to outfit a battlelion.
Conflict Minerals: Massive stash of various rare elements.
A Song of Ice and Fire Jump
1000 cp to spend
Region
orne
Age:19
Identity: Noble (-100 cp) - Gawain Dayne, bastard son of Ashara Dayne and Brandon Stark. Born near the beginning of the end of Robert's rebellion, Gawain doesn't remember his mother due to her committing suicide when he was young after hearing of her brother's and Elia's death. At the age 9 he started fostering at Sunspear by Oberyn after he took a liking to Gawain after he met him during a visit to Starfall. Growing up with the Martell family, Gawain became intimate with the story of Elia Martell and her children, whom he learned was his mother's best friend. This prompted him to swear vengeance against House Lannister whom he feel is responsible for his mother's suicide, even if it was indirectly. After swearing vengeance he took to his lessons with new determination to the point that only Oberyn can beat him in combat and Doran Martell felt that he himself is outclassed by Gawain in the Game of Thrones. After years of planning and lessons Gawain sets out for the capital where he plans to implement their plan for revenge, even if he has to destabilize the seven kingdoms to do it.
Skills:
Weapon Proficiency: You are capable with most common weaponry in this world and truly exceptional with one specific type. Alternatively you may be extremely good at needlework and other womanly pursuits. (Free)
A Quiet People: You find that the people under your authority are remarkably unlikely to cause you trouble. While not necessarily truly loyal they are exceptionally unlikely to rebel. (-100 cp)
Mine By Right: You are generally given more consideration than others. People consider your rights and desires as generally more important than other people. (Free)
Pet: An unshakably loyal animal (black panther). It is a peculiarly strong example of its kind and it will follow you to the seven hells and back. (-100 cp)
Schemer: You are a talented schemer and plotter. You easily understand how people are moved and ways to subtly move them. You have a keen insight about the ambitions of others. (-400 cp)
Gear:
Heraldry and Sword: The heraldry and words of your design. They are inextricably associated with you and give the impression and feeling you'd like to get across with them(within reason). Nobles begin with a cape and a standard of finest quality, displaying their arms and motto. Everyone else starts with their emblem and words cruelly painted on their bed sheet. (Free)
Fine Clothes: A very fine and ornate set of clothing. The equivalent of the finest you'd expect to get in your starting region. (Free)
Land Deed: A deed to an area of land close by in your chosen region. It will be accepted by all authorities as rightfully yours. This updates each jump but is generally not a particularly large plot of land elsewhere. (Free)
Pouch of Gold: A pouch golden coins. Around 100 golden dragons worth. May be taken multiple times. (Free)
Dragonglass Cache: A black cloak with a few obsidian dagger, arrowheads, and spearheads. (-25 cp)
Poison: A woman's weapon to be sure, but it can't be beaten for efficiency of for matters of subterfuge.You have a replenishing chest of poisons from around the known world. From vials of the Tears of Lys to Sweetsleep to crystals of the Stranger. There is bound to be one that suits your purpose. (-50 cp)
Valyrian Steel Spear: An excellent weapon of your choice made from Valyrian steel. Light and exceptionally sharp. Serves as a symbol of status. Gives an impression of great strength and brings dread to your enemies. You may also import an melee weapon you own to take on the appearance and strengths the spear. (It looks like Gungnir from Thor 2011 movie)(-100 cp)
Leads From the Rear: Men under your command will happily throw themselves at an enemy regardless of your position. As though you were leading them yourself in the charge (although they still retain the ability to fight smart if they ever had it. (-150 cp)
Looking at my build for ASOIF ROB asks "No drawbacks?"
Looking him in the eye I dryly answer "The last time I took a drawback I ended up getting kidnapped and would have gotten brainwashed if it wasn't for my preparations."
"Cmon, it couldn't have been that bad. If you didn't get kidnapped you would have to go through the whole plot until an opportunity arrived." he states
Shrugging my shoulders I say "While that is true and I had a contingency that worked, the same can't be said for other times. The last thing I need need is to be kidnapped by the white walkers without having a weapon to slaughter them as I make my way out of whatever prison they put me in."
I immediately regret saying that. I can see that stupid malicious gleam in his eyes and hear the cogs in his brain turning. Unfortunately for me, before I can make sure that he doesn't screw me over using the white walkers he snaps his fingers and everything goes white.
Mountainslayer
King's Landing smells like shit. I've read that statement and heard it said so many times that I expected it. However, expectations did not prepare me for this at all. It doesn't smell like shit, It smells like everybody's shit was put together and left in the open to fester. I've only been wandering around this city for the past few hours, to memorize the layout, and my nose is already tired of the smell. Unfortunately, other than spraying a scarf with perfume and wrapping it around the lower half of my face I can't do anything about the smell. Since I'll be living here for the foreseeable future it doesn't really fill me with any positive emotions.
Turning to look at my guide, companion and, unknown to anyone nut me, one of my spies around the world, I can't help but feel like the world is laughing at me. Richard Grayson, son of a man named Gray hence Grayson, is the spitting image of his namesake and my brother figure back when I was still Bruce Wayne's ward and protege. If that wasn't bad enough there was a Jason and Timothy who just happen to look like their namesakes and are part of my worldwide spy network. Stopping my train of thought, I listen to Richard as he finishes my tour.
"… and that be most of King's Landing. The only place we ain't visit yet be the Red Keep. Only them nobles and peoples with business there be entering." he says
"Thank you my good man. You be saving me time so I ain't getting lost when my Lord be sending me to do jobs." I reply, butchering some of the grammar to come of as educated enough to be able to pass of as a noble's servant but not enough to pass of as more than a commoner. The last thing I need is for Varys and Baelish to know that a Dornish noble is here in King's Landing before tomorrow. Aside from the Martells, no one knows that I'm here yet. As for Richard and my spies, as far as they know I work for the noble who they spy for.
With the tour finished, he leads me to the inn where I reside before leaving. Once in my room, I sit down on the bed and reflect on my purpose in this viper's nest. The answer is honestly, revenge. Even before I was living this life and felt emotionally attached to the people of Dorne, I've always hated the Lannisters for the simple reason that I loathe and despise rapists more than anything. Now on top of hating the Lannisters just because of my hatred for rapists, I'm also emotionally attached to not only the Martells but to the people of Dorne. I've laughed, cried and partied with these people to the point that they are now my people even if I'm not originally from this world. This is why I've entered this viper's nest. Unfortunately for the vipers, I cannot be considered a regular snake. The closest snake that would best describe me is the basilisk, the king of snakes.
The morning came and I woke with the sun as usual and proceed through my morning ritual. Once that was done, I start to dress myself in my armor for the tourney. The armor was made of black gamberson and designed to look like Diarmud's armor, from Fate/Zero, with a few adjustments. Unlike Diarmud, I had a vambrace on both arms and a pauldron on both shoulders. With that done, I tied my hair into a ponytail, grabbed my valyrian spear (Gungnir from Thor 2011 movie) and made my way out of the inn.
Arriving at the booth, I give my name and region of origin, pay the entry fee and go inside the tent to wait. Once inside I retrieve a handful of white powder from a pouch under my gamberson armor. Looking over the tent I find my target sitting on the floor and make my way to him, all the while purposefully kicking dust into the air with my steps. Once sufficiently close I let go of the powder and watch as it mixed with the dust and drifted into the target's nose. Acting as if nothing happened, I find a secluded corner to sit and survey the competition. Sweeping my eyes over the interior I immediately find the famous knights. Jaime Lannister is sitting by himself on the far right, Thoros of Myr is surrounded by a group of warriors listening to his war stories, the hound can be found sitting near Jaime and finally, my target Gregor Clegane The Mountain. Standing at close to eight feet tall and weighing about 420 lbs of pure muscle, he's probably the most dangerous man in Westeros after me. At most for the next few hours.
We wait for approximately an hour before being ushered out into the field where we spread out across the field. After finding a position near The Mountain, but not in his crosshairs, I took my place and made a show of twirling my spear with my hands, alternating between my right and left and sometimes using both. After making sure that I have the crowd's attention, I stop just in time to hear the signal to begin only for it to be overshadowed by the roar of The Mountain going berserk. It only took five people dying from Gregor Clegane's sword for everyone to realize that something was wrong. Ignoring my fellow competitors' panic, I plant my right foot in front of me, tighten my grip on the spear, take a deep breath and sprint towards The Mountain using the fastest humanly possible speed. In seven seconds I'm three feet away from The Mountain to see him looming over Jaime Lannister, his sword and shield a few feet away from him. Squeezing in an extra burst of speed I manage to make it in time to intercept Gregor's sword an inch away from Jaime's face. Without giving Gregor time to process what happened, I redirect his sword up and away from him putting him off balance. Before he can recover, I roll to his side, using the momentum to stand back up, and stab my spear through his armpit and coming out of the top of his, shoulder only stopping due his pauldron. Instead of taking the spear out, I rip through the remaining bones and muscles of his shoulder completely disarming him in the process. With an outraged roar, The Mountain swings his sword at my head only for it to be redirected by me twirling my spear and once again setting him off balance. Anticipating his recovery, I slash my spear through the tendons of his remaining wrist forcing him to drop his sword. While allowing my spear to continue its twirl, I guide it towards his head and stab him through the opening of his visitor and twist it through his head for good measure before removing it. He stands there for a few seconds before finally dropping to the ground dead.
Welcome to the Game of Thrones
It was a beautiful day that greeted one Cersei Lannister, Lady of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros. The sun was up, it's golden beams providing a generous amount of warmth without overheating the land, the birds sung their beautiful songs and a mild breeze blew away from the Red Keep, taking the stench of King's Landing along with it. Other than having to deal with another one of her husband's idiotic tourneys, her day seems to be a good day in the making.
Taking a seat next to her husband, who seems to have been drinking for a while now, Cersei surveys her surroundings. On her right, sat her whore mongering, drunk, ignorant, dumb, slow-witted, brute of a husband, Robert Baratheon Lord of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros. Standing at around six and a half feet tall and sporting the classical Baratheon look of black hair and blue eyes, he may have cut an impressive and fantastical figure from many a maiden's dreams if not for his excessive weight. In his younger days Robert was a handsome, clean-shaven man with rough and hard hands. He was strong and powerful, and muscled like a proper warrior. Nowadays, he is often red-faced from drinking, with dark circles underneath his eyes and walks as if he has been drinking for days without stopping while sweating through his silks, and his beard, a wild, thick and fierce thing, hides his double chin. In the nine years since Greyjoy's Rebellion, Cersei wages that he's gained at least eight stone in weight.
On Robert's right sits her eldest child, Joffrey, followed by his younger siblings, Myrcella and Tommen. Standing at six feet tall, at the age of twelve, and sporting the famous Lannister features of blond curly hair and deep green eyes, Joffrey cut a very handsome figure. Whereas Joffrey is tall and skinny, Tommen is of average height for a seven year old, by Westeros standards, with golden curls and emerald eyes. The last of her children, and only daughter, Myrcella, stands at an average height for an eight year and matching her mother in beauty and features of golden hair and emerald eyes.
Sweeping her eyes over members of the nobility, Cersei is able to make out many figures such as the Hand of King along with his daughters, Petyr Baelish, her cousins Lancel and Tyrek, and many others.
As the contestants of the melee are ushered into the arena, Cersei easily spots her brother and lover. Standing at six feet two with a handsome face, curled hair the color of beaten gold, flashing cat-green eyes, and a smile that cuts like a knife; Jaime Lannister is the epitome of a knight in shining armor. He wears a golden armor decorated with the Lannister lion, with gilded longsword and ornate lion's helmet, making it easy to recognize him amongst the competitors.
While surveying the field, another competitor catches her eyes. Not too far from Jaime, a few yards at the most, stands a man of dornish descent judging by his features. Standing at the same height as Jaime, he is tall, slender, fit with finely toned muscles and a grace that is reminiscent of Oberyn Martell. He wears a black gamberson vest, black trousers tucked neatly into black boots, a pauldron on each shoulder and sleeves that start halfway down his biceps under each vambraces. Paired with his spear, he gives off the feeling of a proud lion on the prowl. However, what really catches Cersei's eyes are his midnight black hair tied into a ponytail, with a single curly strand falling on the bridge of his nose between his eyes and further enhancing their already beautiful violet glow.
Seemingly bored with waiting, the dornishman puts on an impressive show of twirling his spear with a single hand, alternating between his right and left and sometimes using both.
Taking one last glance at the man, Cersei turns her attention back to Jaime just as the signal is given for the competitors to begin, only to be drown out by a roar from The Mountain. Cersei turns her head to see Gregor decapitate what seems to be his third victim. It was as the fourth body fell dead to the floor that Cersei realized that something was wrong. After killing his fifth victim, Gregor started to make his to another competitor only for Jaime to stand in his way his sword already in a guard.
As Cersei watch Jaime face off against The Mountain, she felt rage and worry warring inside her. She felt outraged at The Mountain for going mad and endangering Jaime, she felt outraged at her father for not keeping a better leash on his attack dog and she felt outraged at Jaime for deciding to be his usual impulsive self even in this situation and worry at the chance of Gregor killing him. However, just as she prepares to order The Mountain to cease, Jaime's sword flies from his hands and lands a few feet away, causing Cersei's words to die in her throat. With a roar The Mountain swings his sword down in an attempt to cleave through Jaime's head, only for it to be intercepted by a spear and redirected away from Jaime. Taking a closer look, Cersei recognizes the spear as the one belonging to the dornishman from earlier. With baited breathe, Cersei bears witness as her brother's savior proceeds to removes one of The Mountain's arms from his body then killing him with a spear thrust to the head in what had to be the shortest, battle between two warriors that she's seen.
Releasing a breath she didn't notice she was holding, Cersei watches as the warrior turn to Jaime and exchange a few words before grasping each others forearm and sharing what seems to be a nod of respect before going their separate ways. Following the warrior with her eyes, Cersei studies him as he defeats challenger after challenger. Whether it's in single combat or against groups, at one point fighting against five at a time, he breezes through the competitors. Eventually the challenges stop and he walks towards Jaime who has just defeated Thoros of Myr on the other side of the arena, only stopping a few feet away.
"So the cub survives his first battle." says Jaime as he gives his sword arm a few test swings
Smirking in return, his opponent answers "Says the old man who pulled a muscle." His voice is smooth and possesses the same charming drawl she's heard in Oberyn's voice. By now Cersei is almost certain that he's one of Oberyn's bastards who's relationship fell apart or was never given the time of day by his father.
With a chuckle Jaime responds "This must be what others call the arrogance of youth." Jokingly shaking his head before settling his expression, Jaime continues "Regardless, may I have the name of the challenger."
Taking a deep breath, as if steeling his nerves, the dornishman replies with a bow of his head, his previous joking manner missing from his voice "Gawain Sand. The pleasure is mind Ser Jaime."
With the warrior's status as a bastard revealed, many now look to him in askance. For Cersei however, this proves to be an opportunity. Turning him into a loyal soldier for her might bring her all of Dorne's secrets, and even if he doesn't know any of Dorne's secrets she'll still get a fearsome warrior capable of using his brain as her personal attack dog loyal only to her. All it will probably take is gifting him knightship and a position as her sworn shield to have him completely loyal to her. She could even use his budding friendship with Jaime to further strengthen his loyalty. Decision made, Cersei returned her attention to the arena where the warriors fought, all humour completely gone from their eyes and replaced by pure determination.
It looked more like a deadly, well choreographed dance, rather than a battle. Both warriors moved with such grace and skill that it was almost inhuman, with Gawain having the advantage in speed and being a perfect match for Jaime's famed strength. Eventually, after what seems to be hours of battle, Jaime overreached and found the tip of his opponent's spear at his throat.
"I yield" says Jaime, prompting the crowd to roar in approval of the fight.
With a boisterous clapping of his hand and laughter, Robert stood and beckoned the warrior "Good fight, good fight. If it weren't for you I would have had to stop the tourney to put that mad dog down. For that you will be rewarded. Tell me what brings you to King's Landing and where did you learn to fight like that?"
Kneeling before the king, Gawain answers "I learned from Oberyn Martell before he and I had a… disagrement. I came to King's Landing in hopes of joining the Kingsguard Your Highness."
Nodding his head while rubbing his beard, Robert answers "Unfortunately the Kingsguard is full."
Deciding that this was the perfect opportunity, Cersei spoke "While the Kingsguard is full, you could still knight him. Besides, I am currently searching for a sworn shield."
Without a second thought Robert spoke "Ser Barristan, give me a sword." Stepping from behind Robert's seat, Ser Barristan, a tall older man, with white hair, lined features and pale blue eyes, unsheathes his sword and offers the pommel to the king. Taking the sword Robert turns to the kneeling warrior, places his sword on the right shoulder and spoke "Gawain Sand, do you swear before the eyes of gods and men to defend those who cannot defend themselves, to protect all women and children, to obey your captains, your liege lord, and your king, to fight bravely when needed and do such other tasks as are laid upon you, however hard or humble or dangerous they may be?" "I do swear." Came his reply. Moving the sword to the left shoulder before removing it, Robert spoke "Rise Ser Gawain."
"Thank you Your Highness." spoke the now knighted Ser Ambrose before he once again gracefully knelt, this time to her, placing his spear at her feet and spoke "I am yours, Your Grace. Your liege man, or whatever you would have me be. I will shield your back and keep your counsel and give my life for yours, if need be. I swear it by the old gods and the new."
With a smile on her face Cersei accepted "And I vow that you shall always have a place by my hearth, and meat and mead at my table. And I pledge to ask no service of you that might bring you dishonor. I swear it by the Old Gods and the New. Arise."
Schemes
"Tell me about yourself, Ser Gawain." says Cersei. It was the day after the end of the tourney, and she found herself with no interest to attend court or anything much for that matter. Hence her decision to get to know her new soldier and see where he'd be most useful.
They were situated in her bedchambers, with her sitting on her bed holding a goblet of wine, the pitcher itself located on a table nearby, and him with his arms crossed, leaning on the wall facing the door and to the right of the only window in the room. His spear itself, for reasons unknown wrapped in a cloth leaving only the blade visible, rests on the same wall easily within arms reach. She'd seen it up close yesterday while he stood guard behind her during the joust. She had to admit that it was a beautiful spear about as tall as him with intricate designs running along the shaft and blade, she'd never seen anything quite like it. The best comparison she could make to it would be the wavy pattern on valyrian steel blades.
Turning his head to face her, he replies "In all honesty Your Grace, there isn't much to tell other than Oberyn took interest in me while visiting Starfall and took me as his page after finding out that I'm Ashara Dayne's bastard. My grandfather, not really caring about me, was all to happy to see me go."
"Ashara Dayne?" she says with a whisper. Putting down her goblet, she looks at his face and carefully examines it before continuing "Did she not suffer a miscarriage and throw herself off a tower?"
"No." he replies while shaking his head."Her father wanted nothing to do with a bastard and ordered the wet nurse to claim that I died while she slept and spread the rumor that Ashara's child was stillborn. He hoped that with my supposed death that he'd be able to marry her off to someone for an alliance. Unfortunately for him she didn't take the news well and ended her life. It was only his guilt towards his daughter that allowed me to be raised in Starfall while also providing me an education."
Finally taking her eyes off his face she answers "I see. What of your father? Did he not care?"
"Brandon Stark is my father" he replies.
"Interesting" she replies "I suspected Eddard Stark considering his bastard in Winterfell. It seems that the Stark boys aren't so honorable after all."
With a smirk on his face, as if he knows all the world's secrets, he spoke "I have to admire Lord Stark's ability to not only spread misinformation but also suffer insults on his honor and not complain, despite his innocence."
Hardening her face, Cersei orders "Explain?"
Still with that infernal smirk on his face, he answers "That child in Winterfell is no mere bastard. In fact he isn't much of a bastard at all. His mother was Lyanna Stark and his father was-"
"-Rhaegar Targeryan" finished Cersei. "Do you possess any proof of this? And if it's true how did you come about this information."
Turning serious once more, he replies "I have no proof. However one of my spies stumbled upon one of the midwives who delivered him as she ran from the tower of joy. He deemed the information vital enough to tell me when I hired him"
"Interesting." Indeed it was an interesting piece of information that could be used to have vital consequences if used correctly. She could use it to pit her brute of a husband against his brother in all but blood. Perhaps even manage to make them kill each other and leaving her as the ruler of the Seven Kingdoms. Yes, that would be a wonderful situation. All she needs to do is wait for the perfect opportunity.
Looking at her sworn shield, and now spy master, she can't help be be glad for her ingenious idea to make him hers. If he kept his performance up like that she may just reward him handsomely once she claims the throne.
With a malicious smile on her face she asks, "You mentioned having spies earlier. How extensive is this network and what other interesting pieces of information do you have?"
Petyr Baelish, a man with sharp features, a small pointed beard on his chin, and dark hair with threads of grey running through it. He has laughing gray-green eye like a cat, with a clever and cunning intellect. Usually, his smiles and laughter never reached his eyes. However, nowadays, if you know what to look for and look closely, you can see a small spark of happiness in his eyes. The reason simply being that everything was going according to plan and would come to head soon. Of course there were a few hiccups here and there, like Eddard Stark's slight caution towards him and Cersei receiving a slightly competent attack dog. However, another brainless brute in the game doesn't change anything and even if he has a brain he can still be poisoned if need be. As for Eddard his upcoming meeting, with the man's wife no less, should make Eddard trust him.
Ugh, just the thought of his Catelyn, beautiful, with fair skin, long auburn hair and blue eyes, with long fingers and high cheekbones, in the hands of that savage northman infuriates him. Taking a deep breath to calm himself, Petyr proceeds to mentally go over his plan for the upcoming interaction and finishes just the door is knocked on in a seemingly random pattern.
Getting up and quickly smoothing over his clothes, Petyr makes his way to the door and opens it to see Catelyn and the guard he assigned to escort her outside. After ushering her in and quickly closing the door, he turns to greet her only to be interrupted by her.
"Petyr, why have you accosted to this infernal place?" demanded Catelyn
She wore a woolen dress of Tully red and blue and a black traveling cloak over.
"I apologize my friend. However, King's Landing is not a safe place to wander in, and if it was found that the wife of the Hand of the King snuck in then people would talk" replies Petyr.
With a sigh and a solemn expression on her face Catelyn answers "No my friend, the fault lies with me. In my single minded focus to bring news to Ned, I have forgotten that King's Landing is a dangerous place."
It took Petyr all his willpower and control not to sneer at hearing his Cat say Ned so affectionately.
Making his way over to his desk and taking a seat, Petyr extends his hand says "No worries. Please take a seat and tell me what ails you so while we await your husband's arrival. I've already sent for him, he should be here soon."
Nodding her head, Catelyn sits across from him and retrieves a beautiful valyrian steel dagger hidden under her cloak.
"Where did you find this dagger? The last I'd seen of it was when I had lost to Tyrion Lannister in a bet" asks Petyr.
Looking over the dagger, Catelyn reveals the attempt on her son, Bran's, life.
"I believe that Bran had seen something that he shouldn't have while climbing the tower, and was pushed in an attempt to silence him. The culprits must have wanted to finish the job, and sent the assassin" hypotheses Catelyn.
Before Petyr can respond, the door is swung open to admit Eddard Stark in.
Eddard Stark has a long face and long brown hair. He is thirty-five, but his closely-trimmed beard is beginning to grey, making him look older than his years. His dark grey eyes reflect his moods, turning soft as fog or hard as stone making him as easy to read as an open book. From Petyr's personal experience, Eddard is shorter and less handsome than his older brother Brandon had been.
Listening to Catelyn recant her hypothesis and watching Eddard plan to foolishly move against the Lannisters is almost enough for Petyr to deviate from his plans and let him walk to his death. However, almost isn't enough for him to let this man walk to his death. Not only because Catelyn would never forgive him but also because their only proof would incriminate him instead considering that he lost the dagger to the king and not Tyrion. Saving the man who stands in his way to claiming Cat is nauseating, however it must be done for the long game. Besides, the honor bound buffoon will dig his own grave and throw himself in it eventually.
Power Plays
As Eddard Stark made his way to his office, after sharing dinner with his daughters, he couldn't help but reflect on the past three moon turns since the tourney. His following of Jon Arryn's footsteps had taken him all over King's Landing in hopes of finding out what had Jon found that could have caused a possible assassination. Every location that Jon visited hosted one of Robert's bastard children, all possessing black hair and blue eyes. At first he suspected that it was the possibility of Robert's children not truly being his. It wasn't that far fetched of an idea considering that all of Robert's bastards have black and blue eyes, however looking into 'The Lineage and Histories of the Great Houses of the Seven Kingdoms' proved that to not be the case. A few decades after Aegon's conquest, a member from House Baratheon married a member of House Lannister resulting in the birth of two children with blond hair and green eyes. The book itself, according to Pycelle, seems to have been of interest to Jon. That means that someone of importance is a bastard and based on the evidence, it isn't any of Robert's children. That's probably the only good news he's received so far, because he honestly doesn't know how he'd inform Robert if his legitimate children are in reality bastards. Still, that only brings about more questions than answers. Who did Jon suspect to be a bastard? Why was their lineage so important that he may have been assassinated to keep the secret? Who ordered the assassination and why?
Arriving at the door of his office, Eddard shook the turbulent thought out of head and walked in. The office itself was spartan with nary a decoration with the only things in it to occupy space are his desk, three chairs, one for him and two for guests, and shelves full of books. Making his way to his desk, he lit a candle only to notice a stack of papers on his desk that weren't there previously. Figuring that it was just more work, he pours himself a cup of water, sits down and drinks.
As he examines the papers a frown forms on his face. After reading a few pages, he puts the papers down and takes another drink. As he gathers his thoughts he poures himself another cup and drinks, barely noticing his heavy eyelids and the feeling of sleep coming over him. Thinking that he is just feeling the day's work catching up with him, he pays it no mind and continues to drink and think and drink in a cycle until he falls into a deep slumber never to wake again.
Varys, also known as the Spider, is a plump, bald, and effeminate eunuch. He has soft white hands. He powders his face and smells of lavender, lilacs, and rosewater. When he attends court, he likes to wear rich silks, velvet, and damasks and soft slippers. His outward manner in public is obsequious, mysterious, and squeamish giving others the impression of a weak willed man. However, he is a master of disguise and can change his appearance, gait, smell, and costume to become unrecognizable.
As he takes the time to peruse the reports from his little birds, Varys starts to worry. He hasn't heard anything from Illyrio and the man is long overdue for a report. With a sigh he puts down a copy of Petyr Baelish's personal ledger. While he may not use it anytime soon, it's still a useful thing to have in case he needs to turn the crown against the man. While Petyr is a formidable player of the Game, Varys himself is not only better but he is also far more experienced. Secrets are his trade after all, and his skill at acquiring them has earned him a reputation for being seemingly omniscient.
Sighing once more, Varys pours himself a a cup of wine and takes a drink. However, as the cup comes close to his nose he gets a whiff of his wine, his wine that smells far too sweet. He instantly recognizes the smell of sweetsleep, a substance that induces a deep sleep in small doses and can kill in large doses.--Large enough doses of most medicines can be fatal; however, with sweetsleep the fatal dose is still quite small relative to other medicines.-- However, as he puts his cup down, a hand covered in a black glove grips his throat stopping any sound from emerging and forcing his mouth open. Another covered hand takes the cup and forces the poisoned wine down his throat before covering his mouth a forcing him to swallow. The wine tastes deceptively good, evoking a want to drink more even though he knows that it's poisoned.
Knowing that no matter how much he struggles it's to late to save him, he decides to focus on the face of his assassin. He expected the assassin to hide their face, to his surprise however, he is faced with a pair of eerily familiar set of slightly glowing violet eyes. As he recognizes Cersei's new sworn shield, questions fly through his mind, questions that he's unable to ask due to the hand on his throat. Is Cersei involved? If so, why? If not, then what are this man's motives?
As if able to read his mind, Gawain states "You want to know why. You want to know if Cersei has ordered you dead." Hand's still on his throat, the assassin continues to speak "The answer is simple. To Cersei, your death will pave the way for the removal of a little rat. My motives however… well that's for me to know."
By now the poison has already started its work. Varys can feel the lull of eternal sleep pulling him in and promising a very much desired sleep. As he slowly goes Varys can only lament his lack of foresight towards such a dangerous opponent.
Cersei watches from her seat on her bed as the door to her bedchamber opens and her sworn shield walks in and quietly closes the door. Times like this makes her wonder about his past. He moves far too silently and is far too knowledgeable about assassinations to have truly spent most his life in Sunspear. If she didn't know any better she'd have pegged him for a faceless man. They're the only people known to be as knowledgeable in the art of assassination than Gawain. The knowledge of poison itself can be explained as Oberyn's teachings, the man himself is called the Red Viper for a reason. That however doesn't explain his habit of walking so silently that unless you saw him you'd never know that he was there and his knowledge on how to best assassinate someone. While Oberyn may use poisons to coat his weapons in, the fact of the matter is that he's no assassin.
"Is it done?" questioned Cersei.
Looking at her with his beautiful violet eyes he answers "Eddard and Varys died in their offices due to sweetsleep in their drinks. Varys was later placed in Eddard's office along with his poisoned cup and drink, making it look like they died in the same room at the same time while examining documents containing proof of Baelish not only steeling from the crown but also assassinating Jon Arryn with the help of Lysa Arryn. Further proof was placed in the room incriminating Lysa of not only siring a bastard with Baelish but also assassinating her husband when he came close to the truth."
Nodding her head Cersei can't help but ask "What of the book?"
Walking over to her nightstand he pours himself a cup of wine and drinks before replying "I managed to replace it with a forgery before Pycell handed it over to Eddard. I burned the original, so as far as the world is concerned it isn't unusual for the children of a Lannister and Baratheon to possess blond hair and green eyes."
Nodding her head, Cersei lays on her back with a sigh of contentment. Noticing his gaze on her she turns on her side and gives him a mischievous smile while asking "Would you like to join me? There's plenty of room." She watches with mirth in her eyes as he quickly and bashfully averts his eyes. Throughout the three moon turns that they've known each other Cersei has become rather close to her sworn shield. Close enough that she feels that she found herself a true friend. When in private with him, she has no need to play the part of the powerless wife and queen that she plays for the court. She can openly rant and complain to him and he'll listen and sometimes even offer sound advice. Moreover, she finds it interesting that the Moutainslayer that can take on multiple men in battle blushes like a virgin when faced with anything too sexual. According to him the problem is that all the women he's been with weren't as beautiful as her. Either way, whatever the case may be, the fact of the matter is that she enjoys watching him squirm like a virgin.
Finishing his cup, he turns to her and says "I'll be outside if you need me."
Watching him leave, Cersei can't help but once again praise her good judgement in taking him in as her sworn shield.
Throughout the Realm
"How dare they!? How dare they proclaim my love a traitor and execute him!? How dare they order me to surrender myself and my baby boy!? How dare they proclaim my baby a bastard!? How dare they try to strip me of my hold on the Vale!? I will have Cersei and her family's heads for this" raged Lysa Arryn as she paced in front of her throne within the High Hall of the Eyrie.
Lysa Arryn has grown thick of body in her early thirties as a result of her many pregnancies, miscarriages and stillbirths. Despite being two years younger than her sister Catelyn, Lysa looks ten years older; her face has become pale and puffy, and she now paints and powders it. She has the blue eyes of House Tully, but they are pale and watery. Lysa has a small, petulant mouth, and her beautiful auburn hair falls thickly down to her waist. In her youth however, Lysa was a pretty, slender, high-breasted girl in her youth, dimpled and delicate.
In her childhood, Lysa had been a soft, shy, and timid girl, prone to tongue-tied silences and fits of giggles. Her years at King's Landing changed her significantly, however, turning her into a woman who is by turns proud, fearful, cruel, dreamy, reckless, impulsive, timid, stubborn, vain, and inconstant. Lysa had never been brave in her youth, which did not change during adulthood.
Usually she prefers rich silks, satins, velvets, furs, samites, and linens. She likes Myrish lace and is fond of wearing a cream-colored gown with a necklace of sapphires and moonstones. However, ever since receiving news of Petyr Baelish's execution, she has taken to mourning clothes which include black silk, with the moon-and-falcon of House Arryn sewn in pearls.
Situated on the throne while playing with a doll sat her baby boy, the apple of her eye, her sweetrobin. At the age of six years old, he is unfortunately small and painfully thin for his age.--However, anyone who dares mention this outloud will be flayed alive to be later thrown out of the Moon Door and six hundred feet to their death.-- He is pale with brown hair and big eyes, has spindly arms and legs, a soft concave chest, a little belly, and his skin is splotchy. Due to Lysa's overprotective nature and spoiling nature young Robert is spoiled and whiny, prone to crying when his dolls are taken away or damaged. However, looking at him, the only person she has left in the world, she couldn't find it within herself to care.
When she was young she idolized her older sister Catelyn for her betrothal to the heir of Winterfell, Brandon Stark, and hoped to one day marry a man as noble and handsome as him. Her marriage to Lord Jon Arryn, however, was purely political, and while he was dutiful and kind to her, the marriage lacked the warmth that she required. Fortunately, Petyr was able to follow her to Kings landing after receiving a position on the small council as the master of coin. They continued their friendship there and even fell in love. Truthfuly, she has no idea whether Petyr or Jon is her sweetrobin's father, and she frankly doesn't care. Unfotunately, everyone else does. So she'll claim that Jon is father to keep her power in the Vale.
Looking over her subjects she orders, "Gather the bannermen. We go to war."
No one will take her sweetrobin from her and the Lannisters will pay for killing her Petyr. Even if she has to burn the realm in the flames of war to acheive it.
Tywin Lannister is a tall, slender, broad-shouldered man in his fifties. His arms are thin but muscled from his training as a knight. His head has been shaved ever since his golden hair started going bald, but he grows out bushy golden side-whiskers. Tywin has pale green eyes flecked with gold. He is a calculating, intelligent, politically astute, ruthless, and controlling man. He dedicates his life and efforts towards maintaining the Lannisters' prestige, and ensuring House Lannister is respected, or at least feared. He is a proven battle commander who leads from the rear, he has a powerful presence combined with an intimidating gaze and is extremely harsh towards those who betray him and his house.
The Reynes and the Tarbecks were the last traitors his house faced, as far as anyone other than his brother Kevin knows, and they paid the price with the extinction of their house. The event itself garnered him such infamy that a bard made a song on it and spread it all over Westeros. Which is why when he and his entourage were attacked by bandits on the Kignsroad he paid it no mind and only filed a mental note to have that section of the Kingsroad cleaned out. These bandits were far too close to the Goldroad for his liking.
However, he did notice two things that indicated that these bandits were a little smarter then the usual rabble. The first was that they tied rope accross the road, with both ends tied to a tree, at a level where if the rider didn't pay attention the horse would trip. They even tied another one high enout that should the horse go over the first rope, the second rope will most likely drop the rider from their horse due to the collision. This forced his group to stop long enough for them to cut off any escape route and attack.
The second thing that he noticed was that they were skilled and didn't draw attention to themselves by yelling when they attacked. Unfortunately for them, his guards were more skilled and already blooded; or so he thought.
As if a switch was flipped, the bandits begin to fight with far more skill and ferocity that's only seen in veteran knights and warriors. Noticing that his entourage wouldn't survive long, Tywin spurned his horse to gallop as fast as possible to leave the middle fo the entourage, where he had been observing. Unfortunately, just as his horse was beginning to move, an arrow flew from the woods and pierced each of his horse's eyes blinding it. The horse neighed one last time in pain before toppling over and taking its rider with it. Before Tywin could recover, his head was stuck and he entered into unconsciousness.
As Tywin came to consciousness the first thing he noticed was the draft on his bare skin and the cold feeling of metal on his wrist from where he hung. He was completely naked with only a cloth covering his privates and a blindfold over his blocking out any form of light. He had no idea how long he hung there before he started feeling thirst. Soon enough it was hunger. He knew not how long he hung from his wrist, his feet not even able to touch the ground and the only censory input he received was the cold draft on his skin coming from everywhere. Just as he started to feel that he'd go mad, he heard the grinding of an open door, followed by footsteps coming from evevrywhere around him. Soon enough, a voice spoke out from every corner of the room.
"Well would you look at that. If it isn't the mighty Tywin Lannister, murderer of children and mothers." The voice, why does it so sound familiar. Of course it's familiar, it belongs to… it belongs to… belongs to… to… Why can't can't he remember, he's Tywin Lannister and he… he… he… After a while he starts to remember who he is. However, there are some gaps in his memories and he can feel a malicious presence surrounding him. As if the devil himself was constatly breathing on his skin. That can't be right, he thinks, devils and gods weren't real. They can't be real, they're fabrication of man to deal with the hardships of life. However, even as he thinks so, a part of his mind, the part that already broke from the isolation and lack of censory, violently disagrees. The voice that once sounded so charming and human, now somehow sounded demonic yet more charming than before. It was tempting him with it's beautiful and charming qualities to give in and obey, that all he had to do was give in and everything would be alright. Tywin's mind, that was already fractured, broke even more; and the sane part of his mind knew with all his being that the torture has only just begun.
The Warrior
It was afternoon that finds the remaining members of the small council in the Great Hall. The door to the Great Hall and the Iron Throne faces south east, the same direction as the Gate of the Gods and the entrance of the Red Keep. If one were to walk from the Red Keep to the Gate of the Gods using the road linking the two, it would be an almost perfectly straight line.
The cavernous Great Hall can feast a thousand hall is oriented south east to north west, with high, narrow windows on the northern, southern, and north western, behind the throne, walls. As the sun travels throughout the sky, from east to west, the room gets brighter, with three in the afternoon being the brightest the room will be. This setup, whether planned or not, makes it so that the sun is behind whomever sits on the Iron Throne and shines upon them through the window behind the throne. Judging by the brightness of the sunlight in the room, I'd wager that it's around four in the afternoon.
Cersei, Grand Maester Pycelle, Commander Janos Slynt, the Kingsguard Robert didn't take with him, and I are discussing the upcoming battle. Standing behind and on Cersei's right, while she sits on the Iron Throne, I have a perfect view facing the others who sit on the left and right side of a long table that holds a map depicting the war.
Stannis Baratheon has sided with Lysa Arryn and made a play for the throne. His reasoning being that his brother is unfit to rule and that all of Robert's children are bastards. It's a very uncharacteristic move of Stannis. I thought that he'd have waited until Robert died. Instead, he makes a claim for the throne and "allies" himself with Lysa Arryn of all people. I say allies but in reality he just used her. He sent seven thousand of his forces to reinforce Lysa's losing twenty thousand. Usually the Vale would have been able to field around forty five thousand however, with Lysa's crimes made public most of the major houses in the Vale allied with the crown and the rest of the realm.
Currently the Vale is facing a chaotic time, with Robert taking around half of the Westerlands and the Riverlands forces to bring Lysa to heel and the North joining in for revenge for their, now dead, Lord Eddard Stark. Using the chaos, Stannis split his forces. He sent seven thousand to reinforce Lysa and took the remaining eight thousand to flank Robert's forces, forcing Robert to split his forces to protect his flank. By the time anybody realized that Stannis wasn't going to turn around to attack Robert's flank, Stannis was already more than halfway to Kings Landing. He seemed to be planning to recruit the remaining lords in the Crownlands to attack Kings Landing by sending small parties to each major Lord's keep.
Unfortunately for him, his bid for the throne is a hindrance to the plan of setting Daenerys up as the queen. By sending copies of the fake 'The Lineages and Histories of the Great Houses of the Seven Kingdoms' to all noble houses, I set him up to look like a liar and a power hungry man who's jealous of his brother's success. Going one step further, I had my trusty panther smuggled into Kings Landing and maul Renly in his room. Someone happened to hear me discuss Renly's death with Cersei and "accidentally" leaked the fact that he died at the hand of witchcraft used by Stannis' red priest. Now not only does the Faith condemn him, but it also turned the common folk and all noble houses against him.
"How long until they arrive at our gate?" asks Cersei.
"If he keeps the pace and nothing intercepts him, approximately a day. The last report I received had him leaving Rosby and that was a day ago" I answer.
"Very well. Are the preparations ready?" she asks Pycelle
Pycelle is an old man that has only sparse hair that runs around his bald, spotted head. He has a long, snowy beard that runs down to his chest and broad stomach.
"Yes your highness. All preparations are complete" he answers
Nodding her head, Cersei replies "Good. You are dismissed."
As the group leaves the hall, I immediately sense that something is wrong. Without saying a word, I immediately step next to Cersei and survey the now empty hall.
"What's wrong?" asks Cersei.
Turning to face her, I put a finger on my lips and lightly shake my head. I turn to face the hall again and I know immediately what has my senses screaming at me. The shadows in the room shouldn't exist, especially since the only things that are in the room for the sun to create a shadow from are Iron Throne, Cersei and me. The Iron Throne completely blocks Cersei from the sun, making her shadow nonexistent. That leaves just me, and I'm not big enough to cast a shadow that reaches all the way to the door of the Great Hall. I spent such a long time dealing with mundane assassins that I completely forgot about the supernatural ones.
"Come out" I ordered "I know that you're here."
It takes approximately six point seven seconds for them to decide to show themselves.
"What the fuck are they!?" exclaimes Cersei. Despite the situation, her face is already starting to show small hints of worry however, her use of profanity is telling me that she is in fact very afraid.
The creatures are fairly humanoid in nature, with two legs and two arms. However, that's where the similarities end. They're completely faceless and their bodies are completely black with spikes instead of hands. There's three in front of us in a triangular formation and, based on my senses, another one moving towards us from the back.
Before it can travel the remaining two feet to attack, I turn my spear and stab behind me, sending it through its chest and killing it. The process barely takes a second and a half and judging by their slight step back, the remaining ones didn't expect me to be able to accomplish it. Whether it's because they didn't expect me to have a valyrian weapon, or because they didn't expect me to notice it is hard to tell; especially when they're faceless.
I take another step forward, placing myself between them and Cersei, and say "Stay where you are. These creatures are the same ones that the red witch sent to kill Renly."
Before she has a chance to answer, I throw myself at the enemy, spear held at the ready. As I prepare to stab the foremost one, his right arm extends and shoots towards my face. Without slowing down, I slant my head the right, completely dodging it, and stab my spear through its throat, killing it before its spear shaped hand can reach Cersei behind me. Without missing a beat I run past its decomposing corpse, throwing my spear at the one on the right, impaling it in the head; I flick my wrist and activate the hidden blades in my vambraces and dash towards the remaining one. Ducking under a thrust and redirecting another one, I easily step into its guard and stab it in the throat with my left hidden blade, killing it. The design itself is based on the ones from Assassin's Creed, with the daggers from my dragonglass cache remolded to make the blade.
As I make my way to the decomposing corpse to pick up my spear, a scream pierces through the quiet evening air.
"Myrcella!" exclaims Cersei. "Go! Make sure that the children are alright!"
Foregoing my spear, I sprint through the door and make my to the wing that holds the children's bedchambers.
A walk from the Great Hall to the Myrcella's room takes approximately twenty minutes. A knight in light armor, sprinting as fast as they can, may be able to make it in twelve minutes. It takes me about seven minutes, and that's including me dodging all the people walking about and the stairs.
I arrived to see the door to Myrcella's room open. I walk in and immediately find Myrcella and Tommen on the floor hugging each other. Evidently she tried to shield and protect her little brother. Her arms are tightly holding his head to her chest, the rest of her body is covering Tommen, and where her heart should be, is a hole that cleanly goes from her back to her chest and through Tommen's head. Ignoring the tears that silently fall from my eyes, I kneel next to them and gently disentangle them from each other.
As I take a deep breath to quell my growing rage, I come to a startling realization. I was compromised. I was compromised, not because anyone has figured out that I'm not loyal to the crown; but because I took a liking to Cersei's youngest kids. They remind me of my siblings when I still lived on regular Earth. Watching Myrcella dote on Tommen and try to shield him from Joffrey was heartwarming.
Taking another breath, I expel the sad thoughts from my mind and begin to plan. Melisandre needs to be taken care of. She is far too dangerous and unpredictable to be left alive. She doesn't make her decisions according to any human based motivation, no, she looks into her flames and decides on what to do based on what they show her. Unlike other people, I can't decipher or predict her actions based on motives alone, and if I have no idea what she'll do then I can't plan accordingly. She must die and it needs to be as soon as possible.
If I remember correctly, her shadow demons can't be too far from her or else they decompose before achieving their goals. Considering the fact that Kings Landing is 1700 sq km and that all openings other than Gate of the Gods are rigged with wildfire, that means that Stannis and his army are outside the city. If I have to go through Stannis' army to get to her, then that's fine. I'll be taking down two birds with one stone, eliminating Stannis and Melisandre.
"JOFFREY!" Cersei's anguished filled cry knocks me out of my thoughts.
Getting up, I gently pick up the bodies of Tommen and Myrcella, and place them on the bed. Making my way to Joffrey's room, I arrive to find a weeping Cersei cradling her child's dead body. I don't know how long I stood there silently letting her grieve, but eventually she turns to face me and harshly says
"I want Stannis' head and I want that red bitch in the black cells suffering. I don't care what you do, as long as she suffers."
Without saying a word, I turn to leave the room.
"Where are you going!?" she demands
Without pausing I continue on my way and answer "To get you Stannis' head."
As I stand in front of the Gate of the Gods facing Stannis's army with the sun shining on my back, I can't help but feel excited about the upcoming battle. Even in legends, a man facing an army by himself is rarely heard of, especially not lancers. The only one that comes to mind is Cu Cuchulain. Do I have to face an entire army by myself? No.I could easily wait until they make camp and let their guard down to sneak in, abduct Melisandre, kill Stannis and sneak back out with his head in a bag and an unconscious Melisandre on my back. However, I want to do this for two reasons. The first is so that when I give the throne to Daenerys, those that aren't allied with Dorne don't object. While the people who would object are either dead, will die soon or are the North, it still doesn't hurt to send a message just in case. The second reason is because I want to push myself and see how far I can go.
Looking over Stannis' army, I can't help but notice that the majority is made up of infantry, with only eight knights on horses, not including Stannis. Based on their well made armor I can infer that they're either, nobles or rich knights. Before I can do anything, the knight to Stannis' left separates himself from where the army stands and approaches me.
Stopping about two feet away from me, he looks down and asks "Are you here to surrender Kings Landing to your rightful king."
Not bothering to spare him a glance I answer "No. However, I do have a message for him. I know that he won't surrender, therefore he has one chance to beat me and get Kings Landing without a drawn out siege. He must send ten of his best knights to face me in a battle to the death, whether in one on one combat or as a group. If they lose, then he will have to win Kings Landing with his army. If I lose however, the gates of Kings Landing will be open to him. Also, tell him that when his knights lose, I'll be coming for him."
Even through his armor I can tell that he doesn't expect me to win. I couldn't care less however and just ignored him. Without a word he leaves and makes his way back to Stannis.
A few minutes later I'm facing the eight knights on horses and two infantrymen.
I look over them and ask "Since I don't have time to play around with you, why don't you all fight me as a group."
It may sound like I'll be at a disadvantage, but the truth of the matter is that knights have absolutely no concept of teamwork. They'll either surround me and attack one on one, or they'll attack as a group and get in each other's way. With my superior speed, strength, senses and biotics I am far from being at a disadvantage. Skill wise I'd say that I'm on par with Oberyn and wouldn't be surprised if I came across another knight just as skilled.
"Well" I say, not bothering to bring my spear up in a defensive stance, "Can we get started?"
They look at each other for a second and surround me before charging. Stepping into the first knight's guard, I spear my weapon through his neck, remove it and quickly step to the right to evade knight number two's strike and walk into knight number three's guard. Grabbing three by the neck, I position him to my left just in time to get slashed at the elbow by two and lose his arm. No wasting a moment, I maneuver around three and slash a still dumbstruck two in the neck. Moving past his falling corpse, I bring my spear up just in time to redirect four's sword into five's neck and behead four while he tries to process what happened. Rolling forward to avoid six's slash at my back, I use the momentum from the roll to stab my spear into seven's armpit and make sure to cut the remaining tissue and bone when I remove the spear, completely disarming him. Without missing a beat, I turn and redirect six's sword away from me, leaving him open to a stab through his helmet's visor opening. As his body falls lifelessly to the ground, I turn to face the remaining three and quietly beckon them to attack.
As I remove my spear from the last body, I turn to face Stannis' army, and with no preamble I sprint towards them. As I get closer to his army I slow down my perception of time and begin to enhance myself with my biotics just enough to enshroud myself in a small purple aura and for my eyes to glow purple.
Seeing me charge his face hardens and he orders "What are you waiting for, it's one man. Charge."
With a warcry they rush past him and charge towards me. The first person to reach me dies from a spear thrust to the heart, the second loses his head, the third is a severed carotid artery, and it goes on until I lose track of how many have fallen after sixty. Sidestepping a slash I grab my attacker by the throat and snap his neck before throwing him at another one attempting to sneak from behind. By now, I'm no longer thinking, just reacting using the most optimal and efficient moves. Duck under a sword and respond with an uppercut, sidestep a thrust and counter with a spear slash to the throat, redirect a slash, step into the attacker's guard and finish with a stab to the throat from my hidden blade.
Eventually they stop coming and just stare in fear, all the while muttering "The Warrior". I'm not surprised that they think that I'm The Warrior incarnate. With my armor drenched in blood and my spear's color becoming crimson from soaking in my enemy's blood and my glowing eyes, I must portray a terrifying sight.
Deciding to end things now, I say "There is no need for you to throw away your lives for a man not satisfied with his life and a delusional crone. Bring me Stannis and his red witch and I shall allow you to return home."
However before they can answer me, a deep roar resonates through the battlefield as Daenerys Targeryan lands her dragon in front of me and throws Stannis and Melisandre at my feet.
Revelations
He couldn't believe it. He didn't want to believe. Yet, what better explanation can there be? A God of War himself has decided to come down and grace the realm with his presence.
Lancel had heard the rumors about the dornishman who killed the Mountain when he'd gone mad. The rumors were tame at first. Some say that he's blessed by The Warrior others say that he's just a regular human. However, two constant statements about him that all gossip seem to agree is that he's the best warrior the realm has ever seen and the most charming and handsome man to walk the earth. As a previous member of the City Watch of Kings Landing, Lancel has been all over Kings Landing including the Red Keep. He's seen the man with his own eyes, and he agrees completely with those statements. While Lancel definitely loves women over men, he can't deny that the man is far more charming than any other man he's met, even Ser Jaime. According to the women that serve in the Red Keep, just listening to his voice is seductive.
However, that's not what interested him about the man. No, what interested him about the man was his martial prowess. Lancel has been a member of the goldcloaks since Arthur Dayne himself was a member of the Kingsguard. He's seen warriors like Arthur Dayne, Barristan Selmy and Jaime Lannister fight in boh spars and the melee during tourneys, however he's never seen a warrior move like that man. While the others fight as if their swords are extensions of themselves, that man fights as if his whole body is the weapon; and that's before you take the man's sheer speed into account. However, all of those feats pale in comparison to what he'd just witnessed.
It had started out as a regular day for a member of Stannis' army. While he used to be a member of the goldcloaks, he had returned home when a sailor who knew his mother had brought news of her taking ill. He quit and returned home to his village near Duskendale. Unfortunately she passed before he arrived, and with her being the only family he's ever had. The purpose of him joining the goldcloaks was to make her life easier with the pay he'd earned, her death now made that mute. In the end he joined Stannis' army. The day started out normally enough, camp was packed and they continued their march to Kings Landing.
Upon arriving, they were met with the sight of Ser Gawain himself standing on the field with the sun itself shining on him like an ethereal being come to man's world. After having a conversation with one of the eight knights in the army, the man stood there and waited until he was approached once more by all of Stannis' knights and two infantrymen. The battle that followed was great, but it wasn't anything new. Lancel had seen him do the same on the training grounds, he already knew that Stannis' knights would lose.
What followed the battle however, was the stuff that you would hear about only in the legends. It started out as a small violet light in Ser Gawain's arm. Lancel had first dismissed it as a trick of the sunlight, but as Ser Gawain ran closer to them, the small violet light grew. From his hands, to his arms, his torso, to even his eyes; the light continued to grow until he was enshrouded from head to toe. The aura that enveloped him was violet in color, the exact same color and shade as his eyes. It clung to him like a second skin, powerful and bright, bright enough to be seen and make its bearer to look like god, but dim for him to still be seen under it.
What proceeded to happen was a massacre. The man… no, the god tore through the army as if he were The Warrior himself. Heads flew and bodies fell and like a force of nature, none could stand in his way. Lancel had hidden himself amongst the middle wave, waiting for an opportunity to strike while the man was unaware. For his troubles one of his comrades' corpses was thrown at him like a rag. Having learned his lesson, he stayed behind as the God of War dismantled over half of an eight thousand strong army.
Eventually, after more than half of them died, they stopped attacking. Like a God of War he stood there on the field of battle drowned in blood and piles of dead. His comrades whispered and called him The Warrior, but Lancel disagreed. The Warrior is just that, a warrior god, this being however is no mere warrior, he is the God of War. How could he not be when he stood there, head held high, right leg stepping on a corpse, left hand holding another by the throat, his spear held in his right hand while it dripped blood to the floor and eyes aglow with a deep violet flame.
Surveying the battlefield, he proclaimed with his deep, yet somehow still charming voice "There is no need for you to throw away your lives for a man not satisfied with his life and a delusional crone. Bring me Stannis and his red witch and I shall allow you to return home."
To Daenerys Targaryan, Gawain is what she believes a perfect older brother would be. They first met on the continent of Essos when she was nine namedays. She didn't bother to learn the name of the city, she and Viserys were to busy looking for food and shelter. It had been after another failed attempt to receive shelter that she had quite literally bumped into him. At first she had been afraid of retaliation, so she closed her eyes, put her head down and hoped that they'd just yell and not hit her like some of the other people she had bumped into. The hit never came however, neither did the yelling. Taking a chance she had looked up expecting to see an angry face staring down at her, instead she was met with glowing and gentle violet eyes looking at her in concern.
When he introduced himself, Viserys seemed to recognize the name Sand and proceeded to introduce himself in a very arrogant Viserys fashion. They spoke, well she and Gawain did while Viserys raged on about his lack of respect. In the end he offered them to come Sunspear with him, to which Viserys excitedly agreed. On the trip to Sunspear Viserys seemed to become sick with bowels and stomach problems and eventually died. At the time she didn't suspect anything; however after having spent four years in Sunspear learning everything from politics to fighting to poisons, she suspects that Gawain killed him using the tears of lys. She suspected that they wanted to make her a puppet queen. Yet that option was thrown out the window when they taught her everything they knew about politics. Eventually she grew tired of guessing and asked, according to Doran Martell, they cared not who has the throne as long as they get their vengeance for Elia and the ruler sufficiently respects them. Ever since then she threw herself into training.
It was also during that same year that she'd hatched her dragon eggs. According to Gawain, his spies heard rumour of one Illyrio Mopantis receiving a batch of dragon eggs. His purpose had been to steal them and present them to her and her brother as a gift when they'd been found. To this day she still doesn't know what drove her to do it, but when they went to bury Visery in Sunspear, she decided to instead build a pyre and burn his body along with the eggs. Sometime during the funeral she had walked into the pyre and stayed until it extinguished, coming out with three baby dragons instead of dragon eggs.
When Gawain had informed her that he was going to Kings Landing to set the stage for her to become queen, she hadn't been too thrilled to let him go alone. However, she understood that it would be best to take the throne without participating in a war to avoid making her look like an invader. The plan was sound and easily adaptable if something went wrong. Through her four years in Westeros, Gawain and Oberyn had disguised her and taken her on a tour to all the major houses except for the Lannisters, Starks, Arryns, Tullys and Baratheon. In the end they managed to convince the Tyrells of the Reach, Royce of the Vale, Lannisters of Lannisport, Freys in the Riverlands, Swanns in the Stormlands and Greyjoys in the Iron Islands into backing her claim when the time came.
It was near the end of the year that Oberyn came and informed her that it was time. Apparently the plan went off without a hitch. Eddard Stark's death and the fabricated evidence on Lysa Arryn split the Vale in two. House Royce leads the resistance against Lysa's faction which is led by House Hunter. Accompanying House Royce are the Lannisters and half of the Westerland's military force led by Kevan Lannister, who has no idea that his brother, Tywin, is suffering in the dungeons under Sunspear. The North is being led by Eddard's son, Robb. The Riverlands is led by the Edmure Tully. With Kevan Lannister leading the army, the cadet branch of Lannisters have the perfect opportunity to take over the Westerlands, and with Edmure, the last Tully able to rule, away in the battlefield; House Frey can just sweep in and take over Riverrun, making them the new lieges of the Riverlands. With Renly's death, the Stormlands became devoid of House Baratheon. As the now most powerful house in the Stormlands, House Swann naturally became the new lieges of the Stormlands.
Using the chaos of the war, they were able to make all of the kingdoms, except for the North and the Crownlands, back her claim for the throne. While it definitely took some assassinations and fear tactics to accomplish, this will go down as the least bloody takeover for the Iron Throne.
Now as she makes her way to Kings Landing to claim the throne, she can't help but feel that she isn't ready. She's only thirteen after all.
Before she further loses herself in self doubt, her companion interupts her.
"Down below. Isn't that Stannis and the red witch?" says Nymeria.
Looking down Daenerys can make out two people riding on horses. Taking a closer look, she can tell that they can see her coming. She isn't really surprised, she is riding a dragon after all.
Turning to Nymeria she asks "They seem to be escaping something. Do you think that it might be Gawain."
Smirking Nymeria answers "I wouldn't be surprised. Let's capture them, It'll be nice to rub his failure in his face"
Capturing the two was as simple as spooking the horses and hitting them with sleeping darts. Getting them on the dragon however, proved to be a much harder affair. In the end they settled for tor carrying the witch on the dragon and dragging Stannis through the air with Nymeria's whip. In all honesty they probably broke a few of Stannis bones with that stunt, but Daenery couldn't find it in herself to care.
As they get closer to Kings Landing the first thing they notice is the smell. Normally that wouldn't be unusual as Kings Landing smells shit, according to everyone. However, the smell wasn't the smell of feces, it was the smell of blood. Fearing the worst, Daenerys mentally spurned Albion to fly faster. Letting out a deep roar, Albion flew faster before landing at a figure that Daenerys recognized as Gawain.
Before he can react, Daenerys kicks the witch off her dragon and Tyene lets go of her whip, sending them both to Gawain's feet. That done she finally took the time to study him. Bloodied armor, a body under his right foot, another one held tightly by the throat in his left hand, his spear held in his right hand dripping blood from the tip and eyes glowing an intense violet flame. If someone were to tell her that her friend and brother figure was The Warrior or some other god at the moment, she wouldn't have trouble believing them.
As she gets of her dragon her friend kneels on an unoccupied patch of land and declares
"Your Grace, Kings Landing is yours."
Sitting on the Iron Throne, Daenerys can't help but internally bemoan on how uncomfortable it is. The gates had been opened with no resistance and the people had cheered when Gawain had escorted her in all the while dragging a bound a gagged Stannis and Melisandre. According to Gawain he had spread rumors of her going around the continent on a dragon stopping bandits and helping the small folk. From what he told her, it wasn't a complete lie. Apparently throughout the year he had a regimen of soldiers disguise themselves as regular smallfolk, save travelers from bandits along different roads in the realm and pay them off to spread the rumor. Vary never noticed because he died when the rumors were starting out and any other spy network waved them off as inconsequential rumors.
Turning to the object of her thoughts Daenerys asks "When do you leave for beyond the wall."
"Now" he answers. "My work in Kings Landing is done. According to a letter I received, Robert, Jaime and Kevin Lannister are dead in an ambush led by Oberyn, Lysa Tully was turned in by House Hunter when they realized that they were losing and Edmure Tully was killed when he returned to the Riverlands. With those individuals dead the crown is yours. The Westerland belongs to you through the Lannisters of Lannisport, the Riverlands through House Frey, the Vale through House Royce, the Stormlands through House Swann, the Reach through House Tyrell, the Iron Islands through House Greyjoy and Dorne through the Martells. The only Kingdoms left are the Crownlands and the North. The Crownlands no longer have an army to object with and the North is in the same situation now as when Torrhen Stark bent the knee, surrounded on all sides and against three dragons" he finishes.
Sighing, Daenerys looks him in the eyes and says "Is the situation really that dire. What did the envoys from The Wall say?" Without letting him finish she continues "No matter, just be careful, and if you know that you will die at least take the Night Walkers with you."
A smirk on his face he bows and answers "As you wish."
As he walks out he says with a conspiratorial tone in his voice "Do make sure not to desecrate Cersei's body. I actually enjoyed my time with her."
My trip to The Wall was uneventful. I spent the time talking to Custos, my panther, who for some reason ditched me when I went to Kings Landing. I have a hypothesis that it was because of the smell.
Sneaking past the Night Watch was naturally easy for me. The hard part began once I was past The Wall. After a certain distance, I lost count, the forecast changed to a constant snowstorm, and other than a few walking dead here and there it was uneventful. As I traveled beyond The Wall, I settled into a routine of waking up, doing my morning routine, breaking camp, traveling, eating lunch when I get hungry, traveling and finally making camp for the night and sleeping.
Today is no different than the other days, except for the fact that I'm running out of food. Considering the fact I packed enough food for three months, it's worrying me. It's around my first hour walking after eating lunch, that I finally see them. Through the snowstorm I can make out countless glowing ice blue eyes.
Dropping my pack, I glance at Custos through my peripheral and ask "Ready for this buddy?"
He cocks his head to the side, gives me a panther's equivalent of a raised eyebrow and snorts pompously, as if saying "Of course I am, you stupid human."
I smile at his action, fully summon my biotics to enhance me, tighten my grip on my spear, and without saying another word I launch myself at the undead.
Interlude 03
In the wake of Gawain's actions, Westeros saw many changes. The first major change was naturally Daenery Targaryan's coronation as Queen of the Seven Kingdoms. Originally, the Northern Houses wanted to secede from the Seven Kingdoms. However, between the dragons, the large army, and according to rumours, the God of War on Daenerys' side, Robb Stark decided that it would be best to bend the knee.
With the North bending the knee, Daenerys' coronation went down as the only hostile takeover for the crown that happened without a war, attempted or otherwise. Many saw this as a good omen of things to come under her rule, especially with a God of War backing her. Originally, many refused to believe the rumours however, between Stannis' testimony and the words of the two thousand survivors of Stannis' army, it was quickly accepted as the truth.
It was during her fourth month as a Queen that Daenerys met Jon Snow. He arrived at the capital hoping to convince her to send help to The Wall. The night walkers haven't been seen, and he fears that this was in fact the calm before the storm. Daenerys, wanting to know what happened to her friend, sent a small expedition beyond The Wall.
Upon their return, they reported that they found a dead army of wights and white walkers. Further North they found what they believed to be the remains of the Night King and another group of dead white walkers wearing black armor. They also brought with them a wilding that claimed to have seen a bright violet light burning in the blizzard. He claimed that the brighter the light became, the more the blizzard died. When asked what happened after the blizzard died, he simply replied that the light flew to the sky.
Somehow, the expedition's findings were leaked to the public where many connected the dots between Gawain's disappearance and the defeat of the Night King.
Daenerys, not knowing how to take the news that her friend and brother figure might in fact have been a god, threw herself into ruling. Using a journal that contained many of Gawain's ideas, she first created a standing army and navy to take care of bandits, pirates and anything that might require a strong military might. The army was divided into three factions, the regular army, the special forces, and the anbu.
The regular army took care of standard operations, such as bandit, rebels and standard law breakers. The special forces took care of anything that required a more specialized hand. The anbu were the shadows to the army's light, from assassinations to espionage to intelligence gathering, they did it all.
Military might was not the only thing that Daenerys changed. She also implemented reforms that made the lives of smallfolk easier and came down hard on incompetent or malicious nobles. Those who did their jobs well usually had their house elevated while others could face fines and a reduction in status. Eventually she was able to make it so that as long as one could pay for an education, they could receive one.
Her reforms made her widely loved by the smallfolk. Most noble houses loved her, since not only weren't they affected by the changes, because they did their jobs, but it also brought in more wealth. The unsatisfied houses didn't dare to do anything other than complain considering that all of the great houses were firmly on her side along with the majority of nobles. That did not stop the assassination attempts, however most attempts never made it past the planning phase due to the anbu.
When asked where she came up with her ideas, she claimed that she drew inspiration from stories that Gawain would tell her as a child. This bolstered the belief that Gawain was in fact a god, not of the Seven or any other religion, but a new one who came down to the world not only to defeat the Night Walkers, but to make Daenerys the Queen of the Seven Kingdoms.
As a result, a religion worshiping him formed. It quickly became famous due to not only what people believed he embodied during his time in Westeros, but also because of personal testimonies. While in Westeros he was known to be very intelligent, calm, graceful and serious when it came to doing his duty, the perfect model of what a noble should be. For the smallfolk, he was seen as a kind knight who helped those in need. Many of his spies who retired, and other smallfolk, testified that in exchange for their meager services he not only paid well, but he also found them other well paying jobs for them and helped in any way he could. For the knights, members of the army, anbu, and any other warrior he was the pinnacle of martial prowess and achieving one's duty to the end.
Not everyone was happy however. The Faith of the Seven, in an attempt to stamp out this budding religion, reinstated the Faith Militant to dole out punishment to any worshippers. This unfortunately, for them, only alienated them further from the people and hastened the establishment of the religion. Eventually they attempted to assassinate Daenerys, believing her to be the figurehead due to her close relationship to Gawain. This however backfired, causing the destruction of the Faith of the Seven.
In the end a new religion formed with him as the subject of worship. His name was changed to Ambrosius, based on the story of a mortal who stopped an army of Reapers, a race that destroyed countless civilizations. He was given the moniker Olympian, after a race of gods who according to him grew and adapted to humanity's changes. After many months, the religion of Ambrosius The Olympian, God of War, Intelligence, Poisons, Protector of the People and Patron of Warriors and Monarchs, was officially established as the religion of the Seven Kingdoms.
Although Daenerys would eventually marry Quentyn Targeryan nee Martell, she would keep all of her power as queen; making him the first powerless king of the seven kingdoms. This situation would happen whenever it was a queen on the throne, due to an heir being picked by merit and qualification instead of age. She would go on to become Daenerys the Wise, Queen of the Andals, the Rhoynar, and the First Men, Protector of the Realm and the People, Favored by The Olympian; and lead Westeros to the beginning of a centuries old golden age.
--
Overall Build 3
Name: Ambrosius Malphas
Gender: Male
Age: 17
Height: 5'8
Hair Color: Black
Eye Color: Gold
Looks: Ozymandias from Fate
Build: Medium
Body Type: Athlete
Stats
Strength: 1 2 4
Endurance: 1 2 4
Speed: 2 4
Dexterity:2 4
Appeal: 0 2 4
Shape: 0 2 4
Sense: 2 4
Metavore: Retain physically fit body no matter how much or what you eat as long as it's enough to keep from becoming malnourished
Cosmic Warehouse:
Belt O' Tools: Batman graciously seems to have loaned you a belt containing the tools that he'll be using for this adventure. This includes stuff like remotely applied explosives gel capable of bringing down walls (though never seems to kill when blown up near someone's feet), to a cryptographic sequencer able to track signals, hack terminals, and listen to live radio broadcasts.… How did he know you'd be needing this stuff?
Animal Suit: A high tech set of body armor themed after an animal of your choice (DCAMU Damian Wayne Robin suit). The head piece contains advanced electronics equipment that scans the environment for information and clues relevant to the situation. It can pick up anything from gaseous alcohol molecules that'll lead you to a crooked guard, to traces of tobacco on the ground to lead you to a hostage. You may also import a set of armor you already own to gain these qualities.
Bat Wing: Hmm, seems like you've picked up one of Batman's spare vehicles. The Batwing is a supersonic aircraft faster than many jet fighters, possess advanced stealth systems that make it invisible to radar, and can be operated remotely, or operate autonomously.
Bat Cave: A series of platforms and bridges situated within a small cave. Contains a computer with immense analytical abilities, a landing platform for any aerial vehicles you have, and some workshops for working on gadgets and gizmos. After the jump this can either be attached to the warehouse, or will appear somewhere nearby.
Assistant VI: Top of the line assistant model Virtual Intelligence. Can be stored in an omni-tool and keep track of large amounts of data.
Weapon Locker: Cache of mid to high grade weapons of all types. Enough to outfit a battlelion.
Armor Locker: Cache of mid to high grade armor of all types. Enough to outfit a battlelion.
Conflict Minerals: Massive stash of various rare elements.
Fine Clothes: A very fine and ornate set of clothing. The equivalent of the finest you'd expect to get in your starting region.
Land Deed: A deed to an area of land close by in your chosen region. It will be accepted by all authorities as rightfully yours. This updates each jump but is generally not a particularly large plot of land elsewhere.
Dragonglass Cache: A black cloak with a few obsidian dagger, arrowheads, and spearheads.
Poison: A woman's weapon to be sure, but it can't be beaten for efficiency or for matters of subterfuge.You have a replenishing chest of poisons from around the known world. From vials of the Tears of Lys to Sweetsleep to crystals of the Stranger. There is bound to be one that suits your purpose.
Valyrian Steel Spear: An excellent weapon of your choice made from Valyrian steel. Light and exceptionally sharp. Serves as a symbol of status. Gives an impression of great strength and brings dread to your enemies. (It looks like Gungnir from Thor 2011 movie)
Companions:
Custos - Black panther (can import for free)
Avatar: The Last Airbender Jump
1000 cp to spend
Age: 17
Background: Warrior, Fire Nation - Warrior (-100 CP) Trained from childhood to fight and die for your country, you're a talented young warrior who managed to catch the eye of your higher-ups. Your military background means that you tend to look at things with a military mindset, making it hard to relate to civilians or those of a different Nation, but if you prove yourself you could go quite far.
Before joining the Fire Nation army Kagutsuchi was just another impoverished street rat. Unwilling to spend the rest of his life in such a state, Kagutsuchi set about to join the army at the tender age of 10. Being only 10 years of age, it was only natural for him to be rejected. However no matter how many times that he was rejected, Kagutsuchi always returned the next week to enlist again. Eventually the recruiting agent challenged him to an Agni Kai to show him why he was rejected. The agent did not expect Kagutsuchi to manage to land a hit on him. At a loss on what to do he sent word to his superior officers for advice. Unwilling to let such talents pass them by, the Army accepted him. Under Fire Lord Azulon's orders they began training him in all fields pertaining to battle to see if they could create a warrior who could undertake any mission by himself and succeed. Not only did Kagutsuchi pass, he also exceeded expectations.Graduating from 4 years of brutal training Kagutsuchi set about completing any and all missions assigned to him with a success rate of 100%. For 3 years he decimated the forces of the Earth Kingdom from, assassinating important figures to single handedly destroying platoons. He was such a success that his name was whispered in fear and earned him the moniker of Ryu, meaning dragon. It's 112 years after the Avatar vanished and Kagutsuchi is being called home for the first time in 3 years.
Location at the beginning of canon : Fire National Capital
Abilities:
Chi Mastery (-600 CP) - All living organisms share the same roots - the same flow of cosmic life energy, focused through the Chakras of the body. With this perk, the flow of that energy is as apparent to you as your own breath, both within yourself and within others. Such knowledge comes with amazing benefits, ranging from the ability to enhance your own chi, greatly boosting any abilities which require it, to quickly diagnosing any abnormalities - such as wounds or disease - to learning exactly which spots in the body to strike to disable the chi of others, incapacitating them or disabling their Bending.
Trained Soldier (Free Warrior) - There's a war going on, and you're ready to fight in it. Pick a single area of military specialization, ranging from rank-and-file soldier to naval officer to commando - you gain a lifetime of experience in that field, understanding it as if you enlisted as soon as you could walk. Regardless of your specialty, you also gain military-level combat experience, sufficient to easily defeat an entire gang of armed rabble without similar training.
Idea And Complaining Guy (-150 CP) - Plans are your forte. Once you have an objective in mind, you can quickly understand the best way - or even ways - to achieve it utilizing your resources available, while minimizing any risks and consequences to your side. You're also very quick to understand plans that others have come up with, and by mulling them over, can easily determine what flaws they have, and how you might better achieve the same objectives.
Art of War (-300 CP) - Creativity, versatility, intelligence - those are the traits which define a great warrior, and you have them in spades. At a glance, you take in the world around you, instantly understanding the lay of the land and how to make it do the work for you. Any weaknesses your opponents have become readily apparent, and you can quickly figure out how to take advantage of them, while shoring up your own. Any weapon you hold becomes an extension of your own body, your mind open to the endless possibilities for its use. Just work on your technique, and soon, you'll take on armies single handedly.
Bending Arts (-100 CP) - You were born with the ability to manipulate the element of your nation, and have been trained in its use. The Bending Arts differ from element to element, but always involve a combination of physical movements designed to evoke that element, focused with the will of the Bender. Bending an element provides substantial control over it, allowing you to move it, shape it, and direct it, though the exact nature of each depends on the individual element. It should be noted, however, that you cannot actually create an element - though Firebenders can transform their body heat into a raging inferno and Airbenders can make the breath from their lungs into a gale, Waterbenders and Earthbenders must have a source of their element to Bend.
Maneuverable Bender (-200 CP) - You have a natural aptitude for using Bending to enhance your movements. Though each element has its specialties, all of them provide a variety of ways to increase your speed, agility, and acrobatic prowess, as well as give you unique methods of movement. Whether you're leaping gorges with gusts of flame or wind, gliding across a lake on a slab of ice, or crawling across a ceiling with rock shoes and gloves, where you go few others could hope to follow. You are also able to better use your Bending art on the go, adapting your forms to take advantage of your natural stride.
Combat Bender (-100 CP) - Since time immemorial, Bending has served as mankind's sword and shield - and now it's yours. You are unusually skilled in using your Bending in combat - shaping your element into lethal or non-lethal strikes, deflecting or countering others, even controlling a battlefield's terrain all come naturally to you. You are even able to adapt your forms into martial techniques, allowing you to use them in close combat even without your element. This runs both ways - should you know any other forms of martial arts, you can adapt your bending forms to them, letting you strike with your element.
Drawback
Marked (100 CP) - Whether the extensive tattoos of an Airbending Master or a gruesome burn scar across your face, you've been marked in an obvious way which serves to easily identify you unless you take significant steps to conceal it; casual clothing won't be enough. While this does not come with any notoriety per se, if you accumulate your own you'll need to conceal yourself to have any chance of blending in, and people may get suspicious if you wander around looking like you have something to hide.
"My Cabbages!" (200 CP) - Sometimes, you wonder if the Spirits cursed you. Any time there's trouble, it's heading straight for you - if a building gets burned, it'll be the one you're in, and if the police are chasing a fugitive, you're the one they're crashing into. Worse yet, trouble seems to spring up in even the most peaceful places aimed directly at you; somehow, the sleepy town you spend the night in will wind up raided by the Fire Nation, or flooded by a vengeful freedom fighter. This also extends to any possessions you may have; items you bought with CP are safe, but anything else probably won't last 10 years.
The Perfect Face (300 CP) - There's something there, just out of the corner of your eye. Something about your face calls to it, and now it haunts you, safe in the Spirit World where you cannot reach it. Not always, but often enough, it lurks behind you, waiting for you to show any hint of emotion. A smile, a frown, even a tear - anything is enough for it to tear the face from your body, leaving nothing but blank flesh. Blind and senseless, you'll be given one last choice - abandon your face and peacefully pass away in your sleep, or hunt it down, hoping to catch it before ten years pass and you're trapped here forever.
Teacher
The Fire Nation Capital, also known as Capital City, the seat of the government for the Fire Nation, home to the Fire Lord, the Fire Nation Royal Family, and Fire Nation nobility. Located on Capital Island, a large island in the western region of the Fire Nation, it's one of the largest settlements in the world and one of the most heavily fortified cities in the World of Avatar, alongside Ba Sing Se. It's clean, smells nice, unlike Kings Landing, and beautiful.
I hate it. No, that's wrong. I actually love it, I just hate the inhabitants. The majority of nobles here act as if they're young masters straight out of a bad cultivation novel. Unfortunately, I was called back by the Fire Lord himself to personally give me my new assignment.
Walking up to the massive doors of the throne room, I give the pair guards a nod before making my way in. The throne room, the room in which the Fire Lord presides over official business. It is characterized by an ornate throne seated on an elevated platform high above ground level with a wall of fire separating the Fire Lord from the subjects .The chamber also serves as a war planning room, where the Fire Lord sits with his generals to privately discuss confidential battle operations and tactics. The imposing architecture of the throne room is designed to intimidate all who enter, unfortunately for Ozai everything in this room doesn't even make it to the top one hundred list of intimidating things I've faced.
As I walk up to the center of the room, I make sure to unnoticeably lower my body's temperature to make sure I don't cook in my armor. Once I reach the middle of the room, I take a knee and wait for him to address me. As I wait I can feel him increase the temperature in the room to ascertain his dominance. It's a tactic he does whenever anyone of even remote importance has an audience with him, it usually makes the target nervous and sweat. Usually.
Eventually he stops his one man pissing contest, and speaks in a low voice "Kagutsuchi, or do you prefer Ryu?"
That's a rhetorical question and a trap.Not answering could be seen as insubordination and answering could be seen as impudence. The correct answer is to answer him without answering the question.
"It is your prerogative, Fire Lord Ozai" I respond
"Yes it is" he answers. "Remove your mask."
Bringing my left hand to the back of my head and my right to my face, I unstrap the buckle and gently place the porcelain mask on the floor. The design itself is simply a white porcelain mask with an impassive face design on. Almost exactly like Amon's mask from Legend of Korra.
Once the mask is on the floor, I raise my head to look at him with an expressionless face as he speaks "Effective immediately you are assigned to the Royal Palace as an instructor for my daughter. You will teach her all you know of combat and military tactics. Not only are you to teach her, but you will also act as her guard in place of the Royal Guard. Like any servant of the royal palace, you will be given a room. You start at sunrise tomorrow. Dismissed."
I bow my head in acknowledgement, pick up my mask, stand and quietly walk out of the room. Once outside I'm met with a servant. He's a bit on the short and heavy side. Standing at about five feet five inches, approximately one hundred and ninety pounds with most of it going to his bulging stomach. Facially he's your average Fire Nation commoner with brown hair tied in a bun, dull bronze eyes and wearing the typical red servant uniform.
"You must be Kagutsuchi" he says "Follow me, I've been assigned to show you your room"
As I follow him I take the opportunity to ask a question "Who else lives here other than the royal family?"
"Other than servants, the princess's tutors and the royal family, no one."
I'd ask about the princess, but the chances of him answering truthfully are slim to none. If he did answer honestly and the princess doesn't like what was said she'd barbecue him.
"Here we are" he says.
He leads me to a door a floor lower than the throne room and opens it to show a small spartan room with only a bed and small nightstand as furniture and a fire nation flag as decoration. The bed itself is covered in red bed sheets, the flag is hung on the wall behind the head of the bed and across from the door, making it the first thing you see. The last accessory in the room is the lamp resting on the nightstand.
Before he leaves I ask "Where is the princess's room?"
He looks at me oddly for a second before answering "Straight up."
Nodding my head in thanks, I walk in and close the door. Once in I light the lamp, undress and lay on my bed before thinking about my encounter with Ozai.
Ozai is a political genius, yet an accomplished military strategist he is not. It seems that the DNA involving military tactics and strategy went all to his brother, Iroh. While removing me from the battlefield might not seem like such a big deal, it does in fact have a major impact. To the men of the Fire Nation army, I am an exalted figure almost on par with Iroh. Between my one hundred percent success rate, and the vast number of Fire Nation soldiers I've saved in my three years walking from battlefield to battlefield, I've gathered such a major following in the military that people called me the second coming of Iroh and dubbed me Dragon. In simpler terms, I was growing too powerful politically. Most Fire Nation soldiers would do almost anything for me, unlike Ozai who only controls the military through fear of his firebending prowess. If I were to prove that I'm as powerful a firebender as Ozai, then the military wouldn't hesitate to side with me if Ozai and I fought. That is the difference between being loved and respected by your men versus being feared by them.
To deal with this problem he took me, his best warrior, off the battlefield and placed me in a position where I can't gain anymore prestige. If I stay here long enough the soldier's respect and love for me will be replaced by their fear of Ozai. Unfortunately for him, he'll have to send Azula to capture Aang, and as her personal guard I'll have to go along with her. After all, reassigning again will only make it obvious that he worries about my growing power.
As Azula stands in the Agni Kai chamber, she continues to study the new instructor facing her. She didn't know what to expect when her father told her that she'd be getting a new combat instructor. However, she knows that she wasn't expecting this. He, because that is definitely a male under the armor, stands half a head taller than her wearing the uniform of the Southern Raiders except for a few key differences. For starters, he wears no helmet and instead covers his head with a hood attached to the armor. His face is also covered, with a porcelain mask that shows an expressionless face, and lastly he wears a pair of vambraces with three spikes protruding from the back, they seem to be to catch a blade.
She had asked the guards around the castle what they know about him, and according to them, he's a legend in the military. Feared by the Fire Nation's enemies and respected by his peers, he supposedly has not only a hundred percent success rate, but also a history of wiping out whole platoons by himself without receiving any debilitating injuries.
Taking another look at him, she can't help but voice her thoughts "You don't look like much."
Without so much as a twitch, he answers "Famous last words."
His answer completely catches her off guard. Not only did he answer without any emotion, but his words make it sound as if he is joking with her. Unfortunately due to his mask, she can't tell if he is joking or not, and she doesn't like it. Not being able to tell what his current emotions are is going to be a problem that needs to be taken care of now.
"Does that mask serve a purpose, or are you just that ugly" she says mockingly.
There, that should irritate him enough to answer with emotion. If it doesn't, it should at least force him to defend himself by taking the mask off.
"Quite the opposite, your highness" he answers "I find that it is in fact a lack of ugliness that necessitates the mask."
Is he smirking, or is that sarcasm in his tone? By Agni that infuriating mask must go.
"Remove the mask" she orders, no longer willing to entertain his bold manners.
He removes his hood, showing beautiful midnight black hair tied into a ponytail. Grasping the clasp behind his hair, he undid it and removed the mask. The first thing she notices is the lack of emotion on his face, she might as well have told him to keep it considering that even without the mask on she couldn't read him at all. The second thing that catches her eyes is that he was in fact very handsome. Midnight black hair slicked back into a ponytail giving full view of his very handsome face, and his golden eyes, like the sun. The only blemish on his face is a scar that starts from his left eyebrow, runs through his eyelid only stopping at the edge of his lips.
Earlier she doubted his claims, now, however, she wouldn't be surprised if he did in fact wear the mask due to his handsome feature. She won't be admitting that however.
"I've seen your face, and while you admittingly possess above average features, it isn't the true purpose of the mask." she says
"No. I do not in fact wear the mask to hide my handsome features. During one of my first missions I attracted the attention of Koh the Face Stealer. A spirit whose sole purpose is to steal any face in his presence, should they showcase any emotion. Ever since then, he haunts me, waiting for me to slip so that he may steal my face. Originally, the mask was to hide my face as I mastered the ability to remain emotionless no matter the situation, eventually it stayed as a habit."
Azula doesn't know how to respond. She expected the reason to be mundane and of no importance.
Interrupting her train of thought, he says "Regardless, it is not important. What is important, is that I get an accurate representation of your skills. We are going to spar, and you are to hold nothing back. Come at me with the intent to kill, or you won't even be able to hit me. Begin when you are ready."
Setting herself into a fighting stance, Azula watches as he crosses his arms behind his back and suddenly exhales the biggest stream of fire she's ever seen at her. Not waiting a second, she dodges to the right and counter attack with her own stream aimed at his chest. Instead of dodging he walks towards it, and Azula watches as her flame extinguishes itself before it can hit him. Before she can process what happened, he roundhouse kicks another flame at her. Thinking that her blue flames are easily more powerful than his orange flames, she tries to overpower it with her own, only for it to be completely destroyed by his flame. Before she has time to retaliate, he's in her personal space and connects his knee to her solar plexus. The following exchange is humiliating, she tries to fight back and use her firebending katas for close combat like she was taught, but it's useless. Everything she throws at him is dodged or blocked and everything he throws at her connects. Thinking that she sees a chance to disengage and create distance for firebending, she retreats. By time she realized that it was a trap, the flame from his back kick had already connected and completely threw her out of the ring and into the stands. Pain erupts from the back of her head and stars fly in her vision, but before she slips into unconsciousness she realizes that his hands never left his back and that her flames never even touched him.
As she comes to, Azula notices that they are still in the Agni Kai chambers. Getting up she goes through her spar step by step. However, no matter how much she goes through the fight, she can't seem to figure out how his flames overpowered hers, how he could maneuver and retaliate so easily with his arms crossed behind his back, and more importantly, how did he extinguish her flames as if they were his own.
"How did you beat me?" she asks. "My technique was perfect and my flames are more powerful than yours."
He looks at her, and answers "Princess, one thing you'll hear from me throughout my time as your teacher is that nothing is perfect. Everything can always be improved in some way. To reach perfection means to stop improving, to stop improving means to stagnate, if you stagnate then you give everyone the opportunity to not only reach your level, but also surpass it. Don't strive for perfection, strive for improvement instead."
As she listens to his words, she can't help notice how they contrast her father's teachings. He taught her to always strive for perfection, that perfection is everything. Yet as she contemplates his words, she can see the truth behind them, and she wonders why his teachings sound far more accurate than her father's.
Identity
As Azula stands in front of her teacher, she can't help but feel annoyed at her inability to form a complete opinion on him. On one hand his teachings are already making a difference, and she can feel the improvements. She's a little faster, stronger, her endurance is better and she can execute her katas a little faster in their spars, in which she has yet to even touch him. The margin of improvements are small and may seem insignificant, but she can tell that they make a difference in their spars.
On the other hand, his teachings completely go against her father's teachings. She can see where he came from when he mentioned to strive for improvements and not perfection. She hadn't seen any improvements and her previous teachers had told her that she executed everything perfectly, even her father had said that she had been executing everything perfectly. Was he simply wrong or did he know how she could still improve and simply decided not to tell her.
Neither possibilities bode well. If he was simply wrong then what else could he have been wrong about? If he knew then why didn't he tell her? Was it to test her or did he simply decide not to inform her? No it wasn't a test, he always tells her when something is a test. If he simply decided not to tell her, then what are his reasons? Why would he want her to be weak? Before she can think further her teacher interrupts.
"This past week has been for me to see where your limits lay so that I may design a suitable training regimen for you" came his usual emotionless tone.
"Now that I have a measure of where your limits are and how far to push you without completely breaking you, let's begin" he says.
Taking a closer look at his face, Azula isn't sure if she saw a smirk at the edge of his lips, or if it was a trick of the light.
"Let me first start off by telling you that I have nothing to teach you currently firebending wise. Your katas and breathing technique are excellent and the only thing holding you back is your lack of creativity and the fact that you are still growing."
"What do those have to do with my firebending?" she interrupts
"Why don't we sit down first. This explanation might be long" he says
Nodding, she follows him to sit on the ground in a meditation position.
"While firebending relies far more on breathing over the body itself, the body still plays an important role in how you fight. You and I, for example, have very streamlined builds, as such we focus more on moving around the battlefield and outmaneuvering our enemies. Firebenders with stockier builds would focus more on standing their ground and completely overpower their enemies with an endless barrage of fire. Since our bodies are still growing, our fighting style isn't really set in stone. In the next few years I may gain muscles that hinder my agility, forcing me to adopt the fighting style I mentioned earlier." he explains.
That makes sense, Zuko has never been able to move as agile as her, so he had to focus on improving his power. If the body can't keep up with the mind to execute the movements, then just attempting them could prove to be more detrimental than beneficial. If her brother attempted to fight like her, then he'd be more likely to pull a muscle rather than executing the moves.
Turning back to her teacher who had been quiet to let her finish her thoughts, she asks "What about creativity? I've been creative in my firebending. I've made whips and disks and many other moves that aren't standard in firebending."
"Not true. Your moves are standard firebending techniques, you just need to know where to look." he begins. "Your whips for example, if you go to the boiling rock you'll notice that all of the guards use them to punish prisoners. Your charged blasts were used by the Southern Raiders when they still existed, and the disks you use are the standard firebending technique to cut rocks."
The more she listens, the more she realizes that she actually knows nothing about the Fire Nation military, other than what people tell her. Now that she thinks about it, she knows nothing about the outside world other than what her father tells her and what she asks the servants about. She doesn't like it at all, she'll need to rectify that. Perhaps her teacher would be willing to teach her. However, asking for help would be admitting that the flaw exists to him, and she isn't really too keen on doing that. However, just as the thought crosses her mind, she can hear her teacher's voice telling her 'Never let your pride dictate what you do, it has caused the downfall of many great and powerful people'. He had been pounding it in her head the past week.
"Now is not the time to ponder about your ignorance. We can address it later." he says.
She nods her head, and he continues "Creativity wise, you act as if your firebending katas are rules set in stone that you must follow, otherwise you won't firebend. That is a major misconception. While every bending discipline has a set of motions that work best for them, it doesn't mean that firebending without them is impossible. In my first year on the front lines, I met a captain who was able to create a fire wall by watching earth benders and translating their movements into ones that would work with fire bending. The technique itself made for an excellent defense, something that traditional firebending lacks."
"What!?" exclaims Azula skeptically.
Everything he said contradicts all of her previous teacher's lessons.
Before she can voice her doubts, he gets up, moves into a modified waterbending stance, and proceeds to firebend an actual wave of fire. The wave itself is about as wide as the Agni Kai arena and about two feet taller than her. Looking at it, the only way she can see to defend against it is to either jump over it or split it to go in the middle. Going over would leave the person vulnerable, and having experienced his flames before, she knows for a fact that she can't split that wave.
Turning to face her, he continues to speak as if nothing happened "I created this technique by studying a waterbender's motions for pushing and pulling waves. The technique itself acts as a perfect blend of offense, defense and a set up for later moves or retreating. This is what I meant by creativity. From now on I'll be teaching you different techniques from waterbending and earthbending motions to just plain brawling, and you have to pick some of them and implement them into your fighting style. I won't tell you what to pick and will only help when you ask for it. As for your physical training, we'll keep that up and increase it once you adapt to it. Do you understand?"
Still somewhat dumbfounded, she answers with a nod.
"Good. Get up, it's time to begin."
Panting heavily, Azula can't help the smile that spread on her face. She did it, she finally managed to stalemate him. Granted, he was still holding back, the important thing is that from now on he will stop holding back. It took her three months. Three months of blood, sweat and frustration.
It started out as simply learning waterbending katas, earthbending katas, and katas that no matter how hard she tried she couldn't place where they came from. According to him, they were specifically designed for close quarter combat and not for bending. That however didn't deter her from incorporating some of it to her firebending or vise versa. She's particularly proud of her inclusion of fire daggers in her use of Muay Thai.
Once she knew the katas to the point of doing them in her sleep, they would spar until she started to incorporate some of her newly learned katas into her fighting style. Once she had a budding personalized fighting style, he started to completely beat her in their spars, somehow stopping just before she hit her limit, until she no longer needed to think and her body just naturally used every kata she learned depending on which one fit which situation. In the end she even invented her own firebending technique based on earthbending. Based off the move earth shield, she creates a fire between her and the attack. Unlike earth benders however, she completely encircles herself with the flames in three hundred and sixty degrees. She calls it the spiraling wall.
However, not everything is going well. Kagutsuchi's teachings have a habit of contradicting her father's, and it's starting to affect her. She can feel an inner turmoil brewing inside her. Her father teaches her that to be feared is to be respected and that if someone doesn't fear you, then they don't respect you. However, Kagutsuchi claims that fear and respect are separate and that you can respect someone without fearing them. Normally, she would dismiss anything a tutor says that contradicts her father however, she can see his teachings in effect. The way the soldiers admire him, talk to him and have no problem fulfilling a request of his. Sometimes they're not only fine with complying, but they're eager to do so, especially when he uses them to demonstrate a new technique or kata to her.
Where the soldiers are eager to interact with her teacher, they seem reluctant to even be anywhere near her father. His presence seems to instill a deep sense of fear into their hearts. Originally, she didn't see the problem with it, not until Kagutsuchi asked her a question. How long until fear is overridden by a deeper emotion such as fear, and how long until that hatred is used to fuel a rebellion. According to him, someone had leaked the true reason behind Zuko's banishment, and ever since then the soldiers have been wary of her father. Their reasoning being that if he could treat his own son like that, what's stopping him from doing worse to them. Worse even, if he reacted in such a severe way when Zuko was defending the lives of his soldiers, the people that willingly gave their lives for him and the nation, does Ozai not care about them? Does he even care about the nation and its people?
Azula doesn't want to admit it, but Kagutsuchi's words struck a sense of fear in her. After thoroughly thinking over the events of Zuko's banishment, she came to the conclusion that Zuko's only mistake was trying to withdraw from the Agni Kai. Yet even then, her father's response was too harsh.
Ozai however, was in the wrong from beginning to end. First, why was that general's plan even an option? Military wise the Earth Kingdom already outnumbers them, so sacrificing soldiers should be the absolute last option. Even if they weren't outnumbered, sacrificing soldiers would make the military doubt their superiors and lower morale. Second, why was their father the one facing Zuko? It was the general that was Zuko's assigned opponent. Even if one claims that Zuko disrespected the Fire Lord by speaking out of turn, as Ozai's heir and son, a warning would have been enough. Zuko's punishment was unnecessarily cruel. It served no bigger purpose other than making him suffer.
That leaves her with a set of questions that she's afraid to even consider, let alone ask. What about her? What will he do if he no longer finds her useful? Does she even want his acknowledgement now? Was he the reason why her mother thought that she was a monster, because she wanted his approval and emulated him?
Before more questions can make themselves known, Kagutsuchi's voice interrupts her train of thought "What bothers you so much?" he asks.
As she opens her mouth to deny being bothered, he once again interrupts her "Before you deny, know that I can feel the flow of your chi, and it's currently in turmoil."
"My mother believes that I'm a monster. I was wondering if my emulating father might have been the reason. Did I drive her to that conclusion?" she asks.
"I'll be honest with you." he begins.
"Your parents are horrible parents, both of them. Your father is easily angered, domineering, and insatiably power-hungry. He lacks empathy, is not the understanding type, and never regrets, forgives, or changes his mind about anything. He believes morality to be a sign of weakness, finds peace and kindness laughable concepts, possesses little to no empathy and rarely shows any interest in the feelings of others."
She turns to look at him, completely in shock at his lack of respect for her father.
He ignores her and continues "Your mother on the other hand is neglectful, foolish and short sighted. Her attempt at shielding Zuko from your father left you to your father's tender mercies. He took the opportunity and began molding you into his perfect weapon to be used and discarded when no longer useful. He may not have done it yet, but eventually he will. Your mother on the other hand, mistook your cry for attention, by being emotionally abusive toward everyone, as the making of a monster, then washed her hands off you. Be honest with yourself Azula, you wanted the same love and attention that your mother gave to Zuko."
Still somewhat in shock, Azula begins to think back to her childhood and asks herself, What did she want? Why did she act in the manner that she did? After thinking it over, she came to the conclusion that she did in want her mother's love. She was jealous of Zuko and all the attention he received from their mother. Yet where does that leave her now? Her mother is missing, and after having her eyes opened to Ozai's nature, she wants nothing to do with her father.
Now that she thinks about it, all of her goals have revolved around getting either her father or her mother's approval. What does she, Azula, want? Who is Azula?
"You're only fourteen Azula, you still have your whole life ahead of you to decide who you want to be and what you want to do" came Kagutsuchi's voice.
"You're right, however I already made my decision. My name is Azula, princess of the Fire Nation, I will be the best version of me I can possibly be, I will earn my people's respect and lead the Fire Nation into a glorious age, even if I have to pry my father's charred corpse off the throne" and as the words left her mouth she could feel her inner turmoil resolve itself and her chi begin to flow much smoother.
Assignment
Energybending, the ability to bend another person's life energy. A lost form of bending that predates the four main bending arts, the formation of the four nations, and even the creation of the Avatar. Only the last living lion turtle and the most ancient spirits know of its existence, let alone how to perform it. No one knows the true extent of energy bending, however known abilities that come with it include astral projection, granting bending, removing bending, and spirit energy manipulation.
Astral projection is simply the ability to create an astral projection of her spirit. Even though it's not bound by a corporeal form, the projection is able to both inflict and sustain great physical damage and utilize any bending form the user knows. Removing bending takes away someone's bending while granting bending gives it back. Finally, the one ability that is currently the most useful for me, spirit energy manipulation. Spirit energy manipulation, the ability to manipulate energy originating from the Spirit World, from making beams of pure energy, to shields, and even making it possible for one's bending to harm spirits. Perfect for barbecuing Koh the Face Stealer.
Originally I wasn't going to rely on it to deal with Koh. Not only would I have to find the last living lion turtle or an ancient spirit to teach me, but nothing guarantees that they'd agree to teach me if I did find them. For all I know, the spirit that I find would have been worse than Koh and make me suffer a fate worse than death. My original plan was to find the bhanti tribe, a tribe that has managed to find a way to make firebending interact with the spirit to sense and cleanse it of dark spirits. After learning it, it would have been a simple process of weaponizing it for combat against spirits.
However, during my second year on the field, I came upon a undocumented forest and wandered in. It was during my exploration of the forest that I came upon a wolf spirit that has a face imprinted on its fur drinking from a pool. Curious, I approached the spirit to get a better look, I'd never seen a spirit. It was there that I met the Mother of Faces herself, the mother of Koh.
The Mother of Faces is one of the most powerful, ancient spirits. She has the ability to give faces to living organisms, bestowing plants and animals with expressive markings. As it turns out, the wolf drinking from the pool is her guide that she follows once every season to one of four pools. Once there, she grants one wish to whatever human stumbled upon the pool.
Originally I planned on wishing for her to make her son leave me alone. However, once I thought about it I decided to wish for energy bending and deal with Koh myself. Ever since then, I've been experimenting with spirit energy manipulation. Other than making flames out of spiritual energy, that can harm spirits, I haven't been able to figure out anything new with it. Not only is it a completely new experience for me, but I have to start from scratch without any teachers or scrolls for reference.
Speaking of teaching, Azula has been making remarkable progress in the three months since her declaration. She's still manipulative, sadistic, and will probably never truly be able to empathise with others, however now she knows that not only do most people not see things the same way she does, but also that fear doesn't equal power. The only problem that I feel that she has now is her lack of trust in others and her constant competitive nature no matter what the subject is, and even then she's no longer on the level of pulling the stunt she pulled during the volleyball game, on the episode The Beach.
Due to all reasons, I feel that she's ready to learn lightning generation and learn about energybending. Since yesterday night the moon turned red, signifying the coming end of book one, and last week I was able to finally master my spiritual fire to a level I deem acceptable, I've decided to permanently deal with my face stealer problem today.
Ever since her declaration three months ago, I've made her meditate to come to terms with the revelations of that day and to accept her newly chosen identity so that she doesn't suffer another inner turmoil or identity crisis. Not only is it helping undo a lot of Ozai's work, and Ursa's failings, but it's helping with her bending. It's more powerful, refined and there's a sense of calmness to it that wasn't there before.
As I notice her notice her coming out of her meditation, I remove my and begin to massage my face. I can already feel Koh's haunting presence encircling me, his many legs moving and making that annoying skittering sound I've come to associate with him. Once in a while he'll make himself visible to the naked eye, his stolen faces changing in a poor attempt to get a reaction out of me. His centipede-like body moving around me like a hunter circling and studying its prey, unaware that he himself is the prey.
I wait for him to complete the action one more time before I pounce. Once his body is within reach, I encase my hand in spiritual flames and stab it completely through his chest and out of his back. With a pained cry he thrashes around in an attempt to escape, only for me to grab his current face and force him to the ground.
Turning to a no longer meditating Azula, I say "Good you're done. Come closer, I have something to show you."
Getting to her feet, Azula approaches and looks down at Koh before asking, with disgust clear in her voice "What is that?"
"That is Koh the Face Stealer, the spirit that haunts me, and our volunteer for today's lesson" I reply.
Quirking an eyebrow she asks "How are you able to harm him? I thought that humans couldn't touch spirits, much less harm them."
"That would normally be true but with energybending one can interact with the spirit world. Observe." I answer.
Turning back to face a still writhing Koh, I engulf the hand holding his face in spiritual flames and burn him. His cries of pain echo throughout the Agni Kai chamber, yet I pay him no mind and continue to burn his face to ashes. Eventually the face I'm holding is reduced to ashes and replaced with a new one, and I incinerate that one too. I burn his faces for minutes with no end of the stolen faces in sight. Eventually I decided that it would take far too long to burn his millions of faces and proceed to ignite the rest of his body. Faced with more pain and the possibility of death, his thrashing increases in a vain attempt to escape. Soon his wailes of pain are reduced to whimpers and his flailing is reduced to mere twitches, however I don't stop and keep going until he is nothing but ashes.
Shaking my hand of the ashes, I turn to an interested Azula and proceed to explain with a smirk on my face "Energybending is the precursor to the four bending arts. With it one can create astral projections of themselves, take away someone's bending, and manipulate spiritual energy. That very same energy that spirits are made of and resides in the spiritual world."
"Is that what you wanted to teach me?" she asks.
"No. Not yet." I reply "What I want to teach you is lightning generation. With the advanced chi manipulation you've achieved through heat control, I feel that you're ready for, not only lightning generation, but also the technique I use to gain some control over the lightning."
"I showed you energybending to show you how limited our knowledge of bending truly is and what the last phase of your training will look like."
Looking at her gleaming eyes I can already tell that once she learns all that I have to teach her, no bender other than me, and maybe Aang in the avatar state, will be able to contend with her.
As Azula makes her way to the throne room, she can't help but wonder what Ozai wants with her. Ever since she made her decision on not allowing Ozai to use her anymore, Azula has been biding her time planning and learning from Kagutsuchi so that when the opportunity arrives she can simply burn him off the throne.
From military tactics to politics to even the best way to get information out of someone, she learned it all. Now, she was even going to learn how to generate lightning. It's moments like these that Azula can understand the purpose of having trusted companions.
Arriving in the room, Azula makes her way to the center before taking a seiza position and bowing.
"You wanted to see me father?" she asks.
"Yes" he replies "Your uncle is a traitor and your brother is a failure. I have an assignment for you. Iroh has stood in the way of my plans for the last time, kill him or return him to the Fire Nation to be imprisoned, I care not, as long as he can no longer interfere. As for Zuko, bring him to heel if he proves useful, if not eliminate him. The last part of your assignment is to capture the avatar."
Azula couldn't believe her ears. Her father wanted uncle Iroh killed. She knew that he saw Iroh as a possible threat, that's why he banished Zuko, to get rid of the supposed stain on the family knowing that uncle Iroh would willingly follow. Yet even then he hadn't dared to have his own brother killed due to the possible ramifications of it. What changed?
The answer struck her like a bolt of lightning. Before she can display her realization, she schooled her features and answers with a sadistic smile "Yes father."
Rising to her feet, she made her way out of the in measured steps, her sadistic smile only widening.
Once outside she starts to make her way to her room, with Kagutsuchi following one step behind to her right.
"What did he want?" he asks.
With the smile still on her face she replies "Dear old dad wants me to kill uncle Iroh and maybe Zuzu also before capturing the avatar."
"Oh" came Kagutsuchi's interested voice. "Motive?" he asks, in what Azula has come to call his teacher voice.
With an ease born from three months of practice she answers "He fears the possibility of a rebellion by uncle to dethrone him, and an opportunity to rid himself of you. He doesn't expect me to be able to kill my uncle, when I fail he will use that as an excuse to execute you by claiming that you sabotaged my education. After all, how can a man who is said to be as powerful as the Dragon of the West fail to create a powerful student, especially when said student is a vaulted prodigy, unless he purposefully avoided doing so. With you dead, the possibility of uncle dethroning him is now slim to none. Uncle has the power to match him and you have the loyalty of most of the soldiers. With a legitimate and powerful member of the royal family like uncle taking charge, and a powerful and competent general who has the loyalty of the majority of the military backing him, a rebellion would be successful."
"He's jumping at shadows. When grandfather gave the order to create a soldier who can complete any mission solo, he objected extensively simply because controlling an individual like that would be too hard. However, not only were you a success, but you also exceeded expectations. He doesn't know you, what drives you or your reason for being loyal to the Fire Nation. He knows that you're loyal to the Fire Nation, and that you don't like him at all. That makes you a major problem because not only are you powerful enough not to fear him, but also because he has absolutely no way to control you."
She looks at him from the corner of her eyes to see a small proudful smile on his lips, and she can't help but think how nice it feels to, not only see it, but to also know that she is the cause of it.
"So what's your plan?" he asks.
"With a smirk on her face and a skip in her steps, Azula answers "That, my dear teacher, is for me to know and for you to figure out, if you can."
With a chuckle he follows "Of course, your highness."
Reunion
The trip to Zuko's location took about two weeks at sea. Azula spent the majority of the time sparring with Kagutsuchi and practicing energybending. After she'd managed to learn lightning generation and all its variants from Kagutsuchi in five days, he transferred everything he knew about energybending to her mind using said form. Admittedly most of the information is theoretical, with spirit energy manipulation and astral projection being the only abilities he managed to accomplish.
The problem with energybending, is the lack of references on how to achieve the abilities they know they can do. It's like knowing for a fact that you can firebend and the katas to firebending without knowing how to properly breath and manipulate your chi.
Ridding her mind of those thoughts, Azula set about exploring her brother's lodging. The location is situated at the northern post of the Earth Kingdom in a small port town under Fire Nation control. The only notable feature of the town are the trees, in full bloom with gorgeous petals of pink and red. The house itself is located up the hill from the port. It's small with two bedrooms, one dining area and one bathroom.
Sitting on a table in the dining area with her legs crossed, Azula prepares to wait for her brother's return when her guard speaks.
"You're such a drama queen," he says in exasperation.
She turns her head to face him and narrows her eyes dangerously at him before asking "Excuse me?"
Leaning on the wall behind them with his arms crossed and his eyes close, he answers "A drama queen is --
"I know what a drama queen is," she interrupts. "Ever since you got rid of Koh, you've been talking back, almost to the point of insubordination. Is there a reason for this?"
"I'm just glad that I can be myself once again. Aren't you glad that you can finally read my face. I know you hated not being able to tell what I felt when Koh was around." he answers with a smirk on his face.
This is infuriating, she can't tell whether he's joking or is actually serious.That's something she started to notice recently, her inability to tell jokes apart from slights. Usually people don't make jokes around her, however ever since he freed himself from Koh he has taken to making jokes at her expense, and it irks her that unless a conversation involves war, bending or politics, she has absolutely no idea how social interactions work.
Before she can answer, Kagutsuchi opens his eyes and looks towards the door saying "They're here."
As soon as he finishes speaking Azula senses two chis, one big and yet calm while the other is smaller and raging like an inferno, entering her range of detection. It's a skill he taught her when they were brainstorming new possible firebending techniques. The skill itself has nothing to do with firebending, it is based on the user's knowledge and the ability to sense all chi, starting with the user familiarizing themselves with their own chi.
Half a minute later the door opens, admitting in her brother and uncle. Looking at them, Azula can't help but notice how far Iroh let himself go. While her uncle had always been short, he was also fit with good senses developed from years on the battlefield. Now instead of being fit he is fat with senses so dull that he completely misses her and her guard and continues his conversation with Zuko.
"Look at these magnificent shells" says Iroh as he empties out his bag of shells on a table near the entrance.
"I'll enjoy these keepsakes for years to come"
Zuko following him answers "We don't need anymore useless things. You forget, we have to carry everything ourselves now."
Zuko himself hasn't really changed much physically other than getting taller and packing a bit more muscle. However, he no longer carries himself like the proud prince he used to be. He looks, not tired per say, but weary.
Having seen enough, Azula makes her presence known "Hello brother. Uncle."
Immediately they face her, and as soon as they realize that it is her, their faces harden and they take a step towards her.
"What are you doing here?" questions Zuko
Not bothering to answer the question, Azula says "In my country we exchange a pleasant hello before asking questions."
Getting up she walks towards him and mockingly asks "Have you become so uncivilized Zuzu?"
Rage covers his face as he screams "Don't call me that."
Iroh, knowing that responding to her taunts will only encourage her, interrupts "To what do we owe this honor."
"Hmmm" hums Azula, a mocking smile still on her lips. "It must be a family trait, both of you so quick to get to the point."
Before they can answer, Azula continues, her voice and face now completely serious "We need to talk."
"Ozai wants you dead uncle, and Zuko, he wants to put you in a cage where you can no longer disgrace him. Your recent failure to capture the avatar was the last straw." she says.
Zuko, who didn't know what to expect, can only stare at her while trying to process the information, his face cycling between disbelief, rage, and horror. Iroh on the other looks pensive and somber, as if knowing that it is in fact something his brother would do, but struggling to decipher whether it's the truth or another one of Azula's lies.
Deciding to get to the heart of the matter, Iroh asks "You didn't come here to play messenger. Why are you here? Why betray Ozai?"
"Don't mistake my pragmatism for compassion. He was going to betray me first" answers Azula.
"Lies!" screams Zuko. "Why would he betray you!? You're a prodigy, the perfect heir, the one he didn't scar and banish!!!"
By the end of his tirade he is full on raging, eyes glaring at her and his chest heaving up and down from running out of breath.
"Oh Zuzu" begins Azula, her face still as serious as before. "Don't you see it by now. Ozai doesn't care about anything but power. Not you, not me, and certainly not the Fire Nation. We're all a means to and end."
Iroh who had been contemplating up until now asks "What did he do to make you come to that conclusion?"
"I have been forced to reevaluate his teachings recently" she says as she turns her back to them.
"I must admit that they are… narrow, for lack of a better term." Turning back to face them again she says "While Zuko's refusal to even put up a fight during the agni kai can be seen as dishonoring himself, the punishment didn't need to be as severe as disfigurement and banishment. Sending him to serve in the military would have sufficed."
Zuko couldn't believe what he was hearing. Azula herself claiming that their father was wrong in banishing him. He didn't want to believe it, he knows that she has a history of lying. Yet, he's never seen her this sincere before.
"As for me" continues Azula. "I did some searching, and I found his plans for the future in his secret office."
"Secret office?" three voices rang out.
Immediately Zuko and Iroh, the first two voices, zeroed in on the third voice behind Azula. Standing behind Azula, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed in front of his chest, stood a Fire Nation soldier wearing a modified version of the Southern Raiders uniform. He stands as tall as Azula who, now that Zuko is paying attention, stands just as tall as him. He has midnight black hair tied into a ponytail, dark skin reminiscent of a member of the water tribes, golden eyes, and a scar that starts from his left eyebrow, runs through his eyelid only stopping at the edge of his lips.
Iroh narrows his eyes at the soldier. Something about his looks tugs at his mind. Taking a closer look, his eyes immediately focuses on the scar as he remembers the rumors about a single soldier able to accomplish any mission.
Eyes widening he speaks "Dragon."
Zuko, never having paid attention to any rumors not pertaining to the avatar, skeptically looks at his uncle and asks "What?"
"I see you recognize my new guard uncle" says Azula.
"How can I not" responds Iroh "Rumors of a soldier with golden eyes like the sun and a scar that starts from his left eyebrow, runs through his eyelid only stopping at the edge of his lips, have been circulating between soldiers of the colonies and the mainland."
"It's said that he can accomplish any assignments and can firebend as if he were a dragon himself, hence the moniker Dragon" says Iroh.
"Him?" says Zuko skeptically. "He looks more like a pretty boy than a soldier. Can he even firebend?"
Before Kagutsuchi can answer, Azula interjects "We can discuss the validity of the rumors later. We need to get back on topic."
Walking past Zuko and turning to face the whole room, Azula speaks "Father had a set of secret passages and rooms installed in the palace. They are hidden behind specific portraits and can only be accessed by firebending at said portraits. That's how I was able to sneak around the palace when we were children."
Seeing that she has everyone's attention, she continues "In one of those rooms is an office with scrolls on information ranging from secrets on all nobles to secrets erased from history books. It's also where he keeps all of his plans."
She pauses to make sure that everyone has processed the information before continuing "I found a scroll there detailing his plans to win the war. He plans to use Sozin's upcoming comet to burn down the earth kingdom completely. A remake of the airbender's genocide. After that he planned to discard me by giving me a puppet position as the Fire Lord while he rules the rest of the world as the Phoenix King."
By the end of her explanation everyone is silent as they process the information. Evident on their faces however, including Kagatsuchi, is shock. Zuko because he knows that Azula isn't lying. Throughout their lives Azula has never made up such an outlandish lie, and how can someone even come up with a lie like that. For Iroh, he can't believe how far his brother has truly fallen. He can't help but think that if he fought Ozai for the throne, none of this would be happening.
For Kagatsuchi however, the reason is completely different. He knew that was Ozai's plan in the cartoon, however none of his jumps have been exactly like their source material. ROB specifically told him not to rely on his previous knowledge for anything other than the basics. In the Arkham universe, the events of Arkham Origins never happened. Sure the people existed, but Black Mask never set the events that would become Arkham Origins into motion. Also, Jason Todd and Dick Grayson were Robin at the same time, and Jason became Red Hood without dying. In Westeros the only reason why he was able to make a plan based on his foreknowledge was because he had an extensive spy network to confirm his suspicions. He honestly never expected Ozai to be the same crazy bastard in real life.
Seeing that everyone has processed the information, Azula extends her hand to Zuko before speaking "What do you say Zuzu, do you want to help me save the world?
Looking at her for a few seconds, Zuko grabs her hand and responds "I hope you have a plan. We'll be going up against the Fire Nation as a whole."
Smirking Azula looks at her uncle and Kagutsuchi before answering "Don't worry, the soldiers are loyal to their Dragons after all. First though, I have to hunt down the avatar to make sure that Ozai doesn't suspect anything, that means I'll have to assemble a special team. It's time to visit some old friends."
Ty Lee
AN: This chapter was a torture to write and I have absolutely no idea why. --
"Good, your firebending isn't completely wrong now," says Azula as she looks at her brother practicing his forms on the deck of the ship.
"Firebending using your anger and aggression may give you a little extra strength at the beginning, but eventually you will burn out before your enemy drops dead."
Before she can explain further I interject "Maybe it would be better if you two took a break. You won't get better if you burn yourselves out, and I believe your uncle would like to get our spar over with."
They've been at it for hours. Zuko had been sparring with some of the soldiers, Azula had gotten tired of watching his aggressive firebending and had taken it upon herself to correct it.
While Zuko is most certainly not average when it comes to firebending talent, Azula is just on a completely different level, which made it all the more interesting to watch her get frustrated when it takes him longer to get things that took her little to no time.
Stopping, Zuko looks at Iroh standing next to me and asks "Are you two really sparring?"
Iroh laughs and pats his stomach while saying "Of course. It will help me get back in shape. After all it's not everyday you go on an adventure to save the world."
Shaking his head, Zuko and Azula make their way to the back of the deck, giving Iroh and I room. Making my way over to the front of the deck, I turn and face Iroh who stands in the middle and ask "What are the rules?"
He strokes his beard for a while before answering "No lightning bending, no lethal shots and winner is determined when the opposition yields."
Nodding my head, I set myself into a stance that incorporates the standard firebending stance taught by the military and the dancing dragon. Iroh follows suit with a stance that I recognized as being influenced by waterbending.
Seeing my stance, Iroh raises an eyebrow and jovially states "I see you met Ran and Shaw. It must have been an enlightening experience."
I answer him with a smile and simply reply "Very."
Without saying another word, he launches a fireball at me via a roundhouse kick followed by a jab. I step to the right avoiding the first fireball and into the second fireball. I bring my left palm up and clench it, completely extinguishing it. Not giving him time to process what happened, I launch a fire arc at his fee via a sweeping kick, using the momentum of the kick, I launch myself into a flying roundhouse and send out another arc at his head. Following through, I use flames under my feet and glide my way within thirty feet of Iroh just as he splits my attacks right down the middle. Before he can move I punch two fire streams at him and a fireball via front kick when he deflects the streams to his sides. He manages to block the fireball but is unprepared for the roundhouse fireball that connects to his right side. Taking advantage of his brief lapse of attention, I follow through with a back kick fire stream to his solar plexus, which he redirects over his head. Using my back foot, I launch into the air and send a pillar of fire crashing down on his head via hatchet kick. As I fall I jab a comet towards him as he barely manages to block the pillar. The comet is barely blocked, and he takes the lapse in attacks to speak.
"I yield," he says as he bats away the flames on his sleeves.
"While I have more experience bending than you, you're certainly a far more skilled combatant than me. Throughout that whole exchange, I could feel you holding back the intensity of your flames." he explains
He sighs wistfully and says "It seems that I let myself go much farther than I thought. Perhaps it's time that I start participating in these little exercises."
"Why did you yield" came Zuko's voice.
Turning to face him I can tell that he genuinely doesn't understand why Iroh yielded, and to be honest I can't blame him. The spar itself looked as if we were at an impasse, with Iroh not being able to get through my attacks to counterattack and me being unable to breach his defences.
"While the spar may have made it look like we are even, the reality of the situation is that this was a spar. In a real battle where lethal techniques are allowed, I am not confident in my chances of beating him" explains Iroh.
"Indeed" continues Azula "While uncle is the more experienced of the two, Kagutsuchi focused most of his attention into the lethal part of bending. Other than the most advanced techniques such as lightning generation, uncle Iroh focused more on perfecting the basics of firebending before going on to research into the spiritual side of bending."
Silence greets her as we all stare at her, none of us really expected her to know or figure it out.
Looking up from where she is admiring her nails, Azula answers our unasked question "What? I can read his chi. I may not be invested into the spiritual side of bending but anybody who can feel chi can tell that uncle Iroh's has a far less aggressive feel to it. Kagutsuchi you taught me this, remember."
Nodding my head I answer "I did teach you that. I just didn't think that you were paying much attention based on the fact that you were admiring your nails throughout the whole lesson."
All I receive is an eye roll for my troubles.
Arriving at the circus, Zuko couldn't help but ask "Why are we here Azula? You said that we would be visiting your old friends, shouldn't we have gone back to the Fire Nation?"
"No" answers Azula "Ty Lee ran away from home, and Mai's family was relocated to the Earth Kingdom colony of Omashu."
Walking in, the group of three can see performers of all types walking around in their costumes setting up for the show that night. One said performer is a girl of about fifteen years old with brown-gray eyes, and brown hair tied into a long braid. She wears a tight crop top that does little to actually restrain her… assets in her current position, or the toned muscles of her exposed stomach. She is positioned upside down in a single handed handstand. Naturally since she's a friend of Azula being in a single handed handstand isn't enough, instead she also decided to balance herself on her index finger.
Azula seeing her friend sarcastically says "Hmm, I wonder who this girl balancing on her fingertips can be? Certainly no one I know…"
Hearing Azula, Ty Lee turns her head to face the group and immediately smiles upon recognizing her friend.
With an excited cry of "Azula!" Ty Lee pushes herself from the ground into a flip before landing on her feet and smoothly forming a bow.
Coming out of her bow, she rushes Azula with a hug and screams "I missed you!"
Azula smiles and calmly returns the hug.
"It's good to see you too. Please don't let me interrupt you. We both know a simple conversation won't hinder your performance" she answers.
Ty Lee, taking Azula's words to heart, proceeds to flip onto the ground, and using her torso as support, bends her legs backwards so that her feet rest on her head.
"You know, when you told me that you'd be joining the circus I didn't think that you would follow through with it. That said, I didn't come here to badger you about your life choices. I have a favor to ask." says Azula.
"Umm, suuure" says Ty Lee hesitantly.
"You see, my father has tasked me with the mission to capture the avatar, and I would be honored if you could join me," explains Azula.
Ty Lee flips herself back onto her feet and replies "I'd love to, but you see I'm really happy here. My aura has never been pinker."
Azula raises her hand in surrender and answers "I'll take your word for it. It was at least worth a shot."
Ty Lee cups her hands together, bows and says "Thank you Azula."
Azula nods and turns to leave. After taking a few steps however, she stops and says "Of course before I leave I'm going to catch your show."
Ty Lee, who had been in the process of balancing on one foot, stumbles a bit before hesitantly answering "Uh, yeah, sure. Of course."
As they walk out of the circus Zuko turns to Azula and says "You didn't force her to come. Usually you would have hatched a plot to convince her to come."
Azula looks at him from the corner of her eyes and replies with a smirk "Maybe I already have a plan, or maybe I've changed"
Having said her piece, she continues on her way leaving behind a thoroughly confused Zuko and an amused Kagutsuchi following her.
The show itself was mediocre in terms of entertainment. The only part that was somewhat entertaining was Ty Lee's performance. Surprisingly Azula didn't do anything to force Ty Lee to join her. Yet she still ended up joining because, according to her, Azula's aura seemed sadder when she was rejected.
"Sooo" says Ty Lee's voice ahead of me as we board the ship. "Who's the handsome guy following you around?"
I've only been around her for a few hours and I can already feel myself getting annoyed by her overly cheerful attitude.
"That would be my guard" answers Azula.
"Guard? Why would you need a guard? Don't you already have the Royal Guard?" questioned Ty Lee.
"Well, he was also my teacher for a few months. Naturally I've already learned everything he needed to teach me." answers Azula in her usual haughty tone when she spoke of her accomplishments.
"Aren't teachers supposed to be… I don't know… old and ugly?" questioned Ty Lee skeptically.
Turning to face my only compatriot in this torturous situation I raise an eyebrow and ask Zuko "Is she always like this?"
With an exasperated sigh he answers "Unfortunately."
It's only been a few hours and I can already feel my eyebrows set in a permanent twitch. Whatever deity is out there, please give me the patience to deal with her.
Skirmish
"Please tell me you're here to kill me," says Mai.
By Agni the last member of our team is also emotionally unbalanced. It seems as if I'm the only normal one around here. Azula is too sadistic, Zuko is a professional at brooding, Ty Lee is far too happy and optimistic, and our final member, Mai, is… I don't even know what to call her. She's definitely not brooding, if I had to describe it I'd have to settle for dispassionate or unsentimental.
Like the other two ladies in the group, she's definitely beautiful, just a different sort from the other two. Whereas Ty Lee is the free spirited beauty, and Azula is the regal beauty, Mai is the cold type of beauty.
Azula and Mai stare at each other for a few seconds before breaking out into laughter.
"It's great to see you Mai," says Azula.
Ty Lee being Ty Lee decides to jump at Mai with her arms wide open, prompting Mai to catch her in a hug.
"I thought you said that you were going to run away to the circus? You said that you found your calling there" says Mai in her monotone voice.
"Well, Azula called a little louder" replies Ty Lee.
"I have a mission" interrupts Azula. "And I need you both."
Zuko, who is currently standing next to me whispers "What are we chopped liver"
Mai, either not hearing him or ignoring him, says "Count me in. Anything to get me out of this place. First though, there's a situation I may need your help with."
Azula smiles and answers "Anything."
Mai turns and walks towards a set of well made double doors as she says "Come on, you'll probably want to get all the details from my father"
Through the double doors is a moderately big throne room. On the walls are flags of the Fire Nation, a blue carpet leads from the doors to a raised dais. On the raised dais sits a throne with the back shaped like a three floor pagoda.
Azula walks to the throne and sits on it, Zuko and I stand on her left and right respectively while Mai and Ty Lee stand guard at the steps of the dais.
Once situated on the throne, she crosses her legs and asks "What is the situation?"
The governor of the city of Omashu, who's apparently Mai's father, kneels in a seiza and explains "Yesterday afternoon a plague swept through the city and infected the majority of the inhabitants. The only ones not affected were the soldiers and my family. I made the decision of exiling the affected, and the rebels took the opportunity to leave the city in the confusion. Worse, they kidnapped my son Tom Tom and are demanding a trade for King Bumi. The trade is set for noon today."
A few seconds of silence go by before I hear Azula heavily inhale, then exhale before she speaks.
"There are so many things wrong with what you just said," she says.
She taps her fingers on the arm of the chair for a few seconds before getting up and inclining her head to tell us to follow.
As she walks out of the room she says "You're lucky that I don't have time to thoroughly go over every mistake you made. Stay here. We'll take care of this mess for you."
Before she opens the door she stops and turns her head to the still kneeling governor and says "This will be the last time that you make such a mess of your assignment."
Her piece said she calmly walks out of the room.
I stand in Bumi's cage as it's slowly brought down to the ground where the trade is scheduled to happen. On the right, Azula's group is already there waiting. It takes about two minutes before Aang's group arrives.
Aang stands about as tall a Ty Lee, a few inches shorter than Azula. He wears his regular yellow and orange monk outfit, staff/glider in his right hand and a yellow hat covering his tattooed bald head. Following him are Katara and Sokka, who interestingly enough look like twins. In the show one of them, I don't remember which, was the older sibling by about a year. Here they look to be the same age, with Katara standing about an inch taller than her brother. They both stand around as tall as Azula, have skin as dark as mine, brown hair and blue eyes, and wear traditional water tribe clothes without the winter jackets. Sokka, unlike his sister, has a cloth that seems to contain something, wrapped around his neck.
They approach Azula's group before stopping about fifteen feet away. Behind them, out of the corner of my eyes, I can make out Zuko climbing the construction platform and settling himself ten feet at their back.
Before anybody can say anything, I decide to completely ruin team avatar's plan and say "Those are interesting tattoos for a rebel to have on their hands."
Aang immediately tenses and turns his head to face me.
Before he can retort I begin to raise the temperature in the area and continue speaking "Paired with the staff and your clothes, one might mistake you for an air nomad."
Now his face loses a little color.
I still don't give him time to speak before I carry on "However that would be preposterous. The only air nomad left is the avatar, and there's no way that he's a twelve year old. Right?"
By now his face is completely pale and I can see sweat forming on his forehead. His friends aren't in better conditions as they too have begun sweating.
Azula, having caught on, speaks in an honest, yet somehow still condescending tone "Of course not Kagutsuchi. Are you stupid? The avatar is a master of all four elements, not some twelve year old brat."
Along with Mai, she approaches Aang and continues to speak "Now hand over the baby and take your crazy king so that we can go our separate ways."
Nodding, Aang hands over Tom Tom while I hop off the top of the cage onto the platform behind Azula. Mai takes Tom Tom and retreats back to where Ty Lee is waiting.
Azula makes a show of turning to leaving, only to face Aang again and break his staff in half using a lightning encased knife chop. Before Aang's group can process what happened, I move into the offensive and flip over their heads to land at Katara's back, and knock her out with a hit to the back of the neck. To my right, Zuko moves in and proceeds to knock out Sokka. I turn to face Azula just in time to see Aang fall unconscious from a lightning encased palm to the solar plexus.
I roll my shoulders, look at the unconscious group on the ground and say "That was far easier than I imagined."
Azula nods her head and replies "Yes it was. Good job catching on to their identities."
Zuko turns to face his sister and asks "Ok, we've captured the avatar. Now what?"
"Now, we convince him to take our father out" she answers.
"What? Why can't we do it ourselves?" asks Zuko.
Mai and Ty Lee, who had left to return Tom Tom to his mother, return with a squad of soldiers who tie up the avatar's group and take him away.
They join us and look to Azula to answer the question. However, before Azula can answer the question, I do "Politics"
Azula turns to me and asks with a smile "Have you finally figured it out?"
With a nod I answer "It took me a while but I did."
Azula stares at me with a raised eyebrow, and with a sigh I explain "If we were to take down Ozai ourselves we would have to deal with the nobles and generals who are loyal to him. This would most likely plunge the Fire Nation into a civil war and leave it wide open for the Earth Kingdom to attack. If the avatar takes down Ozai then the nobles and generals who are loyal to Ozai have no choice but to side with Azula, especially since they know that she is his favorite."
"Civil war?" asks Zuko. "Didn't you say that if it came down to it most of the soldiers would follow you?"
"I did. However, that's on the condition that the information is properly relayed to them. The generals loyal to Ozai will most certainly misinform them though."
The group nods in understanding and Azula simply smiles sadistically. She makes to speak again, only for me to interrupt her.
"However, if you go about it this way the Fire Nation will have to end the war and most likely give up a majority of the colonies back to the Earth Kingdom."
She nods and answers "That's fine. The war by this point is really pointless. No one remembers why Fire Lord Sozin started it in the first place. Besides, the other nations are crippled and will have to rebuild for generations to come while the Fire Nation will just keep improving."
Looking around the group I can tell that the others completely agree with her, so I shrug my shoulders and simply say "You're the Fire Lord… or would it be Fire Lady?"
World Changing Conversations
After dinner Azula took Mai and Ty Lee and dragged them to her room for a private talk.
Ty Lee, who had never seen Azula act this way put herself into a handstand while she excitedly asks "So what did you want to talk about Azula. Is it some super secret part of the mission that you didn't want to tell the others? Oh, maybe it's a secret task you can only trust us with. Or maybe it's--
Azula, not too keen on letting Ty Lee prattle on, interrupts in a hurry "Ty Lee. Maybe if you let me talk you'd find out what it is."
"Oops. Sorry Azula." apologizes Ty Lee.
With a sigh Azula moves to lean on the wall across from Mai who sits on the bed.
"It's fine. I just need some advice." says Azula.
"Ok. So spill. What's so important that you didn't even want your trusted bodyguard to know." says Mai in her usual monotone voice.
"Well, I've been having these weird reactions whenever I'm in close proximity to Kagutsuchi." says Azula.
"Oooh, like butterflies in your stomach, you're distracted when he's around, and when he's not around you think about him. Righ?!" exclaims Ty Lee as she flips back onto her feet and closely approaches Azula's face.
Azula leans back a bit and slowly answers "Yeees. How did you know?"
"Well when there's purple and some pink in your aura" replies Ty Lee as she once again reverts back to a handstand.
Azula looks at her skeptically and turns to look at Mai who is now vividly paying attention.
"Now that I think about it, you seem to prefer being near him when we're together in a room and have a tendency to sneak him glances, especially when you do something impressive." says Mai.
Azula once again can't help but look at her friend skeptically.
"You love him silly!" excitedly says Ty Lee.
"Love?" questions Azula, not fully understanding the concept.
"Well yes." says Ty Lee.
After looking at Azula and seeing that she doesn't understand, Ty Lee returns to her feet and decides to explain.
"Well yes. When you're so attracted to someone that you would do anything for them, even die." says Ty Lee.
Now Azula's confusion increases, and it shows in her face while she asks "I would most certainly kill for him. But why would I want to die for him? If anything was truly a threat to us we could simply team up and easily take care of the problem. Between our cunning and martial prowess nothing would stand in our way."
By the end of her statement, Azula is completely grinning. Mai and Ty Lee can't help but look at their friend and sigh.
"Ty Lee's point still stands. You're extremely attracted to him, even if it's not love yet, you're well on your way to falling in love with him." says Mai
"I see" says Azula as she crosses her arms and furrows her eyebrows in thought.
After a few seconds she looks at Mai and asks "Do you think that he would accept me if I were to make him my consort when I become Fire Lady."
"He definitely will!" exclaims Ty Lee as she does a split on the floor.
Mai nods and replies "I think so. He seems to react the same way around you. Are you going to ask him or demand?"
Azula tilts her head and asks "What do you mean? Why does it matter if I ask or demand if he feels the same way?"
Mai once again sighs and replies in her usual monotone voice "Just ask. I don't think I can explain it to you in a way that you would both understand what I mean and care. It's just better if you ask him."
Azula thinks about it for a few seconds before she nods her head just as someone knocks on the door.
"Enter" commands Azula.
A soldier enters and salutes before saying "Captain Kagutsuchi wants me to inform you that the prisoners are awake Princess."
They arrive in the throne room to see Kagutsuchi and Zukko standing in front of a kneeling Katara and Sokka respectively with their right hands a few inches away from the captured while lightning sparked around it. The avatar himself is also kneeling on the ground while facing the throne, with his hands tied behind his back.
Azula makes her way to the throne and sits, while Mai and Ty Lee stand on her right and left.
"There's no need for that you two. He won't try anything. Even if he did I made sure that the doors are locked. They're stuck with us now." says Azula
Hearing her, Kagutsuchi and Zuko retreat to stand guard on the stairs of the dais, prompting the two water tribe members to release sighs of relief.
"Now that this is taken care of, we can finally speak like civilized people." says Azula
"Civilized?! You have us completely tied up." exclaims Sokka
"Of course. You three have a reputation of running at the first sign of trouble. I can't really have a conversation with you if you run away now, can I." replies Azula. Her tone condescending and spoken as if it's the most obvious thing ever.
"Whatever you want you won't get it. Aa--
Her words are interrupted by a small bolt of lightning that knocks her out. All heads turn to look at Kagutsuchi who just shrugs and says "Her input for this conversation would have been more of a hindrance than actually being useful."
"What do you want from us?" demands Aang.
Azula crosses her legs and rests her chin on her right hand before she answers "I want you to defeat my father, the Fire Lord."
"What? Why would you side with us against your father?" asks Sokka.
"Simple. My father is an abusive psychopath who wants to completely burn the Earth Kingdom to ashes." answers Azula.
Aang and Sokka look at the group skeptically as if expecting them to deliver a punchline anytime soon. Seeing none coming, their eyes widen as they realize the severity of the situation.
"He can't do that?!" exclaims Aang
"Of course he can. All he needs to do is wait for Sozin's comet that's schedule to come this summer, and reenact the airbending genocide. He doesn't care about anything. Not the Fire Nation, not his people, and not even his children. I mean…" Azula points at Zuko before continuing "… he burnt his eldest son in the face because Zuzu disagreed with the strategy of sending new soldiers to suicide missions."
By the end of her speech Aang and Sokka are as pale as they can possibly be, and are trembling from fear.
"Why? Why would he want to do such a thing?" whispers a horrified Aang.
Sokka meanwhile can't help but stare at a scowling Zuko while whispering in horror "His own son"
"He only cares about power. His full plan is to use Sozin's comet to burn down the Earth Kingdom to ashes then, using his now surplus of forces, conquer the water tribes and rule the world as the Phoenix King." replies Azula.
Aang turns to face her and asks "Why do you care? Wouldn't that just make you the princess of the entire world?"
Azula's face saddens, her eyes moisten a bit, and she replies in a somewhat shaky voice "I don't care about the war. I'll even have the Fire Nation stop the war when I take over. I just want my father stopped. Especially after what he did to Zuzu and I. Besides, other than my father and a few generals loyal to him, no one in the Fire Nation wants to continue this war, but no one is powerful enough to stop him. That's why we need the avatar. "
By the end of her statement, Aang looks very apologetic about his crass words and promptly apologizes.
"Ok. We'll help you. But I only know airbending and waterbending. I need a firebending teacher and an earthbending teacher." says Aang
Azula smiles brightly and proceeds to speak in a cheerful tone reminiscent of Ty Lee "That's great. Thank you so much. Our uncle will teach you firebending. He's the best firebending teacher you'll ever find. You won't regret it."
Sokka excitedly stands up and says "Great now how about you undo these bindings. It's really uncomfortable."
"Kagutsuchi, be a dear and untie them." orders Azula.
With a nod he unties them, while Azula gets up and says "I'll have a guard show you to your rooms for the night. Tomorrow morning we'll plan."
"What did you want to talk about?" asks Kagutsuchi as he enters Azula's room. She's leaning on the wall next to her bed with her arms crossed.
Azula takes a deep breath to steel her nerves and speaks in a commanding voice "When we take down my father, I will step in as the new Fire Lord. Eventually I will need a consort to sire heirs. The only person I admire enough, trust to take the position and not attempt to backstab me is you. You're also the only person that I am even remotely attracted to and is worthy to have the position. So, will you be my consort?"
Kagutsuchi looks at her for a second before smirking and asking in a joking manner "Are you asking me to marry you?"
"Yes" replies Azula.
Seeing that she isn't joking Kagutsuchi sighs, takes a seat on her bed and taps the spot to his right.
"Sit" he says. "I was hoping to talk to you anyway. Might as well do it now."
Azula sits next to him and turns to face him.
"I'm not originally from this world, nor is this really my first life. Well I can't really call them lives since I only died once" rambles Kagutsuchi.
"What are you talking about?" questions Azula.
He sighs and says "I'm going to talk and you're going to only ask questions after I'm done talking."
She nods and tells him to talk, and he does. He tells her that he lived a previous life and died at the age of seventeen in an attempted robbery gone wrong. Once he died, a Random Omnipotent Being, which is a being of unlimited power, offered him a chance to live once again in exchange for entertaining the ROB with his new life. He had to pick a world, with only gaining the basic knowledge of said world, create himself a background, experience said background and take part in the major events of that world based on what time period he lives in. Once done with the major events ROB removes him from that world and makes him pick a new world to repeat the process. It sounds far fetched, but after witnessing his biotics she believes him.
As Azula sits there, she imagines living a life like that. Constantly experiencing new things, meeting other formidable warriors and majorly impacting the history of many worlds. The more she thinks about it the more she begins to like it.
She stands up, faces him and says "Very well, I will accompany you."
Kagutsuchi dumbfoundedly stares at her and asks "What? What about being the Fire Lord? Isn't that what you've always wanted?"
She scoffs and answers "What is a mere Fire Lord position compared pitting myself against other formidable warriors and showing them my superiority, impacting major events in multiple worlds, and only becoming more powerful in the process. Besides I need to make sure that you don't get yourself killed."
She stands and raises her hands, while lightning sparks around them, and says "Imagine it, the two of us would be unstoppable. None would stand in our way, and if they do we will simply turn them to ashes."
With a chuckle Kagutsuchi replies "Of course princess."
Last edited: May 15, 2020
The Drill
The next morning, Aang's group is introduced to his new firebending master at breakfast. They had seen him around before, by Zuko's side when he used to hunt the group to capture Aang. They had also seen him try to defend the moon spirits from Zhao, but have never truly had a conversation with him. Now that they have a chance to speak to him, they can't help but think of him as a wise, quirky old man.
After breakfast, they gathered their supplies and promptly left for the city of Gaolin, where, according to Kagutsuchi, is a city filled with earthbenders. It will be another three months before they regroup in Ba Sing Se.
After watching the sky bison fly away, the members of Azula's group turn to face her as Zuko asks the question on everybody's mind "Ok. Now what?"
"I received a letter from father this morning." replies Azula
Zuko frowns and asks "How does he know where we are? Also, are you sure that he won't find out about what happened here?"
In response to Zuko's question, Kagutsuchi scoffs before deciding to answer "Your father isn't as cunning as he likes to make people believe. The majority of his spy network, if you can even call them that, is situated at home to keep him informed on the nobility's schemes. As far as he's concerned, the generals are absolutely loyal to him, therefore the soldiers are absolutely loyal to him, with General Iroh and me being the only potential threat to that loyalty."
"Kagutsuchi is right. As for how he knew to send the letter to Omashu… well I told him I'd be here. I still need to keep up the facade of a perfectly loyal little princess after all" spitefully replies Azula.
Slightly shaking her head, Azula empties it of the thought of all the painful ways she can kill her father before speaking "According to the letter, War Minister Qin has come up with a way to take Ba Sing Se."
Her mention of War Minister Qin is met with sounds of distaste from Zuko, Mai, and Kagutsuchi. Azula isn't surprised by Zuko's and Kagutsuchi's hate for the minister, they've both spoken to him and after each conversation they've cultivated a certain distaste for the man. For Zuko it's because of his complete disregard of Fire Nation soldier lives, he was the man who came up with the plan that Zuko protested so much on, resulting in the Agni Kai that led to his banishment. As for Kagutsuchi, the man is a complete self righteous idiot who wouldn't know a good military plan if it was shoved down his throat. However, Azula never knew that Mai had heard of the name, let alone know the minister.
Turning to face Mai, Azula can't help but ask "Although I've never met the minister, I know why those two hate the buffoon, why do you hate him?"
Mai rolls her eyes before sneaking a glance at Zuko who's now paying close what is being said. Seeing as she won't be able to divert their attention to something else, she sighs and with a voice of pure loathing that the others didn't know she was capable of, she answers "He kept leering at me during those banquets that we used to have to attend. He even tried to arrange a marriage between me and his grandson. While I don't have proof, I'm sure that he's the cause of my father being appointed governor of Omashu."
By the end of her explanation Zuko looks murderous and Azula simply adopts her usual sadistic smile while her eyes glint dangerously.
"Interesting" says Azula
Ty Lee, who has grown to become wary of Azula whenever she makes that expression, simply steps back and whispers to Mai "Um, are we going to tell her that she's making her super scary face?"
Mai turns to face Ty Lee with a raised eyebrow and asks "Do you volunteer?"
Ty Lee hurriedly shakes her head no and closes her mouth.
Kagutsuchi, who had been quiet up until now, chuckles and whispers to the two of them "Poor minister Qin. I wouldn't want to be in his shoes in the foreseeable future."
Mai and Ty Lee, who have grown used to Azula's sadistic side can only nod their heads in agreement while contemplating what horrible fate Azula has in store for the idiot.
It takes us about a month of nonstop travel to arrive at the outer wall of Ba Sing Se. Like in the show, the minister's method of breaching the wall is by using a giant drill. By the time we reach our destination, the drill is only a few miles away from colliding with the wall.
"Wow" whispers Ty Lee, as she looks up at the giant drill, her eyes wide open in wonder.
"Yea, wow." replies Zuko.
"Interesting. I wonder if this was built in a separate location and driven here?" asks Azula.
"It would be the most logical way to accomplish this. I don't think that there's a single earthbending technique to deal with this monstrosity. At least not ones that wouldn't involve bending metal, and I haven't met an earthbender who can do that yet." I reply.
From my right I can hear Mai sigh as she spurs her mongoose lizard forward while saying "Let's get this over with. I don't want to be near that disgusting old man longer than I have to."
Without a word we follow her to the entrance of the machine, where War Minister Qin stands waiting.
"Princess Azula, it is a pleasure to meet you" says the man with a bow.
"Indeed, the pleasure is all yours minister. Unfortunately for you, I don't have time for pleasantries, so why don't you take us inside so we can get this over with." replies Azula in her most condescending tone yet.
Taken aback by her response, the minister takes a few seconds to realize that he'd been given an order, seconds that are going to cost him. With an irritated scowl Azula taps the man on the chest with her forefingers. While the tap itself is harmless, the small bolts of lightning sparking off of her fingers certainly aren't. With an agonizing scream, the man is sent to his knees in a fit of spasm.
"When I give an order minister, I expect it to be carried out immediately." says Azula.
"My apologies princess." stammers out the minister.
After taking a second to regain control of his body, he hurriedly walks inside while beckoning us to follow.
Once inside I turn to a soldier and command "Take me to the engine room."
Qin, who was facing forward, turns to me and makes to speak, only to immediately shut up when he notices the look Azula sends toward him. Not even bothering to look at his suffering superior officer, the soldier walks into a corridor with me following behind him.
As we make our way through the corridor I notice the soldier discreetly glancing at my face, specifically at my scar.
"If you have a question, just ask" I tell him.
"Sorry sir. It's just that we've heard stories about you. I never thought that I'd have the honor to actually meet you. My cousin is part of the 51st brigade, you saved his life."
"His name wouldn't happen to be Shin?" I ask
"You know him?" came the soldier's excited reply.
"I know him. He's probably the most creative soldier I've ever met. He created a fire wall based on the earthbending technique." I reply
"Yea, he's definitely something else" he answers as he opens a door at the end of the corridor that reads "Engine Room" and walks in.
The room itself is big, with valves and pipes everywhere. Looking around, I immediately realize that I have no idea how to sabotage this without killing everyone inside.
Turning to the soldier I look him in the eyes through the lens of his mask and say "Listen and listen well. You're going to sabotage this machine to make it implode in the most destructive way possible.. You can make it look like it just malfunctioned or just decided to blow up for whatever reason. I don't care how, as long as it becomes completely unsalvageable. Understand?"
"What?! Why?!" he asks.
"Don't ask questions that you don't want the answer to. Just do it. Don't worry about getting in trouble, the princess ordered this. Understand?" I ask
He nods and quickly sets about turning levers.
Looking around the room I quickly spot the sound system that will let me talk to all personnel in the machine.
Making my way to it, I activate it and yell through the speaker "This is Captain Kagutsuchi speaking. All personnel are to evacuate the drill, the machine has overheated and will be imploding soon. This is not a training exercise! I repeat this is not a training exercise!"
I spend the next few minutes yelling through the speaker until the engineer returns and says "Finished. The machine will implode in ten minutes. We should evacuate with the others."
I nod and follow him as we run to the exit.
Once outside, it doesn't take long for me to find the commanding officer of this brigade and order him to take his men and retreat to the nearest camp.
Five minutes later Azula and the rest exit the machine, with a certain war minister noticeably missing. Azula herself is sporting her usual sadistic smile, while Zuko looks entertained, and Mai is sporting a very rare smirk on her face. Ty Lee on the other hand looks a little unsettled.
Approaching the group I can't help but raise an eyebrow and comment "I didn't know that you had a sadistic side Mai."
She simply shrugs and puts her hands in her sleeves.
Azula looks at me and says "Good job. Now, father has one less supporter on his side, and we can move on to Ba Sing Se and see what's so special about it. Maybe I'll even conquer it while we're there."
The Dai Li
AN: Quick question. Does this arc feels as if it's dragging on? --
I lean against the wall of a building with my arms crossed over my chest in a dark alley as I wait for the patrolling Dai Li agents to arrive near my area. Getting into Ba Sing Se had proven to be as simple as disguising ourselves as refugees and sneaking. Once inside the Lower Ring we split off to conduct investigations to see what information we could obtain about the city.
What was learned was that the Dai Li had far more control over the city than in the show. Not only is the king a puppet, but so is the council of five. Normally obtaining such a piece of information would have been near impossible, however the Dai Li's increase in power also resulted in an increase in personnel which they used to patrol the lower ring. A pair of said personnel had been keeping an eye on us due to them recognizing Zuko as the exiled prince of the Fire Nation. We easily captured the pair and interrogated them for every piece of information they had. Then we had them smuggle us into the Middle Ring, the perfect place to cause a scene, get captured and sent to Lake Laogai, headquarters of the Dai Li.
Unlike the Lower Ring, the Middle Ring is where the laws set by Long Feng are enforced with extreme prejudice. In the Lower Ring, the population is far too big to be property policed, and the people there are in no position to cause any significant amount of trouble. The Middle Ring and Upper Ring however, are where the population is easily policed and any mention of a war going around can cause an untold number of problems.
Once in the Middle Ring, we interrogated another pair of Dai Li agents in case agents of different rings have different types of information. From them we learned about the best way to get sent to Lake Laogai, Dai Li parol schedules, and the layout of the headquarters. With the information, we made a simple plan to get in and have a conversation with Long Feng.
Which leads me to my current situation, waiting for the time to put our plan into action.
"This reminds me of the times when Bruce used to train me for infiltration. Scouting the location, interrogating the enemy, the stakeouts, such good times." I sigh in nostalgia.
"Bruce? Isn't he your mentor that dressed as a bat and went around at night apprehending criminals?" asks Azula from a dark corner of the alley.
"Yes. He's also the one that taught me most of what I know about hand to hand combat, infiltration, detective work and many more." I answer
"Is he also the one that taught you how to carry out assassinations, or was that during your tenure as an N7 Infiltrator?" asks Azula
I chuckle at the question before turning to the corner where she's standing and answering "If Bruce ever found out about my penchant for assassinating my enemies he'd be absolutely livid."
"Interesting." she says. "What of your brothers and Oracle?"
"Dick and Barbara would be majorly disappointed, while Jason would most likely pat me on the back and offer to take me out for a drink to trade stories." I answer with a fond smile on my face.
Immediately after saying so, I sense two heat signatures eight hundred meters away approaching us, and overlapping those heat signatures are the chi signatures of two earthbenders.
"It's time." I say to Azula as I stand up straight, my back to the entrance of the alley.
"Do make sure not to break any of my bones. I'll need them." I tell her as I drop my guard and make myself as open to attack as possible.
"Hmmm, we'll see. This is after all the perfect opportunity to exact my revenge on you for the torturous training regime you put me through" she answers.
Before I can ask her whether she's joking or not, she front kicks me right in the solar plexus, sending me flying out of the alley. By now the Dai Li agents are about four hundred meters away, right around the corner, and in perfect hearing distance to hear Azula.
"IT'S YOUR FAULT! IT'S BECAUSE OF FIRE NATION SCUM LIKE YOU THAT I LOST MY MOTHER!" screams Azula as she runs out of the alley.
I pick myself up from the ground and take a basic boxing stance as I face her. The following exchange can't even be considered a fight. Azula uses the basic forms for earthbending to beat me up, while I made a show of attempting to evade. While some of her hits miss, the majority of them connect, and soon I find myself once more laying on the ground.
Azula straddles me, and begins to repeatedly punch me in the face while screaming hysterically "YOU SCUM STARTED THIS WAR AND KEEP ATTACKING US, I'LL KILL YOU"
By now the Dai Li agents have started to pick up the pace after hearing her screams. As I begin to lose consciousness, I can feel the duo's approaching heat signature as they sprint towards us to put a stop to Azula's screams about a war going on.
I come to, strapped to a chair in a dark room with two other heat signatures. I take a second to calm myself and clear the fog from my mind. Once done I concentrate on where the pain is coming from to check for what injuries I've sustained. From what I can tell, my most serious injury is from a bruised rib where a roundhouse had connected. After making sure that I didn't sustain any serious injuries, I begin to put the plan into motion.
While the duo set about setting up whatever brainwashing contraption the Dai Li use, the part of myself that bonded with Max, my AI, begins to work. Immediately the world around me slows down, the dark room is no longer dark, smells that I didn't notice before are introduced to my nose, I can hear that centipede that scuttles on the wall to my left, and the receptors in my brain are dialed up to three times, including the ones pertaining to pain.
The pain that used to be tolerable is now enhanced threefold. As soon as the pain is enhanced, the AI part of my mind immediately forces itself to disconnect from it, making me no longer feel it at all. It however doesn't mean that my pain or my injuries have left, my mind simply tricks itself to no longer feel any of it.
Once that is done, my mind partitions itself into two, one to focus on the upcoming fight, and the second to subconsciously navigate the underground base using the schematics taken from the interrogated Dai Li agents. The whole process, from enhancing my perception to partitioning my mind, barely takes a second.
After checking that everything is in order, I begin to manipulate my chi to enhance my flames to a much hotter degree than I usually use. While not necessary, Azula wants me to put on a show as I escape. "Show them why your enemies have decided to call you Dragon" were her exact words.
Inhaling through my nose, I subconsciously go through the proper breathing technique before exhaling a jet of blue flames from my mouth and completely obliterating the stone door one hundred meters in front of me.
The duo raise a wall to protect them from the flying debris, giving me the second I need to summon flames from my hand and destroying the stone chair I am strapped to. Standing up, I crack my neck and roll my shoulders before using a back kick to expel twin balls of flames that connect to my previous captors. Normally I'd burn them to death, but since they're Azula's future employees, I only leave them knocked out with a bad case of second degree burns.
With that done I walk out the room and step out into the hallway. Once out into the hallway, I make sure to expand my sensory field to its full potential of eight hundred meters and raise the temperature within it. With every step I take the temperature rises further, and by my tenth step everything arm's reach of me spontaneously combusts. Except for my body, which can easily take such temperatures, everything in that area catches on fire, including the clothes I used as disguise, leaving me in a pair of uncomfortable underwear that are made out of the same material as my armor.
Eventually I come across my first group of Dai Li agents, ten of them. I had sensed their heat signatures entering my domain of heat around the corner. The first to make his presence known did so by sending a pair of earth fists at my face. Without missing a beat, I exhale a jet of flames from my mouth and destroys his attack and continues on to combust after colliding with his chest, sending him flying into a wall. From there the fight dissolves into a battle of flames and rocks. They would send their earth fists at me, and I would either dodge or destroy them before knocking them out with flames that combust upon collision.
Eventually another group arrives as I knock out the last one. This group clearly learns from the mistakes of their predecessor, because instead of using their earth fists, they do the smart thing and start using the environment instead. After dodging a second pillar of rocks coming from the walls, I realize that they're stalling for time. Usually I wouldn't let them succeed, however I need to make a show of how powerful I am, so I play along.
Jumping into the air, I dodge an earth spike from the wall on the right and use it as a booster to jump higher and dodge a pillar from the wall on the left. While in midair I punch out a comet of fire at the nearest agent and knock him out. I land into a roll and come up while exhaling a jet of flames at another agent.
After taking out the third agent, I notice a large group of sixty heat signatures enter my sensory field and can't help the small look of annoyance that flickers through my face. Normally I wouldn't really care about how many came, however the environment is a complete detriment to me. I am literally standing in a corridor made completely of earth. Not only is it restricting my movement, but the environment itself is a weapon for my enemies.
So I make a split second decision, I return the temperature around back to normal, and remove the distance between them and me, forcing the battle to change from bending to pure close quarter combat.
For normal firebenders, this would reduce their effectiveness. Especially since earthbenders can form armor around their bodies using the earth. For me however, it only makes me more dangerous. As a warrior, I've always favored close quarter combat as opposed to mid or long range combat.
While I'm perhaps the most skilled bender alive right now, it's mostly due to the echo of my past combat experiences from the Mass Effect and Akham universes subtly giving me a head start. Soon enough though, Azula will outstrip me as a bender.
When the Dai Li agents realize that they will no longer be able to use earthbending, less they catch their comrades in the crossfire, they immediately form earthbending armor on their bodies and attack me using hand to hand combat and makeshift weapons made from the earth. Seeing this I form fire daggers of flame and throw myself into the fight.
Ducking under a strike, I push the agent away while quickly turning to flip another away. It has been a constant repeat of similar moves, using kicks, flips and pushes to keep the agents at a distance in order to avoid getting overwhelmed by their sheer number, while also making sure that they don't distance themselves enough to be able to use earthbending.
Despite how easy it sounds, it's a challenging task to do, especially since I don't want to kill any of them. To ease the challenge a bit, I've taken to subtly using biotics to subtly slow them down. A small push to redirect a strike, an inconvenient pull to make an enemy's stance too wide. The only indication of my use of biotics are my eyes occasionally flickering with a violet light, easily dismissed as a trick of the light.
As the fight continues, more and more agents arrive and I stop consciously keeping track of them and just flow in the battle. Eventually they realize that the narrow hallway makes my job easier, and they remove the walls giving them more room to operate
Every time I put distance between myself and an agent, another would be on top of me in an instant. It left me with next to no time to think and even with my skills, I know it won't take long before an earth spike gets lucky and skewers me. Unlike in my battle with Stannis' army, these men aren't your average soldier. They are elite earthbenders who use a style that was made by Avatar Kyoshi, who is perhaps the most militant avatar there ever was. Defeating them would take me using my biotics in less subtle ways. The last time I did that I ended up being looked at as if I'm a god, and honestly I don't need the hassle right now, especially since I'll be in this world for a few more months.
So I start to make my way to the middle of the group of agents to finish this.
Sidestepping a jab, I grab the offender's arm and pull him in between me and an earth spear aiming for my shoulder. Letting go of him, I perform a sweeping kick, using it to send arcs of flames all around me. The flames give me just enough room to perform my finishing move. Borrowing Azula's created technique, I form a sphere of fire that completely surrounds me. Unlike Azula however, I compact the sphere as close to my body as possible before exploding it in every direction.
The resulting explosion sends all of the agents flying except for the ones that are located on the outskirts of it. Unfortunately for them, being on the outskirts doesn't leave them unscathed from the flying debris of stones.
The majority of agents are knocked out, leaving only a small number of them still standing. Even then, those agents aren't enough to take me down, especially since I now have room to move.
They know it, and they also know that I notice that particular detail.
Before the fight can resume however, a clap resounds in the chamber as Azula finally makes her presence known.
"Splendid performance" she says.
She'd arrive a few minutes after the Dai Li had removed the walls and was watching from makeshift rafters along with Zuko, Mai, and Ty Lee.
While my job was to attract as much of the Dai Li's attention to me as I possibly could, Azula was "persuading" Long Feng to work for her, and the others were sneaking around the base gathering as much important information as they could find.
Turning to the ceiling where she's situated, I notice that there are Dai Li agents following her around. Meaning that when she arrived the Dai Li was already under her control and she let the fight continue to see how well I'd perform. The scary part is that I can't tell whether it was out of curiosity or her just because she wanted to see me demolish them.
The Day of Black Sun
The weeks following Azula's takeover of Ba Sing Se, and awaiting the arrival of the avatar, the group split off to do their own things. Azula and Kagutsuchi spent the time between sparring and consolidating her hold over the Dai Li while also strengthening their power over Ba Sing Se. While the council of five is the major party that controls the city, it is possible to replace them. Therefore, Azula had the Dai Li "persuade" the major candidates for replacement should such a situation occur. During their spars, Azula finally reached a skill level that almost equals Kagutsuchi, unfortunately for her Kagutsuchi's flames still burn hotter than hers.
Meanwhile Zuko and Mai have taken to spending time together, to the point that even Azula can tell that it's only a matter of time before they make their relationship official. Ty Lee on the other hand spent the time alternating between hanging out with her friends and exploring Ba Sing Se.
Just like that two months go by and Azula awaits the arrival of Aang's group.
It is during a particularly warm day that Aang's group arrive at the mansion where Azula's group resides in the upper ring.
One of the servants, having been notified to expect them, leads the group to an open courtyard where Azula's group is currently holding what seems to be a free for all spar.
The spar itself looks like complete chaos, with flames and thrown weapons flying around. Sometimes members will team up with one another against a single member, and other times they'll turn on each other. Most frequently however, Mai, Zuko, and Ty Lee will team up with each other to deal with the terrifying duo of Azula and Kagutsuchi.
While it looks like the trio are doing well against the duo, Iroh himself can easily tell that Mai, Zuko, and Ty Lee are barely holding on by the skin of their teeth. Eventually Zuko is hit by a flaming roundhouse to the rib, disrupting him and leaving an opening in his group's offensive for Azula and Kagutsuchi to mount a counterattack, taking them out of the spar.
Turning to face Azula, Kagutsuchi says "I'd love to take the time to beat you again princess, but our guests have arrived."
"Using our guest's arrival to shield you from your upcoming humiliation captain?" replies Azula
Mai, who is sitting with her back leaning on Zuko's chest, groans and says "Get a room already. I can feel the tension all the way from here."
"Oh?" says Azula, as she quirks an eyebrow and looks at Mai.
"Are you sure that it isn't the sexual tension between you and my brother that you're referring to?" Azula says.
Mai can't help but blush while Zuko awkwardly looks to the sky.
"Hmm, Azula is right" says Kagutsuchi. "You two haven't been able to stop staring into each other's eyes"
"And don't forget the uncomfortable silences between you when one of you says something that's supposed to be romantic." continues Azula
Kagutsuchi places his hand on his chest and says in his most convincing Zuko impersonation "Mai your eyes are such a beautiful tawny color, I could stare at them forever."
Azula daintily sweeps a piece of her hair behind her ear and makes a bashful expression while saying in her best imitation of a lovestruck Mai "Really? You think so? I thought that they were dull."
Kagutsuchi makes an affronted expression before he once again imitates Zuko's voice and says "Of course not. They're beautiful and anyone who says otherwise is a liar."
Ty Lee and team avatar, no longer being able to stop themselves, erupt in a boisterous bout of laughter. Mai, whose face is now as red as a tomato, promptly hides her face in Zuko's chest while Zuko himself hides behind his hands.
Iroh attempts to be the responsible adult and orders the duo to stop. The order unfortunately never makes it past his mouth, as he's too busy laughing at the expense of his nephew.
Eventually the group recovers and makes their way to the living room.
As the group sits down in various areas around the couch, Azula can't help but notice a new member in team avatar's group. The girl is about Aang's age and the shortest person in the room. Unlike girls her age, her body is well built for battle and she's completely barefoot. Her most eye catching features however are her blank eyes, indicating blindness.
Her question however is voiced by Ty Lee who excitedly makes her way to the girl.
"Ooooh, you're a new member of team avatar. What's your name?" she asks
The girl visibly recoils from Ty Lee's overabundance of excitement and says "Lady, have you ever heard of personal space?"
Ty Lee sheepishly steps back and says "Sorry. I get excited when I meet new people."
"Her name is Toph, and she's Aang's earthbending master." answers Katara.
Azula nods and turns to Aang and asks "I presume that you mastered the rest of the elements?"
He nods and answers "Yup the trip was really successful. I even mastered the avatar state."
"We also have a plan to take down the Fire Lord" chimes in Sokka.
"Do tell" replies Azula
"The Day of Black Sun." says Katara
"The day of what?" questions Zuko
"The Day of Black Sun is a day where the moon completely blocks out the sun, it makes firebending completely useless." explains Sokka
Hearing this Azula's eyes unnoticeably narrows as she asks "How long does this last?"
"About seven minutes" replies Sokka
Azula nods before turning to Aang and saying "You do know that by the time you reach the throne room the event will be over and the Fire Lord will be able to firebend again?"
Aang nods and answers "I know. But it's the perfect time to get in the capital since the majority of the army will be powerless."
Azula raises an eyebrow and decides against correcting him. He doesn't need to know that the majority of the army situated to defend the Fire Nation is made up of tanks and other machines.
Her musing is interrupted by Sokka who says "It's also the perfect day to mount up an all out offense and make the Fire Nation army."
With an incredulous expression on her face Azula asks "Why would you need to? As soon as I'm Fire Lord I'll have them retreat. Attacking them during that day will only increase casualties in an already bloody war. Especially since the Earth Kingdom army will have no qualms about killing every Fire Nation citizen for revenge."
Aang, who had been on the verge of arguing for the sake of mounting an all out offense, can't help but think about what Azula says and agrees. The Earth Kingdom has been stuck in this war for a century and is likely feeling resentful toward the Fire Nation. As an air nomad and the avatar, Aang feels that it's his responsibility to take the path that leads to the least amount of lives taken.
"You'll also have to give the colonies back to the Earth Kingdom." says Katara
Azula simply shakes her head and says "It's not that simple. There are Fire Nation citizens living there and if I give the colonies back they'll have nowhere to go. The Fire Nation has no room to house that many people, and the Earth Kingdom certainly won't want any of them."
Katara incredulously looks at Azula and says " That can't be true. You're just saying that because you don't want the Fire Nation to lose the colonies."
Before Azula can retort, Iroh answers with a sigh "Unfortunately, Azula is telling the truth. When the Fire Nation took the colonies, many citizens decided to move there to start new lives for themselves. Since they had the room to grow, their population has grown extensively. Too much for the Fire Nation to safely take in without destroying the economy."
"We'll just have to decide how to handle them with the help of the Earth Kingdom once the war is over." says Zuko
"Speaking of ending the war, Zuko is going to have to kill you" says Azula.
Immediately after she says that Katara stands and throws ice spikes at her. The spikes barely make it within arms length of her before they melt and splash onto the floor.
Before Katara can follow up on her attack Toph breaks out into laughter as she says "I can't believe you fell for that. She didn't mean literally."
Katara looks around the room and notices that no one else is attacking. While Aang and Sokka are certainly on edge and ready for a fight, they didn't actively attack anybody.
Azula merely raises an eyebrow and says "While I know that you don't trust me, that is an extreme reaction to have. Regardless of whether you trust me or not, I wasn't being literal."
Katara follows Sokka and Aang as they slowly sit back down.
"What I meant is that, we need to fake your death and give Zuko the credit so that dear old dad doesn't kick up a fuss about him coming home. Besides it'll also help you infiltrate the capital when the time comes. Just wear a disguise and you'll be fine. Especially since uncle wouldn't mind helping you sneak in."
"Great" says Sokka. "In two months we'll infiltrate the capital and end this war."
Katara who has been looking at Azula in askance can't help but ask "What are you going to be doing in the meantime."
"Naturally I'll be reducing father's political power to smoothen out my take over of the throne." replies Azula.
It's about a month and a week later that Zuko and Azula find themselves kneeling seiza in front of their father in the throne room.
"I am proud of two of you. Azula for having crippled the government of Ba Sing Se and giving our forces on the front lines time to plan on how to invade the city. And Zuko you have accomplished something not even Sozin himself could. You slayed the avatar. So it is with great pride that I say, welcome home my son." exclaims Ozai
"Thank you father" replies Zuko
"Good. Now you must be tired from your travels, you may go rest. We'll speak further at a later time." dismisses Ozai
Without saying a word, the two bow before exiting the throne room.
Once outside Azula taps Zuko on the arm and says "Follow me. We need to talk"
They make it to Azula's room where she quickly opens the door and walks in with a confused Zuko following her.
"What did you want to talk about that we need to do it in the secrecy of your room?" asks Zuko
"I want you to take the throne." abruptly says Azula.
Baffled, Zuko can barely open his mouth to ask "What? Didn't you always want the throne? Isn't that why you did everything you've done up to now?"
"Originally yes. However after some thinking I've decided that I would prefer to just travel rather being stuck dealing with all the politics that comes with the crown. I especially don't want to deal with the nobles. I'd sooner burn them alive than cater to them." replies Azula
Zuko looks at Azula for a while before he asks "What brought this on?"
"Traveling of course. After experiencing a journey on the road I find myself preferring it over life in court." answers Azula.
Zuko raises an eyebrow and reiterates "Seriously Azula, what brought this on"
Azula sighs before she answers "Fine you've caught me. After experiencing battles, I find that I like the feeling of testing myself against powerful warriors and seek to do just that."
Zuko rubs his face and exasperatedly answers "Azula I don't think that you'll find a warrior to match you that isn't Kagutsuchi, Aang or uncle Iroh."
Azula simply shrugs and says "You never know. So what do you say?
"Is that why you've had me following you around while you send Kagutsuchi to do the grunt work? Because honestly, we've never been close enough for you to not make me do grunt work." says Zuko
"Yes, because you needed to see how a leader should work. Besides you'll have uncle Iroh to guide you" replies Azula
After a minute of contemplation Zuko agrees.
The Day of Black Sun came quickly for Azula and Kagutsuchi who were busy preparing for the day and finishing up their affairs.
Kagutsuchi spent the time using his connections in the army to have them leave an opening in the capital's defence and making sure that they know not to interfere with what happens on the Day of Black Sun no matter what. He also spent the time invading the houses of nobles and "persuading" them to back Zuko's upcoming claim to the throne. From blackmail, to bribery, he used everything in his arsenal to get them to agree. When he wasn't committing what could be considered treason, Kagutsuchi spent the time alongside Azula teaching Zuko whatever he knows about politics.
Azula meanwhile spent the time with her friends and her brother. It was a weird experience for her, just spending time with them idly. It was during those days that she finally understood what everything always goes on about love being a beautiful thing. During those idle days she was able to notice that her friends care about her for being her. They weren't afraid of her, nor were they treating her like the princess of the Fire Nation. It was a weird, but at the same time nice experience.
Eventually the day arrived.
It started as a normal day, until the eclipse began and a fully grown sky bison flew over the capital and landed in front of the royal palace.
Kagutsuchi, who has been waiting for their arrival by the front gates, looks on as Aang and the others jump down from the sky bison wearing the same clothes they wore in the final season. Turning his eyes to the sky bison, he can't help but feel a little pissed off. All his preparations to create holes in the capital's defense, and they didn't even use a single one. His efforts are completely wasted as they decided to fly in with the subtlety of a bull is a china shop.
Taking a deep breath to calm himself, Kagutsuchi watches as Aang screams while amplifying his words with airbending.
"FIRE LORD OZAI, I'VE COME TO PUT AN END TO YOUR REIGN OF TERROR!" exclaims Aang.
Aang's words cause an uproar in the palace as every soldier situated within rushes outside to defend it.
Naturally the soldiers, who can't firebend currently, are completely defeated by Aang who simply blows them to the wall, knocking them out.
Kagutsuchi, who remembers specifically telling the soldiers not to do anything, can feel his left eyebrow twitch as he watches them get knocked out.
Eventually, a fully armored Ozai walks out of the palace followed by Zuko, Azula, Mai and Ty Lee.
Looking up at the sky Kagutsuchi notices that only about twenty seconds of the eclipse is left.
Turning his eyes back to the spectacle happening, Kagutsuchi sees Ozai stop about ten feet away from Aang while the others stand farther away at his back.
Ozai looks Aang up and down, notices the tattoos and laughs "What are you supposed to be boy? The avatar? Please, my son personally killed him."
"Clearly he didn't do a good job" replies Aang as he earthbends a pillar next to him and waterbends water from a pouch tied around his torso.
Ozai immediately stops laughing and turns towards Zuko.
"You miserable failure!" he snarls.
"I made a mistake when I let you live, NO MORE!"
Taking a step towards Zuko, Ozai's arms make a circular motion as he generates lightning and throws it at his son.
Unfortunately for Ozai, Iroh saw Azula practicing lightning generation one day on the boat and saw fit to teach the firebenders of the group how to redirect it. Ever since then, Azula, Zuko and Kagutsuchi have been throwing lightning at each other like it's going out of style.
Without thinking about what he's doing, Zuko steps forward and reaches out to the lightning with his index and middle finger pointed. Then he goes through the familiar motion of bringing it to his stomach and completely redirects it at a surprised Ozai.
Ozai's surprise costs him dearly, and he takes the bolt of lightning straight to the chest. His screams echo out through the air as his body convulses before falling to the floor dead.
The field falls silent as the gathered people process what just happened.
Eventually a lone soldier walks up to Zuko and bows while exclaiming "Hail Fire Lord Zuko!"
His screams prompt his fellow soldiers to follow suit as the shout
"Hail Fire Lord Zuko!"
"Hail Fire Lord Zuko!"
"Hail Fire Lord Zuko!"
It has been two weeks since the death of Ozai and the end of the war, and the day after the coronation ceremony.
Zuko, Mai, and Ty Lee stand in front of the royal palace to say goodbye to Azula.
"Are you sure about this?" asks Zuko.
"Of course I am." replies Azula.
"Fine. Just don't get into too much trouble." replies Zuko
Before she can reply Ty Lee envelops her in a hug while saying "I'm gonna miss you. Don't forget to write, ok."
Awkwardly patting her back Azula replies "I'll miss you too."
After disengaging from Ty Lee, Azula turns to Mai while saying "Take care of the idiot for me"
"Of course" replies Mai.
Zuko meanwhile turns to Kagutsuchi and says "Don't let her do anything too dangerous ok."
Kagutsuchi scoffs and says "You're acting as if she won't go behind my back to do dangerous stuff."
Zuko merely shrugs and says "At least try."
Kagutsuchi simply replies "No promises. After all, I also have a tendency to get caught in dangerous situations."
Twice Blessed Son
AN: I tried to write this chapter in Ambrosius' first person pov, but I didn't like how mature it turned out, so I just went with third person pov. Also the last scene is heavily inspired by the fanfic Vas Bellicosum by Combat Tombat. It's an amazing Roman!Percy fanfic, you guys should give it a try. --
Deep in the bottom of the sea, where no man has ever visited, lies an underwater kingdom that many have speculated about, yet none have ever seen proof of its existence. The Kingdom is made up of multiple moderately sized cities spread out around the ocean floor, and a large city serving as the capital. To many the name of the kingdom is Atlantis, however Atlantis isn't the true name of said kingdom, rather it's the name of the capital city.
Unlike the myths however, Atlantis is not a mortal kingdom that sunk to the bottom of the sea. It is in fact a supernatural kingdom made up of all seafaring life, such as merpeople and water spirits, that started out as a group of independent kingdoms. However, when Neptune took over as the lord of the sea, he united them into one kingdom and made Atlantis the capital.
Atlantis, as a city, is about the size of New York. It is separated into three different quadrants, with each quadrant dedicated to a certain area of the city.
The first quadrant is in the form of a ring that surrounds the second quadrant. It's the largest one in terms of land and is where the army is located. There one can find the training grounds, the barracks, and anything else the military uses.
The second quadrant is the biggest one in terms of population and, similar to the first quadrant, is sized like a ring around the third quadrant. It is where the majority of the citizens live and where the majority of businesses are.
The third quadrant is located in the center of the city, and is where the royal palace can be found. It's where any citizen of importance, such as senators and generals, are housed.
Currently in the training grounds of the royal palace, a young boy of the age of ten can be found facing off against four warriors clad in armor. The boy stands at an average height of 4.5 feet tall, has a brown skin tone, curly midnight black hair, and sea green eyes that seem to glow. Unlike the warriors who wear full armor, the boy wears nothing but a black sleeveless turtleneck under a simple roman cuirass, a pair of vambraces over his forearms, black pants under a pair of greaves, and nothing on his feet. In his right hand he holds a trident which he uses to parry attacks with expert precision.
Floating to the right, the boy dodges a stab aimed at his neck. Without giving the soldier time to react, the boy grabs his opponent's arm with his unoccupied hand and throws him at a soldier behind him, giving him room to move forward. Without missing a beat, the boy proceeds to swim at the remaining soldier with blinding speed stabs at him with his trident. This soldier, unlike the other three, is a veteran and manages to bring his shield up just in time to block. The resulting collision however sends the soldier flying out of the ring and into a wall.
The boy looks around waiting for his next opponent, only to realize that he is the last one standing.
With a sigh he turns to the sole spectator and awaits for his evaluation.
The spectator is a seven feet tall young merman with two tails who bears a striking resemblance to the boy. From the black hair, to the slightly glowing sea green eyes, to the high cheekbones that give him aristocratic features, the boy and the merman are like a pair of older and younger brothers. Unlike the boy however, the merman possesses green skin and a bigger, bulkier build as opposed to the boy's slimer build. Over his body, the merman wears armor studded in pearls and carries a trident in his right hand.
"Adequate performance. Skill wise there is nothing that needs to be improved, you are absurdly unmatched in a competition of skills, even for a child of Bellona. The current conjecture is that you were a powerful warrior in your past life and somehow some of those skills are bleeding through despite the fact that you have been reborn and any attribute that ties you to your past life has been erased in the rebirth process. It's the only explanation for not only the strength of your soul, but also your ridiculous learning speed in anything combat and politics related." says Triden.
Before the boy can even show a hint of pride Triden continues.
"However, you still have a tendency to use moves that are unnecessary just to show off. I suggest that you desist from these acts. The Legion does not take well to showboating, and being the son of Neptune will already put you in an unfavorable position."
"Yes brother." replies the boy with a nod.
"Good. Now go change, father would like to see you before you depart"
After returning the trident back to its place on the weapon rack, Ambrosius swims out of the training field and into the corridor that leads to his room.
The royal palace is divided into different wings. The royal wing, where members of the royal family are housed, the guest wing, where all guests are housed, the servant wing, where the servants are housed, and the central wing, where one can find the throne room, the war room, the training fields etc…
As a member of the royal family, even though he's a bastard one, Ambrosius' room is located in the royal wing. The room itself is painted blue, large with a large bed, a nightstand, a dresser with a mirror, and a closet full of clothes.
Arriving in his room, Ambrosius takes off his clothes before he makes his way to his nightstand where he takes a sand coin which he promptly crushes, cleaning his entire body in the process.
That done, he makes his way to his closet where he dons clothes from the surface. A pair of black dress shoes, black trousers, and white dress shirt that he rolls up the sleeves to his elbow and leaves untucked.
Dressed at last, he makes his way to the hallway once more and quickly swims to the throne room ignoring the bowing servants and guards.
Arriving in front of the throne room's open massive double doors, Ambrosius nods to the pair of guards and floats there while waiting to be announced.
Soon enough the royal steward screams out his arrival and he swims in.
The throne room of Atlantis is completely different in style compared to the rest of the royal palace. Unlike the royal palace, which is heavily based on roman architecture with some minor greek influences, the throne room takes most of its designs from european throne rooms. The dais is taller, the thrones themselves are larger, and the decorations a bit more lavish.
At this time of day the throne room is completely empty save for a man and a woman who sit on a pair of thrones on the raised dais.
The man stands at about ten feet tall, has black hair, a neatly trimmed black beard, a deep tan, high cheekbones, a strong jaw, and slightly glowing sea-green eyes. He wears a small crown on his head, a white toga, sandals and holds a trident in his right hand. Like his sons, he is well built with big and defined muscles. Unlike his sons however, his build seems to be a perfect blend of bulky and slim, favoring neither over the other. He is Neptune, God of Earthquakes and Horses, God of Hurricanes, Storms, the Seas and Water
To his right sits a beautiful woman, with flowing black hair, well defined cheekbones, full lips, and brown eyes. She is crowned with seaweed, and dressed in queenly robes. She is Salacia Queen of the Sea, and the personification of the calm and sunlit aspect of the sea.
Ambrosius stops a few feet away from the dais and bows before speaking.
"My king, my queen, you wished to see me?" asks the boy.
"Indeed. I have a few things for you." says Neptune.
"Before that however, I would like to let you know that in the short three months that you have been here you have made us proud."
"Your father is correct. While we wish that you could stay here with us, the ancient laws forbids your father from interacting with you. It is the reason why you are only interacting with him now a few minutes before your departure.We also believe that it is time you learn the truth of your birth." says Salacia
"As you know you are the child of my husband and the war goddess Bellona. What you don't know however is that you are also the child of a demigod daughter of Apollo. It is the reason for your mortality and your healing factor. We don't know why, but as a legacy of Apollo the power you received was healing that manifested itself in a healing factor." explains Salacia
"The reason for your special conception is because of the upcoming trials." begins Salacia
"Some time after the second world, Apollo had a vision of war, death, and destruction. Naturally he wasn't able to specifically tell what he saw, and even if he could it wouldn't have done much good as the only thing he was able to make out was an upcoming war and that a child of Neptune or Jupiter would be instrumental in Rome's victory."
"If the situation became that bad then an ordinary demigod wouldn't do. So you stacked the odds in your favor." interrupts Ambrosius.
"That is correct. We couldn't leave the outcome of whether the demigod would be powerful enough to chance, so we intervened. What we needed was a demigod that not only had the raw power of a big three demigod, but also the skills needed to lead an army to victory, or more specifically a child of a war god." explains Salacia
"But there was no way to guarantee that a child of the big three would have the necessary skills to lead an army. Being powerful doesn't equate to being a good general. Gideon Pillow being the perfect example that comes to mind." says Ambrosius
Hearing that name Salacia's nose crunches in distaste as she venomously spoke "That disgrace was somehow the demigod child of Venus with the most powerful charmspeak seen in centuries, yet was perhaps the dumbest general Rome has ever seen."
Neptune seeing his wife's agitation gently pats her hand.
"Peace beloved, that time is over. We need to get back on topic. You are correct, power does not equate skill and intelligence. To counter this, we mixed the essence of your mother Bellona to give you the skills needed to be a general, and my essence to give you the power. However that would make you a god, what we needed was a demigod. So we took the mixed essence and inserted it into a fertile demigod daughter of Apollo. Unfortunately she didn't survive the pregnancy so you ended up being raised by Lupa."
"I wasn't the only one was I? A general can easily be intercepted by politicians. If they wanted to, the senators can easily make a general's job painfully difficult to accomplish. So you needed a politician."
Speaking with pride in her voice Salacia answers "Yes, and that's where your friend Azula comes in. How did you figure it out?"
"She's been at Wolf House as long as I have, and her charmspeak is far too powerful for a normal child of Venus. Not only is it far too powerful but it's also so subtle that sometimes I don't know whether I am willingly obeying her or if I'm under her charspeak."
"Indeed. She is also a child of Jupiter, giving her not only the power, but also the godly support she will need to have those stuck up senators eating from the palm of her hands." says Salacia
"Now that you know, I hope that you will take your position in the legions of Rome seriously. Since we cannot directly interfere in mortal affairs it is up to you to make your way up the ranks and prepare Rome for the upcoming trial." says Poseidon
Ambrosius gives them the Roman salute by placing his fist over his heart and says "I won't fail you."
"Good" says Neptune as he and Salacia stand from their throne, reduce their size to six feet tall, and swim their way next to the child.
Neptune brings his hand up and places a ring in Ambrosius' palm. The ring is a simple black band with an aquamarine gem in the middle.
"This is my gift to you. Put it on and press the gem"
Ambrosius puts the ring on his middle finger with the gem on the inside of his palm. Pressing the gem with his thumb, Ambrosius is completely surprised when the ring turns into a trident.
Like Neptune and Triden's trident, it looks like it's made of gold. Unlike Triden and Neptune's tridents however, this trident's outward most prongs are curved inward towards the middle prong, and instead of the side of the prongs being blunted, they are sharpened like a blade.
With an awestruck expression on his face, Ambrosius swims away from the gods and immediately begins to twirl the weapon once he has enough space.
"This trident is a perfect replica of my trident. It has all of the abilities that my trident has. Your mother Bellona has cursed it to never be able to be removed from your finger in ring form and to always return to you in weapon form whether it is called upon or after a certain amount of time has passed, and will always be the perfect size for you." explains Neptune as he amusedly watches his son show off the weapon.
Seemingly satisfied with the weapon's performance, Ambrosius wills the weapon back into its ring form and turns to face the gods.
"While I don't have a gift for you, you will see me quite often. I will be in charge of training you in the usage of yours and the trident's powers." says Salacia with a smile.
"Now come, we don't want to keep Lupa waiting." beckons Salacia
Swimming over to Neptune, Ambrosius salutes and says "It was nice meeting you father."
Neptune simply nods and makes his way back to his throne as Salacia places her hand on Ambrosius's shoulder and teleports them to the Wolf House.
"Lady Lupa!" Julia exclaims in surprise. Immediately all present legionnaires look up from whatever they had been working on. Most of them hadn't seen Lupa in years, just after their trial when she sent them to Camp Jupiter. The She-Wolf was standing tall and proud as usual, a boy standing by her side. He looks to be about ten years old, and his eyes scan the Campus Martius for any threats. While many legionnaires had been the same when they first arrived, the boy's scan seems to go far deeper than simply looking for threats.
"To what do we owe the honour?"
"I bring a new recruit for the legion," she says, "consider my word to be his recommendations."
"Of course, Lady Lupa," Julia bows slightly, "and who is the recruit?"
By now, a large majority of the legion has stopped what they were doing to watch the proceedings. Alex, co-praetor walks over, her fingers tapping the pommel of her gladius.
"This is Ambrosius Malphas, son of Neptune," Lupa says, and someone in the back gasps in shock.
"Son of Neptune…" whispers Alex.
"Is that going to be a problem" demands Lupa as her eyes narrow dangerously.
"Forgive our reaction. It's just the last time the legion had a son of Neptune it was disastrous. How long have you trained him, Lady Lupa?" says Julia as she steps in to defuse the situation.
"Ten years," the wolf-goddess replies "But it is past time he joins the legion. I can teach him no more."
"Ten years? By Mars! How is the kid still alive?" someone whispers, causing several others to snicker. Lupa's ears flick, a sign that she has heard whatever has been said. The son of Neptune simply looks in the direction of the whisper and raises an eyebrow.
"We will introduce him to the centurions shortly, my lady," Alex says, "but if we may first get a glimpse at his skills?"
Lupa didn't reply, instead turning to Ambrosius who simply nods.
"Very well," she says, "he will fight Azula. They are of an age."
Alex nods and turns to the pair. "Grab two rudii and-"
No," interrupts Lupa "they both have weapons. Let them use them."
Ambrosius turns to Lupa with a grin on his face and asks "Is that permission to use my trident?"
Lupa simply rolls her eyes and says "Yes child, that is permission to use your new toy"
With a bigger grin on his face, Ambrosius walks over to the training pit as the ring on his finger turns into a trident.
Lupa watches the boy she has come to consider a son walk away and whispers with a fond tone in her voice.
"Honestly between him and the twins, Romulus and Remus, I have no idea which one is the most in love with battle"
Seeing his friend for the first time in a year, the son of Neptune can't help the smile that comes to his face as he says "It looks like we're competing again Azula"
Azula merely rolls her eyes as she answers "We're always competing against each other Aquaman."
"You call me Aquaman as if I am supposed to take that as an insult." replies Ambrosius as he twirls his trident around him.
"Take it how you want to, it doesn't matter. Just know that I'm far more skilled than I was a year ago." she says while her ring turns into a gladius hispaniensis.
Ambrosius looks at the weapon intrigued, only for his eyes to widen when his powers inform him about everything pertaining to the weapon.
Looking at Azula, Ambrosius wants to question her on how she got her hands on Crocea Mors.
Before he can however, Julia walks in between them and speaks "The rules are simple. No maiming and definitely no killing. This fight will be fought using skills only. When I or my co-praetor say that the fight is over, that means stop and return to your corner. Understand?"
The two nod and immediately fall into their fighting stances.
Julia steps out of the ring and orders them to begin.
Immediately Azula shoots off towards her opponent at a speed that most of the present demigods can't follow. She opens her assault with a downward slash which is redirected widely to the left by Ambrosius' spear. Before he can counter attack however, she immediately steps back and changes her stance to a more defensive one.
Seeing this Ambrosius smirks and goes on the offensive. His first strike is a simple stab, followed by a sweep when Azula dodges to the right, then a slash to her sword arm that she dodges. The following exchange can only be described as phenomenal as the two twice blessed demigods exchange blows and the sound of metal striking metal echoes throughout the yard.
To many of the spectators it seems as if they are even, however Alex, Julia, Lupa, and a few of the centurions can easily tell that Ambrosius is holding back. Many times he went for an opening, only to force himself to stop when he realized that the inflicted injury may prove lethal. They also notice that Ambrosius is quickly adapting to the battle's non lethal terms and is quickly starting to gain the upper hand.
Before he can firmly gain the upper hand however, Alex brings an end to the spar.
"All right, cease!" Alex calls out, and they both step back. "Good job, both of you. That was an impressive battle."
Turning to her co-praetor, Alex nods.
"Centurions!" Julia calls out. The crowd parts as five men and women make their way to the front.
Olivia Haley is the Primus Pilus, the Centurion of the First Cohort, and the legions most senior officer under the Praetors. Norman Osborn is the Pilus Posterior, the Centurion of the Second. Then there's Kyle Tan, the Princeps Prior, Centurion of the Third. He is followed by Lucas Charles, the Centurion of the Fourth, also known as the Princeps Posterior. Finally, there is Ava Thomas, the Hastatus Prior, the Centurion of the Fifth, and lowest ranking officer in the legion.
"We have a potential recruit here, Ambrosius Malphas, Son of Neptune," Julia said, "you just watched him fight our very own Azula, Daughter of Jupiter. Now, the choice must be made for which cohort he is to join. Bear in mind, in lieu of recommendation letters, we instead have Lady Lupa's endorsement of the potential legionary. You have five minutes to discuss and decide."
Before five seconds can even pass Lucas Charles, Centurion of the Fourth, steps forward.
"We made our decision already, Praetor," he says "the Fourth will take Ambrosius Malphas into our cohort as a probatio tirone. Once his first year is up, we will induct him into the legion proper."
"And you all agree to this?" Alex asks the others, who nod. "Very well, probatio Malphas goes to the Fourth."
Last edited: May 22, 2020
Senatus Populusque Romanus
"So how do you want to do this?" asks Lucas to his fellow centurion.
Lucas, centurion of the fourth cohort, and Kyle, centurion of the third, are currently standing on the Field of Mars with their respective cohorts and Hannibal, the war elephant, standing a few feet behind them in formation. They are currently planning on how to win the upcoming game of siege.
The rules of the game are simple, one team, made up of two cohorts, defends a fortress while another team attempts to breach the fort, seize the banner of the opposing team, and take it out of the fortress. The defending team is given the fort along with an arsenal of weapons, including water cannons, scorpion ballistae, and iron portcullis, while the attacking team gets Hannibal the war elephant.
Today's game of siege is between the first and second cohort as team one versus the third and fourth cohort as team two, making it a very uneven match in the favor of team one. The situation is made even worse by the fact that team one is the defending team and gets to hide in the fortress. Usually the teams are far more evened out, however it seems that praetor Alex has something against the son of Neptune. Lucas doesn't know what it is, and frankly he doesn't care, he just can't wait for her to retire in two years.
"Normally I'd say to use one of diversion tactics, but ever since Azula joined the first cohort nothing has been able to let us get close to the fortress, especially when she decides to take inspiration from Jupiter himself and start throwing lightning bolts like they're going out of style. The field is just way too open for us to evade her storms." replies Kyle.
"That's it!" exclaims Lucas "Storm. We have our own stormbringer, we'll just have to count on him."
"Probatio Malphas?" questions Kyle "I don't mean this as an insult, but are you sure that he can compete with a child of Jupiter when it comes to summoning storms."
"It's the best option we have right now."
Turning to face his cohort Lucas commands "Probatio Malphas"
His call is answered by Ambrosius leaving his line and quickly approaching them. Ambrosius wears the standard legionnaire uniform of full roman armour, a short stabbing sword called gladius, a dart or heavy javelin called pilum, a pair of shoes with heavy metal cleats, a dagger called a pugio, the only thing missing is the thick heavy rectangular shield, which covers the entire body.
Stopping a few feet away from the duo, Ambrosius salutes before speaking.
"You wanted to see me sir." responds Ambrosius in a serious voice that Lucas has come to call his soldier voice.
How a ten year old can sound so serious is a question beyond him.
"When we spoke earlier this week you said that you've known Azula since you were kids and that a lot of your training was done together. If she starts a storm do you think that you could protect our cohorts from the worst of it?" asks Lucas.
"I can most certainly counter a general storm however, if she decides to target a specific person with a lightning bolt there is nothing that I can do to counter it." replies Ambrosius.
"Can you bring down the walls of the fortress or hide our advance from the enemy?" asks Kyle.
"Naturally I can do both. I can hide our advancement with a fog and bring down the wall with an earthquake." responds Ambrosius as he unconsciously stands straighter and slightly puffs out his chest.
Lucas raises an eyebrow. He's known the boy for a week, and this is the first time he's seen him display such pride, especially unconsciously.
"Good. I want you to hide our advancement for as long as possible, and to bring down the wall when I give the order." commands Lucas.
"Yes sir." replies Ambrosius.
Just as Ambrosius finishes answering, The whistle to begin sounds off.
Lucas nods at the son of Neptune to begin. The first sign of Ambrosius doing something is the glow of the irises of his eyes increasing slightly, reminding Lucas of a cat's eyes glowing in the dark. The second sign is the rumbling of thunder getting closer and the temperature in the atmosphere getting warmer. Eventually the sky over the Fields of Mars becomes completely covered in dark clouds as lightning flashes and thunder rumbles. Lucas can't help but look at the sky in awe, completely missing the mist rising from the ground.
By the time Lucas gathers himself to look back down, the Fields of Mars is completely covered in fog and the light from afternoon sun is completely covered by the storm clouds.
Lucas turns to look at the most dangerous ten year old alive, perhaps even the most dangerous demigod, and can't help the chill that crawls down his spine when he sees the wolfish grin on the child's face.
Gathering himself, Lucas turns to his fellow centurion who also seems slightly unnerved. While they've seen storms created by demigods before, Azula makes frequent use of them during war games, they've always been destructive storms that if you have enough warning you can steer clear of them. What Ambrosius has done however is potentially more dangerous. In a few seconds he completely changed the battlefield. While a fog by itself is nothing special, if it's used correctly it can have devastating effects, from making the enemy self-destruct due to not being able to see the battlefield, to setting up ambushes, and even helping your army retreat.
"I'll take my cohort along with Hannibal to divert their attention away from you." says Kyle.
"And I'll take my cohort to breach their flank." finishes Lucas.
With a nod to each other, they separate and return to their respective cohort.
"Alright, listen up!" orders Lucas "The plan is simple. The third will take Hannibal and attract the majority of the other team's attention to them. Meanwhile, we'll flank the fortress and breach their walls with our walking earthshaker. Any questions?"
While nobody has a question, the members of the cohort can't help but nervously glance at the son of Neptune standing next to him when Lucas says earthshaker.
Ignoring his cohort's nervous glances, Lucas gives the order to move.
The march itself is an uneventful affair other than the very low visibility. It however, could have been much worse without Ambrosius there to discreetly lower the fog and make it easier to see.
Eventually they start to hear loud banging noises coming from their far left, and are given the order to stop marching.
"How far away from the fortress are we?" asks Lucas.
"About twenty yards away" answers Ambrosius from his right side.
"How close do you need to be to bring down the wall?"
"I can do it here, but it will be messy. I need to be closer to be more precise."
Nodding, Lucas gives the order to resume the march. Soon they make it to ten yards away and stop.
Lucas looks to his right where he can barely see Ambrosius and nods.
"Bring down the wall" he says.
Ambrosius simply nods and closes his eyes to concentrate. Soon the earth begins to shake and the fourth cohort can easily make out the sound of the fortifications holding the wall up cracking. A few seconds later the fortifications break and that section of the wall comes tumbling down.
Approximately fifteen seconds after the wall breaks, a major gust of wind sweeps by the field, blowing away the fog and restoring visibility. Unfortunately for team one, the fourth cohort has already made it inside and are currently fighting the members of the second cohort that survived the effects of the earthquake and the wall crashing down.
Lucas surveys the battlefield as he knocks out a legionnaire using a shield bash. Naturally the battle is in the favor of the more skilled and organised second cohort.
"Leave the formation, and sneak inside to retrieve the flag" he orders Ambrosius who is fighting next to him.
Without saying anything Ambrosius discreetly slips away from the battle.
Circumventing the battle, he makes his way into the fortress. The design for the fortress is simple enough to be built in just a few hours yet still provide a basic defense from anything except aerial attacks and natural disasters. It is honestly just four walls that are built and connected to each other to make a square and armed with an arsenal of weapons, such as water cannons, scorpion ballistae, and iron portcullis. The inside is an empty square since it was designed with the idea of being built around the legion's camp.
Stepping into the square Ambrosius is surprised to see it empty except for the flag situated in the middle of the square, and Azula who is guarding it.
"You didn't think that it was going to be that easy did you?" asks Azula as her friend stops a few feet away from her.
"Honestly, no. I expected that Centurion Olivia would send you to guard the flag, especially after she found out that you couldn't disperse the fog. I didn't expect for you to be the only one however." replies Ambrosius.
"Well, the third cohort surprisingly managed to breach a section of the wall using Hannibal. How they were able to make it that close without us hearing the elephant coming is beyond me." answers Azula.
"What I wish to know however, is how were you able to stop me from blowing the fog away?"
Ambrosius simply smiles mysteriously and says "Trade secret"
Azula raises an eyebrow before disregarding his answer.
"Keep you secrets. However you probably spent a lot of energy on that trick, and creating that really precise earthquake to bring that specific section of the wall down didn't do you any favors." she says as she sheathes her legionnaire gladius and summons Crocea Mors.
"You don't have the reserves to pull things like that off unscathed yet, that means you won't be able to make any giant lightning bolts, earthquakes, and certainly no storms. You have to fight me with only your skills while I still have enough power to make a storm."
By the time she finishes speaking the sky is already further darkened with clouds and the roar of thunder rings much louder than before.
Ambrosius sheathes his legionnaire gladius and presses the gem on his ring, turning it into his beloved trident. Normally he would take her claims as a challenge and respond in kind. However he knows that she's telling the truth. The power he used to stop her from blowing away the wind was essentially a combination of his father's stormbringer's powers and his mother's ability to affect a battlefield. The technique isn't complete yet and is still a bit crude and inefficient to use energy wise, especially since he's still ten years old. Once complete the technique will be able to give him absolute control over the battlefield, from area of effect attacks such as storms, to precision strikes like targeting a specific person in a formation with a lightning bolt, and even knowing where exactly everything is on the battlefield down to a centimeter. Unfortunately it isn't complete, and he's still a ten year old.
However that doesn't mean that he can't win. He'll just have to be smart about it.
Without saying anything Ambrosius launches his trident at Azula. Azula quickly sidesteps the oncoming weapon, letting it fly past her and in the pole holding the flag behind her. Not sparing the trident a second glance, Azula rushes Ambrosius just as he conjures a perfect replica of Crocea Mors in his hand and sprints to meet her in battle.
Azula blocks the first stab and redirects it outwardly away from her, however Ambrosius quickly follows the momentum of the redirection and quickly turns it into another attack that she dodges. The battle quickly turns into a blur of practiced forms for the two as they block, parry, dodge, stab, redirect, stab. It seems as if they are evenly matched however, Ambrosius ducks under a stab and takes the opportunity to sweep her feet out from under her. Azula quickly recovers and uses the momentum of the fall to roll away from him before springing back to her feet.
As Ambrosius rushes her, Azula raises her sword to the air and smirks. Immediately a big lightning bolt falls from the sky and strikes her sword, and without missing a beat she redirects the bolt at her fast approaching enemy. Ambrosius, unable to dodge the oncoming strike, simply brings his sword up to guard as the lightning launches him off his feet and sends him flying back, straight through the wall of the fortress and onto the field.
Groaning, he slowly stands back up and surveys the now quiet battlefield. Azula's stunt with the lightning bolt did not go unnoticed, and now both teams have stopped their battle to watch the commotion. With another groan Ambrosius raises his arm over his head as he lets his conjured sword dissolve. To the spectators it looks as if he's simply raising his hand in surrender, however that's quickly proven to be false as his trident comes flying out of the sky and into his waiting hand, surprising the onlookers. The truly surprising thing isn't his trident, what really surprised the assembled legion is that attached to the middle prong of the trident is the flag pole with the flag of team one in it.
Ambrosius smirks as he brings his arm down and detaches the flag pole from the trident's prong and says "I believe that victory belongs to my team."
His words spoken, Ambrosius closes his eyes as consciousness leaves him.
Waking up, Ambrosius finds himself laying down on a bed that is most definitely not in the barracks. The room is painted white, with absolutely no decorations in it. Surveying the room he immediately sees Azula sitting on a chair next to his bed.
"How long have I been out." he asks as he sits up.
"About an hour because of your bullshit healing factor. Jake, that's the healer by the way, said that you'll have to stay overnight so that they can make sure that you heal properly, healing factor or not. Apparently they don't really trust anything other than proven methods to heal people, especially not some bs demigod power like a healing factor." she responds.
"Hmm, if my healing factor is bullshit, what does that make your ability to control sound? You can literally transmit the sound of your voice to anyone in a room and charmspeak them without the other occupants hearing. And that's one of the tamest ways I've seen you use it."
Azula merely shrugs, her face taking on a more serious expression than before.
"Alex is out to get you" she bluntly says.
"I've known since day one" he says with a scoff.
"It's worse than you think. When you passed out holding the flag it was decided that your team won, what you did with your trident was valid. Since it was you who won them the game, the fourth and the third were pushing for you to get your tattoo, but Alex was having none of it. However, Julia agreed and so did the first, and it was decided that once you're discharged from the infirmary you would be taken to the augur to receive your tattoo. Alex, seeing that she couldn't stop you from getting your tattoo, decided that she'll get her way by having given to you while you're unconscious. For some reason Julia didn't try to stop her." explains Azula.
Hearing what she said, Ambrosius immediately lifted his arms to check. Sure enough his tattoo is there, the abbreviation SPQR written over a trident is burned onto his left forearm. Seeing it should have brought him a sense of pride, especially since he probably has the fastest record for induction, it only took him a week. He arrived on saturday and received his tattoo on friday. However no matter how much he looks at it he doesn't feel that pride over his achievement.
While receiving the tattoo unconscious might not seem like a big deal, it is in fact an insult. When one receives their tattoo for the first time, it is because they have done something that Rome recognizes as worthy of mention. It's similar to when a child achieves something and the child's parents show it off to others with pride.
However, by giving it to him while he's unconscious, Alex is basically telling him that his achievement means nothing, that while he has accomplished something impressive, he himself is not worthy of it. She's spitting all over his accomplishments and everything he's done to achieve them.
Before he can fall too deep in his rage and obliterate the camp with an earthquake, Azula places her hand on his arm and calms him down.
"Don't worry" she tells him as a sadistic smile slowly grows on her lips. "She'll get what's coming to her. I promise."
Last edited: May 24, 2020
Retribution
AN: This is the last chapter where he doesn't have his memories. Next chapter he will and it'll be during the Sea of Monsters. --
"Why have you not dealt with that nuisance?" asks Salacia as she watches Ambrosius turn his trident back into a ring.
They currently are in The Lake, and have just finished his lesson for today, which mainly consisted of going over military strategies and a spar.
"It has been a year since your induction into the legion and her successful slight on your person. Why has that praetor not suffered your retribution yet?" continues Salacia.
Ambrosius simply raises an eyebrow as he answers "I find her attempts at making my life difficult rather amusing. She fails to realize that when she makes things difficult for my cohort during the war games, that she's also making it difficult for the third and the fifth, thereby helping me in the process."
"And how exactly does that help you?" asks Salacia with an intrigued expression on her face.
Having known her for a year now, Ambrosius can easily tell that she isn't asking because she doesn't know, rather to see if he is in fact thinking tactically.
"While the third, the fourth, and the fifth have never really had a problem against each other, they also have never really allied with each other. Her actions have given them a common enemy to ally against, and since I'm the target of her actions they have no qualms about befriending me just to spite her. In the future most of these legionnaires will be senators, thereby giving me allies in the senate. She's also making a mortal enemy out of Azula, the daughter of Jupiter that Rome as a whole favors."
Salacia nods her head, an expression of pride making itself known as she hears the boy she has come to see as a son explain himself.
"While that is true, your inaction has sparked whispers in your father's court. The water deities are, whether they be god or naiad, wondering why you, a prince of the sea, put up with her disrespect."
Ambrosius frowns as he asks "While I know that the gods pay attention to the legion's actions, I did not think that they paid such close attention. And even if they pay attention that closely, I do not see why my inaction has caused trouble since, ultimately, I will benefit in the future when I become a praetor."
"You do not honestly believe that once the upcoming crisis is over you will remain on the surface do you?" asks Salacia.
Ambrosius quirks his head to the side, a puzzled look on his face.
"Is that not my duty? To help Rome survive the upcoming crisis and serve as a praetor until I am able to retire should I survive."
"Do you truly think so lowly of your father and I?" asks Salacia.
"What do you mean? I hold the both of you in the highest regard." replies Ambrosius.
Salacia sighs and swims closer to her son.
Gently placing her hand on his cheek, she tilts his head up to face her, and gently strokes his cheek.
"Child you are far too important to the sea to be left rotting as a servant of Rome throughout your lifetime. When this crisis is over you are expected to join the family in Atlantis as a god."
Hearing her words, Ambrosius' eyes mist over as he fights back the tears.
"I…" he begins "I didn't think you cared. I just thought that the reason father sired me and the reason why you tolerate me is because I'm supposed to be Rome's weapon and nothing more."
Salacia once again sighs and gently envelops the child in a hug as the tears begin to fall.
"We care child, we care. It's just not in our nature as Roman gods to show affection." she says.
They stay there for a few seconds, until Ambrosius stops crying and slowly retreats from the hug.
"I will take care of the praetor, mother. I will do it soon and she will regret disrespecting the sea." claims Ambrosius.
"I look forward to it, son. Now go. Your lesson for the day has ended." replies Salacia with a smile.
Ambrosius bows and swims his way out of the lake.
Walking out of the lake, Ambrosius is met with the sight of Azula waiting for him by the lake.
"How did training go?" she asks.
"The usual" Ambrosius answers as he wills himself dry and begins to make his way to Temple Hill, where all the temples to the Roman gods are located.
"Why are you going to Temple Hill?" asks Azula as she follows next to him.
"I'm going to pray to mother."
Azula merely nods and they continue their walk in silence, enjoying the nice, sunny day.
While Ambrosius isn't as close to his mother, Bellona, as he is with his father, they still very much care for each other. Using dreams, she is the one who thought him how to use his abilities of telumkinesis, the absolute control and authority over weapons, and his all his abilities pertaining to war, such as his power over feelings and emotions, and his power over all forms of conflict whether they be mental, physical, or conceptual, with it he can start or escalate conflicts and draw power from them.
Arriving at the massive red crypt decorated with human skulls on iron spikes, Ambrosius can't help but wonder who was the idiotic architec to come up with the horrible design.
"What are you doing here?" a familiar voice says, interrupting Ambrosius' train of thought.
Recognising the voice of his most hated praetor, and the poor fool who's slated to feel his retribution, Ambrosius easily slips into his princely persona, and turns to face her as he puts his hands in his pants pocket.
"To pray to the gods of course. Why else would I be here?" condescendingly answers Ambrosius.
Alex can't help but sneer at his answer, never noticing the slight tinge of red that appears in Ambrosius' eyes.
"Oh? Have you finally come to beg for forgiveness for your slight against Rome?" questions Alex.
"Begging?" questions Ambrosius.
"I leave such degrading acts to plebeians like you. A prince of the sea does not lower himself to the standard of the lowborn." he says in contempt as he turns his nose up at her, the red in his eyes slightly increasing.
"Prince of the sea?" spits out Alex in a whisper "You are a bastard at best, maybe even an accident. All children of the sea, and even Neptune, are the same. Walking calamities waiting to destroy Rome. I don't know why Salacia puts up with your existence. She must be weak and reliant on her husband to live, like all of these goddesses that let their husbands cheat on them. At least Juno gets retribution whenever her waste of a husband cheats on her, unlike Salacia who takes it lying down, like a whore getting raped. Heck I don't even know why Jupiter hasn't already smitten Neptune, Rome doesn't need him."
By the end her rant the previously sunny sky has been completely covered in storm clouds, enveloping the world in darkness. Lightning flashes and thunder rumbles in ways never seen before in recent times, and the ground begins to shake.
"What are you doing?" questions Alex as she notices the shaking ground.
"Stop this immediately!?" she commands.
"It's not him." speaks out a feminine voice as the earth stops shaking, and the lightning and thunder ceases.
Turning towards the voice Alex, Azula, and Ambrosius see Lupa standing there looking at Alex with pity in her eyes.
"Congratulations child, you have managed to accomplish what none have accomplished before you." says the wolf goddess
"What?" asks a confused Alex
"You have somehow managed to anger not only Jupiter and Neptune, but also their spouses. As such, it has been decreed, for your offense against Neptune and Jupiter, you shall be punished."
Alex's eyes widen at the realisation of what she previously said and the repercussions of her words.
"I-I-I" stammers Alex, her mouth opening and closing in an attempt to speak, however her voice fails her and no sound escapes her throat.
"Jupiter and Juno have decreed Azula as their champion to decide your punishment, while Neptune and Salacia have decreed that you shall face Ambrosius in one on one combat tomorrow at noon. Should you win, you will be exempt from their punishment however, should you lose your punishment shall be decided by him." explains Lupa.
Her message delivered, Lupa begins to glow, prompting the demigods to avert their gaze, and leaves.
Alex stands there, dumbstruck by Lupa's words. Her previous sense of dread has been completely replaced with glee as she realizes that the ones to punish her won't be the gods, rather two eleven year old demigods that she believes won't be able to do her any harm due to her being more skilled than them.
She turns to Ambrosius and Azula with a smirk on her face.
"Since the gods have decreed it, I shall see you two tomorrow in the gladiatorial arena." she says as she turns to leave.
"And where exactly do you think you're going?" asks Azula with a sadistic smile on her face.
"I have yet to give you your punishment."
Hearing Azula, Alex stops walking and turns with a frown on her face.
"Fine. Let's get this over with. What's my punishment?" asks Alex.
"I noticed that you took pleasure in humiliating Ambrosius when you denied him the right to be awake when he received his tattoo. How about we make sure that you never feel pleasure again." says Azula
"You can't do that. Jupiter has no power over pleasure." says Alex.
Azula simply chuckles and walks towards Alex as her eyes begin to lightly glow pink.
"Alexandra Saxa you take pleasure in the pain and humiliation of others. For this, and your transgressions against the gods, I hereby curse you to never feel pleasure, whether it be sexual or otherwise, you may never feel it again, and may your heartbreaks amplify to unbearable levels."
With a rumble of thunder Azula's curse on Alex is finalized, and her fate is ultimately sealed.
Having said her piece Azula walks past a dumbstruck Alex towards the barracks, a snickering Ambrosius following behind her.
"That was surprisingly lenient." says Ambrosius
"I had to be. We wouldn't want her to commit suicide and escape her punishment."
"Hmm. True. I just wonder how I'm going to top your punishment." he replies.
"Good luck. What I want to know however, is how did you know that she was going to be there." says Azula.
"What do you mean?" asks Ambrosius.
"Don't play me for a fool. I know you well enough to notice when you're planning something, that look was on your face on our way to Temple Hill. I also notice you use your powers from your mother to make her blind with anger and bring her feelings of hatred to the surface. If it weren't for that there's no way that she would have spoken with such disrespect for the gods."
Ambrosius sighs "I honestly can't keep much from you after all."
"The truth is that I memorized her schedule."
"By the way, do you know why she hates anything related to Neptune so much?" asks Azula.
"As far as I can gather, one of her ancestors died during the earthquake caused by Shen Lun's earthquake in 1906. Apparently her ancestor had a child with Nemesis that swore vengeance on the children of Neptune." answers Ambrosius.
Azula stops walking and looks at him with an intrigued expression on her face.
"How did you even find that out?" she asks.
"When I use my abilities on others I don't just see whom or what they hold negative emotions towards, I also see why." replies Ambrosius.
The next day the entire Legion assembles at the Coliseum to witness Alex's battle against Ambrosius.
The Coliseum is a five story tall building that gleams in the sun next to the Circus Maximus, the horse racing arena.
As the members of the legion gather in the Coliseum, most of them, members of the third through fifth cohort, are surprised that it took this long for her to do something that resulted in a battle. While the members of the legion know that the praetor did something that resulted in her facing the son of Neptune in combat, none of them know how truly serious the situation is, which is why they are shocked when Lupa herself teleports into the arena between the two combatants.
"Legionnaires, you are gathered here to witness the trial of one of your praetors. For her transgressions against the gods, it has been decreed that she shall face their champion in combat. Should praetor Alex win, she shall be absolved of her crimes and receive no punishment. However, should she suffer defeat her fate lies in the hands of Ambrosius Son of Neptune."
Lupa's words immediately cause an uproar. The legionnaires can't believe that she would commit an act so egregious the gods would lay her fate in the hands of the one legionnaire who has a reason to make her suffer fates worse than death.
Before the crowd can become too loud, Lupa growls, quitting them.
"Combatants, you may begin." she says as she teleports out of the arena and into the upper stands designated for VIPs.
Alex looks at Ambrosius and can't help but frown. While she wears the standard legionnaire armor, with the exception of long pants and combat boots instead of a tunic and sandals, he's wearing black and ocean blue full body armor made from what seems to be an aquatic creature's armor consists of a tight and sleeveless blue upper body with black accents which outline his muscles, and on his arms are vambraces with fins over black sleeves that start from his biceps and end at his lower body of the armor consists of black armor padded pants that have two blue straps on his thighs, and greaves over his black footwear that stops just below the knee. Paired with his trident in his right hand, it's easy to tell that he's a prince of the sea.
Putting his choice of attire out of her mind, Alex rushes her opponent, sword and shield at the ready. Before she can get close enough for her sword to be effective, she is forced to block an incoming stab with her shield. Unfortunately her shield doesn't hold, and the trident spears through it and into her arm holding it before being withdrawn. With a pained cry, Alex unstraps the shield and discards it. Before she can return her focus to the battle her feet are swept out from under her by the trident, and a foot is slammed into her chest causing her to once again cry out in pain.
Looking up into the son of Neptune's contempt filled eyes, Alex can't help but feel like an insignificant ant.
"Truly, you are a disappointment. To reach the position of praetor and not know the basic rules of combat. What fool are you to ignore your opponent to discard your shield? While it may not have helped much in a head on confrontation with my spear, it could have easily been used to deflect it. I cannot believe that I have sullied my trident against a worthless fool such as you."
As Ambrosius speaks, his words resound throughout the arena, prompting many of the legionnaires who have never seen him act like this flinch. His demeanor has changed from what most of them have come to know.
Throughout his year as a legionnaire, many of them have seen different facets of his personality. When they are on duty he is the model soldier, from his stance to the way he responds to the superior officers, it is always how a soldier should act. When they are in battle, whether it be a spar or a war game, Ambrosius is always calm and collected, never letting the outcome affect his judgement. They have also seen him when they are off duty, then he is a nice person to hang out with and talk about comics and other pieces of fictional media.
This demeanor however, only Lucas, Kyle and few other legionnaires have ever seen it, and they secretly promised each other to make sure that they never incur his wrath enough for it to come out. They call it his ruler persona, due to it reminding them of how a king, or an emperor, would act. The one time they saw it was due to a retired legionnaire insulting his father, and Ambrosius proceeded to verbally tear the man down in a ruthless fashion, somehow knowing the man's every flaw and insecurities and using them to reduce him to a pile of tears.
"Yield mongrel." commands Ambrosius as he points his trident at her throat.
Alex however, has no intention of yielding, and attempts to use her sword to stab him. Her effort is met with a stab through the shoulder.
"Very well. If you will not yield I shall enjoy disfiguring you until you die screaming."
Hearing his words Alex's eyes widen and she immediately yields.
With a scoff Ambrosius steps off her and watches as she picks herself up from the floor.
Once she is fully standing, Ambrosius points his trident at her and dolls out her punishment with glowing sea green eyes.
"Alexandra Saxa, for your crimes against the gods I hereby curse you to never die by suicide with a weapon. Should you try to commit suicide with a weapon, or attempt to die by weapon in a suicidal manner, you shall fail. When you are on the verge of a victory in a battle that is personally important to you, your weapon shall fail you. I brand you an enemy of the sea and all creatures affiliated with it and Neptune."
With a rumble of thunder the curse takes hold.
Last edited: May 27, 2020
Quest
"A quest?" wonders Lucas.
He and the rest of the senate are currently sitting in the Senate House to discuss the upcoming quest. The inside of the senate house is designed as a semicircle of tiered seats facing a dais with a podium and two chairs. Sitting on the tiered seats are the senators, while the praetors sit on the two chairs on the podium.
"Yes. However, let me be clear, we are not gathered here to discuss whether to allow the quest, it was given to us by Lady Lupa herself after all. Rather we are here to discuss who to send on the quest." says Ambrosius from one of the praetor seats.
It has been five years since his battle with Alex, and since then he's changed from the mature child he used to be, to what most in the legion consider the perfect general. The most noticeable change about him is his physical growth. Standing at five nine, he cuts a handsome and regal figure in his praetorian armor, with his eagle medal and purple cape.
Sitting next to him, on the other praetor seat, is Azula, his co-praetor and girlfriend. Like him, she wears the standard praetorian armor. Unlike him however, she wears a purple toga with her eagle badge instead of a cape. She stands about an inch or two shorter than him, and has taken to wearing her hair in a warrior braid. All together she cuts a regal and beautiful figure, many in the legion have taken to jokingly calling her the empress to Ambrosius' emperor.
"What we are here to discuss--" she begins as she leans back in her chair and crosses one leg over the other "--is who will be going on the quest."
"What exactly is the quest?" asks Kyle from his seat next to Lucas.
"According to atlantean scouts, there has been an increase of monsters traveling by ship to reach the Sea of Monster. While monsters travelling by ships isn't exactly unheard of, what is alarming about the situation is the fact that now whole ships filled with monsters are traveling to one specific location. The quest is to travel to said location to gather intelligence." explains Ambrosius.
"I'm sorry," says a senator. "But did you just say that ships filled with monsters are traveling to rendezvous in a single location, and we're only finding out about this now? How did your scouts miss this?" asks the senator as he stands.
The question sparks a wave of agreements as the other occupants nod.
"It's simple--" says Ambrosius as he places his cheek on his palm "--they were smart about it. Unlike what you may think, the monsters did not travel in droves. They traveled using one ship a few times a year over the course of a few years. From what the scouts have gathered, it was approximately four to five ships per year, over the course of four years."
"Why can't the atlanteans just sink any monster ship that travels by sea? As a matter of fact, why can't the atlanteans complete this mission themselves? Why do we need to spill Roman blood to--"
Before he can finish his sentence, a weight seems to drop on him, causing the senator to be pushed back onto his seat.
"I would suggest that you do not finish that sentence Julian. You are very close to crossing the line. I believe that we had an agreement, correct? Unless you have something constructive to contribute, then your mouth remains shut. Isn't that right?" asks Ambrosius as he stares into the senator's eyes.
Julian's eyes wildly look around the room for support, only to, naturally, find none. The incident with Alex's words enraged Neptune and Salacia, especially since the majority of Romans seemed to somewhat agree that Rome has no need of Neptune, although they made sure to never vocalize it. Neptune and Salacia were enraged to the point that not a single body of water was safe for the Romans to venture in, not even a lake or river. After many near deaths by drowning, Jupiter had to step in before Neptune decided to cut his losses and drown the camp. In return for Neptune to back off, Camp Jupiter had to replace Neptune's fishing shack with a proper temple, and respect him and his family, naturally Salacia added her own terms about also respecting atlanteans.
Ever since then, whenever someone was caught disrespecting a god, or deity, under Neptune's banner, they were punished by said deity. After seeing citizens and comrades turned into dolphins, horses, or punished in some other way, the Romans have decided that anyone that would incur the wrath of the seas is to be kept as far away from them as possible, less they become collateral damage.
Realizing that no one is going to come to his aid Julian hurriedly nods yes.
Ambrosius holds the stare for a second longer before nodding and relieving the pressure.
"To answer Julian's question, the reason why Atlantis can not personally deal with them is because Ocean has decided to throw his hat into the ring and challenge my father for the right to rule the seas. He amasses his forces even as we speak."
Hearing this the senators can't help but frown. They know that a war is coming and that the Titans that have escaped Tartarus are leading the charge. They have been seeing the signs for years now, between the increased monster population and the attacks on their armories such as Fort Sumter, they would have been fools not to expect a war. However, they didn't expect for the Titans that were neutral in the first Titanomachy to side with their brethren now. This doesn't bode well at all.
"Alright, so who did you have in mind?" asks Lucas.
"I will personally be going." states Ambrosius.
"And who will be going along with you?" asks Azula.
"No one" he replies.
The room erupts into roars of disagreements as every senator makes their reason for disagreeing known.
"Silence" Azula calmly orders.
Immediately the room is plunged into silence.
With a satisfactory nod Azula turns to her co-praetor.
"Explain yourself" she commands with a small hint of charmspeak.
Ambrosius raises an eyebrow, and can't help the small twitch that threatens to turn his calm expression into a smiling one. Ever since they regained their memories, Azula has taken every opportunity to use her powers, even though anything mind related like charmspeak doesn't work on him. Ambrosius can't help but find it adorable, like a child playing with a new toy.
Turning back to the senators, Ambrosius explains.
"My reasoning is simple. The Sea of Monsters is simply a set of islands inhabited by dangerous monsters. Should anything happen I can merely sink the island I find myself on and survive in the sea. Having companions will only serve to hinder me."
The senators don't want to admit it, however he is correct and arguing further would just be stubbornness.
"Very well. When do you leave, and what will you need?" asks Julian.
"The only thing I will need is a ship, a pack of food, a first aid kit, and some ambrosia and nectar. I will be leaving tomorrow morning." answers Ambrosius.
"The ship will be no problem. The construction of the navy is complete, and any new ships built are just surplus. The other supplies are also a non issue. Everything should be ready tomorrow." says Kyle.
"There's no need to worry about the ship." says Ambrosius "The Sea of Monsters is in the Bermuda Triangle. I'll borrow a ship from the mortals when I get to Florida."
Lucas frowns. "How do you plan to get there?" he asks.
The praetor merely smiles mysteriously without giving an answer.
"Very well. Is there anything else that needs to be discussed?" asks Azula.
The senators look around the room, and seeing no one coming forward, Azula adjourns the meeting.
"Be careful." Azula tells me.
"Of course I will. I never take unnecessary risks. Who knew that living a life without a psychotic father and neglectful mother could make you such a worrier." I reply with a smirk.
She's clearly not amused. With a frown on her face she grabs me by the collar of my shirt, pulls me closer, and places her gladius near my throat.
"Listen well. If you die I will personally go to the underworld and torture you, not only for leaving me, but also for your weakness. And if I find out that you died by some pathetic monster's hand, I will double your punishment. If you die, then die by the hands of a worthy adversary. Understand?"
I nod slightly and wait for Azula to release me. It seems that she has a different plan however, as she stares into my eyes for a second longer before dismissing her sword, pulling me closer and kissing me. The kiss is slow, soft, and passionate. We remain there for a few seconds before separating.
"Don't die" she whispers.
"I won't" I reply.
Pursing my lips, I release a shrill whistle and wait.
"What was that?" asks Azula.
Before I can answer a neigh sounds out, followed by the sound of galloping, and finally the appearance of a horse. The horse is tall, perhaps taller than all other horses, mythical or otherwise, with caramel fur, black mane and tail, and brown eyes. The horse is Arion, Hazel's horse, that she frees from the Amazons in 'The Son of Neptune'. I saved him from getting captured two years ago on a supply run to Fort Sumter. As payment, he's agreed to do me one favor.
"So you finally decided to use your one favor, uh shithead?" speaks the horse.
I take a deep breath to prepare myself for Arion's dirty mouth and horrible attitude before turning to Azula and saying goodbye one more time.
"Alright you insufferable creature, the favor is simple. Take me to Florida and your debt will be paid." I tell the horse as I climb his back.
"Florida?" he neighs "That's fucking far you inferior sea spawn. Are you trying to get me killed from exhaustion? It'll take a long ass time to get there."
It hasn't even been a minute, and I can already feel one of my eyebrows twitching in annoyance. Taking a deep breath, I place one hand around his neck and squeeze with enough force to make it uncomfortable, but not enough to hurt.
"Listen here you little shit. I know for a fact that you can make that trip in three hours and not break a sweat, so do your job and we can part ways so that I may never have to suffer your unbearable presence ever again. As for that comment about me being inferior, I'll let it slide on account of the fact that you can't die." I say through gritted teeth.
"Fine, fine. What a fucking shit show of a world, a horse can't even speak his fucking mind without being threatened." he replies.
"Just go already." I sigh as I release his neck.
The trip to Florida took about three hours, just as predicted. It was mainly uneventful, except for that one time Arion tried to be smart and drop me off at the border of Florida and Georgia. I had to force him to drop me off at the coast.
As I make my way to the ocean, I make sure to hide myself from the mortals in the Mist. Imagine my surprise when I found out that my energy bending from avatar translates to being able to manipulate the Mist on the same level as a child of Hecate.
Once in the water, I swim to a yacht of average size and climb in. Inside I find the captain who seems to be about to bring the yacht into the shipyard.
Stopping short of his personal space, I tap his shoulders to get his attention.
"Excuse me." I say.
He turns to face me, a surprised yell on his lips. Before he can make a sound however, I snap my fingers and manipulate the mist to make him think that he sold me the boat; making an antique sword and giving it to him as payment before sending him on his way. The antique should sell for about a hundred thousand dollars, more than enough to reimburse him.
Making my way to the wheel, I grip it and immediately know how to operate the ship. Without putting much thought into my actions, I set the boat into gear towards 30,31N;75,12W, the coordinates for the Sea of Monsters, and boost the boat's speed with a wave.
"You really do take after your father." comes a voice behind me.
Without thinking I immediately turn towards the voice, an imperial gold replica of gae bolg from Fate/Stay Night already formed in my hands before I even complete my turn. Before the spear can skewer the speaker however, a shield manifests in its path. Before attacking again I take a look at the speaker and immediately recognize my mother, Bellona.
"A bit jumpy aren't we? Then again if you hadn't reacted to an unannounced intruder, then we've failed to train you properly." she speaks as her conjured shield dissolves.
"Interesting design for a spear. I've never really tried to change the appearance of my conjured weapons, just their function and the type of weapon." she says as she notices the spear.
With a sigh I dissolve the spear.
"Mother. To what do I owe the pleasure?" I ask as I perform a standard Roman salute of a fist over my heart.
"I've come to wish you luck, and to give you a task." she replies
Putting my hand in my pockets, I nod to let her know that I'm listening.
"In the Sea of Monsters, there is an island not inhabited by monsters. Circe has made it her home and the home of her maidens. Also on the island, are males that have been turned into guinea pigs by Circe. Normally the island is peaceful, however a passing traveler has turned all the men back to their human forms, and now they are ravaging the island. Some of Circe's prisoners are demigods, such as Blackbeard. I usually wouldn't care about what happens there, but lately a pair of demigods have made the island their home. They are your sisters, Hylla and Reyna. Go to the island and bring them to the wolf house." she explains.
"How long has it been since the breakout?" I ask.
"A few minutes." she replies.
If things were still going according to canon I wouldn't worry, however things are more brutal here, far too similar to actual greek mythology than a children's book. With the way things are here I wouldn't be surprised if Blackbeard raped them instead of letting them go.
"Can you teleport me there? I wouldn't put it past a pirate like Blackbeard to rape them." I say.
Her eyebrows furrow in thought for a few seconds before looking up at the sky, as if waiting for some signal. Whatever she was looking for must have been found because she grabs my shoulder.
"This is the only help I can give you in your quest." she says as she teleports us.
Last edited: May 29, 2020
Older Brother
"Reyna! Reyna! Reyna where are you!?" screams Hylla as she navigates through the multiple corridors of C.C.'s Spa and Resort.
Her footsteps echoes throughout the hallway and her breath comes in small huffs as she sprints to find her sister. She needs to find her sister and leave the island immediately.
Things had been going so well, she had finally found a safe place for her sister and they were living a peaceful and good life. Sure Circe made it a habit of turning all men that stumbled onto the island into guinea pigs, but why should she care. The island was everything that they could ever want, beautiful, full of resources, classes on different subjects, including magic, and most importantly it was safe. Things would have kept going well if it wasn't for that stupid girl and her boyfriend releasing all the guinea pigs and turning them back into humans.
Now the males are free and ravaging the island, worst of all she also released Blackbeard and his crew, the most dangerous pirate in history.
As Hylla makes a right, she bumps into a smaller body, sending them sprawling to the floor.
"Reyna! Found you! We need to leave. Now!" exclaims Hylla as she recognises the body of her little sister.
Not giving her sister time to ask any questions, Hylla grabs Reyna's arm, pulls her to her feet and pulls her along as she makes a run for the building's exit.
"What's going on? Why is there fire coming from the makeover rooms? And why are we leaving?" hurriedly asks Reyna as she tries to keep up with her sister.
"Blackbeard escaped." Hylla simply answers.
"What!?" exclaims Reyna as she pulls her arm free of her sister's grip and stops running.
"Why are we leaving? We should go back and help Lady Circe! We can't just leave her to them, they'll hurt her!"
"Go back?" questions Hylla as she turns to face her sister. "Go back and do what? Help how? If we go back then they'll capture us, and I don't want you put in that kind of danger. Let's go, Circe is a goddess, she'll be fine" says Hylla.
Reyna however won't budge. She shakes her head and prepares to turn around, only to bump into someone as they grab her by the neck.
"Heh Heh Heh, well looke what I be findin' here fellas. Two little birdies that be tryin' to run" a gruff voice sounds out behind Reyna, causing her eyes to widen and her body to lock up.
"Hylla?" whimpers out Reyna, fear evident in her voice.
Hearing the fear in her sister's voice, Hylla can't help but grit her teeth in anger. One thing that Hylla has always hated, is her inability to protect her sister whenever they find themselves in dangerous situations. That's why she decided to settle here, because it was safe.
"Let her go!" exclaims Hylla through her gritted teeth.
"No, I don't think that I be doing that. Not for free anyway. Maybe if you be paying someway…" sneers the pirate as he lewdly traces her body with his eye.
"Heh Heh Heh, those be mighty fine pieces you find Tatch. But you can have the bigger one, I be taking the little one off your hands." says Tatch's friend as he walks out from behind him.
The pirate that walks out from behind Tatch bears a striking resemblance to him, to the point that it's easy to tell that they are twins. Tatch is the taller of the two, standing at about six feet tall, with grimy and dirty black hair that reaches his upper back, a black beard that reaches his collarbone and covers his mouth, and brown eyes. While the other pirate stands at around five feet ten inches, they both only wear brown pants tucked into black boots with a dirty gray sash acting as a belt, with a pair of daggers strapped in it. Their upper body is completely bare, showcasing their hairy and scarred torso and arms.
Hearing the second pirate's words almost causes Hylla to lose her rational and attack them without a plan or weapon. However, her sister's safety came to mind and she reigned in her anger. Knowing that the only way out of the situation would be to make them lower their guards before taking advantage of it, Hylla tries to make herself seem as weak and non threatening as possible before slowly taking a step forward.
"Look. Why don't you let my sister go, and I'll come with you. Why would you even want her? She's ugly, small, and a cry baby. She's a hassle to take care of, trust me I know." slowly says Hylla.
Tatch frowns and looks down at Reyna. Sure enough, the girl really is small. Not only is she small, but she's also not that developed. What hit the nail on the coffin for him however, is the fact that she's crying with snot coming running down her nose.
"Yuck." says the pirate with a look of disgust on his face. "I be forgetin' that I hate brats. Especially snot nosed brats."
Tatch's partner, who had been excited at the prospect of spending time with Reyna, can't help but also look on in disgust as snot runs down Reyna's face while she silently cries.
"Alright" says the partner. "You win. So why don't you come over here and we be letting her go after."
"No." says Hylla. "You're pirates, why would I take your word for it."
"Smart lass" says Tatch with a chuckle before throwing Reyna next to her sister. "Now come over here, or we be taking both you and your sister." says Tatch as he takes a dagger from his belt with his right hand.
Following his hand, Hylla looks at the weapon. Immediately a surge of information rushes into her head. She knows everything about the weapon, from it's history, to materials, and even how to best utilize it.
Hylla has experienced this before. The first time was when her father showed her his guns and knives from his time in the Navy. She's known about the skill however, after arriving on Circe's island she's never paid it any mind, naively choosing to believe in the safety of the island. Now she wishes that she'd taken the time to train and learn.
Taking a deep, Hylla calms herself down and slowly makes her way to Tatch.
"Good lass. Come over to Tatch, I be giving you a good time. No need to be scared." says Tatch as he lecherously licks his lips while imagining all that he'll do to her.
Arriving in front of Tatch, Hylla slowly raises herself on the tip of her toes and slowly leans in to kiss him while ignoring the other pirate's whistle of approval. Stopping her gag reflex once their lips touch, Hylla brings her right hand to the back of Tatch's neck to deepen the kiss. Seeing Tatch completely invested in the kiss, Hylla slowly brings her left hand to his right hand and slowly takes the dagger from him before plunging it in his neck. Before anybody can react, Hylla breaks the kiss, removes the dagger from Tatch's neck, and impales it in the other pirate's forehead with a throw.
With satisfaction in her eyes Hylla watches on as the pair fall to the ground dead. Once assured of their demise, Hylla quickly makes her way to her sister, who's no longer crying.
"Good job with the acting." says Hylla as she tightly hugs her sister.
"I knew that you didn't mean what you were saying." replies Reyna.
Before Hylla can even respond they hear footsteps coming from both ends of the corridor.
"Well, well, well. Look what we have here." comes a voice from behind Reyna.
"Looke like Tatch and Jack get themselves killed captain." replies a voice behind Hylla.
Noticing that they are surrounded, Hylla can't help but curse herself for forgetting the fact that all the hallways in the compound have more than one entrance. Just because she had her back to one entrance doesn't mean that she was safe. Ironically, it was designed like that to give the occupants multiple avenues of escape, now it will be the cause of her and her sister's capture.
"I can't believe that those two idiots managed to get themselves killed by a pair of little lasses." says the first speaker.
Taking a good look at him, Hylla can easily tell that he is the infamous Blackbbeard. Standing at six feet five inches, Blackbeard cuts an imposing figure with his bulging muscles, dark eyes that are further enhanced by his black hair that reaches his shoulders, and a black beard that forms around his lips and reaches his chest. He wears a black triangle hat on his head, a black shirt and pants that are tucked into brown boots, a grey sash for a belt that holds a cutlass, and a red overcoat that reaches his knees. Over his shirt he wears a holster that holds two flintlock pistols and a dagger.
Taking a knee in front of her, Blackbeard grips her face and turns it from left to right as he inspects her like some merchandise. Hylla tries her best to appear non threatening in hopes that she will be able to replicate her previous feat, however she can tell that he's not taking a chance.
"You're a pretty lass, but there's nothing special about your looks. Maybe if you're good enough I'll make you my personal wench and save your sister for when she's older." he says as he lets go of her face and stands up.
"Heh Heh Heh. How bout we sample the goods for you captain. We can break her in until she knows what to do."says a pirate from behind Blackbeard.
It is at that moment that a red barbed spear stabs through his throat.
"The next scum that even looks at my sisters the wrong way will be skinned alive and thrown in the sea." says a voice from behind Blackbeard.
Before Blackbeard can react a chain wraps around his throat, drags him to the floor, and chokes him while a foot covered in an ocean blue boot with greaves stomps on his head.
"Edward Teach, also known as Blackbeard. Perhaps the most infamous pirate to ever live, and son of Ares. It is my extreme displeasure to make your acquaintance." speaks the voice with utmost contempt and disgust.
Now that Blackbeard isn't blocking her view with his height, Hylla is finally able to get a good look at her self-proclaimed brother.
The person is a handsome teenager of about sixteen years old. He stands at around five feet eight inches, with brown skin, curly midnight black hair cut into a fade at the sides, slightly glowing sea green eyes, and high cheekbones that give him aristocratic features. He wears a black and ocean blue full body armor made from what seems to be an aquatic creature's scales. The armor consists of a tight and sleeveless blue upper body with black accents which outline his muscles, and on his arms are vambraces with fins over black sleeves that start from his biceps and end at his knuckles.The lower body of the armor consists of black armor padded pants that have two blue straps on his thighs, and greaves over his black footwear that stops just below the knee. On his back he wears a purple cape hanging from his right shoulder and pinned by an eagle badge. His right hand holds a barbed red spear with an intricate design going down the shaft, while his left hand tugs at the chain wrapped around Blackbeard's neck.
"And where do you mongrels think you're going?" speaks their savior as he looks behind the pair of girls.
Looking behind her, Hylla can see that the group of pirates behind her, numbering around five, had been attempting to flee. However, it seems as if something is forcefully holding them in place and turning them around to face the stranger.
"Now that I have your attention, here is how this is going to play out. You are all going to draw your weapons and commit suicide." he says.
"N-n-n-no!" struggles out a pirate.
"There's no point in resisting. I am literally controlling your body through your blood." says the teenager as the pirates slowly draw a weapon each, most picking a dagger, while two draw their pistols.
"Besides, I wasn't asking." he says.
With a bang, the pirates die and their bodies fall to the floor as if whatever force was controlling them let them go.
Hylla nervously turns to look back at their savior to see him inspecting Blackbeard as if he were something that the teenager didn't know how to get rid of before pulling the chain tightly, and with a sickening crack snaps the pirate's neck.
"Now that the trash has been disposed of, allow me to introduce myself" he says as the chain and spear dissolve into nothingness.
"My name is Ambrosius Malphas, son of Neptune and Bellona, and your older brother." introduces Ambrosius.
Before Hylla can answer, Reyna runs towards the boy.
"That was cooooll!" exclaims the twelve year old girl, prompting Ambrosius to chuckle and gently pat her head.
Last edited: May 30, 2020
Quest Completion
"Do you two need medical attention?" I ask as I pat Reyna's head.
Hylla picks herself up from the floor and shakes her head no.
"Thank you for the save, but we need to leave now before any more pirates come." she says.
"Yes we do need to leave, however I wouldn't worry about the pirates anymore." I reply as I turn around to exit the corridor. "Follow me, we will commandeer one of the ships to leave the island."
They follow me, although I can tell that Hylla does so reluctantly. Reyna on the other hand seems to have no qualms about following me. I wouldn't be surprised if they are both subconsciously using some of the war powers that come along with being a child of a war goddess. Reyna is probably using our abilities to feel ill intent, while Hylla seems to know instinctively when someone can pose a threat far too dangerous for her to handle. Soon enough we reach the corridor's exit, and make our way outside.
"Did you do all this?" asks Hylla as she sees the numerous dead bodies strewn all over the ground.
"Yes. I did." I reply.
"How? How did you not get overwhelmed by them?" she asks
"Most of them are mortals, and none of the demigods here could pose a threat to even the weakest member of the Legion." I reply
And that is mostly true. Blackbeard's crew and the rest of Circe's prisoners were mainly mortals with a few demigods that can be found here or there. Demigods that never received any official training, other than the odd one or two.
"The Legion?" Hylla's voice breaks me out of my train of thought.
"Yes, the Legion. The army of demigods and legacies that protect Camp Jupiter, a safe haven for all Roman demigods and legacies." I reply.
"Is that where we're going?" asks Reyna as she looks up at me.
"Yes it is." I reply.
Honestly, it's really weird meeting child Reyna. Every time she speaks I keep expecting strong willed and stoic Reyna to be the one speaking, instead I hear her childlike voice and remember that she's twelve and hasn't even started her training yet.
"I see." says Hylla "Tell me about the Legion" she asks.
Hearing her question I can't help the small smirk that comes to my face. She just experienced something traumatic and already she's looking forward. With a will like that, I'm not surprised by the fact that she quickly became the leader of the Amazons.
Arriving at the dock, I noticed dozens of ships docked there. Most of them are clearly from the golden age of pirates, but some of them are in fact from more modern eras, like the navy frigate with holes all over its hull. However, one ship above all others catches my eyes, a large wooden ship equipped with square sails and oars. The planks, held together with rope, expanded in the water, making the vessel watertight. The ship is clearly of Egyptian origin and does not belong here. How it got there is beyond me, and I couldn't care less than I already do.
Making my way into the ship, I notice that it's surprisingly in good shape for such an old ship.
"Alright. We'll take this boat, so you two can just sit while I navigate this." I tell the girls as I concentrate to make the boat sail itself.
To be honest, I have no idea how this power works. On the yacht, all I did was grip the wheel, and I had complete control over the ship. Taking a chance, I crouched on the floor, placed my hand on the ship, and tried to replicate my earlier feat. Immediately I know everything about the ship and how to operate it and all of its functions. As I familiarize myself with the ship, I begin to learn it's history, and just like that everything makes sense.
The ship belongs to an Egyptian magician. He had been running away from something when he was forced to duat travel, the ability to travel through the Duat and arrive at one's destination in the mortal world in a short span of time. In the Kane Chronicles, Amos used this ability to travel from London to Brooklyn, NY, in a few hours. However, unlike Amos this magician went a step further. Instead of doing the magic himself and using the boat as a vessel for travel, this magician enchanted the boat to be able to do it itself as long as someone is feeding magic, or the Mist, into it.
With a smile I will the ship to leave the dock and to go deeper into the Sea of Monsters, while I expand my domain, the same ability I used to gain complete control over the battlefield during the game of Siege where I earned my tattoo. I've long since completed and mastered it. From now on the ship will travel all over the Sea of Monsters while I scan the islands with my domain. Normally my domain has a set range of one mile if I'm not on a battlefield, if I'm on a battlefield it can grow to encompass the battlefield and an extra one mile to survey outside of the battlefield. On the sea however, I still haven't found a limit without suffering from information overload, and I don't think that it has one.
Taking a seat I turn to face my companions, who are looking at the moving ship with intrigue, and sit down.
"I'm sure that you have many questions, so ask." I say.
"You called us your sisters, but the last time I checked we didn't have any siblings from our father's side so that leaves the godly side of things. What makes you think that we are related?" says Hylla.
"Our mother told me. If it wasn't for her, you wouldn't catch me anywhere near Circe's island. That goddess is a detriment to every male's health. She makes Artemis from ancient times look tame, and that's saying something." I reply.
Hearing me speak about her former patron in such a light makes Reyna frown. She goes to speak, however her sister does before her.
"Our mother? Circe told us that she knew nothing about her, other than the fact that she is a war goddess. Who is she, and why didn't she help us when our father went crazy?" asks Hylla with a frown.
Though she tries to keep her cool, I can easily tell that she isn't exactly happy with our mother. However it seems that it's due to the gap in her knowledge.
"She did help you. How do you think that you made it to Circe's island? Do you honestly believe that you just magically stumbled upon the one non dangerous island in the Sea of Monsters of all places?" I ask with a raised eyebrow.
I leave Hylla to her thoughts and turn to Reyna. Her frown is still there, but much lighter than before.
"What is it chibi?"
"I don't know what that means, but I don't think that I like being called that." Reyna answers as her frown deepens.
I can't help but chuckle at her response.
"Alright. What is your question?" I ask
"Who's our mother, and what is she like?"
"Her name is Bellona, and she's the goddess of war. Personality wise, I'd have to say that she is caring to those she feels are worth, but has absolutely no idea how to express it. She's also pretty vengeful when someone angers her, and doesn't care about anyone who hasn't earned her respect or love." I answer
"How do you do that? Earn her love and respect, I mean." she answers.
"Well as her daughter you already have her love. As for respect, in my experience, being a great warrior or general seems to do the trick."
By this point Hylla seems to have quelled her inner turmoil and is listening intently.
"Is it really that simple to earn her respect?" asks Hylla.
"As far as I know, yes." I answer.
She nods and seems to think of more questions to ask, however her sister is the one who does first.
"Earlier you said that you're the son of Neptune and Bellona. Wouldn't that make you a god?" asks Reyna.
"No. I'm not a god. Basically what happened is that Neptune and Bellona both took their essence, mixed it together, and used it to impregnate a demigod daughter of Apollo. Because she was only half god, I have mortal blood in me, making me a mortal." I reply.
"What?" asks Reyna with a frown "That is confusing. What is essence anyway?"
"The best example I can give you is that it's the god's version of DNA. Except it doesn't follow the rules of what DNA should be able to do and not do. Don't ask me anymore because I don't know anymore than that." I reply.
My answer seems to have confused her even more, but she seems to discard it after a few seconds.
"What does that do? Having three quarters god blood in you instead of one half." asks Hylla.
"From what the gods have been able to figure out, I'll stop aging at around twenty five, physically I'm as powerful as the strongest minor god, and in terms of raw power I'll be in that weird phase of being more powerful than the minor gods, but less than an Olympian."
The sisters stare at me in disbelief, and to be honest I don't blame them. However, what I failed to tell them is that this would be me if I only had my godly blood going for me. In reality I'm much more powerful physically since before being born in this world I was already at a low superhuman level, comparable to people like Deathstroke and captain america. The godly blood has stacked on to that, making me far more powerful physically than the gods have anticipated. And that's not even taking my other abilities like biotics, firebending, or even my mental abilities that make it seem as if I have a sharingan. If I take everything I can into account, then I can go toe to toe with the Olympians if they don't use their godly form, and that's without using my trident, a perfect replica of my father's, one of the most powerful weapons in existence.
"Why are you telling us this? Aren't you afraid that we'll tell others?" asks Hylla.
"Well no." I say with a chuckle "First of all I'm telling you this to show that you can trust me. Don't think that I haven't noticed the wary gazes you send my way. Second, who are you going to tell? The gods already know, the other demigods can't do anything about it, and anyone who's an enemy of demigods will kill you before you can say the word secret." I reply
The rest of the trip is spent on questions about the Legion, Camp Jupiter, and what powers they get as children of Bellona.
It's about three hours into the trip that I feel it. An island heavily shrouded by the Mist. Getting up, I navigate the boat towards it before stopping a few yards away.
"Stay here. No matter how long I take, stay in the boat." I order them.
Hylla seems reluctant to agree, however one look at her sister makes her agree.
Seeing them comply, I dive into the water and propel myself onto the shore.
Once on the shore, I place my hand on the ground and feel out the vibrations. This power is essentially me using my father's earthshaker powers to "see" just like Toph from avatar.
The island itself is big, too big for my domain to encompass it. It is also filled with monsters, however that isn't the problem. The problem is that they're moving like an army instead of individuals. Some of the formations that they're using can be easily identified as Roman. Seeing that this is the most information I'll be able to get this way, I retreat back into the sea, expand my domain as much as I possibly dare to, and focus all of my attention onto the army.
The army is mostly made up of cyclops, giants, not Gaea's kids, hellhounds, and empousas. However, there are some monsters that don't belong here at all, like the trio of basilisks and the Minotaur. As far as I know basilisks come from Polybotes, and the Minotaur should still be in Tartarus.
Shifting my focus, I look to another shore and immediately notice the armada of ships. There's about dozens of them, and they're all big enough to carry the monsters to Camp Jupiter.
Deciding that I can't let this army attack Camp Jupiter, even if Azula and I can demolish them, I swim back to the ship and navigate it to the shore of the island.
"What are you doing?" asks Hylla as I jump out of the ship and into the island.
"This island is a training camp for monsters. I am going to sink it." I reply.
"What? We won't survive something like that!?" she exclaims.
"Don't worry. You won't be harmed. Now silence, I need to concentrate." I reply as I form a bubble of water around the boat
Taking a deep breath I, I dig deep into mine and the trident's well of power. Once I do, I can feel everything in my father's domain at once. Raising the trident into the air, I begin to summon the biggest storm I possibly can. Straight away the sky darkens as thunder rumbles and lighting strikes the island. It isn't enough however, and I dig deeper, deeper than I ever have. Soon enough the island, and the surrounding miles, are enshrouded in darkness as the thunder and lightning worsens and a torrential downpour begins.
Turning my attention to the seas, I begin to push all forms of water away from the island and form it into a wall around it until I can make out the ocean floor.
By this point I can feel the strain of using this much power, and it honestly hurts. It feels as if I am burning myself up from the inside, but I can't stop yet. I need to be completely certain that the army will be destroyed.
Slamming my trident into the ground I focus on the island itself and bring about the most powerful earthquake I can. The ground rumbles and shakes as the earth splits and displaces.
Focusing upwards once more, I increase the charge in the clouds and build up the biggest lightning bolt possible. I continue this course of action for a few seconds, even as I feel my limit being reached and my very being burning up, and with one last effort I let it all go.
The miles long wall of water crashes into the island just as it splits. The sea submerges everything for miles, and it takes all of my concentration to keep the bubble protecting the ship up. Soon enough the lightning from the cloud strikes the sea, electrocuting everything for miles. If it wasn't for my ability to keep myself dry I would have also been electrocuted.
Ignoring the crashing waves and the turbulent sea, I make my way into the boat, stab my trident into the floor of the boat, and use my remaining energy to form a protective bubble of divine energy around it just as exhaustion catches up to me and I slip into unconsciousness.
Last edited: May 31, 2020
NOT A CHAPTER, BUT PLEASE READ
So I've been re-reading my story from start to finish, and while it isn't atrocious, it definitely could be better. Now while I haven't made groundbreaking improvements as a writer, I still feel that I can write a much better story.
So the plan is to either:
A) Rewrite the jumpchain (with the same jumps)
B) Write a new story based on what fandom you guys pick
C) Write a jumpchain with new jumps
OR
D) Continue this story.
Comment the letter that corresponds with your choice.
Also there's a discord server that I've joined recently. It's for writers, readers, and beta's to basically meet and help each other out.
Here's the link: discord.gg/V54pcwA
Results
Alright so the results are in. I'll be continuing this fic since that's the clear winner out of all the options in SpaceBattles, SufficientVelocity and Webnovel. The new chapter should be out sometime later, so look out for that.
Also I have another fic in the planning phase for when this one is almost over. It's a campione fic with elements of the nasuverse and highschool dxd. If you guys have an idea you want to share, or something you would like to see in it, private message me, comment it to let me know.
Repercussions
"*Hi*" speaking in Latin --
Ambrosius' act of sinking an island, about the size of Hispaniola, did not go unnoticed. Many deities took notice of the major storm that appeared out of nowhere in the Sea of Monsters. At first, many thought that someone in that general area had angered Zeus to the extreme.
However once the sea rose into the air to form a wall miles high surrounding a specific island, they knew that this was no act of the King of Gods, nor was it an act of the Lord of the Seas, for neither Neptune or Poseidon would use such a crude method to sink an island. While Poseidon and Neptune don't make it a habit of sinking islands, they both have still done it at least once. Both times that an island has sunk due to either Neptune or Poseidon, it was due to them quite literally sinking the island, with no storms or massive waves of water involved.
Having figured out that neither Zeus nor Neptune/Poseidon were the ones responsible for it, they looked to the next possible options. It didn't take them long to figure out that Ambrosius was the one responsible for it.
High up in the sky of New York City, a mountain floats over it. This mountain does not connect with the ground and cannot be detected by mortals due to the Mist, but is connected to the mortal world by a space elevator. It hovers above the Empire State building. It possibly exists in another dimension, due to it floating with its great mass over a mortal city undetected.
At the top of it is a large city containing the palaces for the Olympian gods, goddesses, and residences for many minor gods, other creatures and beings of Greek and Roman mythology. It is here that the gods commune, each having a massive throne, which are collectively arranged in a reversed U shape.
As the seat of power of the Olympian gods it is of vital importance. Should the thrones be destroyed, Olympus would crumble and the power of the gods would be severely weakened, making them vulnerable to their enemies. In theory, if it were destroyed and the Olympians regained enough strength, it could be reformed. In the meantime, they would be vulnerable to their enemies. It is unknown how the destruction of Olympus would affect the minor gods.
Currently in the throne room of Olympus, also known as the Hall of the Gods, the Major Olympian gods sit together holding a meeting in light of recent events.
The Thrones of the gods stand in a U around a hearth, starting with Zeus/Jupiter and Poseidon/Neptune's thrones as they are the most powerful Greek/Roman gods. Normally Hades/Pluto does not have a throne, however as he is present at this meeting a guest throne has been prepared. From Zeus/Jupiter and Poseidon/Neptune's thrones the goddesses sit on the left side of the hearth and the other gods sit on the right side, while in the center Hestia sits, tending to the hearth. High above, the blue ceiling can be seen glittering with constellations.
"Does anybody know who caused that island to sink and why?" asks Zeus.
Before he can answer however, Neptune arrives in a swirl of sea water and takes his seat. Seeing Poseidon in his Roman aspect startles the other deities a bit, before they too quickly change into their respective Roman aspects.
"*Brother*" says Jupiter in latin as he looks at Neptune "*it is nice of you to finally join us.*"
"*Forgive my late arrival. Before arriving here, I found myself somewhere in the Sea of Monsters. I believe that as Poseidon I had business there before Ambrosius' actions caused me to permanently settle as Neptune.*" replies Neptune in latin.
"*Interesting.*" says Juno "*I had expected that the Ambrosius had a hand in the island's sinking. However, going by the proud smile on your, it is quite evident that he himself is the cause of the island's destruction.*"
Hearing her words, the throne room explodes into sounds of protest as the Roman deities struggle with believing her claim that Ambrosius managed to complete a feat on par with Neptune himself. However, even while they doubt, they can't help but notice the evidence staring them in the face.
While the gods are normally in harmony with both of their forms, this can change if their Greek and Roman children begin to know about, resent, and finally declare war on each other. Because both camps would call their godly parents for help, both their Roman and Greek forms would be at odds with each other, giving the gods splitting headaches, indecision, and focus problems.
They are also slightly schizophrenic tendencies. If, for example, a god in his Roman aspect appears before a demigod who thinks about the god in his Greek aspect, the god's form will flicker back and forth from his Roman and Greek forms, causing intense headaches until the god is able to settle back into one form.
The gods' different aspects also have very little knowledge of the actions of the other. Mars, for example, has no recollection of ever fighting Percy Jackson while he was Ares, his Greek form.
However, when an individual god's child shows or highlights a brave act, or impressive feat, they will settle into one aspect of themselves. This easily explains why Poseidon arrived as Neptune instead of Poseidon.
Desiring order, Jupiter causes a thunderclap, quickly silencing the room.
"*Now that you are all acting like the gods you are, we can discuss this in an orderly fashion. I do not see why you are all appalled. Him and Azula were specifically born to be as powerful as gods without the constraints of the divine laws hindering them. They were made to guide Rome in the upcoming trials.*" says Jupiter
"*Father, while that is true, their growth in terms of power is faster than I predicted*" replies Apollo
"*Even as the god of prophecy, you are not infallible my son. You have made mistakes before on topics that you have had more knowledge on. It is not surprising that you would make a mistake on a more obscure topic such as this.*" replies Jupiter
"*Father is correct brother.*" speaks Diana, Roman goddess of the hunt, the moon, woodlands and childbirth.
"*Ambrosius and Azula cannot be expected to abide by the norm. They do not fall under any conventional category, supernatural or otherwise.*" she says.
Apollo makes to speak, however he is interrupted by Mars, also known as Ares to the greeks.
"*Minerva, what did you find out with your research?*" he asks a distracted Minerva.
Hearing Mars' question, Minerva, Athena's Roman aspect, is knocked out of her daydream, and takes a second to gather herself before answering.
"*Well, as far as I can gather, they will reach their peak at around twenty five years old. It will also be when they will stop aging. Other than that, Ambrosius seems to indeed be a reincarnated hero. Pluto and I believe that he is a reincarnated Romulus.*" she answers.
Hearing the name of Rome's founder, the hall becomes quiet as the gods process what they have been told. After a few seconds, Mars can't help but lean forward and ask.
"*What? How?*"
This time it's Pluto, God of the Dead, Wealth, and the Underworld who answers.
"*While it is true that Romulus was deitified by Rome after his death, the truth of the matter is that he never accepted godhood, choosing instead to go to Elysium and being reborn sometime in the future.*" he says.
"*But he never did choose to be reborn. We had all thought that he was satisfied with Elysium and wouldn't try to reach the Isle of the Blessed.*" answers Mercury, Hermes' Roman aspect.
"*You are correct, to a certain extent. Sixteen years ago, he vied for rebirth and was instantly accepted. I never knew because I had still been swamped by the paperwork from the last world war. It was not until Minerva brought the possibility of Ambrosius' rebirth did I look for souls that were reborn, and found Romulus' name in the list.*" replies Pluto.
Mars stares at him for a few seconds, contemplating what he's heard, before letting out a deep and mirthful laugh.
"*Heh, I can't believe that the little brat would go for rebirth without informing me, his old man. Even a little prayer would have sufficed in letting me know. That does explain a lot of questions about him though.*" says Mars as he gathers himself.
"*Indeed it does*" says Juno "*While his nature is different from his previous reincarnation, the way he carries himself is very reminiscent of Romulus' self confident and imperial demeanor.*"
"*I have to somewhat disagree.*" interjects Diana. "*While he is more laidback and far calmer than Romulus, we can still see the bleeding effect from being the reincarnation of Romulus. I have made stops to the Legion with my huntresses. The way he commands them in battle, trains them, and his treatment of his enemies is an almost perfect emulation of Romulus' regal demeanor, and far too natural to be anything less than the original."
"*While this is fascinating, is no one going to address the elephant in the room?*" asks Apollo.
"*Yes. We need to talk about how my daughter's boyfriend almost killed himself with that stunt. It would have been such a shame to break up such a power couple. Honestly, I haven't been excited about a pair of lovers tearing things up together since Helen and Paris.*" says Venus, also known as Aphrodite.
Hearing her speak, the other gods can't help but roll their eyes at her. Unlike the other Olympians, Venus does not suffer from having more than aspect, as love is the same universally.
"*Indeed*" says Jupiter as he ignores Venus. "*That display of power almost killed him. While it is true that he is three quarters god, his body cannot endure channeling the full might of an Olympian, especially not one as powerful as you brother.*"
"*What are some of the repercussions that we can expect him to suffer from this?*" asks Neptune.
"*Well*" begins Apollo "*the real question is, is he in a safe location? Because after channeling that much power, he will be in a coma until his body recovers.*"
"*He will be fine. I had an atlantean magician use his boat to transfer him and his companions to New Rome.*" replies Neptune.
"*Good. Because I don't know how long he will be in the coma. Other than that, you can expect him to have to retrain his powers, they will be more powerful now that the potency in his divinity blood has increased.
What he did was literally burn out part of his mortality with divinity to achieve that level of power. Also, wielding that trident did not do him any favors.
All it achieved was make it easier for him to use his divine powers. If he ever pulls a stunt like that again, the divinity in his blood will completely burn out his mortality, and his body will explode from the sheer amount of power that he is channeling. You have to remember that his body is very much a mortal one.*" explains Apollo
Hidden inside a yacht, in the room of a certain demigod son of Hermes, lies a sarcophagus that makes the room colder and darker. In the sarcophagus, the remains of the Titan Lord Kronos slowly regenerates as more and more greek demigods renounce the gods and join his side.
Currently, the Titan Lord of time is contemplating a problem that has just made itself known. Three days ago a massive storm struck the Sea of Monsters and almost killed Perseus and his friends, luckily Poseidon intervened and saved him. At first he thought that it was the work of his traitorous son Poseidon. However, after carefully examining the residual divine energy that spread out, he was able to determine that the storm was most likely the result of a demigod child of Poseidon's Roman aspect.
At first he was troubled by who it could possibly be, however he quickly remembered receiving reports of a Roman demigod son of Neptune making a name for himself by turning the third cohort into a better cohort, surpassing even the first cohort in ability, whether it be in skill, discipline, or combat prowess. Then that very same centurion became praetor, and things went downhill from there.
It started out as the legion hunting down monsters, whether they be hordes or individuals such as chimera. Then they started attacking Kronos' budding army in the west, and soon enough Mount Othrys became the only safe place for his growing army, that is now too small to attack New Rome.
Originally Kronos had planned to send the bulk of his forces to attack the Greeks, but after Ambrosius' latest stunt he decided to send the bulk to attack the Romans along with a few titans, including Krios, Koios, and Perses.
Originally he didn't want to remove Perses from Tartarus due to his love for wanton destruction, but it seems as if he will have to. As far as Kronos is concerned, the world will be his even if he has to rebuild it from the ashes piece by burned piece.
Invasion
AN: For some reason this chapter was difficult to write, idk why. Anyway we are about halfway through the PJO arc and the next one is the nasuverse, and the end of my more detailed story notes. Since I haven't written my character's (or Azula's) profile as servants, I would like you guys to leave ideas on what their skills and noble phantasms should be. --
"It's peaceful" says Azula as we make our way through the streets of New Rome.
"It is." I answer back. "It's too bad that it won't stay like this. The titans unfortunately won't let us live in peace."
"Hmmm. Unfortunately for them, we are prepared." replies Azula.
And she couldn't have been more correct. In our time as Praetors, we've changed a lot about Camp Jupiter. The Legion, which previously could only field about two hundred soldiers, now numbers around five hundred, with many of the previously retired Legionnaires coming back into service in preparation for the upcoming war. Other than the retired Legionnaires returning, the other bulk of our forces come from legacies entering the Legion earlier than they planned, most of them being around the age of twelve.
"You're thinking about our logistics again." says Azula as she interrupts my train of thought.
"I am." I reply. "Even though I know that we are more than ready, I cannot help but feel as if I missed something."
Azula turns her head to face me and raises an eyebrow.
"Interesting." she says "What do you think that you missed?"
"Alex's death. Something about it has been bothering me." I reply
"What about it? According to Julia she died in the middle battle during a monster hunting exercise, and her body was damaged beyond recovery. She was buried on the battlefield." replies Azula.
"Except none of us were there to witness it. I was in the Sea of Monsters, while you were in Camp Jupiter. If it weren't for the fact that Julia decided to let Alex do whatever she wanted during their tenure as praetor, I would have believed her. However, we both know that Julia let Alex walk all over her out of some misguided feeling of owing her life to Alex." I reply
Azula stops walking and turns to face me.
"You do know that you are basically accusing her of treason." she says.
"And I would not put it past Julia to do it for Alex. How long has it been since Alex's death? About a year and a half?" I ask as Azula nods in affirmative.
"A year and a half, and not once has she mourned, or asked for leave to mourn. If it was not for a lack of proof, I would have already dragged her to prison."
"Fine. Say she did commit treason, what do you think she did?" asks Azula in exasperation.
"Desertion. I think that she helped Alex desert. Normally I wouldn't care since they are supposed to be discharged. However, we recalled all veterans back into service during our second year as praetor, one year after we were elected and started the reforms. From there she spent another two years in service under us, learning everything new that we implemented, whether it be combat formations or defense protocols. Then, Julia returns from a standard monster hunting exercise, with feelings of guilt practically hanging from her, claiming that Alex died and that she couldn't recover the body, and had to bury her on the battlefield. Lastly, and this is definitely the most damning piece of evidence, Julia has not mourned a single day, or asked for leave to mourn. Maybe it's the Batman training in me, but something about this isn't right." I reply.
"You may have a point." she answers "However, we have more important matters to worry about. Besides it has been a year and a half since then, the Legion, and the camp's defenses have evolved."
"I know. It's that I just wouldn't put it past a child of Nemesis, the literal goddess of vengeance, to fake her death and come back to attack the camp just to get to us." I reply.
"Good, now stop worrying for a day, and let us enjoy our first day off in a while." she says as she pats my cheek before turning around and walking towards a cafe.
Before we can even make it to the door, the ringing of bells sounds throughout the camp, alerting us of an incoming attack.
Before Azula and I can react, a voice rings out from behind us.
"Praetor Ambrosius, Praetor Azula, an invading army is coming from the Little Tiber." says the voice.
Turning around, I immediately come face to face with Leila, optio, or second in command, of the fourth cohort.
"How?" I question.
"We don't know sir. The only reason that we know about the attack coming at all is because the army set off the traps we put under there." she replies.
"Very Well. Return to your cohort and send a messenger out to deliver my orders. All cohorts are to split into squads, half of those squads are assigned to the Caldecott entrance, a quarter are assigned to New Rome, and the last quarter is with me on the Little Tiber." I command.
Without missing a beat, Leila salutes and runs back to the fourth.
"It seems that the war is officially here." Azula says as she faces me. "You can leave the Caldecott entrance to me, go deal with Ocean's forces."
"What I wish to know is how he managed to maneuver his troops into that position to begin with. As far as I know, none have been able to find it's entrance, nor where it goes once it reaches The Lake." I say
"We will figure out how later, right now we have an army to destroy." replies Azula with her sadistic grin.
Without saying anything, I nod and begin to sprint towards The Lake while Azula makes for the barracks, not even bothering to go back to the Principia, home of the praetors, to get our armor. After becoming praetor, one of the first rules we changed was the uniform. Previously members of the legion could wear casual clothes under their armor, however Azula and I noticed how impractical it was to wear jeans and sneakers to a war. Therefore we changed the rules, making it so that in times of war, or impending war, all legionnaires must wear a mandatory uniform of military issued combat pants and boots at all times. What shirts they wear is up to them, as long as the color is purple. Even I abide by that rule.
Arriving at The Lake, I immediately notice a group of legionnaires standing at attention waiting for me.
"Archers mount that wall. Prepare the water canons, and arm the scorpion ballistae. Everyone else's assignment is simple, make sure that nothing climbs these walls, and protect the archers should anything make it up." I order as I arrive.
When I went over Camp Jupiter's defenses with Azula, one glaring weakness made itself known, the Little Tiber. While it is true that no one in camp knows where it leads to, that doesn't mean that our enemies wouldn't know how to get there and use it to their advantage. Therefore, starting from The Lake, to the mountains, where we could go no further, a fifty feet tall wall was built on each riverbank, and armed with siege weapons. The lake itself is also surrounded by the wall, with only an iron portcullis serving as an entrance point from The Lake to the camp.
By the time I finish giving out orders, I can feel the enemy nearing the armed part of the walls with no indication of them slowing down in sight. From estimation alone, I can tell that the siege weapons won't be enough to stop them from making it to the portcullis, breaking it, and going into Camp Jupiter.
Making my way onto the wall, I walk over to the man in charge of this group of squads. Justin, a twenty five year old son of Mercury, legionnaire veteran, and one of the most skilled swordsmen in The Legion.
"Julian, you are in charge of the wall. I will be in the water minimizing the amount of monsters that come through. Should it seem as if the defense here will end in failure, regroup with the legionnaires defending the Caldecott Tunnel and stop them from going any further." I order before diving into the river and swimming over to the opposing army.
From my position in the water, I can tell that the opposition's ranks are mainly made up of sea serpents, cyclops, and mermen, most likely from Oceans' court. The cyclops should be easy to outmaneuver, especially in the water. The sea serpents and mermen however are a different story. They have a certain maneuverability that I will never be able to replicate under water, not even as the son of Neptune. Their bodies just have a certain flexibility that a human body cannot replicate.
Swimming down the river, I quickly arrive at my first opponent, a cyclops. Without giving him time to react, I summon my trident and behead him. I pay him no mind as he turns into dust and attack the next one with a stab through the chest. Evidently this army of monsters has absolutely no idea how to fight as a unit underwater, a fatal mistake that will cost them.
Having figured out my opponents' weakness, I no longer hesitate, and attack them with no mercy. I swim under a club aimed at my face, prompting it to hit a merman in the ribs, and maneuver myself behind the cyclops and stab him through the head, killing him. Floating to the right, I evade a sword stab, and retaliate with a conjured spear through my opponent's throat.
From there I begin to move into the enemy's ranks while dodging and evading every blow, and parrying those I cannot into an enemy. Naturally I know that this tactic will not take care of this army, however that is not my objective.
Judging that I have made it far enough into the enemy's ranks, I set about putting my plan into action. First I sent an omnidirectional shockwave throughout the water to give me space. Then I concentrate on every lifeform in the river, and with control over the river itself I pull them towards me and hold them in place. Once all enemy combatants have been immobilised, I begin to drastically increase the water pressure.
As a son of Neptune, I cannot be harmed by water. Whether it be water pressure, temperature, or suffocation, it does not work on children of Neptune/Poseidon. While cyclops are also children of Poseidon, for some reasons their gifts from him are not as extensive as they are for his demigod children, I have no idea why, and frankly I couldn't possibly care less. Mermen and sea serpents also suffer from this limit, and I plan on taking advantage of that weakness.
Soon enough I hear cracking noises as the water pressure begins to break bones. The first enemy to die is a cyclops exploding in a puff of dust, followed by another, and eventually they all die, leaving only the sea serpents, and mermen, who by now are spitting blood.
The second group to die are the mermen, as their ribs break and impaling their hearts, leaving only a dozen or so enemies.
As I begin to increase the pressure again, a voice interrupts shouts out at me.
"My lord, my lord, please have mercy!" exclaims the voice.
Raising an eyebrow, I survey the surviving enemies with interests clear on my face. As I study them, I notice one of them staring at me in earnest with pleading eyes.
"Mercy, you say. Were you not part of the army that invaded my home with the hopes of destroying it and eating us?" I ask it.
"We were only following orders. Surely you must understand!" it pleads.
I swim closer to the creature and look it in the eyes.
"Naturally I can understand having to follow orders, hence why you are about to die without being tortured. Sure the death may not be painless, however it is the best I can do given the circumstances. A storm would damage the camp, killing you one by one would take too long, and I don't want to take any chances by electrocuting you. Who knows what will happen when lightning strikes these mysterious waters." I reply
"Perhaps a bargain then?" asks the serpent
"A bargain? Interesting. That would depend on how valuable the information you have is. If it is worth it I may even let you live, if not I shall at least give you a quick and painless death as thanks." I tell him.
Joy overcomes its eyes before it composes itself and talks.
"The Titans are coming soon. Koios, Krios and Perses, they're coming. I heard Lord Ocean talking to them. He says that he should be finished with Atlantis by this time next year to join them in next year's attack. He wants to capture you my Lord, to make you his slave as an insult to your father." he says.
"Koios, Krios and Perses you say? Interesting." I mumble to myself before once more focusing on the serpent. "You have earned your life. However, from henceforth you are to stay in The Lake and never leave the camp's boundaries. Understand?" I ask.
The serpent simply nods, and I let him go before turning back to the other creatures in my grasp, only to realise that they died during my conversation with the serpent. Not paying them any mind, I make my way back to The Lake with the sea serpent following behind.
Arriving at the portcullis, I launch myself into the air, using the water as a booster, and land on the wall.
"Julian" I command "Report"
He immediately makes his way to me and salutes.
"The Caldecott entrance was not attacked, and we have suffered no casualties or injuries sir. Also legionnaires Grace and Ramirez have returned from their supply runs, and Praetor Azula wishes to see you in the Principia." he reports.
"Good. From now on I want the wall to be patrolled at all times. Every cohort has one month of wall patrols, figure out the rotations among yourselves." I order before making my way to the Principia.
The principia is a two-story wedge of white marble with a columned portico like an old-fashioned bank with Roman guards standing out in front of it. Over the doorway, hangs a big purple banner with the gold letters SPQR embroidered inside a laurel wreath.
Inside, on the ceiling glitters a mosaic of Romulus and Remus under Lupa. The floor is polished marble. The walls are draped in velvet, along the back wall stands a display of banners and wooden poles studded with bronze medals, and military symbols.
In the center is one empty display stand for the eagle standard lost in Alaska by Michael Varus. In the back corner, a stairwell leads down and is blocked by a row of iron bars like a prison door. In the center of the room, a long wooden table was cluttered with scrolls, notebooks, tablet computers, daggers, and a large bowl filled with jelly beans. Behind the table, there are two high-backed chairs meant for the Praetors, and where Azula is currently sitting.
"I see you made it back without even a scratch" she says as she gets up from her seat and makes her way to me.
Hugging her by the waist, I pull her in close and kiss her. We remain there for a few seconds before separating.
"Did you know that Hylla is now the leader of the Amazon's. Apparently Reyna and Jason ran into her while on their way back from their supply run." says Azula.
"I'm really not surprised. There's a fire in her, it'll take her far. However that's not why you wanted to see me, is it?" I answer.
"Of course not. I just wanted to spend some alone time with you and knew that if I didn't say that I wanted to see you, you'd most likely spend the rest of the day training before coming to bed dead tired." she says as she makes her way to our bedrooms, a slight sway in her hips as she walks.
With a chuckle I follow her to the bedroom, already knowing what she has in store for me.
Prelude to War
So this chapter was annoying to write simply because I had to describe his new armor. Since I'm pretty sure that I did a horrible job of it, here's a link to the picture of his armor: Also don't forget to comment ideas for his skills and noble phantasms for the nasuverse.
It's been a tense year since the attack on camp, and for once I finally have time to relax. I'm currently laying down under The Lake, enjoying some peace and quiet. The date is August 11, 2009, the day of Percy's attack on the 'Princess Andromeda' and of Charles Beckendorf's death. It's also four days before the Battle of Manhattan begins.
Normally knowing all of this information would be useful, however a few factors make it so that the information is close to useless for me.
For one I am in the Roman part of the story, the part that is spectacularly vague about how the war went on the Roman front of things. The only thing that is known for a fact is that Jason defeated Krios, the only Titan there, and destroyed Kronos' throne in Mount Othrys. However the information is no longer useful as Krios is now joined by Koios and Perses, which brings me to my second hindrance, canon is no longer the same.
Not only is there the possibility of ROB changing things, but I have changed so many things since coming here that I've given up relying on my foreknowledge for anything. My first major change was upgrading the camp's defenses and having The Legion actively hunt down monsters on the west coast. My second major change was sinking a whole island in the Sea of Monsters and attracting Kronos' attention to Camp Jupiter. In canon Kronos' had sent the majority of his forces to attack New York. However, ever since the Sea of Monsters, I've made myself into a bigger threat than Percy by forcing all of the Titan's Lord forces on the west coast to hide in Mount Othrys. I honestly wouldn't be surprised if Beckendorf survives his and Percy's assault on the 'Princess Andromeda' simply because the majority of Kronos' forces are either dead or positioned in Mount Othrys to attack Camp Jupiter.
"My Lord. What has you so lost in thought?" says a strikingly familiar voice, interrupting my thoughts in the process.
I open my eyes and turn to face my visitor.
"Portunus, to what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?" I ask.
Portunus, also known as Palaemon to the Greeks, is the god of sharks, harbors, sailors, and one of the commanders in Neptune's army. Currently he takes the form of a speartooth shark, one of five known species of true river sharks, an extremely rare and threatened species.
"I have come with a gift from Lord Neptune and Lady Salacia. They wished to personally present it to you, however the war is currently at a crucial point and they are needed there." replies the shark as a rectangular box materialises on the ground.
"I understand." I say.
"I must be going now." he says with a bow before disappearing in a flash of light.
Swimming to the floor of the river, I open the box to see a set of armor and a note over it.
"Since you have outgrown your previous armor, both of your mothers and I have decided to give you that will grow with you in preparation for the upcoming battles. These will be far more dangerous than ever. According to our sources, Ocean has set the Carthaginian Serpent to attack the mortal city near Camp. This battle will not be easy. No matter what, do not hold back. Remember, The Carthaginian Serpent is a 120 foot snake that emerged from the River Bagrada in North Africa to confront General Marcus Atilius Regulus and his troops during the First Punic War. The only reason the Legion managed to defeat it is because they had a mountain of rocks to bury it under. You will not have that advantage. ~N" reads the note
Putting the note down, and momentarily ignoring the fact that I will have to face one of the most dangerous sea serpents to exist, I turn my attention to the armor in the box.
Similar to the first piece of armor I received, this one is also colored blue and black. Unlike my previous one however, this armor is split into pieces. The first piece is a sleeveless blue cuirass made of an unknown material with horizontal lines going down it and a single vertical line that travels through them, five black sea shells going across the chest. Attached to the cuirass are blue tassets to protect the upper thigh, and a cloth that hangs between the legs. On the left tasset are five purple sea shells, while the right has one.
The legs are one piece separated into two colors, with the division occurring just above the knee. The top is made out of the same scales as my previous armor, colored black, and ending at just above the knee. The bottom covers from the knee down to the ankles and made from the same materials as the cuirass.
The boots are colored blue, reaching just under the knee, with the part of the feet covered in a grey armor that makes it indistinguishable from the greaves that go over the part of the boot that covers the shins.
The pieces that go over the arm are similar to the old armor. There are two blue vambraces, with a single fin each, that go over two black sleeves that start from the biceps and end at the wrist.
The final pieces of the armor are two pieces of purple cloth that can be used for a cape, a black belt that is suspiciously in the shape of Aquaman's symbol, and a blue circlet for my head, no doubt signifying my status as a prince of the sea.
Closing the box, I picked it up and made my way out of the lake to prepare for dinner.
"Lady Lupa, it is good to see you." says Azula as we bow to the wolf goddess.
The Legion had just finished another game of siege after dinner, when the goddess appeared.
"Likewise. Unfortunately this is not a simple visit." replies the goddess. "I bring with me grave news. The enemy is officially on the move. A majority of their forces have left Mount Othrys and are on their way to the camp as we speak. Their time of arrival should be around two days. However my wolves and I shall run interference, you can expect to have an extra day to prepare at most."
"We will be ready." I answer.
"Do not be hasty. This, unfortunately, is not the end of my report. As you know, Ocean and Neptune have been at war with each other for the better part of two years. From your spy's report we know that he expected to win the war in time to join the Titan's army assault on the camp, naturally he failed and is still fighting the war. In fact, from Neptune's reports, we know that Ocean is being pushed back and will not be able to join his brethren."
"Isn't that good?" asks Jason from behind Azula.
"Normally, yes. However, seeing as he won't be able to join himself, he sent the Carthaginian Serpent to attack the mortal city of San Francisco. The atlanteans have attempted to intercept it to no avail. It will arrive in time to aid the Titan army in their assault of the camp." explains Lupa.
"Well shit." says Reyna as she voices everyone's thoughts.
"Crude, but aptly said little one." answers Lupa.
"You have three days at the most to prepare, do not squander it." says the wolf goddess before leaving in a flash of light, prompting us to avert our eyes.
Looking over the cohort, I can tell that most of them have already come to terms with the fact that the deciding battle for the war's outcome is coming. For years we have battled against the enemy in skirmishes, like the battle in the Little Tiber a year ago. The battles started out a year after my fight with Alex, when Azula and I took over as praetors.
At first it was simply us hunting hordes of monsters to give the Legion real life and death experiences. Then, a few months after my trip in the Sea of Monsters, the monsters became organised and even started to employ mortal mercenaries. It was easy for Azula and I to figure out that Atlas had been freed, he isn't called The General for nothing after all. However, despite the enemies' organisation and newfound tactical prowess, we were prepared. I had been drilling military formations and tactics from every era in history into the minds of the legionnaires for years in preparation for Atlas' release. Naturally that didn't make them as proficient as Atlas, however it definitely reduced the number of casualties we've received by a large margin compared to if we stuck to Roman tactics only.
Studying the faces of the veterans, I can easily tell that they have accepted the fact that they may not survive the upcoming battle. Many of them have lost friends, comrades, brothers and sisters in arms, and some even their blood relatives. I can feel many of their needs for revenge, and frankly I don't blame them. The battle in the Little Tiber was not the last attempt to circumvent the camp's defenses and enter through the lake. Over the single year that passed since then, I haven't always been available to fight alongside them. The casualties during those times easily outnumber our casualties in other skirmishes. Eventually I had enough and completely diverted the river's path coming from the mountains away from camp. While that didn't stop the attacks, it certainly reduced it to a significant amount. After all now that the river no longer reaches the camp, the monsters have to get out of the river and walk from the mountain to the camp. The amount of monsters that can survive in both sea and land are in the minority, with the cyclops being the most populous.
However, not all of the legionnaires have experienced enough life and death battles to immediately mentally prepare themselves for the upcoming one. Naturally they are not as confident as the more experienced members of the legion. However behind that uncertainty, lies a fire of conviction. A conviction to fight for Rome and to make its enemies bleed. Like the veterans, they have felt the sting of casualties, and like the veterans they too want to make the enemy pay dearly.
"Legionnaires!" I scream, bringing all their attention to me. "In three days the enemy shall arrive at our steps in an attempt to subjugate us. You know our pantheon's history, you know what the Titans and their army of monsters are capable of. I have no need to tell you what the consequences of failure will be. You all know. Unfortunately for the Titans, we are ready. We have been preparing for years, even before we knew for a fact that a war was coming, because it is who we are. It is in our blood, we are the swords and shields of New Rome, and woe betide all those who stand against her."
Last edited: Jun 7, 2020
War
Link for Azula's armor: Also don't forget to post ideas for Azula and Ambrosius' skills and noble phantasms.
Azula looks down at her armor on her bed. She had received it three days ago before dinner, around the same time as Ambrosius received his. Her brother, Cupid, had stopped by while she was filling out some paperwork in her office. It would appear that she and Ambrosius were originally supposed to receive a pair of spartan armor each, however Neptune and Venus opposed the idea vehemently. Why? She doesn't know, and frankly she doesn't really care. She does wonder however whether ROB had something to do with this, or if it's just a natural part of really living and affecting whatever world they're in.
Shaking her head free from such distracting thoughts, Azula begins to arrange her hair into a warrior's braid, leaving two bangs to frame her face similar to how she wore it back in her home world. With that done, she begins to put on her armor.
Ambrosius' armor is made up of the skin of a mythical sea creature, coated in a flexible some unknown metal, and charmed with for extra flexibility and durability. Her armor however is made up of the same metal, except it has gone through a forging process instead of just being used as a coating. Like his however, her armor is charmed for extra flexibility and durability.
The first piece to go is the ebony colored battle skirt that covers part of her black padded leggings. The skirt itself ends at her mid thigh, with a purple belt, that slightly glows, to hold it to her waist. Following that are her knee high boots that clack against the wooden floor along with their greaves. The boots themselves are in the exact same design as Ambrosius', with hers being all black.
Next, she puts on her chest plate that is composed of a purple eagle whose wings are spread, under black shoulder pads. Purple padded under shirt comes out from under the breast plate and ends at the wrist, where the dark grey vambraces cover them from her elbow to her wrist.
Then she puts on the helmet that covers the majority of her head while leaving her lips and eyes exposed. Finally she puts on her dark purple cape with highlights that glow purple every few seconds.
Having put her armor on, Azula executes a few of her firebending katas, only to notice that Ambrosius is correct. The armor barely weights anything, feels like a second skin, and doesn't restrict her movement at all. In addition, she can already feel the cape's enchantment at work. According to Cupid, the cape is supposed to help her control the wind better, and to fly.
Once her armor is in place, Azula makes her way out of the praetors' quarters to the Caldecott Tunnel, Camp Jupiter's only official entrance.
Arriving at the entrance, Azula is glad to see the first and second cohort already there, posted just before the entrance and standing in formation.
Not wanting to go through the trouble of having them make a path for her, Azula jumps into the air and uses her powers over the wind to float herself to the front of the formation, her cape heroically blowing in the wind.
Arriving to the front of the formation, Azula gently lands and nods towards the centurions of the first and second.
"Report" she commands.
"Centurion Ramirez sent a message. The fourth and the third's guerilla attacks on the enemy have been successful. She and Lady Lupa have been able to reduce the Titan's forces by about thirty percent at the minimum. They are currently on their way to assist Centurion Grace." reports the Centurion of the first, Michael, as he steps forward and salutes.
Azula nods and turns towards the Centurion of the second.
"Has Centurion Grace sent word of his progress?" she asks.
The centurion of the second, twin brother of Michael, steps forward and salutes before reporting.
"Centurion Ramirez's diversion worked. His troops have bypassed the enemy and have almost made it to Mount Othrys. They should arrive at around noon." says Justin.
"Any word from Praetor Ambrosius yet?" asks Azula.
"No mam. We haven't received word from Praetor Ambrosius ever since he left two days ago to intercept the Carthaginian Serpent." replies the centurion before stepping back into formation alongside his brother.
The plan to defeat the Titan army is a simple one. Ambrosius will intercept the Carthaginian Serpent in the sea before it reaches the shore. Reyna will take the fourth and third cohort to meet up with Lupa and her pack to launch as many guerilla attacks on the enemy as possible, drawing their attention to her. Meanwhile Jason will take his cohort, the fifth, to strike at Mount Othrys in the hopes of destroying Saturn's, also known as Kronos, throne. In the meantime, she will command the first and second in Camp Jupiter's defense. A simple yet adaptable plan.
So far everything has been going according to plan. Even better if she were to be honest. She never expected Reyna to be able to reduce the enemy's forces by thirty percent.
Before she can sink deeper into her thoughts, Azula feels the enemy enter her domain. Based off of Ambrosius' sensory domain, Azula created a technique that lets her sense anything based on wind currents. Similar to Ambrosius when in the sea, Azula has yet to find a limit to what she can sense. She also can't succumb to sensory overload since she isn't truly sensing with her traditional senses, but instead with her supernatural sense that lets her control the wind. However she does prefer to set her domain at about three miles when preparing for large scale combat, like the upcoming battle.
"Form up!!!" orders Azula.
Immediately the cohorts lock shields, stand their ground, and prepare to enter a standard phalanx formation.
Michael is a member of the Legion, a veteran to be exact. As legacies of Mercury, he and his brother, Justin, served New Rome as members of the Legion for the standard ten years of service. After that they were honorably discharged and allowed to reside in New Rome as proud citizens. However, they quickly found that the peaceful life wasn't for them, so when Praetor Ambrosius and Praetor Azula started to recall veterans in preparation for the war, they quickly and excitedly rejoined.
Unfortunately nothing could prepare them for the new Legion. Like the Legion before them, the Legion of New Rome heavily emphasised teamwork and cooperation to defeat the enemy. While this made them a formidable army, it however made them weak individually.
The new Legion however, forced one to work on their individual skills to survive the harsh training. Now one's swordsmanship and spearmanship skills need to be at a certain level. After that it was a constant hunting of monsters to gain real life life and death experiences before the war came.
Eventually the war came in the form of skirmishes, and Michael was more than happy to kill the enemies of New Rome.
Now at the ripe age of twenty three, Michael and his brother Justin stand proudly next to one of their praetors as they prepare for the coming enemy.
Before an order can be given however, the wind starts to pick up, clouds cover the sun, and lightning flashes while accompanied by the roars of thunder.
"Michael, Justin," comes the voice of Praetor Azula from his side "I will personally meet the enemy and attack. Your job is to stay here with your respective cohorts and to kill any monster that I miss. Understand?"
Yes, mam." he and his brother answer.
With a nod Azula launches herself into the air and flies off to meet the enemy.
Michael watches in awe as she disappears into the storm clouds, her purple cape billowing behind her and glowing every few seconds. Soon enough he loses sight of her, with the storm clouds behind the only indication of her continued presence.
Before Michael can ponder about her action, a lightning bolt, the likes of which he has never seen before, strikes the middle of the monster army disintegrating a big part of it.
Michael and Julian can't help but watch in awe as the enemy's forces begin to combust into dust for no reason. It didn't take long for him and his brother to figure out that their Praetor was in fact the giant bolt of lightning that struck the enemy earlier.
Before he can continue to admire her however, he notices some monsters coming towards them and gives the order to prepare for battle.
Koios is in a bad mood. He has been in a bad mood ever since his return from Tartarus. When he had first been released from Tartarus, Koios had been ecstatic. After all he is no longer suffering in the pit and the Titans were in the process of making a comeback. He expected to return to Mount Othrys and find legions of monsters waiting there for him and his siblings to order and conquer the Olympians with. Unfortunately reality is far more disappointing than fantasy.
When he arrived in Mount Othrys he was met with an army of approximately one thousand two hundred monsters. Voicing his disappointment, Koios had asked why their forces were in such low numbers, only to be informed about a demigod son of Neptune reforming much of the legion and using them to wipe out any monster that has the gall to come to the west coast, forcing them to hide in Mount Othrys.
When Koios heard this, he had been skeptical. After all, what danger could a demigod possibly pose. As it turns out he had been wrong, and the numbers of monsters that joined their forces continued to plummet as less monsters stepped foot in the west coast, and the majority of those who did died at the hands of the Roman legion.
Eventually he was joined by Perses in commanding the army after Atlas returned to holding up the sky. With his help Koios was able to convince Ocean to attack the camp using the river inside as an entrance. Unfortunately that too failed, no matter how hard they tried.
Eventually the day of attack came and they began to march towards the enemy. Unfortunately they were constantly attacked on the road, and lost about four hundred out of one thousand forces. They never caught the Romans who attacked.
Now he watches next to Perses as a lone demigod decimates his forces, and he can't help but want to rip her to shreds. Koios watches in anger as she jumps on a hellhound's head and uses it as a springboard to jump to a cyclops' eye level and decapitate it.
Having had enough, Koios roars in rage and joins the fray. Quickly reaching the demigod, Koios swings his sword at her unsuspecting head, only for her to duck and cut off his sword hand at the wrist as she turns to face him. With a pained yell Koio holds his wrist in his remaining hand and looks at the demigod.
Finally getting a good look at her, Koios admits that she is in fact very beautiful. Between her armor, midnight black hair and eyes that glow with the color of lightning, and the arcs of lightning traveling up and down her form, the demigoddess poses a beautiful and regal figure. As Koios observes Azula he makes the mistake of being caught in a trance, completely missing Azula as she launches herself at him and decapitates him, sending him back to Tartarus.
Azula's actions surprise the rest of the army, as they freeze in shock to process what happened. A fatal mistake, since Azula takes the opportunity to summon a massive bolt of lightning, and using her sword redirects it at the enemies all around her, further cutting the army down in half.
The surviving monsters look around and quickly realize how outmatched they are. With the Telekhines taking the lead, the majority of monsters quickly turn around and run for their lives.
Perses, who had been watching from the very back can't help but snarl in disgust. Making his way to the front of the now hundred or so strong army, Perses grips his spear and runs towards the demigoddess.
Azula, seeing him coming, easily sidesteps his stab, ducks under his swing, and easily redirects his slash.
"Honestly, you are such a horrible lancer. You flail that spear around with a minimal amount of skill and all brute strength" she says as she tilts her head to the right to dodge another stab.
"Who taught you how to swing that spear? A monkey?" she taunts as she redirects another slash.
By now Perses is no longer thinking straight and is completely consumed by rage as he watches Azula dodge and parry his strikes with a minimal amount of movement while taunting him. His judgement is so clouded that he never realizes that she is using his reckless attacks to continue to thin out his forces.
Eventually Azula deems it enough, she sidesteps a stab, using the opportunity to cut the shaft of the spear in half, she then proceeds to step into his guard and impales Crocea Mors between his eyebrows. Realizing what happened, Perses tries to speak, only to go to Tartarus before even making a sound.
"Good riddance" says Azula as she wipes his ichor from her blade.
Before Azula can do anything else, something crashes on the ground in front of her and continues to skid past her.
Turning in the direction of the object, Azula sees Ambrosius with one knee on the ground, his trident impaled on the ground with a trail from where he used it to slow his momentum, and in the sorriest state she has ever seen him in. You can easily tell that he had been in a major battle. For one, his left arm hangs by his side in a limp, on his face he has a deep cut exactly where his scar used to be when they first met, and blood can be seen leaking from his nose.
With a groan he slowly gets up, before coughing out blood once on his feet. Looking up he turns his eyes to something behind Azula with a weary smirk, bringing her attention to the giant sea serpent that's slowly disintegrating into golden dust. Before it completely disintegrates however, Azula gets a good look at what it originally looked like.
The serpent is about one hundred twenty feet long, its skin is a glistening flesh, green and brown ridged with serrated dorsal fins. Its triangular forehead is wide enough to provide parking for about two or three cars, and it's now dead eyes slowly lose their orange glow.
Before Azula can continue to observe the serpent, she hears Ambrosius groan behind her. With urgency she turns to help him only to see a chain wrap around his throat drag him into a doorway before it closes. The doors are clearly elevator doors framed in Stygian Iron, with black and silver doors etched with art deco designs.
With haste Azula sprints to help him, only for the doors to disappear just as they close, leaving her standing there in shock as fear and worry courses through her very being. She remembers those doors from Ambrosius' description, she knows that the only time they came into play in canon was when Gaea started to come back. She knows for a fact that the only place that Gaea would open the Doors of Death to is the pit itself, Tartarus.
Son of Neptune
Panting as he sprints through the woods, Percy can't help but lament on his misfortune. He woke up in the middle of these woods near a road with no recollection of his life so far, except for a single name, Annabeth.
He had made his way down the road where he encountered his attackers. Percy first saw her in a Bargain Mart store posing as a greeter. At first Percy thought that her name was "Beano" until he decoded a big green button that said, "Welcome! My name is Stheno." She appeared to be a dumpy old grandmother, but her hair is actually made of vipers. She also has bat wings on her back and tusks sticking out the corners of her mouth. She also carries around a big silver platter of free samples of Crispy Cheese 'n' Wieners.
Accompanying her was an old lady that looks exactly like her, except scarier and seemingly the dominant of the two.
At first he had attempted to ask them for help, until they had recognized him and immediately tried to kill him. He doesn't know how he managed, but he somehow knew how to fight before he died. With skills he didn't know that he had, Percy managed to kill the duo, only for them to immediately reform a few hours later and attack him again. He had retreated to the woods, hoping to lose them. Ever since then he's been running for his life.
"Percyyy, why don't you stop running darling and let auntie Stheno take care of you." says a sickeningly sweet voice from somewhere behind him.
Ignoring the voice, Percy continues to make his way through the woods in hopes of finding a safe haven. One thing he's learned these past two days is that they love ranting and monologuing. That's how he's learned that his name is Perseus Jackson, he killed somebody called Medusa, Stheno and Euryale want to kill him for killing Medusa who's their sister, and somebody called Mother Earth is making it so that monsters can't die. Also, he apparently has a brother that's going on a rampage in someplace called Tartarus.
Before Percy can lose himself in his thoughts, he comes upon a cliff and is forced to stop running, lest he fall to his death.
Percy turns around in hopes of changing directions, unfortunately Stheno and Euryale have caught up and are blocking his path. If he wants to go back he'll have to somehow get past them.
"Are you finally seeing reason, darling." says Euryale in her nauseatingly sweet voice.
"Or maybe he just wants these delicious Crispy Cheese 'n' Wieners!" cheers Stheno as she presents him bags of chips on a large grey platter.
"Stheno, the Bargain Mart was a front! You're far too engrossed into your role! Now, put down that ridiculous tray and help me kill this sea spawn." says Euryale through gritted.
Seeing the two distracted in their argument, Percy makes a judgement call and rushes Stheno. Once close enough he grabs the tray from her, bashes her head with it, then ducks under Euryale's lunge. Without a second thought he jumps off the cliff while using the tray as a sled.
Arriving at the bottom of the cliff, Percy looks for the best option to escape his the bottom of the cliff is a highway that runs into the mountain, turning into a tunnel. Next to the highway is another cliff that leads to the sea. Before he can make a decision however, a voice interrupts him.
"You could always turn to the sea." says the voice.
Turning to face the voice, Percy is met with an old hippie lady sitting on the side of the road. Looking the old lady over, Percy gets the feeling that it may be best to listen to her. Something in his gut is telling him to accept her request.
"What do you mean?" asks a puzzled Percy.
"You may call me June." says the lady. "And what I meant is that you can jump into the sea, live the rest of your life there in peace. Or you can carry me across the highway, and gain the chance to regain your memory. Also, you might want to hurry."
As soon as June finishes speaking, Percy hears Stheno screech as she jumps off the cliff. Making another judgement call, Percy lifts the old woman and begins to run across the highway.
"Where are we going?!" he asks.
"Next to the highway boy. There's another tunnel, it's only big enough for people to pass. Focus on the mountainside across the highway." replies June.
Listening to her instructions, Percy looks to the mountainside and squints his eyes. As soon as he focuses, the mountainside shimmers and is replaced by an entrance big enough for people instead of cars. Next to the tunnel are two people dressed in typical Roman armor, with military issued combat boots and pants instead of skirt and sandals.
"Good. You can see them." says June. "Those are members of the Legion, New Rome's army."
Making it across the highway, Percy quickly sprints towards the entrance, while desperately trying to ignore the sound of his enemies getting closer.
Once about ten yards away from the entrance, Percy sees one of the soldiers grab his bow from his shoulders. Before he can even say anything the person knocks an arrow and fires it at him, only to miss. Soon after however, Percy hears both of his pursuers scream in pain. Taking a glance backwards, Percy sees an arrow sticking out of both of the gorgons, and wonders how did he miss the soldier shooting a second arrow.
Before he can ponder anymore however, he's grabbed by the shirt by one of the soldiers and dragged towards the tunnel.
"Admire the view later, right now we need to get into camp." says a feminine voice.
"Get him inside Hazel. I have enough poison tipped arrows to hold them off, even if they can't die they'll be in too much pain to follow." says the soldier.
Hazel seems to hesitate for a second before nodding and leading them into the tunnel.
"Wait. Why are we going?! We can't just leave him by himself, he'll be killed!" exclaims Percy.
"Don't worry. Frank is just behind us. We need to get inside to call for reinforcements." replies Hazel just as they make it out of the tunnel.
Once his eyes adjust to light the first thing he sees is a big river that runs across from the tunnel's entrance. Looking past that, Percy can make out that on the other side is a big military camp obviously inspired by ancient Rome's military.
Following Hazel, Percy steps into the river, only to suddenly feel as if he plunged into an acid bath and is hit with a sudden feeling of vulnerability. Before he can comment on it he hears Frank screaming from behind him.
"Why are you two still here?! They're coming." exclaims Frank as he arrives next to Percy
As he finishes speaking, the two gorgons emerge from the tunnel with a screech.
Before they can do anything however, both are suddenly struck by the biggest bolt of lightning that Percy has ever seen, disintegrating them. His gut tells him that lightning shouldn't be this big.
As he ponders this, a voice speaks out from above him.
"Lady Juno, to what do I owe the pleasure." says a beautiful and alluring feminine voice.
Turning his gaze upwards, Percy is met with the most beautiful woman he's ever seen floating at least ten feet in the air.
Wearing nothing but black sneakers, jeans, and a purple shirt, Percy estimates that she's around five feet seven inches tall. Her skin is a natural tan, with midnight black hair flowing behind her, and golden eyes that seems to glow. Her face has high cheekbones and full lips, giving her aristocratic features and a majestic air, and it's easy to tell that her body is made of toned and defined muscles.
"Why my dear Azula, can't a mother visit her child at work." replies June, breaking Percy from his trance.
June gets off of Percy to stand in the river, and promptly turns into a seven feet tall goddess. Gone is the old hippy grandmother, now Juno stands at about seven feet tall, while her face is stern and stately. She is dressed in a blue dress with a cloak made of goatskin, which hangs over her shoulders, and her hand holds a staff with a white lotus flower on top.
"Jokes aside, I bring you a new demigod. Perseus Jackson, Son of Neptune." says Juno.
Hearing her words, Frank and Hazel's eyes widen while Azula merely raises an eyebrow.
"Oh? A son of Neptune you say?" replies Azula as she slowly descends from the air. "You wouldn't happen to be trying to replace our kidnapped praetor would you?"
"Ah" says Juno, as if she's just heard the funniest joke ever.
"Replace him?" she continues. "Let me ask you something my dear. Can a cat replace a tiger?"
"Of course not." replies with a scoff Azula.
"Then you have my answer." says Juno.
With a nod, Azula turns and studies him.
"He doesn't look like much." she says.
"You're doing it again. You're comparing every demigod by Ambrosius' standards." replies Juno.
"There is nothing wrong with those standards. After all, using those standards he was able to transform the Legion into the formidable force it is right now." says Azula.
"My dear, you're exaggerating the Legion has always been powerful. You merely added to your numbers." replies Juno.
"Exaggeration?" says Azula with a raised eyebrow. "How many armies can you name that can reduce an army of one thousand monsters by forty percent using guerrilla warfare, and decimate a force of five hundred monsters in Mount Othrys while only losing ten percent even though outnumbered."
"Fair enough. However, I'm sure that New Rome is not as broken up about it as you make it." replies Juno.
"The Senate elected to not demilitarize after the war. All of his wartime policies are still in effect, even the one stating that praetors have full power during wartime."
Hearing this, Juno frowns before shaking her head.
"Regardless, that is not my concern. I only came to lead the new demigod. You may count my words as his recommendation. Now I must leave before Jupiter gets jumpy." says Juno as she disappears in a flash of light, prompting the demigods to avert their eyes, and for Hazel to block Percy's.
Once the light disappears, Frank and Hazel turn to Azula and salute.
Now that he is no longer running for his life, Percy finally notices what his saviors look like.
Standing at about six feet three inches, Frank is very tall. He looks to be of Asian descent and can be considered handsome. He would be more handsome were it not for some of the baby fat on his face and the babyish brown eyes. He has close-cropped black hair cut into a military haircut. His frame is large and stocky, and with muscles can be made out from under his armor.
Hazel is of Louisiana Creole descent with shoulder-length, curly, cinnamon brown hair tied in a braid,and gold eyes. She stands at about five feet two inches with dark skin. Like the previous two demigods, Percy can make out well toned arms under her armor, suggesting that she may also have a toned or muscular build. All in all a very beautiful girl.
"Hazel, Frank, you know the procedure. I leave him in your hands." says Azula, breaking Percy from his train of thought.
Hazel and Frank salute and watch as Azula flies off.
"Wow, who was that?" asks Percy.
"Taken." replies Frank
"Not what I meant." says Percy.
"That was retired praetor Azula, child of Jupiter, crush of every male in camp, and idol of every female." replies Hazel.
"Not every male." whispers Frank under a cough.
Hazel merely ignores him and begins to lead them out of the river and into the camp.
"Go on without me." says Franks as he runs off towards a cabin. "I have to get someone to replace us in guarding the tunnel."
"You have high expectations to meet." says Hazel once Frank is out of sight.
"What?" asks Percy.
"You're a son of Neptune. The last one here is being hailed as the greatest general in Roman history, and the most powerful demigod to ever live." she answers.
"Why does everyone keep saying Neptune? Isn't it Poseidon?" says Percy.
He doesn't know why, but Poseidon just seems to be right.
"No. Why would it be Poseidon? That's what the Greeks use to call him." she replies with a raised eyebrow.
Percy merely shrugs
"So who's this Ambrose everyone keeps mentioning. Was he really that great?" he asks
"I wouldn't know. I came here a few months after he was kidnapped. But the stories around camp say that with him around Rome would never lose a war, and that even if he dies his reforms would still make Rome unbeatable. He even has a bunch of titles." replies Hazel.
"Titles?" says Percy.
"Ambrosius Malphas, Son of Neptune, Prince of the Sea, Sword of Rome, Praetor of the Twelfth, Slayer of the Carthaginian Serpent, Most Powerful Demigod to Ever Live, and One Man Army." she answers.
Before Percy can process and comment on it, they arrive at a cabin, where inside they are met with a group of people lounging around a wooden table.
Hazel salutes before speaking.
"We have a new probatio, personally recommended by Juno. He is Perseus Jackson, Son of Neptune" says Hazel.
Hearing Hazel's words, the room's occupants immediately sit up and scrutinize him.
"Are you sure?" asks one
"He doesn't look like much." says another one.
Percy can feel his left eyebrow twitch in annoyance, and knows that this will become a constant occurrence.
Last edited: Jun 10, 2020
Meet the Greeks
Flying towards Camp Jupiter in the Argo II, Annabeth can't help but have trouble processing what Jason told them.
It had been nine months since her boyfriend had gone missing. Just under nine months since Jason had been found, and joined them in Camp Half-Blood. He had been without his memories for three weeks before his memories came back, and they were hit with the realisation that being Greek wasn't the only option for a demigod. New Rome. A city full of demigods and their children, grandchildren, and even clear sighted mortals. To her and the Greeks, it sounds like something too good to be true. After all, the majority of demigods never made it past the age of sixteen.
And yet it exists. Over five thousand people live in New Rome, most of them legacies, Jason had told her, but at least a tenth were demigods. There are even a few clear-sighted mortals thrown into the mix. And another daughter of Hades, or Pluto. Annabeth wasn't sure if there would be a difference, but the way Jason had told them, even the Roman god of the Underworld would be different than the one she had met before. She wonders how Percy likes it there, or if he is struggling because he is Greek, and the Roman's and Greeks have conflicting natures. She hopes that he is ok.
"-and you're not even listening to me," says Leo, bringing her out of her thoughts. "Whatever, that's fine. It's not like I was giving you advice about negotiating with our more serious friends, the Roman demigods."
"You won't be negotiating with the Roman demigods." says Jason, in his usual serious voice. "You'll most likely be negotiating with my sister, Azula."
"That's great then. That means that you can convince her yourself, or maybe she'll just fall for my natural charm and agree to help." replies Leo as he winks at Jason.
"NO!" yells Jason before he composes himself and sighs. "No. That's worse. Much, much, worse. My sister is not someone that can be charmed, especially not by you."
"Dude, harsh much." says Leo.
"You don't understand." says Jason.
Before he can continue however, a voice interrupts.
"What don't we understand." asks Piper as she joins them on the deck.
"You guys have heard me talk about Ambrosius before." begins Jason.
"Yea, you talk about him as if he's your idol. The perfect Roman demigod. To be honest he just sounds like a more powerful version of you, that's a prince." says Leo. "Also, what type of name is Ambrosius anyway--"
"Leo. Shut up." interrupts Annabeth.
"Anyway. If Ambrosius is Romulus, then Azula is Semiramis in the sense that she has far more power than she should, and she always gets what she wants. The Senate may act as if they have power over New Rome, but everyone, including the Senate, knows that she holds all of Rome's politics in the palm of her hands. No one, and I mean no one, has ever gone against her and survived unscathed. There's always some form of repercussion." says Jason, his tone far more serious than the other demigods have ever heard.
"So she's basically a tyrant." says Piper.
"No. She's definitely not a tyrant. She lacks the cruel and oppressive part of the definition. All of the repercussions are legal. I'd just call her petty, but don't tell her I said that." replies Jason.
"Is there no one that can keep her in check?" asks Annabeth with a frown.
"Ambrosius can. But the last time I checked he was kidnapped." replies Jason.
"Wait?!" exclaims Leo. "You're telling me that the super demigod you're always talking about got kidnapped. Are you sure he's as great as people say? You know some people just like to exaggerate for clout. I mean, look at me--"
Before he can finish his sentence, thunder rumbles ahead, and a bolt of lightning strikes, missing the flying boat by a foot at most.
"Finish that sentence. I dare you." says a cold, calm, feminine voice.
Turning towards the voice, the group of demigods are met with a beautiful, yet terrifying figure floating a few inches from the deck.
Wearing nothing but black sneakers, jeans, and a purple shirt, Annabeth estimates that she's around five feet seven inches tall. Her skin is a natural tan, with midnight black hair flowing behind her, and golden pupils that seem glow. Her face has high cheekbones and full lips, giving her aristocratic features and a majestic air, and it's easy to tell that her body is made of toned and defined muscles. Unfortunately her beauty is easily overshadowed by the fear factor she carries. The glow of her eyes slowly increase to the point where they completely fill her eyes, small sparks of lightning travel up and down her frame, her hair violently blows in the wind, and the previously sunny skys ominously darken in a matter of seconds. Along with her terrifying image, the demigods can practically feel the power rolling off of her in waves, bringing a suffocating atmosphere along with it.
Before any of the greek demigods can do anything, Jason approaches Azula and salutes her.
"Ma'am" he says.
For a few seconds she doesn't answer and opts to stare at Leo with what Jason has by now dubbed the wolf gaze. It's a really unnerving gaze that leaves its victims feeling inferior, and shaking in fear. It's a skill that Lupa teaches, however he's only ever seen Lupa, Ambrosius, and Azula use it effectively. What makes it even more unnerving is the fact that there is nothing supernatural about the gaze.
After a few seconds of watching the greek demigods squirm and sweat, Azula gives a satisfactory nod before turning Jason.
"Brother. It is good to see you." she says as she powers down and gives him a hug.
With a smile on his face, Jason returns the hug.
"It's good to be home." he replies while returning her hug.
Unseen by him, Piper flinches when she hears the fondness in which he says home. Annabeth and Azula unfortunately see her.
Breaking from the hug, Azula turns to the Greeks as her face once more takes a serious expression.
"You have two options, either set this warship down a mile away from Camp Jupiter, or be shot down. This is non negotiable, you have thirty seconds." she says.
"What?!" exclaims Leo. "You can't do that."
Azula merely raises an eyebrow, as her eyes once again begin to glow, the winds pick up, and thunder rumbles up ahead.
"Put the ship down away from their camp." orders Annabeth.
Leo goes to argue, only to see Annabeth's face set into a stern expression. With a nod he does as ordered and sets it down in the sea a mile away from the highway and the Caldecott Tunnel.
"Good. Now everyone will be leaving the ship and coming with me to New Rome, including that faun that's somewhere under the deck." says Azula.
Hesitantly, Leo goes down below deck to get Coach Hedge.
"You must be Annabeth." says Azula as she looks at Annabeth.
"Yes, I am. How did you know?" she asks.
"Perseus won't shut up about you. He keeps going on about you and architecture, frankly he sounds like a lovesick puppy." Azula answers, making Annabeth blush.
Before Annabeth can answer Leo returns with Coach Hedge.
"You're all here now, good. Everybody on board the egyptian boat." she says as she jumps overboard.
The demigods follow her to find that she is indeed standing on an egyptian boat. Jason recognizes it as Ambrosius' boat that can cut traveling time by a large amount.
Without another word, the demigods follow her into the boat.
Tartarus, I have no idea how long I've been here. It could have been months, weeks, or a few hours and I wouldn't know. What I do know however, is that the war is still going. I found a few Cyclops that were more than willing to talk once they recognized me, apparently I've become something of a boogeyman to all enemies of Olympus that aren't at least as powerful as a titan.
I stop walking for a second and look at my surroundings. I don't want to admit it, but this place is messing with me. Tartarus is a place of pain and suffering for gods and mortals, designed to hurt. Between the acid air, water of sadness from the River Cocytus, and the ground made of broken glass, it looks like your standard depiction of hell without fire and brimstone everywhere.
It has a grayish atmosphere and the clouds are blood red. The ceiling is so high that it is invisible from the ground, stretching for miles and miles to plunge into darkness in the form of plateaus. Multiple pointed mountains and volcanic chasm adorn the landscape. A few long, thin, black trees grow in the flatter areas, and multiple monsters emerge like worms from blisters that form on the ground.
The main wall of the cave is made up of multiple precipices and obsidian cliffs, where the rivers of Hades descend, in the form of waterfalls. The landscape descends to the most dangerous area, where the heart of the primordial Tartarus himself is found apparently. I wouldn't know since I haven't been there and certainly don't plan on ever going there. The last thing I need is to draw the attention of a second primordial, Gaea is more than enough for me.
What makes this situation worse is the fact that just by being in Tartarus, demigods have their healing powers repressed leaving us at a much greater risk of injury or death. When I arrived here, it was by the riverside of the River Lethe, the river of forgetfulness. The river whose waters give people complete amnesia. Luckily for me Gaea underestimated me and thought that a legion of monster would be enough to either push me in or kill me. Joke's on her though, facing an army is just a regular Tuesday event for me. Honestly who sets a child of Neptune by a river and expects them to lose a battle. Although, I don't think that I'm supposed to be able to control the rivers from Hades, also who would have thought that firebending would work on the River Phlegethon. Then again Percy wasn't supposed to be able to overpower a primordial in her own domain.
Shaking my head of the idle thoughts, I refocus on my objective, finding the Doors of Death. Unfortunately I don't remember where it was in the books to begin to search. Since I don't know where it is, I've been wandering Tartarus looking for it. So far I've been to most of the major places in Tartarus except for two. The Deeper Abyss, also known as Tartarus' heart, and the Mansion Of Night, which is Nyx's Palace. I'm not confident enough to take on a primordial right now. However, I bumped into Stheno and Euryale earlier and managed to convince them to tell me where it is, just north of the Mansion Of Night.
Taking a deep breath I make my way to the River Phlegethon and walk in. Using my firebending I split the river to allow me to pass, eventually making it to the otherside. With my firebending I take a sliver of fire from the river and wrap it around my body, like an aura. In this hellish place, the River Phlegethon is the only thing designed to heal mortals and kill monsters.
Once out of the river I keep walking in the direction designated to me by the gorgon sisters. Eventually I come upon a horde of monsters in front of the Doors of Death. Before I can come up with a plan on how to deal with them, a voice speaks up from up front.
"Well if it isn't Ambrosius, the son of Neptune himself." says the voice.
"What do you say Perses. How long do you think we can torture him before his mind breaks." speaks another voice as the monsters make way for Perses and Koios
With a sigh I rub my hand on my face and turn my ring into its trident form before rushing them. Just another Tuesday for me.
House of Hades
AN: Final chapter in pjo. Nasuverse is next. I'm still accepting ideas for skills and noble phantasms since the Holy Grail war won't start for a while. --
As I look around the temple, I can't help but feel annoyed at the monsters' stubbornness. Even after I killed those fools Koios and Perses, they still decided to attack.
Rolling my shoulders, I turn to face the Doors of Death, only for a voice to speak out from behind me.
"Hehehe, I finally found you, son of Neptune." says the voice.
Turning to face the speaker, I'm met with what could only be a Gigante. Judging by his looks I'd have to say Polybotes, the bane of Poseidon.
"What do you want Polybotes? I don't have the patience to waste on you right now." I say.
"What did you say?" he asks. "You think that you can deal with me?"
With a sigh I turn my ring into a trident and fully turn to face him.
"Foolish mortal." he says. "I am Polybotes,son of Gaea and Tartarus, one of the Gigantes, and the bane of Poseidon. I was specifically made to slaughter your father. The only thing that stopped me was that upstart Herakles."
"You think that you can compare me to that fraud of a demigod, Herakles?" I answer. "Please, don't make me laugh. That wastrel cannot even compare to my weaker, little brother, Perseus."
"It doesn't matter. Without a god and demigod working together I can't be defeated. Once I beat you, I'm going to turn you into my personal slave and make you watch as I have fun with your lady friend. What was her name again? Azula?" he says.
Hearing him say that, I can't help but find amusement in his stupidity. Honestly, he thinks that I can't tell, but it's written all over his face. He met Azula when he attacked New Rome, and that meeting didn't end well for him. From the slight twitch in his eyes, the tightening of his throat, and the quivering of his voice when he says her name; it's easy for me to tell that his meeting with Azula left him traumatized.
However, even if I know that Azula can and most likely will make him suffer should they meet again, I can't let a statement like that slide. However without a god to help I can't kill him. That's unfortunate, for him. Since he can't die, he'll just have to suffer.
Without saying a word, I take a deep breath, roll my shoulders, and turn my trident back into a ring before rushing him. I'm going to make this so brutal, that just hearing my name will make him whimper in fear.
Tartarus, how long have they been here? Percy doesn't know, and neither does Annabeth. They had landed in the pit hours, minutes, or even weeks ago. The air is suffocating and acidic, and it causes blisters to form on their skin. If they hadn't landed in the River Phlegethon and drank from it, they would be dead right now.
Also, according to the Roman, this is the place where Ambrosius was sent to when he was kidnapped. In all honesty Percy doesn't think that the guy survived. He doesn't hate the guy. Yes, being constantly compared to him and falling short was annoying. Heck it got to the point where Percy thought that the Romans were making stuff up to get under his skin. He had believed that at first, until Polybotes and his army had attacked.
He wasn't there for the initial strike since he was out on his quest, but he did arrive to see Azula demolish the enemy army as if they cannon fodder. Hylla had told him that he was worrying for nothing, heck even Frank and Hazel had been calm when they heard about the camp being attacked. He had thought that they were being arrogant, but as it turns out he had been the one wrong. So imagine his surprise when he arrived in camp expecting to see an army attacking it, only for said army to be reduced to ashes by lightning and a tornado of fire made by Azula. As if that wasn't enough, she goes on to completely defeat Polybotes in one on one combat with no difficulty. However things didn't end there, he doesn't know what Polybotes said to her to piss her off. He did however manage to get close enough to hear her say "Kill you? Perhaps that was my plan once upon a time. To call Lupa and join forces with her to kill you. However, your words have earned a fate far worse than death." From there she went on to torture him until he was begging to be sent to Tartarus. For as long as he lives, Percy will never forget the smell as Azula burned Polybotes alive with blue flames, or his screams when she forced him to drink gallons of poison. Luckily for Polybotes, the gods took pity on him and sent Lupa to kill him.
What scared Percy the most however, is when she admitted that not only is Ambrosius more powerful than her, but that he could have done worse.
So, no, Percy doesn't hate him. However, he still doesn't think that it's possible for anything to survive this environment except for titans and monsters. Hell he knows for a fact that if he and Annabeth don't get out of here soon they will die. Which is why he can't help but feel anxious as he follows his guide, Kelli the empousa.
They had stumbled upon her a few moments after landing in the pit. He'd managed to defeat her friends and commanded her to take him to the Doors of Death, where they had apparently been going. Strangely enough, she had been compliant with his order without even threatening him.
"Something is wrong." whispers Annabeth, as she brings Percy out of his thoughts.
"What do you mean?" he answers.
"The monsters. Why are they avoiding us. I've seen a few come near us, but as soon as they see you they run." replies Annabeth.
"Maybe they're scared?" he says with uncertainty.
"Ha." mockingly laughs Kelli. "Scared of you? Please, you don't have that kind of reputation here."
"Then why haven't they attacked?" questions Annabeth with a scowl.
"It's obvious isn't it. They're scared of his brother." answers Kelli.
"Ambrosius?" questions Percy, his face set in an annoyed expression. "What does he have to do with this."
"Well, when he got here the first thing he did was destroy the army that Gaea had waiting here to kill him. After that he went on a rampage looking for the Doors of Death. Once he found them, he killed every monster that was waiting to pass through to the mortal world, including Perses and Koios. Ever since then, monsters have been avoiding anything that has to do with him." answers Kelli.
Annabeth and Percy look at each other, and can't help but feel grateful for Ambrosius' rampage. Without it, they may have gotten overrun by monsters by now.
"If monsters want nothing to do with him, why were you going to the Doors of Death, where he is right now." asks Annabeth.
Kelli incredulously looks at Annabeth for a few seconds before answering.
"Honey. Word on the streets is that he's the hottest hunk you will ever see, on par with Adonis. Certainly better looking than the little brother that you're dating. Although, Percy is definitely a hottie."
With a scowl on her face Annabeth ignores Kellie and turns to face Percy, only to see him blush. With a sigh she just stays quiet and follows Kelli. The rest of the trip is spent in silence. Eventually they make it to their destination, The House of Hades.
The House of Hades, also known as the Necromanteion, was an underground temple in Epirus, Greece, dedicated to the god Hades and his wife Persephone. Sometime in the past part of it fell into Tartarus. Both the mortal and Tartarus side of the Doors of Death are located here under Gaea's control, or at least it was until Ambrosius arrived and took over the Tartarus side of the temple.
As they get closer to The House of Hades however, they can make out what sound like tortured screams of pain. Alarmed, the trio sprint their way inside, only to be met with an unnerving sight.
The first thing they notice is the one screaming. There on the floor lies a bloody and disfigured Polybotes. Normally Polybotes is a giant of at least thirty feet tall, with blue skin, reptilian legs similar to a Komodo dragon. From the waist upwards, he has a green-blue breastplate shaped with faces of monsters. He has a human face with wild green hair that has basilisks hanging down from it. His presence is so strong that it could almost attract every bit of iron in the blood.
However, not only is his presence almost nonexistent, but his body is completely disfigured. Lying in a puddle of his own poisonous blood. His feet are broken and bent the wrong way, his left arm is missing while his right arm is completely mangled, his neck is twisted in a hundred and eighty degrees angle, and his trident is stabbing his testicles. What makes the sight more horrifying however, is his blood that's boiling before being forced down his throat and exiting his body through his pores.
"Oh." says a voice, breaking the trio from their trance. "Look Polybotes. We have visitors."
Turning towards the voice, the trio is met with the sight of a handsome man of around twenty years old. Standing at around five feet ten inches, with brown skin, curly midnight black hair cut into a fade at the sides, slightly glowing sea green eyes, and high cheekbones that give him aristocratic features. On his body he wears blue armor.
The first piece is a sleeveless blue cuirass made of an unknown material with horizontal lines going down it and a single vertical line that travels through them, five black sea shells going across the chest. Attached to the cuirass are blue tassets to protect the upper thigh, and a cloth that hangs between the legs. On the left tasset are five purple sea shells, while the right has one.
The legs seem to be one piece separated into two colors, with the division occurring just above the knee. The top is made out of the same scales as my previous armor, colored black, and ending at just above the knee. The bottom covers from the knee down to the ankles and made from the same materials as the cuirass.
The boots he wears are colored blue, reaching just under the knee, with the part of the feet covered in a grey armor that makes it indistinguishable from the greaves that go over the part of the boot that covers the shins.
The pieces that go over the arm are two blue vambraces, with a single fin each, that go over two black sleeves that start from the biceps and end at the wrist.
The final pieces of the armor are two pieces of purple cloth that can be used for a cape, a black belt, and a circlet that makes it obvious that he's royalty.
Looking at their awestruck faces, the man lazily smirks and walks towards them.
"What's wrong little brother? Can't you see the family resemblance?" says the man as he stops a few feet away from them.
It takes a few seconds, but Percy eventually does recognize him.
"You're Ambrosius. The praetor that was kidnapped." responds Annabeth.
"I hope that's not all you've heard about me." says Ambrosius.
Percy simply shakes his head no as he looks over his older brother. Now that he's meeting him in person, Percy can see why everyone is underwhelmed when they compare him to Ambrosius. It's the way Ambrosius carries himself. Unlike Percy who carries himself in a casual, yet confident way, Ambrosius carries himself in a way that only a person that is both royalty and a warrior can.
"W-w-what is going on? What are you doing to him." asks a horrified Kelli as she looks at the now whimpering Polybotes.
"Hmmm?" hums Ambrosius as he turns to face Kelli. "Oh. You're talking about Polybotes. It doesn't matter. What matters is that Percy and Annabeth go through the Doors of Death so that I may return its ownership back to Letus."
"What about you?" asks Percy.
"Someone must remain here to break the chains holding the door once they close." replies Ambrosius.
Before Percy can object, Ambrosius grabs him and Annabeth and throws them in as the doors close. Before the door fully closes, they hear Ambrosius speak.
"If you guys lose this war while I find a way back to the mortal world, I will personally make sure that you regret it."
Epilogue
As the Doors of Death close, I make my way to the chains tied to it, and break them. As soon as I do, the doors emit a ding sound before they disappear. Just as the doors disappear, the world around greys out and stops.
"Well that was an interesting jump. Don't you think so?" says a voice I've come to recognize as ROB's.
Turning to face the voice, I'm met with his shadowy figure floating in the air.
"Perhaps. What I wish to know is why you paused the world. Whenever a jump is finished, you always pull me out right away." I answer.
"Well yes. Except this time things are different. You're in Tartarus, a place that's only supposed to be for the worse of the worse after they died. You basically skipped out on the entire Gigantomachy, and instead went to the Greek version of hell." he says.
"What's your point?" I ask.
"Well my boy, the point is simple. Why should I remove you from Tartarus when I have the opportunity to witness something that can be considered classical in Greek myths. An escape from the underworld, Tartarus in your case." he replies.
"The reason you won't remove me from the jump is because you want me to accomplish something that many heroes in Greek history have already accomplished?" I say with a raised eyebrow.
"You misunderstand." he says. "Your journey will be far more spectacular. You aren't escaping from Hades. No, my boy. You are escaping from Tartarus itself. Besides I added another twist."
With a frown I cross my arms and nod at him to continue.
"You see, I know that your next world is going to be the nasuverse. I know that you were planning to battle in a grail war. So I decided to send you at a very early time in the modern nasuverse history, The Ulster Cycle. Somewhere around this pit, I made a passage to the Irish version of the land of the dead, The Land of Shadows. Your job is to find it and travel through it because it's the only way out of Tartarus for you, I made sure of it." he explains.
That doesn't sound too bad. That does leave one question though.
"What about Azula?" I ask.
"She will be in the nasuverse also. You can meet her there before the fourth holy grail war. Think of it as an incentive to survive from The Ulster Cycle to modern day. Also, before you reach modern day you must convince one hero to become your companion. It's honestly boring watching you dodge drama just because you're smart and logical." he answers.
That sounds remarkably idiotic. What's stopping me from choosing an equally logical and smart person as a companion?
He must have read my mind, because the insufferable being just started laughing as if he's just heard a joke.
"Anyway, one more thing. When you arrive in The Land of Shadows, a character sheet for that jump will appear before you. Now excuse me, I have to deliver this delightful news to Azula" he says before disappearing in a flash of light as the world around me recovers.
The war against Gaea went far smoother than it did during canon to a few major changes. The first is the fact that The Argo II was put down a mile away from camp and no one was on it. Due to this, when the ship suddenly started flying and attacking camp, it was evident to the Romans that Gaea was trying to set them up against their Greek cousins. In retaliation, the Romans were far more happy to cooperate than before.
The second major change came as an extension of the first. Without the Romans hindering them, the seven were able to accomplish their task much easier.
Being more militarized than the Greeks, The Legion sent a majority of their cohorts alongside Azula to help Camp-Half Blood while Reyna, the first and second cohorts, and the Amazons stayed to defend New Rome.
With the help of the Romans, Camp Half-Blood was able to build fortifications to make defending the camp easier. By the time the seven returned with the Athena Parthenos, the enemy army had made no headway in their assault of the demigod camps. While the army against New Rome could not attack due to the defenses, the army that was assigned to Camp Half-Blood had no such problems. Unfortunately for them they ran into the storm that is Azula who thinned out their numbers to the point where the demigods outnumbered the monsters and suffered minimal casualties.
Eventually Gaea decided to reassign the army attacking New Rome to bolster the one assaulting Camp Half-Blood. They arrived after the seven alongside the gigantes.
Like in canon, Gaea was resurrected, unfortunately for her she was soon defeated by a coalition of Jupiter and Azula.
In the aftermath of the war, Azula was offered godhood but refused. She explained that until Ambrosius returns from Tartarus she will not accept and subsequently went missing and was never again seen. Everyone believes that she went to Tartarus to find him. As a reward for their services, they were deified by both Romans and Greeks as the most powerful demigods, protectors of New Rome and all demigods, and what all demigods should strive to be. Statues were built in New Rome, Olympus, and one in Atlantis for Ambrosius.
Meanwhile, the two camps united. The demigods also focused on coming up with terms for an alliance that both Camp Jupiter and Camp Half-Blood can agree on, cleaning up, as well as giving the demigods that perished in the battle with Gaea a funeral. After a few days, the Romans returned to Camp Jupiter and all the demigods had plans for the future.
(Stats are translated to nasuverse parameters.)
Overall Build
Name: Ambrosius Malphas
Gender: Male
Age: 17
Height: 5'8
Hair Color: Black
Eye Color: Gold
Looks: Ozymandias from Fate
Build: Medium
Body Type: Athlete
Stats (Without Enhancements)
Strength: E
Endurance: E
Agility: D
Magic Circuits: 50
Luck: E
Metavore: Retain physically fit body no matter how much or what you eat as long as it's enough to keep from becoming malnourished
Cosmic Warehouse:
Belt O' Tools: Batman graciously seems to have loaned you a belt containing the tools that he'll be using for this adventure. This includes stuff like remotely applied explosives gel capable of bringing down walls (though never seems to kill when blown up near someone's feet), to a cryptographic sequencer able to track signals, hack terminals, and listen to live radio broadcasts.… How did he know you'd be needing this stuff?
Animal Suit: A high tech set of body armor themed after an animal of your choice (DCAMU Damian Wayne Robin suit). The head piece contains advanced electronics equipment that scans the environment for information and clues relevant to the situation. It can pick up anything from gaseous alcohol molecules that'll lead you to a crooked guard, to traces of tobacco on the ground to lead you to a hostage. You may also import a set of armor you already own to gain these qualities.
Bat Wing: Hmm, seems like you've picked up one of Batman's spare vehicles. The Batwing is a supersonic aircraft faster than many jet fighters, possess advanced stealth systems that make it invisible to radar, and can be operated remotely, or operate autonomously.
Bat Cave: A series of platforms and bridges situated within a small cave. Contains a computer with immense analytical abilities, a landing platform for any aerial vehicles you have, and some workshops for working on gadgets and gizmos. After the jump this can either be attached to the warehouse, or will appear somewhere nearby.
Assistant VI: Top of the line assistant model Virtual Intelligence. Can be stored in an omni-tool and keep track of large amounts of data.
Weapon Locker: Cache of mid to high grade weapons of all types. Enough to outfit a battlelion.
Armor Locker: Cache of mid to high grade armor of all types. Enough to outfit a battlelion.
Conflict Minerals: Massive stash of various rare elements.
Fine Clothes: A very fine and ornate set of clothing. The equivalent of the finest you'd expect to get in your starting region.
Land Deed: A deed to an area of land close by in your chosen region. It will be accepted by all authorities as rightfully yours. This updates each jump but is generally not a particularly large plot of land elsewhere.
Dragonglass Cache: A black cloak with a few obsidian dagger, arrowheads, and spearheads.
Poison: A woman's weapon to be sure, but it can't be beaten for efficiency or for matters of subterfuge.You have a replenishing chest of poisons from around the known world. From vials of the Tears of Lys to Sweetsleep to crystals of the Stranger. There is bound to be one that suits your purpose.
Valyrian Steel Spear: An excellent weapon of your choice made from Valyrian steel. Light and exceptionally sharp. Serves as a symbol of status. Gives an impression of great strength and brings dread to your enemies. (It looks like Gungnir from Thor 2011 movie)
Companions:
Custos - Black panther (can import for free)
Azula (must always import. In exchange can import for free)
Fate Legends: Land of Shadows
Fate legends - Google Drive
[img: https/ssl./docs/doclist/images/drive_2022q3_32dp.png]
drive.
1000 cp
Origins: Lord - Fighting was in your blood but what was in your mind? The nature of a leader. You have the red blood of any Irish man but you sought to gather warriors beneath you and make a real mark on the land, instead of whiling away your days in the mess of conflict you seek to turn the land to your will entirely. You are a minor lord of the land, beholden to the king or queen of the part of Erin that you control, with numerous loyal men serving you. Legends are still to be made and you will progress nowhere by sitting satisfied with what little you have now.
Perks:
Green Life (Free): The Age of Gods may be over but humanity is still far from what it becomes in the modern day. As a human in these times, you have abilities quite beyond the ordinary man of the later years. Your body is physically at the peak of human capability, even without training, and your magical potential sees you with around 50 magical circuits of a very high quality. Not quite enough that you'd outmatch most modern magus without effort but enough that you'd be a notable prodigy in those times. Now though? You're rather ordinary for a warrior or wizard, perhaps a little beyond the average.
Runelord (-600 cp): The most iconic of magics for this place it seems, though what you are taking hold of here isn't from Ireland at all. With the purchase of this, you have become a master of Rune Magic, which utilises magical energy drawn in set forms to create powerful spells. It takes more time to perform then many other kinds of magic but is exceptionally powerful. Of course, you know all the normal Norse runes and much of your spells come from combining them in different orders to create magic. But what makes you special is that you are aware of the Primordial Runes, the same ones that Odin himself used. Even just using two or three at once can accomplish things like rewriting a Servant's saint graph, grant sapience to mere animals, bring terrible monsters to life from nothing or harm even a divine spirit. Of course, you'll need a lot of energy to equal the sort of stuff someone like Odin might have done but you'll now find yourself overflowing with more than enough magical power to destroy a mountain or three. Maybe even crack a big island into itty bitty pieces with the right rune combination.
Lead The Way (Free): A lord that can't lead is about as useful as a bloodhound with no nose for blood. You don't break the mould here, since you're quite the outstanding leader of men yourself. You have quite a bit of talent and skill in ruling, both as a governor and through military command, given how closely the two are linked in these times. You also have a fair amount of combat skill, not the match of any experienced knight but more than enough to hold your own against the rank and file should things go sour. Your real talent is for bonding directly with your subjects, as you find it abnormally easy to befriend and gain the true loyalty of anyone under your command, either as a lord or as a commander.
Uisce Beatha (Free): Your hands have a special property, one of quite a great value to a warrior culture. Any liquid that you scoop up in your hands is granted great healing properties, able to heal any wound of the body or spirit in just seconds of contact, save for the greatest of cursed wounds. Your healing waters can be spread even on spiritual bodies to heal them and the liquids will cleanse away any poison or disease in the area it touches. The closer to pure water the liquid you hold is, the better the effect will be. Trying to use polluted river muck might only clean a few nasty scratches. You can also, should you have the need, prevent liquids you hold from gaining these properties.
Godslayer (-600 cp): The gods of this world seem to be mighty but only to those who do not realise the potential within their own forms. The gods are far from the invincible overlords they once came close to being and these days, are indeed just another mountain for a hero to conquer. You've been training yourself for this feat and have already slain many minor divine spirits, which has embedded a curious aspect of power in your spirit. Your actions have a far greater effect against any divine being, even just things that call themselves divine to a lesser extent, such that your blows that might normally only bruise or scratch will deliver actual wounds instead. You can easily sense the presence of any divine being or their servants within a vast area around yourself, enabling for the easy hunting of such arrogant creatures, and you possess an immense degree of resistance to their powers of Authority, allowing any divine being to use a tenth of their domain-based powers at most. Of course, you have prepared yourself as even with this, a god is no easy prey. While you do not have the skill or abilities that other perks earlier may give, you find yourself an incredibly accomplished combatant with an enormous variety of weapons. You won't fight any Gods of the Spear to a stand still but anything much less is easy hunting. Your raw physical and magical abilities are quite astonishing, only being a few steps below that of a proper demigod, though as yet you seem to lack any magical training.
Rune Suit (-200 cp): There's no reason to not show off as you fight, is there? Your enemies can appreciate a glance or two at you as you carve your way through them, especially with this suit stretched so tightly over your body. This bodysuit, made of a tough but terribly comfortable material, and with a few pieces of thicker armour on it to your liking, may not seem like great armour at first. Certainly, it'll inflame the passions of those that look at you but it is only the strange, softly glowing markings that can be seen when looking closely at the bodysuit that one finds the real power. This suit is engraved with countless runes, turning it from a piece of seeming fetish wear into a veritable walking fortress. A chariot smashing into you would not even be felt whilst even lower end magical spears will shatter on contact with you. Magical spells from those less than an expect will harmlessly wash over your body and even the threats of nature itself are largely calmed and left to not affect you, allowing you to walk through heavy storms without wavering or getting wet. Self-cleaning, self repairing and strangely, even able to shapeshift itself to fit any particular kind of clothing you'd like without losing effectiveness. A beach-wear bikini that still protects all the skin that appears to be exposed perhaps.
Drawbacks:
Scatty2Hatty (100 cp): There's something to be said for attracting the eyes of the powerful to mentor you. But maybe just not someone quite this powerful. Scathach, the lady of the Land of Shadows, has seen you and decided you would be perfectly suited for what she's been searching for in a man for so long. Just not yet. She's decided you're going to be one of her students, like it or not, and emerged from her shadow fortress to train you by force. Learning from one of the greatest heroes of all time might be appealing but even for her brutal reputation, she really does seem to be trying to kill you. Throwing you against grand monsters with little preparation, spars with way too much force and way too sharp 'sparring weapons', magical lessons that feel a bit too close to magical duels. Has she just lost her patience waiting for you to get to your potential? At least she's teaching you. Survive and doubtless you'd be a great warrior yourself but… surviving might be the main issue here. Still, she might not be opposed to coming along with you if you can manage to survive her many lessons and satisfy whatever goal she had in mind for you. This cannot be taken with the Queen of Darkness Challenge.
Rage of a Divine Queen (300): How temperamental can these ladies get? There's some crazy, minor deity queen out there that wants your guts served to her on a gold platter, fresh and still warm from the disemboweling. She's a real strong queen too, the sort that has the personal power and massive army needed to have a real chance at conquering the entire island. No idea why she's so focused on you though. Maybe you pissed her off in the past or you have something she wants? Killing her might be the most straightforward path, though accomplishing the task would be a feat worthy of legends on it's own, but perhaps if you could discover what is driving her to such a mad pursuit, you could make a friend and companion of her. (Aife)
Dun Scaith
Author's Note: It's been brought to my attention that his stats should be higher, so I've revised them and the new ones are at the end of the chapter. Also I'm still finalising their servant character sheets so if you have ideas I'm still taking them.
Dun Scaith, also known as The Land of Shadows, home of Scathach, Queen of the Land of Shadows, Witch of Dun Scaith, Lord of Spirits. For a land of the dead, it is not so bad, at least in comparison to Tartarus. Unlike Tartarus' flat ground made of broken glass, the land itself is very mountainous and rocky, dark clouds cover the sky, plunging the land into perpetual darkness. Contributing to the land's already low visibility is the everlasting dark mist that makes it seem as if the realm is steeped in shadows. All in all it is pleasant in comparison to Tartarus. The air is not actively trying to poison me, nor is it causing blisters to grow on my skin, and forcing me to enshroud myself in the flames of a river of fire just to heal.
That however is where the majority of differences stop. Similar to Tartarus, the land is full of the roaming dead. From warriors to monsters, they are everywhere and won't hesitate to assault those that don't belong here. So far I've been attacked multiple times, none of them truly posing a threat however and were made quick work of only to respawn, for lack of a better term, somewhere else in Dun Scaith.
Shaking my head from the idle thoughts I look up the mountain towards my destination, Scathach's castle. I've decided that since this is the place where I appeared, I might as well get training from one of the best warriors in the nasuverse. It's also why I chose Scatty2Hatty, for the training from hell. The second reason is because if I have to pick a companion I'd rather it be her instead of the more famous heroes like Cu or Diarmuid. Cu is a battle maniac, there is no way I would pick him as a companion, he'll be a walking trouble maker. Especially when I go to places like Marvel or DC. He is the type man who will look for Themyscira and piss them off just to have a good fight.
As for Diarmuid, that man is too honorable. That's the same reason why Artoria and every single one of her knights is a no for me. I am a man who has used underhanded tactics like poison and deception to achieve my goal, while we might be able to get along as people, as warriors we would clash far too much.
Making my way up the mountain, I begin to feel as if I am being observed. Which leads me to believe that I have drawn the attention of the ruler of this realm. It's the most logical conclusion since every dead being that has attacked me so far never bothered being subtle.
As I lift my foot to take another step, my senses scream at me to move. Without questioning it, I leap backwards just in time to avoid something crashing where I previously stood. Without a second thought, I conjure a spear of the same design as my valyrian steel spear, except I change the material to imperial gold.
"Well, what do we have here? A somewhat skilled warrior perhaps?" says a feminine voice as the dust clears and the mist parts.
Standing before me is the Queen of the Land of Shadows, Witch of Dun Scaith, Lord of Spirits herself Scathach. Scáthach is an extremely beautiful woman. Standing at five feet five inches, she has long purple hair and red eyes. She wears a full-body outfit that highlights her curvaceous body, with metallic shoulder pads, and seemingly protective gear underneath the body suit. On her head, she wears a black veil, and short cloak over her shoulders, connected by the shoulder pads. In her right hand she holds Gae Bolg.
Looking the spear in her hand over, I immediately know everything about it. From the material, the history, even how she uses it, I know it all.
With a smirk on my face I dissolve my previous spear and conjure Gae Bolg into my hands in a similar fashion to EMIYA's tracing. Unlike EMIYA however, my spear is not a copy, it is a genuine article and will never break or dissolve without my say so.
Seeing my action, Scathach quirks an eyebrow before taking her stance, which I copy. Without saying a word she launches herself at me.
The opening move is stab. I parry her spear downward and retaliate with a stab of my own to her face. She calmly tilts her head to the right and dodges. She brings her spear back up for a slash, but I dodge and respond with a slash of my own to her arm holding the spear. She blocks and twirls her spear, parrying my spear to the right and leaving me open to her upcoming stab. Borrowing a move from Souichirou Kuzuki, I catch the spear tip between my knee and elbow. Once the spear is caught and seeing her somewhat dumbfounded expression, I quickly let it go and crouch to try and sweep her feet out from under her, only for her to leap backwards and dodge.
With a frown on my face I stand up. To be completely honest while it may seem that we were even during this small exchange, the truth of the matter is that she was severely holding back, not only in skills but also physically. She only used the basics and never even once used any of the more advanced techniques I read in her spear. What unnerves me the most however is that she's also physically much better than me. If she was to decide to stop holding back even a little bit, I wouldn't be able to fight back unless I stopped holding back completely. Even then I would still be outmatched in pure skill alone, not even being able to slow down my perception and reading her next move would help me. It would be like having the sharingan but not having the physical speed to make advantage of it, and all of that is without bringing her magic into the equation.
Throughout my travels I learned the spear from Oberyn Martell himself, Lupa, and the Roman Legion, and that is the problem. Oberyn's fighting style is honestly far too inefficient to be used against beings above peak human, Lupa only focused on perfecting the basics, and the Legion's style is for legionnaires to use together and overwhelm the enemy. So in all honesty all I have to use against her would be the basics, which would be useless against her who, not only has mastered them, but also taken them beyond. As for copying her style, well I'm not trained enough for that.
Making a judgement call, I dissolve my spear.
"I yield." I tell her.
"It is wise to acknowledge when one is outmatched." she says with a nod. "Follow me."
Obeying I make my way next to her and follow.
"So tell me, warrior, where do you hail from. You certainly are not from Erin with that complexion." she says as we begin to walk towards her castle.
"You are correct, I am not from Erin. I am in fact Roman." I reply
"Interesting. Though I had judged that your spearmanship is Roman inspired, I did not expect you to be Roman. It has been awhile since a Roman has come this far. However I know that there is much more to you than you let on. You are not a common Roman soldier. If I had to hazard a guess I would say that you are the son of the Roman Emperor, whoever he may currently be." she says.
"My name is Ambrosius, and no I am not the son of a Roman Emperor, current or otherwise.I don't even know who the current Roman Monarch is. Also, how do you know so much about Rome. Erin is pretty far from there." I reply.
"There was a time where I traveled. Rome was as far as I went. It is also where I heard the legend of a man named Ambrosius, who is revered so much that naming your child such is sacrilege. So tell me warrior, which of your parents committed such an offense." she says as she stops walking.
Without knowing why, I leap away from her and summon my trident, my heart beating like a drum, and my breathing erratic as the feeling of my death permeates my very being.
"I thought so." she says as she looks at my trident. "You are him. According to the legend, after slaying the Carthaginian Serpent, the titans Perses, Atlas, and Kronos himself, he plunged into Tartarus to stop a rising threat, and died there after accomplishing his task."
"What?" I can't help but ask.
Slowly the feelings of dread leave me, and I no longer feel as if I am dying over and over. However, I don't move from my position. The way she went from calm to blasting bloodlust at me still unnerves.
"There's no need to feel alarmed." she says. "I simply wanted to verify something."
Seeing that I will not budge she explains.
"You see when I first laid eyes on you I knew that you were not from around here. You also have the aura of a demigod, and one that only a slayer of divine beings would possess, trust me I know. Our battle taught me that you learned most of your techniques from Rome while the rest was through your extensive experience in battle, paired with your familiar armor and name, and that only left one thing to check. Whether you had the trident or not." she explains.
"And you believed that the best way to find out is by making me feel as if I was about to die by completely submerging me in bloodlust." I finish for her.
"Of course, for it is when one feels their death coming that they reveal all their cards." she says with a nod. "So now that I have explained myself, tell me what the first praetor of Rome is doing roaming my realm."
"I did not plan to arrive here. After completing my task in Tartarus I wandered that hellish realm for an unknown amount of time. Eventually I found a previously untravelled path that led me here. Now that I have answered your question, may I learn the name of my host?" I ask as I return my trident into a ring and approach her.
"You may call me Scathach, and this land which I watch over is called Dun Scaith, the Land of Shadows. As for how you ended up here, I would not lose any sleep over it were I you. For even I, the ruler of this realm, do not know everything about it." she says as she begins to walk towards her castle.
"Now tell me. What do you plan to do now?" she asks.
"Originally I had none. Now though I would love it if you would be willing to train me." I answer.
"To train such a distinguished warrior like yourself, will be interesting." she answers as we arrive at her castle.
Like the land it resides in, the castle is enshrouded in dark mist and looks haunted, and abandoned. It has ten thin, square towers that are low, but set firm and strong for a great defensive line and are connected by enormous, narrow walls made of sandstone. It has tall, wide windows scattered generously across the walls in an asymmetric pattern, along with asymmetric crenelations for archers and artillery. A vast gate with enormous metal doors, a drawbridge and large crenelations suggest that it once offered a safe home to all those in need in these cold and dark mountains, and it's also the only easy way in, any other side would be futile. Small buildings, houses and other structures populate the grounds outside the castle walls, homes for the poorest of the poor. While this castle has stood the test of time, it has not stood it well, as cracks can be seen everywhere and many of the structures are broken.
Walking in, Scathach leads us to a dining room that is surprisingly well kept and furnished. She sits down at the head and gestures for me to sit next to her.
"We will begin your training tomorrow. Now is there anything you wish to ask?" she says.
"Yes." I say. "You said that you heard a legend about me. I would like to hear it."
"Very well." she says before she begins to explain. "According to legend, your story begins with Apollo receiving a vision of a dark future inbound for the world, but more specifically Olympus. Not willing to let such a fate occur, the god of Olympus, who now adhered to the Roman belief of them, decided to conceive two mortal beings that shall act as their instruments in the mortal world and stop the coming threat. The first being was a human male with the blood of Neptune and Bellona, and conceived by a demigod child of Apollo. He was to act as the general and prepare Rome's army. The second being was a human female with the blood of Jupiter and Venus, and conceived by a different demigod child of Apollo. She was to be the next monarch, and lead the Roman people through the incoming trials."
"That is surprisingly very accurate." I say as she pauses.
"They were raised by Lupa herself for ten years before going their separate ways. The boy went to Atlantis where he was trained by his brother, Triden, in the use of his powers as a son of Neptune. At the age of eleven he returned to Rome and joined the army, quickly making his way through the ranks, and becoming the leader by the age of twelve. He spent four years building the Roman Legion into such a sufficient and powerful army that it was still the strongest military force the last time I was outside of these lands. By the age of sixteen he had led the Legion to kill so many hordes of monsters that the remaining went into hiding in fear. It is at this time that the woman returned and took over as the new monarch. From then, the two friends led Rome as times became darker and monsters started to invade the land. According to legend he was a monster killer and army destroyer, capable of single handedly decimating armies of monsters by himself and coming out with nary a scratch. At the age of nineteen the true threat made itself known, the Titans had escaped Tartarus and were coming back for revenge. The war was short but brutal. While the Romans were outmatched due to being human, they suffered minimal casualties due to their tactics and Ambrosius and Augusta personally taking to the field to demolish the enemy army. Eventually only the Titans remained, but they too fell. Augusta defeated Koios and Krios, while Ambrosius defeated Atlas, Perses, and Kronos himself. With the war over, peace returned to Rome and the world. Unfortunately it was short lived, and Ambrosius had to personally breach Tartarus to stop another rising threat, where he died after completing his task."
"Well. That was interesting." I say as she finishes. ROB and I are going to have words the next time we see each other. I don't know what's worse the fact that this legend exists, or the fact that he might have rewritten history so that it actually happened.
"Naturally this was an overview of the whole story, as there are more details that I did not mention and to do so would be time consuming." she says, bringing me out of my thoughts.
"Are you not interested in hearing the tale from the very source?" I ask.
"I am interested. However, there shall be ample time for you to tell it later. Now you must rest for your training begins tomorrow." she says with a wolfish grin that sends a chill down my spine.
Name: Ambrosius Malphas
Gender: Male
Age: 17
Height: 5'8
Hair Color: Black
Eye Color: Gold
Looks: Ozymandias from Fate
Build: Medium
Body Type: Athlete
Stats (Without Enhancements)
Strength: D
Endurance: C
Agility: C
Magic Circuits: 50
Luck: D
Last edited: Jun 14, 2020
Setanta Arrives
How long has it been since my arrival at Dun Scaith, months, or years, I have no idea. Frankly I can't find myself to care. I have been too busy trying to survive my training, and to be honest it truly was a hellish training regime. I will not speak of it because to do so would be digging up past nightmares, and I have absolutely no wish to experience them again. I do have one thing to say however, anime training from hell has nothing on her training.
Throughout my time here I have seen countless warriors come to receive her training, and so far none have survived. Without being exceptional, it's just not physically possible. To be honest I wouldn't be surprised if just training with her is the reason Cu has his absurd battle continuation. Her training makes the spartans' training look like a little league sport boot camp, and that's only counting the physical aspect of her training.
The magical aspect of her training is a completely different beast. While the physical aspect will kill you, the magical aspect will overload your brain. Memorizing runes is the easy part of it. The hard part comes when she gives you a task to complete by a certain deadline using magic only. If you fail, then she will increase your already hellish training.
Then we come to the literal killing part of her training, the spars. She will gather everyone of her current students in the massive courtyard and literally say "All of you band together and kill me right now. If you won't, then die. Because I am going to kill all of you now." Many didn't think that she was serious, they thought that she was just being metaphorical. Unfortunately for them, she was being dead serious.
The only reason I've survived so far is because I cheated with both magic, and my demigod physiology. Using the runes I've learned, I was able to inscribe a set of runewords on my body to get the absolute maximum gain from my training and another set of runes to turn my magical energy into regenerative energy. The runeword is ᛒᚨᛏᚾᚨ ᛊᛁᚲ, or Batna sik, which translates to improve self. By inscribing the rune sentence onto my body before exercise or studying, the results I gain from training is maximized. The second set of runes are ᛚᛊᛗ, or Heal. It is a basic healing spell that transforms my magic power into regenerative energy and heals my wounds once inscribed on my body.
Is it cheating? Perhaps. Do I care? Not even remotely. As for Scathach, she just sees it as my being resourceful, and as an excuse to try and kill me harder, like now.
"You are spacing out. At this rate it will become a bad habit." she says as she tries to skewer me between my eyebrows.
Without much effort I tilt my head to the side to dodge and retaliate by slashing at the tendons in her wrist, only for her to parry.
"Oh? And who is going to beat it out of me? You, perhaps?" I answer as I follow the momentum of the parry and turn it into a stab towards her jugular.
With a raised eyebrow she dodges before leaping back to disengage.
"It seems as if we are officially evenly matched in terms of skills and physical parameters. However, you still have much to learn when it comes to magic." she says.
"Please." I say with an eye roll. "We have been evenly matched for a while now. You have enough ceased to teach me anything. You were just too stubborn to acknowledge it until now. As for magic, well I walk a different path from your's. While I will spare no effort from mastering rune magic, I have another, potentially more complex field that I wish to master."
"Come." she says as she turns to walk inside. "It is late and I believe that it has been a productive enough day."
We make our way to one of the castle's lounges and sit. While she lays on a couch, I sit down in front of a table with a blue bodysuit on it. The bodysuit looks similar to Cu's outfit in fate, except without the white line, pauldrons, or shoes. This is my rune suit, or at least one of them. While I already received my purchased rune suit from Scathach, in the form of a gift for completing my training, this one is a project that I am undertaking to create one as powerful, or more powerful, than the one she gave me. It's a daunting task that I have been working on since I've finished my training.
I have already inscribed it with the basic runes to self-clean, self repair, and shapeshifting. Now all that is left is to enhance the wearer's physical parameters, and the more complex functions such as magical resistance without messing up the other runes.
"What are your plans now?" asks Scathach as she watches me work on my rune suit.
"Honestly, I genuinely don't have any plans other than to travel the world, watch humanity grow, and learn whatever it is humanity's genius minds invent." I reply without looking up from my rune suit.
"What is there left to learn? I have taught you all that I know, and I have mastered every skill humanity has to offer. It is for this reason that being existences such as ours is a curse, and a life devoid of purpose." she answers.
"You are only partially correct." I say as I put the suit down and look at her. "While you have mastered every skill humanity has to offer, it is only for this temporary amount of time. Give them a century or two and I assure you that you will once again have skills to master, and new knowledge to learn. It is what makes them so special, for even with their small lifespans they accomplish much. They are always evolving." I say and return to my work while she quietly ponders my words.
It feels somewhat weird talking about humanity as if I am no longer a part of them. However, I have felt this change coming, so it really isn't something new. It started back in the percy jackson world. One does not constantly commune with literal gods, battle titans, destroy islands, and be hailed as the prince of the sea to come out of it feeling human. Especially since I know for a fact that I am three quarters god, and unless I die in battle, I will live forever.
Being with Scathach also doesn't help since she also views herself as a being outside of humanity, and honestly I cannot blame her for thinking so. Scathach is insanely powerful and worked hard for it. She was placed in charge of the Land of Shadows because she was deemed strong enough to kick the dead, which often included near-gods, back into the underworld, and eventually became so good at it that she can simply no longer be called human. She has no limits.
"Perhaps you are right. However, that does not alleviate my lack of purpose. What am I supposed to do while waiting for humanity to invent new things that interest me?" she says after a few minutes.
"Well, from what I can tell, while the Age of Gods is no longer around, monsters that are threats to humanity still exist. Perhaps you can act as a protector of some sort of humanity. Help them survive by dealing with world ending issues in exchange for your entertainment. Or you can join me on my journey and we can deal with threats to humanity together." I reply
"Hmm" she hums with a thoughtful expression. "I shall endeavor to think about it."
"Also, you still have not seen the entire world. Remember, Rome was as far as you got." I add.
"Yes, you are correct." she answers. "Anyway, on to a different topic. Have you made your decision on what runes you shall use on your body to enhance your physical parameters."
"Naturally. I have also already inscribed them on me, and they work in an acceptable fashion." I say as I get up, remove my shirt and show her.
On my left pectoral, over my heart, are the symbols ᚦᛟᚱ, or Thor. This runic array functions under the premise of "Simplicity is Best." It is a simple three Rune Array that has the simple effect of boosting a person's physical attributes to superhuman levels. Thurisaz provides the Magus with enormous strength and endurance, Raidho provides Superhuman speed and reflexes, and Othala strengthens the entire Array by calling upon the power inherent to Thor's name, links the two other runes together, and causes an interaction between the runes that allows the Magus to accurately judge their strength such that they could hold a delicate glass figurine in one hand and crush marble in the other.
Even the method of powering the Rune is simple. One must simply send a steady flow of Prana to the Rune which is either inscribed on the Magus's body or onto some talisman or another. In order to power the Array, no less than twenty High class Magic Circuits or equivalent must be dedicated to the task constantly. If the flow of Prana is interrupted or disrupted, the Array will simply stop functioning. While it does not have the effect of boosting my attributes up by a full rank, it still does a good job by boosting it up at up to half a full rank.
"Not bad." she says. "While to us the enhancement may not seem significant, to an average warrior of these times it would be a very big improvement, enough for them to make a name for themselves."
The idea of using inscribed runes on the body to enhance it never came to her mind since she's never really needed to. She called it "perhaps the most straightforward way of using runes."
"While the change might not be significant, it certainly would give me the advantage over an opponent that is only slightly more physically powerful than I." I reply.
"Regardless, you have come far, and completed your training in about five years. If you had not insisted on the constant physical training then the time you used to complete your training would have been far less. Honestly sometimes I wondered whether you just loved the pain so much" she asks with a slight.
"No." I answer as I put my shirt back on and return to my project. "I do not love pain, I was just being thorough and the results speak for themselves. After all, you can no longer keep up with me in terms of agility. Also only a madwoman like you would love pain."
"What do you mean?" she asks with genuine confusion on her face.
"Nevermind." I reply with a sigh.
This is one of the reasons why I honestly think that she needs to get out of this place. She no longer has any believable standards for what should be physically possible for a human. To her if she can do it then so should any warrior. It's as if I went up to an average demigod with only basic training and asked him to kill Kronos. It's the reason why almost no one survives her training, most of the tasks are only possible by being immortal or having a physical body as powerful as hers, it's ridiculous.
"We have visitors." she says, bringing me out of my train of thought. "Do you wish to do the honors, or shall I."
"I'll go." I reply as I put down my rune suit and make my way outside.
When Scathach says that we have visitors, then it means new potential students. What we do is, one of us goes out and meets the students at the base of the mountain where her castle resides, and we'll attack the students. Survivors become students and failures become new habitants of the Land of Shadows.
Arriving at the base of the mountain, I immediately spot the Scathach's next victims, amongst them is a teenager Cu Chulainn and Ferdiad. Poor bastards don't even know what type of torture they're in for.
Without further delay, I appear in front of the potential students in a burst of speed. Just by looking at their faces I can tell that it seemed as if I teleported in front of them.
"Gentlemen, I am here to decide whether any of you will have the privilege of learning from Scathach. The test is simple, attack me with the intent to kill. Those who succeed will be taught by her while failures will become permanent residents of this realm." I say.
The majority of them look terrified of becoming inhabitants of this land while others, like Cu and Ferdiad, look determined. However none of them attack. Very well, since they won't come to me then I'll just have to go to them.
These are his new parameters after completing his training with Scathach.
Name: Ambrosius Malphas
Gender: Male
Age: 17
Height: 5'8
Hair Color: Black
Eye Color: Gold
Looks: Ozymandias from Fate
Build: Medium
Body Type: Athlete
Stats (Without Enhancements)
Strength: B
Endurance: A
Agility: A
Magic Circuits: 50
Od Output: 2500
Luck: C (Raised because he's already altered a major fate in the nasuverse. Scathach is no longer suicidal.)
Ambrosius' Servant Profile (Not finalized yet)
His rider class is still a work in progress, and this isn't finalized yet so some things might change. Also if the latin translations are wrong let me know because I used an online translator, and please forgive my horrible naming sense.
True Name: Ambrosius Malphas
Also Known As: The First Praetor
The Sword of Rome
Prince of the Sea
Titanbane
Annihilator of Armies
Slayer of the Supernatural
Gender: Male
Height: 182 cm
Weight: 75 kg
Blood Type: Unknown
Birthday: Unknown
Type: Heroic Spirit
Source: Monarchy of Rome
Region: Rome, Europe
Alignment: Lawful Neutral
Hidden Attribute: Heaven
Armaments: Armor, Trident
Qualified Servant Classes: Lancer, Rider, Saber, Caster, Archer
Lancer: As a lancer he embodies his legend as one of the most powerful and skilled warriors to ever walk the earth, and to ever will.
Parameters:
Strength: B
Endurance: A
Agility: A
Mana: B
Luck: B
NP: A
Class Skills:
Magic Resistance: A
Personal Skills:
Eye of the Mind (True) (A): Capable of calm analysis of the abilities of the opponent as well as the battle conditions even when in danger and deduce an appropriate course of action after considering all possibilities to escape from a predicament.
Clairvoyance (B): In legend Ambrosius was said to be able to predict an opponent's next move in battle before they themselves knew what it was going to be. Because of this, and a good balance with the Mind's Eye (True) Skill, limited future sight is possible when used to predict an enemy leader's moves, with the skill becoming more powerful when in battle.
Divinity (A): Similar to Gilgamesh's original value as a 2/3 demigod, Ambrosius possesses 3/4 divinity, giving him the highest level of Divinity among many of the Heroic Spirits.
Battle Continuation (A): According to legend Ambrosius had a limited healing factor and one of the strongest wills among Heroic Spirits, as seen by his ability to survive Tartarus until he completed his unknown task. Can continue fighting even with wounds that place him on the verge of death.
Noble Phantasms:
Supernaturalis Interfectorum (Anti-Unit): As a warrior and protector of Rome during dark times in the Age of Gods, Ambrosius has faced everything the supernatural world has to offer. From witches, to sea serpents, cyclopes, and even titans such as Kronos himself. Ambrosius has faced them all and has always come out as the victor, no matter how much above mortals his enemies were. He earned the name Slayer of the Supernatural due to this. This is the crystallization of that legend. Whenever faced against a supernatural being more powerful than himself, Ambrosius' parameters will increase to give him a fighting chance. It also gives him the knowledge on how to defeat any supernatural being he faces, even if they have never been defeated by anyone before. Against mages, it lets him know how their mysteries work and how to best counter them. Unfortunately this does not give him the means to enact the best method to defeat his enemy should he lack it, only the knowledge of how to do so.
Exercitus Extinctor (Anti-Army): Literally translating to "army annihilator", this noble phantasm is the crystallization of Ambrosius' constant battles against armies, supernatural or otherwise, and his ability to come out on as the victor with nary a scratch. When faced against a group of ten combatants or above, or a single combatant that is considered a one man army, Ambrosius enters a battle trance where he operates at optimal capacity to achieve his goal, and his parameters are raised to help him operate in such a capacity effortlessly. Even if he is injured, they will not hinder him and he will operate as if the injury was never there. This does not however make him invincible. Should the army be truly beyond him then there is nothing stopping him from losing.
Bis Benedictus Filius (Anti-Unit): As the son of two gods, Ambrosius received abilities from their domains. From Neptune he received the ability to use any type of water to boost his parameters. From Bellona, the goddess of war, he received telumkinesis, the ability to manipulate weaponry. With it he can conjure and use any weapon very well, he knows everything about a weapon when he sees it and can conjure an exact replica of it, skills and enhancements included. The conjured weapon is so close to the genuine article that as far as the world is concerned it is a genuine article. The only exception being Ea. No one knows what the fuck that weapon is, and as far as this noble phantasm is concerned it's complete bullshit and probably isn't even from Gaea.
Meeting Aife
"Come now Setanta, we taught you better than this. You are fighting like a mad dog. Did your owner not feed you before you came here?" I say as I dodge another one of his stabs.
Hearing my words, Setanta's fighting becomes more fierce and erratic. He begins telegraphing his moves, and it quickly begins to truly resemble a mad dog fighting. That is one of his drawbacks that I want to correct, his anger issues when someone calls him a mad dog. If it only caused him to be angered then I would have let him be, however with that anger comes an irrational mind that throws most of his skills other than the basics out the window. Like now for example, he is completely ignoring his skills and trying to use his brutality to kill me. While this may work against the average warrior of these times, against the foes that he will face in the future, it could be his downfall.
Dodging under a sweep of his spear, I step forward, grab the shaft of the spear with my left hand and pull. His feet were not planted on the ground, making him come flying towards me where I catch him by the throat and slam him on the ground back first, knocking the breath out of him. With a pained gasp he releases his spear and I take it before launching him at the courtyard wall with a kick before throwing the spear at him. The spear stabs itself through his forearm and impales the wall behind, nailing him to it. A second later Ferdiad himself slams into the wall and is also nailed to it by a spear through his shoulder, just a few inches away from his heart.
"The arm? That's a bit lenient don't you think?" comes the voice of Scathach from behind me as she approaches.
"That is the point. You are the strict teacher, while I am the lenient one. Besides, until one of us heals him, that hand is useless. I cut the tendons there." I reply as she stops next to me.
Before Scathach can answer, Setanta removes the spear from his arm with a pained grunt and stands. In a heartwarming show of camaraderie, he walks over to Ferdiad and helps him remove the spear from his shoulder and stand before they start talking in hushed whispers. I can easily make out their words, but to give them the advantage of surprise I completely ignore whatever it is they are saying in favor of talking to Scathach.
"How are their lessons coming along in terms of magic?" I ask as I turn my head to face her
"Adequate. They are perhaps my most gifted students." she says.
"Really?" I ask with a raised eyebrow.
"You don't count." is her answer to my raised eyebrow.
"Oh? How so? Because last I checked, I was one of your students." I ask.
"I do not consider you a student to be honest. What I did was just help you polish your skills, give you combat experience, and increase your physical strength. It was more akin to a training partner, rather than a teacher." she answers.
Before I can reply, the sound of air being cut reaches me and I instinctively tilt my head to dodge the incoming spear. As the spear passes by my head however, I catch a glimpse of a runic array written on its shaft. With reflexes born from experiencing countless battles, I leap away from the spear and conjure a spartan shield between the spear and I, and manipulate my blood to pass through the pores of my hand to quickly inscribe a runic array on the shield just as the spear explodes. The mystic code activates and shields me as the force of the explosion and the shrapnel from the spear reaches me.
The mystic code itself lies in the runes written with my blood, ᚠ ᚢ ᚦ ᚨ ᚱ ᚲ ᚷ ᚹ ᚺ ᚾ ᛁ ᛃ ᛇ ᛈ ᛉ ᛊ ᛏ ᛒ ᛖ ᛗ ᛚ ᛜ ᛞ ᛟ. It is a mystic code that makes use of the defensive properties of the runic alphabet, the runes are inscribed along the rim of a circular shield with the Fehu rune located at the top. The user then paints the runes with their own blood to anchor the Bounded Field they create when activated to the shield. However to shorten the process I just write the runes with my blood.
Whenever the completed Code is provided with prana it will create a Bounded Field along the surface of the shield that is capable of blocking even great Noble Phantasms. Even a wooden shield will be capable of turning aside the strikes of Heroic Spirits but the high cost of keeping the shield activated combined with the fact that the shield cannot be moved while the Bounded Field is active means that it can only be used in short bursts. To properly use this Mystic Code it is essential to have the proper timing.
When only smoke is left from the explosion, I deactivate the mystic code and dissipate the shield. Seconds later Setanta emerges from the smoke, his arms up ready for hand to hand combat, and a savage grin on his face.
With a raised eyebrow I decide to indulge his fantasies and dissipate the nameless spear that I held in my right hand. His first strike is a punch towards my face, which I easily dodge by tilting my head. Instead of retracting his arm he actually chooses to open his palm and grab my head, pulling my face towards his rising knee. Still keeping calm, I grab his injured forearm and dig my thumb into his wound. In an impressive show of willpower, his only answer to the attack is a pained grunt and nothing else. Seeing how that didn't work, I decide to be more direct and strike his hip, almost chattering it. With a cry of pain he lets go of my head and falls backward to the ground. Not giving him a chance to gather himself, I stomp on his head and knock him out. A second later an unconscious Ferdiad joins Setanta on the ground. He seems to have broken both of his arms and is bleeding from a cut to the head.
"I think I might be becoming lenient." says Scathach as she walks ups to me and looks down at Ferdiad and Setanta.
Hearing her statement I can't help but scoff. Two weeks ago she killed twenty students in one of her all out spars and crippled the rest. The only survivors were Setanta and Ferdiad, and they barely survived. Last week, after the crippled students recovered, she had another one of her all out spars, killing another half. The rest of the students ran away leaving Ferdiad and Setanta as the only students.
"You are not becoming lenient, the change is coming from them. They're adapting and we are starting to see the results of their perseverance." I tell her.
She stares at the two children with fondness, because honestly that is what we have come to see the two as. Children we did not ask for yet somehow we still ended up adopting.
"Come on." I say as I pick the two up. "We need to heal them and prepare dinner. They will be starving as usual once they awake."
"You know Setanta will not be happy about missing the hunt." she says with a small smile on her face.
"Well, like I've told him before, once he can survive our spars without falling unconscious he can join me to hunt for food." I reply with a jokingly mocking tone.
"And then he will call you a shitty teacher because you knock him out on purpose every time." answers Scathach.
"And I will answer by asking him, like usual, if I'm a shitty teacher what does that make you." I reply as I begin to chuckle.
"And like usual, he will say that as a beautiful woman, I get a pass." she finishes with a laugh.
"He is such a charmer honestly. I fear for the lords who have daughters back in Ulster, for he will most likely be partaking of the friendship of the thighs with them." I say
"You mean if he has not already done it." she says with a scoff.
Arriving in the castle's lounge, I set each one of them down on a couch before leaving to go hunting.
The Land of Shadows is a land of the dead, as such it is devoid of life other than Scathach and her students. Therefore I have to venture outside of it to hunt for food. Usually the students have to hunt for their food themselves, however ever since Setanta and Ferdiad have become our only students, I've taken to hunting for their food as well as ours since now every training session ends in their incapacitation.
The passage that leads outside of the Land of Shadows is, like the rest of the realm, rocky and covered in a shadowy mist, making it easy to walk off the path and get lost.
Arriving to the woods outside, I take a deep breath of fresh air. The forest outside is pretty lively for one that borders a land for the dead. One can find plenty of boar to hunt here.
With one knee on the grass, I place my hand on the ground and begin to feel the vibrations on the ground. The first time I came here to hunt, I used my domain to sense everything, and spooked everything in the forest. As it turns out I subconsciously emit a small oppressive aura when I use my domain. I never knew because the only living beings around when I used it before were monsters and other members of the Legion. Naturally the monsters easily shrug it off, and the members of the Legion were elite warriors that were bloodied and probably didn't even notice.
After a few seconds I sense a boar about a hundred feet away to my left laying down by a bush. Standing up I conjure a bow and an arrow, and shoot it through the skull. Making my way to the boar, I pick it up and turn to make my way back to Dun Scaith, only to hear footsteps cautiously approaching me.
"There is no need to hide. I can hear you." I say as I turn to face the footsteps.
A few hundred feet away someone steps out from behind a tree. The person that steps out from the tree is a woman and can only be Aife. She looks like Scathach's twin sister, only she has red hair instead of purple.
"Can I help you?" I ask the woman.
"You can." she says as she approaches me. "You see I have a simple task that you can easily accomplish. Naturally you will be rewarded."
"I am not interested." I answer as I turn to leave.
"Do not be so hasty to decline." she says as she falls in step next to me. "You see, your host and I have something of a disagreement, and I would love it if the next time she and I cross spears that you do not interfere."
One of the students that left must have given her information about me. It would explain why she knows about me and wishes for me not to interfere with her and Scathach's next battle. Unfortunately for her Setanta will defeat her himself. Besides, Scathach is grown and powerful, I have no doubt that she can deal with Aife herself. I turn to face her and answer.
"Whatever disagreement you may have with Scathach is between you and her and none of my business. However, she is still my ally so if I see anything treacherous I will intervene. I also cannot let you kill her." I tell her.
Distaste shows on her face for a second before she quickly schools herself.
"That is acceptable." she says before she turns and leaves.
Odin's Gallows
"Are you sure that you wish to go through with the ritual." asks Scathach as we make our way to the designated area for the ritual. "If you go through with this, there is a 9/10 chance that you may not survive."
"I will survive. Do not worry. If I don't, Setanta will never let me live it down. He would be so insufferably smug." I say to lighten the mood.
It does work to some extent as her previously grim face brightens up a bit. Arriving at the designated area for the ritual, a clearing in the woods with an ash tree, we begin to make the preparations.
The ritual makes use of a three part array, ᚷ\ᚷᛞ/ᚱᚨᛊᛁ/ᛚᛚ ᚷ/ᚢᚾ/ᚷ/ᚾᛁᚱ ᛟ/ᛞᛁᚾ, that requires three different objects to inscribe the runes on, an ash tree located on a leyline, a spear given to the me as a gift and myself. It is called Odin's Gallows, and I invented it with Scathach making some adjustments to make sure that everything goes smoothly.
The reason for Scathach's hesitation is because of what happens once the ritual begins. Once it begins, I will enter a deathlike state, and keep right on the border between life and death.
For nine days and nine nights I will remain in this state while in great pain. Despite the pain, I must not do anything other than to contemplate the meanings of each individual rune and my meanings once they are combined for the whole ritual, otherwise I will most likely not survive its conclusion.
While hanging there I can neither eat nor drink, if I arrange for someone to provide it to me by either feeding me normally or injecting any other way, it will interfere with the ritual and kill me. While the runes will keep me from dying from starvation and thirst, it will not keep me in good health. At the end of the ritual, I will be frail and thin and only inches away from death's door. It is impossible to avoid the damaging consequences of the ritual; the presence of other people or the use of healing artifacts will disrupt the workings of the ritual thus causing a backslash that will inevitably kill me.
When the ninth night is finally over, the ritual will conclude and the slow and steady buildup of the nine nights will erupt in a burst of activity.
In a few short instances, my soul, which has been prepared for alteration during the ritual, will be suddenly and irreversibly altered. My origin will change from whatever it used to be and become Runes. My elemental affinity will change from whatever it used to be and become Divine Letters. I will gain a Sorcery Trait called Rune God which replaces my preexisting Sorcery Trait if I already had one.
While there are methods for gaining Sorcery Traits and methods to change one's Elemental Affinity exist (albeit painful and dangerous ones) a ritual to change one's Origin, Elemental Affinity and Sorcery Trait at the same time is absurdly rare and incredibly dangerous. Even with a disciplined mind that never falters even once during the ritual there is still only a 1/10 chance of survival and for those without said discipline there is no chance of survival at all. In addition to that, the process of altering my very soul is indescribably painful, no matter how strong my will is or how high my pain tolerance, it is physically impossible for me to not scream in pain. In addition to that even if I survive the procedure I will have a scarred neck for the rest of my life. Even if magic or surgery is used to remove the scar it will simply return again as the scar originates from my soul and the body will simply mimic the state of the soul thus returning the scar. Or that would be the case if I didn't have a way to manipulate my very soul.
Throughout my stay with Scathach, I did not focus all of my magical training on runes. No, I decided to master the basics before moving on to a different field, the soul. Unlike everyone in the nasuverse, I have a head start on anything that has to do with the soul, energybending.
Energybending is the ability to bend another person's, or your own, life energy. At first it doesn't seem to have anything to do with the soul, until you remember that in the avatar world life energy comes from, and is, the very soul. When Aang stripped Ozai of his bending, he literally reached into the man's very soul. Which is why the lion turtle who taught him how to, gave him a very severe warning "To bend another's energy, your own spirit must be unbendable, or you will be corrupted and destroyed."
All the years practicing in Dun Scaith, and even before that since I have been practicing even in the Avatar, and the PJO world, have finally allowed me a breakthrough. It was the day when I met Aife that had my breakthrough, so around two years ago. I had finally interacted with my soul to give myself airbending, then took away my firebending only to revive it. Two years of training, that's how long I practiced altering my soul, and almost making irreparable damages, to feel confident enough to do this. Many times I caused catastrophes upon myself, luckily they were reversible. While it might sound like I have reached the third magic, I haven't, my soul isn't a perpetual motion machine nor have I reached the point of the materialization of my soul. I have however reached a point of altering my soul with extreme precision and accuracy, making the scar on it a mute point. However, that isn't the only danger.
In addition to the low chance of survival there is another reason that for this array to not be used. In the future, modern orthodox magecraft relies on the elemental affinity one possesses and the types of spell one can use is determined by one's affinity or affinities. Possessing the highly specialized Divine Letters affinity makes it impossible to use any other form of magecraft than Rune Magic. Furthermore, changing one's Origin also makes abilities and weapons that relied on the Origin such as Origin Bullets, Unlimited Blades Works or Awakened Origins completely useless.
However, once again, none of this applies to me. With all four bending arts I will have no need for elemental magecraft, even the more complex ones since I can just compensate with my runes.
There is however, the possibility of drastic alterations to one's personality. I have a high chance of becoming a person who is always thinking and pondering. I would dig up every piece of information on something that I can find and spend hours, days, weeks, or even years, mulling it over, considering everything about it and its implications before acting. This fits with Odin's personality as someone who worked to discover everything he could to see if he couldn't avoid Ragnarok, and I can't circumvent it since I am invoking his very name to enact the ritual.
Furthermore, if I should come across a genuine or convincing enough fake of any of Odin's belongings, such as Gungnir or his magical whetstone, my new Origin will compel me to do anything I can to acquire it. Even if it means abandoning a vitally important task or throwing myself into near certain death. Which is why I picked my valyrian steel spear for this task. A part of me easily recognizes it as Gungnir due to its similarities with the spear from the Thor movie. As for his magical whetstones, well good luck finding any of those.
While there are several downsides to performing this ritual the benefits outweigh them for me. Thanks to the ritual optimizing me for Rune magic, I will gain prana utilization that is about two hundred times more efficient than the average magus, allowing me to perform wonders with very little energy. Obviously this only applies to Rune Magic, it is more likely to hinder me than help when using any other form of magecraft.
Rune Arrays that require a high number of circuits can be performed even if one has twenty times less circuits than what is needed. I also gain an instinctive understanding of runes and will never forget any of the rune arrays that I've learned.
The risks are high but if one is successful it becomes possible for a first generation magus with a low number of low quality circuits and average talent to become a force capable of facing mysteries of True Magic or Dead Apostle Ancestors in less than ten years.
The first part of the array, the runic name Yggdrasil, is inscribed into the bark of the ash tree. Secondly the runic name Gungnir must be inscribed on the spear, I chose my valyrian steel spear which looks like Gungnir from the MCU Thor movie. Finally the runic name Odin must be inscribed in a circle around my left eye so that blood from the wounds will seep into the eye and prevent me from seeing with it. If the user has already lost their left eye then they can inscribe the Odin (ᛟ/ᛞᛁᚾ) array anywhere on their body.
The array gains its power by recreating the event where Odin sacrificed himself to himself by hanging from the world tree Yggdrasil for nine days and nights, pierced by his own spear, in order to learn the wisdom that would give him power in the nine worlds. Nine is a significant number in Norse magical practice which in turn makes a ritual that lasts for nine days very potent. Furthermore the array invokes the runic name Yggdrasill which means Odin's Horse a reference to the old Norse practice of calling gallows "the horse of the hanged".
Once all the rune arrays have been inscribed, I take a deep breath to prepare myself for what is to come. Before I can accomplish the next step, I feel Scathach place her hand on my shoulder and lightly squeeze it.
"You don't have to do this, but since you wish to follow through, know that I will support you. I will stay here and make sure that none interfere." she tells me softly.
Taking another deep breath, I gather my courage, channel prana through the Gungnir (ᚷ/ᚢᚾ/ᚷ/ᚾᛁᚱ) array and stab myself in the side with the spear. Using the blood from the wound, I paint the Gungnir and Yggdrasill arrays red. Following through the final step, I tie a rope to the spear, stick the spear between a pair of branches to form primitive gallows and then hang myself from the tree while channeling prana through each of the tree parts of the array.
Once these steps are complete, I can feel the ritual begin as I enter a deathlike state, and keep right on the border between life and death.
Odin
How long has it been? Minutes at the most, I think. It doesn't feel like it though. It hurts so much, what is happening to me? By the gods, this pain, what is this pain. I feel as if someone is tearing into my very soul. That screaming, is that me? Wait. Soul? Why is that--. That's right, the ritual. I need to focus on the ritual for the runes. What were they again? I believe it was ᚷ\ᚷᛞ/ᚱᚨᛊᛁ/ᛚᛚ ᚷ/ᚢᚾ/ᚷ/ᚾᛁᚱ ᛟ/ᛞᛁ. Right? No, I'm missing something. That's it! It's ᚷ\ᚷᛞ/ᚱᚨᛊᛁ/ᛚᛚ ᚷ/ᚢᚾ/ᚷ/ᚾᛁᚱ ᛟ/ᛞᛁᚾ.
The first one is Jera: ᛃ. The Rune of a year, the results of earlier efforts being realized, a time of peace, breaking through stagnancy, hopes of prosperity, the promise of success earned, life cycle, cyclical pattern of the universe and everything changing in its own time.
Then there is Gebo: ᚷ. The Rune of gifts, sacrifice, balance and all matters in relation to exchanges.
The third is Gebo Merkstave: \ᚷ. The Rune of greed, loneliness, dependence, over-sacrifice, obligation, toll and privation.
Dagaz: ᛞ The Rune of days, breakthrough, awakening, awareness, daylight clarity as opposed to nighttime uncertainty, the power of change directed by my own will, transformation, growth and release and a balance point where opposites meet
Raidho Reversed: /ᚱ The Rune of crisis, rigidity, stasis, irrationality, delusion and possibly a death
Ansuz: ᚨ The Rune of Odin the ancestral god, revealing insight, signals, inspiration, enthusiasm, true vision, power of words and naming, blessings, the taking of advice, good health, harmony, truth and wisdom
Sowilo: ᛊ The Rune of the sun, success, goals achieved, honor, life-force, health, a time when power will be available to me for positive changes in my life, wholeness, power, elemental force and contact between the higher self and the unconscious
Isa: ᛁ The Rune of ice, a challenge, psychological blocks to thought or activity, a time to turn inward and seek clarity and reinforcing runes around it
Laguz Reversed: /ᛚ The Rune of a period of confusion in one's life, the possibility of making wrong decisions and poor judgements, lack of creativity, feelings of being in a rut, fear, circular motion, avoidance, withering, madness, obsession, despair and suicide
Laguz: ᛚ The Rune of water, flow, the healing power of renewal, life energy, organic growth, imagination, psychic matters, dreams, fantasies, mysteries, the unknown, the hidden, the deep, the underworld and success in travel or acquisition, but with the possibility of loss.
Gebo: ᚷ The Rune of gifts, sacrifice, balance and all matters in relation to exchanges
Uruz Reversed: /ᚢ The Rune of weakness, obsession, misdirected force, sickness and ignorance
Nauthiz: ᚾ The Rune of need, delays, restriction, resistance leading to strength, innovation, need-fire (self-reliance), distress, confusion, conflict and the power of will to overcome it, endurance, survival, determination, a time to exercise patience, recognition of one's fate, major self-initiated change and facing my fears
Gebo Merkstave: \ᚷ The Rune of greed, loneliness, dependence, over-sacrifice, obligation, toll and privation
Nauthiz Reversed: /ᚾ Constraint of freedom, distress, toil, drudgery, laxity. Necessity, extremity, want, deprivation, starvation, need, poverty, emotional hunger.
Isa: ᛁ The Rune of ice, a challenge, frustration, psychological blocks to thought or activity, times to turn inward and wait for what is to come, to seek clarity and reinforcing runes around it
Raidho: ᚱ The Rune of Travel in terms of lifestyle direction, a journey, evolution, seeing a larger perspective, seeing the right move for me to make and deciding upon it, personal rhythm, world rhythm and the dance of life
Othala: ᛟ The Rune of ancestral property, what is truly important to one, land of birth, spiritual heritage, aid in spiritual and physical journeys and source of safety
Dagaz Merkstave: /ᛞ The Rune of a completion, ending, limit, coming full circle, blindness and hopelessness
Isa: ᛁ The Rune of ice, a challenge, frustration, psychological blocks to thought or activity, times to turn inward and wait for what is to come, to seek clarity and reinforcing runes around it
The last one isNauthiz: ᚾ The Rune of need, delays, restriction, resistance leading to strength, innovation, need-fire (self-reliance), distress, confusion, conflict and the power of will to overcome it, endurance, survival, determination, a time to exercise patience, recognition of one's fate, major self-initiated change and facing my fears.
The array gains its power by recreating the event where Odin sacrificed himself to himself by hanging from the world tree Yggdrasil for nine days and nights, pierced by his own spear, in order to learn the wisdom that would give him power in the nine worlds.
"An interesting ritual you have there, little demigod." says a wizened, cold, stoic voice full of power.
Someone is here? That shouldn't be possible. Ferdiad and Setanta are guarding the path to this clearing. Even if someone were to manage getting by those two, Scathach would not have let anyone come close to me.
"And right you are. They are performing their task marvelously. However, I am no mere mortal. You may call me, Odin." replies the voice as it reads my mind.
Odin? That's not possible. Ragnarok happened a few hundred years ago.
"Correct. However, we gods are not completely gone yet. Especially not when you mortals still strongly believe, prolonging the time of our existence. I am not fully Odin, you may think of me as the last remnants of his will."
While that is fascinating, may I know why you have reached out to me?
"Such a powerful ritual. Such an interesting way to invoke my name and gain power. How could I not take interest? It leaves me to wonder who you are? Let us see what memories lay in your mind."
"Oh? Yes, it all makes sense now. Only a Roman of all people would take such risks for power. Isn't that right, Ambrosius Malphas, son of Neptune, and First Praetor of Rome. You somehow survived Tartarus and found yourself in the realm of Scathach, the only mortal to whom I have taught my runes. You have accepted this land as your new home, even becoming close to Scathach and seeing Setanta and Ferdiad as your own sons. Yet despite all of this you still see yourself as a Roman, a child of two Roman gods and the grandchild of another Roman god. In a way, the Roman gods live through you and your actions in the future."
You interrupted a ritual that may see me dead to psychoanalyze me?
"No need to worry. Nary a second has passed since we have begun to speak."
Very well. What is it that you want, Odin.
"Do not get cheeky with me boy. I may just be a remnant of my former self, but that does not mean that I cannot punish you for your insolence."
My apologies.
"They are accepted. Now as for why I am here, well I think I found myself the perfect legacy. Between your battle prowess, magic, and proud disposition, one who did not know better could call you a child of mine. And what a fine son you would have made. Better than that oaf Thor. 'Retreat id unforgivable' he says. All he does is attack and attack. Does the fool not know the value of strategising? I digress. Through you Asgard's legacy shall live. And what better way to do it than through the spear that resembles Gungnir."
What are you doing?
"Giving you a gift. What is the term you used to define wands and other items that function as such? Mystic Code, I believe. Yes, I am turning that spear into a mystic code."
"It is done. Remember boy, runes have the potential to be limitless, never listen to anyone who tells you otherwise. Before I leave you however, there is one more thing that I wish to do. Now open your mind and focus on every single rune you have ever learned." he says as the previous pain is increased ten fold.
How long has it been? Seven or eight days? No. Today is the final day. I can feel the ritual reach its crescendo. I must focus on the runes, Odin said. Every single rune that I know
Fehu: ᚠ (F: Domestic cattle, wealth.) Possessions won or earned, earned income, luck. Abundance, financial strength in the present or near future. Sign of hope and plenty, success and happiness. Social success. Energy, foresight, fertility, creation/destruction (becoming). Fehu Reversed or Merkstave: Loss of personal property, esteem, or something that I put in effort to keep. It indicates some sort of failure. Greed, burnout, atrophy, discord. Cowardice, stupidity, dullness, poverty, slavery, bondage.
Uruz: ᚢ (U: Auroch, a wild ox.) Physical strength and speed, untamed potential. A time of great energy and health. Freedom, energy, action, courage, strength, tenacity, understanding, wisdom. Sudden or unexpected changes (usually for the better). Sexual desire, masculine potency. The shaping of power and pattern, formulation of the self. Uruz Reversed or Merkstave: Weakness, obsession, misdirected force, domination by others. Sickness, inconsistency, ignorance. Lust, brutality, rashness, callousness, violence.
Thurisaz: ᚦ (TH: Thorn or a Giant.) Reactive force, directed force of destruction and defense, conflict. Instinctual will, vital eroticism, regenerative catalyst. A tendency toward change. Catharsis, purging, cleansing fire. Male sexuality, fertilization. (Thorr, the Thunder god, was of Giant stock.)Thurisaz Reversed or Merkstave: Danger, defenselessness, compulsion, betrayal, dullness. Evil, malice, hatred, torment, spite, lies. A bad man or woman. Rape?
Ansuz: ᚨ (A: The As, ancestral god, i.e. Odin.) A revealing message or insight, communication. Signals, inspiration, enthusiasm, speech, true vision, power of words and naming. Blessings, the taking of advice. Good health, harmony, truth, wisdom. Ansuz Reversed or Merkstave: Misunderstanding, delusion, manipulation by others, boredom. Vanity and grandiloquence. (Odin is a mighty, but duplicitous god. He always has his own agenda.)
Raidho: ᚱ (R: Wagon or chariot.) Travel, both in physical terms and those of lifestyle direction. A journey, vacation, relocation, evolution, change of place or setting. Seeing a larger perspective. Seeing the right move for me to make and deciding upon it. Personal rhythm, world rhythm, dance of life. Raidho Reversed or Merkstave: Crisis, rigidity, stasis, injustice, irrationality. Disruption, dislocation, demotion, delusion, possibly a death.
Kenaz: ᚲ (K: Beacon or torch.) Vision, revelation, knowledge, creativity, inspiration, technical ability. Vital fire of life, harnessed power, fire of transformation and regeneration. Power to create my own reality, the power of light. Open to new strength, energy, and power now. Passion, sexual love. Kenaz Reversed or Merkstave: Disease, breakup, instability, lack of creativity. Nakedness, exposure, loss of illusion and false hope.
Gebo: ᚷ (G: Gift.) Gifts, both in the sense of sacrifice and of generosity, indicating balance. All matters in relation to exchanges, including contracts, personal relationships and partnerships. Gebo Merkstave (Gebo cannot be reversed, but may lie in opposition): Greed, loneliness, dependence, over-sacrifice. Obligation, toll, privation, bribery.
Wunjo: ᚹ (W or V: Joy.) Joy, comfort, pleasure. Fellowship, harmony, prosperity. Ecstasy, glory, spiritual reward, but also the possibility of going "over the top". If restrained, the meaning is general success and recognition of worth. Wunjo Reversed or Merkstave: Stultification, sorrow, strife, alienation. Delirium, intoxication, possession by higher forces, impractical enthusiasm. Raging frenzy, berzerker.
Hagalaz: ᚺ (H: Hail.) Wrath of nature, destructive, uncontrolled forces, especially the weather, or within the unconscious. Tempering, testing, trial. Controlled crisis, leading to completion, inner harmony. Hagalaz Merkstave (Hagalaz cannot be reversed, but may lie in opposition): Natural disaster, catastrophe. Stagnation, loss of power. Pain, loss, suffering, hardship, sickness, crisis.
Nauthiz: ᚾ (N: Need.) Delays, restrictions. Resistance leading to strength, innovation, need-fire (self-reliance). Distress, confusion, conflict, and the power of will to overcome them. Endurance, survival, determination. A time to exercise patience. Recognition of one's fate. Major self-initiated change. Face my fears. Nauthiz Reversed or Merkstave: Constraint of freedom, distress, toil, drudgery, laxity. Necessity, extremity, want, deprivation, starvation, need, poverty, emotional hunger.
Isa: ᛁ (I: Ice.) A challenge or frustration. Psychological blocks to thought or activity, including grievances. Standstill, or a time to turn inward and wait for what is to come, or to seek clarity. This rune reinforces runes around it. Isa Merkstave (Isa cannot be reversed, but may lie in opposition): Ego-mania, dullness, blindness, dissipation. Treachery, illusion, deceit, betrayal, guile, stealth, ambush, plots.
Jera: ᛃ (J or Y: A year, a good harvest.) The results of earlier efforts are realized. A time of peace and happiness, fruitful season. It can break through stagnancy. Hopes and expectations of peace and prosperity. The promise of success earned. Life cycle, cyclical pattern of the universe. Everything changes, in its own time. Jera Merkstave (Jera cannot be reversed, but may lie in opposition): Sudden setback, reversals. A major change, repetition, bad timing, poverty, conflict.
Eihwaz: ᛇ (EI: Yew tree.) Strength, reliability, dependability, trustworthiness. Enlightenment, endurance. Defense, protection. The driving force to acquire, providing motivation and a sense of purpose. Indicates that I have set my sights on a reasonable target and can achieve my goals. An honest man who can be relied upon. Eihwaz Reversed or Merkstave: Confusion, destruction, dissatisfaction, weakness.
Perthro: ᛈ (P: Lot cup, vagina.) Uncertain meaning, a secret matter, a mystery, hidden things and occult abilities. Initiation, knowledge of one's destiny, knowledge of future matters, determining the future or my path. Pertaining to things feminine, feminine mysteries including female fertility, and vagina. Good lot, fellowship and joy. Evolutionary change. Perthro Reversed or Merkstave: Addiction, stagnation, loneliness, malaise.
Algiz: ᛉ (Z or -R: Elk, protection.) Protection, a shield. The protective urge to shelter oneself or others. Defense, warding off of evil, shield, guardian. Connection with the gods, awakening, higher life. It can be used to channel energies appropriately. Follow my instincts. Keep hold of success or maintain a position won or earned. Algiz Reversed: or Merkstave: Hidden danger, consumption by divine forces, loss of divine link. Taboo, warning, turning away, that which repels.
Sowilo: ᛊ (S: The sun.) Success, goals achieved, honor. The life-force, health. A time when power will be available to me for positive changes in my life, victory, health, and success. Contact between the higher self and the unconscious. Wholeness, power, elemental force, sword of flame, cleansing fire. Sowilo Merkstave (Sowilo cannot be reversed, but may lie in opposition): False goals, bad counsel, false success, gullibility, loss of goals. Destruction, retribution, justice, casting down of vanity. Wrath of god.
Tiwaz: ᛏ (T: Tyr, the sky god.) Honor, justice, leadership and authority. Analysis, rationality. Knowing where one's true strengths lie. Willingness to self-sacrifice. Victory and success in any competition or in legal matters. Tiwaz Reversed or Merkstave: One's energy and creative flow are blocked. Mental paralysis, over-analysis, over-sacrifice, injustice, imbalance. Strife, war, conflict, failure in competition. Dwindling passion, difficulties in communication, and possibly separation.
Berkano: ᛒ (B: Berchta, the birch-goddess.) Birth, general fertility, both mental and physical and personal growth, liberation. Regenerative power and light of spring, renewal, promise of new beginnings, new growth. Arousal of desire. A love affair or new birth. The prospering of an enterprise or venture. Berkano Reversed or Merkstave: Family problems and or domestic troubles. Anxiety about someone close to me. Carelessness, abandon, loss of control. Blurring of consciousness, deceit, sterility, stagnation.
Ehwaz: ᛖ (E: Horse, two horses.) Transportation. May represent a horse, car, plane, boat or other vehicle. Movement and change for the better. Gradual development and steady progress are indicated. Harmony, teamwork, trust, loyalty. An ideal marriage or partnership. Confirmation beyond doubt the meanings of the runes around it. Ehwaz Reversed or Merkstave: This is not really a negative rune. A change is perhaps craved. Feeling restless or confined in a situation. Reckless haste, disharmony, mistrust, betrayal.
Mannaz: ᛗ (M: Man, mankind.) The Self; the individual or the human race. My attitude toward others and their attitudes towards me. Friends and enemies, social order. Intelligence, forethought, create, skill, ability. Divine structure, intelligence, awareness. Expect to receive some sort of aid or cooperation now. Mannaz Reversed or Merkstave: Depression, mortality, blindness, self-delusion. Cunning, slyness, manipulation, craftiness, calculation. Expect no help now.
Laguz: ᛚ (L: Water, or a leek.) Flow, water, sea, a fertility source, the healing power of renewal. Life energy and organic growth. Imagination and psychic matters. Dreams, fantasies, mysteries, the unknown, the hidden, the deep, the underworld. Success in travel or acquisition, but with the possibility of loss. Laguz Reversed or Merkstave: An indication of a period of confusion in my life. I may be making wrong decisions and poor judgements. Lack of creativity and feelings of being in a rut. Fear, circular motion, avoidance, withering. Madness, obsession, despair, perversity, sickness, suicide.
Ingwaz: ᛜ (NG: Ing, the earth god.) Male fertility, gestation, internal growth. Common virtues, common sense, simple strengths, family love, caring, human warmth, the home. Rest stage, a time of relief, of no anxiety. A time when all loose strings are tied and I am free to move in a new direction. Listen to myself. Ingwaz Merkstave (Ingwaz cannot be reversed, but may lie in opposition): Impotence, movement without change. Production, toil, labor, work.
Dagaz: ᛞ (D: Day or dawn.) Breakthrough, awakening, awareness. Daylight clarity as opposed to nighttime uncertainty. A time to plan or embark upon an enterprise. The power of change directed by my own will, transformation. Hope/happiness, the ideal. Security and certainty. Growth and release. Balance point, the place where opposites meet. Dagaz Merkstave (Dagaz cannot be reversed, but may lie in opposition): A completion, ending, limit, coming full circle. Blindness, hopelessness.
Othala: ᛟ (O: Ancestral property.) Inherited property or possessions, a house, a home. What is truly important to one. Group order, group prosperity. Land of birth, spiritual heritage, experience and fundamental values. Aid in spiritual and physical journeys. Source of safety, increase and abundance. Othala Reversed or Merkstave: Lack of customary order, totalitarianism, slavery, poverty, homelessness. Bad karma, prejudice, clannishness, provincialism. What a man is bound to.
The next one would be--. What is that? What is this feeling? Is that--. Oh. That's my soul. It's changing per the rules of the ritual. That's good, however I need to make sure that the drawbacks don't happen.
That scar, it looks as if Ozai himself decided to pay me a visit and burn my neck. There is no way I will be caught dead with that monstrosity. Personality changes are minimal. The only change is a bias towards runes over all other forms of magic.
As for the third magic, I am not--. Wait. That's it. If I want to materialize my soul and turn it into a perpetual motion machine I just need to--. Wait, do I even want to. While the benefits are great, it will be in exchange for no longer being flesh and blood. Things I enjoy now will no longer have meaning to me. If I ever wish to have a child it will be impossible unless I possess another body. Even then the child will not be mine biologically. Will I even be able to maintain the same emotional level I currently have? Will I become detached from others? Viewing and experiencing life as an outsider instead of truly being a part of it. I do not have enough information. The risks are too high and have zero chances of being reversible.
No. I will not go through that door, even if true immortality lies on the other side. Not yet anyway. If I change my mind, I can alway come back later. It's not going anywhere.
Name: Ambrosius Malphas
Gender: Male
Age: 27
Height: 5'11
Hair Color: Black
Eye Color: Gold
Looks: Ozymandias from Fate
Build: Medium
Body Type: Athlete
Stats (Without Enhancements)
Strength: B
Endurance: A
Agility: A
Magic Circuits: 50
Od Output: 2500
Luck: B
Origin: Runes
Elemental Affinity: Divine Letters
Sorcery Trait: Rune God
Rune God
Aife awoke this morning with a foggy mind yet with a certain amount of awareness that she has never had before. She had thought that someone had cast a spell upon her when the pain began. It was as if someone were trying to split her apart. Then the information started to pour in. Memories that she does not remember making and knowledge that she has no business possessing. Eventually the pain ceased to return peace to her, and with it came an awareness to her true identity. She is not Aife, rather she is Azula. Daughter of Jupiter and Venus, Ruler of Rome, and according to this world's history, one of the greatest elemental witches to ever live.
Once Azula fully gathers herself, she begins to peruse the memories of her time as Aife. She was born as the daughter of Ardgeimm and frequently had conflict with the legendary warrior woman, Scathach. Why? Well, she no longer remembers. They have quarrelled with each other for so long that by now it is more out of habit than true dislike for each other. Like her enemy Scathach, she is a formidable magician, healer, and warrior and is considered to be Scathach's equal before she was designated the ruler of the Land of Shadows.
As Aife she cares for her horse and chariot to a frightening degree and no one knows why. It is only now that she is aware of her true identity as Azula that she knows that it is a bleeding effect from her fondness of horseback riding with Ambrosius.
Having collected herself, Azula gets up and takes care of her morning ritual. Once dressed she walks to the gates of her castle where the stable boy has prepared her horse and awaits her arrival. Mounting her horse, she quickly spurs it on towards the Land of Shadows to speak with Ambrosius.
As she enters the woods where the path to the Land of Shadows lay, Azula hears a strikingly familiar voice screaming. Recognizing the voice as Ambrosius' she spurs her horse further as her heart sinks the closer she gets to the screaming.
Azula has experienced many things, not as much as Ambrosius, but still plenty. She has fought in two wars against supernatural beings all alongside Ambrosius. She has known him for the majority of her life and not once has she ever heard him scream so much. To make him scream is a feat by itself. He just has far too much willpower and pain tolerance to even utter a grunt when he is experiencing any type of discomfort. So far him to be screaming so much, and to sound so broken while doing it must mean that the situation is truly dire.
As she arrives at what she estimates must be the halfway point to her destination, her path is blocked by two teenagers around nineteen years of age. Without bothering to slow down, Azula summons two lightning bolts and strikes them with it. Not expecting to be attacked at all, let alone in such a manner, Setanta and Ferdiad take the full brunt of both of Azula's lightning bolts and are promptly knocked out.
No longer paying them any mind, Azula continues on her way, eventually arriving in a clearing where she finds Ambrosius himself hanging from a tree with a spear piercing his side. The sight itself is enough for her to swear vengeance upon the cause of this and their entire family down to the last generation.
Studying the clearing further reveals to her the cause, her enemy Scathach herself. Earlier she had been ready to bury the hatchet with Scathach since it seemed to her that she was an ally that Ambrosius cared about. However, now all Azula can think about is burning the witch alive and torturing her for the rest of her immortal life. She may not be very informed when it comes to torture, but she is sure that she can draw inspirations from her Olympian family, both their Roman and Greek personas.
Not willing to wait any longer, Azula lets out an enraged war cry and launches herself from her horse towards Scathach, the sky darkening above as lightning flashes and thunder rumbles in response to the demigodesse's burning rage.
Landing in front of her enemy, Azula summons Crocea Mors and raises it just in time for a lightning bolt to strike. With hatred on her face, Azula brings the sword down and launches the lightning bolt at Scathach, only for her to block it by writing a set of runes in the air that creates a shield of wind.
"What is the meaning of this Aife?" commands Scathach as she takes the battle away from Ambrosius.
Ignoring her, Azula channels lightning through her sword and cuts the shield of wind apart. Then she launches a stream of blue fire at Scathach who simply dodges to the left. Before she can retaliate however, the stream of fire turns into a whip and quickly wraps itself around her right arm, immobilizing her for a second. Taking advantage of that second, Azula sends another bolt of lightning at Scathach that is once again blocked.
"I know that we have had our differences, yet it is unlike you to attack me unprovoked or without issuing a challenge. What is the cause of this unprovoked attack?" asks Scathach as she dodges a fireball and blocks a windblade.
"You know what you have done witch. Now face the consequences of your actions and suffer." replies Azula as she rushes Scathach to meet her in close quarters combat.
"Whatever it is you believe me to be guilty of is wrong. I am innocent." says Scathach as she jabs her spear towards Azula's throat.
"You dare!" exclaims Azula as she deflects the spear with her sword and tries to get in Scathach's personal space to make the spear useless. "I have caught you red handed, and you dare to claim to be innocent?"
"What are you talking about?" asks Scathach as she uses her superior skills to keep Azula at bay.
So engrossed in their battle, that neither of them notice Ambrosius stop screaming as the ritual finishes.
Pulling himself from the tree and removing the spear from his side, Ambrosius is barely able to stand and is forced to use the spear as a cane. The first thing he sees upon steadying himself, is the battle between Scathach and who looks like Aife. Still feeling the effects of the ritual, and quickly losing consciousness, Ambrosius takes control of the storm overhead and summons a lightning bolt to strike the ground between the combatants and separating them.
"Enough." he says weakly yet still with a certain firmness, his words barely heard by the combatants.
"Why are you defending her!? She tortured you!" exclaims Azula.
"Aife--" begins Ambrosius only to be interrupted.
"Azula." interrupts Azula. "I remember now. I am Azula. 'My name is Azula, princess of the Fire Nation, I will be the best version of me I can possibly be, I will earn my people's respect and lead the Fire Nation into a glorious age, even if I have to pry my father's charred corpse off the throne.' That is what I told you when I rejected my father's teachings and accepted yours."
"Heh." chuckles Ambrosius as a smirk grows on his lips. "Good. Now stop fighting and listen to Scathach explain." he says before falling unconscious and hurtling towards the ground.
Controlling the wind, Azula catches him before turning back to Scathach.
"Well?" she asks with narrowed eyes.
"Let us get him healed first. Right now he is at death's doors and shouldn't have even been able to talk, let alone stand or summon lightning." replies Scathach as she begins to make her way to Dun Scaith.
"One thing one quickly learns about him is that he has a habit of doing things he should not be doing with just his ungodly amount of willpower." says Azula as she follows.
"That is an accurate description of it. I must ask though. Did you at least spare my students?" asks Scathach.
"If you are speaking of those 'guards', then they should be awake in a few hours." replies Azula.
"Good. Then they can just find their way back to Dun Scaith by themselves." says Scathach nonchalantly.
The first thing I notice upon waking up, is the fact that I am underwater. I do not know how long it has been since the ritual, where I am, nor do I remember falling unconscious. The effects of the ritual must have caught up with my body, and as soon as I finished making sure that there were no negative effects I must have passed out.
With a small amount of effort I slowly sit up and survey my surroundings and immediately recognize where I am. At some point during my stay in Dun Scaith, I had created a lake from which I could go to and heal. When Scathach started receiving more students, we turned the lake into a healing pond. We inscribed runes in a circle on the lakeside to give it healing properties, and when the students had a particularly bad day I would use my powers to boost the lake's healing properties.
Sitting on the ground at the bottom of the lake, I focus on the state of my body. From what I can tell, my body has mostly recovered with the only lingering issue being the weight that I lost. While I am no longer thin and frail, it will take a few months for me to restore my body back to its previous peak. Well, it would take a few months if I refrained from using magic to speed up the process and optimize my gains.
Having made sure that I am healthy, I now turn my attention to the ritual's effects. Even without using magic, I can already feel the effects of the ritual. It is subtle, however it is there. Every single rune that I have learned, I easily recall their meanings, their functions, the most optimal way of using them, even combinations that the previous would have thought outlandish. I know it all without even having to focus on them. It's similar to how I can breath. I don't need to focus on it, I just do it, and this is just the most miniscule benefit.
However, before I focus on the other changes, there is something that I have been meaning to try but never really got around to. Runes are not exclusive to the norse. Many other pantheons have them, but in different formats or different ways of using them. The Egyptians are a prime example of this. Unlike the norse, Egyptian runes come in the form of spoken words. They are called divine words, hieroglyphic spells or Words of Power. They are called 'divine' because they enable the magicians using the commands to wield godly strength and powers. Magicians speak them to create or tweak reality. To use them, no papyrus or other equipment, such as amulets, potions, shabti, and statues are needed.
Getting up, I conjure a spartan shield and place it on the floor of the lake. A lightning bolt strikes in my mind as my magic circuits activate and I speak the divine word 'Ha-di'. Immediately power rushes from my voice as the corresponding hieroglyphs form in front of my mouth and the shield explodes into hundreds of small pieces. Dissolving the now broken shield, I examine the amount of magical energy I have spent only to find myself still at one hundred percent. I know for a fact that I used magical energy since I felt the od travel through my circuits when the spell activated. The only explanation left is that the expenditure must be so small that I cannot even measure it. With a smirk on my face I try another word 'Se-kebeb'. Immediately the water temperature lowers as the lake almost reaches freezing temperatures.
Now that I know other forms of runes work and not only norse, I turn my attention to another question of mine. Am I restricted to only existing runes or can I use runes from places of fiction such as the runes from The Mortal Instruments series. In The Mortal Instruments series, beings like angels and demons truly exist, with various other supernatural races mingling with humans. In it, runes, also known as Marks, are symbols that grant beings various supernatural abilities, with both angelic and demonic runes known to exist. For Shadowhunters, humans who fight the supernatural, runes are a complex runic language given to them by the Angel Raziel, which grants them powers beyond those of mundanes. They were able to use them to fight on par with demons, vampires, werewolves, and other supernatural races.
First I control the water at the bottom of the lake to create a space with no water. Then I conjure another shield, wooden this time. And inscribe the shadowhunter rune for fireproof on it. Using norse rune, I conjure a fireball and send it hurtling at the shield. The shield barely holds for a second before catching on fire.
With a frown I let my control over the lake go, extinguish the flame, and ponder. I know that it was not a failure, not a complete one anyway. I saw the rune work for about a second before the shield caught on fire. I also know for a fact that the flame did not overpower the rune, rather it was the rune itself that stopped working, almost as if it had no power.
Shaking my head, I gather myself and start to make my way out of the lake. I will figure this out at a later time.
Walking out of the lake, I make my way to the courtyard where Scathach and Azula will most likely be.
I arrive near the courtyard to the sound of laughter from two voices I did not expect to hear from, Scathach and Azula. As I get closer I can just make out what they are talking about, Scathach's torturous training methods.
"… you should have seen his face when he stuttered out '… b-b-but you can't do that.'" comes Scathachs voice as she tries to refrain from laughing.
Azula however has no qualms about doing so and is leaning against one of the walls of the courtyard holding her stomach while laughing.
Both are wearing clothes that are easy to move in with each one holding a weapon in hand. It's easy to tell that they had been training and are currently on break and seem to be getting along very well. I send a prayer of thanks to every god in existence for that. The last thing I need is the drama.
Noticing my approach, Azula collects herself before speaking and drawing Scathach's attention to me.
"It is good seeing you up and about sleeping beauty." she says.
"Indeed. You have slept for about three months now. That must be a record somewhere." says Scathach as her eyes gain an unnerving glint in them. "Now that you are awake and healthy, I believe that you and I need to talk"
I take back my prayers. Every god in existence can go to Tartarus and rot for all I care. Those two are not going to be a good combination for my health.
Name: Ambrosius Malphas
Gender: Male
Age: 27
Height: 5'11
Hair Color: Black
Eye Color: Gold
Looks: Ozymandias from Fate
Build: Medium
Body Type: Athlete
Stats (Without Enhancements)
Strength: B
Endurance: A
Agility: A
Magical Resistance: B
Magic Circuits: 50
Od Output: 2500
Luck: B
Origin: Runes
Elemental Affinity: Divine Letters
Sorcery Trait: Rune God
Name: Azula
Gender: Female
Age: ?
Height: 5'9
Hair Color: Red
Eye Color: Red
Stats (Without Enhancements)
Strength: B
Endurance: B
Agility: A
Magical Resistance: A
Magic Circuits: 100
Od Output: 5000
Luck: B
Origin: ?
Elemental Affinity: Average One
Conversation
"That is a lot to take in." says Scathach from the couch where she sits.
We had made our way inside one of the castle's lounges to have this conversation. Surprisingly she took the fact that I knew of a few possible futures well. Then again this is a world where things like gods and super vampires exist, not to mention the counter forces like Gaia and Alaya.
"Since you have knowledge of possible futures, does that not make living in whatever world you find yourself in pointless? You know what is to come, there is no anticipation or surprise." asks Scathach.
"You would be correct, if not for the fact that the being that makes all of it possible has a tendency of messing with either the timeline, or the actual events. Sometimes he adds new obstacles, changes a person's history, or just erases some things from that world. It is better to only use the most basic knowledge of whatever world we find ourselves in than to rely on all of my knowledge to make plans and fail due to something major changing." I explain.
"That makes sense. What I still do not understand is why you go along with it. Does it not pain you to get close to someone only to have to leave and never return?" she asks with a frown.
"Well, I don't really get emotionally attached. It only happened twice. The first time was in my first world ever. As for the second time, well she's a companion now." I say as I nod my head towards Azula who is currently examining the rune suit I made. "Besides" I continue "Even if I do become emotionally attached, I can always return for a visit before going to the next world."
"Ok. I understand the point you are making. However, please explain to me why Azula would choose to be Aife when she knows that you would be my ally and that Aife is my greatest rival." she says as we both turn to look at Azula who is now paying attention.
"I didn't know." says Azula as she begins to explain. "When the war with Gaea ended and I left Camp Jupiter in search of Tartarus, ROB came to me. He explained that Ambrosius was already onto the next world and that he was sending me there. There was no chance for me to speak or ask questions. One moment I am speaking to him and the next moment I awoke as Aife and my memories are returning."
"That sounds about right." I say, prompting the two to look at me for an answer. "In the Ulster Cycle, which is what this time period will become to be known as. Aife and Scathach are rivals and enemies with one another. In Setanta's legend Aife and Scathach battle one another during Setanta's tenure as a student in Dun Scaith. Through a series of events Aife loses and bears Setanta's child in exchange for her freedom."
"Oh." says Azula as her mind works to connect the dots that I have laid out. "There are two possible outcomes to me being Aife depending on when my memories return. The first is before you and I do battle. If that were to happen and I saw how close you and Ambrosius had gotten, the younger me would have flown into a rage at the betrayal and most like would have attempted to kill you both."
"The younger you?" questions Scathach with a raised eyebrow.
"Yes. The me before I spent months with my mother, Venus the goddess of love, and perhaps the biggest pervert in existence." replies Azula all the while keeping her face as stoic as possible.
"I would disagree, however since I have never met you mother I am satisfied with relegating you to second place." I say as I close my eyes in preparation for her screaming as she vehemently denies it. Surprisingly the denial never comes.
"What can I say, I like what I like." she answers with a mischievous smile and a shrug while she eyes Scathach up and down. This is perhaps the most interesting thing about Azula. In terms of life experiences she has none. In her world she spent all of her life in the capital training and studying. So watching how new experiences affect her is perhaps one of the more interesting aspects of having her as a companion. Who knew that Azula could be mischievous and lewd under her more serious and sadistic personality.
"Let us get back on topic please." says Scathach as she ignores Azula in favor of turning to me and asking. "She said that there were two possible outcomes. What is the second outcome?"
"Well in reality there are more than two possible outcomes. What she mentioned are the more plausible ones." I explain. "As for the second outcome, it is if she regains her memories after her loss to Setanta. In that one she would most likely torture Setanta before killing him for his actions. That would most likely prompt you to try and kill her for the act with me being caught in the middle. Especially since I would not suspect her of being Aife because of the drawback I picked and ROB's claim of her being alive something before the fourth grail war."
"That is a vague statement 'Sometime before… ' It could literally mean months, days, years, or even centuries." says Scathach.
"His exact words were 'You can meet her there before the fourth holy grail war.' A very vague statement that leaves a major loophole. It was my mistake for assuming that he meant sometime in what would be modern day." I reply.
"He did miscalculate however." says Azula. "He never paid attention to our day to day lives, only the most important and entertaining events like the war. If he did then he would know that I am the least traditional when it comes to love and sex out of the two of us. It comes from spending too much time around Venus as an impressionable child. Although, unlike her there's only one man for me."
"He's also wrong about Ambrosius and I. We have never had sexual relations." says Scathach.
"But the tension is there. Is it not?" asks Azula with a knowing look.
I don't know why she bothers asking when she can literally tell with her powers. Honestly being a child of Venus can be so broken sometimes.
"Now that you know everything." I say as I turn my attention to Scathach. "Do you have an answer for us?"
"To join you?" she asks. "It does present a solution to my problem. As I am now there is nothing left for me to learn, no one to challenge me, and no one who could keep me company in my immortality."
"However, If you join us there will be new worlds to explore, new skills to master, and countless warriors to battle." says Azula with a smile. "Besides you can help me keep him in check. Honestly who sinks an entire island on their first quests, and puts themselves in a month long coma to recover."
"Or who would dare to create and take part in a ritual that has a ninety percent chance of failure and killing the user." replies Scathach with a smile of her own.
"Personally I don't believe that I am as bad as you two make me out to be." I answer.
Azula merely raises an eyebrow.
"In Arkham your carelessness allowed you to be captured. In mass effect you were captured again due to your carelessness. In my world you had a spirit following you to steal your face because of your choice of drawbacks. Do I need to continue?" she says.
With a small furrow of my eyebrows, I shake my head no. While Azula is correct, she is only presenting only half of the situation. In Arkham I had a contingency in the form of an antidote should I get captured. In mass effect I had an AI that specializes in taking down beings like the reapers implanted in my mind as a contingency. As for the avatar world, well even if I did not figure out how to kill Koh, I could have simply worn a mask on my face for the duration of my time there. In fact that was my original plan before I remembered about the spiritual firebenders hiding out in a village somewhere. Then I met the Mother of Faces and the rest is history.
"By the way." says Azula, bringing me out of my thoughts. "Your spear is still in the clearing, it has been for the past few months while you were comatose. After placing you in the lake, we attempted to retrieve it. Only for it to severely electrocute anyone who touched it. Were it not for me being a daughter of Jupiter and Scathach's immense magical resistance, we would have been extremely injured."
"What happened to it? The ritual should not have changed or affected the spear in any way." asks Scathach.
"Odin happened. Somehow part of his will survived the thousand years since Ragnarok due to human beliefs. He felt the ritual and chose to investigate. It was his gift to me so that part of Asgard may live on. That along with knowledge of his primeval runes."
"You spoke with Odin?" asks an astonished Scathach.
"I did. Although I am not sure if his will still remains somewhere. It must have taken a considerable amount of power to do what he did to the spear and give me his primeval runes." I explain.
The others nod in agreement and we sit in silence for a few seconds before Azula gets up.
"Well, unfortunately I must go." says Azula as she gets up from her couch. "I have a kingdom to run, and contrary to what many may think, there is absolutely nothing fun about it. I miss the days when I could just tell the senate what to write and have them fill out the paperwork."
"Azula, you didn't give them a choice." I say and can't help but sigh. "You used charmspeak on the senators to get them to do all the work during senate meetings, and then you would use the mist to alter their memories of how the meeting went."
"Are you coming with me?" she asks as she shrugs and changes the subject, knowing for a fact that I am right.
"No. I am going to stay here to fully acclimate myself to my new abilities. Scathach's mastery in runes will help me figure out how far my elemental affinity of Divine Letters goes, and what does having the sorcery trait Rune God entail." I answer without bothering to pursue the previous subject.
"Very well." she says as she walks towards me, leans down and gives me a parting kiss. After separating she blows Scathach a kiss before walking out.
"Watching Aife's body act in such a way is unnerving, yet comforting. Their personalities are very similar. Were it not for the way she acts towards you I would not believe for a second that she isn't Aife." says Scathach as she watches Azula walk away.
"Hmmm" I simply hum in reply.
I can see what she means. My interaction with Aife went exactly how it would have gone if it was Azula having the same interaction with a stranger. It's in the way they walk, carry themselves, and speak. There is a certain pride in there, that if you did not know them you would think of it as arrogance. However, it really is only pride since both women can easily back up whatever claims they make.
"I must go." says Scathach as she gets up and brings me out of my thoughts. "Before you awoke I gave Setanta and Ferdiad an assignment. It is due in a few minutes."
With a nod I watch her walk away. Now that I am by myself I can take the time to get my spear and study its changes. Honestly right now I don't really feel like going there. I wish that I could just summon it to me.
Just as I think about summoning the spear, it appears before me in a small flash of light. Startled, it takes me a second to come to terms with what just happened.
Picking up the spear, I begin to inspect it. From a first glance, It does not look different at all. However, I am able to easily make out runes engraved on it in complex patterns. From the looks of it, it is going to take me a while to decipher all of their purposes. There are runes used in ways that I have never even thought of, and others that I believed should not be possible.
Parabatai
"Alright, so what dangers come from this ritual?" asks Scathach as she watches me carve a circle of runes on the ground in the courtyard.
"There are none." I answer her. "This ritual is purely beneficial with the only danger coming from the runes that will be inscribed on our body."
It has been two years since I have completed the ritual, and to be honest the benefits of it have exceeded my expectations. Other than Setanta and Ferdiad leaving a few months ago, Scathach officially becoming a part of our group, and Azula visiting once in a while nothing has really changed. I get up, train/study, and spend time with Azula or Scatach, or both.
"And what would those dangers be?" asks Azula.
"Well" I begin as I go on to inscribe a second circle on the ground. "The danger is that if all three of us ever lose control of ourselves at the same time to the point where we stop thinking and act on emotions alone, then we could potentially destroy a continent before our runes burn out and we return to normal."
"I see." says Scathach as she kneels next to me and inspects the runes. "I do not recognize these runes, yet they seem awfully familiar to the angelic runes. Where are they from?"
"I am not surprised. These runes are from the angelic runes, but altered to serve the purpose of this ritual." I reply.
"You never did tell me why you were adamant about making the angelic runes work. Did you expect to be able to do this when you completed the ritual?" she asks.
"No. While I knew that I would not be restricted to nordic runes, I did not expect to be able to create my own runes." I answer as I move on to carve a third circle.
"One might argue that taking runic symbols from other worlds and making them work in a different world is not creating your own runes." says Azula. "After all, someone before you created them."
"And I would have to disagree." I answer. "Since I had to turn those symbols from just useless characters into symbols of power. It's like taking the letter 'A' and giving it some kind of magical power."
"Could you do that?" asks Scathach as she gets up and stands next to Azula to observe me work. "Take a normal language and turn it into runic magic?"
"Theoretically I could do that." I reply as I move to make the fourth and final circle. "But I honestly prefer using obscure symbols that look cool. Immature? Perhaps, but it's not like I'm losing out on anything because of it. One might even argue that it is the smarter choice since I would not be starting from scratch."
"Starting from scratch?" asks Azula.
"With egyptian divine words, or the angelic runes from The Mortal Instruments, I am simply taking an already functioning structure and activating them since they already have meaning and I am just providing the power." I explain as I finish carving the circle and get up."With the alphabet I would have to turn them into a coherent structure of runes that have their own rules and constraints to follow before empowering them and turning them into magical letters. It is similar to taking a perfectly functional electronic system and powering it up for it to work, versus making my own system from scratch. It might not even work as well as the already built system."
"Is that what you spent the past two years studying?" asks Azula.
It's not surprising that she asks. Runes really are not her forte and whenever I begin to speak about them she loses interest. She only knows as much as she does because of Aife's knowledge on the basics of runes, both her and Aife prefer elemental and curse/geass magic.
"No. He spent the majority of the past two years trying to figure out how to get every single rune that he knows not of this world to work. I helped him experiment, and I must say, I find myself extremely impressed. He managed to master egyptian divine words and the angelic runes" answers Scathach
"Indeed." I answer as set about activating the runes and lighting the circles on fire. "While results have varied, with some systems working just fine when I initially try them, some only working after I have made changes to how they work, and some not working at all. The egyptian divine words easily fall into the first category, and the angelic runes from The Mortal Instruments only began working after I changed their function to work with me simply running Od through the rune. Others, like Thu'um from the Elder Scrolls, have not been as successful. I hypothesise that it's due to my lack of knowledge on them."
"Where do the runes for the ritual fall into?" asks Azula.
"I was able to master the angelic runes with some alterations having to be made to them. So the second category." I reply as I begin to remove my shirt and they follow suit.
"Alteration? We won't die because you altered the runes will we?" asks Azula with a raised eyebrow.
"No. The majority of the original angelic runes once applied faded away after some time, making it so that one had to reapply them to the body whenever they wished to use them." I explain. "Like I stated earlier, I altered their function to work by simply running Od through the rune. However, for this ritual the alterations were more drastic yet still safe nonetheless."
"Very well." says Scathach with a nod. "Other than the previous instructions, what do you need us to do?"
"Pick one of the outer circles each and put a few drops of blood inside then stand in the middle circle." I instruct.
There are four circles, three on the outside forming a triangle and one in the middle of the triangle. Walking over to the point of the triangle, I cut myself with the conjured knife I used to carve the circle before tossing it to Scathach who follows suit before tossing it to Azula who does the same. Once that is done I dissipate the knife and we step into the only circle with no blood in it, the middle circle.
Once in the circle I officially begin the ritual by placing one hand over their hearts and using my magic inscribe the first rune, the binding rune, over the breast where their heart lays under. Following the instructions I had previously given them, the both place one hand over my heart and use their magic to inscribe that singular rune together.
There are multiple binding runes used by the Nephilim, humans with angelic blood. The one I use is based on the protagonist's 'Allied To' rune which allows Shadowhunters, Nephilim that hunt the enemies of mankind, and Downworlders, those with demonic blood, to safely share each other's abilities. This gives the Nephilim access to the strength, speed, and magical abilities of their Downworlder partners, and the Downworlders receive access to the warrior skills of their Nephilim allies.
Mine is altered to give Scathach properties of a demigod from the PJO world by drawing it from our blood. That is not the only effect however, it also allows her to have one demigod power from each of us, and lets Azula and I receive one demigod power from each other at random. From Scathach, I have no idea what it will give us.
Once that is done we set about inscribing the second rune directly over the first.
The second rune in the ritual is the parabatai rune itself. The parabatai runes will enable us to draw on each other's strength in battle. Whenever we are together in battle we will be more powerful. Even if there are only two of us present, it will still work only at a weaker level than if all three are present. It will also enable us to work together as a team in an almost flawless manner. It will allow us to maintain a strong connection between one another and be able to sense each other's life force, and when something happens to one it will allow the others to know. The last effect, and perhaps the most important, is that it will stop anything supernatural that would mentally affect us negatively from working.
The ritual is based on the parabatai ritual from The Mortal Instruments. A parabatai is a pair of Nephilim warriors, human with angelic blood, also known as Shadowhunters, who fight together as lifelong partners, bound together by oath, regardless of their gender. Their bond is not reflected only in their closeness and willingness to lay down their lives for one another, but also in oath sworn in front of the Council.
The idea of parabatai bonds came from an old tale, particularly the biblical tale of David and Jonathan, warriors who loved each other dearly and whose souls were knit together by Heaven after forming a covenant. Out of that story, Jonathan Shadowhunter and his companion David, who were coincidental namesakes of the biblical characters of the same name, took the idea of parabatai, created the rune and ritual for it, and encoded the ceremony into the Law.
The parabatai runes placed upon them enable them to draw on each other's strength in battle. They also maintain a strong connection between one another and are able to sense each other's life force; Shadowhunters who have lost their parabatai describe being able to feel the life leave their partner, and when something supernatural happens to the other. In addition, Marks, or runes, made by one parabatai upon another are stronger than Marks drawn by others, and there are Marks that only parabatai can use, because they draw on the partners' doubled strength.
The only bond forbidden to the parabatai is the romantic bond, and it has become a rule upheld by the Clave, the government of the Shadowhunters. The Shadowhunter-troubadours' in the late Middle Ages made several songs depicting the forbidden love of parabatai pairs and the inescapable tragedies, both of heartache and magical disaster, that befell them when they become romantically linked.
However, the real reason it was written into the Law, aside from the symbolic and practical reasons. True love between parabatai will strengthen their power to the point of magic. The more the pair surrenders to their emotions and love for one another, the stronger the curse gets and affects them. At first, the pair will have increased power with runes they apply on one another, more so than typical parabatai that even fatal wounds are healed with their iratze, the rune for healing, and they will have the ability to do things no other Nephilim could do, such as when Emma Carstairs destroyed the Mortal Sword, an angelic weapon said to be indestructible, with Cortana her parabatai.
Eventually, their runes will begin to burn with heavenly fire, and black lines will spread on their skin until, finally, they turn into True Nephilim. True Nephilim is the name given to Shadowhunters who are able to transform themselves into enormous beings of heavenly fire to fight demons. Because both parabatai are transformed, instead of the proper circumstance when one of the pairing should remain untransformed to anchor the other to Earth, the parabatai will have little control or conscious acts while in this form. This may cause the pair to lose complete control and kill others around them until they die themselves, burned by their heavenly fire. If they somehow survive, however, they may awaken with their parabatai rune and bond broken.
The reason for the aforementioned curse is because Shadowhunters aren't meant to wield magic, and because the rune and ceremony was created by man and not by Heaven, hence the dangerous corruption of the rune through the curse.
However, I was able to mostly negate this effect by making the rune run on our divine power as a substitute for Heaven. Normally that would be a problem since Scathach has absolutely no divine blood. That is where the first rune for the ritual comes in, the binding rune.
Essentially the way it works is the binding rune does as its name says and binds us together as allies using our demigod blood to power it, and lets one receive a power from the other two. The parabatai rune takes the bond one step further and uses our willpower and strong emotional feelings towards one another to protect our minds from negative supernatural effects, lets us sense each other's life force, know when one of us is in danger, and draw strength from each other.
It does not come without risks however. Should one of us harbor hatred or any feelings of malice towards each other during the ceremony, there will be a backlash that will severely harm all of us almost to the point of death. Should such feelings come about sometime after the ritual, then the one who is feeling hatred or malice will have their bond severed from the others. The most dangerous drawback however comes from our feelings. Should one of us be completely overcome with rage or hatred to the point of no longer being able to form rational thoughts, then they will go on a rampage and destroy everything in their way. The only thing that will be able to calm them down or bring them down from their rage is the other two. However, should all three of us become lost, then may the gods have mercy on whoever is in the surroundings for the only thing that would be able to stop us is death.
Once the runes are inscribed, we begin to chant the words that will activate the runes and finalize the ritual.
"Entreat me not to leave thee, Or return from following after thee-
For whither thou goest, I will go,
And where thou lodgest, I will lodge.
Thy people shall be my people, and thy enemies my enemies.
Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried.
If aught but death part thee and me."
Once the words are spoken pain shoots throughout our bodies as the runes begin to glow, merge, and are seared into our flesh. With pure willpower I am able to stop myself from screaming and look towards Scathach who seems to be experiencing far worse pain than she should be. Ignoring the pain, I stumble over to her to see if I can help. Unfortunately I cannot find anything wrong and I am forced to just hold her hand while she endures. Fortunately the pain ceases soon enough and we are able to catch our breaths.
"That--" puffs out Scathach with a heavy breath. "--was far more painful than anticipated."
"Yes, it was." I say as I help her stand. "However it seems to be successful. I can feel both of your presences without even trying. I also seem to be feeling your emotions I think"
"I can also feel your emotions." say Scathach and Azula at the same time, startling each other.
"Why do I feel as if there are far more changes than we anticipated?" I ask.
"You are not the only one." replies Azula.
Last edited: Jun 21, 2020
Setanta's Last Breath
It has been about a year since the ritual. With us having acclimated ourselves to the changes brought about by the ritual, Scathach and I plan on leaving the Land of Shadows to travel, and perhaps witness what will become famous legends first hand. Before we can do that however, we must wait for Azula to fake her death so that she may escape from her duties as a queen to join us.
By the gods, If one ever told me that I would one day say that sentence with a straight face and believe it, then I would laugh in that person's face before calling them a liar. Yet, here I am thinking about Azula faking her death to give up a queen's power. Then again, if I had lords and knights under me as problematic as hers, I would also wish to escape by faking my death. They are constantly causing trouble with neighboring kingdoms and almost cause wars when there are no benefits to be gained from it. Not land, money, or resources.
Shaking the idle thoughts from my head, I turn my attention to Scathach who is currently reading a letter. We are currently in the courtyard and have just finished our morning training. I am sitting on the ground with my back to one of the walls of the courtyard while she stands next to me leaning on said wall.
"What does the letter say?" I ask as Scathach reads a letter delivered to her by one of Azula's messengers.
He had arrived in the woods outside of the Land of Shadows early in the morning while Scathach was out hunting, there he stumbled upon her and delivered the letter.
"Apparently your speculations were correct. He had placed her as Aife to cause drama. However since that did not happen, he believes that her presence here is moot. So he is taking her from this time and placing her sometime after the third holy grail war. He was kind enough to allow her to write this letter and have a servant deliver it." explains Scathach as she burns the letter with firebending after reading it.
That is what I missed when we did the ritual. I did not take our abilities outside of the PJO universe into account, nor did I think that the ritual would give more than one power. Now Scathach can firebend, charmspeak, can summon storms like a child of Neptune, and is empathic. From what we were able to gather through experimenting, The ritual imparted one ability, skill, or piece of knowledge from each jump other than Mass Effect and A Song of Ice and Fire. From my Arkhamverse jump she received part of my hand-to-hand combat skills. Enough for her to go toe-to-toe with Dick as Robin before he left and went on to become Nightwing.
"Then we no longer have to wait for her to leave." I say as I get up.
"Indeed. We can even leave today to visit Setanta, then Ferdiad. It has been a while since we have heard anything from them." she answers as we make our way inside the castle.
"Yes it has. Do you think that Setanta was able to marry that lord's daughter he had his eye on?" I ask
"Please" answers Scathach with a laugh. "That boy probably charmed her even before the father even set training under me as a condition."
Hearing her words I can't help but smile since that is exactly the type of thing he would do.
Once inside the castle we make our way to our shared bedroom and begin to pack everything we will need. Although we never plan on returning here, there is not much to pack. For clothes we both have our rune suits that are self cleaning. In terms of hygiene, we do everything through magic, whether it's with runes or summoning water to clean ourselves it is all done with magic. As for traveling equipment, we have none. As such the only things we have to pack are our research notes on magic, our rune suits, which we wear, and our spears which we keep inside our bodies through a runic array along with our notes. It is similar to how Shirou keeps Avalon inside his body.
I call it Repository of the Hoarder, and it is made with ᚨᚠ /ᚱᛉ ᛏᛗ ᛖᛁ. The eight runes that are used are divided into four pairs, together forming a rough square while leaving out the corners. Each of these pairs define a single, essential function of the rune. At the top you have the Ansuz and the Fehu rune, standing for communication/naming and possession/abundance. These define what objects can be stored and also what amount and how much variety the rune can take. This is decided by the amount of magical energy that is used in setting up and maintaining the rune, although there is an upper limit.
Only items where a rune sequence consisting of Fehu and Mannaz has been applied by the caster can be stored. If this is applied on an item that already has this sequence from another caster (in other words, stealing), the conflicting runes will either destroy the object harmlessly or explosively. The object will explode if there is enough magical energy in the vicinity, with 'enough' again differing, depending on the mass and volume of the object. The magical energy requirements for this can be met by either the surrounding mana and/or magical energy present in the object if it has been enchanted.
Opposite of it is the rune pair of Mannaz and Tiwaz. This grants the Authority of the rune solely to the wielder, making it so that only I can use it. It works in direct conjunction with the upper pair. On the left you have the Isa and Ehwaz rune, that do the actual transporting. What happens is that, when an item is placed in the center of the rune, it dissolves and is stored directly in the body similar to Avalon in Shirou. With the meaning of the Isa rune of time of turning inwards and waiting for what is to come the object can be retrieved at any time.
Finally there is the sequence of Raidho Merkstave and Algiz on the right. These are included to ensure the safety of the objects. The reverse Raidho keeps the objects from degrading or being damaged otherwise. The Algiz rune is more for the protection of the caster, making sure that he is not possessed by a cursed object or harmed by pieces reconfiguring themselves inside the body.
The rune is placed on my stomach similar to how naruto has the fuinjutsu seal on his. After applying it and storing objects, they can be summoned anywhere on the human body afterwards, so it is not as if the item's burst out of the stomach.
After our things are packed, we put on our rune suits. Normally the rune suits look like tight full body suits, however once we wear them they automatically take whatever form we prefer and stays that way unless we make them change. Mine transforms into a perfect replica of the atlantean armor I wore during the second titanomachy. Scathach's meanwhile takes the form of her default fate grand order outfit.
Once ready, we make our way out of the Land of Shadows and Scathach closes the entrance to it and we make our way to Ulster with Scathach leading the way in a sprint. While our trip to Ulster is uneventful, I cannot help the foreboding feeling that makes itself known to me. I know that sometime in legend Setanta kills Ferdiad due to the war Medb causes against Ulster. However, I took precautions to make sure that he survives.
Before Setanta and Ferdiad left, I gifted each one of them a rune suit. While it is nowhere near as powerful defensively as Scathach and my rune suit, it is still good enough to make it extremely hard to kill them. Other than giving them around B rank magic resistance, protection from ranged attacks and elemental magic, they also each have a function that is designed to counteract whatever it is that killed them in their legends.
For Ferdiad, it was Gae Bolg that killed him, it was an "undodgeable" attack. Setanta's spear is "undodgeable" because it manipulates fate. More specifically, it bears a curse that reverses causality, when he activates the spear, the fixed future of "the spear pierces the enemy's heart" is created, and then events in the present are warped to comply with that predetermined future. For example, if the thrust's aim is inaccurate, the spear extends or changes direction to pierce the heart. Even when the enemy tries to dodge it it will alter its course to pierce the heart. Instead of "the heart was pierced because the spear was thrust", it becomes "the heart was pierced, therefore the spear must have been thrust". At the time that I made the suit, I was not confident in giving the suit a function that cancels out Gae Bolg's effect. Even now I am not confident that I can create a runic array to alter fate to such an extent.
However, that did not mean that there was no way for me to make a suit that helps him survive. Instead of trying to make a runic array that will alter fate, I made one that will keep him out of its range. While Gae Bolg is undodgeable, it does have a flaw one can capitalise on before the attack is initiated. Once the user is ready to initiate the attack, the spear releases a considerable amount of bloodlust.
Ferdiad's rune suit is designed to keep him outside of Gae Bolg's range once it releases a certain amount of bloodlust. Similar to Doctor Strange's cape of levitation, this suit has a certain amount of sentience and intelligence to it. It is nothing special as the sentience is used to recognize the level of bloodlust coming from Gae Bolg, and the intelligence is used to move the wielder outside of the spear's range of four meters by releasing a mana burst from the bottom of the suit's feet and launching the wearer away from Gae Bolg.
Before I can sink deeper into my thoughts, the sound of battle reaches our ears. Scathach looks towards me, a question on whether to investigate or not clear on her face and I know why. Ever since we started to make our way to Ulster, I have felt a strong premonition permeating the air, and I know that she feels it too. With a nod I answer her question and we begin to make our way towards the sounds.
Soon we come across a chaotic and bloody battlefield, and immediately I know why I felt like this. There on the battlefield, Setanta stands proudly there without his rune suit surrounded by many dead enemies, and even more living enemies. He is bloody, injured, exhausted, and one can easily tell that he is on his last leg by how he sluggishly moves as a spear is thrust towards his heart. He makes to dodge but I can easily tell that he will not be able to completely dodge it. Not wasting a second, I increase my speed and race towards him.
As I almost reach the battlefield however, Scathach races after me and grabs my arm to intercept me.
"He will not survive this battle." I calmly tell her.
Even if the spear pierces him, I know for a fact that I can reach him fat enough to stop him from dying using only my physical speed with no enhancements.
"He knows." she answers me, the pain in her voice is made more obvious to me through our parabatai bond. "But this is his choice and we must respect it. He chose to not wear his rune suit even though he broke every single one of his geas."
I cannot help but frown in disgust hearing that term. I will never understand why that custom exists. Warriors place restrictions on themselves through a geas, and by doing so it strengthens them. If you break them however, it will leave you extremely weak and vulnerable. It is honestly a custom that I will never subscribe to no matter how close to a home this land feels like.
"Fine." I say with resignation. "However, I will speak to him before he dies."
Scathach simply nods, and together we watch as Setanta continues to fight and kill no matter how many times his body is pierced. For three hours, Setanta moves his body to fight back and kill countless enemies through willpower alone. Eventually however, I can see his body start to give out no matter how much he wills it not to.
Without saying a word to each other we race towards Setanta and immediately arrive in time to stop five spears from piercing his body.
"Huh, I must be hallucinating because my beautiful teacher came to see me in my final hour." says Setanta with his trademark smirk.
"I would worry if I started to hallucinate men in my final hour, Setanta." I answer him with a smirk of my own.
"I'm not talking about you. I'm talking about the vision of beauty that currently fills my vision." he answers me with a glare.
Not bothering to answer him, I release my domain over the battlefield and increase the air pressure to suffocate all of them. Eventually they all fall unconscious and I turn to Setanta who is being held up by Scathach.
"You are an idiot. Why did you not wear your rune suit?" I ask him.
"Ferdiad didn't wear it." he simply answers with a shrug.
I had a hunch that he would not wear it in his duel against Setanta, but I still had to try. These two idiots wish to die as warriors, not as old men. No matter how much I do not agree with them, I respect them for the choice.
"I'm glad I got to see you both before I died, teach." he says with a smile on his face as he closes his eyes and takes his last breath.
Sentenced to Death
Setanta is dead, and so is Ferdiad. All because they refused to wear their rune suits. They knew the suit's functions and decided against wearing them when they found a worthy way to die. Ferdiad at the hands of the Ulster Cycle's greatest hero, and Setanta against an army while in a weakened and vulnerable state from breaking all of his geas. A good death for them, and honestly if I were the one to die in a similar fashion as those two, then I would be satisfied. Although my death would not come about because I was too stubborn to use everything in my arsenal. Still I can respect their decisions. I am not even mad at them for it.
However, one person has pissed me off this day, Medb. She has the audacity to orchestrate his death through traps and plots, yet where is she. She is nowhere to be seen on this battlefield even though she had to plot and scheme to kill him. Medb is a person that believes that she is the center of the world and that the world revolves around her. For her to be absent here, during this time, it is almost as if she is saying 'I know that through my plots and traps you will die this day, yet this is not an important enough event to require my presence.'
She is looking down on him. The warrior who held her army off and forced them to retreat single handedly. The warrior who captured her, yet despite all she has done, especially pitting him against his best friend, still treated her like a queen and escorted her back to her kingdom safely. The warrior that she had to plot and scheme against, and yet still require an army to kill. She has the audacity to look down on him.
"I can feel your murderous rage through the link. Who are you planning to kill?." says Scathach, breaking me from my thoughts.
"No one. While I am furious at the way she treated his death, I do not plan to kill her. At least not yet. Right now we must bring Setanta back to Ulster for his burial." I reply
With a nod of her head, Scathach picks Setanta up, like a mother carrying her son, and together we return to the woods and make our way to Ulster.
The run is a quiet and somber affair, and I have no idea how long it takes before we finally make it out of the woods and see the main city of Ulster.
Constructed behind a woodlands, the city is home to the king of Ulster and their army, the Knights of the Red Branch. This city wasn't built by the woodlands by accident, as it provides great defenses from an invading army. According to Setanta, the city itself looks normal. With its wooden houses and rooftops, protective walls of average height and dirty roads, the city looks like a standard city of that time. The main attraction is the Knights of the Red Branch and their program of apprentice warriors for children wishing to eventually join the illustrious group.
Approaching the walls, we are met with a squad of knights from the Red Branch, who upon seeing Setanta's bloody body being carried by Scathach are immediately on guard.
"Who are you strangers? And why do you carry a bloodied Cu Chulainn?" demands one knight as he approaches us with his sword drawn.
"I am Scathach, Queen of the Land of Shadows, Witch of Dun Scaith, and teacher of Setanta. I come here simply to return him to his wife." Scathach answers.
Setanta must have told them many things about her, for as soon as the knight hears her words his face pales and apprehension shows across his features. That is until he processes the rest of Scathach's words and drops his sword in shock.
"Lead me to his wife." orders Scathach before the knight can say anything else.
I can tell that she laced her voice with a small amount of charmspeak, for the knight's eyes slightly glaze over and he nods before he hurriedly nods and begins to lead the way. The other knights, similarly dumbfounded simply watch as Scathach and I follow the knight.
As we enter the city, I activate a minor bounded field that wraps around the four of us. It causes everyone to overlook us and to subconsciously stay away from us.
Eventually the knight leads us to a wooden house. Having done his duty, Scathach orders him to return to his post. Walking up to the door of the house, I knock on the door and wait. Soon enough the door is opened by a beautiful woman.
"Hello." she says with a gentle smile voice and a smile on her face. "How may I help you?"
Before I can answer her however, her eyes move towards Scathach and she finally notices Setanta's body. With wide eyes and tears streaming down her face, Emer leads us into the guest room of her house where Scathach gently lays Setanta down on the bed.
For a few hours we stay by Emer's side as she cries over her husband's dead body. Eventually she stops crying and wipes her tears.
"Forgive my lack of manners. I--"
"None of that now child. We understand and do not hold it against you." says Scathach as she interrupts Emer.
"Forgive my ignorance, but who are you two?" asks Emer.
"I am Ambrosius, and my companion is Scathach. We were Setanta's teachers for a while." I answer.
"Oh. He spoke of you two. Although, I did not expect you to be so young. He always referred to you as a 'stupid old man' that made his life harder than it had to be." she tells me with a wistful smile.
Hearing this I can't help but feel a little annoyed, especially with Scathach standing next to me giggling.
"Yes. He did have a habit of calling me that, particularly when I was the one training him. Although I like to believe that we had an amicable relationship despite the banter." I answer with a smile of my own.
"He told me once that you are perhaps the only man he looks up to, as both a warrior and a man. Although he did say that you worry too much." she answers.
"And if you ask me I would say that he was too carefree sometimes." I reply.
She simply nods in response and we sit there in silence.
"I was going to tell him after he came back." Emer says after a few minutes of silence.
"Tell him what?" asks Scathach.
Emer looks at us, and just from her expression I am already dreading what it is she is about to say.
"I am with child." she tells us with a sad smile. "He was finally going to be a father. Something he has wished for ever since his return from the Land of Shadows."
It's funny how no matter how powerful one is, words and emotions can still affect them. Unless one completely closes themselves off from their humanity, emotions will always affect them. And I am no different, for with that simply sentence Emer has sentenced Medb to death.
Why? Because I have come to care for Setanta almost to the point of him being my son. Medb killed him through her scheme, and honestly if it was just that I would not be going after her head. Then she disrespected him by not being present at his death. Once again that is not enough for me to seek her death. Does it anger me to see how she treated his death as something inconsequential? Yes it does, but not to the point of killing her. If it were just that then I would not be currently planning to kill her..
Unfortunately for Medb however, Setanta has a child and I would bet my partial immortality on the fact that it is a son. Once he is born he will have to worry about Medb not only for vengeance, but also because there is no way that she will leave the son of the only man to ever spurn her advances to live in peace.
As a son of Setanta he will have expectations placed upon him to be a great warrior and to seek vengeance for his father's death, especially after it is found out that Medb tricked Setanta into breaking his geas before attacking him with an army. Confucius said "Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves." A truer statement on vengeance has never been spoken. Living for vengeance is not a way to live, it can be called existing at the most. Not only is it self destructive, but even if you survive getting your vengeance, what is the next step when all you have known your life is vengeance. Most people do not survive getting revenge, and even those who do so end up living meaningless lives afterwards.
Then there is the other problem he will face when he is born, Medb. She will not let him live in peace if she ever finds out about his existence, and I have no plan of hiding his heritage from him or anybody. That is not a compromise I am willing to make. The child will grow up knowing their father with pride.
With a sigh, I turn to make my way out of the house.
"Scathach, stay with her. I will be back." I tell her before I leave.
Once outside I activate the runic array on my suit that has the same effect as my previously used bounded field and make my way out of the city.
Activating all of the physical enhancement runes tattooed on my body along with the ones on my rune suit. While I do not know the exact location of Medb's castle, I do know that Connacht, her kingdom, is south east of Ulster and that he castle is somewhere in the middle of her kingdom.
It takes me a few hours, but eventually I find it. The castle itself is situated a few miles away from a farming town. It has eleven massive, round towers guarding the weakest points of the castle and are connected by large, thick walls made of light green stone. Tall windows are scattered thinly around the walls in seemingly perfect symmetry, along with huge crenelations for archers and artillery. A moderate gate with great wooden doors and various artillery equipment offers more protection.
Arriving in front of the castle, I turn myself invisible with my biotics and completely erase any other trace of my presence with runes inscribed in my suit. It takes me a while, but eventually I find her room.
Walking inside, I erect a bounded field around the room with runes. The bounded field will keep any sounds from exiting the room, and it will make anyone who approaches the room stay away from it.
Due to the lack of moonlight tonight, the room is completely dark. However, I can easily see as if it were daytime.
The room looks like your typical bedroom for royalty with lavish decorations and furniture. However that is not why I am here. There lying on a large bed with her husband is Queen Medb herself. Without making a sound, I walk over to her husband's side and snap his neck. Like anticipated, the sound wakes her up and she immediately launches herself at me. With a minimal amount of effort I grab her by the neck and slam her into the ground.
"Who are you!? How did you get past my guards!?" she screams.
Without answering her I turn to the candle on the nightstand and light it.
"I will at least give you the courtesy of seeing your killer before you die. That is more than you deserve, especially after you failed to extend the same courtesy to Setanta." I tell her as the light from the candle illuminates the room.
"You know Setanta? Who are you to him to come seek revenge?" she asks.
"That is none of your business, all you need to know is that this is not for revenge. Rather it is for the protection of Setanta's unborn child." I answer.
"WHAT?!" she exclaims. "Who!? No. It does not matter, I will rip that child from the womb."
Hearing her I cannot help but raise an eyebrow in amusement.
"That is interesting. How do you plan from escaping your current predicament?" I ask her.
"You will let me go of course. Tell me, what is it that I must give for you to let me go? Riches? Land? Or perhaps it is something far more… precious." she says as she traces her hands down her body.
"What the heck are you doing?" I cannot help but ask.
I know that it is supposed to come off as sexy or seductive, but it just does not work. Especially since she is lacking in certain areas.
She must know what I am thinking for her expression darkens and she begins to rant.
"You know--" she says. "--I don't hate being antagonized. However, I cannot tolerate the fact that, among the men of Ulster, there is one man - and one alone - who did not become mine even though I thought "I want him". Even though I called out to him, tempted him. That attitude in which, let alone be swayed, simply said "what the heck are you doing?" I won't forgive him. Won't forgive, won't forgive, won't forgive, won't forgive, won't forgive! Absolutely, not him!Cú Chulainn of Ulster! So I plotted and eventually managed to get him killed. Of course I won't be present when he dies, I wanted him to know that he is beneath me now. And then you came along, powerful, handsome, and better than any other man. I offered myself to you, gave you the same chance as him, and you had the audacity to say the same thing as CU CHULAINN! "What the heck are you doing!?". Just for this I wi--"
Before she can finish her rant I place my hand over her mouth and tighten my hold around her neck, suffocating her. Panicking, she tries to release my grip with one hand while punching me on the chest with the other. Unfortunately her efforts are futile, and she eventually releases her last breath as strength leaves her body and she dies.
After making sure that she is in fact dead, I gently pick her up and place her back on her bed next to her husband before once again sneaking my way out of the castle.
Moon Fall
This chapter was the hardest one to write. Especially with the lack of information on Crimson Moon. Hope you guys enjoy it. --
I tilt my head to the right as I dodge the creature's claws. Stepping into its defenses, I grab it by the throat and snap its neck. It barely takes a second for it to recover and return to its undamaged state. Unfortunately for it, that second is all I need to inscribe a rune on its back that cancels out its ability to heal. Once that is done I dodge a claw to my face, grab its other claw that is heading for my throat, and with my remaining hand I conjure a dagger that I stab through its chest killing it.
"You are getting sluggish my love. Close to two hundred years of facing nothing challenging has made you complacent and slack off in your training. Perhaps I should take over and train you once again." comes Scathach's teasing voice from somewhere behind me.
I cannot help but let out a huff at her statement. Me? Slack off? And in my training of all things? That is ridiculous.
"If I am slacking off, then what are you doing? The last time I checked, I have won our spars three times in a row now, and I have the lead in the overall number of wins by five." I tell her as the creature turns into ash and I dissipate my conjured dagger.
We are currently in a clearing near a forest in what will eventually become England. It is currently night, and the full moon is out in full force, making the skirmish I just had more troublesome than it would have been normally.
"All jokes aside however," Scathach says as she stands next to me and looks down at the creature's ashes "These creatures and their progenitors' constant assaults are becoming an annoyance. At first it was intriguing since their bodies naturally return to their normal state before receiving their injury. Then we figured out how to cancel out that ability so that they may die, making their constant efforts to defeat us admirable. However, after two hundred years of this, I find their assaults to be more of an annoyance than anything."
She is right. When we first encountered the Dead Apostles, it was intriguing. They have the normal vampire claws, and according to what I remember from my life before the jumps, very few conceptual weapons can even harm them. I would not know if that is the truth here since I have never bothered to check. They can all ignore damage from most sources as their body will revert to the pre-damaged state rapidly, and I had to create a runic array to cancel that ability out since the novelty of seeing it happen quickly wore off. At night they are almost invulnerable, and their power is at its peak during the full moon.
However, the most intriguing thing about them is that they can not only regenerate most wounds rapidly, but even re-form their body completely after taking damage. Although it does take the majority of their power to do so, rendering them in a somewhat weakened state. They also have Mystic Eyes that enable limited control over others, such as the ability to plant suggestions. The color of their eyes changes to gold when they are active. One of them even had the audacity to try it on Scathach so that she would have sex with him. To this day I pray for him, because no one should have had to go through what she put him through. By the gods, it was so bad that I ended up actually feeling sympathetic towards the poor fool.
However, while they have been a constant source of entertainment for the past two centuries, they have unfortunately overstayed their welcome.
"Perhaps it is time we hunt down their creator." I tell her.
"There is no need, for I am already here." a voice says from behind us.
Without wasting time, Scathach and I turn as we hop backwards away from the speaker. Looking at the speaker, I cannot help but curse internally. Scathach is correct, I have become complacent. Two centuries of dealing with nothing but fodder Dead Apostles and killing two True Ancestors has made me let my guard down. I should have sensed him coming. I was trained by Batman himself, then I was a literal N7 Shadow Infiltrator, whose training makes them some of the most dangerous assassins, and in addition to that, the effects of all that training is being boosted to absurd levels due to my heightened sense from my supernatural physiology. There is no reason why I should not have sensed him coming, even without my use of my domain.
"Why don't you step out from the shadows and show us who you are." I say with narrowed eyes as I straighten myself out, summon my trident, and prepare myself for perhaps the hardest fight of my entire existence in the nasuverse.
Just being around this man makes every single one of my danger senses go haywire. It is similar to being near Tartarus' heart, only the danger is about ten times worse. With a chuckle the man steps out from the tree shade, yet for some reason I cannot make out what he looks like, only his blood red eyes. Even in utter darkness I should be able to see as if it were daytime.
"You are not worthy of knowing my name." says the man with a smile that I am somehow able to make out and sends a chill down my spine. "Not yet at least."
For the first time since the beginning of my jumps I feel true fear. My grip on the spear tightens to the point that if it weren't as sturdy as it is, it would shatter. I can feel my leg muscles tighten in response to my sudden urge to flee, my mouth dries up and my throat tightens, and suddenly I find myself hypersensitive to everything going on around me. Before things can get worse however, Max kicks in and suddenly I no longer feel any emotions, the only thing driving me now is pure calculated thought. My senses are heightened as much as possible without hindering me, my perception is enhanced as much as possible, and all physical enhancement runes tattooed on my body and in my rune suit are activated as lightning strikes in my mind and my magic circuits activate. To finalize my preparations, I activate my domain in full force and control the clouds overhead in preparation for a hurricane.
"Scathach, do you still remember that runic array for gathering an extreme amount of energy I had you memorize about a century and a half ago?" I ask her using hand signals from my arkhamverse jump that I thought her.
"Yes." she answers with the corresponding signals.
"I need you to inscribe it while I buy you some time. Just in case" I answer back.
Without communicating another word, she nods and begins to work.
"I assume that you are the creators of these creatures that have been constantly attacking us?" I ask as I approach him.
"In a way, yes I am their creator." he answers as he looks down at me.
For a being that stands at about seven feet tall, it really is not particularly difficult.
"Now, enough talk." he says and in a burst of speed rushes me.
Even with my enhanced perception, he is moving extremely fast. Dodging the hook to my head, I bring my left leg up and kick him in the face, launching him back into the woods. Without a second thought I use mana burst and race after him. As he tries to recollect himself in the air to land on his feet, I stab my trident through his neck only for his body to restore itself as soon as I remove it. With renewed effort, I try to slash his neck and remove his head, only for his hand to come up and catch the trident. Before he can use his grip on my weapon to his advantage, I recall the trident back to its ring form while summoning my spear into my hand and stabbing it into his skull. Like my previous attempt, his body returns to its previous, unharmed state. However, unlike my previous attempt I notice that the effect was not instantaneous. Almost as if his ability glitched before kicking in. It is nothing that would negatively affect him during the fight, at least not in my spear's current state.
While the glitch is not enough to give me a major advantage, it is enough for me to grab him by the throat and drag him through the ground before launching him at the sky where a bolt of lightning powerful enough to incinerate a Dead Apostle strikes him.Naturally he simply shrugs it off as if it was nothing tries to reorient himself to land on his feet. Unfortunately for him, I have no plan of letting him do that. With a particularly strong mana burst, I launch myself into the air and spear him through the stomach. Not waiting for me to remove the spear, he grabs me by the head, removes my grip from the spear and throws me back to the earth. Before I land I rearrange myself and land on my feet just in time to see him get electrocuted for attempting to grab my spear. Not wanting to let him recover from the shock, I conjure dozens of perfect replicas of my spear, Gae Bolg, and my trident in the air and launch them at him. Unlike my usually stable conjured weapons, these are conjured with runes inscribed all along the shafts and tips. When the weapons pierce him, the Gae Bolgs strike where his organs should be, if he has any in the usual human places, the tridents summon lightning bolts to strike him, and the spears burn him from the inside. With a pained roar, he attempts to remove the weapons from his body with his hands, only to once again be electrocuted with enough voltage to incinerate a Dead Apostle. Unlike the previous time however, he powers through the pain and removes the weapons one by one.
"W-w-what was that? Is this what pain feels like?" he says as he straightens himself out, my spear still sticking out from his stomach.
Something is not right. My runes had no effect on him. If I have to hypothesize, then I would say that the only reason he felt pain is because the spear holds a major part of Odin's authority, and the trident is the weapon of Neptune himself, with his authority infused within it. The Gae Bolgs and the runes however had no effect on him whatsoever. If my theory is correct, then the only things that will work on him are weapons that hold the authority of a god or curses.
"Not much of a talker are you?" he says. "Come, show me what you can do."
Ignoring him, I summon my spear back to my left hand and adjust its size to a short spear. Then I turn my ring back into its trident form and roll my shoulders. Now that I know that I have identified my opponent as Crimson Moon, I can use the information to decide how to fight. Unfortunately, that severely limits my repertoire based on what will be effective. Anything that does not possess the authority of a god or is true ether will be useless. Even the egyptian Divine Words will be a nuisance to him at best. That leaves me with just my spear and trident, and the powers that come from them, with the egyptian Divine Words serving to make openings so that my weapons can deal damage. Ideally I would be running from this fight, unfortunately that is not something he would let happen. I just hope that Scathach finishes inscribing the runes quickly because I am going to need a lot of raw power to even survive this upcoming battle. It is a good thing that Scathach is currently inscribing the runic array.
Having come up with a somewhat passable plan, I launch myself at Crimson Moon and hold nothing back. The exchange that follows is perhaps the most stalemated battle I experience simply because the opponent is holding back. At first it seems as if I have the upper hand since every single one of my blows connect in some way or another, however if one looks closely it is easy to tell that none of the damage I do to him lasts. Does it cause him pain? Yes. Does it injure him? Yes. However the damage never lasts long enough to accumulate. He has no technique, and no skills, yet no matter what I do I cannot defeat him, at least not yet. To do so will require him to continue underestimating me, a tremendous amount of luck, and a ridiculous amount of raw power.
I tilt my head to the side to dodge another punch, and borrowing a move from Dick, I vault over him and land behind him before stabbing my spear through his neck. Then, using my trident, I chop off his right hand as it comes up to grab my spear. Naturally, like all the previous time, his body is restored to its undamaged state. As he turns to face me, I look up at him and speak my first Divine Words of the battle to his face 'Ha-di'. Immediately half of his face is blown apart before returning to normal in the next instant. This gives me enough time to stab him through the heart with my spear and trident, even as his hands come up to try and stop them only to be too slow. Before I can even follow through however, his right leg comes up and sends me flying through the woods with a kick to my ribs.
As I smash against countless trees, I can feel the healing runes and my healing factor activate and instantly heal all of the damage. Reorienting myself, I plant my feet against a tree trunk and with a particularly strong mana burst cancel out my momentum to land on the ground only to look up and see him coming towards me at a far faster pace than he ever used before in our fight. Speaking the Divine Words for protect, I am able to summon a protective barrier between us that stops him for two seconds, just enough time for me to speak the Divine Words that summon the Fist of Horus and sends him flying back where he came from.
As I race after Crimson Moon's flying body I suddenly feel a surge of power reach me and can tell that Scathach finished her task and is on her way to join the battle. With this new development, I stop following him and take a deep breath to prepare myself for what I am about to do. Raising my spear in the air, I channel a significant amount of magical energy through it before slamming it back into the ground. From the point of impact, countless runes emerge and spread out through the ground, reaching the boundaries of my domain before quickly becoming invisible.
The runic array I just activated is the culmination of my years of trying to replicate the Hiraishin no Jutsu and a servant's ability to teleport when the master summons them via command seals. Using my domain, I sense the entire battlefield, then I use my spear as a mystic code to send out my magical energy throughout the battlefield and inscribe the runes everywhere with it. The runes inscribed around the battlefield serve as both location beacons and teleport markers. I sense their locations, remotely activate them, and like command seals they teleport me to their position. I could of course use them similar to how Minato uses the Hiraishin, however the last thing I need is for an enemy to displace my kunai causing me to teleport somewhere unintended. Similar to the Hiraishin, these are also cost efficient to use in the battlefield multiple times, the only reason I did not use it earlier is because I was buying time for Scathach to finish. If I escalated the battle he would have followed suit.
With minimal effort, I sense the closest seal to Crimson Moon and teleport behind him with it. Unlike command seals, there is no flash of light and the build up of magical energy is minimal, to the point of being impossible to sense. Which is why Crimson Moon has no time to prepare himself when I appear behind him and decapitate him. Needless to say his body quickly returns back to its undamaged state and turns to attack me only to be struck by a pillar of wind that sends him flying.
The culprit quickly makes herself known as Scathach arrives next to me.
"Do you know who he is?" she asks as she looks at him quickly reorient himself and land on his feet.
"Crimson Moon." I reply, my voice full easily making it clear how unhappy I am about having to face him of all people, especially since I am no longer cutting myself off from my emotions and can feel a certain amount of doubt, fear, and uncertainty I have never felt in combat before.
"I see." she replies as she puts away her Gae Bolgs. "Then that means I will be using magic while you lead the physical assault."
With a nod I teleport myself in front of him and make to stab him through the throat. He brings his hand up to block only for me to teleport to his side at the last minute and a bolt of lightning that was behind me punches straight through his stomach and out of his back making him roar in pain. Naturally he recovers, however like with my spear and trident he glitches for a second. This is why Scathach is in charge of the magical assault and me the physical one. She knows countless curses that can affect him, whereas I have weapons that affect him.
Realising that the battle has escalated, Crimson Moon uses Alt Nagel and sends an immensely destructive pillar of wind hurtling toward Scathach. Without wasting a second I teleport her behind him just as she sends another curse flying, this time hitting him in the back and decaying a majority of it before it returns to its undamaged state. Normally I would not be able to teleport those that do not have a rune on them, however as soon as I had perfected this spell, I had tattooed one on her. This lets me teleport her to any rune as she were me, and by partitioning my mind into two I can focus on both of us without any difficulty.
Teleporting above him, I drive my trident through Crimson Moon's head and watch with annoyance as it returns to normal. As he reaches for me a red curse strikes his neck, severely electrocuting him. I teleport to the ground and cut off his legs. From there the fight dissolves to a game of cat and mouse as I teleport Scathach and I all over the battlefield with Crimson Moon attempting to harm us while we cut, stab, and curse him. Although that seems to annoy him more than it hurts him. Naturally he always recovers, however I notice that the time it takes increases the longer the fight drags on. Eventually however he becomes enraged and ramps his speed and magic, almost injuring us a few times had I been one second too slow.
Teleporting to his left side, I try to cut off his arm only for his massive fist to smash into my stomach, making me spit out a mouthful of blood and saliva as it sends me flying. My runes and healing factor kicks in and heals me. However, I can tell that they are being overworked since that single punch almost obliterated my bones and tore my muscles. If I take more than five of those I will not recover and will die instead. My only chance is to get him to use moonfall. It will take the majority of his remaining energy which will reduce his healing factor to about a True Ancestor's level. I can use that opportunity to blast him with a full powered beam of divine energy from my trident and destroy his body. My only hope is that the beam will also be enough to send the moon back to orbit. Not a perfect plan, but it is either this or die.
It takes me a split second to go through these thoughts and to rearrange myself in the air so that I land on my feet and skid to a stop. Teleporting next to Scathach I quickly signal her the plan before teleporting towards a charging Crimson Moon and blasting him with a minor beam of divine energy from my trident. The damage it causes is far more than any other attack before and causes him to take much longer to return back to his original state, a full three seconds in fact.
From there the battle dissolves into a similar chain of events, however this time I am blasting him with beams of divine energy and some of the damages are starting to actually remain.
"Enough!" roars an enraged Crimson Moon.
He leaps to the sky and creates a mirror image of the moon.
"You are a far bigger threat than I thought! To turn me into such an injured and exhausted state, you cannot be allowed to live for my goals to be realised. Die and take pride in the knowledge that you have been felled by me!" he exclaims as he sends the moon hurtling towards us.
Without wasting a second, I point my trident to the sky and release and release the energy beam I had been building up at the moon. Throughout the last phase of the battle, I had been building up energy for this moment. However, there is only so much energy that can be built up before Crimson Moon noticed. So every time the build up of energy became noticeable I would send out a beam of energy at him to reduce the amount back to unnoticeable levels.
The beam connects with the falling moon easily enough, however the moon is still falling. That is until Scathach activates the second half of the runic array that she had previously inscribed on the earth.
At first glance the runic array's function is to simply draw small amounts of magical energy from the environment and to charge whatever the corresponding runic array is inscribed on, in this case Scathach and I. However, the array's true purpose is to build up magical energy until the second function is activated and it sends the magical energy into a huge burst that can be used for what I am doing now. With a grunt I brace myself as I channel the magical energy into my trident increasing the beam's power tenfold. The beam manages to stop the moon's fall. Unfortunately I miscalculated somewhat as my body is barely keeping itself together as it channels that much energy.
Partitioning my mind once more, I reach up to the sky where I had been building up a storm and bring it all down. Immediately a torrential downpour of rain and wind falls, strong enough to be categorised as a class five hurricane. The water immediately rejuvenates me and the majority of the stress placed on my healing factor and runes are alleviated.
With renewed effort I collapse my partitions and focus all of my attention on sending the moon back, even as Crimson Moon tries his best to collide it with the earth. As more magical energy is channeled through the trident, the power of the beam is increased once more. However I know that I cannot keep this up for much longer. Just as I begin to fail however, a beam of lightning blasts a hole through Crimson Moon's chest allowing me to finally overpower him, destroying his body and sending the moon back. The last thing I see before falling unconscious is Scathach's worried face as she catches my falling body.
Aftermath
AN: WARNING! I get really creative in this chapter, so plz don't come for me and just kindly state your opinions. Thank you in advance. --
The first thing I notice as soon as I wake up is Scathach somewhere nearby.The second thing I notice is my body's strength. I feel sturdier, stronger, and even lighter. I feel more solid, for lack of a better term. It feels as if my body has upgraded itself.
Opening my eyes, I take note of my surroundings. The room I am in is made of wood and has absolutely no furniture, not even a bed. What I am lying on are plants made into a comfortable platform. Not seeing anybody in the room, I sense my surroundings. Outside of the room, I sense a cabin with no doors, and a forest outside of the cabin. The cabin has three rooms, a makeshift kitchen, a makeshift lounge, and the room I am currently situated in. It is evident to me that the cabin was created with the idea of providing shelter temporarily. In the lounge Scathach can be found perusing some notes.
Getting up, I stretch myself out and cannot help but let out a satisfied groan as I feel my muscles react. I walk out of the room and towards the lounge. Feeling me approach, she looks up from her notes and smiles.
"You are finally awake." she as she gets up and gives me a kiss before sitting back down and picking the notes back up.
"How long have I been out?" I ask as I sit next to her on the ground.
"About two months. You launched the moon back into orbit, so it really should not come as a surprise to you that there were some adverse effects. Especially with the amount of raw magical energy you were channeling." she answers.
"Well I would not have been able to do it without your help. Specially during the last phase of the battle when you struck him with a bolt of lightning." I tell her as I pick up one of her notes to study it.
"That was not me." she says as she puts her notes back down.
Putting the note back down, I send her a questioning glance.
"Who was it?" I ask.
"That would be me." says a young, masculine voice from behind us.
Without thinking, my body springs into action as I launch away from the voice, turn to face it, and summon my spear to me. Standing there, four feet from where I was sitting, is a young man of around twenty years of age. He stands tall, at around six feet five inches, attractive, and with a well-built physique. He has dark hair that constantly blends with his low top hat, a strong jaw, bold eyebrows, and green eyes. Over his strong build, he wears a black form fitting tuxedo with a white button down shirt and black tie. In his hands he wears white formal gloves, and black formal shoes on his feet. He also bears a mild resemblance to an adult Jotaro Kujo.
"There's no need to be hostile. You can consider me a friend." he says with a genial smile that for some reason I do not completely believe.
"Zelretch,-" says Scathach as she gets up and puts away her notes. "-it is good to see you. To what do we owe this pleasure."
Zelretch she says. As in Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg, the wielder of the second magic, and the person who defeated Crimson Moon in canon. I am honestly not surprised that he is alive and in his prime. Scathach and I spent around a century in what will become Ireland helping out Cu's descendants since we had nothing better to do, then the Dead Apostles started coming and we decided to start traveling and leave them behind. Although, I would not be surprised if someday they joined the Clocktower as a prominent family of mages. Especially with the weapons we left for them to use and the emergency seal I gave them should they ever need our help. Since then it has been around two hundred years which would make the year around three hundred AD, around the time Zelretch and Crimson Moon fought in canon.
"Well, I just came by to see if Ambrosius had woken up yet. Imagine my surprise when I find out that he has in fact woken up." he says bringing me out of my thoughts. Then he looks at my face and raises an eyebrow. "I expected your battle to have some lingering effects on your body. However, I did not expect for the changes to be so drastic. Although that does prove my theory about you not being fully human."
"Excuse me?" I cannot help but state as I return my spear to its storage. "What do you mean by drastic changes?"
"It is in your face, and I am not talking about the hair." he says as he points his pointer finger at his face and waves it around.
With a frown I conjure a silver shield and study my face on it. Immediately I can tell what he means. My previously midnight black hair is now grayish white at the majority of the roots, with only the tips remaining black, and my cheekbones have become slightly more pronounced. However none of those can count as truly alarming. My hair can easily be explained as the stress of the battle and the final struggle against Crimson Moon having gotten to me, and my cheekbones can be explained as me having lost weight, although I know for a fact that I did not and that is not the explanation for my cheekbones. No, none of these changes are truly alarming. What is alarming however, are my eyes. My previously luminescent sea green eyes are now red with slitted pupils. Far too similar to a certain arrogant archer that I very strongly dislike, and a certain breed of vampires that inhabit this world.
"What happened? Crimson Moon did not manage to turn me, did he?" I ask, not even bothering to hide the alarm I feel from my voice.
"What?" asks Zelretch incredulously. "Of course not. He was way too dead to even attempt to."
"Then explain the eyes. How did my eyes go from sea green to crimson with slitted pupils?" I ask as I dissipate the shield and take a deep breath to calm myself down. Panicking will not help my situation.
Now that I think about it, I do not have a psychological need to feed. Nor am I suppressing that need with my powers. Then that means that I am not a vampire. However that brings me back to square one. The only other people that I can think of that have crimson eyes are demi-gods. Ok, so the most likely explanation is that my demi-god heritage is starting to show itself through physical features the only way it can in the nasuverse, through red eyes. That begs the question however, how and why now.
"From what I was able to figure out-" says Zelretch, bringing me out of my thought's "Your body and your soul are finally starting to abide by this world's laws."
"That makes no sense. If I was not abiding by the world's laws Gaia or Alaya would have sent the counter force to finish me." I reply.
"Hmm,-" humms Zelretch as he shakes his head from side to side "-not necessarily. You see, you were not breaking the rules outright. You were simply an anomaly. Your body had all the signs of being a part human without any of the defining physical characteristics because your soul was fully human. It was as if you were human only with a body on par with those that are of a higher existence, like demi-gods for exemple. So essential you were not really breaking the laws, you were just an anomaly. It is probably a side effect of coming from a multiverse completely different from this one."
Before he can even finish his final sentence, I am on him with my spear inches from his throat.
"Where did you hear this?" I question while narrowing my eyes.
"Calm down." says Scathach as she walks next to me and slowly puts my arm down. "Apparently he can tell when something or someone does not belong in a universe using the second magic."
With a frown I return my spear to its storage and step away from Zelretch.
"That was fast. Far faster than your speed in the battle against Crimson Moon." says Zelretch.
"Alright." I say as I rub my hand on my face in exasperation and sit down on the ground. Zelretch is correct, that was faster than my speed against Crimson Moon and I was not even using any form of enhancements.
By the gods, whatever is happening to me is such a nuisance. However, with Zelretch helping me I might figure out what is happening to me faster if I did on my own.
"Since we both have information that the other wants, we can simply make an exchange. I tell you about myself and you help me figure out what has happened to me." I tell him as Scathach sits next to me.
Without even taking more than a second to ponder, Zelretch nods and materializes a couch across from me. True Magics are so broken. He literally just took a couch from one universe and summoned it to this one so he could sit.
"Before we begin," he says as he sits. "I would like to thank you for saving my life from that True Ancestor all those years ago. While I know for a fact that I would have won, I was still in the process of mastering the Second Magic and would have suffered an injury that would have taken a significant amount of time to recover from. "
Well, that certainly explains why he is wearing a tuxedo when they have not been invented yet, he saw me wearing my rune suit in the form of a tuxedo and somehow had one made. I pray for the talor who had to learn how to make one through trial and error using their hands.
"If my memory serves me right,-"says Scathach. "-there has only been one True Ancestor we have defeated with a bystander present, and that was about five or six years ago."
"You are correct. At the time I was still a young lad in the process of mastering Kaleidoscope." he answers.
"Think nothing of it." replies Scathach.
"Now onto the discussion. Do you wish to go first? Or shall I do the honors?" I ask him.
"You should go first. It might make it easier for me to help you figure out what is happening to you." he says, and I nod before beginning to speak.
"The first thing you need to know about where I come from is that one's soul has no effect on the body, mortals are the only beings with souls, and that the soul of a demigod is no different from a regular human. The differences are in the body not in the soul. Anything that is not a mortal does not have a soul. By anything I mean gods and monsters. The second thing you should know is that the rules of that world are far more simple than the rules here. Where I come from, the Age of Gods never truly ended, they simply separated the affairs of the supernatural from the affairs of mortals. There, the norse, egyprian, and greco-roman pantheons are still very much active. Especially the greco-roman one as they were still siring children when I accidentally left, and the year was somewhere in the two thousands."
With every word I speak Zelretch's eyes widen a bit more and I can tell that I have his undivided attention.
"Do you know the legend of Ambrosius, Rome's First Praetor?" I ask him.
"Of course." he answers. "To this day he is spoken of as one the greatest Roman generals to ever live, and one of the greatest in the world."
"I am that general, and those events happened in my original world. Albeit somewhat differently." I say.
"Excuse me?" states Zelretch incredulously. "Did I hear you correctly?"
"You did." I answer. "From what I was able to gather upon my arrival here, the events in the legend also happened here. Somehow, the events happened in both of our worlds with some differences. The biggest being the time. While my war happened in the future, sometime in the two thousands, this world's war happened sometime during the monarchy of Rome in BC."
"How did you arrive here? And can that path still be used to travel between our worlds?" asks Zelretch with a frown.
"I arrived here through Tartarus. After I accomplished my goal there, I traveled the hellish realm in search for a path back to the mortal world. There I found a path not previously traveled that somehow led me to the Land of Shadows where I met Scathach, and the rest is history." I reply.
"It makes some sense now. Your soul is not of this world yet still follows the rules of a human soul in this world, making it so that both Alaya and Gaia accept you. However, your body is close enough to both a demi-god's and a human's in this world, yet at the same time it is neither. Even so, since your soul follows the rules of this world, your body never received the characteristics of a demi-god, rather it became the body of a particularly powerful man from the Age of Gods."
His theory matches up with mine. In the nasuverse, the soul is something independent from the body, not belonging to the same material world. It is an existence of a higher order in the concept of the astral plane, acting as a record of the body containing the memories, mind, and Magic Circuits. In the PJO world every soul is the same tier. Demigods are not a higher order because of their souls, rather due to their biology. Due to that my soul used to follow the rules of the PJO world. However, when I received the perk that gave me my magic circuits, my soul became one that follows the rules of the nasuverse.
The body itself, in the nasuverse, can be called a terminal for the soul to move around, and the soul itself can be considered an invincible command structure. While the body itself possesses a record of its composition in its genes that allows it to heal itself, that blueprint is not applicable when a person has lost their original body. The soul itself contains a record, the "genes of the soul", that allows both the body and its genes to be restored even if they are lost, should the person take another vessel. Since the souls between a demigod and a human are the same existence in the PJO world, and there was nothing that indicated me to be part divine spirit when my soul started following the nasuverse rules, I was identified as a human. Because of that my body did not change to match a demi-god's body from the nasuverse, which is in fact much more powerful than a demigod's body from the PJO world. A powerful human warrior from the Age of Gods can easily match an average demigod from the PJO world, and that is not even counting if they are mages on top of that.
If my soul has been human all this time, then that means I have been figuratively fighting with two hands behind my back. Other than keeping my human soul from decaying and attached to my body, my divinity has been useless. The only reason I was able to defeat Crimson Moon is purely because the trident and spears somehow made up for where I fell short. In other words, I am one lucky sob and my luck is most likely A rank now, probably EX because Crimson Moon was defeated by my hands and not Zelretch.
"Alright,-" says Scathach, bringing me out of my thoughts. "-so why did his body suddenly change"
"I can answer the why, but not the how." I reply.
"I hypothesize that somehow during our battle with Crimson Moon, my biology started to affect my soul through the link that binds them together. Unlike in this world, the body can affect the soul in my original world. It is how true resurrection is possible. When the body dies in my world, the link is severed and the soul leaves. However, if the body can be brought back to life and the soul returned to it, the link will reestablish itself and the person will truly come back to life. This however can only work with the soul's designated body. The soul cannot possess a different body. The only ones that can do so are eidolons, and those are the exemptions to the rule. And while my soul follows the rules of this world, it still holds that special link with my body from my world." I answer.
"I see." says Zelretch as he strokes his beard. "Somehow during your battle, the soul started to match the body and gained the divinity attribute thereby branding you a demi-god."
"And because your soul follows the rules of this world, it acted as a blueprint for your body and changed it into one befitting of a demi-god from this world." finishes Scathach with a nod.
As for why my cheekbones are more pronounced, I have no idea. I have to admit however, that they make me look like a perfect mix of Bellona and Neptune now, instead of a Neptune clone with some similarities as Bellona.
"Now that this is out of the way, I would like to thank you, Zelretch for your aid during my final clash against Crimson Moon." I say.
"Think nothing of it. I had been seeking him out to defeat him. As a firm ally of humanity, I could not let him run as rampant as he was doing." answers Zelretch.
"Do you know why he sought us out?" asks Scathach. "We knew that he had been attacking powerful mages, and changing those he deemed worthy to become his followers. That is why we had been keeping a low profile, so for him to attack us out of nowhere was choking"
Zelretch merely raises an eyebrow at us before letting out an amused laugh.
"You?" he asks as he tries to bring his laughter under control. "You two were keeping a low profile? As far as I know, every mage worth their salt from the mage's association has heard about the pair of centuries old warriors traveling. One does not simply kill countless Dead Apostles and two True Ancestors and remain unknown. And now that you have defeated Crimson Moon himself, the whole supernatural world will have heard of you."
By the end of his statement Zelretch has completely lost control of himself and lets out a roaring laughter.
Ignoring him, I think about his statement and realize that he is correct. Killing Dead Apostles and two True Ancestors most likely put us on the mage's association radar. And now that we defeated Crimson Moon, they will be paying much closer attention. Honestly, what a nuisance.
Morgan le Fay
"What can I help you with today Zelretch?" I say as I inscribe the final rune, and put the finishing touches on my current project.
It has been about two centuries since Crimson Blood's defeat and it is around the middle of the fifth century, years before the birth of Arturia. How many? I have no idea, especially since I am honestly not keeping track. Do I care enough to alter her legend? Not even remotely. Am I going to avoid changing it? Absolutely not. I will do as I have always done, live and enjoy my life, and if I happen to change something then so be it.
Having finished with my current work, I turn to face Zelretch and raise my eyebrow at him in question.
"Can't a man visit his best friend?" he asks as he walks up to me and looks down on the piece of clothing on my workshop table.
My workshop is located in the basement of my personally built castle, somewhere north of Uther's kingdom surrounded by a forest.
The castle itself was made with a deliberate use of earthbending, alteration, and runes. It has four thick, square towers surrounding the castle in almost a perfect circle, they are connected by big, narrow walls made of light red stone. Refined windows are scattered thinly around the walls in fairly symmetrical patterns, along with huge crenelations for archers and artillery.
It has a vast gate with thick wooden doors, a drawbridge, a moat that protects it, and is the only easy way in, any other side would be futile.
Huge statues of people important to Scathach and I decorate the bridge outside, memories of glories of the past. The castle is relatively new and has runes that will keep it that way for thousands of years, especially since it is built upon a major leyline.
It was Zeretch who gave us the idea of building it.
Studying Zelretch now compared to when he made that suggestion, I cannot help but notice the small differences in his body.
Due to not being turned into a Dead Apostle, Zelretch has aged like a normal human. However, I was able to come up with a temporary rune suit to stop it completely for a century at a time. After a century passes by he would have to come receive a new one.
Unlike when we first met, Zelretch now looks like a man just entering his middle ages. He has grown a bit, and now stands even taller, at around six feet seven inches, he still looks attractive, and with a stronger physique. He has dark hair that constantly blends with his low top hat, a strong jaw with the same beard from canon, bold eyebrows, and slightly luminescent green eyes. Over his strong build, he wears a burgundy form fitting tuxedo with a white button down shirt and burgundy tie. In his hands he wears white formal gloves, and brown formal shoes on his feet.
"What is this?" he asks as he picks my finished project.
"That is the completed version of the Soul Preservator. It is yours." I tell him.
"Oh. This is a permanent version of the one I am currently wearing." he says as he examines the mystic code.
The mystic code is the culmination of all my research on how a dead apostle's healing works mixed with my incomplete form of the Heaven's Feel magic. It is made of the same materials as my rune suit and has the same transformative, self cleaning, and body cleaning functions. Unlike the rune suit however, this mystic code's purpose does not lie in the field of combat. Rather its purpose is to keep the wielder alive by keeping the soul from degrading and keeping the body in its current physical shape.
"The suit has three main functions." I tell him as he goes to a side room in the workshop to put it on. "The first of the main functions and it focuses on the preservation of the soul. When one puts the suit on and activates it, this function will do exactly as it says and stop all forms of degradation in the soul."
Coming back from the room, Zelretch looks exactly the same. However, I can tell that he is currently wearing the rune suit and just transformed it to look like his previous tuxedo.
"How do I activate it?" he asks me.
"Be patient, and listen to what I have to say. This suit comes with its own sets of dangers." I firmly tell him.
Seeing him sit down on a bench near the table and look at me expectantly, I continue with my explanation.
"The second of its function is to keep the suit itself from never failing, whether because it is damaged or due to the ravages of time. By studying how a vampire's body turns its time backwards to heal, I was able to implement a similar function on the suit so that it may never fail. Similar to how a vampire's immortality is flawed, so is this one. It runs on blood and magical energy from both the environment and you. Unlike a vampire however, the suit will only need one pint of blood every six months while the magical energy from you and the environment will do the rest. It is also how it achieves its third function, keeping your body in its current physical shape."
"So the suit cannot break?" asks Zelretch.
"It can. However, only through the same methods that it takes to kill a dead apostle however. Also it does not heal injuries. It only stops your body from growing older and weaker." I reply.
"Alright,-" he says as he scratches his beard. "-what are the dangers of it?"
"Honestly, there is only one. However, it is a major one. You should avoid taking it off." I reply.
"It is the world's own adjustment that is the problem isn't it? If I take it off, my body will age to match what it should be." states Zelretch.
"That is correct." I answer with a nod. "However, I found a way to circumvent that, which is why I said avoid taking it off. In order to avoid the wrath of the "world's own adjustment" that sets in when the field is removed you should draw a dragon enveloping the rune array which passes from the rune suit to another object that is of similar size to you, but that you do not care about. On this sacrificial object, inscribe a Gebo rune lying in opposition, when the Stasis Field is removed the adjustment of your body's "incorrect time" will pass from it to the sacrifice instead, causing it to rapidly age and to break down. If you do not do this, then your body and soul will rapidly age to match what it should rightfully be."
"I see. That leaves me with one question however." he says. "How come I did not have to do that for the previous suits?"
"Because I did it for you, and whenever I attempted to teach it to you, you would run off to Jupiter knows where." I answer with annoyance clear in my voice.
"Right. My apologies." he says with absolutely no sympathy or apology in his voice.
"Right." I say sarcastically with a roll of my eyes. "What is it that you originally came for?"
"There has been a split in the Association. One faction wishes to continue researching magecraft from the Age of Gods, while another wishes to research more practical, and modern magecraft." answers Zelretch.
"And that concerns me because?" I ask with a raised eyebrow.
I have no idea why he is bringing this to my attention. As far as I know the Mage's Association is barely an organisation right now, and I have absolutely no interest in dealing with mages full time. Even in this time, mages are still arrogant, and I would not be surprised if the faction of those who hate me wish to elevate themselves by bringing me down. Especially since I had to be saved by Zelretch in my battle against Crimson Moon. It has somehow become a misconception that while I am powerful, as long as I do not master a True Magic, I will always be an obstacle that can be defeated eventually.
The one time that I decide not to correct people's misconceptions, and it backfires on me. Secluding myself in the woods behind formidable defenses, for them anyway, most likely did not help my situation. They see me as the pinnacle of what a magus can achieve without mastering Magic.
"The second faction wishes for you to back them." he says, bringing me out of my thoughts.
I raise an eyebrow as I contemplate what he just told me. He would have thought that the faction that is to become the infamous Clocktower would actually respect me and look towards me for guidance. It began as a rumour. Someone managed to find out that Scathach and I were the very same Ambrosius and Scathach from the legend of Cu Chulainn and spread it. No one believed it at first, and it was easily dismissed as false.
However, they had proof and spread it to the most prominent mage families in the Association. As it turns out, many of our battles throughout the years were witnessed by the familiars of mages who were attracted by the sound of battle and magecraft being used. Throughout the years, Scathach and I have never bothered to change how we fight, especially not what magecraft we use.
All it took was for those mage families to exchange information of our sightings with each other, and our identities were no longer secret. Ever since then, I have been somewhat of a leader in that faction. Of course as with everything there are skeptics, those are the arrogant mages that are in denial. They firmly believe that I am a descendant of said warrior at best, and a faker at worst.
With a shake of my head, I push those thoughts to the back of my mind.
"What do they have in mind?" I ask Zelretch.
"They are currently planning a meeting for sometime near the end of the century on how to proceed with magecraft. Especially since the last remnants of the Age of Gods are leaving." he says.
Before I can answer him, the bounded field around the castle's land alerts me to an intruder in the woods.
Connecting to the bounded field, I examine the intruder and cannot help but be intrigued. The intruder is female, clearly of fairy origins, and is doing a surprisingly good job of getting through my defenses. Granted there was absolutely no effort put into implementing them. It is impressive regardless due to the fact that to be able to do so one must be at least as physically powerful as a servant with C rank in all attributes. However, I can easily tell that the intruder barely qualifies as D rank in physical parameters, and is using some crude, yet impressive enhancement magic to make up for that.
Eventually the intruder makes it to the drawbridge of the castle and stands there to catch their breath.
"It looks like I have a visitor." I say as I turn to face Zelretch.
"They certainly aren't from the Mage's Association. Even the faction who despises you know that you are an existence that they cannot antagonize." he answers.
"Let us see who they are, and what they want." I say as I grab his shoulder and teleport us to the drawbridge, in front of the intruder.
The intruder is a woman, tall, beautiful young woman with long pale hair and blue eyes wearing a form fitting blue dress and shoes. Her eyes are full of sadness and denial, yet there is a certain conviction there that I have only seen in those who have gone on to become legends. She carries herself with a certain amount of pride that can only come from being part of a nobility. She honestly reminds me of Lancer Artoria, only with a smaller breast size.
What really draws my attention to her however, is her magical energy. Even though her circuits are currently dormant, I can feel the dense and plentiful magical power rolling off her in waves.
"Welcome." I say as I appear in front of her and startling her. "To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?"
"Are you by any chance Ambrosius Malphas?" she asks with her proud and enchanting voice.
"Indeed I am, and the fool next to me is Zelretch." I answer and ignore Zelretch's indignant cry. "How may I help you?"
"Please take me as your apprentice!" she exclaims as she bows towards me.
"Unfortunately, I cannot do so. It would be a waste of both of our times." I tell her.
She looks up at me, and immediately I can tell that she misunderstood my meaning.
"You see, I do not believe that I would be a good teacher for a mage as talented as you. For you see I heavily specialize in rune and soul magecraft." I explain before she can say anything.
"Regardless, I need to be as powerful as you to achieve my goal. So please, teach me!" she exclaims one more time.
"While I would not be a good teacher for you, I do in fact know someone that would be perfect for the task." I tell her with a smile. "Follow me and I shall introduce you."
With wide, thankful eyes, the young woman straightens herself out and follows me, her steps easily telling me that she has some experience with combat and is not just a naive noble.
"By the way,-" I say as I turn to face her. "-you never did introduce yourself."
"Pardon my lack of manners. My name is Morgan, Morgan le Fay." she introduces herself.
While I manage to keep my composure, the connection still hits me like a truck. It explains why she reminded me of lancer Artoria. I am about to have Morgan le Fay apprentice under Scathach of all people. May the gods have mercy on the world.
The Curse
"While it would be nice to see Scathach again,-" says Zelretch as he stops walking. "-I must be going. I have plenty of important things to do. So I need your answer now."
"Do you actually have important things to do? Or is there some other poor soul that you wish to pay a visit to?" I ask with a raised eyebrow.
Zelretch merely stares at me blankly, not bothering to answer.
"That's fine. There is no need to answer." I tell him with a dismissive wave. "Tell the faction leaders that they can expect me to be present at their gathering, just give me a time and a place."
With a nod, Zelretch disappears in a swirl of colors leaving me with Morgan.
"Come along now Morgan. It is time to meet your teacher." I tell her as we begin to make our way to the castle's inside.
As we walk inside of the castle, I cannot help but feel a sense of pride at the structure. Especially with Morgan looking at the structure in awe. The castle was built through my and Scathach's efforts. It looks quite beautiful if I do say so myself, and can theoretically stay in peak condition until the end of times. However, this is the nasuverse, so that last feature is not one hundred percent certain.
Arriving inside, we are met with the figure of Scathach walking towards us. For some unknown reason, she has lately taken an interest in fashion. Fashion from my original time period, the twenty-first century. Unfortunately for me, I am not a fashionista so describing dresses and other clothes that women wore has been a torture. Much worse than being dragged on a shopping spree. However, I do believe that I have done an acceptable job judging by what she is wearing.
Keeping with her usual style of dark colors, yet not too dark like her usual clothes, Scathach wears a form fitting royal purple dress that reaches to her ankles, and black heels on her feet. Unlike the top which hugs her figure nicely, the bottom half of the dress is designed to allow for easy movement. It looks strikingly similar to the dress one can see her wear as a caster in grand order.
As Scathach approaches us, she easily notices Morgan tagging along and raises her eyebrow in question.
"Scathach, I would like to introduce you to a candidate for new pupil, Morgan le Fay." I answer.
"Wait." says Morgan as she comes to stand next to me. "Is she the same Scathach from the legend of Cu Chulainn?"
"Well, yes she is." I reply with a raised eyebrow.
"Your name is Ambrosius, does that mean that you are the same one from the legend of Cu Chulainn? The one who helped train him? The one who married both her and Aife?"
There it is again. Someone asking me if I actually did marry both women because Setanta could not keep his mouth shut. Now, a lot of what happened in the Land of Shadows are part of his legend.
"Yes I am." I answer. "Did you not know who we were before you came to us for training?"
"Well, I only heard rumors. They claimed that you were the greatest warriors and mages in the land, and that if one were able to make it up to your castle that you would teach them." explains Morgan
That certainly explains why there have been a lot of intruders lately that have attempted to enter the forest, only to be repelled by the bounded field. However, I have no recollection of anyone who would want to spread such a rumor, except for the little bastard, Zelretch.
Watching the interaction, Scathach merely raises her eyebrow once again before turning to Morgan and studying her. While Morgan tries to look confident, it is easy however to tell that she fears being rejected. Her throat tightens and she plays with the sleeves of her dress.
"It is nice to meet you Morgan. You may call me Teacher." says Scathach after a few seconds.
"Thank you for accepting me Teacher!" exclaims Morgan with eyes wide with excitement.
"When do we begin?" she asks.
"Your lessons begin tomorrow at first light. You should be up and ready by then for Ambrosius' lessons." answers Scathach.
"Wait." says a confused Morgan. "I believed that you would be teaching me."
"And she will." I answer as Morgan turns to face me. "However, it will be in the field of magecraft. I will be teaching you how to best apply your magecraft in combat, and how to wield a spear."
"A spear?" asks Morgan. "Why not a sword? All of the knights I have seen use swords. Is that not the better weapon?"
"No." I answer as my eyebrow twitches. "The spear is the superior weapon, and anyone who tells you otherwise is a fool"
I tell her this because it is a fact, and I am in no way, shape, or form biased towards the spear.
Morgan makes to answer only to be interrupted by Scathach who clears her throat to bring our attention back to her.
"For today, you may explore the castle. There are no rooms that are off limits except for our bedroom and workshops, but those rooms are locked and the only ones who can enter are Ambrosius and I. If you do get lost just ask one of the suits of armour for direction and they shall take you to your destination. When you are finished, come meet us in the dining room for dinner." instructs Scathach.
With a nod, Morgan excitedly walks further into the castle.
"Did you notice it?" asks Scathach once she is sure Morgan is out of hearing range.
"Notice what?" I ask.
"There is a curse tied to her being. Should she ever succumb to hatred, or obsession, she will do whatever she deems necessary to accomplish whatever goal is related to that feeling. No act will be too evil and no price will be too steep for her." says Scathach with a somber mood.
"Are you saying that the curse will control her?" I ask with a frown.
"No. All the curse will do is enhance her hatred or obsession and remove any moral she may have. Essentially clouding her judgement. But she will still be herself." replies Scathach.
"I see." I say as I scratch my chin in thought. "Is there anything we can do?"
"Honestly, I do not know. This curse is more of a geas than a curse, and I am not the most knowledgeable in them. So there is not much we can do other than teach her control, especially with how complex it is." answers Scathach.
"When you say tied to her being, do you mean her soul?" I ask since I since I did not check.
"No, not her soul. While I do not know how it is tied to her being other than that it is, I do know however that it is not tied to her soul. Whoever has placed this curse upon her must truly hate her and is most likely planning something to make sure that the curse does activate." speculates Scathach.
"Or they could simply want to use her as an instrument of destruction." I answer.
"Regardless of why they did it she is my student now, and should I ever find the culprit they will wish to have never been born." says Scathach ominously, and unconsciously leaking out a substantial amount of bloodlust.
"We will find the culprit eventually. Right now we should focus on teaching her." I tell her as I place my hand on her shoulder to calm her down.
"Right. Teaching." she says with a fond smile. "The last person I taught was Aoife, Connla's daughter. She was such a ball of energy that one, always playing with the boys instead of staying inside and learning 'lady things'. I remember when she stated that she would become the greatest warrior in Eire. 'Just like grandpapa Setanta.' she used to say."
Aoife, granddaughter of Setanta, the warrior queen who united Connacht after it fell into chaos due to Medb's death, and someone who originally did not exist because Connla died at his father's hands. This time however Connla was born in Ulster from Setanta's wife, Emer. He himself grew up to become a great warrior with the only things truly interesting him in life being battle, and women. Like his father, he died in battle with a smile on his face. Unlike his father however, there was no treachery or traps involved. Just a warrior taking an army of a few hundred on his own and dying from exhaustion later.
"Come." says Scathach, bringing from my thoughts. "Let us go prepare dinner."
A few hours later we find ourselves in the dining room as enchanted statues go about setting the table. Like the suits of armour, the statues are inscribed full of rooms to animate them and do their jobs. The armours are there for defense purposes while the statues act as servants.
The dining room is honestly more of a dining hall. It was made with the idea of large gatherings being held there. Since neither Scathach or I are the best at designing things, I used the Hogwarts Great Hall as a base. It is a large hall with four long tables with individual chairs aligned on the sides for seating. Where the staff table would be at the front, there is instead a raised platform where the entertainment event would be held. In front of the platform is a round table reserved for only close friends and allies. The ceiling of the dining hall is covered with candles and it is enchanted to look like the sky above. There are small windows around the side of the hall, a statue stands under each statue, and a large window is behind the raised platform where the light shines through.
Sitting at the round table, I watch with a small amount of amusement as Morgan follows a suit of armour in with eyes filled with wonder. Arriving at the table, Morgan eagerly takes her seat next to Scathach and starts to fill her plate with food when given the go ahead, somehow still managing to do so with the grace of a well trained noble.
"Tell us a bit about yourself Morgan." says Scathach a few courses into the meal.
"I was born the younger of a set of twins to King Uther Pendragon." begins Morgan, her voice somber, and making it clear that this is not a happy story. "My sister was set to be the next ruler, however father was adamant about his heir being a male so Morgause was denied. However, she never stopped training and learning to convince father while I could care less. I simply wanted to support her."
Morgan stops there for a second as she dries the tears that had begun to fall.
"U-u-unfortunately, she died of a mysterious illness.On her deathbed she had me promise her that I would accomplish her dreams for her so I began training earnestly to achieve it." explains Morgan once she gathered herself.
"Your father did not approve." speculates Scathach.
"No, he did not. So he arranged for me to marry King Lott of Orkney. I knew that if I went along with the marriage that I would never be able to accomplish Morgause's dream, so I ran away in hopes to buy myself time to figure out how I would accomplish it. I knew that I would at least need to be powerful in order to accomplish Morgause's dream, therefore when I heard rumours of you I decided to take a chance and seek you out." explains Morgan before she returns to her meal.
I look at Scathach out of the corner of my eyes, and I can easily tell that she and I are having the same thoughts. Things can easily go to Tartarus when Morgan finds out about Artoria, specifically her gender. However, what I truly wish to know is where in Tartarus is Merlin's bitch ass in all of this.
Last edited: Jun 27, 2020
Assembly
"Zelretch." I say as I feel the magician appear a few feet away, and dodge a spear thrust from Morgan. "You have not visited in months. That is a bit unusual for you."
"Well, I have been a bit busy." he answers. "Unlike what you may think, I do in fact have things to do."
"Of course you do." I say sarcastically as I parry a slash heading towards my heart. "And the majority of it involves making my life unnecessarily difficult or annoying. After all, how else could dozens of warriors seeking lessons, coincidentally arrive in my woods as I take down my previous bounded field to set up a new one."
"I hold no idea of what you speak of." he says with a voice full of faux innocence.
"Of course you do not." I once again answer sarcastically as Morgan parries a slash and attempts to move into my personal space.
"See. You even agree with me." he cheerfully answers.
This time I simply ignore him and duck under a kick aiming for my head. Taking advantage of Morgan's momentary imbalance, I move into her personal space and sweep her feet out from under her. Pressing my advantage, I aim a spear thrust towards her neck while she falls, only for her to roll out of the way and to use her momentum to vault back onto her feet.
"You never did say why you came." I say to Zelretch as I block a sweep from Morgan's spear. "I know that you came here for business reasons instead of a simple visit. I can tell by your lack of jokes."
"You asked me to keep an eye on Camelot for you after you found out that your little apprentice is from there, and I did." he answers me.
And he is correct. After Morgan told us her story, I contacted Zelretch in the hopes that he would be able to find me information on the Pendragon family and Camelot. According to what he found, Morgan and Morgause were born five years before a third Pendragon child who was born in secrecy a few months after Morgause's death. The child was hidden by Merlin and it was only through sheer luck that Zelretch even managed to find out about said child. Morgan ran away at the age of twelve as soon as she found out about the plan to arrange a marriage for her. She found us around two years later and has been training with us ever since
"Well?" I ask him as I disarm Morgan and thrust my spear towards her neck. "I assume that you have something substantial for me or else you would not be here."
"And your assumption is correct." he answers me as Morgan dodges the spear thrust and attempts to move into my personal space for an effective use of hand-to-hand combat.
"The lords of Camelot will soon be holding a competition to decide its next king. It appears that the competition will be held in Roan two weeks after the Mage's Association assembly. So in about a month." explains Zelretch
Hearing Zelretch's words, Morgan slightly hesitates in her approach, costing her. Taking advantage of Morgan's mistake, I sweep my spear under her feet, throwing her to the ground. Before she can recover, my spear tip stops a centimeter from impaling her jugular.
"I yield." she says.
"Well done." I tell her as I help her up. "In terms of skills alone, I would place your spearmanship on par with me before I took lessons from Scathach. So just below any true masters of the spear such as Setanta, Ferdiad, Connla, and Aoife. Then again, magecraft is where your true skills lie."
"Thank you teacher." she answers with a smile.
"Tell me Zelretch. Do you know what the competition is?" I ask him, bringing Morgan's attention back to the topic.
"Apparently, they will have to draw a sword from a stone to prove their worthiness of the position. I have examined the sword, and I must say that the only one that even remotely has a chance of drawing that sword is Morgan." he explains.
"How so?" I ask as I let my conjured spear dissipate and accept the cup of water offered to me by a statue.
We are currently in the training field. Which is honestly just a field half the size of a football field with statues standing at the edge to attend to any occupant's needs.
"Well for starters there are two criterias, and the very first one is to be of the Pendragon bloodline." he says.
"And the second?" I say as I look towards Morgan who is listening with rapt attention.
"That one is a bit more complicated. From what I can tell one needs to have the ideals of a King, however I wasn't able to ascertain what ideals those are." he replies.
"Ideals of a King." I repeat with a thoughtful frown. "Those are extremely broad terms. Throughout the years many have had ideals on what a King should be. Is the sword looking for a specific ideal, or would any ideal that would make one a good King work?"
"I honestly have no idea." replies Zelretch to my spoken thoughts.
"Do you think that I could pull the sword?" Morgan asks me, completely ignoring the possibility of a third Pendragon child somewhere out there.
"I honestly do not know." I reply. "For the past four years we have trained you in everything a King would need to rule effectively, from politics to the martial arts, we have trained you in them all. Not only have you learned them well, but you have excelled in all of them. Unfortunately however, it seems that the sword chooses its wielder through their ideals instead of their training, so I honestly do not know."
"Don't worry. I will not let you down. I'll draw the sword from the stone and become King." replies Morgan reassuringly, more towards herself than me.
Before I can answer her however, Scathach's voice does.
"We are already proud of you Morgan. You have nothing to prove to us." says Scathach as she walks into the field.
"Zelretch. It is good of you to visit. I rarely get to see you nowadays." says Scathach towards Zelretch with a deceptively sweet smile.
Zelretch looks towards me, his eyes pleading for help. Unfortunately for him, I decide that I very much wish to see him suffer for all of the trouble he has caused me so far. Besides, it is not my fault that he constantly trolls us and leaves without seeing Scathach because he knows that she will not be happy with him. Unlike me, Scathach will not take it lying down, nor will she laugh along with him later once whatever prank he has concocted is done and over with. Now not only is she mad about the pranks, but she is also mad because he has been avoiding her. The poor bastard, he has no idea what he has done to himself.
Three weeks later Scathach, Morgan and I find ourselves dressed formally in preparation for the assembly.
Unlike my usual dress code of Atlantean armour or dress pants and button down shirt, today I decided to wear a three piece suit. The consisting of burgundy pants, jacket, vest, and a black button down shirt and tie, the suit is form fitting yet easy to move in should I be required to do so excessively due to a fight. A contradiction made possible due to the fact that it is my transformed rune suit. On my feet I wear black shoes, and black formal gloves in my hands.
While I decided to wear fashionable yet simple clothes, Scathach decided to go all out.
Keeping with her usual dark clothes, Scathach wears a sleeveless black dress. The dress leaves her shoulders uncovered, instead it's supported around her neck and flows down into an elegant court neckline. It's a snug fit which is meant to draw attention to her breasts, but in a graceful and elegant manner. The dress' waist is thin, but also a loose fit. It's left simple, elegant and undecorated, creating a look that flows from top to bottom. Below the waist the dress widens and has multiple symmetric layers from top to bottom. The dress reaches well above her ankles and is longer in the back, making it possible to see her heels. Gorgeous on their own, and an ideal match in combination with the dress . To top it all off she's wearing an intricately designed necklace and a matching bracelet.
While Scathach and I very much prefer dark clothes, the opposite is true for Morgan who wears a forest green dress. The dress covers her shoulders almost fully and flows down into a delicate plunging neckline. Unlike Scathach's dress, it is a snug fit which removes the focus from her breasts, but without making it look sloppy. Her arms have been covered to just below her elbows. The sleeves a loose and, in a way, help put focus on her soft skin. The dress' waist is narrow, but it is a slim fit. A small, stylish belt is all that is needed as a perfect adornment. Below the waist the dress widens and has a ruffle style towards the bottom. It reaches all the way down, almost covering her feet and is the same length all around. She is also wearing heels, they are simple, but radiate grace and refinement.
Similar to Scathach and I, her dress is a transformed rune suit. A gift from me after her spearmanship reached a level just below of those monsters like Ferdiad, Setanta, and Setanta's descendants. The above mentioned are simply in a league of their own just below Scathach and I.
"Well don't you three simply look lovely." says Zelretch as he appears before us in a swirl of colors.
"Zelretch." I greet him with a nod. "One of us is going to have to change, and I have no plans of being the one to do so." I tell him as I put my hands in my pocket and look him up and down, his suit a perfect replica of mine.
With a shrug Zelretch's suit changes from burgundy and black, to a full black suit with white gloves.
"Come along now. It would not do for us to arrive late." he says as he approaches us.
"You act as if you are the one taking us there. When in reality I am our transportation." I say with a raised eyebrow as I put my one hand on Morgan and his shoulder while Scathach grabs one of my arms.
"Well I'm the one who put your tag in the room so that you may teleport there." replies Zelretch.
"Hmmm." I humm back while reaching out to the tag that has my teleportation rune inscribed on there.
Finding it, I activate it and we are immediately teleported to it. We appear inside a large room. The right side of the room is lined with large windows showcasing the night sky and letting the moonlight shine into the room. The left side and the back of the room are a wall lined with couches and loveseats while the front of the room is left bare of everything but a door that serves as an entrance into the room.
Other than the moonlight, a giant chandelier hangs overhead to provide lighting.
While we are not the last ones to arrive, we certainly are not the firsts as there are already at least a dozen men and women gathered.
Our entrance does not go unnoticed as two women and three men approach us.
"Lord Malphas, it is a pleasure to finally meet you in person." says the first man to reach us as he extends his hand for a handshake.
"Please, Lord Animusphere, it is my pleasure to meet all of you in person." I reply as I take his hand for a firm yet respectful handshake.
Despite standing at six feet tall and wearing the standard clothing for the time, Romani Animusphere does not strike a particularly intimidating figure. Rather he looks to be a typical yet handsome scholar with pale skin from not receiving much sunlight, to soft features, white hair, and soft grey eyes. He is the current head of the Animusphere family and one of my most loyal supporters.
"May I introduce you to my companions." I say as I step aside and allow Scathach and Morgan to step forward.
"You have already heard of my wife, Scathach." I say as I introduce her and she offers him her hand, to which he lightly takes and kisses.
"It is a pleasure to meet you madam." he responds.
"This is our shared apprentice, Morgan le Fay." I introduce as she follows Scathach and offers her hand.
Romani Animusphere takes her hand and also kisses it.
"Enchanted." he says as his companions also greet the two. "Now allow me to make the introductions."
"These two beautiful women are Venla and Aino, twins and co-heads of the Edelfelt family." he introduces the two women as I take their offered hands and kindly kiss it.
Standing at five feet six inches, the twins look almost identical with Venla having a beauty mark under her right eye to set her apart from her sister. They both have long, silky blond hair done into curls, and green eyes. Making them almost identical to their descendant, Luviagelita.
"It is a pleasure to meet you Lord Malphas." they say in unison, a flirtatious smile on their faces.
"The gentleman behind them is Julius Archibald, head of the Archibald family." presents Romani as Julius and I shake hands.
"Lord Malphas, I am excited to finally meet you. Your accomplishments are something that I very much aspire to reach." he says with a look in his eyes that very much reminds me of fanboys.
"You flatter me Lord Archibald. I simply had the time and opportunity to reach such heights." I reply and ignore the way the fanboy gleams in his eyes slightly increases.
Before he can answer however, he is interrupted by the last member of the group. Standing at six feet tall, the man strikes an impressive figure that easily denotes him to be a warrior. He has blue hair tied in a ponytail, earrings that reminds me of Setanta's, and a roguish smile that would not be out of place on the mentioned demi-god's face. Looking at his familiar smile, I cannot help the foreboding feeling that slowly invades my being.
"Old man, it's nice to finally meet you." says the man with his roguish smile as he firmly shakes my hand.
His words quickly quiet the room as the occupants who had been only partially listening now turn their full attention towards us.
Before I can ask him if we had ever met before, everything clicks in my head. The blue hair tied in a ponytail, the earrings, the warrior's physique, and not to mention that roguish smile. This man can only be a direct descendant of Setanta.
"What is one of Setanta's direct descendants doing all the way over here." I ask him with a smile.
Seeing me recognize him must have come as a shock because his smile freezes on his face for a second before turning into a boisterous laugh.
"Of course you would notice. She said that the line would give me away." he says after he finally gathered himself.
"She?" asks Scathach as she walks up next to me.
"Old lady Aoife. When she heard why I was coming here she told me that you would recognize me, especially if I introduced myself with that line. Also she told me to tell you that you're a 'stupid old man', and to tell you, Lady Scathach, to 'keep the old man under control.' " replies the man with a laugh, making my eyebrow twitch in annoyance at the nickname.
"Brennan. Why don't you fill the rest of us in." interrupts Romani.
"Right." he says as he brings himself under control. "As you all know, I am from the Fraga family. However, I was born as the only direct descendant of Setanta in my generation. My many great-grandmother and I are his only descendants left alive."
"Interesting." answers Romani as he and the other occupants of the room look at Brennan in a new light.
Before anyone else can say anything, Zelretch clears his throat and brings the room's attention to him.
"Ladies and gentlemen, while I would love nothing more than for us to continue with our amicable conversations, we must get started now. After all, the future of magecraft will not be decided by itself."
Last edited: Jun 28, 2020
Caliburn is Drawn
Following Zelretch's declaration of the start of the assembly, every mage finds themselves a couch or chair and sits. Following Romani, my entourage sits itself in the back of the room, facing the door and with a view of everybody in the room. As I take my seat in between Scathach and Zelretch, I cannot help but notice the disdainful glare that a certain magus sends towards me. He tries to hide it, however I have been reading people for centuries now and can see through his facade easily. I am not the only one who notices however, judging by the sneer in Scathach and Morgan's eyes, I can tell that they noticed the man's feelings towards us and the fact that he will most likely be causing a scene.
Once everyone is situated, the magus that has been disdainfully glaring at me stands and makes his way to the center of the room, gaining the attention of everyone. He stands at around five feet nine inches tall, with a very slender build. He has pale skin that likely has not seen much sunlight, the most abnormal color of blue-green for hair tied into a ponytail with a few bangs coming down on both sides of his face. He wears black trousers and shoes with a type of tunic colored white with gold accents, and a black and white cane with gold accents in his hands.
As I look at the cane, my telumkinesis acquired from my mother Bellona immediately identifies the weapon as a cane. Perusing through the weapon's history, I immediately find out the identity of the man, Claudius Yggdmillennia. Head of the Yggdmillennia family, and if my memory serves me right, he is the ancestor of Darnic Preston Yggdmillennia.
"Before we begin." says the man once he has everyone's attention. "I believe that there is a situation that we, as the future of magecraft, should discuss."
"Oh? And what could this situation possibly be?" asks Julius Archibald with a somewhat mocking tone.
Looking at the man, I cannot help but praise his attention to details and his political acumen. He was one of the few others who noticed Claudius' disdain. Originally I thought that he was a simple fanboy, however It is clear to me that he is the head of the Archibald family for a reason.
"The situation that I allude to is the inclusion of Mister Malphas in this assembly." replies Claudius.
In response to Claudius' words, many in the room raise their eyebrows in question while others look on with intrigue. The reaction of my group however is entirely different. The majority of them hold a gleam of amusement in their eyes with Brennen not being able to hide his amusement as a smile crosses his features. Once again Julius surprises me as he easily hides his amusement and his impulse to automatically defend me. Instead he allows Claudius to talk and dig himself into a deeper political grave.
"While I am very much grateful for Mister Malphas' part in the elimination of Crimson Moon, I must object to his presence here due to the fact that he is not a magus." explains Claudius.
"Please explain yourself, Lord Yggdmillennia." says an elderly man as he stands up, a young man and a cane helping him stand. "Many of us have witnessed Lord Malphas perform magecraft."
"Of course Lord Wodime." replies Claudius. "As you all know, we mages are researchers. We research and perfect our craft in an attempt to reach the Root and be able to accomplish feats that, once were possible during the Age of Gods, are now lost to us."
"Naturally." replies Lord Wodime. "However, what does that have to do with Lord Malphas?"
"While Mister Malphas uses magecraft, he is not a researcher. Rather he is a warrior, a man who makes use of magecraft in battle and has no interest in reaching the Root." says Claudius.
His words immediately cause an uproar as many of the room's occupants question him on how he could possibly know that while others refuted his claims. Despite the clamor, Claudius calmly raises his hand and waits for the room to quiet down.
"Many of you may wish to deny my claims, however I have checked the Records and in the centuries that he has been a member of the Mage's Association he has not contributed anything other than a paper on the advanced application of runecraft." explains Claudius.
Claudius' words silences the room as many of them contemplate what he has said, while others try to remember if what he said is true. However, Claudius is correct. I have only contributed one paper to the Mage's Association Record, a depository of all knowledge on magecraft. Every single magus is expected to contribute to the Association by submitting research papers and hypotheses to the Records. While it is not required, it is expected of every magus to submit something every few years to uphold their status as a magus of the association. While failure to do so will not result in one's expulsion, it will cause one's life as a member of the association to become difficult. Although there have been talks about making it a steadfast law with loss of privileges and even expulsion acting as a consequence.
"Mister Yggdmillennia is correct." I answer the questioning gazes as I get up. "I have only contributed one paper to the Records in the centuries that I have been a member of the Association."
Hearing my words Claudius gains a confident smile and seems to be about to speak. Unfortunately for him I have no intention of letting him talk.
"However,-" I say as I interrupt him. "-I have in fact been continuing my research and have made some discoveries."
"Oh?" mockingly replies Claudius. "Then perhaps you should share with us what it is you have discovered. After all, many of us are interested. Perhaps you will even share with us your method of eternal youth. After all, the last time I checked the Second Magic does not stop one's aging, and even if it did only Lord Zelretch would have kept his youth. Or perhaps you would like to share with us your field of research to reach the Root."
Just like that, Claudius has lost this round. From the beginning of his speech it was evident that he wanted something from me. If he had truly wanted to expel me, he would not have made such a show of it and would have simply moved for my expulsion. However, I did not know what, so I baited him by implying that I have had some groundbreaking recoveries and letting him suggest what part of my research I should share. By his answer, it is evident that he does not know for sure what it is from my research he wants only that he wants it. It is obvious that he believes that I have found some way to remain in my prime.
"You are also correct in your belief that I have no interest in reaching the Root." I say, causing the room to erupt in another uproar. This time due to my rejection of the goals of the Mage's Association. Instead of raising my hand to garner the room's attention, I instead decide to wait for them to act like the adults they are and quiet down.
Looking over to where my allies are sitting, I can tell that they all somewhat expected that answer. Yet for some reason, none of them seem to find that problematic. Eventually the room does quiet down and I am able to speak.
"The reason for my lack of interest towards reaching the Root is simple." I say as I stare into Claudius' eyes. "I have already looked upon the Root, and it is because of this achievement that I was able to find a way to remain in my prime for centuries. Unfortunately for you, I will not be sharing any of that particular research since it will be making up the foundation of the Malphas family's magic crest."
My response completely catches the room off guard. However it is a lie. While I found a path to the Root during the Odin's Gallows ritual, and traveled it all the way to the doorway to which the Root hides behind, I did not go through the door since that would require me to complete the Heaven's Feel magic. Nevertheless, they do not need to know that. They only need to know that I have looked at the Root and failed to achieve a True Magic due to my incompatibility to it. It will keep them off my back for another century in which I can use illusions to appear to age before going into seclusion. After a few years in seclusion, I can return while claiming to be the son of Ambrosius Malphas. Not one of them will be able to tell that it is a lie, and the only person who will know other than Scathach and Morgan is Zelretch.
"I see." answers Claudius, bringing me out of my thought's. "Perhaps there is another field of research that you can submit?"
"Of course." I tell him with a condescending smile while I bring out a stack of papers from the storage runes tattooed on my stomach and hand it over to him. "This is another research paper on runes. The Application of Runes: The Age of Gods."
With rage burning in his eyes, Claudius takes the stack of papers and thanks me before going back to his seat. Left unsaid is how useless this paper is to the majority of the families since only the Fraga makes constant use of runes. Unknown to them however, the Edelfelt, Animusphere, and the Archibald family have also started to make heavy uses of runes since joining in alliance with me. Especially with me guiding them. Although there are many things I will not teach any of them.
It was a valiant attempt, unfortunately for him he is centuries far too early to meet on a battlefield. Political or otherwise.
It has been two weeks since the Mage's Association assembly, and today is the last day of the competition to draw Caliburn from the stone. The reason why we waited this long before is because Scathach and I wanted to see if we could spend those two weeks intensively researching how to remove the curse from Morgan's being with help from our allies from the Mage's Association. Unfortunately we had no results. Even the Icecolle family, proficient practitioners of the dark arts, have no idea how to remove the curse other than killing the caster. While they have also failed at tracking the caster, they have been able to discover that the curse was cast by using the lifeforce of someone close to Morgan. The only possible option that it could be is her sister, Morgause. That discovery has enraged Morgan to extreme proportions. Luckily however her rage does not seem to have activated her curse.
Putting on my rune suit, I transform it to take the form of my Atlantean armour and walk out of the room. I make my way to the training grounds where Scathach and a somber Morgan await in silence.
Similar to her first design in Fate/Grand Order, Scáthach can be seen wearing a mask on the lower half of her face, black protective gear underneath the dark purple bodysuit, and is carrying Gáe Bolg Alternative.
Unlike her mentor, Morgan wears armor appropriate for the time. Her head is left bare with her hair tied in a bun with only two bangs left framing her face, making her look almost exactly like lancer Artoria. On her chest she wears a medieval cuirass that accentuates her breasts with tassets attached to protect her upper thighs and covers the upper part of her black skirt. Under the armor she wears a royal blue bodysuit that covers everything from her neck, to her hands, and down into her boots. On her feet she wears boots that are covered by greaves that reach her knee, and vambraces on her forearms to protect them.
Arriving in the training grounds, I make my way to them and teleport us to the rune in Roan that I had Zelretch place there.
Our arrival point is an open field full of grass with the only remarkable thing about it being the slab of stone that has a luminescent sword stabbed into it. By this time the field is already crowded with many knights, lords, and other warriors gathering here to witness whether anyone will be able to draw the sword or not. So far none have been able to do so, and there are already talks of organizing a different competition to decide who is to be the King.
As we make our way through the crowd towards the sword, Scathach subtly hypnotises the crowd to let us pass without any issues. Soon we arrive near Caliburn, only to see two people standing by the sword with one of them looking as if he will attempt to draw it.
The first is a man who has short blond hair and green eyes. He has a height of five feet tall and weighs about one hundred pounds. He has what one could call a beautiful form and appears composed. He wears the standard armor of a knight with what appears to be a dress under. The armor parts are silver in color. While the dress is part blue and white. Obviously this is Artoria Pendragon under an illusion that would have worked if I did not know for a fact that it is a woman. To the ignorant eye, it would seem as if he is simply a short man who wears a long tunic under their armor, especially since the only part that is under an illusion is her face. Clearly Merlin believed that this level of illusion is enough to fool the masses into believing that Artoria is male or else he would have used a much more powerful illusion.
The second is a man that stands at about five feet eight inches with a face that one would not be wrong to call pretty boy. He wears a robe woven with the finest fabrics, though he still looks modest, he has long hair appearing with the colours of the rainbow under the sunlight, and black trousers with brown boots. In his right hand he holds an intricate staff
As we approach the duo I can make out the last of Merlin's statements to Artoria.
"… becoming a king means no longer being human." he tells her.
That statement… something about that statement bothers me to Tartarus and back, and I cannot help myself but to refute him.
"That is perhaps the most idiotic thing I have ever heard in my centuries of life." I say as we approach the group, immediately bringing their attention to us.
"How so?" questions Merlin with a slight smile on his face as he inspects our group, his eyes barely widening in recognition as he spots Morgan.
"To become a King means to be more human than you ever were before. You, who are not human, would never understand." I reply as we stop about four feet away from them.
"Do tell. How could I not understand?" he asks.
"To become a King is to inspire one's people." I begin to explain as many in the crowd start to listen with rapt attention, Artoria included.
"To become a King is to inspire one's people, not because the King is beyond human, but because the King is the pinnacle of humanity. It is to show one's subjects what embracing humanity's full potential looks like. It is to cry when one's people cry, to be enraged when one's people are enraged, and to be joyful when one's people are joyful. It is to save all while smiting those who are evil. It is to bear the people's burdens without falling prey to one's emotions. It is to experience and understand the people's emotions without letting it cloud your judgement, for how can a King truly rule when he cannot understand those who he rules." I explain, and by the time I have finished, the clearing is completely silent and Merlin stares at me with an unreadable expression.
"You seem to have it all figured out." replies Merlin mockingly. "So why don't you try."
"I am not a fool Merlin." I tell him. "I know for a fact that only someone of the direct bloodline of Uther even has a chance of drawing the sword. Anyone else would simply be wasting their time."
Hearing my words, the clearing falls into an uproar as many who had believed that they had a chance realize the truth. Merlin's expression takes an interesting turn. It is not moody, nor is it the same as his previously smiling face. What interests me the most however is Artoria's expression. So engrossed in contemplating my earlier speech that she completely missed what was said afterwards.
"How did you come about such information?" Merlin asks me.
"Get over yourself Merlin, you are not a gift to mankind from the gods. Incubus." I whisper to him.
His eyes flash for a second before his previous smile returns, extremely unnerving me. Especially since it is said that he possesses clairvoyance on par with Gilgamesh and Solomon.
"Perhaps if you two are done comparing instruments, my pupil and I can proceed." says an annoyed Scathach from my side.
"And who might you be, lovely lady?" asks Merlin flirtatiously as he looks at Scathach and approaches her.
"Your demise." replies Scathach with a glare and an ominous tone, causing Merlin to recoil back in surprise.
Before Merlin can say anything else, Morgan walks by him and approaches Caliburn.
Grasping the hilt, Morgan attempts to pull the sword out, only for it to move about an inch before stopping and refusing to move any further. With a scowl on her face, Morgan tries once more. Only for the sword to not move this time.
This is what I was afraid of. Morgan has the training, the will, and the drive to become a good King. Unfortunately she does not have the ideals. To her becoming a King is something that she is attempting to achieve for her sister, not for the sake of saving the people.
With a dark expression on her face, Morgan moves away from the sword and watches as Arturia walks past her and grasps the hilt. With barely any effort, Artoria draws the sword from the stone and holds it up high as the clearing falls into silence.
Behind her Morgan watches, mortified and whispers to herself, "Only one from the direct bloodline of Uther even holds the chance to draw the sword."
Meanwhile Artoria turns to face the gathered crowd as some of them begin to kneel. Raising the luminescent sword over her head once again, Artoria exclaims.
"My name is Arthur Pendragon, son of Uther Pendragon, and I am your King."
Mordred
Before my mind even fully registered the oncoming assault, my body had already moved. Rolling out of the loveseat and teleporting myself to the other side of the room, and I turn to face my attacker. I easily identify the culprit as Morgan, however I have no idea why she would be assaulting me.
"What is the meaning of this Morgan?" I question her as I stand straight and begin to formulate a plan on how to best take her down without bringing any harm to her.
"You knew." she calmly answers me as she summons a flame over both of her palms. "You knew and you didn't tell me."
With a glare she launches two streams of fire at me. With a raised eyebrow, I wrest control of the flames from her and extinguish them.
"You knew that I had a sibling!" she exclaims as she fires a curse at me, this time in a far less calm manner. "YOU FUCKING KNEW THAT ARTHUR IS ACTUALLY A WOMAN AND YOU NEVER TOLD ME!!!"
Tilting my head to the side, I dodge the curse and immediately identify it as a Gandr curse. Evidently Morgan is not trying to kill me, rather it seems that she simply needs to vent.
"I did know." I tell her as she continues to fire curses and flames at me, only to have no effect when I inscribe a runic array in front of me that shields me. "However, I never had any proof. Besides, you refused to even entertain the possibility of having a brother, let alone a sister."
"IT DOESN'T MATTER!!!" she screams hysterically as she continues to fire spells at me in an erratic fashion. "YOU WERE MY TEACHER. YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO HELP ME AND TELL ME THE TRUTH, NOT WITHHOLD INFORMATION FROM ME! YOU TREATED ME LIKE UTHER DID, COMPLETELY DISREGARDING MY THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS! I THOUGHT YOU DIFFERENT THAN THEM, WHO ALWAYS DISREGARDED MY SISTER'S WISH OF BECOMING KING!"
"You are right." I answer her as my shield continues to block the incoming attacks and I slowly approach her. "I should have told you. Even if you did not believe me, I should have told you."
Shielding myself from a particularly strong curse, I speed up my approach and grab her arms as I reach her and pull her into a hug as she begins to cry.
"Why did she, Artoria, receive Uther's love & hopes while my sister and I had been spurned?" whispers Morgan as she quietly cries. "Morgause died without receiving any of his affection, yet not only is Artoria raised in secret from all, me included, but she was groomed to become King. What makes her so worthy, while Morgause, who had bled and shed countless tears training to become King, is seen as nothing other than another daughter to marry off."
Listening to her speak, I cannot help but feel wary towards her growing dislike towards her sister. It is growing closer to hatred, it would be best if I stop it now. If not, then I can at least redirect it towards a person far more deserving of her hatred.
"From the information that I have been able to gather, it seems that Artoria is innocent. The true cause of this situation is Merlin." I tell her as her tears stop falling.
"Merlin?" she asks as she looks up at me, her voice quiet yet with a hard edge to it. "That fool that incessantly attempts to flirt with me?"
"Indeed." I reply as I pick her up and lay her down on the only couch not destroyed from her outburst. "It was Merlin who prophesied to Uther that his heir would be born after you. It was Merlin who hid Artoria as soon as she was born and groomed her to be King. One can even see his influence in her. Her understanding of human interactions reaches as far as a knight like Sir Ector and Sir Kay can teach her, everything else is obviously Merlin's work. She does not understand the consequences that acting emotionless will have on the kingdom. Especially since it is currently split in a civil war between those who support her and those who oppose her."
"You are right." answers Morgan with a thoughtful expression on her face. "Throughout the past months in the war many of her soldiers have uttered the same words over and over again 'The King is not human. He does not understand the people.' Those are also the same words used by her opposition when questioned why they do not follow Uther's wishes and accept her as King."
I did not foresee the fact that my words to Merlin would have such heavy consequences when heard by the lords of Camelot. Many of them refuse to follow Artoria due to the fact that the competition was rigged in their eyes.
However, when Merlin mentioned that it is only natural for Uther's successor to be his child the lords tried a different approach. Blaming their refusal to follow Artoria on her biggest flaw, her lack of emotions. Like Morgan said, their excuse for refusing to follow Artoria can be broken down to two statements, "The King has no emotions, therefore he is not human. He does not understand the people."My speech to Merlin only made the situation worse, with many of them repeating it verbatim.
While Artoria seems to have taken my words to heart, she struggles to actually put them into action, after all a lifetime of conditioning cannot be so easily broken.
"If Merlin is the problem,-" says Morgan as she gets up from the couch and brings me out of my thoughts. "-then I shall simply have to get rid of him."
"Be careful." I tell her as she walks towards the room's exit. "While Merlin does not possess as much raw power as Scathach and I, he still possesses a substantial amount in addition to his vast knowledge and tricks."
"Of course. I was taught by the two most powerful beings on the planet, there is no way that I will lose to him." she says as she walks away before turning back to face me. "Also, I am sorry about earlier."
"Just make sure to better control yourself, there are beings out there more powerful than even I." I tell her as she walks away, almost missing a step after hearing my words.
While I would love for her words to be nothing but the truth, the fact of the matter is that many of the TYPEs would absolutely obliterate me.
It has been around five years since Morgan found out the truth about Artoria's gender, and three years and a few months since Artoria ended the civil war and took the throne of Camelot. While she has managed to make the lords surrender, that does not mean that all has been peaceful for the Kingdom of Camelot. Throughout the five years since the unification of Camelot, countless assassination attempts have been made on Artoria's life, and without someone like Agravain to take care of the kingdom in the shadows many attempts have reached far before ending in failure. Some imbecil even had the audacity to attempt one during Artoria's marriage with Guinavere.
It became such a worrisome situation that Morgan took matters into her own hands with none other than Scathach and I being the wiser. Although I would not be surprised if Merlin somehow knew, especially with his clairvoyance. While many have noticed the lack of assassination attempts, none have been able to track it back to Morgan who has taken to make sure that none of the lords ever threaten Artoria ever again, fully embracing her persona as a witch queen. Although now she is Artoria's witch queen with the King being none the wiser.
That is about as much as I know about the situation in Camelot however. For the past five years I have been fully engrossed in setting a strong foundation for the Clocktower, I do not want a repeat of canon's Clocktower, especially not their disregard for human lives just to reach the Root. While I am in no way shape or form a saint, I do however have morals and beliefs that I live by, and I am in no way shape or form a selfish bastard. If I had to classify myself under an alignment, then I believe that I would fall under true neutral. Even then, I am not sure. It has so long since I have encountered anything from my previous life that I have fully embraced the identity of Ambrosius Malphas. Whoever I was in my life before the jumps no longer matters for I am now Ambrosius Malphas.
"Ambrosius." Scathach calls out to me, bringing me out of my thoughts. "Have you forgotten that we are to pay Morgan a visit today."
"Oh." I cannot help but say. In my attempts to finish putting the laws of the Clocktower on paper, I had completely forgotten. "My apologies. I had completely forgotten."
Returning the papers back to their storage space on my desk, I get up from my seat and transform my rune suit into a simple pair of black trousers, shoes, and white button down shirt before walking out of the office to meet Scathach in the corridor.
"You are overworking yourself love. Look, you are even beginning to gain white hairs." she jokes as she fondly rubs my hair.
"Right. It is almost as if the majority of my hair did not turn white during the most difficult and scariest battle in my life." I answer sarcastically with an eye roll.
"Regardless, you cannot overwork yourself. Can you not delegate some of your work to the Animuspheres, or perhaps the Archibalds. I am sure that they would both be delighted to do it for you." replies Scathach with a small frown.
"I did." I reply to her as we make our way to a teleportation pad. For some reason Scathach absolutely refuses to let me teleport anywhere in the castle, so she had me install a specific room designated to teleporting in or out. "It is for this reason that I am able to take this time off to visit Morgan."
"Is it truly that difficult to come up with compromises that both you and the mages would agree upon?" she asks.
"Yes. Especially since the majority of them are arrogant with no regard for any form of life whatsoever." I tell her as we reach the teleportation room. "Many of them would have no qualms about abducting some hapless man or woman to conduct experiments upon. As long as they reach the Root, then nothing else matters."
The teleportation room is a simple circular room capable of holding dozens within. It has glowing runes inscribed upon the walls and floor, with the teleportation array being a far more complex version of the one in battle. Not only does it serve to teleport Scathach and I to places where our teleportation markers are inscribed, but it is also capable of transporting an ally in danger to the castle using a rune inscribed on their body. Making use of many types of sensory runes, the array senses a person's heartbeat, magical energy level, and whether they are experiencing a certain amount of stress to send them here. Other than runes inscribed to teleport, it also has security runes designed to protect the castle should anyone not registered to the bounded field teleport in. That includes wraiths, malevolent spirits, souls, and anything that the runes classify as hostile.
"If they hold such disregard for any form of life, is it truly a good idea to associate with them?" she asks with a frown
"If I do not reign them in, then who will?" I say as I begin to activate the array.
"Very well. However, you must be careful. While we are among the most powerful on the planet, that does not mean that there are none who cannot fight us on even footing." she says with what I like to call her teacher tone.
"Of course. I am not an idiot after all." I reply as the array activates and teleports us away to Morgan's secret residence in Camelot.
The first thing that I notice upon arriving is a child's scream.
"I can't!" screams the child's voice in pain. "It hurts too much!"
Without wasting a second, Scathach and I rush towards the child's voice. Arriving in Morgan's training courtyard, the first thing I notice is the most adorable child I have ever seen kneeling on the floor as tears flow from her eyes. Standing at around three feet five inches, the child has blond hair tied into a short ponytail, the most expressive emerald green eyes I have ever seen. She holds her arms in front of her face, and one can clearly see that her magic circuits are overheating.
Standing in front of her is obviously Morgan, however she no longer has her previous light appearance. Instead she now bears an uncanny resemblance to her canon counterpart. She wears a black and blue dress revealing her red markings on her chest, navel and abdomen, and a black veil that covers her face.
"You will continue your training even if you must learn to ignore the pain." she tells the child, completely missing our arriva.
"The curse." whispers Scathach from beside me. "It has activated."
"That is enough, Morgan." I say as I approach her.
"What are yo-"
"Shut it." firmly orders Scathach as she interrupts Morgan. "I do not wish to hear a single sound out of your mouth."
Walking over to the child, I kneel in front of her and wipe her tears.
"What is your name, child?" I ask her as she looks up at me with her emerald eyes.
"Mordred." she whispers.
"That is a beautiful name." I answer her as I place my hands under her armpits and lift her. "Come. Your mother needs to have a few words with her teacher. How about we find the kitchen and make ourselves something to eat."
"Is mother in trouble?" asks the adorable child as we make our way to the kitchen.
"A little bit." I reply as we approach the kitchen.
"Why?" asks Mordred.
"Because she hurt you little one." I answer as I set her down on a counter and go about searching the kitchen for ingredients.
"I don't think that she did anything bad. Even though my arms hurt and she was being a little mean, I'm okay with it because I want to become strong enough to beat up the bad magus Merlin so that she can be happy." explains Mordred as she sits on the counter and swings her legs, her expression no longer downcast.
"You want to beat the bad mage Merlin?" I ask her with a raised eyebrow.
"Yup." she answers with an enthusiastic nod. "Then mother will be happy and she won't make me do painful training anymore. Plus I can become the greatest knight ever if I do."
Looking at the child's optimistic face, I cannot help but smile at the similarities between her and Aoife. Both were born from powerful parents, both are overly energetic, and both aspire to become powerful warriors.
"Can I ask you something?" asks the child as I go about making her a sandwich.
"I believe that you just did." I answer with a mischievous smile.
"You know what I mean." she replies with a pout as she crosses her arms.
"Of course. Go ahead." I say with a chuckle.
"Are you my father?" she asks with a thoughtful expression on her face.
"What makes you think that I am?" I question her back as I go cooking the meat.
"Well, mother listens to you, and she doesn't listen to anybody. She even let you take me away." explains the child.
"Do you want me to be your father?" I ask her as I place the remaining ingredients in the sandwich.
"If you become my father, will you teach me how to become a knight? Mother only teaches me magecraft." says the child as she picks up her sandwich and takes a bite.
"What makes you think that I can teach you that?" I question with a raised eyebrow.
"Because you're strong." she replies as she continues to chew.
"Very well. From now on I will be your father, and I will teach you how to become the greatest knight in history. Your first lesson is simple, never talk with your mouth full." I tell her as I ruffle her hair.
"Wait!" she exclaims after she swallows. "Are you really gonna be my father, and teach me how to become a knight?"
"Of course little one. When you are finished with your training, you will be an even better knight than King Arthur. First however, you must finish your food."
My answer comes in the form of an enthusiastic nod as she continues to happily eat her sandwich.
A Simple Conversation
Sorry about the short chapter guys. Also what do you guys think about a vacation jump where the mc takes the role of a teacher at a school. I'm thinking a place like Beacon Academy from RWBY or like UA from MHA. --
"Mordred!" screams Morgan's voice throughout the corridor. "Return to the room this instant! Your lessons for the day are not over!"
Sitting in my office, I cannot help but prepare myself for the incoming interruption. By this point it is routine for Mordred to run out on her mother's lessons for history, politics, and etiquette. Then she will come find me wherever I may be in hopes of making me convince Morgan or Scathach, or whoever the poor fool teaching her is at the time, to allow her to skip the lesson.
"Father,-" excitedly calls Mordred as she runs into my office and jumps into my lap to sit. "-mother is making me study history again. Please make her stop, it's sooo boring and has nothing to do with being a knight."
It has been a few months since Scathach and I found out about Mordred, and in that time she has grown exponentially. Now she stands at around four feet four inches and looks to be about ten years old. Due to her homunculus heritage, her growth is naturally far faster than a human's. This, unfortunately, means that her lifespan is limited and will most like expire in about fifteen years. Which is why Morgan, Scathach and I have been searching for a way to fix the problem without resorting to making her wear a rune suit, similar to Zelretch's, for the rest of her life.
"Father?" questions Mordred, bringing me out of my thoughts.
"Yes little one?" I answer her.
"Are you ok?" she asks as she places her hands on my cheeks and stretches them.
"Of course I am fine. I was simply thinking about a particularly worrying situation." I reply.
"Oh." she answers, her mouth forming an O shape. "Adult things, right?"
"Yes." I answer her with a nod. "Adult things."
"But you're not thinking anymore." she tells me as she lets go of my cheeks and looks at me expectantly. "Does that mean that we can go outside for weapons training?"
"Did you finish your lessons for the day?" I question her with a raised eyebrow.
"You should know the answer to that question without needing to ask." comes Morgan's voice as she walks into my office.
Since the curse has activated, Scathach and I have forced Morgan to move into the castle with us alongside Mordred. The only time that she is allowed to leave is when she is needed at court for her duty as the court physician.
"Mordred,-" I say softly as I look at her. "-how can you expect to become the greatest knight when you do not even know the history of the land and the people that you swear to protect?"
"I know father." she answers me with a downcast expression. "It's just that history is sooo boring."
"I know that,-" I tell her as I ruffle her hair. "-however sometimes we must do the necessary even if we would like nothing more than to be doing something else. Sometimes it-"
"It's not about what you want to do, but what you have to do." interrupts Mordred as she looks up at me. "I know. You always say that whenever I don't want to go to my lessons."
"Well?" I ask her with a raised eyebrow.
"Fine."she answers with a pout. "I'll go, but you have to teach me something awesome. Like, maybe how to teleport, or how to make weapons."
"The proper term is conjure." I tell her as she slides out of my lap and runs out of the room, but not before turning to Morgan and sticking her tongue out at her.
"She is a handful that one." says Morgan as she looks at Mordred run back towards the library where Scathach is most likely waiting for her to begin her lesson. "If all children behave in such a way, then I believe that I will stop at Mordred."
"Not all children behave in such a way." I answer her. "Connla was a tremendously calm child. Very much unlike his father Setanta, and his daughter Aoife who took more after her grandfather rather than her father."
"I notice that both you and Scathach rarely mention your surrogate children. Why is that?" asks Morgan as she sits on my desks and turns to face me.
"Honestly, there really isn't a specific reason why we do not mention them. We just do not dwell on the past. It is how we have learned to live for centuries without becoming miserable." I answer.
"Does it hurt?" she asks. "When one of your children dies."
"It does for a while,-" I answer. "-however all of our children have lived happy and fulfilled lives thus far with no regrets. While it does not stop us from feeling the pain of their departure, it does in fact soften the blow and help us move on."
After that question, Morgan and I sit in companionable silence for a few minutes. All the while I can tell that she wishes to say something. I would help her voice her thoughts, however I have a hunch that what she wishes to do is apologise, and that is something that she must learn to do herself. Her training under us has given her a certain amount of arrogance, and while it has not reached a level that would worry me, it has caused her to become closer to her canon counterpart in personality. Of course, that is without the whole 'pure evil' shtick her canon counterpart had going for her.
"I-" hesitantly begins Morgan after a few more minutes. "-I want to apologise for my actions earlier. For both attacking you, and for taking your lessons and putting them through perverse uses on Mordred. I knew that the training is far too dangerous for children, yet I did not care. I was so overcome by my hatred for Merlin that I did not care about the consequences of my actions. Even now, where the curse is least effective due to some of the castle's defenses, I can feel my hatred burning, and driving me to do whatever is necessary to rid myself of the fool."
"I am not the one that you should be apologising to. Mordred and Scathach are. Scathach sees you as a younger sister, someone that is very much their own person yet still in need of her guidance. Your actions almost caused a split to occur between you two. It is only because she knows you as a person, and knows that without the curse blinding your judgement you would never commit such an act." I answer her.
"I have already apologised to them. I believe that we are on the path to repairing our relationship, and perhaps take it even further." replies Morgan with a smile.
Those words, something about her last words make me want to question her. However, while I do not subscribe to the belief that ignorance is bliss, for some reason I very much wish to subscribe to it now.
"I see." I simply answer, all the while ignoring the question I very much want to ask. "And what did Mordred say to your apology?"
"She simply answered 'It's ok mother, Father explained that some other bad magus put a curse on you that made you hurt me. So after we take care of evil Merlin, we'll take care of the other bad magus.' With the most innocent smile I have ever seen." says Morgan with a fond smile.
"Then you have nothing to worry about." I tell her. "Just focus on mending your relationship with Scathach and Mordred, I will take care of everything else."
"Speaking of taking care of things, how powerful do you believe Merlin is?" she asks me.
"I honestly do not know." I answer her with a shake of my head "As far as I know, Scathach and I can defeat him in battle by ourselves. However, I do not believe that we would be able to kill him before he escapes. As for whether you can defeat him or not, I also do not know."
"I see." she answers with a frown.
"That is why you created Mordred. Due to the lack of information on him." I state.
"Yes. His reputation makes him out to be a very powerful mage, and without seeing him in battle I cannot ascertain whether or not I would be able to defeat him. Therefore I created Mordred so that she and I may be able to defeat him together" she answers.
"You do know that Scathach and I would be willing to take care of him for you? Besides, Scathach would most likely take great pleasure in the act." I tell her.
"I know. However, I cannot rely on the two of you to always rid me of my problems." she tells me with a smile. "Although, if I do find him to be too much for me, I will make sure to call for help."
Last edited: Jul 1, 2020
The Fall of Camelot
"Come now little one, has your years spent in Camelot made you soft?" I taunt Mordred as I easily duck under her slash and punch her in the stomach, sending her flying back. "Your twelve year old self put up a much better fight than this."
"Don't call me that, I'm not a little child anymore." says Mordred as she lands on her feet, slides backwards, and uses her sword to slow down her momentum. "Besides, you're probably cheating."
"You will always be my little child, whether you're five years old or a century old." I tell her with a smile as I ignore her comment about me cheating.
It has been around seven years since Mordred's birth and she is already fully grown, and has been a member of the Knights of the Round Table for six years. Having fully grown up, Mordred no longer looks like a child. She now stands at five feet two inches, and looks exactly like her canon counterpart, with her two inches being the only difference in the looks department. While physically she may look exactly like her canon counterpart, her armor and weapons are a different story
Unlike her canon counterpart, Mordred's armor is not a thick armor that wraps around her form. Rather she wears the standard armor of a knight over a red and silver tunic, almost exactly like proto saber. The armor parts are silver in color. While the tunics part is red with silver accents. Over her head she wears a knightly helm that only covers her face from the nose up and her jaw. Unlike proto saber, her armor does not possess a hood to cover her head.
"I know that,-" she says with a pout, bringing me out of my train of thought. "-but you don't have to say it so loudly. Besides, how would I face my fellow knights if they heard me being called like that by you. I would lose all of the respect that I earned as Camelot's greatest knight."
We are currently situated in one of the training grounds in Camelot for a spar. Ever since she joined the Knights of the Round Table, she and I have not been able to spend much time with each other. At first it was due to the campaign against the invading Saxons which took about two years, and was where she was named Camelot's Greatest and Controversial Knight. Greatest Knight because she adheres to the code of chivalry the strictest, and controversial because she only did so when not on the battlefield. Once on the battlefield she takes a very 'anything goes' mindset that I had to drill into her head. However once the campaign ended, I was far too busy with putting the finishing touches to the Association's foundation. Luckily enough, I was able to delegate the last of the work to Romani Animusphere and Julius Archibald.
"I do not know why you worry." I say as I launch myself at her and conjure a roman gladius. "You and Lancelot are the only members of the Round Table of note currently in Camelot, everyone else is off to face Tiberius and his forces."
"Regardless, I don't want Lancelot to hear it." she answers as she parries my first strike and attempts to use her momentum to slash my arm.
"Why not? Is he not the epitome of what a knight should be in terms of chivalry, almost on par with you?" I ask her as I retract my arm to dodge her slash, then return with a stab at an opening that she tends to ignore.
"Well yes,-" she replies and parries my stab. "-but he tells Guinevere everything, and she would never let me live it down."
"Hmmm." I hum back in reply.
While Lancelot and Guinevere's affair was never made public, Artoria, Morgan, Mordred, Scathach and I know. Morgan found out, and in an action befitting of an older sister, informed Artoria who decided to act as if she is ignorant to it. Naturally Morgan also informed Mordred, Scathach and I in a rant about why letting an incubus raise a child is a terrible idea, especially one 'as incompetent, idiotic, smug, and incapable as Merlin'.
"By the way,-" I say as I dodge a slash from her. "-I never did find out what happened with Merlin. Were you and your mother able to take care of him."
"You don't know?" she asks, he voice full of shock causing her to miss a step and barely parry my counterattack. "Mother was ranting about it for months."
"Ranting?" I ask as I duck under a stab and attempt to sweep her feet out from under her, only for her to jump and barely miss my head with a kick. "What could have possibly happened for her to rant?"
"Well, Artoria forbid any form of physical or magical confrontation between the two." replies Mordred as she attempts to use the momentum of her fall down to earth in order to stab me, only for me to roll out of the way causing the sword to strike the earth instead.
"Wait." I say as I launch myself back to my feet. "When did you find out about Arthur actually being Artoria?"
"Oh, mother told me before I joined the Round Table." replies Mordred as she twirls her sword in her hand. "She also told me that she got the sperm to make me from her, so that makes Artoria my father/aunt. But don't worry father, you'll always be my only father. Artoria is just my King. Besides she doesn't even know, she just thinks that she's my aunt."
"And you will always be my favorite child." I tell her with a smile. "So, what happened to Merlin? I have not seen him around during the week that I have been here."
"Well, since mother could not kill him without costing her relationship with Artoria, she went looking for someone who could." explains Mordred as she once again sets herself into a fighting stance. "She found the woman called Vivian, and apparently Merlin did something to piss her off after she gave Artoria Excalibur. Somehow he heard about mother's plan to team up with Vivian and ran away. No one has seen him ever since and mother has this evil look in her eyes whenever someone asks her where he is"
I truly have missed a lot. How did I not notice any of these events happening? Knowing how much of a vindictive woman that Morgan has become towards her enemies, I refuse to believe that she would not have gloated extensively. Especially since whatever she has done should have been enough to make the curse moot. Thinking about it now, I must admit that other than spending time with Scathach, researching a way to save Mordred, and help with the foundation of the Clocktower, I have done nothing else.
I am so engrossed in my thoughts that I barely notice Mordred approaching me in an attempt to disarm me and finish the spar. Before our spar can continue however, an explosion rocks the castle and Lancelot is thrown through the walls of one of the towers and sent hurtling towards Mordred and I. Reacting in a split second, Mordred catches Lancelot and helps him gather himself.
"Lancelot what is going on?" questions Mordred.
Lancelot is a robust man, fully clad in armor. However, instead of black like his Berserker class, his armor is of lustrous dark slate blue, or deep purple color depending on how the light reflects from it. It is filled with veils and pieces of gold throughout. His sword, Arondight, however, possesses the same color and appearance to his iteration as Berserker's sword. His eyes are a light purple and his hair is of the same color. Said hair is incredibly spiky and parted over to the left.
"We are under attack." replies Lancelot as he catches his breath. "Many of our brothers in arms have already fallen to the foul beast."
"A beast?" asks Mordred with a frown as her voice deepens and her way of speaking takes a format similar to mine. "How can a beast possibly defeat many of our brothers? Even if they aren't as skilled or powerful as us, they are still a force to be reckoned with."
"Do not underestimate this beast Mordred." replies Lancelot as he straightens himself out. "Not only is it intelligent, but it is also a perfect counter to our weapons. Its darkness devours the light of any holy swords."
"That seems to be a problem that only you have my friend." says Mordred as she holds up her sword with a grin. "My sword is certainly not of the holy variety."
And she is correct, her sword does not fall under the category of holy. It is a sword that Morgan, Scathach and I made specifically for her. It has anti-magic properties that render magical enhancements and projections useless by severing all ties with magical energy, inflicts wounds that cannot be healed naturally or with magecraft, and the ability to turn into a spear. It is bound to her, making her the only person able to wield it. The inspiration for it came in the form of Diarmuid's spears Gae Buidhe and Gae Dearg. While I did not play a role in Diarmuid's legend, I still made sure to be present during it to glimpse at his spears.
As a sword it takes a form reminiscent of Durandal, only smaller due to it being designed for Mordred who is very much petite and too small to handle Durandal effectively. The only other difference is that the handle's color is red instead of gold.
To transform into a spear, the handle simply extends while the blade retracts until it takes the perfect dimensions for a wielder the size of Mordred.
"Enough chatter you two. The enemy is coming." I inform Lancelot and Mordred as I turn to face the hole from which Lancelot flew from.
As the enemy approaches I can feel a dark and evil presence permeate the air. Although it is currently noon and the sun is not clouded, the surroundings darken as if the world is being plunged into darkness.
Soon enough the enemy becomes visible, and yet that does not help us identify the enemy at all for their very being is enshrouded in darkness. Standing at a staggering seven feet tall, the enemy can easily be made out as a humanoid. Yet, when I activate my domain to sense their presence it is as if the enemy is a black hole in the world. No matter how much I try, I cannot truly sense it, only the hole its presence creates, and a faint draconic aura.
"Identify yourself, intruder." orders Mordred as she steps forward.
Instead of answering, the intruder simply launches itself at her and attempts to swipe what looks to be claws across her face. Mordred simply ducks under the attacker and stabs towards its unprotected stomach. Instead of piercing it, the sword simply makes a sound as it bounces off what sounds like metal, or a tough material that very much resembles the scales of a dragon.
Before the creature can land I launch myself at it and slam my left fist into what I believe would be its jaw. The blow sends it flying yet I can tell that it has received no damage whatsoever. With a frown on my face I dissipate the gladius in my right hand and summon my spear. Without wasting a second, I race towards the creature and attempt to plunge my spear into his heart. The creature manages to catch the blade before it reaches his chest, causing it to pierce through his hand instead. In retaliation the creature releases a bestial roar before releasing a breath attack that catches me by surprise and sends me flying. Collecting myself, I twist in midair, land on my feet, and slide to a stop.
With a pained grunt, the enemy attempts to grip my spear, only to receive a severe amount of electrical shock causing it to once again roar in pain. Once the creature releases the spear I recall it back to me and immediately notice flakes of scales on it that came off from where it placed its hand.
Examining the scales, I am able to identify them as dragon scales from my experience of killing a wyvern during my centuries of wandering with Scathach. Wyverns are a subspecies of dragon. Compared to their normal dragon brethren, wyverns are smaller, lack frontal claws, and possess slightly weaker scales.
"Be careful." I instruct Lancelot and Mordred as I wipe the flakes from my spear. "That is no ordinary creature, it is a dragon, and from what I have been able to sense, it is no normal dragon. Its presence creates a hole in the world, for lack of a better term. It also seems to be empowered by the land."
"Well done human." speaks the dragon for the first time. Its voice deep, rough, and very ominous. "Although I am not surprised, for she warned me of your intelligence."
"She?" I cannot help but ask as a theory of mine becomes more and more plausible. "Who do you speak of?"
"Morgan, of course." replies the dragon. "Did you honestly believe that the curse placed on her was that simple? No, its true purpose was to burrow into her being the longer it was placed on her, allowing me to perfectly control her. Morgan my dear, why don't you show yourself."
As soon as the words leave his mouth Morgan appears by his side wearing the exact same clothes that she wore when Scathach and I caught her mistreating a five year old Mordred, a black veil over her face and a black and blue dress revealing her red markings on her chest, navel and abdomen.
"There you are my dear." he says as he grabs her shoulder and pulls her close to him. "You see I do not believe that humans should rule Britain, let alone Camelot. Yet I never knew how to go about taking the throne, especially with that meddlesom wizard Merlin always foiling my assassination plans. Howe-"
Without waiting for him to speak any further, I race towards Morgan at my maximum speed, sever the dragon's arm that holds her with my spear, grab her by the shoulder, and teleport us to the castle. Using her disorientation as an opening, I waste no time and activate the teleportation chamber's defensive arrays, specifically the decontamination array, and send an SOS to Scathach via a runic array tattooed on our bodies. As Morgan attempts to retaliate I activate an array tattooed on her body that immobilises her.
When Scathach first noticed the curse on Morgan, she was frustrated by her inability to remove it. Especially since we never anticipated that someone would be better at any form of magecraft than her. However, she quickly figured out that the curse had a second function and her inability to discern its second function is the cause of her inability to remove it. So we bid our time and prepared for the worse while continuing to search for a method to remove it, even going as far as to outsource to the Icecolle family, proficient practitioners of the dark arts. Eventually we theorised that until the second function activates, Morgan rids herself of whatever drives her hatred, or the caster is killed, then the curse cannot be removed. As such we kept the most important information found on the curse to ourselves lest the caster finds out how close we are to removing it and decides to do something drastic.
"The second function of the curse activated?" asks Scathach as she rushes into the teleportation chamber.
"Yes." I reply as I hand Morgan over to her. "Take care of her, I must return to Camelot and deal with the caster."
Once Morgan is secured safely within her arms, I teleport myself back to the battlefield using the array tattooed on Mordred.
The first thing I notice upon my arrival is the presence of a very injured Artoria and Bedivere assisting Lancelot and Mordred in the battle against a massive black dragon with its severed arm already regrown. Its body seems to simply sap the light out of anything holy. Even now as I charge towards the dragon I notice the light of Arondight extinguish while Excalibur's bright light is reduced to a glow only comparable to a weak bonfire.
Without hesitating, I launch myself at my foe's head in an attempt to spear him through the skull, in response he once again uses his dragon's breath against me, sending me flying. Landing on my feet, I take the time to reevaluate the situation only for Artoria to be sent flying next to me.
"Why are you not healing?" I ask her with a frown.
"Morgan possesses Avalon." replies Artoria through gritted teeth, showing far more emotion than her canon counterpart.
Throughout her years as a King, Artoria has taken my speech to heart and has made it a habit to no longer hide her emotions and not act like a human. While she has had some success, enough to satisfy the people, she still struggles since she has spent her whole life doing the opposite.
"Where are the rest of your knights?" I ask her, despite my hunch telling me that they are dead and that this dragon was somehow in leagues with Lucius Tiberius.
"Dead." she replies with a voice full of anger as we dodge another breath attack. "Tiberius and Vortigern were in league with one another. I do not know what he offered Tiberius, only that his forces were empowered by some form of witchcraft, Tiberius included. Bedivere and I barely survived the battle as it was before we rushed back to Camelot."
"Hmmm." I simply hum back as I send a bolt of lightning towards the now named Vortigern with my firebending. "Withdraw along with your knights, I will deal with this."
"No." firmly replies Artoria. "To withdraw would be to fail as the defenders of Camelot."
"I cannot utilise the full extent of my abilities if I have to worry about you and your knights being caught in the crossfire." I inform her as I throw my spear at the dragon's neck causing him to roar in pain as it plunges through his scales.
"We can be of use." stubbornly replies Artoria.
"This is not a simple request." I tell her as I turn to face her and stare into her eyes with a wolfglare that would make Lupa proud. "Heed my advice or Mordred will be the only one of your knights to survive this battle. The choice is yours."
Before she can answer however, I tendril of darkness rises from the ground and launches itself towards her chest. As I move to intercept it, someone else does before me and pushes Artoria away from behind while getting pierced inches from the heart themselves.
"MORDRED!" I scream as I catch her falling body and inscribe a runic shield to surround us. "Why would you do something so stupid?"
"I-i-it's a-a-a knight's d-duty to protect o-others, especially t-their K-King." she weakly coughs out. "Y-you taught me that."
Looking over her wound, I can tell that I will not be able to heal it. Not when it has an effect similar to Gae Buidhe. My best option is to preserve her soul and transfer it into another homunculus body.
"D-don't." orders Mordred with a cough as I prepare to take her soul from her body. "J-just let me die. That's the only way for me to ascend to the throne of heroes and become the greatest k-knight to ever live."
Wiping a tear from my eyes, I cannot help but give her a sad smile as she breathes her last.
Gently placing her back on the ground, I dissolve my runic shield and survey the battlefield. I immediately notice a fatally injured Artoria barely standing as Lancelot and Bedivere protect her.
For now I decide to ignore my grief knowing that Mordred died this day because I held back on the battlefield. I will have time to feel emotions later after I dispose of this nuisance of a dragon.
Summoning my spear back to my hand, I let my domain encompass the battlefield as I slam the butt of my spear on the ground and let my teleportation arrays spread throughout my domain. Once that is done, I teleport in front of Bedivere and block a blow that would have surely killed him. Without wasting a second, I teleport above the dragon to thrust my spear through his skull, only for him to look up and attempt to use his dragon's breath against me. I dodge the attack by teleporting in front of his torso and piercing my spear through his heart. To make sure that he dies I turn the thrust into a slash and open up his chest, allowing for the blood in his heart to spill completely onto me. With an anguished roar, the dragon falls on his side and dies.
Not bothering to clean myself or paying any mind to the surviving knights, I make my way to Mordred's corpse, gently pick her up, and teleport to the castle.
Scheme
"Ambrosius?" comes Scathach's voice from the doorway as she interrupts my train of thought.
"How is Morgan?" I ask her as she walks into our bedroom and sits next to me on the bed.
"Physically? She is alright and will awake sometime soon." replies Scathach as she gently takes my hands into hers. "Mentally however? I honestly do not expect her to recover from this, especially not after she finds out about Mordred and Artoria's death."
"I was complacent." I quietly whisper to her. "At some point during these centuries, I grew complacent, arrogant, and stopped truly focusing on the possible threats out there."
"You did." she agrees as she pulls me into her arms. "And so did I. I was glad that you were finally throwing yourself at a project that did not involve battle, or growing more powerful, that I did not take notice of the fact that you cut yourself off from the outside world. Perhaps it was because Morgan became somewhat of a sister that I could talk to about anything, that I also cut myself off from the outside world if it did not involve our little family. To the point that the caster of Morgan's curse only became an afterthought once all the contingencies were in place."
"Regardless of the reason why,-" says Scathach as she tightens her arms around me into a hug. "-we have been complacent and because of it our daughter, Mordred, paid the price."
"I do not understand." I say as I once again let myself feel the grief, and the tears begin to fall. "It never hurt this much when Setanta, Ferdiad, or Connla died. Not even leaving an aged Aoife hurt this much."
"Although they became like sons to us, we never did raise Setanta, or Ferdiad for that matter." she answers as she gently brushes my now fully white hair with her hand. "Connla was always a mature child that made one feel that he was a man in a child's body, and Aoife was very much alive and spry as if she were in her thirties when we left."
"M-Mordred was a different situation." she chokes out before she steadies her voice. "Not only did we raise her, but she was also the only one to have actually called us Mother and Father. She did not feel like a surrogate daughter, rather she has always felt like our very own flesh and blood and her death could have been avoided."
"She honestly always has felt like our flesh and blood." I say with a smile as I remember a particular event. "Do you recall her first martial arts training with me?"
"Of course." answers Scathach lightheartedly. "How could I possibly not remember, when it was the first time I have ever seen your love of unarmed combat be completely trampled upon."
"'Hand-to-hand combat?'" we say as together, as we imitate a five year old Mordred with a smile on our faces. "'Why would I ever need to learn that when I can use a perfectly good sword. That's such a downgrade and is sooo stupid. Give me a sword any day over something as unknightly as hand-to-hand combat.'"
"She was such a willful child." comes Morgan's voice, prompting us to look up towards the doorway. There, standing in the doorway is a disheveled and distraught Morgan as tears stream down her face.
Standing up from the bed, I make my way to her in an attempt to apologize for my failure, only for her to speak before me.
"There is no need for you to apologize. We have all failed collectively. I simply wish that our daughter did not have to die due to our complacency." she says as she barely holds herself together through her tears.
"Did you find out who was the caster?" she asks. "The only thing I remember is a shadowy figure completing an incantation before I blacked out."
"It was Vortigern." I inform her. "He cast the curse after hearing Merlin speak of Artoria. My hypothesis is that once you found out about Artoria, your hatred for her receiving preferential treatment while you and your sister were scorned would have made you fall completely to your hatred and attempt anything to rid yourself of Artoria."
"And he almost succeeded." replies Morgan. "Had I not found you two, everything would have gone according to his plans."
Honestly, the situation would have actually been much worse than today's outcome and canon.
In canon, Vortigern was barely defeated by Artoria with the help of the Knights of the Round Table before she claimed the throne of Camelot, especially since he is being powered by the very island on which we stand on, Britain. This time however, it is evident to see that he is far more cunning.
Using the curse, he planned on Morgan and Artoria battling each other until one remains standing or they mutually destroy each other. Then he would swoop in and claim the throne of Camelot for himself.
However, nothing went according to his plan once Morgan ran away. Instead of hating Artoria she instead came to love her as a younger sister, going even so far to completely ignore the curse with pure willpower because Artoria forbade her from having any altercation with Merlin, magical or otherwise. Eventually his patience wore out and he struck.
He colluded with Tiberius by magically enhancing his forces so that once they met in battle, Tiberius and his forces were able to overwhelm Artoria's forces, resulting in the demise of everyone save for Artoria and Bedivere. Before this however, he used the secondary function of his curse to make Morgan somehow obtain Avalon from Artoria. Judging by Artoria's lack of anger at the missing Avalon, I can infer that she used Artoria's trust in her to obtain it. Truly he was a cunning and fearsome opponent, and I can respect him for this alone.
Before I can continue to ponder Vortigern's schemes, Morgan's crying brings me back to reality and I make my way to her.
Hugging her, I lead us back to the bed where I place her between Scathach and I as we all hold each other and silently grieve together.
Eventually, Morgan wipes her tears and turns to look at Scathach and I.
"I want to bring her back." says Morgan. "I know that resurrection, true resurrection, is not possible, at least not yet. However, I believe that the three of us may be able to come up with something that is infinitely close to it."
Getting up from the bed, I begin to pace around as I think consider the implications of what she is currently suggesting. The only scenarios that I recall in which true resurrection is accomplished are by Asclepius during his lifetime, and through his noble phantasm, Resurrection Fraught Hades. However, Asclepius has been dead for centuries taking the complete secret recipe with him. As for summoning him as a servant, well I would not even begin to know where to look for a catalyst, and I do not trust my chances of summoning him without a catalyst.
Even if I were to summon him, there are variations to his noble phantasm, and the criterias to activate them are very difficult to achieve. Resurrection Fraught Hades is the Noble Phantasm of Asclepius, a medicine of resurrection. During life, it allowed for the ability to perfectly revive both humans and demigods, even those who died from "particularly unreasonable circumstances." From what I am able to remember to the best of my ability, it was used to revive the son of King Minos, Glaucus, and son of Theseus, Hippolytus. Its source was the Gorgon's blood, granted by Athena after she received it from Perseus. While the blood from the Gorgon's left side "destroyed man," the blood from the right side possessed the ability to save humans. The blood itself was not enough however, requiring the divine power of Artemis. As it encroached on the realm of Hades, its creation angered Zeus and led to Asclepius' death. Without the help of a god, it is impossible to replicate.
While the original cannot be made, there is always the emulation of it. Resurrection Fraught Hades: Emulated Medicine・The Obsolete Underworld's Grief is an imitation resurrection medicine Asclepius uses as his primary Noble Phantasm in a regular Holy Grail War. As the medicine he used in life required unique raw materials, it is not something that can be automatically replicated as a Noble Phantasm. However, it possesses a lower efficacy than the original due to being a counterfeit, so the ability to resurrect the deceased depends on conditions being met like the condition of the corpse and time elapsed since death. Unfortunately I do not know if it will work on a preserved corpse, nor which version of him I would need to summon for it.
The last variation of the noble phantasm is Resurrection Fraught Hades: True Medicine・The Obsolete Underworld's Grief. It is a complete replication of the medicine Asclepius created in life. It requires the blood of the Gorgon and the power of a pure god, among other secret ingredients to create it. Similar to the original recipe, this version would be useless to me as I have no idea where to find Gorgon blood, and even if I did, there is still the matter of the need for the power of a pure god.
Looking through my options, I can easily tell that the chances of the path of true resurrection working are slim to none.
Very well, since I cannot settle for true resurrection, I will have to settle for the next best thing, a copy. The easiest way to accomplish this is through summoning her in a grail war. a servant is but an aspect of one's personality at a specific time during one's lifetime. A Time manifested by the vessel and the age they materialize in. That is why the same servant will deploy entirely different behavior according to the age they appear as. Essentially it is a copy of what the hero's personality was like during that age. It would simply be a matter of summoning her in her prime, and alter her saint graph to make her as close to her living self as possible. The saint graph refers to the core of a spiritual being's existence, described as "their center, their heart, their CPU" that dictates their every function. Essentially their soul.
Altering saint graph of a servant can be compared to attempting surgery blind with rusty shears while being in drunken stupor. At least without mgic from the Age of Gods or Heaven's Feel magic.
"Scathach,-" I say as I stop pacing and turn to Scathach and Morgan. "-how well would you be able to alter a servant's saint graph?"
At first she simply stares at me with a blank expression before her eyes widen in realisation as she catches on to my plan.
"I can easily alter a servant's saint graph, however I would not know what to alter to achieve the desired effect." she answers as she ignores Morgan's questioning glances.
"Leave that to me." I answer her. "I have memorised the layouts of her soul, for lack of a better term, and with my incomplete Heaven's Feel magic I will be able to instruct you on what alterations to make."
While my incomplete magic would certainly make the process easier, it would still be akin to attempting surgery drunk. However, with Scathach's mastery of magic, it will be as simple as a surgeon attempting surgery.
"Perhaps one of you would like to fill me in." states Morgan.
"She deserves to know." says Scathach. "Besides, what would be the point of reviving Mordred if we simply leave them here."
With a nod I once again sit next to Morgan, and with Scathach's help, explain to her my situation with ROB and the jumpchain. Surprisingly, Scathach explains it much better than me.
"I see." says Morgan as I finish explaining the Grail War to her. "And if we can alter her saint graph to make her a perfect replica of Mordred, once we leave and go to a different world it should turn into her very soul instead of simply a copy?"
"Theoretically, yes." I answer. "From what I know, the saint graph is something that is unique to this world. The closest thing other worlds have to it is the soul."
"So all we would have to do is defeat the incarnations of myths and legends to win this battle royal?" asks Morgan.
"Indeed." answers Scathach. "It may sound daunting, however remember that we, including you, are legends in our own rights."
"Very well." replies Morgan after some thought. "If it will get me back my daughter then so be it. However, I would suggest that before then we find a way to get out of our current magecraft plateau."
"I agree." says Scathach. "We do not know who we may encounter in the grail war, as such it would be best to find a way to take either our magecraft or skills further."
"To be honest I do not plan on leaving who our enemies are, servant wise, to chance." I say with a raised eyebrow. "I have every intention of sabotaging the competition by arranging for the other magus' catalysts to be from specific legends and giving us the advantage. However I do agree that we cannot remain stagnant."
Besides, there is a power from my godly heritage that I have been neglecting out of fear of what it may show me. Now however, it can show me anything, and no matter what, I will not be phased.
Last edited: Jul 4, 2020
Apocrypha
"Zelretch." I say as I open my eyes and look towards the appearing magician. "It has been a few months since we have seen each other. How can I help you?"
"You have not been seen in the Clocktower for a year." he answers as he approaches my sitting form. "Questions are being asked, and rumors are flying."
"Has it honestly been that long?" I ask as I uncross my legs and stand up. "It honestly has felt much shorter."
We are currently situated in the castle's training courtyard. It is currently night and I have been sitting here meditating in an attempt to utilize my powers of prophecy at will. Unfortunately success has been quite limited.
"Indeed, it has been that long." he answers. "Many are wondering whether you will be present during the annual gathering this year. While others speculate whether or not you died during a Dead Apostle hunt."
"As you can see, I am very much alive." I tell him. "Besides, one of the families allied to me should have informed you, and the Association, that I am very much alive."
"Obviously they didn't." he answers. "And while I knew that you were alive, I did not know the reason for your absence."
"Hmmm." I humm back in thought. "I wonder why they did not inform the Association."
"Because I instructed them to refrain from doing so." answers Scathach's voice from the entrance of the courtyard as she interrupts Zelretch before he can speak.
Turning towards her voice, I see her walking towards us as Morgan trails not far behind. Both are currently wearing their rune suits in the form of exercise clothes.
"How come?" I ask her as they reach us.
"You were close to breakthrough." she answers. "Any interruption may have further delayed your success. Besides, the Clocktower can function without its Vice-Director for a few months."
"So, how much longer do you estimate until you will be able to accomplish it?" asks Morgan.
"It?" asks Zelretch. "I have not seen any of you in months, perhaps one of you would love to fill me in?"
"Clairvoyance." I answer him. "In my dimension, children, or descendants, of Apollo sometimes receive the gift of prophecy, or limited clairvoyance. I have been attempting to access this power."
"You said sometimes,-" he answers. "-what makes you so sure that you possess it?"
"During a spar with Scathach, I witnessed all of her possible attacks before her muscles even tensed. I also caught flashes of what Morgan was doing at the time, on the complete opposite side of the castle." I inform him.
"Hmmm,-" he answers as he rubs his beard. "-that does indeed sound similar to clairvoyance. I would say that what you saw was due to your prophetic dreams as a demigod, however you have not had one ever since you've arrived in this dimension, and you were not sleeping."
"Indeed,-" as I rub my forehead in thought. "-quite perplexing. That is why I have been attempting to replicate the feat ever since."
"Unfortunately, you clearly have had varied successes." says Morgan.
"The truth of the matter is that I have been less than successful." I reply. "So far I have only been able to catch glimpses of a few seconds in the future and only when in the midst of battle."
"I see." answers Zelretch. "Would this training also have anything to do with your frequent hunts of Dead Apostles?"
"No. I hunt Dead Apostles because it seems to somewhat appease Alaya." I tell him.
"Alaya?" he asks.
"We never did tell you what has occurred." says Scathach.
Zelretch simply arches an eyebrow in question as he waits for one of us to elaborate.
"Come." I say as I turn to face the castle walk towards the inside, Scathach, Morgan, and Zelretch following not far behind. "As you know, Camelot fell when Vortigern allied himself with Tiberius and proceeded to launch a two pronged attack. What you did not know is that Alaya had a hand in that."
"What?" questions Zelretch.
"As you know,-" begins Morgan as she explains. "Camelot was an attempt by my sister at creating Utopia. However, Camelot cannot exist. In the end, it is a utopia, something that is meant to be, but paradoxically something that cannot exist because of its nature. It is a "dream", the "dream" of Britain, a utopian city without flaws, but a dream cannot be made real."
"The ideal city never truly existed." says Zelrecth in understanding.
"No, it did not." replies Morgan. "Artoria tried to make it that way. As such Camelot, as it existed, was a really nice, fabulous city that tried to be close to the utopia and aimed to be it thanks to Artoria and Kay. However, there is a flaw in the logic, a very very simple one, yet a flaw all the same."
"A flaw in the "dream" that is known as humanity." explains Scathach. "A city can be perfect, but humans are not. Therefore, the utopian city can only exist as long as it does not. Empty, untouched, and unreachable. What Arthuria and Kay attempted to do was very close to the city's name. However, Kay was the first that realised the city cannot exist, and for him it was a good thing. For as long as it does not exist, it means you can aim to create it."
"I see." says Zelretch as we reach one of the castle's lounges and we all sit on a couch. "However, what does any of this have to do with Alaya."
"The creation of such a utopia would have resulted in the formation of a Lostbelt. Whether it would have negatively impacted humanity, no one knows for certain. However, that is not something that an entity like Alaya would leave to chance." I explain.
"As such, when Vortigern attacked Camelot,-" says Morgan. "-he received no hindrances from Alaya due to being firmly against humanity."
"Meanwhile, Alaya had no qualms with slightly influencing my mind so that I may act more complacent than I already was." I explain.
"Alaya, mind controlled you?" he asks incredulously. "That is no way in line with her subtle tendencies."
"It was not exactly mind control." I tell him. "You see, before the battle I had already grown complacent, yet not so far gone that I would speak during a major battle such as the one against Vortigern. Alaya simply stimulated it until Mordred's death, at which point it seemed to believe that with Mordred's death and Artoria fatally wounded, Camelot had nothing to help it recover."
"I see. However that still does not explain why you are attempting to appease it." says Zelretch.
"I am a demi-god, Zelretch." I tell him. "A remnant of the Age of Gods. I should not exist, and even if I do exist I should be in conflict with humanity. Yet here I am, interacting with humans and living as part of them with no conflict."
"Right. I have a tendency to forget that you are in fact a demi-god." he says. "That is why you have made it a habit of eliminating Dead Apostles, to show that you are firmly on humanity's side."
"Yes." I answer with a nod. "As for Gaia, as long as I do not make myself out to be a threat to the planet, then she will remain indifferent to my presence."
"Yes. I honestly think that Gaia is far more lenient than Alaya. Although in reality neither of them can truly be considered sentient or living. Alth-" he says only to be interrupted before he finishes.
"Zelretch,-" interrupts Scathach. "-tell us the true purpose of your visit and stop stalling."
"Of course you would notice." he mutters with a chuckle. "When I helped the Matou, Tohsaka, and Einzbern family create The Holy Grail Wars, you warned me of the potential flaws that I may not be able to see. For the most part I heeded your advice, however one place where I have failed to do so is in making sure that no one would be able to steal the Greater Grail from its cave in Fuyuki."
"And due to your incompetence, someone stole it." claims Morgan with narrowed eyes.
"Calm yourself." orders Scathach. "Even if it is stolen, the thief will not be able to utilize it without a Grail War occurring."
"I know that you wished to use it for yourselves, that is why I personally came here to tell you about this development and to apologize."
"It's fine." I tell him. "It is like Scathach said, they cannot utilize it without a Grail War happening. When it does we will personally go to obtain it."
Besides I know who has it and where he is. What perplexes me however, is that other than the theft of the Greater Grail everything points to this being a timeline that will lead to Fate/Zero. Even though I did not have a hand in the creation in the Grail War, Zelretch still came to me for advice. As such I know that while Ruler can still be summoned, it is by the Grail itself once a failsafe has been activated, and Avenger cannot be summoned at all because I made it explicitly clear to Zelretch that it would only lead to disaster.
Regardless of what timeline it is, I should be able to defeat every servant single handedly. If one also adds Scathach and Morgan to the equation then it becomes overkill. The only servants that honestly pose any kind of threat to me are the likes of Karna, Arjuna, and Gilgamesh, even then I believe that I am able to defeat them before they can truly use their full power.
"What happened to the founding families?" I ask Zelretch.
"From what I was able to gather, they are planning on biding their time and preparing for when the Grail War begins anew." he explains.
Interesting. In the canon timeline of Apocrypha they all gave up. The Eiznbern and Tohsaka family looked for alternate methods to achieve their goals while Zouken fought fiercely against Darnic Prestone Yggdmillennia during the Third Holy Grail War. However, he became practically crippled due to the shock of the Greater Grail being stolen, causing the Matou family to become extinct due to his child not birthing Byakuya and Karyia.
"Is there anything else that you wish to inform us?" asks Morgan.
"Well,-" says Zelretch hesitantly. "- Vice-Director Barthomeloi is wondering when he will return."
I honestly doubt that she put it in such a respectful way, and unfortunately for her I could not care less if she ordered me to return. Besides, although we both hold the position of Vice-Director, it is a known fact that I hold far more power in both the Clocktower and the Mage's Association than her family ever will. Before I can reply however, Morgan does so for me.
"Tell that wench that it is none of her business." scathingly replies Morgan.
Honestly that is the tamest answer I expected her to give. She and the current head of the Barthomeloi family met during an annual banquet at the Clocktower. Unfortunately the Barthomeloi family have a history of arrogance and looking down on anyone that is not the user of the First Magic. Naturally this situation was no different and the head of the Barthomeloi family had to antagonise her, ever since then they have hated each other.
"Right." says Zelretch sarcastically as he stands up. "I am not returning that message. The only reason I even relayed hers is because I was already here. Besides I have better things to do than play messenger."
Having relayed his message, Zelretch leaves in a swirl of multicolor.
"It seems that we might be facing a Great Holy Grail War." states Scathach as she stands from the couch.
"It seems so." I reply. "Far more interesting than the normal seven on seven Grail War."
"It does not matter." answers Morgan. "Mordred will be revived even if I must wipe the thief's family from the face of the earth."
Yggdmillennia Declaration
The Clock Tower, currently the headquarters and main branch of the Mage's Association, and has existed for centuries. Starting out as a simple underground base/bunker, the Clock Tower has evolved along the country it is in. It is located at the British Museum. Specifically, the museum is where the entrance to it is situated, with the Clock Tower and its facilities being underground, extending from Regent's Park up until Westminster. The Clock Tower was originally only the Mage's Association headquarters in London, but in the hundreds of years since its establishment, it has expanded, and more facilities were added. Now it is the largest magical fortress in the World of Magecraft, protected by hundreds of defensive contraptions, and would not be destroyed even if the Earth itself was. Of course if one were to ask for my personal opinion, I would kindly disagree as my castle has every single defensive measure that the Clock Tower possesses and more. After all, I did not spend around a thousand years sitting with my legs crossed in an attempt to figure out how one may gain control of prophetic dreams and turn it into clairvoyance.
"Vice-Director!" a voice shouts, freeing me of my thoughts. "Vice-Director, we have a situation."
Turning to face the voice, I come across Waver Velvet, or Lord El-Melloi II, jogging to catch up to me. He was promoted to the position after he participated in a Lesser Grail War to prove to his teacher, Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald, that someone from a small lineage can compete with one who possesses a lineage that traces back to centuries. Waver's theory is to increase one's potential through effort and experience, which would allow a new mage to overcome the handicap of being generations behind. Unfortunately for the bright young man, this is the nasuverse and not a shonen type universe. Here older is always better, it is why servants such as Karna, Gilgamesh, etc… , will always be more powerful than newer heroes. Not only due to what they have accomplished in their legends, but also due to how old their legends are. In an old family, the magic crest is always passed from generation to generation, and it keeps all the knowledge and decades of work of the magus. The bloodline will also continuously bring out children with more and better circuits compared to the newer ones unless one has horrible luck, or uses their dying body to sire new children, similar to what Zouken Matou did.
However, although Waver's paper on the subject is wrong, his survival in a Grail War, albeit a Lesser one, earned him the Archibald family's respect. When Kayneth himself died in a similar War, the Archibalds bestowed on to him the same position as his Fate/Zero counterpart.
"Lord El-Melloi II,-" I say as he catches up to me. "-what situation could be so dire that you, yourself, felt the need to personally inform me in such a manner, and at this ungodly hour of the day?"
"It's not me that's looking for you." he answers as he catches his breath. "Vice-Director Barthomeloi is the one who ordered me to find you. She says that it is an urgent matter."
"Very well, you may return to your duties." I tell him as I turn to where he came from, the direction of Lorelei's office, and begin to make my way to it.
"I honestly want to." he answers as he follows me. "But apparently she needs me for this meeting too."
"Do you perhaps know what this meeting is about?" I ask him as I place my gloved hands in the pocket of my trousers.
"I believe that it's about the Greater Grail. I saw the heads of the Einzbern and Tohsaka families heading towards her office." he answers.
It seems that the time has come.Although I already knew that it would be some time this year considering that it is two thousand and four, and the Grail War in Apocrypha is stated to occur around the same time as the one in Fate/Stay Night.
Arriving at the door of Lorelei's office, I hear Tokiomi's voice suggest that the Association stay out of their affairs.
"Unfortunately for you Tohsaka,-" I say as I walk in. "-that decision is no longer up to you."
Hearing my voice, the room's occupants turn to face me.
"Ambrosius,-" says Lorelei Barthomeloi from her seat behind her desk. "-I am glad that you could join us in such a timely fashion."
Lorelei Barthomeloi, the second Vice-Director of the Mage's Association, known as "The Queen" of London's Clock Tower, and the current head of the Barthomeloi family. Standing at five feet two inches with grey eyes and brown hair tied into a ponytail, she does not strike an intimidating figure with her looks, nor with her stature. Rather it is her domineering presence along with her reputation that makes the majority of those that meet her fear. She is what one would call pretty, instead of sexy, or beautiful.
She shares her family's great sense of aristocracy and pride in their heritage, viewing the name 'Lorelei' to be just an insignificant name stuck on to her last name, 'Barthomeloi'. While the Barthomeloi have a completely irrational hatred towards vampires, Lorelei's own hatred is on another entirely different level than that of any of the past members of her family, and even she cannot understand why it is so strong. She spends most of her time hunting them as if it were natural, often ignores her work as the Vice Director, and even lends herself to the Church as a vampire hunter. It is through these hunts that she and I have grown to respect one another. Me due to her lacking an unnecessary amount of arrogance, unlike a certain wench that is her ancestor. While she respects me due my ability and the 'Malphas family' having a history of hunting down Dead Apostles.
"I presume that this topic relays to the Greater Grail's theft." I say as I close the door behind Waver.
"You are correct." she answers as she places her elbows on her desk and rests her chin on her interlocked fingers. "Unfortunately the situation is far more dire. The Yggdmillennia family has made it known that it was they who orchestrated the theft of the Greater Grail, and are now declaring themselves independent from the Association."
"I propose that the Association leave the matter of the Greater Grail to us, the founding families." says Tokiomi from his seat across Lorelei.
Similar to in Fate/Zero, Tokiomi stands at five feet eight inches with blue eyes. He is a well-dressed man clad in a white, long sleeve shirt with a crimson tuxedo over it that has black buttons, a blue ribbon, and brown shoes. Unlike his Fate/Zero counterpart however, his elegant black hair and goatee are starting to gray, most likely due to stress as from what I can gather he is very much still in his middle ages.
"As stated earlier Tohsaka, it is no longer your decision to make. As of now this matter is officially the Mage's Association situation." I tell him. "This is no longer about the Greater Grail being stolen, rather it is now about the future of magecraft."
"How?" demands Tokiomi as his calm persona starts to crack, it is obvious that he sees the Greater Grail's theft as his failure and a stain on the Tohsaka name.
"Is it not obvious?" answers Lorelei. "Should the Yggdmillennia family succeed in creating their own Mage's Association, the World of Magecraft will now be split into two factions. The Mage's Association and the Yggdmillennia family. Not even you are naive enough to believe that we shall coexist peacefully, especially since the Yggdmillennia holds a significant amount of hatred for the Association due to its special ties with the Malphas family."
Please. Special ties does not even begin to explain the relationship between me and the Mage's Association. As far as the majority of the population is concerned, my 'family's' faction runs this entire organisation with the Barthomeloi faction coming in second place. As for the Yggdmillennia family's concern, the Association is synonymous with the Malphas family. It has been this way ever since Claudius Yggdmillennia attempted to make me share my secrets with his scheme in front of the Clock Tower's founding families.
"That would be disastrous." states Waver. "Should the World of Magecraft really be split into two factions that hate each other, the issuing battle would threaten to reveal magecraft to the world along with causing the deaths of countless families. Especially if the Yggdmillennia have already summoned the servants."
Waver's words cause Tokiomi's eyes to widen as he thinks of the implications.
"Do you truly believe that the Yggdmillennia family would have summoned the seven servants already?" asks the room's fifth occupant, Jubstacheit Von Einzbern, the eight head of the Eiznbern family, and also known as Old Man Acht.
He stands at six feet tall, has white hair and beard, and wears a long white robe with gold accents.
"I believe that they already did." replies Waver. "Otherwise they wouldn't have made that claim since doing so would bring the full might of the Association on them."
"And the servants are the only ones that can protect them from the Association. Especially if both Vice-Directors personally led the charge. Even they cannot win against seven servants." replies Tokiomi as he looks at me.
In response I simply shrug and offer him an amused smile. It honestly depends on who those servants are. Seven servants as weak as Angra Mainyu would simply be slaughtered by either one of us single handedly.
"Unfortunately for them,-" I say before anyone else can speak. "-there is a failsafe embedded in the Grail should seven individuals ally and summon their servants to provide a united front."
Before they can ask me what it is, I simply take my right hand from my pocket and remove my glove, showcasing a set of command seals.
"When Zelretch helped your families form the system, he came to my father for advice. To which my father provided him with possible catastrophic scenarios and failsafes for said scenarios. This is one such situation." I explain.
"When did you receive them?" asks Tokiomi as he leans forward, and Old Man Acht narrows his eyes.
"This morning." I simply answer as I once again place my gloves on. "Once the failsafe activates, the Grail chooses seven more masters and bestows a set of command seals upon them. At that point the Grail is no longer seven masters facing one another, rather a team of seven masters facing another team of seven masters."
"Would you happen to know any of the other masters?" asks Lorelei.
"Only two for certain, and I suspect the identity of one more." I answer her. "The other masters are my twin sisters."
"Sisters?" questions Lorelei in shock. "I have only heard of one sister, Scathach, who apparently looks identical to her namesake."
Naturally that is what everyone has heard because it is what we want for the Association to know this time. Other than what we tell the Association and rumours, no one truly knows anything about the 'Malphas family'. As such the only concrete piece of information that they have about us are sparse. For one they believe that I am Ambrosius Malphas III, the original Scathach and Ambrosius are dead, and that for the first time ever the Malphas family has produced a woman. Not only is said woman as powerful as her brother, but she also takes after her namesake, Scathach. Which is why hearing of a third sibling would be surprising.
"She is adopted." I explain. "There is nothing special about her. Father simply took pity on a somewhat talented child with no lineage and brought her into the family. She can barely be considered a magus, and it frankly baffles me as to why the Grail would choose her"
Although I say this with a straight face, I cannot help but feel for the poor fools that will underestimate Morgan due to this statement. The plan is simple, while Scathach, Azula and I act in the spotlight, Morgan will be operating in the shadows while everyone underestimates her. While Scathach and I believe ourselves to be powerful enough to win with the help of our servants and Azula, we do not wish to put all of our eggs in one basket. As for why I would make her presence known if I want her to operate in the shadows, the answer is simple. Ruler would not take kindly to an outsider helping a faction, and this time I honestly doubt that there will be a problem with her summoning. All that is left now is to find Azula before the summoning. We have absolutely no idea where she is, and the only reason why we continue searching for her is because we know that she will appear in this jump sometime before the War begins.
"Now we simply need to identify the remaining three masters." says Old Man Acht, bringing me out of my thoughts.
"According to the Grail's system, each of the founding families will have one representative." explains Tokiomi. "That easily accounts for the remaining masters."
"Speaking of families,-" I say with distaste. "-where is that disgusting worm, Zouken. He should also be present, considering that this also concerns his family."
"We do not know." answers Tokiomi. "He has gone missing, and none have been able to contact him."
"There has been a rumour that a girl claiming to be a Matou has been seen around the Clock Tower." states Waver. "Apparently she has quite the close ties with the Edelfelt family."
"When did he go missing?" asks Lorelei.
"Ten years ago." answers Tokiomi.
"What happened ten years ago?" I ask him.
"Excuse me?" asks Tokiomi.
"You are certain that it happened ten years ago." I tell him. "You cannot possibly be certain unless you and he had some form of contact with one another, and from what I can gather your families are not close at all, choosing only to interact with one another during a Grail War. Therefore the only way for you to know the date precisely is if you had contacted him ten years ago, when there was not a Grail War happening."
"Ten years ago,-" he answers with a frown "-my daughter Sakura was adopted into the Matou family. Afterwards he was never heard from again. Not even when I attempted to contact him for some business related matters."
"If he does not make his presence known, then we will have to proceed without him." answers Lorelei. "Once we have confirmed the identities of all the masters, then they all assemble here and Ambrosius shall be their leader."
"Is there anything else that needs to be discussed?" I ask.
"As the head of the Eiznbern family,-" says Old Man Acht as he stands up. "-I withdraw the Einzbern from the Grail War."
Of course he would, he knows that he has nothing to gain from it. Should the Yggdmillennia win then they will make use of it, and should I win then the Malphas family will make use of it. Especially since three participants belong to said family.
"And what of the Tohsaka family?" I ask Tokiomi as I ignore Old Man Acht as he exits.
"Should we receive a set of command seals, then we will participate." answers Tokiomi as he gets up and leaves.
Tokiomi is smart, he should know that he will nor receive the Grail even if the Association wins. I can only think of one reason why he would participate himself or allow Rin to participate. For the experience and prestige. Waver survived a Lesser Grail War, and look how far he has come. Should Rin accomplish the same, she may reach further than Waver and any Tohsaka ancestor. Especially since she is a genius with a long lineage.
"Originally I had asked for your presence to provide us with an insight on the Grail Wars." says Lorelei to Waver. "However, it seems that your aid will no longer be required. You may return to your duties."
With a nod Waver walks out of the room.
"Do you need something?" I ask Lorelei as she stares at me.
"Come back alive." she tells me. "We still have not determined which one of us is the best Dead Apostle hunter."
"Right." I simply answer with an amused smile as I leave her office.
Unfortunately for her that question will remain unanswered as I have no intention of returning after winning the Grail War. Besides, it really is not fair considering the fact that I have been constantly holding back in the Dead Apostle hunts. After all, not a single one of them are even remotely on par with Crimson Moon, and the only one that is close makes it a habit of hunting her kind. With a sigh I teleport to my castle to prepare for a more thorough search for Azula. Something tells me that she has been around all along and has been training. I would not be surprised if she became too invested in her training. I can feel her through the parabatai bond, I simply cannot pinpoint her exact location.
Summoning
As I arrive in the teleportation chamber of the castle, I am met with a fireball hurtling towards me. Without batting an eye, I attempt to take control of the fireball to extinguish it. To my surprise however, I fail and the fireball continues on its path towards me. Without panicking I easily sidestep the fireball.
"Azula." I say as I walk out of the chamber and into the corridor. "Hiding is futile. I know that you are here."
"Of course you do." comes her voice from ahead with a scoff. "I should have expected as much."
Approaching from around the corner of the corridor, is Azula herself no longer looking like Aife. Instead she now sports her original appearance, including her royal Fire Nation armor, with her age being the only different aspect as when we left her world. Rather than being in her teens, she now looks to be in her early twenties, the same age as Scathach, Morgan, and I.
"How did you know that it was me?" she asks as she approaches me.
"I taught you everything that you know that is worth knowing." I answer her as I grab her by the waist and pull her for a kiss.
"Besides,-" I tell her as we separate. "You and I are the only benders in this world."
"Perhaps." she answers as she looks up at me. "However, I could have been using magecraft."
"I have not once encountered a flame born out of magecraft that I could not control with bending. Not even Scathach's flames are immune to my control, and flames from magecraft are also far less controlled than those of a bender's." I reply as we walk down the corridor.
"I see." she answers simply.
"Now, may I know how exactly it is that you infiltrated my castle?" I ask her. "The defences are designed to stop anyone that is not as powerful as me from entering."
"You are not the only master of runecraft." she answers me with a smirk.
"Right." I sarcastically reply with a roll of my eyes. "Now, tell me the truth please."
"I know you Ambrosius." she answers. "Your training from Batman has left you with a certain mindset. You have failed safes for everything, even your teleportation array."
"That simply answers one question and brings new ones to light." I tell her as we turn the corner and make our way to the closest lounge where I sense Scathach's lifeforce.
"Well, I found out about your teleportation arrays in the Fraga manor, where I have been living the past twenty years since my arrival." she answers me.
"The Fraga manor?" I repeat with a frown. "How is it that they failed to inform me of your presence?"
"Of course I am guilty of stopping them from doing so." she answers with a smirk. "A rather complex hypnosis spell mixed with powerful charmspeak to make it slip from their minds did the trick. Although I am somewhat annoyed that it took such a complex hypnosis spell to work rather than a simple one. For reasons beyond me they have powerful defenses."
"It is only natural considering that I personally implemented those defenses." I tell her.
"Well, it was a rather formidable attempt for you, especially since those were never your specialty. Anyone lesser would have simply failed." she answers me with a hint of pride in her voice.
Before I can answer her we arrive at the lounge and someone else answers for me.
"It is a rather impressive set of defenses that he has arranged for his faction." says Morgan from a couch as we enter the room, a glass of wine in one hand and a book in another. "Especially since his origin is Runes, and that should severely limit his ability to learn other magecrafts."
"He always had a habit of making the improbable possible." says Azula as she joins Morgan on the couch.
"I do believe that introductions are in order." I say as I gesture towards Morgan. "Azula meet Morgan le Fay. Morgan this is Azula."
"We have already met." they answer in unison.
"Of course you have." I reply and make my way to the couch opposite of the duo. "Where is Scathach by the way?"
"She is currently giving our guests a tour of the castle." replies Morgan, still not bothering to look from her book.
"Am I correct to assume that she was present when you arrived in the castle?" I ask Azula.
"Indeed she was." answers Azula.
"Very well. Now,-" I say as I make myself comfortable on the couch. "-why don't you tell me where you have been, and what you have been up to. Perhaps you could even enlighten me as to how you were able to use my teleportation array without being keyed into it."
"Naturally I used your back door." she answers me. "It may have taken me a few months to solve how to, however once I did it was a simple matter to teleport myself in."
The failed safe that she speaks of is something that I implemented into all of my runic arrays should someone solve how to use them and attempt to turn them against me. It allows me to remotely control them to either self destruct by drawing in the magical energy from the environment and exploding, or allow me to activate or deactivate them. It is not something that any practitioner of runecraft can find, let alone exploit. Not even a master of runes can use them once found. Only someone who knows me intimately has even a slight chance to use it, and even then it would take years to solve without my aid.
As Azula awaits for my reaction, I cannot help but simply raise an eyebrow at her. She and I both know that it took her years, however her pride will not let her admit to this. Were I a betting man, I would bet this entire castle and everything inside that it took her at least ten years to accomplish. However, there is no need to vocalize this when she knows for a fact that I am not fooled at all.
"How did you stumble upon the Fraga manor?" I ask her after a few minutes of silence.
"Well, I did a drop in." she answers. "I had absolutely no desire to return to being a child, even if I was not going to be conscious of the fact. The city I landed in was Fuyuki city around ten years ago. I searched the city and stumbled upon a family of mages, the Matous."
"Oh." I say interestingly as I lean in. "You met the worm?"
"Worm?" Azula replies, disgust clear on her face. "That thing cannot even be classified as a worm. Unlike it, worms actually serve a purpose in the world. That being was a leech at best."
"Was?" I ask her with a raised eyebrow.
"Of course once I came upon that thing, and saw what it was doing to that poor girl, I had to do the world a favor and eradicate it." she replies.
"I see." I state as I lean back and cross my arms." Zouken's disappearance was due to your actions."
"Yes. Although, not before I interrogated him for every single scrap of information he had on the World of Magecraft." says Azula with a sadistic smile. "It is how I found out about the Fraga family being descendants of Setanta. I figured that they would know your whereabouts considering that the only other way to find you was through the Clock Tower, and I neither have the patience nor the interest in interacting with more mage's than needed. Especially since I now had an apprentice to take care of."
"Apprentice?" I ask her. "She would not happen to be one Sakura Matou would she?"
"Of course she is." replies Azula with a rare smile of fondness. "I could not leave the poor child in that burning mansion."
Choosing to ignore her statement about a burning mansion, I listen as she continues her explanation.
"Once I arrived at the Fraga family's mansion, I fought my way in and persuaded them to let me know of your whereabouts." she says.
"Naturally that's how you found out about my teleportation array and decided to see if you could replicate it." I state in exasperation.
"And once I found that I couldn't replicate it, I decided to see if I could make use of it like you do." she answers.
Of course she could not replicate it. That array is far more complex than simply writing the correct runes and activating it. One thing that many do not understand about runes is that every single rune has multiple meanings. That means that simply copying an array will not let one make use of it, rather one also needs to understand every meaning of the runes and correctly choose which meaning is in effect.
"You spent ten years hiding in the Fraga manor simply because you could not figure out my array." I say as I stare at her. "So you just spent ten years decoding my array, and what else?"
"Training myself, and raising my apprentice. It was only a few days ago that I solved your array. It is also the same time that our command seals arrived." replies Azula.
Before I can answer her however, the voice in my head decides to make itself known to me.
'Truly, she is an exemplary presentation of a child of ROMA.' says Romulus-Quirinus in my head.
'Should you not be dormant?' I ask him. 'Two consciousness cannot safely share a single body without one being unconscious.'
'Were you a regular being, I would agree.' he answers. 'However, you are no mere child of mine. Rather you, like your wife, are the personification of Roma's glory. You, who is akin to my little brother, can withstand the strain of my consciousness. Besides the merger has almost reached completion and I would very much enjoy spending the remainder of the time with you, who are my child.'
'Perhaps you should make up your mind.' I tell him. 'Am I your brother, or will you once again claim me as your child?'
'It does not matter.' he answers. 'A child of Roma is a child of Roma. Whether he be my brother or my child, it is all the same regardless.'
Of course only someone like him could state something so outrageous yet sensible.
"AMBROSIOU!" shouts Azula, bringing me from my mind. "Perhaps you would like to share with us what is on your mind."
"Apologies." I answer her. "Sharing my body with Romulus-Quirinus himself is no easy feat."
"Romulus?" she asks. "The founder of Rome himself? How?"
"It was an experiment." I explain. "Arron Animusphere, father of Marisbury, the now head of the Animusphere family, came to me one day with an idea. He had witnessed a Lesser Grail War and became interested in the servants. He came with the idea of merging a servant with a magus as a way of learning forms of lost magecraft. He thought that if he could successfully merge a magus with a servant, then the mage could learn everything that the servant knew, and in turn teach someone else."
"It sounds ingenious." says Azula. "If you could merge a magus with a powerful caster, such as Medea, they could learn magecraft from the Age of Gods. Even if they are unable to teach it, they would still have the theory of it that could potentially help with modern magecraft."
"Correct." I answer with a nod. "The experiment took years until Arron eventually died, but nor before passing the torch to his son, Marisbury. Marisbury and I managed to partially accomplish it by merging a wanted magus with Avicebron. Unfortunately the magus' consciousness was crushed by Avicebron and we had to terminate him."
"The project was a failure then?" asks Azula.
"Yes and no." I answer. "Realising that we were not progressing using our previous method, we attempted a different one. Simply summoning a servant and seeing if it was possible to have them possess a homunculus since they are essentially blank states before they experience life. However, something went wrong during the summoning, and I ended up with a second consciousness in my body."
'It was no mere accident.' says Romulu. 'Your soul has a certain compatibility with me, almost as if it is an extension of my very own soul.'
"As it turns out,-" I tell Azula. "-my life in PJO was a reincarnation of Romulus, thereby creating a certain compatibility that allowed the fool to safely share my body."
'Oh child of Roma how your words wound me so.' he says in his usual dramatic tone and voice. 'To be spoken of in such a way by my own child, truly it is disheartening. However, I shall love you all the same, child of mine, for you are ROMA.'
"What happened to the project, and when do you plan on fully merging with him?" she asks.
"The project was deemed a failure." I reply. "Between the difficulty of finding a compatible soul for the servant, there was also the problem of them surviving the process. In the end it was decided that continuing would be a waste of life, even if the subjects were magus who were wanted dead. As for the merger, it is almost finished. A few more days until it is complete."
"Good riddance." states Scathach as she walks into the lounge followed by Sakura and Bazett Fraga of all people.
Standing at five feet six inches, Bazett Fraga is 23 years old and the current heir of the Fraga family. She is a very demure woman who often wears a black, two piece business suit with a red-violet necktie. She has short, magenta hair and a mole just below her left eye. Bazett often accompanies her attire with two ovaloid earrings that were once worn by Cú Chulainn, her ancestor.
Unlike her cannon counterpart, Bazett has not run away from the Fraga family in pursuit of a life of action. This is mainly due to the difference between the current Fraga family and the Fraga family of canon.
In canon, the Fraga family are isolationists that prefer to conduct research and rarely leave their home. This time however, the Fraga family is not only very involved in the World of Magecraft, but they also make up the majority of my armed forces along with the Edelfelt family, similar to how Lorelei possesses her own forces in the form of her Brigade.
"Ambrosius,-" greets Bazett with a slight smile as she walks towards me. "-it's nice to finally see you after awhile. You haven't visited the manor in years."
"My apologies. I have been somewhat preoccupied." I tell her as I get up and shake her hand with a smile.
"Ambrosius,-" says Azula as she leads Sakura towards me. "I would like to introduce you to my apprentice, Sakura Matou."
"It's a pleasure to meet you." says the young lady as she bows at the waist with her hands behind her back, her voice holding far more confidence than if she were raised by Zouken.
Sakura is a young woman that stands at five feet one inch with violet hair, and eyes. However, that is where the similarities between her and her canon counterpart ends. Her hair which she usually styles with a red-pink ribbon on the left side, is now styled into a top knot similar to Azula. For clothing she wears the same armor as the Imperial Firebenders without the helmet.
"Now that we are all present,-" states Morgan as she looks up from her book for the first time and closes it. Followed by her finishing her wine and standing up. "I do believe that it is time for us to proceed with the summoning."
"I do believe that we are missing one master." I answer.
"Then they will simply have to do their summoning by themselves, for I no longer have the patience to wait. Besides we can always fully assemble later." replies Morgan as she walks out of the lounge.
With nods of agreements, the others and I follow her to the training courtyard. Once there, it does not take long for us to inscribe the summoning circles on the ground.
"I assume that we all have our catalysts?" asks Scathach.
Everyone answers affirmatively as we place our catalysts in the circles and begin to chant the summoning incantation and the summoning circles begin to glow.
Let silver and steel be the essence.
Let stone and the archduke of contracts be the foundation.
Let red be the color I pay tribute to.
Let rise a wall against the wind that shall fall.
Let the four cardinal gates close.
Let the three-forked road from the crown reaching unto the Kingdom rotate.
Let it be declared now; your flesh shall serve under me, and my fate shall be with your sword.
Submit to the beckoning of the Holy Grail.
Answer, if you would submit to this will and this truth.
An oath shall be sworn here.
I shall attain all virtues of all of Heaven;
I shall have dominion over all evils of all of Hell.
From the Seventh Heaven, attended to by three great words of power,
come forth from the ring of restraint, protector of the holy balance!
As we finish the incantation, the light from the circles becomes overwhelmingly bright until it finally reaches a crescendo and bursts as the servants are summoned.
The Servants
As the bright red light of the summoning circles illuminates the night, it enshroudes six standing figures that were previously not there. As the light diminishes and the figures can now be seen clearly, one steps forward and speaks.
"My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings. Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair! Now, which amongst you has called upon me?" speaks Ozymandias.
"That would be me." I reply as I step towards him as I inspect him.
Ozymandias wears golden armor that covers parts of his torso area as well as his arms and hips. His chest and stomach area are mostly exposed, revealing his abdominal musculature. His outfit also includes a white cape that runs down to his knees with about a half-dozen end tassels. His legs, neck and arms are dressed in black cloth. While the neck and arm cloth is form fitting, the cloth over his legs is baggy. He holds a striped dark blue and gold hook staff longer than the length of his body. Ozymandias has short, straight black hair that sometimes stands up in a handful of spiky points. Standing at around five feet nine inches with brown skin, black hair that stands in a handful of spiky points, eyes like the sun, and an arrogant aura, Ozymandias seems to radiate a presence befitting of a King.
"Oh?" he answers as he also inspects me. "This presence… Would you happen to be the pharaoh from this era? It is not possible for one other than a pharaoh to be the sun. Therefore, you must be a pharaoh."
"Pharaoh?" I repeat with a raised eyebrow. "No, I am not a pharaoh. This era is not governed by any form of monarchy, pharaoh or otherwise."
"Ahhh, that is correct. According to the knowledge from the Grail, monarchy has fallen out of favor." he replies as he takes a closer look at my face. "Regardless, you must be someone of the highest worth, for it is the only the highest station that is reserved for one of the sun. Say… Would you happen to be of my direct bloodline? For while the resemblance is miniscule, it can still be seen clearly."
"My name is Ambrosius Malphas, and I am a descendant of Romulus-Quirinus." I say as I introduce myself.
"A child of Roma. Yet you do not deny being my descendant. Nevertheless, it does not matter." he replies. "Roma is Egypt, and Egypt is Roma therefore, you are a child of both. You are pharaoh, but you are also Roma. As expected of my bloodline, to not only integrate itself with Roma's bloodline, but also survive for millennials."
"Of course." I answer him, not bothering to correct him. After all, he could be correct, and I would never know.
Turning to the remaining servants, I notice them paying close attention to our conversation along with their masters. The only ones not paying attention are Mordred, Morgan, and Scathach who are currently conversing. They must have erected a bounded field around themselves since I cannot hear them.
"Now,-" I say as I address the servants. "-introduce yourselves."
"Yo old man, long time no see!" exclaims a familiar voice as a male figure steps out from behind a female one.
"Setanta." I say in exasperation. "I see that death has not curbed your boisterous attitude, nor has it taught you manners."
"What can I say, it feels good to see you and teacher again." he replies with a shrug. "Anyway, since we're doing introductions, I'm Setanta but you guys can call me Cu Chulainn and I'm the Lancer."
Looking him over, I can see that he looks exactly like his Fate/Stay Night counterpart. He is a handsome man with dark blue hair which he wears in a rat tail and red eyes. He wears full body tights which match the blue color of his hair. Runic protections over his outfit tells me that he may have his runic suite as a skill or noble phantasms. He wears silver pauldrons over his shoulders, a plate over his lower abs, and silver earrings that match the ones his master, Bazett, wears.
"I shall go next then." says an old masculine voice bringing my attention to a bowing old man. "My name is Li Shuwen of the assassin class. With no spear, I'm just an elder. However, I am still capable of attending to my duty. I will be in your care."
Li Shuwen is an elderly man who stands at five feet four inches. He has short gray hair, he wears tan coloured Chinese clothing, a fur long coat over his shoulders, and black sunglasses over his eyes.
"My name is Mordred Pendragon from the saber class." says Mordred as she finishes her conversation and steps forward and nods towards me. "Father, it is good to see you again."
'Is this the daughter that you wish to revive?' asks Romulus in my mind. 'With that said… Why is she so cold towards you? Did you offend her somehow? Or… Ah, this is a tsundere.'
'Indeed, my daughter is a tsundere when she finds herself amongst her peers.' I reply. 'Still, there will be time later to spend with her.'
Choosing not to embarrass her in front of her fellow heroes, I follow suite and nod towards her in greeting before turning to the berserker of the group.
Standing at six feet tall with bulging muscles, indigo short hair, black sclera, and red irises, he sports an intimidating figure. He wears gold and black armor over his chest with a short sleeved black shirt under. Attached to the armor is a red cape. He wears a black and gold skirt that stops just over his mid thigh showing the gold bands wrapped around them. On his legs he wears black greaves that stop right on his calves, and black and gold sandals on his feet. His hands are covered by glack fingerless gloves that cover his entire forearm.
"I… am Caligula. Third emperor… of… Rome." he answers through his madness as it seems to lessen simply due to his close proximity to me.
With a nod to him I turn towards the remaining servant, our caster. Instead of introducing herself however, she seems content to just stand there. Turning to her master, Sakura, I can tell by her absent mind that she is conversing with her servant whom I recognize as Medea.
Like her canon counterpart in Fate/Stay Night, Medea's appearance is much like a witch that would be seen in a fairy tale. She wears a bluish-purple dress that completely covers her body. Over that she wears a hooded black and bluish-purple cloak. On her feet she wears black shoes and black gloves cover her hands.
After a few seconds, Sakura seems to have won their arguments as Caster introduces herself.
"I am Medea of Colchis, but you may call me Caster." She introduces before astralizing.
"It is currently late." I say as I address everyone. "We shall reconvene sometime after noon tomorrow. Take the time to acquaint yourselves with your partner."
With that said I make my way towards my study with Ozymandias following next to me.
"Will you not stay to converse with your child?" he asks. "I do believe that it has been centuries since you have since seen her."
"I would love nothing more than to spend time with her." I answer him. "However, her mother deserves to spend the time with her. She has been awaiting this moment for centuries, and was far more devastated by her death than I was. I will not rob her of it."
"That is reasonable. Were Nerfertari and I in such a position, my actions would very much be the same. Though if Mordred truly is your daughter, that answers many questions as well as raising many more." he replies. "How is it that you have survived this long without the ravages of time decaying your body and soul?"
"Sometime during my early twenties, I managed to learn how to apply the Heaven's Feel magic in my magecraft. Not enough to achieve it, yet a substantial amount regardless. Using my expertise on runic magecraft, I crafted a rune suit that negates the effects of time upon my body and my soul." I tell him as we reach my study and walk in.
"Oh?" he replies as he makes himself comfortable on one of my couches while I sit on a chair. "That is quite the achievement. As expected of one from my direct bloodline. Now tell me, what is your plan of action concerning this campaign. As a pharaoh you must know how to properly smite those who raise their blades against you, and how to coordinate your subjects."
"I must first identify the opposition." I answer.
"And how do you plan on doing that?" he asks. "Perhaps you have spies situated in the camp of the enemy?"
"Unfortunately no, I do not. The Yggdmillennia family employs homunculi for every station that cannot be taken care of by their own magus. The homunculi are made in their headquarters and never leave the premises." I inform him. "I do however have other means of accomplishing my task."
"Divination perhaps?" he wonders.
"Clairvoyance actually." I answer him. "My mother was a daughter of Apollo, the god of prophecies. As such I was blessed with a limited form of clairvoyance which allows me to see into the past, or present, as long as the topic of my search is somehow linked to me."
"Ahhh. Due to your opponents also being part of this Holy Grail War, they are linked to you. As such, allowing you to see their summoning." he says. "Truly ingenious."
"Indeed." I answer. "Now I must focus, for I have not fully mastered this yet. At least not yet to the extent that I wish."
"Very well." replies Ozymandias.
Closing my eyes I slow my breathing down, relax my muscles, and bring myself near a sleep like state without actually falling asleep. Soon enough I feel the floating affect that I have come to associate with my clairvoyance. Soon enough the darkness from my closed eyes is replaced with the view of countless paths coming from my body and leading elsewhere, and many tugging feelings in my stomach that pull me those specific directions. The tugging feelings are the links to everything that is connected to me, the stronger the tugging, the stronger, or more recent, the connection. The majority of the sensations lead to England, Ireland, and Italy due to my identity as a Roman demi-god.
I ignore the stronger sensations coming from the castle and the Clock Tower, instead I turn my attention in the direction of Wallachia. Unsurprisingly, while the pulling from there is much less, it is also the strongest. Considering the fact that the Grail War is the most recent and important event in my life, that is to be expected.
As I grab onto the pulling sensation and follow it, the world around me blurs as I find myself over the Yggdmillennia castle. Focusing on the castle, I am met with countless scenes from when the Grail was first brought there to now. It takes me a few minutes of perusing, but eventually I do find the scene that I am searching for, the summoning.
Watching the light die down, I am able to clearly see the servants of my enemies. The first that catches my eyes is easily recognisable as Gilgamesh in the Archer Class.
Gilgamesh is a dignified man with golden hair standing up like a blazing flame. His face can be described as handsome, and his eyes, crimson like blood, are visibly not those of a human. While my eyes are also of the same crimson quality, his seem far more inhuma and give off a mysterious radiance that makes people wither. He wears golden armor with blue accents that fully covers his body, and golden earrings.
The second servant that I recognise is Karna of the Lancer class. Karna has pale skin, long messy white hair that is nearly translucent, and teal eyes that gives piercing glares. He wears body armor and earrings that are a brilliant gold. The rest of his outfit is form fitting black material. His outfit also includes a spiked choker, red gem on his chest inlaid in a golden circle, shoulder armor with long spikes, a revealing of his chest which has a red gem and gold stones that are inlaid, and a flaming cape.
The next servant is their Rider, Achilles. Simply from his appearance, one can see that Achilles is a great hero, one who would be admired by any man or woman, young or old. While his face is pleasing to the eyes, he has the eyes of a raptor, a strong and firm build, and the lack of any appearance of crudeness. Rider has spiky green hair that stands up except for a single bang that hangs over the left side of his face, wears a chest piece of silver armor that features a bird, and orange cloth is wrapped loosely around his body. On the lower half of his body he wears black trousers, and knee length armored boots.
Their Caster is also easy to recognise as Circe. She is a young woman with long pink hair, blue-green eyes and fair skin. Notably, her ears are pointed, giving her an elf-life appearance. She wears a golden tiara, a light tunic with a short skirt, and gladiator sandals.
The final servant that I recognise is one that I very much wish to send to the depths of Tartarus. Luckily, or rather unluckily for him, Medea will most likely have a worse punishment for him, Jason of the Argonauts the Saber of Black. Jason has the appearance of a young man with blond hair, he stands at five feet nine inches tall and has green eyes. He wears a black chest piece that leaves his chiseled abdomen open to see and also covers his crotch, golden pauldrons on his shoulders, a golden necklace along with golden earrings. On his arms he has one golden band wrapped around each bicep, golden vambraces that cover his forearm with black fingerless gloves under that also cover his entire forearm. On his legs he wears a green cloth around his waist that covers the back of his thighs and is being held up by a black and gold belt. Under he wears white pants that do not even cover his inner thigh and crotch, and are tucked into golden knee high boots that are reminiscent of pirate boots.
Turning my eyes away from the idiotic and cowardly servant, I study the last one, Berserker, in hopes of determining his identity. However no matter how much I study him, I cannot remember ever encountering him in any of the source materials. Then again, I am more knowledgeable when it comes to the main Fate routes such as Stay Night, Unlimited Blade Works, and Heaven's Feel. Apocrypha was only a passing interest, and I know the bare minimum of Grand Order.
Berserker stands at six feet two inches, has blond hair, pale white skin, and wears sunglasses with a pink tint to them over his eyes. He wears a white button up shirt that is only closed at halfway. Long black pants cover his legs held up by a golden belt with the word GOLD written on the buckle, a chain is connected to the belt loop, and white shoes on his feet. Around his neck he wears golden necklaces, has golden bracelets and a watch around his wrists, and gold rings on his fingers.
Having memorised the identities of the servants that I recognise, and the appearance of Berserker, I let go of the sensation and return to my previous location. Once there, I slowly bring myself back to normal consciousness.
"Well?" asks Ozymandias as he notices me return to the normal world. "Who shall we face in this campaign?"
"Our greatest adversary shall be the King of Heroes himself, Gilgamesh." I inform him.
"The King of Heroes himself. How interesting." replies Ozymandias.
"Can you defeat him?" I ask.
"Of course I can. Although he will be an opponent worthy of respect, there is no limit to the pharaoh's power!" exclaims Ozymandias. "All of creation under heaven is within my grasp, even victory against the King of Heroes!"
"Very well. Other than Gilgamesh, we will have to worry about Karna, Achilles, their Berserker, and Circe." I tell him. "I am confident that Setanta can face Achilles head on. Who would win however is up for debate. Arjuna and Karna will naturally be facing each other, and Medea should be able to easily face Circe."
"What are you basing your predictions on?" asks Ozymandias.
"The greatest advantage that we possess, the masters." I answer. "Unlike the Yggdmillennia family, every single master inhabiting this castle can face mid-tier servants and win easily. While it is not enough to single handedly defeat the summoned servants, it will be enough to tip the scales in our favor considering the fact that the servants on both sides are about equal to each other."
"I presume that you can face a high-tier servant yourself?" he asks.
"Naturally." I answer him.
"As expected of a pharaoh." he replies.
Preemptive Strike
As the bright red light of the summoning circles illuminates the night, it enshroudes six standing figures that were previously not there. As the light diminishes and the figures can now be seen clearly, one steps forward and speaks.
"Saber Jason,-" speaks a man with blond hair and green eyes. "-captain of the Argonauts has arrived according to your summoning."
The man wears one of the most flamboyant and revealing outfits that Darnic has ever seen in his long life. He has the appearance of a young man with blond hair, he stands at five feet nine inches tall and has green eyes. He wears a black chest piece that leaves his chiseled abdomen open to see and also covers his crotch, golden pauldrons on his shoulders, a golden necklace along with golden earrings. On his arms he has one golden band wrapped around each bicep, golden vambraces that cover his forearm with black fingerless gloves under that also cover his entire forearm. On his legs he wears a green cloth around his waist that covers the back of his thighs and is being held up by a black and gold belt. Under he wears white pants that do not even cover his inner thigh and crotch, and are tucked into golden knee high boots that are reminiscent of pirate boots. All in all, Darnic would not find it hard to believe if someone had told him that Jason is a flamboyant male escort. Honestly, what self respecting person dresses in such a way, and why would Gordes choose to summon him of all people?
"Gordes,-" speaks Darnic. "-your choice in servants is quite questionable."
Darnic Prestone Yggdmillennia, is the head of the Yggdmillennia family and leader of the Black Faction. He stands at five feet nine inches, possesses blue hair tied into a ponytail, grey eyes, and a handsome face. He wears a white button up jacket with gold accents reminiscent of a military uniform, black trousers and shoes, and a white cape with gold accents draped over his shoulders.
Although he is 97 years old, he looks like a man in his late twenties, not showing a single wrinkle. It seems as if time has stopped for him since stealing the Grail. It is common knowledge among the Clock Tower however, that he fused his soul with an infant's to acquire longevity.
The man that he addresses is Gordes Musik Yggdmillennia. Gordes is a member of the Musik family, a family that once boasted a skill with alchemy which rivaled the Einzberns. Their thaumaturgical blood had eventually decayed enough that they were forced to fold themselves into the ranks of Yggdmillennia. Although they were forced into such a shameful situation, Gordes' mother and father told him of their legacy as alchemists from his youth. Unfortunately, this caused Gordes to be extremely proud of his family and make him unable to separate dream from reality.
Gordes is a five feet five inches tall heavyweight man with blond hair and mustache reminiscent of Hitler's. He wears the same clothes as Darnic, With his shoes and pants being white as the only difference.
"I-I-I-It wasn't supposed to be him." stutters Gordes as he turns towards Darnic to explain himself. "T-t-the relic wasn't greek. It was Germanic. I was supposed to summon Siegfried, n-n-not this excuse of a hero."
"Oi! Are you looking down on me, the great commander of the Argonauts?!" exclaims Jason with a frown.
"YOU, SHUT UP!" screams Gordes as he points towards Jason. "I didn't give you permission to speak."
"EH?!" replies Jason in shock. "You think you can order me around?"
"Of course I can." replies Gordes confidently as he regains his posture. "I'm the master and you're the servant. Remember, servants are only tools to be used by their masters."
Gordes' words draw a few frowns from some of the servants. One however, unseen by all, simply looks on in amusement with a raised eyebrow.
"Don't kid yourself." answers Jason with a mocking tone. "Master and servant? I'm of a lower rank than you? What a funny joke. Truly you fulfill your duties as a jester beyond everyone's expectations."
Jason's answer easily angers Gordes, tempting him to use a command seal. Before he can however, a boisterous laugh rings out in the chamber as one servant lets go of his previously controlled laughter.
"Oh man, that was a good one." says the man with green hair as he attempts to control his laughter to speak. "My father always told me that you could be funny."
"Do I know you?" asks a puzzled Jason.
"Ah, sorry about that. I forgot to introduce myself." answers the man as he stops laughing. "I am Achilles, son of Peleus, and my class is Rider. My master is that lad over there."
Simply from the man's appearance, one can see that he is a great hero, one who would be admired by any man or woman, young or old. While his face is pleasing to the eyes, he has the eyes of a raptor, a strong and firm build, and the lack of any appearance of crudeness. Rider has spiky green hair that stands up except for a single bang that hangs over the left side of his face, wears a chest piece of silver armor that features a bird, and orange cloth is wrapped loosely around his body. On the lower half of his body he wears black trousers, and knee length armored boots.
The person that he points to is Caules, the eldest son of the Forvedge family. He was born as a spare successor for the family and as a caretaker to his older sister, Fiore. Although Caules is eighteen, he has a childish, freckled face that does not match his age, brown hair, and stands at five feet six inches tall. He wears the standard Yggdmillennia uniform consisting of a white jacket with gold accents and black pants. He also wears black glasses.
"Uh. So you're Peleus' son. I hope that you can use that spear as well as your father can." answers Jason as he points towards the spear that rests on Achilles' shoulder.
Achilles merely gives him a wolfish grin in response.
"Are you ignoring me?!" calls out Gordes.
"Enough." orders Darnic in exasperation. "Now the rest of you introduce yourselves."
The first servant to speak up is a man with pale skin, long messy white hair that is nearly translucent, and teal eyes that gives piercing glares. He wears body armor and earrings that are a brilliant gold. The rest of his outfit is form fitting black material. His outfit also includes a spiked choker, red gem on his chest inlaid in a golden circle, shoulder armor with long spikes, a revealing of his chest which has a red gem and gold stones that are inlaid, and a flaming cape.
He walks up to a 19 years old girl that has brunette wavy hair, clear blue eyes and a gentle smile, with a body that appears fragile. She is Fiore, is a young woman who was born into the Forvedge family, another magus family that merged with the Yggdmillennia, and the older sister of Caules. .Due to a magic circuit malfunction during her birth, she became crippled and wheelchair-bound.
"Servant, Lancer. True name, Karna." introduces the man with a bow of his head. "Nice to meet you, master."
"Nice to meet you Karna." answers Fiore with her soft and clear voice.
Before the introductions can continue however, a homunculus walks into the chamber with a package in her hand. Darnic makes to reprimand the homunculus, but immediately notices something wrong with her. Unlike the clear red eyes that homunculi possess, the girl's eyes are clouded and hold a tint of purple in them.
"A package for you sir." speaks the homunculus as she reaches Darnic and hands him the package.
Darnic glances down at the package and inspects it. Using his magecraft he scans it for any possible involvement of magecraft, only to find nothing. Ripping the brown paper off the small rectangular package, Darnic finds a simple metallic box under. Before he can attempt to open it however, runes appear on the box and a projection of Ambrosius Malphas forms over the box.
"Darnic Prestone Yggdmillennia. Head of the Yggdmillennia family, and perhaps the most unintelligent patriarch to come from such a dimwitted bloodline." speaks the voice of the current head of Malphas family, the most powerful family in the world.
"Did you honestly believe that you would manage to accomplish your foolish goal without consequence? Do not bother to answer for this is a pre-recorded message, and no amount of babbling will relay your answer to me. The purpose of this message is twofold. The first, is to warn you. To warn you of your upcoming doom at my hands for none have ever survived the wrath of a Malphas, ask Crimson Moon."
As the message continues to play the eyebrows on a certain golden Archer's face furrows before his eyes widen and he immediately astralises. While none of the masters noticed the Archer's actions, the servants did and quickly raced towards their respective masters.
"The second purpose i--" speaks Ambrosius before his voice is drowned out by a woman's.
"YOU FOOL! MO-" screams a female voice, only to be interrupted as the box in Darnic's hands glows red and explodes from an overload of magical energy.
Kiritsugu Emiya, that is his name. He is an enforcer, not for the Clock Tower. Rather he works for the Malphas family to hunt down rogue magus and anything from the supernatural world that threatens mankind. He can't exactly say that he expected his life to end up this way, sneaking into a hotel to commit an assassination, nor can he say that he is disappointed since he never had a goal in life to begin with.
It all started when he and his father settled on Alimango Island. There he met his first friend and crush, Shirley, and life was enjoyable. Looking back at things now, he can't believe that he was ever that naive. His father had told him that the experiment would save the world by making sure that humans never got sick or aged, it worked on plants therefore it should eventually work on humans.So imagine his surprise when he stumbled upon Shirley on the cusp of turning into a vampire.
She had begged to be killed, but he couldn't bring himself to commit the act. Now if she did ask, he would do it with a heavy heart, if to at least save her from her suffering. It was on that day that he met Natalia Kaminski, a freelance and part-time enforcer who came with the Executors from the church and Enforcers of the Clock Tower.
Returning to the hidden Emiya residence, Kiritsugu confronted his father on his research and Shirley's death. His father explained that he wanted to become a Dead Apostle to continue with his research on Magecraft longer. As his father began to plan their escape, Kiritsugu stabbed him with the dagger he received from Shirley and then shot his father to death with a pistol that Kiritsugu found in Norikata's drawer. It was this scene that Natalia stumbled upon that allowed her to figure that the only person who could prevent Noritaka from escaping and ensuring his death was his own son. In the end she wound up taking Kiritsugu with her.
After that event, Kiritsugu had been on a downward spiral to save the world. He had realized that the tragedies he saw in his childhood were common occurrences in the world, the teenage Kiritsugu became a freelancer like Natalia to hunt down heretical magi around the world. Natalia trained him not only in Magecraft, but in tracking, assassination, and all types of weaponry. At first, he only got in Natalia's way, but he eventually became her partner and equal.
Then the mission came, the one where he met Ambrosius Malphas, head of the Malphas family, and the most dangerous man Kiritsugu has ever met in his life.
He and Natalia were hunting down the last Zepter head Heinrich Zepter, who was a magus who mastered the revival of dead flesh. After tracking Zepter to an American village called "Present Mountain", Kiritsugu and Natalia discovered all two thousand members of the community were extensions of Zepter's body. However, they were not the first ones to arrive. There in the middle of all two thousand undead was Ambrosius Malphas. At first he and Natalia assumed that he was in danger, however as they got closer they noticed the man wielding a red barbed spear in his hands as he slaughtered his way through the horde. They could only watch as the man single handedly wiped out two thousand Dead Apostles with minimal effort.
After he had finished wiping out the horde, the man had proceeded to simply study him and Natalia for a few seconds before speaking. "To save the world, such a foolish endeavor to embark upon." Kiritsugu still doesn't know how he was able to tell that his goal was to save the world and end all suffering. At the time he had been angry that this stranger would spit on his dream like that and immediately asked what made the dream foolish. The answer is something that he will remember to his dying breath.
Ambrosius had simply stared into his eyes before speaking. "Suffering is caused by conflict. Conflict is caused due to people disagreeing with one another. Human beings disagree with one another for we possess free will. To end suffering is to end free will. One could argue that not all suffering comes from free will, and I will agree for that is in fact correct. Many suffer simply due to natural causes, such as illnesses. Or I could disagree, for it is my prerogative as a human being possessing free will to do so. Me disagreeing with that statement causes conflict between the speaker and I. That conflict could cause countless to suffer. After all, wars have been started for less, and war is the biggest contributor to the people's suffering."
It was that speech that made him realise that while he was wrong, he was also right. He was wrong because to end suffering is impossible without stripping humanity of its free will in some way, shape, or form. He was correct because there is nothing wrong with saving those that he can. After many sleepless nights thinking, it was with a heavy heart that Kiritsugu gave up his dream of saving the world, instead focusing on those that he can. It also made him realise that he was ill equipped for completing those types of assignments without resorting to collateral damage. In hindsight, had he continued on his path he would have eventually adopted a mindset of completing the mission no matter what, with the excuse that the lives of the many outweigh the lives of the few to stop his guilt from overwhelming him.
After that mission he had sought out Ambrosius in the hopes of receiving training to better equip him for those missions. The training had been extremely difficult, yet worth it, with the only requirement being that he works exclusively for the Malphas family.
It was that training that allowed him to save Natalia from an infested plane instead of resorting to shooting it down. Ever since then he has been hunting down anything that is a threat to humanity, from Dead Apostles to rogue magus.
Arriving in front of his target's, Kiritsugu erects a bounded field to keep noises from leaving, and to persuade anyone not of the supernatural world to stay away. Then he places his gloved palm on the door and activates the analytical runes inscribed on the palms of his gloves. Immediately the runes do their job and scans the room before sending the information to him. From what he can tell his target is in the process of summoning his servant and is about to use a civilian as a sacrifice.
Without wasting a second Kiritsugu breaks down the door and rushes into the room. Before his target can even turn, he grabs him by the back of his neck and snaps it. Unfortunately he was a second too late and the summoning circle glows brightly as it activates.
Once the light dies down Kiritsugu is faced with a strange sight. It is a white-haired girl with green-yellow eyes, with stitched-up scars on her face. Her upper body is that of an adolescent, while her lower body is more mature like that of an adult, creating an odd juxtaposition to her appearance. She dons a black vest, black panties and black stockings with pink shoes. Both her arms are bandaged but only her left hand wears a glove. She has a purple oval-shaped 'O' on each of her shoulders. At the small of her back she carries a number of sheathes that holds her knives.
"Did you just try to hurt mommy?" asks the child as she makes ready to launch herself at him.
Without wasting another second, the child races towards him with her knives at the ready. It's only years of training with a madman, experience, and enchanted clothes that save Kiritsugu. Activating the body enhancing runes on his suit and trench coat, Kiritsugu dodges the child's first few slashes before grabbing her outstretched arm while she is in midair and throwing her away from him.
"Wait!" exclaims the civilian before the child can attack him again. "He saved me."
"You saved mommy?" asks the child as she tilts her head.. "Does that make you my daddy?"
Kiritsugu can only blink owlishly as he wonders how best to answer her question, especially considering the fact that she can gut him if she is displeased by his answer.
In the ritual room of her manor, one Rin Tohsaka can barely contain her excitement as she reads the letter she received earlier that day. It had arrived earlier in the day while she was in school. The letter is written by Ambrosius Malphas III himself to her. It took all her self control not to squeal like the fangirl she is for receiving a letter from him of all people. He is what she aspires to be as a magus. Smart, powerful, knowledgeable, and respected by all. His ancestor also helped Zelretch himself tutor her ancestor, Nagato Tohsaka.
Her first encounter with his name was when she was a ten year old child reading her father's copy of the Clock Tower's monthly newsletter. A magazine of sorts that goes out to all registered magus detailing everything that happened in the past month from magecraft research discoveries to who is married to whom. There on the front page was a picture of him and a paragraph detailing a successful Dead Apostle hunt along with his possible discovery of a cure for some forms of vampirism. She had been intrigued about him, and ever since then has read every article on him.
Now he is inviting her to join his team for the Great Holy Grail War, and he even provided a relic to summon her servant. When her command seals had arrived, she hadn't been sure whether or not she would participate. Especially since she had no idea where it would be held. Now she not only knows where it is being held, but she also has a relic for her summoning.
Calming herself down, Rin makes her way to the summoning circle and begins to chant the incantation.
Let silver and steel be the essence.
Let stone and the archduke of contracts be the foundation.
Let red be the color I pay tribute to.
Let rise a wall against the wind that shall fall.
Let the four cardinal gates close.
Let the three-forked road from the crown reaching unto the Kingdom rotate.
Let it be declared now; your flesh shall serve under me, and my fate shall be with your sword.
Submit to the beckoning of the Holy Grail.
Answer, if you would submit to this will and this truth.
An oath shall be sworn here.
I shall attain all virtues of all of Heaven;
I shall have dominion over all evils of all of Hell.
From the Seventh Heaven, attended to by three great words of power,
come forth from the ring of restraint, protector of the holy balance!
As the light of her summoning circle dies down, her servant steps forward and introduces himself.
"Servant, Archer. My name is Arjuna. Master, please utilize me to my fullest."
Prelude to Battle
"Ahhh." sighs Mordred in happiness as we walk out of one of my many private jets. "We're finally out of that miserable death box. Why do you even have this thing? It's a safety hazard, especially since you can't even control it."
It has been three days since the summoning, and today we find ourselves in Wallachia for the war via a private jet.
"Truly I must agree with the child." replies Ozymandias as he places his hands in the pockets of his suit. "While the mount is certainly most impressive, should the machine malfunction then you shall surely plummet to your death."
"While an airplane certainly has its risks,-" I answer as I lead us from the runway towards customs in the airport. "-the amount of deaths per plane is undeniably less compared to cars, and I do not see any of you complaining about cars."
"Why would you even compare a car to a plane?" asks Mordred as she imitates Ozymandias and I by putting her hands in her suit pants pockets. "With a car you can go as fast as you, feel the wonderful wind on your face, and still have absolute control over it. With a plane you can't even feel the wind, and if you do then that means that you're about to crash."
"Well put little one." replies Ozymandias with a smile. "With a controlled mount one can enjoy the ride as the sun blesses them with its warmth and the wind gently blows on their face. With a plane, one cannot experience such luxuries."
Instead of answering with words I simply raise my eyebrow at him and Mordred. Considering their character, it very much still baffles me how they are able to get along so well. Mordred is a proud knight who has only given her full respect to Artoria, Morgan, Scathach and I during her life. Not even Lancelot, whom I very much respect due to his achievement of mushin, the state of mind that Ultra Instinct is based on, has fully earned her respect. While she respects his mastery over that state of mind, it is the first of two things that she respects about him, with his loyalty to Artoria coming in second.
As for Ozymandias, he is perhaps the only person tied with Gilgamesh himself when it comes to arrogance. He expects to be respected no matter what, and commands respect from anyone whom he comes in contact with. Which is why seeing him and Mordred getting along surprises me.
Looking towards Morgan behind me, I give an inquisitive nod towards the unlikely duo in the hopes that she will know how this came to be. In response Morgan simply shrugs and shakes her head to inform me that she does not know.
Once past customs, we make our way outside where we find Kiritsugu leaning on a limousine and smoking a cigarette while a woman stands a few feet away.
The woman appears to be 23 years old. She is an alluring woman who stands at five feet three inches with long greyish-green hair with looks that would drive many men mad with a single expression of melancholy. She wears a very form fitting green dress that ends just below her butt. It has no shoulder straps and easily accentuates her breasts. Over the dress she wears a long sleeve brown jacket, a necklace around her neck, and black high heels boots that reach up to her thighs. She is Reika Rikudou, an unfortunate prostitute who was brought into the supernatural world to be sacrificed by Assassin's master in an attempt to summon Jack the Ripper. His efforts in canon resulted in him being slaughtered by the very same servant he attempted to summon. In the end she became Jack's master.
Noticing our approach, Kiritsugu extinguishes his cigarette and stands up straight.
"Kiritsugu." I greet him with a nod. "It is good to see you in good health. Although it will not remain that way unless you cease to smoke those cancer sticks."
"It's good to see you too." he replies. "I see that your group's size increased."
"Allow me to introduce you to Ozymandias." I say as I gesture towards the pharaoh. "The young lady next to him is Mordred."
"Mordred?" asks Kiritsugu with a raised eyebrow. "One of the greatest knights and warriors in history?"
"Do you know anyone better?" counters Mordred confrontationally.
"Of course not." replies Kiritsugu with a placating wave of his hand before gesturing towards his companion. "This is Reika Rikudou, civilian, and master of Assassin of Black, Jack the Ripper."
"It's a pleasure to meet you." says the woman with a bow of her head.
"Likewise." I reply as I get into the limousine. "We can discuss everything in the car."
Once everyone is situated inside, Kiritsugu gently knocks on the window that separates us from the driver, and the car begins to move.
"How are Natalia and Maiya?" asks Scathach.
"They're doing well." he replies. "They love the island and are really enjoying retirement."
"And the children?" answers Scathach. "The last time you mentioned them, Shirou expressed interest in your line of work, and Sigma also seemed to have a growing intrigue towards it."
Kiritsugu's children, Shirou and Sigma, and both children that Kiritsugu ended up adopting. Similar to his canon counterpart, Emiya Shirou was found by Kiritsugu in Fuyuki city while there on an assignment. Unlike in Zero however, Kiritsugu was not there to participate in a Grail War. Rather he was there hunting down Ryuunosuke Uryuu, a mortal serial killer who would go on to summon caster for the Grail War in Fate/Zero in an attempt to summon demons. With no Grail War to draw his attention, Ryuunosuke went on to continue his spree of murders in Fuyuki. No one in the supernatural world paid him heed considering the fact that he did not even possess any active magic circuits to properly initiate the summon, and, as far as I know, the police does in fact capture him in the Fate/Apocrypha timeline.
Therefore, one can imagine my surprise when the Clock Tower received reports of suspicious activities in Fuyuki city. At the time Tokiomi and his family were out of the country for unknown reasons, thereby leaving the city unprotected. As a result Kiritsugu was sent in to investigate. What he found was a vampiric Ryuunosuke on the verge of losing complete control of himself due to the fool deciding to experiment with recipes found in his grimoire since the summoning refused to work. Shirou's family had been the lunatic's last victims with Kiritsugu and Natalia adopting the child as their own.
"Shirou is stubborn about joining, so Natalia has been training him in the basics before she decides to send him to the Fraga's for more advanced training." replies Kiritsugu. "As for Sigma, well the situation is pretty much the same."
Sigma is the child of Maiya Hisau. The result of an unknown soldier raping the woman. In canon he would be kidnapped soon after his birth and drafted into a special division of an unknown governernment that trained soldiers to wield magecraft. Knowing the amount of issues that they can possibly cause in the future by attempting to recreate a Holy Grail War, I made sure that they were shut down with Sigma being rescued as a result. Now he, Shirou, Maiya, and Natalia live on an uncharted island owned by the Malphas family.
"While I can see that your assignment was a success,-" I say, bringing everyone's attention to me. "-clearly there were complications. What happened?"
"I made it just as the target was attempting to kill Reika as a sacrifice for his summoning." answers Kiritsugu. "While I was able to terminate him, the summoning was still successful with Reika being Jack the Ripper's master."
"Is she not a civilian?" asks Ozymandias with a raised eyebrow. "I am intrigued to know how she is able to sustain her servant."
"Morgan, Azula, and Sakura arrived in time two days ago to set up the system of homunculi to feed magical energy to the servants." answers Kiritsugu.
"I see." replies Ozymandias as he turns to look at Reika. "Tell me woman, why have you chosen to participate in this War in which you are almost guaranteed to perish? Do you perhaps have a wish to see fulfilled?"
Hearing Ozymandias' question, the occupants of the car turn to the only civilian. Surprisingly Reika manages to keep calm even with countless eyes surveying her.
"Jack needs her mother." replies the woman with a calm and serene voice.
"You see yourself as her mother?" asks Ozymandias with a raised eyebrow.
"I am her mother." replies Reika.
Surprisingly Jack has not shown herself throughout this entire exchange, even when Ozymandias mentioned the possibility of Reika dying. The only explanation that I can reasonably think of is that Reaika is keeping her in check.
Before any more questions can be asked, the limousine arrives at our destination, a luxurious hotel owned by the Clock Tower, Olympia. It acts as a safehouse for magus in the county. Similar to the Continental Hotel in John Wick, the Clock Tower possesses a chain of safehouses for magus everywhere in the world. Similar to the Clock Tower, every Olympia has countless defenses against both the supernatural and the mundane.
Walking into the hotel, I showcase my identification card to the clerk, and he hands me the key to my personal floor, the twelfth floor.
"Has my guest arrived yet?" I ask the clerk.
"Yes sir. She arrived a day earlier." answers the man.
With a nod I turn and walk towards the elevator. We make our way there in silence as Mordred looks at the building in awe while Ozymandias simply gives it an appreciative nod. Once on the twelfth floor we file out of the elevator and lead the group into the living room space where I find my guest, Rin Tohsaka, sitting on a couch reading a tome.
"Miss Tohsaka,-" I say, bringing her out of her tome and causing her servant to deastralize and ready to protect her. "-it is good to see that you have arrived. I trust that your flight over was pleasant?"
"It was pleasant Lord Malphas." she says with a bow that would make the noble's of the Clock Tower proud. "Thank you for this opportunity."
"There is no need to stand on ceremony with me. We are after all comrades in this Holy Grail War." I reply with a smile. "As for this 'opportunity', think nothing of it. As a descendant of Nagato, I do believe that you deserve the chance to participate. Now why don't you introduce your servant."
"Right, this is Arjuna of the Archer class." introduces Rin as she gestures towards said servant.
"It is a pleasure to meet you." politely says the servant with a slight bend of the waist.
"This is Ozymandias of the Rider class." I introduce as I point towards him before pointing to Mordred. "And the young lady behind him is Mordred Pendragon of the Saber class."
Not wanting to be seen as anything less than the knight her legends paint her as, Mordred puts on her stoic face and simply nods towards Rin and Arjuna while Ozymandias simply regards her with a look as she attempts not to stare between him and I.
"Do not avert your eyes." says Ozymandias to her. "Rather you would do well to look closely, for my brilliance outshines even the Sun, and I shall grant you the honour of gazing upon this exalted form."
Ozymandias' words cause Rin to blush as she stutters in an attempt to answer. The situation is so ridiculous that Bazett does not even bother to hide her amusement and laughs unrestrained along with Setanta. Scathach, taking pity on the girl, smacks the back of Ozymandias' head and fixes him a glare.
"We already had this conversation before Ozymandias." says Scathach with a sickeningly sweet smile. "Unless you wish to become my new sparring partner, then you will keep that ego in check."
Ozymandias frowns yet remains quiet even as Setanta laughs at him behind us. The last time Ozymandias disobeyed her, she proceeded to kick him up and down the training field, stopping only when he became close to dying, and nothing he did could stop her. Even his reality marble was useless against her. Ever since then he has tried to keep his arrogance in check with various degrees of success.
Before Ozymandias can respond, Morgan walks in from an adjacent room followed by Sakura, Medea, and Azula.
"Good, you're all here." says Morgan as she settles down on a couch. "All of the preparations are ready."
"Do we know who Ruler is?" I ask her.
"Unfortunately no. While we have been able to locate Ruler, we have not been able to ascertain their identity." she replies.
"It is fine, their identity is not a priority as we do not plan on violating any rules." I reassure her. "Do we know what the result of our bombing is?"
"Yes." replies Azula. "While the plan to use a primary bomb as a distraction while a second one explodes in their homunculi chamber did not eliminate all of their magical energy supply, it still did enough damage for their Berserker to be absorbed by the Grail due to a lack of magical energy. Meanwhile in an attempt to save her master, Circe died and was absorbed by the Grail."
"Good." I answer. "Now everyone sit, it is time to lay out our plan of engagement."
As everyone takes a seat, the servants who were astralised materialise themselves and take various positions near their master, with Jack sitting herself on Reika's lap.
"As of now, we know the identities of the enemy servants as well as their masters." I say as I begin explaining. "Saber is Jason, Lancer is Karna, Archer is Gilgamesh, and Rider is Achilles."
"What about Berserker, Caster, and Assassin?" asks Rin.
"Berserker and Caster are no longer a concern as they were turned into magical energy for the Grail." answers Morgan. "As for Assassin, she has chosen to join our faction."
"That leaves Jason, Karna, Gilgamesh, and Achilles." I answer before turning to Setanta and Bazett. "You two will be in charge of defeating Achilles. Setanta ought to be able to win the battle should he take it seriously. Although you will not be in shape to fight any more afterwards. Bazett, your assignment is to isolate their battle from everyone, especially Jason."
"Is Jason really that powerful?" asks Rin.
"No." replies Medea. "He is not dangerous due to his prowess in battle, rather it is his skills as a commander that are dangerous. He turned the Argonauts from a group of strangers into a well oiled fighting machine. He can take a group of strangers and use them as effectively as possible, even if the strangers despise one another."
"What makes this situation so precarious is the fact that the heroes on his side are equal to ours in terms of skills and power with some being even more powerful." I explain to Bazett. "Which is why isolating him is of the utmost importance."
"While Achilles is being taken care of by Setanta,-" I say as I turn to Rin. "Arjuna and Mordred shall be facing Karna with Li Shuwen remaining in the background to take any opportunity he sees to defeat Karna. Like Bazett, your assignment as masters will be to isolate them from Jason."
"Meanwhile, Kiritsugu and Jack will infiltrate the Yggdmillennia castle to eliminate the masters and the remaining homunculi that provide the servants with magical energy." I tell Kiritsugu who nods in understanding. "This will effectively stop the masters from being able to use the command seals to perform tasks such as boosting their servant's noble phantasms or teleportation."
"That leaves Ozymandias and Caligula to face Gilgamesh together while Medea and Sakura face Jason." I say as I finish my explanation. "Are there any questions?"
'A sound plan worthy of Roma.' says Romulus with pride
'You have been oddly silent the past few days.' I reply.
'The merger is almost complete. As such my consciousness is becoming weaker and soon it will completely fade.' answers Romulus. 'Besides, you do not require my aid, and everything that needed to be said has already been said. As such I am proud of you, my child.'
"That will not be necessary." says Ozymandias, bringing me out of my head before I can reply. "I alone will be enough to defeat the King of Heroes."
"Perhaps you will, and perhaps you will not." I say as I channel Lupa and send him a wolf glare. "Regardless, Caligula will be there to assist you should it be necessary, and that is final."
"Very well." answers Ozymandias in resignation after a few seconds of contemplation. "I shall defer to you as the pharaoh of these times, and of this team."
"Good. Are there any questions?" I ask the room's occupants.
Seeing as no one has any questions, I nod and declare the meeting adjourned.
Apocryphal War
"Gilgamesh." I say as the King of Heroes himself deastralizes in the lounge of my hotel suite. "To what do we owe the honor of your visit."
It is the night of the day after our arrival in Romania, the setting of this Holy Grail War. Currently Ozymandias and I are the only remaining members in the building as everyone else left to fight their battles, with Gilgamesh deciding to pay us a visit. Were I expecting Gilgamesh to conform to whatever plan Jason came up with we would have left long ago to fight him. However, knowing the King of Heroes' temperament, I can say with certainty that he would observe before participating.
Similar to when he was summoned, the King of Heroes wears his golden armor in full while he stands there stoically with his arms crossed in front of his chest.
"Planeswalker." he says as he looks at me, his sense of superiority fully on display without him saying a word. "I expected much more from you, and yet you still failed to live up to expectations with that cowardly action. Then again, a mongrel is a mongrel regardless of their potential."
"I assume that you speak of the bomb?" I reply with a raised eyebrow.
"Tch." replies the golden archer with a look of disdain in his eyes. "It is an admission of your lack of ethics and weakness."
"Perhaps to you and Ozymandias, and as a man who has led Roman civilization in his own universe I would very much agree. However,-" I tell him, causing him to arch an eyebrow. "-as a father whose sole purpose in this war is to achieve victory, I will have to strongly disagree with you. No tactic or strategy is too cowardly to win."
Before he can answer Ozymandias walks into the room.
"Well if it isn't the Golden King himself!" exclaims Ozymandias as he makes his way towards us.
"Oh… you're also here as well, Sun King." replies Gilgamesh as he looks at Ozymandias. "To have one such as you as an adversary… perhaps I shall not suffer from complete boredom in this… so called Holy Grail War."
"Indeed. Holy Grail War? How plebeian. Do they honestly expect the world's greatest King to attend such slovenly trifles?" replies Ozymandias. "I had expected to derive some form of entertainment from it, after all only the greatest heroes may be summoned. Yet I find myself disappointed in the participants, particularly my fellow pharaoh and his cowardly actions."
His last sentence is delivered with a hint of disappointment in his voice as he and Gilgamesh look towards me.
"Indeed,-" replies Gilgamesh as he returns to ignoring me. "-it is far beneath the station of the most majestic of history's kings"
"Hahaha!" laughs Ozymandias boisterously in response to Gilgamesh. "Regardless, it is rare for one to meet the King of Heroes in his domain, even for me. As such, I shall permit it. I shall allow this King who is a stranger here to enter as I grace him with my presence, and personally give him a tour, I am feeling generous this night."
"Truly your words are far too gracious." replies Gilgamesh as he follows his fellow King. "I am humbled."
"No." replies Ozymandias. "It is I, who is embarrassed."
While Ambrosius finds himself witnessing the budding friendship between the King of Heroes and the King of Kings, the remaining masters and servants make their way through the forest surrounding the Yggdmillennia castle with no regards for whether or not their enemies are alerted to their trespassing. Arriving outside of the woods, the group is met with a clearing large enough to field an army that leads towards the Yggdmillennia castle.
"So this is their castle huh?" comments Cu as the group stops just short of entering the field. "It's not that impressive."
"It does indeed lack a certain quality to it." agrees Mordred, not realising that she and Cu Chulainn are both comparing it to the castle owned by Ambrosius and Scathach back in England.
"So who wants to go knock?" asks Cu as he looks at his companions.
"Leave this to me." answers Azula as she steps forward with a smirk and a gleam in her eyes.
High above in the sky, clouds quickly gather and enshroud the field and the castle as lightning flashes and thunder rumbles.
"Perhaps you should reduce the amount of power that you are channeling." comments Scathach as she looks at the growing flashes of lightning with a frown. "We would not want to inadvertently damage the Grail."
"Ah." sighs Azula in disappointment. "Sorry. It's been a while since I have had the opportunity to properly stretch my muscles. I got carried away"
Sure enough, the flashes of lightning seem to slow down and the cloud decreases in size until it only encompasses the castle. Satisfied with the amount of power built up, Azula releases a lightning strike upon the castle and watches with a triumphant smirk as the one of the castle's wings is demolished.
"You know… you remind me of this lady that used to come by Dun Scaith to spar with teacher and the old man." says Cu as he looks at Azula. "Her name was Aife, and she had the most sadistic smile whenever she was sparing or using lightning."
Just remembering her makes Cu shiver with unease, which is only made worse when Azula turns to him and smiles that very same sadistic smile. Unknown to Azula, Scatach, or Ambrosius, Cu possesses a subconscious fear towards the woman. It started out with their first encounter, and was very built up during the times that she would visit and spar with him and Ferdiad. Her ruthlessness, sadistic smirk, and the gleam in her eyes very much unnerved the two students at the time. The situation was only made worse by the fact that, unlike Ambrosius and Scatach, Azula had no qualms with making their spars as painful as possible to make sure that pain would never be a deterrent for the two in a fight. While Cu is very much thankful for her making him almost impervious to pain, seeing that smile once again brought about memories of his training that he buried.
Before anyone can answer Cu, an enraged roar can be heard coming from the direction of the castle and approaching the group. Azula, seeing a charging Kintoki, duck's under the swipe of his maskari axe and punches him in the solar plexus, sending him flying back. Meanwhile the other masters retreated away from the pair to escape being caught in the crossfire.
"Azula,-" says Scathach. "-did you not claim that Kintoki was turned into magical energy by the Grail?"
"I did." replies Azula with a frown. "And I am almost certain that my scrying was successful."
"Ohoho." comes a giggling voice as Circe deastralizes next to a recovering Kintoki. "Did you truly expect for your scrying to go unnoticed when I, Circe, was summoned. It was simple to cast an illusion and make you see what you saw."
"Do you mean to tell me,-" comments Azula with a vicious smirk. "-that I was fooled by a short little pipsqueak like you, who doesn't have the sense to sleep once it's their bedtime."
Hearing Azula's words about her height, Circe cannot help but become enraged and prepares to retaliate. Before she can, however, Sakura appears behind said servant and grabs her by the neck and crushes a stone in her hand. Once crushed, the stone glows a faint blue light before transporting the duo away from the group and into an unknown location.
The action was so sudden that Kintoki, who has been prepared to once again launch himself at Azula, takes a second to process the disappearance of his comrade. His hesitation cost him however, as Azula takes the opportunity to launch herself at him and teleport them away, leaving Bazett, Rin, Scathach, and their servants behind.
"Well damn. There goes Jason's plan" comments Achilles as he deastralizes, his spear loosely held in one hand as it leans on his right shoulder. "Man you guys are really a troublesome bunch. First the bomb, then you guys destroy Jason's plan in seconds."
"Finally." replies Cu with a savage grin as he approaches Achilles. "I thought that I would have to come get you from the castle."
"Oh?" answers Achilles with a smirk as he cocks his head to the side. "Fine, we'll see who wins. I am Rider Achilles."
"And I'm Lancer Cu Chulainn." replies Cu as he summons Gae Bolg. "I hope that you can give me a good fight."
"Hehehe, I never thought that I'd be facing you of all people." chuckles Achilles. "So what are the rules? One on one combat, just skills, and to the death?"
"Sure." replies Cu with a shrug. "I wanna see which one of us is better."
With a smirk on his face, Achilles activates the duel field of his noble phantasm (Meteor Spear): Spear-tip of the Star Traversing the Skies. Upon its activation, the combatants are transported to a separate dimension outside of time that is comparable to a Reality Marble, so that when the duel within concludes, it will have lasted only a second from an outside perspective. Due to Hector not wishing to fight Achilles with the advantage of his immortality, he developed the ability so that they could evenly fight where inside the field all forms of immortality, including his, became moot.
Bazett, who has been observing the interaction behind Cu, cannot help but slightly worry about him. While she knows that he is the greatest hero to come from the Ulster Cycle, she also knows that he will be facing Achilles, one of the most famous heroes in the world. However, she decides to not interfere since this is what the original plan entailed, isolating Achilles so that Cu may defeat him.
Turning her attention back to the remaining participants of the war, she notices that Karna has arrived and is already battling Arjuna.Taking a deep breath to calm herself, Bazett slips the package that she has been carrying from her shoulders and gently places it on the floor. She opens it to reveal Ambrosius' second underhanded plot, the noble phantasm Fragarach.
Earlier in the day, while she was taking part in her morning exercise, Ambrosius pulled her aside to give her the order that she is about to execute. According to him, Karna possesses a noble phantasm that is always active, Kavacha and Kundala. It is an armor that reduces all damage inflicted upon Karna to one tenth of its power no matter what the source of said damage may be. This is where the Fraga family's noble phantasm comes into play.
Fragarach: Gouging Sword of the War God, also called Answerer: That Which Comes Later Cuts First and The Retaliator, is a Noble Phantasm and Mystic Code with the ultimate form of counterattack. It warps causality to always strike the opponent in the heart with a needle thin concentrated blast right before they unleash their ultimate attack. The condition for its use is that the opponent must use their strongest attack, and Fragarach must be used directly after the enemy's strike. It would normally be that Fragarach would kill the enemy, and the opponent's attack would also simultaneously destroy Bazett. However, this is not the function that she will be using. The second effect is far more suitable for this situation.
Fragarach is an "Ace-Killing Joker" and the "ultimate counter code" that responds to the "trump card" of the enemy, such as the Noble Phantasm of a Servant. Against passive trump card abilities that are constantly activated, such as Kavacha and Kundala, it can be used against them at any time, and against an attack used by a mount, like Bellerophon, it kills the Pegasus rather than the rider. If used in the proper conditions with the "Answerer effect", it activates as an A Rank attack after calling out both of its names. One major weakness is that it is useless against enemies without a special ability, such as an all-rounded magus like Caster.
Normally she lets a metal ball float in a diagonal rear movement a few meters behind her in anticipation of the enemy's trump card. However, considering the fact that the noble phantasm is already active, the attack begins. The ball glows and begins to be electrically charged and a blade is generated. By this point Karna and Arjuna's battle has reached its crescendo and Karna seems to be ready to dismiss his armor in order to use Vasavi Shakti. Meanwhile Arjuna seems to be preparing Parshupata to counter Karna. Calling out her noble phantasm's name, Bazett punches it towards the enemy for the strike. As the blade launches towards Karna, Bazett's glove and hand are burned as an aftereffect, and the sphere, as a one-use weapon, loses its grey color as well and drops to the floor. However, Bazett does not stop and repeats the process two more times, launching two more blades at Karna.
Like predicted, the blades turn into beams of light and pierce Karna's heart.
Arjuna had not expected to meet Karna of all people in this Holy Grail War. While he answered the call of the summoning, it was due to the fact that he hoped to be able to use it to have his rematch with Karna. One can imagine his surprise however, when during yesterday's briefing it was mentioned that Karna was summoned. He had been looking forward to his battle with Karna especially when the faction's leader decreed that he would be facing his rival. Unfortunately, the excitement was short lived as it was later decreed that he would be receiving aid. So like a true hero, Arjuna remained silent, but unfortunately it is also part of his nature to plot on how to receive what he wants once he has been slighted. He even remained silent when it was mentioned that his faction had bombed the opposition, making him question their honor and whether or not he found himself on the 'evil' side.
When he and the group had arrived in the clearing, he had been glad to find out that the bomb did not have the desired effect that was reported. Since every servant of the enemy is very much still alive, then that means that he can face Karna on his own. After having dispensed of the pleasantries and having his master taken to a safe distance, Arjuna cannot help but follow Karna's lead and throw himself into the fight, which is how he finds himself dodging Karna's spear and retaliating with a kick to his opponent's chest that sends him flying a short distance away.
Recovering quickly, Karna launches himself into the sky before launching himself at Arjuna once again. However Arjuna has no intention of facing Karna on his terms and proceeds to shoot his fully powered Agni Gandiva at the approaching lancer.
Agni Gandiva: Flame God's Roar is one of the two Noble Phantasms of Arjuna. It is a Bow of Flames that essentially cannot be handled by humans (mortals), awarded to Arjuna by the Flame God, Agni. Normally just a regular bow, by activating its True Name, its arrow becomes a missile engulfed in flames. It is not a homing missile, but since Arjuna is an archery genius and possesses the Clairvoyance Skill, its precision is similar to that of a homing missile. It is also a noble phantasm that is capable of fully damaging Karna as if ignoring his armor.
Knowing this, Karna does not attempt to block nor does he tries to dodge, instead he makes use of his third noble phantasm Brahmastra Kundala. It is a Noble Phantasm obtained by Karna from the Brahman Parashurama, a projectile attack that is granted his fiery attribute and resembles fiery beams. Karna launches the projectiles at the incoming arrows canceling them out.
With renewed effort, Karna attempts to close the distance between him and Arjuna while dodging the standard arrows and canceling out the fully powered ones. As he reaches a few feet away from Arjuna, Arjuna increases his rate of fire and Karna is forced to take the full brunt of an arrow head on. While the damage is not crippling, nor does it hinder his performance, it is still a substantial amount and Karna is certain that his master does not possess enough magical energy to heal him.
Knowing that his armor is not of any use to him during this battle, and it serves as more of a hindrance due to it restricting him from utilising Vasavi Shakti, Karna prepares to remove it from his person.
Meanwhile Arjuna, who takes notice of Karna's action, readies himself to counter Vasavi Shakti with Pashupata. Before either of them can finish their actions, three beams of light pierce through Karna's heart, or at least that is what seems to have happened. With his clairvoyance, Arjuna is able to perceive Karna being teleported away as Circe appears next to him and completely heals him. At the same time, he notices his comrades, Medea and Sakura, appear next to him with frowns on their faces.
"What has happened?" questions Arjuna.
"The plan was a failure." replies Medea. "Circe managed to escape the barrier that was set up to separate her from her faction."
"It was my fault." claims Sakura. "I was the one who set up the barrier and forgot that she is a magician from the Age of Gods."
"It doesn't matter anymore." replies Medea. "From now on she will be reinforcing Karna to give him an edge in your battle. However, you don't have to worry, I will be reinforcing you to match him."
Arjuna simply nods and looks towards the direction from where the beams of light emerged. There he sees the woman named Bazett fighting a blond portly man, Gorde, along with what seems to be a dozen homunculi.
Turning his attention back to his opponent, Arjuna sees a recovered Karna approach.
"It seems that we will have to escalate our battle." comments Karna.
"Indeed." replies Arjuna. "Are you ready?"
As if given an unseen signal, the duo launch themselves at each other.
As Medea watches Arjuna clash with Karna, she makes sure to reinforce him as much as possible while sometimes launching volatile balls of magical energy at Circe, and making sure to defend herself against Circe's ranged attacks.
"Maybe I should engage Circe in melee combat?" questions Sakura.
Medea glances at her master, who has managed to endear herself to her, and nods.
"Be careful." warns Medea.
Before Sakura can make her way to Circe, she is forced to dodge an overpowered Gandr shot.
"You will do no such things." comes a male voice from their right.
Looking at the direction of the attack, Medea sees Darnic Preston Yggdmillennia himself approaching them as he continuously launches curses at Sakura. Without saying a word, Sakura easily dodges his attacks and begins to retaliate with streams of fire and air towards him. Unfortunately, Darnic seems to have a defensive magecraft that blocks all of Sakura's attacks. This does not seem to worry Sakura however as she jumps into the air and launches a pillar of fire at Darnic with an axe kick. Seeing that Sakura has things well in hand, Medea turns her attention back to her own battle where Circe has begun to take control of the battlefield itself and is making use of illusions, curses, and poisons to affect Bazett, Rin, and Sakura.
Dodging one of Darnic's curses as she lands on the ground, Sakura begins her counterattack. Channeling magical energy throughout her body, Sakura performs a mana burst to close the distance between her and Darnic. Moving so fast that she appears to be teleporting to Darnic, Sakura arrives in front of him and coats her left hand in lightning as she drives it through his heart and uses her right hand to snap his neck. Once Darnic's body falls to the ground, Sakura turns her attention to Circe.
Rin has never been involved in such a dangerous situation before, and her training certainly has not prepared her for it. The battle between servants is certainly a sight to see. She knew that servants were very much overpowered, especially the ones with old legends like Arjuna. However, knowing and experiencing are two different things. Their battles seem to be straight from the pages of a manga. What makes the situation worse is that she knows that the majority of her fellow masters can face them head on. Earlier this morning she saw the battle royal spar between the other masters and Cu Cuchlainn. Somehow they all managed to keep up with Lancer of all people in melee combat, and although she was not as powerful as the others, Sakura was able to keep up. Even if it was barely, it still makes Rin feel somewhat inadequate.
"Pay attention to your opponent." comes Scathach's voice from behind her and breaks her from her train of thought just in time to dodge an incoming metallic limb.
Her opponent is Fiore Yggdmillennia, heir to the Yggdmillennia family. Sometime after the beginning of Arjuna's battle with Karna, the majority of the masters of the Yggdmillennia family took to the field. Rin caught a glimpse of Darnic engaging Sakura while Gordes attacked Bazett with the aid of his homunculi. Meanwhile she is faced with the Yggdmillennia heir as an opponent.
Fiore Yggdmillennia's way of battle is utilising her wheelchair which she turns into four robotic limbs that are attached to her back. It is eerily reminiscent of Doctor Octopus from that American comic book she once read, which is why Rin is currently leading the battle back into the woods. Rin takes cover behind a tree just as Fiore pelts her previous standing spot full of bullet holes. With a frown on her face she climbs up the tree, turns back, and launches herself down at an unsuspecting Fiore. Unfortunately, she is suddenly struck with the worse she can possibly be imagined resulting in her losing her concentration and getting smacked back into the clearing by one of Fiore's metallic limbs. As she lands on the grass, Rin is struck by violent tremors across her body as the pain subsides. Without an impressive amount of effort, she stands back up and regards her opponent with a glare. Reinforcing her limbs once more, Rin sprints towards Fiore as she launches spells of Gandr and Fin shots at her adversary. Caught off guard, Fiore is unable to react allowing Rin to reach her. Without giving the poor girl time to react, Rin punches her on her left temple knocking her out.
"Not bad." comments Scathach as she approaches Rin. "You have plenty of potential. Even managing to fight through that curse that inflicts pain."
"Thank you." answers Rin with a slight blush. She didn't expect to be complimented by the wife of her idol of all people.
"Come." orders Scathach as she picks up the unconscious girl. "Bazett is almost finished with Gordes."
With a nod Rin follows her.
As Bazett dodges another halberd, she cannot help but pour her frustrations into her counterattack punch. She doesn't know what annoys her the most, having to fight these homunculi and their weak master or the fact that she failed to kill Karna because Circe interfered. Maybe it's because her current enemies are distracting her from trying again, or maybe it's because of all the poisons and curses she would have fallen victim to if she wasn't protected by the runes inscribed on her suit. Even then, she can feel the amount of magical energy that she has reduced the longer the battle continues, thereby reducing the amount of times she can use Fragarach after she finishes with these annoyances.
Dodging the strike from the sole remaining homunculi, Bazett closes the distance between them and snaps his neck before he can react. Not bothering to pause, she runs past the corpse towards a panicking Gordes and launches a kick towards his face.
Before her foot can reach him however, Bazett is forced to retreat as Jason deastralises while swinging his sword at her leg.
"Tch, you're so useless that I have to take to the field just to save your life." comments Jason.
Jason makes to speak again, only to suddenly decide not to and grab Gordes as he dodges a bolt of lightning from Bazett.
Watching Jason dodge her attack causes Bazett to frown even more. Jason is the last servant that she wanted to encounter, not because of his combat prowess, but because of his skill Insight in the Jaws of Death. It's a skill that provides him with flashes of inspiration and foresight when acting to throw his life away, essentially making it so that he can survive any dangerous situation. While it doesn't increase his combat skills, it does increase his chances to survive by escaping or dodging attacks exponentially, and the more dangerous the situation is for him the better it works.
Before she can form a plan of attack, Gordes' body slumps the ground and blood can be seen leaking from his forehead.
"NO!" exclaims Jason. "Dammit, dammit, dammit!"
Since they did not see the projectile, Bazett and Jason are forced to look around in order to spot the culprit. Soon enough two figures can be seen walking towards them from the left, Scathach and Rin.
"Fine." says Jason with gritted teeth as he takes a few steps away from Bazett. "Since I'm going to be taken out anyway, I might as well bring you with me. Astrapste Argo: The Dazzling Ship that Splits the Heavens."
Astrapste Argo: The Dazzling Ship that Splits the Heavens is Jason's Noble Phantasm, Reinforcement from the Argo. The heroes that sailed on the ship begin a simultaneous attack. Which is why as soon as Jason finishes calling the name of his noble phantasm, Berserker Heracles, Archer Atalanta, and Caster child Medea appear behind ready to attack. With a roar Heracles launches himself at Jason's opposition while Atalanta nocks her arrows, child Medea prepares a magical attack.
Before Heracles can reach far however, twelve Gae Bolgs impale him in fatal locations, immediately killing him. Following through with her previous attack, Scathach launches herself at Atalanta and child Medea with a Gae Bolg held in each hand. Atalanta attempts to evade by jumping back, unfortunately she is too slow and dies with a spear through her throat. Child Medea takes to the skies, but does not make it far as a Gae Bolg impales her through the heart.
"Dammit!" mutters Jason as he slowly dematerialises due to running out of magical energy after using it up to activate his noble phantasm.
"That was too close." comments Bazett.
"Yea." replies a dumbstruck Rin as she watches Scathach with admiration clear in her eyes.
"Come you two." orders Scathach as she makes her way towards where she can sense Medea and Sakura.
Dodging Achilles' spear, Cu retaliates by stabbing his spear towards his opponent, only for it to be also dodged.
"You're pretty good." comments Achilles as he gathers himself.
"You're pretty good yourself." answers Cu.
They have been exchanging blows for an unknown amount of minutes, and so far no one has been able to decisively dominate the battle. It's as if their fighting styles were specifically designed to counter each other even though they are opposites. Not even Achilles' superior speed has been able to tilt the battle into his favor. Achilles' style takes the basics to an extreme level. It is simple yet effective with no wasted movements and making use of every part of the user's body. Cu's style however is anything but simple. It's savage and looks very impressive, almost as if the user has lost their senses and the only thing matters is their enemy. It makes full use of Cu's demi-god physique and takes it to the next level.
After settling themselves back into their fighting stances, the two warriors launch themselves at each other. Cu begins with a powerful swing of his spear that is redirected by Achilles who follows through with a stab towards Cu's opening. Cu tilts his head to dodge the spear as he collects his own and slashes at Achilles' shoulder tendon. Achilles, who had been prepared to turn his stab into a slash, is forced to abandon that route to block with his spear and leaves his stomach open. Cu takes the opportunity and sends Achilles flying with a kick. Achilles quickly recovers, jumps into the air, and throws his spear at Cu who is sprinting towards him. With his spear, Cu blocks his opponent's attack and sends the weapon back into the air. Making use of his impressive speed, Achilles follows his weapon and catches it.
"This is getting us nowhere." comments Cu.
"Yea, it looks like in terms of spearmanship we're pretty even." replies Achilles.
"Hand-to-hand?" asks Cu as he dismisses his spear and takes a fighting stance.
"Hand-to-hand." answers Achilles as he stabs his spear into the ground and follows Cu with a fighting stance.
Looking over his opponent, Achilles can't help but frown at the slight similarities between their fighting stances. However, with a shake of his head Achilles puts it out of his mind and rushes towards Cu. Cu's first move is a straight punch towards Achilles' face. Achilles tilts his head to dodge and retaliates with his own punch towards Cu's open left only to be surprised as Cu grabs his wrist and punches him in the solar plexus, knocking the breath from his lungs and breaking a few ribs. Cu follows through with a leg sweep towards Achilles' heel forcing him to hop back in defense.
"That fighting style." comments Achilles as he catches his breath.
"Once you reach your opponent,-" begins Cu with a smile.
"-be sure to destroy it." finishes Achilles with a smirk.
"That is the basis of Pankration." comment the two together.
"How do you know that?" asks Achilles.
"That old man taught me hand-to-hand combat. According to him some lady called Lupa taught him that." answers Cu.
"Lupa? Like the wolf goddess?" replies Achilles.
Cu merely shrugs in answer before rushing towards Achilles. Achilles lets him get close enough before jumping into the air and kicking towards his opponent's face. Cu weathers the assault to grab Achilles' left heel and attempt to break it. His opponent however launches another kick towards his temple, forcing Cu to let go.
As he lands on the ground Achilles launches his knee towards Cu's face, but his opponent raises his arms and blocks. Following through, Achilles launches an assault of punches at his opponent. Cu answers in kind by deflecting and sending his own punches that are also deflected. As it begins to look like every punch will be deflected, Cu sees an opening that he takes advantage of. Grabbing hold of Achilles' left arm, Cu snaps it at the elbow and follows through by sending his own elbow at Achilles' face. However, Achilles dodges the blow and kicks one of Cu's knees, snapping it.
Despite their injuries, the two do not stop fighting. Achilles sends a full powered punch towards Cu's left ribs snapping a few and sending them into his heart. In retaliation Cu grabs that very same arm and snaps it, then he proceeds to grab Achilles' neck and breaks it.
Exhausted and injured, the two retreat from each other with heavy breaths.
"I win." claims Cu as he sits on the floor.
"Barely." replies Achilles with a strained voice as he drops to the floor.
"You lost that battle as soon as I first punched you in the solar plexus." says Cu as he begins to cough blood.
"Yea." strains Achilles with a smirk. "Break… bones… into… heart. Happy… fight… you."
After saying his peace, Achilles' eyes close and his body breaks down into magical energy for the grail.
"Yea." replies Cu as he too is turned into magical energy.
With an impassive face Karna blocks an arrow and fires his projectiles at Arjuna who also dodges. They had been fighting in this stalemate for a while now. Similar to their encounter before the interruption, not one of them has been able to hold the upper hand for long. The only time one of them has been able to truly gain the upper hand is when one of the caster's reinforcement would stop due to being put at a disadvantage in their own battle.
Dodging a thrust of Karna's spear, Arjuna retaliates by shooting Karna with fully powered Gandiva arrows on the chest, sending him flying. Recovering quickly, Karna takes to the skies.
"This is taking us nowhere. Perhaps it would be best to decide the winner with one final attack." says Karna.
"I agree." replies Arjuna as he also takes to the skies.
Noticing the duo's actions, Medea and Circe cease their actions on the battlefield and turn their full attention to reinforcing the two.
Raising his right hand into the air, Karna gathers as much magical energy as he can. As a result miles of land is burned to cinders as what seems to be a second sun appears above his head.
"I have enjoyed this battle between us rivals." comments Karna. "Should we meet again, let it be with the knowledge that a victor has officially been decided."
Floating until he becomes across from Karna, Arjuna also gathers as much magical energy as he can. Unlike Karna however, he gathers the magical energy into his hand and compresses it into a ball.
"Indeed, this battle has been most satisfactory." replies Arjuna.
With small smiles on their faces, Arjuna and Karna call upon their noble phantasms.
« "Holy Ground Expansion, Space Fixation, Divine Punishment Enforcement Period Establishment… All Clear. By Shiva's wrath, your life ends here…"
"Pashupata!!! »
« "My father, I ask for your forgiveness. For the first and last time."
"End everything, Vasavi… Shakti! »
The two demi-gods release their noble phantasms into giant beams that clash with each other, neither one willing to submit. However, as the clash continues both fighters suddenly find themselves out of magical energy, cancelling their noble phantasms. At the same time, two beams of light pierce their hearts, killing them.
Finding Circe is proving to be harder than Sakura thought it would be. The child like Caster has turned the entire clearing and the castle into her territory with Territory Creation. This certainly explains why she was able to teleport straight here after breaking through Sakura's barrier. As a humble person Sakura may never admit it, but her magecraft is only below the likes of her teacher Azula, Morgan, Scathach and other magus of that caliber. That is to say that no one from this era can defeat her in a battle of magecraft. Then again Circe is not even a magus, she is a magician from the Age of Gods. One who is on par with Medea of all people.
"Pluto. Jupiter." whispers Sakura as she activates her magic circuits and concentrates on finding her foe.
The arias that she whispered, Pluto and Jupiter, are the arias needed to utilize her personally invented spells, The Olympia's. Being raised by Azula, Sakura has heard countless stories of the Greek and Roman gods to the point that she could name them based only on their personalities. She also became fascinated with their abilities and has researched on ways to replicate them. While she hasn't truly replicated them, she has been able to replicate aspects of their powers. Jupiter for example can be used for simple lightning manipulation or creating a full on lightning storm. And while some may seem like simple elemental manipulation, they are actually more powerful than any elemental spell of modern magecraft.
Sensing the wind with Jupiter, and the ground with Pluto, Sakura is able to easily find Circe flying to her right.
"Mercury." whispers Sakura as she takes off towards the Caster with a speed that would be impressive even to a Lancer.
Arriving near Circe, Sakura makes use of her spell 'Diana' which creates a bow that is capable of shooting arrows of any variation, from pure magical energy to curses, or poisons. Not only are the arrows versatile, but she also knows from testing that they can't be sensed, not even by a Caster of Medea's level. While Circe seems occupied with her battle against Medea, and reinforcing Karna as much as possible, Sakura shoots her with three arrows. One to the head, a second through the neck and a final one to the heart, killing her.
"Was that necessary?" asks Rin as she looks on as Karna and Arjuna turn to magical energy from losing their links to their masters and due to having a Fragarach blade killing them.
"Yes." replies Bazett as she puts away the noble phantasm.
"Do you feel Setanta's link?" asks Scathach to Bazett.
"It was broken a few minutes ago." she replies solemnly.
"I see, and judging by the fact that Achilles has not assaulted us then that means that the battle was mutually destructive." answers Scathach as everyone nods in affirmative. "Then that leaves, Gilgamesh, Ozymandias, Mordred, Circe, the berserkers and the assassins."
"Circe is dead." claims Sakura as she approaches the group. "While she was occupied with her battle against Medea, I killed her."
"One assassin, and one berserker." says Morgan as she teleports in front of the group with Reika, Kiritsugu, Mordred, and Jack, and throws an unconscious Roche and Caules to the floor.
"Actually." calls out Azula as she too appears before the group. "Make that zero berserkers."
"What happened to Li Shuwen and Caligula?" asks Scathach.
"After we destroyed the remains of the homunculi chamber, disposed of the vermin Celenike,-" says Morgan as she begins to explain "-and captured these two, he decided that he had spent enough time in the land of the living. So to receive his wish of once more participating in a worthy battle, he challenged Mordred to a one on one battle. One that she easily won."
"As for Caligula,-" says Azula as she looks at her nails. "-well the battle between him and Kintoki made him even more mad. So I had to put him down after his victory."
"I see." replies Scathach. "Then that only leaves Ozymandias and Gilgamesh."
"My, what a boring performance." says Gilgamesh as he looks at the television that displayed the events of the Holy Grail War. "It is good that you are here to provide me with ample entertainment King of Kings."
"Indeed." replies Ozymandias as he and Gilgamesh stand from their collective seats. "Now that the teaser is over, perhaps it is time for the main event."
"Hahaha."laughs Gilgamesh. "Perhaps it is best that we skip the 'warm up' Sun King." says Gilgamesh. "Watching these mongrels has made me weary, and I wish to quickly finish this."
"HAHAHA.Very well, Golden King." answers Ozymandias with his own boisterous laugh. "If it is a swift battle that you wish, then it is a swift battle you shall have. I shall give you a reward, lightless one."
« "Look on my works, ye Mighty, and bow down! My infinite brilliance. The sun descends here! "Ramesseum Tentyris"! »
As Ozymandias finishes summoning his noble phantasm, my hotel floor is replaced with his reality marble, Ramesseum Tentyris.
"This is Ramesseum Tentyris: The Shining Great Temple Complex." boasts Ozymandias as he opens his arms in presentation. "It is my greatest trump card, similar to and a kind of Reality Marble. The Great Temple Complex, the might of the Pharaoh Ozymandias, embodied as a Noble Phantasm. It is the manifestation of how I, the glorious Pharaoh, contains within my body the various Egyptian gods, thus it contains a number of mystics."
Inside the temple a number of divine protections and curses take effect. The first is a divine protection that grants immortality to Ozymandias and his Guardian Beasts, making total destruction of both the temple and Ozymandias himself necessary to defeat him. The second is a divine curse of an Ancient Egyptian Divine Spirit that acts as poison to any invaders, killing typical creatures in two seconds and weakening Servants by ranking down their parameters and occasionally weakening some of their Skills. The third and final is a curse of the gods that stops enemies from activating Noble Phantasms by sealing them. However, should one possess a high enough divinity, then the curse becomes moot.
"Truly an impressive structure." proclaims Gilgamesh. "Yet, can it withstand the power of my ultimate noble phantasm?"
As Gilgamesh speaks, a golden portal opens above his hand and the golden handle of a sword emerges from it. Unlike a regular sword, the blade of the sword has no edge and is instead rounded like a tournament lance. The tip also is not sharp and is instead flat. Surrounding the rounded blade are intricate red patterns over the black background.
Looking at the weapon, I can feel my godly powers over weapons attempting to comprehend what it is that I find in front of me. However, no matter how much it tries all I can feel is gibberish and a terrible migraine. Eventually I decide to turn away from that abomination and instead focus on the Golden King himself.
« I have enjoyed myself in your presence King of Kings, as such I shall allow you the pleasure of witnessing this.
I speak of genesis. The elements amalgamate, coalesce, and bring forth the star that weaves all of creation. Pay homage in death. Enuma Elish! »
As Gilgamesh nears the end of his aria, every single one of my senses scream for me to leave. Never one to ignore my danger sense, I immediately activate one of my trump cards, a teleportation array that is designed to allow me to leave Reality Marbles. I feel space twist as I am ejected from Ramesseum Tentyris and arrive in the teleportation chamber of my castle. As I catch my breath, I feel sweat roll down my brow and realise how close to death I just was. Wiping the sweat from my brow I focus on the teleportation marker that I placed in the hotel and activate it.
Arriving outside of the hotel, I notice that nothing seems to be out of place, not even my floor is destroyed.
"Planeswalker." calls out Gilgamesh as he walks out of the hotel. "As a show of respect towards the Sun King, I elected to swiftly kill him and leave the building undamaged. You may be thankful. As for you… Well, I see no better time than now to finish this so called Holy Grail War. Come, show me your worth."
As Gilgamesh finishes his statement, countless golden portals appear and fire noble phantasms at me. With a smirk on my face I summon my trident and proceed to deflect and block every weapon thrown at me while my divine powers from Bellona proceed to read and record every weapon that I lay my eyes upon.
As I dodge more weapons, the quality of the noble phantasms increase until I find myself satisfied with the variety of weapons that I will now be able to conjure. With renewed effort I begin to fight back by approaching him.
"An adequate performance mongrel, you may yet be worthy of my respect." says Gilgamesh as he summons more portals.
Knowing what earning Gilgamesh's respect entails, and wanting absolutely nothing to do with it, I decided to stop holding back and completely speed blitz him. Before he can process what has happened I appear before and drive my trident through his throat, killing him.
Pre-DC Universe
AN: Alright, so this chapter was supposed to be an aftermath chapter with the main characters relaxing on his private island's beach. Unfortunately it wasn't working out, and the chapter just wasn't good at all, no matter how I tried to write it. So I decided to scrap it for now in favor of bringing you guys a better chapter with the same concept sometime later in the story. As for updates, I'm going to try to go back to one chapter per day instead of one chapter a week. This next world is the DC Universe. Originally it was supposed to be Young Justice, but I've decided to take inspirations from different sources like comics and animated shows with the Young Justice show serving as a base for the world. So expect some character origins from different sources
Name: Ambrosius Malphas
Gender: Male
Age: ~2000 (Looks 27)
Height: 5'11
Hair Color: White
Eye Color: Crimson Red
Build: Medium
Body Type: Athlete
Stats (Without Enhancements)
Strength: EX
Endurance: EX
Agility: EX
Magical Resistance:
Age of Gods Magic: B
Modern Magic: Complete immunity
Origin: Runes
Elemental Affinity: Divine Letters
Sorcery Trait: Rune God
Metavore: Retain physically fit body no matter how much or what you eat as long as it's enough to keep from becoming malnourished
Cosmic Warehouse:
Belt O' Tools: Batman graciously seems to have loaned you a belt containing the tools that he'll be using for this adventure. This includes stuff like remotely applied explosives gel capable of bringing down walls (though never seems to kill when blown up near someone's feet), to a cryptographic sequencer able to track signals, hack terminals, and listen to live radio broadcasts.… How did he know you'd be needing this stuff?
Animal Suit: A high tech set of body armor themed after an animal of your choice (DCAMU Damian Wayne Robin suit). The head piece contains advanced electronics equipment that scans the environment for information and clues relevant to the situation. It can pick up anything from gaseous alcohol molecules that'll lead you to a crooked guard, to traces of tobacco on the ground to lead you to a hostage. You may also import a set of armor you already own to gain these qualities.
Bat Wing: Hmm, seems like you've picked up one of Batman's spare vehicles. The Batwing is a supersonic aircraft faster than many jet fighters, possess advanced stealth systems that make it invisible to radar, and can be operated remotely, or operate autonomously.
Bat Cave: A series of platforms and bridges situated within a small cave. Contains a computer with immense analytical abilities, a landing platform for any aerial vehicles you have, and some workshops for working on gadgets and gizmos. After the jump this can either be attached to the warehouse, or will appear somewhere nearby.
Assistant VI: Top of the line assistant model Virtual Intelligence. Can be stored in an omni-tool and keep track of large amounts of data.
Weapon Locker: Cache of mid to high grade weapons of all types. Enough to outfit a battlelion.
Armor Locker: Cache of mid to high grade armor of all types. Enough to outfit a battlelion.
Conflict Minerals: Massive stash of various rare elements.
Fine Clothes: A very fine and ornate set of clothing. The equivalent of the finest you'd expect to get in your starting region.
Land Deed: A deed to an area of land close by in your chosen region. It will be accepted by all authorities as rightfully yours. This updates each jump but is generally not a particularly large plot of land elsewhere.
Dragonglass Cache: A black cloak with a few obsidian dagger, arrowheads, and spearheads.
Poison: A woman's weapon to be sure, but it can't be beaten for efficiency or for matters of subterfuge.You have a replenishing chest of poisons from around the known world. From vials of the Tears of Lys to Sweetsleep to crystals of the Stranger. There is bound to be one that suits your purpose.
Valyrian Steel Spear: An excellent weapon of your choice made from Valyrian steel. Light and exceptionally sharp. Serves as a symbol of status. Gives an impression of great strength and brings dread to your enemies. (It looks like Gungnir from Thor 2011 movie)
Companions:
Custos - Black panther (can import for free)
Azula (must always import. In exchange can import for free)
Scathach (must always import. In exchange can import for free)
Morgan Le Fay (must always import. In exchange can import for free)
Mordred Pendragon (must always import. In exchange can import for free)
DC Universe
https/i./tg/1408477495304.pdf
1000 cp to spend
Age: 27
Drop in: You start off in the middle of your starting city. No one knows you or what you can do.
Powers:
Regeneration (-200 cp): You heal very quickly and are difficult to truly kill. Even limbs and certain organs can be regenerated. Most wounds will heal in seconds with more grievous injuries taking a few minutes. Organs and limbs take up to a couple of hours to regrow.
Psionic (-400 cp): You are able to read surface thoughts and emotions of creatures. You are also able to perform mild telekinesis of up to 300 lbs. Even mentally nudging someone to do something. Trained creatures or those who have a strong will can resist your powers. With long years of meditation and training you can improve your powers
Mental Resistance (-200 cp): Maybe you have a strong sense of self, maybe you have magical protections, or maybe you're really good at picturing a brick wall. Whatever it is, you have proven to be capable of defending against the strongest of mental assaults and intrusions.
Items:
Small Fortune (-150 cp): You have $10,000,000 in the bank. You also gain a decent sized home and even a butler to maintain it. You have the contacts to get a nice paying job. You can choose to have the secret identity benefits as well.
Name: Azula
Gender: Female
Age: Unknown (Looks 27)
Height: 5'10
Hair Color: Black
Eye Color: Gold
Stats (Without Enhancements)
Strength: B
Endurance: A
Agility: A
Magical Resistance:
Age of Gods Magic: A
Modern Magic: Complete immunity
Origin: ?
Elemental Affinity: Average One
DC Universe
https/i./tg/1408477495304.pdf
1000 cp to spend
Age: 27
Drop in: You start off in the middle of your starting city. No one knows you or what you can do.
Powers:
Regeneration (-200 cp): You heal very quickly and are difficult to truly kill. Even limbs and certain organs can be regenerated. Most wounds will heal in seconds with more grievous injuries taking a few minutes. Organs and limbs take up to a couple of hours to regrow.
Mental Resistance (-200 cp): Maybe you have a strong sense of self, maybe you have magical protections, or maybe you're really good at picturing a brick wall. Whatever it is, you have proven to be capable of defending against the strongest of mental assaults and intrusions.
Items:
Javelin (-400 cp): : A ship capable of traveling underwater and into deep space. Has enough room to seat 6 comfortably. Lightly armored, armed with advanced laser weapons, and equipped with a wormhole generator.
Lair (-100 cp): You possess a secret lair. It has a computer similar to the BatComputer, a vehicle pad, and multiple secret entrances to use to your liking.
Small Fortune (-100 cp from Azula, -50 cp from Ambrosius) : You have $10,000,000 in the bank. You also gain a decent sized home and even a butler to maintain it. You have the contacts to get a nice paying job. You can choose to have the secret identity benefits as well.
Name: Scathhach
Gender: Female
Age: Unknown (Looks 27)
Height: 5'9
Hair Color: Purple
Eye Color: Crimson Red
Stats (Without Enhancements)
Strength: A
Endurance: EX
Agility: EX
Magical Resistance:
Age of Gods Magic: A
Modern Magic: Complete immunity
Origin: ?
Elemental Affinity: Average One
DC Universe
https/i./tg/1408477495304.pdf
1000 cp to spend
Age: 27
Drop in: You start off in the middle of your starting city. No one knows you or what you can do.
Powers:
Mental Resistance (-200 cp): Maybe you have a strong sense of self, maybe you have magical protections, or maybe you're really good at picturing a brick wall. Whatever it is, you have proven to be capable of defending against the strongest of mental assaults and intrusions.
Deep Breath (-200 cp): You can breathe in water, the pressures of the ocean no longer bother you, an exceptional swimmer, and able to communicate underwater clearly.
Items:
Arsenal (-50 cp): - You have an arsenal of mundane weapons such as swords or throwing stars.
Lair (-100 cp): You possess a secret lair. It has a computer similar to the BatComputer, a vehicle pad, and multiple secret entrances to use to your liking.
Small Fortune (-150 cp) : You have $10,000,000 in the bank. You also gain a decent sized home and even a butler to maintain it. You have the contacts to get a nice paying job. You can choose to have the secret identity benefits as well.
Motherbox (-300 cp): A small highly advanced living computer from New Genesis. Capable of scanning and copying sources of information such as books, computers, and even the internet allowing for later viewing of the information. If the user is severely injured it can offer short term medical care to prevent death. It is extremely loyal to you.
Name: Morgan Le Fay
Gender: Female
Age: ~1500 (Looks 27)
Height: 5'9
Hair Color: Blond
Eye Color: Green
Stats (Without Enhancements)
Strength: B
Endurance: B
Agility: A
Magical Resistance:
Age of Gods Magic: A
Modern Magic: Complete immunity
Origin: ?
Elemental Affinity: Average One
DC Universe
https/i./tg/1408477495304.pdf
1000 cp to spend
Age: 27
Drop in: You start off in the middle of your starting city. No one knows you or what you can do.
Powers:
Regeneration (-200 cp): You heal very quickly and are difficult to truly kill. Even limbs and certain organs can be regenerated. Most wounds will heal in seconds with more grievous injuries taking a few minutes. Organs and limbs take up to a couple of hours to regrow.
Psionic (-400 cp): You are able to read surface thoughts and emotions of creatures. You are also able to perform mild telekinesis of up to 300 lbs. Even mentally nudging someone to do something. Trained creatures or those who have a strong will can resist your powers. With long years of meditation and training you can improve your powers.
Mental Resistance (-200 cp): Maybe you have a strong sense of self, maybe you have magical protections, or maybe you're really good at picturing a brick wall. Whatever it is, you have proven to be capable of defending against the strongest of mental assaults and intrusions.
Items:
Small Fortune (-150 cp) : You have $10,000,000 in the bank. You also gain a decent sized home and even a butler to maintain it. You have the contacts to get a nice paying job. You can choose to have the secret identity benefits as well.
Name: Mordred Pendragon
Gender: Female
Age: Biologically 7 (Looks 14)
Height: 5'0
Hair Color: Blond
Eye Color: Green
Stats (Without Enhancements)
Strength: A
Endurance: A
Agility: A
Magical Resistance: B
Origin: ?
Elemental Affinity: ?
DC Universe
https/i./tg/1408477495304.pdf
1000 cp to spend
Age: 12
Drop in: You start off in the middle of your starting city. No one knows you or what you can do.
Powers:
Regeneration (-200 cp): You heal very quickly and are difficult to truly kill. Even limbs and certain organs can be regenerated. Most wounds will heal in seconds with more grievous injuries taking a few minutes. Organs and limbs take up to a couple of hours to regrow.
Deep Breath (-200 cp): You can breathe in water, the pressures of the ocean no longer bother you, an exceptional swimmer, and able to communicate underwater clearly.
Mental Resistance (-200 cp): Maybe you have a strong sense of self, maybe you have magical protections, or maybe you're really good at picturing a brick wall. Whatever it is, you have proven to be capable of defending against the strongest of mental assaults and intrusions.
Skills:
Master Detective (-100 cp): You can't always be at a place at the right time to stop a crime. You are exceptionally skilled at finding clues, and piecing them together.
Master Planner (-150 cp): You have a way of putting some of the best plans together. You can look at problems and quickly put together a plan to deal with it in the best manner possible. That doesn't mean you have the resources to pull it off though.
Items:
Small Fortune (-150 cp): You have $10,000,000 in the bank. You also gain a decent sized home and even a butler to maintain it. You have the contacts to get a nice paying job. You can choose to have the secret identity benefits as well
Last edited: Aug 8, 2020
Arrival in Bludhaven
Bludhaven, New Jersey 2002
The first thing that my attention is brought to, upon our materialization, is the stench. The alleyway that we currently find ourselves in is dark, however with my enhanced senses I can easily see as if it were daytime. Unfortunately, this serves as a double edged sword as the alley also smells heavily of sewage, feces, and even drugs.
"Ewww." whines Mordred as she pinches her nose. "This place is disgusting."
"Indeed." agrees Azula as she wrinkles her nose in disgust. "Our location of arrival must be the slums."
"Please." says Morgan with a roll of her eyes. "The whole city is a slum. Afterall, this is Bludhaven, and according to Ambrosius' information, the city is what Gotham would be like without the Waynes."
Having said her piece, Morgan places a barrier around us that stops the smell from reaching us.
"Now that we are no longer suffering from the smell,-" comments Scathach. "-I believe that it is best to plan our next steps."
"Our first priority should be to create identities for ourselves." I answer.
"How?" asks Mordred with a frown.
"With the Motherbox of course." answers Scathach as she reaches into one of five duffel bags that was transported into this universe alongside us.
Each duffel bag can carry an infinite amount of items as long as they fit through the entrance. As such, they contain 10 million dollars along with any other item that was bought with cp and can fit through the entrance. It was a gift from ROB. As for the bigger items, such as the javelin, they are in my warehouse.
Grabbing the Motherbox, Scathach removes it from her duffel bag as she straightens herself back up. As stated by its name, the Motherbox is in fact a box slightly bigger than a smartphone. Unlike a smartphone however, the Motherbox is not a screen, but instead what seems to be smooth circuits that travel along its surface.
"Motherbox, connect to this planet's system of interconnected computer networks." orders Scathach.
In response to her command, the circuits on the Motherbox light up as it beeps in reply.
"How do you know what it's saying?" asks Mordred with curious wonder on her face.
"I simply do." replies Scathach with a smile. "Besides, it is not an it. Rather it is a sentient computer."
With a few more beeps, the Motherbox seems to deliver good news to Scathach as her smile turns into a smirk.
"Motherbox is connected to the internet." informs Scathach. "She is also able to access any system that is connected to the internet regardless of its protection."
"Perfect." I answer. "Before we can have our identities forged, it is best if we obtain information for this universe."
"Motherbox, what are the most impactful events of the past ten years." asks Scathach.
Similar to before, Motherbox answers with a series of beeps that I do not comprehend. Surprisingly, it does not take Motherbox longer than a few seconds before it once again beeps back at Scathach.
"Well, this certainly has been an uneventful past few years." comments Scathach. "Nothing of importance happened until 1998 when rumors of a 'Superman' and, a magician of sort, fighting crime and saving lives began circulating in the media."
"What do we know of the magician?" I ask as I cross my arms and think.
"I believe that it is Zatara. According to the media, he wears a suit, and seems to perform his feats of magic by speaking backwards." replies Scathach.
"Superman and Zatara are active." I comment as I rub my chin in thought. "Are there any others?"
"Yes." replies Scathach. "Gotham seems to have a Bat problem as of 1999, Central city received a speedy protector, and Wonder Woman has restarted her career last year after her hiatus in 1946, with a rookie Green Arrow and Aquaman joining in."
"Have any of them collaborated with one another?" asks Azula
"No, they seem to strictly operate within their self-designated cities." answers Scathach.
"Very well, what can you tell us about Bludhaven?" asks Morgan.
"Certainly nothing good." replies Scathach. "Bludhaven was a former whaling town until the inhabitants decided to transform it into a manufacturing and shipping center. Ever since then, the town has had a generally poor socio-economic populace."
"Corruption must be rampant then." comments Morgan.
"What do you mean?" asks Mordred with a frown.
"Considering its location,-" says Azula as she begins to explain. "-Bludhaven should be teeming with business. Even if they failed as manufacturers, its shipping business should easily overshadow Gotham's thereby providing them with ample business to help with its economy."
"So the people who run this city are corrupt and are taking advantage of their power?" questions Morgan.
"Yes." I reply. "And considering the state of this alley, I would not be surprised if this city also has to deal with gangs that deal in drugs and human trafficking."
"So what are we waiting for? Let's start taking those guys down." says Mordred as she punches her right fist into her left palm. "We can even do it as superheroes like Superman and Wonder Woman."
"No." Morgan, Azula, and I say simultaneously, causing Mordred to frown.
Moments like these always manage to make me question whether or not it was right for her to be raised as she was. We knew that she would most likely die prematurely due to her heritage as a homunculus. As such we raised her with one purpose in mind, the completion of her dream of becoming the greatest Knight of Camelot. Her education consisted mainly of martial arts and warfare, as such she is as naive as any child when it comes to subjects such as these.
"I refuse to prance around in brightly colored spandex beating up petty thugs." comments Azula, bringing me out of my thoughts.
"Things are not that simple." instructs Morgan. "As stated by Azula, beating up criminals will not solve the problem."
"So what? We just let them do whatever they want?" replies Mordred with a frown. "As a Knight, I cannot allow that."
"What makes you think that we will not deal with them?" I ask her with a smirk.
"But, didn't you guys say no?" asks a puzzled Mordred.
"They did." answers Scathach as she gently places a hand on Mordred's shoulder. "However, it is not because they wish to ignore the problem. Rather it is because your method would prove ineffective. This problem must be solved from both within and without the system."
"It would also be unwise to draw attention to ourselves this early." I say in addition.
"To solve this problem, we will have to tackle it on multiple fronts." says Azula as a smirk grows on her face.
"Indeed, I believe that we must each choose a way to help based on our skills." says Scathach. "I will be working on the business front of things to see if it is possible to turn this city into the booming shipping industry it should be."
"I will infiltrate the criminal elements of this city." claims Morgan. "Crime cannot be completely snuffed out, however it can be controlled. It would be best to remove components such as drugs and human trafficking."
"Then that leaves me to deal with the government." states Azula a smirk on her face and a glint in her eyes. "How lovely."
"What about father and I?" asks Mordred as she crosses her arms.
"I have my own goal that I will be pursuing." I inform her with a shake of my head. "As for you? Well that is up to your mother whether you will be participating or not."
"What?!" exclaims Mordred. "Why? You know that she's become overprotective now. Why would you let her decide?"
"I am not overprotective." answers Morgan. "You are simply too brash and refuse to think things through before acting."
Knowing that her mother is correct, Mordred turns to me for help, prompting Morgan to follow suit with a glare. Had this been a few centuries ago, I may have sided with Mordred. Unfortunately for her, not only is Morgan correct, but her magical abilities have reached the point of being effective even with my magical resistance. As such I decide to simply step back rather than angering a super powerful witch mother who happens to be one of my loves. Besides, I happen to agree with Morgan on this subject.
Seeing my reaction, Mordred pouts and crosses her arms while Morgan simply gives me an appreciative nod for not challenging her.
"Will you be staying until the completion of our identities, or will you be leaving now?" asks Scathach.
"I will be leaving now." I answer. "I wish to at least attempt to complete my objective as soon as possible. That way if I fail then I will not have wasted too much time."
"When will you be back?" asks Morded as she tightly hugs me.
"I will be back in one year at the latest." I reply as I gently pat her head.
"You better." answers Mordred as she lets go of me.
With her no longer hugging me, I say my goodbye to Azula, Scathach, and Morgan before making my way out of the alley.
Sensing the Atlantic off to the East, I make my way there undetectable to the city's occupants. Throughout my walk I cannot help but notice the horrible state of the city. Between the broken roads and buildings, homeless men and women, and the gangs loitering around, Bludhaven truly is in a worse condition than its sister city, Gotham.
Arriving at the docks, I attempt to enjoy the ocean's breeze, only for me to wrinkle my nose in disgust at the water's pollution. With a sneer of revulsion, I dive into the water while making sure to keep myself dry before propelling myself down and forward. Once far enough from the city, I speed up and quickly break the sound barrier.
Before I can get far however, I feel my control over the water wrest from me and used to immobilize me.
"What an interesting demigod you are." booms a masculine voice around me. "I can feel your connection to me, yet I do not recall siring you."
As the voice finishes speaking, the water in front of me rearranges itself to create a male form. Once the form stabilizes, I am easily able to make out the man as Poseidon himself. Standing at around eight feet tall, Poseidon has white hair, a neatly trimmed white beard, a deep tan, and sea-green eyes. While his lower body is that of a mermaid with green scales, his upper body is naked, showcasing his strong and defined muscles, and his hands hold a golden trident.
"Tell me demigod,-" he says as he approaches me. "-how did you come to exist? I would very much remember having a progeny such as you. Especially one as powerful as you. You are practically leaking divine power to those who are looking."
Even without attempting, I know that resisting would be futile. I am in Poseidon's domain where even Zeus himself would find it difficult to resist. As such I decide to simply answer him and deal with the ramification of my answer later.
"This is not my universe, and my father is Neptune." I answer through gritted teeth.
"Interesting. Truly interesting" comments Poseidon as he circles me like a predator surveying its prey. "That must make you a child of my avatar Neptune. Yes, that makes sense. It would explain why I do not remember. Not all of us can remember or know what our avatars have been up to like Zeus."
As Poseidon continues to ramble on, I cannot help but notice how he spitefully mentions Zeus. It seems that they are currently not on good terms with one another. Hopefully their poor relationship will serve to make him 'forget' mentioning my existence to Zeus.
"Well, you have my permission to leave. You no longer interest me." comments Poseidon as he relinquishes his control over the Atlantic to allow me to move. "A word of warning however, refrain from drawing Zeus' attention. Olympus is no longer in harmony, and Zeus has grown paranoid."
Having said his piece, Poseidon's water avatar falls apart as his presence leaves the sea to most likely return to the dimension from which Olympus is located.
Once his presence is completely gone, I cannot help but curse excessively in latin. It seems that the gods here are closer to their pre new 52 selves, making them far too dangerous for me to face without suffering some form of consequence.
Infinity Island
Somewhere in the Indian Ocean 2002
Infinity Island, headquarters of the League of Assassins. As I exit the water and walk onto the beach, I cannot help but observe the fact that finding it has turned out to be far easier than I anticipated. Then again, I certainly cheated by utilising the powers granted to me from my divine heritage.
Once on the beach, I remove my rune suit and replace it with pants made of regular cloth before storing my rune suit in the storage space tattooed on my stomach. Having taken care of that, I move onto the next step, sealing all of my supernatural abilities to leave me in peak human condition.
Invented to serve as a training tool, the runic array is designed to be able to seal either one supernatural ability or all, even suppressing my divinity. Its purpose is to simulate the loss of one, or all, paranormal attributes. As such, should I ever truly lose one or all of my magical abilities in battle, I will not be caught flat footed. It can also serve to seal an enemy's powers.
Barely taking me a second to inscribe on my skin and to activate, the array makes use of all the knowledge I have learned from Japanese sealing magecraft.
Once the seal is activated, I immediately feel my loss of connection to the sea, the earth, and even storms. I can no longer feel my magic circuits, nor is any of my bending abilities available to me. I have effectively been turned into a human being, albeit one at peak physical capability.
With that done, I no longer tarry and make my way towards the jungle connected to the beach. Stepping past the initial trees, I can already countless eyes fall upon my person and heavily scrutinise me. Remembering how the League operated back in the Arkham Universe, I know that it is highly likely that, before I even make it one mile into the jungle, I will be set upon by assassins from all sides.
As I pass the first half of the mile, I begin to subtly regulate my breathing and shift my casual walk into an alert one. This is a skill that Bruce taught me for when I am being stalked by a potential assassin. Done correctly, it will help the body instantly shift from relaxed to battle ready with your opponent none the wiser. As far as I know, only two people have ever managed to see through the ruse, Lady Shiva herself and her daughter, Cassandra Cain. Even then, it was due to their ability to read a person's body language as if they possessed the sharingan.
Reaching three quarters of the mile, I immediately feel a shift in the atmosphere as danger makes its presence known. My first indication of the incoming attack is the rustle of the leaves over my head. Without bothering to stop my walk, I casually step to the right as the assassin perched over my head falls and impales the location from which I would have been had I not sidestepped. Not giving the assassin time to retrieve their sword from the ground, I kick him to the back of the head and knock him out.
The second assassin makes herself known by accidentally snapping a branch as she lunges towards me from the right, sword poised and pointed towards my skull. For a fodder member of the League, her execution is almost exceptional. From the top of my head, only about seventy non powered humans can survive this assault, and of those seventy only half would come out unscathed. Tilting my head backwards, I evade the stab and proceed to let her fly by me before grabbing her unconscious comrade's sword. As she tucks and rolls into her landing, I throw the sword where I calculate she will come to stop. However, it seems that she is far more skilled than anticipated as she forces herself into a premature stop before turning around and deflecting the flying sword away from her.
Without saying a word, the assassin launches herself at me as I hear more approaching. Dodging her first slash step into her guard and kick her in the solar plexus, knocking the breath from her lungs. Soon enough the kick is followed by an elbow to the back of the head that knocks her out. Just in time for the remaining assassins to decide that hiding in the shadows is futile with their paltry skill level. Before fully turning my attention to them, I pick up the female assassin's sword and give it a few practice swings.
As predicted earlier, I find myself surrounded from all sides by about a dozen assassins all garbed in full black and grey combat gear. Surveying each side, I am easily able to tell that while these assassins have been bloodied, that they are in no way, shape or form the best of the League. It is in their stance. There is a quiet confidence there, yet that confidence is clouded by a layer of doubt.
Taking the initiative, I launch myself at the ones facing my front. Not expecting me to react in such a way, the assassin barely manages to move his sword in an attempt to block and fall for my feint. Not wasting the chance, I hit the side of his head with the flat side of the sword, knocking him unconscious.
As his body falls to the ground, I am forced to dodge a sword slash towards my throat. In retaliation I knee him in the solar plexus before also slapping him with the flat side of the blade. While I was preoccupied with these two, the assassins at my back stepped forward with the instigator stabbing towards my spine. Bringing my own weapon up, I knock his blade aside before kicking him to head, sending his body to the ground in an unconscious heap.
Seeing their compatriot knocked out does nothing to deter the rest and as a group they attack. Dodging a slash towards my chest, I step back to evade another stab while at the same time bringing my sword up to block a third strike. With my superior speed I deflect the blocked sword and take the opening to knock the wielder out with a punch to the face. During the time it took me to do so however, an assassin attempted to remove my head from my shoulders. I duck under the swing and launch into a roll that places me behind the assailant.
"That's enough!" commands a masculine voice before I am able to retaliate.
Turning to face the owner of the voice, I see a man with an imposing physique. He is large, muscular, and has large fists. He is bald, has bulging eyes, and wears an earring in his left ear. The man is easily recognizable as Ubu, Ra's al Ghul's most loyal servant. Even more loyal than his daughters. Ubu wears a practical utility suit, consisting of a green shirt, gray cargo pants, sturdy boots, and a utility belt with plenty of pouches. He also wears heavy bands around his wrists.
"You have proven your martial prowess intruder." comments Ubu as he approaches me. "As such, the master has deemed it fit to permit you an audience. Come"
Without seeing whether I am following him or not, Ubu walks past me towards the center of the island.
Dropping the sword in my hand, I follow Ubu towards his master's location. The journey is spent in complete silence as we traverse through the jungle with ease. Eventually we exit the jungle and come upon a mountain with a castle built at its peak. Due to how it is built within the mountain, differentiating between the mountain itself and the castle is extremely difficult. Not bothering to see whether I managed to keep up with him, Ubu begins to scale the mountain with me following close behind.
Three minutes later, we arrive on a plateau upon which a hidden doorway opens. Traversing through the door, I find myself in a barely lit corridor which we travel for approximately two minutes before encountering our first turn. From there we make a series of turns which I make sure to keep track of just in case.
After our fifteenth turn in total, we arrive at a wooden doorway guarded by two assassins. Judging by their stance alone I am able to identify them as far more skilled than their counterparts in the jungle. It would not surprise me if these two are members of the League's elites.
With synchronized nods, the assassins allow Ubu to open the door and make his way inside. Following him, I enter a study well lit by a hanging chandelier. Surprisingly the room is not lavishly decorated and contains the bare minimum to make a functional study. Both the left and right walls are covered by shelves full of books. Up front is a desk large enough to sit three people comfortably with Ra's al Ghul himself sitting behind it.
Ra's al Ghul is a tall and daunting man with green eyes. He has black hair with gray streaks on the sides along with a long black mustache, and wild black eyebrows.
He dresses in a regal manner, with the majority of his clothes covered by a high-collared green cloak with large gold buttons. Underneath it, he wears a black vest with gold hems, a white undershirt, and a golden sash. He wears black pants and knee-high black boots.
Behind Ra's right shoulder stands someone I did not expect to meet as of yet, his daughter, Talia al Ghul.
Talia is a woman with an Arabian heritage. She has high cheekbones, a sharp nose, green eyes like her father, and long brown hair. She wears pants and a top of a light fabric, exposing her midriff, shoulders and sternum. She also wears golden earrings and a beaded belt. Hidden behind her lower back, and mostly attached to her belt, is a dagger whose hilt I am barely able to make out.
"Thank you Ubu." says Ra's as the servant makes his way next to Talia to stand. "Now tell me, intruder, who are you and why should I not have your head removed from where it rests on your shoulders."
"My name is Ambrosius Malphas." I answer him. "And as for you removing my head from its shoulders, you are certainly welcomed to try."
"Ubu." commands Ra's with narrowed eyes.
Obeying his master's command, Ubu launches himself at me with a fist swinging towards my head. Bringing an arm up, I redirect Ubu's punch with a palm and follow through with a punch to the throat. Recovering quickly, Ubu blocks with his forearm only to slightly wince from the pain of the impact. Before he can fully recover, I attempt to sweep his legs out from under him only for him to jump over my leg. Borrowing one of Zuko's favorite moves, I turn the leg sweep into a helicopter kick that connects painfully to Ubu's waist while he is still in the air. Using the kick's momentum, I launch myself into the air and throw a roundhouse kick at my opponent's temple. Ubu manages to reorient his forearm to block and once again winces in pain from the impact. As gravity takes hold and I begin to fall, I kick my opponent in the solar plexus with my remaining leg, knocking the breath from his lungs, and as he hunches over in pain, I bring my elbow to the back of his head and knock him out.
"Impressive." comments Ra's as he stands up from his desk. "You have proven yourself to be worthy of keeping alive. Now, how did you find this island? This location cannot be found on any map and is invisible to any form of satellite imaging."
"While that may be true,-" I answer him with a stoic face. "-nothing protects it from mysticism."
"Magic." comments Ra's al Ghul with a slight sneer. "I very much miss the days when it was accessible to a select few."
"You assume that I am not part of this select few." I answer.
"Are you?" he asks with a raised eyebrow.
"Perhaps." I answer with a shrug. "Perhaps not."
Hearing my answer, Ra's stares into my eyes as if searching for something. After a few seconds he simply nods with a slight smile.
"You impress me Mr. Malphas." says Ra's. "Certainly not an easy feat to accomplish. Especially not in the limited amount of time in which we have known one another. Tell me do you prefer your Roman heritage, or perhaps you favor your Greek heritage."
His question catches me off guard for a second before I fully process what he is asking me. Having done so I cannot help but chuckle at having such information found out this quickly.
"You certainly impress me Mr. al Ghul. My heritage is not something that I expected to be found out this quickly." I say to him. "To answer your question, I am in fact partial to my Roman heritage as I do not possess a Greek one. How ever did you know?"
"Your fighting style. There is a hint of pankration there. However, while you made use of that style, your mannerism screamed Roman. From the way you analysed the field, to how you identified the weakest link." he answers as he makes his way around the table to stand in front of me. "You attempted to hide it, which for the most part you were successful."
"Pankration is a lost art, and as for my mannerism, any warrior worth their skill would have done the same." I reply with a raised eyebrow.
"Very true, however-" says Ra's with an almost unnoticeable smile. "I have lived for at least six hundred years and possess scrolls from every era of mankind. As for your mannerism, well let us say that throughout my centuries of living I have encountered quite a few interesting things and leave it at that."
No matter how much I analyse him, I cannot seem to tell whether he is lying or not, and this very much unnerves me.
"Now Mr. Malphas,-" says Ra's as he brings me out of my thoughts. "-to what do I owe the pleasure of your unannounced visit?"
"I have a goal." I tell him. "There is a certain state of mind that I wish to accomplish, yet seems to elude me."
"Mushin." comments Ra's al Ghul as his eyes slightly widen. "You believe that I know how to achieve mushin?"
"Of course not." I answer. "However, this place can be said to be a sanctuary for martial arts and warriors alike. If I am to achieve this state of mind, then here would be the best place to try."
"And why should I help you when you have nothing to offer me?" asks Ra's.
"Should I succeed, then you would know what method is most likely to be a success. It would allow you to train your personal warrior to also achieve Mushin." I reply.
"Very well." answers Ra's al Ghul before he turns towards his daughter. "Talia, escort our guest to a room."
With a nod to her father Talia makes her way out of the room as I follow behind her with a triumphant smirk on my face.
Mushin
Infinity Island, Indian Ocean 2002
The next day, garbed in a simple tank top and shorts, I make my way out of the spartan room and head towards the courtyard for my morning exercise. It does not take me long to make my way through the poorly lit corridors to the courtyard that Talia had shown me when she guided me to my room.
The courtyard is big enough to contain hundreds of members of the League that are currently partaking in their morning exercises. As I make my way towards an isolated part of the courtyard, I notice many members paying close attention to my actions. Evidently word of my actions has spread amongst the footsoldiers. After all, who has ever heard of a complete stranger infiltrating the main headquarters of the League of Assassins, beating many of its members, receiving an audience with the master, and being welcomed into said headquarters all in a matter of hours. The question now is whether they study me out of caution, curiosity, or malice.
Arriving at my designated location, an unoccupied section of the courtyard near the weapon racks, I begin with simple stretches before moving on to simple bodyweight exercises for warm up. While a regular push up will no longer increase my strength, it still serves the purpose of getting flowing. Once I feel that I have sufficiently warmed up, I begin to shadow spar using strictly what little airbending form I have picked up from watching and sparring Aang. It takes me a few seconds, but eventually I get a flow going. After one minute, I begin to mix it with firebending forms. Once another minute passes by I mix in earthbending forms. The cycle continues until I am making use of all bending forms. As I begin to truly build a flow, I see Ra's al Ghul approach me in my peripheral vision. Accompanying him are two other people that I have yet to identify.
"That is interesting." comments Ra's as he comes to a stop near me. "You have taken Tai Chi Chuan, Hung Ga kung fu, Northern Shaolin kung fu, Baguazhang, heavily modified them, and made use of them in a harmonic fashion."
Finishing my current combination, I take a deep breath before turning to him.
"It is nothing special." I answer him with a small smile on my lips. "I am sure that the elite of your League can easily do the same."
"Of course." he answers dryly before turning towards his companions. "Allow me to introduce you to your aids, for lack of a better term. Sensei and Lady Shiva."
Lady Shiva, the most dangerous martial artist in this universe, is a tall yet slender woman standing at five feet eight inches and appears to be rather young. She has a pale complexion, short raven colored hair, black lipstick and brown eyes. She wears a long sleeve red shirt that has a diamond shaped breast window, dark grey pants, and black combat boots.
While Lady Shiva is a youthful woman, Sensei is the opposite. Standing at five feet six inches, he is an old, light-skinned man with white hair and one dark right brown eye while his left is a blank milky white. He is completely bald on the top of his head, and the rest of his hair extends near his shoulders. His white mustache extends to his cheeks and under his chin. He has a large scar across his chest, and a smaller scar extending from his forehead to just under his left milky eye. For clothing he wears a simple red gi with gold accents.
While he may not be as dangerous as Shiva, this old man is still one of the most lethal martial artists in this universe. None know what his origin is other than the fact that he is biologically related to Ra's al Ghul in some way. However, the most speculated answer is that he is Ra's father.
"A pleasure." I say to the two with a simple nod while the two go about scrutinising me.
"I will leave you three to it." says Ra's as he turns and leaves with Talia following like a good little duckling.
"Do you have a preferred style of combat?" asks Lady Shiva as she makes her way to a weapon rack to the side.
I follow her movements with my eyes while preparing myself for the upcoming struggle. How typical of her. The first thing she does after meeting a martial artist is test their prowess.
While I am confident in my skills as a martial artist, I have never faced any one of her caliber before. While Bruce was an excellent teacher, Shiva has faced him countless times and has never lost.
"A sword?" she asks jokingly while pointing towards a katana. "No?" she rhetorically asks again. "Or perhaps a kusarigama?" she questions as she points towards the chained scythe.
"Please." I say with an eye roll. "You and I both know that my weapon of choice is the spear."
"So you do know." comments Shiva as she grabs a spear with a wooden shaft from the rack and tosses it to me.
"That you can read one's body language to the point of knowing them intimately?" I answer as I catch the spear and twirl it in my hand. "I suspected that the rumours were true, and you simply confirmed them with your jesting questions."
"It seems that you may be interesting after all." she answers as she grabs a chinese Dao before making her way to face me.
The weapon is a one-handed, single-edged Chinese sword that is primarily used for slashing and chopping. They are very reminiscent of Zuko's swords from his tenure as the blue spirit.
"That is good." she says as she sets herself into a fighting stance. "I would hate to kill you out of boredom."
With my heart racing, I ready myself in a fighting stance and prepare to not hold back. From what I know of her, Shiva is very much capable and willing to kill someone who has failed to meet her expectations. And while my seal will release itself without a thought should I truly be in mortal danger, I have no intention of the League learning of my true capabilities this early.
As if given an unheard and unseen signal, Shiva and I launch ourselves at each other. Not bothering to hold back, I make full use of my unnamed style of spearmanship which incorporates the styles I have gleaned from every spear I have laid my eyes on.
As Shiva comes into range of my spear I stab straight towards her chest. She easily parries the blow only for her to have to dodge backwards as I twirl the spear in my hand and send its shaft towards her knee. Recovering quickly she steps into the opening that my twirl created only for me to kick her in the stomach sending her skidding backwards.
"I cannot read you." she comments with a weird expression that is between a frown and a smile.
Of course she cannot. I am not using any one style, rather it is an amalgamation of every spearmanship style I have learned by reading the weapons that Gilgamesh threw at me. From Achilles, to Cu, and even Li Shuwen's form of spearmanship that eventually became the Bajiquan. Not only have I learned them, but I have also blended them into one style that allows me to quickly switch from one move to the other. When she reads my body language, she is reading thousands of possible combinations with each one having the possibility of killing her.
Not bothering to answer her, I take the initiative and launch myself at her. As we clash once again I can feel that this time things are different. She no longer tries to read my body language and instead opts to react rather than act, showing me that even without her ability to effectively read my body language, she is still very much a lethal warrior. Even with the knowledge that she can kill me in this fight, somehow it almost feels as if I am enjoying the battle.
With one hand I sweep my spear towards her legs in an attempt to knock her down, however she vaults over the spear with a front flip that sends her foot hurtling towards my chest. Not bothering to immediately retrieve my weapon, I redirect her foot away from me while stepping into her personal space, only to have to tuck and roll under her sword slash.
"The most lethal assassin indeed." I comment to her as I stand up. "Even without your ability to read me, you are still very much a hazard to my health. What a violent woman you are."
"Please." she answers with nearly imperceptible sarcasm in her voice. "I despise violence."
Having said our piece, we once again return to our fatal dance. This time there is no denying it, I am enjoying myself. It feels good to be able to do battle and enjoy it with no stakes to worry about. Evidently I am not the only one enjoying the fight as Shiva herself is smiling like a loon.
As Shiva steps in close to me with a downward slash, she makes the range of my spear a burden. As such I block with the shaft, cutting it in half. While the block did not stop the attack, it certainly gave me time to sidestep it and step into her personal space to place the blade of my spear to her throat.
"I do believe that the victory is mine." I comment with a smirk on my lips.
"Well done." she answers. "Truly you are a worthy adversary."
Says the woman who is somehow more dangerous in hand-to-hand combat than she is with weapons. Still, considering who she is and her unpredictable temperament, I will quietly take the compliment.
"Now that you are finished,-" speaks Sensei for the first time. "-perhaps we can focus on our objective."
"But Sensei,-" answers Shiva. "You know I could not help myself. I had to test him. I just had to."
"Regardless, our presence here serves a purpose." he says as he approaches us. "It would best that we attend to it."
"Indeed. Someone wishes to achieve Mushin." comments Shiva as she stares at me as if I possess multiple heads.
"I presume that there is a reason why Ra's al Ghul has chosen you two to aid me?" I ask as I ignore Shiva's incredulous stare.
"Of course." answers Sensei. "There are many processes theorized to help achieve Mushin, however none have been documented to succeed. Shiva and I represent two of those many processes based on our specialties."
Considering that Mushin is achieved when a person's mind is free from thoughts of anger, fear, or ego during combat, allowing the person to be totally free to act and react towards an opponent without hesitation and without disturbance from such thoughts. Then I can infer that Sensei represents achieving Mushin through meditation while Shiva represents achieving Mushin through constant battles. Essentially achieving it through meditation and synchronising the body, soul and will, or by forcing it through life and death battles similar to how Goku achieved Ultra Instinct.
"Very well." I answer puzzledly as sensei slowly retreats away from me. "When do we begin?"
"Now!?" exclaims Shiva as she launches herself at me, this time with no weapon in her hand.
Infinity Island, Indian Ocean
2002, Around six months after Ambrosius' Arrival
"Tell me Ambrosius,-" says Ra's as he moves one of his rooks to take one of my knights on the chess board. "Why have you decided to seek a path to Mushin? It is not a requirement for one to be considered an accomplished warrior, nor is it easily achieved. Many spend their lifetimes pursuing it, yet I can count the amount of successes throughout my lifetime on one hand."
We are currently in his study, sometime well after midnight, playing our usual game of chess with a timer by the side. Should no one win within the designated time, then it will be considered a draw. So far I take the lead with 95 wins to his 85 with a single draw.
"Truthfully,-" I answer as I move a pawn forward. "-there is no reason other than wanting to better myself. As you have noticed, I am an accomplished warrior with few equals. I simply believe that Mushin is the next logical step in my journey."
"Logical indeed." he answers as he carefully studies the board. "However, is it such an important endeavor that you had to seek out the League? Were you not afraid that I would have you slayed in your sleep?"
Having said so, he moves the same rook to take one of my pawns that was dangerously close to promoting, only to lose it to my own rook and placing his King in check.
"You are a pragmatic man Ra's. Every action you take serves to benefit you. Killing me when I offer you the possibility of knowing how to achieve Mushin would not benefit you in any way. Especially since you lose nothing" I answer as he moves his King.
Besides, when one is raised by the Viper himself, one tends to inherit his habit of ingesting poison and venom to become immune. A dash of the Tears of Lys here, or a sprinkle of basilisk venom there will eventually help build a certain amount of immunity. I have been doing that for centuries with poison and venom from the Game of Thrones universe, the Percy Jackson universe, and even from the Nasuverse. The poisons from those universes are worse than anything the League can muster.
"Perhaps. However, do you not fear what I would do with that knowledge?" he asks as I make my rook retreat.
"Knowledge, in this situation, is not enough." I reply as I move my previous pawn forward. "We all know what is required to achieve Mushin. The body, soul, and will must act as one. Yet, like you stated earlier, those who have succeeded can be counted on a single hand."
"Indeed." he answers as he takes my pawn with his remaining rook.
We continue to play in silence with no one ever truly taking the upper hand.
"Have you thought about my proposal?" he asks as he takes my remaining rook with his King.
"I have no interest in becoming your heir." I answer him as I move my remaining Knight away from his King. "While I certainly understand your sentiment towards humanity's reckless destruction of nature, I cannot abide by your methods. Should I take leadership, I will change the methods, which will no doubt clash with many of your supporter's beliefs."
And I also do not want your daughter, I think to myself.
"Fair enough." answers Ra's just as the timer rings, bringing the game to an end.
"A second draw." comments Ra's as Ubu steps out the shadows to clean up the boards.
"Will you be retiring for the night?" asks Ra's as I stand up.
"I will. Have a pleasant night." I answer him as I turn around and leave.
Return to Society
Bludhaven, New Jersey January, 2003
It has been around one year since my trip to Infinity Island, and unfortunately my endeavor to achieve Mushin has been a failure. This does not mean that the trip itself was a waste of time considering the fact that I secretly learned how to utilise my psionic abilities, and while I am glad for that, it certainly was not the purpose of my travels. From constantly fighting for my survival, to attempting to achieve it with meditation, none of my attempts worked. At one point, Lady Shiva started to attack me all the time, even in my sleep. Her rationale was that perhaps living in constant danger would make it easier to achieve. Unfortunately, this too was a failure. Eventually I chose to leave since I cannot simply live there until I have reached Mushin. Especially since I may never reach it. Which is why I am now entering Bludhaven on a boat.
Once the ship docks, I make my way from the deck of the ship to the docks. Looking at it now, a year later, I can tell that the girls have been busy. Not only have the docks been refurbished, but they are also extremely busy with many ships unloading cargo while others are picking up to leave. Standing around the docks acting as security are men and women dressed in three piece suits and black coats with pistols strapped to holsters on their waist or shoulders.
"Excuse me sir." comes a strong masculine voice from behind me. "Are you perhaps Ambrosius Malphas?"
Turning around I am met with the figure of an old man wearing a suit with white gloves on his hands. He stands at about five feet seven inches and has a head full of neatly combed white hair. His face is somewhat wrinkled, yet not enough to look a day over fifty years old, with steel grey eyes that seem to notice everything. What truly sets him apart from his peers of the same age is his strong build that could have only been earned through years of combat.
"Indeed I am." I reply to him. "How may I help you?"
"Ah, splendid." he answers with a smile. "I am Bernard, Madam Scathach's butler. I have been ordered by the Madam to escort you home."
"A pleasure to meet you Bernard." I say as I extend my hand for him to shake.
Once we have finished with the introductions, Bernard leads me out of the dock and into a black luxurious car that seems to be this universe's version of a Rolls Royce. Arriving at the car, he opens the back door for me to enter before proceeding to enter the driver's seat. Once inside, he starts the car and proceeds to drive away from the docks.
"Tell me about yourself Bernard."
"Well sir, there is honestly not much to tell." he replies. "I am sure that the events of my life will certainly bore you death, and I would very much like to deliver you to the Madam alive."
Chuckling at his words, I cannot help but wonder where Scathach found him
"There is no need to worry." I reassure him with a smile. "Boredom is not something that I will die from. Tell me, how did you meet Scathach."
"Very well." he answers. "I met Madam almost a year ago when I was accosted by a group of thugs. While I managed to deal with a few of them, it was only a matter of time before I would be overwhelmed. Fortunately for me, she had been passing by to survey the neighborhood when I was accosted. The rest is history."
"Interesting." I comment as I look at him through the rearview mirror. "How much would I have to pay you to work for me instead? One million dollars, Ten, or perhaps fifty?"
Hearing my question, his lips tighten and his steel grey eyes become far more menacing as he glares back at me through the mirror.
"Certainly more than you are, and will ever be, worth." he replies with a firm voice.
"Truly?" I ask him, only for him to refuse to reply. "Not even if I were to threaten to kill you" I say as I slightly increase the pressure in the room.
Instead of crumbling however, he simply seems to reaffirm his stance with a glare and gritted teeth.
"Not even if you killed me." He firmly replies.
Staring at his eyes I read his surface and emotions, and just as intended, he is somewhat afraid. Yet, no matter how much he is afraid, his loyalty to Scathach does not waver. With a smile, I return the pressure back to normal levels.
"My apologies Bernard." I tell him. "In these uncertain times, it is best to be sure of someone's loyalties."
"Of course sir, I understand." he replies somewhat frostily. "With Supermen flying becoming the norm, one may never be certain of anything. That does not mean that I should like it however."
"Naturally how you feel on something is very much up to you." I answer with a nod which he returns.
The rest of the drive is spent in silence as I watch the city pass us by. Many buildings have been torn down and are the process of being rebuilt while many others have already been finished. The streets are somewhat cleaner and there are a significantly less amount of homeless people. There are also signs of an Ophidia Industries hanging around, yet I do not remember an Ophidia Industries in the comics. Looking at the recovering city, I can easily tell that they did not bother to hold back. I would not be surprised if they used magic to accomplish at least a portion of this.
Eventually we drive out of the city and past a sign that reads 'Welcome to Avalon Hill'. Further down the road, there is a white gate with a big 'M' on its center, and past the gate, there is a castle that looks exactly like the one that we built in the Nasuverse without the moat.
"Is Avalon Hill part of Bludhaven?" I ask Bernard.
"Indeed it is sir." he responds, his voice noticeably less cold than earlier.
As the car approaches the gate it automatically opens by itself, allowing us to drive inside. Stopping in front of the door of the castle, Bernard gets out of the driver seat and opens the door for me. Exiting the vehicle I turn towards the door to see Scathach, Morgan and Azula walk out of the building wearing dresses while Mordred wears a suit.
"Father!" exclaims Mordred as she runs past the others to hug me.
"Hello to you too, little one." I greet her with a smile as I gently pat her head.
"I'm not little." she answers with a frown as she looks up at me.
"Your height would beg to differ." I reply with a raised eyebrow, causing her to pout.
"Put on a suit." orders Scathach as she gives me a kiss on the cheek. "We're going out."
"To where?" I ask as my rune suit changes from casual jeans and t-shirt to a black suit with a white button down shirt and black tie.
"Bruce Wayne's new year charity gala." answers Morgan as she and Azula kiss me before going inside of the car that is suddenly bigger and has a back seat similar to a limousine.
Without another word, Mordred and I make our way inside the car.
"Magic, or technology?" I ask as I gesture to the new seating design.
"Magic of course." answers Morgan. "Although, it certainly is not magic of the Nasuverse, as you call it."
"You know magic from this universe?" I ask her intrigued.
"I managed to find this quaint little tavern called the Oblivion Bar where all things magical frequent." answers Morgan with a smile.
"I see." I reply with a nod. "Now would someone please inform me why we are going to a Wayne gala?"
"Because a certain big shot businesswoman is invited." answers Azula as she looks at Scathach.
"I do recall seeing signs for Ophidia Industries around the city. I presume that it's your?" I ask Scathach.
"It is." she answers "It started out as a shipping company, and now we are expanding towards real estate and manufacturing."
"How far do you plan on expanding it?" I ask
"We will see after the current expansion." she replies. "How was your trip?"
"Not successful." I simply answer. "And what have you been up to?" I ask Azula. "I can guess what Morgan has been up to considering the increase in security and lack of thugs on the streets."
"The police department and mayor's office were full of corruption, and now you are looking at the new chief of police and the person the mayor secretly works for." she replies with a very satisfied smirk.
"Do you actually like the position?" I ask only to receive an indifferent shrug.
"It's only until I can fully clean the department before I 'retire'."she answers.
"I see. And what about you Mordred?" I ask her.
"Well I go to school. Some classes are boring and some of them are interesting." she replies with a shrug.
The rest of the drive is spent in light conversation with the five of us comparing stories of the past year.
Eventually we arrive at the venue in Gotham city, an interestingly designed house. The building is shaped like a squared S making it seem to have been taken from a fantasy setting.
From the outside the house looks magnificent. It has been built with wheat colored bricks and has sandstone decorations. Small, rounded windows allow enough light to enter the home and have been added to the house in a mostly asymmetric way. The two extensions extend into wooden sunscreens structures to each side. The second floor is smaller than the first, which, in combination with its placement, creates an original look. This floor has a very different style than the floor below. The roof is high and slanted to one side and is covered with dark ceramic tiles. One large chimney sits at the side of the house. Several long, thin windows let in plenty of light to the rooms below the roof. The house itself is surrounded by a modest garden, with mostly grass and a few small trees.
Thanking Bernard as we exit the car, we make our way to the entrance where Scathach hands a well dressed man her invitation card before he ushers us in.
The inside of the first floor is simply a lavishly decorated ballroom with tables and chairs to the side. Well dressed servants can be found walking around with trays of appetizers and drinks to offer to the guests.
"Hugh. This is just like the balls that used to be hosted in Camelot." complains Mordred. "I didn't like those, and I don't like this."
"I can certainly understand the sentiment." comments Morgan as she looks at some of the guests with well hidden disgust, no doubt already having a sense for their true personalities as opposed to the masks they put on for the public.
"Unfortunately not coming would have been tantamount to committing business suicide." says Scathach.
"Let us please get this over with before I decide to burn this place to the ground." ads Azula. "This is far too reminiscent of the political gala's Ozai used to host."
"Hopefully this does not turn into your typical Gotham gala that gets interrupted by some criminal." I comment as we make our way to the table reserved for our group.
As we come closer to the table, I realise that I very much recognise the owner of a certain bald head that is sitting at our table.
"Ms. Malphas!" exclaims Lex Luthor excitedly as he stands from the table and makes his way to Scathach.
Lex Luthor is a tall man standing at six feet two inches, and appears to be in good physical shape, being moderately built. I would not be surprised if he could handle himself well in a fight. He is bald, has green eyes, high cheekbones, and wears a dark purple suit that could easily be mistaken for black.
"It is Mrs. actually, and it's good to finally meet the one and only Lex Luthor." corrects Scathach as she shakes Lex Luthor's hand.
"Has someone finally managed to win your esteemed favor? From what the papers say you were a one woman show." comments Luthor as he surveys our group.
"There has never been anything to win. I have always been unavailable." answers Scathach as she places a hand on my arm.
"And you are?" asks Lex as he offers his hand for a handshake.
"Ambrosius Malphas." I answer as I shake his hand.
"Malphas, Great Prince of Hell, and Satan's second in command. An interesting name." he comments as he studies me closely.
"One could say the same for you, Mr. Luthor. While a common name, many Alexanders have carved their names in history." I reply, earning a small smile from him.
Before he can answer, Bruce Wayne himself makes his way to us. Bruce Wayne is a six feet tall caucasian male with a dark and imposing figure, short black hair, and dark brown eyes. He wears a formal black suit with a grayish-blue tie.
"Scathach, it's good that you were able to make it. I presume that this is your husband." he says as he offers a handshake.
"Bruce. It is nice to see you, and yes this is him." she answers as she shakes his hand before he offers it to me.
"It is a pleasure to meet you Mr. Wayne." I say with a smile as I shake his hand.
"The pleasure is mine. She speaks quite highly of you." responds Bruce before he turns towards Lex and greets him with a nod. "Lex."
"Wayne." answers Luthor with a nod of his own.
As we feel the tension rise between the two men, Mordred draws everyone's attention to her.
"Can we go sit now?" she asks with a frown.
Before we can answer however, the doors slam open as a maniacal laughter fills the hall and Bruce Wayne sneaks his way to the back unseen by anyone but my group.
"HAHAHAHAHAHA, HELLO GOTHAM'S ELITES." cackles the Joker as he makes his way inside with a swagger as at least a dozen thugs armed with guns follow him.
The Joker is a tall, slender man, with chalk white skin, ruby red lips and a head of bright green hair falling down in a mop style. His most distinguishing feature, however, is his massive and wide smile that is constantly on his face, that gives him a sinister sort of appearance at all times. He wears his common purple suit with a flower on his lapel, skinny purple suit pants, and skinny purple tie. Unlike his usual appearance however, he wears a silver chain at his waist. His purple gloved hands hold a beige bag.
"You know,-" he says as he snatches a cup of champagne from a fearful waiter. "-when I heard that there was a party being thrown by the elites that I wasn't invited to, I was devastated."
As he finishes his statement, he chugs down his drink before throwing the glass to the floor, shattering it.
"I mean,-" he continues as he steals a tray of appetisers from another waiter. "-I'm one of the elites right?" he says as he tries the food before spitting it out.
"Blergh. Yuck. That is nasty. On a second thought,-" he comments as he spits out his half-shewed food. "I'm glad I'm not part of your boring stuffy group. Can you imagine what that would be like, to have no one laugh at your jokes."
"See…" he says as he waves his arms around the room as a demonstration. "None of you are laughing. Don't worry though, I have just what the doctors ordered." he comments as he reaches into his bag to bring out what looks like a bomb.
"This is for Bruce Wayne." he says as he holds the bomb up. "I heard that Brucie was hosting this charity gala and I thought, what kind of guest doesn't bring gifts. HA-"
"Shut up!" interrupts Mordred as he begins to laugh, causing everyone's eyes to widen. "You're not funny at all."
Unseen by the majority in the hall, Batman drops down from the ceiling behind the thugs and begins to quietly take them down.
"You know what I hate the most?" asks Joker as he makes his way towards us with an irritated scowl. "Being interrupted when I'm about to deliver the punchline."
Before he can even come within six feet of Mordred, Morgan steps into his personal space and punches him in the face, and in the process dislocating his jaw, breaking a few teeth, and knocking him out.
"The audacity to threaten my daughter." comments Morgan with narrowed eyes and a disdainful frown.
Silence fills the hall as the guests attempt to process the proceedings while Batman takes down the last thug and ties him up before making his way to us.
Batman wears a dark gray costume with the symbol of a bat spread over the chest, black trunks, gloves with fins on the outer side, boots and a black cape with a unique pattern at the end. He also wears a black cowl designed with bat ears at all times to hide his identity. Last, he wears a yellow utility belt to complete his Batsuit. In his suit, he seems far more imposing than Bruce, standing about one inch taller and seems bulkier. No doubt modifications made to the suit to further distance him from Bruce Wayne, similar to how my Batman did.
"That was a foolish thing to do." he tells Mordred as he kneels by the Joker to handcuff him. "Brave, but foolish."
Having said his piece, Batman picks the Joker up and quietly walks out of the hall.
With the mood of the festivities ruined, many of the guests, like Lex, opt to leave while our group remains due to Scathach's need to have a business conversation with Bruce. However, one thing constantly plagues my mind, how to best rid the world of the Joker, because he will unquestionably come back for revenge.
Invasion
Bludhaven, New Jersey March, 2003
"That makes no sense!" exclaims Mordred as she animatedly points at the television from her position on the floor. "Why would you tell him your villain plan instead of just killing him."
After our encounter with the Joker two months ago, he died of a blood clot to the brain while in the hospital. Of course it was no mere bloodclot, and Morgan had simply decided to design her curse to take that form when she punched him. As such we are able to simply enjoy life with no one the wiser. Which is why we are in the household's family room watching a James Bond movie, and so far it is safe to say that Mordred very much disagrees with the villain's methods.
"If you take these movies seriously you will never be able to truly enjoy them." comments Scáthach as she gently rubs the top of Mordred's head.
"I know that it's a movie, but at least make it a little bit believable." answers Mordred with a pout. "Seriously what type of super-spy gives their real name."
"Bond. James Bond." mockingly answers Azula. "These movies are ridiculous."
"Of course they are." says Morgan with a mocking smile. "Why do you think that they are so entertaining?"
Before the conversation can continue, the castle's alarm system blares to life and a magical hologram appears in front of us showcasing an incoming flaming projectile. Without our prompting, a magical shield springs to life and engulfs the entire territory, deflecting the projectile and causing it to land in the street that leads to the castle just outside of Bludhaven. Now that the flames no longer cover the projectile, it is easy to make out that it is some form of asteroid rock.
As one, we make our way out of the castle while ordering Bernard to remain inside the premises. As we step outside, we realise that this is not an isolated incident as the night sky is filled with falling asteroids. Deciding to no longer dawdle, we arrive at the closest asteroid just in time to see it come to life as a giant white tripod machine emerges from it. As I closely study it, I quickly recognise it as an Imperium invasion machine from the Justice League animated series.
The tripod machine is white with various patches of black on it. It stands as tall as a skyscraper on three spikes for legs that converge onto a round mass that looks similar to a brain without the ridges. On the center of the mass is what looks like an eyehole that constantly closes and opens with a beam of energy shooting out every time it opens.
"This is an invasion!" I quickly inform the others as I summon my spear and hurl it through the machine, destroying it before I summon it back.
"The city!" cries out Mordred as she points to more asteroids landing in Bludhaven.
"It seems that we will have to intervene." comments Scáthach as everyone's pajamas turn into their combat gear.
"Mordred, I want you to go around the city saving as many as possible. And don't remove your helmet." I order before she takes off with a powerful mana burst, no doubt appearing to simply disappear to any bystanders due to her sheer speed.
"If this is truly an invasion then Bludhaven will not be the only target." says Scáthach. "It would be best if we split up while using the communication rune to keep in contact."
"I will head to Gotham city since Bruce will need the help." I inform them.
"We should also attempt to rally the heroes to mount a counterattack, otherwise we will lose the battle simply due to the opponents numbers." suggests Morgan. "I am the one most suitable for this task."
"Very well." agrees Azula as she begins to float upwards. "I will travel to Metropolis where the biggest asteroid landed. I wager that it is most likely where the leader has made landfall." she informs us before taking off towards the city with a sonic boom.
Having made our plan of attack, we waste no time and head towards our objectives with Scáthach heading to Bludhaven, Morgan to the other heroes, while I teleport to a rune in Gotham.
As I arrive, I notice a trio of tripod machines wrecking havoc while a fourth machine sets about creating dark clouds to block out the sky. Considering the fact that the members of the Imperium are nocturnal and burn when in the presence of sunlight, they will be attempting to engulf the entire planet.
Up in the sky the batplane flies overhead attempting to destroy the machines with missiles while the army attempts to destroy them with their tanks on the ground while awaiting air support. Deciding not to idle, I use the Imperium's artificial clouds against them by manipulating them into storm clouds and raining lightning upon them. With a few weak lightning strikes, all four machines are destroyed while I slowly float up to the batplane with the appliance of my rune suit.
"I have vital information that is useful against the invaders. This is an international crisis, as such it would be best if we pooled our resources to mount a counterattack." I inform him as we fly towards a clearing where he lands.
As the plane's glass screen opens, Batman jumps out and lands in front of me, his cape fluttering in a way that none of us Robins ever figured out how.
"Malphas." he comments with somewhat narrowed eyes. "You said you had vital information."
"They call themselves the Imperium." I inform him as I stop a smile from appearing on my face due to the nostalgic feeling of once again working with him. " They feed off of psychic energy from other beings, are nocturnal, and have no defense towards the sun's rays."
"That explains why they are attempting to cover the sky before daytime arrives." adds Batman monotonically as he looks towards the craters with a thoughtful expression before once again turning to me. "How do you know this."
"Simple observations." I easily lie. "Morgan is attempting to rally the other heroes for a counterattack."
"Very well. What is the plan?" he asks as he makes his way back into his plane.
Before I can answer however, Morgan's voice broadcasts into my head through the communication rune.
"I have managed to rally Superman, Wonder Woman, Flash, John Stewart, Aquaman, and Hawkwoman. They managed to rid their city of the Imperium. We will meet in Metropolis, it seems that the leader arrived there." informs Morgan.
"They are in Metropolis." I relay to Batman as he nods in affirmative and begins to fly off.
Easily catching up to him, I take the lead and head towards Metropolis while shooting down any Imperium machine we come across with lightning.
Soon enough we arrive in Metropolis where I can easily make out countless Imperium tripod machines protecting a single machine. No doubt that is where the leader can be found. Looking further, I can make out the group standing or floating on top of the Daily Planet. As we arrive, Batman places his plane into standby mode causing it to simply float while he hops onto the Daily Planet's roof.
The first person that catches my eyes among the heroes is Superman himself. Not surprising considering the fact that he has the most imposing figure in the entire group. Superman is a tall, muscular caucasian male standing at six feet three inches. He has vivid blue eyes and short black hair with a curl over his forehead. He wears a blue uniform with his famous red-and-yellow "S" shield on his chest, red trunks, a yellow belt, red boots and a red cape.
"Batman." greets the Man of Steel with a nod which the Dark Knight returns.
Evidently at some point in their careers they met one another.
"Alright. This is the most that I was able to assemble in the short amount of time that I had." informs Morgan as she surveys the group.
"It will have to do." I answer her before addressing the gathered group. "Some of you may know me, some do not. Regardless it does not matter until we can force the Imperium to retreat."
"Right, and we're supposed to take orders from a rookie?" wonders John Stewart as he studies me.
John Stewart is an African American male with a slender build and short black hair who is six feet tall. His costume is mostly black, except for green parts on his wrists and on his shoulders and upper chest. He also wears the Green Lantern Corps symbol on his chest, and unlike his fellow Lantern, Hal Jordan, he does not wear a mask.
"Listen,-" he says gently as he approaches me. "I know that you want to help, but let the professionals handle this. The last thing we need is for a group of rookies to make things worse."
In response to his words, Morgan and I cannot help but raise an eyebrow, Scáthach simply covers her mouth in an attempt to hide her slight chuckle alongside Mordred. Azula however has no qualms about making her amusement known as she simply laughs with no restraint, drawing the group's attention to her.
"Rookies." says Azula as she gathers herself. "I haven't had such a fulfilling laugh in years. When this is over perhaps I will hire you to act as my personal jester, you certainly have the knack for it."
Azula's words seem to be the last straw as Scáthach, Mordred, and Wonder Woman lose control and laugh.
"Listen,-" orders Azula as she finally stops laughing with a malicious glint appearing in her eyes. "-we have fought in wars before you were even a thought to your mother. So stand back and listen to your betters."
Dumbfounded, John is unable to reply allowing for Scáthach, who is no longer laughing, to take over.
"From what we have been able to gather, their purpose is to drain every human being on the planet of their psychic energy. This will result in their deaths." she informs them, causing the heroes not truly experienced with the darker aspects of the occupation yet to pale.
"As for the cloud machines,-" continues Morgan. "Their purpose is to protect them from their weakness, the sun's rays."
"So if we can destroy those cloud machines then that should make them retreat right?" comments Flash.
"If the leaders are sensible." replies Wonder Woman.
Wonder Woman is noticeably tall, standing at six feet two inches, and fair-skinned with straight waist-length black hair, blue eyes, and broad shoulders. She is ageless and attractive in appearance, sporting a voluptuous frame with a sizable bust and well-toned yet muscular build.
She wears a sleeveless top with a red section resembling her original costume from the comics, but with a blue section covering her chest. She wears matching navy blue undersleeves with fingerless gloves with a white star on the back of her hand. She also wears slightly long briefs with three wide pteruges-like flaps; one on either side and one at the front. The side flaps have white stars on them; all flaps have a white trim. Her boots are blue as well and extend above her knees, with golden knee pads. In addition to her lasso, she carries a sword on her belt and a small round shield on her back.
"And if they aren't?" asks Hawkwoman as she swings her mace arounds.
Hawkwoman's most distinguishing features are the giant wings on her back which make her appear taller than her actual height of five feet seven inches. She wears a costume colored black, red, and some gold. She dons a golden breastplate, leaving the top of her torso bare, and a black skirt with dark red plating. Her arms are wrapped in black and dark red cloth, with extra padding around the shoulders. She also wears knee-high greaves. Her helmet features two brown wings facing outward. It allows her red hair to flow out the back. Her primary weapon is a large spiked mace made of Nth metal.
"Then they will have to face the consequence of their decision once the sun rises." answers Atlantis' ruler, Aquaman.
Aquaman, like many of his peers, is a tall, muscular caucasian male that stands at six feet tall, with short blond hair, a blond beard, and aqua blue eyes. He wears an orange scale-mail tunic and dark green leggings. At his waist is a gold belt that is clasped with a stylized letter "A", which no doubt has a built-in communicator. He also wears golden gauntlets on his wrists, and dark green greaves. In his right hand is the Trident of Neptune brimming with magical power.
"Hopefully it won't come to that." says Superman optimistically. "Otherwise we'll have to figure out a way to convince them.
While Batman and Flash share Superman's sentiment, the others, particularly the warriors and soldiers, seem skeptical but refuse to say otherwise to not start an argument.
"Ok, so what's the plan?" asks Flash he alternates between looking towards Superman, Wonder Woman and me for instructions.
"We split up." orders Batman. "Malphas, his group, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, and Hawkwoman will carry out the assault outside and destroy the artificial cloud machines. Meanwhile the rest of us will use the distraction outside to sneak onto the mothership to convince them to leave. Any questions?"
Seeing that no one had a question, Batman leaps off the roof and glides downwards while we follow suit.
"Where is Mordred?" I ask Morgan as we fly towards the enemy.
"I sent her to the cities without heroes." she replies as she destroys a tripod machine with a beam of pure magical energy, far more powerful than any of her similar spells from the Nasuverse. Clearly her trips to the Oblivion Bar has taught her a few tricks.
Following close behind, I plunge my spear into a machine's eyehole then strike it with a bolt of lightning. As the machine plunges towards the ground, I jump off it before flying completely through a second machine. Before I can do more however, Superman comes flying out of the mothership with a loud crack.
Turning my eyes towards the cause, I am introduced to my first new god, and the ugliest of them all, Kalibak Son of Darkseid.
Standing at seven feet nine inches, Kalibak cuts a terrifying figure with a facing that resembles a lion more than he does a human. He has black hair that surrounds his head and looks very much like a lion's mane that is further accentuated by his golden crown. He wears a sleeveless, green one piece suit that stops at his bulging thighs and easily showcases his bulging, and muscular body. On his feet he wears green boots, and green gloves on his hands where he also holds his weapon, the Beta Club. It is a weapon that fires force bolts or nerve beams that causes living beings agonizing pain and is nearly invulnerable.
Not allowing him the opportunity to continue his assault on Superman, I attack him myself and send him flying through the ship with a sweep of my spear. Following through, I fly after him as he crashes through the ship's walls to exit on the other side. As he attempts to recover, I plunge my spear through his shoulder, pinning him to the ground as he roars in pain.
"What are you doing here Kalibak?" I question him with a twist of my spear to increase his pain.
"Burn in the pits of Apokolips curr." comes his reply through gritted teeth as he attempts to remove the spear to no avail as it shocks him with lightning.
"Allow me." says Azula as she approaches Kalibak and I with a malicious smirk on her face.
"Perhaps if we had time." replies Morgan as she teleports to us. "Knowing you, the process would take long simply because you want to make him suffer."
Ignoring Azula's dissatisfied pout, Morgan places her hands on Kalibak's temples as her eyes glow green. The process takes a few seconds and seems to put Kalibak in an extreme amount of pain considering his painful bestial roar.
"This was a plot by Darkseid to conquer Earth." says Morgan as she finishes while ignoring an unconscious Kalibak. "Highfather has placed Earth under his protection, so Darkseid thought to use the Imperium as his vessel to conquer Earth. Kalibak's purpose was to see the assault through."
"Then this will not be the end of it." comments Scáthach as she teleports to us.
"Regardless, we have won this day, and we will be ready for Darkseid's second plot." says Wonder Woman as she flies down to us.
"As a group?" asks Flash as he and the remaining heroes join us. "I'd be interested in that and we could do a lot of good together."
"Flash is right." says Superman with a smile. "I once thought I could protect the world by myself, but I was wrong. Working together, we saved the planet. And I believe that if we stay together, as a team, we would be a force that could truly work for the ideals of peace and justice."
"Before we can continue this conversation,-" interjects Batman. "-we have to defeat the remnants of the Imperium around the World."
Trouble in Paradise
AN: For those of you who watched the Justice League animated series and are wondering where Martian Manhunter is, his origins are going to be different in this. The Imperium never made it to Mars and instead were caught by Darkseid to use them as a vessel to conquer Earth.
--
United States Airspace
March, 2003. Two weeks after Invasion
In the aftermath of Kaliback's defeat, it took the hastily assembled team of heroes approximately eight hours of traveling throughout the world to defeat the remnants of the Imperium. After which they separated to return to their respective homes. Throughout these past few weeks however, they have been occasionally meeting as a group to plan the Justice League.
With the recent completion of the base in the Cave in Happy Harbor, Rhode Island, Batman and Superman currently make their way to Bludhaven in order to officially invite Malphas and his group to join the League.
From what Batman has been able to observe, other than the unnamed Knight, none in the group seem to really have a desire of joining. They seem to be more inclined with making a difference in the world using their civilian identities similar to how he does as Bruce Wayne. A choice that he can easily respect. As far as he is concerned, they have no obligation to do like he does. Just by using their civilian identities to better Bludhaven is more than the majority of their social class, businessmen or otherwise. As such he respects them, but will be paying close attention to them in light of how powerful they are.
As for how the other members of the League feel towards them, the opinions vary. From what he has been able to observe, Hawkwoman and Wonder Woman have a healthy amount of respect for the group while John Stewart is slowly moving towards that direction. Aquaman seems to have easily befriended Ambrosius. As far as he can tell it seems that it's because of their shared mannerism, although Aquaman is far more bold and patronizing, even if it is unintentional. As for Flash, he seems to be intrigued by the group while Superman seems excited at the prospect of more heroes doing good around the world.
As for Batman himself, well he is cautious. Individually they are all a force to be reckoned with, however together they could perhaps take down the entire League. Should they decide to break the law it will be far more difficult to take them in compared to other members of the League. However, that is not the main cause of his caution. The main reason is due to the fact that something about Ambrosius' mannerism reminds him far too much of himself. Perhaps it is the calculating mind, the cautious and no nonsense attitude, or the way he seems to take notes of everything in case he needs it later. Normally that wouldn't really be a reason for concern, whether those habits are taken all together or by themselves, especially since many warriors have them. However, Batman simply can't seem to shake the familiarity of it off regardless of how hard he tried.
Still, despite his caution, Batman can't deny that they are worthy allies and forces for good. This can easily be seen with how much Bludhaven has changed ever since they became active in the city. Scáthach's business alone has done wonders for the city's economy, paired with the fact that the police department and mayor's office has been rid of most of the corruption ever since Azula became Chief of Police seemingly without cheating the system. As for Morgan, Batman suspects that she has been the one to change the way the criminals operated. Around a year ago, a Madam took over the criminal elements of the city and changed how they operated. Human trafficking has stopped completely while it has become almost impossible to smuggle and sell drugs in the city. Unfortunately he doesn't have any proof that confirms that she is in fact The Madam.
"Do you think that they'll accept?" comes Superman's voice over the communication device in his cowl as he soars through the sky.
"It's not impossible." replies Batman from his plane. "However I doubt it. They seem to prefer changing things as civilians. The invasion might have an isolated incident."
"Hopefully they accept." answers Superman. "They could be major assets."
"Assets?" questions Batman with a well hidden smirk. "You sound like me. Am I rubbing off on you?"
"Like a bad rash." jokingly replies Superman with a smile. "Besides, even Bruce Wayne of all people doesn't have a monopoly on critical thinking."
"Hmmm." replies Batman with a hum as he steers his plane towards the approaching castle. "Maybe my next purchase will be that, Clark" continues Batman as he emphasises Superman's civilian identity.
"That's a really nice property." comments Superman as he and Batman lower themselves just outside of the gate of the premises. "How do you think the world would react if they found out that some of the most powerful people on the planet live here?" wonders Superman outloud.
"The same way I imagine that they will should they ever find out that you're a reporter." stoically replies Batman as he jumps out of the plane. "Considering the fact that they've magically hidden their identities from all but members of the League, I wager that we may never find out."
"I'm still finding that hard to process. Magic is real." says Superman with a small amount of wonder.
"You're an alien from space with heat vision and ice breath." answers Batman with a deadpan voice as the gates open and Bernard walks towards the two men.
"The masters have been expecting you sirs, please follow me." comments Bernard as he leads them past the statues and a blond child playing with a black panther towards the castle's open doors.
"Is that safe?" asks Superman as he looks towards the duo with some concern.
"I assure you Superman, Custos is a perfectly safe playmate for Madam Mordred." answers Bernard with no concern in his expression whatsoever, almost as if it were a common sight.
As they arrive inside, Ambrosius is there to meet them and relieve Bernard of his duties.
"Thank you Bernard." says Ambroius with a smile. "I will take it from here."
"Of course Master Ambrosius." replies Bernard with a respectful nod before walking further into the castle and disappears behind a doorway.
"Superman, Batman, to what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?" asks Ambrosius as he leads them to a lounge where Azula, Morgan, and Scáthach awaits them.
"The Cave is complete." replies Batman as he stops by the doorway while Superman takes an offered seat.
"What Batman means is that we came to officially invite you to the League." says Superman.
In response to Superman's words, the members of the Malphas family share a glance with one another before Scáthach answers.
"We have given some thought to the matter, and unfortunately haven't been able to decide." she says.
"Together we can do much more together than when separated" says Superman as he attempts to persuade them.
"There's no need to attempt to persuade us." says Morgan from her position. "We are very much aware of the benefits of joining."
"The disagreement however stems from the decision to become a United Nations sanctioned organisation." explains Azula.
"It's the best way to operate without alienating the people." replies Superman. "Many of them are afraid of what a group like ours can do if left unsupervised."
"That's all well and good, but many of the politicians that have a say in how you will operate are corrupt beyond measure." says Morgan as she turns to look at Batman in the eyes.
"Unfortunately there's nothing we can do if their government supports their actions." he replies with frustrated resignation.
"With the amount of power they have, they can choose whether or not you should save someone, whether you should respond to a threat or even whether you should provide humanitarian efforts towards a location that very much needs it." explains Azula with a frown. "Power like that should not be in the hands of corrupt men."
Before anyone can answer, Bernard steps in next to the standing Batman with a silver tray in hand.
"Beverages anyone?" he asks as he offers Batman a cup of steaming hot tea.
Unfortunately Batman isn't able to answer as the castle informs the occupants of a fast approaching Wonder Woman. Without waiting for instructions, Bernard places the tray on the table before leaving to receive her.
"Did she seem to be in a rush to you?" asks Scáthach as she looks towards Ambrosius.
"Not only did she seem to be in a rush, but she also seemed in an unpleasant mood." he answers with a frown.
"I thought that she went back home to Themyscira?" Superman asks Batman.
"She did." simply answers Batman as he narrows his eyes as Wonder Woman walks into the room.
"My apologies for arriving unannounced,-" she says apologetically "-but I need your help."
"What can we help you with?" asks Scáthach as she stands.
"Themyscira has been attacked by a sorcerer who calls himself Felix Faust. He has somehow managed to turn everyone into stone, even my mother." she explains with a scowl.
"He's holding them hostage in exchange for something." hypothesizes Batman.
"In exchange for their freedom I am to bring him three artifacts, however I am suspicious of the artifacts and do not trust him."she adds as she hands Ambrosius a piece of paper.
"Perhaps Morgan could undo his spell?" suggests Ambrosius as he and the other seated occupants stand while he takes the paper. "However, it would be best to collect the artifacts in case the opposite is true."
"Then we split up." says Superman "Some of us will collect the artifacts while the others return to Themyscira to try and reverse the spell."
"Where are the other members of the League?" asks Azula.
"John Stewart is off-world, Flash is working, and Aquaman has a crisis in Atlantis." informs Batman as the group walks out of the room. "Hawkwoman should be available however."
"Father!" exclaims Mordred as she approaches the group in a jog as Custos trails behind her. "Are you going to be doing superhero stuff? If you are, can I come?" she asks.
"No." firmly replies Morgan. "I believe that you still have a school project to complete."
Hearing her mother's answer, Mordred turns to her father with a pout as she stares into his eyes.
"Your mother has spoken." answers Ambrosius helplessly. "Besides this will not take long and is magic related."
"Fine." replies Mordred as she makes her way inside with a frown.
"You have an adorable child." comments Wonder Woman with a smile as they make their way past the statues and the gate.
"Thank you." replies Morgan.
"Morgan, Scáthach, and Azula will go with you to Themyscira while Superman, Batman and I will search for the artifact." says Ambrosius as their casual clothes turn into their battle gear and Batman mounts his plane.
"Thank you for your assistance." says Wonder Woman as the group takes to the sky and separates.
"What do you know of this Felix Faust?" asks Scáthach as her group flies over the Atlantic.
"Other than what I have relayed, nothing." answers Wonder Woman with a frown
"I have heard of him at the Oblivion Bar." informs Morgan. "According to my sources he is a mediocre sorcerer at best. Turning people to stones should be far beyond him."
"Clearly it isn't." says Azula. "Either your source is severely misinformed, or Faust received some major power boost."
"I honestly cannot tell which is worse." comments Wonder Woman.
"Pray that it isn't the ladder, because that would suggest that someone may be working behind the scenes." answers Morgan. "One does not receive such a drastic increase in power without a higher being involving themselves."
"We've arrived." says Wonder Woman as an island quickly approaches the group where they land on the beach with various statues of Amazons in different poses of attack.
"This reminds me of the gorgon Medusa." comments Azula as she inspects the statues.
"Indeed." agrees Morgan as she reaches out to the curse in an attempt to reverse it.
"Where is Faust?" asks Scáthach as she inspects the beach.
"In the throne room." answers Wonder Woman as she approaches Morgan. "Anything?" she asks.
"This curse… -" says Morgan with a deep frown. "-this is no ordinary curse. It reeks of magic only capable of the gods."
Tartarus
Metropolis Museum of Art March, 2003
"This is the first location." comments Superman as we step in front of the empty Metropolis Museum of Art due to the late hour of the night.
"How exactly do you plan on getting inside?" I ask the Man of Steel as Batman stealthily disappears from my side without Superman noticing, making me smile with fondness.
"Stealth is more of Batman's forte." he replies as he turns to consult Batman only to realize that he is missing.
"I hate when he does that." sighs Superman as he looks around us in search of our third member.
"How can you be amused by that?" he asks me with a bit of exasperation in his voice when he notices my smile.
"It is honestly not that difficult." I reply with a wider smile as I activate the x-ray rune tattooed on my body that allows me to follow the Dark Knight's movements past the museum's defenses and into the surveillance room.
"You know how he does that?" he asks with a bit of hope in his voice while still searching for Batman, and eventually finding him with his x-ray vision judging by the raised eyebrow.
"Trade secret." I answer as my smile turns into a smirk and Batman comes out of the empty museum through the front door.
"What are you two waiting for? A red carpet?" he sarcastically asks with his usual monotone before returning inside.
Ignoring Superman's questioning expression, I follow the Dark Knight into the unlit museum. Making my way in, I pull out the piece of paper given to me by Wonder Woman and memorise its contents before burning the paper into ashes.
"Pyrokinesis?" asks an intrigued Superman. "It looks like there's more to you than we originally thought." he comments.
"There is honestly not much to tell." I answer with a shrug as I notice Batman subtly slow down to reduce the distance between us, subtle enough that anyone else would easily miss his action. Had I not been trained by him I would not have noticed, and even if I did I would most likely not know that he is currently compiling information on me based on my words, body language, etc.
"Prior to our arrival to Bludhaven, my family had been reclusive for centuries, and our powers are magic based." I answer as we walk past countless displays of ancient rocks and weapons.
"Hmmm." hums the Dark Knight in thought as he stops in front of what seems to be a rock with hole in it on display. "According to the note Faust gave to Wonder Woman, this is the first piece of the artifact." he says as he inspects the artifact, his eyes glowing with his cowl's detective vision.
Faust's note to Wonder Woman, that I recently burned, contained a set of descriptions for what the artifacts look like and where they are most likely held. From what I have been able to gather, the artifacts are in fact pieces of a singular whole that has been separated and scattered in order to make sure that none come into possession of, and reassemble them. For what purpose? I do not know, however it is reason enough to make me cautious.
As I Superman and I join the Dark Knight in inspecting the artifact, I notice said Man of Steel reach to grab it.
"Do not touch it." I order Superman as I grab his hand stopping it inches away from the artifact. "There is a magical trap awaiting to spring should the artifact be removed." I explain as I let him go and inscribe a diagnostic runic array into the air.
It takes a few seconds, but eventually I find where the spell is tethered to the artifact. From what I have been able to gather it is a simple enchantment spell that causes whoever springs it to hallucinate. While it is a well thought out idea, the execution is mediocre at best compared to what I have seen Morgan, Azula, and Scáthach achieve. Conjuring Medea's noble phantasm, Rule Breaker, that I had her show me before the Grail War.
Rule Breaker is an iridescent and jagged dagger that is thin, brittle, and blunt. It is effectively nonexistent in its capacity as a weapon, comparable to that of a regular dagger at the most, and would not be suitable for even killing a single person.
"What is that?" asks Superman as he watches me stab the dagger into the artifact causing it to discharge a somewhat significant amount of magical energy into the air that quickly dissipates. Evidently the caster's forte was not magic, or at least this kind of magic.
"A family heirloom that once stabbed into a magical object of any kind nullifies its magical effect or whatever spell was placed upon it." I answer as I make sure to check for any spells that I may have missed. I do find one, however it turns out to be the enchantment that gives the relic the properties required for it to accomplish its purpose. Finding no traps, I cautiously reach towards the artifact before picking it up and placing it in my storage space.
"Two more to go." comments Batman as we turn to leave the museum.
As we arrive outside of the museum, Wonder Woman's group teleports in front of us with an unpleasant expression on their faces.
"We may have a problem." informs Morgan as we approach them. "The magic used upon the Amazons is of godly origin, and according to Azula it reeks of Hades."
"Hades?" I question with a frown. "What could he possibly gain from attacking the Amazons?"
"It is as much of a mystery to us as it is to you." answers Scáthach with a shake of her head.
"I would expect Ares to conceive this plot, not Hadees." adds a puzzled Azula with a frown.
"Ares is imprisoned, he cannot be behind this plot." says Wonder Woman as she crosses her arms.
"Imprisoned? Where?" I ask.
"On Themyscira." replies Wonder Woman. "He became too bold and blood thirsty for Zeus' liking, therefore the remaining Olympians had him imprisoned on Themyscira with the Amazons acting as guards."
"What else is on Themyscira?" asks Batman as he finally speaks since the group's arrival.
"Other than Ares' prison, The Gates of Tartarus." answers Wonder Woman.
"Did you say Tartarus?" I wonder out loud alongside Azula.
"I did. Why?" replies Wonder Woman.
"Because that is most likely Faust's goal." informs Scáthach with a thoughtful expression. "That however begs the question of what is Hades' involvement."
"Couldn't you use the dagger to break the spell?" asks Superman.
"No." I answer with a shake of my head. "Divine magic is beyond it."
"Well we can think about it as we retrieve the second piece of the artifact." he responds before anyone else can speak.
"Very well." agrees Wonder Woman. "The next piece of the artifact should be in the Crypt of Pentesilea in Greece, while the last one was found by Faust on Themyscira."
"What are the chances of these artifacts being the key to Tartarus?" I ask as we slowly float upwards while Superman takes Batman to his plane that is parked on the roof of the museum.
"You believe that Hades wishes to open The Gates of Tartarus?" asks Wonder Woman skeptically as we begin to fly towards Greece with Superman and Batman catching up to us before we all speed up and break the sound barrier.
"It is the only purpose for the attack on Themyscira that makes any amount of sense." replies Scáthach. "But the question is why?"
"I do not know." answers Wonder Woman. "As far as I am aware, there is nothing in Tartarus worthy of his attention."
"Are we sure that he isn't already in Tartarus?" questions Superman.
"No." firmly replies Wonder Woman with a shake of her head. "I remember mother specifically telling me that Ares is the only god currently imprisoned."
"It is possible that Hades was imprisoned in Tartarus without her knowledge." suggests Morgan.
"It is possible." agrees Wonder Woman unesealy. "However that would imply that things on Olympus are not as peaceful as we Amazons were led to believe."
"Things are never as peaceful on Olympus as the gods make them out to be." comments Azula with distaste. "I wouldn't be surprised if there is a constant political game being played there and Hades lost."
"You have interacted with the gods before?" questions Wonder Woman with wide eyes.
"I have, and I find many of the inner politics on Olympus to be tiring." scoffs Azula with an eye roll. "As a matter of fact I have enough interactions with the pantheon as a whole to last me a lifetime."
"Says the daughter of Jupiter." remarks Morgan with a smirk.
"That's exactly why I'm tired of them." replies Azula as she ignores the puzzled faces of Wonder Woman and Superman. "Being raised on Olympus for a few years was tiring, and that's without bringing the later years into question."
"Daughter of Jupiter?" questions Superman as he attempts to make sense of what he's heard.
"We are from an alternate universe." answers Scáthach nonchalantly as if answering a question about the weather.
"The multiverse theory." comments Batman from his plane, loud enough for those with super hearing, whether thru magic or otherwise, to listen.
"I've heard about that,-" says a thoughtful Superman. "-but It's never been proven."
"What is the multiverse theory?" questions Wonder Woman.
"It is a scientific theory that states that we live in a universe that consists of multiple universes existing in the same physical space, kept separate by differing vibrational speeds." explains Scáthach in a simplified manner. "In each universe there is an Earth that is similar yet different from ours."
"Are you claiming to be from one such Earth?" asks a fascinated Wonder Woman.
"Yes. There demigods and magic are a common occurrence yet are hidden from the world, and superheroes are things of fiction, or at least as far as the general public knows. Due to an accident we found ourselves stranded here." answers Morgan.
"Are all of you demigods?" asks an interested Superman.
"Just Azula and I." I answer him. "I am a son of Neptune."
The rest of the flight is spent in light conversation as we exchange information about one another. Nothing too personal considering the fact at this time we are nothing more than acquaintances.
Eventually we arrive in Athens, Greece, where the Crypt of Penthesilea is magically hidden. Arriving at the Parthenon, we follow Morgan as she inspects the Parthenon for the entrance to the Crypt. Eventually she finds it near a broken piece of rubble.
"Something isn't right." comments Superman as he stares into the dark entrance of the Crypt with narrowed eyes and a frown. "I can't see into the Crypt, not even with my x-ray."
"The darkness certainly is not natural." I answer as I too attempt to stare past the darkness to no avail. Reaching out with my magical senses, I immediately sense the problem. "The darkness was created using a god's power. I do not know whose, yet it is enough to make my sight and any magical counter I may come up with useless."
"I can cast a spell to counter it, but I don't have enough raw power for more than three." informs Azula as she looks between Morgan, Wonder Woman, and Scáthach.
"Do you have a counter spell?" Batman asks Morgan.
"No. Any spell by the gods is beyond me. It is why I was unable to revert the Amazons back to normal." she informs him with a hint of annoyance in her voice.
"Magic by the gods is beyond any mortal without divinity." I add. "It is why Scáthach cannot counter this spell despite being Azula's superior in magic, and as for me, well, my specialty lies in runes, and I never bothered to learn anything this complex."
"It is the tomb of an Amazon, as such Wonder Woman should go." decides Scáthach as she sits on a piece of rock. "Morgan should be the second companion due to her magical expertise. Even if she cannot personally cast a counterspell, she will most likely have the knowledge on how to."
With a nod Azula casts her spell, and the trio make their way into the tomb.
"What is it like, being the son of a god?" asks Superman as he crosses his arms and makes himself comfortable by leaning on a pillar.
"All demigods are unfortunately born with ADHD and Dyslexia." I inform him much to his shock. "It is a result of having a brain hardwired for ancient greek, or latin depending on the parent, and battle."
"Depending on the parent?"questions Batman with a raised eyebrow.
"Roman godly parents result in the child being hardwired for Latin." I explain.
"I still find it difficult to process the fact that the Greek gods are real, and that the Roman ones are avatars of the Greeks gods." comments Superman with disbelief.
Of course they aren't avatars of the Greek gods, at least not in the PJO universe where I originally hail from as a demigod. In the DC Universe however, they are.
After I answer his question, we fall into a comfortable silence and I sit down on the ground to meditate, eventually losing sense of time yet very much still aware of my surroundings should any danger come. Eventually, footsteps approach from inside the crypt and I end my meditation.
Exiting the crypt are Morgan, Wonder Woman, and Azula no worse for wear than when they entered.
"We have the relic." informs Wonder Woman as she shows it to us and I retrieve my piece to hand it to her.
"Then we should go." says Batman as he makes his way to his plane and boards it.
Without another word, we take to the sky and follow Wonder Woman as she plots a course for Themyscira. The flight is quiet and serene, with the only sound coming from the ocean, and surprisingly Batman's plane. No doubt he is still attempting to install a stealth setting without severely affecting the plane's performance.
As we continue on our journey, I begin to find it harder to plot our location. Even with my ability to know exactly where I am longitude and latitude wise in the world, I know nothing of our location and it severely unnerves me. For the first time since I became a demigod I am ignorant of both my destination and location.
Eventually we come upon a storm that I know, without even trying, that I cannot control it. It is almost as if the storm is sentient and has deemed me unworthy to control it. As lighting flashes and thunder booms around us, I turn to Azula and notice that she too has sensed what I have. This storm is supernatural and beyond our control. Only a god could possibly achieve something of this magnitude. The absurd amount of times that I have come upon a magic or feat of the gods in the past few hours is far too much for my liking. Almost as if they are telling me that no matter how hard I try I will never truly be free from them.
As we reach the eye of the storm, I spot an island that sits peacefully amidst this stormy night. On the island I can spot countless Greek structures such as temples, houses, and even a forge. Looking further into the island, I spot a massive jungle that leads into a mountain that stretches towards the heavens.
While the sight is beautiful, it is unfortunately marred by the countless statues of Amazons in the middle of an action.
As we enter the palace, I can tell that the Amazons were caught completely unaware. Some stand proudly on guard duty, others in the middle of a step, and some in the middle of a meal.
Reaching the throne room, I spot Felix Faust himself sitting on Hypolita's throne while the statue of the Queen is frozen in the middle of a sword swing. Evidently Faust attempted to interact with her and almost paid the price.
Felix Faust is a tall caucasian male that stands at five feet eleven inches. He possesses a lean face and deep brown eyes. He wears a headdress made up of a golden coronet and black cloth covering his brown hair and part of his cheeks. He wears a black long sleeve undershirt that goes up to his neck, with large metal bands on his torso. Over it, he wears a blue tunic that goes up until his knees, and is held in place by a golden sash.
"My dear Diana,-" mockingly comments Faust as he stands from the throne. "-what took you so long. Not only did you dawdle, but you also brought male guests. What would mommy dearest think?"
"I have your artifact Faust. Release my mother." orders Wonder Woman as she brings out the fully assembled artifact
With a malicious grin on his face Faust levitates the artifact to him while sending a bland medallion to us. As soon as the artifact is in his hand he teleports out of the courtroom while Morgan grabs the amulet in and begins to revert Hippolyta back to normal.
"Amateur." chuckles Azula as she brings the exact same artifact given to Faust out of her storage space. "He actually fell for it."
"That wasn't the actual artifact was it?" asks Superman.
"Yes and no." replies Batman. "They most likely duplicated a genuine piece of the artifact before pairing the fake with the other genuine piece."
"Yes." confirms Azula as Morgan and Wonder Woman help Hippolyta approach us. "Both are useless now as neither of them are completely genuine. Which means that Tartarus will not be opened."
"An admirable effort." comments Hippolyta as she finally gains enough of her bearing to stand on her own. "Unfortunately it was a fruitless one as the sorceres is not operating alone. Circe is aiding him, and the last time we met in battle she was capable of perfectly duplicating any form of magic regardless of its origin."
"With one genuine piece she will be able to replicate the enchantment to open the Gates of Tartarus." says Morgan with wide eyes as the island of Themyscira begins to shake and bestial roars permeate the air.
Attack on Paradise Island
AN: This chapter was supposed to come out earlier and be longer, but my laptop decided to act up.
Throne Room, The Island of Themyscira
March, 2003
The first thing Hippolyta becomes aware of as the curse lifts are the voices that seem to be discussing the sorcerer Faust. Opening her eyes, she is able to barely make out her daughter, Diana, and another woman attempting to aid her to her feet. Remembering Circe's purpose in coming to Themyscira, Hippolyta attempts to hastily stand on her feet only to stumble and be caught by Diana.
"Careful mother." gently orders Diana as she pulls her mother to her feet. "You are still feeling the adverse effects of the curse."
Listening to her daughter, Hippolyta takes her time adjust to her new position and turns towards a group of figures standing a few feet away from her
"Amateur." chuckles a feminine voice as an object of some kind appears in her hand. "He actually fell for it."
"That wasn't the actual artifact was it?" asks a male.
"Yes and no." replies a second man. "They most likely duplicated a genuine piece of the artifact before pairing the fake with the other genuine piece."
With a frown on her face Hippolyta processes the fact that there are men on Themyscira while she attempts to approach the group as her vision clears.
"Yes." confirms the same woman who first spoke as Diana and the second woman helps her approach the group.
"Both are useless now as neither of them are completely genuine. Which means that Tartarus will not be opened." says the woman with a devilish smirk.
Studying the woman, Hippolyta can't help but realise that if she didn't know every Amazon by name she would have no problem believing that this woman is one. The woman stands at five feet ten inches, an inch taller than Hippolyta herself, possesses hair as black as Hippolyta with golden eyes that stand out far more that Hippolyta's blue. Unlike Hippolyta who lets her curly hair fall down to her shoulders, the woman wears hers in a warrior's braid and leaves two bangs to frame her face. What truly makes her look like an Amazon however is her impressive armor.
The first piece is an ebony colored battle skirt that covers part of her black padded leggings. The skirt itself ends at her mid thigh, with a purple belt, that slightly glows, to hold it to her waist. Following that are her knee high boots with greaves covering them. The boots themselves are in the exact same design as one of the man's, with hers being all black as opposed to his blue.
The next part that Hippolyta notices pays attention to is the chest plate that is composed of a purple eagle whose wings are spread, under black shoulder pads. Purple padded under shirt comes out from under the breast plate and ends at the wrist, where the dark grey vambraces cover them from her elbow to her wrist. Then there is the helmet that covers the majority of her head while leaving her lips and eyes exposed, and dark purple cape with highlights that glow purple every few seconds finishes the armor.
Having been around for centuries and being very experienced with the supernatural, Hippolyta can easily tell that the armor was blessed by some of the Olympians. Even if the woman is not an Amazon, Hippolyta is sure that she is related to the gods somehow.
Shaking those thoughts from her head, Hippolyta approaches the group
"An admirable effort." comments Hippolyta as she finally gains enough of her bearing to stand on her own. "Unfortunately it was a fruitless one as the sorceres is not operating alone. Circe is aiding him, and the last time we met in battle she was capable of perfectly duplicating any form of magic regardless of its origin."
"With one genuine piece she will be able to replicate the enchantment to open the Gates of Tartarus." says the second woman with wide eyes as the island of Themyscira begins to shake and bestial roars permeate the air.
"How long will it take you to lift the curse over every Amazons on the island?" asks the man in blue and black, and perhaps the most dangerous of the group from what Hippolyta can tell.
"With the amulet I can finish in three minutes at the most, I simply need to build up enough power to release it at once over the island with a spell." answers the woman who had helped her.
"Very well, but do not forget that you can draw magical power from us should you need it.." replies the man with a nod before turning to Hippolyta herself. "Where are the Doors of Tartarus located and what is the environment surrounding it like?"
Hippolyta narrows her eyes at the man who presumes to question her. While she would love nothing more than to put him in his place, she knows that now is not the time. As Queen of the Amazons of Themyscira, she must place her people's life, and duty as guards of the Doors of Tartarus, over her displeasure at working alongside him. Let alone answering his questions.
"The Doors of Tartarus can be found in an underground chamber of Themyscira, and to reach it one must travel through one of the many passages that lead to it. However, depending on which passage one uses, the terrain can vary from mountainous to the jungle." she informs him as she swallows her displeasure.
"If they're underground then Ambrosius can just bring the entire chamber down over them." comments the unknown Amazon.
"I can, however it would be pointless." replies Ambrosius with a shake of his head. "These monsters are not the same as the ones who we have faced before. These ones don't disintegrate once they die, and even if they did they would survive something as simple as a cave in."
"Then we'll have to split up and cover the different entrances." comments the man dressed as a bat with a voice that Hippolyta is sure is being distorted using some form of technology from man's world.
"Do you have some form of defensive strategy for this situation?" asks Ambrosius.
"We do, and as soon as my Amazons are freed from the curse they will know to put the plans into action." replies Hippolyta. "Unfortunately the plan is self-destructive and will result in the destruction of the island and the Amazons."
"Why would you take such extreme measures?" questions the man with the red cape and S.
"Because Tartarus houses the most dangerous beings in the Greek pantheon. From the Titans to the Gigantes, they are all imprisoned there." answers Ambrosius, causing Hippolyta to once again narrow her eyes at the vass amount of knowledge he possesses towards the Greeks. Especially since he said 'pantheon' rather than 'mythology'. Based on the information Diana has provided on mankind's advancement, they have stopped believing in the gods thousands of years ago.
Before anyone can answer, a surge of magical power erupts from the sorceress of the group as she enveloped in a dark pink aura while her eyes glow the same color. With a chant that Hippolyta cannot make out, the woman releases a shockwave of magical energy that envelops the island.
Looking around her throne room, Hippolyta notices her Queensguard slowly recover from the curse before they turn to the men in the room and draw their weapons on them.
"Men!" exclaims a black haired Amazon as she places her sword under Ambrosius' chin, millimetres from his jugular. "How dare you intrude upon this island?!"
"At ease Pythia. We have a much more important matter to attend to." orders Hippolyta as she gently draws Pythia's sword arm away from Ambrosius' throat.
With narrowed eyes that can be seen through her helmet, Pythia reluctantly sheathes her weapon while giving the order for her subordinates to do the same.
"We can provide aid to your Amazons." says Ambrosius casually as if he had not been threatened with death seconds ago. "There is no need to enact the island's self-destructive measures. Even if you do not accept my aid, Scáthach, Morgan, and Azula, should be more than sufficient in repelling the forces of Tartarus." he says as he gestures towards each woman he introduces.
"Unfortunately, things are not that simple." comments the woman named Scáthach. "I doubt that Hades has not allied himself with the Titans, Gigantes, or any of the princes of Hell."
"If what you say is true, then we must enact our contingency plan. Self-destructive or not." says Hippolyta with a shake of head. "My Amazons are unable to face enemies of such caliber, and Diana cannot be in four places at once."
"That is where we come in. The only one of us who can't face someone of that caliber is Batman." says Azula as she points towards the man in the bat costume before pointing at the man with the red cape. "Maybe Superman too considering he has a weakness to magic."
With a skeptical look on her face, Hippolyta looks towards the assembled group. Clearly she has misjudged them. The amount of confidence that they portray can only be acquired through surviving countless battles of life and death. This group of strangers that has clearly befriended her daughter emit a certain amount of confidence that she has only seen from the greatest of warriors. Even the Superman and Batman, who are far less impressive compared to the others, have a presence that reassures her that they are a force to be reckoned with.
"Very well." decides Hippolyta after a few seconds of consideration. "However, should you betray us in any,-" she adds as she narrows her eyes at the men in the group. "-I will personally see to your demise."
"There are four entrances that lead to the passages to the Doors of Tartarus." informs Hippolyta as the island once again shakes and more roars are heard. "The first one is inside a cave on the east side of the island, the second one can be found near the mountain on an open field west of here, the third one is in the jungle, and the last one can be found in the most guarded section of the city."
"How long until they exit the passages and onto the island?" asks Superman.
"Between the maze, and the traps, we have about ten more minutes." answers Hippolyta. "However, leading an assault team into the passages would only result in death."
"Indeed." agrees Ambrosius. "While it would be advantageous due to the narrow passage, the enemy possesses greater numbers and no doubt are far more physically powerful. Between that and their supernatural abilities, entering the passages will simply make it easier for them to kill our forces. That does not mean that we cannot use the passages to our advantage."
"If we set up our forces at the entrances, we can make use of the narrow passageways to limit the amount of enemies that our forces face without entering." says Azula.
"Then it's time for us to go. We're only wasting time standing here." says Batman
Cave, Island of Themyscira
March, 2003
"Are you Commander Egeria?" asks Scáthach as she approaches the only Amazon without a standard hoplite armor without a helmet.
"I am." replies the Amazon as she studies the newcomer while Scáthach analyzes her also. "I presume that you are the outsider designated to this side of the battle."
Standing at six feet tall, Commander Egeria possesses an intimidating figure with her armor and glowing red eyes that can be seen through her helmet's eye holes. Due to some form of enchantment, nothing of the woman wearing it can be seen under. Anyone who looks simply sees a humanoid shadow wearing bronze hoplite armor with a black cape and blue plumes in the helmet.
"I am." answers Scáthach. "Is there anything specific that requires my attention?"
"No. We have everything under control." responds Commander Egeria professionally.
According to the message that Priestess Sofia delivered, Princess Diana arrived with a group of strangers to aid against the earlier intruders. From what she had been told by Sofia, the group consists of five members as powerful as Diana and one that, while not powerful, seems to make up for it with pure skill.
While she has no qualms with working with them, Egeria is very apprehensive towards the group. Unlike some of the Amazons under her command, Egeria was present when Heracles arrived in the original city of Themyscira. She, like many of her sisters, was chained and raped repeatedly by the brutes of Heracles' army and remembers it vividly. As such she would prefer to die than work with any man. However, they are vouched for by Princess Diana herself whose judgement Egeria has always trusted, therefore she is willing to swallow her distaste this once and put her faith in the Princess. Besides, she finds herself perplexed and confused why such powerful women would choose to follow any man, powerful or otherwise.
"How much longer until the enemy arrives?" asks Scáthach as she joins Egeria at the head of the army.
"Two minutes at the most." replies Egeria as she sneaks a glance at Scáthach to see her spinning a red barbed spear around as if it were a toy rather than a dangerous weapon.
"Why do you associate with those men? Let alone follow one?" questions Egeria, no longer able to keep her curiosity in.
"He is my husband." replies her fellow warrior, further perplexing Egeria. "And while he is certainly not the paragon of peace, he possesses virtues that sets him above most, men or otherwise."
"Do you not fear that he will one day betray you?" asks an even more puzzled Egeria.
"No." simply answers Scáthach. "I have known him for two millennia and would place my life in his hands."
Before Egeria can answer, a bestial roar comes from the passage, the ground shakes under their feet and a beast can be heard charging towards them.
"Shields!" orders Egeria as the Amazons lock shields to adopt a basic phalanx formation that completely blocks the exit of the cave.
Exiting out of the passage seconds later is a minotaur. Unlike the very first Minotaur that stands at fifteen feet and simply wears cloth to cover his lower body, this one stands at thirteen feet and wears a set of greek armor with an axe in his hand.
"The minotaurs have betrayed us!" screams Egeria as the creature stalks towards the group.
Before he can reach them however, Scáthach launches herself at him and easily pierces his skull with her Gae Bolg before he can react.
"I thought that there was only one minotaur." says Scáthach as she lands on her feet and looks at the commander questioningly.
"There is a species of them. None know how they came about, and considering their savage nature it was decided to put them to use by having them protect the Gates of Tartarus and other important areas." informs Egeria as she frowns. "I did not expect the enemy to convince them to betray us however."
"If they have all truly betrayed us, then they shall die by my spear." replies Scáthach as she turns to face the oncoming wave of monsters.
Jungle, Island of Themyscira
March, 2003
"Are you the man sent to aid us on this battlefield?" questions General Kalliope as she sees a batlike figure approach her and the Amazons of the jungle using the shadows with a surprising amount of stealth. What troubles Kalliope is the fact that she can tell that the man was not even trying to be stealthy, rather he was simply approaching them casually.
"I am." he simply replies as he surveys her and the forces under her before commenting. "Smart."
"Excuse me?" asks Kalliope with a frown.
"Your division." he says as he begins to explain. "They don't wear metal armor or use spears. Rather they are garbed in cloth armor and make use of a sword and dagger. Perfect for guerilla warfare in the jungle. Especially with the color of the cloth."
Dumbstruck by the compliment, Kalliope is unable to answer before the man launches himself into the trees and vanishes.
This was not what Kalliope expected. As a younger member of the Amazons who did not experience Heracles' assault, Kalliope is not as experienced when it comes to men. In fact, she has absolutely no experience with men due to the fact that she was born on Themyscira. As such she is forced to defer to the older Amazons when it comes to men due to their experience and her lack of one.
According to the elder Amazons, men are rude, arrogant, spiteful, untrustworthy and very lecherous. She expected this one to be no different. Yet he managed to surprise her. Not only is he very skilled when it comes to stealth, and no doubt in battle, but he was not rude, arrogant, or spiteful. While direct, he did not project himself in a rude manner, nor was he arrogant, and instead possessed a quiet confidence. He also complimented her which is something the older Amazons said is impossible. Last, he was not lecherous. As a member of the Amazons, Kalliope is blessed by several goddesses, Aphrodite included. As such she is beautiful like her sisters, even if the older Amazons seem more beautiful. However, the man did not once look at her in such a way, or even glance at her generous bust. Instead he maintained eye contact throughout the entire exchange when he was not inspecting her forces.
"General Kalliope." says one of the warriors under her charge, bringing her out of her thoughts. "Commander Adonia has returned with her report."
"And?" questions Kalliope.
"It seems that the enemy has elected to send the least amount of their force to the jungle." informs the messenger.
"No doubt they somehow figured out that between the monsters, traps, and our division, the jungle is the most dangerous area of the island to outsiders." thinks Kalliope out loud.
"What you said is true. So shouldn't we advise that man to come back?" asks the messenger.
"He chose his fate." replies Kalliope as she returns to her soldiers.
Open Field, Island of Themyscira
March, 2003
"You must be Azula." says Commander Persephone as Azula slowly floats down to the ground, her cape flapping due to the wind in a heroic fashion.
"Yes, that is me." replies Azula as she lands in front of Commander Persephone.
"I am Commander Persephone, second in command of this division under General Kalliope." says the Amazon as she turns to walk into the camp. "The General has been expecting you."
As Azula walks beside her, Persephone takes the opportunity to examine her while she does the same. Unlike many of her fellow Amazons who possess tan, bronze, or darker skin tone, Persephone's skin is very pale. She stands at five feet ten inches, and has red hair. For armor she wears the standard hoplite armor without the helmet.
As she analyses the stranger, Persephone cannot help but agree with Priestess Sophia that she can easily pass for an Amazon. Between the obviously Greek inspired armor, the way she carries herself, and the aura that screams divine, Azula would have no problem fitting in Themyscira.
"Is there a question that you would like to ask me?" questions Azula as she notices Persephone's constant stare.
"Your actions will answer them." replies the Amazon as she leads Azula to a group of standing Amazons currently in the middle of a discussion.
"I have brought her General." says Persephone as she salutes the General before taking her position to the General's right.
"I am General Penelope, and I am in charge of this division." says Penelope as she looks up and down Azula's person.
General Penelope stands at five feet ten inches with brown skin, golden eyes, and midnight black hair. She strikes an imposing figure in her armor with her toned and muscular figure.
"What seems to be the topic of this discussion?" asks Azula causing many of the present Amazons to narrow their eyes and Azula's audacity to simply question their General.
"We have just received word from Priestess Sophia that at least one of the Princes of Hell has escaped from Tartarus and is heading our way through the passage." answers Penelope without batting an eye to Azula's questioning. "I believe that this is your purpose for being here."
"No worries General." answers Azula with a nod. "I will deal with the Prince of Hell myself. Do we know who it is?"
"She believes that it is Dalkriig-Hath." answers Penelope just as the earth begins to shake and the cry of harpies can be heard before they fly out of the passageway's entrance in the ground while sending bottles of liquified fire at the Amazons.
"Formation!" orders Penelope as the Amazons in her division launch into action with the hoplites moving forward to block the oncoming onslaught. "Archers shoot them down." commands the General.
Following her orders the archers aim at the sky and fire, only to miss completely as the harpies make use of their wings and dodge the arrows.
"We are at a disadvantage." comments Penelope with a frown.
"Perhaps I can help." comments Azula as her eyes begin to glow and the wind begins to pick up in an unnatural way. Instead of blowing in one direction, the wind is ever changing as it blows against the Harpies despite their attempts to adapt to it.
"Archers! Fire!" commands Penelope once again.
Taking advantage of Azula's control of the winds, the archers once again fire, and with Azula's help, are able to shoot down the majority of the harpies. Before they can celebrate however, a legion of spear wielding satyr's come out of the passageway's entrance.
"Hoplites!" exclaims Penelope as the hoplites move forward to face the satyrs while Azula and the archers finish off the harpies.
Once done with the harpies, Azula draws her sword, Crocea Mors, and personally joins the fray with Penelope following not far behind. Together they create a mound of dead bodies wherever they travel, yet no matter how many they kill more monsters exit the passageway. Soon enough the satyrs are joined by undead bodies, demons, and chimera's.
"If this continues, then my Amazons will be forced to abandon formation." comments Penelope as she parries a spear as she approaches her enemy before stabbing him through the throat.
"Perhaps I should close the entrance and collapse the passage." answers Azula as she decapitates a demon while burning a satyr to ashes.
"That will not accomplish anything." answers Penelope as she picks up a spear from the ground and throws it through the bodies of various demons and satyrs before decapitating an undead and watching it stop moving due to her weapon's enchantment. "The demons will simply push through the rubble."
Before Azula can answer, she and Penelope sense a powerful and ominous presence approaching them as a dark figure can be seen walking through the dark passageway towards the exit. As the figure exits, Azula and Penelope are able to make out their new opponent.
Standing at seven feet tall with bulging muscles, the figure cuts a frightening presence. He possesses red skin, pitch black hair, two pointy white horns that protrude from his temples and a long bonelike claw that comes from his forearm. He wears a minimal amount of clothing with a simple white cloth to cover his crotch, and a skulled harness on his torso that attaches his purple cape to his back.
However, none of this unnerves Azula more than what he holds in his left hand. Clenched tightly in his left fist is a chain that leads towards a subdued woman's throat where it is wrapped around through a collar.
The woman stands at five feet nine inches tall, possesses blond hair, green eyes, and simply wears a very revealing white tunic to cover her body. Looking closely, one can see that her will has been broken, and the only thing she now knows is complete submission to the creature who caused it, Dalkriig-Hath.
"Cassandra." whispers a horrified Penelope. "What have they done to you?"
"You know this woman?" asks Azula as she casually pierces a satyr through the heart when he attempts to kill her while she was distracted.
"That is one of my sisters, Cassandra." replies Penelope as she too continues to kill enemy forces who attempted to take advantage of her distracted state. "She went missing a few weeks ago, and despite our best efforts we were not able to find her."
"Well, we know what happened to her now." replies Azula as she narrows her eyes at the approaching Prince of Hell.
"Yes." answers Penelope with a voice full of hatred. "And for his actions I will make him suffer a thousand fold."
"You believe that you can make me suffer, little Amazon." chuckles the Prince of Hell as he approaches the duo while dragging a submissive Cassandra who simply stares vacantly with her dead eyes. "I am Dalkriig-Hath, one of the thirteen Princes of Hell, and the new master of all Amazons."
"Please." scoffs Azula with a very monotone voice as a sudden gust picks up Cassandra and deposits her in Penelope's arms while Azula cuts the chain with her sword. "Spare me your speech of superiority."
Knowing that the upcoming battle will be devastating, Penelope decides to withdraw from the battlefield with Cassandra while ordering her forces to slowly retreat while making sure to keep the remaining monsters at bay.
"It does not matter whether you retrieve her or not, she is now useless to me." comments Dalkriig-Hath with a vicious smile on his lips. "You, however, will make a perfect toy and concubine. I will make sure to thoroughly break you and enjoy myself before passing you around to my subjects as celebration for this victory."
While Dalkriig-Hath speaks on how he plans to rape and torture Azula, he fails to notice her growing rage that fuels the overhead storm, nor does he notice the sadistic gleam that grows in her eyes while her facial expression turns into a predatory and wolfish grin reminiscent of Lupa when she plans to feed an enemy to her pack.
Without awaiting for him to take a fighting stance, Azula launches herself at the Prince of Hell at a speed far faster than he is able to keep up resulting in his left arm being cut off.
"AHHH!" roars Dalkriig-Hath in pain as he holds his stump of an arm.
"Hahaha." chuckles Azula as she looks at her trophy with amusement in her eyes. "You think that you can make me do what you want? Don't make me laugh. It would require you being in Hell due to its amplification properties on its Princes, and an army of demon lords to even exhaust me."
"BURN!" exclaims Dalkriig-Hath as he spits out a torrent of hellfire at Azula.
Dalkriig-Hath continues his assault for a few minutes before stopping after making sure that the entire terrain around him has been reduced to ashes and smoke.
"Hahahaha. You want to play with fire." says Azula as the smoke is cleared by the wind to reveal a perfectly fine Azula. "Let me show you how it's done." she says as she conjures a pale white flame and proceeds to burn Dalkriig-Hath with it.
Throughout the clearing, Dalkriig-Hath's tortured screams can be heard as Azula proceeds to burn him with flames that he has never heard of before.
"You're probably wondering why this hurts so much. After all, you're Dalkriig-Hath, Prince of Hell, and survivor of the deepest pit of Hell where the flames burn brightest." says Azula casually as she continues to burn the demon. "Well, this flame isn't made to burn the body, rather it's for the soul. And if you don't have one, it burns your very being without killing you. As such I can do this for a millenia and you will never die to reincarnate in Hell."
As Azual tortures Dalkriig-Hath with pain that is worse than he can even imagine. Meanwhile, his forces who are witnessing this quickly decide to retreat for fear of incurring her wrath. As for the Amazons, some cannot help but be unnerved by the display while others like Penelope, and Persephone, watch Azula in a new light and cannot help but admire her strength and decisiveness to obtain vengeance for their sister.
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Last edited: Aug 25, 2020
Attack on Paradise Island pt 2
AN: You guys have been commenting less on the chapters lately. It feels a little weird and unnerving tbh.
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Main City Square, Island of Themyscira
March, 2003
"Your highness." salutes one Amazon as Hippolyta, Wonder Woman, Morgan, Superman and Ambrosius approach the city square with the Queensguard in tow even as Pythia glares venomously at Ambrosius from time to time.
The Amazon stands at five feet eleven inches, possesses tan skin, brown eyes, and blond hair that is shaved on the left while the remainder fall down to her shoulders on the right. She wears a standard hoplite armor with the same color scheme of red and blue as Wonder Woman.
Behind her the other Amazons busy themselves with rearranging the city square into a more advantageous setting for the upcoming battle. Using enchantments that seem to have already been placed upon the buildings and streets during their construction, the Amazons go about removing buildings, statues and shrines. Some streets are closed off while others are being opened to be able to manipulate where the enemy goes.
"How far along are the preparations General?" asks the Queen of the Amazons as she and her group stop just shy of entering the city square.
"The preparations are going well, unfortunately they will not be complete in time for the invasion. Therefore we had to alter it to fit within the time span." replies the General as she internally wonders what the male dressed in blue armor has done to earn Pythia's unfiltered hatred.
"Why is time an issue? The traps and monsters within the maze of passageways should buy us the needed time." answers Hippolyta as the group enters the now very different square and walks past where the finished Amazons are getting into formation.
"The monsters in the maze have betrayed us, however that shouldn't have made much of a difference since they don't know much about the traps." replies the puzzled General as she leads them to one of the few Amazons not wearing armor and facing a scrying bowl, denoting her as a priestess.
"They know." says the Amazon as she stops her task and turns to face Hippolyta. "Somehow they know where a lot of the traps are." she says with a grim tone.
"Are there any missing Amazons?" asks Ambrosius, drawing everyone's attention to himself.
"You dare!" snarls Pythia as she grabs him by the throat and turns him to face her. "We are not treacherous like you men. You think yourself our better just because you're a demigod? You're no better than Heracles." says Pythia with disgust dripping from her voice before continuing.
"We Amaz-" begins the Amazon only to stop as she begins to tremble in fear and the words lodge themselves in her throat.
Earlier in the day, Pythia had held a sword to his throat and did not receive a reaction. She had believed that it was simply the arrogance of man coming into play, making him believe that she was not a danger to him. She had believed that despite his stance that screams warrior and the impressive armor that he was simply another man who taught himself above others. She had believed that even if he boasts to be as powerful as Princess Diana that they were simply empty words. However, she now knows that it was not arrogance, rather, it was well placed confidence. She now knows that had he wanted to, she would have been a bloody smear on the ground before even drawing her weapon. She now knows that he is perhaps the most dangerous being on the island, for staring into his eyes, Pythia experiences every possible method that he could kill her. Staring into Ambrosius' glowing crimson eyes, Pythia feels genuine terror from a man for the first time since Heracles. Staring into his eyes, Pythia knows that he could make Heracles' treatment of her seem like child play.
With wide fearful eyes, uneven breaths, shaky arms, and sweaty palms, Pythia relinquishes her hold on him and takes a stumbling step back into one of her soldier's arms.
"Commander Pythia!" exclaims the soldier as the surrounding Amazons draw their weapons. "What did you do, you scum?!"
"I can tolerate many things." answers Ambrosius as he gently rubs his neck and glares at the Amazons, causing many of them to fearfully tighten their grip on their weapons. "I can tolerate being called treacherous, I can tolerate you questioning my integrity. I can even tolerate you projecting your misplaced feelings of hatred for your past husband towards me." he continues as his previously glowing eyes return to normal. "However, I cannot, and will never, tolerate being compared to that fool and piece of filth, Heracles." he says as he spits out Hercales' name with disgust confusing the Amazons.
They had not expected this. As far as they know, and from what Diana has told them of man's world, Heracles is hailed as a hero there. Stories of his accomplishments are told in awe and many consider him the greatest hero to have ever lived. They had expected these men from man's world to very much respect and revere him like their peers. That could not be further from the truth apparently. This man who seems to be their leader does not respect nor admire Heracles. In fact he seems to hold just as much hatred for the demigod as they do.
"The day I ever become anything like Heracles,-" says Ambrosius bringing them out of their thoughts and shocked daze. "-I will personally see to it that I die." he says as he helps Pythia to her feet.
"How did you know?" questions Pythia with a whisper.
"* That your husband assisted Heracles' troops in subjugating you?*" he asks through telepathy causing her to slowly nod while looking into his eyes in shock before her eyes narrow and she steps away from him.
As Ambrosius makes to answer, a roar resonates throughout the square as a minotaur barrels out of the passageway through the blockades and towards the Amazons in formation. Before the minotaur can reach them however, Superman flies in its path, grabbing it by the horns and pushes against it. Unfortunately the minotaur also possesses super strength, and although it is not on par with Superman, it's still enough to give him some trouble. Especially when it is aided by the momentum of its charge.
Just as the Amazons begin to think that he will lose, Superman stops the beat's charge completely before smashing its head on the ground and knocking it out with a punch.
"They're here." says the priestess ominously as more beastial roars ring out from the passageway.
With the priestess's proclamation the warriors turn to face the passageway as they each draw their weapons with Ambrosius both his spear and trident, and shortening the length of his spear to use in a similar fashion as Diarmuid uses his two spears.
The first thing to come out of the passageway is not a beast or demon, rather it is a man. He stands at six feet and five inches tall, possesses black curly hair that falls just past his shoulders, and a black goatee on his chin. He has high and pronounced cheek bones, tan skin, and black eyes. On his body he wears what seems to be a grey full bodysuit with a spiked black armor on top and a cape on his back.
"Haaa." sighs the man in satisfaction as he closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. "Freedom at last." he says as he further enjoys his newfound freedom before opening his eyes and surveying his opponents.
"My Hippolyta, you have not aged a day!" exclaims the man as he approaches the group undeterred by the menacing glares from the Amazons nor the scrutinising stares of Ambrosius and Superman. "In fact, you look as exquisite now as you did a millenia ago."
"Mother." says Wonder Woman as she adjusts her grip on her sword and shield. "Who is this?" she asks as she glances at her mother in her peripheral vision.
"Hippolyta,-" says the man with wonder and a smile on his face. "-you didn't tell me you had a daughter. I wonder if she's as loving as her mother."
"That's not possible." whispers Hippolyta in horror. "Last I saw you was near a century ago." she says as she speaks in a louder voice this time.
Hearing Hippolyta's words the smile on the man vanishes and is instead replaced with a frown and his black eyes turn blood red.
"A century?" he asks gently before screaming. "DON'T PLAY WITH ME HIPPOLYTA!" he bellows out with clenched fists as the ground begins to shake and crack, and an ominous aura envelops him. "I HAVE BEEN STUCK IN THAT WRETCHED PLACE FOR A MILLENIA! NOT A CENTURY! A MILLENIA!" he roars out with fury this time causing the ground to open as skeletons begin to rise from it while the beastial army behind him takes a fearful step back.
Before Hippolyta can answer a lightning bolt strikes the ground between the two opposing forces before coalescing into the form of a seven feet tall old man. Unlike most old men, this one is well built with a body packed with bulging and defined muscles. He possesses grey hair and beard on his face, and electric blue eyes that glow with power. For clothing he simply wears a white toga with sandals.
Unlike the other man, whose power did not manifest until he became upset, this one's power engulfs the entire island causing the majority of the occupants to fall on their knees out of fear or simply because of the overbearing, soul crushing power. The only ones that remain standing are Wonder Woman, Superman, Hyppolita, and Ambrosius. However, although they remain standing, it is due to them consciously fighting against the power, and even then it is a battle that they are slowly losing.
"Lord Zeus." says Hippolyta as she and Wonder Woman volunteeringly kneel while Zeus disintegrates the enemy army with a bolt of lightning, leaving only the black haired man alive.
Instead of acknowledging her, Zeus turns his attention to the standing Ambrosius and Superman with a frown.
"Kneel!" he orders as he casually increases the pressure on them.
Through gritted teeth they defiantly remain standing until a hand grabs them both by their heads and smashes them on the ground, breaking a significant part of it.
"Father said kneel, mortal." says the person before stepping on them as he makes his way to Zeus and kneeling.
The man stands at six feet four inches, possesses short blond hair and beard, and blue eyes. He bears a powerful build full of bulging muscles bigger than both Zeus and Superman, and simply wears golden bracers on both arms that reach up to his biceps. He does not wear anything on his upper body, leaving it bare for all to see, and simply wears blue pants with a golden belt, and golden boots on his feet.
"Thank you for lifting my punishment, father." says the man from his kneeling position.
"Of course my son. Olympus is currently in disarray, as such I need those that I can trust to be by my side, now more than ever." answers Zeus as his son stands up and positions himself behind the King of the Gods.
While this goes on many of the Amazon cannot help but watch the exchange with horror mounting on their faces.
"Heracles." whispers Pythia as fear and rage fight for dominance within her while Hippolyta watches on with resignation and a betrayed expression plastered on her face.
"Diana." bellows out Zeus as he looks towards the kneeling warrior. "Come to me, my child." he says as he disguises his order into a request.
Not knowing what to do, Diana glances towards her mother for guidance only to see a tear roll down Hippolyta's face.
"It was you." whispers Hippolyta in horror. "It was you who visited me that night a century ago. Not Hades. You." she quietly whispers to herself.
"Indeed it was." replies Zeus nonchalantly. "What of it."
Before anyone can react, Hades makes his presence known once again.
"ZEUS!" he roars out with fury as he launches himself at his brother with a flaming sword.
Before he can reach Zeus however, Heracles steps in his path and knocks the wind out of him with a punch to the solar plexus.
"You have been cut off from your domain for a millenia, Hades. You cannot even hope to defeat Diana, let alone me." says Zeus with a look of disdain in his eyes as he watches Heracles step on Hades back, forcing him to smash his face on the ground.
"I will make you pay!" snarls Hades through gritted teeth from his position on the ground. "You think you can imprison me in Tartarus for a millenia without consequence. When the Koios and Krios arrive we will make you suffer."
"I very much doubt that." answers Zeus with a mocking smirk on his lips. "I have already dispatched Athena, Apollo, and Artemis to take care of them."
"Hahaha. You really are a fool." laughs Hades even as Heracles increases the force of his step on Hades' back. "Those three cannot defeat Koios and Krios."
"Truly Tartarus has addled your brain." replies Zeus. "You know that any deity that is tossed into the pit will be cut off from The Source, the source of the power of every deity. And if they also happen to possess a domain, then that too will be cut off from them resulting in them slowly losing power until they fade completely."
"I thought that I was the only one." says Hades, causing Zeus to laugh.
"Of course you did. Every deity tossed there thinks that they're the only one." answers Zeus with a chuckle. "After all, why would anyone disclose that they're slowly losing power in a place as cruel as Tartarus."
"How do you know this?" questions Hades, only to receive a raised eyebrow from Zeus indicating that he would rather not tell.
"Enough of the distractions." says Zeus as he turns Hippolyta. "I have come here for two simple reasons. To clean up your mess, and to inform you that from henceforth Olympus will no longer sit by and simply observe mankind. From now on, should we feel it necessary we will interfere. Do you understand?"
"Yes my lord." answers Hippolyta.
"My daughter." says Zeus as he turns towards Wonder Woman. "I had planned on bringing you to Olympus with me this day, but it seems that the mortals will require your aid. Besides you are not yet ready." he tells her before turning to Ambrosius. "Watch yourself sea spawn. I will not tolerate any form of rebellion from you. Refuse my order one more time and I will send you hurtling into the deepest pit of Tartarus."
Having said his piece, Zeus grabs Heracles and a still struggling Hades before teleporting out of Themyscira with a flash of lightning and a roar of thunder.
Aftermath
AN: I feel like I need to address this. The MC DID NOT get nerfed. The gods in DC make their PJO and Nasuverse counterparts look like jokes. Especially the ones who lead a pantheon (Allfather, Odin, Zeus, Darkseid, etc…). And for the ones who say that just because he beat Gil he should beat the gods, don't forget that he speed blitzed Gil instead of facing EA and Enkidu. Also you guys seem to forget that every world has different scales in term power, meaning a god in one world could be fodder in another world, or completely stomp. It's hard translating the powers between some worlds so please have some patience. Also, you guys who say that I nerf the MC, or make him lose because I want to create drama, you must be reading a completely different story.
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Throne Room, Island of Themyscira
March, 2003
Tensions run high and silence rings out in the Throne Room as we await the arrival of Batman, Azula, and Scáthach. Zeus' arrival and subsequent announcement has placed us on edge, and the ensuing revelation of Heracles' freedom has simply made the situation worse for the Amazons. Then we have the personal tension between Hippolyta and her daughter due to the fact that Wonder Woman has found out that she was not sculpted from clay, and is in fact the product of Zeus taking advantage of her mother. Even without employing my telepathy I can tell that both the Amazons and Diana are worried about Hera's reaction to this revelation, and considering the fact that they constantly stare towards said goddesses statue I am sure that even Superman knows what they are worrying about.
Personally this entire trip has been a one disaster after another. From Faust taking the island hostage to the opening of the Gates of Tartarus, and now to the declaration from the King of the Gods himself. The first two disasters were easily manageable, heck I'd take another trip through Tartarus if it meant that the situation with Zeus did not happen.
The first problem with the situation is his announcement. From now on, not only will the gods be watching humanity,but they will also interfere should they feel like it. We are essentially returning to the Age of Gods. Henceforth I will not be surprised if some woman is mysteriously raped and conceives a demigod. I will not be surprised if some historian is cursed beyond repair for claiming that Zeus is a serial rapist or that Hera is one of the worst mothers in the history of mothers, divine or otherwise. From henceforth I will not be surprised if a third world war begins because Ares felt like it. From henceforth humanity will have to tread carefully if they want to survive.
Then there is the fact that Heracles is free from whatever punishment Hera imposed on him after his subjugation and successive raping and torturing of the Amazons. I can practically feel the fear, hatred and rage coming from the Amazons, Pythia and Hippolyta included. As far as I am concerned Heracles is a non issue that I will personally deal with once I figure out how to reach him. Had his father not been there I would have skinned the bastard alive before delivering him to the Amazons just for the pleasure of seeing the kind of torture they could make him suffer. Knowing the coward, he will most likely remain in the Sphere of the Gods, the metaphysical reality whose inhabitants exist on a higher plane of existence than us mortals. A place that cannot be reached without achieving godhood or being of the same plane of existence as gods.
Unfortunately, none of these problems can compare to the fact that Zeus knows of my existence. Previously I had been content with hiding my existence while searching for a way to even out the playing field against the gods. Now however, hiding has become moot. It is a double edged sword that allows me to operate without having to worry about limiting myself at the expense of any of the Olympians coming to me for a 'favor'.
"*You are ignoring the bigger picture.*" comes Morgan's voice through telepathy.
"*I am not.*" I reply as I look at her through my peripheral vision. "*It is simply an issue that will be dealt with at a later time.*"
"*Please.*" she scoffs in my mind. "*The gods are literally placing their claims for Earth. First Darkseid, then Allfather, and now Zeus. Who is it going to be next, Odin? Soon enough Earth will become a battleground for all of them. We must prepare humanity if they are to survive.*"
"*We cannot help humanity if we ourselves do not survive.*" I answer as I clench my fist behind my back as the memory of Zeus' presence plays out in my mind.
"*Calm down.*" says Morgan as she gently grabs my arm soothingly. "*We will survive this, then we will see him and his putrid son put in their proper place.*" voices Morgan with slightly glowing eyes.
"*The simple fact that Heracles of all people did that infuriates me. We both know that without his father's presence he is nothing.*" I tell her as I take a few deep breaths.
"*Do not worry, I have already made several plans to prepare us. You can focus on increasing your power, I will take care of the other preparations.*" answers Morgan with a malicious glint in her eyes.
"*Oh, you have my interest. Do tell me your plans.*" I reply with a smirk and a raised eyebrow.
"*Don't act as if you haven't made fifteen different variations of the same plan. Although mine is most likely better.*" she answers with a roll of her eyes.
"*I may have, I may have not.*" I tell her with a shrug.
"*Very well. First we will need an army.*" she replies with a smile as she sweeps the Throne Room with her eyes. "*And these Amazons would make for the perfect army once they are equipped with better weapons and armor. Between their supernatural physique, millennia of training and experience in battle, they have the potential to become a frightening army. Just imagine what a single division could accomplish when equipped with Gae Bolg, or any other spear you memorized from Gilgamesh's Gate, and an enchanted shield made by me.*" she says with a passionate voice.
"*Indeed they would make for a frightening army, although Azula would be best suited to lead them.*" I answer as I begin to take into account what would be required to make it work.
With my telumkinesis I could theoretically create any weapon from the Gate of Babylon and adjust it so that the Amazons could use them with ease. Paired with a shield enchanted by Morgan, it would indeed make them frightening enough to contend with the Olympian army as long as the gods themselves don't intervene.
"*Can you make an artifact with similar healing capabilities as Avalon?*" I ask her, causing her frown in thought.
Before she can answer however, a commotion causes the room's occupants to turn towards the entrance in curiosity. Entering the room is Scáthach, Batman, and Azula, however this isn't what caused the commotion. What has most of the room's occupants curious and intrigued is the fact that one of the Princes of Hell itself is following Azula like a docile pet with a chain tied around its neck that is held in Azula's hand. Behind them is a brown skinned and golden eyed Amazon.
"A gift for you, Queen Hippolyta." says Azula as she drags the Prince of Hell before her and makes him kneel at Hippolyta's feet.
"Is that Dalkriig-Hath?" asks Pythia in awe as she approaches the Prince.
"In the flesh." answers a smug Azula. "I believe that he is the cause of your missing Amazon and the fact that your traps and defenses were easily breached."
Azula's words cause the Throne Room to quiet down as many of the Amazons turn to him with frowns and ill-intent, while some even go as far as to draw their weapons. Standing next to me Superman frowns and makes to intervene before I grab his arm and pull him back.
"Do not interfere." I whisper to him, earning myself a frown as he rips his arm from my grasp and stepping forward.
Before he can say anything however, Hippolyta stands from her throne and approaches the kneeling Prince with a thoughtful frown on her face. She circles Dalkriig-Hath a few times before eventually stopping in front of him and turning to Azula.
"He was responsible for Cassandra's disappearance?" asks Hippolyta.
"He was. Afterwards he went on to commit unspeakable acts against her before she eventually gave him the information he wanted." replies Azula.
"Very well." says Hippolyta with a nod before turning to a pair of the Queensguard. "Take him to the mountain. From now on he shall guard it as punishment for his transgression against our sister." orders Hippolyta as the two Amazons raise him to his feet and drag him out of the Throne Room.
"*What could possibly be important about the mountain that a Prince of Hell would be relegated to guard it?*" I ask Morgan telepathically with narrowed eyes as I attempt to read Hippolyta's mind to no avail.
"*I cannot read her mind either.*" answers Morgan with a frown. "*No doubt the goddesses have blessed them against certain psychological attacks.*" she says as she stops her attempt.
"Now that you are all here, we can begin." says Hippolyta as she retakes her throne while Azula, Batman and Scáthach join Morgan, Superman and I at the side.
"As many of you know, the gods have decreed that from now on they shall no longer be mere observers in man's affairs." informs Hippolyta, causing many of the Amazons' eyes to widen. "That means that we can no longer remain on our island while man is allowed to do as they please. Therefore I will be sending a team of Amazons to man's world to act as ambassadors and hopefully prevent man from bringing about their own demise."
"Forgive me your highness,-" says an armored Amazon as she steps forward with a bow. "-but I do not see why we should care. As far as I am concerned we should continue to leave man to their own devices, and if they bring about their demise then good riddance."
The Amazon's words cause many of her peers to nod in agreement while others mutter their approval with only a few of them frowning in disagreement. By my side I can see Superman's shocked expression at many of the Amazons' casual and callous dismissal of mankind while Batman simply narrows his eyes while his hands retreat to hide behind his cape. No doubt reaching for a weapon or distraction in his utility belt should he have need of it later. Unfortunately I doubt that has anything that would prove effective against them, at least not yet.
"No!" exclaims Wonder Woman as she steps forward before her mother can respond. "Our purpose was to bring peace to mankind. We have already neglected our duty for centuries, we can no longer do so. Especially not when mankind needs us now more than ever." says Wonder Woman passionately while faccing her people, but also missing the small proud smile on her mother's lips.
"Do not speak of duty to me Princess! Not when you have not experienced mankind's evil!" screams the Amazon.
"I may not have experienced your trauma, but I have seen and experienced mankind's evil." answers Diana with a frown. "I have seen their hatred, racism, murders, and even rapes. I have seen it all." she says shocking many of the Amazons. "That does not make them beyond saving, nor does it make them unworthy of it. If we abandon them then we are no better than them." she adds, making many of the Amazons look away in guilt and shame, and silencing the Amazon.
"Diana is right." says Hippolyta after a brief period of silence. "We can no longer ignore our purpose. As such she will be acting as our ambassador while being escorted by a small team of Amazons."
"Me?" questions an astonished Wonder Woman. "But I have my duties as a member of the Justice League." she says.
"Justice League?" asks an intrigued Hippolyta with a smile. "You will have to tell me more later. For now we must address our guests." she says as she turns towards us. "Normally I would punish you for bringing men on our island, however the Gates of Tartarus were at stake. As such I will overlook it this time. Besides, you have made some interesting friends." she adds as she looks at Morgan, Scáthach, and Azula.
Invitation
Avalon Academy, Bludhaven, New Jersey
May, 2006
Avalon Academy, private school founded three years ago sometime after our little stint on Themyscira Island, ranked in the top ten high schools in the nation, and Morgan's brain child. For some reason she decided that none of Bludhaven's high schools were worthy of teaching Mordred, and that sending her out of the city was unacceptable. Since she also wants Mordred to possess a social life, home schooling was also out of the picture. So she decided to fix the problem herself by creating Avalon Academy, one institution that is split into smaller institutions based on vocation and equipped with state of the art technology due to a partnership with Ophidia Industries and Wayne Enterprises. Of course no matter the school, children will be children, and bullies will be bullies.
"Mr. Malphas, are you listening?" asks the man that I am currently facing, bringing me out of my thoughts.
"My apologies, I must have dozed off. Could you please repeat yourself?" I reply with a dry tone to let him know how inconsequential his rambling is to me.
"Sir, this is important to your daughter's future, please pay attention." he implores me.
"I fail to see how this incident bears any sort of importance to her future." I answer him with a raised eyebrow.
"If she continues to get into fights then she won't be successful later in life. Teach her control her temper, or at this rate I will be forced to expel her." he says.
"You have never played in any form of politics before have you?" I ask him with a small smile.
"What does that have to do with anything?" he replies as he attempts to nonchalantly wipe his sweaty brows with an already damp handkerchief, his arms slightly trembling, and his hands visibly clammy.
"This effort, if one could even call it that, to blackmail me into doing you a favor is failing." I inform him, causing his eyes to visibly widen as he swallows his saliva. "The first thing you need to know about politics is that you need to always be subtle, and you, my dear principle, are as subtle as a Superman battle." I tell him as I stand up from my seat and turn to leave. "Also, pack your bags and vacate this office. Expect a call that formally fires you later today."
"Wait!" he exclaims before I can open the door. "I know that you're having an affair with Miss Morgan behind your wife's back. If I tell your wife I bet you that she'll kick you out and you'll become poor again."
"Heh." I chuckle as I turn to face him, this is the problem with having only Scáthach and I share the same last name. "That is actually good blackmail material. Not only is it a classic, but it also works."
"See, I'm not stupid. I can play at politics." he answers with a small chuckle of his own as he once again wipes his brow despite the excellent air conditioning system in this building.
"Well, normally it works." I say, wiping the smile from his face. "Unfortunately that information is useless, do with it what you wish. I could not care any less. Also, please tell your employer to send someone more competent next time."
With that said I turn and leave the distraught principal's office into a waiting lounge where Mordred can be found sitting on a couch reading a book.
The past three years have been good to the little troublemaker. At the age of sixteen she stands at five feet three inches, and would look exactly like Arturia were it not for the fact that her hair is constantly in a messy bun, no matter how much Morgan attempts to fix it. She also is far more expressive and boisterous than the King of Knights, almost exactly like her fate counterpart if she didn't have parental issues. She wears the school uniform of white button down shirt, navy blue tie and vest, black skirt, white socks, and dress shoes.
"Sooo,-" she says as she cautiously looks up from her book. "-am I in trouble?"
"No, that was clearly a case of you protecting a peer from a bully." I answer her.
"YES!" she excitedly declares with a fist bump to the air. "That means I can go on patrol tonight. Oooh, maybe I can even go to Gotham and teach Dick a few things." she says to herself while I cannot help but look on with a fond smile.
"Come along little hellion." I say as I walk out of the lounge while she follows me with a skip.
"Don't call me that in school." she whispers to me. "I have a reputation to keep."
"My apologies, princess." I answer with a mischievous smile while I make sure that everyone in the hallway can hear me.
With a blush on her face, Mordred punches me in the shoulder as hard as she can, only to earn a raised eyebrow for her troubles. Seeing that it has no effect on me she returns to her book with a huff.
With a comfortable silence between us we resume our walk through the massive campus towards the parking lot where the car awaits.
"Mother needs to change some of the staff. They're useless when it comes to bullying." Mordred says as we exit the building into the parking lot, her face still buried in her book.
"How bad is it?" I ask her with a thoughtful frown.
"It's not bad yet, but they're escalating since they realise the teachers don't do anything." she answers as she turns the page. "But then again it could be worse, and I'm not seeing it because I don't live in the dorms."
"Who does the bullying?" I ask her as we reach the car and get in.
"Those rich kids from Gotham. Why do they let them in anyway?" she asks as she finally looks up from her book. "I thought that you could only get in with merit, not money, and some of those kids are pretty dumb."
"If they were accepted then they must have at least received the minimum grade in the entrance examination." I answer with a shrug while we drive away from the school towards home.
"Or someone on the acceptance board is corrupt." suggests Morded matter of factly. "Also, can't they go to Gotham Academy? That's where Dick goes." she adds after some thought.
"Either way, it is something to look into. As for them going to Gotham Academy, well I would not be surprised if they did but were expelled for bullying." I reply.
Before Mordred can answer my phone rings while Lex Luthor's name shows up on the bluetooth display in the car.
"Ugh, what does he want?" asks Mordred with clear distaste.
"We will see." I tell her while accepting the call. "Luthor, it has been a while. A few months I believe, what can I help you with?"
"Is your line secure?" he asks me, causing me to raise an eyebrow while Mordred closes her book as interest settles in facial expression. "It is." I simply answer while gesturing for Mordred to remain quiet.
"Very well, I will be brief with you." he says as he gets straight to the point. "I am extending an invitation to you for a certain group that I believe you would be interested in. We call ourselves The Light, and our purpose is to prepare humanity for the inevitable war that is coming."
"War?" I question as I decide to play ignorant.
"Do not play dumb Ambrosius, it is beneath you to do so at this time, and frankly it insults my intelligence." answers Luthor in a forceful tone. "I will admit that when we first met I truly believed your stupid gold digger born from old money act. However, I know better now. A mutual acquaintance of ours has opened my eyes." he informs me, no doubt with a smile on his face at finally having 'figured me out'.
"Very well, however that does not answer my question. What war?" I ask him once again hoping that he isn't talking about the fact that the gods are claiming Earth for themselves as if it is going out of style.
"The war for Earth, the war against the gods." he answers. "I know that the invasion was a product of a god placing his claim on Earth, Darkseid I believe his name is. I also know that another god claimed Earth, causing Darkseid to use those aliens as a proxy instead of attacking the Earth directly, and I also know that the greek gods themselves are coming back."
Luthor's words cause me to frown as I process the fact that he figured it out. When we returned from Themyscira, it was decided that we would keep the information private between the UN and the Justice League, with Morgan placing a spell on those who know that will make it so that whenever they attempt to divulge the secret it comes out as gibberish. Whether they attempt to write it, speak it, or even use sign language.
Of course the gods had to make our lives difficult. With the ban on interfering with mankind lifted, many of the gods had no qualms with reacquainting themselves with the female form. Children with powers have been popping up out of nowhere for the last three years. The goddesses however have been silent and this feels like the calm before the storm. Especially since Hera has not come out of Olympus to punish Hippolyta for her perceived transgression.
"Who is 'we'?" I ask him.
"I believe the members that you would recognise are Ra's al Ghul, and Queen Bee. As for the others, well I don't think that you would know them, but I'll name them anyway. Vandal Savage, Ocean Master, Klarion, and Brain. We are willing to elect you as the eighth member of The Light, get back to me soon." he says before hanging up.
"That's bad, isn't it?" asks Mordred as we arrive home and I park the car in the parking lot under the castle.
"It is certainly not good." I answer with a frown. "Not only are we doing damage control due to the gods' recklessness, but we also have to worry about The Light. Luthor, Queen Bee, Ra's, Ocean Master, and Brain can be disposed of easily. However, Klarion is a Lord of Chaos while Vandal Savage is immortal." I explain before turning to face her. "This is a teachable moment. The scenario is as given,how do you deal with this issue?" I ask her
Crossing her arms, Mordred sits there for a few minutes in thought.
"Turn it into an advantage?" she hesitantly answers.
"Are you asking, or telling?" I reply with a raised eyebrow.
"Telling." she answers with no hesitation.
"Very well, how do you turn this into an advantage?" I ask.
"By joining them and using their resources to empower your own faction, then once you're done you can take them apart from the inside." she answers with a smirk and a self assured nod.
"Good answer." I reply with a frown due to sensing a sudden surge of divinity near me. "Now go inside without me, I have something to do."
With a puzzled look on her face Mordred nods and leaves the car.
"You may show yourself now." I say to the empty parking lot before a beautiful woman materialises in the passenger seat next to me.
The woman stands around five feet nine inches with dark red hair tied into a messy top knot with two bangs framing her beautiful face, enchanting blue eyes that slightly glow, and pronounced high cheekbones. Her build is athletic while lacking the muscles that warriors like Wonder Woman possess, and she wears a simple green shirt that leaves her somewhat toned stomach exposed. On her legs she simply wears a long cloth that covers her privates and is held up by a golden chain, while her feet are bare of all except a pair of golden anklets on her ankles. What gives her identity away however is the cape made of peacock feathers that she wears over her shoulders.
"How may I help you Queen Hera?" I ask with a slight bow of my head.
"As expected, you quickly figured out my identity without any aid. It seems that you may be as smart as Athena claims." answers the Queen of the Gods with a faint smile on her lips. "I believe that you are one of her favorite humans currently."
"I am honored." I simply answer.
"Manners also." says Hera with faux surprise while I look on with a face devoid of emotions. "Fine, I can tell when my actions are not appreciated, so I will get to the point of my visit."
"I appreciate that." I tell her with genuine joy.
"First, let me tell you that your plans have not gone unnoticed by us goddesses. You cannot simply send your wife to sway our Amazons to your side without being noticed, we are not fools like Zeus." she tells me. "However, we will not intervene. As much as you fear what Zeus may do to your family, we ourselves are tired of his tyranny. That is the reason why your efforts have gone unimpeded, and I have not punished Hippolyta."
"What is your offer?" I ask her.
"It's simple, I want Heracles to suffer, and Zeus' death so that I may take the throne as Olympus' ruler." she answers with a grin far too reminiscent of Lupa. "In exchange we covertly aid you in your endeavors, and ally with you once the final battle arrives."
"Very well." I say in acceptance before asking. "What of Darkseid and Allfather? I am not naive enough to believe that the final battle will not involve them."
"That is not my problem. Also, beware of the coming tides." she answers before disappearing from my car.
Sorry
Sorry about the lack of updates guys, but I've been sick this whole week (still am actually). Hopefully I will be well enough to write soon.
Coming Tides
Poseidonis, Atlantis Somewhere in the Atlantic
May, 2006
Deep in the bottom of the sea, where no man has ever visited, lies an underwater kingdom that many have speculated about, yet none have ever seen proof of its existence. The Kingdom is made up of multiple moderately sized cities spread out around the ocean floor, and a large city serving as the capital. The name of this kingdom is Atlantis
Like the myths, Atlantis is the name of a mortal kingdom that sunk to the bottom of the sea. Unlike the myths however, Atlantis did not sink as punishment from Poseidon due to hubris, rather it is a disaster of their own making that occurred once they took their mysticism too far. None know what the disaster was, only that it resulted in seven of the major cities that make up the kingdom to sink and that Poseidon took pity on their people by transforming their physiology to suit their current environment. Ever since then, they have worshiped him and named the capital after him by giving it the name, Poseidonis.
Poseidonis, as a city, is about the size of New York. It is separated into five different quadrants, with three quadrants dedicated to a certain area of the city while the remaining two are relegated to their own quadrants simply due to their importance to the Kingdom as a whole rather than due to their sizes..
The first quadrant is in the form of a ring that surrounds the second and third quadrants. It's the largest one in terms of land and is where the part of the army that is stationed in Poseidonis is located. There one can find the training grounds, the barracks, and anything else the military uses.
The second quadrant is the biggest one in terms of population and, similar to the first quadrant, is sized like a ring around the third quadrant. It is where the majority of the citizens live and where the majority of businesses are.
The third quadrant is located in the center of the city, and is where the royal palace can be found. It's where any citizen of importance, such as senators and generals, are housed.
The fourth quadrant is The Conservatory of Sorcery. It is a school in Atlantis, led by Queen Mera. As the name suggests, it is a place for students who are interested in studying sorcery and boasts a diversity of students. From Atlanteans that look like the standard human with only gills and webbed hands hand and feet to serve as indicators of their heritage, to those with more notable differences such as skin colored green or fish tails as opposed to feet, and even those who now look more fish than human, all types of Atlanteans can be found studying there. It is relegated to its own section of the second quadrant.
The final quadrant is The Science Center, a facility that explores every form of science and sometimes even going as far as to attempt to seamlessly blend it with mysticism. It can be found on the outskirts of the first quadrant and is headed by Vulko, the chief science advisor of Atlantis.
Currently in the training grounds of the royal palace, a young man around the age of twenty three can be found facing off against four warriors clad in armor. The young man stands at a slightly above average height of five feet eleven inches tall, possesses black hair, white skin and a strong build. His hair is relatively short and slicked close to the head, but comes down to the nape of his neck, and he has long sideburns. His eyes are blue. Unlike the warriors who wear full armor, the man wears a black and dark red sleeveless tunic and a wide gold collar combining a close-fitting, round, and high collar around the neck like a turtle neck and an usekh-style collar on the shoulders. He also wears a wide gold belt with a stylized sea creature at the front and golden bracers while his left hand carries a trident. The young man is Orm, Prince of Atlantis, younger brother to King Orin, also known as Aquaman, and secretly the terrorist set on dethroning King Orin, Ocean Master.
Floating to the right, the man dodges a stab aimed at his neck. Without giving the soldier time to react, the boy grabs his opponent's arm with his unoccupied hand and throws him at a soldier behind him, giving him room to move forward. Without missing a beat, Orm proceeds to swim at the remaining soldier with blinding speed stabs at him with his trident. This soldier, unlike the other three, is a veteran and manages to bring his shield up just in time to block. The resulting collision however sends the soldier flying out of the ring and into a wall.
Orm looks around waiting for his next opponent, only to realize that he is the last one standing. With a sigh that signifies both his annoyance and irritation, Orm places the trident back in the weapon rack before he turns and leaves the training ground to swim towards the corridor that leads towards his room.
The royal palace is divided into different wings. The royal wing, where members of the royal family are housed, the guest wing, where all guests are housed, the servant wing, where the servants are housed, and the central wing, where one can find the throne room, the war room, the training fields etc…
As a member of the royal family Orm's room can be found in the royal wing. The room itself is large, painted blue with burgundy decorations, with a large bed, a nightstand, a dresser with a mirror, and a closet full of clothes. While Orm loves and relishes the luxuries that come with being royalty, he finds that the simple decorations of the room suit him just fine and even prefers it.
Before he can even begin to undress to wash himself a whirlpool forms in the middle of his room making him narrow his eyes as he prepares for whatever is to come. Soon the whirlpool dissipates as a humanoid form coalesces from the water that caused it. Surveying the man that now stands before him, Orm cannot help but notice that the man bears an eerie resemblance to the statues and paintings of Poseidon that can be found in Atlantis.
Standing at around eight feet tall, the man has white hair, a neatly trimmed white beard, a green complexion as opposed to a deep tan that can be seen in the paintings, and sea-green eyes. While his lower body is that of a mermaid with green scales, his upper body is naked, showcasing his strong and defined muscles, and his hands hold a golden trident.
"You dare intrude upon my room stranger? Identify yourself!" exclaims Orm as he begins to channel Atlantean magic in the form of a water constructed trident.
"Mortals." scoffs the man as he casually dissipates Orm's trident with a slight wave of his hand.
With wide eyes and slight fear in his heart Orm attempts other forms of Atlantean sorcery, such as summoning electricity, only for it all to fail in a similar fashion.
"Enough!" roars the man as he once again disrupts Orm's attempts at sorcery and increases the water pressure in the room to unbearable levels even for an atlantean. As a result, all objects in the room are destroyed and the floor and walls that make up the room crack while a fearful Orm is forced to his knees as he attempts to at least breath. Unfortunately no matter how much he tries, oxygen does not seem to reach his lungs and for the first time in his life Orm truly fears that he is about to die here and now without achieving any of his dreams. However, just as his vision begins to swim, the pressure vanishes and he can once again breathe.
"Now that I have your attention, you will cease your futile efforts and listen." says the man to a gasping Orm. "I am Poseidon, God of the sea, earthquakes, storms, and the one who you worship. I have decreed that Atlantis is to begin their conquest of the surface world, and you are to lead them."
"Why come to me? I am not the King. That honor belongs to my brother, Orin." spitefully answers Orm once he regains his bearing.
"Your brother loves those pitiful surface dwellers and cannot be trusted to oversee such an important task. As such you will take the throne from him and lead Atlantis in this conquest. Succeed and you shall be rewarded handsomely. However, should you fail, the punishment will be severe." answers Poseidon.
"Dethrone the King?" says Orm with a bitter laugh. "What do you think I've been trying to do for the past years when we fought? Train him?" questions Orm with an acidic tone.
"For years I've been trying to do just that, but no matter how much I try he always wins." says Orm as he begins to pace around the room.
"At first he would narrowly win by the skin of his teeth, then he started to get better. He was more skilled, stronger, faster, and even cunning at times to the point of seeing through my plots. Eventually it was I who escaped the skin of my teeth." rants the Prince of Atlantis as an intrigued Poseidon listens on. "I thought that our trainers might have something to do with it, but no. Even they don't know how he improved this fast, and you expect me to dethrone him? I am many things, but suicidal is not one of them." says Orm as he comes to a stop in front of Poseidon.
"Tell me mortal, how often does he go to the surface?" questions the god.
"Every. Single. Day. And I know for a fact that this so-called Justice League that he is a part of does not require his presence that often." answers a frustrated Orm through gritted teeth. "It is almost as if he owns a residence there, or has an obligation that he must see to. If I did not know any better I would think that he is having an affair."
"Or perhaps it is where he receives his training." suggests Poseidon as he summons another golden trident to his hand. "Regardless it does not matter. With this weapon you shall be able to best him in combat." says the god as he presents the weapon to the prince. "This is the Trident of Poseidon. A replica of my own godly weapon for you to make use of."
As Orm grasps the trident with awe, he immediately feels the power of the weapon rush into him and empower his very being.
"With this weapon, overthrowing your brother should be an easy task. However, it does not come without a price." says Poseidon to sober the awestruck Orm. "In exchange for this, you will conquer the surface world, how much is up to you. The cities you conquer will be sunk into the sea, and the people will be turned into atlanteans. What you do to them is up to you as long as they too worship me."
"Could you not do this yourself?" asks Orm, causing Poseidon to narrow his eyes as he contemplates whether he should answer or punish the prince for questioning him.
"That would alert Zeus to my plans." answers Poseidon as he chooses the former option in a rare moment of kindness. "His paranoia has blinded him. While he is suspicious of everyone, his current focus lies elsewhere. As such this is the perfect time to move subtly. Any blatantly obvious acts will draw his attention to me."
Having said his piece, Poseidon leaves in the same fashion as he arrived leaving a giddy Orm to study the weapon.
--
Outskirts of Poseidonis, Atlantis
Somewhere in the Atlantic
May, 2006
Kaldur'ahm is an Atlantean with light blond hair cut at the bottom, deep brown skin, pale green eyes, high cheekbones, and a lean build. At the age of twelve he stands at a height slightly above average of five feet tall and possesses webbed hands and feet, and a set of gills that allow him to breathe underwater. The set of visible gills is a trait not shared by most Atlanteans from Poseidonis, but common among the residents of Kaldur's hometown of Shayeris, a city that was founded after the seven major cities of Atlantis sank.
As a twelve year old atlantean, he is a new member of the atlantean military which is why he is outside of the city by himself practicing the combat forms taught there. Unlike many of his fellow new recruits, Kaldur has no qualms with practicing what he learned outside of classes during his free time. And while he could be practicing in the training grounds, he finds that his comrades can be too distracting to train near when outside of class. Many of them cannot seem to practice without causing a ruckus or challenging one another to a contest.
As he loses himself in his training, Kaldur fails to hear the approaching battle until a particularly powerful shockwave knocks him to the ground. With a shake of his head, Kaldur picks himself up from the ground and slowly floats towards the direction of the shockwave. As he draws closer, Kaldur is able to make out two figures battling against one another while they argue.
The first is a muscular caucasian male that stands at six feet tall, with short blond hair, a blond beard, and aqua blue eyes. He wears an orange scale-mail tunic and dark green leggings. At his waist is a gold belt that is clasped with a stylized letter "A", which no doubt has a built-in communicator. He also wears golden gauntlets on his wrists, and dark green greaves. In his right hand is a golden trident brimming with magical power. Kaldur easily recognizes him as King Orin, ruler of Atlantis.
The second is a man Kaldur has only heard spoken of, but never seen, Ocean Master, leader of the terrorist organisation Atlantean Purrists, an organisation that believes that the more human an atlantean looks the more pure their bloodline is and the more superior they are. Ocean-Master dons a purple suit of armor with a cape. The suit of armor consists of spaulders, protecting his shoulders, and fingerless gauntlets and greaves, covering his forearms and shins, respectively. He also has a belt adjoined by an upside-down crescent moon, and wears a helmet that covers his face, leaving only his mouth visible. His eyes are covered by two round opaque red lenses. His suit of armor has an aquatic motif and features protuberances shaped like fins on the greaves and shreds and rips on the base of the cape, making it resemble a caudal fin. Underneath the armor, he wears a black jumpsuit while leaving his feet bare. In his hands he wields a golden trident of his own.
At first it seems that they are evenly matched, but the more Kaldur watches the more he can see that it isn't the complete truth. King Orin is far more skilled with the trident. However, Ocean Master seems to be the more powerful of the two in terms of magic and physical prowess.
"How did you receive this weapon, Ocean Master?" questions King Orin as he deflects Ocean Master's swipe and kicks him in the stomach, sending him flying backwards.
Rather than answer him, Ocean Master simply recovers before raising his trident up.
"While this battle has been interesting, it comes to an end now!" exclaims Ocean Master as his weapon glows and King Orin screams in pain while dropping his trident. "You see Orin, during our battle, every time you received a cut, no matter how minor, a poison was seeped beneath your skin. While it would normally be useless towards our atlantean physiology, my trident allows me to amplify and control it how I see fit." informs the terrorist as he lunges for the King and sends him flying towards Kaldur with a swing of his trident.
Knowing that the King is in no position to land correctly, Kaldur attempts to catch him, only to also be thrown backwards by his momentum and the both land on the ground a few inches away from one another.
"Well what do we have here? A witness?" says Ocean Master as he slowly approaches the duo while Kaldur attempts to get a groaning Orin back to his feet to no avail. "Unfortunately I can't let go back to tell the Queen that it was me who killed her husband." comments the terrorist as he stops a few feet from the two while Aquaman attempts to whisper something to Kaldur.
Before Ocean Master can react, Kaldur presses the "A" on Aquaman's belt and the two are teleported away from Ocean Master while he floats there in surprise.
"Of course he would have a way to escape." says Ocean Master with an irritated scoff. "Regardless, his friends on the surface will not be able to save his life. While they search for a cure for my "poison", the curse will do its work and kill him in a few minutes. It is unfortunate however, that I will not be able to burn his body to ashes." remarks the man to himself as he swims to Aquaman's discarded trident.
Removing his armor, Orm goes about arranging the battlefield to make it seem as if the surface dwellers were the cause of it. Once done he removes his Ocean Master armor and proceeds to vaporise it with a bolt of lightning from his trident before purposefully cutting himself all over with a USMC ka-bar knife and heaping other injuries on himself. Once that is done he grabs his brother's discarded trident and slowly swims back towards Poseidonis with a mournful expression on his face.
Tsunami
Avalon Hill, Bludhaven New Jersey
May, 2006
"Good Evening Bernard." I absentmindedly greet him as I make my way into the castle while he greets me back.
My conversation with Hera has implications that I have yet to figure out whether they are good or not. While it is good that the goddesses have elected to rebel against Zeus, the real question is how truthful are they in making that claim. Greek and Roman history have no shortages of backstabs and some even by the gods themselves. On the same hand, it could very much be a plot to get me to falsely believe that everything is going well until I make a mistake and they capitalise on it. That is something that Athena would do.
Then there is the matter of Hera's warning of "coming tides". It is honestly not hard to figure out that my fool of a father is finally making his move. There is no need for me to try and figure out his motive since it is clear as day. He wants to finally take the throne from his brother. The greedy fool wants to rule the seas and skies while becoming the leader of his pantheon. The boost of power he would receive should he accomplish this would be immeasurable. As usual, the Greek gods are squabbling like children for power with no regards for humanity. Which, unfortunately, leads me to my next problem.
How secure is Ares' prison? With the way things are going, I would not be surprised if someone decided that it is time for the god of war to be free from his shackles. Heck, I would not be surprised if Zeus himself decided to free the bastard. The imbecile freed Heracles from his punishment, it is only a matter of time before he does the same for Ares. The question is whether someone else will free him first.
"You seem troubled." comes Morgan's voice next to me, freeing me from my thoughts. I had been so engrossed in them that I did not notice the fact that I am sitting on the couch in one of our lounges.
"I received a visit from Hera." I inform her as I turn my head to face her.
"Oh." replies a surprised Morgan as she looks up from her book. "Do we need to worry about her and her cadre of goddesses?" she asks as she places her book down.
"I do not believe so." I answer as I play with my quickly growing hair. "She came to announce her support of our faction by not taking any actions towards us. Apparently she and her compatriots want their King gone as much as we do."
"She should take her claims with a grain of salt. There are no shortages of treacherous acts by the gods throughout history." says Morgan.
"My thoughts exactly." I answer just as I feel the castle shake around me.
"I presume that Diana is here." I state as I feel the castle shake a bit more.
"I wonder how you could have possibly known." answers Morgan with a dry tone. "It is almost as if whenever the castle shakes it is because her and Azula are in the training room making a mess of things." she adds with an annoyed eye roll. "Of course the rest of us must suffer the consequences by enduring the castle's shaking."
"I do believe that this is her way of getting back to you for that misfired spell last year." I answer with a smile.
"And I do believe that she exaggerates the outcome of the spell far too much." replies Morgan with a deadpan stare.
"What can I say, other than that she clearly hated being turned into a humanoid pig." I say with a shrug as the castle shakes once more.
"And no one told her to intrude into my lab while I was busy. Besides, it isn't my fault that I am not as well versed in bestiamorph magic as everything else." she replies nonchalantly.
"Last I checked that was Circe's specialty, turning men into humanoid beasts under her control." I say with a raised eyebrow. "Are you perhaps preparing for a confrontation with her?"
"Of course not." replies Morgan with a scoff, as if the very premise of the question offends her. "I was merely trying to find the appeal in those types of spells, and frankly there is none." she says before adding with a predatory smile that makes my skin crawl"Besides, should we face her I have a lovely spell that I am sure she will appreciate."
Before I can answer her however, Azula and Diana walk into the room followed closely by General Penelope, the general from the open fields.
"Ambrosius, it is good to see you." says Diana as she and Azula sit on the couch facing us while Penelope decides to remain standing near the doorway.
"Likewise Diana." I answer her with a nod before turning to Azula. "The castle was shaking again." I inform her.
"Oh, was it?" she asks with faux interest while examining her nails. "I must not have noticed. Maybe your runes are faulty." she adds as she sneaks a glance at an annoyed Morgan while Diana and Penelope look on with thinly veiled amusement.
"Or maybe you shut off the array before your spar." replies Morgan through gritted teeth.
"Ooops." answers Azula with a nonchalant shrug and a sarcastically apologetic tone."My hand must have slipped like your spell did." says Azula while Diana, Penelope, and I struggle to keep our faces free of amusement.
"How is the United Nations?" I ask Diana to quickly change the subject.
"Troubling." she answers with a frown. "They still refuse to believe that the gods exist, much less the fact that they have decided to intervene with humanity once more."
"Politicians." scoffs Morgan as she returns to her book. "If it does not benefit them then they do not care, and if it does not directly affect them in the here and now then it does not exist."
"And how do they explain the rapidly growing population of demigods?" I ask with a raised eyebrow.
"They have no explanation, and as far as they're concerned the concerned cases of empowered individuals are isolated incidents." answer Azula as she proceeds to pick at one of her nails with an annoyed frown on her face.
"I will never understand your world." says Penelope with a shake of her head. "How can you possibly elect such individuals to decide the fate of entire nations? Most of them are corrupt beyond measure." she says with a frown as she looks around the room for an answer.
"Not all of them are corrupt." answers Diana defensively.
"The ones that matter are." casually replies Morgan without looking up from her book.
"And the ones that aren't corrupt will not last long." adds Azula. "One thing you need to learn about politics sister, is that if the majority of politicians are corrupt, then the honest minority will be suppressed."
With a troubled expression on her face, Diana leans back into the couch while thinking about Azula's words. This is a conversion that they have had multiple times over the past three years. Something unpleasant will happen due to politics or a politician and Diana will give said politician the benefit of the doubt before it is revealed that they are in fact scum as opposed to someone who made an honest mistake. Azula will tell her that this is what politics is like and Diana will be hopeful that her sister is wrong.
While Diana is in no way shape or form naive, she is very much an optimistic person who likes to give one the benefit of the doubt, especially since the most experience she has had in politics began three years ago when her mother appointed her ambassador. While I admire this quality about her, I do not believe that one day it will be used against her and she will no longer be this way. I do hope that I am wrong however, the world is in need of more people like her. Especially in these times where the gods are no longer spectators. Then again, between the sisterly bond that she has formed with Azula and the friendship she struck with Scáthach, I pity the fool who would actually harm her because they will have none.
"Where is Mordred?" asks Diana, bringing me out of my thoughts.
"I do believe that she is getting ready for her patrol later tonight." answers Morgan.
"Does aunty Diana miss her little troublemaker?" teasingly asks Azula, causing Diana's cheeks to flush.
"Well as her designated aunt it is my duty to spend time with her and make sure that she is alright." answers Diana as she attempts to hide her happiness from the nickname.
"Designated aunt she says." chuckles Morgan as she looks at Diana with a raised eyebrow. "That child adopted you, there is no need to say 'designated' when you call yourself her aunt." she says causing Diana to blush a bit more. It is evident that she loves children, but it seems that Mordred has a special place in her heart.
"It is almost as if she wishes for a child of her own." adds Penelope casually, causing us all to chuckle at her mortified expression when she heard Penelope's words.
As much as Diana loves children, she cannot seem to fathom the thought of having one herself. Morgan and I believe that she is a bit worried about the carrying and birthing part of motherhood while Azula and Scáthach seem to believe that she simply has her eyes on someone and having a child before that terrifies her.
Before the conversation can continue I feel one of my teleportation arrays activate as an injured Aquaman and another body appears a few feet above the table between the two couches and falls on it, crushing it in the process.
Surprised by the method and state of his arrival, we stare at him for a second as the second body turns to face. Staring into my eyes is none other than Kaldur who could not be older than thirteen years old.
"Please help him! Help my King!" pleads the child to me with a distraught expression.
Without having to speak to one another, we get to work. While Morgan and Azula go about examining him, Diana and Penelope begin to make sure that his wounds are tended to while I pull Kaldur aside to ask him a few questions and to let them work in peace.
"What is your name little one?" I ask him as I gently pull him away from the others.
"Kaldur'ahm." he answers with a shaky voice.
"Ok Kaldur, can you tell me what happened?" I question him as we make our way outside of the lounge towards the monitor room in the castle. No doubt whatever caused this is going to become a major threat soon.
"He was fighting Ocean Master. At first he seemed to be winning, but then Ocean Master received the upper hand by manipulating the poison in his body." answers Kaldur as I check the sensors for any incoming threat, only to find none.
Having heard Kaldur's words about poison, I reach out with my divine powers in search of it but find none. Instead I find a piece of magic that clings to his wounds while slowly making its way inside his body. I cannot tell exactly what it does other than killing him. At the rate that it is going he will be dead in a few minutes. Ten at the most and four at the earliest. At least he would be if he did not have Morgan overseeing him.
"There is no poison inside his body." I inform Kaldur as I lead us towards Mordred's room. "Rather it is a curse, but do not worry, he will be fine."
"Who are you?" he asks me somewhat skeptically while attempting to hide his worries.
"A good friend of your King." I answer with a smile as we arrive outside of Mordred's door and I knock.
As Mordred opens the door she raises an eyebrow at Kaldur's presence.
"Who's this?" she asks me with a nod towards Kaldur.
"Mordred this is Kaldur, an atlantean who saved Aquaman's life. Kaldur this is Mordred, my daughter." I say to introduce them to one another. "Mordred, I want you to keep an eye on Kaldur for me for the foreseeable future. At least until Aquaman is fully recovered. You can take him with you to Gotham." I tell her while looking in her eyes to make sure that she understands that things might be getting very serious soon. "Kaldur, Mordred will take care of you. Do not be afraid to ask her anything, and do not worry Orin is in good hands." I say as I turn to him, receiving a reluctant nod in the process.
With that done I begin to make my way back to the monitor room just as the flood alarms blare to life and a magical holographic display appears before me to show a wave hundreds of feet high heading towards the city.
"Ambrosius, a tsunami is heading towards the eastern seaboard. Should it reach the casualties will be catastrophic!" comes Bruce's urgent voice over the communication rune behind my ear.
"I know." I casually reply as I teleport myself to the docks through a pre-inscribed array. With the age of gods returning, it was only a matter of time before the oceans became problematic. As such I have a teleportation array inscribed anywhere I believed could face supernatural storms
Arriving at the docks, I ignore the panicking people as I move towards the wave at a speed too fast for anyone to recognise me. Once I am far enough from the docks, I summon my trident in to enhance my power in preparation for this. I hope that Poseidon is not personally controlling this wave, otherwise there may not be much that I can do to stop it.
With a roar I reach out with my divine powers, severely augmented by my trident, and stop the wave in its tracks with a surprising amount of ease. Having expected a bitter struggle, I am dumbfounded by the lack of effort it took to stop the wave, so much so that I accidentally let it go for one second before quickly regaining control of it.
With interest I search out the cause of the tsunami, only to once again be surprised when I find inside the sea. With ease I part the ocean wave, even as the one who originally controlled it attempts to regain control, to allow me to see what lies inside. What I find is honestly not surprising at all, for there is Orm in his full glory, with a golden trident grasped in his hand, leading a massive army of atlanteans towards Gotham and Bludhaven.
Rebellion
Just off the coast of Bludhaven New Jersey
May, 2006
Annoyance. I have not felt annoyance in years. I did not feel it when Zeus humiliated me since that was just rage that is very much still burning to this day. I did not feel annoyed when I had to deal with mercenaries sent to kidnap or assassinate me or a member of my family, rather it was clear disinterest and pity for the fools. And I certainly did not feel annoyed when I failed to achieve mushin, rather it was a small amount of disappointment mixed with a bigger hunger to achieve it. Annoyance is an emotion I have not felt in years, not even when that fool of a principal attempted to blackmail me. However, in this moment, facing this army of atlanteans led by that fool Orm, I genuinely feel annoyed.
Being the King's brother and a member of The Light, Orm should know that our very existence is at stake now. He should know that Earth is currently under heavy scrutiny by every single pair of eyes that have any form of divinity attached to it. Earth is quite literally caught in the crosshairs of Darkseid, Highfather, and now Zeus. Were I a betting man I would bet every piece of wealth that I own that every other pantheon is also watching this spectacle with no small amount of amusement. Orm should know all of this. Yet here this fool stands before me, with this division of combative atlanteans ready to wage war against Gotham and Bludhaven. One does not need to be a genius to figure out that Orm is responsible for Orin's injuries. The power hungry imbecil no doubt planned for his brother to die by that curse so that he may use it as an excuse to become King of Atlantis and attack the surface world. I also wouldn't be surprised if he attempted to marry Mera himself, he was always a jealous younger brother.
Yet here is the fool leading an army of atlanteans to wage war with the surface world. What could he possibly get from this pointless attack?
"What is the meaning of this attack Orm? The surface world has not done anything to warrant such an invasion." I question him as I slowly walk towards him while ignoring the countless guns pointed in my direction by the trigger happy atlanteans.
"You dare say that this attack is unwarranted?!" screams a hysterical Orm with bloodshot eyes no doubt due to excessive "crying". "When you polluted our oceans we did nothing. My brother, our King, was far too kind for you people. He advocated that we seek peace through diplomacy, and like the fool I was I believed him." says Orm with a heartbroken voice. "I believed him when he said that he would come to a mutual and peaceful understanding with the surface world's leaders. How could I not believe him when, true to his words, pollution was reduced by a large percentage? Unfortunately that outcome was too good to be true and your people had MY BROTHER, OUR KING, ASSASSINATED!" exclaims Orm, rousing the atlanteans into a furious roar, causing my left eyebrow to twitch a bit in annoyance. "AS SUCH, I SAY NO MORE! THE SURFACE WORLD WILL PAY FOR THEIR CRIMES AGAINST ATLANTIS!" with that roar Orm lunges towards me, trident in hand, aiming for my skull.
With ease I tilt my head slightly to the left, dodging the thrust while my left hand comes up and grabs the shaft of the weapon to pull him towards me. Caught off guard by my maneuver, Orm was unprepared for the kick that struck his chest once he was close enough, sending him flying back into the ocean while I control part of the wave to send his division of atlantean soldiers back with him.
"Ambrosius, can you please explain to me why there is a wave hundreds of feet tall simply standing there a few miles short of colliding with Gotham and Bludhaven?" comes Batman's voice over the communication array behind my left ear.
"Aquaman's brother became power hungry and quite bloodthirsty." I reply as I begin to feel a massive creature coming from the ocean, where I threw Orm, towards me.
"Do you need any help?" he asks me.
"No, but it would not hurt to have members of the league situated in Gotham and Bludhaven just in case the division facing me is actually a decoy to allow others to sneak into the cities." I tell him while examining the approaching creature for a hint of its identity and purpose.
"Very well. Wonder Woman, Hawkwoman, John Stewart and Superman are available. Scáthach is already in Gotham with me so we should be fine. How is Aquaman?" he questions with a hint of worry that only those who truly know him would ever be able to detect.
"He should recover easily. Morgan is tending to him." I answer him just as a massive sea serpent emerges from the wave.
"Merde." I whisper under my breath while my left eyebrow twitches a bit.
"French? Interesting, I knew you spoke latin and a slew of other languages. I didn't expect french." he casually comments as if he could not see the massive sea serpent facing me from his surveillance systems.
The serpent is at least two thousand feet tall without counting the rest of his massive body that I can feel lingering in the sea, it possesses glistening blue scales, a head shaped like a dragon with a mouth full of massive teeth bigger and taller than even Superman, two big horns coming from its skull while a singular sharp fin travels from the back of its head all the way down its body. The most impressive feature of the beast is not its size however, nor is it the fact that the trojan sea serpent itself, a creature that Heracles supposedly killed, is alive. Rather it is the amount of intelligence that I can see in its eyes and the fact that it recognises me as a son of the sea yet still chooses to face me.
"Batman, I am going to need you to clear the beaches and to prohibit any traveling by sea until I say so." I tell him as I slowly let the wave go, allowing it to envelop me and to return the ocean back to its natural state.
As soon as I let the wave go completely however, the sea serpent lunges towards me with its mouth wide open to swallow me whole. With my enhanced speed I easily outmaneuver around its head while my previously casual clothes morph into my atlantean armor. Surprising me with its agility, the sea serpent's head easily turns to follow while it once again opens its mouth. Instead of attempting to eat me however, the beast decides to spit out a highly pressurised jet of acid, forcing me to shield myself in a hardened construction of a water bubble before taking control of the poison and sending it back to the serpent's face. With a pained roar the creature retreats its head as the acid burns its flesh before fizzing out of existence. Surprisingly instead of completely retreating, the beast now stares at me with a baleful glare while its head easily heals in seconds
With a roar the beast once again lunges at me while I dodge to the side and slash open its temple as the head passes me by. Like with the acid, the wound closes quickly without even slowing the beast down as it turns its head and once again spits acid towards me. With ease I send it back towards the beast but miss this time as the creature dodges the acid this time.
"What are you?" I ask it with an annoyed expression as I swim towards it and stab it in the forehead while sending lightning into the wound in hopes of doing more damage, but to no avail as it easily heals over while he attempts to shake me off his head.
No where in legend does it state that the trojan sea monster could spit acid, nor did it state that it was so big. Yet I know that this is the beast's identity, just like I instinctively know what my location is based on longitude and latitude, or what type of sea animal I am facing. It is simply something a son of Poseidon can do. A side effect of our greater range of powers, those very same powers that are currently telling me that this is the trojan sea monster.
Stabbing my weapon back into the creature's skull, I begin to swim down its body in a circular motion while dragging my trident, still lodged in its body, along with me in the hopes of bleeding it out with a wound large enough. As I travel down its body, the beast roars in pain and begins to thrash about in the water with the hopes of shaking me off of it. Unfortunately for the sea serpent I plan to finish this battle here and now with having to resort to any more of my powers. Zeus already suspects that I am more powerful than I let on, there is no need to confirm that theory for him. Otherwise he might just do something smart for once in his life and smite me before I become any more powerful.
As I near its tail I notice the resistance that my trident faces increase, but with a bit of added effort I am able to easily overcome it and split its tail wide open. Turning to face the creature, I expected it to be dead, or at least bleeding out. Instead I come face to face with it as it lunges at me with a furious roar and spitting acid in an attempt to finally rid itself of my existence.
"*Enough!*" I roar at the beast while reaching out with both my telepathy and divine powers over sea creatures. "*You are a creature of the sea, created by my father with no purpose other than to serve his whim when he decides who you are to destroy, and as such you WILL obey my orders!*" I exclaim while with a concentrated effort I force my will upon it.
Sure enough the beast stops its attack and simply floats there while observing me with its intelligent eyes.
"*What is your name beast?*" I question it while floating close to it, only stopping a few feet away from its face.
"*I have none*" he replies with a deep voice in my head.
"*None? My father has never named you?*" I ask him with a frown.
"*Of course not.*" scoffs the sea serpent, earning it a raised eyebrow from me. "*Why would he? He is the great Poseidon while I am a mere beast.*" comments the sea serpent with a growl.
"*You do not like being called a beast?*" I ask him.
"*I have no qualms with being called a beast for that is what I am. A sea serpent is merely a type of beast after all. However, there is nothing mere about me. I am one of the greatest sea serpents to ever exist.*" he says with pride.
"*Very well. How would you like to be called?*" I ask it.
"*You may call me Bahamut.*" he answers nonchalantly.
"*Last I checked, that name was taken.*" I reply with a raised eyebrow.
"*So? I do not care.*" he casually replies as if he did not just take the nickname of an already existing sea monster.
"*Very well. Now that this is out of the way, we need to talk. I cannot allow you to attack those cities.*" I inform him.
"*You think I want to? I would rather be sleeping than doing this.*" he replies with a scoff. "*But somehow that mortal's trident allowed him to command me.*" he says with a low growl.
"*You mean this?*" I ask him as I use my telekinesis to drag Orm's discarded trident to me.
"*Nooo, I meant the one you used to carve me up with.*" he answers with a sarcastic eye roll before answering seriously. "*Of course I meant that one.*"
"*Sassy and lazy. What an interesting personality you have for a sea monster.*" I answer him as I store the trident in my storage rune. "*What do you say to becoming my familiar?*" I ask him.
"*What are the benefits?*" he asks me with interest.
"*You will get to sleep as much as you want except for when I need your help with something.*" I answer him.
"*I don't really see you needing my help with anything, so sure.*" he nonchalantly answers.
With a smirk on my face I inscribe a set of runes on his forehead. This array will not only make him my familiar, but it will also boost his intellect while granting him the ability to utilize limited magecraft and the ability to take a human-like form.
"*You should go to sleep now. The changes that this array will bring upon you are best done while sleeping. We will talk more when you wake up.*" I tell him as I finish inscribing the array on his scales and he swims off towards the depths of the sea.
"An interesting display of power my son." says Poseidon as he materialises in front of me in a swirl of sea water with his trident in his left hand.
"Poseidon." I say as I greet him with a bow of my head while slightly tightening the grip on my trident.
"No need for formalities son. You may call me father." he says with a genial smile reminiscent of his counterpart from the PJO world.
"How may I help you father?" I say reluctantly.
"Simple. Cease your protection of the surface world and join me." he says as he extends his right hand to me. "Even as we speak, King Orm leads part of the atlantean army to ravage Gotham and Bludhaven."
"I cannot." I tell him with a frown.
His smile falls for half a second before quickly reappearing on his face. This time far less genuine than earlier.
"And why not?" he asks me as he retracts his hand. "What tethers you to them? Is it power? Or perhaps a woman?" he questions with a raised eyebrow. "Worry not. Join me and you shall rule the seas and bed any woman you wish!" he declares with a laugh.
"No. I will not join you." I answer him. "Not even with your offer of power and women."
"I do not understand why you cling to these mortals. They are beneath you and not trustworthy. They do not and will never understand you. Join your family son." he says with a frown.
"And our family is trustworthy?" I ask him with a laugh, causing him to frown. "Please father, do not insult my intelligence. Our family is anything but trustworthy. Even now you betray your wife and eldest son, Triton, for power. I can see it in your eyes, the willingness to cast them aside for the more powerful son." I tell him as I swim closer to him with a glare before pointing towards Bludhaven. "These mortals however would rather die before casting aside one of their own. I would rather put my life in their hand one hundred times rather than ever trusting ANYONE from our wretched 'family'."
"YOU DARE!" exclaims Poseidon as he explodes with power, blowing me hundreds of feet backwards. "I AM YOUR LORD AND FATHER AND YOU WILL OBEY ME!" he roars out as the sea churns around us and begins to exert an extreme amount of pressure on me.
Maybe I went too far. I'm not powerful enough to face him yet, especially not in the sea where he is most powerful, besides I can endure bowing down to the gods a bit longer until I'm powerful enough to do otherwise.
Yet even as I doubt myself, a voice deep within me refuses to back down. Listening to Neptune and Salacia back during my days as a legionnaire was different from this. They actually treated me like family. I was a son to them first and a soldier second. These gods are not the same. They do not understand the importance of family. Instead all that matters to them is power, power, power. Squabbling with each other for more power like a bunch of children. No, I am done bowing down to them. I will never bow to them. Not now or any other time in the future.
"No." I calmly answer him even as I begin to feel fear envelop my being. "You are NOT my father. You are a shadow of his every weakness and flaws and I refuse to obey you." I tell him as I draw on my power like I have never before, not even when I sunk that monster filled island. "I am Ambrosius Malphas, son of the sea and war, slayer of Titans, bane of Giants!" I declare as my power burst forth from my being and I am enveloped in a blood red and sea green aura. "I have traversed through Tartarus fearlessly, led legions of heroes to victory, and I am tired of bowing down to you WORTHLESS gods. I will die before I ever do so again."
"THEN DIE." he roars as the waters encompass me all around.
Unfortunately for him I have no plan of dying yet. So with a roar I channel every ounce of power within me, divinity or otherwise, and send it through MY trident before blasting with a beam of raw divine power.
Achievement
Atlantic Ocean May, 2006
The beam of divine power cuts through the Atlantic Ocean as it makes its way towards Poseidon unimpeded while catching the god by surprise. He did not expect this type of offensive from me and should I wish to survive this will be the best method of combat to use, unpredictability. Caught by surprise, Poseidon is unable to mount a defence as the beam strikes him in the chest causing him to scream in pain while the resulting force pushes him to the depths of the seas. Not willing to give him a chance to recover I explode into movement as I swim towards him while activating every single enhancement rune on my body and breaking the sound barrier at least two fold.
Reaching the injured god, it does not take me long to realise that my attack has done a significant amount of damage to him. Unfortunately it was a one off attack with the chances of me being able to muster that much raw power a second time being almost impossible. As he recovers Poseidon attempts to strike me with his trident, but I simply swim under it while driving my own through his solar plexus and out of his back.
"You!" he exclaims in pain. "You are far more powerful than I thought. It would be too dangerous to allow you to live." he says as he wills the water around me to crush me to a pulp.
Unfortunately for him while he may have more raw control over the domains we share, when it comes to precision he will always lose to me. So while the entire ocean itself attempts to crush me, the immediate waters that are within arms reach of my person quickly surrounds my body like armor and protects me. Not bothering to answer the madman's tirade, I remove the trident from his body with a twist that increases the size of the hole and proceed to cut off his arm holding the trident. Before he knows what is happening I summon the trident to me and store it within my rune space while I use my own to send lightning hurtling towards him and blasting him further back into the depths of the sea.
Knowing that this will not be enough to kill him, I follow him into the abyss where no light can reach. As I draw near him however, a beast blitzes me from the side in an attempt to swallow me. As it looks to close its mouth with me in it I plunge my trident into the roof of its mouth before I swim out dragging the trident with me and splitting its upper jaw open, eliciting a furious and painful roar from it.
Now that I am outside of the creature I am able to easily make out its figure and know that I recognise this sea serpent from my time in PJO, the Carthaginian Serpent. Being around three hundred twenty feet long, its skin is a glistening flesh of green and brown ridged scales with serrated dorsal fins. Its triangular forehead is wide enough to provide parking for about two or three cars, and its baleful eyes possess an eerie orange glow to them that amplifies its hatred, almost as if it remembers previously dying by my hands. However a quick search of its mind reveals that it simply hates me because Poseidon hates me, and that no amount of negotiation will be able to abate its need to kill me.
Accepting the situation for what it is, I lunge towards the sea serpent only to be struck and sent flying into a boulder something slimy. Quickly recovering I stop my momentum by striking my trident into the ground and use it as a way to create more friction between me and the ground. That was two times that have been caught off guard when it should not have happened. With my physiology I should be able to easily see, hear, and feel anything despite the darkness. Especially since we are in the middle of the sea and all of my facilities are heightened. Yet I find myself unable to hear anything and my vision is slowly losing any form of clarity I have. Soon enough I will be both deaf and blind to my surroundings with my only way of knowing what is happening being when an object is within arms length of me.
"Merde." I mutter as I realise that this is all Poseidon's doing.
Looking in the direction of the beast responsible for striking me the second time, I come across a sea monster I did not expect, the Skolopendra. It measures at around six hundred feet long, looks like a cross between a giant shrimp and a cockroach, with a pink chitinous shell, a flat crayfish tail and millipede-type legs. Its face is a slimy pink like an enormous catfish with two glassy dead eyes and a gaping toothless maw. And it has a beard, which has numerous amount of tentacles sprouting from each nostril, no doubt the appendage responsible for striking me earlier.
Without bothering to read its mind I lunge at the beast while dodging every attempt it makes to hit me with its tentacles. Before I can reach it however I barely spot the lunging sea serpent on my left side before it strikes me with its head sending me back from the direction I originally came from. Not willing to lose my opportunity, I hurl my trident at the Skolopendra's skull and through its entire head, killing it, before summoning the trident back to my right hand while using the water in my immediate vicinity to stop my movement.
As I recover I notice the Carthaginian Serpent coming towards me once again. Not willing to waste time with it I inscribe a set of runes in the sea, summoning a set of chains that bind the monster. The serpent however easily breaks the chains and continues on towards me. However I am not surprised as the chains were not meant to bind the beast, rather act as a vehicle for the true runes to inscribe themselves on it without its knowledge. As the monster reaches within a hundred feet of me it stops and begins to whine as if it were suffering from a disease, this is the runic array's effects kicking in as another runic symbol appears between the beast and I.
The rune's purpose is simple, to bind the victim while turning them into a needy, fragile, and docile being completely at the caster's mercy. With a whine the Carthaginian Serpent reaches for the runic symbol in an attempt to find peace while its mind is seemingly falling apart. With a wave of my hand I send a telepathic pulse that knocks the creature out until I personally wake it while the ground rises up and swallows it just as I lose the last of my vision.
"Runic magic." comes Poseidon's voice from all around me. "Truly you are accomplished. It is a shame that I have to dispose of you before you truly become a threat. Even now you have accomplished more than any before you. Subjecting the Ketos Troi to a mere familiar, slaying both the Carthaginian Serpent and the Skolopendra, and severely injuring me. All without receiving a single injury yourself."
"So you finally show your true colors to me, coward." I say into the abyss while trying to set up my domain around me to no avail. Poseidon possesses complete control over our surroundings.
"Cease your futile attempts to rile me into stupidity boy." he answers me with venom dripping from his tone. "Like the sea I can be moody, bad-tempered and explosive, however what many, and even you, forget is that like the sea I too can be calm and collected. As such I will not face you head on. It is true that I am, and alway will be, more powerful than you. However I have seen your tricks and use of rune magic and I know that there are forms of magic capable of killing gods. As such I will be careful while making you sure that you die a slow and agonising death."
As soon as he finishes his speech a sword stabs into my back and out through my chest. Before whoever, or whatever, can remove the sword I create a dagger in my left hand and plunge it where I suspect their neck to be. Surprisingly my dagger easily cleaves through the beings neck and it explodes into a wave of water along with the sword, leaving a massive gash in my chest that easily heals. With an annoyed growl I create a bounded field around me only for the inscribed runes to be destroyed before they can even activate just as a spear is plunged through my throat. Following the spear's shaft, I stab the being with my trident making it explode like its earlier counterpart.
In seconds I am healed from the stab wound and begin to think of my options even as other wounds appear on my body. Any type of danger sense that I have is useless on account of them needing an outside stimuli to warn me, any divine powers not from Bellona are useless, and even then the only one that will work in this situation is my telumkinesis. Even my biotics, which I admittedly have sparsely used, is useless. As for my rune magic, as soon as I inscribe them he uses the environment to destroy them, and even my already inscribed runes are impossible to sense.
Before I can continue to think more on the matter a sword is plunged into my right bicep bringing me out of my thoughts. With minimal effort I retaliate with my trident, destroying the water being. Meanwhile a second creature appears within range and I quickly strike it down while becoming aware that I sensed it. The water within my reach, I can sense anything from that far out even though I cannot see, hear, or even feel anything. While there is a limited amount of time for me to react to whatever I sense and I do not know anything other than the general direction and size, it will have to do. Anything is better than nothing.
Just as I finish that thought a being appears on my left and I stab towards it, only for me to miss as it plunges its word in my chest, just shy of striking my heart. Killing it with a sweep of my spear, I remove the sword from my chest just as it explodes into a wave of water. Before I can ready myself however another one approaches and lunges towards my back. Rolling forward, I evade the strike while summoning a sword and plunging it in the beings center. A second one comes and I barely hit it on its left side, causing it to explode. Just as I manage to right myself something appears on my senses for half a second before stabbing me in the thigh, severing a tendon.
With a pained grunt I remove what feels like an arrow just as it dissolves into water.
"Impressive, son." comments Poseidon as I swim to the left making a sword slash graze me. "You somehow managed to take control of a small amount of water from me and use it to sense your surroundings. It is unfortunate that you do not possess an omnidirectional way of attacking." he says with a laugh.
He must take me for a fool. Should I showcase any such ability he will simply attack me from long range, just like with that arrow. No, it is better to allow them to come close so that I can at least defend. Any form of escalation by using an omnidirectional defense or offense will result in him escalating his method of attacking until I can no longer deal with them. It is better to let him have his fun while I come up with a way to counter him. Besides, if we escalate too far we risk bringing Zeus' attention upon us and that would be bad for the both of us.
Barely dodging a thrust to my neck, I stab the attacker while bringing my hand up to be stabbed by an arrow as opposed to my eye. With some effort I manage to make another slash graze my side while ducking under a stab before easily vanquishing the two beings. Poseidon must be getting frustrated, that is twice now that I have been able to react to his attacks with minimal effort. This is the downside of being one of the big three. They are so used to having raw power do all of the required work that as soon as any form of precision or caution is required they become useless.
I tilt my head to dodge a spear thrust, hop over a sword slash, and carefully angle my body leftward to avoid a stab while catching an arrow before using my momentum to decapitate the water beings and dodging another arrow. Landing on my feet I continue to move into a forward roll to dodge another set of arrows while thrusting my spear forward into the stomach of a water construct warrior. Then I swipe it leftward to bisect another one while summoning a sword in my other hand and cutting the legs of the third one. The fourth barely reaches my range before I kick it through the chest before jumping into a spinning kick and destroying the head of the fifth. The sixth attempts to retreat but I grasp it with my biotic enhanced telekinesis and crush. The seventh barely has time to react before I perform a flawless shadow strike to appear behind the construct and decapitate it. I duck under an arrow and jump over a water constructed chariot while stabbing its rider in the skull. The ninth falls to a lightning strike from my trident and the tenth falls to a dagger through the throat.
By this point I simply stop counting as I dodge and counter every strike, slash, stab, and arrow that comes my way. I make use of my powers in ways I have never done so before. Mixing shadow strike with my teleportation, enhancing my telekinesis with my biotics, and even telekinetically inscribing runes in my small domain within the vast ocean. Nothing is off limits.
And as the battle continues on, it becomes apparent to me that the distance from which I am able to sense from and have control over is slowly increasing. Almost as if Poseidon is losing is power over his domains. Whether or not it is purposeful? I do not know. It also becomes apparent to me that the longer the fight drags on the more powerful I am becoming. Even as I dodge two spear thrusts, a sword slash, and block five arrows, I feel my power rising to a never before felt height. So much so that I have enough to perform my previous beam attack twice over. If I can find Poseidon I can strike him twice with the same attack and the same amount of force without feeling tired. Unfortunately I would not be surprised if he scattered himself all over the sea. At the same time I begin to hear whispers in my mind that I cannot make out other than the name Gawain. Some of the whispers sound desperate, others sound hopeful, and some even sound as if they revere whoever this Gawain is. With a shake of my head I push the voices to the back of my mind while I focus on the battle at hand.
With a roar I slam the butt of my trident onto the floor and force every drop of water with my range of control to push outwards while sending a beam of divine power upwards. The result is a land free of water five hundred feet all around me. Between the beam of divine power vaporising any water over me and the water in my control pushing outward, I have created a space thousands of feet deep into the ocean waterless.
With my senses returned to me I am finally able to survey my surroundings. Inside the ocean, I can spot thousands of water constructs armed with bows, spears and swords surrounding me with some attempting to reach me only to be pushed back by my water. At some point during the battle the constructs began using ice weapons for the ground around me is littered with ice swords, spears and arrows.
"Well Poseidon, what now?" I question him. "We both know that the only way left to rid yourself of me is to use more power than you are willing to risk."
"Foolish boy!" roars his booming voice as a beam of divine energy cuts through my wall of water to strike me.
However, before it reaches within a hundred feet of me I, somehow, have already inscribed a runic shield fueled by my divinity into existence. Even as it blocks the attack I do not know how I was able to do this, especially since the runic array used has never been used before, nor have I ever seen or heard of it before.
Before I give further thought to the matter he sends a few more beams my way that I casually block even as he increases the amount of power in them. Unfortunately I cannot keep this up, I can feel my displays of power catching up with me. Keeping that divine beam going constantly drains me of my energy faster than the battle can replenish it. I must end this now, and preferably alive.
While this goes on I take control over the skies and summon a storm overhead. As lightning forms up in the skies, Poseidon ceases his attacks.
"What are you doing?!" he exclaims with no small amount of fear in his voice. "You will bring Zeus' attention straight towards us."
"Yes, that's the idea." I tell him as I increase in the intensity of the storm.
"You fool. He will smite us both." says a worried Poseidon.
"Of course not." I answer him with a scoff. "He will smite YOU. I will have teleported home by then. Meanwhile he will hunt you down for this little debacle and show of power. After all, there is no way a demigod of all people could be responsible for a storm." I tell him with a smirk while emphasising my status as a simple demigod to him.
"Very well. You may live a while longer." he tells me while his water constructs dematerialise and he relinquishes his power over the sea. "Mark my words boy. One you will be faced with a decision to make. Join me or perish. I hope you choose wisely." he informs me before disappearing to wherever he goes when enraged.
With him gone I let go of my facade and let the waters of the sea envelop me once again while the voices whispering to Gawain return. And as I slowly fall unconscious Bahamut appears in my vision and encircles me with his serpentine body as a form of protection.
"*Rest for a while kid. You earned it.*" he gently tells me in my mind. "*And don't worry about anything. I'll personally slaughter anything or anyone that comes to endanger you.*"
--
AN: So that was him achieving mushin. I know that it was underwhelming, but I'm new so cut me a little bit of slack. When I'm a better writer I'll write a similar scene, but better. And if you guys found the battle underwhelming too, my apologies. I'm still learning.
The Light
Avalon Hill, Bludhaven New Jersey
May 2006
Bludhaven and Gotham city, twin cities that share many similarities with one another. Between the corruption, poverty and crime, one would not be wrong in thinking that Bludhaven is the slums of Gotham city. Or at least that used to be the case before the Malphas family arrived. With their arrival, Bludhaven experienced a few turbulent years as the family went about up heaving the regime that ran the city.
While Gotham is full of poverty and corruption, its main problem takes form in the colorful rogues gallery The Dark Knight has amassed over the years. In Bludhaven however, the problem lay in a corrupt group of individuals that were at the highest positions possible in the city. The police chief and most of the police department, along with the mayor's office were perhaps the most corrupt administration in the country. With the enforcers of the law and the law makers of the city being such corrupt individuals, it did not take long for a crime boss to stake a claim over the criminal element of the city by working alongside the police and the mayor's office.
However the Malphas family's arrival quickly put an end to that. From then onto now, the city of Bludhaven has experienced four years of peace and prosperity. Enough that many have begun to compare the city to Metropolis, the shining city and home to Superman. Unlike Metropolis however, Bludhaven has never once experienced a supervillain attack. For reasons unknown to the public, Bludhaven has never been targeted by a supervillain despite its thriving economy and businesses, nor has it ever experienced weather conditions detrimental to the city.
While Bludhaven has never been the victim of a supervillain attack, that did not mean that the city is defenseless in the face of an assault, as the atlantean army is currently finding out. While Ambrosius took care of the division on their way to attack the city, his departure to face the sea serpent left the way to Bludhaven and Gotham undefended, allowing Orm to regroup his troops and mount a second offensive.
Unfortunately for him and his troops however, Azula had foreseen this outcome when the sea serpent made its presence known. As such she was able to activate the city's defense measures, which consists of rune traps and sentient statues of warriors, while the police and Morgan's organisation evacuated the citizens to a residence that was prepared for such a situation.
"Do you plan on joining the battle?" asks Morgan while she carefully manipulates the magical energy responsible for the curse out of King Orin's system.
"Not unless Orm personally joins the fray." answers Azula as she surveys the situation from a magical holographic display. "The statues and traps are enough to deal with the atlantean army and the Justice League can easily protect Gotham. I am trying to figure out what Orm gains from this assault." she says as she crosses her arms. "This makes no sense. Not even he could be this foolish. An attack on the surface world will bring the Justice League down on Atlantis. He must know that he cannot beat the league by himself. Nor could he if Mera and Orin joined his side." comments Azula with a shake of her head.
"How much do you want to wager that the gods are involved somehow?" asks Morgan.
"Please don't insult my intelligence." answers Azula as she changes the setting of her surveillance towards the coast where Orm joins his forces against the statues.
The statues stand at six feet tall each and are carved to resemble the legion that Ambrosius once led. Each adult member of the Malphas family contributed something to the statues. Morgan enchanted the statues to be nearly indestructible, Scáthach enchanted the weapons to have properties similar to Gae Bolg, albeit far weaker than the genuine article, Azula contributed protection against the elements, and Ambrosius himself inscribed the runes that allows them to come to life, battle, and obey orders.
"What a fool." comments Morgan while she glimpses at the battle on screen as an atlantean soldier is slain by a statue. "He knows that this campaign is lost yet refuses to retreat."
"Orin has failed in his duties as an older brother." lightly comments Azula as she makes her way out of the room.
"Don't harm him too much. He's still Orin's little brother after all." says Morgan as the ceiling outside of the room opens up to allow a perfect view of the sky.
"That will depend on him." answers Azula before flying out of the castle through the opening and making her way towards the battlefield.
Unknown Location
May, 2006
Inside an unlit and sparse circular room, a meeting of some of Earth's greatest minds and most powerful leaders is currently in session. This group of influential leaders are the pinnacle of human potential in their fields and are capable of influencing the relations between nations with a mere whisper.
Founded as far back as the second millennium BCE during the prosperous age of Babylonnia, the group was founded on the premise of leading humanity out of their darkest hour whenever it was necessary. As such, they were named The Light and come and go as needed. Despite the organisation's long history, only one member has ever been constant in every iteration of The Light, Vandal Savage.
Standing at five feet ten inches tall, Vandal Savage, also known as Vanda Adg, is a tall, muscular male with medium-dark skin tone, strong, rugged features, broad shoulders, and square jaw. He also has three pale scars across his face, brown eyes and black long hair pulled back. Savage wears a long lapel less dark-blue coat with a red stripe on the edges. He also dons black gloves and boots.
Born a Homo Sapien fifty thousand years ago, Vandal saw a meteor plummeting from the sky sometime during his 40s and felt drawn to the "Sky Fire" emanating from the fallen meteorite. Savage ran towards it but was attacked by a cave bear on his way. Fueled with the purpose of reaching the meteorite, Savage found the inner strength to kill the beast and continue on his journey towards the meteor. However, he did not leave unscathed, as the bear left three deep cuts across his face.
As Savage finally made his way to the source of the Sky Fire, he reached to touch the glowing meteorite, but was ambushed and impaled by a tribe of Neanderthals who were also drawn to the rock.. As he lay dying, the radiation of the meteorite turned him into the first meta-human on Earth, the theorised next step in human evolution, and healing his wounds. With his newfound might, Savage struck back and subdued the tribe. Homo sapiens henceforth outnumbered and drove the Homo neanderthalensis to extinction.
In the following centuries, Vandal Savage traveled the world while manipulating events in the hopes of pushing humanity to its peak so that they may take their place in the center of the cosmos with him serving as the eternal leader. Throughout history he has been known as Marduk, Sun Tzu, Attila the Hun, Genghis Khan, Blackbeard the Pirate, Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, and Vlad the Impaler to name a few. He has also worked as close friends and advisers to the likes of Erik the Red, Napoleon Bonaparte, Ra's al Ghul, Otto von Bismarck and even Adolf Hitler.
Having lived since the dawn of mankind, Savage believes in a natural order and survival of the fittest. Due to his immortality and longevity, Savage believes himself destined to lead humanity, and after witnessing the evolution of humanity over 50,000 years, Savage has come to believe humanity is destined to become the ruling species of the cosmos. To this end, he views the Justice League with distaste for protecting all of humanity, including the weak, rather than using their powers to eliminate them and accelerate the evolution of humanity. This is the purpose of the most recent incarnation of The Light, to counteract the Justice League's effects on humanity and to push humanity's potential as far as it can possibly go.
"Orm's attack on Gotham and Bludhaven undermines years of planning. This cannot be allowed to stand!" exclaims the voice of Queen Bee, ruler of the Bialya, through one of the monitors anchored to the ceiling.
Queen Bee is a slender, dark-skinned woman with dark blue eyes and long black hair, which she sports pulled back with a golden diadem on her forehead. She also wears golden stinger-shaped earrings and an armband on her right forearm. She dons a strapless gray mini-skirt dress with black pants and high-heel boots. Around her shoulders hangs a translucent pale blue veil.
"That is an exaggeration my dear." calmly answers Ra's al Ghul as he rests his chin on his intertwined hands. "While his inevitable capture will certainly put our plans in jeopardy, it does not stop us from having him… eliminated, for a lack of better term, before he is assured questioning."
"While I agree with Queen Bee,-" says Lex Luthor, bringing everyone's attention to him. "-there is also a silver lining to this situation."
"Indeed." agrees Ra's with a slight, almost impossible to see, smile. "My shadows have reported that a certain Pendragon has been spotted in Gotham unsupervised with a pair of friends."
"The perfect opportunity for a grab." says Klarion with a dark chuckle. "That entire family reeks of magic, both modern and ancient. I wanna know what's up with that."
Klarion the Witch Boy, Lord of Chaos, and the most dangerous being in the entire organisation. As a Lord of Chaos, Klarion possesses magic capable of felling even gods. He cannot be killed and the only way to defeat him is to destroy his familiar Teekl, the only thing that anchors him to the mortal plane. His purpose for joining The Light is to simply cause untold chaos.
Klarion takes the appearance of a scraggy boy with long, thin limbs, a thin neck and an angular face. He has black hair in a mop-top style with V-shaped bangs and devil-horns rising over the ears to points slightly above the top of his head. Along with his pointed crown, these devil horns give him a distinctive three-pointed silhouette. He has arched eyebrows and sideburns that taper to a point. He also has long, sharp, black fingernails.
Klarion can alter his features if angered or malicious, with his skin taking a bluish hue and his eyes shrinking to red glowing dots.
His clothes are formal, and predominantly black, but include a white shirt with a tall, stiff collar. On top of this he wears a black skinny tie, black skinny trousers and pointed shoes, as well as a distinctive jacket. The jacket resembles a standard suit jacket around the chest and shoulders, although it has long sleeves with flared, pointed cuffs, and the jacket's skirt is similarly long and shaped so that it comes to a point at the front. The jacket is fastened with two short button straps around the waist.
"This mission is far more important than to sate your curiosity, Klarion." says Vandal Savage. "As such I expect you to behave. We cannot clone her, nor can we properly examine her physiology if you lose control of yourself."
"Fine, fine. Always have to ruin my fun, you spoilsport." whines the Lord of Chaos as he strokes his cat's fur.
"And how exactly do you plan on making her disappearance go unnoticed?" questions a dark, gravelly voice that comes from a figure wreathed in shadows, allowing only his blood-red eyes to be seen. "Her father may have been easily humiliated by my brute of a brother and my father, but he is not someone to be trifled with easily. Out of every member of this council, only Savage, Klarion and I can face him head on."
"I do believe that he has a spouse." comments Queen Bee nonchalantly. "Klarion will simply disguise me as her and I will simply use my pheromones to make him forget. Will that suffice?"
"Of course." answers the figure with a chuckle that makes Queen Bee's skin crawl.
"If I may?" interjects Lex Luthor. "How exactly do you know so much about him?"
"Hm." hums the figure as he seems to contemplate his answer. "You can say that he and I have plenty in common. After all, we are family."
--
AN: The next few chapters will mostly focus on Morgan with no pov's from Ambrosius. This will also be the time where she gets her power up that will allow her to go toe to toe with the gods. If you don't want to read that, come back in around three chapters.
Chaos
Amusement Mile, Gotham City New Jersey
May 2006
"Man, it's been so long since I've come here." sighs Mordred in contentment as she, Dick, and Kaldur are admitted into the theme park.
"Are you sure that we should be here?" asks Dick skeptically as he follows her into the park with a bewildered Kaldur tagging along. "I mean, the Justice League is fighting off an army of Atlanteans a few blocks away in the docks. Shouldn't this park be closed and shouldn't we be helping them?" says Dick as he whispers the last sentence.
Richard Grayson, also known as Dick Grayson, is the ten year old ward of Bruce Wayne and, unknown to all but a few, is also Robin, Batman's protege. He stands at an underwhelming four feet three inches for a boy his age, possesses blue eyes, black hair, and a face that makes many believe that he is in fact related to Bruce Wayne by blood. He has known Mordred for a year now and does not mind following her lead..
"I concur with Richard, Mordred." chimes in Kaldur as he quickly recovers from his awe of the amusement park. "Should we not aid the Justice League in defending this city, or at the very least inform them King Orin is very much alive to stop this war?"
"What's there to protect? Even if the Atlanteans miraculously get past the League, Bruce and my mother set up defenses all around the city in case this happened. Both magical and technological." explains Mordred as she leads the group towards a hot dog stand. "Besides, I want to relax a little bit before we go on patrol."
"Patrol?" questions Kaldur with a tilt of his head as Mordred hands him a hot dog while she bites into hers. "I did not know that you two are members of some form of defensive force. Are you employed as young as the age of ten?"
"No. We're superheroes." she answers as she swallows her food. "We protect people from the bad guys. Kind of like your King, Aquaman. And no, they don't let ten year olds become superheroes, but Dick kinda forced Bruce's hand when he went out by himself to bring his parent's killer to justice." she says with a pointed look that makes said boy blush in embarrassment at his past self's actions. "Even after putting the guys away, Dick didn't want to stop."
"You should probably stop now before anyone other than us hears you." comments Dick as he carefully glances around.
"Don't worry about it. I put a bounded field around us that makes anyone other than us hear rubbish." replies Mordred nonchalantly. "With parents like mine, being careful becomes second nature after a while."
"What is a bounded field?" asks Kaldur as he finishes his hot dog.
"It's a magical field that's usually made for defensive purposes." answers Mordred as the group makes its way to a water gun game.
"You practice the mystic arts?" asks a bewildered Kaldur.
"Everybody in my family knows magic. It's kind of their thing. You honestly can't grow up around that without picking some things." she answers with a shrug. "Personally I've never been big on the whole thing. Yeah it's pretty neat and useful, but I prefer a good old fashion battle with weapons or hand to hand."
"That is impressive." says Kaldur as he watches Dick completely destroy everyone else at the water gun game. "I would be interested in learning after I finish my mandatory tenure in the army."
Before the conversation can continue however, a red bolt of energy strikes Mordred in the back, sending her flying through the game stand before she collides with a wall and it crumbles over her.
"Mordred!" exclaims Dick and Kaldur as they rush towards their friend while the amusement park dissolves into chaos and panic.
"Oooh, that looked like it hurt." says a childish voice with a cruel laugh. "Do you think I overdid it Teekl?" asks Klarion as he walks out of a red portal with his cat meowing cat cradled in his arms. "You're right, with the amount of magic coming from her she should be fine." he says as an annoyed Mordred emerges from the rubble.
"Klarion." whispers Mordred with wide eyes as she identifies her attacker.
As she prepares to summon her armor however, Mordred remembers that Dick and Kaldur are with her. Should she decide to fight Klarion she will also have to protect them, and she is sure that doing so would result in her losing the battle. According to her mother and father, to defeat Klarion means to slay the cat. However, the cat can be powered up by Klarion to even contend with Superman easily. While she knows that she can definitely fatally injure Superman, she also knows that it's because his invulnerability does not extend to magic. Klarion however is magic incarnate. With an annoyed growl, Mordred takes hold of Dick and Kaldur and activates a runic array tattooed on her body that teleports them to Avalon Hill.
"I thought that she couldn't teleport?" questions a puzzled Klarion.
According to the information that they have on the family, Mordred is the hero that showed up around the same time as Robin, White Knight. While she has shown physical feats near Superman's level, combat skills superior to even Batman, and reeks of magic, she has not shown any skill in magic that extends further than the basics. Her father has been identified as a demigod son of Poseidon by their mysterious member, who by this point Klarion is sure is Ares. While her father seems to be easily more powerful than Heracles, that really is not much of an achievement considering the fact that Heracles, for all his might as a demigod, is a joke of a god. Her mother, Morgan seems to be the most skilled magician seen in centuries, but lacks the raw power to make use of it, much less face a Lord of Chaos. The other two women in the group have exhibited no feats that would put them anywhere close to Klarion's level. Therefore this abduction should be an easy mission.
Yet as he watches his prey teleport away, Klarion wonders what other information about the group is either wrong or has been overlooked. He doesn't want to be caught by surprise and accidentally overdo it because usually when he does overdo it, the only thing left from the target is a pile of ashes and he really doesn't want that this time. Not only does he want to examine them to see why they reek of so much ancient magic, but he also doesn't want to have to explain to Savage how that happened. Yea he could just kill Savage if Vandal decided to attack him as punishment, but where would the fun be in doing that. Besides he also doesn't want to deal with Ares' teasing.
"Ugh why can't things always be easy? Why couldn't she have just let herself be kidnapped like a good girl" whines Klarion as he traces the magic to figure out where his quarry teleported off to. "Found youu." singsongs Klarion with a malicious grin before attempting to teleport to them.
To his surprise however, any form of teleportation in that location is completely blocked off.
"Well isn't that interesting." mutters Klarion to himself as he opens a portal as close to the area as possible. "Well isn't that interesting." he comments to himself again as he inspects the road that leads to Avalon Hill. "They somehow managed to completely close off the space where the castle is. That's pretty good for some mortals. Don't you think so Teekl?" he asks his cat as he rubs his chin with one hand. "Other than teleporting through whatever process they use, there's only one way to get there and that's by physically traveling there. And I bet you that they have some defenses for that too. These guys are pretty good." compliments Klarion before his face stretches and an evil grin grows on his face. "Too bad for them I am a Lord of Chaos and magic is my servant to do with as I wish."
With a cackle Klarion reaches through the portal, grabs the very fabric of space where Avalon Hill lies before pulling with a considerable amount of force. As he begins to pull the defensive bounded field apart however, an extremely high level of divine lightning boosted with magic blasts him in the face while a red blur stabs Teekl in the heart. With a pained roar, Klarion retreats back through the portal.
"That hurts." he hisses as he gently rubs. "It's a good thing you can live without your heart. Right Teekl?" says Klarion as he begins to heal his familiar. "Since they don't want to place nice, the kiddy gloves come off now."
Stepping through the portal, Klarion enshrouds himself and his cat in a magical bubble while he begins to build up a magical spell to obliterate both the castle's defenses and the castle itself. Before he can get far however, a barbed red spear impales him and Teekl through the heart just as a sword decapitates him as it destroys his barrier and a bolt of red lightning strikes Teekl.
"You dare set your sights on my order." snarls a feminine voice somewhere over him. "I will make sure you suffer a thousand fold before I disintegrate you to ashes."
"Huh? You want to disintegrate me?" comments Klarion as his head easily reattaches itself to his shoulders. "Don't you know who I am? I am Klarion the Witch Boy, Lord of Chaos, and nobody hurts me like this and lives to tell the tale!" roars Klarion as he releases a large amount of magical power that causes a shock wave and blows his trio of attackers back.
Putting Teekl down on the ground, Klarion begins to empower his cat and himself. As he draws on more magical power, a dark red aura begins to envelop him as his features stretch, his skin turns blue and his eyes glow a baleful red while Teekl himself transforms from a small pussycat to a large saber toothed tiger as big as a garbage truck.
"Klarion the Witch Boy." sneers Morgan in disgust. "What are you doing here, attacking my daughter?" she questions with a dark glare as her eyes begin to glow a dark pink color as her body is enveloped by an aura of the same color. "As a matter of fact, forget I asked you and simply leave. Or else you will perish." she says as Azula and Scáthach join her with their eyes also glowing blue and dark purple respectively while an aura of power of the same color envelops them.
Overhead the once suny sky darkens as gray storm clouds encompasses the sky. Thunder rumbles, lightning flashes, and the ground quakes from the absurd amount of power being released by the four.
"Hehehe, man you guys are good." chuckles Klarion cruelly. "To be able to hide that much power, that's impressive. This is going to be sooo much fun." he says as he maliciously licks his lips in anticipation.
"I have had enough of your voice, foul being." roars Azula as she blitzes Klarion with a slash of her sword.
While Azula goes for Klarion himself, Scáthach strikes at Teekl in an attempt to kill the cat and send its master back to whatever realm he comes from. Meanwhile Morgan hurls curses and bolts of magic towards Klarion. Dodging Azula's slash, Klarion retaliates by blasting a curse towards her while deflecting Morgan's curses and magical bolts. Before the curse can reach Azula however, Morgan stops it in its tracks, dismantles the spell, alters it before putting it back together and sends it back to Klarion while Azula did not even halt her assault to dodge the incoming attack.
"What?" questions a bewildered Klarion as his own curse strikes his chest and Azula strikes him with a bolt of lightning from above.
With a pained roar, Klarion flies as far away from the duo as he can without leaving the battlefield.
"What have you done?!" exclaims Klarion as his figure flickers in and out of existence.
"While being a Lord of Chaos comes with many advantages such as endless raw power and immunity to magic that is not on par with your existence, it does not come with unparalleled skill." calmly answers Morgan.
When Morgan learned of the many beings that lived on a higher plane of existence, she knew that she would not be able to compete with them magically. While she may have been one of the most magically powerful and skillful mages from her universe, the same cannot be said for here where beings such as Lords of Chaos and Lords of Order are literally being powered by magic itself. Therefore she decided to bridge the gap as much as she could with pure skill while searching for a way to overcome her lack of raw power.
She knew that no matter how much she blasts Klarion that he will not be harmed, and that the only reason the bounded field harmed him was because Azula's divinity fueled the lightning.
Therefore when she dismantled his earlier curse, she altered it so that it became a spell to dismantle all forms of magical energy while leaving Klarion's magical signature intact. As such, when Klarion was struck by the spell, his body that is made of pure magic was affected by the spell as it attempted to completely dismantle his body. Normally the spell's effect would have easily been made null by Klarion's body, that is where Azula's lightning came into play. When it struck Klarion, his body now had to battle the effects of Azula's divine lightning and allowing her spell's effect to quickly spread throughout his body.
"You two are dangerous." mutters Klarion with a smile. "AND I LOVE IT. Too bad I have a mission to fulfill. What do you say we meet some other time and duke it out?" he asks with a manic grin.
"You will not pass." answers Morgan as she prepares to continue the battle
"Oh I will." answers Klarion with a chuckle as a doppelganger of him appears behind Morgan.
Before it can attack her however Morgan turns and plunges her hand into the magical body and quickly dismantles the spell it sent towards her before retaliating a red curse in the form of a lightning bolt. As her lightning bolt strikes the doppelganger however she senses an attack coming towards her and quickly puts up her most powerful magical shield. Before it strikes her however the beam of magic flickers out of existence.
"TEEKL!" exclaims Klarion as he sees his injured familiar about to be slain by Scáthach.
Before that can happen however he teleports the cat back to him.
"How dare you, how dare you, HOW DARE YOU!" screams Klarion in rage as the earth begins to shake and crumble under his released magical power. "I don't wanna play anymore! DIE!" he bellows out as a crimson light and shock wave erupts from him and envelops the trio, knocking them out.
As he surveys his opponents, Klarion notices that they are not dead but rather unconscious.
"Oh man. It's a good thing I remembered to restrain myself at the last minute." he says with a sigh of relief. "It's not every century that you meet such interesting people. They should prove entertaining enough in the years to come." he comments to himself as he heals his familiar and makes his way towards the Malphas family castle.
Hecate
AN: Man you guys really hate when the heroes lose, but I honestly can't blame you guys since the execution definitely wasn't the best (let's be honest and just call it shitty) For you guys saying that the JL or Superman constantly beats Dr. Fate and Gods, let me just say that whenever that happens it's because of plot induced stupidity or because of some BS power up.
For those of you that decided to ridicule me because Scathach didn't kill the cat, reread the chapter (spoiler alert: she almost does, but Klarion teleports the cat to him.).
For those who say that I didn't do Scathach justice with how she lost, I accept that criticism and even agree in hindsight
For those who say that Scathach should win because she's a Godslayer, I hate to disappoint but that's not how it works.
Finally for you guys who complain and whine every time the heroes lose saying that I do it for bs reasons like drama, you must be reading a different story then.
Also, shout out to the guys (or gals) who actually had a constructive conversation about the chapter with me. You guys rock and I'm always open to more conversations like that
Avalon Hill, Bludhaven
New Jersey
May 2006
The first thing Morgan notices when she comes to is the fact that it has not been long since the battle with Klarion. The second thing she notices is the fact that she cannot sense any of the defenses or traps placed inside and around their castle. Alarmed, she quickly gets up and turns to look at the castle, only to see a smoking mound of rubble instead of her majestic castle. As she stares at what once used to be her home, a pit forms in the bottom of her stomach that quickly fills with dread as the fact that her daughter has just been abducted sinks in. However, before the feeling of dread can grow, it is quickly replaced with unbridled rage.
"Calm down." orders Scáthach as she places a hand on Morgan's shoulder. "The locator runes on her still functions properly. We WILL get her back."
"I do believe that this situation calls for extreme measures to be taken." says Azula as she cracks her neck.
"Yes, I do believe that you're right." replies Morgan with a malicious glint in her eyes.
"No." answers Scáthach with a frown. "Do you even know you're suggesting? The situation isn't that dire yet." says Scáthach with a shake of her head.
"It isn't that dire yet?" parrots Morgan with a frown. "My daughter has just been kidnapped by a Lord of Chaos. How much more dire can it get?" she asks.
"We can still slay the cat, there's no need for you to go through the ritual." answers Scáthach.
"No. Klarion will not make the same mistake of parting with the cat after you almost slayed it." replies Morgan with a shake of her head. "He will have most likely changed, or at the very least empowered the enchantments on the cat by now. I have to do this, regardless of the consequences."
"I hate to say it Scátty, although I don't know what ritual she's talking about, I agree with her." chimes in Azula. "There are too many variables to account for when we don't even know if he is working alone. The problem at this point is raw power. If we had the raw power to hold his attention for even half a second longer, then you would have been able to slay the cat. The ritual will give her the raw power to deal with him, even if she cannot kill him herself."
"What of the consequences then?" questions a skeptical Scáthach. "Your mind can be corroded, or you can even die from channeling that much raw magical power, and those are the best case scenarios. What happens if you lose your sense of self, or in a worse case have your will crushed?" says Scáthach as she attempts to dissuade Morgan from her chosen course of action. "If you were to be corrupted by the ritual, then the world will be destroyed by the resulting actions!" says Scáthach as she appeals to Morgan's more heroic nature.
"Then let it burn!" screams Morgan in retaliation. "If this world has to burn for me to save my daughter then so be it." she says with no hesitation, shocking Scáthach.
"Well, you are certainly one dedicated mother." says a feminine voice with a slow clap. "I love it." it says as a woman materialises next to the trio.
"Hecate." hissess Morgan as she floats away from the woman and prepares for a battle.
"You know me?" asks Hecate with faux curiosity. "Of course you do, when it comes to magic you are perhaps the most knowledgeable mortal in existence, perhaps even in history. Although there is one little issue of you lacking raw power to make use of most of that knowledge, even with the little loopholes you seem to find. That particular spell you used against Klarion was a beautiful piece of work" she says nonchalantly and unbothered by the group's caution towards her.
"You were watching?" asks Azula with a raised eyebrow.
"My dear, I have been watching your group ever since your little witch entered the Oblivion Bar for the first time. And I must say, I love your little family." she says, shocking the group with her admission. "What? Can't a cosmic being observe the mortals that intrigue her, especially when they seem to make it a habit of antagonising the very same gods that the cosmic being very much wishes to dispose of?" questions Hecate with a smirk.
"Why would you want to kill the Greek gods when you are part of their pantheon?" asks Scáthach with a frown, causing Hecate to burst into laughter.
"Me? A member of their pantheon? Don't make me laugh dear." she says through her laughter. "No, I am not a member of their pantheon, at least not anymore." says Hecate as she stops laughing. "Why don't you ask your magical expert, she should know."
"Morgan, what is she talking about?" questions Azula as she and Scáthach turn to face a pale Morgan.
"I stumbled upon a legend during my studies that pertained to Hecate. I was curious about the validity of the legend, so I had Ambrosius aid me in investigating. What we found was… distressing for lack of a better term." answers Morgan as she swallows nervously.
"Morgan? Are you ok?" asks Scáthach as she approaches her, she has never seen Morgan this nervous before. It is almost to the point that it borders fear.
"I'm fine." she answers with a smile in an attempt to make Scáthach believe her.
"So what is this legend?" asks Azula interestingly.
"Do you want me to do the honors dear?" asks Hecate.
"No. I will tell them myself." answers Morgan. "At the dawn of time, there was magic. It was promising, pure, and a fundamental element of the multiverse. As long as the multiverse exists, so will magic and as long as magic exists so will the multiverse." says Morgan as she begins to explain. "From that magic, the very first living being formed as a physical manifestation of magic. As long as the multiverse exists so will magic, so long as magic exists so will that lifeform, and that life was Hecate herself." explains Morgan and shocking the group.
"Oh." whispers a bewildered Azula as she looks at Hecate in a new light.
"Yes. Oh, is an appropriate response." says Hecate with amusement. "Due continue dear."
"She was formed in the dimension that is known to us as the Sphere of the Gods and before long busied herself by playing with magic while the multiverse continued to form around her. However, she soon found that she was not alone when she sensed a darker font of magical power similar to hers beneath the Sphere where the Dark Multiverse lay. That dark magical power came from a being simply known as the Upside-Down Man, one of several beings that represent all of the dark and twisted possibilities of Hecate's magic." says Morgan as Hecate scowls at the reminder of those dark beings. "Wary of them, Hecate put forth a barrier between the Multiverse and the Dark Multiverse." explains Morgan.
"I admire your effort for painting me in such a good light, but let's not downplay the fact that it was fear at the time that made me place the barrier." comments Hecate with a genial smile.
"Afterwards, she visited Earth and gifted humankind with magic so that they could make themselves a paradise. They called her Hecate, meaning 'far off', because they believed that she came from the moon."
"Humankind's progress through the years is certainly intriguing. From believing that the moon is such a far off place to traveling there themselves." says Hecate like a proud mother speaking of her children.
"As the gods took notice of Hecate, every pantheon began to earn her favor, but all failed until she decided to join the Greeks." continues Morgan.
"Of all the pantheons, why the Greeks?" asks Scáthach. "Perhaps I am biased by recent events, but I believe that they are the worst pantheon." she says.
"Well, I simply fell in love." answers Hecate with a shrug. "Hades used to be such a charming man at the time and I could not help but fall for him. As such, I joined the Greeks as his bride."
"Wow, that is not what I expected." says Azula as she vocalises the thoughts of her companions.
"Of course things could not remain perfect forever, and I was betrayed." says Hecate bitterly with a frown.
"You had not offended anyone, who would possibly do such a thing?" asks a frowning Scáthach.
"Humanity." answers Morgan. "They saw her power and wanted it for themselves. No one knows how many of them there were, only that countless humans formed an alliance for one purpose, to steal Hecate's power. They took advantage of her kindness and summoned her. Knowing that she would not refuse their summon, they lay a trap and imprisoned her."
"How do you imprison the physical manifestation of magic?" questions Azula.
"You cannot. At least not anymore." answers Morgan. "I have a theory on how they did it, but the materials needed for such a feat no longer exist. They haven't for eons."
"Of course they don't exist." says Hecate with a scoff. "Do you think me such a fool that I would allow the very materials that bound me to continue to exist? Heck, I even destroyed the knowledge of how such a feat was accomplished. The fact that you even have a theory on how to do so is impressive." says Hecate.
"You did not erase records that explained that those materials used to exist and what their properties are." replies Morgan.
"I abhor the destruction of knowledge. Erasing the knowledge of the process and the materials themselves was an exception and served its purpose sufficiently." explains Morgan.
"Those humans? They became the Lords of Order and Chaos didn't they?" asks Scáthach.
"They did." answers Morgan. "They held her for an unknown amount of time while she waited and hoped that the Greeks would come to her rescue. Unfortunately they did not. Hades decided to send her a message that explained that he remarried and from henceforth she is no longer welcomed at the gates of Olympus." explains Morgan.
"In my rage I decided to free myself, but only after granting the human's wishes." says Hecate. "In my fury I let out a scream that shook all of reality, and for the first time in eons I sensed the dark beings from the Dark Multiverse. With my rage I tore a hole through magic allowing their darkness to break through the veil of existence and invade this Multiverse. I took that dark magic and gifted it to those humans. Of course the majority of them did not survive to enjoy their gifts. Most perished from receiving the magic, some fell to the magic's corrupting nature and had to be put down by their brethrens. The survivors had their bodies destroyed due to the power's corrosive effect and could only survive in the mortal plane through an anchor. Klarion's cat and Nabu's helmet being the best examples."
"They are essentially being fueled by the multiverse. However, where does the factors of Chaos and Order come into play?" asks Azula.
"You mean those made up rules that they came up with to control their followers?" scoffs Hecate. "There is no such thing. Magic isn't chaotic or orderly by nature, it just is. The Lords of Order impose these stupid rules and regulations on how magic works and it severely limits their followers while the Lords of Chaos believe anything works as long as you get your results, but most of the time their followers don't survive more than five years of using magic."
"Be honest with me Morgan, does the ritual you wanted to do have any relations to this?" questions Azula.
"It would have temporarily bestowed me with a Lord's power by draining the same source of their power." answers Morgan honestly.
"Those books have clearly corroded your mind." comments Azula with a frown.
"Truthfully, it is a beautiful and masterful piece of magic but also very risky." chimes in Hecate. "And that brings me to my reason for being here. I have come to offer my aid in exchange for a small favor."
"What is the favor, and what kind of help do you offer?" asks Scáthach.
"The favor is simple. Like the Lords of Order and Chaos draw power from the Dark Multiverse, I propose to sponsor in a similar fashion. You will draw your power from the Multiverse allowing you to face Klarion, and in exchange I want you to destroy every single Lord of Order or Chaos." she informs Morgan with a smile. " I am sure that you are wondering why I cannot do this myself. Well the answer is simple, I plan on closing the hole in magic that I created and I must be at my peak to accomplish this. Facing the Lords of Order and Chaos come with the danger of being corrupted myself from their magic with no way of purging myself of the Dark Multiverse's corrupting magic." explains Hecate.
"What will happen to my body?" asks Morgan.
"Well I will most certainly have to make some alteration to it. After all, even if my magic has no corroding effect to destroy the user's body, a mortal cannot channel that much magic safely. Other than that you will remain as you are."
"Well?" questions Morgan as she looks towards Scáthach and Azula for their input.
"It's better than your foolhardy plan." answers Scáthach.
"However, do we trust a cosmic being?" asks Azula as she voices their doubtful thoughts.
"What choice do we have other than trying to defeat Klarion on our own and most likely failing?" asks Morgan.
"I can easily kill the cat." answers Scáthach.
"I do not doubt you. I simply do not want to take the risk of a second failure. After all, what are the chances that he is operating by himself?" replies Morgan.
"Slim to none." says Azula. "I would not be surprised if he is allied with others like Black Adam and Wotan."
"True." agrees Scáthach. "In the two seconds it would take us to dispose of his allies, Klarion could easily teleport himself and Mordred away."
"I miss the days when people died when you killed them. Nowadays you have to kill them, destroy the body and everything they possess, and destroy their souls just for good measure." says Azula despondently, causing the other two to chuckle in agreement.
"I presume that we are in agreement?" asks Morgan as Scáthach and Azula nod. "I accept." says Morgan as she turns to face a smiling Hecate.
"Very well." says Hecate as she spreads her arms and begins to radiate an abundant amount of magical power. "Let us begin."
The Goddess of Magic
AN: This chapter closes Morgan's power up arc. Next chapter Ambrosius finally wakes up from his nap, finds out what happened and adopts a child (or three). Don't worry about the others, they will get their own power up arcs. Also, a lot of you guys seem to want a marvel jump. My only problem with that is after this arc I would have to dig deep into the really obscure cosmic beings if I want to challenge them and I don't really want to do that. However, I am taking any form of suggestion until the end of the DC arc. If I get some really good ideas and can't decide, I'll just put up a poll for you guys to choose.
Avalon Hill, Bludhaven
New Jersey
May 2006
The process of altering Morgan's physical being is a simple process for one such as Hecate. She begins the process by deconstructing the body down to its most basic structures and examining it to see what could be improved, and that is where Hecate's fascination begins. She has been in existence since the beginning of the multiverse, and throughout those countless years she has seen and experienced everything there to see or experience. However, she has never seen a body so intertwined perfectly with its soul to the point where changing one will result in it reflecting in the other.
"Fascinating." whispers Hecate to herself as she continues to examine Morgan's body and soul. "It is as if she were born to be a wielder of magic. Do you all possess these circuits that channel magic throughout your body?" asks Hecate as she turns her eyes towards Scáthach and Azula as they look on.
"We do, however hers are of a much better quality than ours." answers Scáthach as she approaches Hecate and observes Morgan's soul. "Can she feel anything?" asks Scáthach with some concern.
"She cannot. It's like sleeping." answers Hecate as she returns to her task. "While those circuits allow for one's control of their magical energy to be as efficient as possible, they are also very restricting in how much magical power can be channeled." says Hecate as she alters the circuits without causing them to visibly change. From what Scáthach is able to preserve however, Morgan will no longer have a limit on how much magical energy she can channel, nor ever run out of magical power as long as the Multiverse itself exists.
"Tell me something, how is it that beings outside of this Multiverse were able to find themselves here?" asks Hecate as she continues about her work, this time doing something that Scáthach is not of its purpose.
"When did you find out?" answers Azula with a question of her own.
"I had my suspicions while observing your family, but it is now that I have thoroughly examined your physiology that I know." replies Hecate with a smile. "My first clue was the fact that a daughter of Zeus more powerful than Heracles exists yet no one has heard of her. Even now, Zeus has no idea of your existence." she says, making the duo smile at her jab towards Zeus. "My second clue was the way you use magic. At first I believed that you were followers of Order, but then I watched as Morgan quite literally tore any tome related to Order Magic apart due to the ridiculous rules while at the same time scoffing at Chaos Magic's recklessness. It was as if I were watching a mortal version of myself learn magic and become sourly disappointed at the lack of progress made for eons." explains Hecate with the fondness of a proud mother.
"If I didn't know any better, I'd say that you were her birth mother." says Azula with a chuckle.
"If I had a daughter like her then I would be very proud." replies Hecate wistfully as she finishes her work and puts Morgan back together in a flash of blinding light.
As the light fades and Morgan becomes visible, Scáthach and Azula cannot help but stare while taking her physical changes in.
Despite being the same height as Scáthach, five feet nine inches, Morgan has always looked shorter due to her much slimmer physique. Now however she easily stands as tall as Wonder Woman now at six feet two inches. Her previously blond hair is now a luscious black and her emerald eyes that used to only glow when her circuits are activated now glow perpetually. Her previously slim yet athletic figure that she kept through spars has slimmed down more yet seems to be more compact and far more powerful than before. However, none of those changes are what enraptures Scáthach and Azula. What does is an ethereal glow that she now possesses that severely enhances her beauty beyond what the duo thought possible.
As Morgan examines her body she can easily tell what is different about her without even attempting to move yet. While she has been trained by Scáthach, Ambrosius, and even Azula, Morgan has never been the most powerful in terms of physical combat nor has she ever been the most skilled. In fact one can say that she is the weak link of the group when it comes to physical combat. One can even say that out of all of Scáthach's students to complete her training, she ranks somewhere near the bottom when it comes to skill. That has never bothered her however considering the fact that even the weakest and least skilled student of Scáthach would be considered far above average in melee combat even in this Multiverse where it seems that everyone has some form of training in the martial arts.
No, what has bothered her has always been the restriction on her as a magician. While she may have been one of the greatest and powerful magus in her home universe, upon her arrival here she found that magic circuits are restrictive compared to the homo magi of this multiverse who can simply channel magic through their entire body needlessly almost as if their body was made to channel the energy. Now however she can do all of that and more.
"Amazing." whispers Morgan in awe as she looks down at her hand and closes them, her voice carrying an enchanting effect that was not present before.
The resulting action creates a shockwave that cracks the floor under her and creates a gust of wind that blows dust and debris into the air.
"Oops." says Morgan apologetically as she covers her mouth in shock, causing another shockwave and creating another gust of wind.
"Perhaps it would be best if you didn't move until you have full control of yourself." says Scáthach as she blows the dust away from herself and Morgan closes her eyes in concentration.
"Scáthach." calls out Azula. "Can you sense her without the parabatai bond?" questions Azula.
"Now that you mention it, I cannot." answers Scáthach with a frown. "I can sense her perfectly fine through the bond. As a matter of fact not only can I sense her through the bond, but I can feel that it is far stronger now."
"It's not just the bond." says Azula. "I can feel that we are more powerful also. The bond doesn't only empower us in battle anymore. Now it constantly does so, we're becoming more powerful just by existing." explains Azula in awe.
"It's not coming from Morgan only. Ambrosius is undergoing a change that's empowering him." adds Scáthach as she looks towards the ocean. "I didn't notice because we were preoccupied, but he's become more powerful and the bond is reacting in the same way to him that it is doing for Morgan. Albeit to a far lesser degree."
"I am in control." says Morgan as she opens her eyes.
"Are you sure?" asks Scáthach only to receive a smirk as an answer.
To demonstrate her point, Morgan casually opens and closes her hands before going on to punch the air without causing any shockwave.
"I put magical restraints on myself temporarily. Once we finish dealing with Klarion I will have to seclude myself to train for complete control." explains Morgan as she casually waves her hand in the direction of the castle and restores it to its former glory. "It seems that Mordred was able to teleport Dick, Kaldur and Bernard to safety before being abducted." says Morgan as she goes about placing new defenses around the property.
"Impressive display. It has not been more than ten minutes and you already seem to be comfortable with your new abilities." says Hecate with a clap and a fond. "Truly you are The Goddess of Magic." she adds, shocking the group.
"Goddess of Magic? Is that not who you are?" questions Morgan
"Of course not." answers Hecate with a scoff. "I AM magic. You however are my child and therefore are The Goddess of Magic. More powerful than any other goddess of magic from any pantheon."
Hecate's words shock the trio as the gravity of the situation sinks in. They knew that at some point they would all have to achieve some form of godhood before the upcoming war, yet they never expected it to happen this quickly. Much less the fact that Morgan would be the first one to achieve such a feat before Ambrosius even.
"Of course it isn't official. You will still need to claim your domain or domains sometime." says Hecate, freeing them from their thoughts.
"How does one accomplish that?" asks Morgan.
"Well, this situation has never occurred before. As such I can only speculate." says Hecate with a frown. "The gods' domain were heavily influenced by human beliefs when they received them. You however are not bound by such restrictions. Human beliefs will have no effect on you." informs Hecate.
Before any of them can answer, Morgan turns to look to the sky towards Gotham city.
"The League is here." she says as Wonder Woman, Hawkwoman, Superman and John Stewar appear over the horizon with Batman standing on a green construct platform
"Robin told us what happened." says Superman as he and the others land near the four women. "We're here to help. Also, where is Morgan?" he asks as he glances at the unknown ethereal women standing near Scáthach and Azula.
"That will not be necessary." answers Morgan with her enchanting voice as she approaches the present members of the Justice League. "This is a personal family matter, and will be dealt as such." she explains shocking the League as they finally realise that the unknown woman is in fact Morgan.
"Morgan?" wonders Superman out loud. "You look… different." he says while Hecate takes this opportunity to disappear quietly.
"Yes. I did go through some changes recently." She answers as the group regain control of themselves and Batman narrows his eyes at this new development while thinking to himself how much he hates magic sometimes.
"Are you sure that you do not require any assistance?" asks Wonder Woman.
"Not this time sister." answers Azula as she, Morgan, and Scáthach begin to float upwards away while their eyes glow a bit. "This is personal." she says with a malicious smile before the trio fly away, easily breaking the sound barrier multiple times in their wake.
"Man, I pity the fool who pissed those three off." says John Stewart, earning nods of agreements from his comrades.
--
Himalayas Mountains, Asia
May 2006
"Why have you brought us here child?" questions Black Adam, ruler of Khandaq as he floats near a mountain peak alongside Wotan and Klarion.
Black Adam, also known as Teth-Adam, is a muscular black-eyed powerhouse with short black hair slicked back and stands at six feet three inches tall. He has pointed ears, wears a skintight black uniform with yellow boots, a sash and a golden lightning bolt insignia on his chest while the black cape with a yellow outline attached to his back blows in the wind.
"Call me child one more time, and I'll show you why getting your powers from that old coot of a wizard was a bad idea." says Klarion menacingly as his left hand begins to glow with magical power.
"Hahaha. It seems that the child is ready to throw a tantrum." says Wotan with a laugh, earning a half smirk from Black Adam.
Wotan stands at five feet ten inches, has light blue skin and red eyes with black sclera. His hair is black, with a devil-horned hairstyle, and a pointy black beard. Wotan's clothes are pure red-colored, and he wears a black cape with gold accents.
Ages ago, the sorcerer now known as Wotan was a prehistoric woman who lived in a cold, dark wasteland. After being raped and beaten to the brink of death, the woman was determined to discover the reasons, if any, for human existence and the suffering it entails. After escaping her tormentors, she found refuge with an aged shaman who taught her the mystical arts. The future Wotan grew to become a powerful sorceress that was worshiped as a goddess. Seeking to escape death, she learned how to extend her life by transferring her soul into another body, and finally to direct her own reincarnation into other bodies, or controlled re-birth, as she calls it. After thousands of incarnations, becoming both male and female, the sorceress is in her current blue skinned reincarnation.
Before Klarion can retaliate, a feminine voice speaks out near them.
"Look girls, a group of walking corpses." says Azula as she, Morgan and Scáthach appear near the group.
"Yes, how fascinating." answers Scáthach as she narrows her eyes at Wotan and inspects him before frowning in disgust.
"While I would love nothing more than to discipline these petulant children, I have a daughter to save." says Morgan, making the three magic users frown. "Let's make this quick." She says Azula and Scáthach blitz Black Adam and Wotan respectively while she and Klarion float upwards while exchanging curses.
"You actually came back for more? What are you? A masochist?" questions Klarion as he constantly blasts her while she casually dodges them. "Stay still dammit." whines Klarion in frustration.
"The last time we faced each other you easily overpowered me. This time things will be different." claims Morgan as she spreads her arms and stops all of Klarion's curses and bolts of magic midair before dismantling them. "Normally I would make you suffer for even daring to set your sights on my daughter." says Morgan calmly as she turns his curses and bolts of magic into chains that easily wrap around his limbs despite his struggles. "However, you are far too much of a threat to be left alive." she says as a chain wraps around his throat.
"What are you doing?!" questions Klarion in a panic as he attempts to overpower her to no avail. "Stop this!" he exclaims as Morgan summons Teekl to her and easily incinerates it. "WHAT DID YOU DO?!" bellows out Klarion as he finds that despite losing his tether he is still in the mortal realm.
"If I simply allowed you to retreat from the mortal realm you would simply find another familiar at a different time." informs Morgan as she approaches Klarion and plunges her hand into his being. "We can't have that, now can we?" asks Morgan rhetorically with a beautiful yet malicious smile on her face.
"DON'T DO IT PLEASE!" beggs Klarion, his eyes wide and full of fear.
Acting as if she did not hear him, Morgan reaches into his very being for whatever is left of his soul, or whatever it is that allows him to exist. Finding it, she takes hold of it before eradicating it completely. Leaving nothing that would allow him to return, influence or interact with the world under any circumstance.
Having finished with her task, Morgan turns and surveys Azula and Scáthach to notice that they are also done.
"How did it go?" asks Azula with a raised eyebrow.
"Easy." replies Morgan. "And you two?" she asks.
"Black Adam may have accidentally turned himself back into a human and become dust because his human form is thousands of years old." answers Azula with a shrug before she and Morgan turn to Scáthach.
"Wotan's soul." says Scáthach as she holds up a wailing green flame in her palm. "It is an abomination. She has been absorbing the souls of other magicians for thousands of years to increase her power." explains Scáthach in disgust. "We may need to conduct a purification ritual to give them peace."
"No need." answers Morgan as she frowns in concentration before the flame is engulfed in an emerald light, stops wailing, turns pure white and scatters in the wind.
"Impressive." says Scáthach with a smile before the trio make their way to the mountain peak Klarion was guarding.
As if she has practiced countless times, Morgan deactivates all forms of enchantments on the mountain peak, opens the artificial opening and floats inside. Scáthach and Azula following her close by.
Excidium
Somewhere in the depths of the Atlantic Ocean May 2006
I awake to the sound of whispers in my mind confirming to me that I was not hearing things during my battle with Poseidon. The whispers are barely coherent and almost impossible to understand other than the tone and the name Gawain. Yet if I focus enough, I can just barely hear what they are saying, and to me they sound very much like prayers. Most seem to be asking for help in battle while others ask for guidance, intelligence or for blessings during their rule.
"Lord Gawain, please guide my sword in battle, and may I emerge victorious over my foes." "May Gawain himself guide my spear." "May the Lord of Warriors protect you." "May Gawain himself look upon your battle with favor." "Bless my Lordship to be prosperous." "Protect my family." "Smite my enemies." "May you bless my cause for vengeance." "Slay my enemies."
Despite the prayer's overwhelming nature, I am able to slowly regulate how much I hear, finally allowing me to hear nothing but the waves and Bahamut's breathing. Unfortunately, it seems that my troubles are not over, for as I sit here under the sea peacefully; I begin to feel a well of power build up from within me, presumably from the prayers.
"*Bahamut, how long has it been since I've fallen unconscious?*" I ask the resting sea serpent as I get up from the ocean floor, the well of power still growing within me.
"*Hmmm.*" hums Bahamut as he opens one of his previously closed eyes to inspect me. "*About five hours. How are you doing kid?*" he asks me as he flicks his tail back and forth, and the power within me continues to grow to an overwhelming degree and causes me some discomfort.
"*Five hours?*" I ask with a pained grunt as the energy starts to feel excruciatingly painful and images of pure destruction fill my mind.
"*Kid? Are you ok?*" asks Bahamut as he raises his head and fully pays attention to my situation. "*Kid, you're glowing!" exclaims Bahamut. Yet despite his loud voice, I barely hear him as the energy feels like the energy is tearing me apart from the inside as it continues to grow.
Without paying my familiar any mind, I launch myself upwards and quickly emerge from the sea. However, I have no intention of stopping and continue upwards despite the overbearing pain. As I continue to fly upwards more images of destruction fill my mind and the pain reaches unbearable levels. Despite it all however, I fight through the pain and images to continue my flight, eventually emerging into the vacuum of space and trusting that my survival runes tattooed on my body will be enough. Still, I do not stop and continue my flight as far away from earth as I can without bothering to take note of where I go as all that fills my mind is pain and destruction. Eventually I can longer hold the power in despite my efforts, however as I let my control slip I attempt to control the direction of this energy by guiding it towards my eyes.
What emerges is a black beam from each eye that leaves nothing in its wake. It destroys all, and not even dust or ash remains in its path. For what feels like hours, yet can only be seconds in reality, I remain there in space, floating as a beam of destruction whose origin I know nothing of destroys everything in its path before slowly dying out.
As the beam dies down, I can finally take note of my location and the victim of my attack. In the vacuum of space, surrounded by nothing but the occasional asteroid or other forms of space debris, I realise that I have destroyed Ganymede, Jupiter's biggest moon and a celestial body that would be considered a planet had it been orbiting the moon as opposed to Jupiter. Luckily, other than Ganymede and other forms of debris, nothing else seems to have been in its way.
With a shudder, I thank my iron will that I was able to have enough sense to not release the energy anywhere on Earth.
"What was that?" I whisper to myself as I feel the energy laying within me.
Taking hold of it, I attempt to channel it to my eyes once again. Expecting the process to be difficult and for the energy to be hard to control, I am surprised when two baleful red beams emerge from my eyes and disintegrate part of an asteroid as big as a car. Letting go of the energy, I inspect the asteroid to find two perfect holes that go from one end of the asteroid, through the middle, and out the other end. Inspecting the holes, I find that even while severely underpowered as opposed to the first time, the beam still left nothing from where it passed.
While inspecting the asteroid, a conversation I had with my mother, Bellona, comes to mind.
"You are the goddess of destruction, how come no one ever pays attention to that?" I remember asking one time in her temple.
"Because no one, not even I, appreciates destruction simply for the purpose of destruction." she had answered at the time.
"How does that work exactly? Can you just destroy anything physically or is there some other that you destroy?" I had asked while playing with a celestial bronze dagger.
Instead of answering, however, she had simply encased her hand in a menacing dark red aura and disintegrated my dagger to nothing, not even leaving ashes or dust.
"Your children don't seem to get that power." I had told her.
"Because I make sure that they do not, even with you I did my best to make sure that you would not receive it. I did not know if it worked or not, but so far it seems that the former is true." she had answered. "No child should have to worry about the responsibility of controlling such power." she had told me at the time, and to this day I agree with her. This power is not something a child should ever be concerned with controlling.
Shaking my head of the memory, I return to inspecting the asteroid.
"Mother, despite your best efforts, you failed. Since that energy is nothing but destruction, I shall name it excidium." I whisper to myself when I am sure that the effect of the energy is the same as hers. "Hopefully none of my future siblings will unlock this power as children. That does make me wonder however, how stressful was Clark's childhood when he had to constantly hide and control his powers as they emerged?" I mutter to myself as I turn away from the asteroid and fly back towards Earth.
Arriving on Earth relatively quickly, I plunge back into the Atlantic and swim towards Bahamut.
"*You're back, and you didn't blow up the planet. Good job kid.*" he says as he notices my approach. "*Though that power build up was something else. I've never felt something like that before in my life.*" he says with an impressed tone. "*I might have to try it out for myself.*"
"*Excuse me?*" I ask him with a raised eyebrow. "*Last I checked, the familiar bond does not allow for abilities to be shared.*" I tell him as I cross my arms.
"*Oh yeah?*" he retorts stubbornly. "*Then explain THIS to me.*" he says as he proceeds to spit a fireball hot enough to boil our area of the sea before dying out. Then he proceeds to earthbend the ocean floor into a statue of himself before waterbending the water away from us to create a pocket of air at the bottom of the sea. "*Well? Explain this to me then.*" he questions as his head gestures towards the statue of himself.
"*Interesting.*" I say as I inspect the bond. "*It seems that the bond is changing along with me. Eventually it may change you too.*" I inform him while inspecting the new changes in the parabatai bond.
I had noticed the change as soon as I had awoken, but had more pressing matters to attend. From what I can tell, Morgan has ascended significantly in power. So much so that I would not be surprised if she can single-handed deal with Zeus himself. I will have to think of something special to congratulate her.
"*I will be going now. Call me if you need anything.*" I tell Bahamut as I turn to swim to the nearest shore while he returns to sleep.
Emerging from the sea in the damaged Gotham Harbor due to the invasion, I activate the runes that make me unnoticeable to all but those that I want to notice me before deciding to take a stroll through the city instead of returning home immediately. While Gotham may be riddled with crime, there is no doubt in my mind that it is a beautiful city, especially at night. Like New York city, Gotham is constantly alive regardless of the time of day or season. It has a bustling nightlife that can contend with New York.
As I walk through the city with no regard for where my feet take me, I stumble upon an interesting scene. A young boy, no older than five, squatting by a black car, that I am sure does not belong to him, and removing the tires. Judging by the car's make and model, I can infer that it belongs to the henchman of one of Gotham's many crime bosses. The boy himself is nothing special to look at other than his red hair and malnourished state, no doubt from living in poverty. Despite his malnourished state however, he stands at the average height for his age, which is around three feet five inches. He wears run down sneakers, black shorts, and a dirty red shirt.
"You could get in a lot of trouble for doing that." I say, startling him into turning around.
"Mind your own business." he tells me with a frown as he attempts to hide his fear from me.
"Where are your parents, child?" I ask him with a well-concealed frown that judging based on his expression, he did not notice. "I simply wish to talk to them." I tell him.
"None of your business." he answers as he tightens his grip on the lug wrench.
Before I can answer him however footsteps approach us and a voice interrupts me.
"OI, get away from my car before I blow your fucking brains out!" screams the voice as he cocks his gun.
This time the boy does not attempt to hide his fear and slowly backs away from the car with wide eyes as he drops the lug wrench and puts his arms up while the thug walks past me towards the boy. His reaction causes me to frown as I wonder who would actually threaten a child. With a click of my tongue that denotes my disapproval to all present, I telekinetically disarm the man before destroying his weapon with a small blast from excidium. Then, before he can react, I telepathically knock him out.
"How about some food?" I ask the boy as he stares at me with an awestruck expression.
"That was so cool!" exclaims the boy as he regains his senses. "You have heat vision like Superman!" he says as he approaches, all fear gone from his mind.
"It is different. Regardless, that is not important right now. Do you want to eat?" I ask him again.
"Sure. You owe me for messing up my operation anyway. If it wasn't for you, I would've finished before the punk came." he tells me as he delivers a well-placed kick to the thug's stomach.
"Of course." I casually agree with him. "What do you say to some burgers?" I ask him.
"Sure." he answers with a shrug as he attempts to once again hide his emotions, this time gratitude. No doubt living on the streets has taught him that showing any form of emotion makes you more susceptible to being taken advantage.
"What's your name? I cannot call you child forever." I tell him as we walk out of the alley and towards a nearby Big Belly Burger that Bruce and I frequent.
"Jason. Jason Todd." he answers as he follows next to me.
"And where are your parents Jason?" I ask him.
"Dead." he answers simply while attempting to hide the grief from his voice.
"I can relate." I tell him with a sad smile.
"Really?" he asks me incredulously.
"Yes, really. Just because I am rich does not mean I do not understand hardships." I tell him.
"Well, I mean… you always look happy on TV. So I just thought that you didn't know." he answers sheepishly with a shrug.
"I do know what it feels like to lose one's parent." I answer him as a feeling of nostalgia falls on me at the thought of my very first jump.
"It doesn't feel good." he tells me as he grips his chest and begins to sniff.
"Cmon. There is nothing wrong with crying." I say as I pick him up and set him to sit on my shoulders.
With a final sniff, Jason cries silently while hiding his face in my hair. Leaving him to cry in peace, I walk us to the Big Belly Burger and wait for him to finish crying before entering. Once inside, we place our orders and pay before taking our seat in a booth while waiting for the food.
"Alright, no more depressing topics." I tell him with a smile that he returns hastily. "Who is your favorite superhero?" I ask.
"Wonder Woman." he answers without hesitating.
"Why Wonder Woman? Why not Batman or Robin?" I ask.
"Because Wonder Woman is nicer." he answers matter-of-factly. "Besides, I could probably take Robin on." he adds behind a false wall of confidence.
"Sure." I answer with a teasing smile.
"I could!" he answers petulantly, to which I simply nod. "So what superhero are you?" he asks me with a question.
"He likes to use a spear or a trident." I answer him with a smirk.
"You're one of the Faceless Four?!" he exclaims in a whisper.
The Faceless Four, a name that the media came up with years ago for our superhero persona's since we have never interacted with anyone as far as they know. Due to the runes that we use, other than the Justice League no one remembers any specific details about us other than the weapons we use and how we fight. They remember that we interfere in the major crises just as the Imperium Invasion, but other than that we rarely go out in public as heroes.
"So why do you keep that a secret?" he asks as our food arrives.
"Because superheroing is not our main occupation." I answer him as I bite into my burger.
"So what do you do? And how are you so rich?" he asks before biting into his.
"My wife is the one who is rich. I'm just a freeloader." I tell him with a laugh after swallowing.
Instead of answering, Jason simply gives me a deadpan stare as he continues to eat his food.
Before I can answer his stare however, Azula's teleports next to our table.
"There you are." she says as she takes in the scene and sets up a bounded field around us to make sure we go unnoticed. "Morgan, Scáthach and I had quite the eventful afternoon." she informs me before relaying the situation to me through our communication rune while a confused Jason watches on.
"I see." I say calmly as I finish my meal while lightning flashes and thunder booms overhead despite the previously clear skies. "Take Jason with you when you return to the castle. I have some business to attend to. Also tell Bruce that he has been slacking in his patrols lately." I inform her while getting up before turning to face Jason. "Azula will take you back to the castle. Wait for me there. I have some things to take care of." I tell him while ruffling his hair before teleporting away.
My first destination is Infinity Island. I have been far too lenient to Ra's, and it ends now.
Last edited: Sep 17, 2020
Plot Revealed
Infinity Island, Indian Ocean May 2006
Ra's al Ghul, leader of the League of Assassins, and one of the oldest living human beings quietly awaits the arrival of death. He expected some form of retribution for his part in the plot yet still agreed to proceed with it due to the knowledge that even if he himself is killed for his actions The Light will not only have a superior form of human DNA to make use of, but also have a significant key in further evolving humanity. Alas, none of them expected for even the weakest of the adults to be more powerful than Klarion himself.
He remembers watching the recording of how Morgan easily disposed of Klarion, how his every spells were either dodged or turned against him, how the one named Azula turned Black Adam's lightning against him, and even how Scáthach who they thought was only a melee fighter made short work of Wotan. Those three were not supposed to be anywhere near as powerful as Ambrosius, according to Ares, yet they seem to have no trouble accomplishing feats of Ambrosius' caliber.
Ra's is no fool, he knows when he has made an error that will have grave consequences. As such, he knows that there is nowhere in the world to hide from the upcoming calamity. His only regret is that he did not make a harder attempt at persuading Vandal Savage against listening to Ares, of all people. They should have expected the god of war to provide them with faulty information. After all, while war may still happen around the world with The Light's existence, those wars are carefully planned and controlled from the shadows. The Light makes sure that it has a tight leash on any war going on in the world to make sure that humanity does not bring its own extinction because some fool of a dictator became trigger-happy with their nuclear or other advanced weapons. It should have come to no surprise to them that Ares, the god of war who prefers chaotic and brutal wars, would plot their downfall. His only hope is that Ambrosius leaves his body intact so that the Lazarus Pit may revive him.
"Father. There is no reason for you to worry." comes Talia's voice from behind. "There is no possible way for him to reach here as anything but a corpse. He may be as skilled as Shiva, but even she cannot face the entire League and survive. He is a mere mortal man." she says in an attempt to calm her father.
"There is nothing mere, or mortal, about that man Talia." answers Ra's with a shake of his head, his voice still calm and strong despite the situation.
"I do not understand. He seemed as mortal as the next man to my eyes." says a puzzled Talia.
"According to a source, he is in fact a demigod son of Poseidon." explains Ra's, shocking Talia.
"How could that possibly be? He did not exhibit any feats of strength, speed or even endurance above the peak of a normal man. Not even when Shiva caught him off guard for the first time." says Talia incredulously.
"Those were my exact same thoughts when I was informed of his heritage." answers Ra's. "He fooled us well." he says as thunder cracks overhead and the previously clear sky is enshrouded in storm clouds, blocking the moon and causing darkness to fall over the island.
"Ra's." says Ambrosius as he appears in front of Ra's al Ghul, his figure far more intimidating than Ra's taught possible and very much different to what he looked liked when he stayed on the island for a year.
Still standing one inch away from six feet tall and possessing the same brown skin as before, Ambrosius' previously short hair is now long enough to fall over his shoulder while the majority of it is tied into a topknot similar to Azula. It's formerly white and black pigmentation is now mostly white with a few strands of black by the looks of it will soon be replaced by white. His build that was once more slim than muscular has bulked up to a physique that is perfect for all forms of combat that is made even more apparent by the black and blue armor he wears that is split into multiple pieces.
The first piece is a sleeveless blue cuirass made of an unknown material with horizontal lines going down it and a single vertical line that travels through them, five black sea shells going across the chest. Attached to the cuirass are blue tassets to protect the upper thigh, and a cloth that hangs between the legs. On the left tasset are five purple sea shells, while the right has one.
The legs are one piece separated into two colors, with the division occurring just above the knee. The top is made out of the same scales as my previous armor, colored black, and ending at just above the knee. The bottom covers from the knee down to the ankles and made from the same materials as the cuirass.
The boots are colored blue, reaching just under the knee, with the part of the feet covered in a grey armor that makes it indistinguishable from the greaves that go over the part of the boot that covers the shins.
The pieces that go over the arm are similar to the old armor. There are two blue vambraces, with a single fin each, that go over two black sleeves that start from the biceps and end at the wrist.
The final pieces of the armor are two pieces of purple cloth that he wears over his shoulder as capes, a black belt that is in a similar shape of Aquaman's symbol, and a blue circlet over his head, no doubt to signify his status as a prince of the sea.
However, none of that is what truly intimidates Ra's. Rather, it is Ambrosius' eyes that make Ra's feel that perhaps he will not be coming back to life. Unlike his previously luminescent sea-green eyes that denoted his wisdom and intelligence, Ambrosius' eyes cannot be seen. Rather, where his eyes can usually be found, Ra's instead finds a black flame calm yet also full of rage that promises nothing but destruction and for the first time in his life, Ra's al Ghul experiences terror.
Standing behind her father, Talia does not fare any better. Looking at Ambrosius' eyes, she cannot see any sign of the usually calm and wise man that stayed on their island for a year. Rather, he seems to have been replaced by a vengeful God of War.
"Explain to me, in clear concise sentences, what made you believe that abducting my daughter for The Light's purposes was a valid and logical course of action." demands Ambrosius with a voice devoid of emotion as the flame in his eyes seem to flare momentarily at the mention of his daughter's abduction.
"I have no explanation." answers Ra's as calmly as he can.
"Do not play me for a fool, Ra's." replies Ambrosius with narrowed eyes. "I hear your thoughts and know what your reasoning was. I had hoped however that explaining said reasoning out loud would make you realise the folly you have committed and attempt to repent. However, despite knowing your foolishness, you feel no remorse and have no intention of repenting." he says as he glares into Ra's eyes, causing him to nervously swallow as sweat begins to trickle down his face.
"If I tried to repent, would you have spared me?" asks Ra's after taking a deep breath.
"No." answers Ambrosius as a pair of excidium beams fire from his eyes and pierce Ra's skull before Ambrosius stops.
Standing behind her father in complete shock, Talia is not able to properly process what has just transpired until her father's corpse falls to the floor with a thud, waking her from her moment of shock.
"You dare!" exclaims Talia in rage as she draws her sword and lunges at Ambrosius, only to meet the same fate as her father.
"I never did understand what Bruce saw in her." says Ambrosius to himself as he surveys that room before turning to a specific corner enshrouded in darkness.
"Show yourself." commands Ambrosius.
"Bravo cousin. Splendid performance, I could not have done better myself." says a masculine voice with a slow clap as a figure emerges from the darkness.
"Ares." says Ambrosius with a frown as his eyes begin to leak small amounts of excidium in the form of smoke that quickly dissipates once a certain distance away from him. "You are supposed to be imprisoned on Themyscira. What fool decided that freeing you was a good idea?" asks Ambrosius as he examines the god.
Standing at six feet ten inches, Ares would be an imposing figure had Ambrosius not faced foes of similar stature. He wears the standard hoplite armor of sleeveless cuirass, skirt, vambraces, greaves, and helmet over his midnight black skin. Unlike that standard armor however, his is blue and possesses spikes on the helmet and chains wrapped around his vambraces. And on his back he wears a similarly blue cape.
"I freed myself, of course. I do not need some mortal to free me like that weakling Hades." answers the god of war with a flourish of his arms.
"Huh. That lie was almost believable." replies Ambrosius with a chuckle. "You are not even here. This is an avatar." says Ambrosius. "You are still stuck in Themyscira and probably sent this avatar to the mortal world in the hopes of creating enough war and chaos to empower you for you to free yourself." speculates Ambrosius with a laugh and enraging Ares.
"QUIET!" bellows out Ares.
"You fed The Light false information in the hopes that they would go with this foolhardy plan and that in my rage I would retaliate by slaughtering all of The Light's board members." says Ambrosius as he ignores Ares' command. "The resulting power vacuum would cause wars and chaos worldwide as every remaining subordinate fights for every scrap of power left." continues Ambrosius as Ares becomes more and more enraged. "You most likely clouded their judgements by controlling their emotions and Klarion went along with it because he lives for chaos." says Ambrosius as he slowly walks towards Ares, like a hunter stalking his prey.
"Unfortunately, you didn't count on Morgan killing Klarion. The three of them were meant to die when they went to retrieve Mordred. I would then find out and slaughter The Light's board members before dying by Klarion's hand when I confronted him." explains Ambrosius as he recheases Ares and grabs him by throat. "Yet when Morgan killed Klarion your plan fell apart and all seemed lost until I came here to kill Ra's." says Ambrosius as he squeezes the avatar's neck. "So you came here in the hopes of using your powers as a war god to make me vengeful. You didn't count on the fact that the only reason I came here was because Morgan already dealt with the others personally. She left Ra's for me to deal with because she felt like it, not because she could not." finishes Ambrosius as he completely destroys Ares' avatar with a blast of excedium.
"Still… that plot was an admirable effort." says Ambrosius once he is done. "However, I would suggest that you leave plotting to the professionals and your betters."
As Ambrosius surveys the room one more time, a presence makes themself known to him.
"Cleverly done Ambrosius." says a woman as she appears before Ambrosius.
The woman stands at six feet tall, possesses brown hair tied into a bun at the back while some strands fall on her shoulders, grey eyes and a beautiful face. She has the physique of a warrior, wears a white dress with a hoplite cuirass over, vambraces that resemble amazonian bracelets, sandals that are tied around her calf, and greaves over them. She is Pallas Athena, goddess of wisdom, war, the arts and craft, and the only goddess never bested in battle among her fellow gods and goddesses.
"Athena." greets Ambrosius with a respectful nod as he stops channeling excedium to his eyes, allowing them to return to normal. "How may I help you?"
"I came to see if you would need my help." replies Athena.
"No offense meant however, why would I need your help?" he asks.
"I sensed Ares' presence here and came just in case. I know that you are intelligent, however I did not expect you to see through his plot so easily." she answers.
"I see." replies Ambrosius "You have my thanks."
"No need. You are family after all." she says with a genial smile.
"Respectfully, I want nothing to do with our dysfunctional family." he says, causing her smile to slip a bit. "However, as you have not shown any hostility towards me or my family, I am willing to accept your invitation to know one another." adds Ambrosius.
"Thank you. You are the only being that I can have a worthwhile discussion with." she says.
"I know." answers Ambrosius. "Your siblings are idiots and the other war god cannot seem to appreciate a good tactic if it spears him through the heart." he adds as he goes about inspecting Ra's office.
"Very true." agrees Athena with a nod. "What are your plans for the League?" she asks.
"They will now work for me." he answers as he begins to go through some documents before stopping at one that causes him to frown.
"Is something wrong?" asks Athena.
"Ra's is more depraved than I thought." answers Ambrosius as he presents the paper to Athena for her to read.
"This… not even I would go through such lengths to create the perfect assassin." says Athena with a frown. "To hold a child in a solitary room and not allow for any contact with the outside world other than to train in combat or assassination is far too extreme. He did not even teach her how to speak or how to read!" she exclaims.
"And I have more files to go through from his years as the leader of the League." exhales Ambrosius in frustration. "What else has he done or was in the process of doing before I killed him?" wonders Ambrosius.
"Perhaps I can be of some use." says Athena as she places the paper before conjuring a chair and taking a seat. "How did you deal with the other members of The Light?" asks Athena as she begins to examine another document.
"Morgan has them all under her control. I believe there's some telepathy and magic involved." answers Ambrosius as he relates the information from the document to Scáthach and Azula over their communication rune.
"Efficient and almost foolproof." comments Athena with a nod.
--
AN: I have no plan of making Athena his wife or lover. They're just going to have a sibling-like relationship. Athena only approached him because he can keep up with her mentally and it's nice to finally have someone close to as smart as her to talk to.
Darkseid is
Infinity Island, Indian Ocean May 2006
One hour. That is how long Athena and I have been rifling through Ra's documents on the League's structure and their activities worldwide. Based on the documents, the League seems to have a hierarchy with Ra's as the leader of the League of Assassins and the League of Shadows, the elites of the League of Shadows. David Cain is the de facto second in command of the League of Assassins while Lady Shiva is the second in command of the League of Shadows. Still, it seems that Ra's had a hand off approach to the League of Shadows as opposed to his micromanagement of the League of Assassins. I cannot tell whether it is because he trusts Shiva far more than he trusts Cain, or simply because the League of Assassin is far more involved on the world stage than the League of Shadows.
While I read over the League's organisation, Athena elected to go through the League's current operations and judging by her facial expression I presume that they are no better than Ra's attempt to create the perfect assassin. Something she would frown, other times her eyes would widen a bit, and recently I even heard her curse in ancient Greek. Even now her brows seem to be set in a permanent frown.
"Perhaps we should take a break." I suggest to her as I place the document in my hand down.
"Yes, that is a good idea." answers Athena as she stops reading the document.
"That bad?" I ask her with a slight smile.
"It is not that the acts are so evil or malicious, rather I cannot imagine a human of all beings to devise such acts." she replies. "It seems that humanity has evolved not only in technology and other wonderful ideas but also in how to inflict the maximum amount of pain and destruction."
"That is unfortunately the truth." I agree with a nod.
Before the conversation can progress any further, Azula appears in the room with a flash of lightning, while carrying a man by the throat, and she does not look pleased at all. The last time I saw such an expression of rage on her face was when she realised that Ozai has been grooming her to be his perfect weapon and held no love towards her whatsoever. With ease, she unceremoniously tosses the man on the ground before kicking him towards me and most likely breaking all of his ribs on the left side. As the man attempts to get off the floor, he coughs out a worrying amount of blood on the floor.
"Ambrosius, meet David Cain. Father of Cassandra Cain and overseer and creator of that disgusting program that focuses on creating the perfect assassin." introduces Azula as she goes about healing the man before kicking him again and shattering his left knee beyond repair.
As the main screams in pain, I take the time to inspect him. The man stands at six feet two inches tall, possesses grey hair despite his middle-aged appearance, and blue eyes. He wears a black combat pants and boots, black shirt with gun holsters over it and a utility belt around his waist.
"Well, isn't this convenient?" I whisper to myself as the main finally stands up using the desk. "I was wondering whether I would have to hunt you down, Mr. Cain." I tell him.
"But you weren't man enough to, so you sent your bitch instead." says the man with a grin and in between coughs, earning a raised eyebrow from me and an unimpressed stare from Athena and Azula.
"You can stop with the psychological warfare Cain." I tell him. "None of us are stupid enough for it to work. No matter what you say or do, we will not kill you before extracting every piece of information we need." I inform him as I plunge my mind into his and extract every bit of relevant information on the League, all the while making it as painful as I can.
Once finished, I remove myself from his mind even as I feel disgust towards the man for how he treated his daughter. Despite his vile acts, Cain was actually beginning to feel some affection towards her. Albeit five years too late and for the wrong reasons.
"How is Cassandra?" I ask Azula as Cain's unconscious body falls to the floor with a thud.
"She'll be fine. Although she was the only one in the entire facility. It seems that she was the trial run and the project's existence depended on whether she was a success or not." explains Azula.
"How aware would you say she was?" asks Athena. "Did she know and understand what was being done to her?"
"No." answers Azula with a shake of her head. "She didn't understand that everything happening to her was wrong or why we took her father away. She seemed to treat the whole incident as if it were a training exercise and the only reason she didn't attack us is because she read our body language." explains Azula with a frown.
"She read your body language? How well and did she speak at all?" asks an intrigued Athena.
"Athena, she can't talk." says Azula. "The fool made sure that no one would ever talk around her so that she could never learn. She grew up reading people's body language to learn of their true intentions. When we arrived at the facility, it was in the middle of him training her to dodge bullets." explains Azula furiously as she steps on Cain's back and proceeds to break his spine.
"How is Jason?" I ask, changing the subject in the hopes of calming Azula down. As things are, the sky is already flashing with lightning and thunder in response to her mood, and she does not seem to have any intention of controlling herself.
"He's fine." she answers as she takes a deep breath. No doubt Cassandra's situation reminds her far too much of her own back in her original world. "He and Scáthach seem to have taken a liking to another. I wouldn't be surprised if he's adopted by the end of the week. Which reminds me, from now on I will be taking care of Cassandra."
"Are you planning to adopt her?" I ask with a raised eyebrow.
"Yes." she answers simply before leaving with a flash of lightning, it appears that she's learned a new trick that she wants to show off.
"I must also leave." says Athena as she stands. "If I am gone for too long, he will become suspicious. Perhaps we could do this more often?" she asks me.
"Of course." I answer with a smile that she returns before disappearing.
Now that I am alone in the room, I turn my eyes to the still unconscious Cain as he groans in pain. At this time, I have no more use for him. Everything that he knows is now firmly implanted in my mind and the only other use for him I could have is as an assassin. However, I trust him about as much as I trust Zeus. Which is to say, not at all. Besides, I am a better assassin than him and can always train a member of the League to replace him.
So with that thought, I destroy his entire body with an excidium blast before decapitating Ra's and Talia's bodies. Once done I sense the inhabitants of the island in search of Ubu, Ra's al Ghul's most loyal servant. Surprisingly I find him in one of the rooms sleeping. I make my way there easily enough without getting noticed.
Arriving inside the spartan room, I enter his mind for any information that he may have that Cain didn't. Inside I find that Ra's had sent him to rest early with no explanation as to why and a protocol for how the League's next leader is chosen should Ra's and Talia truly die with no hope of being resurrected. Apparently anyone who was once offered the position of Ra's al Ghul becomes a candidate.
Surprisingly, the League is supposed to ask them to take the mantle and move on to the next candidate should the first one refuse. There is no blackmail, no test or, anything of the sort involved to pick the leader. I cannot tell whether it is because of his arrogance that Ra's did not formulate a better plan or simply because he does not care about the League should he die. Unsurprisingly, however, it seems that Bruce and I are at the top of the list of possible successors.
Should I leave now, the League will come to me themselves with the offer. On the other hand, however, that leaves a window of opportunity for any others such as Deathstroke or Lady Shiva to take over the League, and that is a risk I am not willing to take. With the information in hand, I implement a strong mental urge in Ubu's mind to make me the new leader of the League as soon as he awakes and finds out that Ra's and Talia are dead.
Once finished I leave his room and return to Ra's study to set up a narrative of Ra's and Talia being murdered by an unknown assailant. The process is simple and does not take me long to do. I arrange the room to make it seem as if a bitter struggle took place inside by destroying some of the room, leaving sword cuts on some places, moving some furniture around while destroying others and place both Talia's and Ra's decapitated corpse on the floor somewhere that indicates that they fought well but were not enough to defeat their assailant. Of course I cannot leave the heads that have been damaged by my excidium blast as the one that Ubu finds, otherwise that would imply that the enemy was a powered individual with some form of energy attack. As the new leader of the League, I will be expected to find the culprit to kill Ra's and I do not want to implicate some poor metahuman. No, I already have a culprit in mind and he would be one of the most believable to do this. After all, what better way to kill one immortal than with another immortal that is known for behind a savage throughout history.
"*Morgan.*" I call out to her in my mind.
"*Yes.*" she answers.
"*I need help with something, are you currently available?*" I ask her.
Instead of answering me, she simply appears in front of me as if she was always there.
"Why did you not call me sooner?" she asks as she surveys the room. "I could have saved you time and simply done this." she says as she proceeds to return the room to its previous state before my arrival and even placing the undamaged bodies of Ra's and Talia back to their original positions.
Before I can even ask her what she is doing, she hushes me and continues her work by bringing Ra's and Talia back to life.
"What?" I hear myself say through the confusion.
"Just watch." she answers as she proceeds to have Vandal Savage himself appear inside the room and duel Ra's and Talia in a manner that damages the room exactly like I had done previously.
Once Ra's and Talia are decapitated, Vandal goes about crushing their skulls with his feet before leaving the room through the window.
"What was that?" I ask her while I ignore the sound of battle as Vandal fights his way out of the island and the fact that not only is Morgan taller than me, but she's also far more beautiful than I remember.
"That my, my dear, is what a Goddess of Magic can do." she answers me with a smile as she teleports us back to the castle.
"Right. You met Hecate and became a Goddess. Still getting used to that." I answer as I rub the bridge of my nose.
"Says the man on his way to become a god." comments Morgan. "I felt your surge in power earlier." she tells me. "In fact, that was before I became a Goddess."
"Do you hear the prayers?" I ask her.
"I have no worshippers. At least not yet." she tells me as we walk towards the kitchen.
"I can hear the people of Westeros. They pray to me as Gawain, or sometimes as Ambrosius." I inform her as a particular strong prayer makes itself known, asking once again for my blessing in battle.
"How does it feel?" she asks as we enter the kitchen to find Jason sleeping on Scáthach while Cassandra does the same to Azula. "Does it feel empowering?"
"Yes, but the rate of my power increases far more than they should with prayers alone." I inform her as we take our seats at the table with Scáthach and Azula. "I have a theory that one of my domains is War, as such I become empowered by any war or conflict going around the world." I explain to them.
"That is a logical assumption." says Scáthach with a nod.
"How is this going to work?" asks Azula. "Will we become a new pantheon?" she wonders.
"I don't know." I answer honestly. "This is a first for all of us."
"We will figure it out." says Scáthach reassuringly.
Apokolips, Sphere of the Gods
May 2006
Apokolips, home of Darkseid and his faction of new gods. It is a hellish planet that is named aptly as it possesses fire pits that power the planet and the majority of the population are slaves.
The population is a downtrodden lot, including many kidnapped from other worlds before being 'broken.' The majority of the population are called "Lowlies", a bald and fearful race that has no sense of self worth or value. The Lowlies are subject to constant abuse that ends only with death.
Slightly above them are the Parademons, who serve as the keepers of order on the planet. Higher above the Parademons are the Female Furies, who are Darkseid's personal guard. They are blessed with unnatural strength and longevity and are allowed to develop as individuals. The leader of the Furies is Granny Goodness, who sports the appearance of a matronly old woman while being the most powerful of the guards, and Kanto, who enjoys a unique position as Darkseid's master assassin. The chief guard, Big Barda, fills a third position under Granny as the leader of the Furies when in the field of battle.
Surprisingly, Apokolips is second to New Genesis in technological advancement. With their technology, they are the height of power in most of the universe and are able to devastate galaxies when they choose to use it. Apokoliptian technology is furthermore the source of unparalleled misery in the universe as the planet routinely arms evil groups with advanced technology in order to further its influence and misery across the universe.
Apokolips is ruled by Darkseid as its theocratic god/despot, but he defers most of the actual day to day ruling to his counselor DeSaad, a heavily disfigured, sadistic, and evil scientist and chief torturer of Darkseid.
Currently, the very same DeSaad approaches the throne where Darkseid's massive figure sits. DeSaad stands at five feet tall, possesses black hair and eyes, and an indiscernible body due to it being covered by a black cloak that hides it.
"My liege, the preparations are complete and the other pantheons do not suspect anything." informs Desaad with a bow.
"Good. Begin the assault." answers as his eyes glow with a fiery red of the Omega Beam. "First those insignificant pantheons, then New Genesis, and finally Earth. They will all bow before me, for Darkseid is."
Amazons of Bana-Mighdall
Bana-Mighdall, Somewhere in Egypt July 2006
Bana-Mighdall, the City of Women, a city state magically hidden in Egypt by an impenetrable sandstorm. It is inhabited by a faction of Amazons known as the Amazons of Bana-Mighdall. Like their Amazon sisters from Themyscira, the Amazons of Bana-Mighdall have hidden themselves from mankind for millennia. Its founder and first, and current, queen, Phthia, is the adopted niece of Queen Hippolyta herself.
When the Amazons freed themselves from Heracles and drove him and his forces away, Phthia's adoptive mother and Hippolyta's sister, Antiope, advocated for vengeance but was rejected by her queen and sister, Hippolyta. Not one to be denied an action that she felt she was owed, Antiope cast her girdle at Hippolyta's feet and rejected the Olympians and anything related to them due to their inaction when Heracles enslaved her and her sisters. From henceforth she would never ask anything of Olympus. After having made her declaration, she took all the Amazons who would follow her on her quest for vengeance and pursued Heracles back to Athens.
Antiope led her army straight through Greece, destroying any resistance, until she reached Athens. She lay siege to the city, even though Heracles was no longer there. Theseus eventually came forth, begging forgiveness for Heracles' madness and asking for peace. Antiope, who had once been enamored by him and very much still in love with Theseus, agreed and called off the fighting despite the protestations of many of her Amazons, including her daughter Phthia. Theseus welcomed the Amazons into the city, but they rightfully remained on their guard, even after Theseus and Antiope were married. Antiope soon gave birth to a son, Hippolytus, but her happiness and her life would soon be tragically cut short when Circe aided Ariadne, the bitter and vengeful first wife of Theseus, to slip into the palace unseen and stab Antiope in the heart with a dagger before she escaped unnoticed.
Phthia was found standing over her half brother's bed. She believed that Theseus had murdered her mother, and she was protecting the baby from him. Theseus believed that Phthia had murdered Antiope out of jealousy and had planned to murder his son. He had Phthia and all the Amazons in the city banished forever. Antiope's tribe would then travel to Egypt, where they pledged themselves to the Egyptian gods and became the Amazons of Bana-Mighdall. Since then, they have lived peacefully in the hidden city of Bana-Mighdall for millennia.
Unfortunately today, that peace has come to an end with an invasion from an army of demons. The demons are tall, winged humanoids with heavily built and imposing figures. They have three digits on each hand, which are also clawed. They are clad head to toe in golden armor, with helmets that have hornlike protrusions that cover most of their heads save for the mouth, exposing their sharp teeth. Unknown to the Amazons of Bana-Mighdall, these demons are no normal demonic enemy. Rather, they are genetically created monsters in the laboratories of Apokolips, home of Darkseid. To those who have faced his army before, they are known as Parademons.
The attack came unannounced with the boom of portals in the sky from where the demons fell. Despite being caught completely off guard, the Amazons of Bana-Mighdall were able to mount a proper defense that would have been quite effective had their foes not been Parademons. Unfortunately for them however, their foes are Parademons and the Amazons were unprepared for their lack of self preservation or their willingness to result in tactics that cripple them. Were it not for their impressive fighting prowess, the blessing from the gods and the fact that they have their very own version of Wonder Woman in the form of Shim'Tar, Akila, the Amazons of Bana would have fallen by now. However, that will not be sufficient as even now the Amazons will be overrun eventually simply due to being outnumbered.
"Artemis!" exclaims Akila as she notices a group of Parademons make their way towards her friend.
Standing at six feet tall and possessing a build almost as powerful as Wonder Woman, Akila strikes an impressive figure on the battlefield. With the blood of her enemies covering her golden sleeveless cuirass, white skirt, brown skin and black hair, Akila would have been able to strike fear in the heart of her enemies had they not been Parademons.
Not willing to allow her friend to be surrounded, Akila slowly makes her way towards her friend as she cuts down countless enemies with her Khopesh, a standard egyptian sickle-sword that evolved from the battle axe.
"I saw them coming." says Artemis as she cuts down a Parademon with her giant battle axe, Mistress.
While Akila poses an impressive figure, Artemis is down right imposing and could even be said to be terrifying. She stands at six feet two inches tall, has pale white skin, long red hair tied in a ponytail, green eyes, and possesses muscles that are more noticeable than even Wonder Woman. Unlike her friend's golden cuirass with a white skirt and sandals, Artemis wears a red, black and grey sleeveless cuirass, black pants and boots that are covered by knee high greaves, and bandages from her biceps to wrist that are covered in red vambraces that cover her forearm.
"Of course you did." sarcastically answers Akila with a slight smile that quickly turns into a frown. "Damn these creatures. If they did not swarm the city, I would be able to use the Bow of Ra without the danger of harming our sisters." mutters Akila as she casually tilts her head to the side, allowing Mistress to emerge from behind her and slay a Parademon.
"These demons cannot have simply spawned from those wormholes, they must be coming from somewhere." answers Artemis as she slides under Akila's Khopesh, allowing it to slay a Parademon that attempted to sneak up on her. "If we could perhaps find where they come from, we could potentially stop this." says Artemis as she explains her thought process.
"That would leave our sisters in a far more vulnerable position." refutes Akila with a slight shake of her head.
"This situation is no better. As it is we are already isolated from the rest!" exclaims a frustrated Artemis as she kills two Parademons before throwing Mistress through several more of them and calling it back to her hand.
"Perhaps. However, our presence itself draws most of the demons away from our sister." answers Akila as she snaps a Parademon's head with a kick while stabbing another one in the chest.
"Then perhaps it is best if one of us goes while the other remains." says Artemis as she smashes a Parademon's head to a pulp with the handle of Mistress.
Before Akila can answer however, the world around them turns gray, and time seems to simply stop.
"Shim'Tar of the Amazons of Bana-Mighdall." calls out a voice as a golden beam of magic strikes every Parademon present in the city, incinerating them.
Turning their eyes to the voice in the sky, Akila and Artemis spot the descending figure of a woman. She stands at five feet nine inches tall, possesses chocolate brown skin, black hair that glistens in the sunlight and brown eyes with a slight glow to them. She wears a simple sleeveless white dress that is covered in the torso by a similarly sleeveless white cuirass that blends into the dress, golden vambraces, greaves over her sandal laces, and pauldrons.
"Isis." says Akila and Artemis as they kneel in unison.
"Rise my champions. Now is not the time for such ceremonies. I cannot hold this spell forever, even now I can feel this war's weakening effect upon me." orders Isis as she makes them stand.
"How may we be of service?" asks Akila as she and Artemis straighten themselves out.
"As you have seen, Egypt faces a grave crisis that not even us gods are exempt from." informs Isis as she conjures an image of the Egyptian gods and goddesses waging battle against a lone fear inducing warrior.
While the warrior stands at six feet tall, neither that nor his bulging muscles are the cause of what causes one to fear him. Rather, it is black and red armor that completely covers his body and the black with red horn helmet that only allows his glowing red eyes to be seen.
"This is Steppenwolf, a god of the planet Apokolips, and the general of these demons that you face." informs Isis as the three watch Steppenwolf step on a jackal-headed god before backhanding a hawk-headed god away from him. "He attacked us unprovoked at the time of the demon's assault on your city began. Most of the pantheon has fallen and unless something is done soon we will all fall to him." says Isis in a grim tone. "We cannot win this battle alone, and even if you yourselves joined us you will simply fall before we follow along with you."
"How may we help?" asks Artemis desperately as she watches Horus, the Egyptian god of war, whom she believed to be invincible, be slapped around like a child.
"A few months ago a surge of unaffiliated divine energy was felt in the Atlantic Ocean near Gotham City. We believe that somehow a new god has ascended, seek them out. Perhaps with their aid and yours we may survive this crisis." answers Isis as she makes the image of the battle disappear.
"My lady, are you sure that it is wise to seek out an unknown god? And even if they decide to help, who will help our sisters in our absence?" asks Artemis with a frown.
"We have no choice. And as for Bana-Mighdall, I will personally defend it until your return. My magic seems to have no effect on him." explains Isis.
"Very well." answers Akila with a nod of her head.
"May Ra bless your journey, my friends." says Isis as she teleports the Amazons away.
--
Metropolis, New York
July 2006
Like the city of Bana-Mighdall, Metropolis finds itself under attack from an alien force. Unlike Bana-Mighdall however, Metropolis' assailant is not of the demonic kind, rather it is a technological alien that simply goes by the name of Brainiac.
It had arrived in the city's airspace with four motherships around fifteen minutes earlier and had not bothered to make demands before deploying robotic troops to the city in an effort to round up all forms of relevant knowledge about Earth. The only known information about the enemy is that he calls himself Brainiac and claims to have collected countless notable cities through the galaxy.
Normally the Justice League would strongly object to such an act, however the majority of them are currently in space on a mission, leaving Earth's protection to what the citizens know as the Faceless Four, Aquaman, and Flash.
"Where did you say the others went again?" asks the Flash in the communication rune inscribed on his mask while running around the city evacuating the citizens.
"Thanagar." answers Aquaman as he uses the sea to draw the robots to him where he makes a quick work of them. "Apparently Hawkwoman's people are in the middle of a war and they need help."
"See, I don't get that. If her people are at war, why was she on Earth to begin with?" questions Flash as he phases through a robot and makes sure to scramble its internal system on the way.
"Apparently she was scouting for allies." replies Aquaman.
"Focus you two." orders Ambrosius as he conjures countless weapons that gleam in the sunlight and sends them flying through a platoon of robotic ships. "If Morgan were here, this would be over already." he comments in annoyance.
"And where exactly is Morgan? She would have already magic'd all of these robots away." says Flash.
"Apparently when one gains reality warping abilities, they should practice them before making use of them on such a grand scale." answers Scáthach. "At least according to Hecate who took her for a training session today." she says as she destroys countless more ships with Gae Bolgs
"And why aren't any of you going all out?" asks Aquaman.
"Because of collateral damage." answers Azula as she strikes down a mothership with a massive lightning bolt. "The robots are everywhere and the city still has some civilians." she says as she makes her way to the only remaining mothership and proceeds to bombard its shield with bolts of lightning.
"And also because this attack is nothing more than a probe at Earth's defenses." adds Ambrosius as he encases his spear in lightning before sending it hurtling through the final mothership when Azula succeeds in taking the shield down. "This was far too easy for an extraterrestrial opponent with claims as bold as Brainiac's. Even the Imperium put up a more impressive display." he says as he and the others gather near Aquaman at the docks.
Before the conversation can continue however, a pair of women teleport near Azula, prompting Ambrosius, Scáthach and Azula to place their blades at the newcomers' neck as a warning sign against any sudden action.
"Identify yourselves." command Scáthach with a frown.
"I am Akila, my friend here is Artemis, and we require the help of the newly ascended god. Could you please direct us to them?" asks Akila as she introduces herself and Artemis.
"*New god? Is she talking about Morgan?*" questions Scáthach telepathically.
"*Perhaps. After all, Morgan is the only one to have fully ascended so far.*" answers Azula.
As Ambrosius makes to answer the Amazons however, a flash of white light engulfs Azula, Artemis and Akila before they disappear along with the light.
"Merde?" curses Ambrosius as he uses every form of detection that he can in order to sense them. "I can sense Azula through the parabatai link, but it is extremely faint and I cannot tell if something is wrong with her." he says to Scáthach as Flash goes about canvassing the entire area.
"I can sense her too. However, I can also tell that there was no form of magic involved." she says as she takes out her Motherbox from her rune space. "Motherbox, can you tell me what happened here?" she asks, prompting the Motherbox to make a ping sound as it complies with her request.
With a few more pings the Motherbox completes its analysis and relays its findings to Scáthach, who frowns at the answer.
"They were teleported to an alternate universe. Unfortunately, Motherbox cannot follow because the trace of energy is too faint to follow." informs Scáthach.
"Azula is on her own until we can devise a different way to follow." says Ambrosius as he begins to draw runic symbols on the ground where Azula previously stood. "I will attempt to use our parabatai bond to trace her location and hopefully be able to teleport us to her using the teleportation rune on her. In the meantime, let us hope that she is not too harsh on the poor bastard who abducted her."
Injustice
Location: Unknown Date: Presumably July 2006
As the light from whatever form of travel that was used on them vanishes, Azula, Artemis and Akila are finally able to make out their new surroundings. The first thing that Azula notices is the fact that wherever they are, the time of day is sometime at night. The second thing that she notices is the fact that they are on a roof facing what seems to be an abandoned skyscraper that used to be Wayne Enterprises' main headquarters.
"Gotham City." says Azula, drawing Artemis and Akila's attention to her.
"You recognise this city?" asks Aretemis.
"I do." replies Azula with a frown as she inspects a symbol that hangs on the majority of the skyscrapers in the city. "However this is not the Gotham City I recognise. The most logical answer I can think of is that this is an alternate universe." explains Azula as she tries in vain to reach Ambrosius through their communication rune before concentrating and listening to every conversation in the city.
"Do you know of any way to return us home? We cannot waste any time here. Akila and I must complete our quest as soon as possible." aggressively says Artemis.
"Peace, Artemis." orders Akila as she places a calming hand on Artemis' shoulder. "This is not her fault. She is as much of a victim as we are." says Akila before turning to Azula who is now floating in the air with her eyes closed and her eyebrows furrowed. "Is something the matter?" asks Akila.
"This universe is similar yet completely different compared to ours. We need to gather information." answers Azula as she opens her eyes. "The only thing I've been able to gather is that Superman created an organisation called the Regime while Batman is now a fugitive."
"You named a man, Superman?" question Artemis with a frown.
"Who names their child Batman?" asks Akila with a raised eyebrow.
"You two must live under a rock." comments Azula with a questioning expression on her face. "I'll fill you in as we travel. Can you fly?" she asks.
"No." answers Akila.
"Alright then." replies Azula as wind surrounds the duo and proceeds to levitate them up to Azula's level.
"Impressive display of magic." comments Akila as they rise higher than the tallest skyscraper in the city.
"This isn't magic, it is who I am." answers Azula with a smirk as they fly away from the city as fast as Azula dares to while carrying inexperienced flyers as passengers.
"If you are of divine blood, then perhaps you may know the newly ascended god?" asks Artemis as the meaning of Azula's words sink in while Akila observes the sight of the city flying by under them in awe.
"Maybe." answers Azula. "Why do you want to meet them?" she asks.
"Our people are in danger, and we believe that with their help we may avert the crisis." replies Akila as she returns her attention back to the conversation. "Any form of help would be appreciated, however we know that the other pantheons would never lend aid to any divine not of their of their own pantheon. As such we seek the help of the unaffiliated new god." explains Azula.
"What is it that would force the Egyptian gods to look for help outside of their own pantheon?" asks Azula as they leave the city and fly over a road that leads to a manor just outside of the city.
"How did you know?" questions Artemis as she narrows her eyes at Azula and tightens her grip on her axe, Mistress.
"How do you think?" asks Azula with a smirk as she glances at Akila's weapon and armor while she slowly lowers them just inside of the manor's gates.
"Why are we here?" asks Artemis as she surveys the abandoned manor.
From the outside, it is easy to guess this now run down mansion was once very elegant. It has been built with wheat colored bricks and has mahogany wooden decorations. Small, octagon windows that once allowed enough light to enter the home and have been added to the house in a mostly asymmetric way have now been boarded up adding to the abandoned atmosphere of the property.
"We will most likely find answers to our questions here." answers Azula as she walks up the broken cobblestone of the driveway, past the dry and cracked fountain to arrive at the front door covered in weeds that occupy much of the house's surface.
Sending the door flying off its hinges with a kick, Azula walks into the manor. Like the exterior, the interior has seen better days. The once elegant and beautiful chandelier that used to illuminate the entrance now lies shattered on the floor. The once magnificent staircases on both sides of the room that leads to the second floor balcony are falling apart, and the balcone's railing is broken as if a body was thrown through it.
"A battle occurred here and this residence seems to be abandoned. Are you sure that we will find answers here?" asks Akila.
"Most likely." answers Azula as they easily make their way upstairs despite the broken staircase.
As they make their way through the vacant building, they are able to notice that the house is at the very least equipped with a huge kitchen and two modern bathrooms, five bedrooms, and a roomy dining area.
Entering the library, Azula ignores the broken book shelves and furniture, and makes her way to the no longer functioning grandfather clock. With ease, she pushes the clock aside, showing the narrow hidden staircase inside before walking in.
As they make their way down the staircase and into a surprisingly well lit Batcave, they can hear the sound of the flapping wings throughout the cave's ceiling.
"Welcome to the Batcave, Batman's base of operations." says Azula as she makes her way to the Batcomputer and attempts to turn it on to no avail.
"Twice now you have mentioned this Batman. Who is he?" questions Artemis as she and Akila walk around the cave inspecting Bruce's trophies throughout the years.
"A mere mortal with an intellect powerful enough to allow him to contend with gods." answers Azula as she turns on the computer's personal and remote power source known to a select few.
"More like a man with an ego way too big for him." says a voice from behind the trio. "Now why don't you all turn yourselves in so that I don't have to break a few heads." commands the voice as he walks down the staircase.
"Well, you certainly aren't Dick." observes Azula as she inspects the newcomer. "Even ten year old Dick is more charming than you." says Azula, causing him to frown and gnash his teeth in anger.
The man, more like a boy pretending to be a man in the trio's eyes, stands at five feet ten inches tall, possesses black hair, blue eyes, and a handsome face. He has a warrior's physique that is well complemented by his all black combat armor with a red bird like motif on the chest. On his face he wears a domino mask while his hands hold a pair of escrima sticks.
"If I didn't know any better, I'd say that you are Bruce's son. However, I know that he wouldn't raise his son to be a brat like you." continues Azula, further angering him. "So who are you, boy?" she questions with a devilish smirk on her face and a glint in her eyes.
Enraged by Azula's words, Damian launches himself at Azula with a roar. As he approaches her, Azula's smirk turns into a full blown grin as she sidesteps the first swing, ducks under the second before sweeping his feet out from under him and smashing her foot on his chest before he can recover. With a pained scream, many of Damian's ribs break under the force of the blow.
"Such a disappointment." sighs Azula. "I have seen a ten year old wield these escrima sticks better than you." comments Azula as she conjures a blue flame in her hand. "Now, judging by your fighting style, you were probably trained by Bruce and the League of Assassins so torture is something your used to." says Azula as Damian's screams turn into groans of pain. "However, I know what training you underwent, and unfortunately for you it won't help against my brand of torture. So it would be best if you talked as opposed to my having to force you."
Before Damian can decide whether to obey her or not, a red blur races towards Azula at a speed faster than anyone should be able to perceive. As the blur reaches her however, Azula grabs the figure before smashing them onto the ground next to Damian, causing the ground to crack and for his collar bone and ribs to break.
"I expected better from you Barry." says Azula as she looks at blur, now revealed to be Flash, writhe in pain on the floor while Artemis and Akila look on in shock. "You joined Superman's group of psychos against the world. What would Iris think." wonders Azula as she proceeds to shatter both of Flash's knees, eliciting a cry of pain from him.
"What are you doing!" exclaims Akila. "He was already defeated, that was unnecessary!" she says.
"No." disagrees Artemis with a shake of her head. "At the rate that he was healing, he would have been combat ready in mere seconds." she says as she points to the almost healed collar bone.
"Barry, if you don't talk I will torture this boy until his mind breaks, and you will be forced to watch." says Azula threatningly as she puts her flame close to Damian's left eye.
"WAIT!" exclaims Barry. "What do you want to know?"
"I want to know what in the name of Agni caused this Earth to go crazy, and which walking corpse is responsible for bringing me here." answers Azula.
"It was the Joker." answers Flash as he attempts to sit up only to stop when Azula glares at him and brings her flame closer to Damian's face. "He killed Lois while she was pregnant and nuked Metropolis." explains the Flash.
Before he can continue his explanation however, Azula knocks him out with a kick to the face before doing the same to Damian.
"He didn't say who brought us here." says Akila with a frown.
"He didn't need to. I can infer that Superman has gone mad and that Batman attempted to bring members of an alternate Justice League here, but got us instead. Isn't that right Bruce?" says Azula as she looks towards a dark corner of the cave, prompting Akila and Artemis to look in curiosity.
"You're Amazons, but you aren't Wonder Woman. Or any Amazon I recognise" comments Batman as he walks out of the shadows towards the trio in a guarded stance hidden behind his cape. "Who are you?" questions the Dark Knight
"Even in an alternate universe, you're still the same." answers Azula. "To answer your question, my name is Azula, Diana's older sister in my universe." she says, shocking Bruce. "Now tell me honestly, how bad is the situation that you had to resort to looking for allies in an alternate Earth."
"Like you guessed earlier, Superman has gone mad trying to fix the Earth and the Wonder Woman of this Earth is simply making the situation worse while the rest of the Justice League simply stand by or follow his orders. The majority that tried to oppose him are dead with a few allies and I being the only ones left." he explains, causing Azula to frown as she processes the information while Artemis and Akila try to make sense of the situation.
"I will help you." says Azula after a few seconds of thinking. "But you WILL send us home right after." she tells him, receiving a nod in return.
--
Back on Earth Prime
Location: Unknown
July 2006
On a remote mountain, a woman and a child can be found making their way inside the temple situated on top of the mountain.
The woman stands at five feet eight inches tall, possesses black hair, and a face that cannot be seen due to the elaborate and emotionless golden mask she wears on her face. She wears a long purple dress that reaches to the floor and accentuates her figure while covering the torso with a golden and black cuirass with tassets that protect her inner thigh.
The boy stands at five feet tall and does not seem to be older than twelve years old. He has blond hair, blue eyes and a face that will be considered handsome should he ever grow up. He wears a long sleeve purple and gold tunic along with purple trousers and shoes that would not be out of place in a medieval fair.
The two are Morgaine le Fay and her son Mordred.
In the days when King Arthur held the throne of Camelot, Morgaine Le Fey engaged in a romantic relationship with one of his knights, Jason Blood.
Morgaine and her army of monsters attacked King Arthur's castle in an attempt to place her only son, Mordred, on the throne. Arthur's forces held out against the invading army. However, Jason Blood betrayed Camelot for his love and allowed Morgaine and her army to storm the castle before she then betrayed him by poisoning him with a viper's kiss.
Camelot fell that day due to Morgaine's invasion. However, she either would not or possibly could not place Mordred on the throne without the legendary artifact known as the Philosopher's Stone. An artifact that has incredible magical powers, most noticeably the power to manipulate time and reality itself, and able to materialize temporary illusions permanently. Unfortunately, the wizard Merlin hid the artifact in an ark. She had thought that she had found the artifact at the home of archeologist Harvey Hickman, only for it to turn out to be a fake.
Instead of continuing her search for the Stone, she has instead set her sights on the Amulet of First Magic, the source of all Earthly magic according to legends.
"There it is." whispers Morgaine as she admires the glowing purple amulet while her son takes it in his hand.
"What is this mother?" asks Morded as he puts the amulet around his neck.
"That is the Amulet of First Magic, the most powerful magical artifact and the source of all Earthly magic. It will give us the power to conquer Camelot." explains Morgaine as she opens her palm for Mordred to give her the amulet.
"Really?" says Mordred skeptically.
"Yes. Now give it." orders Morgaine.
"No." answers Mordred. "Since I have it, that means that I can finally be King and you can't tell me what to do." says Mordred as he grasps the Amulet and begins to channel its power.
"Mordred, give it to me now!" orders Morgaine as she begins to worry. "You don't know what you're doing!" she exclaims.
"Oh I do." answers Mordred with a smirk. "I'm making the world in my image. That means no one can ever tell me what to do. Especially not ADULTS!" screams Mordred as he channels the Amulet's power and reshapes the Earth in his image.
In an attempt to stop her son's madness, Mordred channels as much power as she can into a counterspell only for it to hinder the spell and slightly alter its effect as opposed to completely stopping it.
With a purple flash of light, Mordred's spell takes hold as the Earth is split into two, one for adults and one for children.
Your Better
Avalon Hill, Bludhaven New Jersey
July 2006
Inside one of the rooms of the Malphas castle in Avalon Hill, two children can be seen sparring with one another while Bernard and Mordred watch on. The first of the children is a seemingly five year girl. She stands at a height of three feet two inches, possesses black hair, tan skin, and black eyes shaped in a way that denotes her chinese heritage. She is Cassandra Cain, now Malphas, biological daughter of David Cain and Lady Shiva, and adopted daughter of Azula and Ambrosius and her sparring partner is none other than a much healthier Jason Todd, now Malphas.
Despite Ambrosius and the other adult's attempts to give them a normal life, the two refuse to live in such a way. For Cassandra, it is because she finds that once training stops being torture, she loves fighting. Maybe it's because she's talented, or because the way they teach her is not torturous, or maybe even because it's in her blood. Regardless of the reason, all she knows is that she enjoys a good fight.
For Jason, it's because he wants to be like everyone in the family and because he thinks it's cool. His adoptive father knows every form of martial arts with or without weapons, and so does his adoptive mother. The other mother figures in his life may not know every form of martial arts, but they still know enough to spar with Wonder Woman of all people. Heck, even his butler knows how to fight from his time in the special forces not to mention his sisters. He doesn't know if he'll follow in Mordred's footsteps to become a superhero yet, but he does know that he at least wants to be able to fight like one.
"He's progressing along nicely." observes Bernard as he watches Jason make use of his superior strength to bridge the gap in skill.
"He definitely has a talent for fighting." answers Mordred as Jason judo flips a smiling Cassandra only for her to easily land on her feet before sweeping his out from under him. "But he still wants to be flashy." she says as Jason tries to turn the fall into a backflip only to fail and allow Cassandra to win by pinning him to the floor.
"Ugh, you always win." groans Jason as he and Cassandra get up from the floor.
"You… flashy too much?" answers Cassandra questioningly as she looks towards Mordred for confirmation.
"You are…"corrects Mordred as Cassandra parrots her. "… too flashy."
"You are too flashy." repeats Cassandra with a nod and a satisfied smile at her progress when speaking.
"I believe that is enough for today." says Bernard with a clap. "The Master and Madams have left explicit orders that training should not be overdone."
"Cmon Bernard, just a little longer." says Jason with pleading eyes.
"Young Master Jason, no amount of-" before Bernard can finish his sentence, a flash of purple light envelops the room and he disappears, shocking the three children.
"Bernard!" exclaims Mordred as she examines the place where he stood a moment ago. "Magic." concludes Mordred with frown. "Max, is this an isolated incident?" questions Mordred as she speaks to the castle's Magical AI, a successful attempt by Morgan and Scáthach to give the castle some form of sentience.
"No. Throughout the world, anyone over the age of seventeen has disappeared. Including Master Ambrosius, Madam Scáthach, and Madam Azula. Madam Morgan's whereabouts are unknown." answers the AI's monotone voice.
"I really hate magic sometimes." whispers Mordred to herself while hoping that Hecate does not hear her. "What is the cause of this?" asks Mordred as a worried Jason and Cassandra walk up to her and grab each of her hands for reassurance. "Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere." reassures Mordred with a grin while awaiting the castle's answer. Even as she says that however, Mordred knows that they may be attacked. She was careless when returning to the castle once and was spotted going in. Rumors spread that Shining Knight lives on Avalon Hill and her father had to rebuke by saying that Shining Knight was simply visiting. Not everyone believed him and even those that do now know that if you want to get to Shining Knight you simply have to take the Malphas family hostage. Although, no one has ever even come close to succeeding.
"We're not worried." answers Jason with a brave face on while Cassandra merely nods.
"A surge of magical energy is responsible for the current phenomenon. Its origins are unknown." informs the AI just as the castle's alarms blare to life. "Warning! Magical energy of unprecedented proportions approaches!" warns the castle as it displays the image of an approaching figure enshrouded in a purple aura flying towards the castle "Cause of phenomenon found. Magical signatures match." says the castle as it zooms into the approaching figure to display gold and purple amulet tied around its neck.
"So that's what's responsible." mutters Mordred as she thinks of what her mother taught her about dispelling spells done by an artifact.
"Undo spell… or… destroy ar-ar-artifact?" says Cassandra with a frown.
"Yes, artifact." confirms Mordred as she kneels in front of the two. "I have to get that artifact to fix this." informs Mordred. "The castle's defenses will be up, so you'll be safe. Look out for each other ok?" says Mordred with a smile.
"Go get em." cheers Jason while Cassandra simply nods with a smile.
With a grin on her face and a thumbs up to her siblings, Mordred summons her armor before she has the castle teleport her at the entrance of Avalon Hill while the castle engages all defensive measures.
Arriving just outside of Avalon Hill, Mordred waits for the arrival of the figure that is heading towards the castle. For the first time in a long time, Mordred can feel a small amount of nervousness before entering battle. However her nervousness isn't for her, rather it is for what the outcome of this battle will mean for her new siblings should she lose. She's experienced enough in the world of superheroes to recognize a world domination scheme when she sees it. While before she knew that if she lost to a supervillain who wants to take over the world her parents would be there to stop the scheme, this time she isn't so sure. Yes she knows that her mother is now Goddess of Magic, but having never really paid attention to her magical lessons Mordred doesn't know what being Goddess of Magic entails. Does it mean that the person can do whatever they want with magic, or is it simply a title for her being the most powerful magician without having to use artifacts or a foci. It's moments like these that make Mordred miss her original world. Sure there was still magic, but it also had laws and rules that are meant to be followed. Here however, magic doesn't seem to have any rules whatsoever.
As she thinks this, the figure arrives and slowly floats down towards her.
As she watches the boy, Mordred feels as if she knows him. As she further studies him, Mordred comes to the realisation that had he been a girl, he would look like the spitting image of her at that age, albeit far less physically impressive. From what Mordred can see, the boy has no idea what work even is, much less hard work.
"Identify yourself, and state your purpose." orders Mordred as she gets into her superhero persona, Shining Knight.
"Shining Knight, I am your king and I have come in order to offer the prestigious position of being my personal Knight!" exclaims the boy dramatically.
As Mordred processes the words that came from the boy's mouth, she cannot help but bellow out a laugh due to how ridiculous the boy is.
"You? My King?" questions Mordred in between laughs, enraging him. "Do you know how ridiculous you are?" she asks him as she begins to regain her composure and further enrages him. "Only one person has ever been worthy of my oath as a Knight, and you aren't her." says Mordred in all seriousness as she finally stops laughing. "Now be a good boy and return the world back to normal." orders Mordred.
"No." answers the child as he opens his palm and faces it towards Mordred. "Now bow!" he orders as he channels the magic of the amulet in an attempt to make her bow to no avail.
"What was supposed to do something?" asks Mordred with a raised eyebrow knowing full well that the spell wouldn't work due to her armor's new magical defenses from her mother.
"Why won't this work?" whines the boy petulantly as he tries to turn her to a statue to no avail.
Before he can figure out what the problem is, Mordred lunges at him just as he attempts a different spell on the ground under Mordred's feet, turning it into quicksand. As she begins to sink, Mordred releases a torrential amount of magical energy that blows all of the quicksand away from her. Now free, Mordred continues her leaping away from Mordred and summons a bow capable of creating any type of arrow the wielder can imagine. Pulling the string back, She fires three arrows at the boy which he turns into birds mid flight. As he turns his attention back to Mordred, he finds that she is only a few feet away from him with a sword poised to slash his chest. Panicking, he turns her sword into a python that wraps itself around her and gives him time to quickly retreat to the sky.
"You dare attack your King?!" screams the enraged boy between taking in gulps of air.
Ignoring him, Mordred spits out a flame that burns the python and frees her. As the boy nonsensically rants in the sky, Mordred summons a very different sword to her hand with a golden flash of light, her very own personal blade. Forged by her father and enchanted by her mother, the sword is a weapon that she alone can wield. Not only does it have abilities similar to her father's trident and other abilities, but it is also enchanted to be immune to any hostile spell. This was their present to her when she became a Knight that has been recently upgraded by her mother when she became a goddess.
The sword is designed using Durandal from her original world as a base. The sword is a hand-and-a-half sword with a gold cross shaped guard, a black handle, and a small red gem at the base of the handle. It is named Interfector, or slayer, and is not something that was part of her legend due to her having never used it, believing that it gave her an unfair advantage. Now though she has no qualms about using it, or being unfair in combat. She can't afford to, not when she has younger siblings to protect.
With a roar she releases a particularly strong mana burst that launches her into the boy's face even as he continues to rant about the unfairness of her being immune to his magic and how she should bow to his Kingship. As she appears before him, the boy once again panics and attempts to turn Mordred's sword into a snake to no avail. Before he can think of something else, Mordred cuts the amulet's string and manipulates the air to blow it to her hand where she crushes it.
The resulting release of magical energy blows her back to the ground where she cracks the ground upon landing and temporarily blinds her due to the bright purple light that the amulet also releases.
As her vision returns to her, Mordred is finally able to see where the spoiled brat landed. While she wasn't expecting him to be knocked out by the backlash of magical energy, she certainly didn't expect him to be complaining to who she presumes to be his mother about how she didn't fight fairly.
"Mother! She took my amulet." whines the boy as Morgaine teleports to him.
"Do you promise to behave if I return it to you?" questions Morgaine
"Yes mother." replies the boy.
"Very well. Once I get the amulet back we'll build you a Kingdom." she tells him as she turns to face Moedred. "Give me that amulet or-"
"-Or what?" interrupts Morgan as she appears next to her daughter. "Or what Morgaine? You and Mordred are not capable of seeing any of your threats through." says the Goddess of Magic as she relays the identity of the two to her daughter telepathically.
While she seems to be unaffected on the outside, on the inside Mordred cannot help but vehemently deny to her mother that there is no way in Hell that the spoiled brat in front of them is her counterpart from this universe.
"And who might you be?" asks Morgaine as she gathers her power in preparation for battle.
"Your better." replies Morgan as chains erupt from under Morgaine's feet, binding her and her son. "Now why don't you and your little brat make like good magicians and disappear." says Morgan before she snaps her fingers and makes them disappear.
"Where did you send them?" asks Mordred.
"To a magical prison that I plan to use for magicians whose crimes are not serious enough to warrant death." explains Morgan.
"That wasn't serious?" wonders Mordred with a raised eyebrow behind her helmet.
"With the boy's lack of skill, the spell would have broken in around an hour." says Morgan as the two begin to make their way back to the castle.
"So there was nothing to worry about." says Mordred as she dismisses her armor.
"Yes. However, this minor inconvenience did bring a certain being to my attention. He seems to be looking for something on Earth. I believe it was Trigon." says Morgan as she teleports them to the castle.
"Trigon? As in the guy who acts like he's the devil Trigon? Why is that good?" wonders Mordred.
"Because now I don't have to look through countless dimensions to find him. He is a lingering threat that your father and I do not want to come anywhere near Earth." she explains as they appear in front of Cassandra and Jason. "As such, now that I am powerful enough I will personally take care of him as opposed to waiting for him to come to us."
--
AN: Idk why, but I wasn't really feeling this chapter. It went exactly how I have this part of the arc planned but I just wasn't really feeling it (I think it might be my dissatisfaction with my writing skills). Anyway, the real reason for this author's note is because I was looking through possible jumps and I found an Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes one. At first I was just looking at it out of curiosity, but then I looked at this drawback that they have that I think would be pretty cool to have Ambrosius and the other adults experience. Tell me what you guys think of me doing this. Also I'm still taking suggestions and if I don't answer a message don't think I don't like the suggestion. I probably forgot to answer, but I still took note of it.
The Last Avenger (1000 CP)
Very well. Time will be frozen on Earth-8096 as you find yourself on one of Earth8096's possible futures; Earth-8096J. Here, everything has gone wrong; many
heroes never existed at all, and those that did ended up being destroyed, whether
by their enemies or as a result of their own errors. As a result, the world has
become increasingly worse as time goes on, falling under control of villains fancying
themselves as warlords, and aliens thinking themselves conquerors. Large sections
of the world are left uninhabitable due to radiation, and entire countries have been
wiped off the map due to the nearly endless warfare. Wakanda's Vibranium mound
exploded, and while their government was somehow able to make the explosion
less devastating it still wiped out the entirety of Wakanda and several surrounding
countries. Latveria was overrun by the Kree, and is now their center of power. It's
up to you to make things right, because nobody else has a chance in hell of doing
it. Of course, there are some extra restrictions to your time here, as follows:
You don't have any ability to travel to or summon things from alternate universes
while you're here. Not through your own power, not through technology, not even
with the help of beings of multiversal or even omniversal power. You're here until
things are less chaotic on Earth. Planes of existence and dimensional travel are still
allowed.
All of your Companions, pets, outside items, things that follow you, and your
Warehouse are on Earth-8096. You have the items you purchased above and any
inherent abilities, but that's it.
Earth and enough of humanity to have a successful population must survive; failure
results in the chain ending and you being sent home.
And finally, you're unable to resurrect any of this Earth's dead, until you deal with
Hela.
Now, onto the actual challenges that you'll have to face. Wherever there's a
surviving community, there are also villains subjugating the populace in exchange
for protection. Especially powerful villains, or ones that band together, control the
most land, and are as follows:
Ultron, upon being created by Hank Pym, immediately turned on his creator and
killed him. Thankfully, its programming was incomplete and while it's plot to
destroy the world with nuclear weaponry succeeded in destroying several major
cities and countries, it was not able to take control over all of the world's weaponry.
After that, the malicious intelligence decided to lie low; consolidating its power,
improving its programming, creating more drones and upgrading its technology. It's
been making attempts to obtain information on powerful Kree weaponry recently,
and if it succeeds there won't be much of Earth left.
The Kree Empire followed the Skrull to Earth, wiping out most of them before
turning their eyes to Earth itself. In this altered timeline they decided that Earth
represented little threat to their empire, and with their full attention turned
elsewhere the Supreme Intelligence declared that any Kree who had failed their
Empire in some way would be sent to Earth to conquer it, instead of being
executed, to keep their front lines strong and to deal with Earth at the same time.
As such, the Kree on Earth aren't actually expected to exterminate life on the
planet, and aren't armed with any planet-busting weaponry; despite this they still
managed to assault and take over Latveria after identifying it as their greatest
threat. If a powerful champion emerges on behalf of Earth, however, the Kree
Empire will definitely take notice…
Hydra exists still, in several large enclaves. They managed to subvert several
countries to their will, unopposed, before things had gone to hell, and have still
retained much of their power on Earth. Their leaders are united, realizing that
squabbling will only weaken all of their positions as a whole, and include the Red
Skull, Baron Strucker, Baron Zemo, and Madame Hydra.
Advanced Idea Mechanics, or A.I.M., still exists as well and has actually managed to
thrive in this new world, no longer needing to hide themselves in the shadows.
MODOK has hired several villains to do his dirty work, including the Wrecking Crew
and the U-Foes, and there have been a few sightings of strange energy beings
patrolling their territory- suggesting that MODOK has been creating more Wonder
Man like beings.
Loki, after seizing the Odin Force and killing his brother and father, has turned his
ambitions towards Midgard, the world his brother loved so. Playing his games, the
trickster has sent powerful creatures from the other Realms to wreak havoc on
Earth, as well as sending the Destroyer armor when he wants to do things
personally. You'll attract his attention eventually, and while he'll be content to
merely mess with your plans to amuse himself he'll treat you seriously if he feels
like you're a threat.
Hela has somehow claimed the souls of Midgard for herself, trapping the dead in
Hel and Niffleheim- even those honorable souls who should've gone to Valhalla and
the other afterlives. While dealing with Hela isn't mandatory, freeing those souls
from her grasp and ensuring more aren't ensnared may prove useful in dealing with
the other threats assailing the world.
Master Mold, a powerful AI and controller of the Sentinels, also exists. After
destroying the X-Men Master Mold turned to destroying the rest of humanity;
fortunately, her Sentinels are mostly kept in check by Apocalypse- although the
Mutant is little better than the rogue AI.
Finally, Apocalypse has claimed Genosha for himself, taking Mister Sinister, Scarlet
Witch, Avalanche, and Sebastian Shaw of the Hellfire Club as his Horsemen.
(Pestilence, Famine, Death, and War, respectively.) While Genosha is relatively
peaceful, Apocalypses' extreme Darwinist views lead him to gather the strong and
cull the weak, so that Mutant kind can evolve and inherit the Earth.
Of course, you won't necessarily need to go it alone; even now heroes exist on
Earth, ready to fight the good fight, with a little help. Captain America was never
awoken from his ice nap.
Ultron hasn't bothered to remove the limitation keeping
him from killing the Wasp, and has her imprisoned somewhere.
Captain Mar-Vell
was sent to Earth, with the rest of the reject Kree.
Simon Williams AKA Wonder
Man has been blackmailed by AIM, forced to work with them so MODOK can keep
his ionic energy from dispersing. Mjolnir awaits someone Worthy enough to wield
the powers of Thor. There's always another Doombot. And the Scarlet Witch may be
persuaded to join you, if you can remove Apocalypses' control over her. Of course,
you'll need more than these few heroes to face…
Galactus
The World Eater will arrive sometime in the next few months after you've defeated
the last major threat on Earth, along with his four Heralds- Terrax, Stardust,
Firelord, and Air-Walker. Each one will position themselves in remote parts of the
world with large machines to help Galactus consume the planet. You will need to
stop them- and once that's done, you will need to drive off Galactus himself.
Succeeding here will complete the drawback, and as a special reward you may
choose to take one of the allies you've made here with you on your journey.
Confrontation
AN: Some of you guys are worried that Ambrosius would be too OP after DC for that drawback to have any effect and I agree. But the reason I brought it up is because there's something that he's going to get from Romulus-Quirinus after he becomes a god that will allow him to naturally reduce his power to make it a challenge (my nasuverse fans should know. It's the reason why Romulus-Quirinus, a literal god, can be summoned in the first place). I also wasn't thinking about doing it right after this jump since he honestly needs a break after this. Regardless, I'm still taking suggestions until the end of this jump.
Also, for you guys who read the Injustice comics you know that a lot of stuff in it doesn't make any sense and was done simply for the shock factor. So I'll be changing those parts (basically all of year four and some other stuff).
--
Location: Unknown
Presumably: July 2006
The quartet had made it out of the Batcave through a set of secret tunnels. Like the Bruce that Azula is familiar with from her original Earth, this one's secret tunnels are protected from any form of scanning possible through a mixture of magic and technology. Unlike the Bruce that she knows however, this one had his enchanted by Zatanna as opposed to Morgan and Scáthach. Emerging from a tunnel, Azula, Artemis and Akila find themselves inside an underground bunker with a minimal amount of equipment. The only tools in it are a computer similar to the one in the Batcave and a table with enough chairs to sit eight people.
"What can you tell me about Superman's forces as opposed to your own?" asks Azula as she sits on one of the chairs while Artemis and Akila follow suit.
"You're not the one asking questions here." says Batman instead of answering. "Who are you? And how do you know my identity?" he questions with narrowed eyes.
"Oh Brucie. No matter what universe, I can alway count on your temperament being constant." answers Azula with a laugh. "Unfortunately for you that's not a good thing." she tells him as she sits back and crosses her legs. "You see Bruce, I've known you for years so that makes all of your tricks useless against me. Heck, my husband was even raised by you and you taught him everything you know." she says, shocking him.
"As for my identity, I am Azula, older sister of Wonder Woman, and I highly doubt that I exist in this world." she adds before he can answer.
This is not what he expected. As Batman he's dealt with so many shocking situations that he believed himself to beyond that now. Caught off guard by something improbable? Sure, that is possible. After all he's only human. But this situation, it is not something he expected, much less planned for. Heck, he would trade this situation for dealing with a pissed off Wonder Woman. Albeit one not like the deranged person his Wonder Woman has become.
When he first saw Azula he knew that she was not Wonder Woman. However, he expected to be dealing with an Amazon. She certainly dresses like one with her armor and the eagle motif on it, although this would be the first time that he sees an Amazon wear purple and black armor. She also carries the self confidence of one. Then you have her companions, who despite wearing armor more reminiscent of Egyptians as opposed to Greeks, are evidently Amazons.
Like he expected, she is an Amazon. What he did not expect is for her to be Wonder Woman's older sister. From what he can tell, she doesn't seem to agree with Superman's Regime. This was made evident when she scolded Barry Allen of all people. However, he isn't sure that she's much better than Superman considering the fact that she showed absolutely no qualms about torturing her enemies to get what she wants. Bruce wanted to bring in specific members of a good Justice League to help him, not the morally ambiguous older sister of one of his greatest enemies.
"Maybe it would be better if we exchanged notes." says Bruce diplomatically while relaxing his body as he hopes to make her comfortable enough to talk. Maybe he can even gleam a weakness from her during this conversation in case she becomes an issue later on.
"There is nothing to exchange." she answers as she sees right through him.
Even if she wasn't a skilled interrogator in her own right, and she is, she didn't spend years married to a man who was raised by Batman to not pick up on some of their habits. Ambrosius may not realise it, but even though Bruce raised him for only a few years as opposed to the thousands that he's been alive for, he emulates Bruce in many ways with pragmatism being their biggest similarities. The two of them also have a way with words and using their body language to dictate the entire mood of the room. It can be pretty unnerving and make you feel as if you're a puppet. Then again, that's if you don't commit suicide from feeling inferior in every way, shape or form. She knows because at first that's how she felt when she was his student up until she decided to reject her father's teachings. Now though, she's pretty much immune to all of those psychological tricks, and she lets him know so by crossing her arms and gently smiling at him.
"Very well." answers Batman as he calmly stands straight while hiding his hands behind his cape. "I didn't mean to summon you. It was supposed to be Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Green Arrow and Aquaman." explains the Dark Knight. "However, the machine only had enough power for two people. So I opted for Wonder Woman and Green Arrow, but instead I got you three."
"Why do you need them? Why not summon a Superman?" asks Azula.
"I need their DNA for a weapon that will incapacitate Superman." answers Batman.
"I see." says Azula with a nod. "Your Green Arrow is dead, and that's why he was one of the two you went to summon." she infers, shocking him. "As for Wonder Woman, well she can incapacitate the others long enough for you to obtain a DNA sample." she adds. "Unfortunately for you, Green Arrow isn't even a member of the Justice League and Wonder Woman is in space with the rest of the League.
"I see." answers Batman as he places a hand on his chin and thinks. "I don't have much time to stop Superman. One of my contacts in the League informed me that he has become erratic, easy to anger, and even war like." says Batman after deciding to place his trust in this newcomer for the time being. "From what they tell me, the League seems to be falling apart from the inside. There is a lot of internal fighting and soon some members could even come to blows with each other. Superman is too busy focusing on Earth to notice and his mental state doesn't seem to be completely there either."
"When did this start?" asks Azula with a thoughtful frown.
"Three months ago. Why?" answers Batman.
"How active are the Greeks gods here?" she asks again.
"They involved themselves once, but ultimately decided not to interfere." replies Batman with narrowed eyes. "What are you implying?" he asks
"What names were they using?" questions Azula.
"Why does it matter?" replies Batman.
"It matters because that could determine how serious they were about it." answers Azula.
"They went by their Roman names." informs Batman.
Before Azula can answer, an alarm blares to life in the base, alerting the group to an incoming danger.
"Dammit, Raven must have gotten to Deathstroke." mutters Batman as he jumps into action and races to the computer to see who Superman sent.
"He's coming!" screams Batman just as the ceiling caves in and the Man of Steel enters, his eyes gleaming red from the power of his heat vision.
"Batman! This ends now!" exclaims Superman as he releases his hold on his heat vision, sending it blasting towards Batman.
Before he can be incinerated however, Azula appears in front of Batman and uses her vambraces to deflect the heat vision right back at Superman's chest, sending him flying out of the hole he came in from.
"Artemis, Akila, get him out of here. If anyone tries to stop you, you may use lethal force." commands Azula.
Artemis and Akila, who had been trying to keep up with the quickly escalating chain of events find themselves obeying Azula without question. They know that they are out of their depths here in terms of knowledge and that Azula seems to be intimately familiar with the people involved. As such they decide to follow her orders for the time being. Especially since she is their only lead to the newly ascended god.
"Wait!" screams Batman as Artemis picks him up as if he were a sack of rice and races towards the maze of tunnels alongside Akila. "You can't just kill them!" he argues even as the door to the tunnels close behind them.
"You lost any say you had in how this is as soon as you plucked me from my home." mutters Azula as she flies out of the bunker and into the skies of Gotham City in pursuit of Superman.
"Who are you?!" questions Superman as he regains control of his flight and floats towards Azula. "It doesn't matter. You'll be dead soon anyway." claims Superman as he launches himself at Azula.
Enshrouded in divine lightning, Azula easily backhands Superman towards the dock of the City to avoid endangering any lives. Following through with her attack, Azula punches Superman into the Atlantic while inspecting the situation and running every piece of information she has through her mind.
Had it been the old her, she would have been tearing at his psychology in addition to beating him physically. However, as much as she would love nothing more than to make him hate himself, she knows that she can't. This Superman is not only mentally unhinged, but there also seems to be something else wrong with him, and from her brief contact with him she knows that it's something similar to when Ambrosius uses his war god powers to manipulate someone's emotions. It makes the target angrier, erratic, thoughtless, and over all a loose cannon incapable of any logical thought.
Before Azula can think more of the matter, an enraged Man of Steel emerges from the ocean and begins to swing at her. With ease Azula dodges everything and takes note on his form. Unlike the Superman she is familiar with, this one seems to solely rely on his powers. There is no thought, no technique, not even a hint of martial art skills, neither of the Earth variety or the Kryptonian one.
Floating away from a very sloppy punch, Azula grabs Superman's outstretched arm before pulling him towards her and smashing her knee into his solar plexus, breaking a few ribs and making him spit blood and saliva.
Before she can follow through however, a bolt of lightning strikes her on the back, causing her to drop the Man of Steel in her distraction.
Turning to face her new adversary, Azula immediately recognises him as a hero who just started out months ago on her Earth.
"Captain Marvel, right?" she asks the stupefied hero, no doubt he expected her to be harmed from his bolt of lightning.
"It's Shazam." he answers once he gets his bearing.
Captain Marvel on her Earth takes the appearance of a young, muscular, black-haired Caucasian male with blue eyes that stands at six feet two inches. His costume is mostly red with gold accents like his lightning bolt logo, sash, and boots. He also has a white and gold cape over one shoulder.
Shazam however wears a predominantly black outfit with only the middle of the torso being red under his golden lightning bolt. Instead of a shash and white and gold cape, he wears a golden belt and a black and gold cape on his back with a hood of the same color on his head.
From what she knows, he's powered by the Greeks, which means that his lightning comes from Zeus. She wonders if she can take it away from him.
Due to Morgan's ascension and the beginning of Ambrosius' ascension, her own ascension was jump started and she found herself with new powers like traveling through lightning, increased physical stats and slowly encroaching on Zeus' domains. He hasn't noticed yet because it's only been a few months and according to Athena, he's busy with some secret plan of his that he won't share with anyone. Regardless, it's only a matter of time until he notices and attacks her for it. Shaking the distracting thoughts from her head, Azula turns to her new opponent.
"Well Captain Marvel, or Shazam, or whatever your name is, leave. I have better things to do than play with an attention seeking brat like you." she tells him as she launches a bolt of lightning at a Hawkwoman who had been attempting to retrieve the injured Superman from the sea. With a cry of pain, Hawkwoman falls unconscious and plummets into the sea.
Seeing his comrade injured, Shazam launches himself at Azula as two bright yellow lights approach the battlefield. While Azula easily dodges Shazam's punches, a yellow construct jet flies towards her while shooting missiles. At the same time a yellow beam also flies towards her. Before they can reach her however, Azula grabs Shazam and throws him at the incoming attacks before launching herself further up into the skies and destroying the construct jet with a lightning.
As she surveys the battle field, Yellow Lantern Hal Jordan appears in front of her with a baseball bat ready to hit her. Summoning Crocea Mors from her rune space, Azula dodges the attack and proceeds to cut off Hal Jordan's ring hand before incinerating it with a flame as she grabs the ring and deposits it into her rune space.
In shock and roaring in pain, Hal does not notice the fact that he is falling from thousands of feet up in the sky. Neglecting his falling comrade, the other Yellow Lantern comes into Azula's personal space swinging duel swords just as Azula witnesses Hal being saved by Shazam. Blocking the attacks, Azula takes a split second to examine her new opponent.
Standing at six feet and seven inches, with a well built physique, pink skin and black and yellow eyes, the opponent poses an intimidating figure. He wears a mainly black full bodysuit, with yellow boots, belt, vambraces, and upper torso which also has a black and white symbol in the middle.
"You must be Thaal Sinestro, founder of the Yellow Lantern Corps of fear." wonders Azula as she dodges a slash while parrying the other. "John Stewart spoke about you once." she says as Sinestro attempts to break her defense to no avail. "He said that you were such a scaredy cat that you found a way to weaponize it. What was it he said about you again?" says Azula to herself as she continues to casually defend herself from him. "Was it that Sinestro was so scared of the monster under his bed that the only way for him to live was by harnessing that fear into power?" wonders Azula as Sinestro begins to be enraged by the exchange. "I'm pretty sure it was that. That and the Sinestro Corps is the Corps of bed wetters who need to bully the weak to make themselves feel good." adds Azula with a smirk on her face.
"ARGH! AND THAT'S WHY I KILLED HIMSELF." screams Sinestro in rage as he overextends in an effort to decapitate his infuriating foe.
"Yes, by stabbing him in the back because you knew that he was better than you." answers Azula as Sinestro's words wipes the smirk from her face. He may not be her best friend, but he is still someone she has come to respect over the years. Hearing that he was killed by this nobody has soured her mood, and judging by Sinestro's reaction to her words, he really did stab him in the back.
Enraged by the truth of Azula's statement on how he killed John, even if she guessed, Sinestro throws himself at her with a recklessness that flies in the face of all his skills.
"It doesn't matter how, all that matters is that he's dead!" exclaims Sinestro as he slashes at her with a downward strike.
Dodging the telegraphed strike, Azula proceeds to decapitate Sinestro with one stroke of her sword at a speed far too fast for Sinestro to interpret.
"And your situation is any different how?" questions Azula as a stunned Sinestro processes what just happened
As her opponent's body falls into the sea, Azula surveys the battlefield to see that the enemy has completely retreated. Even taking Superman and Hawkwoman with them.
"Damn." says Azula to herself.
Before Azula can begin to fly her way back towards Batman using the location rune she snuck on him, a white light erupts next to her. Azula didn't know what she expected from the light, but it certainly wasn't for Scáthach to emerge from it.
"It worked."says Scáthach with a smirk.
"Wow, did you come for little old me?" asks Azula sarcastically as she places her hand on her heart.
"No, I came for your companions." answers Scáthach with a roll of her eyes and a smile before she surveys their surroundings. "What did you get yourself into?" asks Scáthach as she points at Azula's bloody sword.
Without wasting time, Azula fills Scáthach in on her situation.
"I see." answers Scáthach as she processes this Earth's circumstances. "Did you at least place a location rune on him?" she asks.
"Of course." answers Azula.
"Good, then we can finish this once we have all of the information from Batman." replies Scáthach. "I do not want to face any surprises when we launch our assault.
Toppled Regime
Regime Watchtower Earth's Orbit
Presumably: July 2006
The Watchtower, former headquarters of Justice League, now home to The Regime, a group of individuals who for one reason or another agree with Superman's way of dealing with criminals. Currently in the sick bay, Damian Wayne, Flash, Hawkwoman, and Superman can be found laying in bed injured while other members of the Regime stand around while Shazam explains what happened.
"… After that saving Hal, I was barely able to see her decapitate Sinestro before you teleported us out of there." says Shazam as he finishes explaining the recent events.
"What did she look like?" questions Damian as he tries to sit up, only for pain to flare up due to his broken ribs and force him back down to the bed.
"She reminded me of Wonder Woman, only scarier. She has black hair, glowing white eyes and wears black and purple armor with an Eagle symbol on her chest." describes Shazam.
"And you're telling me that this chick chopped off Hal's hand, killed Sinestro, and did THIS to all of them?" asks Cyborg disbelievingly while pointing at the injured Regime members laying in bed. "Who the fuck is this chick?" he asks.
Unlike his counterpart from Azula's Earth who has just entered middle school, this Earth's Victor Stone has already experienced the accident that turned him into Cyborg.
Originally, Victor had deep brown skin, brown eyes, a lean, muscular build, and used to stand at six feet tall. His hair was black and kept in a buzz cut with a surgical line that begins on his temples, runs slightly upwards and then bee-lines around his head, coalescing at the back. He also had a widow's peak hairline.
After the STAR Labs accident, Victor's injuries were repaired by a Motherbox, which replaced the damaged parts of his body with cybernetic prosthetics, namely the left sides of his head, face, torso, and left forearm. As he went on in his Superhero career however, the cybernetic prosthetics quickly grew to envelop his entire body, leaving only the right side of his face as human.
"What about Batman? Did you get him?" asks Damian.
"No." answers Black Adam with a frown. "Bane, Killer Frost, Catwoman, Raven, and I were sent to pursue them via the tunnels. Bane and Killer Frost's bodies were found while Catwoman and Raven are missing in action." he informs them as he grips his bandaged side in pain. "I encountered an Amazon wielding an axe in the tunnels. From what I was able to gather she came here with the other woman. The resulting battle left me with a gash that refuses to heal." explains Black Adam
Before anyone can answer him, Wonder Woman comed flying into the room as Aquaman walks in from behind her.
"Kal!" exclaims Wonder Woman.
Instead of acknowledging her presence however, Superman sits on his bed with a frown on his face and his hands clenched into fists as he thinks.
"What happened?" asks Aquaman quietly as he stands next to Cyborg.
Cyborg relays the night's events to Aquaman as quietly as he can so as not to disturb Superman's train of thought while the other members in the room simply stand there uncomfortably while waiting for Superman to acknowledge Wonder Woman.
The coupling between the two has always been somewhat of an awkward topic for the other members of the Regime. While Wonder Woman may claim that she is simply supporting him, the other members can easily see her influence in every decision that he's made except for killing the Joker and allowing Sinestro to join while slaughtering the Green Lantern Corps.
From forcing Aquaman to join by placing Atlantis in the middle of the Sahara, to helping Superman incinerate Martian Manhunter. Wonder Woman has been by Superman's side through it all. And while the ideas weren't hers, she still holds some of the blame for egging him on and telling him that "Mankind will never be at peace unless they are ruled over with an iron fist". Between that and the blatantly affectionate looks and touches she gives him, it's pretty clear that she's trying to become his new significant other.
"Damn." whispers Aquaman as Cyborg finishes explaining. "She doesn't seem to have a hatred towards men, or a sense of superiority towards men, but other than that I wouldn't be surprised if she is an Amazon." says Aquaman not too loudly.
As Cyborg makes to nod in agreement, he remembers that Wonder Woman is present in the room and decides that it would be best to not react. Considering how lately Wonder Woman and Aquaman seem to be at odds with each other, Cyborg doesn't think that being caught in the middle of their squabble is worth it.
"What did you say?" questions Wonder Woman as she turns to face Aquaman, her eyes glowing with a slight red glow that no one notices.
"You must be getting old and losing your superhuman senses." replies Aquaman as his eyes also to slightly glow red.
"Enough." says Superman as he comes out of his thoughts and puts the incoming altercation to an end. "We have more pressing matters to attend to." he says as he gets out of bed and removes his bandages, his injuries having already healed.
"What's the plan?" asks Wonder Woman.
"Since the citizens of Gotham have no qualms with letting Batman hide in their city, we'll destroy the city to set an example. Then we find where that woman comes from and we kill anyone even remotely related to her to set an example before executing her too." informs Superman, shocking Shazam and Flash.
"Wait. We're committing genocide now? And killing innocent people?" asks Shazam as he comes forward. "I don't agree with this." he adds as he looks around the room.
"Is there a problem Billy?" questions Superman as his eyes glow the same unseen red as Wonder Woman and Aquaman's eyes.
"That's too far." says Shazam with a shake of his head.
"Is it now?" asks Superman with faux curiosity. "Then it's good that no one asked for your opinion." adds Superman, shocking Shazam with his callous disregard for innocent life.
As Shazam looks around the room for support, he finds that none are on his side except for the Flash who doesn't speak up. Seeing that no one is on his side, he begins to think that maybe it would be best if he just stayed quiet. However, he remembers the Wizard's words and why he was chosen. And the more he recalls the Wizard's words, the more he realises how wrong he has been for the past five years. From being loved by the people to being feared by even children, to now siding with the likes of Sinestro and Black Adam, the first Shazam and a failure by the Wizard's standards. With those thoughts in his mind, Shazam strengthens his resolve and lunges at Superman
Unfortunately for Shazam, Superman has anticipated this and catches him by the throat. With a cry of Shazam, he calls forth the lightning in the hopes of striking Superman with it. However, Superman puts him in the lightning's path, turning him back to Billy Batson. Before he can recall the lightning to transform into Shazam, Superman clasps his hand around Billy's jaw and stops him from speaking.
"If you think that I'll let you transform to have a fair fight, then you are sorely mistaken." says Superman as his eyes begin to glow red with the light of his heat vision. "It doesn't matter who you are Billy, you either stand with me, or against me."
With that being said, Billy's muffled screams of pain echo throughout the silent halls of the Watchtower as Superman slowly burns him to death with his heat vision.
--
Location: Unknown
Presumably: July 2006
"You killed them." says Batman with a voice devoid of emotion as he looks at the four women in front of him while Catwoman stands behind him inspecting their new allies.
They stand in a bunker similar to the one that was invaded. He had led Akila and Artemis here in the hopes of hiding from Superman. Along the way, they come across Black Adam that Artemis took care of while Akila and he continued along towards the bunker. Apparently Akila and Artemis had some way of knowing wherever the other was.
Their path was further blocked by Bane, Killer Frost, Raven and Catwoman. Akila had made quick work of Bane and Killer frost before forcing Raven to retreat with some spell while Catwoman took the opportunity to return to the Insurgency from her work as his spy in the Regime.
When they arrived in the bunker, they were quickly joined by Artemis, Azula and this new woman named Scáthach. From what he is able to gather, she and Azula are close to another, romantically close.
It was then that he found out that Sinestro was killed while Hal lost a hand and once again Batman is finding out that things are quickly getting out of hand and away from his control.
"What did you expect?" questions Scáthach. "One who kills must expect to be killed." she says, bringing his attention to her.
"I don't know how things are done on your Earth, but here we don't kill or-"
"-It makes us no better than them." interrupts Azula with a roll of her eyes. "Ambrosius always did say that you are inflexible. Especially on this topic." she says, confusing him as to who Ambrosius is. "Still, we're not superheroes. I think the best description for us would be classical heroes." informs Azula.
As Batman examines Azula's companions, he realises that they all agree with her. They don't see themselves as vigilantes, much less superheroes. He should have seen it sooner. Between the armor and their form of information gathering, they obviously don't adhere to the conventional rules that heroes follow. Unfortunately he was blinded by hope. Hope that with them here the nightmare would finally end. That Superman and The Regime would be defeated and dystopian of a society that he lives in would be over. Most importantly though, he hoped that him and his allies could finally stop living and hiding in fear.
Unfortunately though it seems that they aren't much better than Superman and his Regime. Although they do seem to want to go back home as much as he wants them gone, which is to say as soon as possible.
Taking a deep breath, Batman calms himself down and begins to think. From what he can tell, the four of them are powerful enough to go toe to toe with The Regime's heavy hitters and come out on top. If he can get them to defeat Superman and Wonder Woman without killing them, that would be enough accomplished for him to send them home while he deals with the other members of The Regime. Even as they speak, Lex Luthor is fixing the machine in the hopes of sending them back home as soon as possible. He doesn't want another potential Regime growing to replace the old one with these four as the founders. That has the potential of being worse than Superman's.
Before Batman can even begin to formulate a plan, an alarm blares to life and the monitor showcases an Amazonian army invading Gotham alongside the Atlantean army.
"Looks like we may not need to launch an assault after all. Although I didn't expect Diana to resort to this." observes Azula with a frown. "It seems that I will have to discipline my little sister." she says while Batman comes to term with the fact that Superman is willing to go this far to get to him.
"Akila can deal with the false champion of the gods while I deal with the Atlanteans." says Artemis as she summons Mistress to her from where it lay on a wall.
"Aquaman and Black Adam are formidable opponents, are you sure?" asks Scáthach.
"We are." says Akila. "The sooner they are dealt with, the sooner we can return home."
"Very well, I will deal with Superman and the Watchtower.." says Scáthach with a nod. Without her needing to speak, Scáthach's Motherbox hacks into Cyborg through his connection with the Watchtower and shuts both of their systems down to prevent The Regime from teleporting away..
"No killing." orders Batman with narrowed eyes they make their way to the exit.
Ignoring him, the quartet make their way to the streets as fast as they can. Once topside, they separate and go towards their assignments. Artemis towards the invading Atlanteans, Akila towards Black Adam, Scáthach flies towards Superman while Azula goes to Wonder Woman.
"Hippolyta must really be disappointed when she looks at you." says Azula as she approaches Wonder Woman, turning every Amazon's attention towards her. "Honestly, you agree to commit genecide just like countless men that the Amazons have vilified, and for what? So that you could be Superman's bed warmer?" questions Azula and shocking the Amazons with her words.
"Who are you?" demands Wonder Woman with a frown as she draws her sword.
"Oh? Do you not see the family resemblance?" asks Azula with faux shock on her face. "Wait, let me give you a hint." says Azula as a torrential wind blows her hair and cape behind her while she summons a lightning bolt to her hand. "I will smite you!" bellows out Azula as she poses how many stereotypical pictures of Zeus depict him before bursting into laughter while Wonder Woman comes to the realisation that she could be facing a half-sister. "It's ok to laugh, you know. He won't smite us, we're his daughters after all." says Azula as she continues to joke.
"I have no need for a sister who would side with my enemies!" exclaims Wonder Woman as she lunges at Azula with her sword swinging.
"Ugh, insecure much. I have absolutely no interest in that brute of a man that you follow." replies Azula as she summons Crocea Mors to block before sending Wonder Woman crashing down in front of the Amazonian army with a well placed kick to the solar plexus. "Although, I honestly can't blame you for being insecure. After all, you're alway the least important priority for whatever man you fall for." says Azula as she casually floats down to the ground where Wonder Woman is being helped up by a few Amazons while the rest of the army watches on and begins to think about Azula's words.
"I mean, it must suck being less important than Steve's loyalty to the Allies, or because Superman fell in love with a mere mortal like Lois." continues Azula as an enraged Wonder Woman slashes at her. "You did meet Steve Trevor in this universe right?" questions Azula as she casually blocks every attack from Wonder Woman.
"DO NO SPEAK TO ME ABOUT THAT NAZI SYMPATHISER!" roars Wonder Woman as she attacks erratically in her rage.
"Yikes, he was nazi. That's even worse. Then again, you seem to have a type." says Azula as she continues to egg Wonder Woman on. "Is it the fascism, or the complete disregard for life that turns you on?" asks Azula as she dodges a stab before grabbing the offending arm and breaking it with her knee. "Please tell me so that I can warn the Wonder Woman from my universe what to avoid. Because it looks like dating them brings out the worst in you." says Azula as she proceeds to quite literally disarm Wonder Woman with a slash of her sword before preparing to end her life.
As she raises her sword however, an Amazon points her sword at Azula's neck.
"You will leave the princess alone." orders the Amazon with anger clear in her voice.
"Oh? Is this what the Amazons of this world have become? Slaughterers of innocent men, women, and children at the behest of a man not far from Heracles?" questions Azula with a voice dripping in sarcasm and a raised eyebrow, causing all of the Amazons except the one threatening Azula to flinch at the truthful jab.
"She is right sister. Princess Diana has led us astray." says one Amazon as she places a hand on her fellow Amazon to calm her.
"She is wrong. We follow the princess unconditionally, and if we must kill a few men in the process, then so be it. Regardless of innocence." replies the Amazon as she tries to help a disoriented Wonder Woman.
"And what of the women and children?" questions her fellow Amazon.
"Unfortunate collateral damage." answers the Wonder Woman sympathiser, shocking all of the Amazons present.
"Then you are no Amazon." claims the more logical of the two with a hard expression on her face before she draws her sword and decapitates the other Amazon.
"NO!" screams Wonder Woman as she lunges towards her friend's killer.
Before she can reach her however, Azula steps in between them and stabs Wonder Woman through the throat.
"You have killed enough already." says Azula she flicks the blood off her sword before returning it to her rune space. "What are your plans now?" asks Azula as she turns towards the Amazons.
"We do not know. With both the princess and Queen Hippolyta gone, a new leader will be needed." says the Amazons who came to Azula's defense.
Now that Azula has the time, she inspects the Amazon who spoke up. The Amazon stands as tall as Azula at five feet ten inches, possesses a build as strong as Wonder Woman, brown skin, and black hair tied into braids that can barely be seen from under her hoplite helmet that also covers her face, allowing only for her dark brown eyes to be seen.
Before Azula can answer Scáthach, Artemis and Akila approach her.
"It is done." says Scáthach. "Superman is dead, Aquaman and the Atlanteans retreated along with Black Adam. Batman can take care of the rest, so we should leave now. The Amazons of Bana-Mighdall need help against Steppenwolf, and it would be best not to make them wait."
"You have a way to get us back?" asks Azula.
Rather than answer, Scáthach merely raises an eyebrow as she begins to draw sets of runes on the ground in the form of a magic circle. As she does this, the Amazon approaches Azula.
"You speak of going to battle to aid an Amazon, perhaps we can be of help?" she asks. "There is nothing tying us here and perhaps going to battle in defense of our sister will help us find our purpose." she says as she explains her line of thought while the thousands of Amazons behind her nod their heads in agreement.
Instead of answering Azula simply looks towards Akila and Artemis with a questioning glance.
"Any help would be greatly appreciated." says Akila with her excitement clear in her voice.
"If you are all coming, then make some form of physical contact with one another. There is no way to fit you all in the circle and this would allow you all to be transported with us." orders Scáthach as she finishes drawing the circle and grabs Azula and Akila's arms.
"I am Artemis." introduces Artemis as she offers one of her arms to the Amazon while grabbing Akila's other arm.
"And I am Nubia." answers the Amazon with a smile as she gladly accepts Artemis' arm while another Amazon grabs her arm and the rest follow suit.
--
AN: Do you guys think that Ambrosius is worthy to lift Mjolnir? Also I'm still taking suggestions for jumps. I plan on doing four vacation jumps after this.
Battle of the Gods
Metropolis July 2006
As the white light from the teleportation circle vanishes, Scáthach, Azula, Artemis, Akila and the thousands of Amazons are able to get a grasp of their surroundings. As they survey the area, they find that they have been transported to the same place where they were originally before being transported to the different Earth, the Metropolis docks. From what they are able to tell, a battle was recently waged here and the city is currently being cleaned.
"Good, you're back. Although, I see you did not come alone." they hear as Ambrosius floats down to the ground in front of Scáthach and Azula. "It has been two days, you should hurry back to your people." he tells Artemis and Akila, shocking them.
"You're not coming?" asks Azula.
"No, things have been hectic around here and Earth is short of defenders. I will be staying here to coordinate with the League any other heroes should anything else attack. Brainiac may have been dealt with before you arrived, but with the chaotic nature of the past few days I am not comfortable leaving the rest of Earth short on powerhouses." he informs them.
"Has Morgan returned yet?" asks Scáthach.
"She has, but according to her she sensed Trigon probing our universe in search of something. She's planning on going to his universe to face him before he makes a move on Earth." replies Ambosius.
"Makes sense. We don't want Trigon to be a looming threat while we also worry about the upcoming battle." says Azula with a nod.
"Get going then, we can compare adventures later, and do make sure to kill a New God for me." says Ambrosius with a smirk before launching himself into the air before flying away with a sonic boom.
"Alright, everyone stay connected. I simply need to make a few changes to the array to teleport us to Bana-Mighdall." says Scáthach as she proceeds to erase a few runic symbols and begins to replace them with different ones.
"You know where Bana-Mighdall is?" questions Artemis. "It is meant to be the greatest hidden city." she says.
"We do know of its exact location as well as how to enter via teleportation through this array." answers Scáthach. "Originally this array was designed to teleport us to the Sphere of the Gods, however it did not work. As such we repurposed it to teleport us to any mortal civilisation that hides in its own pocket dimension. Even if they are protected by a pantheon." explains Scáthach while she begins to write the final symbol.
"How long have you been able to do this?" asks Artemis with a frown, this magical spell is a security risk to her people. Should an enemy somehow get hold of that, then they would be able to appear in Bana-Mighdall unannounced.
Before she can further question them, Akila places her hand on Artemis' shoulder and urges her with a shake of her head not to do so, at least not yet.
"It's a recent invention." answers Azula as she acts as if she did not notice the interaction between the two. As far as she and Scáthach are concerned, there's no point hiding this from them when they've already told Artemis and Akila that she's the newly ascended goddess.
"Let's go." says Scáthach as she finishes with the final rune and grasps Akila and Azula's arms.
Once everyone has done the same, Scáthach activates the runic formation and teleports them away.
--
Bana-Mighdall, Somewhere in Egypt
July 2006
A few hours, that's how long it has been since Isis has sent Artemis and Akila away with the mission to find the newly ascended god. She knows that the chances of them finding and persuading the new god to help are slim to none however, they have no other options. One by one, members of her pantheon, her family, falls to Steppenwolf, and with every god or goddess that fall, he seems to become more and more powerful while they grow weaker. At this point, the pantheon suspects that he may be absorbing the powers of the fallen gods to empower himself. They believe that this is the purpose of this attack, to absorb the entire pantheon's power to strengthen himself.
As such, Isis and the Egyptians have had to resort to desperate measures such as raising the dead and even unsealing Apophis, the apocalyptic serpent bent on swallowing Ra and killing the pantheon in order to bring about the Egyptian's version of Ragnarok. Unfortunately it seems that Steppenwolf and Darkseid were counting on it, for as soon as Apophis was unsealed Steppenwolf opened a boom tube to transport the serpent to Apokolips, home of Darkseid.
It had been at that moment that Isis had decided that help was needed. As such she had sent pleas of help to every pantheon, the Norse and Greeks included. None had answered. As such, in one last desperate attempt she sent Artemis and Akila to search for the newly ascended god. She knows that they may fail and not arrive on time, however that works for her too as it means that at least her two friends will survive this purge. She does not want them to die or be captured by the forces of Apokolips.
For this reason, she has been protecting the remaining Amazons of Bana-Mighdall with all her might. While she may not be a warrior goddess, she is a goddess of magic and that is enough to deal with the invading parademons. Still, even as she puts on a strong front so as to not worry her Amazons, she can feel herself growing weaker every minute and it shows in her spells. Where they were simple yet powerful spells before, now they resemble complex spells attempted by an amateur with their effectiveness being significantly reduced. Where it would take her one fireball spell to incinerate scores of parademons, now it takes her three such spells to produce the very same effect.
Shaking the useless thoughts from her head, Isis refocuses on the battle, only for a bright white light to engulf the city and blind all of the occupants and stopping the battle momentarily. As the light slowly vanishes, Isis is finally able to see the cause of it. Around four thousand Greek Amazons armed and ready for battle standing in formation. In front of them stand Artemis and Akila along with three women that she does not recognise. The first is what she guesses to be the commanding officer wearing purple and black armor with an eagle motif on the cuirass, the second one must be her second in command as she wears the same armor as the rest of the Greek Amazons but stands next to the one in black and purple armor. The final one seems to be a warrior that belongs to the Irish pantheon, after all they are the only ones that she knows have a legend around a red barbed spear.
As the two opposing sides observe each other, it is the Amazons who take the initiative when she orders her archers to shoot down all parademons. True to form, the archers fall into formation and begin to strike down any and all parademons within sight with practice eased. As they do so, the formation slowly moves forward until they surround the exhausted Amazons of Bana-Mighdall in a protective formation while Artemis, Akila, and the two warrior women that Isis does not know break from the formation and begin to wreak havoc upon the parademons.
"You have returned." says a hopeful Isis as she approaches Artemis and Akila. "Were you successful?" she asks while hiding the hope that she feels.
"We were successful. The newly ascended goddess is Azula." answers a smiling Akila while she points towards Azula just as she summons a massive lightning bolt and proceeds to incinerate every single parademon in the city as Scáthach orders Motherbox to shut down all boom tubes.
As Isis inspects Azula who approaches her, she can tell that she is more powerful than herself even when she was in her prime. She exudes power in waves and Isis would not be surprised if she is as powerful as Ra used to be back in his prime.
"I thank you for accepting my people's call for aid and while I would love nothing more than to talk to you, we must hurry. The remaining gods have all given their powers to Horus in the hopes of giving him the power he needs to beat Steppenwolf. However, it isn't enough." she says as Scáthach joins Azula's side while the Greek Amazons tend to the wounded Amazons of Bana.
"Then let's go." says Azula.
With a nod of her head Isis bids her farewell to Artemis and Akila before teleporting her, Azula and Scáthach into the domain of the Egyptian gods where Horus battles Steppenwolf.
Arriving in their destination, Isis, Azula and Scáthach take stock of the current situation. They didn't know what to expect, but this wasn't it. A crimson red sun illuminates the sky, giving it a red hue, bodies of dead gods lay on the broken, cratered and shaking ground, and the stench of death fills the air.
"This… what is this?" whispers a despairing Isis. "This shouldn't be possible. When we lose our powers, we should fade and disappear, not… not die like mortals." she says with her hand covering her mouth as she slowly walks towards a corpse and kneels next to it. "Osiris? Honey? Speak to me." murmurs a horrified Isis as she cradles the dead body of her husband.
Choosing to leave Isis to her mourning, a grim Scáthach and Azula take to the skies in search of Steppenwolf. It does not take them long to find him and for them to be shocked. They find him exchanging blows with a grievously injured and exhausted Horus who seems to refuse to die despite missing an arm, a caved in chest, a gash on his right thigh and blood dripping from his mouth. However, that isn't what shocks them, rather it is Steppenwolf that surprises them.
While he retains his human form and wears the same armor, he stands at eight feet tall as opposed to six feet, and is enveloped in a blood red aura that releases an absurd amount of power.
"That's why they attacked." comments Azula as she watches Steppenwolf casually block Horus' attack before kicking the war god away with a minimal amount of effort. "To drain them of their power and connection to the Source."
"It makes one wonder, how many pantheons have Darkseid and his army done this too." replies Scáthach. "The Egyptians are the third most powerful pantheon of Earth after the Norse and the Greeks, and while the gap in power between third and second is immense, much less between third and first, that is still enough power stolen to easily annihilate the Greeks." she says grimly.
"We have to stop them here, or we won't stand a chance when they invade Earth." says Azula as she rockets off towards Steppenwolf and causes a few sonic booms in her wake.
As she approaches Steppenwolf, her body becomes wreathed in lightning as she decides not to hold anything back. While she may be traveling at speeds that most would not be able to perceive, Steppenwolf seems to have no problem reacting to her by dodging the slash that would have decapitated him. Before he can regain his footing however, Azula kicks him hard enough to create a shockwave and send him flying away.
"Who are you?" questions the hawk headed Horus as he takes the time to take a deep breath while Scáthach joins the two, her body enveloped in a dark purple aura while her eyes glow of the same color.
"Reinforcements." replies Azula as the lightning coming from her increases.
Before Horus can answer, Steppenwolf returns with an enraged roar as he swings his massive axe towards Azula's head. With a grunt, Azula blocks his axe while Scáthach takes the opportunity to stab through his throat with her newly enchanted Gae Bolg. Not phased by the quickly healing gash on his throat, Steppenwolf punches towards Azula, only to miss when she retreats and causes him to overextend. Taking advantage of the opening, Scáthach slices Steppenwolf's arm off while Azula incinerates it to ashes. Although dumbfounded, Steppenwolf easily reacts to Horus' follow up attack and backhands him away with his axe.
While Horus flies away, Azula and Scáthach continue to exchange blows with Steppenwolf. While they were able to take control of the fight early on, the current exchange results in a stalemate as Steppenwolf fights on the defensive for fear of the previous situation repeating itself. He has no idea where these two warriors come from and only knows that they are far too skilled to belong to any of the previous pantheons that were wiped out. He also knows that they do not belong to the Norse since they would have sent either Thor or the Valkyries, not some no name warriors.
Regardless of what pantheon they come from, Steppenwolf doesn't believe that they can defeat him. The power that he's drained from the Egyptians has elevated him to new heights. Even now as he battles them, he can feel his arm regenerating while his body continues to function in maximum condition. As he thinks this however, Azula slices his hand that wields his axe while Scáthach breaks both of his knees before sending him flying with a well placed kick to the chest. As he crashes through rubble and broken buildings, pyramids, and monuments, a lightning bolt far bigger and powerful that he thought possible strikes his very being and attempts to incinerate him.
Had this been before he absorbed the Egyptian gods' powers, then he would have died here and now. However, with his amplified powers he easily tanks the strike with only a few third degree burns that quickly regenerate alongside his newly grown hand and arm. As he attempts to stand however, Azula and Scáthach appear next to him while they attempt to plunge their weapons into his heart and throat respectively. Using his massive axe and his free hand, Steppenwolf attempts to block both attacks. However, Azula stops her attack midway and tosses her sword to Scáthach who makes use of her position behind Steppenwolf to slice his head off. However, just as the sword reaches inches away from his neck, it turns into a cobra that wraps itself around Scáthach's hand and bites her.
Using their shock against them, Steppenwolf proceeds to send Scáthach flying away with a punch and slashes open a gash on Azula's stomach before backhanding her towards Scáthach. Recovering quickly, Azula takes control of her flight and approaches a recovering Scáthach even as the gash on her stomach heals.
"This isn't working." says Azula as she floats down to Scáthach who inscribes a series of runes on the ground, creating a barrier around them that completely cuts them off from the outside. "He's gained reality warping abilities." says Azula as she ignores Steppenwolf's approach.
"While that may be true, he certainly doesn't have a grasp on them. Turning your sword into a cobra was an obvious fluke." says Scáthach as she points towards Steppenwolf who is banging on the barrier with his axe.
"The problem is that his connection to the Source is far too potent. He has the source of every god in existence empowering him at a rate that no other god ever has before. And if his connection is so potent, then imagine how powerful Darkseid's connection has become." comments Azula.
Before Scáthach can answer, her Motherbox releases a series of beeps that make her smile.
"What did she say?" asks Azula.
"She can siphon the energy from Steppenwolf and channel it to us. However, she needs to constantly be close to him." explains Scáthach as cracks begin to form on the barrier.
"That means that we'll have to engage him in close quarter combat and limit our use of magic so that he doesn't escalate to using magic or his reality warping powers." says Azula.
"That's fine. A plan is better than nothing." answers Scáthach as she and Azula begin to build up an absurd amount of energy in their palms. "Ready?" she asks as she prepares herself to lower the barrier.
Azula simply answers with a nod, prompting Scáthach to lower the barrier as as the launch the build up energy at Steppenwolf. From Azula, two massive bolts of lightning punch through his chest like a laser beam while Scáthach blasts him with a concussive blast that sends him flying back.
Following through with their attacks, they quickly close the distance between them and Steppenwolf and engage him in close quarters combat.
This time the battle seems to be in Steppenwolf's favor as he manages to block and parry every strike from the duo. To any outsider and Steppenwolf it seems that he has adapted to Azula and Scáthach's fighting styles. However, cannot be further from the truth as the duo manipulate him into a false sense of security using their superior skills and his arrogance while Motherbox begins to drain him of his stolen energy while also seeing if she can cut him off from the Source, the well power that the gods draw from.
Just as it seems that the battle will fall into a set pattern of the duo attacking while Steppenwolf defends, the sky begins to form cracks and pieces of it fall off like glass. Before the combatants can react to this new phenomenon, a bloody and battered figure crashes through the created cracks and crashes on the ground next to Scáthach and Azula while a hammer wreathed in lightning falls next to him with enough force to crater the ground.
Last edited: Sep 25, 2020
Ascension of a Goddess
Sphere of the Gods Egypt
July 2006
A lull falls over the battlefield as the bloody and battered figure groans, spits out blood from their mouth and slowly stands up. As the figure stands to their full height, the combatants are finally able to get a clear view of him. He stands at an impressive height of six feet six inches tall, possesses long red hair, a chin covered by a beard of the same color, blue eyes, and a powerful physique full of bulging muscles. He wears a grey cuirass over his shirtless chest, blue cloth over his lower body, grey gauntlets, boots, and belt, along with a winged helm and a blue cape.
Adjusting the helm over his head, the warrior surveys the battlefield, taking note of the destroyed realm of the Egyptian gods, the corpses of fallen gods, Scáthach and Azula before his eyes finally land on Steppenwolf.
"You!" exclaims the enraged god as he summons his hammer to his hand and begins to summon lightning. "You dogs of Apokolips are responsible for this! I WILL SMITE THEE!!!" roars the god of thunder as he launches himself at Steppenwolf and smashes his lightning wreathed hammer at his foe.
Unfortunately for him Steppenwolf has anticipated the attack and easily blocks it with his gigantic axe head. The resulting clash creates a shockwave powerful enough to crater the ground, send debris flying and destroy what remained of the sky barrier over the Egyptians' part of the Sphere of the Gods, allowing Scáthach and Azula to finally see the battle that the Norse gods themselves wage against Darkseid's army.
"This explains why the Norse didn't come to the Egyptians' aid. They are waging their own battle for survival." observes Azula as her eyes look past the vast distance between dimensions to watch the battle on Asgard.
"I see, he plans to eradicate every pantheon while empowering himself before assaulting Earth." says Scáthach with a frown as she sees a Valkyrie fall in battle to the lash of a glowing white warrior. "We must stop him before he becomes unstoppable,-" she says before turning to Steppenwolf and Thor's battle. "-but first we deal with Steppenwolf!" exclaims Scáthach as she and Azula rocket off towards Steppenwolf.
With lightning in her eyes Azula appears behind an unaware Steppenwolf and plunges her fist into his spine, shocking him for a second. Taking advantage of the opening, Scáthach stabs her spear into his chest while Thor smashes his hammer onto Steppenwolf's temple.
While they seem to have dealt a significant amount of damage to Steppenwolf, the empowered general of Apokolips quickly recovers and sends Thor flying away with a swing of the flat side of his axe before sending Azula flying towards the god of thunder with a well placed kick.
Recovering fast, Azula lands on her feet while sliding backwards due to her momentum, eventually coming to a stop next to Thor.
"Great warrior, you wield the lightning well." complements Thor. "However, I do not seem to recall what pantheon you hail from." he says as Scáthach crash lands next to Azula.
"Perhaps we can discuss the pantheons at a more appropriate time." says Scáthach as she brandishes her spear in preparation for Steppenwolf's incoming assault. "If we had the physical strength to hold him down we could easily return him to normal." mutters Scáthach to herself.
"Thy require strength?!" asks Thor, to which Scáthach simply nods in affirmative. "Very well. If it is strength that is needed, then it is strength that thy shall have. This will be my final aid to you before I return to Asgard. My people have need of me!" bellows out Thor as he launches himself at Steppenwolf with Scáthach and Azula not far behind him.
While Steppenwolf prepares himself for the incoming gods, he fails to notice an approaching Horus shrouded in Isis' magic. As such Steppenwolf is completely caught off guard when the Egyptian god of war plunges his khopesh through his back and out of his chest. Taking advantage of his upper hand, Horus releases his hold on his sword to put Steppenwolf into a choke hold. Seeing this opportunity, Thor grabs both of Steppenwolf's arms and incapacitates them while Scáthach comes from behind him and puts her Motherbox on Steppenwolf's stomach.
With a ping, Motherbox begins to glow white as she starts to drain Steppenwolf of his stolen powers, causing the god to begin to shrink and his blood red aura begins to flicker on and off. Realising what they are trying to do, Steppenwolf begins to fight back as much as he can. However, despite his best efforts, he finds that he cannot move his arms from Thor's grasp nor can he move his upper body due to how Horus has grabbed on to him, as such he chooses to move the only part of his body that he can, his legs. Unfortunately for him, just as he makes the decision to, the Earth rises and swallows him up to his waist.
"Did you honestly think that it was going to be that easy?" asks Azula as she appears in front of Steppenwolf with pale blue flames coming from her hands. "Don't answer that. I know your brute of a brain can't recognise a rhetorical question when it's asked." says Azula as she plunges her flame encased hands into Steppenwolf's chest, causing him to roar in pain.
With the pain from the flame burning his very being, Steppenwolf is unable to concentrate properly on battling Thor and Horus' grips and simply thrashes about in the hopes of freeing himself and finding relief. However, as he feels himself lose more and more power, Steppenwolf mounts one last desperate attempt to free himself.
Drawing as much of his power as he can within himself, Steppenwolf tightly compresses it before releasing it all in a shockwave. The resulting discharge launches the quartet away from him along with Motherbox.
Flying through the air, a disoriented Azula notices Motherbox falling alongside her. Reaching out, she easily catches her and hears a ping before Motherbox releases all of the power drained from Steppenwolf into her; and in a split second the world stops as Azula experiences something that she could never imagine nor properly describe.
As a budding goddess, Azula knows what it feels like to have an unimaginable amount of power at your fingertips. To be able to effortlessly shake the earth, command the brightest and hottest flames, and even be able to incinerate your enemies with a single bolt of lightning. However, this feeling is something that she cannot describe properly. She can describe it however she wants, call it unlimited power, mind numbing, or even a simple rush of euphoria, yet she will never be able to properly convey how she feels in this moment. Even so, even as she feels all this power, she doesn't feel complete. Almost as if something is missing. Something that would make her whole but is missing, and she isn't the only one who feels this way.
Morgan has described it herself after they retrieved Mordred. She described it as almost achieving something, but falling short. Despite her ascension to godhood she feels that somethings are missing. According to Hecate, those somethings are their domains and pantheons. Until they officially make claim to at least one domain and become part of a pantheon, they will not be considered complete goddesses by the Source.
As that split second comes to an end, the world resumes and Azula finds herself hovering in midair as opposed to her previous situation. Inspecting herself, she comes to the conclusion that she hasn't changed, at least not outwardly. Inwardly however, things are a bit different. As a child of Jupiter, Azula has always had dominion over the sky. Now she doesn't feel like she has power over the sky, she feels like she is the sky. As she enjoys her newfound power however, Azula fails to take note of an approaching Steppenwolf.
"Azula!" exclaims Scáthach, shaking Azula free from her thoughts just in time to see Steppenwolf arrive before her with his axe poised to decapitate her.
With a minimal amount of effort and without putting much thought into it, Azula simply flicks her wrist and sends Steppenwolf flying back with a gust of wind. Before he can recover, a bolt of lightning falls from the cloudless sky and continuously strikes him through the chest.
"Hahahaha!" bellows out Thor with a boisterous laughter. "A new goddess has ascended this day. I did not expect to ever witness such a phenomenon." he says as he takes to the sky and joins Azula's lightning with his own.
After a few minutes, Azula and Thor cease their attacks in order to see Steppenwolf's condition. Unsurprisingly, Steppenwolf lays on the ground with a body that is completely burnt. Unlike what Azula expected however, Steppenwolf doesn't get back up nor is his body recovering.
"Splendid. Now I may return to Asgard to smite that beast, Kalibak. I bid thee farewell warriors, may we meet once again in better circumstances!" exclaims the god of thunder before he takes to the sky and rockets off towards Asgard.
As Azula watches him fly away, she remembers Asgard's condition and turns to Scáthach.
"Go with him." says Azula as she tosses Motherbox to Scáthach. "They might need help, and I don't believe that Steppenwolf is defeated." she explains.
"Don't do anything reckless and do not toy with him. Finish it quickly." orders Scáthach before she quickly blasts off after Thor.
While Azula had been conversing with Scáthach, Horus had taken the opportunity to approach Steppenwolf's body in order to inspect it. Unseen by him however, is the slight twitch of one of Steppenwolf's fingers. As Horus draws close enough, he creates a khopesh and prepares to behead Steppenwolf with it. Before he can however, Steppenwolf's eyes open as he plunges his hand into Horus' chest, drains him of the Source before ripping his body apart and splattering his blood and guts everywhere.
"Hah." sighs Steppenwolf in contentment as he feels the rush of power and stands up while his body heals at a rate visible to the naked eye. "They finally leave, and now it's just you and me little goddess." he says as he summons his battle axe to him and discards Horus' body like trash.
"Oh? Complete sentences? What an accomplishment." says Azula with faux excitement as her eyes narrow at Steppenwolf's action.
Paying her no mind, Steppenwolf simply rolls his shoulders and cracks his neck.
"No comrades to aid you… no god of thunder to hold me down, and no Motherbox to drain me. Your godhood shall be shortly lived and you will fall like all before you!" exclaims Steppenwolf as he launches himself at Azula.
"You poor deluded fool." says an unimpressed Azula. "Let me show you why you should never place your expectations of me based on others." she says as an earth chain erupts from the ground and wraps itself around Steppenwolf's throat before pulling him crashing back down to the ground.
As Steppenwolf breaks free from the chains his veins begin to grotesquely swell and bulge.
"You know what I've always wondered?" asks Azula as Steppenwolf struggles to move. "What happens when someone's veins are oversaturated with blood and pops. I know that you're a god and won't die from this, but this must at least feel torturous, right?" she says as Steppenwolf begins to cough out blood and his veins pop. "Now what if I boil that?" she asks as his blood begins to boil inside of him and he screams in agony. "How about I make you see your worst nightmares?" she questions as she levitates him to her and places her hand on his forehead before making him experience his death countless times. Each time more painful and gruesome than the last, making his pained, horrified and tortured screams echo in the desolate battlefield.
--
Sphere of the Gods
Asgard
July 2006
Asgard, the golden city of the Aesir and home of the Norse gods. Normally the city is shining, and prospering as the sun shines on the buildings made of gold and the people go about their lives. Now however, this shining faces a crisis that it has never faced before nor has it ever anticipated, the invasion of Darkseid.
The attack had come unannounced and unprovoked. It had been a normal day in Asgard, that was interrupted by a loud boom similar to the sound of thunder. Normally this would not phase the Asgardians as their crown prince is very much the god of thunder and is known for creating a ruckus, however this was no thunder but rather the opening of a boom tube. From them emerged countless parademons alongside Darkseid's son, Kalibak, Mantis, one of Darkseid's elite servants, and the Female Furies, Darkseid's elite strike force and honor guard.
Despite being caught off guard, the Asgardians were prepared for an invasion. For you see, in the past few months, the allies of Asgard throughout the nine worlds have gone silent. Heimdall's vision has become clouded, forcing Odin to send out gods to the nine worlds in order to see what is happening. Unfortunately, none have returned or sent messages back to Agard. This is how Asgard came to lose some of its most powerful warriors before the invasion, Sif, Tyr, The Warriors Three, and even the Valkyries Gudra and Fey. Baldur has not been heard of in months and neither has Loki.
Due to this, Odin elected to cut off Asgard completely from the rest of the multiverse in preparation for the inevitable attack. All travel to and from Asgard were stopped, weapons were sharpened, soldiers were recruited and training intensified, and even the warriors within the halls of Valhalla prepared themselves, all for the assault that the Asgardians knew was inevitable.
As such when Darkseid's army attacked, the Aesir were ready for battle, or so that's what they believed. When the battle began everything seemed to be going fine. The city's magical defenses took down the majority of the invaders and the ones who managed to make it to the city were swiftly dealt with. Then Kalibak and Mantis joined the fray and proceeded to make short work a good portion of the army until Thor himself intercepted them. The battle between the god of thunder and the two gods of Apokolips was fierce and shook the heavens, and for a while it seemed that Asgard managed to regain the upper hand.
Like their previous advantage however, this too was short lived as the Female Furies joined the battle. Unlike the dimwitted duo of Mantis and Kalibak, the furies knew that to break Asgard's army they must destroy their morale by making an example of their elites, the warriors of Valhalla and the Valkyries.
While the warriors of Valhalla boast the Norse pantheon's greatest mortal warriors in history, they were unfortunately no match for the Female Furies and quickly fell by the hundreds. The Valkyries fared no better as they are merely as physically powerful as the Amazons from the Greek pantheon, deadly towards any mortal but powerless in the face of a strike force trained to kill gods.
Eventually Frigga herself joined her Valkyries in order to defeat the Furies alongside the goddess Skadi. Unfortunately this was all part of the plan and the Furies quickly drained Frigga and Skadi of much of their Source energy before they were interrupted by the son of Frigga, Thor.
The enraged god of thunder attempted to make short work of the Furies only for Mantis and Kalibak to take advantage of his distraction to strike him so hard that he was sent crashing through the dimensional barrier that separated Asgard from Egypt.
This was ten minutes ago, and since then the city of Asgard has been completely destroyed with many of the Aesir dying with one question on their mind, where is Odin? The only remaining members of the Norse pantheon in the city are a few of the Valkyries alongside Frigga, Skadi, Freyja, and Brunhilde.
Beset on all sides by enemies, Freyja cannot help but wonder how it came to this.
"The sun is high my lady." says Freyja, second in command of the Valkyries, as she uses the lull in battle to glance up at the sky
"Indeed it is sister." answers Frigga to her right hand.
"This may not be Ragnarok, but it is a good day to die in battle all the same. My only regret is that we did not send those two remaining furies to wherever it is vile beings like them go after death." says Brunhilde as she points to the two remaining furies out of eight with her sword.
"Aye." simply answers Skadi as she, Frigga, Freya, Brunhilde and the remaining dozen Valkyries prepare themselves for their quickly returning foes.
As both sides prepare to take the initiative, thunder rumbles in the distance and a sonic boom can be heard not far behind. Before anyone can react, lightning strikes the legions of parademons surrounding the Valkyries while countless barbed red spears rain down from above, killing more parademons alongside one of the last Furies remaining.
"Come foul beasts, and prepare yourselves for your death. For Thor, god of thunder has returned!" bellows out the war god as he smacks Kalibak away with his hammer before kicking Mantis at him.
Lashina, the only remaining Fury alive and the leader of the strike force, launches herself at the Valkyries with her body glowing white with the stolen Source energy. Before she can reach them however, a barbed red spear impales itself into her heart before sending her flying backwards with its momentum and pinning her to a piece of rubble.
"Your opponent is me, you idiotice sow." says Scáthach as she lands between Lashina and the Valkyries.
"And who might you be, warrior?" asks an intrigued Frigga.
"You may know me from the Irish pantheon. I am Scáthach, Godslayer, Queen of the Land of Shadows, and Witch of Dun Scaith." answers the warrior she summons her barbed spear to her hand and prepares for the incoming battle.
Godslayer
Asgard Sphere of the Gods
July 2006
Scáthach, Godslayer, Queen of the Land of Shadows, and Witch of Dun Scaith, a warrior that many have heard of regardless of pantheon. A warrior who started out as a simple warrior-queen and eventually came to rule the Land of Shadows due to being the only warrior capable of keeping its inhabitants in line, a warrior who disappeared and was never heard from again.That very same warrior stands before the Valkyries, brandishing her barbed spear in order to defend them from a combatant trained to kill gods and empowered with the stolen Source power of the goddess Frigga, Matriarch of Norse pantheon, and the founder and leader of the Valkyries.
Frigga despises the position she finds herself in. To have to be protected in battle does not sit well with her, despite knowing that her condition only came about due to the enemy's trickery. Regardless, she knows that for her and her Valkyries to survive, they will have to put aside their pride and entrust Scáthach to deal with Lashina. Should Frigga or any other god face her then they risk giving her more power until she eventually becomes unbeatable. Still, that doesn't mean that they will sit out of the battle, they will simply have to find opponents elsewhere, after all Asgard's enemies can be found everywhere in the now destroyed city.
"We will leave Lashina in your capable hands, Queen Scáthach." says Frigga as she and her Valkyries turn and launch themselves at the parademons, hoping that they will find more survivors as they battle through the city.
"So… you're the legendary Scáthach of the Irish pantheon." says Lashina as she circles around Scáthach like a hunter stalking its prey. "I wonder where you were when we tore them limb from limb?" she says in an attempt to provoke her enemy.
While Lashina walks around Scáthach and continues to taunt her, Scáthach refuses to answer and decides to simply inspect her enemy. Her opponent stands at an impressive height of six feet six inches tall, has balck hair tied in a ponytail, blue eyes, and a surprisingly beautiful face for an inhabitant of Apokolips. She wears a full black bodysuit with white lines that accentuates her lithe build. In her hands are two white lashes that she obviously uses as whiplike weapons.
Had Scáthach been anyone else, she would have easily been fooled by Lashina. From her lithe build enhanced by her bodysuit, to her beautiful face, they all serve to hide her truly dangerous nature. One might look at her and believe that she is a warrior that relies on speed and is weak physically, or believe that she isn't as skilled compared to her fellow Furies due to them having mementos from their training; such as scars, burns and even calluses. However, Scáthach reckons that she is perhaps one of the physically strongest and the most skilled out of all the Furies, something that any other would have found out just as Lashina kills them for their wrong judgement.
"What's the matter Scáthach, cat got your tongue?" asks Lashina, bringing Scáthach out of her thoughts.
Instead of answering her, Scáthach launches herself at her foe with a sonic boom and a stab of her spear. Jumping over Scáthach, Lashina easily dodges the attack only to be sent flying from a back kick to the breast which creates a shockwave from the impact. Turning her fall into a backflip, Lashina easily recovers and whips her lash towards Scáthach's face. Tilting her head to the side, Scáthach easily dodges the attack before discreetly inscribing a rune on the weapon even as a drop of blood drips down her cheek from the sharp wind the attack caused.
As Lashina recalls her whip to her, she wraps it around her hand only for it to catch on fire and burn her hand. Naturally this does nothing but inconvenience her, but it still proves to be an ample distraction for Scáthach to close the gap between them and slash the spear towards her foe. Just as it seems that Scáthach will draw first blood, Lashina leaps over the strike, wraps her lash around Scáthach's throat and attempts to strangle her. Seemingly unbothered by the cord around her throat, Scáthach inscribes a set of runes in the air that quickly turn into chains that attempt to wrap themselves around Lashina.
In order to dodge, Lashina is forced to relinquish her hold on Scáthach, and as she dodges with a backflip, a chain rises from the ground where her hands lie and quickly wraps itself around her entire arm. The split second it takes to break the chain costs her as the other chains quickly bind her. In an attempt to free herself, Lashina exerts all of her strength, even making use of the stolen Source power from Frigga. Yet despite her best efforts, the chains remain strong and even seem to tighten the more she struggles.
"Cease your futile struggle." orders Scáthach as she approaches Lashina and places Motherbox on her foe's chest. "You steal this power and have no knowledge on how to make use of it." says Scáthach as Motherbox begins to drain Lashina of her stolen power.
Scáthach had expected a grand battle, or at the very least a long one. Her opponent is not only a New God, but she has also stolen the power of Frigga, the Matriarch of the Norse pantheon. Yet despite possessing all of this power, all she has to show for it is an increase in her speed and strength. At least Steppenwolf showed a budding ability to manipulate reality, even if he did not know how to replicate the feat at will. Truly a disappointment.
As Motherbox drains the last of Lashina's stolen power, a battered and bloody Thor collides with Scáthach and sends her flying back. Recovering quickly, Scáthach lands on her feet and proceeds to slide backwards with the rest of her momentum.
As she comes to a stop, Scáthach inspects Thor and immediately notices that something is wrong. Unlike his usual boisterous and energetic self, Thor seems drained of life and struggling to stand.
"Ugh." groans a lethargic Thor as he slowly rises to his feet. "What trickery is this?!" he demands as loud as he can in his current condition.
With narrowed eyes, Scáthach looks towards Thor's approaching enemies and has her suspicions confirmed, Kalibak and Mantis drained Thor of the Source; and from what she can his condition is worse than Frigga's. At least Frigga still had enough power to fight alongside her Valkyries, whereas Thor does not even seem to be able to stand.
Without voicing her thoughts, Scáthach asks Motherbox how the gods of Apokolips have been able to accomplish this, only for Motherbox to reply that she has no idea. What the gods of Apokolips are doing is not the same as what she does. She drains the Source from the gods, but the gods of Apokolips seem to not only be draining them, but also severing the link to the Source and somehow turning them into mortals. Frigga was lucky that the process was interrupted, allowing her to retain her godhood, albeit making her the weakest goddess currently, but at least she isn't capable of dying. At least not like mortals do. Thor however is now as weak as a mortal and can die like one.
Leaving Thor to recover, Scáthach stands up and places herself between the gods of Apokolips, Kalibak and Mantis.
The last time Scáthach had seen Kalibak, he had been unconscious after Morgan had ripped information on the invasion's purpose straight from his mind before a Boom Tube teleported him to Apokolips. At the time he stood at seven feet nine inches tall, cut a terrifying figure due to his face that resembled a lion more than it did a human. Now though, his visage seems more grotesque due to the scars on his face, no doubt Darkseid's punishment to him for his failure. He still has black hair that surrounds his head and looks very much like a lion's mane that is further accentuated by his golden crown, but now they seem to have a slight glow to them. He wears a sleeveless, green one piece suit that stops at his bulging thighs and easily showcases his bulging, and muscular body. On his feet he wears green boots, and green gloves on his hands but with no Beta Club in sight. His eyes that used to be dull but menacing, now glow making them more intimidating.
As they approach her, she isn't surprised that he doesn't recognise her. After all, he had been knocked out from his session with Morgan.
"Where is Darkseid? I am surprised that he would entrust such an important task to you two dimwits" she taunts in the hopes of making them furious.
"Lord Darkseid's name is not for you to speak it as you please, and he trusts us with plenty of important tasks." proclaims Mantis.
He stands at six feet four inches, possesses a muscular physique, orange eyes that glow with stolen Source energy, and wears a ridiculous green bodysuit to go along with his name.
"Of course. That is why he gave you a method to drain Thor of his power, because he does not trust you to defeat Thor fairly." she answers nonchalantly.
"Lies! I can defeat Thor even if he was fully empowered!" exclaims an offended Mantis while Kalibak grinds his teeth in frustration.
"Prove it." orders Scáthach with narrowed eyes. "Prove that you can defeat Thor fairly and return his power to him." she says.
As Mantis makes to give an answer, Kalibak grabs his jaw and closes it before palming Mantis' mouth. Kalibak knows what she is trying to do, however despite knowing that she wants them to return the power, he finds that he is still very much tempted to do so. While his rational mind tells him that to do so would mean to incur Darkseid's rage, his pride refuses to be stomped on so much.
Before Kalibak can answer, an explosion rocks the city as the golden palace of Asgard is destroyed and a body comes flying out of it. While the body flies through the air, Scáthach manages to catch a glimpse of the figure's face. A wizened and hardened face from experiencing millennia of life with a white beard and hair along with a single eye covered by a golden eyepatch. The figure is none other than Odin himself.
Grabbing the lethargic Thor, Scáthach takes to the sky, easily catches the King of Asgard and immediately notices that something is wrong with him. Like his son Thor, Odin is lethargic and drained of life.
As the King of a pantheon, Odin is a skyfather, the most powerful god in his pantheon. Not only does he possess his own power, but he also receives a boost from being a skyfather, it's what makes them so much more powerful than every other god in their pantheon. It's what allows them to face the second and third most powerful gods in their pantheons and come out of the battle victorious. If someone managed to do this to Odin, then it can only be one person, Darkseid.
Even as Scáthach thinks about the implications of Darkseid's presence here in Asgard, she flies towards the Frigga and her Valkyries while dodging the blasts of energy that Mantis and Kalibak sends her away.
"Queen Frigga!" calls out Scáthach as she approaches the queen of Asgard while she dispatches of what seems to be the last parademons.
Turning to face the quickly approaching Scáthach, Frigga opens her arms for Scáthach to place Odin into while Skadi goes about creating a barrier around the group.
"What happened?" questions Frigga as she examines her husband while Scáthach gently places Thor next to him.
"Their connection to the Source, it is broken." answers Scáthach just as another explosion rocks Asgard and a massive figure slowly emerges from the castle's rubble.
Out of all the beings that Scáthach has ever seen or been in the presence of, this new figure is the most fear inducing. He stands at a height of nine feet tall, possesses red eyes, and grey rocklike skin. He wears a sleeveless cuirass with tassets and a glowing upside down Omega symbol on the chest, a helmet that only covers the back of his head and his chin, and black boots and pants with a belt that possesses another glowing upside down Omega symbol. However, what truly creates his intimidating atmosphere, is the absurd amount of power coming from him in waves. It creates an atmosphere where one wants to bow to him simply because of the heavy pressure it creates.
"This is a disaster." whispers Frigga as she observes the ruler of Apokolips float toward them with his hands crossed behind his back. "He was already powerful before he pilfered the Source from Odin… Now, no one god will be able to defeat him due to the amount Source he has absorbed from the Skyfathers he has slain." explains a horrified Frigga.
"No one? Not even Highfather or Zeus?" asks Skadi as the group watches Darkseid land a few feet away from them.
"Perhaps if Odin were fit enough to aid the two then they may be able to succeed. Now however, it is a lost cause." answers Frigga with a shake of her head.
"Not yet." says Scáthach as she has Motherbox return Frigga's Source power to her. "We may not be able to defeat him ourselves, at least not yet, but we can still retreat to fight another day."
"You wish for us to run?" question Brunhilde with a frown.
"We must, Brunhilde." says Freyja as she places a hand on her friend's shoulder. "If we cannot save Asgard, then at the very least we live another to avenge it." she says, appeasing Brunhilde.
Before the discussion can continue, Darkseid's deep voice can be heard speaking.
"Kalibak, Mantis, bring me their heads." he orders.
With malicious smiles on their faces Kalibak and Mantis make their way towards the group
"I will enjoy making you suffer." says Kalibak in the hopes of gaining some reaction from Scáthach.
Seeing that taunting them will not do anything, Kalibak and Mantis launch themselves at the group, easily breaking through Skadi's barrier before Kalibak plunges his hand through Skadi's chest while Mantis punches towards Scáthach. Grabbing hold of Mantis' fist, Scáthach throws him at Kalibak, sending them both flying far from the Valkyries before she catches Skadi's falling body. Gently placing the wounded goddess next to Thor, Scáthach goes about setting up her own barrier around them before doing battle with Kalibak and Mantis.
"I have an ally currently facing Steppenwolf. As such I cannot leave until she arrives. In the meantime I will face Kalibak and Mantis in order to buy us time." informs Scáthach before she leaves the barrier and races off towards the recovered Mantis and Kalibak while Darkseid watches their battle.
The first clash between the three creates a shockwave as Scáthach blocks the duo's punches with her spear before she follows through with a kick that sends Mantis flying while she tilts her head to dodge another punch from Kalibak. Unfortunately for Scáthach, Kalibak seems to have anticipated this as two beams reminiscent of Darkseid's Omega Beams emerge from his eyes and strike her on the stomach. The pain from the attack is not something that Scáthach is prepared for nor has ever experienced, causing her to scream in agony. Despite this however, she manages to make Kalibak stop with a kick to the chin that sends him a few feet upwards before following through with a spartan kick that sends him hurtling at a recovering Mantis.
While her opponents' bodies crash into each other, Scáthach takes a second to assess the damage done by Kalibak's attack. Despite the recent upgrades to her rune suit, Scáthach finds that it is destroyed in the area of Kalibak's attack. She does not know what sort of effect the beam has, only that it should be avoided as much as possible. Satisfied that no further damage was caused to her, Scáthach launches herself at the recovering New Gods with a sonic boom that shatters the ground beneath her feet.
While Scáthach faces Kalibak and Mantis in a battle that further damages the already destroyed city of Asgard, Freyja and Brunhilde tend to Skadi while Frigga goes about using every piece of magic that she knows in order to improve Odin and Thor's condition.
"Everything will be alright." says Freyja as she closes Skadi's gaping wound in the hopes that she will be able to recover.
"Do not lie to me Freyja. I know that I am due to die soon, I felt my connection to the Source almost sever. At this point it is irreparably damaged and without the Source my body cannot heal." weakly says Skadi.
"We will find a way to repair this." insists Freyja.
While Freyja attempts to console Skadi, Odin stirs awake and attempts to sit up.
"Lay down, you are in no condition to move." she tells him as she pushes him back down.
"Darkseid…" says Odin with a cough.
"We know." answers Frigga with a frown.
"No…" says Odin with a shake of his head and a raspy voice. "Darkseid… destroy the Source Wall." he says, shocking everyone in the barrier.
"He wishes to destroy the Source Wall? Is he mad?! That will destroy this entire Multiverse!" exclaims Brunhilde.
"Destroy the Source Wall… and reshape Multiverse in his image. Must stop him. I have seen the way." says Odin before he begins to speak far too low for the Valkyries and Frigga to understand.
While they at first believe that Odin has gone mad, they quickly realise that he has not and instead is using the very last remnants of his power to do something.
"Stop!" orders an alarmed Frigga. "Using any power will kill you!" she tells him.
Despite this however, Odin continues with his course of action. Just as Frigga commits to knocking him out for his own good, a torrent of power erupts from his being knocking her back as he and Skadi begin to glow white, and as he continues to speak their bodies completely dissolve until only two energy beams remain that rocket out of the barrier and towards Scáthach's battle.
While Odin informed Frigga of what he had found, Scáthach faced off against her foes and was able to kill Mantis after draining him of his stolen power.
As she evades an eye blast from Kalibak, Scáthach plunges her spear into his knee, causing him to roar in pain. Following through with her advantage, Scáthach forms a sword out of runes and stabs it into his solar plexus. As Kalibak attempts to remove the weapon however, Scáthach slices both of his arms off before plunging her hands into his wound before she completely tears his body apart.
As Kalibak's remains fall to the ground, his stolen Source energy rushes from his body and into Scáthach's just as the two white beams of energy that were once Skadi and Odin plunge into her.
At first it seems that they had no effect on her. A few seconds later however, a torrential amount of power erupts from her just as her body is enshrouded in a light so bright that the onlookers are forced to close their eyes. While all those present may not know exactly what is happening, they do know that a Goddess has ascended.
Godhood
Asgard Sphere of the Gods
July 2006
Power, it can come in many forms. Political, social, or even martial just to name a few. It is something that many actively seek to acquire while those who already have it simply seek to gain more. Some are born into it while others simply gain it someway during their lifetime and some never even come close to having it; Scáthach is of the former category. Born into the ruling family of a Kingdom, she did not earn her political or social power like she did her martial one. As such, she believed that she knew what it meant like to have power. After all, when one can slay gods and monsters, are they not powerful in the martial way. She can bend the elements to her will, move many times faster than the speed of sound, lift many tons with ease and even bend reality to her will with simple runes; being able to accomplish all of this, one can understand why she believed she knew what it meant to be powerful. However, today she is proven wrong.
When she had first killed Mantis and a portion of Thor's stolen Source power had entered her being, she did not know what to expect but continued to battle Kalibak regardless. Then she had ripped Kalibak appart with her bare hands and his portion of Thor's stolen Source power had also entered her. At first she felt nothing had changed about her, then she felt something snap within her before two more beams of divine power entered her being and she completely lost control of what was going on.
The first feeling that Scáthach recognises from Ambrosius' description of his ascension is the sense of uncontrollable power growing from within her. It starts out small, but quickly becomes overwhelming to the point that she believes that releasing it is the only way to stop it from tearing her apart, and that is exactly what Scáthach does.
From her being, erupts a torrential amount of power while her body is enshrouded in a light so bright that all onlookers are forced to avert their eyes. Despite already being so bright that it is blinding, the light continues to grow and so does the power to the point that a pressure falls on the city of Asgard simply from her power output. Along with the pressure, come a drop in temperature that is barely noticeable at first. As the seconds go by however, the slight cold becomes chilling and Asgard slowly begins to freeze over.
Just as Frigga and her Valkyries believe that they will die due to Scáthach freezing them along with Asgard, it all stops abruptly. The pressure from her power output lifts, the blinding light disappears, and the freezing temperatures return to normal. With everything returning to normal, Frigga and the Valkyries turn to face Scáthach and are a bit surprised that she has not changed much.
The first change that they notice is that she now stands at around six feet two inches with her heels. Her previously magenta hair has tints of ice blue in them similar to how her previously red eyes have an icy blue tint to them that glows.
The most noticeable change to Scáthach however, are her clothes that honestly have not changed much. While she has the same skin tight rune suit on her body, she now wears armor over it. On her chest is a cuirass that accentuates her breasts and leaves the stomach open making the rune suit under visible and pauldrons on her shoulders. She wears tassets around her hips that reach down to her upper thigh, the previously short cloth that stopped at her lower but now reaches down to her ankle, making it seem as if she wears a cape. Her armored heels that reached only up to her ankles now reach as high as her knee while she also wears armored gauntlets that reach just below her elbow. On her back she wears a cape that reaches to her lower back while a veil covers the back of her hair.
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While the Asgardians inspect her armor, Scáthach also examines the changes her godhood has brought her. While she may have been able to bend the elements to her will, Scáthach never truly understood the intimate connection that Azula and Ambrosius shared with their respective domains such as the sea, wind and storms. Now however, she completely understands. She can feel the ice, snow, and winter just reaching out to her like overexcited children begging to be played with. She can feel their want for her to use them, to unleash them in a storm of hail and snow to wreak havoc on the world. She can also feel a connection to all wildlife and hunters regardless of species. As she prepares to immerse herself in the feeling, she remembers her current situation and the looming threat of Darkseid standing not far from her.
"Impressive mortal, or should I say goddess?" speaks the tyrant with his deep and gravelly voice. "You have earned a modicum of respect from me. Unfortunately for you, that will not save you from your fate. Bow to Darkseid…" he orders as Scáthach turns to face him. "… or perish." he says as his eyes glow red with the power of his omega beam.
Rather than answer using words, Scáthach simply summons her Gae Bolg to her as the temperature begins to rapidly drop.
"Very well." answers Darkseid as his omega beam launches from his eyes and zigzaggs towards Scáthach.
Instead of attempting to dodge the beam like Darkseid and the Valkyries expected, Scáthach simply stands there and lets herself be hit by the attack. Instead of being vaporized or erased however, Scáthach's body shatters into millions of pieces of ice in a similar fashion to glass before she reappears in the air before Darseid's face with her spear poised to attack him.
As Darkseid attempts to dodge, his body becomes enclosed in ice that takes him a fraction of a second to shatter. Unfortunately for Darkseid however, that fraction of a second costs him as Scáthach plunges her spear into his right eye before repeating the same action to his left eye with a spear of ice that shatters and freezes that side of his face upon making contact.
With a howl of pain, Darkseid punches Scáthach only for her to somersault in the air to avoid the attack. As she falls to the ground, Motherbox summons a Boom Tube behind Darkseid that Scáthach attempts to send him to by kicking him hard enough to create a shockwave upon impact.
Rather than completely falling into the Boom Tube however, Darkseid manages to regain enough of his footing to stop himself midway. As he begins to climb out of it however, a massive bolt of lightning strikes him in the chest while Scáthach punches him hard enough to crater the ground with the shockwave of the impact. Disoriented, off-balance, and unprepared for the consecutive strikes, Darkseid falls into the Boom Tube and it closes behind him.
With Darkseid gone, Scáthach turns to the direction from where the lightning bolt came from to see Azula slowly approaching her from the sky.
" I do believe that congratulations are in order." says Azula with a smile on her face as she floats down to the ground.
"Thank you." answers Scáthach with a small smile of her own.
"So, where did you send him?" asks Azula as she looks over Scáthach's shoulder where the Boom Tube was once opened.
"The Source Wall." answers Scáthach as she notices the Valkyries approach her with Frigga carrying an unconscious and sickly Thor.
"You did what?!" exclaims Brunhilde. "You led him straight to his goal!" she tells Scáthach.
"No." rebukes Scáthach with a shake of her head. "Right now he is not powerful enough to destroy the Source Wall." she explains, appeasing Brunhilde.
As the Valkyries reach the duo, they find themselves unable to properly address Scáthach. Skadi was a good friend of them all, so to know that she is now a part of Scáthach brings them feel uncertain how to address the newly ascended goddess. While they have no negative feelings towards the new goddess and only feel good will towards her, they still do not know whether to address her familiarly or as an acquaintance whom they feel has the potential to be their friend. Despite all of these complications however, Freyja has one question on her mind for Scáthach.
"Why did you not kill him when you had the chance?" she asks while Brunhilde nods in agreement.
"The only way to kill him would have been through a prolonged battle and doing so would be risking having him absorb our power." answers Scáthach.
"He was blinded." points out Brunhilde.
"And that means nothing." answers Frigga. "Darkseid would have easily adapted in a few more seconds, making it an inconvenience at best." she explains.
"We can continue the conversation later. Right now we have to return to the Amazons and deliver the grim news." says Azula as she begins to float.
"Will you come with us?" asks Scáthach.
Freyja and Brunhilde look at Frigga questioningly while the remaining goddess of Asgard sadly looks at her destroyed home. This place that used to be her home and used to be where she and her Valkyries trained, ate and slept in is now in ruins while her family is dead. Now, all that remains of her people are her, Freyja and Brunhilde, and while Thor is still alive right now, Frigga is not delusional enough to believe that he will not succumb to his injuries and his broken connection to the Source.
Despite this however, Frigga still feels hope. Even though her husband sacrificed himself and Skadi to empower a stranger, Frigga believes that this stranger may be the key to her and her two remaining Valkyries' salvation. For as long as Frigga has known Odin, she has never known him to commit to an action without proper cause. As such she is sure that the key to defeating Darkseid lies with Scáthach and whatever group she and the newcomer Azula are part of. It is with this in mind that Frigga decides to follow Scáthach. Should this prove to be the correct decision to her and her friends' survival, she will not mind going along with her or even becoming her subordinate if necessary. Should it prove to be the wrong decision and Darkseid succeeds in his goal, none of them will be alive for them to regret it.
"We are in your hands." answers Frigga, prompting Scáthach to smile as she levitates her, Freyja and Brunhilde to fly along with her and Azula.
With a sonic boom the group flies away from Asgard and back to the ruins of Egypt where Isis still mourns the death of her husband and her son. As the group approaches the grieving goddess, Frigga cannot help but sympathise with her fellow widow. In a single day she has lost most of her people, her husband, and soon her son.
"Isis." calls out Azula gently. "We must go. The Amazons of Bana-Mighdall need a leader and we must prepare for Darkseid." she tells an unresponsive Isis.
At first it seems that Azula's words fall on deaf ears, a few seconds later however, life seems to return to Isis' eyes as the goddess rises to her feet.
"You're right." says Isis as she wipes the tears from her eyes. "I have to be strong for my people. I can grieve after we remove Darkseid's head from his shoulders." she claims as she venomously spits out Darkseid's name.
With resolve and strength in her steps, Isis approaches the group before teleporting them back to Bana-Mighdall where the Amazons of both the Injustice Earth and Bana-Mighdall await them.
As the group appears in the middle of the Amazonian camp, an excited Akila approaches them to congratulate them on their victory. As she gets closer however, she notices the dried tear stains on Isis' cheeks along with the bruised and battered Valkyries. Realising what they meant, Akila slows down her approach before enveloping Isis in a hug and attempting to reassure her friend that all will be well.
Not far from them, Artemis sees the interaction and cannot help but punch her fist through a wall as she silently swears vengeance against Darkseid and all the inhabitants of Apokolips. The other Amazons also notice the interaction and fall into a somber silence as they too vow vengeance on Apokolips and its gods.
"What will we do now?" questions one Amazon of Bana-Mighdall as she voices the thoughts of her fellow sisters.
Untangling herself from Akila's arms, Isis approaches her Amazons in order to address them.
"I do not know where we will go, at least not yet. All I know is that I want Darkseid and every god of Apokolips' head on a platter. As of now the Egyptian pantheon is no more and you may go about your way if you wish you may leave, but I would be honored if you remained with me, not as my subordinates but as my sisters." she tells them.
Despite putting a strong front and offering them the chance to leave, Isis hopes in her heart that they will stay with her despite her suicidal wish to kill Darkseid. They are all she has left after all.
"I will stay." say Artemis and Akila simultaneously, causing Isis to lightly smile in happiness.
Not long after however, all of the Amazons of Bana-Mighdall loudly voice out their decision to remain with her as her sisters, bringing tears of joy to her face.
"What of you?" asks Azula towards the Amazons of the Injustice Earth.
Rather than answer her however, the Amazons turn to look at Nubia questioningly. Although surprised by their unanimous decision to make her their leader, Nubia graciously accepts before turning to Azula and answering without hesitation.
"We would be honored to follow you if you would have us." she tells Azula.
Not completely surprised by Nubia's decision, Azula simply smirks before accepting them.
Having dealt with the immediate situation, Isis goes about healing all of the injured Amazons before Scáthach inscribes a set of runes in the air that turns into a portal leading to Avalon Hill that the group goes through.
In seconds they appear in one of the Castle's courtyard where they find Ambrosius speaking with none other than Lady Shiva. With the group's appearance, Lady Shiva and Ambrosius cease their conversation in favor of approaching Azula and Scáthach.
"You two certainly had an eventful past few days." he tells them as he walks towards them with Lady Shiva following a step behind him.
"Well, from what we can tell, your's was not any better." says Azula as she looks around the courtyard where pieces of advanced, non-earthly technology can be found.
"What can I say, with you two gone it seemed that Earth lost two more powerhouses, making it the perfect time for an attack. Or at least that's what Brainiac believed." answers Ambrosius with a shrug.
"Did he assault the castle?" asks Azula as she points to the broken pieces of robots.
"No. These are salvaged pieces from the battle. Although he did try." replies Ambrosius.
"And what of his mothership and everything inside?" asks Scáthach.
"In a pocket dimension. I have not gone through it yet since I have been waiting for you to do so. You're certainly better at technology than me." he says, making her smile. "Now why don't we get your guest settled before you fill me in on your adventure and why you two suddenly have an army following you." he says as he looks towards the army of Amazons along with the goddesses that stand behind them.
Before they can answer, Lady Shiva interjects.
"You still haven't told me what to do with Sportsmaster. He's been destroying our safe houses while looking for his daughter, Jade." she says.
"Capture him and send him to interpole. They have been attempting to capture him for two years now." answers Ambrosius.
"And his daughter?" asks Lady Shiva.
"She can remain in the League as long as she wishes and follows the rules." he answers.
Giving him a nod, Lady Shiva slightly bows before disappearing before everybody's eyes. With a raised eyebrow, Azula asks him what that was all about, to which he simply says later before they go about altering the castle's size to fit the new residents.
Calm Before the Storm
Cavern of Souls, River Styx Greek Underworld
September 2006
The Cavern of Souls, a dark cavern in the realm of Hades where the souls of women who have died through acts of violence reside. For reasons unknown, once a woman dies due to an act of violence, her soul will turn into a streak of light and become part of the Cavern of Souls. This is where the goddesses Hestia, Aphrodite, Demeter, Athena, Artemis, and Hera convened for the creation of the Amazons, this is where the souls of the first generation of Amazons came from.
Within the Greek Underworld, a group similar to the previous one makes their way through the River Styx towards the Cavern of Souls. This group comes for the same purpose as the Greek goddesses originally did, to create a race of warrior women.
"How much longer?" asks the voice of Azula as the boat she and the group are in continues down the River Styx.
"We are here." answers the voice of Athena through the darkness of the Cavern as the boat reaches an opening that is illuminated by a brilliant white light. "Welcome to the Cavern of Souls." says Athena as they arrive in front of a tornado made of countless swirling white lights.
"There are so many." quietly observes Scáthach as the group leave the boat and make their way to a platform in front of the swirling lights.
"Indeed. It is unfortunate, but violence is a constant that has existed since the dawn of mankind and even before." says Athena as the group stops in front of the souls.
"How do we do this?" asks Azula as she looks towards Athena and Frigga, the only ones experienced in creating a new race out of the group of four.
"This is for you to learn yourselves as newly ascended goddesses, and while you may not officially have your domains yet, this can be done without that step." informs Frigga as she and Athena step back to let Azula and Scáthach work.
"Do you not wish to restart your Valkyries?" asks Scáthach as she looks at the woman who has been akin to a mentor and older sister through her new experiences as a goddess.
"No." answers Frigga with a shake of her head. "The purpose of my Valkyries was for them to guide the souls of warriors to Valhalla. With my pantheon gone, there is no purpose."
"Then you would not mind if I started my own?" asks Scáthach.
"I would be honored." answers Frigga with a smile.
"Alright, how do you want to do this?" asks Azula.
"Me? Are you not here for the same purpose?" questions Scáthach with a raised eyebrow.
"No. My Amazons are enough. I will simply have the others bless them on top of blessing them myself to empower them. I'm only here to observe and help if you need it." answers Azula with a shake of her head.
"Fair enough." responds Scáthach as she turns to face the countless souls.
Reaching out towards the souls, the first thing Scáthach notices is that she can feel what each of them can and see their history. She can see their dreams in life, their fears, their ambitions, and even the most insignificant pieces of knowledge such as their favorite colours. The second thing that she notices is that she feels what they felt in every moment of their life and even when they died. Despite having so much information forced into her mind, Scáthach finds that she has no problem with processing any of the information nor is she in danger of being overwhelmed by their feelings.
The first thing Scáthach does is sort the souls based on who would find no issue with living the life of a warrior. Those who would not be able to kill were separated with those who would. Then she reduced the number of that group even further by removing those who love killing. Afterwards she reduced the number of the group even further by removing those with any form of resentment in their heart that is not justified.
So caught up in her work, Scáthach did not realise that at some point during the process her eyes had begun to glow white while she levitated in the middle of the tornado of souls.
"Is this normal." asks Azula.
"No." answers Athena with a frown as she walks towards the tornado of souls
"Wait." says Frigga as she stops Athena's approach. "I don't believe that there is anything to worry about. She seems completely at home with the work that she's doing." she explains as she points towards Scáthach's calm face. "In fact, I would dare say that we have just found one of her domains as opposed to the ones she has inherited from Skadi." speculates Frigga with a slight smile on her face.
"Something related to death? How predictable." says Azula with a smirk.
"I don't think that she will be happy with this development." says Athena.
"She won't mind." rebukes Azula while Athena looks at her questioningly. "The only reason she hated her station in the Land of Shadows is because she was alone and isolated there. She also no longer felt human, nor could she claim to be a god even with her immortality, or even a monster. She was an anomaly that didn't belong anywhere, she had no purpose other than to keep the dead in line and had outlived anyone she cared about from her time as a Queen." explains Azula with a slight frown at the thought of living like that.
"Despite being opposites of another, you two seem to get along well. In fact, you all seem to get along very well with one another." observes Frigga.
"We're family." simply answers Azula with a smile on her face. "I'd burn the world if something happened to them, just like Scáthach would freeze it while Ambrosius would drown it. Although, with this new destruction power of his he just might destroy it as opposed to drowning it." says Azula nonchalantly.
"And Morgan?" asks Athena despite her instincts telling her that she may not want to know the answer to that question.
"Reality is her bitch. What do you think?" asks Azula with a grin that sends a chill down Frigga and Athena's spine as they silently promise themselves that crossing Morgan might be worse than crossing any of the others.
With that said, the conversation falls to a lull as the trio return their attention back to Scáthach who continues to thin out the candidates based on her criterias. Despite doing this however, the number of souls at her disposal has not seemed to lower at all. In fact, if one did not know any better they would say that the numbers have remained the same.
After a few more minutes Scáthach stops and the tornado of souls stops swirling along with her. With a flash of light, the souls that Scáthach has chosen appear in the form of what they looked like in the prime of their lives. Approaching the group of about eight thousand souls, Scáthach's mouth begins to move as she is speaking to them. Judging by the facial expressions of the souls however, it is easy to tell that she is in fact speaking to them and is inaudible to anybody else.
"What is she doing?" wonders Athena.
"Asking them whether or not they want to join her." casually answers Azula.
"How can you possibly tell?" asks Athena.
"Because that is who she is and how she functions." answers Azula while Frigga nods in agreement. She has come to know Scáthach well and can easily see her doing something of that nature.
As the group quietens down, they can see Scáthach's chosen women asking her questions while Scáthach answers them. Some seem satisfied with the answer they receive, while others seem unpleased or even angry. Some even seem to attempt to attack her and were promptly thrown back into the tornado of souls not chosen. This process continues for a few moments longer before a smile grows on Scáthach's face and the souls shoot out of the cavern after she makes a gesture with her hands.
Once the souls have left the cavern, Scáthach's eyes slowly lose their glow as she floats back down to the platform where Azula, Frigga and a curious Athena await her.
"Well?" asks Azula as Scáthach lands in front of her.
"Five thousand Valkyries." answers Scáthach with a smile.
"Impressive." says Frigga and Athena as they approach her. "Soon all preparations for the war will be complete."
"Hopefully they will be enough." says Scáthach as the thought of the incoming war wipes the smile from her face while Azula's face takes on a grim countenance. She does not have the best experience with wars and isn't too excited with the looming one.Regardless of how she feels however, she knows that for her family she will incinerate anyone to ashes.
--
Island of Themyscira
September 2006
The Island of Themyscira, home of Wonder Woman and the Amazons that follow the Greek gods. Ever since the invasion from Tartarus, Themyscira has constantly been on alert in case such a scenario repeats itself. As such it is not strange to see off duty Amazons armed with a weapon or even wearing their armor. To many of the oldest Amazons this new habit is explained away as preparation for any incoming attack from a sorcerer like Felix Faust or Circe while the newer Amazons know that it is simply the lie they tell themselves to be able to sleep at night.
The truth of the matter is that the Amazons now live in fear. Fear of an attack, fear of the gods, and more importantly fear of Heracles. While they may denounce it as much as they want, the more self aware of the Amazons know that the son of Zeus' freedom has made fears and wounds that were deeply buried under layers of hate and sense of superiority of men have resurfaced. To those Amazons who accept that fact, the new status quo of Themyscira is unacceptable to them. This island that was once their salvation has now become their prison.
Only those authorised by Hippolyta are allowed to leave the island, and only princess Diana's royal guard are authorised to leave. Meanwhile, the Amazons living on Themyscira live in constant fear of Heracles coming to the island and once again having his way with them. While many try to be optimistic and believe that the gods would interfere this time, the majority of the Amazons do not believe so. The fact of the matter is that they are disillusioned with the Gods of Olympus and no longer place their trust in them, not even their patron goddesses. And while they still pray and give offerings to the gods, none of them do it out of love and simply carry on with these traditions in the hopes that it will appease the gods.
Currently inside of Hippolyta's throne room, the Queen of the Amazons convenes with her war council to relay their orders from Zeus himself.
"We are going to war with man's world." informs a tired Hippolyta, causing the room to explode into heated debates and cries of refusal.
Rather than control her generals, Hippolyta simply lets them protest while she collects herself. Despite being granted eternal youth by the patron goddesses of the Amazons, Hippolyta is beginning to feel the toll of her position and recent events take its hold on her even if it doesn't appear physically. From finding out that Zeus raped her, to the freedom of Heracles, and being under Hera's severe scrutiny, the past few years have not been kind to her or her people and this new order from Zeus himself is simply another nail in the coffin.
Raising her hand, Hippolyta quiets the room and sits there for a second, appreciating the brief silence.
"This has been ordered by Lord Zeus himself." she informs her war council, causing their already significant resentment towards Zeus to grow even more in their hearts. "Prepare our forces. We go to war in three months." she says as she dismisses her council to their duties while quietly ordering her guards to stand outside of the room.
As the generals leave the room, Hippolyta sits back in her chair, rests her eyes for a few minutes and allows herself a moment of weakness. Her position as queen has made her weary, and as much as she would love nothing more than relinquish her station, she cannot in good conscience place this heavy burden on any of her sisters let alone her daughter.
As Hippolyta takes the time to enjoy this calm, she fails to notice a figure materialise inside of her throne room before it is too late.
--
Avalon Hill, Bludhaven
New Jersey
September 2006
Up on the rooftop of the Avalon Hill castle, Ambrosius can be found admiring the starry night sky along with Mordred, Jason, and Cassandra. Due to the chaotic nature of the past few months and the need to prepare for the incoming war, Ambrosius has not had time to simply sit and relax with his three children. Even though Brainiac was easily dealt with, he still had to help with the cleaning efforts and repairing the damage Brainiac did to the cities. He also had to coordinate his League in order to make sure that no piece of technology from Brainiac made it to the black market. Of course not every piece of technology was stopped, but the majority of it was apprehended.
"It's coming, isn't it?" wonders Mordred, shaking Ambrosius from his thoughts.
"What is?" asks Ambrosius.
"War." answers Cassandra as she looks up at him from her position on his lap.
"It is." answers Ambrosius with a sigh. Like the others, he isn't too thrilled about the incoming war.
Despite their best efforts to prepare, Ambrosius knows that there will be something that they overlooked or miscalculated. Nothing is certain other than the fact that there will be casualties on both sides and that humanity will unfortunately suffer as collateral. He isn't sure when exactly it began, but Ambrosius has found that he cares deeply for humanity and would protect from any outside forces.
"You're gonna win. Right old man?" asks Jason as he leans his head on Ambrosius' arm.
"As much as one can win a war." replies Ambrosius.
"What does that mean?" questions Jason.
"Nobody wins a war Jason." responds a somber Mordred as she remembers her time as a Knight of Camelot. "Everybody loses, it's just a matter of who loses the most." explains Mordred. "History books can talk all they want about this side winning or this side losing, but the truth is that if even one life is lost then you lost." she says. "But don't worry! Father will do his best so that the least amount of people dies and eventually everything will be ok!" exclaims Mordred with a grin as she pats his head and attempts to lift the dreary mood.
"War… is bad, but it's in-in-inevitable." says Cassandra as she looks up at Ambrosius for confirmation.
"Good job Cass." he congratulates her while ruffling her hair, causing her to give a slight smile while Jason gives her a high five and Mordred gives her a thumbs up.
Despite the looming threat of war, Ambrosius finds that, sitting here peacefully with his children, his mood cannot be soured. He knows that this is simply the calm before the storm, but regardless of that he also knows when the war comes, he will be ready.
War
Wayne Manor, Gotham City New Jersey
December 2006
"Man I can't wait to show Dick that I can do a double backflip now!" exclaims Jason as he runs out of the parked car and up the stairs towards the Wayne Manor entrance.
As I follow him out of the car, I take a moment to look at the overcast sky with a frown. Despite Poseidon and Zeus trying to hide it, it is easy for us to know that this weather is anything but natural. It is the product of Zeus' doing while Poseidon seems to be throwing a fit, causing the waves in the sea to be more turbulent than they should be. While Azula and I would love nothing more than to return the weather back to its normal pattern, doing so would result in a tug of war that would be worse than the current conditions.
"Coming?" asks Cassandra as she pulls my pant leg and shakes me from my thoughts.
"I am." I tell her with a smile as I lift her and place her sitting on my shoulders.
"They're not very subtle." comments Azula as she looks up at the sky while we walk towards the Manor's entrance.
"They wouldn't know subtlety if it struck them in the face." I answer. "I would not be surprised if the war began today." I say as Alfred opens the door and Jason impatiently rushes in.
"Little Cassandra, what a splendid surprise to have you here." says Alfred with a smile as he greets Cassandra.
"Hi Alfred." she says with a quiet voice as I place her down and she follows Jason inside.
"If I did not know any better I would think that the only reason you open the door is because you want to see the children and not us." I say teasingly as Azula and I enter the Manor followed by Bernard.
"What could possibly make you think so?" asks Alfred in his usual dry tone that he uses when he's joking.
"There is no need to hide it Alfred." comes Morgan's voice from the balcony. "Even Bruce knows that you favor the children."
"Not just Alfred." says Scáthach as she joins Morgan on the balcony. "Bernard seems to also favor them; almost as if they write his paycheck rather than I." she says with a small smile
"My dear Madam, your words do wound us." sarcastically answers Bernard with a roll of his eyes, causing us to laugh at his reaction while Alfred nods in the agreement.
"I see you made it on time." says Bruce as we make our way up the stairs towards the balcony. "Morgan and Scáthach didn't think that you would." he says with a smile.
"Yes, well next time I will make sure to leave them with the responsibility of getting Jason ready and see whether they make it on time without resorting to using their powers." I say as Bruce and I shake hands.
"You began raising Mordred from the same age, and Jason is the one that gives you trouble?" questions Morgan with a raised eyebrow.
"Please, Mordred was easy." I say with a scoff. "All I had to do was remind her that she wanted to be a knight and she would behave like an angel." I explain. "Jason on the other reminds me of Aiofe." I tell them as we make our way towards the lounge.
"Aoife?" questions Bruce with a raised eyebrow.
"Adoptive daughter from our home dimension. She was the granddaughter of Cu Cuchulainn." I inform him.
"Sometimes I forget that you're all at least one thousand years old." he tells us as we enter the lounge where the rest of the League is situated.
"They don't really act like you'd expect people from that far back to act." says Clark from his position on one of Bruce's loveseats.
"And I still have trouble believing it." adds John Stewart from his position next to Hawkwoman.
"Really?" asks Azula with a raised eyebrow.
"Really." answers John
"You're girlfriend has literal wings growing from her back, you're best friend can casually break the sound barrier in his sneakers, you're friends with a demigoddess from an island of Amazons that never age, an alien who harnesses the power of the sun, the king of Atlantis, a man who dresses like a bat to fight crime, and eternal youth is the part you can't believe?" questions Azula as she ignores Bruce's glare from how she described him.
"I gotta say, she has you there John." says Barry Allen, the Flash. "I mean, Diana is like two hundred years old." he adds. "Speaking of, where is she anyway?" he asks.
"She decided to stay at Avalon Hill." answers Azula.
"Not being able to return to Themyscira must be taking its toll on her." comments Clark with a frown.
"It is, especially since General Kalliope sent a message to her and her royal guard that Zeus ordered them to prepare for war against man's world." answers Bruce with a frown of his own. "She thinks that Zeus is threatening her mother to get her to comply." he says, earning looks of distaste from the rest of the League.
"What do you think?" asks Clark as he looks at Bruce.
"I think that whoever is leading the Amazons now isn't Hippolyta." he answers with narrowed eyes.
"What?" questions Barry. "How come?"
"Because she's a liability." I answer, drawing everyone's attention to me. "She has a conflict of interest considering her daughter is not only fond of 'man's world', but she would most likely protect it from any assault." I explain while Bruce nods in agreement.
"While threatening Hippolyta may get her to comply, it wouldn't stop her from indirectly sabotaging their side of the war." explains Bruce.
"Wait, are we really calling this a war? I mean, don't they only have like a thousand Amazons or something?" asks Barry.
"Five thousand." corrects Azula. "And that's without counting Olympus' personal army." she adds.
"What do the Olympians even want with Earth?" asks Hawkwoman.
"Zeus wants to return to the days when humanity worshipped them." explains Morgan just as I begin to feel the oceans become more turbulent and the storm brewing in the sky becomes more powerful.
"They're coming." says an alarmed Scáthach and Azula at the same time.
"Who?" questions Clark as the members of the League rise to their feet.
"The gods." answers Morgan as lightning flashes and thunder crashes in the distance.
"Suit up." orders Bruce as he makes his way to a hidden compartment in the lounge.
Following Bruce's order, John's ring appears in his hand before being followed by his Green Lantern uniform. Flash follows suit with his uniform popping out of his own ring, while Superman and Hawkwoman simply remove the top layer of their clothes.
"Wearing your uniform under regular clothes must not be comfortable." comments Flash.
"I manage." answers Superman with a shrug while Batman walks out of the hidden compartment.
"Leave the gods and their armies to us and focus on the civilians." says Azula while our formal clothes change into our armor. "While our magical defenses should protect the cities, we don't want to take any unnecessary risks." she adds.
"Are you sure that you don't want help?" asks Batman, his demeanor completely different from earlier when he was Bruce Wayne.
"This is above any of your usual work." answers Scáthach as we teleport out of the Manor and towards the Gotham docks.
Appearing in the sky over the docks, we notice an armada of Amazonian ships sailing towards Gotham with the help of the ocean. Summoning my trident to me, I raise it in the air and completely still the ocean while pushing the winds against the armada, blowing them back. While I do this, a bolt of lightning strikes down from the sky towards me. Not bothering to pay it any mind, I let Azula intercept it before returning it from the direction it came from.
As expected from Zeus, he doesn't take the retaliation lying down and appears over the sea in a bolt of lightning. Following Zeus' arrival, Poseidon appears in a swirl of sea water before, one by one, some of the Olympians appear and stand behind Zeus.
The first to appear after Poseidon is none other than Hera herself. She wears the same clothes as when we met, only with an added cuirass, greaves, vambraces, and a sword strapped to her waist.
The second to appear is surprisingly Hades. Unlike when we first met the god of the underworld, Hades now stands at nine feet tall along with the other Olympians. His power seems to be engulfing the area like his brothers and he actually looks healthy compared to his pale complexion from before.
The third and fourth to appear are, not surprisingly, the twins Apollo and Artemis. Other than facial features, the twins look nothing alike. While Apollo possesses gleaming blond hair glowing gold eyes, Artemis has midnight black and glowing silver eyes. And while Apollo seems cheery despite the situation, Artemis appears to be somber.
"Who dares defy Zeus, King of the Gods!" bellows out Zeus as he summons a bolt of lightning to his hand.
"Drama queen." whispers Azula to herself, earning a small chuckle from the rest of us.
"You dare mock me, seaspawn." says Zeus as he points to me. "Poseidon, take responsibility for your bastard and kill him." orders Zeus, shocking some of the Olympians behind him.
Before Poseidon can react to Zeus' order, Wonder Woman comes flying in and floats between us.
"Lord Zeus, please stop this assault." asks Diana.
"You defy me daughter?" questions Zeus with a frown.
"Mankind hasn't done anything to warrant this attack." she pleads.
"Mankind has grown arrogant in the absence of the gods. It is time for them to be placed in their rightful place." says Zeus. "They will learn to worship the gods or perish!" he exclaims, shocking Diana.
Before Diana can answer him however, a voice calls out to her.
"Step aside daughter." callously calls out the voice of Hippolyta from the leading ship.
"I cannot comply with that order." answers Wonder Woman.
As Hippolyta makes to answer, I turn my eyes to her and observe her. From what I can tell she looks the same as ever. Same height, hair color, and even the same physique. However, there is something about her that simply does not feel right. I cannot place my finger on what exactly it is, but I know that this is an imposter.
Summoning my spear to me, I ignore the questioning gazes from the others, the conversation between Diana and the imposter and simply send my spear hurtling towards her with a force greater than anything an Amazon should be able to defend against. The resulting throw creates a shockwave as it breaks the sound barrier on its way to the imposter. As expected, the imposter easily catches my spear with a minimal amount of effort.
"Perhaps it is time to stop hiding behind that disguise, Ares." I say as everyone's attention turns to Hippolyta.
"Not bad." answers the god of war with a dark chuckle. "How did you ever figure it out?" he asks as he throws the spear at me with the same amount of force.
"You never did have any compassion." I answer as I catch the weapon before returning it to my rune space and watch as Ares' disguise as Hippolyta begins to fall.
"It is a useless emotion." he replies as Hippolyta's blue eyes turn blood red and her body grows to nine feet tall before it slowly transforms into a fully armored Ares.
"Ares!" exclaims Wonder Woman with a frown. "What have you done to my mother?" she demands.
"You're gonna have to ask daddy dearest about that. I just kidnapped and replaced her following his orders." he answers as he cracks his neck as the Amazons below turn their eyes to Zeus with betrayal clear in their eyes while everyone else looks at him wondering what he has to say for himself.
"For her traitorous actions, I have sentenced her to Tartarus." he says, shocking everyone present. "Now step aside or suffer a similar fate." he orders.
Shocked beyond words, Wonder Woman simply floats there while staring at Zeus as tears slowly fall from her eyes. Seeing that she is not obeying, Zeus brings his arm up and prepares to send his lightning bolt at her. Before he can however, thousands of arrows strike his body as the Amazons finally rebel against the gods.
"You will not harm the princess!" screams an enraged Commander Pythia with bloodshot eyes before giving the Amazons the order to fire with arrows tipped in Greek fire.
"YOU DARE!" screams out Zeus before he turns to Hades. "Summon the Legion." he orders before attempting to send a bolt of lightning at the Amazons.
Before he can, Azula strikes him with a blue flame to the face that not only knocks him back but also makes him scream in pain.
"Zeus is mine." she declares before rushing the King of the gods with a sonic boom.
Af if Azula's assault had rung a bell, the situation dissolves into chaos as Hades opens a hole to the underworld and legions of monsters rush out towards Gotham city. Not far behind, Scáthach opens a boom tube that allows Azula's Amazons and her Valkyries to intercept the monsters.
"Scáthach, take care of Hades and Hera. Morgan, take Diana to Tartarus and retrieve Hippolyta. I will take care of the remaining Olympians." I order as I use the waves to send the Amazons of Themyscira to Gotham where they can aid against the monsters before lunging at Poseidon.
"Always the disobedient son." he says as he barely blocks my overhead strike with his own trident. "We could have gotten rid of Zeus and ruled side by side. As punishment I have slayed destroyed Atlantis" he claims as he sweeps his trident towards me.
"You wouldn't dare, they worship you." I answer him as I easily dodge his strike and plunge my trident towards his chest.
"I have no need of disobedient subjects." he replies as he blocks the attack with one hand and summons something to his other hand.
As I inspect the objects in his hands, I easily recognise them as the heads of Orin, Mera, Kaldur. Despite knowing that such evidence can be faked, something in me knows that it wasn't, that this is really their lifeless heads.
"I'll kill you." I tell him calmly as I unleash a series of unrelenting attacks against him.
Each blow is strong and faster than the last to the point that simply moving my trident creates gales of wind and every clash of my trident against his causes a shockwave. After blocking the first three blows, I decide that I will no longer hold back. My fourth strike summons lightning from the heavens that singes his entire body, the fifth is channeled with such force that his body struggles to block and creates such a powerful shockwave that it parts the sea under us. Taking advantage of his momentary weakness, I maneuver myself to his side and plunge my trident towards his throat.
Before I can however, I pull back in order to dodge four arrows sent to pierce me.
"As much as I'd love watching you skewer the old man, we can't let you do that." says Apollo as he and his sister knock more arrows.
Rather than answer him, I make a wave rise to grab them by the feet before plunging them into the sea. As they attempt to escape the ocean however, Bahamut appears from the depths of the sea and attacks them.
"You wish to fight with the sea? You wish to use MY domain?" roars Poseidon as he makes the sea grow more turbulent.
Without answering I fly towards him only to once again have to dodge an attack, this time from Ares. Flying over his sword slash, I turn in midair and slice his arm off, making him roar in pain. Before he can recover I grab him by the throat and plunge my trident through him as if his armor is nonexistent.
"You shouldn't be this powerful yet." he says with wide eyes full of fear as he struggles to breathe.
"And you should have remained in your prison." I tell him before moving my trident up and slicing him in half.
Watching the light leave his eyes and his body slowly disintegrating, I feel something within me snap. At first I pay it no mind and turn to face Poseidon, but as the seconds grow however I begin to hear the prayers in the back of my mind return full force. Some beg for justice, others ask for martial prowess, others ask for guidance in ruling, some pray for the knowledge of poisons, and some even pray for their wars to be blessed. The prayers are so much that I begin to feel my head pound in pain, and despite my attempts to return them to the back of my mind they continue to assault me.
Drowning out the world around me, I try to gain some semblance of control in my mind to no avail. Just as I begin to think that I'll never regain control, something plunges through my chest and the pain drowns out the voices.
Opening my eyes, I see Poseidon facing me with his trident piercing my chest.
"Never lose focus in battle." he says to me.
The situation is so ridiculous to me that I cannot help but laugh. Who would have thought Poseidon's wish to kill me would be what helps me in the end. Had he not done anything I may have gone mad from the pain and the voices.
"Have you gone mad? You are about to die." he tells me.
"You have my thanks." I tell him, shocking him.
Using his momentary surprise against him, I plunge my trident into his throat before using it to decapitate him. Similar to when Ares was killed, Poseidon's body slowly falls apart. With him dead, I remove the trident from my chest and watch as it begins to slowly heal. With the prayers no longer pounding in my head, I feel a mental fatigue that I have never felt before in my life. Hoping to recover quicker, I allow myself to fall in the ocean and watch as it slowly rises up to embrace me without my prompting it to do so.
--
AN: Yeah Ares and Poseidon died quickly, but honestly at this point they pose no trouble for the mc and the others. The only ones that you guys should expect to really cause them trouble is Darkseid with all of those amps from the Source that he keeps stealing from other gods.
Also tell me what you guys think of this chapter. I'm personally not satisfied by it, but no matter how much I tried I couldn't find what was bothering me about it.
Apotheosis
Atlantic Ocean Off the Coast of the Gotham Docks
December 2006
The sea, it is such a beautiful place. Despite already knowing this however, I seem to always find myself shocked whenever I do experience its beauty. It's depths are filled with wonderful yet also terrifying things; a duality that I find myself drawn to more and more each day. To those who belong to it, the sea will always be home. To those who do not, it will be a place to explore. It is the lifeblood of this planet and the originator of all life. All began from the sea and eventually all will return to it again.
Now that Poseidon is no longer present, I can feel everything about the sea. It is such a wonderful place that was tainted by him. He did not inherit his moody and foul nature from being the personification of the sea; no that was simply the excuse he used. For as I gently sink here, in these gentle waves of the sea, I can feel the turbulent sea raging off the coast of England. The calm and serene waves of the Caribbean, and even calm and cold oceans of Antarctica. Had he truly been representing the sea, he could have always remained calm, for there is always a part of the sea that is calm.
Yet, despite enjoying the oceans, I cannot ignore war. It is a brutal and terrible thing. Families lose their mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers and even more distant members of families such as aunts, uncles, and cousins. And those are only when both sides of the war respect each other's civilians. Most of the time that is not guaranteed. Even from here I can feel soldiers killing innocent civilians, and some even resorting to mistreating them.
I can feel the pain of the victims, those crying out for vengeance, and those who simply want to see it all end. As I calmly float in the embrace of the ocean's welcoming and life bringing waves, I feel war ravage homes and destroy lives; truly a duality of epic proportions.
"Hahahaha" laughs a familiar boisterous voice near me. "You have reached godhood, as expected of a child of ROMA such as you." says the voice of Quirinus-Romulus as I turn to face the origin of his voice.
Looking at him, I cannot help but feel perplexed. For floating by my side is none other than the spirit of Quirinus-Romulus, founder of Rome, God of War and a spirit that I had thought to have completely merged with.
"Romulus? I had thought that the merge was complete." I tell him as the founder of Rome approaches me.
"No my child." he answers as he places a hand on my shoulder. "I am a god, how could the merge be complete when you had only united with my mortal side. Behold! I, Quirinus-Romulus, father of Rome, in all my godly glory." he says as he spreads his arms wide open.
"I see." I quietly say to myself as I think about the implication of his words.
I had merged with his mortal side which explains me not receiving anything other than an increase in skills that we share along with my physical stats.
"What is the purpose of this visit?" I ask him.
"It is time for the unification to be complete." he answers.
"This will be like the previous time, correct? There will be no changes to my personality?" I ask him.
"Of course." he replies easily.
"Not even a little bit, correct?" I ask with narrowed eyes.
"I give you my word." he tells me as he gives me the Roman salute, arm fully extended, facing forward, with palm down and fingers touching.
"You said the same thing last time, yet at some point after the merge was complete I found myself caring more about humanity and life than I ever did." I tell him.
"Hahahaha" he laughs as boisterously as Iskandar. "You believe that it is my doing?" he asks me in between laughs.
"Who else could it possibly be?" I ask him.
"Child of Roma, I had no part in this development. Rather it is all you. You have always cared about life, but had simply buried those feelings as far down as possible."
"Do you realise who you are speaking to?" I ask him with a raised eyebrow. "One of my first acts in my second lifetime was cold-blooded murder with absolutely no remorse." I tell him.
"Indeed, I have seen your memories of this… jumpchain." he answers me as he stops laughing. "However, I would have taken the very same course of actions as you. That… Joker, I believe his name is, has done some vile and dangerous things. He posed a threat to all forms of life." says Romulus.
"Are you trying to tell me that all of my decisions were all subconsciously made because of my care for life?" I ask him.
"No. What I am trying to make you understand, is that you have always cared for humanity. One simply needs to look at your children to understand this." he says, somewhat shocking me. "While Mordred and little Cassandra can be excused as you not allowing evil acts to continue with your knowledge, you had no obligation to Jason, Setanta, Connla, Aoife and her entire bloodline. For two thousand years you watched over their bloodline and prepared them for your eventual departure from their world. And if you say that you were simply attached emotionally, then you are merely proving my point."
His words, no matter how unexpected, hold some form of truth to them. I care for life, but I had buried those feelings for a more pragmatic look at life. Although those feelings found a way to manifest themselves through my care for my family, and now that scope has widened to encase all of humanity. Despite this revelation and acceptance, that does not mean that I will seek out lives to save, I am no Emiya Shirou after all.
"Good, you have accepted it." says Romulus, freeing me from my thoughts. "Now child of Roma, it is time for us to finally merge completely and show these upstarts what a true God of War looks like." he says as he offers me his hand with a grin that, for a second, reminds me of Setanta.
"Heh, whatever you say old man." I answer with a chuckle as I take his offered hand and I feel myself explode with power.
--
Gotham Docks
New Jersey
December 2006
Azula had never felt hatred before. Sure she was groomed by her first father to be the perfect weapon of war, however one thing he instilled in her was that emotions are a weakness, even hatred. He thought her that she should be causing others to feel emotions, preferably fear, and to never feel them herself. As an impressionable child, she had fallen for his lies hook, line and sinker. How could she not when he was the only one validating her existence and giving her what she at the time believed to be love. Her mother favored Zuko and neglected her, her uncle Iroh, for all his righteousness, also favored Zuko and believed that she was far too much like her father and far too gone to be saved like Zuko. It is only natural that she believed Ozai.
Despite all of this however, she has never felt hatred towards anybody. Not towards her father for what he did to her, she only felt disgust and disdain for him, not towards her mother or uncle Iroh, only indifference towards them, and certainly not towards Zuko. She didn't hate Polybotes when she made him beg for death, or any of the monsters from the PJO universe. So no, Azula has never felt hatred, at least not until now.
Zeus has somehow accomplished what none before him have done, that is make her hate them to their very core. Which is why she is currently beating the godhood out of him.
"ENOUGH!" roars a bruised and battered Zeus as he throws a bolt of lightning at her.
"Do I look like one of the doormats from your pantheon?" questions Azula as she absorbs the lightning bolt before returning it to him threefold.
Not able to react in time, Zeus is blasted into the ocean from the lightning bolt. Taking control of the area where he fell, Azula makes the water rise into a pillar with the king of the Olympians stuck inside before turning it into ice. As Zeus temporarily struggles to free himself, Azula wrests control of his blood, rushes it to his throat and makes him choke on it. With fear in his eyes, Zeus does all he can to either spit the blood out or swallow it. Unfortunately for him Azula has no intention of letting him go as she begins to boil the blood in his throat.
Just as it seems that Zeus will completely suffocate, Azula stops and pulls him towards her. Grabbing him by the throat, she summons a massive bolt of lightning that strikes Zeus, giving him second degree burns all over his body.
"H-h… how is this possible?" asks the beaten god with a raspy voice.
"All these months you never noticed, but I've been slowly encroaching on your domain." she tells him as she easily brews a lightning storm over them. "The sky no longer belongs to you. This is now mine." she says as another bolt of lightning strikes him.
"You are my daughter, why do you side with these lesser beings?" he asks as he attempts to discreetly create a bolt of lightning in his hands.
"These… lesser beings, as you call them, are my family." she answers as she casually dissolves his lightning bolt. "Should anything happen to them, I would burn this entire Multiverse." she tells him as she summons a blue flame to her free hand and proceeds to place it on Zeus' face. Zeus' howl of pain silences the entire battlefield as the god of Olympus watches as their king is made to suffer.
--
Gotham Docks
New Jersey
December 2006
Scáthach's battle with Hades had not gone how she expected. As one of the Big Three, she expected him to be powerful, and he easily proved to be so when he summoned a legion of monsters that outnumbered her Valkyries and Azula's Amazons combined. As such when she clashed with him she expected him to be a competent, if not formidable, opponent. She did not, however, expect him to be this weak.
After their first five clashes, she had easily disarmed him of his weapon. She then expected him to react in some shape, way, or form to his defeat, he did not. Then she took another close look at him and did not like what she saw.
Despite his much earlier complexion as opposed to his previously ghostly pale skin, Hades' body is not in a healthy condition. Under an illusion that would make Azula proud, Hades' complexion is far worse than before. His cheeks are sunken, his body frail and weak, and his previously beautiful black hair is now dull. However, what truly shocks her are his now dull, lifeless and glassy eyes that beg for death.
"What has Zeus done to you?" quietly whispers Scáthach as she approaches the unresponsive god.
As she inspects him, Scáthach notices that his body possesses no sign of physical torture, indication that it was all mental.
"Can you understand me?" she asks him.
Despite following her movements with his eyes, Hades remains completely unresponsive.
"Perhaps it would be best if you were put out your misery." says Scáthach.
Rather than remain unresponsive, Hades reacts this time with tears silently rolling down his gaunt face as his eyes gain a small gleam of hope in them.
Seeing his reaction, Scáthach summons Gae Bolg to her and prepares to do the deed. Before she can however, a howl of pain resonates throughout the sky and life seems to return to Hades' eyes when he recognizes the voice. As the voice screams in pain a second time, the battlefield falls into silence as the combatants look towards the cause of it, Azula.
For many, such as Hades and the Amazons, it is a sight that they never expected, yet are glad to witness, Zeus at the mercy of his enemy. For Hera, the only Olympian on the field of battle not fighting, while Artemis and Apollo, who have just escaped from Bahamut, it is a horrific sight that they never expected to see.
Despite his horrible faults however, Zeus is their father and has treated them well. As such, the twins nock a few arrows and fire them at Azula. Before the arrows can reach her however, Azula and Zeus dissolve into bolts of lightning that ascend into the sky
"Ha, finally I can die in peace knowing that Zeus got what was coming to him." whispers Hades before he throws himself at Scáthach and impales himself on her spear with a content smile on his face.
As his body slowly dissolves into nothing, the monsters that were under his control cease to fight in an organised manner and begin to rampage around. Not willing to allow this, Scáthach freezes every single monster in ice before the Valkyries and Amazons shatter them.
As Scáthach surveys the battlefield, Zeus' body crashes onto the Gotham Dock before it proceeds to slowly dissolve into nothingness.
"Lay down your weapons." orders Azula as she slowly descends from the sky to face the remaining Olympians.
Artemis and Apollo exchange uneasy glances with Hera before they slowly dismiss their weapons and put their hands in the air.
"What now?" asks Apollo as Scáthach appears next to Azula.
"Why did you side with Zeus? Surely you must know that his actions were wrong." asks Scáthach.
"You have no idea what's been going on in Olympus, do you?" asks Apollo with a raised eyebrow.
Before Scáthach can answer him, dozens of Boom Tubes open behind the Olympians and an Omega Beam emerges from one before it zigzags its way towards the group. Knowing what is coming, Azula's body dissolves into lightning while Scáthach becomes snow, allowing them to dodge the Omega Beam that disintegrates Hera, Apollo, and Artemis. As the bodies of Azula and Scáthach reform, Darkseid along with countless parademons emerge from the Boom Tube.
Not far behind Scáthach and Azula, a second set of Boom Tubes open up. The first to emerge from the Boom Tube is a man that stands at six feet four inches tall, has blue eyes, black hair, and possesses a warrior's build. He wears a silver and red cuirass over his black shirt, red pauldrons on his shoulders, black pants, and black boots. He is Highfather, ruler of New Genesis.
"Darkseid, I believe that I had made myself clear when I said that Earth is under New Genesis' protection." says the man as he is followed by two more gods.
The first is a man that stands at six feet one inch tall, has blue eyes and a hair that cannot be seen due to the silver helmet covering it. He also possesses a warrior's physique that is accented by his all red bodysuit with blue gloves and boots while he hovers using a golden harness and wristbands. His name is Orion, and he is a god of war.
Behind Orion stands Scot, a New God also known as Mister Miracle. Unlike his brother's warrior physique, Mister Miracle is far slimmer. He stands at six feet tall and wears a full bodysuit colored red, yellow and green that even covers his head and face.
"Highfather." greets Darkseid. "You should not have come here. Dying when I destroy the Source Wall would have been far more painless as opposed to dying by my hands." he says.
"I cannot allow you to wreak havoc on this planet." answers Highfather.
"And you plan to stop me?" questions Darkseid with a rare grim smile on his face.
"I do." answers Highfather.
Before Darkseid can answer, a surge of power explodes from the depths of the sea creating a wave that reaches hundreds of feet into the sky.
"That will not be necessary, Highfather." says a powerful voice from the wave. "Earth has its own Gods, and we are capable of defending our people ourselves." informs the voice as the wave crashes back down into the sea allowing everyone to see the owner of the voice.
Floating there is none other than Ambrosius himself as he radiates power in waves on par with Darkseid and Highfather. As he approaches the two factions of New Gods, Azula and Scáthach appear by his side with their weapons drawn ready for battle.
"And who might you be, little godling?" questions Darkseid.
"I am Ambrosius Malphas, God of War, the Sea, Storms, Destruction, many other things, and protector of Earth." answers Ambrosius as he summons his golden trident. "Now, I will only say this once. Leave Earth before my fellow Gods and I decide to permanently remove you from this Multiverse."
--
AN: There it is, what some of you guys have been impatient about, Ambrosius finally completing his transformation as a god.
Tell me what you guys think about this chapter, and don't forget that I'm still taking ideas for vacation jumps.
Last edited: Oct 2, 2020
Fragmentation
Gotham Docks New Jersey
December 2006
Quiet fills the air as the New Gods of Genesis and Apokolips inspect us. Simply from their postures and their body language, I can tell that they do not take us seriously, at least not seriously enough to even consider my order for them to leave Earth. This doesn't worry me since it can be used to my advantage. What does worry me however is Highfather. He is not the benevolent ruler of New Genesis as I expected. Rather this one is a ruler and warrior with a powerful conviction to see his plans through, whatever they may be.
According to what I can gather from my, now sparse, memories of my very first life, Highfather's goal is to bring peace throughout the Multiverse. Considering the fact that Earth is the center of the Multiverse, I do not see him leaving it alone.
"What is your interest in Earth?" I ask Highfather as I look between him, Orion, and Scot.
"I simply cannot stand by and watch as another innocent planet is ravaged by the likes of Darkseid." he answers with a benevolent expression on his face.
"Well that's certainly interesting." says Azula, bringing our attention to her. "Last I checked, you were willing to allow Earth's gods to be wiped out by Apokolips, and yet, somehow between then and now, you've grown a righteous conscience that makes you feel the need to protect Earth." she says with a fake smile plastered on her face.
"It is a tragedy, but we received their call for help far too late to be of any help." answers Highfather with a mournful shake of his head.
His answer is deemed unsatisfactory by Scáthach as the temperature in the atmosphere drops down even further and frost can be seen forming in the air. The previously tense atmosphere becomes even more palpable as Azula also makes her dissatisfaction known as dark clouds gather overhead with flashes of lightning.
"Do not insult our intelligence." says Scáthach. "You purposely left them to their fates for whatever reason you deem necessary."
Scáthach's answer seems to have been correct as Highfather's body slightly tenses before quickly returning to normal. The reaction was so fast that I almost missed it, and judging by the rapidly dropping temperature and the flash of lightning, Azula and Scáthach caught it too.
This is somewhat troubling. Highfather allowing Darkseid to carry out his rampage on Earth's pantheons must mean that he has his own plans for it that Earth's gods and goddesses would not allow.
"I see." I quietly say to myself. "Highfather, you aid is neither required nor is it wanted. Leave now." I order him as I feel the ocean surge in reaction to my foul mood.
"It seems that the benevolent Highfather is not so benevolent after all." observes Darkseid as he looks at his brother with a glint in his eyes. "Now, while I would love nothing more than to see this quarrel, my arrival here is not without purpose." he says as he fires his Omega Beam.
"Scatter." orders Scáthach as the attack zigzags between us and the New Gods of New Genesis while the parademons launch an attack against Gotham, only to be intercepted by Scáthach's Valkyries flying on pegasi that I created for them.
Without exchanging any more words, we take evasive measures as my body dissolves into sea water and allows the Omega Beam to pass through me. Reforming my body, I launch myself at Darkseid and pierce my trident towards him. Despite my superior speed, Darkseid reacts fast enough to block it with his vambraces. The resulting clash creates a shockwave that can be felt for miles and knocks countless parademons out of the sky.
As I withdraw my trident, Scáthach appears behind him with her spear poised for his neck. Unfortunately she is forced to retreat as an Omega Beam shoots from Darkseid's eyes and makes its way towards her while another comes towards me. Flying upwards, I dodge the initial strike from the Omega Beam before changing my direction to fly towards Darkseid. As I reach a few inches from him, I dissolve into water and flow around him, allowing his Omega Beams to strike him as opposed to me.
As Darkseid deals with his own Omega Beams, I survey the battle field to see a lightning encased Azula battling Orion while Scáthach faces Highfather and Scot. Before I can make my way to one of them, I am forced to block a punch from Darkseid before dodging another one. Gathering Excidium in my free hand, I blast Darkseid's face with it before summoning a bolt of lightning from the clouds to strike him. While the attacks did not hurt him, they staggered him long enough for me to gain the upper hand and attempt to slash his throat.
Before my trident can cut his throat open, Darkseid grabs my trident and uses his other hand to punch towards me. As his fist approaches me, I decide to lose the trident rather than be struck by him and fly backwards while letting go of my trident. As I relinquish my weapon, Darkseid grabs both ends of it, and with hands glowing with the power of his Omega Effect, snaps it in two.
"I have no need of your power, little godling. My purpose for coming here was to draw out Highfather from whatever hole he was cowering in." he tells me as he tosses both halves of my trident into the ocean. "Leave me be and perhaps I will not make you suffer much in my new Multiverse." he says as he crosses his arms behind his back.
With a raised eyebrow, I summon Poseidon's trident to me and twirl it around me to familiarise myself with the slightly different weapon.
"I see that you have chosen to suffer." he says as he uncrosses his arms from his back. "No matter what weapon you wield or what power you use, I will accomplish my goals." he tells me as he launches a set of Omega Beams at me. With a frown on my face I intercept his attack with my own Excidium Beam. The result of the clash is a stalemate as my Excidium Beam attempts to destroy his Omega Beam while his Omega Beam attempts to erase my attack. Just as it seems that there will be no winner, I increase the width of my beam and increase the power output.
The outcome is the Excidium Beam overpowering his Omega Beam and striking him from his upper chest to his face and launching him away from me for miles while also crashing into parademons in his path.
Azula dodges a blast from Orion's harness and deflects another one before closing the distance between them to slash towards his chest with her lightning encased sword. As the sword reaches a certain distance from Orion however, an energy force field appears around him and stops the weapon in his tracks.
"Oh my. Is little Orion afraid of little ol' me?" she sarcastically asks as she dodges a punch from him. "This is the fourth time that your little forcefield saved you. I wonder how much more damage it can take?" she says as she strikes him with a particularly strong blow that sends him crashing down into the Gotham Docks.
"This force field can withstand even Darkseid's Omega Beams, there is nothing you can do to destroy it." answers Orion as he launches himself at Azula with the help of his harness.
"Then let's test that theory." answers Azula as she summons a powerful bolt of lightning and hurls it at Orion.
The war god from New Genesis once again blocks using his force field before sending blasts of energy towards Azula. Azula easily deflects them and smashes her sword into Orion's forcefield with far more force than before. The resulting clash causes a discharge of energy that blasts the two away from each other. Recovering first, Azula notices that Orion's force field is constantly flickering in and out. Taking advantage of the situation, she flies towards him and attempts to slash his harness.
Orion is able to dodge at the last minute and punch Azula. Blocking his strike, Azula purposely kicks him with a slow flame encased foot. Grabbing her foot, Orion pulls Azula towards him and smashes his helmeted head on her face. Despite the pain, Azula takes advantage of her close proximity to him and slashes one part of the harness before blasting Orion back with a fireball.
"Not bad." complements Azula with a smirk on her face as she watches part of Orion's harness fall apart. "But unfortunately for you it wasn't enough." she says as his force field flickers off and the harness's flight capabilities stop working, sending him crashing to the ground.
As Orion gets up from the crater his landing caused, Azula strikes him with a powerful bolt of lightning that knocks him out and leaves his singed and smocking body laying in the crater. Not a second after Azula finishes knocking out Orion, Scot's unconscious body crashes into the crater next to his adoptive brother.
Turning to face the direction from where Scot came, Azula sees Scáthach stop a few feet away from her as she inspects the two unconscious bodies of Scot and Orion before using her Motherbox to Boom Tube them to New Genesis.
"You held back." comments Scáthach.
"We have no reason to kill them." answers Azula with a shrug as an injured and bloodied Highfather emerges from the sea with an enraged expression on his face.
Before the two sides can resume their battle, Ambrosius comes flying from further up in the sky and crashes onto the Gotham Docks near the Amazons, creating another crater on the ground.
As Ambrosius rises from the crater, legions of parademons launch themselves at him in an attempt to shred him to pieces. With glowing red eyes, Ambrosius blasts them all to nothingness before flying next to Azula and Scáthach.
"You should leave now, Highfather." says Ambrosius as he blasts another group of parademons that were attempting to sneak up on them. "Darkseid's purpose in coming here was to draw you out." he informs the leader of New Genesis.
"Oh, he is very much aware." says Darkseids as he descends from where he and Ambrosius were fighting. "However he cannot leave, lest he allows me to conquer Earth, the very center of the Multiverse." explains Darkseid with a satisfied gleam in his eyes. To him this situation is a win regardless of whether or not Highfather retreats.
Should he retreat, Darkseid will conquer Earth and with it be able to assault the entire Multiverse. Should Highfather remain, Darkseid will drain him of his power before killing him. Then, with the stolen powers of every single Allfather from every pantheon, he will be able destroy the Source Wall and absorb its power before rebuilding the Multiverse in his image.
"I will not allow you to conquer Earth." claims Highfather as he stands his ground.
"What a fool." says Azula as she, Scáthach and Ambrosius prepare for battle.
"*Scáthach, can you force him through a Boom Tube?*" asks Ambrosius telepathically.
"*No. His Motherbox will cancel out whatever Boom Tube I create. According to my Motherbox, his is far more advanced and powerful.*" she explains.
"*Very well. I had hoped that we would not need to make enemies of New Genesis, but seeing how he does not leave us a choice, Highfather is from henceforth as much of a threat to Earth as Darkseid.*" says Ambrosius, earning a nod from the two.
With the clap of thunder Azula vanishes from her position and not even one second later Highfather is sent flying back with his chest caved in and blood spewing out of his mouth. The injury however does not last long and is quickly regenerated.
Not far behind Azula, Ambrosius appears in front of Darkseid with his trident poised to stab him in the eye. Having learned from his last encounter with Scáthach, Darkseid blasts the weapon with an Omega Beam, forcing Ambrosius to cease his attack in order to dodge just as a group of parademons attack him. Recovering quickly, Ambrosius conjures a sword in his free hand and proceeds to decapitate the parademons before turning and blasting Darkseid in the chest with an Excidium with a pair of beams of his eyes just as Scáthach appears behind Darkseid and proceeds to freeze him in place.
With a roar, Darkseid breaks free from the entrapment and backhands Scáthach away with a burst of speed that nothing his size should possess. Turning his attention to Ambrosius, Darkseid fires small bursts of Omega Beams that zone in on him. Despite the numerous attacks on his person, Darkseid finds that Ambrosius is able to dodge them and continue his assault on Darkseid.
What follows is a series of exchanges that happen far too fast for anyone other than Scáthach to see as Ambrosius proceeds to slash, stab, punch, kick and even blast Darkseid while he continues to dodge Darkseid's Omega Beams that are constantly targeting him. Despite Ambrosius' superior speed and skill, Darkseid's endurance allow him to tank most of the assault while his regeneration easily heals all wounds that Ambrosius is able to inflict on him, even his slashed throat is healed so quickly that one would think that the injury never occurred at all.
Joining the fray, Scáthach easily outpaces Darkseid despite herself being slower than Ambrosius. With the two's impeccable teamwork, Darkseid begins to receive more and more grievous injuries such as gouged eyes, a slashed throat, and numerous broken ribs and other bones. Like before however, Darkseid either tanks the attacks or simply regenerates in a matter of seconds.
With the three gods battling it out in the sky, shockwaves shake the planet every time a clash occurs or a strike is blocked. Down in Gotham City, the closest city to the battle, the people watch in fear and awe as the cosmic beings face each other. Skyscrapers shake, windows shatter, and the Gotham Docks are destroyed as tsunamis are formed just by their physical confrontations. Just as it seems that the shockwaves will begin to destroy the city itself, the tone of the battle shifts.
"Enough!" bellows out Darkseid as he releases a shockwave of power that blasts everything.
While the surrounding parademons are vaporised and the Valkyries are teleported to safety thanks to an emergency runic array, Ambrosius and Scáthach are sent flying into Gotham city and straight through a skyscraper, Wayne Enterprises Headquarters, and crashing through the streets and into the sewers below.
As Ambrosius rises from the rubble and wipes the blood from his mouth, Azula crashes into the sewer not far from him.
"Darkseid has Highfather." coughs out Azula as she and Scáthach quickly recover and the trio launch into the sky to stop Darkseid from adding Highfather's power to his own.
Unfortunately for them, by the time they arrive Darkseid is long gone leaving behind Highfather's broken and lifeless body. Just as Scáthach prepares to Boom Tube them to the Source Wall, she along with Azula, Ambrosius, and every remaining god alive feel the Multiverse shake as the Source Wall is shattered.
"No." whispers Scáthach in horror as they see different Earths appear far too close to each other in space. Some drift towards one another and collide, killing all of their inhabitants. Others appear too close to the sun and are drawn in, some collide with Mars, Mercury and Venus, and a few drift towards the Earth Ambrosius resides in.
Before the situation can become worse however, Morgan appears in a brilliant light along with Hippolyta, Athena, Wonder Woman and Aphrodite, and everything stops as she closes her eyes and power explodes from her being. The Earths that were drifting towards one another stop moving and the ones too close to the sun slowly retreat away from it. Soon after Morgan's appearance, Hecate follows suit and time seems to come to a stop.
"The Source Wall has been shattered. Morgan and I can keep things from getting worse but we cannot reverse this." informs Hecate.
"Is there any way to fix this?" asks Scáthach.
"We can, but it would require an immense amount of power from the Source." she answers. "However, with Darkseid being the main recipient of the Source it will be impossible unless you kill him."
"You've never properly explained what the Source is." says Azula.
"No one knows what the Source is other than that it is where everything in this omniverse comes from. It is pure infinite power and from what I know has some form of sentience to it." explains Hecate.
"What do we need to do?" asks Ambrosius.
"Somehow, Darkseid has managed to make it so that he can channel as much of the Source as he wants without any adverse effects, making him almost omnipotent. You need to sever his connection to the Source and take that power yourselves." she says, shocking everyone present. "Once you have done so, Morgan and I will be able to fix the Multiverse with your help. As of now we can do nothing more than hold the Multiverse in stasis to stop it from being destroyed. Even as we speak I can feel him attempting to reverse what we are doing." she explains.
"And how exactly do you expect us to defeat someone who is nigh-omnipotent?" asks Aphrodite as she speaks for the first time.
"Other than keeping the Multiverse in stasis, Hecate and I will limit what he can do. As long as he is within the Multiverse we will have power over him." answers a straining Morgan as the moon seems to come closer to Earth before stopping.
"Go! We cannot hold this indefinitely." exclaims Hecate as she closes her eyes and her eyebrows furrow in concentration.
Without delay, Scáthach opens a Boom Tube to where the Source Wall used to be and the gods walk through it.
--
AN: This chapter was hard to write, and even after a bunch of revisions I'm not satisfied with it. Tell me what you guys think.
The Source
Edge of the Multiverse December 2006
As the gods begin to make their way to the Boom Tube, it does not even take a second to telepathically relay the plan to Athena and Aphrodite. The plan is simple, during their earlier battle Ambrosius and Scáthach inscribed a set of runes inside of Darkseid. Every cut or open wound that was inflicted on him has the runic array inscribed within them. The array's purpose is to slowly and stealthily transfer Darkseid's stolen connection to the Source and his power to Ambrosius, Scáthach, Azula and Morgan while also breaking down his divinity until he becomes mortal. Due to how much power Darkseid has currently, it is almost impossible to kill him. As such, the plan is to allow the array to do its job by buying time and to draw his attention to them so that he never notices the arrays. Despite Darkseid's genius, he tends to overlook anything too small and deems them unworthy of his attention. This plan is to use that against him.
The assault on Darkseid begins as soon as the gods emerge from the Boom Tube. No words are spoken, no warning is given and Darkseid certainly did not receive any time to prepare. Despite this however, Darkseid's response can only be called optimal as he manifests a shield to block Ambrosius' Excidium blast. His shield however does not last much longer against Ambrosius' onslaught, allowing Azula to take the opportunity and smash a lightning encased fist to his chest that staggers him and sends out a shockwave that shakes the Multiverse upon impact. He recovers quickly however and promptly blasts an Omega Beam towards her. The beam connects only for her body to shatter like glass, showing that his target was in fact an illusion.
As he turns to block an incoming slash from Scáthach, Athena takes this opportunity to send her spear through his eye. Despite making contact, the spear is easily removed and his eye heals in a matter of seconds. With the spear in hand, Darkseid turns and slashes at Aphrodite only for Azula to intercept the attack and allows Aphrodite to cut open a gash in his arm that once again quickly heals.
While Darkseid has been defending himself, Ambrosius has taken a second to inscribe a runic array in the air. From the runic array, a rift is torn open in the empty space resembling a gaping mouth. With a thunderous roar and a tremor, a massive chariot emerges from the rift. Its dimensions are greater than that of the average house and it has two large, straight spikes on its sides used to demolish surrounding obstacles and hurl the debris at enemies. Pulling the massive chariot are two massive bulls of the same size that travel on lightning, create thunderous sounds and webs of lightning with each stomp as they travel, and each lightning strike shakes the very fabric of space as the bulls smash against Darkseid and proceed to run him over.
Jumping into the chariot, Azula takes the rains and proceeds to empower the bulls even further as the lightning they generate not only increases in numbers, but also in power. Recovering quickly, an enraged Darkseid attempts to blast the chariot with his Omega Beams, only to be ensnared by Bahamut as the massive sea serpent tightly coils its body around Darkseid and proceeds to burn the god's face with flames almost as hot as Azula's.
Before he can retaliate, Bahamut quickly retreats as a massive bolt of lightning, the likes of which can easily destroy Earth, strikes Darkseid and an Excidium blast of similar power smashes into his chest. As he flies backwards from the assault, Darkseid finds that his body is completely frozen from an attack by Scáthach that would freeze the Earth ten times over. Using what little control he has over his reality warping powers, Darkseid shatters the ice just in time for Ambrosius to appear before him and impale Poseidon's trident through his chest. As Darkseid attempts to backhand Ambrosius away from him, the God of War blocks the blow with enough force to create a shockwave that is felt throughout the fragmenting Multiverse.
While Darkseid deals with Ambrosius, Aphrodite attempts to slash the back of his throat only to be struck by an Omega Beam that sends her flying back. Before she can be hit by another Omega Beam, Scáthach opens a Boom Tube that sends her back to Earth along with Athena.
Turning her attention back to Darkseid, Scáthach proceeds to freeze the entire left side of Darkseid's body just as he rears his fist back to strike Bahamut. Taking advantage of the opening, the sea serpent proceeds to spit acid on the god's face before ripping out his throat. Breaking out of the ice with a furious roar, Darkseid proceeds to release a massive shockwave that sends his assailants flying back towards each other.
"How much longer until the array activates?" asks Azula from the chariot.
"Normally I would wager a few more seconds." says Ambrosius as he looks at his brightly glowing trident in concern. "With the Source running through his veins like this however, I say a few minutes." replies Ambrosius as they watch Darkseid's body heal from its injuries at a slower pace than before.
"Godling, what have you done?" questions Darkseid as he finds that not only do his injuries heal at a slower pace, but it is becoming more and more difficult to channel as much from the Source as he wants.
Rather than answer Darkseid, Ambrosius, Scáthach, Azula, and Bahamut launch themselves at him. Seeing that they have no plan to answer him, Darkseid decides that he will receive his answer once he's crushed them beneath his heel.
The first clash between them results in a shockwave when Darkseid blocks a strike form Ambrosius' trident only for Ambrosius to dissolve before his eyes and appear a few feet away from just as he releases a beam of pure divine energy from his trident powerful enough to send Darkseid flying into a moon. As he recovers, Darkseid is blasted by a bolt of lightning frozen in place just in time for the massive chariot to once again run him over and for Bahamut's tail to send him flying through the moon, shattering it.
Manifesting a shield to block any incoming assault, Darkseid regains control of his flight before putting the moon back together and hurtling it towards an improching Scáthach. Before the moon can reach her, Ambrosius completely destroys it with an Excidium Beam and allows Scáthach to impale Darkseid in the throat.
As Darkseid moves to punch her away, Ambrosius appears near Darkseid and slashes his back open only to have to block an incoming Omega Beam. Unlike before, the Omega Beam is not a single attack but rather a continuous one that Ambrosius continues to block even as cracks begin to form on his trident.
Deflecting one more Omega Beam, Ambrosius proceeds to channel divine energy through his weapon and blasts Darkseid backwards to be impaled by Scáthach with an ice spear big enough to leave a gaping hole through Darkseid's chest.
Unfortunately for Ambrosius, the amount of power he channels into the trident is too much and proceeds to shatter the weapon. Discarding the broken weapon, Ambrosius summons his spear to him. As he grips the spear, a flash of light emerges from the weapon, catching every combatant's attention.
Hoping to stop whatever Ambrosius is up to, Darkseid appears before him with his fist swinging towards the god. Before his fist can connect, a golden lasso wraps around his arm and Scáthach pulls him backwards, leaving him wide open for Ambrosius to stab him through his head. Before the weapon can completely break through Darkseid's skin, he snaps the golden lasso and blasts an Omega Beam at Ambrosius who responds with his own Excedium Beam. Unlike in their last struggle, Darkseid gains the upper hand and blasts Ambrosius only for his body to explode into lightning and fire just as the real Ambrosius appears behind him and stabs him through his healing chest.
Before Darkseid can retaliate, a beam of pure divine energy, more powerful than any that Ambrosius has ever created before, blasts through Darkseid's chest and completely disintegrates his left side. With a pained roar, Darkseid teleports away from Ambrosius and conjures a shield around him as soon as he appears miles away.
"You…" menacingly says Darkseid as he attempts to access the Source and heal himself. "What have you done?!" he demands once he realises how limited his connection to the source has become.
"No matter." says Darkseid after taking a calming deep breath and uses what Source power he has to slowly rebuild his left side. " I am Darkseid, Lord of Apokolips. I have ravaged pantheons down to the smallest organism. I have crushed gods older than you as easily as I have crushed all who dared to oppose me throughout the cosmos. I am power unlike any you have ever known: absolute, infinite, and unrelenting, and I will not be made a fool of by gods younger than their planet." he claims as he sends two planets five times the size of Earth flying at them.
With ease and despite knowing that the planets are nothing but diversions, Ambrosius destroys them just in time to see the Omega Beams blasting towards them. With a runic inscription in the air, Ambrosius blocks the attack as Bahamut, hidden behind an illusion, slithers around Darkseid tears his neck into shreds before being teleported back to Ambrosius as a blue flame burns his right arm into ashes
With a silent scream, Darkseid sends out an Omega Beam that zigzags towards Ambrosius that he deflects with his spear as Scáthach completely ensnares Darkseid with a set of golden runic chains. As Darkseid attempts to blast the chains with his Omega Beams, he finds that the more he struggles, the more the chains tighten around him, and the weaker he becomes until eventually he cannot even muster enough power to use his Omega Beams.
"Let's get this over with." says Azula as the chariot and the bulls dissolve into golden lights and she, Scáthach and Ambrosius approach the chained Darkseid.
As they place their hands on Darkseid and begin to completely drain him of the Source, a bright multicolored light erupts from Darkseid and separates into three parts before flying into Ambrosius, Scáthach and Azula. As the light continues to leave Darkseid and go into the trio, Darkseid's body begins to quickly shrink and slowly return to his humanoid look before he became a god.
Other than his skin retaining its grey tone, Darkseid now looks completely human. His skin's hard texture and rocklike looks smooth out and become as soft as a normal human's. His glowing red eyes lose their glow and he gains a black sclera with red iris, the armor that he wears crumbles, showcasing his now slimmer and much smaller body.
As the last Source power drains from Darkseid, his connection to it snaps and a shockwave resonates throughout the Multiverse along with a blinding light that forces Scáthach, Azula, and Ambrosius to close their eyes.
As the trio opens their eyes, they find themselves suspended in a white void that stretches in every direction farther than they can see even with their godly physiology. Despite floating in the void, the group finds that their sense of direction is completely skewed and they cannot feel anything. Not air, heat, cold, or even the vastness of the space they find themselves.
"This is unexpected." comments Azula as she looks upwards, or at least what she believes to be up.
"What did you three do?" asks the voice of Morgan from behind them. "You were supposed to defeat Darkseid. Not bring us to… whatever here is." she says as the trio turn around to face her.
"This was not intentional." answers a confused Scáthach. "I do not believe that we had a hand in bringing us here." she says.
"*That is correct.*" speaks the void.
"Did the void just speak?" wonders Azula.
"*I am not the void, but rather the Source.*" it answers with a voice neither male nor female. "*This is not a physical space, but a metaphysical one from which I have brought you here to speak to.*" it says.
"So Hecate was right. You are sentient." observes Azula.
"*To some extent. I do not have an identity, I have no gender, nor do I fall under any specific category that you can label me as. I am what I am and beyond the comprehension of even gods such as yourselves.*" it explains.
"What is the purpose of bringing us here?" asks Scáthach as she voices the question on all of their minds.
"*The purpose is simple. To rid myself of this Multiverse you come from.*" it says, causing the group to prepare for battle. "*You misunderstand me.*" says the Source. "*I do not wish to extinguish this Multiverse. No, despite this Multiverse's problematic nature due to how it was created, I find that I am… fond of it, for lack of a better term.*" explains it.
"Fond of it? And how does its creation make it problematic?" questions Ambrosius.
"*That is the best term I can make use of for your minds to comprehend.*" says the Source. "*As for its creation, that is simpler.*" it answers. "*You see, far before time existed I created 'The Hands', a group of celestial beings, and gave them the duty to birth Multiverses by using their internal positive energies, which they have come to call Connective Energy and Anti-Crisis Energy.*" ir explains. "*All but one followed my instructions and created countless Multiverse with the Connective Energy. The one who disobeyed created a Multiverse with the Crisis Energy, the opposite of the Anti-Crisis Energy, in the hopes of creating a Multiverse everlasting by feeding upon other Multiverses.*" it explains.
"It created our Multiverse." comments Morgan.
"*Correct.*" answers the Source. "*Naturally I destroyed the one who disobeyed me but chose to leave the Multiverse as is out of interest. I observed your Multiverse until you four arrived within it. I had planned to remove you from the Multiverse when I was met with a being far more powerful than I who simply introduced themselves as R.O.B. According to R.O.B, it allowed me to sense your presence for a simple purpose, to draw my attention.*" explains the Source.
"I believe that I may have misheard you, but did you say that you met R.O.B?" questions Ambrosius.
"*Indeed I did.*" answers the Source. "*R.O.B struck me a deal, allow you to reside in that Multiverse for a set amount of time and he will offer me a solution for that Multiverse that does not require its destruction.*" it says. "*As I have grown 'fond' of that Multiverse I accepted and watched you carefully. It was during my observation of you that I understood R.O.B's intentions, to offer you this Multiverse should you successfully achieve godhood. However, I was not content with that as I saw that if you simply lived long enough you would have achieved godhood. I wanted you to prove your worthiness to me.*" says the Source.
"Did you stage our conflict with the gods?" questions Scáthach with a frown.
"*No.*" answers the Source. "*I simply allowed Darkseid to find a way to drain the other gods millenia early and did not interfere when he enacted his plan. Had Darkseid not found a way to drain the gods your conflict with the Olympians would have still occurred, including your conflict with Klarion, Ares, Brainiac and any other conflict that was not directly related to Darkseid. I also did not aid or hinder you in any way.*" it explains
Silence fills the void as Morgan, Scáthach, Azula and Ambrosius process what they have just heard. Finding out that none of this was staged other than allowing Darkseid to have a single piece of knowledge is reassuring. At the same time however, that very same knowledge allowed Darkseid to massacre at least trillions. The pantheons are not the only ones who suffered. With the breaking of the Source Wall, many dimensions were wiped out and many more lives were lost when the countless Earths began to occupy the same space. Still, despite how they feel about it, there is nothing they can do other than accept the power and use it to right some of those wrongs.
"Alright. What do we have to do?" asks Ambrosius.
"*Nothing.*" answers the Source. "*This was not a request. Me bringing you here was merely a… formality.*" it says and with a blinding flash of light the four find themselves in their original positions in the Multiverse.
AN: This chapter ends the DC arc and I'm honestly tempted to end the fic here. Tell me what you guys think (and please don't just say it was good or it was bad. Give me actual criticism like what did you guys like, what did you not like or even hated, how do you think I could improve, what would have made you like it more, etc…)
I still plan on doing the vacation jumps, but the narrative is basically done here. So don't expect anything too deep in terms of plot or anything.
Interlude Before Vacation
The Disputed Lands Continent of Essos
~ 6 years after Daenerys' Coronation
The Disputed Lands, a region of southwestern Essos. It has long been contested between the Free Cities of Lys, Myr, and Tyrosh, often involving skirmishes and small wars. Currently two armies face each other there in a battle that will determine the fate of the Seven Kingdoms.
The first army is the standing army of the Seven Kingdom led by none other than their Queen, Daenerys Targeryen, also known as Daenerys the Wise, Queen of the Andals, the Rhoynar, and the First Men, Protector of the Realm and the People, Favored by The Olympian.
In the past six years, Daenerys has grown the crown's standing army to a substantial number of one hundred thousand in total not counting spies and the ANBU division. As far as most are concerned, the ANBU division is simply a myth perpetuated by the army in order to make their enemies fearful and paranoid to the point of it being detrimental. Despite popular belief however, the ANBU is a very real division and they are the reason for Daenerys and her army's reason for being here.
Some months ago, rumours began circulating of an army of sellsword companies gathering in the Disputed Lands of Essos. A small set of spies were sent to verify the validity of these rumours, and that is how they found a man claiming to be Aegon Targaryen, the son of Elia Martel and Rhaegar Targaryen, in secret. From what the spies were able to find out, the pretender leads the Golden Company as his standing army along with having hired the Company of Cat, the Second Sons, the Brave Companions and a slew of other sellswords for a total of around twenty thousand combatants. He also bought eight thousand Unsullied, bringing his total combatants to around twenty-eight thousand.
"A beautiful day to go to war." says a man sitting on a horse next to Daenerys as he looks at the beautiful sunny sky.
"This is no war Oberyn." answers Daenerys as she too looks up at the sky. "This will be a skirmish at the most before we return home."
"True." replies Oberyn. "Although if I had a say in it, the pretender would be dead from an 'accident' along with every member of the Iron Bank's council for funding him and we would peacefully be enjoying a feast right now."
"Yes, well you have made your thoughts on the matter clear and I have decided not to follow your advice in favor of testing my army here and now as opposed to at a later time when their competence is crucial." answers Daenerys.
"Normally I would be fine with that except for the fact that you left the majority of your army back in Westeros." says Oberyn with a frown.
"I left them in case the army here is simply a diversion." she answers with a frown as she sees grey storm clouds begin to slowly roll in overhead in the sky. "Besides, it isn't like you to worry. Old age must be getting to you." says Daenerys with a small smirk.
"Old?!" bellows out Oberyn. "I will have you know-" he begins only to be interrupted by a thunder clap.
"This storm… there is nothing natural about it." quietly whispers Daenerys as the sun is blocked by the massive storm clouds, causing her Queensguard and many of her soldiers to look up at the sky in worry. Waging battle during a storm is not something that they look forward to.
"Gawain must be looking down from the heavens." says Oberyn with a bit of sarcasm.
"I thought that you didn't believe." comments Daenerys with a raised eyebrow.
"I don't believe in him being a god, but I do know magic when I see it." he says as he points at the thundering clouds.
Before Daenerys can answer, a knight on a horse approaches her from the middle of the battlefield.
"What did they say?" says Daenerys as she questions the Knight.
"They refused all terms of surrender and…" says the Knight as he trails off near the end of his sentence.
"And?" asks Daenerys.
"And… um… he says to pray to your false god for mercy because he will have none." answers the Knight as thunder booms overhead, spooking some of the horses and startling the Knight.
"Anything else?" asks Daenerys.
"At some point during his rant, he mentioned something about making you his consort." says the Knight.
"Thank you. Spread the order, we finish this battle today to return home." says Daenerys as she dismisses the Knight and ignores Oberyn's amused expression next to her.
"Seems that I'm not the only nonbeliever." comment Oberyn as a chill begins to envelop the battlefield despite the earlier summer weather, causing him to shiver a bit.
"The world is full of nonbelievers." answers Daenerys as her breath frosts in the air and she turns to address her soldiers.
Before Daenerys can even open her mouth to speak, a bolt of lightning strikes the land between both armies causing many of the horses to become spooked and for all those presents to avert their eyes from the bright flash of light.
As the light disappears, Daenerys turns back to face the land to see a single Knight with his back to her army, facing the opposing army with his sword impaled into the ground and their palms resting over the hilt of the sword. Unlike most armor worn by knights, this one's armor is quite slim and it is worn over a red tunic with silver accents.
"Gawain?" questions Daenerys with a whisper. "No. That knight is too short and slim." decides Daenerys after inspecting the knight.
"How astute." says a powerful masculin voice from in front of Daenerys, causing her, her Queenguards and Oberyn to draw their weapons and point it at the voice's direction where they find a man petting Daenerys' horse.
The man stands at six feet two inches, possesses long silver hair that reaches his upper back and has a slight glow to them, beautiful brown skin and a physique perfect for a warrior. He wears a red sleeveless cuirass with silver accents, a red and silver pauldron on his left shoulder, silver vambraces that reach from below his shoulders to his wrist, silver tassets over black trousers, and silver greaves that completely covers his boots, and on his back he wears a red cape with silver accents.
"Impressive reaction." says the man as he looks up at Daenerys, allowing the group to see his handsome smirking face and the red and silver helmet he wears that frames his face and his slightly glowing red eyes.
"Gawain? Is that really you?" asks Daenerys apprehensively.
"You used to make me sleep next to you for awhile because you had nightmares from your time on the streets." he answers, causing her to put her sword away and slightly blush at the revelation.
Despite putting her sword away, Daenerys has no idea how she should greet him and just stares at him in awe for a few moments even as her Queensguard looks to her for guidance on what they should do. While everyone else may not know what to do, Oberyn has no qualms with reacting how he feels and gets off his horse to get a better look at Gawain.
"You've changed." comments Oberyn as he looks at Gawain's more mature and slightly different face. "Aren't gods supposed to be immortal and not age?" he asks.
"If you want I can look like you remember." answers Gawain as he becomes slimmer and his face changes to look like what it did before his merging with Romulus.
Seeing him shapeshift like this shakes Daenerys out of her shock and she dismounts from her horse.
"How should I address you?" she asks as she wonders if she should kneel or bow or if there is some other way to greet a God.
"Ambrosius is fine." says Ambrosius as he reverts back to his previous look.
"You have not visited in six years." says Daenerys as she decides to treat him like before until he tells her otherwise.
"I have been busy." he answers as he continues to pet her horse.
"Gods get busy?" questions Oberyn.
"Yes." answers Ambrosius as he looks at the surroundings and Daenerys realises that since Ambrosius' arrival the world has stopped.
"Are you doing this? And who is that Knight?" questions Daenerys as her mind races and she struggles not to voice all of her questions.
"Yes I am, and that Knight would be my daughter. Mordred, Goddess of Justice, Victory, Battle, Fortune and Knights." he answers fondly as he looks towards the Knight. "I know that you must have many questions, but we can speak once this situation is dealt with." he says before she can speak as he returns her to her previous position on her horse and the world resumes.
"Warriors!" bellows out Mordred as she addresses the enemy army and draws the attention of the army of Westeros. "There is no need to carelessly forfeit your lives for a pretender. Leave and you will not die this day!" she exclaims.
While most of the sellswords have already been spooked by the supernatural change in the weather, their greed overcomes their fears and they decide to remain where they are.
"Who might you be?" questions an armored man with red three headed dragon over a black background.
"I am Mordred. Daughter of The Olympian, Goddess of Justice, Victory, Battle, and Fortune." she answers, shocking the Westeros army and making the sellswords even more uneasy.
After Mordred's exclamation, an eerie silence falls over the field as the sellsword army uneasily whispers amongst themselves over the possibility of it all. Between the unnatural shift in the weather and the way the Knight appeared, some believe that it may be true. Others however do not share the sentiment and make that quite clear with their jeers and laughter.
Not bothering to address the Knight anymore, the armored man gives the order to attack and leads the charge. As Daenerys prepares to give her own army the order to attack, Ambrosius taps her hand, bringing her attention to him.
"Let her deal with it." he says.
Obeying him, Daenery gives her army the order to simply watch. What follows suit cannot even be called a proper battle as Mordred proceeds to effortlessly destroy the sellsword army in a more humiliating way then what Ambrosius did to Stannis' army when he went by Gawain. While Ambrosius' battle at the time took minutes, this one took seconds as Mordred simply disappeared from all but Ambrosius' sight before appearing behind the army with a clean sword. A second after her appearance, the sellsword army proceeds to fall over with many of them either dead or injured. The only ones not injured by her are the horses, and they proceed to rid themselves of their riders before running away.
As her enemies lie on the flooring dead, dying, or injured, Mordred's sword dissolves into light and she turns to face the Westeros army before walking towards them. Seeing the approaching Knight, many fall on their knees praying to her before slowly all of them follow suit except for Daenerys and Mordred.
"Father, will it always be like this?" asks Mordred, referring to the headache that the prayers cause.
"Not always." answers Ambrosius as he makes himself visible to the entire Westeros army for the first time since his arrival, making them bow even more and begin to pray more fervently.
--
AN: This chapter is an interlude before we begin the vacation jumps. I have been looking at all of the suggestions you guys have given me and tbh I like a lot of them. Also, someone suggested I do a sequel where it focuses on Ambrosius and the family building their pantheon and at first I wasn't sure how I would go about it, but then I stumbled upon the Mortal Kombat jumpchain where they have a perk that allows you to own an entire world if you beat it in a Mortal Kombat tournament. Another idea was a sequel that focuses on the kids instead of the parents. Some people even suggested I do one for Ambrosius' biological kids instead of the adoptive kids. Tell me what you guys think. Also thanks for all of the constructive criticism they mean a lot to me. I know some of you guys are wondering what their domains are, so here is the list of their domains and titles.
Ambrosius, King of the Sea, God of War, Storms, Sea, Earthquakes, Destruction, Intelligence, Poisons, Horses, Protector of the People, Patron of Warriors, Kings, and Fathers.
Scáthach, Queen of the Dead, Goddess of Death, the Hunt, Winter, Ice, Mountains, Wilderness, War, Fate, Leader of the Valkyries, Patron of Fallen Warriors
Azula, Queen of the Sky, Goddess of Lightning and Thunder, Fire, Deceit, Choices, Revenge, Illusions, Leader of the Amazons, Patron of Warrior Women
Morgan, Queen of the Earth, Goddess of Magic, Life, Crossroads, Luck, Beauty, Prophecy, Patron of Mothers, and Royals
Mordred, Goddess of Justice, Victory, Battle, Fortune, Patron of Knights
Last edited: Oct 6, 2020
The Tower of Heaven
Tower of Heaven Caelum Kingdom, South of Fiore
X776
Appearing within a three way corridor inside theTower of Heaven, the first thing I do is inscribe a runic array that stops time in the entire tower for everyone but my family and I. The array is the same I used to stop time in the Disputed Lands, and since I do not know how my status as a god will affect my use of magic from this world I decide to refrain from using it until I have further experimented with it. Turning to face everyone else, I can see the excitement in the children's eyes at the prospect of this new adventure. Especially Jason who is slowly turning his body from an icy blue little drake to his human form.
"Alright, this location that we are in is called the Tower of Heaven." I inform them from my limited knowledge of the Fairy Tail world. At this rate I will only remember basic information that will allow me to blend into my jumps and nothing too complex such as the plot or characters that do not have a significant role.
"And it is an abomination." says Scáthach before I can continue. "Perhaps it is due to my domain as a Goddess of Death, but I can sense its purpose simply from a glance and it unnerves me."
"Not only that." adds in Mordred with a frown on her face. "But the creators kidnap adults and children alike to enslave them to work here." she explains, earning a raised eyebrow from Morgan and I on how she could possibly know this. "My identity as a rune knight was sent on an assignment to verify rumours of its creation. I am supposed to save anyone in need of saving, arrest anyone responsible and destroy the Tower by any means necessary." she explains.
"Is your identity going to be an issue?" asks Morgan.
"Nah." answers Mordred with a shake of her head. "They only know that I was raised in the woods by some powerful recluse wizards and that's it."
"Well? What are you waiting for, an invitation? Get to work Rune Knight." I tell her with a smirk that she returns.
"Oh man! Can I help?!" asks an excited Jason.
"Sure. Just stick with Cassandra and call for help if you need it." I answer as I deactivate the runic array and Jason turns back into a little drake with an excited grin on his face.
"Alright! Let's kick some bad guys but!" exclaims Jason as he stumbles into the air with a flap of his wings and turns down the left corridor. Not far behind him, Cassandra follows suit while Mordred takes the corridor to the right.
Soon enough I hear a grown man's scream followed by the temperature in the air dropping down a few degrees. Not far behind I hear Cassandra's elbow smash into a slaver's temple before his body drops to the floor unconscious.
"Was it wise to allow the little ones to participate?" asks Scáthach as we make our way to the middle path that leads towards the Tower's very top floor.
"There is nothing to worry about." answers Azula as she casually blasts a guard out of the Tower with a fireball. "With their current skill level they can easily take all of these NPCs down while blindfolded."
"NPCs Azula? I didn't know that you were into gaming." I comment with a smirk as my eyes flash red and the guards proceed to turn on each other.
"Well, if you must know, Jason roped Cassandra into gaming and she roped me in." answers Azula with an exasperated sigh that elicits a chuckle out of us.
"In all seriousness, I am not worried about them. I'm worried about the guards." clarifies Scáthach as she freezes a set of guards in our path before Morgan telekinetically moves them aside.
"Fair point." I answer as a particular guard screams loudly in pain from what sounds like a broken arm.
"Oh well. No one told them to pick this hazardous occupation." comments Azula as she blasts down the door to the only room in the top floor.
"You are awfully quiet Morgan. Is there something on your mind?" asks Scáthach as we make our way inside the completely empty room.
"The magic energy here, ethernano I believe Ambrosius called it, is somewhat similar to the magical energy from DC." she comments as magic circles flicker around her hands before disappearing. "They are different enough however to mean that our status as gods will not help in our mastering of the magic here." she adds.
"Are you saying that we are weaker here?" asks Azula.
"Yes and No. Yes because we will have to practice to master the magic here. No because our control over our domains still remains. Ambrosius can still command the sea at will, Azula can still command lightning at will, etc…" she explains.
"And how does that affect your domain as a Goddess of Magic?" I ask as an explosion goes off a few floors below us.
"What do you think?" asks Morgan with a pleased smirk as she conjures a sword and proceeds to cut a hole in the wall. "If I make use of their system of magic I will simply be one of the most skilled and powerful mages to ever grace this world despite my lack of training. Once I train properly I will be THE most skilled and powerful mage to ever be in this world. And perhaps with some more work I can even become The Goddess of Magic here too." she explains as the sword in her hand begins to dissolve into light only for Scáthach to summon it to her hands.
"Interesting." comments Scáthach as she inspects the weapon. "You used magic from DC to create the sword and enchanted it using Magic from this world. I wonder if you can mix magic from the world of Westeros along with the one from DC and the Nasuverse, and here?" wonders Scáthach out loud.
"My only issue with that suggestion is that magic from Westeros is quite primitive." answers Morgan as Scáthach lets the sword dissolve into light.
"Well, as their Goddess of Magic, it is your duty to attend to that." says Azula as we turn to face the approaching duo of Jason and Cassandra as they drag a few more children in with them.
"Old man you should've seen it!" excitedly says Jason as he stumbles in with his dragon wings growing out of his human body. "I was like woosh, and Cass was like pow, and all the bad guys were like 'Oh no! It's a dragon! Run!." says Jason as he excitedly animates while Cassandra simply nods with a small smile on her face.
"Bad guys… defeated." says Cassandra once Jason quiets down.
"Congratulations." compliments Scáthach with a smile.
Before the rest of us can also compliment them, an elderly man clears his throat as he approaches us.
He is a lean old man with pale skin. He has long white hair which goes midway down his back. Two strands of hair stand out from the rest and point outwards. His eyebrows are nearly as long as the hair on his head, reaching down past his chin. He has a thick gray beard which extends down to his chest. The only clothing that he wears are a pair of beige shorts. Despite looking somewhat healthy, any experienced eyes can easily tell that not only is he malnourished but his body is extremely frail.
"Are you the parents of these wonderful children?" he asks.
"We are." answers Azula.
"My name is Rob, and I want to offer mine, along with everyone else's, gratitude for saving us." he says with a bow of his head and with a cough.
"Yes, well you shouldn't be moving about so much in your condition." answers Morgan as she walks to the old man and places her right hand on his chest. A magic circle flickers into her hand and Rob can be seen to visibly become healthier as his muscles slightly fill out and some of his wrinkles disappear.
"This is the most I dare to do with magic. The rest will have to be done the proper way." says Morgan as the magic circle disappears and she steps away from Rob.
"*We all know that you could have healed him all the way.*" comments Azula in all of our minds.
"*I am on vacation.*" answers Morgan as Mordred walks in followed by more freed slaves from the tower.
"This is everybody. We should leave now, and I have to report back to the Magic Council about my findings." says Mordred.
"*And should we do nothing about the little bug eavesdropping with her crystal ball?*" asks Azula as a massive teleportation array emerges from beneath my feet and envelops the entire Tower. Soon after I reach out with my domain over the sea and set another teleportation array onto the shore of Fiore.
"*Leave it.*" I answer as I teleport anyone living, including the unconscious guards, out of the Tower and into the beach of the country of Fiore. "*This is Mordred's assignment and her duty to find anyone responsible for this event.*" I say as we appear on the beach.
"Woah." whisper many of the freed slaves while the children watch me in awe.
"See. I told you that he's an awesome mage." brags Jason to a certain redhead and her group of friends.
"Showing off for children now?" teases Azula as she turns around and makes a massive lightning bolt strike the Tower, completely destroying it, the island it was on, and causing a massive wave from the ocean to approach us.
"Says the one actually showing off." comments Scáthach as she completely freezes the wave along with the entire sea that is within a normal mage's eyesight.
"I believe that you overdid it." says Morgan as she hides a teasing smile while Azula laughs out loud and Scáthach sheepishly looks away.
"Are you two serious?!" demands a dumbfounded Mordred. "You know I can arrest you for this right?" she says she summons a flaming sword and proceeds to attempt melting the ice to no avail. "Fix this!" she demands as she returns her sword to her requip space and while I lose what little control I had and laugh out loud.
"My apologies." apologises Scáthach as she returns the ocean back to normal.
"That was a powerful display of magic." comments Rob. "You four must be renown." he says as he looks between us.
"Not really." I answer. "We were reclusive mages and have only decided to rejoin civilization now. We are currently looking to join a guild. I believe that it would be good for the children." I explain as I point to Jason and Cassandra.
"I see." says Rob as Mordred goes about questioning every freed slave and the children converse among themselves, even as a few of them occasionally sneak glances at Scáthach, Azula, Morgan, and I. "Do you have a guild in mind?" he asks.
"We have decided on going to Fairy Tail." I tell him with a smile.
"Ahhh! Excellent choice. Although I may be biased in saying so." he replies with a smile as he turns around and shows me his Fairy Tail mark on his lower back. "I am a member myself. Makarov and I go way back." he tells me.
"Oh my! How convenient." says Azula with a sarcasm that only Scáthach, Morgan, and I pick up on.
"It may simply be fate." answers the old man.
"Yes, fate." agrees Morgan while she and Azula hold their amusement in.
"*This world is going to be so much fun.*" telepathically comments Azula.
"*You will NOT, under any circumstances, corrupt the innocent children of the guild.*" answers Scáthach with a glare that she discreetly sends Azula.
"*And unless you want to kill the children, you will never train them.*" answers Azula with a smirk.
"*My training does not kill!*" retorts Scáthach, to which we all give her skeptical glances while I go about naming students that have died due to her training.
--
AN: Chapter #1 of their vacation and tbh I'm pretty hyped for this. Tell me what you guys think.
Arriving at Fairy Tail
Fiore X776
After Mordred had finished interviewing every freed slave from the Tower of Heaven, along with binding any surviving slavers, It was decided that our group would split up there. One group would follow Rob to Fairy Tail, while another group would return to the Magic Council with Mordred in the hopes of using the council's resources to unite with their families or living a peaceful life. Naturally we went along with Rob and the kids who decided to join Fairy Tail. Most of those kids are Erza's friends and a few are, from what my sparse memory tells me, the children who would one day become one of the most powerful Dark Guilds, Oración Seis.
Which is why we currently find ourselves making camp in the woods at night before we continue our journey tomorrow morning. While the children sit and talk amongst themselves, Azula and I set up camp while Morgan and Scáthach go about making food. Once I finish setting mundane traps around the camp, more for wild monster animals than anything, I sit down next to Rob by the fire Scáthach and Morgan are using to cook whatever meat they hunted.
"You four must have known each other for years to have such impeccable teamwork." he comments once I sit down. "I have even seen you communicate with only your eyes. Truly impressive, you four will make for a formidable team." he says.
"We have known each other for two thousand years." I say with a smile while not bothering to hide our age. We may be on vacation, but that does not mean that we want to completely hide our origins. Besides, seeing people's reactions, whether it be denial or acceptance, will be hilarious to me.
Rather than answer, Rob bellows out a laugh that draws the attention of the children.
"If I didn't know any better I would believe you. That's simply how good your teamwork is." he says once he regains control of his laughter.
"Believe what you will." I tell him with a shrug as Azula sits next to me.
"Tell me Rob, what is Fairy Tail like?" asks Azula, causing the camp to quiet down and for many of the children to sit closer in order to hear his response. Sitting the closest however, are two children that I recognise easily along with Cassandra and Jason who has retracted his dragon wings.
The first child is a boy around Jason's age and height with blue hair and a red tattoo above and below his right eye. Like all of the children, he wears a dirty white shirt that is big enough to cover the beige pants he wears underneath. The boy is Jellal Fernandes and in the original story he would be brainwashed into turning against his friends and completing the Tower of Heaven.
The second child is a young girl around the same age as Jellal. She possesses scarlet red hair which Jellal used to give her the last name Scarlet, and wears the same dirty clothes as the other children. In the original canon, she would lead a rebellion around a month after today which would result in Rob's death, the loss of her right eye, and the escape of many. Unfortunately, she would be the only one from her friends to escape. She would eventually join the protagonist guild, Fairy Tail, and become one of its most powerful mages.
Shaking the wayward thoughts from my head, I turn to look at Rob and wonder what his answer will be.
"Fairy Tail…" says Rob with a wistful smile on his face. "Fairy Tail is a family." he simply says, drawing blank looks from most of the children. "I can describe it in a million different ways, using a million different words, but… nothing will ever describe it better than that one word… family." he explains. "My friend Makarov said it best, 'If it's to protect our family, be it the Kingdom or the entire world… We would make anyone our enemy. That's what it means to be Fairy Tail'." says Rob with a proud smile.
While the children do not seem to fully understand, Azula, Morgan, Scáthach and I all know exactly what he means. However, it is not something that we can simply explain to the children to make them understand. No, this is something they must experience themselves to understand and not amount of words can properly convey it.
As I decide to change the subject, I hear footsteps quickly approaching while at the same time attempting to surround us. Judging by the sound, I wager that it is a group of fairly experienced bandits numbering at around a dozen.
"12 bandits with maybe a few mages among them." I tell Azula while at the same time confusing the children.
"Did you not trap the perimeter?" she asks as she glances into the woods where some of the bandits approach.
"For animals." I answer. "Any competent human being with even a sliver of intelligence can bypass those mundane traps." I say just as three of the bandits fall into one the traps and their pained screams resonate throughout the night, startling the children.
"Jack!" calls out one of the bandits.
"Dammit man, shut up! You want them to hear us comin?" answers another voice with a whisper, prompting Azula to crack an amused smile.
"Don't bother." says a much deeper voice. "They already know we're here." he says as the entire group gives up all pretenses and walks straight into our camp.
The group are all male and wear the same clothes, black pants tucked into black boots, long black shirts and gloves, and even black masks that cover their entire heads and only leave their eyes to be seen. I honestly have to give them some credit. Not only are their clothes good for sneaking at night in the woods, but it also makes them indistinguishable from one another and impossible to identify if you were to meet them on the streets in normal clothes. Well, impossible for anyone else.
"Here's how this is gonna go folks." says the leader as an orange magic circle appears in his hands and flame comes from it. "You're gonna give us everything you have, and you won't get burned to a crisp." he threatens as all of the children but Cassandra and Jason slowly move towards us.
"*I rank him at a high D rank. Safe for the children to handle if it were one against two, but his companions are unknown.*" says Azula.
"*He is the only mage.*" says Morgan nonchalantly. "*Everyone else is a normal trained human at best.*"
Before we can decide whether or not to let the children handle it, Jason opens his mouth and an icy blue magic circle forms in front of it before a blue beam fires from his mouth and completely encases the mage, and hundreds of feet behind the mage, in ice upon contact. Not far behind Jason, a magic circle erupts from beneath Cassandra's feet and envelops the entire camp. The magic spell quickly takes effect and everyone in the camp save for Morgan, Azula, Scáthach and I are completely frozen in place as Cassandra proceeds to run around and knock out every member of the bandit group.
"*Did one of us take a drawback that would make us overdo it when we used magic?*" I ask as I look at the damage Jason's breath attack did to the surrounding areas, it reminds of when Scáthach froze the sea, or when a member of Fairy Tail would cause property damage during battle.
"*No, but at least with Jason we can blame it on a lack of training.*" answers Azula as she shoots Scáthach an accusing glance. "*What I want to know is why Cass's spell is still in effect.*" she adds.
"Cassandra." I call out to her, causing her to look at me with a face that those who do not know her intimately would never know meant that she is panicking, simply because of how devoid of emotion it is. Something that we have been trying to train her out of. "How long is the spell going to last?" I ask her. She does not answer me with words, only with her body language. Another habit that is ingrained into her due to her father's training.
"Use your words honey." says Azula soothingly as she approaches Cassandra with a small smile on her face.
"I-I-I don't know." she answers quietly as Azula picks her up.
"It's ok. There won't be any punishment. We'll fix this." reassures Azula.
Moments like this, when Cassandra makes a mistake during combat, are rare, but when they do happen she reverts back to the state Azula found her in. She retreats within herself, stops making any sound and instead communicates with her body language, no doubt because she is afraid that we will punish her like David used to. Despite training and combat possibly resurfacing her fears, she refuses to miss any training and insists on actually fighting when necessary. At this rate the best thing to do is to support her until she realises that none of us are David Cain.
As Azula coaxs Cassandra out of her shell, I go about seeing how to reverse the spell. It is a simple spell that stops time within a certain area and depending on how much magic power is used will determine how long the spell lasts. Simple and crude. With my current skill level on time magic, the best way to reverse it is through brute force, and that is exactly what I do.
A magic circle erupts from beneath my feet and overlaps with Cassandra's before canceling it out. As the spell's effect stops, the bandits that surround the camp fall unconsciously on the ground with a thud while everyone else that was frozen returns to normal.
"Woah!" exclaims Jellal as he and the others look at the unconscious bandits. "We didn't even see you move!" he says with gleaming eyes.
It seems that being stopped in time made them unaware of their surroundings, something to take note of.
"I am pretty fast." I admit with a smile in an attempt to draw their attention away from Cassandra.
"So what magic do you use?" he asks as he seems to become more comfortable around me.
"That's a secret." I answer as I proceed to melt the ice covering everything except for the bandit leader before evaporating it. "You overdid it." I tell a sheepish Jason as I take a seat in front of the children.
"Sorry." he answers with an apologetic grin as he and his new friends sit near me.
"Don't worry, we will train you so that it does not happen again." I reply.
"Can you teach us too?" asks Jellal with an excited look on his face.
"I can teach you some things, but Morgan is better at magic than me." I answer.
"Is that a yes?" he presses on.
"It is." I tell him
Before he can ask me any more questions, Scáthach arrives with plates of food that she hands out to everyone. From there the camp falls into silence as everyone busies themselves with their food. Occasionally one of the children would be brave enough to turn and thank Scáthach and Morgan for the food before quickly returning to it. Once finished with their first plates Scáthach offers them more and many of them accept. Eventually though they all finish eating and tiredly make their way to the cushions Azula prepared for them where they all fall asleep, leaving us to watch over them while we converse.
Eventually though, Rob also goes to sleep and Morgan, Azula, and Scáthach remain awake.
"Did you notice the snake the boy has?" asks Morgan as she points towards a small purple serpent sleeping in the grasps of Erik, a young boy around the same age as Jason with a dark tan skin, maroon hair, and purple slit pupil eyes. In canon he becomes a second generation dragon slayer, a member of Oración Seis, and a powerful S class mage. Unfortunately I have no recollection of his serpertent.
"What about it?" asks Azula as she adjusts a sleeping Cassandra's position on her.
"That is a child cursed to take the form of the snake." explains Morgan. "I can revert her back, however how do you explain to a child that his friend, and the only thing to get him through his hard time as a slave, is another child that may or may not be content with being his friend once reverted back to normal?" she questions.
"This is beyond even my expertise as a parent." I admit with a frown.
"We can deal with this once we reach Fairy Tail." says Scáthach and we all agree with her.
As we fall into silence, Morgan goes about experimenting with her magic along with Scáthach while Azula sets Cassandra down to sleep before she too begins to experiment, and I take out the Mysterious Book on the origin of magic and begin to read. According to it, 'Magic is the physical embodiment of the spirit. When the physical spirit of an organism connects with the spiritual flow of nature, the spirit forms Magic as a product of the connection. Though Magic goes beyond reason, it is still born of reason and it takes an enormous amount of concentration and mental ability to use it. One's magical powers are also tied to one's life force. Only ten percent of the world's population is able to use Magic, which is noted to keep a balance between ordinary people and those with Magic.'
The book also goes further into details about magic power and the particles of magic called Ethernano. Essentially to utilize Magic, a Mage must use the Magic Power in their body, which is composed of Ethernano, the source of Magic Power for all Mages. Every Mage has a container of Ethernano inside their body that determines the limits of their Magic Power. Once a mage runs out their body will begin to draw the Ethernano from the atmosphere until the body's magic power levels return to normal.
As I read further into the book, I relay any piece of information I deem important or interesting enough to the others and they would slowly adjust their experiments based on their findings. In this way, we lose track of time until we begin to hear the chirping of birds, alerting us to the arrival of the morning. Ending our research for now, we once again split responsibilities as Scáthach and Morgan go about making breakfast while Azula and I create a bath for them.
It does not take us long to find a space suitable in the wood where we create a hole big enough for all the children and fill it with warm water.
The first to wake up is Erza before she is quickly followed by the others. Once they are all awake I lead them to the hole where Azula showers them while I clean their clothes. Once they are dressed we make our way back to the camp where we eat while making light conversation. I am even able to get Erik and Sorano, a young girl with pale skin, brown eyes and silver hair, to participate. She also would have joined Oración Seis had we not interfered.
As we finish cleaning up the camp, Rob looks up at the noonday sky.
"At this rate we won't make it to Fairy Tail for a long time." he laments with a sigh.
"I beg to differ." I answer as I inscribe a runic array on the ground that summons the massive chariot pulled by Bulls.
"Woah!" exclaims the children.
"Magic." I answer with a smirk as Morgan levitates them all onto the chariot.
"I have never seen magic like this." comments Rob as he gets into the chariot. "It looks to be some type of Letter Magic." he observes.
"It is the origin of all Letter Magic." I partially lie to him. " Ancient Lost Magic: Rune Magic." I answer as I take the reins of the chariot.
"A Lost Magic!" exclaims Rob, drawing questioning looks from the children. "I've heard of them, but I've never actually witnessed one before. They are said to be extremely powerful." he explains to them.
"Indeed they are." I answer while ignoring the eye rolls coming from Morgan and Azula because of my showing off.
Without warning I urge the bulls into action as they launch into the sky with thunderous steps that occasionally generate lightning. Following the direction Rob pointed out to us earlier on where Fairy Tail is located, I steer the bulls and encourage them to fly even faster.
This runic spell is a personal favorite of mine. It is based on Tanngrisnir and/eða Tanngnjóstr the goats that pull the chariot of the Norse god of thunder, Thor. The very same chariot which is the original form of the Noble Phantasm; Gordius Wheel: Wheel of Heaven's Authority. Like Iskandar's noble phantasm, the chariot can be used for both travel and combat purposes.
As we make our way above the clouds, I can hear the children talk animatedly amongst themselves while pointing out interesting sights, and minutes after our departure I can see the approaching town of Magnolia, home of Fairy Tail.
As we approach the town, I slow the chariot down before slowly descending it right in front of the guild hall with a thunderous boom that shakes and creates cracks on the ground.
The Fairy Tail Guild Hall is a large, two-story high building that is painted white, green, and red with the Fairy Tail symbol displayed above the door.
"Here it is." I say we get off the chariot before it slowly dissolves into light.
"Can magic do anything?" asks Sorano as we make our way towards the entrance of the building despite receiving glances from many of the citi's citizens.
"Of course." answers Morgan. "If you have the knowledge, and the power, then you can do anything with magic." she says as she creates a flower in her hand, before turning it to a snake, then a rope, before making it disappear.
"*That was not magic from DC.*" observes Scáthach as we open the door to the guild hall and walk in.
"*I know.*" proudly answers Morgan. "*I am already coming to terms with this world's different magic system.*" she says with a smirk. "*It's only a matter of time before I completely master it.*"
--
AN: This chapter was a bit difficult to write since I'm not really experienced with slice of life or fluff. As usual tell me what you guys think.
Welcome to Fairy Tail
AN: Alright so I got the age for the kids wrong in the previous chapters, so now I'm changing all of the ages.
Erza and Jellal are both 11.
Sorano, Erik, and Jason are all 9.
Cassandra is 7.
This doesn't change anything too significant other than their heights.
Fairy Tail Guild Hall, Magnolia
Fiore
X776
The inside of Fairy Tail is set up like a giant bar room with tables and seats spaced out around the floor to easily allow anyone to walk through. Far in the back of the room the bar can be found where many are currently sitting, eating, drinking, talking, and two sets of stairways can be found on opposite sides of the room that lead towards the second floor where a balcony overlooks the bar. Other than that, nothing really stands out about the guild hall except for one thing, the noise.
Fairy Tail is loud. I know that in canon it is loud and crazy inside the guild hall, but I have always believed that it was due to Natsu and the main cast's presence that made it that loud. I heard the noise even before we neared the door, and to my enhanced senses it was loud. I had thought that the main cast would be present, but other than Cana and Gray. Now I know better, and although the sound does not bother me despite my enhanced senses, I can see Jason's discomfort starting to show.
Walking over to him I place a runic array that limits one's senses on him.
"Thanks. I've never had a problem with loud noises before." he says as he rubs his ears.
"Well, you're a dragon now and they have enhanced senses." I explain to him as Rob leads our group to the bar where I can see Makarov Dreyar, the guild master, sitting on the table with his back to us while he chugs down a drink from his mug.
"The bull's noise didn't hurt." answers Jason.
"Well, the chariot is enchanted to be as comfortable for the rider as possible. It's why no one was tossed around during the ride and why the sound of the thunder did not rupture anybody's eardrums." I explain to him as Rob calls out to Makarov and draws many of the guild's attention to us.
Turning around, I can see Makarov's eyes light up before he inspects Rob in a split second and narrows them back in displeasure. The old man is far more observant than I expected. In less than three seconds he was able to assess Rob's physical situation to determine that his friend has been suffering a lot recently, and he did all this despite Rob looking healthier than a lot of his fellow elderly due to Morgan's brief treatment of him.
Makarov is an extremely short, elderly man that stands around Jason's height. He has black eyes and is growing bald with only the outer rims of his head containing white hair, and a thick white mustache. He is dressed in a casual manner, with an attire consisting of a white shirt with a black Fairy Tail stamp in the middle under an orange hoodie. His attire is completed with matching orange shorts and an orange and blue striped jester hat.
"Rob, it's good to see you old friend!" excitedly calls out Makarov as he puts his drink down. "Finally decided to visit after retiring and not keeping in touch for months?" rhetorically asks Makarov while his body language subtly asks whether or not Rob would like to speak in private.
"The past few months have been a little rough to be honest." admits Rob as he answers yes while slightly inclining his head towards me to indicate that we will be coming too.
"Come, let's talk more in my office." says Makarov as he jumps from the table and nimbly lands on his feet before making his way to one of the staircases and walking upstairs.
Following Makarov and Rob, we make our way upstairs where a lounge can be found and walk towards the back of the room where a door with the words 'Guild Master' engraved on it can be found. Inside is a moderately sized office with a desk filled with paperwork, two seats, one for the guild master and two for guests, a couch that is situated against the wall behind the guest's seats, and pictures of the previous guild masters.
As we make our way inside, Makarov sits himself on the guild master's chair, while Rob sits across from him in the guest's, the children make themselves comfortable on the couch and the rest of us remain standing.
"Alright Rob, what happened to you?" asks Makarov once he's situated in his seat.
"The Cult of Zeref." says Rob, shocking Makarov. "They have been abducting people and enslaving us to create the Tower of Heaven. From what I was able to tell, they were hoping to use the R-System to resurrect Zeref." he explains.
Crossing his arms, Makarov sits back on his chair and frowns in deep thought. Behind me I can hear the children mumbling amongst themselves wondering what the R-System is and who is this Zeref that the slavers were attempting to resurrect. Before I can explain it to them, Morgan does so for me.
"The R-System, also known as the Resurrection-System, is a magic item that can be used to revive a deceased person. The construction of the tower has been forbidden by the magic council since ancient times." she explains.
"So who's Zeref?" asks Erik with as much of a baleful frown as a child can muster while he protectively coddles his serpent.
"And what's the magic council?" asks Sorano.
"The Magic Council is the ruling body of the entire magical world. They make and enforce the rules that mages and guilds must follow." I explain to them. "As for Zeref, all that needs to be said is that he is the most powerful wizard in history." I tell them.
"More powerful than you?" asks Jellal skeptically.
"Of course not." answers Jason before I can with a scoff, as if the mere thought of someone more powerful than me is nothing more than preposterous.
"I agree with Jason, there is no way Zeref is more powerful than him." says Erza with a nod as she crosses her arms. "And even if Zeref is more powerful, we won't let him win!" declares Erza as she makes a fist and punches it into her palm.
"Hahahaha, such confidence." says Makarov with a boisterous laugh. "I like it." he continues on with a laugh while the other adults and I chuckle at the children's antics.
"Thank you for the vote of confidence." I tell them with a smile.
"You never answered." says Erik with the frown on his face. "Is Zeref more powerful than you?" he asks me seriously and causes the previous joyful atmosphere to sober up.
"Is Zeref more powerful than me? No." I answer seriously, satisfying the children and shocking Mackarov and Rob once they see that I am not joking. "However, Zeref is certainly more knowledgeable than me when it comes to magic." I tell them.
"So?" questions Erik. "Why does that matter, when you're more powerful?"
"Because magic is both knowledge and power." answers Sorano. "Right, Miss Morgan?" she asks Morgan.
"You can call me Morgan dear, but yes, knowledge is important when it comes to magic." answers Morgan with a smile.
"Ok, fine. What I really want to know is which one of you two would win in a fight?" once again asks Erik as he leans forwards.
"Me." I answer easily. "And if I am not here, then Azula, Morgan, and Scáthach can also defeat him by themselves." I tell them.
My answer seems to have satisfied Erik as he nods before sitting back in his chair and returning to play with his serpent.
As I turn back to face Makarov, I can see that he is scrutinising us in an attempt to see the truth behind our statements. No matter how hard he tries however, he cannot seem to find that we are lying and that seems to somewhat worry him. Not because of how powerful we claim to be, but rather because he fears that we may be delusional and lost in our power.
"So? Why did you come here? You could have gone to the Magic Council instead of here." asks Makarov as he stops studying us and turns to Rob.
"The Magic Council will know soon. One of their knights led the assault on the Tower of Heaven along with these four behind me." answers Rob as he points towards Morgan, Scáthach, Azula, and I. "I came here to escort these kids to Fairy Tail. They want to join." explains Rob.
"Not only do you visit, but you also bring me new members." teasingly says Makarov as he opens a drawer and takes a stamp out of it. "Come children, show me where you want your Fairy Tail marks so that I can officially make you part of Fairy Tail." happily says Makarov as he beckons the children to him.
Not sure whether to obey or not, the children sneak a questioning glance towards Rob and I before obeying once they see us nod at them. The first to go are Jason and Jellal who seem to have placed themselves as the co-leaders of the group. Not far behind is Erza who pulls the somewhat unsure Sorano with her while Erik and Cassandra bring up the back. Just by looking at this formation, I can already see the massive potential they can make as a team.
If they ever become interested, I will train them to be absolute terrors to their enemies. Forget Laxus' team or Team Natsu, everyone will be too worried about these six. I can see it already, two dragon slayers, Jason and Erik, a knight of Mordred's caliber from Erza, an absolute monster of a close quarter combat mage in Jellal, and whatever Morgan trains Sorano to become, the girl seems to have earned her favor. As for Cassandra, she seems to have the potential to be skilled towards everything. Her specialty will be up to her.
"Alright, I need your names, your age, the color of your guild mark, and where you want it stamped." says Makarov, bringing me out of my thoughts.
"My name is Jellal, I'm eleven years old, I want mine in blue and right here." introduces Jellal as he rolls up his right sleeve and points towards his right shoulder.
Nodding, Makarov takes the stamp and gently presses it on Jellal's right shoulder before removing it. In a small burst of blue light, the Fairy Tail mark appears on Jellal's shoulder.
"Cool." comments Jason with a smile before he approaches Makarov. "My name is Jason, I'm nine, and I want mine in red." says Jason as he rolls up his red shirt's sleeve and points towards his left shoulder.
Following his request, Makarov repeats his earlier action and Jason's guild mark appears on his left shoulder in a small burst of red light. With a satisfied smile on his face, Jason walks over to Jellal to show him his guild mark.
"My name is Erza, I'm also eleven, and I want my guild mark in blue." asks Erza as she points towards her left upper forearm where Makarov places the stamp before she joins Jason and Jellal
"Sorano, I'm nine, and I want mine in white." says Sorano as she points towards her right upper forearm.
The location earns a few raised eyebrows from the adults in the room. So far the duo has come up has always received their marks on opposite sides of each other and it makes us wonder whether or not this is a coincidence. Regardless of whether or not it is, Makarov places the stamp there and Sorano happily joins her friends afterwards.
"Erik, I'm nine, and I want mine in violet." says Erik as he points just above his collarbone where Makarov stamps the Fairy Tail mark in a color that matches his serpent's scales before Erik quietly joins the others.
Slowly approaching Makarov, Cassandra's body language shows Azula, Scáthach, Morgan and I how uncomfortable she is to have to speak in front of so many strangers. Despite her unease however she uses her body language to tell us that she wants to try anyway.
"My…" begins Cassandra hesitantly before stopping, taking a deep breath, and trying again. "My name is Cassandra, I'm seven, and…" stops Cassandra before she turns her head to look at Azula and I.
Subtly changing our body language, we ask her if something is wrong. Rather than answer verbally, Cassandra uses her body language to tell us that she does not know what color to pick. Before Azula and I can even suggest a few colors to her, Cassandra's eyes light up as an idea comes to her and she turns back to a patiently waiting Makarov.
"Gold." happily asks Cassandra as she pulls the collar of her shirt down and points to her heart.
With a raised eyebrow Makarov places a golden Fairy Tail mark over Cassandra's heart before the girl walks over to her friends with a small smile to her face.
"*How cute. Gold for my eyes, and the location for where her favorite tattoo of yours is located.*" comments Azula in my mind.
"And are you four also joining?" asks Makarov before I can answer Azula.
"Sure. This should prove to be interesting." answers Azula with a shrug as she approaches Makarov. "Azula, over two-thousand years old, and orange." says Azula as the left sleeve of her rune suit, disguised as a fire nation royal armor, slowly retract until it reveals her left shoulder where she points.
"Such a beautiful lady like you can't possibly be over twenty five years old." compliments Makarov.
"Careful little man, I'm already spoken for." warns Azula.
"Hahahaha. Don't worry, these old bones can longer participate in such activities." laughs Makarov "Although my eyes do in fact work perfectly fine." says Makarov as he makes his eyebrows go up and down.
"Tch, stupid old man." says Azula with a click of her tongue as she snatches the stamp from him before sending him flying through the wall behind him, and into the lounge with a kick.
The room falls into silence as most the children look at Azula with a dumbstruck expression on their faces and Rob simply face palms while muttering to himself how he should have seen that coming. Ignoring them all, Azula stamps the guild mark on her left shoulder.
After stamping the mark on herself, Azula tosses me the stamp and I apply a gold fairy tail mark with a black outline on a free space on my forearm before handing the stamp to Morgan. She places an emerald green mark on the back of her left hand before tossing it to Scáthach who places a magenta mark in the same place as Jason's and tosses Azula the stamp just as Makarov walks back into the room through the wall.
"Oooh, my back." whines Makarov as he retakes his seat and Azula hands him the stamp. "I haven't been hit that hard in my entire wizard career." says Makrov as he puts the stamp back in the drawer and closes it. "Now, why don't you kids go downstairs and mingle with your guildmates. Gray and Cana are around your age. Us adults need to talk about boring grown up stuff." suggests Makarov with a smile.
Seeing how all of the adults seem to agree with Makarov, the children quickly make their way out of the room before closing the door.
"Alright, now why don't you four introduce yourselves properly to me. I may not be able to feel your power, but just your presence is enough to tell me that nothing about you is ordinary." says Makarov.
"We joined Fairy Tail simply because we deemed it the best place to raise Jason and Cassandra." I answer.
"I see." answers Makarov with a nod despite knowing that there is more that we are not telling him. "Well, in that case, welcome to Fairy Tail!" he exclaims with a smile.
The Bifrost
East Forest, Magnolia Fiore
X776
"So this is the area where you suggest we build our house." comments Azula as she looks around the forest. "Not bad." she compliments.
Currently we are in East Forest, a forest located in the eastern part of the outskirts of Magnolia Town. East Forest is a large forest, with a large variety of both plants and animals. The climate is warm, with a good amount of moisture, lush vegetation as well as a fairly frequent and dense mist.
"Well? How do you want to do this? Manually or magically?" asks Azula, referring to the process we will use to build our home.
"Perhaps if it was earlier in the day we could have done it manually." answers Scáthach as she looks up at the darkening afternoon sky. "As of now we have nowhere to sleep, and I for one would rather not sleep beneath the stars once again despite how beautiful they may be." she says.
"Magical it is then." I say as Azula begins to use earthbending to create a clearing while Scáthach and I set a perimeter to dissuade any animals from coming near the property.
"How big should the house be? I for one see no reason to build anything bigger than a decently sized house." says Morgan as she uproots trees before chopping them into pieces of timber.
"With Cassandra choosing to join Erza and Sorano in Fairy Hills, and Jason dorming with Jellal and the other boys, I say three bedroom and two bathrooms, a lounge, kitchen, and a dining room to start." answers Azula as she begins to set the foundation. "Should we need anything more we can always add it later."
"I do believe that it is a good start." agrees Morgan as she uses the timber to build a house that looks more like a mansion. "Now we have the bare minimum." says Morgan once she finishes.
"That is not a house, that is a mansion." I tell her as the four of us look at her finished work.
From the outside this house looks gorgeous. The building is fairly rounded in shape and is half surrounded by a covered patio. It has been built with brown stones and has red pine wooden decorations that Morgan made by transfiguring the timber from the uprooted trees. Tall, rectangular windows let in plenty of light, despite the falling sun, and have been added to the house in a fairly symmetrical pattern. The roof is low and rounded and is covered with brown ceramic tiles and has two small chimneys poking out the center of the roof along with several long, thin windows that let in plenty of light to the rooms below the roof.
"Well, are you coming?" urges Morgan as we make she makes her way to the entrance.
Following her, I see that the entrance door leads to a corridor with space for any visitor to place their shoes before going further. Following Morgan down the doorway at the end of the corridor, Azula, Scáthach and I find ourselves inside a huge living room equipped with a fireplace, a big bookshelf, two loveseats on opposite sides of the room, a sofa leaning against the back wall, and a table in the center of the room.
"Showoff." accuses Azula as we make our way through the doorway connected to the back wall and into the roomy dining room that is furnished with a table big enough to fit the entire family, a bar, and is only separated from the kitchen by a wall that reaches up to our waist.
While the living room and the dining room are furnished, the kitchen is bare with only kitchen counters and empty drawers and cabinets.
"Is there any particular reason why you neglected to furnish the kitchen?" asks Scáthach.
"I am interested in how magic has affected Earthland's culture. As such I am planning on outfitting the kitchen with this world's finest equipment." answers Morgan as she leads us through a doorway in the kitchen that leads to a staircase to the second floor.
The second floor is the same size as the first and has been built exactly on top of the floor below it. The second floor consists of one corridor that leads to another staircase with two doorways on the right and the left walls of the corridor that lead to two big bedrooms furnished with one bed, one nightstand, and a dresser each.
"These rooms can serve as guest rooms and each have a bathroom adjoined to them." informs Morgan as we simply walk past them into the third floor, which is honestly just a massive bedroom with a fireplace adjoined with a massive bathroom.
"No furniture here either?" asks Azula as she looks at the small windows in the ceiling that allow the starry night to be seen.
"The furniture from Avalon Hill should suffice." answers Morgan as she walks over to one of the walls in the room and taps it with her finger.
From where her finger made contact with the wall, a secret doorway opens that simply leads to what looks like an elevator shaft that is longer than the building's height.
"This leads to the basement where we can place the teleportation room." informs Morgan as she levitates down the elevator shaft.
Not far behind, we follow her down the elevator shaft to a spacious room as big as all of the previous floors.
"Do you think that this is big enough to fit the runic array?" asks Morgan.
"It should." I answer as I position myself in one corner of the room. "The real question however is whether or not the modifications will make the teleportation array omniversal."
"Between the four of us, we should be able to link the array to any world we have a link to. Similar to how the Norse use the Bifrost to travel between the different worlds of Yggdrasil." answers Scáthach as she stands in the corner opposite of me. "And with my intimate knowledge of the Bifrost from Odin's remnant knowledge, we should be able to use it as a blueprint." she says.
"We have already done the preparations, all that is left to do is to test it." says Azula as she and Morgan position themselves in the room's remaining corner.
"Ready?" I ask them.
"Ready." they answer, and with no more words we get to work.
Placing our hands on the floor, Scáthach and I use the Source to inscribe a massive array on the ground while Azula and Morgan open a portal to Mount Olympus in the overvoid, the space between multiverses. To any normal onlookers, the runic array looks exactly like the standard array we use to teleport in and out of our castle however, anyone as skilled in runes as Scáthach and I will be able to tell that while the runes may looks similar, and function in a similar manner, the end result is vastly different.
The first difference between the two arrays is that the one in the castle runs on magical energy while this one runs on our godly energy which we have yet to name. When the Source handed us the DC Multiverse he bestowed on each of us the same power as he gives any member of 'The Hand', his creators of Multiverses.
Unlike members of 'The Hand' however, we linked that power to our divinity while also cutting off any connection we had to the Source. It was essentially a trade off. Had we stayed linked to the Source we would have unlimited power at the expense of the Source being able to take the power away or have control over us. With the link severed and our power becoming linked to our divinity, there is now the potential of us running out should any of our domains cease to exist. With this danger however, there is also the freedom of not having to worry about being controlled by the Source. Besides the chances of our domains ceasing to exist would require the complete and total destruction of the DC Multiverse along the world of Westeros, and while those outcomes are possible it would take another hundreds of years for us to fade due to a lack of power. By then we should be able to create our own Multiverse.
As the runic array is completed, a beam of multicolored light rises from the array and smashes into the portal created by Morgan and Azula resulting in a shockwave of power that shakes the room. With the light connecting to it, the portal begins to enlarge and slowly show Mount Olympus. Before it can fully show Mount Olympus however, the image slowly begins to regress and become blurry.
"Someone is attempting to stop the connection." says Morgan with a frown.
"Not someone." I say as I feel multiple presences attempting to stop us.
"Show yourselves!" orders Scáthach as she uses her magic power to pull the beings to us.
Despite outnumbering her and resisting as one, the unknown beings are no match for her power and are pulled into the room.
In a flash of light twenty beings appear in the middle of the chamber, sprawled on the ground.
Despite there being twenty beings in total, only four of the beings are distinguishable while the remaining sixteen are nothing but formless black humanoid beings.
The first I immediately recognise as a Battle God despite having never seen him before. He is a colossal, heavily muscular being with black, armor-like skin; his face resembles that of a lion's, jutting out of which are two horns which in and of themselves are eclipsed by bone-like horns that encase the jawline, and travel up the side of its head. On his chin is a long, pointed tuft of facial hair that appears to be a goatee, and a wild mane of hair juts upwards, growing from the top of his down past his clavicle. The Battle God also has pupil-less eyes and black sclera, and demonic, clawed hands and bestial-looking feet.
The second is also a Battle God in the form of a blue stone effigy with intricate designs on its body.
The third being's entire form is shrouded in darkness, leaving only its jaw and neck visible. They possess black hair that is long and the sheer power in their body seems to cause the orange strands to flare upwards in a manner that enhances the menacing aura they exude. In the darkness of the upper part of their face, the yellow eyes shine bright in the shape of solid discs. Eldritch yellow markings adorn their frame below the neck, branded symmetrically along the central axis of their torso. These markings are in the shape of bright lines wrapping around the entity's figure. They either simply twine themselves around it or enclose figures, mostly in the shapes of arrowheads which bear a resemblance to the head of a typical clock hand.
The last being is simply a humanoid with its body being split in half vertically. The right half of its body being black and shadowlike while the left half is enshrouded in a white light. Based on the waves of power emanating from it, I can easily tell that it is an entity of life and death.
"Identify yourselves." I order them without bothering to remove my hands from the ground, or standing up.
"You dare command me!" exclaims the third being. "I am Chronos, God of Time." says Chronos as he spreads his arms and activates a spell. "Âge Seal" speaks Chronos as a dome erupts from him and envelops the entire chamber.
Already having an idea of what he is attempting, I summon a magic circle that covers the entire ground and overload the spell with as much magic as it can take.
"Admirable attempt, but you are far from being able to pose a threat to me." I tell the God of Time as I stand up to show him that I have successfully overpowered his attempt to immobilise us in time. "You see, while you claim to be a God, none of you even possesses a sliver of divinity in you. You are simply a species so magically powerful that it seems godlike." I tell them as I telekinetically pull Chronos to me before plunging my hand through his chest.
"Well, this is certainly interesting." I comment as I feel Chronos' divinity. "You are in fact deities. However, you have either never finished your ascension, or you're fading." I say as I decide to test a theory of mine.
Once I merged with Quirinus-Romulus, I gained absolute control over my divinity to the point of deciding how divine I can be. If I want to I can lower my divinity to the point of being a descendant, or I can even use my divinity to overpower my powers that have no connection with my godhood. In theory I can link my divinity to any one of my powers, such as speed for example, and become the god of speed.
So it is with this in mind that I link my divinity to Chronos' and slowly overpower him until I shatter his connection with time and replace it with my own. As soon as the connection happens I immediately feel it, time has become one of my domains. Experimentally I stop time for everyone by Azula, Morgan, Scáthach, and I.
"Interesting." comments Azula as she looks at the frozen body of Chronos that had begun to dissolve.
"I wonder if we can do the same." says Scáthach as she walks over to the black and white being, and plunges her hand through its chest."
"Theoretically you should. You received the ability to regulate your divinity through our parabatai bond." I tell Scáthach as she closes her eyes.
"We can." she says as she opens her eyes and removes her hand from the being's chest. "However, we cannot take in new domains like you can, only taking the power from gods that possess the same domains as us. As such I can only take half of her, Ankhseram, power." she says as she points towards the black and white being.
"Then I believe that the other half is mine." says Morgan as she summons the being to herself and does the same as Scáthach.
"What of the Battle Gods?" asks Azula as she points towards the remaining frozen eighteen beings.
Summoning the dark one to me, I repeat the same process as earlier before returning time to normal. As soon as I do, the bodies of Chronos, Ankhseram, and the Battle God in my grasp, whom I have learned is called Ikusa-Tsunagi, begin to slowly dissolve into nothingness. With the deaths of those three gods, the remaining Battle Gods furiously lunge themselves at us only for Azula to burn them all to ashes.
"I do believe that we have work to do." comments Azula as she returns to her corner.
"Indeed. Let's get this over with so that we can quickly deal with the aftermath of our recent actions." says Scáthach as we all return to our corners and resume.
Without the intervention of the gods of Earthland, the link between Olympus and Eathland is easily established and the portal opens up to show a massive mountain floating in the middle of a blank white space, the overvoid. Connecting the portal to Mount Olympus is a rainbow bridge reminiscent of the Bifrost in honor of the Norse.
"Success." I claim with a smile.
"Now we only need to link Westeros and any other world we have a connection to, and our system will be complete." says Morgan.
"Without Odin's knowledge of Yggdrasil, this would have taken us longer to build. His sacrifice was not in vain." somberly says Scáthach.
--
AN: This chapter gives more knowledge on their pantheon and their divinity. Tell me what you guys think and don't be afraid to ask any questions you have.
Brief Conversation
Mount Olympus The Overvoid
X776
Walking on the Bifrost is honestly a novel experience. Not only because the rainbow bridge itself is beautiful, but also because I can see all of Mount Olympus from here along with the city of Asgard which rests at the very top of the mountain. With our ascension, and the creation of our new pantheon, we needed a foundation for our residence as Gods before we could properly establish our pantheon. As such we took every remaining godly plane and placed them together to form our current residence. Unfortunately, the only planes that survived Darkseid's assault were the Egyptian plane, Asgard, and Mount Olympus, which he assaulted while most of The Olympians were attacking Earth.
With only those three planes remaining, they were merged into one plane. The mountain of Mount Olympus serves as the foundation and is the main residence of the minor gods, the Egyptian plane provides more land since everything else from the pantheon was destroyed, and the golden city of Asgard serves as the residence for us, the royal family, along with our closest allies and major gods.
"It seems that congratulations are in order." says Frigga as she appears in front of us at the end of the bridge at the bottom of the mountain. "You four should be proud." she tells us with a smile.
"Thank you Frigga." answers Scáthach.
Before anymore of us can thank her, Athena appears in front of us.
"Good, you're here. Now we can get back to work." says Athena with the usual serious expression on her face.
"Athena, we are on vacation." I tell her as I activate the teleportation array at the end of the bridge and send us to the entrance of the royal palace in Asgard.
"Are you not returning from your vacation?" she asks us, confused.
"No." answers Morgan. "We simply came to make sure that the Bifrost works properly and to check how everything else is going." informs Morgan.
"I do not understand, do vacations usually take this long?" she asks, prompting Azula to laugh while I cannot help but look at her with pity. From what I have been able to gauge from my interactions with her, Athena has been the one to make sure that the Greek pantheon ran smoothly. At least as smoothly as possible when it's one goddess that makes sure everything is alright while the other gods and goddesses cause trouble or only care about their own affairs.
"You need a vacation." I tell her.
"I beg to differ. This pantheon is very much still in its infancy and its popularity is rapidly growing." she answers as we walk into the castle and I nod towards the bowing Amazonian guards.
"Growing? Where?" asks Azula.
"In the Multiverse. Also, how could you possibly not know when you are one of the most popular goddesses currently?" asks Athena.
"Well, to enjoy my vacation, I have essentially muted any and all prayers to me." answers Azula.
"That is not wise." argues Athena as she pulls up a holographic screen from the Faith System, a magically created system to help us efficiently sort all of the prayers we receive based on urgency. "According to the Faith System-" begins Athena before I forcefully dismiss the screen.
"Athena, stop." I tell her as we stop outside of the throne room. "There is a reason why we created the Faith System. It is so that we do not have to manually do any of the work ourselves, and while I agree with you that the state of the Multiverse needs to be monitored after the drastic actions of Darkseid, that can also be done once in a while with far more efficient means." I tell her.
"Perhaps you should join us on our vacation." suggests Morgan.
"I cannot." refuses Athena with an emotionless face.
"You guys can go ahead. Athena and I need to talk." I tell the others as I grab Athena's shoulder and teleport us back to the Bifrost. Once we arrive I take a seat at the edge and instruct Athena to sit next to me.
"Be honest with me Athena, what is bothering you?" I ask her as she takes a seat next to me and I set up a runic barrier that blocks all forms of eavesdropping.
"Lying would not work, would it?" she wonders despondently.
"No, it would not." I answer.
"I… I am uncertain." she answers. "I am uncertain of my place in this new pantheon, my worth as a goddess of wisdom, and even my effectiveness as a goddess of war." she tells me. "When we Olympians still existed, I knew my place in the Multiverse despite not liking it. I made sure that none of my fellow gods and goddesses went too far by providing my council, and should they go too far then usually I would clean up the mess." she says. "Now however, the Olympians are no more and have been replaced by your new pantheon, and while I now have the time to begin researching topics that have always interested me since you do not need my council, nor do you need me to clean up your messes, I feel empty."
"I know that something else is bothering you, but I will not push and instead I'll give you my thoughts on the problems you have presented to me." I tell her with a small smile that she returns. "The first thing I want to tell you is that I need your council. While I may be the god of intelligence, intelligence does not equate to wisdom. Not only are you the goddess of wisdom, but you are far more experienced as a goddess than me, and while the way this pantheon functions is different than The Olympians, that experience is still valid." I say.
"Second, of course I will not need you to clean up our messes, that is why I have the League of Assassins. They serve as my agents in the mortal world unless my direct intervention is needed. At least until the pantheon's foundation is properly set. As for your effectiveness as a goddess of war, what makes you question it?" I ask her, causing her to tense up before quickly relaxing. "I see that it has to do with the other topic that bothers you. In that case you can talk to me when you are ready." I tell her with a smile.
Rather than answer me, Athena simply nods her head and, in a rare moment of tenderness, leans on my shoulder.
"At times I wonder how different the fate of Greece would be had you been amongst us." she wonders out loud.
"A civil war would be the most likely outcome." I answer her honestly.
"True. I cannot see you standing by while Zeus and the others did as they please." she replies with a nod.
"Speaking of, how is Heracles?" I ask her.
"While the Amazons seem to enjoy their new pet, Heracles is quite miserable." she responds with a satisfied smile.
"He brought it upon himself after what he tried to do in Tartarus." I spitefully answer as I think about the fact that Heracles had rallied all of Tartarus' occupants and was about to have them all rape Athena, Aphrodite, and Hippolyta had Morgan not arrived when she did. That is why she was a few minutes late when coming back to Earth, she let her inner Azula loose and was punishing the entire population of Tartarus.
"Let's not talk about it." says Athena as a small shiver goes down her spine. Were I a betting god, I would bet that this is what else is bothering her. Despite being gods we are not above experiencing trauma and being heavily affected by it.
"You are right." I agree. "However, I am ordering you, as your King and older brother, to join us in our vacations." I command her.
"Is this an actual order you are giving as my King?" she asks as she gets up from her position on my shoulder.
"It is." I answer with a nod.
"Very well." she answers. "So what exactly do I need to do?" she asks me, and I cannot help but sigh at the fact that she is such a workaholic that she needs to ask me this.
"Anything that relaxes you." I answer.
"Research is quite relaxing, along with training." she answers, causing me to sigh again.
"Since you seem adamant on researching, I have a task for you that I'm sure is much simpler than whatever it is you have in mind." I answer her. "In the world where Westeros is located, there are quite a few 'gods' that are worshipped there. While I have not seen any trace of them, I am sure that most, if not all of them, exist. I need you to find them and compile a report on them, and based on that report, I want you to decide their fate." I inform her.
"You don't seem to have a high opinion of them." observes Athena.
"Their followers have very questionable practices that I am not fond of. Slavery and burnt human sacrifices to name a few." I inform her, causing her frown in distaste. "Should you find them to be a threat, deal with them as you wish, they should prove to be no problems for you."
"I know that ever since I have joined this pantheon I have become more powerful, but if I can personally take care of them, how exactly are they a threat?" she asks me.
"For one, I do not want them to decide to wage war against our worshippers in Westeros, and for another, I do not want them to be able to set their eyes to other worlds once we connect the Bifrost to Westeros." I answer.
"Logical." comments Athena with a nod as she thinks about the information I have given her. "What of your worshippers coming from the DC Multiverse, as you like to call it?" she asks me.
"I honestly did not expect that the entire Multiverse would see our battle with Darkseid." I tell her honestly. "I knew that space and time was crumbling despite Hecate and Morgan's efforts, but having our battle broadcasted and the shockwaves felt throughout the Multiverse was beyond my expectations. In that regard I was unprepared, and I am still thinking about how to deal with this." I answer her just as Azula, Morgan, and Scáthach teleport near us.
"Very well." says Athena as we get up from our sitting position on the Bifrost and I collapse the barrier.
"How is everything?" I ask them as they walk towards us.
"Working perfectly." answers Scáthach. "Trigon seems to be doing well as the overseer of Hell, Purgatory is the most crowded as usual, and the Heavens are functioning well under the Valkyries."
"We are going to need new names for the planes of the afterlife." I comment as I think about how confusing it must be to those who have knowledge of the Presence's pantheon.
While Hell is exactly what it sounds like, the afterlife for the worst of the worst, and Purgatory is just that, a place where those who do not deserve neither Heaven or Hell go to, our Heaven is nothing like the Abrahamic religion's Heaven. For one we have two versions. One for warriors, and one for those who deserve it but are not warriors with both groups having the ability to move in between them should they choose in order to visit friends, families, or anyone they would like to meet.
"Yes we are." agrees Morgan, bringing me out of my thoughts. "But for now, we return to our vacation." she says as they wave goodbye to Athena and walk back to Earthland.
"If you want to talk, don't hesitate." I tell Athena before she leaves and I walk back towards the portal to Earthland.
Arriving back in the basement of our house, we close the portal to Mount Olympus and fly back up the elevator shaft to our room.
"Finally home. I can hear this nice, hot shower and bed calling my name." says Morgan as she strips off her dress.
"We are gods Morgan, we don't need sleep." comments Azula as we all follow Morgan's example.
"That won't stop me from enjoying the pleasures of life." answers Morgan.
"I agree, which is why I say we do something far more pleasurable than sleep." suggests Azula with a lascivious smile.
"Oh…" answers Morgan with a suggestive smile of her own as she turns to face Azula. "Do tell." she says with a smirk as she walks to Azula with her hips swaying and places her arms on Azula's shoulder.
"You're two are insatiable." comments Scáthach as she walks past the flirting duo.
"You have no room to talk."rebutes Morgan.
"You are as bad as me, if not worse some days." says Azula.
"I am not!" denies Scáthach as she looks towards me for support.
Rather than answer her I merely raise an eyebrow and quietly dare her to refute that. As a blush covers her cheeks, Scáthach knows that she cannot honestly refute either of their statements and simply walks back into the bathroom.
AN: For those wondering, these past two chapters did not happen before the interlude. Ambrosius can return to any world that he has visited before. He just hasn't been doing it until now. Also we learn more about how the pantheon works so tell me what you guys think about that, and this chapter in general.
Also, Zeref and Mavis' curse are not lifted, at least not yet. Morgan and Scáthach will find out about the curses soon since they each took an aspect from Ankhseram (Morgan life, and Scáthach death). They will deal with that situation.
Training Begins
East Forest, Magnolia Kingdom of Fiore
X776
Despite becoming gods, our morning begins in the same way on most days, with training. Perhaps it's because it is a habit, or maybe because we have seen what a lack of training can do to even gods, but we have never stopped training in all forms of combat. Even Morgan who barely makes use of close quarter combat joins in on the training, and this morning is no different, at least not completely. I just never had a group of children knocking on my door early in the morning to ask me for training, which is exactly how Jason and his group of friends greet me this morning. Standing outside of my doorway asking Morgan and I to begin their magical training. They have even somehow roped Gray in along with Cana.
"Do you have any idea what time it is?" I question the group of children as I stand outside of the house with nothing but shorts on.
"It's almost five, which is exactly when you start training." answers Jason.
"You have never liked training early in the morning. You always prefer sometime in the evening or at night." I remark as I cross my arms in front of my chest.
"And you were never teaching me magic early in the morning." responds Jason with a shrug as if that statement alone answers my unasked questions.
"Because you were not ready to learn magic. At least not the kind we could teach you at the time." I answer him honestly.
Neither Morgan, Scáthach, Azula or I felt comfortable teaching Jason magic from either the Nasuverse or from DC. Jason is too reckless and too eager to experiment on his own. Heck, that's exactly why I have not given him magic circuits, nor has Morgan changed his physiology to allow him to easily learn DC's magic.
Earthland's magic however is a completely different story. While it is still dangerous, the form of magic that Jason has chosen, Ice Dragon Slayer Magic, is something that we are comfortable allowing him to experiment with on his own. The worst outcome is that he becomes a dragon, which is impossible since that's his default race now, or he freezes a body part off, which any of us can regrow. Besides, with the changes Morgan and Scáthach have made to his physiology, back in DC, Jason is essentially immune to elements that burn or freeze.
"So are you gonna teach us or not?" asks a shirtless Gray from the back of the group.
Gray is a boy around Jellal's age and height with black hair, dark blue hair, and a slim build that is beginning to tone. His guild mark is blue and is located on his right pectoral. He wears nothing but his short black pants, black boots, and a silver necklace, which resembles a sword with a stone in it.
"Gray, put your shirt back on." I tell the boy while thinking about how this habit of his will quickly get old.
Looking down at his chest, Gray quickly realises that his shirt is in fact missing and begins to look all over the floor for it. From what I can remember, the reason for that habit is because his magic teacher, Ur, used to have him remove his clothes in the snow so that he could get used to cold temperatures since the magic she was teaching was Ice Make Magic, a magic that involves the creation of objects with ice.
"I will agree to train you however, there are a few rules that you will ALL abide by, including Jason." I tell them once Gray finds his shirt somewhere on the floor and puts it back on.
"Alright." agrees Jason in a heartbeat.
"I have not even told you the rules yet." I reply with a raised eyebrow.
"I already know that you won't do anything to hurt us." says Jason with a shrug.
While I find it heartwarming that he trusts me so much, I cannot help but think of all the ways someone could take advantage of his trusting nature. I will have to teach him to learn to be careful. Trust but verify.
"Very well. The first rule is that all instructions are to be obeyed." I tell them. "The second rule is to take this seriously. If you fool around then you or someone else may get hurt or worse, die." I say seriously, sobering the mood of all but one member of the group whose eyes seem to become hollow at the painful reminder, Gray.
Gray's teacher, Ur, died because of his recklessness and because he disobeyed her. His parents had died at the hands of a demon of some kind and he had sought out Ur to teach him magic for revenge. Someday while training he had heard that the demon was targeting another town and he had gone to slay it despite his teacher's orders not to, she had even threatened to disown him as a student. In the end she saved him at the expense of her own life.
"Is that it." asks Jellal, bringing me out of my thoughts.
"So far, yes." I answer as I inspect the group of children.
Had I not been there to save them from the Tower of Heaven, I would never believe that until two day ago they were slaves. Not only are they completely clean and are wearing new clothes, but the effects of their malnourishment cannot be seen thanks to an elixir Morgan gave them the previous day.
"Alright, your first instruction is to run from here to the Fairy Tail Guild Hall and back three times." I instruct them as they stare at me. "Well? What are you waiting for, an invitation?" I ask them once I realise that they are not running.
Despite my comment the children remain standing in front of me while looking confused amongst themselves.
"Get moving." I order them as I conjure a kunai and fling it at the ground near their feet.
That seems to finally spur them into action as they all take off in a sprint with Gray, Jason, and Cassandra in the lead.
"At this rate they will tire out before the warm up is even over." observes Azula as she Scáthach and Morgan emerge from the house in a tank top, sweats, and sneakers.
"Maybe not." observes Scáthach as she sees Cassandra, Sorano, Canna, a brown haired girl with brown eyes and tan skin, along with Erza slow down to a jog.
"Of course the girls would be the ones to notice." I comment while shaking my head. "Despite me never saying that it was a race, the boys simply had to make it a competition."
"What did you expect, with Jason leading them it was only a matter of time." says Morgan
"I expected better from Gray and Jason. They have both trained before." I answer.
"Gray has only trained in magic with his physical training simply being supplementary." observes Scáthach. "Jason is impulsive, hot-heated, and far too similar to Setanta for my liking." she says with a slight frown of worry, no doubt thinking back to Setanta's avoidable death.
"We can worry about the children later." comments Azula. "We have our own training to attend to." she says as she launches herself at me with a powerful roundhouse poised for the back of my head.
"Common Gray, you can go faster than that." laughs Jason as he pumps his arms and legs as much as he can and easily blazes past Gray while also increasing the distance between him and the other children.
"Woohoo!" cheers Jason excitedly as he uses a massive tree root that sticks out of the soil as a springboard to jump and grab a tree branch. Using a maneuver that Dick taught him during his many times visiting the Wayne Manor, Jason swings from the branch into a front flip before landing on another branch, and with an agility that no child his age should possess, proceeds to jump to a higher branch. Without slowing down, Jason proceeds to leap from branch to branch until he reaches the end of the forest where he front flips back onto the ground and proceeds to sprint towards the Fairy Tail Guild Hall in Magnolia Town.
As he speeds into the still sleeping town, Jason further increases his speed into the supernatural territory and is forced to dig his heels into the ground to stop when the door to the guild hall appears in front of him sooner than he expected.
"Woah!" exclaims Jason in shock as he stops inches away from colliding with the doors.
Despite knowing that being a dragon enhances all of his physical stats, Jason underestimated how much faster he has become. His speed also isn't the only thing he's underestimated. During the past days he has been struggling with his strength and breaking things accidentally. It isn't that he has lost complete control of his strength, rather he has control up to a certain level of strength. He can carry simple things like a glass of water, or opening a door just fine. However, once he reaches tasks that a normal nine year old should not be able to do, he loses control of his strength since he has no idea where his upper limit is.
So deep in thought is Jason, that he fails to notice Gray approaching him from behind until he is next to him.
"Hey." says Gray as he taps Jason on the shoulder.
"You finally caught up." replies Jason with a grin once he notices Gray's presence.
"Yea, well I'm gonna beat you back." says Gray as he begins to sprint back to the Malphas house in East Forest.
"Hey!" complains Jason as he takes off after Gray and easily catches up to him. "That was cheating." he says as he easily passes Gray by, prompting Gray to try harder to catch up to him.
While Jason runs back towards the forest, he passes by Jellal and Erik on their way to the guild hall and sees Cassandra, Erza, Sorano, and Cana jogging their way out of the forest.
"You're all so slow." says Jason as they jog towards him.
"Pacing." answers Cassandra with a barely visible smug smile that makes Jason feel as if he is forgetting something.
Before Jason can further contemplate Cassandra's words, the sound of trees crashing down can be heard before Azula crashes through a tree on her way flying uncontrollably out of the forest. As her body exits the forest, Azula flips her body so that she lands on her feet and digs her fingers into the ground to slow her momentum.
"Fine, you want to play like that?" says Azula does a series of circular motions with her arms that generate lightning before she points her two fingers towards the forest and sends lightning flying in.
As the lightning bolt flies into the forest, the trees catch on fire that begins to quickly spread, and catches the attention of all the children.
"Oh." whispers Azula as she notices what she has caused.
"Azula!" roars Scáthach from within the forest as a torrential wave of ice spreads over the forest and quickly extinguishes the flames.
With Scáthach and the other adults walking out of the forest, the children can see that Scáthach is the cause of the wave of ice by the lingering frost on her arms.
"That was reckless." says Scáthach as she points to the forest. "You could have burned down the entire forest."
"My apologies, but I believe that you started it all." answers Azula as she nonchalantly inspects her nails, a habit that she has taken to doing whenever she feels embarrassed about her actions.
"I started it?" demands Scáthach with a raised eyebrow.
"Both of you are at fault." interrupts Morgan before Azula can answer. "This was meant to be a spar with absolutely no magic." she says. "Scáthach should not have conjured that spear of ice and used it to send you flying, and Azula shouldn't have lost herself in the moment to resort to using lightning."
"I say that our spar is over." says Ambrosius as he goes about melting the ice into water before evaporating it, leaving behind a damaged forest that Morgan easily fixes with a magical spell that comes from an emerald magic circle.
"Since our training ended prematurely, we may as well train the children." suggests Ambrosius as he turns towards the bystanding children.
"Very well." agrees Scáthach while Morgan and Azula simply nod in agreement.
"Come along children, it's training time." says Azula with a smile that sends a chill down their spine.
Without a word, the group of children follow behind the adults as they walk back towards the clearing where the house is located. Once there, the children cannot help but notice the massive amount of damage that was caused to the forest during the adult's spar, causing them to wonder how strong can the adults really be.
"Take a seat on the ground." orders Ambrosius as Morgan fixes the damage and Ambrosius creates seats for the adults out of the earth. "Scáthach, Morgan, Azula and I discussed how to train you and we have come to a decision." informs Ambrosius as they take a seat on their makeshift chairs. "Each one of us is going to teach you something as a group while also breaking the group down based on your specialties to mentor you." he says before pausing to make sure that his words sink in. "Azula will teach you unarmed combat, Morgan will teach magical theory, Scáthach will teach weaponry, and I will teach you how to implement everything you learn in the most effective ways for combat." he says before pausing once again. "When it comes to specialties, Azula will be teaching mind and elemental magic, for example illusions or mind reading or fire, Morgan will teach enchantment along with advanced forms for any type of magic you use, therefore her second class is mandatory, Scáthach will also teach elemental magic and how to apply letter magic as a main form of combat, and I will teach how to use Letter Magic as a secondary form of combat. Any questions?" he asks.
"What's the difference between elemental magic from Azula and the one from Scáthach?" asks Gray.
"Scáthach will teach elemental magic in close quarter combat and molding magic while Azula will teach mid-range and long-range combat using elemental magic." answers Ambrosius as Scáthach creates a spear along with the Fairy Tail mark out of ice and fire while Azula shoots a fireball into the sky along with ice spikes.
Satisfied with the answer, Gray simply nods his head before falling silent.
"What if we don't use any of those magic?" asks Cana worriedly as she shows Ambrosius a pack of cards.
"Morgan knows every form of magic, so you will be going to her for that. And if you don't know what magic is best for you, we will figure it out." answers Ambrosius with a gentle smile that puts her at ease.
Before anyone else can ask anymore questions, a scream can be heard as an arrow impales itself an inch away from Ambrosius' foot.
"Azula!" calls out Mordred's voice from the sky, prompting everyone to look at the direction it came from.
There, flying towards the group at an extremely fast pace with a bow and arrow in her hands is none other than a fully armored Mordred. Releasing another arrow that grazes Ambrosius by the cheek, Mordred requips her bow and arrow for the sword Morgan and Ambrosius forged for her, Veterum, meaning chivalry in latin. As she reaches close enough to Azula, Mordred swings her sword towards her head with a scowl on her face.
"Mordred, what is the meaning of this?" questions Azula as she easily dodges the sword swing.
"You!" exclaims Mordred as she points at Azula. "Just minutes ago the Rune Knights received a report of a group of people destroying the East Forest so naturally I was sent to investigate. So imagine my lack of surprise when I see you sending a lightning bolt into the forest." explains Mordred as she lunges once again at Azula. "Do you have ANY IDEA the amount of paperwork you created for me just by getting reported?" questions Mordred as she and Azula exchange a few blows that don't even worry Ambrosius, Morgan, or Scáthach while the children watch them in awe, and a particular redhead even begins to idolise Mordred.
"I'm already swamped with paperwork because of that stupid Cult of Zeref, and now I have to file a report that explains what I found destroying the East Forest. Heck, I might even have to arrest you, and that's another set of paperwork that I'll have to file." rants Mordred. "I didn't join the Rune Knights to be filing paperwork because you four can't stop destroying things!" she exclaims as she kicks Azula through a tree, a blow that Azula allowed to connect as an apology.
"Now, I'm going back to headquarters and I'm going to say that you four were just building a damn house." says Mordred as she returns her sword back to her requip space. "In exchange, you four will make sure that I'm never called because of you." she says as she glares at her mother and father.
"Or else what?" teasingly asks Azula as she dusts herself off.
Rather than answer her verbally, Mordred summons countless weapons from her requip space in a manner far too reminiscent of a certain golden archer for Ambrosius' comfort and causing the stars in Erza's eyes to grow even more.
"Wow, you're all grown up now." says Azula as she raises her hands in a placating manner.
Seeing Azula's action Mordred returns her weapons to her requip space and gives the group one more glare before launching herself into the sky and leaving a lingering silence. As the group watches her fly away, Erza walks towards Ambrosius and pulls his hand, causing him to look down towards.
"Yes?" he asks even as his instincts tell him exactly what she is going to ask.
"I want to learn that from her." answers Erza with stars in her eyes.
As Ambrosius promises her that he will have Mordred mentor her, he cannot help but quietly say a prayer for all of the future trouble makers of Fairy Tail. Meanwhile, not far from the duo, Jason, Jellal, Gray, and more children throughout Earthland cannot help but shiver as an ominous chill goes down their back.
--
AN: Another chapter down, and the kids have begun their training and Erza has found herself an idol. As for who could have possibly called the rune knights on them, those who have watched Fairy Tail should know easily. She's old, lives in the East Forest, is Fairy Tail's main go to medic, and she claims that she 'hates' humans. For those of you who don't know, don't worry because she'll show up eventually in the story.
Last edited: Oct 12, 2020
Curse Lifted
East Forest, Magnolia
Kingdom of Fiore
X776
Pained groans fill the clearing as the children collapse on their backs, exhausted from the grueling training regimen that they have just finished. Meanwhile, Scáthach, Azula, Morgan, and I watch on from our standing positions. Looking up at the noonday sky, I make note of the fact that the training plan takes about a quarter of a day to complete, just as we planned.
"Congratulations, you have all survived day one." I tell them as I Morgan goes about slightly alleviating their soreness, exhaustion, and fatigue, just enough to allow them to get up and make their way to the guild hall.
"If you can heal us, why don't you make all of the pain and tiredness go away?" asks Cana from her position on the floor.
"Because you need to learn to function properly with the pain and exhaustion." answers Scáthach while children help each other up.
"Besides, where would the fun be in that." adds Azula with a faux sadistic smile that fools the children while Morgan, Scáthach, and I know that she is in fact teasing them.
While the majority of the children groan and whine about Azula's words, the four of us cannot help but internally laugh to ourselves.
"From now on you shall all return here every morning at six and do your warmups by yourselves." instructs Morgan. "Failure to do so will result in your lessons being terminated. We will not waste our time training anyone undisciplined or undedicated." she tells them before turning to a shirtless and pantless Gray. "Gray, put your clothes back on." she directs him, causing him to go into a panic as hastily apologises while picking up his clothes from the ground and putting them back on.
"With that said, everyone but Erik is dismissed for today." I instruct them while beckoning Erik to come to us.
Despite feeling uneasy at having been singled out, Erik worriedly makes his way to us along with his serpent Cubellios while putting up a brave front. Rather than speak to him in front of the others, Azula and I lead him inside the house while Morgan and Scáthach head to the guild hall with the children. Once we are inside the living room, we make him sit on the couch.
"There is no need to be worried. You aren't in trouble, but we need to talk to you about Cubellios." I tell him, causing him to cradle the serpent to him.
"What's wrong with Cubellios?" he asks with a slight frown.
"Your friend isn't a snake. It's a person that a dark mage cursed into the form of a snake." answers Azula as she rips the proverbial band aid off.
"What?!" screams Erik as he looks at the serpent. "Are they ok?!" he asks.
"The person is fine." I answer. "But we need to turn her back." I tell him.
"I… Ok." answers Erik as he reluctantly puts Cubellios down on the couch and makes his way to us, leaving the previously sleeping serpent to wake up from the sudden change in setting and frantically search for Erik.
Before Cubellios can make her way off the couch and towards us, she is enveloped in a purple aura that comes from Azula's hands. As the aura envelops her body, Cubellios begins to thrash about on the couch and, for the first time since we have seen her, release a small whine.
"What are you doing?" questions Erik as he sees the serpent writhe, and thrash about on the couch while releasing sounds of distress. "She looks like she's hurt." he tells me with a frown.
"It's painful, but it will be over soon." I reassure him even as the snake continues to squirm about on the couch.
"No, you're hurting her!" exclaims Erik as Cubellios releases her loudest distressing sound yet. "If this is gonna hurt her, I won't let you do this to her." he says as he tries to walk towards her only for me to grab his shoulder.
"I can't let you do that." I tell him.
Rather than answer or to retaliate like I expected, a shockwave of sound erupts from him and proceeds to destroy the entire house, leaving only Azula, Erik, Cubellios, and I unharmed despite his best efforts to target Azula and I.
"Can't you hear her crying?" asks Erik as he turns to face, allowing me to see the tears that run down his face. "She's crying and calling me for help." he tells me as if he already knows that I couldn't hear her, despite me never having answered his question.
Before I can answer him, the purple aura around Cubellios turns into a flash of light and the serpent slowly morphs into a naked little girl of eight years, with violet hair and green eyes. Seeing that the procedure is finished, I allow Erik to run to his friend.
"Erik?" calls out the girl hopefully once he reaches her. "You didn't leave." she says with a sigh of relief before she falls unconscious, forcing Erik to catch her while he makes sure that she's ok.
"So how was it?" I ask Azula as I a magic circle erupts beneath my feet and the house slowly returns back to its pristine condition.
"She will be fine, although she now can change back and forth at will like Jason can turn into a dragon." she answers as we watch Erik lift the girl and place her back on the couch. "His use of magic, was that deliberate?" she asks.
"Yes and no. He activated his magic by accident when he saw her in distress, but the targets of that shockwave were deliberate. He targeted everything except his friend." I answer as he turns to face us.
"She's ok, so I guess I should thank you. But what are you?" asks Erik.
"Excuse me?" replies Azula.
"What are you? I can hear the soul of every living thing, but I can't hear anything from you. It's like you're not alive but alive at the same time." he explains, earning a raised eyebrow from us.
"Interesting." comments Azula. "And how do you know all this?" she asks.
"I don't know how." answers Erik with a shake of his head. "I just know. It's how I could hear Cubellios calling me, and how I know that she's ok now. I can hear her soul." he answers with a tearful smile as he looks at his friend.
"Then how did you know that I couldn't hear her?" I ask him.
"I got a vague impression then. Now I can't hear you at all." he answers.
Before Azula or I can question him further, Morgan's voice speaks in our minds.
"*You two may want to come to the guild hall soon. Scáthach and I found something quite interesting.*" she says with a voice usually reserved for when she finds something fascinating that is magic related.
"*We're on our way.*" answers Azula.
"That's interesting, we'll experiment during training." I tell him as Azula and I turn to leave the house. "Right now, just stay with your friend. She will need you when she wakes up."
"You never answered the question." comments Erik before we reach the corridor that leads to the exit. "What are you?" he asks once again.
"We're gods." answers Azula honestly as she turns to look Erik in the eyes.
Looking into Azula's eyes, Erik seems to be searching for something. After a few seconds he seems to find it, since he simply smiles before turning back to his sleeping friend.
"I believe you." he says as we walk out of the house.
Once out of the house, Azula and I teleport to the guild hall and arrive just outside of the entrance. Walking inside, we are met with an unusual silence as all members of Fairy Tail face towards the bar where Gildarts, Makarov, Scáthach, and Morgan reside.
Gildarts Clive, S-Class Mage, and Fairy Tail's Ace, its most powerful mage after the guild master. Gildarts is a young man in his thirties with a tall, muscular build, shoulder-length orange hair that is slicked back, dark green eyes, a stubbly beard, and the guild mark on his left pectoral. His attire is rather simple; he wears a long, black, high-collared and tattered cloak with pauldrons on his shoulders and around his waist is a simple belt. He also wears loose-fitting dark pants, complete with an armored waist-guard bearing plates similar to the ones on his shoulders, tucked inside simple boots.
While Gildarts' presence in the guild hall is a rare occurrence, it is not the reason for everyone's attention. Rather it is a little girl that is eating with enthusiasm, almost as if she has not eaten anything in a while.
The girl has very long, wavy, pastel yellow-blonde hair that reaches down to her feet with a small lock of hair sticking out from the top of the head, large green eyes with no pupils, peachy skin and a slight child-like build. She wears a frilly, pink layered robe with a red ribbon tied in a bow around her neck. Around the chest are three blue diamond patterns with two blue triangles above. Each series of these is outlined in a hot pink color. She also wears wing-like adornments around her ears and small hoop earrings, and is bare feet. The girl can be no older than thirteen years old, yet I know for a fact that she is Mavis Vermillion, first guild master, and co-founder, of Fairy Tail. The only other thing that I remember for sure about her is that she has some curse that gives her immortality.
Walking our way past the guild members, we arrive next to Morgan and Scáthach who seem content with watching her eat.
"This is what you found interesting? A child?" questions Azula incredulously.
Mavis, who had been content with ignoring us in favor of eating her food, frowns and looks up at us before swallowing her mouthful of food.
"I'm not a child." argues Mavis, with a childlike voice that makes her sound like a petulant child.
"That is Mavis Vermillion." says Scáthach before Azula can further antagonise Mavis.
"The first guild master of Fairy Tail?" asks Azula with a raised eyebrow.
"In the flesh." answers Morgan while Mavis happily returns to her meal.
"*That is indeed interesting.*"I answer telepathically as I completely stop time for everyone but Azula, Morgan, Scáthach, and I. "*So how did you find her?*" I ask them with a raised eyebrow.
"*When we came to the hall we felt something calling to us. As it turns out she was kept in stasis inside a crystal in order to keep her body intact.*" says Morgan. "*Whoever put her there seems to believe that she was almost dead, when her body was in fact recovering thanks to a curse that was implanted on her, and that was what called to us, the Curse of Ankhseram.*" she explains
"*Curse of Ankhseram? Isn't that the Curse of Contradictions that gives the inflicted immortality while also killing anything that they love?*" I ask as I peruse through my sparse memories.
"*It is.*" answers Scáthach. "*A vile curse created by Ankhseram, the goddess of life and death, in order to punish those who violate the line between life and death. Mavis and another man named Zeref are the only recipients.*" she explains.
"*Did you remove the curse?*" asks Azula.
"*We did. Now they can live without having to worry about it killing those around them.*" answers Morgan.
"*What of their aging? From what I can remember, Mavis is around a century old while Zeref is much older. Wouldn't the removal of the curse make them age until their actual age catches up with their physical body?*" I ask them.
"*They will age normally from now on starting with the age when they received the curse as opposed to their true age.*" replies Morgan.
"*Couldn't you have at least made her an adult?*" I ask them as I imagine how ridiculous the Fairy Tail members must feel at the thought of having a thirteen year old guild master.
"*She did not want us to.*" answers Scáthach.
"*Do the members of Fairy Tail know that we are gods now?*" asks Azula.
"*Only Mavis and Makarov.*" answers Morgan. "*Any more questions?*" she asks.
"*Not from me.*" I answer while turning to Azula with a raised eyebrow.
"*Nothing from me.*" she answers while giving me the go ahead to return time to normal.
Without further prompting, I return time to normal and we watch as Mavis enthusiastically finishes her food.
"Ahhh." sighs Mavis happily as she cleans her mouth with a napkin. "That was good." she says before turning to the four of us. "So you're the newest members of Fairy Tail. You guys don't look like much." she comments while looking us up and down, earning a raised eyebrow from Morgan and Azula.
"If you want to see us in battle you should just say so." I tell her.
"Mmm, you saw through it." whines Mavis with a pout. "Oh well, that just means that I'll have to bluntly ask you to show me your strength. After all, I can't have just anybody training the next generation of Fairy Tail." she says as her pout quickly disappears and a smile returns to her face.
"And how exactly would you test us?" asks Azula with a small glint in her eyes.
"Gildarts will fight you." answers Mavis without a second thought, shocking the man.
"Huh, me? Are you sure, because I'm not very good at holding back." answers Gildarts.
"That's exactly why!" exclaims Mavis enthusiastically as the entire guild looks towards us for an answer.
Seeing that Gildarts has accepted and that Makarov has no objections I turn to face Scáthach, Morgan and Azula to see that they are staring at me expectantly.
"What?" I ask them with a raised eyebrow.
"Are you not going to accept the challenge?" asks Morgan.
Knowing that I will not be able to get any of them to fight in my stead, I simply sigh and accept Mavis' challenge.
"Alright!" screams Mavis happily as she hops off the stool and skips her way out of the room and towards the back of the guild hall.
Following not far behind, the entire guild, along with customers who are only there for the bar, makes their way to the courtyard behind the guild hall where one can see Lake Sciliora, and where Gildarts and I stand on opposite sides.
"I guess I should introduce myself." says Gildarts as he rubs the back of his neck tiredly. "I'm Gildarts Clive, S-Class Mage, and the Ace of Fairy Tail. Nice to meet you."
"I am Ambrosius Malphas, not ranked yet, and master of all forms of Letter magic and time magic." I say to introduce myself as I seal all of my power except for my magic from this world. I want to see where I stand without my divinity and other powers.
"Alright you two, I want a clean fight and please try to keep the environmental damage to a minimum." orders Makarov from the sidelines.
As soon as Makarov gives the order to begin, Gildarts and I release our magic power in the form of thick, potent aura around us, causing the ground to crater and for Makarov to release his own magic power in order to protect the bystanders.
"Not bad." comments Gildarts as he further increases the output of magic power.
Not one to be outdone, I also increase my output of magic power, causing the ground to crater and for Morgan to create a protective barrier around the spectators.
"You won't beat me that easily." I tell Gildarts with a smirk.
"It was worth a try." answers Gildarts with a shrug as he slightly spreads his legs and tenses his muscles.
Had I been anyone less competent, I would have missed the little detail and been caught completely off guard for what happens next. With a boom that further craters the ground where he stands, Gildarts disappears from his position and appears a few feet away from me with his fist poised to punch me in the face. With the smirk still on my face I tilt my head to the side and dodge the punch before sending a magically enhanced fist of my own towards his stomach. Just when I think that my punch will connect, it hits something a few inches away from his skin and a force I did not expect sends me flying back through the air. Adjusting myself to land on my feet, I raise my arm and block a kick from Gildarts before I activate a spell that significantly slows him down.
"What?" wonders Gildarts as he sees the magic circle appear in my hand before his body begins to move twice as slow as before.
Pressing my advantage, I sweep his feet out from under him before smashing my fist on his stomach so hard that it craters the ground beneath our feet and sends him crashing into the lake behind the guild hall. Letting him recover I crack my neck and roll my shoulders just as he erupts from the lake and lands a few feet away from me.
"That trick with the time magic was pretty nice." he tells me as he drops his cloak.
"You're one to talk when you use something as broken as Crush Magic." I answer as I think about the OP magic that is Crush Magic.
It is an extremely powerful Caster Magic that smashes everything the user comes into contact with into pieces. It can be used to both crack Magic into pieces, thereby nullifying its effects, as well as to reduce the Magic's power and to deflect it. That is how he sent me flying backwards earlier, by deflecting the magic from my fist back towards me.
Even the most powerful spells are rendered useless when faced with this destructive and advanced Magic, which is difficult to control. The fact that he is able to control it to such a degree is extremely impressive. Had he not had that amount of control, the deflection would have destroyed surrounding areas, guild hall included.
"Ah, you picked up on that. Not bad." he answers with a carefree smile on his face and shaking me from my thoughts. "Just warning you though, I'm going to be serious from now on." says Gildarts as the smile on his face disappears.
"Bring it." I answer him with a smirk before launching myself at him with a boom that further shatters the ground beneath my feet.
AN: As usual, tell me what you guys think of the chapter.
S-Class Mages and Aces
Fairy Tail Guild Hall, Magnolia
Kingdom of Fiore
X776
Silence fills the courtyard of the Fairy Tail Guild Hall, and a tension so tangible that one could cut falls over the area as the spectators watch the two powerful mages prepare to once again clash with one another. Previously, many had not believed that the new member, Ambrosius, would even stand a chance against Gildarts and that the fight would be over quickly. Then however, Ambrosius had faced Gildarts in a fierce battle of wills and magic power. A battle so fierce that the majority of the courtyard's destruction can be attributed to it and a shield had to be placed around the spectators to protect them. Then their first exchange took place, and only a select few of the onlookers can even tell you what happened other than Ambrosius went flying through the air before Gildarts was sent crashing into the lake, and now the two powerful mages seem to be ready to go at it again.
As Ambrosius launches himself at Gildarts with a boom that further destroys the ground where he stood, a holographic screen appears in front of the spectators, courtesy of Morgan, that allows them to see the details of the fight. Ambrosius' first move is a punch towards Gildarts' face that is blocked using his forearms. Unlike their previous clash however, Ambrosius does not go flying back, rather a crater forms beneath his feet.
"Interesting." comments Makarov as he watches Ambrosius follow up with a kick that Gildarts struggles to block, and causes another crater to form under Ambrosius' feet.
"What's so interesting? Gildarts blocked all of his punches." asks Gray from his position next to Makarov as the group watches Gildarts punch towards Ambrosius, only for Ambrosius to easily dodge it with a tilt of his head.
"Gildarts' Crush Magic allows him to deflective any attack, magical or otherwise. Ambrosius should be sent flying back everytime they clash, but he literally disperses the force of the deflection throughout his entire body until it reaches his feet where it exits. That's why a crater always appears under Ambrosius' feet whenever they clash." explains Makarov to the spectators as the group watches Ambrosius weave in and out of a flurry of punches that Gildarts sends towards him before finally jumping over one punch and sending a kick towards Gildarts' head.
When Gildarts blocks the punch, everyone expects Ambrosius to be sent flying back since he doesn't have his feet planted to help disperse the force. Instead however, Ambrosius takes the momentum and force of the attack, and uses it to deliver a spinning kick too fast for Gildarts to physically block. Before the kick can connect to Gildarts however, a gridlike forcefield blocks the kick only for a magic circle to appear on Ambrosius' leg, causing the forcefield to wink out of existence and allow it to smash into Gildarts' face, sending him flying back.
"What just happened?" asks Jellal, voicing the thoughts of most of the onlookers out loud.
"Gildarts wasn't able to physically react in time to Ambrosius' attack so he instinctively created a deflective barrier with his crush magic instead, but Ambrosius seemed to be expecting it and rewound time to when the barrier wasn't there, allowing his kick to connect. At least that's what it looks like to have happened." answers Makarov as he and the others watch Ambrosius press his advantage and chase after Gildarts' flying body.
"Ambrosius wasn't expecting it." corrects Scáthach as they see Gildarts quickly recover in time to block the follow up kick only for Ambrosius to disappear from his original position and appear on Gildarts' open side with a spartan kick that sends Gildarts flying once again.
"Ambrosius has a certain state of mind that he enters in battle. It's called Mushin, and it essentially allows him to fight without thinking, and just allow his training and skills to do the battle for him. He fights without any emotions to cloud his judgements. That means no doubts, no happiness, arrogance, fear, or even anger. Just serene calmness that allows the full potential of his skills and training to show through." explains Scáthach as they watch Gildarts recover quickly enough to begin his own assault on Ambrosius.
"That doesn't sound all that special." comments Gray as they watch Ambrosius once again evade any and all assaults from Gildarts.
"My boy, it is special. In fact, calling it special is a disservice to it." answers Makarov. "Basically it means that unless there's a flaw in his training or skills, that he will most likely not commit an error in combat." he says as they see Ambrosius block a punch from Gildarts that craters the beneath their feet before he turns his block into a throw and smashes Gildarts into the ground.
"There is a problem with that theory though." interjects Azula. "He isn't in Mushin right now." she says as the holographic display zooms in on Ambrosius' face, allowing the group to see the slight smile on his lips, and the happiness in his eyes.
"Yes, I have been wondering about that. He fights like he is in Mushin, yet at the same time we obviously tell that he is enjoying himself." agrees Scáthach as they see him allow Gildarts to recover, something he would never do when in Mushin.
"Perhaps he is in a half-Mushin state of mind." suggests Morgan as they see Ambrosius and Gildarts exchange a few words. "Knowing the battle maniac, I would not put it beyond him." she says the two combatants seem to be getting ready for a third exchange.
"He doesn't seem like a battle maniac to me." comments someone from the crowd.
"Oh he is, just not when there is anything at stake." answers Azula with a laugh. "If there's nothing in danger or to lose, then he loves fighting. It's in his blood." she explains while emphasising the last part of her statement for Makarov and Mavis who immediately understand her meaning.
"Like a god of war." says Makarov with a smile that he and the three women share, almost as if it were an inside joke of sorts.
Before the conversation can continue, a boom brings the attention of the spectators back to the spar as Gildarts launches himself at Ambrosius.
Gildarts throws a punch towards Ambrosius' face, only to have him deflect the blow before smashing his fist into Gildarts' stomach and cratering the ground beneath his feet. Recovering quickly, Gildarts punches twice and misses twice before he has to block an incoming punch to his face, leaving his chest open to Ambrosius' knee. Before it can make contact however, Gildarts manages to bring his other arm in front just in time to block. As his knee is blocked, Ambrosius uses the deflection of the Crush Magic to launch himself in the air and continuously kick Gildart's chest. As the final kick connects, Gildarts is sent flying back and Ambrosius uses the deflection to launch into a backflip before landing on his feet and launching himself at a recovering Gildarts.
As the two clash once more it becomes more and more obvious that Ambrosius is the better fighter despite Gildarts' Crush Magic being best suited for nullifying magic and physical, at least most of them. Faced with Ambrosius' time magic that constantly rewinds time to before Gildarts applied his magic on his body or around him to block, Gildarts can do nothing other than physically block, dodge, or brace himself. And this is where Gildarts' flaw as a fighter shows itself, he has an over reliance on his Crush Magic to defend against attacks and to enhance his own blows. Without it Gildarts is not very impressive. Sure he is considered a master hand to hand combatant, however that is only when compared to the world of Earthland. Outside of Earthland his skills would be considered above average at best.
As Ambrosius evades another blow from Gildarts and deflects another one to punch Gildarts in the chest, Makarov deems the battle to be over.
"That's enough." orders Makarov as Ambrosius stops a second punch inches away from Gildarts' face.
Obeying Makarov, Gildarts and Ambrosius drop their fighting stances before exchanging a fist bump.
"I admit defeat." says Gildarts with a smile on his face.
"Even with me dominating the spar, you're stupid Crush Magic made it so that you aren't even that injured." answers Ambrosius as he returns the smile.
"At least you hit me. I never even came close to hitting you in the entire fight." admits Gildarts as the two make their way to the bystanders and Morgan drops her shield.
"Well? Were you entertained?" asks Ambrosius as he looks at Mavis who keeps staring at him.
Seeing that she does not answer him, Ambrosius waves his hand in front of her eyes in an attempt to elicit a reaction from her.
"Awesome!" exclaims Mavis with stars in her eyes. "Now Fairy Tail has five S-Class Mages and Aces!" she says excitedly.
"Shouldn't Master Makarov decide that?" questions Ambrosius.
"It's fine." says Makarov with a grin on his face. "With five S-Class mages Fairy Tail will definitely make more money now. Maybe enough to get a big profit even with all the property damage Gildarts costs us." says Makarov as he glares at a sheepish Gildarts.
"Ah, it's not my fault that I don't see the buildings sometimes." says Gildarts with a carefree expression on his face while he rubs the back of his head. "And sometimes things just break." he adds.
"So, what do you guys think? Your teacher is pretty awesome right?" asks Ambrosius with a smirk as he looks at the children who speechlessly stare at Gildarts and him in awe.
Before anyone of them can answer, a wizened female voice speaks out from the guild hall entrance that leads to the courtyard.
"Of course all that noise and destruction was coming from you people." speaks the voice, causing everyone to look towards it.
The owner of the voice is a slim and tall elderly woman with pink hair, tied in a bun on the back of her head by two large pins with crescent moon-shaped edges, and with two bangs of hair left framing her face. She has reddish eyes, and a beauty mark located below her mouth, on the left side of her face.
Her attire consists of a dark green blouse with a tie around the collar, paired with a long matching skirt and simple shoes. Over this, she wears a crimson-colored cape, with a wide collar decorated by massive Dragon horn-like decorations protruding outwards, and edges adorned by white, arch-like motifs. Her name is Porlyusica, a semi-active member of Fairy Tail that comes from Makarov's generation of Fairy Tail mages, and their Medical Advisor.
"Porlyusica, what brings you out of the forest?" asks Makarov enthusiastically, a smile plastered on his face as he beckons her over.
"Your mages Makarov. Not only are they loud and destructive as usual, but they almost burned down my forest this morning." she tells him before glaring at Ambrosius, Morgan, Scáthach, and Azula.
"It couldn't have been that bad." answers Makarov with a sheepish smile.
Rather than answer him verbally, Porlyusica merely turns her eyes to the destroyed courtyard before looking back at Makarov with a deadpan expression on her face.
"Control your mages Makarov, or I will continue to call the Rune Knights on them." she says before turning to leave.
"Wait! Come meet Master Mavis." interjects Makarov before she can leave.
Turning to face the group, Porlyusica sees Makarov point towards Mavis and she can't help but raise an eyebrow.
"Hi!" says a waving Mavis with a smile on her face.
"This is our first guild master, and one of its co-founders?" asks Porlyusica with a raised eyebrow.
"I sure am." answers Mavis with a cheerful grin so wide that her eyes close.
"If that's the case, the guild was doomed from the beginning." comments Porlyusica as she turns and leaves while ignoring Mavis' outraged cry.
"The nerve of that prunish old hag. Can you believe she said that?!" questions Mavis with a frown while ignoring the fact that she is much older than Porlyusica.
Visiting Family
East Forest, Magnolia
Kingdom of Fiore
X776
It has been a week since our arrival in Earthland and as of today we are finally settled in. Our house has been properly furnished, our registrations from Fairy Tail have been accepted in the Magic Council, and our status as S-Class Mages has been relayed to the Magic Council. Therefore Scáthach, Morgan, Azula, Mordred and I have decided to briefly visit the PJO world while Jason and Cassandra have elected to stay here with their friends. Which is why we are currently waiting for Modred's arrival in the living room of our house with me reading my book on magic of this world while Morgan reads a cooking book, and Scáthach and Azula experiment with their magic.
"Are magic circles required?" wonders Azula as she cancels out an illusion spell of a red eastern dragon.
"No." answers Morgan. "Once you are proficient enough you shouldn't need them." she says as she flips the page of her book. "If you want I can teach you." she offers Azula before looking at me. "I can even teach you what 'The One Magic' is." she tells me.
"And ruin the book for me? No thank you." I answer. "Pick someone else to show off to."
"Besides, that would take all the fun out of training." adds Azula.
"Please, you and I both know that you can master this world's magic in a few more days if you wanted to, and that is without Ambrosius or Scáthach using their godhood in this world to their advantage." replies Morgan with a roll of her eyes.
"Not all of us are in a rush to master magic like you." retorts Azula.
"I was not in a rush. I simply mastered this world's magic because as a goddess of magic it's what I do." she says with a smile just as the door to the house opens and two sets of footsteps walk in.
"Hiii!" excitedly greets Mavis as she runs down the corridor and into the living room.
"Master Mavis, what brings you here today?" asks Scáthach as she dissolves an ice replica of Dun Scaith that she was in the process of making.
"Well, I heard that you guys were going somewhere, and I wanted to know if I could come too. Please?" asks Mavis, causing me to look at the others in question.
"I don't see why not, but Azula and Ambrosius are the ones that you have to ask." answers Scáthach as she turns to Azula and I, and Mordred walks into the room with her armor on.
"I have no problem with her coming along." I answer as I close my book and stand up from the couch while Mordred walks towards me.
"*Father, who is this?*" asks Mordred mentally as she greets me with a kiss on the cheek.
"*You let a stranger enter our home?*" I ask her with a raised eyebrow as we observe Azula denying Mavis' request despite actually having no problem with her joining. She is simply doing it to tease the childish guild master, or ex-guild master since she has decided not to retake her post.
"*She said that she knows you and my powers as a goddess of justice let me know that she's alright, whatever that means.*" answers Mordred with a shrug. "*Besides she is nowhere near powerful enough to give any of us a warm up, much less be an actual threat.*"
"*You haven't been practicing with your godly powers, have you?*" I ask her, to which she simply shakes her head no that she hasn't. "*I know that you didn't want to be a goddess and don't want any of the responsibilities that come with the position, and that's fine. Your mother and I did not decide to turn you into a goddess to give you responsibilities, we did it so that we wouldn't have to worry about you dying and this was just the way we decided to do it.*" I tell her as I gently grasp her shoulder.
"*You made me the goddess of justice, victory, battle, fortune and knights for Westeros of all places. The responsibilities from just my first domain alone are big.*" retorts Mordred.
"*And those responsibilities can be taken care of by any of us four until you are ready to shoulder them yourself.*" I answer as I point to Morgan, Azula, Scáthach and I while ignoring the questioning looks they give me. "*Besides, I didn't choose your domains, they were just the most compatible to you.*"
"*So I can just live like a mortal until I feel ready?*" she asks me.
"*Of course.*" I answer her with a smile. "*In fact, you and your siblings can choose to stay here or any other world you want as long as I or any of your mothers can access them.*" I tell her.
"*I see. You aren't planning on turning Cassandra or Jason in gods right?*" questions Mordred.
"*Of course not.*" I answer with a scoff. "*At least not anytime soon. Those two need to experience life as mortals first. It will teach them lessons that neither I nor the others are comfortable to teach them as parents. Lessons Such as death, loss and many other painful lessons that only living as a mortal can teach, and while it may pain us to see them suffer any more than they already have, it builds character and will ensure that they do not abuse their power as gods.*" I explain to her.
Before Mordred can answer Azula loudly clears her throat and interrupts us.
"Anytime now, but preferably today." she says with a raised eyebrow while the rest of the room looks at us questioningly.
"We're ready." says Mordred with a slight blush on her cheeks.
After scrutinising us for a few more seconds, Azula, Morgan, Scáthach and Mavis turn around and make their way towards one of the walls of the room.
"*Hey dad?*" calls out Mordred as the wall turns into a set of stairs towards the basement.
"*Yes.*" I answer as I let her go down the stairs ahead of me.
"*Thanks for the talk. I needed that.*" she tells me.
"*Anytime little lion.*" I reply while gently patting her on the head, something I haven't done ever since she became a teenager.
"*Little lion?*" she questions with a blush as we watch Morgan activate the portal to the Bifrost.
"*You remind me of the King that you were so happy to serve, and if she could see the young woman you turned out to be she would be proud.*" I answer her with a smile as we make our way through the portal and onto the rainbow bridge that connects Earthland to Mount Olympus.
"WOW!" exclaims Mavis as she looks at the Bifrost and Mount Olympus in awe. "This is where you all live as gods?" she asks.
"It is. Beautiful isn't it?" replies Morgan with a proud smile.
"Yea." breathlessly replies Mavis as we walk across the bridge. "Hey, since you're gods, does that mean the fairies exist too?" she asks.
"I'm sure that fairies with tails exist in some world out there. We just need to find them" I answer her as I understand the motivation behind her question.
As a child Mavis never had anything, and was the servant of some guild who's name I don't remember. That guild was destroyed however and eventually she met Makarov's father and two others whom she formed Fairy Tail with. The name Fairy Tail is meant to be an unanswerable question about the existence of fairies, and whether or not they have tails, that speaks to the members' adventurous nature, and the guild itself is meant to be a family for all those who need it. At least that is what I can remember.
"So who exactly is she?" whispers Mordred to me as she points to Mavis.
"That would be Mavis. One of Fairy Tail's co-founders and its first guild master." I answer as we watch Mavis skip towards the end of the bridge with a smile on her face.
"Mavis? As in Mavis Vermillion, the Fairy Tactician? The one who helped defeat the Alvarez Empire with just her strategies even though they're wayyy more powerful than Ishgar." questions Mordred with wide eyes.
"Yes. That Mavis." I answer.
"How is she still alive and how come the Council hasn't heard rumors of her being around?" asks Mordred as we reach the end of the bridge and teleport to the royal palace in Asgard.
"Your mother is to blame for the Council's ignorance, and as for how she is still alive…" I answer her as I mentally implant the relevant information in her mind while we make our way to the throne room while the guards bow as we pass them by.
"Woah." answers Mordred as she processes the information. "You four just can't help but cause trouble wherever you go can you?" she asks while shaking her head. "You do know that I have to report all of this to the Council right? I can omit the part about our godhood and being from outside of Earthland, but everything else will be reported." she tells us.
"Oh we know." answers Morgan with a smirk on her face. "We just didn't want to be swamped by them until after we were properly settled ourselves. It would be such a nuisance otherwise." she says as we greet the guards, enter the throne room, and make our way to its center where a holographic display of every world we can travel to appears before us.
"How come the city and the palace are so vacant?" asks Mavis as she looks around the throne room.
"There are around one million habitants in the entire mountain spread out all over, including the city. Most have duties that they must attend to outside of Mount Olympus" answers Scáthach as I access the Bifrost System and we are enveloped in a rainbow light similar to the Bifrost from the MCU.
Unlike the literal Bifrost, the Bifrost System is a mode of transportation that takes us to worlds that we have not connected the Bifrost to since the connection can only be made inside the world as opposed to outside. It is how we can revisit worlds we have already been to without R.O.B's help before those worlds are connected to the physical Bifrost.
As the light vanishes we find ourselves in a familiar wilderness night, surrounded by wolves that are being led by a familiar seven feet tall wolf with silver eyes and beautiful chocolate red fur. The wilderness is none other than the forest where the Wolf House is located, and the seven feet tall is none other than Lupa, the immortal wolf goddess who trains Roman demigods.
"Identify yourselves." orders the giant wolf with a feminine yet powerful voice as she bares her sharp teeth towards us with a snarl.
"It's good to see you too Mother Lupa." answers Azula nonchalantly as she approaches the wolf goddess.
"Cub?" wonders Lupa as she approaches Azula and sniffs her for confirmation. "It is you." she says before turning her eyes to me as she orders her wolves to stand down.
"Lupa, it's nice to see you again." I say with a smile as I approach her.
"So you two did manage to find each other and escape The Pit. That's good" she says before her eyes turn to our companions. "And who are they?" questions Lupa with a nod of her head.
"Those would be our companions.Scáthach, Morgan, Mordred, and Mavis" I answer her as I introduce each of them respectively.
"Companions?" asks Lupa.
"It's a long story, and one better told in a more comfortable environment." responds Azula.
"I see." says Lupa as she turns around. "Let us see if you have improved at all. Keep up." orders Lupa as she and her wolves take off at a speed that would put most sports cars to shame.
With a smirk on our faces, Azula and I take off after the pack with the others following not far behind.
"Is the Wolf House in the same location?" I ask her as Azula and I catch up to her.
"Of course." answers Lupa with well hidden pride in her eyes.
"Perfect." says Azula with a smirk. "The last one to the Wolf House is in charge of hunting dinner for the night." declares Azula as she takes off towards the Wolf House followed quickly by Lupa.
Not one to be outdone, I increase my speed and easily catch up to the two of them.
AN: I know some of you guys might be worried that I'll focus too much on the world's they've been to already as opposed to the ones they are visiting, but this chapter was bound to happen and I felt that it would be out of character for Ambrosius to put it off any longer. As a parent he understands the pain of losing a child so he knows what Neptune, Bellona, and Salacia are going through with him reportedly being stuck in Tartarus. So I felt that for him to put off visiting them any longer would be out of character especially since he actually had a mother/son relationship with Salacia and Bellona. Next chapter will be all of the visit and after that the main focus will become Fairy Tail.
Overpowered
Wolf House
Sonoma Valley, California
United States of America
X776
Sitting down amongst Lupa's pack once again to eat is an experience that I did not think that I would miss, yet here I am experiencing it once again, and I find that I did in fact miss it. Maybe it's because it reminds me of the simple time, or maybe it's because my childhood with Lupa has a heavy influence on who I am today. Regardless of what the reason is, all that matters is that currently is that I am sitting here eating with my family and my surrogate mother.
"Tell me cub, how did you escape The Pit and what have you been up to for the past few years?" asks Lupa as we finish eating.
"I found a passage out that led me out of Tartarus." I answer nonchalantly even as the temperature drops and an ominous feeling fills the air at the mention of 'Tartarus'. The change in atmosphere immediately puts the wolves on edge as their fur stands on end and a few of them even snarl into the shadows in the forest.
"I forgot that using names can have consequences here ." comments Azula as she lets a miniscule amount of her godly power leak, causing the ominous presence to quickly retreat and for the atmosphere to return to normal.
"I see that you have much to explain, beginning with where did this passage lead you to." says Lupa as she feels the power coming from Azula and the divinity behind it.
"The passage led me to a world similar yet quite different from here. A world where all myths are real yet are manifested in different ways. It is there that I met Scáthach and Morgan." I explain to her.
"The name Scáthach is familiar to me. She is one the Celtic's most powerful warriors. Would that be her?" asks Lupa as she studies Scáthach.
"That is indeed me. However, I do not think that the Scáthach of this world is the same as me." answers Scáthach.
"You certainly carry yourself like a warrior." observes Lupa as she gets up from her lying position on the ground and circles around Scáthach before turning her eyes to Morgan. "And her?" she asks.
"I would be Morgan le Fay." introduces Morgan.
"I recall that name from the Arthurian stories but nothing else." she says as she turns her eyes to Mordred. "And this would be your cub." comments Lupa with narrowed eyes as she scrutinises Mordred with her famously intimidating wolf glare. Rather than shy away from Lupa like most would, Mordred stares her right back in the eyes without an ounce of fear. This faceoff lasts a few seconds before Lupa grins.
"You raised her well. While she certainly is not Roman, she has roman like qualities about her and the fire of a warrior that I would not mind having as an ally on the battlefield." praises Lupa as she returns to her previous position while ignoring Mavis. "Not only have you returned from The Pit, but I can see that the challenges you have faced have turned you into a Roman I would follow to Tartarus and back. I am proud of you." she says to Azula and I. "I will not keep you here any longer." says Lupa as she closes her eyes and seems to prepare to sleep while dismissing Azula and I.
With a fond smile on my face I get up from my position and exit the Wolf House with Azula and the others not far behind.
"She hasn't changed at all." comments Azula as we stand outside of the Wolf House, a massive ruin of red and gray stones and rough-hewn timber beams.
"She honestly has not changed at all. She still doesn't care about anything as long as it isn't a threat to Roman, or pertains to the future generation of Rome." I reply with a smile as I look up at the cloudless night sky.
"So where are we going now?" asks Mordred.
"We split up from here. We will go to Olympus to visit Aphrodite while Ambrosius goes to Atlantis." suggests Azula.
It makes sense. Atlantis is an isolationist nation and newcomers are not welcomed, even if they are guests of one of the princes. Even if Salacia might be willing to make an exception for Mordred to see her grandchild, it would be disrespectful to bring her with me.
"Very well. I will first go to Atlantis before meeting you in Olympus. Afterwards we can visit Camp Jupiter before returning home."
With a nod, Azula grabs the others and vanishes with a crack of thunder. Not far behind, I dissolve myself into sea water and make my way towards Atlantis.
City of Atlantis
Location Unknown Other than Somewhere in the Ocean
Deep in the bottom of the sea, where no man has ever visited, lies an underwater kingdom that many have speculated about, yet none have ever seen proof of its existence. The Kingdom is made up of multiple moderately sized cities spread out around the ocean floor, and a large city serving as the capital. To many the name of the kingdom is Atlantis, however Atlantis isn't the true name of said kingdom, rather it's the name of the capital city.
Unlike the myths however, Atlantis is not a mortal kingdom that sunk to the bottom of the sea. It is in fact a supernatural kingdom made up of all seafaring life, such as merpeople and water spirits, that started out as a group of independent kingdoms. However, when Neptune took over as the lord of the sea, he united them into one kingdom and made Atlantis the capital.
Currently inside the throne room is filled with many water deities as Neptune and Salacia hold court. The throne room of Atlantis is completely different in style compared to the rest of the royal palace. Unlike the royal palace, which is heavily based on roman architecture with some minor greek influences, the throne room takes most of its designs from european throne rooms. The dais is taller, the thrones themselves are larger, and the decorations a bit more lavish.
Sitting on a pair of thrones on the raised dais are the ruler of the sea, Neptune and Salacia, looking as regal and powerful as always. Standing in front of the dais is none other than their son, older brother of Ambrosius, and the crown prince of Atlantis, Triden. And standing on both sides of the room and leaving the middle open are the generals and anyone important enough to be part of the court. In the middle of the room floats what looks like a regular dolphin, but is in fact Delphinus, the god of dolphins, roman counterpart of Delphin, and one of Neptune's most loyal lieutenants. As the lieutenant finishes his report, he bows to Neptune before returning to his position on the right side of the room.
"Thank you Delphinus." says Neptune as he watches the god return to his position. "Is there any other matter that needs to be addressed?" questions Neptune as he surveys the room.
Seeing no one coming forth, Neptune prepares to adjourn court before he is interrupted by a vortex of seawater that materialises into the middle of the room. Seeing this every member of the court turn to Neptunes with questioning faces. However, Neptune does not answer them and simply raises his trident towards the vortex in order to dispel it.
"Impossible." whispers Neptune as his power over the sea fails to dispel the vortex.
Hearing their king's words, the members of the court draw their weapons and prepare for whatever it is that comes out of the vortex. Soon enough the vortex slowly dissolves before beginning to form a humanoid form until, floating in the middle of the throne room is a stranger that many feel as if they should know.
The stranger at six feet two inches, possesses long silver hair that reaches his upper back and has a slight glow to them, beautiful brown skin and a physique perfect for a warrior. He wears a red sleeveless cuirass with silver accents, a red and silver pauldron on his left shoulder, silver vambraces that reach from below his shoulders to his wrist, silver tassets over black trousers, and silver greaves that completely covers his boots, and on his back he wears a red cape with silver accents. While all of these features are alien to the occupants of the room, the stranger's face bears a resemblance to many members of the royal family that cannot be ignored. From the stoic roman expression on his face, to his high cheekbones that give him aristocratic features, and the hardened yet gentle expression in his eyes, the man can easily pass off as a member of the royal family.
Approaching the stranger, Triden points his trident at him with a scowl on his face.
"You are trespassing on Atlantis. Identify yourself." orders the crown prince.
Rather than immediately answer, the stranger studies Triden for a few seconds before he surprises the room by gently smiling towards the god.
"It's good to see you again brother." says the stranger as his eyes flash into a glowing sea green, and his hair turns into midnight black.
"Brother?" questions Triden as he lowers his weapon a bit before quickly putting it back up. "No. Any deity worth their salt can alter their physical features. Tell me something that only the two of us would know." says Triden while Neptune and Salacia watch the interaction with narrowed eyes, ready to smite the stranger should he prove to be an imposter.
"You found my superior skills with weapons to be infuriating because of how easy it came to me, while you found my lack of control with my powers to be infuriating because of how lacking it was. Also, you found my showboating to be quite annoying and unnecessary." answers the stranger with a smirk.
"What were my very last words to you before you left Atlantis?" questions Triden.
" 'Good. Now go change, father would like to see you before you depart' " answers the man as he repeats Triden's words verbatim.
"It really is you." says Triden as he puts his trident away and the entire court follows suit. "You finally came back. I always said that it was simply a matter of time." claims the crown prince as he studies his younger brother with a slight smirk on his face.
"Well you know me, I always have to show off some way. And what better way to show off than escape Tartarus unscathed and by myself." answers the now identified Ambrosius with a shrug, causing Triden to chuckle before he floats away from him to give Neptune and Salacia a full view of their returning son.
"King Neptune, Queen Salacia, I have returned." says Ambrosius as he places his right fist over his heart in a standard Roman salute and slightly bows at the waist.
"I see that." answers Neptune with a slight smile that only a few notice before he looks towards the members of his court. "Court is adjourned, we shall meet again next month." says Neptune as he kindly dismisses them with his words, yet forcefully orders them to leave with his eyes.
Not willing to incur Neptune's wrath, the members of the court scurry out of the room before the guards close the door behind them. With the court gone, Neptune and Salacia rise from their thrones with smiles on their faces before floating towards Ambrosius.
"My son has returned from The Pit." boisterously laughs Neptune as he uncharacteristically pulls Ambrosius in a hug. Unlike the facade he and Salacia portray on a regular basis, Ambrosius' situation has affected them a lot. Not only is Ambrosius his son, something that automatically guarantees him a place in Neptune's heart, but he also spent time with him. While some may not see a few months as long enough to gain feelings for someone, it was enough for Neptune, and even more so for Salacia because she spent more than a few months with him after he left Atlantis.
"It's good to see you too father." says Ambrosius as he returns the hug.
As Neptune pulls away, he takes the time to study his son for a few seconds before nodding in satisfaction and allowing Salacia to pull Ambrosius in for a hug.
"Welcome back son." says Salacia with a gentle smile as she hugs the now taller Ambrosius.
"It's good to be back." he answers with a smile of his own before they pull away from each other.
"How long has it been?" asks Ambrosius.
"Five years." answers Triden.
"Tell us son, how did you escape, and what happened to you?" asks Salacia as she points to his red eyes, white hair, and his armor.
"I found a passage out of Tartarus, however it led me to a completely different world, and I have been traveling from world to world ever since." he answers, shocking them.
"This… this is an important revelation." answers Neptune as he begins to pace around the round while gently rubbing his beard in deep thought. "The Pit is connected to a different world." he mutters to himself before turning to look at Ambrosius. "What was that world like? Did they have their own gods?" he asks.
"It is similar yet quite different from here. Myths and legends walk in the shadows similar to here, yet how they manifest themselves is quite different." he answers them as he conjures images. "This is Hercules, and unlike our own he would quite easily fit under the mortal's definition of hero today as opposed to simply being a classical hero." explains Ambrosius as he shows them an image of the man.
"If Hercules exists, then that must mean that so does Jupiter and the other gods." comments Triden as he studies the images of different heroes.
"I never met any of the gods." answers Ambrosius. "When I had arrived in that world, most had already retreated from the mortal world and did not bother themselves with it any longer. As for what happened to me, well that is a long story."
"We have time." declares Salacia as she makes seats around a table out of the water.
Before they can sit however, Mercury appears in the throne room with a flash of light.
"Jupiter is calling a meeting. You are also to bring Ambrosius with you." relays Mercury before he disappears with the same flash of light.
"It seems that Jupiter has received word of your arrival." comments Neptune as he calls his trident to him.
"It was simply a matter of time considering the fact that Azula has also returned." answers Ambrosius as the quartet teleport to Mount Olympus' throne room.
Mount Olympus
New York City, New York State
High up in the sky of New York City, a mountain floats over it. This mountain does not connect with the ground and cannot be detected by mortals due to the Mist, but is connected to the mortal world by a space elevator where it hovers above the Empire State building. It possibly exists in another dimension, due to it floating with its great mass over a mortal city undetected.
At the top of it is a large city containing the palaces for the Olympian gods, goddesses, and residences for many minor gods, other creatures and beings of Greek and Roman mythology. It is here that the gods commune, each having a massive throne, which are collectively arranged in a reversed U shape.
Currently in the throne room of Olympus, also known as the Hall of the Gods, the Major Olympian gods sit together holding a meeting in light of recent events.
The Thrones of the gods stand in a U around a hearth, where Hestia usually sits but is currently absent, starting with Zeus/Jupiter and Poseidon/Neptune's thrones as they are the most powerful Greek/Roman gods. From Zeus/Jupiter and Poseidon/Neptune's thrones the goddesses sit on the left side of the hearth and the other gods sit on the right side. High above, the blue ceiling can be seen glittering with constellations.
After the war with Gaea and the achieved peace between the Greeks and the Romans, the gods have merged their conflicting identities of Roman and Greek into one. As such, while they are currently acting as the Roman gods and goddesses, they still retain much of their greek aspects and no longer suffer from having identities that are at war with one another. The result of this union is that they are now both Roman and Greek and retain certain attributes from their two aspects depending on what the situation calls for, which is why it is not surprising to find that many of them are currently bickering like their Greek aspects as opposed to their Roman aspects. The reason for their bickering is simply due to the return of the two most powerful demigods in history and the fact that they have found that Tartarus connects this world to another. One similar yet different from their own. One where different versions of themselves exist. Some believe that they should explore this new world, while others believe that it would be best to leave it alone, and some simply don't care and are not paying attention.
Just as the arguments reach a crescendo, a massive vortex of sea water erupts from the middle of the room, causing the gods to quiet down. Once the vortex vanishes, the royal family of the sea can be found standing there in full armor. While the fact that they are wearing their armor is something to note, the gods and goddesses find their eyes drawn to a red armored stranger standing among them.
"You have finally arrived brother." comments Jupiter as Neptune grows to thirteen feet tall and takes his seat on his throne. "We were discussing what is to be done about my daughter's findings in Tartarus." says Jupiter in a very Zeus like manner.
Before Neptune can give his opinion, Ambrosius interrupts him.
"Nothing will be done to those worlds." says Ambrosius as he joins his group a few feet away from the thrones.
"And who are you to suggest to us what is to be done or not?" questions Jupiter.
"You already know who I am Jupiter, and I would suggest that you reel in your inner Zeus, his stupidity and power hungriness is showing." answers Ambrosius, causing Mercury and Apollo to stifle a laugh while Mars scrutinises him and the other gods begin to really pay attention to the meeting.
Next to Ambrosius, Triden makes to stop him from speaking further when Salacia stops him and telepathically tells him to trust his brother. Despite not knowing much of what Ambrosius has experienced, she and Neptune remember that Ambrosius never committed to an action without the means to see it and through, and although it has been years since they have seen him they know that this is one attribute about him that has not changed. Not only that, but ever since seeing him they have noticed that the previously quiet confident demeanor that he had about him seems to be amplified to the point of making him seem to be as powerful as them. Even if they don't feel a godhood coming from him, and in fact cannot sense anything from him.
"The worlds that we have visited do not fall under your jurisdiction, they do not follow the same laws as this one, and most importantly are under our protection." claims Ambrosius as his eyes flash a crimson red before returning to normal.
"Those are bold claims you make, demigod." answers Zeus as he spits out the word demigod as if it were an insult.
Expecting Ambrosius to continue his argument with Zeus, the gods are disappointed and surprised when he decides to remain silent. However, just when Zeus believes that he has cowed the petulant demigod, the entire mountain begins to shake and storm clouds begin to form over Mount Olympus. Believing this to be the cause of Neptune, the gods turn to him only to see that he is not in fact the cause. This makes them turn to the only one capable of shaking the earth, Ambrosius, just as an aura of bloodlust begins to emit from his body and his eyes glow a crimson red. Soon after a crash of thunder can be heard as a lightning bolt strikes the middle of the throne room.
Getting up from his throne, Zeus summons his master bolt to him and aims it at Ambrosius.
"You will cease this." orders the king of the gods as he prepares to smite Ambrosius.
Before he can however, his master bolt flies from his hands and into Azula's.
"Oh, father, why must you be such an imbecile." sighs Azula as she twirls the master bolt around in her hand before grasping it with both of her hands. "Don't you know that it's a fast way to get smited by beings more powerful than you." she says as she snaps his master bolt with a smirk and absorbs all of its energy.
Seeing this, Artemis, Apollo, Athena, Mars, all draw their weapons, only to be completely encased in ice by Scáthach who simply glares at the group even as she ignores the growing plants that attempt to wrap themselves around her. Before they can however, they catch on fire courtesy of Morgan or are sliced to pieces by Mordred as she wields Veterum.
By this time the other gods have realised what is happening and all, but Neptune, Salacia, and Triden, rise to action. Before they can launch themselves at the group however, a pair of Excidium beams fire from Ambrosius' eyes and carve a deep vertical line on the floor between the two groups.
"Anyone who crosses this line will be killed. I do not mean fade, or sent to Tartarus, or grievously injured, you will be killed." claims Ambrosius as he glares at the gods and goddesses with his glowing baleful red eyes and releases more of his power, cracking the ground and the walls of the throne room along with increasing the power of the storm overhead.
"Now why don't you all be obedient and sit back down." orders Azula with a voice dripping in charmspeak while Scáthach frees the gods encased in ice.
With glassy eyes, the gods return to their seats where their shackles grow from their thrones and imprison them.
"Now, you will all listen to me very carefully." orders Ambrosius as most of the gods truly begin to feel terror which is only made worse by the cracking of thunder overhead.
Introductions
Mount Olympus
New York City, New York State
United States of America
X776
Lightning flashes and thunder rumbles over the home of the Greek gods as storm clouds, more powerful than any ever created by Poseidon or Zeus, float over the mountain, causing many of Mount Olympus' occupants to quietly dread what the outcome of their unscheduled meeting will be. However, the proceedings inside the throne room are far more different than what any of them could possibly imagine. Shackled to their thrones with terror seeping into their very beings as Ambrosius threatens them are most of the Olympian gods. This situation is not something that any of them ever foresaw happening, after all they are the Olympians, the most powerful gods of Olympus. As far as they are concerned, they are not bound by any laws or rules except for the Ancient Laws which didn't always exist, and even those laws they have a tendency to bend them to suit themselves. Now however, a demigod which they believed to be weaker than them is not only imposing a rule on them, but he also seems to have the power to enforce them, causing the usually rebellious gods to honestly consider obeying him, at least until they find a way to rid themselves of him.
"Are there any questions?" asks Ambrosius as he finishes listing his rules that effectively binds the gods to this world.
"No. I wager that swearing to the River Styx will suffice?" answers Zeus, prompting Azula to laugh at him mockingly.
"Swear on the Styx? Do you take us for fools?" she asks through her scornful laugh while Morgan simply sneers at Zeus for his attempt at fooling them.
"Please do not insult our intelligence." says Morgan. "As far as you're all concerned the Styx is nothing more than a way to fool mortals into each other into believing your oaths are secure. Look at Thalia, Jason, and Perseus for example." she says with a smirk, causing Neptune to wince and for Zeus to simply snarl at her. "No, you will not swear to the Styx, you will swear on my daughter." answers Morgan as she steps aside and points to Mordred.
"Hahahahah. You want us to swear to this little girl?" laughs Ares as his eyes begin to flash red before he screams in pain as a thirteen feet tall Mordred appears before him and plunges Veterum through his chest.
"Father told me about you, y'know." comments Mordred as she twists the sword before pushing it further through his chest, causing him to scream more and spit out ichor. "He told about all the atrocious acts you have committed throughout history and your disregard for any life. I didn't believe him at first, at least not until I stood here in your presence and felt so disgusted. In fact, all of you disgust me, but you and you're father are the worst" she says through gritted teeth as she removes her sword from his chest and flicks the blood off. "How can you call yourselves gods when you take advantage of those you should be protecting and guiding. Where is your honor?" she demands as she looks at all of them, Neptune included.
Seeing that no answer will come from them, Mordred's grip on her sword tightens further and she grits her teeth even more before taking a deep breath and walking back towards her family where she slowly shrinks back to her normal height.
"I can hear the voices of those they have wronged begging for justice." quietly says Mordred as she reaches her father and sadly looks him in the eyes. "I know you can all hear them too. How do you deal with it all when it's so disheartening." she tells him as he gives her a sad smile.
"One moment at a time." answers Ambrosius while the others simply give her encouraging looks.
"So uh, how does this work?" asks Apollo.
"You will say 'I, [your name, both Roman and Greek, swear upon the name of Justice, that I will obey the rules which have been set forth before me by King Ambrosius'." answers Morgan.
"I, Apollo, swear upon the name of Justice, that I will obey the rules which have been set forth before me by King Ambrosius." repeats Apollo. With his oath spoken, the shackles on his throne release him, allowing him to stand. "Hey, that wasn't too bad." says Apollo as he rubs his wrist where he was bound.
Just as he says this however golden chain wraps itself around him and tightly squeezes his body before disappearing.
"What was that?" he asks with a frown.
"That was your oath being bound." answers Ambrosius. "From now on, should you attempt to break the oath you will feel your entire being squeezed to almost unbearable levels, and if you ignore this feeling and break the oath your divinity will be sealed and you will be transported to us for punishment." explains Ambrosius.
"I guess that means I can go now." says Apollo before he disappears out of the throne room in a golden flash of light.
With Apollo gone, the other gods each swear the oath one by one before they too take their leave, until only Zeus, Aphrodite, and Neptune remain.
"Well father, are you going to swear the oath or not?" questions Azula as lightning threateningly flashes in her eyes.
"I will." answers Zeus with gritted teeth and a glare. "I, Zeus and Jupiter, swear upon the name of Justice, that I will obey the rules which have been set forth before me by King Ambrosius." he swears, causing the same golden chains to wrap around him and squeeze his body before the shackles release him and he departs with the rumble of thunder.
"You know that he will look for a way around the oath right?" asks Neptune as he and Aphrodite stand from their thrones.
"He can certainly try." answers Morgan. "But nothing can allow him to circumvent the oath without consequences." she tells them.
"Couldn't you have told them that the passage wasn't there any more, or that they wouldn't be gods in the other worlds?" asks Mavis as she speaks for the first time since their arrival.
"Hahahaha, that wouldn't have stopped Zeus or any of us from trying anyway." answers Aphrodite with a laugh. "Someone would get sent to Tartarus to check it out anyway. Us gods don't like to be told what we can or can't do, and we usually like to check things ourselves personally or else we won't believe what we hear." she explains as she hungrily stares at Ambrosius while he dismisses the storm overhead.
"Aphrodite may be right, but did you have to make father swear also?" questions Triden with a frown.
"Yes." answers Neptune for Ambrosius. "There are moments where a King must be impartial to all, family included. This was one of those moments. Besides, a show of force was needed to make them all obey." explains Neptune as he gives Ambrosius a respectful nod along with a proud smile.
"Well I for one am glad that he did all of that. It was hot." says Aphrodite as she winks at Ambrosius and steps towards him.
"Back off mother." orders Azula as she shoots a fireball at Aphrodite's feet, causing the goddess to retreat. "He is off limits."
"Come now daughter, you seem to have no problem sharing." whines Aphrodite as she points at Morgan and Scáthach. "Let me have my fun."
"No!" exclaims all four of them while glaring at her.
"Such spoilsports." pouts Aphrodite. "Oh well, a goddess can try." she says with a shrug.
"Now that this debacle has been dealt with, why don't you introduce us to your companions." says Salacia to Ambrosius.
Before he can answer however, Ambrosius hops backwards in order to dodge a sword slash that cuts the floor where he stood.
"So you finally came back!" exclaims the attacker as she follows through with her assault.
Mordred makes to defend her father, only for Azula to stop her and tell them all to just watch.
"It's good to see you too, mother." answers Ambrosius as he conjures a gladius in his hand and proceeds to block another slash. "I see that you have not changed much, or at all to be honest." he comments as he dodges a sword stab.
"And you changed so much that I barely recognise you my little soldier." she replies. "Come on, show me what you've learned from that other world." she orders with a grin that he returns.
Clashing once more, Ambrosius ducks under a swipe of Bellona's sword before slashing towards her rib cage. Dodging his attack, Bellona coats her sword in red aura before stabbing downwards towards his head. As he blocks her attack, the blade of Ambrosius' sword shatters in the collision, causing him to conjure another sword in his free hand and block her attack with his own aura covered sword.
"Uh. I remember making sure that none of my children can do that, even you. How did you do it?" asks Bellona as she retreats.
"I became a god." answers Ambrosius with a shrug as he twirls the weapon in his hand before turning it into a simple spear.
"Heh, of course you did." she replies with a chuckle as she also turns her sword into a spear.
With a smirk on his face Ambrosius lowers himself into a crouch and takes a position similar to a sprinter.
"Isn't that Setanta's stance before he unleashes Gae Bolg?" asks Mordred as Ambrosius' muscles tense and his smirk almost becomes a feral grin like Setanta's.
"It is." answers Scáthach as Ambrosius vanishes from his position with a boom that craters the floor where he stood before appearing next to Bellona with his spear poised for her left temple.
With wide eyes, Bellona ducks under the stab only to be sent rolling to the ground by a kick to the side from Ambrosius. Recovering quickly with a roll that launches her into the air, Bellona turns her spear into a bow and rapidly fires twenty conjured arrows at Ambrosius. Following suit, Ambrosius shoots down all of her arrows with his own before only grazing her cheek with a twenty first arrow when she barely tilts her head aside in time to dodge. Landing on the ground, Bellona dissolves her weapon and launches herself at Ambrosius with a punch. Using her wrist, Ambrosius redirects her punch before smashing his own fist into her armored chest, causing a shockwave ro resonate throughout the room and sending her flying into a pillar of the throne room.
"First blood, and first clean hit. I do believe that I win." says Ambrosius with a wolfish grin on his face as he watches Bellona slowly get up from the floor while coughing out a few drops of ichor.
"Good job little soldier." answers Bellona with agrin of her own as she wipes the ichor from her mouth. "You've really grown. And I like that little maneuver with the spear, I might just steal it sometime." she says as she approaches him. "Now why don't you introduce those little friends of yours to me, and start with that little knight. I saw what she did to Ares, and I liked that." she says as she points to Mordred.
"That would be my daughter. Mordred meet Bellona, one of my mothers, and mother meet my daughter, Mordred." introduces Ambrosius.
"That's your daughter huh. Well you definitely raised her well if she has the balls to stab Ares." comments Bellona as she observes Mordred. "Although I have to say that I'm a little disappointed by the whole knight motif you got going on. I'm pretty partial to legionnaires myself." she says with a smirk.
"I wonder why." sarcastically answers Salacia as she gets between Mordred and Bellona. "I am Salacia, the mother who taught Ambrosius important things like manners, etiquette, and how to be a proper prince." says Salacia as she introduces herself to Mordred.
"Um, do I call you grandmother, or…" hesitantly wonders Mordred.
"Yes, I do believe that grandmother is just fine." answers Salacia with a smile on her face as she pulls Morgan into a hug.
"And these ladies would be?" asks Bellona as she points towards Scáthach, Morgan, and Mavis.
"I am Scáthach, it is a pleasure to meet you." says Scáthach as she offers Bellona a handshake.
"You have a thing for warrior women?" question Bellona to her son as she accepts Scáthach's handshake.
"Maybe. I never gave it much thought." answers Ambrosius with a shrug as Morgan introduces herself to the war goddess.
"Even this one is a warrior. A warrior witch, but a warrior nonetheless." comments Bellona after observing Morgan.
Having never really thought about it, Ambrosius once again shrugs while Aphrodite, Salacia and Bellona acquaint themselves to Morgan, Scáthach, Azula, Mordred, and Mavis.
"I am proud of you." says Neptune as he and Triden join Ambrosius in observing the interaction between the goddesses and the lone mortal.
"You have done well for yourself brother. However, what do you plan to do now that you have returned?" asks Triden.
"I will visit Camp Jupiter, Hylla, Reyna, and Perseus before leaving." answers Ambrosius.
"So soon?" asks Neptune.
"I have responsibilities elsewhere. Of course I will be visiting, and if you ever need me you can always call me." explains Ambrosius.
"What of your duties as a prince of Atlantis?" asks Triden with a slight frown.
"You seem to be doing well without me." answers Ambrosius with a smirk.
"Yes, but I could be doing much better if you took on some of the work yourself." argues Triden.
"You've done well without me for centuries, if not for many millennia." nonchalantly replies Ambrosius.
"You're a jackass." says Triden, shocking his father and brother before they begin laughing uncontrollably at the realisation that straight laced, boy scout, 'I will never break the rules or be crass' Triden just used a profanity.
AN: This ends this segment in the pjo world. Next chapter starts in Fairy Tail. If you guys are wondering why I'm not showing him visiting the camp and his siblings, it's because it would draw out this segment too much. Some of you guys have also been wondering if he will visit the other past worlds and the answer is maybe.
First Mission
Magnolia Kingdom of Fiore
X776
Making our way into the afternoon crowd of Magnolia Town, Azula, Scáthach and I cannot help but immediately notice their stare as we walk towards the Fairy Tail Guild Hall. The stares are not negative in nature, far from it in fact. There seem to be unexplained awe and admiration from the children, while the children stare as if they are seeing their heroes in person.
"*We didn't do anything to deserve these stares, did we.*" I ask them telepathically as we pass a young girl with stars in her eyes.
"*Not that I remember.*" answers Scáthach as she hesitantly returns an adult's enthusiastic wave.
Before we can continue our conversation a little girl no older than Cassandra excitedly runs up to Azula with a piece of paper clutched in her small hands. Behind the child we can see her mother rushing through the crowd to her before she can reach Azula.
"You're Azula, one of Fairy Tail's new Aces! I drew you!" excitedly says the girl as she extends her short arms up to show Azula her drawing which is honestly quite well done. It showcases Azula in her armor walking past an army as they fight amongst themselves as opposed to her.
Not used to anyone showing such excitement to seeing her, at least not so openly and not from outside of her family, Azula slightly recoils back in surprise before catching herself.
"Inanna, please don't bother her.!" calls out the girl's mother as she finally catches up. "I'm sorry about her. It's just that she's really excited to meet you and you're one of her heroes." explains the mother as she pulls her child away from a recovered Azula.
"No worries." answers Azula with a faux smile that only we catch even as she mentally asks us for advice on how to deal with this situation. "May I see the drawing?" asks Azula even as she reaches out for it.
"Hmm." hums Inanna happily as she hands it over to Azula.
With a smirk on her face, a magic circle appears on Azula's hand as she passes it over the picture before handing it to the child.
"Woah!" says the child in awe as the picture of Azula walks through a live battlefield while sending the girl a wink. "Mommy look, the picture is moving!" exclaims the child as she shows it to her mother.
Speechless, the mother simply nods in response to her daughter while looking at the now moving and lifelike picture.
"You have quite the talent." says Azula as she crouches in front of Inanna. "What do you plan to do with it?" she asks.
"I want to make the greatest drawings EVER! But my greatest drawing will be for you, and they'll be perfect." claims the child.
"That is an ambition goal to aspire to and you should go for it. However, do you know that there's something better than perfection?" answers Azula.
"There is?" questions Inanna with a thoughtful frown.
"Improvement. Improving is always better than perfection, never let anyone tell you otherwise." she tells the child as she stands up with her cape elegantly flapping behind her. "Continue improving, and when you're ready come find me. I want to see all of your drawings, even the bad ones." says Azula as she gently pats the child in the head before walking past her and the grateful mother.
"*Impressive.*" compliments Scáthach as we follow Azula.
"*You two left me to deal with a child by myself.*" replies Azula with a glare. "*Did you forget that I'm not someone who is trained to deal with that? I had to emulate you to even have an inkling of what to do.*"
"*No amount of training can prepare one for dealing with children. All things considered however, you handled it quite well.*" I reply with a smile.
"*Face it Azula, you are not as bad with children as you'd like to believe. In fact, one might argue that you are more qualified than many. You after all have plenty of examples of what not to do when looking at your parents, and examples of what to do from Morgan, Ambrosius, and I.*" argues Scáthach as we arrive in front of the guild hall's entrance.
Walking in, we make our way to the bar where Mavis and Makarov can be found talking while drinking.
"How was your walk over?" asks Mavis with a mischievous smile.
"What did you do Mavis?" questions Azula with a frown.
Rather than answer, Mavis simply slides a magazine over to us with the bold black letters 'Sorcerer Magazine' on the cover. Under the words is a picture of me in my second Atlantean armor from PJO, which by now is my default clothes just like Azula's default has become her armor from PJO while Scáthach's is her Nasuverse clothes and Morgan simply has none. Facing me on a cratered and destroyed battlefield is none other than a bruised and bloodied Gildarts while I simply stand there unscathed. Under the picture reads the words 'Meets Fairy Tail's God and his Goddesses. The new Aces of Fairy Tail'.
"What is this?" questions Azula as opens the magazine and proceeds to skim it until she finds the page that talks about us.
"That is Sorcerer Magazine, the best magazine to read for any news on magic, guilds, and wizards. You four are their newest features." explains Makarov with a smirk.
"My spar with Gildarts was not enough to give them all this information. So which one of you two gave it to them?" I ask as I skim the paragraphs that talk about how I easily defeated Gildarts, Scáthach, Morgan, Azula being as powerful as me, and how an inside source explained to them that we are so good in our respective fields that we may as well be gods.
While the article certainly has a lot of information, such as our skills in all forms of combat, Morgan's superiority in magic compared to us, many of our strengths, and our personalities, it does not contain any information that the reporter wouldn't find out eventually, or any weaknesses. It also doesn't contain any personal information beyond the fact that Mordred, one of the Rune Knight's newest recruits and their rising star, was raised by us, and that we have lived in some woods in secret to explain the lack of information about us.
"How does Gildarts feel about their portrayal of him?" asks Scáthach, pointing out the fact that the magazine makes Gildarts out to be cannon fodder compared to us.
"I would be surprised if he cared." I answer honestly.
"Oh he doesn't, which is perfect because it means that we can continue to put my plan into action!" says Mavis with a cackle.
"What plan?" questions Azula with narrowed eyes.
"My plan for Fairy Tail's domination of the spot of number one guild in the entirety of the continent of Ishgar." answers Mavis as she puffs out her chest in pride. "By the time Jason and Cassandra are teenagers, Fairy Tail will be THE BEST GUILD IN ISHGAR!" says Mavis as she screams out the final part of her sentence for the entire guild to hear, causing them all to roar and cheer in support of her.
"I honestly don't even want to know any more than I already do." I tell her honestly as I get up from the bar and walk over the mission board. We've only been back yesterday and Mavis is already up to her shenanigans. One would think that seeing us overpower gods would make her be careful how she acts towards us, but it seems to have endeared us to her even more.
"By the way, where is Morgan?" asks Makarov nonchalantly even as Azula burns the magazine in her hands to ashes while Mavis rants to Azula about not doing so.
"She and Mordred returned to their home. They seemed to have a goal that they wish to accomplish." replies Scáthach.
"I see. When will she be back?" he wonders.
"Sometime later today." I answer as I pull a mission from the board, an A-Rank investigation mission, and walk towards Makarov. "I'll be taking this." I tell him as I show him the mission request paper.
With a nod, Makarov confirms the mission before inputting it in the ledger where all missions are tracked.
"When will you be back." asks Scáthach as Mavis stops her ranting, and she and Azula turn to face us..
"Later today." I answer as I walk out of the guild and dissolve into water vapor.
My location is an unremarkable town called Freesia Town that is located in one of the forests near Oak Town. From what I can remember, Oak Town is the home of Phantom Lord, one of Fairy Tail's rival guilds in the future. In fact, I believe that Phantom Lord was our rival sometime before Makarov became the Guild Master. Afterwards the rivalry essentially took a pause because the generation after Makarov, for both guilds, is mediocre at best. However, with the arrival of Erza's generation the rivalry resumed until Phantom Lord attacks Fairy Tail in the future, causing them to lose to the point of the guild being disbanded and their guild master, Jose Porla, being arrested for starting a guild war.
According to the mission paper, people have been going missing in the woods around the town. From what they can tell, it isn't a monster or a demon, but most likely slavers, hence the reason for the simple A-Rank as opposed to an S-Rank.
While Oak Town is a couple of days of travel from Magnolia, it takes me around three hours of leisure travel to arrive at my location. Something in the back of my mind is telling me that this is familiar, but I'm honestly too unbothered to figure out why, not until I finish the mission at least. The first thing I notice about the town is the fact that it has its very own weather separate from the area in the form of rain that stops just outside of the town. The second thing I notice is that while the Town is not a small town, it certainly isn't big or with booming traffic from outsiders.
Arriving inside the town square, I turn my water vapor body into a vortex of sea water before reforming into my human body. With my dramatic arrival, all of the town square's occupants apprehensively turn their eyes to me. Silence falls over the square as they warrily observe me while I take in my surroundings. It is at this moment that I realise that the rain is magically created and is not natural at all.
"Hey, isn't that one of the new mages from Fairy Tail?" questions someone to his friend with a whisper.
"You mean the one they call Mars? The one who beat Gildarts?"answers the friend even as I approach a young lady in a dress.
"Excuse me Miss, but could you please point me to the mayor of this town?" I ask her with a gentle smile.
"Um… Um… yea." she stutters out with a rosy blush on her cheeks. I honestly doubt that my question is properly registered in her brain.
"Thank you." I answer as I telepathically force her out of her awe and suggest her to lead me to the mayor.
With a nod of her head, the young lady turns around and walks furtner in the town while we ignore the awe filled whispers argue with those in doubt about who I am, and whether or not the stories in the magazine are true.
After a few seconds of walking, the young lady leads me to a medium sized wooden house where she knocks on the door.
"This is mayor Wooodward's house. I have to go now." hastily says the girl as my mental suggestions leave her and she runs back to the square with a blushing face that she covers with her hands.
After seconds after the girl leaves, the door is partially opened by a middle aged butler.
"How may I help you, young man?" asks the man.
"I am from Fairy Tail, and I am here for the mission." I answer as I show him the mission paper while controlling my armor to reveal my forearm where my Fairy Tail mark is stamped.
"Come in." welcomes the man as he widely opens the door and gestures for me to come in.
Once I am inside, he closes the door before leading me to an office near the back of the building where he simply opens the closed door and walks in.
"A Fairy Tail mage is here to complete the mission." says the butler as he ushers me in before leaving and closing the door behind him.
The mayor is an average middle aged man who stands at around five feet nine inches, brown eyes with bags under them from lack of sleep, a bald head, and a gray mustache. Like his butler, he wears a simple black suit.
"Thank you for coming." says the mayor as he stands from behind his desk and offers me a handshake, hiding any tiredness that he may be feeling with a strong voice. It is admirable that he can be strong for his people in a situation like this.
"How may I help? You seem to know what the problem is." I answer him as I accept the handshake and get straight to the problem.
"You are correct in that we know that it's slavers, but we don't know where they are. I don't want to go to the Rune Knights though, you know how incompetent they are." he says with a fake laugh at th end of his jab at the Rune Knights. The poor man is honestly stressed out by this situation.
"Fair enough. Is there anything else I need to know?" I ask him while ignoring his attempted joke at the Rune Knights. While it may be true for now, things will quickly change if Mordred has anything to say about it.
"Nothing other than that the whole group is made up of mages." he tells me nonchalantly.
"Very well." I answer with a nod as I walk out of the room before making my way out of the house. Once outside, I take a deep breath while enjoying the cool feeling of the magically created rain on my skin with a smile on my face. While doing so I pretend not to see the blue hair child that's taking a peek at me from behind a wall. From the feel of her magic and the fact that she reminds of Juvia, she is most likely the culprit behind the rain.
After having enjoyed the rain for a few seconds longer, I dissolve into water vapor and make my way to the forest where I rematerialise into my human body. Once there it barely takes me two seconds to find the slavers hiding behind illusions and a barrier that masks their presence from everyone. Well, almost everyone.
Walking towards their camp, I dispel their illusions before shattering their barrier and alerting them of my presence. In seconds I find myself surrounded by a dozen mages all clad in black cloaks with attacks poised to strike me. Not bothering to pay them any more attention, I increase the air pressure to unbearables levels while forming a bubble around me that makes short work of their attacks by returning the area to what it once was before they attacked.
In seconds, the slavers fall unconscious and I search their minds for information, only to find out that they are somewhat innocent and were simply brainwashed. Understanding their plight, I remove the mind control magic from them, erase their memories of me, and leave them to their devices before walking into their camp which is devoid of the people they kidnapped. I am honestly not surprised since I imagine that anyone smart or powerful enough to brainwash those people most likely would not leave what they believe is their merchandise to be retaken. This is most likely a two front operation with one group kidnapping and a second transporting the kidnapped to a location unknown to the first group who still believes that the people they have kidnapped are still in their camp.
I can easily follow the teleportation trail to their location, however it leads outside of Ishagar and my presence in a different country, not to mention on a completely different continent, would cause an international incident. While I don't care much for the Magic Council and what they think, I also know that an international incident can devolve into a war which would result in far worse than these kidnappings. That does not mean that I cannot rescue them however, with my clairvoyance, where I have reached the point of affecting my surroundings, and little bit of godly magic, I can rescue them without anybody from outside the country being any wiser.
Connecting my magic to the residue magic of the teleporter, I follow the trail with my clairvoyance where I find myself inside a dark warehouse with the tied up slaves being watched over by more cloaked guards. Mentally knocking out the guards, I inscribe a teleportation array under the slaves that leads to Fressia Town where I have another array inscribed, I cannot seem to rid myself of leaving those to every location I visit. Once that is done, I teleport them there before I erase my array and return back to my body.
With my mission accomplished, I teleport back to the town and stealthily make my way to the mayor's house with a smile on my face as I watch the heartfelt reunion between the members of the town and the freed slaves. Arriving at the mayor's house, I find that word has already reached him and he is just leaving the house when I appear in front of him.
"Mayor." I greet him with a nod.
"You did it!" he excitedly says as he grabs my hand and vigorously shakes it. "Thank you young man." he says as he takes a pouch full of money from his pocket and gives it to me before rushing to the town square. It seems that someone he knows intimately is part of the group that was kidnapped.
"You can come out now." I tell my stalker once the mayor is out of earshot.
Meekly walking from behind the mayor's house is none other than the nine year old girl responsible for the town's constant rain. She stands around Erza's height, has curly blue hair, blue eyes, wears a pink shirt, and a blue flowery skirt.
"What is your name?" I ask as I crouch in front of her.
"Juvia." she answers quietly as she lowers her head.
"A beautiful name. Just like this rain." I answer her with a smile. Hearing my words, she quickly raises her head and looks at me with wide eyes.
"You like the rain?" she asks me hopefully.
"Rain is beautiful." I tell her as I create a storm cloud over the two of us and make it pour over the two of us.
"You're like Juvia!" she says excitedly.
"I am." I answer as I make the clouds over us disappear before doing the same to the clouds over the town, allowing the sun to shine through.
"Why are you making the rain disappear? You said it was beautiful." she asks me hesitantly.
"It is however, even beautiful things must be taken in doses." I reply. "Tell me Juvia, do you want to come with me?" I ask her as I stand up and extend my free hand to her.
"Juvia would love to!" she exclaims as she takes my hand with a smile.
Returning her smile, I teleport us in front of the guild hall.
"Welcome to Fairy Tail Juvia." I tell her as I open the doors, allowing her to see the crowded and noisy guild hall.
"Um… people don't like Juvia." says Juvia as she meekly moves closer to me in an attempt to hide, and causes clouds to form over the guild hall due to her sudden downtrodden mood.
"Don't worry, they'll love you." I tell her with a reassuring smile as I walk us towards the bar where Azula, Mavis, Makarov, Morgan, Mordred, and a familiar blond can be found.
"I see that you two have returned." I say as I reach them and finally get a better look at the familiar figure.
As they all turn to face me I realise that the reason why the figure is so familiar is because it is none other than Morgan's sister, the very first person that Mordred has ever deemed worthy to be her King, the King of Knights herself, Arturia Pendragon.
AN: Here it is ladies and gentlemen, the most recent chapter. There was supposed to be an omake that showed the visit between Ambrosius and his siblings, but after writing the chapter I was hungry and tired, so you'll get that omake in a later chapter (ideally the next one).
Arturia is back and she's here to stay. Some may be wondering why is she back, well the answer is simple. Azula has the Amazons, Scáthach has the Valkyries, Morgan will have her own forces, Ambrosius has the League (but will most likely get another force that is less assassin and more standing army), and Mordred will have… (fill in the blanks). Also, Arturia is literally Morgan's baby sister and you guys should remember the lengths she was willing to go to 'free' her from Merlin.
Also, Juvia has joined Fairy Tail. You guys may be wondering why he is taking another kid in when he already has a lot. The answers are two fold, the first is that he has a soft spot for kids (if you actually read the story you should know this), the second is because it would be out of character for him to leave her to suffer (she's an orphan and is bullied a lot by the other kids).
Family
Fairy Tail Guild Hall, Magnolia Town Kingdom of Fiore
X776
"Arturia, it's good to see you again." I say with a smile as I take a seat next to Mordred and set Juvia on the bar countertop in front of me.
"Likewise Ambrosius." she answers me with a nod, and I can tell that she's still getting accustomed to her new surroundings and being alive once again.
"How was the mission?" asks Scáthach.
Before answering I surround us with a barrier that will make our conversation seem nonsensical to anyone that I do not give explicit permission to listen.
"Easy. However, I do believe that Fiore is being scouted by another country." I tell them, immediately turning the previously lighthearted atmosphere into a serious one. "Citizens of Freesia Town were being abducted and teleported outside of Ishgar, most likely to the Alvarez Empire. If I am correct then the purpose of it all will be to see whether or not they can get into Fiore, grab whatever it is that they are searching for, and teleport out." I explain to them.
"Why would they kidnap anyone then? It only draws our attention to them." asks Makarov as he slowly puts down his mug full of alcohol without taking a sip.
"Because it tests the country's capabilities to deal with that exact situation." answers Scáthach, Azula and Mordred simultaneously, drawing a slight smile to my face.
"If the country of Fiore somehow retrieves the kidnapped individuals without causing an international incident, then that means that they can also retrieve whatever it is that the Alvarez Empire's target is in the future. If they do not, then that means that the Alvarez Empire is free to retrieve their target in secret without fear of any repercussions, especially since they are most likely more powerful than the entirety of Ishgar." explains Scáthach with a frown.
"What's their target?" asks Mordred with a stoic face that is quite reminiscent of mine to be honest.
"I have no idea." I answer honestly as the only thing I remember about the Alvarez Empire is that it was founded by Zeref, and that whatever they want has to do with Fairy Tail.
"It doesn't matter what they want. Such despicable actions cannot be left unpunished." argues Arturia with a clenched fist. Leave it to the King of Knights to regain her bearings just to dispense of some good old justice.
"There's no need for us to seek them out ourselves. If whatever they want is so important to them then they will come to us." retorts Azula. "Besides, this is a situation for the Magic Council and the King of Fiore, not us. This is supposed to be our vacation." she says as she drinks from a mug, shocking Arturia with her seemingly disregard for the citizen's life.
"You would leave the people to suffer just to enjoy a vacation?" questions a stunned Arturia.
"This isn't my Kingdom, and until they ask me for help I'll continue to enjoy my vacation." replies Azula as she places her mug down with an amused smirk imperceptible to all but Scáthach, Morgan, and I.
Unable to believe that Azula's sentiment is shared by us all, Arturia looks around the table for anyone to agree with her. Seeing that none of us are going to argue with Azula, Arturia turns to her sister for assistance.
"Azula is teasing you." says Morgan as she points to the slight smirk on his Azula's face. "While we certainly will not interfere, the reasons are different than the ones stated by her. The real reason why we won't interfere is because Mordred will be personally dealing with this, it is her job as a Rune Knight after all." explains Morgan, causing Arturia to blush at having been had to easily by Azula. "If you want to help then just join the Rune Knights."
"What are the Rune Knights?" asks the still blushing Arturia.
"The enforcers of the Magic Council's laws. Now enough talk about serious topics. Tell us Ambrosius, who's your new friend?" asks Mavis as she points to Juvia who I had been keeping entertained with a small water construct of a pegasus.
"This is Juvia, Fairy Tail's newest member." I answer as I turn the pegasus into a dragon. "Introduce yourself Juvia."
"Um… Hi." meekly says Juvia as she lowers her head, her fear of being treated the same way here as when in Freesia Town obvious to me.
Grabbing her chin, I slowly raise her head back up and give her a gentle smile.
"Watch this." I instruct her with a smirk as I create a cloud inside the guild hall and cause it to pour on everybody.
With a laugh Juvia watches as most of the hall's occupants whine about the rain while others use their magic creatively to stop themselves from getting wet. From our position we can see Jason creating a massive umbrella made of ice to cover all of his friends while Cassandra rewinds time to make them all dry.
"This is magic, it's a beautiful thing and anyone who says otherwise is a fool. Even if you can't control it right now, with a bit of practice you'll be just fine." I tell her while stopping the rain and ignoring the baleful glares that I receive from some of my guild mates. Reassured, Juvia waves at the others who answer her with a wave of their own, a smile, or even a wink in Mavis' case.
"So, where do you want your guild Mark and what color?" asks Makarov as he brings out the stamp.
"Here and in blue." answers Juvia as she points to her right thigh where Makarov follows her reequest and gently applies the mark to her.
"Now why don't you go join the other kids." suggests Mavis as she points to Jason's group.
Uncertain, Juvia looks to be for reassurance and I give her an encouraging smile. With a nod, Juvia hops down from the bar and slowly makes her way to the group where she hesitantly introduces herself. The first to answer her is Erza who asks her what her magic is. Once again Juvia hesitantly answers and seems to be expecting the rejection when Jason gushes over the similarities between her magic and some of my powers. Knowing that she is in good hands, I turn back to the others that are also watching the interaction.
"This is what Fairy Tail is meant to be." comments Mavis with a proud smile on her face. "A place to adventure with family."
"You and the other founders did a good job laying down the foundation." compliments Morgan, to which we all nod in agreement.
"By the way, how is everything over there?" I ask her and Mordred.
"Fine." answers Mordred. "Sakura, Shirou, and Rin formed their own group as Enforcers while Medea takes care of their home. Although it is a bit ambiguous if they're all in a relationship or not. Zelretch seems about ready to retire and started training Rin to replace him."
"How is the Clocktower?" wonders Scáthach.
"Between the Archibalds filling the hole left by us, Zelretch, and Lorelei, they're doing ok. The other families that made up your faction are still backing the Archibalds with Bazett heading the Fragas, Olga taking over for her father, and Luvia leading the Edelfeldt family." explains Morgan as she looks at the quickly darkening skies through an open window before turning to her daughter. "You should be returning back to headquarters right now." she tells Mordred who gets up from the bar.
"Are you coming too along?" Mordred asks Arturia.
Unsure, Arturia looks towards her older sister for her opinion.
"Go. It will serve you well to join the Rune Knights. Besides, I've altered your physiology to closely match ours allowing you to access both your magic, and the magic of Earthland. All you need to do is learn now, and Mordred can teach you." says Morgan with a smile.
With a nod Arturia follows Mordred as she walks out of the guild hall, and as I watch my now grown daughter walk alongside the person she most likely respects the most, a feeling of melancholy envelops me. Perhaps it is because the days she used to rush to my arms seem so recent yet distant at the same time, or perhaps it is because she has returned to her duties as a Knight even if it isn't the same as being a member of the Round. Regardless of why I feel melancholic, all I know is that my daughter is now properly grown up even if she's only sixteen years old.
"Was it really a good idea to let her go so soon? She isn't really used to Earthland yet." asks Mavis, shaking me from my thoughts.
"While that is true, the best way for Arturia to acclimate herself with Earthland is by doing what she does best, which is being a Knight." answers Morgan. "Besides, I don't believe that she would enjoy watching us do nothing other than train the children and whatever it is we decided to do for the day."
With that, the conversion slows to a crawl as we simply talk of nonsensical things such as the monikers given to us by Sorcerer Magazine.
Omake: Visiting the little brother
Manhattan, New York City
New York State
Standing outside of the Blofis-Jackson apartment is none other than Ambrosius along with his siblings Reyna and Hylla. After visiting Camp Jupiter, he had made his way to the headquarters of the Amazons with Reyna to meet Hylla, after which they made their way to Percy's apartment.
"Are you sure that this is where he lives?" asks Ambrosius as Reyna leads them to the front door.
"For the last time, yes." answers Reyna as she stops in front of the door and knocks.
"You can't blame me for being skeptical, this entire building is a security hazard for demigods. For all he knows, his neighbor could be a monster." replies Ambrosius as he proceeds to inspect the hallway, the stairs connected to it, and spots multiple ways to ambush someone.
"Ambrosius is right Reyna. This is a security nightmare, even if they are in a crowded building full of mortals, a demigod as powerful as Perseus will leave a scent powerful enough to draw any monster competent enough to smell him." agrees Hylla just as the door is opened by Percy.
"Reyna? This is a surprise, what's up?" he asks before looking at her companions and recognising Hylla, but only feeling a small sense of familiarity from Ambrosius. "I see you brought friends, come in." he says as he ushers them in.
"Thanks." says Reyna as she walks in, followed closely by her sister with Ambrosius bringing in the rear.
"You've grown since I last saw you." observes Ambrosius as Percy closes the door.
"Uh, sorry but have we met before?" asks Percy uncertainty.
Rather than answer him verbally, Ambrosius' hair turn to their previous midnight black while his crimson red eyes become the same luminescent sea green as Percy's
"Woah! You… you're back!" exclaims Percy with wide eyes as Ambrosius' features turn back to their new normal.
Before Ambrosius can confirm that, Sally's voice can be heard calling out from further inside the house.
"Percy, who is it?" she asks.
"It's Reyna and some friends from camp." he answers as he leads them into the living room, where they find Paul, Percy's step-father, sitting on the couch with a suit on.
Entering the living room, Percy introduces them to Paul.
"Guys, this is Paul, my step-father. Paul, these are Reyna and Hylla, friends from Camp Jupiter, and this is Ambrosius, my… brother" says Percy as Paul gets up and shakes hands with all of them.
Paul is a man in his thirties with longish salt and pepper hair, blue eyes, and can be considered very good looking.
"Percy's brother, so that makes you another son of Poseidon?" ask Paul once he reaches Ambrosius.
"Neptune." answers Ambrosius with a smile. "Although now that they don't aren't really split persona's anymore the difference is almost negligible."
"Right. And you two would be?" asks Paul.
"Daughters of Bellona, and his younger sisters." answers Hylla as she points to Ambrosius.
"Wait, you're the son of both Neptune and Bellona? Wouldn't that make you a god?" asks Paul an uncertain Paul.
"Normally yes, but my birth is a complicated affair." honestly answers Ambrosius.
"I remember Percy telling me something about a demigod like that. You wouldn't happen to be him would you?" asks Paul.
"I am indeed that demigod." replies Ambrosius with a smile.
"Oh wow, you actually came back from Tar-" before Paul can finish his sentence, Percy stops him.
"Names have power." says Percy, causing Paul's eyes to widen in realisation.
"Yes, I did return from The Pit." answers Ambrosius just as Sally walks into the living room with a little girl following closely behind her.
Sally is a beautiful woman with a warm smile, spelling blue eyes that seem to change color in the light, long brown hair with a few grey streaks. She wears a nice blue dress and black high heeled shoes.
Following behind her is her daughter Estelle Blofis. She seems to be about five years with sea green eyes, and the same salt and pepper hair as her father, Paul.
"Reyna, it's good to see you dear," says Sally with a smile before turning to Hylla, "And you would be… Hylla," earning a nod from her before she turns to Ambrosius, "And I have no idea who you are." she admits honestly, causing the group to chuckle.
"I'm Ambrosius. Percy's older brother on the Roman side of the family."
"Oh, I've heard plenty about you. It's good to see that you're ok and to finally meet you." she answers as they shake hands.
"You can't be Percy's brother!" exclaims Estelle before Ambrosius can answer as she comes out from behind Sally.
"Why not?" asks Ambrosius as he crouches in front of her.
"Because that would make you my brother, and you're not my brother." she answers, causing the group to laugh.
"Well you're not wrong, at least not completely." answers Ambrosius as he gently pats her head before standing back up.
"So is this a business visit, or…" asks Sally as she nervously plays with her wedding ring, silently dreading the thought of Percy having to once more put his life in danger for a quest.
"No, this is just a social visit." answers Reyna, and putting Sally's fears to rest.
"That's good." replies Sally with a sigh of relief while Paul's previously tense body relaxes. "While Paul and I would love to stay and talk more, we have an appointment to attend to. There are cookies and some food, you guys can help yourselves." says Sally as she picks up her purse from the couch before she and Paul make their way to the door.
"It was nice meeting you all. Hopefully we can talk some more another time, I would love to learn more about you. Of course if that's ok with you." says Paul as he opens the door for Sally.
"It was a pleasure meeting you too Mr. Blofis, and I wouldn't mind answering any questions you have." answers Ambrosius before Paul leaves.
"So," says Percy as he ushers them to sit on the couch while he and Estelle sit on the opposite couch. "Why are you guys here?" he asks.
"Just here for a simple visit, and although you and I don't know much about each other, you are my brother." admits Ambrosius.
"Yea, I do wish that we knew each other before. Would've been nice to have another son of Poseidon besides Tyson to talk to. I love the big guy, but as a cyclops there are some things that he just wouldn't get." answers Percy.
"I get what you mean. Most of the Romans weren't exactly too thrilled to have me, at least not until I became praetor."
"I heard about that. Still can't believe that you can curse people." says Percy, referencing his punishment to Alex, the praetor before him.
"Any demigod should be able to do it, at least theoretically." answers Ambrosius, shocking the other three demigods. Before they can ask him to clarify however, Estelle asks her own question.
"What's a demigod?" she asks.
Not knowing how to answer, Ambrosius, Reyna, and Hylla turn to Percy.
"Wait until mom gets back. I'll answer it then." answers Percy.
"Fine, but is that why he's your brother and not mine, because you're demigods?" asks Estelle.
"Yes it is." replies Ambrosius as his eyes flash red for a second.
"Hey Estelle, why don't you go play with your toys. Big brother needs to talk about boring stuff to his friends." suggests Percy.
Rather than immediately answer, Estelles looks her brother in the eyes for a few seconds before running out of the living room.
"What did you just do?" questions Percy as he brings his pen out of his pocket and stands up.
"Nothing. It was a simple protection charm." answers Ambrosius.
"What?" questions Percy.
"When I found an exit out of Tartarus, it didn't lead to the mortal world, but to a completely different world. It took me years to finally return here." explains Ambrosius.
"That sounds ridiculous." argues Percy with a frown.
"I know." admits Ambrosius. "Still, I didn't come here to cause trouble. I came here to get to know my little brother." says Ambrosius honestly.
Seeing that Ambrosius is honest, Percy puts away his pen and sits back down to talk. The rest of the visit is spent in light conversation and laughter as the four demigods exchange stories of their life, battles they have fought, and even jokingly compete on which one of them has had the worst injuries and the most annoying opponents. Eventually Ambrosius, Hylla and Reyna leave, but not before Ambrosius secretly places a set of runic arrays around the apartment to protect the family.
--
AN: Sorry for the delay, but the chapter is finally here and so is the Omake. I may do more Omakes depending on how this one is received, so tell me what you guys think.
Next chapter will most likely be a one year time skip to the year X777 and those of you who watched (or read) Fairy Tail know why that year is special. If you don't know then don't worry because it'll be explained in the chapter.
Last edited: Oct 22, 2020
Eclipse Gate
Mercurius, Crocus Kingdom of Fiore
X777
Crocus, also known as the Flower Blooming Capital, is the capital of the Kingdom of Fiore. Crocus resides in a vast valley surrounded by rocky mountains of small-to-mid height. The valley houses mostly mildly prominent hills, and has a small river not far from it, with some isles in its largest part, flowing in a similarly small gorge, which has woodland on both of its sides, occupying the western zone of the valley.
Being the capital of the Kingdom, Crocus is by far the largest town of Fiore, with a vast amount of buildings in a circular formation as far as the eye can see, with the right part of the town being placed on the edge of a small crag; such part seems to be surrounded by walls topping the crag itself.
The most distinctive trait of the town, giving it its epithet of Flower Blooming Capital, is the limitless amount of flowers adorning the streets, with flowerbeds being placed everywhere, and garlands of flowers appearing as one of the town's most prominent souvenirs. The buildings, possessing bright facades and towers with extremely pointed tiled roof jutting upwards, are lined up the stone street's sides, some of which are pretty basic, while other, more elaborated ones consist of very large, circular mosaics made of wide, flat stones, which bear floral and natural motifs in their center; chess-like pattern are also used, flanking simpler, stone sections of the streets.
In the central part of the town lies a large, round lake; in its center, linked to the surroundings by a pair of bridges, sits Mercurius, the King of Fiore's palace.
Mercurius is an extremely large and tall building, appearing as one of the most visible elements in the valley where Crocus is located, and towering over all of the city's other buildings. As evident of its role as the King's residence, Mercurius is a very intricately decorated and designed castle. The place appears to consist of a number of different, yet uniform buildings fused together, with some sections protruding outwards and assuming particular forms, and the walls being mainly adorned by orders of large, rectangular windows lined up and flanked by protruding pillars.
Its main entrance seems to be a mildly small door topped by a very high decorative arc, which gets pointed near its top, and has its central part adorned by a large, round flower window. To its left is a section keeping its height, topped by another going up high, which possesses a pitched roof, and behind which appears to be a structure reminiscent of ancient Greek and Roman temples, being highly similar to the real Parthenon, near which, to its upper right, sits a part ending in a small dome, topped by a prominent spire; two towers, possessing approximately the same height as the spire, are located on the back and right parts of the building.
To the entrance's right, several meters away from it, the building takes on an arched form, with such part being reminiscent of a cylinder partially fused with the structure, soared above by a mildly small spire, almost placed in the back part of the building. Topping the entire castle is a high, round tower, with its lower part, much more massive than the one above it, being adorned by elongated windows and ending in a dome, from which the thinner, top part appears and goes up several meters before ending in a pointed tiled roof.
Mercurius is surrounded by a lush garden, which, much like the rest of the city, is adorned by a large amount of flowers, possessing flowerbeds and, in addition, artistically arranged plants and small, tidy hedges, which have square, hollow spaces on their edges, housing ornately decorated streetlamps, with wavy poles ending in large orbs, with circular objects surrounding them, seemingly floating. The streets there are adorned by mosaics, which consist of a variety of small, flat rectangular stones arranged to resemble semicircles. In front of the palace sits a fountain, surrounded by a ground-level, round and shallow pool; water jets jut upwards from both the fountain and the pool, with the former also housing some plants, or possibly statues of plants, on its base.
Inside a cavern in Mercurius, a magic item called the Eclipse Gate can be found. The Eclipse Gate has a large door with an elaborate design. At the center of the door is a sun with a darkened moon below it. The lower section of the door from the sun past the moon is dark blue with golden lines, the upper section is green and split into twelve segments. Around the sun are several circles, the innermost one connecting the moon and twelve holes, one in each segment. A set of steps leads up to the door and two pillars stand on either side of the door with an arch connecting them. Atop the arch is an emblem consisting of an eclipsed sun. On either side of the Gate is an additional support, fashioned in the shape of a leg. It is made from a super strong, Magic-resistant metal known as Maginium.
The Gate is a magical time that allows whoever activates it to travel to any point in time in which the Gate exists, as such it requires a large amount of Magic to use and will absorb any Magic used within its immediate vicinity. However, the Magic-draining feature of the Gate ceases to function when it is open and it can store levels of Magic rivaling those of Etherion, the Magic Council's most powerful weapon. To open the Gater, it must either be a lunar or solar eclipse, and the twelve Zodiac Keys are required. If a key is missing, the life force of a Celestial Spirit Mage, a user of Zodiac Keys, can be used as a substitute.
Standing in front of the door of the Eclipse Gate are two figures that seem to be waiting for something. The first figure is none other than the King of Fiore, Toma E. Fiore. He is a short man with gray hair who wears striped overalls, held up by a belt at the waist, under a burgundy cape.
The second figure is quite different from King Fiore in multiple aspects. She is a beautiful young woman with soft brown eyes along with long blonde hair, which she wears in a bun along with a lacy baby pink band with ruffles on its edges which rests on her hair with her flicks and strands of hair framing her face. She possesses a voluptuous figure that is further accented by her beautiful pink and white dress, and in her hands she holds a set of eleven golden keys, the twelve Zodiac Keys. Her name is Layla Heartfilia, a powerful celestial spirit mage, a wealthy merchant, and the mother of one of the main characters in the original story, Lucy Heartfilia.
After waiting for a few more minutes in silence, Layla closes her eyes and focuses her magic power. In response, the eleven Zodiac Keys in her hands slowly float into the air before shooting into eleven of the twelve holes that can be found in the segments. Following this a burst of white light emerges from the Gate as it slowly opens, causing Layla and Toma to avert their eyes. As the doors continue to open, the while light diminishes enough for the two to see what is happening, and five bright lights shoot out from the Gate and fly out of the cavern through its ceiling. When the doors finally open as wide as they possibly can, a figure can be seen walking out of it.
For generations my royal family has watched this gate. Finally someone arrives to open it, and now someone else has come through the gate!" exclaims Toma even as an exhausted Layla breathes a sigh of relief at her success.
As the figure fully walks out of the gate, her features can finally be seen completely. She is a young woman with a shapely hourglass figure with her lengthy blond hair tied back in a ponytail and has side-swept bangs in front, with two strands of hair draped down the sides of her head. She is dressed in an elegant blue and white keyhole blouse and a long dress. Other than clothing and hair style, she looks identical to Layla, enough that one may confuse her for Layla's twin sister.
"Wh-What year is it?" asks the young woman as she approaches Layla.
"777." answers Layla.
"Four hundred years in the future… it worked." happily mutters the woman before she alarmingly looks behind her. "The children! Five children should've come through with me!" exclaims the time traveler.
"I'm not sure if they were children, but several lights flew outside when the gate opened." replies Toma. "See? They shot through the ceiling." he comments as he points to the ceiling of the cavern where five holes can be found.
With horror in her eyes the young woman follows Toma's line of sight and sees that he is in fact telling the truth, causing her to begin to despair. Before her feelings of dread can fully envelop her, the gate slams shut while the keys fly from the compartments towards the cavern's entrance, and a pair of red beams collide with the Gate and completely incenerrates it.
"Tch. Eclipse Gate, I forgot that this thing existed." says an annoyed masculine voice.
Alarmed by the intruder, Toma, the young woman, and Layla turn to the cavern's entrance where the owner of the voice approaches them. When the man is finally close enough for the trio to properly make out his feature, Toma and Layla easily recognise him as none other than Ambrosius, also known as Mars, Fairy Tail's God of War.
"Ambrosius! What are you doing here?!" questions Toma.
"I came here to see who was messing with time travel. Imagine my surprise when I stumble upon a magic item I forgot existed, and five kids blasting their way out of the capital." answers Ambrosius as he points to the five sleeping children levitating in the air behind them.
"The children!" happily exclaims the time traveler as she rushes towards them. "Thank you so much for saving them!" gratefully says the young woman as she takes them all in her embrace.
"How did you know about the Gate's opening?" asks Layla.
"Time is my domain. I know when someone is messing around with it." he simply answers.
"But did you have to destroy the Gate?" wonders Toma as he mournfully looks at the ashes, the only remain of the Eclipse Gate.
"Time travel is a dangerous thing after all. Should someone nefariously use it the results could be catastrophic, and that's without even mentioning the possible paradoxes." explains Ambrosius. Had this been anyone else, Toma would have had them arrested at the least for not only trespassing, but also for the destruction of the Gate. However, the past year has cemented Ambrosius and his family's position as one of the wisest and most powerful mages to ever exist on Earthland. It had simply started with his and his family's fame being spread by Sorcerer Magazine, then he had become a valuable asset to the country when a report from the Rune Knights had reached Toma informing him of Ambrosius' findings in his mission to Freesia Town. Afterwards the Malphas family had further spread their name by having a one hundred percent success rate no matter the mission.
However, none of these are truly what cemented his position as a more respected figure than most of the Ten Wizard Saints, the ten most powerful mages in all of Ishgar. What truly cemented his position is none other than his daughter Mordred, the new Knight King, leader of the Rune Knights and also known as the Knight Commandant. Despite only being a Rune Knight for two years, Mordred has accomplished more in those two years than any other Rune Knights in history. Not only has she almost captured every single Dark Guild, never failed a mission, but she has also stopped all of the Alvarez Empire's attempts at sabotaging Fiore so far, and even now is in the process of turning the Rune Knights into a respectable military and law enforcement organisation with the help of her second in command, Arturia.
Yet even with all of those accomplishments Mordred holds a certain amount of respect for Ambrosius that goes far beyond the respect that the Magic Council or even Toma receive from her. In fact, as far as the Magic Council and Toma can tell, the only people who even come close to being respected that much by her are Arturia and her mother, Morgan. It makes Toma wonder what puts those three above him, a literal King, and the Magic Council in Mordred's eyes.
"Toma, you're spacing out." calls out Ambrosius, shaking Toma free from his thoughts.
"My apologies. What were we discussing?" asks the King of Fiore.
"I believe that our time traveler is about to explain herself." says Ambrosius as he looks at the young woman who is slowly putting the children down on the floor.
"My name is Anna Heartfilia, and I come from four hundred years in the past." introduces the young woman.
"So the Gate really did 'connect time' after all." whispers Layla loud enough for everyone to hear her in the quiet cavern.
"Thank you for opening it. You have my gratitude." says Anna with a smile on her face.
"'To the one of a grand era, rich in magic. When the sun and moon cross, use the twelve keys to open the gate'" quotes Layla as she summons a book from her requip space. "I was a bit skeptical, but this book has been passed down by my mother, her mother, and many generations before them." she tells them as she shows them a green book filled with bookmarks.
"I'm the one who wrote it." proudly responds Anna.
"You wrote it, but she failed to follow your instructions. At least not to the letter." says Ambrosius as he shows them the eleven Zodiac Keys as opposed to twelve. "Opening the Gate without all twelve keys would normally result in the user's death." claims Ambrosius.
"Normally?" questions Toma.
"Yes, normally." answers Ambrosius as he points the palm of his free hand towards her she is enveloped in a silver light that quickly disappears.
"Wh-What did you do?" wonders Layla as she feels her body return to its healthy state prior to opening the Gate.
"I reversed your body's condition to before you opened the Gate." answers Ambrosius.
"So Anna, why did you write the book to come to this era?" asks Toma.
"To defeat humanity's greatest threat, Acnologia." answer Anna with a fire of determination in her eyes.
--
AN: I think I finally understand what you guys meant by the pacing can be a bit too fast. While writing this chapter I realised that there were some parts I could have made into chapters as opposed to just mentioning them (like Mordred and Arturia in the Rune Knights for example).
July 7, 777
Mercurius, Crocus Kingdom of Fiore
X777
Silence fills the cavern as Layla and Toma process the absurdity of Anna's statement while Ambrosius merely raises an eyebrow. While Ambrosius certainly remembers who Acnologia is along with the general plan to bring the dragon slayers to a time rich with magic to allow them to be powerful enough to fight Acnologia, he didn't really give it much thought throughout his time on Earthland. From what he can tell, Acnologia hasn't been cited by anyone yet.
"How exactly do you plan on achieving that?" asks Ambrosius.
"I'll train the children until they're ready to face him." answers Anna.
"Did you take into account that in four hundred years Acnologia will have grown much more powerful, especially since he will also benefit from the rich ethernano like the children?" questions Ambrosius.
"I did, but I have to try. They're the world's only chance at stopping Acnologia." replies Anna with conviction.
"Can't you beat Acnologia?" questions Toma as he looks worriedly towards Ambrosius. "You beat Gildarts easily, so Acnologia shouldn't be far off right?" he once again asks, prompting Layla and Anna to look at him, interesting in his answer. From what they have seen, Ambrosius seems to be the type of person that is confident in his own power while also being honest with how much he can do.
"If that stupid lizard would just show himself I would have already killed him myself." answers Ambrosius with a shrug.
"Surely that's an exaggeration." says Anna with a frown. She's seen what Acnologia is capable of, and while she doesn't want to doubt Ambrosius, she doesn't think that anyone would ever be powerful enough to nonchalantly kill Acnologia. Even the dragon slayers that she is putting her faith in will face immense difficulties with facing Acnologia.
"You're right." agrees Ambrosius with a nod, prompting her to quietly sigh in relief at his ability to face reality. "I wouldn't be able to kill Acnologia, at least not before my daughter gets to him herself." he says, shocking her and the others.
Before they can regain their bearings, the voice of a child can be heard coming from the cavern's entrance along with three sets of footsteps.
"Are you sure that he's here?" asks the child, prompting the adults to turn and face the cavern's entrance where they approach from.
"I'm sure." answers a quiet childlike voice as the three enter the cavern.
Once they are fully inside, Layla, Anna, and Toma are finally able to see who the voices belong to. The first child is none other than Toma's daughter, the princess, Hisui E. Fiore. She is around ten years old, possesses beautiful green hair with a crown resting on top, and green eyes. She wears a pink and white princess dress along with white arm sleeves.
Her companion is none other than Cassandra who has grown around an inch or two in the past year. She wears black pants tucked into black knee high boots, and a gray sleeveless shirt, making her somewhat look like an eight years old ninja cosplayer.
Following behind the children is the princess' guard, Arcadios. He is around seventeen years old with wild black hair, brown skin, and wears the standard armor of a guard which consists of a sleeveless green and white tuni, black trousers tucked into black boots, white gloves on his hands, and two swords sheathed at his hips.
"Papa! Mars!" exclaims Hisui once her eyes spot her father and Ambrosius, prompting her to run towards them with Cassandra following close behind with a slight jog while Arcadios brings in the rear with a walk.
With a smile on his face Toma opens his arms to embrace with his daughter while Cassandra hugs Ambrosius and hesitantly keeps her mouth shut. With an inner sigh, Ambrosius cannot help but internally lament the current stage of their relationship. While they have made significant progress in healing her of her trauma from her experience in Cain's hands, her relationship with him has somewhat stalled. She has no trouble hugging him, or being carried by him, however she seems to want to take it a step further by calling him father but hesitates to do so. While Ambrosius would love nothing more than encourage her to do so, he feels that a step as big as this is best left for her to make on her own. As such whenever she seems to be about to say it but stops, Ambrosius simply gives her a reassuring smile.
"Sir." greets Arcadios with a salute as he stops a few feet away from Ambrosius and the group.
"Arcadios." answers Ambrosius with a nod. "How is guard duty?" he asks.
"It's going well." replies Arcadios before Hisui excitedly runs to Ambrosius.
"Mars! You came to visit!" she exclaims with a brilliant smile on her face.
"Unfortunately this is a business visit princess." he answers with an apologetic smile.
"Mhmm! I told you to call me Hisui. H-i-s-u-i." she responds with a pout.
"And I said only if you call me Ambrosius. A-m-b-r-o-s-i-u-s."
"But Mars sounds cooler." answers the princess.
"Such a travesty!" exclaims Ambrosius with a fake gasp as he places his hand over his heart, prompting Hisui to laugh in amusement while Cassandra simply smiles.
"Arcadios take them back to the castle. This conversation is not for the ears of children." orders Toma.
"That will be unnecessary." comments Ambrosius. "The conversation is, for all purposes, over. Acnologia will be dealt with, and all that is left to discuss is where Anna and the children will go." he says.
"Can't they go to Fairy Tail with you?" asks Toma.
"That is up to her." answers Ambrosius as he inquiringly looks at Anna.
"What is Fairy Tail?" wonders Anna.
"A wizarding guild." replies Layla.
"I see. Considering that this is the only viable option I can see, I accept." answers Anna.
Unknown Forest
Kingdom of Fiore
X777
In the depths of these dark woods, the sound of explosions, swords clashing, and magic can be heard as a battle takes place between an entire Dark Guild and two knight warriors, one clad in blue and white dress with silver armor while the other wears a red and silver tunic under a silver armor. The two warriors gracefully and fluid move between their enemies, slashing them down with ease born from years of experience on the battlefield. With each slash or stab a blood stains the forest floor and body falls to the ground, either dead or grievously injured. With each move from the knights an attack is dodged or redirected back towards the caster or one of their comrades.
"Fuck! They're not even using magic!" exclaims a mage with rage written on his face as he launches a fireball at Mordred, only for Arturia to block it before Mordred herself strikes him down.
"Fuck this shit man! I'm out of here!" screams another mage as he turns to run away only to be stabbed in the thigh and knocked out with a kick.
Realising that the knights have intention of letting any of them escape, the mages stand their ground and renew their efforts with vigor. Impressively they are able to launch an assault that would fatally injure anny A-Rank and most lower to mid S-Rank mages. Unfortunately for them however, their opponents are easily in the top ten most powerful beings in the entirety of Earthland and make quick and effortless work of them.
As the last body falls to the round with a thud, Mordred takes a second to look at the starry night sky before turning to Arturia.
"This should be the last Dark Guild in Fiore, Death's Head Caucus." comments Mordred as Arturia sits herself on a boulder.
"The last one we have any definitive proof against." answers Arturia as she wipes the blood from her blade with a cloth.
"The others are rumors at best and we have more important matters to attend to than hunting down rumors." responds Mordred as she also wipes the blood from her blade.
"Yes, the Alvarez Empire's escalation to sabotage Fiore is troubling." agrees Arturia as she thinks about the Alvarez Empire's recent attempt at crippling Fiore's communication lacrimas.
"Sometimes I really hate politics." comments Mordred with a sigh.
"I understand your pain." answers Arturia with a nod as she thinks back to her time as King of Camelot. After the civil war she still had to deal with nobles who believed that since the drawing of the sword was rigged that she was not the rightful ruler of Camelot. Had it not been for Morgan's expertise in politics, Arturia is sure that she would have faced multiple civil wars during her tenure as King. Once again she cannot help but feel grateful for her older sister.
"Do you ever think of what could have been ?" asks Arturia she looks at her reflection on Excalibur.
"If we survived our battle against Vortigern?" questions Mordred, earning a nod in return. "Well, we would have had to rebuild the Round Table, and we would most likely die at someone else's hands." she answers.
"It seems that creating a Utopia would have been impossible." laments Arturia.
"We had the closest thing to one. Camelot's worst crimes pertained to adultery and personal slights between the people. Murder was extremely rare, and so was anything as vile as rape." says Mordred.
"Do you ever think about creating another Camelot? Perhaps in one of the worlds where the planet itself will not try to end it." asks Arturia.
"Sometimes." answers Mordred just as a group of six Rune Knights walk towards them.
"It is done Commander." says the one in charge with a salute through his silver Knight helmet.
"I see that you have no casualties from facing the Trinity Raven. Congratulations you have faced three competent and powerful S-Class mages with no casualties and minimal injuries." says Mordred, prompting the knights to unconsciously puff out their chests in pride. These six knights are what one can consider to be the representation of the average Rune Knight's strength. They are not more powerful, nor are they weaker than the average Rune Knight.
"Return to headquarters, Arturia and I will be along shortly." orders Mordred as she feels a massive discharge of magical energy not far from their location.
With a nod and a salute the knights tap the back of their gauntlets where a magic circle appears and teleports them away. Turning to face the direction of the disturbance, Mordred launches herself towards it with Arturia following close behind. Arriving at their destination, the duo look up at the overcast sky to see a brilliant golden light forming what seems to be a portal. From the portal, multiple beams of golden light shoot out and strike the ground near them.
"What is this?" whispers Mordred as she carefully approaches one of the beams of light to inspect it.
"This is ethernano." observes Arturia with a slight frown on her face as the grip on her sword tightens in anticipation for any trouble.
Not long after Arturia's observation a particularly large golden beam of light collides with the ground before the portal disappears just as quickly as it arrived. Turning towards where the last beam of light collided with the ground. There they find a small body lying on the ground as the dust slowly drifts away from it.
"Jellal?" questions Mordred as she sees the child's uncanny resemblance to Jellal. "No, you aren't Jellal. Who are you?" asks Mordred as she takes notice of the child's royal clothing along with his demeanor that easily separates him from Jellal, or at least the Jellal that she is familiar with.
Rather than answer, the boy sways on his feet for a few seconds before falling unconscious and plummeting to the floor just as Arturia catches him.
"Your father or mother may have answers." comments Arturia as she dismisses Excalibur and lifts the child in her arms.
"They most likely do." agrees Mordred with a nod as she and Arturia begin to make their way towards Magnolia Town.
--
AN: Sorry about the late update, but I have a few certification tests coming up so I've been studying more often than usual. Updates will continue to be erratic unfortunately until after December 1 when I'll be done with my tests. As usual constructive criticism and opinions are appreciated.
Alternate Dimensions and Politics
Fairy Tail Guild Hall, Magnolia Town Kingdom of Fiore
X777
Per usual, the Fairy Tail Guild Hall is loud, chaotic, and with a brawl taking place on the first floor, especially with Erza's absence due to being away on a mission. Near the middle of the brawl Jason can be found punching a blond haired boy while not far from him Gray can be seen freezing a pink haired boy inside an iceberg, and Erik is punching a black haired boy that his friend, Cubellios, has ensnared with her serpentine body. In the front of the room, seated on the barstools are the adults, peacefully enjoying their drinks as if the brawl is not currently happening while Cassandra and Juvia sit near them to enjoy a meal. Just as the brawl seems ready to escalate however the doors are slammed open by a seemingly distressed Jellal.
"Mordred is coming!" screams the boy at the top of his lungs.
For a few seconds it seems that his words are not registered, until an abrupt silence falls over the entire building and everybody stops in their tracks.
"Didn't you go on a mission with Erza and Sorano?" asks Gray.
"We were coming back when we stumbled on Mordred on her way here." answers Jellal as he shuts the door behind him and begins to clean the guild hall.
Realising that not only will they have to deal with Mordred but with Erza also the members of Fairy Tail hurriedly begin to clean up while erasing any signs of the brawl happening.
"Oi! Where are you going? I'm not done with you yet!" exclaims the pink haired boy as he frees himself from Gray's iceberg and launches himself at the mage with a fist encased in fire.
"You flamebrain! Are you crazy?!" questions Gray as he easily dodges the punch. "Mordred AND Erza are coming back. I don't want to get in any trouble." he says as he launches the boy into a wall with a well placed kick to the chest before returning to cleaning.
"You're scared of a girl?" questions Jason's earlier opponent as he sees Jason also cleaning up.
"If you knew them then you would be scared too." answers Jason as he takes a broken chair to Cassandra who easily fixes it with her time magic without even bothering to look up from her meal.
"They sound powerful! I want to fight them both!" excitedly claims the pink haired boy as he approaches Gray with two flaming fists. His words cause another bout of silence to fall over the guild as they process his words.
While asking to fight Erza can be considered sane, suicidal but very much still sane, asking to fight is downright insane, stupid, sucidal and would only be suggested by someone without a sense of self preservation, an idiot, or just someone ignorant.
"You can't be serious." says Gray as he looks at the boy's starlit eyes. "You can't even land one hit on me, Erza would massacre you." explains Gray, earning nods of agreements from Jellal, Jason, and Erik as Cubellios releases her prisoner and returns to her human form.
"She can't be that though." says the black haired boy, Cubellios' previous prisoner.
"Gajeel's right, they can't both be that though." skeptically suggests the blond haired boy, Sting Eucliffe.
Before any of the experienced members of Fairy Tail can answer them the door to the guild hall opens and Mordred walks in along with Arturia, Erza, and a boy who completely covers his body in clothing, only allowing his dark eyes to be seen. Surveying the guild hall, Mordred spots remnants of broken tables and chairs and narrows her eyes. Standing next to her Erza also sees the same thing and a sword appears in her hand with a flash of light.
"Gray! Who broke the furniture?" questions Erza as she points her sword at him.
Panicking, Gray points towards the figure closest to him.
"It was Natsu." hurriedly answers Gray as he points towards the pink haired boy.
"Oi Lady, are you Erza?" asks Natsu as he ignores Gray's accusation and approaches Erza with an excited grin that showcases his predatory canines.
"Yes I am, and who are you?" answers Erza with narrowed eyes as she processes Gray's answer.
"Fight me!" screams Natsu as he ignores her question and launches himself at Erza with a flame encased fist despite the earlier warning from Gray.
With absolutely no effort Erza nonchalantly tilts her head to the side to dodge his punch before sending him flying to the second floor with a kick to the stomach.
"No fighting inside the guild hall." orders Erza with a frown as her sword vanishes in a flash of light and she follows Mordred, Arturia and the boy further inside the building.
"Tch, I told him not to." mutters Gray as he strips of all his clothes but his underwear.
"Put your clothes on Gray." says Mordred as she walks past him, prompting him to nervously pick them up from the floor and to hurriedly put them back on.
"You must be new guildmates. Welcome, I'm Erza." introduces Erza as she reaches Gajeel and Sting and extends her hand out for a handshake while Mordred and Arturia continue towards the bar, and the boy tags along with Erza.
"I'm Sting, Sting Eucliffe." answers Sting with a grin as he shakes her hand. "Grumpy over here is Gajeel, and this is Rogue Cheney, my best friend." he says as he points to Gajeel and another black haired who has been hiding in the shadows up until now.
"Nice to meet you. I am Erza, and this is Mystogan." says Erza as she points to the boy while Gajeel reluctantly shakes her hand and Rogue simply nods back in greeting.
Reaching the bar, Mordred and Arturia seat themselves near the adults
"What brings you here on this day? Last I checked Fairy Tail has been on their best behavior lately." asks Morgan. "Although you do seem stressed, is there anything we can help you with?" she asks as Mordred groans and rests her head on the table.
"Politics and alternate dimensions." answers Mordred with a louder groan.
"Politics? Sure, but alternate dimensions? You have to be more specific dear." replies Morgan as she fondly caresses her daughter's head.
"This kid that I came with…" says Mordred as she points towards Mystogan who is mingling near the back of the children's group. "… he's from an alternate dimension called Edolas. They're running out of magic so they created a system that will drain magic from Earthland and give it to Edola."
"Interesting." comments Morgan as she observes the boy. "He decided to give his status as a prince and to take it upon himself to stop his father's scheme because his moral compass wouldn't allow him to do otherwise." she says as she takes in his entire history with a glance.
"Yea, he's a pretty good kid. Just a quieter version of Jellal to be honest, and doesn't help that he looks EXACTLY like Jellal, down to the same red tattoo under his right eye." informs Mordred.
"And how exactly does he plan to stop his father?" asks Ambrosius
"He plans on finding all of the Anima portals, the magic portals used to drain the magic from Earthland, and closing them." answers Mordred.
"How ambitious, I like it." comments Azula with a smirk.
"That's it!" excitedly claims Mavis from her place next to Azula.
"What's it?" asks Makarov.
"I've been thinking about giving the kids a project to work on. You know, to teach them responsibility and while spreading the name of Fairy Tail's next generation to the public. This is perfect." explains Mavis. "We can have them help Mystogan on this and depending on their performance we can use it to promote them to S-Class."
"That is a viable idea. I estimate that if they work together it should take them around seven years to figure out how to properly travel to Edolas and permanently stop Anima." says Ambrosius.
"In the meantime they can travel the country to stop any Anima portal that opens." agrees Morgan.
"Is this wise? They have only trained for one year." asks Arturia.
"Three actually." corrects Azula. "Using time magic we turned one year of training into three. As of now they cannot get any better with training and need experience. It's why we're allowing them to take missions." she explains.
"They don't look any older." observes Arturia.
"Of course not. We wanted to train them, not make them grow up faster." replies Azula.
"That makes sense, but who are the new kids?" asks Mordred as she points to Gajeel, Sting, Rogue, and a recovered Natsu.
"Those would be our resident time travelers and dragon slayers. Gajeel the Iron Dragon Slayer, Sting the White Dragon Slayer, Rogue the Shadow Dragon Slayer, and Natsu the Fire Dragon Slayer. There is one more, Wendy, the Sky Dragon Slayer, but she, Canna, and Scáthach went shopping with their caretaker, Anna Heartfilia." answers Makarov.
"Time Travelers and Dragon Slayers, an interesting combination." comments Mordred.
"Yes it is. Now tell us, what political help do you need?" asks Morgan.
"The Alvarez Empire is becoming increasingly bold. The more I stop their attempts at sabotage, the bigger their target becomes." explains Mordred.
"No doubt they want to see whether you can keep up or not. They might even be escalating to force you to reshuffle your forces and unintentionally leave an opening in the country's defenses." says Mavis.
"I figured out that much, and unfortunately they're right. I don't have enough manpower to mount a proper defense everywhere. Not even if I start hiring the guilds since that would cost money that's being used to revamp the Rune Knights." replies Mordred. "I had to let many of the knights go to their incompetence and unwillingness to put in the work needed to become competent. As of right now we're understaffed to properly protect the entire kingdom." she explains.
"Leave a major opening that will make them mount an assault out of the shadows." suggests Azula. "Make them overconfident enough to declare war against Fiore."
"The only way they would do that is if the Fiore Branch of the magic council doesn't have Etherion to protect the country." answers Mordred.
"The council would never agree to this." says Arturia.
"The members of the council also are not the ones tasked with protecting the country." rebutes Morgan.
"They're just a bunch of foolish old goats drunk and blinded by their power." adds Azula with a roll of her eyes.
"Father, what do you think?" asks Mordred as she looks towards her father.
"You're mother is right. While you may be subordinate to the magic council, you are also in charge of the Kingdom's protection. As such you will have to decide when to go beyond them." he tells her.
"I don't really have a problem with going against the council if necessary, but without the Etherion cannon Fiore's defenses will be crippled, and the Rune Knights aren't ready yet to face the entirety of the Alvarez Empire without it." argues Mordred.
"Whoever said that you will only have the Rune Knights at your disposal?" asks Morgan with a smirk. "Should the Alvarez Empire take the bait then the six of us will be there to meet their assault."
"Just like old times." adds Ambrosius with a smirk of his own.
"Old times you say, then that means nothing after the Nasuverse." suggests Azula.
"You're being generous. I say that we could easily handle the entirety of the Empire with only melee combat, no magic, and no enhancements that put us above their most powerful physically." rebutes Morgan.
"Oooh I like that challenge." says Azula with a smirk. "In fact I'll even make it more challenging. Everyone gets one mundane weapon, and no powers whatsoever. That means no runes, no magic, no bending, just weapons or hand to hand combat." she suggests.
"That's enough you two." says Ambrosius with a shake of his head and an amused smile on his face. "Anyway, my advice still stands. It's up to you to decide what to do." he tells her as he fondly pats her head.
AN: Here's another chapter. Some of you have noticed that these chapters are a bit shorter than usual and that's because I'm honestly not used to writing chapters that focus mainly on character interactions with nothing else. Once I get better the length should increase again. As usual constructive criticism and opinions are appreciated.
Last edited: Oct 31, 2020
A Crow's Blunder
Fairy Tail Guild Hall, Magnolia Town Kingdom of Fiore
X777
Having five new children join the guild is more troublesome than I anticipated, especially since they are first generation dragon slayers, dragon slayers that were actually raised and trained by dragons and as such act more like dragons as opposed to humans. They wear their emotions on their sleeves, have no qualms with casually starting brawls where they use magic, and are more aggressive than the other children. Due to this, the guild hall has to be repaired at least once a day and they must be supervised at all times unless they are sleeping. From when they are training, to even when they are eating, no time seems to be a bad time for one of them to initiate a brawl amongst their guildmates or to initiate a fight amongst their peers of the same age. The only one not guilty of this is Wendy, the youngest of them all at the age of seven, one year younger than Cassandra. Even Rogue, the laid back and introverted one of them all has his moments where he acts like the others, with many of those moments being when his best friend, Sting, drags him along on his escapades.
Amongst her fellow dragon slayers, Wendy is an anomaly. Not only does she act like a normal child, but she is also shy and does not like any form of violence. From what I've been able to find out from Anna, the first part can be attributed to just her being herself while the second is mostly due to being raised by Grandeeney, the gentle Sky Dragon. Unlike her peers who prefer to spend their day training, sparring, and being all around destructive when Erza is not looking, Wendy prefers to spend her time reading with Levy, a new child member of Fairy Tail who is the same age as Jason, or hanging out with Cassandra who enjoys spending her time exploring Magnolia and its surrounding areas or hanging around Azula or I.
Which is why I am not surprised when the two of them just decide to sit next to me while I am re-reading the book on magic that I purchased with my cp. Although I have already finished the book and figured out the one-magic, which is unsurprisingly emotions, I find myself being somewhat attached to the mysterious book. Perhaps it is because this is the first book that I have read for recreational purposes since I have started my jumpchains, or at least the one that I even bother to remember. For a book meant to instruct one on magic, it can honestly pull you in and keep your interest for quite a while.
"Where's mother?" asks Cassandra as she sits on a stool next to me with Wendy following close behind her.
"She and Morgan went shopping with Anna and Scáthach I believe." I answer her as I turn the page on my book, and with Mavis and Makarov away on a guild master meeting I'm the only responsible adult inside the hall."Do you need help with something?" I ask her.
"Just asking." replies Cassandra as she and Wendy pull out their own books and proceed to open them and read.
"What are you reading?" I ask her with interest.
" 'The Art of War'" she answers without looking up.
"By Sun Tzu?" I ask as I momentarily look up from mine.
"Yup." she replies with a nod.
"Your mother?" I wonder with a raised eyebrow.
"Yup. She said that it's an easy book to get started on." she answers.
"How do you like it?" I inquire.
"It's ok." she answers with a shrug. "Most of it looks like common sense to me, I don't know why a book would need to be written to teach this." she tells me.
"Well, one thing you will learn as you grow older and experience more of life is that common sense is not very common, and true intelligence is even rarer than common sense." I reply as I return to my own book. "By the way, where is your brother and his band of misfits?" I ask her as I wonder where Jason and the boys could have gone to.
"They went on a mission together." she answers nonchalantly.
"All of them?" I ask, not bothering to hide the worry from my voice.
"Mhmm." hums Cassandra with a nod.
"May Scáthach have mercy on their souls." I whisper to myself as I imagine the amount of trouble that four dragon slayers, one dragon, a stripping ice mage, and a mage with a penchant for hearing other people's souls can cause together. Especially since none of them seem to be able to refrain from causing massive amounts of property damage. If Mordred catches them they will all be going to jail and none of us will be able to help them, not unless we actually want to. I for one would not mind letting them go to jail to learn restraint.
"And where are the other girls?" I ask her, hoping for some good news to offset this bad one.
"On a mission." she answers.
"Let me guess… somehow the boys and girls decided to compete against each other and they decided to settle it with a competition." I surmise. "And you didn't go because you think the reason is stupid."
"Yup." she replies with another nod.
With a sigh I return to my book while deciding that whatever the fallout may be I will leave it to be dealt with by Mavis or Makarov. The two of them run the guild, as such it's only fair that they are also responsible for the actions of its members. As far as I'm concerned, unless the situation is dire enough I'm on vacation and nobody will change that.
Before I can reingross myself in my book, the door to the guild hall is slammed opened, prompting the entire guild to look towards the entrance.
"We're back!" excitedly announces Mavis as she and Makarov walk into the building with three white haired children following along behind them. "Everybody, say hello to the Strauss siblings, Mirajan, Elfman and Lisanna, the newest additions to Fairy Tail's next generation of mages." she says as she presents the children to the guild hall, two girls and one boy. Mirajane is easily Erza's age, twelve years old, Elfman is Gray's age at eleven years old, and Lisanna is Jason's age, ten years old.
With enthusiastic roars, the members greet the newcomers as the bartenders bring out barrels of alcohol to celebrate the news Fairy Tail style, which essentially means by partying and causing massive amounts of property damage with a drunken brawl. This is what a typical day in Fairy Tail looks like, finding any reason to party and brawling. Failing that you can simply decide to get drunk without the party and then brawl, or vice versa. There's no set formula to how they do it.
Oldtown, the Reach
Westeros
A few months after Ambrosius and Mordred's interference
Oldtown, one of the largest and oldest cities in Westeros, built by the First Men before the Andal invasion. It was constructed around the Hightower, the seat of House Hightower in the center of the city. Oldtown is home to the Citadel and houses the Starry Sept, formerly the seat of the High Septon of the Faith of the Seven.
Ever since the forceful disbandment of the Faith of the Seven, the septs which they used for worship were repurposed for the believers of Ambrosius, a religion that is honestly still in its infancy with the only thing that its followers know for certain is that Ambrosius is in fact a god, as verified by the Queen and and her knights, that he has a daughter who is a warrior herself, and he despises rapists more than anything else. Other than everything else is speculation, including who is the mother of his daughter, are there more gods which he rules over, what values does he favor, what must one do to be looked upon favorably, and many other questions.
It is due to having so many unanswered questions that many of true believers can usually be found in the repurposed septs praying in the hopes of receiving answers. However, things are very different this day as the Ironborns have decided to assault the town with none other than Euron Greyjoy, also known as Euron Crow's Eye.
Leading the charge on his black sailed and blood drenched deck ship, the Silence, along with his muted crew whose tongues have been ripped out, Euron leads a massacre upon Oldtown the likes have never seen before. Buildings burn, people scream, and rivers of blood flow through the streets as Euron and his men slaughter their way through the town.
With fear in their hearts the people run towards one location in hopes of receiving protection, the septs. Those lucky or physically fit enough make it there by leaving the others behind, and those cunning and heartless enough make it by throwing others towards the pirates in the hopes of distracting them.
Those caught by Euron's men either die, or suffer a fate worse than death. Families caught are forced to watch as the men are tortured while the women are raped. No one is safe, especially not those who believe in any god. For a beautiful and sunny weather, the day's events could not be more contrasting and horrifying.
Inside the Starry Sept, a group of twenty men can be found rounding up all of the sept's inhabitants in one corner while another looks on with a sly, charming smile on his blue lips. The man's skin is pale and his face is handsome with black hair and a dark beard. He wears a patch over his left eye that conceals a black eye shining with malice. His right eye is as blue as the sky and is regarded as his smiling eye. In addition, his lips are a pale blue, due to his propensity to drink shade of the evening, a thick, blue liquid consumed by the warlocks of Qarth that is a psychedelic drug known to give visions of the past and futures. This man is none other than Euron Greyjoy.
As Euron's men go about collecting the worshippers, a few of them refuse to accept their fate and fight back, only to be quickly overpowered.
"Come now, there's no need to struggle. Things would be much easier if you simply accepted your fates" charmingly says Euron. "Then I wouldn't have to make you suffer more than usual. Perhaps a rape here, a ripped out tongue there, or even a dismemberment. Nothing too cruel. I am after all a man of my words." he continues as his charming smile turns vicious and the shadows in the room seem to actively be reaching out towards him.
"You are no man." spits out a young woman to the horror of her parents, and surprising everyone else. "You're just a dog that needs to be put down."
"Oh my, we have a fierce one over here." says Euron as he approaches the young woman. "Why aren't you afraid? I hold power over your entire fate in the palm of my hands." he tells her.
"Lord Gawain protects me." she answers as she spits on his face.
Rather than be enraged, Euron bursts into a round of laughter as he wipes the spit from his face.
"Lord Gawain? The new so-called god that you people started worshipping?" questions Euron as he backhands the young woman to the ground. "Let me tell you something girlie, the shade-of-the-evening holds more truth in it than in all the gods of Earth." he says as he crouches in front of her and tightly grasps her face to pull her closer to him. "Gods and moralities are lies. I have killed three brothers, then I went out and pissed into the sea, waiting for some god to strike me down. None did." he tells her as he pushes her back to the ground before standing up. "Gods are lies, and men are meat. When men see my sail, they pray. I am the godliest man to raise sail." claims Euron as he stares into the defiant eyes of the young woman.
Before the young woman can answer Euron however, a pillar made of rainbow lights falls from the sky and strikes the ground, temporarily blinding all of the sept's occupants. Once the light vanishes and their visions return, the people in the sept are able to see what emerged from the light.
Standing on a runic circle caused by the pillar of rainbow light is none other than a fully armored Athena along with Frigga, Freyja, Brunhilde, Artemis of Bana-Mighdall, Akila, and Nubia.
"Kill all of the pirates save for their leader, I am sure that Ambrosius would have words with him." orders Athena.
With no need for any more words the group proceeds to effortlessly slaughter every single member of Euron's crew while leaving Euron himself unconscious from a blow to the head. With the men inside the sept having been dealt with, the warrior women make their way to Oldtown to finish what they have started while Athena attends to the victims in the sept.
"Who… who are you?" questions the young woman as Athena helps her to her feet.
"I am Pallas-Athena, Goddess of Wisdom, Reason, Strategy, Warfare, Crafts and Arts, Patron of Heroic Endeavours and sister to King Ambrosius."
AN: So I passed my first test and only have one more to go, which is why I was able to get this chapter to you guys. You guys may notice that this chapter is shorter than usual and that's because I lost my momentum from the long break I had to take, so I need to get used to writing again. Also I found that whatever interest I had for this setting is completely lost, so I'll be making this part of the vacation shorter than originally intended. As usual feedback is welcomed and appreciated.
Surprise
The Great Hall, The Red Keep King's Landing, Crowlands
Westeros
Silence fills the Great Hall as the small council processes the day's most recent events. The day had started out no different than any other day, at least until six fully armored warrior women appeared in the middle of the Great Hall carrying an unconscious man with pale blue lips and an eyepatch over his left eye. The leader had introduced herself as Pallas-Athena, Goddess of Wisdom, Reason, Strategy, Warfare, Crafts and Arts, Patron of Heroic Endeavours and sister to none other than King Ambrosius, the god that many of them worship. From there, Athena had decreed that the tourney fields be prepared for a spectacle.
"Pardon me my lady, but did you say that the tourney fields should be prepared for a spectacle?" asks Quentyn Targeryen nee Martell, husband of Queen Daenerys Targeryen.
"I did not say, I ordered." forcefully answers Athena, causing Daenerys' guards to nervously tighten their hold on their weapons.
"Now, now, no need to get testy." comments Oberyn. "Perhaps you could explain to us what is going on." he says charmingly, earning an eye roll from all six of the warrior women.
Before any of them can answer him however, Euron groans as his consciousness returns to him only for Artemis to whack him in the back of the head with the handle of her axe, Mistress, causing him to once again fall unconscious.
"Careful Artemis, we want him to be able to experience the full brunt of his punishment." says Akila.
"Evidently you were far too careful since his consciousness returned this quickly." answers Artemis as she whacks him in the back of the head one more time for good measure.
As Euron once again falls unconscious, Daenerys, who has been quiet up until now, stands from her position on the Iron Throne and approaches the group.
"You claim to be the sister of Gawain, and I am willing to give you the benefit of the doubt. However, should I find you to be imposters I will have you all slain before being fed to my dragons." claims Daenerys as she stares into Artemis' eyes. "Do I make myself clear?" questions Daenerys, earning a raised eyebrow from Athena and nods of approval from the Valkyries and their Amazonian sisters.
"I like her." whispers Brunhilde as Daenerys turns around and orders for the tourney field to be prepared and for the population of King's Landing to make their way there.
Once everyone, save for Daenerys' guards, have vacated the Great Hall to go about preparing the tourney field, Daenerys turns back towards the group before looking down at the unconscious body of Euron Greyjoy.
"Who is this?" asks Daenerys.
"Simply a mad dog that needs to be put down." answers Artemis with a scowl.
"Nay. Death is far too good of a punishment for him. He will make a fine example as to what happens to serial rapists." argues Freyja.
"Indeed, I am sure that Queen Azula will administer the perfect punishment for him." agrees Akila.
Before the conversation can continue, the doors to the Great Hall are pushed open as a woman determinedly makes her way inside followed closely by Nymeria Sand.
"Arianne, how may I help you?" asks Daenerys.
Arianne is a buxom and beautiful woman no older than thirty years old, with olive skin, large dark eyes and long, thick black hair that falls in ringlets to the middle of her back, and full lips. She wears an elegant crimson dress that easily accentuates her figure, drawing the eyes of any who see her.
Back when Ambrosius lived as Gawain, he and Arianne were quite close with another. So much so that many believed that if Doran did not allow them to marry, they would elope with one another. In fact they were so close that they were each other's firsts and only intimate partners in the bedroom before Ambrosius left for King's Landing. Originally Ambrosius planned on asking her to join him in his adventures, however he decided against doing so once he saw her drive to becoming the ruler of Dorne. Not only would this pose a possible conflict, but so would Arianne's personality. While quite cunning and calculating, Arianne is also fierce-tempered and quick to anger. Once she sees something she desires, she strives to obtain it at all cost. Sometimes even becoming obsessed with obtaining it and being blinded by that one specific goal, a stage that she almost reached in regards to becoming the ruler of Dorne back when Ambrosius lived as Gawain.
"Where is he, Daenerys?" demands Arianne in a beautiful husky voice full of Dornish accent.
"What makes you think that he's here?" questions Daenerys.
"Don't play me for a fool, there is no way a group of warriors magically appearing in the middle of the Great Hall have nothing to do with him." answers Arianne irritably as she places her a hand on her waist.
"Like I told you last time, I have no idea where he is. After he interfered in the battle, he briefly spoke to Oberyn and I before leaving to wherever it is gods live." replies Daenerys
"And like I told you last time, you were a fool not to ask him where he goes." says Arianne.
"Watch yourself Arianne. You may have helped in my training, and in raising me, but I am still Queen. There are things that I cannot let slide." warns Daenerys.
Taking a deep breath to calm herself down, Arianne apologises with a slight bow.
"Did you tell him?" asks Arianne once she is sufficiently calm.
"It's not my place to tell him, even if it feels like you actually want me to." answers Daenerys.
"Well it would certainly be easier for me if you did." answers Arianne with a wry smile. "How does one even go about giving such news to a god?" she wonders with a slight shake of her head.
"You simply do." interrupts Athena, drawing Arianne's eyes to her group for the first time.
Before Arianne can answer her, screaming can be heard coming from outside of the Great Hall that seems to come from the entirety of King's Landing. Alarmed, Daenerys rushes out of the Great Hall, followed closely by Arianne, Nymeria, and her guards.
"They're here." claims Frigga as they too make their way outside of the Great Hall and towards the nearest courtyard.
Arriving at their destination, the group easily sees what caused the populous to begin screaming. Looking up, they can see the entire sky darken almost as if night has fallen before the black sky is covered in rainbow lights similar to the northern lights. Unlike the northern lights however, one can see every single color of the rainbow and even colors that many would have never taught to be possible. From fiery blue reminiscent of Azula's flames, to crimson red that makes it seem as if the sky is bleeding, and even ethereal emerald green, the rainbows of colors seem to have no end.
Things however do not end there, for cracks begin to form in the rainbow, alarming everyone, and as the cracks grow a hole is formed in the beautiful rainbow sky, allowing a beacon of sunlight to shine down upon the city of King's Landing, forcing the people to avert their eyes until they become properly adjusted to the light. Once their eyes have adjusted, they once more turn their eyes to the sky to see four armored figures majestically descending from the heavens, creating a sight that none will forget for as long as they live. The sight is so beautiful and awe inducing that the majority of the people slowly fall to their knees in reverence.
Leading the four figures with his golden trident in hand is none other than Ambrosius himself donning his godly armor, his long white hair and blood red cape elegantly fluttering in the wind behind him. Not far behind are Azula, Scáthach, and Morgan. While Azula and Scáthach also don their godly armor and carry their weapons, Morgan elected to wear a beautiful emerald dress that not only accentuates her figure, but also matches the color of her eyes, and holds no weapon in her hands.
"Queen Daenerys." greets Ambrosius in a booming, yet not overbearing, voice as he and his goddesses hover a few feet away from the Red Keep.
"Lord Ambrosius." answers Daenerys as she bows to him, her voice somehow transmitting to everyone in King's Landing.
Hearing Daenerys' words along with her actions, the people of King's Landing cannot help but look upon the four gods with even more reverence. Those who had previously remained standing now bow, those who are followers of his religions look for ways to bow further, and the truly fanatic members of his religion go as far as to lay themselves down on the streets, their lips kissing the ground.
Unused to such extreme reactions to his presence, Ambrosius forces himself not to react and instead focuses on Daenerys.
"Stand, little sister." orders Ambrosius with a kind smile. "Those I have designated as family need not to bow, even if they are mortal." he says as he levitates her to her feet.
"To what do we owe the pleasure?" asks Daenerys.
"I have come with two purposes in mind. The first is to answer the prayers of my people. For years you have prayed to me for guidance, today I reward your dedication. You wish to know more about me, my family, and how to earn our favor, and I shall answer you." says Ambrosius to the people, prompting many of his believers to look up at him with hopeful gazes. "Before I can answer those questions however, I must introduce you to my family." he says as he motions to Azula, Scáthach, and Morgan.
Floating up, Azula sends a lightning bolt into the sky, drawing the attention of the people.
"I am Azula, Queen of the Sky, Goddess of Lightning and Thunder, Fire, Deceit, Choices, Revenge, Illusions, Leader of the Amazons, Patron of Warrior Women, overseer of Hell, and wife of King Ambrosius." says Azula as she introduces herself to the people.
"I am Scáthach, Queen of the Dead, Goddess of Death, the Hunt, Winter, Ice, Mountains, Wilderness, War, Fate, Leader of the Valkyries, Patron of Fallen Warriors, overseer of Purgatory, and wife of King Ambrosius." introduces Scáthach as small flurries of snow fall on King's Landing despite the summer weather.
"As for me, I am Morgan, Queen of the Earth, Goddess of Magic, Life, Crossroads, Luck, Beauty, Prophecy, Patron of Mothers, and Royals, overseer of Heaven, and wife of King Ambrosius." says Morgan as she conjures a majestic castle into the sky before making it disappear, further awing the people.
"You have now met some of my family. This brings me to my second purpose for being here, punishment." says Ambrosius as Athena joins them in the sky with a now awake Euron Greyjoy in her grasps before she hands him off to Ambrosius who dismisses his trident. "This is Euron Greyjoy. Pirate, thief, murderer, and worst of all rapist. For unwise reasons he decided to attack Oldtown along with his mute crew and his Ironborn brethrens. There they pillaged, burned, murdered, tortured, and raped the people of Oldtown, even going as far as to assault the Starry Sept and those worshiping inside." informs Ambrosius, horrifying the people and drawing calls for Euron's punishment.
Raising his hand, Ambrosius silences the crowd before continuing.
"Euron claims that drugs hold more truth in them than in all the gods of Earth. He claims that Gods and moralities are lies. That gods are lies, men are meat, and that he is the godliest man to raise sail. According to him, these are the reasons for his atrocious actions." says Ambrosius, further impasionning the crowd against the pirate, with some even calling for him to be burned alive before Ambrosius silences them once again with a raise of his hand. "Unrepentant and unremorseful men like Euron have no place in Heaven, nor in Purgatory, and as such belong in none other than Hell." he says as he tosses Euron to Azula who opens a fiery portal and sends the pirate through, earning a cheer from the people.
Having said his piece, Ambrosius and the others float down to the balcony where Daenerys is situated and make their way inside the Red Keep just as the rainbow of lights disappear and the sky returns to normal.
"Well that certainly was a spectacle." comments Oberyn . "You know how to put on a show." he says the group makes their way towards the Great Hall.
"Living around you for years, one is bound to pick up a few things." answers Ambrosius.
"Is that flattery? It seems that you've picked up quite a lot from me." replies Oberyn with a smirk.
"Are none of you worried that this show will have created fanatics, dangerous fanatics?" questions Daenrys.
"Every religion will have fanatics, no matter the god. It is simply how it is." answers Scáthach. "We will simply show them that fanatics do not earn our favor." she says as they walk into the Great Hall where Arianne is waiting for them.
"Gawain. Or should I call you Ambrosius now?" asks Arianne with her arms crossed in front of her chest.
"Either works." answers Ambrosius.
"I want to slap you." replies Arianne.
"That would be warranted." admits Ambrosius with a slight nod. "But you won't." says Ambrosius.
"I won't." agrees Arianne.
"You'll just poison my drink later." claims Ambrosius, shocking the onlookers.
"And it won't even do anything." surmises Arianne.
"For fuck's sake, I can feel the sexual tension between you two. If you want to go at it, go!" exclaims Oberyn, earning a few raised eyebrows from the group.
"If sexual tension was the only problem I'd agree, but she also wants something else." says Azula.
Before anyone else can say something a child's voice can be heard calling out from the corridor as he runs towards the Great Hall.
"Mom, did you see the gods?! They were amazing!" calls out the child as he runs into the Great Hall.
The child is no older than six years old, stands at three feet seven inches, possesses midnight black hair tied into a ponytail, with a single curly strand falling on the bridge of his nose between his eyes and further enhancing their already beautiful violet glow filled with childlike innocence. Looking at the child's face, Ambrosius sees an uncanny familiarity that causes a pit to form in his stomach.
"Scáthach, do you see it too?" asks Morgan as the child makes his way to Arianne who greets him with a beautiful smile and a hug.
"I do." answers Scáthach as Arianne whispers in the child's ears, prompting him to turn around and to look into Ambrosius' eyes.
"You're my father?" asks the boy hopefully.
AN: Here's another chapter, and we meet Ambrosius' first biological child. Some of you have been wondering when Ambrosius will have biological kids, and the answer is soon, I just have no idea how to write gods raising baby gods. Also you guys might be wondering why I decided for it to be Arianne and it's because Arianne was originally supposed to be his first companion, but that got scrapped for reasons stated in the chapter and because I didn't build them up, so it would have been way more jarring than the way I did it here. Also I'll be wrapping up the Fairy Tail portion of the vacation soon since I have no motivation for it anymore (the setting feels so bland to me right now for some reason). As usual thoughts and constructive criticism are welcomed.
Plots and Attempted Plots
The Great Hall, The Red Keep King's Landing, Crowlands
Westeros
Silence fills the Great Hall as the father and son duo look into each other's eyes with varying emotions flowing through them. The son holds nothing but excitement for finally meeting his father, a legendary figure whom he knew nothing about other than his prowess in combat, and the cunning of his mind. He did not even know his father's name for his mother refused to name him for fear of him never returning to visit and leaving the child with a false sense of hope of ever meeting his father.
For the father, a few things go through his mind, the first being regret. Regret for not being there for his first biological son's first six years. He does not even question the truth of Arianne's claim for the resemblance between him and the child are as clear as day. From the midnight black hair, to the brown skin that is a touch darker than a normal dornishman's skin, to the uncanny facial features that will grow up to be handsome beyond measure, and finally the mesmerising violet eyes that he too once possessed.
The second thing that goes through Ambrosius' mind is a sense of excitement and happiness at having a son. While one can say that he already has a son in Jason, the truth of the matter is that it's not the same. To Jason he is currently nothing more than a surrogate father as opposed to simply a father, and honestly Ambrosius doesn't mind. He didn't take Jason in for the boy to look towards him as his father. Meeting this son of his is more akin to meeting Mordred and being designated as her father, yet somehow this also feels more intimate and heartwarming.
"Come here, boy." instructs Ambrosius.
Unsure of whether to obey or not, the boy looks towards his mother who simply gives him an encouraging smile and nod, prompting him to walk closer to his father.
"What is your name?" asks Ambrosius as he kneels in front of the boy.
"Daemon." replies the boy proudly, causing Ambrosius to look at Arianne with a raised eyebrow.
"Doran refuses to allow me to name him Martell, and I refuse to brand my son Sand." explains Arianne with an incensed tone that speaks of a certain amount of rage she holds towards her father.
"It doesn't matter, his last name shall be Malphas. The name of his father." says Ambrosius with a smile that his son returns.
"Tell me Daemon, what do you aspire to be someday?" asks Ambrosius.
"I will be the greatest warrior to ever live." claims the boy, who in the excitement of finally meeting his father has completely forgotten that he is a god.
"An ambitious goal. How do you plan on accomplishing it?" asks Ambrosius.
"Practice. Uncle Oberyn has already started training me with the spear. Then I'm going to travel the world to make my prowess known." answers Daemon.
"Has he now? Well I hope that the spear is the only thing he has been teaching you." replies Ambrosius as he stands and looks towards Oberyn who simply gives him a nervous chuckle.
Ignoring Oberyn's nervous chuckle, Ambrosius makes his way towards the Iron Throne with Daemon following closely behind, his small hand held within his father's bigger hand.
"You still sit on this piece of scrap metal?" observes Ambrosius as he looks at the jagged throne in distaste.
"What is wrong with it?" asks Daenerys.
"It is…" begins Ambrosius as he looks for the correct word.
"Ugly." says Azula.
"Antiquated." adds Scáthach.
"Undignified." suggests Morgan.
"All of the above." agrees Ambrosius even as he walks up the dais and sits on the throne while placing Daemon on his lap. "Tell me Athena, what are the results of your research?" asks Ambrosius as he sits comfortably on the throne despite the countless pieces of swords attempting to stab and slash him.
"Eldritch abominations and shells of past deities that cling to their former glory." she answers, causing all of the mortals to look on in confusion.
"How powerful are they, and how much can they influence this world?" asks Scáthach.
"Personally? They are not that powerful, but they can still make use of mortals, such as the practitioners of magic in Asshai to carry out their will. And while the morals cannot harm us, they can easily cause a lot of trouble for Westeros" she explains.
"In that case they're lives are forfeit." says Azula. "Take a squad of Amazons with you and dispose of these so-called gods." she orders.
"That won't stop the mortals. Especially since their magic does not rely as much on these deities anymore." says Athena.
"That's not a problem. I will be changing how magic works in this world. That will leave them powerless." says Morgan, drawing looks of shock from the mortals.
"I must have misheard you… but did you say that you will be changing how magic works?" asks Daenerys.
"You heard correctly. I will be changing how magic works in this world." repeats Morgan, causing Daenerys and the other mortals to simply accept her claims as facts, especially since none of the other gods seem to want to refute her..
"That is an adequate solution. Certainly better than killing them all." says Scáthach.
"What of the Ironborn?" asks Oberyn. "They assaulted Oldtown. Killed, pillaged, burned, and raped their way through the town and the septs. They cannot go unpunished." he says.
"And they won't. Even as we speak a squad of Amazons slaughter anyone guilty of such actions while freeing any of their slaves. In fact, they should be finished right about now." answers Azula as she comfortably rests a hand on the pommel of Crocea Mors which is sheathed by her side.
"This is the second time you have mentioned such troops. Who are the Amazons?" asks Arianne
"The Amazons, my personal troops and the greatest troop of warriors on Mount Olympus." proudly answers Azula.
"With all due respect Lady Azula, I believe that we Valkyries hold that title." refutes Freyja as she steps forward, earning a nod of agreement from Scáthach and the other Valkyries present.
"Oh… and who pray tell gave you that title?" questions Azula with a raised eyebrow.
"No one did, and no one needed to. It is simply a well known fact that my Valkyries are better trained troops than your Amazons." responds Scáthach.
Rather than answer, Azula simply stares into Scáthach's eyes for a few seconds before turning away.
"One day we will test that theory." she says as she turns away.
"You allow women into your armies?" asks Daenerys.
"Those troops are made entirely of women. There is not a single man that is a member of the Amazons nor the Valkyries. That however is where most of the similarities end. The Amazons are warriors and soldiers tasked with waging war against our enemies, while the Valkyries are tasked with collecting the souls of fallen warriors for Valhalla and with defending Asgard." explains Ambrosius.
"Valhalla? Asgard? Never heard of them." says Oberyn.
"Valhalla, it is the Heaven for warriors who have lived a life worthy of it. It is located in Asgard, the golden city of the gods." explains Frigga.
Before any more words can be spoken, a glowing runic circle appears on the floor and teleports Nubia into the Great Hall.
"It is done." reports Nubia as she bows to Azula. "The pirates have been slayed and the slaves freed. As of now the islands are under the control of the citizens and those slaves who have nowhere to return to."
"What of the nobles?" asks Azula.
"Most were unwilling to part ways with their traditions and were disposed of. The remaining ones were made to swear an oath on Mordred's name to never return to their pirating ways." she replies.
"Thank you Nubia. Return to our sisters and prepare a squad of Amazons for an excursion of godslaying. Take Artemis and Akila with you. You'll be under Athena's lead." orders Azula.
With a bow, Artemis, Akila, and Nubia make their way to the runic circle where they teleport out of the Great Hall, earning an awed look from Daemon.
"Woah!" whispers the boy in astonishment. "Is that magic?" he asks as he turns to face his father.
"Yes it is." answers Ambrosius with a proud smile.
"Can I try?" he asks before something else comes to his mind. "Wait…. You're the gods from earlier!" he exclaims with starstruck eyes.
"Yes we are." replies Ambrosius with a chuckle.
"Woah!" whispers Daemon.
"An appropriate response. Now, why don't you go play, us adults need to speak for a while longer." suggests Ambrosius.
With a nod Daemon jumps off Ambrosius' lap and runs out of the Great Hall while waving towards his mother who simply waves back with a smile.
"He is more social than I was at that age." observes Ambrosius as he watches his son run off.
"Every kid is more social than you were." says Oberyn with a snort. "There were only three places one could find you when you weren't building that spy network of yours. The library, the training yard, or Arianne's bedchambers when you finally grew." he teases.
"Better than constantly drinking, siring children and fighting." argues Ambrosius.
"Debatable." replies Oberyn with a wrinkle of his nose and a slight shake of his head.
Before anyone else can say something, a cloaked figure appears in front of the throne in a kneeling position. Alarmed, Oberyn and the other guards draw their weapons and point it at the figure.
"The castle has been cleared." calmly reports the figure with a muffled voice despite the weapons being pointed at them. "There were a few spies amongst the servants, and an assassin amongst the kitchen staff. It's why the queen never gets pregnant." claims the figure as Ambrosius gestures for the guards to put their weapons away.
"Thank you Cheshire. From now on I want a squad situated in the castle at all times. Key figures are to be guarded by either you, Viper, Shiva, or Onyx. As of right now however, I order you to take a few months off and go see Artemis. Hand leadership over to Nyssa until Shiva returns." orders Ambrosius, earning a slight nod from the figure before they disappear.
"What was that?" questions Daenerys.
"That was Cheshire, a member of the League of Shadows. A group of spies and assassins that operate under me." answers Ambrosius as he rubs his chin in thought. "When we arrived in the castle there were quite a few presences with negative intentions. As such I dispatched Cheshire to deal with them and to find their purpose. It seems that someone did not want you to continue your family line." he explains.
"No doubt they were hoping for her to die without an heir. That would plunge the kingdoms into absolute chaos." adds Morgan.
"Who could benefit from this?" asks Arianne.
"Quite a few actually, with the Iron Bank of Braavos being the first name that pops into mind. The Baratheon king did owe them a substantial sum of money that was never paid. As far as they are concerned that debt now falls upon you, and clearly you refuse to pay." answers Scáthach.
"There are also Baratheon loyalists that were overlooked when you transitioned to power. As a matter of fact, if your enemies band together they could probably afford an assassin from the House of Black and White." adds Azula. "It would probably be more prudent to remove them entirely."
"Them? The House of Black and White, the Iron Bank of Braavos, or the Baratheon loyalist?" questions Daenerys.
"All of them." responds Azula and Morgan simultaneously.
"Or we can take over the Iron Bank and the House of Black and White, and use them to remove all Baratheon loyalists. This would also give you a stronghold in Braavos hidden from the other Free Cities." suggests Ambrosius.
"How do you propose we go about doing that?" asks Oberyn.
"It is already being done. This is why I have the League of Shadows after all."
--
AN: And another chapter done. After one more Westeros chapter we'll be returning to Fiore and wrapping up Fairy Tail. As usual tell me what you guys think, and suggestions and criticism are welcomed.
Welcome to the Family
The Training Fields, The Red Keep King's Landing, Crownlands
Westeros
Today's morning started out like any other morning for Azula. She awoke in bed, entangled with her belovedes, with the sun very much still hidden away in the horizon. Per usual she was the third one to awake with Morgan being the last. Afterwards she and the others cleaned themselves before eating a small snack and making their way to the training fields. From there, they trained normally before beginning their melee. They continued with their melee until the castle became full of activity and they were joined in the field by Oberyn, the sand snakes, Daenerys, Daemon, and Arianne.
This is how she finds herself watching the spars in the training yard. Currently Daenerys spars with the spear wielding one of the sand snakes, Obara is her name Azula believes, while Daenerys wields a bastard sword herself. From what Azula has seen so far, the Queen is certainly skilled and was trained properly. However she seems to be a bit rusty due to the lack of seeing any actual combat in a while. Her moves are fluid, skilled, and certainly well executed, but unfortunately have quite the wasted movements that easily tire her out.
"She's not bad." comments Morgan from beside Azula. "Certainly a bit rusty and lacking in terms of experience, but still much better than quite a lot of the other men here. In fact, I dare say that she is better than most of them."
"Yes… well I wouldn't consider any of these warriors to be a good measure of skill." answers Azula.
"If you mean by our terms, then certainly. But in terms of this world, they are quite skilled." refutes Scáthach.
"And this world is not a good measure of skill either." replies Azula. "Once the average warrior here can contend with the average warrior of the League of Assassins, then I will recognise their skill." she says as the group watches Obara disarm Daenerys, causing her to yield and ending the spar.
"That is a bit unfair considering the fact that the average member of the League of Assassins is trained in every form of combat. From unarmed combat to swords, to spears." answers Scáthach as Ambrosius pulls Daemon into the sparing circle.
"Well this should be interesting." says Morgan before Azula can answer Scáthach. "I wonder if he has his father's prodigious talent for combat." she questions.
"He does, but I believe that unlike his father he will have to pick a field of combat to specialise in." replies Scáthach.
"What are you on about?" questions Oberyn as he tosses a drinking pouch full of water to Daenerys as she and Obara join them on the side. "Ambrosius specialises in the spear."
"I can see how you would think so, Ambrosius does use the spear so often that one can easily forget that he knows how to wield other weapons." says Scáthach. "The truth of the matter is that he can wield any weapon as masterfully as he does the spear. From the sword, to an axe, or even a warhammer. He simply uses the spear out of preference." she elaborates as they watch Ambrosius pick a blunted longsword and tosses one to his son.
As soon as Daemon catches the sword and sets himself into his fighting stance, Azula and Scáthach's interest seems to peak. They watch as Ambrosius taunts his son into attacking and proceeds to do nothing but deflect or block Daemon's attacks before he himself takes the initiative and attacks Daemon.
"Well isn't this interesting." comments Azula as the group watches Daemon deflect the first attack and proceeds to barely dodge the follow up attacks. "The boy is more suited to be a member of the League as opposed to being a knight." she says as Daemon jumps over a sword swipe to his leg and uses his father's sword as a springboard to launch himself into the air and towards Ambrosius' face with a slash of his sword.
"It certainly seems so." agrees Scáthach. "He makes use of his agility in a way that the assassins of the League do as opposed to how a knight or soldier would. Who taught him this?" she asks as she looks at Oberyn.
"No one. The boy's always moved like that. I figured that it was from all his climbing and running." answers Oberyn.
"I'm sure that most of it can be attributed to that, but the other part is easily talent and instincts." says Morgan as Ambrosius disarms his son with smirk before giving him a proud smile and ruffling his hair. "Oh boy. They are going to be here for a while." she comments as she sees the usual excited glint in Ambrosius' eyes that he gets once he becomes excited about something.
"That's perfect." says Azula as she grabs Arianne and pulls her while walking towards the exit of the training fields despite the other woman's startled protests.
Intrigued, Morgan grabs Scáthach and follows Azula out of the training fields.
"I don't like this." whispers Scáthach as she takes notice of the smile on Azula's face.
"It won't be that bad." reassures Morgan as she too notices the smile on Azula's face.
"Everytime she smiles like that someone suffers in some way, shape, or form." says Scáthach.
"That is an exaggeration." argues Morgan.
"It certainly is not. You only say that because you've never been on the receiving end of that smile." argues Scáthach. "The last time she smiled like that I ended up tied to our bed while you three teased me to no end without allowing me to experience a release." says Scáthach with a glare as they follow Azula into their bedrooms.
"At least the smile isn't for you." says Morgan as she closes the door behind her. "So… what are we doing here Azula?" she asks.
"With Ambrosius busy getting to know his son, I figured that this would be the perfect time to get to know his first love. After all, she is now a member of the family regardless of whether she joins us in bed or not." she explains as she magically cleans herself before turning her training clothes into a dark red dress that accentuates her figure. "And what better way to do that than to talk while taking a stroll through Kings Landing."
"Well I'm certainly interested." says Morgan as she follows Azula's example but decides to wear an emerald green dress that matches her eyes as opposed to a red one.
"Is that all you have planned?" questions Scáthach skeptically.
"*Of course not.*" answers Azula mentally with a scoff even as she verbally says yes for Arianne's sake. "*You know me better than that.*" she admonishes Scáthach.
"*And what exactly do you have planned?*" asks Scáthach as she follows Azula's example and dons a burgundy dress.
"*You'll see.*" answers Azula as she magically cleans Arianne. "What color would you prefer your dress to be?" she asks the puzzled woman.
"And what if I don't want to go along with whatever scheme you've plotted?" asks Arianne as she crosses her arms over her chest, the ring in her hand glinting in the sunlight.
"As if you ever had a choice." answers Azula with a sickeningly sweet voice as she turns Arianne's training gear into a yellow dress before teleporting out of the room with a smirk on her face.
With an exasperated sigh, Scáthach follows with a teleportation of her own while Morgan does so with a grin on her face.
Coming out of the teleportation, Arianne does her best to deal with her nausea due to her sudden displacement while Scáthach and Morgan observe their new surroundings, an alleyway that leads to a heavily populated street.
"Azula, where exactly are we?" asks Scáthach as she observes the countless men and women walking about with many of the women dressed in suggestive dresses while some of the men lecherously look at them as they walk past or walk into different buildings.
"This is the Street of Silk located on the Hill of Rhaenys leading up to the Dragonpit by the west. The street is known for its brothels." answers Azula as Morgan magically helps Arianne deal with her nausea.
"What are we doing here?" asks Arianne.
"On the Street of Silk, there's a particularly high end brothel that has come under new management a few years ago, Chataya's Brothel. The previous owner, Chataya, disappeared under mysterious circumstances and her brothel is now under the ownership of some small Lord named Osgrey who uses it to curry favor with whomever such a tactic would work on." informs Azula. "Your assignment is simple, transfer ownership of the brothel to someone more worthy of it and deal with Lord Osgrey however you see fit."
"That's it?" asks Arianne with a raised eyebrow.
"Yes, that's it." answers Azula with a smile. "Morgan will provide you with anything you need using her magic, but you have to complete the assignment manually."
"Very well." says Arianne as she turns to face Morgan. "I'm going to need makeup, a hair tie, and cheap perfume."
"Will that be all?" asks Morgan as she conjures the required materials for Arianne.
"That will be all." answers Arianne as she proceeds to lighten her complexion using the makeup, accentuating her cheekbones, covering the smell of her own perfume with the cheap one's and pulling her hair into a messy bun before returning the makeup to Morgan. "The dress, it needs to be a bit looser." says Arianne as she points to her breasts.
With a raised eyebrow Azula grants her requests and loosens the dress, allowing her breasts to hang freely and to move no matter how small her movement, bringing attention to them. She then proceeds to ask Azula ro create a slit on the side of her legs. Satisfied with the dress, Arianne parts the slit on her left leg, showcasing a set of pouches tied to her thigh. Grabbing three of them, she proceeds to empty their contents into a single pouch before crushing them.
"What is this?" asks Scáthach.
"This is a concoction that Tyene and I stumbled upon. When ingested, it makes the person susceptible to any suggestion." explains Arianne as she crushes the herbs into a fine powder twisting her ring, causing a small compartment to open in the ring where she deposits the powder.
"That's an interesting mechanism." comments Morgan.
"It was a gift from Ambrosius." informs Arianne with a smile before she turns to Azula. "Is Lord Osgrey going to be there?" she asks.
"Maybe, maybe not." answers Azula with a shrug.
With a roll of her eyes Arianne slightly puffs out her chest and adjusts her posture before walking out of the alleyway with her hips swaying.
"I like her." says Morgan with a smirk as they watch Arianne make her way to Chataya's Brothel.
"She does have a fire in her. No wonder Ambrosius fell for her." agrees Scáthach before she turns to Azula. "When did you find all of this information to set this up?" she asks.
"Last night, before coming to bed." answers Azula. "I wanted to see what she's made of since she's now part of the family. After all, a chain is only as strong as its weakest link." she says before they begin to follow Arianne, unseen by everyone.
Making her to Charaya's Brothel, a two story tall building with a stone ground floor and a timber upper floor with many of its windows leaded and an ornate lamp of gilded metal and scarlet glass swings over the door, Arianne gives the two sellswords guarding it a sultry smile before walking in.
Inside the entrance the air smells of exotic spice. Its floor displays a mosaic of two women entwined in love. Behind an ornate Myrish screen that has been carved with flowers, fancies, and dreaming maidens, one can find the common room. It has a cushioned alcove and a leaded colored glass window where sunlight pours through and a young man can be found playing the pipes.
As Arianne makes her way towards the common room, a beautiful woman in a silk dress and no older than her approaches her.
"How may I help you?" asks the woman.
"Lord Stackhouse has sent me here. I am to entertain Lord Osgrey." confidently answers Arianne with a pleasant smile on her face even as she notices a bruise hidden under the woman's sleeves and other signs of physical abuse.
"Oh." says the woman while barely hiding the pity in her voice as she plasters a fake smile on her face. "Lord Osgrey barely shows up unfortunately, so you'll have to speak to his overseer, Armory." she says as she leads Arianne into the second floor through a spiraling staircase and towards a room at the end of a corridor where she gently knocks on the door.
"Enter." orders a high, thin voice.
"You have a visitor Ser." says the woman as she walks in with a bow with Arianne following behind her.
"Who are you?" lecherously asks the man as his eyes travel up and down Arianne's figure.
"My name is Aelinor, Ser." sultrily answers Arianne as she bats her eyelashes at him, all the while hiding her disgust for the piggish man sitting behind the desk. Ser Amory is a stout man with a piggy face, and little pig's eyes. He once was a knight of the Lannisters, but when the main branch of the Lannister family was taken down and the Martells rose to power, he quickly cut all ties with them for fear of being also targeted himself. Eventually he found himself under the employ of Lord Osgrey, running the man's brothel and being his muscle.
"How may I help you Aelinor?" asks Armory as he stands from his seat and makes his way to Arianne, ignoring the leaving woman and completely missing Arianne twisting the ring on her finger.
"You are mistaken Ser, you cannot help me. Rather I can help you." replies Arianne as she steps into Armory's personal space and blows the powder onto his face.
Startled, Armory is unable to react in time as Arianne smashes her fist into his throat, blocking his airway, before she smashes her other fist onto his face, breaking his nose with a crunching sound. Not willing to allow him any reprieve, she knees him in between the legs, causing him to stumble to the ground in pain and unable to scream in pain due to his blocked airways. Once Armory is on the ground, Arianne smashes her foot on the side of his head, knocking him out.
With that done, Arianne makes her way to the desk and begins to rummage through it for anything of use. She knows that the papers of ownership should at least be somewhere in this room since Daenerys has sanctioned the gold cloaks to undertake random inspections of businesses and part of the inspection requires for the overseers to produce the papers to show who owns the business. She also knows that buying off the gold cloaks is near impossible since Daenerys has a habit of randomly checking up on them and the last gold cloak who was crooked was fed to one of her dragons to set an example.
Not finding what she is looking for, Arianne grabs a pouch tied to her thigh full of smelling salts and wakes Amory with it.
"Stand up Armory." orders Arianne as she tests out the results of her powder to his face.
Without a word of protest, Amory stands up, faces Arianne and awaits her command.
"Find me the papers of ownership for this brothel and any documents with incriminating information on Lord Osgrey." she commands.
Like the first time, Armory obeys and makes his way to his desk where he opens a hidden compartment full of documents that he passes on to Arianne with the paper of ownership at the top. Taking the documents, Arianne inspects the papers of ownership.
"Smart." quietly comments Arianne as she notices that the brothel is written to be under Armory's ownership in case any illegal activities are found in there.
"Transfer ownership to Oberyn Martell, take off your pants, then go to sleep while sitting on your chair." orders Arianne as she hands the paper back to Armory.
Without a word of protest, Armory pens a document that transfers ownership of the brothel to Oberyn before he removes his pants, then sits down on his chair to sleep.
Satisfied, Arianne lets her hair fall down, ruffles her clothes, and ruins her makeup, giving her the disheveled appearance of a woman who has just had sex. With a smile plastered on her face, Arianne makes her way out of the brothel unbothered and back into the alleyway where she finds Morgan, Azula, and Scáthach waiting for her.
"Not bad." comments Azula with a smile on her face. "That was quite well done." she compliments.
"Yes… well, sex isn't the only thing Ambrosius and I did when we were together. He also taught me quite a bit." replies Arianne with a smirk as she hands Azula all of the documents.
"We can tell, and while you did a splendid job, I do wonder what will stop Armory from seeking you out or telling of his encounter with you?" asks Morgan.
"He won't remember. For some reason the victim forgets everything that happened while under the influence of the concoction." answers Arianne. "He will only remember me entering the room, my name, and nothing else." she explains as she fixes her posture and wipes the makeup from her face using the sleeves of dress.
"Oh, I like you." says Morgan and Azula simultaneously with smirks on their faces while Scáthach merely rolls her eyes and internally laments the trouble the trio of them could get into.
Small Village,
Outskirts of the Kingdom of Fiore
On the outskirts of Fiore, a small village can be found burning to the ground in the wake of an attack from an army. Within the village, a mother, Judith, can be found cradling the dead body of her daughter as tears fall down her face.
"Inanna…" sobs the mother as she slowly rocks back and forth and tightly hugs the body of her deceased daughter. "Mommy should have been there, I'm sorry." she says as she gently places her daughter's body down before her eyes are drawn to a piece of paper tightly clutched in her daughter's grip. Gently taking the paper from her daughter, the mother's eyes inspect the moving picture that depicts none other than Azula in her armor walking past an army as they fight amongst themselves as opposed to fighting her.
Seeing the picture, the mother is reminded of their first encounter with Azula and all of their subsequent encounters after that. As a merchant, she has always traveled to Magnolia for business, and had eventually taken Inanna with her when her daughter grew to be big enough. It was on Inanna's first trip that they had met Azula who had no problem entertaining her daughter. They had met Azula a few other times after that, but it was never really anything substantial. Still, Judith hopes that their brief meetings will be enough for Azula to accept her requests of vengeance, even if she has to pay her for it. If not for her, at least for Inanna.
With her mind made up, Judith wipes the tears from her eyes and begins to make her way to Magnolia with the moving picture of Azula in hand.
AN: Here's another chapter for this week. My final test is next week, so don't expect anything until then. As usual tell me what you guys think, and suggestions and criticism are welcomed. Also, I have an idea for the last two jumps. They won't be vacation jumps and will put Ambrosius, Azula, Scáthach, and Morgan in the world I decide without any of their powers or skills. So they'll have to use the powers of that world and relearn all of their skills such as hand-to-hand combat, poison, etc… It'll essentially be farewell arcs of the Malphas family before I officially end the story. A back to the basics arcs as farewell. If I did that the worlds that they visit would be something like Naruto and DBZ. I'd love to hear if you guys would be interested.
I also have an idea for a sequel featuring one of their biological children who decided that he would love to just adventure and seal his divinity just for the purpose of doing so. It would focus more on science as opposed to magic. So you could expect things like super soldier serums, tech armor, etc… Tell me if you guys would be interested.
Invasion of Fiore
Magic Council Headquarters, Fiore Branch South of Crocus, Fiore
Ishgar
X777
South of Crocus, the capital city of Fiore, is the Magic Council Headquarters for the Fiore Branch of the Council. The building itself sits in an extremely rocky area completely lacking any sort of vegetation. The area consists of a multitude of large boulders, a narrow gorge leading to the building itself, and a series of small hills that are visible not far from the place, making it a strategic nightmare to attack conventionally or without the use of magic.
The building's exterior, living up to its owners' high and mighty attitude, has a very outlandish appearance to it. Topping the lower structure is a series of smaller structures suspended in the air at various heights, which compose the rest of the headquarters. The building's interior seems to also be monumental like the external appearance. Given access to by a double door, topped by a high window with an arched summit, is a long, extremely high corridor with an arched ceiling. However, none of these or any other architectural details matter for unlike on a normal day, the building is full of activity as Rune Knights can be seen milling all over and rushing from one place to another, while sentient frog-like creatures urgently hop from one place to another.
Inside an unspecified room, a large circular table can be found devoid of any chairs. Around the table the members of the Magic Council can be found meeting with each other along with an armored Mordred to discuss the most recent development in the situation with Ishgar.
"Where are you?" questions Mordred as she looks around the room, seeing as none of the members of the council are truly there and are in fact using Thought Projection magic, a type of Magic which allows its user to create a psychic copy of his or her body, in order to attend the meeting. "You are members of the Fiore Magic Council and as such are leaders of Fiore's magical community. You should be here physically to deal with this, not as Thought Projections." she says.
"We believe that it is wiser for all of us to be scattered around the Kingdom in case one of us is attacked. This way we cannot all be killed at once, leaving the magical community leaderless." explains one of the council's members.
"Translation: we are cowards fearing for our lives and have decided to hide somewhere safe until the Alvarez Empire's invasion is dealt with by the more competent and productive members of society." responds Mordred with a sneer, drawing gasps of shock and cries of outrage from the members of the Council.
"Commander Mordred!" exclaims the Chairman, the leader of the Council. "Watch your words and your tone! It was us who elevated you to your position and we can just as easily remove you from it!" he claims.
"Eh, empty threats." scoffs Mordred with a smirk. "Anyway, the purpose of this attempted meeting was to plan a defensive strategy and a counterattack, but seeing your cowardice and your lack of any form of intelligence that does not contribute to anything but your sense of self preservation, I have decided that none of your input is needed nor wanted. As such, I leave you all to cower in peace in your 'safe' havens." says Mordred before she turns around and makes her way out of the meeting room while completely ignoring the outraged Council.
Once outside of the room, Mordred makes her way to another room situated just down the hallway from her previous location, the Rune Knight command center for emergency situations such as this.
"How is the situation?" asks Mordred as she walks into the Rune Knights command center where Arturia is coordinating with the lower members of the chain of command to mount a defensive strategy. Inside the room one can find various magical holograms with various information on them, such as situational reports for every Rune Knight headquarters throughout the Kingdom, troop positions, casualties, etc…
"They took the bait like we expected, but we did not expect them to be so vicious and honorless as to wipe out any towns they have stumbled upon in order to limit the information we receive." answers Artoria with a frown and disgust dripping from her voice.
"How vile. There are countless ways to make it to Magnolia without resorting to such tactics." comments Mordred with a disgusted frown. "Where are their last known locations?" she asks.
"A small merchant town on the outskirts of Fiore, near Hargeon Town and not too far south of Magnolia. A Rune Knight outpost on the far northern side of the Kingdom, and one more set of troops was found coming from the West." explains Artoria. " The merchant town was whipped out, the outpost was destroyed seconds after they transmitted the alert, and the reconnaissance team that found the troops in the West barely escaped an attack." informs Arturia. "They've completely surrounded Fiore with the only way of escape being to the East via the Kingdoms of Bosco and Sven."
"Are they using the sea or are they teleporting in?" asks Mordred.
"Both. They teleported ships filled with soldiers to our shores." answers Artoria. "Unfortunately for them however we anticipated all but their savagery so far."
"What of their magical powerhouses?" questions Mordred as she looks at the most recent casualty report.
"Inactive. According to our intelligence, none of the members of the Spriggan Knights have taken to the battlefield. However, the S-Squad encountered two squads within the army whose leaders almost reached the Spriggan Knights in terms of power" responds Arturia. "The first one they encountered was led by a machine named Wall Eehto. Despite his power the new armor and their training allowed the Squad to quickly dispose of him. Then they met the Neinhart Squad and were forced to use the armors' Final Solution." says Arturia, prompting Mordred to quickly look up from the report.
"What?" questions a rightfully alarmed Mordred considering that the Final Solution of the S-Squad's armor, a squad of six mages put together to take on mages above S-Rank, is designed to allow them to face any member of the Wizard Saints at the expense of their lives. "
"They managed to defeat their enemy, but at the expense of three of their members. The other three are currently recuperating." explains Arturia. "Had the leaders of those squads grown a bit more they easily would have become members of the Spriggan Knights."
"If that's the case then they did well. Remind me to reward them once we deal with the Empire." comments Mordred before she briefly flares her divine power in a specific pattern.
In response to her action, a cloaked figure garbed in the uniform of the League of Assassins appears kneeling in front of her.
"Lady Mordred, how may I be of service?" asks the assassin.
"Where are my father and mother? No one has seen them in days." says Mordred.
"They are currently in Westeros." answers the shadow.
"Inform them of the situation." orders Mordred.
Since they haven't found a way to communicate omniversally yet, and honestly have not been looking, the Malphas make use of members of the League of Assassins as messengers who can simply be called upon by flaring their power in a certain power. One of the features of their new uniforms allows them to sense the flare in power, allowing them to know when they are being summoned.
With a slight nod of his head, the assassin disappears from the room without leaving a trace, once again leaving Arturia and Mordred as the room's only occupants.
As the duo return to the incoming reports, an alarm blares to life as a surge of magical energy can be felt appearing above the Magic Council Headquarters. Rather than react to the blaring alarm however both Mordred and Artoria summon their respective swords, turn around and proceed to slash at the empty air. Rather than simply pass through the air unimpeded, the weapons momentarily clash with something invisible before easily slicing through it like a hot knife through butter. Following through in their assault, the duo proceed to move forward and slash once more through the air, sending a deluge of blood flying as a previously invisible body falls to the ground dead with its head decapitated and its body bisected at the waist.
"Jacob Lessio, also known as Assassin and a member of the Alvarez Empire's Spriggan Knights. Not surprising that they would send him to assassinate us." comments Artoria as she and Mordred proceed to flick the blood from their swords before turning to the monitor that displays the current situation of their headquarters.
"No, but this certainly is." replies Mordred as she points to the monitor showcasing a gigantic eye with a cross-shaped pattern manifesting over the headquarters. "It certainly is an interesting piece of surveillance magic." she says as the eye disappears just as quickly as it appeared while screams of pain and fear can be heard coming from the main lobby of the building.
Not bothering with checking the monitors for the reasons for the scream, Mordred dashes out of the room and easily makes her way to the first floor where she finds the cause for the screams, a demon who incites death simply with his presence due to the copious amount of poisonous particles that overwhelm and kill those who inhale them within mere moments. The demon is none other than Bloodman, a member of the Spriggan Knights of the Alvarez Empire.
Bloodman is a very tall, extremely muscular demon with an overall macabre appearance; his chest is covered in a black and red demonic breastplate that wraps itself around his lower abdomen. Attached to his breastplate are extremely large, irregularly-shaped metallic pauldrons that connect and fade out into his extremely long cloak, which he uses to keep hooded his head, upon which he wears what appears to be a red oni mask with his eye area painted yellow all around extending to his chin to conceal his face.
On his arms, Bloodman wears a fishnet, mesh-like material, which is partially concealed by his overly-large pauldrons and gloves; the gloves themselves are frayed, and bear a zigzag pattern below the fray, however, attached to the zigzag pattern are also irregularly-flowing designs that the resemble bone structure of the hand, as they travel down from the forearm of the glove and branch off at the knuckles and travel down to each fingertip. The aforementioned zigzag pattern also appears on the material that is exposed on the parts of his torso that Bloodman's breastplate does not cover, and around his waist he wears a belt. His lower body is concealed from view by a dark robe that reaches up to his feet. Just below the belt, it sports a pattern of circles that travels around his person. All in all one couldn't fault anyone for mistaking the demon to be the grim reaper.
Having taken in the scene of her Knights and the frog-like creatures screaming in pain as the die from inhaling the poisonous particles discharged by the demon, Mordred does not hesitate to leap at him with her sword poised to slash his head off while she coats her entire body in a layer of wind that repels the poisonous particles. Despite having the element of surprise, Mordred's sword does nothing but harmlessly pass through the demon's body that is now revealed to be made entirely of magical barrier particles, very poisonous anti-magic particles and the same particles that magical barriers are made of. With a body made of it Bloodman can deform, shape and move his body however he desires, it also makes him near completely immune to all forms of both physical and magical damage.
"Tch, magical barrier particles. How annoying." comments Mordred as she uses her momentum to create some distance between her and Bloodman.
"Hehehe," chuckles the demon. "What's this, an opponent who can withstand my presence? No matter you will die just as the others did. After all, to touch me is to touch death itself." he says menacingly.
"Please, I was raised by death herself. You are nothing but a poor and discounted imitation." scoffs Mordred with a roll of her eyes.
Rather than answer her with words, Bloodman snarls and moves onto the attack.
"Magical Barrier Particle Mass!" roars the demon as his magical barrier particle- made up arm launches itself at Mordred.
Exhaling slowly through her mouth, Mordred waits until the arm is mere millimeters away from her face before making her move. In a burst of raw speed she leaves behind an afterimage as she makes her way from her original position to her opponent and easily beheading him in the split second that his body becomes corporeal in order for his attack to connect.
"Next time you want to parade yourself as death incarnate, at least make sure that you yourself cannot fall to her clutches." says Mordred as the demon's head falls from his shoulders and he slowly comes to the realisation that it is in fact dead. In a last ditch effort to kill Mordred, the demon swipes its arm towards her neck only for her to incinerate his entire body when his nails reach millimeters away from slashing her jugular.
AN: So I'm back and a little rusty, so this chapter is a bit shorter than usual. The next one or two chapters will end the Fairy Tail portion of the vacation and we'll see them revisit at least one world that Ambrosius has already been to before continuing to the next vacation world which will most like be Mortal Kombat (for like two to four chapters). I've also seen your suggestions and feedback, and just didn't answer since I didn't have time then. Once we reach close enough to the end of the entire story I'll most likely put up a poll for the sequel. Right now it's either a sequel with a son of Ambrosius (way more laidback than his dad), a new jumpchain entirely, a campione fic, or an x-men/marvel si/oc. As usual tell me what you guys think, and suggestions and criticism are welcomed.
Submission
Fairy Tail Guild Hall, Magnolia Fiore
Ishgar
X777
"Oi brat, why am here?" questions an irritated Bahamut from his leaning position on the wall next to the Fairy Tail Guild Hall's entrance. We are currently standing outside of the guild hall awaiting Zeref and whatever forces he decides to teleport here along with. And unlike his usual sea serpent form, Bahamut has taken the form of a human after some persuasion on my part. Standing half a foot taller than me at six feet eight inches tall, Bahamut possesses white hair and brown skin the same shade as me along with a much more muscular build than I. He wears an ocean blue tunic along with black trousers and boots.
"Oi brat!" exclaims the serpent in protest to my lack of answer.
"What?" I reply irritatedly at being referred to as brat. Granted, compared to his thousands of years my centuries make me a child compared to him. That does not however make me accept the namesake, which I relay to him by shocking him with a small bolt of lightning
"Why am I here?" he asks once again.
"Because I said so." I simply reply.
"Ok, why do you say so? I know it's not because you need help fighting whoever this Zeref fellow is. You could have taken him even before you became a god." he claims.
"You are here to face Acnologia, The Dragon King." I finally answer.
"Dragon King? You mean the king of those overgrown lizards that call themselves Dragons?" he asks with a laugh, earning a raised eyebrow from me. "Wait,…" he says as he forces himself to stop laughing, "… you're serious?" he asks me, causing me to nod yes in return which in turn serves to make him laugh even harder.
Confused as to where the comedic factor to my statement is I give him a questioning look while raising my other eyebrow.
"Look, I'm not saying that the 'dragons' of this universe are weak," he says before pausing. "Actually, no. I am saying that these overgrown lizards are weak. In fact they are so weak that I could take the entire species on by myself and come out completely fine. Which is why I don't understand why you need me to beat that lizard."
"One, I do not need you to beat Acnologia, I want you to because I believe that you need to do something other than sleep all day in Gotham Bay. Two, the dragons are extinct so that would not be much of a challenge, and last how do you know so much about this world?" I ask him.
"Well even if they weren't extinct I could solo them easily. As for how I know so much about this world, sleeping in Gotham Bay isn't the only thing I do. Sometimes I wake up to go to Asgard." he says with a shrug.
"Regardless of whether you occasionally leave Gotham Bay or not I have decided that you will face Acnologia. It is about time you start to do some work as opposed to constantly sleeping. As of now you are the only member of the pantheon that is not working." I tell him.
"Heh?! I haven't seen Hecate do any work at all. In fact where the fuck is she anyway?" he asks.
"She is currently examining the Dark Multiverse to decide what the best course of action for it would be." I reply.
"That vile place? I say that we just destroy it completely." he suggests. "After all it's a mirror version of the regular multiverse where anything that can go wrong will go wrong times ten or even a hundred."
"I was of the same mind until Azula suggested that we integrate it with Hell. It will serve as a place of punishment for the worse of the worse. A place where they live a tortured and miserable life as recompense for their previous actions." I answer.
"Well damn." says Bahamut with a whistle. "I knew that there was a reason why she was the one in charge of Hell."
Before I can answer him Zeref appears down the street from us along with two companions that follow just a step behind him in a show of deference. Despite being hundreds of years old, Zeref has the appearance of a young man. He wears high-collared black and white robes with gold trim, along with a large, flowing white toga draped around his torso. He has short black hair, dark eyes, and abnormally sharp canines. He also wears a pendant, where he keeps a childhood picture of Natsu and himself.
The first companion that catches my eye is a relatively tall, fair-skinned, still quite well-toned old man with blackish eyes and roughly shoulder-length, wavy, grayish-white hair, with the majority of his bangs swept leftward. He has a short mustache, and a lengthy, mildly thin beard that reaches down to his upper torso, shoots up towards the mouth in large spikes, and links to his main hair via sideburns. This man is none other than August, the abandoned son of Mavis and Zeref. Something that neither of them know.
As befitting of somewhere who follows the old and wise wizard trope, August sports a long, white and purple robe consisting of two major pieces: a long garment that reaches past his knees, with a tattered bottom edge and intricately designed linings on the ends of its sleeves, including a line of dark lozenges, and a shorter, more billowing garment above it, over only his chest area.
The second person is someone that Bahamut immediately pays attention to, and I am honestly not surprised considering the fact that she is a beautiful woman. Nowhere near as beautiful as Azula, Morgan, or Scáthach, but still more beautiful than the majority of women I have met throughout my travels in the omniverse. She is a tall, voluptuous woman with thickly braided, bow-adorned, scarlet hair. Her two front braids have two golden ornaments near the upper sections; she also wears two U-shaped earrings, one on each ear, and wears red lipstick.
For clothing, Irene dons a risqué version of the typical witch's garb. Her black top has a diamond-shaped opening, exposing a portion of her breasts, and a heart-shaped pattern around the borders. It extends down to the navel of her stomach where it meets a large angular scar, is draped over by a dark-colored cape with a light-colored inside and two medallion gold-like ornaments, and is held together by a golden chain. Not left bare, too, her neck is decorated by other small cloth-based accessories, including a wide bow. Additionally, Irene wears an elongated black loincloth with the symbol of the Alvarez Empire emblazoned on its front, having white borders on its edges and being connected to another cloth piece with the very same heart-shaped design. To finish off her outfit she wears black thigh-high boots with heels that have a white-colored border near the top and gloves of the same color and design, only having claw-like extensions, along with a black witch's hat is much larger than her head and possesses dreadlock designs with white bandaging near its ends. She is none other than Irene Belserion, mother of Erza, Queen of Dragnof, a nation where dragons and humans used to mingle peacefully, and a pioneer of Dragon Slayer Magic.
"Zeref, the infamous black wizard and ruler of the Alvarez Empire, it is a pleasure to finally meet you." I say as he and his group stop a few feet away from Bahamut and I. "I am Ambrosius Malphas, but you may refer to me as Lord Malphas." I introduce myself, earning looks of displeasure from August and Irene while Zeref himself remains impassive.
"You will show respect to the Emperor!" exclaims August with a firm tone as he raises his staff before forcefully bringing it back down, no doubt in an attempt to intimidate me into submission with his magical power, only for nothing to happen.
"Hehehehe, having performance issues old man?" mockingly questions Bahamut with a laugh. "It's alright, not all of us can be centuries old and still be at our peak. Isn't that right, Queen of Dragons?" he adds with a teasing smirk and a wink, earning looks of irritation from our enemies and a curious one from me.
"Oi Bahamut, are you trying to flirt with her?" I ask him with a raised eyebrow.
"Who else would I be flirting with? She's the only hot dragon lady here. Yea she's pretty weak, but that can be fixed with some training." he answers with a shrug.
"Interesting, I always believed that you were simply too lazy to go looking for a significant other." I tell him.
"Not lazy, it's just that all the female dragons in our multiverse are fucked in the head. All of them are a bunch of sadists, especially in bed." he retorts with a shrug.
"Interesting." I reply as I turn my attention back to our irritated adversaries. "My apologies, it seems that I have veered us off track." I apologise.
"No worries, it was an enlightening exchange." answers Zeref as he sneaks a glance towards an annoyed Irene by his sides.
"Now, you may be wondering why you have been unable to use magic ever since your arrival, and the answer is simple. You have entered into a domain that I personally set." I inform them, earning alarmed looks from August and Irene while Zeref merely raises an eyebrow. "The rules of the domain are simple, no one may use magic unless given my express permission. As of now no one may use even the simplest form of magic, not even to enhance their physical parameters."
"Is there a purpose to this?" questions August.
"Considering the fact that I can turn you all to dust with a simple look regardless of whether or not you are at full power, no." I answer, earning looks of askance from them. "The truth of the matter is that I find that one can have a more productive conversation with their enemies should both sides be deprived of their standard means of combat." I tell them. Of course left unsaid to them is that I can easily kill them all with just my martial arts even if they use magic.
"What do you wish to talk about?" asks Zeref.
"Rather than a conversation, it is more along the lines of a simple proposal." I answer. "In exchange for your submission and loyalty, I will exterminate Acnologia for you, heal you of your madness, and reunite you with both your beloved and your son." I tell him, earning a glare from August.
"Madness?" questions Zeref with a slight frown.
"Yes, your madness. Perhaps you have not noticed, but your centuries of isolation, bringing about death and destruction along with being hated by the world has twisted your mind. The fact that you have not decided to obliterate the world despite it all is a testament to the good in your soul and your resilience. I have met immortals who have suffered less and acted far more atrociously compared to you." I explain to him.
"Madness?" he softly asks once again while internally reflecting on his recent actions. Invading a country simply to acquire a magical core of almost infinite proportions which coincidentally happens to be the body of his beloved. All to simply kill the calamity of humanity that is Acnologia. Even now it is clear that he is struggling to pick the more peaceful path despite knowing that my words are not empty. Throughout this entire exchange I have not hidden my power, which is why August and Irene have kept quiet despite being displeased with how I treat Zeref like a subordinate as opposed to the Emperor that he is.
Despite this however, Zeref still struggles to choose the more peaceful path due to his madness. One may wonder why I don't simply heal him of his madness so that he may choose correctly, and the answer is simple, this is a test. A test of his resilience and whether the kind man that he used to be is still in there somewhere, because I plan to make him a member of my pantheon. He will become the overseer of this world just like I plan to make Daenerys the overseer of her world once she dies and joins us in Asgard.
After what seems to be hours, Zeref releases a sigh and slowly falls on a knee.
"I accept your proposal Lord Malphas." he says with a bow of his head, shocking Irene and August.
"Stand." I order him with a smile even as I plunge into his mind and heal him while he follows my command. Disoriented from the sudden changes in his mind, Zeref stumbles forward only to be caught by Bahamut.
"Easy there." says Bahamut as Zeref falls unconscious in his arms. Not willing to leave his emperor to Bahamut, August steps forward and takes him from Bahamut.
"I trust that you will obey the wishes of your emperor?" I ask him and Irene.
"What of our forces?" asks Irene after she and August answered me with a nod.
"By now they will have retreated back to the Empire and a parley will have been struck between the two nations. As far as the world knows, the Rune Knights along with four S-Class mages of Fairy Tail repelled your attacks and peace has been fallen between the two nations. As far as the King of Fiore knows reparations will be made since you lost the war." I answer. "Don't worry your Empire will not be taken advantage of." I add seeing the worried expressions on their faces.
Before they can express their gratitude, a monstrous roar resounds throughout the sky as a massive dragon, by this world's standards, with pitch black scales with blue spirals appears over the horizon.
"He's pretty small." observes Bahamut before he opens his mouth and a ball of lightning starts to form in his mouth.
"What are you doing?! If you release that he will simply eat it and become more powerful!" alarmedly exclaims Irene as she lunges to stop him.
Before she can reach him however, the ball turns into a beam that completely disintegrates the black dragon, leaving nothing but dust behind shocking Irene and August into silence.
"Uh, I thought that he could at least take this much." mutters a disappointed Bahamut as he rubs the back of his head earning looks of shock from Irene and August while I simply chuckle at the fact that he hasn't even realised that since bonding with me he's grown at least ten times more powerful. The idiot has been too busy sleeping to notice. How typical of him.
AN: Sorry for the very late chapter guys, but my brain has been full of ideas for different stories and I've been storyboarding them all. Originally I've been planning to finish this fic before starting another, but since the plot is over and this is just them on vacation while slowly starting to build their pantheon I figured that I could start another story for those who are done with this one. Below are the options and you guys can vote.
Option A: Campione fic with an OC. Synopsis: His first memory is of the gladiatorial coliseum. He does not remember a time before his slavery, which is obvious considering the fact that he was born into it. So he bided his time for an opportunity to escape, an opportunity that came in the form of power. Now as a Campione he will make sure that none ever chain him ever again, and may Pandora have mercy on those who try for he will have none.
Option B: Highschool DxD fic with a reincarnated OC. Synopsis: His previous life was wrought with nothing but danger. As the third son of a multibillion dollar empire he was not the heir, not that honor belonged to his older sister while his older brother was in charge of external affairs. He on the hand was the enforcer that dismantled the enemies of his family. As such he was not surprised that he died young. What surprised him however was the fact that he was reborn in a world that one his little cousins enjoyed watching.
Option C: Jumpchain fic with one of Ambrosius' biological sons. It will focus mostly on science as opposed to magic. Synopsis: Eosphoros Malphas, or Eos, is the son of none other than Ambrosius Malphas, one of the most powerful beings to traverse entire omniverses, and King of the most powerful pantheon in countless multiverses. Unlike his older twin brother and his older sister, Eos has no interest in taking up his duty as a god. Which is why his family isn't surprised when he seals his divinity and begins traveling the multiverses that his family have not been to in search of entertainment.
Interlude to Mortal Kombat
Fairy Tail Guild Hall, Magnolia Fiore
Ishgar
X777
With Acnologia's anticlimactic death along with Zeref's submission the 'war' was quickly wrapped. Following its ending Morgan quickly took charge to 'negotiate' a parlay between the two nations while Zeref and his forces return to the Alvarez Empire in order to stabilise it before they decide to depart for Asgard. Accompanying them is Bahamut who I have tasked with the duty to help them until they arrive in Asgard where Frigga will take over from there, along with Mavis who is overjoyed at being reunited with her beloved and finding out that August is her son.
"So we're leaving now?" sadly asks Jason.
"No." I answer while ruffling his hair. "You and Cassandra will be staying here until we deem you powerful enough to travel. Mordred and Arturia will also be staying until the international situation stabilizes and they deem the Rune Knights competent enough to operate without them."
"Ok. And where are you going?" he answers.
"Azula, Morgan and Scáthach will be visiting Azula's family while I will be taking care of some business." I reply.
"Business?" asks Cassandra with a tilt of her head before she narrows her eyes. "Be careful." she adds after a few seconds of contemplation.
"Don't worry about him, he can take care of himself." says Azula as she leans down and places a kiss on Cassandra's forehead. "Besides he's far too powerful to be injured let alone killed, and if he dies we'll just bring him back to life to punish him." she adds with a small smirk on her face, although it doesn't reach her eyes at all. Finding out that the little girl who looked up to her was killed by Zeref's forces put her in a mood that she hasn't completely shaken off yet despite the fact that she was brought back to life by Scáthach. The ordeal itself was traumatising for the child which is why she and her mother will be accompanying Azula back to the Avatar world for some spiritual healing.
"By the time you come back, Cass and I will be the most powerful people in the entire world." claims Jason with a smirk.
"Is that so?" asks Scáthach with a fond smile on her lips.
"Of course. Isn't that right Cass?" replies Jason as he elbows his surrogate sister.
"Yes." simply replies Cassandra with a nod before turning to with a mischievous look in her eyes. "See you later…" she says before trailing off at the end and causing me to lean forward in anticipation for my much awaited title of 'father'. "See you later… Ambrosius." she says with a slight smile, causing my shoulders to slump in disappointment while Azula simply gives me a triumphant smirk as Cassandra gives her a hug and calls her mother.
"We will see you all later." says Morgan as Cassandra releases Azula, the rainbow light of the Bifrost shines down from the heavens, envelops Azula's group and transports them to Asgard while ROB simply summons me to the endless void where we meet before I go to a new world.
"You don't seem too thrilled about the world you're going to." observes ROB.
"The only reason I'm going is because of one perk. Otherwise I could not care less about that world." I answer him as the CYOA Sheet for Mortal Kombat appears before me.
"Ah yes, the Mortal Kombat perk. Capable of allowing one to merge realms together once you have defeated its warriors in a Mortal Kombat tournament. That still doesn't explain why you aren't thrilled about going there."
"From what I can remember the timeline was reset at least three times and each reset just introduced new characters and similar yet different story lines. The fact of the matter is I have no idea what to accomplish in order for the jump to be completed and I have no intention of spending years in that place." I tell them honestly.
"Fair enough, how about a deal then?" they ask, making me raise an eyebrow in interest. "Seal all of your divine powers and kill Shao Khan as a mortal. In exchange I'll consider the jump completed. Bonus points if you kill Raiden, Shang Tsun, Liu Kang, and Johnny Cage."
"What happens if I complete the bonus objectives, and are there any requirements for how they die?" I ask.
"There are no special requirements other than the ones already listed, and I get rid of all the Elder Gods and the Titans for you in exchange. And if you become the ruler of Outworld, whether in the shadows or publicly, then I'll remove the restrictions on what a realm is on the Mortal Kombat perk" they reply.
I can easily get rid of the Elder Gods and the Titans by myself, however that would just mean spending more time over there to find every single one of them to get rid of them myself. As such the answer is easy. With the Elder Gods and the Titans removed from that universe there would be nothing stopping a smooth assimilation of it into my pantheon's omniverse. As for ruling Outworld, I can simply place Mileena on the throne while making her answer to me. While Mileena is like a deranged version of Azula, at the beginning of MK9 she was very malleable, almost like a child thirsting for approval.
"Very well." I accept as I remove my red divine armor and replace it with my rune suit while completely sealing my divinity. Afterwards I activate my magic circuits and mentally go through a series of steps I stole from a certain red haired magus.
Judging the concept of creation
Hypothesizing the basic structure
Duplicating the composition material
Imitating the skill of its making
Sympathizing with the experience of its growth
Reproducing the accumulated years
Excelling every manufacturing process
Once I am done a familiar red barbed spear manifests itself in my hands, causing me to smirk at the near perfect replica of Gae Bolg while I twirl it around.
"Oi, oi, oi, what are you doing?" questions ROB. "I said no divinity related powers."
"I know. This is simple magecraft done with nothing other than rune magic and projection. When I lived in the nasuverse there was always the potential of my divinity being sealed. As such I found a way to replicate my weapon creation using my magecraft. Using a runic array engraved on my temples I can cast a perfect structural grasp on anything I lay eyes on. Then using Shirou's version of projection I recreate what I learned." I explain to him.
"Your origin and element aren't sword. You shouldn't be able to create perfect replicas of those weapons. In fact yours should be almost brittle due to your overspecialization in runes." they argue.
"My overspecialization is exactly why I can replicate most of those weapons. With the versatility of runes I can recreate the effects of almost any weapon I understand with the correct runic array. Of course there are exceptions such as the bs rod that is called EA since I don't understand anything about it." I answer before rethinking my statement. Previously I couldn't even look at EA, much less understand it. However, with my new status I may actually be able to not only understand it but also replicate it. Perhaps someday I'll go back to the nasuverse to verify, but for now I have other things to do.
Name: Ambrosius Malphas
Gender: Male
Age: ~2000 (Looks 27)
Height: 6'2
Hair Color: White
Eye Color: Crimson Red
Status: King of the Sea, God of War, Storms, Sea, Earthquakes, Destruction, Intelligence, Poisons, Horses
Weapon of Power: Spear- previously a valyrian steel enchanted by the remnant of Odin's power to be as close to Gungnir as possible, the weapon is now Ambrosius' weapon of power similar to how Poseidon had his trident and Zeus' master bolt. Unlike theirs however, Ambrosius does not need the spear to amplify his powers. (Looks like Gungnir from Thor 2011 movie)
Cosmic Warehouse:
Belt O' Tools: Batman graciously seems to have loaned you a belt containing the tools that he'll be using for this adventure. This includes stuff like remotely applied explosives gel capable of bringing down walls (though never seems to kill when blown up near someone's feet), to a cryptographic sequencer able to track signals, hack terminals, and listen to live radio broadcasts.… How did he know you'd be needing this stuff?
Animal Suit: A high tech set of body armor themed after an animal of your choice (DCAMU Damian Wayne Robin suit). The head piece contains advanced electronics equipment that scans the environment for information and clues relevant to the situation. It can pick up anything from gaseous alcohol molecules that'll lead you to a crooked guard, to traces of tobacco on the ground to lead you to a hostage. You may also import a set of armor you already own to gain these qualities.
Bat Wing: Hmm, seems like you've picked up one of Batman's spare vehicles. The Batwing is a supersonic aircraft faster than many jet fighters, possess advanced stealth systems that make it invisible to radar, and can be operated remotely, or operate autonomously.
Bat Cave: A series of platforms and bridges situated within a small cave. Contains a computer with immense analytical abilities, a landing platform for any aerial vehicles you have, and some workshops for working on gadgets and gizmos. After the jump this can either be attached to the warehouse, or will appear somewhere nearby.
Assistant VI: Top of the line assistant model Virtual Intelligence. Can be stored in an omni-tool and keep track of large amounts of data.
Weapon Locker: Cache of mid to high grade weapons of all types. Enough to outfit a battlelion.
Armor Locker: Cache of mid to high grade armor of all types. Enough to outfit a battlelion.
Conflict Minerals: Massive stash of various rare elements.
Fine Clothes: A very fine and ornate set of clothing. The equivalent of the finest you'd expect to get in your starting region.
Land Deed: A deed to an area of land close by in your chosen region. It will be accepted by all authorities as rightfully yours. This updates each jump but is generally not a particularly large plot of land elsewhere.
Dragonglass Cache: A black cloak with a few obsidian dagger, arrowheads, and spearheads.
Poison: A woman's weapon to be sure, but it can't be beaten for efficiency or for matters of subterfuge.You have a replenishing chest of poisons from around the known world. From vials of the Tears of Lys to Sweetsleep to crystals of the Stranger. There is bound to be one that suits your purpose.
Companions:
None
Mortal Kombat
https/drive./drive/folders/1nSWhV8n68nQHz2iidvZkKR1zcS1MZ_px?tid=0B20r6rsFLOg_Zk5RdVdya3hJNnc
1000 KP to spend
Background: Drop In- You are a Guest Kombatant in the Mortal Kombat tournament, with no memories or a history to hold you back. Despite this lack of history, you seem to have absorbed some of the brutality of the other Kombatants, making you a terrifying foe in your own right. You may still choose a Kombatant Faction; you will hit it off with a member of the Faction you chose quickly after your arrival, and receive an offer to join their faction as a trainee.
Faction: Shao Kahn Loyalist- Shao Kahn is the ruler of Outworld, ruling with an iron fist and an unquenchable lust for Konquest. Although most wouldn't dare rise against him for fear of his brutal reprisal, there are still those who would fight against him, such as the Edenian Resistance on Outworld and Raiden, who seeks to protect the next Realm on his list from being absorbed into Outworld. His generals and subordinates include some of the strongest fighters on offer from the worlds he's conquered, as well as a few creations of his such as his 'daughter', Mileena and the collection of dead souls known as Ermac.
Race: Edenian(-300 KP)- Edenians are descended from the gods of Edenia, a Realm that was conquered by Shao Kahn. Extremely long lived- with 10,000 years of age being considered 'young'- they are typically very beautiful, and also tend to develop magical abilities early in life that are unique to them. Examples include Tanya's pyromancy, Kitana's ability to manipulate wind, or Jade's 'force rejection field'. Magical ability: Power of Destruction
Perks:
Health Bar (-400 KP)- In the heat of Kombat, you will always have an accurate read of the health of you and your opponent, represented by two bars at the top of your vision. In addition, you can keep fighting through any injury so long as your health bar is full, and have become bizarrely durable on top of that- you're not any tougher, you can simply take more punishment. This means that, so long as you have 'health' left, you could fight at full capacity even after enduring the bone-crushing attacks of another fighter. Even getting stabbed in the brain or heart won't do you in or impede you, so long as you have health left.
Trial by Kombat (-100 KP due to discount for Drop In)- Why settle your problems with words, when you can settle them with fists? Matters of diplomacy, from military treaties to family drama to deciding who gets to pick the channel on the TV can be resolved by engaging in Kombat, with the winner of the fight being the winner of the argument. This doesn't have to be lethal Kombat, and in fact sparing your opponent may be better than killing them in some cases. This does not work if your opponent does not get the chance to fight back. Kombat, once declared, can not be refused but your opponent must have the opportunity to defend themselves.
X-Ray (-200 CP due to discount for Drop In)- You've mastered the art of the kill, and with this comes a great deal of intuition when it comes to the anatomy of others. Humans, demons, robots, gods; you can identify their weak points, if any, to cripple and kill them with instinctual ease. When landing a particularly devastating blow in Kombat, you will even be able to see the damage you're doing to their internals as if you had x-ray vision.
MORTAL KOMBAT! (-300 KP due to discount for Drop In)- The Elder Gods have smiled upon you, wanderer, and have given you the authority to host your own Mortal Kombat tournaments. The rules for the Mortal Kombat tournament can be found above, and they are much the same. The Tournament can be invoked once per Jump, unless it takes place over a long period of time, in which case it can be invoked once per generation. You will also gain the ability to merge other Realms together; a Realm being a dimension that holds only one planet, or one planet in a dimension (planets in the same dimension cannot be merged). You may do this freely for dimensions that belong to you, but the dimensions of others can only be won through Mortal Kombat. Only one victory is needed for you to merge dimensions, but failure on your part to uphold the rules of Mortal Kombat will render the Tournament null.
Champion
Shang Tsung's Island, Outworld Five Days Before the Beginning of MK9
My arrival to the Mortal Kombat universe is silent and with nothing to alert anyone of my entrance. I simply appear at the docks of Shang Tsung's island while it is deserted at night, and according to ROB I have five days before the Mortal Kombat tournament begins. Plenty of time for me to infiltrate Shao Khan's faction and to set up my preparations. After all, picking Shao Khan's faction did not automatically make me a member of it, but simply made it easier for them to notice and invite me. The rest of the work is up to me.
Observing my surroundings, I realise how out of place my atlantean armor looks in a setting where the style is predominantly asian, especially since I am meant to be Edenian, one of the many powerful races that Shao Khan has subjugated through the Mortal Kombat tournament. Without a second thought I change my rune suit to resemble the Royal Fire Nation armor, the same armor that Azula loves to wear, while adding my own personal touch to it. Unlike Azula's, my bracers have three fins on them, exactly like Batman's. In addition, I take the liberty of adding a hood to it as an homage to my time as her teacher and personal guard.
Satisfied with my armor, I pull my long white hair into a top-knot, a style I have grown to love ever since my time as a fire nation soldier. Having done that, I take a knee on the ground before inscribing a runic array on it. Without my divine powers, I cannot use any of my traditional forms of sensing such as my seismic sense. This is where the array comes in. It performs a structural grasp that only gives me the locations of important places on the island. Places such as the Flesh Pits, The Courtyard, Shang Tsung's Throne Room, etc… My desired location however is none of the above, rather it is Goro's Lair.
Once the runic array finishes performing its purpose, I erase all traces of it before standing up and making my way to Goro's Lair, home to Goro, prince of the Shokan and champion of Outworld.
Using a mixture of Biotics and runes I completely erase my presence, allowing me to make my way to the lair without being seen, heard, smelled, or felt by the myriads of inhabitants on the island, many of which seem to be here for the tournament. I have yet to see any of Earthrealm's fighters however.
Goro's Lair is a stage with stone walls and several dark passageways; human bones are scattered on the floor, skeletons hang from a few shackles at the center of the arena, and the ceiling is riddled with sharp spikes, no doubt to be used as fatalities. The lair is also made up of several rooms and dungeons that house vicious Onis, showcased near the entrance of the lair is a statue of Goro along with a caged door leading directly into his lair. Near the back of the biggest room, Shokan prince can be seen sitting in his own throne, watching a battle in amusement while a very dim light enters his lair above him, and dead or near dead chained bodies hang on the wall.
Before walking in, I deactivate my runes and biotics, and saunter into the lair as if I owned the place. The first person, or rather Shokan, to notice me is none other than Kintaro, the only notable Shokan other than Sheeva and Goro. Unlike Goro and Sheeva, Kintaro has tiger striped markings all over his body as well as sharp fangs, claws and feline-like feet, denoting him to be of the lower-class Tigrar clan as opposed to the elite-class Draco clan that Sheeva and Goro haile from.
"Human…" growls Kintaro before he pauses and sniffs me, causing me to sneer in disgust. "Not human. Edenian. What is an Edenian doing here?" he asks with a bark, drawing the attention of the other Shokans, Goro included.
"That is none of your business, vermin." I reply as I continue to make my way inside.
Unhappy with my dismissal of him, Kontaro grabs my shoulder with one of his four arms and attempts to pull me to him. Unfortunately for him not only did I expect such a reaction, but it's also what I want. Grabbing the offending appendage, I use it to lift him in the air before slamming in on the ground in front of me, knocking the air from his lungs. Without wasting a second, I turn his arm in three hundred sixty degrees, completely breaking every bone in it, before ripping it off from his shoulder sockets, causing him to howl in pain and completely silencing the other Shokans. Before anyone can react, I summon the crimson Power of Destruction and completely vaporise the arm. Despite all of this his first health bar only goes down by a quarter.
"Edenian!" roars Goro as he stands from his throne and begins to make his way to me. "What do you want?!" he demands.
"I heard that not only are the Shokan's brutal and great warriors, but also that their prince is the champion of Outworld. As a participant of the Tournament this year I naturally needed to see for myself." I explain while placing a foot over Kintaro's face and continuously burn him with my firebending while ignoring his howls of pain.
"Tell me, puny Edenian, how impressed are you?" he asks as he puffs out his chest in pride while his fellow Shokans egg him on.
"Not very." I answer honestly. "I came to see Outworld's greatest warriors, what I find instead is a collocation of brutes that I can easily crush beneath my heel." I say just as I crush Kintaro's skull beneath my foot when his health bar reaches zero, silencing the Shokans and enraging Goro.
"I WILL FEAST ON YOUR BONES!" exclaims Goro before he rushes me with an enraged roar.
With a smirk on my face I launch myself at him while creating two daggers of fire in my fists, a move I shamelessly stole from Zuko. Once I am within Goro's reach, the Shokan launches a punch towards me which I easily dodge by sliding in between his legs and retaliate by slicing his achilles tendons with my daggers. With a surprised yelp mixed with a pained roar, the prince of the Shokans loses his footing and falls forwards. Being the warrior that he is however, Goro uses his arms to recover and bring himself back standing.
Before he can make anything of his recovery I use my firebending to send lightning hurtling towards him and striking him in the chest, causing him to once again roar in pain. Rather than stop after a single lightning strike, I turn it into a continuous attack that continuously reduces his health and makes him scream louder than ever before. His screams are so loud that they shake the cavern and can no doubt be throughout the island, and will most likely attract Shang Tsung's attention.
As predicted the sorcerer teleports into the lair just as Goro's health reaches the last ten percent.
"Enough!" orders Shang Tsung, a decrepit old man a few inches shorter than me. His skin is pale with long, balding white hair, a beard and mustache, with dangling thin fingers and long fingernails. He wears a black kimono shirt with a golden accent, black pants, and black boots with a golden X decoration at the top. Above his kimono shirt, he wore a crimson vest-like robe, with a large golden trim at the edge of the robe and at the cuffs; black and gold decorations on the front of the robe, the robe has a long, single strip which falls down to around his boots; two, thin strips of black fabric protruding from the top of the pants; and a belt, with the middle colored black, the rest gold and a jade stone in the middle.
Obeying his order, I cease my assault on Goro just as his health bar reaches the last five percent.
"Identify yourself warrior, and give one good reason why I should not toss you into the Flesh Pits for jeopardising Outworld's standing in the Mortal Kombat tournament." he says as he slowly floats towards me while the Shokans retrieve their unconscious prince.
"I am Malphas, and I have come here to represent Outworld in the Mortal Kombat tournament as its champion. As such I sought to prove myself by defeating the current champion, Goro." I explain.
"And prove yourself you did." comments Shang Tsung as he observes Goro and I. "Not only have you defeated him, but you have done so while coming unscathed. Truly an impressive feat." he observes.
"It was nothing." I answer honestly.
"Yes I can tell. Come, I believe that Emperor Shao Khan will be interested in meeting you." he says before grabbing my shoulder and teleporting us out of Goro's lair.
The first thing I notice upon our arrival in Shao Khan's throne room is the fact that it is unnecessarily dark here, with the only sources of light being being four green flames that come out of the eye sockets of two massive skulls that each sit on the sides of the throne itself, giving the room a very sinister feel to it. On the massive throne is none other than Shao Khan himself who seems to be listening to a report from Kitana while Jade stands a step behind the Edinian princess like a guard. Having finished her report, Kitana bows and stands to the right of Shoa Khan as the Conqueror turns to face Shang Tsung and I.
"Sorcerer, what is your purpose in coming here? I do not recall summoning you." says Shao Khan.
"Pardon me Emperor, however an event has occurred that I believe should be brought to your attention." replies Shang Tsung with a bow.
"What is it?" questions Shao Khan.
"Earlier this night Goro faced an unknown warrior and was soundly defeated. Had I not arrived in time the prince would be dead as opposed to his current condition." he explains, shocking Jade and Kitana. "Normally I would punish the warrior for endangering Outworld's placement in the tournament, however he claims to be interested in taking Goro's place as champion in the tournament and considering the Shokan's current condition I do not believe that he will be healed in time for the tournament."
"Is this the warrior?" asks Shao Khan as he points to me.
"I am." I reply as I step forward and bow, an action that I have not completed in centuries and only perform now since the stage has not been set yet. To kill Shao Khan now would not only plunge Outworld into a civil war, but would require me to conquer the realm myself, an action that is too troublesome for me to want to do when on vacation.
"An Edenian, how interesting." observes Shao Khan, once again shocking Jade and Kitana while increasing their interest towards me. After all, Edenians in Shao Khan's court are rare and those who would actively come to serve the Khan are even rarer. Not to mention that at this point in time she knows nothing of her status as the princess of Edenia nor the fate of her mother and true father at Shao Khan's hands. "Tell me Edenian, why do you wish to serve and what is your magical ability."
"I came for one purpose, to seek glory as a citizen of Outworld. As for my magical ability…" I reply as I launch a beam of destruction from my eyes and vaporise one of the skulls by his throne. "… I call it the Power of Destruction." I say as Shao Khan observes dust remains of the skull for a few seconds before he bellows out in laughter.
"Marvelous!" exclaims the Khan as he slowly stops laughing. "From henceforth not only will you be Outworld's champion, but you shall join my court. Bring me success and I shall reward you properly. Should you fail however, there will be even less of you that remains compared to this skull." he says ominously while pointing at the dust remains of the skull. "Daughter, show him to his quarters"
"Yes father." answers Kitana as she bows to her father before walking towards me with Jade following her close behind. "Follow." she says as she makes her way out of the throne room.
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AN: Here's the chapter. As usual tell me what you guys think. Also I'm still accepting votes until tomorrow.
Settup
Shang Tsung's Island, Outworld Four Days Before the Beginning of MK9
Waking up in an empty bed is a novel experience that I have not had the pleasure, or rather displeasure, of doing for centuries. It feels weird, foreign, and somewhat unpleasant, which makes me wonder how I was able to endure it for three jumps. Then again, for my first jump I was naught but a child, in my second I was too busy training under the N7 program and figuring out how to defeat the reapers while in my third jump I had Arianne while also being fueled vengeance and playing 'The Game', which I admittedly took pleasure in doing.
Which is why I can easily see through Shao Khan's tactics as one can see in daytime. From his exaggerated reactions to my abilities to using his 'daughter', I can see it all. Even now he uses those tactics with the overly lavish room he has assigned to me. The room's decorations are predominantly colored gold and crimson like the bed sheets and are so pretentious that I refuse to even attempt at deciphering why one would need them and what they even are. He must think me nothing more than a young overzealous martial artist seeking fame, glory, and women judging by the look he sent Kitana when ordering her to lead me to my quarters. I'm surprised that he hasn't thrown Mileena at me in an attempt to bear Edenian/Tarkatan children with the Power of Destruction.
Shaking the thoughts of Shao Khan's futile attempts at honey trapping me from my mind, I stand up from the bed and activate my tattoo runic array designed to replicate the effects of a very thorough shower and teeth brushing before donning my rune suit in the form of my personal Royal Fire Nation armor and pulling my long hair back into a ponytail. With that done I make out of the bedroom and towards the training arena by following the directions given to me by Kitana last night.
The arena is simply a massive open room with weapon racks filling the walls. From naginatas to spears, swords, and even chakrams, the weapon racks have them all. Inside I find Kitana and Jade already there in the middle of a spar. By my observation they have been at it for at least an hour and have most likely been awake for even longer. Meaning that they have been up earlier than me which is surprising since I rise with the sun, a habit I have cultivated since my days as a Fire Nation soldier.
Watching the two spar I can see that while they are evenly matched in terms of physical prowess, Jade has the advantage in terms of skill and experience, which is surprising considering the fact that she and Kitana grew up together and are of the same age. Then again Jade isn't being masqueraded as the Emperor's daughter and is more likely to be assigned to more missions than Kitana.
While Jade holds the advantage in experience, Kitana makes better use of her already versatile magical ability, wind manipulation. Even from here I can see the slight sharp aura of air that coats the blades of Kitana's fans along with the slight wind she uses to increase her momentum. It's an impressive display of skill and tenacity that they should be proud of.
Despite this however, I cannot help but find them to be severely lacking. Especially as I watch Jade take advantage of Kitana's misstep to sweep her legs out from under her using her bo-staff before stepping on the princess's stomach and making her yield.
"Impressive." I compliment as I make my way towards them, ignoring the look of frustration coming from Kitana.
"You think you can do better?!" bites back the princess with a slight snarl, no doubt thinking that without my Power of Destruction her 'father' would not be interested in me..
"Easily." I reply honestly as Jade helps Kitana back to her feet.
"Is that so?" asks Jade with a smile as she leans on her staff and brings attention to her toned and well endowed body especially since she wears the skimpy green ninja outfit that I remember from MK9.
"That is so." I answer as I make my to the weapons rack and observe my choices. "In fact, I believe that I can do much against both of you at the same time." I say before I take a pair of escrima sticks, twirl them experimentally in my hands before nodding in satisfaction.
"Care to test that theory?" challenges Kitana.
"Not a theory, princess, rather a simple fact." I reply as I make my way back to the duo.
"We'll see." she replies as she and Jade take their fighting stances.
"Rules?" I ask as I crack my neck and roll my shoulders.
"Until incapacitation or someone utters the safeword." says Jade with a wink. "After all, I don't want to break you… at least not too much." she says sultrily as she twirls the staff around her.
"Oooh, and what exactly is the safeword?" I ask with a flirtatious smirk.
"Enough flirting!" orders Kitana as she hurls one of her fans at me.
"Princess, I did not know that you were so eager to take me. Perhaps a warning next time or my little heart might just give out in excitement." I tease her as I casually dodge the fan with a tilt of my head. Going by how she threw her fan I can tell that I have three seconds before it starts making its way back to her and another five before it reaches her. Without wasting a second, I launch myself at her. With my right escrima stick I aim for her head which she easily blocks with her left fan, or at least it seems to be that way until I twist my wrist and redirect my blow onto her open stomach at the last second, knocking the wind from her lungs. Making use of my advantage, I sweep her legs out from under her using my left escrima stick even as Jade stabs her staff towards my head. As Kitana loses her footing, I twist into a back kick and smash my foot onto her stomach, sending her flying backwards and using the movement to dodge both Jade's staff.
Before Jade can retract her staff I send my left escrima hurtling towards her head, causing her to keep her staff in place for a moment longer as she dodges, allowing me to use it to pull her close to me as I straighten my posture. As Jade comes flying towards me, Kitana's fan returns just in time for me to grasp it with my open hand, close it, and place the blades centimeters away from Jade's jugular as she comes to a stop in front of me.
"Yield?" I ask her with a smile.
"How disappointing. Do you alway finish this quickly?" she asks with a smirk of her own. "You didn't even last thirty seconds." she teasingly comments.
"Unfortunately the ones who were finished too quickly were you and the princess, not I." I reply as I remove Kitana's fan from her neck. "Are women not meant to last longer than men? Or am I simply too skilled for your combined efforts?" I ask her with a teasing smirk on my lips.
Before Jade can respond, a groaning Kitana picks herself up from the floor and makes her way towards us
"I apologise for my confrontational behavior. earlier." she says with a bow. "I was frustrated from my loss."
"You also did not like your father using you to assert my loyalty to him and sought to take it out on me, the cause of it all." I add, shocking the two of them.
"What?" asks Kitana, more from shock at me knowing than anything else.
"I am not naive, princess. I know how to play 'The Game'" I tell her as I hand her the fan.
"I see." she says dumbly as she takes the fan from me. "You're right I didn't see what was so special about you. Especially since you're an Edenian, a species that my father easily conquered and made extinct." she explains with a nod, causing a vicious smile to grow on my face, which I hide as a charming one, as a thought occurs to me. Why ally myself with only Mileena when I can also turn Kitana to my side, and with her gain Jade's loyalty. Heck, I can even resurrect Sindel, turn her to my side and conquer all of Outworld. Once I'm finished with Outworld I can use the Mortal Kombat tournament to conquer Earthworld and every other realm in the Mortal Kombat universe with the Edenians as the dominant species loyal only to me first. I can use them as a template for my own armed forces. Azula has her Amazons, Scáthach has her Valkyries, and even Morgan is in the process of researching a species ideal to serve her. While I have the League of Assassins, they are more of a family resource than a personal one.
Looking towards Kitana and Jade I can tell that they are awaiting my reply to Kitana's statement, and I prefer not to make them wait.
"Tell me princess, how would you like to learn of your heritage and meet your family?" I ask her with a smile that only Azula, Scáthach and Morgan know means that I am about to completely ruin someone's entire life work.
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AN: Here's the chapter. As usual tell me what you guys think. Also I'm only accepting votes for a few more hours.
Mileena
Shang Tsung's Island, Outworld Four Days Before the Beginning of MK9
"What are we doing here Malphas? And what does this have to do with Edenia and my family?" questions Kitana as we appear at the docks of Shang Tsung's island where I had placed a teleportation array upon my arrival.
"Tell me princess, what do you know of Edenia?" I ask her as I gently lead the way towards Shang Tsung's flesh pits by the shoulder.
"They were weak and lost the Mortal Kombat Tournament to my father." she replies cruelly, no doubt regurgitating Shao Khan's lessons. "Although they lost, they rebelled and my father was forced to wipe them out. It's a miracle that you even exist much less are as powerful as you are." she adds.
"Interesting, but false." I reply nonchalantly even as she and Jade look at me questioningly. "Edenia was one of the most powerful, peaceful, and beautiful realms in this entire universe. Our people were beautiful, skilled, and each possessed a magical ability of their own. From your ability to manipulate wind, to Jade's force rejection, and Queen Sindel's ultrasonic sound manipulation." I explain.
"Queen Sindel? Was she the ruler of Edenia?" asks Kitana.
"Yes. Her along with King Jerrod were powerful warriors and the rulers of Edenia when Shao Khan launched his assault. King Jerrod was killed in battle while Queen Sindel commited suicide as opposed to becoming Shao Khan's wife. In retaliation the Khan slaughtered all of Edenia's warriors and took their princess as his own." I explain as we begin to traverse into the deeper and more disgusting parts of the island.
"Why are you telling me this? I still do not see the connection between this story and my family." argues Kitana with a frown.
"Because you're the princess of Edenia, Kitana." answers Jade, earning a look of confusion from Kitana.
"What?!" asks the princess. "I refuse to believe that. I am Shao Khan's daughter, not the daughter of some weak Edenian Queen and her idiotic husband. When my father chooses to end his rule I will be his successor as heir to the throne" she argues.
"I highly doubt that." I say as we arrive at our destination, the flesh pits, a massive chamber full of monstrous creatures, experiments, and tortured prisoners. "After all if he planned on making you his successor, then why would he need her." I say as I lead the horrified duo to an operating table where Mileena's sleeping body can be found.
"W-what is this?" whispers a horrified Kitana as she looks upon her 'twin'. "S-she looks like me!" cries out the princess.
Before I can answer her I feel a presence enter the room and I suppress a smile knowing that it is none other than Shang Tsung and that the idiotic sorcerer will unknowingly push Kitana further towards my side.
"Of course she looks like you, princess." says the sorcerer, causing us to turn around and face him. "She is after all your sibling."
"You despicable swine!" exclaims Kitana as she marches towards Shang Tsung. "Do you think my father will stand for these… these… abominations you have created!" she rages as she points towards Mileena.
"I am merely perfecting you, princess." he replies. "And despite how difficult it might be I believe that I have succeeded with your sister." he says as he looks towards Mileena with pride.
"Silence!" orders Kitana. "I will drag you before Shao Khan. Whether as a cripple or not is simply up to you." she says as she draws her fans and takes her fighting stance.
Following her example, Shang Tsung lowers himself into his own fighting stance before he and Kitana launch themselves at one another. Jade makes to aid Kitana but I grab her by the shoulder and pull her back.
"Are you mad?!" questions Jade as she attempts to slap my hand away only to find that she cannot. "I am Kitana's friend and guard, I will not allow Shang Tsung to harm her." she says.
"Kitana will not lose." I argue as I point towards the battle where Kitana easily dodges and parries all of her opponents blows. "When we arrived on the island I inscribed a runic array on her that augments all of her physical capabilities. Even if Shang Tsung is more skilled the difference in physical prowess is simply too vast for those skills to aid him, and his sorcery will be even more useless against her." I say as Shang Tsung blasts Kitana with a fireball only for it to harmlessly splash against her chest like water on a stone.
"Why would you do this?" asks the now calm Jade as she watches Kitana slam her foot against Shang Tsun's chest, sending him flying into a wall.
"Because I anticipated this." I reply, causing her to look at me questioningly. "Kitana is brash and currently very loyal to Shao Khan. As such she would rather drag Shang Tsung to the Khan in order to make him pay for his crimes rather than believe that Shao Khan is the true culprit." I explain while also leaving out the fact that the runic array will make her confront Shao Khan about Mileena as opposed to what I have told her about her heritage and Edenia. I do not want Shao Khan to know about my treachery yet as it would be too troublesome to kill him now and have to deal with a battle for Outworld's throne. No, I would prefer to kill him once Kitana fully defects from him and Mileena is loyal to me. Once that is done I will resurrect Sindel and place either her, Kitana, or Mileena on the throne based on which one is most accepted by Outworld.
"Why do you do this?" asks Jade, bringing me back from my thoughts. "Why tell Kitana all of this and pit her against Shao Khan?" she wonders.
"Because she deserves to know, because Shao Khan must pay for his crimes against Edenia, and what better way to make him pay than to take his throne from him and place an Edenian on it." I tell her with a smirk.
"And how exactly do you plan on removing Shao Khan from the throne?" she questions with a raised eyebrow.
"By killing him myself of course." I answer matter of factly as if we are simply discussing the weather.
Before she can answer me Kitana smashes her knee against Shang Tsung's skull, knocking him out. Taking a few moments to catch her breath, Kitana makes her way towards us and prepares to unleash an attack. Before she kills Mileena however, I grab her arm and stop her.
"What are you doing Malphas?" she demands.
"I cannot allow you to kill her princess. She has done nothing wrong." I reply.
"She is an abomination!" exclaims Kitana.
"Who did not ask to be born." I argue. "Would you be willing to kill a child for the crimes of its parents?" I ask her.
"She is no child." refutes the princess.
"She may as well be one. The only differences between her and a child are that she was created as opposed to being birthed and she has a fully grown body. Think princess, we Edenians already number so few." I 'plead' to her.
Rather than answer Kitana looks at me before turning back to Mileena with a conflicted expression on her fist. As she contemplates, her grip on her fan tightens for a few seconds before loosening once again.
"Fine." concedes Kitana as she puts away her fan. "However she is now your responsibility. You can stay here while Jade and I bring Shang Tsung to Shao Khan so that he may answer for his crimes." she says as she and Jade walk away. While they leave I subtly enter their minds and slightly rearrange events. Now they believe that we stumbled upon Mileena by accident while walking around the Island as I explained Edenia's history to them, minus the fact that Kitana is Edenia's princess. While the lore never showed Shao Khan having a way to read someone's mind and memories, this is a real world full of possibilities, not a video game with a half assed lore.
As they leave me alone with Mileena, I gently carry her from the table before placing her on an open part of the floor where I begin to inscribe a ritual circle with her in the middle. The ritual is something that Morgan and I came in order to make Mordred my biological child. At the time we were nowhere near as good in our respective fields of magic as we are now. As such there was a bit of a hiccup as we could not control which part of me she would inherit. While the ritual was a success and made her my daughter biologically, while also keeping her related to Morgan and Arturia, Mordred did not inherit any of my powers or physical attributes.
Now however my mastery over my magic is such that I do not even require Morgan's aid to complete it and can even decide which part of my biology the recipient will receive. In Mileena's case I have decided to use my Edenian heritage in order to suppress her Tarkatan heritage. While I have no problem with the bloodthirsty aspect of it nor the sadistic aspect of it, I cannot deal with their love for human flesh. Bloodthirst can be controlled and curbed while sadism can be put to good use, however the need to eat human flesh is not only unnecessary but also disgusting. In addition, I will also be using it to forge a connection between us. One that will make her question everything Shang Tsung has thought her.
Finished with the inscriptions, I make my way to the middle of the circle where I stand just above Mileena and begin to chant. As I chant I activate my magic circuits and trace a ceremonial dagger which I use to slash open my wrist, causing a deluge of blood to fall from the wound even as I forcibly stop my healing factor from healing me immediately. As the blood falls on Mileena and the ground, the runic ritual circle begins to glow a crimson red and I begin to chant with more intensity. As the ritual continues, the blood begins to seep into Mileena and her body begins to convulse as the changes begin to visibly take place.
Her pale skin slightly darkens, her black hair gains a few streaks of white, and her facial features take a softer tone as the massive Takatan teeth that occupy her mouth begin to shrink into a more human size. With the teeth being a smaller size now her skin grows to cover her gums and lips form at the front while her jaws remain somewhat bare, making her look like her MKX counterpart.
As the ritual comes to an end, the circle stops glowing before disappearing. As I take a few seconds to recover from my bloodloss and allow my wrist to finally heal, Mileena's eyes snap open allowing me to see her eyes. Eyes that resemble mine with the only difference between them being that while mine are crimson red with slitted pupils, her eyes are gold with slitted pupils. While I take a step back to allow her stand, Mileena tilts her head and observes me.
"Father." she hisses, her voice reminiscent of a snake's whisper. "No, you are not Shao Khan." she says with a shake of her head. "Despite this however, I feel a connection to you. One that can only be explained as you being my father. However while my instincts tell me this, the information in my brain contradicts it." she explains as she stands up.
"The information in your brain was implanted by the sorcerer Shang Tsung in an attempt to make you loyal to Shao Khan. In truth, you are my daughter and nothing can change that. Would you like me to undo what he has done?" I ask her, causing her to tilt her head back and forth childishly as she considers. After a few seconds she happily nods before making her way to me.
With her agreement I enter her mind and begin to alter the information pertaining to her origin. I leave most of it as it is and only add the information about the ritual. However, I paint it as me saving her from a monstrous existence of constantly needing to feed on human flesh and nothing else while also changing her morality to fit mine. While there I find a few fail safes that are made to keep her loyal to Shao Khan and switch them over to me. Lastly I impart her with enough knowledge and experience in order to bring her maturity level up. It won't stop her from acting like a child sometimes, but it will give her a more mature outlook on the world.
"There, that should be better." I tell her as I finish.
"Thank you father!" she says excitedly as she envelops me in a hug.
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AN: Here's the chapter. As usual tell me what you guys think. Also I'm only accepting votes for a few more hours.
When all of the votes from the four websites I post on , spacebattles, sufficient velocity, webnovel) are counted Campione comes out as the winner with DxD in second place. However I still plan on doing DxD as my second fic once I'm done with From Mortal to Divinity.
Soul Submission
Shao Khan's Fortress, Outworld Training Arena
Three Days Before the Beginning of MK9
"AH!" roars an enraged Kitana as she beheads the training dummy with her fan. It has been a day since Kitana has found out about Mileena, and to say that the princess is enraged would be an understatement. Not only did the sorcerer Shang Tsung create monstrous abominations using her DNA, but it was all done at her father's orders. To make matters worse it was all done in order to 'perfect' her. As if she were some defective product or object in need of being replaced
With another roar Kitana proceeds to slice the arms off the training dummy before sending it flying backwards with a kick and causing it to smash into a wall. Then to make matters worse Malphas not only stopped her from killing the only surviving abomination but also adopted it with some form of blood ritual. At least that's what she believes to have happened considering the fact that not only Mileena calls him father in secret, but she also vaguely resembles him should one look close enough to compare them. Of course Shao Khan doesn't seem to particularly and instead seems ecstatic with the closeness of their relationship. It seems that he believes that Malphas is courting Mileena.
As for the warrior himself, Kitana has no idea what to think of him. When he first appeared at Shang Tsung's side she had thought him to be nothing more than another foolish warrior seeking glory. Then she heard that he had almost killed without incurring any injury along with the fact that he's power seems to be pure destruction and she had thought that he would be a formidable asset to Outworld. Of course seeing his power and hearing of his heritage Shao Khan had to decide to use her in order to cement his loyalty, causing her to begin resenting the warrior. The fact that he easily defeated her and Jade simultaneously in eight seconds only made her want to despise him even more. However she couldn't. No matter how much she tried she couldn't bring herself to despise him. Despite it all he is kind, reasonable, charming, and very handsome. While she isn't well versed in magic, Kitana knows for a fact that a man shouldn't be that attractive. From beautiful skin, to his long hair, and his animalistic crimson eyes that seem to stare into her very soul, the man is anything but normal. And that's all without even mentioning that damnable smirk that he gives whenever he does something impressive or says something that elicits a reaction from her. Watching him flirt with Jade made her realise how attractive he is and simply fed her previous frustration. And that seems to be the tip of the iceberg with him.
In addition to all of this he seems to be a conservatory of knowledge that piques her interest. For example, what was Edenia like? Where are the Edenians? What truly happened to Edenia's royal family? And most important of all did Shao Khan really kill her father, cause her mother to commit suicide, and raise her to be his weapon in order to spite Edenia?
Had it been at any other time Kitana would not believe any of the information that he gave her, however ever since finding out Mileena she can't help but wonder what if he is telling the truth? If he is telling the truth, what would she do then.
Without even wasting a second, Kitana already knows that if Malphas is telling the truth that she would easily betray Shao Khan to have vengeance for her mother, her father, and her people. The question is how should she go about finding out?
Looking towards Jade who is currently practicing her forms, Kitana wonders if her friend would be willing to traverse this dangerous path with her. For as long as she can remember Jade has always been by her side, so much so that she sees her as her sister and nothing less. They grew up together, trained together, fought together, and even killed some of Shao Khan's enemies together. Steeling herself, Kitana begins to make her way to her sister in all but blood.
"Jade." calls out Kitana, causing the warrior to pause in the middle of her form.
Looking at her friend's face, Jade knows immediately that she plans on doing something very dangerous. Something that could make them suffer a fate worse than death.
"What's the plan?" asks the emerald warrior.
"What?" questions Kitana who had not expected Jade to agree before even hearing the question.
"What dangerous tasks are we up to?" she clarifies.
"I want to find out whether Malphas' words are true or not." explains Kitana.
"If they are true, what then?" asks Jade as she shrinks her staff to make it easier to carry.
"I avenge our people." firmly replies Kitana with fire in her eyes and a voice full of conviction.
"If that's the case then we should speak to Sheeva. She was Queen Sindel's personal guard until she died and was said to be more loyal to her than she was to Shao Khan." informs Jade.
"How do you know this?" questions Kitana as they make their way out of the training arena.
"Servants gossip, you just need to know when and where to listen." replies Jade with a smirk.
Shao Khan's Fortress, Outworld
Soul Chamber
Three Days Before the Beginning of MK9
The Soul Chamber, a cavernous chamber with a strange statue head of a smiling and roaring horned beast with a swirl of tens of thousands of screaming tortured souls spinning in its mouth, with somewhat living tentacles on its back and with Shao Kahn's royal Shadow Priests acting as the overseers. It is also the chamber where the warrior Ermac, a being made entirely of the souls of Edenia's slaughtered warriors, goes to rest and recharge.
"What are we doing here father?" ask Mileena with her usual hissing drawl, her state of dress now being the exact same clothes from MK: Armageddon. Why she would choose such ineffective and revealing clothes is beyond me.
"We are here for the souls of Edenia's warriors." I explain as we approach the chamber's entrance.
"Are you going to revive them?" she wonders with a tilt of her head.
"No. I am going to use them to empower Sindel once I resurrect her." I answer as we stop just outside of the chamber.
"How powerful would that make her?" asks Mileena.
"Easily more powerful than Shao Khan." I reply.
"Oooh, are you going to use her to kill him?" she questions me excitedly.
"No, Shao Khan will die by my hands." I answer before continuing forward.
Walking into the chamber, I easily dispose of all the Shadow Priests with a beam from my Power of Destruction before making my way towards the beast. Before I can make it far however small green beams of light appear before me and coalesce together in order to form Ermac, a tall man that wears a mask made only from black bandages fully wrapped around the head, leaving the eyes and nostrils visible, with a small green amulet placed on his forehead, functioning as a means to concentrate the souls in his body. Ermac's clothes are mainly black with red accents, with bandages wrapped around his arms and legs, giving him a sinister look.
"You have disturbed our regeneration process." he stoically says with his distorted voice.
"Ermac, just the being I wished to see." I say as I telekinetically pull him to me and grab him by the throat.
Before he can even resist I push my chi into him using a similar technique that Aang used to strip Ozai of his bending. Unlike Aang however my technique is designed to dominate my opponent's being into suppression, mixed with the Heaven's Feel magic I put every single soul that makes up Ermac under my control which in turn puts Ermac under my control.
"How brilliant!" exclaims Mileena as she observes. "You plan on having him absorb all of the souls in the chamber before sacrificing him to Sindel." she explains.
"Correct." I answer before smiling proudly at her for having figured it out this quickly. In response she stands a bit straighter and preens under her achievement and my praise.
Turning back to Ermac, I use him as a vessel to absorb every single soul within the Soul Chamber. While I could attempt to use the souls to revive the slaughtered Edenian warriors, I know that after years of being tortured by Shao Khan's Shadow Priests or being part of Ermac has driven them all insane and most likely thirsty for vengeance against anything that is not Edenian. As such it would simply be safer and more humane of me to merge the souls into one being before using them to empower their Queen once she is resurrected.
As for the revival of the Edenian race, Morgan and I can create the bodies using mine and Sindel's DNA as a base, then I play to return to the nasuverse where I will access the Throne of Heroes to select a few of humanity's greatest warriors. Using their souls as a template, Scáthach and I will go to our pantheon's version of Hell where we will select a few souls, cleanse them completely and mold them into completely different beings using the templates of heroes from the Throne before inserting the souls into the new bodies.
Once that is done we will need a world for them to grow into their new existence while also receiving life experiences and becoming familiar with the supernatural.
Focusing my attention back to Ermac, I find that he is still absorbing the souls and that the process will most likely take days before being completed. Not willing to wait here for the process to be complete, I turn around and make my way out of the chamber with Mileena following closely behind.
"Where are we going now?" asks Mileena as I set up a bounded field, capable of keeping even gods out, in front of the chamber's entrance.
"We are going to train. The Mortal Kombat Tournament is in three days and I want you to have mastered firebending and your forms by then." I reply as I add an alarm system and a teleportation marker to the bounded field just in case. "With your rate of growth it should be an easy goal to accomplish." I tell her, causing her to give me a prideful smile beneath the veil that covers her mouth.
"Of course father." she answers as I teleport us out.
--
AN: Here's the chapter. As usual tell me what you guys think. The first chapter of my Campione fic should be out sometime next week, so look forward to that.
Final Plans
Shao Khan's Fortress, Outworld Training Arena
Two Days Before the Beginning of MK9
"What are the rules father?" asks Mileena from her position opposite of me in the training arena.
I roll my shoulders for a while before answering "No lightning bending, no lethal shots and winner is determined when the opposition yields."
Nodding her head, she set herself into a stance that incorporates the standard firebending stance taught by the military and the dancing dragon with her own personal twist added to it. Following suit, I take a stance that is influenced by waterbending. A more sedate and calm stance to counteract her aggressive one, or at least it seems to be that way. In actuality this stance is a deceptive one. Upon seeing this stance most would believe that it is a defensive one when it actuality is optimal for turning a defense into a powerful counterattack.
Without saying another word, Mileena launches a fireball at me via a roundhouse kick followed by a jab. I step to the right avoiding the first fireball and into the second fireball. Bringing my left palm up, I clench it and completely extinguish the fireball. Not giving her time to continue her assault, I launch a fire arc at her feet via a sweeping kick, using the momentum of the kick, I launch myself into a flying roundhouse and send out another arc at her head. Following through, I use flames under my feet and glide my way within thirty feet of Mileena just as she splits my attacks right down the middle.
Before she can move I punch two fire streams at her and a fireball via front kick when he deflects the streams to his sides. She manages to block the fireball but is unprepared for the roundhouse fireball that connects to her right side. Taking advantage of Mileena's brief lapse of attention, I follow through with a back kick fire stream to her solar plexus, which she redirects over her head. Using my back foot, I launch into the air and send a pillar of fire crashing down on her head via a hatchet kick, a move I once used to defeat Iroh in one of our many spars.
As I fall I jab a comet towards her as she barely manages to block the pillar. The comet is barely blocked and forces her to step back. Using it to her advantage, Mileena completely retreats away from me before inhaling deeply and launching countless fireballs at me in a manner that reminds me of the Uchiha's Phoenix Flower Jutsu. While my situation may look grim due to still being in the air, I think of countless viable options in under a second before choosing the optimal one. Allowing one of the fireballs to connect with the balls of my feet, I make use of its momentum to launch myself into a backflip over the other fireballs before safely landing on the ground where I find Mileena's flaming fist inches away from my face.
With barely any effort I tilt my head just in time for it to graze my cheek instead connecting, causing her eyes to widen in surprise and the growing smirk on her face to freeze. Before she can recover I place the palm of my hand on her stomach and let out a massive fire stream that sends her flying backwards until she smashes on a wall and cracks it.
"I believe that it's my win." I claim as I make my way to her.
"Yes it is." she answers with a disappointed sigh as her healing factor kicks in and the charred skin on her stomach completely heals in under five seconds.
"Don't be so disappointed daughter, I've been at this for centuries. Other than me no one in this universe can best you in combat." I reassure her while ruffling her hair, causing her to hum in satisfaction with her eyes closed.
"That was an impressive display. I don't think I've ever seen someone use fire like that." comments one of our spectators, Jade. I had sensed her and Kitana enter the training arena midway through our spar along with a third companion whose identity I could not place until now.
"Jade, Kitana, my two favorite assassins. What can I do for you?" I ask them as I stop ruffling Mileena's hair, causing to narrow her eyes in anger at the duo for interrupting us. "And you also brought another companion with you." I comment as I see Sheeva walk in behind them.
"This is Sheeva. She used to be Queen Sindel's personal guard." introduces Kitana as I set up a secrecy bounded field around us as I anticipate what the conversion will be about.
Sheeva, like Goro, belongs to the Shokan, an ancient race of mighty four armed half Human, half Dragon beings from Outworld that are the archenemies of the Centaurian race. As with all Shokan, she possesses a tall, muscular build, four arms, reptilian eyes, dragon scales, three digits on each hand, and two big toes on each foot. Unlike most Shokans however she possesses four horns that come out of the sides of her head and curve up and inwards towards her mohawk, two on the left and two on the right. She wears a grey cuirass that completely covers her chest and stomach, slim pauldrons to guard her shoulders and upper arm, short bracers around her wrists that stop halfway up her forearm, a skirt to cover her lower half along with knee protectors and greaves.
"You…" begins Sheeva as she takes a closer look at me. "You are not a full blooded Edenian." she comments once she looks into my eyes.
"What do you mean by that Sheeva?" asks Kitana.
"Edenians do not have slit pupils or crimson eyes. I have seen green, blue, brown, and even gray, but I have never seen one with red eyes." she explains. "He is half Edenian, the question is what is the other half?" she asks me.
"I have no idea." I convincingly lie with a shrug. "What I do know however, is that it doesn't really matter."
"Fair enough." agrees Kitana with a nod. "Besides, I did not bring Sheeva here to discuss your heritage. I came here because she confirmed what you've told me and would like you to help me."
"Interesting, and what is it that I can help you with?" I ask her.
"I want your help in avenging our people and dethroning Shao Khan." she asks, earning a raised eyebrow from me. I honestly did not expect her to be so bold as to say it out in the open like that.
"Very well, but Shao Khan's life is mine to take and no one elses." I answer, shocking him.
"That's it?" asks Jade. "You accept committing treason just like that?" she wonders.
"It's not treason if I wasn't loyal in the first place. My original purpose in coming here was to kill him. However, imagine my surprise when I find our princess of all people serving him as an assassin. It was then that I decided to not only kill him but place an Edenian on the throne. Whether it was you, Jade, Mileena, or your mother did not matter to me." I explain.
"Wait… my mother? But she's dead." replies Kitana.
"That she is, but she can be revived." I answer.
"You can revive Queen Sindel?" questions Sheeva.
"Not me." I reply, at least not without my divine powers. "Quan Chi however can-"
"The sorcerer is not to be trusted!" interrupts Sheeva. "Even if you manage to convince him to bring her back, she will not be in her prime and will most likely be under his control. I refuse to subject her to such a fate."
"Worry not, I have my own means to control him. Besides once he resurrects her I will dispose of him, and should he not bring her back to her prime then I can do that much at the very least." I explain, causing them to look at me skeptically.
"And what do you gain out of this?" questions Sheeva.
"I already told you, vengeance." I simply answer.
"Very well. When are we doing this?" asks Sheeva.
"During the Mortal Kombat. While everyone is occupied with the tournament Mileena will go around persuading Shao Kahn's generals to accept Kitana's take over of the throne, and should they refuse then they will be slayed." I suggest.
"And what about you? As Outworld's champion you will have to participate and Shao Kahn will know if you purposely lose." says Jade.
"Is there a reason why I would want to lose?" I question them with a tilt of my head.
"Because if you win Shao Kahn will merge Earthrealm with Outworld and become even more powerful." replies Kitana.
"That won't stop me from killing him." I answer with a raised eyebrow.
"If you are confident in killing even with the merge then I will trust you, however can we trust Mileena?" questions the princess as she looks towards Mileena.
"Are you questioning my loyalty to father?" hisses Mileena dangerously as she draws her sais.
"I question your self control. With your Tarkatan heritage, what is stopping you from hurting our allies, or worse what guarantee do we have that you are not under Shang Tsung's control?" asks Kitana.
"Considering the fact that I removed all of Shang Tsung's influence from her mind, I can personally guarantee it." I say as I step in between the two of them.
Rather than reply Kitana merely stares at Mileena for a few more seconds before turning back to me. "Very well, what do we need to do?" she asks me.
"Clearly this is your first coup." I joke before turning to Sheeva. "You need to become the leader of your people. Goro would never accept Mileena as the new Kahn and would lead them in battle against us." I instruct her.
Instead of answering me she merely nods to signal her acceptance.
"You two will need to refrain from doing anything that would raise suspicion. In fact unless Shao Kahn orders you to do something you will go about your normal routine as if nothing has changed. That also means that you will not speak to Sheeva unless absolutely necessary." I tell Jade and Kitana.
"My father has ordered that I spend time with you to cement your loyalty to him." answers Kitana.
"In that case, we will be spending time with one another. Preferably in the fortress in order to give him a false sense of security." I reply.
"Is there anything else?" asks Sheeva.
"No, that will be all. Everything else will come in due time." I answer, earning a nod from the Shokan before she turns around and leaves.
With Kitana now on my side I can safely place her on the throne while controlling her through Sindel. Hopefully Sindel isn't different from her game counterpart since bringing back the Edenians and reuniting her with her daughter would be enough to earn her game counterpart's loyalty as long as Kitana is not endangered. If none of them are willing to be loyal to me than I can place Mileena on the throne even though I would rather not. Especially since Mileena would prefer to be and would do better as my personal assassin. I could always use some form of mind control, but those can be broken and I have witnessed enough of a god's mind control being subverted to place any confidence in that method. Soon I will find out which method I will need to use. Until then I will avoid stressing about it.
--
AN: Here's the chapter. As usual tell me what you guys think. The first chapter of my Campione fic should be out sometime next week, so look forward to that.
Plot Foiled
Shang Tsung's Island, Outworld Day of the Mortal Kombat Tournament
The day of the tournament arrived quickly for Ambrosiuos and his co-conspirators. In the remaining days before the start of the tournament, Ambrosius occupied his time by sparring with Jade, Mileena, and Kitana along with intermingling with Shao Kahn's generals to begin laying the groundwork for Mileena to persuade them over to his side.
The first to be approached by Ambrosius, and the easiest to sway to their side was Reptile, a humanoid lizard dressed in the garbs of a green ninja and the last of his kind. Reptile's innermost desire is to no longer be the last of his kind. His home realm of Zaterra is gone, mysteriously destroyed ages ago. As such he is the last known surviving member of his race, and has since then made Outworld his home. Shao Kahn has made use of Reptile's mastery of stealth to spy on suspected traitors and slay known enemies of the empire. But the knowledge that he is the last of his kind gnaws at Reptile. He would give anything, destroy anyone, if it would bring his realm back from the abyss. This need for his people to be brought is exactly what made him fall to Ambrosious with a single fifteen minute conversation. Fifteen minutes of prodding and poking at Reptile's status as the last member of his race before giving him hope. Hope that came in the form of knowledge of the fact that Shao Kahn was the one responsible for his people's extinction and the fact that with the correct form of magic his people can easily be restored.
The second to be approached by Ambrosius was none other than his fellow Edenian, the traitor of the Edenian Resistance, and power hungry demigod son of Argus, the most powerful god in Edenia's pantheon, Rain. In all honesty he does not care much for Rain at all and in fact plans to get rid of him once Shao Kahn has been dealt with. He would have done it sooner, however it would be very suspicious for one of Shao Kahn's most powerful generals to disappear just before Mortal Kombat, and with his arrival in Shao Kahn's court being unprecedented, he would easily be looked upon as the number one suspect. As such he simply convinced the treacherous Edenian to remain neutral. An easy feat considering that Rain is willing to follow the most powerful person in order for him to also grow in power.
Ideally Ambrosius would have approached Reiko next, Outworld's most ingenious tactician, general, and Shao Kahn's adoptive son due to the speculation that Shao Kahn will send him on a mission once the tournament starts. After all Reiko is never seen until after Shao Kahn's death and Mileena's take over of the throne. It would be troublesome for Reiko to hear about the coup and decide to hide out somewhere in Outworld while building his forces up to take the throne.
Unfortunately for him, Reiko could not be found and he had to switch his sights onto a different target, Skarlet. Unlike Shao Kahn's other generals, Skarlet's devotion to him cannot be shaken. It is quite similar to canon Mileena whose sole purpose is to serve and please Shao Kahn no matter what deed is needed to accomplish. Which is why she is marked for death as soon as the coup begins without even being given the chance to learn of their plans.
With Sheeva killing Goro and becoming the new leader of the Shokan's, the only generals left were Barakka, leader of the Tarkatans along with Motaro, leader of the Centaurian race, a race that bears a striking resemblance to the centaurs of Greek mythology.
Similar to Sheeva, Barakka's strongest loyalty lies to his people. As long as his people can thrive he does not care for who is the ruler, making him another easy prey to Ambrosius' machinations. With a show of his power and a promise to treat his people well, Barakka was easily swayed to Ambrosius' camp.
While all of Shao Kahn's generals have a healthy sense of self-preservation, Motaro is a downright coward. Serving Shao Kahn in order not to die, bowing down to anyone stronger than him by the slimmest margin and only confronting those that he is one hundred percent sure that he can defeat. As such Ambrosius did not dedicate much energy into convincing him at all. In fact, Ambrosius merely flared his Power of Destruction while projecting a minute amount of killing intent before he had the Centaurian bowing and begging to serve. It was such a sorry sight that not even Mileena could find any form of enjoyment from his sorry state and humiliation.
With Motaro's submission the status of all of Shao Kahn's generals was accounted for, which left Ambrosius in somewhat of a bind concerning what to do about the tournament. His earlier plans required him to simply lay the seeds of betrayal with Shao Kahn's generals before the Mortal Kombat tournament so that Mileena may have an easier time convincing them during the tournament. It was for this reason that he was willing to allow the tournament to play out as it did in cannon, to give Mileena time to convince Shao Kahn's generals to switch sides and to kill them should they decline. He however underestimated the ease in which he would be able to convince them. He had thought himself to be in the middle of a much more dangerous version of the Game of Thrones. One which the participants are not only cunning, but also quite dangerous martially. A crossover somewhat between the Clocktower and King's Landing.
Instead he finds that not only are the participant's motives easy to figure out, but they are also far easier to persuade. Simply tell them what they want to hear, flare a bit of your overwhelming power and they will obey. Heck he could have most likely beaten them in kombat to earn their loyalty.
Had he not needed Quan Chi in order to revive Sindel he would have sped up his plans. However, considering the fact that Quan Chi does not appear until a bit later in the tournament when he brings Scorpion, Ambrosius is willing to simply let it all play out until the sorcerer reveals himself.
--
Shang Tsung's Island, The Lost Sea
Shang Tsung's Throne Room
Day of the Mortal Kombat Tournament
Watching the warriors mingle amongst themselves here in Shang Tsung's Throne Room, I cannot help but think back to the previous rounds of the tournament. Like cannon it had started out with Johnny Cage defeating Reptile and Barakka before Shang Tsung ordered the first round finished. Afterwards there were a few more battles fought, none that I believed would count as part of the tournament but seemingly did at Shang Tsung's behest. Needless to say the Mortal Kombat Tournament is… messy to say the least and had I not watched it all in the shadows while hidden by my biotics and my runes I would never believe it.
Fighters coerced to fight against their will, Earthrealm warriors fighting and killing their own people, old grudges surfacing and causing warriors to act irrationally, and an idiot of a movie star acting as if this were all a game. It is a wonder that Outworld has not used Earthrealm's idiocy and lack of unity in order to dominate the tournament. And all of this happens as Raiden attempts to decipher visions and vague messages from his future self in order to bring a stop to the upcoming armageddon. This all makes me wonder how they ever emerged victorious in canon. With the amount of incompetence shown from Earthworld they should have been one of the first realms assimilated by Shao Kahn. And considering the fact that they were not one of the first to assimilate, it ironically speaks wonders of Shao Kahn's own incompetence.
Shaking the thoughts from my head, I focus once more on the gathered warriors just as Scorpion storms into the throne room and makes his way towards Cyrax and Sektor, two warriors of the Lin Kuei garbed in the traditional clothes that ninjas wear in fiction with the only thing missing being the weapons and the masks. As Scorpion makes his way towards the fighters from the rival clan, no doubt to question them on the whereabouts of Bi-Han, the original Sub-zero, Cyrax and Sektor stop their conversion to look towards him.
"Where is he?" questions Scorpion as he stops a few feet away from them.
"His whereabouts are none of your concern. Are you that eager to join your inferior clan in death to seek out Sub-Zero?" questions Cyrax with a sneer and a frown evident of his brown face.
"My clan may walk the Earth once more." replies Scorpion with a voice full of emotion.
I do not know what caused Cyrax to react how he does, but rather than reply with words he shoves Scorpion back with a roar, prompting Shang Tsung to declare it a challenge, Scorpion versus Cyrax and Sektor.
What follows cannot be considered a battle as Scorpion easily makes short work of the both of them without making use of his weapons nor his hellish powers. All it takes is pure skill and two of the Lin Kuei's greatest warriors are defeated and rendered unconscious.
"I will have my revenge, but I will not kill Sub-Zero." claims Scorpion as he knocks out Cyrax with a well placed roundhouse kick that no doubt fractures his skull. Hearing Scorpion's words, Raiden nods to him in appreciation. While Raiden seems to appreciate Scorpion's thoughtfulness, Sub-Zero looks upon it with disdain.
"Will not, or cannot?" questions the warrior as he slams the doors to the throne room open and confidently strides in, his words causing Raiden to sigh in exasperation while Scorpion merely narrows his eyes at him.
"The Shirai Ryu are dead because of you. You will suffer as they did." promises Scorpion as he and Sub-Zero approach each other.
"To hell with your clan." snarls Sub-Zero as he stops a few inches from his opponent.
"No…" quietly replies Scorpion as he shakes his head. "To hell with you!" roars the warrior as he grabs Sub-Zero by the shoulders and teleports the both of them out of the throne room in a pillar of hellish fire. With no one having foreseen such a turn of events, the occupants of the room look at each other questioningly while Shang Tsung quietly asks Quan Chi to follow them. As Quan Chi follows suit I discreetly grab hold of his belt and tag along for the ride.
When we arrive in the hellish realm of the Netherrealm, it is to see Sub-Zero already defeated while Scorpion merely stands over his fallen enemy.
"This is your retribution?" questions Quan Chi as he approaches Scorpion. "Scorpion, kill him." he orders as he stands next to him.
"I… I will not. He has been beaten." refuses Scorpion, prompting Quan Chi to look at him with thinly veiled disappointment.
"Have you forgotten?" asks Quan Chi as he begins to showcase images of the Shirai Ryu's massacre at the hands of the 'Lin Kuei'.
"What is this?" questions Scorpion as he watches his comrades being slaughtered, each image and death causing him to whisper no in a horrified tone.
Curious about the proceedings, Sub-Zero sits up in order to watch. While Scorpion watches, horrified at the images of Sub-Zero leading the Lin Kuei to slaughter his clan, Sub-Zero cannot help but be puzzled. As he rightfully should, considering the fact that it was Quan Chi and not him who slaughtered Scorpion's clan.
"Your clan, your family." says Quan Chi as the images change to show Sub-Zero standing in front of Scorpion's wife and child.
"No!" exclaims Scorpion as he watches Sub-Zero kill his beloved and newly born child before the illusions disappear while a self-satisfied and proud smirk appears on Quan Chi's face.
"That is not me!" argues Sub-Zero as he struggles to stand while Scorpion goes to remove his mask.
Before he can do so however, I grab his hand and make my presence known to them.
"That is not Sub-Zero." I say as I appear before their eyes while looking at Quan Chi with a vicious smirk on my face. "Isn't that right sorcerer?" I ask him while I telekinetically pull him to my open hand and proceed to choke him while at the same time inscribing a rune on his neck that completely immobilises him and blocks off his powers.
"Who are you? And if that was not Sub-Zero, then who else could it be?" questions Scorpion as I allow him to forcefully remove his hand from my grasp.
"It was Quan Chi who slayed your clan along with your wife and child. All to turn you into his servant with promises of vengeance." I explain, causing all of their eyes to go wide.
"You!" snarls Scorpion as he prepares to eviscerate Quan Chi, only for me stop him once again. "You stop me once again, why?" questions the undead warrior.
"Because I have need of him. Once he is no longer useful to me then you may do as you wish with the sorcerer." I reply, appeasing him before he turns to Sub-Zero.
"It seems that my hatred has been misguided and misplaced. I offer you my sincere apologies." says Scorpion as he bows deeply to his former enemy.
"It is fine. We have both been played by the sorcerer. Hopefully we can put this animosity behind us to become allies." answers Sub-Zero as he offers Scorpion his hand.
"Allies." agrees Scorpion as he shakes Sub-Zero's hand before turning to me. "I will not forget this kindness, and neither will the Shirai Ryu once they have been returned to life." he says.
"I agree with Scorpion. I will not forget this kindness. Not only have you saved my life, but you have also removed an enmity towards the Lin Kuei. We will not forget this." says Sub-Zero.
"While your words comfort me Sub-Zero, they currently are nothing more than words considering the current state of your clan." I tell him, earning a questioning look from Scorpion and a look of rage from Sub-Zero.
"I will deal with the cyborg initiative as soon as I am healed." says Sub-Zero with a frown.
"Then perhaps I may be of aid." I suggest as I inscribe a runic array on his left arm. Not only will it heal him, but it will also augment all of his abilities. Within seconds all of Sub-Zero's injuries heal and he stands before us as if he had not just come close to death.
"I appreciate this." says the warrior before Scorpion grabs him and the two return to the throne room, leaving me alone with a terrified Quan Chi.
"I should thank you. Because of you I have started a friendship with Scorpion and Sub-Zero that can evolve into their respective clans becoming allies, if not outright loyal to me. As such you will be pleased to hear that this will not hurt you a little bit…" I say with a serious tone that quickly turns into a sadistic grin that would make Azula proud. "… it will hurt you alot." I say before I savagely tear into his mind and collect every scrap of information I need from him. Once that is done I reach into his soul and snap the connection between him and his powers, and take an amulet attached to his belt from him before casually tossing him aside like yesterday's trash.
The amulet I took from him is none other than Shinnok's amulet. A golden amulet with a green gem in the center that holds the fallen Elder God Shinnok prisoner. Without wasting a second I drain the Elder God's power and add it to my Edenian abilities before using the Power of Destruction to annihilate the amulet.
With that done I bind Quan Chi under numerous bounded fields so that only Scorpion may find him before using my new powers to teleport out of the Netherrealm. After all, I have an Edenean Queen to resurrect.
--
AN: Here's the chapter. As usual tell me what you guys think. The first chapter of my Campione fic should be out sometime this week, so look forward to that.
The Queen Lives
Edenian Wastelands Day of the Mortal Kombat Tournament
The Edenian Wastelands, a location that once held the most beautiful realm in this entire universe in the form of Edenia. Based off of the Garden of Eden, Edenia was a lush and beautiful realm rich in resources and home to the Edenians who greatly mirrored their home realm with their beauty and peaceful nature. Despite being peaceful in nature however Edenia was also home to some of the greatest warriors in this universe before Shao Kahn slaughtered the majority of them and Rain betrayed the rest to Shao Kahn in order to receive more power. With the death of the Edenians and the forceful merging of Edenia into Outworld, the once beautiful realm full of life is now an arid and deserted wasteland. Despite this however I can still see signs of the once beautiful realm in the form of the now destroyed architecture. Anyone with eyes can see that this used to be a place of beauty.
Shaking the thoughts of Edenia's former glory from my head, I make my way towards the only building in the distance that still stands, the Royal Castle. According to some records from Shang Tsung's library, the Royal Castle once stood as tall as Shao Kahn's fortress and was just as beautiful as Shao Kahn's fortress is dreary and dreadful. Now its sole remains are two stories of rubble, and one room in the form of the royal quarters that can only be accessed through a single window only.
Arriving near the rubble, I jump through the only opening in the form of a window and quietly land inside the royal bedchambers. As expected the room is a mess. The furniture is dusty and destroyed, the walls and floor have weeds growing on them, and a section of the walls is completely destroyed. The only thing intact in this room that is even remotely close to an acceptable condition is the massive bed where one can find a skeleton dressed in what were once a royal purple and black dress along with thigh high heeled boots of the same color. These are the remains of none other than the Edenian Queen, Sindel.
According to what I was able to find, this Sindel is similar yet different to canon. In canon she fought with her husband Jerrod against Shao Kahn before the Kahn killed him and forced her to marry him. She would eventually kill herself while using her death to create a barrier that would stop Shao Kahn from taking over Earthrealm by any means other than the Mortal Kombat Tournament.
This Sindel however is different in one aspect, she betrayed her husband. She saw the foolishness of her husband's constant defiance of Shao Kahn and betrayed him in exchange for the survival of her people and her daughter. Of course Shao Kahn partially renegaded on his promise and slaughtered her people while sparring Kitana. Enraged and filled with grief and regret at the loss of her people and knowing that no harm will come to Kitana while in Shao Kahn's court, she killed herself while using her death as fuel to create the same barrier her canon counterpart did.
All in all she is quite the tragic figure and one who would fit in well as a member of the Malphas family, whether as an ally or an extended member will be up to her. Which is why I have no qualms about resurrecting her and making her the overseer of this universe while Kitana rules outworld.
Incinerating the remains of her dress, I channel the power of Shinnok, the Elder God of Death, along with the mystical energies of this universe and begin chanting while my hands glow with the light and power of an emerald energy. The words that come out of my mouth cannot be understood by anyone who does not understand the primordial language of the Elder Gods. It is a rough sounding and guttural language that is hard on the throat and the ears. In spite of this however the words come to me easily and the power flows through me as easily as a river flows downstream. However, even with the ease that I begin to conduct the resurrection, I find that my body is not well suited for such forms of magic, and were it not for my Edenian heritage, which gives me an affinity for all forms of magic, I would not be able to accomplish what I am currently doing.
As the resurrection reaches its climax, I find that the majority of Sindel's body has already recovered and all that is left is her skin which already begins to form. With the formation of her skin, her hair begins to grow until it reaches her thighs and her body reaches her prime, looking exactly like her MK11 counterpart as opposed to MK9. Normally this is where one would stop since the resurrection is all but complete, however I have other plans and it all begins with me forming a portal to Shao Kahn's Soul Chamber. With the portal formed, Ermac makes his way through and appears before me, looking no different than before despite having absorbed the souls of millions of Edenians and being easily more powerful than Shao Kahn and Raiden. Without wasting a second I grab the beings massive power and easily transfer it to Sindel, causing her eyes and mouth to open and expel a mix of green and purple light.
With the amount of power I have to transfer, it would normally take hours for the process to be completed, however by channeling more of Shinnok's power I am able to reduce it to mere minutes and soon all of Ermac's powers are transferred to Sindel. With the process complete Ermac's clothes fall to the ground, empty while I go about stabilising Sindel and making her sure that her newfound power seamlessly acclimates with her soul and body. While I do this I also transfer all of Quan Chi and Shinnok's knowledge of the mystic arts to her before binding them in a seal that will slowly allow the knowledge to trickle into her mind without overwhelming her.
Once I am finished, a purple light erupts from her along with a shockwave of power that completely inscinerates the remains of the royal palace and would have knocked me back had I not anticipated it. With the resurrection finished I release my hold on her body while slowly levitating us to stand on the sandy ground of the wastelands just as her eyes open and she disoriently stares at me with her grey eyes.
"Wh-who are you?" asks Sindel as she comes to the realisation that she has been brought back to life. "Do you have any idea what you have done?!" She questions as she realises that with her return from the dead the barrier she placed around Earthream will soon come down since it was by her death and stayed there on the condition that she remains dead.
"You may call me Ambrosius, and as for your second question… yes I do know what I have done." I reply nonchalantly.
"No, clearly you do not. Otherwise you would have left me dead so that Earthrealm may be protected from Shao Kahn." she refutes with a shake of her head, no doubt still a bit disoriented from her restoration to life.
"Perhaps, however why worry when Shao Kahn can simply be killed in order to protect Earthrealm?" I ask her, causing her to look at me incredulously before mockingly laughing at my words.
"Kill Shao Kahn?" she asks in between laughs. "Kill Shao Kahn." she reiterates as her laughter comes to an end. "Do you have any idea how many times I have tried?!" she exclaims with fury, her rage causing her new powers to run wild as they cause her to hover above the ground and create a powerful tornado to form around us. "I have poisoned the bastard, sliced his neck, and even stabbed him in the heart, but he always survives!" she screams as she rises further up and her eyes gain a violet glow reminiscent of mine when my biotics are engaged. "One does not simply kill Shao Kahn for he will ALWAYS survive!" she says with a scream that causes her powers to create a shockwave that causes a sandstorm around us that is blown away from us.
As her fury begins to run dry, Sindel slowly comes back down to the ground while bewilderedly looking at the carnage she has caused.
"Did… did I do this?" she asks as she observes the massive sandstorm that blows away from us.
"Indeed." I answer as I telekinetically clean the sand from me. "Now that you are finished, perhaps you would like to start acting like the Queen you are?" I rhetorically ask her.
"My apologies, it's just that your foolishness will cause the deaths of millions and will further empower Shao Kahn." she answers after taking a deep breath. "Regardless, what is done is done. Our time is best served thinking of how to stop the madman." she says as she regains her composure and reverts back to her regal manner, the same manner that had me crushing on her in my first life. Like the saying goes, never meet your heroes, or in this never meet your crushes until the part of you that has a crush on them is completely dead. Evidently the part that made me, well… me, during my first life is very much alive and still crushes on the same people.
"Tell me sorcerer, why have you brought me back?" questions Sindel as she uses her newfound powers to conjure a very revealing black and purple dress along with high heel boots that reach up to her thighs and will make her as tall as me.
"Because I plan to bring back Edenia to its former glory and beyond while also killing Shao Kahn." I casually answer as if we are speaking about the weather.
"How ambition." she says with a scoff as she begins to dress herself. "Foolish, but ambitious."
"I would agree with you if it were not guaranteed." I reply, causing her to raise an eyebrow in question. "Look into yourself Sindel, and tell me what you feel." I ask her, causing her to frown as she closes her eyes follows my instructions. After a few seconds her eyes snap open and she looks at me with questions clearly written on her facial expressions.
"This… power. How did I become so powerful?" she asks me.
"This power that you now possess, it is the accumulated power of every Edenian killed by Shao Kahn. Their souls were being tortured by his Shadow Priests before I saved them and merged them all into you." I explain to her. "Now you are easily more powerful than Shao Kahn."
"I see." she says as she finishes dressing herself while in deep thought. "Tell me, Ambrosius, what of Jerrod's soul?" she asks me after a few seconds of thinking.
"Why do you want to know? Do you wish for me to bring him back to life also?" I ask her with a raised eyebrow.
"I could not care less about the fool." she answers with a scoff. "I warned him that we should have submitted as soon as the tournament was lost. That way we could have bidded our time for the perfect opportunity to rid ourselves of Shao Kahn. But no, his pride wouldn't allow it. He was a 'King' and he wouldn't bow to anyone." she says with disdain. "His pride was more important than our people and daughter!" she says venomously while blasting a crater into the ground before once again regaining her composure. "Speaking of Kitana, do you have news of my daughter?" she asks me.
"Kitana is well. In fact, she is the one I plan to place on the throne." I answer.
"Is that so? If you plan on placing her on the throne then I do not see why you have need of me. Even without facing you in combat I can tell that you can easily kill. So you obviously do not need me to kill Shao Kahn." she observes.
"You know I can easily kill you and you still speak to me as if I am barely your equal?" I ask her with a raised eyebrow.
"I do not care about your status or power. If you want my respect then do something to earn it." she answers. Honestly, is she trying to make me fall in love with her? She's like her canon counterpart but ten times better. If I didn't have Azula, Scáthach, and Morgan I would probably be proposing right now.
Shaking those thoughts from my head I bring my attention back to her. "The reason for your revival is because I am not from this universe and I will need someone to act as an overseer of it once I conquer it." I tell her honestly.
"Interesting. I theorised that you were a god of some sort, but I did not think that you were not from this universe. Which begs the question, how are you an Edenian?" she asks me.
"Interesting, I did not think that you could tell. Especially with my eyes being of the nature that they are." I reply.
"Somehow I am able to feel a connection to all Edenian. I can feel you, Kitana, Jade, and two more that I do not recognise." she answers.
"Those would be Rain and Mileena. A traitorous Edenian demigod and my daughter. As for how I am Edenian, the answer is simple. I sealed my divinity before coming here and was reborn as an Edenian." I explain to her.
"I see, and what is your purpose in conquering this universe? Especially since you must know that the Elder Gods will not allow it." she asks me, making this conversion feel like a job interview. Then again, considering who she is this is an interview to see whether she will follow me or commit suicide again.
"I am currently under the employment of a being higher than me. I am to travel form universes and multiverses in order to provide him entertainment and in exchange I live and grow in power. Recently I have reached the realm of godhood and seek to grow my pantheon and our power. With every universe or multiverse that follows me or that I own, my pantheon's power grows and as the King my own power also grows." I tell her.
"I see, and you want me to serve me as your overseer? What does that entail, and what do I gain from this?" she asks me, making me smile at her cautiousness. Never make a deal with the devil without reading the fine print.
"I bring back the Edenians as my favored people, I kill Shao Kahn, your daughter becomes Queen of Outworld while receiving my backing, you become the most powerful being in this universe and may even become a goddess and in exchange all you have to do is make sure that the universe's habitants do not destroy it. I have no intention of telling them how to live unless they become my followers. If they do they will have to follow a few. You know the deal, no raping, no killing unless necessary, that kind of stuff." I tell her with a shrug.
"I see." she answers contemplatively. "You will have to forgive me if I do not jump at the chance to accept." she says.
"Of course. In fact why don't you give me an answer once Shao Kahn is dead and your daughter sits on the throne." I suggest, earning an affirmative nod from her. "Perfect, then let us return to Shang Tsung's fortress. There is a Mortal Kombat Tournament to be won." I tell her with a smile as I summon a portal to our destination and offer her my hand.
Returning my smile, she accepts my hand and we walk into the portal together just as Shang Tsung announces that Liu Kang is the sole remaining Earthrealm warrior.
--
AN: Here's the chapter. As usual tell me what you guys think. The first chapter of my Campione fic should be out sometime this week, so look forward to that.
Mortal Kombat
Shang Tsung's Throne Room Day of the Mortal Kombat Tournament
The Mortal Kombat Tournament has gone just as Malphas had expected from what Kitana and Jade can see. Outworld had gotten a slow start, but eventually managed to whittle down Earthrealm's warriors until their champion, Liu Kang, currently remains undefeated. Every other Earthrealm warrior has been beaten but kept alive, making this the least bloody tournament in Mortal Kombat history, although Jade and Kitana know that soon it will become much more bloody. After all, just a few seconds ago Mileena returned with a satisfied smile on her face along with two bloody sais, and judging by the missing Skarlet, then this tournament has just had its first death with more coming.
Not long after Mileena's appearance next to Kitana and Jade, the fighters began to once again gather in the throne room for the final round of the tournament.
"Warriors, at this time the tournament is beginning to wind down with Earthrealm's champion and sole remaining warrior finally stepping up." says Shang Tsung as he stands up from his throne just as a portal opens in the center of the room a few feet to the left of his throne. However, Shang Tsung pays it no mind and continues on with the introductions. "Our final contestant is none other than Earthrealm's Champion, chosen by Raiden the Thunder God himself, Liu Kang!" exclaims Shang Tsung as Liu Kang steps forward. "Facing him, the sorcerer from the Netherrealm and ally of Outworld, Quan Chi!" calls out Shang Tsung as he points to the portal and two silhouettes can be seen coming out of the portal.
Unexpected to all, other than Jade, Kitana, and Mileena, it is not the sorcerer from the Netherrealm who walks out of the portal, but rather an unknown warrior garbed in black armor with gold accents over red garments escorting the Queen of Edenia, Sindel. A Queen that should not only be dead, but would also never be here of all places were she alive. Not only was said Queen alive however, but she also let herself be happily escorted to the Mortal Kombat tournament by a warrior that no one other than Outworld's generals recognise.
"I regret to inform you Shang Tsung, but Quan Chi is a bit occupied at the moment." says the warrior as he discreetly sends Scorpion a look that all but the Shirai Ryu warrior himself miss. "Since I see no reason to delay the end of this tournament any further, I have decided to step in." he tells Shang Tsung as the portal behind him and Sindel close.
"Malphas, what is the meaning of this?" questions Shang Tsung with a grave voice that lets everyone know that he too did not expect for this warrior to escort Sindel of all people here. "How is she alive, and why are you escorting her to this tournament?" he asks as he points a bony finger at the Edenian Queen.
"All will be answered soon, sorcerer. We have a tournament to finish, after all." replies Malphas as he leaves Sindel where she stands and makes his way to the center of the room, placing his right foot in the eye of the dragon motif on the floor where its size fits in perfectly. Soon he is joined by none other than Liu Kang, Earthrealm's champion.
"I am ready." claims the Shao Lin monk as he takes his fighting stance.
"No, you are not." replies Malphas as he remains standing in the same position without taking his fighting stance. "By yourself, you cannot hope to defeat me. Nor will it make this final round interesting. As such, I challenge Liu Kang, Johnny Cage, and Raiden." calls out the warrior, shocking every occupant in the room save for Sindel and Mileena.
"Do not look down on me!" exclaims Liu Kang as he prepares to attack his opponent.
"The challenge has been given and cannot be denied." says Shang Tsung before Liu Kang can attack. "The final battle for Earthrealm's fate, Liu Kang, Raiden, Johnny Cage versus, Outworld's champion and one of the sole remaining Edenians, Malphas!" calls out Shang Tsung, causing Johnny to excitedly join Liu Kang's side while Raiden merely shakes his head in disappointment.
"You should not have done this." says Raiden as he too joins Liu Kang and takes his fighting stance. "A warrior should know his limits." he advises.
"I know my limits, Thunderer, and this does not even come close to it. For all I see before me is a simple monk, an arrogant and washed out martial artist who uses his skill to film horrible movies, and a god who has as many restrictions to him as a slave has shackles." replies Malphas as he simply folds his hands behind his back as opposed to taking his fighting stance, an action that is very disrespectful and easily serves to irritate Johnny.
"FIGHT!" roars Shang Tsung.
Hearing the order to begin, Johnny Cage rushes his opponent only to be met with two roundhouse kicks to the sides that cracks his left rib cage and is followed up with another one to the head, fracturing his skull and giving Malphas time to front kick him right onto the path of Liu Kang, causing the two to collide against one another and fall to the ground. All of this happened in a split second and with barely enough time for Raiden to properly process what happened.
Unlike his comrades, Raiden had elected to stay back to observe his opponent before coming up with a strategy. Something he regrets as he looks at Liu Kang helping Johnny up as the latter wipes the blood leaking from his nose.
"Oh man, he hits hard." observes Johnny as he steadies himself back on his feet and sees Malphas standing in the same stance as when the fight started, causing his pride to take another hit and for him to become more irritated. "Still, that won't stop you from getting Caged!" exclaims Johnny as he once again rushes his opponent and ignores Raiden's warning for him to stop.
This time Johnny makes it close enough to attack and begins his assault with two roundhouse kicks aimed at Malphas' head, both of which are dodged by with a simple tilt of Malphas' body. Continuing his assault, Johnny aims a kick at his opponent's knee, only for him to raise his leg and change the target from his knee to his shin. A move that proves to be detrimental to Johnny as his opponent's body is much tougher than anything he has kicked before in his life. As he winces in pain, Ambrosius takes the opportunity to kick him in the knee, completely shattering it and causing him to kneel on his good leg. Before Johnny can recover Malphas launches a devastating roundhouse that decapitates Johnny, sending his head flying from his shoulders and landing at Shang Tsung's feet.
Stunned by the short yet brutal outcome of the battle, the room's occupants all fall silent as they watch Johnny's head roll towards Shang Tsung's feet. None of them had expected this. Most of Eathrealm's fighters, such as Sonnya Blade and Jax, had expected the fight to be quick but with the outcome being favorable to them. After all the three fighters on their side are all reputable warriors in their own right. Raiden is the god of thunder and is perhaps their most powerful warrior. Liu Kang is not only a Shao Lin monk, but one trained by Raiden himself for this specific tournament. The last fighter, while not as respected or esteemed has proven himself to be a competent warrior when he delivered Earthrealm its first two victories by defeating Reptile and Barakka. While they did not expect them to win unscathed, after all Malphas is Outworld's champion and Shang Tsung did not seem worried about the match, the still expected for Raiden, Liu Kang, and Johnny Cage to win, even if one of the three is defeated. Now not only is one of the three defeated, but he is also dead at the hands of an opponent who did not even take his fighting stance nor did he move from his position. Throughout the battle he did not even move from his original position once.
While the spectating Earthrealm warriors are reevaluating this new opponent, the Outworld generals cannot help but feel excited, after all this man is the one who they pledged their loyalty to. Not only did he promise them what they wanted, but he also seems to be more powerful than even Shao Kahn. While they do not know exactly how powerful Shao Kahn is, they know that he has not never dared to challenge Raiden, nor any other god for that matter, to a Mortal Kombat. At first it did not mean anything to them, after all who would dare challenge a god. But seeing Malphas do the very act that Shao Kahn seems reluctant to do makes them wonder if Shao Kahn can even beat Raiden one-on-one, let alone three-on-one.
In addition to being powerful however, Malphas seems to also be able to resurrect the dead, making them feel secure that even death should not be something to fear with him as their leader. Yes they may have pledged to back Kitana, but in all honesty it's only because Malphas seems to be supporting Kitana and anyone who supports her. So while on the surface it may seem that they are loyal to Kitana, deep down they are all currently loyal to Malphas. Well, all except Skarlet who they all noticed is missing while a giddy Mileena cleans the blood from her sais. A coincidence it certainly is not, at least not to those who have lived long enough in Outworld to experience its treacherous life.
"Well? Are you going to stand there, or are we going to finish this tournament?" questions Malphas once he sees that Raiden and Liu Kang have not moved from their position.
Taking a deep breath, the duo calm themselves down and prepare to launch into the attack.
"Liu Kang, we must do this together." advises Raiden.
"I will follow your lead, Lord Raiden." replies Liu Kang with a nod.
"Then let's go." orders Raiden as he launches himself at Malphas with Liu Kang following close behind.
Their assault begins with Raiden seemingly launching a flying sidekick towards Malphas' head before he dissolves into lightning and appears behind him. Attempting to take advantage of being in his opponent's blindspot, Raiden flies towards him in order to tackle him right on Liu Kang's flame encased punch. At the last moment however, Malphas simply hops over Raiden with his legs tucked into his chest before extending them again once he is over Raiden's flying body, sending the god of thunder crashing down into the ground as Malphas lands on him and proceeds to smash his foot down on the god's head and fracturing his skull. Having not forgotten about his second opponent, Malphas tilts his head sideways and easily dodges Liu Kang's flaming fist before kneeing the Shao Lin warrior in the solar plexus, headbutting him, and finishing his assault by exhaling a stream of blue fire at the warrior as if he were a dragon and burning him alive. As the warrior catches on fire, the throne room is filled with his tortured screams as he feels the flames burn his flesh and melts the clothes onto his skin before further torching his skin.
"Liu Kang!" exclaims Raiden as he attempts to move from his position under Malphas' foot only for said warrior to increase the strength of hold, pushing him back to the ground and further cracking his skull. Before Raiden can attempt to teleport out of the position he is currently in, he sees Malphas grasp the empty air in front of him before clenching it into a fist. At the same time as he sees Malphas clench his fist, he hears Liu Kang's heart being crushed in his chest, cutting his screams short and killing him before he falls to the ground as his body turns to ash.
"No!" screams Raiden as he turns into lightning and teleports himself next to the ashes of his student. Kneeling down on the floor, the god of thunder gently picks up some of his student's ashes as a sorrowful look befalls his expression and a lone tear falls from his eyes. Taking his hat off, Raiden calmly places the ashes of his fallen student in it before getting up and handing the hat to Sonnya.
"Take care of him." says Raiden before he returns to face his opponent. Without saying another word Raiden sends out bolts of lightning at his opponent only for them to be ineffective. With a frown on his face Raiden dissolves into a lightning bolt before appearing next to Malphas with a kick aimed at his opponent's neck. Dodging the kick by tilting backwards, Malphas grabs the offending limb, only for Raiden to once again dissolve into lightning and appear above Malphas with a kick aimed at his chest only to find that he is being held in place telekinetically. Before he can teleport away, Malphas pulls him down and grabs him by the throat and proceeds to plunge his hand through Raiden's chest. As his arm comes out from Raiden's back, every warrior present is able to see Raiden's heart being held by him before he removes his arm along with the heart from Raiden's chest. With a startled gasp Raiden exhales his last breath as Malphas turns his body to ash with another blue flame and crushes the heart in his grasp.
As the ashes of the dead god fall to the ground, the Earthrealm warriors begin to process the situation.
"He never moved." observes Jax, causing Sonnya to look at him questioningly. "Outworld's champion, he never moved from his original position. He started the damn fight in the same place that he's standing on right now. The only time he even came close to moving was when he jumped, but then he landed right back in the exact same spot." explains Jax.
Having heard Jax's explanation, Sonnya can't help but look at where Malphas stands to see that his right foot is in the exact same place and not an inch out of place.
"So what does that mean for us?" asks Sonnya just as Shang Tsung regains his bearing and stands up from his throne.
"Malphas is victorious. The winner of the Mortal Kombat Tournament is Outworld!" proclaims Shang Tsung, causing the Outworld warriors to sheer while the Earthrealm warriors apprehensively look at them. With Outworld's victory they can now do whatever they want to Earthrealm and its people and not even the Elder Gods will intervene.
Before anyone can do anything Shang Tsung opens a portal that Shao Kahn steps through, causing every Earthrealm warrior to take their fighting stance.
"We are victorious my lord. Earthrealm is yours." says Shang Tsung as he bows to the Kahn.
"Well done Shang Tsung. You will be rewarded as deserved" compliments Shao Kahn before turning to Malphas. "And my champion, the one to deliver me this victory. I shall grant you one wish." he offers with a grin. "You seem to be close to my daughters, perhaps you wish to marry one of them. Or do you wish for both?" he asks as he gestures to Kitana and Mileena who barely hide their animosity from the Kahn.
"While your daughters are lovely, that will not be necessary." answers the champion. "Instead, I will be taking your throne and your head." claims Malphas before he disappears from everyone's sights and reappears in the exact same position a second later with the Kahn's head in his left hand. At first everyone believes that they are seeing things, but after a second look they all realise that he is in fact holding Shao Kahn's decapitated head in his hand while the body slowly sways before falling to the ground.
The first person to regain their bearing is none other than Shang Tsung who approaches Malphas.
"All Hail our new Kahn, Malphas!" exclaims the sorcerer with a bow.
"Shang Tsung, do me a favor?" asks Malphas.
"Anything my lord." replies Shang Tsung as he looks up into Malphas' eyes.
"Transfer your power and knowledge to Jade, then kill yourself." orders the new Kahn.
"Of course my lord." robotically answers Shang Tsung as his eyes glaze over and he follows Malphas' command by ejecting a green sphere from himself and transferring it to Jade before she can even protest, and proceeding to snap his own neck and shocking everyone in the throne room.
Paying no mind to anybody else, Malphas makes his way to Kitana and presents her Shao Kahn's head.
"A gift for the new Kahnum of Outworld. All Hail Kitana Kahn!" exclaims Malphas as he bows to Kitana while every general and warrior of Outworld follows suit as a forgotten Sindel watches it all from the sidelines with a smile on her face. Just as it seems that everything is settling down however, a bright multicolored beam of light strikes the middle of the room from the skies and transports three new arrivals.
--
AN: Here's the chapter and the end of the MK arc. As usual tell me what you guys think. The first chapter of my Campione fic should be out sometime this week, so look forward to that.
Benefactor
Shang Tsung's Throne Room Day of the Mortal Kombat Tournament
Shao Kahn is dead, that is the thought that goes through every Earthrealm warrior as they watch the Kahn's headless body fall to the ground while his betrayer presents it to an unknown Outworld warrior dressed in blue. It sounds fantastical and too good to be true, yet the proof is here before their very eyes. The Tyrant of Outworld has been betrayed by his champion and generals who have decided to name the unknown woman the new Kahn.
While it may not be much, to Sonnya this is an opportunity to save Earthrealm. While she and the other Earthrealm warriors may not know much about this new Kahn, they must still try. Perhaps they can convince her to not merge Earthrealm with Outworld in exchange for an alliance. Not only is this a viable option, but it could also prove to be beneficial beyond saving Earthrealm. After all, with an alliance with Outworld criminals like Kano and Eron Black will have nowhere to go to seek refuge other than places like the Netherrealm which even they are not stupid enough to go to.
With her mind made up, Sonnya gives Jax Liu Kang's ashes to hold while preparing to make her way to the new Kahn in order to plead her case. Before she can even take a step however, a bright multicolored beam of light strikes the middle of the room from the skies, drawing everyone's attention to it along with the three silhouettes that appear from it.
As the light disappears the new arrivals can be seen quite clearly. The first one that Sonnya's eyes are drawn to is the woman in the middle, a beautiful woman with midnight black tied into a top knot and with gold eyes that seem to glow and possess a glint to them that puts her on edge. She wears the same armor as Outworld's champion with the only difference being her bracers that lack the sharp fins. The second one is also a beautiful woman with magenta hair that possess icy white streaks to them, and red eyes that also glow. Unlike her companion, she wears black and purple armor along with a purple cape that reaches her calves, along with a veil on her hair. The third woman, like her companions, is a beautiful woman with pale blond hair, almost white, with a black and blue crown on top, along with glowing emerald eyes. Unlike her companions however, she does not wear any armor at all and is dressed in a simple black and blue dress that not only accentuates her figure, but is also bare after covering her breasts, allowing one to see her stomach and the red markings on it.
"Husband!" happily calls out the first woman as she approaches Outworld's champion while he turns around to face him. Having finally taken notice of the situation however, the woman stops a few feet away from Malphas and looks at Shao Kahn's head in his hands. "Is that for me?" she asks with a happy smile on her face.
"No Azula, the decapitated head is not for you?" replies Malphas.
"Oh." answers the woman disappointedly. "You never got me a decapitated head when you crowned me Queen. In fact, I don't think that you ever crowned any of us Queen. Did he, Morgan?" asks Azula as she turns to Morgan.
"No, I don't think that he ever did. What ever will we do with a husband like you? Gallivanting across the omniverse, crowning other beautiful women Queen, while we, your wives, are at home worrying and raising the children." says Morgan with a heartbroken expression as she stands next to Azula. "A-are we not enough for you?" she asks, her voice cracking at the beginning of her question.
"What will I do with the two of you?" asks Malphas with an exasperated sigh as he rubs the bridge of his nose. "You had to interrupt now? Could you not wait until I was finished crowning Kitana and the Earthrealm warriors were gone?" he asks.
"Do you hear that Azula? He doesn't know if he wants us anymore!" says Morgan as a sorrowful tear slides down her dejected face.
"Enough!" exclaims the third woman as she gently smack the other two upside the head. "Our husband is currently conducting important business." she says.
"Thank you Scáthach." says Malphas with an appreciative smile.
"Do not thank me yet beloved. We will speak of your promiscuous behavior later." She replies as she fixes hima hard glare, causing her and her companions to laugh at Malphas' shocked expression before he too joins in on the laughter.
"Now, would you please do me a favor and erase the last few seconds from all but Sindel's, Kitana, Jade, and Mileena's minds?" asks Ambrosius as he turns to Morgan who simply snaps her fingers. "Thank you, now please make yourselves scarce before you return everyone to normal. I don't want anyone but a select few to know of my origins." he says as he looks at everyone's frozen expressions.
"Is there a particular reason why?" asks Scáthach. "You've never cared much about people finding out about our origins once we became gods." she observes.
"*Because this universe can help me fight off my warlike urges.*" he tells them in latin, with a somber tone.
"*Are they really that bad?*" asks Azula worriedly.
"*I can somewhat understand Ares' constant warlike behaviour now. While I am not the exact same war god as him, my domain encompasses all aspects of War unlike his which only covered the savage side of war. As such I get urges to be brutal and warlike just for the sake of it. However, just being here satisfies those urges.*" he explains.
"*Not surprising, once you consider the fact that it is normal for someone to have their spines removed here.*" observes Azula. "*Still, with the amount of seals we've placed on ourselves one would think that the urges would be more subdued than they currently are.*" she adds.
"*It is because our powers are growing. With the stabilisation of the DC Multiverse, along with whatever Hecate is doing with the Dark Multiverse, has caused it to grow. At this rate we'll need more than five seals to hold them at bay until we master them.*" explains Morgan.
"*Guess we'll have to cut our vacation short.*" sighs Azula.
"*What vacation?*" questions Scáthach with a scoff. "*We all know that slaying monsters, dark mages, and demons cannot be considered vacation. To top it all off we fought a war.*" says Scáthach, causing them all to smile wistfully at the truth of her words. None of them know how to properly have a vacation. They are gods whose entire existence as mortals was battle. Azula was trained to be a weapon of war as soon as she could firebend and did not even know how to interact with others socially unless the conversation involved politics, war, or firebending. Scáthach was a Queen who fought in countless battles before she became the ruler of the Land of Shadows. Morgan was a princess who spent every moment awake training to be Queen, before she became her sister's political advisor and spent that time trying to get rid of Merlin or dealing with nobles in the political field. The closest one to normal out of the four of them is Ambrosius and he cannot even spend more than one week without a battle before going stir crazy from idleness. Even reading a book or working on magic doesn't help much.
"We really are a bunch of sorry existences." says Ambrosius after a few seconds.
"*While we may not be able to vacation like normal beings, I believe that what we have been doing can count as vacation, at least for us. After all, what is a vacation other than an extended period of leisure and recreation. While to others it may mean being idle, to us it simply means doing what we usually do without the stress of what would happen should we fail.*" says Morgan, earning nods of agreement from the others.
"*Well put Morgan.*" compliments Scáthach before she erases her presence from the mortals' detection with Azula following closely behind. Before Morgan can do the same, Ambrosius grabs her arm.
"Memories." he reminds her with a raised eyebrow.
"Spoilsport." replies Morgan with a roll of her eyes before she snaps her fingers, erasing all the past proceedings involving them from the minds of everyone save for Jade, Mileena, Kitana, and Sindel. Afterwards she erases her presence from all forms of detections before returning every mortal back to normal.
For the warriors of the Mortal Kombat Universe, it was as if the past few minutes did not happen. All they remember is Malphas' coup and nothing afterwards. Not only do they not remember any of it, but it is as if time did not pass at all. The only ones who not only remember what happened but also know that minutes have passed since the coup are Jade, Mileena, Kitana, and Sindel.
Knowing that now is not the time to question Malphas on the recent events, Kitana simply walks over to him, and accepts his offer before making her way to Shang Tsung's throne and seating herself.
"You may all stand now." orders Kitana before she turns to the Earthrealm warriors. "Let me make myself clear." says the new Kahn, causing the Earthrealm warriors to tense. "I have no intention of merging Earthrealm to Outworld, however I cannot simply allow you to leave without some form of recompense. After all, it was us who won the Mortal Kombat Tournament and not you." she tells them.
"What do you want?" asks Sonnya cautiously, yet also respectfully.
"Trade. I will have an offer drawn up and be given to your ruler, and as a token of good faith, I offer you Kano's head." replies Kitana, causing the Earthrealm warriors to sigh in relief while the criminal begins to panic.
"Now, Kitana Kahn, let's not do anything drastic here. After all, your father and I had an agreement." he pleads as he attempts to discreetly make his way towards the exit.
"Mileena, be a dear and bring them his head." orders Malphas, causing Kano's eyes to widen in fear before he starts to sprint out of the room. Before he can make it far however Mileena appears behind him and proceeds to decapitate him with a fire dagger, removing his head from his shoulders while at the same time cauterising the stump due to the extreme heat.
With a smile hidden behind her veil, Mileena happily delivers the head to Sonnya.
"A gift, from the Kahn." she hisses, causing Sonnya to apprehensively accept the head before bowing to Kitana.
"You may leave now." orders Kitana just as a portal to Earthrealm appears behind them, which they happily go through without wasting a second. With the Earthrealm warriors' departure, Kitana turns her attention to her new generals. "I will hold court later, for now I wish to speak to my champion." she tells them. With a bow, all but Jade, Mileena, and Sindel turn and leave.
Once they are alone and the doors to the throne room are closed, Kitana gets up from her throne and marches towards Ambrosius.
"What was that?" questions the new Kahn as Azula, Scáthach, and Morgan reappear next to him.
"Now, Kitana, that is no way to treat your benefactor." says Sindel, reminding Jade and Kitana of her presence.
"Mother?" questions Kitana as she turns to face her mother. "Is that truly you?" she asks as she slowly approaches Sindel.
"Of course it is. Now come give your mother a hug." say Sindel as she opens her arms and she and Kitana share a tearful hug.
"How are you back?" wonders Kitana as she and Sindel separate and she observes her mother.
"It is a gift from our benefactor." explains Sindel as she looks towards Ambrosius.
"Is this true? And what do you mean by benefactor?" she asks while facing Ambrosius.
Without hesitating, Ambrosius gives her the same explanation he gave Sindel while also introducing Azula, Morgan, and Scáthach, surprising her and Jade. They never expected to meet a god other than Raiden, much less one more powerful than the Elder Gods and from outside of their Universe.
"I see." comments Kitana while deep in thought. "And you want nothing else other than me on the throne and my mother as overseer?" asks Kitana, earning a nod from Ambroius. "Very well, it's not like I have a choice anyway." agrees the Kahn.
"Perfect, now all that is left is for your mother to eat this." says Morgan as a golden apple appears in her hand, her version of Hera's Apples of Immortality from the PJO Universe. "It will give her immortality and the potential to become a goddess."
"Edenians are already as close to immortal as possible. Why do I need the apple?" asks Sindel.
"To give you immortality, or at least a close second to it. You will not age, you will be almost impossible to kill, and should someone succeed you will simply respawn back in Asgard. It will also give you the potential to become a goddess." she explains.
"I see." says Sindel as she takes the offered fruit and proceeds to eat it before falling unconscious.
"Mother!" exclaims Kitana as she catches her mother's falling body.
"Do not worry, she is simply undergoing the necessary changes and will wake up in around a day or two." reassures Scáthach. With a nod, Kitana picks up her mother and makes her way out of the throne room in search of a bed to lay her on with Jade following her closely.
"Why do I get the sense that you three have done this before?" questions Ambrosius since as far as he knows the Apples were prototypes and had not been completed yet.
"Elia was the first, but don't worry we made sure that there would not be any unwanted or surprise side effects." reassures Azula before she turns to Mileena. "Now, might this young lady be?" she asks.
"Mileena at your service, aunty. Or is it mother?" replies Mileena as she taps her chin contemplatively.
"I think that I'm going to like her." says Azula with a grin that Mileena is happy to return, causing a chill to go down Ambrosius' back as he realises the type of influence Azula will have on Mileena.
--
AN: Here's the chapter and the end of the MK arc. As usual tell me what you guys think. The first chapter of my Campione fic should be out sometime this week, so look forward to that.
Pre-Highschool DxD
Unknown Space in the Omniverse
"Is there a reason why you pulled us here?" I ask ROB as my wives and I find ourselves in what I like to call the jumpchain waiting room, the place where we come to choose our builds for the next jump.
"Yes. So I've heard that you found your chosen people." comments ROB nonchalantly.
"I did." I answer with a slow nod, unsure of where he is going with this.
"And I heard that you needed a world to use as a sort of… trial phase, for a lack of better terms." he tells me.
"Yes… is there a point to all of this?" I ask him.
"There is. What if I told you that I know of the perfect place for them?" he asks me, making me a little wary.
"I'm listening." I ask him with narrowed eyes.
"Highschool DxD!" he exclaims.
"Absolutely not!" I reply while making an x with my arms.
"Come on, it's such an entertaining place. Think of all the battles to be had, the beautiful women to bed, and the various factions to play with!" he rambles off, like a salesman attempting to sell a product that he is too invested in.
"First, any battle that we could have there would result in an absolute curbstomp. Second, I am happily married to three beautiful and wonderful women, and last, I am more likely to kill most of the faction leaders than play the political game with them." I tell him.
"First, that's what makes it so fun, second, you could always have more, and don't see you saying no to someone like Sindel, and last it would be an exercise of self control for you." he replies.
"Well he's definitely right about the second and third thing." agrees Azula with a nod.
"That is your inner Aphrodite speaking." I tell her, to which she simply replies with a shrug and a smirk. "Besides it wouldn't be a self control exercise for just me, you would all rather kill them too." I tell them.
"Doubtful." argues Morgan. "While you and Azula may have trouble controlling yourselves, Scáthach and I are the epitome of self-control." she says.
"Is that a challenge, Dear Morgan?" asks Azula with a smirk and a competitive glint in her eyes.
"Don't flatter yourself Azula, for it to be a challenge you would need to be a player. And you my dear, are not even on the board." answers Morgan with a smirk of her own, causing Azula's competitive spirit to soar. And just like that, any hope that I had of convincing them that DxD is not a good world just went out the window.
"What do you say, Scáthach?" I ask the fourth member of our little merry band.
"It should be interesting. At the very least we'll know whether or not the plan you have for the New Edenians is viable." she answers with a shrug.
"Very well." I say with an exasperated sigh before turning to face ROB. "I will still need to go to the Nasuverse and Hell first." I tell him.
"Oh, don't worry your pretty little head about that. I'll get the hero templates from the Throne of Heroes for you and make you some custom made blank souls for you to put them in. Just get in Highschool DxD and cause some chaos." he tells us happily before the build selector screens appear in front of us. "Before you start picking, let me just tell you that you will end up either during the Great War, or during the Devil Civil War. Plus you only get 500 cp as opposed to the standard 1000" he says.
"That is not an option." I tell him as I look at the screen while ignoring the fact that the amount cp I get has been halved. It doesn't really bother me since buying most of the perks would simply be a waste to me considering I can do most of those feats with my own powers.
"So? I can still throw you there, but it does mean that some of the perks will have to change a little to fit the time period." he tells me, making me roll my eyes at him. Hmmm, I wonder, how would Zekram Bael react to a human with the Power of Destruction. He will definitely pop a blood vessel.
Name: Ambrosius Malphas
Gender: Male
Age: ~2000 (Looks 27)
Height: 6'2
Hair Color: White
Eye Color: Crimson Red with slitted pupils
Status: King of the Sea, God of War, Storms, Sea, Earthquakes, Destruction, Intelligence, Poisons, Horses, Time
Weapon of Power: Spear- previously a valyrian steel enchanted by the remnant of Odin's power to be as close to Gungnir as possible, the weapon is now Ambrosius' weapon of power similar to how Poseidon had his trident and Zeus' master bolt. Unlike theirs however, Ambrosius does not need the spear to amplify his powers. (Looks like Gungnir from Thor 2011 movie)
Cosmic Warehouse:
Belt O' Tools: Batman graciously seems to have loaned you a belt containing the tools that he'll be using for this adventure. This includes stuff like remotely applied explosives gel capable of bringing down walls (though never seems to kill when blown up near someone's feet), to a cryptographic sequencer able to track signals, hack terminals, and listen to live radio broadcasts.… How did he know you'd be needing this stuff?
Animal Suit: A high tech set of body armor themed after an animal of your choice (DCAMU Damian Wayne Robin suit). The head piece contains advanced electronics equipment that scans the environment for information and clues relevant to the situation. It can pick up anything from gaseous alcohol molecules that'll lead you to a crooked guard, to traces of tobacco on the ground to lead you to a hostage. You may also import a set of armor you already own to gain these qualities.
Bat Wing: Hmm, seems like you've picked up one of Batman's spare vehicles. The Batwing is a supersonic aircraft faster than many jet fighters, possess advanced stealth systems that make it invisible to radar, and can be operated remotely, or operate autonomously.
Bat Cave: A series of platforms and bridges situated within a small cave. Contains a computer with immense analytical abilities, a landing platform for any aerial vehicles you have, and some workshops for working on gadgets and gizmos. After the jump this can either be attached to the warehouse, or will appear somewhere nearby.
Assistant VI: Top of the line assistant model Virtual Intelligence. Can be stored in an omni-tool and keep track of large amounts of data.
Weapon Locker: Cache of mid to high grade weapons of all types. Enough to outfit a battlelion.
Armor Locker: Cache of mid to high grade armor of all types. Enough to outfit a battlelion.
Conflict Minerals: Massive stash of various rare elements.
Fine Clothes: A very fine and ornate set of clothing. The equivalent of the finest you'd expect to get in your starting region.
Land Deed: A deed to an area of land close by in your chosen region. It will be accepted by all authorities as rightfully yours. This updates each jump but is generally not a particularly large plot of land elsewhere.
Dragonglass Cache: A black cloak with a few obsidian dagger, arrowheads, and spearheads.
Poison: A woman's weapon to be sure, but it can't be beaten for efficiency or for matters of subterfuge.You have a replenishing chest of poisons from around the known world. From vials of the Tears of Lys to Sweetsleep to crystals of the Stranger. There is bound to be one that suits your purpose.
Companions:
Azula (must always import. In exchange can import for free)
Scáthach (must always import. In exchange can import for free)
Morgan Le Fay (must always import. In exchange can import for free)
Highschool DxD
https/drive./file/d/1x-FAKwXkloflCyM_163WkzosI3SD3UKP/view
500 cp to spend
Race: Human [Free] - This should look familiar to you, shouldn't it? It's an ordinary, unremarkable human being. Two hands, two legs, and a subject of interest to all the major Factions. The vast majority of humans in this world are unaware of the supernatural world at large, and very few thrive without being Reincarnated or acquiring a Sacred Gear. Still, a lack of distinct advantages also means a lack of disadvantages, and you start with none of the natural weaknesses of the other races. I guess that's something? However, they do have one thing going for them - they are the only race who are naturally born with Sacred Gears. To represent this, you receive 200 CP for Sacred Gears.
Faction: Independent - Who cares about some kind of ancient war between three races? You've got bigger and better things to worry about! Whether following your own way or seeking to carve out your own faction, you operate on your own without needing anyone else's help.
Background: Drop-In - It's you! No new memories necessary, no real warning about what you are or what your arrival means. It's just the person you were before, entering this world with a comical 'pop' noise. If you chose a Faction, you receive a signed letter of recommendation, and directions to the nearest person to meet in order to formally join said Faction.
Perks:
Evil Pieces On A Board [-400cp] - The Evil Piece system is the centerpiece of how Devils gain prestige and power, and is how Peerages are formed. A single Devil of power is designated as the 'King', and they choose up to 15 servants to fill the role of the other pieces on the board. The chosen Pieces receive a boost to their base abilities in a way fitting their role - Rooks are strong and durable, but relatively slow, Bishops are able to cast more powerful magic but exhausted themselves if they overuse this, and so forth. Purchasing this allows you to use and grant this system to others, but you may also 'reincarnate' a recently dead or dying individual to return as a Reincarnated Devil, giving them the properties of that race. This only works on that particular person once, and doesn't work on Angels or similar 'holy' beings. Incidentally, this lets you grant others access to Mana and magic from this world quite handily…
All Myths Are True [-100cp] - Well, not necessarily, but in a world where Angels, Demons, Norse Deities, Youkai, and even more absurd creatures co-exist in the same setting, it pays to know what's what. You have an encyclopedic knowledge of all myths and religious texts that exist on present-day Earth, and how to quickly draw connections between them and the 'real deal' in this world and beyond. This won't teach you about any unique mythologies in other worlds, but it will let you draw connections and learn about them quickly so long as you have a way to research them. Never mistake a Reincarnated Devil for a Pure-Blood ever again!
Name: Azula
Gender: Female
Age: ~2000 (Looks 27)
Height: 6'0
Hair Color: Black
Eye Color: Gold
Status: Queen of the Sky, Goddess of Lightning and Thunder, Fire, Deceit, Choices, Revenge, Illusions
Highschool DxD
500 cp to spend
Race: Pure-Blooded Devil [-200cp] - Originating from the Underworld under the guidance of the Four Great Satans, these infernal beings of myth actually look almost identical to humans, save for the ability to manifest black wings and sometimes possessing pointed ears. All Devils receive many benefits from their physical forms, such as superhuman strength and endurance, as well as enhanced senses which include the ability to see in the dark. This comes with a natural aptitude towards magic, though they take more damage from holy weapons, such as those of Angels.
Faction: Independent - Who cares about some kind of ancient war between three races? You've got bigger and better things to worry about! Whether following your own way or seeking to carve out your own faction, you operate on your own without needing anyone else's help.
Background: Drop-In - It's you! No new memories necessary, no real warning about what you are or what your arrival means. It's just the person you were before, entering this world with a comical 'pop' noise. If you chose a Faction, you receive a signed letter of recommendation, and directions to the nearest person to meet in order to formally join said Faction.
Perks:
Nothing To See Here! [-200cp] - It can be dangerous to be a notable figure in this world, especially if you're not part of a Peerage or any sort of faction. So you just… don't. You're good at appearing to be a completely ordinary person, blending in like a 'side character'. Any deeds you are personally responsible for are glossed over or attributed to someone else, and this diverts all attention from greater powers away from you. Unfortunately, this doesn't apply to big things like 'personally slaying a major figure', though just defeating them in a fight would probably be covered up out of embarrassment. This also makes you good at getting away with misdemeanors like sneaking into private rooms or shoplifting. This can be toggled on and off.
All Myths Are True [-100cp] - Well, not necessarily, but in a world where Angels, Demons, Norse Deities, Youkai, and even more absurd creatures co-exist in the same setting, it pays to know what's what. You have an encyclopedic knowledge of all myths and religious texts that exist on present-day Earth, and how to quickly draw connections between them and the 'real deal' in this world and beyond. This won't teach you about any unique mythologies in other worlds, but it will let you draw connections and learn about them quickly so long as you have a way to research them. Never mistake a Reincarnated Devil for a Pure-Blood ever again!
Name: Scáthach
Gender: Female
Age: ~2000 (Looks 27)
Height: 6'0
Hair Color: Magenta with Icy blue streaks
Eye Color: Crimson Red
Status: Queen of the Dead, Goddess of Death, the Hunt, Winter, Ice, Mountains, Wilderness, War, Fate
Highschool DxD
500 cp to spend
Race: Human [Free] - This should look familiar to you, shouldn't it? It's an ordinary, unremarkable human being. Two hands, two legs, and a subject of interest to all the major Factions. The vast majority of humans in this world are unaware of the supernatural world at large, and very few thrive without being Reincarnated or acquiring a Sacred Gear. Still, a lack of distinct advantages also means a lack of disadvantages, and you start with none of the natural weaknesses of the other races. I guess that's something? However, they do have one thing going for them - they are the only race who are naturally born with Sacred Gears. To represent this, you receive 200 CP for Sacred Gears.
Faction: Independent - Who cares about some kind of ancient war between three races? You've got bigger and better things to worry about! Whether following your own way or seeking to carve out your own faction, you operate on your own without needing anyone else's help.
Background: Drop-In - It's you! No new memories necessary, no real warning about what you are or what your arrival means. It's just the person you were before, entering this world with a comical 'pop' noise. If you chose a Faction, you receive a signed letter of recommendation, and directions to the nearest person to meet in order to formally join said Faction.
Perks:
All Myths Are True [-100cp] - Well, not necessarily, but in a world where Angels, Demons, Norse Deities, Youkai, and even more absurd creatures co-exist in the same setting, it pays to know what's what. You have an encyclopedic knowledge of all myths and religious texts that exist on present-day Earth, and how to quickly draw connections between them and the 'real deal' in this world and beyond. This won't teach you about any unique mythologies in other worlds, but it will let you draw connections and learn about them quickly so long as you have a way to research them. Never mistake a Reincarnated Devil for a Pure-Blood ever again!
The Reliable One [-400cp] - Let's face it, you're probably barely a blip on the radar of this world, even if you're a recently Reincarnated Devil or got your hands on a powerful item of note. But your real strength isn't from having a unique trait or item, it's from being you. All that learning about other people and how they act has turned you into a steadfast friend and teammate. You are able to coordinate and bring together even the most volatile of personalities, turning a band of misfits into a force to be feared, and your charisma is strong enough to end a fight without violence. This does little for sworn enemies of any kind, or irreconcilable foes, but you'll find that the power of words can do anything from lifting the weight of past sins off of someone's back… or even end a long and bloody war. Even better, you will be recognized in these teams and groups as the glue holding it together, and those within it will respect you accordingly. Life is a tough thing to experience alone, and that's why you're there for them.
Name: Morgan
Gender: Female
Age: ~2000 (Looks 27)
Height: 6'2
Hair Color: Black
Eye Color: Emerald
Status: Queen of the Earth, Goddess of Magic, Life, Crossroads, Luck, Beauty, Prophecy
Highschool DxD
500 cp to spend
Race: Human [Free] - This should look familiar to you, shouldn't it? It's an ordinary, unremarkable human being. Two hands, two legs, and a subject of interest to all the major Factions. The vast majority of humans in this world are unaware of the supernatural world at large, and very few thrive without being Reincarnated or acquiring a Sacred Gear. Still, a lack of distinct advantages also means a lack of disadvantages, and you start with none of the natural weaknesses of the other races. I guess that's something? However, they do have one thing going for them - they are the only race who are naturally born with Sacred Gears. To represent this, you receive 200 CP for Sacred Gears.
Faction: Independent - Who cares about some kind of ancient war between three races? You've got bigger and better things to worry about! Whether following your own way or seeking to carve out your own faction, you operate on your own without needing anyone else's help.
Background: Drop-In - It's you! No new memories necessary, no real warning about what you are or what your arrival means. It's just the person you were before, entering this world with a comical 'pop' noise. If you chose a Faction, you receive a signed letter of recommendation, and directions to the nearest person to meet in order to formally join said Faction.
Perks:
Rise, Brave Saint [-400cp] - If things progress a certain way, Angels will soon be adopting a system similar to the Evil Pieces of Devils, creating a pseudo-peerage of Reincarnated Angels using cards instead of chess pieces. Whether from intuition or experimentation, you're an early adopter of this system - you can Reincarnate dead or dying individuals into Angels in a process identical to Reincarnated Devils. Much like its counterpart, this doesn't work on Devils, Fallen Angels, or beings akin to them, nor does it work on the same being more than once. While adopting the 12 Card system will be up to the passage of time or further experimentation on your part, these Reincarnated Angels are purified of any corruption they had in life, and are opened to the idea of God… or, if they're not a religious sort, the idea that there is more to strive for and good they can do in their lives. Whether or not they act on this, well… I hope they're grateful to you bringing them back.
All Myths Are True [-100cp] - Well, not necessarily, but in a world where Angels, Demons, Norse Deities, Youkai, and even more absurd creatures co-exist in the same setting, it pays to know what's what. You have an encyclopedic knowledge of all myths and religious texts that exist on present-day Earth, and how to quickly draw connections between them and the 'real deal' in this world and beyond. This won't teach you about any unique mythologies in other worlds, but it will let you draw connections and learn about them quickly so long as you have a way to research them. Never mistake a Reincarnated Devil for a Pure-Blood ever again!
AN: Here's the chapter and the end of the MK arc. As usual tell me what you guys think. The first chapter of my Campione fic is currently in my page two days before the chapter is published. The link is, ( . com / servantambrosius), minus the spaces.
Last edited: Jan 9, 2021
Arrival on the Isle of Man
Unknown Location Unknown Time
The first thing that my attention is brought to, upon our materialization, is the stench. The alleyway that we currently find ourselves in is dark, however with my enhanced senses I can easily see as if it were daytime, and easily smell this alley's stench. Similar to our arrival in Bludhaven, this alley also smells heavily of sewage, feces, vomit, alcohol, and even semen.
"Disgusting." comments Azula as she conjures a wind bubble around us that gets rid of the smell.
"Indeed." agrees Azula as she wrinkles her nose in disgust. "This is the second time that we find ourselves in this situation. I hope that this does not become a habit"
"Please." says Morgan with a roll of her eyes. "I would not put it past ROB to do this simply to get on our nerves, and considering the fact that we are during the time of the Great War, or during the Devil Civil War, then we must be sometime during the middle ages. Or even worse, the Dark Ages, meaning that this entire city might smell like this"
Having said her piece, Morgan proceeds to magically clean the alley with a wave of her hand.
"Interesting use of the cleaning spells from the Fairy Tail world." I comment with an appreciative nod. Truly it is an interesting use of those spells considering the fact that the most they should be able to clean are household messes. Meaning that she either overpowered the spell with a massive amount of magical energy, which is not her style at all, or she modified it on the spot. Considering who she is, I'm willing to bet on the latter, even if she currently does not have access to the usual knowledge or powers that she receives as a goddess of magic.
"Now that we are no longer suffering from the smell,-" comments Scathach. "-I believe that it is best to plan our next steps."
"Our first priority should be to obtain information. Where are we? What year is it? Who is in charge of this land? etc…" I answer.
"I propose that we split up and meet up outside of the city in fifteen minutes." suggests Azula, earning nods of agreements from the rest of us before we collectively walk out of the alley and go our separate ways.
The streets are almost devoid of life except for the few people who seem to be rushing in order to go home. Oil lamps can be found on the sides of the street in order to light the cobblestone path. All in all it looks like your typical medieval fantasy street. Having gotten a feel for our location, I begin to make my walk away from the street before stopping next to the building that makes up one of the walls of the alleyways that we just came from. Looking at its sign, I cannot help but smile at my luck. The building is a tavern, one of the best places to receive information.
Changing my rune suit to that of a weary traveler and putting a small illusion on myself, I slowly open the worn out door and make my way in with the door's creak announcing my arrival.
Hearing the door, many of the building's occupants turn to look at me and only see a young man with dirty black hair and dull brown eyes, causing them to relax their postures before returning to their affairs. As I approach the bar, the bartender observes me carefully while wiping down the table. Interesting, not only are the people on edge but the bartender, a man who clearly has combat experience going by how his eyes rake over my body in order to find a weapon, seems to be even more on edge than normal. Sitting on a barstool, I observe him. A strong frame that can only be earned through battle, a weary gase of one who has seen too much, tense muscles ready to explode into action on command, and even a few weapons hidden on his person and around the bar, making it easy for him to be armed regardless of where in the bar he stands. Evidently these times are far more turbulent than normal. I can easily use this to my advantage.
"What a young man you be doing out this late at night, much less travelin on your own?" he asks me as he pours a drink into a mug before handing it to me.
"Village was attacked. Ah barely survived to get away." I reply with a perfect match to his accent before taking a gulp from my drink. With a face clear of any emotion other than grief, I force the horrible drink down my throat even as I interestingly watch the room fall into silence due to my words.
"Devils?" questions one man from behind as he stands up.
"Aye." I reply as I put my mug down and tighten my grip on the handle with grief and rage clear on my face. "They came from nowhere. Before I knew the village was burnin and people was dyin." I tell them, causing many of them to curse while the man who stood up earlier throws his cup in a fit of rage before sitting back down in his seat.
"How far away is yer village?" he asks me, his posture tenser than before.
" I don't know. Been traveling for days before reaching here." I tell him, making him relax a little, or at least return to his state of alertness before my arrival. Evidently we've arrived sometime during the Great War between Heaven, the Grigory, and Hell. Finishing my drink, I get up from my seat, return the discarded cup to the man before making them all forget about me while also getting knowledge of our location from them as I leave.
With the relevant information in my mind now I make my way to the town's exit where I find the others waiting for me already.
"Now that our slowpoke of our husband is here, we can begin to plan." jokes Azula and making me roll my eyes at her comment. Despite whatever she says, I am easily the fastest amongst us in terms of combat and travel speed. It is the aspect that I focus on the most when it comes to physical training.
"Let us walk. We can talk on the way." I reply as I walk out of the town with them following next to me, our pace being easily faster than any man or horse despite us simply walking.
"It seems that you already have a destination in mind." observes Scáthach.
"The Isle of Man. An island that lays in between England and Ireland. Considering the date, it should not have been influenced by any of the civilisations surrounding it, nor should it be a place of interest." I explain as we make our way to the nearest shore.
"Perfect. Once we land there we can set up a magical barrier around the island to not only make it hard to find, but also discourage anyone from approaching it." says Morgan.
"Then we present ourselves to the inhabitants in our forms as gods and turn it into a nation worthy of being called Edenia." suggests Azula.
"Is that wise?" questions Scáthach. "Would that not cause the inhabitants to clash with the New Edenians once you make them?" she elaborates.
"This is why one of the perks I chose gave me the Evil Pieces. I will study them and reverse engineer them to turn the inhabitants into New Edenians. And with the Brave Saint pieces from the angels we look at both creations to make an even better one." I explain.
"Perhaps we can even see about giving them the same advantages of the devils and the angels with none of the weaknesses." mutters Morgan as she thinks of the impressive piece of magic that could accomplish such a feat.
"Look at her, she's practically drooling." says Azula with a laugh. "The two of you are such magic geeks." she says, causing us all to look at her with raised eyebrows. She has no place to talk, while not as obsessed with her field of magic as the rest of us, Azula can easily be called a geek when it comes to charms and illusionary types of magic.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" she asks, causing us to simultaneously shake our head in perfect sync.
"Nothing." we tell her just as we reach our destination, a cliff connected to the sea.
"Do you all know where the Isle of Man is?" I ask them as my rune suit transforms into my Atlantean armor just as they all nod. "Perfect. The last one there has to do dishes with no powers for the next century!" I exclaim with a smirk on my face as I dive into the turbulent water while ignoring their cries of protest. The cliff is easily far too high for any regular mortal to survive, much less swim. And with the turbulent waves their corpse would easily be washed out into the sea. Despite this however I easily make it into the water with no trouble due to my Edenian heritage. While not exactly human, Edenians are close enough to humans for ROB to allow me to jump into DxD without turning me into a human. Once in the water, I activate the array in my vambraces that allows one to control water before forcing the water to push me towards my destination. The array is nothing special and can in fact be considered primitive since all it allows the user to do is push or pull water, nothing. Regardless, it serves its purpose well and is immensely useful for when my divinity is sealed. Just like now for example.
The trip to the Isle of Man takes me about a minute at the most and I cannot help but chuckle at the thought of the loser's facial expression.
"Is there something funny dear?" ask Azula as I come out of the water.
"Yes, the loser's facial expression." I reply with a smile.
"Is that so?" she asks me with a raised eyebrow, making me suspicious. Before I can answer, Morgan and Scáthach appear in front of me as if they were there the entire time with a smirk on their faces.
"What?" I stupidly ask with wide eyes and an open mouth before a camera appears in Scáthach's hands and she takes a picture.
"Such a wonderful picture. Don't you think so, beloved?" she asks with a smile as she shows me the picture of my dumb, yet still somehow handsome, face staring at them.
"I believe that you will now be doing the dishes with no powers." comments Morgan, making the others giggle, they actually giggled, at my predicament. One thing about the four of us that can be considered odd is that for all of our magical powers, we prefer to do mundane tasks like cooking and cleaning like regular mortals. We will sweep and even dust with no problem. However, one thing that we all despise is dishes. There's no meaningful reason as to why, other than we just do. As such, whenever there are dishes that need to be done they are always completed magically. We would use disposable ones, but Morgan uses them as part of the kitchen decorations.
"I want to know how you all did it. I can understand Azula since she has wings now and can even use her devil magic to teleport." I say as I dry myself.
"Azula was kind enough to teleport us to the island with her." answers Scáthach as she puts the camera away.
"Oh, well. You can't win them all." I answer with a sigh before straightening myself. "Now, let's get to work." I say as I release the first seal on my divinity while the others follow suit.
Without saying another word, we get to work. I begin by reaching out to the sea and create a mist that quickly surrounds the island before pushing it back twenty miles away from the island where Morgan and Azula take over by weaving a set of illusions and enchantments in the mist that makes the island almost impossible to find and even harder to reach.
As they do that, I will a thin layer of the ocean to rise and form a dome over the island and inscribe a set of protective arrays on the new dome that will make it so that nothing short of the top five will be able to damage it, much less penetrate it. Strong enough to stop almost anything, but weak enough so that New Edenia will not become complacent in its defenses.
While Morgan, Azula, and I were working on these two small projects, Scáthach had inscribed an array on the island's perimeter that will make the island draw magic from the nearest major layline and the air. This in turn will enrich the island and turn it into a magical hotspot, and with the dome also acting as a barrier to keep all that magical energy inside while also hiding it from the outside world, this will be a perfect place to train anyone in magic or to perform any sort of magic extensive ritual.
With everything done and connected to one another, the dome disappears from sight along with the mist, allowing anyone on the island to see outside while anyone on the outside will completely miss the island and in fact avoid.
"This should be good enough to serve as a foundation." says Morgan as she observes our work with a look of satisfaction on her face.
"Personally I think that it is too much." argues Scáthach. "These defenses are powerful to hold back anyone but the top five beings of this world. It will make them complacent." she explains.
"Please, if it were up to you there would be no defenses." says Azula.
"We will leave it like this for now. Should Scáthach be proven to be right, then we will lower them to a more reasonable level." I interrupt before Scáthach can answer. "For now let us meet the locals." I say as I switch to my divine armor and take to the sky with Azula, Scáthach, and Morgan switching to their own divine clothing and following a step behind me.
AN: Here's the chapter and the end of the MK arc. As usual tell me what you guys think. The first chapter of my Campione fic is currently in my page one day before the chapter is published. The link is, ( . com / servantambrosius), minus the spaces.
Experiments
Isle of Man ~ 460 AD
They came during one cold winter night from the sky, their capes fluttering behind them in the wind while their divine armor shone with the light from the moon. Their features, while human, were too beautiful to be considered as such, and it was then that the first tribe of people who encountered them understood that these four beings were not mortals but were instead gods. Faced with the majestic presence of these four deities, the tribe kneeled down while awaiting for them to be addressed while hoping that they did not come for nefarious reasons. As it turned out, they came for one purpose, to make the island home to their chosen people while also giving the island's natives the choice to join them. Afraid of what denying them could mean and having no valid reason why they should refuse, the tribe accepted.
Having expected nothing from the gods, the people were surprised when knowledge on how to better their lives flowed into their minds. Knowledge of how to build better structures to survive against the elements, knowledge of how to create better clothes, how to cook the best food with their resources, and knowledge on many more things that they could never have even imagined on their own. With this gift, the first tribe vowed absolute loyalty to these deities and chose to accompany them when they visited other tribes despite the gods' insistence that it was not necessary since they could quickly and easily make their way around the island. Seeing the conviction in their eyes, the gods relented and chose to travel as mortals in order to accommodate their new companions, an action that caused the people's respect of them to grow even more.
Throughout their travels, the tribe learned that the gods were not originally of this world, but rather each originated from a different world and simply came to this world in search of a place to plant the foundations of their chosen people. They learned that while the sole man of the four was the king and leader of the group, he had an insurmountable amount of respect for the other three who are also his wives. They learned that despite being king he prefers the personal touch that a father would possess as opposed to the more professional touch of a king. They learned that while he is the only war god amongst the four that the others were all powerful in their own right.
Eventually however they came upon a second tribe, a tribe that the first tribe do not exactly see eye to eye with. Many had expected an altercation to occur, however with a few simple words from the Goddess Azula, both tribes chose to leave their differences in the past and collectively follow these deities.
With the addition of the second tribe, the size of the group grew and speed of their travel slowed, or at least it should have. However at this time, the gods chose to take care of every responsibility that would slow down their group. They created shelter from the earth, water from the air, hunted and cooked all of the food with flame that was made from nothing other than Goddess Azula's hands. A flame that, despite its small size, burned hot enough for it to feel like summer.
It was like this that the group traveled throughout the island, going from tribe to tribe and convincing them all to follow these new deities. Throughout their travels they learned many things from the god and goddesses. Any question that they asked were answered easily and expertly enough that the entire group understood. They learned of the many other gods in this world, of the many factions that they make up, and of the current civil war happening within the Abrahamic Faction that is ravaging the lands outside of their island. They learned of the gods' plan to eventually join the war should it go on much longer, causing the warriors of the tribes to vow to follow them into battle. That had earned a laugh from the Goddess Azula and a smile from the Goddess Morgan. They had thought that their offer was being mocked before the Goddess Scáthach had explained that it would be suicide and that if they wished to follow them into war they would have to wait for a few years for the gods and goddesses to complete some form of research. In response to the explanation the warriors had vowed to wait until that time had come, or to prepare their children should they themselves be unable to follow.
Like this, months passed and every single person on the island had vowed themselves to the god. With that done, the group moved to the center of the island where a magnificent castle was easily erected by Morgan before the four deities built a city with the castle in the center. The city is easily large enough to fit everyone on the island while leaving room for when the population will grow. The architecture style for the city is mostly Greco-Roman with a few touches of medieval gothic.
Living in this new city was troublesome at first. The majority of them were farmers, some were blacksmiths, others were carpenters, and some were hunters or warriors as some called them. Due to some spells erected by Morgan, they quickly found that all of the lands within a certain area of the city easily grew food that the farmers would have to farm themselves. The land was self-sufficient and all that would need to be done would be to plant the seeds and harvest the crops once it was time. Everything else, like plowing and tilling, was done magically and just naturally happened. As such the farmers found themselves with plenty of free time while the blacksmiths found that the bulk of their work, which were farming tools, was no longer needed.
While the blacksmiths simply repurposed the allotted time to experimenting with the craft using the knowledge given to them by the gods, the farmers had to choose something new to spend their time on. Some chose to become smiths, others hunters, some became craftsmen, and some even began to experiment with painting and making music. Eventually however, things settled down comfortably and all found that this new life was much more enjoyable than their previous one. Not only was life much easier, but it was also more enjoyable and they had more time to pursue whatever interests they may have.
That all changed however one night when a massive pillar of multicolor lights had come from the sky to strike down the ground in front of the castle. From the lights emerged a group of men in splendid armor and swords at their hips with two women leading them. The people had thought themselves under attack until Morgan and Ambrosius had emerged from their castle with smiles on their faces to greet the group. As it turns out, Morgan has a little sister named Arturia. She herself is a Queen and the men accompanying them were none other than her most trusted warriors, the Knight of the Round Table. With them however, had been Ambrosius and Morgan's daughter, Mordred.
The arrival of the group had turned into a joyful occasion for the people, they had met the goddess's sister and her daughter. As a result they threw a party as a welcome, something that had the pair secretly blushing when outside of the public eye.
With the arrival of the Knights, those hunters who vowed to follow the gods into battle began their training under the Knights. They quickly found out however that while they may be considered warriors amongst their people, to true warriors they are nothing but average men skillesly waving around pointy sticks. As such, the training was brutal, painful, and at times almost mind breaking. They were not being trained to kill normal men, nor were they being trained to kill men with magical capabilities, they were instead being trained to kill the supernatural. Beings that could easily break steel with their bare hands, move faster than the eye could see, and easily wreak havoc to a normal human army by themselves. As such they too had to be able to defeat armies by themselves.
Normally no amount of training would help them reach such a level. At this point in time humanity is not only at a disadvantage due to their frail bodies, but they also had no magic system to help them even out the odds. However, they are not expected to be able to defeat supernatural beings such as High Class devils with their current training, no the training will put them on a high Mid Class devil's level before they are further trained to the ground until they unlock Touki, which will put them on around low to mid High Class devil. Naturally not all of them are expected to reach such a high level, only the most talented will. However, it will put even the weakest one of them at a high Mid Class devil level without any form of enhancement.
Hearing this caused the competitive spirits within the trainees to soar and they began to compete in order to see which ones of them will reach that level. Like this, a few years passed until the day arrived, the day when their lives were changed even more.
Isle of Man
~ 470 AD
The Evil Piece System and the Brave Saints are genius pieces of magic and Ajuka being hailed as a genius for their creation is warranted. While the main function of it is to turn anything that is not a God/Buddha or Dragon God into a hybrid of devil and whatever their original species is, it also holds a few secondary functions such as giving those reincarnated as rooks more strength than the other pieces. As far as I can tell, that function was a choice in order to help the reincarnated devils specialise in their strengths. It is somewhat similar to the summoning of the Holy Grail in the sense that it places the reincarnated devil into a class like the grail places heroes into a class. Lancers would be Knights, Sabers would be Queens, Casters would be Bishops, Rooks would be lucid Berserkers. It does not mean that a class form the grail easily translates into a class from the Evil Piece System however, an Archer could just as well be a Bishop or a Knight. The speed of a Knight would be supremely useful for evasion while the magical reserves of a Bishop would allow an Archer like EMYIA to spam Caladbolg.
While it is an interesting piece of magic, Morgan and I figured out all of its functions within the first five years. The time would have been shorter, but we did it as humans without the help of our domains and while helping the people settle down comfortably in the city.
After that we set our sights to the Brave Saints cards. While the premise is similar, the execution is somewhat different. The Evil Pieces were designed to turn anyone into a devil as long as they are not a God/Buddha or Dragon God, like Ophis, regardless of morality. The Brave Saints however had to take things like morality into account since an angel not 'Pure Hearted' will simply turn into a Fallen Angel which would be counteractive to the Brave Saint's purpose. As such it is possible to be rejected by the system.
With our knowledge of the systems we were able to create our own version of it. The first function is the same as both the Evil Pieces and the Brave Saint cards, it turns the chosen into an Edenian. However I was not satisfied with that. While the average Edenian is not weaker than the average devil in terms of magic, physically they lose out easily. My second problem came about when I realised that a devil's potential for growth is much larger than an Edenian's. Give a devil and an Edenian the same amount of time to become more powerful and the devil will easily outstrip the Edenian. I do not want some no name devil to go train for some three years and kill one of my Edenian who has trained for a decade. My third issue came in the form of loyalty. How do I keep them loyal to me without brain washing them. The devils use the fear of becoming a Stray and being hunted down in order to dissuade reincarnated devils from going rogue, but I have no interest of doing that to my people and I don't plan on dedicating part of my forces to simply hunting down rogues. With these problems coming to light, Morgan and I returned to the lab to get back to work.
The first problem to be fixed was easily the one about their loyalty. The answer came to me in the form of the Faith system we use in Asgard. Rather than worry about their loyalty to me, I will let the pieces do the work for me. It won't force them to be loyal or even strengthen their loyalty, heck it will barely interact with their mind. No, the pieces will simply keep track of their loyalty to me and when it reaches a point where they are disloyal it will remove itself from them while also turning them back into whatever species they were and taking away whatever strength or power they gained through the piece. Not only will it do that, but it will also keep a log of how close they are to becoming disloyal and why, allowing me to see it.
The second problem to be fixed was surprisingly the first and we did not even need to do anything to fix it. Rather than alter the Edenian genome to make them more physically powerful, we decided to use their ridiculous potential for magic to fix the issue, and the nasuverse magic system is perfect for that. While an Edenian will most likely be weaker to a devil physically at a base level, with reinforcement they will be easily be able to keep up. Now while reinforcement used by a human will not allow them to dominate a servant or anyone higher in physical combat, Edenians are not humans. Yes Edenians share many similarities with humans, and one may even argue that Edenians are the much more evolved version of humans, that difference plays a major role here. An Edenian's body is easily as tough as an average High Class devil's body and that's all without training. Morgan and I theorise that due to the brutal and savage nature of the MK world, most species focused more on toughness and stamina when evolving as opposed to strength and speed. As such the body of an Edenian can easily withstand reinforcement. However, being the maniac that we are, Morgan and I decided to make the pieces give the wielder an instinctual level of how to perform reinforcement along with perfect control of their magical energy. With a little bit of training even the least talented Edenian will be able to use reinforcement to move as fast as Setanta's Lancer Servant form. All of this is without factoring in their training at the hands of Arturia's knights or without factoring in Touki.
The final problem was a bit harder to solve, but eventually we did. Using a drop of my ichor, divine blood, to alter the Edenian genome, we were able to give them the same insane potential that a genius demigod would have. As long as their body can handle it and they put in a certain amount of work, then they will easily grow in power. That does not however make them demigods since the amount I used was not enough, but it does give them the potential to use any of the powers related to my domain or create sub branches of those powers. It also gives them the ability to become more powerful and breath under water, along with the ability to talk to any sea life and horses.
With that final problem solved, the prototype was created. With their creation however, came a thought. The Isle of Man currently has a population of 53,314 with 10,000 of those being warriors that trained under the Knights of the Round Table. As such I no longer need to create Edenian bodies to put the souls of heroes from the Throne into. However, I already have scanning of most of their souls and not making use of them would be a waste. With that thought I started another round of experiments, implementing imprints on those souls and seeing how they affected the pieces. I wanted to see if I could give the Edenians the same prodigious talent that some of the heroes had.
At first it did not work since there were too many imprints and they heavily clashed against one another. Therefore I narrowed it down to six imprints per piece, one for each class of the Holy Grail, minus Berserker, based on their skills and personality. For Saber I chose Lancelot for his skills, for Archer I chose Arjuna for both his skill with the bow and his personality, Lancer was Guan Yu for his military genius and skill with polearms, Caster was Medea, Assassin was Cursed Armed Hassan, and for Rider I chose Achilles.
With that done I travelled to the mainland and captured the worst humans I could find before infusing them with the pieces. The results were immediate, they were faster, stronger, tougher and one even blasted me with the Power of Destruction. Once I subdued them, I looked further to find any changes caused by the soul imprints. My findings were great to say the least. While they did not receive personal skills that the imprints did not possess in their life, even if legends say they did, they did receive all of the class skills and the life skills of whichever soul imprint they resonated with. If they did not resonate with any of the imprints then they only received the class skills. With my experiments done, I disposed of them before returning home.
AN: Here's the chapter. As usual, tell me what you guys think, especially since I tried to do a montage of what happened in a few years. Since we don't know when the Great War began or when it ended, I'm putting the end of it around 500 AD which will also be the time where Camelot falls and Arthur dies.
Also the first chapter of my Campione fic is published. The name of it is The Godslaying King. The second chapter is already available on my p a t r e o n The link is, (p a t r e o n . com / servantambrosius), minus the spaces. That story will be updated once a week and patrons will be able to read chapters a week in advance along with other exclusive content such as the Authorities that I have come up with and are considering for the main character.
Angelic Knights
Isle of Man ~ 472 AD
Two years, that's how long it has been since my final experiment with Edenian Metamorph System, or EMS for short. Morgan and Azula have not only commented on my horrible naming skills, but have outright teased me for it. Until they come up with a better name for it however it shall remain as such. The past two years have been filled with my finetuning of the system and finalising the training of the warriors by having them partake in full on live combat against the Knights of the Round or against us. The battles are usually one on one or team versus team and are also dangerous enough that the trainees can actually die from them, or at least that's what they think. In reality they cannot die from those spars simply because the arena in which they take place is based on the Rating Game arenas that the Devils use in the future but with more liberal conditions.
Rather than teleport them out when they come close to dying, it teleports them out once they are physically and mentally incapable of doing anything to save themselves. Naturally this leaves a loophole in the form of them getting one shot killed, but the fact that it has not happened yet is a testament to their skills and power. Yes, we are still holding back, but at this point the only thing that we are not doing is speed blitzing them to death and spamming our destructive abilities. The layout is usually whoever is facing a trainee starts out fighting with the same level as them before slowly increasing it until they are overwhelmed, and to be honest the trainees have exceeded all of our expectations. Not only have they all unlocked Touki, but they've experimented with to the point that even the weakest one of them can use it to negate any magical attack that reaches up to low Ultimate Class and only be knocked out while the strongest of them can outright tank those and would only become unconscious from mid Ultimate Class. While that might not seem impressive at first, one must remember that they are all normal humans and that the gap between High Class and Ultimate Class is quite vast. A comparison would be me as a demigod in PJO compared to Percy. While Percy is a powerful demigod, I was accomplishing the same feats as him, and even greater feats, with less than half of the effort.
Ironically enough this has made it so that the Knights of the Round have to rely more on their skills as opposed to the huge magical beams, an action that has made the trainees begin to lose more and more of the battles because no matter how powerful they get they are still less skilled and less physically powerful than the Knights who easily rest in the realm of Ultimate Class. Which makes me wonder, how powerful will they be once they are infused with the EMS. While the pieces are complete, I want to wait until the trainees have full control over their power and are comfortable before turning them, something that won't happen for at least one more year since some of them are seeing signs of more growth through the battles.
Before I can give any more thought to the question a knock on the door brings me out of my musings.
"Enter." I say as I look up from the workbench where six EMS pieces lie. Unlike the EMS pieces that I will use on the trainees, which are crystal clear and shaped in the form of a serpentine dragon that resembles the MK symbol, these are white and gold and shaped into the form of Knights standing guard with their swords planted on the ground in front of them.
"Father." greets Mordred as she steps in with Arturia and the Knights of the Round following her. While there are fifteen Knights in the Round table, Arturia included, only five have been brought to life, Percival, Palamedes, Tristan, Lancelot, and Bedivere. The others were not brought back for various reasons ranging from they deserved to rest in peace, to the fact that they would not be able to accept the new status quo of Mordred leading them. "You wanted to see us?" she asks as they step in and close the door behind them.
"Yes. Your pieces are ready." I tell her as I push the case containing them towards them. Hearing my words, the Knights seem to perk up in excitement as Mordred makes her way to the workbench.
"Are these it?" she asks as she picks up the case.
"They are. All you need to do is put a drop of your ichor on them to attune them to you." I instruct her.
"How are these different from the normal ones?" she asks while following my instructions.
"These are made specifically for you and your Knights while taking your domains into account. Once a Knight is infused with it they will turn into an Angel/God hybrid." I begin to explain.
"An angel? As in the same ones from this world?" she asks as we watch the pieces absorb her blood before beginning to emit a slight golden glow.
"Not really. The only reason I call them such is because they will gain angelic wings. The true 'race' that they will be, for a lack of better term, is god. They will become minor gods of your domains with their main domain being whatever their personalities are more compatible with. They will not fall unless they completely betray you, and should they do so then the penalty is the same as the regular EMS pieces. As such, I call these pieces Angelic Knights. Also, these pieces are infused with their own personal imprints." I explain.
"Their imprints? Why?" she asks as she observes the biggest piece, the master piece and the one that will fuse with her. It serves as nothing more than a link to bind the other pieces to her and to give her angel wings, something that she's made clear that she doesn't want. Just imagining her face when wings sprout from her back makes me want to laugh since according to her they look ridiculous. Other than that it also serves to empower the wielders of the other pieces, the more powerful she is the more powerful they become.
"Because their servant counterparts possess skills that they themselves do not. For example, as a servant Lancelot would gain the skill Knight of the Owner. A skill that allows to turn anything he touches into an A-rank noble phantasm. Since we did not turn him into a servant before bringing him back to life, then he does not possess it." I explain to them.
"Makes sense. Is there anything else I need to know?" she wonders.
"Once the transformation is complete they'll be able to access a more human form without the wings but with the same powers." I tell her.
"So what's the purpose of the wings?" she asks me.
"Purely cosmetic. They can fly without them and access their full power without them. I just gave them wings because I thought that the concept was interesting. Although, the more powerful they are, the more wings they get until they reach twelve and merge into one massive pair of wings." I explain, making her nod before she infuses the master piece into herself. As soon the piece fuses with her, a massive angelic wing explodes from her back and sends the Knights of the Round flying through the wall behind them while also destroying everything else in the room.
Mordred, barely understanding what just happened, can only stare at her new appendages with a mortified expression on her face.
"Oi, dad…" she whispers as she slowly turns her face to look at me. "… what is this?" she asks, her eyes wide with horror while her mouth hangs open. Rather than answer I merely give her a smile just as Morgan appears next to me with a camera in her hands and snaps a couple of pictures while giggling.
"Perfect." she says with a smile as we high five each other.
"Mom? You knew about this?!" demands Mordred.
"Of course. I helped him make the pieces after all." she proudly answers while taking a few more pictures.
"I told you that I didn't want wings!" she exclaims.
"Why not? Can you imagine how awesome you'll look when you come from the sky to save lives with you massive wings flapping behind you?" I ask her as the pair of wings twitch just as the Knights come near her and once again sends them flying back.
"Can you stop doing that!" she orders her wings before turning back to her mother and I. "And I don't look awesome, I look just as ridiculous as those pigeons in Heaven." she argues.
"I beg to differ, those wings are majestic and look like the wings of an apex predator, not a pigeon's." replies Morgan.
"Argh!" screams Morgan while accidentally flexing her wings and causing more destruction in my workshop. "Fix this!" she orders, reminding me of when she was just a child and making me chuckle in fondness.
"Sorry dear, but we don't know how to." answers Morgan even though we easily can fix it.
"Of course you can, you did this." she rebutes with a hopeful expression on her face that slowly turns to despair once she sees us shaking our heads regretfully. "Fine, I hope that you have better luck fixing yourselves first." she says as power gathers in the palm of her hands and she blasts us through a wall with it. Since my workshop is connected to one of the outer walls of the castle, we are blasted right through the wall, out of the castle and into the city below.
"That actually hurt a bit." I observe as I catch myself mid flight and stop at a hover.
"Was that your divine Power of Destruction?" questions Morgan as she hovers next to me while rubbing her stomach.
"Yes, but how did she get it. Last I checked she did not get anything from the blood adoption ritual." I comment while waving away the concerned citizens with a smile.
"Did you use your ichor to empower those pieces?" asks Morgan as we fly back into my empty workshop, with Mordred no doubt leaving to blow off some steam while taking her pieces with her.
"I use my ichor to empower all of the pieces. The only difference with these and the normal EMS ones is that those also have Sindel's and my Edenian blood in them to serve as the base for the Edenian genome." I explain.
"Between your demigod blood and your ichor I theorise that it's enough for any dormant power within her to activate. She should observe her to see if she awakens any other ones." says Morgan as we begin to fix the workshop.
"How long do you think it'll take her to figure out that she can retract her wings?" I ask with a smile.
"Once she starts thinking, which will probably take a few days, I say a few minutes." replies Morgan with a laugh before she begins to contemplate something. "I wonder… is it possible to create a perfect hybrid of Devil and Angel?" she wonders out loud.
"Angel or Fallen Angel?" I ask her.
"Angel. A hybrid of Devil and Angel with all of their powers by none of the drawbacks." she answers.
"Possible, but we would need to use a third race to act as a buffer. Human would probably be best."
"But what if we did one without a buffer. Is it possible? What would it look like? Would they have a specialty? Would it require a new magic system? All of these questions that need to be answered." she rants off with glee before quietly thinking about how to go about it.
"Wanna find out?" I ask her after a few moments of silence.
"Yes!" she exclaims as she magically fixes the workshop before summoning a notebook to her hands. And just like that we have another project.
AN: Here's the chapter. As usual, tell me what you guys think. As you can see this arc won't have the same serious tone as the others, at least not until we get to the war.
Also the first chapter of my Campione fic is published. The name of it is The Godslaying Pharaoh, not King. I changed it since it fits more in line with the theme I will be using for the mc. The second chapter is already available on my p a t r e o n The link is, (p a t r e o n . com / servantambrosius), minus the spaces. That story will be updated once a week and patrons will be able to read chapters a week in advance along with other exclusive content such as the Authorities that I have come up with and are considering for the main character.
Morningstar
Isle of Man
~ 482 AD
The Evil Pieces and Brave Saint cards are useless, at least in this endeavor. While their function is to turn humans and other species, in the case of the Evil Pieces, into their respective races of Devil and Angel, they don't turn them into Purebloods but rather into a hybrid of Devil and their original race. While I have no problem with reincarnated Devils nor believe them to be inferior to purebloods, there is a fundamental difference between the two that makes purebloods more prone to act based on their desires and more susceptible to fall to anything holy or related to Yahweh. While one could argue that those differences makes them inferior to reincarnated devils, the truth of the matter is that it also gives them a head start over their reincarnated counterparts in terms of power.
In terms of the Brave Saint system we haven't been able to find any difference between reincarnated angels compared to pureblood angels since we have no pureblood angels to compare them to, whereas with the Evil pieces we could compare them to Azula who is a pureblood devil. As such when we created lifeless homunculi to turn into angels we couldn't tell whether they would pass off as pureblood angels. However none of those reasons are why the Evil Pieces and Brave Saints are useless, no those reasons simply make it more complicated when trying to create an angel/devil hybrid. The true reason why they are useless is because they don't mix well at all.
Our first experiment began with trying to turn a lifeless pureblood devil homunculi into an angel. That resulted in the destruction of the homunculi body as the opposing forces tore it apart in an attempt to destroy one another. The second attempt was with an angel that we tried to turn into a devil with the resulting being the same. Our third attempt was to start from scratch by creating a body with the genetics of both species. Like the previous attempts, this one was also a failure.
It was then that we decided to take a step back and ponder about what we know about both species and why their genetics are so conflicting. The answer came easily enough in the form of God. When Lucifer, Beelzebub, Leviathan, and Asmodeus fell, they went to the Underworld where Lucifer created the first devils, the 72 Pillars. They were meant to be the generals of his forces to take over Earth and to defeat the angels. As such it makes no sense for them to be weak against anything holy, light, or God related. Morgan and I refused to believe that Lucifer would be stupid enough to make his forces naturally weak against the very enemies he created them to defeat. This only left us with one plausible answer, after their creation someone imposed that weakness upon them and who better to do so than his father and creator the big G himself.
For all of Lucifer's genius and cunning he overlooked one fact, God created him. While that might not mean anything for other beings and deities, when it comes to the big G it matters for one simple reason, everything created by him is part of a system and has set rules that they must follow. So while Lucifer did successfully rebel he was still in the system as a fallen angel until he created the ritual that creates devils. Unfortunately for Luci, while it did somewhat remove him from the system it was not enough to stop God for imposing those weaknesses onto him and his new race of soldiers. From henceforth Devils became weak to light and anything holy and blessed.
With that revelation came a roadblock and a question. How do we reverse that? We didn't even need to experiment to know that doing so would require us to put in more effort than we are willing to. While this is an interesting project, we certainly don't care enough about it to mess up God's entire system for it. So we went with another round, creating a tribrid.
We once again began with a lifeless Edenian homunculi before turning it into a Devil/Edenian hybrid. Afterwards we began the process of integrating the angelic genes into it. The process was slow, methodical, and required us to pay close attention to the merge in case something went awry. The first time was a failure with the process happening too fast to be regulated properly. The second however was a success. When the merge was first completed the homunculus showed signs of extreme light poisoning and was quite sickly, but as time went on the Edenian part of its genome adapted to it until it gave the Devil part of it immunity to anything holy, light, or blessed.
With this success we replicated the process countless times until we were able to find the optimal process to get it done.Which brings us to now. Morgan and I are currently in our shared workshop looking at our most recent creations, a pair of tribrid Edenian/Angel/Devil homunculi.
The first one is a male who floats naked within an empty, clear vat. He stands at five feet nine inches, possesses a tan skin of a slightly lighter shade than mine, midnight black hair, and a face so beautiful that anyone can be charmed by it. In addition to his already beautiful face and despite not being alive, he possesses an aura that would make anyone around him fall over themselves trying to please him, even if it only means receiving a simple thank you as a reward. And despite not having trained a single time he possesses a powerful build perfect for any style of combat. None of those however are what draw my attention, rather it is the twelve massive wings that emerge from his back. Unlike the Angel's wings which are slim, and do in fact look like a pigeon's wings, his are of a similar size to Mordred's massive pair. However the similarities end there. His wings are shaped like what one would imagine a demon's wings to be like, but made with feathers as opposed to being leathery. Last but not least, the wings are pure white and possess a golden glow to them that simply makes him more majestic and beautiful.
The second homunculus is a female who somehow manages to be far more beautiful than her male counterpart despite possessing the same features as him. Naturally unlike him however she possesses a pair of firm breasts, and a much more seductive body while still being fit for combat.
"This… this is unexpected." comments Morgan as we observe the two homunculi floating in their vats under their own power despite not possessing any life. "Their bodies are so powerful that even without a way for it to be outputted they still leak enough power to float on their own. This goes beyond us perfecting the process, we've perfected the creation itself. Or at least as close to perfection as we can currently get." she says.
"What now?" I ask her as she approaches the duo.
"We bring them to life." she answers as divine power explodes from her before plunging into the two of them. Unlike what I expected to happen, the two beings remain floating in the air as if nothing had happened. Before I can ask her if something went wrong the door to our workshop is blown open and Scáthach strides in with a frown on her face.
"Are you two ever planning on coming out?" she questions as she stops a few feet away from me with her hands on her hips.
"What do you mean? We came out of the lab a few months ago." I answer with a frown.
"Ambrosius, it's been three years." says Scáthach, making my eyes widen in shock. Before I can answer however two auras of power explode from behind me and blast Morgan, Scáthach, and I out of the lab.
"What did you two do now?" questions Scáthach as we catch ourselves and come to a stop in midair.
"I did not do anything." I answer while turning to face the blinding light behind me where the auras are coming from. While not powerful enough to worry us, they are powerful enough to easily be the most powerful beings on the island after Mordred.
As they power down and the light dims, I can easily make out the bodies of our creations floating towards us.
"Morgan, what did you do?" questions Scáthach, this time directing her question to Morgan.
"Other than breathe life into them along with giving them some basic information, nothing." she replies as the two approach us with their massive wings flapping behind them. The sheer power coming from them is so massive that I can feel every curious warrior on the island making their way to us in order to investigate with a specific one actually rushing. Stopping a few feet away from us the two beings regard us with blank looks before a smile grows on their faces.
"Father! Mother!" excitedly calls out the duo before enveloping Morgan and I into a group hug.
"What did you do?" I ask Morgan mentally.
"Ahhh… I may or may not have informed the two of them about how they were created along with knowledge of the family." she sheepishly answers.
"Well, another pair of children is certainly better than a pair of homicidal creations." I reply while prying myself from them. "Do you have a name that you would like to be called by?" I ask them, causing them to tilt their heads in wonder.
"You may call me Venus, father." replies the female with a slight smile on her face and a nod.
"And you may call me Lucifer." answers the male.
Their choice of names causes me to smile while Morgan simply laughs at the absurdity of it. Before I can answer them however a painfully familiar voice makes itself known behind.
"Oi old man, still adopting strays I see." calls out the voice of Setanta from behind me. As I contemplate how to answer him Lucifer disappears from his position and appears right next to Setanta, grabbing his head and slamming it to the ground.
"You will be respectful to father." says the tribrid with a stoic glare. Rather than answer, Setanta simply grabs Lucifer's wrist and burns it. Unfazed, whether due to a high pain tolerance or high durability, Lucifer lifts him in the air, giving him the opportunity to summon Gae Bolg and stab Lucifer in the heart. Surprised, Lucifer lets him go and looks down at the gaping hole in his chest that disappears in under a second. Were it not for the golden blood on Setanta's spear one would think that Lucifer getting stabbed was an illusion or a trick of the light.
"Enough!" orders Scáthach before the duo can go at it again. While Cu obeys, Lucifer merely looks at me for instructions before following suit once he sees me nod my head.
"Old man, you didn't tell me that your new kid was a battle maniac. Although he does need to work on his skills" says Setanta with a smirk, almost as if Lucifer did not just use his face to crack the ground. "Still, I wouldn't mind going a round or two with him in the arena." he adds, causing Lucifer to glare at him.
"Setanta, why are you here? And when did you arrive?" I ask him with an exasperated sigh as Lucifer floats back to my side before continuing to glare at his adoptive older brother.
"Three years ago. You two have been in that lab for three years, and some things have changed since then." answers Scáthach.
"I didn't think that it was that long. Especially since I have my divinity sealed tight. Which makes me wonder, can all Edenians spend that long without food?" I question, making Scáthach glare at me.
"You will not experiment. As of now you two are banned from entering the workshop unless absolutely necessary." she orders, earning a glare from both Venus and Lucifer. Unbothered, she leads us away from the workshop and towards a lounge where we stumble upon two people I did not expect to see here, Connla and Aoife. Setanta's son and granddaughter.
AN: Here's the chapter. As usual, tell me what you guys think. As you can see this arc won't have the same serious tone as the others, at least not until we get to the war.
Also the first chapter of my Campione fic is published. The name of it is The Godslaying Pharaoh, not King. I changed it since it fits more in line with the theme I will be using for the mc. The second chapter is already available on my p a t r e o n The link is, (p a t r e o n . com / servantambrosius), minus the spaces. That story will be updated once a week and patrons will be able to read chapters a week in advance along with other exclusive content such as the Authorities that I have come up with and are considering for the main character.
Family Reunion
Isle of Man ~ 482 AD
"Gramps!" excitedly shouts Aoife as she envelops Ambrosius in what would be a crushing hug to anyone of a lower caliber. Unlike when she peacefully died of old age, Aoife's body is currently the same as when she was in her prime, a few years after she completely conquered Connacht. She stands at five feet eight inches, possesses a slim yet toned figure that belies her her true physical power, and blue hair of the same shade as her grandfather tied into a ponytail with two bangs framing her beautiful face and red eyes. For clothing she wears the same blue bodysuit as her grandfather, but covered in black armor plates of the same design as Scáthach, and the same earrings that all of Setanta's direct descendants wear once they complete their training.
"How many times do I have to tell you not to call me that?" questions Ambrosius with an exasperated sigh and a twitching eyebrow.
"Ahhh, don't be like that." whines Aoife as she looks up at the man who raised her. "Besides, you should be glad that I don't call you great-gramps." she adds with a grin that makes Ambrosius sigh before he turns to look at Scáthach.
"Please tell me that those three are the only ones that you brought back from the Nasuverse." he tells her with begging eyes that make her internally wince. Before she can answer however, a very familiar voice does for her.
"Nope! She brought me and a bunch of other people who we all know you miss dearly!" excitedly says the voice of Zelretch as he appears in front of Ambrosius in a flash of multicolored lights. Unlike Aoife who had to be returned in her prime, Zelretch has not changed at all. He is still the same handsome thirty year old man that he was when Ambrosius provided him with his rune suit with the same glint in his eyes that tends to make others nervous around him for fear of being his next victim.
"Zelretch!" happily greets Ambrosius as he detangles himself from Aoife to hug the man, shocking him and everyone present. While Ambrosius may not be a distant or cold person, he is still not a very affectionate man unless it comes to his children. Usually he greets those to him with a smile or a quick hug, for him to happily call out someone's name while giving them an enthusiastic hug is unheard of.
"Do me a favor and get rid of those three troublemakers that my wife has brought into our home. I do not care where you send them as long as they do not return." he whispers to his friend.
"Oi!" indignantly shout Setanta, Connla, and Aoife while everyone save for Lucifer and Venus chuckles in amusement.
"I'm not a troublemaker, those two are."complains Aoife as she points to her father and grandfather.
"Is this how you treat your father?" jokingly asks Connla as he looks at Aoife who is pointing at him.
Connla bears a striking resemblance to his father, so much so that it would be understandable if one were to mistake them for twins and makes Ambrosius wonder how Setanta did not notice the similarities between them in the cannon timeline. Then again, unlike cannon Connla this Connla's mother is Setanta's wife as opposed to Aife. Like his father, Connla is a rough-looking man around twenty years of age with the same fiery red hair as his mother and red eyes like his father. While sharing the same basic design as his father in clothing, his greatest difference is that he lacks the same full-body suits. He instead bears heavy armor that does not hinder his speed, a protective amulet in the shape of a wolf's head holding a crescent moon, and the iconic earrings worn by his father and daughter. All in all he looks like Proto-Lancer but with red hair.
"What father? You were dead by the time I was born." refutes Aoife.
"Ahhh, sorry about that." shamelessly answers Connla as he rubs the back of his head.
Before their banter can continue, Mordred walks into the room as Ambrosius stops hugging Zelretch and begins to talk to him, Morgan and Scáthach while the others make their way to Lucifer and Venus.
"Little sister, come meet our new siblings!" excitedly calls Aoife as she appears next to Morded in a burst of speed and drags her towards Lucifer and Venus, with the two only being somewhat confused by the current proceedings. With the knowledge of the family's makeup and history, they also know the fates of all of their older siblings. As such one can understand their confusion when three siblings that are supposed to be dead show up alive, healthy, and in their primes.
"This is Mordred, and Mordred these are Lucifer and Venus." introduces Aoife.
"Lucifer?" questions Mordred with a tilt of her head.
"Is something wrong with my name?" wonders Lucifer.
"No, it's just that someone else has that name and I don't think that he'll like sharing it." explains Mordred.
"Is he more powerful than you?" questions the newborn.
"What a ridiculous question. Of course not." replies Mordred with a scoff as if it were the stupidest statement that she's ever heard.
"Then I do not see the problem." answers a confused Lucifer.
"I believe that what she is trying to say is that the name may bring unnecessary troubles and misunderstandings." interjects Venus.
"I still do not see what the problem is. Should he wish to cause us trouble then any single one of us in the room could defeat him easily." he says, causing Aoife and Mordred to nod in agreement.
"That's the spirit!" exclaims Setanta as he slaps Lucifer's shoulder, earning himself a glare from the tribrid. "Uh, are you still mad about that exchange earlier?" questions Setanta.
"I do not care that you stabbed me in the heart, however your constant disrespect towards father is infuriating. Had he not ordered me to behave you would already be in the depths of Hell at the tender mercies of Trigon." says Lucifer as the temperature in the room begins to rise dramatically. Before it becomes high enough to cause the furniture to spontaneously combust, a cool hand touches Lucifer's shoulder.
"Enough."orders Venus as she takes it upon herself to return the room's temperature back to normal. "They are our older siblings and as such we will respect them. Besides, father does not mind. He only says that he does out of habit." she says, calming her brother down.
"Wow, you two need a spa or something. Do you hear how you talk?" says Aoife.
"They talk like the old man, unnecessarily formal." says Connla. "Then again, they're only a few hours old. I give it a few months before they loosen up."
"I'll take that bet, and I say that it takes a couple of years. Loser owes the winner drinks for three decades." says Setanta.
"No betting on your siblings." objects Ambrosius before Connla can accept, drawing the group's attention to the approaching adults.
"Joykill." simply responds Connla.
"Good. Your definition of fun is liable to get you killed, again." answers Ambrosius as he pointedly stares at Setanta, Connla, and Aoife, causing them to wince at the accusation. While they may not have died because they did something dangerous just for fun, they have all come very close to dying because they wanted to do something dangerous just for fun. "Now, I need you to get Lucifer and Venus settled before rounding up the warriors. Once you finish that, take them to the arena to train their powers. None of you are allowed to leave the arena until they have absolute control over themselves, I don't want them accidentally destroying the island, or worse, the continent. Mordred, you're in charge. Keep your siblings out of trouble." he orders.
"Oi, we're all grown, old man." argues Setanta with a twitching eyebrow.
"Really?" skeptically questions Scáthach. "Out of the three of you only Aoife has lived beyond the age of twenty five and grew to be a mature adult before dying. You and Connla have both died before then." she says, earning a chuckle from them all before they follow Mordred out of the room.
"So, Scáthach, why are they here?" questions Ambrosius.
"You need a Royal Guard." she replies nonchalantly.
"I don't need a Royal Guard." argues Ambrosius with a sigh, this is not the first time that he's had this argument with one of wives. The trio are adamant about him getting one even if he's more powerful than everyone else.
"Every King needs a Royal Guard." refutes Morgan.
"Yes, because they can get overwhelmed by opponents less powerful than them with numbers. Numbers mean nothing to me." he replies, causing the two to shiver at a particular memory of a training exercise. It was supposed to be a special exercise about control and power. Morgan had created a separate dimension as big as one DC Universe and he had to power up in there while keeping the universe intact. Things had gone well at first, he removed the first seal and powered up, easily putting him above the Spectre in terms of power, a being in the DCU with the potential to destroy a universe. Then he had removed the second seal and things had gone wrong. While he had no problems keeping the power from exploding, he was unable to lower the power of his Excidium which had begun to leak from his body and out onto the universe. Suffice to say that there was not a single trace of the universe left once a minimal amount of his Excidium had left his body.
While that might mean nothing in a world like DC where beings casually destroy and survive the destruction of a universe, in a place like DxD it means a lot, especially since that was not even a quarter of his full at the time.
"All the more reason why you need a Royal Guard. Should you remove more than one seal then this entire universe will perish. You can train a Royal Guard to be able to handle threats that are too powerful for the first seal, but too weak for the second seal. That way you won't have to destroy an entire universe to defeat an opponent beyond the first seal." says Morgan.
"Or, I can just seal my Excedium unless I need it." he argues.
"No. Our decision is final." says Scáthach.
"Fine, but does it have to be those three?" he asks. While he knows that he can order them to reverse their decision as their King, the topic is not that serious and he isn't petty enough to do so. As such he simply accepts the outcome.
"While other heroes might be more suitable for the task in terms of skills, they were chosen because they are family and they would accept in a heartbeat." explains Scáthach.
"Very well. What else has changed other than their revival and Zelretch becoming in charge of the Bifrost?" asks Ambrosius.
"I have revived 18 out of the 19 Hassans to take over the League while summoning Ozymandias as a servant to train Daemon. Normally he would not accept such a menial task, but once I gave him the memories of the Grail War and explained to him that it was your son he accepted. I believe that his exact words were something along the lines of 'While Ambrosius is a splendid Pharaoh I find that he is somewhat lacking, as such I will raise this boy to truly become a Pharaoh worthy of being a descendant of Ra'" quotes Scáthach while Ambrosius looks at her with wide eyes filled with horror.
"You did what?" questions Ambrosius as he thinks about how Daemon would turn out should he be raised by Ozymandias of all people.
"Summoned Ozymandias as a servant." replies Scáthach.
"Are you insane? He will turn him into another version of himself, or worse turn him into Gilgamesh." says Ambrosius just as Zelretch Scáthach burst out laughing.
"Oh, man. You should see your face right now." says Zelretch as he snaps a picture of Ambrosius' horrified face.
"Great, another prank." groans Ambrosius as he realises that he's been had. "Tell me honestly, who is teaching my son?" he asks once they stop laughing.
"Chiron of course." replies Scáthach as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
AN: Here's the chapter. As usual, tell me what you guys think. As you can see this arc won't have the same serious tone as the others, at least not until we get to the war.
Also the second chapter of my Campione fic is published. The name of it is The Godslaying Pharaoh. The third chapter is already available on my p a t r e o n The link is, (p a t r e o n . com / servantambrosius), minus the spaces. That story will be updated once a week and patrons will be able to read chapters a week in advance along with other exclusive content such as the Authorities that I have come up with and are considering for the main character.
Assault on Edenia
Edenia, Formerly the Isle of Man. ~ 484 AD
It has been six years. Six years since the birth of Lucifer and Venus, six years since Zelretch was given command of the Bifrost in a similar fashion as Heimdall, six years since Setanta, Connla, and Aoife became Ambrosius' Royal Guard while also being turned into New Edenians, and more importantly six years since the the humans on the island were turned into New Edenians.
Despite what many would think, there was no grand ceremony, no ritual was undertaken, and there was certainly no impressive showing of magic to accomplish the process. It had begun just as Ambrosius ordered, the warriors were gathered into one of the castle's many courtyards where they faced their gods and their teachers while they were posed a question, do you want to become one Ambrosius'? None had refused and all had accepted with a collective roar that shook the island. Afterwards they were all imbued with the crystal clear dragon shaped statuettes.
While the process itself was mundane, the results were anything but. Power had exploded from every single warrior as their physique was turned into that of a New Edenian, making them faster, stronger, thougher, and with far more vitality than any human could ever hope to possess, causing their Touki to become even more powerful than before. Their previously average magical talents had soared to prodigious levels even by Devil standards and their magical reserves had grown to absurd levels. The resulting explosion of power had shaken the entire island and would have destroyed it had Morgan not had the foresight to reinforce it beforehand. With the warriors turned into New Edenians, their training was paused while the Malphas family observed in case something detrimental happened due to the transformation. In the end everything turned out fine and Ambrosius went ahead with turning every human on the island into a New Edenian.
Unlike the spectacle that the warriors caused, the civilian transformations were quite tame, only causing a small earthquake. With that done, Ambrosius and Azula took over the training of the warriors.
Per usual, their training began with testing their new physical limits with no enhancements. The results suffice to say were interesting. While previously the majority would need Touki in order to even survive a battle with a low Ultimate Class being, now they can all easily do so with just their bodies while the most powerful of the physically can stalemate a low Ultimate Class being.
Afterwards they were tested on their Touki, and it quickly became clear to Azula and Ambrosius why beings with enough life energy can become monsters with just that. Using only Touki, even the weakest New Edenian warrior is able to beat a high Ultimate Class being who does not have any hacks like the Power of Destruction. With Touki, any form of magic that is within the Ultimate Class and below is absolutely harmless to them. Fire magic? You may as well be trying to burn the Ocean with a mundane candlestick. Wind magic? You look like the big bad wolf huffing and puffing to blow down Mount Everest. Lightning? That's like trying to use a non conductive metal wire to charge a continent. Water? They are blessed by Ambrosius to have the passive abilities of a demigod child of Poseidon, and even if they were not blessed you may as well use a faucet with a limited supply of water to erode a mountain chain. Even time magic that is not above Ultimate Class will not work on them. They are essentially the worst nightmare of any magic based fighter.
After those tests came the magical portion of their training, and to say that every single one of them is a prodigy would not be a lie. By the first month they were all proficient enough in elemental magic to use it to support their fighting style while also having mastered reinforcement to easily use it in combat. By the third month even the least talented in magic was casually flinging around lightning bolts in the middle of all out brawls while the most talented of them were beginning to attempt to copy Ambrosius' telumkinesis even though their bodies were still undergoing the final adjustments of the transformation. By month six the transformations were complete and the Nasuverse Class Skills had been activated.
The first one to make its presence known was the Magical Resistance of the Saber class, a skill that when paired up with their Touki made it impossible for them to be one shotted with magic unless its on the level of what Ambrosius theorises to be the around the level of number five in the Top 10 most powerful beings.
The second skill to make itself known was the Independent Action of the Archer class in an interesting way. For servants of the Archer Class, Independent Action allows them to act on their own for a period of time without the magical energy of their master. Since the New Edenians are not servants it was expected that the skill would be useless to them, however while the skill is in fact Independent Action, it is not the same as a servant's. This skill is a passive ability that makes the New Edenians use the magical energy from the Earth once they have runned out of their own. Or at least that is what they thought at first, but it quickly became evident that they are drawing in the life energy from the planet when one warrior used that energy in a similar fashion as mokuton from naruto. With more experiments it was found that while the skill does not give them senjutsu it does completely the first step towards it by having them passively draw in the life energy of the planet once they run out of magical energy. The rest however is up to them.
The third and fourth skills were Item Construction and Territory Creation. The first was found by a blacksmith who attempted to recreate Gae Bolg. While the spear that he created was in not even close to the genuine article due to lacking its ability of causality reversal, it was still very impressive due to the fact that it bypassed the toughness of a New Edenian warrior's skin while also constantly honing in on his heart despite him dodging the spear twice. Territory Creation was found by a warrior when he set the terms for a one-on-one match and made use of the skill to enforce those terms. While not impressive compared a servant's use of the skill, it was the first time and by accident.
The last two skills were found through experimentation. Riding was easy enough since all Ambrosius had to do was create a horse and ask a civilian to try riding it. Contrary to what the civilian expected, the horse was enough to ride despite its moody temperament. Like Riding, Presence Concealment was also easy to verify since Morgan simply erected a set of magical detectors around the castle before asking a few New Edenians to attempt breaking in. Despite believing that such an action is blasphemous they felt that disobeying would be worse, so they obeyed. While they never made it past the courtyard and into the castle itself, their presence was never detected. The skill however goes beyond hiding their presence, it also masks their magical energy to make it seem that it is the same as a normal humans while also making it almost impossible to detect when they are using it. At first none of them had noticed since they never bothered sensing anything on the island, but it was proven that the skill is always passively active.
With the completion of the transformation and the activation of the Class Skills, came the final major ability of the EMS, Edenian Metamorph System, Resonance. Like Ambrosius and Morgan expected, that particular ability did not show itself much. Out of the tens of thousands of New Edenians, only around a dozen of them with the majority resonating with Achilles, Guan Yu, and Lancelot. While at first it seemed to be a good thing, it quickly became evident that there was a major downside to it due to one simple reason, Ambrosius and Morgan did their job far too well.
When the prototypes were first created, those who resonated with a hero did not receive personal skills that the hero did not possess in their life, even if legends say they did, they did receive all of the class skills and the life skills of whichever soul imprint they resonated with. As such at most they would receive their skills in magic, weaponry, and any skill they possessed in life. That does however mean that unless the Noble Phantasm was an actual life skill turned into a Noble Phantasm that the warriors would not get it even if they resonated with the imprint. Unfortunately however Morgan was not satisfied with this and wanted to take it a step further to allow the warriors to access personal skills even if they were only present in the hero's myth. Long story short she and Ambrosius succeeded too well.
Now whenever a New Edenian resonates with one of the imprints they are put into a coma where their souls face the soul of which hero they resonated with. While facing them the hero will test them to see whether or not they are worthy of their powers, should they be worthy then they will receive all of the skills and Noble Phantasm. Should they not be worthy however they will either die or have the powers locked to them forever or until the hero deems them worthy of another test. So far two warriors have died, a few have had the powers locked and only six have been able to pass the test.
Those who have passed the test not only receive all of their skills and Noble Phantasms but also any clothing that the hero wears when they are summoned as a servant, although it is optional to wear those clothes.
With the final ability of the EMS found out, training became more intense, not only to get the warriors used to their abilities, but to also have them master their personalised fighting styles.
Edenia, Formerly the Isle of Man.
~ 490 AD
Aatrox is a member of Ediana's trained warriors and its greatest combatant in terms of close quarter combat, be it with a spear, a sword, or simply his hands. Having been born in the year 474, Aatrox did not bear witness to the descent of The Four, as they are called by the mortals of the island. He did, however, grow up hearing stories of the event as well as how much they have changed life for the better. He also grew up hearing stories of heroes from The Four's original universe. Stories of Hercules, the greatest Greek hero, Setanta, Lord Ambrosius' first adopted son, Perseus Jackson, the half brother of Lord Ambrosius, and even stories of Lady Arturia Pendragon, the sister of Queen Morgan and the aunt of Princess Mordred. Interestingly enough, according to Queen Scáthach, most of these heroes also existed in this world but with different stories. For example, in this world Lady Arturia is actually King Arthur Pendragon as opposed to Queen Arturia. Despite the similarities between the gods and heroes of this world and The Four's original world, The Four do not exist in this world unlike the other gods like Zeus and Odin who exist in multiple worlds. To the New Edenians this information is proof of The Four's superiority over any other gods. There can only be one version of them unless they themselves decide to make clones of themselves.
To Aatrox however, none of this truly matters because he only cares about two things, serving Lord Ambrosius to the best of his abilities and living an enjoyable life. Right now that means being the greatest warrior he can be for when they join the war and just enjoying the simple pleasures of life. Perhaps once the war is over he will begin to think about settling down, but he honestly doubts it since according to Queen Morgan they will now live for tens of thousands of years. While he can't actually visualise such a long life, he does know that he can spend ten thousand years gallivanting around the world doing as he pleases and he will only be considered a young adult in terms of the New Edenian lifespan. While to others it might seem daunting, to Aatrox it simply means that he can take life on one day at a time and not worry about wasting his lifespan. Which is why he is currently on his way to the house of Penelope, a woman that has recently become acquainted with., as opposed to worrying about something like settling down.
As he leisurely makes his way to her house with his hands tied behind his head, a voice calls out to him.
"Aatrox!" calls out a familiar voice, prompting the young warrior to turn around.
"What do you want Ajax?" he questions his approaching friend.
"Where are you going?" asks Ajax, a young man of the same age as Aatrox with black hair tied into a rattail similar to Setanta's, a roguishly handsome face that attracts the attention of many women, married or otherwise, glowing violet eyes with a mischievous glint to them, and a charming smirk that shows his sharper than average canines. He wears a sleeveless blue tunic that showcases his toned arms and tan skin, black trousers and a pair of sandals.
"To Penelope's house." he replies nonchalantly. Like his friend Ajax, Aatrox is a handsome young man whose handsome face, pale skin, and laid back attitude has attracted countless women. He has silver hair that is cut short on the sides, glowing golden raptor like eyes, and a strong, firm build that cannot be obtained through training alone. Similar to his friend he wears a tunic, trousers and sandals, but colored green and black respectively with an orange cloth wrapped loosely around his body.
"Her again? C'mon man, you can't always go to the same one, you need variety in your life." says Ajax as he puts his arms around Aatrox's shoulder. "Look at me, yesterday I went to Alexa, the day before that was Althaia, and today I'm meeting the twins." he explains.
"Not all of us like jumping from women to women." refutes Aatrox as he continues on his way with Ajax following next to him. Before Ajax can reply however another voice speaks from behind them.
"There's jumping from women to women, and then there's this manwhore." says the voice with a scoff, prompting the duo to turn to face the speaker, a young man around the same age as Aatrox and Ajax with short fiery red hair that contrasts well with his pale skin, glowing brown eyes and a face, that while quite handsome, falls behind compared to Aatrox and Ajax. Like them he has a powerful but slimmer build, a sleeveless white tunic and short with sandals.
"Alexander, my man!" exclaims Ajax as he pulls Alexander in for a hug. "Where have you been? I haven't seen you in weeks." questions Ajax as Alexander detangles himself from his boisterous friend.
"I had a Resonance." answers Alexander, causing his friends' eyes to widen.
"How did it go?" asks Aatrox as he removes his hands from behind his head.
"The test was peculiar to say the least, but I managed to succeed." he replies with a smile.
"Alright! We celebrate tonight, drinks are on me!" declares Ajax as he attempts to pull his two friends in for a group hug despite their protests. Before he can complete the deed however, the three friends sense something and immediately look to the sky.
"We're under attack!" screams Ajax as a lightning bolt attempts to strike the city. Before it can come close however it is stopped by a magical dome.
"Devils." says Alexander as hundreds of figures with batlike wings appear in the sky and he and his friends summon their weapons and their clothes change to their battle attire.
Alexander now wears a sleeveless purple tunic, slim black trousers and black shoes. In his hands are black gloves that cover half of his forearms with countless runes inscribed on them.
"Rain of Light: Machia Hecatia Graea" encants Alexander as he waves one of his hands into the air towards the devils. With the activation of the spell, a volley of 10 beams of light, each with an A rank power of attack, rapidly fires at the approaching devils. Each beam is a deadly spell on the level of High Thaumaturgy with three times Shirou's entire amount of magical energy, capable of destroying the body of a Servant with a direct hit. Unprepared for such an assault, ten devils fall to the spells and are killed before even knowing that they are under attack.
"Oh? Not bad, I see that your Resonance was with Medea." compliments Ajax who is now dressed in a full black and blue sleeveless bodysuit with blue vambraces that cover his entire forearm while he holds a familiar red spear in his right hand.
"Is that what I think it is?" questions Alexander as he looks at the weapon in his friend's hand.
"Hell yea it is! I won it in a bet against Setanta and Queen Scáthach trained me how to use it. Apparently he doesn't really need this one since Queen Scáthach gifted him with a better spear." happily explains Ajax as he twirls the spear before looking at Alexander. "Wish me a happy landing?" he says with a grin, prompting the other young man to roll his eyes before nodding. Crouching down on the ground, Ajax looks towards his enemies who are currently attacking the defensive dome with their magic before he launches himself into the air, cracking the ground beneath him.
As Ajax soars towards the devils, a red magical aura envelops the spear and a severe aura of bloodlust permeates the air, freezing many devils in fear while knocking the weaker ones unconscious. As Ajax reaches higher than the devil and the pinnacle of his flight, he arches his back as if drawing a bow and the spear towards the ground with all his might while screaming out its name. With the release of the spear and the activation of the curse, Gae Bolg distorts space to create a "tapestry of action" that splits into numerous spearheads that pours down over the enemy and easily kills fifty of them.
As Ajax falls back to the ground, many of the devils attempt to take this opportunity to kill the young warrior, only for them to hear a loud whistle and the thunderclap before being run over by a three horse chariot driven by Aatrox who uses it to catch Ajax.
"That was reckless." comments Aajax who is now dressed in a short sleeve black shirt, slim black trousers, black boots with a silver and grey cuirass covering his chest, black gloves, and black vambraces. In one of his hands he holds Diatrekhōn Astēr Lonkhē: Spear-tip of the Star Traversing the Skies, Achilles' hero killing spear, which he uses to kill any devil that attempts to board the chariot.
"I knew that you would catch me." confidently replies Ajax as he calls Gae Bolg back to him.
"Tch, this sort of battle is not advantageous to us. Unless we fly it will take forever to deal with all of these devils." says Aatrox while steering the chariot towards the ground.
"I have no interest in flying. You and I both know that we suck at it and doing it in the middle of a battle is asking to join Valhalla thousands of years before our time. Besides, the battle is almost over anyway" argues Ajax as he fires a ball of lightning at a devil. By now a good number of Warriors have joined the battle and the forces of the devils has been reduced by over three quarters.
"Alexander!" calls out Aatrox as he dismisses his chariot and he and Ajax plummet to the floor where a few devils have managed to make it into the city.
Already knowing what Aatrox wants, Alexander envelops every devil in a tornado and sends them flying towards his friend. Within a second Aatrox disappears from his position in the air and makes his way through the horde of devils, killing every single one of them while leaving behind afterimages. As quickly as he disappeared, he reappears in front of Alexander as all of the devils fall to the ground dead.
"Dammit Aatrox, you didn't leave me any!" whines Ajax as he catches up with his friend.
"Not my fault you're a slowpoke." replies Aatrox with a grin as he flicks the blood off his spear before looking at the sky where the last devil falls to the ground dead. "Looks like the war is here." he comments to his friends.
"About time. I was getting antsy." replies Ajax, earning a chuckle from Aatrox while Alexander merely sighs in exasperation.
AN: Here's the chapter and the beginning of the Malphas family's faction joining the war (I really need a name for their faction. Suggestions are welcomed). I know that you guys are wondering how the devils found the island, much less made it all the way to the city to attack, and it will be revealed in a later chapter. As usual, tell me what you guys think.
Also the second chapter of my Campione fic is published. The name of it is The Godslaying Pharaoh. The third chapter is already available on my p a t r e o n The link is, (p a t r e o n . com / servantambrosius), minus the spaces. That story will be updated once a week and patrons will be able to read chapters a week in advance along with other exclusive content such as the Authorities that I have come up with and are considering for the main character.
Edenia Remembers
Edenia, Formerly the Isle of Man ~490 Ad
"Tch, these shitty devils really are something else." comments Ajax as he crouches next to the corpse of a devil and proceeds to poke it with the butt of his Gae Bolg
"What do you mean?" asks Alexander as he looks at his friend questioningly. Currently it is just the two of them helping cleaning the streets of the dead bodies while Aatrox has gone to find if they had any casualties.
"They sent a pretty boy who's probably never been in a fight once in his life to the battle field." clarifies Ajax. "I mean, look at his flabby arms." he says as he pokes the devil's slim arms. "Even if his specialty is magic, he should at least be more toned than this. Compared to you, Alexander, he's really skinny." says the young warrior as he stands back up.
"Well, according to Lord Ambrosius and Queen Azula, demons don't really make use of their potential for physical combat. They prefer to make use of their magic and bloodline abilities." explains Alexander with a shrug.
"In other words they're a bunch of lazy asses and idiots." paraphrases Ajax.
"Not exactly how I would put it, but basically yes." agrees Alexander with a nod. "Although I do have a theory that it is because of their long life spans that causes them to be like this." he adds.
"That's not an excuse." refutes Ajax with a shake of his head. "I mean, look at The Four. They're the most powerful beings in this entire universe and they still train."
"The devils are also currently in the middle of a War, that should give them the urgency to be the best that they can be. Especially since the angels and fallen have an advantage over them because of their holy light." adds Aatrox as he approaches from behind the two, his spear held lightly in his hand while resting on his shoulder.
"How many did we lose?" asks Alexander as he and Ajax look at Aatrox with a carefree expression on their faces despite the grim nature of the topic.
"Zero." replies Aatrox with a wide grin, causing his friends to return his grin. While death might be a morbid affair in other cultures, to them it almost means nothing. To them death is nothing but the next step in one's journey. If you served Lord Ambrosius faithfully in life then once you die you will simply ascend to Heaven, a realm where you will lack for nothing. If you were a warrior then you would ascend to Valhalla, a realm where you will not only want for nothing, but will also be able to face the greatest warriors in battle without the fear of losing anything. And while the two realms are different, one can traverse between them to visit friends and family members who have died
"From what I was able to find, the dome protected everyone from magical attacks while any devil that made it within the city was killed before they could even do anything." explains Aatrox as he dismisses his spear.
"Heh, of course we have no casualties. We're Edenians, the chosen people of Lord Ambrosius, there's now way that we would die to some devils. Especially not to some weak ones like these." arrogantly boasts Ajax as he kicks the corpse of the devil at his feet, earning sighs of exasperation from his friends.
"I see that your first official battle has not subdued you at all, good. We're going to be putting that energetic attitude of yours to use." comments a lazy voice from besides the group. Startled by the newcomer and still feeling the high of battle, Aatrox and Ajax summon their spears and proceed to attempt to stab the owner of the voice. "Oi, calm down." orders the voice as the owner casually dodges both of the attacks. Recognising the voice and its owner, the duo immediately dismiss their weapons.
"Sorry about that, Captain Enyo." apologises Aatrox as he sheepishly rubs the back of his head.
"Don't worry about it." dismisses Captain Enyo, the leader of this ragtag group of warriors. Unlike her subordinates who are all around six feet tall and sixteen, Enyo stands at four feet six inches and is already in her late twenties. She is a beautiful woman with blond hair that is cut short on the sides while the middle is tied into a warrior's braid, she has glowing blue eyes, a scar on her left cheek that adds to her charm as opposed to detract, and despite lacking in the breast department many of the men on the island would not mind giving up an arm just to spend a night with her. She wears a full black bodysuit with golden lines that accentuates her curves and toned muscles, high heeled boots that give her three extra inches in height, and a white cloak with a furred hood that hangs on her shoulders.
"So Captain, do we finally have a mission?!" excitedly asks Ajax.
"Yes. Our squad, along with assault squads seven, six, eight, and nine, will be going to the Underworld to begin Edenia's counter assault before returning to Earth where we'll join the other squads in hunting down devils on Earth." replies Enyo.
"Why would we go to the Underworld to attack just to come back here and play defensive?" questions Ajax.
"Because this entire war is a message and a test." answers Alexander before Enyo can, earning a raised eyebrow from the captain. "Ahhh, sorry about that." apologises Alexander.
"Don't worry about it kiddo, you're just saving me from having to explain it to this dimwit." says Enyo with a wave of her hand.
"Right. As I was saying, this war is a test for us Edenians while also being a message to the supernatural world that our faction exists and will be protecting humanity from now on. The reason why we're going to the Underworld and coming back after one attack is to show the devils that their belief of being safe in the Underworld could not be further from the truth. It's to show them that we can come to their home and kill them all whenever we want and there's nothing that they can do to stop us." explains Alexander.
"That's right. That means that for the duration of this war, Lord Ambrosius will be fighting as an Edenian as opposed to a God, while Queen Scáthach and Queen Morgan will be fighting as humans." adds Enyo.
"What of Queen Azula?" asks Alexander. From what he can remember, Queen Azula has been spending more and more time as a devil lately as opposed to as a God. He would not be surprised if she participated in the war as a devil. In fact, he would be surprised if she didn't since one of her favorite tactics in combat is to mess with her opponent's mentality.
"She will be fighting as a Pureblood Devil." confirms Enyo, earning chuckles out of her subordinates who honestly expected that to happen. They can already imagine the disarray in the devil's forces once they realise that a Pureblood Devil of all beings is massacring them. Especially since that devil is married to an 'Edenian mortal' of all people.
"All right, enough chatter. We have a Pillar to wipe out." says Enyo with a clap as she leads her underlings towards the castle where they will take a teleportation portal to Baarbas, the capital city of the Marbas Clan, Pillar 5 out of the 72 led by Hadad Marbas, Great President of the Underworld governing thirty-six legions of demons.
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Baarbas, Underworld
Capital City of the territory of the Marbas Clan
~790
The Underworld, also known as the Netherworld, is a dimension separate from Earth and the home of the Devils and Fallen Angels, and by extension the Gods of Hell. It is roughly the same size as the Human world, but with a much larger landmass, as there are no oceans just lakes. The sky is a perpetual purple during both the day and night with no moon or stars in it. Currently it is split into two main regions, The Devil's Region and The Fallen Angel's region.
Within The Devil's Region of the Underworld lies countless cities. One of the biggest is Baarbas, a bustling metropolis within the territory of the Marbas Clan and home of both its main branch and any branch family that once originated from them. In terms of size, the city is about twice as big as Edenia with it split into many sections based on what family lives there and what that familie's specialty is. The main, and biggest, section of the city belongs to the Marbas Clan of the 72 Pillars, the fifth most powerful clan out of the 72. They are a Clan of monster tamers, having tamed all sorts of monsters ranging from minotaurs, lamias, harpies, krakens, and even dragons.
In addition to being monster tamers, the Marbas Clan is also one of the most militarised clans out of the 72 Pillars with their warriors being trained in diverse forms of combat ranging from magic, weaponry, and even hand-to-hand combat. While some of their peers find their use of hand-to-hand combat to be disdainful, none will argue that they are quite powerful.
On this day, high above the city, a long crack forms in the sky, drawing the attention of all of the city;s residents. With the sound of a thunderclap, the crack opens up to form a portal that expels four beings riding a three horse chariot that seems to travel upon a lightning. Sensing danger, the city's forces immediately take up defensive maneuvers while a group of fifty warriors mount their dragons and take to the sky.
"Only dragon riders, we're being held in such low regard." comments Aatrox as he dismisses his chariot, causing the group to begin to fall. Alexander and Enyo quickly catch themselves and begin to float. "Sending only fifty, I'm offended!" exclaims the young warrior as he and Ajax rocket off towards their opponents with a sonic boom.
Once they are fifty meters away from the devils, Ajax arches his back as if drawing a bow and hurls his spear towards the ground with all his might while calling out its name. With the curse invoked, the spear distorts space to create a 'tapestry of action' that splits into numerous spearheads that pours down over the enemy, killing all fifty of the dragon riders along with their steeds.
"Dammit Ajax, that was all of them." complains Aatrox as he continues to fall towards the city.
"Not my fault that you're a slowpoke." replies Ajax with a grin as he calls the spear back to him and follows Aatrox. "Besides, another group of them is coming right up." he comments as they see one hundred of them taking to the air. This time with a mix of chimeras and dragons.
Before the two can even reach the enemy, the hear Alexander chant "Rain of Light: Machia Hecatia Graea" sending a volley of countless beams of light, each with an A rank power of attack, rapidly firing at the approaching devils, killing the entire group while also destroying anything within a fifty mile radius.
"Alexander!" whines Aatrox and Ajax as they see their enemies wiped out before they can even reach them. Seconds later a massive lightning bolt strikes the city and destroys everything but the main section where the main branch of the Marbas Clan resides, causing the duo to glare at Enyo as they land on the scorched and destroyed ground. With a scowl on their faces they make their way to Marbas Castle, home of Hadad Marbas and his family. That night the entire Marbas Clan save for Hadad Marbas, who was absent at the time of the attack, is wiped out. The only thing left of the city is the castle which has an unknown rune painted on its gates along with the words 'Edenia Remembers' as a warning.
--
AN: Here's the chapter and the beginning of the Malphas family's faction joining the war with a bang (I really need a name for their faction. Suggestions are welcomed, although some of you guys suck at naming as much as I do). As usual, tell me what you guys think.
Also the second chapter of my Campione fic is published. The name of it is The Godslaying Pharaoh. The third chapter is already available on my p a t r e o n The link is, (p a t r e o n . com / servantambrosius), minus the spaces. That story will be updated once a week and patrons will be able to read chapters a week in advance along with other exclusive content such as the Authorities that I have come up with and are considering for the main character.
Last edited: Jan 22, 2021
Interlude: Edenia's Decleration of War
Lucifaad, Underworld Capital City of The Devil's Region
~490 AD, Same Time as the Devil Attack on Edenia
Lucifaad, the capital of the Devil's Region of the Underworld, is a sprawling metropolis that is easily bigger than New York state. Within it one can find a slew of buildings that are important to Devil society, such as the Amphitheater, the castles of all four satans, and a set of ruins that hide a secret known to only a very select few. The city is ruled over by none other than Lucifer himself, it is where he, his fellow satans and their families live, where the meeting between young Devils is held, and even where all strategic meetings for the Great War are held.
In the center of the city, within the largest building and Lucifer's castle, a meeting between the leaders of the Underworld is currently taking place. Inside the room one can find the heads of all 72 Pillars, the leaders of the Six Houses of Lucifer, and the Four Satans themselves. They sit in a darkly lit room, around a long rectangular table with their positions denoting their status.
At the head of the table one can find the Four Satans seated on a throne each with three of the four being of the same size as each other but smaller than one of the middle thrones. Seated on the biggest throne is a man that can only be described as beautiful. He stands at six feet tall with golden hair that cascades down to his shoulders as if it is liquid gold, glowing red eyes that look like rubies, and a beautiful face who's only competition would be the Malphas family should they allow their full beauty to shine through. He wears a crimson robe that reaches down to his knees with slim back pants and shoes.
Sitting to Lucifer's right is a plain man who stands about as tall as Lucifer with long brown hair covering the entire left side of his face, light brown eyes, and a face that looks at everything with an uninterested expression. He wears a long cloak that completely covers his body and has a furred collar to it. This man is none other than Beelzebub.
To Lucifer's left is Leviathan. She is a beautiful woman who stands a few inches shorter than Lucifer at five feet nine inches with long black hair, brown skin of the same complexion as Ambrosius, and glowing violet eyes. She wears a sleeveless royal purple dress with cleavage that exposes part of her big breasts, high slits, and white gloves that cover her arm up to her biceps. She also wears a short black mini skirt that leaves much to the imagination, and knee high heels.
The final member of the Four Satans is Asmodeus, a man who is around Leviathan's height with very pale skin, pointed elf-like ears, violet eyes, and black hair tied into a ponytail. He wears an all black attire with a red belt and purple cape.
After the Four Satans comes the Six Houses of Lucifer, also known as Lucifer Six, consisting of the Extra Demon Houses Lucifuge, Satanachia, Agaliarept, Fleurety, Sargatanas, and Nebiros. They serve the House Lucifer directly and only House Lucifer. They cannot be ordered by any of the other Satans nor the 72 Pillars. Because of this, they are called the Six Houses of Lucifer, and while not directly a Royal bloodline, as the Satan Clans are called, they are respected by the other three because of the direct connection to the Lucifer bloodline are even counted to be part of the Lucifer Clan by other Devils. Their status is considered above the Houses of the 72 Pillar Devils.
After the Lucifer Six are the Houses of the 72 Pillar Devils. In order from the most powerful overall to the least powerful, they are Bael, Agares, Vassago, Gamigin, Marbas, Valefor, Amon, Barbatos, Paimon, Buer, Gusion, Sitri, Beleth, Leraje, Eligos, Zepar, Botis, Bathin, Sallos, Purson, Marax, Ipos, Aim, Naberius, Glasya-Labolas, Buné, Ronové, Berith, Astaroth, Forneus, Foras, Asmoday, Gäap, Furfur, Marchosias, Stolas, Phenex, Halphas, Malphas, Raim, Focalor, Vepar, Sabnock, Shax, Viné, Bifrons, Uvall, Häagenti, Crocell, Furcas, Balam, Alocer, Caim, Murmur, Orobas, Gremory, Ose, Amy, Oriax, Vapula, Zagan, Valac, Andras, Flauros, Andrealphus, Cimerius, Amduscias, Belial, Decarabia, Seere, Dantalion, and finally Andromalius.
Out of the 72 Pillars however, ten of them have become extinct over the course of the Great War against the Fallen and the Angels. They are Andromalius, Seere, Decarabia, Amduscias, Cimerius, Flauros, Andras, Vagan, Amy, and Ose.
"I call this meeting to order. Lord Lucifuge, report." commands Lucifer once all members have been seated. Per Lucifer's order, Lord Lucifuge, a handsome middle aged man with silver hair and blue eyes wearing a knight's armor, stands up.
"As of a few months ago, our forces have made significant progress on Earth. The influence of the man and his church have been wiped completely from the Kingdom of Francia, the Visigothic Kingdom, most of the areas surrounding those Kingdoms, and half of Britain." reports Lord Lucifuge with a calm and stoic tone. His report visibly uplifts the previous calm mood of the room as most of the Devils begin to radiate an aura of pride at having uprooted the influence of God and his church from the majority of what will eventually come to be known as Europe.
Since Devils have a distinct disadvantage when faced against God, his Angels, and the Fallen, they are forced to use their cunning minds. Most of their strategies revolve around removing God's influence from an area by whatever means necessary and pitting the Angels against their Fallen brethrens. They also tend to turn humanity against the Angels, something which is far easier than one would think. It's surprising what humans are willing to do for simple things like riches, land, power, and sex. Naturally all of those favors come with a price. Sometimes it will be a simple job like burning a church and killing the priests, and other times it will be something expensive like their souls. Contrary to popular beliefs, Devils don't take human souls because they love torturing them but rather due to the boosts in power they give. The boost is nothing spectacular, like turning a Low Class to a High Class immediately, but it does provide enough that it eventually accumulates.
"Is there a particular reason why we have only been successful with half of Britain?" questions Lucifer.
"Yes my Lord. The northern half of the island is ruled over by a man named King Arthur and his Knights of the Round. He is a powerful King who can easily face an Ultimate Class Devil on his own." explains Lord Lucifuge, shocking every single Devil in the room except for the Four Satans. "In addition to his own prowess, he possesses a holy sword more powerful than any that has ever been seen before, Excalibur. He is allied with a powerful incubus/human magician capable of defeating Ultimate Class Devils, and every one of Knights is powerful enough to face a High Class Devil without their holy swords." he adds, further disturbing the Devils present.
"I see." comments Lucifer as he leans his head on his fist while his elbow rests on one of the arms of his throne.
"Is there anything else that we know about this King Arthur?" asks Leviathan. "Is he married, if so to whom? How is his marriage? Are his Knights loyal? How do the people feel about him?" she questions.
"Looking for another powerful man to seduce, Leviathan?" questions Asmodeus with a sneer.
"Hardly. I have no interest in holy men, nor anyone weaker than me." responds the female Satan as he sideyes her fellow Satan with a look of absolute disdain before looking back at Lord Lucifuge, giving him the order to continue.
"Unfortunately Lady Leviathan, the people love him, his Knights are extremely loyal, and his marriage is doing just fine. It is interesting to note however, that his sister Morgan le Fay, a magician easily on par with the incubus, holds a burning hatred for him, his knight Lancelot seems to be very interested in his wife Guinevere, and he possess a bastard son that he does not even know exists." replies Lord Lucifuge.
"In other words, we have the ingredients to create a powder keg. We just need to play our cards correctly and more carefully." says Leviathan.
"Is there anything else to report?" questions Lucifer.
"Yes. An island with a heavy magical aura was found off the coast of Britain. There are no records of the island anywhere and it seems that it is protected by a boundary that is slowly falling apart hence why we were able to locate it." says Lord Lucifuge.
Before Lord Lucifuge can continue his report the ceiling explodes as a body crashes into the room and destroys the table, prompting all of the occupants to go into high alert and prepare for battle. As the dust clears however, the Devils are able to finally lay their eyes on the body and recognise the Devil as Otius Malphas, son of Calan Malphas and heir to House Malphas. Recognising his son, Calan Malphas springs to his side while taking summoning a glass vial containing a red liquid that he spent a good fortune on, Phoenix Tears. Opening the vial, he pours the liquid on the most severe injury, a stab through the chest. Despite his efforts however the Phoenix Tears have no effect besides waking his son from his unconsciousness, causing Calan to turn to a handsome blond haired man with rage filled eyes.
"You sold me fake tears?!" questions Calan with a roar.
"Of course not." replies the man, Lord Phenex, with an offended expression on his face.
Before Calan can continue to rage at Lord Phenex, his son grabs his hand tightly, causing him to turn his attention back to Otius.
"Father…" begins Otius with a cough that spits out blood.
"Do not speak, son. Save your strength for when you are better." orders Calan.
"B-b-beware of t-t-the demons of E-e-e-e-edenia." stutters Otius with another cough and a shiver before his body goes limp and he takes his final breath.
As Otius' warning fills the room, Lucifer looks at Lord Lucifuge with a questioning look.
"What was his assignment?" asks Lucifer with a voice devoid of emotion.
"He was the leader of the scouting party to the unknown island. His cunning mind, calm demeanor, fearlessness and power as a mid Ultimate Class Devil made him the perfect candidate." replies Lord Lucifuge.
"Fearlessness? He could not even say Edenia with fear invading his entire being." comments Asmodeus with a scoff.
"He has a hole through his chests." refutes Beelzebub.
"Asmodeus is right, for once. That last shiver was due to absolute fear and terror along with relief." says Leviathan.
"Relief for what?" asks Lord Marbas, a middle aged man with a hardened face, black eyes and even darker hair. He wears a formal grey tunic with slim black pants and shoes, black gloves cover his hands, and cane that he does not need for walking is held firmly in his hands.
"Relief to finally be able to die." answers Lucifer, bringing an ominous atmosphere to the already solemn room. As silence falls the bright light of a teleportation circle appears in the room and teleports in a crystal ball the size of a basketball. Already being on high alert, the Devils in the room warily stare at the crystal as it glows and begins to play a holographic recording of a man as handsome as Lucifer with brown skin, glowing red eyes with slitted pupils, and long silver hair tied into a topknot.
"To the Devils of the Underworld, I am Lord Ambrosius Malphas, Emperor of the Edenian Empire, the island that you sent your scouting party to. We have no previous enmity with one another until you attacked us. And while we did not suffer any casualty, any slight against our people is repaid at least two fold. As such, five of your Pillars have been chosen to be completely wiped out." says the man, Ambrosius Malphas, as the crystal ball showcases five more holographs, each with a different Pillar capital. "The houses of Marbas, Valefor, Buer, Marax, and Malphas will pay the consequences of your attack." explains the man as the images of the capitals turn into videos of them being wiped out, each one by a single squad of four warriors. "We have also learned of your plans for humanity and have decided that such plans cannot be allowed to be realised. As such we have decided to turn our eyes onto you with the intent of wiping out any Devil found to be terrorising humanity. Before we completely wipe out all Devils on Earth however, we give you one week to remove your forces. This will be your first and only warning." says Ambrosius before the crystal ball stops showing the videos and proceeds to disintegrate into nothingness.
As the message of Ambrosius sinks in, the aura of every Devil in the room explodes as they make their rage known to the Underworld. As a result the castle is completely destroyed and Lucifaad is plunged into a moment of terror as the power of seventy two Ultimate Class, and higher, Devils completely envelops the city and a good part of the territory of the Lucifer Clan.
"These humans anger me more and more every single day." says Lucifer through gritted teeth before turning to Leviathan. "Take your forces along with the heads of House Marbas, Valefor, Buer, Marax, and Malphas, and take care of these Edenians. I do not care if you wipe them all out, enslave them, or sink the island, as long as every single one of them is no longer a threat by this time next week." orders Lucifer, causing Leviathan to cruelly grin.
To the Devils it is only a matter of time before the Edenian Empire is wiped from the face of the Earth, but little do they know that so far they have played perfectly into Edenia's hands. By this time next month however, not only will the five more Pillars be extinct, but the Devils will also be missing a Satan.
AN: Here's the chapter and the beginning of the Malphas family's faction joining the war with a bang (I really need a name for their faction. Suggestions are welcomed, although some of you guys suck at naming as much as I do). As usual, tell me what you guys think.
Also the second chapter of my Campione fic is published. The name of it is The Godslaying Pharaoh. The third chapter is already available on my p a t r e o n The link is, (p a t r e o n . com / servantambrosius), minus the spaces. That story will be updated once a week and patrons will be able to read chapters a week in advance along with other exclusive content such as the Authorities that I have come up with and are considering for the main character.
Mother of Edenia
Edenia ~490 AD
While the Devils are currently preparing for an assault on Edenia, the Edenians themselves are currently in a very festive mood. Music fills the air as a group of musicians play while using their magic to amplify the sound throughout the city, children happily running and playing with one another while the adults mingle amongst themselves, some casually conversing, others joking and laughing, and others competing against one another with competitive smiles on their faces. In addition one can find many decorations in the form of paintings, figurines and banners of The Four, the Edenian Warriors, and even some of the Knights of the Round. Magical lights fill the air, illuminating the evening while also giving off a feeling of calmness, and countless stalls of various purposes crowded the streets. Stalls of food, games for children and adults alike, various competitions ranging from drinking, fighting and even puzzle solving.
Had someone told a stranger that these people had just repelled an assault from hundreds of devils the stranger would accuse that person of lying. After all, there are absolutely no signs of an attack having taken place. The streets are clean and devoid of anything that might remain after a battle, such as blood or ripped clothing. The buildings are in perfect condition as if they have only been completely recently, they have no broken parts, no bloodstains, no cracks, and even the paint on them are in perfect condition. The people do not seem to be mourning, apprehensive, or even cautious. In fact, one can see that they are happy, cheerful, and even carefree. They do not have the look of a people who fear to be attacked but rather of one whose lives are perfect with no worries.
While this festive mood is quite the opposite of what people usually feel after having been attacked and brought into a war, the people of Edenia feel this way for a few simple reasons. The first is because they have fought their first battle against one of the most superior species in this universe and have come out victorious with no casualties. They have shown their King that they are worthy of being his chosen, that his efforts to make their lives as good as possible was not in vain, that the power that he has given them is not wasted on them, and that their vow to follow him to any battlefield were not mere words.
The second reason for the festive mood is because of the war. Despite having only followed Ambrosius for thirty years, the people of Edenia have fully embraced the warrior culture of The Four. They relish a good battle and value martial strength quite a lot, to them there is no greater honor than to ascend to Valhalla. Contrary to what many would say however, they are not warmongers and do not enjoy war itself. In fact they would not mind if they never one fought in a war and merely faced their opponents in nondeadly forms of combat. However, that does not stop them from celebrating their first war simply because it will be their grand entrance to the world. This will be their announcement to the world of their existence and their power, it will show the world that they are the greatest warriors that will ever exist in this universe and that their Lord is the greatest god in all of existence, and even if they die in this war they will simply ascend to Valhalla where they will have the choice to stay in the heavenly realm forever or stay on standby for the day when their King has need of their services. A win-win situation as far as they are concerned.
The final reason for the festivities is as simple as the first two, Queen Sindel has arrived in Edenia and will be participating in the war.
While the Edenians love and worship every member of the Malphas family, there are only two beings that they are absolutely loyal to and revere above everyone else, King Ambrosius and Queen Sindel. The reason for their loyalty to King Ambrosius is easy for anyone to understand, he is their King, their father, their God, and the leader of the pantheon that has essentially delivered paradise to them. As such, none can ever compare to him in the eyes of the Edenians.
While Ambrosius is seen as the father of the Edenians, Sindel is seen as their mother. It was from her blood that Ambrosius created the first New Edenian genome prototype before he added his own Edenian blood. As such the title of Mother of Edenia is firmly and easily given to her. Not only do they know that her blood started it all, but they also know of her story as the Queen of the original Edenians. They know of her sacrifice in order to save her people, they know that despite her sacrifice she failed. Yet, despite her failure the New Edenians cannot help but admire her. She is strong, resilient, cunning, and willing to do anything for the sake of her people.
Currently, in front of a food stall, one can find Ambrosius and Sindel conversing with a beautiful middle aged woman of around forty years old. She is a bit shorter than the average Edenian height which is five feet six inches while she herself stands at five feet three inches. She possesses glowing hazel eyes, golden blond hair, and alluring mature face with only a few wrinkles. Despite her seemingly young age however, this woman is actually around seventy years old. She was present for the Descent of The Four but has not aged much due to the fact that Morgan has enchanted the island so that the age of its inhabitants would slow down. After becoming an Edenian some of her aging has regressed to her current looks.
"So where are those troublemakers of yours?" she asks Ambrosius while looking around the street for any sign of his children. As a member of Edenia since before the construction of the city, she is quite familiar with Ambrosius to the point of being able to comfortably call his children for what they truly are, a bunch of troublemakers.
"They blew up the left wing of the castle over a gallon of wine, as such they are grounded." replies Ambrosius.
"Ahhh, that was them. I was wondering whether it was an experiment gone wrong or just your children being themselves." she answers with a chuckle before turning to Sindel. "So when do you plan on having children?" she wonders, shocking the Queen.
"Excuse me?" asks a confused Sindel.
"Children. When are you getting yourself some, and I'm not talking about Kitana. I mean when are you getting some with him." explains the lady as she points at Ambrosius, causing his eyes to slightly widen at her boldness. Even though she is a friend, she has never been so bold as to ask him or any of the others when they would get themselves biological children.
"Adelina, that's a bit of a personal question." answers Ambrosius. "Besides, our relationship has not reached that stage."
"Please, at this point in life I don't really care if I'm asking personal questions. I've accomplished everything that I've ever wanted to in life and now I just want to see how many generations of your family I'll see grow up with this new lifespan of mine." she says with a scoff. "I can't do that if you're taking your sweet ass time making kids, now can I. So I say just skip the entire courting process and get straight to the fucking. Everyone can feel the sexaul tension between you two from miles away." she adds as she points towards a gossiping group of people who are whispering among themselves about how long it will take before the King and Queen of Edenia make themselves babies.
Ambrosius finds the situation so absurd that he cannot help but chuckle while Sindel simply shakes her head with an amused smile on her face. It's not everyday that one of your subjects pesters you about children like an elderly mother does to her children.
"In all honesty, we don't know when other than not right now and most likely when we are done with our journey." responds Ambrosius.
"Ahhh yes, you're journey from universe to universe to grow your pantheon. I say that you should stop here. After all, you have us now, if you need more personnel then just pick Edenians worthy of whatever position you need them for. But who am I to tell you what to do, I'm just an old woman watching from the sidelines." she says with a shrug, causing Sindel and Ambrosius to smile fondly at her.
Before they can answer her however, the duo look up to the sky as their faces become free of emotions.
"They're here." comments Sindel, as hundreds of figures with batlike wings appear, their numbers easily blotting out the sky and casting a massive shadow over the city.
With the appearance of the Devils, a hush falls over the cities as every Edenian fearlessly looks up at the enemy without any trace of worry or apprehension. Flying in front of the devils is a beautiful woman who stands at five feet nine inches tall with long black hair, brown skin of the same complexion as Ambrosius, and glowing violet eyes. She wears a sleeveless royal purple dress with cleavage that exposes part of her big breasts, high slits, and white gloves that cover her arm up to her biceps. She also wears a short black mini skirt that leaves much to the imagination, and knee high heels.
"Where is Emperor Ambrosius?!" bellows out the devil as she and her troops stop hundreds of feet over the city.
"Oh my, she's a beautiful one. Maybe I can get one of my grandkids to marry her." comments Adelina, causing every single Edenian to burst into laughter while also enraging the devil. Without saying a word, Leviathan creates a spear of ice and hurls it at Adelina. Despite seeing the attack coming from miles away not a single Edenian moves to stop it, and instead opt to mockingly look at Leviathan as if she were the dumbest creature on the planet.
As the spear comes within a few inches of Adelina, a strand of hair wraps itself around the weapon, stopping it from just a few inches from Adelina's face who had not even flinched.
"Well, that was quite rude. Young people these days, they have absolutely no manners." complains the intended target with a sigh.
"Yes, that was quite rude indeed." agrees Sindel as she narrows her eyes at Leviathan before floating up to meet the Satan while Ambrosius simply watches from the ground with an interested expression on his face.
"Judging by your clothes, you must be someone important. Tell me, where is your Emperor?" questions the devil.
"He has far more important things to deal with than a toothless worm like you." replies Sindel as she uses her hair to the ice spear at Leviathan's head with a speed that barely allows her to dodge, and making it impale the devil behind her. Despite dodging however, the ice spear created a long gash along her cheek.
Shocked, Leviathan slowly brings a hand up to her cheek to verify what has just occurred. As she brings her hand away from her wet cheek however, Leviathan can no longer deny the fact that she almost died just then.
"I am Leviathan, Satan of the Devils, leader of the Leviathan clan, and I promise you that you and your people will pay dearly for that!" exclaims an enraged Leviathan through gritted teeth.
"I am Sindel, Mother of all Edenians, Empress of Edenia and I highly doubt that." says Sindel as she introduces herself in a similar fashion as Leviathan, mocking her for her over dramatic introduction.
Knowing exactly what Sindel is doing, Leviathan's already poor mood turns stormy as dark clouds roll over the island and the surrounding seas become agitated.
"Very well, since you are so confident, then I will not bother to hold back, and neither will any of my forces. I had planned to let some of you live as slaves, but no more." says Leviathan as her magical energy explodes while her forces prepare themselves for battle. "Kill every living being on this island. If you want to have some fun with the women then be quick about it, I don't want any of them to be living when we leave." commands Leviathan, earning roars of approval from the other devils.
Hearing the words of Leviathan, the power of every Edenian warrior explodes as any amusement they previously found in the situation vanishes with many of them snarling at the devils while others look towards Ambrosius for his orders.
"There are ten Pillar leaders amongst them, kill every devil except for those. Don't worry about the city or the civilians, I will protect them all. I want this island clear of any pollution before nighttime." orders Ambrosius, causing the Edenian warriors to roar in excitement, their screams and power shaking the island to its very core before they launch themselves at the enemy as their bloodlust permeates the air.
AN: Here's the chapter. As usual, tell me what you guys think.
Also the third chapter of my Campione fic is published. The name of it is The Godslaying Pharaoh. The third chapter is already available on my p a t r e o n The link is, (p a t r e o n . com / servantambrosius), minus the spaces. That story will be updated once a week and patrons will be able to read chapters a week in advance along with other exclusive content such as the Authorities that I have come up with and are considering for the main character.
Valefor and Botis Fall
Edenia ~490 AD
High above the only city on the island of Edenia, two armies clash in a supernatural battle that many would consider to be of apocalyptic proportions. Thunder rolls and rumbles, the heavens moan from each clash, and the sheer power coming from the combatants shakes the island of Edenia to its very core. The battle had only just begun minutes ago, yet many devil corpses can be found littering the ground. Many of them have died due to stab wounds from cursed weapons, decapitation, snapped necks, and some even have their parts of their body incinerated by various magical attacks.
One such devil is an Ultimate Class devil from a family of devils that branches from House Valefor, one of the 72 Pillars that is known for their ability to copy any magical ability that they have laid their eyes upon. Unfortunately for this devil, his opponent is not some random magician whose magical power that he can simply copy before killing him. No, his opponent is none other than Alexander, one of the most magically talented Edenians even before his Resonance with Medea. After his Resonance his magical abilities sky rocketed to the point that his fellow Edenians would believe him had he claimed to be favored by Queen Morgan, their goddess of magic.
As such he has no issues defending himself against the devil's onslaught despite his opponent making use of his spell, Rain of Light: Machia Hecatia Graea. Dodging another storm of beams of light using Tροψα (Trofa), a spell that imitates the True Magic governing teleportation, Alexander appears behind the devil and proceeds to disintegrate his head with a shot of Rain of Light: Machia Hecatia Graea.
As the devil's body begins to fall to the ground Alexander senses another one appearing behind him and attempts to move away from them. Before he can however he feels the pressure of the atmosphere increase to anchor him to this region of space just as a hand grabs hold of his neck and he is teleported miles away from the battle and into the middle of a forest.
Coming out of the teleportation, Alexander grabs the hand that holds his neck and proceeds to break it, giving him the time to create some distance between him and his enemy. Turning around, Alexander observes his new adversary, a devil that wears a smoky black and purple cloak that completely covers their body along with a hood that only allows the bottom of their face. All in all the devil looks more like a wraith as opposed to a devil. However, none of that is what concerns Alexander, rather it is the spell that they used to immobilize him that makes him wary.
"That spell you used… that was Ατλας (Atlas), a spell that I have yet to make use of outside of the battle arena on this island." comments Alexander as he narrows his eyes at his opponent.
"What makes you think that I did not use a spell with a similar effect." replies the devil with a voice that seems to come from the wind along with a cruel smirk that showcases his sharp canine teeth.
"Do not play me for a fool, I know the feeling of my spells. So tell me, devil, how did you come about that spell?" questions Alexander. "Perhaps if you are honest then I will not turn you into food for my dragon." he adds.
"I copied it from one of your fellow Edenians." answers the devil as his smirk grows.
"I see." says with a contemplative nod before focusing back on the devil. "You are able to copy all of my magical skills even if I did not use it. It is the only logical conclusion since no Edenian warrior can use that spell, at least not yet." comments Alexander, freezing the growing smirk on the devil's face. He did not expect Alexander to figure him out this quickly, and had hoped to catch him off guard by using all of his spells against him. That was his mistake however since Ατλας (Atlas) is not a standard spell that is widely known in Edenia. Before Alexander's Resonance, no one on the island had known of the spell since it is a personal spell of Medea, and as the first person to Resonate with her imprint Alexander is the sole user of it. Especially since it has been less than a week since his Resonance and in that time none of his fellow Edenian warriors have replicated the spell yet.
"How did you know?" questions the devil as his smirk disappears.
"If you can copy all of my magical skills even before seeing them then you must be a prodigious member of House Valefor, most likely the Head of House Valefor himself, Malaph Valefor." says Alexander to himself as he ignores the devil's question, causing his already poor mood to worsen.
"So you've figured out my identity, not bad. But that won't save you!" exclaims Malaph as he once again uses Ατλας (Atlas) to immobilise Alexander before firing hundreds of shots of Rain of Light: Machia Hecatia Graea. The constant barrage of beams of light destroys a major part of the forest while also creating a cloud of dust and smoke that shrouds the area where Alexander stands.
After firing a few hundred more times, Malaph stops his barrage while using a wind spell to blow away the cloud of dust and smoke, allowing him to see his unscathed opponent.
"W-what? How did you survive?" questions a shocked Malaph as he looks at the unscathed Alexander who has a white aura around his body.
"Did you know that Ατλας (Atlas) is powerful enough to immobilize a Saber class servant even if they possess A-rank Magical Resistance?" questions Alexander as he dusts his clothes off. "Despite this however it has a major flaw that I've been trying to rectify, would you like to be my guinea pig?" asks Alexander as he points an open palm towards a confused Malaph before clenching it into a fist. The action activates a supercharged Ατλας (Atlas) that not only immobilizes Malaph but also proceeds to crush his limbs and break his ribcage.
"W-what?" stutters Malaph with a bloody cough. "How? I didn't sense you use any magical energy." he asks just as he is pulled towards Alexander who proceeds to punch him hard enough to fracture his skull and knock him out.
"Honestly, how do you use someone's spell against them without even knowing its flaws?" wonders Alexander as he looks at the unconscious body of the Head of House Valefor. "And here I was expecting a worthy opponent." he mutters to himself as he picks up the body and uses Tροψα (Trofa) to teleport next to Ambrosius.
"Malaph Valefor my Lord." says Alexander with a bow as he tosses the body at Ambrosius.
"Did he give you any trouble?" asks Ambrosius as he conjures a set of Black Keyes and stabs them onto Malaph's shadow. They are weapons that emphasize the ability to intervene spiritually against "evil", they focus less on physical attack power and more on the spiritual, even affecting powerful spirits like Servants to some degree should they be struck. When they are impaled upon the shadow of a living being they render that being immobile until they are removed.
"No my King. Although he is able to copy any magical ability, even if he does not bear witness to them, he only knows how to perform the spell and does not know all of its intricacies." explains Alexander.
Before Ambrosius can answer him however, Ajax comes crashing onto the ground near the duo.
"Having trouble there, Ajax?" asks Ambrosius with a slight smile on his face. To see Ajax be thrown around on a battlefield is an interesting sight to see. Usually he's the one dominating the fight and throwing his opponents around.
"Yea, this devil is pretty tough and his shapeshifting is a pain in the ass." complains Ajax as he wipes the blood from his lips while also earning glares of disapproval from many Edenians for cursing in front of Ambrosius.
"Just make sure to keep him alive. That is Agaliar Botis, Head of House Botis." instructs Ambrosius before Ajax launches himself back at his opponent.
Currently Ajax cannot help but feel irritated. He has been fighting the same opponent for a few minutes now and so far he hasn't been able to land a proper hit on him, much less defeat him. Everytime that he would come close to either slashing or stabbing his opponent his body would shift to allow him to evade the attack while also using his body's malleability to make up for his lack of reach with the sword. At first he had simply felt a little annoyed, but then he was sent flying to Lord Ambrosius' feet, making him look like a fool. In addition he found out that Alexander already beat one of the Pillar leaders, and his simple annoyance turned into full blown irritation.
With a roar Ajax launches himself at Agaliar Botis, Head of House Botis, one of the 72 Pillars known for their shape shifting along with a form of clairvoyance that allows them to see into the past. Currently Agaliar assumes the form of a bald man with blue eyes, long canine teeth and two horns, while carrying a sharp bright sword in his hand.
As he draws near his opponent Ajax stabs towards his torso, only for Agaliar's torso to open up, allowing the spear to harmlessly pass through before he shifts into a serpent that coils itself around the shaft of the spear and slithers its way towards the hand holding the spear. Before Agaliar can reach him however, Ajax encases his hands in flames that he uses to enshroud his spear.
With a pained roar Agaliar transforms back to normal and jumps away from Ajax. Before he can get very far however a whip of fire wraps around his throat and pulls him back towards Ajax just as the spear is stabbed towards his heart. Stretching his body, Agaliar flows around the assault and uses his close proximity to slash his sword towards Ajax's throat.
Dismissing his spear, Ajax grabs the blade and stops the sword from advancing any further.
"Your fingers should be severed." comments Agaliar with a frown as he looks at Ajax holding the blade of his sword with his bare hands.
"Oh yea? Well fuck your magic sword." replies Ajax with a grin as his Touki explodes from his body and enshrouds him in a slim crimson aura. Having never encountered Touki before, Agaliar's cautious nature makes itself known as he attempts to free his sword from Ajax in order to create some distance between them. Unfortunately for him, Ajax tightens his grips around the blade before using his other hand to snap it from the hilt and tossing it through the skull of a devil who had been attempting to sneak up on him to help Agaliar.
Before Agaliar can realise that his sword is broken Ajax appears in front of him in a burst of speed that Agaliar confuses for teleportation and smashes his fist into his opponent's stomach, knocking the wind out of him and causing him to dry heave.
"Can't shapeshift to dodge if you can't see me coming." comments Ajax with a grin as he punches Agaliar in the jaw, breaking it. "I wanted to beat you with Gae Bolg and without using Touki, but you had to be a slippery little bastard." he says as he proceeds to pummel Agaliar's chest with a series of kicks, snapping his ribs and causing them to puncture his lungs. "Now you get to feel your bones snap and your body break." he adds as he kicks Agaliar's knees in before smashing his knee against his head, cracking his skull and knocking him out. "Fucking bastard." curses Ajax as he tosses the unconscious Agaliar to Ambrosius' feet before returning to the battlefield where he immediately decapitates a devil with his spear.
Before he can go on a rampage however, two immense magic circles appear in the air above the battle. As everyone wonders what their purpose is, Kulshedra, a large serpentine demonic dragon with nine tongues, hornes, spiked spine, and massive demonic wings, emerges from one of the circles and releases a deafening roar that brings a halt to the battle. From the second magic circle, a gigantic nine-headed hydra emerges and proceeds to exhale clouds of poison that kills every devil in its vicinity while the Edenians merely cough due to its smoky nature.
Down on the ground, Ambrosius watches it all with a raised eyebrow.
"It's a good thing I remembered to give them immunity to all poisons. Although I wonder, who has the pleasure to deal with that annoyance?" mutters Ambrosius to himself.
--
AN: Here's the chapter, it would have been longer but I feel like if I wrote the battle against the hydra and the dragon in the same chapter it would have been rushed. As usual, tell me what you guys think.
Also the third chapter of my Campione fic is published. The name of it is The Godslaying Pharaoh. The third chapter is already available on my p a t r e o n The link is, (p a t r e o n . com / servantambrosius), minus the spaces. That story will be updated once a week and patrons will be able to read chapters a week in advance along with other exclusive content such as the Authorities that I have come up with and are considering for the main character.
The Fall of Marbas and Buer
Edenia ~490 AD
Devils are annoying to fight, or at least that's Aatrox's opinion on them so far. They fly into the sky and proceed to bombard you with their magic while screaming out the name of their attacks even if it's a simple lightning bolt. Then, once you close the distance between you and them to engage in close quarter combat you find that their skills in that area are severely lacking.While that may not sound that bad to some, to Aatrox it is very annoying for two simple reasons. The first is because he hates fighting in the air. Yes he can fly without his chariot and yes he can fight while flying without his chariot, but the entire experience is so bothersome that so far he has contemplated cutting their wings off on more than three occasions due to their tendency to evade in order to fight with their magic, and that's all without mentioning the ones who have a bloodline ability. Those devils are the worst to fight because of their overreliance on their bloodline.
The second reason why he finds fighting them annoying is due to their poor close quarter combat skills he feels as if he is fighting a civilian. Some have no proper fighting stance, those who do are full of openings and the ones who have a proper fighting stance usually lack the physical prowess needed to use it to its optimal capacity. Their strikes are slow, sluggish, and easy to predict. Their movements are wasted and full of unnecessary motions, and they can barely take a hit before dying. All in all they're close quarter combat skills are very poor, or at least that is what he thinks. Little does he realise that his sense of skill and power are extremely skewed.
In reality the average devil is quite skilled in close quarter combat and the problem does not lie with them, but with the Edenians who are absolute monsters. All Edenian Warriors have been trained by some of the greatest warriors from the Knights of the Round for decades, they have trained with the likes of Setanta, Arturia, Mordred, Connla, and Aoife, all of whom are considered as some of the greatest warriors humanity has to offer and have all left their mark on history. And those are only their mundane teachers and sparring partners. They were then trained by The Four, a god and three goddesses who have spent the majority of their lives fighting and killing beings that many considered unkillable while also training people like Setanta and Mordred. In addition to all of that the physiology an Edenian makes them perfect for battle even without all of that training. All of these factors have resulted in all Edenians' views towards power to be skewed while making warriors like Aatrox annoyed at fighting devils.
It is for this reason that Aatrox has opted to simply mount his chariot and use it to run over the devils as opposed to flying and fighting them like most of his peers. And while being run over by his chariot does not generate an instant kill, it does severely injure the devils due to the powerful lightning that the chariot discharges at the bottom. It may not be how one typically uses a chariot, but he's sure that Achilles wouldn't mind him using Troias Tragōidia: Tempestuous Immortal Chariot in such a way.
As Aatrox runs his chariot over another group of devils, something powerful slams into the side of his chariot, overturning it and sending Aatrox flying out of it. Before the chariot can slam into any of his allies, Aatrox dismisses it while turning in the air to see what attacked him and stopping his fall.
"That was a pretty impressive hit." compliments Aatrox as he looks at his opponent, a large male devil that stands at seven feet eight inches tall, possesses short, spiky black hair, red eyes, and a body that seems to be made of muscles only. He wears a battle skirt reminiscent of a hoplite warrior, a black cuirass with the sigil of House Marbas in a red circle in the middle, and golden spaulders, greaves and gauntlets. "Ahhh, you must be Hadad Marbas." observes Aatrox.
"You will pay for your transgressions on House Marbas." replies Hadad with a scowl on his face.
"What House Marbas? Last I checked they were quite extinct." taunts Aatrox with a blood thirsty smirk as his touki explodes from his body and surrounds him in a green aura.
Hearing Aatrox's words, Hadad lunges at him with an enraged roar, earning a smile from Aatrox. Dodging the first punch, Aatrox grabs Hadad's outstretched arm and uses his momentum against him to throw him far away from the battlefield and into an open clearing. This is one of the tactics that they've been suggested to use once faced against a Pillar leader, face them away from the battlefield in order to reduce the possibility of their allies being caught in the crossfire.
With a smirk on his lips, Aatrox follows Hadad's flying body with a sonic boom, his spear poised to impale the devil through the chest. Before he does, Hadid barely dodges, resulting in a gash running across his chest horizontally as opposed to a stab through the chest. Readjusting himself, Hadid tries to kick Aatrox's back, only for the warrior to backflip over it and land in front of Hadid.
"Not bad. You survived my initial attack." compliments Aatrox. "But I can't help but feel as if you're looking down on me, where's your tamed beast?" he asks as he dismisses his spear.
"I have no need of it to kill you." replies Hadid with a deep rumbling voice.
"If that's the case then I'll just have to make you summon it!" exclaims Aatrox as he disappears from Hadad's vision in a burst of speed, causing the devil's eyes to widen in shock as Aatrox appears in front of him with a bloodthirsty grin and proceeds to smash his fist on the devil's chest, sending him flying into a mountain.
As his body collides with the mountain and creates cracks on its surface, Hadad can feel his rib cage crack while his internal organs are jostled around in his body. Before he can recover however Aatrox once again appears in front of him with another punch aimed towards his stomach, only to immediately retreat just as a series of dark red magical beams hit the ground where he once stood.
"Oi, you're interrupting my fight." says Aatrox as he glares at his attacker, a devil who stands at around his height with long blue hair and venomous green eyes. He wears a golden cuirass over a black shirt, greaves over his black knee high boots, and vambraces.
"It seems that you require my assistance Hadad." says the new devil.
"Just don't get in my way Gelsen." he says as he venomously spits out his fellow devil's name before launching himself at Aatrox.
Dodging his opponent's first punch, Aatrox retaliates with a kick that Hadad is barely able to block before Aatrox is forced to retreat due to a magical onslaught from Gelsen.
"Those spells, they feel poisonous. Are you Gelsen Buer, Head of House Buer?" asks Aatrox as he proceeds to dodge the crimson magical spells.
"Ohhh, so the dog does recognise his betters." comments Gelsen as a sword with a milky white blade appears in his hand and he joins Hadad in his assault on Aatrox.
With the two devils working side by side, the assault on aatrox is intensified as he is now forced to defend against Hadad's powerful strikes and Gelsen's precise slashes with a blade that he is sure is quite poisonous. Despite this however Aatrox simply grins as he continues to effortlessly parry, block and dodge every attack while adding his own strikes once in a while. Little by little the intensity of the battle increases as the devils begin to realise that they cannot hold back if they want to win. With this revelation they begin to magically enhance their bodies to the point where every clash between them and Aatrox creates a shockwave that resonates throughout the island.
"Yes! This is what I wanted, a battle with you devils that isn't disappointing!" exclaims Aatrox as he redirects a slash from Gelsen's sword before sending the devil flying away with a punch while also dodging a kick from Hadad. Grabbing hold of Hadad's leg, Aatrox proceeds to pull him towards him and pummels him to the ground with a series of punches before kicking him towards Gelsen.
With groans of pain the two devils struggle back onto their feet while swallowing down the blood they feel rising from the back of their throat. Once back on their feet, Hadad begins to draw upon a big amount of magical energy, making Aatrox interested in their new scheme.
"I didn't want to resort to this, but you leave me no choice." claims the Head of House Marbas, shocking Gelsen.
"Are you insane? If you summon Kulshedra our forces are guaranteed to be wiped out!" exclaims Gelsen.
"So what? At least we'll be rid of these Edenians, they have far too much power to be allowed to survive." refutes Hadad as he summons a massive magic circle over the city.
"Oi, do you really think that I'd let you summon your beast and allow it to rampage on the battlefield?" questions Aatrox.
"Of course not." replies Gelsen as he too begins to draw upon his magic. "But you'll be too busy with my hydra to worry about Kulshedra." he says as he also summons a magic circle over the city.
From the first and biggest magic circle emerges Kulshedra, a large serpentine demonic dragon with nine tongues, hornes, spiked spine, and massive demonic wings, emerges from one of the circles and releases a deafening roar that brings a halt to the battle. From the second magic circle, a gigantic nine-headed hydra emerges and proceeds to exhale clouds of poison that kills every devil in its vicinity while the Edenians merely cough due to its smoky nature.
"Shit!" exclaims Aatrox as he summons his spear and hurls it with as much strength as he can towards Kulshedra. The throw creates a sonic boom as the weapon cuts through the air and plunges into the side of the demonic dragon's head. Despite the impressive amount of power behind it however the spear does not plunge through the beast's body and instead stops once the blade is completely through. That does not stop its momentum however as it carries both the spear and the beast away from the city and far into the island's coast.
Finding the demonic dragon to be a bigger threat than the devils, Aatrox stops holding back and easily knocks out Hadad and Gelsen before he races towards the beast in order to slay it before it can recover and return to the battlefield. With speed unmatched by all of the mortals on the island due to Dromeus Komētēs: Comet Form, Aatrox appears before the dragon in less than a second and retrieves his spear from the side of its head before using it to create a long gash on the dragon's body, starting from its neck to its tail.
With a pained roar, Kulshedra turns to Aatrox's general direction and proceeds to spew a pillar of fire at the warrior. Flaring his touki, Aatrox races through the fire and into the dragon's mouth where he plunges his spear through the roof of its mouth and using all of his strength pushes it into the beast's brain, killing it.
As the dragon's body falls limp on the beach, Aatrox makes his way out of the mouth of the beast just in time to see the nine-headed hydra slowly disintegrate from the head down to its tail. With the naturally enhanced vision of an Edenian, Aatrox is able to clearly see the culprit, a man that every Edenian, regardless of age or gender, knows very well.
He stands at five feet nine inches tall, possesses the same brown skin as Ambrosius along with the same white hair tied into a ponytail. He wears a sleeveless red cuirass made of an unknown material with horizontal lines going down it and a single vertical line that travels through them, and five silver sea shells going across the chest. Attached to the cuirass are red tassets to protect the upper thigh, and a red cloth that hangs between the legs. On the left tasset are five silver sea shells, while the right has only one.
On the legs the armor is one piece separated into two colors, with the division occurring just above the knee. The top is made out of the same scales as Lord Ambrosius' very first atlantean armor, colored silver, and ending at just above the knee. The bottom covers from the knee down to the ankles and made from the same materials as the cuirass.
The boots are colored red, reaching just under the knee, with the part of the feet covered in a grey armor that makes it indistinguishable from the greaves that go over the part of the boot that covers the shins. To finish the armor are two red vambraces, with a single fin each, that go over two grey sleeves that start from the biceps and end at the wrist. All in all the man could easily pass off as a relative of Lord Ambrosius despite not being one.
In fact, the man is a mortal Edenian with no more blood relation to Lord Ambrosius than any other mortal Edenian. What makes him special is that he is the most powerful Edenian Warrior, is the leader of Squad Alpha, the most powerful squad, and was personally selected by Lord Ambrosius for a special experiment. His name is Gawain and he is the closest thing to a noble that the Edenian Empire has.
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AN: Here's the chapter. Kulshedra is killed quickly and so is the hydra. Some of you may not be satisfied with the way they were easily defeated and I get where you may come from, but Aatrox is an absolute monster and his spear has the same properties as Gae Bolg but without the special moves. We're also introduced to another Edenian mortal, Gawain, who also serves into giving a deeper look into Edenian culture. I will only say this, Gawain is not related to Ambrosius. He is 100% human turned into an Edenian. As for Edenian culture, we'll get a deeper look after the war is over. Right now it's still being developed. As usual, tell me what you guys think.
Also the third chapter of my Campione fic is published. The name of it is The Godslaying Pharaoh. The third chapter is already available on my p a t r e o n The link is, (p a t r e o n . com / servantambrosius), minus the spaces. That story will be updated once a week and patrons will be able to read chapters a week in advance along with other exclusive content such as the Authorities that I have come up with and are considering for the main character.
Malphas and Leviathan Captured
Edenia ~490 AD
Gawain, son of Aidan and Aine, members of the first tribe and a barren couple until the Descent of The Four. When the couple first met The Four they hoped that one of them would be able to help them conceive, at least that was the case until they found out that none of The Four were gods of fertility or childbirth. Aine, the ever optimist suggested that they ask either way even if the answer is possibly no, however Aiden felt that doing so would be disrespectful since they have not done anything yet to earn such a favor. As such the couple spent the better part of twelve years trying and failing to conceive until Aine could no longer take it and began to pray.
At first she did not expect to receive any reply since The Four spent most of their time in their mortal forms, and only did so in order to help herself cope. After the first few months however she started to hope after seeing Queen Morgan observing her as if she were a puzzle. Eventually, the Queen approached her and offered her a solution, she would take hers and Aiden's blood and with it she would create a baby. While she could magically fix her and her husband, according to Queen Morgan it would be disrespectful to the future god/goddess of fertility and childbirth of the pantheon.
Excited, Aine agreed and promptly told Aidan. Together they followed the Queen's instructions and a few months later they had their baby boy on the day of the Festival of The Descent. On that very same day they named the boy Gawain after one of Lord Ambrosius' mortal incarnations and vowed that they would raise the boy to dedicate himself to The Four.
Like this the boy grew, hearing stories of The Four, of their journey from universe to universe, of their different mortal incarnations, and of The Descent. He learned that it was Queen Morgan who made his birth possible and due to the other three that life was so much easier. As such he grew up admiring them and looking for how to dedicate himself. It was then that his father told him about the warriors, and he immediately went to enlist.
During training it quickly became obvious that while there were quite a few geniuses among them, Aatrox, Ajax, Alexander, and Enyo to name a few, Gawain however, was an entirely different beast. He excelled in hand to hand combat, all forms of weaponry, tactics, and he had a terrifying willpower that allowed him to continue when most had given up. He was the first to awaken his touki, the first to win a battle against one of the Knights of the Round, and when they were turned into Edenians he was one of the first warriors not specialising in magic to show his prodigious talent, easily mastering storm magic and being the one of the few warriors to receive the Power of Destruction.
Unlike Aatrox and Alexander however, he did not resonate with any of the six imprints. But it seemed that Ambrosius had foreseen this since he provided Gawain with a lancer figurine with the imprint of a specific hero, a hero that should have never existed. Naturally there was a chance of him not resonating with the hero, and even if he did there was the chance of death should he fail the test. Despite the risks however Gawain was not deterred and proceeded to fuse with the lancer figurine, causing him to fall in a coma that lasted for months which resulted in him missing the first two official battles of Edenia. When he finally awoke, it was to the sound of battle and the summoning of two massive beasts, Kulshedra and a nine-headed hydra.
Without even making sure that he did not suffer any adverse effects from the Resonance, Gawain activates one of the Noble Phantasms he received from the heroic spirit, Primaevo Armis Maris: Gift of The Sea God, a red and silver armor that protects him from curses and any Anti-Divinity weapons/conceptual attacks. In a second Gawain is already outside and manipulating his Power of Destruction into a dense ball no bigger than a needle point at his fingertips. Before anyone can even notice his presence, he launches the balls at the hydra's heads in the form of ten beams that strike it in the chest and on its nine heads. Slowly, the hydra begins to disintegrate from its head down, drawing almost everyone's attention to him.
Not caring much for the attention and wanting to rid his home of the invaders, Gawain fires a thin beam of destruction from his pointer finger that zig zags around the battlefield, striking every devil in its way and killing the majority of them. Those who survive the beam however are too distracted by the pain of the attack to defend themselves and quickly die, leaving behind the only six devils who were able to defend themselves against the attack.
"Put down your weapons and turn yourselves in." orders Gawain as he floats closer to the battlefield.
"That power…" mumbles one of the devils loud enough for everyone to hear before he turns to Gawain, the dead body of an Edenian warrior held tightly in his hand by the throat. "Tell me boy, where did you come about this power?" he demands.
"You seem to misunderstand your situation, Calan. You are in no position to make demands or ask any questions." replies Gawain with narrowed eyes.
"How do you know me?" questions Calan Malphas, Head of House Malphas, one of the 72 Pillars that is renowned for their skill in all forms of combat. He wears black armor that appears to bleed from every crevice. Rivulets of red run all over the metal and drips silently to the floor. He has long orange hair, yellow eyes like a serpent, skin that is as red as the ooze on his armor, and large black, leather-like wings that flap behind him.
Rather than answer Gawain blasts him with five thin beams of destruction from his finger. Despite connecting however, the attack has no effect and seems to wash over the armor like water on a stone.
"Give up your futile attempt now, this armor was forged to survive Zekram Bael's Power of Destruction. Your poor imitation will have even less effect." informs Calan.
Ignoring Calan's words once again, Gawain turns to the Edenian warriors watching the exchange.
"Capture these remaining devils. I want them at Lord Ambrosius' feet by the time I'm done." he orders before turning back to Calan. "This shouldn't take too long." he mutters to himself as a thin crimson and black aura surrounds his body and he disappears from Calan's sight in a burst of speed.
Caught by surprise by his opponent's speed, Calan is unable to react properly when Gawain appears before him and launches him into the ocean with a punch that creates a shockwave felt even by the citizens. Following through on his advantage, Gawain follows Calan into the ocean where he increases the pressure enough to stop Calan's movement. Before he can reach the devil however, Calan frees himself with a burst of magical energy that pushes the water hundreds of feet away, creating a circle in the ocean devoid of any water. With a roar Calan launches himself at Gawain with a punch that connects with Gawain's incoming punch, creating a shockwave that pushes the water further away.
"Tell me Edenian, who is responsible for my son's torture?" questions Calan as he launches a series of attacks that Gawain easily deflects.
"Do you honestly expect me to tell you?" replies Gawain as he smashes a palm on Calan's solar plexus, followed by a knee to the face, a roundhouse kick to the knee, and an elbow to his right arm. Normally that assault would have resulted in a shattered knee and a broken arm, but Calan's armor easily protects him from such injuries.
With a pained scream Calan swings a punch towards Gawain's face, only for him to redirect the punch away from him with a palm before striking Calan on his shoulders, elbows, and knees. As Calan attempts to defend himself Gawain grabs him by the hair and proceeds to slam his face down on the dry ocean floor, cracking it and dazing his opponent. Before he can proceed to knock him out however, he senses an attack coming from his back. Taking flight, Gawain easily dodges the attack and turns to face his attacker, a woman with long black hair, brown skin of the same complexion as him and glowing violet eyes. It is clear from her state that she has just barely escaped dying in battle, her clothes are torn, she is missing her left arm while her right one hangs limply, and her left leg is twisted in an unnatural direction. In addition, her jaw is broken and Gawain can see that her ribcage has been completely shattered.
"Identify yourself." orders Gawain as he slams his fist on Calan's temple, knocking him out.
Rather than answer the woman stares at him with hate filled eyes before controlling the water around her to attack Gawain in the form of spikes. Not bothered by her assault, Gawain merely waves his hand and evaporates the water, causing the devil's glare to intensify.
Before she can attack him again however, strands of silver hair emerge from the ocean and wrap themselves around the woman's throat.
"No, no, no, nonononono!" panics the devil as she attempts to free herself. "Why are you still alive?! I drowned you!" exclaims the devil with fear in her eyes.
"I must say, turning yourself into a massive sea serpent to drown me was quite a clever move once you realised that you could not win." says the voice of a woman as she emerges from the sea. She stands one inch short of six feet tall, possesses pale skin, silver hair with the middle strands being black, violet eyes and a very beautiful face. She wears purple, silver, and black dress that highlights her beautiful and curvy figure, especially since it is wet, thigh-high black high heeled boots and dark purple lipstick on her full lips.
"Unfortunately for you, I can't drown." says the woman that Gawain speculates to be Queen Sindel based on the descriptions he's heard of her. With almost no effort Queen Sindel smashes her fist on the devil's head, knocking her out, before turning to Gawain. "It seems that you too are finished. Come, let us return to Edenia." she says before Gawain can say anything and proceeds to turn to fly back to the city.
Following two steps behind her, Gawain can't help but wonder when she arrived and how much has he missed since his Resonance. From what he can tell so far Edenia has only joined the war recently and the rest of Squad Alpha are off the island, most likely on standby for a mission. If he had to guess then he would say that the devils were baited into attacking Edenia. This attack is most likely the second one on Edenian soil after what was most likely a brutal retaliation by Edenia for the devil's first attack. As such, Squad Alpha is most likely in the Underworld awaiting the order to attack after these devils have been subdued.
"You seem to be in deep thought, did your Resonance not go well?" asks Sindel, interrupting Gawain's train of thought.
"It went well. I was able to pass the test, albeit barely." responds Gawain as they float closer to the city.
"Barely? I remember Ambrosius saying that it should be no problem for you." answers Sindel.
"No offense to Lord Ambrosius, but his standards for what should be normal are quite skewed. The life of his mortal incarnation as a son of Neptune was not easy at all." says Gawain.
"Did you experience it, his life as a son of Neptune?" wonders Sindel.
"I did. The test was for me to survive experiencing it without becoming broken mentally. I was lucky to have received training from him before taking the test." explains Gawain humbly, earning an appreciative and understanding nod from Sindel as they come within a few miles of the city.
Before their conversion can continue however a teleportation circle appears in front of them, causing them to stop while preparing themselves in case of another enemy. As the light of the teleportation circle fades, a devil emerges from it. He stands at six feet two inches tall, has silver hair, grey eyes and a handsome face. He wears a standard knight armor without the helm and with his devil wings out in full display.
"Hand over Satan Leviathan." orders the devil, earning a raised eyebrow from Sindel while Gawain merely glares at him. "You humans do not even possess the right to look upon her, much less touch her with your filthy hands." says the devil.
Before Sindel can answer, Ambrosius appears next to the devil with no warning, as if he was always there.
"Is that so." hums Ambrosius as he studies the devil. "And who decided that?" he questions with a raised eyebrow. "Was it you, Sallos Belial?" asks Ambrosius as he disappears from his previous position and reappears next to Sallos, startling him. "Did you get sent here by Lucifer?" he wonders as he stares into the devil's eyes. "No, Lucifer doesn't even know that his fellow Satan lost. You came here with them in secret just to observe and intervene in case your crush needs help." explains Ambrosius, startling a terrified Sallos with how knowledgeable he is. "How adorable, the devil has a crush on his master." he says before smacking the devil, knocking him out cold and throwing his limp body at Gawain. "Put them in the dungeon with the others." orders Ambrosius.
"Yes my Lord." answers Gawain as he catches Sallos' body before flying away.
"I observed your battle, it seems that you're still limiting yourself to your hair and banshee scream." comments Ambrosius.
"I'm not used to the new abilities yet." admits Sindel.
"You'll get there." he replies with a reassuring smile as they fly back to the city side by side. "For now you can take a break. Azula and I will interrogate these devils and prepare for the next phase."
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AN: Here's the chapter. As usual, tell me what you guys think.
Also the third chapter of my Campione fic is published. The name of it is The Godslaying Pharaoh. The third chapter is already available on my p a t r e o n The link is, (p a t r e o n . com / servantambrosius), minus the spaces. That story will be updated once a week and patrons will be able to read chapters a week in advance along with other exclusive content such as the Authorities that I have come up with and are considering for the main character.
Lundenwic
Lundenwic ~492 AD
Lundenwic, an Anglo-Saxon settlement of around 50,000 people that was founded after the abandonment of Londinium and the collapse of Roman rule. The city was founded by a group of allied tribes after they, and many other tribes who accepted Vortigern's invitation to Britain, were defeated and their leader, Vortigern, was killed by King Arthur. With the death of Vortigern, many of the tribes saw no reason to keep themselves allied with one another and went their separate ways. From there, a period of bloodshed and war swept through southern Britain as the tribes fought each other for the lands to settle.
During this period of war the city of Lundenwic was founded by an alliance of Anglo-Saxon tribes and remnants of people who used to live in Londinium, Roman London. Since the tribes who followed Vortigern had faced drastic changes to their culture during their years with him, such as converting to Catholicism, the Anglo-Saxon tribes found that integrating themselves with the remnants of Roman London to be an easier task than expected.
While both groups certainly had their differences in terms of beliefs and culture, such as the Anglo-Saxon's more warrior-like lifestyle as opposed to the more merchant-like lifestyle of the remnants of Londinium, the threat of enemies from the outside forced them to not only adapt and tolerate each other, but to also cooperate with each other to the point of their culture slowly merging until they became one group as opposed to two different groups cooperating. With the founding of this new group, the city of Lundenwic was founded where Londinium used to be and quickly grew to become a major port town of southern Britain. Due to this however, it quickly earned the attention of the more barbaric tribes as well as the attention of settlements created by other Anglo-Saxon tribes, forcing Lundenwic to quickly adopt a militaristic force to protect itself.
Despite not having faced King Arthur themselves, the leading generation of Lundenwic have seen the impact that his military prowess has left on their forefathers and thus decided to adopt a similar structure in the hopes of creating a similarly powerful force. This decision proved to be the correct decision when the many Knights of Lundenwic forced a powerful coalition of Anglo-Saxon tribes and settlements to retreat while only incurring less casualties than they had anticipated. Not only did this bring Lundenwic fame due to many comparing them to the King Arthur's Knights of the Round Table, but it also dramatically increased the popularity of Catholicism in Lundenwic and many of the surrounding areas due to the majority of the Knights claiming that they owe their victory to none other than God of the Bible himself. This increase in popularity made Lundenwic a hub for Catholicism with the potential to reach Camelot's level. Or at least it used to before the arrival of the devils.
Sometime around the year 482, Lundenwic began to experience an increase in activities that the most devout members of the church would consider sinful. People drank more, partied more, and submitted to their base desires more often than usual. This eventually led to an increase in crime that started out small. At first it went unnoticed by all since the crimes were either minor or were in secret. A theft here, a bribe there, or the occasional murder that occured when a drunken fight took place, but eventually the crimes grew in number and frequency. Murders began to take place more frequently and without the culprit being drunk, the number of thefts, bribes, and blackmails increased, and even rapes became more frequent. This quickly drew the attention of the church who correctly deduced that the city is under attack by devils, but unfortunately for them they were too late.
The leaders of the city had already turned to the devils, and so had the Knights and the majority of the leaders of the church. Those who had not succumbed to the temptation of the devils were swiftly taken care of before they could escape. From there, the city quickly became the capital of the devils in Britain as well as their staging ground for their invasion of the island.
With the devils taking over the city, life quickly changed for the humans who lived there as they found themselves to be second class citizens at best for the devils who occupy the city. The first major change that the city experienced was expansion. Using the humans as slave labor, the devils went about expanding the city towards the west while also attacking all minor settlements in the surrounding areas that are not Catholic and converting those that are Catholic. Soon the entirety of south Britain fell to the devils, leaving Briton, the kingdom of King Arthur, as the remaining bastion against the devils in Europe.
Leading this successful invasion of Europe is Pruflas of House Satanachia, one of the Six Houses of Lucifer that is known for their mind control abilities as well as their skills in subjugating others. Like all members of House Satanachia, Pruflas is a master of mind control and subjugation, unlike the rest however he takes it to a completely different level. He has an innate power over all women, capable of subjugating them regardless of age or power and doing with them whatever he wishes. He has shown to be able to improve the mental sharpness of those he wishes as well as the flexibility of their body. He commands thousands of witches who he uses to manipulate others as well as turn against God, and has shown the ability to create even more. Despite this however, none of those reasons are why he was chosen specifically to conquer Europe.
The reason why he was specifically chosen to conquer Europe is due to his greatest ability, the ability to raise sacred spaces that can block out God and his Hosts' influence while also weakening any enemy that enters his sacred space. Similar to how the interior of any church is considered God's property and is capable of weakening any devil that enters, the sacred spaces of Pruflas is his property which he has absolute control over. With it he can weaken God's influence over the area while blocking it from his senses, allowing the devils to do as they please without having to worry about God finding out.
Currently, within a massive castle in the city of Lundenwic, one can find a devil sitting on a black throne inside of a room filled with other devils. The devil appears as a strong soldier with blonde hair and red eyes, wearing the armor of a Roman soldier with an orange colored breastplate. Like all devils of his House, his face is handsome and contains a certain supernatural charm to it that makes any who see it want to submit themselves completely to him. This man is none other than Puflas Satanachia, Head of House Satanachia, and leader of the devil forces in Europe. He is the one credited with the current state of the continent as well as devils successfully getting a foothold in Europe while also tricking the Fallen Angels to focus most of their efforts to defeating the Angels.
As Puflas makes himself comfortable on his throne, a tall bearded middle aged man approaches him while ignoring the tense atmosphere in the room and bows.
"Trimasel, you have the nerve of showing your face here after your failure in Dyfed." slowly says Pruflas.
"My apologies Lord Satanachia, I did not expect for the Edenians to ally themselves with the Fallen." replies Trimasel as he deepens his bow.
"Your last report indicated that they allied themselves with the Angels; now you claim that defeated you with the aid of the Fallen, which is it?" calmly asks Pruflas.
"Both. They first attacked by themselves and liberated Haverfordwest before using the town as a foothold for their forces. Then they slowly chipped away our influence in the surrounding areas which allowed the Angels to descend upon us. While we defended ourselves from the Angels in the west, another group of Edenians assaulted the East along with the aid of the Fallen." reports the devil.
"Are the Angels and the Fallen in alliance?" questions Pruflas while the other devils in the room uncomfortably shift in their position at the prospect of the Fallen and the Angels allying with each other..
"No. The Angels seemed unaware that the Fallen were also attacking from a different front." he replies, causing many of the devils to silently sigh in relief.
"That's not much better, we are still fighting a war against three opponents, and our most dangerous one seems to have no issues with allying themselves with the other two." claims Pruflas with a slight frown on his face. Ever since the introduction of the Edenians, things have steadily gotten worse for the devils. First they lost thousands of devils in a reconnaissance mission to the island, which led to the loss of five Pillars when the Edenians retaliated. In an attempt to wipe out the Edenians before they can become a problem as well as to avenge the wiped out Pillars, Lucifer sent an assault squad led by Satan Leviathan to Edenia. The resulting losses were far worse than anything devil society has ever faced.
In that battle not only did they lose hundreds of thousands of devils, but they also lost eleven Pillar heads as well as Satan Leviathan herself. What makes it all worse is the fact that they have no idea what happened since there were no survivors. As retaliation for attacking their island once again, the Edenians wiped out another five Pillar clans before going on to lead a campaign that freed Ireland from the devils.
"What squad led the charge?" asks Pruflas, depending on which squad he has to face will determine how much reinforcements he will need from the Underworld.
"S-Squad Alpha." stutters Trimasel, causing an atmosphere of fear and uneasiness to fall on the room.
"Did you say Squad Alpha?" questions Pruflas as he leans forward.
"Yes." confirms Trimasel with a nod.
Hearing Trimasel's answer, Pruflas leans back on his throne with a heavy frown on his face while the other devils fearfully whisper amongst themselves. To the devils, the Edenians are the perfect counter to their magical prowess. While their magical abilities allow them to face most supernatural races and come out on top, using it against the Edenians tends to be more of a hindrance than an aid. That is all most Edennians are to the devils, a perfect counter to their magical prowess.
However, there are quite a few exceptions amongst the Edenians that go from being a perfect counter to being the worst possible enemy to all devil kinds, and Squad Alpha is one of those exceptions.
Made up of four Edenian Warriors like every other squad, Squad Alpha does not seem to be anything special from a first glance, at least not until they join the battlefield. Like all Edenian Warriors, they are very skilled in hand to hand combat, weaponry, can all use touki, something that should not be possible, and are all powerful enough to be considered Ultimate Class. Unlike most Edenian Warriors however, anyone who survived a battle against them only survived because they were allowed to survive. To most devil society, Squad Alpha is infamous for leading the charge that wiped out the first five Pillars out of the ten that were destroyed.
"Did you recognise any of the others?" asks Pruflas.
"I did. Squads Beta was also present." informs Trimasel, causing the devils to become even more uneasy. While Squad Alpha is known for not leaving any survivors simply due to their efficiency, Squad Beta does not leave any survivors due to two of their members' battle lust as well as their bloodthirsty nature.
"I see." comments Pluflas to himself before turning to a dark corner of the room. "We need to accelerate our plans." commands the devil as a woman wearing a tight red dress and black veil over her face steps out of the shadows, her steps so light that she seems to glide over the floor.
"The boy is not completely disillusioned with his king yet." replies the woman with a soft, sultry voice.
"Then make him." orders Pruflas.
"Very well." replies the woman, as she steps back to our corner, her body seemingly melting into the shadows. "Prepare to return to the Underworld, if the Edenians are led by Squad Alpha then this city may not last long." says Pruflas to the devils in the room.
"Excuse me Lord Pruflas, but why should we be worried? Surely your sacred space will surely block the devils like it blocks Him." says Trimasel.
"Trimasel, you are a disgrace to House Barbatos. My sacred space does not block Him or his Angels from attacking us, it merely stops them from sensing what is going on inside. If he wanted to he could attack us anytime he wants, but since we were willingly given this city by the humans he won't. After all, he believes that the most important thing for humanity is for them to have freedom of choice." explains Pruflas.
While the major weakness of the devils is anything deemed Holy by God, or blessed by a believer, the major weakness of Angels is the constraints that God places on them and himself. If a city falls due to the leader giving in to the temptation of the devils, God and his forces will not attack the devils and will allow them to stay in the city. That one constraint is what allowed the devils to be able to possess Lundenwic without fear of being attacked.
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AN: Here's the chapter. As usual, tell me what you guys think.
Also the fourth chapter of my Campione fic is published. The name of it is The Godslaying Pharaoh. The fifth chapter is already available on my p a t r e o n The link is, (p a t r e o n . com / servantambrosius), minus the spaces. That story will be updated once a week and patrons will be able to read chapters a week in advance along with other exclusive content such as the Authorities that I have come up with and are considering for the main character.
Human Monsters
AN Warning: This chapter is somewhat dark
Ratae, East Midlands
Britain
~492 AD
They came during one warm summer morning, their bat-like wings flapping behind them while their armor glinted with the light from the sun. Their features, while human, were too beautiful and perfect to be considered as such, and it was then that the people understood that these were not human. Their faces smiled kindly at them and they spoke sweet honeyed words of what they have to offer to them, power, women, land, and even immortality. They spoke of the greatness that they could bestow upon the humans, of the glorious battles they could win, the lands they could win, the women they could conquer, and even the kings that they could become. They promised all of that and more, all for one simple price, their obedience and their worship. Like any good salesman they knew who they were speaking to and what they had to say and offer to seal the deal, and just like they expected, the humans were more than happy to accept the offer by signing a magical contract with their blood.
With the contract signed, things quickly changed for the humans of that settlement. The first major change was their enhanced physique. They could move far faster than any normal human, lift more, fight for longer periods of time, and survive the worst punishments without being harmed.After having their physiques enhanced, they were then given weapons of superior quality as well as training in how to use them before being ordered to conquer the surrounding settlements while also making the people their worship their new benefactors.
Like this, the followers of the devils began to war with any settlement not under devil rule, which, considering their proximity to the north and the Kingdom of Camelot, was quite a lot. With their superior weapons and bodies, they easily defeated any opposition in their way and took whatever it is that they wanted from the defeated. Whether it be their land, riches, or women, they took them all while also enslaving the surviving warriors who decided not to worship the devils. They did all of this while the devils merely watched and reaped whatever it is that they wanted from the defeated and the humans who worship them; whether it be the beautiful human women, the slaves who they made fight for their amusement, or the lands that they burned just for the sake of it.
It is like this that the devils spread their influence beyond Southern Britain, and into the lands bordering Camelot. They did not participate in any of the battles, nor did they actively act on behalf of their worshipers. They merely gave them weapons and enhanced their physique while watching them conquer and pillage their way towards Camelot. They did all of this for one simple reason, God and his Angels will not interfere in a conflict between men even if one side has an unfair advantage in the form of better crafted weapons and magically enhanced physiques. Even if they possess these advantages due to making deals with devils, as long as the devils themselves do not actively attack or wage battles against humans, he will not interfere. Like this, the followers of the devils were allowed to conquer and ravage their way towards Camelot's borders unimpeded.
Currently within the town of Ratae, a town that was well developed by the Romans during their occupation of the island, a group of men could be seen rampaging through it. Most of them wear no shirts, allowing the muscled torso to be seen as well as the strange tattoo over their hearts that denotes what devil they serve and worship. Despite the valiant attempts of the warriors of the town, these men simply cut through them as if they are made of nothing but straw. They cut, stab, and decapitate them while laughing without care about the fact that they are outnumbered. To them, it does not matter how many of them there are, their attempts to fight back are simply futile.
While some of the invaders are killing their way through the town's warriors, others are barging into the homes of the citizens and dragging them out to the streets, and some of the men can be seen having their way with whatever woman they fancy regardless of their consent. In one particular house, a mother can be seen hurrying her children into hiding under a bed.
"Whatever happens, do not come out!" She instructs the children as she leaves their room and walks towards her own room just as the door of the house is smashed open and a shirtless man with brown hair walks in. He stands close to eight feet tall with a massive frame full of nothing but muscles. His shoulders are so wide that to enter the house he has to step in one shoulder at a time, and his arms are so wide and thick that one would not be wrong to compare them to the trunk of small trees. His chest, arms, and hands are drenched in the blood of his victims that drips onto the floor, and his dark eyes seem to promise nothing but pain and suffering.
Seeing this monstrosity of a man enter the house, the mother cannot help but scream in fear while silently praying that her children will be safe. Unbothered by her scream, the man makes his way to her with wide strides and grabs her by her blond hair before making his way towards the exit of the house. As he passes by the room where the children are hiding however, he pauses and sniffs the air, causing the mother's heart to skip a beat.
"W-what are you doing?" questions the mother as she musters enough courage to distract him for the sake of her children. Ignoring the mother, the invader continues to sniff the air before slowly turning to face the children's room. Knowing that if this continues her children will be found, the mother scratches the hand that holds her in an attempt to draw his attention. Unfortunately for her she does not even leave a mark on him, nor did she succeed in drawing his attention as the massive man ignores her and makes his way into the children's room where he grabs the bed and flings it a wall, shattering it and causing the children to scream in fear.
"No!" exclaims the mother as she does all she can to force the man to leave her children alone, scratching, punching, and kicking in the hopes of hurting him somehow. Unperturbed by her however, he grabs both of the children by their shirts and makes his way out of the room. As they are being dragged out, the mother comes close to a wooden stake from the broken bed that she picks up and proceeds to use to stab the man's thigh with, only for it to break upon making contact with his skin.
As the mother watches the stake break, she can't help but feel the last of her hope leave and despair take root within her heart. Her children are about to be killed, and she is going to be turned into a toy for this monster to play with. Yet, despite the hopelessness of the situation, she can't find it within herself to cry or show her fear. She doesn't want her children's last moments to be filled with despair, or for them to see her fear. Even if they are about to be killed, and she is going to suffer a fate worse than death, she wants them to at least go peacefully. And so, she plasters a smile on her face and turns to face her children.
"It's going to be ok." she whispers to them even as they fearfully stare at her. She knows that it's a lie and that things are never going to be ok after this, but she can't bring it upon herself to be honest with them, so she lies. For the first time in her lifetime, she lies to her children. She tells them that it's all going to be over soon and that everything will be fine even as the monster drags them out of the house and tosses them to the ground.
Ignoring the pain of her landing, she crawls to her sons and smiles to them while wiping their tears.
"We're going to be ok." she tells them even as she feels the monster grab her by the ankles and drag her back to him while her two sons call out her name.
"You're a real pretty one." says the behemoth with a voice that sounds like stone breaking and a grin as he turns her over to face him.
"Not in front of my children." she says with a glare that hides her fear.
"So you want me to kill them?" questions the monster with a tilt of his head, her silence and the look in her eyes giving him her answer.
"If you leave them be and don't do in front of them I won't struggle." she negotiates with an expression that gives nothing of her thoughts away while internally hoping that he listens.
"Too bad for you then, I love it when they struggle." he says with a dark chuckle as he begins to undo his pants. Despite being horrified, the mother calmly looks towards her sons.
"Look away." she says with another smile as they reluctantly close their eyes and look away. Despite telling them obeying however, she knows that it is too late and that they are already traumatised. The sound of other women being raped, the sound of battle, the laughter of the invaders, the smell of blood and smoke, and the voice of this monster has most already taken its toll on their minds. Still, at least they will not have to suffer the sight of what is going to happen to her.
"Hehehe, you really care about these brats, don't you. Maybe I'll keep them alive and raise them to be just like me. I bet that will break you." says the monster with a chuckle, causing the mother to turn urgently to to face him with fear written all over her face. "There's that look that I love. The look of fear and horror." says the man as he begins to lower his pants, and despair truly takes hold of the mother.
Before he can completely lower his pants however, something smashes into him and sends him flying through countless houses.
"Tsk, savages." says the calm and smooth voice of a man that slowly floats down from the sky. He is around six feet tall, has a pale yet healthy skin, and is a remarkably handsome man with quirky long black hair combed backward in a rough fashion that has a strand hanging down his face, golden eyes, and a small birthmark under his left eye. He wears a dark teal, sleeveless body tights with black accents, black arm sleeves that cover his arms from his wrist to just under his shoulders, and he holds a silver trident in his left hand.
"Are you harmed my lady?" asks the man as he softly lands in front of the woman with a concerned look on his face while offering her his hand. Dumbstruck and still processing the fact that she has just been saved, the mother can only stare at him while absentmindedly taking his hand.
As he pulls her up to her feet, the mother is able to regain her wits and runs to her children while ignoring the man.
"My children!" she happily exclaims while enveloping them in a hug that they tearfully return.
"Your orders?" asks a man that appears next to the mother's savior.
"Tell Ambros and Anlon that they can go all out. If possible make one of them summon whatever devil they worship; I want the head of at least one of them today." orders the leader.
"Ahhh, are you sure that you want those two to go all out? After all, they are the reason why the devils call us Bloody Beta Squad." asks the subordinate.
"Yes. I am tired of these sights, Vanko." replies the leader.
"I know what you mean." agrees Vanko as he prepares to leave, only for the woman to stop him.
"Wait, if you go you will die." she says as she approaches the duo while carrying her two children. "These men are monsters, they can't be harmed." She informs them just as the behemoth returns as he plows through a house and charges at the group of three at a speed too fast for a normal man to react. Despite hearing him approaching, the mother cannot react in time to save herself and her children. Before the massive man can reach her however, Vanko appears in between them, grabs the man by the face and smashes his head on the ground, cracking it, before breaking the man's neck with a powerful stomp.
"W-what?" stutters the woman as she attempts to process what has just happened.
The monster is dead. The man that had been about to have his way with her and was threatening into turning her precious sons into beasts like him just died from a stomp as easily as a bug is killed when stepped on. What kind of beings would be capable of doing something like this, she wonders to herself. How much power would someone need to kill that monster as easily as a human kills a bug? No, these beings can't be considered human, she thinks to herself. They are far too powerful and beautiful to pass off as human, especially the leader. They can't be angels since they don't possess wings, nor are they devils since the monsters killing their way through the town serve devils. That can only mean that they are a third party group, one that can't stand the atrocities that the devils cause.
That thought brings a smile on the mother's face, and fills her heart with hope. They are saved, her and her sons are saved by beings powerful enough to beat the devils and the monsters who side with them. That means that everything will be ok. She didn't lie to her sons, she and her children are going to be fine.
--
AN: Here's the chapter. As usual, tell me what you guys think.
Also the fifth chapter of my Campione fic is published. The name of it is The Godslaying Pharaoh. The fifth chapter is already available on my Pat re on which is (pat re on .com / servantambrosius), minus the spaces. That story will be updated once a week and patrons will be able to read chapters as soon as I finish writing them along with other exclusive content such as the Authorities that I have come up with and are considering for the main character.
Seraph
Ratae, East Midlands Britain
~492 AD
Five minutes. That is how long it took for the invading forces to be wiped out by three people. To the citizens of Ratae, those five minutes felt short and long at the same time. Many of them had to endure five more minutes of the devil worshipper's cruelty while others were saved quickly due to their proximity to their saviors.
"Ahhh, these devils really are despicable! They send such pitiful humans to rampage, and fail to come save them when called. What a shame, I was looking forward to delivering some of them from evil this night!" exclaims a handsome young man with blond hair as he enters the biggest building in the town, home of the reeve, the leader of this community. "The town has been repaired, Centurion Lajos." reports the young man as he enters the dining room where a meeting between his leader and the sole surviving member of the town's council is being held.
"Good, now go join Ambros in keeping watch." replies Lajos without even glancing at Anlon before returning his attention to the council.
"Of course, my centurion!" excitedly answers Anlon with a salute as he turns around and leaves the room.
"Is that ok? He had been healing the citizens all night long after the battle before repairing the town itself. Won't he be burned out?" asks a middle aged man with graying hair on his head as he looks at the vacant doorway where Anlon previously stood.
"It is best to keep him occupied with a task, otherwise he will do nothing but cause chaos, and I am currently not in the mood to deal with any of his nonsense."answers Lajos while rubbing his forehead as if to ward off a headache. "Now let us please forget about my chaotic subordinate and return to the topic at hand."
"Very well. As I was saying, while we are grateful for your help, we have nothing to repay you with." says the man bluntly.
"We have no need for repayment. My people are at war with the devils, it is only natural that we take the opportunity of reducing their forces, even if the ones we defeated cannot even be compared to the weakest devil." explains Lajos.
"I see." says the man as he strokes his beard thoughtfully. "If I may ask, where do your people come from and how are you so powerful? I have never seen anyone as powerful as the four of you." he comments.
"That is none of your concern, now let us return, once again, to the relevant topic." answers Lajos stoically. "We are willing to offer you and your people protection, however you would be required to move to a location of our choosing." informs the Edenian.
"Is that really necessary? My people have just suffered a traumatising event and many of them can barely carry on as it is, much less leave their home to travel to a completely different location. Can't you stay here?" asks the middle aged man with a weary expression on his face and slouching shoulders.
"Unfortunately it is necessary. Our warriors are already spread thin and spreading ourselves out any more risks leaving an opening for the devils to exploit." explains Lajos with a shake of his head.
"Very well. I will let them know so that those who are willing to travel the distance can go." he replies with a sigh as he gets up and walks out of the room with a limp.
With the man out of the room, Lajos looks at the doorway where he left and narrows his eyes. That man's survival is suspicious. Usually the leaders are dead within the first five to eight minutes of their settlements/towns being attacked by devil worshippers. The leader to survive the longest had lasted ten minutes, but that was mainly due to the devil worshippers toying with the poor man and his family before killing him. Still, while his survival alone would not normally cause Lajos to be suspicious of him, there is another thing about him that is not only abnormal, but is also suspicious by itself.
Like many who have come into close contact with devils and their magic, there is a scent of devil magic coming from the man. Unlike those who have either been victims of devils, have fought devils, or have simply been in the proximity of devil magic, the magnitude of coming from him aligns more with how much a devil worshipper would give off as opposed to a victim.
In addition to that, the man is far more adjusted than Lajos has ever experienced considering what he has just experienced. Especially since his family was toyed with by the devil worshippers before being murdered in front of him. By themselves all of these factors can be looked at, but without much to worry about. Taken together however and the mean begins to look more and more like a devil worshipper in disguise as opposed to a victim of them.
Nevertheless, without more concrete evidence, Lajos finds himself reluctant to act. While the man is possibly a devil worshipper, it is also possible that he has been exposed to a ridiculous amount of devil magic. Considering the strength of the attackers last night, it is a very real possibility. As such, Lajos decides that for the time being he will simply pay careful attention to the man before casting his judgement.
With that thought out of the way, the leader of Beta Squad turns his attention to another topic. Aeliana, the mother of the two boys that he saved a few hours ago, is not a normal human. While she is most certainly not a devil worshipper, nor does she belong to any supernatural, she is physically more powerful than she should be. Although it is not to the same extent as any supernatural species, she is about as powerful as one would expect an elite soldier to be. Enough to put her above most human, but still short of enabling her to combat anything supernatural related.
In addition to her physical prowess, the woman has magic reserves that are slightly less than the average human magician, but with no experience or knowledge of magic. And it's not only her, but her children also. They both possess enough potential that with enough training would make them on par with high High-Class devils.
Naturally this is the first time that Lajos has ever encountered a human who has reached such heights with no training. The only viable explanation that he can think of is that she possesses some form of supernatural heritage. Either way, he can't let her or her children end up in the devils' hands. With hypnosis they would be able to easily make her a devil worshipper and with that boost she would be a terror on the battlefield, especially since the devils can simply use her in areas where they know that Edenia lacks forces. They're already exploiting Edenia's shortage of personnel, no need to make it easier for them.
With that thought, Lajos stands up from his seat and makes his way out of the house and walks towards Aeliana's house. As he arrives there, he finds her already outside speaking with the sole survivor of the town's council, Harold. Keeping himself out of their sights, Lajos listens to what Harold has to tell her.
"I'm sorry to say Aeliana, but you and your boy will have to go with the second group." says Harold despondently, causing Lajos to frown as he wonders what Harold means. As far as he is concerned, there is to be only one group where everyone who wants to move will move.
"Is there no other way?" asks Aeliana. "At the very least take Sirius and Cassius with you." she suggests.
"I'm sorry, but I can't." sadly refuses Harold with a voice that would have convinced Lajos had he not been the one in charge. Having said his piece, Harold apologises one more time to Aeliana before walking away, leaving her standing in front of her house with a frown.
With Harold gone, Lajos comes out of the spot he was using to eavesdrop.
"He's good." admits Lajos as he approaches the worried mother and shakes her from her thoughts.
"Lord Lajos." greets Aeliana with a bow. "I did not see you coming." she says.
"No need to bow, nor call me 'Lord'. I am simply a warrior." replies Lajos as he makes her stand up straight.
"Surely a man of your caliber would be of noble status to your people." she says.
"We Edenians are a young people with a developing culture. As of right now the closest things we have to lords and ladys are the children of Emperor Ambrosius, our god and ruler." explains Lajos, earning an intrigued look from Aeliana.
"You do not believe in God?" she asks with a tilt of her head.
"No. We worship The Four and Empress Sindel, Mother of Edenia." answers Lajos.
"I see." says Aeliana with a whisper before beginning to speak only to stop herself with a thoughtful frown.
"If you are worried about you and your children, don't. There will not be multiple groups. There will only be one, and anyone interested in coming will be in that one group." reassures Lajos with a smile.
"Oh. I didn't know since Harold said otherwise." she answers with a frown. "Why would he lie though?" she wonders out loud.
"Do not worry about Harold, I will be speaking with him. As of now you should pack what essentials you will need and make your way to the gate." instructs Lajos.
"The boys and I have already packed and placed them at the gate. In fact they are currently there speaking with Ambros." she says with a smile. "I just came here to make sure that nothing was forgotten." she adds.
Before Lajos can answer her, a commotion can be heard coming from the direction of the gates, causing the duo to frown. Knowing that Aeliana's children are there, Lajos lifts her as he takes to the sky and makes his way to the gate. As they approach the gate, Lajos can make out Ambros, a handsome young man with black hair and glowing green eyes, arguing with a group of three knights while Sirius and Cassius hide behind Anlon and Vanko.
Landing next to Anlon, Lajos places Aeliana next to her children before turning to Vanko.
"At least two Trojan Horses are in the town, I want to know their goal(s) as soon as possible without alerting the devils." says Lajos to Vanko who immediately disappears from everyone's sights with a nod before Lajos turns to Anlon. "What is the situation?" he asks.
"These Knights are from Camelot and are in charge of the border. Considering how close Ratae is to the border, they've come to check on the sounds of battle that they've heard." explains Anlon with a frown. "One of the knights called us Edenians blasphemers and devil spawns." he adds.
With an amused snort, Lajos makes his way to the arguing duo and forcibly separates them.
"Enough." he commands as he throws both men tens of feet away from one another. "Why are you here?" he questions the knight.
"We heard sounds of battle coming from here while on patrol and came to investigate. We didn't expect to find devil spawns when we arrived though." he says as he spits on the floor, his disgust for the Edenians quite clear to the group.
"Not just devil spawns. There's also a witch here. I can just feel the magic oozing from her." says the second knight with a sneer as he circles around Aeliana with a glare while she shields her children and defiantly glares back at the knight.
"Damn, are all witches this good looking. She reminds me of Morgan Le Fay, I wouldn't mind spending one night with her before sending her to face The Lord." says the third knight with a whistle, earning murderous glares from every Edenian present.
"I will only say this once, mind your tongue." orders Lajos.
"Or what? You're gonna kill me?" asks the second knight with amusement clear in his voice. "As long as the angels watch over us, none of you devil spawns can touch us. Not even if I do this!" exclaims the knight as he draws his sword from its sheath and slashes it towards Aeliana's head with a speed too fast for her to react.
Before the sword can even come close to her however, Lajos appears between her and the knight and stops the sword by grabbing the knight's wrist. As the knight's eyes widen in shock, Lajos grabs him by the face and proceeds to lift him off the ground before slamming his face back down on the ground while twisting his arm and almost breaking it.
"Wilhelm!" screams the third knight as he begins to draw his own sword. Before it can fully come out of its sheath however, Anlon appears in front of the knight and slams it back into the sheath.
"Now, let's not do something that we'll regret." cheerfully says Anlon with a smile before snapping the knight's sword arm, causing him to scream in pain and let go of his weapon.
Before anyone else can make a move however, a sonic boom resounds through the sky and a golden light dives down towards Lajos. Before the light can connect with Lajos however, the Edenian snaps Wilhelm's arm and takes the knight's sword. Just as the light reaches within striking distance of him, Lajos vaults over it and impales it with Wilhelm's sword, causing it to crash onto the ground and for the light to dim considerably.
With the light's glow dimming, everyone is able to make out the figure of a four winged angel with blond hair, green eyes, and a priest's attire.
Despite being caught off guard and injured, the angel quickly recovers and flies back into the air where it summons a light sword.
"Remove your hands from the knights." orders the angel.
"While I would love to, you, my dear angel, are not my superior." replies Anlon with a grin.
"Be that as it may, the warriors of Heaven are not mere sheep that you can slaughter whenever you feel like. As such I will ask you one more time to unhand them." answers the angel.
"Are they warriors of Heaven? Do they speak for Heaven?" questions Lajos.
"Of course they are." replies the angel with an affronted look on his face.
"Are you sure?" asks Lajos with narrowed eyes.
"Yes." says the angel.
"Very well." answers Lajos before turning to his subordinates. "As warriors of Heaven, these knights have not only blasphemed our creator by calling us devil spawn, but they have also assaulted someone under our protection." he says, causing the angel's eyes to widen as he begins to realise what Lajos means to do. "I deem such actions as enemy actions. Kill them all." he orders.
"No!" exclaims a female voice before the last word can even leave Lajos' mouth. With the voice, comes an eruption of golden light that disappears as quickly as it appeared, and standing where the light originated from is an angel that can compare with the goddesses of Edenia in terms of beauty. She stands at around five feet eight inches tall with curly golden hair, beautiful green eyes, a voluptuous figure, and twelve angel wings coming from her back.
"Please don't kill them." says the angel with a bow.
"Lady Gabriel." whispers the four winged angel behind Gabriel.
"Damn…" whispers a starstruck Ambros before quickly shutting up after receiving a glare from Lajos.
"They are enemies of Edenia, and their actions are severe enough to warrant death." says Lajos.
"They are not warriors of Heaven. They are merely humans who have committed a mistake, so please spare them." replies Gabriel, causing the knights to flinch.
"If that's the case then why does it matter to you if I kill them or not." says Lajos.
"This war has already caused too much death. I don't want there to be any more than the ones that have already happened." she answers, causing Lajos to study her closer.
"You really are pure." says Lajos after a few moments of silence as he signals for Anlon and Ambros to let go of the knights while he straightens her posture.
"Thank you for sparing them." says Gabriel with a smile. "Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Gabriel, one of the Seraphs." she says as she stretches her wings.
"What is a Seraph doing here?" asks Lajos.
"Ahhh, I happened to be watching when the confrontation started and even though I know that what they did is wrong, I couldn't just watch as people died so I came here to ask you to forgive them." she says.
"I see." replies Lajos with a nod before walking away from Gabriel.
"Where are you going?" asks the angel with a tilt of her head.
"I have to teleport the inhabitants of the town to a safehouse, and we've already wasted enough time dealing with those idiotic knights of yours." answers Lajos as he, Anlon, and Ambros begin to inscribe a massive runic array on the ground.
"Oooh, can I come? I can help with healing and things like therapy." asks Gabriel with an excited clap.
"Suit yourself. Gawain wanted to meet with a Seraph in order to talk about a permanent alliance between Edenia and Heaven, so your presence would be welcomed." answers Lajos.
"Yes!" exclaims Gabriel as she floats over to the three Edenians in order to watch their work.
--
AN: Here's the chapter. As usual, tell me what you guys think.
Also the seventh chapter of my Campione fic is published. The name of it is The Godslaying Pharaoh. The eight chapter is already available on my Pat re on which is (pat re on .com / servantambrosius), minus the spaces. That story will be updated once a week and patrons will be able to read chapters as soon as I finish writing them along with other exclusive content such as the Authorities that I have come up with and are considering for the main character.
War Meeting
Unknown Location, Somewhere in the East Midlands Britain
~492 AD
As the light of the teleportation circle disappears, the people of Ratae find themselves within a massive room that lacks a ceiling, with around a dozen warriors standing at attention. One of the warriors steps forward and salutes Lajos.
"You've arrived just in time." says the warrior as he approaches Lajos. "Gawain and the others have arrived a few minutes ago and are currently debriefing in the war room." informs the warrior before looking at the people behind him that are still adjusting themselves after the teleportation. "I can take care of them for you." he suggests, earning a nod of thanks from Lajos.
"I appreciate it. They come from the town of Ratae. Most of them are shaken and traumatised by their experience, so standard procedure except for five of them." explains Lajos as he subtly points to Aeliana and her two boys who are too busy gathering themselves to notice. "The mother, Aeliana, and the two boys possess some form of supernatural heritage, and a powerful one at that, so for them it's the standard explanation of the supernatural along with an offer to join." he says to the listening warrior. "Also, there are at least two trojan horses within the group. By now Vanko should know who they are as well as whether there are more or not. Understand?" asks Lajos.
"Yes, 'Centurion Lajos'" says the man with a teasing smirk, causing Lajos to roll his eyes at the nickname given to him by Ambros.
"I will be on my way now." says Lajos as he turns to Gabriel and gestures for her to follow him with a wave of his hand.
Summoning her wings from her back, Gabriel takes to the sky and follows closely next to Lajos.
"Woah!" exclaims Gabriel as she looks down at the Edenian's base of operations. "This is pretty big for a temporary base." she comments as she observes the base that is easily as big as a city.
"This base isn't for us only. It's also where we take anybody affected by the war in need of help. Whether it be therapy, medical aid, or simply somewhere to live, we provide it all. The people shouldn't have to suffer just because they are caught in the middle of a war that has nothing to do with them." explains Lajos as he leisurely leads Gabriel towards the center of the city where a five story building can be found.
"War is a terrible thing." remarks Gabriel with a sad smile before turning to face Lajos. "Do you hate us for causing this war?" she asks him.
"It was either watch the devils slowly take over the world, or go to war with them. Considering how the devils treat captured humans, I say that the war is a preferable outcome." he answers as they descend in front of the building where two warriors wielding spears can be found guarding it.
Nodding to the warriors, Lajos makes his way inside with Gabriel following a step behind, only for the warriors to block her path with their spears before she can enter.
"She is with me." says Lajos.
"I'm sorry, but Gawain ordered that no one other than squad leaders be allowed inside." says one of the warriors with a shake of his head.
"That's fine, I will take responsibility for this." he tells them, causing the two warriors to look at each other before reluctantly allowing her to pass.
With a nod of thanks, Lajos continues back inside.
"Ahhh, that was sooo scary!" exclaims Gabriel as she jogs to catch up to her guide. "No one has ever pointed a weapon at me before." she says with a slight shaking in her voice.
"No one?" asks Lajos.
"Nope. No one." answers Gabriel.
"Then have you never fought in a battle before?" asks Lajos.
"Never." she replies with a shake of her head, causing Lajos to slightly frown.
Without saying another word, Lajos leads her to a door where he casually opens in and steps inside with her following closely behind.
Inside the room one can find various magical holograms with various information on them, such as situational reports for every minor Edenian headquarters throughout the island of Britain, troop positions, casualties, etc… Standing in front of a massive round table displaying the holograms with Enyo standing to his left is none other than Gawain with a slight frown on his face as he studies the holograms. Hearing the door opening, Enyo and Gawain turn their attention from the holograms to Lajos.
"Good, you've arrived." says Gawain before looking at Gabriel with a questioning frown.
"Gawain, this is Gabriel. One of the Seraphs of Heaven." introduces Lajos, causing Gawain to raise an eyebrow while Enyo looks on with a lazy expression on her face.
"You managed to get in touch with a Seraph, good." he says as he approaches Gabriel.
"I am Gawain, leader of the Edenian forces on this island, It's a pleasure to meet you Gabriel." says Gawain.
"It's nice to meet you too." she enthusiastically with a wide smile on her face.
"How is the situation?" asks Lajos.
"Not ideal. The devils have finally figured out that our numbers are severely limited and have begun to use that to their advantage." answers Gawain. "Their operations are now more numerous and subtle to the point that we have to choose which ones to disrupt and which ones to allow them to continue. In addition, House Vassago has finally taken to the battlefield. Between the devils themselves, their worshippers and the undeads that House Vassago commands, we're stretched thin. At this rate we will have to start thinking about whether some of the towns and cities are worth saving." explains Gawain.
"Tsk, how troublesome." comments Lajos.
"Are you able to negotiate an alliance for Heaven?" asks Gawain as he turns to Gabriel, catching her completely off guard.
"Me? No. Any other Seraph would be a better option than me." hastily replies Gabriel with a shake of her head, causing Gawain to quietly sigh in disappointment. "I can heal really well though." says Gabriel in an attempt to lift his mood.
"Very well, if you ask one of the guards in front of the tower they can lead you to the hospital." he tells her after a few seconds of contemplation.
"Ok, I'll see you guys later." she says excitedly before flying out of the room.
"I've been trying to get in touch with the leaders of the angels to no avail." says Gawain as he watches Gabriel fly out of the room. "They seem to be quite wary of us."
"Well, we did wipe out fifteen of the Pillars when we first entered the war. To them we might seem like a bloodthirsty, warmongering people." says Enyo with a nonchalant shrug. "Lajos' squad being the way they are doesn't help either." she adds.
"My squad?" questions Lajos as he turns towards Enyo. "You have no room to speak when Aatrox and Ajax are part of your squad. Those two are just like Anlon and Ambros, maybe worst considering how much they try to hide it." refutes Lajos.
"Enough." interjects Gawain before the two can begin to argue about which squad is worse. It's a constant argument between them that never seems to end, and right now Gawain wants nothing to do with it. "We need to think on how to push them back soon. I don't want us to be losing the war when Empress Sindel and Emperor Ambrosius join. Not only will it be a failure on our part, but it will make it seem to outsiders that we are helpless without them." he says.
"In that case, I say that we continuously attack the underworld. I refuse to believe that they'll just stand by while their home is under attack." says Enyo.
"That would work, if Lucifer and the other Satans actually cared about the devils. As far as the Satans are concerned, the devils are nothing except disposable pawns." refutes Lajos with a shake of his head.
"That didn't stop them from being blinded by their pride and falling into Emperor Ambrosius' hands when we wiped out those Pillars." she says.
"It won't work a second time." replies Gawain with a shake of his head. "If we focus on attacking the underworld they are more likely to use that as opening to further their campaign on Earth while the rest of their forces go into hiding, and considering their familiarity with the Underworld I'm not willing to bet that we would be able to find them." adds Gawain.
"Don't forget that the Satans can always make more devils. After all, the original devils were not born, but we're instead made by the four Satans using a ritual." says Lajos, silencing the room as Enyo and Gawain realise that if the Satans wanted they could in fact make millions of devils to offset their casualties.
"Who's to say that they aren't already doing that?" asks Enyo, causing the other two to look at her questioningly. "Think about it, while the devils have always outnumbered us, the angels, and the fallen, they've never had enough to offset all three of our forces together. However, as of a few months ago they're suddenly pushing all of us back using nothing but numbers. Even their tactics are simplistic enough for any tactician to see through it, but because of their absurd numbers we can't effectively combat it." she explains.
"It would also explain what happened to the kidnapped humans that are never seen again. No slaves, no corpses, and not even a whisper on their whereabouts unless it's a rumor about them being devils. They turn them into devils and probably have House Sargatanas brainwash them into being loyal." adds Lajos.
"If this situation continues, we'll be forced to go all out in order to win. A battle like that would wipe out the island and every single human on it. We need to figure out how they're making new devils and where. If we can't figure that out then we need to at the very least figure out the necessary components to making a new devil." says Gawain.
"Don't they use the Evil Pieces?" asks Enyo.
"No, the Evil Pieces are something that has yet to be invented according to Lord Ambrosius and Lady Morgan." replies Lajos. "We can send Vanko along with Alexander on reconnaissance in the Underworld. In the meantime we need to stop the devil's advances. Perhaps it is time that we ally ourselves with Camelot." he suggests.
"No, it's not worth the hassle." says Enyo. "At best, the forces of Camelot will be able to slow down the devil worshippers and at worst they'll be completely useless until their Knights of the Round join the battlefield, something that most likely won't happen until the devils invade."
"You're right, however we can still use them as an opening to ally with the angels." suggests Lajos.
"We have Gabriel here. She can communicate with Heaven for us. Allying with Camelot will give us a weakness for the devils to exploit. They're just as corruptible as any of the cities that the devils have taken over so far." says Gawain with a shake of his head.
"True. We can also coordinate with the fallen. By the way, how are the negotiations coming along?" asks Lajos.
"They're going well. The fallen have agreed to police their own forces in order to stop them from preying on humans in exchange for aid whenever they find themselves in need of it against the devils. Now if only Azazel would stop trying to get in my pants, things would be perfect." says Enyo, causing Lajos to slightly chuckle at her situation. No matter where she is, Enyo always seems to have a man trying to get with her.
As time passes and the trio brings the meeting to a close, they fail to notice a small, seemingly insignificant fly listening in on their conversation, nor do they notice when the fly flies out of the building and into the ground where it digs deeply before using the earth as a cover to make its way out of the base.
--
AN: Here's the chapter. As usual, tell me what you guys think. Sorry for the slow update speed guys, but I've been working on my first original story that I plan to start publishing sometime this month or next month. If you guys are interested in it follow me on my instagram account servant_ambrosius. I'll be posting drawings and bios of the characters along with other stuff.
Also the eighth chapter of my Campione fic is published. The name of it is The Godslaying Pharaoh. The ninth chapter is already available on my Pat re on which is (pat re on .com / servantambrosius), minus the spaces. That story will be updated once a week and patrons will be able to read chapters as soon as I finish writing them along with other exclusive content such as the Authorities that I have come up with and are considering for the main character.
YHWH
Heaven The Seventh Heaven
~492 AD
Heaven, home of the Angels, God of the Bible, and the former home of the Fallen Angels. It resembles a place sitting above the clouds with a bright white ceiling high overhead. Guarded by a large gate with a white stone path leading up to it, it possesses stone buildings that appear to be floating along with white another stone path similar to the one that leads up to the gate.
Heaven is divided into seven regions, or "Heavens", with each region serving a different purpose and arranged by importance in increasing numerical order. The Seventh Heaven is the present location of the God of the Bible's system as well as the location where the God of the Bible resided within Heaven.
Currently within the Seventh Heaven, one can find the affromentied god sitting on his throne with his eyes closed and his eyebrows furrowed as if he were experiencing something unpleasant. After a few more minutes in this position, the God of Bible opens his eyes with a disappointed sigh. He had been attempting to peer into the home of the Edenians in search of information. The group is a wildcard that had joined the three way war between the Angels, Fallen, and Devils, and he would very much like to know more about them.
The world had first noticed the budding nation when massive amounts of magical energy began to be felt from their island. The majority of the world had not done more than observe them before the devils had invaded and the entire supernatural world watched as the devils were massacred with ease. Most had believed it to be due to the devils not sending their best and had not expected the Edenians to retaliate. Surprising the supernatural world once again, the Edenians had retaliated the same day by wiping out fifteen of the Pillars, a feat that was only found out about because many of the Pillar capitals had been bordering the Fallen territory of the Underworld. The Fallen Angels had not wasted any time finding out about what happened and spreading word throughout the world in a campaign to discredit the devils and make them seem weak. The campaign had been largely successful due to Edinia's following actions.
In an act that had not gained the nation any friends or allies, one of Edenia's queens had released a recording of the event as well as a recording of ten Pillar leaders in captivity, and one of Satan Leviathan in a dungeon. In addition to these pictures and recordings, they released a warning to all supernatural factions to tread carefully when it comes to humanity. Following that, they had closed their nation off to any form of magical surveillance, and any non-Edenian who entered the island was swiftly caught before being kicked back out.
Those events had caused an uproar in the supernatural community, but no one had been willing to try Edenia's strength, at least not with the fate of those fifteen Pillars still fresh in the mind. Most factions elected to simply watch Edenia from now on while others continue to try and obtain information about them, whether to ally themselves or to prepare for a potential enemy all depends on the faction.
For the God of the Bible the matter is a bit more simple yet complex at the same time. To him, Edenia can be what humanity needs, a faction of supernatural humans willing to protect them against those in the supernatural community that would do them harm. While he and his Angels are more than willing to protect than humanity, he feels that a human faction can understand best how to protect humanity as opposed to his Angels who are disconnected from the reality of what being human means.
The problem however comes in when he considers their views on non-humans are. It wouldn't do for them to be biased against other supernatural creatures. Which was why he was attempting to peer into their island to no avail.
"If you want to know something you should just ask." says a humored female voice, shaking him from his thoughts.
Turning his head, YHWH finds himself looking at a beautiful woman in her twenties and immediately recognises her as Morgan, one of Edenia's queens.
"How did you get in here?" he asks as he slightly nods his head towards her.
"Oh, how interesting. You don't seem surprised to see me at all." replies Morgan.
"Believe or not I am quite surprised. Not only to see someone manage to intrude here, but also to feel your aura. I did not expect you to be a goddess. Especially a seemingly independent goddess." he says.
"Oh I'm not as independent as you think." answers Morgan casually before looking around Seventh Heaven. "A bit bland don't you think." she says as she waves her hand to bring attention to the all white decor of Seventh Heaven.
"I think that it's quite fitting considering the location." answers the God of the Bible.
"Wow, you and my husband would get quite along should you decide to discuss decor." she says with a roll of her eyes. "If it were up to him the entirety of Heaven would be gold."
"Heaven?" asks YHWH with a raised eyebrow.
"Heaven, the paradise where our faithful followers go to be rewarded once they die. The name is a work in progress to be honest." she informs him.
"I see." comments the God thoughtfully. "Now tell me, why exactly are you here? I doubt that you came to discuss my poor choice in decor."
"Would you believe me if I said that I didn't come here with a plan?" asks Morgan as she tilts her head sideways. "I felt your attempt to peer into Edenia and I became curious, so I decided to meet you."
"Well, since you're here we may as well get acquainted." says YHWH as he waves his hand and a chair and table appear across from him. "Do you want anything to drink?" he asks as Morgan turns the seat into a throne before sitting down.
"That won't be necessary." says Morgan as pitcher of wine appears on the table along with two goblets. "Would you like some?" she asks as she pours herself a drink.
"No thank you." he answers, earning a shrug from Morgan as she takes a sip.
"Tell me, why exactly are you and your peers so intent on eavesdropping on my husband and his people?" she asks.
"Can you honestly blame us? You wiped out fifteen Pillars, captured ten other Pillar leaders, and captured Satan Leviathan before sending a warning to the entire supernatural community to tread carefully when it comes to humanity."
"Right. I do apologise for Azula, she tends to be a bit… overzealous when it comes to any form of conflict." says Morgan with a fond smile on her face.
"No need to apologise. I understand where she's coming from. Humanity is preyed on by the supernatural world far too often." he says.
"Interesting, my husband said that you would say that. He said something about you meaning well when it comes to humanity."
"He seems to know me, but I have no idea who he is." comments YHWH.
"Well he did read The Bible." jokes Morgan.
"So, why did you join the war?" asks YHWH.
"The devils attacked first." says Morgan with a shrug before taking another sip. "We just retaliated."
"While the devils did attack first, you already seemed to be preparing for a war." says YHWH.
"It's only prudent considering that our neighbors found themselves in the middle of a supernatural war. Any sane and competent leader would prepare just in case." explains Morgan.
"True, however you didn't need to send warnings out while claiming to be humanity's protectors."
"Originally we did not. However, we decided that it humanited needed a faction of its own to protect it from the supernaturals who would do them harm. Especially with the devils and devil worshippers killing, pillaging, and raping their way through villages. Not to mention the humans being turned into devils against their will by Lucifer and his band of idiotic devils." says Morgan.
"Were it up to me the devils would be completely wiped out and the Underworld would be used as a contingency safe haven for humanity." she adds.
"If it's not up to you then who is it up to?" asks YHWH.
"Our King of course. While the others and I may make important decisions, all final decisions are up to him, and per his orders we will not help the Edenians unless someone like Lucifer shows up on the battlefield." explains Morgan.
"And do you agree with that?" he asks.
"I understand his reasoning and do agree that it is sound, however I don't completely agree with his decision. But, he is our King and his orders are to be obeyed." says Morgan as she finishes her drink before materialising an envelope in her hand and giving it to YHWH.
"What is this?" asks YHWH as he looks at the envelope addressed to him.
"An offer from King Ambrosius. He knows me well enough to know that my curiosity would get the better of me; so he had me play messenger." says Morgan as she dismisses her wine and stands up. "It has been a pleasure, God." she says with a quirk of her lips when calling him God.
"Yes it has." answers the God of the Bible before Morgan completely disappears from Seventh Heaven.
Looking down at the letter addressed to him YHWH can't help but ponder about the bizarre meeting he's just had with the Edenian goddess. Not only did she somehow enter Heaven, and not just any Heaven, but she had complete control of the entire conversation. He swears that at times it felt as if he were facing a being higher than himself, and that's not a claim that he makes lightly. Other than Trihexa, Infinity, and Great Red who eclipse him, the only other being in this world that comes close to him is Shiva, and none of the above listed have made him feel as if he were an inferior being. This must be what mortals feel whenever they are in his presence. The questions remain however, who is Morgan and how is she so powerful? Are her peers as powerful as her? If she's so powerful how much more powerful is her King? More importantly however, where do they come from and what are their intentions.
Removing those thoughts from his head, YHWH opens the envelope and pulls out the letter within. Reading it over the God of the Bible finds that the letter is an offer for an alliance for the sake of humanity's protection. An offer that is quite favorable for him and his Angels with the Edenians offering their help should any apocalyptic threat appear in exchange for the Edenian Empire being designated off limits to the church. While the offer seems to favor the Angels more by a wide margin, according to King Ambrosius the Angels have nothing that Edenia would need other being left alone by outsiders until they say otherwise.
All in all it's quite a good offer, one he would be willing to accept after a few more attempts of research into the Edenians and a meeting with his archangels.
--
AN: Alright, I'm back. I took a break from this story for a few reasons. The first is because I tried to do something different with this arc but it wasn't going how I wanted it to and most of you guys didn't like it, so I'll be going back to my old format. The second reason is because I wanted to work on my original story. So far I have most of the planning done and just need to do the writing. So follow me on instagram at servant_ambrosius if you're interested; I haven't posted in a while but I'll be trying to post regularly from now on.
As usual tell me what you guys think of the chapter and don't forget to read my new fanfic The Godslaying Pharaoh. And if you can please support my pat re on (pat re on .com / servant_ambrosius)
Downtime
Edenia ~492 AD
The feeling of the sun's warmth on my bare skin makes me feel lethargic as I lay on the beach and enjoy a moment of silence. It has been a while since I've just layed down somewhere and enjoyed a moment of peace to myself. With our arrival in the DxD world we went to work scouting the area before beginning to work on the creation of Edenia. Decades was spent on research and experimentation along with basic infrastructure to lay down the foundation of what is now my chosen people. So it has been awhile since I've simply enjoyed a moment of peace to myself, especially since I've been spending the majority of the time in my mortal form which causes me to experience time at a much slower rate compared to my godly form.
With Edenia's entrance into the Great War however, I can now spend my time relaxing, reading, or doing anything else that I don't consider work. Especially with Sindel here to run the Empire. Not only is she an impeccable ruler, but she seems to enjoy ruling and has no qualms with me leaving all of the paperwork to her. In addition to that the people have not only accepted her, but they also love her more than anyone else other than me; calling her Mother of Edenia and Empress to the Edenian Empire. All in all I say that coming to DxD wasn't such a bad idea, particularly since we arrived during the time of the Great War. A time where the people haven't devolved into the perverts that they will be in the be; well to be honest everyone who is alive right now is still similar to their canon counterparts, however with a war in full swing they have to be serious most of the time.
Meaning that people like Azazel aren't trying to get into other people's pants for the majority of the time, the devils haven't become a race of goofballs, perverts, and icons yet, and the other pantheons aren't as friendly as they can be. That may sound like a nightmare, but to me it's a pretty good setting. I'm far too used to dangerous and cutthroat environments to be comfortable in a lighthearted, ecchi, battle shounen setting without the kids around to help me lighten up. Ever since my first jump in Arkham all of my settings have been dangerous and possibly fatal should I ever make a mistake; in contrast however settings like Fairy Tail and canon DxD are so peaceful and lacking in danger to me that it makes my skin crawl as my senses go haywire trying to find any dangers that can be hidden under the facade of peace. Which is what makes this the perfect place for me.
Peaceful enough for me to relax and attempt to have a vacation, but with a looming war overseas that makes sure that it isn't too peaceful. With this I can relax without my senses going millions of miles a minute trying to find dangers hidden underneath a facade of happiness. Plus with the Edenian Empire still in its infancy I can always return to work should I grow restless. Just the perfect setting for a god who has known conflict for the majority of his life who is trying to have a vacation. Honestly I owe the girls a massive thank you for convincing me to come here, this was a good idea.
As I take a deep breath of the ocean air a shadow falls over me, cutting off my connection to the sun. Opening one eye to take a peak, I find Azula looking down at me with an amused smile on her face.
"You're blocking my sun, dear." I tell her in the hopes that she'll move.
"It seemed to be the only way to get your attention." she answers as she steps back before laying down next to my left.
"I'm finally enjoying a proper vacation." I say with a smile on my face. "No children to raise or train, and no excessive peace to make my skin crawl."
"Yes, who knew that it would take a massive war between three powerful supernatural factions to make a God of War feel calm." she says sarcastically, causing me to roll my eyes at her.
"I'm honestly surprised that you haven't joined the war yet, what brings you here?" I ask her.
"The bet between Morgan and I is still ongoing." she answers.
"What bet?" I ask her with a raised eyebrow.
"The one where she challenged me to not enter the war. It was originally supposed to be about whether or not I could refrain from killing the faction leaders, but we decided to make it harder while increasing the stakes." she explains.
"Oh? And what does the winner win?' I ask.
"Complete obedience from the loser for the next century and a half." says Azula.
"Ha. Is that why you've been so restless and wound up lately" I ask with a laugh.
"Yes. I wish that this ridiculous war would be over already. Honestly it's taking your 'people' longer than it should to deal with a species vastly weaker than them." she says with a frown.
"To be fair, not only are they severely outnumbered, but they're also missing some crucial information that gives the devils an advantage over them in terms of intel gathering." I admit.
"What do you mean?" she asks.
"Well, amongst the Leviathan Clan there is a minor house that specialises in hiding their magical signature from the majority of sensors. They are not particularly powerful in terms of combat prowess, but they make up for it in information gathering." I tell her.
"Unlike the rest of the Leviathan clan they can only turn into small bugs, but in return those bug transformations of theirs can't be sensed by any of the magical sensors that the Edenians are using. They would need sensors created by one of us to sense those intruders. As such a lot of their intel is being taken and used against them. The fact that they still manage to outmaneuver the devils is a testament to their tactical prowess." I explain.
"I'm guessing that you have no plans on telling them?" she inquires.
"As much as it pains me to say so, they must learn to do things by themselves. I've held their hands for the first three decades, it's time for the little birdies to leave the nest." I reply just as I sense Scáthach and Sindel appear behind us.
"It was the right decision." reassures Scáthach as she and Sindel lay down on my right. "You won't always be there for them. They must learn to act without your help."
"And winning this war will be the perfect way to show that they are ready to not only protect humanity on this Earth, but to also act as your agents in the other worlds." adds Sindel.
"Look at you two reassuring him as if he were a baby." says Azula before turning to look at Sindel. "Don't you have an Empire to run?" she asks.
"Wow, not being able to join the war has really made you 'restless' for a lack of a better word." I say. "Remind me, which one of us is the God of War again?" I ask with a teasing smirk.
"Last I checked you were the only one of us to face an entire army of eight thousand strong and wipe out half of it without possessing a single drop of divine blood in their veins" replies Azula with a roll of her eyes.
"He did what?" questions Sindel as she sits up fast enough to give any lesser being whiplash.
"Oh yes. Did he not tell you?" asks Azula with a smirk as she too sits up to look at Sindel.
"No, he most certainly did not tell me about that." she replies.
"Well allow me to enlighten you. This was before any of use met him mind you, we had to hear this from his surrogate sister…" begins Azula before I tune her out and turn to face Scáthach.
"I can already tell that this is going to turn into a storytelling time about every reckless thing that I've done." I say with a sigh.
"You brought this upon yourself by acting reckless in the first place." says Scáthach.
"In my defense, when this happened not only was I going through my jumps solo, but I also had no plans of falling in love." I say. "You'll notice that after Azula and you joined me the amount of reckless acts that I've undertaken has reduced by quite the margin."
"Is that so beloved? Do you wish for me to list every reckless act that you've done after we joined you? I can assure you that the list is quite longer than the one before we joined you." replies Scáthach.
"I refuse to believe that. Other than my battle with Crimson Moon, defying Poseidon in DC what else is there?" I ask her.
"Facing the army of Gaia in Tartarus alone while in they have the home advantage, staying back in Tartarus so that your brother may return to Earth, Odin's Gallows, Crimson Moon, Vorti-" she says before I quickly cut her off by placing a finger on her lips.
"I believe that's enough." I say as she looks at me with a smug smirk.
"Are you sure? I can list quite a few more." she says.
Before I can answer Morgan appears in front of us with a gust of wind.
"A family gathering, how interesting." she says as her emerald dress turns into a two piece bikini and she sits next to Azula.
"How did your meeting with YHWH go?" I ask her.
"I don't really have any particular thoughts about him. He seems like your typical benevolent god." she says with a shrug.
"That's interesting. Considering how well he's spoken of in canon despite being dead for centuries I expected something about him to stand out. Maybe you just haven't spent enough time with him." I comment.
"Are you doubting my capability dear?" she asks with a sickeningly sweet smile.
"No, but I am doubting that you observed him well once you lost interest in him after a cursory glance." I reply.
"Ah, well in that case you may just be right." she says before turning to Azula and Sindel. "So, what story of our husband's recklessness were you just sharing."
"Hey, what makes you think that they were talking about my recklessness?" I ask indignantly.
"I was telling Sindel of the time he faced an army of eight thousand by himself." answers Azula with a smirk as they ignore my question.
"I'm not that bad right?" I ask Scáthach who only responds with a raised eyebrow.
With a sigh I leave it alone and close my eyes to enjoy the atmosphere. The waves splashing makes a nice background sound to Azula and Morgan's storytelling, while the nice breeze and heat from the sun serve to create the perfect temperature. It's such a nice feeling that I begin to feel myself slowly fall asleep as Azula transitions to another one of my stories, this one of the time I faced Gaia's army on my own in Tartarus.
Unfortunately however the moment doesn't last much longer as one of my runic tattoos begins to burn on my chest. Alarmed I quickly sit up to inspect it.
"What happened?" asks Scáthach as she notices the glowing tattoo.
"It's one of the distress signals that I gave the Edenian warriors before they went off to war. They're only allowed to use it for one situation, when they come into conflict with someone that belongs on the list of top 10 strongest beings." I tell her as the others stop talking and look at the glowing tattoo.
"Who is it?" asks Azula.
"Judging by the intensity of the burn either multiple members of the list are present, or one of the top three decided to come out of their habitat."
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AN: Here's the next chapter and as usual tell me what you guys think. Follow me on instagram at servant_ambrosius; I haven't posted in a while but I'll be trying to post regularly from now on. And if you can please support my pat re on (pat re on .com / servant_ambrosius). Also, just a curious question, when do you guys think that the story peaked?