by Aaron Oster
Herald had arrived about five minutes prior to deliver this news and had made sure that they were all gathered before he dropped this bombshell.
“But…If the war doesn’t happen, then we-” Katherine began.
“Will all be killed. I know,” Morgan said, rubbing at his temples.
Lately, they hadn’t had much luck in seeing Chaos’s plans through. As a result, they were receiving his ire on a near-constant basis. Morgan suspected that if Chaos hadn’t needed them, he’d already have wiped them from existence – not that he wouldn’t be doing so when they succeeded, which was one of the many reasons why they’d been stalling in executing their plans.
“So…What should we do?” Gwendolyn asked, her voice subdued.
The black in her hair was beginning to show, as she’d been neglecting it. It was one of the clear signs that they were all under stress, especially her. Though she didn’t say as much, her defeat at the hands of the other Morgan was something that really bothered her — not that she could be blamed. As gods, they were supposed to be invincible against mortal attacks, yet somehow, a mortal had struck a blow that had not only hurt her but had very nearly done her in.
He’d given her a wound that had refused to close up, something that only Herald had been able to fix with a lot of personal strength on his side. Ever since then, not only she, but the rest of them as well, had avoided leaving their small warehouse, trying to run things from the background. However, as it was clear to see by this soon-to-be alliance, their current strategy was not working.
“We need some more details on what we’re dealing with,” Morgan replied, dropping his hands back to the table. “Do you have any other information, like when this alliance is set to happen and how it will be forged?”
They all turned to Herald once more, who seemed to have all the answers. His spies were well-placed, unlike theirs apparently, and had the expertise that they all seemed to be lacking.
“As far as I can tell,” Herald said, interlacing his fingers, “the alliance will be in the form of a marriage between the Eleven Queen Elyssa and Morgan’s counterpart. The wedding is set to take place in just two short weeks, and the engagement will be announced in the next day or so.”
“You’ve mentioned that the beastmen and dwarves have joined in the alliance,” Sarah interjected. “But what about the others?”
“The trolls and gnomes were far less amenable to a truce,” Herald replied with a grim half-smile. “But we already knew that the gnomes are hellbent on seeing this war through from the start. They’re a scheming, plotting bunch who think themselves smarter than anyone else on the planet. So much so that they’ve convinced themselves that they could not only fool all of us but the creature which they pretend to serve as well. However this ends, things will not go well for them. At least, not unless we offer a helping hand.
“While they may have convinced the trolls to stick with them, due to their proximity and relationship, they are outnumbered three-two and do not have the forces needed to succeed in their plans. Their assassination attempt of the elven queen is just one such example. They are arrogant, brash and believe themselves so superior that they see no way in which they can lose.
“As a consequence of the attempt, Elyssa was moved to the Five Kingdoms. I do not know exactly where she is, but I’m sure we’ll find out soon enough. In the meantime, we need to decide how to proceed. As things stand, the war will be over in two-weeks’ time, and our mission will have failed. Now, what do we do to ensure that we succeed?”
Morgan drummed his fingers on the table for several moments, as silence stretched between them. As the appointed leader of their makeshift group, he was the one who ultimately made all the decisions – though it was clear to all who the real leader was. While they had all been stuck in suspended animation, Herald had been living, learning and seeing the world for what it truly was. He had thousands of years of accrued knowledge, which had helped them on multiple occasions.
“What would you recommend?” Morgan finally asked, turning the question back on Herald.
“Killing your counterpart would be the wisest course of action,” he replied.
“Yes, we’ve already established that,” Morgan answered with a huff of annoyance. “But how will that help bring about the war? If he’s killed, who’s to say that the elf queen wouldn’t just marry another?”
Herald smiled grimly at that.
“You didn’t allow me to finish,” he said, leaning forward so that the shadow cast by the light above deepened the lines in his face. “We have her killed as well and frame it to look like one killed the other. To the humans, it would seem that Elyssa killed Morgan, but not before he assured that she went down with him. And to the residents of Faeland…”
“…It would seem like the opposite,” Morgan replied, a sharp gleam coming to his eyes.
“While that is a brilliant plan,” Gwendolyn cut in, “the two of you seem to have forgotten one thing. He can kill us! Do any of you feel like taking that sort of risk? To go after him alone and challenge him to a fight, knowing that you can die if you’re not careful enough?”
“Oh, but that’s just it,” Herald replied, the corner of his lip quirking up slightly. “Who said you had to fight him alone?”
Silence greeted his question as all four gods looked between one another. What Herald said was quite true. They – unlike him – were unrestricted by any rules. Since that was the case, why should any of them go after him alone?
“What about the elf?” Sarah asked. “How do we kill her and make it look like it was his fault?”
“We can leave that to the gnomes,” Herald replied. “If they think so highly of themselves, let’s give them a chance to prove it. Sure, the queen might be in human lands, but I believe that that Guild of theirs had already sent out a strike team before this alliance was forged.”
“It’s agreed, then,” Morgan said, pushing his chair back as he rose. “We leave the elf to the gnomes, and we’ll go after my clone. He might have a way to injure us, but with four gods attacking him at once, that pitiful mortal won’t stand a chance!”
The others nodded in agreement, looks of determination coming to their eyes. All they had to do now was plan the location for the attack and contact the gnomes to give them their part of the plan. An alliance had to be stopped at all costs, and if they managed to rid themselves of a dangerous enemy at the same time, that would be all the better for them.
***
The Gnomish Council of Five all rose as their guest, Tork, Tribal Leader of the Troll Nation, entered their meeting room. He was followed by his wife, Limma, and a couple of others who were deemed important enough to be here. While some might have assumed that the trolls were stupid brutes based on their appearance, they would have been very wrong. While not as devious or cunning as the gnomes, the trolls were just as intelligent as any of the other races, but because of their tribal nature and the way their leaders were chosen, everyone just assumed they were savage brutes.
“King Tork, it is so good to see you again,” Shedra said, lifting his head and looking up to meet the towering troll’s gaze.
In stark contrast to his massive form, towering over eight feet tall and containing well over four-hundred pounds of pure muscle, Shera appeared almost as a child. If not for the white beard – which all gnomes had, regardless of age – one might have assumed that he was, in fact, just a child.
“I am not a king. I am the chief. Nothing more,” Tork replied, sinking down into the reinforced chair that the gnomes had had specially built for this occasion.
“Ah, yes, of course. Do accept my apologies,” Shedra said smoothly as Limma moved to stand by his side, declining the seat provided.
None of the other trolls took their seats either, remaining on their feet, as was tradition.
“I’m sure you’re wondering why I asked you to meet us in person,” the gnome continued.
“I assumed it had something to do with the war and the alli
ance the elves want to forge,” Tork replied, his rumbling voice sounding far too loud in the small meeting room.
“Yes, of course,” Shedra replied. “Wise as ever, I see.”
Tork simply shrugged in response. There was no other possible reason that they’d be asked to come. Since the trolls and gnomes had always gotten on well enough, he had decided that he would go with them on this. He didn’t really know much about the humans, but if the gnomes were so sure that they couldn’t be believed, then he would trust their judgment.
“Very well,” the gnome continued. “Allow me to outline our proposed plans moving forward. If you find them agreeable, we will begin preparations immediately.”
When Tork didn’t respond either way, Shedra took that as a sign that he wasn’t averse to the idea, so he continued.
“Though it pains me to say this, Elyssa may not be in her right mind. She has been corrupted by those humans and has even gone so far as to travel to their homeland. We believe that there is one human in particular who needs to be held accountable, and that is the spy that came here a few weeks back. He returned not more than a couple of weeks back and has somehow enthralled the Elven queen with his charm.
“Fortunately, we have already sent out a strike force to attack the humans and deal a powerful blow to our enemies. They do not yet know of the proposed alliance and will still do as commanded. And, while they are there, I will have them extradite the Queen and return her safely to our lands.”
That was, of course, exactly the opposite of what they were going to do. In truth, the orders would be for them to kill the Queen on sight. Seeing as there were so many strong fighters in their group, all of whom would obey orders without question, they were sure to succeed. There might be a few who saw attacking their own queen as treason, but Shedra already had something prepared for that.
After all, why would Elyssa ever willingly go to the human continent? Clearly, this was an impostor, created by the humans to infiltrate their homeland so that they could destroy them from within. Convincing them of that would hardly be a challenge, and with that knowledge in mind, they would fight all the harder to see her brought down.
“And what about the spy?” Tork asked, his voice betraying nothing. “We have all seen his strength. Surely, he can best our forces, were he to discover their objective.”
“That, my friend, will not be our problem,” Shedra replied, trying – and failing – to keep the grin off his face.
He had been elated when one of the gods had contacted them, entrusting them with the very plan they needed to succeed in ensuring a war.
“The gods favor us and have sent us a message. They will take care of the human themselves, as he has become too much of a threat to our success. They wish to see us succeed and rid the world of the scourge once and for all!”
Tork stared him down for several long moments, his eyes traveling over the hunched figures of the rest of the council, before landing back on him.
“Very well,” he said, his voice rumbling deep in his chest. “We will support you in this endeavor and see the elven queen returned in her right mind, so that the war may continue after we expose the humans’ treachery.”
Shedra inclined his head, hiding another grin that threatened to stretch his lips. They had everyone fooled — the trolls, the outsiders, the creature whom they were pretending to serve. Even the very gods themselves were fooled! Everyone answered to them, and they didn’t even know it. At least not yet.
Soon enough, the Gnomish Empire would rise, and the Arcane Kingdom would rule supreme. Not only over the continent of Faeland, but over the entire world, and with all of their pawns now in place, it was only a matter of time!
***
Deep beneath the mountain where Ivaldi’s forge was located, through the caverns spanning hundreds of miles in all directions, Breaker, the Elder Dragon of Greed, slowly rose to his feet. The clattering of gold, gems and other valuable treasures that rained down around him were drowned out by the rattling of his scales rubbing against one another. It had taken longer for him to rise than he’d anticipated, but now that he was finally awake, it was time to find some food.
The great golden dragon shook his head, sending items that had become jammed between his scales raining to the massive pile below. He was loath to leave his hoard behind, but he didn’t think that anyone would dare come in here to try and steal from him while he was gone. Besides, the convergence he’d sensed was fast approaching, and he needed to be the first one there. He could already sense the rumblings of the others, and if he wanted to taste the blood of the immortals once more, he would need to leave this underground cavern.
His nostrils flared momentarily as he scented the air, noting an odd tang. It felt sour, though the scent was many thousands of miles away. There was another beast, one who stood out among the rest. It was nothing he needed to worry about, of course, as his power was far beyond theirs, but it was the presence of multiple creatures like that one that gave him pause. Not only that, but he could sense another, far more sinister presence close to the source of power.
Unlike the others, this one did catch his attention. Just a few weeks ago, he’d tasted the air here and had caught a hint of this very same scent. This creature was dangerous. Not only had it grown stronger in the short period of time that had passed, but it had grown several shades darker as well. To those who could not understand the world of sensations felt by the World Beast, it would be hard to explain.
When he scented something ‘dark,’ it was akin to that of a storm or natural disaster, one the likes of which might pose a bit of a threat to him and his kind.
Breaker inhaled again, flooding his brain with the sensation once more. The creature was far-off, but the scent of the divine was still about it. It was a puzzle that the Elder Dragon could not figure out, despite his thousands of years of accrued knowledge. It was because of this that Breaker regarded this creature as a threat, not only to him but to all living things.
The scent was dangerous. It was wild and controlled, stormy and calm, divine, yet not divine at the same time. Such a conflicting dichotomy of sensations could only harbor ill intent and bad omens of the times ahead. Yet Breaker would not remain idle. While this creature had the potential for destruction on a scale the likes of which even the World Beasts couldn’t manage, it was still just potential.
If left unchecked, this creature could surpass them in the span of a few short years. But, with a convergence on the winds and the power of the divine so prevalent, Breaker had no doubt that he and this creature would be meeting soon. It, like so many others before, would be dealt with accordingly, assuring that none surpassed the World Beasts in power. And, if he were really lucky, he’d get to taste the blood of the divine once more.
The massive Elder Dragon shook himself again, freeing the last of the clinging treasures, then took a single step forward. Digging his way out of these caverns shouldn’t take him too long, and once he was free, the world would once again tremble under the might of Breaker.
***
Deep beneath the ground of the Rainbow Bridge, beneath the Well of Souls and beneath even the massive labyrinth beneath that, an enormous badger stirred once again as it sensed the flux in the planet’s core. A single beady black eye cracked open, peering around the darkness of its underground cavern.
She was unsure what had grabbed her attention the first time, but now that her slumber was once again disturbed, the beast was finally forced into a state of half-wakefulness. Her claws, eight-foot behemoths in their own right, slowly curled inward, the gleaming grayish-blue sabers ripping through the stone as though it weren’t even there. Her nose twitched, scenting the air and picking up on something strange.
The dark and almost sinister scent was foreign, yet oddly familiar at the same time. It was like a long-lost relative, or perhaps even one of its own kind. The badger’s nose twitched once more, and after several long moments of debate, her other eye cracked, gleaming a stark white in cont
rast to the black one. This eye, unlike the first, saw things in the spiritual realm, and though it was blind to the light of the sun, was more than adequate down here in the darkness.
As soon as her eye cracked open, the massive badger’s mind was snapped to full alertness. The flux of power in the planet’s core was far greater than she’d first realized, and whether it had been caused by the now-faint trail of violet and gold left behind by the visitor to the Soul Well or some other force entirely, it was something that she knew the others would not miss. Her claws flexed once again, and the mass of muscle and fur that represented her front paw swung outward, shearing a rock formation in two and causing the ground itself to shake and split far above in the surface world.
She had been asleep for far too long. The fluctuations could only mean one thing, and the gathering of power only confirmed her suspicions. The others were likely already on the move, and if she missed it, her power would fall below that of the others. A low growl rose from her throat as the World Beast began to shake off the collected dust and debris from years of inactivity, revealing her brilliant and shimmering black and gold fur beneath. She would not miss this gathering of World Beasts, at least, not if she wished to maintain her position. She hadn’t grown from that pitiful creature, that animal she had once been, only to fall behind now.
Quaker, the World Beast of the Underground, would not be inferior ever again!
***
At the heart of a fiery mountain, yet another creature stirred. It, too, could sense the changes that were coming and the power that was gathering now. Two pairs of gleaming orange eyes snapped open, peering around the river or magma in which it had been sleeping. If the others were going to be there, then Ripper would not miss it for the world!
***
Deep beneath her cavern at the bottom of the ocean, Strangler watched the events unfolding above. Unlike the others, she had already been awake when the convergence had started. She could sense the conflict, and thanks to her loyal minions, she actually knew what was happening. Her pawns were behaving predictably, though her plans had somewhat been derailed by the fact that the war was coming to an end.