Destiny Fractured

In defense of Serilda’s surprise at seeing a man with a thong, Mythal was just as surprised. Sure, they had been around Ruzatz and Agatha long enough to have grown more comfortable around the more… liberal members of their guild, they both certainly weren’t expecting such a spectacle from members of the secret Order of Souls. Then again, Wanda had proven that limited clothing wasn’t necessarily a requirement and thus, so did the man called Dorian. He greeted them as friends, despite the two of them not knowing him in the least, and showcased his cooking skills for them as he moved about the kitchen while talking. Serilda gave him a small smile and greeted him formally, apologizing for her lack of manners from before and properly introducing herself to him. “The pleasure is all mine, ma dame Sinclair, Dorian Black at your service” Dorian said, somehow finding a moment to take the offered hand, shaking it and then turning it over to deliver a soft and respectful kiss on the top of it, like one might to a royal. It seemed the man was more in the know-how than he appeared. “As well as you, Réalisateur Ragnos. I’ve heard good things.”

“Thanks… can’t say I’ve heard anythin’ about you, sorry,” Mythal said, taking the offered hand that came his way and shaking it.

“Oh ho! Then I am doing my job right!” the man shot a charming grin at them both before getting back to cooking, as Monica openly complained that he was taking so much time.

But it was her turn to be properly addressed by the Field Marshall, who came over and offered a hand and apology for the lack of manners from before. "Ah, don’t sweat it, Lady Sinclair. You guys had a shitton of bull comin’ at you and I just happened to burst in with Gren so kinda can’t blame you for focusin’ elsewhere. Great to finally meet ya though; old man’s said a lotta great things about you two,” Monica said, her laidback mannerisms on point even in front of the two leaders of the Rune Knights.

Chishan came over and checked up on the couple, with both of them admitting that while sleeping was still a high priority, food somehow had managed to wiggle itself above rest. The Prime Sin insisted they have a seat, as they had worked hard for food and Serilda managed to tease him back, stating that the rest of them had been carrying most of the weight. Mythal sat down next to his fiance, smiling softly as she kissed his forehead. “Water’ll be fine, thanks,” he said, reaching out to give her hand a squeeze before she went over to fetch them drinks.

As she returned, she asked about their whereabouts, having missed the entire transfer to the new place and pretty much everything right after they popped out of Mythal’s psyche. “This is another base of ours. Kind of a getaway place, where we can lay low for a while so that we can lose tails or cool off after especially heinous missions. I guess you could kind of call it a vacation house,” Chishan admitted with a small chuckle. It was a strange way to put it but frankly, it fit rather well considering. While there were plenty of places they used as a means of escape, this one had always been the favorite among the Order. As he finished explaining that, Serilda inquired about Wanda, wondering how she was doing and if she could thank her if she was still around. “She is but she’s taking some time to rest. Healing herself and everyone else wore her out a little so she’s just recharging. She’ll be back down shortly, I imagine. I know she’d like to know how you both are doing.”

The group conversed for a short time after that before the other group wandered, led by Gren and Vandrad. Mercury was following them like the raincloud to their cloudy days, looking as downtrodden and depressed as someone who had just felt failure. Mythal glanced up at her as she walked right on by and headed towards the coffee machine, chancing a look at Vandrad. The prince simply shook his head and shrugged. The Silver Wolf and Fairy Tail mages had said time and time again that Mercury was not a happy person upon waking up and while Mythal and Serilda hadn’t doubted the fact, it was another thing entirely to see it with their own eyes. In fact, it was kind of humorous as she grumbled something to Dorian as he attempted to regale her about the hot drink she was making and then walked on autopilot over to them with barely a sound or glance. Vandrad remarked about the fact that they looked well rested and Serilda stated that she still planned on sleeping forever once they got home, though they would have to check on their daughters and the wolves. Indeed, Gren had been antsy even before everything had happened, most likely sensing something was wrong with the Darkness King before he understood it. Simply leaving them left a sour pit in his stomach and he imagined the mutant Star Wolf was losing his mind in concern. “Yeah there’s gonna be steak dinners for Gren and Xiuhco for a long time to make up for tonight…” Mythal said with a weak, amused smile. And frankly, being able to see Grappa and Jellisha would probably be what broke him worse. Holding his daughters would definitely hit him on how close he came to losing them.

Dorian supplied the rest of the food that he had finished cooking, making a grand display of setting it down and showcasing the brilliantly plated meals. And much like a family gathered around a big dinner, the group of gathered people started taking from every plate, passing around and serving to one another to ensure that everyone got some of everything. It was a bonafide potluck and the grin on Dorian’s face was as bright as the moon outside, beaming with pride as everyone went to work at filling their plates. Chishan spoke up during the mass movement, addressing the entirety of the night and seeking to clear the air for anyone that had questions, comments or concerns. Once they had concluded what they wanted to talk about, Dorian apparently had a means of getting them home, in probably a similar manner as Zifu. The Master of the Order decided to begin, asking if his assumption that Faera had survived was correct. Gren explained as such, a solemn realization that hadn’t really set in for Mythal yet. While he was glad to be alive and well, the fact still remained that Faera had taken her power back, with all the strength that the Darkness King had cultivated over the past few years. If she had been strong before, she was beyond their comprehension now.

Gren continued, explaining that Faera had planned for an intrusion and had brought her new Trumpet with her, a man called Hugo. While the name would seem familiar to most of them, Mythal’s jaw tightened slightly at the mention. They had known that Faera would most likely find some way to get to Serilda directly, some means to mess with her and throw her off balance. Resurrecting her asshole ex-husband hadn’t seemed to be a possibility. He had looked different, changed somehow -- much like Archimedes had taken on a bulkier, scarier form when he started using his full abilities. And the sight of him pinning Serilda down nearly set Mythal’s blood to boil. His adoptive father summarized the fight as briefly as possible, with Victoria speaking up and voicing her own dissatisfaction that Faera had managed to escape. She’d been within inches of rending her from existence, only for the ritual to finish and yank her out. Yet she wasn’t truly upset, as they had completed their task and she knew for a fact that the Dark Goddess would be brimming with anger eternally over the fact that Serilda had managed to mar her face. The rest of the group seemed to chuckle slightly with the Seal, though not as wickedly as she did.

Chishan was relieved, more than anything. Though Faera’s continued existence wasn’t great, he was happy everyone had made it out alive and without major injury. He then told them of what had happened on the outside, with Mythal having had Faera take control of him and use his body to attack the group. He stated that their survival came from the efforts of Vandrad and Mercury and upon looking at them, it seemed neither was willing to stand up and accept the honor. Vandrad simply sat with his arms crossed, believing he had done his duty and nothing more while the Silver Wolf mage looked about ready to melt into her coffee. Mercury mused over the fact that she had missed out on a fight before asking Chishan where his wife had disappeared to. The Master was quick to explain that the queen wished to start compiling the information from the night’s event, as well as handle her emotions about some kind of ‘leak’. Mythal doubted that was some kind of physical pipe that was leaking but was rather a breach of information. Had someone attempted to rob data from them while they were at the other base? His first suspicion was Mercury; Silver Wolf was famous for its drive to gather magical information and hoard it for its own pursuits. It would make sense that an ace of their guild would go above and beyond to record some of the data that was at the base.

Serilda spoke up after that revelation, providing one of her own as she brought up Hugo. She explained to the rest of the group that Ozorith had explained that Faera would attempt to come at them by means they’d never suspect but she hadn’t been prepared for the result of her plots. After a moment of careful, quiet consideration, she revealed that the Hugo that was the new Trumpet was also her former husband, the one she had brought up hours ago. The Dark Goddess had picked him in an attempt to knock Serilda off guard and apparently that resulted in the two joining together in some kind of amorous pact. It was more strange than anything else, unsettling that such depravity had gone through the Divine’s mind. But Serilda wasn’t done and after a moment of looking at Mythal, she turned her gaze to Chishan once more and told them that Faera was, in fact, pregnant with Hugo’s child.

Well that was just disturbing. “Eeck, talk about committin’’ too hard to an alliance,” Mythal said with a scoff. The rest of the table was equally perturbed, with Agatha speaking up to clarify what she had said. The wife of Ruzatz wanted to know if it was perhaps some kind of trick, meant to get under Serilda’s skin or anger her to the point of acting out of turn. But it was Victoria who confirmed that it was true; apparently her ability to use blood magic allowed her the opportunity to read one’s streaming veins, even within bodies. She had sensed a secondary flow of blood within Faera, thus confirming that a child was growing inside of her.

Ruzatz sighed as he knit his fingers together in front of him. “Divines and humans aren’t capable of reproducing, so she must have waited until she turned him into an archangel. Even then… such a mix is unheard of. Only demons have actively reproduced with humans and other species but Divines kind of always… thought they were too good for it.” But even as he said that, he leveled his gaze on Agatha with some unknown thought that only she would understand. It was clear, despite his words, that there was a history of contradictions that the two knew rather well. In fact, Ruzatz even glanced over at Monica, whose own face had soured at the thought. “Any child born out of that connection could be very dangerous.”

“Indeed,” Chishan agreed, nodding solemnly. Serilda spoke up a moment later to continue her thought, explaining that it was evident that Hugo had only recently acquired his powers. He was testing them against Serilda, seeing what he was capable of and learning as he did. She said he wasn’t nearly as strong as Archimedes but his nature was far more atrocious and, in time, she believed he would be an even greater threat that Archimedes had been. “The last thing we need is another archangel on level with Izrael, Ruman or, even worse, Shepard. We don’t even know a lot about the last one but we know he is considered the strongest of them all.”

Many of the group had finished their meals or were slowly picking away at what remained. As Chishan settled into his seat, relaxing after filling himself, Serilda turned her attention back to him. She apologized for keeping Victoria a secret, realizing that both Zifu and himself were probably not pleased about the withheld information. She stated that she only hoped that it was understood that it wasn’t out of malicious intent towards him or the group. The truth about Lux and Victoria were closely guarded secrets, especially when it came to Faera and Ozorith. Even their closest friends, Ruzatz and Agatha, hadn’t known about their existence, which was incredible when one considered Lux. The only other people that truly knew about the Seals existences were the other ones in the world that also had active Seals. A harrowing and weighted statement and Mythal watched Chishan as he met the Field Marshal’s gaze evenly. The knowledge that not only were two Seals active but substantially more was probably not an easy one to swallow, though the Master made it look easy. Serilda continued, revealing that the only reason she had explained about Lux was that… well, it would be impossible to explain him away without the Seal himself giving up the goose. Victoria was still a secret and the Voidwalker couldn’t be sure that Faera wasn’t observing or listening in to the conversation, despite the fact that Serilda felt no need to show any trust to the Order without effort or substance. Unfortunately, Faera had already learned of Victoria from Mythal’s memories so the secret had already been let out. But she still wished to keep it close to the chest and away from Ozorith, counting that Faera didn’t decide to run and mock him with the knowledge herself. A high risk but what else could they do?

The entire dialogue was a long-winded way of Serilda showing her appreciation for the Order’s understanding. They hadn’t shown all of the cards in their hand nor did they simply stand back and let the Order of Souls run rampant over them. But she had gotten the feeling that there was a respect there for Serilda and Mythal’s reasons for being guarded, which was true. She didn’t fully support the ideals of the Order or rather, their actions and didn’t quite trust them fully, she did honestly believe that they were doing everything they could to do right by the couple. With their actions, they had earned a bit of good will and so, Serilda was willing to answer questions concerning the Seals, Ozorith or whatever, so that they could continue to work and grow as allies. But she would not betray their positions within the Rune Knights or the Wizard Saints, leaving most other topics open for questions. Chishan considered this for a long moment before he sat forward. “Let me start by saying that, while it is concerning to see two active Seals at once and hearing that there are more, you have nothing to apologize for. The truth of the matter is a lot of our assumptions about the Seals are based on legends and lore that we’ve dug up or recovered over the years. Maybe their ultimate goal is true but unless they are actively hostile towards us, we have no reason to pursue them. That’s the entire point of the Order; we observe from afar and only act when other forces fail or are defeated. We prefer to be a final line of defense rather than the bullying vanguard that demands information and secrets without returning any kindness. I’ll admit that the Order used to border on that, so determined to be at the forefront of defense that a lot of lines were crossed. I’m aiming to get back to where we were before and frankly, you helped me a lot in that decision making process. The Order of Souls worked with governing bodies to help strengthen protections against hostile forces rather than undermining them. I want to get back to that. And as such, I would never demand any secrets from you, Mythal or anyone. Besides, it seems Victoria helped when it really mattered. I can’t fault her just because she’s a Seal, nor Lux for that matter.”

“Well, let’s not get crazy,” Mythal spoke up, earning a smile from the Master.

“I get why you kept Victoria a secret. In your shoes, I probably would have done the same thing. I’m just sorry that your advantage was robbed from you before you got a chance to shock Faera with it. Now all we can do is hope that Faera’s pride is bigger than Ozorith’s and she decides to keep your secret as her own personal weapon, as terrible as that is to say.” Chishan shook his head, almost unwilling to believe that he was putting faith in the Divine at all. “Mythal’s actions set me down this path to wanting to help the world and I’ve seen enough from you two, all of you really, to know that you all are doing the best you can to protect the world around you. Trust is built on actions, on responsibilities. I would rather earn your trust through mine and the Order’s actions moving forward rather than assume we deserve it. Zifu has… she’s scarred by her past dealing with gods and demons and it has made her, unfortunately, bitter and angry. But believe me, she wants to protect this world as well -- she just has a hard time letting herself go with the flow. She’s a bit set in the old ways,” he said with a small smile. “I would like to continue on as allies. And while I appreciate the opportunity to ask questions that we both know I have, I don’t believe tonight is the right time. We’ve all been through an ordeal; each one of our lives was put to the test tonight. I care far more about us just… getting a chance to ask about the event and then letting it sit. This isn’t going to be quick or easy to process, for any of us. And frankly, I think we’ve all earned a respite from queries and revelations. We’ll take time to talk, especially now that Gren doesn’t need to be working so undercover as before.”

Gren’s brows furrowed. “What do ya mean?”

Chishan smiled. “Well the whole reason you needed to operate in secret was so that Faera didn’t find out you had escaped Kingdom Darkness. It’s safe to say that cat is out of the bag. And honestly, if she made a move on any of your loved ones to try and hurt them, it’s safe to say they’ll send her packing,” the Master said, looking over to Serilda, Mythal and Vandrad. “You’re welcome to stay and work with the Order if you’d like but we don’t need to keep you under wraps anymore. And thank the Gods too; I’ve hated having to keep you away from your family as much as I have.”

Gren looked truly touched, his face a painting of surprise and genuine happiness. “Thanks, Chishan. You have no idea how much that means.”

“I’m glad to do it, old friend. Truly.” The Master’s face brightened a bit more, though still as weary as the rest of them. “As much as I would love to talk more, and I’m sure we’ll make time to do so in the future, eating that food has put me on the verge of a coma. So I think I’m about ready to go and sleep forever, unless any of you have any last minute questions you’d like to throw my way.”