At Least Fact Check Your Slander

To most, the village that lay before Odhran was nothing more than that: just a village. A small shanty of dispossessed refugees from Joya and elsewhere from the war, this had been a hastily thrown together collection of rickety shacks and tents, laying all around nearing the eastern border of the country. Of course, Odhran would not have just gone there out for no reason, there was something he was more than aware of happening within this village. A veritable cult had begun forming within this shanty, as well as ones similar to it. So Odhran's scouts said, at least. People preaching about Plumed Serpent, saying that it was a stain upon existence and asking for gods and man alike to smite it down. This was something that was completely unacceptable. People slandering his guild just would not do. So, the man himself had begun to make his way to one of these, perhaps the largest of the bunch, ready to quash any insurrection.

Yet Odhran was far from alone. From within the realms of the Crossroads, he had collected an army of demons and outworlders, now marching alongside him towards this shanty town, followed close behind by Emperor, who served as marshal of this army.

"Is this action necessary, summoner?" Emperor asked, leading the patchwork army in an in-step march.

"Yes, it is, Emperor," he said calmly. "These people are attempting to bring my guild down, and such a thing is unacceptable." He shrugged. "Plus, people keep talking about those two and how much they keep stealing my spotlight. I need to still do something that they won't steal from me."

Emperor hesitated, before giving a small nod. "Of course, summoner."

The sun shined brightly overhead, even as the slightest of breezes rushed past Odhran's face, the guild master and hopeful Warlord giving a smirk as he reached the first of the shanties. Truly this was a hovel of the unfortunate, the buildings being no more than planks thrown together, tied together with rope, and roofed over with light metal sheets, the breeze causing some of the more haphazardly constructed structures to sway slightly. More common than these were the tents, many of which looked in haggard conditions. Tears poked through many of them, some had light bindings on their stakes and ropes, and all had a slight discoloration, their wear and tear evident. The "streets" were no more than the crushed grass that sat between the blocks of makeshift shelter, a main avenue stretching across the entire community, small paths darting between the shelters like small alleyways, covering the entirety of this village in a chaotic hustle and bustle. Yet despite the chaos, despite all of the people moving around, there was a surprising silence throughout the community. Hushed tones filled the air, if any noise at all. People seemed to be too destitute to be loud, save for the de facto town square of the shanty, where there was a line of refugees lined up around a small relief center, many people there bearing different marks that Odhran recognized from being of lesser guilds. Some were certainly there out of the goodness of their hearts, Emperor pointed out, yet there were equally as many there that merely had the intention of a publicity stunt.

As soon as Odhran reached the square, he ordered the small army to surround the town square as he began to speak. "People, one and all! Refugees, relief workers, tourists, whoever you all may be! Rejoice, for salvation has arrived! I am certain that you all know me well! I mean, at this point, who doesn't? I am Odhran Aegisbane, Guild-"

A roar came from the refugees.

"Murderer!"

"You killed so many!"

"This war is your fault!"

"My family perished that day!"

Odhran chuckled. "Please, please. Hold your applause. I know, I am certainly quite famous. But even so, I have a reputation to uphold. I've heard word that people here are, rather than focusing on the real issues, such as the tax breaks that the aristocrats are getting, the proposal to raise the drinking age, and, heaven forbid, pardons on jaywalkers, people are taking this opportunity to slander me! Calling death upon someone like me, that's just ridiculous. Calling for gods to smite me? Equally as ridiculous! I know you all are just feeling angry about the war, but that was something completely on the part of Pergrande and Bellum. Loathe as I am to admit it, this war wasn't my fault. If you're going to say such big things, at least fact check them first, okay?"

A cat eared man rushed out from the line, dashing at Odhran. "MY SON DIED IN FELIDAE! FOR THAT YOU WILL-"

As the knife swung down towards Odhran, a spear of earth rushed out of the ground, impaling him in the abdomen, the knife tumbling out of his hand. A few moments later, the man stopped moving, and the earthen lance dissipated. Odhran merely sighed. "Honestly, you really don't want to listen to reason." He yawned, folding his hands behind his head. "Buuuut if you're going to continue to be difficult and ridiculous... well, I can certainly oblige. Ladies and gentlemen of this completely crap filled town, I am Odhran Aegisbane, your host for tonight, and we're serving you a lovely meal! Followers of Plumed Serpent?

Kill them all."

As soon as the order came in, the army of demons smirked, firing off their weapons and magics into the middle of the town square. Odhran gave a stone-faced stare down to the town as the destitute people dropped like flies, even the much healthier looking relief mages dropped to the barrage of attacks, Odhran lazily watching along, listening to the screams.

He yawned. "Hm. That was really disappointing. Kill the rest of the town. I don't care what it takes, I will keep my guild alive. Damn the rest of the people, damn them all for leaving me. They do not see my majesty!" He snapped his fingers, pillars of earth rising beneath his feet before ending in a stone throne, where he majestically sat in the center of the town. "Hear me and hear me well! I am Odhran Aegisbane, the Guild Master of Plumed Serpent! We are the ones responsible for the Tragedy of Felidae, and that will never be forgotten! Yet I will not sit by and let my people fall! I will not let my people, I will not let myself be a footnote in history! I will let Fiore know what is coming to it! I will force people to know the Plumed Serpent! Damn your Abyssal Fleets! Damn your Errings Rising! Damn your Hidden Blades, your Rakshasas, your Divine Calamities, your Elysiums! Plumed Serpent shall stand at the top of the world!" He stood up, the earth beneath him forming into a staircase, still shouting as he yelled down. "These so-called queens and captains and emperors have nothing on me! I am a god! I have given my heart and soul for power, I have sold everything for the sake of my Guild! I have given everything for the sake of my people, and they leave me one by one. Let them leave! I shall make them regret the error of their ways! They will crawl back to Plumed Serpent, one by one! Let all those traitors have their romps with whatever it is, they merely do not understand our power!" As he connected with the ground, he threw his arms up to the sky proudly. "You all will see the wrath that we bring! I shall broadcast this to the world at large, I will let the whole world see the strength of Plumed Serpent!"

He pointed to where the pillars first emerged from, a portal tearing open in reality. From it, a large claw emerged, tearing away the very fabric of reality that kept it in its former realm. The claw soon gave way to a massive beast of mixed flesh and machine, the macabre silhouette of a dragon fused shiny white metal and viscous, pulsing flesh. Where a dragon's maw may be, a tied mass of two human heads screamed in agony, their fully conscious bodies roaring in pain. Across the mismashed flesh and metal torso, more facades of humans appeared, randomly spouting out hands and legs and facial features, all of which still remained conscious. The beast roared, the cries of human agony mixing with a garbled animalistic cry piercing the sky as it rose to its hind legs.

"Damn, Gary really went crazy with this, didn't he?" Odhran said casually under his breath as the beast charged through the town, easily crushing the shelters beneath his feet. He shrugged, taking a few steps towards the entrance of the town where he came from. Of course, he already knew that this was not going to be easy. He was immediately stopped by people who looked like legitimate fighters. They mumbled amongst themselves, not knowing how they would deal with anything here, especially the beast that arrived at Odhran's order.

"Well, I suppose it wouldn't be the best look for me if I just sat around and let my followers do things for me. I can't just look weak in front of the whole world. So, if you're ready to die, I'm ready to oblige. Just know that you've found me on a bit of a bad day."