《Ommerʼs Compendium》


 Old Vincents Will

    Old Vincent¡¯s Will


    The courtroom was as stereotypical as it could get. Wooden furniture, wood lined walls with snow white paint and an opulent chandelier hanging from the roof¨C the only source of light.


    It looked less like an institution of justice or order and more like a poorly, or rather cheaply, designed facade of a courtroom within an old mansion in Beverly Hills or, mayhaps, in old London; For, in truth, the only dispensation of disciplinary act that shall ever happen within the room, is of wills and fortunes.


    Hardly something that one ought to organize within such a place. Not to mention, the bloody, all powerful, stench of disinfectants and floor cleaners. Certainly, one from a less posh background might not have paid attention to it. But, as it was, the current occupants did.


    Now, one would rightfully question, ¡°Why, here, then?¡±. And to that, there is but one response:


    ¡°Public relations and ratings.¡±


    Not to mention, the hawks and vultures, that were the owners and board of control at K&M incorporated; if there was anything that could incite more fear than angering Old Vincent, then it was K&M.


    Inspite of such, unfavorable conditions for the Mason''s, there was an odd anticipation within the heavy atmosphere of the, rather, depressing room; both figuratively and literally. Amidst its occupants, whispers and conversations flowed with such energy that one could mistake the gathering for a party; and not the reading of a great patriarch''s will.


    Of course, the occupants- family, all- could be forgiven for such transgressions; their father, or grandfather in some cases, would have done the exact same, albeit with some tact. But, these folk were mere boys and girls, not willing to accept the embrace of the manhood or womanhood that hath bid them heed.


    One such individual was Edgar Mason; their patriarch''s ¡®Favourite¡¯ child. So much so that their father had forgiven his transgressions even when he had lived¨C the transgression being the nightly ritual of stealing from his father''s personal stash.


    The stash was not much of a stash, really. It was merely ice cream! Not a big deal, nope, not at all.


    His brown eyes surveyed the room, which stank of disinfectants and everything unwelcome. His eyes locked with Eleanora¡¯s pearly blue; his father''s favorite granddaughter. The cheeky black haired brat flashed him a smirk, of course, even children were competing in this. He resisted a scowl. It would be hardly appropriate to fall out of favor with her; in case, she became the inheritor.


    Although, he doubted she would. No way that Father would choose a mere highschooler over him! He was no fool, after all.


    He continued looking and observing. His eyes fell on his older brother, the oldest sibling, shaking hands with the reader. Hah! As if currying favor with him, would land him the business empire! Bumbling fool.


    He leaned towards his left, and with a voice quieter than the void of space, he questioned, ¡°Who is that man?¡±


    ¡°The reader?¡± His sister, Clarence Hastings nee Mason, questioned back.


    He nodded, ¡°Of course, you buffon. Who else?¡±


    She rolled her eyes, it seems that tact and manners had, like always, eluded her brother. The man should do himself, and everyone, a favor and just bloody leave. Tis would save a lot of time.


    ¡°He''s our father''s trusted lawyer. A.. right hand man, if you will,¡± She informed.


    ¡°An asian?¡±


    ¡°No, no, no.. not at all. He''s a Caucasian.¡±


    ¡°Oh! Really? He looks, very much like a southeastern¨C¡± Her brother questioned. By God, how could he be so foolish?!


    ¡°Of course, he''s a fucking asian! Even his name is Shinzo Yagami, for God''s sake!¡± She nearly shouted. Sometimes, more often than not, she doubted the buffoon even had a speck of her blood!


    Her brother sputtered and turned away. Always the inglorious loser.


    Edgar grumbled. It was nothing! He could forgive her, of course after she grovelled at his feet once he had inherited the business! They all would grovel, of that, he was sure, He thought to himself, taking great pleasure in the scenes and pictures and fantasies that his mental imagination conjured up for him. A true daydreamer!


    Just then, his wandering gaze caught the pleasurable woman''s notice; A Miss Lilac Scarlett, if he remembered correctly. She smiled widely at him, a look of glee prancing about her countenance, she waved in greeting and he reciprocated. Well, at least, someone was looking forward to it even more than him and his misbegotten family. Although, her glee and moreover, her presence raised questions.


    Why, was most prominent. Even, she had been clueless; he had asked her. Why would he not? Nevertheless, he could already imagine Clarence screaming at him, ¡°You tactless fool!¡±


    Thank God, she hadn''t heard of it. Otherwise, God forbid, he would have been caught up in another rant of her''s; Lord knows, she has to rant and rave, at least once a day, lest the day turn out too peaceful for her kin.


    Nevertheless, foreboding thought''s of Clarence removed, the question posed before Miss Scarlett had been valid. She was, as far as he was told, Father''s secretary. Why, he would go out of his way and abandon all pretense of professionalism, whom he so loved and appreciated, for a mere secretary?


    Preposterously confounding!


    A poke.


    Ignore it.


    Another poke.


    Once more, ignored.


    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    2 pokes, simultaneously.


    Ignore him!


    More pokes, each more charged than the previous.


    Out of sight, out of mind!


    More poking.


    Out of sight, out of mind!


    Once more¨C


    He slapped the offending hand, ¡°The fuck is, wrong with you?!¡± He whispered furiously.


    ¡°What''s, wrong with me?! What''s wrong with you, dumbass?¡± The man, his younger brother, Jaime questioned cluelessly; the smirk, which bordered on poorly veiled amusement, was telling, however.


    ¡°Well.. nothing''s wrong with me. Maybe, uhh, except for your presence here, offending me!¡±


    His eyebrows shot up, disappearing into the lush slick back hair, ¡°Offending and you? Hahaha, nice joke, pal,¡± He chuckled, ¡°Didn''t even know.. haha.. you even knew the meaning of offense,¡± The man continued laughing. Although, by God''s grace, it was a quiet laughter. He hardly had any wish of being made the brunt of a joke, especially, in such a crucial time.


    A silence fell upon them, the reader fumbled his way into opening a letter; his father''s last wishes before the will? Perhaps, perhaps not.


    Suddenly, Jaime, undoubtedly tired of the silence, began confiding in him, or gloating, ¡°You know?¡± He began.


    Edgar interrupted, ¡°No, Jaime, I do not know,¡±


    ¡°Hah Hah, very funny. Well, ignoring that, you know,¡± He began again and Edgar barely suppressed the urge to interrupt again, ¡°You remember, when Father called me to his room, yeah?¡±


    He sighed, ¡°I believe, he called each one of us, Jaime. Of course, I remember,¡± With that he rolled his eyes.


    Jaime continued, unbothered, ¡°Well, you see when I went to his room, he made me sit down-¡± Of course, he did, you buffoon, ¡°-He pulled my ear to his mouth, and you know? He whispered to me-¡± Jaime leaned closer to him whispered conspiratorially, ¡°He said, ¡®Son. You are my successor. Lead us well¡¯!¡±


    Edgar laughed. ¡°Hahahaha! Successor?! You?! Fucking hell, God help us all!


    ¡°You believe me?! I had told the same to Clarence but she¨C¡±


    ¡°Laughed you off. Of course, she did. There''s no way, a mad cow like you will be getting to be his successor!¡± Before Jaime could interrupt, he continued, ¡°Because, you know what, he told me the same thing! He even kissed my fucking forehead!¡±


    ¡°Hah, preposterous! A bumbling fool, like you? No way! Absolutely not,¡± Jaime disputed, offended at even the thought of such a thing.


    ¡°Uh huh, whatever helps you sleep at night, mate.¡±


    Jaime rolled his eyes and scoffed, ¡°Sure, pal, we''ll see right now.. won''t we? Liar.¡±


    God forbid, if he actually became the successor. He had seen the articles, the pictures, the theories and all sorts of analytical essays on him. The man was chummy-chummy with the buggers over at K&M; an insider through and through!


    His father, may have gone senile, but he was not foolish to sell his company out to their biggest competitors without a fight! He was sure of it!


    Not even senility could achieve this. Certainly, death wouldn''t either.


    ¡°Everyone! May I have your attention, please!¡±


    As if, enraptured by their Father, himself, all turned towards Mr Yagami. The man fumbled about and handed over 2 letters to his aides.


    ¡°Whomsoever, gets the letter, please read it as I recite Vincent Mason''s Will!¡± Mr Yagami announced, by the corner of his eye, he could spot Eleanora getting one.


    The other aid, came towards him.


    With pleasant surprise and open elation, he began opening the letter. He could feel both Clarence and Jaime leaning inwards on him. Bastards wanted to see, very well.


    As soon as the tearing of the two letters resounded across the quiet room. Mr Yagami began:


    ¡°My children, grandchildren. And my favorites, Eleanora and Edgar, to you both, I leave a profound image¨C¡±


    The picture was insulting. Beyond insulting. He could hear her sniffling. Clearly, like him, the poor girl had hardly expected¡­ this.


    The picture had his father in a rather, interesting, pose. A cone with two scoops of his favorite, cookies and cream, ice cream in one hand and with his free hand flipping the bird to them. The old man''s face was adorned with a massive grin, promising nothing but trouble and menace; his eyes, were similarly covered with overly large black sunglasses.


    The very picture of tomfoolery!


    ¡°--Both of you, are, doubtlessly, shocked. And that is, very, acceptable. And hilarious. Mostly hilarious. To think, all of you bumbling buffoons had not caught on to the game that I had played. Was this, how foolish, I was thought of? Well, I can forgive that, people really found it hard to appreciate my humor,¡± Mr Yagami paused, looking in pity at the crying Eleanora, ¡°The 2 seats were never for my favorites, and truthfully I had thought someone would catch on. And whoever did, I commend you! I am, most definitely, truly proud of you!¡±


    ¡°Moving on. Little Eleanora, I am sure that you are currently crying like a poor little gal deprived of her favorite toy! Well, to you, I say, that when I wrote this Will, I had the thought of making you my true heir but, unfortunately, the crime that you had committed was too severe¨C¡± Mr Yagami sputtered in shock as he continued to read, ¡°--You had pissed on my best suit, when you were a baby! And, that¡­ that is something, I cannot and will not forgive!¡±


    Eleanora''s cries resounded like an orchestra through the silence.


    Mr Yagami sighed, clearly taking no enjoyment in this. Finally, after a moment of consideration and to allow the statement to be absorbed by the attendees, he turned towards Edgar.


    ¡°And, as for you, Edgar, at one point, before any of my grandchildren were born¨C you had been, my favorite and I have no shame in uttering the fact that for so long, it had been you, who would succeed me-¡± Yagami paused for dramatics, ¡°But, you too, have scorned me!¡±


    Scor- scorned?! How?, He thought to himself, stunned by shock. Jaime and Clarence looked at him, critically.


    Of course, they would.


    Neither wanted to admit that the same could''ve been said of them; Edgar presented as the best scapegoat for collective admonishment. A thousand blessings be upon their father''s kind soul!


    ¡°Do not think that I would have forgotten the betrayal! The treachery! Oh, the backstabbing! I still remember it clearly, each bloody day, I would scour through the freezer, each night- they would be gone! My precious! The one thing, I had all the right to enjoy! My bloody ice cream!¡±


    But.. but- but he had forgiven me! He thought to himself in mounting horror.


    ¡°And, oh yes, I had said that my benevolence had accepted your apology. But, but, I never had. How could I? You had, simply, committed such a heinous crime!¡±


    Curse that fucking ice cream and curse that fucking moron who conceptualized cookies and cream!, He raved in his head; the looks of thinly veiled amusement were not lost on him.


    ¡°Then,¡± His oldest brother, Alvin spoke up, questioningly prodding Mr Yagami, ¡°Who''s- who''s the inheritor?¡±


    Mr Yagami¡¯s face crinkled, the well hidden wrinkles around his glasses revealing themselves; somehow, they only served to embolden the graceful nature of the man.


    ¡°It is, uhh¡­ a Miss, uhh, where- where is it?..¡±


    ¡°Well?¡± Eleanora¡¯s mother, Belle Olsen nee Mason, pressed, thoroughly annoyed and even enraged by their Father¡¯s childish, if not, mad behavior! And, how could she not be? To know all one''s life that they shall inherit their grandfather''s billion dollar fortune, sets one up for expected greatness; a greatness that in actuality was snubbed, for the loving grandfather was too petty.


    ¡°Ah yes!¡± Mr Yagami uttered suddenly, all the ears in the room heightened.


    ¡°It is.. a Miss Lilac Scarlett!¡±

 The Ballet of Madness

    <h2>The Ballet of Madness </h2>


    ¡°Faithful subjects,¡± the voice of the Crown Princess filtered through the many stations and speakers, all across the realm.


    ¡°And brave soldiers of our Empire,¡± For many years, the question of inheritance had plagued the nation; uncertainty ruled even the greatest minds. Pity then, that such a situation wasn''t pondered upon with as much resolve as lesser matters of lesser importance.


    ¡°Our Reich, now dominates the world!¡± It wasn''t too much surprise, then, that the question had been answered; later than acceptable, yes. The answer, the heiress, had caused much controversy. Controversy, that an infantile dynasty could hardly afford; scandalous, that an heir untested by the winds of the unforgiving desert would inherit; Many, amongst the House had grown complacent. Far too complacent.


    ¡°This, is a testament to the resolve of our Glorious People,¡± Complacency breeds weakness. Weakness breeds war. War breeds devastation. Devastation inspires, akin to a messiah, feelings of dissent and revolution; the mind shudders at its mere mention. Revolution. Such a distasteful word. Yet, even now, as the Heiress speaks¨C whispers of revolution swim across the maelstrom of the Empire''s politics.


    ¡°One by one, our enemies have been felled. One by one, their transgressions, have been paid back in full!¡± Cheers burst from every corner of the Reichshalle; there is no reverence in them, not anymore. They lack conviction and belief. They doubt the Reich and it''s machinations. They grow tired of zealots and clergy spreading their venom throughout the Imperial Council. They grow disillusioned; revolution breeds amongst them now, stronger than ever.


    ¡°The burdens of the AlterKrieg, have been repaid in the tears of our foes! The stagnation of the past has now been overcome! The Coalition, the Futurist Leagues, the Horde and, now, even the Commune lay defeated!¡± The cheers grow, both in intensity and magnitude yet the people cheer not for the current rulers. Nay. They cheer for the old glories of Lilac von Celeste- The Great Conquer. It is her goodwill and prowess, that allow the House to survive and thrive. Without her fanatics and her church, there would be no royalty.


    ¡°It is through our Science, that we have sharpened our sword!¡± Ah yes, it had slipped her mind, the true reason for this Imperial address; a new hallmark of technology, had been achieved¨C Quantum Energy, a science to draw power from the unseen world- from the elder world, so to say.


    ¡°It is through science, that we delivered our final strike!¡± Quantum Energy, while intended, undoubtedly, for wholesome purposes, took quite a derailment in the Schnee Crusade; A new era of warfare had been devised. Artificial Intelligence. True Artificial Intelligence, the kind of which was never before seen¨C something, straight out of a science-fiction film or novel. ODESSA, now decommissioned unfortunately, was the gleaming jewel in our military¡¯s crown.


    ODESSA, had delivered the final strike. Nuclear Armageddon. And, for such a patriotic act, it had been punished. In truth, it was not the nuclear holocaust, which pushed this decision, no, it was fear; Fear of change, fear of replacement, fear of the unknown.


    ¡°It is through science, that our Reich will march into a glorious era for a thousand years! It is through science, that we will rid ourselves of enemies both within and without!¡± To a long standing ovation and joyful cheers, the Reich saluted its new master. Crown Princess Marilyn von Celeste.


    ¡°A quaint little speech, ain''t it?¡± The man standing just a few feet left of her, questioned in a voice hardly befitting a royal; praise be upon Her, that he isn''t.


    ¡°As much as it pains me, yes, it was,¡± She whispered back.


    He smirked back, hiding laughter and amusement, though they twinkled brightly through his ghostly eyes; Very much, the definition of a heavenless lad, the man was dressed sharply in a military dress from a bygone era, striking blonde hair going untouched by the fierce coastal wind and his ghostly electric blue eyes staring amusedly at her. Alexander, for that was his name, was the kind of man that a woman, or a girl, ought to fall in love with¨C an easy smile, a silver tongue, dashing looks, sharply dressed and simply a delight to be around.


    Imagine her surprise, when the man admitted to having been loved only once. Oh Lilac, the horror! Were the women of his time, blind?! Good Goddess, if she were there, Alexander would''ve certainly ended up being married before he originally was.


    Shame, that she couldn''t do so anymore; It was simply impossible. Nevertheless, at least she had the sole pleasure of his company and that was a great concession.


    ¡°A coin for your thoughts?¡±


    ¡°Ruminating on my lost romance with you, good sir.¡± She replied cheekily. Alexander let out a boisterous laugh; none were troubled by his rambunctious nature.


    How could they be? It was impossible, after all.


    The man was dead. Had been so, for over a century.


    It did not disturb her, to share companionship with a century old ghost, after all, to him, secrets could be divulged without fear; who would he share them to? The Lord of Necropolis? The Lady of the Illiad? Or perhaps, Lilac forbid, a deathwalker of the Lilithian Dominion?!


    If he wished to, go right ahead. What would, creatures and men of fiction and madness do to her? Nothing, they could do nothing. Just like him.


    After the speech, her family and their various aides had been all ushered to a riverside pavilion¨C established specially for this occasion; talk about tactless. Unnecessary grandeur, ought to achieve naught but resentment.


    For all the claims of her disintegrated nature in history, she had studied accelerationism and socialism, in great detail. Both, inspite of later differences, began from disgruntled populace despising the royalty and corrupt autocrats. Many, in the House and the Imperial Senate, have forgotten this fact; they grow complacent with the Accelerationist Monarchy, twisting and manipulating it into something horrendous and completely detached from Lilac''s Divine vision.


    Perverse and debauched ideologies had penetrated their exalted family; her alarms over this, had been laughed out. A pariah, everyone called her. Everyone except Alexander; he agreed wholeheartedly, even pushing her to make a bid for the throne¨C an act, done too late to secure stalwart support.


    However, her meager support was from amidst the revolutionary masses; whom, seeing in her, a persona of the Great Lilac, threw their support behind her. It had disgruntled her, for a time, until Alexander made sense of the matter.


    Apparently, even Lilac had been disgruntled at first by the revolutionary support! Who would''ve known?!


    Now, seeing her sister''s disgusting and frankly revolting behavior, she was determined. The crown would not survive without her.


    ¡°Look-¡± she motioned to Alexander, and by extension to Agony- another of her stalwart supporters-, and spoke, ¡°Look, at the harlot; hanging, so distastefully off of the men! No class, no tact, no grace!¡±


    Agony merely nodded in mute acceptance; Alexander, however, vocalized his support, ¡°Indeed, I see her disgraceful behavior; it surprises me, that characters of questionable quality are allowed upon the throne. Verily, she will bring ruin, upon this dynasty.¡±


    Elenore nodded, affirmative determination coloring her movements, ¡°Yes, of course, she will. You hear that, Agony? She will bring destruction, destruction, you hear?¡±


    ¡°Yes, My Lady, I hear even the unheard,¡± Agony replied, sagely. Intelligent beast! Under her, he would be suitably rewarded.


    ¡°I am proud of both of you, you know? So terribly proud, that oft my heart thunders with indescribable love, you understand?¡±


    Both of her loyal supporters, nod. ¡°We understand,¡± they say in a chorus, unintentionally.


    She digs into her food, unconcerned and ignorant of the conversations surrounding her; opinions of fools, had rarely ever troubled her sleep. Besides, there were other important matters to attend to. Matters, such as her beloved sister''s marriage to a lowblood¨C a mongrel born in the Order-State of Reina; how her imbecile family had allowed this, she didn''t know, suffice to say however, none were too happy with the idea of a soiled dynasty. And, that included her.


    And Alexander. And Agony, of course, who inspite of the inherit quiet nature of the Cardinals, was quite a racial bigot; well, then again, she was one too, so such trivial traits went ignored in favor of protection of Lilac''s bloodline.


    Do not misunderstand her! She wasn''t a professional bigot, like Agony! She was a.. uhh¡­ a part-timer! It was merely that she couldn''t bear to see the glorious era of her beloved Reich be overlooked by Reinan mongrels; the stuff of my worst nightmares!


    As she comfortably sipped on her drink- a strawberry flavored cocktail, refreshing and pleasing to the heart- Alexander knelt beside her, leaning into her ear, began advising, ¡°Listen, Elenore; you must make your move. And soon, preferably and, if possible, before their marriage! Because, if it goes¨C¡±


    ¡°If it goes through, the marriage is sealed and a Reinan mongrel shares my blood. Wunderbar. Do not worry,¡± At his impeaching look, she elaborated, ¡°I have a plan; By Lilac''s grace, it is already in motion. We merely have to wait for it''s climax!¡±


    Nodding pleasurably, Alexander smiled before returning to his position beside Agony. Elenore continued feasting; revelry dominated her heart and mind. Victory is near!


    It''s been a week, here; spent utterly ingloriously, drowning in civilized pleasures- in the case of her sister, carnality. Alexander has grown troubled. By what? He doesn''t share, whether he wishes not to or can''t; she doesn''t know. Nevertheless, it irks her. How could it not? When everything, in this final stretch, depends on utmost knowledge and trust; Alexander won''t betray her, he simply can''t. However, it''s still of vital importance that he sorts out, whatever it is that troubles him, lest it become a nuisance.


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    Speaking of nuisance, her family grows suspicious; her politicking and machinations, have hardly gone unnoticed¨C many, have begun to speak of the new legions replacing the old. It was a pain to ensure that no more brows are raised at her creatures- for, the legions are hers and her''s alone- and that task, in of itself, has caused problems.


    There won''t be a clean takeover; curse the inquisitive minds of Ascalon for that!


    Neverminding that, her plan will succeed. It has to.


    ¡°My fair Empress?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡± She raised a brow.


    ¡°The traitors- the royal family- have been arrested. We await your orders!¡± The news of the success, inspired elation within her; great enough that irritation at having lost hold of her thoughts, was forgotten.


    ¡°Music to my ears, Karl!¡± Flashing her aides, a blinding smile, she questioned, ¡°Any reports of Agony?¡±


    ¡°Yes, milady,¡±


    ¡°All good things, I hope,¡±


    ¡°Better than good, milady; tis an excellent news, that he relays- the plan has succeeded, to an even greater extent than predicted!¡±


    A smug victorious grin bloomed upon her face; turning to her left, she spoke, ¡°Listen, Andrew, make your way out of the castle; prepare the freikorps, understand? And, have them march and seize the city, crystal?¡±


    ¡°Yes, milady, crystal clear.¡± With a pleased hum, she continued sauntering through her castle; wasn''t that a pleasing thought! Forget carnal pleasures, true enjoyment is held in the throes of power!


    ¡°And, Karl?¡±


    ¡°I am at your service, milady.¡± With a bow, he awaited.


    ¡°Begin our defiance. We ought to seize the Empire before the onset of fall, understood? I cannot risk any longer than that, lest the Empire shatters once more, understand? Besides, I cannot find it in myself to crusade and purge like Her Divine Self, Lilac von Celeste, you know?¡±


    He bowed deeply, forehead nearly touching his knees, ¡°Certainly, milady. I shall not, allow you any chances of complaints!¡±


    ¡°Excellent,¡± she paused, gesturing to the looming door, ¡°This is, where they are, yes?¡±


    ¡°Yes, milady,¡±


    ¡°Very well, I shall be off then; remember your orders, yes? We cannot tarry any longer; begin it at once, understood?¡±


    ¡°Crystal clear, Holy Empress.¡± With another, this one deeper than any other, he bid her leave.


    The revolution has begun, Alexander. Are you proud?


    The man, Alexander, flashed her a bright smile, ¡°I''m so very proud; I always believed that you would carry out Lilac''s vision. And, now.. now that I''m seeing my dreams come to fruition. It- it fills me with cold anticipation,¡±


    Elenore smiled demurely, ¡°Well, then you ought to be glad, that in a matter of few moments; our dreams will be realized,¡±


    He mirrored her smile, ¡°Then shall we?¡±


    ¡°Indeed, we shall.¡± She threw the door open; all voices were silenced.


    ¡°Daughter! Thank Lilac, you are safe!¡± Her mother shrieked, in holy gratitude, as she embraced her; mother''s gaze, seemed to search for something in her face, or perhaps, in her eyes¨C something that she couldn''t see or saw, for in the next moment, all warmth vanished from the embrace, leaving only cold solitude.


    ¡°Elenore, how are you free? Did they, perhaps, miss you?¡± Her younger brother, James, questioned. He was a sweet little chap, his boyish face framed by her mother''s blonde hair- his black eyes, a mirror of her own, stared back with cluelessness as to the situation. Pity, such a pity!


    It almost made her regret it.


    Almost.


    The uneasy silence, was shattered by Marilyn''s shrill laughter. ¡°Oh, hahahaha- oh ohh, foolish brother! Oh you poor chap, can''t ya see?!¡±


    ¡°See what?!¡± James cried. The poor boy was affronted at the insult.


    ¡°Oh~, my dear. Tis her! She''s the orchestrator of this madness! The bitch couldn''t handle mine ascension, so she did the best thing, she could do; be a filthy traitor!¡±


    Her brother, unbelieving of the claim, looked towards her- his eyes, imploring her to dispute the claim. An usurper, she was. But a liar? She couldn''t be.


    ¡°It is true; I have orchestrated this,¡±


    At once, pandemonium broke loose.


    ¡°You whore! Foul bitch! Release yourself from this madness at once!¡±


    ¡°Daughter, cease this foolishness. This is no time to destabilize us!¡±


    ¡°It is no point, mother. The vindictive beast won''t listen to reason! I should''ve offed your bloody head, infact I will, once I''m through-¡±


    ¡°SILENCE!¡±


    Silence gripped the ornate room, once more; tying the tongues of each and every individual within her vicinity. For a few moments, all that one could hear was the sound of gunshots filtering from the streets.


    Ah, so the revolution has begun.


    The silence growing heavier, the people growing uneasier, she began speaking, ¡°You see, for a long time, there was no trace of desire for the throne within me; I cared not, for either the people or the Reich. Why should I have? It was pointless to covet that which is not mine. But.. but then, dear sister, I saw your dalliances- your debauchery. And- and, quite frankly, we couldn''t stand for it. The Reich would be dirtied under your blood. For me, no harlot, no Reinan mongrel could ever sit their savage selves upon the throne. No, never. You understand, yes? I beseech you, understand. Lest, my horde devours like they wish, so desperately, to do. You see? I did this, for the Reich, for the people to be saved from suffering at hands of half bloods and- and, oh Lilac, and bastards. I couldn''t possibly allow for such transgressions to hold! Never. Our Goddess Lilac, would roll in her grave, had this come to pass. You must understand, that neither I nor Alexander, would''ve allowed this! It simply couldn''t pass, couldn''t come to fruition, lest our House be finally brought to end! And, it would be!¡±


    ¡°Liar.¡± Her sister voiced out.


    ¡°Excuse me? ¡®Liar?¡¯. Typical of you; right, why did I expect any semblance of gratitude from you mongrel lovers. None of you understand mine and Alexander''s grace upon you! None of you. Very well, then I suppose, you shall have to be dealt with too, understand?-¡±


    Interrupting her rant, her mother questioned, ¡°Alexander?¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course; my stalwart ally,¡±


    A dumb silence descended; broken by the disbelieving laughter of Marilyn.


    ¡°Oh Lilac- hahahahaha! Alexander?! Hahaha! Ya don''t fucking mean, that imaginary delusion of yours. Surely?!¡±


    Elenore reeled back, affronted; ¡°Imaginary?! Delusion?!! Certainly not!¡± Her tone turned softer as she continued, ¡°He is a very- very dear friend. And, I shan''t tolerate such blatant disrespect towards him,¡±


    Mother''s eyes softened, ¡°Ele, dear, you can still seize this madness; you hardly need the burden of a Reich steeped into civil war on your shoulders. What- what you need is help, mental help-¡±


    ¡°No, no, mother dearest. You wish for my surrender, but you shan''t have it. Not like this, not without a fight.¡± After a pregnant pause, she added, ¡°Besides, Alexander is no imaginary construct. He''s a real being, a supernatural one albeit, but he exists.¡±


    ¡°Invisible to us?¡± Her younger sister, Emilia, questioned.


    ¡°Yes. Of course, he appears only to those whom he considers worthy.¡± Nodding at her own answer, she let out a smug grin; proud of her victory.


    ¡°Sister. Elenore, indulge me, one last time, will you?¡± Marilyn requested.


    She nodded, very well, I can hardly refute Marilyn''s last wishes.


    ¡°Is.. is he here? Within this room?¡±


    She nodded, ¡°Yes. He is, why?¡±


    ¡°You see, I have a few questions for him; would you mind?¡±


    She shrugged, unsure. ¡°I guess?¡± At Alexander''s accepting nod, she continued, ¡°Ah, well, go ahead, whatever,¡±


    ¡°Alexander.. where were you born?¡±


    ¡°He says, in Avalon,¡±


    ¡°Where was his military career established?¡±


    ¡°He says in the Sultanate war,¡±


    ¡°Ask him, where he had married Lilac''s mother,¡±


    Alexander froze, refusing to respond; even at her silent beseechment. ¡°He doesn''t respond, maybe, he has-¡±


    She nodded, ¡° He has amnesia? Maybe. Ask him, when was Lilac born?¡±


    To this, Alexander responded enthusiastically; ¡°He says, mere days before the end of fall,¡±


    ¡°Ask him, where was Lilac born?¡±


    Alexander froze again; refusing to answer.


    ¡°He refuses to respond,¡±


    ¡°Oh? Does he? Very well, ask him what was Lilac''s full name?¡±


    Again, Alexander looked like a deer caught in headlights; frozen like a statue, as if the question itself was incomprehensible.


    ¡°He doesn''t know,¡± she answered.


    Marilyn nodded in understanding, ¡°Of course, he doesn''t. He doesn''t, sister, because you don''t know; had you taken an interest in history, deeper history, the guy would''ve answered these with resolute dedication. But, since you didn''t, he''s clueless.¡± She sighed, ¡°I care not for the bitterness between us and for your foul acts this day. I say this from genuine concern, surrender Elenore and we- I promise, we will get you help, because that is, what you need; not the crown, not power, not the Reich. You. Need. Help.¡±


    Elenore¡¯s lip wobbled. Glaring at Alexander in betrayal and defeat, she bit back her mournful tears. There was no tarrying any longer; if she acquiesced to these demands, she''ll go down in history as a madwoman. She can''t have that. Not at all.


    Turning her scouring glare towards her family, she lifted her head in pride, ¡°I, thank you for your undue concern. However it is misplaced, you should be concerned for yourself; Agony has convinced the Cardinal Council- except, the vainful Avarice and the stickler for rules, Wrath. Everyone else, supports me and my cause. Even if you could muster a worthy army, which I doubt you could, defeat is certain.¡±


    Turning her back, on both her disloyal family and the traitor Alexander, she opened the door; ¡°If I were you; I''d take this time to ruminate upon my life choices and mistakes and their consequences. Farewell!¡±


    With a flourish, she was gone.


    ¡°Are my fears true? That you trust me not, any longer?¡±


    ¡°Why did you humiliate me so?¡± She whispered, mutely.


    Alexander sighed, running a hand through his hair, ¡°There was no other choice, kiddo. If I had answered them, correctly; they would''ve figured out your biggest strength. And-¡±


    ¡°-By acting the fool, you prevented that. Genius, if I do say so myself,¡±


    He smiled softly, although his ghostly blue eyes seemed ever more haunting, ¡°Precisely. With this, even if they rant and rave about your madness; none will lend them their ears, their words will only stroke the flames of revolution. Nothing more, nothing less,¡±


    She let out a victorious laughter, reveling in this ultimate victory! ¡°It is time to celebrate then, yes?¡±


    ¡°Of course, Holy Empress! But.. but, before that, I have something to share with you,¡±


    ¡°Oh? Nothing too bad, I hope,¡±


    ¡°No. Not at all, I merely wish for you to meet a friend. Another ally of yours,¡±


    ¡°Aha! Very well, then! Lead the way, my good Sir!¡± She cheered him on.


    Smiling all the way, Alexander led her deeper, evermore.

 Imperator of Decaying Renown (BORMANN I)

    ¡°Strength lies not in power. But in knowledge.


    Power is a false concept, meant to disparage the mind.


    Knowledge is the true weapon.


    War is waged naught by sheer strength, but by clever technology.


    A long lasting Empire, is one which has the most brilliant of minds and individuals in it''s councils; not one with mindless brutes begging for bloodshed.¡±


    -Viktoria von Celeste


    <h2>Imperator of Decaying Renown</h2>


    The waters of the world were turbulent, oscillating from wild abandon of a young colt to the mute serenity of a monk; a mirror of the state of the larger Galaxy. Each whiplash, a reminder of the chaos that engulfs the Empire. Each roar of mad thunder, a reminder of treacherous rebellions. Each droplet of rain, a reminder of the souls perishing, every minute, to the inferno of war.


    The Goddess had been displeased; so their Dominion over reality was shattered. The Goddess was slighted; so their understanding of peace was taken. The Goddess was abandoned; so their worlds burned. The Goddess was forgotten; so their souls were damned eternal.


    The Jade Throne remains empty. The Holy World of Lilith, engulfed in flames of eternal war. Their Goddess''s Palace crumbles into foregone era''s of history; many have forgotten Her mercy, Her love, Her devotion. Truly, an era of darkness and decay.


    The War of Decay, has enraptured the entirety of the Imperial Dominion. Few escaped from the ensuing flames of chaos and perpetual death; Solitude Prime was one such world.


    Laying in the far vestiges of the outer galactic rim, Solitude Prime remained suspended in it''s endless serenity and joyful prayers. It''s people worshiping an empty throne, a dying religion; it brought immense pleasure.


    Much gratification was to be gained from these holistic sights! And, he made sure to take in, as much as one could. When treachery burnt away at the last seams of order and security¨C the calm divinity of Solitude Prime was a fair compensation to a devout soul.


    For such a boon, the Goddess had his eternal gratitude. Truly a benevolent mother!


    ¡°Hmm. A curious visitor approaches. Tell me, Son of Scarlot; Tell me, why hast thou paid a visit to me, hmm?¡±


    Snapping away from the turbulent thoughts of righteous vengeance against treachery; Bormann spoke, with a certain thirst coloring his voice, ¡°I come here, naught for a mere visitation. I come here, regretfully, with mournful news,¡±


    ¡°Hmm. Curious, infinitely curious. Pray tell, Bormann, Son of Scarlot, what this mournful news is; the curiosity tears away at me,¡±


    ¡°Empress Viktoria is dead.¡± He relayed, lip trembling with emotion; had self control lapsed, Bormann would''ve cried tears of blood¨C alas, inspite of crushing grief, he had to power through. The Goddess''s will had to be carried out.


    Twisting it''s neck, the entity replied, ¡°Were it news to mine ears; tears of crushing sorrow would have flown like a free river from mine eyes. But, as it stands, such a gravitational news doth do make it''s arrival, even on a backwater like this. Mine ears have borne witness, and mine mind curses them for it,¡±


    ¡°So do mine, and now, I curse mine tongue; for, in relaying the news of Her death, brings within me too much sorrow to stomach. I fear, one more and I shall collapse,¡±


    It nodded, straightening it''s posture, ¡°Verily, sorrow is meant to be expressed. Our Holy Mother is dead. Sorrow is rightful. Sorrow is acceptable. Sorrow is our early tribute to her phoenix reign,¡±


    Bormann shook his head, ¡°But- but, that is it. Isn''t it? I cannot drown in sorrow, tis hardly the time. Traitors and heretics and their disgusting ilk run amok in our Holy pastures! I cannot allow this; not now, not ever.¡±


    ¡°Even if, it means to forgo thine sorrow for our Holy Mother?¡±


    ¡°For her phoenix regime, even my life is forfeit,¡±


    ¡°Hmm. Inspiring. Very inspiring. Your nature is that of a true loyalist, Bormann; for her phoenix regime, even mine life is forfeit,¡±


    ¡°A bridge, then? Connecting our existences?¡±


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    The entity nodded, deeply pleased, ¡°Indeed. Indeed. A bridge to connect our distances. A bridge to align our souls for Her prophesied return!¡±


    Bormann saluted- hand placed upon his heart-, ¡°For Her eternal reign over the stars and the moon!¡±


    ¡°For Her eternal reign over all life,¡± The entity completed.


    Suddenly, the entity brought it''s visage closer to Bormann, gazing intently into his eyes¨C searching for something. ¡°There is something that troubles you. Hmm. Something, unrelated to Our Holy Mother''s death. Something more profound than Her eternal reign,¡±


    ¡°Nein!¡± He denied vehemently; silver eyes gaining a vengeful hardness to them, deeply affronted at the mere suggestion.


    ¡°You may deny the truth, Bormann. But denial, does not prevent truthful revelations from coming out. Truth is an intelligent being, it knows what many do not¨C it understands, what many refuse to¨C it reveals, all that one cowers from. Truth is powerful, Bormann. Truth is Her will,¡±


    Bormann sighed. It was right. Her will was to embrace truth and reality, over all else; ¡°The question of an inheritor irks me. There are none in this universe, that could ever hope to replace our Goddess; all seem unworthy before Her, all seem insufficient before Her.¡±


    The being nodded, ¡°Understandable concerns. Hmm. An inheritor is required, yes, it is; a council will not do, tis far too volatile. A council is unreliable. Hmmm. A Regent is fickle; untrustworthy to ensure Her return. Hmm. Yes, yes, I believe that mineself has the answer,¡±


    ¡°Welll? Out with it!¡±


    ¡°We need only look for an inheritor,¡±


    ¡°Isn''t that, what I- or, rather, We are already.. trying?¡±


    ¡°Not essentially, no. Mineself means a true inheritor; an individual of Her brood and blood,¡±


    Bormann scoffed, unsure whether to be amused or affronted, ¡°And, pray tell, wherever shall we find these ¡®Trueborn¡¯ Inheritors?¡±


    The entity laughed, a grating sound- akin to stones being ground against one another-, and replied, ¡°Mineself has a lead. A girl, roughly teenage in her years and Concordian born,¡±


    Bormann raised a brow, ¡°A highborn?¡±


    The entity shook it''s head, ¡°Thank the Goddess, no. The girl is lowborn, she serves as a lady¡¯s maid to a Libertian Lady,¡±


    ¡°A heretic,¡± The sneer on Bormann¡¯s countenance brought a tiny smile on the entity¡¯s face.


    ¡°Thine dedication to Her word and will, brings a smile to mine face and soul. Heretic, her employer may be, but, our inheritor is not. She is a devout. The perfect candidate,¡±


    ¡°Eh. Well, ain''t that convenient?¡± Bormann shrugged at his own question, before asking, ¡°And, where does she trace her blood from?¡±


    ¡°Empress Gwendolyn,¡±


    Bormann recoiled, visibly, at the name. A disgraceful ancestry, ¡°You.. you want a.. whoreblood on the Throne?!¡±


    The entity chuckled, it''s neck twisting oddly and replied, ¡°Whoreblood. Such a distasteful word. Nevertheless, an Inheritor, she remains. Unless, of course, you have another candidate?¡±


    Clicking his tongue, he replied, ¡°Unfortunately, nein. I do not,¡± A lie. He had a few candidates in mind, but, all or nearly all of them were of far too diluted blood; either that or their stature in society was undesirable. Furthermore, some had claims which were far too flimsy.


    ¡°However, I do have a question,¡±


    ¡°Hmm? You do, do you?¡± The entity nodded in self agreement, ¡°Very well, mine ears shall bear witness,¡±


    ¡°We talk of inheritors; dismiss and analyze them in the same breath, yet, not even once, have you suggested yourself. I find it, infinitely, curious,¡±


    ¡°You believe mineself to be vain?¡±


    ¡°I dare not. But, my question is valid; even you could agree to it,¡±


    ¡°Hmm. And I do agree, however, I shall pose the same question to you. Why haven''t thou taken the throne?¡± A beat, and a twist of it''s neck, the entity continued, ¡°Thineself can certainly claim it¨C the army, or whatever remains of it, is yours to command. Marshall prowess has claimed the throne before, and mineself is certain that it could be done again. Then, then.. why not? Why shan''t you take the throne? Hmm?¡±


    Bormann had to concede; the question was entirely valid. He was an eligible commandant to pull off an assumption of the Throne. But, that wouldn''t be quite right, would it? Of course not. Tis would be against Her Divine Will; and he''d dare not cross the Holy Mother!


    His answer formed, Bormann shook his head, ¡°I cannot; not that I''m ineligible for it but that Her Reich cannot be sullied by our unworthy blood upon it''s Holy Throne. Were it something else.. something akin to a minor barony, unrelated to Her will, I shall have made a play. But, as it stands¡­ I cannot and will not,¡±


    The entity smiled, the grin stretching across it''s face, ¡°Very well, Bormann; thine dedication is nonpareil as always. Blessed be your soul!¡± With a muttered prayer, the conversation continued, ¡°By deduction and elimination, this girl is our only hope. You understand, yes, hmm? The importance of her, hmm?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I do. Infact, as soon as this visitation is over, by your leave, I will leave to collect her at once!¡±


    The grin grew wider- how in the Goddess''s name was that even possible?!-, ¡°Perfect. All proceeds as Her will; leave at once, Bormann, do not tarry, not even if thine life is in danger. A moment wasted is a moment given to our archenemies. The sooner the inheritor is with us; the sooner, Her will shall be carried out.¡± With a reverent pause, it added in holy submission, ¡°Heil Viktoria!¡±


    Bormann saluted in utter reverence, ¡°Heil Viktoria!¡±


    And, with the salute, he was off on his way to herald Her phoenix reign.


    Her will would bring righteous deliverance over them all. Her will shall repair this broken reality. Her will shall shield them from sin. Her will shall free them of suffering.

 Imperator of uncertain Renown (BORMANN II)

    ¡°Per victoriam ad astra.


    Per victoriam domamus astra.


    Exurge Elenora. Elenora Benevolentia.


    Nam Ayla et armentum tuum.


    (Through victory to the stars.


    By victory we tame the stars.


    Arise, Eleanora. Elenora the Benevolent.


    For the Ayla and your herd.) ¡±


    -Chant of the Astranova.


    Imperator of uncertain Renown


    The white-gold city of Freyja rested betwixt rivers of solitude serenity, perched upon a maiden hill akin to a crown of prosperity and power; everything was orderly, planned, foreseen, accounted and maintained¨C everything in its place and a place for everything. A city of anyone and everyone yet a city of none.


    It''s serenity was unnatural, harnessed from ghastly silence and haunting absences of human touch; all in the city were touched by a divinity that eclipsed human understanding. The white-gold city of purity, persisted in it''s holistic ways, shielded from scorching flames of revolution and war, eternal.


    The Divine visage of the Holy Mother presided over the city; a most merciful mother to guard her children from beyond the veil. The visage was built onto a higher subsidiary mountaintop¨C looking over the city, like a guardian angel of ancient tales of fae and magic.


    In recent times, when The Goddess still roamed between Her herd, the white-gold city had been walled. It''s walls, welcoming yet foreboding; a paradoxically uneven existence, by the city''s standards, where everything was opulently simple. The decision, itself, inspired curiosity. But, none were too caring to care; understandable.


    Freyja had never been welcoming; more of a pleasure city than a livable one. Then again, the entirety of the Sanguine system was a pleasure system¨C overflowing with pleasure worlds.


    A blight on the star maps of honorable individuals. For others, an oasis of indulgent lust.


    However, whatever be it''s occupation, Sanguine was a very profitable system; Lust and indulgence had their ways of seduction¨C ways that would sway, even the most ardent souls. For this and more, Sanguine was infamous.


    He digresses, talks of indulgent lust bring a frown. To him, tis the city of Freyja that inspires warmth.


    Unknown to many, Frejya was¨C is¨C a very very obliging recruitment center; In the days, when the Schnee Legions were active, Frejya was always their first choice. And, how could it not be? The Magister was always welcoming to propositions of population deduction; a very amiable man.


    But now, the Schnee Legions were no more, they too had ascended. Thus, Frejya overflowed; the Magister hangs. A pity for anyother, but to him, deserved.


    Now, an upstart ruled the city; a self-styled Imperator. Bormann finds him, a great pain¨C a pain, that on any other day, would have been dealt with. But, alas, the Entity spared him.


    Why? He doesn''t know. Perhaps, never will. Mayhaps, tis better that way; logic and normalcy were alien to the Entity. He knew that much.


    Thus, the Imperator lives and Frejya reigns free.


    The mere thought is revolting; to think that treachery is ignored, under the visage of their Mother¨C it irks him. But¡­ as it stands, he cannot interfere.


    Not yet, anyways.


    Death comes to us all, he reiterated to himself, pleased at the sobering wisdom.


    As he lay in wait for the visitor, Bormann''s thoughts took flight into myths and legends.


    It was said, that a series of tunnels and caverns, hidden all, connected Frejya to Ordin; an antithesis of Frejya.


    Where, Frejya was maidenly gold and virgin white¨C Ordin was sinful black and seductive red. Where, Freyja was a crown adorned atop a mountaintop¨C Ordin was built into a sinkhole. Where, Frejya was pious and pure¨C Ordin was heretic and tainted with vice. Frejya had been a recruitment center, Ordin had been one of shunning and banishment; tis was meant to strip man of all honor until the soul was drowning in vice.


    There were caves, tunnels and hidden caverns. Yes, Ordin¡¯s hivecity could testify. But, whether they carved through the planet, from one pole to the other, none could testify. Ordin was a hive, yes, but even it''s hive-denizens could find naught but deadends; a pity, for these mystical tunnels would''ve been a sight!


    Or, at least, according to legend, they were¡­


    But, who knows? Most legends are oft overestimated. Mayhaps, once this land was tamed, he could do it. He''s keen on it. Very keen.


    Well, there had been a company¨C 150, or so, years ago that had claimed to stumble upon them; Evidence had been found, testimonials given, proofs submitted, interrogations done. However, strangely, the investigation was halted. Not by willingness, but by force¨C by orders. The Holy Mother disapproved of the search for these lost tunnels, claiming that the search was fueled by infallible curiosity that would bear a fruit, so vile and confounding that one ought to give up pursuit. The order was obeyed.


    The company had been sent to Lilith; apparently, there was a private audience with The Holy Mother¨C results of which, are still unknown.


    What was their name?... Alcion? Albion? No, no no, Illiad? No.. hmm. Wait, oh yes! It was the Company of the Albion Rose!


    A magnificent name! Even if their ¡°discovery¡± had been far from credible, it was still awe-inspiring. And, perhaps, just a bit too much to his tastes. Just a tad bit.


    ¡°I hope, that I haven''t kept you waiting,¡± The silkiness, and the certain feminity, to the voice sold him out; Bormann¡¯s glace proved it true¨C The Frejyan Imperator, Julianos, stood before him.


    Covered in a snow white robe with blazing red accents, his hood pulled down, the traditional facemask having been foregone entirely and Bormann, for the first time- the other times he''d rather not mention-, could properly gaze upon the Imperator¡¯s face; A boyish, if slightly feminine, face framed by silky blonde bangs of Corvusian ancestry¨C a fact, further supported by the chill blue eyes.


    The Imperator, suffice to say, was an easy sight. An alien sight.


    A Corvusian, so far from home. Perhaps, stranger than even the Albion Rose Company and it''s tale of the underworld. Stranger than strange, infact; Corvusian¡¯s were ardent¨C stubborn¨C trueborn¨C loyal, yet here stood the Imperator. An antithesis. A case of Frejya and Ordin; humoring on any other day but suspicious on this day.


    ¡°Lord Kommandant?¡± The Imperator prodded, snapping him out troubling thoughts. ¡°I hope, you haven''t been troubled by the wait?¡± He reiterated.


    Bormann shook his head, ¡°No.. no, no; not at all. The land is serene, the air is virgin and the wildlife calm. I couldn''t ask, for a better point of rest. In truth, I am glad for the lack of punctuality,¡±


    The Imperator winced, cracking a lopsy smile¨C clearly, unsure on how to interpret the words¨C, he spoke, ¡°I.. I am glad? For it? I suppose, Sanguine¡¯s jewel has that effect on souls; hardened or otherwise.¡± A pause, ¡°Although, never had I expected, Sanguine''s air to be taken with such glee.. by you,¡±


    ¡°I suppose not. Then again, neither did I; myself supposes, that for one to understand beauty and it''s objectivity, one needs to experience it firsthand. Word of mouth, is often unreliable,¡±


    ¡°That is true; the mouth and it''s silvery words are misleading. Tis why, the mouth is a weapon of itself. Powerful but hard to control¨C a wild beast.¡±


    ¡°A philosopher?¡± Bormann asked, raising an eyebrow; of course, the moron must''ve robbed the quote off of some elementary compendium of lopsided talks of wisdom¨C as expected of a Sanguinian, as expected of.. of him.


    ¡°Believe it or not, I made it up; reading.. reading ain''t really for me¨C especially, after this Imperator business. I find it hard to catch up with scriptures and knowledge. It.. it is useless?¡± Julianos knelt beside him, his gaze boring holes into Bormann; he remained steadfast, every rush of warmth was ignored¨C he had made a divine vow and such vows are not forsaken.


    Thus, his eyes looked ever forward, never straying a look into Julianos¡¯s eyes. For they incite¡­ untoward memories.


    ¡°Knowledge, Julianos, is never useless. It is the most brilliant of weapons, the most volatile of weapons and the most destructive of weapons; without knowledge and it''s nurturing, man is but a circus monkey. Man is worthless. Knowledge in his possession is his worth.¡± Bormann stated; The words and sermons of The Holy Mother ringing louder than ever, in his ears; ¡°Knowledge is power,¡± Wiser words hath never been uttered!


    ¡°I sense a particular judgement, within your gaze; yet, have you not indulged in the same vice that I have? Have you not taken pleasure from it? Why I can still recall it with stark clarity. You stand there, a beacon of rigidity and discipline, yet in you-¡± His soft hand caressed Bormann¡¯s face, his touch lingering, ¡°- I see judgement against me, against our mutual vice. You did that which I did and for it, there seems to be no remorse within yourself. Is this not hypocrisy?¡± The Imperator questioned, tilting his head; all the mannerisms of a demurely maiden. Bormann moved his hand away, not wanting to remember his revulsive vices any longer.


    Perhaps, I should have not come here at all.


    ¡°Before I answer that, tell me something, Imperator; who was the first Imperator?¡±


    Julianos froze; either in confusion at the question or in shock at the smooth denial of his advances by Bormann¨C either way, it was clear. The man was clueless. Not entirely, unexpected but still, it brought forth a sudden burst of surprise. Bormann supposed, something within him held Julianos in a higher light than he ought to.


    ¡°Uhh, the.. the Magister?¡±


    A sigh, ¡°Julianos, are you asking or telling?¡±


    ¡°Eh¡­ umm, aski- no, no. I''m telling you, it''s the Magister?¡± The doubt within his words sounded so paramount, that even with the numerous assurances¨C even the deaf could hear the doubts within them.


    Another sigh, ¡°Nay. It was Cromwell. Even an elementary scholar would''ve been able to answer it; such is the weight of her name,¡± The insults were poorly hidden; he couldn''t care less, the Imperator was unworthy of the title, unusuited to such responsibility and, frankly, Bormann could give less of a fuck about wannabe Cromwells.


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    Besides, everyone knows of Cromwell''s grizzly fate. Everyone.


    ¡°The name, I believe, rings a solemn bell,¡±


    ¡°Then.. then, you must remember her fate. She had defied the House; she pays for it dearly,¡±


    ¡°Pay.. pays? Huh, well ain''t that interesting. Very well, I do remember it; a tale of caution, had the punishers not fallen into ashes of history. I fear, that there remains no headsman''s axe for me, any longer,¡± With a pause, ¡°Certainly, not you.¡±


    ¡°If nothing, your confidence is your undoing. Do not forget Imperator¨C¡± Bormann stood up, leaving the eldertree¡¯s shade- The Imperator mirroring his movements-, ¡°-- In every corner, in every abbey, rest Her servants; even now, when Chaos consumes the galaxy, Imperium''s- Empires- Kingdom- Solar States- Hordes, rise and fall everyday. All in Her name.¡± He nears the Imperator¡¯s face, until every freckle and bump on his skin is visible, until he can feel the shuddering gusts of his breath, ¡°Chaos may be a ladder for rats but forget not, that one day, this ladder will crumble upon the weight of your sins,¡±


    Bormann stalked even closer, inching his face onto the Imperators¨C close enough that their noses touched one another, ¡°And, when.. when it does. I will be there,¡±


    Resisting a growing temptation, a temptation that had cost him much; He began to walk away, when abruptly, a hand gripped his arm; Julianos tilted his head at Bormann''s scathing look¨C either in confusion or mockery, he couldn''t quite care; every moment spent here in his company bore a risk and lest he forsake the last of his broken honor, he must do away with these visitations.


    Seizing the opportunity, Julianos questioned, he wanted to see Bormann falter once more, ¡°Who is the true hypocrite here, Bormann? Me? Or you?¡± He whispered the last of his words into his ears.


    Bormann pulled away, ¡°Many would say, tis me; but I beg to differ, knowledge is power and power is paramount. Knowledge and, by extension, power make certain things possible for those whom they bless, that others remain forever in scrutiny for. It is the simple truth,¡±


    ¡°Huh. I see.. I see,¡± Julianos shrugged, seemingly allowing Bormann to walk off. Yet, his hand loosened naught.


    Bormann shook his hand off, beginning his trek back to the starliner¨C his ride, off world.


    As Bormann walked farther away still, Julianos called out, ¡°You never did answer my question! The headsman is gone; so, pray tell, who shall swing the axe?¡±


    Bormann did not turn around, he stood frozen¨C as still as a festering pond¨C he spoke, ¡°The Goddess be mine witness, I shall do it,¡±


    ______________________________________


    The Guide- chosen for him by the Holy Mother- or as he referred to him, The entity could not reside in rooms not accommodating enough for its sheer scale and tastes. It regarded them as beneath itself, clearly having grown somewhat of an ego¨C or, it did have one and had merely masked it under veneers of incomprehension and eldritch designs. Thus, when Ordin had been seized and Viktoria¡¯s light filled it once more, Bormann, himself, had searched for a suitable place for the Guide¡¯s nest.


    Why it chose the word, ¡®nest¡¯, alludes me even now.


    In the sunken city, five magisters had ruled, housed in five great spires that breached ground level, of these five¨C only one was suitable; other structures, no matter how architecturally profound were unworthy, simply because the Guide was far too unnaturally shaped.


    Thus, the tower of the 3rd Magister, The Tower of Solace was chosen; the highest of the five, the grandest of the five, located at the very epicenter of Ordin, from its viewports one could gleam the entirety of the city and the other towers¨C an undeniable position of authority and power.


    Undeniability of power was a constant artefact of revolt in his mind, he knew that it would swell the Guide''s growing ego. Undesirable was an understatement for his feelings towards the matter, however, he could not forsake Solace, no, it was far too strategic to be ignored. A better solution was devised. The Guide would not reside at the top of the tower, where one ought to feel empowered with the grace of God. Nay. The Guide shall reside a floor lower¨C in a dark and drabby auditorium, with but one grand window to the outside.


    An eternal reminder of it''s place in the hierarchy. Only the Mother Goddess shall ever access the highest floor, none but Her were worthy.


    The Guide¡¯s objections were limited but they were there, glaringly obvious.


    A lack of tact that works, eternally, in Bormann''s favor.


    ¡°Your reasoning, sound though it is, forfeits to account for mine comfort,¡± It had said.


    And, even more viciously than he had bitten away at the Imperator, Bormann had responded, ¡°Thine comfort is of no concern to me; mine only concern is the Inheritor and the Empire. You will accommodate yourself in the tower, or I shall make you.¡±


    The entity had sounded it''s mute agreement, mellowed by his scathing tone. Perhaps, he had seen in those words a promise and not a threat; if it did, it was right. Bormann would have forced him into the tower, even if it meant to cut up it''s serpentine body into pieces. All that matters, is the Inheritor and The Holy Mother; not comforts of being borne for naught but guidance and servitude.


    A scowl formed slowly on his face. He bit it back. Bormann could not allow the foul emotions to sway him to allow them purchase upon his mind and body, not now. Perhaps, when things were quieter, he could indulge, yes. But not now. Not when, the mask of a Regent was more worthy and valuable.


    ¡°You promise us, many things, Bormann. A Queen, An Empire Eternal, Order, Peace, Security and Power. Yet, yet.. I do not sense¡­ truth in your words. They sound like empty lies and false promises of a dying zealot blindly loyal to a corrupt and defunct religion. Face it, Bormann. Your Goddess is dead and, even in death, I''d wager she curses your sins.¡± The Hologram- representing the Provisional Regent of the Astranova Alignment- spat on the ground. Murmurs of agreement rising from each corner of the Holographic council.


    Another- representing the Engelisits- spoke up in disdain, ¡°Your Goddess. Your Mother,¡± He sneered, ¡°has done nothing for us. The crown jewels- The Golden Lion Constellations grew but.. but us? We were forgotten! Viktoria was and will be a foul usurper; her power had long poisoned the fabric of our reality, to this end, I say good riddance!¡±


    The agreements grew, various others joining in the cacophony of heretic oracles and vainful demands, their hands soon thumping against their chests¨C a sign of support to secede from the Empire. Had, Viktoria, Their Eternal Mother, been here, none would have even dared to breathe in her general direction. And, now.. now that she''s gone.. they, they- these foul usurpers, dare- dare to secede?! Over his dead body!


    Suddenly, they grew silent, the holograms seemingly stuck in place, not a word nor movement coming across. For a moment, Bormann cursed the ever-decaying communication relays. That was, until, a gust of warm air against his back, alerted him to its presence. Awakened from its slumber, has he? A glance to the side, confirmed this much. It made sense now; they were afraid and revolted by the sight of the Guide. Perhaps, they yet remember Her Power and they- He gazes at the frozen men and women- they fear Her still. Good, very good.


    In a split second, some amongst the council went offline¨C these being, the representatives of Centurians, Nova Barons, The Emerald Accords and The Holy Constellations of Salem, amongst others whom he could not be bothered to name.


    Fear. He could see it, feel it. Fear prompted them to leave and fear forced the others to stay. They knew what it was. What the Guide represented. They knew it was a show of Her Power from beyond the bounds of her temporary grave; and, many amongst them, knew the price of treachery. A beat, and the discordant voices began again, shouting over one another, whether in stark fear or horror and revulsion at the sight of The Guide. He didn''t know. Honestly, neither, did he care.


    He could, however, make out one unanimous question, ¡®what is that thing?¡¯


    Well, maybe, not all knew or could connect the dots as to Her involvement¨C His honest fault to assume the contrary, not all are born with a functioning mind. Very well, he might have to indulge him.


    He signals the Guide for aid.


    The Guide roared, obliging his request, a thick oppressive silence engulfing the council. ¡°This.. this creature is one of many across the universe. It''s¨C it''s birth was from the direct chaos of our Holy Mother¡¯s disappearance. Him and his kind have but one purpose; the reinstatement of the line of House Celeste to the Jade Throne.¡±


    The Engelisit spoke, ¡°One¡­ one?! Of, of many?! How- how.. how many are.. are we speak- speaking of?¡±


    The Guide answered, ¡°Enough that should you triumph over me, thine rule shall not be long¨C thine nights will be fraught with worry and fear. Thine Empire will burn for each day, it endured. There are enough for each soul in this universe to be shepherded in the best interests of our Holy Mother.¡± There was a squeak from the representative of the Engelisits and many others. Although, the Astranovan remained stoic. That one will be a problem, he spoke through glances at the Guide; it nodded it''s agreement.


    Bormann continued, taking advantage of the stunned silence, ¡°Should you not believe that swearing fealty to the True Empire is in your best interests? There is still time to repent, to refresh your minds and souls by swearing this solemn oath. Or, would you risk eternal fires of war and misery? My Guide is one of many,¡± He points at the Astranovan, ¡°Do you not fear wrath of the Queen''s Blade? Lucius and Agni, yet live, they have not yet perished and if they have, we know not. But, ask yourselves¡­ Would you risk this? Risk facing their merciless wrath or- or.. would you swear fealty to The Goddess, right here, right now?¡±


    The rest in the council, looked afraid and thoughtful- self preservation triumphs, always, in face of ardent risk. Shit, he spoke too quickly; The Astranovan looked.. apathetic. The Engelisit disconnected at that moment. An understandable reaction and one meaning that no submission would come from talks of politics and diplomacy. Engelisit¡¯s will not bow until they are broken. Very well; he shall gladly indulge them.


    Another moment and the Astranovan spoke, ¡°Your attempts at swaying me are futile,¡±


    ¡°Are they? Or, do you simply wish to get better terms by false acts of bravado? Either way, even you should consider the odds,¡±


    ¡°I have, Bormann and unlike others,¡± Sparing a glaring glance at the empty spots, ¡°I shall never be swayed by a deviant and his unnatural pet. Do not forget, I and only I hold Calypso, were it my wish, this galaxy and all others would burn in the name of the True Goddess, Elenora,¡±


    The Guide interrupted, ¡°Then, why does it not?¡±


    This prompted a sigh, annoyance and self-disappointment coloring it, ¡°Unfortunately, no matter how desperately, I wish to have you and your deviant master burnt at the stake; I cannot. Not until Her Light sheds upon us, not until Her Divine Will is done.¡±


    Intrigued, The Guide neared the Hologram, ¡°Who''s will?¡±


    ¡°Elenora¡¯s,¡± Abruptly, the Hologram fizzled out. In the blink of an eye, the others followed in tandem.


    The Guide hummed in alien curiosity, ¡°The leylines have been cut off,¡±


    ¡°Cut off?¡± Bormann questioned, taken aback. How the fuck, did that happen? The leylines couldn''t be cut off, not unless someone destroyed the¨C oh. Oh Viktoria. What has the bastard done?!


    ¡°By your face, I believe thineself has realised the bleakness of the situation,¡±


    Bormann paced through the room, glancing ever so often at the fearsome figure of The Guide. ¡°He means to cut us off. He.. he believes we might be in cohorts with either Lucius or Agni. That bloody fool,¡±


    ¡°Not much of a fool. It is wise, we would have done the same,¡± That was right, he¨C they would have done the same as the Engelisit did. Making the entire galaxy blind and deaf would work in everyone''s favor¨C well, that would depend on one''s own experience and self determination.


    ¡°There is wisdom, yes. But¡­ I fear that if- if Lucius or, by misfortune, Agni yet live. Then, then, we shall have no way of ascertaining neither their progress nor their intent,¡± He sighed, rubbing his face, ¡°I do not know, which is worse¡­ that I fear their survival or that I pray for their return,¡±


    ¡°Either leads to much chaos. I have seen it. I can feel it.¡± The Guide shuddered, exhaling loudly, before retreating back into the enveloping darkness of the grand hall. It''s body meshing into the darkness like a forbidden shadow of a great demon. Though, Bormann had much to converse with him, The Guide clearly was uninterested. Either that, or, he wished to ruminate upon the events unfolding before their eyes.


    He exhaled. Worry would come later, he would have ample time; first, he''d rather prepare for the arrival of the Inheritor, The Crown Princess¨C was she the crown princess? Or, was she the Empress?


    That will have to wait, he decided. Better to prepare for her imminent arrival than to ruminate upon baseless thoughts and past times.