2025-02-06 17:00:55The walk to the secret meeting floor of the Great Nobles in the Archive's building was taking forever.
War is coming.
Archduchess Klare knew that better than anyone else. She had tried to avoid it but it was no use. Voyne was playing the entire Circle like a game of chess.
That man.
He had knowledge that was both forbidden and supposed to be forgotten. Soul signs? Only select Nobles apart from the Great Nobles knew that it existed. For him to know that, it chilled her to think from where he could have gotten that information. He then had the audacity to demand a blanket pardon and permission to use their forces to eliminate the Shards.
He was the reason she had visited the Archive the last time and now today. The last time was when he had mentioned the soul signs. She had rushed here to make sure that the Legend of the Goddess Benevolent had not been stolen. When she found it there, it was both relieving and disturbing. Relieving because in addition to the knowledge of the soul signs, there was one other forbidden knowledge in that book that Voyne must not know. It was disturbing because now, she did not know the source of his information.
Did a Great Noble betray the Circle? No, I shouldn't think of that.
Now she was here again for a meeting of the Seven. There were growing concerns among people of the different regions that their rulers weren't doing enough to protect them. On one hand, they did not have the strength to stop the Shards and on the other hand, they could not just roll over for Voyne because he had promised to defeat the Shards.
She knew that someone was pulling them like strings. But what could she do?
She wished she was free of all this responsibility. She thought of Sophia, who she just met. They were of the same age, yet Sophia was freer to do what she wished. She sighed.
She eventually reached the room and discovered she was the last of the Seven to arrive.
"Apologies for my lateness, My Lords. Let's begin."
"Honoured Nobles, We are here to discuss our next steps about the Shard problem." Archduke Huften said.
"We have three options available to us: First, diplomacy. Secondly, military intervention. Thirdly, We resort to…Voyne and his Church" He continued.
"Let's not forget, My Lords, options two and three are basically war. Can we afford that?" Klare said
"What we cannot afford is to let our people continue dying" Archduke Manning of Garth said, bitterly. His region, along with Rhyne, had been the most hit of all of the regions.
"I am tired of conducting mass burials. I want my people to look back on my rule and remember me as the Noble that took action, not the one that sat arms folded, when his people were threatened."
"What do you suggest?" Huften said
"Option three" Manning replied.
"Three? We can't go begging to someone below us! Option two is what I have been suggesting." Archduke Revner said.
"Option two isn't pratical." Archduke Orrbi said to the gathering. He turned to Klare "Voyne did say that they were reincarnated in human bodies. Hence they must possess a certain….intellect. Can't they be reasoned with?"
"Reason? After all this destruction? We are long past that!" Revner said.
"If we are to reason, we should reason with Voyne then." Archduke Juggen said.
"The First Seven would be disappointed to see that their descendants have dishonored their legacy by seeking help from….low lifes. What of our honour?" Huften said
"Our honor does not return life to dead people! You are wrong. The First Seven would be proud instead that in time of need we prioritized our people." Juggen replied
"We could use the Relic against them." Revner said
There was a pause. Everyone looked at Revner.
"T-The Relic?" Klare said.
"Isn't that forbidden?" Orrbi said.
"It would be forbidden if we were using it against each other or for evil. The vote has to be unanimous." Revner said.
"Can we even use that? I am not sure the Order would allow us take it." Archduke Soran said.
"They have to. It is a holy decree." Revner replied.
"We might even kill ourselves with Voyne if we use that thing" Juggen said.
"Talking it out is the safest way to deal with this situation" Orrbi restated his thoughts.
Manning sighed.
"To be honest, I do not care how this issue is resolved. I only care that it is solved. I only suggested option three because it is the only one that looks like an option to me. Diplomacy? Not practical. Military force? Our combined force just makes an ant in their eyes. If we cooperated with Voyne, maybe we could finally survive this." He said.
"Do you want to know my next program I have scheduled? It is a speech I am to deliver at a mass burial. Do not you think I am tired of those?" He finished. You could see the pain in his eyes.
"We are here to find a solution to that and we won't leave till it is sorted" Klare said.
The secret session continued.
*******
Sophia had been focusing on reading the Legend for the past few days. It was a collection of all the notable things the Goddess had done in great detail. One act after the other. It was also written poem-style and that made it quite boring. She had to fight sleep every time she opened the book. And only she out of their group could read the ancient language.
On the 3rd day after the Archive break in, she was on the beginning of another poem in the book. The War of the Gods.
It was a detailed description of the war of Shards she had read about in the Archive in the scroll Chronicles of the Age of Nobles.
She felt like skipping the entire poem already since she had a general overview of what happened from the scroll. Her eyelids were very heavy.
She read the beginning of the next line. What she saw made her sit up straight and open her eyes.
The Benevolent Goddess, Saintess Jerle–
Jerle?
Why did that name sound familiar?
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“I might be bleeding, but don’t think I am done just yet.” He said confidently. “Stay back, Luthen.”“You both should have just left when you had the chance. Instead you decided to say something stupid.” She said, her sharp gaze full of fury. Her eyes turned golden. She started to ascend, her clothes flapping wildly. More of those dots orbited her.“If you can cancel my attacks, I’ll just ! Even you have limits!” She said.She pointed again and one of the dots move to her finer tip. She flicked it and it came to rest over the boys heads.Instead of blowing up this time, the dot formed a sort of circular portal.“Energy Manipulation: Heavenly Fury!” Golden energy rained through the portal upon him.However, a black sphere covered him. Null Armour!“Kane, I’ll back you up!” Luthen said, preparing to fight. Kane stopped him with a gesture.&l
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“Viral Plant: Entrap”“Desert Rose: Thorn Oasis”“Winter: Falling Icicles”“Mythical Fire: Devouring Dragon”“Flowing Mud: Golem Construct”The crew unleashed their Abilities to counter the Shards.“You two go meet her. I’ll join you when I am done.” Kane said.“Like hell you will! Go instead. I’ll meet you two later.” Somen said.When violence was involved there was no reason with Somen.“Hey! You do know we can hear you right?! Do you think we’re pushovers?! I was planning on leaving your corpses intact. Because of this, I will use your skin for my boots!” One of the crew complained.The two were already gone.“Hey, you! Sword-former! Where did he go?! I am not done yet. Come back here!” The crew member who had previously addressed Kane said. He tried to follow the windows.
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“You don’t deserve to call me that!” She said.Voyne chuckled.“Don’t tell me you are still having second thoughts about today. You saved your friend.” He said.She turned to face him.“You just used me! What have you done to Sophie?!”“It’s late. Keep your voice down. The last thing your subject’s need is their Noble landing in an asylum.” He said and turned to leave.“Are you threatening me?! In my own house?!” She said.The night wind blew softly.“Just do as we tell you. Goodnight, Klare.”*******This Noble is a bit much.He was just about to retire to his room when he saw the Archduchess in the garden. He just wanted to prod her a bit and she went full steam on him.Not too mention the reason he was finally going to his room this late at night was because he had to get chewed on by Mot
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“You’re our guests.” A guard said in scorn as she shoved Jonelle and Reese into a small room. “Diplomats.” She added laughing, still in scorn before she resumed her post just outside of the room. The guard still remembered what was told to her a few minutes ago by the General.Don’t let them escape.That command carried an inherent threat in it.Reese, as well as Jonelle remembered also because they were there, bound. The room they were kept was the only thing to be thankful for in this mess. It was small, of course, but it had far more pleasures than your average prison, including a proper toilet, a bed and some aesthetic.“These mainland Shards couldn’t even identify the traitor in their ranks.” Reese said. He wasn’t angry, he was amused instead at how everything played out.“You should have gone with them.” Jonelle said.Reese turned to face her, sighing as he did so. He looked into her scowling face and replied “And leave you here by yourself?”“I would be fine. There was no point
Chapter Forty-Five: To Find Allies.
Klare sat in her room, her physical wounds already healing. She had been given treatment by her doctors and was already discharged. while her emotional wounds burned fiercely with pain.She didn’t know whether she had done the right thing or not. She just picked one of the two evils offered to her. It felt good looking at the Grand Duke hug his daughter and lead her away by the hand but the guilt on her soul was just as massive. The consequences of her choice would approach her soon.In fact, they were just around the corner.*******Too late.That was the only thought Renée had in mind. She had finally escaped from the hands of her oppressors and tracked down the Shards after months only to arrive just when two of them were being arrested by the army.She silently kicked herself for not being quick enough.Where do I go from here? She questioned herself.Just to track the elusive Shards had occupied her since she fled her master months ago. Running from the Soul Church was surprising
Chapter Forty-Four: Caught.
Luthen teleported Kane and Somen out of there.At the same time, Klare had opened her eyes.As the number of Shards surrounded reduced, there was a visible commotion. The soliders looked around, thinking the Shards who were missing had gone to their rear. However, the missing Shards were nowhere to be found.Mother turned to see the two Shards from the Sacred Island remaining. She smirked.“Guess they’ve gone ahead then.”Klare still regarded her with fear. “Are you really Sophie?”“No.” The answer struck Klare.“Then, how do you-”“I am in her body and can control her however I want.”“Leave her alone.” Klare said firmly.“I can’t do that now. But I’ll do it if you’ll cooperate with us.” Mother knew her son’s plan was to force this conversation all along, to subject the Archduchess to their will.“You killed all those soliders!” Klare clenched her fists.“They are dead. But your friend isn’t. Do you want her to die too?”“I-” Klare hesitated. Even if she did not want to do it for her
Chapter Forty-Three: Surround.
It was too late.The soldiers had fired their bullets at the Shards. Klare’s warning did nothing to slow their onslaught. The soldiers felt pride at being chosen to defend their Archduchess, their loyalty unwavering.Mother smirked. The bullets paused in midair. “I don’t think you all were invited to the conversation.” The bullets went in the opposite direction they had come and with twice the force with which they had been sent, putting holes in the bodies of the soldiers and sending them to their afterlives.Klare could only stare in terror as the blood of the soldiers stained her military uniform. Why had she even survived.A massive aura enveloped the air making Klare, who was finding it had to breathe from her choking sobs, collapse from suffocation.“Force Technique: Gravity Seal.” Mother found she could not move after Jonelle spoke in anger.The rest prepared for war, their hesitancy in attack
Chapter Forty-Two: A Different Duchess
A presence exploded from Sophie. It felt like her, but with a bit of difference. It was rougher and edgy unlike Sophie’s calmer nature.Just what happened to Sophie while we were gone?! Luthen thought.“Sophie!” He said.The twins were quite confused. One minute, everyone is eating at the table (mostly them) and the next they felt a barrier enclosing them and saw Kane draw his sword.The next minute, their hostess suddenly transformed to another person.“Who said I had to explain anything?” She smiled eerily reminiscent of her adopted son. Luthen didn’t not fail to notice this.This smile is just like–!!He thought.The mental image of Voyne was conjured in his head.“What have you done to Sophie?!!” He raged.“You’re about to find out.” She still sat, confidently and carelessly. The rest of the Shards had formed a semicircle i
Chapter Forty-One: Reveal.
“I don’t think so. I think he meant they were similar due to them both being living Relics.”“What are living Relics though?” Somen asked.Luthen was about to answer when Sophie answered instead.“They are beings of abnormal power. The result of trying to contain a Shard’s power in the body of an unworthy vessel.”The rest looked at her.“A Shard’s constitution is especially suited to contain the massive amounts of soul energy they produce. If any Shard, intentionally or otherwise, tries to forcibly transfer a substantial amount of the soul energy they produce to anyone else who is not a Shard, a living Relic will result.”“So a living Relic is like a Relic except the vessel is human?” Reese asked.“Yes. These individuals are characterized by unstable mental conditions or other mental issues and a short lifespan.” She turned to Luthen. “You
