The Regressed NoBody

Ashmedai

The rigid yet monotone noise of scribbling reverberated through the study as the quill sat comfortably in my grip as I let it glide over the goatskin parchment which lay before me, my hand moving with the ease of routine as I corrected several parts and added more relevant information and depth. The ink flowed smoothly, forming words that outlined the final touches on the report—just the usual rundown on the new battlegroups and the resources I still needed to shuffle around to keep them supplied.

Nothing out of the ordinary. I leaned slightly forward, my legs crossed as I wrote with the quill in my hand and read through a goatskin consisting of a battle's result in the other.

The light artifacts which illuminated the room flickered slightly, but I barely noticed—the room stayed dim, holding the quality of light before dawn approached—, my focus placidly on the steady scratching of the quill as I drowned myself with work.

The dim light, casting long shadows that danced on the stone walls of my study.

Aside from the usual routine checks, aiding His Majesty and performing my duties as a Seraphim—consequently, being the leader of the Seraphims, a title His Majesty had bestowed upon me—, everything else was trivial work which could be done with a few orders.

As I went through the list of allocations, I made a few adjustments here and there in accordance to the newly revised plans and orders, also factoring the future plans and contingencies.

I leaned back, my arm resting on the armrest of the chair as I eased, letting my eyes skim over the finished document which had all the detailed description of the recent projects, resources, contributions and matters which needed my oversight.

Everything seemed in order—battlegroups assigned, resources distributed. Satisfied with the finality of this report as I rechecked one last time to make sure of any changes needed, I set the quill aside and glanced at the fire in the hearth. The warmth was a nice contrast to the cool air of the room, and I allowed myself a moment to relax—before I moved on to the next one in cue.

I paused, lifting the quill to consider the implications of the next sentence. The distribution of resources was not merely a logistical task; but rather it was a calculated risk, one that demanded foresight and a keen understanding of the ever-shifting tides of war.

And my mind was under the deep implications of the recent task His Majesty had assigned me. My brows slightly knitted to form furrow lines, as I closed my eyes for a moment, my mind going back to my conversation with My Lord a few weeks ago.

He sat on the throne which adorned and imposed his mighty figure, a flight of stairs separated us. His dark eyes burned crimson, casting down a nonchalant and aloof gaze below, his face clear of any expression or emotion, his body still and gestures so subtle that even I was unable to read what was going on inside his mind.

His elbow rested over the armrest of the throne as he supported his cheek against it, his legs crossed and body draped in exquisite robes made from otherworldly materials.

His eyes blinked once, his locks of snow white hair swayed slightly as he shifted in his position, his back straightened and both arms now resting on the armrest.

“The tide of war and times are ever-changing—such frequent changes occur as we speak—, we must prepare for any unnecessary and unwanted behaviour which might inconvenience us later. Because, in one moment we continue to win, and yet in another the tides shift like how a storm brews without anyone’s knowledge.“ My Lord said, his voice sounded sharp and brisk yet nonchalant, reverberating through the gigantic throne room.

His voice held no emotion, cold and frigid just like the sharp tip of a blade, cutting through whatever came in its path.

“Ashmedai, get in touch with the ash’ari in secrecy—the factions which are willing to cooperate with us—and bring me good results as always. The ash’ari aren’t simple enemies, despite their crude and rudimentary nature and bloody past which has been the cause of their downfall several times, they are interesting creatures whom I find fascinating and worth investing time and effort on.” He inclined his head ever-so-slightly as he looked down at me with the slightest curl of his mouth. “I think you can learn a lot from them—I meant their history and aspects.”

I simply stayed silent as I kept my gaze fixed on the soles of his boots, not willing to be disrespectful to My Lord to look him directly in his eyes.

“I hope this task doesn’t appear difficult to you. But, if its out of your capabilities, you can abandon it at anytime, I wouldn’t blame you.”

I felt wronged and a sense of betrayal, my eyes seem to display my loyalty and conviction to do anything for this one being. If he wished for something and wanted to do something, then it was my responsibility as his loyal servant to make it happen, to fulfil my Master’s wish and make it come to fruition. I raised my gaze and brought it slightly above, but out enough to match eye contact with His Majesty.

“Everything will go as His Majesty envisions. I will do everything in my power to make your vision come true. No matter the difficulty of the task, or the amount of resources or sacrifices needed to achieve the result.”

“I hope you won’t fail me, Dragon Slayer.” He said, his expression looked slightly delighted, the hint of a wry smile on his lips, as he spoke words of praise with his cold and deadpan voice.

I had taken a keen, my head bent, so much as so that if I was close enough, my head would have clearly touched the sole of his boots.

I opened my eyes and saw the hearth burning silently, only the frequent burning of woods reverberated inside as I organized my thoughts.

The task was indeed something which anyone would consider impossible. The ash’ari were our eternal enemies, and no words or actions of reconciliation could restore the cracks between the Daemon exciduim and the ash’ari races.

Not after the genocide of the dragons—which I participated in myself. That was their bottom line.

But my face wore a sly smirk, there was no need to worry about the outcome for the task His Majesty had given. It was already completed. All the pieces had fallen into place and merely needed His Excellency's orders.

But I couldn’t be relieved just yet, even a single wrong move could push us several steps back in the war. This mind-set of mine had allowed me to live for such a long time, and moulded me into the resilient Leader of the Seraphims, the highest authority and power a demon can obtain, just below His Majesty.

But a wrong decision here could lead to shortages, demoralization, or worse...bringing forth His Majesty's irk.

The fire crackled softly in the hearth, its warmth a stark contrast to the cold calculations that filled my mind—several ploys for the future as I thought about what further to do with the situation of the ash’ari. I dipped the quill into the inkwell, watching the black liquid swirl as I prepared to finalize the document. My hand moved with practiced precision, but beneath the surface, there was an undercurrent of unease over the reports I’d recently received from the battlegroups which were sent to the elven lands.

I thought back on the reports that the several high ranking demons had sent after accomplishing their missions and tasks, everything went according to as I’d envisioned it to—the vision which His Majesty foresaw. They had been successful in obtaining a strong hold in the eleven lands, near the blessed springs. But ultimately, there were several casualties, more than I’d expected, barely allowing them to succeed in the mission, and the reason for that was the war-goddess, Beatrix.

She truly is a fascinating woman. My face remained expressionless. I had only heard about this so called war-goddess from her tales on the battlefield and the feats she has displayed, making her truly interesting.

But ultimately, the true praise goes to the mastermind behind the elves for their frequent victories against the demons. All that praise point to Ramus.

The Iron Strategist, better know for Mist Tyrant. If not for him, the elves would have been overtaken by the demons long ago. He’s worthy of the praise he receives.

He must have been the one to deploy the war-goddess.

But alas, war was never predictable, and despite all my efforts, there was no guarantee that these plans would unfold as intended. But what mattered was the outcome, which had been victory as always.

It didn’t matter what the amount lost was, only His Majesty should be satisfied. Nothing else mattered.

I leaned back in my chair, surveying the report in its entirety. The battlegroups were outlined, their strengths and weaknesses meticulously noted. Yet, as I read through the final lines, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was missing—some crucial detail that eluded me, hidden within the folds of strategy and tactics.

Everything was going fine. And by now, the end of our tedious war against the orcs were finally comings to an end. It was worth the resources and effort wasted into conquering those down creatures.

I heaved a sigh, as I set the quill down and rubbed my temples as I seem to relax for a moment, no work was left and I could take the rest of the day to myself after the summoning.

Then, out of nowhere, the sharp echo of rushed footsteps reverberated through the corridor outside my study, growing louder with each passing second as I sensed the urgency in each step the individual covered. The door flew open, slamming against the wall as someone stumbled inside, breath heavy and ragged, as he took a firm hold of his feet and stood with a his hand over his sternum and taking a slight bow.

I didn’t bother looking up right away—just organizing the parchments and reading through some important documents. I figured if it was urgent enough to interrupt me, he’d speak up soon enough.

“Y-Your Excellency...” the demon stammered with a heavy breath.

I leaned back, finally acknowledging the intruder with a glance. He stood there, still catching his breath, eyes wide with whatever news he had to deliver. I skimmed over the desk and I decided to look at the demon at last.

“What happened, Zepharim?” I said, my eyes subtlety moving to the side as I moved them back immediately with a sigh. “For you to be in this state, did something unexpected happen.”

“Yes, Your Excellency. I-Its...” he said with a pause, his eyes dilated and face flushed pale in horror. He gulped hard, his breathing finally turned even as he straightened and looked at me with a respectful demeanour.

At that moment, I turned my attention away from the attendant and looked behind with a obvious crease to my brows which showed my clear annoyance and irk.

“How many times have I told you to not come to my mansion unannounced, Visseyit?" I said coldly, my words cutting through the air as I stared deadpan at the fellow Seraphim now standing at the entrance of my study.

The smirk over his face grew wider and more animalistic as the attendant jumped in fright but controlled his pathetic act in a timely manner and maintained his stance and took to the side, revealing Visseyit in his entirety.

One of the oldest members of the Seraphims, one who's been a Seraphim even before I joined, alongside Lilith Nezera, another fellow Seraphim.

They were supposedly the founding members of the group of demons whom worked directly under His Majesty.

I looked straight at him with a cold and emotionless glare, founding pure annoyance in his silly act of appearing in my home ground unnoticed.

“It’s been a long time, Ashmedai.” The Seraphim said briskly, his word sounded amused and having an undercut of coyness as he took a step forward and entered the study, the attendant, Zepharim, glanced at him as sweat rolled down his face, cautious and unmoving as he decided to see himself out of the study with a bow to me.

I sighed in deliberation as I stopped my growing frustration to appear palpably over my face, as I looked at him clearly, as Visseyit sat on a sofa placed diagonally across from my desk.

He corrected his long blonde hair, the onyx horns protruding from his forehead gleamed and caught the dim light of the artifacts as the silvery pale battle-robes he wore fluttered as he eased and crossed his legs, his arm resting on the top edge of the sofa.

I busied myself with the prior tasks at hand, as I picked up several documents and studied their contents. I pulled at the drawer of the desk and brought out several other parchment which had the highlighted details of the research I’d been conducting.

It seems the process of cross-breeding the mana beasts and making strong species can wait a little more. The project simply produced failure after failure, with no sights of success.

It was never enough even if I had prepared for all the possibilities.

“Are you going to keep ignoring me?” Visseyit suddenly said from the side, his scarlet eyes gleamed under the dim cascade of the artifact's light as his expression remained aloof as always.

It was a habit I disliked about this man. He was always aloof and unpredictable in his conduct and always did whatever came to his mind, even if it was a stupid proposition.

“Well, I am curious as to why you are here, and where have you been for the past few weeks? I think you were supposed to report back to every few days?” I pointed out finally, as I laid the documents on the desk and leaned back, casting a simple glance on him. “In the past few weeks, His Majesty called for you but you were nowhere to be found and Amon had to fill in for your absence.”

“I was doing what you had asked me to do. The task which needed to bring the ash’ari to our side in secrecy.” Visseyit shot back, his voice retaining humour and nonchalance as he leaned his head back and spread his arms wide of the sofa.

“What are the results of my task?” I asked, deadpan.

Visseyit hesitated for a moment, his face grew expressionless as he tried to recall his experiences from the past few weeks. His eyes held a deep solemnity and madness as he looked straight at me and answered.

“I tried my best to rail in the ash’ari, trying to work my way as civilly as possible, but you know, they weren’t every hospitable in their greetings and conduct.” A dark smirk played on his lips as he shifted his gaze back at the ceiling and leaned back his head.

I didn’t interrupt him and continued to listen to his explanation. I ignored some of the boastful part and others which clearly had useless information I didn’t need to pour my mind to.

“I first tried to go for the leviathans—considering they aren’t as rudimentary and rigid as the other ash’ari, fierce yes, they are worse than all of them when provoked—, but they simply pushed me away, without putting up a fight, they are fools who have grown reliant on politics and persuading words, since the war of the broken oath. So afterwards, I tried to get in touch with the basilisks and the results was similar to the leviathans, but ultimately our talk was pushed to bloodshed.” The amusement and bloodlust in his voice was a stark contrast to the failure of his mission as he reported about his time in the different ash-aran worlds.

“Those snakes are sly in their techniques and I found it quite hard to fight them, than I’d thought. Well, it makes sense, considering they are a race which are feared for their decay-type mana art which even the pantheons take note of. Even if I can regenerate my body, their decay arts effected me on a fundamental scale and slowly started to match up to my healing, it was strong enough to slow me down and weaken me to some extent to give them the upper hand in the battle, but only once.”

If even Visseyit, who was the strongest Seraphim in terms of strength, find it hard to fight the basilisks, then he must have been in a tight spot. He was the oldest member, who had also supposedly fought in the ancient war which happened a very, very long time ago.

No one knows just how many millennials this demon had seen, come to pass. He was a peculiarity even among the exciduims and someone I was never able to perfectly understand.

His unpredictable actions made him a variable to my plans, and made me extremely wary of this one demon. He was someone I could never come to read.

“As for the pantheons,” he said with a scoff, his hand combed past his hair as he said with an almost mocking tone. “You already know the animosity I have with that race of warriors. After the battle of the broken oath, the demons came to even worse terms with the pantheons. You can say that we were never on the same page to begin with.”

“That is true. But all of that is insignificant in the face of the bigger picture. They are all beings who have lived long lives, causing them to be stuck in the past and hindering their ability to move forward as the eras change.” I said as I acknowledged Visseyit's words.

“And you don’t have to worry about the mission assigned to you, I have already taken care of it.” I added as I leaned back, my eyes nonchalantly glanced at Visseyit as I thought of some important matters which needed my attention, after the gathering.

“As I’d expect from you, Ashmedai. No one is as efficient as you are, the leader of the Serpahims.“ Visseyit smirked, knowing that he was trying to push the conversation in another direction, but I didn’t let him.

My eyes glared at him as he straightened and looked back at me with the same aloof and uncaring expression.

“How many casualties did the basilisks sustain?” I urged as I saw his brows crease with worry for a moment as he composed himself and answered genuinely.

He pondered over the answer for a moment as he spoke. “I killed around twenty of their elite veteran warriors before I was pushed back by their elders and forced to retreat—I did give them some nasty wounds—, and during the process of my retreat I lost the compass.”

I forced a sigh back. “This is the third time you have lost or broken a compass. They are unique and intricate devices which we still can’t fully re-engineer, and you went ahead and lost another. Is that the reason why you came to my place?”

I guessed on his unannounced intrusion, as his expression froze for a moment in shock but then shifted into a wide grin as he laughed like a lunatic.

“You guessed right as always.” He said as he wiped the edges of his eyes. “So what is it gonna be this time? My punishment?”

My lips curved slightly as I shifted the placement of my legs as I crossed my arms and took this moment to ask a question which I’d been curious about regarding the conduct of this demon.

“There is no need. The task I gave you this time, I knew the difficulty which you would be presented with so I knew failure was inevitable from your side, knowing how hot-headed you are.” I said with a smirk, my eyes met his as Visseyit seemed slightly astound by my statement.

“But...” I paused, as my finger tapped gently on the armrest, producing a rhythmic sound to reverberate through the study as the crackling wood in the hearth mixed with the taps which broke the silence which had descended, as I finally asked, his demeanour remained causal, not the slightest bit of nervousness over his face.

“I have always been curios since the moment I became a Seraphim while you were a Seraphim for quite a long time, Visseyit. Tell me, where does your true allegiance lies?” I asked, slightly unnerved by the demon’s demeanour as I perfectly hid it.

He slightly stirred on the sofa, he lifted his head entirely and straightened as he matched eye contact with me, not pulling back as if what I’d asked had struck a nerve.

His expression slightly shifted, eyes burning darker as his face grew expressionless, the smirk over his face vanished.

I knew I’d provoked him, and I was more than ready to fight him any time. We had done so at many occasions in the past, and each time our battles would end in a draw, but I knew that this particular Seraphim was far stronger than me, but despite his strength and cunning and sadistic nature he refused to become the leader of the Seraphims, only maintaining a position which was beneficial for him to do whatever he wanted.

It was as if he didn’t wanted to be tied down to a specific place, or position. In this thinking, he was similar to a rampant beast, who wouldn’t bite the hand which fed him as long as he was given what he needed.

His foot rested on his other one as he turned to me with a smirk as his lips pursed and he spoke.

“It’s quite simple actually, Ashmedai. My allegiance lies with the one who can grant me freedom. Yes, freedom, enough freedom to not restrain me to a simple and single place. I want to roam free as long as I’m alive. I want to fight to my heart's content and if His Majesty can allow me to be as free as possible, then my allegiance lies with him, I am very much willing to bend my neck for Lord Agares.”

I laughed, a simple gesture yet filled with mockery which he perfectly understood. Then I sighed as I shook my head and organized the parchments sophisticatedly.

“Then it mean that, if someone else were to provide you with more freedom you will leave His Majesty’s side and fall into subordination for that someone, is that right.” I said with an edge of sarcasm laced to my words.

Visseyit broke into a feat of laughter, his manic laughter echoed loudly inside the study, he wiped the tears on the edges of his eyes as he looked back at me, his crimson eyes burning malevolently, as I felt a surge of demonic energy from him which slightly enveloped the room in its suffocating aura.

“That might very well be the cause, my little Ashmedai.”

There was no semblance of threat or warning as he withdrew his aura and I said back before giving up the comfort of the chair and standing up behind my desk as I took all the important parchments nd stored them inside a dimensional artifact which rested over my thumb.

“I think I might have come to understand you a little bit better, Visseyit.”

“Are you sure about that? Words can be quite deceiving.” He added as I replied back with a frown as I walked closer to the sofa, Visseyit stood up as well, we didn’t communicate with any words as we both stepped out of the study.

He walked beside me, matching a good pace as we strode through the long corridor, adorned with several artifacts and relic from the ancient times as we reached for the portal room.

One of the reasons why Visseyit had suddenly arrived here was because of the sudden summoning His Majesty had issued on a short notice to all the Seraphims. And despite Visseyit's insubordination on several occasions, His Majesty had strictly advised to attend this summon for all the Seraphims.

It must be over some urgent task which had him require the presence of all the Seraphims.

“Ashmedai, I am also curious about something, but never had a chance to ask.” Visseyit pointed at, his tone curious.

I didn’t turn to him as we entered a chamber after a short walk as I pushed the metallic door open. The door produced a shriek as it grinded against the cobblestone floor.

Having not received a response, Visseyit continued regardless.

“Even to this day, I am still curious about it.” I walked into the chamber as I looked at the portal dais mounted in the middle of the chamber, the artifact deactivated as I walked over and started operating over the panel as the portal dais jolted to life.

“Why do you blindly follow His Majesty? No, let me rephrase it for you; where does your true allegiance lie, Ashmedai?” There was a certain inclination to his words, suggesting to a deeper meaning and different purpose.

I feigned ignorance, as I answered without any semblance of irk.

“Of course my allegiance is always with that Great Being. He is My Lord, and my loyalty stems from my respect and worship for him. He is akin to a God for me, and going against him would be blasphemous.”

“You totally sound like some lunatic from some cult.” Visseyit cracked a joke.

“Do I now?” I jabbed as we entered the portal and arrived inside a lightly dimmed chamber with a shift.

An amber eyed demon stood their to greet us as he bowed his head respectfully in a greeting as we ignored him and strode out of the chamber and followed along the fortress, the stone surface looked old yet tidy with torches hung on the walls on the both side and illuminating the long and wide hallways as we maintained some distance from each other, as all the attendants that saw us immediately bowed their heads in prostration as we finally arrived outside the massive doors of His Majesty’s chamber.

He had not called for this summoning to be in the throne room, rather in one of his private quarters which were made for meetings or simply matters. I didn’t find it odd in any way, because it wasn’t always that he brought up important matters in the throne.

As we approached, I found the other Seraphims standing outside the doors.

Among them, their were two women and a man, as my gaze turned to them, the male demon—Amon—bowed his head in respect as Enyo, whose face was covered by a veil did the same beside Amon.

So, Lilith didn’t arrive as I thought.

Slowly, my eyes focused on the third individual who had show no greeting whatsoever.

She looked like something out of a twisted fairy tale. Her face had that classic beauty—sharp cheekbones, a delicate jawline, all perfectly symmetrical. Her eyes were big, a dark red that seemed to flicker between soft and intense, like she was caught between two worlds. It made her look as if she was trying to look mature but couldn’t quite hide the fact that there was still a kid in there somewhere.

She was the youngest of the Seraphims who had only recently joined our ranks, Amanises.

Her shoulder-length hair were a mesmerizing silvery amethyst, with a shade so light it nearly appeared white under most lighting conditions, yet it revealed a faint purple hue when touched by dim light. The strands fell softly around her face, framing it like a delicate halo.

Her skin was a pure white tone reminiscent of the lustre and smoothness of pearls, almost as if it glowed from within.

Protruding from the sides of her head were a pair of elegant, slightly curved horns, similar to those of a goat. These horns emerged just above her ears and curved gently backward.

Her physique was of an average young woman, neither too slender nor overly muscular, but balanced and graceful. Every movement she made was fluid and purposeful, embodying both the maturity of a seasoned individual and the playfulness of someone who still finds joy in the little things.

I matched eyes with Amanises, she fell back in line with the others as I saw Amon take a step forward and greet me again.

“It has been a very long time, Lord Ashmedai. It is my honour to bask in your presence once again.” The head on the right said, his necks slightly bent as his hand gently rested on his chest

Amon was a tall, lanky demon draped in a silk robe, with two distinct heads. This was a characteristic special to him, a mutation from birth which gave him to heads.

Both of the heads had distinct characteristics which separated them from each other.

The one with a horn on the left sensed the innermost emotions of others, its gaze sharp and calculating. The hornless head read facial expressions with uncanny precision, always shifting, always observant.

Each head had its own personality: the horned one remained quiet and analytical, speaking less but with a weight that made every word count, while the hornless one was more animated and talkative, dissecting the meaning behind every gesture and word. Together, they created a being that was both unnervingly perceptive and difficult to read, wrapped in the deceptive elegance of his silk robe.

I nodded as I acknowledged his words and moved forward, my gaze fleeting from over Enyo, the demonness which stood beside Amon. She remained quiet, as her elegant face was covered by a black starry veil.

I knocked on the door once as I jarred it open after a few seconds, everyone else fell in line behind me as we entered, my gaze immediately went to His Majesty, sitting in a chair, having poured himself a drink from the bar which was mounted on the end of the chamber, as I saw shelves containing several beverages and elixirs.

I quickly bowed my head, the rest of the Seraphims did the same, as I skimmed through His Majesty's appearance. He wore a white linen shirt which adorned and complimented his otherworldly charisma, as he wore a pair of black pants and simple boots for comfort as he leaned back in his seat and crossed his legs, his white locks seemed moistened slightly, indicating he had bathed, his eyes looking just as indifferent and difficult to read and understand as always, as if there were an infinite amount of knowledge and secrets hidden deep within.

“Come, take your places.” He simply said, his voice aloof and calm, yet holding the tremendous force which I was well aware of.

We slowly scattered around the chamber, Amon took the seat beside the bookshelves, Enyo elegantly sat on a sofa placed by the windows on the left through which the crimson light of the moon evaded inside.

Amanises covered the distance and sat closest to His Majesty, but His Excellency didn’t seem to mind as he caressed the glass filled with some golden elixir in his hand.

I sat in a chair near the bar counter, which faced His Majesty directly, as I didn’t dare to look at him directly.

“Thank you for responding on such short notice. You must have been surprised that I suddenly made you all come here, without any prior announcements.” He said, as he took a sip and placed the glass on the armrest.

“Of course, we shall respond whenever His Majesty were to call.” I said respectfully, as Lord Agares smiled warily, the curve could barely be considered a smile.

“But I apologize on behalf of Lilith as she isn’t here. It’s seem she is growing more arrogant to not respond to your summoning, I will personally see it that this does not happen again. As their leader its my responsibility to correct their mistakes so they can serve you better, Your Excellency.” I said as my gaze went to the soles of his boots.

He stayed silent for several seconds as he picked up the glass again and looked at me with a silent expression. “There is no reason for you to do that. There is a certain task that I’ve assigned to Lilith quite a while ago, which must be consuming most of her time, so it isn’t her fault for not being here. She already informed me that she wouldn’t be able to make it here personally today. So cut her some slack.”

I immediately bent my head and acknowledged his words, despite the growing dissatisfaction inside me. But I calmed myself as I cleared such thoughts and emotions, if His Majesty had ordered for something, then I just needed to work on it and accept it. “Of course, Your Majesty. I shall do as you say.”

I straightened as the chamber fell silent and an awkward atmosphere started to grow in the air which was broken by His Majesty again.

“How is the task of coming into contact with the ash’ari coming along?”

I immediately withdrew the several parchments stored inside the dimensional artifact and laid them in from of him on the table, as I gave him a briefing.

“The task is coming along quite well. We have already come into contact with the basilisks and a few factions within them are willing to join hands with us. While it would take a while for us to convince some of the other factions among the other ash’ari,” I paused for a quick moment, His Majesty curiously looked at me as he brought the glass close to his lips. “It would be almost impossible to bring any of the pantheons or leviathans to our side. After the war of the broken oath, it became evident that our enmity with the ash’ari grew to an irreversible point—after the extinction of the dragons.”

“That’s when you obtained your title as the dragon slayer.” Lord Agares said in passing, it was not a question rather just a statement pointed at me. “After you led the Seraphims and the high ranking battlegroups to massacre the dragons. After you killed Anthirix and Sylvie together with their heir, Mordian.” The wry expression over his face widened slightly.

I acknowledged his words which sounded like praise to me, but I felt confused for some baffling reason, I completely remembered that I’d been the one to fight Anthirix, wounded him and ultimately killing the late dragon lord, but I didn’t seem to remember the entire thing in its entirety. It felt like wading through a thick fog as I tried to remember those old memories, and Mordian...

I clearly recalled just how I’d wounded the dragon, but I couldn’t remember anything after our battle, I couldn’t remember I’d killed him or not.

It felt odd, but I shrugged such a sensation off and recovered.

“Aside from the pantheons and leviathans, try your best to get the other ash’ari races to respond to our proposition.” He said in a tone similar to a whisper. “What is the situation within the orcen lands?”

“It is coming to an end smoothly. It will only be a few more weeks that you will get to hear good news of our victory, Your Majesty.” I said with a reverent tone, but face growing with a victorious grin.

“Good.” He replied.

Then all of a sudden everyone in the room turned stiff as His Majesty individually gazed at everyone, I could feel Amon bow his head reverently, as Enyo sank into the sofa and Amanises's expression looked slightly afraid.

Visseyit remained calm, his expression just as aloof as always, even he didn’t dare look back.

Then his gaze came to a stop at me as I lowered my head and soon he turned his attention to the blankness of the room, looking at the round glass which held the golden elixir.

“I would like to warn all of you. Times are changing and certain things are happening which have shifted the balance of the world. Do not thing of them as coincidences. Behind every seemingly plausible coincidence, there are hundreds of inevitabilities. Some inevitabilities are intertwined with one after another, for that one coincidence to reach you.” His Majesty said, his words solemn and sharp as he sipped the elixir.

After finishing the elixir he placed the glass down and shifted the position of his legs. “Keep your ears and eyes open for any unexpected developments, anything can happen, because as long as the pedestal of fate is weaving that intricate tapestry, it would continue to make coincidences which would lead to something extraordinary.”

His profound words resounded inside the chamber as my brows knitted in thought, unable to grasp the full meaning behind his words.

Everyone spoke in acknowledgement as Lord Agares nodded his head. This warning was unexpected and out of nowhere. But if Lord Agares is the one giving us this warning, then it meant that something will happen that will shift the tide of this war, in our advantage or disadvantage, I wasn’t sure.

I once again revered this great existence as I praised. “Of course, Your Majesty. We will do anything to prevent any accidents.”

“I know everyone of you is busy, so let’s end it here. And Amon, I want you to assist Ashmedai in the future tasks I give him as his support. I favour your abilities.” Lord Agares said, as Amon bowed his head, this time the words were spoken by the head with the horn.

“I’m unworthy of such kind words, Your Majesty.”

Everyone stood and then bowed their heads once as they exited the chamber and I decided to follow them last.

“Ashmedai, you stay.” His Majesty suddenly said just as I was about to exit. The other didn't turn to look back, except for Amanises.

I turned and re-entered the chamber as the doors behind me shut closed.

This time I didn’t sit, as I stood in front of His Majesty with my arms clasped behind my back and back straight.

He grabbed a parchment and read through it, as it suddenly caught a flame which burned crimson—almost having the quality of iridescent—and vanished into nothingness, not even the ash remaining.

“How has the matter of the human world been progressing? I especially placed them under your jurisdiction." He said with a solemn tone, and I found it odd just why was His Majesty so interested in such a pathetic race.

But as I shrugged my thoughts and smothered my expression, I answered. “As per your orders, I have increased the numbers of forces currently residing within the human world, similarly, I have taken the measures to infiltrate their several high ranking organizations and come to understand quite a lot about the humans. With the amount of forces we have stationed in the human world, we can easily conquer a single continent in their world on a single order.”

“But it would still take us a few years of proper preparation if we wish to commence a proper war against their kind.”

His Majesty remained silent for quite a long moment, as he suddenly looked me straight in my eyes as I froze on the spot, I felt my legs turn stiff as cold sweat dripped from my back. Every second that passed felt excruciatingly long as he maintained eyes with me, I was unable to move my eyes away.

“That’s fine. As long as we can eradicate the humans, then that’s that. As long he doesn’t become a problem to my plans. I'll allow him to grow, until he gets what I want.” He said with a shrug, his last world were almost like a whisper. The crimson light from outside made the chamber look even more eerie, amplifying His Majesty’s words.

‘He?’ I thought with knitted brows.

“If I may be impudent enough to ask, just who is this ‘he’ His Majesty refers to from time to time? Is he some obstacle?” I asked, my curiosity controlled. I was somewhat sure that the one Lord Agares spoke about was a human, as I remembered His Majesty suddenly blurted about a human several months ago, but he was very vague about it.

“He is someone who will become an obstacle for me given enough time, because he is special, unlike the others. A being who is even more dangerous than the ash’ari." The smile over his face grew slightly darker and more wry.

“Then shouldn’t we get rid of such an obstacle before it becomes a problem for us?” I asked with my intentions palpable to him.

He looked at me with a thin smile, his eyes impassive and wry. "If we eliminate all the obstacles right from the start, the game would lose its edge—becoming nothing more than a stroll through the park. There needs to be a certain level of challenge, a difficulty that pushes us just enough to keep things interesting, but one we can conquer whenever we choose."