Bro, I'm not an Undead!

Skullius was shocked.

Split in two? Aigas?

Just the thought of it, especially with how... 'normal everything seemed at the moment...

"How in the world did that happen?" Skullius asked with an odd sort of furious look.

"The masked necromancer," Erlton said heavily. "Even though I'm human myself, I am quite impressed that he managed to play his cards so well, avoiding Divination against his identity and the truest extent of his plans. I can't even be sure which time period he hails from."

Skullius frowned.

"The masked man, huh?" he said before giving Erlton a judgey look. "How did he slip through your fingers even after the Premium Age Royale? Such an event should have alerted you, right? Millions of souls reaped from millions of people..."

Erlton donned a dazed expression.

"I once divined about a shadow that would never pale everywhere around Pelian. At the time, I got the feeling that something big was going to happen, but it was hard to pinpoint where and who was behind it. It was only when the Premium Age Royale began that I was sure I found my answer, but unfortunately, the Royale was tied to something that was supposed to happen. It was off limits. The rise of Boron, as Quintess and Listafelle wanted before they left... No Herald could lay a hand on the event."

"It was only when the Royale ended that I surmised that the masked man was behind this. He didn't really hide it then. Unfortunately, by that time, he had acquired the power to fight effectively against Heralds like myself. He has the power to contend against Divine powers and even absorb them."

Skullius scratched his chin.

Well. That was quite the bomb of information he hadn't known.

He knew about the two Deities that left Aigas.

He had even known about the Heralds.

But the rest...

Several conclusions bloomed within his mind.

So... in the end... the masked man's plans were this grand?

The reason behind the need for all those souls.

The reason why he resurrected... that man.

It was all to be able to fight Heralds.

"Where is he right now?" Skullius asked without turning to Erlton.

"Way beyond the Central Boundary. He should be close to Edagon by now. Well, he and his pursuers," the blonde Herald said with a sharp glow in his glow.

Skullius nodded.

"Dragonsson..." Skullius chuckled, recalling the name the Grinning Jester Fox had called Sause way back then, after they exited the Labyrinth. "That necromancer is after the dragon in Edagon?"

Erlton nodded, surprised that Skullius didn't ask about the pursuers he mentioned.

The Hybrid Luman's eyes moved erratically within his sockets.

"Will Aigas be alright in this state? How long can it last?" he suddenly asked.

Erlton gave him a cautionary stare.

"For now, there won't be any problems. I'd say only about a fourth of Aigas is missing from the whole. The Herald in Edagon will be able to fix it if he wills it," he said.

Skullius scoffed.

"if he wills it? Sounds like you Heralds have just about the same amount of lazy whims as the Deities themselves..."

"Perhaps," Erlton said with a vague smile.

Silence lingered between the two again.

Skullius seemed to consider everything the Herald sitting next to him said in great detail.

Aigas split in half.

The masked man having the power to fight Heralds.

Things ordained and things not ordained.

Rules, Divinations...

For now, all these things only made him laugh hoarsely.

As though the darkness approaching Opungale wasn't as vexing enough.

"I see. I suppose someone is going to have to clean up your messes, starting with the one that's on its way here," Skullius said. "Is that also why you've lingered here, making sure I was.. 'understood'."

Erlton didn't answer.

Skullius didn't need him to.

The bastard was likely taking advantage of the fact that he... was a bearer of an Existential Parallel.

Oh well. It wasn't like he didn't have possible solutions.

 He rose, his dark robe dancing about.

Erlton stood up as well and stashed his lute behind his back.

Without a word the two walked up to the steps leading to the giant doors of what looked like mahogany, upon their faces carved winding folktales of long-eared caricatures from top to bottom.

The two men then stopped. It almost seemed as though they were appreciating the tales told by the doors when in reality, they couldn't care less about it.

"You said an olden Herald distorted time, space and memory..." Skullius said while facing the doors. "The modern texts say it's been eighty millennia since the Grand Wars. If these texts have your prints on them, that means this is false, right? How long has it truly been?"

Erlton gave a brief smile before answering.

"I suppose it's been a little over 4,400 years..."

Skullius donned a broad grin.

"No wonder," he said before pushing the doors before him open.

***

Inside Gauurdfell, the Royal Mansion of the High Family, one from a normal human background would be astounded to find that there was no such a thing as a throne room.

What would have been a hall that one would find upon entering the abundant space which featured smooth grooves on the polished, white glass floor that spotted thick vines neatly fitted within while coiling in loops immaculately, was the space designated as a sort of council room.

Within it, a huge, round table with ancient runes that responded to speech could be found, split into four parts that remained more or less connected.

On one of these quarters, were two tall seats, majestic in their own sort of natural way. They didn't rely on gems or jewels to give distinction to whoever sat on them.

Two mature El Sif sat on these chairs, their ears longer than normal, and their faces alarmingly beautiful. It was honestly difficult to tell who was the 'he' and who was the 'she', especially given the fact that the two wore baggy outfits that hid their finer details.

Their hair only made it all the more confusing, as without paying much attention, it would seem as though the two were actually siblings.

Benyn and Cosycn were standing behind these two individuals.

On another of these slices of the table, was Darwel, seated alone with Sevill behind her.

On another, was a man, a human, dressed in harsh-coloured soft clothing, a cheery expression on his face.

On the last, was a human girl donning a dark suit of armour, behind her fourteen men and women dressed in a like manner.

The atmosphere around the table was rather odd. It was more unsettling that it was actually tense.

It kept getting more and more awkward for the humans seated against the Sif, especially when considering the twenty-five experts standing against the four corners of the expansive hall, all of them... Incandescent Stagers.

The man in the colourful apparel gazed around sheepishly.

"Your Majesties," he said with a smile most lacking in seriousness. "Surely, you wouldn't have us return to Pelian, would you? Believe me..." the man looked around. "...I have no doubts about your military prowess at all, but we have come at the request of the King. He simply wishes to honour the alliance you forged with him."

One of the two seemingly androgynous El Sif seated almost twenty meters opposite the man, coughed lightly.

"We too would like to honour that alliance, Shannazah, was it? We suggested it, after all," a feminine voice came, allowing for better distinction. "However, it is quite the foolish decision to jump to another's aid without settling your own affairs, don't you think?"

"It is not our place to question the King," the girl in dark armour spoke with her eyes staring deeply at the El Sif who had just spoken. "If he feels that the nation can still stand without us, then we accept his wisdom."

No one seated upon the four quarters of enchanted table believed the last sentence, not even the girl in the armour herself.

A masculine voice came from the other mature El Sif.

"Maqi is coming with a force of 1,000. If we need allies for just that – regardless of those brutes' reputation – then we might as well offer ourselves on a floor-sized plates without resistance."

"Precisely," the other spoke, supporting her male counterpart fiercely. "We wouldn't dream of driving you out and taking your actions for granted, but please, do not interfere. If the war indeed begins, take no part in it. We will end it ourselves."

Suddenly the large doors leading directly into this hall opened wide, and two figures entered.

One of the two wore a grin and spoke with a tone of hot confidence.

"Indeed. There will be no need for allies. I alone will end the war."