Blood dripped from my left hand, I tighten my grip on my swords handle. I've faced the twenty first floor hundreds of times. So why am I having trouble now? The creature twitched, it's massive mandibles clicking as it readys. The creature was more or less a giant praying mantis crossed with a Scorpion. A thick scale like hide, a pair of massive razor sharp, jagged edged, blades. It's massive stinger lurched forward, striking the ground beneath my feet.
"Damn!" I curse, dogging left. My feet ache, sweat clings to my face, my throat is dry, my eyes burning. I lunged quick driving my sword deep into the beast's side, a slimy green liquid oozed out of the wound. The beast screeched in pain, an ear splitting screech. It revolted quick, with a series of quick yet powerful swipes from its mandibles, followed by a quick jab of the stinger. I avoided the first swip with ease, the second caught my arm, leaving a shallow gash across my shoulder. The stinger catches me by surprise, the force of the blow nearly knocking me off the the palace stage. "Goddamn monster!" I bark pulling myself up from the blow. I had faced this stage many times, hundreds even, I had faced this foe, hundreds of times in fact. So as to why it was giving me grief now, was a mystery. Monsters trapped within the bloody palace, could not grow, they could not learn, they were specters. Given life by the power of the palace, forever trapped and forced to face generations of Drachen sons. So why was this beast, the twenty first monster, set on the twenty first stage of the a hundred Stages. The next volley of strikes came quick, leaving dozens of small cuts, tearing my coat and undertunic to shreds. The stinger dug deep into my chest. Blood pooled around me as I collapsed. I had lost. Again.
I awoke with a violent shake, gasping for air, my faced doused in sweat. I ripped the necklace off, throwing it to the side.
"Goddamn palace" I curse. I chest feels heavy, my head aches, my heart pounding. Damage within the palace wasn't physical, but you could still feel the mental effects of every cut, every drop of blood, every death.
Without Sihara and Vadik around things were annoyingly dull. Even Lunamara returned to Libidine. Even Father had left to seek an audience with Prince Mundus. The main house was painfully quiet, even the maids did little more than add to the background, their silent movements and plain expressions leaving much to be desired. I had little to do, even as a domain lord, paperwork was paperwork and it, unlike popular belief, is not infinite. If it had been any other day I'd have ventured to Retra's, enjoy some personal time with her. Alas even she has ventured beyond the domain on business.
"Excuse me m'lord, you have a visitor" one of the maids informed me.
"So dull" I say
♦️
The investigation so far, had lead down various trails. A handful proved semi useful. It seems that the common consensus was that the seers were under some kind of wide cast spell, the likes of which would be near impossible for any mage of the current era. The only ones capable would be the royal family, but when provided that information no one can agree on who's to blame. One things for certain, whatever's behind this, is powerful.
"Two weeks and still nothing worthwhile!" Vadik curses, back handing a stack of papers, which quickly covered the floor.
"Calm down Brother, Perfidiae is one of the most traditional and loyal domains" I say collecting the papers that now cover the floor. "It's only natural that we wouldn't have anything until we meet with the other investigators to compare notes, we won't have anything concrete."
"We've been at this for two weeks! And we have nothing to show for it! We don't have enough seers to know exactly what they're seeing, and our political leaders our useless!" Vadik bitched.
"This is my life now" I sigh, stacking the papers back on the desk.
He wasn't wrong however, Prefidiae has a major lack of seers, possibly the lowest amount in all of Infernum. But the seers we do have, are some of the strongest, and their stories are all quite similar. A war torn city, draped in flame, soldiers marching, the screams of the dying fill the air. That is much it more than most can still see. An apocalyptic event, at least that's what I assume it is, but how and where?
♦️
Lord Renier Davanosh of Gula, previous Domain Lord of Gula. The great coward of Gula. "How my I be of assistance my lord?" I ask fiddling with an orangish glass ball. My desk was quite cluttered with just enough space to set my things down whenever I'm actually at my desk, seeing as this appeared to be an official meeting, I noted his appearance in my log and marked the time. 15:22 I.S.T. 41st day of the 3rd Century of Spa-.
"If you could, I'd prefer this off the record."
"As you wish my lord." I reply striking the note from my ledger.
"Now down to business, your father has informed me that you could assist in the relocation of assets." He began, I took a deep breath and retrieved my asset logbook, pen, and official seal. I gesture for him to continue and begin writing down his request "As of the 51st day of the Century of Sparta, I will be taking up residents here in Perfidiae. As of 45th day of the Century of Sparta, I will require the arrangement of assets transfer from Gula to Perfidiae, including the acquiring of housing for my family and my Aids, along with a position among your office staff."
I stop writing and give him a very annoyed glance. "I apologize Lord Davanosh but my staff is currently at official capacity," I begin
"You can bring me on as an unofficial consu-" he interrupts
"Furthermore I have no need for an additional consultant nor do I have the space in my current office." leaning back and closing my asset log, "now as for your other requests, as I'm sure you're aware, I cannot authorize the transfer of residency from Gula without first speaking to the Current Domain lord, your granddaughter, Lady Vespillo. Once you've spoken with her and had your request granted I could authorize your residence transfer, sadly however there is currently no available housing for lordship at this time."
"What of the manor located in the southern district of Lords?" He asks panicked, his expressions betraying him.
"I'm afraid the manor state you are referring to has been claimed and as of the 39th of The Century of Sparta, is the current residence of Lady Lunamara Karmesin, her request was approved by both myself and The Domain Lord of Libidine." Lord Davanosh sits there speechless, his naturally dark skin pale as the black ice of Haeresis.
"Bu-but, your father said-" he struggled, pleading with me. Weakling.
"I'm quite sorry Lord Davanosh but my father is not the Domain Lord of Perfidiae, I am. My word is the word of the council and the council as you are astutely aware, is the law." I reply holding my official tone. "Now if you mind I am quite busy and do not have time for trivial matters such as residency, should you require further assistance I ask that you speak with my assistant and set a formal appointment." I rise tearing the pages of his request from my log and with the snap of my fingers the pages are gone, incinerated and set to the rubbish bin. "Good day Lord Davanosh." I sit back down and gesture for him to leave. He sits there dumbfounded for several moments before slowly standing and leaving.
"So unbelievably dull." I say rubbing my eyes.
♦️
I sigh as Vadik leaves the office. Eyeing him leave from my spot laid out on the table. I sigh again as the door closes. He's frustrated, I get it, I really do. I'm frustrated too but I guess I'm not as ill tempered as he is, just like Haidrick. I guess it's the curse of our fathers blood. I never did understand how mother was able to deal with it. Maybe she never really could, or maybe, no I doubt that. I sigh again and pull myself up from the table. As I do a stack of papers falls and scatter all over the floor. I sigh again, my shoulder sinking as I do. "This is gonna be a long night." As I slowly begin to pick up the papers, just lightly reading the headers and text. As I sift through I start noticing a requiring image between a few of the more powerful seers. The descriptions they give of what they see are more detailed, with more clear images and places, faces and people.
"Among the rubble of burning or destroyed buildings stands a man, his hair moving with the flow of the blaze, a woman with her hand on his shoulder, her arm darkened, her hair like fire. Two dragons peer their heads into view, one with great fangs and horns, red in color with golden eyes, the other a smooth dark red, with black eyes and long horns with several spine like bones extending from its bottom jaw. The first spits orange and goldish fire, the other spewing black and reddish fire, the destruction raging around the two cloaked in a great blaze their features indiscernible. As the dragons move through the city, burning everything in their path, soldiers stand in defense, a woman with a large sword and hair like fire stands before the dragons, no matter how much they bathe her in fire she still stands, unfazed by the heat of dragon fire."
Two dragons, three individuals, a man and two women. The dragons are clear, their forces of nature that are nearly unstoppable alone. The first two individuals however, their hair flowed like with blaze, the dragons based on how it's written seem to be defending or at least are being commanded by the two. The only ones who can command dragons is the Drachen family, but that can't be, all of us are loyal to throne, there's no question in our loyalty. Which means these two aren't of Infernum, there have been rumors of half bloods who can control minor dragons, it is possible to control them via other methods as well but it's not as easy nor is it user friendly. Now the flowing with fire is quite interesting, anyone with blood related to creatures whom breathe or are made of fire, most commonly seen in families related to phoenixes. This also eliminates any member of House Drachen, as our bodies are adept at resisting fire not flowing with it.
I sit back setting the papers down.
"I guess organizing the papers based on seer strength would have helped." These papers were some of the first collected, but as we were collecting a wide range of data from many seers we chose to organize them by name rather than by ability. This could have derailed our entire investigation. I wonder…