A demon man dressed in blue cassock and an orange floated above the Black Stone of Egad. His horn curved like that of a sheep and his wings as colorful as a peacock's feathers. The blue eyes on his wings were mesmerizing. He stared at Mark and Sun and their fiancee watching the pitiful being underneath the grand stone trying to carry it over his shoulder. The demon sighs and warily rubbed his temples. "Let me get this straight. You two were trying to lift the stone together when suddenly, these two humans appeared out of the bush. First, they mocked you for being weak, and then the human man just lifted this impossibly heavy stone and walked four meters from where it used to sit. Then the stone just suddenly got heavier for him and is desperately holding it to the sky or else he will be crushed to death."
"Yes," Sun and Mark said.
"They are lying," Lo yelled under the stone. "We were absorbing the mana to make it lighter! Then that feathered bastard,"
A bolt of loud lightning struck the stone, starting everyone. The source was the tip of the demon's finger pointing at the stone. "I would like it if you refrain from making such racist remarks." The demons gently landed on the stone, adding just a bit more to its weight.
Kee was also trying to hold the stone up. She got angry at the demon clergyman. "Hey, get off the stone! Your fat ass is making it heavier."
"Enough of your rude remarks! It is clear that your hubris got you stuck in this quagmire. And to the four standing there and watching, I have a question. Why have you not tried and helped this poor sinner?"
Sun and Mark looked at each other. "Well, he was very, very selfish," Mark said confidently with his gentle voice. "He said he don't, doesn't, need anyone to help him. Even when we told him it would be easier. P-p-plus, we all have the s-s-same thing to find, but he wanted to hog it all to him. Himself!"
Sun raised his hand, "Actually, mister clergy, sir. How do we get this stone over to the gem. Is it through cooperation? As in, together we can carry this. Or is the purpose for this grand task something else?"
The demon shot a glance at Kee, holding the stone by the corner. "Cooperation? I doubt that would have worked. These two could barely hold this in the air."
"Of course, it's heavy!" Kee yelled. "So get off it, you fat,"
"Shut up, woman!" Lo shouted. "And look here, demon. They're lying to you. Sun made this stone lighter and then I carried."
"How did that happen?"
"I don't know, but he made it lighter and then made it heavier once I had it over my shoulder. He's sabotaging me!"
The demon sighed again, "This is getting ridiculous. Do you expect me to believe that someone changed the weight of this stone so freely as to trap you underneath it? Unless he was with those scholars in that tower, I doubt Sun had the knowledge even to do such an incredible feat of ingenuity. Especially when considering his humble background as a king of a petty kingdom founded in the wild northern lands. You need to fabricate a more believable lie."
Kee snarled, "He's not lying! You fat lard!"
"Dammit woman, shut up!" Lo yelled at her.
The demon looked at Sun and Mark, "And I think I understand why you don't want to help them. But let's be real, all of you will not pass the exam if you stay in the forest."
They all agreed they gathered around the stone. Shuja and Layla sandwiched Kee and gave her a mischievous smile with a wink. Kee bared her teeth and hiss at the girls. Meanwhile, Mark and Sun carried the stone on the side facing the courtyard.
The stone became lighter once more hands came to help, but that was really due to the spell Sun inscribed on the stone. It was complex as it was simple to understand. The stone's weight can change based on his command and everyone but the demon knew this. Once the stone was lighter, Lo released his hands and rushed towards Sun, intending to get them both disqualified.
Blind by rage, he was willing to risk his right to rule for petty vengeance. But Sun could see him move with his mana. He made the stone heavy again, "Oops." The stone fell and pinned Lo on the ground. "It really is heavy than expected."
The stone was barely hovering off the ground. Lo was practically stuck, unable to even crawl out of the tight space. "Looks like we'll just have to slowly crawl our way there," Layla said in a high pitch womanly voice.
"Unless someone strong could lift this stone up like before," Shuja added.
Kee tried to kick the two girls, "Fuck off!"
Meanwhile, outside the forest, in the highest tower of the grand cathedral that spans nearly the entire island, an angel sat on the luxurious ebony table, and in front of her was the unconscious Corin. The angel's golden locks lit up the darkroom and her sharp green eyes stared at the motionless body. "Thank you for bringing this to my attention, Brian." She told the angel that brought him into the tower. "Now you may go."
"But what about,"
"Go!" She raised her voice. "There's no more to discuss."
Brian bowed and then leaped out of the balcony. The woman angel sighed, "This is problematic. So much for controlling those Iricsons." The angel on top of the black table was an important figure in the church. Her name was Alexis, part of the Entente, a governing body within the church with judicial and military power second only to the Pontiff. They were the arms and legs of the church, executing missions they deemed beneficial for the church's well-being. They can act independently of the Pontiff, but since the Pontiff represents the church, his interest is their mission. In truth, they have no free will.
The missions they do conduct that contradicts the Pontiff's wishes are done in the shadows. But now even the shadow can hide them in the light. And Alexis knows this well. She bit her lower lip enough for it to bleed. If the island of Iric is left to reform as a nation, they may very well be considered a major great power in the continent. This will make the number of great powers in Venusia odd.
But some believe that this merely Alexis' paranoia clouding her judgment. Iric is a large land, but its development is noticeably lacking compared to other kingdoms. The potential is there, so the question lies when it will be a thorn on the church's side. Others don't see it that way. The Iric archipelago has been invaded by numerous kingdoms and people since its discovery. Its landscape and its people live in constant threat of invasion. And the volatile nature of the political world on Venusia will continue to drive outside forces to the island. Many doubt a powerful kingdom could form and unify the island. They were no different from the steppe hordes from the east.
But one of Alexis' most prominent rivals in the Entente, the Immortal Sinbad, is also her greatest supporter. Sinbad used to be a beastkin from the southern lands across the sea, where the desert is as vast as the largest ocean. Now he was a golem made of iron. His abdomen was an oven where his soul and kas are safely protected from the outside world. He is fed constantly with coal to stay alive.
Sinbad used to be a renowned adventure that worked for the Church of Mahalia until an accident nearly took his life. His life-threatening injuries could not be treated, but the church had one option. The dark magic of soul transfer. A spell only the strongest and well versatile mage could do and with a success rate of one in a million. Sinbad was known for being cautious. He gambled the sanctity of his soul to explore another day. And through blood, sweat, and tears, he was born anew.
Sinbad sat in the corner of the room. The flames in his abdomen barely lit the room. His red ruby eyes looked at Alexis with pity. Her paranoia has grown more severe after King's defeat. Fortunately, they have King under their custody and can resume production of their new weapon, but that barely alleviated her worries. "Now that Borvo passed the first part of the exam, we might as well work to sway him to our side," Sinbad suggested. "Before they ally themselves with the Walz Kingdom."
Alexis crossed her arms and ignored Sinbad. She stared at Corin then frowned. "The person that defeated King is here." She whispered.
"What?"
"And based on the reports on the border of Razin forest, the dwarves already established a cordial relationship with the goblins. And the goblins' leader has made friends with Borvo."
Sinbad's flames grew and leaked out from its iron bars. "That's not good. Does the Pontiff?"
"I have no idea. He's too busy having fun playing pretend with King and the lepers. He might know about it and just chooses to ignore it like some. Never mind that person. We need to focus on the task at hand." Alexis shot a string made of mana that attached itself to a large black opal on display above a bookcase. She pulled it to her and caught it flawlessly.
"Our mission is simple. We need to ensure that the Pontiff and the church are ready for war."
"A war that will decide the fate of our world."
"Please, don't use the church's words here. We all know what this war is about. And I will make sure the church comes out on top."