Outside the world in the void, a large spaceship was floating silently. Inside the ship's bridge, countless monitors showed the world ahead from different angles. Some of them were incredibly zoomed in to show small symbols that floated all around the world sending small pulses of energy to one another.
Together they formed a giant barrier around the world, a seal meant to keep out any invaders.
On a larger screen in the middle of the others, an analysis tool was running based on the inputs of numerous mages to calculate the seal's strength. A large 58 could be seen with a hundred decimals that were continuously decreasing.
Before the main control panel stood two figures. A slightly aged man and a youth both radiating power that made the other people on the bridge feel pressured. Both of them were attentively studying rows upon rows of data that flashed by on the main control panel.
After about half an hour the rows flashing by came to a stop and we're replaced by the same decreasing number that was shown on the large screen above. The older man sighed and stepped back from the control panel.
"More than five hundred years have passed since the seal was placed and despite our best efforts to weaken it, we have only been able to get it to slightly below sixty percent of its original power. Hopefully Heather arrives soon."
"With all due respect Master, you shouldn't be saying the traitor's name."
"Michael, don't call her a traitor. She is merely a lost lamb that we had to guide back onto the right path. Not to mention that she's the only reason we can fight the grey queen."
"Why is that?"
"I trust you've been given an amulet upon your arrival here.", he cast a pointed look at an amulet the youth was wearing and pointed at a similar one he was wearing himself, "These amulets are made by Heather and are enchanted with her innate understanding of defiance. Without wearing it you will be defeated without being able to put up a fight. Her domain of absolute authority is just too scary."
"But aren't we both at the deity level too? How could there be such a huge gap between people of the same rank?"
The older man looked incredibly disappointed but continued to try to set the youth's head right.
"This is your first real mission as a deity so it's understandable for you to not know this. Do you think you could beat me in a fight?"
"No, Master, I am not even close to your level of power. Wait, you don't mean!"
"Yes, the feeling you feel when fighting me is comparable to what I would feel when fighting them. Actually, fighting any of those six probably feels worse but you get the idea."
"Worse?"
"Let me tell you something. Now that you are a deity it is time that you learned one of the light alliance's darkest secrets. The only reason we are making any headway in this fight is because those six made a stupid vow when they were younger. They will never get serious as long as we fight fair and square. But once we break certain rules they will use their full power and we will probably perish along with that world."
"Surely we won't perish with them. Can't we escape?"
"There is a reason we fear them more than our antagonist, the dark alliance despite them having the smallest territory and the least amount of troops. Each of them is considered a human-shaped disaster even for people like us."
"But surely we can't go on like this. If we always fear them simply destroying the world when they lose won't our goal be impossible?"
"You are still too young and inexperienced Michael. Just because we are playing by their rules for the time being that doesn't mean that we have no way to deal with them in the long run. Also, playing by their rules is only a minor inconvenience considering the benefits we gain."
"I think I understand."
"You don't, you're limited by your inexperience. But that is why I'm here."
At that moment a sweet and sultry voice rang out through the room.
"Alexander! Good to see you again."
A robed figure entered the bridge. The body concealed below the robe was obviously female but the person's face was covered with a hood that only her red hair could be seen. Around her wrist and ankles were thick, interconnected shackles of a special metal that sealed her power. And around her neck was a collar made to enslave her and bend her will to her master's wishes.
The older man or Alexander as she called him turned to look at her. His eyes held a bit of pity.
"Heather, I take it your journey here went well."
Heather adopted a dramatic pose and sighed loudly. Then, she halted for a moment as if needing to prepare something before breaking into soft sobbing.
"It was terrible Alexander. All these people are so mean to me and these shackles are so heavy and uncomfortable. The metal keeps grating against my skin and my wrists feel so sore. Won't you take them off pretty please?"
Michael was watching the show before him in confusion. He'd heard of Heather being strange but her sudden transition from a happy greeting to being a sobbing mess was too much for him to comprehend.
"Enough Heather, you have promised to be a good lamb and return to the path of goodness. There is no reason for you to ask for such a thing."
Alexander raised his hand and curled it into a fist. As he did that the collar around Heather's neck began to contract and asphyxiate her. She stopped her sobbing immediately and fell to the ground desperately clawing at her neck.
After seeing her pitiful struggle to breathe Alexandre relaxed his hand and made the collar return to its former size. Heather coughed a few times but didn't utter another word.
"That's better. Don't forget your place in this pathetic existence of yours. You were called here to break a seal made by the grey queen. How long will it take you?"
"I need to know some of the specifics."
Heather's voice had become quiet and slightly monotone. She didn't dare say anything more than necessary lest it displeased Alexander.
"The seal was made while the grey queen was restrained by the world so it should be well within your capabilities. We have already whittled it down to 58 percent but the progress is too slow."
"I can speed up the process but the seal's main parts still seem to be active so it will take some time."
Heather felt the collar around her neck tighten a little before relaxing again. Alexander then waved her off.
"Do whatever you can and hurry or I will have to make you!"