King Khantretakhim listened to Gat conclude her report. She took small chunks of apple pie with her silver fork, chewing on each piece thoroughly before moving onto the next.
"Mmm..." King Khantretakhim nodded. "I will clean up after Vhul-Adune later. First, tell me about the other ones."
Gat felt uneasy to think about 'the other ones.' She wasn't sure how to think of them, or why they would do what they want to do.
Yet she stood strong, like King Khantretakhim. Her posture changed to match her uneasy expression, shoulders low and gaze averting her regal mistress'.
"I... uh... Ether has been wounded, so there's a delay. But the other one - Hitirus - it is still active. However, I found something new about it," her voice steadily raised with excitement.
She leaned closer to the table. "I discovered King-cleaver isn't its name. Whatever that thing is, has no name. If anything, that's just an order. Like naming a storage closet 'coats.' It only serves to identify what it is supposed to do."
King Khantretakhim nodded. "Ah... I see. Does that mean Befehlnadir isn't a name either? Order-breaker. If the logic stays the same. Befehlnadir is supposed to kill Hitirus in order to break that order."
Gat nodded. She rested her chin on her palm, idly staring down at her food. Despite the discovery, it still didn't make sense. Why was Hitirus so weak yet aimed to be a King?
That thought alone bothered Gat because it was a cause for concern. Not for herself, but for Hitirus. What if that and Befehlnadir were the first of a brand new kind of Variant.
A breed between Servant and Variant. Perfection and imperfection. Relenting and unrelenting. The possibility is there, especially with how their bodies morphed.
No Variant could do that. Except for those that were tied to a conflict, the War of Broken History. What would've been a Primed War became focused on a Legion named the Erno Legion.
The same Legion that broke off a mother Legion named Drekion. Which later divided itself into Vusqur, Onum, and Erno.
"I think Erno might come back," Gat finally spat out her issue. She sat up right, trying to seem formal. "I have theories. Drekion is almost like a living thing."
King Khantretakhim tenderly smiled at her Noble Mind, cherishing the sight of her beloved Yomie piecing together the grander puzzle. A puzzle that the regal mistress already knew.
"So... Drekion gets divided after Light defeated them... Vusqur, Onum, and Erno formed. Vusqur fled to Yarno, and according to locals, made underground forges. Onum stayed in Imbushko, where they promptly died to Infinus."
Gat thought about Erno for a moment. If Vusqur represented a more clever approach to combat via their enhanced forges, and Onum represented brawn.
Could Erno represent combat longevity?
"Hmm. Wait! We never found Erno's main city!" Gat stood up from her seat. "To mark the end of a war, one needs to go into the other's heart and demand the other side to surrender. Other wise it would be split in two different wars."
King Khantretakhim nodded. "Very good. By technical standpoint, this is a Great War. Unlike Primed Wars, Great Wars extend for years. We're just waiting for Erno to make a move."
Gat gritted her teeth. "I won't let them... I'm going to kill Hitirus and Befehlnadir!"
"Easy, sweet girl. Zeek has already found Erno's heart, it is in Uvurim. But for a good reason. They are farmers, workers, no better than civilians." King Khantretakhim assured her.
"No! I refuse to accept that answer. Other wise, Befehlnadir and Hitirus wouldn't be here," Gat protested.
She felt horrible after speaking. Like she had done something she wasn't supposed to. Yet King Khantretakhim didn't see it that way. She was as sweet as always.
Her hand drifted up to level with Gat's cheek. The cold, pale skin suddenly felt a soothing warmth. No malice in King Khantretakhim's actions or words.
"My daughter," she began. "It is our natural order, as warriors and Kings, to continue traditions. If Erno rises again and claims my crown, it is fair."
Gat shook her head, disagreeing with King Khantretakhim. "I - I just dont want to be forgotten... If you die, I'll die and so will Ruda. We'll fade away forever."
"So we will fade away forever," King Khantretakhim continued. Her voice was soft and tender enough to make Ruda feel drowsy. "We don't have the right to live for more than we have to."
King Khantretakhim caressed Gat's face. "While we're here, let us enjoy our limited time. Feast together, adore who you wish. So when you die, you die with no regrets."
Gat didn't stop weeping. "Wh - where will we go?"
"Home. We're going home," King Khantretakhim assured her Noble Mind. "We'll rest peacefully until we're needed."
Ruda frowned. "Gaaat! We're already dead!"
"I know, but this is different. We survived because we were Noble Minds - we died early. But what about when our time is up?" Gat asked again.
King Khantretakhim rose to meet her Noble Mind. She wrapped an arm around her, then began walking together towards Zeek's slowly manifesting body.
"Hitirus and Befehlnadir are cursed, my daughter. Have a smile that your life wasn't wasted. Come, tell me about the other one."
Gat paused her crying, she tried remembering the other one. But each time the memory popped up, it quickly faded away. Leaving no trace except the iron-tough butler outfit.
Ruda tried to think of them too, but they couldn't remember. Something was strange about that thing, maybe it wasn't a Variant.
"I can't recall anything. All I do remember is the outfit and it interacting with Befehlnadir, giving him some kind of herb. One that is illegal for normal Variants to find."
King Khantretakhim nodded. "It's okay," she half-lied. "Whatever it is shouldn't be our priority yet." She continued to tell half of the truth.
Whatever was stalking Befehlnadir and Hitirus clearly wanted something. But its identity was a mystery.