King Rathna was visibly confused. "The who?"
Fate watched him for a few more seconds, before once more looking at his surroundings. "Never mind. Who are these 'Fractured' people you mentioned?"
King Rathna adopted a sneer. "The unclean. Those born with the heretical Manifestations of Emotion: Anger, Fear, Love, and many others. They are skilled at toying with people's minds, puppeteering them like it's some sick game.
"They want nothing more than our utter destruction. A fitting way to repay our kindness. We gave them their own land, sent their kind away instead of slaughtering them like the heathens they are, and this is the thanks we get." He spat on the ground, causing the girl next to him to make a face.
"Uh-huh. And why exactly should I help?" Fate asked, wiping his face to check for any residual sauce.
"Why? Because you are the Destroyer! The man prophesized by our Ancestor to bring this world to balance in troubled and terrible times! It is your destiny!"
Fate, his mask left on the ship and his face visible, just frowned.
King Rathna cleared his throat. "Of course, you will be reasonably compensated."
"How much is 'reasonably?'" Fate replied.
"Access to our library during your stay, your pick of whatever woman you wish, and, if you feel so inclined, a master to tutor you in whatever subject you wish from our world."
"Two of those could be potentially worthless, and I'm not interested in the second one. I'm going to need something more substantial than that."
The bear-like man's brows furrowed, a flash of anger passing through his eyes before it was stamped down. "I doubt something as… mortal as money would interest you, so what about a Manifestation Sword crafted by our finest blacksmith? There is only one man in the entirety of Venlanz that can craft one, but I am sure he would be more than happy to craft one for the sake of our world. The library access and the masters of our world will also be provided, of course, if you wish."
"Deal." Fate jumped off the platform, moving to stand in front of the king. He extended his hand.
The king just looked at it, confused. Fate sighed and dropped his hand. 'Different cultures, that's right. Honestly, should've been surprised that Pensinata had handshakes.'
The king cleared his throat again, talking in that loud voice once more. "Wonderful! My daughter, Princess Dinan, will show you around." The girl in white next to him bowed to Fate, then turned and started to the door, motioning for Fate to follow.
He took one more look around the room, eyes lingering on the robed people around the platform, who were currently breathing heavily, before following Dinan. The two doors, each over thirty feet tall and two and a half feet wide, were opened by the knights on either side of them, who continued to stare straight ahead as the duo passed. The door slammed shut behind them.
"So, Sir Destroyer, what is it like where you are from?" Princess Dinan asked, her voice quite musical. She studied Fate's clothes, her eyes shimmering with curiosity. "I have never seen clothes like this before. They appear finer than even my own."
"It's mostly mountains, water, and plains back home, with forests and deserts here and there. We've developed technology capable of making food and clothes like this in seconds. Anyway, you said that anyone with Emotion Manifestations gets sent to these 'Fractured' guys. What about the Embodiments of Space in there? Why are the Universal Manifestations allowed here?"
"Our Ancestor was a mighty Realized of Time, and his two companions of Light and Hope. History says that the companion bearing Hope betrayed our Ancestor when the life he created, us, was still young. The man of Hope did not approve of our Ancestor's plan to make Manifestations hereditary on this planet, claiming that it would lead to horrible oppression.
"Our Ancestor and the companion of Light banded together to strike the man down but still were gracious enough to honor the man by seeding his Manifestation into our people. Ancestor and Light did the same with their own Manifestations and those of enemies previously felled, gifting us with Elements, Universal forces, and Emotion."
"Wait, Manifestations are hereditary here?" That was something he hadn't heard of before.
"Yes." Dinan nodded. "It was rumored that Ancestor was fractions of a percent away from becoming Manifest, truly one with Time. His vast and omnipotent knowledge showed him a way to do so. One of his favorite sayings was 'anything is possible with any Manifestation, if one just knows how to use it.'"
"Interesting. And the Fractured?"
Princess Dinan frowned, scrunching her beautiful face up. "Throughout history, the Embodiments of Emotion have always been at odds with the other two, waging war to avenge the companion of Hope. They call us elitists and murder us and our families. My great-great-great-great-great grandfather, ten thousand years ago, was magnanimous and remembered that despite the bloodshed caused by the Fractured, we all came from the Ancestor.
"So he divided the world into thirds, giving one piece to the Fractured and keeping the other two for the users of Elements and Universal forces. He told them to rule themselves as they pleased, and generously sent away any Emotional Embodiment born in our land of Venlanz. This is why we call them the Fractured, because they have been broken off from the whole. Through the ages, the prophecy left behind by our Ancestor was preserved, telling of a time we would need a savior."
Her eyes met Fate's, a deep sorrow welling within. "I hope you find a nonviolent way to end our conflict. My family calls you the Destroyer, but the Ancestor simply called you Savior. But please, enough about this dreary talk. Let us commission a weapon worthy of the Destroyer."
She opened the door they were now in front of, revealing a brightly lit smithy. Within was a muscular, bald man with scars all over his body and head. He looked up from a piece of red-hot metal he had been hammering, smiling when he saw Dinan and frowning at Fate.
"Who's this?" He asked gruffly.
"Sir Savior, this is the greatest blacksmith in the world, Sir Gamlesh."