W-What was that!? Elkris thought as she stopped casting the protective barrier around her and the others.
"Are we under attack?" Oljaxxan was the first to say something to the group as he raced over to the balcony, surveying the outer castle's surroundings.
Boljar walked over to the door leading out into the hall and saw some guards run to the war room.
"Go report to the garrison, we're still unclear of what's going on but we'll let everyone know once we've spoken to Lord Valefor," Boljar said with a commanding snarl as the guards hurried off.
With them gone, Boljar closed the war room; everything else was still in disarray.
"I've never felt such magical power before, it felt like a shockwave had just run through the country," Zerrukt said as he clutched at his heart.
"Do you know what it was, Elkris?" He asked her.
"I-... I'm not sure," She confessed, gripping her staff tightly.
"All I can say is that it had originated from over there," She pointed to the distant treeline.
"The treeline? Wait... this isn't good," Zerrukt groaned as he pulled a map from a canister on the wall and put it flat on the round table.
"Here, here is where it's been reported by our spies that the Demon Queen has potentially set up her camp," Zerrukt circled a point on the map where an illustrated forest was.
"That's the Brilgan's Wood, it's considered poor in value for field advantage due to its uneven terrain and thick foilage," Oljaxxan noted as he studied the map.
"The Demon Queen's camp..." Elkris mumbled, she felt weak in the knees over the worst-case scenarios that could entail.
"Wait, if that magic had come from her camp... what of that mysterious Demon?" Nurfi spoke as he nervously fiddled at the blades on his person.
"We know next to nothing about them, they could very well be a Sorceror." He concluded.
"Such power from a Sorceror shouldn't be impossible," Elkris spoke.
Elkris thought back to her studies at the Royal Academy in Ars Goetia. The history of magic, and its most powerful Sorcerors... power on this scale shouldn't be possible unless...
No, that couldn't be the case. Unless, miraculously, one of the ancient Demons from before the Lost Age had revived.
But that was a ridiculous thought, so she kept it to herself.
"It's more likely that she has contracted an army of Sorcerors to channel a spell than to believe it could've been that unknown Demon's work," She concluded, her logic was sound.
"An army of Sorcerors? From where? We had taken the majority of her Magic Corps from our secession." Oljaxxan explained.
The council was at a loss, as the unknown was staring right at them from afar.
Suddenly, the war room's door opened.
"Lord Valefor!" Zerrukt hailed as he knelt, the others followed suit.
Similar in looks to Oljaxxon, but larger and with a black mane like a Chimera, Valefor strutted into the war room.
He wore a luxurious robe, colored in red and black with inset jewels on its lapels. His extravagance was only matched by his keen wit, as he was the soon-to-be crowned King of Ars Goetia; if all were to go to plan.
Elkris was the first to look up from the group's kneel, she had to speak to him; she had to know that he was safe.
"Lord Valefor, a-are you safe?" She asked as she cautioned a step forward.
"Mmm, I'm quite alright. But my, what a surprise that was," Valefor spoke with a low gravitas; every word he uttered was rit with wisdom.
"To think that she would be hiding such a thing, I presume you lot have come to the same conclusion as I; her attack from Brilgan's Wood that is." He asked, they nodded in agreement.
"It was foolish of me to give her this much time to settle her roots onto my lands... I had underestimated the girl,"
"L-Lord Valefor, you couldn't have predicted such a thing from the likes of her!" Zerrukt retorted.
"She nothing more than a little girl desperately trying to hold onto her crown, she has no real power,"
Hearing Zerrukt say this, Valefor trailed his hand over the round table, and with a swift slam of his fist; he crumbled the stonework into pieces.
"I understand that you're simply trying to prevent me from hurting my ego, Zerrukt. For that, I thank you. But, egos are a dangerous thing, especially for those who must lead," Zerrukt said as he ran some of the stonework's dust in his hand.
"There is power in the absolution that one must achieve when they are at the pinnacle of the world, but so are there the vipers waiting in the darkness to strike at the slowest of blinks," He frowned sorrowfully.
"Then what shall we do, my Lord? Shall we commence the extermination?" Zerrukt asked.
"Extermination? What are you talking about?" Elkris asked, surprising even herself over her sudden interest.
Valefor rose a stiff hand at Zerrukt, motioning him to silence as Valefor took it upon himself to explain.
"Ervwin has reported the completion of his task at Quell. All of them have been converted to the truth, that of the birthright of those like I," Valefor motioned to himself as he stood regally.
"The purity of the Houses, the righteousness of the world underneath our strength; and not to that useless goddess Lunarsa," He scowled.
"The Truth of the Pure is at hand, and as such, they shall be baptized by blood," Valefor walked over to the balcony, his black mane whipping in the breeze.
"There," He points to the treeline, "is where they shall shed the blood of the infidels, of those who call themselves 'Ars Goetia',"
"And with their mutual deaths, so will the inclination of the other Houses fade as they understand the truth; The Black Witch is the cause of all our sorrows."
"Whatever she is hiding there, it won't matter-- she will die, and so it will be written the legacy of her treachery."