Echoes of Harmony

War Council Chambers

Druthagon Orbit

1 Movrim’s Favor, Sixth Year of the First Forge of Shadowbrand

Thaseas Shadowbrand pushed through the large doors into the war room of the Druthagar Kingdom. His ceremonial battle armor shimmered in the light of the runes lining the walls with each step he took. At his waist, the battle axe he used to slay his predecessor and secure the throne for himself clanged against his thigh. At his side was the small robotic dog that had stood with him for the last six years, since shortly after he rose to power.

Sitting at desks lining the path up to the throne were twelve desks, each occupied by one of the Astral Lords of the Druthagon Kingdom. Some of them he nodded to in respect. Others, such as Belin Forgebellow, he pointedly ignored. Those who did not treat him with the proper respect did not deserve to receive it themselves. Especially not those who opposed him at every turn during his first forge.

Thaseas said nothing as he made his way down the path. Each of his footsteps echoed in the otherwise silent hall. There was no need to rush nor to speak. He already cemented his power when he slew the previous High King, Arazec Runeflayer, in this very chamber. That was why he knew it didn’t matter that those such as Forgebellow maintained their positions. They posed no real threat to him as they knew Thaseas was the true ruler, no matter what they may think or say in private.

After several moments, he walked up the plinth and sat on the throne, looking over the Astral Lords. None of them moved nor spoke, waiting to hear what their High King would say.

“We have received a communication request from Custodian Naynn of the Thalyssian Union.” Thaseas smirked as he spoke, glancing at Khundrotum Mountainbender, who he knew hated the elves nearly as much as he hated Thaseas. “It appears they may have finally come to their senses.”

“To what end do we speak with that filth?” asked Thegnik Thunderbane, one of Thaseas’ closest advisers. The dwarf stood and slammed a fist into his desk. “They deserve nothing more than to have one of our axes embedded in their heads!”

A murmur of agreement followed from some of the other Astral Lords. Thaseas held up a thick hand to silence them. Immediately, the din dissipated. Thegnik slowly sat down, though he glared at the ground in front of him. When he was sure all of them were listening intently, he lowered his hand.

“The Thalyssar may be vermin, but they can be beneficial allies. It is no secret the war has been at a stalemate since it began. They could help us turn the tide and finally squash the Hyperion scum. Then, once they are subjugated, we will turn our sights on the Thalyssar and eliminate them.”

“We shall shatter all their skulls!” yelled out Thomhael Bloodcarver, whose red hair resembled his family’s namesake. He hefted his war axe and slammed it on his stone desk. The noise reverberated through the hall. “Death to all who oppose our kingdom!”

“Calm, Thomhael.” Thaseas barely resisted the urge to smile. If all the Astral Lords shared the dwarf’s lust for battle, the war would have ended long ago. “You will have your moment for bloodshed, and it may come sooner than you think. But first, we must hear what the Custodian wants.”

“Prudent thought,” murmured Khundrotum Mountainbender.

Thaseas glared at him for a moment before returning his attention to the holoprojector at the center of the room.

“If there are no objections, we shall initiate the video communication at once.”

He was met by nothing but silence in response. Placing one hand on the armrest of his throne, he typed in a series of commands that brought the holoprojector to life. For a moment, it displayed the Shattered Veins, the galaxy in which they lived and fought for. Different colors for each of the distinct powers that ruled over each part of the galaxy appeared briefly. Then, it was replaced by an image of an ostentatiously elegant and not at all utilitarian office dominated by a single individual.

The visage of a young elf, though it was difficult to tell exactly how old he was, appeared in the space between all the Astral Lords as a projection. He stood tall, perhaps two dwarves high, with blonde hair that came down to the small of his back. His thin pointed ears were each pierced with two rings, one near the tip and one near the lobe, connected by a golden chain. He wore robes of blue and white that looked to b e devoid of any wrinkle. His hands were hidden in the sleeves, brought together at his abdomen.

“High King Thaseas Shadowbrand, I am pleased you have taken my call.” Custodian Naynn bowed respectfully in a Druthagar manner, though the stilted way in which he did so showed he was nothing more than an outsider. His voice was automatically translated to Druthagar to allow each of the attendants in the chamber to understand him. “I know you took power just a few years ago, and it is about time we spoke in person—or as close as we can manage separated by tens of thousands of light years—rather than through diplomats who may distort our true intentions.”

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“Hopefully, we are able to speak plainly, Custodian, and state our true intentions now, for all to hear.” Thaseas narrowed his eyes on the elf as he looked around the room, noticing the Astral Lords in attendance. Some of them snarled at him as his gaze fell on them while others stared impassively up.

“Surely, you have heard of the attack on Emlenor, High King?”

Thaseas kept himself from smirking at the mention of the Thalyssian mining outpost near the intersection of the Druthagar Kingdom, Thalyssian Union, and Hyperion Empire. He had indeed heard of the attack and could not have welcomed the news more.

“I have, Custodian, and I extend my deepest sympathies to those who were lost in such a barbaric attack. May Movrim guide their souls into His Halls.” He led the Astral Lords in a respectful bow. While the others did so in a Druthagar manner, he attempted the Thalyssian way, by steepling his fingers in front of his chest and bending his hand over them. “I was aware the humans were savages, but I was not aware they would go to such lengths as to massacre an entire planet without mercy.”

“Indeed.” Custodian Naynn pursed his lips, staring at Thaseas for several moments before he spoke again. “This menace must be stopped. While I still need to speak with my Court, I wished to alert you first that we intend on accepting your offer of joining your war to put an end to the Hyperion Empire. My Court will coordinate with your Astral Lords to work out the details of our alliance once I meet with them.”

“This is most welcome news, Custodian.” Thaseas kept himself from smiling. The benefactor said he would find a way to get the Thalyssar on their side. He just hadn’t expected him to actually follow through despite his previous successes. “I think I speak for the entire Kingdom when I say you are a worthy ally to have on our side, and we appreciate your aid in our endeavor.”

Thegnik scowled and started to speak, but a single glance from Thaseas tempered the dwarf’s ire. Some of his advisers were less than diplomatic. This, Thaseas was well aware of. Their other qualities, however, more than made up for that shortcoming.

“Just a moment, High King.” Naynn held up a hand. Thaseas did his best to avoid frowning at the elf. “I am going to communicate with the Hyperion Empire and attempt to verify the veracity of the reports we have received. If everything is as it appears at first look, then we will sign a declaration announcing our alliance with the Druthagar Kingdom.”

“I am sure once this partnership is finalized, it will be mutually beneficial, High King.” Naynn bowed his head, once more in the Druthagar manner. “I look forward to the next time we speak. Perhaps one day it will be in person.”

“May Movrim guide you, Custodian.” Thaseas returned the bow.

“Kochbiel’s blessing upon you.”

As the elf said the words, he disappeared, the map of the Shattered Veins replacing him. Immediately, there was an uproar from the Astral Lords. Belin Forgebellow was the loudest, echoing above the rest like his namesake.

“This is an outrage, High King,” he yelled, quieting the others. “You are flouting centuries of precedence by unilaterally agreeing to an alliance without a vote of the Astral Lords.”

“Is there a law I have broken, Lord Forgebellow?” Thaseas narrowed his eyes on the other dwarf. He still distinctly remembered six years ago when he had fought with Forgebellow in the damaged bridge after his own failed attack on the Hyperion Empire. “Last I checked, there is nothing in our code that indicates I am unable to create alliances without your approval.”

“Just because no law has been broken does not mean you have done right by Movrim, High King,” Forgebellow said his voice much quieter than before. “No king is able to stand alone. Even the gods know that.”

“It is a good thing I have my advisors then.” Thaseas waved a hand. “You are all dismissed. I have more important business to handle now. When I have received word from Custodian Naynn on the nature of the ships they are sending, you will all be alerted at once.”

The astral lords began filtering out of the room, some more begrudgingly than others. When the last was gone, the large door swung shut behind them, leaving Thaseas alone. Or, at least, mostly alone. In the silence of the room, a small robotic dog came out from behind the throne, gently walking over to sit in front of him. It opened its mouth, expelling a beam of light that manifested into a projection of an orb unlike any other that he seen before. This, however, was far from the first time his benefactor came to him in this way.

“Well done, High King,” the voice from the dog said. “With the Thalyssar on your side, you are well on your way to victory against the Hyperions. Finally.”

“Yes. I must ask, however, what did you do, Nergal?” Thaseas chose to ignore the subtle jab towards him. He did not know what precisely the dog—or orb—was capable of, but he did not wish to test it. “How did you know this would happen?”

“Plausible deniability, High King. It is better if you didn’t know.”

“I feel you leave me in the dark too often, Nergal.” Thaseas scowled. “How am I to properly mete out your will and govern my kingdom if I do not know what is being done to influence it? At least give me an idea of what you did.”

“Use your brain for just a second, High King.” The dog paced for a moment, looking up at Thaseas with a curious look. Rage began to bubble to the surface as he clutched his hands into fists. He resisted the urge to kick the robotic animal across the room, waiting to see what it was getting at. It almost seemed to sigh and shook its head. “It was a false flag, High King. I mimicked some of your ships and ‘forgot’ to hide the fact the drive signatures were of Hyperion origin. As such, the Thalyssar believe the Hyperions attempted to stage their own false flag attack to get them to attack you but failed. Therefore, they decided on the only logical course of action: they joined you, granting you access to their considerable amount of resources.”

“Smart.” Thaseas couldn’t help but grin widely. “Very smart.”

“I am built purely for logic. If I was not smart, I would be nothing.” The dog sat on its back legs, looking up at Thaseas sitting in the throne. “So, High King, what is your next step?”

“Once we hear back from the Thalyssar, organize our military with theirs and finally rid this galaxy of the filthy humans that dare defile my land.” He gripped his war axe and hefted into the air beside him. For the first time in six years, he felt something approaching untempered optimism. “Onwards to victory.”

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