The first arcana reversed: unleashed ego, illusions, revenge

Nila Raka Furlon was your everyday young nobleman belonging to what was considered the lesser nobility, those who were nobles in title only, not having to manage anything other than their mansion in the capital.

They were tasked with menial tasks of responsibility, like in the case of his family supervising the sewage system of the town.

Nila couldn’t see how this was an important task at all, even if his parents tried time and time again to explain that that supervision was a job devised by the hero of old, a position in service of the town and his populace.

The small talk among young nobles at parties only added salt to the wounds, being considered dirty akin to the commoners and slaves his family had to employ in the task of actually cleaning the clogged parts of the sewage.

There were times that slimes infiltrated the system and his family had to call forth adventurers to clean those before the damn critters multiplied beyond control.

The problem with that was that he was viewed as weaker than the average six-year-old commoner that was ready and able to kill a slime or two that came his way with a stick.

They didn’t know of course that when adventurers were called the damn critters were in the thousands, and would have easily swarmed and digested said kid and his puny stick.

Losing one or two vagrants that pretended to play soldier was a little price to pay and was about the only thing that could occasionally call him to reason with his father about the actual need of supervision of the whole system like the past hero had asked.

It was an undeniable fact that Nila would have rather been born in one of the major houses, those that unleashed the dogs of wars against the demons and defended against other nations or conquered them when the need arose.

It was a far nobler and fulfilling purpose to his eyes than checking if critters swarmed if grime flowed and nobody had the bright idea to set up shop down in the sewers.

Nila had found solace for his troubled heart and mind by chance, a group of slaves had reported hearing chants in one part of the sewers near the temple of justice and his father ordered him to check with the temple if they had expanded further underground.

He found that the temple’s high priest knew squat about anything going on below his structure, and authorized him to go below into the catacombs of the temple.

He was to investigate along with a couple of temple knights willing to meddle with the sewage if the need arose.

He found nothing, but he noticed something, enough to realize the place had been used, but he kept the realization for himself concealing the actual proof on himself while he kept the knights occupied with some menial task.

A stranger soon got close to him as he was drinking in a tavern and asked to follow him should he desire true justice and so he found out the existence of a God of justice cult.

Their objective was pretty straightforward, it was about bringing true justice to the world, and by the cult’s standard pretty much everyone was a sinner.

Inequality and injustices were commonplace in the kingdom and it seemed that nobles had other priorities besides fixing them, so the wound could only spread further and deepen, fester even.

There was so many a problem that untangling them was deemed an impossibility, only the hero was seen as a solution, a solution the gods denied.

The cult dogma was at the time centered on the concept to accept the punishment dealt by the god of justice in the shape of monsters and demons that were about to destroy the kingdom.

Humans were sinners by nature and all they could do to atone was dying to please the gods.

When the demon lord’s awakening was confirmed monster’s attacks seemed to come each and every day; it was seen as the god of justice lifting the restraints on the seals placed by the late hero on the being.

For someone having some real knowledge on the matter and access to prime information like Nila, it wasn’t even a talking point.

He knew of course that the attacks didn’t increase if not at the border, and way later than that cult claimed.

Still, he saw an opportunity, and acted on it, becoming in a matter of years a prophet, the talking head of the cult.

All he had to do was to allow here and there some monster infiltration via the sewers predicting with accuracy the event and stating it was a revelation from the god of justice.

He moved slowly and cunningly, after all his family was not to know in any circumstance, nor he could be discovered.

What if some commoners and nosy adventurers or guards died?

They deserved it, in the end, the new dogma was that he and he alone was to rise, as king of Cesio, to make the kingdom just, to make all equal to the eye of god once again.

He established a base in a damaged water tower that served one of the poorest districts of Sesti, making the already difficult life even harder and gaining the support of the progressively angrier and deluded commoners of the district by handing relief via his cult.

At the end who would’ve called him out?

He was the head of the Furlon family now, all he could do was mobilize some adventurers non certainly the town’s guards or even the military.

All he had was some measly founds that would be better used to fuel his cause rather than saving a rotting city.

He was after all the voice of the god of justice, he was his will incarnate and anyone daring to challenge him would die.

He and he alone would be able to bring true justice in Cesio, and not some nobody hero that was called via an old ceremony against his will.

He had to act and sent one of the best assassins of the cult to kill this fake hero, but it seemed that the hero’s power was far greater than expected.

Nila was pissed that his assassination attempt failed, all he could do was to hinder the efforts of the hero, in whatever he was considering doing while trying to figure out a way to get him out of the picture.

He was with his most trusted men trying to make up plans to kill each and every master artisan in town since the accursed hero was apparently about to speak to them when it happened.

It was like a brewing storm, a flickering sensation of magic becoming ever stronger as it pointed straight for their base of operation.

At first, it was almost unnoticeable, using magic was an everyday thing after all so there was no real harm in it.

Then again it was the worst district of Cesio for a reason, most of those here were unable to use magic to such a degree one would begin to notice it for being above the norm.

It grew and grew, swirling, chaotic, suffocating darkness, a sense of unease and approaching doom, there was no possible mistake as to whom was the source of that power: the fake hero summoned by the crown.

He was coming straight for them as if he knew where to find them as if he already found out their plan, but how?

Nila grew in Cesio and, much like for any child, tales of the hero’s actions and feats were told him as bedtime stories.

Now it was here, a real living… no that fat wobbling unsightly being was no hero, it was a monster straight out of hell, a walking calamity dressed in noble’s clothing that was hard-pressed to keep the shape of a human.

Nila thanked silently his wits as he gathered strong warriors and mages in his little cult as a move to prepare for times to come.

The assassin had failed because it was sent alone, now there were five of them to contend with that creature, and surely they would prevail.

Ars, one of the best archers he knew drew his bow and attacked the thing with a magic arrow, but even the arrow avoided that foul being like the plague he was, refusing to meet his target, deviated by whatever power the monster had.

Nila called his magic through his gauntlets where he had engraved a magic circle able to control his fire element.

“God of justice, I offer thee my pledge, grant me the ability to call forth the blazing flames to consume those that threaten your sanctuary!”

He didn’t need an incantation he was a noble after all and such things were behind him, he only chanted to prove to his fellow that his magic came from the god of justice.

The thing had stopped down below and shouted a weird word while he was doing so, but it was all for naught for he was enclosed in the raging sphere of fire.

Nila wasn’t gifted, it was kind of a sore spot for him that as his nobility rank was low so were his magic reserves.

He believed it was because people with lots of magic like princess Sinalta married off to people with similarly high powers and so on down the line to his family.

He was convinced that once he was to reign over Cesio, maybe he could’ve made Sinalta a mother to his powerful heirs.

Even so, the magic cast by Nila was powerful enough to burn several bodies without leaving more than a halo of ashes on the floor.

His foe, in the end, was a hero, and like in the tales of old he was unscratched by the attack thrown at him.

There was a halo of light around him, a magical barrier of sorts he probably conjured with that mysterious word.

“Very funny, now come down here before I get more pissed than this, resistance is futile.”

He was defying them, he was taunting him with his very act still safe behind his barrier, but all things had a weakness and so he ordered Kobu to attack from below.

Kobu was a warrior and a user of earth magic, able to travel under the soil for a brief time, after all, he needed to breathe like anybody else.

He ordered Ars to move in front as a distraction, he was the most agile and ordered Lia and Ruel to run behind him and distract him while Kobu attacked from below.

There was a possibility that the barrier was weak to a plain and simple physical attack, but even worse the being was seemingly aware of all of their schemes.

“Now this is something funny to see, you still wanna hide from me?”

Not only his barrier was unfazed by the combined attacks of Ruel and Lia, he even managed to somehow move from the spot Kobu was gonna come out of and even avoid his swift blade strike.

While Ars could beat Kobu in swiftness and agility Kobu was swift enough to beat Ruel, Lia, and even himself in single combat.

Even if he was stronger, confronting five people alone was still a feat a fat bloated body like the hero sported was bound to drag you down.

It seemed he was pushed to the boundary of his barrier, even if to evaluate the battlefield.

“Fellas, don’t give me the silent treatment, please. Gods are silent as it is, if their messengers wannabe does the same where’s the fun?“

Even with them masked and hooded, even pushed he still taunted them, he seemed to know what they all were about.

He had to be stopped, here and now before he became troublesome.

Luckily he dispelled his barrier to switch to an attack, so after all, he had limits, Ruel’s great sword cleaved nicely through his body.

Justice had prevailed.

There was only one little bit of a problem, the thing’s magic power didn’t disappear.

It was a universal rule of thumb, if you killed a magic caster his magic trace hoverer strong disappeared alongside him.

And there was also no blood to be seen, even if the man was cut in halves all one could see was a black surface, not the normal mess of entrails and bodily fluids.

It was like a pool of still water, a mirror of dark reflections.

Was he trying to heal himself, or to prevent his death?

It was but an instant after the body had touched the ground, but Nila had a chill run up his spine, the magic power was focusing.

Raw energy becoming so dense to become tangible rushing to the hero’s remains.

He felt it, a shift in power, an elemental change.

He knew only the best of the best could’ve pulled off.

From darkness to light, from light back to darkness.

A mixture of both powers, and a creepy sound.

A giggle at first, then a burst of full-blown laughter.

There was no joy, nor amusement, it was a cold laugh, a broken laugh.

Then there was a stream of colored shards sprouting from the remainders of the body as they disappeared into thin air.

A mist appeared out of nowhere engulfing the whole area, clearly confusing his friends, then a giggle caught his attention.

There was a man behind him now, he was a tall slender man with shining green eyes, donning a strange set of clothes.

He couldn’t know it was a black tailcoat, nor he could name the white top or the green bow tie or the top hat with a green band those were clothing only someone of Thirteen’s world could recognize and cringe about.

He could recognize the white gloves, the black pants and green sash that seemingly kept them up, and the weird black mantle with his inside painted green.

He had a weird black wand, white at both tips, and scariest of all his right eye’s inside was completely pitch excluding the glowing green iris.

“My dear gentlemen a once in a time show is about to begin, you got entitled to a front-row ticket and you wouldn’t miss it now, would you?”

Whit just how much mana he was leaking out his underlings had little trouble in tracking him down, Ruel, Lia, Kobu, and Ars had returned inside and lounged on him from all directions.

He sighed and tapped himself with the wand making a box appear closing around himself, another barrier shielding him from harm.

It was a weird one, usually, a barrier left some space for sight but this one was as good as a casket, for it didn’t provide any opening to see through.

As soon as the blades touched the thing a magical circle appeared below it, but swords were able to pass through this time, even drawing blood.

As the pool of blood grew larger and larger the man reappeared walking mid-air behind the window, he was holding a big four-leaved clover tall as he was.

“I just needed a volunteer, I got four” one of the leaves fell as he smiled lowering his top hat by the brim “Well let’s make that three.”

He disappeared along with the box leaving Ruel’s body impaled by his companions’ blades as well as his own.

Nila couldn’t see Lia, Kobu, or Ars' faces under their masks but they had to be shocked as he was.

The whole structure shook and trembled rising as if alive, rearranging from a bent temple form to a theatre of sorts apparently.

Ruel’s body was dragged away and up a wall, broken further by the shifting wood and hung like a hunting trophy, his sword vertical on a stand made of his still bloody bones.

Lia, Kobu, and Ars had barely the time to recover their weapons as their companion was brought to the stage as he was torn to pieces.

All the holy ceremonial objects disappeared along with the holy markings, in their place there was once again that man, no that demon, his top hat in hand under the bleeding head of Ruel, a big smile on his face.

As Ruel’s blood seeping from his eyes and gaping mouth touched the hat, the hat’s sash slowly changed color from green to partly blood red.

“Now that we are on the same page, welcome to my show, will you talk or will you make my hat fully red?”

As the demon on stage laughed Ars dropped his blade and took his bow once again and fired a volley of five arrows towards him, there was no talking to a demon after all.

All the demon had to do was move the hat with both hands making it widen to an impossible degree getting as wide and big as the demon itself.

A magical circle appeared as a light deep in the darkness of the hat absorbing all of the arrows.

“Now this is no magic, it’s knife juggling my friend, you’re breaking the rules here!“

Lia and Kobu weren't idling by, taking advantage of the demon losing sight of them for the big encumbrance of the now giant hat they tried to pincer him.

“Now what will I take, as the god points mine I’ll make”

Unhindered by the giant hat the demon swung by his wand back and forth from Lia to Kobu, stopping at Lia.

He disappeared in a flash of light and smoke along with his hat, and the next thing was him swapping places with Lia and rushing to stop Kobu’s blade with Lia’s avoiding Ars’ arrows.

“Now we don’t wanna do the same trick twice, do we?”

As he confronted Kobu on even grounds the smoke was clearing, revealing a trapped Lia, she was chain bound in what seemed a big glass box, filled to the brim with water.

She had one arm free and a small key was dangling in front of her, she was struggling to get it to free herself from the many paddocks that were linking the chains.

Nila couldn’t understand why Lia wasn’t using magic enhancing to simply break the chains, but if the box was indeed made of glass he could’ve broken it along with Ars.

He was pissed to move from near the windows where he stood since he had better chances at running away, but the annihilation of the hero-demon took priority here.

Ars fired a couple of arrows to the glass and he used his magic power to enhance them with fire, making them hot enough to melt glass.

There was no effect, just a magic circle appearing surrounding the whole box, draining the arrows of magic before they hit, as Lia was struggling to get the key and free herself.

The demon smiled, his gloves shone with the same magic circle Nila was using and he simply generated a big blazing flame in the face of Kobu, nowhere near enough dangerous to produce harm, but enough to startle him enough to make him disengage.

As he did he tripped him and threw his mantle toward him and managed to cover him with it, making him struggle to get free.

He came closer fixing his top hat, as he tapped lightly with his wand Kobu stopped struggling to get free.

He removed the mantle and with a flash of light on the stage appeared Kobu, strapped to a guillotine, the wire holding the suspended blade was running above a burning candle.

As both Lia and Kobu were struggling. trying to get free now the demon with human skin talked again to Nila and Ars, fixing his mantle.

A big shamrock appeared above the mostly green sash of his hat, the man laughed.

“Now, feel like talking? You’ll soon be down to two.”

One of the leaves fell as the wire was consumed by the fire and the heavy blade of the guillotine fell with it, looping Kobu’s head.

As soon as Kobu’s head touched the ground it moved as to be put on display next to Ruel’s sorry remains.

The sash of his hat became now two-fifths red, the man seemed to become older, shorter, his expression eviler and less and less human.

“The girly here has more spunk than I gave her credit for, anyway she won’t endure much longer.”

Lia was still tossing and stirring trying to get free from the chains, as she had managed to get the key and unlock some padlock, but it was all too obvious she needed to breathe soon by her expression and fading efforts.

“All you have to do is lay down your weapons and kiss my iron boots, submit to my will and by my will alone live and dance. “

“You monster will pay!” was the only possible answer Nila could shout at him behind his mask as he threw to him the strongest spell he could still muster with his low mana, a blue fireball barely big enough to fit his palm but hot enough to melt iron, on contact.

Nila was hoping even that being had limits for he was burning mana in far greater amounts than he would’ve been ever capable of.

Ars angrily launched a volley of five arrows imbuing magic of his own that doubled the arrows mid-air.

The arrows and the fireball were met by a spin of the mantle by the being that sighed as his mantle caught fire, his eyes narrowed as Lia finally stopped struggling, and was dragged down below ground without so much as disturbing the water in the box.

The shamrock on the hat lost another leaf, as her body was dismembered below the floor with many eerie crunching sounds.

As her lifeless head with a still terrorized expression appeared on the wall next to the others, exposed as she was vomiting blood and water the hat’s sash became further red.

The appearance of the man became shorter, his face older, scarier, his ears grew pointier along with a white bristly beard with a long mustache.

“So be it. I will pay, by my art.”

He waved his wand and the box of water on the stage shifted from to a big deep pool taking most of the stage, everything else just vanished in thin air.

The galley of horror was enriched by Kobu’s body parts, scattered now along with the others.

With a snap of his fingers the still burning mantle disappeared, shadows became alive crossing the room and ensnaring Ars.

Ars was quickly dragged to the pool and the being smiled evilly to his screams before none could be heard.

The being became much older, as he licked his lips while crunching sounds came from the pool, and the water turned red.

His hat’s sash was mostly red now and he was now tall as an adolescent, his body builds remembered that of an old goblin with still those glowing unnatural eyes.

Ars’ partly eaten face appeared on the wall, a scared empty look on his remains.

“Now we are down to us, don’t be a fool kid, drop the justice act. There is no justice here, nor there’s fairness and you know it. I am change, I am death and I am coming whether you want me or not. You can either join my side and dance to my tune or be destroyed, here and now. “

“NO!” Screamed Nila “BEGONE DEMON! THE GOD OF JUSTICE IS WITH ME!”

The thing narrowed his eyes, took his hat off, and tapped with his wand on it.

“And for my next trick, I am gonna pull a goat out of this hat!”

He exclaimed, pulled his short arm inside the hat, and pulled out a real demon Nila could recognize, with ram-like horns and a dumbfound and scared expression he probably had too on his face, behind his mask.

Selie had a lot to complain with Etgas, on their way back; wittingly or not they were now on seemingly equal grounds in the clutches of Thirteen’s whims.

She had to endure the whole time upon the platform in silence, barely considered by anyone not hostile to her and had to rely on Etgas’ care to even drink since Thirteen didn’t seem to care for her if not to drive a point home in his conversation.

While it was kind of fun to see that human brought to his place, she was understandably angry and leashed at the slaver that had to listen to her complaints.

“I don’t understand what was the point of having me there?

I was to say nothing, and I only got insults!

People were afraid or hostile, should’ve known, we told him properly!

What was on his damn warped mind?

What does that human consider me?”

Etgas looked to Sesti’s walls, with a conflicting expression, one she could pick at least.

“Yeah yeah, I get it, better be silent than dead.

I’m a monster and you, you people just want to run away from me before I get to eat you.

What is the spirit's name is wrong with you humans?

For Adgad’s Sake don’t you realize the thing you summoned is screaming monster all over the place?

It’s not even a natural monster I tell you!

That guy, the scarred human that made threats what was his name again?”

Etgas sighed shaking his head as he continued walking in the direction of the town.

“His name his Guren, you’d better commit to memory the name, for he is second only to the King when it comes to moving troops around.

If I get where Thirteen wants to lead us we’ll see him up close again and again.”

Selie was way more expressive pointing her claws to him as she followed suit surpassing him from time to time.

“Yeah, that’s him.

That guy is scary!

I mean way scarier than a dragon, that’s for sure.

The killing intent and magic he released would’ve made a dragon weep I’m sure of it!”

Etgas raised an eyebrow at Selie’s words “You’re making fun of me!” he said irritated.

“No no, not making fun, I am Pictoro come on!.

I will explain, we go to the mountains before the first snow of each year.

Monster more aggressive in winter, cannot win in open space.

When we go up, we met winged lions, we meet dragons.

The winged lions, your people call them griffins, we have to kill them too.

The dragons are smarter, they know us, they shelter us, for a price.

In nature’s good season, we prepare the tribute for the dragons, to get shelter.

Dragons aren’t always willing, some shelter others, some shelter gold, but they point to a dragon that may shelter us.

So we live to see another summer, but that’s beside the point, I have seen old dragons angry, they emanated a similar killing intent.

So I think young dragons cover and weep in front of that.”

Etgas sighed and shrugged, then nodded.

“I see, well you are correct, the general is in a league of his own, but Thirteen well… “

He dropped the argument with an expression that let out his frustration about the man.

“Let’s say I am far from understanding his motives.

He might have done that just for fun, but I can’t figure out why to defend you in front of the generals; in the end, you are just …”

“Don’t finish the sentence” Interrupted Selie, quite angry in tone “but yeah he did defend me, and I can’t understand why. He doesn’t smell like a person that goes out of his way to do stuff, so why?”

Etgas laughed a little shaking his head.

“You saw him, he revels in provoking people. To the point of hurting himself and his position in the process. I don’t think he even considers you or your feelings, you give him too much credit. Tell me if there’s a reason to behave like so, for I know none, Sl… Selie.”

The girl shook her head in the negative moving the tip of her nose left and right with a practiced motion of her mouth, smelling the air.

“I believe we should move”

Etgas looked to the girl and frowned.

“You are a had one to trust yourself. “

The girl shrugged and moved forward, to the city; they reached the gate and rented a carriage reaching Etgas’ shop and home.

She went to take a bath herself, it was something she couldn’t do while a slave, but both Thirteen and Etgas agreed that she had to cleanse her body, for different reasons.

Etgas had a more grounded reason, she had to be with humans and had to smell like one.

Thirteen was more whimsical, saying she could provide broth for dinner by doing so.

She liked to be clean so there was no reason to push her beside her apparent position in human society.

Time passed and it was almost time for dinner when she felt it, there was a storm on the horizon, for she could feel Thirteen’s magic raising on the other side of town.

She had a deal with Etgas about a situation like that and she rushed to his side to inform him of the event.

By the time she reached him, the unleashed power could be felt by the human, that had a pissed expression.

“ I sure hoped we had more time.”

He complained to Selie, she was still scared of the power that man could unleash, it was like nature was put upside down forcefully.

Humans were a part of nature, so even if they had some rough edges in the way they used the spirit, they still felt alright, it wasn’t the case with Thirteen.

“You have a finer sense for spirit than mine, please tell me that Thirteen is not involved”

Asked Etgas to Selie in the hope she could say it wasn’t, but he was spot on she understood it himself, he sighed.

“What in heaven’s name is that guy thinking! I told him, I told him! Do not release your magic outside of this house, is that a difficult request!? “

Etgas sighed plunging in his seat, both hands on his face, sighing, removing his wig and slamming it on his desk in frustration.

“We had to go with him, on the damned royal carriage. Goddes I do hope that he’s not with the king or the princess… no wait HIM alone? That would be worse! Why me!”

Selie, for the first time in her life, felt something akin to pity for a human, only to tell herself he deserved whatever was coming for him.

There was nothing she could’ve said, after all, she couldn’t understand what was going on in Thirteen’s mind while the man was beside her, so it was impossible, to begin with, to know about his thoughts so far away.

Suddenly she felt a magical circle forming below her, above a giant’s hand appeared pulling her into the dark.

She didn’t even scream, it was all too sudden, she passed through an unfamiliar scenery, a city so wide she couldn’t see its walls, crossed by a river.

There were tall buildings, buildings that appeared to reflect the sun, a giant wheel, many enormous palaces and towers that seemed to touch the sky.

Then she reappeared into a familiar wooden building, still quite confused, but in front of her there was a masked being and in the air the scent of blood.

Behind her, Thirteen, his spirit was getting tolerably low, but it was still scary and distorted to the point of showing her two images of the same being.

Thirteen pulled his hand down below in what seemed the other spirit, yet she could see the reflected image of the magic pulling back his head, plunging his hand inside.

Thirteen pulled out a two-edged sword with a blue grip and golden curved guard and pommel, with golden and blue decor on an overly long rain guard.

The very fuller was filled with gold and had a red gem imbued near its meeting with the blade, some weird signs read “the ace of swords”

It seemed like he was pulling out of his mouth in the projected distorted version, much to the horror and dismay of the masked figures.

Looking around Selie could catch a glimpse of the ruined dismembered figures of at least four other humans.

“You would kill another human?”

Thirteen laughed at her question, shaking his head. “Why I didn’t kill them, they killed themselves!” He laughed creepily

“ All they had to do was to listen, and they would be alive. It was a very fun show to watch I give them as much. Now you see I have a problem. This one too doesn’t want to be of use for me. His choice, yes?”

“You are a demon! I will not submit to demons! For Justice, I will prevail!”

Shouted the masked figure throwing a wide flame to distract them, trying his best to flee after doing it, stopped by a weave of Thirteen’s hand.

“See? Annoying right? Then I thought, why not see if my favorite little goat is on the same page as me. “

“You’re sick!” Protested Selie “Or so the healer said” Replied Thirteen, laughing, it was clear that he wanted to mock her. He then looked at her, totally serious.

“It’s beside the point!

When we will go down our little merry road of not killing the demon lord there will be heaps of people just like him, or her, their head too deep inside their beliefs.

They won’t listen and they will take arms, and go out of their way to hamper us.

So here’s the question, are you ready to kill a normal human being when I ask you to?”

He asked giving her the sword, balancing the blade on his left forearm with help of the right hand offering her the handle, in a way she could use the weapon to strike at his neck.

She understood the gesture perfectly, it was a matter of trust expressed in the worst possible way, but still a matter of trust.

She couldn’t deny that the man was right, she couldn’t see all humans being fine with living in peace with her kind, it wasn’t far-fetched to believe that some would be willing to still harass her or her people.

Sooner or later she would have to kill, so she took the sword and lunged forward, it was a simple enough task to do that to a not resisting foe, but it felt weird to attack unprovoked, in the end, it was just a matter of doing and not thinking.

She didn’t feel resistance at all to her swing as blood sprouted forth and the body fell to the ground, lifeless as his head was looped and revealed his face.

“Satisfied now? How are you going to explain this to other humans?”

She asked, cleaning the sword of blood with one swift motion, she was about to give back the weapon when Thirteen’s magic suddenly distorted further, the body of the last human killed being swallowed by the floor, that started shaking.

An eerie laugh sounded in the air, as the whole structure started reshaping on its own as further magic power seeped into it.

The whole thing was beginning to move as if it was being brought to life by the very blood that had been flowing from the corpses, the last head appeared alongside the others, and thirteen rocks pierced the floor in a circle around Thirteen.

“No!”

He exclaimed as if he knew what those rocks were about, he tried to struggle but he seemed to be held in place.

Thirteen chains of light surrounded his distorted form as if to seal it back.

“I still need this power! I need to know what they were about! Why they attacked first!”

In an eerie show, the five heads talked in unison in a cacophony of voices that united in shaping a simple sentence.

“You need nothing more to progress, go on your way.”

The shape of Thirteen's spirit returned to the usual one in the eyes of Selie, the sword she was holding, the rocks and the chains disappeared into a burst of light particles.

The lights surrounded Thirteen, swirling and reshaping as cards that reunited in a single deck hovering in front of the man.

“Killjoys”

He muttered angrily at the heads still attached to the wall, as the bodies slowly returned to their original shape without their masks.

He took the deck with a frustrated expression, his shaking hands started shuffling it while Selie frowned and approached them, surprised she exclaimed.

“Wait.. the last one is still alive!”

Thirteen nodded sighing, with an annoyed expression.

“Of course he is, it was all an illusion after all. A trick, if you will test you.

I didn’t plan to kill him in the first place, I wanted to interrogate him.

Your hands are clean, you are innocent as the lamb you are, so be prepared.”

Selie turned her head to Thirteen not understanding but feeling a strange relief.

“Prepare for what?”

She asked but as the place stopped moving soldiers and knights entered, their swords were drawn, the insignia of the kingdom on their backs.

“The guards, what else?”

Thirteen smiled evilly chuckling as he shuffled his cards.

“You knew this would happen? Then why do all that in the first place!? Why did you give me that task?”

Asked Selie quite frustrated with Thirteen.

“Because I needed to know. For sure. Actions my dear speak louder than words”

The man smiled then raised his tone.

“Took your sweet time, did you? One could die of boredom around here you know?”

From the guards and soldiers the figure of Guren, that looked quite angry, it took a great deal of explaining and back and forth from the two to bring about a glass sphere.

The item did not react to Thirteen at all but shone black when touching Nila, still fainted on the ground, and white when she was made to touch it.

Guren seemed appalled by the situation as a whole as he realized who one of the caped humans was, and what kind of symbols were present on his garments.

In the end, the humans were chained and brought away and the two of them were escorted back to the main street by Guren himself.

“I still don’t understand” Said Selie looking at Thirteen

“Heroes are called by the goddess, and the goddess guides their path, or so the legends say anyway.”

Guren said with a gruff tone, probably for her, looking at Thirteen and then rising his tone.

“I believe you can give me a better reason for your actions this evening, mister no name since you claim you are no hero.”

Thirteen looked at the night sky, sighing, his eyes set on the three moons and the shining river in the sky, still shuffling his cards.

“I don’t have an easy answer for you, considering my words are distorted by magic. How would you explain to a kid that bad things happen here? As the work of demons, or as the result of one’s actions?”

Guren frowned clearly as he looked at Selie

“For the love of Adgad, I wasn’t here at the beginning! Ask Etgas! How many times do I have to repeat myself!?”

She protested frustrated at the human’s suspicion, but Thirteen raised his right hand.

“I’ll take that as an answer.

You see, Guren, I believed that as a general your mind was broader than most, in the end, all I see is an old man basking in past glory and religious nonsense.

The first and foremost rule on the battlefield is that there’s a motive for each little action, even if you don’t know exactly what it is you have to take an educated guess.

One general in my world stated that you need to know yourself and the enemy to gain victory.

The very existence of a motive does imply freedom of action and net gain by said action, what would then be the gain for Selie in this?

How could she infer with a resident here if she was in prison at the start of the week, unable to think and act for herself?

For the level of organization, I saw I can guess those guys started the charade way before Selie was even in town.

These are the questions you should make even before losing your time and energy accusing her.

Are you sure you know yourself, Guren?

Don’t you think that your preconception, your religion is hindering you in battle?

As long as you don’t recognize Selie as your equal, as long as you don’t realize that even those you call demons have needs, thoughts, and emotions like you, you will never be able to bring this to a close, not that I care of course.

I will make gain time to receive reinforcements, but please consider retiring by then If you can’t change your mind.

Selie? We are going on foot.”

He started going but Guren stopped him promptly by placing a hand on his shoulder.

“This I cannot allow, Thirteen. You will return with an escorted carriage. This is for the moment, it is the second time around you unleash your magic, while we understand it was in self-defense, still, we would like to avoid a third time.”

Thirteen sighed, looking at Guren from over his shoulder without turning completely.

“I do not like people that touch me without permission.”

In the end, Etgas carriage was quicker than thought and explained what he saw, Selie disappearing dragged into a magical circle appeared in his office’s ceiling.

Etgas and Selie’s troubles were not over, because Thirteen fell asleep as soon as he was seated on the carriage, probably for exhaustion.

There was of course no waking him and it took four very muscular slaves to drag his fat body out of the carriage and into his bed.

Guren, Etgas, and Selie oversaw the whole process after Nila was dragged into Etgas’ most secure cell

“In the end, he’s got limits huh?” Said Etgas to Selie and Guren after the ordeal was completed, and sighed “still, this night you will dine alone”

Selie raised an eyebrow, looking at the humans

“Why won’t you eat?” Asked Selie

“Well girl, you better learn it now, we humans do not act kindly to traitors.

A healer is on his way here, we will make the man talk now, Etgas is performing his duty to the kingdom as of now.

The hero has his views I can’t share. He trusts you, I believe he’s wrong in doing so.

For now, know that you will be next for interrogation the very moment I smell betrayal.

I saw too many of you beasts slaughter man, woman and child with no second thoughts to trust you or any of your kind”

Said Guren, again with a gruff low tone.

“So did your people to mine, I will not forget”

Said Selie in response, staring back at him, Etgas had to cough remembering the interrogation, to separate them.