ALL NOVEL 16. War Council
"By the incandescent essence of my divine flame, I, Asuryan, Phoenix King, your King declare this war council officially started."
At those words order permeated the Thrones Room, for most that is, I was still nonchalantly fiddling with my beard while the tip of my tail moved lazily in the air as if it had a mind of its own. I could do pretty much everything as long as it was within the limit of reason.
Our loved-not Godking Asuryan held a similar sway over the other that the lizard bitch had on me but overall lesser in many ways. The Authority part of one of his domains was not for show but to have authority there must be something that proves you deserve it in some way be power or charisma which the armored flaming turkey did not have over me.
In terms of raw psychic power he was above me by a decent margin like his twin brother Khaine even after the injury but that wasn't all there was to battle and I was far, far, far younger than them with less worship so it's to be expected. Still, I could effortlessly shrug off the vast majority of whatever Asuryan may dish at me and if worse came to worse I could portal myself away.
If we fought maybe I could not kill him if it wasn't in a vacuum or with preparation to avoid him fleeing or getting reinforcement but injuring him to the point he shattered into millions of pieces was a possibility. I didn't fight fair, I wasn't a warrior nevertheless an honor-bound one, I wasn't built to be either, I was built to win, and any opportunity to win will be taken and thoroughly used to obsolescence.
In addition, I was far too dangerous of a weapon to be puppeteered by him, only my sweetheart of a 'Mother' had the full key to my control. That not even the Great Council knew, she could order me to massacre them and their counter orders would be useless. And not forgetting that being psychically strong was good but as the battle after my birth had proved, having all your eggs in one basket was not an adequate thing to do.
"Morai-Heg spoke of what you have seen.", Asuryan said in a tone arrogant as per was of order for his person but it was imbued with an unusual amount of respect. Not surprising considering who he was addressing…
The one spoken to in question was sitting cross-legged on what appeared to be a masterfully crafted chair that would have been rather banal in design if not for a peculiar quirk, it was ever-changing in age, the chair passed from appearing to be a living tree with green leaves to a regular chair then one in decomposition to the point of turning to dust.
Fitting considering who was the goddess herself, she had a peculiar physical oddity that if not present would have made her appear like a normal if exceedingly powerful Aeldari. She was tricephalic, from the middle of her shoulders three necks grew, forming three distinct long-eared woman heads of the same individual but at different stages in life, teenage, middle-aged, and old to the point of being called decrepit. It was also why she was called the Crone.
"The Masters of the Silver Tide are rapidly shifting their nefarious schemes-", the middle-aged one on the right began, the teenage one continued in a far softer voice, "-for their defeat has become inevitable but they are no fools-", then the one in the middle and the oldest looking finished her voice frigidly severe, "-they shall change their strategy, they shall coagulate into a spear point and-", then all three heads said in tandem, "-they shall attack our most sacred bastion bargaining everything with their full malevolent blight in one last assault."
'Oh… Good, good it's pleasant to know Orikan words were correct…', I thought, stopping playing with my beard for the shortest of moments at the piece of news. One that should for all intent and purpose make me feel somewhat negative but did the exact opposite.
It was bad, that was certain, but it gave the playground to work for my liberation of the Old Ones' chains, and a battle of scale that would hopefully never be seen in the Milky Way ever again was what I needed to oil my plans nicely. My little deal with the Necron Cryptek was truly a blessing, well for me mostly.
Thought if the little Diviner had tried to play me… It was not to say lacking a soul and a nervous system was something I needed to make someone experience the worst that could be, Necron and their conditions did not make them absolutely immune to all that the things biological life forms with souls could go through.
It made them resistant to many things but their state wasn't immutable, in theory mostly for now. The few million Necron with multiple degrees of sapience I captured and was storing in my Vault had been subject to a few less than ethical experiences and I had several hypotheses with various proof of the possibility of turning them back.
But this was nothing of importance and more of a way to learn about transmutation and other branches of magic. If I wanted to do something like making objects back into people at least a few centuries of study focused on this was necessary for a result I could deem acceptable. And that was in the better estimate, it was to say that the threat of throwing Orikan in the Well of Eternity was far more effective.
Anyway… My careless attitude about such terrifying news was not shared by many of my brothers and sisters. Shock most of all, notably visible on the Maiden, aka the Aeldari Goddess of Dream, and Hope, her name Lileath, a young-looking Aeldari with a fluffy pair of pure white wings with golden accents sitting on a throne of rainbow clouds that had turned into a dark thunderstorm.
Her mother Isha was showing less shock and more worry if not even great sadness, as for her father Kurnous, the Lord of the Beasts, the God of the Hunt, and Wilderness, a muscular anthropomorphic stag-deer-goat-man hybrid on a throne of many bones, feathers, scales, and hide only frowned in great displeasure.
To only name those three.
And he was the first to speak after the news, "That is a trail of events I should have foreseen, they are cornered and will lash out with their full might at the reason of their state. If we win then this endless war will end but if we lose…"
"Lose? Lose! Do you hear yourself, do you hear your idiocy? Ah, what an infuriating and ridiculous concept but understandable from your limited viewpoint, animal. Those are the tactics of desperation, they do not have a choice but that is ultimately a pointless endeavor.", Khaine butted in with a sneer from his twisted throne of bronze and shattered bones, blood dripping in a neverending cascade from it yet never stained the marbled ground below.
As more words began to be flung at one another thanks to good ol' Khaine I observed passively. Cegorach was doing the same if visibly more engaged in the divine space opera with what appeared like popcorn but was made of light blue and pink crystal in his hand. I didn't have such a sour relationship with the Aeldari God of War but it wouldn't be hard to understand why he was so hated, rightfully so might I add.
He was a hot-headed impulsive unstable murderous psychotic asshole with a long list of actions that were less than admirable. The murder in body and soul of one the first and most revered Aeldari Eldanesh for no true reason but a boot of displeasure giving him the title of Bloody-Handed and also the reason Vaul had the title of Forgebound even if Forgechained would be closer to the truth. Those were two examples of many mountains of skulls and oceans of blood, besides the Necron and C'tan he might be the second with the most kills done personally.
Overall he was snappy and very abrasive and tended to be someone to avoid but I was one of the few he didn't despise even though I know this won't be the case for long. Though it wasn't as if his opinion aside from war mattered, he was still someone to be noted as a potential problem until he calmed down.
"Silence.", Asuryan said with a scowl, his eyes burning like stars, stopping all the arguing before it evolved into fighting both to my relief and displeasure, "I will heavily punish all that try to disturb this meeting of the highest importance. Save your little impertinent meddling when the time is due or make yourself small and forgotten."
"On that, we can agree.", I nodded at his words which he ignored, I didn't like him and wouldn't follow him but he wasn't foolish beyond saving. If only his arrogance could be taken down a peg or two, alas it wouldn't be possible that much I knew in any manner that didn't involve violence.
"Aunt, how soon is this event predicted to be?", Lileath asked with great worry and the answer that followed was not one any other but Khaine and I wanted to hear even if it was for vastly different reasons.
"This cannot be known with certainty, the Archjinni of the Rings-", the left head of Morai-Heg said followed by the left, "-very presence cloud the weaves of fate and destiny from friends and foes-", and the one in the middle finished, "-but fragments brought together heed the final battle to be in the scant thousands coming cycles."
Many eyes focused on me and I just gazed back lazily at them all and exclaimed almost innocently, "What? Would you blame a star for being hot?"
But no answer followed aside from the Great Harlequin chuckling, it wasn't like it was my fault. If they wanted to complain the lizard bitch isn't far, and speaking of the reptile…
I need to say this even if it was odd of me, but my vitriol has become less visible as time went on, and if there was suspicion it won't change that what I had to say was necessary.
"The Great Council, even if likely aware of this, needs to be warned about this and our plans. I propose we submit to Mother for her people to be brought to Yuggoth and the Celestian Enclave for both protection and support. They would play a major role in our victory and if we fail by some unknown variable then there must be a way to evacuate most of them with their home world to a new safe haven.", I suggested and murmurs of both agreement and disagreement soon followed from everyone until we settled on my proposition.
Though in the end, it was the Great Council who would decide I don't see why they would refuse willing meat shields while they cowered on their dust ball far from any supposed danger. Heh, the word 'supposed' was key here.
"OOH! I have a super magnificently good idea too! All the mortal races with their entire population should join the party as well! The more the merrier after all, wouldn't you agree?", Cegorach declared with sparkling eyes from his throne or more accurately colorful puppet theater that he was within.
"I found it hard to disagree, their presence and sacrifice will prove necessary for the future all.", Lileath said displeased, nay disgusted with the mere notion, if how her wings shivered was any indication but she was rational enough to put aside emotions for logic.
She did take a lot from her mother and kindness was one of them but it was more mild than excessive. It was good I supposed, having one Isha was already enough nevermind two. Overly kind people tended to be very grating at times when it came to morality and hypocrisy even if I wasn't one to ponder on morality nowadays.
"As much as it saddens and pains me to envision the consequences of such a choice, my daughter's words held all but the truth. Countless would perish for countless more to hope to thrive in a future where war and violence are foreign concepts and compassion and peace are pillars almighty.", Isha agreed with a downcast expression, the ever-present trickles of starlight forged tears intensifying.
'If only that was possible Isha.', I thought with displeasure at the fact the world didn't operate this way and it was insincere of me considering I would be part of why it would be this way… But I'm selfish, petty, and prideful and I would not sacrifice myself even if I'm aware of the potential consequences of my choices. I wasn't a righteous Isekai hero and wasn't going to act like one.
I didn't want to be a slave, and I didn't want to die. I didn't choose to be here so I would make do with what I had. My feelings on the matter were secondary.
"I suppose, it is my duty to haul all of them back here from every corner of the galaxy with great haste?", I said, one of my gold loops popping up as I made it spin around one of my talon fingers at hypersonic speed.
"The Labyrinth Dimension is among the greatest and most magnificent creations in history in both scale and complexity but I must admit that it pales in comparison to your ability to cut the space between two points in existence. I suppose it falls on your shoulders.", Vaul rumbled in agreement, his eyes locking on one of my rings with an intense thirst for knowledge.
Creating portals between two points was possible but it was severely limited, had various glaring weaknesses, and couldn't be done at any place and any moment for any range and destination.
As such he was very much interested in studying my rings but sadly for him I wouldn't be good in the role of a cooperating and obedient lab rat and matter of fact they were a part of my body in the same way my six hands, tails and feet were. They even had blood directly pumped from my heart and subsystem of organs both organic and not!
Inquisitive forge divinity aside all agreed at my proposition and without much of a second of hesitation, I began acting upon my words in parallels to the war council. I focused first on places containing a higher percentage of my 'faithful'. I'm still not used to this but I know I will come around… Eventually, perhaps, maybe.
This would stop hundreds of thousands of battlefields and lead to a massive loss in territory but that was without taking into consideration that the Infinite Empire was already in a grand party doing the same. Its assault had been for quite some time far less… How to say, intense. What Morai-Heg said was only the confirmation of why it had been the case.
"That is an adequate development.", Asuryan said with satisfaction before mentally sending us extensively detailed and precise information for the next half an hour on what had been proposed and also sharing that the Old Ones agreed to hunker down and sent several delegates to fight for us to work around.
"But there is much more to converse upon. Let's start with Vaul, as your great project to catalyze and amplify my ever-burning psychic flame bore fruit?", he continued and after this, the council went for the equivalent of half a day as we set a strategy weaving on thousands of plans with direct input from the Great Council.
What followed after were the preparations for the battle both on a global and personal scale for every last individual, from the smallest of Krork to Great Old Ones. This went on until it all reached a screeching halt when the fated time was made known in the most violent of ways causing my study to be interrupted and my plates of pastries to fall.
