Eclipses were popular in the villain community both for arcane and theatrical reasons. What better time than in the pitch black of the middle of the day to strike, really? The ignorant believed it was a god’s wrath, and the educated were too intrigued by the event to notice evil preparing to strike. The fact arcana was heightened was beneficial too, if one knew how to capitalize upon it.
Yvlcon did not have annual dates, but instead preceded such anomalies, acting as a negotiation stage where a necromancer or alchemist could request assistance from a dragon tamer or a dark priest in return for a future favor. It was reciprocity in motion, and even as he stood before the council in defiance, Damien hoped he could twist this castigation into what GOoD liked best: a bargain.
His eyes shifted over the six seats before him, trying to glean anything he could off the robed, amorphous figures. The true identity of any council member was never revealed. Guesses could be made, especially when villains went missing, presumed dead otherwise, but there was never confirmation. GOoD members were sometimes rumored to be ancient, all-powerfulbeings who had been on earth since time’s dawning but were also said to be whoever was available on any given day. Damien was unsure the members even knew who the others were, but there was one fact everyone knew: they were a council of six, and on this day, one seat was empty. “Seems I’m not the only one with other obligations.”
There was an uneasy shuffling then, and he let the observation hang in the chamber along with that weird, arcane cloud. Damien stood a little straighter, arms crossing over his chest. If they were less powerful down by one, that could be a boon.
But the council would never acknowledge a mistake on their own part, despite reveling in holding everyone else to the coals for the most minor transgressions. Before the council’s discomfort could grow into embarrassed rage, Damien took a deep breath and thought of Amma. “Extracurricular malfeasances aside, what can I do for you?”
The members shifted again, but this time with the slightest intrigue.YOU WOULD OFFER THE GRAND ORDER YOUR SERVICES?
“We all know that’s the point of this—there has been a sort of miscommunication, and there is a price to be paid. In return for my…my concubine back, name your demand, and it will be—”
“I know, I know, I’m late, but I don’t want to hear it: the transdimensional corridor is packed this time of—”
Damien turned to the opening chamber door behind him, and there stood a figure, cloaked in a significantly oversized robe like the five upon the dais, face obscured.
“How thoughtful of you to join us,” Damien grumbled.
The figure remained there, letting the massive door fall closed with a long, low creak and a thunk that finally shook off his petrification. He hacked up bile into his throat and dropped his voice to a raspy, wet tone in a poor mockery of what theGrand Order sounded like. “What is this?”
LORD BLOODTHORNE HAS FAILED TO FILE FORMS D2-WL3, AR606, AND ALL SUBSEQUENT DOCUMENTATION.
The figure gave Damien a wide berth, yanking at his hood despite the spell over his face. He disappeared behind the dais, but his voice rose up, “Well, just kill her and get it over—”
—WITH. WE HAVE OTHER THINGS TO DO.The aggregate Grand Order voice took over as the figure reappeared and entered the miasma, huffing down into the empty seat.
Damien opened his mouth to object, but the Grand Order’s voice broke back in.
LORD BLOODTHORNE HAS OFFERED US A DEAL IN TRADE. WHAT KIND OF DEAL? WE HAVEN’T GOTTEN THAT FAR YET. I CAN’T IMAGINE IT IS WORTHY—HE HAS TOTALLY DISREGARDED THE SANCTITY OF YVLCON. WELL, IF WE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN INTERRUPTED, WE WOULD KNOW WHAT THE DEAL ENTAILS. IF WE HAD NOT BEEN INTERRUPTED, WE MIGHT HAVE BLINDLY TAKEN IT WITHOUT PROPER CONSIDERATION.
Damien rolled his eyes. If he had any idea who the late member was, he would put them on a personal list for immediate destruction. There had always been six council members, and their combined power was rumored to be great—it was said that only by fortune the Grand Order of Dread didn’t take over the entirety of existence, but then that would require some sort of agreement they never seemed able to come to.
Instead of realm domination, the Grand Order doled out favors when requested and call them in when needed, creating a sort of balance that ultimately did very little in the grand scheme of villainy, which was likely how it ought to be. But they did have the power to make one, little woman disappear.
WE SHALL SEE, THEN, WHAT LORD BLOODTHORNE HAS TO OFFER.
Damien was tapping his foot when the Grand Order finally stopped arguing with itself. “It’s my turn now? Right. Well, my father is—”
NOT YOUR FATHER. YOU.
Damien’s jaw tightened right back up. He would need to see someone about his teeth after all of this if he could handle even more evil than what he’d gotten himself into.
But as he stood there, annoyed and clenched and eager to be done, Damien came to an uncomfortable realization: whatdidhe have to offer? To burn down a village? Assassinate a lord? Raze a temple to the ground? Amma wouldn’t like any of those things, even done in trade for her. She was undoubtedly going to be upset about the whole stabbing-Kaz-to-death thing as it was, but to add yet another atrocity to the list? How many times could he say,But I did it for you,before she would request he do nothing for her at all? Ruining the entire realm to free his father was already pushing it.
Though there was one thing he had that theoretically hurt no one: information.
“You must be aware of the mysterious occurrence in the realm of Eiren. The one I translocated from.”
The Grand Order was aware of most mysterious occurrences, if not directly responsible for them, and even if not, the stink of the incident was still probably all over him, bath notwithstanding. Council members shifted, some leaning closer. Interest. Good.
“There was a similar phenomenon in The Wilds that I had the displeasure of meeting. It knows me now, and I believe I have a name.”
WE KNOW OF WHAT YOU SPEAK.The voices were lower, but Damien did not make the mistake of leaning in.AND WE KNOW WHAT IT IS CALLED. YOU SAY IT KNOWS YOU?
Damien nodded, slow but not hesitant.
SHOW US.
