[Blake Orpheus]:
Somewhere on the frozen tundra of the same planet Blake and Celeste barely managed to defeat Pallas in and escape from, inside the very same castle that once belonged to Palalas, a secret meeting was taking place.
Consisting of 50+ shadowy forms that vaguely resembled Pallas himself, though there was one major difference — They were all much stronger than Pallas, with the weakest having comparable power to Pallas and the strongest of them possessing god-level power. There were at least 10 Peak Tier SS ranked entities, comparable to Peak Legendary ranked beings, and these were amongst the weakest present.
"The evidence is in our faces," said one off the red-eyed shadowy figures, addressing his brethren. "His castle is here, yet he is not. His treasures and riches are present but none of his subordinates are. Even his energy signature — his soul essence, his very being — has vanished, been extinguished somehow. There's no body to be found. Our brother is dead and there's no body to bury."
This caused an uproar of shouts. Shadows, both golden eyed and red, expressing their rage and shock.
"Pallas? Dread?" spoke a golden eyed shadow.
"I can't believe elder brother, Pallas, is dead," said another.
"Again," corrected a red-eyed shadow. "You mean 'again'. He died a second time. He is likely not coming back this time, though, unlike the first. Reincarnation requires reaching a certain power threshold, higher still for the more powerful of beings. He was the strongest amongst us in his first life, so the required threshold of power in his second life was higher than most. And he never did reach that threshold in this life. This means he likely won't be coming back."
"So he's gone? For good, this time?" asked another red-eyed shadow.
"Murdered," corrected the first shadow. "Our brother Pallas was murdered, his whole lineage is gone… at least, the ones who he turned this time around, anyways."
"What would you have us do, little brother?" spoke a red-eyed shadow with a powerful aura. "We don't know who did it."
"That's not entirely true. We know it was an Outrealmer," said the first. "Two, by the scent of the scene. We should find them, hold them properly responsible and kill them for what they did to Pallas."
A murmur passed through the shadowy figures. Some agreed, some argued against the thought, but none said nothing. Everyone said something on the matter. Most were for at least investigating the case.
"What does father say on the matter?" asked the new voice. "Have you spoken to him about it?"
"He is indifferent, as always, but that's because there are over 90+ of us, with some of us owning packs that number in the 10s of thousands — All of us are his kids," said the first voice. "He doesn't see us in the way a father typically would — you already know that, brother. He sees us as numbers — and he could always create more. No, he won't avenge Pallas, but we could."
"This is a matter of image, brother," said the third voice. "What will our rival races think of us when they discover we just allowed the perpetrators of one of our Progenitors to walk scott free? They'll see us as weak and think they could strike at us without consequence. We need to at least pursue these wolf killers and take their lives as payment for them taking one of ours. It is only fair and just."
The elder shadow seemed to ponder this over before replying. "What do you suggest, brother?"
"Lend me 15 of our greatest fighters and trackers," said the first voice. "I'll find these perpetrators and bring them in for the Pack to judge before we kill them. We cannot let them live."
"Do all present members of the Council of Lycaon agree?" asked the elder shadow, to which a unanimous decision was agreed on by all present. "Very well. Permission is granted. Go, gather your men, bring these wolf killers to justice — to Pack Justice. Avenge Pallas and upkeep the Lycaon family name. Dismissed."
The werewolf bowed his head in acknowledgement, before turning and leaving.
And, with this, Blake 's scenery changed once more.
Next, Blake stood in the middle of an endless library — And when he said "endless," he meant it. Somehow, there were rows and rows of bookshelves that stretched infinitely in all directions — Up, down, right, left — All directions, for as far as the eyes could see. There were floors upon floors upon floors of these shelves and staircases and ladders that connect various countless stories of these shelves, endlessly.
There are interesting and mysterious artifacts that Blake had no clue about lining some study tables and shelves. There was no one around except one person, two, if you included Blake .
Sitting at a table, typing away on a typewriter was a being Blake couldn't really perceive. They were an energy cloud of some kind —- almighty, was the word that came to Blake 's mind when he thought of words to describe this being, though he had no idea why. He certainly had never considered any kind of god an 'almighty' and that includes the primordials he has met —- and they were primordial beings. He did, however, sense an almighty energy to this particular being, something he's never felt with anyone before.
Blake instinctively knew that even for someone like Nyx, this being would be impossible to beat. They were truly almighty.
"Oh, what's this?" the being seemed to warp reality as it willed Blake 's soul to appear directly before it. "You're one of Khaos' descendants, huh. Interesting. Your destiny is tied to another, pre-ordained to conflict — His is one from Chaos…Well, I suppose I did write your story long, long ago, so I am not surprised its unfolding the way it is. It is just so intriguing how time works, though, is it not? One moment, I'm writing destinies eons before they grow into fruition, and the next I'm watching it play out like a tv series from my Saved list… give or take a few hundred eons, of course. It is surprising, however, how one's own creations can oftentimes impress their creators, given time, is it not? How very interesting, how very interesting indeed."
'Wrote my story?' Blake thought, puzzled. 'Who the fuck are you, man?'
Blake wasn't insane enough to say this outloud, though. At least, not in such a vulgar way, anyways.
"Who are you?" Blake remained as polite as he could while asking. "What is this place?"
The cloud of almighty energy just chuckled, and Blake got a sense that it already heard his earlier thoughts. It seemed more amused than annoyed, something his subconscious released silent appreciation for, for whatever reason.
"Not quite ready to reveal that yet… Or, rather, you aren't strong enough to hear my true name, or the true name of this place. If I had decided to give you either, your soul would flatten like a pancake, close in on itself, up right out of existence, teehee," the formless cloud of almighty energy said, chuckling. "We shall meet again soon, though, of that, I've no doubt."
And, with a will unsurmountable, the being willed Blake away, blasting him back into his body, where he woke up, sweating, grasping for air.
The first thing Blake noticed upon waking up was that he was restrained by chains capable of restraining someone much more powerful than himself. The second thing he noticed was that he was in a cellar-like dungeon. No sunlight had access to this room and the metal cell bars were enchanted to not let anything out while closed.
Blake could instinctively sense this effect somehow, just like how he could instinctively sense that the chains that held him bound were enchanted with enough mana to keep anyone below Chaotic rank at bay and subdued. It must've been some kind of curse sense. It was an impenetrable cage.
Then again, even through the darkness, Blake could still see perfectly fine in his environment.
"Well, this is just great," Blake muttered to himself, annoyed at his predicament. "Last time I'm ever helping anyone…".
Blake wasn't stupid. He knew that Sean would have blamed what happened to Celeste on Blake , especially since they really didn't get along. Had Blake not followed Celeste through that Dungeon, he was sure he would be in a much stickier situation than he was in right now, what with even the possibility of House Luminaris coming after him — "For revenge," most likely.
No, what he did was for the best. Not only did it keep a great house from targeting him, it also allowed Blake to keep his promise to Peter Luminaris, Celeste's father, in protecting his daughter. No matter how annoyed he'd get at his current predicament, he did take the most beneficial route of choices — Or, at least, the least ill consequential one anyway.
Blake sighed lazily, dangling slightly but his restraints. He'd been like this for a long minute —- likely hours. He was held in the air by the chains that bound him, dangling over mostly concrete, the chains mana-restricting.
While he was certain he could escape —- in fact, he knew he could. After all, shadow energy, while similar to mana, wasn't mana. It was something else. Sure his mana was restricted, but not his shadow energy. Still, he did his best not to give the faction heads more reason to suspect him.
'More,' Blake thought. 'Suspect me more.'
After gods know how long he'd been dangling, the light outside his cell finally shined within it, temporarily blinding him. As he adjusted to the light, the sound of entering footsteps sounded along with the jangling of keys. It paused as it stopped before him.
Eyes adjusted, Blake watched the guard come into view — It was Master Athan.
"Tch, tch, tch, my apprentice…," Athan began, sounding amused. "You really had to make me go through work to clear your name. Maybe I should keep you here."
"Get me out of here, Master," Blake said, sounding annoyed.
To which, Athan merely chuckled. Instead of turning the keys inside the lock, Athan decided to rip the chains from the walls and off of Blake , after catching his falling form. There was no grace to his actions — just power.
"My apprentice…," Athan said, once Blake stood up and was free. "I showed the other Faction heads your familiar's clip. Celeste's description of events also helped in freeing your name. My apologies for taking this long to be able to free you. The other faction heads were trying to pin the blame on anyone they could, even despite Celeste's testimony and the evidence that was presented."
"It's no problem," Blake stayed calm, rubbing his freed cuffs, as he mentally made a list of the bastards he intended to victimize. "I take it this means I'm free, Master?"
"Yes," Athan nodded, leading Blake out of his cell and out the dungeons of the castle. "In fact, Faction Heads Bruce Bacchius and Tommen Rizzer played a big role in convincing the others of your innocence. They will have you under heavy surveillance for a whole, however, so be cautious of what you do in that time frame, won't you?"
Nodding, Blake made a mental note to remember these two names. The other Faction Heads, he will eventually kill them. One day, anyway. "Thank you, Master."
"You were in the Dungeon for just over 3 days. During that time a lot has happened. Celeste has gone back and forth to and from Mythos and Earth, attending to matters related to her House. No one is speaking of it, not really," Athan began, his words a slightly sombre drawl. "but House Luminaris is in the midst of a civil war. Half of its figureheads support Sean, half Celeste. Sean has taken over their manor, from what I'vve learned — All portals to and from Earth seem to have gone quiet — At least, the ones under Luminaris control, anyway. The only reason Celeste is able to travel to and from Mythos to Earth is because of her lunar travel ability, thank the gods. The good news is that over a majority of House Luminaris supports Celeste. The bad news is that her father seems to have gone down with something; he's in stasis, from what I've heard. His death is all but definite."
'So Celeste will probably have to take over her house while navigating a civil war,' Blake thought, cursing Sean Luminari. 'And, if her father truly dies, that'll only weaken her house more, making her and hers vulnerable. Perhaps I should find a way to save the old man. I mean, he did betrothed his daughter to me, after all. And this Sean…No, I cannot intervene with him too much. In the end, I'll get my vengeance eventually, but the final dealings with that guy would have to be by Celeste's hand.'
Master Athan fixed Blake with a strange gaze, likely contemplating a question over in his head. Finally, deciding to ask it, he began "Celeste said you two faced Tier S beast together?" he asked, sideyeing Blake for clarification as they walked. "Care to explain?"
"I think… that it was a recently turned Tier S beast. It wasn't too big of an achievement," Blake said, thinking back at his battle with Pallas. 'He didn't seem as durable as Master Athan, nor quite as powerful… Then again, that could be because Athan is a vampire…Or the very real possibility that Athan isn't just a 'Chaotic Ranked' cultivator. From what I've sensed on Master, I feel like he hides his true power…whatever that power may be…"
Either way, Blake decided to not think too much on these thoughts. He knew dwelling on them long enough wasn't really productive. Besides, he had a few things to do now that he was out of the Dungeon and his life wasn't on the line. That all paused, however when Athan spoke next.
"Listen, my apprentice," Athan stopped abruptly, causing Blake to do the same, turning towards his master. "I will be going away for a while. I have a few things to take care of, so I will be temporarily entrusting the continuation of your training to a former apprentice of mine. All you have to do is meet with him at the same usual time and place that you meet me for training. When I return, we will continue your training with me. Until then, he will be the next best thing."
"You have a former apprentice?" Blake , wide eyed, looked puzzled, as Athan nodded him an affirmative. "I didn't know. I thought I was your first apprentice."
Athan merely chuckled.
"I've never 'officially' had one here, so, technically, you are still my first pupil at the Academy," answered Athan, beaming brightly. "I didn't work here when I had this apprentice, plus, his situation is different from your own. Shifu Wang is one of your instructors, no? You should make decent comrades, I am certain. He can teach you things that I, a vampire, may not be able to… At least, to an extent, anyways. Meet with him when you have time. You can rest this weekend, as your private training will continue next week.
"I'll be back by the time of your First Year Expedition… Hopefully," Athan said, startling Blake . He'd only just remembered this expedition when his master brought it up — he'll have to work his plans around it now, so as not allow it to ruin whatever plans he intends to set in motion. "Train well, my apprentice. I will see you soon."
Nodding his understanding, Blake watched his Master walk down a long corridor and vanish.
'Teach me things you can't?' Blake thought, wondering what he meant by that, before shaking his head, dismissively. 'Whatever Master Athan is going though, I will respect his decisions.'
And, walking down the same hall, Blake entered the double doors, and was once again surrounded…..By his friends.
"Blake !" a cacophony of voices exclaimed.
Upon entering the main school, Blake found himself surrounded by his friends — Jabari, Marxes and Celeste.
"You are.. Ok?" asked Celeste, scanning Blake for any injuries. "I have been trying to tell them what really happened for days now, but it was like they didn't even hear me, especially that Draco Jackson guy. There is something wrong with the man."
'They wanted to use me as a scapegoat,' Blake thought, knowing exactly who she was referring to — the Faction Heads. He had plans for them, though, so he was certain proper vengeance will favor him when he's ready for it to. 'Patience is key to victory. I may slow the run but I will win the race. After all, in the end, vengeance is a dish best served… cold.'
"Don't worry too much about it," Blake said, squeezing her arm in comfort. "I'm fine, really. Just a little hungry, that's all."
Celeste fixed Blake with an unreadable expression, searching his face for something. What? He wasn't sure. She must have found something, though, because she steeled her expression with an "Hmph," before nodding, her fist clenched.
Blake , thinking about her reaction, was interrupted mid-thought by Marxes, who spoke. "Good to see you didn't die in that Dungeon. It was a Red gate after all. Yet you survived it… I'm surprised. I'm impressed, as always."
Chuckles came from the group.
"Of course he did!" exclaimed Jabari, excitedly. "Both he and Celeste are our year's sharpest and most powerful. They can pretty much survive anything, especially when facing it together."
This caused Celeste to blush, turning a deep shade of crimson in the face. Even Blake had to turn away slightly to hide the redding of his cheeks on his pale face. 'Damn it, Jabari! Time and place!'
Jabari meanwhile was looking between them, curiously and confused.. "Did I say something wrong?" Jabari asked, eyeing Marxes who were straight laughing in amusement. "What"
"Kaw! Kaw!" Suddenly, a beautifully feathered black crow landed before Blake , transforming into a cute girl with short black hair, pale white skin and wearing an all black skirt, her makeup gothic and her stare, dead. "Master, you're ok! Crowrella has missed you in your absence. I feared what they would have tried to do had the ones known as Athan and Celeste not do everything in their power to get you free. One more day in the cell, and I would've freed you myself."
As the once bird familiar verballised her worries, Blake , meanwhile, was shocked.
'Well, this is new development,' Blake thought. 'Crow is a girl?'