I was currently standing in my room alone, Sylvie left after she woke up, it was time to go to Epheotus, I could feel the two Asuras waiting for me in the council room. They haven't said anything yet, but I know that is what is going on.
I pulled out a tube of blood I had from a snarler and activated "Blood Oath" to create a clone that looked exactly like me. I started to manipulate the blood in the tube, causing it to come out, and float around in the room.
I then shaped it into a clone using magic, I still didn't know what I was going to do. How was I going to just stay here while my clone was gone. Aldir is here, he won't sense me if I don't use magic at all, but I don't know how long I'll be in Epheotus. I was going to give it almost all of my mana at the moment, well, almost all of it, this clone needed to be white core, so I had no choice.
I finished the clone, and then said. "Go, you know what you have to do." The clone looked exactly like I usually do, wearing my armor underneath its cloak. It didn't say anything to me, it just left.
I felt my head spinning slightly from giving up almost all of my mana in my core, I leaned over as the clone wondered the halls. "Jeez." I said sitting on my bed, and then went into the clone's consciousness, I had nothing else to do for now. I know Arthur will come and see me; he is the only one who knows I am here.
---
I was walking towards the council room to see everyone, I knew I was a clone, but for now, I needed to act like the real me, even though I was the real me. I think, I mean, I am a clone of me, right?
It didn't matter, let's not think about it, I have all the powers the original me has, so if I need to demonstrate, I'll be able to for the god. Kezess should not get angry with me for sending a clone if he finds out, if anything, he should respect me for it.
"General!" A guard bowed, and then walked side by side with me. "You are wanted in the council room, but I can see you are heading there."
"Yeah, I am." I answered him, and he continued to follow me.
"General, mind me asking? How did you defeat those Retainers? I saw their bodies, they are quite scary looking, the one looked normal, but the others did not." He told me as we turned the corner.
"I defeated them by sliding an ice sword into their guts, that is pretty much everything." I told the guard, he was a human, older, but did not seem to care about my age. He talked to me like I was any ordinary person. "The one was a human girl, that's why."
"Oh, I didn't know." He said as we got closer to the council room. "I thank you again, for everything you are doing, I understand you are young, and if I could, I would take your place, but you are on a whole different level than me."
"I appreciate that." I nodded my head. "I'll be fine, my age doesn't depict my strength as you know." We stood in front of the council room doors, and another guard and him opened the doors for me. "It was nice meeting you."
I walked into the council room, the guard I spoke with bowing once again. Inside of the room was King and Queen Eralith, Windsom, Aldir, and Elder Virion. I had no clue where King and Queen Glayder were, but I really didn't care, clone or not.
"Virion, welcome." Elder Virion said as I approached them.
"What's up?" I said sincerely, stopping in the middle of the room. "Windsom, good to see you again." I stared at the galaxy eyed asura.
"Likewise, Virion Leywin." Why the hell did he say it like that. "You probably already know why I am here." I nodded my head, it was obvious. "We will be departing shortly; Commander Virion has some words for you."
I tilted my head, and looked at Elder Virion, not knowing what he needed to tell me. "Virion, after your meeting, Windsom will be dropping you off somewhere near the Blackbend, your next assignment is there." I faced him, confused, not really knowing what was in Blackbend City.
"My next assignment?"
"I have someone there that is setting everything up for you." Elder Virion told me. "I already spoke with Arthur; he is fine with what we have planned for you while he is here in the castle. I also wanted to ask, you don't want a break, correct?" I shook my head no, wanting to stay out in the field. "Okay, I was just asking, because we really never asked you."
"That's cool." I responded.
"You'll be told what you are doing when you get there." I nodded at Elder Virion. "Now, when you leave for Epheotus, please, make sure to behave yourself, Virion, listen to Windsom. You need to be on your best behavior, not like last night, when you drank at the party, which you should not have, but Arthur said you needed it."
"I will, don't worry." I turned to Windsom. "Are we going now?" Windsom got up from his seat and began to walk over to me.
"Technically, we are not supposed to be helping you, but this is only so that you can meet Lord Indrath, so we are not breaking the treaty with the Vritra." Windsom told me, it felt like this was breaking the treaty.
"You are breaking the treaty." I shrugged. "But I guess it does not matter if they don't know." Even though Agrona has eyes everywhere, probably in here as well. "I'll see you all again, take care."
"Take care." Elder Virion said, and I walked out of the room with Windsom at my side. I had an issue, if they teleport me, a clone to Blackbend, I'll have to sneak out with the real me at some point.
"So, this is nice, isn't it?" I asked Windsom as we walked down the hall. "Just you and me, some quality time together, yeah, how exciting." The asura side eyed me and stayed quiet. "How pleasant, I can already tell this is going to be so much fun."
"Virion, you are a very strange child." We turned down the hall where the teleportation gates are located.
"Am I supposed to take that as a compliment, because to me, it sounded like it?" I spoke, taking a couple quick steps in front of the Asura, and tilted my head looking at him. "Why are your eyes like that?"
"So strange, I was born with them." He answered my question. "It is a compliment to some sorts, you are different in good ways from a child your age, but you are also similar to a child your age in bad ways."
"Yeah, I can see that." I answered. "You know, can I ask you something?"
"Why not?" He said in a weird tone, not like he was annoyed, but not like he was happy either.
"What is integration stage?" The guards in front of a door looked at us, and then opened the door so we could walk in. We weren't going to be using the teleportation gate anyways, but we still had to set up the warm pad Windsom was going to use in here.
"That is a question not meant for me, but for our Lord." Windsom placed something on the ground, and I started to pace around the room slowly, not thinking about anything in particular. "He will be willing to answer that question for you, Lesser."
I stopped in place and turned to him. "Did you just call me a Lesser? I know you didn't."
"I did." Windsom activated the device, and then stood still, looking at me. "I am preparing you, everyone in Epheotus will speak to you like that, and you must accept it."
I smiled at him. "No, I really don't." I thought about everyone who has called me a Lesser so far, they all are either dead or in the dungeon, besides Aldir and Windsom, but in due time, they'll join them. "But you have word, Windsom, I won't try and kill anyone who calls me that in Epheotus, I know it is a cultural thing."
"It's not a cultural thing? To us, you are nothing but a pebble when it comes to strength, that is why you are considered a Lesser, it's not cultural." Windsom was calling me a pebble? What a weird way to phrase it.
"But like, isn't that cultural?" The asura just stared at me. "No?" I asked questioningly after he didn't answer me.
"No." He said. "You are a dominant fighter here in Dicathen, but in Epheotus, you wouldn't stand a chance against the weakest among us."
"I doubt that." I shrugged. "I bet I could stand up against you, Windsom." I started to laugh. "Haha, I'm just playin with you." I hit the asura in his shoulder jokingly, he just stared. "Let's get this show on the road, how about it?"
"I agree." Windsom stepped into the portal frame, and I did the same, lights flashing before me, and we ended up somewhere with trees surrounding us. "The castle is up ahead, about one mile." We stood still as he disconnected the device, and I activated "Blood Oath"
I was curious if I could sense the blood of all the asuras, and to my surprise, I could, that's nice to know. "This forest is so, I don't know, full of life? The mana is just everywhere, it's cool." I didn't have a core, but I could still sense it in the atmosphere.
"This is how it is everywhere in Epheotus." Windsom stood back up after closing the warm pad and walked up to me. "Mana is used for a lot of things here, it is a little different from what you know in Dicathen."
"I'm sure." I said, kicking a rock into a nearby bush. "So, like, we just going to see Lord Indrath, then you going to take me home?" I released "Blood Oath" knowing that I needed all the mana in me, even if I was white core.
"No, you have three meetings." I stared at him confused, who the hell else was I meeting. I only really cared about Lord Indrath, so who else was I meeting, I guess it doesn't matter. "The first one is with Lord Indrath, but you will only be gone for two days, then I will take you back to Dicathen."
"Okay, who else am I meeting?" I asked as started to walk towards the Castle that we could not see yet.
"I am not supposed to tell you." Windsom answered. "You'll find out soon enough."
"Fine but let me guess then." I rubbed my chin, thinking about who it could be. "Lady Myre?" The dragon stared at me, not telling me if I was right, so I'll take it as a no. "Alright, not her, Wren? Kordri?"
"Strange." Windsom answered. "I don't know how you know those names, but that is exactly why Lord Indrath wants to meet you. I can tell you that, no, none of those people are the ones you are meeting."
"Aww." I sighed. "I wanted to meet Kordri, and also, I wouldn't mind seeing Wren, he's funny." I scratched my head. "Am I dressed appropriately for this?" I was wearing my normal battle clothing.
"You are fine." Windsom answered, I took a giant deep breath of the fresh air in the atmosphere, I really needed this, being hungover kind of sucked. "How are you feeling? I was told you let loose yesterday."
The Asura turned to me as we walked. "I feel fine, to some extent." I answered honestly. "Where were you?"
"Here." He said. "I teleported to the Floating Castle this morning to talk with Aldir and Commander Virion, then retrieve you."
"Sounds like a nice day for you." I smiled. "You get to spend some of it with me, aren't you happy?"
Windsom faced forward, not saying anything at all.
"You know you are happy spending some quality time with me." I hated Windsom, I wonder if he would be mad if I tried to kill him right here. "Alright, go ahead, explain to me what I need to be prepared for."
"It is just a meeting, nothing to prepare for." He answered simply.
Well, I don't want to just walk in silence. "Mind explaining the different races here? I'd love to learn something during this trip."
The Asura spoke, and I was surprised. "Fine." I knew a lot about them already, but he does not know that. "There are countless clans surrounding Epheotus, but the Great Eight are the most powerful."