"You do realize that the entire thing seems crazy, right?"
Sitting in the bar in the sky, the Chief idly sipped a bubbling, golden beverage before saying this to the Head, who was sniffing disapprovingly at a pitcher of beer that had just been given to him.
"Eight years, six months, and three days. Also made using a defunct method which gave subpar results. Not recommended for Heroes, or even Champions. Give the entire stock to the Warriors."
The answer was given to the bartender, who nodded and said, "That"s what I thought, too, but I needed an expert opinion. I didn"t think that I got lucky when I found that abandoned warehouse, but I thought that it might at least get me a favor from a couple of Champions. Well, not all of us can be as consistently lucky as you…"
With a wince, the Head replied, "Don"t remind me. Everything that came out of that luck is almost gone."
With that, he ended his conversation with the bartender and then turned to the Chief, who was patiently waiting for an answer.
Before giving it, though, the Head ordered himself the same golden drink, and after downing an entire gla.s.s, he said, "Tell me about it…"
Barking out a laugh, the Head took another sip before replying.
"Seeing you gulp down wine, itself, is enough of a sign that you are definitely agitated. Well, these walls have heard the sorrows of many, many individuals which ranged from those at home, to those out in the Sea, and some even going so far as to concern the Mainland. I believe that they, and I are well-equipped to hear you out, too. So, speak, my dear disciple."
With a sigh, the Head refilled his gla.s.s and was tempted to swallow it down again.
However, controlling himself and trying to get back to normal, he swirled it and then took the smallest sip to wet his lips before beginning to speak.
"When he told me that he was up to something, I knew that it was going to be trouble, but I didn"t expect this much. Just look at the sequence of events. He stomped on the Big Four, he said there is a war, and now… Nothing. He rea.s.sured me that the threat was not from the outside, so that"s a consolation, but what the h.e.l.l did he mean by that stunt where he pretty much announced that he wants to disband the Big Four? Well, it did have a positive outcome - everyone is training harder than they ever have in their lives, probably with the image of licking the King"s boots. Excuse my language, but that really is their fear - I"ve even heard complaints from some of the Champions who say that those under them are repeatedly getting dreams of doing that exact thing, and then crying with shame as the king laughed in front of them. From the number of reports, I even suspected whether he was doing it on purpose, but I doubt that that"s the case… Either way, frustration is at an all-time high, and I"m not even frequenting any of the Big Four, or I should say, the Big Three. If I do, I would be bombarded by questions from Champions and Heroes. Even the Order is unsafe, because many of those Heroes keep asking about the war, too. This bar is the safest, for now, but when the Order finds out I"m here… I expect that I"ll have to make a run for it. It"s just… Strange. It"s almost like it came out of nowhere, but seeing the importance being attached to it, it feels as if it is going to change a lot. And frankly… I"m a bit scared regarding exactly what he"s talking about. I don"t even have an inkling, and perhaps, that is the reason behind my fear."
The Chief listened with a kind smile on his face, and after the Head was done, he said, "We always fear the things we don"t understand. I"ll be frank. I"ve been seeing everything he was doing, but even I can"t make heads or tails out of the whole thing. I"ve seen him talk about it, though, and seeing his pa.s.sion… I just don"t get how we have not identified what he has clearly noticed, and is tackling at the moment. Just the fact that he has deemed it to be so important that it takes precedence over the war against the Church shows that it must definitely be worthy of that much attention, and so, I"ve chosen to trust him. After all, he"s never given me a reason not to."
With another nod, the Head took a large sip and said, "Yes, yes, that"s exactly what I know I have to do, too, but I can"t help it - I feel as if I"m in charge of the entire continent as the Overseer, and right now, the situation is so bad that everything can go up in flames at a moment"s notice. Oh, I also know that the match will be struck, but I just don"t know when, and where."
"Why don"t you ask?"
The simple question, made the Head freeze, as he realized that he had forgotten to do this one thing and had instead gone directly to the next step, which was b.i.t.c.hing about it in front of his master.
After going blank for a second, he sent the query, and a moment later, he felt like smacking his forehead.
"He just told me that it will be in three days, at sunset, in the exact middle of the continent, which means it"ll be right below us. He also apologized, saying that he had been busy, and had forgotten to inform us - but he did say that we should now give the orders for everyone to gather then. And… He also said that it would be wise if I told them to prepare for the worst."
"The worst?"
"The absolute worst."
A grave expression came on the Chief"s face as he heard this, but then, he shrugged and said, "Well, how bad can it be? At most, he will do what he announced, and that will be a sight to see. The Legacy Disciple of the Fortress can never go wrong…"
This elicited an answer from the Head, who first rolled his eyes and then said, "No way, master. The way things are right now - it seems that many would rather die than accept to come under him. I reckon that he knows it, too - if his objective was to bring the entire Big Four under him as one big force, then he would definitely have chosen a softer road. But instead, he chose this one, and you know as well as I do that ego can lead to death, more often than not, especially when there is this much hatred present. We"re missing something - I"m sure of it. Otherwise, nothing makes sense."
To this, the Chief nodded, and spoke to end the conversation.
"You"re right. But I"ve accepted it, and I"m just waiting like a spectator. I"ve even prepared food for the day - barbecue Endless Sea fish, and roast Tiger. Would you like me to bring some for you? No? Well, suit yourself. When it begins, I"ll be ready, and you"ll regret it then, with no other option but to spit out your wine, again. Here"s my advice: don"t bring wine there, at all."
…
3 days pa.s.sed by quickly, with the entire continent preparing for an unknown foe, whom they had to defeat at all costs.
The people a.s.sumed that it was the Church, and that they were going to fight for their future generations. They put in their all, and although it got very difficult at times, they were meeting all of the expectations placed on them.
The members of the Big Four a.s.sumed that they were going to have a chance for redemption, and so, with reddened eyes, many kept replaying what had happened during the King"s stomping journey, and using it to spur themselves forward in ways they hadn"t even thought were possible before.
In many ancient epics written on Earth, it was said that anger was the best motivation which could bring about focus in even the most tense of situations. In fact, Daneel had read that there were even a specific group of people who p.i.s.sed themselves off before studying, just so that they could be more productive.
On Angaria, something similar was happening. On one side, there was the zeal to fight for hope, and on the other, there was hatred that had to be quenched.
As the time for the showdown neared, a congregation of Heroes gathered above the spot, after receiving the message from the Head that this where it would all go down.
Some were expectant. A few were excited. But most…were disapproving of the King"s actions.
It was clear that they were longing for something that they could use to bring him down a notch, and today, they had arrived to find just that.
The Heroes would not be taking part in this battle, and this was something that had been made clear at the beginning, itself. Heroes always had belonged to the force which would never be bunched with others, and hence, all they did was instruct, if they wanted to.
As the appointed time approached, it was the people who turned up first.
They came from all directions. From the east, west, north, and south, thousands upon thousands marched in an orderly fas.h.i.+on, kicking up such a large cloud of dust that it had to be constantly dispelled by a small group of mages so that it wouldn"t completely hamper visibility.
Soon, the number reached a hundred thousand, and then half a million, until finally, over 5 million individuals had gathered in a single place in the vast, empty landscape that was present between Lanthanor, the Black Raven Kingdom, and the Kingdom of Arafell.
At first, it looked as if they were haphazardly arriving, but soon, it became clear that there were formations that were being followed.
Just this scene was so impressive that it took the breath away from many of the spectators, as it was their first time witnessing something like it. In modern history, this was definitely the largest gathering in Angaria, and hence, the Heroes could not help but at least grudgingly accept that the King"s sway over the common people was truly something to behold.
But…what did that matter?
This thought came in the mind of many, and they didn"t even choose to conceal that feeling. Even if sheep gathered in groups, what could they do except bleat while they were all slaughtered together? In fact, it would even make it easier for the attacker, as just one large-scale spell might be enough!
Amidst these thoughts, the members of the Big Four arrived in the spot opposite the millions of Angarians.
They came in three separate groups, all dressed in dazzling armor of different colors. The Sect of Hedon wore green, the Fortress wore crimson, and the Sanctum wore white.
After appearing, there was a brief moment where the sight of millions made them gasp with awe, but that was replaced by disdain as these were just Central Continent dwellers who would never amount to anything except insects that could be crushed at leisure.
In fact, they didn"t even know why they were here, but most were sure of one thing: no matter whom the battle was against, they would act as the scapegoats who would keep the enemies occupied.
That was how it had been for centuries, and that was how it would be now.
The sun began to set over the horizon a few minutes after this, and bathed in its reddish hue like a Dragon soaring into the Heavens, Daneel appeared in the air between the Heroes and the forces gathered on the ground.
Instantly, shouts began to be heard from the place where the Big Four were standing.
"Bring it on! We"re ready for you!"
"Yeah, there"s no way that we lose now! Come get us yourself, you coward!"
"Are you going to hide behind those Heroes, now? Do it, and show your true colors!"
"Whether it"s you or anyone else, we"re ready to fight!"
At the same time, mutters began among the Heroes.
"Where"s the foe? I thought he might produce someone out of thin air…"
"That"s preposterous! I thought he was just doing it like a drill…or maybe, he intercepted information that there would be an attack now?"
"Impossible! There"s no way that that"s true. In fact…"
As the discussions started to continue, King Daneel suddenly raised his hand and made a swift cutting motion, which resulted in a thunderclap that shut up everyone above and below him.
Everyone understood that he was going to speak, so they eagerly waited for the mystery to finally be revealed.
However, with his words…he successfully became the first person in millennia to drop over a million jaws, at once.
"PEOPLE OF ANGARIA! The war is here, and as for your opponents…they"re right in front of you! Yes, you heard me right! For too long has the Big Four h.o.a.rded most of the resources of the continent, leaving nothing for the common man who wasn"t born lucky! For too long have people died before when they were supposed to as they were deemed "useless" by those who would simply end up placing Energy resources that could be used for extending the lives of millions in a vault! Who are they to decide whether you live, or die? Who are they to call you useless? Who are they to deprive you of something the Mother is giving to us all? They are nothing! And today, we shall prove this! I know that this is the life you have become accustomed to, but today, it shall change!
"If you wish to give your children a much, much better life filled with all of the many opportunities that you were deprived of, then LET US BREAK DOWN THIS INVISIBLE WALL THAT DIVIDES US!
"If you want a future where you can change your fate with your deeds, instead of resigning yourself to the fate of a dog due to bad luck, FIGHT IN MY NAME!
"FIGHT IN MY NAME, AND EARN YOUR FREEDOM!
"FIGHT IN MY NAME, AND FEAR NOT DEFEAT!
"FOR JUSTICE!
"FOR GLORY!
"AND…FOR ANGAAARRRIIIAAAAAA!!!!"