Damien's office was a reflection of the man himself...functional, uncluttered, with maps of Orario and the surrounding territories pinned to the walls. A large oak desk dominated the center of the room, its surface covered in reports and correspondence. The afternoon light filtered through the tall windows, casting long shadows across the floor.
Riveria stood at the door, her jade eyes betraying a flicker of unease. "Damien... your guest is here."
Damien looked up from the document he was reading, his expression calm. "I am well aware. You do not have to be afraid, Riveria. He will not do anything. Not yet, at least."
Riveria nodded, though her grip on her staff tightened. "Be careful. I know you are capable. I know the rules still apply." She paused, her gaze meeting his. "But even still... be careful."
She turned and walked toward the door, her footsteps echoing through the chamber. As she passed the man waiting in the threshold, she paused, her eyes studying him for a moment. Then she stepped aside and allowed him entry.
The man entered.
He was tall....impossibly tall, his presence filling the room like a storm cloud. His long red hair cascaded down his back, and a short red beard framed a face that was handsome in a brutal, commanding way. His glowing red eyes swept across the office, taking in every detail with a predator's gaze. He wore reddish-silver armor with a high collar that framed his neck, and a reddish-brown tailcoat that swept behind him like wings.
He walked forward, his boots clicking against the polished stone, and took a seat without waiting for permission.
Damien's lips curved into a faint smile. "God-King Damien Ardent," the man said, his voice deep and resonant, carrying the weight of ages. "What a special title."
Damien leaned back in his chair, his eyes never leaving the man before him. "Your title is also very impressive, is it not?" He paused. "King of Dragons. Antares."
Antares chuckled, a low, rumbling sound that seemed to vibrate through the very stones of the office. "Maybe. But I prefer... the Monarch of Destruction."
Damien nodded slowly. "Me too....I also prefer the Monarch of Shadows."
Antares's eyes gleamed with something like amusement. "I see... Ashborn truly left behind a special one."
He looked around the room, his gaze sweeping across the maps and documents scattered across the desk. "I sense your people are already in combat with the other Monarchs," he observed.
"And they are winning," Damien replied.
Antares inclined his head. "Indeed. I had expected that. The Monarchs are long dead. I revived mere husks to garner your attention."
Damien's expression did not shift. "And it worked. You have my full... attention."
"Good." Antares leaned forward, his red eyes locking onto Damien's. "I want to ask for you to join me....Serve me...."
Damien's eyebrows rose slightly, but he remained silent. Antares raised a hand.
"And please, before you heroically refuse and shout at me... hear me out."
Damien gestured for him to continue. "Go on."
Antares took a breath, his gaze growing distant. "I do not truly serve the Lord of Light. I believe you know that already. He and I... share a common enemy."
"The gods," Damien said.
"Indeed." Antares's voice hardened. "I hate working with him. His goal is to completely erase the concept of free will. That simply contradicts the way of my life....the way of dragons. But as much as I hate to admit it... I alone am incapable of defeating the Lord of Light. Nor the gods."
He paused, his claws flexing against the armrest.
"He has taken mind control of all my other dragons. The remaining ones, aside from Vritra, who has chosen your side. Defeating him alone is out of the question. Defeating him with you, however..." His red eyes met Damien's. "That is possible."
Damien's expression remained neutral. "I do not see it, though. Say you and I defeat him. How does that achieve your vengeance against the gods?"
Antares's grin returned, sharp and predatory. "Oh... yes. I skipped a part. I plan to release him, have him kill the gods... then we kill him."
Damien's eyes narrowed. "I see. But what guarantees that? What if he simply rewrites reality as soon as he is released?"
Antares waved a dismissive hand. "Oh, please. If it were that easy, he would not have suffered last time. Anu needs three things before he is able to rewrite reality."
He began counting on his fingers.
"One is Pandora's Box. A special lost item capable of releasing all evils upon the world.....hence, destroying it. I have no knowledge of where it is, but I assume it is in the hands of the gods. Second is his wife's body.....our Mother's body. I have it, and he needs it. Her primordial magic still resides in her corpse, and he will need that too."
He paused, his voice dropping.
"And finally... he needs access to the Gate of Beginning. The portal that leads to the beginning of all existence. A portal guarded by the very same person who is spying on us right now." His red eyes flicked toward the shadows. "Ouranos."
Damien remained still, his expression unreadable. He could feel Ouranos's presence, faint but unmistakable, watching from beyond the veil of the mortal world. He made no move to acknowledge it.
"His first step," Damien said slowly, "will be to get Pandora's Box. Which means he will attack Heaven, kill the gods, and achieve your vengeance. It is then that you and I attack him. Is that your plan?"
"Yes." Antares's voice was eager, hungry. "Yes, indeed."
Damien leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees. "What do I gain from this?"
"Everything." Antares spread his arms wide. "All of it. I do not care. I have long forsaken my purpose of taking over the world. What I want is the destruction of Heaven...all of it. And I will destroy it. Once I have done that, I am done." His eyes gleamed. "You can take everything else."
Damien was silent for a long moment. Then he spoke, his voice flat. "Destroying Heaven means the extinction of all the gods."
"So what?" Antares's voice rose. "What of it? They are ALL GUILTY! Even the ones that were neutral....they stood by and watched their Mother, our Mother, DIE!"
Damien held up a hand. "I cannot simply help you in a genocide." His voice was firm. "Name them. The gods responsible. And I swear we will hunt them together....one by one, torture them, I do not care. But killing all the gods... that is too much. You are asking me to erase an entire race."
"Yes." Antares's voice was cold, absolute. "I am. They erased mine too, did they not? I alone and a few others remain. So what if I do the same to them? I do not trust the gods. Ever. I want them all dead."
"I have gods I care for," Damien replied.
"OH, TO HELL WITH THAT!" Antares surged to his feet, his voice thundering through the chamber. "I am offering the WORLD here! EVERYTHING to you! The death of Anu! The erasure of all the gods! You will be the only being in this world...the god of it! Is that not your ultimate goal!"
Damien remained seated, his expression calm. "I do not understand. Why come to me with this? You know I have lovers...people I care about, gods I need to protect. ....yes I plan to be the god of it all, yes... but on my own terms."
Antares's fury seemed to deflate, replaced by something like exhaustion. "I came to you because I truly did think you deserve it. Anu... he can just recreate the world. To me, that is not punishment. That is mere wishful thinking. He is forgiving them by making them better. I want the gods dead."
He stepped closer, his red eyes boring into Damien's.
"If you refuse me, then I will do it alone."
Damien rose from his chair, his presence filling the room. "I will not allow it. Neither his release nor your war on the gods. I do not pick sides. I have stopped doing that a long time ago. From now on, there is no side that is right. There is only me. My choice. I will be the decider because I am the God King."
He walked toward Antares, his voice dropping to a cold, final whisper.
"It is a simple as that. I suggest you get in line. Make a list of those gods that killed your mother, and bend the knee. And I will kill them for you. I will get you your justice. If not..." His eyes glowed with shadow. "You die. AND they die too. That is the only offer I can give."
Antares stared at him for a long moment. Then he laughed....a bitter, hollow sound.
"You are not ready for what is to come, Shadow Monarch." He turned, his cape sweeping behind him. "I will destroy all of Heaven. Mark my words."
He walked toward the door, his footsteps echoing through the silent office.
Damien watched him go, his expression unreadable.
The door closed behind Antares.
And the God King of Orario was alone with his thoughts.
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