“Our words were sincere.” Sinmara replied. “We would have gladly helped you with your research, your broken life force, anything you want as long as you joined us. Yet you are not asking us to help you, you are asking us to get involved in a war we don’t care about.
“If we win, we get nothing. If we lose, our families would be dragged into your mess. What do you think would happen if Surtr died? His wife, his children, and everyone who loves him would never let it slide.
“They would fight Thrud’s immortal troops, more of us would die and for what? To destroy the Golden Griffon and poison the land? Does this make sense to you?”
“Surtr is a white cored Awakened. He is tough to kill.” The moment he said it, Lith sounded dumb even to himself.
“Indeed, but I can still die.” Prasyn replied. “Never forget that Thrud has reached the white core that I lack. She has an academy backing her and the moment her troops reach the bright violet, they are likely to reach the white as well.
“Sure, the war is likely to be over long before that happens, but that’s still testament of the devotion of her troops and of the faith she has in either them or the slave array. Do you really want to stand against such a person?
“Do you realize that as long as the Golden Griffon stands the death of the members of our family would be for nothing? Thrud can kill us, her Divine Beasts can kill us, and so can her Fae and Emperor Beasts.
“That without considering the academy itself or the human Forgotten who can deploy Silverwing’s spells.”
The Griffon took a long pause to let her words sink into Celbas’ mind before asking the final question.
“Be honest with me, do you really believe that a single woman you barely know is worth the life of a single Divine Beast? Your life?”
“No.” Celbas replied, lowering his gaze after understanding his mother’s point of view.
Thrud was a powerful enemy, but her goal was dominion over the humans, not the Divine Beasts. As long as she left his kind alone, they wouldn’t bother fighting her because it would cause mutual destruction.
Thrud attacking them would trigger a violent response that would lead to the destruction of the Golden Griffon and the loss of millions of lives. Divine Beasts were living weapons of mass destruction and were they to go to war, the Griffon Kingdom might disappear.
“Yes!” Lith replied, holding the golden lily pendant that he had gifted Phloria seven years ago for her birthday and that she had returned him during the Magus ceremony. “Phloria is a wonderful woman who never turned her back on anyone, no matter the circumstances.
“When a commoner and the daughter of a traitor entered her house, she never abused her position. She welcomed them as her sisters and did everything she could to help them to adjust to their new life.
“Phloria protected Friya and Quylla from those who tried to exploited them, even from her own mother. She accepted my hybrid nature even when I failed to do it myself and she never betrayed my trust.”
“She stood by my side during one of the darkest moments of my life, never asking me a single question even though she had every right to. Phloria taught me how to be human and proved to me that even a monster can be loved.”
Lith stared at Surtr, his seven eyes burning with rage and multi-colored mana as he resumed to speak.
“What you said is right, but the conclusion you draw is short-sighted. Once Thrud wins the war and her Generals become white cores, the situation will escalate quickly. She has to be stopped now, before her rule becomes eternal.”
“If what you said was true, the Guardians would-“
“The Guardians have let the worst shit happen for decades before moving their asses!” Lith cut Sinmara short. “They don’t perceive time nor do they live like us. Maybe for them spending a few centuries in a war is a great lesson for the four races.
“Maybe they want to put the wisdom and foresight of the Divine Beasts to the test. I don’t know and I don’t care! I’m not going to waste what’s left on my life on the battlefield hoping for some god to fix this mess.
“Whether I’m right or wrong about this, I’m going to fight. All the wisdom on Mogar is worth nothing unless you get off your high horse and use your knowledge to change things yourself.”
Lith Warped away without waiting for a reply, activating his communication amulet instead. He joined the search for the Golden Griffon and conjured the Call of the Void to spread his Demons throughout the sector assigned to him.
His only hope was to find the lost academy before all was lost.
***
Hessar Region, Golden Griffon academy, a few hours later.
Phloria was crouched on all fours while panting, her body black and blue. Her nightgown was reduced to shreds, her hair was caked in dry blood like most of her skin, and her eyes were so swollen that she could barely see.
She was tired, beaten, and battered yet she refused to submit.
“You are pathetically weak, but that can be fixed. On the contrary, a warrior with a spirit like yours is one in a million.” Thrud clapped her hands, creating an echo in the empty Throne Room.
As the fight went on, people had lost interest and returned to their stations. The Mad Queen had remained alone with Phloria on purpose, to give her the illusion that she had to deal with a single enemy while looking for a way out.
“Fuck you.” Phloria panted as she used her breathing technique to recover.
She knew that time was running out. The more of Thrud’s hits reached her, the more knowledge she imparted Phloria. Military strategy, the disposition of her troops, and even the trajectory of the attacks Thrud was about to unleash upon her.
Phloria had only two choices. She could either use that knowledge to avoid further hits or ignore it and learn even more things that would shorten her stay in the Golden Griffon in the case she was turned.
The Mad Queen wasn’t wasting time teaching her complex magic or techniques. Only things that for a trained soldier and an Awakened were second nature to assimilate.
“Cursing is a sign of weakness, instead, but I allow it.” Thrud nodded like a Queen toward a loyal subject. “It’s easy being cocky when you are in a superior position. Not so much when you are weak and trapped. Then it takes guts and pride.
“That or sheer stupidity. We’ll see what you are really made of once the Unwavering Loyalty arrays kicks in. Then, the mask will fall off and you’ll show me your true nature.”
Phloria roared her fury, unleashing a barrage of fists that Thrud easily dodged and blocked. Yet that was exactly the plan. Phloria was finally close to a wall while at the top of her game.
