Forum Thread

As he followed Copper, Didact figured that it would probably be a good move to keep his eyes down. However, something in him rebelled at the idea. Sure, he was in a room filled with people who could end his existence with little more than a thought, but it wasn't as if it was the first time. He straightened up to his full height and, seeing Jack give a nigh-imperceptible nod of approval, strode after Copper up to the high table and took his seat. He sat up straight while waiting for the next stage of the proceedings to start, fingers interlaced in front of him, as opposed to Jack, who had settled into a slightly more comfortable position. The demon was leaning slightly to one side, chin resting on his knuckles, still looking out at the assembled beings.

---

Eventually the last two of the seven siblings trickled in. Adam gave Sliuril a hug that would have crushed a lesser being, the at-a-glance-human taking his seat at his parent's right since he was the oldest. Draugnur took the seat to their left, dark and brooding, although there was a distinctly regal air to him for the occasion. Next to Draugnur was Alyssa, the dryad in her trademark forest green. A colony of glowing butterflies surrounded her, and her Guardian creature - something that vaguely resembled a tiger made of wood - sat next to her. Somehow it managed to both blend in and stand out from the wood walls behind it. Ptolemy had been sandwiched between Sliuril - and Faith, to an extent - and Adam. Thryssa was the last to come - he stepped into the hall with body bathed in crimson blood, wings spread and eagle face obscured by the testament of his kills. He took his seat to the far left of the gathered royals.

Naomi and Elijah were seated at one of the lower tables, the SPARTAN clad in a toga that had had its colour matched with her beloved MJOLNIR armour. She was surrounded by dozens of similarly well-connected but less-powerful deities, the other six muses among them.

Anheuser took his place behind the Two as light refreshments began appearing on the tables. He cleared his throat. Silence fell.

"Those assembled are advised to moderate themselves. This conference has been called to address the matter of the Creatures of Grimm, and you shall behave accordingly. Now, I call on Captain Eyrie to speak."

A bird-like man stood from the low tables, and flew windlessly to a stage that had suddenly appeared. He bowed to Thryssa before he began speaking.

---

Didact had long since decided that, despite his overwhelming urge to do so, he wasn't going to activate his scanners here. He had to content himself with what he could see. It was certainly a thing to behold. Despite that, he felt strangely at home so far. The old War Councils of the Forerunners had been much like this. With a few fairly obvious differences that he didn't feel the need to mentally acknowledge.

Jack silently watched each of the siblings take their place. His eyebrows slowly crept upwards at Thryssa's appearance.

Both stopped looking around and focused on the person- Captain Eyrie- that had flown up to the stage.

---

"Greetings." He grunted, "The Creatures of Grimm came here twenty six hours, twenty-five minutes ago in AH592 time, and have since started making entry into our world through the various fixed Gates." As he spoke, a map popped up and highlighted the location of the gates. "The 56th Ranged Division has since repelled the small forces of Grimm around the gates. We are making headway through the territory we estimate have been taken over." At a wave of his hand, a cloud of greyish smoke expanded to cover roughly half the world map. There were pockets of gold clustered around the Gate, and the one in Lambyang seemed to be the largest. "That is the current situation, Majesty. I propose sending more troops to help strengthen the quarantine line, if you think it wise."

"Our attempts to reason have fallen on deaf ears. They appear to possess little to no capacity for reason. All members of my team were unable to detect a soul in any of these creatures, but they are not undead."

"Now, these creatures of Grimm themselves are not a threat individually. Any fifth-tier and above can decimate entire fields of them at a time, and all sixth-tiers are capable of holding their own against these creatures - individually . Some of these creatures, however, can be exceptionally powerful. As they gain power they grow in size. If any of you here see a creature of Grimm in Ah 592, I advise do not engage. Let my men - or one of the martial gods - handle it."

"Our chief problem with them is their spawn rate. They come from their world through a rift faster than rabbits or rats can breed. My men lack the capability to trace and seal the rift that's formed and allowed them entry into AH 592. We'll need to deliver a team of mages to the site and have them seal the rift before we can proceed to exterminate all the creature's of Grimm."

He bowed again and flew down the stage. As soon as his feet touched the ground, he was swarmed by nearly a dozen concerned gods inquiring about the creatures.

The Queen cleared her throat, and the hall fell to silence. "I shall provide the mage you desire, Captain. I believe the Light shall suffice."

Sliuril jerked her head to looked inquiringly at Her, but She only gave a half-smile in return.

She knows. Faith concluded.

---

Didact listened to the briefing with rapt attention, leaning forwards slightly. So the problem was, simply put, that there were just too many of the damn things. Well, he certainly knew how enemies like that could be. But, looking down at the world map, this seemed to be on a somewhat worrying scale.

Jack had listened as well, constantly having to check small movements such as absentmindedly tapping a foot. The briefing had told him little besides that which he had guessed already, but it was always good to be aware of the exact nature of the threat. He'd never come across these Creatures of Grimm before and was grateful for the opportunity to get to know his enemy, and their MO, a bit better. What really captured his attention, though, were the Queen's words. Didact hadn't really seen anything too curious about them, figuring that the Queen was just picking someone out of the pool of people qualified to deal with the threat and hadn't really thought about it beyond that. Jack, on the other hand, had raised his eyebrows and looked towards Sliuril to try to gauge her reaction.

Politics and succession. How tiresome.

---

Draugnur rose to his feet and immediately sat back down. "Mother, I must protest. Sliuril is in no condition to do anything against these creatures, much less seal a series of dimensional rifts of this severity. I say we should send the mage corps instead."

"Your concerns have been noted." The Queen said. The tone of her voice made it perfectly clear she hadn't heard a word of what Draugnur had said.

"I would be more than honoured to serve as your blade on this occasion, my Queen." Thryssa said. "After all, these are my troops waging war against them. Whatever your decision on the matter, I will be on the front lines."

"You may coordinate with Sliuril. You shall continue to focus your efforts on extermination, Thryssa. One of the Neverbeasts recently broke through your lines and gave your sister some annoyance."

"Of course, my Queen." Sliuril and Thryssa chorused at the same time.

"I have mobilised several regiments and placed them under your command, Thryssa." The Queen added. "The Mage Corps will aid with three divisions. Use them wisely. And Sliuril - you make take whoever you want."

---

Jack sat back with a sigh, looking out at the assembled audience at the lower tables thoughtfully. So, this was how it was going to be, huh? Just some other enemy from some other place and some other reason to be thrown into the fray.

"Very well." he muttered to himself. It wasn't as if he'd want to do anything else. He glanced over at the Didact, wondering how the Forerunner would deal with the coming struggle. He seemed to be equally wrapped up in his thoughts, but was still listening intently to the back-and-forth between the Queen and the others. Jack figured it was all more or less formalities at this point. Draugnur's concerns, Thryssa's forces, the mobilisation of regiments... ah, well. The appropriate responses to the situation, to be sure, but nothing that hadn't been seen before.

---

"Do I hear you volunteering, Jack?" The Queen said with a raised eyebrow, an amused smirk on her lips.

Naomi, on the lower table, his her scowl with a goblet of wine. So far she'd heard nothing about the Chaos or Order factions, but she recognized the map - albeit a much smaller version of it. It still befuddled her sometimes how small the Order and Chaos island territories were. They hardly rated a mention in this council, that much she had known from the start, but it was still frustrating to know nothing about Order. Still, Order island had been in the golden zone. There was a good chance they were fine.

She locked eyes with Fair for a few seconds as she looked back up the table. The dragon seemed to look like through her - as usual when she wasn't actively threatening Sliuril or being threatened herself.

"Don't stare." Elijah advised with a hissed breath. "It's rude."

"I don't think she can comprehend the concept of rude." Naomi muttered.

"Well, she's scary, and might get offended, so don't."

---

"Well, it is true that my better judgement rarely prevails. Regardless, you heard two words indicating resignation, my Queen. Volunteering may be too strong a term. That being said, you'll hear no complaint from me." Jack said, inclining his head towards her.

Didact gave a small 'hmph' of laughter. It wasn't the high-and-mighty Jack he was getting used to, that was for sure. Nevertheless, the demon's carefully formal tone betrayed something of a smile in his voice.

---

The Queen gave a laugh at Jack's reply, and barely avoided full-blown laughter at Didact's 'hmph' of laughter.

Faith amused herself with staring at the guests. She had very little official function in the courts. There were dozens or hundreds of gods stronger and better equipped to deal with this issue than her - all she really had to bother with was making sure Sliuril didn't do anything stupid.

Copper leaned to talk to Didact. "What do you want to do now? They won't have a task for us. Me. You know." She asked.

---

Didact sat back in his chair and looked at Copper, thinking. Eventually, he replied, picking his words carefully.

"The Grimm are a viable, direct and immediate threat to the security of the world. The Mantle of Responsibility, in this flawed, old Forerunner's humble opinion, dictates that I must make it my duty to struggle against them. And while this Council makes it abundantly clear that matters are being taken care of, I feel it would be wrong of me to not do anything. I will likely find myself at the front lines. As for this merry band of misfits I find myself in... I can say with confidence at this stage that their energies are, by and large, focused on... well, things besides threatening this world. As such, I'd quite like to relieve them of the burden I pose."

There was a pause.

"That being said, perhaps I could stick around a bit longer. Better safe than sorry."

Jack, who had obviously been listening in, took his turn at chuckling.

---

Copper smiled. "Don't tell me they've grown on you now." She said. "But if you want to come along then you are by all means welcome. Right, sister?" Copper raised her voice at the last part, half standing to speak at Sliuri. "Of course, I'm sure seeing us work will help reassure any doubts you may still have of our intentions."

"Of course." Sliuril grumbled into her drink, glaring at the offending white wine. Why was it even white? She hated white wine. Well, at least it wasn't beer. She shuddered as Faith downed another pint of the... Drink.

"Do you think she'd let me help?" Naomi wondered.

Elijah shrugged. "Not likely. You're making good progress with magic. But not enough to do what the Princess is being told to."

---

Didact grinned at Copper. "I really just want to see card boy get his comeuppance."

There was a rumbling laugh from the other end of the table.

"You see what I'm saying, right?" Didact asked as Jack settled back, still grinning. The Forerunner looked around and nodded. "Yes, I think I'll stay for now."

---

Copper giggled. It didn't take long before people from up and down the hall were staring at her, and she wilted back into her seat.

"You shouldn't let them bother you, you know." Glaurug said as he speared a good chunk of roast meat. "It's not like we're here at their amusement."

"I'm aware." Copper muttered. "Doesn't make it any easier, you know."

The Queen smiled mostly to herself, listening to the back and forth between the guests and her children. They'd found some interesting characters indeed, but it was far past time for change.

---

Didact didn't touch the food seeing as his armour provided him with all the sustenance he required. Instead, he spent the time looking around at the space, trying to figure it out. That, and the beings that occupied it. Jack wasn't quite as curious but had the entire Mask issue to consider. Thus, he politely pushed the food which had appeared in front of him to a side so that he could rest his elbows on the table. He gazed out at those assembled, eyes slightly narrowed.

Didact leaned over to Copper. "So... what now?" the Forerunner asked.

---

"Now?" Copper thought for a moment, then shrugged. "Honestly not much to do here. We're just here for decoration and to show a united front against the Creatures of Grimm. I predict they'll go straight back to banishing me once this whole affair is over."

"Or they could pardon you."

Copper snorted, causing a few of the watchers at the lower tables to hiss at her. "The probability of that is close to zero."

"Is there anything else that needs to be brought to our attention?" Anheuser called out. There was a general negative response. He nodded. "Very well. By the will of the Empress, this council is ended. Enjoy yourselves."

"Would you like to leave?" She asked Jack. "I have to go and check the armoury - you could come, or stay here."

---

Jack looked around and shrugged. "Well, its not as if I'm doing anything of great importance over here." he muttered. "Lead the way."

Didact hesitated. "If... say there was someone who was quite curious as to the reasons and terms of your banishment, what response could they expect upon asking about them?" the Forerunner asked, head cocked inquisitively.

---

"They'd answer." Copper replied bluntly, reaching for a goblet of wine. She downed it in one go. "Quite possibly while cursing me, my name, and all the work I've done." She added after the burning had passed. "You can go and ask Leviticus, he's the Lorekeeper." She subtly indicated a man in grey and off-white robes that looked vaguely like several huge scrolls loose and floating around. "He'll give you the best explanation."

"Best not to ask at all. It was unfair." Glaurug muttered darkly.

Sliuril made the generic excuses for her and Jack, giving a final wave to a group of friends in the far table. Faith rose and flanked her, a wing extending to shield the elf from sight as they exited through a hidden hallway. Just as they were about to round the bend, Sliuril found their way blocked by Thryssa.

"Sister." Thryssa said, his odd smile on his face. "It has been a while."

"Yes, it has. Did the Battleplains kick you out again?"

He gave a sharp laugh. "Hardly. I have been busy with the invasion. Your presence in the battlefield will be most welcome, as will Jack of the Void's." He gave Jack a respectful nod. "Your Court's work with the Crawler was superb."

With his piece said, he walked off back towards the main room of the council.

"...that was interesting." Faith muttered.

---

"Yes... I'm not quite sure what to make of that one. Seems... okay." Jack almost made it sound like a question, eyebrow raised.

Didact thought about Copper and Glaurug's words for a few moments, staring at the man in the robes, and eventually shrugged. Copper's exile only mattered to him if he himself gave it any importance. And, he knew all too well, exile was not always fair. He'd figure it out sooner or later, but decided that this was neither the time nor the place. He gave a brief nod to Glaurug and resumed looking out over the guests.

---

"He's sane when he's compared to my father, but still far less preferable to Sliuril." Faith replied.

"Thryssa is fine. A little desensitized, but we all are." Sliuril said. "And Faith, you're biased."

"And don't you know it."

Sliuril led them through the conference building and into the guards' wing of the palace. There was much less plant life here and the branches had been overtaken by solid white marble. They shimmered with enchantments and veins of liquid mana ran through them, supplying the entire palace itself with the evergybit needed to function.

Sliuril gingerly stepped over a particularly large vein of mana before opening the large, ridiculously heavy door to the armoury. It was a large room vaguely resembling a warehouse. Rows and rows of shelves reached to the roof. Weapons of every type and strength imaginable were held here, from common swords and guns to war schytes and the unwieldy haladie.

They were ignored. Sliuril strode past them and into the back of the room. There was a single door there - small, unassuming.

She pushed it open with a flare of gold and green magic.

This armoury contained only a handful of shelves and racks. The items here were arranged nearly and were clearly visible. Half a dozen armour stands stood in the middle. Sliuril reached out a hand, and one particular ensemble retracted into a simple gorget. There was a second of delay before it flew towards them and landed squarely on Faith's neck.

"Hey!"

The armour wrapped itself quickly around the agitated dragon.

---