Infinite Realm: Monsters & Legends

Interlude - Consequence

Consequences

Selia watched as Kerial followed Anrosh out of the throne room, she stayed back, frozen in place for a moment. She felt a tug on her hand, and then let herself be pulled forward by Ryun.

Erdania walked up to his other side and leaned in and whispered to him. Are you sure? she asked him. He isnt weak. He spent a lot of time sharpening his craft, centuries.

Just watch, was the only thing that Ryun said as they walked.

They exited the throne room in a hurry, and walked to the small arena in the courtyard outside.

Selia walked away from Ryun and Erdania, needing to try to stop this, no matter what they said. She found Kerial as he was about to head inside.

Dont do this, she told him. I dont want it.

It is not about what you want, he said. It is about what we need. And that is someone strong leading us. If you wont be that, then I will. I would rather die than let myself be led by some weaklings from the Frontier.

Selia could stop him, could hit him in the head and drop him to the ground. Or she could actually lead. Take control in a way that he wanted her to. He would respect that, though he would probably still try to find ways to scheme and attempt to raise his position. But if she led, then She could apologize on his behalf. But she had grown tired of tolerating him, of trying to reign him in. If she led, it wouldnt stop, it would just get worse. Let him do as he pleased, and if Ryun was content to let this happen then she was too. She turned away from him and walked to the stands. She found Erdania standing with a hooded figure. More people had come than had been in the throne room, other Twilight Melody Sect members. The Ornns were in a corner, looking interested in what was about to happen.

Selia turned her eyes to Kerial as he walked onto the arena stage. He pulled out his combat gear, red woven robes with lines of silver that covered his body, two focuses appeared on his hands, one on each. He put his hands to the side and Blood Qi flowed through his focuses then shaped two crystal blood spears that floated above his shoulders, each pointed at Anrosh who stood across from him. Then he stilled, watching and waiting.

Kerial followed a Path similar to Selia. He didnt have the same Aspect of course, that was reserved for the main families. No, his Aspect was Blood, and his Paths were The Path of Blood Shaper and The Path of Precision, with the Duplicator Class. His build was meant to emulate hers, the build of a main family, it was lesser in every way. But still, it was powerful. Once, he had dreams of following that same Path, he stole a Path from the main family, and only once he realized that getting a way to remove his own Path would be too costly, did he turn his attention to Selia. Giving her a Path that she wasnt supposed to have, forcing her to be the instrument of his rise. That he was alive still was only because the sect saw Selias talent and decided that his actions had given them something that they mightve otherwise overlooked.

You can still change your mind, Anrosh said slowly. This will not go the way you think it will.

Kerial shook his head. Come trash, let me teach you what power means.

Anrosh nodded, then loosened her robe. Three small diamond shaped shields? Rose from her back and floated above her. In the next breath, a mist flashed around her as she donned her own gear. A rainbow-colored armor covered her head to toe.

She looked at him and then her armor rippled, the rainbow color replaced with a deep red.

It was a strange armor, but Selia could tell that it was powerful. She knew what Ryun had, and she wondered. He wouldnt. And yet, he had given gifts to her and Erdania. Would he not do the same for Anrosh? Was that masterwork armor? Eternal? She didnt know, but Ryun he didnt act in the ways that most would.

Come, take out your weapons, or are you too scared? Kerial taunted Anrosh.

Anrosh took a deep breath, then exiled slowly. A shield of a different shade of red appeared on her arm, diamond shaped and looking as if it was carved from glass. In her other hand, a short sword manifested, an awakened object, Ryuns old sword.

Kerial waited a moment, and then the battle started. He gestured and sent the two spears flying in her direction. Two spears turned into four as his focus flashed. Anrosh didnt move at all. She raised her shield and blocked one of the spears, the three shields above her moved and blocked the other three. Kerials attack was stopped in its track as his spears broke into crystal shards and then the Qi dissipated.

You wont win, Anrosh told him.

Kerial growled. You hide behind your equipment.

Anrosh just shook her head. Kerial attacked again, sending wave after wave of attacks. Spears flying in her direction, and she never moved. She never attempted to close the distance and attack him, she just let him attack her with no response. Just defending. Selia saw how that angered Kerial. He raised his hands and Blood Qi flowed out, shaping a large spear, more like a giant ballista bolt. Then she saw it start to glow as he layered perks and abilities on it. A moment later he yelled out as he sent it flying in Anroshs direction. It was a powerful attack, one that would make even Selia think twice before letting it anywhere near her. Kerial was an Immortal, an old one, he had time to learn his build. And while his Paths werent as good as Selias, it could still deal incredible damage.

Anrosh raised her sword hand and Selia saw Qi flow out of her, the area around the flying ballista was filled with it and frost covered the bolt. It slowed it slightly and then Anrosh moved, taking a step to the side and swinging her shield. She bashed the attack away, the construct bouncing off to the side where it stabbed into the ground. A moment later it detonated, sending a shower of debris in all direction and leaving a crater where it once was.

Kerial paused, clearly surprised. Anrosh had moved fast, and the power one needed to bash away such an attack was significant.

Then Anrosh dismissed her sword and shield. Selia frowned as she watched.

Will you concede? She asked.

Kerial shaped two more spears above him in response.

Anrosh sighed, and frost spread from behind her face plate, a moment later she changed. Her armor rippled and grew as Qi filled it, in a span of a second Anrosh was replaced by an armored animal form, a wolf, towering over Kerial and filling the room. Frost started spreading across the floor, reaching for Kerial.

Evolved, Kerial said in shock what they were all thinking. Everyone in the arena felt a deep chill of her Qi accompany the sense of disbelief.

You you! Kerial yelled. You think that being raised to Evolved will save you? Lets see how you like this!

Kerial attacked. The two spears duplicated, and then blazed with crimson light. They launched at Anrosh who didnt move at all, just stood there looming over everyone. Mid-flight, the spears multiplied again and Selia knew that Kerial wasnt holding back anything, he was using his main and most powerful attack. The eight doubled again, then the spears flashed and disappeared. A moment later thirty two spears appeared all around Anrosh, and flew at her from all angles. Each spear hit her armor and shattered, not penetrating at all. Still, the attack wasnt over, the shards of the spears turned to liquid and splashed Blood Qi all over the armor that was the same color as the Qi. Kerial roared as he raised his hands and his focuses flashed.

The blood covering Anroshs body ignited, then exploded in a wave of crimson fire. A shock wave expanded and sent some of the watchers to the ground, cracks appeared in the floor reaching outside of the arena. The dust settled, and Anrosh stood there unharmed.

Selia knew that he lost. That was his most powerful attack, and it did nothing.

You cant win, Anrosh told him. Concede, and we can still mend what is almost broken.

Kerials face twisted into an angry grimace and then he turned to look at the people in the stands. Look at your leader! A raised Cultivator who doesnt deserve her power! Who hides behind unearned armor! A Realm that she didnt achieve on her own! Is this who you want to lead you!

She understood what he wanted to say, but he didnt understand his audience. He never really understood honor and obligation. She looked at the faces of the Twilight Melody people and saw admiration, pride. It didnt matter that she was raised, that she had armor that was powerful. She was theirs, and she had the power to stand against a Cultivator from Zenshuen Sect. That was all that mattered.

When no answer came, Kerial seemed to realize his mistake. He glared at Anrosh and then spoke.

I will not let a Frontier trash lead us, he said softly, angrily. Then he pulled out something out of his storage, a bright blue stone. Selia recognized it immediately. A signal stone. He raised it high and then broke it, as it shattered light shot out straight up, a blazing pillar of blue light. There, now we have no choice, Kerial turned to look at Selia and she felt his look and words in her gut. She didnt know what he thought he was doing, but she could imagine. Something that would force her to act. But he didnt know, the poor, stupid idiot.

For a few seconds nothing happened, and then Kerials expression turned confused.

Anrosh told him, her voice barely more than a whisper. Nothing will happen.

And that is my cue, Ryun said and jumped from the stands to the arena floor, killing any faint hopes she had that she wasnt right. Erdania grabbed her hand, and took a step in front of her, looking her in the eyes.

Selia, she whispered. We can talk with him, ask him to show mercy.

Of course, Erdania already figured things out. Selia closed her eyes. Kerial didnt know, he couldnt know, but there were no secrets from Ryun, not anywhere near him. And she had sensed him moving all over his sect. She had sensed him in the city where Selias people stayed, moving about for days without visiting them. She had known that he was doing something like

She looked down at the arena and answered Erdania. She too knew what was going to happen. She knew Ryun and how he was. He didnt judge people on what they thought, on what they planned, he judged them on what they did. That was why he waited for so long, why he gave Kerial all the chances in the world to change his mind.

She watched as he walked over to Kerial, removed his hood which made his feature change back into his own, much to the surprise of everyone watching, and then he spoke.

All people make choices, and they live with the consequences of those choices. You chose to have your people go around my sect and plant formations that would detonate and cause the death of my people. You sent the signal fully believing that would happen, and now you get to suffer the consequences.

A moment later Ryun changed, taking his Evolved Form, a giant wolf, just like Anrosh who walked over to stand next to him.

Kerials eyes widened, and he looked at the stands, at her. Selia, please

He didnt get to finish before Ryun opened his mouth, a red mist filled the arena as it flashed around him for just an instant, and Void swallowed Kerial whole. Selia closed her eyes and steeled herself, feeling a weight falling of her chest. Actions had consequences, and she had covered for her fathers, for long enough. Letting him manipulate her because of that small connection of their past. Choosing to forget the beatings, the control, all in the service of making her strong. That he succeeded meant nothing, he had always done it only for himself. So that he could advance his standing when he himself was not able to rise higher.

Erdania pulled her close and she let it all go.