Makora was engaged in a rapid-fire conversation with thirty-three blue screens hovering around her. Whatever those screens contained, they were invisible to Arthur, though the way Ezrial's face visibly tightened told him that wasn’t the case for everyone else. Arthur wondered why The Weaver wore a cowl. It certainly wasn’t to hide her facial expressions.

  She was the most animated person he’d ever seen, so much so that Arthur suspected a concept or law was at play to help communicate her emotions to everyone.

  Then again, with a name like The Weaver, everything she did was probably calculated. Whatever the council was saying, it didn’t seem like Makora was very happy with it. They were communicating in a language even Myriad Tongues couldn’t translate, one that sounded exceptionally sweet in one moment and then terribly harsh in the next.

  “Bureaucracy,” Ezrial spat. “If we managed to get rid of the old fossils, we’d be winning this damn war.”

  Arthur nodded. He knew first-hand how annoying paper-pushers could be, though he doubted The Council fell into that category. Most likely, Ezrial was letting personal bias colour his blanket statement. The discussion finally cooled down, though The Weaver didn’t seem very pleased. She turned to face Arthur.

  “The Council has come to a decision, Mr Ward, though things may still change depending on how this conversation goes.”

  The second part of her sentence sounded like it was said more for her benefit than his. It seemed she really wasn’t happy with The Council's verdict. “It has been decided that you will sign a Contract of Servitude, one overseen by seven impartial paragon-class soul mages and Rowan Thorkell, the Soulsmith of the council.”

  “I refuse.”

  Arthur's reply was simple, two words that perfectly communicated how he felt about The Council's decision. The way everyone reacted, though, you’d think he just said he liked eating babies. They weren't even angry, really, just shocked. How many had ever dared to deny them anything? Arthur suspected that short list of names only consisted of dead people now.

  “Refuse? Is that a thing people can just do?”

  Arthur wasn’t sure if Duncan was being serious or just joking.

  “You must understand, Mr Ward, simply rejecting our proposal isn’t how things work,” Makora began. “The Council has come to this decision after taking into account your current abilities and future potential. While your capacity to stabilise space against corruption is useful enough to keep you alive despite Wovan's existence, you don’t quite meet the requirements where you can just demand things from us.”

  Arthur could hear the smile in The Weaver’s voice, and he could tell she’d been leading up to this all along.

  “That is, unless we don’t have an accurate grasp on your abilities, of course. Tell us, then, Arthur Ward. You don't seem like the kind of man who’d risk his freedom without being absolutely sure of success. What have you prepared for today? Why should you remain a free agent?”

  Arthur smiled. “Something tells me if I came before The Council with the cure to corruption in my right hand, I still wouldn’t be able to please you all.”

  “Enough with the platitudes, boy,” Igneus snarled. “Every second wasted here with you is a second where our efforts are turned away from the battlefield. Do you know how many have died already?”

  Arthur stared at the living flame coolly. “Those deaths lie at your feet. Not mine. Don't give me your burdens to carry. I never forced any of you to gather here. Hell, I’d much prefer it if we never met. Duty didn't bring you here, Igneus. It was your fear.”

  Arthur’s words produced an instant reaction. The temperature suddenly shot up by 3000 degrees Celsius, vaporising any living creature within a hundred kilometres. The heat didn't affect him a bit. Arthur walked forward, unfazed, even as his feet sank deeper and deeper beneath molten rock. He stopped when he stood before Igneus.

  “You fear me, Igneus. You fear what I may become. Deny it as much as you may want to. Strike me where I stand. It doesn't make my words any less true.”

  Arthur knew he was crossing the line here, but it was a calculated risk. He was weaker than everyone here, and that would probably be the status quo even after a century or three. A time would come, however, when he stood on equal grounds with them. He wanted to establish the hierarchy now, to show that he wasn’t going to be pushed around. Succumbing to bullying today would make the next millennium incredibly tedious and annoying.

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  Igneus had made it clear he didn’t like Arthur. Maybe he actually wanted to kill him as much as he showed it. He couldn’t, though, for one reason or another, else he would have died with his earlier provocation. Even with all the power he had, Igneus was still beholden to the whims of The Council, and they wanted him alive, not dead.

  “You play a dangerous game, child,” The Weaver said in a chiding tone. “You are a valuable man. A protected one, even. Igneus' patience only stretches so far, though. You would do well to remember that.”

  Arthur stepped back, idly noting that the ground had returned to normal. Perhaps he had pushed a little too far. “You’re right, Lady Makora. I overstepped my bounds. It will not happen again.”

  The Weaver chuckled. “You won’t apologise, though, will you, it seems. Still, I will settle with you at least acknowledging your mistakes. Back to the question at hand, Mr Ward. Igneus wasn't lying. We've wasted enough time already. What do you bring to the table?”

  “I already told you,” Arthur deadpanned.

  Okay, maybe he didn’t like getting berated like a child. In his defence, these bastards were his would-be killers. That exempted them from any politeness in his rule book.

  “You said something fancy about the cure to corruption, Arthur. That's not an answer…” Her words trailed off as she realised what he was getting at. “You know how to beat corruption,” The Weaver breathed in shock.

  The woman was an incredible actor; Arthur would give her that. Her reaction was picture perfect, communicating both shock and awe. He was sure she’d come here knowing all of this already, though. It was why she'd backed him from the get-go. Now he just had to play his part in her drama.

  “I didn’t say I know how to beat corruption,” Arthur replied. "I said I possessed the cure to it.”

  “Same damn thing,” Duncan growled. “What is it?”

  Arthur couldn’t deny that he was enjoying this a little more than he should have.

  “You’re looking at him."

  Going by the looks of confusion all around, that didn’t seem like an adequate answer. Arthur sighed.

  “The stabilising aura you can sense from me is so much more than it appears. I’m not simply stabilising space. I’m actively purifying corruption and returning it to ether."

  Arthur placed his hands behind his back, striking the pose of any professor worth his salt.

  “While the area I can affect now isn’t the largest, twenty thousand square kilometres, that space will rapidly grow both larger and stronger as I ascend in levels. I do not doubt that a time will come when my mere presence will purify and stabilise entire stellar systems.”

  Arthur was really getting into things now. This was the greatest pitch of his life. He was selling himself, arguing for his right to exist free of any shackles.

  “What's more, this purified space extends from any trace of my soul. Wovan numbers only 44 now, but one day she'll have hundreds of thousands of bodies. It interacts synergistically with my new house, too. Anywhere it takes root is a planet that will never succumb to corruption. Imagine it, the capitals of your empires. Your most beloved worlds. You’d never have to fear for them again.”

  All this time, Arthur had missed out on one key detail. He was the Arbiter of Energy. Just as he could fight for ether, so too could he do the same for nether. If that secret were to come out, though, all the riches in the realm wouldn’t be enough to buy his life. It was time to seal the deal.

  “I am the greatest strategic asset the Myopan realm has ever seen, the proverbial flame Prometheus gifted to humanity. Your war against corruption is a losing one. Even with all the benefits the System granted us, your eventual defeat is inevitable. You don't need to be The Weaver to see the trappings of fate."

  Ezrial whistled appreciatively. "You should have been a bard instead. You've got all the makings of an incredible storyteller."

  "Except I'm not narrating a story today, though, am I? Everyone here is strong enough to flee to a safer realm. One where corruption isn't knocking at the door. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if you aren't already establishing yourselves somewhere safer. That luxury doesn't extend to everyone, though. Trillions of lives hang in the balance. On the decision you make today. Look past your fear and your greed, if only for a moment."

  "I will never sign a Contract of Servitude, but I am willing to work with you. As an ally to be respected, not a pawn awaiting sacrifice."

  "You talk a big game, Mr Ward."

  Arthur could hear the smile in The Weaver's voice. He was beginning to suspect everyone who heard her speak was fed a different blend of emotions. She would say a single line, but it would mean something different for all who listened.

  "I'm simply confident in my abilities," Arthur finally said. "An inspection will show that I've spoken no falsehoods."

  "Igneus, you are the one who dislikes Arthur the most. Lantris, I believe you are the most impartial," Makora said. "Inspect Arthur's aura and determine if the Originator has lied. The Council has amply proven they won't believe anything I say."

  "Can you blame them?" Ezrial asked.

  The Weaver cocked her head to the side and stared at him. She didn't say anything, though, before turning back to the flashing blue screens. Things progressed very fast from there, Lantris taking a drop of his blood to inspect, much to his consternation, and Igneus using his fire to thoroughly singe every part of Arthur's body. He was poked and prodded, and his aura was scoured for any inconsistencies, but finally, the verdict came. He had spoken the truth. The Weaver turned to face him once again.

  "The council has spoken, Mr Ward. There shall be no Contract of Servitude, just as I advised for in the beginning. Heeding my counsel would have saved us all a lot of time. You will sit at the table as an equal. A few restrictions, however, will be placed on your pets. Wovan will not ascend beyond level 100 until The Council permits it, and you must gain our permission to plant your home on any non-corrupt planet within the Myopan realm. Do not fear, you've already been cleared for Earth."

  "As for the role you will serve in the coming years." The Weaver paused for dramatic effect. "It seems fate will have its way once more. I formally invite you to join us in The Nether Corps."

  Once again a reminder

  Links to the audiobooks.

  Etherious: Originator

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