“It just doesn’t work that way for me… maybe finding a school teaching about Glaive use? I don’t really need it to fight but I have to admit having a weapon for close range is too useful to not use it.”
Sofya was standing a few meters behind him, her eyes wide, mouth open…she was still surprised, the speed and strength her protector had shown was well above what he had used during his battle against the Prothean boss at the end of the unique dungeon.
“He was definitely just playing…how strong is he exactly? I know Transcendents are powerful, but that’s ridiculous! Will my mom be able to do that too, once she becomes one?”
The simple answer was yes. Yes Tyfania would be able to slaughter those wyverns with her bare hands once she became a Transcendent. Becoming a Transcendent was the hard part though. Akhenamen did learn that no more than 10 known Thrones existed in this world. Each one belonged to some powerful faction, most of the time they were the very ones who participated in its creation. Except Leeros. He was actually well known because of his status as the Academy’s dean, since its opening.
“Tell me Sofya…you wouldn’t know a school or country with great mastery of the glaive?”
Sofya’s eyes blinked a few times…trying to register the question, why would a Transcendent need a school? However, seeing his rather clumsy twirl of the glaive that he almost dropped. She let out a laugh and understood why.
“I never realised a Transcendent might wanna learn something new! It makes sense though, it must be awfully boring to be pretty much immortal. Well… I don’t know to be honest. It’s a pretty rare weapon.”
Akhenamen nodded, seeing his gnomish encyclopedia failed, he decided to use another one. This time asking Ascylla.
“Got any data on people using glaives during the war?”
{Apart from us, the Cygilites, we saw almost no noteworthy users of the glaive. We do have access to some reports talking about some isolated villages around the steps of the Pyrax Empire but nothing concrete.}
{Wait…we actually do have something! One name to be precise. We do not know who or what he was but he was apparently a Transcendent wielding a glaive with great talent.}
{He did not seem particularly dangerous but he was noted down as a high priority target, our people must have seen him as someone who could become very dangerous.}
“What was his name?”
{Orikon, The Gale Glaive Ascendant}
“Now that’s a pretty great title. Orikon, the Gale Glaive Ascendant. If he fought in the war, he would be thousand of years old! Well actually how long ago did the Forgotten War happen?”
{Around 2500 years ago, Hierarch.}
***
Somewhere, at the opposite side of the continent, in the Cloud Kingdom, a great whirlwind was tearing off everything that tried to come close to a small hill. No mist or cloud could be seen in the area, one of the rarest sides in this place.
The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.
Massive towering humanoid figures rushed toward the tempest, each seemed to wield the power of Transcendent. The shadow they cast on the floor would cover the entire village, a long tail trailing behind the humanoid torso and great wings on their back.
Every flap of their wings creating clouds and mists, toward the whirlwind who seemed to casually tear them to shreds.
“Keep going! The Authority’s domain must be weakening!”
“We’ve been fighting for two years my Queen! The Ancestors simply can’t keep up anymore and even the Beyonders are getting tired!”
The five biggest shadows were surrounding the whirlwind, some staring at it in wonder, others with fear. They were scratched, injured and slashed everywhere, their blood splashing on the floor below, each drop of this blood glowing a soft golden color.
The one referred to as Queen was the biggest and most well armored, her armor which covered most of her body from her face to the tip of her tail. An armor made of jade, gold and aquamarine.
Now broken in many parts. All around the queen and the five biggest figures, dozens of others seemed to lay down on the floor, some completely unconscious, others barely able to stand.
This kind of force could make any nation send out their strongest and most powerful Transcendents to fight back, something that would trigger a war which could destroy a country, were being beaten like a bunch of playground kids fighting a silverback gorilla.
“DAMN IT! When is that fucker going to wake up!”
Here was the most frightening realization, because if someone was able to move past the whirlwind, they would see inside, a calm hill, a soft relaxing wind going through the grass, no mists, a small tree casting a shadow down on a sleeping man.
The man had a thick bushy beard, his limbs thin and malnourished, a thin cloth on his body, barely covering him enough to not be indecent. He was wrinkled everywhere, looking like someone who could have seen the birth of the world.
Yet, the aura coming from this bald sleeping old man was so powerful, an aura that would have made Akhenamen collapse on his knees just from standing close to what could only be described as an old monster.
He wore a typical chinese straw dǒulì (chinese conical hat) while holding a smoking pipe between his lips. Smoke coming from its tip. His eyes closed and his chest breathing softly. Covered in too many scars to count.
The old man’s eyes opened gently, his ears effortlessly picking up an interesting sound. An old title he had once been granted. Two thousands and five hundred years ago… give or take a few years.
“Now, now, that’s an old nickname. Who could have said that… that crazy Hydra-Woman? Leeros maybe? Achecha…? No… “
A loud yawn broke his sentence. His hands pushing him standing as he fixed his hat on his head properly, stretched a bit and scratched his butt before whistling, the whirlwind which had been surrounding him suddenly disappearing and turning into a simple glaive.
It seemed made of wood and iron, simple metals, the wood was old, the blade rusted and slightly chipped here and there. As the weapon flew into its owner’s hand, it shivered as if enjoying the old man’s calloused hand.
“It’s been two years my friend, thank you for watching over my sleep. Have you heard it too? Our old title? Let’s go check it out. It should prove entertaining at least.”
The man disappeared, turning into a gust of wind that seemed to scatter in every direction. And so, the Doreager and her entourage stared at the now empty hill, the fog and mist they summoned still refusing to reclaim that hill which had been now infused with the aura of an Authority.
One of the five standing shadowy figures spoke after ten seconds of silence.
“So that was Orikon… Authorities are truly at another level. Couldn’t we have asked the Grand Senechal, my Queen?”
“Even one strike between them would have ravaged half our kingdom, Lirion. Do not be foolish, I know you’ve only recently become a Throne, but Authority are amongst the most unpredictable beings.”
The queen breathed out in relief, slamming her spear down on the floor, the tip shattering the ground it struck. A gentle shift of her tail sending an entire hill flying into small bits from irritation at having been beaten black and blue for two years by a sentient glaive.
“Even if the Grand Senechal is one of us, there’s no telling he wouldn’t decide to take a nap next to the Howling Calamity and make our situation worse.”
“Sorry for my ignorance, my Queen, but… where did he go?”
“I don’t know and I don’t wanna know. He’s out of our kingdom and that’s enough. I hope we’ll hear he went to bother the Mist Valley. That damned sect has been an annoyance. Let’s move back to the palace.”
***
Akhenamen and Sofya now gazed at the panorama before them, they had finally reached the edges of The Great Desert of Oleron. And Akhenamen had to admit. This was amongst the most impressive and amazing sights he had ever seen.
Sofya’s hair flew around in the wind, it had become stronger a few hours ago. But she was too eager to care.
Akhenamen looked around, nothing, no one. He felt like something was watching them. But absolutely nothing seemed to indicate that. Was he becoming completely paranoid?
“Ready to go Sofya?”
“Yes, Sir!”
“What about you, Syllena? Ascylla? And please stop arguing, you two.”
{We’re eager to see the glorious Cygislax with our own eyes, Hierarch. Do not worry we shall not argue with someone who cannot understand that A New Hope is vastly better than The Empire Strike Back.}
[Let’s go, dad! And… IT IS BETTER!]
{Great argument, Unit Syllena. Another proof of why we’re the best assistant for our Argent Hierarch. We can help you get repurposed as something more useful. Mayhaps an automatic door, if you wish?}
[Fuck you! Bitc-]