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Zeleos
"We've killed the revolutionists overseas as you have asked, my lord."
One of the Drownei council members stated to my father. With her long hair organized in a bun, and white robes like the rest of the dozen.
A meeting of two sides was prepared for the war.
We sat with key Unity leaders around the long marble table. Inside the windowless room of Kyronia palace. Similiar to usual, the overlord Aeleric leaned back on his tall throne, noticeably with a longer unkept beard. The crown of Midkyron's gemstones fitted over his darkest silver hair. And not showing an ounce of emotion, after all this time using its power, to the point of his body never tiring.
Yet I kept noticing his sunken eyes glance at the bloodstone I held.
I was accustomed to the useless feeling. Our father was lost for years now, and replaced by an exhausted emperor who had already gained the world. An imposter that needn't fixing.
So I mentally shook it off.
Instead, I focused on the diverse members of the Unity, listening intently. If all is going to plan, I might as well impress them by focusing on numbers.
"How many are left?"
I asked, primarily towards our lady representative who previously spoke.
Before she could answer, after talking to the overlord, another one of our councilmen cleared his gruff throat.
"The settlements on the tiny island bases have been. . . cleared." The dark-haired general said, palm rubbing on his shaved chin for thought. "However, as we near Marine territory, offensive becomes difficult using our divisions alone."
Overlord Aeleric gave me a look of narrow approval. Before sitting with a taller posture and redirecting his sight, at Eeldrin, the Flivian seated to my side.
"Then go order your armies to ambush as well."
"Doing that from within was exactly the game plan, lord." The winged person with facial scars answered in confidence. Briefly readjusting his shorter beard and gold earring, before the overlord opened his fanged mouth again.
"The Marine rebels shall be surrounded and wiped out. Combine a conserving number of both our forces and. . ."
The king leaned forwards. Elbows rested on the table, fingertips pressed against each other. His pupils glowed a little flicker of brightness.
". . .see what happens. It should prove powerful enough."
I felt my own vision turn towards him. An instinctual reaction, as my mind began to ruminate on the possibilities. There appeared a more effective way to succeed.
If only the ruler of everything were to allow it.
"There is another option." I spoke directly to the unionized committee.
My expression remained composed and steady, feeling the eyesights of the room burn through mine. But I was used to the judging feeling. Acquainted with the fact that I was never meant to be leader.
The only major factor that changed was Kallei, now existing as an apparent traitor. And our overlord father needing a more capable heir, like myself, to step up.
I set the bloodstone onto the table's surface, clasped into my right hand.
"The other gemstones should be utilized in battle."
The meeting went silent. I looked at each of their faces, staying unfazed. Nearby, Eeldric's eyebrows were raised while nodding, while the others of the Unity and Kyronia were mixed in response.
Some of them, mostly the Drownei, whispered while keeping their heads directed at me. A vast majority of everyone else lit up at the idea.
Father, however, stared with a dangerously still demeanor.
Instead of glancing, I met his impaling gaze with my own.
"Zeleos, child." His tone of voice almost hinted at a laugh. But nowhere near a safe one.
"You do realize the danger of delivering to them what they desire? Straight beneath their feet?"
"The intention is to wipe the questers out efficiently, is it not, father?"
I continued my attempt to elaborate boldly.
"Their miniscule pirate armies would barely stand a chance, against the gems. Not even if they use magic-infused weapons. It's only reasonable, then, that the one wielding all the world's power leads in battle."
Overlord Aeleric allowed me to speak with a deafening quietness.
The gemstones placed on his golden crown shimmered; sharp, flickering, and emitting unstable glows. His eyeballs flashed correspondingly, white smoke beginning to seep outwards.
"The risk of losing this power remains too high." He claimed. "The Marine rebel civilization will fall on their own already, once we strike. They're deathly individual and unknowing to make an alliance our size."
My vision was locked to spectate his hands, firmly gripped around the Crown of Infinity.
Excuses. I suppressed the urge to tell the Drownei leader, capable of quickly turning me into ash. You're being too safe. Raw power, wasted, as you sit on your fancy throne all day.
"Potential remains unutilized. Cultivating the gemstones' fused abilities would allow an easier success." I persisted.
The participants of the council discussed with one another like before, in low voices after watching our dispute. Crosstalk filled the enclosed pearly area. Me and father exchanged an intense look, while I slowly directed my eyesight away knowing I made a valid argument.
But I knew many are bound to support their precious leader instead.
"Overlord Aeleric has quite a point."
One of the elder Drownei spoke up, while the noise died down. An old folk. And possibly just biased.
"There's no need to use more than we already have, which is plenty."
"Well. . ." Eeldric said beside me. "More damage would always be good against the wretched Chronicle Order."
"Hold on." His troop of many chimed in, with gills and fish scales. "You lot know that your heir, or whatever, would be caught within the ambush right? "
Father then raised his brow and tilted his head the slightest at me.
"Continue surveillance." He answered the Unity, but expected a response from myself.
"He is yet to be captured and retrieved to us. Bring him alive."
I leaned forwards, flipping the cape of my cloak back.
"Perhaps if you lended more of your strength, father, then I'll do so instead of being close to attain."
A deep laugh escaped him from the notion.
"You wield the bloodstone, Zeleos. Give it some time." Then he gave me another little amused smile."It'll give strength, such as the rest, when you insert all your will."
"I have done that already." I retorted.
"Oh, I know you have tried, son." He said. "And so the Drownei of Kyronia praise your quest and effort, as my right hand."
The overlord took a second for that to come across.
"But sometimes pure magic suits its host in unpredictable ways."
I definitely could not have predicted how much it transformed father. Even if I've learned, that massive amounts of the raw energy is rumored to intensify your emotions.
If I was leader?
Feeling more than the height of status would be useless.
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I stood at the edge of the ship's plank, staring off into the small island docks in the distance, then the seas below, before diving down with the others.
The Unity members led around unmapped territory. And by my command and knowledge of spells, men of the Drownei followed.
I sunk into the depths, only able to see the dark blue within the waters. Then a radiance of brighter azure beamed through the blurs. Expanding across every figure surrounding me underwater.
Siphre of Sea gemstone magic. I remembered from history.
A bubble the radius of my body's perimeter formed, while I was enclosed within it. I was suddenly able to breath once more. Taking a quiet gasp for air.
I wafted my hands underwater. Movement was much easier now, except physics still applied as we all floated in the space. And I was entirely dry.
The metal staffs of the few magic users flickered. as Eeldrin ordered them with a clear voice, moving around with his wings, inside of his magic oxygen pocket similiar to mine. Before the rays of sapphire colour from the spellcasters faded away. Casting difficult abilities like this could only be possible with larger magical weapons, is what I've studied.
Eventually, we swam downwards, scaling the rock walls naturally bordering beneath the isle.
Then Eeldrin verbally gestured us to stop, as he did so as well.
The same staff users from before glided forwards. This time emitting a shine of deep green from their staffs, that altered into the exact colour.
Emerl of Earth gemstone magic. I recalled.
The bottom of the island split open, revealing the inside of a tunnel network. Iron-armoured guards stood on each side of the Unity base entrance. A barely visible forcefield was casted onto the opening, keeping the waters outside.
We landed inside without a drop of liquid. And our mages closed the hole in the terrain behind us, as the chunks of stone and soil fused back together. Spell effects on each person were reverted.
So I scanned the area.
Armies of every species were scattered around the halls, carrying various weapons for destruction against fate.