Published at 28th of May 2026 7:24 am

Chapter 293 The Last Council

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The Council assembled before the Ominian. Jherica had their eyes on Mirian. Liuan had said to watch her for oddities, which they were happy to do. They didnt trust Mirian.

My initial assessment of the loop is promising, Mirian thought to the group. As you no-doubt noted, I included the spell for removing a temporal anchor with the focuses. Is everyone prepared?

We are, Liuan said.

Thoughts of assent echoed through the grand chamber. Not even a stir of wayward emotion, except from Celen. That was one of the reasons Jherica liked him. Everyone else seemed to be experts at self-control. They appreciated how genuine Celen was.

They looked to Mirian. Any moment now, shell demand we go first.

There was a burst of light from Mirians chest. The dream rippled.

Mirians dream form began to dissipate. A feeling of intense concentration swelled in the room. I still feel Them. Weaker now but A feeling of joy mixed with grief moved through the room.

Jherica felt uncomfortable. Why was Mirian acting this way? They remembered her being like this before, but then, as the time loop had kept going, shed become crueler and more domineering.

There was another flare of light as another needle began to manifest in the Ominian.

If any of you need assistance with your temporal anchor, let me know, she thought to the room. The thought came weaker, and her form more insubstantial. That was interesting. Theyd thought the anchors were purely the only connection between them and the Ominian. Of course, when it came to the Elder Gods, there was still so much they hadnt understood. Even after all this time.

Jherica was also trying to do the calculations in their head. The time between Mirians release of her anchor and it appearing in the Ominianhow fast had the needle moved?

Xecatl spoke up next. Jherica could feel the exhaustion rolling off her soul. She would have only just woken up from her memory transfer with Ceiba Yan. Its done, she said. Her soul flickered, but also stayed steady. A few moments later, another needle manifested on the Ominians form.

Zhuan was next, though as soon as the light flared from her chest, she vanished.

Jherica looked at Liuan. This isnt how shed said things would go. A feeling of doubt wormed through them.

No one moved.

Then the mood in the room began to shift. Jherica began to feel a cold rage emanating from Mirian.

Your plans of domination are over now, Liuan said.

Then the anger turned to sorrow. After all these years I thought we had finally found unity. Friendship. A path of peace. Did you really wear a mask all that time?

Opposing you required subterfuge because of your power. Now that youve offered to step down from your throne, though, we accept. Enteria will see peace now, instead of your tyranny.

Sorrow turned to pity. You dont even believe that. I thought wed resolved our differences, but you never did change philosophies. But your argument of the need for humanity to fall under the rule of a benevolent ruler isnt very convincing to the rest of us, so youre projecting it on me. Putting on a show for the others, as if they cant see right through you. Who is it that you havent convinced yet? Celen? Jherica? Ibrahim? Her soul-form turned to Gabriel.

Gabriel radiated indignity. Hey, dont look at me! Im not ditching mine until everyone else does. Im sure as hells not going to let someone else get away with this.

Ibrahim, on the other hand, seemed to have no emotions at all. I should have never stopped fighting my war, was all he said.

Jherica still felt confused. Something was wrong.

If you truly care for the people of Enteria, then I ask all you do is step aside. Let me construct my project in peace. No one needs to die, Mirian thought.

Except for the Akanans youve already slaughtered, Liuan thought. If you want peace, then lay down your weapons.

Thats always the demand of empires, isnt it? Submit or die. Then the slaughter comes either way. The Gatelings were right. If even the Elder Gods in all their wisdom had to fight to learn how to live in peace, perhaps this was always the intended lesson of the Ominian. People dont learn from the epidemic that was prevented, or the war that was never fought. Perhaps

Then abruptly, she flickered and disappeared.

Jherica felt worry slipping from Liuan, despite her control. Ibrahim she began.

Dont try it. I kneel to no one but God. None of you will extract my anchor, and youll get no blood from the stones you squeeze. If there is to be one Prophet left, it will be me. Not you. A stir of anger. You were there when my wife and I renewed our wedding vows. After all this time, have you really no humanity?

Something passed between Gabriel and Liuan, and then Gabriel also vanished.

Jherica was about to speak, but then suddenly found themself shaken awake. Briefly, they were disoriented. This wasnt their room. Then they remembered: they were in Mercanton. Theyd held a celebration here at a mansion Liuan had requisitioned. Celen was in the other room. Liuan was

Liuan was there, standing in the door, wearing the Mask of the Fifth Prophet.

Liuan, whats going on? Mirian sounded completely different than she normally does.

Youve misremembered. Shes manipulating your memories. Only the Holy Mask prevents her from being able to do the same to me. I can undo the spell shes put on you though.

Jhericas eyes narrowed. They embraced their catalyst and focus. Like hells theyd misremembered. But they were an archmage now. Liuan was just

Then her aura flared, and they felt the power radiating off her. But that was crazy! Theyd held contests of strength, and Liuan had never once beaten them. But they felt their connection to their implements severed as curses bound up their aura.

Youve misremembered, Liuan repeated calmly. But Ill fix that.

The next curse rendered Jherica unconscious.

** *** **

Captain Rodain and his strike team approached Torrviol in total silence, their six airship skiffs moving through the night like stygaltan owls. The crew was nervous, and rightfully so. What they were about to do was a clear act of war.

But Baracuel had struck first. Thered been the attack using the Divine Weapon on Ferrabridge. Then, just two days ago, Baracuel had assassinated hundreds of people. Whether that was the weapon or some sort of covert action, the RID was still scrambling to find out. The kind of power the weapon was capable of was terrifying. It and its operators needed to be put down.

No wonder the Ominian had blessed them with a Prophet.

Now, they were about to attack a town that had two full-blown archmages. Hed heard of Archmage Luspire, but no one hed talked to prior to their departure from Arborholm had heard of this Mirian person.

Their only boon was that both archmages should be asleep, and in the same tower.

They brought the airships to a hover a few hundred meters from Torrian Tower. Beyond the tower, though, something caught his eye. Is that?

It wasnt what he expected. The Divine Weapon was in the academy square? In front of all these people? Even though it was night, he could just make out people walking around it, unconcerned. It seemed like there was a faint light inside the strange sphere. He squinted. Had someone just walked into it?

Something felt off. But he wasnt one to question orders. Whatever was going on here was beyond his pay grade. He had a duty to Akana, and they needed to strike before someone noticed the dark shapes hovering in the sky.

Skiff three and five, opening shots lined up on the fifth floor. Hit those windows. Skiff four, be ready for the follow-up, he sent through his remote whisper spell. He sent his orders to he other group a moment later.

His heavy coat helped with the chill of the night air, but he could feel it prickling at the sweat on his brow.

Fire.

Four magitech guns boomed out as they sent fireball shells into the building. The explosions shattered the peace of the night and the targeted rooms began to glow like the inside of a forge. He looked through a lens spell at the tower.

Team two, adjust firing angle one degree starboard. Fire.

The second rounds flew towards the tower and

Captain Rodains eyes widened.

A figure had emerged from the tower, hovering in the air as she emerged from the hole, the harsh light of the flames reflecting off an intimidating looking cuirass. She didnt look like a Baracueli. She looked like something out of an ancient legend; wreathed in fire, her dark hair blowing in the windand her eyes blazed like the fires behind her.

She held up a hand and the follow-up shot shattered against it.

Fire at will! Rodain commanded.

But it was too late. With a gesture, every single person on the skiffs was lifted up into the air, then pulled towards the woman.

A moment later, the skiffs behind them erupted in flameseach spell engine simultaneously catching. Rodain smelled smoke and felt a sting on his aura as the fossilized myrvite burned. The skiffs began to fall from the sky, but something caught them. Surely not this archmage. Shes carrying six crews, levitating, and maintaining a shield! At that distance its not possible!

Hmm. Thats Specters old trick. Liuan put soul marks on you, and they triggered an ignition sequence when you were removed. Thats annoying. I could have used those ships intact.

Rodain struggled against the spell binding him, but he couldnt reach his wand. The flames behind the archmage were snuffed out, and the smoke condensed into little balls that she dropped to the ground below. She set the group of soldiers down in the room, though kept whatever force shackle spell she was using on them. The wands, pistols, and spellbooks at their sides suddenly were pulled away and left in a pile. Then something the archmage had just said struck him. She knows the new Prophet? Looking around the room, it seemed impossible that Mirianand this could only be Mirianhadnt died. The artillery shells had hit.

Now that he was closer, though, he could see the cuirass and robe she was wearing in more detail. A Tyrcast spell engine had fewer glyphs. His mind reeled at the sheer complexity of it. Where had artifice like this even come from?

Youve been deceived. Liuan Var seeks to kill the other Prophets. I imagine she lied to you about the nature of the magical eruptions in Akana Praediar? She shook her head. The more things change

Then she vanished.

Rodain looked at his fellow soldiers.

Captain what do we do?

He was at a loss for words. They had several plans concerning follow-up strikes or escape orders. There were several buildings they were to have bombed. They had a retrieval team waiting just off the coast, ready to refuel the skiffs. They had expected to diethey sure as hells hadnt expected to be captured.

Something washed over his aura, and Captain Rodain shivered. It wasnt his arcane sense that had triggered, it was something else. Something deeper.

What in the five hells is that? another of his soldiers asked. All of them had their eyes drawn towards the other room, the one that had Luspire in it. Surely theyd killed him at least. The seconds ticked by, and the pressure they felt spiked, then gradually lessened.

Mirian suddenly appeared again, this time, with a ragged looking Archmage Luspire. Theyre disarmed. Some parts of the skiffs may be salvageable. Ive already used remote speech to alert them. I wont be able to stay here, so you, Cassius and Molnier will be in charge of the defense of Torrviol. I have preparations to make all over Enteria.

Archmage Luspire was shaking. Yes, Prophet. Ill deal with them.

Hes not even burned. Theres not a cut on him! How?

Introduce this group to Idris and the other spies. That might help them see reason. If not, as prisoners of war, you can assign them heavy labor. Barricades and trenches, Id say. Torrviol will need a lot of them.

Archmage Luspire turned to the soldiers. Even he looked scared by the power this archmage was displaying.

What in the five hells is happening? Rodain wondered.

** *** **

Mirian went through the Gate and alerted Xecatl and Ceiba Yan to the developments. Xecatl could send the follow-up message to their allies in the archipelago, and she would handle her own defense of Tlaxhuaco.

Then she changed the coordinates of the Gate Palendurio, even as she ordered Eyeball to sink the Torrviol Gate back down into its protective underground room. The Gates would become priority targets for any of the traitors forces.

Shed already had Pontiff Oculo proclaim her, but now the military response needed organizing. Shed return to Torrviol in a few hours, then fly to prepare Cairnmouth next. As she flew, she focused on the ring on her finger.

Meu had just reached his destination. She closed her eyes so she could better concentrate. The drake matriarch at the entrance was the same basic construct as the cat, and Gaiuss constructs were designed to recognize each other. It wouldnt harm him until her father checked the front door. Then, she would have him scratch her messages out.

That she, Xecatl, and Zhuan still might be able to use remnants of their connection to speak in the Ominians dream was a blessing Mirian hadnt counted on.

Briefly, she let herself grieve for the loss of what could have been. It didnt need to be this way.

This was the worst-case scenario that shed planned for: four Prophets opposing her. However, there were openings that she hadnt anticipated. Something had been off with Jherica and Celen. Liuan had done something there, she was sure of it. Ibrahim wasnt committed to either side, and he was also predictable. Gabriel was claiming non-alignment, too, but she knew him too well to believe that nonsense. The man was never unaligned. She wasnt sure why hed chosen Liuan, but it didnt ultimately matter. That he would already be wreaking havoc in Urubandar while Liuan Var ordered the Akanan navy to harass shipping meant that the easiest logistical route from Zhighua would be unusable. With Ibrahim consolidating power along the Southern Range, and Baracuel engaged in war with Akana, thered be additional bottlenecks with the northern route, along with labor and material shortages as both were requisitioned for fighting. He might not actually aim to take Alkazaria or Falijmali, but she had to assume he might try.

That meant they would be opening up the route from Benansuo to Mayat Shadr that she and Zhuan had planned in secret. That meant it was time to call in a special ally.

First, shed mobilize the armies.

Then, shed call on that old friend.

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