Chương 436: BECMI Chapter 435 – Concessions of an Immortal

"So, what exactly is it you are requesting of me, Lady Edge of Eismark?" The Immortal Delphanna was regarding me strangely, talking to a mortal as if I was a peer.

"Halt the cries of action against Zanzyr. You are literally fanning the flames of apocalypse." My eyes narrowed thoughtfully.

"I only hope Entropy has not latched onto the truth behind the words you have used, and you haven't recruited any of them…" Just the slightest flicker in her eyes.

"Ah…"

"I can tell my priests to immediately quiet their exclamations, changing them to mere dismissive words, as if we'd already won the fight! …" she began, and I just bowed my head as I closed my eyes.

"Thanatos is fully aware of the power of the Core of All Magic, because it was He who helped tamper with it and created the Crimson Cataclysm three thousand years ago that ignited it into full power," I informed her. She went absolutely still as she realized the implications of that.

"Thanatos is a destroyer of Empires…" she said softly.

"It was He who corrupted Delphax XXIV into issuing the Pyric Proclamation and ultimately destroyed the old Delphan Empire and skyworld." She stared at me in shock.

"He was also the Immortal who sponsored Delphax to Entropic Immortality." Now She actually looked stricken.

"And now you have lit the fires of a fight He can manipulate to potentially destroy two Empires utterly. He is already angry at having lost his best Avatar in Siricil recently, while Delphax lost his little island stronghold of Delphaxia.

"They want to see the world burn, and you have given them the keys. I think this conflict is going to take on a life of its own very quickly." I had acted too slowly, even if it had been almost immediately. Paranoia, arrogance, nationalism, and moral outrage had spurred actions, and now Immortals were taking actions that would go on even if Delphanna silenced her faithful's words. I rose to my feet, sighing.

"Well, perhaps I gained a few months for us. Now your little bit of flexing before investigating properly and even diplomatically at your level is going to kill countless mortals for absolutely no reason whatsoever." I didn't keep the scorn out of my voice.

"I thank you for your time, Immortal Delphanna. We shall probably not meet again."

It took Delphanna a moment to remember that a mortal should have asked to be dismissed from her presence, and conspicuously had not done so. By the time she remembered to look around and chastise the elfin for such a break of proper conduct, the elfin was already gone, only the smell of dark roses and disdain lingering in the air. She considered the scenarios that were likely to happen.

She had quickly spread her findings among her Immortal allies, who had already formed an alliance of concerned Immortals regarding the Nucleus. Tellingly, none of those Immortals were on this List before her. Notably, Quarizon Himself had been disturbed by all this, and the ancient Sun Immortal and Hierarch of Energy was not a being to cross easily! Who exactly was opposed to them going after the Nucleus was unknown… but the Nucleus had triggered the Crimson Cataclysm?

It had been before her time, but she knew the level of devastation and the ice age it had caused, taking a thousand years to clear up after the blast. She looked at the names on the List again. Whether she liked it or not, most of the names on this list were also going to be enemies of her faction… and Entropy would take advantage of it now as it had remorselessly in the past, clearly knowing of the device and only held at bay by the identities of those who had forged it.

Crossing them was crossing a LOT of major Immortals… and Urm Himself, the current High Hierarch of Matter, was listed as being one of those approving the Curse on the Artifact. Not stopping the ambitious Immortals of Energy from tampering with Immortal Ascensions, but penalizing them if they actually did it. Scorn the other Immortals and their Spheres, pay the price by destroying that which made this world valuable in the first place!

And yet they'd pressed ahead, and one mortal had obviously managed to tap the power of the Radiance and cause the Day of No Magic. Immortality was too great a prize, and if others had to pay the price for ascending? That was perfectly fine and no deterrent at all to a great many wizards! Wizards were hardly ones to ignore a fine emotional argument in favor of their desires against a reasoned and logical one that took the good of others into account, after all… as Delpha's homeworld was ancient proof of.

Still, knowing there were Hierarchs already invested in this matter, Quarizon at least should be able to speak with them and find out their standings on this matter. It might not stop the drums of war that were ready to start between empires, but if the Core could be kept out of the equation, that would be for the best. If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

She would have to bring quiet pressure to keep Delphans out of Zanzyr, but she had sudden doubts that would be enough. Delphax had been tricking Delphans into acting against the Eismark Federation and the peoples of the northern areas of Olos called Eislas. The lands there held nothing of magical significance, yet there were Delphans aplenty who would want easy lands to rule over, call their own, and generate income to satisfy their needs as wizards.

It was only considered proper for Delphans to rule over the frankly rather barbaric natives of this world… and time and time again, the native peoples had proved they didn't want to be ruled over by wizards, even with a government as time-proven as that of the Empire she herself had come from. Their own Immortals were numerous, powerful, and could easily keep those sponsoring and protecting Delpha checked.

Indeed, only Immortal precedent kept them from chasing the Delphans right off the world with their wrath, and Delphanna was well aware of it. Thaum was not a member of Immortal society, and so wouldn't consider himself bound by those precedents, instead merely using them to keep other Immortals away from his favored homeland. If he was threatened by Immortals, or his mortal followers by overwhelming force, there was every chance that he would act in a way other Immortals would not.

With an Artifact that just might be able to destroy all magic in the world. Events… were probably going to escalate beyond her ability to control, she understood. She had started something, and Immortals were jumping onto it and pushing forward their agendas, uncaring of the cost to the mortals below them. They would fight through mortal proxies, and those with the more loyal followers, the more skilled, the more elite, and with the greatest willpower, would persevere. That's what it meant to be Immortal here.

Only able to act as mortals did, shaping events secretly from the shadows with Avatars, or more directly with guidance to one's priests. If Immortals made war, the planet would break. They would play it out among mortals for just that reason. Polite words and diplomacy wouldn't change anyone's minds on their positions, merely determining the immediacy of how and when they were to take action.

Not for the first time, Delphanna considered the Immortal society to be populated by stubborn and willful children who hated to compromise, and did so only with the most grudging reluctance. That reluctance was going to make it difficult, indeed, for this whole matter to not end in catastrophe… and all because she didn't know the true nature of the beehive that she was poking. Ah, it was not going to end well.

Delphanna could feel something ominous in the future, and didn't even need to Cast any form of Divination magic to ascertain that. Thanatos was involved, knew of the Core, and had likely been waiting centuries to act on this matter… and if not, could prod a fool like Delphax forward to do so. It was going to be blood and fire, and being an Immortal wasn't enough to stop it at all now… She picked up the list and secured it, evoking a Gate directly to Quarizon's home realm of Empyrea.

He would be the best person to go speak with other Hierarchs about this business… ======="Well, that was a whole lot of near-useless," Sama growled over dinner later that day. Briggs had done something to this batch of Endless Soup they kept on the fires, and it was both mild enough and flavorful enough to delight my taste buds.

'Flowering it', he had said with a smile, and I was on my second bowl in appreciation.

"Exposing that you have Immortal information sources and access to knowledge likely considered highly secret, and yet getting almost nothing for it. Was that a wise trade, Edge?" Briggs asked as he slurped at his own gallon-sized bowl. The massive checkered apron looked particularly cute on him, somehow straining to keep him in despite being more than big enough for him.

"As soon as more than passing interest in who made the Pyramids in Zanzyr was verified, the answers would have led right back to me, and that I knew far more of the Radiance and its sources than is considered normal. The upheaval among the Shaden has reached the ears of both Corellin and Tzentotl, and they would know of what I revealed to them… and that I humbled Gaebrel, so I have at least some capability against Immortal Avatars.

"I have revealed nothing they really didn't already know, although revealing Thanatos' involvement in the Crimson Cataclysm might or might not be new to them. It is irrelevant and far too late to do anything about it now, of course, Immortal politics being what they are."

"Water under the bridge at this point, maybe a token sacrifice of IP as a slap on the wrist for such recklessness. He'll probably just sacrifice an Artifact he made up just to pay the cost for him some time ago," Sama theorized, shaking her head.

"So, our play now is what?"

"Sit back and watch them fight for no good reason," Briggs said before taking a bowl-sized slurp.

"Brucall might get a bit nervous if his mother calls for help, but we have no intention of getting involved in Delphan messes, since they've been messing with us for a good two years now. A war with Siricil is not a mess we need to clean up."

"Siricil has had two major blows with Immortals toying with them, and Magni desperately wants something they can focus on to divert their attention from his crappy running of the realm. They aren't really ready for a war, and this would not be a short, victorious one for the books and his popularity," Sama judged with narrowed eyes.

"I expect he might even want to ally with us against them."

"I have no intention of declaring war on any nation with a thousand bored Overmagi," Briggs snorted.

"Magni is an idiot to go on the offensive, and even being on the defensive he simply doesn't have the proper resources."

"What if the Island of Kheper, or at least some of its little city-states, want to join the Eismark?" I inquired, earning a look from both of them.

"Helcard in particular chafes under Delphan dominance, King Ristoegath does not like being looked down on by Delphan magi."

"That seems to be a rather common state of mind for everyone not a Delphan spellcaster," Briggs observed sagely, and Sama and I both had to agree. His potential interest was noted, because the Island of Kheper was where all the preliminary fighting was going to take place, as it had in the past...