Alliyah peered out at the many bodies gathered. None of them had even the faintest defenses against her ability to scan and peer into each of them. Half of her existed in the Aether at all times to stop the ever-looming threat of Ascension from being forced on her.

  Every day, a little more of her soul had to slip into the Aether. It posed its own unique risks, but it was better than leaving Alirast with one less powerful mortal force. She also refused to let the jackals of nobility ruin everything she had spent centuries building. None of her children could rule. They were all deities.

  Who then? As much as she loved her Generals, they were about as useful as a boulder when you were drowning when it came to ruling an empire this size. Maeve would often write to Alliyah in amusement at how stressed Cordaos got during council meetings. That was only a few hundred thousand minotaurs and orcs.

  The Queen's Aetherian self looked over at the glowing beacon that was Trillia. She didn't think the little orc girl had any idea just how brightly she was shining. Every deity on Alirast was keeping an eye on her.

  "You really went overboard with how much fate you've pushed into this world, haven't you, darling?" Alliyah mused in her own mind, and a playful little smirk played across her lips. Perhaps she could convince Trillia or Amelia to train to take over and sit as an acting Queen.

  Both of them were going to be immensely powerful. Trillia was already a pact-bound to her son. Miah had been toying with the idea of asking Amelia to form a pact with her instead of any other deity.

  Ha! A Minotaur or an Orc were her best candidates to rule the human empire? Some days, she really hated how greedy her kind was. The many eyes in the room sat on her, waiting for her to speak.

  Good.

  Let them wonder and squirm. Her eyes drifted to Simon. No. Simon couldn't rule.

  The goblin was far too kind and far too forgiving of others. He couldn't have been more different than the brutal realist that his father was. If only he had a little more of the blood thirst that plagued the goblins, he'd be a perfect king. But a kind ruler was taken advantage of. Alliyah had learned that the hard way.

  "As much as I love watching you daydream. Perhaps you should get on with it?"

  The nobles were all struck silent and stupid. None of them would dare to speak to the Queen in such a way. Amara, on the other hand, could give a shit less. Alliyah's smile grew as memories raced through her mind. "Forgive me, General Demonsbane. With you and General Cordaos here, I have to make sure I use really small words."

  Cordaos snorted and shot Amara a side-long glare. Stas bit his bottom lip, trying not to cackle at the two of them. Amara held her own grin and dipped her head low. "This humble orc appreciates your kindness and thoughtfulness."

  Alliyah's smile didn't falter as her eyes turned out to the still mostly terrified nobility. She would have torn into them with a fury that could make dragons falter. "As my dear friend said, I should get on with it. I know that many of you are angry that I have lifted the banishment placed on the Four Great Generals. It is not without serious thought that I did so."

  She glanced back to the generals in question. All of them were smart enough not to call her out on her bullshit. "I have brought them here because they are a few of the only living warriors who have not only fought at my side to seal the [Primordials] but have also helped to seal them. We all share a pact with the same deity. As such, we understand the threat we are against better than anyone else possibly could."

  "At least that was what I thought."

  That caught everyone's attention. Even Trillia, who thought she knew the plan, was staring at the Queen now. "Deity Mariah has been kind enough to help us even after ascending. As she and my other deific children are set on saving as many of us as they can. In their pursuit of our salvation, they have stumbled on a set of ruins that requires someone who is capable of traveling in the Aether to enter."

  A drakken stood and raised a hand. After an agonizing second or two, Alliyah nodded. "Forgive the interruption, Queen Alliyah. It is this one's rudimentary understanding that your physical body cannot go into the Aether. How is it possible there are ruins that let you get around that?"

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  The drakken took its seat, and Alliyah stood. "You would be mistaken. It is very possible to travel through the Aether. It's just not recommended to do so. The toll it takes on body and soul is not easily paid. Moving too quickly and for too long in the Aether can do permanent soul damage. There are also reports of Aetherian mages simply having their souls ripped out of their bodies because they spent too long there."

  "The ruins in question predate the Kadessian Empire. It is our hope that the things we find there could lead us to technological advancements that can help us thwart the ever-growing threats to mortals."

  There were some murmurs among the nobles. Alliyah motioned to Trillia. "Step forward, Avatar Fairtrade."

  Trillia took a step forward, unsure if she was meant to go to the Queen or not.

  Alliyah smiled at how nervous the girl was. The Queen saved her the embarrassment of not knowing and descended the throne. "This young woman is the daughter of General Amara Demonsbane and Lord Varga Demonsbane. In addition, she is also the Avatar of Lord Arlyss Ocrey Darktone."

  The nobles all looked at Trillia with a newfound level of respect, but Alliyah wasn't done selling them yet. "In addition. She has also had the great privilege of training under the same deity who tutored me in the ways of the Aether. She is a fully capable Aetherian Mage who has nobly volunteered herself to travel to these ruins."

  The murmuring grew louder. It only took Alliyah releasing a small amount of her aura to silence that. "I would go myself, but as my advisors have pointed out if this place is trapped or otherwise deadly. It may put the mortal defense against the [Primordials] in a precarious position should I fall. As such, Avatar Fairtrade has agreed to go in my stead. She will be accompanied not only by the Four Great Generals but also by one of the Golden Gryphon's most competent and capable warriors."

  No more murmurs came forward. Alliyah smiled down at Trillia and winked with the eye that was on the side of the throne before motioning for her to step back into place. "It is by order of the Empress of Humanity and the Queen of Kadessa that Avatar Fairtrade is to be given all support she asks for in her endeavors. Anyone who is caught denying any reasonable or semi-unreasonable request that Avatar Fairtrade makes of them will be considered treasonous and punishment will be swift and brutal. Am I clear?"

  Alliyah's aura leaked out, silencing the one or two people she felt ready to speak. "It gladdens me to know that Kadessa stands strong against the horrors of the world. We stand as a bastion ready to come together to see such an important task through. Avatar Fairtrade and her entourage will be spending some time in Kadessa to train. They will be heading to the Beast Scar."

  She pulled the aura back in as she said it. The murmuring once more broke out. No mortal in their right mind would step foot into that place. The rift had caused all manner of corruption and warping to take place, and the behemoths there were already terrifying fights. "I am sure you can all understand now why I have had to take such drastic measures."

  The queen turned and took a few steps towards her throne. She felt the courage well up in one of the merchant lords. Alliyah spun around to look at him as he stepped forward to speak, causing the man to falter.

  Somehow, the little worm had found his courage again. "Will we be compensated for our help?"

  Alliyah slowly turned her gaze to Stas and nodded to him. She turned around and kept walking back to the throne. She heard Stas step forward on the many limbs sprouting from his back.

  "Yes. Your compensation will be the end of the [Primordial] threat. Unless, Merchant Lord Sozo, you are asking the Kadessian Empire to compensate a Merchant Lord under the Kadessian banner for its aid in the fight against the [Primordials?]"

  Alliyah was glad that all eyes were focused on the abomination in front of them. It made it much easier to hide her smirk. People saw Stas as some near mindless abomination and didn't know that the clever little goblin was the one who wrote the majority of the laws that were currently in place. He had a knack for taking her clear and precise words and turning them into an air-tight defense against shit-headed nobles and merchant lords alike. Now, to see if Sozo took the bait.

  As Sozo went to speak, another Merchant Lord stepped up and grabbed his junior by the shoulder. "Of course not, General Stas. We are well aware that it is a long-standing law that all people capable of fighting must fight, and their betters in intellect and business must support them in ways that warriors cannot."

  Stas took another long stride forward, hovering slightly above the new Merchant Lord.

  Alliyah tensed.

  For all Stas was clever, such a blatant insult could still get someone's head removed. Instead, much to her surprise, Stas lowered himself to be eye level with the Merchant Lord and bowed. "This meager warrior is eternally grateful that Queen Alliyah's infinite patience and grace has resulted in the first caste of nobles and Merchant Lords who are not greedy parasites. It truly humbles me to know that there are magnanimous titans of industry such as you to help keep us in this golden age that my fellow warriors and I, and, of course, our noble Queen, bled for. Thank you, Merchant Lord Kaiser."

  Stas popped back to his full terrifying height and skittered back to his place amongst the Generals. Alliyah smiled as she gazed at the little goblin. "This council meeting is over. I will be speaking with the Generals, Avatar Fairtrade, and my personal advisors as to the rest of what needs to be done. If any of you are required, I will send for you."

  As Sozo looked ready to speak, the queen let her full aura flood the room. Once more, driving everyone but the Generals to their knees. "The council meeting is at an end. Leave."

  As she reigned her aura in, it didn't take long for everyone to scurry out. Once the doors to the throne room were closed, Stas started cackling like the mad little jackal that he was.