23


    <span style="font-weight:400">After midday, few hours after Vriel starts the controlled battleground


    <span style="font-weight:400">Teclis pov


    <span style="font-weight:400">“I havee to a decision.” I said to Vriel. “I will make a contract as things are proven to be moreplicated than I initially anticipated.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">This draw frowns from the three mages assisting in powering the seal. But their frowns turned to surprise as I showed them the draft of my contract. Since the daemon cannot offer its true name, the content of the contract will allow me to practically own it like I have its true name. I did not show the contract to Vriel though. As she will no doubt object. But this is what will give the most benefits while ensuring there is no loophole.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Prepare to stop channeling the banishment seal.” The three wizards now perform checks and make sure everything is working properly.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Before that… Can I meet my mother?” Vriel suddenly asks. I turn to my prepared answer.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“She is preupied at the moment. It is aplicated matter. I will exin after the daemon signs the contract.” She is skeptical but nodded in understanding. Then the banishment seal is finally unpowered.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“So daemon, I have decided on apromise.” I start


    <span style="font-weight:400">“W-wait, Lord Teclis. I am still here.” I stopped and looked at her.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“The banishment seal is properly unpowered.” I checked along with my assistants. “Why the daemon note out?”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“I don’t know.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">I frowned. Is this another problem?


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Allright. Vriel, I need you to meditate likest time. I will try to visit its Sanctuary again.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">She nodded and closed her eyes. I tried to enter the Sanctuary likest time. But found myself blocked from entry.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“This is odd. Is the daemon blocking my entry?”


    <span style="font-weight:400">But then someone enters the room. It''s the tower guard. My intuition warns me of another problem. He looked at Vriel and back at me. I approached him and he whispered what I thought the problem was. Asahane has escaped.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“No one is allowed to enter this room. Do not allow anyone to enter before I return!” Imanded my 3 assistants.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Should the banishment seal remain unpowered my lord?” I thought and weighed the risks.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Yes. The daemon will not be able to breach the seal anyway.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Is there a problem?” Vriel asks


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Nothing for you to worry about.” I promptly left with the prison guard


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Anyone died?” I asked the tower guard as soon as I left the room.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“None sir.” the guard answered as we make our way to the prison under the tower


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Anyone ounted for? Anyone missing?”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“We have checked. No one has gone missing and no one else has entered the tower since the handmaiden. We have also closed and guarded all entrance”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Then we have one or more extra people or someone is a traitor within the tower. Make multiple groups to investigate. I want Asahane and whoever helped her captured as soon as possible.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">—


    <span style="font-weight:400">Kal’s Pov


    <span style="font-weight:400">Our number has passed one thousand. The other beastmen herd stops their useless attacks. Instead they now rely on traps. ded pitfalls, swinging logs, some javelin traps, etc. Again just annoying. With the quality of their weapons and traps, none of them capable of properly piercing our metallic skin, we would just be scratched and bruised at most. And again it is a good experience for me and other to spot traps


    <span style="font-weight:400">Still no Bestigors, Bovigors, or other gors that are blessed by the gods. I also can’t really send scouts too as we can still be overwhelmed. While we can fly up to scout the area, everything is covered by the thick trees from above. I have tried that. The only thing notable is that we have passed some fortress inhabited with weird green men. We didn’t raid the ce as our stock of food and loot was already slowing us down. I have also thought about iming the ce. But it is heavily defended and they might have more numbers than us. Besides, I think the other herd will lose their patience soon enough. And losing who knows how many taking a fortress will only weaken us when the other herd finally decides to attack.


    <span style="font-weight:400">The chaos mammoth, while not yet growing as big as its parent, has now started breeding too. Mother’s lesser daemons and a weird human volunteer for that. Druig also finally healed. Our herd have returned to its former power and keep growing. It is now just missing one thing. I hope Mother can return soon.


    <span style="font-weight:400">—


    <span style="font-weight:400">Somewhere before midnight. The door of the ritual room opens. One of the three wizards confronts the intruder.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Halt! Leave the room imme-” But before he can finish his sentence, he is surprised to see who it was. Even Vriel leans from within her magical cage to confirm who she saw.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Lord Tyrion. Pardon my rudeness, we don’t know you are here. But Lord Teclis forbids anyone entering this room.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“It is alright. Just arrived this evening myself. I have alsoe to notify you that Teclis wants you to prepare a simr room and seal like this one. As he is preupied in containing the daemonic intruder I ry this order in his stead.” Tyrion exined his presence and delivered hismand.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Very well, one of us will stay here to power the seal.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Oh, you don’t have to worry about that, I have brought along another wizard to power the seal.” Tyrion then said. And true enough there is a wizard just behind him. Tyrion’s imposing presence all but reduces the wizard behind him like a background.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“I see. Very well then.” The three wizards perform onest check before leaving. They then saw the wizard Tyrion bring. She is wearing a cowl that partially covers her face. But other than that, there is nothing strange. The three then left for their new task.


    <span style="font-weight:400">As soon as the door closes, the wizard behind Tyrion pulls down her cowl. Her face returned to its original form.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Mother?” Asahane then ran towards the cage.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“It’s okay. Everything will return to normal. No, it will be perfect.” She then took out a set of keys and tried to unlock the cage by trying the keys one by one.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“This our daughter then?” Tyrion asks as he steps closer.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“What!? Mother, what does Lord Tyrion mean?” Vriel asks in disbelief


    <span style="font-weight:400">“You should know if you didn’t run away. I have arranged the meeting with your father but you ran before I could take you to him.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Is that why you keep me within the house and forbid me to leave?”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Yes. Yes! Sorry dear. But everything worked out.” Asahane continues to try the keys. But her hands are shaking in so much excitement that it is taking too long to unlock the cage.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Once we leave we can be happy.” Tyrion rolled his eyes at this. “I will properly marry Tyrion and we can be happy as we should be. He promised!” Then a sigh from Tyrion


    <span style="font-weight:400">Vriel is bbergasted. Too shocked by the sudden revtion that she did not take note of Tyrion''s reaction and neither did Asahane in her excitement.


    <span style="font-weight:400">After a while, Asahane finally opens the cage. She pulled Vriel to a hug before taking her hand to lead her away.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Finally it is done.” Tyrion said before suddenly pulled Asahane. Making her trip with the force he used and falling to the floor. He choked Asahane on the ground and pulled a bluish purple dagger with moving eyes on the hilt.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“You are so gullible that it is boring.” The Changeling, a Herald of Tzeentch, shed its disguise. A deep blue cowl and cloak hides its face and form. two extra arms appear on his left side. Then<span style="font-weight:400">it stabs Asahane’s head with the dagger.