Chapter 674 Distortions and Discord: Prelude to the Games
"So, have you talked to Galio since everything happened?" Scorpio asked, but Sagittarius just shook his head sadly.
"How am I ever going to face him? Do you know how many times I had to bear witness to Virgo and him? I am sure that just the sight of my face disgusts him," Sagittarius sighed, swishing the tail of his horse body.
"Not your fault," Piccolo said, but Sagittarius shook his head.
"Regardless if we were all forced to do it, we were all conscious. Each of us made conscious decisions on how we would deceive him," Sagittarius said, crossing his arms across the human chest that rose up from the front of his horse body.
Scorpio yawned and then stretched before turning to Taurus with a grin. "I guess not all of us were as lucky as you were, right?"
"Luck had nothing to do with this. I just kept Gemini and myself very busy. I figured out the best way to keep out of our king's sight with the task that I took," Taurus said while looking down and his weathered and callused hand.
"That is right, you both were in the forge the entire time, but I can't imagine that Gemini would have liked that,
" Piccolo laughed, but Taurus shrugged.
"She was more than unsure at the start, but I showed her how the rest of you had to painfully lie to Galio each time you met. With time, she tirelessly forged weapons and armor, hoping one day that the king would return. Both of us kept faith the entire time, and now we have reached the end of our servitude to Kadeon," Taurus said and then turned to the other male Royal guards.
"I understand that the rest of you have had to lie for a very long time, and some of you had to do even worse," Taurus continued. "None of that matters now. Soon Leo will return to us, but can you imagine how he will react if all the Royal Guards are not performing their duties for our king, and now god?"
The other Zodiacs looked away. They all know that Leo was their leader and was prideful of each Royal Guard and the duties that they performed in the name of Galio, their king.
"So then, what do we do?" Scorpio asked and then shrugged. "I am not really built for easy tasks."
"You're one of the best fighters amongst us, Scorpio, Who said your task had to be easy?" Taurus quickly retorted. "You're adept at navigation and strategy as well, why not utilize those skills fruitfully? Train a group of new recruits, or perhaps the Goddess Games could use a reliable organizer?"
"And what about you, Sagittarius? You're a historian and a scholar as well as a deadly archer. You could take up a post in one of the new universities, or maybe open up a training ground for archers?" added Piccolo, his usual cheerful aura returning. The rest of them slowly start picking up various tasks suited to their skills and interests, filling the room with an unexpected wave of change and positivity. The group of them talking and executing their plans while managing to keep their spirits high was more than heart-warming, it was a sign of their unity and resilience in the face of change.
---
"Senna!" Trina called after knocking.
"Come in Trina," Senna called from behind her mountain of paperwork. Even with two other rooms filled with clerks, the paperwork for the new city of Felidae was an unstoppable tide that felt like it was drowning her.
"I brought you food and tea!" Trina said cheerfully as she came into the room pushing a cart with a fold-up table hanging from the side. "Since I knew you would be buried in paperwork, I brought you a small table to eat on!"
Senna sighed, but then pushed her chair back from her desk and smiled weakly at Trina. "Thank you. This is all so much," She said, looking back to the mountains of paper.
"I can only imagine. Eliza did kind of dump this all on you, but it is also a great honor to be the leader of this city, isn't it? You were only the Guard Capitan before, and I am sure that you didn't get a lot of recognition for all the hard work you do, right?" Trina asked as she set up the table.
"True to an extent," Senna sighed but smiled, "But that was a different kind of work. Managing troops, training, patrolling, it was more... tangible than this pile of paperwork. The constant influx of surveys, legislations, notices, and tax forms feels never-ending." She looked down at the papers as if they were her enemies.
"I'm sure it'll get easier over time. Remember, the city is expanding, and it's all new. Once everything settles down, and people find their footing in their roles, a lot of this paperwork will likely disappear or lessen at least," Trina said sympathetically, pouring Senna a cup of tea.
"I hope you're right," Senna grumbled, taking the cup and inhaling the fragrant scent of the tea. The simple action somehow provided a sense of calm amidst the storm of her duties.
"I am. Remember, the city just increased fivefold in a matter of days. Northwall was a relatively small city; now, Felidae is comparable to even the great cities of the Fae Empire," Trina explained as she placed a plate of food in front of Senna.
Senna considered this for a moment. "That's a good point. I never really thought about it that way. Felidae is in a state of rapid growth and change right now. We're navigating uncharted territory, trying to stabilize a burgeoning Empire. It certainly won't be easy, but I'm sure it'll be worth it in the end."
"Exactly!" Trina agreed, clapping her hands together in glee. "So don't burn yourself out, Senna. Remember, you're allowed to delegate tasks too. You don't need to handle everything on your own."
Senna looked at Trina gratefully. She was thankful to have someone as understanding and supportive as Trina by her side. "I'll keep that in mind, thank you, Trina. I just want to make Eliza and Galio proud."
With that in mind, Senna set her resolve to face the pile of paperwork once again. The task was daunting and felt like a never-ending war against bureaucracy. However, she was determined to become the leader that Felidae deserved. No matter how monumental the task seemed, she wouldn't back down.
"And you will, Senna. You've been doing an amazing job so far. I'm sure everyone is proud of you, not just Eliza and Galio," Trina added, patting Senna's shoulder comfortingly. "Remember, the Goddess Games may be the big event in everyone's mind, but what you're doing? Building Felidae from the ground up? That's priceless."
Her words provided a new fuel to Senna, an added sense of purpose in a sea of paperwork. With a renewed energy, Senna returned to her work, a small smile gracing her face, and inevitably, the pile started to diminish, if only slightly.
With the winding up of the day, the sense of anticipation rose in the city of Felidae as the Goddess Games loomed closer. The contestants hustled to prepare, the city buzzed with excitement, and amidst all this, the city's leaders knew their duty was not just to oversee a contest but to lay down the foundations of a prosperous era.
---
After Galio's Message, Whispera started to move. She had already started once she saw the screens that had started appearing. Luckily, she had caught two large groups of Elf and Golem women, and as an Evil Goddess, it was time to put her abilities to work!
Cloaked beneath the mysterious confines of her silver hood, Whispera's ethereal energy spread throughout the city. Her ability revealed itself as swirling disturbances across the immediate environment. Like shimmering waves of heat, everything within those distortions became uncertain, blurred, and disjointed.
The buildings seemed twisted like clay, pathways warped into strange undulating patterns, and wheels of carts inexplicably spun sideways. Time seemed to ebb and flow erratically. A hummingbird's wings suspended mid-flap, and a millisecond later, it zipped off at triple its natural speed. Clocks swirled their hands in a manic frenzy, unable to keep track, and people caught in the distortions would stutter mid-step or blitz within the blink of an eye.
For those outside the distortions, it was a spectacle of chaotic beauty. But for the ones inside, it was an unsettling experience that threw their senses upside down. Light and shadow, movement and inertia, sound and silence, all became one disorientated, confounding reality. The events that unfolded were sporadic, pandemonium etched across the bewildered faces of the city's residents, specifically among the Elves and Golems who were caught up in these distortions. Their attempts at calming the situation seemed far from successful until a wave of new interveners came into the scene.
Nafria, the Dark Elf Alchemist, observed the distortions critically, her violet eyes reflecting the waves of chaos. Flames, which leapt and twisted in unpredictable patterns, were tamed by elixirs from her pouch. The fire was reduced to smoky whispers, the warped space contained. The alchemical reactions she initiated brought pockets of normalcy around her, the distortions subdued by her enchanted concoctions.
As Nafria worked fervently to subdue the distortions, she caught sight of an approaching group of Golem women. Among them was Titanis, the Automaton, her glowing red eyes fixated on the distortions with a look of steely determination.
"Elves," she muttered under her breath, her voice a low, mechanical hum.
"Nafria," she called out, her voice carrying over the clamor. The Dark Elf didn't miss a beat, whipping around to see the tall figure of Titanis approaching her.
"Titanis," Nafria acknowledged with a grim expression. The relations between Elves and Golems were notoriously strained due to their contrasting ways of life, but Nafria couldn't deny their common problem that obstructed their path.
Titanis, without wasting another moment, pulled her arm back and launched a gear-powered grappling hook at a particularly powerful distortion. The tip attached securely to a building and as Titanis retracted the grappling wire, a tug of war between the Automaton and the distortion ensued.
Nafria, quick to pin down Titanis' plan, concocted a potion intended to stabilize the distortions, and with the help of the Golem's distraction, she launched it right into the heart of the distortion. There was a brilliant flash as space-time freed itself from the bonds of the distortion, returning to its normal pace.
On the other side of the city, Lulena, the Forest Elf, and Garnet, the Living Doll, were working in tandem to help those affected by the distortions. Lulena used her profound knowledge of plants to create calming elixirs for the distressed city-dwellers, and Garnet, with her superhuman strength and endurance, moved the heavy debris and cleared paths with ease.
Spirits tentatively rising amidst the chaos, Astara made a rallying call to her fellow Goddess Games contestants. Despite the commotion, she managed to corral a group of Elves and Golems alike. Using her signature ability to communicate with beasts, Astara sent out a message to the city's creatures, asking for their help. With the arrival of birds, wolves, and an assortment of other beasts, they formed the first line of defense against Whispera.
Just when things seemed to be stabilizing, a shout rang through the air, and everything fell apart. Golems and elves turned in the direction of the outburst, their faces reflecting the fear and confusion echoing through the chaos.
Astara, who had been expertly organizing the group of beasts, froze at the sight of a group of Golem women arguing amongst each other.
"This is preposterous. This is an elf scheme!" One of them shouted a burly, metalline Golem whose crimson glared at Nafria. The others murmured in agreement, their hostile gazes shifting between the elves and Golems helping them. Spurred by suspicion and the old disdain for their contrasting lifestyles, the uneasy truce shattered.
Nafria, taken aback by the abrupt accusation, whipped around to face them, her violet eyes flaring with indignance. "We're here offering help while you're stirring unnecessary discord!"
Amidst this growing dispute, Whispera saw an opportunity. The Goddess of Distortion, who had been observing from a distance, decided it was the perfect moment to seize control again. While the city's forces were divided and focused elsewhere, she could rekindle her distortions.
Unseen by the arguing Golems and Elves, she cast her silver gaze upon the center of the city, and with a quiet murmur, distorted time halted and hung ominously still.
Then, everything was chaos.
Tables, chairs, and stands at the city square flew in the air. People who were arguing now watched in shared horror and disbelief as the distortions formed a cyclone, threatening to consume everything in its path. But before anyone could react, Whispera vanished, leaving behind swathes of city swept by distortions.
Her final message echoed through the city square, her smoky voice carrying the weight of her ominous promise. "Next time won't be this easy."
This proclamation sent a shiver down everyone's spine. With a final glance at the mayhem she'd left behind, Whispera evaporated into thin air, leaving a city teetering on the brink of instability. The Goddess Games had indeed claimed their ground, the playing field set for trials far tougher and thrilling than imaginable.
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