SPEAKER_03 0:08

And now Thamro Angelica and the Provost watched as useless in the guise of the Earl of Gath, marched with the totality of the Gathian forces towards the royal city of Finn. We begin here.

SPEAKER_09 0:33

Are you satisfied? The first of your five armies is on its way.

SPEAKER_03 0:38

Your condescending tone suggests that you actually believe we had a choice in the matter.

SPEAKER_09 0:44

We did have a choice, Oliver.

SPEAKER_03 0:46

Oh, well, yes, of course we did. We either do Ursula's bidding, or we get unceremoniously annihilated. It amuses me that you would rather deal with Ursula's wrath than with this annoyingly new conscience you seem to have grown overnight.

SPEAKER_09 1:05

Yes, Oliver, I have changed. Get over it. I used to have no issue killing people to get what I wanted, and now I I do. I've been to the Nine Hills. It's not exactly the four seasons down there, you know?

SPEAKER_03 1:20

The four what?

SPEAKER_09 1:22

Never mind. My point is that we are sending innocent people to die. And then join an army of souls that they didn't ask to be a part of. I admit, I am more than guilty of my own prior ambitions. But Ollie, come on. Are we really sacrificing the lives of all of these innocent people just because Ursula wants to pick a fight with the most powerful being in the known universe? How is any of this right?

SPEAKER_03 1:49

Angelica, this simply is what it is. Your objections have been noted. Unfortunately, my dear, you are learning a valuable lesson about power. Those without power will always be victims of those with power. This is the way of things.

SPEAKER_09 2:10

Well, I don't like it.

SPEAKER_03 2:12

I know you do not. And yes, I recognize that you are not the woman I met several months ago. Death has changed you indeed. You should go, my dear. Leave. And do not look back. I am releasing you from your blood magical debt to me. Yes, you are, Adeni El Olaver, what did you just do to me?

SPEAKER_09 2:43

And can you do it again?

SPEAKER_03 2:45

Your blood is now permanently your own. You are as alive as is possible given the circumstances.

SPEAKER_09 2:53

Why, you're seriously releasing me? You're freeing me?

SPEAKER_03 3:00

Go now, before I change my mind and kill you. And Jellica, my mouth was open.

SPEAKER_09 3:09

Hmm, I know. Seriously. Come with me. Let's go and leave all of this nonsense behind.

SPEAKER_03 3:21

And do what exactly?

SPEAKER_09 3:23

Help people. You mean all of welcome. There's gotta be somebody out there we can help. That's a much better existence than killing innocent people, don't you think?

SPEAKER_03 3:36

I was not always this way, you know. Do you know why I began studying magic in my youth? Because I wanted my father to love me. I felt like if he could see me doing magic, then he would appreciate me the way he did my brothers. But with every rejection my need to gain his approval only increased, and now, well, here I am. It is too late for me, my dear, but not for you. I was wrong about you, and frankly, I am glad that I was. Go, and Godspeed.

SPEAKER_09 4:17

What about your plans? What about Ursula?

SPEAKER_03 4:20

Two things that are no longer your concern. I am going to return briefly to my shrine and then head to Finn to observe the first battle. While I'm there I will make contact with Ursula to let her know that total war is imminent in this part of the realm. Is there anywhere I can teleport you to before I leave?

SPEAKER_09 4:41

That's sweet, but no, I want to walk around a bit and soak in being free.

SPEAKER_03 4:48

Suit yourself. A word of caution, though. While you are soaking, be mindful of your surroundings. Ursula may not take kindly to my allowing you to leave. I do not want that anger spilling over to you.

SPEAKER_09 5:05

That's a good point. Maybe I should go back with you to your shrine and then to Finn. If I'm there with you and you check in with her, then you can just release me after that. Useless will be there, and I'd like to keep him, if you'll allow me to.

SPEAKER_03 5:21

I would not dream of letting anyone else keep that filthy beast. Your plan is a sound one. Ursula will more likely pay you no mine, but having you there will be good for appearances. Come, take my hand and prepare yourself for teleport.

SPEAKER_09 5:38

No blindfold this time. I'll learn the location of your shrine, Ollie.

SPEAKER_03 5:44

Just shut your eyes really tightly. I trust you. While this was going on, Cravex, Lysa, and Kumar Thamro continued riding toward the royal city of Finn.

SPEAKER_02 6:06

Liza, babe, are you alright? You haven't said anything for hours.

SPEAKER_08 6:12

My father took my stillborn baby, resurrected him with blood magic, and without my knowledge or consent, turned him into a monster, the likes of which we are still discovering. This is the furthest from all right I have ever been, Cravex.

SPEAKER_06 6:27

All due respect, but I take exception to that, Lisa. I raised Seth for sixteen winters, and I did not raise a monster. He was among the finest of our warriors. You have seen that yourselves.

SPEAKER_08 6:41

Forgive me, Kumara. I'm not suggesting that you did. I'm sure you did the best you could. I'm just angry, is all, and Kravex and I are going to make sure my father reaps what he has sown.

SPEAKER_02 6:53

Did you just call me by my warrior name? Did you actually just call me Kravex? And twice at that.

SPEAKER_08 7:02

I did. I don't want there to be any misunderstanding of my intent. I need you ready when we see my father.

SPEAKER_02 7:09

Ready for what, exactly?

SPEAKER_08 7:11

Ready to bring an end to his life.

SPEAKER_02 7:15

Hold on a sec. Do you hear yourself?

SPEAKER_08 7:18

My ears are working perfectly fine. Did you hear me, Cravex? My father needs to die. I may need your help to kill him. He's far more powerful than either of us is alone.

SPEAKER_02 7:30

Lysa, no. I can't let you do this.

SPEAKER_08 7:33

You would let him live after what he has done? Seth is your son, too. I've suspected that he framed you from my mother's murder to keep us apart, but now I am certain of it. There's no telling just how much of Welkin's evil he is directly responsible for. He has to die.

SPEAKER_02 7:50

And he will die, but not by your hands, Liza. If you kill your old man, you run the risk of becoming just like him. What what do you mean? Babe. Nobody gets out of bed in the morning, brushes their teeth, takes a shower, gets dressed, and then says, I think I'll be evil from now on. We both know that he and your mom were having a ton of issues in their marriage. Part of the reason I'm sure he hates me so much is because your mother and my father were getting close.

SPEAKER_08 8:19

Wait, what? Are you telling me my mother was having an affair with your father?

SPEAKER_02 8:23

Are you telling me you had no idea? That's pretty funny.

SPEAKER_08 8:27

No, that's disgusting. It's no wonder he hates you so much. You must remind him of why he lost my mother.

SPEAKER_02 8:34

Which is kinda my point, Liza. Everybody has a watershed moment where they may cross that invisible line that separates heroes and villains. If you kill your own father, you'll cross it.

SPEAKER_08 8:46

So what am I supposed to do? Just let this go?

SPEAKER_02 8:49

As much as I hate to say it. Yeah. You gotta forgive the guy.

SPEAKER_08 8:54

No, absolutely not. He needs to pay for this.

SPEAKER_02 8:58

Trust me, he will. But not because you gave him the bill, so to speak. You really want to slay the guy. There's no stronger weapon in Welkin than love. Forgive him, Lisa. And I don't mean in that guarded way that people like to do. You know, where a guy says, I forgive you, but I can't forget what you did. That's garbage. I'd rather just keep hating a guy rather than pretend to forgive him.

SPEAKER_08 9:24

You have a point, Leslie. I won't kill him, but I cannot forgive this. He doesn't deserve my forgiveness.

SPEAKER_02 9:31

People who need forgiveness rarely, if ever, deserve it. Not forgiving someone is like drinking a vial of poison and then hoping somebody else dies. Don't forgive him for him, babe. Forgive him for you.

SPEAKER_08 9:46

I'll think about it.

SPEAKER_02 9:48

That's all I can ask. Let's move. We need to get the kid and go see that Thad Bannon guy you told us about, Kumara. Do you really think he can help get Seth out of his coma?

SPEAKER_06 9:59

I must remind you, Cravex, I have no idea where Thad is. He went into hiding after the Myrmidin split and Clanthamro formed. And even if we find him, it's not him that we actually need.

SPEAKER_02 10:12

And who do we actually need?

SPEAKER_06 10:14

A man that Thad was involved with many years ago. This man is called One Thousand Years.

SPEAKER_08 10:22

Your friend Thad gave you no indication of where this person might be.

SPEAKER_06 10:26

All I know is that Thad rode to Upper Centurion when he went to meet with him. Patroclus, the man who calls himself Achilles, had been blinded in a fight with Thad at that time. Thad felt remorseful about it and rode to meet one thousand years because he had heard he could heal people.

SPEAKER_08 10:43

That was ages ago. There are no guarantees that he'll be there now.

SPEAKER_02 10:47

Nor any that'll even help us if he is. But what else is new, right?

SPEAKER_06 10:52

As long as you both understand the situation.

SPEAKER_02 10:54

Even if we didn't, neither of us has a better idea. Let's keep moving. We'll figure it out as we go.

SPEAKER_03 11:13

The provost and Angelica arrived just outside of Finn in a forest clearing. The provost looked about, raised his hand, and then closed his eyes. Ursula could only be summoned in certain areas of welcome, areas where evil was its most vibrant. Angelica stared at him quizzically as he verified the level of evil in the air. Once he was satisfied that there was enough evil to support a summoning portal, the Provost opened his eyes and casted a quick spell that caused a circle to appear with various symbols and rooms inside of it. He then caused candles to appear out of thin air, candles which illuminated of their own accord. As the winds started to pick up, the provost turned to look at Angelica. Take a knee, remain still. Under no circumstances are you to make eye contact with her, and keep your mouth closed.

SPEAKER_09 12:21

Anything else, Dad?

SPEAKER_01 12:28

Aha. If it isn't my most ineffectual minion, what news do you bring?

SPEAKER_03 12:35

War is imminent in the realm goddess. Five armies are converging on the rural city simultaneously, each convinced that they are at war with one another. When the fighting ends, the commons of your legion should be well stocked.

SPEAKER_01 12:52

And Ellion?

SPEAKER_03 12:53

Had Elion been aware of any of this, I would not be alive to bring you this news.

SPEAKER_01 12:59

For once I am in agreement with you. Further, I am surprisingly pleased with your efforts. I was warned not to use you by several of my advisors, but you've actually proven to be worth the investment. Well done.

SPEAKER_03 13:14

Thank you, goddess. Your kind words are alike to my soul. It has been a great honor of mine to Silence, Oliver.

SPEAKER_01 13:23

I've had bowel movements of greater value to me than the street value of your admiration. War is imminent. Ellion is unaware, and my army will be well stocked. Your usefulness has come to an abrupt end, I'm afraid. Are you uh dismissing me? I would be careful what you do with that hand, Angelica, assuming you want to keep it. Yes, Oliver, you're being terminated. I I don't understand. And what exactly are you having difficulty comprehending? The fact that your usefulness has come to an end or the fact that someone actually considered you useful at all. Actually, where are my manners? That was very rude of me. It is well past time I was honest with you. I have been using you this entire time. You have been a means to an end. What what do you mean? You really want me to spell it out for you? What am I saying? Of course you do. You have those uh daddy issues. So I'm going to have to say it the way your father always did, in order for you to understand it. You are useless and pathetic. I offered you what you always desired, what your father never willingly gave you his love. You you never offered me anything of the kind. You offered power, the the chance to to to become a god. To what end, Oliver? None of us are God except Elion. Why do you think I desire his throne? I have watched you since you were in diapers. You were the perfect mark. You had three brothers who are all warriors with a warlord for a father. You were the outlier. You were skinny, scrawny, and weak. Your brothers bullied you because I influenced them to do so. Your father despised you because I whispered hate into his ears concerning you. Why did I do all of this? So that later, when your hatred was at its peak, when your low self-esteem was at its zenith, and when I offered you the chance to gain power, the opportunity to have revenge, that you would be my willing instrument to do my bidding in the realm. You see, Oliver, I am limited in my ability. I cannot truly make my mark upon the realm without emissaries. I had to make you feel isolated and alone, unloved, and I did that. Once you accepted my offer, I took the pathetic spark of magical energy that flowed through your veins, and turned you into one of my most powerful sorcerers in welcome. And to your credit, you did your part. The realm is going to war and souls will soon fill my army. The nine hells will be mine, and soon thereafter Elion's throne. Your work is done.

SPEAKER_03 16:30

But but I did everything you asked of me.

SPEAKER_01 16:34

You you promised me power. I lied to you, Oliver. I used you to do my bidding and bring about my purposes. Manipulating this war was the last duty I had for you. I no longer have need of you, and as of this moment, you are dismissed. I won't let you kill him. Oh, it's so cute how you two have bonded. I have no intention of killing him. In fact, he is going to need you, Angelica. Especially now that his daughter knows the truth. What do you mean Lisa knows the truth? What truth? It actually would be easier to ask about the handful of your remaining secrets that she does not know about, to be honest with you. She knows that you have raised her son from the dead, that you had him raised by another woman, that you gave him over to the Myrmidons to become a killer, that you lied to her about all of this. And last but not least, she suspects that you framed the love of her life to spend twenty five years in prison for a murder he did not commit. She is writing to Finn as we speak to kill you.

SPEAKER_03 17:51

That's not possible.

SPEAKER_01 17:53

You're you're lying. Why would I make this up? Eh, it matters little. She will kill you when she finds you. If I were you, I would leave Finn and get as far away from it as possible. You will be no match for her without your powers.

SPEAKER_03 18:09

Without my powers? What do you could complete his sentence? Ursula removed the evil magical energies that she had bestowed upon the provost in his youth, reducing him to a powerless, weak, and feeble elderly man. His rainbow robes faded to a dirty gray. His skin instantly became several shades paler. Boils began forming on his head and chest, ailments and sicknesses he had kept at bay with his power for years were now manifesting on him with alarming speed. He fell to his knees, unable to keep himself upright, his own body weight suddenly being too much for his weak frame to maintain. He sobbed as Ursula shook her head. Angelica could only watch in complete awe.

SPEAKER_01 19:23

Angelica, I leave his fate to you, though I think you should kill him. I mean, what father wants to be murdered by his own child, right? When you get finished, contact me. I could still use your services.

SPEAKER_09 19:36

No, I'm I'm good. Thank you. Suit yourself.

SPEAKER_03 19:45

Are you all right? I've lost everything. My whole life has been for nothing. Nothing.

SPEAKER_09 19:55

Ollie, we'll get you your powers back, I promise.

SPEAKER_03 19:58

No. Losing my powers. Nothing compared to losing my daughter. And for what? Unfulfilled promises of godhood. All of it was for nothing. I've turned the best thing in my life into the worst thing she could become. A child who hates her father. I am nothing. I'm less than nothing, Angelica. Take your weapon. Run me through. I deserve death. But not by Lysa's hands. If she kills me, then she will become me. I cannot risk that. While this was going on, Lysa, Cravex, and Kumara found themselves riding past the entire army of Gath, headed towards the royal city, armed for war and equipped for a siege.

SPEAKER_06 21:08

Is that the Gothian army?

SPEAKER_02 21:10

Yeah, it is. And they're headed straight for the royal city.

SPEAKER_08 21:14

Isn't the Earl of Gath the Queen's brother-in-law? Maybe he is sending his army to occupy the royal city since Finn's forces were so heavily depleted during the battle with Boro Cain.

SPEAKER_02 21:24

Or maybe he's seizing a golden opportunity. We need to get to Finn to warn the Queen, but without them seeing us. Lysa, can you do that wind spell thing you do before?

SPEAKER_08 21:35

I'm on it. Brace yourselves.

SPEAKER_03 21:41

Lysa casted the same spell she used to move Kravex and herself away from the Myrmidon encampment and hurled the threesome crashing into the main courtyard of the royal palace. Guards initially drew their swords at the disturbance, but quickly sheathed them when they realized it was their allies. Kravex wasted no time in demanding to see the Queen, and she received himself and Lysa, hoping he'd brought back word regarding a solution to Thamro's coma.

SPEAKER_07 22:21

What news do you bring?

SPEAKER_02 22:22

Queen Marlena, the Gath forces are marching towards Finn Armed for battle and equipped for a siege. We need to get you to safety.

SPEAKER_07 22:30

Nonsense. I requested help from the Earl a short while ago. Granted, he denied me initially, but I had a feeling he would regret his hasty actions. He's sending us help, I assure you.

SPEAKER_06 22:41

All due respect, Queen Marlena, but there is a significant difference between a detachment to help your city and what we passed on the king's road. That army looked ready to end lives.

SPEAKER_08 22:53

She is right, Highness. We need to get you and the occupants of the city to safety.

SPEAKER_07 22:58

And who is this woman that would dare to advise me without my permission?

SPEAKER_06 23:02

I am Kumara of Clan Thamro. I raised the young man lying comatose in your palace bedchambers.

SPEAKER_07 23:08

We need to get him and everyone else to safety, Highness. Now what you need to do is bring him out of his coma. If Gath desires to do us harm, then we need our strongest warrior ready to go. No army can stand against that young man.

SPEAKER_02 23:23

And while that may or may not be true, I had much rather debate with you in safety, Highness.

SPEAKER_03 23:28

Cravix did not wait for an answer. Instead he made way towards the bedchamber where he knew Seth was sleeping. This was his son, and he was not going to let anything happen to him. Lysa and Kamara followed behind him closely, and the Queen, after getting over the fact that they just left her presence without being dismissed, followed after them. When Kravex opened the door to the bedchamber, he was stunned to see Jenna Kiss standing over his death holding convergence directly above his chest, poised to strike him. Jenna, what are you doing?

SPEAKER_00 24:12

What I have to. You've got to trust me, Cravex.

SPEAKER_03 24:27

Jenna struck Thamro through the heart with convergence, just as Elion had instructed her to. Kravex, Lysa, Kumara, and the Queen stood with blank faces as they watched Jenna, Convergence, and Thamro vanish before their eyes.

SPEAKER_08 24:48

Leslie, what just happened?

SPEAKER_02 24:50

I don't know, babe. I don't know.