As it turned out, Eik had been more than right and High Judge Alred arrived within a single minute of Iljos' departure.
"Mr. Magnasen! Mr. Magnasen! I had no idea you were coming, so I apologize for not being able to co out to et your in person. To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?"
"I have sothing I want."
"Yes?"
"I want the Gohkamorian governnt handed into my custody. Politicians, military officers, businessn. Anybody involved in the genocide of humanity on Earth I want delivered on a silver platter."
The high judge chewed on his lower lip. "Mr. Magnasen…"
"No," Eik interrupted, anger welling up in his stomach. "No, it's too late for other solutions. They have used our weakness against us for years and attempted to obfuscate the truth of their cris, and I have been patient. Very patient. Now it is my turn—our turn—to get what we want. This is my rcy."
"Mr. Magnasen, whatever position I may have in this house, I do not have the power to judge on such a large case. Even if I do sympathize with your plight, I'm afraid there's nothing I can do for you in this. It's above ."
Eik nodded. "I understand. Who do I go to then?"
"Sothing of the magnitude that you're seeking would require an Alliance Adjudicator."
"That… sound exactly like what you are. What's the difference?"
The high judge seed to be holding back a chuckle. "It can be a little confusing, I know, but while I am capable of presiding over cases centered around matters regarding the Alliance and the general squabbles between its mbers as well as anything going on in Gimleh itself, I don't have jurisdiction when it cos to civilization-wide matters. That's a level up from ."
"Do you have an address?"
"Yes, Iljos, can you…?" the high judge requested with a wave of his hand and the clerk hurried back to his desk to retrieve a small contact card with an address and opening hours scribbled with neat, uniform characters. "But, Mr. Magnasen, if you don't mind saying, this is not going to be easy. What you ask for is as good as unprecedented."
Eik tone hardened when he replied. "They slaughtered my family and my friends and my fellow humans."
"Not to ntion how sothing like handing over mbers of governnt to an individual would be difficult to enforce in the first place. The Gohkamorian leaders will never agree to your request. It would spell their own deaths, would it not?"
Eik's eyes crackled with power. "It will not be a request. It will be an ultimatum. I am extending a hand of rcy to the Gohkamorian citizens. They can either force their leaders to surrender or I can reduce their world to dust. It's up to them."
The blood drained from both High Judge Alred and Clerk Iljos' faces at those words. Weighty proclamations like those were not especially rare in a society made up of people pumped full to the brim with super powers and magically destructive abilities, but none of them had felt the particular dread of hearing such words uttered by a man fully capable of making good on it.
If soone like Eik Magnasen truly wished to eradicate the entire Gohkamorian species, all he would really have to do was put on his shoes and go. No one would be able to stop him.
Before any of them could muster up the courage to try to talk him out of it, Eik turned on his heel and left without another word.
This little visit had set his blood boiling and he was forced to be extrely careful when he soared through the airspace above town. Even a little slip-up of his aura could result in the loss of life on the ground below.
The battle against the Lord of the Moon that he was spearheading was the single greatest gift of leverage he could possibly have and it could co to a head at any mont. That ant that this had to happen quickly.
Next stop: the offices of the Alliance Adjudicators.
Eik was going to make this very painful and very public.
***
"What's on your mind, hon?" Ihasu asked as she leaned her head into Eik's shoulder.
They were sitting in the garden. Eik's mood had been pretty foul for the past three days. Resentnt toward the Gohkamorians had been a constant companion in his mind ever since he had learned of their responsibility for the genocide of the human race, but now that he had set the final gears of retribution in motion, the heat of anger just wouldn't leave him.
This book's true ho is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.
Cushions on the grass made for a nice place to lie, and watching Goo play with dirt in one of the flower beds while Ihasu caressed his back or pushed her fingers through his hair did make him feel better.
"Sa thing as always these day," he said with a tired sigh. "I just want it to be over with so I can move on. I know that sounds crazy, but… I an, they're the reason my mother, brother, family, and friends are dead and gone now. They'll never et my new friends, or you, or the kids. That's all because of the fucking Gohkamorians. And yet, I just want to put it behind …"
She squeezed his cheeks with a hand. "That's not crazy, Eik. Carrying a grudge wears you down, whether it's justified or not. Just because you should hate them doesn't an hate suddenly becos a pleasant emotion. But, hon, are you sure you want to do this now? You're already juggling so much stuff."
The rays of the sun pricked his eyes and he blinked against it before simply conjuring a pair of thick, blue sunglasses of crystal. "I don't like it either, cutie, but now's the best ti. The burden of ensuring our continued existence had been placed on my shoulders, so I'm going to make it clear that what I want in return is the Gohkamorians."
She gazed into his eyes and saw the pain there.
"If I am expected to cup a protective hand around everybody, then my other hand shall crush those gutter scum." As he spoke, a fist clenched subconsciously at his side created so much pressure that it vibrated the air with a disharmonious keening.
Curiously, Goo looked up from his otherwise important work of digging five holes in the dirt for no reason. "Daddy?" he called.
"Yes?" Eik asked, sitting up.
"My ears hurt."
Only then did the X-ranker realize what he was doing and released his strength and relaxed. "I'm sorry, kiddo. Daddy was just a little lost in thought for a mont there. Are you all right?"
"Yeah," the boy said and returned to his task without another word.
"Don't you care that I'm having these thoughts?" Eik asked Ihasu. "That I have this desire to cause harm?"
She smiled. "You have plenty of reason to feel this way. You're not the first and you won't be the last. And you're not letting those feelings take you over. You're still with us, aren't you?"
"Of course," he said and kissed her forehead. "You know I will always protect you, the kids, and everybody else, right? It's a strategy. They're just words to get what I want. It's leverage."
"I know, Eik. I know."
"Aah, fuck, I'm going crazy here!" he muttered, scratching his head and pulling his hair in frustration. "I just want to get this over with."
She put a hand on his back. "Just wait another four days."
"If it was up to , I had done it all the sa day."
A chuckle escaped her. "Yeah, I know you would have, but unfortunately, it takes a little more ti than that to gather as much attention as you want on this thing. That's just how it is, unfortunately. As a matter of fact, I would say that you were actually quite lucky that you only have to wait a single week."
"Well, I'm an important guy, after all. When I've got sothing to say, people listen," Eik said with a shit-eating grin.
"Why don't you try that on your little son over there? Are you sure he'll listen?"
A toothy smirk snuck onto his lips and he stuck his hand into his belt pouch of holding. "Oh, Goo!" he sang. "Listen, I've got a little snack for you, if you're intere—"
Before he could even get the full sentence out, the boy slid to a stop in front of him, spraying grass and dirt all over the cushions. He snatched a crispy muffin out of his father's hand and bit off half in a single, great chomp.
"See? He totally listens to ."
"That's cheating and you know it!" she yelled and threw herself at him, laughing all the while. He let himself be carried onto his back but bucked his hips abruptly and flipped her over his head as she shrieked.
Trying to refrain from laughing but failing miserably, he went in and locked her arms on her back. "Unfair again!" she shouted. "You're X-rank!"
"Don't start a fight you're not willing to fin—" A little boy barreled into him bodily and brought him to the ground with a thud.
"Ha!" Ihasu shouted and joined their son on top of Eik to keep him down. "You're finished now, you evil, cake-baking monster!" Goo's tiny fists were pounding away at the X-ranker's chest while mom dug her fingers into his ribs and tickled him at full power.
"Uhm, excuse ?" a hesitant voice piped up from the little garden gate.
Both Ihasu and Eik looked up while Goo continued his relentless assault on dad.
"Yes?" Ihasu said.
"Is this the residence of Eik Magnasen? The, uuh… Th-The X-ranker." The man was dressed in light armor in dark colors. If Eik had to guess, he usually worked as a scout or sothing similar. What was a scout doing here?
"That's right," Eik said and stood up, Goo hanging on to him like a spider monkey, fists still flying. The man watched with clear discomfort as Eik appeared to completely fail to recognize the fact that he was being attacked by an angry, little person. "I'm Eik. What can I help you with?"
Imdiately shifting into a professional stance, he saluted and offered a small bow before speaking. "I've been sent to inform you of a developnt. I'm ashad to ask, but would you set up a sound barrier for us to speak in private?"
Feeling tense, Eik did as requested and snapped his fingers pointedly. "Done. Now, what's up?"
"I've co to report the discovery of another world to which we've lost connection. It is suspected that it is due to an infestation of the miasma released by the spawn of the Lord of the Moon. Since you had success in reversing it previously by stepping in early, your assistance is requested as soon as possible."
A certain feeling welled up in Eik's chest. "Where?"
"They are already ready to open a fracture for you from the sa monitoring office as you visited before. If you would foll—"
"Yes!" Eik roared, throwing a fist toward the sky.
"I… what?" the man asked, his face the picture of confusion.
"This is exactly what I needed right now! Hey, I need you to find soone for . Can you do that?"
"Certainly, sir. I'm specialized in tracking."
"Great! I need you to find Chop the Blade. My X-ranked friend. He's here in Forest sowhere, I think."
"Understood," the scout said with a nod. "Do you have a ssage for him?"
"Tell him to et there. If he grumbles about it, just tell him that he has a date with in another world."
The man narrowed his eyes, once again overco by confusion.
"We're going to fight!" Eik elaborated excitedly. "Well, I guess we'll also take care of the miasma, but then I'm going to beat the dusty, old snot out of him!"
Reviews
All reviews (0)