Domains are a tricky subject. Depending on who you ask, and what kind of question you ask, you’ll receive many different answers. For instance, if you were to ask someone like Dirk how many domains there are, his answer would be four. Four domains positioned in the shape of a ladder in which every step you climb upwards leads to a new rung/domain.


    Twei Domain → Speecal Domain → Sheryashka Domain → Vraizon Domain


    Currently, Ares lives in the Sherayska Domain, in Central land, in the Red Region, in Red Sun City. This knowledge is limited, however. If you were to ask someone slightly more clued-in, like Bellona, their response would be that there are six domains.


    Twei Domain → Speecal Domain → Sheryashka Domain → Vraizon Domain → Dueuer Domain → Garson Domain


    The gap between the Vraizon Domain and the Dueuer Domain is currently severed thanks to the happenings of the Umbra Wolf clan, as previously explained by Charity and Gladius. For reference, the Vraizon Domain is the one in which The Perpetual Massacre Zone exists, and the war between the four clans: Legion, Willow, Umbra Wolf, and Starlight, rages on. The Dueuer Domain is where Atria once ruled, and is also currently the place where all other Revenants have been banished to the dark depths of existence. Finally, the Garson domain is where Ashley and Pei are currently leading a revolt against his majesty, the king. And yet, even this knowledge isn’t much in the grand scheme of things. If you were to ask someone like Ashley how many domains there are, he would be unable to give you a definite answer. His response would likely be something along the lines of, ‘too many to count’. The reason for this is twofold; for starters, there are more domains after the Garson Domain. Secondly, unbeknownst to most, there are actually more domains before the Garson Domain. Take the domain in which Dominus lived, that domain is higher on the metaphorical ladder than the Garson domain, but is currently unreachable as the Primordial Blade has essentially formed a containment zone around the seven known domains. No one is able to go any higher. In addition, no one is able to go sideways.


    While it’s certainly accurate to think of domains as a ladder, it’s unwise to think there is only a single ladder in existence. In actual fact, there are multiple ladders lined up next to each other, forming a circle of ladders. Originally, in addition to going up a domain, it would also be possible to go sideways into another domain.


    Unknown Domain → Unknown Domain


    ↑                                 ↑


    Sheryashka        →         Vraizon


    ↓                                 ↓


    Unknown Domain → Unknown Domain


    And so on and so forth. However, as mentioned previously, the Primordial Blade is currently preventing anyone from going higher than the Garson Domain, as well as stopping anyone from going sideways.


    Unknown Domain   →   Unknown Domain


    ↑                                  ↑


    Primordial Blade interference


    ↑                         ↑


    Dueuer      →     Garson     →    Primordial Blade interference → Unknown Domain


    ↓                      ↓


    Primordial Blade interference


    ↓                         ↓


    Unknown Domain  → Unknown Domain


    Usually, domains that are side by side have equivalent military strength as potential for cultivation is decided by how high on the ladder you are. These ladders form a circle and, eventually, wrap around so, while there are a ludicrous number of domains, the number is not infinite and every ladder leads to the same peak. For people living in domains outside of the containment of the Primordial Blade, this is considered common knowledge. But what about what exists above that peak? What about the Gods? What about the pillars? What about the truth behind the existence of the anomaly that formed the universe? In actuality, there are very few people that know everything there is to know.


    It could be said that Ares was somewhat knowledgeable about these things thanks to the information he received from the Primordial Blade, and thus so too were Aejaz and Enyo (Aejaz less so as he never directly interacted with the blade). For instance, Ares knew that pillars weren’t just theoretical, he knew that they actually physically existed. There were still gaps in his knowledge though. Things like: while calling his destruction pillar unique is technically correct, it would be more accurate to call it a ‘fundamental pillar’, or that there are six fundamental pillars in total. Ares was also unaware that, for every pillar, there existed a corresponding God, excluding the fundamental pillars. He also didn’t know why six people who could utilise these fundamental pillars, including himself, came into existence for the first time in history. Ares was supposed to know these things and more but, regrettably, he’d been assigned the God of fire as his mentor; a God so lazy he would make Rud look energetic in comparison. The god of fire also had somewhat of a reputation for being a bit… Well, a bit dumb. As there was no God of destruction, it was unanimously decided the God of fire was the closest existence to Ares and that he was supposed to guide him forward. SUPPOSED TO. In actuality, after being assigned what could be considered an imperative, momentous task, the God of fire took a nap. In contrast, the other five fundamental pillar wielders knew these things as their mentor-Gods were considerably less carefree. It would come as quite a shock to Ares that there were other ‘unique’ pillars, especially seeing as how the first one he would come across could be considered his own pillar’s ideological antithesis. But that, in addition to the hidden truths of this world, would be a story for a little later.


    ---------------------------------


    Somewhere in a corner of the Vraizon Domain, in The Perpetual Massacre Zone (or TPMZ for short), a motherly woman sat comfortably in a wicker armchair. She was a woman with an amicable smile perpetually on her face and she gave off a gentle, tender aura as her bushy, grey tail swayed back and forth in a way that was rhythmic and soothing to the eye. Her movements were gentle and elegant as she poured freshly brewed lemon tea into her finest China. She wore a black cotton dress in memory of the death of a loved one, although not her husband as he was, very much, still alive and kicking. There was a small, soft-pink bow in her blonde hair. She closed her eyes as she brought the tea to her mouth and took in the herbal aroma before finally taking a sip. She was sitting opposite an empty, brown-leather sofa, waiting for a guest to arrive.


    A maid walked into the reception room, bowed, and spoke, “Ma’am, she’s arrived. Should I let her in?”


    KNOCK KNOCK


    The genteel woman, while still innocently smiling, kissed her teeth at the obnoxiously loud beatdown the front door was currently receiving. If this was the first time the maid had seen this, she probably would have been horrified that such a kindly soul had such a deeply-rooted venomous side, but she had grown accustomed to this behaviour by now. It was pretty well known that the woman before the maid was outwardly charming, but inwardly wily and vicious.


    “No, don’t let her in,” the woman’s voice was like fine silk laced with poison, but still she smiled.


    “Understood. Shall I inform Aster of her arrival?”


    “No need, if that man knows what’s good for him, he’ll steer clear of that hussy.”


    The maid bowed and left as this matter no longer concerned her, plus, she didn''t want to stand in front of the wall for too long as the knocking had stopped, and that could only mean one thing.


    CRASH


    The outer wall was smashed into smithereens with bits of brick flying off in every direction other than towards the smiling, seated lady and her China set. Through the gap, expansive farmland and rolling green hills stretched as far as the eye could see with countless labourers hard at work in preparation for the upcoming winter. One shirtless, particularly butch man wiped the sweat from his brow under the scorching sun with his foot resting on a bale of hay. He stood tall with his muscles gleaming and a head of wheat between his sharp fangs that formed a cocky grin. He heard the crumbling of the mansion wall, looked over, and scarpered with a look of panic on his face as soon as he saw his wife’s smile widen dangerously as she sipped on her tea again.


    “Tsk, Aster’s still as cowardly around you as ever, huh?” A woman with a militaristic cadence was standing in the remains of the decimated wall with her hands on her hips and her head shaking in disappointment. She was the walking definition of brute strength, brute force, and brutish behaviour. She was adorned with a few medals on her sleek, white armour, and kicked aside the bricks at her feet with her muddy boots and rampant indifference. Her golden beige face was well-defined and every part of it screamed unrelenting pride, violence, and most importantly, violence. Yes, there was in fact so much violence, it simply had to be stated twice. This woman was a force of nature if ever there was one. As an aside, her relatively small mouth was a trait that had been inherited by every single one of her children, making them all very recognisable within the clan if you kept an eye out for that particular feature.


    “Oh~my, that wall was rather expensive, Rh~ea.” The motherly woman kept smiling but closed her eyes so as not to give away the fact that she was obviously displeased. She still couldn’t help but intentionally let her agitation seep into her otherwise calm voice. Her agitation didn’t stop her from pouring tea into an empty cup on the opposite side of the table, though.


    “Then maybe you should stop ignoring me whenever I come around. How many times have I broken that wall anyway? I swear it gets sturdier every time…” Rhea grumbled and hopped over the sofa before taking a seat on it and reaching for the tea. She took a sip and frowned bitterly. “Seriously, where’s the good stuff!? Margaret only ever gives out coffee, and Serene refuses to drink anything that isn’t water; that pompous bitch. Are all of you hiding your alcohol from me?” Rhea complained grudgingly.


    “The last thing a woman like you needs is to get her hands on alcohol. Besides, the only other drink I have is hot-chocolate for my adorable little babies,” the woman’s tone took a drastic shift when referring to her children and was more in line with what you would expect given her warm, outward appearance.


    “Yes, yes, you overbearing mother. I get it. You love your children. Even still, can you stop taking out that incident on me? It’s bad enough you go on a yearly rampage over at the Legion clan base, at least have the decency to let me in through the damn door.” Rhea sighed in exasperation at the woman’s pettiness. Refusing to open the door for Rhea was a common occurrence and was really just a small, token symbol of resistance given the incident that she had never really forgiven Rhea for, even if it wasn’t directly her fault. Rhea would never tell her to stop though, not only did she not have the strength to forcibly stop the antics of the lunatic woman in front of her, Rhea felt truly sorry for what happened.


    “Hm? But if I let you in through the door, you wouldn’t get to see Aster working the fields.”


    “Oh please. If I ever even spoke one word to him, you’d probably castrate the poor bastard. He knows it too, which is why he took off running the second he saw us. Speaking of which, how many times do I have to tell you I’ve accepted that I can’t have him anymore? You already won his affection all those years ago and left me with that stuck-up Legion clan bastard, have some mercy and at least let me talk to him every now and then.”


    “No,” the woman refused Rhea bluntly while still smiling. “So? What are you here for? The four matriarch’s gathering is still some time from now, and it hasn’t been that long since your last visit,” the woman spoke with a sharp edge to her words despite sounding outwardly cordial.


    “It’s almost time for the international down in the Sheryashka Domain… You’re going again, right?” Rhea’s question was twofold.


    “To the international? Yes, of course, I want to see my babies compete.”


    “... And?”


    “To the Legion clan after for my yearly murder spree? Of course?” despite the horrifying nature of her words, the woman declared her intentions as though everything she was saying was completely natural. Then again, this had been happening consistently for just under twenty years now, so perhaps it was.


    “You might find him, Calla…”


    “Then I’ll reconsider, maybe.”


    “Here’s hoping.” Rhea genuinely wanted Calla to find the person she was looking for as, not only would it stop her hormonal rampaging, but also because it would bring Rhea’s friend happiness and peace of mind.


    Calla was an utterly horrifying existence. In fact, she was the sole reason the war had lasted this long in the first place. One revenant alone held enough power to sway the balance, match all the other clan’s patriarchs in a fight simultaneously and still win with relative ease. She was hands-down the strongest being on this side of the severed domain and none of the other matriarchs could beat her either despite being stronger than their respective patriarchs. For that reason, most of the war revolved around placating a single woman and, while that worked for a while, the plan had fallen through miserably about 18 years back. Originally, Calla didn’t care for, or take part in, the war but one mistake was all it took to shake things up. The most the Legion, Willow, and Starlight clans could manage was allowing Calla to take her revenge yearly on the Legion clan and sustain a shaky half-truce for the rest of the year. Actually, none of the matriarchs really cared about the war and would frequently get together as good friends to casually discuss their lives. Things had gotten rather tense due to the incident, but there was still a friendly atmosphere for the most part, making for a complicated situation in which the four strongest people had no interest in fighting the war. To that end, the patriarchs were all constrained by their wives in various ways, and things had slowed down on the war front recently… Minus the violent outbursts from the Umbra Wolf’s matriarch, but no-one could stop them anyway and was thus treated as a natural disaster of sorts.


    “Still, the international is a few weeks off. You seem bothered by something else, Rhea. Why are you really here?”


    Rhea sighed in an exaggerated fashion and slumped down into the sinking sofa. “Sadie is keeping something from me.”


    “Hmm? She’s the one you usually bring over, right? The one that our instructor really likes to spend time with instead of doing his job?”


    “Yeah, her. I sent her down to Sheryashka to get some information on Enyo. You know what that girl is like, I worry about her. Sadie gave me a basic report, but it’s far too basic. She’s withholding something from me, and I want to know what.”


    “Oh, how sad. Not knowing every single detail about your child must be oh~so infuriating.” Calla’s tone indicated she wasn’t happy in the slightest.


    “Yeah, look, I know it’s not much compared to your problem but, still. I’m only curious because it’s Enyo. I’m thinking about going down early and having a look ‘cos this whole situation bugs me.


    Rhea could’ve sworn she saw Calla’s eye twitch with indignation, and was momentarily nervous she was going to have to run for her life. Rhea complaining about not knowing minor details about her child was like a slap in the face for Calla whose youngest child was God knows where.


    “That child of yours, Enyo, was certainly the most worrisome of them all. Even though she wasn’t the most rigid, she certainly seemed to have the most daddy-issues.”


    “Tsk, rub in the fact that you got one of the only two good husbands of the four matriarchs, why don’t you?”


    “You know I get moody at this time of year.”


    “I know, it’s the same old song and dance. You go the international hoping to see your missing ‘baby’, you don’t find him, and then you go and murder the people in the Legion clan who were responsible. I understand, really, I do, but you know we’re running out of people that were involved in the incident?”


    “Then I’ll stop killing them, and start hitting you.”


    “Please don’t. I’ll seriously die you know?”


    “Hmph, why not just wait? I doubt Sadie is keeping anything from you with ill intent. If I can wait for the international to start before going down, so can you. If you don’t, I’ll get upset and tag along on your little excursion.”


    Rhea immediately decided it wasn’t worth it. Given Calla’s nature, she was constantly under surveillance by all four clans. She was prohibited from leaving TPMZ unless it was strictly for her murder session or the international competition. If she broke those rules, the entirety of the other three clans would collectively band together and fight her, matriarchs included. She was just that much of a threat. Speaking of threats, Calla casually suggesting she would go along with Rhea to Sheryashka ahead of time was almost the same as indirectly declaring war on the entire domain. Naturally, Rhea winced at that thought and chose not to anger the sleeping dragon in front of her any further by speaking carelessly. The best-case scenario in that hypothetical war was mutual destruction, with countless hundreds of thousands losing their life to kill a single woman who would come back anyway as she was a revenant. Even the patriarchs weren’t safe and some would probably die too. If nothing else could be taken away from this conversation, it was that the four matriarchs were seriously spooky women with some frightening firepower. Calla in particular was not to be trifled with.


    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    “Alright, calm down freak. I’ll wait. On a separate note, have Serene and Margaret come around recently?”


    “They have, yes. We had pretty similar conversations to this one, actually.”


    “We’re all in pretty similar situations, I suppose. What about Serene’s son? The brat with the ‘fundamental pillar’, or whatever the hell it’s called.”


    “He left the clan about a year ago and should be taking part in the international competition, apparently.”


    “He might be a problem when he gets older. That fundamental thing is seriously out of whack, and you revenants might have to fight that somehow if he doesn’t leave first. How he performs against the revenants at the invitational is going to speak volumes about the direction the war could potentially end up going in depending on his involvement.”


    “I believe in my sweet children. They’ll find a way to deal with him and I’ll reward them with the finest hot-chocolate and marshmallows after.” Calla’s beaming smile was proud and oozing incredible warmth. “I heard from Serene that the God following her son around, the God of Earth - Terros, told him to go and look for a certain someone, which is why he was sent down to Sheryashka in the first place. Between the fundamental pillar, the person he’s looking for, my babies, Margaret’s eccentric son with his bizarre unique aspect, and your children, this international should be fun to watch at least.”


    “There’s certainly a lot going on. Will you be attending the pre-international party this time?”


    “I guess so.”


    “Try not to get too upset if he isn’t there. Last time you got kicked out because of the fuss you made and couldn’t watch the international after.”


    “I know. It’s strange, but my motherly senses are tingling… I have a good feeling about this year.”


    “... You’re right, that is strange... Then again, if it’s you, maybe it isn’t.”


    ---------------------------------


    Walking down the decorated halls of a lavish mansion located in a different corner of Vraizon, a monocle-d man Ares would have recognised as the core disciple who gave him a once-over before writing something on his palm the other day, was humming merrily. He fiddled with a silver pen of elegant design, spinning it in his hand as he occasionally glanced at the varying artworks that lined the walls; most of which displayed the likeness of relatives from bygone eras, the previous masters of the house. After a brief stroll, he arrived at the deepest part of the building, guarded by two well-dressed men.


    “Madame has been expecting you,” one of the two men spoke in a forthright manner that conveyed the utmost respect. After saying his piece, the butler on the left bowed while the other on the right stood upright and saluted. They each kissed their teeth while evilly glancing sideways at one another, silently scorning their other half for having messed up their decorous greetings by being out of sync with one another. Both butlers immediately chose to correct their positions to match the other, only to end up reversing the situation.


    “Botch, Gaffe, as raucous as your comedic double act may be, and while I do so enjoy watching it each and every time, I would rather not keep the lady of the house waiting as I’ve important matters, and good tidings, I’d like to discuss with her.”


    “Understood, young master, please enter.” Botch stood aside and gestured inward with his palm outstretched. Gaffe, on the other hand, opened his segment of the double doors and walked into the room to hold it open from the inside. Both butlers kissed their teeth, and were about to move in order to rectify the situation, when the young master simply walked between them and left them to their own devices.


    The room was somewhat of a mock gallery with artistic creations propped up here and there. The walls were pure white and treated like a canvas with the occasional splotch of paint that had yet to take the form of anything concrete. It should be noted that the completed paintings were of astoundingly high quality and wouldn’t be out of place should they find themselves one day gracing even the most renowned of museums with their presence. On the subject of presence, the woman at the centre of the room, controlling floating paint with movements akin to that of a high-class dance, was truly a stellar sight.


    “Good evening mother Margaret, it has been an awfully long time since last we met. I trust you’ve been well?”


    “...” Margaret gave no response but, instead, wielded the paint to form a stunning scenery of idyllic grass plains. The air whistled and the grass swayed until a raging fire charred the land and set everything aflame. The spoliation was symbolic enough for the man watching to understand.


    “I empathise. I too have experienced the folly of creation during a period in which my creativity was stifled. However, to continue during this period of stagnation is naught more than an exercise in farcical delusion and fallacious hope. A pointless endeavour, if ever there was one.” The man took out his notebook and, with great sleight of hand, jotted something down. Two burgundy armchairs, a dark-wooden table, and all the appropriate paraphernalia for coffee brewing materialised between the man and his mother. “Rather than attempt to brute force the issue, why not take a break whilst cleansing your palate, so to speak.”


    Margaret sighed deeply and took a seat. “It seems that, unlike my poor self, you appear to be doing just fine, Eagerton. I am jealous.” Margaret brewed coffee with a swiftness most impressive considering the delicate structure of her petite hands.


    “I’ll be blunt, there’s someone I wish to capture.”


    Margaret raised an eyebrow. “Is that so? They must be quite something to become the target of your imagination.”


    “Rather, it’s less imagination, which admittedly has been somewhat lacking as of late, and more so fascination that stimulates the imagination. As such, I wish to capture him for all eternity.”


    “Do tell.” Margaret gestured her mug toward her son before taking a sip of her coffee.


    “You aren’t familiar with the happenings of Sheryashka, correct?”


    “I’m afraid not, no. When I go down for the international, I stay strictly within the confines of the upper areas of Red Sun, near the Heaven’s Path sect.”


    “Well, there were rather intriguing tales of a duo known as the bandit brothers in Red Sun that I learnt of recently. Regrettably, I never did have a chance to meet them, but I simply assumed it was nothing of great importance and left it at that. Recently, I’ve been blessed with a chance to witness, first-hand, the talents of the brothers. I have reason to believe that one of the two will end up inspiring me and, as such, I wish to capture him. Truthfully, this is entirely for my sake, so I came to ask that you indulge in my selfishness. Of course, naturally, you may capture him yourself if you so wish.”


    “You think him worthy of my time? That I should personally capture him? That’s high praise if the suggestion is coming from you.”


    “There’s a good chance he may have some manner of relation to… That clan. If we don’t capture him soon, it may be even more problematic than things are now.”


    “Is that so? For now, capture him. Oh, and while you’re at it, find out how your brother is doing. You know he won’t talk to me, and it’s not like I can visit Sheryashka anyway because of that damn nuisance of a matriarch, Calla.”


    Eagerton showed a troubled face and subconsciously tapped his finger on his leg. “We… don’t exactly get along, so I can’t promise he’ll oblige to a request for an audience. Still, I shall try. Mayhap, should I involve sect leader Yulo, will the pestering finally drive him to a meeting out of sheer frustration to beg for some peace and quiet.”


    “Quiet? Given his nature, I highly doubt that’s something worth considering as being on his list of priorities. Still, he is my son, and I do care for him deeply. His creativity may be… Unique, in comparison to the ‘soulless-ness’ of the rest of our clan, as he so terms it, but I do support the path he walks, even if his father does not. You''re the only family he has in Heaven’s Path, so please do try to reach out to him.”


    “Yes, mother. Is there anything else you’d like for me to do?”


    “No, I suppose not.” Margaret finished her coffee and the mug she was using vanished into thin air. “Actually, that girl, Enyo, Rhea’s daughter, should be in your sect, right?”


    “That she is. I’ve never spoken to her directly, but she managed to secure her position in the regionals with relative ease.”


    “That makes sense, she is one of the stronger children to have come from us four matriarchs. On that note, I was considering setting up an arranged marriage, although I’ve yet to discuss it with Rhea herself. What say you? Forming a deeper bond between our clans wouldn’t be a bad thing.”


    “I’m afraid that’s not going to happen for a multitude of reasons. For one, she doesn’t inspire me. Two, Rhea would never allow an arranged marriage while she still lives and breathes. Lastly, and this is perhaps the most important of the reasons, she seems to have already fallen in love.”


    “... What!? Enyo? I’ve heard a lot about that girl, none of which would suggest she be the type to play around with a man. The last time I saw her, she mercilessly rejected her mother’s request for a hug, and was too busy diligently studying under Sadie to even look in my direction. She was slowly developing in the direction of becoming a clone of her excessively regimented father. My imagination is as vast as the ocean, if admittedly perhaps a dried-up ocean currently but, even still, I can’t picture it.”


    “For even you to be unable to imagine something must mean it is absolutely incomprehensible. That being said, it’s true. Enyo appeared to be actively ignoring Sadie to speak with him, and he even sat on her lap at one point. Plus, there are the various rumours that she sleeps at his house and so on, so forth.”


    “... Rhea must not know. That’s strange, Sadie should have informed her… If Rhea did know, she would have gone berserk by now and destroyed a Legion base or two. I wonder what kind of man could have garnered the interest of a girl like Enyo?”


    “Actually, funnily enough, it’s the bandit brother I aim to capture.”


    “Really!? Both you and Enyo share an interest in the same person!? How unorthodox must they be!? After your done capturing him, show him to me at the international. I simply must know more.”


    “By all means. I’ll be off then, mother.” Eagerton took a stand and returned to the door. As he was about to close it behind him, Margaret called out to him.


    “Oh, it slipped my mind, but what is the fantastical individual’s name?”


    Not wanting to take up too much more of his mother’s time so she could get back to her artistic struggles, he responded while closing the door, “If I recall correctly, I believe his name was Ares.”


    Thud


    As Eagerton left, although he paid it no further mind afterward, he could have sworn the door made a louder noise than usual when it was shut.


    ---------------------------------


    It should come as no surprise by this point that the leaders of the four major clans of the Vraizon domain were rather fond of mansions. Each had built their own, with their own unique designs, locations, and security systems in mind. The Starlight clan’s mansion was situated behind a large gate at the end of a cobbled road, lined with ye olde shoppes. The entire planet it was located on felt like one giant, olden style town, and the fashion of the people living there matched accordingly with bowler hats, suits and fancy, colourful dresses being all the rage. Even though the civilization was relatively advanced, they still frequently utilised horse-drawn carriages for the sake of ambiance. As for security, as weird as it sounds, vigilantism was widely accepted and even passionately encouraged. It was a form of ‘expression of the self’ as they so called it. No one in their right mind was stupid enough to try and commit a crime on a planet full of whackos with the right to bare arms and use them at their own discretion. On a global, planetary scale, few people were in the know about an explosive weapon the Starlight’s matriarch, Margaret, kept up her sleeve, known only as ‘Pandora''s Pandemonium’.


    The Legion clan was more militaristic in its values and that was reflected in the encampment-style layout. Everything was arranged in a manner best suited to defence against an invasion and there were a large number of medical and training facilities spread across the planet. The general theme of just about everything was white, and although that couldn’t exactly be considered a ‘theme’ by anyone even remotely sensible, the planet itself looked almost like a chalk ball from a distance thanks to all the white buildings on its surface. In spite of the snowy-white onslaught on the eyes, everything was rather modern in design, more so than the other four clans at least anyway. It was hardly a planet filled with technological marvels, but it was certainly the most advanced with regards to military-grade weapons and systems. It would be more accurate to say that, in place of a security system, there was simply no crime to begin with. Rarely did anyone who wasn’t a Legion clan member ever even visit the planet that they were based on, and finding a Legion clan member willing to commit a crime was effectively impossible given their strict adherence to moralistic virtues and justice. The patriarch’s mansion was completely undecorated and everything within existed solely to serve its purpose. No fancy chairs, no pets (unless tamed for the use of combat), no beds more comfortable than the bare minimum, etc… The Legion clan weren’t without their own secret weapon up their sleeve, however. They possessed an autonomous robot with incredible latent talent for sabotage, assassination, information gathering, and other such stealth-oriented tasks, not in any way inferior in strength to one of the four matriarchs.


    Then there’s the Umbra Wolves. A relatively simplistic people in terms of materialistic wants… If you exclude ruling the world, supposedly. They’re no strangers to harsh conditions and putting in the hard work necessary to get what they actually want. Given that they’re currently fighting a war on three separate fronts, their workload is enough to kill a man. In fact, many have died, only to come right back, grow up, and do it all again. As a result of this, the Starlight’s patriarch has gone on record saying, ‘They aren’t revenants, they’re God-damn lemmings!” The Umbra Wolves’ planet of choice is one fit for high-value farmland, fisheries, and procuring of reliable land-based food sources. The houses are middling at best, but the sense of family and camaraderie is unmatched by the other four clans and, despite the men’s childish antics and the women’s occasional malign streaks, there was a real sense of community. Then again, if they couldn’t get along with each other, who else were they going to get along with? The rest of the world categorically hates them. On that note, naturally, their security system is… Unique. It’s common knowledge that revenants are universally considered to be ‘the race that does the stupid shit’; this may or may not be related to the fact that there isn’t a single revenant that fears death. This may also be related to the fact that their entire planet is rigged to explode. Truly Ares’ people. As an aside, not a single person has ever survived attacking the Umbra Wolves’ planet during a full moon, regardless of the quality or quantity of soldiers sent.


    Lastly is the Willow clan, who are not-so lovingly referred to as ‘tree-hugging hippies’. In actuality, they’re nature-attuned elves that frequently commune with spirits. Regular elves, high elves, dark elves, fur elves, and even hybrid elves born as a mix from other races, are all present and all live comfortably under one, united, banner. A polite tone and friendly mannerisms are typically commonplace among these peaceful folk, but they all harbour, deep within, a bloodthirsty side that secretly thirsts for war (See Julio’s obsession with his axe. It’s not just because it looks cool, but because he REALLY wants to swing it). Their planet is undoubtedly the healthiest of them all and reflects the general state of living. There is no pollution of any kind and every material or ingredient is both natural and recycled or used to the last drop. There is a fair few of what’s referred to as ‘mother trees’ that are as tall as skyscrapers and fashioned into multi-story housing by expert carvers. The people who are higher up in the pecking order will often have an entire mother tree to themselves and their family. Nature is the Willow clan’s guard against crime as the roots that run throughout the entire planet will actively seek to expunge any foreign anomalies looking to cause trouble. It is also rumoured that the matriarch is in possession of not just one, but two, fully tamed, fully grown Mecha-dryads. Those in the know are aware that this figure is incorrect, however, and that the matriarch, Serene, is actually currently remotely rearing a third Mecha-dryad in a secluded location somewhere down in Sheryashka…


    Some few hours after the previous meeting with her son, Margaret had recovered from fainting from shock and immediately took a trip to visit the Willow clan’s matriarch. Currently, she was seated atop a white deck chair in Serene’s back-garden. The garden itself was more a wide-spaced ruin than anything resembling a garden, with a majestic sun peeking through the leafy dome overhead and mossy stones jutting out of the ground at regular intervals. The outer edges of the garden were grassy underfoot but the centre, where all the chairs were located, was a slightly raised stone platform with circular patterns engraved upon it.


    The leafy dome split neatly in half as the branches retracted, allowing an angelic woman to gracefully descend through the gap with the light from above deifying her entrance. The woman landed with a seamless transition into a stride that wouldn’t have been out of place on a catwalk. The moment her bandaged, and otherwise bare, feet touched the stone, the patterns lit up in a pleasant light blue hue. The lustrously green-haired, long-eared woman leaned back into a deck chair with such smooth movements it almost looked as though she were floating, and clicked her fingers. The blue light racing around inside the stone became droplets of water and coalesced into a large, fully translucent lake above their heads, dampening the sun’s rays and enveloping the area in a cool atmosphere.


    “Water?” the high elf’s voice was soft, but carried weight. Like all other elves, her appearance was easy on the eyes and some would even make the mistake of assuming she was a divine being. It didn’t help that she wore exclusively pure white, light, and airy clothing. She was practically only missing a halo and a set of wings.


    “Please, I need something to calm my mind,” Margaret accepted the drink as the water on offer was special to say the least. It had healing properties that would soothe both the mind and bones while rejuvenating the skin. The ability to summon water of this quality was limited strictly to Serene and the leaders of the Willow clan due to the location of their homes. When the clan was originally brought over and the domains were severed, the patriarch at the time was capable of creating said water. His descendants didn’t possess the same bloodline ability as him though, so he created facilities, such as the stone slab, that could be put to use by future generations. From then on, the leaders of the Willow clan have all lived on the same plot of land to have access to these water dispensing facilities. That being said, the current matriarch, Serene, was actually capable of creating water of superior quality by herself. Serene’s water pillar magic could be drunk, used offensively as a weapon, used for healing and cleansing purposes, or become auxiliary support for her nature pillar magic.


    “I was told your matter is urgent and I know you aren’t the type to embellish your words, artsy though they may be.” Serene and Margaret both held their respective cups up to the sky and the lake trickled down into them, seamlessly providing the ladies with a drink of the utmost highest quality.


    “I know you''re in the middle of renovating your grand-mother tree, but this is more important.” Margaret glanced over her shoulder at the largest mother tree on the planet, the one responsible for regulating the needs of every other mother tree, and the place that Serene’s family resided in. In one word, it was ‘imposing’.


    “I find that difficult to believe, one wrong misstep and this planet’s very ecosystem will be on the fritz. It’s no exaggeration to say that the grand-mother tree regulates all living things on this planet. I’m needed to personally oversee the changes, so I’ll need you to make this quick.”


    “That may be so, but one wrong misstep with my issue and your whole planet will no longer have an ecosystem. I doubt you’ll even have a planet left to call home.”


    “It involves Calla then, does it?”


    “Serene… I’m pretty sure I’ve found her son…”


    “... I see. That is certainly problematic…” Serene was happy for Calla, but distraught for the peace of the universe which now hung shakily in the balance.


    “Or, to be specific, Eagerton has found a person by the name of Ares that appears to be around the correct age.”


    “But why come to me? I can’t stop Calla if she finds out, and informing me only means there’s one extra avenue for things to go wrong.”


    “I need your help with Rhea, not Calla. By some miraculous act of God, Enyo seems to have fallen in love…”


    “Impossible.” Serene didn’t hesitate for even a second to blurt out the first word that came to her mind. She was the type to rarely, if ever, become flustered over anything, but this information was truly mind-bending.


    “That’s what I thought but, apparently, that seems to be the case. Regardless, she’s fallen in love with Ares, of all people.”


    Serene was visibly shocked that the world could be so small, but soon returned her face to that of its natural, peaceful bearing. “What are the chances of that? But still, I don’t see the issue? Other than the somewhat complicated relation between the clans, I guess.”


    “Rhea sent Sadie down to keep an eye on Enyo…”


    “... Oh. Right. If Ares is hanging around Enyo, then Sadie will know. If Sadie knows about Ares, then Rhea will know. If Rhea knows about Ares… she might try to sneak Calla down to Sheryashka as she still feels somewhat guilty for the incident…”


    “Exactly. In other words, things have gone to shit in spectacular fashion. We need to do something about either Rhea or Sadie, and fast.”


    “... Hmm, we might be lucky on that front.” Serene relaxed comfortably in her chair as she drank from her wooden cup.


    “What do you mean?”


    “Last time Rhea was here, which was quite recent, she was complaining about Sadie ‘withholding information’ from her.”


    “That somewhat matches what I’ve heard... But Sadie doesn’t know about Ares? That’s something only us matriarchs and the patriarchs are privy to. Why would she keep information about him confidential?”


    “She knows Enyo’s in love. That’s enough. If Rhea found out, she would barge down into Sheryashka and, If Rhea did that, then Calla would be sure to follow. Sadie might be trying to avoid that exact scenario, which just so happens to be incredibly convenient, no? She won’t bring up Ares because she can’t without indirectly starting a war for an entirely different reason than the one we’re concerned with.”


    “... I honestly feel bad for the poor girl. She has the weight of millions of lives on her shoulders, and she hasn''t the foggiest clue about any of it.”


    “It would be wise to keep an eye on Rhea, just in case she figures something out. We’ll have to move personally if anything seems off to prevent the worst possible outcome.”


    “Mhm, I’ll be sure to keep wary. As an aside, my foolish son is off to capture Ares.”


    “As long as Calla doesn’t find out about your clan’s silly antics, it should be fine, no? You’re all incredibly strange, and arguably deranged people, but mostly harmless.”


    Margaret made no effort to deny Serene’s jab as she was focused on something else, “Yes, but he mentioned that Ares might have some manner of involvement with your clan specifically. You wouldn’t happen to know anything about that, would you?”


    “No? That’s a rather strange assertion for him to have made. I only just found out about him from you now, how could I have possibly been interested in him beforehand? Unless… Surely not…” Serene’s picturesque face cracked ever so slightly as her right eye twitched.


    “Hm? What is it? Any information would be greatly appreciated, even if it’s only conjecture.”


    “Well, it’s no secret that my son, Mako, is off looking for someone in Sheryashka thanks to whatever information he received from Terros… But even he doesn’t know specifically which person he’s after. Realistically, what are the chances he’s searching for Ares?”


    “You’d think low but, then again, both Enyo and Eagerton have taken an interest in him. At that point, every clan other than the Umbra Wolves will have interacted with him in some manner, which is kind of tragic when you think about it. It does raise the question of why Mako is looking for him in the first place though, and how Eagerton was so certain of it.”


    “It would need to be something Ares and Mako undeniably have in common and to be obvious at a glance… You don’t think… Ares also has one of those pillars… Do you?”


    “Things are going to get VERY complicated VERY quickly if that’s true…” Margaret had a wry, almost nervous smile on her face. “How wonderful it would be if Eagerton wasn’t too busy living in his own little world to explain things concisely. You''d think a fundamental pillar is the kind of thing worth bringing up in a conversation. God knows he brings up Mako’s whenever he’s in a foul mood. Then again, it’s usually the fundamental pillar itself that puts him in a foul mood to begin with.” Margaret sighed.


    “The international is going to be all over the place this year, isn’t it? The pre-international function is going to be absolute chaos when Calla finds out about Ares and Rhea finds out about Enyo.”


    “Haha, I’ll be sure to bring along a camera for all the happy reunions.”


    ---------------------------------


    Meanwhile, the man in question, Ares, was walking home with Appa and Enyo in tow, none the wiser of all the mayhem heading in his direction. In fact, mayhem was an understatement as there was still yet another clan that was going to complicate the international, one with a penchant for assassination.