The hustle and bustle of the nearby citizens of Revelcroft went silent as they stopped in their tracks. The distant sounds of the city were still present, yet the Guild district remained distinctly silent. Every breath they took was as loud as a scream.
Tension bogged the air as June stared down Perrim.
It had been brief, but his sudden appearance had startled the Althori. Yet his pride as a member of the supposed divine family refused to yield. June also didn't back down, unwilling to show deference to these maniacs claiming to be gods.
Perrim's glare grew harsher when June didn't show any reverence. "What manner of creature are you, mortal?"
The way he had said mortal told June all he needed to know about the man, the meaning being synonymous with any slurs back on Earth.
But it failed to draw a rise from him. Instead, he responded with civility and diplomacy. "Is that how you greet strangers here?"
The veins on the side of Perrim's head bulged from June's apparent disrespect or lack of veneration. "But we are not strangers, are we, Joon Mai-kall-sun?"
Perrim's horrendous pronunciation of his name sounded like a child learning to speak for the first time. A smug smile crossed Perrim's face as June just raised a brow, slightly amused.
Sarah's voice then echoed in his mind, putting a pause to his response.
Please don't do anything rash. I can see what you're planning, and I'd recommend against it.Perrim may be an arrogant asshole, but he's still a descendant of a Progenitor of Syrova. As a Progenitor yourself, it'd be best to seek cooperation for the benefit of all. Remember that the Dwellers are our true enemies.
Besides, didn't you want to remain anonymous? If you pick a fight with this man, you'd be announcing to all of Syrova that a new Divine being is among them.
She had a point, and he would have left things alone had this man not shown up. But there were some things that he couldn't let slide or condone. This confrontation was inevitable, seeing as his morals were in direct contrast to the Divine family's, so it was best to address it now rather than later.
I've got this, June said to her with a smirk before speaking out loud. "I guess we aren't, Perrim."
Perrim's smile vanished instantly, transforming into a sneer of fury marred by confusion.
June chuckled internally. Perrim sure as hell didn't expect him to know his name. Perrim marched up to him, trying to use his size to intimidate him, but he didn't back down.
He suspected that by now, most people would have fallen to their knees, begging for forgiveness. But he'd never do such a thing, not to mention for such a person. He stared only up at the man, indifference written on his face.
"On your knees! Grovel like the mongrel you are, and maybe I won't tear you limb from limb!" Perrim snarled, his Aura billowing from him.
Those who had stopped to watch the altercation immediately backed away. The strength of Perrim's Aura immediately clued them in to who he was if his armor hadn't already given it away.
June stood his ground and, with precise control, projected his Aura at a certain level, masking it to replicate Perrim's strength. For now, this was how he'd hide, out in the open, by disguising his true strength.
Behind him, Quin, Layhanna, Matil, Urzenkeil, and Merriam had gathered on the steps of the Guild house. Quin had subtly erected a barrier of her own Aura, following his lead and disguising her strength as well, and protected the buildings behind them. All but Quin's faces had become ghostly white as their Auras clashed in the middle of the road.
Neither of them let up, but it was Perrim who wavered first. The shock in his eyes was apparent to June, and the sliver of doubt and confusion caused his concentration to slip. His Aura fizzled out as sweat beaded down his face.
June retracted his Aura when Perrim's Aura disappeared. "Don't you have other, more important matters to see to?"
The woman named Nepherani approached them as fast as she could, at the pace of a snail from his point of view, and struck out at him, a dagger in her right hand.
He contemplated how best to respond to the attack. It had surprised him a little that Nepherani had even moved to strike him after having seen and felt that his Aura matched her uncle's. He could only attribute it to fear and anger, pressing her to act.
With Kinetic Essence, he caught the blade just inches from his throat.
"Know your place! You are nothing more than a mortal amongst gods!" Nepherani shouted, her face twisted in a vicious sneer.
"Only by title and birthright, he really isn't a god, is he?" June said before Perrim backhanded her, sending her flying a few feet to land hard on the cobblestone road.
"Enough! I don't need your help!"
Perrim turned to him, composing himself as he took a step back, his face a shroud of calm confidence. "I am a god, unlike you, mortal."
"Yet, I can't help but notice that you aren't the Divine Lord?"
Perrim snarled like a wolf, yet restrained himself. "That title is reserved only for the most esteemed and worthy man of the Divine family."
June nodded in understanding. "Ahh, I see. So you're neither esteemed nor worthy, gotcha."
"SILENCE!" Perrim bellowed with a swipe of his hand that generated high wind pressure strong enough to knock over buildings.
The loose pieces of their clothes flapped wildly in the gale, but his little tantrum affected neither of them. June had erected a barrier around the two of them to prevent the hurricane-like gusts from destroying the city.
Their eyes remained locked on each other the entire time, and he could see the slow, creeping doubt and fear gnaw at Perrim's conscience.
When the wind settled, silence once again hung in the air as June lowered his barrier. "Are you done? Cause if you are, would you mind leaving us in peace? We were in the middle of a meeting before your rude interruption."
Perrim's scowl returned, and the look in his eyes told June that his pride and anger had won out over his fear and doubt.
Perrim straightened and glared down at him. "My Divine Lord has dispatched me with an urgent quest to investigate an unknown pulse of energy that occurred in this kingdom the night prior. According to the Steward of this city, you might be involved somehow."
"And how did this Steward of yours come by this information?"
"I'm the one asking the questions here," Perrim snapped. "Now, were you responsible for that pulse of energy?"
"Perhaps. What of it?"
Perrim's hand flew forward and grabbed him by the collar of his sweater. "You're coming with me! The Divine Lord would like to have a word with you."
However, he failed to budge June from his spot as he stood rooted in place. "If he wants to have a word, then you can tell him where to find me. But you'd better be quick about it. I don't plan on staying in this city long."
"Heretic!" Perrim roared before landing a clean uppercut that he let connect, launching him straight into the air.
Here we go, June thought as he caught himself with Wind Essence, floating in the sky.
"I am no mere messenger!" Perrim shouted as he rocked towards him.
A spiked mace as black as the Abyss and a large golden round shield that radiated sunlight appeared in his hands.
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From the very beginning, the mongrel was nothing more than a heretic whose blasphemy only fueled Perrim's fury and hatred of him, building to a point of no return and exploding in a raging inferno.
There were two moments there: first, when the heretic appeared, and second, during their conversation, when a creeping voice in the back of his head told him not to engage the worm. To just leave and seek another route towards completing the Divine Lord's quest. But he couldn't let his transgressions stand. This heretic shall die for blaspheming him and his Divinity!
He flew up towards the heretic, his Eternal Morning Star and Shield of Radiance appearing in his hands.
"Die!" he shouted, bringing his Eternal Morning Star around in a mighty swing, aiming for the heretic's head.
The air around the weapon shimmered as it snuffed out any light that was near it when he infused it with Dark Essence.
With this single blow, he'd smite the heretic's existence from the Imperial history books.
However, a dull-gray shield appeared in the heretic's hand, and he blocked his attack. The clang of metal hitting metal rang out in the sky, and a boom followed, accompanied by a furious gust of wind from the impact.
He had put all of his strength behind the attack, yet it hadn't even left a single dent on the heretic's shield. But his attack had at least achieved something, launching the heretic back and beyond the city limits.
A clap of thunder sounded, and another gale buffeted the area as he shot forward using Wind Essence to propel himself, chasing after the careening heretic. He caught up with the heretic in no time. Seeking to end the fight here and now, he swung his Eternal Morning Star down, this time infusing it with Death Essence, and aimed for the heretic's head again.
A sickly green glow coated his mace as it descended on the heretic, but to his utter shock, the heretic stopped mid-air and launched at him, his ugly gray shield leading the charge. Unable to slow his momentum, his attack missed completely. He brought his Shield of Radiance around and blocked the heretic's pathetic attempt to shield bash him.
Channeling Light Essence, he cycled it into his Shield of Radiance. "Beam of the Divine Lord!"
A beam of golden light shot forth from his shield and slammed right into the heretic. It sent him flying down to the ground as he channeled even more Light Essence and added Fire Essence into his attack. Golden flames spewed forth from his shield and spiraled around the beam to the heretic. He'd cleanse the worm with the holy fire.
Having depleted half of his Soul Essence, he stopped channeling his Essences and floated down to where the heretic was. That should have done it.
But to his horror, the heretic was still alive. And what was worse was that he had sustained barely any damage beyond his slightly singed clothes and a few minor burns.
Perrim hovered in the sky above the heretic in disbelief.
How was the worm still alive? Perrim thought as the heretic spat a wad of blood.
A confident grin crossed the heretic's face as they locked eyes with him. "My turn."
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Layhanna had been in a perpetual state of terror ever since exiting her Guild house to find June staring down an Adjudicator of the Imperium. The moment her eyes landed on the Adjudicator, she bent at the waist and remained silent, praying to the Divine Mother and Lord that June would show a modicum of respect.
However, the words that left his mouth cast that thought right out of her head.
She didn't know what was going through his mind, but he must have been mad. No, not to at least bow his head in deference when in the presence of a member of the Divine family was beyond mad. It was sacrilege.
She kept her head bowed, fear holding her in place, and remained like that the entire time, not daring to move a muscle even when monstrous Auras clashed. Then the loudest clap of thunder resounded, followed by a boom and torrential gusts that shook the building and knocked her over. She finally looked up and laid eyes on the people before her.
June and the Adjudicator were nowhere to be seen. Only the Inquisitors remained, their heads craned to the Suns' Wake.
"Where are June and the Adjudicator?" she asked, slowly rising.
Quin pointed in the direction the Inquisitors were looking. "It seems like diplomacy has failed."
Her stomach dropped, her legs wobbled before she fell to her knees.
If he had angered an Adjudicator, then that was the end for them. The Divine family wasn't merciful. Their retribution would be swift and divine.
A female Inquisitor, who had been on the ground, slowly rose to her feet, clutching the right side of her face. "Where's the Adjudicator!"
One inquisitor pointed towards Suns' Wake. "Our Radiance sent the heretic off in that direction and went after to finish him."
The female Inquisitor turned her wild, bloodshot eyes on them. "You shall all pay for your transgressions against a member of the Divine family!"
"No! Wait—" Layhanna shouted, but Quin stepped in front of her.
"If you value your lives, you'd best wait until your Adjudicator returns."
"Oh, he will!" the Inquisitor bellowed. "And I, Inquisitor Nepherani Aldetorre, will present your heads as a gift to him upon his return."
Layhanna's eyes widened at the proclamation, turning to look at Quin, only to find her cocking her head to the side. "That'll depend on his manner of return."
Nepherani released a howling scream, daggers appearing in her hands, before a body slammed onto the cobblestone road. The impact shook the ground, kicking up dust and stone, and creating a crater half the size of the road.
Layhanna coughed and fought to keep her eyes open through the dust, trying to see what was happening. A sudden gust cleared the dust in an instant, and June's figure slowly descended.
His hands were at his sides in a calm pose, his clothes lightly singed, and he had a minor burn across his left cheek. But besides that, he looked relatively fine.
Loose and destroyed cobblestones rose and hovered as he drew nearer, and only fell back to the ground when he landed.
She stared at him, her heart racing.
How was he still alive, and why was he so calm? Where was the Adjudicator?
Her eyes flew to the sky, searching for the man, but Nepherani's wail immediately drew her attention.
"Uncle!"
She frowned as Nepherani and the other Inquisitors jumped into the crater. Rising, she gasped as the Adjudicator lay at the center, his armor destroyed and his robes torn to shreds from the waist up. The man was still conscious, but just barely, as burns covered his body that cauterized multiple slash wounds. His left arm lay broken at his side, twisted at an odd angle, while his right hand was missing entirely.
"How?" she asked, but she fell silent when June spoke up, addressing the Adjudicator and his Inquisitors.
"As I've said, if the Divine Lord would like to speak to me, then you can tell him where to find me."
Layhanna's mouth fell agape at his tone and words as Nepherani slung the Adjudicator's right arm over her shoulder and helped him to his feet. A shiver ran down her spine as his glare bored into all of them and remained on them as they retreated into the sky.
This would not be the end of it; she could see it in his eyes.
Her gaze then landed on June as he walked up the steps towards them. Her heart sank to the pit of her stomach. Just who was this monster that had now set his sights on her and her Guild?