"Well? What do you have?" the man who ford the do, Lik, asked.
They glanced at each other with uneasy expressions before one of them finally spoke.
"I tried talking with so of the attendants."
"And?"
The man shook his head. "None of them slipped. They're air tight."
"What about the rest of you?"
They each shook their heads with somber expressions.
"He's right," another one chid in. "Looks like she changed the portal attendants during our capture. It's going to make our mission much more complicated."
"That stupid bitch!" Lik cursed out, clearly irritated.
"First she abandoned us into the arms of the enemy… and now she's standing in the way of our goal."
The air turned heavy at the ntion of the Saint. Their eyes hardened, and their killing intent drenched the air. Their hate was palpable.
"What do we do?" one of them asked.
Lik drew in a long breath, calming himself. He started to ponder. "With or without her attendants, we fulfill our goal. I say we raid the portal room tonight."
"That sounds like a terrible idea," one of the n quickly said. "She's god in Asterra. She'll see us coming from a mile away."
"No," Lik shook his head. "She won't."
He grabbed the hem of his shirt and pulled it up, revealing a sprawling tattoo inked across his torso.
None were surprised by the sight. After all, they'd all been through the sa hell. Instead, they were curious. None of them had been told about the purpose of their tattoos except Lik, apparently. But the fact that they each had different functions didn't make it any easier.
"This," Lik said, "will give the power to move unseen and undetected by her will. While I slip inside, you'll handle the others. Leave the rest to ."
The n exchanged glances, hesitant, before letting out grim nods.
"We have to move now. We've wasted enough ti already. We can't keep the Will Guard waiting."
They were about to nod in agreent when a voice echoed from the darkness.
"Well, I believe that's enough."
The group's eyes snapped towards the source, hearts pounding. Had they been discovered?
'Was soone listening?' Lik's expression hardened. The power he had used earlier to form the do had been purely against the Saint, a god.
It had the power to nullify all will or energy around a given radius. If the Saint's will didn't touch them, then she couldn't monitor them. However, as insane as it was, its limitations were even more severe.
It only blocked will and sound, not sight. Anyone close enough could see them, and even worse, read their lips.
Lik's arm reached for his weapon.
'It's a man.' It wasn't the Saint, which ant if they acted quickly, they could silence the person before he beca a threat.
A figure stepped out from the patch of darkness, and the moon's light bathed him in his radiance.
The man was tall and broad, face placid and gait imposing. A sheathed long sword rested on his waist.
The eyes of the group widened in alarm the mont they saw him.
"H-high s-synod One!"
Lik found his heart beating fast.
'A high synod.'
The high synod council led the resistance for a reason. Though they answered to the Saint, each one was strong in their own right. Baron rank gods with a large number of worlds under their belt.
Lik couldn't possibly be compared to a high synod, especially One. He was in charge of the main combat force of the resistance. The Knights of Light.
"H-High Synod." Lik forced the words out, his heart racing fast. He flattened his shoulders and forced a laugh that sounded too thin.
'I have to pretend,' he told himself.
"What are you doing here?" he asked, but no answer ca.
"We… we just had to leave the party behind. We've only just been rescued. It was all overwhelming."
Again, there was silence. Lik opened his mouth to speak again when One finally spoke.
"Do you know what kind of people I find the most disgusting?"
A detached wave washed over Lik and his throat bobbed as he gulped.
"Traitors." One spoke calmly. "The kind whose hearts must already be dark to betray those who trusted them. Your kind are the filth of existence."
"Wait… High Synod, we—" Lik tried to speak, but his words were cut short.
"I will see to it that you pay for your actions," the Synod said. "Apprehend them."
A sharp chorus of lights igniting startled the group. Their eyes snapped upward to see figures standing perched along the rooftops, cloaked in white, each bearing the insignia of light upon their chests.
Their faces were icy, their deanor taut. The Knights of Light.
The group's expressions darkened, then twisted. But before they could even act, the knights descended as one.
Brilliant light crashed into the quiet alley, drowning the night in radiance.
…
"You can't break them?"
"It would seem to that they're already broken, Saint."
Anorah's frown deepened. "By the Will Guard?"
"Yes."
One had divulged everything the traitors had discussed in the alleyway, though it wasn't truly needed as she had also observed the eting occur.
What they had unfortunately failed to account for was Anorah's caution. Though he'd used the do that nullified her will, the fact that she'd been watching them from the outset made that advantage obsolete.
She knew the instant her will was nullified, and it had utterly baffled her.
"Those tattoos," Anorah said, "Have you been able to analyze them?"
One's expression turned grim. "No. We've never seen anything like this before. In fact, I don't think the Verge has. If the other major factions find out soone has achieved such a thing, it will be war."
"That's not my main concern," Anorah said. "I need them to talk. If we can get them to admit Kaino is behind all this, I'll have my justification. We have to make them talk, by all ans necessary."
"I understand, but we shouldn't pass up this rare opportunity. These tattoos, this weapon, if we can replicate it—"
Anorah shook her head. "It's too dangerous. We have no idea how it functions. It could backfire. In fact, I hate that they're still on Asterra."
"Don't worry," One said. "They're imprisoned. They can't do anything. Their plan was to use the portal to bring soone into Asterra, most likely."
"The Will Guard…"
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