Overlord pulled out a small clock and inspected it closely. With a sigh, he then put the clock away, then turned to face the three intruders. Yet again, he had been interrupted during a meeting with his Upper Decay Lords. But not by the same few faces as last time this had happened.
“Hello, Pentaflame. Why are you assisting this damned sect?”
“Why do you think?” Pentaflame hissed back.
Overlord rolled his eyes. But, for a brief moment, he felt a twinge of fear, as a large blade was thrown in his direction.
“WE SENT YOU EIGHT DECAYLINGS, YOU SENT US THREE BACK!” Shatterblade roared. “Give us back our damn Decaylings!”
More eye rolls. Sensing that Shatterblade was particularly violent today, Overlord snapped his fingers and the blade disappeared. “You didn’t send me eight Decaylings. you sent me two Decaylings, a Time Drake, a bloody Voidborn and four more Amalgam Mimics. You know, things I told you not to send.”
“You never told us anything!” Flamebearer was externally slightly calmer than both Pentaflame and Shatterblade, but Overlord could tell he was holding in his anger. “We spent a month discussing things with your trial arbiters, and with both our local liaison AND with the Travellers AND with the Pentathax. Not a single person told us that we could not send a Newling Voidborn, someone who WANTS to be a Decay Lord, to do a Decay Lord trial. In fact, you ALLOWED her to do the trial in the first place!”
Overlord shrugged. “I was somewhat hoping your little pet would not make it, but the silly little Voidborn did. It is a little too dangerous for them to be both Decay Lord and Voidborn.”
“No different from the two Time Drakes and the Life Goddess we have sent!” Flamebearer was trying to remain civil. “And you also took away and imprisoned four normal Decayons!”
“Those four are NOT normal Decayons. They are Amalgam Mimics. I specifically told you to NOT let any Amalgam Mimics reach any of my sectors, and then you sent me four for a Decay Lord Trial!”
“Flamebearer grunted “Firstly, they are not Amalgam Mimics. We have proved that repeatedly, because they do not have Time Drake or Life Goddess powers like a true Amalgam Mimic does, and they also cannot access Voidborn powers either. They only mimic abilities between themselves, which is what a standard mimic does, according to your Periuniversal Decayon Type rules. Secondly, yet again, YOU allowed them to do a Decay Lord Trial!
“Why are you like this? I thought the whole point of the society you have built was to accept everyone, particularly those who are different? Us Thantir believe that we should accept and help everyone, just as your system taught us. That is why we help other sects, that is why we work as purifiers now. But this is the third time that we have sent one of the Thantir’s founders to this very location, to argue for our Decaylings, who have completed their Trials and you have imprisoned or messed something up! Why? Are you like this with other sects?”
Overlord grunted, but before he could answer, another Decay Lord teleported by Flamebearer’s side.
“This is beyond stupid!” Spiritguide, the little cat deity, snarled. “We went through this with you, Overlord. You literally sent us Travellers to report on the Thantir, we reported back telling you as much as possible. But your insane hatred for a stupidly small sect is blinding you! Doubly because YOU REQUESTED that we push Decay Lord Trials forward, so we could get our hands on more powerful and newer Decay Lords!”
“More importantly though,” Pentaflame added. “According to the Pentathax’s many contacts, you forced early Decay Lord trials for seven different Purifier sects! You seem to have a stupidly awful track record when it comes to Purifier sects, which are rare enough already!”
“Oh, no, don’t be silly. It is just the Thantir I dislike, with your toxic little Amalgam Mimics, which affect all those around them.”
“What… what the fuck do you mean by that?” Flamebearer asked. “What have my partner, my little half-brother and our little team of four ever done to deserve your wrath? And why is our little Voidraptor, who we all know is better off with Decayons rather than being dragged into a Voidborn cult. being punished as well? She has nothing to do with the rest of this!”
“Well, you do have a point about Voidraptor. But as for the others? The simple reason is that they exist. They exist and influence all beings around them. They are infectious and affect all of you, subtly, in ways you do not realize. And they remind me of mine and Lifelord’s long dead partner.”
“Your partner, who was an Amalgam Mimic?” Pentaflame snarled. “The same Amalgam Mimic Souldrainer revealed the last time the Thantir had to come here? Surely you dishonour Everlord’s name by hating those who are similar to him?”
“Everlord is not even dead, just comatose…” Flamebearer added.
Overlord suddenly paused, then stomped over to Flamebearer and grabbed him by the throat. Flamebearer retaliated with a burst of flame to free himself, then stepped back. Weirdly, Flamebearer was still amazingly calm.
“Rather ironically, the Overthree, your old Trio, has a lot in common with my own Trio. We lost Deathbringer, but we never completely gave up on him, and, eventually and with some help, he managed to return to us. You though, you gave up and split apart. Rather quickly, it seems.”
Overlord didn’t respond at first. He glanced around, looking at every single Decay Lord in the room. They were all staring back at Overlord.
“How… how do you know?” Overlord stuttered.
“According to Deathbringer, Synaisthyns can speak to each other if they are comatose, or something like that. But four of the five Decaylings you have imprisoned cannot do that, because they are NOT Amalgam Mimics. And in all honesty? Had you not constantly attacked us Thantir, your secrets would have remained dead and buried. That though brings us to a much bigger question: us Thantir are headstrong, stubborn and refuse to go down without a fight. How many other sects have you destroyed, because you have feared both Amalgam Mimics and your own hidden truths?”
Overlord took a deep breath, then sighed. “You know what? Fine. You win. I should have learned the first damned time. I will return your friends to you. But I do not want to see any of you ever again.”
“Do you promise not to interfere with any future Decaylings we have?”
“Yes. As long as you all go away, do not come back and also stop… knowing things.”
Flamebearer nodded. “We can do that, yes. Will you now hand our five Decaylings back to us?”
Overlord sighed again, then snapped his fingers. To his surprise though, only one glass canister appeared, containing the sleeping Newling Voidborn.
“We said five, not one!” Shatterblade snarled as he picked up Voidraptor’s canister.
However, Overlord wasn’t quite paying attention. He snapped his fingers again, but nothing happened. After a few seconds, Overlord turned around, and one of the other Upper Decay Lords stepped forward. They made their way to Overlord’s side, floated up and whispered something to him.
“What do you mean, they are missing?” Overlord suddenly shouted. “They should have been frozen, the same way the Voidborn was!”
“Um… well, sir, it… it seems like they have escaped… and have worked out how to block our instant teleportation powers…” Overlord immediately turned back to Flamebearer and Shatterblade. “What have you been teaching those damn Decaylings?”
Flamebearer, Shatterblade and Pentaflame all glanced at each other.
“I… uh… genuine have no idea…” Flamebearer admitted.
“Fine. You lot, leave now, and take the Voidborn with you.” Overlord tutted, then returned to Spiritguide. “You know them personally, little cat. Find them, now, then send them back to the Thantir’s stupid little base.”
“I am staying here until we get the other Decaylings back,” Pentaflame grunted as the Decay Lords all left. “Flamebearer, Shatterblade, take Voidraptor home. Spiritguide and I will be with you all when we find the other Decaylings.”
“I appreciate the help, Pentaflame.”
“No worries, little Flamebearer. Once we are all back and safe, I want to have a chat with you all.”
“Understood,” Flamebearer frowned as they split up. “Speak soon.”