Chapter Ten

Yet again, fate had handed Zia a bad hand. After saving Griswold, their little band headed to Jupiter—home to the Buried Council—to inform the bigwigs of the Demons' invasion. However, their journey hit a snag before their ship could even touch the ground. "You've got to be kidding me," Zia groaned as she pinched the bridge of her nose, "Why don't you order them to speed this up? We're on a clock, for God's sake!" 

"It's customary for all visitors to be screened before entering the capital city," Griswold explained.

"Aren't you one of their representatives?" Kashif muttered. "Surely your word must mean something."

"This isn't Heaven. I can't just change the rules on a whim."

"These folks are as stubborn as mules, I swear," she grimaced. "Elizabeth, how does it look?" With Bauenfest still in full swing, finding an opening to enter the Buried Council's headquarters was becoming increasingly difficult. 

"A landing pad just opened up on the northern side of the citadel. I'm heading there now."

"Good," Zia said as Elizabeth steered their ship into a shaky landing.

"The poor thing's barely running," she sighed.

"Well, can't be too shocked about that. It did fly through a warzone." Kashif frowned, he didn't make it obvious, but the slow pace of their arrival was getting to him as well. "We'll have to sprint over after we make contact with the officials," he continued as Griswold chortled.

"Somebody's stressed," he added as he punched a few numbers into the ship's main control panel. "I'll give my fellows a call—let them know we're coming."

"I guess that's the best we can manage," Zia shrugged as her distraught bodyguard returned to his seat. Griswold's plea worked, and within the hour they were on the ground. As they hurried out of the airship, Zia and her retinue were momentarily taken aback by the impressive vista of the Giants' capital.

"It truly is a marvel, Carriyen. I can hardly believe it's a real place sometimes." Carriyen—the capital of the Giants' civilization and one of the central pillars of creation. If Heaven was the apex of the afterlife, then Carriyen was the shining pinnacle of the living. Spires upon countless spires scraped the skies, making the entire metropolis jut out like it was some sort of abstract painting. Along the floating walkways were crowds of Griswold's kin, who were milling about without a care in the world.

"They're certainly relaxed. Have they not heard about your home getting ransacked?"

"Even with our technology, news from the country takes a while to travel to the citizens' ears." After that, they strolled down the landing pad and were greeted by a sizable regiment of guards. 

"Mr. Griswold! It's been too long!" the leader of the band said, welcoming Griswold with an exceedingly-strong handshake.

"I see you're as energetic as ever, Sindri!"

"Of course! The holiday has sucked the drive out of my men, so it's up to me to beat it back into them!" he laughed to his soldiers' chagrin. 

"Always a hard-ass," Griswold thought with a chuckle.

"Again, it's good to see you," the man said as he nodded to Zia and the rest of their group. "I see you're here on official business."

"Yes." Zia decided to dive right in. "We're here about the Demon attacks on the outer moons. I'm certain that the Buried Council has already received the reports, correct?" At her words, Sindri crouched down and started to whisper.

"We're trying to keep that under wraps for now, Ms. Ambassador. I'm sure you understand why," he explained as his eyes darted to a group of young Giants in the distance who were frolicking about without a care in the world.

"Have you gotten any notifications from our coworkers, Ms. Elina?" Griswold whispered.

"No… why?"

"Cause there's no way those paranoid, stubborn fools haven't made a move on this yet. Our people are traditionally slow at responding to these sorts of catastrophes, but we don't outright ignore them."

"Didn't they send their personal troops to help?"

"Yeah, but that only makes this situation more suspicious." As he distracted Sindri with useless banter, Griswold took a moment to survey the other guards and nearby battlements. "I can feel it," he thought, "You aren't being completely honest with the people, my friends." His experience as a diplomat allowed him to read his fellows' expressions perfectly. "The Council's in an uproar, is it?" While the others weren't looking, he also saw Zia shoot him a quick wink. "Looks like she's also noticed."

"Hey, Griswold, we're moving," Zia told him.

"Ah, I apologize, the scenery caught my eye." None the wiser, Sindri ignored their little exchange and quickly led them to the nearest transport.

"You're lucky," he said, "The streets have been swamped due to the festival, but we managed to find you a gondola!"

"Hah! What would we do without you, Sindri?" His tone was sweet, but while Sindri's back was turned Griswold's eyes were anything but. Like the bureaucrat he was, Griswold surveyed every inch of the pavilion as if his life depended on it, taking note of any slight change or shift in the atmosphere.

"The air's still," Zia whispered.

"It is, but keep your mouth shut." They were marching through the hive of a beset nation. Even as one of their leaders, Griswold knew that his people's stability was standing on the brink of damnation. As they rounded a corner they came to an unbelievably large gate. If Zia squinted, she could've sworn that she was staring at the Pearly Gates. "It's a replica," Griswold whispered.

"Ah."

"Yeah, and the Buried Council's pretty prideful about it, so I recommend not mentioning it."

"Take note of that, Elizabeth." 

"Roger."

"Ah, we're here," Sindri said as he ushered them into the main hall. The Buried Council's headquarters was, for lack of a better term, stunning. Similar to Heaven, the entire structure was grandiose and divine. However, when it came to innovation, the Giants' capital even put The Courthouse to shame. An air of dignity and grace permeated the stone, almost as if they were walking through a cutout of ancient history. Colorful brickwork combined with a fantastical glass ceiling capped off the sight, culminating in a view that made Zia's head spin. It was so distracting that most of their band failed to notice the large group of Giants that was rapidly approaching them.

"A tad late, aren't we, Mr. Mapp?" they heard another unknown voice say. Its tone was gravely and rough like mud, giving off a sickening, unwelcome feeling.

"God, of all the people we could've met first, why him?" Griswold thought as he quietly cursed his unfortunate fate. "I certainly didn't expect to see you here, Mr. Longfall. How's your research going?"

"You know this guy?" Zia asked.

"He's a councilmember," Griswold shot back, careful to not let the man overhear them. "His rank is higher than mine, so be careful." 

"Do you two have bad blood?"

"That's putting it lightly."

"While I hate to interrupt your fervent murmurings, I have to clear up some necessities," Longfall interrupted. "First, Mr. Mapp, can you confirm the reports of demonic activity on your side of our territory?"

"Obviously."

"Good, and I'm assuming that you'll be willing to testify?" Yet again, Griswold nodded. "Okay," Longfall said as he wrote a few things down in a small notebook. "Let's move this conversation to the archives. It's in both of our best interests for this information to be accurately recorded, after all." His words seemed to offer a bit of wiggle room, but the man's tone conveyed nothing of the sort.

"Is he always like this?" Elizabeth asked as they were escorted down a neighboring hallway.

"Aye," he said, "Longfall's an incredible official, but he's quite the tyrant. It's why we don't see eye to eye on most regulations."

"And why you were stationed out in the boonies, I presume?"

"There's that, too, yes." 

"I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't talk so poorly about my home," Elina growled.

"I'm sure she didn't mean anything by it," Kashif interjected. 

"Ugh… I can already feel it." Griswold cowered in his boots as they were escorted into the capital's archives. It was a dull place that, ironically, looked quite normal in comparison to the rest of the compound's grand architecture. However, the secrets and knowledge that were held here were the pinnacle of their civilization. In some ways, one might go so far as to say that this single room was the greatest treasure trove in the realm. As they walked, Griswold's gaze wandered to a quaint hallway that sat off the right of the library. A newcomer wouldn't be able to notice it, but the entire room's layout was centered around that strange little place.

"Eyes forward, my friend," Sindri said, clearly worried.

"You too?"

"Obviously," he muttered. "One wrong step in this place can land you a lifetime sentence."

"This area should work," Longfall announced as they walked up to a strange meeting hall. It was, in essence, a simple gazebo built into the archive's central supporting pillars. Almost immediately, Griswold noticed Elizabeth's inquisitive eyes scour the complex.

"Incredible," she thought, her mouth agape. "These blessings, they're just as good as the ones we saw in the Bureau!"

"Oh?" Longfall whistled, clearly impressed, "Looks like one of your crew has good instincts."

"She's Ms. Lombardi's aide."

"Well, then, in that case, it's a pleasure to meet you," the man continued while offering Elizabeth a curt bow.

"At least he remembers his manners," Griswold sighed. Longfall always was a prick, but there were some qualities in people that he respected. Intelligence, for example, was one of them. With that, the man welcomed them into the gazebo. The second their feet touched the complex the room erupted in a vibrant display of colors and holograms.

"This is incredible!" Elizabeth cooed as she entertained herself with the numerous doodads and gadgets that littered the place.

"This is Odin's Eye," Griswold announced once the door was closed. "It's a blessed room that allows one to effortlessly access all of our civilization's knowledge."

"My, my, are we giving away state secrets now, Griswold?" 

"They've already made it this far," he hissed, "Plus, they saved my life, I think they deserve an explanation." 

"Hmph, I guess that's true," Longfall conceded as he took a seat at the head of the gazebo's only table. "As you know, I and Mr. Mapp are members of the Buried Council. I'm not sure why you three took time out of your busy schedules to trek all the way here, but, as our guests, we'll welcome you nonetheless."

"How courteous," Zia scoffed as she noisily dragged her seat to the other end of the table. "We were sent here to establish relations with the Buried Council. I'm sure you've noticed, but there are strange tidings from Hell, and, given recent events, it looks like they've found a way to circumvent the Almighty's barrier."

"Can you write this down, Ms. Elina?" Griswold muttered. "Longfall has a tendency to go on tangents, you see."

"I've already started." 

"Excellent."

"Before I continue, I have to ask, who is this woman?"

"Oh, that's Elina, she was our guide who joined us back when the Demons first attacked," Zia explained as she rolled her fingers against the desk.

"And I assume she has permission to be here?" Longfall asked, his eyes narrow and paranoid.

"I can vouch for her character," Griswold piped in. "She may not look like much, but she's got a fire in her. I think it'd be worth bringing her into the fold."

"Well, if she has one of the Council's approval," he sighed, "Anyways, let's continue with the briefing." After a few clicks and slides, a detailed map of the Giants' territory was brought up on the main screen. "We first detected enemy movement around a week ago, a short while after the annual summit in Hell."

"He sure seems happy," Zia pondered as she stared at Longfall. The man looked like he hadn't slept for weeks. "Was this act an attack as well?" 

"No," he said, "Our records don't mention any sightings of Demons or monsters, just a strange pocket of heat."

"Heat?"

"Must be leftovers from whatever portal they used to get here," Elizabeth said.

"Indeed," Longfall nodded. "Either way, the hellspawn obviously managed to find a way into the mortal realm."

"I agree with you, but the mere thought of that being possible is insane." Satan and her legions were held back by God's blessing, it simply wasn't possible for them to have found a way around it.

"They must've found the Scale," Griswold realized to Zia's shock.

"You know about that?"

"I and Mr. Mapp are members of our race's highest order, it goes without saying that we're aware of something so significant," Longfall chimed in.

"Yes," Griswold nodded, "I recommend not underestimating our intelligence network."

"I hope Beurt doesn't kill us," Zia groaned under her breath. "Anyways, since you two are already aware of the Scale, this topic shouldn't require that much more of our time."

"Indeed," Longfall said, "The demoness likely made off with that tool and used it to rescind her kind's restriction. I assume the Bureau is already aware of this?"

"I'd be shocked if they weren't."

"Yeah, the Minister's grown paranoid, a major theft such as this wouldn't go unnoticed."

"Well, either way, this is a major catastrophe for both our realms."

"Agreed," Zia said, nodding. "Beurt made the right decision to send me here." At a glance, they seemed to be on the right track. However, Zia couldn't stop herself from frowning; something didn't feel right. "This doesn't make any sense," she stated, "Why the Giants?"

"Hmm?" Griswold murmured. "What are you talking about?"

"If this was a simple rebellion, wouldn't it make more sense to start with the Drakes in Purgatory? I can't fathom why Satan would take a risk like openly invading a realm that's so deeply tied to Heaven. It's like she's begging for the Almighty to get involved."

"That's a good point," Longfall admitted. "If memory serves me right, that woman's actions were always shrouded in mystery. Plus, she did seem quite interested in our trade routes and legislation when last we talked."

"True," Griswold agreed with a frown. "That she-devil's planning something." Before he knew it, Griswold found his attention wandering to the back of the archives. "There's no way."

"Do you have a comment, Mr. Mapp?" Longfall asked after noticing his fellow's bizarre behavior.

"Ah, no, it's nothing." He wouldn't jump to conclusions. "That said, it might be an avenue worth looking into." For now, though, they had to focus on securing their borders. "I assume the Council's begun mobilizing the men?"

"Obviously," Longfoll scoffed. "The resolution was passed the day we heard of your moon's invasion."

"Good," Griswold sighed. "God knows I'll take whatever smidgen of good news I can get my hands on!" The afterlife's infamous mazes of red tape and bureaucracy were always an issue in times like this. Longfall might've been a prude, but he at least knew when to grease the gears.

"A full regiment will be sent to your home, Mr. Mapp, rest assured that your neighbors will be safe," Longfall announced as he flipped through a thick pile of documents.

"Just make sure there are enough supplies for them; I'd rather not have to deal with a famine."

"The Council has already taken steps to ensure that that doesn't happen. For now, just focus on your regular duties." Banal topics such as this filled the first hour or so of their meeting. Unsurprisingly, most of their responsibilities boiled down to simple approvals of military assignments or the allocations of funds. However, once all this busywork was set aside and finished, Longfall clapped his hands together and instantly took command of the room. "It's about time that we speak about the reason you were invited here, Ms. Lombardi," he started, his tone serious and mute.

"Oh?" And here she thought that he plum forgot about them. 

"The sass isn't necessary," Longfall sighed, "Though, I won't say that it's entirely unwarranted." While Zia rolled her fingers against the tabletop, Longfall marched over and tossed a small folder in her lap. "Those are our terms. Please call and discuss them with the Minister first; I feel he'll want to read them." 

"In that case, I'll get that out of the way." With that, Zia shot Elizabeth a quick wink, giving her the signal to get to work. In the blink of an eye, she shot out of her chair and fished a variety of doodads and gadgets out of her pockets. Before they knew it, she'd set up a transmitter and connected it to the Minister's main office.

"Ms. Lombardi? Is this your aide?" Beurt wondered as his hologram flickered into existence in the middle of the conference table.

"Yes," she said, "I'm calling to notify you that the Buried Council has accepted our offer."

After a few minutes of fruitful debate with Longfall, the Minister finally ended the transmission. "That was a headache," Griswold cursed under his breath as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"I wouldn't recommend befouling the name of our topmost benefactor, Mr. Mapp, at least so long as you value the prospect of having a future in your career."

"You say that, Longfall, but you look just as tired as I am," Griswold hissed. There was no hiding the intense feeling of fatigue that hung over their heads.

"He's gotten better, but dealing with Beurt is still a pain."

"Well, now that we've gotten approval from Heaven, I think it's about time that we start discussing how we plan to counteract these forces," Longfall continued as he brought up a large map of Jupiter and its many moons. As I mentioned before, we've detected readings similar to your home on desolate pockets of Callisto, there's a chance that the devils will attack there next."

"Callisto?" Griswold scoffed, "What could they possibly want with that wasteland?" Callisto was one of their realm's most barren territories. It was a horrid place that was primarily tundra and cold deserts.

"The Demons are a warlike species; they're likely planning to build a base there for future assaults," Kashif murmured as he stared at the ceiling in deep thought.

"I guess that's an option," Longfall conceded, "Albeit, it's not a very good one." Their lands had many more moons to choose from that'd serve as a better staging point than Callisto. "Mr. Mapp, when you have time, would you care to pay a visit to my office?"

"Oh no." He knew that tone better than anyone. "It's really that bad, huh?"

"I can't prove anything yet, but it's an avenue that's worth our consideration. Regretfully, this is a manner that I fear will have to stay within the Buried Council, at the moment." 

"In that case," Zia started, "I think it's about time we talk about the elephant in the room." She could feel it in the air, there was a question that Longfall hadn't asked them yet.

"Of course," the man said as he cleared his throat. "It's about time we talk about the Templar, or, should I say former Templar. I read that the Buried Council's personal soldiers engaged him in the earlier chaos. Is that true, Mr. Mapp?"

"You haven't already confirmed that?" Griswold said in an overly-comical fashion.

"Regretfully, some of us are too preoccupied with the management of the greater realm than the gritty details of recent events," Longfall hissed. "Just let me know what happened, please, it'll make all of this easier." With a sigh, Griswold filled his fellow in on all the gritty details of Aeron's assault on his mansion, complete with the widespread destruction of his staff and the surrounding area.

"That certainly sounds like him," Elizabeth hissed.

"It truly seems as if he's fully immersed himself in the devils' organization. It's truly a tragic thing," Kashif continued with a slight frown.

"I'm not surprised in the least," Zia cursed, "You give a man a bit of power, and this is what happens."

"Agreed," Griswold said, "Though, I'm not so certain that this situation is that cut and dry. I'm not sure how to describe it, but, during his interrogation, he seemed… off."

"Off?" 

"Yeah," he nodded, "One of my men said that he was saying some strange things. That said, I can't really decipher them—I'm not a philosopher."

"That's certainly bizarre," Zia commented. "He was a fairly straightforward, albeit cruel, person when we traveled with him."

"He went crazy and butchered a city," Elizabeth grumbled, "The sort of mind that can do that isn't one that I would exactly call 'stable.'"

"Fair. Though, keep an eye out. You all know that monster better than us; you traveled with him for weeks, after all. If we want to make this work, we can't have one random soldier blowing everything out of proportion."

"Can you not petition the Bureau to send a few judges to our aid?" Longfall asked.

"I've got no idea, Beurt didn't say." Creation was heading into unmapped territory. Now that a judge had fallen, only the Almighty himself knew what would happen next.

"Given the dire nature of all this, I bet you'd be able to petition the Minister's office to have a regiment sent," Zia said. "If there's one thing those prudes care about, it's maintaining the standing of the various realms. With the Demons getting frisky, there's no way they can afford to sit back and ignore it."

"High words from an ambassador serving the lower levels of Heaven," Longfall whistled, clearly impressed, before piloting their briefing into an unexpected turn. "In that case," he started, "Why don't we give Satan and her retinue a little surprise?"

"How in the Almighty's name do you propose we do that?"

"It's simple," the man continued as his gaze wandered to the back of the hall, "We lay out some bait."

"Are you telling us that you know why they're here?"

"Not exactly, but I can hazard a guess." With that, Longfall bit his lip and scowled. "If those fiends are truly after our people's secrets, we, as members of the Buried Council, can't damn well let them do as they please, no?"

"It's unusual for you to take such an open-minded stance on stuff like this. Did you hit your head on the way here?"

"A traditionalist mindset won't help much if the Demons are set on knocking down our doors."

"I should swing by a gambling house when this is all over," Griswold thought, dumbfounded, as he stealthily pinched his leg. He sighed, "Looks like I'm not dreaming. Let's get to it, then." If he was going to dive in blind, he might as well go all-in.

"That's the spirit," Elizabeth chuckled as Longfall let slip a sly grin.

"Ugh," Griswold groaned, "I hate that cockiness of his, but I must admit, he knows how to run a crisis." With that, he hopped out of his chair and straightened his shirt. "So, then, what's next?"

"It's simple," Longfall said with a fiendish grin, "We beat those sinners at their own game. It's time for an invasion."