Negociations and Betrayal

–

"We must strike back," declared the Demon Lord across the new negotiation table. A day had passed since the devastating attack on our legions, and the losses were still being tallied. More than half of our forces were decimated in the battle.

The aftermath was grim, with Lonaria's beams piercing through our shields and incinerating thousands of soldiers at once. Lonaria proved to be a force stronger than any we had encountered before, surpassing even the combined might of four demi-gods.

Despite the losses, there was a silver lining—the defeat of our enemies resulted in the collapse of the entire Empire, including their capital. Swiftly, we began applying an enormous seal to prevent anyone from approaching the closed portal.

The portal required an immense amount of magical energy to tear a hole in reality, allowing beings from the dimension of life to enter our world. This meant countless sacrifices, a stark contrast to Azeroth, where the Burning Legion used the Well of Eternity. In this case, extraterrestrial entities utilized the life force of hundreds of thousands of beings.

"How disgusting," I muttered, frowning at the thought. The use of living people as mere batteries was premeditated, and the creation of the Lizard men served this purpose. The presence of slaves around them was a subconscious preparation for the moment when these sacrifices would be needed.

The ongoing discussions today focused on the division of the continent among the factions. However, Vagran, in contrast, vehemently advocated for an attack on their dimension. It seemed like a futile endeavor in the grand scheme of things, given our exhaustion from recent events and the realization that our legions were not strong enough to take on their entire dimension.

"We are not here to discuss another attack, Vagran," admonished Jenova as she tended to her wounded arm.

"I am not talking to you, Jenova. I just want them to pay for all my brethren that they killed," spat out Vagran defiantly.

"A noble endeavor, my friend," I acknowledged. "But we do not have the strength yet to attack their dimension. If we did, I promise you I would be the first to strike back."

As we walked on thin ground, the balance of power among us had shifted significantly. Previously, Vagran and Belketh held the strongest positions, but now, their armies were in shambles—much like mine. I had lost too many soldiers in this conflict compared to the elves and Lyza.

The equilibrium had shifted completely. The two elves, along with Lyza, now held the highest negotiation power, while everyone else had lost too many soldiers to have a relevant voice in the distribution of territories.

Reem, someone in whom I had invested significantly, lost about a third of her army with just two bombardments from the Deer. The Wood Elves lacked an extremely strong commander compared to other factions, affecting their negotiation power. Although their armies still outnumbered mine, the gamble I made didn't pay off. However, I trusted that Lyza would assist me.

"Now, let's start the negotiation," Belketh declared, distributing pieces of paper to each of us. "Write down your wishes on these papers."

After pondering for a moment, I wrote down my desire for increased food production to support my kingdom's future development. As everyone finished writing, Belketh clapped his hands, making every pen disappear.

"Now, let's begin the negotiation," the angel announced, and the light flickered in the room, falling upon Reem.

"Esteemed Reem, you'll be the one to start with your demands," Belketh prompted as everyone focused on the centaur woman.

"I want the Archipelago to remain ours, nothing more," she declared, and the light then shifted to Malarion.

The dark elf leader glanced at me before stating, "I want control of the subterranean area of the Vale." I widened my eyes, feeling a surge of anger within me.

"Do you know what you just asked, Malarion?" I questioned him with a dangerous tone.

"I know, Lucas," he replied stiffly. "You helped us, but you're not the only kingdom that needs to develop."

"You're practically taking all of my resources and calling it development!" I exclaimed with venom in my voice.

"We could always trade them," he retorted. My mind boiled with anger, and I felt Michael's hand on my shoulder.

[Calm yourself; his proposition has not been accepted.]

[Yes, but I SAVED him and his race as a whole. Will he truly dare to plant a knife in the back like that?]

[This could serve as a lesson for you. There are no allies; they will never hesitate to betray you at the simplest of occasions.]

I took deep breaths to calm my nerves as the light switched to me.

"I want the territory now defined as Griffin Plains," I declared, looking at everyone in the room. There wasn't a single change in expression.

The light shifted to Lyza. She seemed far calmer than before, as if her tutoring with Yue Mei had paid off.

"I want all of Shalassa's Sea to be part of my kingdom," she said. Whispers filled the room, realizing that nobody could contest her or risk falling out of her favor. Not even I would contest her claim to the seas, despite our friendship and the ongoing love affair between George and Yafei.

The light then shifted to Jenova, the elven woman wearing a smile.

"I want all the grand forests at the east of the continent," she declared. Tholgar slammed his hands on the table.

"This is not going to happen, knife-eared witch!" he cried out, flames beginning to generate from his hands. "This territory has been mine since the beginning of the war. Are you asking for thousands of my people to move their houses and forges out of it?!"

She chuckled, displaying incredible audacity.

"I've already told you that all forests are mine by right, Thane Tholgar. So, you can tell your people to start packing, for this forest will be mine."

"Anyway, you dwarves are far better confined inside your mountain than inside Sylvanna's great gift," Jenova continued, and Tholgar seemed to grow redder with each passing moment. If this continued, he would lose the advantage, jeopardizing around 60% of his current territory. It would be a severe blow, making him and his entire race far weaker than the others.

The light switched to Tholgar, who took a deep breath to calm himself.

"I want to keep my forest," he stated, laser-focused on Jenova. "That's all."

Indeed, the dwarfs had a strategic advantage with ample room for territorial growth in the unclaimed mountains at the eastern south of the continent.

The light then switched to Vagran.

"I want nothing."

It then moved to Belketh, who echoed the sentiment. Indeed, the demons and necromancers required nothing from these negotiations. The demons had another continent under their control, and the necromancers were engrossed in their experiments.

Finally, the light fell on Nur, who gazed at me.

"I want a part of the North of the continent," she said, prompting a skeptical look from Jenova.

"This seems a bit too much, don't you think, my dear?" Jenova remarked, and Nur frowned upon hearing her voice.

A sound of clapping resonated as Belketh looked at everyone in the room.

"So now, let's negotiate!" he declared with a smile behind his hood. It was evident that he relished the prospect of everyone tearing each other apart.

Lyza took the floor first, making her intentions clear. "I will not lie. If someone dares to challenge my claim upon the seas, they will face my wrath."

Jenova responded with disdain, "You think too highly of yourself, young girl. Apart from the insects like Haven and Stronghold, nobody needs to access your disgusting mass of water."

Reem and I frowned at Jenova's comment, wondering about her motive.

"Keep your little dogs on a leash, Lyza. You could practically ask Lucas to eat at your hand, and he will do it," she continued, provoking a strong reaction from me. I sensed Urgash's blessing urging me to retaliate, to burn her.

"You speak a lot, Miss Jenova," I said calmly, knowing that maintaining composure was crucial. "Especially for someone who seeks to claim territory conquered by someone else."

"Look who is speaking. You think Griffin Plains were taken by you and your armies?" she retorted with a smile, a reminder that the territory was claimed during the final push of the war.

As Tholgar came to my defense, suggesting to stop Jenova's claims, she countered, "I am not in accord with you, King Tholgar." Surprisingly, Malarion spoke up, earning widened eyes from everyone, including me. "I support Jenova's claim to all the forests of this continent."

Lyza shot me a questioning glare, but I couldn't convey anything. My furious expression was fixed on Malarion.

"I want to stop Lucas from his claim of Griffin Plain," he added, pushing me over the edge.

"I gave you everything, Malarion, and this is how you repay me!" I exclaimed, my anger manifesting in a blazing light. Behind him, I saw Erebos frowning at Malarion.

"Like I told you, Lucas, I don't owe you anything. You gave me everything on your own accord. I didn't ask for you to provide technologies for golems, for example."

"My wife was true to her words. You are nothing but a gullible little human, and–"

He couldn't finish as Vagran, enraged, clenched his throat at distance, mimicking a famous Sith.

"You think I'll let you insult Lucas like that?" Vagran declared as Belketh promptly dispelled his spell.

"This meeting was supposed to discuss the sharing of the continent, and yet you want to attack Lucas. Why?" Nur questioned, her eyes crackling with lightning.

Malarion smirked at her. "He doesn't own the expansive subterranean realm beneath his kingdom—"

"You think I'll let you lay claim to something as crucial as that?" I snapped, the temptation to unleash a powerful spell on him coursing through me. My trusted friend had betrayed me, and the betrayal stung.

My eyes widened as a realization struck me, an unsettling feeling that something had been amiss since the beginning of the negotiation. Where was Lianna? I had seen her during the battle against the Demi-Gods of Life, but she was conspicuously absent now. Oh, you cunning schemer, Jenova.

"It all makes sense now, Malarion. I briefly thought you betrayed me," I admitted, the tension in the tent thickening as glances were exchanged between Jenova and Malarion. The woman's eyes flashed with fury.

Malarion, you deceptive snake. A truly cunning elf.

"Jenova, do you know where Miss Lianna is?" I inquired, and she subtly flinched at my question. The answer became clear; she had done something to Lianna to manipulate Malarion into attacking us. But why?

"What are you talking about, King Aldaric?" Jenova replied, feigning innocence as everyone in the tent focused on her.

"You, what have you done to Lady Lianna?" Lyza demanded, her magical power intensifying.

Jenova recoiled, casting a venomous gaze at Malarion. "Don't you know what I'm going to do to your precious wife?" she said calmly.

Malarion grinned in response. "Did you truly believe I'd sacrifice my entire people for Lianna? I know she would have been the first to kill me if I did."

Jenova gritted her teeth as Erebos teleported behind her, a dagger pressed against her throat. "Return the Queen to us," he demanded, causing Jenova to break into a nervous sweat.

"Why should I? You all deserve to burn for being as unholy as you," she defiantly replied to the shadow. A green light materialized behind her, revealing a tortured Lianna collapsing to the ground. Reacting swiftly, I employed my magic to catch her and created a cocoon of light to facilitate her healing.

Lianna was in an extremely bad shape; the torture she endured was surely made with barbed branches. Her entire body was cut, and she bled profusely. One of her eyes was missing, along with two of her fingers.

I clenched my teeth as I teleported to Jenova, gripped her throat, and slammed her against the tent wall. "Do you have any idea of what you have done?" I asked her, while Malarion tended to his wife with Lyza, tears in his eyes.

"Administering the rightful treatment to an arrogant menace was my only course of action," she hissed, spitting disdainfully on my helmet as she forcibly wrenched her hand away. My feeble grasp couldn't contain her strength.

Summoning my magical power, I unleashed a forceful, empowered slap in response. "You will gain nothing in this negotiation. You will face consequences for daring to hold someone hostage, especially a dear friend like Lianna," I declared vehemently, spitting in her direction. She struggled to rise as I seized her from behind and flung her across the tent, her body colliding with one of the walls.

Lianna, a steadfast friend, never hesitated to speak her mind. Tholgar harnessed the Earth's power to ensnare Jenova, while Belekth sealed the space within the tent, thwarting any attempt at teleportation.

"From the first day I met you, I knew you were a deceitful snake, you wretched creature," Vagran declared, raining down a relentless barrage of punches on Jenova. Her once-beautiful face bore the brunt of Vagran's fury, the forceful blows leaving a visible mark of retribution.

"Sylanna will claim your lives! None of you realize that these dark elves are the bane of our alliance!" she cried out, her protestations continuing even as Vagran halted his assault.

In a swift move, Reem charged at her, slamming Jenova against the wall. "You took someone hostage, tortured her, and you think you're not the scourge in this room?" she spat, her words laced with venom.

"Sylanna can take my life all she wants" I said to her as I created a seal on her forehead disabling all magical abilities of hers for the time being "But she will only take mine when I betray one of my friends".

Jenova trembled, feeling the depletion of her magical reserves, and her body involuntarily shut down, causing her to collapse unconscious on the ground.

Malarion's gaze shifted to his battered wife, his touch landing on her belly with a visage filled with concern. Suddenly, his expression twisted with anguish as he lunged towards the fallen Jenova, only to be restrained by Erebos.

"Give me back my daughter!" he wailed, tears clouding his vision as he relinquished his grip on the daggers, his desperation evident.

A surge of something left me as I aimed my staff at Jenova, only to be halted in my tracks by Michael.

"Stop yourself, my Lord. Killing her will lead to a diplomatic incident, and we don't need another war on our hands, right?" he advised.

I quivered at Michael's message, relinquishing my hold on the staff. Instead, I channeled my energy into an even more potent healing spell to mend Lianna, who seemed to be in a dire state.

My eyes widened, detecting an anomaly in Lianna's body. "Malarion, she is sterile," I declared with frustration to the Dark Elf leader. He continued to gaze at his wife, his expression lost, and his eyes fatigued.

"Can you heal her?" he asked, his voice laden with exhaustion.

"Yes, but it will take time, and I need her unconscious," I informed him, while Michael generated an enormous light spell that engulfed Lianna's body. The Arch-Angel collapsed to the ground as the spell dissipated.

"Are you okay, Michael?" I inquired, already using my magical power to heal him.

"Quite well, my Lord. Jenova cursed Lianna with an incredibly strong curse. I dispelled it, but it cost me a significant amount of mana," he explained, as Belketh frowned at Jenova.

"The Wood Elves will be forbidden from expanding themselves for ten years due to this diplomatic incident. This measure takes effect immediately. Does anyone contest my decision as the chief of the council?" the angel of death surveyed the room, seeking any dissent. However, no one challenged his decree as everyone focused on attending to Lianna.

"Just one day in the 'care' of this woman, and look at her," Vagran remarked, his voice trembling.

"As for the distribution of territory, it appears that everyone is satisfied with the arrangements. I hereby declare that the requested territories are granted to all present," Belketh continued.

"Now, I ask everyone to return to their territories. This alliance, forged through our collective efforts, has achieved its goal. It was a commendable endeavor to work alongside each of you. I hope you retain the bonds you've formed, as we will not forget that this was the first time we fought together. May the Embrace of Asha be upon you all," Belketh concluded his speech, disappearing alongside all the necromancers. The rest of us were teleported back to our respective capitals.

I teleported Lianna to Falcon's Reach, in my bedroom with Malarion.

She was going to be healed by us.

–

"Malarion," I addressed him as we stood together, Lianna's unconscious body nearby, "Will you declare war on Jenova?"

"Yes, she will pay for what she's done. I know that assassinating her won't be enough. All of her people dislike us; they will not let us live in peace," he affirmed.

"I am so sorry, Lucas, for lying to you during the negotiations. I truly didn't know what to do when Jenova captured Lianna and threatened me with her life. I didn't know what to do," he confessed.

"If I did something to upset you, don't hesitate to tell me. I will pay for it," he added earnestly.

"You don't need to do anything, Malarion," I reassured him, placing my hand on his shoulders as we heard Lianna's regular breathing.

"You already lost so much today; please do not burden yourself with more." I hugged my friend, and I felt him starting to cry.

"Why is fate so cruel? After so much effort, Lianna was finally pregnant, and yet, she was robbed of it. This is why they need to pay, all of them," he lamented.

I looked at him directly in the eyes. "You know I will not help you in this endeavor, right?" I told him. I couldn't declare war on the Wood Elves like that; I needed time to rebuild my kingdom.

"I know. That's why I will never ask you for help in this war," he replied, hugging me back firmly. "You were always here for me and Lianna. Thank you so much." He smiled at me as he left my embrace.

"I hope that Jenova pays for what she's done," I began, opening the map of the continent. "You see, what I see is a boulevard toward her kingdom with the help of Tholgar. You can encircle her and crush her in an instant," I suggested, and he smiled.

"I already knew it. I spoke to Tholgar during the last battle. I knew that she would try something against either of us, but trying something so extreme was not something that I could have predicted," he explained.

Behind us, we heard movement as Lianna looked around, visibly frightened. Although her body was fully healed from the attack, the true damage she endured was mental, evident in her cries of fright.

"Lianna, we're here," Malarion rushed to her side, with me following closely.

He embraced her as she began to cry. The once assured and sharp-tongued woman had now transformed into someone visibly scared.

"Mala, she took her, she killed her ! " she cried out as she cried tears flowing

"I know, and she will pay for it" he said as Lianna continued to cry on his shoulder.

–

I left the couple to their privacy, exiting my bedroom. As I stepped out of the castle, I came across Irina and other children on a school tour exploring the premises. To avoid them, I quickly took another corridor and teleported outside, finding Nia'Tala gazing at the sky.

"Royal researcher," I greeted the red elf, and she responded, making space for me.

Silence enveloped us. Over the months spent among humans, Nia'Tala had undergone a transformation. Initially persistent in her arrogant ways, the Praetorians around the castle demonstrated the true strength of our kingdom's elites. Her attempts to assert dominance or seduce them were met with indifference and rejection. Following these experiences, she began to change, immersing herself in our customs and rituals. Surprisingly, she even started to believe in Elrath, regularly attending the small chapel inside the castle.

"Are you thinking about something?" I inquired, breaking the silence.

"Yeah, I was contemplating ending my life," she responded, delivering the statement with unsettling calmness and a monotone voice. "I avenged my people, I avenged my daughter and everyone else. I don't have any belonging in this world."

I looked at her, placing my hand above hers. "Do not lose hope. You are the royal researcher. You won't kill yourself just because you fulfilled your purpose. Create another one and thrive toward it," I said with a smile, and she returned it, her slightly elongated canine teeth making her look exceptionally beautiful.

"You truly are a good man, Your Majesty. If I were still Queen, I would have bedded you this instant," she smiled, leaning closer.

"I don't think that's an appropriate thing to say to your King, Head Researcher," I admonished her, pinching her side.

"Ouch, stop, that hurts," she said, pouting.

"I don't want to hear those words from you, Miss Nia'Tala," I teased with a smile.

"But you are getting old, and you still don't have a wife. For a king, this is a serious problem," she admonished me with a playful smile.

"Old? I beg your pardon; I am in the prime of my life," I retorted, standing up with a smile on my face.

"You are the old hag, not m—" I couldn't finish my sentence as she leaned in and pecked me on my lips.

"This is for calling this old woman something. Bye, my king," she said before disappearing in a shower of arcane energy.

I stood there, looking at the same spot where she was, stunned. "Did she just peck me?"

On the summit of a mountain, an explosion of light energy could be seen all around the mountain range.

–

Nia'Tala materialized inside her bedroom, leaping onto her bed and burying her face in the soft pillows, her complexion turning purple.

"I acted without thinking. It's true that no man has ever spoken to me like that or shown me care like him. But my instinct acted before my brain," she trembled on her bed.

Her thoughts started to drift into forbidden territory. As she pondered what their potential children might be like—offspring of a man with pure Light power and herself, a being of pure Arcane power—she envisioned them as the epitome of perfection in the universe.

Suddenly, a knock on the door interrupted her thoughts. Glancing at her body, she realized that her power had pulverized her clothes. Swiftly covering herself, she called out, "Enter!"

Her eyes widened as Lucas entered her bedroom. "M-my king, what are you doing here?" she asked, her body reacting to his presence in an unexpected way. However, she harnessed all her will to resist any impulsive actions like pouncing on him, for example.

"I wanted to talk to you, Nia'Tala," he said, sitting down on her bed. "About what I will be doing in the near future."

"Nia'Tala, I've given it a lot of thought, and what you said was true. I need an heir," he continued, and this time it seemed that her body spasmed as he mentioned it.

"Are you fine, Nia'Tala?" Lucas asked, looking at her with concern.

"YES!" she cried out, her voice more forceful than she intended.

Lucas frowned before standing up from the bed with a smile. "Nia'Tala, I'll give you the night to think about what I said," he announced with a knowing smile. Her skin turned purple from embarrassment as he teleported out of her bedroom.

–

That'll be all for now.

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See you soon :)