CH.7 INVASION

Athena jumped out of bed scrambling to hurry up and get ready to.

"Easy, you don't need to rush." Exios said holding up his hand.

"well, where are we going?" Athena said fumbling around the dresser until she found a brush.

"well, I'm going to meet with Remy and his council to try and come up with a plan on how were going to get some allies. You, on the other hand. Are going to go spend some time with your people. They need to know everything is going to be okay. The inner ring is holding its annual festival, everyone in the entire kingdom will be there. You should take your people, itll help them unwind.

Athena finished brushing her hair then proceeded to braid it.

"Are we going to be okay?" She asked avoiding eye contact.

Exios paused in the struggle with his cufflinks. Staring at Athena, he could tell worry and stress were beginning to weigh on her.

"look, I can't promise you that were going to be okay. This world is not the one I knew." He walked over and placed his hand on her shoulder. "What I can promise you though, is that I will use every last ounce of my strength to fix what has been wronged."

Athena looked up seeing the fierceness in his eyes, she threw her arms around him giving him a bear hug.

"Alright, don't be getting all emotional on me now." He said chuckling.

A knock at the door interrupted their moment. They opened the door to Thomas.

"sorry to interrupt sir, but it is time." He said doing a gentleman's bow.

"Alright time to go," Exios said walking out the door. "Thomas can you show her the way to her people, and please make sure they all have a good time."

"of course sir."

Exios turned around half way down the hallway to flash Athena one last smile and thumbs up. Exios made his way to the throne room. This time only Mims and mokey sat guarding the doors. Looking up seeing Exios, they stood up and inserted their keys opening the doos for Exios.

Again, he arrived interrupting Morissa. She crossed her arms and glared.

"sorry, kinda got lost" Exios said avoiding eye contact with her while rushing to find a seat. All of the master class and above were seated in the throne room. Balladaus and Levi stood on both sides of the throne which Remadaus was seated in.

"as I was saying, before I was so rudely interrupted." Morissa said still glaring at Exios. "Is now, really the right time for war."

"Its not a matter of if it's the right time anymore." Said Balladaus taking one step down. "By now the Kadian empire definitely suspects something. Knowing them they'll act first, ask questions after."

"so you're saying we're going to be slaughtered." morissa said with a sour exspression.

"Thats why we need to act now, and form alliances with the other kingdoms." said Levi in his booming voice.

Morissa snickered, "no kingdom is going to be foolish enough to turn on the Kadian empire."

"Yes they will," said the king speaking up. "All the kings that remember the true king of monsters as I do will not hesitate to join us." He locked eyes with Exios and stood up. "The time to make the Kadian empire pay has at long last come. But, I am no tyrant. Everyone shall have their say." Remadaus slowly raised his hand. "If you choose to stand with me, then raise your hand and say yay."

Everyone in the room shot out of their seats and announced their yays with a roar. Remadaus smiled from ear to ear. "Any nays?" He asked smugly sitting back down. Morissa scowled, crossed her arms and took her seat.

"Then that settles it, we begin war preparations immedietly. Meeting closed." Remadaus announced to another standing ovation and round of applause.

Exios couldn't help but overwhelmed with joy. He started making his way over to Remadaus when it hit him. His vision blurred and sudden pain shot through him, doubling him over just a few feet from Remadaus.

"Exios, what's wrong." Remadaus said rushing to him.

"Athena, she's hurt." Exios said, his veins turning gray and bulging.

Mims and Mokey burst through the double doors.

"sire,"

"were under attack." Mokey said finishing Mims sentence.

Balladaus vanished in a green blur. Levi ordered several Grandmasters to guard the king and the rest to follow him. Exios shook his head regaining his senses, then exploded out of the throne room as fast as he could towards Athena.

He arrived where the festival was being held. Every building in a quarter mile radius had been decimated. the once flat ground was cracked and large bits of earth jutted out everywhere. The smell of blood filled his lungs.

He kept moving, scanning the carnage until he finally saw her. Athena was trying to lift rocks from a crumbled building. Her hair was thick with blood from a wound to her head, she was covered head to toe in scrap and bruises. Exios quickly rushed to her.

"Are you okay, what happened?" he said grabbing her by the shoulders and examining her. Her exspession was blank and her eyes glossed over. "Athena!" He shouted, giving her a slight shake jolting her back go her senses.

"no no no" she cried going right back to ripping at the debris. He knew then that her grandfather must be trapped under the debris. He walked over to where a part of a wall laid in ruins. He grabbed a large of chunk of the wall and threw it out of the way.

"Athena," he said in a soft voice. she looked up and ran over. she screamed and crumpled next to the mangled lifeless body of her grandfather. She craddled him in her arms and sobbed. She rocked back and forth stroking his blood stained hair, repeating 'I didn't get to say goodbye' Over and over.

Exios closed his eyes and tilted his head back. A thin trickle of tears rolled down to his ears. Death was nothing new to him. He had killed thousands, possibly hundreds of thousands. Death didn't really faze him anymore. Looking down at how devastated Athena was, this was a new pain to him.

"Who did this?" He asked choking back a sobb.

"That would be me," a voice replied behind him.

Exios turned around to face a man that looked more beast than man. He was large and barefoot, wearing shorts and a open vest made entirely out of stitched together animal skin. He was extremely hairy with frizzled orange hair. Together with his large mutton chops he somewhat resembled a lion. He took a large deep whiff of the air, then exhaled revealing his sharpened teeth.

"so, you're what's causing all this fuss?" He said pointing to Exios.

"I said, who are you?" Exios demanded.

Several explosions came from the direction of the capital. Exios honed in on what appeared the be the sounds of a battle raging.

A vine burst from the ground next to Exios and formed into Balladaus.

"Exios be careful, His name is Alexander the avalanche. Hes one of the three beasts of Barbatos."

"now now now little Balladaus, that's mighty rude of you." Alexander said wagging his finger.

Balladaus looked to Exios. "I'm currently engaged

in combat with his two brothers. Sadly, I can't hold out very long. Even though the three of them haven't been inducted as monster class, they're easily as strong as any monster out there. Barbatos uses them like his own personal hit squad, since it doesn't violate any laws of the monster council.

Exios knew all to well the laws of the monster council. "What is it you want?" He asked.

Alexander smiled exposing his fangs. "We just came to see what the big deal about this new mysterious figure was all about. So far, not impressed." He said looking Exios up and down.

Several more loud explosions came from the direction of the capital. Alexander's smile grew. "Sounds like my brothers have begun clashing with the forces of Broxa. Won't be long now, before we reduce this kingdom to rubble."

"What do you want Alexander?" Balladaus' clone said struggling to maintain its form.

"Two things" Alexander said pulling a scroll from his leather vest and unbinding it to show Balladaus. "This is a contract of fealty, you and your king will both sign. If you break this contract, then the monster council will send every monster their is to erase this kingdom from existence. For the second thing," Alexander pointed to Exios. "Our boss wants us to bring him back with us. Dead, or alive" Alexander smirked Deviously.

Aside from the distant explosions still going off. Balladaus and Exios remained silent. Going over in their heads, what cards left they have to play.

"Tick, tock." Alexander said smugly.

Athenas voice was the first to break their silence.

Exios and Belladaus looked over to her. Tears were still flowing down her cheeks, but her voice was filled with rage instead of sadness.

"I will not forgive you for this." She said gritting her teeth. Her eyes full of fierceness.

Alexander chuckled. "Why would I ever care about your forgiveness little girl?"

"This is why," Athena said gripping a tooth of her necklace. Her eyes shot to Exios. "With this second seal-"

"Athena wait, you don't know-" Exios said trying to stop her.

"With this second seal! I command you. Exios Nodos, to use one hundred percent of your power. To kill him, and his brothers." Athena turned to face Alexander, who was holding his stomach laughing.

"That was a nice seance little lady, what was-" an unusual sound threw Alexander off. It sounded like a slow beat of a war drum. Alexander looked at Exios curiously. Is that your heartbeat?"