Empire of Souls 169 Gifts from beyond 3

Lariel was sitting alone at her desk within the partially finished palace which was under constant construction. It had been the first planned large scale building and was the furthest along among such constructions. By this time, many buildings of fine wood had been constructed to house personnel in the residential district and the early makings of a settlement were visible with some of the basic infrastructure already in place. 

Many large buildings had already been planned for the central district which would eventually be the most important part of the city, but it was the least developed district currently. The reason being, every building which was planned within this central district was a grand building requiring significant labor. The residential and commercial districts were much further along, but those were much more simple constructions. 

The palace did at least have some offices completed for Aleks closest subordinates and more were planned. There were some temporary facilities put in place for other important personnel, like the dwarven and gnomish subordinates which Aleks had created. All this meant was that Lariel's workload was excessive and she was often here at her desk working on present and future plans. Since there weren't many capable government officials yet, Lariel was required to do many tasks personally. Although some might find this amount of work to be insurmountable, it was nothing to Lariel who happily completed her duties without complaint. She was far more intelligent than a mortal, being a Celestial being, and could handle the excessive workload with time to spare. Also, she was happy to be of use to Aleks. She didn't want to have regrets with her life in danger and not knowing what the future held. 

She was so busy with her work that she didn't notice as Aleks entered her office which was quite spacious. This was the office of a Prime Minister, and it was necessary for it to be grand and imposing. It wasn't decorated lavishly and was mostly bare with only a few personal touches. Lariel hadn't had the time to properly decorate her office, nor did they necessarily have the means to do so. There was some furniture, but little else. It would take time before they had the facilities in place for industries to grow. They had skilled craftsmen, but not the proper workspaces for them just yet. Some work could be done, but only a fraction of what they were capable of. Once the resources and infrastructure was put in place, they would be able to produce a lot of fine goods and skilled work.

Until then, whatever they needed would need to be imported from foreign nations. However, even that was a project in and of itself. They had only just established themselves and developing foreign relations was not something which could happen over night. As a matter of fact, it would probably be quicker to develop their own domestic goods before they could establish foreign ties. They were not just any normal nation and their circumstances were somewhat unique. They had powerful enemies in the likes of Tihr and perhaps even Mythras because of what transpired.

This could make things difficult for them if they wished to develop trade relations with the Federation which was the only nation bordering them outside the Savage Lands. The only positive take on all of this was that it seemed that other gods may not be aware of Tihr's machinations. Lariel had considered it for some time and even thinking back to the events from so long ago, perhaps Tihr had kept many in the dark. She wasn't sure why, but she could speculate that it may be due to outright greed or some other nefarious reason. Either way, Tihr was certainly not done with them and they needed to prepare. Even if there were no other gods involved, it wasn't as if there wouldn't be some who would come seeking trouble. Aleks, as a newly risen Demigod, would attract enemies regardless.

Aleks carefully observed Lariel at work without making much of a sound and he also glanced around the mostly barren office. Because of its size, it seemed especially desolate. For some reason, it seemed fitting to Aleks. The loneliness of this barren room, the sight of Lariel meticulously working with her documents, and the quiet solemn feeling that encompassed the atmosphere. For some reason, it made him uncomfortable. Yet, he also felt the desire not to disturb it. It was like a stolen piece of time, a window into this very moment which could be trapped for eternity. Sometimes he wished such a thing were possible. Such an inconsequential moment in his life, but one he yearned to grasp and hold forever.

For a time, Aleks only watched Lariel work. He didn't want to disturb her as she seemed so focused on her work and her own thoughts. Her wings were nowhere in sight and she appeared as no more than a frail young woman whose beauty could outshine the sun. Her coughing and the occasional sound she would make while working was all that could be heard. Each cough was like a hammer to Aleks's heart. Nonetheless, he couldn't take his eyes off of her, nor could he leave.

"Lariel." he finally said gently.

Lariel looked up from her desk and was surprised to see him there.

"How long have you been watching me?"

"Not long."

Lariel looked at Aleks suspiciously, "I see. I was too engrossed in my work and didn't notice you. Something like this would never have happened if it weren't for the curse. I have become too weak."

Lariel was about to stand up but Aleks called out to her, "There is no need. Sit."

"Why have you come to see me? Did something happen?"

Aleks approached Lariel's desk slowly while considering his words, "I will share an image with you, tell me what you see."

Aleks gently placed took Lariel's hand in his after walking to her side. An image of the two he had seen through Grobak's eyes flashed in her mind.

"Daemon, impossible. How could there be two Daemon here?" Lariel said with surprise.

Aleks took a deep breath and sighed while looking towards the ceiling.

"I thought so, but I wanted to confirm with you. Tell me more, not much is known about the Daemon. I have only ever been able to find bits and pieces about them. Mortals who attempted to make contact with Daemon, losing their souls and their lives in the process. A complete and utter destruction of their soul at that, oblivion."

Lariel's expression grew stern, "The Daemon are like us, Celestial beings. They are not mortals and are one of the three creations of the Creator himself before the Creator split his body and soul. That is, at the dawn of the universe and before all else came into being, when the creator was still present in both mind and body. It was a time of paradise, true paradise, or so I was told. I never witnessed it personally, but we Angels were said to be able to converse with the Creator and the Creator walked among us. They were created last, the Angels were created second, and not even we Angels know who or what the Creator created first. It was kept secret, as if it were a treasure that the Creator wished only he himself could indulge in." 

Lariel paused, a distant look in her eyes as she recalled some of the things she had learned a long time ago, "The Creators first creation was kept hidden from us, and we only know that after the Creator split his soul into the Origin, we were tasked with managing a part of it. The Daemon were the same and we can only assume that the Creator's first creation also had a similar role. Angels were meant to manage the system of Law. The Daemon's only role, only desire, is the complete destruction of the universe. It is their holy mission and the only purpose of their creation. They are neither evil or good, but nothing can stop them from their purpose. They were created to destroy."

"Created to destroy…." 

Aleks pondered these words and recalled that voice that had spoken to him on more than one occasion.

"Those two said they have come to offer allegiance to me. What do you think about that?"

Lariel eyed Aleks curiously before coughing gently into her handkerchief.

"Daemon are not known to lie. Of course, they also rarely ever reveal the full truth. If they said those words, they are most likely not lying about offering their allegiance. However, it doesn't mean they do not have an ulterior motive as well. I would make use of them, but do not trust them too much. Either way, this is a great gift we have been given. You should know, Celestial beings can not exist in the mortal world in their true bodies. I am only able to be here because of my circumstances, my power has whittled down to almost nothing. I am an exception, these Daemon should be only avatars."

"Mmm, I already thought as much. Their help will be invaluable at this time. I need a few watchdogs." 

Aleks stepped away from Lariel and turned his back to her. He didn't want to see the blood that decorated her lips. 

Lariel smiled at his reaction, "Tihr will not back down, the only reason we have had things so easy is because his hands have been tied. With the war with the Daemon and the rules that govern the mortal world, there is only so much he can do. It will be difficult for him to move powerful assets from the other continents to this one without other gods noticing. Having two Daemon will make things much easier to manage our situation, but at the same time it is a potential liability. Hmm… their current appearance is not their true Daemonic form, so it should be fine. As long as they hide their true Daemonic aura, it is doubtful that anyone could discover what they are. They had intentionally revealed themselves to you, that is the only reason I was able to see them for what they are. There already exist a multitude of mixed breeds between Celestial beings and mortals all throughout the world. Although their appearance is somewhat unique, it isn't so different from the mixed breeds that exist. The uniqueness can be attributed to their power and purity."

"Fine, it is settled then, but that is not the only reason I came here."

Aleks paced from side to side, still avoiding the sight of the sickened Lariel.

"Did something else happen?"

"The dragon twins, they should have returned by now. I haven't heard from them in weeks. What do you think? Could there have been some trouble?"

Chapter end