Infinite Realm: Monsters & Legends

Chapter 579: Ryun and Anrosh

Gathering

Ryun sat in the rooms assigned to him and his people, his eyes closed and his mind whirling. He was angry, in a way that he hadn’t been in a very long time. Almost debilitatingly so. It was a struggle to talk, because he wanted to roar, it was hard to move, because with every twitch he felt his control of his body slipping. The only reason why he hadn’t lost control so far was because his body wasn’t really him, because his mental capacity was great enough that he could keep a lid on what was boiling inside.

If he was still in his physical body, he would’ve lost the grip on his strength long ago. A single step would’ve shattered the ground, broke the Essences around him and caused the destruction that he felt the need to unleash from within.

The anger he felt was so raw that he felt like his Soul was screaming at him constantly. It was why he kept his side of the bond closed from his partners. Because he was afraid of what they would feel, of how he could influence them.

They were trying to talk with him constantly, and every attempt was an added pressure to his struggle.

He had only ever felt this way once before. And by the end of it, they had called him the World Ender.

There was a fight within him, a struggle as what he wanted to do warred with the responsibilities of who he was now, with the promises he had made, oaths he had given. His Soul was straining under the weight of the struggle, and he knew that he couldn’t keep going like this for much longer.

He had thought that he’d changed, that he had grown, and perhaps this struggle was the proof of it, yet… As it had been before, when Melody died, all he saw before him was death. Only, it was worse this time, somehow, because now he wasn’t just angry, he was also afraid.

They had come for him and his family, his unborn children. He knew intellectually that they didn’t know, didn’t care even. Their attack was a pragmatic choice, part of a larger strategy in a war that served some purpose unrelated to Ryun and what was his.

They had nearly killed his family, killed the children that he hadn’t even had the chance to meet. And that terrified him. Ryun knew that all things had an end, that it was inevitable, but he couldn’t align what he knew to be true with how he felt. It wasn’t the end of something or someone else that had nearly happened, but something that was near and dear to him.

The only reason why they weren’t dead was because their enemies didn’t have all the information. Because they didn’t know the steps that the three of them had taken, the power they obtained. Because Ryun woke up in time to notice, because they were powerful enough to avoid death. To avoid an end.

And that imbalance within him, emotion and purpose, warred against each other now.

He kept his being as confined as he could, compressed inside his vessel, because he didn’t trust himself, and if he was spread out he feared what he would do.

The situation in the Dragon Heart Sect did not help his thoughts at all.

It’s been five days since they arrived, and two days since the gathering had started. The discussion had only served to make him feel even more angry. The fools were doing what fools usually did in situations like these.

Many Sect Heads had died, too many. Those left behind were scrambling, and Ryun was at the edge of his nerves.

A knock at the door interrupted his thoughts and a moment later Anrosh stepped in.

“We’re starting soon,” she whispered, already dressed up for the gathering.

Ryun got to his feet, Scorn rippling around him to garb him in a more presentable outfit, and then he followed after her, heading to the gathering. He didn’t know how much longer he could sit quietly.

Anrosh led the way through the hall where the gathering took place. Their group consisted only of her and Ryun, though they had brought some guards from the sect, they left them behind to guard their quarters. Ryun wasn’t big on ceremony, and Anrosh didn’t think that they needed them, they would only get in the way if they had to fight. Not that she expected that.

Still, their presence alone was enough. Power was influence in the sects, and they had much of it. Their spots were high up on the balconies, a separated booth that looked down on the hall and the rest of the gathering. There were hundreds of spots, more being filled every day as more remote sects or those with less access to faster travel means arrived.

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She could see even more newcomers today in comparison to the day before. The general atmosphere was tense, understandingly so. The Sects were at war, and this gathering was taking place to come to an agreement regarding their response.

By the time they made their way to their seats, the gathering was already in the full swing. They’ve arrived late, as Ryun didn’t care to sit and listen through the opening speeches.

She took a seat on Ryun’s right, and turned to greet the other person sitting in their booth.

“Anything important happen?” Anrosh asked.

“No, they are continuing the discussion from yesterday,” Repesh Emsis, Sect Head of the Midnight Reign Sect answered. “The Iron Fist Sect is requesting more resources be sent their way.”

Anrosh glanced down at the woman speaking. Her body was darker in tone, with a metallic hue to her skin. She knew that she was one of the Sect Leaders that survived the assassination on their leadership. They had lost two of their other Sect Leaders, but their Sect Head had survived too, she was fighting on the front right now. The Sect Leader she sent was her younger sister.

From what Anrosh understood the two sisters were in contact, and the fighting wasn’t going well for the Iron Fist Sect.

As the woman finished with her speech, the other Sects chimed in from their spots, deals were quickly made, agreements hammered out, and resources allocated. Runners carried messages out of the hall to start the preparations, send out orders and realize their leaders' decisions.

The woman stepped down from the podium, and another person walked up, taking her spot. There was an order in which the sects got to speak, to petition the other sects. The Twilight Melody Sect hadn’t yet had the opportunity to speak.

It wasn’t about respect, it was about those affected. The ones who spoke first were those whose territories were under direct threat, those already attacked and those bordering those sects. Twilight Melody was on the other side of the Sect Territories, far away from the fighting, and so their slot to speak came after. There wasn’t a united government of Sects, so they talked, they discussed.

Anrosh wished that there was a better way, especially in situations like these, but most Sect Heads that could’ve taken charge were dead. Vitor was leading this gathering, but even he had his hands full. The Dragon Heart Sect was one of those attacked. Though their territory was large enough that they were far from the front.

Though, despite her frustration, she had to admit that there had been a rapid response. The Sects that weren’t on the borders had agreed to send resources quickly enough, some even sent warriors to help. The issue was that it was all too… little. Most Sects had been hit, lost their leaders, they were in turmoil, scrambling to establish new leadership and prepare for war. They were… resistant to sending more than just token forces, fearful of the war coming to their borders.

“Halorna Thorntail, Sect Leader of the World Tree Sect,” a voice rang out, announcing the next speaker.

The World Tree Sect was one of the most powerful, situated to the north, their territory mainly bordered the Triumphant Hive, so they hadn’t been attacked directly, though they had absorbed parts of the Golden Sky Sect, formerly led by Awirren. They hadn’t added the territory to their own Sect, instead they set up a subordinate Sect, one that had been hit by the Exalted Empire.

“Fellow Cultivators,” Halorna Thorntail started. “I bring more news from the front. A new force had struck at our subordinate Sect. One made up out of shades.”

That started a rumble, and Anrosh glanced at Ryun.

He met her eyes with the narrowing of his. One of the attackers on their Sect was a shade. They knew that there was something going on with that.

She turned back, listening in as Thorntail continued and asked for any experts on the Ethereal, Spirits, and Shades, to be sent to the World Tree Sect to help on that front.

As the discussion started, Anrosh leaned back in her chair.

“It’s not enough,” Repesh said from the side.

Anrosh glanced at him. “What isn’t?”

“Our response,” he said slowly. “We are leaderless.”

“Hitor was the closest we had to a figurehead leader, and that was for the last war. With him and other powerful Sect Heads dead, I don’t see that changing.”

“We need decisive, quick action,” Repesh said. “These discussions are taking too long.”

“This is how we always were,” Anorsh countered.

Repesh looked over her at Ryun, who turned and met his eyes. It seemed like something passed between them.

“No,” Repesh shook his head. “It is only that too many Sect Heads are dead, and with them their connections. Usually, they would’ve been able to take decisive action. Now we are left with this,” he waved his hand at the gathering. “The survivors scrambling to grow their personal power and respect. They aren’t fighting a war, they are making deals to solidify their influence, trying to grab as much as they can as those on the borders struggle to survive. They are helping, but… we could be doing more. We should be.”

He turned to look at Ryun again. “This is not what honor and obligation is about. They need to be reminded about what it means.”

Ryun didn’t react this time, instead he kept looking down at the gathering.

“If I walk down there now, there will be no discussion, there will be no deal and no pleas,” Ryun whispered slowly, his fingers tightening on the hand-rest—Anrosh heard it creak.

“The strong rule, the rest follow,” Repesh added.

Anrosh looked at Ryun, his body was a frozen statue, no expression, no movement, not even breathing. He didn’t need it, but it was in this moment that it made him feel even more removed from everyone else.

“You’re angry,” Anrosh started. “Everyone can see it, you’ve barely spoken a word since we arrived here. I can tell that you’re holding back. You don’t need to.”

“You don’t know what you are talking about. If I take control, I’ll raze half this world to the ground, I won’t stop until all of them are dead.”

“And so what?” Repesh said harshly. “I’ve lost people close to me in their attack. They made this choice, and we are the Sects. Blood and death are part of our culture, it is ingrained in who we are.”

Ryun turned to look at Anrosh, his eyes flickering in a way that she knew he was asking her a question.

“From everything that we’ve heard,” Anrosh started. “This is a total invasion. They seek to conquer all of the sects. From what they’ve done in the territories they absorbed after the last war, we know how they operate. Their creed, it clashes with Sect culture, with our way of life. If they win the war, our way of life will be over.”

“And you’re willing to pay the price?”

“Once, I might’ve hesitated. But all actions have consequences,” Anrosh answered him.

Ryun turned back to look at the podium, then he sagged, as if all the tension left his body. He remained like that for a few seconds then stood up, and started making his way down to the podium.