Sael and the rest of the entourage were taken into the cave. They entered a stairway that took them up the cliff, and before they knew it, they walked within glossy black walls. The ashen light of the moon spilled through vertical windows that looked like something that would have been much more suited to a cathedral.
The buildings in the Kageyama clan had a peculiarity to their nature. They were carved into cliffs, their spired tops shooting towards the sky like colossal needles. They looked like cathedrals—dark and ominous cathedrals that worshipped what should not be worshipped.The source of thɪs content is NoveIＦire.net
Their interiors had windows... windows that were difficult to sight if one was looking from outside.
They reached wide stairs and climbed up, entering a vast hall, one with very few columns, but darkness spread across this hall like it was an assembly of attendees.
Far ahead, to the deepest, uttermost end of the hall, an enormous seat draped in crimson luxury could be seen. Despite the encroaching darkness, the grace of the throne seat and who... what was seated on it was unmatched. It made the darkness itself seem... decorative.
Staring at it made Sael’s heart thump loudly within his chest. The Kageyama Clan’s Patriarch.
He had heard about it.
They were a family of Masters, Savants, Sages, and Paragons well capable of killing Drifters two or three ranks above them.
No one knew, though, if their Patriarch, who was a Paragon, could kill a Luminary.
Sael didn’t think it would be possible. The space between a Luminary and a Paragon was so wide... How wide? No one even knew.
And that was probably the reason why the Clan Patriarch wouldn’t be able to defeat a Luminary. Because there were no Luminaries in the world today.
Sael believed the Clan’s outrageous talent definitely had something to do with their Heritage and studying what was already available.
With the unavailability of Luminaries, killing a Luminary was just impossible. No one knew how they even fought, not to speak of killing one.
They walked deeper into the hall, disappearing into the darkness that surrounded them from all sides. The only thing they could see was the one step before them.
They were suddenly asked to stop by the Knights surrounding them. At this point, they had arrived at the center of the room, drenched in the darkness.
The seat in front of them was now more visible. What they all could first see was an enormous black bird with long black beaks and eyes that were still as liquid darkness.
It lay sprawled across the feet of the crimson throne seat, spreading across the entire area of the dais, filling it and merging with the darkness.
They could not see the face of what was sitting on the crimson throne except the fact that it was draped in black flowing garments and had wet, long black hair.
The man’s voice boomed across the entire hall.
"What have you brought to me, Jiang?"
The young man in front of them lowered himself to one knee.
"Father... these foreigners have requested to have an audience with you."
The man’s voice boomed again, sounding as though it was being channeled by every darkness in the chamber.
"Death wasn’t an option?"
Sael swallowed with tension when he heard that.
However, Jiang responded almost immediately.
"They claim to have come for a noble cause. One that involves the detriment of the continent as a whole."
There was silence in the large hall for a few heartbeats. Then, after what should probably be two seconds, his thick, rocky voice came again.
"Why the Kageyama Clan? We are known to take life, not to protect it."
Jiang lowered his head even more.
"Perhaps you would love to speak with them directly?"
There was silence again. Then, after a second, his voice came out, vibrating the air.
"What is the situation?"
Jiang responded, his voice and tone measured with amazing order at a deliberate pace.
"First brother and first sister and second sister are containing the Catastrophic Behemoth. While third sister is acting alone as usual, fourth sister and fourth brother are dealing with the monsters trying to run away."
"What are the damages?"
"Nothing significant—a few villages on the outskirts... but it has been contained. The Jimisi family lost three people; the Kunekois lost their family elder. I presume the production of Kunais and white wine will suffer a huge blow in punctuality."
The man clicked his tongue. The irritation was so palpable.
"The invasion—have we found out anything about it?"
Jiang smiled.
"No, father. However, I suspect it may be tied to the reason why these foreigners are here."
At that moment, Sael, Zahir, everyone in the hall, felt it.
The Patriarch’s gaze fell on them.
It was so heavy, so crushing, that it made them realize that all the while they had been in the hall, the man had not even been looking at them at all.
It was not until Jiang’s last statement that he finally looked at them. And the atmosphere above them changed drastically. They suddenly felt naked; the darkness, every corner of it, seemed to be glaring into their souls.
The Patriarch’s voice echoed through the darkness.
"Step forward."
Sael, with a long draw of breath, stepped forward, coming closer to the back of the man who had earlier spoken to them—Jiang.
The darkness delivered the Patriarch’s voice to them; this time it was louder, striking upon their beating hearts with terrible weight.
"Who are you?"
Sael one second was trembling slightly and trying to stop himself. The next, as he drew another breath to respond, his breath suddenly became controlled, flowing without an iota of fear.
"I am Sael of the White String. With my companion, we are the frontliners of the Tharion Citadel."
He stopped, lowering his gaze enough to take a glimpse at the enormous bird at the Patriarch’s feet. It was truly... breathtaking.
The man’s fortress of a voice interrupted.
"What do you seek?"
The Arrow Sage spoke with calm cadence; his tone was cool and not losing any of its gentility despite the overwhelming pressure of the Patriarch’s gaze.
"We seek to tell the Clan of the impending destruction of the Central Plains. As we speak, a team of Paragons are in the continent of Stelia, trying to stop the advance of an Origin. The world is going to face a terrible upheaval, and we must do something to either prepare for our demise or contain it."
There was a long silence in the hall. This time it was longer than ever, and the air drifting across the chamber suddenly became cold as it brushed against their exposed skin.
Then the Patriarch’s voice came again, as Sael was expecting.
"So...?"