Just a week's worth of travel away from Angora City was the town of Batchrock. It used to be an independent territory managed by a duke, who was once known for his righteousness and his loyalty to the people. Unfortunately, he was stripped of his title as a new power took hold of the town: Flarecorp.
Batchrock town was connected to a lot of territories further down the Queens region, serving as the main node that connected the lower tip of the Queens region to the rest of the territories.
It was geologically important, which was probably the reason why Flarecorp invaded it in the first place.
What used to be a bustling exchange of commodities between local and foreign merchants alike was now a completely isolated town with a flaming barrier sphere that prevented anyone from going in or out of the territory.
There were merchants from further down the Queens region who tried to enter the town not knowing of its circumstances, only to be stopped by Flarecorp guards that immediately threatened to show force if they did not leave.
The only carriages that were permitted entry inside were those that bore the symbol of Flames that Flarecorp was known for.
There was one such man that travelled all alone and tried to get past the guards.
"Halt."
The guards crossed their javelins together to form an 'X'.
"Only Flarecorp is allowed inside."
The strange man then slowly took off his hood, revealing his face to the guards.
And immediately, the guards' eyes widened with recognition, then with fear. This man was a major officer of Flarecorp itself; a man that was responsible for any and all dealings outside of Flarecorp territory.
It was none other than Hestu.
"Apologies sir! We didn't know you were going to visit today," they hurried, retrieved their weapons and stood at attention.
Hestu didn't say a word and walked inside the gates, with a portion of the flaming barrier opening up as he walked through the gates.
The guards heaved a sigh of relief. Usually, a mistake like this would have cost them their jobs, or worse, their hands. But it seemed that Hestu was in an extremely good mood for him to not care about such things, which was quite unusual.
"Whew, I don't know what's gotten into sir Hestu, but we better thank our lucky stars we didn't get scolded," one of the guards said.
Meanwhile, Hestu walked through the streets of Batchrock town.
And everywhere he looked, he could still see the evidence of the war that occurred when Flarecorp 'liberated' this place from the Duke's hands.
The stone roads had cracks and crates all around, making it hard for horses, never mind carriages, to stroll about the streets without tripping on one of the crates.
Janitors were sweeping the remaining stone rubble and wooden splinters in the ground brought about by stray meteor spells hitting houses and buildings during the fight.
Meanwhile, the citizens that used to inhabit these houses were only given Flarecorp meals and tents to get by in their daily lives. It was a travesty.
Hestu quickened his steps and arrived at the former Duke's castle. The drawbridge was immediately lowered upon his arrival, with some guards escorting him inside.
"The other officers are waiting for you inside, sir Hestu. They are expecting great results," one of the guards said.
Hestu didn't say a word and kept walking inside.
As he entered the castle, he saw the whole place inundated with Flarecorp paraphernalia. There were orange, flaming barriers hanging up from the ceiling, there were orange carpets laid down to cover up burn marks on the floor, and the previous paintings of the Duke were taken down and replaced by pictures of a middle-aged man with a moustache wearing a noble orange uniform.
The guards led him to the dining area, where the table was already filled with scrumptious meals enough for a whole village to eat. Except, there were only seven of them sitting at the table.
Strangely enough, the extravagant throne-like chair at the end of the table was empty. Their 'King' was not present, unfortunately.
"Hestu, this is an unexpected surprise," one of the men at the table said, raising his glass. "I'm guessing that the Grafted Cluster was primed for our arrival?"
"Surprising if that is so," said the woman opposite the man who talked. "It has only been a few weeks. Are you that good at your job?" she asked teasingly.
Hestu took the seat at the front of the table, with all the officers of Flarecorp looking at him in anticipation.
The candles at the table flickered, making the shadows in the room shake as Hestu sat in his seat.
"So? Don't keep us all waiting," the man right next to Hestu said, tapping his foot.
Hestu cleared his throat before nodding. "That is right. The Grafted Cluster is clear of any competition. Flarecorp can easily take this territory without using too much force," he said with a straight face.
The other seven officers showed elated expressions. They weren't surprised by the outcome, only that it came so soon.
"What shall our next move be?" the man sitting next to the throne asked. He was the second-in-command.
Hestu cleared his throat once again and gave a suggestion. "Since the Grafted Cluster is clear, then you don't have to personally send in your forces, sir Arsonius" he said. "How about we send in our third-in-command to secure our foothold?"
Everyone looked over to the woman sitting opposite Arsonius.
She was Blazelle, the third most influential figure in the Flarecorp organization.
Arsonius looked at Hestu and stared down at him. "Blazelle holds a very important piece that is near and dear to our King's heart. Are you sure that there is no competition in the Grafted Cluster and she won't be in any sort of danger?"
Hestu felt a little bit paralyzed as the man looked at him. But as the candle flickered and flashed a shadow on his face, he became much more relaxed.
"Don't be absurd, Arsonius. I can protect myself," Blazelle admonished. "Or are you saying that our Flarecorp is afraid of a little competition?"
Arsonius scoffed. "I am merely being cautious, Blazelle. Our King has given you a very valuable treasure that cannot be replaced. It is of utmost importance that you do not lose it, lest we lose our heads."
Blazelle looked at Hestu with excitement. "I'll have to ask you to guide me there, Hestu."
Hestu nodded.
"Very well," Arsonius declared. "Blazelle will consolidate our power in the Grafted Cluster while the rest of us focus our strengths on defending our territories. We must take a firm foothold in the Southern part of the Queens region."
The rest of the officers raised their glasses to Arsonius' words before they continued on eating the delectable food on the table.
While the rest of the officers talked casually and ate their fill, Hestu excused himself to the garderobe, or the bathroom, for some privacy.
The candles flickered as he entered the room.
Hestu blew on the flames, leaving the entire place as dark as the night skies.
And with no one else watching him, he kneeled on the floor and whispered.
"Priest here," Hestu whispered. "I have done what you have asked of me, oh Slime God. The rest of the officers have no idea that your grace has already spread to their shadows."