It shouldn’t have to be said, but Jake’s friends and allies back in the Order of the Malefic Viper were having quite the… experience. Meira, Irin, and Scarlett were all known for having a close relationship with the Chosen of the Malefic Viper, so with recent happenings, they were put in an awkward spot. People like Draskil, who had interacted with Jake quite a bit, were also being looked at weirdly. Even Helenstromoz and other members of her Dragonflight had people temporarily distance themselves from the Order due to the scrutiny they suffered.
No one dared to say anything directly about the Chosen of the Malefic Viper… but rumors were spreading like wildfire.
Either way, after Jake’s announcement he’d made together with Valhal, Meira, Scarlett, and Irin were all brought to Jake’s private residence by one of the enforcers of the Order. The place had special barriers placed by the Malefic Viper himself, making it one of the safest locations in the entire Order, and needless to say, none of them had any complaints about being put somewhere safe.
The mere fact they were brought there was cause for concern, though, even if it did seem like part of the reason was to hide them away without making it clear the Order was still officially protecting them. Fortunately, Meira’s master was also there helping calm their hearts… by teaching them fringe alchemical theory he thought they could all benefit from.
It didn’t really help.
“Teacher… can you tell us a bit more about what’s going on?” Meira interrupted the lesson on what kind of frog poisons were best to synthesize to create ointments to put on trees you didn’t want to be corroded when watered with or even grown in a bath of powerful acids.
Duskleaf seemed to understand that while the lesson was important, perhaps putting the minds of his students at peace would also be important as he spoke. “Yip of Yore is rapidly destroying the expansion and progress the Order has made over the last few years, and as of a little while ago, the conflict escalated to gods fighting with a few dying so far on both sides. Ah, but more on the side of the Order, so we’re definitely losing on that front.”
“That sounds… bad?” Scarlett asked in a slightly worried tone. Meira looked at her in agreement while nodding. She was happy Scarlett was there as the snake was far more honest and straightforward than herself, and she was especially more honest than Irin. Moreover, Scarlett didn’t seem that suppressed by her teacher despite him being a god, perhaps because she had been blessed by the Viper and had interacted with Lord Thayne a few times. It was definitely also a factor that her overwhelming faith and loyalty to the Malefic Viper made her view all other gods as lesser – even if that god was the Viper’s disciple.
“It does indeed sound bad,” Duskleaf agreed wholeheartedly before pausing for a moment. “Anyway, the best way to safely collect the poison excreting from the skin of the-“
“Can the Grand Elder share with us some of the contingency plans of the Order?” Irin asked respectfully. “Seeing as we will remain confined here till the end of the conflict without the ability to communicate with others without your permission, it would bring us comfort to be aware, and we wouldn’t be able to leak any secrets even if shared with us.”Duskleaf looked at them for a brief moment. “Thinking about such things will not benefit you in any way whatsoever. What’s going on is far beyond the scope of what a few mortals like you should get involved in. It’s far better for you to focus on improving yourselves rather than worry about a reality you have no impact on.”
“But… just knowing if-“ Irin tried as Duskleaf cut her off by raising his hand.
“Fine. Was it contingency plans you asked about? Contingency plans for what exactly?” Duskleaf asked with a sigh.
“If… should the unthinkable happen… should the Malefic One fall… what will the Order do?”
Duskleaf stared at her for several seconds before turning around and summoning a projection of an odd-looking tree, acting as if he hadn’t just been asked something. “As I said before, certain trees grow better in very acidic environments that don’t seem capable of producing any life in the first place, and while the roots can handle the exposure, the bark will often weaken, so you will need to-“
Meira looked at her teacher as he kept talking about alchemy after completely ignoring Irin’s questioning gaze. He didn’t give any answer, yes, but that in itself felt like an answer. She’d known her teacher for a good while and noticed one of his tendencies when he didn’t know the answer to something – and couldn’t find the answer through study - was to simply ignore the question and change the subject. He would then come back triumphantly if he did discover the answer, but Meira had the feeling this wouldn’t be one of those times.
For him to only talk about alchemy, especially with two of those there not overly interested in what he was talking about… Meira saw it as him just trying to avoid talking about the massive Yip of Yore problem in the room. All to avoid stating the obvious:
Duskleaf didn’t know what was going on, and he didn’t like not knowing.
--
The Lord Protector floated within the empty space, just over four hundred other figures behind him appearing as dark figures, nearly blending into the void. Every single one of them gave off the auras of gods, and every one of them were waiting with bated breath for the Boundless Hydra to speak after they’d said their own piece.
Once more, they had come seeking answers… and once more, the Lord Protector had none.
“Keep up with current tasks and continue to focus on the retreat while trying to limit skirmishes,” he spoke, his voice echoing through the void. “Bring everyone back to Primordial-4 and prepare.”
The many Hidden Ones – old allies of the Malefic Viper – were silent as they heard the order, many of them showing clear doubt. The last time they met, only a few days ago, there had been nine more gods than today. Two had died, yes, but the other seven had left. The Lord Protector noted which ones as he continued by offering some words of encouragement, as he truly had nothing else to offer.
“Do not waver. Do what you’ve done for so many eras already: trust the Malefic One.”
“My lord,” one of the gods spoke. A high-tier god who stood amongst the more powerful present. “May I know if the Boundless Hydra will take any direct actions? With your support, we should be able to-“
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“I am the Lord Protector,” the Lord Protector simply answered, waving off the idea. “My task is to protect the heart of the Order. As long as it remains, we shall remain. Your job right now is to protect the members of the Order as best you can as they retreat while not losing ground too quickly. Avoid needless fights, yes, but do not be cowards. We are still the Order of the Malefic Viper.”
Most of the figures simply nodded, while a few were clearly wavering. They’d already reported everything, and the Lord Protector waved his hand as there was nothing more to say that day. “I repeat, just continue as you are, and stop worrying about the losses of the day, as they are naught but building blocks for the future. You may bleed, yes, but that blood shall become the nutrients of the Order’s growth once we’ve overcome adversity, and your sacrifices and loyalty shall be rewarded. Now go, carry out the will of the Malefic One, and leave your useless doubt behind in the void.”
The gods present acknowledged his words and began disappearing one by one. He knew that the next time they met, there would be fewer than today as doubt overpowered their loyalty to the Malefic Viper. The gods kept fading away until only one more remained. The dark figure eventually floated over as Duskleaf – in his real body, not the plant avatar with the friends of the Viper’s Chosen – went to stand next to the Lord Protector.
“You heard anything from Master?” Duskleaf asked with a sigh, already knowing the answer.
“Nothing,” the Lord Protector shook his head. “Not since he went into isolation, and his divine realm remains closed off.”
“Do you think Master might choose to remain in there again for a prolonged period?” Duskleaf asked with concern. He’d spent several eras just hiding away once and had only been back for a few years… so many had questioned if he had perhaps simply returned to what many had come to see as the status quo.
“No,” the Boundless Hydra shook his head. “He is simply acting according to his true nature, in wait for the right moment to strike at his foe’s neck. However, only when the time is right, so we need to have patience.”
There was simply no world the Lord Protector could see where the Malefic Viper would not show himself when Yip of Yore came knocking. Even if it was risky, it was clear that the Order would fall entirely if the Malefic One didn’t show up to defend it even when directly challenged, as while the Lord Protector was confident in his own power, he knew a figure like Yip of Yore was not someone he had confidence in beating. This was not even mentioning the possibility of other powerful allies Yip of Yore could bring along, as he’d been working with both Valhal and Eversmile. If another Primordial came, only a Primordial could stand up to them.
The Malefic Viper would show and take on the challenge. He didn’t doubt it.
Yet he did understand why Duskleaf could harbor doubt in his heart. Duskleaf was no fighter and would always take the safest approach, and it was by far the safest for their master to simply remain in his Divine Realm while ignoring Yip of Yore entirely. While Yip perhaps had confidence in challenging the Malefic Viper, he also knew he wouldn’t stand a chance if the fight took place within the Viper’s Divine Realm. If it was Duskleaf being challenged like this, he would likely just take everyone he cared about and all the experiments he could bring and stash them in his Divine Realm while just waiting out any problems. The Malefic One wasn’t like that, though.
He had a plan, and the Lord Protector had faith in him. The Boundless Hydra wasn’t fully confident, though, because there was a factor in this thing he wasn’t sure about at all. An unknown element that he’d always been skeptical of.
The two were silent for a moment before the Lord Protector spoke again. “I trust in Master, more than anyone… but I do not have the same feelings toward his Chosen. If he has truly betrayed Master-“
“He hasn’t,” Duskleaf shook his head. “Of that, I’m sure. He’s simply not the person to do something like that.”
“I know his kind, and I watched the recording of when he defeated my image within the trial dungeon. I saw how he did it and felt the Records of Humanity and Valdemar, and I saw how he reveled in battle more than in any other situation. If he had not met Master, he would, without a doubt, be part of Valhal now, and they know it. He knows it. You also know that he is not like us. From the very beginning, he has never shown true faith toward our Master, so if Valhal and Valdemar himself give him an offer too good to refuse… he may just join his own kind to fight alongside those who share his race and spirit,” the Lord Protector said in a severe tone.
Duskleaf was quiet for a few moments before speaking as he looked to where all the Hidden Ones had disappeared from. “You told us all to have trust and believe in the Malefic One. To leave our doubt behind. Like it or not, but Master believes in his Chosen. We should do the same and continue moving forward according to the final orders he gave before sealing off his divine realm. Even if you do not trust the Chosen, trust in the Malefic Viper’s judgment.”
The Lord Protector wanted to argue but truly couldn’t. He just clenched his fists. “I hope you are right.”
Perhaps their master had placed his faith correctly, and his Chosen was right now working hard to ensure their eventual victory. Who knows, maybe he was the one working the hardest of them all, being forced to act like an ally of Valhal despite his true feelings… if that was the truth, the Lord Protector would only have to apologize and recognize the efforts and sacrifice of his master’s Chosen as he struggled on his lonesome, surrounded by potential enemies on all sides.
“Chug! Chug! Chug! Chug!” the crowd yelled as the two men were each emptying an entire barrel nearly the size of their own bodies, swallowing enough liquids to kill several people before the system, with adequate alcohol to get half a college dorm drunk.
One of them fell over backward before his barrel was empty, spilling mead all over himself. He tried to stand up but stumbled, unable to move properly, though he seemed in a more than cheery mood nonetheless. Meanwhile, the other one finished and slammed the entire barrel into the ground, cracking it in the process.
The entire crowd roared as Jake lifted his hands in victory while staring down at the unfortunate warrior of Valhal who had dared challenge him. Was he kind of cheating with Palate of the Malefic Viper? Fuck yeah, but it was their own fault for having such weak alcohol they couldn’t even get past the legendary skill.
“Should’ve known better,” Jake said with a smile as he offered the fallen warrior a hand.
The man took it and stumbled to his feet as he said something that sounded a bit like “I nearly totally had you,” but his words were so slurred they were intelligible. Jake just shook his head and smiled.
“Sure ya did, pal, sure ya did,” he said, patting the way on the shoulder as he reveled in the spirit of the bar he’d made a mess not that long ago. He’d been told the place had been fully repaired not even a day after he broke quite a bit of it last time and that during his time analyzing the magic circle, at least three more exterior walls had been broken during fights. Maybe four, people weren’t sure as they were all too drunk to remember.
Jake’s original plan of just hiding away and sticking to alchemy during his stay at Valhal hadn’t lasted very long as Carmen came and dragged him to a bar after only a few days for him to “better sell the idea he was fully becoming a member of Valhal.”
In truth, she just wanted to try and get him drunk, but could Jake really argue with her logic? Well, he could have, but that would mean less alcohol. Sadly for Carmen, the alcohol the brewers of Valhal were able to create simply wasn’t capable of getting Jake properly drunk, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t enjoy the taste and experience. It could also get him a bit tipsy, which helped a lot with the awkwardness of hanging out with a bunch of obviously drunk people.
To clarify, while Jake did have some fun experiencing the culture of Valhal, he was also working. After he went back from the bar that day, he walked to the residence he’d been given, including the giant glass bubble set up for him to do alchemy. He quickly cleansed himself of the remaining alcohol affecting his mind as he entered the bubble and prepared to get to work.
Even if just waiting around sucked, that didn’t mean he couldn’t get some alchemy done in the meantime and perhaps even get a level or two under his belt. Besides, wouldn’t it be rude not to make use of all the potent ingredients Valhal had so graciously made available to him?