A/N: So, first up, I must apologize to those who saw the initial upload and couldn't find the chapter afterwards. No, the internet hamsters didn't steal it. A friend of mine exposed my lazy ass and accused the chapter of being too short. Now normally, I would ignore him cuz sometimes some chapters are just short. It happens. But this time I knew deep down I not only used a copout at the beginning of the chapter, but I also didn't end it where I wanted it to end. Due to this I immediately took down the chapter.

You guys have been more than awesome to this unreliable author who disappears for weeks on end. The least I can do is always ensure each chapter is top quality (by my standard of course). So.. I hope you enjoy this chapter... 

Thanks for the Patronage! Means a lot!

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Merriheim

While Kashi slept, somewhere in Merriheim, a masonian lady was escorted by several menacing guards. Most of her face was covered by a headdress which only allowed one to see a pair of tired brown eyes. Her hands were bound with charmed shackles which sapped her of energy as she walked. The lady gazed at the polished corridor, every few steps an artwork of some kind placed on glazed walls. If she was not a part of this organization, she would never have believed they were underground.

The group stopped ahead of a massive door of fifteen feet, made of tempered gold. A mural of a man encased in flames jeered mockingly at all visitors. The door, which was at least twenty centimeters thick was impossibly heavy. Two guards by the door identified the group, then easily pushed each side of the door.

A guard by the lady's side pulled down the headdress to reveal Zaram Karim, the first person Kashi had made contact with after entering Merriheim. Zaram winced as she was pushed beyond the door, into a magnificent hall.

A magnificent long table, carved from the most expensive wood, sat at the center of the hall. Several young women stood a few metres from the table, all observing the red-haired man who sat at the head. The man was clearly not shy about showing off his opulence, garbed in a golden robe made from griffin's hide and phoenix feathers.

Ruse looked up as Zaram entered the room. A momentary flash burned in his eyes before he pointed at the closest chair to his left. "Sit."

Zaram's gaze held a mixture of fear and stubborn pride as she shook off the guard's hand, and took a seat as ordered. She bowed her head in reverence as she greeted, "My lord—" Ruse's raised hand cut her short. Stray beads of sweat pooled on her face as she realized she was in real trouble. Ruse never stopped someone from greeting or praising him except when he was really angry.

Ruse reclined in his chair, eyes never leaving Zaram's. "The daeben." A shiver ran down Zaram's spine at Ruse's cold tone. Anyone who had met the man knew it was far better when he exploded with rage, compared to when his rage quietly simmered. "I received a report claiming you were the first to encounter him?"

Zaram did not know if she was allowed to speak or not, so she weakly nodded.

Ruse's brows furrowed. "Speak."

"Yes, my Lord Prime," Zaram hurriedly complied. "My team was a few kilometers away from Suvron's Gate when it ro—"

"Hmph, Suvron's Gate," Ruse sneered. "That brat even dared to name the tower after a dead god." He paused for a second then glared at Zaram. "Who told you to stop!?"

Zaram, of course, did not dare point out the absurdity of that question. She immediately apologized then continued with her report. "I decided to check on the tower to search for clues as to why it rose."

Ruse's eyes narrowed. "You met the daeben on the way?"

"Yes, My Lord, I did."

Ruse's countenance instantly grew cold. His eyes were like cold, blood jewels as he asked, "Why did you not kill him then?"

Zaram breathed heavily. She knew the next few dialogues would ultimately decide her fate. She chose her words carefully as she replied, "We did try, but we never expected that he had a method of blocking out the effects from our songs. Before we could recover, he had already incapacitated my subordinates."

"... How did he find Meilfour?"

Zaram's breath hooked in her throat. "I... I led him there."

Ruse's tone was overbearingly even, his glare like a smoldering flame on the verge of exploding. "Why"

"My men were held captive," Zaram said. "If I did not take him, he would have killed them."

A large vein bulged on Ruse's forehead. If it wasn't before, now it was clear he was definitely holding his rising rage in check. "These men?" He coolly enquired as he waved his left hand.

Zaram's heart lurched as four heavily bruised Masonians were dragged into the hall. Large purple swellings all over their half naked bodies revealed the brutal punishment they had suffered the past weeks. Zaram suppressed her panicked and pained cries deep within the recesses of her heart. Try as she might however, she could not stop the train of tears that leaked from guilt-ridden eyes. She did not dare move in the slightest, as she feared that with Ruse's temper, he might just kill them all together. Enduring the agony, she weakly replied in a hoarse voice, "Y-Yes, these are my men."

Ruse's lips curled in disdain. "So for these pieces of trash," he spat as he motioned for the guards to bring the men closer. "You would dare to betray me?"

Betray? Zaram's heartbeat quickened as her eyes went pale with fright. She knew better than most how serious this accusation was. And what's worse, it even came from the Primate himself. Who would dare seek justice on her behalf? "M-my Lord! I have never betrayed—BANG!" Zaram nearly jumped in fright as a flaming fist slammed onto the table.

"You still dare deny!" Flames erupted from Ruse's eyes and mouth as he roared with rage! "Why then did you lead the damned elf to Meilfour! Leading someone who was unfamiliar with these region into a trap should have been easy for you right!?"

Zaram bit her lower lip. The red liquid that leaked out was already tasteless to her tongue. "I gave him my word. My men for th—"

"What dogshit word!" Ruse burst into flames, no longer able to contain his rage. "You think I give a damn about your word? You goddamned Merrites! Think I give a shit about your fucking honor!?" His hate filled gaze turned to the four bruised up soldiers. "Are these the men you betrayed me for? Was it worth it?" He roared with a sneer.

Zaram's eyes went wide with horror. "NO!" She rushed from her chair, ignoring the potential consequences, but two guards tackled her to the ground. Tears streamed down her face as she screamed till her voice broke, but she could only watch as undying flames slowly burned their bodies to ash inch, by devastating inch.

Her squad. These men who had followed her since they were little beggars on the streets of Drul. Koturot, the adorable coward, would always confirm the details of everything they did a thousand times before they attempted it. Gulkala had just gotten married! His wife was six months heavy, and his ailing mother would always welcome them with a strange, extremely bitter green soup. No one knew Grinn's real name. They always playfully called him grinny because he was always smiling regardless of how dire the situation, as if it was his job to prove to the world that happiness can still be found in despair. See! Even now, his warm eyes were lit by a small smile despite the immense pain. He nodded at Zaram, his lips moving, "Live on..."

Zaram's eyes travelled to the youngest of them, and her heart threatened to shatter to pieces. Unlike the others, Wethu was not a warrior. Even though he was over six years younger, they all respected his intelligence and wit. He had been the one to decide their stealing targets as children, and as adults, he was placed in charge of the logistics part of their division. Fate was especially cruel. On that day he had only joined them to escape the boring repetitiveness of logistic duties. Who would have imagined they would run into a big shot like Kashi? Even when he had considered himself lucky to have survived that, he was immediately sent to prison and beaten for several weeks. Still, he had held a sliver of hope that eventually they would be released.

Yet now...

Blood and tears mixed together as Zaram watched this young man die. His screams and reluctant wails haunted her ears till they bled and blood vessels in her eyes burst as she refused them to shut for even a second. She screamed till her voice was completely lost, then she cried, but she even ran out tears. Zaram slammed her head against the ground over and over till it bled, apologizing to her friends over and over.

Regret! Zaram heavily regretted!

Why did she not listen to Wethu when he cautioned her about this organization? She had assured him that as long as they kept their hands clean and climbed up the ranks, they would be safe. In truth, the moment she decided to join, she knew the others would come too. She had taken that for granted! Why!? Why did she not listen...

Over ten minutes had passed since Ruse set these men on fire, but they were still alive. These flames special characteristic was its ability to kill slowly, burning the extremities like the hands and legs before slowly encroaching on the heart. It was meant to be slow, in order to give the worst imaginable pain before death. When it reached the critical point, it would pause for about half a second, before consuming the rest of the body in a flash.

These four men, in this minute span, forced all their clarity to look at their leader with apologetic, yet proud gazes. Even the comparatively weak Wethu found the strength to muster a weak smile.

Zaram wanted to scream at them, that she was the one at fault! They had nothing to feel sorry for! She should have listened to them! She should not have gone to that tower! She should never have joined this organization!

However, notwithstanding that her voice was already gone, she would not have had a chance anyway, as the very next second all that remained of her friends were piles of ash.

Ruse snorted and waved his sleeves in disgust. A guard proficient in wind magic immediately mumbled an incantation. A small gale lifted these pieces of ash and tossed them into a nearby hole used to get rid of waste. Several miles below, was a vein of lava that conveniently got rid of the waste, and provided heating.

Zaram's reason drifted with those ashes, till her very mind had crumbled to the abyss. She didn't even struggle as the guards lifted her, then forcefully sat her down on her designated chair. Revenge? Impossible! Be it, Kashi or Ruse, both were monsters far beyond her. She just sat there, staring at the opulent table before her. Dead eyes examined the wood. Was it because of this? She traded the lives of her friends for vague promises of riches? Even though life had been hard-living, but at least they had each other and were alive. But now...

"How long do you plan on moping?" Ruse rebuked with a sneer. "You should be thanking me. I've rid you of those pesky chains."

"Ah, yes," Zaram murmured. "I'm free."

"Hmph. What dog-shit loyalty." Ruse, although slightly surprised Zaram agreed so easily, had seen men forsake their brethren for less. He elatedly took his seat at the head of the table, pleased he had exposed the hypocrite for what she truly was.

A fierce light flashed in Zaram's eyes as she abruptly jerked from her chair. Before either of the guards could react, she had already leaped onto the table. The guard to her right reached for his sword, but was shocked to find it missing. He stared in disbelief as the Merrite woman drove his sword into Ruse's chest then pinned into the chair behind.

Zaram's initial jubilee crashed to despair as Ruse slowly stood up. In doing so, the sword cut down to his thighs, but Zaram's fear came from the feeling she got from the sword in her hand. There was no resistance! It felt like cutting through air!

"Did you think the rank of Primates was just for show?" Ruse mocked as he stepped to the side, allowing the blade to pass through him. "Every Primate must master an element to the point their very beings are the element itself." Ruse's voice instantly grew dark. "Tell me, can you still claim not to have betrayed me now?"

Zaram could only watch on in despair as burning fingers wrapped around her throat. She knew she was going to die. She had failed completely. Ah, at least she would join her friends... no, her brothers soon.

Just as Ruse was about to release his flames, one of the maids coughed. He frowned as he turned to that maid. "Larsial (Lar-shul), what are you doing here?"

The maid chuckled coquettishly and undid the illusion magic she casted on herself. A pair of laughing purple-blue eyes regarded Zaram's shocked expression. That was because this woman was actually a daeben! Pale-blue skin adorned with tattoos, subtly covered by an expensive looking red and dark-brown leather armour that exposed most of her cleavage. The woman smiled at Zaram, before winking at Ruse. "As big boss's trusted right hand, wouldn't it be bad if I ever left your side?"

Ruse didn't even bother replying. "What do you want?"

"Don't worry," Larsial said as she walked over. "This time I just want to give my boss some advice." She pointed at Zaram, "That girl, don't kill her. We still need the local support and she's a big figurehead amongst them. It's one thing to imprison her, but if we kill her, we lose their trust."

"We can just threaten them!" Ruse spat.

Larsial shook her head. "Sorry boss, I know you're angry." She wrapped her arms round Ruse from behind. To Zaram's surprise, her harms neither burned nor was she harmed in anyway. "But you don't want the higher-ups to know you messed too much with the karmic virtue right?"

"What dog-shit karmic virtue! Who believes that shit!" Ruse spat out in rage. But despite his words, his fingers still relaxed around Zaram's throat. Reluctantly, he released her and she crumpled to the table. Without even glancing at her, he spat, "Get her out of my sight!" When the guards had finally dragged the dull woman out, Ruse turned to Larsial. "So, why did you really have me release her?"

Larsial smiled. "Call it woman's intuition. I have a feeling she would be useful later on."

Ruse rose a brow. "Is that it?"

Larsial only shook her head and pursed her lips with a cute pout. "Women can't reveal all her secrets you know? How else would we keep the men interested." She pecked Ruse on the cheek, her tone an alluring husk as she added, "Now simmer down, we'll find creative ways to vent your anger later tonight. Maybe, I might even reveal some of my secrets."

Ruse's right hand rose to meet her face, but she released him and jumped back with a short laugh. "The little wannabe kings are here," she announced, as she disappeared in a whiff of smoke.

Ruse stared at the spot she had just been, before gloomily taking his seat at the head of the table.

No sooner had he sat down, did the doors swing open and a total of thirty men and women walked into the room. Walking at the head of these group of people was a red haired, middle-aged halben woman Asha would have recognized were she here: Sheri Orthana.

Guided by the maids, the people all took their designated chairs at the table. Naturally, Orthana's seat was next to Ruse on the right.

Ruse's eyes scanned over these people with blatant disdain, but none of them dared to raise an objection. He then closed his eyes for a moment to adjust his mental state. When he was sure he would not directly melt the next person to slightly annoy him, he announced in an authoritative tone, "We are here to discuss how to prevent that accursed daeben from eating this country. If you do not wish to see this happen, then stay. Otherwise leave..."

Leave? Who dared to leave at this point? Doing so would be the same as declaring war on the rest. What sinister wording Ruse had used.

Sheri Orthana, while respectful, was not as afraid of this man as the others were. She had faced off against far scarier people in the high courts. She had lost to one of those people resulting in her current situation. "We would not be here if we did not want the same thing. Speak, please, what exactly do you want?"

Ruse's eye twitched, but then he recalled how he needed this woman to corral the wild herd that was the various chiefs. He suppressed his irritation as he explained, "If we allow the daeben to stay with the dwarfs for longer than necessary, he might convince them to defect to Rosendun."

Orthana frowned. "Surely you jest. The dwarfs have never willingly agreed to live under the rule of another since the beginning of time. Unless you think he'll force them?"

Ruse shook his head. "What I'm about to tell you is a classified secret, very few select people are aware of." He paused, noticing the tension in the room thicken with every passing second. When he was sure everyone was engaged, he said, "The only reason the drakul coexist with the other races is as a result of his design."

There was a collective gasp around the hall, some going as far as to cry out in disbelief. This was not any ordinary tribe. These were the fiercely territorial drakul! If he could find a way for them to serve under humans, who was to say he could not convince the dwarfs to do the same! These people could scarcely believe the words, but since it had come from a man like Ruse, they had no choice to take it as the truth, whether they believed it or not. This was the benefit of power.

Orthana closed her eyes in thought. "If he manages to take control over the region governed by the dwarfs, that would be real trouble." Of course, the dwarven territory encompassed a huge area at the direct center of the 'right claw'. Such a strategic location. If anyone wished to travel up or down that area, they must pass through that territory or add at least twenty days to their journey if they wished to go around it. Her eyes shone with steely determination. "What's your plan?"

Ruse raised two fingers. "A two-pronged attack. To allow easy access, there are two main gates to the dwarven caverns. North and South. My men and I will directly launch an attack head-on from the north. My head alone should serve as a suitable lure for their high ranking fighters. With their best fighters lured towards me, you attack the south with a coalition of your forces."

The men and women could not help but release a gasp of admiration. Usually the strong leaders would use the weaker players as bait, but in this case he was more than willing to be the bait! This meant they would only be fighting impoverished dwarfs who had not fought for decades.

But one amongst them was not so easily impressed. "How exactly are we supposed to sneak an army ten thousand strong past their territory to attack them from the south?"

Surprisingly Ruse chuckled, clearly amused. "Why are you thinking of land when you can travel by water."

Everybody visibly paled. Travel by water? Them they would have to cross the great divide between Merriheim and Drakase? Are you fucking crazy!? All those rumors that nobody came back alive after entering Drakase? Those were rubbish for tourists. The locals all knew the truth. It was not that no one returned from Drakase, no one ever reached the damned place!

That semicircular canal was like a hook of death. Whoever dared to enter would definitely perish to the overwhelming monsters below. Kraken? Hydra? Any one of these warriors would sooner hug and kiss those guys than be within ten kilometers of the monsters beneath that sea. This asshole wanted them to go across that river on a journey that would take at least three days if they sped like crazy?

Fucker, if you wanted to fish for exquisite creatures you should have just said so!

Seeing the faces which had turned red with extreme rage, Ruse only chuckled. "Don't worry, I'll gift you a fleet of DarkSpawn ships."

Immediately, the originally red faces, turned to a different shade of red as they howled in exaggerated joy! What were DarkSpawn ships? These were ships crafted from the carcasses and bones of immensely powerful monsters. These gave off an overwhelming sense of danger to the monsters in the seas, preventing them from daring to probe, much less attack the ship. If Ruse was gifting them these ships, then he was confident they would work on the monsters.

However, once again, Orthana proved why she led this group of mad men and women. "I assume you will also accompany us?" What DarkSpawn? What if they were made from the bones of thousands of church mice. Wouldn't she and her men die an unjust death for the bards to laugh at for ages?"

Sheri and her band of Merry,

Set for glory with her gaze imposey,

Built a ship from mice so holy,

Sent her straight to hell, so lonely.

Naturally, Ruse had no idea what was going on in Sheri's head. "Naturally," Ruse smiled. "Why would I spend weeks crossing with my army, when we can just sail across the river and be there in a few days."

Orthana nodded, her greatest fear allayed. "We will need time to prepare. A week at the least."

Ruse's gaze steeled. "The deadline is eleven days."

"Fine, that is more than enough."

"Alright then!" Ruse exulted in a pleased voice as he clapped his hands twice. Several maids walked into the room with equisite cuisine that sucked the drool from these poor men and women. "Please, please, enjoy your meal," he said as the maids placed the trays on the table. "Feel free to eat as much as you want." He added with a slight leer, "Of course the maids are also on the menu." Before the few women could vent their frustrations, Ruse added, "Of course, before I am considered a chauvinist," he clapped again.

This time a bunch of topless guards trooped into the hall and began sparring against each other. Watching those supple muscles glisten with sweat from the strenuous exercise left those women far hungrier than the rare dishes in front of them.

Ruse chuckled as he turned to Orthana. "If you will my lady, I do believe this is not a place for one such as yourself."

Orthana nodded as she stood up, then proceeded to exit the room with Ruse.

Unbeknownst to Kashi, he had unwittingly united the forever incompatible Merriheim against himself...

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A/N: Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Was kinda hard for me to write. Seen some movies and animes (especially animes. The japanese are masters at that shit) that cause me to cry for a character that has been on screen for like 2 minutes compared to some other characters that have been there for like thirty episodes and I really couldn't give a flying rat's ass when they died.

I mean I still have to force back tears every time GURREN LAGAAN SPOILER ALERT!!! Kamina dies in Gurren Lagaan. And that guy was only around for like 8 or so episodes. 

Tried to do something similar here. (Of course not to the extent of crying. I know i aint that good.) But I need some honest feedback please. DId any of y'all feel anything? And if not, can you think of anything that might have improved the mood, except extra screen time of course. These guys are less than minor characters... The other no-name guards are already stricken with envy over these guys having two appearances...

Alright y'all that's it for now.. Leave your comments(compulsory! lol) and votes (optional. Don't really care much about those) and have a nice Saturday night and relaxing Sunday.. See you all again soon