Interlude - The Midnight Reign
The Midnight Reign
The territories of the Midnight Reign Sect were eerie. Dark and depressing. The roads were cobbled stone, a wooden fence running on both ends of the road along it, and every ten or so meters a wooden pole was placed with a lantern hanging from it. Shining a dim light that barely illuminated anything and only made the shadows beyond the road look worse. The moon above was barely showing, a mist covered the ground, tinting everything in a red sheen. He couldnt even see the stars around the moon, the crest of the Midnight Reign Sect.
Everything about this place made Lesamitriuss hairs to stand up. He was on top of his mount, his four guards behind him on their own. The dark furred boar beneath him was as anxious as he was, though probably not because of the atmosphere itself. Their mounts were inching away, trying to avoid the mounts of their escorts. The Midnight Reign Sect escorts were riding pale worm-like creatures, with bulbous heads that had terrifying looking pincers. Something about them was upsetting their mounts, which was surprising. The Twilight Melody Sect had hired trainers, their mounts were reared from a young age to not shy away from battle and monsters.
The riders themselves were mysterious, wrapped in black cloth with large hoods and their faces wrapped, wearing gloves, not showing any skin. He assumed that most of them were human, since he couldnt see any tails or other easily identifiable body parts. Though, a demasi or a ravzor could easily hide their tail beneath their big cloaks. Not even his scent was giving him anything, all of them had the same scentthat of earth and stone, and something else that he couldnt quite grasp.
They had been escorted through two territories, passed through two towns, each was small with no people anywhere he looked. As if they were hiding, or as if there werent any people there in the first place. The Midnight Reign Sect was an enigma. More so than he had ever known.
He remembered their emissaries. They had come to the sect, wearing the same things as his escorts did. Their bodies completely covered. He knew that their territories were those of constant night, so that hadnt been too strange to him. But, they had also asked to meet with his Sect Head, insisted on it. After the Tournament, everyone had wanted to talk with Ryun, mostly about things that he didnt care about. Some simply wanted to give him gifts, or to actively curry favor with a High Ranker. Others wanted to try and speak with him to learn about him more, to try and find any advantage or leverage that they could use against or for him. It wasnt anything that Lesamitrius was unfamiliar with. It was the same with his previous Sect Head. It always went that way with powerful Sect Heads.
Their mysteriousness was a part of their power. If people didnt know much about them, they were feared more, their allies would tread lightly, and their enemies would think twice before trying anything. A Sect Head was a symbol more than a leader, a looming threat that no one should want to come down on you. Ryun embodied that part of the Sect Heads job well.
To him, the Midnight Reign Sect had been just one of the hundreds of sects that had been seeking his Sect Heads attention. His job had been to make sure that none of them reach him. Anrosh was the one who dealt with everything regarding the sect, there wasnt anything that they could gain from talking with Ryun. And most of them probably knew that, most had went on to meet with Anrosh. Perhaps that shouldve been the first clue that something was different.
When asked, the Midnight Reign Sect would say that the issue they wished to bring to Ryun related to mining. It was not anything of great importance, not to him and not to Ryun. They hadnt told anyone the specifics, which Lesamitrius had to admit was to their credit. Now, the sect knew that people that they had taken in had been stealing from the Midnight Reign Sect, but they hadnt declared that to everyone, when doing so couldve embarrassed the Twilight Melody Sect and got them what they wanted. They were honorable.
He didnt know why they did that, or why they just insisted on speaking with Ryun directly. Still, if he could do things again He probably would do the same thing. One sect among hundreds that had asked for his Sect Heads time? There was no reason to believe that it was something important.
And even now what they had done had crossed lines. The Twilight Melody Sect was larger, and they had done something to their people.
Lesamitrius knew the intricacies of sect relationships, so he also knew that any sect could see the power that Twilight Melody Sect held. They were one of the largest on the Frontier, they had an Ascended Realm Cultivator. Their leader was a High Ranker, one that had defeated the Dome Leader, everyone had seen the notification when it died.
The Midnight Reign knew that, which made their decision to do this strange. Enough so, that Lesamitrius reached out to his father, and asked for all the information that the Green Rain Sect had on them. What his father sent him was alarming.
The Midnight Reign Sect was old. Really old, and not just Frontier old. They had been there before the Green Rain Sect was established, and they had been there when the outer edge of the Frontier had ended with their borders. They had always been the same size, had always traded their ore with surrounding sects. They never tried to expand or encroach on territories of others. Always isolationists, but always respectful of others. They never made war, never joined others wars, never gave cause for one.
Lesamitrius could barely believe his eyes. What he saw down there was a city filled with pyramids, with monoliths. With wide streets and people walking, thousands, tens of thousands. The city was easily several times the size of Consequence. The light was dim, but it illuminated enough. The white stone, the golden plates, the ornate towers and monoliths carved with symbols. This was power.
And then he realized what this place was. A conquered wild dungeon, one turned into a city. How had no one known that it was here? How had they kept it hidden?
The undead guards led him down into the city. He saw more undead, the mindless kind pulling carts or cleaning the streets, and the othersCultivators, walking around. Not all were undead, but many were that he could see.
His escort led him down the streets, not letting him take the time to look around much. They dismounted when they arrived at one of the main looking pyramids, and were then led on foot through a giant entrance. He walked in, admiring the art hung on the walls. It was mostly mosaics, filled with colors, depicting strange battles underground. They arrived at large ornate doors, wrought out of gold and black metal.
Only you, one of his still shrouded escorts said. Lesamitrius glanced at his people, then nodded, he had expected that.
The doors opened and he was let inside.
The room was long, and reminded him of the throne room in Consequence, only far grander. Undead guards stood in between the pillars, holding halberds in their hands. Lesamitrius kept his head down as he approached the end, where a large throne sat on top of a dais, with a figure sitting on it.
He stopped a few steps from the stairs, and one of the guards on either side of the throne spoke.
You are in the presence of the Repesh Emsis, Sect Head of the Midnight Reign Sect, Lord of All Under Night, Keeper of the Tide, Great Judge, Holder of the Scepter of Nisha.
When the man was done, Lesamitrius immediately dropped down. A bow in the sects had a lot of different meanings, and he made sure to do this right. He dropped to his right knee, a show of deep respect, but not a full kneel, he did not want to present himself as someone who had come to plead. His left hand, he placed over his chest, a warrior greeting to make them know why he was here and the possibility of what could happen. His right fist he placed on the floor, a show of strength and dominance of his sect. The Midnight Reign Sect was more than they had believed, but Twilight Melody Sect was no small Frontier sect, they had their own honor to consider.
I am Lesamitrius Danos, Emissary of the Twilight Melody Sect. I speak with the voice of my Sect Leader, Anrosh Kesh, who sent me here, and I carry the will of my Sect Head, Ryun Nacht, the Witness of the Journeys End, the Undying Void.
He said, then raised his head and looked at the Sect Head of the Midnight Reign Sect. The man was undead, wearing a golden headdress, golden robes that left his arms bare. Just like the other undead, he was muscled, but he was at least twice their size, almost a giant. His skin was dark, the color of a bruise, he had two black armbands on each arm. An armored dress beneath his waist, his hands rested on his throne, and his blue eyes stared at him from above, without saying a word.
Then, only for a moment, Lesamitrius felt him unveil his core. The power of the man washed over him, and he bowed his head. He steeled himself, trying to keep any expression off his face. He had been sent to find out what had happened to their people, but now Now he had to tread lightly.
Because the Sect Head of the Midnight Reign Sect was in the Ascended Cultivation Realm.