Hell if there ever was one

Zerta gave a wry smile "that and I will not share any information with someone before I meet them, tell this 'Tavarius' if he wishes to learn what I have to share, then it shall be in person."

"Tavarius has a meeting," Justice said, "he'll join you at his earliest convenience."

"Speaking of which, aren't you meant to be in attendance?" Mercy inquired.

"I was just leaving before you invited creepo," Justice said, "don't let him in the pantry or barracks without someone to annoy him for pestering our men. He's got a thing about squirrels."

Faith chimed in as Mercy gave a curious look to Zerta, stepping to another room, "I will be taking my semi-annual leave for now then. I will rejoin you all again as soon as I've cleared my mind. Too much ice on this planet for my taste."

Zerta sighed "very well, I shall wait just let me know when he is ready to meet with me." He slowly started to slip away a low chittering coming from his clothes.

Over the course of the next few days, the shuddering of the bunker became less frequent, the howls from outside less penetrating as the calls of the unliving abandoned the ring of the powerful winds.

Workers for the excavation and many pieces of massive equipment had arrived earlier in the day and the soldiers were starting to change schedules with the ease of the onslaught by the locals that had originally inhabited the area. Mercy had been maintaining the operations efficiently, and his men showed good response to his demeanor. Justice's return silenced the cheery halls, but the productivity of the operations noticeably improved.

An agent came to find Zerta, telling him his presence was sought in the main strategy hall. There I waited, finally available to meet this enigma of a man for myself.

A legion of squirels ran into the room climbing one on top of the other until they eventually formed Zerta hood and all " you should have seen the look on your messengers face when I let out a load screech and exploded into squirrels. Anyway moving on to more pressing matters such as what I believe slumbers deep beneath the surface of this planet."

"Yes, I've read the reports, and have been on my own trek through the simulation of the site," I said, still navigating the holodisplay, "it's nearly complete enough to navigate towards the anomaly. The researchers have pointed my attention to several indicators of a temple. The object you seek may very well be there, have you had time to test hypotheses?"

A small sigh escaped him "sadly not though I doubt the item I seek is there however something I had not dared hope to find most definitely is a true shame it may not be of any use to me for a few Milena more but even so finding it alone is quite remarkable" he shifted slightly "though there is a chance it is in the anomaly"

"I'm afraid I don't quite understand," I responded to him, "what makes you believe that?"

"The relic I seek would never be hidden on the same world the door it opens is on, the only reason there is a chance is that whoever entered the anomaly may have it on them so the chance does exist."

"So these doors are kept away from their keys? It sounds very Colagartrune already; hide away the 'evil' darkness. I suppose whatever happened here might be proof enough, but until this story unfolds, I won't give my people the satisfaction."

I pulled up charts once more of the anomaly.

"I've had my researchers compare data to what scraps we managed to secure from Colagart during the coup. It appears the worlds themselves, with spires like these, are a sort of gateway. The working theory is that they can concentrate and lock in magical energy; syncing someone up with the associated element.

"Thus, whoever used it here, really fucked up. They likely did the same thing my people have been trying to do for ages based on the legends of Strovodinok. They constructed a harness to consume the planet's elemental energies through the spires, and artificially granted themselves an infinity time element; but if I had to guess, the tower just cannot be used that way. It overloaded, for lack of a better term, and created a rift in time where they still sit and will cease to exist once we restore the tower.

"More importantly though, we may be looking at the source of the scourge. That improper use of the tower, we've seen its effects on Colagart. While the spires seem to be capable of granting immense elemental power, we've determined manipulating it the wrong, or right way depending on your view, results in a magical singularity in the source or host. I could go on all day though, and I've veered us off course. You know all this, it is just exciting to be able to speak openly about it. I rather talk about you and the army of millions you destroyed my people with."

Zerta winced at the last words "I'm afraid your going to have to be a little more specific, I've led three armies each of wich has destroyed quite a bit, of wich army and wich people do you refer?" He asked clearly not hiding and blatantly not caring that he may cause offence.

"The one that arrives within the next decade, that you seek to reclaim," I said coolly, "I won't presume to know your intention, it is clear that you are more complicated an individual than when I met you last; but whatever it is you think to do by reclaiming your throne, you destroy everyone and everything I've ever loved. Everyone and everything anyone has ever loved. I'm not happy about what Mercy did by bringing you into our fold, but it presents an opportunity I suppose, as our goals are currently congruous. We both see enemies within the World Eaters. What happens with the spires after that will just have to happen, I suppose."

Zerta grinned and a mild dark pulse shot off of him bouncing off Tavarius and returning to him when it did his face turned quizicle before laughing audibly "HA! its you in that time vortex isn't it, seems the only way to be older than me" he let his laughter subside "still though if you know my end game you should know that what I bring is a new order. Why not join me then I can feel you are strong enough to replace one of my seats when the time comes."

"Because we disagree fundamentally; one more mortal pretending his power over others makes him a God is not what the universe needs. What you bring is an illusion, one you're all too willing to believe. And before we further this conversation, I'll have you understand I am sixteen. I am from your future conquest, not a past one. I have as little clue as you as to what is stuck in that rift."

Zerta sniffed "seems odd, you smell older." He shrugged "anyway if I succeed I shall not be mortal, as it is I am more easily classified as a lich. Any way back to the matter at hand, what is truly wrong with there being peace without choice? Have you ever read a book? Watched one of those screens stories come through? You have no choice there but you still enjoy it, you know what people dont enjoy? During or being or touched fortheir bbeliefs. So I ask you this is it truly better to live an ugly truth when you could instead live a beautiful lie?"

"Peace cannot be created, only found. You may not choose to enjoy the book, but you cannot make another choose to enjoy that book. What people can choose is how to interpret the books, and thus the meaning the author might have had in telling their story; which invariably brings them peace when interpreted by a rational and fair mind. If this is possible, why not chase after the beautiful truth? Why is it not worth trying to find peace in the way things are?"

Zerta sighed "then we shall never agree on this I'm afraid. Still though I shall aid you in whatever relates to this anomaly as it seems mutually beneficial"