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[color=fff79a]“A god?”[/color] Fate asked suspiciously. [color=fff79a]“Seems rather convenient that it only destroyed this city and left the palace and lands beyond unmarred.”[/color]

[color=8882be]“You must understand,”[/color] the man on the throne said, [color=8882be]“this god was weakened, as my sorcerers tell me, from centuries of imprisonment. And yet, although my cadre of mages and enhanced guards managed to drive it off, they paid for it with their lives.”[/color]

[color=fff79a]“Enhanced guards?”[/color]

[color=8882be]“My personal retinue. Picked out because they were far more [i]unique[/i] than the average Daxami.”[/color]

That gave him pause. What the man – lord? – was describing sounded like metahumans, except on their own planet. And someone decided to unleash a god upon this man? To what ends? [color=fff79a]“Why summon a god here? What motivation would these 'heretics' have to risk their own planet against you?”[/color]

[color=8882be]“To smear my name, I suspect,”[/color] the lord said as he sat back against the throne. [color=8882be]“Ever since I starting running to become the High King of this dreadful planet, my opponents have been bending backwards to smear my name and keep me from the Throne.”[/color]

[color=fff79a]“This is political?”[/color]

[color=8882be]“Isn’t everything?”[/color]

[color=fff79a]“Summoning a god, however? Isn’t that a bit extreme? Exposing a stupid mistake in your past would’ve sufficed.”[/color]

The lord gave him a dumb look, which then turned to realization and understanding as he rolled his eyes. [color=8882be]“I forget you’re not from this planet. Smear campaigns against those running for High King – or High Queen – of the planet without irrefutable proof is highly illegal in our world. Even alluding to something without some form of evidence can be charged with conspiracy to incite anarchy.”[/color]

[color=fff79a]“And you suspect someone is going to run a smear campaign against you?”[/color]

[color=8882be]“Most definitely. Even now I can practically see those dreadful reporters rushing to their ships to be the first to get this story.”[/color]

[color=fff79a]“But you just said... what proof do they have against you?”[/color]

[color=8882be]“I am,”[/color] the lord sighed as he waved a hand, [color=8882be]“eccentric when it comes to magical experiments. There is no proof to it, but clearly someone’s willing to go to jail to see me far away from the Throne.”[/color]

Fate blinked as he took all of it in. Someone was willing to go to great lengths just to see themselves on this High Throne, or to keep this lord off of it. He still didn’t know enough to make any judgments, but he had to give answer to the summoning of a god. He had to stop it, seal it away before it regained its powers and put the entire planet at risk. Whatever happened after that, he would let the proponents of the world figure out; last thing he wanted was to get mixed in with politics, especially on a different planet. 

[color=fff79a]“The god that was summoned, which one was it?”[/color]

[color=8882be]“You would know more of that than I, Dr. Fate of Earth,”[/color] the lord said as he leaned forward, [color=8882be]“my sorcerers tell me it’s a relatively ancient earth god with the aspect of War.”[/color]

That narrowed it down. There were as many gods of war as there were past civilizations on Earth. It could be anyone of them. He decided to go for another line of questioning. [color=fff79a]“Do you have any clue as to who plotted this summoning?”[/color]

[color=8882be]“Who else than that demon Witch Queen, Wotan? She’s also running for the High Throne and although she believes her policies are better than mine, I’m winning the polls. She’s been struggling to connect with the various influential countries and no one’s been giving her ‘the time of day’ so to speak. With this, she’s effectively alienated me from all my supporters and they’ll now flock to her.”[/color]

[color=fff79a]“And this god of war, where will I find it?”[/color]

[color=8882be]“It could be huddling in a fucking pit for all I care. But to answer your question, it’s probably in or around Terrussan. The country’s entire economy almost practically survives on war and selling weapons to intergalactic terrorists, selling secrets that would incite war, and well. It makes the most sense.”[/color]

[color=fff79a]“I think that’s enough for now, I’ve taken too much of your time already. I’ll seal this god before anymore damage can be done to the planet.”[/color]

[color=8882be]“You do that. And while you’re at it, do me a favour and expose that bitch Wotan.”[/color]

[color=fff79a]“I’ll make no promises, but I’ll do what I can.”[/color] With that a massive ankh appeared underneath him and he descended into it.

Once Dr. Fate left there was a lingering, stretched silence in the throne room. Then, Lord Kendar leaned over to one of his sorcerers, [color=8882be]“you need to teach me how to make an exit like that.”[/color]

[color=ed1c24]“Of course, my lord.”[/color]