"How were they?" Thalune Sylvaris, also known as #1 of the Veridahn, spoke with Lord Cefketa as they materialized through the dimensional portal into the living crystalline corridors of Firmatha Sangaur Tower. The walls themselves pulsed with a soft bioluminescent glow that responded to their footsteps, creating ripples of light that followed their passage.

"Thalune, don't you have anything better to do?" Cefketa asked the lackadaisical elf playboy.

Thalune shrugged his shoulders with practiced nonchalance, "Not really. You know how much of a control freak Ms. Lumévael is. She has to have all the paperwork just right. She always shoos me away..." He acted distraught, though the slight smirk playing at his lips betrayed his satisfaction with the arrangement.

Cefketa simply ignored him and continued walking. The fact that Thalune had managed to manipulate a proud Weproti like Nocthera Lumévael—#6 of the Veridahn's Numbers—into handling all his administrative duties while he lounged about was proof enough of his superior talent for individual manipulation.

"Sooo? Don't keep me in suspense. What happened?" Thalune asked again, but Cefketa continued to ignore him. Instead, it was Sage who provided a detailed recounting of the evening's events. As they walked through corridors lined with flowing data streams visible through transparent walls, that data turned into the scenes that were secretly recorded by Sage during their trip.

After hearing her report, Thalune sighed in dismay, the sound causing nearby wall panels to dim sympathetically. "So the loudmouth died, huh?"

"Yep!" Roisin chirped with obvious delight, holding out her hand expectantly.

Thalune groaned again and pulled a small crystalline gem from his coat pocket, its faceted surface refracting the corridor's ambient lighting into prismatic rainbows. He handed it to Roisin, who giggled to herself and tucked it away.

"But it seems other than that, things went rather well. Especially thanks to Issa," Thalune commented, much to the surprise of the other Persequions following behind him.

From their perspective, Issa had been almost as problematic as the loudmouth. What shocked them even more were Cefketa's next words.

"Yes, Issa performed exceptionally well. She has a keen eye for reading situations." Lord Cefketa's confirmation caused several wall displays to flicker with data streams, as if the AI was analyzing and recording his assessment.

Some of the group remained confused until Sage sighed and explained, "After that idiot died, he made you all look incredibly weak. Issa's outburst demonstrated that you weren't afraid of Amaterasu's power. In fact, it gave Abrax a perfect opportunity to display his presence. Not only that, it also showed your loyalty to Sensei."

Understanding dawned on their faces, illuminated by the soft phosphorescence of the walls. Issa smiled gently and nodded, happy to know her efforts hadn't gone unnoticed.

"Morale can make or break a war," Issa explained. "The fool dying so pitifully without retaliation would have given them a false sense of superiority. It was best to quell that impression as quickly as possible. I'm grateful my intentions were easily recognized by Lord Cefketa."

"Enough ass-kissing," Cefketa interrupted, stopping abruptly in the middle of a junction where multiple corridors converged like the spokes of a wheel.

"Is there anything else you noticed?"

They all stood in complete silence, the only sound being the gentle hum of the towers' living Systems circulating air and energy around them. There was much they had observed, but they weren't certain what specifically he was referring to.

Both Sage's and Cefketa's eyes locked onto Abrax simultaneously. Sage's gaze alone would have been uncomfortable, but accompanied by Lord Cefketa's draconic intensity, it became suffocating. The others were shocked—Abrax had seemed like the golden boy of their group. Ever since his awakening, he had received special attention from Lord Cefketa and his inner circle.

Abrax lowered his head respectfully. "Did I do something to cause concern?"

"No..." Cefketa responded flatly, his voice causing minor vibrations in the crystalline wall structures.

Sage was the one who continued, her words carried by the corridor's acoustic enhancement Systems. "It's not what you did. It's what you might do."

"I don't understand—"

Before Abrax could finish his statement, Sage's eyes locked onto his with predatory focus, and her voice entered his mind directly, bypassing the need for the base's communication Systems entirely.

"Your eyes need not wander where they do not belong, else it will lead you to your ruin."

Abrax's eyes widened in shock and understanding. When he closed them, trying to center himself, all he could see was the image of Amaterasu floating among her Celestial Snow, surrounded by an otherworldly beauty that defied description. He released a shaky breath.

"I will take your words to heart," he said with quiet resolve.

"Good." Cefketa resumed walking toward the heart of the Veridahn base, his footsteps now causing the walls to display directional light patterns that guided their path. "Tell the Numbers to assemble in the main briefing room. This Awakening is more troublesome than I anticipated—we'll need to adjust our strategies and training regimens. The meeting will begin after I take my dip in the Blood Pool."

Thalune lazily touched the communication node embedded in his collar, and the device immediately interfaced with the base's network to relay commands. Throughout Firmatha Sangaur, priority alerts began flowing through bio-neural pathways built into the living structures itself, summoning the Numbers to assembly.

---

The main briefing room was a marvel of biotechnological engineering, its domed ceiling resembling the interior of a massive geode lined with crystalline formations that served as both decoration and sophisticated data processing nodes. The walls curved seamlessly into the floor, their surfaces embedded with thousands of micro-displays that could present information at any resolution or scale. At the center of the room stood a circular table carved from a single piece of living crystal, its surface capable of generating three-dimensional holographic displays with startling clarity.

Everyone of importance had gathered around the luminescent table: Sage with her eternally composed expression, The Twins giggling quietly to each other, the Numbers arranged according to their numbers, and now both Abrax and Issa had been granted seats—a significant honor marked by the table automatically adjusting its size to accommodate them.

The others found spaces along the curved walls.

At the moment, they were all waiting for Cefketa to arrive, and in the meantime, Roisin was shouting across the crystalline table at Druvak, Son of Vaerros—the Gorvath war chief also known as #2 of the Numbers.

"Pay up, big guy!" Roisin's voice echoed through the chamber's acoustic enhancement System, which automatically modulated her volume to prevent damage to sensitive hearing while ensuring everyone could understand her perfectly.

"Bah! He had a loud mouth, but was adequately skilled. I didn't think he'd die THAT fast. Raaagh!" Druvak pounded the table in frustration, the impact causing ripples of light to spread across its surface while the room's stabilization Systems absorbed the vibration to prevent any structural damage.

"Yeah, yeah... just pay up," Roisin chided, her fingers drumming impatiently on the table's edge.

Druvak pulled out a small crystalline gem and slid it across the table's surface. "Take your prize, tiny crazy human."

"It's Persequion now... hehehehe," Roisin giggled to herself.

"We have plenty of money, Ro. What are you even going to do with that chump change?" Zidane asked.

"It's not about the money, Zizi. It's about sending a message!" She poked her brother in the chest.

"A message, really?"

"Yeah."

"What's the message then?"

"I don't know." Roisin shrugged, and the two of them began laughing.

Their laughter was cut short as the room's main doors slid into the walls with a soft hiss. The strong, metallic smell of blood immediately wafted through the chamber, carried by the ventilation System that normally filtered all odors. Cefketa entered wearing an ornate robe that seemed to be woven from liquid shadows, his hair still damp from what was obviously his recent dip. The room's bio-sensors immediately detected his presence and adjusted the lighting to a more formal configuration.

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Trailing behind him, much to Sage's visible annoyance, was Veydris—the Matriarch of the Kitsune and holder of the Sixth Seat. Her multiple tails swished elegantly, each one adorned with jewelry that sparkled in the enhanced lighting.

"Why is she here?" Sage asked.

"As I've told you several times, I've been personally overseeing Lord Cefketa's recovery," Veydris responded smoothly, her words accompanied by subtle pheromone releases that the room's atmospheric processors immediately detected and neutralized.

"He's healed enough to get around on his own just fine," Sage retorted, the sharp edge in her voice could cut glass.

"Not all wounds are physical."

"Neither are all his desires. But that seems to be the only thing you provide." Sage's cutting response caused the room's AI to automatically increase sound dampening around their conversation.

Veydris simply gave a fanged smile that teetered on threatening, her predatory expression triggering minor alert protocols in the room's security Systems.

"That's enough. Sage, while I appreciate the concern, you don't need to involve yourself in my personal affairs," Cefketa said as he took his place at the head of the table, which immediately reconfigured itself to provide him with additional interface nodes.

"That remains to be seen, Sensei. But I will relent for the moment. I won't deny you your toy." Sage nodded respectfully to Cefketa and dismissively waved off Veydris.

Druvak snickered at Sage's sharp tongue, the sound reverberating through his massive chest cavity. Titan Orcs had a universally unfavorable view of Kitsune, considering them tricksters and seductresses, hardly worthy warriors. Any slight toward them was welcome.

"Oh, thank you so much," Cefketa replied with obvious sarcasm at Sage, allowing him to do anything.

Veydris smiled gently as she took her place standing behind Cefketa's chair. She had long ago learned that Sage, The Twins, and that necklace Cefketa wore were the only things that should never be touched if one wished to remain on his good side.

"Let's begin." Cefketa's command caused the room to shift into full presentation mode—the ambient lighting dimmed while the table's surface began generating complex holographic displays.

He explained the evening's events in meticulous detail, the table automatically creating visual representations of key moments and individuals as he spoke. After his comprehensive recounting, Veydris frowned, her tails bristling slightly in agitation.

"They're making themselves into a nation?" The birth of the Persequion race as a distinct species meant very little to her, but the political implications were concerning.

"That's what has you worried? Not this new race of humans?" Nocthera, #6, asked with genuine confusion.

"Please, regardless of how favored they are, none of them will be able to match the full might of the Seats anytime soon. Well, maybe a few of them could prove troublesome." Veydris explained her position.

Cefketa nodded in agreement. Even now, he had only managed to fight Vaerros to a standstill, and even then, he could sense the Titan Orc Warchief holding something back—some reserve of power that remained untapped.

"Be that as it may, the Seats won't be the ones fighting unless absolutely necessary. Also, their becoming a nation, while surprising, is not entirely unexpected," Sage explained, her words causing data streams to flow across the wall displays.

"So, Petals, what do you want to discuss with us?" Thalune called Sage by the pet name he had given her.

Sage shot him a withering glance before waving her hand over the table. As she did so, three-dimensional images emerged from the crystal surface—perfect holographic representations of all the Tiny Tots, each one rendered in stunning detail down to individual facial expressions and energy signatures.

"These are the Tiny Tots, excluding myself for obvious reasons," Sage announced as she stood, the room's acoustics automatically amplifying her voice to the perfect volume. "These individuals, as you know, were all personally trained and honed into deadly weapons by Lord Cefketa."

She tapped the table's interface, and the Tiny Tots' images began appearing one by one, each accompanied by combat footage and capability demonstrations. The holographic displays showed their pre-Awakening abilities with crystal clarity—feats that were impressive by any standard, and this was before they had undergone their transformation into Persequions.

"Each one of them is lethal and should be handled with extreme caution. Not only do they possess extraordinary skills, but they were all taught how to fight and kill opponents much stronger than themselves." Sage paused, allowing the room's processors to analyze the combat data and generate threat assessments. "However, even among this group of exceptional individuals..."

She swiped her hand across the display, and most of the images disappeared, leaving behind only ten figures standing in perfect holographic detail. The room's lighting automatically adjusted to focus attention on these remaining figures.

"Some stand out more than others."

Everyone fell silent as they studied the ten figures presented before them. Even through holographic projection, each one radiated a heavy, threatening presence that made the room's environmental Systems work harder to maintain comfortable atmospheric conditions.

Sage reached forward and separated one figure from the others—Mythara's image floating independently above the table, surrounded by data streams showing his draconic heritage and combat capabilities.

"We'll simply ignore Mythara. None of you has a chance against him. Don't even begin to think of engaging him in combat."

"Mythara is mine and mine alone to deal with," Cefketa cut in decisively. Everyone nodded in understanding—even without Lord Cefketa's claim, none of them would consider it wise to face a Dragon, regardless of his apparent youth. The only one showing signs of dissatisfaction was Abrax, whose biometric readings indicated elevated stress levels that the room's sensors immediately detected and logged.

"Now, this is in no particular order, but let's begin with Mirage." The table generated a new holographic display showing Mirage in action, firing countless rays of light with devastating precision.

"Mirage's abilities revolve around light manipulation and control. As his namesake implies, he can use this power to create visual illusions, but he can also give light mass and transform it into deadly weapons." Sage pointed to the combat footage showing rays of light that pierced through everything in their path, the energy beams leaving glowing trails in the holographic recreation.

"Now he's not only Awakened but is also among the Favored. There's no telling how far his abilities have evolved. Any suggestions on how to deal with him?" Sage asked, knowing that with her assessment of their personnel, none of them were particularly well-suited to counter his specific capabilities.

"We could request assistance from the Gargoyles," Thalune suggested lazily, his words causing the room's database to automatically pull up files on Gargoyle species and capabilities.

"The Gargoyles? Are there any Gargoyles among the Veridahn?" Sage asked, studying the new data displays that appeared around the table.

"No, due to their unique constitution and... disposition, they're not suited for policing forces," Nocthera explained, her vampiric knowledge of other supernatural species proving useful.

"But can they serve as an effective fighting force?"

"Absolutely," Thalune confirmed, the room's analytical Systems already calculating optimal deployment strategies.

"Noted. I'll contact them later. Moving on..." With another gesture, the display changed to show Siren in action.

The new hologram showed Siren standing in the center of a battlefield, her index finger resting against what appeared to be a respirator mask. All the figures surrounding her suddenly collapsed in perfect synchronization, their defeat so complete and sudden it was almost unsettling to watch.

"Siren—manipulator of sound waves capable of a host of effects, both utility and lethal. The most frightening aspect is that her attacks will be unseen and potentially unheard." The room fell quiet once again, the silence so complete that the chamber's atmospheric processors seemed unnaturally loud.

Thurvain Calmireth, the Vaelthora(Leviathan) of the Numbers and #5, raised his hand to speak. His aquatic heritage was evident in the subtle gill slits along his neck and the way moisture seemed to gather around him even in the controlled environment.

"I would suggest the Nymphs handle her; however, they are an eccentric—some would say bizarre—species, and very fickle. There also aren't many of them comparatively, so I doubt they'll be willing to offer aid. However, there is an alternative."

"What alternative?" Sage asked, having heard enough stories about Nymphs to know she had no desire to deal with creatures even more unstable than The Twins.

"We could employ the Mermaids," Thurvain suggested, causing the room's environmental Systems to automatically increase humidity around his position to keep him comfortable.

"Mermaids? Ah, I see... They're the offspring of Nymphs and Vaelthora unions. So they likely share abilities from both parent species," Sage reasoned, the table's analytical Systems confirming her assessment with supporting data.

"Correct. While most aren't quite as potent as their Nymph parentage, there are quite a few who could meet our needs," Thurvain confirmed.

"I'll leave that coordination to you then. Moving on." With another fluid motion, the next image appeared—Bloody Mary in all her macabre glory.

The holographic display showed her dancing through a field of blood created from her enemies, her movements elegant and deadly. Sage continued her briefing as the room's processors analyzed the combat data.

"Beautiful, elegant, somewhat unstable, and absolutely lethal," Sage summarized. Several Weproti who had encountered her two years ago nodded in agreement, their vampiric nature allowing them to appreciate both her beauty and her terrifying capabilities.

"She manipulates blood to a degree that rivals elder Vampires. After her Awakening, I have no idea what she might be capable of, but I suggest you treat her as an ancient Vampire Lord who has the added benefit of a Dragon-like connection to Vaylora."

There wasn't much silence this time as Druvak slapped the table with enthusiastic force, causing the entire crystal surface to ring like a bell. His boisterous laughter filled the chamber, the sound enhanced by the room's acoustics until it seemed to come from everywhere at once.

"We've been fighting those blood-suckers for millennia, so we're well-versed in countering blood manipulation techniques. Leave this Bloody Mary to us! AHAHAHAHA!" He slapped the table again, his excitement causing the bioluminescent veins in the walls to pulse brighter.

Sage wasn't entirely certain she should trust the confidence of that mountain of muscle, but when her eyes met Thalune's across the table, the Elven leader simply nodded reassuringly. She sighed with relief, the sound causing the room's air circulation to adjust slightly.

The next image was of Bumi, and before Sage could provide a detailed analysis, Druvak shouted out again.

"Ah, our human kindred! We'll do battle with this one as well! AHAHAHAHA!"

"No, we'll handle him," Thurvain interrupted firmly, his voice carrying the authority of deep ocean currents. Druvak's expression darkened at the contradiction.

"Mountains cannot withstand the eternal pounding of waves and wind. We will handle him," Thurvain repeated with quiet finality.

The two stared each other down while the room's tension sensors registered the escalating conflict. The air grew heavy as both combatants seemed on the verge of physical confrontation, their opposing natures—earth and water—creating an almost tangible pressure in the chamber. Finally, Druvak clicked his tongue in frustration and sat down, his concession causing the floor to vibrate slightly.

Thurvain nodded toward Sage, who continued with visible relief.

"This is where things become difficult. The next on our list..." Sage paused, her expression growing more serious as the hologram changed.

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