ATREUS THYESTES
I am no longer just Atreus I am now Atreus Thyestes son of Lysandre and Cassius Thyestes my family is the most powerful in the Hermes republic one of the four sole nations of the eastern continent and my grandfather is the leader of said nation.
A lot of things have changed since I left the place that I call the red hand firstly the knowledge that Mr World placed in my head when I was younger now make so much sense I can now use it easier than I could back then.
I am taller than I was eight years ago as well I believe I stand at a height of 176cm. My frame isn't muscular however it is well honed my body was fully healed by lord Edmund before he dropped me off in one of the temples of the lord of hope in Hermes.
'If only my grandfather would allow me to start lifting weights with Alex and the rest.' I thought envious of my cousin.
"Hey, what do you know who that is?" Luke whispered as we followed Fate. I look to which direction Luke was nudging his glasses towards. I see that whom he speaks of and sigh. The woman has long light green hair, fair skin and a figure meant for decadence her breasts are nearly falling our out of her green silk dress her hips are ample her waist small.
'Ah, the decadence of man.' I thought my heart unmoved by her beauty.
I shook my head at the young knight. "Do you know her?" He shrugged and said. "She is one of the few trueborn Vanir left in the cosmos. She's actually quite famous or infamous."
"For what?" I asked with interest. However it was not Luke who answered my question but Zeke. "She's infamous for being unmarried for 50 years." My friend said flatly. Pangea has treated him well, his grown to be quite the famous fellow in his home nation of Ogun for his stoicism and his talent as both a spear man and an earth mage he is also a philosopher just like myself.
'Truly a man blessed by gold.'
I clicked my tongue striding forward and asked. "Is she of great importance." The Northman adjusted his glasses and spoke in a cold voice.
"Yes, you could say that...but you see my lords I wanted to go back to our earlier topic. In that one of the things we forgot to discus was the cancer that is slowly coming back to our world sipping its way to every nation in Pangea...especially this one."
'He said the last part in hushed tones...his making an accusation! but...' I truly don't know what he means what? cancer and he said it was coming back he also spoke of the different nations meaning that the cancer was once part once a part of Pangea.
"Slavery." I whispered. He nodded and left me to ponder the rest Zeke seemed to be pondering something as well.
As we made it to the area where Fate was leading us to she left and told us to wait in what looked to be an empty cigar lounge we took our respective seats and we stayed silent for a few moments to make sure that the young 10star mage had left. I glanced around the room it is decorated with ivory and gold with the candles dotted around the place the only source of light the three of us seat in a bar like area with round seats and a table facing the wind.
'We are nobles from great houses not some sell swords.' I thought to myself with a quiet anger.
"Slavery has been outlawed for nearly 15 thousand years!!" Zeke finally said breaking the silence. I shook my head. "You misunderstand the point brother." I said. "Slavery amongst Pangeans is illegal...but what is to stop some pirates from the threading sea, from kidnapping and selling some poor Vanir or Agean folk to some corrupt and perves noble in Pangea."
He thought for a moment then muttered through grinding teeth.
"Nothing!"
I sighed knowing the reality of our new home slavery exists in secret a nobleman having some maids who so happen to be Agean is not cause for any suspicion if a Vanir man is a boy whore nobody would question the situation and would say something like "The poor fellow has come upon hard times".
However most people don't ask the simple question that being why is an Agean whom the majority of which chose to migrate to Persan a nation in the northern continent a maid for an Amazonian noble and why would a Vanir who would have more in common with the Midgardians be a whore in Penglai a nation in the Southern continent.
"I said the nature of the world is to consume yes.... bu-but this is madness!! Yet it are-lines with the perves and decadent nature of the worst of mankind." Luke sighed when he spoke his tone was cold. "Do you know the interesting part of all this?"
Zeke and I shook our heads.
"Is that our people fought side by side during the age of divinity. But now! over four billion of the Vanir are dead with only a few left residing in the Midgard kingdom."
'That figure is titanic!' I thought in horror.
"The world consumes all...including the mana of all heavens." Zeke said in grim poetry.
Silence feels the room it is the same silence that is within my mind because I cannot think of anything else but what Luke just said.
'It seems no where is safe, that is why I must attain insight and power!"
Feeling a bit uncomfortable about the discussion Zeke changed the subject.
"Ahem...are the two of you partaking in tomorrow's event?" Luke and I nodded. I turned to the young knight and said. "Armor is not allowed."
He merely chuckled. "Not all Northerners are reliant on armor and plus I want my bastard of a....."
The door to the room swung open interrupting my new friend. Standing at the door was a dark skinned silver-haired woman dressed in a black suit it was Fate Ngozi daughter of the silver panther himself.
"Their ready for you all." She said sounding grim.
'What happened and why did she give me a strange look?' I thought curious as Zeke, Luke and I followed the young genius once more to meet the strongest in Pangea.
As we walked behind Fate I could not help but notice that Luke kept leering at her hips I shook my head in amusement causing him to scratch the back of his head awkwardly.
'So even the cool tempered fourth son of the silver wolf fails to remain focused in the presence of beauty.'
I have never been the type to romanticize people based on their physical appearance sure when I first arrived in Pangea I could not stop gawking at the different attires, sigils and other things that most people of this land considered common place however after a mere four years of being in Pangea I quickly lost interest in such things.
What interests me now is not the appearance nor the clothing of my fellow man but their reasoning because after all man is the rational animal.
'This is the fundamental principal of stoicism in my opinion.' I thought looking forward to speak on my resent insight in front of all those lame old man.
I was only twelve when my grandfather had me attend one of his lectures in the halls of Plato and I was absolutely loving every moment of it because I new that this was one of the few things I would enjoy that wasn't related to magic.
"These halls are so gory large." Luke said annoyed at the length we've walk thus far. I sighed because he was right the Eastern continent tends to have palaces and villas that were absurdly large.
'Wait I almost forgot something.' I thought as I took out the steel flower the Northern girl with white hair had given me earlier this night I show it to Luke.
"Fate said this meant that the white-haired girl was...interested in me." I said. Luke gave the flower a glance and looked forward and spoke.
"Lady Fate was right...it means Franca is interested in you."
'Why isn't he looking me in the eye ?' I thought suddenly puzzled.
"It also means she's crowned you her king of strength and honor....meaning that she has eyes for you alone." He said nudging his glasses.
But I merely scoffed. "How can girl from a different continent and nation than I believe that she was 'in love with me'." I said air quoting the last part while tossing the waste of good rune steel in the air and catching it afterwards.
"But she's a nice girl from what I know of her!" Luke said.
"She does not know! "me"." I snapped. "And she means nothing to me, but this is some good steel so I will make use of it."
My new friend gave me a stern nod.
I turned my thoughts to more productive things such as.
'I wonder were Alex and Diomedes went hmm Alex is probably with Leona as for Diomedes...hm only the gods know to be honest.' Fate's lively voice soon drew me out of my musings as we made it to our destination.
"We're here boys after walking for...." She paused looking around. "Wait where's that little gold lion?"
'Yes were is Zeke.'
I turned to see Zeke about 15 steps back giving the walls of the palace an inquisitive look.
'Ahh his love for architecture never stops to amaze me to think he's the same after all these years." I thought suppressing a smile. But Fate wasn't feeling the same way I was it seemed as she shouted angrily.
"Zeke!! get back here or else I will tell your father to stop ordering you those lemon cakes you like so much." As if his life was in danger my old friend quickly walked to join the three of us.
I sighed suppressing a laugh and glanced at the huge black door embroidered with a golden man on the left side and golden woman on the right side. It seemed this room was for couples and what not however I paid it no heed because I new my grandfather batter. Lorn Thyestes wasn't a man known for such things so I decided to idly chat to Zeke and Luke while Fate pressed different cubes with runes on the door.
"So, you're telling me that the second son of the spear of Venaheim is addicted to sugar!?" Luke exclaimed in pure surprise. "And I never new that the grandson of the greatest soldier since Shaka despised dogs." Zeke said to me with a scoff.
"Those creatures smell and eat their own feces and they are also so damn loud." I said.
We chatted for a few minutes waiting for Fate to open the door which from the length of which took her to do so made me think she was leading us to some sort of dungeon.
But finally the door opened with a satisfying clank. The door was at least 7 feet however even with mana not allowed in doors because of guest right.
We entered the room and were met with the figure of the emperor of the Raa empire scowling with a dissatisfied expression as he swiftly passed by us without saying a word.
'Who used your chamber pot without permission my liege?' I lampooned inwardly as we entered what I assumed was a meeting room.