The Shadow of Eudaimonia

Chapter 2: Party at Planet Kepler

When Wren and Erik arrived at Kepler using Dazzer, an omnidirectional space-bending ship, the war had been going on for two Keplerian years now. They were summoned to see the government leaders of the different clusters in Kepler. On Wren's planet, Gaia, they have a monarchy to govern the people. And even though Wren doesn't like politics, she couldn't avoid it for she was born with royal blood.

They were transported to a military-grade bunker hidden in the tiny polar cap of the planet. The outside was frozen and bleak from the year-long blizzard but underneath in the bunker, it can beat a tropical five-star hotel in Gaia in grandiosity. Inside the assembly hall, a lot of servants are moving around the place, tending to the needs of the government leaders. They were drinking Litvana, a lavish alcoholic drink brewed exclusively from the planet Nuvamond. Even as a royal, Wren had only tasted it twice. But here they are pouring it out as if it was just tap water.

"Ortus and Veross, thank you for taking the time to visit us," one of the leaders welcomed them with a big smile on his face. He was an old man with balding hair and droopy eyes. Wren has no idea who he was. "Sorry for being informal, but Ortus, I didn't know you're such a gorgeous lady." the droopy-eyed leader added. Wren just smiled to be polite but she was disturbed on how he had said it. As one of her abilities, she changed her sex into a female at the thought that they will listen to her more but now she regretted it. It might have the opposite effect.

"It is our duty," Veross said like some gallant knight. "What do we need to do?"

"Well it's simple really. Our people are protesting out there creating chaos and—"

"And? And what?" Wren interjected. "Are your ears ringing from the collective cries of the voiceless?"

The man gave her a stern look. "We need to let the masses understand that the Inheritor must come from one of us. They elected us in this position. Logically we must take responsibility." Wren looked at the leaders, all of them were men and none of them were not at all concerned about the war. Some of them were chuckling loudly like they're at a birthday party at their friend's backyard, drunk and unbothered as if not thousands of people were dying outside. In that moment, Wren knew this meeting was not about diffusing the war, it was about them ensuring that the power of the Obelisk will be theirs.

Wren's face soured. "If I may be so frank, sirs, I doubt that any of you are physically fit to fulfill the role. Usually, an Inheritor is young and strong so that they can handle the transference ceremony."

"The youth?" the droopy-eyed man scoffed. "But none of them care about this? They're just entitled little pricks."

"And no one from the masses has any experience in leading anyway, unlike us." one of the leaders added.

"Surely that's not true. They lead a civil war, have they not? And the entitled youths you were talking about were in the forefront of the battle."

"I think we're not on the same page here, Miss Ortus," said the one with droopy eyes.

"No, I don't think we are. The Obelisk must be given to those who value others more than themselves, someone who has not lost their humanity to greed."

"Get off your high horse, Miss Ortus. You got your Obelisk because you're a royal. That's no different from giving the Obelisk to us."

Wren smirked. "It would be wise of you if you wouldn't talk to me in such a manner. Might I remind each one of you old fools here that I can destroy your entire army—" she snapped her fingers "just like that."

"Ortus," Veross held her shoulder. "Calm down."

"Yes, calm your bitch down Veross," one of the men murmured.

"Who said that?" Wren looked at the spineless men who couldn't dare to look at her in the eyes. "I see, no one here will admit it, so I'm just going to kill one of you." Wren pounced on the man with droopy eyes and twisted his neck with one smooth motion followed by a satisfying pop. In just a second, the droopy-eyed man was lifeless. The others, horrified, were already on their feet screaming. Some were frozen in their seats in disbelief.

"Call a woman a bitch again and I will do worse than that."

Veross sighed. "That's too much Ortus." Wren looked at Erik and frowned.

"You're lucky Veross is here." she muttered. She pressed her left hand on Erik's chest and her right touched the droopy-eyed man's lifeless body. Her eyes then glowed into a rose colored one. Not a moment later, the man's neck twisted back to normal and he came back to consciousness.

"What the fuck just happened?" the droopy-eyed man asked.

"I'll tell you what. I happened."