After the attack at winter's ball, everyone and everything was in shambles.
Algernon had been instantly sucked into the vacuum of need, being one of the only people capable enough to take charge who wasn't severely injured.
And he, along with Cecil and Luke, were summoned to the capital days after, where the Conclave members, or those still alive, discussed the incident.
"It was an act of war!" Shouted Conclave man Throue in hysterics. "From Etilia and all their allies! They were trying to steal the artifacts while killing as many of us as possible to destroy our infrastructure so they can march in their armies to overthrow Emora and murder the people of our nation."
Other members muttered in agreement to the man's rantings.
Algernon wanted to tell them truthfully, they just wanted to kill everyone in this room, and part of him sympathized with the attackers in that. He kept silent though, continuing a calm front in an attempt to settle down the dramatics.
"We have to remind the other countries why it is they fear Emora." Said Conclave woman Treves who was usually a reasonable woman, but not since losing her son in the attack. "We have to ruin them, scorch their lands, so everyone knows what happens when you raise arms against us."
"It was a select group," Luke spoke from the ground floor in hopes to contain the spreading fear. "Two artifact user and powerful practitioners but few of them," He claimed, straining to maintain a steadfast guise against an immensely painful back injury. "We don't know who they served, but we can't wage war against every nation for what may be the attack of one group."
Cecil dwelled silently besides Luke, reasoning in his thoughts what the attack really signified, without fanning the chaotic confusion. Though what had really bothered him was the extreme power of Prince Loy. Someone he now knew could overpower both him and Luke together, and even feared Algernon's life if they were to meet again.
"Powerful practitioners," Brickwood repeated, joining Algernon and the boys on the ground floor. Though, he wasn't supposed to have access as only a teacher, he helped himself anyways to no one's protest, except for Algernon's silent glare. "And a vessel of the gods."
Audible gasps split through the air as Brickwood turned about the room.
"One of these terrorists didn't want to die, and used his power to destroy an annihilation stone right as it was activated." Brickwood declared in his mastered voice. "Which we know is impossible for anyone, but a man invoked with the power of the gods." He glanced purposefully to Algernon whose face pressed into unadulterated animosity.
"If they do have a vessel on their side." Conclavemen Row talked next. "Our country, all the countries of this world, are in danger." The council all began speaking over one another, agonizing over what this could mean for them, but very little considered the fate of the world.
"If one of them was a vessel, why did they need the stone in the first place!" Algernon had to yell to be heard over the disorder, but they soon hushed down. "If our enemy was as powerful as you all think, they could have ended things then and there. But he didn't."
Brickwood scrutinized his cousin with a shrinking gaze but didn't let his annoyance show to the others. "His intent may be more than you know, cousin." He said, stressing the later. "A man with that much power could force the world to his knees, and there would be nothing we could do about it, not unless someone powerful enough rose up to stand against him." The Conclave remained muted, while Algernon stared back at his cousin, wishing to silence him so badly he could have killed him.
"Exactly!" Conclave woman Treves exclaimed, slamming her fists on the desk as passion surged her screams. "We need to consider every option, for the sake of Emora and everyone in it!"
The Conclave began arguing amongst each other once again as the best way to defend Emora while the corner of Brickwood's lips drew into a thin smile. He turned back to Algernon and the other juvenile artifact users. "Go back to Attwood you three." He directed before any of the members could let loose too much. "Make sure all is in order since there won't be any here for quite a while."
Luke and Cecil turned to Algernon, who stood scowling back at his cousins, but both boys caught the twitch of fear flash in his black eyes as he tried to feign indifference. Before any of the Conclave witnessed it as well, Algernon made his leave.
Cecil followed after him as did Luke, who was the only one of the three to notice how Brickwood attentively watched until the door shut on them. A disturbed gnaw tugged at his stomach nearly as uncomfortable as the pinched nerve in his spine.
Brickwood paused for a few more moments, until the boys were farther away, before summoning the attention back to him.
"My friends." He said, appealing up to the hundreds of eyes with a smile. "There is no doubt Emora is entering the greatest threat it has faced in a thousand years." Everyone who agreed with him nodded their heads frantically, and those that still didn't, didn't object. "Just like there is no doubt we aren't prepared for it." The Conclave sucked in tense gasps, and Brickwood quickly added, "Not yet anyway, and not without drastic measures." No one so much as breathed as they clung onto Brickwood's words, but only a choice few knew where he was going. "And I may have a way to offer us all the savior we need." And just like that, he had the ears and minds of every Conclave man and woman under his control, indefinitely.
~~~~~
"Whatever they may think, war is the last option," Algernon stated to Cecil and Luke as they trekked out of the Conclave Hall. A crowd of the city's residents had gathered to watch them with hands clasped over their hearts. Not one of them had ever seen all three artifact users summoned to the Conclave at once, and it validated their suspicions of war.
Cecil walked behind Algernon with hunched shoulders, his earring battering against his neck as he avoided the stares of the crowd. "I agree." He said as they headed to the carriage waiting to take them to Attwood. "But are you prepared to do what you must for the only other option there is?"
Algernon suddenly grabbed Cecil's collar, his anger that formed in the Conclave meeting exploding out onto him. "That isn't an option."
"Algernon," Luke warned, ready to step in as Algernon's murderous aura made his cuffs vibrate.
Cecil looked into Algernon's black eyes with no fear but knowing there was no point in arguing. He freed himself from Algernon's hold. "You two don't know what war is actually like." He said as his weapon caught the sunlight and highlighted the sharpness of the blade. "And I envy you for it. For not knowing the screams of dying men and women, the smell of copper and rotting flesh so strong it stings your nose for weeks to come and coats your taste buds so every meal you eat is seasoned by iron. Sleep turning into nothing but another battle as your mind fights the enemies reborn again from your memories with every closing of your eyelids though you remember how you slaughtered each and every one and think about it through all waking hours of the day. Seeing your allies dead at your feet and when you return later to bring their corpses home, you find their faces half-eaten by rats so well nourished on human flesh they grow to the size of dogs."
Boyce had been preparing Cecil since he was a child to wield his artifact, and then what it meant to take someone's life with it. He dragged him to the aftermath of battles, ushering him through the ocean of dead in hopes he would learn why it was so important they do everything possible to prevent this carnage. And when Cecil was old enough, he fought by Boyce's side, adding his own carriage to the mix. "War is the destruction of humanity and the last resort I will take to defend it." Cecil declared in a concrete will either had ever heard him speak with before.
Algernon looked over Cecil, wrongly believing he never cared about anything, but it was just the opposite, he cared so much but for only one thing. And that was all that Cecil cared about, nothing else but the prevention of war.
Luke settled a hand on Algernon and Cecil's shoulder to ease the tension as they reached their carriage.
"We won't prevent any wars by fighting amongst ourselves," Luke reasoned, looking at Cecil. And then turning to Algernon added, "And we won't know what the future holds if we don't consider all that it may be."
Algernon and Cecil averted their combative gazes, entering the carriage as Luke held the door for them, heading back to Attwood in silence but minds overrun.