11-27-2019, 11:06 AM
In all of his years of faithful service Grandmaster Lee had never heard a God yell.
The flames of Rage that echoed out from the Heavenly throne we're never in the form of words. The worst he had ever received was watching a pair of hypnotic green eyes pierced through there silk Veil and stare directly into the soul of those who had displeased them. Brought out the deepest fears from the people who had been forced to lay themselves at the feet of the god empress.
He had watched those eyes bring proud people to their knees. People who had seen the hell that was War. Who had commanded armies. Who had led in Nations. All brought to the point of Tears by harsh words and cold eyes.
But never did Wu Zhou yell.
But her daughter?
When the Grand Master has finally explained to her what was going on she had torn open the gates of heaven and left every god and goddess in their entire Pantheon Empower her with such a fierce and bellowing yellow of anger and rage that it was surprising that fire wasn't coming out of her mouth. The echoing of her voice off of the walls should have brought the palace down on all of their heads.
"HOW COULD YOU LET THIS HAPPEN!?"
The man pushed his knee into the black marble in front of the throne
" forgive me my Empress. I underestimated the resolve of the matriarchy. I didn't think they'd commit so much of their limited resources to this scheme…"
" underestimate. Underestimate is correct. All you seem to do is underestimate. You underestimated Lauchnoria and allowed them to plant those vicious rumors questioning Yahumis devotion to her husband. Now that poor woman will have to deal with doubters thinking she's some kind of harlot in the back of their minds until the day she dies. If that wasn't enough you underestimated Tepilcayotl resolved and Desperation for the obsidian Throne. If I had an ordered an agent Infiltrate The Palace of flowers we would have never been able to get the warning to the empress about the impending assassination attempt. She would have been killed in her own bed! Now you underestimate the matriarchy. They're fanatics. They will spend any amount of their limited resources to protect them from what they view as a world trying to destroy them. You really don't think they would have sent their sleeper agents into the empire? One of the counselors has a blood Feud with my house that has lasted for Generations! What do you have to say for yourself Grandmaster?! What do you have to say to defend all of your incompetence!"
The Grandmaster kept his nose pointed at the ground. Desperately trying to think of some way to justify his failures. To apologize for them. But all he gave the empress was 30 seconds of Silence. But in those 30 seconds that dragon that sat on the throne atop steps of gold calm down slightly. Her rage muted but still there as she spoke a little more calmly.
" I have made an underestimation myself Grandmaster. Clearly I have underestimated your capacity for incompetence. From This Moment On I strip you of that title. No one who has had so many failures under their watch deserves to carry it. I expect you to formally resign from the shingzi ren. Take the pension you have errands with years of service and go far away from the capital. I never want to hear about you again…"
The man nodded as he began to rise to his feet.
" i... I am so sorry my empress"
" go! All of you leave."
The former Grandmaster and the handful of other high-ranking agents who had joined him for this briefing in the throne room began to make their way out of the room. But before they crossed through the portal at the front of a chamber, the empress called out one more time.
" except for you Director Hong. I need a word with you"
As the rest of the Shingzi ren walked through the doors that were closed behind them the single agent turned around. Pointing his head towards the ground he walked across the White marble and then crawled across the black marble until he was at the foot of the golden steps.
" how may I serve you my empress?"
"... I have read the reports that you made about the seriousness of the Aurora threat after the conclusion of the Civil War in Lauchnoria. I must offer you apologies that my mother and the former Grandmaster did not see the wisdom that you clearly possess. You were right"
" th...thank you my empress… although this is quite a hollow victory. I was a Harbinger that no one listened to"
" well you have the ear of the Empire now. In these coming weeks the nation is going to be at Great risk. I cannot even trust the Imperial committee anymore since it is clear that the Aurora's can make it incredibly far at the bureaucracy without being detected. I can only trust my Shingzi Ren… but I need someone in charge of that organization that I can trust. Director I offer you the position of acting Grandmaster"
Director hong raised his head. A look of shock directed up towards to Heavenly Throne. He had always been on the outside of the leader. Given Authority but only as an objective voice to balance out the choir of agreement that often formed amongst the leadership of these organization. Now he was being asked to run it
" i… I don't know what to say"
" thank you my Empress. I accept" Wu Zhao replied sarcadtically. Earning the tiniest of smiles from the usually stony-faced man.
" thank you my Empress. I accept. I will form a group of people who I can trust to handle this situation. We will begin to formulate a plan to eliminate the Aurora threat here and abroad"
" good... you are dismissed"
The empress look to her side as her new Grand Master walked out of the throne room
" send a letter to President Greenwood. Tell her she is invited for tea. She was so scared of my mother I don't think she would dare refuse"
The flames of Rage that echoed out from the Heavenly throne we're never in the form of words. The worst he had ever received was watching a pair of hypnotic green eyes pierced through there silk Veil and stare directly into the soul of those who had displeased them. Brought out the deepest fears from the people who had been forced to lay themselves at the feet of the god empress.
He had watched those eyes bring proud people to their knees. People who had seen the hell that was War. Who had commanded armies. Who had led in Nations. All brought to the point of Tears by harsh words and cold eyes.
But never did Wu Zhou yell.
But her daughter?
When the Grand Master has finally explained to her what was going on she had torn open the gates of heaven and left every god and goddess in their entire Pantheon Empower her with such a fierce and bellowing yellow of anger and rage that it was surprising that fire wasn't coming out of her mouth. The echoing of her voice off of the walls should have brought the palace down on all of their heads.
"HOW COULD YOU LET THIS HAPPEN!?"
The man pushed his knee into the black marble in front of the throne
" forgive me my Empress. I underestimated the resolve of the matriarchy. I didn't think they'd commit so much of their limited resources to this scheme…"
" underestimate. Underestimate is correct. All you seem to do is underestimate. You underestimated Lauchnoria and allowed them to plant those vicious rumors questioning Yahumis devotion to her husband. Now that poor woman will have to deal with doubters thinking she's some kind of harlot in the back of their minds until the day she dies. If that wasn't enough you underestimated Tepilcayotl resolved and Desperation for the obsidian Throne. If I had an ordered an agent Infiltrate The Palace of flowers we would have never been able to get the warning to the empress about the impending assassination attempt. She would have been killed in her own bed! Now you underestimate the matriarchy. They're fanatics. They will spend any amount of their limited resources to protect them from what they view as a world trying to destroy them. You really don't think they would have sent their sleeper agents into the empire? One of the counselors has a blood Feud with my house that has lasted for Generations! What do you have to say for yourself Grandmaster?! What do you have to say to defend all of your incompetence!"
The Grandmaster kept his nose pointed at the ground. Desperately trying to think of some way to justify his failures. To apologize for them. But all he gave the empress was 30 seconds of Silence. But in those 30 seconds that dragon that sat on the throne atop steps of gold calm down slightly. Her rage muted but still there as she spoke a little more calmly.
" I have made an underestimation myself Grandmaster. Clearly I have underestimated your capacity for incompetence. From This Moment On I strip you of that title. No one who has had so many failures under their watch deserves to carry it. I expect you to formally resign from the shingzi ren. Take the pension you have errands with years of service and go far away from the capital. I never want to hear about you again…"
The man nodded as he began to rise to his feet.
" i... I am so sorry my empress"
" go! All of you leave."
The former Grandmaster and the handful of other high-ranking agents who had joined him for this briefing in the throne room began to make their way out of the room. But before they crossed through the portal at the front of a chamber, the empress called out one more time.
" except for you Director Hong. I need a word with you"
As the rest of the Shingzi ren walked through the doors that were closed behind them the single agent turned around. Pointing his head towards the ground he walked across the White marble and then crawled across the black marble until he was at the foot of the golden steps.
" how may I serve you my empress?"
"... I have read the reports that you made about the seriousness of the Aurora threat after the conclusion of the Civil War in Lauchnoria. I must offer you apologies that my mother and the former Grandmaster did not see the wisdom that you clearly possess. You were right"
" th...thank you my empress… although this is quite a hollow victory. I was a Harbinger that no one listened to"
" well you have the ear of the Empire now. In these coming weeks the nation is going to be at Great risk. I cannot even trust the Imperial committee anymore since it is clear that the Aurora's can make it incredibly far at the bureaucracy without being detected. I can only trust my Shingzi Ren… but I need someone in charge of that organization that I can trust. Director I offer you the position of acting Grandmaster"
Director hong raised his head. A look of shock directed up towards to Heavenly Throne. He had always been on the outside of the leader. Given Authority but only as an objective voice to balance out the choir of agreement that often formed amongst the leadership of these organization. Now he was being asked to run it
" i… I don't know what to say"
" thank you my Empress. I accept" Wu Zhao replied sarcadtically. Earning the tiniest of smiles from the usually stony-faced man.
" thank you my Empress. I accept. I will form a group of people who I can trust to handle this situation. We will begin to formulate a plan to eliminate the Aurora threat here and abroad"
" good... you are dismissed"
The empress look to her side as her new Grand Master walked out of the throne room
" send a letter to President Greenwood. Tell her she is invited for tea. She was so scared of my mother I don't think she would dare refuse"
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