The Dark Mage

Chapter 12: Natalia Loses It

     After hearing about the Selenese Empire and the Confederate People's Republic of South Selene surrendering to prince Darius, Natalia began to fidget her Tanuki tail while ruminating, "That's it. I've had enough of Valkyries. First you break into my home. Then you threaten my country. And now you're going after innocent people? This is the last straw. And if it means destroying your savage culture in the process, whoever does that will be doing the world a public service."

     Natalia then put on her body suit and began to plan how she will ruin prince Darius's plans. She then stood with her lover and fellow agent Buck Ringtail and said, "With all that the Valkyries have put us through, I'm done with them. And now they've yet delayed again our ability to go back home. So, you got any ideas to get rid of these Valkyries?"

     Buck then answered, "I heard zee supreme leader of the Confederacy and queen Ariana are forming an uneasy alliance. So, if we want in on it, let's talk to your childhood friend."

*******

Darius's Gloating

     As Darius oversaw the immediate surrender of the Confederacy and the Selenese Empire, he took pleasure at the sight of their weakness. And in taking pleasure in it, he said to himself, "Pathetic. A once great superpower over an entire continent and even over the seas has lost to a simple orbital bombardment. But once I have taken over your land, I will build a new age of reason and destroy your culture built on emotions and superstition. War and conquest are simply a means to an end, unlike the ignorance of my superstitious ancestors. And through it I will bring prosperity and make a name for my kingdom."

     Darius then resumed to drink his champagne and play the fiddle while the remnants of the Selenese Empire and Confederacy burned. But in Darius's gloating, empress Ariana and the supreme leader of the Confederacy held a truce and began to discuss how they might destroy Darius with Natalia, Buck, and Titania present. Supreme leader Sampson then said, "Despite what we have experienced the past year in our war between our nations, that is no longer important. What is important is that unless we do something about these Valkyrie invaders, neither of us is going to have a country to return to. So, I am willing to spare what resources I have in a joint effort to destroy the Valkyries and ensure they will never be able to wage war again. And one of the resources I'm offering is rebuilding what is left of Ironhenge and destroying those AJD's that are making our in-space superiority impossible. And until we can get those AJD's out from over our heads, orbital bombardment will be a continued threat and a threat we cannot ignore. It also doesn't help that dead dictator Vixerena Lunsaro destroyed any chance for my country to have any diplomatic support."

     Queen Ariana then thought before answering, "Diplomatic connection is something I do have, and it is something I can use to aid in our effort against the Valkyries. My queendom along with many other nations have a common interest in keeping the Valkyries at bay, and this invasion may be just the catalyst they need to act. And that is because my queendom has resources and the manufacturing they need that they cannot live without. So, we without a doubt have the help of the Tanuki clan which needs our raw materials to make their weapons against the Kitsune clan and the Void kingdom and its client states that need our manufacturing that they do not have the technology to produce."

     "Then for the time being, we will put our differences aside and join forces and destroy these Valkyries. And in destroying them, destroying their very culture and identity of what's left of them so that never again will they be able to raise their weapons against us. Their culture will die with their king and prince."

*******

Isis's New Plan

     While the dark Neko mage Isis pondered her next steps in her scheme, she wore her old Egyptian style jewelry and the Staff of Darkness pacing like the cat that she was. After all, it seemed her plans were unfolding after centuries of extending her earthly life beyond its years through the use of Dark magic and the life of others. After all, controlling the world took time, and she couldn't just take everything at once lest even those who do not have foresight nor wisdom would see her darkness and destroy her. So rather than take over the world at once, she sought to rather whisper into the ears of those who rule the nations, and in their ears, pull the strings of their vices and desires.

     After all, if Dark magic corrupts the mind and weakens the body and spirit, she could not do anything if not without the embodiment of others who did not know of its existence to do her will. And for all her pride and pomp, it was people like friar Victor and Edenthiel whom she despised the most, because it was these who were a constant reminder of her own mortality and that she had but a short time. Because of their humility and purity of heart, her Dark magic could not touch them and reminded her of her own pathetic and false sense of power.

     And unlike men who have never done evil for evil's sake but for a perceived good such as Inari the queen of the Kitsune clan, queen Paxsura of the once great Selenese queendom, and the former dictator of the Confederate Republic of South Selene Vixerena Lunsaro, Isis was totally depraved. For in knowing the truth of what is good and ultimately pure, she rejected it saying she would make herself into her own god and refashion the world in her own image, the image of the dust of the ground from whence she came. And in doing so, she pondered the impending war between the Selenese people and the Valkyries and how many nations would get involved, relishing in the coming bloodshed that would fuel the darkness of her magic. For the true Dark magic was not in the magic itself, but in the fantasies and illusory perceptions of power where there is none at all.

--------------

Did you know this?

References to the Bible: There are plenty of reference to the Bible in Isis's new plan. Such is the example of meaning of the fall of mankind in Genesis chapter 3 where mankind attempts to live a self-centered life, and in doing so, rejects God and life and will eventually die and return to the dust from the ground from whence mankind was made. It's also worth mentioning that the tree of the knowledge of good and evil does not refer to morality, because mankind already knew what is was like to live a moral life from God. Rather it refers to an archaic way of describing kingship where the king is someone who possesses the knowledge of good and evil and therefore has the ability to rightly judge and rule his kingdom. As such, according to many Orthodox and Catholic theologians, the eating of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil was an act of saying mankind didn't need God and could define good and evil for itself and crown itself above God. And I think we only need to take a short look at history to see how bad mankind is at defining good and evil and in those nations such that rejected God like the Soviet Union, Nazi Germany, Communist China, and the Israelites in the book of Judges and the atrocities they committed.

A Reference to Emperor Nero: There is a common legend that emperor Nero played the fiddle as he burned Rome and blamed it on his political enemies. Likewise, prince Darius played the fiddle while the remnants of the Selenese civilization was burning. However, we know that historically emperor Nero never played the fiddle while Rome burned, because the fiddle was invented in the 10th century AD while Nero ruled Rome in the 1st century AD. However, it is worth noting that emperor Nero didn't want to become emperor and instead wanted to pursue his passions of music but was forced to become emperor out of political necessity.