My Empire

Chapter 2: A New Threat

                                    ~~~High King Indigo of Ethiria~~~

The annual meetings were all pretty much the same.

Everyone shows up, meeting starts, one by one everyone talks about their empires and things that were going on, and then someone inevitably starts a fight with an enemy (*cough cough* definitely not me *cough cough*) and derails the entire thing.

The host of the meetings is usually chosen at random, but I had the sneaking suspicion Nocturne was chosen this time because it's neutral to everyone and because fae magic is very useful in suppressing fights.

Rei Rain of Viidakko sat down, having just finished their report on their empire. I didn't know the ruler of the jungle too well, but we had a trade alliance, so I had paid attention to their report in case I could help with any of their issues.

Viidakko was experiencing tensions on their border with Steamhelm, who's ruler I was also on bad terms with. This time, it  wasn't my fault. 

Verdania and Steamhelm had been enemies for years, since the day both their rulers had discovered copper's technological capabilities and both tried to claim a monopoly on it only to find out the other had it too.

Ever since then, they had been battling over who had rights to the copper and then invention business. I, of course, supported Cat and Verdania, which made Steamhelm automatically an enemy of mine, even if officially we weren't at war.

Never let it be said that Ethiria didn't support its allies. I supported my allies so much that sometimes I end up creating entirely new problems!

Like poisoning the Queen of Vedera after she called one of Cat's new tanks a stupid design...

The next person to stand up for their report was Sir Seth of Hylia. I leaned back in my chair, idly nibbling on a pastry I had swiped from the food table before everyone sat down.

What felt like a few seconds later but was probably half an hour, (thanks, time blindness, you're such a help) Tsuki elbowed me lightly, jerking my attention back to the reports being given.

Ruler Leah of Acelet was giving their report, and what they were saying was seriously concerning.

"...twenty seven people injured, twelve people dead, and so much property damage that we haven't been able to catalog all of it yet," Leah was saying. I blinked, alarmed. 

Had someone attacked Acelet? I tried to think of anyone who was on bad terms with the flower empire, but no one came to mind. Acelet was allied or neutral with everybody. 

Why would someone attack without provocation?

"The demon-" DEMON?- "seemed to be just causing chaos arbitrarily, it didn't seem to focus on any specific places or exports." Leah looked around the table. "One of my best squads of guards tried to take on the demon. We don't even have ashes to give to their families."

Gasps of horror and sympathy echoed around the table. Leah ducked her head down for a moment, gathering herself, and then looked back up, voice carefully steady.

"I tried to take on the demon, but it refused to fight me, only saying that the emperor's times would come and that the age of empires was over. It also mentioned something about how darkness was coming, but I didn't hear the rest because it teleported next to me and stabbed me."

It can teleport??

My thoughts were echoed by Codfather Azalea of the Codlands, who stood up, chair almost falling to the floor with the speed of their movements. "It can teleport? Isn't that dark magic?"