Dominion Ruling – Maintaining the Safety of the Dominion
Let it be known across the lands of Wintergleam, the Lord Dine herby implements the following laws that are to be enforced upon the publishing of this ruling.
For attempts against his person and for obstructing the enforcement of Wintergleam law, all users of magic – defined as any being capable of manipulating energy sources beyond that ascribed to the basic functions of its body – are herby classified as enemies to the dominion. All magic users are given three days to remove themselves from Wintergleam before they will be persecuted as traitors to the Lord.
Having been discovered to be responsible for the organization of several groups that have led to unrest and rebellions against the Lord, all non-human entities are herby classified as enemies of the state. As such their existence will not be tolerated in Wintergleam. All such entities will be hunted and executed. Harboring such entities will be considered rebellion against the Lord and will result in death without trial.
The Grigori race, having been proved to be the lead instigators of these mutinous movements, has an extra bounty placed upon the heads.
The Restoration Force – hereafter referred to as the RF – is herby instated. This force will consist of several elite regiments of soldiers equipped with state of the art ISI technology specially designed for the elimination of all non-normal entities. This force is granted impunity from municipal law and derives authority from the Lord Dine.
This ruling derives its authority from the unquestioned word of our Lord Dine.
The man put the paper down, rubbed his eyes – the dim light was proving to be a very difficult reading condition – and lifted another sheet.
RF Standing Orders
I have seen to it that the ISI have the Narativity generators delivered to all the major cities, all of which should have arrived and been prepped before you read these instructions.
This operation will be undertaken at exactly noon of the fifth day of the month. All generators are to be activated simultaneously, at which point the Dominion Ruling will be made public.
This should ensure that any possible resistance forces would be removed in one fell swoop, significantly simplifying the RF’s job post-ruling.
That the generators be activated at the same time is of the paramount importance. Should any be activated too soon or to late warnings could be sent to the other cities and escapes could be made. This is not acceptable.
Upon the activation of the generators the RF will fall under the command of the highest-ranking officer on the force and will secure the perimeter of the cities. Keep in mind that the generators will produce a perfectly spherical field, so there may be parts of the city that are not enveloped. These areas will be the first priority for cleansing.
Further orders will be sent to the commanding officer in exactly three days time after the ruling with clarification on the protocol for confronting mages.
Corporal Jeriym – lead officer of the RF in Frostpoint – set the two parchments down of the desk. Noon was only thirty minutes from now and he busied himself with the preparations for activating the giant piece of machinery that now commanded control of half the room. Not for the first time he stop and simply admired the beauty of the mechanism that would purge the dominion of any and all vile adherences.
White appeared on his knuckles where he was driving his nails into his palms. His father had fallen pray to one of the Grigori kind. Beyond the seemingly seraphic wings, the Grigori – often referred to as Fallen Angels – had a strange, and yet undeniable, power to inspire those around them. History had shown them to be great leaders because of it.
Great deceivers more like it. Thought Jeriym and spat on the floor. That power was not a power for good; it was a force that could be used against the Lord, to instigate rebellion. Upset the peace.
He checked his watch: ten minuets till noon.
-----
The Mikale was hard at work when Near arrived. The door slammed open – Near had used slightly more force then he had meant to – startling the Grigori. He jumped up from his workbench unfurling his wings and taking and defensive stand.
“Calm Mikale, I am a friend.” Whispered Near who made silencing motions with his hands. “There is not much time before he the generators are activate. We must move quickly.” He made to leave but stopped when he noticed that Mikale hadn’t shifted his stance.
“You expect me to follow a man who barges into my office simply because he knows my name and claims to be a friend? I know who you are Near Cutwright: one of Leo’s dogs. I demand to know why you have so rudely interrupted me or I will forcibly remove you from this place.”
Near hesitated. He had not expected the Girgori not to trust him. Or no him for that matter. But time was of the essence and words would simply be a waste. “I understand your reluctance to trust me Miakle. But I am perfectly aware that you were approached by the prophet Marcie.”
“How did you–” he said, losing some of the hostility in his pose.
“That is not relevant! That catastrophe which she referred to will occur at noon today in every major city across Wintergleam. Leo has ordered Narativity generators activated in all of them.”
“That is impossible.” He stood rooted to the spot. “That would result in the death of any non-human in the cities.”
“Exactly.” he stressed. “He has gone mad.”
The Grigori folded his wings and stepped forwards. “What of the other cities?”
“They will have to fend for themselves. I could only save one of them.”
-----
One minute till noon. Jeriym’s fingers were itching over the control terminal. The temptation to enter the activation codes was overwhelming. Only one minute left. Vengeance would be his.
He was suddenly distracted, however, by the urgent need to remove his jacket. He didn’t remember it being this hot. He set the jacket down and surveyed the room. Locked form the inside, a steel vault door was the only entrance to the room, the rest of which was dominated by the gigantic machine. He blinked. Had the door just
slumped? He stepped closer and suddenly the heat was even more evident.
Those bastards are melting the door!
He dashed away and sat down at the terminal and began punching in the codes that would send the generator spinning to life. A sickening pop resounded in the room as a steel bubble grew and exploded on this side of the door. Numbers flashed across the screen at a dizzying pace. Which only served to confuse the man.
The door gave a pitiful moan and collapsed inwards framing a Grigori man and none other than Near Cutwright. The Grigori lowered his hands and jumped through the portal with Near. In the mean time Jeriym had finished the final sequence and pressed the confirmation key.
The machine whirred to life, Mikale shouted out in anger and the corporal turned to face the two with a knife in hand. “You will die for your treason Near.” He crouched to attack and stopped. He had noticed his ears and burst out laughing. “You bloody bastard. Does Leo know that his closest advisor is an elfinshi? No matter. You will die here with this vile creature.”
“I will stop this madness” Near shouted leaping towards the control panel. Not wasting a moment the corporal threw his knife which connected with Near’s thigh and threw him to the ground with a loud thud. In the cloud of pain he looked back at the Grigori who was now on the ground writhing in pain as he desperately grappled with reality.
With the corporal’s laughs resounding in his ears Near reached into his pack and pulled out a grenade. Jeryim was kneeling over the Angel with a look of fascination and didn’t notice as he lobbed the grenade into on of the intake ducts for the generator. Then time seemed to slow as Near cried out: “Mikale a shield! Now!”
-----
Leo stood on a balcony of the Manor that overlooked Echo city. Life was continuing as per usual, generating the – almost – quaint hubbub of hundreds of people chatting, squabbling and moving. A glance at his watch announced only a couple seconds until noon. He watched the hands tick away until the small golden arm of the minute hand came to rest on the twelve. He looked up and smiled. Visually, nothing had changed.
But then the first cries of fear began filling the city.
Everything had changed.
]