Act 4: Prelude of the Crimson Sun

The scraping of large claws was the only thing making noise in the large office up in the cleansing lighthouse. It was still morning in Etherium, yet this futuristic room saw already its first meeting of the day. These oversized claws, belonging to an even larger man, a 240cm-tall brown wolf, continued to scrape nervously along the owner's table, awaiting his response with nervousness that could cut the air. Far above the meeting table was hovering an egg-like chair, staying at the level allowing its user to look across glimmering blue holo-screens projecting crucial data. Nothing happened, the situation remained unchanged, and the nervous scraping continued, getting more fierce. General field marshal Ingratus Fide was waiting for his Aetherial Intelligence M.I.L.L.E.R. to finally finish his routine checks on the current status of the armies, not yet willing to pay his guest any attention. Further scraping, the sound grew even fiercer causing the frilled lizard to furrow his brows in annoyance, keeping his attention to his A.I., watching the data appearing and getting sorted on the many screens of his office. The scratching changed into a shrieking as nervous claws dug down into the soft metal scraping the table open, and destroying Marshal Fide's office. He sighed and growled softly, a deep and commanding tune escaping his lungs. A voice, being in its intensity so suppressing that the scraping immediately ceased. Even M.I.L.L.E.R.'s efforts stopped, with the A.I.'s digital eye watching his leader with a squint, unsure which one the military overlord of Etherium was talking to, staying at his master's attention like the good A.I. he was. Ingratus growled slowly, displeasure getting carried along his deep voice.

"Mr Bigsby...he of all people should know that I am a busy man, does he? That I value order and control over everything as well as ... patience. Would it hurt him to stop destroying my imported meeting table until his marshal finishes the more important matter? No, it wouldn't", the greyish-green lizard glared down, his piercing yellow-green eyes cutting the poor wolf apart, "I will get to him once M.I.L.L.E.R is finished with his report. Lives could depend on that. And all this meeting could depend on is his frail pride getting dented. Does he understand?

The greyish-blue wolf immediately stopped his nervous actions and readjusted his medal-less uniform of the army of peace. He gulped and appeared frightened, ... Ingratus was sure that his subordinate just shat himself from the look of it. Well. Yet another thing to let the cleaning crew tidy up when this meeting will be over. He grinned: not that that was anything new they had to deal with. Marshal Fide was pitying his subordinates. Everyone who had to report to him directly had to first pass the security check of the cleaning Lighthouse entering the heart and soul of Scamall; of Etherium. Every one of these frail walking souls was constantly fearing their career slipping away from them. Here in these halls, there were only four people he had to listen to, one single instance that could outpower his might, his absolute power over the world-largest army. A recovering and mobilized for war force that is now growing under his Fullmetal hands like a well-treated flesh-eating plant. Ready and eager to lash out at anybody who betrayed his country in the last decade. The living gods of Etherium, the eternal counsel, were the only ones he respected. Marshal Fide didn't care much about the demigods, they were ... will be mere equals to his plans. Compared to him, they were, however, nothing. Sure, they had age on their side, but his expertise and many skills outvalued any of them. The only ones he needed to appease were the four gods, the robotic overlords of the Counsel. And they knew about his worth. 

Marshal Fide continued to stare at the many screens, his maw moving silently. His toneless voice provided his personal A.I. commands on how to deal with the reported advances of his troops in the south, the rebellions in the north or the attempted invasion of Duvara across the small ocean dividing the two countries. The world fell to pieces at the World Peace Conference, and he rose out of the rubble to take the shattered shards and piece together a capable army to subdue this planet of treacherous worms, not valuing his predecessor's attempts to finally open the borders of the world. A myriad of unspoken commands later and M.I.L.L.E.R finally signalled him with a green 'ok' on the main screen to have no more urgent messages in need of his attention. The marshal met the expression of success with a dark smile, his metal thumbs caressing his scaled beard, his frills now rising up to finally shift his attention to the waiting wolven spokesman of the engineers expanding his airship army. A surprisingly soft smile appeared on the leader's face, his many medals gleaming in the blue shine of the office, his metal hands now folded, thumbs pressed against each other. Compared to the engineer, Marshal Fide was shorter, some would call the 166cm tall lizard tiny ... but never to his face. The leader was sitting in the egg-like floating chair, looking down at Mr Bigsby, sighing at the damage he caused:

"I hope you bring me good notice, Mr Bigsby. Repairing these tables is not cheap, and if you don't deliver ... well, you know the drill." With his metal digits, he imitated how one can quickly get bent into a zero. A gesture implying that the damage would get cut from his salary. "Now speak up and don't steal any more of my time. How is Project 'Icarus' going? Advancing nicely, I suppose?"

The grey wolf nodded, stiffening up his bearded jaw as he opened it to answer with concise sentences, keeping all the pride the underling might have left in him safe and secure for what came. Marshal Fide couldn't help himself but silently appreciate his bravery; others can take minutes to even open their jaw in his oppressive presence:

"Positive, Marshal Fide. Project 'Icarus' - finally finished. The airforce has now doubled the available airships, model 'Behemoth'. From the former 30 to 60 ships total. Every ship has a trained crew on standby, eager to take the helm under your command, sir. The power to lay waste to a small country is now available to you with the mere press of a button. And I am here, as representative of the engineers having made your secret project possible, able to provide my marshal with the only button to activate this ruthless force. The crimson button!" 

An open grin parted the reserved face of Marshal Fide, and he started breathing in an unnatural hunger, pleased by the words of the wolven engineer. His smile appeared dangerous, but not malicious, eying the button:

"Very good, Mr Bigsby. Project Icarus is crucial to bring back this army of 'peace' to its former roots prior to our attempts to change the army to a peacekeeping force in the Radiant's attempts to cause world peace. With the world being our enemy once more, maintaining our aerial superiority is more important than ever. You did well.-"

Marshal Fide was about to finish the meeting when suddenly the sign of an encoded voice call appeared on the main screen of his administrative castle. He looked at the wolf tossing him a pair of ear mufflers, and the wolf nodded, hiding away his fluffy ears below them. That call was meant for him and him alone. And he hated headphones, pesky items harming his frills more than they benefit him. A quirk that was well known and was therefore respected without any questioning. Hovering back up to the screen, the lizard leader asks his late friend turned A.I. who might be the caller in which the digital eye appears on the screen, squinting at his leader:

"Signatures of the Shadow Conglomerate and the Silent Watchers are overlapping. Assumption: A call from a Silent Shadow, Marshal Fide. Should I let it get through?"

"A Silent Shadow requesting my attention? Yes, I am interested. Their ways are even more secretive than anything else happening in the conglomerate. Not even my informants within the guilds know who might be one of these. They are professionals. Put him, or her, through."

The encrypted and blurred shadow conglomerate insignia cleared up upon him, confirming the passageway. The black crosshair insignia of a levied shadow appeared on the screen, only to get cut apart by a silver streak originating from the up left. Meeting with the dead centre of the crosshair, the line expanded, and a silver-lined eye formed around it; the symbol of a Silent Watcher. Marshal Fide grinned: that will be the very first call of a Silent Shadow since he took over his current rank at the top. He glimpsed back to the waiting Mr Bigsby, who seemingly appeared now quite bewildered witnessing this insignia that usually only those who are about to get terminated even witnessed.

Marshal Fide took position in the egg chair, sitting up straight, brushing along his frills to appear as imposing as possible despite this call seemingly being of a voice-only nature. He grinned dangerously: A good visual presentation does impact the commanding presence of one's voice, and he desired to make his standpoint clear with the first impression this unknown assassin would have of him. Folding his metal digits, he smirks at the screen:

"I am listening, silent shadow. How may you help me?"

The screen stood silent for a moment until a familiar malicious cackling broke the illusion of a stranger calling him. Marshal Fide recognized that voice and even more that smooth yet raspy voice alluring his very soul with words he heard already before. The smirk grew into a wide grin as the voice of his partner in crime filled out the commanding centre of the army of peace:

"I have crucial intel you will be interested in. Our interests cross paths once more, partner." 

"So you made your move underground, hero? Good, good.", the richly ornamented lizard laughs deeply, "I am pleased to wash each other's hands once more, Narxis. What do you have for me that could possibly pique my interest? What the elusive shadow hero can't solve by himself?"

A dry and silent laugh interference got transferred over the speaker sending icy shivers down the marshal's spine. The lizard didn't respect any other mortal but a selected few. And shadow hero, no silent shadow Narxis Crass, was one of those able to converse with him on the same level. Emerald eyes focussed the screen, trailing along the insignia, watching him waiting for an answer:

"I spare you the details, Ingratus-.", the first name, eh? Respectless as ever, showing Marshal Fide who is pulling the strings, "As you are aware, it is of my interest to bring the Ivory Jack down, making him pay for the many crimes he committed in his long life. And on my mission, I came across some boiling hot intel that might be of Etherium's and especially your interest. My drones overheard only minutes ago, that..."

The assassin's voice died at its highest peak, torturing his business partner's interest with withheld info. The marshal took the bait with reserved greed playing into the small banter of his benefactor speaking up with a commanding voice, which severity could even get heard by Mr Bigsby as a deep vibrating tune shaking the wolf's world.

"Don't toy with me, Narxis. I am not the general I once was when we operated a shared business. I outrank you tenfold now, so show me respect and spill the beans.", the lizard kept up the stern voice for a moment but quickly cracked up into a burst of soft laughter, "The world is our plaything, friend. Even if your intel would be worthless, you can count on my assistance. Now don't further torture your old friend and skip the teasing bullshit. What is going on in Nemthi?"

The disembodied voice of the assassin, who helped marshal Fide secure his position as the leader of the army of Etherium, burning the peace and mobilizing it for war, cackled now with genuine amusement before firming up to a freezing cold, well articulated slightly hissing sound.

"Breakthrough in cancer research. Two kobolds emerged out of the gutter and are currently performing an arcane treatment for cancer to the triumvirate. They threaten Etherium's monopoly, adding insult to the injury they caused when backstabbing your predecessor's attempt at peace. Nemthi strives to become dangerously important.-"

Marshal Fide sighs, nodding at the intel. At any other point, he would have shrugged this intel off, but this epiphany opened quite a few doors for him to cement his new position on the top of the soon-to-be strongest army in the world. 

Cancer research, eh? That marks one checkbox. I can pitch my goddess Notitia that intel to gain her goodwill to destroy that rival to her company Noctec. That makes one god appreciate my involvement. Let's see ... Nemthi ... lady Justitia would be pleased when hearing about my involvement in bringing that infamous Ivory Jack to justice. She would back up any efforts of mine if he vanished from the face of Prius. That makes two of four. I will support a silent shadow, assassins using the veil of safety the silent Watchers are enjoying. Covering up Narxis' tracks granting him a clean escape without harming god Terminus's status ... he would neither appreciate my efforts nor throw a wrench in my actions. And Vigor ... our god of war. He would possibly enjoy a change of pace by turning this cold war into a hot one ... But that is a stretch. I can't read him. I only know this robotic god being bored of peace. I can't anticipate his reactions to me getting active. Alright.

The lizard's frown turns into a dangerous smirk, caressing the red button Mr Bigsby entrusted to him. A dark rumble escaped his maw.

"I don't think we can allow these traitors that satisfaction, can we? You have my attention, silent shadow. I assume you need a distraction? I think the thing I hold in my cold claws might rub you the right way. I can let hell loose if you help an old friend out in return. Do we have a deal?"