"Are we ready?" Koal asked Nero and Helurk, his conversation with Magalea apparently over.
Nero looked out over the crowd of people gathered below them. He was surprised by how large the cult was. Of course, it was nothing compared to the millions of subjects he had once commanded, but for what it was, it was an impressive crowd. And among the people were many of the most powerful and wealthiest in the entire camp. The cult had a massive amount of credits, which they shuffled from person to person as needed, but the bulk of this wealth was held by Koal. Nero didn't know how much it was, but he estimated it at several hundred thousand credits, if not more than a million!
With this wealth, the cult members bought dozens of small stones charged with magic. Once you'd used up some of the magic in the stone, you could recharge it in the task halls in the camp. Fortunately, there was one of these halls in the camp for each of the forty-four districts, so the crowd didn't get too large.
"Yes," said Helurk, "We can start as far as I'm concerned. Almost everyone is here. We're just waiting for you, Master Koal."
Koal nodded briefly, "All right. Then let's get started."
Slowly, he stepped up to the podium, standing at the edge of the ledge where they were located, "Thank you very much for coming in such numbers, my good friends. I am very pleased to see so many people who have answered my call and are ready to fight for our freedom!"
Koal's voice was amplified throughout the entire hall, and Nero immediately realized it was triggered by the same symbol the little man in the arena had used. For a mortal, Koal's abilities were quite impressive.
Immediately, the people in the hall fell silent, their full attention fixed on Koal.
"It has been four years since Uriel and I founded this cult, with the intention of taking the fate of mortal humans into our own hands, rather than being mere livestock for the mages. But look how far we have come in that time! The cult has members in nearly every single district; we control the arenas and possess the greatest wealth in the entire camp. We have truly come a long way, yet despite all these successes, we still lack the most crucial thing: our freedom!" Koal took a breath, "but it is with great joy that I can tell you all that the time is nearly here. The planning of the last few years is finally coming to an end, and thanks to my newest friend and the newest member of our cult," he turned around and gestured toward Nero, "Nero Davis, who has provided us with a vast amount of incredibly helpful information, we are confident that we can move into the first phase of our plan!"
A stir spread through the crowd as they excitedly talked among themselves. "What is the first phase?" someone asked loudly.
Koal laughed, "This is unimportant to you, but don't worry, my friends; everything will become clear in due time."
More murmuring went through the crowd. "Don't you trust us?" someone shouted, and shouts of agreement could be heard.
Koal's smile didn't waver. "Of course I trust you!" he assured them. "I would put my life in the hands of any one of you, whether a new member or an old one, but you must understand that the smallest mistake could ruin our entire plan, and thus endanger not only the entire operation but the cult itself." "I'm not saying any of you are a traitor, heaven forbid, but if just one person tells their loved one or their best friend, who then tells someone else, and it keeps spreading until it reaches the wrong ears, that would seal our fate. I can't take that risk; please understand."
Murmurs of agreement could be heard; only a few of the people grumbled in dissatisfaction, but no one objected.
Koal breathed a satisfied sigh, "But don't worry, if our plan succeeds and we move into the second phase, I will need every single one of you! Now go home, hug your loved ones, kiss your children, or go out for a drink with your friends. Rest assured, my friends, that the waiting will soon be over, for the time has come. Be certain that the era of oppression, exploitation, and discrimination is coming to an end; be certain that before the end of this year, our lives will be transformed from the ground up! I swear this on my honor, on my name, and even on my life. And now go, my friends. There is much to do!"
With that, Koal turned around, gesturing to Nero and the others to follow him. Cheers erupted from the crowd behind them, followed by wild applause, before the gathering slowly dispersed. It had been a brief gathering, but it was important that Koal kept them together, for they were the key to the second phase!
Together, they made their way up the long tunnel until they reached the secret chamber where Nero and Koal had spoken a week earlier. They looked at one another. "We're setting out tomorrow!" Koal said to Magalea, Uriel, and Helurk. They nodded in agreement. Satisfied, Koal said his goodbyes before returning to his house with Nero, up the long staircase.
Nero and Koal chatted briefly, going over the plans for the next day once more before they, too, said their goodbyes. Afterward, Nero made his way to his temporary lodging, which he had rented from Koal. Even though it was the dead of night, Nero didn't stand out, as there were still many hardworking people bustling about. Once, he saw the face of a person who had also just come out of the cave and was on their way home. They recognized Nero as well and gave him a brief nod. After a moment's hesitation, Nero returned the gesture.
Finally, he arrived home. He stepped into his pitch-black quarters and headed straight for his bed. There he lay down, exhausted. He gazed up at the ceiling, deep in thought.
Nero blinked in confusion when he suddenly woke up. He hadn't even noticed that he had fallen asleep, yet there he lay in the same position in his bed. He didn't know how much time had passed, but the two moons were still shining outside, so it must still be deep in the night.
He blinked, but didn't move a muscle. Something had woken him, but he couldn't recall what it was. A strange feeling spread through him, but he couldn't immediately identify what was causing it. He slowed his breathing, his eyes darting through the darkness, his ears pricked up, before it finally hit him. It was the soft, barely perceptible sound of breathing. Someone, or something, was in the room with Nero, someone hiding in the darkness. Nero moved almost imperceptibly; adrenaline was now pumping through his veins, sharpening all his senses even further. He tried to make out something, but the faint moonlight streaming through a single tiny window was just enough to make out his hands in front of his eyes.
The next few minutes felt like hours, during which all sorts of thoughts raced through Nero's mind: who it could be, what this person's intentions were, and what he could do, when his thoughts were abruptly cut short.
"I'm not here to kill you, little man; otherwise, I would have done it already," came an icy voice across the room. Nero froze.
The voice was strange. It sounded like a man's voice, yet at the same time like the growl of a wolf, the hiss of a snake, and the caw of a raven.
It was not a human voice; Nero realized that immediately. "Who are you?" he asked as he slowly sat up, "What do you want?"
A cackle could be heard, "Who am I?" Nero heard the scraping of claws on wooden floorboards as the figure shifted slightly,
"Throughout my life, I have been called many things: the nightmare, the devourer of children, the murderer of parents, the robber of homes, the scourge, the source of all disease. They called me demon, beast, monster, scum, and more than I can remember, after all, you mortals love to dish out names."
Another cackling could be heard, as if from the throats of several birds at once, "But you may call me Shalmor. And now, to what I want."
A silence spread as nothing else could be heard except for light breathing and the continued scraping footsteps. Nero tried in vain to make out what it was that was in his room, but he still couldn't see anything. "I'm only here to get to know you, Nero Davis."
Nero frowned, "Why do you want to get to know me? I'm just a mortal!"
Another cackle, "Don't play dumber than you are, traveler from foreign planets! I saw you fall from the darkness on a day as sunny as paradise. I saw how the black flames distorted you, yet did you no harm. So tell me, are you really just a mortal?"
Nero's eyes narrowed, his thoughts racing, "How much do you know?"
"No more than I've told you, human, but that's exactly why I'm here. There was something about you that day, something so dangerous it even frightened me, and nothing frightens Shalmor, nothing on this planet, at least!" The creature hissed in a voiceless tone before continuing, "But whatever it was, it's gone now. I no longer sense any magic in you, no power. You seem to be just a simple mortal now, like all the other meals… I mean, humans I've encountered." The creature chuckled softly at its own joke before becoming serious again. "So tell me, human, who are you really? And I don't want to hear the same tall tale you told the old man. If I get the feeling you're not being honest, I won't hesitate to kill you."