The Boiling Isles, an archipelago composed of the monumental bones and rotting flesh of a fallen Titan. During its time of breath and pumping blood, the Titan’s magic was so potent that the muck of its corpse spawned a vibrant ecosystem of life, the denizens of its land. The Titan gifted its magic upon the witches and demons, giving the children of its corpse powers unimaginable to spread harmony and peace.

However, the denizens of the Isles did not grace the Titan with thankfulness for his gift, nor did they use it properly. Instead, they disgraced him, and used their powers selfishly and destructively. Using forbidden knowledge and their vile unrestrained magic, the witches and demons became wild and savage. Spreading mayhem, death, and destruction across the Isles. 

Enraged by the dishonor of his gift and the corruption of his land, the Titan sought through the amoral souls of witches, seeking a soul with a heart of purity and a will of steel to be his voice and guide the Isles. 

One fateful day, the Titan’s search was completed, and through his holy touch he handpicked a witch from the crevices of the land. Belos was the name of this blessed prophet. 

The Titan bestowed his voice upon Belos to hear his will, and the power to spread his word to the children of the Isles. Belos crusaded through the land as the Titan’s messenger, spreading the word of His solution. Providing the corrupted wild witches with the cure to their pox: Sigils that would restrain their vicious magic, sealing away their corrupted powers to bring upon a new age of authority and unity under the Titan’s watchful eye.

At almost four hundred years of his righteous crusades, Belos ascended the throne and was crowned Emperor of the Boiling Isles, finally declaring the Titan’s carcass a unified empire. 

Though this was not without close help, that being of the Titan’s holy guidance, and the assistance of his most loyal soldiers, the Golden Guards. Prodigies of their ranks, picked by the Titan himself to be the Emperor’s personal guards, the Golden Guards have assisted in the crusades of Emperor Belos for centuries. 

Though many have come and gone, with their help, and through the Titan’s blessed teachings, each day the Isles inches closer to the successful execution of the Day of Unity. The divine day where all impure wild magic shall be cleansed from the Isles, and paradise shall be brought upon the faithful and worthy.

Now? We are in but the preparation of such, as the remaining wild witches must be dealt with before this holy day.

 

---

Thump… Thump… Thump…

The slow beating of the Titan’s heart emanated throughout the Throne Room.

 

Its thumps echoed across the large walls and flat surfaces, ringing along the churning pipes and gears that coated the chamber, nearly deafening. The noises of the enormous organ in the typically quiet room was distracting and bothersome, if one did not have a clear head. Or the right faith.

 

But Hunter managed.

 

“In regards to our investigation of savages on the Left Arm…” 

 

The guard captain circled the areas of the displayed parchment map with the pointer she was wielding. “We’ve marked the areas with the most reports pertaining to potential usage of wild magic here.” Said locations were highlighted in red on the map, the color becoming more dense and saturated near the most reported areas.

 

“We suspect potential camps will be located near Blackhead Bay and the outer perimeter of Brachius.” The second captain chimed in. “We intend to send parties of scouts to investigate each location. The denser the reports, the larger the parties will be.”

 

Hunter’s eyes scanned the map, the areas highlighted in a dark red were mainly located around the margins of Blackhead Bay and Brachius, as stated. With such a high amount of reports it was clear that camps of wild witches were located there. Likely well populated ones, too. His eyes moved to the other areas of the map as the captains explained their tactics. Spots of a lighter shade of red were scattered across the Left Arm as well, indicating lower amounts of reports in those areas. Runaways and miniscule traveling groups, most likely.

 

Hunter’s eyes then move to his left, the main spectacle. 

 

The Emperor stood upright in his throne, his back ever so slightly hunched through age. Both gauntlets gripped the arms of his seat, not harsh, but firm. The light of the flames behind him danced in the reflection of his golden mask, as its sockets stared straight ahead at the captains' presentation.

 

“Of course, since the disposal of the former Head Witch, we require your approval to continue with these expeditions, Emperor Belos.”

 

The Emperor remained still and silent, Hunter did the same, patiently waiting for his response. He watched as a near silent exhale came through the Emperor’s mask as he slowly stood, beginning to walk towards the displayed map of the Left Arm. Almost immediately, the two captains kneeled as the Emperor approached, his shadow looming over the scene. He reached for the red marker that sat on the map’s display, uncapped it, and began to mark. He brushed the pen across the light splotches of reports scattered across the arm, painting them a dark red.

 

“You will investigate all reports of wild magic across the Left Shoulder down to the Elbow. Any area with reports over a dozen will be scouted.”

 

He spoke in his usual tone. Matter-of-fact. Firm. And certain.

 

“Our troops stationed in the Left Upper Arm are less abundant, we may need to extract more scouts from the other appendages if we’re going to send them to scout so many locations” The male captain spoke unwavering, his head still facing the ground and his position unmoving.

 

The Emperor continued to revise the map, his head unmoving, keeping all his attention towards the altered diagram. “Then you will do so. Draw your outside troops from the chest cavity and the Capital, we have plenty stationed there already. It’s about time we put them to better use than patrolling.”

 

After a few more minutes of alterations, he placed the marker down and stepped back as his arm retreated into his cloak. Turning his head to look at the still kneeling captains, he spoke, “Your expeditions are approved. Return to your stations and I will sign off on your request and give you a date set to begin. You have one month to prepare for these expeditions. Dismissed.”

 

The captains stood up, bowed in unison, gathered their supplies and left. Leaving Belos, Hunter, and the Titan’s beating heart alone in the tall chamber.

Thump… Thump… Thump…

The beating of the heart filled the silence, the waves of noise bouncing against the walls, bounding right back towards Hunter. His ears were ringing.

Thump… Thump… Thump…

Hunter looked at the Emperor through the narrow slits of his mask. He stood tall and unmoving, staring at the tall door that had been shut minutes ago. Hunter waited for a sign that he could talk.

Thump… Thump… Thump… Thump…

Hunter wondered if he was talking to the Titan.

Thump… Thump… Thump… Thump…

“You may speak.”

Hunter exhaled as silent as he could.

“Thank you, Uncle, for allowing the Captains to hold their meetings today.” Hunter walked slowly towards Belos, grip still tight around the base of his staff. “I know that everything’s been pushed onto you since Lilith’s betrayal, and with…” His throat clogged slightly. He tried to shy away from speaking about his Uncle’s recent outbursts, let alone his own… betrayal.

Don’t think about it don’t think about it

Hunter swallowed. But not too loud.

“...your current condition.”

Good choice of words. Good save.

 

At this point he was right behind the Emperor now, head tilted up as his Uncle slowly looked over his shoulder. The golden mask stared back at the boy, Belos’ eyes barely visible in the sockets, only slightly reflecting off the flames. He somehow always knew how to make eye contact through the masks.

 

“It is my responsibility, Hunter.” He spoke in a less firm voice, turning around completely, his gaze unbreaking from Hunter’s eyes. “Even in pain, and any amount of stress, my responsibility to follow the Titan’s will remains unfaltering. And I expect no less from you, either.”

 

Belos drew his left arm from his cloak yet again, resting it on Hunter’s shoulder, resulting in that same firm grip he’s grown accustomed to, feeling the cold metal through his cloak. Ignoring the ever so slight bubbling beneath the gauntlet, and the shiver through his skin that followed, Hunter listened. And kept eye contact.

 

“You must pull through injury and strife to follow the Titan’s will, just as I. That is your single job as the Golden Guard. The one task the Titan presents upon you. No pain or suffering should ever let you deter from that path. You are my right hand. The hand to his prophet.”

 

Hunter nodded, he knew that all too well. It was the structure to his identity.

Thump… Thump… Thump Thump Thump

He stared at Belos as he spoke, gripping his staff with the same tenacity as always as the Titan’s heart pounded away at his head. He ignored the aching and stayed focused. He refused to break eye contact.

 

“I expect greatly from you in your missions to come, just as the Titan does. He expects you to prove yourself faithful. To prove yourself willing to put his will above your own mind and being. To prove yourself worthy of his plans for you. You must never forget that.”

 

As Belos’ words continued to echo in his mind, Hunter nodded yet again, then spoke, “Of course. I won’t let you down. Either of you.”

Belos seemed pleased at that.

“Good. You are dismissed, Golden Guard.”

Hunter nodded, bowed, and made his way to the heavy Throne Room doors. Slinking out, he stood straight and headed towards his own room, and to his respective duties as the Emperor did his own. His footsteps echoed across the cracked hallways, soon drowning out the faint beating of the Titan’s heart.

His mask felt heavy and crooked on his face.

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