Defiance of the Fall

Kator grimly looked on from the sidelines as the last motes of sunlight entered the Draugr's hand. The ominous dark encroaching from outside grew deeper as the central spire's radiance faded. Left was only the Flamebearer Seal floating in the stellar dusk, its splendor filling Kator with desire and irreconciliation. He could see its truth, hear its promise.

He knew he should be happy. While his gains weren't at the level he'd hoped, he wasn't walking away empty-handed. Just as important, the madman had succeeded against all odds, judging by the monstrous aura rising from below. There was no joy in Kator's soul, only pain and anger. And premonition.

The past month was a repeated lesson in fate's mercurial nature, starting with the unbelievable events surrounding the cursed bell. The idea of sneaking two Autarch into the trial was a calculated risk. Still, the two being routed before they could implement any of the backup measures? The failed schemes hoisted on him had forced Kator down this ill-fated path, where each day left his future less certain.

The strategists had analyzed Arcaz Umbri'Zi and Zachary Atwood inside and out. The dossier on them was thick enough to be considered a Heritage, and Kator had memorized it cover to cover. They'd even managed to confirm the uncanny Dao erasure and his unforeseeable Technique were related, stemming from the Void of Dao. From there, it wasn't difficult to pinpoint its weaknesses.

However, those dusty old fools failed Kator where it mattered most. They'd chalked up the frontier barbarian's unlikely journey to three factors. First, extremely high Luck brought from inborn advantages and monopolizing a world's titles. Second, assistance from his hidden benefactor, likely the Empyrean Throne or a force from the Eternal Storm. Finally, being at the right place at the right time.

With the pillar appearing in Zecia, he'd been swept forth on fate's rising tide. All that was part of the equation, certainly, but there was something more. What Kator had witnessed went beyond Luck. It broke convention. Destiny wasn't ushering this bastard on. He was walking along its shores, only taking a swim whenever he pleased.

There was no order, no logic, and the irregularities even affected those around him. The subordinates following him had already surpassed their lot without showing any signs of slowing down, especially the one who made Zachary Atwood the avatar of her faith.

Everything was consumed and turned into fuel for his progress. Not even the eroding Imperial Faith that most Supremacies avoided like the plague was an exception. Each solar flare held enough faith to rewrite a Hegemon's destiny. A Monarch would be marked at the very least. Unless they found someone powerful enough to break the chains, they'd be dragged into the machinations of the mostly forgotten empire.

Arcaz's resistance saved Kator that headache, but he'd still been forced to pay a heavy tax for his involvement. He felt as though his bones had become brittle clay after enduring the brutal process of igniting the beacon. Who knew how long it would take to cleanse the massive amounts of corruption that had seeped into his body while his mind was overwhelmed?