Ornori got to Eli first and made a show of making a little bow before greeting him. “That was an impressive use of will speech, to be so proficient while you are so new to magic says a great deal about your talent for learning.”

  “I agree,” Liasandra said with her own small bow. “That display rivals many of our elders who spent lifetimes in study and practice.”

  Eli was about to take his mask off and address them with his normal voice, allowing them to see his transcendent eyes, which he hid from his mother, but Winston showed up through one of the teleporter walls with an entourage and an attitude.

  He started talking even before he got close to the tables, “I don’t like being told what to do.” He said with a projected voice so everyone in the room could hear him clearly. “Some random guy gets a throne and we just all have to obey him? Why? Because he's big?” Winston was still trying to rile up the crowd with his speech but was now only about six or seven feet away from Bethany who had moved to stand between Eli and the trouble maker. What he didn’t realize was that no one in the room supported him and they were all backing away to avoid being squashed like a bug as collateral damage.

  “You will show respect, or you will show me the inside of your head.” Bethany said through gritted teeth.

  “I’m not talking to you bitc…” Winston was cut off before he could finish the word. Bethany had pulled a spear from inventory and swung when he started the word, her spear made it an inch into his eye before Eli moved and stopped it. It all happened so fast that the room echoed cracking sounds from all the faster than sound movement. Bethany Winston and Eli were still, her with her spear trying to go through the rest of his skull, Winston frozen in front of her in surprise at the speed at which it all happened. Eli was standing casually to the side of them with two fingers on the spear’s blade.

  “My love,” he spoke in a soft voice. “I can appreciate your willingness for violence on my behalf, but I think just taking his eye is enough for now.” He put his hand on her shoulder and she instantly relaxed, removing the spear from what used to be his eye. To his credit, Winston did not fall to his knees or cover his eye in pain. He only took one step back and resumed his haughty posture like it hadn’t happened.

  Eli was getting ready for his dramatic and terrifying speech to Winston when Ornori took a step closer to him. “If I may,” he said, motioning that he would like to handle it and Eli gave him a nod to proceed, his curiosity outweighing his desire for dramatic flair.

  “Lord Winston, your disrespect goes beyond our host. You disrespect myself and Queen Liasandra as well. Still, as this place and these circumstances are all new to us, I’m sure if you beg forgiveness now, there will be no further need for violence.”

  “How are you ok with this, some random person given authority over you and making decisions that affect your people. What right does he have to choose what's best for us?” Winston said with desperation leaking into his voice.

  “He has…” Ornori was about to answer but then someone cut him off.

  “He has the right of power.” Jasmine said as she stood up. She gave Ornori a little bow, "Apologies Lord Ornori, but as he is from my continent I wish to make it plain to the room that he does not represent all of us.”

  Ornori took a step back and turned to face her, “Understood young lady, you have the floor.”

  “There are no rights or law or societal protections anymore Winston. There is only power and from what I have seen, Ash has gone out of his way to show restraint. He has not provoked us or given any commands, just asked to speak. Your reaction comes from a place of weakness, you should take the mercy they are offering and apologize.” Winston looked contemplative but just couldn’t bring himself to apologize and instead just turned and walked back to his seat at the middle continent table and sat down.

  Jasmine turned toward Ornori, “Thank you for allowing me to speak, Lord Ornori.” Then she turned to Bethany, “Apologies for the interruption, although I hope I may ask a favor.” Bethany made a hand motion that meant ‘get on with it’. “Would I be able to have a private meeting with you and divineness Ash after this vote?” She clearly was unsure on how to address Eli but pushed through that awkwardness and asked the question with confidence.

  Bethany glanced back at Aria standing behind Jasmine’s chair, then looked back at Jasmine. “We will want a favor in return.”

  Jasmine glanced at Eli and blushed, she was having a hard time not being able to read the minds of all these powerful people and she was not good at guessing what people were thinking. She felt like she had no option here, “Of course.” She said, then returned to her chair.

  “How did it go, Jasmine?” Aria asked in a whisper.

  “Well, I’m still alive, so it's going great.” Jasmine whispered back.

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  Everyone in the room had high stats and since it had been perfectly quiet, even their whispers were heard clearly by everyone. Bethany snickered at the two but was looking at them with suspicious eyes. She did not like Aria but would not make an issue of it right now there were more important things going on and more people were taking their seats coming out of the side rooms or coming in through the teleporter wall. Something she noticed as she followed Eli back to the throne was that all blood on the floor had been cleaned so well it was like it didn't happen.

  After returning to his throne Eli began to speak to the two leaders again. “Are your people here agreeing on this vote or are they divided?”

  “Tha majority of my people wish to vote yes,” Ornori said. “But I admit, I do see the reason why they fight against it. Without some elaborate tournament everyone here is just seen as a lord, no different than any other here. After the list goes public, we will not only be able to judge each other by it, but the people who follow us will see just how strong their lord is compared to others. What would you want to do if you thought yourself at the bottom of this list?”

  “I see your point Ornori,” Liasandra said. “Many of my people do as well and we seem to be split down the middle on this vote.”

  “I believe that every vote we have while here will be split strong vs weak.” Eli said while sitting upright on his throne. “It is also my belief that they are not what they seem.”

  Bethany pounded the butt of her spear into the floor once, “Will everyone please take their seats. Anyone who feels they have a good point to make about either side of this vote please stay standing and I will call on you to address the group.”

  Everyone sat, and by that, no one wanted to address the group. Eli Bethany and Alora stayed still and waited for several minutes but everyone was quiet and stayed seated. Bethany put away her spear and approached the middle continent getting ready for a dramatic speech.

  “I’m sure everyone here is wondering who my divineness is and why he has been placed above the strongest our planet has to offer.” She stopped in front of Winston and was looking directly at him but was still speaking loud enough for everyone to hear her. “If anyone here thinks that the system made a mistake, and that Ash, Demi-god of Ruin is not worthy. Please stand and join me in the center of the tables.” Everyone looked around, almost eager to see if anyone was going to challenge him, after about 30 seconds someone from the chaos continent table stood. They didn’t look happy to be doing this, but they were stupid enough to glance at Liasandra as they walked out, giving Bethany all the information she needed.

  Bethany looked at Eli and sent him a suggestion of his mother so he would know this was part of her plan. “Ok, could you please introduce yourself and explain why you think the system made a mistake.”

  “I am Lord Benshin,” the man said and. He was short and stocky but obviously one of the weaker people present and it was clear that he was pushed into this and did not really want to make this challenge. “We have not been given any evidence that this man is anything more than a prop used by the system to control us. Even this challenge to him is a farce because combat is not allowed by anyone except him and his…” he paused at an intense glare from Bethany and swallowed hard. “His, um, lovely companions. It’s not like this will be a fair fight.”

  “Fight? Who said anything about a fight? My divine master will take off his mask and expose this room to his will, focusing it on you.” Alora said.

  “Any collateral damage will be your responsibility.” Bethany said.

  Bethany and Alora took a few steps back, then both of them knelt on the floor. Benshin stood tall and faced Eli who hadn’t moved since the last time he spoke. Eli was going to use his will skill but to have the effect that he wanted he needed to focus a strong emotional memory into it to make it powerful enough to bring a room of the planets strongest to their knees. His mother popped into his mind and he remembered the desperation and anger he felt when he was in a foster home and that mother refused to feed him that night because he had made a mess in the bathroom. It was an utterly hopeless and helpless feeling, he balled it up, and shoved it into his will skill.

  Just as his will started to flood the room he slowly removed his mask and unveiled his full undisguised face with all of his transcendent aspects on display. His galaxy eyes glowed purple and as did his scarred lines on his face. There were small purple parks of lightning flowing around his body and behind him everyone could see a smoky translucent image of Goshen in all of his 9 foot tall, four armed glory. Eli pushed on it giving it about 60% of what he was capable of and everyone except three on the order side and four on the chaos side was forced to put their head on the table. However, since he was focused on the man in front of him and his mother they had far harsher reactions.

  Benshin was smashed into the floor so hard the floor buckled and cracked, but his mother was affected harder since the emotions powering it were connected to her. Her head went through the table completely and into the floor covering her face in blood. Eli was reveling in the emotions having trouble keeping control, he was about to fully conjure his death armor and bladed bone mace when Bethany strained and turned her head towards him. She had a soft and loving smile on her face as she looked into his fierce alien eyes. He immediately calmed and smiled back at her, his skill faded, the room returned to normal.

  Eli bent down to one knee and helped Bethany up and held her in a hug. He could tell that the look on her face contained no judgement or admonishment, only joy and love despite her minor injuries. Normally his skill would not affect those who would already kneel to him but the emotions he poured into it shifted the skill to focus on those he was angry with instead of ignoring people who submit to him. Everyone was recovering and staring blankly at Eli, but he was so focused on Bethany that he didn’t seem to notice.

  “Are you alright?” Eli asked her while still holding her.

  “Yes my love, but we have more important things to address.”

  “There isn’t anything or anyone here more important than you. Let’s take a minute.” Eli said, Bethany quickly helped Alora up and sat her in front of the throne. Then Eli put his arm around Bethany and they walked into one of the side rooms and closed the door.