Greg had immediately understood and agreed with his thinking. While using his powerful aura to intimidate everyone present would have been a formidable opening move, it would have given them something to look out for. With the deity's aura hidden, however, the powerhouses before him had no way of telling when the deity took him over. It was a lot like having a kitten that could morph into a ferocious tiger at any moment. Even when Morpheus eventually withdrew and ceded control back to Greg, they'd have no way of knowing for sure he was truly gone. To them, it would seem like Morpheus was always at hand, ready to take over whenever it suited him. If there was a clear delineation between when Morpheus was in control and when Greg was only mortal, then the powerhouses might conspire to either intimidate or even attack Greg, thinking him weak, and rightfully so. As things stood, however, they'd think twice before trying anything, lest they found themselves facing the deity rather than the young man.
Morpheus had then proceeded to just stand there. Morpheus was a deity, not a human being. His grasp and control of the laws didn't require gestures or the movement of limbs. Greg didn't even know if he had limbs in his true form. With his ability to take any shape or form, Greg had no reason to believe that the deity's true form was even humanoid. To everyone watching him, it must have seemed like he was just standing there. Through their connection, however, Greg could feel it as Morpheus warped space around the necromancer. It was always an odd feeling to feel Morpheus tap into the very laws of the universe. With his limited understanding of magic and the laws that governed this universe, Greg couldn't see, feel, or in any way directly interact with them. When Morpheus interacted with them, it was a lot like seeing ripples on what was a clear pond. While the water was undisturbed, it was so clear that one could easily forget it was even there. It was only when Morpheus figuratively put a finger in that pond, that Greg became aware of the laws that governed everything around him. Like how, with a simple step, he twisted the rules of the world, causing his foot to land on the same step that the necromancer was on.
It spoke to the level of control that Morpheus had that he could wrap the necromancer in warped space without harming even a single hair on the pale man. The man was wrapped up in twisted space like a mummy and barely noticed it. Even a small mistake on Morpheus' part and the necromancer could easily have been torn to bits. And while it would have been impressive for him to destroy the man without even moving a limb, that wasn't what Morpheus was after. So long as there was an actual fight between them, Morpheus would have failed in his task. No matter how bleak the odds, the powerhouses would come away thinking that there was a chance to fight Morpheus. By not attacking, defending, or even moving, the message was being sent. Forget winning, were they even powerful enough to start a fight with the deity?
It dawned on Greg what Morpheus had meant by tapping into the real source of their fear. Horrors and brutality were things the powerhouses could handle as they had more than likely encountered them in spades throughout their long lives. They couldn't be easily shaken by being shown more of it. But what if someone showed them that it was all meaningless? That all the power they had amassed over the years through bitter struggle was pointless. That even with their power, they were little more than what Seraphia had called them, worms! Sending the necromancer forward as a sacrifice hadn't in any way tested the deity. Instead, it just highlighted the gap between the two. Even more than putting his power on display, Morpheus had laid bare the futility of theirs.
"Unfortunately... I don't give second chances!"
Greg was quietly grateful that Morpheus didn't give back control to him after executing the necromancer. Greg understood the necessity of making a statement. Still, he wasn't certain he could have kept himself from turning green at a person being reduced to a meatball the size of a golf ball.
As if nothing worth noting had happened, Morpheus stepped forward. Again, the world twisted before him, space and causality being thrown out of whack as rather than taking one step forward, he reappeared just a step away from a pale-faced Deriel. In a few seconds, I'll probably kill your father and his two friends," Morpheus nonchalantly stated. There wasn't even an inkling of threat in his voice, each word uttered more as if it was a chore than a task of any significance. By the rising terror that Greg could see in the boy, Morpheus' matter-of-fact tone was even more terrifying. "You, as his filial child, have thus stepped forward to offer your life in his place," Morpheus continued, an amused smile playing on his lips. Deriel had already begun desperately shaking his head in the negative even before Morpheus finished his statement. "Come on, you've brought your former bride and the future mother of your children along," Morpheus continued with a glance at Calyn and then at Nerissa. "Surely it isn't to put such cowardice on display. Tell me, why is it you stand before me!" Morpheus demanded, now sounding quite unamused.
'What are you doing?' Greg couldn't help but question Morpheus through their connection. He too had found it odd that Deriel and those from the Sydrak clan would be here. To him, however, the real focus should have been the three at the top of the stairs.
'If you saw two seventh-tier mages about to fight, where would you sit to get the best view?' Morpheus questioned in return even as Deriel continued to quiver as he tried to put together a coherent answer.
'Watch? I'd be doing my best to get the hell out of...' Greg stopped mid-sentence as it suddenly clicked why the presence of this group here was such an oddity. He'd been inclined to ignore them as just observers who were unimportant. After all, any of the three powerhouses less than fifteen feet away could wipe out this group with barely any effort. To him, it just seemed wiser to focus on the greater threat. Morpheus, however, was right. If they came to blows, then forget these four, half the city, would probably need to evacuate to be safe from the fallout, if not more. Simple curiosity couldn't justify the risk that this group was taking by being here.
Morpheus was in control of his body, so nothing about his expression changed. Greg, however, couldn't help but chastise himself internally as he realized that he had grown arrogant. Even if it was by letting said deity possess him, it was still a heady feeling to have the power of a deity flow through you. It was all too easy to forget that he was still the weak link in this partnership. Despite being the actual deity, Morpheus was the one who kept a cool mind and correctly analyzed the situation. Greg didn't have enough lifespan to fight the three powerhouses at the top of the stairs. This group could easily stand by the side and watch him fight. Once he was weakened and on the verge of death, even they would be enough to kill him. They weren't just a sideshow, they were just as much a real danger to him as the ones at the top were.
"Forgive me for speaking out of turn. But perhaps I'd be better positioned to answer you," It was Lina, Elder of the Sydrak clan that in the end took pity on Deriel. The young man had been trying to speak up for the past twenty or so seconds but the words seemed to have been choked out of him by crippling fear. It would be all too easy to look down on the Governor's son, over the fact that he seemed about ready to collapse from fright. He, however, had just watched a fifth-tier mage be crushed like he was little more than a biscuit. To stand before someone that you know down to the root of your being, could kill you with the wave of a hand, is not something many could do without shaking in their boots.
Morpheus' gaze turned to the woman who'd just spoken. Even with her, Greg could see fear and caution in her eyes. She, however, had lived far longer than Deriel and had thus had longer to master her emotions. "Deriel, the Governor's son came to our clan to seek the hand of my niece. After an agreement was arrived at between our two families, he returned to Ethavel with Calyn as his bride-to-be. On the flight back, however, they encountered Roka, your vessel. Calyn was immediately enchanted by his handsome looks and valiant air and couldn't take her eyes off Roka," she laid out. Greg couldn't help but smile internally at the thinly-veiled flattery.
"Unfortunately, the blood of the youth runs hot quickly. Burning with jealousy that another man had caught his bride's eye, the young man took an unfortunate step and sent his guard after you. What he planned to achieve in so doing, I can't claim to know. Curious to know what kind of man she would be wedded to for the next one hundred cycles, however, my niece sent her guard after Deriel's guard. Her only intent was to have her guard watch Deriel's guard and report back as to what he'd been tasked to do. It was never her intention that her guard attack your servant. Regardless of her intentions, however, the Sydrak clan recognizes that a mistake was made and the fault lies with us. The head of our clan has asked me to convey our willingness to give restitution for any offense caused. He's also made it clear that the Sydrak clan doesn't consider itself an enemy to you. All this was an unfortunate misunderstanding caused by the rash actions of the junior generation."
Some small part of Greg knew that he should be shocked. A whole clan had come to apologize for the actions of one foolish young man. If what Olivia had learned of the Sydrak clan was true, then it wasn't just any clan. While not the strongest clan in terms of absolute power, they were the most powerful clan as far as body enhancers on the continent went. Unexpected as this turn of events was, Greg wasn't really shocked. In this world, strength was all that mattered. It stood above reason, law, logic, or even morality. If you are strong, then you are right. If you are strong, then you are the law. If you are strong, then you are beyond reproach. If you are strong enough, you don't have to justify yourself to anyone. Such a behemoth as the Sydrak clan should have cared nothing whether someone of the younger generation was offended or not. When that individual was attached to a deity, however, then the whole situation was flipped on its head. Right now, even though Olivia was the one who almost killed Calyn's guard, they were the ones hoping and praying that he didn't take offense and pursue this any further.
Morpheus' gaze quietly shifted from her aunt to the girl in question. "A hundred cycles," he declared without preamble. The deity's tone left no room for debate, this wasn't a negotiation offer. They were stated with the certainty of an emperor giving an edict. "You will serve at my side for a hundred cycles as atonement for your actions. In return, the Sydrak clan will have nothing to fear from me!" Again, he wasn't asking, Morpheus was informing the girl how things would be.
Greg didn't miss the varied reactions from the three members of the Sydrak clan. Calyn looked like she had just been asked to spend the next hundred years between the jaws of a dragon. She did not know what would be asked of her, but whatever it was, forget saying no, she'd have to give her everything to do it right lest she earn the ire of this deity. For the next one hundred cycles, she'd be walking a very tight line lest those jaws close around her. Her aunt had similarly gone rigid. A look of unwillingness in her eyes as she swallowed hard. The third and final member of the Sydrak clan was the only one who seemed to be sagging with relief. Nerissa clearly wasn't concerned in the least about the fate of her cousin.
"As an elder and representative of the Sydrak clan, I hear your judgment and thank you for your leniency in this matter. The Sydrak clan accedes to your wisdom," Elder Lina spoke rigidly. Greg could tell that it was taking every bit of will she could muster to utter the words. "Can I report to the head of my clan that this matter is settled?" She questioned, still in that forcedly formal tone. Morpheus only offered a quiet nod of assent. "Then my role as Elder is at an end. Right now, I only speak as the woman who raised this girl since she was a child after the death of her mother. Please, take me instead," the woman spoke, bowing low before Morpheus.
Greg had already hated the idea of forcing someone to become his slave. There were many things about this world that he was coming to accept and adapt to. This, however, was one line that he wasn't willing to cross. Greg didn't know how this world would influence and twist him in the future. He had never thought of himself as a saint or paragon of virtue. Perhaps a day will come in the future when he is willing to force someone into service against their will. That day, however, was not today. To enslave a girl, especially with someone who was essentially their mother watching, was just too twisted a move for him.
He was about to voice his vehement objection to Morpheus through their connection. The deity, however, seemed to have picked up on his train of thought and answered his objections before Greg could even begin. "I couldn't care any less if you choose to let her go as soon as the seventh-tier mages are gone. I have no need or use for the brat. Do not forget, however, who we stand before. Every single thing we do is being watched closely. Show weakness or indecisiveness in any way and this situation could easily turn to disaster,' he laid out.
