"Okay." It took the Lich King several tries to find something that his audience approved. "Then, you can't go around looking like a corpse. You need a human appearance." Lith had just finished talking that Inxialot had gone from a mangled body to his real form. He was now a good-looking man in his fifties, about 1.78 meters (5'10") tall, with greying brown hair streaked blue, red, and black all over. "Gods, I'm starving, thirsty, and my stomach is going to blow!" He hadn't worn his flesh since Urgamakka so his body unleashed the needs it had accumulated for over one year at once. He needed a full course meal and a long bathroom break before resuming the conversation. Even worse, he had forgotten how to eat, drink, and relieve his bowels. Aylen had to help him at every step, from chewing his food to taking down his pants. Compared to him, Shargein looked like a mature, independent man. "What's next?" Inxialot had yet to take a step out of his house but he already looked exhausted. "Now it comes the hard part." Lith said. "At the next Council meeting, war meeting, or whatever plausible occasion you have to talk to Raagu, you tell her that you'd like to continue the discussion over dinner." "That's it? No flowers, no gifts, no mating dance, nothing?" "No. She only knows you as an annoying prick and if you come in too strong, it's bound to backfire." Lith replied. "Yeah, you would look creepy." Kamila said. "More like desperate." Aylen said. "On top of that, Raagu has been focused on her political agenda and research for centuries. Move too fast and she'll perceive it as a threat to her routine and not give you the time of day." Salaark said. "Makes sense." Inxialot had the stenographer made copies and pinned everything on the walls of every room to not forget. "In the off chance she accepts-" "When she accepts!" The Lich King cut Lith short. "Yeah, right. I want to believe!" Lith said with a scoff. "The truth is out there." Apep's laugh was dry like a grindstone, but made Lith smile as well. At least until both creatures looked at each other in surprise. "What does that mean?" Lith lied through his teeth while the opening theme of the Z-files still played in his head. Apep rolled a persuasion check and when Lith succeeded, the Eldritch was forced to believe him, dismissing the exchange like a mere coincidence. "Nothing." "If she accepts, here's a pro tip." Lith changed the topic before someone could ask the Apophis for an explanation. "When talking business, try to speak about yourself without being needy." "Meaning?" Inxialot asked in confusion. "For example, you are always on the battlefront and have fought Thrud more often than anyone else, right?" "Yes. I'm one of the strongest Council representatives and just like Thrud, I can't die." The Lich nodded. "Also, by fighting with her, I can learn a lot-" "Don't mention this last past." Lith cut him short. "Just point out your hard work without bragging and mention how painful it is dying over and over again." "Why should I? I forget about the pain the moment my wounds heal. Literally." "Because it emphasizes your sacrifice and subtly reminds Raagu that even though you are a Lich, you still have feelings. It will make it harder for her to refuse a second date." Lith explained. "Sweet! Do you think it will work?" Inxialot smiled from ear to ear. "It worked for me." He pointed at Kamila. "Hey!" She was aware of his subtle manipulations during their relationship, but publicly admitting to having fallen for it bait, line, and sinker was embarrassing anyway. "It did work!" Her reaction only made Inxialot happier. "Now, before you leave, fancy a game? We lack a healer and you would be perfect for the role." "Wait, do you really play as a necromancer named Wuxialot?" Kamila read his character sheet. "You are a real Lich with real magic powers!" "Well, yes, but while in the real world I have to mind politics, keep my secrets, and hide my experiments on unwilling living subjects, here I can do whatever I want and brag about it, screw the consequences." He replied. "Gods, you really are insane." Kamila didn't know what was worse, if the game or the Lich confessing his crimes. "Certified." Nero nodded. "Did the cat just talk?" Suddenly she felt the need to sit again. "Yes, and he's right. I had my son tested several times." Aylen showed Kamila the medical reports that diagnosed the Lich King as "nuttier than a fruitcake". "By the way, I just had a litter. Would you like a kitten for your baby?" The First Lich warped a basket full of meowing little furballs in front of Kamila. Too bad that some had membranous or feathered wings, scorpion or serpent tails, and many other traits that betrayed them as Emperor Beasts. "No, I mean yes, I mean, that's a big commitment. Can we talk about it again once she's born?" There were already a lot of people in Kamila's life. She didn't want to add more but offending a white core was an even worse idea. "Excellent thinking." Aylen nodded. "The bond will be stronger if they grow together." "I would love to play. Kami?" Lith came to the rescue as the miniatures and dice reminded him of the times when he and Carl had no friends and spent their Saturday evenings building worlds together. "Sure. How long does it take for a game?" She replied. "Depends. It could take a while." The entire table replied in unison. A cold shiver ran down her spine. When Liches, Guardians, and cats agreed on something it had to be a bad omen. *** Duchy of Essagor, Zogar Vastor's home. The Master sat behind the desk in his study. Aside from the huge holographic map of the Garlen continent that he was examining, the room was dark. As the leader of the Organization, his interests and goals went beyond the scope of the War of the Griffons. He had to oversee operations in the Blood Desert, rule the underworld of the Gorgon Empire, and fight the Undead Courts wherever they hid. Not even the free countries at the borders of the three great countries were safe from his grasp that was slowly closing in to the Verendi continent. Usually, Zoreth or Nelia would take care of it but they were both otherwise busy. The Shadow Dragon was the only one who could purify the materials necessary for Bytra's prototypes of the modern Mouth of Menadion. The Frost Griffon was working with the Fourth Ruler of the Flames as well, in the attempt of creating a power core permanently boosted by the effects of Life Maelstrom. "What are you doing here, Zogar? It's been hours that you've remained alone in the dark." His wife Zinya turned on the lights, forcing him to shield his eyes. "You have every right to be angry with the Kingdom, but isolating yourself will only make things worse. "The kids miss you a lot and I miss you even more." She was a woman in her mid-thirties, but due to Rejuvenation and Invigoration, it was hard to think her past 25.