Night Of A Thousand Deaths & One - Episode 1

Otho, donning a striped grey suit and black tie, knocked on the door of Arcadeus's chambers where he knew he'd find the General by his favourite window that looked out across a chaotic battlefield that stood still in the dark of the nights. Fires flickered in the distant. Paris was his, for the moment, and he could see Demigods take walks in peace. The Eiffel Tower creaked every now and then. There were whispers that it would collapse at any given moment but its foundations were tougher than most thought. It had been several days since it took a thunderous hit from a nearby scuffle between a Demigod and a tank.

Arcadeus was shirtless but still in his military slacks, hands in his pockets and barely moved as Otho closed the distance between them. His presence could only mean one thing. The children... His children... were finally safe. "Marceus sent word." Otho spoke softly yet sternly to not break the silence of the night too abruptly. "They reached Fort La Prée and set up camp. Perimeters are being set so they'll be notified early should immediate evacuation be needed." He extended some papers but noticed the General hadn't taken his eyes off the view. Otho rolled up the papers and then gently tapped his open palm with them. "Your eldest has of course shared his concerns and his plea to help the cause yet again." The chambers was dark with only a table top candle illuminating its own presence and not sharing any luck of increased visibility to the two in its presence as Otho laid the papers by its side and then turned to face the General once again. "What is it Otho?" Arcadeus finally spoke. "What is it that holds your tongue?" "We have a guest... Ambassador he calls himself although from his mannerisms I'd say the man were a king in another life. A well educated king." "Friend or foe?"

"Hard to tell. He requested to speak to you directly. Whether it was in private or not was not of concern to him. All he wishes is that you hear him out." "Do we know him from anywhere?" "No but not for lack of trying. This man could not have attended anything we ever did in our past lives because he is simply a ghost." Arcadeus walked over to his bed and sat on its side. He locked eyes with Otho and nodded, giving his right-hand man the clearance to continue briefing him. "The man hails from India from the state of Maharashtra. We know this only because he told us and not because we managed to look him up." "Is he one of us?" "Very much so but not because he told us outright. He mentioned that he only recently flew in from Mumbai and with current situations..." "No one's flying commercial." Arcadeus jumped in. "Exactly. He's a strange fellow. He brought Indian coffee with him and asked us to brew it while I talk you into meeting him. He apologized for coming in so late and without an invitation but he reckons what he has to offer will be the single most important thing our ears will hear for the next coming hundred years."

A bothered Arcadeus grabbed his shirt from atop his pillow where he had cast it aside earlier and then began to look for his shoes. Once he was finished buttoning up his shirt, he gestured towards the door wanting to follow Otho out. "You'll be needing your jacket," he said. "No." Arcadeus disagreed. "Trust me. You need to excel in front of this man or I reckon things will be said that neither party will enjoy." Arcadeus examined his close friend to read between the lines of what he said. "Otho... Who is this man? You smile but there is hidden worry." "Ok. I'll tell you something that I haven't told you before. You have the most of the God Particles out of all of us. You vibrate power. We can tell which room you're in just by walking past it. We've only felt this with you and one other. Maha Azim. Her radiance was nothing close to yours but it was there and this is a phenomenon that has rarely occurred. I only have a brief understanding of your power. Maha was a problem and who knows where she is now but this guy..." Otho began to scratch his bald head and shuddered at a thought he had. Arcadeus waited patiently as he took his jacket from the back of his desk chair. "I don't believe this guy is speaking for someone higher up. He is definitely the guy making the moves. If he isn't... If there's someone higher up then we're probably in deep shit if we don't play this right."

Otho led Arcadeus into the corridor and made their way towards their guest who was waiting in the conference room. Their steps were silenced by the long red carpet. Not a word was spoken until a few steps later Arcadeus stopped with a puzzled look on his face. "What is it?" Otho asked. "The feeling you spoke of when in close proximity to me... What did it feel like?"

"Like going into a room with a noticeably different temperature while at the same time suddenly remembering something you needed to do. You're feeling it for the first time aren't you?" "I believe so." Arcadeus clenched both fists. "Let's go talk to this man."

A female guard opened the doors for them and saluted before closing them again. A man with wavy, silky black hair sat at the end of one of the couches, his legs crossed and arms resting wide open. He was wearing what seemed like a cultural red robe with gold embroidery and no shoes, Arcadeus noted to himself. The man had a thick beard and light brown eyes. The moment the man realised Arcadeus was finally in his presence he jumped up from his seat in full excitement with open arms.

"Arcadeus, a leader of Demigods, a force that shapes the destiny of this world. Our paths intersect at a crossroads where choices are made and fates determined." He paused, allowing his words to settle like echoes in the air, before continuing, "I am Brahma and I am no stranger to the struggles that unfold across our realm." His gaze bore into Arcadeus as if peering into the depths of his very soul. "The currents of destiny have guided me to this moment, where I stand before you, a herald of balance and unity. The turbulence that ripples through these lands can only be quelled through understanding, cooperation, and the realization of a greater purpose." A faint smile tugged at the corners of Brahma's lips. "You, Arcadeus, bear the weight of leadership upon your shoulders, but leadership is not merely about power. It is about guiding souls toward a future that transcends the chaos of the present." His words hung in the air like a timeless prophecy, as if the very cosmos acknowledged his presence. "I offer you an alternative, a vision that unites Demigods and humans under a shared purpose. Together, we can forge a destiny where strength and compassion coexist, where the ambitions of one do not eclipse the dreams of many." His presence seemed to envelop the space, his words carrying an undeniable authority that left no doubt of his significance. "Choose wisely, Arcadeus, for the tapestry of time is woven by the choices we make. The path you tread will shape not only your fate but the destiny of all who walk this realm."

"That was... interesting."

Brahma placed his cup on the coffee table and returned his attention to Arcadeus.

"General, please, I know you can kill me. Maybe," he almost tried to politely hide his smile with his hand. "But my intentions are good I promise you."

"You have a minute to convince me that you should be allowed to live," Arcadeus responded.

"Understood but please drink the coffee. It's quite exquisite." Arcadeus didn't budge. "Not a coffee person then, I take it." "Fifty seconds."

"Your men couldn't find any information on me because they're a couple hours too early on any kind of drastic bit of news they would find. In less than ten hours there will be a celebration in all of India to celebrate... me. Because who am I? I am the President, the King, the Maharaja and great protector of India, a soon-to-be rival to the United States of America, China, Russia and of course, the British because how can we ever forget the British?"

"Get to the point."

"I have an army consisting of humans and Demigods. You have refugees solely of Demigods who need to become an army and each day you are losing more and more potential soldiers who could single-handedly topple nations." Brahma stood up and dramatically spread his arms wide open yet again. "Join me, General, and together we can ensure a future for all our people. Fly with me to my palace and I'll show you what I've done with just one nation and what I plan to do with many more." Brahma quite suddenly sat back with legs crossed. "My army needs a General. I lead it well. You'd lead it better. And any vision you could have is more than in my power to convert into reality."

Otho looked concerned but before either of them could say anything Brahma spoke once more.

"You trust dear Otho with your life and those you care for. Trust that he'd look after what you've built so far while you come away with me for a week to plan the future."

"You expect me to take a hiatus in the middle of the war?" "I'm sure you could do with a foot massage. It is exquisite when the masseuse slides her oily fingers through your toes and then cracks them. An experience dancing on the tips of pleasure and torture." Arcadeus finally sat down across from his guest and leaned forward to grab the cup of coffee made for him. Brahma had an eager look on him as if waiting for the right moment to ask whether or not the General liked the coffee or wanted to accept his proposal.

"You want me to be your guest for a couple of days while you convince me to become allies... Why don't you stay the night so we can get better acquainted first?" "Time is pressing and I am a busy man," Brahma responded bluntly. His toying mannerisms seemed to have escaped him and suddenly there was a different personality they were seeing. "The coffee was to wake you, a rather potent brew for a Demigod of your stature, so that you may take my word with clarity. I'm not the type of man to come bearing gifts to win social points. I am a businessman and I always get positive results and I always win. I study and choose those I wish to work with and I am persistent in what I do and how I do it. I have specific people working for me whose entire meaning in life is to bring me updates on you." Otho shifted uncomfortably and the two guards listening in on the conversation looked at him for orders. Arcadeus slowly put down the cup of coffee and clasped his hands together with his elbows resting on his knees. "You're spying on me?" he asked. "To a degree... Respectively." Brahma responded with his previous tone. "Tell me something I've done recently that I'd keep quiet." "Ah, I assume you're talking about your offspring?" Brahma took a long sip of his coffee and then stared down the General. "Yeah, I know where they are." "Guards!" Otho's voice thundered within the conference room but Arcadeus countered back and told them to stop. Brahma was unfazed. "We cannot let him leave," warned Otho. "I'm not the only one who knows." Brahma waved at one of the guards and pointed at his empty cup. "Another? And you wouldn't happen to have biscuits for dipping?" "Who else knows?" Arcadeus asked. "A Frenchman who works for the French Agency who has yet to notify his superiors and a British submarine who also has yet to notify their superiors." Brahma was still gesturing dipping to the guard whilst replying. "That area is medieval for the next day or so. I have a guy. The Frenchman will die shortly once my guy catches up to him. His body will be delivered to your door as proof. The submarine will also be dealt with before it does anything dramatic. That one won't be delivered to your doorstep but I'm sure you have a guy to check up on those things." "And I'm to take your word on any of that because?" "Because I want to be allies... friends even."

Otho closed the door to his office, beadily eyeing their guest as they had left him alone for a moment, and turned to face his superior. Arcadeus had already sat down once again and was in deep thought. "You want to do it, don't you?" Otho asked whilst grabbing a glass of bourbon. "What's the worst that can happen?" "The worst you say? We could be left without a military leader in the heat of battle. Our enemies are closing in by the day and our forces are far from organized. The only reason we have ground is because you have powered through with an iron fist. You are the greatest threat. The rest of us are like wild animals. We may be high on the food chain but we are up against nations." "And that is why I am considering his proposal. It will serve us well." Otho studied his glass and downed his drink before saying what was on his mind. "Arcadeus... This decision will either be the start of something good, I agree with you there, but it could also be the end of us all. I for one would like to stop taking risks. Every decision we've made so far has been a risk!" "Such is war!" Arcadeus boomed. "I have yet to muster my army. A formidable army. Every day we lose some and gain some."

Otho sat down opposite the General. His expression was more than exhausted. "I do not recall the last time we gained... anything." Arcadeus stood up but his friend barely noticed. He could see sadness and worry in his eyes. He walked up to his side and clenched his shoulder in support. "Gods." Arcadeus almost whispered, nodding to himself. Otho looked at him but Arcadeus had his gaze fixed upon the wall. Almost in an instant he then knelt in front of his friend and brought up his fist in front of him. He clicked his fingers and out came a small spark of fire which then grew into a fireball the size of a tennis ball. "We are the legends of old, my friend. What used to be stories we'd read our children is no more a fantasy." Otho tried to sip his empty glass as he considered the General's words. "I have toppled buildings, broken men, and walked off mortal wounds. All without manmade weapons. My body... I am the weapon. So are you. So is everyone with the particle."

Arcadeus opened the door and looked into the eyes of Brahma who was still drinking coffee and dipping a cookie. "This alliance will happen. I'll make sure of it." Brahma was delighted and immediately got up with open arms. Arcadeus looked behind him at Otho. "Because I don't want to kill the whole world to have my peace."