Chapter 66: Establishing Dominance

    Shock and confusion—those were the expressions Abaddon had on his face as he witnessed a mere mortal bring him to his knees.

    The priests and priestesses gazed in awe, utterly dumbfounded by the scene before them, frozen in place, their jaws agape.

    Even Seraphine loosened her grip on the hilt of her sword, her eyes widening.

    Ancient sorcery, perhaps? No. Was it some kind of lost artifact? Or a divine blessing? They all wondered.

    In fact, even the gods watching were at a loss for words.

    For no other logical explanation existed for how a mortal could bring a divine being to his knees, gazing down at him as if he were a child about to receive reproach from his parents.

    It was mind-boggling, to say the least, but there it was before them—as clear as day, as radiant as the night, undeniably within their sights.

    Abaddon gritted his teeth, his anger rising. He attempted to rise to his feet, to free himself from the emperor''s grip, to salvage his wounded pride.

    But...

    He found himself unable to do so. It was as though the weight of the emperor''s hand on his shoulder was equivalent to carrying the burden of a god''s duty.

    As if subdued by divine might.

    "W-What is the meaning of this?" he demanded, his aura flaring. "Unhand me, you—"

    "Silence, Abaddon!" Arkanos suddenly yelled, his gaze intensifying as if he were a predator sizing up his prey. He then spoke each word with a touch of fury.

    "I don''t remember giving you permission to speak." Arkanos leaned in, his gaze locked with Abaddon''s. "It seems you are ignorant and in need of enlightenment. So hear me and heed my words..."

    His grip tightened, making a dent in Abaddon''s armor.

    "For as long as you serve under me, I will not tolerate a challenge to my authority."

    "Neither shall your head be raised when you present yourself to me. I am not as forgiving as the gods, I am very selective of whom I grant mercy."

    "So if you ever attempt such a thing again, I swear on the Bloodbane name you shall meet your end by my hands."

    Arkanos'' gaze intensified as he leaned in to whisper in Abaddon''s ear, "Have I made myself clear?"

    For the first time in centuries, Abaddon felt an actual chill run down his spine. His teeth gritted, his gaze intense, his thoughts racing.

    ''What is this? I thought he was merely an interesting human who followed the goddess of justice and purity.''

    ''But this strength... this might... no one, not even the god of war, has managed to bring me to my knees like this...''

    ''It seems he isn''t just any mortal.''

    "Good," Arkanos replied. But before he could say anything further, Abaddon''s gaze sharpened, and he swiftly interjected.

    "But," Abaddon said, his voice carrying a dangerous edge, "if for any reason you falter, if you stray from the path you''ve set or change your mind in the middle of our journey..."

    Je narrows his gaze, his aura crackling. "I will not hesitate to betray you. Do not forget, Emperor, that loyalty is earned, not given."

    Arkanos locked with his gaze, unflinching. "Understood," he said simply, his voice steady and commanding. "Then ensure you remain loyal, Abaddon, and you''ll find no cause for regret."

    The tension lingered for a moment longer, before Abaddon chuckle returned, though quieter this time. "Interesting... very interesting indeed."

    Arkanos began to walk out the church, his commanding presence as he spoke, his tone firm yet calm. "Enough kneeling. Get up and prepare to take on your new duties immediately, Abaddon."

    Abaddon''s gaze lifted, curiosity glimmering in his eyes as he began to rise, but Arkanos wasn''t finished.

    "And another thing," Arkanos continued, his sharp gaze locking onto the angel. "You are to hide your wings. I won''t have them striking fear into the hearts of my people or, worse, spreading false rumors of some divine reckoning."

    Abaddon chuckled as he straightened to his full height. With a slight smirk, he flicked his fingers, and his enormous, blackened wings shimmered before disappearing into nothingness.

    "As you command, oh mighty emperor," Abaddon replied with amusement, though his words carried a hint of respect.

    He inclined his head slightly, the edges of his grin lingering. "I shall tread carefully and make sure not to disturb your fragile little flock."

    Arkanos narrowed his eyes but chose not to rise to the bait, simply gesturing for him to follow. "Good. Now, let''s see if your strength matches your wit. There''s much to be done."

    With that, the emperor turned on his heel, his cloak trailing behind him, while Abaddon followed closely and lady Seraphine followed closely behind him.

    As Arkanos and Abaddon strode out of the chamber, a group of priests and priestesses rushed to Head Priestess Isode, with a look of concern on their faces.

    "Head Priestess," one of the priests spoke, his voice trembling, "that fallen angel... isn''t he a creature of darkness? his presence a bad omen? How can the emperor ally himself with such a being?"

    Another priestess spoke up as well, her voice barely above a whisper, "Doesn''t this risk inviting divine wrath? Surely, this is dangerous..."

    Isode raised her hand, silencing them with a calm but commanding presence. Her gaze remained fixed on the retreating figure of the emperor. "Hush," she said firmly. "You underestimate His Majesty. He is divine. He makes no mistakes."

    Clasping her hands together, her voice softened, almost reverent. "To witness him bring a fallen angel to heel... it only proves his divinity further. Do not question his decisions, for he sees what we cannot."

    The gathered priests and priestesses exchanged uneasy glances but nodded, bowing their heads in agreement.

    Isode, still seated on the floor, gestured for one of the priestesses to help her up. As the young woman complied, offering her arm, both noticed a faint glimmer on the floor where Isode had been sitting.

    The priestess froze, blinking down at the damp spot. She hesitated, touching the spot lightly with her fingers. The texture was slimy. She frowned, her brows furrowing in confusion.

    ''What is this?'' the pristess wondered, gazing at tye head pristess as she left, she noticed the rear end of her garment was wet, certainly brought to such a state by what ever this fluid was.

    ''Certainly the head pristess didn''t...''