“I suppose it does,” Aluran conceded. “But we already knew that. It isn’t some evidence of your ability to read the future. Just logic.”

  Azal laughed. “I never said it was. But foresight is foresight, whether brought on the winds of Fate, or by simple intelligence. We are all amongst the ancients. Our wisdom is sufficient for such an inference.”

  Evrana nodded. “In any case, Avarana is next. That arrogant beast won’t accept our help, though. She’s probably about to die.”

  Aluran scoffed. “Ever since Angranor empowered us, she’s begun to believe that she is invincible. It is a problem for all dragons, godly ones especially. She will never listen to reason.”

  “She hasn’t put any extra effort into leveling,” Azal added. “I’ve watched her often. She simply plays the same inane game she has been playing for eons.”

  “Aren’t we all?” Evrana said dolefully. “Angranor created us for his entertainment. We are nothing but toys. Toys to be broken, discarded, or perhaps, placed on the top shelf for a brief moment in the sun.”

  Aluran twisted his head to look at Evrana. The other two Circle Lords looked away, deeply uncomfortable at the sight of the snake’s head moving through the sides of his neck. “Quite philosophical today, Evrana?”

  “Of course. I have far too much time on my hands, and nothing to do with it but ponder.”

  Carceron, the tenth circle of the Hells, was a vast complex of jail cells, some the size of cities. Everyone in the realm was a prisoner, except for Evrana. However, she could almost be considered one, as she was bound by chains of responsibility to her prisoners. Evrana rarely left her guard tower. She was similar in a way to the Great Farmer, drawing power from how many prisoners rotted away under her care. However, she could apply that power for different purposes. While the Great Farmer had used it to empower itself, Evrana could use it to boost her skills and elemental magic.

  Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

  Her potential was immense, as was every other Circle Lord’s, but her body was a lot weaker in comparison. At a limited scale, she could strike above her Tier, but she wouldn’t necessarily be able to take a similar attack.

  “In any case,” Azal said, “we need a plan. We are already strong in our alliance. I am at the peak of Tier 11, and you two are close behind. However, our strength will be further multiplied if more join us.”

  “What of Eventide?” Aluran asked. “Has he deigned to rise from his slumber?”

  Azal shook her head. “He hasn’t awakened in ten thousand years. I don’t think he will without a sufficient reason.”

  Eventide, the Circle Lord of the eighth layer of the Hells, had a strange power that set him apart from the others. He lived and breathed sloth, finding power in sleep. Every year that he whiled away in slumber, he gained a stat bonus. When he awakened, that bonus would start to fade away, but for a few minutes, he was almost unbeatable at his Tier.

  Eventide only woke when there was a threat to his reign, something that happened very rarely. Once, he had slept for a million years, and awoken with enough power to reshape reality itself. He had left a crater a thousand miles wide etched into the surface of his realm, all from a single strike. Then he had reached out with his magic, and erased every last one of the rebels from his domain.

  He was a terrifying foe, even for a Circle Lord above his Tier. However, that strength was limited. He was more of a paper tiger than anything, with a few moments of ultimate power, surrounded by spates of uselessness. He had only lived around a hundred years in subjective time, dreaming away the rest.

  “I would say that the advent of the Hellbreaker is a sufficient reason,” Evrana replied. “Eventide will not wait to be slaughtered in a moment of weakness. He will arise in due time.”

  “If not for that accursed law of the Hells, we could go assist him,” Aluran spat. “As it is, we are forced to wait for Harlowe to catch up.”

  Azal smiled a shark toothed grin. “He will not like what is waiting for him. That I can promise.”