Morpheus and Callista froze, then actually FLUSHED as they spoke at the same time, “No, we’re not!”
Galen stared at them in slack jawed disbelief.
Then he began to laugh.
So much so his abs started to hurt.
He was wheezing by the time he calmed enough to speak. “No way! You two ARE a couple!”
“I told you we are not!” Callista denied, rising to her feet, face red with embarrassment and anger.
Damn it, he hated how humanizing it was to see the pair of them, members of an ultra elite, deceptive, deadly order of the Dominion, actually showing embarrassment.
“If that’s the case, then what is this? You two have feelings for each other?” Galen asked, still smirking.
His eyes lit up then, as he recalled how Morpheus, back in the feast in Ignis when he’d called himself Milton, had seemed in a bad mood at the start. Hell, he even caught the man glaring at him at one point, though he thought he’d imagined it. If the Shadow was in on the scheme to have Callista seduce Galen and have his kid… and IF he himself had feelings for the beautiful and deadly woman…
“Damn, no wonder you were in a bad mood back during that feast in Ignis. And no wonder you now dislike me, Morpheus,” Galen realized. “You were resentful of the fact the Dominion was giving me the woman you were in love with.”
The Shadow glared at him, but didn’t otherwise deny it.
“Wait, I’m right?!” Galen laughed anew.
When he calmed down enough, he saw that the pair was giving him a death glare.
Hell, they were even starting to exert a bit of that pressure he’d felt from when they had fought Aleksi and Lusha…
Galen quickly raised his hands in a placating gesture. He had messed around and wanted to avoid finding out. “Alright, alright! I’ll stop. I will just say this one last thing though.”
He looked Morpheus in the eyes. “Let me assure you I personally have ZERO interest in Callista. Particularly not after the stunt she pulled on me back in Ignis.”
To both his amusement and relief, he noted some of the animosity recede from the Shadow’s eyes.
Callista, however, grumbled, “You made that clear enough when you ran out on me, Champion. Void, that was embarrassing…”
“Hey. You shouldn’t have tried to force yourself onto me,” Galen shrugged.
“I’ll have you know that I wasn’t exactly thrilled being ordered to bear your child,” she responded.
Galen flushed at that last bit.
Callista smirked. “Void, you really are a prude.”
He ignored that jab.
Instead, he asked, “You seriously weren’t thrilled about your orders?”
She scowled. “Of course not. What do you think I am, a harlot?”
He blinked. “I don’t know anything about you. So for all I know, you could be.”
She glared at him. “I told you a bit about me during the feast in Ignis.”
“You were telling the truth?!” Galen leaned back, amazed. “Huh, I just figured everything either of you have ever told me was a lie.”
They both sighed with exasperation at that, which drew a smile to his face.
“For your information, Champion, I really was telling the truth with what I told you back then,” Callista met his eyes. “The only thing I hid from you was the fact that I was also a Shadow.”
She leaned forward, and continued, “And going back to my point earlier, yes, I wasn’t happy being ordered to essentially become either your mistress or wife. No offense, Champion, but you aren’t exactly my type.”
Ouch, he thought.
He wasn’t just going to let that slide, so he decided to retaliate with a tease, “But Morpheus is?”
She flushed, then gave him another glare.
“I’m not hearing a no~” he pointed out in a sing-songy voice.
Morpheus actually had the nerve to grin, which led to her glare being directed at him instead.
He simply shrugged in response.
Callista sighed and turned back to Galen. “Getting back on topic, Morpheus and I, believe it or not, are part of a… ‘faction,’ so to speak. One that wishes to change things in the Dominion and make it better for the people.”
Galen raised a brow, but didn’t interrupt her as she continued.
“As you have learned of our culture, Champion, you know that Lord Athanasius and the Dominion places great importance on the goal of perfecting humanity. Of striving for us as a species to reach our full potential. Unfortunately, in pursuit of that goal, we’ve had to give up some freedoms. For those of us in the higher echelons of Dominion society, that means we are unable to choose whom we can marry. Among other things, Morpheus and I want to change that, and doing so requires we gain enough influence and power to enact those changes.”
Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
Galen studied her. He didn’t think she was lying to him, but who knew for certain? However… if they were telling the truth…
“I don’t think Athanasius would be okay with that, would he? Because it almost sounds like you two are planning on going against him.”
“Of course not!” Callista shook her head. “I’ll have you know Lord Athanasius is rather open to new ideas.”
I don’t believe that for a second, he thought.
Morpheus spoke next. “When I became a Shadow, I was given the privilege of a personal audience with Lord Athanasius. Every Shadow who is able to overcome all the training, tests, and trials and become inducted into the order gets that reward. When he asked me what I hoped to accomplish as a Shadow, I made clear my intent to want to change things in the Dominion, for the purposes of benefiting and strengthening his empire. If he had disapproved, he’d have ended my life then and there. Instead, he smiled and gave me my name as a Shadow.”
“Morpheus…” Galen tilted his head. “Back in my world, that’s the name of a mythological god of dreams.”
The Shadow nodded. “And Lord Athanasius explained that to me as well. He said it was a fitting name for someone with such lofty aspirations. I took that to mean he approved of my ambitions.”
Galen didn’t know what to make of that. He wondered if perhaps Morpheus was misinterpreting Athanasius’s words and actions. But then again, if the so called god of the Dominion truly had been displeased, then just as the Shadow said, he’d have just killed him and been rid of him.
Morpheus continued. “So, you now know of my ambitions, which Callista shares. Champion, we want you to join us. Not just the Dominion, but our ‘faction’. If you do, we can personally aid you in your training. To help you reach your full potential as both a combatant and as a political and religious figure of the Dominion. We can make sure you aren’t taken advantage of again, like what happened when Arawn’s faction convinced the others to wrong you as they have. And, in return, you can aid us in enacting change in the Dominion. For the betterment of us all.”
Galen thought about the offer. He turned over the words in his mind, trying to figure out if they were trying to fool him in any way. They seemed genuine enough, but they had tricked him before. At the very least, he confirmed his suspicions from his talk with Agnar. That there were, indeed, internal political struggles going on in the Dominion.
Just as there was with any government.
A question came to mind then, and he figured it’d be a good way to test them, even on the chance that they were being honest.
“You say you want to enact change. To make the lives of the citizens of the Dominion better,” Galen leaned forward, looking both Shadows in the eyes. “Let me ask you. Does that include the other races?”
They both paused, then frowned with confusion.
“Why would it?” Callista asked, genuinely baffled.
Galen sighed, shaking his head as he stood. “Assuming you two have told me the truth regarding your motivations, I can sympathize to an extent. However the fact that you don’t have any plans to better the lives of the other races tells me a lot. It tells me you still don’t see them as people.”
He looked Morpheus in the eyes. “I told you that I had intended to end the Dominion’s practice of slavery. Will that be on the table as a condition of me joining you?”
He asked merely as a hypothetical. He still had no intentions of joining them, regardless.
Morpheus was silent for moment, but then shook his head. “I’m sorry, Champion. What you ask for is impossible.”
“No, it’s not. It’s been done in my world. You just aren’t willing to try because you don’t view the other races as people. I’m sorry. I really am. But I won’t join you. Not as long as you and the Dominion continue to hold to the belief that it is your right to oppress and enslave the other races.”
Callista leaned forward. “And if we were to agree to your terms to eventually free the other races? In return for you joining us?”
“Venus?!” Morpheus gasped.
She raised a hand to shush him, her gaze not leaving Galen.
He thought about it. He really did. Ultimately, he slowly shook his head. “Even that wouldn’t be enough.”
“Why?” she asked, seemingly out of genuine curiosity.
“There are several issues I have with your Dominion and Athanasius,” Galen answered. “For one, I have people I’ve genuinely grown to care about in the Rebellion. People whom I sincerely doubt you all would either work with or spare. Two, I don’t worship Athanasius as a god. As a matter of fact, I refuse to ever do so. I already have a God I worship, and I don’t intend on converting. I suspect that will be a massive issue, if not with you, then with Athanasius. Three, I oppose his goal of conquering Avani. I’ve seen what the Dominion as an empire has to offer, and I don’t want this entire world, regardless of the fact that it is not my own, to be forced under its thumb.”
The two Shadows were quiet for a long while after that.
Finally, Callista asked. “Are you certain, Champion? To be frank, you have already been captured by us. By denying our offer, you put yourself at risk of further manipulations by those like Arawn. You think you had it bad before? The things they have planned for you… even I, as a Shadow, shudder at thinking of them.”
Galen nodded, resolute in his decision. Then he smiled, eliciting a confused look from the two Shadows.
“I am certain,” he stated. “And what you said does sound concerning. However, I know I have nothing to fear from either them or you.”
“Why’s that?” Morpheus asked.
“Because I’m going to be rescued,” he stated confidently. “Of that, I’m certain.”
Morpheus began to laugh just then. His laughter tapered off when he noticed Galen’s resolve wasn’t wavering.
“You’re serious?” he marveled, chuckling as he did.
Morpheus stared him in the eyes, then finally nodded. It was odd, but Galen could have sworn he saw some respect in the Shadow’s eyes.
“Very well, Champion. Though I think you’ve made an incredibly foolish and idiotic decision, I can respect the choice you’ve made,” the Shadow stood then, followed reluctantly by Callista, who looked deflated at having failed to convince him.
“I’ll have you know that we’ll be ready for whatever Zareb has planned,” Morpheus stated. “We already figured he’d come for you again.”
“And, no offense, I look forward to seeing you fail,” Galen jabbed.
The Shadow laughed again, then reached out a hand.
Galen frowned, but hesitantly shook it, pointing out as he did. “This is a pretty friendly gesture considering I shut down your offer.”
“I do this because I want you to know, Champion… in spite of what you might think, I don’t hate you. I hope that, when we thwart whatever rescue attempt Zareb tries and return you to the Dominion proper, that you will be a bit more open to joining our faction. The offer still stands, even if you reject it for now,” Morpheus explained.
Galen nodded, seeing just a tad bit of honor in the Shadow’s words. For a brief moment, he resembled Aleksi.
Maybe there is something that can be saved, buried underneath all that the Dominion piled into you,he wondered.
“We’ll be watching over you, Champion, in Agnar’s place,” Morpheus said. “My entire home is open to you, but take care not to leave my property. The bounds of my home are what you are confined to.”
Galen nodded in understanding before turning on his heel and returning to his “room” to rest and think.
The conversation he had with them reminded him that the world, both this one and his own, was not solely black and white. Though he still vehemently thought of Morpheus and Callista as being on the wrong side, he had to admit to himself…
They were closer to the gray than he’d initially liked to believed.
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