The great chamber had an atmosphere, with Morgan Morningstar present. He did not emit the terror of the Angel nor the fierce grace of Valentina. Instead he bore the keen aura of someone who had witnessed the workings of both heaven and hell firsthand. He took a cup of water drinking from it with gratitude.
" water " he exhaled. "An overlooked indulgence."
"We possess little yet we offer it thoughtfully " Tania remarked, her stance cautious though her welcoming nature prevailed. She set down a plate holding travel bread and dried fruit upon the stone table.
Morgan gave a nod of gratitude his gaze shifting continuously as he examined the halls design, the delicate yet strong protective spells and ultimately resting on Cassiathon. "So. The Ashen Plains. That was your doing. Closing a rift with a skill I haven't witnessed since... Well since the ancient celestial war academies. The dead zone half a mile away, from it though? That was you well right?"
Cassiathon tensed. "You were present?"
"Surveying the boundary following the arrival of the sniffers. Noticed the consequences. Two distinct marks stemming from the origin. One, a surgical hit. The other, an outburst." Morgan chewed on a piece of bread. "I know that contrast well."
From the head of the table the Angel of Death addressed them a shadowy figure. "You mentioned an exchange."
"Exactly." Morgan leaned in his lighthearted expression turning serious. "Valentina Rhodes didn't merely hand over an invitation. Walk away. She set a trap. Recon units are pinpointing this place using triangulation. It's not a strike team—not at this stage. It's a surveillance network. They're charting your security measures and routines. Vernia Vouw's goal isn't the boy; she aims to grasp the alloy—the fusion of her essence, with yours." He glanced at the Angel. "That's what I've gathered." Here's my proposition: I assist you in uncovering and breaking down their scout network. Quietly. In exchange I receive refuge for some of my people—-fighters, intellectuals, children—in a location the Abyssal armies cannot readily access.. " He continued, his eyes shifting back, to Cassiathon "when that moment arrives and you must inevitably enter this battle you heed my advice. The 'fallen' frequently perceive the board with clarity than the participants, on each team.
"Sanctuary is not something I bestow casually " the Angel stated. "This realm resides in the gaps between. Allowing mortals here endangers secrecy."
"And abandoning them there ensures their demise or decay " Morgan replied, his tone softening, exposing the desperation underneath. "The world isn't merely damaged; its undergoing transformation. The Queen is filtering what serves her order and turning everything else into fuel. My people belong to the 'everything '"
A quiet lingered. Cassiathon began to talk. "How many?"
Morgan gazed at him a spark of hope shining. "Twelve. Mainly. Two seniors who recall the world prior, to the collapse."
"Father " Cassiathon stated, spinning around. "We've secured the caverns. The geothermal vents. It's isolated and safe."
The Angel looked at his son. "Are you supporting this?"
"They're beings. Not tools, not test subjects. Simply individuals striving to endure. Isn't that what our duty is to safeguard?" The statement resonated with Tanias teachings stirring his hidden human recollections.
Tania rested her hand on her husbands arm. "We have the ability to screen them. Morgan remains as a guarantee of their behavior."
The Angel of Death gazed from his wifes expression to his sons imploring gaze and ultimately to the tired resistance of the fallen stars offspring. The calculation of eternity conflicted with the factor of kinship.
"Agreed " the Angel declared, the word decisive. "The civilians may proceed. You will assist Cassiathon in finding and disabling the scout network. That will be his exercise. In tactics and lasting resolutions."
Morgan let out a breath of relief. "Thank you."
"But understand this Morningstar," the Angel proceeded, his voice dropping the rooms warmth. "If this proves to be a trick your fate will never be noted in any record. It will become an erased void."
Morgan met the gaze evenly. "Understood."