“But nothing lasts forever. The Brotherhood has been reassembled tonight because a new threat has emerged that was unimaginable until now. And we must eliminate it immediately.”
The High Commander snapped his fingers, and two clansmen hurried out of the courtyard. They returned a moment later carrying a large painting and set it on the stone platform beside their superior. The painting was a portrait of a beautiful young woman with bright blue eyes and light brown hair. She wore sparkling clothes, and white flowers adorned her long braid. Although she had a kind smile that could warm the coldest of hearts, something about the young woman made the Brotherhood uneasy.
“But it’s just a girl,” said a man in the back. “What’s so threatening about that?”
“That’s not just any girl,” said a man in the front. “It’s her—isn’t it? The one that people are calling the Fairy Godmother!”
“Make no mistake, my brothers, this young woman is dangerous,” the High Commander warned. “Underneath the flowers and the cheerful grin lies the greatest threat the Righteous Brotherhood has ever encountered. As we speak, this monster—this girl—is destroying everything our ancestors created!”
A nervous murmuring swept through the courtyard, prompting another man to step forward and address the anxious clan.
“I’ve learned a great deal about this Fairy Godmother,” he announced. “Her real name is Brystal Evergreen, and she’s a criminal from Chariot Hills! Last year she was arrested for female literacy and conjuring magic! She should have been executed for her crimes, but Brystal Evergreen was spared because of her father, Justice Evergreen. The Justice used his connections to lessen her punishment, and instead of death, she was sentenced to hard labor at the Bootstrap Correctional Facility for Troubled Young Women. But Brystal Evergreen was only there for a couple of weeks before she escaped! She fled to the southeast In-Between and joined a devilish coven of fairies! She’s lived there ever since, developing her sinful abilities with other heathens like her.”
“I’d say her abilities are more than developed now,” the High Commander chimed in. “Recently, Brystal Evergreen bewitched King Champion XIV into amending the laws of the Southern Kingdom! The In-Between was divided into territories so the talking creatures and the fairies would have proper homes! Women were granted permission to read and seek higher education! But worst of all, Brystal Evergreen orchestrated the worldwide legalization of magic! Virtually overnight, every trace of the Righteous Philosophy was stripped from the Southern Kingdom’s constitution!
“But Brystal Evergreen’s reign of terror doesn’t end there, my brothers. She has since opened an atrocious school of magic in the Fairy Territory and invited all members of the magical community to move there and develop their own unnatural abilities. When she’s not teaching, Brystal Evergreen travels across the kingdoms with a crew of colorful degenerates known as the Fairy Council. They’ve captured the world’s attention and affection, claiming to ‘help’ and ‘heal’ those in need, but our Brotherhood will not be fooled. The magical community’s objective is the same today as it was six hundred years ago: to brainwash the world with sorcery and enslave the human race.”
The Brotherhood roared so loudly the ancient fortress shook.
“High Commander, I fear we’re too late,” said a man in the crowd. “Since the Fairy Council appeared, the public has grown fond of magic. I’ve overheard people discussing the surprising benefits the legalization has caused. Apparently, illnesses and diseases are on the decline, thanks to the new potions and elixirs that are sold in apothecaries. They say agriculture is thriving, thanks to the spells protecting crops from frost and insects. And people are even crediting our growing economy to the popularity of enchanted products. Every man wants a self-driving carriage, every woman wants a self-sweeping broom, and every child wants a self-swinging swing set.”
“Public opinion is starting to shift about the other amendments, too,” said another man in the crowd. “In fact, most of the Southern Kingdom actually likes the changes King Champion has made to the constitution. They say allowing women to read and pursue education has elevated discussions in our schools, causing students of all genders to think outside the box. They say splitting the In-Between into territories has made the talking creatures more civilized, and now travel and trade between kingdoms is much safer than before. All in all, the people believe the legalization of magic has sparked a new age of prosperity, and they wonder why it didn’t happen sooner.”
“Their prosperity is a facade!” the High Commander shouted. “A hydrangea may be beautiful, its scent may be pleasurable, but it is still poisonous when ingested! If we don’t restore the Righteous Philosophy, our world will begin to rot from the inside out! Too much diplomacy will make us weak, too much equality will kill initiative, and too much magic will make us lazy and incompetent. The magical community will dominate us, the natural order will crumble, and absolute pandemonium will ensue!”
“But how do we restore the Righteous Philosophy?” a clansman asked. “King Champion is under Brystal Evergreen’s influence—and we need the king to amend the law!”
“Not necessarily,” the High Commander scoffed. “We need a king, not the king.”
From the new creases in his mask, the Brotherhood could tell their superior was smiling.
“And now for the good news,” the High Commander said. “King Champion XIV is eighty-eight years old, and it won’t be long until a new king sits on the throne of the Southern Kingdom. And as fate would have it, the next king is very sympathetic to our cause. He respects the natural order, he believes in the Righteous Philosophy, and like us, he has not been fooled by the Fairy Council’s displays of compassion. The next king has agreed to abolish King Champion’s amendments on one condition: that we appoint him as the new leader of our Brotherhood and serve him as a Righteous King.”
The clansmen couldn’t contain their excitement. Until now, they could never have imagined a world in which the sovereign of the Righteous Brotherhood and the sovereign of the Southern Kingdom would be one and the same. If they proceeded wisely, such an outcome could solidify the Righteous Philosophy for generations to come.
“What about the magical community?” a clansman asked. “They’re more powerful and popular than ever before. Surely they’ll revolt against the new king or bewitch him just as easily as the old king.”
“Then we must terminate them before the next king takes the throne,” the High Commander said.
“But how?” the clansman asked.
“The same way our Brotherhood nearly obliterated the magical community six hundred years ago. And believe me, brothers, our ancestors were armed with much more than a philosophy.”
The High Commander climbed down from the stone platform and then hoisted the platform up like a gigantic hatch. To the Brotherhood’s surprise, what he exposed was a massive arsenal of cannons, swords, crossbows, spears, and chains. There were enough weapons to mobilize an army of a thousand men, but these weapons were unlike any the clansmen had ever seen. Instead of being made from iron or steel, all the blades, arrowheads, chains, and cannonballs were made from a red stone that glowed and flickered, as if fire were trapped inside. The crimson light flooded the colorless courtyard and mesmerized the clansmen.