Paradox, Palace of the Honorable Tyrant

  ...

  I awoke back in the study room I was in that had apparently had two new visitors. The Tyrant lounged in the couch adjacent to me with his daughter standing up and flipping through files of documents.

  "Well, well, congratulations are in order, young Lux, great name by the way!" The Tyrant stated offering his hand in congratulations to me. Taking his hand and shaking it I replied.

  "Thanks, it was due to your resources that I manged to pull it off" I replied making sure to thank him in turn using some of my formality lessons to use.

  "Yes, yes that's all grand and wonderful but I have an invasion to plan, and now I have a unknown which needs to be tested" The Despotissa cut in as she eyed her father for a moment and he raised his hands in surrender.

  "I was just congratulating a mentee" the Tyrant responded flippantly.

  "Yes now, Lux I need you to follow me, you will be tested against the other lieutenants that I have gathered and based on your performance I will be able to place you in the plans, now come" The Despotissa stated already moving towards the door, flicking my eyes to the Tyrant who just shrugged. Quickly getting up I stumbled for a moment before taking off after her. Catching up with her, I saw she was looking at long sheets with various unfamiliar symbols inlaid on them.

  "Why are we going so fast?" I asked as I was pulled up alongside her.

  "Because I only have thirty minutes scheduled for this" she stated and that sent me in whiplash as it was my first time hearing a definite measurement of time come from an entity. Clearly she saw my reaction as she responded.

  "Paradox is almost always in flux, but the older entities can drift along it and appear at the right time so to speak, us younger entities require artifacts to reinforce time around us making it more regulated, that's why only young entities use measurements of it" she explained as she continued to flick through various files and folders that appeared and reappeared as she needed them.

  "Got it, random higher-planar fuckery" I replied somewhat under my breath.

  "Precisely" she replied as re turned towards what looked like a wall but melted away and I had to quickly scramble to fall in behind her.

  "This wing is for me and my army's use from now on you will live here while we prepare for the invasion." She stated looking up from her files and turned to me locking me in the eyes, her face was slack and without emotion yet her eyes burned with power and I flicked away.

  "You may not leave this place until after the invasion, unless we want them to figure out what we are planning, do you understand?" She said the last part slowly.

  "Yes I do" I replied and I dared to look her in the eyes again and she nodded.

  "Acceptable, come along" she stated turning on her heal and marching down the length of the hall.

  "On the right are the common quarters, and no you're not the only entity who requires or benefits from sleep, most though are someway connected to it" she explained pointing to an adjacent room and when we passed through its entrance I saw a row of modest beds a few occupied by different individuals though for some reason most were more classically Eldritch in their appearance.

  "Now on the right we have the library, much smaller then my father's but more focused on naval warfare and other related topics I advise you spend some time viewing them." She stated and sure enough as we passed the entrance I saw into a room filled with sleeves of white slightly opaque crystal balls.

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  At the next doorway she turned and as I followed I saw a grand arena where several Entities were fighting one on one, and on the far side their even to a mock naval battle. The Despotissa scanned the arena of warriors and she called out.

  "Infine get up here" she said and the a warrior broke away from the fighting and his opponent stopped immediately. Looking at the figure I saw that they were covered with small hourglasses that stopped halfway through their timers.

  "Milady, I the Final Infinity greet you, what is it that you require?" Infine asked her as he bowed slightly.

  "Infine this is Lux, Lux this is infine" she stated greeting each other and I reached out my hand for a shake. Looking closer Infine had this look like he held infinite wisdom yet his eyes flashed like he was still in middle school and about to cause problems.

  "Lux, Void's Light, nice to meet you" I replied and he hesitated for a second not getting the gesture but he clasped my hand and smiled.

  "Yes, and I'm one of the Final Infinities, you can call me Infine" he replied.

  "Alright introductions are done, I'll move on, Lux here recently gained his Paradox and I need to check his power for the upcoming invasion" the Despotissa pushed onwards. This time Infine smiled as he looked at me.

  "As you wish your Majesty and may you prove to be a great warrior, Lux" he stated bowing to the Despotissa before replying to me.

  Soon a place was cleared out, I hadn't noticed it originally but now that I had a brief respite to think about and I realized how much power I had here versus the mortal plains.

  Standing across from me was Infine and his various small hanging hourglasses began to levitate.

  "Good luck, Lux" Infine stated and he lowered himself into a half-crouch.

  "You too" I replied as I grasped upon my paradox the broiling energy flared out threatening to spill over but I had to hold until the gong sound—.

  *BANG* The resounding sound of the gong being struck kicked off the fight.

  Tounges of voidfire lashed out from me and I sent them toward Infine who with a shake of his Hourglass bangles went completely motionless and then as the voidfire struck him he reappeared right next to me I quickly back peddled as I used blasts of fire to keep at bay. As the voidfire struck him it turned into gray dust and fell helplessly against him.

  Pulling on the flames I covered myself in the half invisible fire. Striking outwards I pushed the advantage of my fire armor.

  "Binds of Finality" Infine spoke to paradox and great chains rose up to answer him. They flowed like sand yet where as strong as steel. Rising my hands as they where getting wrapped up in magical chains of sand I focused on the consuming side of the void. Enteral all consuming, my flames whipped up into a frenzy and managed to eat the chains yet the effort ate at me.

  "Good, good, keep at it rookie!" Infine stated as he threw one of his Hourglasses and as it sailed through the air it broke apart and the form of a screaming skull broke from the small glass and then the sand poured into a small puddle. I blasted it with my flames and yet the sand stirred and a skeleton of sand arose a glass sword at its side seemingly wrought from a volcano. Summoning another blast of particularly hungry flames the skeleton faltered before continuing on. Before I knew it two more had entered the fray. Infine seemed unwilling to get close and personal when I had my suit of fire around me but his sand undead seemed to have no such reservations.

  My fire could still consume them but it was inefficient and slow. Kiting back and forth sending an occasional lash of fire at a flicker of Infine as more of the skeletons joined the battle. Sending a tidal wave of flames over them I dropped my fire for a moment fainting exhaustion and sure enough a flicker and Infine struck and as soon as he was to far to get away I reignited my flames. Only by stopping last moment and pivoting did he manage to not get burnt to badly.

  "Alright, alright, alright, looky hear at the tricky little rookie" Infine replied as moved away.

  "Now the kiddie gloves come off...." Infine stated and then he flickered and the next thing I know I was on the floor.

  "Infine how the hell am I supposed to tell how strong he is If you go from 1 to 100 in a second?" I heard the Despotissa say, but truthfully she seemed only slightly annoyed by the development before she turned towards me and looked at me.

  "Well your strong enough at least to be 10th lieutenant, congrats or whatever, I've got shit to do" she stated before turning around and walking off her nose in papers.

  "Good job, and sorry about that got carried away" Infine came into view as he crouched next to me.

  "Ugh, what happened, one second I burnt you next, well next Im here" I asked and the entity looked a little sheepish.

  "Oh, I locked you in a personal time loop" The Entity state liked that explained it.