A Bored Lich

Jackal saw a chance within the crowd's hesitation and capitalized on it. He rose his voice over everyone and bellowed, "I want to make a world where everyone can walk alongside one another no matter if one's minds is twisted and broken, no matter if one is too weak to sustain themselves, no matter how alone one may be. Commoners came together and were strong, strong enough to nearly break a record. Did you know that commoners have never once won Initiation in the history of the knights' academy?"

He held up his mask: "I was planning on giving the victory to Arin, or as many of you know him as, Gregen." He focused his attention on the commoners directly below him. "You may not trust me but commoners trust their own, something you all learned on the front lines which Gregen told me so much about."

"This is disgusting," Frey spat. "He's using their trust in Gregen as leverage. They're not really going to buy this crap, right?"

"Humans are a confusing race," Doevm replied. "Especially when greed comes into play. Nobles have always spat in the face of us commoners, who have had no choice but to take it with a smile. In Initiation, the commoners were shown a way which they can fight back. If someone pissed you off for your entire life and you finally got the chance to stand up to them, would you? Gregen did. Jackal twisted him into a damned martyr."

"Even if he was possessed by a demon," Jackal deliberately lowered his voice, forcing the commoners to come closer in order to listen. "He was one of you. He died trying to bring commoners up to noble standing. He merely strayed from the path he had set. He forgot his dream. I still see it, a world where you can walk with your heads held high. I would have succeeded the win to him in order to see that dream fulfilled but now. Now he's dead. We can't let his dream die."

"This world is not fair. People can't walk alongside each other while married to the idea of status. No more." He nodded to General Marble, who reluctantly stepped to the side, allowing the crowd to diffuse onto the stage.

"He's going to pull this off, isn't he?" Elero exclaimed then, under her breath: "Not again."

The commoners walked onto the stage, all staring at Jackal, their fists still clenched. General Marble and the instructors were ready to jump in at a moment's notice. Jackal held his arms out in a show of not resisting. He swallowed and, even from the back of the platform, Doevm could make out that Jackal's entire body was shaking.

One commoner stood in front of the crowd, the very one who had argued for Trak to win. "I promise you," he said with a shaky breath. "I will lead-" The man struck him across the face. Dag's daggers flashed but Jackal held out a hand. "It's fine." The man reeled back again but hesitated before sighing. He walked over to the mound of corpses and pulled some of them into his spatial ring. One by one, even if they still glared at him, the commoners struck him and took corpses from the pile. Jackal never flinched back even when he coughed out his dinner. Eugene never flinched either, even after walking in front of Jackal and took a few blows, although he did protect his glasses. Molly and Dag watched on at the back and glared at any who approached.

"Elero," Doevm said, finally noticing that Elero was wiping her face dry. "Do you think he's immune to everything that happened?"

"He's done it before so why not now?" She babbled. "Even though he's a psychotic little punk, he knows how to sweet-talk. It's not fair. Why does he get what he wants?"

"He made enemies." Doevm pointed to the crowd of nobles, who had circled up at one side of the platform. They occasionally glanced at the busy stage before whispering to each other. Of the bits and pieces Doevm overheard, he could tell they were exchanging neither curses nor threats but discussing plans. "He took a gamble and it paid off. He's still gambling. All one needs to do is to tip the scales until he slides into the pit that he's been digging for himself."

The pile had decreased, but more than half of it remained. "Should we just take our stuff anyway?" Frey whispered, seeing that the nobles had gone up, held down Jackal, beat him, took their corpses, and walked back down to the platform.

Jackal seemed to hear him because his bruised lips stretch into a bloody smile from atop his stage, making eye-contact with Doevm. "Come and get your prize." He taunted. All that was left of the pile was the guardian and the venomous salamander corpses. "You deserve it." Frey scrunched up his lips and shook his head. Jackal turned to Thomas and gestured for him to come. "Thomas, my friend, will you claim what is yours? I didn't mean for Gregen to try to kill you."

"Elero," Thomas said through gritted teeth. "I'm sorry for doubting you." He took a step back, away from Jackal.

Jackal's smile faded like the crowd from the platform. He murmured something unintelligible and his expression shifted as if someone else had plastered a new, broader smile onto his face. That a smile which disguised more of himself than the mask in his hands.

"I see-" Jackal continued, his voice an octave deeper than before. He cleared his throat. "I apologize." He said in his usual tone. "I think I consumed something bad for my health. Now that everyone has taken what they have earned…" Two magic circles appeared to his left and right.

The generals lept to their feet, weapons drawn. Two cloaked figures snapped into existence only to feel cold steel at their throats. The two mages withdrew papers from their robe and shoved them into the generals' arms. The generals exchanged nervous looks before lowering their blades, although not completely sheathing them.

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