CHAPTER 97: THE FOURTH ORDER

Liam woke to find a black envelope on his nightstand.

Not unusual by itself—he received correspondence constantly now.

Military reports, economic briefings, complaints from House leaders who’d been subordinated but weren’t happy about it.

But this envelope was different. The paper was so dark it seemed improbable. No seal or markings. Just his name written in silver ink that glowed faintly in the pre-dawn darkness.

*Lord Azra, the Primordial*

He opened it carefully, half-expecting some kind of trap or magical compulsion.

Inside was a single card with three words written in the same glowing silver script:

*The Fourth Order awaits.*

Below that, an address in Eldhar’s lower districts. And a time: midnight tonight.

Liam stared at the message, his mind racing through possibilities. He hadn’t ordered any meeting.

Hadn’t heard of anything called the Fourth Order.

The Nameless Litany had three established hierarchies—devotional worship, administrative management, and economic operations.

Four would be new.

And new developments in a religious movement that was growing exponentially were rarely boring.

---

He spent the day in military briefings, economic consultations, and another humbling training session with Lilith where she continued demonstrating that being queen meant being terrifyingly competent in combat.

But his mind kept returning to the black envelope.

*The Fourth Order awaits.*

"You’re distracted," Lilith observed after putting him on his back for the third time in ten minutes. "More than usual. What’s wrong?"

Liam considered not telling her.

The message had been private, delivered with clear implication of secrecy. But operational security meant keeping Lilith informed of developments that might affect the empire.

"I received a message this morning. Anonymous. Asking me to meet someone called the Fourth Order at midnight." He pulled out the black card, showed her the glowing script. "Any idea what that means?"

Lilith’s expression shifted from curiosity to concern.

"The Nameless Litany has three established orders. Devotional, administrative, economic. A fourth would be..." She paused. "Concerning. Possibly dangerous. Definitely something I should have been informed about before it developed."

"You didn’t know they were organizing?"

"I knew they were expanding. Didn’t know they were creating secret hierarchies." Her golden eyes studied the card. "The militant faithful Kael’thra mentioned. The ones you told me you authorized to expand and recruit. They’ve probably formalized into something more organized than informal warrior cult."

"Should I not go?"

"You should absolutely go. But not alone." Lilith handed back the card. "I’ll have palace guard positioned nearby. If this Fourth Order turns out to be threat rather than zealous supporters, you’ll need extraction."

"They’re my worshippers. They believe absolutely in my divinity."

"Which makes them either most loyal followers you have or most dangerous. Absolute belief can become absolute fanaticism very quickly." Her voice carried warning born from experience. "People who believe you’re god might decide they know divine will better than you do. Might take actions they think serve you without asking permission. That’s when faith becomes problem."

She wasn’t wrong.

Liam had seen enough religious extremism in human history to know that true believers could be as dangerous to their own cause as to their enemies.

"I’ll be careful."

"Be more than careful. Be prepared to use your command ability if they’ve organized into something that threatens rather than serves." Lilith’s expression was serious.

"The empire can’t afford internal conflict with religious zealots who think they’re serving you while actually undermining stability."

---

Midnight found Liam in Eldhar’s lower districts, dressed in nondescript dark clothing that didn’t scream

"supreme military commander" or "living god."

The address led to what looked like abandoned warehouse near the city’s edge. No lights or guards visible. Just darkness and silence and the distinct sensation of being watched.

Liam approached the main entrance, knocked three times as the card had specified.

The door opened immediately.

Kael’thra stood there, her scarred face illuminated by torchlight from within.

She’d changed since their meeting at the Cathedral—more armor, more weapons, more of the hardness that came from drilling soldiers rather than just leading devoted faithful.

"Lord Azra." She bowed deeply. "The Fourth Order is honored by your presence."

"The Fourth Order being what, exactly?"

"Come inside. It’s easier to show than explain."

Liam followed her into the warehouse, and his breath caught.

The interior had been completely transformed. What should have been empty storage space was now organized military installation.

Weapons racks lined the walls, filled with blades and armor that looked professionally maintained.

Training dummies occupied one corner, showing wear that suggested heavy use.

Maps of Eldhar and surrounding territories covered tables in makeshift command center.

And everywhere, demons in black armor marked with silver symbols he recognized from the Nameless Litany’s iconography.

At least two hundred of them. All standing at attention as he entered.

All watching him with the absolute devotion of true believers who’d pledged their lives to serving their god.

"The Fourth Order," Kael’thra said, her voice carrying pride, "is the militant faithful. Demons who’ve sworn oaths not just of worship, but of service. We are your blade in the darkness. Your silence where prayer cannot reach. Your violence when divine will requires action beyond faith."

She gestured to the assembled warriors.

"We number two hundred thirty-seven now. Veterans of the war with the Radiant Empire. Former House guards. Legion soldiers who heard your call and chose to serve directly rather than through conventional military hierarchy. We’ve been training for two weeks, ever since you gave permission to expand."

"Two weeks." Liam’s mind was racing. "You’ve built this in two weeks?"

"We’ve built the structure. The foundation existed longer."

Kael’thra led him deeper into the warehouse, past training areas and equipment storage.

"The militant faithful have always existed within the Nameless Litany. Demons who worship through action rather than prayer. But we were disorganized. Individuals rather than cohesive force."

She stopped before what looked like a command table covered in detailed intelligence reports.

"Then you returned from Ashard. Demonstrated that our god was real. Performed miracles that proved divinity beyond political propaganda. And suddenly, the militant faithful had purpose. Direction. A living god who actually walked among us and commanded with authority that couldn’t be questioned."

Her amber eyes met his grey ones.

"We formalized. Established training regimens based on military discipline. Recruited selectively from demons whose faith was absolute and whose skills were proven. And we’ve been preparing to serve whatever purpose divine will requires."

Liam studied the reports on the table.

They were disturbingly professional—intelligence on Radiant Empire positions, economic analysis of House territories, security assessments of political figures who might threaten the empire’s stability.

"You’ve been gathering intelligence."

"We’ve been preparing. A blade is useless if it doesn’t know where to cut." Kael’thra’s voice was matter-of-fact. "The Fourth Order isn’t just warriors. We’re intelligence network. Assassination capability. Covert operations force that can act where conventional military cannot."

She pulled out a specific report, marked with urgent designation.

"We’ve also been investigating something concerning. Inconsistencies in House Morwen’s economic reports. Specifically, evidence that Lord Arcturus has been maintaining secret communication with the Radiant Empire despite public opposition to their existence."

The accusation hit like physical blow.

"Arcturus is negotiating with the Aurelian Republic. I authorized that. He’s securing trade relationships."

"He’s negotiating with the Aurelian Republic publicly. But our operatives have intercepted coded messages to Sanctum Lux itself."

Kael’thra’s expression was grim.

"We believe Lord Arcturus is hedging his bets. Publicly supporting your offensive while privately ensuring House Morwen survives regardless of outcome. Potentially through information sharing that undermines military operations."

"You’re accusing him of treason." Liam’s eyes narrowed.