Fantasy A World Anew

[Solirus]

Detz

“How plain, how boring, how ever uninteresting.” Detz said looking more bored than ever, to the point that he was slouching on the chair. “I was expecting an epic battle, something to get me interested, but now this has descended into a hostage situation.” Detz sighed heavily as he finally slid off the chair and was already lying on the ground with his face looking up.

The fast remained silent realizing that Detz was giving off a grumpy and annoyed attitude, but they knew, ironically, that it would happen eventually due to Detz’s nature. “Well… perhaps you could… watch something else?” Lirn suggested breaking the silence.

“Honestly, at this rate, I’m just going to leave and watch some caterpillars fight, it’s be more interesting that this.” Detz sighed starting to get up and once he did he heard a familiar voice call out to him, telling him to stop what was going on. Detz turned around and saw Sana’a with a sad face almost tearing up.

Though his face could not show emotion, it felt as if Detz began to frown in annoyance and even anger. “Help?... HELP?!?!?!......... Tell me, why would I help you? Why would I want to do anything related to all of you? Time and time again you have all disappointed me beyond belief. You’re a Goddess aren’t you? So what’s stopping you eh? Are you too weak, are you fucking pathetic, do you need others to do what you seem incapable of doing? Tell me because right now I feel massive disdain towards all of you!” Detz sighed “Think about it, this whole shit, started because someone’s feelings got fucking broken… and now it’s gone into a war which I was hyped up about, like a sport, eagerly awaiting to begin, only to transform into a fucking standstill because someone has hostages… It feels like this is a massive joke, honestly… I like jokes but I don’t and I hate you all but I don’t… look the only thing I’m going to say is either kill the hostages and get it over with or have Vez just fucking leave… If you guys decide to fight, I don’t care at this point, Khades will get slaughtered and you Sana’a, will just have your heart broken… you’re a Goddess of life and yet I’d say you should be ashamed of that title, you always try to save everything and everyone, but you never let it die, you never let it pass on… you keep things permanently alive in your little island so that they may never die, but if they live forever, then what is the point for those creatures to even live? To experience everything? And once they do that, then what?” Detz paused and sighed heavily again. “You really disappoint me Sana’a.” Detz moved his view towards Vez’Arai. “And you… just fucking leave at this point, you’re entire existence has only made things worse… And before I leave, I’ll be taking this.” Detz lifted up his hand and summoned the hat he had created for Vez. “I don’t think it fits you anymore.” With that said, Detz disappeared, he didn’t do any cool tricks, he didn’t go under the sand or used anything special to disappear. He simply vanished with nothing special.

“...That’s new.” Lirn remarked while the rest of the fast remained silent

“Well we have nothing else to do… We will be leaving now.” Hwan said as he got up and disappeared from the area with sheer speed.

Afon quickly got up nervously. “W-w-wait up Hwan.” Afon disappeared as well following Hwan.

Without saying a word, Lirn stood up and left.

Sanic sat motionless and a bit shaken up. Sanic slowly got up from the chair, shaking a bit while thinking of what Detz had just said… he had a point, but Sanic didn’t like it. “I’m… sorry… I think you should forget about him for now… and try not to bother… it” Sanic softly said as he too left the area, with the chairs and the invisible arena fading away.

Interaction: Juju

Mentions: everyone else in the area.

 

[Juju]

A hot, dry wind howled in the air, hissing like sparks in Khades's toothed maw, yet the flames did not fly. Something overcame the god of chaos in that moment. Through blurred eyes Sana'a saw the mighty dragon stumble back, his expression filled with something other than rage. Was he sad? Sympathy tightened around the darkness in her heart. Even now, after everything he had done to the children of the snake, she did not see him as the monster he appeared to be. Khades appeared to be struggling with his thoughts, and in the end suggested a solution to the brewing conflict.

In all of the centuries Sana'a had witnessed, she felt no greater relief than when she saw the captured Vez'sinai, alive and mostly unharmed. The noxious blooms on her cloak hardened into ember-like seeds, halting the endless cycle of decay and growth. Perhaps on this day Khades would not take the lives of these mortals, though there was a cost. In exchange for the lives of his creations, Vez'arai would be exiled. To this, Khades asked her. Sana'a shivered as his flaming gaze settled onto her. Why ask her? She was not prepared for this. Would it really mean that no harm would come to the Vez'sinai? If that was the case, was that the right thing to do? What about the serpent? She could not control his actions. But if this was the only way to save the Vez'sinai...

"D-don't hurt them! I.... I think..." Sana'a choked out, panic making her breaths shallow.

Before she could finish gathering her thoughts and making her choice, Dyne and her children arrived. The scent permeating from Dyne was overpowering, so sweet it made Sana'a feel strangely ill̵ . She recognized the scents of flowers and yet none of them seemed familiar. They were forced, bundled up, unnatural. The scent of wine only worsened the naùsea, causing Sana'a to place a hand over her mouth and close her eyes just to weather it.

The serpent turned his piercing blue eyes towards the goddess Dyne. Somehow, even if Dyne claimed to have children with the serpent, Sana'a sensed great annoyance in Vez'arai's gaze. He did not seem to feel much familial love for them, despite the term of father. Indeed, the only children his eyes seemed to see were the terrified cluster of warriors being held behind The Cinder King's claws. "What have you missed? Only the ravings of a deranged and disillusioned child. In his twisted mind he mistakes the principles of ethics, or any ilk of reason, for tyranny; spreads wanton destruction and names it 'freedom'. No greater hypocrisy was ever spoken, nor there a creature more petty than he who sits upon a throne of ash."

"Vez'arai, please..." Sana'a quietly pleaded, her voice so quiet and helpless in the chaos. If he angered Khades further it would only make things worse. For one last time Sana'a looked up to Detz. "Detz?"

Whatever she had expected from Detz, it was nothing even close to what the uncertain god did. The serpent gave a hiss, uttering "Petulant child, the only negative loss for the world is yourself."

He ignored the god of uncertainty, but the words stuck with Sana'a. They would forever. What Detz said cut through the goddess like knives. Sana'a wished they had been blades. Lacerations could be healed, but Detz's words left unreachable wounds. Already she felt them fester, bleeding out in disgusting rivers that no other god could see. The seeds of dou̴bt̕ had been sown, waiting even as she tried to keep them dormant. Yet no matter how much one longed for the sun, winter always came.

Sana'a crumbled to her knees, immobilized by héa̵r͜t̨ach̶ę. Detz was right, she was p͜a̢theti̸c, ̶weak̢,͜ and a ţe͞r̶r̷ible͏ goddess. Tears fell down her face. Khades had said the same thing. She was goddess of healing, but every life she spared was a life stolen from other gods. Her mind went back to her island, where the creatures were lethargic and nothing ever changed. Was that why Vez'una slept so much and talked so little? In prolonging her life had Sana'a smothered it?

Every part of her felt ashamed and di̕s̢gưsting̶, as if steeped in ichor. Her stomach writhed and twisted, like it was filled with slithering eels. Her chest heaved in torment, teeth gnawing at her heart. It was excruciating, unbearable, and for a fleeting second she almost wondered if she should r̵̀͝i͡p̶̢̨ ̵̴̡͟͝i͞͏̷t̵̡͢ ̛͘o̷̶̷͢͠u̸̕͟͡t̷̨̡͟͡.

She held the sides of her head and closed her eyes shut, blocking out everything around her except for Detz's words. "No... stop..." she begged, grasping onto her shoulders until blood welled beneath her nails, "Detz... I... no... I'm sorry... I didn't... I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry..."

All she wanted was to heal and protect, but this desire caused harm. How could she live without healing? She wanted to make people happy, just a smile was enough, but would that mean she had to give up the only thing that gave her meaning? In the void when was nothing until she saw Shal and the beautiful tree, felt unending purpose when she first healed its wounds. Yet Detz and Khades had both told her she was wrong. How could she stand still while so many creatures suffered? Overcome with h́o͞pele̡s̢s̡n̶es͘ş, her godly power flowed to her, curling up like a withering bud, condensing. The healing aura she emitted had dulled with the green of her eyes, faded and weak. Sana'a felt brittle. No, that was not the right word. B̧́r̕o͜ḱ̨́e̵̡n.

The ends of her hair paled, fading out the rich red into an ochre and then finally to ash. Even her skin, robust and marked with life, took on a sickly pallor. Willow branches, leafless and silver, overtook her cloak in jagged thickets, inviting the dark blooms to twist around their broken branches. Each stalk grew silvery thorns, until her entire cloak was a garden of faded ivory, silver and black. Pollen, like ash, fell in blackish-purple flakes from the blooms whenever Sana'a made movement. The only other time she had looked like this was on the moon, but never to such a degree. It was as if she was the moon.

Still on her knees, Sana'a curled into herself, crying as she struggled to contain this wild m̝̩͚̰͖̭̰̲̻̈́̋͞͠ḯ͏͚̬̦ŝ̵̯̓ͪ̀̃ͩ̆̂̆ę͈̦͕̳̬̾̐̄́͢ř̩̺͔ͩ͐͛̔̍̚͢͞͡y̸̙͛́ͭ.

== The Garden ==
It started with one. He was the first. His name was Aiki and he was as old as the gods. He was the first animal and now he was the first to perish without the overflowing power of the goddess. On the sandy beach a pale serpent slept. She did not stir, nor would she again.​

 

[jmann]

Khades looked to each god in turn as they gave their thoughts. Xue spoke of his rage and blindness, that they could easily overpower and kill him but did not. This was strange, she had the advantage and she knew it, yet she did not lord it over him or use threats of violence as he would have expected. Before he could reflect too long, his senses were overwhelmed by that of flowers and a blooming field. Adding to the group was Dyne, Goddess of Civilisation. A goddess he last saw at the Trial of Morois over a thousand years ago...
“You... you’re alive?” Khades let slip with a tone of awe. He had not expected her arrival, he had not even sensed her movement from a long-dormant state. What would this mean? Had she come to ambush him as well?

It was Detz who spoke next. His words of disdain fell like a rain of daggers. Khades scowled. That futile excuse for a god watched them like a mortal watches sport? The words destroyed Sana’a and he did nothing. Khades’ eyes only glanced over when he heard the thump of her knees sinking into the sand. Her beautiful array of flowers wilted away, her hair rotted into a sickly red and ashen hue, her eyes dulled from their bright green and tears dropped from her face. When he looked back, Detz was gone.
The Serpent ignored all of this to answer the partner of his, his response was naught but another excuse to insult him and belittle him instead of facing the issue at hand.
Each slight built and grew and bubbled inside him, spoiled, deranged, disillusioned, petulant child, no greater hypocrisy,even the insults that were not his to bear came to fester in the corners of his mind. Each little jab only brightened the glow of the Everspark.
When Khades saw Sana’a, he was almost overwhelmed with grief. The energy that once gave him brief solace was gone. As if Sana’a herself was gone. And it was his fault. Khades did this. Him. He had caused one of the only gods who he felt he could trust to almost die in front of him. The other was still absent, did he do that too? Was the Serpent innocent in all this? Khades thought he saw them convening, what if it was not that? Morois had left him to die in the field and Sana’a was wilting before his very eyes. And it was his fault.

But the Everspark was still in control, and the Everspark knew no sorrow or remorse. All the anguish inside him simply added to the wrath that the Everspark harboured until it could not be so easily contained. If Khades were to launch into a frenzy right here, he would surely be killed. He needed to disperse the anger, nullify it somehow. Khades concentrated on the heat that filled his chest and funnelled it throughout his body. It coursed through his veins and exuded from his scales.
Sana’a’s aura of life was replaced with Khades’ aura of death. From him radiated a heat that burned so strong it turned more sand to glass. If Khades let the anger spread too far it would envelop him and he would lose all he worked for. There would be no victory with violence, no triumph in destruction. Not this time.
The Vez’Sinai beneath him were overwhelmed by the heat and, unable to escape from Khades encircling claw, succumbed to it. Not dead, not yet anyway, just unconscious.
He needed to save the Vez’Sinai. He could not just give them back or he would be seen just as weak as they all knew him to be. Still, he could not let them die, not here.
“Vez...” his voice was devoid of anger, rather it was a voice of turmoil and struggle, “take the deal. Save your people.”
He dug his claws beneath the field of glass and flung the Vez’Sinai towards their Snake. They landed off in the sand, dehydrated and with light cuts. Alive.

“You may mock me and you spit your venom but you know I am right. If you would punish us for acting within our nature, you would be a tyrant. Now look, Serpent, with those eyes you pride yourself on. See Sana’a,” Khades went to reach over to her, but seeing the air ripple from the heat made him hesitate, and he took a small step away from her, “see how she mourns. This conflict cannot go on. It would only be foolish of me to believe such a victory could be accomplished by further violence.” By now, the Everspark was shining like a ruby beacon, longing for war and thrashing about so violently Khades twitched visibly from side to side, “So, Vez’Arai. Take the deal. Leave this world safely with your people and restart somewhere in the cosmos. Do so and we shall never cross paths again.”
And, in a voice none could hear:
“Please.”



Interactions: Juju SirDerpingtonIV seasonedcat Solirus Damafaud

 

[Table]

• kanon

• 
  Within the boundary between everything that ever existed, in the land untouched by space and time and where things are not what they're seen like, lies a maiden in deep slumber as she was afloat amidst the darkness of the abyss. She was a fine maiden sleeping among the gaze of abominations which reside within the 'realm', if it could even be described as one. Kanon, in her pursue to create a creature of her own, has decided to seclude herself from the outside world. Unfortunately for her, the result was rather undesirable.
  
  To call her creatures incomprehensible mesh of blobs would be understating how ugly they were. Each and every one of them were hideous, with eyes and horns protruding at the wrong places and with their body shapes unrecognizable by geometry. As if that was not enough, their blob-like body formed tentacles-like extension of various size. The tentacles were swung around uncontrollably as the beast's eyes tried in vain to perceive anything that their eyes may capture.
  
  Their shrieks echoes throughout the emptiness of The Boundary. Normally it was not enough to disturb Kanon from her slumber.
  
  But then their voice -- alongside the very boundary they merged into -- changed, both in volume and intensity. Their sound became disturbingly human, but is still far cry from being a pleasant one. The screams were like that of men being slaughtered, of life being plundered as spear pierced through one's heart. It was a shriek far more horrific than anything the Gods could ever produce.
  
  Even to her, it was quite frightening. The echoing wail was unlike that of any mortal being to ever existed. The very concept of life itself shrieked. The whispering curse of death became shouts, many were of envy for life itself, and some few other were of corrupted desire to bring everything down under.
  
  So she opened her eyes, feasting her eyes upon the nearly absolute and eternal darkness of The Boundary.
  
  
  
  "Rest tight, my children."
  
  As she commanded the shapeless beings into serenity, the abominations went into silence. Their eyes gazed toward Kanon, waiting for another command from their mother. And yet Kanon heed no attention toward the creatures behind her. Her hand reached forward, and with a little push, she opened a 'door' toward the outer realm. When the light from the outside world entered the realm of The Boundary, the abominable beings quickly retreated from Kanon's presence. For the beasts which existence were spent entirely within the comfort of darkness, the blinding light brought nothing more but suffering and strife.
  
  They are the abyss, and the abyss loves silence and darkness.
  
  It was, however, not a great concern to Kanon as the Goddess who rules over boundary. These creatures are but a mere conceptual existence. They were unable to interact with the material world, and were of no threat to any deity nor mortal.
  
  And so the Goddess who has long concealed herself from the world embraced the light.
  
  She raised her hand and in a grappling gesture, a parasol appeared on her hand. Her body landed gracefully on a rather soft sand dune. Anywhere she turned her gaze, nothing but the yellowish sand of a desert greeted her vision.
  
  "Kanzeon."
  
  
  
  The one answering the call was by all definition beautiful. Her presence is love defined, both in its most carnal and romantic form. It was none other than Kanzeon. And yet the form she took was vastly different from her nine-tailed fox form. Though she does maintain the tails and ears, her form was mostly humanoid with the sole purpose of looking as attractive as possible. Even then, one would notice a sense of gentle, almost motherly nature in her gaze.
  
  "You summoned me, mother?" asked the nine-tailed fox as she kneeled and lowered her head. Her eyes were closed, solemnly waiting for her mother's command.
  
  "No need to be all tense, my child," assured the Goddess, "how does the real world treated you so far, child?"
  
  "Pretty well, I'd say," Kanzeon's face gleamed in joy, but it quickly turned into a frown, "although... things have been a little disturbing to me."
  
  "Oh, and that is?"
  
  There was a brief moment of silence before Kanzeon answered the question.
  
  "Well, some things in this world are quite confusing to me," Kanzeon explained, though her tone was a little shaky, "creatures in this world, when they gave birth to a new form of life, they become joyous. But then when one of them passed away, other creatures of its kin would mourn the loss."
  
  "That is but a mere cycle of life and death, my child," said Kanon nonchalantly, "What of it?"
  
  Kanzeon gave a rather dissatisfied face when her mother expressed her lack of interest.
  
  "But that's exactly what I don't understand! If death brought only great sadness, why would the Gods allows it to happen!? Why are bad things allowed to exist, knowing that it would hurt someone?"
  
  Kanon did not immediately answer her creation's question, seemingly a little flustered to the question coming out of her, but the Goddess quickly regained her composure.
  
  "Kanzeon my child, things are created for a purpose. As cruel as it might seem, death is a necessary part of all life. The young will become old, and the old will be replaced by the new. Life itself would be worthless if death does not exist. It is also the same for happiness. The sweet taste of life would not be as joyful without knowing the bitterness. Such is true even for Gods and Goddesses. For each of us, there will be opposite of what we stand for. It is okay to desire one thing and staying away from the antithesis of what we desires, but at the same time, it is not in our right to erase these 'antithesis'."
  
  There was a clear sadness written over Kanzeon's face, at which Kanon smiled in understanding.
  
  "My child, you cannot erase every suffering in this universe even if I gave you all my power. However, with your own power, I'm sure you can at least make this world a little more pleasant for many other."
  
  "Making the world... a little more pleasant?"
  
  Kanon briefly thought of her next choice of words. Interacting with the mortal world was never her forte, but she tried her best not to disappoint her child.
  
  "One day, you will understand. It is much better for you to experience the world even more. The answer will surely come upon you."
  
  "Is that so..."
  
  Kanzeon lowered her head, seemingly dissatisfied.
  
  "Speaking of experiencing the world," Kanon turned her back and opened a space-time portal with a wide slashing motion, "would you mind taking this old lady for a little walk? I'm sure things are... quite different from what they were a thousand years ago."
  

Interactions: open for everyone.

 

[Damafaud]

• Dyne
• Fras

• 
  The Lady and Her Story
  
  

  

  
  

  Dyne; Goddess of Agriculture and Civilisation
  Interrupting
  Interaction: Vez'Arai, Khades, Xue, Sana'a, Viktor​
  The extent of Dyne's response to Vez' spite toward Khades did not go further than an exclamation of 'oh dear', followed by the act of fixing the tilt on her hat. The children's reaction did not differ from their mother's. Fras simply remained mute, standing behind Dyne, while Nara had vanished into gods-know-where along with her scent of bread fresh from the over.
  
  Dyne greeted Khades with a curtsey. The smile on her face was the same one she showed a thousand years ago during the trial. It was as if she was frozen, never changing despite the passage of time.
  
  Her smile, however, dissipated when Khades threw out his ultimatum.
  
  "But dear Khades, that is something that absolutely, certainly, definitely, undoubtedly, decisively, completely must not happen."
  
  Clouds upon clouds of shrubs appeared out of nowhere. Surreal as they were, it was nothing out of ordinary for the gods. One of the many clouds expanded, showing pictures created out of fruits and branches. It was Dyne's tapestry.
  
  "It happened not too long ago, I'm afraid. A few months ago- or was it a few weeks? I was following a handsome fellow named William, see, an Azoth living amongst Humans -- do not tell Quan' Cath about this; I stole him a long time ago -- on his quest to avenge his murdered family. Oh, how familial love could drive one crazy. It was a terribly ravishing journey to follow!"
  
  The picture on the tapestry moved as Dyne told her story. A blue-skinned young man knelt in front of a burning shop. The same man was shown controlling ice to kill his enemies. The figure rested in an inn, met a trustworthy comrade, tasted bitter defeat and further loss, and slowly had maturity replacing the flame in his eyes.
  
  The look in Dyne's eyes softened as the story continued to unravel. At this point, Fras slowly moved toward Vez'Arai.
  
  "It was on his last mission. When William Glacir finally cornered Lady Mastia, the culprit behind his family's death. I had prepared a simple nudge for that moment. Just something that would make him forgive the greedy, moronic Lady in favour of peace of heart."
  
  There stood now the lithe figure of a woman, quivering at the edge of a sword of William. As the sword swung down to cut her neck, the silhouette of a woman appeared. The silhouette was smiling. It carried a parasol on its left hand and wore an elegant one-piece dress; of course, it could be no other than Dyne. The figure entered William's body. William froze for a fraction of a second, however-
  
  "It did not work."
  
  Lady Mastia's head rolled on the ground. Not long after, a group of soldiers rushed into the mansion. Here, Dyne's silhouette appeared again behind William.
  
  "With how it ended, I tried to whisper conscience into his heart, to persuade him to atone for his crime and spent some time in prison to reflect. But yet again-"
  
  It failed. With a snap of his finger, William froze the incoming soldiers. He ran out of town, now living as a fugitive and traitor against the king. The tapestry ended there, rolling back into a cloud of shrubs.
  
  A depressed sigh escaped Dyne. The shrubs wilted with her breath, turning into soil and ash.
  
  "This happened not long after the death of Aaldin, the Minor God of Enlightenment and Enetta, the Minor Goddess of Justice. Do you see now, dear Khades, why you must absolutely not exile Darling? No one knows what will happen the moment Prosperity, Culture, Freedom, and Creativity are left without Darling. Why, even the world was created by Darling. Tell me, dear, do you truly want to lead the whole world into ruins for an absolutely, utterly, completely not as important as the world?"
  
  She stared into Khades' eyes. Though she was still smiling, there was no trace of a smile in her voice. The overwhelming scent of flowers had also disappeared, leaving the scent of old wine to permeate the air.
  
• 
  The Silent Protector
  
  

  

  
  

  Fras; God of Commerce and Protection​
  Fras was an unassuming figure even in his small family. With Dyne overflowing with words and Nara actively trying to dam her mother, there was little room for Fras to interfere. Just like Dyne, Fras loved the Humans, though in a different, more unassuming way. He often pretended to be one, turning into a benevolent benefactor or protector to those lucky enough to win his favour.
  
  Among the Gods, he was not really active either. He leant closer toward Vez'Arai.
  
  Fras' words came as a whisper.
  
  "Father, do you wish to protect anyone?"
  

Mention: SirDerpingtonIV Solirus Juju MorgathosTheRussian seasonedcat

 

[Juju]

VenariThe stench of bubbling skin, bowels and rock hung overhead in a pungent blanket, but Venari quickly got used to it. She sat with her back resting against the dead beast, feeling the coarse fur sticking to the oozing slashes on her back. Hot blood pooled around her, though she was never sure if it was the Cytanu's or her own. She dipped her hand in it and gazed down at the redness of her fingertips. The Cytanu was dead. The glorious hunt had finally reached its conclusion and she, Venari, had taken its place as the apex predator.

Venari laughed at the emptiness, tasting the copper-sweet blood between her teeth and the scream of her back as she agitated the wound. Her head swam, half the world spinning while the other was perfectly still and dark. Venari did not particularly care. She leaned her head back and coughed, her crazed smile never faltering. Right about now she should feel content, satisfied, fulfilled, and yet she had never felt more starved. It was always the same; deep currents of hunger, gnawing, biting, strongest before the kill, torturous as the teeth sunk in...but the meal was insubstantial. It was always insubstantial.

Tamati, Tamati, Tamati. The word rattled in her mind like lightning in a cave until it became a mantra.

Fresh blood tricked down her spine as she sat up, tearing at the clots of fur and blood. Her shirt was already a mess, so she took the liberty of destroying what remained and wrapping it around her back and chest. It wasn't the best bandage, but it was better than nothing. Thankfully the blood from her eye had been stemmed by now. She touched the mangled mess with a hand, feeling the uneven skin of her face and the ruins of her eye. That was a problem, but she found it oddly humorous. Darkeyes, now darkeye. Oh, but she was missing her skin.

Venari got to work on harvesting the Cytanu's pelt, fashioning the beautiful fur around herself in a cloak. From what remained of her old cloak, she created a dagger from its fang and tied a few of its claws to her armguard, letting them curl around her wrist and fingers. Not for the first time, she wished she was the skin-stealer that her tribesmen liked to fear.

Now cloaked in the beast's gifts, Venari was ready to take its spirit with her. She honored the beast, then carved out the creature's heart and began to eat it.

 

[MorgathosTheRussian]

A sadistic grin crept up on Viktor's face as he watched Khades get beat down, time and time again. Few things gave his cold heart pleasure, but seeing his nemesis forsaken and helpless made him smile. This was the perfect scenario for Viktor, an ideal moment to strike while he was overwhelmed with emotion, and he was about to give the order to slaughter the Ashborne when Khades spoke again. Khade's voice was not filled with grief or pain, but it sounded as if a struggle was consuming him. The life of the crying goddess was replaced with an aura of death. But that was no concern to him.
Despite being outnumbered and outmatched, this god of chaos demanded a deal. The deal itself was outrageous. Khades demanded that an entire people displace itself for no reason aside from feeling good about himself. An attempt to appear reasonable, perhaps. Was this the infamous Khades? The same one who had amassed an alliance to oppose the Snake? The same one who wanted so desperately to stamp out the very being who welcomed them into the world? To Viktor, he was both and so much more. To the god of war, he was the source of all things wrong in this world. He was why his people make a tool of war, and not a tool of learning. He was why he was forced to pour his time into planning endlessly. He was the source of his bitterness and hate.
Yet this was a lie. True, Khades had forced Viktor to change his plans, but did he force Viktor become the God of Bitterness and Self-Pity? Or the Chosen a race of religious fanatics? No, Viktor did this all himself. Upon his own shoulder he put his burden, and at any moment could stop, but he allowed his self-imposed burden to dominate him, and corrupt what made him Viktor. Anger replaced joy, bitterness replaced forgiveness, and a desire for war replaced a desire to learn. In centuries, this would be called Viktor's Folly, and shape the Chosen forever.
He would not allowed centuries of work were threatened to be put to waste because Khades had a change of heart. He wouldn't allow Khades to escape and force Viktor to endure more of this hell. Battle was the only solution, the sole cure for his bitterness. When his hammer destroyed every bit of Khade's divine being, then he would be finished, and the world at peace again.
"Some in this world call you a hero, but a hero doesn't use divine power to start a war and usurp the balance. You started this war, and plunged Nrauum into chaos. Now I am going to put you down like the rabid dog you are, and restore the peace. No more waiting. No more plotting. You will be punished for what you did to us all, for what you did to me. I shall have your skull before this day ends!" Viktor called out. Kamen glowed fierce in his hand, and his mind howled for vengeance. He felt the eyes of his warhost on him, the hate consuming them as they stared at the infernal Ashborne. He let it build up, fueling it with his own emotions, and unleashed the floodgates. In an instant, a volley of bolts flew forth from the Chosen ranks, whistling through the air, while the disciplined ranks of halberdiers and swords silently marched towards the Ashborne. Viktor advanced at their head, marching right at Khades. By the end of this battle, Viktor would see his opponent defeated, regardless of the cost.
​

 

[jmann]

Khades gritted his teeth as Dyne greeted herself kindly. He watched idly as the story progressed, focusing more on holding himself at bay than the shrubbery burning in his aura of infernal heat.
As she finished, Khades tilted his head in confusion.
“That’s... not how...” Khades grimaced, “Our domains will exist at their base level,” he hissed, “regardless of our influence—”
Khades was interrupted. Finally the God of the Forge spoke out. Rabid dog just another excuse to degrade him again and again. Then he said it. Words that made the Everspark nearly explode with glee.
“I shall have your skull before this day ends!"

As Khades was distracted by the formation moving, the Everspark took its chance and soared upwards like a burst pipe, the veins on his throat burning bright red beneath his skin as the raging force tried to take control. Half a million soldiers moving against his meagre sixty thousand. Outnumbered six to one. There would be only bloodshed. But there was no honour in fleeing. No honour in diplomacy. There could only ever have been war. It was inevitable.

He craned his neck and tried to force the energy to return to the bowels of the Everspark. The grip was too strong, the Everspark’s influence seeping into every crevice of his mind. He dug his claws into the glassy sand and screamed out in rage and anger. He screamed to the sky, he screamed to the sun. It rippled the oceans as he expanded his consciousness once more but not of his own volition. The Everspark would soon be in control. He couldn’t let that happen. Not yet. From his throat came no more voice. From the bowels of his entity came a torrent of flame that rippled in the desert heat. The fire tore through the sky and cleared it of clouds and torched the birds. He forced his mouth to close, hopefully he was fast enough not to alert the Ashborne. They would find out in time.

Too late. Tsuquena had heard him. She knew. She placed her shawm below the surface and played a mighty howl that echoed to the furthest reaches of the ocean. A call to war. A call that could not be stopped.
Too late. The Ashborne had heard his screams. They knew. Some left valiantly to fend off the formation of mighty warriors. Others stayed, holding the hostages close to the edge of a blades, out of fear or cunning would never be known.
Too late. Zorus had heard him. He knew. The Sun God’s palace would empty that day as he took to the cosmos to hunt down the one they called the Serpent. He latched himself onto the Serpent with ivory scales and the two battled, tearing at each other as they fought. Zorus and Soris. Phoenix and Serpent. The wrong Serpent.
Too late. Zythis had heard him. He knew. The scream shook the trees and moulted the leaves. He knew his call to war and he took it. He would hunt down Shaldressyr even if it would kill him also. Zythis would die to save the wilds and he knew it.
Too late. Trichros had heard him. He knew. He was not part of the alliance but he would use the chaos for his own gains. The madness god had slighted him long ago and now it would pay.
Too late. Morois had heard him. She knew, she knew his rage would consume him and she would be the next target. So she fled. She fled to her realm and took sanctuary, concealing herself in the process.

Khades looked back down. A crystalline mass forming over his eyes as the Everspark grew. His vision grew red as he felt the mass protruding from his elbows and joints, breaking through the skin as every part of him glowed violently.
Khades arched himself back and went to throw himself at the Serpent. For the last time his eyes glanced past the gods he had hoped to call his family. Not anymore. Not after all he had done. There would be no family. No love or support. Only death. He took one final look at Sana’a, his eyes filled with remorse and sorrow.
Sana’a sat huddled in pain. Surrounded by a layer of black-violet pollen. Her cloak covered in thorns that warded off the Vez’Sinai that tried to help.
She whispered horrible words that tugged at his soul, or what was left of it.
“Please. No.”
He tried to speak. He tried to offer some word of remorse. He opened his mouth but all that erupted was flame that scorched his mouth as he clamped it shut. He could not burn her. He would not allow the Everspark to harm any of them. Even if the tyrant stood before him. Even if his people were on the edge of extinction. There could always be another beginning. He trusted in Sana’a. He had trusted in Morois and all it got him was pain. No. He would not allow the Everspark to cloud his thoughts. He would hold one piece of himself sacred. One token of Khades in the body of the Everspark. The body that broke into a sprint towards the Serpent.
He could take only one risk. One risk that would either kill him or save everyone. With a knot in his mind he forgave the great snake. He forgot all the words of spite through the Trial of Morois. And with a knot of hate unravelled he felt himself regain a morsel of control over his own body. Khades gave a great heave with his legs with every fibre of strength he could rouse. He soared clean over the Serpent’s immensity and into the cosmos. The Everspark shrieked with rage as his mind began to condense in on itself to hide. Through the Everspark’s influence he went somewhere it could never see. Spinning uncontrollably, it soared through the cosmos until it slammed into the bright orb of a star, sending a cascade of stardust glistening into the void. And the body screeched into the void. A call of rage and fury as the Everspark swiped and slashed at the dust and anything it could see close by.

 

[Juju]

The serpent dashed forward, coiling around his children to shelter them from the relentless heat. A soothing, cool mist spilled from his parted jaws, swirling around his unconscious children. It was the same light that had become the planet's glittering heart. Now, it served to recreate that which was torn, stem the trickles of blood, and remold the broken little things. Vez'arai watched as they stirred and felt his heart do the same. How small they were, how fragile, and yet they were more precious to him than every star in the sky, even his fellow gods. He could not deny his contempt for their childish irresponsibility, especially the rebid god of chaos before him. Yet Khades was not the only god here, at the edge of oblivion.

"Now look, Serpent, with those eyes you pride yourself on. See Sana’a,” the Cinder King hissed, and Vez'arai did. In truth, he had always been aware of Sana'a, but something unexpected had happened, something terrible. With his eyes he saw more than just the desolation of her physical form. Her very domain had withered before them, and in that rot something else had taken root. For all his knowledge and words, Vez'arai was silent for a moment, uncertain of what was happening. He could think of several hypothesizes, all of them portents. Seeing her suffer filled the serpent's heart with genuine sympathy, but he could not move to her for fear of exposing his children to Khades' wrath.

"Friend, let me go to her." It was one of his own who spoke up, her hair gold and her eyes two suns. She was none other than Ajaia, his firstborn. Part of Vez'arai wanted to refuse, but he could not force her will. The serpent inclined his head stiffly and reluctantly lifted part of his tail, allowing her to walk out towards the weeping goddess. Strangely, it was not the heat she felt most, but a growing pressure in the air.

Vez'arai anxiously watched her every step, even as Khades spoke of ending the needless conflict. The Cinder King, it seemed, had one drop of reason in the ocean of his head. Vez'arai was left with a difficult choice. If he stayed with his children they would be torn apart by Khades or his Ashborne. If he brought them into exile they would know a world lacking in everything but basic necessity. Yet, should he take off alone, half of his heart would be left behind. A large price to pay, perhaps, but one that paled before the notion of sparing his lovely little horned ones. Vez'arai turned his burning-blue gaze back to Khades, and for the first time since the chaos god's arrival, Vez'arai considered his offer.

Dyne's story was appalling to the serpent, but fortune came in the words of his son, Fras. The godling inquired about who he would like to save. The answer came almost too quickly. "My Vez'sinai. Yet great care must be given."

----

Sana'a was crumbled on the ground when she felt a touch on her arm. Her hands fell away from her eyes and she turned a tear-streaked face to the Vez'sinai kneeling beside her. "Wh-who are you?"

The horned woman wore a smile. "My name is Ajaia, friend."

"Ajaia? You should go to Xue, i-it's not safe here!" Sana'a spoke from habit, unintentionally resurrecting Ḋ̶̦͔̳e̶̟̬͑t̵̛̟̝͇́z̶̭̠̆͘'s words. She ́w͘as ̵i͠nţerf̢er͡ing̵ ̶again͝ . No. She didn't mean to! New tears fell down her face, but this time she was not alone.

"It is alright, friend, I came here for you. You are Sana'a, yes?" Ajaia ran her hands through the goddess' hair, fingers combing its faded lengths. While she did not show it, she could feel waves of suffering crash against her. Thankfully, she had been around Vez'arai long enough to develop somewhat of a resistance to such negativity, though she doubted the rest of her kin could do the same. The goddess's hair was soft, yet the longer she touched it the more it began to feel like blades against her skin. It crawled up her fingers and spread through her veins, settling in her bones and lungs. She hoped to get used to it, as she had done with Vez'arai, but this pain was different. It only seemed to be gro̶w̛inģ, as if in spite of her. Sweat condensed around her temple from the strain and her mouth turned dry.

Sana'a grew still at Ajaia's touch, her eyes wide. She was desperate for any sort of comfort, and immediately hugged onto the woman. It actually had worked to make her feel slightly better, to cling onto something and forget about the world, but she had forgotten one very important thing. Sana'a heard Ajaia's gasp of pain, felt her wince beneath her embrace as thorns bit into her delicate skin.

"Nonono.... im sor-rry I-I didn't. How di-. No. i-I can fix this..." Sana'a jumped back, horrified. Aijai said some words, trying to calm her down, but the goddess was inconsolable. She was breathing heavily, staring at the blood in shock, her pupils rimmed in violet. She had hurt her. As always, Sana'a called onto her power, but just as soon remembered D̺̦̦̥̣̻ͤe̖͖̭̞̬̊t̽ͫͬ͜z̛̲̒ͭ̿̽ and all that he had said. She ͞nev͞ȩr l͢et an̨y̡thin͘g ͝die.̕ Green light arced in her hand, bubbled, and then burst into violet streaked with ink. She grasped her wrist, crying out in a͜͞҉ģo͢n͝y as she wrestled her arm. Dark thorns tore through her skin, trailing dark, gaseous threads in the wind like drops of blood in water. It felt like her skin was being burned away and the charred bones ground to ash. The thorns reached out towards Ajai, but by hugging the arm to her stomach, Sana'a managed to keep them from spreading any further. By the time they retreated, Ajaia had fainted from the sheer pain. In the space between her and the goddess there bloomed a thicket of the same violet-tipped thorns, forever dividing them.

Sana'a panted, struggling to remain standing. "Ajai? Ajai!" she coughed, peering through the wall of thorns. Her heart nearly shattered when she saw the Sinai motionless on the sand. Sana'a stumbled back, falling down. W̧̕h̴͠at ̛͜h̶̨ad ̀s̨̛h̴e̛͞ d̢o̷͏ne̴͡?̨̢ Her vision swam, Detz's laughter echoing in the back of her mind. In one single action she had proven everything he said to be true. D̖͊͂͒̂͠ẹ̣͍̯̇̈́̃ͨͤs̗̤͖̬͖͍͉̍ͪṕ̬̝̖̱̰ả̿͋ͣ̆͟i̱͈̩̣̪̤̜ͦ̍ͬ̂̋̅͡r̉̾ closed in, but fortunately slivers of her power still lingered. Even now she could still see the briefest flicker of life. Ajaia was still alive. Sana'a should have sighed with relief but ended up coughing instead. She looked down to find her fingers all covered in black, the same sort that now kissed her lips. The world spun as she looked towards Khades and the serpent, too weak to do or say anything. Was it right to do anything? Cò̢ų̷l͏d͏͘͝ s͜h͏̶e̵ ̧éve̴͘͡n̴̢͞ ̶̵̨d̨̛o a͘҉n͟ỳ̶t͝hi̕͟n̴ǵ͝?͏

---
Viktor had arrived at last, spitting harsh words and threatened the Cinder King's head. Tears and arrows fell to the ground at the same time as Sana'a could only watch the discord unfold. Khades' roar shook the heavens, tearing through the clouds and blasting sand and glass in all directions. Sana'a did not even move as shards lodged themselves into her, hardly feeling them above the pain in her chest. T͠he͏re͝ w͏as noth͟i̕n͞g̨ ͘s͢h͢e coul͡d ̀do͘. She was weak, pa͓͓͝ͅth̢̼͉e̮̯̺͓ͅt͍͇i̲̣̞͎̩͞ͅc͏͔ ̰̻̺̲, She should just ģi̢v̵͞͏ȩ͠͏ ̸̀u̡͜͡p. Embers spilled from Khades's jaws, but it wasn't really Khades anymore. Blood red crystals protruded through his scales and blinded his gaze to all but wrath for the serpent, who in turn had coiled in preparation of a counterattack. They were going to tear themselves apart. Blackish pollen rose from Sana'a in a thick miasma, the tightness in her chest making each breath a struggle. They were going to die.

"Please. No." Sana'a bowed her head and whimpered, closing her eyes in defeat. She wasn't even sure who she was begging, or why she even spoke. Nob̶od͏y̴ wo͜uld ̧hear̵ her ͠pl̴èa. The dragon lunged for the serpent and all was lost. Or so it seemed. There came no great clashing of gods, nor the tide of blood she had been dreading. Instead, what was left of Khades leapt above the serpent, borne on crystal-infused wings. Bursting with flames, he burned a trail through the heavens like a raging comet. Then he was gone.

Vez'arai was just as surprised. He gently gathered the fainted form of Ajaia, uttering some words of understanding to Sana'a, who did not seem to hear. Nothing he said or did would change anything, but he could change something else. The serpent's voice boomed over the charred desert, "Ashborne, your god has fled. No longer must you fight. Abandon this senseless war and release my children, the Vez'sinai. If you leave them be, I will allow you to march home, and I personally will harm none of you, nor will my creations." The serpent paused, letting blue light ebb from his jaws to empathize his threat, "But if you hurt them, not one of you will leave this place."

Finally, he addressed Viktor, his voice a little harsher. "As for you, Viktor Isenblood, return to your halls with your chosen. This asinine war is over, and we must keep it this way. Call off your armies; you will find no victory here, only slaughter."

 

[seasonedcat]

~Xue~​

In her anger towards Khades she missed her chance to aid her hurt child. Sana'a suffered and the raging waves in her heart ignored the small boat that attempted to stay afloat. She didn't notice her waves throwing the boat over and over again until the boat began to sink into the depths of the sea. Her breath caught in her throat at the very moment realization hit her. The waves going silent as she ran over to the boat, could she salvage the reck or had she already damage it beyond repair?

Xue fell beside Sana'a. Tears began spilling down her cheeks at the sight before her. Using her hair as her source of water she blocked Sana'a from as many arrows and shards as she could. Grabbing the girl and hugging her with her body in front to block. Xue Wincing as she felt her skin rip from the ones that hit her. Her tears felt fat and heavy as they fell down her face. They were much larger than tears others would have, being the source of water in the world it was no wonder her tears were so huge.

"I'm here Sana'a it's okay. You haven't done anything wrong. You haven't made any of your children suffer. You are the god of life. You can give people something that threatens to be stolen from them every day. You save them from death. It matters not if they live forever. We gods live forever, what makes it better for us to live and not them? You save souls, you do not bring them torture from never knowing the taste of death. A tree that never dies will feed an infinite with air, a tree that withers can only help the world temporarily," she hugs the girl tight, "you haven't done anything wrong. Please, believe me."

The two goddesses were intertwined, Xue desperate to make Sana'a feel better. She did not flinch nor turn as to what the other gods spoke. She did not care for the words they said at this moment. All that mattered to her right now was Sana'a. She would cry a thousand tears for this child if it meant that she would never cry the tears she is crying right now ever again. She would do anything to make her child feel better. Though all she could do right now was hug her tight and offer her whatever she wanted. She only hoped that the girl would accept her help. That she would understand her words. That she would use them to ease the pain in her heart. She hoped for these simple things; if she weren't a god she would be praying for this.
Juju

 

[Solirus]

Sherlock and Ulees

The simple breathing of a man can tell much about how they are feeling, their emotions, their fears, their condition, their desires… their being. Sherlock had learnt a lot from this little game he accepted from Koma, it allowed him to visualize first hand the emotions of a mortal, albeit mostly the negative ones, however now he would be getting to the positive ones as Ulees was close to completing the final puzzle.

The puzzle itself was cruel and unfair, like most other puzzles, but Ulees with the help of Sherlock managed to go through it, obviously not unscathe, Sherlock’s advice while helpful, was never the best strategy, but a strategy that could work, and Sherlock did this purpose to learn more about mortals.

Ulees finally reached the end where Koma stood waiting. Only for her to disappear, seemingly because of Morois, her mother, and leaving poor Ulees with nor prize for his struggles. Ulees evidently felt cheated on and began to cry on the ground, even with his wounds constantly healed, his memories could never forget the moments when they weren’t healed, he in a sense still felt the pain of losing limbs, burning, and getting crushed by tons of water.

Though as Ulees cried, even hitting the ground, Sherlock quickly moved both of them outside where Ulees could finally see the bright sun once more, this soothed the mortal and managed to stop having him cry. Ulees got back up and gently asked Sherlock what would happen to him now his voice shaking from the emotions he had been feeling. Sherlock feeling generous and believing the mortal more than deserved it, granted the mortal two gifts.

One was a ring which would allow Ulees to stay alive as long as he kept it on, it granted the user greater pain tolerance, and the wielder could not age. Before Ulees could finish listening to Sherlock, he took the ring and placed it onto his ring finger for the left hand. Sherlock quickly remarked on the hastiness of the mortal and kept describing what the ring could do. He explained that the ring kept the user alive but didn’t mean it would regenerate him and that if he were to ever remove the ring from his hand, his heart would stop beating and would die. Ulees stood frozen for a second and looked back at his hand with the ring on it. Sherlock nonetheless continued to the second gift.

The second gift was a key attached to a necklace which would act as a sort of holy symbol to sherlock himself, whenever Ulees would even slightly pray while holding the key he would gain the ability to see the true intentions of people as a sort of aura people would emit. Another ability the key had was that it could allow the wielder to know the exact way to open any door, by either showing the combination, or locating the key used to open said door. As an added bonus to all of that, the key also had a connection to Sherlock’s Father and creator which passively granted its user 10% more luck with anything whether it be.

Ulees hesitated and asked what the catch with the key necklace was since the first gift had such a grim twist. Sherlock simply responded by saying that in order to use the first two abilities, Ulee needed to pray, how he prayed didn’t matter. Ulees slowly then grabbed the necklace and put it on his neck feeling no difference. With that taken care of, Sherlock wished Ulees the best of luck and mentioned they would be seeing each other far into the future. When that was, Sherlock didn’t know either, but that is what made mysteries so good. So Sherlock walked away and soon disappeared into the desert, leaving Ulees stuck in the middle of the desert. Though at this point Ulees had already calmed down a bit and in a deep breath and made his way to a direction, hoping it would lead him to a better place.

 

[Juju]

Guided by nothing but Sanic's drawing and her instincts, Venari wandered through the unfamiliar wilds in search of any signs of Tamati. Eventually the towering trees began to change into dense jungle farther than her eyes could see. It would have been easy to get lost, had she not stumbled upon strange rock carvings depicting half-man creatures, one of which looked just like the one Sanic had drawn. Tamati. It looked like the creatures were hunting her near a twisted spire, though all their efforts were evaded or their hunters killed. It only motivated the huntress more.

Any farther signs were scattered and stale; a slashed tree here, a mossy skeleton there. The bones were not kept as trophies, yet as they grew denser and denser she knew they were left by the Hunt Mother. She recognized the strange bones as belonging to the animal-like people in the carvings, and all of them looked just as old. It was a wonder how long it had been since a hunter had attempted this challenge.

The answer came when she laid eyes upon the goddess. Sat among the rocks and bones of beasts, she looked just like the picture Sanic had given her… only off. Her hair looked unkempt and her eyes were closed, as if in some sort of meditation the human priests sometimes did. Yet instead of serenity, Venari got a sense of tightly-bound unease as she neared. Tamati did not move and Venari did not trust it. Was this really the Mother of the Hunt?

She drew back an arrow and let it fly. The moment it cut the air, Tamati's ears twitched and she effortlessly twisted away. Her eyes were open now, their orange depths trained on Venari. Even though Venari had been trekking through the wilds, she could see years worth of exhaustion piling on Tamati's features. Or at least it seemed that way until she smiled.

"Huntress, have you come to accept my challenge?"

"I've come to kill you."

Tamati's smile was soft and knowing as a look of relieved excitement crossed her face. "Then you will need this, huntress. Use it well."

Venari looked down at her bow to see that her arrows and spear had taken on an ivory hue, as if made from cleaned bone. It glinted slightly in the moonlight, and made her skin tingle when she touched them. Venari looked back at Tamati only to find her missing. Her eyes quickly scanned the area, just in time to see the goddess slip from sight. Venari gave chase, sprinting with all she had learned from The Fast.

---

In the jungles Tamati took on the form of a dark, scaled creature, much like a Redmane, then of a strange bristling creature with claws like scythes and a great sweeping tail. They climbed higher and higher through the foggy terrain as they fought, but Venari kept up.

In the mountains Tamati took became great birds of prey, nearly plunging Venari to her death more than once. Thunder raged in the skies, collecting under Tamati's wings. She was death from above, but in a risky move Venari managed to take her from the skies, sending both hunters tumbling down the stormy summit into the forests below.

The form she had chosen then was beautiful; the majority of the body was shaped like a great striped feline, though the talons were that of a bear, its barbed tail tipped with venom. The fangs were long tusks, a beautiful mix of scarlet and ivory. Horns like great antlers sprung from her head, and upon her back sat two feathered wings. It towered over the huntress, but in the end it fell to spear and arrow.

Succumbing, Tamati shifted back into the form that Sanic had drawn. She leaned herself against a tree, clutching at the grievous wounds. She pulled out one of the pale arrows and looked at it with a sort of childish wonder. Blood bubbled into the nearby pools, staining it in streaks of red.

Venari was in no better shape, but perhaps accustomed to such hurt, stood above the goddess. She held her spear in her good hand, the other a mangled mess. Blood seeped along the speaker's point, collecting into droplets that plopped onto the dead leaves below.

“It.. was not meant to be you…" Tamati said in disbelief, her gaze focussed elsewhere. In a way, she almost looked amused.

“Yeah, I get that a lot.”

Venari expected a retort, some lash of anger towards her end, but the goddess was smiling, laughing even. The victorious grin on Venari’s face shifted into a confused frown. She fell silent, listening as Tamati continued.

“Haha… after all this time...So this is what it feels like to be prey… to be mortal. I am… dying..?” Her fingers were drenched in red as she held them up to her dimming eyes, little more than embers, “How…curious….”

"...your name…. tell me?"

"Venari."

Tamati sighed in relief as the name was uttered, shuddering even. She closed her eyes wearily, letting it sink in. “Venari, the Faultless Hunter. At long last. I thank you...for this gift. Now you are worthy of mine.”

"No." Venari stated simply, and watched Tamati's eyes flutter open at her words, "You held back. Why?"

There had been times when Tamati gained the upper hand, with Venari barely scraping by with her life. It had been skill that had saved her at first, and then hunter's luck, but one or two times Venari had sensed something else.

"Ah…" The smile returned to the goddess's face, this time laced in vague michieviousness and something else that would haunt Venari for years to come. Pity. At the moment she was left baffled, but in time she would learn its meaning. "I hope you will forgive me someday, and that you will never understand, o' Mother of the Hunt."

Venari fell to the ground, her vision going dark. Pain shot through her arm like an arrow, spreading up from where she held the spear until it dug into each and every bone in her body. She couldn't breathe or move and soon even the recesses of her mind were invaded by this white-hot pain. Blinding void stretched onwards and backwards and in between, all the while something began to drain into her being. It overflowed, threatening to tear her apart. Venari screamed from the agony, but she could not hear her own voice.

"The endless hunt goes ever on" She heard Tamati's voice, hushed like the wind and just as free.

Then Venari collapsed, her mortal heart still.

 

[Solirus]

The Librarian​

​

“Why… why must this be happening to me, I had one task...” The Librarian was still at a table trying to fix as many broken books as possible, trying to remember the contents of them.

“It’s not fair… It’s not fair how the Gods can come in anywhere and do anything… It’s not fair that they get into fights and cause all this knowledge to be lost… IT’S NOT FAIR…” The Librarian slammed his fist on the table causing it to break and cause all the books and papers to fall.

“Oh…” The Librarian looked as he saw the pages fall causing more of the ash from the ground to rise blocking his vision once again, The Librarian simply stood up, with his clones disappearing and took a stroll across the library.

He walked and walked past all sorts of sections, remembering the beauty of them when they were still intact. Now all that remained was ash with broken books that had no more meaning to them, just like him, he had no more purpose. His entire being only existed to protect the library, and he couldn’t even do that… He looked at his right hand, with the blade reflecting back to show his face. He couldn’t bear to see it, all he could see in that reflection was failure…

“AAAAAHHHHH” In a scream of anger The Librarian threw his sword at one of the walls, causing the blade to bounce off of the wall and fall into one of the piles of ash. The wall didn’t even crack and it became apparent to The Librarian what he was lacking. “Power… ” he muttered under his breath. “If I gain power, no one will even threaten the Library again… But how will I get power to fight the Gods… their power is near unbeatable.”

“BUT I NEED SOMETHING… SOMETHING THAT WILL ALLOW ME TO GAIN MEANING… SOMETHING TO PRESERVE AND PROTECT KNOWLEDGE… SOMETHING TO… CHALLENGE THE GODS… anything… even if it meant... becoming one...” Upon saying those words the Library became dark, the shelves were nowhere to be found, the floor had become rather odd, it felt solid but not really. Where was he?

Soon in the pure darkness an orb appeared. Shining dark blue, the orb pulsated with an energy that simply overwhelmed The Librarian. But even then he walked closer and closer, each movement his body felt more tired, his body was ever more heavy to the point he collapsed on the ground and was sent to a crawl, but even then he did not stop and soon, his hand reached and barely touched the orb.

The Orb was immediately absorbed by The Librarian and his body began to glow and his armor began to crack still staying intact. He screamed from pain as the energy from the orb traveled through his entire body, destroying his body until only his armor was left with noticeable cracks.

Soon The Librarian’s armor found itself once again in the remains of the Library but The Librarians armor simply stood there as if it were an armor stand, but remaining idle it didn’t do as it slowly began to shake, pouring a black liquid from it’s eyes and teh cracks of its armor. Slowly the liquid began traveling across the ground and soon, The Librarians Armor exploded releasing a blue mist which rapidly expanded across the Library, eventually enveloping it all.

The mist slowly disappeared, revealing the Library fully fixed and where the Librarian stood, The New God of Knowledge had been born, and he wouldn’t let Any God to enter his Library, If he must, he would fight any of them. The God of Strife was Born.

Librarian, God of Knowledge and Strife​

 

[Juju]

Sana'a shook in Xue's arms, racked by sobs. Dimly lit pools of iridescent tears had leaked into the sand beneath her, sprouting small flowers that struggled to bloom. Eventually they became twisted and dark, their stalks marked by more of those violet thorns. Xue's embrace was soothing against the heat, yet did little to quell the pain beneath her skin. Nothing seemed to, and for a being of infinite power, Sana'a felt tired and drained.

"You haven't done anything wrong." Xue offered words of comfort, but all Sana'a could hear was the anger Khades felt towards Vez'arai and his tyranny over other domains. And Khades was gone. Gone. Gone.

S͔̻̠͔te͓̫a̷l̫̬͙,͏ ̱̱̜̣n̕o̺͝t͢ ̫̮̞s̳̜̖a̸̫̰̘v̦̟̜̕e͍̱̗ . Ṱ͍̱̝̻͠h͇̝̬̩͘i̲̖̰̩e̳̮̤̰͖͡f̵͉̟̠ ͔̫̜̱ͅo͙f̜̖̥ d̺͕̙̯͍e͕̗a͙͡th͙̳̠ͅ .͇̺ ̖͠Ṱ̹͇́h͖i̩é̝̪͚f̼͉̝ ͉̜̠͙̤o͖̟̙̥̮̖̪f̰̙ ̗K̟̬͙͈̖͢i̙͖̝͕͘r͍̜̘̥ͅu̦̤̖̭̕.̵͔̩

"You haven't made any of your children suffer."

She remembered Vez'una asleep on the shore. In these past few centuries it had been so hard to rouse the serpent. Anytime Sana'a wished to play in the water, or climb through the trees the serpent lost interest. Sana'a would let her stay, blind to what was really going on. Yet the truth was always there, wasn't it? She merely refused to see it until now. Vez'una was suffering this whole time and she wasn't there to help her. No, she was the cause of her pain. She refused to let her die, like D̺̦̦̥̣̻ͤe̖͖̭̞̬̊t̽ͫͬ͜z̛̲̒ͭ̿̽ said. Was that desire selfless or selfish?

Every attempt to help only ended in hurting them...and she would hurt Xue too.

At this realization Sana'a was suddenly spurred into motion. She struggled against Xue's embrace, panicking. "Xue st-stay back!" she choked, feeling her skin ripple with a new thicket of thorns. Their blackish tips sunk into Xue's arms like hungry teeth, spreading deep currents of p̡ai̛n͞ and s͟orr͏ow̨ like a scorpion's venom.

Sana'a let out a cry of agony and alarm, forcing herself to transform into a sparrow. She escaped from Xue's embrace, but the thorns weighed down her wings and she fell to the sand. The sparrow twisted into a hare, stumbling on clumsy paws. Her sides heaved, heart beating wildly inside its aching cage. More tears fell down from her eyes as they surveyed Xue in horror. It had happened again. Black pollen fell onto the sand like soot on snow.

"Xue..." Sana'a sounded far away, even to herself, "No no... sor....sorry....I can't help you. I... I c-can't be here..."

She looked at Viktor, and the serpent, and all of their little creations but saw none of them. They all seemed warped, bloody, darker somehow. For a moment she imagined their br͘o̷ken , mangled c͟or̛ps͠e͜s strewn about like flowers. She couldn't help them. S͇̺̱̟͝h̳̰̹͈͔̹̯͞e͓̜ ̞̘̻̹̙̤c̼͍̦͜o̧̞̮̭̯͎̥u̹̭̝̜̞l̥̜d̯̜̤̘̩̩̙n̬̻̼͖'͎͍̫̩̝͍͉͝t͇̺̲͇ ͎̬̮͓̬͜h̼̝̺͖̹͞e̢̖̮l̳p̼͉̖͝ ̣̥̗͚̯̹ͅa͈̫͈͕n̜̞̮̦̳͇y̬̘ͅo̱͟n͉̥̤̮̦̺e̳ . Sana'a backed away, legs stiff and ears pinned down. Then she did what she had always done.

She ran away.

seasonedcat

 

[Solirus]

Sanic sat on a chair provided to him by his home at Afst. He had already spent a good time worrying about Venari even if it was just a couple seconds, maybe before he could’ve saved her, but now he doubted if he could even stop her without getting himself killed by the sheer force of the Gods. He placed both hands in the back of his head worried about the possibilities and even going back to the words he left her with…

“Sanic what are you worried about?” Hwan asked as he made his way to the exit.

“Oh nothing, it’s just I’m worried for Venari” He responded nervously.

“Venari is it now? You seem to have grown attached to her. Don’t be, I’ll be disposing of her right now since she isn’t accustomed to her powers yet” Hwan responded coldly reaching for the handle of the door.

Sanic stared at Hwan for a moment giving off an almost murderous aura. Not before long Sanic gripped Hwan’s wrist preventing him from leaving the building.

“Now now, what do you think you’re doing?” Hwan responded, looking down upon Sanic with a confident tone.

“I should be the one asking that!” Sanic barked back at Hwan.

“I should be teaching you MANNERS” Hwan moved his hand back to prepare and toss Sanic to the ground as he had done many times before but Sanic let go of Hwan’s wrist and barely blocked it. “Getting too confident now aren’t we? Fine I’ll play with you a bit”

Sanic immediately lunged at Hwan, sending a right hook, only for it to be dodged by Hwan and with the force of the punch launching Sanic outside of the building were it was raining, but in their current state, the rain simply stood motionless. Sanic rolled on the ground and recovered taking up a new stance. Hwan calmly walked outside of the building and spread his arms out. “Come at me, let’s have more fun” Hwan loudly dared.

Sanic once again rushed Hwan with his fists in front of him. Instead of attacking instantly however, he took a step back to attempt to fake out Hwan but to no effect. When Sanic finally let out a jab, Hwan easily dodged it and countered with a kick to the side. Sanic reacted quickly however and dodged it sending a flurry of blows directly aimed at Hwan’s entire body.

Hwan dodged a lot more seriously this time but ended up getting grazed by one of the punches. In sudden anger Hwan caught both of Sanic’s hands, spun him around and tossed him into the sky piercing the clouds as he went up, Hwan followed and set foot on the clouds themselves. Hwan was now visibly angry and went on the offensive.

Sanic tried to jab Hwan as he approached but was met with a side step and a punch right directly into the center of his torso.

Sanic was sent flying back to the other side of Nraumm and was followed by Hwan running at him ready to strike again. Sanic finally managed to block the attack leaving both fast in a standstill with Sanic being the most damaged one.

“Why do you do this?! What do you have against Mortals!!!” Sanic screamed out as he began to slowly lose strength.

“Why?! WHY?! Because mortals only want to destroy the creations of the Gods and with one as a God, They’ll destroy everything!!!” Hwan responded, taking the advantage to sweep Sanics legs. Flipping sanic 90 degrees to the side and receiving a knee right to the gut from Hwan and sending him straight to the Sun. Hwan followed and even pummeled Sanic as he flew to the moon.

Sanic finally crashed into the Sun with Hwan landing on top of him with another knee, putting Sanic in a critical state. “You are a failure of a Fast, you praise her for simply keeping up with you even when holding back, pathetic, and now you won’t even be able to save Venari” Hwan punched Sanic repeatedly crashing his head into the ground further and further, digging him closer and closer to the center of the Sun.


What was I doing again?


My head hurts


Where am I?


How did I get here?


What did he just say?


…


I don’t know… he said Venari?


Why does the name feel so familiar?


Why does my head hurt so much?


…


Who am I?


…


…


…


Sanic?


That’s my name…


…


Venari… that’s a pretty name


…


Venari … Venari… Vernai… Venari…


…


I…


… I have to… Protect her


… I need to protect


…


My Friend


…


My Friend, The one I shared with, the one that I need to save from Hwan and from her own godly power.


I need to save her… Whatever it takes… I’ll protect her...


...


...


I'll...I-I'll



I’ll SAVE MY ONLY FRIEND I HAVE

Just as Hwan was getting close to finally getting close to the core of the Sun, a n even more brilliant light shined, one that originated from none other than Sanic. Don’t tell me… no he didn’t get any requests or orders from Gods so why is his power activating… Don’t tell me, It’s because of HER? Dammit I need to get out of here before he overwhelms- Sanic grabbed Hwan by the throat in a speed that even the fast normally couldn’t even fathom.

“You’re not going anywhere HWAN!” Sanic slammed Hwan to the side of the sun with incredible power and ran out of the core of the sun into even further space, placing as much distance from Hwan and from Venari.

Hwan hit Sanic in the wrist and managed to break free but Sanic was currently in a state of supreme speed that trumped all other Fast abilities, even Hwan’s. Sanic blitzed Hwan, threatening him with an elbow to the face. Hwan placed his hands to defend himself, but the next moment Sanic disappeared and kicked Hwan right in the back of the head.

Hwan was sent back but quickly regained his composure and entered a more defensive stance. Sanic once again blitzed Hwan, threatening him with an elbow to the torso but quickly moved behind Hwan to kick his leg, Hwan managed to move quick enough to narrowly block it. However the block wasn’t enough and Hwan suffered huge injuries.

He still didn’t let up and brought back up his defensive stance. This time however Sanic didn’t blitz him, at least not alone as Sanic moved at such a speed that it seemed that there was two. Both Sanic’s rushed Hwan and and slowly overwhelmed Hwan’s defenses with an incredible amount of strikes. This is ridiculous, I’ll be done for if this keeps going… I can’t run away and I can’t possibly fight back… what can I do… maybe I can-

His thoughts were cut short as one of the Sanic’s took advantage of the tiny opening in Hwan’s defense and hit him right in the gut, sending him flying and crashing into one of the stars the star goddess created.

“Feel like giving up Hwan?” Sanic looked down on the heavily damaged Hwan. “We can stop this now”

Hwan moved his view up. How utterly humiliating… if I want to live I'll have to listen to him… or maybe… “I get it now… if I’m getting this beat up by you… I’ll never be able to kill Venari in her current state… what a shame” Hwan slowly rose from the firey surface of the star. “However, I think I’ll know what will get her just as badly… ”

“I’LL KILL HER FRIEND” In that moment Sanic’s power left him, Venari was no longer in any possible danger so he was no longer serving the Gods. Sanic’s body started to wraith and contract in pain from the amount of effort his power had put him in. Hwan didn’t miss this opportunity and dropped kicked Sanic with such force that it led him back to Nraumm.

Hwan now once again in control of the fight, looked down at the helpless Sanic, he could barely move his body, so pathetic. “Sanic, you really are pathetic, you could only beat me with that power, it’s so situational it’s laughable, even Afon is more powerful than you. The difference between you and me is that I will survive and you will not, because I was lucky to get foresight, you never stood a chance against me Sanic, I could see all your moves and block the most likely one. But that doesn’t matter anymore. Now you die.” Hwan walked slowly towards Sanic.

Without any hesitation Hwan summoned his staff to execute Sanic. As he prepared to swing it. Sanic mustered up enough strength to barely parry it and get back up. “I’m… not going to… abandon my… friend.” Sanic coughed but stood valiantly.

“So you still have strength? Good, Give me MORE.” Hwan spread his arms away while putting his staff away “Come at me” he said again in a mocking tone this time.

Sanic stumbled forward and tried to strike Hwan only for him to dodge it and kick Sanic in the side knocking him down to the ground and severely damaging Sanic's right arm. Hwan looked down upon Sanic and opened up his arms again. “COME, I WANT TO SEE YOU STRUGGLE!” Hwan shouted.

Sanic slowly stood up once again with noticeable cracks in his body and especially his right arm. It was numb and it was as good as gone at this point. Sanic rushed at Hwan dragging his right arm with him as it lay limp. He went for the left hook, Hwan dodged it and prepared to strike again but was met by Sanic's right limp arm slapping him heavily across the face and launching him further away.

Sanic had realized one thing in particular. Hwan heavily relied on his postcognition to predict attacks, it was what allowed him to dodge and counter almost every single one of his moves. It was an incredible ability that surpassed all other Fast abilities in terms of usefulness and consistency.

HOWEVER, the ability was not perfect, it simply revealed all possible outcomes and showed with more intensity the more likely ones or the more optimal attacks in this case, creating a massive blindspot which Sanic could use to his advantage. In order to win, he had to fight the worst way he possibly could to stand on even grounds with Hwan.

Sanic began taking ground and ignoring all pain and damage in his body, each step marking the ground beneath flailing in his arm around like a wip, striking the shocked Hwan.

Hwan finally managed to counter with a kick, sending Sanic back. WHY IS HE FIGHTING LIKE THAT, IT DOESN’T MAKE SENSE, DOES HE NOT CARE WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO HIS ARM? HAS HE JUST LOST IT?!... If that’s the case I’ll end it now. Hwan summoned once again his staff and took a stance.

Dammit, if I use my ability I could be tricked again, but I’m not used to not fighting that way… FUCK… no no, keep your cool Hwan, he’s critically injured and he can’t feel the pain in his arm, he must’ve gone ballistic… But if I get hit again I doubt I’ll be able to recover… I CAN DO THIS BRING IT ON!

Hwan dashed Sanic while preparing his staff to slice Sanic in half, it may not be sharp, but with enough speed anything can be cut with anything.

Sanic reacted by dashing towards Hwan directly.

I knew it, he must be crazy, he didn’t even summon his staff to defend. “DIE” Hwan shouted.

When the distance was just right, both launched their attacks with Sanic using swinging his right arm upwards and Hwan bringing down his staff severing Sanic’s right arm off his body.

Yes, that’s a good hit now-

“SHUT UP YOU TALK TOO MUCH” Sanic roared as he connected an uppercut with his left fist right on Hwan’s head as it descended from the downwards strike.

From a blow Hwan wasn’t expecting and with his head travelling downwards adding to the power of the strike. Hwan was sent back and fell unconscious with his face slowly breaking.

Sanic now missing an arm, slowly walked up to the unconscious Hwan and summoned his own staff, ready to end Hwan’s life. He placed his feet on Hwan’s chest and aimed his staff at his neck, but hesitated for a bit…

“Do you want to kill him?” A dull voice questioned.

Sanic turned around to find… someone who seemed familiar.... but something felt off, his attire was similar yet different and black replaced the colors that he was used to seeing. Sanic kept pressing on Hwan’s chest just in case he wouldn’t get up.

“Hwan won’t get up, it is unnecessary for you to press it on him.” The unknown figure responded.

Sanic almost instinctively followed and removed his foot from Hwan. “Who are you?” he asked curiously and with caution.

“That doesn’t matter. I will be taking Hwan away and reset him. As for your hard fought battle of 0.02392 seconds, you deserve a reward.” the figure snapped his finger. “You’ll now be able to activate your power whenever you please in addition to when serving gods, however it’ll only last a second. Goodbye, Hwan will be sent to Afst after the reset, he won’t cause you anymore trouble.” The figure disappeared and so did Hwan.

Sanic was simply left dumbfounded… “he could’ve at least reattached my arm too...” Sanic grabbed his dismembered arm and made it back to Afst where the droplets finally fell to the ground.

Metnions: Juju

 

[Juju]

The End of a Beginning"Oh, how far you've fallen."

Nature had many faces, and one of them had long sharp teeth and razorlike claws. It had bloody eyes and a cunning, malicious mind. The wilds were harsh and ever hungry, ever relentless. It saw Life as the mantis saw the moth, weak and all too easy to gobble up. It would rip Life from its cage and drink deeply, thenceforth claiming it as its own. Then it would gorge itself on the remaining half.

The predator caught her scent on that hot dry wind; flowers and fear, yet it was not needed. A trail of violet lead him to her. He spared such strange thorns only a glance, taking some for later use, and made swift chase. He caught his prey almost completely unaware. Weeping violet and blinded by its own dark, Life did not see its death lurking ever closer.

Sana'a felt the ground tremble a moment before the paw fell behind her and the fangs opened wide. Even in such a state she twisted away out of the same instinct she gave to creatures all those years ago. Fangs tore into her side, but took only fur, blood and those crystalline thorns. They gave the hunter pause and Sana'a could hear him snarl. The wolf stumbled back, spitting and clawing at the thorns stuck in its mouth. Hidden in the form of a rabbit, Life ran as fast as she could. The predator ran just as fast. With absolute clarity, she knew that one misstep meant teeth. Her stomach twisted, as if trying to claw its way out. For being the essence of prey, she had never known what it meant to be hunted. Until now she had never known the fȩá̧ŕ̶

"Zethys?!" She cried out, disbelieving. The answer was another lunging snap of those jaws. It was clear what he was here to do, yet she did not want to could not believe it. Her chest ached and new tears watered the ground. There was no fight in her, only the h͇̠͗ͣo̞̭͆̉p͟el̘̹̺̔͆̃̕e̟͑͡s̀ṣ̨̞̉ͤ will for something else. Why must it be this way? Why di̸ḑ they have to fight̛? Wh͏y d͟i͜d th̵e̶y̶ h͝ave to die? She felt anger to it all, momentarily rising above the panic. "I don't wan-"

In that moment claws dug into her sides, pinning through her and into the sand, yet they did not belong to the wild god. Thorns engulfed her, violet drawing out that shining blood of hers. It dragged her down, making her writhe and cry out in torment until she couldn't even see or move, as if she was e̵xact̷l͞y w̸h͢er͝ę sh͟e n̴ee͢de̛d to͟ be.̧

The wolf pounced, tasting sweet blood.

☙❃❧

Life was in constant strife with death, but there was nothing it found more revolting than that of undeath. It broke the tenuous balance between what was and what was no more.

No more. It would never be more. Shaldressyr would make sure of it.

While the Cinder King's roars scarred the skies she made the seas burn a black and sickly green. Great beasts emerged from the depths, hungry jaws snapping at rotten bone. Abominations, vile mockery of all that held life. They were jealous shells of something better, refusing to move on. They needed a push or a violent pull, and on this day she would play the reaper. Not a single one would be left. The Mother of Monsters knew no mercy for those who threatened her domain, even if it was her brethren. There was a time for peace and there was a time for blood. Life knew this in its bones. Life was not gentle.

With a thousand thousand claws she mauled the god of abomination and undeath, eyes burning with equal part glee and disgust. How joyous her heart would be when she smeared what was left of Tartaus into nothing but a memory. Its blackened heart would be crushed and its essence spilled away into oblivion. The name itself would fade like its domain, unclaimed and rotten. She could not think of a more fitting end.

Tartaus sputtered and made a pitiful sound, its disgusting blood flooding the waters and turning into fresh green. The putrid scent of death was overpowered by sharp chlorophyll. Her own blood mixed with it in a miasma of blue, glowing as bright as the healed moon. Yet unlike her moon the wounds festered and stung, smelling like that disgusting rot. She twisted the head off of The Undeath, snarling. Still it struggled and still she dug her claws, caving in the chest like splintered teeth. The domain bubbled and hissed, as ugly as its avatar. Then it slunk away, like leeches. They splattered easily between Shaldressyr's talons.

It was then that Life felt something strange. She looked to the land, forgetting about her victory in a moment of unusual urgency. Enormous leathery wings stretched above, multiplying as they flapped, growing faster and faster. Ichor was still clinging to her claws when she crashed into that lupine impostor, bowling it over in a snarling mass of fang and claw. Sand flew everywhere, blotting out the bleeding sun in loose clumps.

☙❃❧

The jaws tore into Sana'a just as quickly as they were ripped away. Her wounds did not heal, but bled freely and generously into the dry sand. Sana'a cowered on the ground, whimpers drowned in the roars and howls. Thorns pinned her feeble little rabbit form in the now drenched sand. She struggled pitifully as she was forced to watch her siblings tear each other apart, unable to help them or even herself all the while knowing that she was the very reason. Zythis wanted to kill her... and Shal was protecting her. One of them would die by the end of this, and if so, it was as much her fault as the victor. Already she could see the bones and rot, the milky eyes staring up. The sky was darker than before, the air thinner. She couldn't breathe nor move.

Shaldressyr must have stopped to look at her, for the snarling stopped for a moment, but if she talked Sana'a could no longer hear. Something akin to a heartbeat was rushing in her ears, her teary eyes no longer seeing things clearly. Vivid shadows clung to the goddess of mending, thick and heavy. It twitched as it grew into a miasma that rolled out from her like a fog. The eldest Life felt a deep unease from it, enough to make her drop Zythis from her grasping jaws and approach the broken goddess. The moment she touched the cloud, it latched onto her.

Thorns erupted from beneath the sand, twisting over limb and claw, skewing flesh. In a matter of seconds the gods of Life and Wilderness were engulfed in the sickly vines. Fresh blooms burned bright, scattering dark pollen. Each crystalline thorn pulsed in waves of dark violet, flowing away from their prisoners while their tips dug ever deeper. The two gods were immobilized either from the sheer pain, or the relentless bindings. The longer Sana'a looked at them, the more the thorns looked like thin, long fingers.

Sana'a remembered their screams. Or was it she that screamed? Somehow she was there. Watching, Motionless. Then she was fleeing, abandoning both the gods and the mess she had made. She wasn't crying anymore. It was all a haze. She had to get somewhere, but she felt exhausted and hollow. Thorns dragged behind her in the sand and tugged along with the ocean waves. Sana'a had closed her eyes for only a second and she found herself in the middle of the ocean. A sickly sheen gathered in the water behind her, fading over the foggy horizon. Too weak to resist, Sana'a floated limply through the ocean until she washed up on a strange island.​

The first thing Sana'a noticed was the silence. The ground was covered in a fine layer of ash that stuck to her skin as she crawled ashore. It was too foggy to see any further than a stone's throw, but in the mist Sana'a could just make out twisting silhouettes of dead trees, skeletal arms reaching to the skies and out of sight. Their roots were bare, save for more piles of that pale dust and the thick mist hovering above. A small gust of wind stirred it up and made the trees shiver. It was dark, darker than any land she had ever seen before. In fact, the only light was the diluted glow of fading sunlight and the faintly glowing drops of her tears.

She dragged herself over bleached rocks, panting and trembling. The fog choked the air, tangling in her lungs and biting her skin ever so slightly. She stumbled along the shoreline, the inner forest too clotted with thorns to traverse in her weakened state. Further into the mist she spotted an odd shape jutting from the sand, just above where the unnaturally still ocean met the shore. It was jagged, but too smooth and regular to be thorns. Sana'a limped towards it. Slowly but surely the shape became clearer and clearer.

The shape was nothing but a long, twisting skeleton. The bones were perfectly clean, as if they had been here undisturbed for centuries, but that could not be true. The skeleton belonged to a massive snake. Suddenly, Sana'a understood exactly where she was, and what the skeleton was. She collapsed beside what remained of her friend. Tears continued to fall, but she no longer could cry. There was nothing left in her. There was nothing left. She stared at the skeleton for hours...day... months... she did not know, until she finally closed her eyes.

There was nothing but silence for miles around her, even the wind had stopped. So when she heard footsteps they rang out like thunder. They glided upon the sand, methodical and poised, until stopping a few paces from the broken goddess. Sana'a kept her eyes closed, unknowing and uncaring for who it was. There was no further movement for minutes, nor did anyone speak, so the goddess opened her eyes. F͋̄̓iͯ͐ve̓ ̛ē̵̇y͝e̐̌s͝ s͛t͡a̸ͨrĕ̶ͫd̆ ͭ͒͋b͢ac̢k͗̿̓ ͏aͥ͐͜ť ͥ͛͞heͨ̃rͥ, inches from her face. There was a s̗̞͙̅̊͌m͊̓͗̈̒͏i̥̰̦̾̀ͦl̵̩̫̭͙̝ē͗̎ͥ̒ͧ , or at least she thought there was, but it was twisted and odd, an amalgamation of m̬͟a̰͓n͖̯̠y̟ ̵t̰͓͓ḥ͚i̸n̯gs̨ t̼r̀y͔͉͠in̸g̺̯͉ t̩o̰̫͘ ͓b̪̰͞ȩ̞̞ ͅo̷̥n̫̩͢e̟̺͕͝ .

F͢o͏r o͠n̡ly̵ ̡a ͢momȩnt ́she ͝sa̴w ͞thorn̶ed cl̡aws ́in t͝h̛e̕ ̕s̨e̸af̷oám, in ̸h͜er st̶omach and chest̕ , and then... nothing. As quickly as it appeared it was gone, but the pain remained, along with a disgusting thrashing in her stomach. She had recognized it from before, yet never in such intensity. It burning up into a white-hot fever until the world began to slip away. There was nothing left to do but succumb to it, but just before she did, she thought she heard a long, quivering howl.

☙❃❧ ​

 

[Solirus]

Collab by: jmann Juju SirDerpingtonIV Damafaud seasonedcat MorgathosTheRussian Solirus


Dyne watched upon the brave Ashborne, amusement clear in her eyes. Oh, visiting her darling was clearly a good idea. She should have done it more often! A fight between mortals could not compare to this. The fabric of Dyne's dress shimmered out of sight. A closer look upon the inside would reveal numerous images not different from the one in Dynes tapestry. They, however, showed the image of the gods.

A story with gods as the heroes and demons. Would it not be such a waste to leave it unwritten?

That was why Dyne stood there and nothing else. She simply stood there, letting everything ran its course. She let Sana'a fall, and let Xue follow after her. She let Khades off and let everyone did what they wanted. At the same time, her excitement grew until she could no longer held it back. Dyne let herself laugh. Laughter had no place upon the battlefield, but she laughed still.

Really, how interesting everything had become!

Further, the Everspark's body flew into the cosmos, the draconic body growing in size, fighting to find and crush the small piece of sentience that Khades maintained. Little did it know Khades was already gone.

"NO!" Viktor roared. He would not allow Khades to escape, even if it meant tracking him for a thousand years across a thousand worlds. It was his destiny and his right to kill him, and he wouldn't stop till he removed this corruption from existence. He didn't give a thought to his creations, surely they'd understand his goals. Nor give he really think of his children, for they had done fine for a thousand years. All that was on his mind was that so-called freedom fighter, Khades. With a roar of primal rage, Viktor left the planet, following after his nemesis and leaving his children to their fate.
Ologor stared in disbelief as his father abandoned him. He knew his father had changed over the centuries, but to leave him and his grandchildren behind in exchange for some new toy? What madness was this? Speculation would have to wait, for slaughter was about to commence. With the absence of the father, the son had control. And if they were to avoid the unnecessary death of hundreds, then the son had to move quick. Stretching his hand out, Ologor asserted his control over his children, and in a single motion, stopped them all. Like an army of mindless drones, they stood silent as stone, their weapons put away, their faces emotionless.

An Ashborne detonated nearby, the giant blast of flame sending Pyrekin Vyndarth through the stone wall and into the street.
Beside her landed a terrified Vez’Sinai man and another soldier. The Vez’Sinai had copper skin and long horns that curved back, his arms were bound behind his back. The soldier was only young, and must have emerged just weeks before the exodus.
The first line was difficult to fight, and they were still numerous on the eastern wing of the small Vez’Sinai town. There would be more though, and they would prove just as difficult if not more so.
“Still alive, prisoner? Keep close to me if you want to stay that way. Gunnar,” she addressed a third man that approached and helped the soldier to his feet, “take care of the boy. I have to find the Clan and join the defense.”
Vyndarth took a hold of the Vez’Sinai and marched through the street.
“Thousands of humans will be swarming this position in no time! I need Everyone in tight formation! No sacrifice, no victory!”
Finally, the Clan of the Infernal had come back from the eastern wing. Five down in number, they told Vyndarth of the human’s skill and expertise. They told of the other towns, most desolate husks of their past brilliance, others were cleanly sweeped. Apparently some had surrendered willingly, whether those Ashborne were kept as prisoners or executed, they were the gods' problem now.
“Gather the prisoners, we make our final stand at the docks!”
Soon after appeared the second line. Far more numerous than the last. As the humans advanced across the dunes into the town, Vyndarth counted nearly ten thousand. She had only three hundred in fighting condition.
They were loading the prisoners onto the ship when the water began to wave and crash against the docks, swelling tremendously. There was no way they could sail in this weather. Vyndarth swore loudly and scanned the horizon. She slammed her foot into the edge of a wooden dock plank and sent the rest leaping upwards just in time to intercept a crossbow bolt dangerously close to her heart. The plank spun into the sea and disappeared.
A great cry and a sea of flame tore across the sky, sundering the few clouds that dotted the expanse. The Herald of Annihilation. Khades must have been executing the Serpent by now. A great shadow washed over them as Khades himself was revealed to the world, was rocketing straight upwards like a ball of fire. He must have been gathering allies. Perhaps the Serpent proved too powerful, or had gathered allies of his own. After him flew a much smaller figure, barely a speck in the distance. Strangely, Vyndarth could see an aura around him. An aura of hate. An aura of blinding, unbridled rage. This was wrong. She could sense the feeling on this figure but not on Khades. Had she grown used to Khades' anger? Or was he no longer angry? Was that even possible?
Then she saw it, a large stone warehouse, they could not burn it if they tried. It was perfect. The Clan pushed the prisoners inside the warehouse and ordered men to block every entrance, they filled rubble and supplies in the backdoor the back door, the side, and manned the front. The rest would gather around the prisoners, partially to keep them safe, partially to use them as pawns. There was no way the humans would risk killing the prisoners.

The others gathered tightly around the docks, no cracks formed in their lines, no wavering in their commitment. All were steady. Vyndarth stood behind the lines, flame roaring up her arms as she gave her speech:
“No retreat! No surrender! This is Ashborne Law! And by Ashborne law, we will stand and fight! A new age has begun! An age of freedom! And all will know that three hundred Ashborne gave their last breath to defend it! No sacrifice, no victory! Today you are all Kinsmen to the Clan! Today you are all Heroes of the Sundered Peaks!”
All three hundred of them slammed their shields into the ground and built up a cacophony of thunder and metallic creaking. They would speak of this day in eons to come. The Ashborne Blockade. Where the Clan of the Infernal fought even when outnumbered thirty to one. They would be heroes. Champions of the Cinder King. Ashborne.

"Sana'a," Xue cried out, her voice thick with emotion as she reached out as if to grasp air. Despite her pleas the girl continued running Xue felt a stone form in her throat. She was too late to save the boat. It was now sinking under the waves of her mistakes. Gripping her hair angrly she gave them a tug before moving to rip out the shards stuck inside her.
Her attention than turned to Viktor and Khades. She swore loudly under her breath. Why was everything going to shit so quickly. She glanced at the direction Sana'a went for a moment before shaking her head. She had to hope the boat learns to float again, adding more water will not save it, only make it worse.
She felt her hair leave her head, her style now replaced with a shortcut that now only stood just below her chin. Using the rest of her liquid hair she created a large pair of wings out of water. With a gust of wind she took off, flying through the air. She chased after the two, she had to stop this before anyone died. If no one had already...
Her voice called out through the air, "Stop this Viktor! There is no need to spill blood today!" she hissed out, pain and anger in her voice. Why must they act this way? They were supposed to be gods and yet they act as if they are just as lost and confused as the people they created. How were they supposed to rule over their children when they couldn't even resolve a conflict between other gods without attacking them? Why must they act like children. Honestly, it was tiring her out.

As Xue chased Viktor and Viktor chased Khades something shimmered from below all of them. It came from the continent of man, striking faster than a bolt of lightning; an ivory spear. Clouds trailed in its wake as it sought Viktor with savage intent, in-bound to bite through armor and godly flesh alike.

The Serpent coiled in mounds, all-seeing searchlights eyes casting a pale blue hue across the landscape as the God took a few moments to simply take in events. Khades had seemed on the verge of launching towards him, and the Serpent prepared, light-blooming in his maw like the rising sun, prepared to blast the foe with energy. Yet, Khades had swooped above and beyond, flying into the sky with a scream. Viktor rose after him as his mortals engaged the Ashborne below, and other gods rose after them, with the newly christened God of the Hunt lending her spear to the fight. Vez'Arai however, had little interest in finishing Khades. Now, he would seize this opportunity. His children would survive this, as many of them as he coudl manage to save. The Serpent tensed, before launching himself across mile and miles, his form moving through the landscape as he flawlessly phased into the ethereal to avoid damaging the land he had hand... well not hand-crafted for his creations.

He rose up over the town he saw many of the Ashborne clustered in, with prisoners of his people, surrounded on all sides by the Chosen. Acrid smoke billowed from his nostrils as he circled lazily above the town, giving himself a few moments of thought before he began to speak. "If your intent is blood, you shall have it. But I warn you, things change rapidly. Khades and Viktor have left you, flying into the skies after one another." The Serpent turned its gaze directly to Pyrekin, seeing her through stone and mud brick in the warehouse she and her remaining warriors sheltered in. "Meet your foes for words instead of blades Pyrekin. Something is deeply wrong with Khades now, and he shall not be your savior. It is your choice whether the the tale of the Ashborne ends today or not." Vez'Arai looked upwards, eyeing those transpiring events in the sky with trepidation and confusion. Viktor was... almost consumed by a bloodlust he would have attributed to the Everspark now, and all the Gods seemed involved in this, with Xue trying to calm them. He had seen Sana'a depart, but he could take no option in that. Later perhaps, he would speak to the discomforted Goddess, and check on his firstborn Ajaia, who had tried to comfort her.

"Chosen, your God is taken by bloodlust, and rises beyond, leaving you here. This battle is doubtlessly won by you, as if there were to be any other result against an army such as yours. However, I encourage you to let the Ashborne go. Already, too many have died this day. Through peace, this war will end, and my children, held as hostage, will not be killed through further aggression. Heed my words, both of you, Chosen and Ashborne. From the start, this conflict was without meaning, and too many have died for empty ambition and spite. Let it be known, that regardless of your resolve to fight one another for the glory of your Gods, or for your own, I will protect my children. They had no business being brought into this, to be targetted." The Serpent by this point, merely sounded exhausted. "This entire measure has been fruitless, that you should know."

A cloudless bolt of lightning flashed across the sky. Vyndarth watched two more figures rise from the dunes and pursue Khades. Then a great thundering voice echoed across them. This was the serpent? Vyndarth felt a presence beyond which she could comprehend. It was that of a great cosmic being… that of a god.
“The snake wishes to talk?” Vyndarth scoffed, “Worry not, clansmen! I will speak with this so-called great snake. We shall have blood before the day is —” Vyndarth dropped to the floor with a howl of pain. A wave of energy pulsed through her entire being. She felt every muscle contract at once. She dropped to her knees and fell onto her back. The Pyrekin’s Crown grew brighter by the second. Its once proud flame now a raging inferno atop her skull. The pain was tremendous, she knew only one thing that resembled it. Other Ashborne had burst into flame on the expedition and through her many centuries of life. A sign of passing, a sign one’s time was over, and they were to pass into the beyond. But Vyndarth couldn’t die. Not by traditional means, she had lived for over a millennia and still grew stronger. There was no way she was dying! But all the signs were there. Her chest heaving, every joint burning, her mind stretching beyond what she believed possible.
Then she heard it, a voice familiar yet in a way foreign. It sounded distant and simultaneously as if it was whispered from every corner of the room.
“I had overestimated you.” the voice said. Vyndarth grabbed the edge of a beam, her hands aflame and blackening the smooth stone. Whoever this voice was was going to die for that.
“This vessel is weak. I must make it strong.” Vyndarth waved away her ogling allies and uttered a single command, “hold the line”.
“With this, I grant you the mantle of Flame Matron, rise, new queen of ash and fire.” The pain changed to power. A raw surging strength that rejuvenated every ache and pain that had failed her for decades, the hitch in her shoulder, her knee that ached when it rained, all were surged with a newfound speed and agility she was unfamiliar with. Vyndarth easily pushed herself back up so fast she almost tipped over again. The fabric of her mind still stretched and her mind heavier than it had ever been.
“Fear not, Kinsmen, our god has blessed me with immortality, no man that walks this realm shall bring me down! I will always lead you to victory, today and until the day the sun turns black!”
She knew that voice. She had heard it before… Khades. Vyndarth shook her head and focused her eyes outside. She could see the vast shadow the serpent cast, she could almost see the snake through the mudbrick. As she stepped forward, the surge of energy sent her nearly knocking over the shield wall. Vyndarth growled and pushed them aside, they flew dramatically and clashed against the wall, their carapace armour splintering and bones cracking loudly. Vyndarth saw her arms, each ablaze. What was this power Khades had bestowed her… she supposed she was no longer Pyrekin Vyndarth now. No, a new name had come to her mind, she was the Flame Matron. Flame Matron Trynyrac. Trynyrac suppressed the flames the best she could, still trying to keep her head up with the immense weight the Crown now seemed to hold.
Outside, a great gathering of Chosen. And the serpent towering above. He spat words of useless wars and protecting his snake children. Pathetic. It was their fault they were not strong enough to hold back the Ashborne, now they would suffer for it.
“They are not your foe,” Khades whispered, “those to suffer are those who would see your end. You must find peace with the Ologor or meet a fate most unrighteous.”
Trynyrac spat on the ground, it sizzled into the sand and evaporated.
“Ologor!” Trynyrac called, facing the sea of Chosen,“I have come to bargain.”

Viktor felt something rising towards him, a bolt of anger and violence, fresh from the forge of godhood. A new god? He stopped his pursuit, turning to face the new foe. And here they were, fast as lightning. A savage-looking god with a feral look in her eye, keen to skew Viktor like a pig with her spear. She may try, but the Lord of War would break her, body, mind, and soul. He gripped his hammer, ready to take the huntress' charge head on, and crushed her frame with the finest weapon to be forged in the realm.

"There shall be no war, Serpent. This is a battle I do not desire, and I do not intend to let one of my children die for my father's ambitions." Ologor called out to the Serpent. He sheathed his broadsword, and bid his subjects to do the same. "We came here to defend your children, but as my father has shown, we were built to fight the Ashborne. No more." The Chosen faded into nothingness, leaving Ologor alone.

"Come, child of Fire. Let us speak. it is obvious we have much to discuss."

The Serpent coiled, watching things change. New power surged within the warehouse below, even as a new fight began in the heavens above. It was irrelevant to him now. The Serpent leaned low, its head hovering above the warehouse. The serpent's tongue trailed from its mouth, slithering in through a window, as if 'feeling' the room. It slithered back out, and the Serpent let out a sigh. "Relinquish my children, allow them to go free," the Serpent spoke to the Ashborne within the structure. "There are no threats anymore. I grow tired, and simply wish to see my children safe. This world was never meant for them, or anyone like them. It was always to be a place of strife, a place for fools to slay one another for no true purpose. I see this now. Yet, there is little I can do of it. Let my children go, if you care to do so."

The Serpent turned its great head upwards, eyes of starfire cast upon the darkening skies. "Perhaps, if you let them go... I may be able to save your god Khades, or what little remains of him now." The serpent's voice was wistful, filled with melancholy, and a strange, unmistakable determination. If Vez'Arai could not save his people from the vengeful machinations of all these other fools with divine power, perhaps they could. The Serpent coiled up, the long tendrils along its spine standing on end, the very air vibrating about its form. "You have a few moments to decide."

Trynyrac watched in suspicion as the Chosen faded. She picked up a small chunk of mudbrick and threw it towards where the Chosen once stood, it hit nothing and splattered into the sand. The Chosen were really gone.
“How do I know you will not return your legions once our backs are turned?” Trynyrac scowled, “And as for you, Great Serpent, save Khades?” Trynyrac laughed before doubling over as her vision switched to that high in the sky, a red film had grown across her vision and her heart new nought but rage. As soon as it came, her vision returned to her.
“The Everspark has taken hold. Trust the snake.” Khades murmured. Trynyrac growled as she stood,
“Our people are massacred! Once sixty thousand now three hundred! For what, occupation? We took no lives in our invasion and you respond with extermination. Shall we get no retribution? I will not release them until my people are avenged…” another pulse of energy sent Trynyrac to her knees. Her arms reignited as she stood, the flames starting in her palms up to her ears.
“Compensation first, then I may consider letting your spawn free…”

"You say that I respond with extermination. I've not touched a hair on any of your hides, and those few of my creations willing to fight to protect their fellows did kill some of you, but very, very few. My people are not warriors. Why should I compensate you, who invaded their lands to slay and bring them low, solely to get at me to settle some pointless divine grudge?" The Serpent hissed, displeasure in its voice. "But, very well. Your god has little time left, and if you wish for compensation, I shall give it to you. Tell me, Trynyrac. What do you want? What was there to gain from this misadventure? From the killing an entire innocent people?" The Serpent, in any other circumstance, would have been angry, but the exhausted tone continued, as if the Serpent came to terms with the situation. The Ashborne, Khades, Viktor, it'd all, always be this way, wouldn't it?

Xue stopped her flight as she saw an unknown god flying towards victor at incredible speed. Xue raised her eyes in shock as she witnessed this, what on earth was going on. Though she had little time to watch this happen, she would have to move quick before these two finished their little tango. Flapping her wings she flew above them before quickly moving towards Khades, hopefully he wouldn't run from her, "Khades!" she called lightly, slight panic edged in her tone.

At the mention of that wretched name, the Everspark’s body reared its head and glared at the pursuing water beast. The Everspark’s red crystal shell formed over the eyes and sealed the mouth shut. There was no life left in the restricting draconic body. Nothing remained of the disease that once inhabited it. The water beast was not the weakness it sought. And even if it was, the Everspark was yet to coordinate the insufferable limbs of the body. So, it simply continued to soar in its regular path, high above the continent and towards the threshold where the world ended and the cosmos began.

Dyne had conjured a tea set to help her pass the time. White steams piped off the teapot as she poured amber-coloured tea into a cup. Really, everything had developed quite splendidly. The birth of a new god was not something she had expected. And amidst a war, too! Really, Khades did make for quite a storyteller sometimes. Why, he even foreshadowed it in the past! She should really pay more attention to the gods.

The Goddess allowed the smile on her mouth to blossom. She had always been a spectator of shows. She had done so with Morois, and she had no plan to interfere now as well. Dyne raised the cup to her lips, pampering her sense of smell with the rich fragrant of tea and the faint scent of wine.

…

Dyne tilted her head.

“Fras, dear. What are you doing?”

The aroma of wine wafted off the God of Commerce and Protection, Fras. The humanoid God had drawn a map upon a parchment, now adding small figures on it. A closer look on the map would reveal it was the map of the battlefield. The figures he drew, now clearly drawings of every Vez’Sinai on the field, moved around as the Vez’Sinai moved as well.

“Helping Father.” His answer came short and concise. With a stroke of his quill, his map turned to shreds. Divine light suddenly encapsulated every Vez’Sinai, providing them an extra layer of defense.

Dyne stared at her son, amused.

“This is a fight involving Gods, dear. What do you think a mere divine protection will do?”

Fras didn’t answer. He conjured another map, preparing to repeat the action he had performed.

Dyne watched on in silence, before releasing a sigh.

“I suppose I will help you this once, dear.”

And she was going to have such a good time, too.

With a wave of her hand, the prepared tea set disappeared. Dyne opened her parasol and floated to the Serpent’s side. Though her size, a mere human-sized figure, was nothing compared to the Serpent, the aura she emitted was nothing to be underestimated.

“Now, now, the matter of compensation is none of my concern, child,” Dyne addressed Trynyrac with a smile. “but my son has taken a liking to the Vez’Sinai. So absolutely no harm should befall them while I’m here.”

“Do not aggravate the snake.” Khades growled in Trynyrac's mind, “Conceding is not a weakness here, Flame Matron, the Serpent does not jest and can destroy the last of this generation.”
Trynyrac tried to argue back mentally but was cut off.
“Argue not, Pyrekin. Concede.”
Trynyrac let out an exasperated hiss and bared her teeth at the sand.
“Viktor Isenblood seems punished enough with this madness.” She gestured as the god found a new target and now raced towards the surface, far off from the battlefield, “If we can be granted safe passage from these lands, I accept our defeat here—”
Trynyrac suddenly turned and thrust out her arm to stop Gunnar from attacking the newly glowing Vez’Sinai. What she expected to be to be a short burst of flame bright enough to distract him turned to a coiling snake of fire that struck forth and scattered Gunnar against the wall, his torso scorched, a thin silhouette of ash behind him, alive but grievously wounded. The Vez’Sinai were untouched. Trynryac looked down at her hands. Khades had made it strong. How strong was strong? How many must suffer before she could control herself? Trynryac looked vaguely in the Serpent’s direction, keeping her gaze to the sand and not acknowledging the woman that had just floated in with a child, or rather, what might have been a child. All humans looked the same.
“Now, were you not off to save Khades?” she hissed.

The Serpent chuckled, a deep, rumbling sound. "Ah. I wish we were not foes in this moment. Your mortal fire... never lose that. The Gods are not Gods, merely children with powers. Even I." The Serpent coiled up, smoke pouring from its jaws as its body almost seemed to condense. "My children, you are free!" He spoke aloud to the Vez'Sinai, all across the world. "Live as you may. I shall return soon." He turned his eyes last to Dyne and Fras. "Thank you. We have not always gotten along... but this was a good deed." He focussed his gaze more on Fras, and the Serpent-God almost seemed to smile. "I'm proud of you, Fras. May you stay just as good at heart as you are now."

Dyne waved the Serpents word aside with a tip of her sun hat. "Now, now, don't be too used to it, darling. I don't make it a habit to save mortals without a good story to be had. You too, dear. I refuse to protect everyone just because you ask."

Fras swiftly hid the look of content and joy as he received his mothers admonishment. When Dyne no longer paid him any attention, however, a smile discreetly made its way to his face. The Serpent's words planted some warmth in his heart. No one knew as of yet what changes this might bring in the future.

The Serpent opened its jaws, and leapt forth from the ground, soaring upwards into the sky. Vez'Arai shifted into the ethereal to eliminate friction, going higher and higher, as the colossal serpent rocketed towards the group of Gods above. Even now, a plan was forming in his head. He was not the God of Creativity for nothing. The Everspark must be stopped, before it could deal damage to his child's beautiful stars. The out of control God had to be neutralized, at all costs. Yet, there was just one way he could do it that would spare Khades. Perhaps the God of Chaos could heal, regain his strength.

The Serpent flew towards Khades and as he did a voice appeared in his head, one that seemed familiar yet different, as if it was... empty devoid of any real emotions. "Hello, I am not who you might think I am and if you do, that doesn't matter. What you might be doing can kill you, but it will surely keep you out of commission for a long time. If you do survive maybe you'll have time to think differently, maybe change your mind on a lot of things or just some things. Whatever the case, I don't care, I'm only here because I'm being forced to. Goodbye." The voice left and whether it left the Serpent with questions or not, the voice didn't care, it only wanted the Serpent to receive the message.

The Serpent heard the message and replied in kind. 'What I do leaves me with little time for thought. I hope instead, that those I leave behind think differently, and change their minds, should we avoid this from happening again.' The Serpent soared through the clouds and broke through the atmosphere, rising like the sun itself towards the Gods in the sky. "Xue, take heed for the battle below! I shall resolve this situation myself, though I warn you, I shall not return. My children must be protected, and this world must not suffer this way again. Take that message true, and let it be known that you, Sana'a, all of you, you've my thanks." The Serpent called out, as the billowing light that forged the planet formed once more in the Serpent's Maw. Light spilled forth, and a brilliant pillar of blue light roared forth, blasting the Everspark-possessed husk above. The Serpent knew the Everspark would survive, but the point of the attack was not to kill the thing, only to slow it. If the Serpent could catch up, then things could truly change.

The heavens trembled as the Hunt and War met in the sky, clashing with unnatural thunder when spear met hammer.

“That beast is mine” Venari hissed, her eyes gleaming beneath wind-blown strands of hair.

She could hear every muscle tense in Viktor’s body, smell his godly blood inside. It was all so very overpowering, like the undying urge to pursue the dragon. Just the sunlight reflecting on his armor felt like staring into a flame, but she allowed herself to become lost in the sensory overload. She didn’t want to think; not about what came after or before, or that pathetic conversation with that Fast. Instead she let her instincts take over, fighting against Viktor with relentless savagery.

The draconic body recoiled and spun uncontrollably as a beam of light encapsulated it. It was him. It was him. That wretched snake! The Everspark constricted the lungs of the body, forcing a great exhale in an attempt at speech. What came out was no more than a low rumbling growl. No! It needed to move. To kill. To kill that babbling tyrant! The crystal attempted to move some of the muscles in the wings, managing to stretch them far enough to slow down. It would catch the serpent and rip it apart. Scale by scale. Its sinew would join the stars and its blood would bathe the sky red. It would be glorious. But only if the Everspark could coordinate these dreadful limbs.

Far below, Trynyrac watched as the Serpent soared through the air and turned a ghostly transparent, before releasing a pillar of pure light. So needlessly dramatic. But he was right, Khades did not respond to being engulfed by light, he only opened his wings slightly and flew slower. There was something seriously wrong with Khades, or at least the body he once held.
She gave the fellow minor god a small nod and turned back towards the warehouse. Her steps were slow and purposeful, she wanted to avoid a situation like before. No one else would be hurt. Trynyrac helped Gunnar to his feet and returned him his spear. She freed the Vez’Sinai from their binds by hand, she could not trust her flames just yet.
“For the prosperity of our dwindled numbers, we will leave this land. It is true that we started this war, and we will not be the ones to end it. Khades has taken the cosmic fight to the stars, and the Chosen god has fled. The Vez’Sinai will remain unharmed, and we are to return to the Sundered Peaks.” Trynyracs speech was not one of hope or ambition, though she tried to add it in her tone. As the group exited the building, shields clattering to the ground and spears dangling in loose grips. The emotion came. Some of the Ashborne wept, some for their fallen family, most for the desolation of their species. More Ashborne would come, there was no doubt, but could they survive the hostile wastes long enough to form their own clans? Trynyrac's gaze fell upon the woman in the sundress.
"Who are you? And who's Darling?"
Trynyrac shook her head and glared at Ologor, her arms reigniting in bright orange flames once more.
“This is not over." she pointed accusedly, "When my people are safe I will return and you and I will finish this war once and for all."

"I pray that that day never comes." Ologor replied, offering no grand promises. He was already planning the future.He had mixed feelings. A part of him, primal, cruel, and arrogant, savored the sight of the shattered Ashborne lamenting the destruction of their race. It craved bloodshed and annihilation, and wanted nothing more than to see the remnants of the Asheborne utterly vanquished. But Ologor was a being of reason and a firm believer in second chances. That is why the other part sought the opposite, desiring to heal the wounds between the two races. Through cooperation, much good to be done. But it was obvious that this would not come for some time.

"The only thing that is yours shall be a quick death." Viktor growled. This was a minor set back, an annoying one, but in the end, it didn't matter. He'd have his prize sooner or later, and wouldn't allow some upstart to rob him of it. Like his rival, Viktor allowed the fury and passion of battle to engulf him. He fought disciplined and methodically, like a well-trained veteran, but every blow was strong as iron.

Venari learned very quickly of the distinction between a god with a fighting spirit, and one that played games. Viktor’s blows were calculated and experienced, much like the so called great heroes that Venari had cut down in the past. The only difference was a few millennia to create the craft of war itself. This was no hunt and the tides were quick to turn. In the beginning Venari could rely on her element of surprise and unpredictable fighting style, but that could only last for so long.

Bones had broken beneath that hammer from unlucky hits she did not manage to avoid.It felt different than when she had been mortal, like it was already healing the moment it struck. She hated it. This new form hated her too. Her body reacted either too quickly or too slowly, her still mortal mind and godly reincarnation at odds with one another. All the while the blood was going to her head, making it hard to focus on anything. Dammit, why did this god have to stand in her way. If she let that beast go she would lose her hunt! It was her last chance to redeem what was stolen!

In a moment of impatience Venari rushed an attack on Viktor, who easily took advantage of the gap in her defence. Venari saw the hammer aimed for her skull, as if time itself had slowed. With a snarl and a movement like a reflex, she brought the Ivory Spear, still blessed with Tamati’s blood, and blocked the attack. There was a snap, and then a roaring burst of wind and light as the spear broke in two, falling away from Venari’s grasp like leaves.

Trynyrac scoffed and continued walking, until something caught her attention. It must have been as high as the clouds, how in Khades’ name could she see that far? No matter. Something was moving, no, someone. A Chosen by the looks of it.
“That is Isenblood, and someone just saved me from them.” Khades murmured. Trynyrac hated it too. If this Isenblood could really be a threat to Khades, and something managed to pull its attention away, it must have been more powerful than herself, another thought she hated. She owed this person her life. But how would she repay a life debt to someone more powerful than herself?
“Move. Now.” Khades said warningly. Trynyrac sighed and turned back to her band of warriors.
“Today, we are heroes, today, we have fought off the horde and lived! Return now, return to our ancestral home. I will be back soon, Khades needs my help.” Trynyrac leapt high into the air, higher than she’d ever gone before. This infernal divinity was going to prove more difficult than she initially expected. Trynyrac concentrated the flames on her arms to the other direction, and the crest of her jump turned to her soaring through the air, flames raging behind her. Hopefully this Isenblood was not a good fighter, hopefully she could get there before things got too extreme.


High up, the body corrupted by the Everspark squirmed in a struggle with itself. It needed to turn and face the Serpent, but the limitations of this form proved too difficult to best– NO! The left wing meekly began to twist and the Everspark began to spin out of control. Another twist and it slowed down. Now it could see the Serpent. The rage fermenting for eons built up inside it. This would be a battle of catastrophic proportions! The world would be ruptured, and all would descend into anarchy as the divine forces clashed in an eternal cataclysm! There would be no order in this world, no restrictions, no tyrannical reptiles to lord their morals and rules above us! Above anyone!
The snake was getting closer. The Everspark waited in reverie. The time had come for real change. The snake was getting larger. Too large. The snake was not as small as the Everspark remembered, no, it was merely distant. No matter, what else could it expect from such an opponent. Too large. The Serpent opened its mouth. It seemed to block out the very sun. Each fold of skin was churning down its abyssal gullet. The Everspark could no longer see the Serpent’s scales. They were blocked out by the chasm that threatened to swallow him whole. That rage that had built for eons would finally be of use, for this was its plan. The snake was so close that it could not avoid the flames of the god of destruction, it could not even rival their magnificence. The flames trickled out of the Everspark’s mouth as it mustered more energy. It swirled the chaos inside itself. These would be no mere flames, the full power of the Everspark would destroy this parasite for good. In an instant, a silvery beam of light tore at the Everspark as the Serpent shot flames of his own. The energy ebbed away and the Everspark tried to let go all it had left before all was consumed in darkness. It was sizzling in this darkness. The heat of the Everspark burned whatever was consuming it. The space began to shrink and the Everspark forced its arms apart not to get crushed. The space got smaller as the Everspark felt its weight begin to slide. They were no longer bound by Nraumm’s gravity.
The Everspark’s arms could not stop the shrinking cavern. It wrapped its wings around it and shrunk down into a small cocoon. Plugging its head into the last hole, the Everspark nursed itself as the pair flew far into the cosmos.

Viktor covered his face as Kamen smashed asunder the spear, temporarily blinded by the sudden blast of light. It took little to break the inferior craftsmanship of his fellow gods. They knew little of forging things that could last. Like the spear, their creations crumbled beneath them. Only he could create a lasting impact on the world, beings that could and would enact his will upon the world. Death to Khades and his Ashborne, they would cry! Death to the war-maker!

And yet, there was potential for something of note from his brothers and sisters. For example, this one. Young and strong, filled with raw power. She wielded that spear admirably enough, but stood little chance against the War-Smith. He looked down upon Venari, an impatient look on his face. "Stand down, girl. You fought well, but you stand no chance. Return to the earth, and I may yet show you mercy." he demanded, raising his hammer. How he relished the idea of striking her down. Surely she was working with Khades, why else would she impede his glorious campaign for justice, for peace?

As his father duelled against Venari, Ologor watched from below on the fields of his beloved land. He knew what his father was probably thinking. He seemed arrogant and over-confident, and driven purely by his desire to kill. He shook his head, and turned away from the violence raging so far above. He would not be his father, nor would his people be so. "Strange to think that." he remarked aloud. They were HIS people now, not his father's anymore. He had left them all behind.

From the mountains to the cities, from the farms to the forges, the memory of Viktor Isenblood's ideas of vengeance and constant war faded away from the minds of the Chosen.

Once again, Venari was given the option of peace. First it had been Sanic and his pathetic plea of friendship, and now it was this god’s pity. How she hated it. This had been the very same look that Tamati had given her just moments before smiling out of glee at her trick. She didn’t need their pity, or their stupid friendship. She needed this hunt, and if she turned back now there was no chance that it would ever be fulfilled. There was no way she was giving up now, even if the god of war was in her way.

Venari laughed, beginning as a low chuckle until she was cackling in a half-crazed manner. It was all so funny, in a way, though she was the joke. “Hehe… you don’t get a single thing, do you. This isn’t about living.”

Her eyes flashed crimson, this time the glow trailing on her fingers as she grabbed an arrow from her quiver and lunged forward at Viktor.

However not a second too late, Venari and Trynyrac found themselves somewhere else, they might've felt a small sensation of being moved but not much else. The entire surroundings had been replaced with that of the inside of a home, one which didn't make sense or follow any rules as the living room simply stretched infinitely containing all of the ashborne who had also been in the battle, all equally confused.

On the other side of the spectrum, the chosen and everyone else in the area would see as the ashborne and the wild huntress simply disappear, no magic, no godly energy, not even a gust of wind, simply sudden disappearance. Silence slowly setting in.

Venari had felt this sensation before, and knew exactly who had done it. She didn't even stumble this time as she whipped around, eyes flashing with fury as she went to stab the area that a Fast had occupied less than a heartbeat ago. Thankfully they were wise enough to take precautions and were gone before she could get them. She didn't care where she was right now, nor did it matter. The hunt had been lost, and to that her rage boiled over. She let out a scream of rage and threw the arrow to the side. Her breathing grew ragged and heavy as she decided to kill the next Fast she saw.

Trynyrac was suddenly launched through a table as she continued to fly. immediately looked around at her new surroundings. It was some sort of house that stretched as far as she could see. What was happening? How did she get here? Tryn stood too quickly and ended up almost toppling over again. The Ashborne were here too. How were they carried so far? A woman screamed somewhere nearby. Trynyrac moved towards her, pushing aside the crowd. As she grew closer, her legs began to stiffen. Something in her body did not want to close the distance. Trynyrac continued anyway, until the feeling reached her mind. She felt the presence before she saw the figure. It was something powerful. Something dreadful. Ashborne were pulling away in confusion and fear as Trynyrac forced herself forwards. Then she saw her. Her skin covered in dirt and grime, blood splattered across her hide armour. But it was her eyes that Trynyrac would never forget. Bloodshot and slowly trailing a slow crimson. This was no ordinary Human. Could it be a goddess? Trynyrac realised she had stopped at the edge and had to force one foot in front of another. Was this how the monsters felt? An impending doom that she could not help but feel the need to flee. But she was the Flame Matron. She fled from no one, no matter what their eyes looked like or how many they had.
"Who—" her voice wavered slightly, she cleared her throat and spoke with empathy reserved for a few individuals, her voice was stern and authoritative, just not as angry or hateful, "Calm yourself. What is your name, Enraged One?"

A loud cough was heard trying to bring everyone's attention to it, "Sorry about the sudden change in scenery, we brought you here, because of some, requests from a God, at least the ashborne were. Anyway, I am Sanic, new leader of the Fast, minions devoted to the Gods to act as messengers and what not." As more faces turned to look at him, they could see that whatever Sanic was, he wasn't in good shape for he was missing his right arm and cracks were covering his entire body. "Pleasure to meet you, now I'll have to ask you to stay here for a bit longer to clear things up."

“Shut up.” Venari snapped, not even sparing the woman a glance. She had a hand on her face, clenching it so tight in her anger that her fingernails drew blood. “Say another word… and I’ll kill you.”

Venari didn’t see the fear on Tryn’s face, she could smell it off of her. The quickening of the woman’s heartbeat, the tenseness of her shoulder muscles, all as loud as thunder. A part of her wanted to just silence it forever. Above the clamour rose a familiar voice. Venari’s eyes darted to the source.

“SANIC!” Venari howled, charging for the fast, “YOU TOOK MY HUNT!”

She leapt at Sanic, aiming to pin him roughly to the ground.

Sanic didn't bother dodging and was pinned to the ground, further worsening the cracks on his body yet remaining surprisingly calm, "Venari please, I know your frustration, but in that hunt, you weren't the hunter, far from it, you were the prey..." Sanic said smoothly up until the last part in which he began hesitating. "It's a harsh reality but you shouldn't be aiming your spear at the Gods... at least not yet... Also could you please get off me? it feels like my left arm is going to come off any second."

Why was he so calm? The other woman had at least shown fear, yet even now as she pinned Sanic to the ground, her eyes bloody, he didn't flinch. Was it because he thought they were friends? Is this what this was all about? He had robbed her of the greatest hunt over stupid friendship. The anger bit at her sides like flames.

"Like hell you understand!" She brought her fist back, as if to strike him, but at the last moment smashed it onto the floor just beside Sanic's head. It was enough force to shake the floor and splinter the wood, leaving deep cracks in what remained. "And what did you do to yourself? Why do you look like shit?"

Venari backed away with a snarl and for the first time she seemed to see the sorry state Sanic was in. She was still furious at him, but somehow seeing the cracks and the mutilated arm stoked her wrath even more.

Trynyrac was astounded by the goddess' audacity to simply dismiss her. She was divine, too, now, surely she should garner their respect. The goddess had a man pinned to the floor, he did not bleed so much as crack like a shattered doll.
"The man is wounded, leave him be." Trynyrac carefully let the flames adorning her arms drop down into a long blade. She managed to withdraw it before it shot into the floor, but instead of the long spear she had intended, it resembled a longsword. Trynyrac raised the blade beside the goddess.
"I have as much claim to this... Fast as you do." as Trynyrac spoke, that dreadful feeling slowly ebbed away, the other woman was no more a god than Khades, and she had him locked in her skull, "My hunt? Gone! My honour? In peril! My family? Eviscerated! My civilisation? In. This. Room. But do I whine and lash out at the first thing I see? No. Because I have hunted for centuries and I know any creature powerful enough to catch your eye will most likely still exist by the time you leave this room."

Sanic got back up avoiding using his left arm for support, "I look terrible after an argument I had with Hwan... he's been dealt with." Sanic turned his head to Trynyrac, "as for you and your people, we simply brought you to safety due to orders... Also try not to break the place apart, it was a real pain trying to build this."

"I know he's injured, idiot." Venari spat, eyeing the woman and her fancy flames with equal disdain. Magic users always made her skin crawl, yet her mood only darkened further when the woman seemed to think she had a claim to Sanic. She bristled defensively at the comment, "His name is Sanic and you don't have a single claim to him, flamedrinker."

Part of her was thrilled by the challenging stance of the woman, but mostly she was restless from the broken hunt. She didn't have time for this!

"I dont give a damn about your stupid honour and.. whatever the hell your people are." Venari clutched the side of her head again and growled, as if struck by a sudden headache, "Gah! A hunter for centuries and yet you don't know a thing! This is no ordinary hunt, nor an ordinary beast. It is a god, capable of matching that damned serpent... and I will take my mark!"

Venari turned her attention back to Sanic as soon as he spoke, completely ignoring Tryn for the moment. Her eyes were still annoyed, even more so when Hwan's name came up, but they had mostly lost their crazed edge. She frowned in confusion, the curiosity diluting her anger. "Argument? You mean you fought him...and won? How did you manage that? Last I saw he knocked you out in a second. I couldn't even hit him."

"Well, that's a story for another time... besides we aren't even allowed to fight for real so... I simply got off the hook, but please don't fight here." Sanic spoke calmly yet almost breaking into a nervous tone. "Look, just wait for a second as my other two... partners bring him here, since his orders were the one that even got the ashborne out of there. In the meantime would you all want anything, we have food, try to make yourselves at him yeah?"

"A god capable of rivalling the Serpent?" Trynyrac laughed quietly to herself, ignoring the rest of the goddess' idiocy. When the disarmed man spoke of food, Trynyrac gestured to her Ashborne compatriots, "You give us food and we will owe you more than we do already. You will find none here willing to take that offer."

"I don't need your stupid handouts either!" Venari chimed in with a scoff, though even still her stomach growled audibly. This only deepened her look of impatience at the situation.

Trynyrac couldn't get past that claim of her hunt. There was only one with the honour of that title, was she hunting Khades? That must have been her then, Trynyrac hoped beyond hope that it was not her, it was this new goddess to have saved her life, "The Dragon of the Valley? Was it you, then? Were you the one to challenge Isenblood?"

"I have no idea who you're talking about." Venari was all too quick to snap. Then she paused, frowned, and added, "Unless you mean the man with that damned hammer. If it wasn't for that faulty spear I wouldn't be here.Should have known better than to trust a thing made by Tamati"

"Please, you don't owe us anything, we might've not done it from the good of our hearts, but we're not trying to extort anything from you... The rest should be arriving right about... now" not a second two late, Lirn and Afon appeared in perfect condition contrasting the broken Sanic, and with them there was another individual... while most gods or even creatures emitted even a small presence, this individual produced nothing, he wore odd clothing, simple and black, his hands were pitch black with more blackness seemingly leaking out yet disappearing, his head was also pitch black, no face, no real shape, just slowly changing and releasing that same weird... blackness. The individual didn't bother moving much but simply moved his hand in a swinging motion, having both Lirn and Afon leaving the location. "Good job... your work is done Sanic... although I never asked you to bring Venari... Why?"

Sanic looked nervously at the individual who was now seemingly staring at him. "I... it was a simple favor which I had to pay back y'know...?"

The individual paused for a second, "it doesn't matter, I needed to deal with her later anyway... I just didn't want to have to do multiple things in a row, you may leave if you want."

"I'll be staying here in the meantime" Sanic responded, calming down a bit.

"ok" The individual responded before moving his attention to everyone else.

"Sanic, I don't have time for-" Venari began, but cut herself off at the arrival of a strange figure.

This was the first time Venari had laid eyes on the.. thing (as she believed she would remember encountering it if she had) and yet there was something about it that stuck her as familiar. No not something, nothing. It oozed from its fingers, vanishing in mid air. She had definitely seen this before, somehow. Then she remembered that cold lack of sensation, as if gripped by death. It had happened when she shook hands with the god Detz.

Venari had not responded to Tryn's threat, nor had she seemed bothered, but upon seeing the entrance of this individual she shifted her stance, her eyes sharpening. She was quick to note Sanic's nervousness and chose to play it cautious, even if her tone was as callous and challenging as usual, "First of all, I don't have time for any more godly games, so I'm afraid that whatever you want from me will have to wait a while."

"Secondly, Sanic you know this guy... thing...? Is it a friend of yours or just another pompous god to cut down?" Her arm was held slightly to the side, tense and ready to draw her bow if need be.

Trynyrac watched the being talk with a strange fascination. Her intuition told her it was otherworldly, but this new feeling differed. She could sense the creatures around her somehow, some boon of Khades. This entity did not render to her, she could not sense it. Confusion was new to her. That empty feeling. She did not like it at all. Her crown dimmed a little before returning to its old strength. The Ashborne instinctively recoiled from the entity, and Trynyrac stepped closer.
"That is what I feared." Khades voice rattled her mind, "They feel familiar, yet alien, do not trust it."
Trynyrac was almost on her knees by the time Khades stopped speaking. Shaking her head slightly, Trynyrac strengthened her stance. That feeling was excruciating. Who knew that having a god inside your mind would risk breaking it.
"If you seek an audience with my people, you seek an audience with me." Trynyrac felt bile tickling the back of her throat as she answered. If this being wanted the Ashborne, it would have to destroy her to get them.

Sanic looked back at Venari, "Well uh... he's like my second boss?..." Sanic responded awkwardly.

"That doesn't matter" the individual in question responded. "I am not doing this out of my free will, I'd rather be doing nothing... however you can both thank Detz for the current situation."

The individual didn't bother moving at all or even move his attention towards anyone. "Firstly, Detz simply wanted the ashborne to not die because he finds them amusing, thus I had the Fast escort them all here to safety, you may leave, nothing says I have to protect you afterwards, it's a one time thing... And secondly, after Venari gained godhood, Detz wanted to do one last 'prank'... frankly I find it dumb, however it's Detz so I assume you'd understand." The individual raised his hand with his palm pointing directly at Venari.


"Nonono I am NOT going along with another prank!" Venari snarled, quickly loosing a silver arrow at the strange god.

The individual didn't flinch as the arrow simply missed him even when it's path clearly showed it would hit him. "you don't get to decide that." he responded as he lowered his arm and simply began walking towards Venari.

Trynyrac stepped back and held out her arms, hissing to her companions. A nearby Ashborne managed to barely dodge the awry arrow.
"Get back, this cannot end well!" as the Ashborne withdrew from the scene, Trynyrac spread out her arms and released the flames. They bounced across the floor like a clumsy fawn, forming a ring of fire that separated her people from the battle. Some exclaimed in fear and jumped back as the greedy flames tried to claim more than Trynyrac expected.

Venari hissed through her teeth in annoyance when her arrow missed its mark. It was impossible and an extraordinary miracle, but at this point such godly gimmicks were getting on her nerves. She knocked another arrow and loosed it, shouting, "Shut up!"

The arrow this time did travel properly to it's target yet instead of piercing through the individual, the arrow almost shattered instantly upon making contact with the individual as if hitting a tough surface. Not even flinching, the Individual kept walking towards Venari with no hint of stopping.

"COME ON!" the huntress growled, slinging her bow across her shoulders.

There was no way projectiles were going to work. Honestly, she was uncertain if there was anything she could really do, but what she did know was that she really wanted to maim this god to bits. Wrath glinted in her eyes like fresh embers as she took a blessed arrow from its sheath and charged at the god, stabbing for its chest. "Just die!"

The arrow flew with lightning speed and without deviation, but in a single move, the individual caught it with his hand bringing it up to inspect the arrow. "you lack experience... you rely too much on your mortal moves... I'm sure you'll adapt just fine... but I personally don't care." The individual finally got near Venari but simply opened up his arms as if to provoke Venari to attack him directly.

Falling for the bait and sinking into her own fury, Venari went to strike at the individual with a fist. Bloody red trailed from her eyes and hand as her fingers seemed more akin to claws

As Venari sent out her strike she didn't seem to hit anything, in fact it only seemed like it had phased through him yet she could still see her fist, slowly she also lost her footing and in the moment she felt as if she was falling, being surrounded by nothing, turning back she would see nothing again.

Once more, Venari fell into that great abyss of nothingness, only this time it lasted longer than thy eternity in a second. Everything had vanished save for her sense of self awareness and the overbearing sense of drowning. With nothing else to focus on, it became her entire world. She couldn't even scream. All she could do was clutch her throat and struggle, her thoughts filled with a deepened hatred and fury. Her hunt of Khades was far away and forgotten, replaced by newer and more urgent hunt.

After a few seconds of nothingness Venari fell down into a solid surface appearing back into a more lively place compared to nothing, in front of where she fell she could see a paper fall with the words "this is the prank, due excuse the method though you were more the uncooperative, let's not see each other again."

Venari picked herself up slowly, gasping for air. She coughed a few times and as her eyes readjusted to the sudden presence of light she became aware of a piece of paper with a neat, monotone script on it. She stabbed it clean through with her arrow, biting into the wooden planks below and shouted, "DAMN YOU DETZ!"

She pulled herself to her feet, still fuming, and took a moment to assess where in the hell she was. The air was dusty and had the ever so faint smell of old ash and smoke. All around her were rows and rows of shelves filled with books. Each was organized and labelled carefully, though it was lost on Venari. She couldn't read a single one. She put away her bow and stalked through the corridor, trying to find an exit. "Of course, I'm stuck in one of those wizard sanctuaries with their pathetic words."

It wouldn't be long until Venari would hear the sounds of footsteps approaching her and soon when the steps were finally close, a voice asked. "So how did you end up here?"

-----------------------------

To everyone in the vicinity it had seemed that Venari simply vanished with the Individual dropping his arms afterward. "That's taken care off..." The individual looked directly at Trynyrac, "You and your people may stay here as long as you like, I honestly don't care, however, just try not to bother me anymore Khades." With that the individual simply walked towards the door ignoring leaving the Three fast and the Ashborne alone in the building.

Trynyrac flicked her wrist and the flames turned to a thick smoke. There was still a ring scorched into the floor that sizzled slightly. Trynyrac clenched her fist in the stranger's direction, an Ashborne threat.
"Come, warriors, this place is not our home." With that, Trynyrac found the door and led the Ashborne out. They exited to a rocky swamp. Trynyrac kneeled beside the water and watched for bubbles. None came. This was not the Bursting Bog, this was nowhere near their home. A warm breeze came from the east, shaking the crag-like trees that jutted from the ground in strange spots.
They wandered for days through the thick mush until they ran into a vast jungle. The jungles seemed endless and rife with chaotic weather; flash floods, hurricanes, landslides, and other unpredictable climates. A landslide claimed almost thirty on the first day. Across a week, they lost another nine to disease and twelve to Red Devil swarms that tore the limbs from their bodies. Was this some cruel punishment? Why did the gods hate her people so? They ate anything they could get their hands on, including some of the strange looking fruits. Khades had gone quiet. She could hear him breathe sometimes, but he would not talk, lamenting the loss of his body, perhaps. Finally an exit was sighted on the tenth day, and in their haste to escape these wretched trees they were descended upon by a tribe of what seemed to be half-man half-lion. Their ferocity nearly rivalled the Ashborne's and they claimed four more lives before being engulfed in flame.
The next terrain was almost a paradise by comparison. The Sundered Peaks were home to dangerous game and little vegetation. Here, the vast sands allowed them to see any predator on any angle, and they could see hundreds of giant beasts dotting the landscape. The hunt was on. Led by the threat of starvation and the promise of home, the Ashborne went about slaughtering these beasts. They would go on to lose almost sixty to these heavy-footed foes.
A crater of colossal size proved a defendable position and a perfect lure to trick beasts into falling down the crater into awaiting spikes. They established a settlement they called Skû-pt, nothing permanent, just some huts to escape the heat. The oases came with their own predators and proved near-impossible to fortify, and drinking the blood of beasts would only last so long. They had lost seventeen to thirst before even finding the crater.

Trynyrac knew this would not last. Infighting was separating them faster than the beasts, there were only so many speeches she could give before having to beat some of them back in line. With some help, Trynyrac built a large ring at the bottom of the pit where the ground was flattest. Around it where stone steps with a tanned hide surrounding the steps. Here warriors could settle their differences and fight on neutral terms. This place would serve them for a while, until food ran low, or until the sands of time came for them.
The Ashborne did not write their history, so this place would go uncredited, Trynyrac carved on the stone in each language that came to her. More languages came than she expected, in each she wrote the name of her prize city. Skû-pt. Skû-pt. Skû-pt.

 

[SirDerpingtonIV]

Farewells
​

Mood music

High above Nraumm, the Serpent writhed. it had been a foolish plan, poorly crafted and rushed. He knew, roughly, just given the basic logic of it, he could contain the Everspark. Yet, he did not ever imagine it could hurt this much, that fire would burn inside of the Serpent's body, searing and scalding him. Pain roared and wailed through every last fiber of his being. In the heavens above the world below, the Serpent was light. Fire and wrath poked through its body, consumed it, its own baleful blue light shinning from its maw, pillars of light soaring off into the infinite nothingness beyond. Chaos and Freedom lashed up there, beyond the sky, destruction and creativity. Vez'Arai shrieked and roared, twisting and turning in the heavens above, his body lashing across the horizons of the world below. The fire clawed at his very life, lashed against him from within, even as the Everspark prepared itself for slumber. All of this was agonizing, a feeling beyond any the Serpent had felt before. Yet, this must be done. Surely, it must be done. In time, the Serpent's power would overwhelm the Everspark. That chaotic thing would be tamed or destroyed, and perhaps, one day Khades would be wise enough to return to the heavens, to reclaim his other half. Perhaps then, he'd be able to hold it under his sway, instead of the other way around. The Serpent spoke, its voice echoing across the minds of all its fellow Gods.

"Farewell, my brothers and sisters, you gods of Nraumm. We have quarreled we have fought, all of it, for nothing. Worth nothing. I am sorry. Perhaps now, as I consume the Everspark, this war can end, and a future conflict can be staved off. No longer, shall I meddle in your affairs. All I ask, is you to be kind to my children. They do not belong here. I hope, that in time, I can be forgiven. In my arrogance, I wrought the causes of this war, imagined myself an arbiter of our collective morality. Such I was not, such I could not be. Forgive me."

Vez'Arai called out then, to the cosmos beyond, for his Daughter. She came, a brilliant shooting star, a vibrant light that lit up the world below. She knew already, what must be done. Asturia, and her own children, the Cosmic Dragons, circled the great Serpent. With magic and might only they possessed, they weaved new stars, a cosmic prison, about Vez'Arai. Stardust and light covered his skin, transformed his hide, as slowly, the Serpent was entombed. The fires of Chaos were extinguished for now, though the Serpent knew the Everspark would remain. This was the only way to ensure it was contained, that it would not take over him, as it had Khades. This was the only way. Now, the Serpent turned to Asturia beside him, and knew that somewhere below, crossing the expanses of blue, Saewyn too, saw him.

"Farewell, my divine children. I have been a poor father. We have spent little time together, for which I am deeply sorry. You two will be safe, I hope. You take no part in these pointless conflicts, and simply do what you enjoy. It is all I could have wished for you, that you do what you enjoy, that you live as you'd wish. Both of you, my children, have contributed to this world, to our creation. Whether you create or not, whether you fill the skies with light, or help weary mortals survive in this world, in its oceans, you have done well. I am proud of you. Continue on, creating, aiding. The mortals shall always appreciate it. I will always appreciate it."

With his last words to his children, Vez'Arai looked down, setting its glowing eyes on the world below.

Down there, far, far below, he could see them. Each and every last one, for his eyes pierced stone and earth, cloud and sky. His children, looking up into the sky with fear, sorrow, dread, such terrible emotions spread, painted, across their beautiful, bright faces. He wished that they never had to feel such things, especially not for him. He was supposed to be their protector, their friend. To see him in such a state, to see him dying, it was a pain he could not bare. From the Serpent's ancient, glowing eyes, came tears that sparkled like the stars. They riveted down his serpentine cheeks, falling to the world below, evaporating in its atmosphere.

Mood music

It was this farewell that was going to hurt him the most. The Serpent spoke now, in the minds of all of its creations. He knew they could see him, anguished, up there in the heavens. Perhaps, even the other Gods could hear him speak still. Yet, that did not matter. Not to him, not now.

"Farewell to you, my children. Remember all that I have taught you. And remember, every day, I am here still. I may not speak, I may not act, you may not be able to hear me say that I love you all, but I do. I always will. Now, and always."

Even Gods would cry, and the Serpent was agonized to leave them all behind. Without him, they would suffer, they would be lost. Other Gods may even victimize them, harm them, chase them and kill them. Yet, the only way to guarantee any safety for them, was for Vez'Arai to leave them behind. He had to, to restrain Chaos. Otherwise, not even he could protect them. He only hoped that the others would show mercy, even in time. The Vez'Sinai deserved no part in any of this, deserved not the suffering the Serpent knew would find them. He regretted his choice now, wondered now, as brilliant starlight wrapped itself about his body, if this was right. The starlight was soothing, it filled his wounds, cooled the pain that the flames of the Everspark had wrought upon him. The Serpent's long, coiled body stretched out, at ease. Even so wounded as he was, so loosely clinging to life now, he worried for the Vez'Sinai, doubted his choice. Even if staying there would doom them, he would at least be there for them, they wouldn't have to live their lives without him. The Serpent sighed, a final breath that rattled through his wounded, aching body. He was low on time, and could not distract himself with thoughts when there was yet more to say.

"Farewell, my beloved Children. You may not understand what I have done here today, or the things I have done for you. You may not ever understand. But this.... alas, it had to be done. This is the only way I know to create a lasting peace in Nraumm, for you. I begged of the other Gods, my brothers and sisters, to protect you, to shelter you. For you... my beautiful, lovely children," the Serpent stopped, a long, breathy sob choking its voice before it continued. "Are everything that matters to me. You are too good for this world, and I wish I had made you somewhere else, free of its chaos, its pain, it suffering. I'm here still, always. One day, I'll be back, and I shall take you all in my embrace, and never shall we part again. I shall take you away from here, to a place where the stars shine forever in twilight, and no one shall harm you again. Until then, my children... I love you."

Then closed the eyes of the Serpent, bright lights extinguishing. One final time.

-----------------------------------------------------

In the skies high above Nraumm, a new constellation finally took shape. It took shape too in stories and legends. To some, an angered destroyer, to others, a figure granting wishes, or knowledge or even creative muse. Yet, all stories agreed that the Serpent cried, and watched the world below. No one knew what the Serpent cried for, or who it watched up there from the heavens, save its children. They knew and remembered, and watched the stars every night, mourning. They knew why the Serpent cried, for they cried too.

 

[jmann]

Trynyrac listened to the serpent's words. Her tears boiled as they ebbed around her eyes. Khades needed to fix this. He had waged his war against the wrong god. This was no tyrant. He did not send his people on a conquest out of spite. SHe would build Khades a new body, and he would fix his mistake. He would bring back that damned snake and save the Vez'Sinai.
Years passed in Skû-pt, the seasons blended together, the sun seemed to pass trivially across the sky. The Ashborne could not survive here. Thirst had taken most of them, and the few dozen that remained scoured for days to bring back a hunt. The old beasts had mostly died off, whether hunted or left without a mate. Some humans had taken refuge in the crater, and although the Ashborne and the Humans did not share a language, they shared the language of battle. The arena became more recreational than political, attracting huge crowds at each event. The bigger population required more food, and victory feasts were not an uncommon occurrence, so a few great beasts wouldn't hurt to supply the settlement for a few months.
Then the scouts started coming back empty-handed. They had hunted mostly females, as they generally had more meat on them, and they realised their mistake too late. Once again they fell to infighting and chaos. The arenas weren't enough. Everyone felt they had been wronged and demanded retribution. In the chaos, Trynyrac left. The Ashborne could keep their battles and hunts. It was over for now. Trynyrac flew across the ocean, careful to ration her flight. If she failed here, it was likely she would never reach land.
It was the Shard she saw first. The Sanctum of Khades still stood malicious and proud as ever. The red crystal shard felt as though it was twisting something inside of her. It had been centuries since she was last in its gaze, was this normal? Trynyrac slowed and landed on the peak of the range that divided the ocean and the valley. The Ashborne were too small to see from this distance, but she could feel them. They were here, her people. Trynyrac couldn't stop her gaze from being drawn to the Shard again.
"I realise, now," Khades' voice came as a shockwave that buckled her knees and muddled the flames across her arms, "forcing chaos upon the Ashborne is still forcing my beliefs upon them. I cannot stand the sight of my failure. Topple it."
Trynyrac regained her posture and launched herself towards the tower. Her flames would not harm the Shard, and there was little chance she could even scratch the Sanctum. Trynyrac increased her speed exponentially towards the Shard. It was suspended by its own energy, so a sufficient force would knock the Shard from its pedestal. Her power flared as she got closer to the Shard, her speed increasing, the flames trailing behind her looked like that of a meteor soaring overhead. Trynyrac hit the shard with a loud thwong like she had just struck the world's largest gong. The Shard flew off towards the ground, Trynyrac tumbling down the side of the Sanctum nearby.
With that chore done, the Shard began to burrow through the ground. It would stop eventually, but its chaos would not leave this land. At least the people were safe.

Trynyrac gathered the Ashborne and once again led them from the Sundered Peaks. This time, she went further north than the Bursting Bog. North into a deep forest. Further north she travelled. Long ago one of the Clan's scouts had found a desert to the north. That would be their new home. The Sundered Peaks was no place to live. Living under the threat of death was good for the heart but if her time in Skû-pt told her anything, battle was not the only answer. Trynyrac led the Ashborne into the desert, where oases dotted the landscape. There was little to hunt out here, so Trynyrac taught them to eat the plants if no game was available. The banks of the oases were perfect to practice something Trynyrac saw in the Vez'Sinai lands. A farm. There they would build a new settlement. There was no law holding them back, only the binds of family and trust.

Trynyrac travelled to a distant oasis for her plan. With her, she took one of the oldest Ashborne still alive. At the bank, she submerged the Ashborne and slowly seeped her magic into the water. It began to swirl around and around, creating an empty point in the centre where the Ashborne lay. Trynyrac looked up to see a hideous figure on the other side. Some humanoid entity made of gnarled skin and fleshy wings kneeled with its mandibles wrapped around a musical instrument. The edge of the instrument dipped below the surface and played a soft melody. Trynyrac felt a strange connection to this thing, a beast of Khades design, perhaps? In the centre, the Ashborne began to grow as Trynyrac and the creature siphoned their own power into the vessel. The weight on Trynyrac's crown was ebbing away with each passing moment. As the Ashborne grew, their skin hardened into plate armour. The clouds were darkening. Khades was taking form. The clouds, too, were circling, a funnel slowly lowered down onto the oasis, whipping up water and sand into the fixed tornado. The colours changed, from yellow to red to orange to a blinding white. Then, in an instant. It disappeared and standing in the centre of the empty pond was a man. Red plate mail. A greatsword at his side. A long black beard. A crown of horns. A gaping wound in the chest, where a zealous red crystal once was. Khades. Behind him, that creature was nowhere to be seen.
"My thanks, Flame Matron," he faltered slightly, "and many thanks to you as well, Brother Etyphonium."

The feeling was like that of a warm embrace. The power he had longed for for years. All it took was Trynyrac's mind as a vessel to recuperate and some divine power. Tsuquena was once again a part of him, Natural Disasters were now his to control, Etyphonium had been released of his domains and Khades was the one to snatch some of that power before it returned to the universe. Etyphonium's ambition to create draconic bodies was his now. Dragons were his to conjure.
That Shard of the Everspark would not stop producing monsters of chaos and destruction, and though it no longer affected the willpower of his people, the monsters would never know freedom from chaos. Khades held his sword forward and from it spewed thousands of spirits that shot towards the Sundered Peaks. Some passed through fires and grew into giant red dragons with wings that blocked out the sun. Others passed through stone and became bounding grey dragons with scales as tough as iron. Others passed through water and became slithering blue serpents that disappeared beneath the depths. Others passed through trees and became bright green dragons with fluorescent wings. Many stopped in the woods separated the desert from the valley. These ones would prevent the chaos from leaking into the world by killing off anything monstrous that tried to escape the Sundered Peaks. Many of them travelled further across the continent and, still partially spectral, bound high across the ocean to the Eastern Continent and some even to Tyre. This, hopefully, would be his legacy. A protector. A father. A saviour. All things he took from the Serpent.
Trynyrac spoke, "You have returned! Wonderful!"
"Flame Matron, I need you to help these Ashborne, they are yet to learn our ways. We have forgone chaos. We will be free. It is as the Serpent would have wanted."
"That's it? What will you do?"
"Vez'Arai saved my life, and he paid the ultimate price. I need to find a way to bring him back."
"What? I carry you around in my head for years and all I get is a 'thanks' and you run off to who-knows-where?"
Khades approached her and raised his hand. Tentatively, he gave two soft pats on her head before walking off into the desert. Khades leapt into the air and willed his body to transform. Like second nature, it grew and stretched into the giant red dragon he was known for. He turned back and spoke, "I am more thankful than you can ever know, but blood has been spilled and blood will be repaid."
With that, Khades flew off into the sky, he stretched his wings and let out a mighty roar that shook the trees. If he was going to find the Everspark's weakness, hr would need a quiet place to think, and ever since the Library of Pandora held a different aura he knew he should not enter.
Khades needed to rescue the Serpent. He needed to find answers. He needed to prove that he was not just a Herald of Annihilation.

 

[Damafaud]

• Dyne
• Fras

• 
  The Lady and Her Change
  
  

  

  
  

  Dyne; Goddess of Drama and Civilisation
  Changes
  Interaction: -​
  Oh, how sad it was, the death of the serpent. Nevertheless, it did not spark Dyne's interest. She had long returned to her Secret Garden while the world was embroiled in a deistic war. This long-separated husband of hers was no more interesting to the Lady than his creations. So elegant. So perfect. So... dull. So boring. So fulfilled and peaceful she had no interest in them. Had it not be for her son, Fras, she wouldn't have bothered saving them.
  
  Weaves of tapestry knitted themselves at a corner of the garden's sky. Dyne crossed her legs as she read a piece of newspaper from the mortal world. Ever since she had pulled the embargo on humans, they had spread to every corner of the world, integrating themselves into many kingdom's societies. Some even created their own, with a small group being bold enough to create the World's Capital. Really, they never failed to impress her; the humans remained as full of potential and surprises as she had meant for them to be. She was really satisfied.
  
  "But they have grown too complacent, haven't they?" mused Dyne. Ever since she loosened her reins, the humans had become more and more varied. Some converted to other Gods without her knowing, some tried to look for ways to be Gods themselves, and some no longer believed in the Gods. My, aren't they so amusing to watch. The right edge of her lips curled up. It was time for one of her grand plan to be put into action.
  
  In a flash, the Lady was no longer in her Secret Garden. Instead, she stood above the Ancient Kingdoms. The kingdoms of humans originating from the first Human Empire. A bright white parasol appeared in her hands. She closed the parasol and threw it to the ground. It fell softly and without a noise. When it touched the earth, however, something unimaginable happened.
  
  All over the world, humans disappeared from where they were standing. Adults, elderly, children, women and men, no distinction were made. The only exception was those humans flying high above the Earth and sailing across the sea. They were the lucky few. Back in the Ancient Kingdoms, humans suddenly appeared everywhere. Above the city walls, inside rooms, on the street, in the thickness of the forest, creating a generally chaotic situation.
  
  Suddenly, a voice echoed to the ears of every human in the Ancient Kingdoms. A voice so angelic and unbearably feminine it could be mistaken for no mortals.
  
  "Attention, humans. My name is Dyne, the Lady, the Mother of Humans, and the Goddess of Civilization. You may be confused at the moment, but be assured. I mean you no harm. The war between divinities has intensified to an unimaginable point of intensity. I, myself, have been hurt. My divinity over Agriculture has been stolen. And the same God who did so, Teros, had turned his target toward humans to weaken me. With the last of my power, I have summoned every human I can into this land of mine to ward off the worst of his attack. But this barrier will not last long. His minions will soon breakthrough.
  
  "Survive, my humans. Thrive. Find my essence, and grow stronger."
  
  The message ended so, and the humans grew loud. They started exchanging news regarding the war between divinities. The more powerful people tried to go through the barrier only to find they were impenetrable and grotesque monsters lurking on the other side. Soon, groups started to form.
  
  Back in her Secret Garden, Dyne relaxed once again in her chair, reading a newspaper. Ah, what a wonderful thing it was. With the war going on, no one had the time to interrupt her and her plan with the mortals. After Shaldresyr's disappearance, she had been able to conjure up more monsters as she liked. She planned to send down weaklings. Oh, just your average magical beasts. Then when they grew complacent, she would send them a gigantic behemoth to wipe most of the population out...! To follow it after, she would spread a pathogen. Oh, nothing dangerous. Just a parasite that could control humans from their inside and wish for the extinction of all humans in the world!
  
  All of the suspicion and drama the parasite would cause... Dyne found herself shivering in excitement.
  
  "Oh, this is far more exciting than the war!" she exclaimed.
  
  And slowly, surely, she would take on the domain of Drama. She had discarded the domain of Agriculture long ago to prepare for this moment.
  
• 
  The Silent Protector
  
  

  

  
  

  Fras; Minor God of Commerce and Protection​
  "..."
  
  Fras let out a sigh when he noticed the humans trying to cross his barrier. With a wave of his staff, he created the illusion of a strong monster trying to break in. The mere shriek of the monster was enough to drive the humans away. He was responsible for creating the barrier around the Human Kingdom. As long as his mother wished it, no beings could enter or exit the Kingdom... not even immortals.
  
  This play of Dyne would result in the death of many. A massacre was guaranteed. However, Fras could do nothing about it. His mother was powerful. Despite not used to fighting, she was still one of the oldest God of Nraumm. What she wanted, she would get. It was good she was only interested in humans. If she was to target the whole mortal races... Fras shuddered just from thinking about it. Anyway, he was quite satisfied with his current post. In exchange for upholding the barrier, Dyne lent him her name to protect the Vez'Sinai. None of the major gods was willing to offend her to kill a bunch of mortals. As for the mortals and demigods type of trouble... he alone was enough to deal with them.
  

Mention: SirDerpingtonIV Solirus Juju MorgathosTheRussian seasonedcat

 

[Snackofthefuture]

Kiru Rapture​

Kiru finished typing up the last of his annual death report. It had been a long and grievous process, typing the paper. But now, he was finished. He was sure there were parts of it that still needed editing but Kiru had finished it for the most part. He stood up from his desk and yawned behind his mask. The desk stood at the end of a hallway that when viewed from Kiru’s workspace, appeared to be quite honestly endless. The ceiling no less rose to infinite heights. This was where the most important aspects of the universal death reading were conducted.

This was the office of Death himself. He worked here when he truly needed to focus, conducting research and analyzing files. Doing office work type things all day long. It was like an episode of the office except it took place in the void. Kiru was honestly not a huge fan of this aspect of his reality. But his workers had wanted to experience the reality of living in an office sitcom so he’d given them the opportunity to enjoy it.

The hallway behind and in front of Kiru went on for miles and miles, until one could not see the end, the ceilings disappeared in an unfathomably tall abyss of overhead darkness. Kiru enjoyed his workplace, but knew it was time for him to leave, to see what his fellow brothers and sisters of the pantheon had been up to in the past years.

Turned out they'd all gone crazy, starting a war against each other, meddling in each other's domains, Fighting and killing each other in celestial bloodbaths and wars the length of realities. Entire universes blinked out of existence or ruined beyond all measure of repair. Kiru was not disappointed, it explained why thered been so much paperwork for so long. But now he was on break and hed spend a couple of millenia letting others do his work.

The cycle of purgatory and reincarnation was the reality for the death Kiru dealt in. He did not believe in eternal punishment or unnecesary torture. His work was teaching lessons, allowing mortals to see the error of their ways and heal from the tragedies of life.

He needed to see what all of his fellow gods were up to.
He wanted to know what had truly happened in the years he’d been gone dealing with the ever present danger of undeath and mismanaged office materials.

His people, the Maduin had fared well enough during this war of the cosmos and being on the edge of the world and living in a near inhospitable habitat had found themselves only slightly touched by the battles. Many great leaders and scientists had found themselves a home in Arragreya and the Maduin prided themselves on their cultural achievements. It was a place of democracy and strength, but also of greed and capitalism. ]

Kiru didn't want to interfere with his people too much so even though there were alternatives he might have preferred, the system persisted. Kiru considered himself the proud God of a race of noir detective movie esque bone people.

Kiru took the door to his left and began walking down an endless staircase, weaving around and around downward unto eternity. Then after three flights, he took a door on the left. Then he was standing in an open area, an open white field to be exact with many hundreds of doors standing before him. Each lead to a different divinity. Kiru had much desire to see them.

Anyone

 

[seasonedcat]

~Xue~​

Should it even be possible for gods to feel tired? Immortal beings that created everything. An existence created from nothing to make something. It seems like they should never grow tired like they never grow old. Despite this, somehow Xue still managed to be utterly exhausted. Her closest children, the ones some call 'minor gods' were the only ones who had seen her in many years. Many years for mortals, not gods. For a thousand years goes by like a day to those who can not die. They were the ones who pointed out her tired appearance, even going as far as to say she developed eye bags simular to that of the mortal race.

They visit often but Xue hardly speaks. She is far to busy and can not spare a second on the luxuries of talking. She responds in curt answers or hums in reply. She had not a moment to waste these days. Protecting her oceans were her primary goal at the moment, she couldn't let it fall into the hands of others. Her oceans were large and hard to manage, so she sent her children to look after land water whenever they could. Though she knew they tried, their protection was mediocre to hers.

Running her hand through her, now much shorter, hair she let out a tired sigh. Harsh waters ravaged boats and storms plagued the sea. Those who dared tried to cross the waters were left dead if one of her children got to them, or mildly injured and back onshore. Most fear the ocean now, and those mortals who take her wrath lightly often are the first dead. Xue has to protect her ocean, there isn't time to waste.
--------

~Agape~​

Agape hummed a light tune to themself. Their arms doubled, working swiftly with strings, many on each finger. Their bottom half worked just as easily, their toes controlling the delicate strings with the same skill as their fingers. The strings were red as the crimson liquid that tend to fill mortals. They looked flimsy and thin, easy to cut or tear with the smallest gust of wind. However, Agape knew this wasn't quite the case. The only thing that could cut strings that had attached people was their own hands. A simple gesture of a cutting motion with their finger split the string in half with ease.

They continued to hum an unfamiliar tune. One that a particularly troublesome client had gotten stuck in their head when they had to spend a longer period of time working with them. The tune was a simple annoyance at this point, but the god couldn't get it out of their head. Detaching their arms and legs they floated their half together, sprouting the missing limbs again and leaving behind the others to work.

Socializing with other gods is something that they should probably take part in if they were correct. Forming bonds and relationships would be normal and encouraged. This would also create allies if another war happened or simply a 'friend'. A platonic relationship that was sprouted in love that could develop in many ways and forms. One of the most vital aspects to mortals as not all feel romantic or sexual desires.

But where to find them? They had hardly ever interacted with others up to this point unless they came across them. Fate is an important task though their arms seemed to handle it fine without their head. Their void eyes glanced around the mortal realm as they took in the surrounding. Most likely would this be described as 'beauty' but they didn't spare it a second glance as they began to gently float around, trying to find another to interact with. At worst maybe making 'friends' with some mortals would be another good thing.