---

The Eight-Armed God took their most calm and serene time travelling. With no mount or vehicle to speak of, they took in the surroundings of the wastes and learned to see the details in the ash. On a few occasions, they had been approached by vagabond survivors desperately seeking aid or foolishly attempting to rob them: Chakravarti had dealt with them as they deserved, and there laid both full-bellied vagrants and beaten corpses in the god’s flowery wake. Indeed, a road of flowers as broad and as long as a country had followed the giddy god from the Tomb of the First Dynasty, and in it, small, stalwart insects and pollinators did their best to exploit this nonsensical idyll before the End Times could consume it once more. The god had along the way spawned both birds and beasts for the entertainment of the little boy in their arms, fluffy ruminants to graze the flower fields and fliers to pick at the parasites in their fur. Ossurman had loved every single one of them, and a confidence grew in Chakravarti’s heart that the little boy would grow into a wise and loving patriarch some day.

The party of two topped a small hill and arrived upon a natural fjord in the landscape, looking out across the black, endless aether. The family god stopped and gave Ossurman a gentle shake to wake him up from his nap. ”Look, Ossy…” The god squatted down just by the edge, golden eyes following the thunder of magical energy in the distant abyss, intermittently overshadowed by the silhouettes of flying demons fleeing the underbelly of the World Shard. ”... Isn’t it fascinating? Perversely so?”

The baby looked into the abyss as well and started to sob. Chakravarti released a small chuckle and held the little boy closer. ”Oh, sweety, don’t cry. Mommy is here; daddy is here. I’ll keep you safe, don’t worry…”

Over the next hill, just a few stone throws away, a crimson glow approached. The first physical emblem of the apparent radiation was a shock of salt-and-peppered orange hair, followed by the rest of a man. The glow stretched out from the transient figure by about two or three spans of a man but slowly seemed to sink back into itself as he closed the distance. Dirty frock coat and bare feet made for an interesting collection of clothing, but beyond that there were very few features of note. At the closest hillock to Chakravarti the figure stopped, cocking his head to the side and scratching at the finger length, fiery orange beard that sprouted along his chin. With a simple motion he lifted a pair of carved ivory spectacles from his eyes, revealing a flash of electric red before dying down back to their normal golden-brass.

”Hey there,” called out the transient man, making sure to announce himself quickly to the unquestioningly powerful looking deity, ”Quite a sight, eh?! Pretty!”

Chakravarti immediately rocketed to their feet and produced six cutlasses, held ready in their six available arms while the remaining two clutched Ossurman tightly to their chest. A storm of steel raging around the god, they said, ”Who are you?! Are you after my baby boy?!”

Lonn’s eyes went wide at the lightning fast reflexes of the six-armed god but he did a magnificent job hiding his immediate awareness of the danger he had evidently put himself in. Despite part of himself thinking it wise to take what victories he had received as of late and dip on this one his ever devious mind could see opportunity held aloft on a silver platter. Both hands went up, revealing his overtly peaceful intentions. His eyes locked on that of Chakravarti and, in one sly parting of his visage, his perfect, ivory smile beamed.

”Don’t fret, proud parent,” Lonn said, keeping an honest look about his face while refusing to break respectful eye contact, ”I’m nothing to be feared. I am a friend of man, children included.”

The opposing god circled in a quarter circle while talking in the sight of the other. Then, as quickly as they had appeared, the weapons turned to smoke and Chakravarti assumed a calmer stance. ”A friend of man, you say?” They looked him up and down again and flexed an impressed brow. ”Your demeanour speaks of your peaceful intentions. I pray you may forgive my sudden outburst.” They bowed curtly. ”The roads are few and crawling with evil these days. If I may ask, to whom to I have the pleasure of speaking? Your most fragrant smell tells me that you, my lord, are like me, and it is not every day that I meet one like me.”

”There is nothing to forgive, friend; it is righteous to defend yourself and your own, aint it?”

Lonn let down his hands as his eyes devoured Chakravarti’s form for clues to their character. It was quickly discovered by the man-god that his peer was more than met the eye, perhaps literally. Despite his own divine sight he could not see past the rotating identity of Chakravarti, occupying space as both genders and more of the human race. It was an odd experience for someone so confident with mortal identities and so far the other deities he’d found had matched mankind fairly well. The slightest quiver of Lonn’s smile, though, revealed his momentary flash of epiphany. They were a God of

”Ah, you have a nose for it then,” purred the transient deity, eyes flowing from dull gold to his glowing red while once more the aura of crimson began to emanate from him like a corona. He offered a low and flowery bow, arms outspread and wide, to return Chakravarti’s own, ”Lonn, at your service, good mother. And might I say, what a beautiful and clever child you bare. Yours, I trust? Couldn’t think of a better progenitor.”

The family god blushed with a giggle. ”Oh-ho-ho, you tease.” The shield of arms uncoiled themselves from around the baby to give Lonn a better look. ”Indeed, he is mine - born into the clan of clans, if I may permit myself a moment of boasting. Yes, dare I say, he is the king-to-be! Emperor-to-be! With my blood, I would expect no less.” Their proud demeanour then deflated politely and they spoke, ”But enough about me - great lord Lonn… Is it just Lonn, by the way? Have you a belonging to a clan or house?”

Lonn, for the first time in anyone’s life knowing him, frowned. It was a deep one too, that practically dripped with melancholy. The frown flipped partially into a true if mirthless smile, eyes looking to Chakravarti with a noticeable measure of sadness. Despite this he “forced” himself back into a full smile. With one errant wave of a hand he shook off the malaise of his thoughts, giving a sidelong glance at the other god.

”Alas, I came unto this world disappointingly alone. I have found friends, sure, but family? So far, zilch. I have aided the mortals in their struggles where I can, but even then it is a far cry from true belonging.” Lonn’s gaze drifted for a moment before sharply jumping back to meet Chakravarti’s vision with lightning flashing in his eyes, ”But, that doesn’t mean for a second that I don’t have ambitions otherwise, believe you me. Families can be made, as I am sure you well know.”

”The world is what we make of it, after all.”

”Oh, that’s too bad, my lord,” responded the family god and positioned the little baby into a better grip. Their eyes once again scanned over the god of man and one finger caressed their cheek thoughtfully. A witty smile spread across their lips and they said, ”Well, what if I told you you did not have to -make- a family, but could join one?”

Though the grin he bore was in no way revealing of his true intentions and in all respects produced a genuine, benevolent gleam, inside Lonn’s labyrinthine mind he was soaring. What luck! In what amounted to functionally a handful of days Lonn had met a number of deities and so far had been fond of nearly every single one. Moreover, there was a clear pattern of friendship which would prove incredibly helpful in future days not yet arrived. Returning from the lightning dance of his thoughts, Lonn flashed a slightly quizzical raise of his eyebrow. He let some cunning show through, as if playing coy, then let his eyes wander up and down the God/dess very noticeably.

”Join one, eh?” Lonn mused before locking his gaze with once more with Chakravarti’s divine gaze, ”And what could a man such as I do to gain such a blessing?”

Chakravarti’s smile broadened. ”Oh, it is quite simple, really.” With that they descended onto one knee and spoke, ”My lord Lonn, first of your name - would you do me, Chakravarti, the honour of joining my house as my husband?” A crest of light seemed to encircle their form, with dancing lotus flowers forming a radiant halo over their head in the fresh sunlight.

”Today hasn’t ceased to amaze…” muttered Lonn, halfway actually surprised. He had to admit, he wasn’t expecting it to move so quickly. His gaze danced briefly across the crest of light emanating Chakravarti before returning to her. Moments later and his perfect smile returned in all its pearlescent brightness.

”You humble me, Mother of Kings; what you offer is beyond compare.” Lonn looked down into Chakravarti’s eyes with a glowing red gaze. By now the corona of red that radiated from his feet had grown to encompass much of the area, only dying before Chakravarti’s own light, ”And I will accept, with one request; I should like to be your First Husband, as you will be my First Wife. I can tell with but a glance your family will be great and numerous, and I can tell one husband would only weaken our dynasty. But I would ask you to allow me the honor to sit at your side first, before any others. Will you accept my request, Great Mother? All you need do is take my hand.” Lonn’s hand outstretched, fingers curled just so to call Chakravarti closer. All the while his smile flashed, almost uncomfortably perfect in its symmetry.

Chakravarti blinked and then slowly rose up, their face curling into a slightly defensive frown. Quickly, then, a sly smirk followed, and the four of the gods hands busied themselves with cradling their face from various angles. ”My, my, as should be expected for one with a smile like yours. Truly, none with such perfect teeth could see themselves as anything less than number one.” A slightly more reserved pose overtook the god as several hands crossed themselves over their breast, the arms carrying Ossurman moving out of the way. ”Will you not tell me a little more about yourself, Lord Lonn? A husband can be a stranger to me so long as I may carry his offspring, but my First Consort is no mere title. You would effectively be robbing me of quite an important choice later on. My interest in you was sparked the moment I saw you, certainly, but you must sate my curiosity before we can move further.” Out of the ashes, a small stool of stone materialised for them to sit on; another appeared behind Lonn. Between them, a table stacked tall with alien fruits and appetisers appeared, alongside gold and silver cups of wine. ”Do not hesitate to drink as much as you would like,” they added, ”it is non-alcoholic. I am still breastfeeding, after all.”

In one of only true and unmediated outbursts, Lonn laughed. Despite all the walls he presented, all the half-truths he told, he couldn’t help but truly admire Chakravarti’s statement. By all rights, they were completely and utterly correct. In an instant, Chakravarti had actually managed to win a bit of Lonn over. With his teeth parted just enough to echo his legitimate enjoyment of the experience, Lonn sat without a single word. He had listened, fully and intently, and had no intention of keeping this apparent equal waiting.

”A fair request,” pronounced Lonn as he sat down across from the Family-God, looking at them in an entirely new light, ”And one I am happy to oblige. All cards on the table, Mother-of-Kings, for you deserve nothing less; I am a man who wears a billion faces, and even this one now isn’t really mine. I am a lover of mankind, despite their flaws, and so I choose to walk among them as they are. That way, my kindness to them is their kindness. Let a friendly face nowadays be one of their own, I say. So far I have met four others of our kind and most of them seem to see it the same. Presuming they chose their shape, that is. Beyond that, there is only so much for me to tell; I’m a young god, just making my way in the universe. Perhaps you have specific questions for me?”

”Mhm, very good, very good.” It almost looked at Chakravarti was doodling notes on one of their palms using a very sharp fingernail. ”You have already mentioned that you have no house of your own, and I pray you will understand that if the Prime Consort of Chakravarti is to be, forgive the term, lowborn, then I must measure your contribution to the house in terms of your financial and political capabilities. Now, if I understand you correctly, you have connections, yes? You have a network of sorts with at least four other entities like us? How well do you know them? Have you any bond with them beyond the spoken?” At her breast, Ossurman cooed in a small voice.

Lonn flashed a cunning glance at Chakravarti, enjoying the moment immensely. Chakravarti, although he’d likely never tell them, practically radiated mortal personality. It was a good quality, frankly, but he imagined most gods would balk at such claims. As they rattled off the list of qualities necessary the gears of his mind bit into themselves in consideration, weighing his options well.

”Of course; I have been considering the very same of your house,” Lonn said with a smile, leaning in across the table partially to emphasize his interest, ”The land to my back is mine. The men who live there owe their hearts to me. And oh, let me assure you, I have plans for that land, well and truly. I am bound to three of those gods by deed as well as words, for we together released the waters that now rejuvenate the world. One of them is my trusted companion, and as a pair we brought life back about on the northern slopes of the mountains. Him I know quite well. And whatsmore, I intend to find more of our kind, that much I swear, and I will bind myself to many more if I find they’re worth the effort. What of your lands? Or your connections? A mighty deity such as yourself has not been idle, the field behind you assures me of that.”

”So it was you who brought the water?” A small smile returned to their lips and a flick of the writing hand indicated a checkmark of sorts. They loosened their stance a little more to appear more welcoming, arms unfolding from their chest and leaning comfortably on the table. ”A most noble and heroic deed, I agree, and while not as strong as flesh, a favour’s bond is stronger than the word.” The finger continued down the wrist of the hand canvas. ”As for the lands and estates of House vur Chakravarti, my lord, we possess a most prosperous and comfortable valley in the south under the governance of my daughter Arira.” Another hand appeared and golden text flashed across its wrist with numbers and statistics. ”Many thousand miles to our east, my concubine, Celvanya vur Chakravarti is on her way to claim more land for our dynasty; and lastly, I am heading north-northwest to lay the foundations for my son’s great empire.” The text disappeared again and the family god gave Lonn an expectant look. ”Is my lord satisfied with my answer?”

”I should say so,” replied Lonn matter of factly, having been holding a glass if only for the sake of looking appreciative of the offers, ”and it seems I was right; you have been quite busy. A rolling stone gathers no cordgrass, as it were. Hah. Yes, I should say what you have to offer makes you worthy of being my Wife, without a doubt. I can only imagine what a lineage we will make together; one that spans the world and sits on a throne of our making, I imagine. I can think of no other answers that could have satisfied curiosity more. But the real question is, have mine?”

”Largely. I suppose I have one more, though,” said Chakravarti, playing passive. They studied two sets of fingernails with pursed lips for a quiet moment before their golden eyes fixed onto Lonn’s once again. ”Are you a family man, Lonn?”

Lonn locked his gaze with Chakravarti and spoke across the table with sly assertiveness. ”I will be.”

With a gentle bite of their lip, the family god nodded. ”Then so be it, Lord Lonn vur Chakravarti, First Consort of mine. Aid me in furthering our dynasty, and I will be yours for eternity.” They reached out their hand in a gentle cup.

Without a single moment of hesitation Lonn reached for Chakravarti’s hand and drew it to his lips, pressing them close. His eyes remained locked with theirs as he pulled away only enough to whisper.

”And I, yours.”

---

A great deal of time had passed since that day, and Chakravarti had reached their destination. Along the way, their belly had swollen ever so slightly, and the family god found themselves a hill to rest on. As they leaned forward to survey the dead land, illuminated uncomfortably well in the light of the sun. Crags that crumbled into the abyss; valleys of dried up lakes; lifeless ashes as far as the eye could see. The family god gazed across the endless wastes with scowling disapproval, Ossurman on their lap playing with one of their fingers. ”Look at it, son… Like a graveyard, robbed even of its bones. This is no place for a future king…” They then conjured forth a small round palanquin of, like usual, gold and silver and gently put the baby inside it. ”Okay, just lie down there, sweety, and mommy will make you the perfect home to rule!”

And so, the god got to work: They danced down the hillside, their steps leaving patches of yellowish green that extended rapidly outwards into great fields of grass, flowers and shrubberies. Four hands pointed to the south, and the south sucked in the rain of a bypassing storm and grew green rich with broad-leaved trees that seemed to ooze humidity; four hands pointed north, and the grass and shrubberies extended outwards, swallowing the dead ashes as far as the eyes could see.

The south grew thick and bushy far beyond what Chakravarti could observe; it absorbed so much moisture from the storm that great lakes blossomed within the forests, fed by rivers from the Wellspring - something Chakravarti couldn’t see.



The north had no such moisture to feed off of, however, and before long, the trees could no longer maintain their growth in the dry soil and faded; even further north, the bushes faded, too; and lastly, the grass gave way to sand a few miles from the shore, unable to go on without quenching its thirst.



The god was just about to conjure forth animate life as well, when there came a terrible quake. The god managed to maintain their footing where the newly sown crust itself threatened to crack, but then a scream alerted the family god. ”OSSY!” they shouted and sped over to the palanquin like a bolt of lightning, protecting the baby in all their eight arms. The boy squealed his lungs out, the oppressive quake of the world threatening the developing eardrums of the child. ”It’s okay, it’s okay, mommy’s here; daddy’s here,” Chakravarti whispered to him sweetly. Eventually, the quakes began to subside, and Chakravarti stood up to survey the land once again: It had ruptured, much of their work, particularly trees, laying in shambles and being covered with the dust of yet another ash storm. The family god looked about ready to explode with rage, but instead quelled it and looked down at Ossurman in their arms.

”I’m sorry, my boy… It looks like your kingdom will have to wait for a while longer…” They needed to somehow fix the tremors.

But who could help them with that?

His name was Qurkantha and he ruled this ashen paradise. Some would’ve called him a beast only because he looked like it. Because he walked on four legs. True, he did not wield weapons like others. He did not walk upright to spot dangers from a distance. He didn’t need to. His scales protected him. His slit eyes looked further than any of the bald monkeys ever could. Just like them, he could mold the air he exhaled. They called it ‘talking’. Just like them, he could question his own state. He made decisions not out of instinct. Now, laying on the hot black rock overlooking his land he had made the decision to rest. Whatever happened, his less aged companions would be able to handle it. These days nothing came at them that didn’t die within a few minutes.

That changed when he woke up to a rumble. In the distance, he saw it coming. A billowing wave of ash raced over the ground in the distance. It confused him. There hadn’t been storms for a long time. A creature that looked like him but smaller came howling at him. Qurkantha understood the howls very well. Something was coming. With a bark, a snarl, and a howl – things the bald monkeys would see as only that – he dismissed the packmate and ordered him to gather the others. A force was approaching. Perhaps something that had come through the rifts somewhere else. Like Qurkantha had. Such was the nature of all living things. To claim and hold and live off. But the red-scaled creature would not give up his prized possession so easily.

Sometime later another dust storm was raging towards the first one. Led by a growling and snarling Qurkuntha. Once again he would prove his ferociousness! His eyes tried to look into the roiling wave of dust ahead of him. Trying to discern what was coming. He could see now, but only barely. He saw shades and shadows. Small ones. Too small to have caused the roiling wave to trail them.

He relayed the information to everyone around him. Whatever attacked would die easily though. The two roiling ashen waves clashed with each other creating pure chaos. Qurkantha couldn’t see what he was attacking. He just saw the dark shapes and swiped with his arm. Catching one. Then he swiped with his tail, catching another one. Both were send flying. Something hit him. it didn’t bounce like it used to. He slammed away the attacker, though missed, and then grabbed whatever managed to slip between his scales. It was a tool, a spear. But not made of bone or blackened wood like usually. It was made of some dull grey metal. Then he felt himself get pierced again. More came. Shade became clearer to see. They looked like they wore the same dull grey metal on their bodies. Qurkantha roared his battle cry. It was answered by his pack.

He swiped and slashed and smashed. One shade broke underneath his arm and he lifted it up. It just looked like crumbled grey metal. Still, they kept coming. Swiping didn’t kill them instantly, though it should. In the chaos of the dust not much was seen. Qurkantha let out another bellowing cry. Fewer answered. The fighting continued. His claw rent through the grey-skins. Red liquid sprayed over his paw. They were the bald monkeys! Wearing a second, metal skin. Qurkantha laughed in his own way. He kept fighting. Then bellowed again. Even fewer of his pack answered. Things were turning sour. The monkeys didn’t stop coming.

The red-scaled, black-furred beast that was Qurkantha has let out a cry of retreat before he swiped one last time with his tail and turn back around to run out of the dust storm they were fighting in.

Once outside the thick ashen cloud that whirled on the ground, he looked back to wait for his pack. For a second none came. Then one ran out. Then another. And then one more came out limping and whining. Qurkantha took a step towards him but the first two stood in his way. Their growls were clear. They had to run. Things were bad. Qurkantha didn’t want to. He didn’t want to leave behind a packmate. The limper whined again. Then, from the dust and ash, he could hear it. Whistling. Three thin rods came flying through. Two of them drilled into the limper. He collapsed with one last whine.

Qurkantha was mad, but also realized he should fight here. He should be back at the nest. Gather the females and the cubs and find a new home. But as he looked back, something was wrong. Ash billowed up in the distance at the nest and thin flames erupted.

“Monster!” Qurkantha heard from the dust. One of the grey-skinned monkeys came marching out. Holding a long stick with a sharp blade at the end. “Your kin and kind are dead.” His words dripped with venom. Venom Qurkantha could understand even if he couldn’t understand the words. That didn’t mean he would die easy. He bore his sharp fangs. If in his heart he was making peace with it. He would die here and now. But he would take as many of the slayers with him. “Let’s finish this!” The monkey said, raising the spear at him.

Qurkantha instead opened his jaw. A torrent of fire exploded from his mouth. Engulfing the human who started screaming as the flames consumed him. More humans came rushing from the dust. As did more of the arrows that had killed the limper. Most bounced off of his old and hardened scales while he bit down upon another monkey. Severing her legs from her body. Another swipe and another crush. But more humans came. The mighty ruler of the Black Mountains was being cut a hundred times. His thin, violet blood came pouring out of his wounds.

Eventually, he collapsed. Exhausted by the blood loss and the fighting. His vision blurred. Alas, death was just another path. His kind held nothing against. They weren’t afraid of it. The only he regretted was that he couldn’t take more of the cruel, tiny things with him. One of the monkeys came closer. Qurkantha tried to open his jaw and breathe one last burst of flame. He couldn’t. All strength vanished. The monkey, the human, he spared no time. He raised his spear and plunged it down. Forcing Qurkantha’s soul into the vast dark sea.

Caine removed his helmet. His spear was still stuck in the giant lizard’s head. The right side of his face was bleeding a lot. The flesh around his eye was thick and swollen. But he had finished it. He had killed the Tyrant. His people were safe. No, safer. “How many dead, Kiera?” he asked the person stepping next to him.

Her armor was near identical to that of Caine, though it was perfect in size. Just like Cain’s armor perfectly fitted him. “All together?” She said, her voice betraying her far too young age. “Seventeen. Twenty-one wounded.” She looked down at the monster they had slain as a group while still holding her own spear. Its sides were filled with arrows, spears, and even the gaping wounds made by axes. The elder drake named Tyrant hadn’t fallen easy but he had fallen. Later on, they would feast.

As if the gods, all of them, blessed their fight something rose up through the sky. The people looked. Its light shone like the ancient tales about the sun. Even Uwné, as he stepped through the duststorm he had conjured, looked up at the golden disc and smiled. Others were truly restoring the world as well. He couldn’t wish for more. Behind him, blue lights appeared through the ash and dust wave. Golems moved slow and cumbersome.

The automatons gathered around the Tyrant and his kin. “Carry them back to the Anvil.” Uwné ordered. And almost all the Golems obeyed. Almost all, save one. That one followed Uwné while seemingly walking with a stick. Both of them headed for the mountain range. Where the other group of the warriors had killed the last of the drakes.

Though on his way Uwné realized he shouldn’t call them warriors. They weren’t. They were fathers, mothers, sons, and daughters that had picked up the weapons he offered. Dreadfully few of them could actually fight. The armor and weapons helped and it won them this battle, but many still died. They would need to train, but there was no time to train. They needed to get better but the monsters wouldn’t sit idly by to let that happen. It was a brain-wracking problem. One that consumed Uwné as he approached the nest.

It most than just a place where the drakes – now dead and strewn around – stayed and mated. In the center of the large cave, surrounded by human fighters it pulsed. A rift. A relatively small one. But still big enough to let monsters through. The Tyrant had been the first, but if the matter wasn’t handled he also wouldn’t be the last.

Uwné walked closer to the tear in reality. Beyond it, he could see fire and rivers of molten rock. It was a hellish plane. One worse than the Continent was right now. It was also the home of these monsters. Still, the god of crafting was curious. What materials could be found beyond this threshold? He extended his hand and carefully pushed it into the rift.

Suddenly his fingers felt empty. Drained of something vital. He felt weak. The heat was burning his hands. Afraid he pulled back his hand. The second it was back on the main plane of existence his hand looked as if nothing had happened to it. The rifts were dangerous. Perhaps more so than he first thought. With his other hand, he made a fist and the rift was closed instantly.

Light shone down on a grassy moor as a herd of goats voraciously mowed through it, little worn bells on strings around their necks chiming as they ate. The air was warm, the air clean, the land around them coated with life. In the distance a river could be heard running. There were humans here too. Some hacked at a nearby thicket with axes, felling the trees for firewood and tool making. A small troupe walked their way towards the sound of running water, hauling barrels. Others moved around the goats, hacking at the long untouched grass, using swords as scythes and tying bundles of the healthy plants together for transport. Scattered around them several more humans sat astride hulking horses which had feathered hooves, the manes of lions and great horns that would shame the noblest rhino. The riders had recurved composite bows held at the ready and their eyes were ever vigilant as they watched the idyllic landscape for anything that moved.



Above, dozens of spotlights shone down from an iron sky, illuminating the landscape and the great glowing portal that had let the humans and their animals in.

Not every portal was a monster box, ready to spew out horrors. Certainly a lot of them were, and those ones were a lot more obvious than the rest as they vomited their chaotic children into the world, but if you know what to look for there was opportunity to be found. Some lead to worlds that were simply strange and nonsensical. Lands of brass walls and clicking machines, endless hedge mazes, a palace where things fell up into the sky, tiny worlds made of a path that could be ridden around in a few minutes. Others, however, were sane. Normal. Useful.

Ish.

The nomads had learned quickly that nothing in these worlds could be trusted. But what other option was there? Their home was a barren wasteland slowly crumbling into nothing. The portals held the only usable land that could be found in the world, a bit temporarily.

So now, just as they had driven their herds from grassy plain to grassy plain when such things still survived, now they drove them from gateway to gateway. Those that had survived anyway. The goats' ability to eat almost anything had let them live where other beasts had slowly faded and to be slaughtered. Their otherworldly mounts had the same advantage, not only being able to consume practically anything seemingly they could feed off of magic itself, storing it inside rainbow hues half seen in the depths of their pale hair. They were suspiciously easy to tame too, if you were kind to them. But as the saying went, you don't look a gift horse in the mouth, especially when that horse felt like it could stare into your soul with its blind yet seeing eyes and you had to eat your old horse because it died of starvation.

The humans gathering the long grass and bundling it up were doing so so that it could be hauled back to the other side to feed their animals while they sought out the next gate. Those chopping up trees were doing so at a breakneck pace, hacking down only the best and easiest to haul wood so it could be taken home. The same went for the water bearers, filling their barrels and rolling them back to the gate quick as they could. Those were the safe jobs. Less safe was standing guard, done by the thin line of mounted archers, their eyes watching for anything that moved or seemed out of the ordinary, ready to stick an arrow into it if they could, or to warn the others and act as bait to transport to get the dismounted nomads back out of the gate.

Just because the moisteners hadn’t spewed out of the gate didn't mean there weren't any out there.

The most dangerous job, the one done only by foolish and daring volunteers, was going out there to find more valuable things beyond short reach of the gate. Water was key. Rivers were rarely close and needed to be found first and foremost, as they had done here. Raw metals or, rarely, strange artifacts were also highly prized, but ultimately non essential. Fruits, vegetables, game and other extra food that could be found was far more important.

Of course, in a strange and foreign world, who could tell what was and wasn't edible.

“Delicious fruit or deadly poison?” Vardan, an expert in these things as far as their tribe had experts in things everyone needs to know to avoid being turned into a fruit bat by the fruit they found, asked as he poked the bulbous spiny thing hanging from a tree with his profession’s now ubiquitous six foot long pole.

“It looks like a fruit to me” the youth, Jayce, who was accompanying him on one of these trips for the first time, commented. The pair were far out form the portal, the furthest anyone had gone, and they’d been out here alone for quite some time. So far everything had seemed safe, so the youth was growing a little impatient with their teacher’s supreme caution.

“You’d think that, but bright colors can either mean, ‘come eat me I’m tasty and have seeds in me’, or ‘don't eat I’ll kill you and I’m going to flaunt that fact by not bothering to hide’”

“How does poking it with the stick help find that out?” the youth asked

“Well it helps us find out if it explodes. Or rots things just by being nearby then. Or melts stuff that touches it. Or is aggressive” he explained, giving it another jab

“Aggressive?”

“Oh yes. Saw a fruit almost like this one a few layers back. Poked it with a stick and then it tried to eat the stick. Took a dozen arrows to take down that fruit and it nearly got Ardash in the process. Was pretty delicious though” with one final poke the man was satisfied. They’d already done the same with the tree and the ground around it, but even still he gave the grass a few more whacks with the stick as he carefully approached. You never could tell with these things, it could still be a trap.

Then, after giving the tree a few pokes too, he carefully climbed up and gave the fruit a sniff, then, carefully, touched the back of his and to it. After several more tests, including chucking one away from them in case they exploded or worse when agitated and then splitting one open to make sure the insides were not dangerous in other ways, he started cutting some down and dropping them for Jayce to collect.

“These smell delicious. They’re safe right?”

“We’ll need to test them further. Feed them to a beast last of all, before we eat them ourselves.”

The youth groaned

“this is how it is, Jayce. There was one tuber that passed all the tests and then the goat that ate it inside out remember?”

The youth looked sick at the memory and, conveniently, had their appetite ruined so they wouldn't be tempted by the fruit as they gathered it up in a sack. Once the last fruit fell and Vardan dropped down with it, quick as can be.

“You're doing good kid,” he said, clapping Jayce on the shoulder as they hefted the sack. “Now, lets have one last look around before heading back to test those. I’m thinking-” the man’s thoughtful scanning of the woods looking for a way to go was interrupted by a loud long sound. The sound of a horn.

“Shit” he cursed, before telling Jayce that “we move to move. Stat”

The youth did not need telling, or asking questions. The horn signals were drilled into everyone, the one that was sounding now most of all.

Together they hurried to where their mounts had been tied up, the pair of great equines had been grazing at the grass (the first thing they’d tested) but they too had learned that the sound of the horn meant it was time to move (they were too damn smart). With the ease of people who had been born in the saddle the pair mounted up and took off at speed and a short time later came bursting from the woods and into the plains separating them from the portal. A portal who’s edges were fraying and distorting.

It was about to collapse.

Ahead of them goats where benign quickly shooed through the portal as people dropped whatever they had collected. The nearby harvesters had already made it clear, or so it seemed and as they approached they could see the water bearers carrying either empty barrels or nothing as they too made it to the other side.

“Damn it. Why was it so late!” Vardan shouted angrily. There was hardly any time left, but there should also have been a fair warning that the gate was growing unstable that hadn't been given this time. “If we don’t get trapped here forever I am going to skin whoever was supposed to be watching the portal!”

Far ahead of them the last of the herd made it through. All except for two. Baying and bleating a bell-less buckling looked to have had its hoof trapped by something, and its mother was staying by its side, trying to uge it to pull it free to no avail. Without hesitation or thought, Jayce swung towards it

“Damn it kid no leave it!”

The youth slowed to grab the young goat by the horn, trying to haul it free. The beast flinched away but though their own might and the strength of their mount Jayce managed to pull it lose from the spot it was stuck at. Even then however it seemed to be unwilling to move, continuing to stay in place and bleat rather than run for the exit on its own or follow its mother there.

“Move you wretch!” Vardan demanded of the beast as he rode up and then smacked its rear with the end of his pole. The creature started forwards and, working together the youth and the man herded the goat towards the portal as its mother ran ahead.

The gateway rippled, light and magic sputtering off of its edges.

“Damn goat, we aren't going to make it!”

Then a blue glow wrapped itself around the edges of the gate, stabilizing it for a moment. It was all the time they needed as they ran through the gateway. Vardan sighed with relief and then prepared to yell out to the people he could see gathered at their camp, which was pitched a safe distance front he gateway, but his words died in his throat when his eyes took in the land he’d left behind only a few days ago to go explore the wilds of the Layer.

It was as if they’d rode back into an entirely different world. A light flashed across the sky, illuminating the world for the first time in an age. When it vanished a moment later behind a nearby mountain range dozens of smaller lights could be seen high up in a clearer sky and a great moon was setting, training a rainbow of colors in its wake. Storms arched across the land and rivers flowed from a mountain far away.

Oh also a mindbogglingly colossal eight sided shape coated in an ethereal glow was just sitting there in the air between them and their tribe's camp. Not only that it was looking down at the pair as they emerged from the gateway with a glowing unblinking eye. Verdan entirely understood why the horn had been late because who could remember their duties when faced with. Well. This.

”Hello there, you are Vardan and Jayce are you not?” the giant thing asked politely, somehow talking to them as if it was another person standing within casual conversing distance despite being both distant and titanic.

“I... Yes?” Verdan replied after a moment's hesitation. When a titan asked you a question you answered

”Good”

The blue light holding the portal’s increasingly angry edges vanished, and the gateway snapped shut behind them in a thunderclap, making both humans and the four animals who had been the last that needed to leave it startle away from the considerably more violent than usual death of the Layer. Whatever method the thing had used to keep it open, the layer had not been happy with it one bit.

”Interesting” the thing said as it observed this fact.

“Who. What are you?” Vardan asked, still dumbfounded as to what was happening

“Did you just save us?” Jayce asked as well, the youth somehow handling this a lot better than the man.

”Hmm. Oh, yes, I suppose I did, but your own system of getting everyone out on time was disrupted by my arrival, so you do not owe me for this. Turns out I am rather distracting even when i am simply attempting to observe people and tell them to ignore me. As for what I am, I’m just an explorer who’s interested in learning about everything that exists in this world. Like that beast you have there. What's that?”

The machine shone a spotlight within its spotlight upon the young goat they’d rescued. Vardan explained as much in a confused tone “It’s.. It's just a goat?”

”It is? But it’s so much more dense than the others. How odd” the thing said as it continued to examine the buckling

The pair looked at the creature with confusion, which seemed to be getting very agitated from all the attention, before Jayce slowly pointed out that “Vardan… why doesn't have a bell?”

Vardan flinched away and the instant he did, the goat erupted into a mass of flesh and hooks and tendrils all lashing out at everything around it. The man’s response got his mount to move just in time to get away, so the thing that had been pretending to be a goat went for Jace instead, only to receive a blow from Vardan’s six foot long pole for the second time, giving Jace the seconds they needed to escape. Both humans were carried away by their mounts, who knew a bad time when they saw one and needed no prompting, so the beast turned on its confused “mother”, wrapping her in meat and devouring the goat in an instant, making the beast’s flesh its own. Then it extruded half a dozen spidery limbs from its disgusting mass and started to chase after them.

Arrows sprouted in’s form as both humans drew their bows and fired from atop their steeds. Yet still it came on. Then half a dozen more arrows struck it, as riders front he camp raced forwards to aid their kin. They reached Vardan and Jayce and then about turned, all of them riding backwards while peppering the abomination with arrow fire Volley after volley fell upon the monster until it collapsed.

The other rider’s cheered while the two explorers caught their breath after their near death experience.

“Close one there Vardan” one of the riders said, slapping him on the shoulder “guess even you aren't cautious enough sometimes”

“We need to make sure it's dead,” he replied. Though it had been a close call this at least made sense where the benign titan in the sky did not.

”It isn’t” the floating thing that had done nothing, told him.

“Fuck. ok. Get some firewood and-” Vardan began to instruct the others, but was interrupted by Jayce yelling “Why didn't you help!” up at their observer.

”I was not asked too.” it replied simply, as if that was obvious

“It was trying to kill us!” the youth pointed out

”and now you will kill it. You shouldn't though... It’s the only of its kind in this realm now. It would be a shame to destroy something so unique,” it suggested

“What. No! It eats people!”

”Well I assume it needs to do so to live, just as you kill these ‘goats' and eat them to live, apparently. What makes your killing for sustenance right right and it's wrong? Why does your life have more value than its?” it replied, not sounding particularity invested in the argument but making it none the less

Despite the thing's nonchalant tone it was a terrifying question coming from the titan. Wracked by dread, Verdan and the other riders found they could not answer. For young Jayce however, it was a simple on.

“Because we’re people!”

There was a long and dreadful silence, and then the titanic floating shame said simply ”fair enough” and in an instant the monster, along with several meters of ground surrounding it, was ripped to shreds by an invisible force and the raw materials drawn up in a spiral towards the machine.

First holding open the portal, then seeing a hidden danger effortlessly and now the ability to simply undo parts of the world in the blink of an eye. It was all too much for the Vardan.

“What are you! What do you want!” he demanded

”As I said. I am an explorer. The Explorer. I seek to find, study and catalog all that there is. You, or rather this tribe, are very interesting so far, so I think I shall observe you further“

And what a terrible thing that was.

A while later Tonta stopped screaming (if one listened closely they would have been able to make it out for a rage-infused "woooooooooooooooooooooooooow!"). The drakhorey had broken free and now soared in every direction to tear the risen underworlders limb from limb and to rain fiery death on human and monster alike.

They were fair like that.

There were exactly a thousand of them at that moment, but it would not be long before their number started to shrink. With each one Tonta devoured a great serpentine limb would grow from under the wraithlike yellow cloak that completely covered her nubile form. But at that very moment the whimsical quest to eat them all had not quite manifested to her - she was Drakhorey Mother, not yet Drakhorey Devourer - and she instead hung silently in the dying heavens. Or at least, she was silent. Everything else was fucking loud.

The source of the cacophony was not singular, but it was rather everywhere. The air was screeching, the smoke was bellowing, the earth was wailing ceaselessly as bits of it broke everywhere. The creatures too - monsters and animals and people alike, screaming ceaselessly and relentlessly and with impossible loudness. Some were horror-filled, others agonised, some were trying to draw her attention to one fact or another, others whispered in tempting tones of secrets hidden and waiting to reveal themselves if she only leant her ear. Tonta didn't give a flying peacock's left toe though - "would you all just shut


up!?"

It was very quiet after that. In fact, from that very moment and into perpetuity souls and all spiritual life-forms would only ever speak in hushed whispers. Tonta was surprised. And satisfied.

A spell seemed to break then and she was no longer frozen in the skies of her inception, but falling. Her collision with the earth was cushioned by the first drakhorey she would ever kill - a truly monstrous great pale thing. The collision left his upper half here and his lower body there and burning blood more or less everywhere. Feeling quite contrite about all the mess, and feeling that her first kill should in some way be memorialised, she heaved the great torso (it made little physical sense, like an ant throwing a lizard about) and skewered it on a stone pillar that erupted from the earth as if by its own will. Then the goddess stood back and beheld the gory sight. The drakhorey's soul stood by her and looked too. "But why?" He whispered, deeply flummoxed. She could tell because he was giving her one of those wtf faces.

"Oh! You're here!" She caught the drakhorey's soul and forcefully pushed it back into the abused and bisected form. Its hushed screams were almost comical. "Oh stop being dramatic Baknul Adech. It wouldn't be a cool monument if it didn't have your actual soul in it. Now," she gave the ensouled corpse a puppy-eyed look, "would you please turn to stone for me?"

He did.



Just for your knowledge: it was at that moment that Tonta thought it would be quite fun to hunt down the rest of her accidental children. She had not yet quite gained a reputation for devouring them, though in all truth she would not gain such a reputation until many decades stood between her and the first such devouring. As she walked by the bloody mess Baknul had thoughtlessly made while dying, the droplets drifted upward and congealed into two great fiery birds - a huge male who looked more like a flying firestorm than a bird and a considerably smaller and more sensibly birdlike female. They gave off a distinctively sonorous song that seemed to echo and ripple in all directions before beating their burning wings and lifting off into the sky. As Tonta continued to walk more of Baknul's blood rose up and congealed into those burning phoenixine forms and went singing in all directions.

She left the lower half of Baknul's bifurcated corpse behind her and when the goddess was gone from view the critters of the underworld crept out and approached to feast on the remains of one who had not so long ago feasted on them. Hear me now: well should this lesson be heeded! - (though it would be many years before Tonta would even think to consider such things) - that above every great and powerful being is one more powerful yet.

• Summary [+]

  Following straight on from the Myth from the CS, Tonta is in the sky and the dragons she made are flying everywhere killing people and underworld monsters alike. The world's souls are being very loud so she shuts them up, and now they only talk in hushed whispers. That's how you get some fucking peace and quiet.
  Then she elbow drops a drakhorey called Baknul Adech from 5,000 miles or something. He explodes and she makes a cool stone pillar/monument thing out of his upper body and shoves his soul in there for good measure. It's a pretty big monument, say as tall as the Eiffel Tower. After that she cleans up his blood and makes cool phoenixes out of them - the males look like flying firestorms while the females are far more birdlike in appearance. We end on a moral because this is a moral tale with many lofty ideals and principles strewn throughout for future scholars and philosophers to analyse.
• 3 MA Spent [+]

  Just a cool looking pillar, nothing fancy about it. No MA there.
  Creating drakhorey. This is a TEMPORARY species that will not exist post-timeskip, but as they will be destroyed over the course of the timeskip and so will likely have an impact on world history I guess they cost 1 MA.
  A cool special bird species with special powers that I'll probably think up later. They should reasonably come to inhabit (in small numbers) forest and mountain biomes. 1 MA.
  Making all souls and spiritual life-forms speak in whispers/hushed voices. I guess this affects everyone so 1 MA.

The precious gems and metals of the earth made their way through the ground, slowly oozing out onto the surface of the earth, where they proceeded to converge and mold themselves into the shape of a person. From the mass grew arms and legs, with the body morphing into that of a female human, and it also manifested a long, thin black dress. The being opened her eyes, her star sapphire eyes taking in the first sight of the sky. Getting up and taking in the rest of her surroundings, she uttered her first words, "Wow... what a wreck of a world to wake in. I see I have my work cut out for me."

Koine raised a hand to snap her fingers, her body then changing colors and remolding itself as she took on a form more resembling a human. Now that she had the proper form for her work, she could begin. Raising a hand, she raised a pillar of sand to head height, then began sculpting it, giving it a humanoid shape. Unlike a human, however, Koine made them a more serpentine shape, adding to its height, and gave them a few more reptilian features such as scales and clawed fingers. Their heads featured long scouts and short tendril-like whiskers on its nose. On their back were large wings, and they had pointed antlers that extended backwards. At last, Koine thought it was ready. With that one as the template, Koine began to create more sculptures resembling the first, but had stark features that differentiated them from the others. With each sculpture, Koine added a drop of her golden ichor, which spread throughout their bodies and held them in place.

Finally, Koine believed them to be ready. With a snap of her fingers, several dozen sculptures were transformed into flesh and blood, birthing the new race of the Loong. Their draconic forms were gone, replaced by a more human-like appearance. However, they still possessed short horns, large wings, more canine teeth, and a long forked tongue. Koine greeted them, "Welcome, Loong. There is much work to do, and I expect all of you to fulfill your duties. Rest assured you will be safe as long as I am present, and you will all be paid accordingly to your performance." Koine stomped her foot, forcing three items to pop out from the sand. Catching them between her fingers, she held them up to reveal a gold, silver, and copper coin, all of which featured the general shape of the side of her face on one side and the shape of the Loong's tail on the other. "With that, you are dismissed. Now then, you should all get to work." The Loong, with not much else to do, got set to work creating shelters and finding food. Meanwhile, Koine released more of her power into the world, having more plants and greenery growing nearby, and ensuring there were resources to collect and process.

---

"Well I suppose it'll have to do." Wyn crossed her arms as she looked up at the statue of Ze'kelia. "As far as looks go she is neither truly beautiful nor truly ugly. I suppose I'll take the former over the latter. Besides, I wouldn't want to ruin such a budding relationship. Cordial, even if she was a bit too energetic for my tastes." she let out a sigh before biting her lip and muttering, "And she didn't even thank me."

Her eyes found themselves drawn to the trinket Ze'kelia had left her. Such a trivial item with such a simple purpose. The crystal sparkled in the light of the twin suns upon her hand. It captivated her briefly and she tilted her head. "Oh but it does give me an idea, doesn't it? Ze'kelia, my muse, how you treat me so." she said with dramatic flair, putting a hand to her forehead, palm out. She drew out a long sigh and feigned a feint. The goddess then chuckled to herself and with the theatrics over, she flew off back to land, heading north.

She flew close to the sea, dipping her hand in warm waters as she went. Her reflection ever so evident on the surface, threatening to hold her hostage once more. Her image, she knew, would be ever entertwined into this place. Her sea. It needed a name, didn't it? She mulled it over, settling on something that defined what it was at its core.

The Sea of Reflection.

It was not long before the familiar landscape of ruins and dust came into her vision. Even in a place she had not been, it all looked so ugly. Now illuminated by the fledgling suns, it painted the world a dreary place. Still she could hardly believe it, how much had been ruined and in need of change. She came to a halt above where beaches met desolation and eyed the canvas before her. Then Wyn went to work.

---

The land north west of the sea rippled and underwent great changes. Great swathes of earth rose to form hills and valleys while the instability of the earth caused canyons and ravines to form like giant scars in the land. She broke lines into the river of salt, sending them this way and that through the land. Some fell off into the ravines forming majestic waterfalls and others would come to form pools of their own. She spread seeds of life through those waters, forming phantasmal corals of many colors and that which could thrive upon the salt. They would grow and spread in time as long as the water remained brackish at best. Upon those banks and from the old tree stumps, twisted up from the dirt new brown saplings, rich with color that quickly formed long stalky roots that reached into the waters, bearing flowers of pink upon leaves of white.

As a final touch she summoned great crystals, grandiose and in her paleness, that sprouted across the fledgling land in great spires and outcroppings. Some clear in quality, others opaque with inclusions of minerals and some with veins of gems. Many would glow, others would attract the magic in the air and store it, while some would have secrets waiting to be unlocked. (Wyn, if she knew at all, truly only cared for their appearances.) When the earth shook, it sent splinters falling and where they landed they sprouted into more formations and clusters, sparkling under the light of a new sun. The air was fresh here and the old smells of decay and stagnation were replaced with floral scents most splendid to the senses. While the wind blew through, ringing the crystals with pure notes that filled the air in beautiful harmony.

Knowing that the crystals were her centerpiece, Wyn moved to embellish them further. Upon the earth where nothing but bare dirt lay, she called forth a great blanket for growing things and they came as if they had waited forever for that moment. Shooting up with great leaves and flowers, seeds and fruit, all suited to the environment. Most of the foliage were of pale colors but the further they grew away from the white river, they became deeper shades. Of pinks, purples, reds and violets with crystalline structures throughout- Some even growing like the plants and taking on different shapes.

Likewise, further away the land went from the rivers and streams, it adapted to brackish water and then eventually as it reached a land north of her sea, (and one that Wyn was surprised to see but had no immediate desire to explore), it soaked up fresher waters. Down south of the river, with little precipitation that way, the land would take time to grow and mature.

Wyn would name this immaculate land, the Crystalline Expanse. She was somewhat satisfied with it. She rubbed her temple, as she could not help but feel that something was needed. Something more but she did not have the answer at the time. With a sigh she decided to leave. For now, she would ruminate on the missing pieces as she flew back to the statue of Ze'kelia.

---

Along the way she seeded plant life in her sea. Great forests of translucent grasses and plants came into being, with the same corals from the river forming reefs and barriers. As she passed islands she bid trees and foliage to come about to form a lush paradise of resplendence. As she neared the statue however, Wyn could see that something was amiss. Some sort of shape, more like a lump, had curled itself around Ze’Kelia’s outstretched hand. She quickened her pace and as she neared her second creation, Wyn became appalled. An unsightly grey beast was basking in the glow of her light as the sun up above faded. It slung itself lazily on the hand, sleeping! Sleeping! With its deformed shape and bulky body with far too many jagged edges and spikes. Was this a monster that Ze’Kelia had wanted her about?

Anger took hold of her and like a thunderclap, she arrived before the creature with terrible vengeance.

”How disgusting.” she scoffed with venom. This seemed to jostle the creature awake and it peered at her with fearsome eyes and brimstone.

It snarled and roared in a fiery as Wyn’s temper. “This is my warmth! I claim it!”

Rage gripped the goddess. ”You dare? You dare!” she boomed. Yet the creature remained defiant.

“I’m not afraid of a welp.” In the blink of an eye, it reared back on its haunches and carried it’s head high as a red glow started in its throat until a torrent of roaring flame shot forth towards Wyn.

But the Goddess was not there. For, within it’s blink, Wyn was at its side and before it could even move it’s great head, the goddess removed its neck from its shoulders with a swing of her arm. The roaring flame exploded at the base of the neck, spraying the pale one in grisly blood before sliding off the hand and off it went, into the sea below with a great splash. Likewise, the head and neck fell down and landed with a splatter at the statue’s feet, leaving Wyn to watch as she dripped with blood, anger still rolling through her.

When she had at last calmed herself, she floated downwards and landed beside the head. She could not allow such a place to be defiled ever again. It was evident then, that if she could not be there always, then a guardian the island must have. She poured the rest of her anger into the creature’s remains and from such grotesque defiance, a jewel was born.

The neck elongated, it’s lackluster scales becoming iridescent as it grew to twice the original length. The snout shortened, it’s horns retracting back into its skin as it became wholly of scales with a diamond shaped head. When the transformation was complete, the creature stirred and opened its pale eyes. It coiled itself and then raised itself high above Wyn, flicking a forked tongue out towards her.

”You are Saxses, the first snake.” Wyn said, floating to be eye level with him. ”Guard this place with your life and turn any to stone who trespass here unwelcome.” she folded her arms.

Saxses flicked his tongue out again and dipped his head in reply. Wyn watched as the giant snake slithered its way to the base of the statue and coiled up for a nap.

”Not even a day old and already tired of it all.” Wyn muttered to herself. Her eyes fell upon the splattered blood at her feet, dark crimson as it dried out. Not wanting to have such a place stained with such a sight she pooled the blood into fist sized gems and set them within each of the five statues that poured salt water. She then did the same up upon the hand and set those around the Ze’kelia’s neck. There were eight gems in total. Five in the statues below and three up above. Upon setting the last one she felt a sensation of anger and roaring flames.

With that done she jumped down into the sea to wash herself of the filth and almost forgot about the creature’s corpse. It’s blood stained the water as it sank to the bottom. Not wishing it to be there, Wyn found another use for it. From the corpse exploded life again but this time it was different. Multitudes of colorful fish came from the blood, chief among them a crimson colored minnow that the other fish hungrily snatched up. Then from the flesh came larger fish still in vast numbers and lithe reptiles suited for swimming, colorful and pale in her image. Then from the bones came long serpents with scales that reflected the light and who shined like the stars she had seen above but smaller. And all was good and beautiful.

Wyn washed herself as she watched the spectacle and realized she had found her answer. The missing piece was this. Living beings, born from her vision and design.

Perhaps the creature’s appearance was- No… It had been ugly. The only praise she would give it was that it had died quickly.

She continued scrubbing herself and felt from the deep the earth quiver. When was that going to stop?

It appears my assumption was correct The goddess said as she finished using her mind to clear up another section of the corridor. This was a man-made ruin, and although the design was so different from the one back at her homeland she could identify a similar level of mastery in it, which meant the humming she heard... had to be from an electromagnetic processor. To find a functional computer, that would surely help her understand this world better.

She faced a wall, advanced design, would open by command. She gave the command, no response. Door. If you have a soul like that rock forgive me. But I will need to engage in a violent method. she declared before kicking the massive door until it opened.

The goddess' eyes glimmered, not from a showcase of the emotion of her own, but from the faint light of a still active system. Greatness. This is better than I expected. If I can extract the archives and gain access I could know so much...

Without a second thought, she advanced hand extend, touching the system, a massive metallic orb flying among crystals, to be able to contact with it. She felt something close to excitement as she prepared herself for the flow of information.





A kick upward and the goddess broke contact with the system forcefully. The previously alive facility breaking down and finally going silent, the ball crashing to the ground over the crystals. Humming its last.

She hadn't even managed to get a reply, the response was not like anything she had seen before, or rather, it was... like those things she had seen in the void. Code and Data as eldritch to her as those monsters were to biological life. She looked down at her hand, it was badly damaged, the skin-like dermis seared and some of the metal showing. If she hadn't broken contact the rest of her body would surely be like that, that was a close call.

My head... I hope no long term damage happened. Ah. I knew it was just too good to be real. It's clear that any technology found is as corrupted as the land above. Ah. I need to. Rest.

Gently, the goddess rested her head against the ancient stone, breathing deeply before she slipped into a dreamless rest.



"Lady? Hello Lady? Are you dead? Cause you are lookin' a bit pale. Well if you have passed on. I am going to loot those fancy clothes of yours, okay? I'Iro opened her eyes in silence once she heard that voice, in front of her she saw a human figure, young, female, scruffy long hair, torn clothing, carrying a shining stone necklace. Trying to steal her feet? Still unable to speak, she simply reactively moved her leg away from the girl. "Oh you are living? That is a surprise. Ah... the girl looked up with a smile. "Yesh. Sorry for this attempt at looting, I wouldn't have tried if I knew you were breathing. Also damn did you glue your shoes to your feet or something? Nah. I am distracting myself. Here, take my hand. I will help you get up.

Do not mind it. Such acts are understandable. Given the situation of the world. The goddess was going to accept the offered hand but she stopped, her eyes noticeably changing to focus on her hand instead, as she thought about how her damaged dermis and magical damage could hurt the girl. Though, looking over, she noticed only a few scars remained.

"Ahaha, look at that, we are bruised hand buddies. Though yours look way cooler than mine which I got taking care of a plant. the girl gave I'Iro the space to get up herself then, and as she did, she couldn't help but comment more. "So, where are you from, fancy clothes? Cause you don't look like anyone from anywhere I ever saw. Not from the villages, not from The Fallen, and no way you are a refugee from a far land when you are this well dressed she then turned her sight to the corridor leading to the main entrance of the ruins and the world outside. "And how the heck did ya make it this far? Last time I came to this place this whole half of the building was just rubble.

I'Iro blinked. What a casual tone, did the girl not know she was a god? Perhaps, in this current state of the world, a weak goddess such as her was easy to mistake for a mortal, she wondered if that was good or bad. I came from another continent. You could say that was my Homeland. But it was sinking. So I came here with my... how would you call it... Flying Serpent slash Dragon?

"You pulling my leg lady? Hit your head? Nah. Let's not be rude. Look, do you have a place to go? Cause you are speaking weird and still a bit dead-eyed, so... If you don't have anything to do, why not tag with me to the village, hmm? Maydly here is gonna take care of you.

I'Iro opened her mouth but the girl, despite being about half her size, simply seized her hand and led her away from where she was.



Without even realizing it, the goddess, still a bit dizzy from her failed attempt at reviving technology, found herself following this mortal girl. She could not deny that at this point she was curious, where did she find so much energy in this sunless dreary world?

So. If understood correctly you are Maydly. Correct? the girl nodded. If you do not mind me asking. Why were you in those ruins? Do not take this as an offence but you are of a very inappropriate frame for hard work and combat.

"Oh me? Well, see, our village is one of hunters and scavengers. So most of the able-bodied men are out there in the really dangerous job. This leaves looking over the areas that are considered somewhat safe for the more nimble sorts like me. Well... If I wanted I could stay in the village since I am good at the domestic and maintenance jobs but then they would probably send a kid in my place. Can't have that, can I? Plus I am pretty good at scavenging, the men don't have that meticulous touch I have, they just aim straight for the most precious things and miss a lot of good stuff left just a bit hidden in the ruins. she giggled in acceptance of the dreary situation.

You seem content with that situation. the goddess noted, her focus entirely on the girl.

"Well ehhh. It's a bit complicated ain't it? I would not say I am content. But sometimes it can't be helped. You gotta do your best with what you are given. It's not like being out hunting is any better. There was this boy I liked and... well, his whole party just disappeared, poof, one day they are tracking some monster to try to bring some food home, the next, they are no longer with us. It was sad, and I am still sad that it happened. But what am I to do? Weep and give up? No way! They just died for the sake of our survival, which means we gotta survive three times more to honour them. she rose her arms up and puffed her cheeks, trying to look strong.

The goddess' eyes narrowed, she wondered how she could approach those thoughts and question them. That is a commendable sentiment. However. Do you not think that perhaps... This could lead to bad behaviours? You could overwork yourself or act recklessly for the sake of a person who has passed.

The girl turned to face I'Iro, her face slowly turning into a stubborn frown. She sighed. "Ugh. That is why I ain't cut to be a leader like my bro. You just get in this situation where you gotta tell everything step by step. It's like... uh... it's like. It's cold, right? A person comes to me and says Ohhh I am cold. I will answer, wear some more clothing, take my cloak, or whatever. But then, it gets hotter, and the person starts sweating, and you are like stop wearing so many clothes. And the person is like... ohhh but you said I should wear more clothing. Like ugh. Think for yourself. Don't extrapolate everything I say.

That is quite the humorous reaction to this. But I think your point is valid. I did extrapolate your idea to find an issue. I promise it was just out of curiosity and not by ill will or mental laziness. the goddess said with a slight smile. Though I must say it is quite curious that you have such strong opinions on a topic such as leadership.

"Eh? What did you mean with that lady? Seesh. Well, I guess some people look up to me despite many also calling me silly or airhead. People call me diligent and whatnot, because I am a bit of a jack of all trades, both in the current village and the one that I lived before, the same habit of just calling my name whenever any small trouble happens. How I do it is, like, hard to explain, every time I try it just ends going bad and the person comes out of it worse."

The goddess was about to ask something else to this peculiar human when she noticed something new in the sky. Outside of the stars, of course. It was... purple? No, red... The colour kept growing to encompass more of the horizon... and then the bright rays of light started to dawn over the mountains.

"Moles bite me. Is that... Light? In the sky? It isn't... it isn't the apocalypse, right? Cause me ma when she was alive told stories that sky shined and stuff... but... this looks more like that thing people talked about... and... OUuuuuuuchhhh.

I'Iro looked to the side to find the girl holding her hands over her eyes. Oh right. Do not stare at it. And do not worry... it is a good source of light. I am sure of it. Provided you do not stare into it. the goddess however could stare at it freely without issue. Nalmepror is going to be so happy with this.

"Well seesh. Could have told me that before I did the thing. Hmm. My vision got all blurry. Oh, this is bad.

The goddess gently patted the girl's head. Going from complete darkness to staring at searing light is not good for the eye but it should heal. Do not worry. I can see your village from here. I will guide you. the goddess said allowing the girl to hold to her arm as her vision wasn't the best right now.

"No. Wait. It's just that. With this new light. I am worried about a plant I have hidden away in a ruined chamber nearby. If this strong light gets to it, I fear it will dry up for good.

The goddess was surprised by that. Was she putting this much trust in her or was she this desperate to preserve a simple plant? Perhaps it was just her youth and the lack of priorities that come with it. I'Iro however could not say no to her after all this. It is that dome up the hill, correct? By the tall lone rock?

"You can see it from here? But yeah. It should be there. Can you take me? I promise to repay you... somehow? I don't have a lot but...

Do not worry. Let me guide you as repayment for your previous service as my guide. the robot goddess gently started to move, keeping the human girl by her side. So. Back to our talk. Did you mention a brother? How is your relationship with him.

"Ehh It is a bit uhm. Seesh. We like each other. We get a bit along. But there is a coldness to him. A certain... mistrust? Resentment. It's just that. We do not see eyes to eyes on some stuff. He thinks I lack ambition but he is the one who is always aimless you know? So many lofty dreams far away and yet he doesn't know what to do in his day to day troubles. The uh... Ahem. He is the sort of person who has his sight twenty steps ahead, so he forgets to look at his own feet and end up tripping.

And you are? the goddess questioned. The girl had to take a moment to think.

"I am... kinda dumb, haha. I just... Take it one step at a time you know. When I was young I was a bit more broody but, well, mom forced me to come to help her with everything. In one way because she wanted me to work, but also, because, it helped? When you do a chore, and you focus on it, the world becomes small and your mind becomes clear. It's like with scavenging you know? You start to notice the little things left behind because you aren't in a rush."

The goddess nodded at that and smiled. Funny. You remind me of someone I met. Maydly looked up at her with some confusion but then shrugged it off. The goddess noticed her eyes were better, she likely could walk on her own now. But if she kept hugging her arm like that, she must have had her reasons, so I'Iro wouldn't bother her.



"Argh. It is as I feared. There is a lot of light seeping in and this place is kinda hot. I wish we could have ran faster up the mountain, I hope it didn't dry it up. but as she entered the circular chamber where she had stored the plant, she saw the damage, while there, was still not fatal, despite the unfortunate mix of holes on the dome roof and glass shards on the ground. Still, the weak plant was even weaker.

Huh? Is that... Whoa. I was searching for this all over this land. How funny that you of all people would be the one who has found it.

The girl barely registered what the goddess had said at first as she rushed to move the vase, trying to get the plant back up. "I hate when this happens. I knew leaving the sapling this far from home would be trouble but I couldn't dare to take space and resources from the village to do it there... Wait. What did you mean with that lady?"

This plant is mine. I brought it from the other continent. See. Did you not think I am weird? And did you not think the plant is weird? Well. Make the connection.

The girl squinted for a moment and then gasped. "Holy... Pardon me. You might be right. But then... Whoa. I need a moment to process this. Okay processed. So, you... uhm. You... Have a dragon? Does it have big teeth? And more importantly, can you save the plant? Feels like destiny doesn't it? I am feeling bad. I have not been a good keeper. Seems like I have a certain aura of death to me. So you can take it and give it the proper care.

The goddess took a moment to delicately sort through the motions presented. The girl seemed above all a bit nervous for once, she was fiddling with her hand, the bandage slowly loosening up to reveal the cut she got from the plant. I do not believe in destiny. It was more likely that her interest in the girl was from some unnoticed unlabelled sensor noticing she had been managing the plant as of late. And well... You did what you could within your limits. That is what is important no? You said that. And so did the people who gave me the branch you tried to save. the goddess moved forward and brought the human's hand neared. Scanning the wound and noticing something she should have guessed earlier. It seems you were finding some sense of worth in taking care of this sapling. But perhaps you are something far more special than the plant itself. How can I put it to you... The people I met, the people who gave me the plant, their legacy lives within you. This is curious considering you do have a similar outlook in life...

The girl's eyes shined at that moment. Though she didn't care much about great destinies, the idea that she was important to some people from some lost continent far far away was at least a bit romantic. "Like... I continue to carry their spirit? Somehow? I don't know them, lady, but I will..."

I did not intend to give it esoteric context. I meant your DNA. Because it seems the plant carries a bio-genetic agent that with the radiation in the air...

The girl stepped ahead and shook her head "You are saying weird things again. I will just take that as carrying the torch. Okay? But what from them... what am I... Aww sheesh. This is a lot. Do I have to just keep..."

The goddess sighed. Perhaps it was better if the girl understood it like that. You do not have to change necessarily. Keep being yourself. Keep taking things one step at a time. I have faith in you. Ponder about what this gift you received means. But. Perhaps to serve as a soft guide for the future. Take this... err. Token... Chip. Put it under your pillow or head when you sleep. she raised two fingers and between them a coin-sized and shaped turquoise stone appeared.

"Whoa magic? You are a magician? the goddess smiled. Then, outside, there was a loud sound, flapping wings.

Seems like my ride has arrived. the goddess took the branch back and gave Maydly her chip. Then casually, in her typical aloof manner, though to the human it was incredibly cool, she moved towards a newly arrived Nalmepror. His wings shining with rainbow pearlescence now that the sun had returned. One last thing. Today... I felt a bit envious. Because despite being a goddess I have been somewhat aimless since I arrived here. Doubting myself down to the very core. So when I saw you and how self-assured you are. How unshaken your core is in the face of the worst of the apocalypse. I felt a bit of it. Of envy. Perhaps. I am not the only one who has felt like this. I cannot say for sure. But do remember that concept. And. Finally. I am I'Iro. Goddess of Dreams. Greetings and goodbye.



Up in the air, the goddess' turquoise hair flowed freely as Nalmepror, now fully powered, was able to unleash his potential and fly at extraordinary speed.

{om titmugne e hade feu prexe capte ver bien eur lueradre}

Huh? I do not see how this broke my policy of non-interference. It is not a manipulation of the mind. I could have talked to her about everything the chip contains and it would have been an acceptable external output.

{me vrepte si e arer cluste ge}

It feels like I am emotionally attached? Well. Perhaps I am. But my judgement was clear in my decisions. You are somewhat judgemental today Nalmepror. Do not let that solar energy get to your head.

---

Astella leaned back, resting her elbows against the soft sand she’d just created as she enjoyed the scenery. The gentle, constant noise made by the Wellspring’s waters as they overflowed; the waves across the lake’s surface as the only hint of the massive current down below; the mostly clean air (with small hints of the scent of rotting flesh); and the skittering of I’Iro’s workers as they gathered material and made preparations for their debut project, the Central Plaza.

She liked it there. Unlike everywhere else, that place felt stable. There wasn’t much death there either, and animals had begun to return to the area to drink their fill of water and rest. She closed her eyes for a while, content with the darkness. It wasn’t that she preferred solitude to being around others, but she could certainly enjoy the peace that came with not having to feel like she had to entertain others.

As all good things however, this had to come to an end, as with no warning whatsoever, a familiar presence made itself known close to her. She turned and opened her eyes to see the dark form of the nameless divine that had helped during the attempts to unclog the Wellspring.

The An-Clastophon creeped up to the pedestal Astella had made; her eyes flitted over the cover of the book on top of it. She did not open the book however, and instead moved on to glance around the mountain.

’Lack of trust in my work from this early on, huh...’ Astella thought with a small twitch of her eyebrow. Finally, she decided to speak up. ”Not interested in what it’s gonna look like after it’s done?”

The demigod turned to look at Astella, responding, ”I would rather wait until it is done.” She then pointed at the god, and followed up, ”Astella, right?” A short hop down from the pedestal, and she was back on the rim of the wellspring, on approach to Astella almost idly.

”Yes, that’s the name, nameless one. I was sure you’d be somewhere far away by now, considering how quickly you disappeared after we got this spring working.”

The An-Clastophon shrugged, saying in return, ”I merely did not make my presence known. I have to try to be as obvious as the rest of you.” She plucked a spider that tried to skitter around her, holding it in her claws as she inspected the workings. Then, once she was done, she placed it back down and gave it a swift push to get it on its way.

”Careful with those spiders, my friend made them.” Astella sighed, then groaned, and then turned once more as the An-Clastophon came to a stop next to her. ”So if you’re not here to admire my work or my friend’s work… Then what? Are you here to sell me something?”

The demigod shook her head, ”I was sent here with the intent of establishing good will,” she waved her arm vaguely across the Wellspring, “to send the message that my master does not intend to oppose the rest of the gods.” The An-Clastophon then continued, ”I have my own reasons for not looking at the blueprints, independent of any malignance towards your work or that of your friend’s.”

Astella pursed her lips. A God that would not reveal themselves feeling the need to declare their innocence was probably anything but innocent. After a while, Astella began to make popping sounds as she turned back to stare at the water. It was only moments later that she spoke again, ”Okay. Sounds reasonable. I’m not looking for trouble either and being on good terms with someone capable of secrecy would be nice.”

The An-Clastophon nodded, offering, ”Depends on what you need kept secret.” She walked up to the water, and then crouched down. A single claw shot out, and she swirled it in the shallows of the Wellspring.

”Well, that’s...” Astella began, looking around and then leaning slightly closer to the An-Clastophon, whispering, ”... A secret.” She smirked and shook her head. Did this demigod actually expect her to reveal her secrets that easily? Her projects were far too important to risk being exposed that early.

The demigod looked up at Astella and responded, flatly, ”I did not expect you to. But I can’t help if I don’t know what I can do to help, hm?”

”For now, the best way you can help is by saving people’s lives and making sure the world is a safe place to live in. Eventually, once things settle down some, I might have more specific requests to make of your master.”

”That is about what was requested of me by my master to begin with,” the An-Clastophon stood up, turning to walk away. They then stopped, suddenly, and with a glance behind them, said, ”By the way; you will make requests of me, not my master. They prefer a more passive role.”

Well, nobody could say that the nameless one’s patron wasn’t on-brand. Still, to let an opportunity such as this slip just because she didn’t want to seem shady would be… Inefficient. So with a final sigh, she asked. ”You can procure things for me in the name of your master, right? Know that whatever I end up needing will probably be very difficult to obtain, and perhaps even frowned upon by our colleagues. If you’re still interested in helping me, then keep that in mind until the time I call for you.”

The An-Clastophon simply nodded, saying lowly, ”That is perfectly fine. My sin is not idleness, and I do not intend to air my dirty laundry.” Then, their head swivelled back to look ahead of them as they continued walking away.

Astella looked at the An-Clastophon as they walked away, then looked up at the weirdly coloured clouds above. An wasn’t a charmer, that’s for sure, but at least they didn’t waste any time. Plus, keeping a professional relationship would probably benefit everyone in the long run… As boring as that is, at least. At a given moment, the An-Clastophon’s presence vanished, and Astella knew better than to look around to confirm if it was truly gone. Instead, she just focused on relaxing once more.

---

Since the incident at Lililia, Paratiri had decided that it was not worth interacting with mortals on such a personal level yet, at least not until they became less foolish, or her guardians learned to better focus on the objective. In her immense wisdom, she decided that the best way to help them to learn was to let them explore the world by themselves, Zephyra flying to the west and Azibu to the east. Paratiri, meanwhile, went to the north, and along with her, came the winds and rains of her storm.

”Hmm. Seems like a lot of my fellow gods are hard at work. This place is starting to look half-decent even. Maybe I should build something for myself later. Perhaps a nice island off the coast. Though the eternal bottomless pitch black void does take away a bit of the charm of the beaches. Sigh."

It was then, as she crossed the stratosphere, that she noticed something down below, standing at the tallest of the many rock outcrops within the plains below. She immediately knew it was a god, the first one she had ever seen. Quite excited, the goddess dove down at a high speed, crashing from heaven to earth like lightning. Roosting in the rock right behind Chakravarti, she merely stared at first, eyes shining with curiosity, feeling a bit shy about what words to use, meanwhile the skies darkened, thunder roared and the wind started to pick up speed. ”H- Hello. I am Paratiri the Storm."

The family god kicked into motion, spun around and summoned forth six swords, their last two hands protecting their baby boy. ”Why do you other gods always sneak up on me like this?! What do you want?!” They looked overhead and grimaced. ”And what did you do to the sunlight?! My Ossy is going to catch a cold!” They turned one of the swords to smoke and proceeded to wipe their eyes of rain water.

”Oh. I had not noticed the infant. A moment, I just have the habit of bringing up a storm whenever I flap my wings.” the goddess answered very awkwardly as she opened up her wings and raised them high, a ring of clear weather started to open up, only round the rocks where the gods sat. ”Sorry for that. I did not mean offense. You are just the first of my divine equals who I have met. So I wanted to… say Hi I guess."

Chakravarti deflated slightly and dispelled the swords, returning to a reserved stance. They eyed her up and down and looked almost guilty for a second, turning away briefly. ”Right… Of course. Forgive my brash and uncouth behaviour.” They folded six hands and bowed. ”I am Chakravarti - I speak for and rule the clans and dynasties of this world. A blessing to meet you, lady Paratiri.” They looked up at the thundering clouds around their eye of the storm and blinked. ”What extraordinary power… I have met none like you who commands the storms with such ease. Is it instinctive?”

The goddess nodded at that, quite proud of her storms. ”Yes. I know and feel the storm like I feel the feathers of my wing. But I just forget that I cannot just bring the rains to every meeting I have, I was just a bit nervous as of late, given some problems I had with some creations of mine. Anyway. Nice to meet you, Chak." Paratiri smiled and the rains became softer and more gracious, a rainbow forming near them.

”No, no, please do not be humble. I do not mind the rain.” With a swift movement of the hands, they conjured forth a tower and a small umbrella for the little boy. The umbrella was a nice shade of pink silk, which Ossurman seemed to appreciate quite a bit with a clap of his chubby little hands. ”In fact, I would say the rain is most welcome here. I made this land in hopes that it would be green for miles, but I walked its length the other day and found that much of the green disappears, well, much too soon. The soil is without water, and no rivers pass through here…” They shook their head disapprovingly. ”Your contribution is appreciated, do not misunderstand. A land like this, though, needs quite a bit more than a dribble.” They then waved a hand dismissively and put on a smile. ”But enough about me - what about you? What brings you here to my son’s soon-to-be empire?”

”Your son? I guess that makes senses. And empire? That is curious. But a bit of ambition never hurt anyone. He is quite cute too, I bet he will be a handsome emperor when he grows up." the harpy laughed. ”And well, when I came here I did not know it was any soon-to-be-empire. I just had a bit of a disagreement with my two, how should I call then? I don’t want to use daughters but it's something close. So I needed some time alone, searching for a good plain land, ravaging it with storms. It’s very relaxing, and while some may complain while the storm is happening, I bet they would complain too if I just stopped and no rains came anymore."

Chakravarti feigned politeness over what seemed to be a rather stern frown. ”Well, you -are- family, so I expect it will all pass over and return to normal soon. That is what family does, after all - they take care of one another.” Then they turned to the endless yellow plains, which were now growing muddy with rain. ”... But I certainly hope you do not mean ‘ravage’ as in ‘destroy’, right? I would rather my son has -something- to rule after you have had your fun.” They gave their son another gentle frotté with the towel and the boy gave a little sneeze. ”There, there, you’ll be alright…”

”I am the storm not the apocalypse incarnate. I may be rough at times but it is no different than the other faces of nature, opposite in all forms to the unnatural destruction our world almost faced." the storm pondered, looking into the baby, remembering the words. ”On the other side, I am still a goddess, a sentient being, I can be appeased or perhaps find common ground in the form of a deal. The bending of natural law cannot be done freely after all."

The family god peeked up with a studying frown. ”And what sort of deal would you be referring to? I thought you had come to have your own fu-...” Their eyes then spied outwards across the plains, which after the incessant shower from the skies looked almost eerily verdant - the dry and uninviting grassland, which likely would have turned into a desert with time, had sprouted small, green shoots in the blink of an eye. Chakravarti rubbed some rain water out of their eyes. ”By Creation, what speed! Is this the true power of water?” They rose up and went over to the edge of the eye of the storm, sticking out their hand to catch some droplets. ”What magic; what miracles! This is much better than I had thought! Yes, to have rain like this all year - my son’s empire would be a basket of sustenance for the whole world!” They spun back around and conjured forth gold, silver, jewels and spices for the Storm Goddess. ”You said you wanted a deal, yes? Will this suffice to keep the rain here for eternity?”

The other goddess looked at Chakravarti’s gift and smiled, however, she did not move to accept it. ”There is such a thing as excess. A land of constant rain all year around would not breed the hardened people to protect such a fertile empire. And it would also make landslides very common. ending in a more casual tone than she wished, Paratiri puffed up her chest to try to look more noble. ”Rather, I believe I will make the following promise. I will come to this land every year, and bring with me the rains that will last for a whole season, the citizens will have time to prepare for it and as such stay safe, and, if wise, they will be able to use the verdant season to bring prosperity all year around.

The winged goddess then took a more serious tone, her face moving down as her focus turned to the baby. "This comes at the promise, however, that the young emperor will not be greedy, that he will not seek more blessings in search of perpetual rainfall. If he does so, there will be a cost, his body will be unhurt, his empire might even prosper, but something of value will be lost." she warned in a soft but stern tone. "If you find this deal acceptable, then take this as the symbol of our bond." the goddess raised her wings again, towards one of the rainbows that had formed after the rain, it darted across the sky and concentrated between her open wings, crystalizing into a regalia, a ring of colorful gemstones.

The family god was reluctant, their eyes slinking back and forth with timeful thinking. However, as they studied their conversation partner’s expression, they recognised those familiar lines in her face - the same sort everyone displays in that serious and earnest moment when the deal has been offered and compromises or alterations out of the question. Chakravarti pursed their lips - rain half the year?

”Well, then, Paratiri… You have got yourself a deal,” they said with feigned warmth and extended their hand to take the ring to study it closer. With the crystaline artifact turning and moving between their fingers, they said, ”Is this an artifact of sorts? Does it have a purpose or is it, as you said, a symbol of our agreement?”

Paratiri shook her head. ”No, the item itself doesn’t hold any power. It is more of a contract? A symbol of my promise to always bring the rains to this land."

”I see,” responded Chakravarti curtly. They looked down at Ossurman and gave it a small shake. ”Look, Oss! Isn’t it beautiful? Isn’t it shiny?” The little baby boy gave a small squeal and grabbed playfully for the crystal ring. The Eight-Armed God surveyed the grasslands again for a brief moment. ”Oh, I cannot wait, I cannot delay… As soon as I find some way to quell these incessant earthquakes, the work can finally begin at last. These lands will, by the grace of Creation, be--!” Their eyes shifted back to the avian goddess and their demeanour deflated somewhat. ”You’re still here.”

The goddess who was still there laughed. ”Was just resting my wings a bit. I will be going now, and if I do find some god able to bring stability to the lands, I will send them your way. Stay safe and see you again, hmm, next year?" with that said, the storm rose up to the skies again, much slower than her fast arrival. And slowly, the skies cleared again as she left for new lands.

After a while, Ossurman cooed something to Chakravarti and the family god gasped. ”Oh, misfortune, you are right! I forgot to propose!”

---

The Falcon promised safety. Community, survival, order. Once, there were many sanctuaries, dedicated to one day returning the Falcon to its former glory. The legends say that each of these sanctuaries were hidden like this one, but that they cooperated and spake with one another across vast distances. Then the world began to tremble and crack, and the Falcon’s nests were lost. Only this nest was known to remain; the learned said the Canon of the Ancestors described their own nest as impenetrable, built to withstand an eternal and constant revival of the Falcon’s strength. It was the heart of the once powerful Falcon, a stone vault nestled deep into the world’s earth, with thousands of eggs from The Land that Was - countless people biding their time in returning the Falcon to its glory. So the stories went. The knowledge to interact with the shells had been lost long ago, and from the outside they appeared all but impenetrable. Over many generations, attempts had been made to open them both by force and by cleverness, but the Falcon’s eggs were unassailable.

Eventually, the shaking of the earth doused the lights and killed the crops. Though the land above was no better, it was enough to open the nest to keep the eternal watch going, and feed the wardens. Generations passed like this, struggling through cold, heat, upheaval and despair. When the dark times called for rationing and starvation, the gospel of Dr'Anya counseled who would live on, and whom to pair with whom. When there were disagreements, the commandments of the original watchers dictated all actions, to interpret and put into reality by the learned who still could read the ancient symbols. Most of the Canon had been lost when the lights died, but much of what had been lost was retold eternally between the learned.

Ezza was not one of the learned. His life was simple but hard. As one of the most physically able, he was limited to the upper levels, only brought down amidst the great Kollnel's sanctuary when the strange and terrifying creatures from below slipped through the cracks in the foundation and threatened the nest. His eyes were not fit for the holy texts, nor for reading. No, his life was to hunt, scavenge and scrounge whatever meagre gains could be found out in the waste-plains of the broken world. That was why he could never live below. The learned feared the vile blackness of the broken world would cling to Ezza's skin, and follow him into the nest and poison the others. It was a lonesome life, marred by despair. The only salvation were the others, equally banished to the surface to care for the colony. It would all be worth it one day, when the falcon's eggs hatched countless of his kin, and they restored the Falcon to its former glory. He kept that thought close in his mind; it was the only thing that kept him going after seeing the absolute chaos and derelict state of the world.

"Isn't this Kati's knife?" the voice of Mawk, his current hunting partner broke Ezza out of his daze. He glanced over to the blonde and dirty man to see a well-worn half-rusted blade. It looked like one of their makeshift combat blades, crafted by the learned after the Canon's instructions. It had the deep notches of Kati's approximation of her name. Sure enough, it was hers. Ezza looked around further.

"Tracks. Going towards the Great Beast site. Three days, I think," he noted, squatting down to touch at what were clearly human tracks. Preserved by the vast nothing and unpleasant chill.

"If she's gone past the Great Beast then chances are she froze to death," Mawk grunted, sealing the knife away.

"Think the beast bones would be enough to make shelter?"

"For this long? She'd be out of water by now, even if she could stay warm."

Ezra rubbed at his cheek before pulling old fabric back up over his face. "Still, it's what, half a day to the Great Beast. Cutting it close. We owe her to look, right?"

Mawk's face was covered with the rags of a falconet uniform, but even then his grimace was easy to tell. "...Yeah. To hell with Kollnel and his cynicism. He doesn't know what it's like up here."

The two men nodded at each other, and set off towards the bones of the Great Beast in the distance. The land was dark, hostile and prone to violent upheaval, but theirs was a life attuned to such. Each life lost was another life condemned to the surface. They were like a family. Ezza and Mawk wandered through the darkness for hours, spears kept close as they listened for cracking ground, rampant creatures, or falling stone. About halfway to the Great Beast, a mirage seemed to play for the two on the horizon. A splash of green in the midst of the bleak hellscape. Neither of them could make heads nor tails of it, and the two scavengers proceeded towards the strange sight with caution. Tall wooden beams rose from the ground, with vegetation spread around them like bubbles and shields. Thick green ropes twisted around each of the thick wood logs, and slowly crawled along the wasteland in a circle around the green glen, spreading vegetation at a slow but steady pace. Ezza had never seen anything like it. He had seen plants, mushrooms, but nothing on this level. Something took hold of him. A fascinated curiosity, and he hurried deep into the green wonderland to the distant objections of Mawk. To Ezza, it made sense to push deeper into this marvelous new place; surely Kati would have done the same if she had seen it from a distance. It was only logical that they look properly. Bramble, branch and root crumbled and snapped underfoot as he noisily made his way into the dense green land. Around him, he heard the rustle of life and saw hints of animals dancing away from his loud advance into the safety of the trees.

Then, all at once, the brambles and branches ended, and his foot hit soft moss that squished under his hunter garb. The centre of the green mirage was a large clearing, where a bubbling brook of brown transparent water poured away into unknown parts of the forest. Something moved, and Ezza stared straight ahead. A shape clad in a cape of moss, vines and tattered fabric shifted in place, raising pale arms towards their head - upon which was a skull not unlike that of the creatures they'd hunt, with great antlers stretching the sky. The skull shifted, proving to be naught more than a mask, and the humanoid lowered it off their head slowly. Blonde, stripy hair cascaded freely, and as the pale figure turned to glance at him, Ezza felt confusion bubble up inside him. Her pale face was familiar, but her eyes followed him with an expectant, almost predatory glance.

A rapid crack of branches followed as Mawk pushed through the green, and appeared beside Ezza, short of breath. He took one look at the pale woman in overgrown rags and burst out in disbelief. "Kati? What has happened to you? Where have you been?"

The woman looked at him instead, and moved her lips briefly. As if mimicking his method, practicing speech. Then, she responded. "I'm unfamiliar with that name. Are you looking for someone?"

Mawk began to protest, but Ezza raised his hand to his comrade's chest. There was a distinct likeness, but something was wrong. She was too tall, her features were slightly different - more regal. And she was more athletic, judging by her arms. Ezza took the opportunity to interject instead. "Who are you?"

The woman put the stagskull helmet aside on a rock beside her, and instead lifted a gnarled wooden circlet with brambles and small vines twisting around it. Neatly and with faux elegance she nestled it upon her hair, allowing them both a curt, thin smile. "My name is Yaerna. I am the Queen of Thorns."

"The queen of thorns?" Ezza replied, wracking his brain. It was some manner of title, but he didn't know any title like that. Only the titles of the holy came to him, like Sarjent and Majer. "What does that… entail? How long have you been here?" He chanced eventually.

The woman gently righted her wooden crown before extending a hand out towards the green. "I rule over my demesne, as any queen would. I have always been here. Ruling my territory."

"That's a lie," Mawk interjected swiftly, holding up his spear. "I come this way often, and this is new. You are on Falcon land. Your 'rule' threatens the nest."

"Falcon land? Curious," the woman professed in turn, and extended her arms. With but a feather taken from her tattered clothes, a bird winked into existence, flapping and spreading its wings as it settled on her arm. Though they had never seen one live before, there was no mistaking it, it was a falcon. "You misunderstand my words, noble protectors. My demesne is not limited to this patch. It extends beyond what your eyes could ever see. Deals in notions beyond your understanding. I rule the falcon, and the falcon rules the skies."

Ezza stood amazed, but Mawk seemed to take the act of miracle as a threat and launched into the clearing towards the mystical woman, his weapon raised. She waved her hand, and his hardwood spear twisted and turned slack, before releasing a sharp hiss that caused him to drop it. His spear slithered away, now a six-foot long snake with a speartip shape for a head. Ezza dropped his own spear before the same fate befell him.

"Young man, you are in the court of your better. You can kneel and introduce yourself properly, or you can suffer the consequences." the woman professed with curt tone, never quite losing her temper but appearing displeased all the same. Mawk looked dumbfounded, so Ezza took the chance to step in beside and kneel down properly. He waved for Mawk to do the same, and the man relented eventually, though kept his eyes on the alleged queen.

"I am Ezza of the Falcon," Ezza offered briefly.

"Mawk of the Falcon," his companion intoned gruffly.

"We are hunters for the nest. The others rely on us for food and safety. We watch, and wait for the day of return. We do not mean you harm, Queen of Thorns, but ah, you bear a likeness to one of our own.." Ezza explained further, hoping this meagre explanation would avoid more of whatever witchcraft she held power over.

"Hm. Protecting the roost, then? An admirable but defeatist goal. A bird of prey that sits idle waits only for death. Spread your wings. If you pledge yourself true hunters like your namesake, I shall teach you what it means to truly live as a hunter."

Possibilities rang through Ezza's mind, as he tried to decipher what she meant. "We… we cannot do such without the word from our leader, Kollnel. We do not make the rules."

The woman scoffed. "Disappointing. Very well," she pressed out between thin lips before reaching out with an arm towards them, holding out the large bird of prey for them. Mawk stared in disbelief, but eventually lifted his own arm and the live falcon scooted over to his arm. "Give my regards to your leader, then. Do not return unless you wish to join the hunt, and lead a life truly free."

Ezza stood up, just in time to feel something constricting his feet. Mawk cried out beside him, and Ezza looked down to see the moss and vines below rising to swallow them both whole, encircling them and the bird alike with breakneck speed. Ezza barely had time to struggle before it covered his chest, his eyes, his mouth. It was dark. Misty. Cold. Like a forced, unpleasant dream where nothing would ever change. And just as swiftly, he found himself on the hard dirt of the wasteland. He gasped for air and stumbled to his feet, and quickly turned to see Mawk do the same. His companion flailed his arm to brush himself down, and as soon as he lifted it, the brown and white falcon descended elegantly from above to sit back down on Mawk's arm. Ezza looked around and saw the green snarl of forest grow behind them. The vines on the ground just about reached them, as they continued to slowly tunnel forward. Still, the forest of green seemed larger than before.

The two men stared at each other for a long while, and the bird, before silently moving back towards their nest in the mountain. Confused, tired, and a little battered, they looked anxiously back towards the green oasis of tree and vine, and it seemed to follow them ever so slightly as it expanded behind them.

---

---

A blueish green comet had been circling the skies of Galbar for quite a while. There was much data that needed to be gathered after all, and many things to fix were I’Iro to attain a decent diversity of mortals to interact with in her search of meaning and wisdom. Many locations had got her attention, but none quite as much as what she had just seen. Hidden among gentle valleys was a paradise of both nature and civilization, the perfume of divine presence was easily tracked to this area not only by the unique sensory input innate to the gods but the sheer abundance and planning in the location was simply unnatural, ongoing apocalypse or not.

In form the dream goddess was far more gentle and quiet than the last visitor to the temple-fortress. In actions, however, she had the same divine aloofness and insensibility. Without thinking of what the mortals in the land would think of a green comet going straight for the centre of their capital at ultrasonic speeds, she simply swooped down, landing in the nearest clearing to the temple, dismounting her dragon and observing with curiosity the community around her.

To say the least, a glowing green comet descending directly upon them from the sky was not something the residents were used to. Just as they had become more accustomed to the higher-altitude life and being surrounded by mountains that concealed their home from detection otherwise, and now something was coming from the one direction that anything could hope to notice the great paradise valley from. Still, as I’Iro looked about she’d see in the distance the pregnant women and children were hurried away to safety as the adult men and women who could fight were taking up arms for defense and raising palisades about their humbles homes and entrance to the temple that was visible from the dream deity’s landing spot.

In terms of armaments, they would in some ways notably differ from what had been seen before by a certain Earth God during his arrival. A tiny amount of matchlocks, as well as: properly metal-tipped spears, very few pikes, and in final a few crossbows or more primitive bows even were among those tools of war being carried and hefted about by would-be defenders. Naturally, it seemed the goddess of this paradise had been teaching the people a bit more, and it wasn’t as if the valley didn’t provide an eternal plenty of all the resources the residents would need to make things as well. Even so…against the smooth, shiny metal carapace of the dragon and I’Iro’s own appearance they were still very much primitive in comparison ‘at best’.

However, even as the defenders worked in a seemingly well-practiced haste, a figure would appear already at the doorway of the temple. Tan hair of a silky and divine softness, pale and smooth skin that saw not a single blemish, elf-like pointed ears, beautiful attire and a woven crown and golden ornaments far beyond mortal comprehension covering her form, and in final soft grey-blue eyes looking outward directly at where the new arrival had landed. Despite her soft and gentle smile, looking at her would give a sense of...exasperation? A brief flicker of familiarity yet tiredness behind those eyes and smile?

The goddess quickly started to pick up hints of what was happening around her as the panic had set into the city, and although it took time she finally realized her “gafe”. My truly sincere apology. she said to the nearest human to her, not realizing it was just a low ranked town militia I had forgotten that such a sudden arrival would likely spart fears into mortals due to your existential fragility. I am I’Iro goddess of dreams. Greetings. And I do not mean harm up the land. She gave a little apologetic bow to the confused human and then simply ignored the madness she had caused to focus on the fellow divine who had appeared. The machine goddess moved towards Arira with gentle steps, her synthetic unnatural clothing and cold expression the same as always. Greetings. I am sorry for the sudden arrival. I merely noticed your village while flying and it truly sparked my curiosity. Do you have a moment to engage in communication?

At first the worried but middle-aged man, holding a spear, paused in initial fear of being suddenly approached and spoken to...but the being before him didn’t seem to care he was just one citizen among those living here. It wasn’t a large city around the temple-fortress, at least as of yet, but the inhabitants had been hard at work all around. But as she spoke to him he seemed to calm down a bit, and after she just simply walked past him he seemed to let out an exasperated sigh as a look of recognition ran over his face. He then ran a hand down his face and began to run over to the others who were still moving people and supplies and so forth about.

But how-

“Everyone! Hey! It’s just another of those friendly divines, so this one doesn’t want to kill us either! _{...I hope.}”

-...Oh. Oh. This wasn’t the first time an ultimately ‘friendly’ deity had roared into the place with all the grace of a frothing berserker in a room full of pottery, was it?. Of course they had kept up caution since last time, all as a ‘just in case’ since there were likely many more deities in the world now, but still...apparently this was ‘round two’ and not the one man’s first time either. So as the man’s message spread, the defenders began to calm down bit by bit once more. The word would spread duly over the course of the hour, but even so Arira helped calm those between herself and the approaching mechanical goddess for the sake of simplicity.

“Greetings fair I’Iro, Goddess of Dreams. I do have time to speak with thee, yes, though perhaps we should proceed to the throne room of my temple-fortress here first as the people calm down.”

Arira would then turn to the side, politely motioning for the other goddess to follow. If the other goddess would follow, Arira would begin to lead her through the temple-fortress. Up and up they’d climb, through grand hallways, past smaller branching paths to various types of rooms along the sides of those grand hallways, until they came to a set of grand doors. A pair of armored, poleaxe-toting mortals, their appearances and much else concealed underneath the armor, who with a wave of the goddess’ hand would open the doors for the duo to progress.

Though if she’d move forward to enter alongside the hosting goddess, Arira would speak once more to her as they walked a little more.

“Mine speeth is’t strange compared to some others of our divine kin, but it is simply what I hath chosen to use as part of mine own preferences. The make of your steed is most excellent, and I must say that your choice of chassis in this world is most intricate and well-built to mine eyes as well. I am open to any questions about this place or mine self, but...perhaps let us not cause more panic among the mortals. They have seen much in their years, and only since mine birth at this place hast they seen much of peace thus far…”

As they walked in down the main walk through the center of the room, the first thing that would be apparent was its size. It was like a grand lecture hall room, or a great classroom, with rows of pews with desk-like writing places before them for those sitting. All were neatly lined about on the left and right sides of the room...all looking up at the only slightly-raised throne at the far back center of the room.

The wide main walk went right up to the throne itself rather directly, aside from where it branched here and there near the doorway to lead to the pew seating on either side, and Arira would approach and sit upon her throne in turn. The chair in and of itself was a rather ornate golden chair, depicted with fitting designs of world cycles and scenes of learning to hint at this throne room’s purpose. Yet without skipping a beat the goddess would lightly conjure a similar chair right, one just as golden and ornate and facing her own throne whilst being on level with it.

It bore mechanical designs where Arira’s was more ornate, circuit-like blueprints scattered about with dream-like designs covering it and depicting I’Iro’s own domain. A very fancy thing to do for a guest, especially a divine one, indeed.

I’Iro could not help but gently giggle at the chair. [color=7bcdc8]How nice. This is the first time another entity has made something in dedication to me. It is incredibly fascinating to see how my form is reflected in the mirror of your mind.[/color] she sat by the side of her fellow goddess, although she did not feel the need for it she was able to follow social protocol quite easily. In fact this whole palace and the city around it are very interesting. I do not believe any other god has engaged in such complex social systems or intricate designs yet. Your ability to seek out your objectives and diligent mindset are enviable. the goddess would lean forward a bit closer to better observe Arira. However. It does make one wonder what drove you to create this location. Was it a sense of magnanimous empathy towards mortals? Or was there something you wished to do or discover here?

“In truth, this place is where I was born. My parent, Chakravarti, came upon this place as they sought the mortal kin of a formerly human babe who is now my demigod brother. Here they were assaulted by mortals who thought them to be a demon, and after some argument and realizing the mortals here would avenge each other in a ‘cycle’ until they were all dead if they had to...from this my parent was ’aroused’...and from this gave birth to me.”

Arira seemed to deliver the last line with no small amount of embarrassment and exasperated resignation, but lightly shook her head before continuing. Even deities could have those embarrassing parent moments...even if those moments were how they were born into the world.

“Circumstances as they were, I put the mortals at ease and consecrated this place as the sacred place of my birth, setting rules and coming to begin to teach the mortals here as I have worked upon the world.

Since then things have also changed. Alrgrim, God of Earth, approached my domain and desired to place a pillar here to help stop the shaking and quaking of the world. As my paradise was in the location he desired, and his intentions were just, I did grant him assistance and helped place this pillar here to help stabilize the world. It lies in a grand chamber dug underneath this temple-fortress...the very temple-fortress we sit within the highest chamber of here and now.

Prior to this time I have taken up the task of understanding space-time better, and continue to come from time to time to teach and educate the mortals living here as my subjects.”

I’Iro was deeply fascinated by all she had heard. So. You are a god born from another god. One that was born from human interaction no less. I guess this could explain many things. Although most gods are days old there is much to be understood on why the inexplicable laws of the universe saw fit to bring you to this world as a second generation. Through mortal-like birth no less. The goddess was so deep in thought that she even stopped looking straight towards Arira. On the topic that there is a god slowly stabilizing this world. I did have such suspicions. In this area there is a clear difference in the geo-magnetic stability. This is good because it brings me straight to my topic. Which is the health of this planet. As while a stable lithosphere is created the situation of the atmosphere remains stagnant. Quite literally.

The dream goddess adjusted her eye contact and then guided the other goddess to look at the nearest window. As it stands today the Shard of Galbar is unchanging. In the south the land is always cold. In the north it is always warm. And the center as you must have seen is always in the comfortable barrier between both. Flowers mix up their time to flower and their time to fruit. However. As the goddess of cycles. Do you think this is the normal and most healthy state of the land?

After a moment, the cyclical goddess let out a long and drawn-out sigh.

[color=FFE4E1]“It is not, dear I’Iro. The land cries to me, the skies, the atmosphere, the plants, the animals, all of it that remains out of balance cries to me. I sought to seed the land some at first with the makings of balance and stability, but in the end could only lay preparations for and ‘seed’ the land in ways that will help more rapidly restore things once proper cycles begin to take root round-about the region of land this paradise exists in. But before a great storm in the north and other instabilities blocked my efforts from going farther...and it made me wonder.

Thusly pondering, I came back here to study and see if I can derive any useful information from these studies of space-time to apply in reinvigorating this Fragment of Creation. Some ways and some data that can be extrapolated and built-upon soundly to create a most fitting solution.

But what has become more and more clear, in truth, is that it cannot be done alone. I cannot silence all those cries from creation alone, even though my heart yearns to do fix things as rapidly as I can,” she said, using two of her fingers on her left hand to rub her temple, though trailing off a little at the end before looking back up, her true feelings of tiredness and stress about the matter on-display for a brief moment before I’Iro’s eyes in all their relevance, though soon after the goddess sought to put back on her usual airs and self, “It is most vexing, sorely so as a problem, yet I still believe hope remains. My conclusion thus far in my studies and work has pointed to needing more of us to unite to get this to work.”

I’Iro nodded. Arira truly was a sister to mortalkind. I too thought I should do more than I was able. It was a mistake that almost put my life at peril over reckless behaviour. It seems the lesson that cooperation is necessary is one taught to gods through pain and exhaustion. the goddess mood was initially low to accompany Arira’s struggles but it suddenly became more positive. The solution to this problem. However. Seems to be deep in your heart. In the walls of your palace there are many cycles. One such is a cycle of nature. A balance between blooming and ripening. Of times of warm rains and cold winds. I already had a great expectation that you could help me from the fact weather is intimately related to the water cycle. However. That you already had the solution printed out before I even presented the problem… It is astounding.[

I’Iro extended her hand and showed a map of the Shard. As such. I have decided that the least I can do is work towards the more physical actual solution to the issue. There is a location southward that seems to be the origin of cold winds in this continent. If my suspicions are right… It could be the first step towards a proper seasonal cycle. You are to be the ultimate master of it. Of course. But you already have much to care about. So leave the hard. World traveling part to me. I will report back to you from time to time and I am sure you will be able to craft a proper healthy climate for the Shard out of whatever I find. Along the way I will try to contact other gods with domains or interests towards the climate to further alleviate the burden of the task.

Arira seemed to perk up as I’Iro spoke, a light behind her eyes more so as she leaned forward to speak again.

“That might work, but...if I may?”

The goddess reached over to the map I’Iro displayed, only taking a moment to look before projecting a larger map between the two of them. On the 3D magic-formed display, various dots and designs appeared to mark locations and issues and so forth. One bigger dot appeared at the top of the Mons Divinus (name pending*).

“Among others, you perhaps might understand what I am now going to propose best and most quickly.”

She drew lines between various points of issues, meeting at the big dot on top of the Mons Divinus.

“I propose we, even if temporarily, use the central place of this world as the ‘axle’ of a great wheel, a central hub from which I could perhaps guide efforts and coordinate yourself and any others along the way who are willing to help out in the field. From there I could process and connect to what yourself and any others alert me of out there, and assist your efforts out there remotely using either a limited mental connection to yourself and the others...or perhaps something else like beacons that can be carried about.

Alas...it isn’t a perfect plan per-say, a thing I have just thought of off-the-cuff as it were. It could work with simply the two of us, but if others were willing then efforts could be expanded more rapidly and multi-tasked using this design. I could simply leave a part of myself here, a projection controlled by my mind as I focus the rest of myself to this work…

...your thoughts?”

This map… this is extremely valuable data. Wait… As she finished hearing Arira, I’Iro looked puzzled. It seems our minds think alike. Perhaps as a trait of us both being logical thinkers? Nevertheless. What if I told you that there is already a facility at the center.of Mons Divinus meant to be a place of connection and dialogue between the gods? Me and the illusion goddess Astella started this exact project when we met at the central summit.

Arira blinked in surprise, before her gentle smile returned just as quickly (if not a bit happier than before).

“That would be brilliant! A good central location, and as the world’s center it is a literal and symbolic center akin to the axle of a wheel! It would make setting up easier, as well as give a greater ease to projecting my power into the field from such long distances! Even the map could be most properly filled in as more information from other deities is gathered-!”

She paused for a moment, before letting out a small cough.

“Mmm...I beg thine pardon. I have become most excited by this most welcome news. Pray tell, how soon could we begin to arrange things that I might set myself upon there to begin work?

Mayhaps mine eagerness is far too great, but...the sooner this world hast been brought into stable peace the better it would bode for any future efforts to shape things perchance?”

In my conclusions I cannot say anything but as soon as possible. I know that for sure as soon as I leave this palace I will set straight to the south to explore the cold lands and discover their secrets. If I do manage to set up something in the south then the immediate worry will be the North: The contrasting warm winds to the southern cold winds. Meanwhile. It would be beneficial for you to travel to Mons Divinus and set up your embassy there. Every god is allowed a… sector to build in it a facility in whatever shape or purpose of their liking. Within reason. I’Iro explained in a very even toned voice.

However, a pang of disappointment became clear soon enough. It is a shame I came here in such a hurry. You seem to be a very knowledgeable goddess and this city is fascinating with its high mortal population. As a goddess seeking to understand the mind and teach mortals how to best use theirs… It really felt like I could make good progress here if given the chance.

Arira’s smile stayed in place, even as she put a reassuring and kind hand on I’Iro’s shoulder. Her touch was not harsh, nor stiff, nor stubborn, nor hostile or having any ill-intent.

“I shall go set forth mine embassy upon Mons Divinus in its proper place, and straightaway begin mine work from there. First in this work I shall seek to forge a connection with thine mind, that we might communicate from afar with greater ease as thou goest to investigate in the south. From mine embassy I shalt assist thine work thusly in the south.

Any thou findest to join in this plan, invitest them to this plan that we may forge a connection with them and further ease the work.”

She then stood up from her seat gently, standing before I’Iro and putting both hands on the other goddess’ shoulders as well. Her visage was now beaming with joy, and gently she took her hands off to but put a single gentle hand under to caress the other deity’s chin. In this she would softly lift her head up to look into her eyes as she moved her face closer to the dream deity’s.

“And dear I’Iro, I shalt make this next part clear. Thou art welcome in this mine Paradise always, to help teach and guide the people as I do. It shall be further instruction for those who seek it here.

From this room thou shalt have space to teach as much as I hath, and thine guidance shalt be further refinement for those living here. Mind that this is mine paradise, mine sacred place of birth, but I shall not chase thee away from this dream of thine heart and mind.”

I’Iro nodded at Arira even though she really didn’t understand these sudden movements the other gods made. It was understandable that she had adjusted I’Iro’s face to an socially acceptable angle but why was the hand still there, she wondered. [code]I am happy to hear that. I do not have a clear mind like you. There is doubt on how I should pursue my own core directives. It is incredibly generous of you to allow me to interact with your followers and even open up your very home to me. Know that I cherish this and I promise I will make this partnership of yours worthwhile. the goddess of dreams ended her sentence with a gentle and sincere smile.

---

The God of Earth’s journey through the desolate wastes continued. Once more he had assumed the form of a rolling boulder, and was hurtling toward his second destination. It would not be too much longer.

He thought back on his encounter with Arira, and wondered if there were other gods like her, and if his meetings with them would be equally friendly. That would be ideal, but even though he had not been alive for very long, he already knew full well that the ideal was rarely supported by reality. No doubt some would be rude, some would be wary, some might even be hostile.

For ultimately, this was a hostile world. He had seen signs of it. The guards of Arira’s paradise had mistrusted him, and almost attacked. After seeing the monsters and beasts which prowled the countryside, he understood why. So far he had not encountered anything that could threaten him, but that didn’t mean such a thing did not exist.

As Algrim travelled the countryside as a boulder a lone figure walked the now slowly flourishing western coast that was his natural climb. His hair was dark, like soot, and a long, aquiline nose jutted in an ugly thrust from his face. A big, bushy beard and curled mustache combo that looked all sorts of outgrown and mismanaged tied together the look, with several pock marks and plague-scars dotting his face. His clothes were less disheveled than they were mismatched but his shoes simply were nonexistent. Two big, purple eyes stared out from underneath a cliff-like forehead and two noticeably large eyebrows.

Most of all qualities about him worthy of note, however, was his smile.

The man-god stared at the boulder hurtling down the mountain with a quizzical lean, knowing it for a god the moment he saw it but certainly more than a little confused at its appearance. There was his smile, beaming in its uncomfortable perfection, but even that was slightly dimmed by the momentary confusion. How in seven hells was he going to worm his way into friendship with a boulder? With a shrug the humanoid figure hurtled a bolt of crimson fulmination in the general direction of the boulder, letting it crash harmlessly against the mountainside. The explosion was large but not particularly destructive, more a light show than anything with only a blackened scorch mark to show where it had landed in the first place. He was confident at that point that he had landed it well, for surely it couldn’t have missed such an obvious indicator of his presence.

At least, Lonn hoped the boulder-god was capable of noticing things, what with the evident lack of eyes.

Although the bolt had missed, the boulder suddenly cracked. Still rolling, it began to dissipate into a cloud of dust, obscuring his vision, though Lonn’s sharp divine senses would allow him to detect the silhouette of a figure within the cloud. The figure was moving toward him. “Oi! Hoo the bloody ‘ell do ya think ye are?”

Lonn’s smile disappeared for a moment as he noticed the boulder stopped being a boulder; sharp eyes caught the figure of a stout humanoid and for that, Lonn was grateful. He admitted to himself that he had no real idea how to win over a sentient rock. Even as his smile returned, however, Lonn was quick to realize the belligerence of the god. That would be an unfortunate speed bump, he immediately concluded. His perfectly arranged teeth returned to full display, his smile beaming as he held up his hands innocently.

”Ah! Don’t fret, pal, my mistake; I was just trying to get your attention, nothing more! I assure you, my intentions are only well meaning! It's just that I had never seen a living boulder before and I didn’t quite know how to get your attention.”

The dust cloud had faded to the point where the figure was now almost fully visible; a five foot tall humanoid that appeared to be made out of stone. “Hmph. Well, an attack like that’ll only attract the wrong sort of attention, no matter who yer dealing with.” Despite the rebuke, he seemed to have calmed down significantly. “A simple ‘’ello!’ would ‘ave done just fine. Ach. Who are ye anyway?”

Lonn felt his grin press to the very extent the human frame would allow and let it stay there; this was turning out way better than before. His eyes flashed a moment of red as he looked the stocky earth-man up and down, confident that he seemed fairly reasonable and ultimately an easy enough fellow to work with. A success, to be sure.

”Lonn var Chakravarti, if that means anything to you,” he said quickly, curious to see just how far that additional name might take him, ”Lonn, by any other name. A friend by the looks of it, in all honesty. What about you, buddy?

With that Lonn thrust out a hand, smiling at the diminutive god while looking only a tad manic on his own end. His eyes sparked with red light but mostly remained calm, giving him the appearance of a slightly wild but ultimately well-mannered and well-intentioned individual.

“Can’t say I’ve ‘eard of you,” the shorter of the two said, accepting the handshake. “I’m Algrim. What are ye doing out ‘ere?”

”No surprise, really,” admitted Lonn with a simple shrug, smile completely undaunted by the claim, ”Frankly, I’d be a little surprised if you had. Well, Algrim, buddy, I’m out here doing the rounds as it were. Mortals here are friends of mine and I aim to do right by them, if you catch my drift. Howsabout yourself? You were really rolling down that mountain quick, pal.”

“Tryin’ ta stop the world from shaking itself apart,” Algrim answered. “I don’t suppose ya would interested in ‘elping?”

Lonn flashed a momentarily bewildered look, made all the more quizzical in appearance by his maintained smile, before putting together exactly what Algrim’s meaning was. Lonn’s eyes practically glowed red for a moment, sparks flying, before he nodded fervently. Although his smile maintained an entirely benevolent gleam, internally Lonn praised his good fortune even more. ”Buddy, I haven’t heard an idea that good since my wife proposed to me. Ask no further, friend; I’m yer huckleberry.”

Algrim furrowed his brow. “Dunno what that’s supposed ta mean. But come this way.” He gestured for Lonn to follow, and then began walking. “It’s quite simple, really. Just need ta slap down some constructs that’ll hold the world together while I’m gone, an’ that’s that. Do ya spend much time in this area?”

Lonn quickly fell in toe behind Algrim, making mental notes about the god. So far he’d seen quite a cacophony of deities but most kept fairly close to the human body plan. Admittedly, this one was about as different from men as his wife was. Lonn sniggered internally to himself as he thought about Chakravarti, pleased with himself for snagging such a prize. An odd burr of legitimate appreciation for them caught oddly in his mind, Lonn brushing it off and moving on. Algrim, for his part, was completely unique; might as well be a living boulder, physically speaking. Regardless, he seemed primarily driven by the same thoughts and feelings that most of the other gods had shown and was, ultimately, a facsimile of mortal men just the same. That would work nicely.

”Oh, lots.” blurted out Lonn, looking about the area with admitted actual honesty backing up his statement, ”I have been all up and down these hills, frankly. Whole coastline. All manner of interesting things, people included. Met my wife not too far from here, in fact. What exactly are you looking for?”

“A place to build the construct,” Algrim answered. “I ‘ave the rough area in mind already. Just need ta find the perfect spot.”

Lonn nodded and thumped at his chin thoughtfully with his index and middle finger as they walked, eyes darting about considering the options. Plans had been sprouting in his mind for some time as of late regarding the little stretch of land that he had claimed as his own in his deal with the God of Families. He knew well he couldn’t simply let it go fallow as that would only incur the wrath of his new wife. This new opportunity presented a sound solution to both his and Algrim’s problems, however, and for that Lonn praised whatever might’ve been before he, himself, had come about.

”Opportunity presents itself, Algrim. I happen to know of just the place, nearby at that. Men live near to it, though, so be gentle. I can take you right to it, if you’d like?”

Algrim nodded. “Lead the way, lad.”



Lonn and Algrim travelled nearly an hour further, closing the distance on Lonn’s general path. The walk had been swift, both the gods feeling none of the weaknesses that might haunt mortal men. Rough terrain was made from obstacles to curious terrain with ease as they rapidly crossed the landscape. Though blasted, much of the surface area was covered with cordgrass in nice, thick patches. Their talking had been fairly brief as they moved quickly, occasionally sharing short comments but otherwise remaining well in motion. With Lonn at the fore they arrived at a very familiar spar of rock, jutting out and up with clear views into the void. Not far away a massive river rolled down off the side of the continent, misting outwards in a corona of steam. It was here, up the hills from the end of the world, that Lonn had saved Ursare and the other prisoners kept with him. He grinned and nodded, remembering his handiwork well.

”Here’s the place, Algrim,” Lonn said authoritatively, admiring the view, ”Not quite void-front property, but I think it’ll cut it wonderfully.”

Algrim surveyed his surroundings, and then turned to face him. “Right then. This place’ll do. Now then, after I build it, this pillar will need someone ta protect it. Would ye be willing to take to take up the task?”

Lonn gave Algrim a sidelong glance, considering everything that befallen him. Moments later he nodded, pursing his lips uncharacteristically before breaking into a grin once more. His eyes moved towards the spot, envisioning what would soon be, presumably, standing there. It was a pleasing thought and would make an excellent centrepiece, he realized.

”Certainly, brother,” assured Lonn, his honest intentions matching up with the intensity of his language in one of those rare moments of complete of honesty for the god, ”I’ll protect it to my last breath.”

“Good,” Algrim smiled, for the first time in their meeting, and extended his palm. “Let’s get to it, then. Give me yer ‘and, and loan me some of yer power.”

Lonn enthusiastically offered his hand, sparks for red fulmination jumping from his finger trip. His eyes, of course, glowed their full, baleful carmine as he provided Algrim all he could need to complete the ask.

Algrim took Lonn’s hand and then closed his eyes, as once again he channeled his own power. Just as it had happened before, a glowing light appeared in his palm. This time it was red, and it took the shape of a bright ruby.

He released Lonn’s hand, the process complete, and help up the ruby. “Do ya want ta do the honours, or should I?”

”Oh, I wouldn’t miss this for the world,” Lonn said, gladly taking the ruby into his hand. He rolled it between his fingers, the glow of the ruby-like stone glinting in the light. With that he knelt low, tearing at the heavy layer of cordgrass before pushing the stone deep into the rich soil. Stepped back and away, Lonn mumbled almost to himself, ”This is gonna’ be wild…”

A dull vermillion throb echoed from the pillar-seed, thrumming outwards in waves that slowly grew in size. Lonn watched with absolute fascination as the earth was pushed aside, the ruby-like stone growing from its original soil. Multiple, sharp, imperfect facets formed as it grew, looking very much the part of a deep, red, obsidian shard. Soon it had completely burst free from its bounds, growing in all directions as it started to soar into the sky. The edges of the facets seemed darkened, as if seeped full of platonic red to the point of blackening, while the flats glowed bright with crimson energy. Occasionally bolts would fly from the growing column of igneous looking ruby-stone, roaring till it reached its total height. Lonn now looked small beside it, the towering megalith standing the height of nearly a dozen men. The man-god smiled as he stared up at it, very pleased with Algrim and his combined handiwork.

”Perfect.”

“Well done lad,” Algrim said with a nod. “Now it falls to you ta keep this thing safe. I’ve got four more o’ these to build, so I’d best be ‘eading off. But per’aps we’ll meet again once this is over.”

Lonn looked over his shoulder and smiled, offering a raise of his hand as a friendly goodbye. There was a fire in his eyes like never before, burning in there as opportunity screamed in his ears.6

”Count on it.”

Nightmare’s Lands

The wind swept through the once barren mountains, legions of spongy thread had become to cover the dirt wherever they could grow, the rivers from the great heights to the west were slowly but surely flowing into the valleys and fields, and far beyond, that great ball of light had begun its travels. Alzria overlooked it all through her perch, just outside her great sanctuary, she had gathered more and more of her children there, saving them from those delicious mortals who would see them dead and the still deadly wastelands beyond. It was constant work, but it had paid off, even beyond its walls she could sense her children living within the sanctuary, content in their safety. But, she knew this hellish land could not sustain them for long, they would soon need to leave the sanctuary to feed upon what little animals and morals lived throughout the blasted landscapes.

She needed to do something, and as she stared at the grass and rivers in the distance, a thought began to form in her mind. She had her own powers, so why not accelerate the healing some? Sure, it wasn’t really her department, and it could mean there would be a lot less of that sweet, sweet, fear, but, it would be worth it for her children. She tossed away the fragmented bone she had been gnawing on. It was time to get to work.

First, came the mountains she stood within, they would require the least amount of work due to their nature, but the bases and valleys still needed help. That soft spongy thread had been some help in keeping things together, but there needed to be more, but, of what exactly? That's when she spotted them, they looked like little eyestalks growing up in some of the darker spots of the thread, her mind told her it was a fungus. While it was a small thing, she found herself so enraptured with it. This, this is what she would use.

She moved between the great fields of thread, spreading wherever she could the great spores and pockets of fungi, their great mycelium intertwining with that of the thread’s roots, their budding fruit popping through the threads, forming their caps and stalks, a variety of colours: from purple, to brown, to red, to blue, and others, popping through the green matts upon the ground. Next, she created great trees to cover the valleys and sides of the mountains: pines, larchs, beechs, spruces, and firs, all intermingled together in great forests. And she made sure their saps ran red and purple, and their leaves shifted their colours as they aged, ensuring the forest was a multi-coloured dazzle. The fungi would follow, lichens, broad mushrooms, and others crawling up the trunks and branches, soon followed by another creation: moss, which began to spread throughout the mountainous lands both upon the floor amongst the thread, or upon the trunks of the trees, adding yet another life to its system.

With the mountains done, Alzria turned her attention to the great highlands surrounding the great range, for reasons the goddess could never know, there were many ruins and lost buildings within the hills, hidden away for eternity, signs of former life, now, they would be home to another form of life entirely. The fungi quickly found themselves at home within the confine and halls of the great ruins, creating large clusters all packed tightly together, some even softly glowing in the darkness they had chosen as home. The moss and thread would soon follow, both growing up the walls and towers of the old world, the thread shifting itself and becoming dark green vines curling everywhere, while the moss clumped up into large splotches. The trees came as well, mostly the spruces and firs, clumped together in spots across the highlands, equally as colourful as their siblings within the mountains, though not as covering.

Next, she went westward, crossing the mighty river that sat just beyond the tattered hills, while these lands were beyond the reach of the mountains and its hills they seemed in the need of some regrowth of her variety. But here she would change things up some. Here, the trees would reach towering heights, their large purple, white, and red trunks ascending into the heavens, their wide canopies and branches nearly blotting out the light of the great disk onto the lands below, their colours brighter and more consistently changing then the trees to the east. Here the fungi would grow unchecked, the darkness and moisture allowing them to grow with abundance, growing not only to cover vast amounts of the forest floor, but some would grow to staggering heights once unknown to the species, though they were still smaller than the trees of the forest. Here the fungi had a dazzling array of colours, and quite a few even softly glowed, providing light in the forest as it was near eternally draped in twilight due to the great unending canopy up above. Bushes, Moss, and that ever present thread filled in what gaps there were, though it was obvious to any observer that this region was the land of the fungi, their existence ever present in their mind.

Finally, to the north of the great forest, Azlria could see a great biome forming off in the distance, mighty grasslands that stretched vast, it inspired her final creation. Here too she would create a grassland, dominated predominantly by that thread, but of course Alzria would impart her own personal thoughts within the biome. Here, the mushroom would dominate instead of the tree, taking inspiration from their forest siblings, the mushrooms would grow to towering heights, becoming trees and bushes in their own right, scattered throughout the entire grasslands. They would also be adapted to survive with the near constant light from the great disk, becoming more and more like the trees they were replacing, even taking on bark-like trunks. While barren, Alzria felt satisfied with the grasslands, sufficiently unique amongst her fungal lands.

With the biomes done, Alzria knew she had to populate it with something beyond just plants and fungal life, and so, she set about filling the various regions with a variety of small and medium mammals, reptiles, amphibians near the rivers, birds, and countless insects all a variety of herbivores, carnivores, and omnivores. Within the hills and forests she placed large deers and reindeer, their furs purple and red to better fit within their environments, their horns and hooves adapted to better be able to dig and tear through the hardy thread and fungi to gain their food. Within the grasslands she would place large hooved bison, their horns and strength mighty and a large bone shield upon their forehead for protection, able to feed upon the great giant mushrooms that grow within their homeland and the hardy thread upon the ground. In the mountains there were great wooly goats-sheep like creatures, large spiraling horns and tusks that allowed them to root through the thread to find the mushrooms that their diet mostly contained, they also produced a great tasting milk, making them perfect domestication animals, or prey for her more, predatory children. Finally, she created small cat-owl griffins, egg layers who lived amongst the higher parts of the trees, despite their size they were fierce, yet ample hunters, making them a perfect companion for both intelligent monsters and sapient mortals.

With it all done, Alzria took in her work, across the region she could see the land returning to its former state, it was a fitting land for her children to claim as their home and stomping grounds, a wider sanctuary against those flesh bags. Oh yes! Her children! She had left them alone for quite some time now, she had to return to check on them, ensure everything was fine.

---

As the goddess soared her way through the mountain passes towards her great sanctuary, she came upon a peculiar sight. Deep within the fungal valleys, she could see a great magical rift, torn through the fabric of realities, pouring out seemed to be a group of people, and they intrigued Alzria a lot. They were tall beings, while at first Alzria thought they were wearing plate armor made entirely out of bones, she soon realized they were made of the bone that interlocked into plate-like forms. Their heads each looked like the skulls of various animals, commonly jaguars, deers, and bulls, though there were several others Alzria could spot amongst the gathering group. She also saw smaller beings, seemingly children, clinging to what must be their parents. A vast amount of items were scattered around them, what appeared to be supplies and weapons of all kind, most of them being set down by the beings as they exit the portal, beyond Alzria could see that only a few remained, quickly getting themselves through.

Knowing it’d be best to reveal herself and speak to these beings, she slowly set herself down a good distance away from them. Immediately they looked shocked, many starting to reach for the weapons they had, but, one of them, a larger being with the head of a deer, raised their hand, settling them somewhat. They stepped forward towards Alzria, speaking.

”Who are you? What business do you have?” Their voice was grating, almost monotone in its nature, devoid of any emotion to distinguish.

Alzria glanced at the right behind them, she could see it start to grow unstable, just as the last of the beings got through. ”I could ask you the same thing,” she retorted, before continuing ”But as I have intruded upon you all, I shall answer it first, I, am Alzria, a Goddess,” she performed a brief bow, ”You find yourself in my domain, which is why I sought to check upon you.”

The being nodded ”I see, then I apologize on behalf of my people for intruding, I, am Valix, Ruler of my people, the Azraths.” they gestured to the crow behind him, Alzria could see it numbered close to a hundred, and while being made entirely of bone, she could see the tiredness within them.

”What brings you to our world?” She asked, nodding towards the now collapsing rift

”We had to flee…” Their voice seemed to waver ”In our home...we are hunted...slaughtered, we, had to find a new one.”

Alzria nodded ”I see...in that case…” her mind formulated an idea, as a goddess, she had to leave her children often, but, if she were to aid these people, then perhaps, they might aid her in return? ”I think I can offer my help, in exchange for your people aiding me.”

”I see...and what do you propose?”

”I have a sanctuary nearby, home to my children, they are monsters, that I will not hide, but I care for them, but, in my duties, I must leave them often. So, I shall aid you in setting up here, and in exchange, you shall become the custodians of my sanctuary. How does that sound?”

Valix thought for a moment, glancing at their people for a brief moment. ”I believe we can agree to that, show us the way.” They gestured for Alzria to lead the way, before getting their people to gather their stuff, continuing their march.

The march was not long, leading them up the paths of the mountains, until they arrived at the base of the sanctuary’s mountain, far above Alzria could see the entrance to her children’s home, she told herself to remember to make a path leading up there soon.

She pointed upwards, showing off the spot to Valix. ”You see that? That is the spot.”

They nodded ”Aye, so just attend to your children inside and protect it?”

”Yes that is all, I need to make an easier path for you and your people, but, if you’d like, I can give you a personal tour.”

Alzria could swear Valix smiled, despite having no lips ”Aye, I think that’ll be a good time.”

Civilization in its crudest form was starting to flourish around Uwné’s anvil. From the hill, he could overlook the people. His people? They certainly looked up at him. They were busy raising more shelter against the harsher winds. Others were busy cooking the tough flesh of the slaughtered drakes together with some of the red tubers they had found along the river. Others were busy skinning the drakes or removing their teeth and other valuable items. Uwné was delighted to see humans take up some tanning knives themselves as they started cleaning the skins. On the side some warriors – he really shouldn’t be calling them that – were busy going through some rough exercises. Caine led them.

Caine. It was a name Uwné had heard frequently now. They said he fought with suspicious skill. Some distrusted him. Still, he was one of the first to take up the armor and weapons Uwné offered and was one of the few of those now that still lived. “The land is slowly healing.” A voice said. It was one of the golems, though not one of the less self-aware ones. A small group of them were made by Uwné to be more than just heavy lifters. He needed to know what happened around the world but travel was difficult. Even without his limp. He couldn’t just abandon these people here and now.

“Not fast enough.” Uwné said as he looked out at the river. Its beautiful, blue water flowed across the land and had brought spots of green. Sadly, all that water ended up wasted as it fell off the edge. Gone forever. The world needed more of it. More water for life to cling to. Sadly there was nothing over the edge to catch it. No support. No bottom. Nothing.

What if the water just clung to the sides of the world. Like a child unwilling to let go of its mother? Not supported but… suspended. Uwné shook his head. One would have to rewrite the laws of nature to do that and while he knew he was a powerful creator god, surely he was not that powerful. Sure not. Though perhaps he did not have to write it completely. Maybe he would just have to… tinker with it a little bit. Driven but curiosity he tapped the Anvil twice. Its simple stone form began to shift into that of a plinth. Stone moved like it was liquid to form a frame of some sort of large device. It was made of pullies and beams and when it was done forming it stood empty for a second. Though it looked like it would hold something.

Moments later thin, rainbow-colored glowing strands began to form along beams and through combs. Weaving themselves into a taut stretched, fantastical-looking fabric in front of Uwné. Very carefully he let his hand run over the fabric, though he didn’t dare to touch it. A needle materialized in his other hand which sat empty for a moment as well, until a strand of sapphire blue formed in its eye. Focusing himself with a slow exhale, Uwné searched for the right spot in the fabric. One wrong jab and he could imperil the world. Or he could have caused a bit of wind.

After very careful consideration he slowly moved his needle through a small hole in the fabric and looped it around forming a small knot. The water of the river stopped falling down. Instead, it started to gather at the mouth of the river. The pressure of the flow pushed the mass of water further. The god smiled. He was successful. What he saw before him would happen across the world. River water would start to gather at the edge of the void-coast instead of wastefully falling away. Creating a ring of blue around the world.

Then the earth beneath him rumbled in a way it hadn’t for some time now. From the underworld, rocks began to move upwards and sideways. As if they tried to push through the land and failing that, began to roll upwards towards the coast. The coastlands began to fray at places. Cracking and shuddering free as water filled their wedges. Which only pulled them further away. Some of the land floated upon the water through some strangely altered law of nature. Other’s sank beneath the waves.

Uwné panicked. The world was coming undone! He had done too little too recklessly. Quickly he started running his hand over the fabric again. From a mortal’s standpoint, it would look as if the world was collapsing in places again. People screamed behind him. Fearing once more in their life. Others across the world probably screamed again as well. Though it wasn’t so bad. Not yet. Everything could be saved. If only he worked fast enough. His thread began to shift color from sapphire to emerald, with hints of ruby and diamond and some sapphire still. There! He found it. His error. He looped his needle through the fabric, again and again. And then one more time…

The rumbling stopped. Some land around the world had probably come loose and now floated into the water. Others would form archipelagos as they were nearly ripped away from the main continent. The frayed land that had sunk, as well as the ground that had come from the underworld, remained suspended in the water.

Uwné slumped down to the ground as he quickly tapped the loom twice more, revering its shape into an Anvil again. “Never let me do that again.” He ordered one of the smarter golems. Which just gave a small nod of understanding. And while he uttered those words perhaps on impulse, he knew that the Golem would now use all its power to stop him if he even thought about remaking that loom. Not that it would matter much if he really wanted though.

Meanwhile more water – more peacefully again – kept gathering around what was once mere voidcoast. The same would be happening across the world now. At least most of the water would be saved now. Though Uwné had not accounted for the underworld. Where water found its way through the maze of tunnels and underground waterfalls. Eventually, the water was released from the strange ringed grip Uwné had forced upon it and fell down into the void below regardless.

---

---

High above a peak of obsidian and pitch, a glowing emblem rose into the sky, piercing clouds, rain, and wind alike. It shone with black and azure hues and looked down upon the world or at least its greatest shard.

Below, in a cavernous mountain tomb, the God of Form stirred, writhing as the coiling expanse of its mind considered its domain.

The Eye of Malath swiveled, and its gaze saw what remnants of life remained. Few survivors remained, and even fewer hailed from the old world that the god could not remember. He knew only that these beings held little substance from those who had come before; it was written in their flesh. So too, it seemed, had quintessence been shorn away, as only wisps and fragments did remain.

The monolithic entity shifted in its hollow realm, and though no light touched the air or stone of the place, eyes opened and found that they could see. Far away from its titanic form, a gateway opened in the mountain, light barely spilling in. The god considered the world through its aperture--and indeed, through its greater Eye. It saw many things.

Plants withering, animals burning. Men...so few men. Sadness struck Malath in that moment, for he understood all at once the enormity of what creation had lost. He felt it in the broken chains of succession, in the branches that had vanished from the Tree of Life, never again to be seen. He knew that lives had been lost, but so much more was gone than that. Even substance itself had fled, reason too was gone from this world for its ancient enemy writhed above him--above them all--stirring up the skies.

The great Eye swiveled once more, and the glowing symbol lit upon something genuinely new, yet unspeakably ancient in a way.

Pestilence.

Far afield, a deific force wrestled with the chaos of the skies. Slowly, ever-so-slowly, it was winning, but it was not enough--not by half. The being was small in stature and wreathed in dire sickness and decay. To look upon it was to know true malignance and disease. For Malath Kaal, it was at once like learning he had a brother and discovering that they'd committed acts too heinous even to recount.

Still, even such a force acted to save this decaying shard, perhaps even against its essential nature. This...this Malath Kaal could respect. Yet still, he was not done, for there was much to see. The Eye turned, and in a great arc, joy surged anew in his form.

Like beacons, other figures--large and small; ancient, yet newly born--appeared within his awareness. One struck a great metallic drum with a bone of the earth, its head crudely shaped yet sturdy and robust. With each beat of the figure's rhythmic work, the shard stabilized. Others wrest pillars up from the earth and maintained them, stilling the trembling remnant of stone and rock and dirt. Others still existed, twisting life or forging it anew--spreading it. Some few held forms utterly alien to him, so unlike his own were they. Their actions he could not comprehend, and with those, there were others whose forms were familiar but whose minds wove in patterns that his own could not seem to follow. Pride swelled within him, joining the jubilation that had come before. Soon, those emotions welled up with power, and then conviction joined them.

Far above, the Eye of Malath began to brighten. First, it could be seen only from his mountain, then it was so bright it lit the sky for miles. In moments it became a star, and then a sun so bright was its glaring gaze. Brighter still, it glowed until the entire mountain range was obscured by its brilliance, and the intensity of its light burned away all clouds and wind and rain that it did touch. A roar echoed out from that blackest of mountains--Se'raa Kelet, the Black Maw--and it struck the structure like a gong. Yet, despite the vibration, the earth beyond it did not shake, though a tremendous wind roared out, carrying the sound. There were no words in it, but it held its own deeper sort of meaning.



The luminescence could easily be seen from every corner of the shard, and further...it would not matter where one looked. Even buried within the earth, its shining brilliance would be known. The echoing sound of that victorious roar would resonate through the bodies of all that yet lived. It would give them warmth; it would fill their bellies and sate their thirst--if only for a time. Further still, it did something that few others of his kin could do; it cast a trillion-trillion lifeforms through the air and scattered them far and wide. In a microscopic rain, would these organisms fall like a gentle blanket barely seen drifting down to earth.

That unseen shower of life soon came to rest all across the shard, and all it touched birthed new life as if the ground itself had become a womb. Slowly, those tiny lives sunk into the soil, stone, and soot where they lay for a time...dormant. Then, as with his first children, the tiny lives within the Maw, they spread. At first, they formed only tendrils, writhing through the dirt, and where some failed, they changed. These became hardier to traverse stone and long since antiquated bone. Gradually, as the world breathed, these lives spread out far and wide, uniting as they stretched out unseen limbs beneath the ground. Finally, with a final burst of their Lord's light, they began in earnest their most crucial work.

All across the shard, the varied mycelium of the Ke'esath Sae'a burst forth from the soil. Some entwined with roots and bark, others stalks, and yet others merely spread across the surface. Through the Ke'esath, nutrients were divied and cast out far and wide. Where fires raged, they scorched at the fungal roots of Malath, but they would not be impeded. Adapting, as all things must in a world so harsh and cruel, the mycelium took from its would-be-killer and harnessed its destructive might. So fires became fuel themselves, and the mycelium crept on.

Slowly, as the fungus finished its great encroachment, Malath's Eye began to dim until once more it was seen only by a seldom few nearby. Far below the Eye, the Great Presence briefly grew still within its abode, considering its work. Every branching fiber of that vast mycelial web was like a nerve in his own body, allowing him to perceive much even without the aid of his greater Eye. Still, that had not been his aim, for while the Ke'esath Sae'a indeed spread nutrients all across the shard’s many miles, it barely made a difference. This irked him, for he knew the world needed more, and so he moved once more. Twisting, the unending bulk of Sa'a Malath Kaal rose up within the mountain. In response, the gateway at its base slipped closed, cutting off all light. Moving with a swiftness that one could not expect of such a massive creature, the Deity of Form reached the limit of his domain. Only then did the gateway open above the god, revealing to him the sky.

Light cut downwards through the black, but it revealed only swirling mist and the faint outline of an endless coiling beast. That haze ascended from the mountain's opened peak and pressed up into the sky. Where beams of brilliance struck that blinding brackish fog, it died as if eaten by whatever dwelled within. Then, as the fog--and the god within it--reached the apex of their climb, they met with Malath's ardent sigil. Within the veil of essence that hid his divine flesh, something stirred and then was revealed. It was like a wall of flesh, beautiful and strange, but the truth of it was soon unearthed. Upon that pearlescent skein opened a truly massive orb, its gaze taking in even the symbolic Eye of the god.

The Eye of Malath, at that moment, faded from existence, replaced instead by the true countenance of the Formless Flesh. At the true Eye's unveiling, the world shuddered, and then Malath Kaal spoke.



With a sound like thunder--no--like reality snapped in twain, his voice rang out through the heavens and across the shard. Where storms of unreality writhed, his voice took shape, calling upon Ke'esath Sae'a to aid its cause. That sound it drove itself into the earth in many far-flung spears of iridescent power, and where it struck so arose something new. At first, they were only saplings--small and supple wood--but in minutes, their fibrous bark groaned. With a violence they grew upwards at the sky, their branches spearing upwards at the storms that threatened life's long-since-weakened hold. The winds tore at them, and those supernatural forces threatened to shatter their earthbound trunks, but they would not relent.

The Unbent Lord, their god, called out; his truest Eye a shining beacon.



That edict struck their bark and suffused them with power most divine. So blessed by Malath, they opened blossoms to the storm of unreal etheric force and supped upon its power. Like men dying of thirst after a long drought, they drunk from the storm, taking their fill--then more. Steadily, the arcane storms began to calm as the power was drawn down into the shard itself, suffusing the earth--and as the trees exhaled--the air as well.
Satisfied, Malath Kaal withdrew his form and power both into the mountain, leaving behind enough only to maintain the delicate balance that the Kel’a Maeori--those great trees--maintained. Quietly, he rested, allowing his sleeping mind to spread far and wide across the Ke'esath Sae'a so that he might dream of the world soon to come. His final thought, before unconsciousness took hold, was singular and ringing. It shut out the light from the world--the peak to his abode forming anew--and released flickering fragments of his power onto the shard.
It was not thunderous, but it could be felt, if only as a whisper. It said only…

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Ahtziri's journey had taken her to the north-east, and she had made no small amount of progress during her time spent travelling. She had given birth to uncountable packs of the Abiktu along the way, populating the areas that seemed to be most devoid of the presence of monsters--and she had slaughtered no small amount of mortals that had attempted to attack her newborn children. Her experience with the transient mortals of this place had, thus far, been largely the same--they would see something that was not like them, judge it a threat to their existence, and attempt to wipe it out without concern for the fact that they were mere children. Ahtziri's mind still swirled and swam with the rage of it, her blood quickened and burning hot beneath her skin, and her normally yellowed eyes had been almost entirely overtaken by the crimson hue of wrath. She flew through the sky at almost incomprehensible speeds, honing her senses to pick out any enclaves of surviving mortals, and blissfully had not come across any in a while since her initial spate of killings. Before she knew it the landscape had given way to sandy hillocks and sparse brush. Some amount of her rage was forgotten at the sight of it, the clearly unnatural terraforming that had taken place having dizzying implications in her mind.

She pressed a hand onto her distended, pregnant belly almost by instinct, as her mind considered the possibilities that such a place offered her. There were others of her ilk, then, if such feats of creation were possible--she had only encountered the land in its barren, apocalyptic state thus far. She knew then the gravity of the situation that was about to unfold before her: with others possessed of her power but differing motivations and proclivities there would be constant conflict and constant change. But how many others could there possibly be? She'd seen no signs of any intervention in her travels that she could recognise, but perhaps she did not know what to look for. Distracted by the thoughts as she was, she did not recognise the sounds of combat until she was already close enough that they could spot her if they simply looked upwards. She looked down, focusing her sight on the details of the engagement, and found an all-too-familiar sight: a skirmish between mortals girded with naught but crude weaponry and ambition, and a couple of creatures she was unfamiliar with. The creatures looked like panthers, except instead of fur they were covered in quills, and three of them were squaring off against five humans, one of which was a child huddled in the back and surrounded by the adults.

No thoughts entered the Mother of Monsters' mind, and the red mist descended upon her in an instant. Before she knew it she had landed on the earth with an almighty crash, claws bared, and she let out a screech of rage that caused the ground to vibrate beneath her. The humans and the panthers each turned to her, surprised by the intervention of another party, and a stillness descended over the situation as they each prepared to make a stand.

Lonn had been watching with some interest at the petty skirmish for a while by then, not yet quite willing to step in. More and more as of late he had found himself coming face to face with monstrosities and had seen their handiwork more than a few times. From what he had noticed, they were very much unlike the assorted creatures he had seen at the very onset of his birth. They were stranger, more specific to mortals, as if they had been made by hand to be a foil to men. So he had watched with great curiosity, following in the wake of destruction many made, occasionally saving the humans that were in danger or simply watching to see what occurred. After all, that struggle was part of what made humanity just so damn alluring. What arrived was far from what he expected.

When the monstrous divine arrived Lonn was stunned; he had met with a number of deities and even a demi-god and so far they had proven mostly palatable. Though he was no pretty face himself, Lonn could honestly say he’d never seen anything quite like that in his admittedly brief life. From his eyes the Mother of Monsters was every part a perversion, looking more broken than anything else. Though he couldn’t quite feel disgust, he certainly couldn’t feel attraction; as such, any allure that the creature’s odd body might have was lost on him. In an instant, however, he knew her to be entirely divine.

That meant trouble.

Lonn ground his perfect teeth as the three sides now presented for a fight, cogs biting at each other in his head as he attempted to decipher the best path. Up until now he had taken an openly friendly stance towards other gods, to ingratiate and befriend as many as possible, but this certainly was an example of something far worse. It was clear whatever it was had no love lost for mortals and that in of itself presented a number of problems to his goals. With his characteristic smile completely shed from his face and replaced with a scowl and a grimace, Lonn shouted out down the hill where he was posted to interrupt the monster’s plans.

”What in half-a-dozen hells do you think you’re doing?”

Ahtziri turned her head to meet the gaze of whatever had called out to her, eyes seething with rage, before softening slightly at the sight of something she instinctively knew to be her kin. Another divinity, in the flesh, standing before her for the first time. She steeled her gaze and focused her mind, willing her chest to stop heaving with the barely-restrained fury currently dominating her body--but it proved a more troublesome foe to vanquish than she had anticipated, and she could not keep the edge of hostility from her voice.

"They are about to slaughter my children! Since I awakened, that is all these misbegotten creatures have done--slaughter anything that looks dangerous, anything that looks different!" she snarled in response, her breaths shallow and heavy. Her claws flexed, casting a wicked glint as motes of light reflected from them, and the serpentine head of her tail snapped its teeth in the direction of the humans before also turning itself towards the new deity.

In an instant, the mortals were forgotten. Ahtziri knew that she could kill each and every one of them before they could so much as think about harming the monsters before them, but this new divinity posed a threat that she could not ignore. If she could kill them before they could so much as think, it stood to reason that another being possessed of her power could do quite the same to her own children. If she struck preemptively, what was to stop this new figure from doing the same? Could she stop him before he did? If she could, could he stop her before she did? The thoughts slipped atop one another in her mind, failing to make any purchase on the landscape of her consciousness, and she stepped forwards again towards Lonn. The humans made a sudden gesture to brace themselves, but Ahtziri did not even notice that they had moved in the slightest: all of her rage, in that moment, was focused upon whatever would step in the way of her protecting her children.

"How can I remain passive? How can I wait for them to strike first as they have done so before, every single time, without fail?!"

With each exhortation her voice grew in volume, each syllable stoking a coal of embers within her chest that was very close to becoming a fire that would consume her entirely if she let it. Each step forward she took towards the interloper shook the unstable earth below them, each footfall a bellows to that smouldering rage. Her resolve not to simply strike them down wore ever-thinner with each second, but concern for the consequences of her brashness stayed the worst of her impulses--but the growing heat was, she could tell, getting the best of her. It was only a matter of time.

Lonn was absolutely taken aback by the almost immediate, intensifying response given by his adversary. In an instant she had turned all that rage and fury directly onto him, heedless of what consequences such a destructive meeting might have. His eyes flashed briefly to the mob of creatures, the humans themselves desperately looking for any chance to escape. Though he didn’t necessarily care for their individual suffering, a certain level of pride had entered the situation; who was this creature to decide men should die when her spawn should live? Even more galling was her absolute refusal to consider Lonn’s needs! Where would Lonn be if she went and killed all of mankind? Not to mention, her reasoning was absolutely insane; he had seen, personally, that her so-called “children” were not in any way blameless.

”Now I’m not one for calling someone a liar, but that one is just blatant,” sneered the glowing-red god, ”Not only are your ‘children’ the ones hunting men, but did you ever stop to think why a starving, weakened mortal ever seek to start a fight with one? They are dying in their droves and you castigate them for protecting their own children! Look! There’s one, right there!” Lonn thrust an outstretched hand towards the family, directly pointing at the child cowering in terror.

Ahtziri's gaze turned from furious to bewildered in an instant, and then offended, and then back to furious.

"How dare you?! Children are innocent, yet to consume the poisonous lessons of mortality--I would never harm a child!" the intensity of the response was staggering, her enunciation and vigor such that her mouth began to foam with the seething rage boiling within her. Her claws clenched into fists, her jaw clenched as her teeth ground against one another, and a rising growl forced its way out of her throat with such ferocity that her body vibrated from the exertion. She turned away from the mouthy god across from her towards the humans and their child. She stepped towards them and then abruptly turned towards the monsters that had been threatening them--beneath her gaze they immediately retreated, their postures suddenly bereft of any hint of aggression and their attention raptly focused on her. She knelt down towards them, gesturing for them to come in close, and she placed a single kiss upon each of their heads. Immediately afterwards they turned and fled into the distant night, running as quickly as their too-many limbs would take them, and Ahtziri turned back to the god of, apparently, mouthiness.

"They act according to their instincts. They do not have the capacity for reason--but these mortals do, and they have chosen to use it to attack my children. I admit, not every instance was instigated by these humans--but most of the ones that I have seen were, and my vengeance was appropriate. With what authority on this matter do you speak?!" and then all of the fire and fury was back, her attention solely directed on the crimson god and his oddly perfect teeth.

”So do men! They have just as much choice in what they do as your beloved children! And what do you mean, vengeance!? Have you been cavorting about, killing folk who had not even a hare’s chance in hell to fight back!?” It was obvious Lonn was starting to match the Mother of Monsters’ in his intensity, eyes flaring. In an instant, however, he seemed to cool; red, hot coals for eyes still burned bright but his posture took on an entirely different shade. Though he held a clearly bellicose stance, a shift in positioning lowered the clear aggression as his gaze dodged about Ahtziri, desperately clawing for more mortal-esque behaviors he could more easily manipulate. Though he had very little to work with, Lonn was cunning first and foremost.

”My authority is as their parent. I am in each and every one of their hearts and I know them inside out, from head to toe. You have been butchering defenseless children since the day you first opened your eyes on this earth; you are man’s worst impulses made manifest. You are worse than them.”

And then the rage was gone from her face again, her corded muscles untensed and her eyes relaxed. Suddenly her voice was very small, barely a reverent whisper, and she looked upon the misshapen husks of flesh known as mortals before her with a spark of pity in her eyes.

"I could not stand for my children to die here…” she began, waving a hand at the nearby mortals in dismissal. "Yours should see this encounter through, too. Go.”

She spared no further thought towards the beneficiaries of her clemency, instead choosing to focus on the more apropos target of her rage. The fire did not return quite so quickly as before, but the more her eyes bored into his the more it rose up within her until she could contain it no longer and a heavy snarl forced its way through her clenched, imperfect teeth.

"I endowed one of my children with intellect, you know? I made him capable of thought, and of speech. He did not use that gift to seek out the mortals who’d hunted him down in the first place, he was simply so grateful and so filled with adoration that he took me to his brethren so they, too, might know a mother’s love. Your children are born into this world knowing that love, and still they choose the darkest paths available to them--ignorance and fear are their kingdom, and you their king! You dare chastise our nature and excuse theirs? Yours?!”

Ahtziri’s claws grew wickedly long as she spoke, her wings spread ever-wider, the machine of her body rippling and huffing with the wrath soaking into every part of her being. She did not strike, but nor did she back down--and her patience for Lonn slipped like so many grains of sand through an hourglass.

Lonn’s sneer returned in full swing, only the slightest hint of his perfect teeth visible behind a clear and very apparent grimace. Despite his attempts otherwise, whatever was seated in reality in the creature that just barely counted as his peer fled before the onrush of hypocrisy. He would almost felt pity for her if it weren’t for the rampant levels of disdain. Before her he had never once even thought of hating the monsters that prowled the world, only seeing them as another challenge for men to overcome or fail to; now, having met their mother, he was beginning to feel a bit different. While still maintaining his somewhat defensive posture, Lonn stretched and outward and caught the lance of red lightning that burst into a line from the point of his hand. It crackled viciously as the red glow of that God of Mortals hummed and thrummed with life all its own, scorching a black scar into the ground below as the energy jumped from lance tip to earth. One last attempt, he promised himself, to try and handle this in a more subtle way. Only one, though.

”Love? Men don’t know love; they seek it, crave it even, but it is stolen from them at birth. Do you know how many suffer that loss? How many children lose their parents, or vice versa? You should, as I wager you’ve taken your fair share of them. They are gifted with the will to act on opportunity, not the freedom to make any and all choices. They choose the paths they choose because that is the world that was made for them; mortals are no different from your precious spawn but for how they look. Their bellies ache when they’re hungry, their skin bites at them when they’re cold, and their hearts tear at them when they feel loss.” By then Lonn had dropped any pretense, clearly at the limits of his prodigious ability to hide his true feelings. His eyes pierced Ahtziri like the sharpest of blades, her monstrous hypocrisy impossible to ignore and wounded him so that it colored every word of his retort, “You just can’t stop lying to yourself, can you? If you weren’t such a damned hypocrite you’d see right through yourself and your high tower of lies. Fact is, men and monsters are exactly the same; I know, I’ve seen both their hearts.”

"Then are we not fated, as their stewards, to play out our roles? To inhabit this world that our actions have built and act on the opportunity we have been given...?"

Ahtziri's tone lost its fiery edge, tempered in a deluge of icy conviction. No longer was she furious beyond reason, the world seething red like a sanguinary pallour. A calm had overtaken her, her ire sharpened and cooled into a steely edge of determination--red gave way to the baleful light of purple, her form sheathed in forebodingly gleaming purpose. The air around her seemed to darken, her silhouette drawing more and more of the light from her surroundings until she was a byzantine streak against a void of black. She stood in opposition against Lonn, though calmly--she acted in that moment as though the heaving, snarling fury that had dominated her not moments ago was irrelevant to the point of forgetfulness. There was an unspoken challenge; no longer defiant, no longer beyond reason. All of that was gone, replaced with this resolve to act. To demonstrate, to bring into being and manifest through action and not word--a seizing of a moment that had been offered, but in her own way.

"Then must I not see the heart of man for myself, to know?"

Lonn’s eyes locked on Ahtziri and closed to smoldering red slits, all sense of humanity usually presented by him dashed. There was no question that any attempt at turning things to peaceful ends had failed. The body language of the goddess was unmistakable. The tip of his crackling lance lowered to point generally towards Ahtziri’s heart though Lonn had no intention of making the first blow. When he spoke of Ahtziri’s death, he would do so honestly; the beast hadn’t seen reason, despite every attempt on his end. Most of all, Ahtziri’s poorly veiled words did not fall on deaf ears; to Lonn her meaning was clear as day.

”Yours first.” came the laconic threat, spat from Lonn with not a drop of insincerity.

Ahtziri's very being was calm. Still. In that moment her focus was serene, utterly consumed by the purpose she had given herself. Whatever came before and whatever was to come after no longer mattered, falling away like a caul dissolving over the eyes--there was only this moment in time. Her movement was lightning-swift, propelled dually by the inhuman might of her physical form and the additional force of her wings. Teeth bared, claws honed to steely points; she was the weapon in that moment, her focus aided by a primal insight into the shape of her flesh that mortals often forsook in the name of civilisation. She came at him head-on, with no particular direction or points of attack in mind; she would react to his movements to determine where her attacks would target and how she would move. Her monstrous, serpentine tail also moved independently of its own accord, holding slightly back and to her right as she moved towards him. The sheath of energy began to bristle and intensify as she got closer in proximity to Lonn, equally ready to crackle and lash out against him. A ferocious snarl coiled within the lower reaches of her throat, building in intensity and making itself known with a low, thrumming hiss.

In a flash Ahtziri had closed the distance on her rival, truly godly speeds making her rush all the more impressive. It was obvious how easily the Mother of Monsters must have dispatched all the mortals she had found, made readily apparent by the might presented in the moment. Against any mortal or some creature ken to a god, Ahtziri would’ve been a whirlwind. Alas, she had not yet known other gods and she clearly underestimated her opponent; the God of Mortals did not have that failing.

With speeds belied by his mortal-appearing frame, Lonn did not only react but moved to secure the initiative. A bare foot, caked with soot and muck to the point of being nearly unrecognizable, slammed heel-first into the rock before him. The kinetic energy produced shattered Lonn’s fleshy leg, meat and bone exploding into nothing but red mist and white powder in a fraction of a second. Where the heel struck stone the world erupted, a massive cloud of dense fragmentation and shrapnel vomiting from the contact point. With balance set and perfect posture taken, Lonn’s cocked arm launched forward to hurl the electrified carmine lance of violence made manifest. In the instant where the projectile left his fingers, the stored energy drawn with it destroyed Lonn’s throwing arm in a similarly brutal fashion to his leg. Moments later and Lonn detonated with a spiteful roar, a bolt of red hurtling into the sky like lightning, coursing through the sky over the lance at similarly breakneck speeds. The lance itself scorched through the air with such speed and ferocity that it would’ve been barely visible to men, no different to the eyes of mortals than that of the sky opening up with all its fury. It burst out from the cloud with only Ahtziri able to track its path, baleful red glow a promise of the pain to come.

Were she a flurry of animalistic fury intent only upon loosing her savagery upon a target, the lance would've hit its target sure and true--but Ahtziri had left all of the fury behind her, and what her focus became was something eerily similar to the true essence of Lonn that had been revealed with the barest fragments of his fury. Mortalkind's worst feature was, without a shadow of a doubt, the cool edge of reason that honed animal instincts to fine points, sharp enough to pierce the natural law of the world. The best in them was a force truly to be reckoned with; just, benevolent, brighter than even the gods shone in the sky. A fragment of what had made the paradise their home used to be the wonder beyond wonders that it was lived on at mortalkind's highest peaks. Just as things could arc highly, so too must they have equal capacity to fall--and in that descent the keen edge of mortal spirit lit the darkest paths one could take with a compelling refulgence, and man was wont to follow its glow until they lost themselves and became what she was. Monstrous. She, too, had arced towards a parabola in that moment--her entire being soared so closely to that turning point that in a darker sort of light she could almost press against the glass and look mortality in the eye. A scarlet flash seared that gleam of ruinous nostalgia into her mind as her body twisted and wrenched itself in the air, becoming airborne and twisting herself underneath the lance as she rotated 180 degrees.

The force of the movement from her wings kicked up against the storm of shrapnel and halted most of it midair, the rest becoming too slow to impact her form with enough force to matter. Then, from above, a strike she had not seen coming; the bolt of crimson lightning from above directly struck her underside, cleaving into the sheath of purple flame that cooly danced on her bare flesh and setting it alight with the sheer force of it. Though the initial impact she had compensated for with her buffer, the rest of the attack soon followed through with horrendous force, slamming her directly down into the ground with a sickening crunch and a tremendous screech of pain.

The bolt of light that was Lonn ossified into flesh and bone once more, sans the organic matter sheathing his right arm and left leg. In their place were semi-metallic facsimiles of human bones, black and red in hue and indescribable in their make. The tattered remains of flesh hung at where they jutted from annihilated stumps, freed from the trappings of mortality. For only the briefest moment Lonn crouched with both feet firmly planted on Ahtziri’s back, crushing her into the earth and rendering the stone beneath them to rubble. Though the explosion was deafening, even before the moment had the briefest second to settle Lonn was struck in the gut, turning his insides to pulp. The man-god was hurled from her back with contemptuous ease and despite the wounds dealt, the Mother of Monsters rapidly twisted and leapt after him.

Lonn glared at her in the brief flash before contact was made again, his form hurtling through the air as she rapidly closed the distance. The moment of separation passed and she was upon him, lunging at his face with monstrous claws bared. Just as Lonn’s back slammed into the boulder behind him, shattering an entire side of the thing with the force of his impact, Ahtziri struck. Talons raked across his face, making short work of the skin and muscle and fat that clung there. Even eyes were torn free, ripped from their sockets and sent flying in the opposite direction as a spray of viscera. Beneath that lie, the mask of mortality Lonn wore, the metallic-skulled features grinned back with deathly intent. Perfect teeth, unmarred in their entirety by the violence, gleamed within the confines of a pitted black, metal skull. The deep holes that once held eyes seared Ahtziri’s vision as they returned to life, surging with the deepest red light imaginable.

Powerful hands, one of flesh and one of metal, dug fingers painfully into Ahtziri’s sides before her talons could return to their brutal work. Lonn rotated in an oddly inhuman motion underneath the bestial woman before kicking off and tossing Ahtziri from his previously prone position. Moving with monstrous reaction times, Ahtziri immediately pounced right back for him before noticing a carmine glow just outside her view. In an instant Lonn’s arms raised above his head crashed down with the force of an asteroid, carrying with them a burning red maul of ferociously crackling energy. The gada struck Ahtziri on the pate of her skull, sending her face first into the shattered ground beneath while violently evaporating in a cascade of red light. Another explosion erupted from the surface as a cloud of obliterated stone showered the world around them, Ahtziri striking the ground only to bounce back up from the force. In came Lonn’s kick with his still fleshed right leg, shattering blood and bone in an instant as he launched Ahtziri away from him. Before she could react, Lonn plucked the goddess’ tail in two hands, rotated on his heels, and swung her above him in an arc right back into the hole she had previously put him in. An entire portion of her back erupted into gore, obliterated in the world-shattering impact. The crash was deafening, leaving a crater of serious dimensions as the fight only increased in intensity.

As the shredded meat, sinew, and bone that had once composed most of her back erupted from her body, it sizzled with the sheer heat and fizzled into nothingness before Ahtziri's monstrous regeneration could knit it together. Ahtziri released a shriek of pain as the pain receptors in her body finally caught up with what had happened to her, and instead of blood spraying itself across what remained of the ground beneath her an amaranthine ichor seeped out in sinewy strands and filled out the empty space where her organs and her meat had once been, crackling all the while. As her lungs were repaired and her vital organs set back into their proper place and function she inhaled a colossal lungful of air and let out a screech of agony that thrummed along the physical axes of the world and threatened to crumble them from within--even a hundred miles away, it would cause any humans that heard it immense pain. The force of it blasted Ahtziri back out of the hole she was in, and pushed Lonn back enough that his footing slipped on the unstable ground just beneath him and his momentum began to carry him back. Ahtziri's serpentine tail clamped its rows of teeth into the metallic skeleton that was his more honest form, hissing and crunching as they slightly crumpled the metal inwards to gain purchase, and Ahtziri used his momentum along with a powerful thrust of her newly regenerated wings, slamming him into the ground and sending a volley of amethyst arcs of arcing and crackling energy through his facsimile of flesh and into the splintered and heaving rock.

With another blast of her wings the Mother of Monsters was upon Lonn, chasing those arcs of energy into the ground, and as she barreled into Lonn the ground beneath them suddenly gave way, hollow and riddled with still-fizzing pockmarks, and the two were falling down into the earth below beneath an avalanche of dust and rubble collapsing in atop them. Ahtziri's talons found their marks once more, clanging and scraping against the metallic core of the God of Mortals, as his errant flesh began to swell and bloat and writhe of its own command, molting away from him, and Ahtziri plunged her monstrous jaws forward, opened impossibly wide, and swallowed the lot whole as she clamped down upon Lonn's truer self and wrenched her jaws closed as the ground grew ever-closer beneath them.

Lonn was a mess of silvery pockmarks and deep gouges, the flesh that made up his false identity now utterly and entirely gone. What remained was a more honest representation of men, as they sought to replace themselves with artificiality. Regardless of the metaphorical implications of his form, Lonn and Ahtziri plummeted towards the ground at breakneck speeds while the Mother of Monsters devoured what was left of his flesh, leaving the machine-like skeleton to glower back at her during their rapid descent. Despite the not inconsiderable damage dealt to his hide, the God of Mortals was not even close to surrender. In the fraction of time between the blink of an eye Lonn’s hands launched at Ahtziri, right hand plunging a thumb deep into her left eye while fingers from the other dug into the flesh of her neck. With meteoric speed the skeletal deity thrust his metallic skull into Ahtziri’s face, crushing meat and bone with disgusting ease. In her moment of discombobulation Lonn struck with his feet, thrusting her from him as her claws dragged out hunks of metal from his form.

As both divines hurtled to opposite sides of the crater, Lonn rotated on himself to crash into the ground below, falling near-instantly into a squat. A lightning flash later and he exploded from the earthen wall of his own making, shattering it as he threw himself as the projectile. He reached Ahtziri just as she reached her own stretch of crater, crashing into her and slamming her deep into the earth. The goddess’ stomach erupted into gore and viscera while Lonn roared his fury, metal fingers ripping two slabs of bedrock from their crust to smash Ahtziri’s face to splinters. The clamour of his furious shout broke the sound barrier just as the ruined goddess pushed him free of her, only for Lonn to grind to a halt on the descending wall of the crater. Even as Ahtziri leapt from her repose, body reknitting with disgusting rapidity, the Red God pressed his advantage. A sonorous, machine-like warcry escaped from his maw, a massive boulder torn from the earth held above his head, only to be brought down on top of the Mother of Monsters moments later. Blood, thick and dark, splattered in a sickly spray out from beneath the improvised weapon following a cloud of splintered rock and powdered stone.

At first there was nothing but silence, the dust finally having a chance to settle to the ground like flakes of decayed snow, but after a brief second and then another, the surface of the boulder seemed to buckle and cave in on itself, melting to magma as a sticky tendril of ichor launched itself from an imperceptible crevice within its rapidly decomposing surface. Then there was another, and it launched itself directly onto Lonn's face, sticking to him, and then before he could so much as brace himself for the impact the threads rapidly contracted and he was lurched forward directly into the burning mass of partially liquefied stone. The strands whipped themselves back as he came into contact with it, a thunderous clarion of hammered and battered metal ringing into the air, and the stone cooled around his frame to partially fuse him with it. He brought his hands up to wrench the boulder free from himself, a murderous crackle of scarlet fury surging into the boulder, before suddenly its far side crashed through it and directly into his face, shattering what remained of the boulder into pebbles that rained down like purple and red bullets, Ahtziri's still-reforming eyes boring into his as feathered wings bore her forwards and her claws lanced towards him so quickly the rush of air blasted some of the oxidised coating away in great whorls. With a surge of speed beyond speed Lonn responded, manoeuvring his chest to the side and his head slightly back and to the left, both of his heels slamming into the ground as he did so.

Ahtziri's momentum pushed her forwards still while Lonn completely arrested his, and as if following the trajectory of her movement his steely, outstretched hand caught her by the throat and crushed down with enough force to completely obliterate the flesh there. The force of it knocked Ahtziri's head clean off, flying back, but whiplike threads of ichor caught it and ripped it back towards her slumping body. In an instant they were reunited, and as she fell down towards the ground Ahtziri whipped her tail up through his legs and towards his chin, teeth glinting from the otherworldly effulgence emitted by the two and just barely reflecting the sheen of Lonn's metallic frame as it snaked its way towards an impact.

Lonn’s hand held flat slashed through the air, cutting the very wind in half before making contact with the speeding barb. With razor sharp precision the tail was severed and smashed impotently against his form, splattering from the speed of its thrust and exploding into gore. Halfway to imperceptibly, Lonn’s hand arced from its cutting swing to spear into Ahtziri’s chest, plunging into flesh to crush through bone and reach her heart. The goddess’s mouth erupted in blood and ichor that splattered across her enemy’s face as the Red God’s hand wrapped tightly around her heart, squeezing just enough to cause incapacitating pain but not destroy her. Ahtziri screeched with the use of only one lung while Lonn tightened his grip, perfect teeth belching smoke and lightning as he glared daggers into her eyes. The hand on her throat wrenched downward once more, asserting his victory. His baleful gaze was the only tell needed to tell Ahtziri she was at her end, despite the horrendous wounds she had unleashed upon her hated foe. Despite that, Lonn was far too ready to revel in her defeat to simply kill her then and there.

”I’ll remember you, cunt.” he growled, toned to match the sound of tearing steel, made all the more believable with one look at his marred body, ”But no one else will.”

Ahtziri's body still writhed and fought, her flesh rippling and shifting even then, as her eyes locked with Lonn's and that baleful purple simmered within them. She made a motion to wrench herself free, but his grip was too tight and her body too tired--for the first time in the fight she simply could not will her body to obey her, and she relaxed long enough to speak:

"If I am the worst of mankind, you are a worthy reflection indeed..." she spat out, a little globule of divine ichor spilling from the side of her mouth and dripping towards the floor, only to be snatched up by a web of thin violet strands and absorbed back within her body. She did not try to rail against her fate any further, knowing that even were she to try that she could not escape her summary judgement--her last thoughts turned to Pazuzu, and the rest of her children, and before she could stop herself hot, acrid tears streamed from her eyes in great rivulets.

"If they truly are naught but man in another shape to you, please, look after them..."

The pleading was unbecoming of the savagery and ferocity displayed only seconds ago, but now it appeared that they were both shorn of all their trappings and falsehoods--free to act in accordance with what they were beneath it all, beneath the pomp and circumstance.

"Mother! I heard you yelling!"

Suddenly, from above, a great swooping whoosh displaced the air and then the wolf-thing Pazuzu was bounding towards his Mother, whimpering distorted by the speed at which he was travelling, until he came to a stop some ten feet away from the pair of them. Two of his eyes turned to the battered body of his mother and two towards Lonn, and his twin muzzles simultaneously spoke:

"Leave Mother alone!"
"Mother! You're hurt, let me--"

But he did not move further, Ahtziri's right hand limply gesticulating a motion of dismissal.

"Pazuzu, run! Take care of the others!" she panted out, every breath in a scorching carpet of rime within her lungs and every breath out a churning column of fire spewing forth from her mouth and nose. She could barely muster the effort to remain conscious and aware, never mind speak again, but her claws still limply found their way to Lonn's hand on her throat, scrabbling desperately and furiously to free herself.

Through it all, on had been incredulous. The tears had been a magnificent display, one that practically fueled him, and he had savored the moment the very instant her first tears splashed against his limb. What came next, however, hit Lonn quite different. The defeated Goddess’ mewling had turned from petty insults almost instantly and in the depths of her despair, it wasn’t her own life that Ahtziri begged for but those of her children. And then that damned whelp appeared.

Lonn hadn’t even spared Pazuzu a passing glance, tasting nothing of divinity on the air from him. It was a creature, no different than the other beasts that had scattered earlier, and the Red God had nothing to fear from him. Even its call of of “Mother”, though mournful, meant nothing to Lonn; a pup whining for its bitch-mother, nothing special. Its threat in particular was notably laughable, like the poorly built thing was somehow going to tear Lonn from his victory. But even as it snarled at him, it whined. Again, that hit differently. A sidelong glance was all the attention he provided, however, while the creature’s mother clawed at his iron-clad grip on her life.

By the Old World, the fucking pup was crying alongside its mother. When Lonn looked at Pazuzu he didn’t just see a filthy aberration, but a mortal child. Deep within its eyes he saw the intelligence of a boy watching its mother die in front of him. An involuntary twitch rattled Lonn’s body from previous damage, turning his gaze towards that of Ahtziri’s. In there was legitimate mourning, true sadness and despair when forced to consider the empty and doomed fate of her children. Beasts and men alike would often eat their young rather than perish, but here in his supposed “opposite” was the capacity for mortal caring beyond even his own grasp. Part of Lonn was infuriated, but a greater portion still felt shamed. His mind danced back to images of the terrified little girl, watching as monstrosities closed in on her family. In the depths of Lonn’s psyche, he couldn’t help but see himself in the place of those heartless vermin.

A sigh belched smoke from between his teeth as his red eyes flashed back towards Pazuzu. Without any sense of gentleness Lonn shook Ahtziri vigorously, as if still warring with himself over his next moves. The vice grip of the God of Mortals loosened on Ahtziri’s heart, not enough to yet let her free but to make clear what was happening. Ruined metal twisted on itself as he returned to looking her in the eyes, his hand on her throat slowly lowering her to the floor.

”Listen and listen well, sow,” came Lonn’s first words, screeching metallically but with a far more human voice behind them than before, ”I am not doing this for you. Your life is spared entirely by my mercy because of the honest love your child shows you. I want you to know that if it weren’t for the child’s mind you gifted this cub, I’d snuff out your wanton excuse for a life without shedding a single tear. And I remind you, this is a mercy you denied countless children. I swear, I will take count of each and every innocent life lost to your petty murders and if ever that number rises, I will return to end your life, a moment in agony passing for every single one.

With not even a hint of kindness, Lonn tore his hand from her chest with an eruption of arterial blood following suit. The grip on her neck gave ample control for a push, though it held surprisingly little strength in it. Instead, Ahtziri simply stumbled back as her flesh reformed and she coughed to regain full breath. Lonn, for his part, stood absolutely still as he stared at her, the threat of continued violence clear as day. Though he did his best to hide it, one leg was bent and his chest had been caved in at points. He looked all the part a battle worn figure, despite his victorious position and the threat he still promised.

”Now, leave.”

---

Ever since Celvanya’s encounter with Chakravarti the march towards the unstable magic rift had been relentless. Each time the soldiers that had given themselves to her command voiced a need to stop and rest they found themselves refreshed and renewed with merely a wave of the goddess’s hand. During their march the company of soldiers that Celvanya had brought under her wing had grown slightly. A handful of hiding survivors had been located as they traveled, bringing their number up to sixteen total. Celvanya had taken note of a giant sun disk entering the sky, and breathed a sigh of relief that soon there would be plenty of light for her mortal followers to see by and she would not need to maintain a source of light that made them stand out among the darkness.

After a long and ceaseless march Celvanya and her fellowship of soldiers were finally within view of the unstable magic rift. Raising a hand and calling for a halt, Celvanya instructed her soldiers to remain in place and merely observe as she dealt with the rift. There were protests to this idea almost immediately. Many had seen their homelands fall to the forces of the apocalypse and wanted to contribute as they could to combating the end. Celvanya was unswayed and spoke plainly: Even she did not understand the energies that composed the unstable rift before them, and beyond that only she possessed the durability to reliably approach unscathed.

This gave the soldiers pause. As great as their willingness to contribute was they could see the wisdom that Celvanya laid before them: To follow her to the rift would be to sacrifice their lives for essentially nothing. Backing down from their zeal, the soldiers relented to taking a rest nearby. Thanking them, Celvanya once again created a barrier to protect them. Then following this she passed out everlasting baskets of meat buns and bottomless jugs of water, just as she had done with the last camp. Bidding the soldiers farewell for a time, Celvanya turned and walked the final distance to the rift.

As she approached the rift Celvanya felt the air begin to energize around her. With each step the buzzing feeling grew more intense until finally a pulse of energy emerged from the roiling rift. Celvanya paused in her advance briefly as she felt this pulse go by. The energy that had filled the air dissipating after the pulse passed her by. Looking back to where the soldiers were, she saw that they were safe behind the barrier. Nodding to herself, Celvanya drew her sword and activated the blade before beginning to walk forward once more. The golden glow that bathed the area provided a measure of confidence to the goddess: Whatever the rift could or would produce would be met with her full fury.

As Celvanya continued to approach the air around her energized once again and a few moments later another pulse emerged from the rift. This one was much stronger than before, and Celvanya found herself briefly off balance from the force. If any of the soldiers had followed her to this distance, it was likely that they would be disintegrated by now, if not worse. Undeterred by the pulses from the rift, Celvanya continued to approach until she was within distance to touch at the rift with her sword. No more waves of energy came from the roiling rift now, but it certainly seemed poised to defend itself in whatever manner it could. Raising a hand, Celvanya extended her divine senses outward to try and stabilize the flow of magic.

Touching at the energy cautiously Celvanya found her senses briefly overwhelmed by the buzzing feeling that she had felt before. Beating the sensation back, Celvanya began to compress the rift down. It resisted at first, but soon began to shrink. As the rift shrank the flow of energy into the world began to slow. Moving from an unchecked torrent of magic to a steady flow, and then finally to a slow drip. As the rift finally calmed, Celvanya breathed a sigh of relief. She had thought that there would be a greater difficulty to this task, and was pleasantly surprised at the fact that she had been wrong.

Unfortunately, she was also wrong about it being easy.

Shortly after it had been stabilized, the rift shook violently before expelling a figure. This figure glowed with nearly every color that Celvanya could perceive at once. Each shifting rapidly across its form. What really startled Celvanya, however, was the fact that the creature expelled from the rift looked remarkably like herself. After a few moments of pondering Celvanya came to a realization: As she had touched at the energy, so too had the energy touched at her. Now that it had learned how to take on a form, it was manifesting something to try and better defend itself.

Worse still, it was manifesting many of that something. With an inhuman shriek the first of these magic-born creatures lunged at Celvanya with hands that rapidly transformed themselves into claws. Rolling to one side, Celvanya brought her sword up into a ready position and had mere moments to react as another manaborn lunged at her. Spinning away, Celvanya used the momentum to bring her sword down across the back of the creature and sliced it in two. As the sword passed through the manaborn, it dissolved.

Good, they could be killed.

Ducking and dodging out of the way, Celvanya remained on the defensive for several minutes until she realized a few things that put a major wrinkle into her plans. First, she was slowly losing ground against the rift. Second, for each creature she cut down another was disgorged by the rift. Third, the rift was growing back to its original size. None of these things were good. The rift needed to be sealed, and it needed to be sealed now.

Pressing forward, Celvanya switched to using sweeping sword strokes in order to cut down multiple manaborn at once. She needed to be careful, as with each broad swing her defenses were left open for a few moments. One of the manaborn was almost able to take advantage of this opening, but in a moment of extreme speed Celvanya was able to bring her fist down upon its head. Though its head was crushed the goddess found her hand numbed for a few moments before the feeling returned, none the worse for wear thanks to her divine resistance.

The answer was plain: There were too many of them. A few of the soldiers emerged from the barrier with a rallying cry to aid their goddess, but Celvanya immediately shouted at them to remain inside and shield their eyes. There was a moment of hesitation in following the order before the soldiers noticed something about Celvanya: She was glowing. Not only that, but the glow surrounding Celvanya was growing in intensity. Coming to the understanding of what might be happening, the soldiers ducked into the barrier once more and covered their eyes with their shields.

Spinning on the spot with her sword extended, Celvanya used the breathing room she had created to leap into the air. Releasing her grip upon her sword, it and the scabbard that she kept it in vanished. Celvanya’s staff vanished as well, and soon thereafter Celvanya was shrouded in a brilliant golden light. For a few brief moments it looked as if the sun had been reborn upon the eastern part of the continent, and when the light faded in intensity Celvanya looked… Immensely different.

Now standing at ten feet tall and clad in a suit of golden armor, Celvanya brushed her extremely long blonde hair to one side before raising her arms. Small portals began to manifest around her, and from them emerged an array of swords, spears, javelins, and other weapons of the battlefield. Celvanya pointed down at the hoard of manaborn below and a brief moment later these manifested weapons launched themselves down at immense speed, peppering the creatures with incredible accuracy. The rift began to produce more and more of them as they were slain, but Celvanya’s wrath had only barely been expressed.

The rain of weapons intensified, and soon there were no more manaborn remaining. Only a barren hill that contained enough weapons to arm an army. But Celvanya was not done. A circle of ten swords plunged into the earth around the rift, and from these ten swords an array of light coalesced around the rift. Floating down to the rift, Celvanya clenched her hand around an invisible force and forced the rift to shrink once more. As it shrank, the swords that were sealing it slowly moved inwards in order to maintain their perimeter.

Finally, when the rift had shrunk down to the size of a small table Celvanya produced an eleventh sword and plunged it into the center. As it fell into place the array of light took on another layer of complexity before flashing briefly. Now complete, it would contain the rift and hopefully keep it from spreading.

Staring at the rift intensely for a few moments, Celvanya watched and waited to see if it had any more tricks up its sleeve or it had finally been beaten into submission. Minutes passed and nothing happened. Nodding to herself, Celvanya released the divine energy maintaining her form. As it slipped away another flash of light bathed the area and when it faded Celvanya was back in her usual form once more. Her sword and staff reappeared a few moments after the light faded. Notably, weapons that had been generated while Celvanya had brought her full might to bear vanished into nothingness, save for the swords that made up the seal around the rift.

Taking a moment to breathe, Celvanya turned and returned to the soldiers. As she returned to their company they hailed to her valiant efforts. Celvanya could only smile before thanking them for their praise. Taking place among them, Celvanya shared the experiences of what she had encountered. Many of the soldiers came to admit that their zeal to fight would’ve gotten them killed against odds like that, but Celvanya assured them that she appreciated the effort they were willing to go to in order to help.

As she was telling them that such an attitude was commendable Celvanya froze mid sentence. Whirling around on the spot she began to sprint towards the stabilized mana rift, and was both annoyed and concerned with what she saw: The rift was pushing against the seal once again. The seal was holding for now but it was likely to break in an hour, if not less. Extending her divine senses outward, Celvanya reinforced the seal and once again squelched the rift into a state of calm.

This time, there would be no stopping the soldiers as they came to follow. They looked upon the rift with concern, and only when the rift was steady for a moment did Celvanya turn her attention away from it in order to explain what had happened. It was in that moment that the group came to an understanding: They needed some way to constantly sap at the strength of the rift in order to keep it from slowly eroding the seal.

It was then that Celvanya remembered the staff she had picked up along her travels. If the tree that was could be restored and made to feast upon the magic that the rift was constantly producing, then it could perhaps serve to keep it weak enough for the seal to keep it contained? There was only one way to truly find out. Extending her divine senses outward and raising her hands, Celvanya pushed the barren ground aside before gently pushing the sealing swords downward. As she hoped, the rift was moved along with the swords. Once it was in place, Celvanya buried it carefully. Once that was done she took the staff from her back and removed a piece from the fibers that grew from the top.

Returning the staff to its position on her back Celvanya gently dug open a hole for the fibers to be planted. Covering the fibers, Celvanya stood and waited to see if her plan would take effect. When nothing happened for several moments she began to grow concerned. Was what she planted enough? Was it fully dead and impossible to return to life? Was the magic preventing it from growing?

One of the soldiers was able to offer an idea: They mentioned that perhaps the ground was simply not fertile enough to support any plant life, and Celvanya nearly smacked herself for not considering something so simple. With another wave of her hand Celvanya infused the barren earth with the fertility it would need to support plant life… And nothing happened.

Narrowing her eyes, Celvanya began to think of alternate solutions to the problem at hand. But before anything could come to mind the ground began to split. Before their eyes a tree began to grow from where Celvanya had planted the fibers, and in mere minutes a huge tree grew. But that was not all.

As the roots dug deep into the magic rift, the magic accelerated the growth of the tree exponentially, and soon something quite interesting began to happen: As the roots of the first tree dug deep into the earth they carried with them the fertility that Celvanya had infused into the earth to allow for the first tree to grow, and as the first tree reached the final stage of its growth hundreds of small flecks of light began to drift from it. Scattering across the peninsula, everywhere a light landed a tree began to grow, and in the span of a few hours the entire area had been reshaped into a thick and untamed forest.

The soldiers watched with childlike wonder as the forest spread as far as the eye could see. Underground, the roots of each tree joined together to form one cohesive network as they bit deep into the earth, digging into pockets of metal, water, and whatever else could be found. Not only did this stabilize the ground against earthquakes and ensure that the entire forest had the resources it needed to thrive, but it would have an interesting effect on the biology of the trees in time…

As the forest spread beyond where they could see, Celvanya turned to the soldiers that had followed her this far and looked over the group. Then she looked back to the tree, and then to the mortals once more. Nodding to herself, Celvanya began to speak to them. ”Soldiers! Hear me. I would ask of you something that brings me hesitation. As much as I would like to stay here and guard this tree and this rift I know that my divine nature will see me called elsewhere inevitably. Thus I would ask of you a task that will consume your lives forevermore: I would ask of you to settle here, rebuild, and guard this tree and these lands in my stead. Know that I will help you, and bestow as many gifts to aid you as I am able, but ultimately this task will fall upon your shoulders and the shoulders of your children and their children. I would also have you know that it is fully within your right to refuse this calling, and there will be no punishment or mistreatment should you choose to refuse.”

Silence swept over the soldiers. Celvanya had saved their lives and stabilized the rift as she said, but this was also a monumental request to bind them with. To devote their lives to safeguarding the tree that had been grown over the rift was something quite unexpected. They talked among themselves around an hour and a half before they returned to Celvanya with a collective decision: Yes, they would guard the tree.

Thanking the soldiers, Celvanya gathered them all close and spoke once more. ”You have my deepest thanks, all of you. As promised I will help you found your future home, but first, before anything else, I would grant unto all of you my first and greatest gift.”

Clapping her hands together, Celvanya produced sixteen spheres of glowing green energy. One was given to each soldier, and when they touched them a change swept over the group. It was an unpleasant change, but when it was over the soldiers realized what they had become: The first of the Celvanian Elves. Unknown to Celvanya, as she had given of her divine essence onto the mortals in order to reshape them, she had taken on some of their human essence herself. Though this would only come into play later...

Nodding to the soldiers, Celvanya looked at the clearing that surrounded the tree and the twisting woodland that lay beyond before looking at the elves and nodding. It was time to build a city.

---

Ahtziri hovered in the sky, gently rubbing her hands over the rest of her wounds that were yet to heal. Pazuzu nosed at them with a downturned expression of concern, a gargling whine coming from his lower maw as he looked up into her eyes.

"Why did he try to kill you?! Why didn’t you just walk away?!" he growled, his voice equal parts concern and fury.

"Shh, my love... Think only of the mercy that we are still together." Ahtziri began, taking a hand from a still-oozing burn on her midriff to pet his snout affectionately. She winced as he practically slammed himself into her with concern, but quickly composed herself and tousled his sinewy fur. She looked down upon the land, musing upon the words that they'd shared, and resolved to come to peace for the sake of her children, and for his. Even now, after a near-death experience, some bare fragments of that earlier hypocrisy remained seated within her psyche--stubbornness or intrinsic nature? She wasn’t sure.

"Lonn… Perhaps we are not so different, you and I. Monster and Man… Let us give them a chance at parity, then. Let us leave them to their choices and their opportunities."

Ahtziri gathered herself, calling forth the power of the divine ichor within her once more. A wreath of lilac flames flickered into being around her head, quickly catching and spreading over her body. Pazuzu whined with concern again, but after looking into Ahtziri's eyes knew that she would not be swayed from whatever it was she was going to do and swooped down towards the ground to await her. As the flames overtook her she kindled them with her magic, the lilac darkening and becoming a deeply sinister shade of purple that seemed to grow around her. In an instant the flames expanded enormously into an enormous sphere with her at the centre, and its baleful light shone across the entire shard, growing and intensifying as she focused, until she was almost like a blazing moon within the sky. Then she spoke, and all mortals and monsters touched by her light would hear her voice swimming in their minds, a sinister and guttural whisper that resonated within their skulls:



Then, just as quickly as it had spawned, the light was gone and the magic was cast. Those who wished for her fecundity would be welcome to it, any sincere prayer answered with a mote of pure life that may or may not become monstrous--a choice guaranteed. Each monster, similarly, would be given the opportunity to embrace mortality--to free themselves from the mirrored shackles of their condition and make the same choices man could, to react to the same opportunities.Her work done, Ahtziri descended from her flight and rested a palm atop Pazuzu's head.

”H-hello? Are you alright?” A distant yell followed by approaching steps hailed the arrival of another, the appearance of a many-armed humanoid growing clearer on the grasslands. It approached with great speed, seemingly drawn by the commotion. ”Who goes there?”

Ahtziri and Pazuzu both turned to react to the figure approaching them from the distance, momentarily shocked at the chances that another being was so close to them--but given what she'd just done, she knew that she was going to draw attention to herself in one way or another. She simply had not expected it to be so... immediate. As soon as the form of the many-handed being entered her field of vision, she once again knew that they were divine as she was, and she prepared herself for combat once again, claws outstretched and teeth bared. Her tail's head remained curiously reticent, not opting to snap in the direction of whatever god was coming, and Pazuzu looked up at Ahtziri and nudged her hands with his nose.

"They mean no harm, mother..."

Ahtziri took a deep breath in and retracted her claws, instead resting her hand atop her faithful child's snout and looking down at him with what was first a scowl, but then quickly a smile.

"As you say, Pazuzu. I am Ahtziri." she called out the latter sentence, not electing to wave in greeting but shifting her stance and posture from one of aggression to one of cautious wariness. She did not make any moves towards the entity, opting to wait for them to approach her more fully, and still steeled herself in case she needed to act: if they reacted poorly to what she had just done, she would need to be ready at an instant's notice.

The entity slowed as they came closer, adopting a wary stance as well. In two of their arms, they held a human child; two more arms caressed a slightly curved belly; and the last two were held in midway between a guard and a cross over the chest. Their golden eyes scanned the forms before them and bowed a polite greeting. ”Forgive me, my lady,” it said with a calm voice. ”I was in the area and heard a terrible cry of pain - the kind only kin can shout for its kin. To think my instincts were right - a worthy son wept for his wounded mother.” Lilac tears formed in the corners of their eyes. ”Beautiful - simply beautiful. What parent can ask for more?”

As the figure spoke of parental love, of the bond that Ahtziri shared with her firstborn, her expression immediately softened. The protectiveness was gone in an instant, blown out like a candle in a storm, and a smile crept its way across her animalistic features.

"Ah, Pazuzu... my firstborn. There is no deeper love than that between parent and child, no force more wondrous or powerful in all of creation." Ahtziri replied, her head turned to look deeply into Pazuzu's eyes. He gave her face a lick with both of his long, now-serpentine tongues and let out a gurgling growl that could only signify true love and adoration. After a few seconds of the affection Ahtziri turned her attention back to the newcomer, her presence suddenly warm and affable, and looked down upon the many-armed deity's own child, cradled so closely to their pregnant belly. Subconsciously she, too, ran a hand over her own pregnant belly (though she was considerably further along) before stepping forward slightly to look at the child.

"Ah, who is this? Your own firstborn?

Gone was the monstrous aspect of Ahtziri's voice as she looked upon the child, her voice instead filled with the overwhelming love of a mother for their child--though she had plenty of reason to distrust mortals when she awoke, her conversation with Lonn and the clear love the many-armed figure had for this child disarmed her completely. She did not approach further than the single step she took, but the more she looked at the child cradled in its mother's arms the more tears began to well in her own eyes, and she took a deep breath suddenly to bring her focus back to the one before her.

”Oh, yes,” said the entity and smiled, presenting the baby for the goddess to behold. The black-haired baby boy, free of prejudice, regarded the Mother of Monsters with the same curiosity as he regarded all things. The entity giggled. ”His name is Ossurman, but I call him mostly Oss. He’s my firstborn son, and he is everything to me.” A hand ruffled the baby’s hair. ”Yours is beautiful, too. Pazuzu, was it?”

Ahtziri's eyes lit up as Ossurman regarded her, and she drew a hand up to gently stroke his cheek with the back of her finger. As she moved it, the bestial aspects of her form slipped away into the ether, becoming completely humanoid, and she cooed gently at him as she lavished him with her affection and her attention. So engrossed by the child was she that she did not even respond to the deity's question, and Pazuzu answered in her stead:

"That's right, Pazuzu! Mother saved me from a band of attacking humans, and changed my form so that no mortals would be able to strike me down again if they tried!" the great Abiktu boasted, puffing his enormous chest out as he spoke. Two of his eyes regarded the figure before him, and the other two remained locked on Ahtziri, watching over her while she was distracted by the child before her. Ahtziri suddenly stopped and paused, looking up at her deific kin, and asked a question:

"May I bless him...?" her tone was cautious, even sheepish--she was very much unused to working her magic on those not inherently monstrous, but the purity and innocence of the child had truly touched her in a way even she had not expected. In that moment she knew that she could, perhaps, come to love this child as she loved Pazuzu--that, if the conditions were right, her love could extend to mortals. It did not shock her as she felt it, but her face still betrayed the immensity of the moment, even if one lacked the necessary context.

Chakravarti cocked their head gently to the side with a blink and then revealed a broad, heartfelt smile. ”Oh, what fortune; what friendship! Of course! If my son would be so lucky to be blessed by an exemplary mother like you, then he would be all the better for it.” The god held the baby out to her, two arms gesturing with open palms for Ahtziri to do as she would please.

Ahtziri's finger moved up to the child's forehead, and the same purple glow that she had cast upon the land moments ago danced upon his skin. She then removed her hand, and placed a tender kiss upon the glowing mark only for it to settle into him and vanish completely.

"All monsters shall love you, Ossurman, as they love me. Never shall they harm you or those born of you; never shall they refuse a heartfelt request so long as it is spoken with the love that I have for all of my children, and that your own mother has for you."

Then she stepped back, and the monstrousness overtook her hand once more. She looked at it fondly, and then to Pazuzu, and then finally back to Chakravarti.

"My children are... incompatible with mortalkind, for the most part. To become a monster is to reject the premise of mortality... but I think that which unites us is our love, and our family: at our best, we care for our kin above all else. At worst, we shame our legacy and the love that nurtures us. In this, I suppose, we are united." Ahtziri spoke, her voice gentle and whisper-soft. She looked almost distant, her mind swimming with thoughts and revelations, and it took her a few seconds to snap back to reality.

"May I ask your name?" she asked, suddenly cognizant that she did not actually know the being before her's name or purpose.

”I am Chakravarti,” said the god sweetly in a simultaneously masculine and feminine voice, hoisting the little baby boy into a better seat in their arms. Their eyes looked Ahtziri up and down with a golden glow and spoke, ”And I have never before seen this dedication, this maternity, displayed in anything else on this world. What a joy it must be to be a child of yours.” Three hands extended out and scratched Pazuzu lovingly under their two mouths. Little Ossurman cooed and stretched his little arms out to the monster, fingers grabbing the air eagerly. Chakravarti giggled and brought the boy up to touch the Abiktu, his fingers playing with the needle-like fur around his two muzzles. ”Incompatible? Nonsense, I have never seen such filial loyalty; such respectful discipline. Why would they be incompatible?”

"A pleasure to meet you, Chakravarti." Ahtziri began, before being interrupted by Pazuzu loudly growling and panting as Chakravarti paid him attention. His tongues lolled out of his muzzles and all four of his eyes closed, his enormous frame heaving with the rhythmic trill of a guttural and bestial purring. He leaned in further, slightly tilting his head to the side, before his upper muzzle began to speak.

"Ohhh, that's nice... Mother can't quite reach those spots, ahhh... She only has two hands! Oh, hello little one..."

Pazuzu's tail scythed in great swings, needle-sharp clumps and clusters of matted and torn fur falling to the ground and being caught in the smallest eddies of wind before resting on the dust and sand beneath them. Ahtziri turned to him, eyes practically ablaze with jealousy, but as soon as she saw his reaction to the attention she could not bring herself to hold on to the feeling for very long at all--and her motherly aspect practically overflowed with the joy of watching her child play with Chakravarti's.

"Ahh, my children are not all as devoted as my beloved Pazuzu. They are wild, bestial things--the darkest essences of mankind's nature, twisted into abhorrent shapes. Many of them act solely on instinct, still incapable of thought or reason... slaves to wild impulses. It... it is simply who they are. To endow them all with intellect would spell an end to humanity, I am certain--many are cruel, wicked things that cannot be persuaded or charmed." Ahtziri's voice took on a contemplative tone, weighing each of the words very carefully before she spoke them. Even after they had left her mouth, her serpentine tail's tongue tasted them in the air to be certain of them, snapping and hissing all the while.

”That is family, is it not?” chuckled Chakravarti and added yet another hand to the scratching of Pazuzu. A fifth hand reached over to gently land on Ahtziri’s shoulder and the god spoke, ”Despite all their flaws; despite all their wrongdoings - we have no choice but to love them. They will destroy your reputation, ruin years of toil and hard work in a single day, but in the end, they are yours - they are your pride and your reason to be.” The hand on the shoulder gently flowed down Ahtziri’s torso and landed on her swollen belly. ”But this you already know. You have known it since you birthed your first.” Golden eyes fixed into hers. ”You truly are a perfect mother.”

Ahtziri returned the gaze with equal intensity, bringing her own hands up to press against Chakravarti's belly. Even now she could feel the radiant energy of a life swelling within, the sensation of it causing her hands to tingle. She smiled, rows of razor-sharp teeth glinting in the light, as she drew in a shaky breath. For the first time in her short existence, she did not know what to say: she tried to speak, but nothing came out of her mouth. She turned to look at Pazuzu, and then down at little Ossy, and finally back to Chakravarti, somewhat composed:

"That is... very kind of you to say. To know such qualities exist in another, one must possess them themselves--you, too, are a wonder beyond wonders. If mortalkind has you at its head, well... perhaps they are not irredeemable."

As she spoke, Pazuzu turned his head to look at her and gave her cheek a quick lick before burying his snout in the crook between her neck and shoulder. No words needed to be exchanged between them for the meaning of the gesture to be clear: this line of thinking was the way forward, the only way to ensure that his mother would be safe from the predations of other divines who might not be so understanding. She brought a hand up to his neck, stroking it gently, and brushing over one of Chakravarti's hands. She turned back to face the eight-armed god, skin clearly flushed beneath the fur.

The family god gasped as though they had choked and descended down onto one knee. They took the hand that had been on their belly in a gentle hold and looked up into the goddesses’ crimson eyes with a pleading look. ”My lady,” said Chakravarti in a small voice, ”I cannot hide these emotions any longer. Hearing your poetic love for your children despite their flaws… It has stirred something deep inside of me. Would you, dear lady Ahtziri, do me the honour of becoming my wife?” A halo of light and lotus flowers surrounded their silhouette and a soft melody played on the wind. The little baby boy seemed somewhat upset, as though he had seen this display too many times.

Ahtziri's initial reaction to the display was confusion, plain and simple--she had no concept of this idea of marriage, or what Chakravarti could possibly be proposing to her. The nature of civilisation was something Ahtziri barely understood, the closest she had gotten to reconciling the idea of what it was being similar to a pack, or a family--but such a notion was insufficient for her to process precisely what was being offered to her. She understood the emotion of the gesture, certainly, but otherwise all that played across her face was a lack of understanding. Seeing this, Pazuzu huddled next to her and spoke in a gentle whisper--though, of course, not so quiet as to go unheard by a god.

"I think it's... mating partners? Over a long period of time? Ossy says that they've said as much to all of the other gods they've met, even... him! Lonn!"

Pazuzu's four eyes narrowed conspiratorially, and he pawed at the ground in front of Chakravarti just enough to attract attention and interrupt the scene.

"Ossy says that you offered Lonn the position of... prime something? Whatever that is, Mother deserves it too! I'll only agree if she gets at least what he got!" he said, a brief flash of defiance and protectiveness glinting in his eyes. Almost immediately after he said it, however, he seemed to realise that he'd effectively made a demand of a deity and immediately bowed his head, a small whine escaping his muzzle like gravel being poured onto the ground. Ahtziri rested her left hand upon his head, petting him in his favourite spot (behind his right ear, just above at the bottom) and raising an eyebrow at Chakravarti as she did so, waiting for a response.

The other god frowned briefly and looked down at Ossurman with a scowl of disappointment. They opened their mouth briefly as though to say something, then closed it, and opened it again, saying, ”You are very right, Pazuzu. Some time ago, I took Lonn as my First Consort, and it is his child I carry in my belly as we speak.” Two hands caressed the golden skin of the slight protrusion of their abdomen. They straightened themselves up somewhat and donned a somewhat serious expression. ”You are most lovely, my lady Ahtziri, and I would love nothing more than to make you my wife; however, First Concubine is not a title I can grant to just anyone - not even Lonn received his for free. A wife is for spawning offspring, but a Prime Concubine must be displayed before everyone, as well - she must possess a certain… Character and status, if you will. Now Pazuzu, I mean this in no disrespectful way, of course, but does your mother possess any sizeable lands? Has she done any mighty deeds? Will she take the time to learn the etiquette of the court so she may rule beside me?”

Pazuzu tilted his head to the side, lower muzzle letting out a small bark as he began to speak again.

"Well... Mother hasn't taken any lands yet, and I'm not sure what you mean by mighty deeds..." the Abiktu started, eyes narrowing as he thought about what he was saying.

"Oh! She has the allegiance of all of her children! We'd all fight and die for her, so she has the biggest army! And she can make more of us, and then we can make more of ourselves, and I bet we could overrun the whole world if Mother wished it!" Pazuzu turned to look at Ahtziri as he barked out the last part, clearly seeking her approval. She gave him a nod and his fur a tousle, and he turned back to Chakravarti with his tail wagging behind him even faster than it had been previously.

"How many divinities are there, that such parading is necessary...? Well, if it is sufficient for you to collect concubines and consorts in this manner, it means that I must play this game whether I like it or not--and... well, I would very much like to spend more time with you. To have another that understands what it means to be a parent is... well, it is not something I thought would happen. A grand unification of the families of monsters and mortals, an undying dynasty the likes of which have never been seen before and shall never be seen again; an emperor to rule it, and a faithful Abiktu at his side to safeguard him and love him. Our lands need not fear the monsters that will undoubtedly plague the others--are these things enough for you?" Ahtziri then knelt, and took two of Chakravarti's hands in her own. She looked at them with a steely conviction in her eyes, a pledge of loyalty and love upon her lips, and deep within her an ambition began to take root.

The family god lifted a backhand to their forehead as though close to swooning and two more hands closed around Ahtziri’s grip as well. ”Oh, what devotion; what pledges!” Their halo of light and lotuses brightened and thickened, and their final free hand cupped itself over their chest. ”Soothe yourself, o beating heart! Alas, her oaths are too much! How can I, o how can I, Chakravarti, turn down such an unmatched will to join my dynasty? How can I, Chakravarti, deny this most gracious and necessary gift to my legacy and my house? This most benign and benevolent contribution?” They pulled loose all their hands and whichever weren’t holding Ossurman took the Mother of Monsters into an embrace, saying, ”Your love for your children and care for our house have rocked me to my very core, beloved lady Ahtziri. Nay, lady Ahtziri vur Chakravarti, First Concubine of mine. For yes - my emotions can no longer be tamed! I must have you, and I must have you close to me! Be mine, o Ahtziri, be mine!”

"There will be those who will not see the fruitfulness of our union, those who are unwilling to join our family... But they are not worth our time, my love--let them sink beneath our notice like the vermin they are, let our children inherit the earth!" Ahtziri proclaimed, returning Chakravarti's embrace with all of the passion she could muster. Pazuzu let out a great howl of excitement, loud enough to vibrate the earth gently beneath their feet, and with a great beating of his wings flew up into the air. His tail continued to wag furiously as he looped around himself, circling the three below, and gentle pants punctuated the air as Ahtziri finally extricated herself from her partner's grasp. She turned her gaze up into the air, at the happiness of her firstborn, and tears once again welled up within her eyes.

"To see them happy, loved... it is worth every trial they put us through. I would endure a beating from every other god on this shard, even lay down my life if I must, just to see him happy." the words tumbled from her mouth without thinking, said to no-one in particular, and her gaze only returned to the ground when Pazuzu came crashing down upon it a good distance away, bounding across the craggy hills towards the pair.

"So what do we do now, Mother? Oh!" he began, before turning himself towards Chakravarti with a quizzical, lopsided grin on his face (insofar as was possible for an Abiktu), "Should I call you Father? Mother? I'm just not sure!

”Either will do, my son,” Chakravarti declared and gave him a gentle pat. ”Now, as one house, we must do our best and spread our influence across the world. I will remain here, my love, and continue shaping our son’s land into a worthy grounds for his empire to prosper. I request, therefore, that you and our son Pazuzu remain until you are healed before journeying out to secure our dynasty more land, wealth and respect. We are in this together, my lady Ahtziri, and together, we will conquer this Shard for our children and our children’s children!” To celebrate, the god flexed an arm and raised a triumphant obelisk from the grass beside them, its faces covered in depictions of themself alongside Ahtziri and Lonn on respectively their left and right hands, and Celvanya beneath them. Monsoon water that had formed many brooks through the grassland was laid into rivers into a bridge leading to the obelisk, then a stone-toss away, a great temple arose, its walls and levels filled with statues of all sorts of creatures, mortals and monsters.

Ahtziri smirked at the raised pillar, her body reacting to the carving instinctively and beginning to crackle with her particular amaranthine glow. Her remaining wounds soothed themselves in its presence, knitting themselves together as they had before, and she looked upon the carved stone pensively as her regenerative magic did its work. She had no desire to ever meet him upon the battlefield again, that much was certain, but she was grateful for what had happened. For what his conviction had shown her, no matter how painful the lesson was; for the revelation that they were, ultimately, perhaps not so different. Now they were joined as family, and a small part of her was apprehensive of how he’d react to the news--but she had faith that, ultimately, it would work out in its own way. Opportunities would present themselves for a clean path forward, and she only had to humble herself to take them. She would not let her children go unloved, or die unclean deaths, for the sake of pride. Not after last time. Her eyes glanced over to the temple that Chakravarti had created, perusing its many carvings and stone-wrought likenesses, and turned back to the Obelisk once more content to rest and wait. There would be new lands to conquer soon enough--for now, she had only to bide her time.

---

---

The wretched throng scrambled up the mountain in slow motion. Bodies worn hard and made desperately tired from the long journey now moved only at the insistence of addled minds. Leading the desperate procession was the sole man among them undiminished, a figure whose energy never faltered as he helped the others along even while carrying a child on his back. Newly named, Orynn Kaseyk, the God of Defiance, led the first mortals into the divine city at the center of the world. Upon seeing it, some of them even smiled.

Most struggled to stand. The God among them could keep their minds focused and their spirits unbroken, but he had made no effort to accomplish for them what they couldn’t have done for themselves. Yes, he had led them here, and helped them along. He had not summoned a golden chariot and spirited them all off to safety as some of his followers now silenting gazing upon the divine city realized he most likely could have done. Had they the strength, they might have asked.

The God was not likely to answer if they did. The truth was they were right, and Orynn could have saved them all if he’d chosen to, but sometimes the truth wasn’t helpful. All of them would have died if he hadn’t led them to safety. Around him they had the strength to imagine questioning a God when they couldn’t even stand, and they’d probably do it if they were capable. When he left, the questions would die, not that that made it better.

As it was... Orynn had allowed them to save themselves. He’d given them the strength to do what they knew had to be done, and he’d given them a direction. They had refused to die, others had not. Everyone had accepted the risks.

And the reward! Orynn looked out at the nascent Divine City almost as surprised as the raggedly clothed and travel weary humans behind him. He waved his people forward, which they managed, and remarked to himself, ”They’ve been busy.”

---

Ze'kelia flew around the great heights of the central mountain of the continent. She didn't know exactly what she was looking for, after all she wasn't exactly sure what someone who hits people with rivers looks like. She had been imagining a sort of animate water thing, or a mean looking giant of some kind. Unfortunately nothing so obvious was present in her initial survey, she'd been ignoring most of things going on in the place for now as she'd been trying to discern anything of particular note to her imagination.

Although she did see a group of people at an edge of the whole place, they didn't look particularly river-make-y but they did have a rather worn look about them. She hoped at least they wouldn't be too inclined to throw rocks at her.

She dived down towards a rock that she could sit upon and still have an height advantage over them, gently squeezing an orb she carried as she stood just after landing. Standing tall with spear in hand, she spoke down to them as politely as she managed, "Excuse me, do anything of you happen to know who unleashed the northern River?"

A few of the more lively looking examples of the assembled humanity spared her a curious glance, but none answered her question before continuing their slow trek towards the heart of the divine city. They were, it seemed, supremely disinterested in being delayed. Their leader waved them on and looked up at Ze'kelia with a knowing smirk, “That’d be me and Lonn. North, south, west, all of them. I’ll throw a little credit I’Iro’s way, for the sake of fairness.”

”WHAT ABOUT ME?” The shouted question came echoing down from the top of one of the half-constructed structures. There, leaning dangerously over a would-be-balcony, was the short, tan Goddess named Astella. Even from so far away, her frown was evident. ”I WAS THE FIRST TO FIND THE WELLSPRING, YOU KNOW!” She shouted again, before disappearing into the structure, followed by the sounds of absolute chaos as several things tumbled down the stairs and a few scaffoldings broke.

Orynn grinned as she Goddess spoke, waiting until she vanished from view to speak hushedly in Ze'kelia’s direction, “And that’s about all she did do.”

Ze'kelia watched the little amount of by play, her head swinging between the apparent leader of this little herd and the short yelling Goddess. Flapping her wings and soaring down her perch she first soared over the uninterested group saying, "Thank you for your supreme unhelpfulness!" Waving a hand to have baskets appear laden with colorful cloths and fruits.

She ended her short flight coming to a stop in front of the evident leader. "Now!" A broad smile that quickly devolved as she continued, "You and 'Lonn' hit with me a river! Did you maybe think of actually paying attention to the consequences before you went out and did something like that?!"

After an apparently unprepared outburst she composed herself also whispering, "And what is a wellspring if I may add?"

“No.” The Orynn responded flatly, staring down the Goddess. He managed the pose for nearly ten seconds before a budding smile ruined his act and he spat out, “But you did!”

Orynn lapsed into a fit of barely repressed laughter as he added, helpfully, “When it hit you!”

By the time he was finished the God of Defiance looked simultaneously shamed, and no less pleased with himself than when he’d first made the joke. With a pronounced ‘whew’ he steeled his features, somewhat, and answered Ze'kelia’s last question as he regarded his followers ahead combing through their gifts, “And The Wellspring, unless you find another, is where all the water on this fragment comes from.”

“Y’know,” he went on soberly, “Popping the cork on it probably saved the lives of a lot more people than came with me, if you’re one to care about those details. Not all of us are.”

Ze'kelia replied as she fell back onto a helpfully newly made bed of furs, "Ugh, I just wanted to hit some jerk for hitting me and you had to go and make all this morality things, totally ruined."

She laid there a moment, taking a look over at the small group before her eyes shifted back to Orynn once more, "I'm Ze'kelia by the way, Goddess of Light and maker of the Su'une." Finishing with a vague wave towards the solar disk in the sky. "Who are you?

“Orynn Kaskye, God of Defiance. Friend of Humanity, maker of assorted plants, and a popper of the worlds cork,” The God introduced himself with a grin and a wink, “But you can just call me Orynn.

"Well nice to meet you Orynn! Or maybe Lady Orynn as someone I met earlier on my journey here had the intent of calling deities..." After speaking Ze'kelia, leaned in close whispering, "Are those ones you brought a humanity by the way?"

”YES!” Came the shout, muffled behind a pair of intricately carved wooden doors. Those doors shot open, pushed by the short Goddess. She was wearing a silver-coloured noblewoman’s dress and her hair, which was longer than Orynn remembered, was tied styled in a fancy braid. She was panting, a couple beads of sweat rolling down her brow. ”Those.. Are one humanity, yes! Careful Zekee, or they might stick to you like lost kittens. Kinda like they stuck to the one-who-had-no-name-but-is-now-named-Orynn. You don’t want that, they have no concept of privacy.” She explained with a smirk, chuckling under her breath as a nearby man walked off sharply.

After a moment of silence however, a white and furry cat’s head peeked up over her shoulder. She grinned and relaxed her posture, walking closer to the pair of Ze’kelia and Orynn. ”Astella’s the name, by the way.”

"Well, hello Lady Astella! Or just Astella perhaps?" Ze'kelia said with a grin, "A humanity huh? Also...

...Zekee?" Ze'kelia laid back on her bed of furs saying further. "This does seem to be a rather more built up place than most, and is on the highest mountain at that. What exactly is this place special for? Why did you lead the uh, one humanity here Orynn? It seems like there could be better places for building up in any case, space does seem at a premium when building on a mountain."

”She started building up,” Orynn directed a perfunctory gesture towards Astella, “I just brought them to the place they were least likely to die, and hey what’s a city without people anyway?”

”I’m not actually involved in any building. Not directly, at least. I just helped I’Iro make the schematics she fed into her lil worker crabspiders. Nowadays I’m just making sure everything goes smoothly and that they have enough materials to keep working. There is one thing, though...” Astella ran her hands through her hair and wiped the sweat off her brow before sighing, ”You do know the sewers aren’t done yet, don’t you, Orynn? Who’s gonna clean up all the mess? I’Iro’s workers aren’t programmed for tha-” She was cut off as some high-pitched whirring, followed by a small explosion rung out through the whole area.

In the distance, one could see a half-finished structure begin to collapse, kicking up dust and dirt into a large cloud that soon fell over much of the city.

Astella groaned and slouched, rolling her eyes. ”Not again… These little crabspider bots are impressive, but they can be so dumb sometimes... ” The short Goddess rubbed her temples and swiftly turned around and began to move towards the collapsed structure on the other side of the city. She lifted her left hand as she walked away, waving her farewells to the pair. ”I’ll see you guys around. I’ll take care of the mess over there while you two help the humans set up around here.” She half-shouted just before she turned and disappeared at a bend in the main street.

"And she's gone again. I wonder if it's me?" Orynn watched Astella vanish behind the bend as he spoke. With his eyes lingering on the wall he remarked, "Eh, probably not."

”Naw I think it’s a good chance it might be you, I mean you can be pretty rude although I suppose it’s best we don’t speculate too much. Don’t know what’s inside her head after all.” having evident lounged on her furs long enough, Ze’kelia hopped up and lazily meandered around continuing off her brief quip, ”So what do you do being a God of Defiance. Do you just like being contrarian or...”

“I couldn’t honestly say I don’t!” The God laughed, “But what do I do? Whatever I want to! And I encourage you to do the same. For me? Now? That’s keeping myself and as much of this place is left alive as I can.”

“That’s fair enough, I wanted to light the place up a tad and well I did at that!” Ze’kelia walked around and peered after the group of humans who had gone back further into the city. “Where did you even find a group like that? Have they really managed to survive much out in the barrens? I didn’t see much chance of that out in the world, even with the rivers- I’m not sure that’ll do much.”

“I got a tip from a like mind as to where I might find them, but they’re the ones who survived and made it here. Don’t listen to Astella, by the way. Humans will surprise you even when you’re not underestimating them.” Orynn was still smiling as he spoke, but his tone was humorless, “As for chances, whether this fragment is doomed or not, I don’t think I care. Neither did they. None of us plan on dying. No point lying down and watching everything fall apart, chance or not, better to die fighting if that’s how it's going to be.

She snorted at his words replying dryly, "You have a real talent you know."

"I didn't start out bringing light to this world to have it be a comfort in death. I started bringing light to make it a better world, even if I have to chain it all together to keep it from falling apart I'm not one to give up easy even if I don't trek out to save a few souls Orynn." She turned back to face him. "So what now?"

“I thought so, but you never know.” He punctuated his sentence with a pleased little shrug, “I don’t expect all of us to be on the same page. A few might need convincing. As for what now? I’m planning to head west, see if I can save anyone or anything else out that way. The Humans can manage themselves, sewers or not. What about you Ze'kelia?

"Plans plans plans! I don't know, more water can't hurt right? There's a lot of land and not a lot of rivers comparatively I suppose." She looked around, flying up to get a better view, she pointed somewhere to the north east, "That would be a good direction right?"

“Might be,” Orynn hedged, “I’ve been around. Nowhere north of here though.”

"You know its a bit greener than I remember it but... A sudden blast from her spear vasporized some rock and a huge gush of water spilled forth on the north-eastern side. ...I'm sure it'll be fine. There now I made a big river for all of them. Should put it all in order up there."

The God of Defiance watched the lip of the crater lake collapse as a frothing torrent erupted from the formerly placid crater lake. An infinite source of water poured out, shattering the rock left cracked and damaged by Ze'kelia’s spear until the new river racing out from the mountain dwarfed its peers in scale and intensity. Once the chaos had begun to subside Orynn snapped his fingers and added with a wide grin, “While you’re at it!”

He bent over and went rummaging around until he eyed a weighty rock which he promptly picked up. The God brought it to his ear and seemed to share a hushed conversation with the object before appearing to unceremoniously whip it at the westward rim of the crater lake. Accelerated by a God, when the projectile met the rim it had more than enough energy to detonate.

By the time the dust faded another river, less than half as powerful as Ze'kelia’s, but a river nonetheless flowed west. Orynn eyed his, and Ze'kelia’s, handiwork and nodded approvingly. The God shouted to his counterpart, “Good to meet you Ze'kelia! And if you wouldn’t mind, don’t tell Astella this was me!

And thereafter dove into the river he’d unleashed with a wave, letting it sweep him down the mountainside. In a low voice, "I'm not sticking around that long..." and a quick flight eastward over the lip and down the mountain to travel along the eastern peaks.

---

The unending red and gray wastes proved time and time again that to have hope was to be mad - Isa the Elder had seen it all-too-often. He prided himself on leading the greatest group of survivors in the region - not that he had met many competitors, but hey! - and whenever one or three of the youths said to him, “You know what? I’ve had it with you! We’re staking out on our own!”, he would give it two or three weeks and his flock would eventually pass by one or three ash-clad corpses. It was never an easy sight, and Isa prayed his days would be numbered from the moment he should ever think it so; however, it would always be an expected sight. What eventually did them in would be a mystery, of course: Vagabonds who had both joined his flock and passed by spoke of all kinds of dangers that could be the bane of anyone, be it young or old, man or woman, strong or sick. For his own sake, Isa the Elder would do his best just to put one foot in front of the other and make sure the rest of his flock could do the same.

Still, feeding a cohort of twenty-two was no simple feat - Isa had many times been forced to send away those who slowed them down or made too much trouble. Many in his flock despised him for it - he heard them chatter behind his back - but none dared rebel for fear of having to inherit his job. No, Isa knew there was security in his position, as there always is in jobs born out of necessity rather than want.

Isa the Elder wasn’t alone in his flock, of course; he had started with his clan, some of whom were still alive, and expanded from there. His first wife Asha had fallen ill with a cruel pox some months back, and it was with heavy heart that Isa had slit her throat to relieve her of the pain of dying alone in the ashlands. His second wife, Maiie, was thankfully in good health (or as good as could be, anyway), though she had yet to bear him a child even after nearly half a year. Rumours had begun to spread throughout the flock that Isa had lost his vigour or that Maiie had gone as barren as the land; whomsoever dared accuse the offended parties of this directly, however, quickly faced the wrath of the Elder himself.

Isa the Elder received his title of seniority for a reason: he had a son, see - Isa the Younger. Equal parts a beam of support and a thorn in his side, the two had a tenuous relationship that had frequently sparked into loud and raging arguments by the evening fire. Every bit an idealist, the Younger would always curse the Elder’s use of harsh, stern punishment to control the flock; the Elder would talk down to the Younger, citing his years of experience and record of survival as proof of his mandate. Many times had the Younger threatened to leave; equally many times had the Elder threatened to banish him. Neither threat held water, however; both knew the other to be too important to them. For indeed, even in the Time to End Time, what lasted was neither ideals or stability, but the flock, and the flock needed a ram. Isa the Elder grew frailer by the day (though he refused to show it), and everyone agreed Isa the Younger, as the kid whose horns were beginning to grow, would be the next in line. Even after all of society had broken down, the fundamental rule remained: Kin shall follow the path of kin. With his expecting wife Dya by his side, it seemed that kin would follow the path of kin for some time more, as well.

Then one night, Isa the Elder had a dream: He was walking through a valley of green, full of shapes twisting, folding and unfolding themselves and enveloped in an impervious fog that seemed to blur out all detail in the landscape. The ground, a mat of green straws, sported a metallic line that blinked with a cyan light. The line guided him forward, taking him to a tree - a black tree, though not like any tree he had ever seen nor heard of. It appeared metallic, and its branches had grown in no organic pattern, but a highly systemised one. Its natural beauty was nonexistent, for nothing living could resemble its rigidness. As he approached it, he found an old crone sitting among the roots, fused into the tree itself. In his dream, he said nothing, and he didn’t need to, for the crone spoke to him a prophecy:



Then the scene disappeared, becoming a new vision - one of endless rolling hills of grass and trees, of plentiful rain and shrubberies bearing fruit and berries. Birdsong filled his ears and moist air pervaded his nostrils. A warm wind swept him off his feet and carried him forward, his journey taking him further and further towards the gentle sun.

As swiftly as the dream had begun, it ended, and a flickering light stirred Isa to wakefulness. It was a torch, held by his long-time travelling companion Yosof, father of Dya. The chieftain rubbed the night out of his eyes and said, “Yosof, what ails you at this hour? The moon is still aloft.”

“Forgive my disturbance, brother,” replied the old man, “but it is my daughter - she is giving birth to your grandson!”

Isa blinked and mustered out of the bedroll and hurried on after Yosof out of his family’s humble tent. He caught the sight of the Younger’s empty roll, as well - to think his own son wouldn’t wake him up at a time like this. The camp was small, so the run was short; Isa was baffled that the screams hadn’t woken him earlier. The whole host had gathered around the entrance of Yosof’s family tent, and both Isa and Yosof pushed the others aside to peer inside. Just as they did, the loud cries of a baby could be heard.

“Congratulations, Isa, you have--” The midwife suddenly screamed as she saw what was in her hands; gasps and squeals from all around followed. “By the gods!”

“Wh-wha? What is it?” mumbled Dya weakly. Isa the Younger glared in disbelief at the child, no, the thing that his wife had born him. Its skin was scaly all over the torso and arms; its legs were capricornian and hooved; it had claws for hands; its head was feline in shape and covered with thin, wet fur. Its scream was human, but nothing else about it was. Isa the Younger pointed a quivering finger at it.

“Y-you sick whore! What wicked demon have you laid with to give me such an abomination for a son?!”

“Wh-what? What are you--?” Shiveringly, Dya had managed to angle herself so she could view the child. Upon doing so, she, too, screamed and tried to cover her mouth, but her body was frozen. The only one in the group not panicking was Isa the Elder - his eyes had glazed over with an empty recognition of the prophecy in the dream; he wished it had not come to his family and his clan, but if something as unthinkable as this had happened, how then could the rest of the prophecy be untrue?

A sound of rushing steel brought him back to reality and he watched his son crawl swiftly over to the sobbing baby with a knife in his hand. Isa the Elder picked up the child and took it in his arms to everyone’s shock.

“What are you doing, father?!”

“We cannot kill it,” he insisted. “We must let it live!”

“Are you out of your mind?” blasted his son. Yosof knelt beside Dya and cried.

“How - oh gods, how could this happen? My own daughter! What shame; what disgrace!” Dya, too, could not quell her ceaseless tears.

“I had a dream - I dreamt this would happen!” declared the Elder and bore the child out of the tent to get some safe distance from everyone else. Luckily for him and the baby, everyone else made it their mission to stay as far away from them as possible - everyone except Isa the Younger, knife still very much in hand. Isa the Elder shifted his grip on the child and held it gently on one arm, the other extending peacefully towards his son. “Son, listen to me…”

“That thing, father, that demon is evil! It infested my wife, ate my son and took its place! It has no purpose in this world!” The Younger jabbed at the baby, the Elder dodging barely.

“If we kill it, we will never get out of this ashen desert! I have seen it, son - Paradise!”

For a moment, the words reached him, and Isa lowered his knife. “... What do you mean?”

Testing his chances, the Elder stepped forward, hand steering slowly towards the knife. “In my dream, there was an old crone… She told me that we needed to care for this child, despite its nightmarish form, and we would eventually find the way to the Verdant Flow…”

“The Verdant Flow?” asked one of the others. The Elder nodded.

“Yes. In my dream, I saw a land of green, of rain and fruit. It truly was nothing short of Paradise, everyone. If, if we do our duty as this spirit has commanded, then our suffering in this ashen desert will be over! We will be safe!”

A silence followed, albeit one with the occasional interchange of mumblings. The Younger lowered his knife slightly as he looked his father in the eyes; the Elder formed a small smile and reached out to take the blade from him. However, the Younger cast one more glance at the horribly deformed child in his father’s arms and tightened the grip about the knife. In a lightning movement, he hefted the blade to the sky and leapt forward. “I will not be at peace with that monster alive!”

“NO!”

It happened in a flash. An instinct trained over years and years of repetition had brought the Elder to draw his own dagger, sheathed as it had been on his hip. On the ground laid his son, the Younger, his belly sliced open and close to bleeding dry. The Elder’s hand was caked in crimson, and the screams of the onlookers were hardly able to shake him from his daze. As the Younger’s friends crowded around his corpse, Yosof approached the Elder with shock on his face.

“... You would slay your own son to protect that, that thing.” Isa couldn’t even muster the words to repond. Yosof pointed away. “You will not take anything from us anymore. We’ve had it with your cruel and wicked ways. Now begone!”

Isa wasn’t even allowed to touch his son’s corpse. As more and more turned their denial into rage, Isa could no longer remain. So he ran. He ran and ran and ran, ran until the campfires could no longer be seen even at night. At that point, he stopped, collapsing to his knees in a bind between emotional and physical exhaustion. He looked to the sky and prayed, wept for mercy. He received no answer, save for a weak gurgle in his arms. The little monster turned his gall to curdles, but with the last of his true family gone, his grandson was all he had left. Reluctantly, he embraced the child, as all children should be. When he next rose, he noticed the ash had spawned straws of grass. He looked up ahead and saw the straws congregate into mats. As he ran up closer, he witnessed it: Endless swathes of green, damp with the evening rain and smelling of pollen. He shuffled over to a nearby shrubbery and inspected its branches - they were fat and plump with fruit and sweets. He picked one and savoured flavours he had never tasted before. He then regarded his grandson again, who looked at him curiously. He sighed and nodded.

“Just you and me, then, son… Just you and me.”