Ch 20: Familial Disputes

Jereth

(12 Weeks 5 Days After Birth of 8th Campione)

Getting sucked into the Netherworld and then retreating inwards to my mindscape is kind of a bizarre experience. Like waking up after a night of drinking only to find yourself being pressed through a fine mesh mattress.

Basically disorienting as fuck.

Thankfully I manage to get ahold of my senses after a few moments and find myself amidst my soul giving form, that stunning vista of nebula, ocean and city all dominated by the elevator that seems to stretch into infinity…

Which is when I realize I just waxed poetic about my own self and sheesh that was more than a little self-masturbatory.

I hope Pandora finds her way here soon, hanging out inside my own subconscious leads to some pretty weird thoughts.

Continuing my look around I suddenly notice a new addition that wasn't there before. I take a closer 'look' and find something that considerably sours my mood once I find out what it is.

Slightly removed from the city there's a small crater in the ground maybe a couple dozen meters in both length and width, maybe 4 meters deep. The edges are glass smooth, and odd protrusions of a rocky looking material spring up from around the edges.

Almost as if this particular blast crater had been caused by lightning.

…Goddamit. I guess that whole mess meant more to me than I've been telling myself.

Sucks finding out you're not as much of a hardass as you like to think you are…

I'm brought out of my little moment of introspection by the mental equivalent of someone ringing a doorbell. Beats me how else to describe the sensation, but then again I'm probably the first Human in the history of forever to actually create a mental construct of this scale and scope.

Adjectives are gonna be a slippery thing in here.

Metaphorically 'opening the door' I suddenly hear Pandora's voice throughout the scape as she breathes out, "Whoa…Now this is something new!"

I 'turn' towards the newly arrived Goddess as she gazes around the place, eyes wide with wonder as she drink in the details of, well…me I guess.

Jesus suffering Christ, the mortal mind really isn't well equipped to handle this sort of mind-fucking levels of metaphorical mumbo-jumbo.

…Using big words isn't helping things either.

I instead just shake my nonexistent head and amusedly ask, "If you don't mind me asking, how'd you find your way here so fast?"

She distractedly answers me, seemingly engrossed in the monolith that reaches towards the sky.

"Well when I called you into the Netherworld and you showed up, but also didn't show up, I figured you did something so you could maybe remember this conversation."

"Well you're not wrong about that."

She giggles before grandly gesturing and asking, "So what exactly is this thing? C'mon, spill all those secrets to Momma!"

Briefly amused myself I respond with, "Well this is what we Monastics like to call a subconscious mindscape. You want the long version or the short version?"

"Definitely short."

"Alright then. Basically everything you see is a sort of metaphor for who I am, the building blocks so to speak. Since anything you tell me in here you're pretty much telling to my 'soul', I'm willing to bet I'll remember it all once I leave the Netherworld. With me so far?"

She shrugs indifferently.

"Yup, but what I really want to know is why you look all shadowy and colorful. Can you change your appearance in here or something like that?"

"Not really. What you're seeing is the truest expression of who I am, there are no lies in this place. Heck, listen to this."

I clear my still nonexistent throat and loudly announce, "I have never masturbated when feeling lonely on a Saturday night before."

The entire vista seems to shiver at my words, and there's an indescribable sense of falseness to what I just said.

Huh. So that's what happens when I lie about something in here. Good to know.

Pandora just raises an eyebrow before snorting and saying, "Nice."

"Why thank you."

"So why do I look exactly like I normally do? I always envisioned myself as taller…"

I chuckle at her slightly miffed tone and respond with, "I imagine most Gods will look exactly as they do normally. Why would you be anything other than what you are?"

She looks thoughtful for a moment before asking, "Ok, that I can see…but I still do see myself as appearing slightly different than I am now. I didn't always look like this."

"Well we are inside my head after all. I only know you as you are now. Look Mom, as much fun as it is trying to explain something inherently unexplainable and wacko, I think we should probably move on to whatever it is you wanted to talk to me about in the first place."

She sighs and says, "Alright, although I we're still waiting for one more."

"One more what?"

No sooner do I ask that when all of the sudden I feel another presence 'asking' permission to enter my subconsciousness. I turn my attention to Pandora who merely smiles back in my direction and cheerily says, "Well whaddya know, that's her!"

I immediately feel an invisible scowl coming on at the unexpected, and unwanted, surprise.

Grudgingly opening up my consciousness for a moment, just long enough for the other being to find it's way here, I turn to the new arrival and ask, "Well since you're crashing this party why don't you go ahead and introduce…yourself…"

…Holy shit…am I seeing things?

"Jereth, allow me to introduce to you-"

"You're Sita! You're the fucking King of the End's Wife! The Hell are you doing here?!"

The woman with astonishingly clear eyes looks directly at me and with a slight frown says, "I prefer not to be associated with the being you call, 'King of the End' Godslayer."

"Ok, sure, I'll keep that in mind. Still doesn't explain why you're hanging around with Mom over there and currently visiting my own personal brainscape in your free time."

Pandora chimes in with, "Oh! I'll handle that one!"

She turns a happy smile on me and innocently asks, "Jereth sweety? When were you planning on telling me you were going to start killing off all my other children?"

...

I like to think I'm a pretty good actor. But that little comment was so far off the script that I freeze for an entire second, brain running a mile a minute.

Shit.

I can't lie because my dumbass decided to host this little meeting in a giant lie-detection device, not to mention that pulling a fast one on the All-seeing Goddess doesn't strike me as a good idea.

Guess we're gonna have to go with only telling part of the truth, or dance around the subject…

I smoothly reply with, "I don't recall you ever asking. And considering your knowledge of the KotE system I figured you all of all people would understand how to workaround the whole thing. I find myself curious about what suddenly brought on that question though…"

Just like I expected Sita gravely inclines her head and neutrally replies with, "That would be by doing. After Lady Pandora explained to me the details of her newest child I was suddenly reminded of my time among the Monasteries before my death at Lakshmana's hands. Reminded of how accomplished you Monastics all are at hiding your true purpose and goals behind walls of half-truths and misdirections. Indeed, the form you have now only seems to have confirmed my suspicions about your deceptive nature."

All 3 of us are quiet for a moment before I feel more than a little pissed and sharply retort with, "Look, I get that your husband, The King of the End, isn't home right now and that you're no doubt bored and all, but that doesn't mean you can just go around visiting all your friends and gossiping because you don't have anything better to do."

There's a brief flash of pain in Sita's eyes before low growl comes from Pandora and she angrily says, "Low blow Jereth!"

"Ever head the phrase 'snitches get stitches'?"

She doesn't bat an eye and fiercely replies with, "I can understand why you're angry, but hurting my friend's feelings is off the table."

I glare at her but find zero uncertainty or weakness in her stoic expression as she resolutely stares at me and eventually I heave a disgusted sigh.

"What exactly are you hoping to get out of this conversation Pandora? Are you so attached to my other Brothers and Sisters that you'll run the risk of all of us dying when the King eventually wakes up, as opposed to sacrificing a few so that the rest of us actually have a shot at surviving this whole mess?"

"This isn't about them, Jereth, it's about you saying one thing to me and meaning another."

"So what exactly do you want me to say then? That I'll figure out a way to kill Rama and still leave all the other Campione alive at the end of all this? That if my Brothers and Sisters start causing problems for the rest of the world to just leave them be? For fucks sake Pandora, just a few months ago Luo Hao freed Sun Wukong of all friggin deities and if her, Annie and Godou hadn't stopped fucking around with each other long enough to take him out who knows what could have happened? And don't even get me started on Voban or Aisha! At least Hao has the decency to keep to herself most of the time, but those 2…"

I feel a blast of irritation at the Goddesses for just not getting how thin a line we all walk every day.

"Voban just goes ahead and tries his best to summon a new Heretic God every opportunity he gets, damn the consequences. And what happens the day he brings about something strong enough to take him down? The rest of us have to deal with it? As much of an asshole he is, I'm not one to deny his power, anything that kills him is going to be a certified nightmare to deal with. And what about Aisha? Traveling through time without a care in the world for the consequences of her actions? It's just a matter of time before she does something that irrevocably fucks up the entire history of the world, Guardian of Time or not."

Both of them are silent and I continue with, "If you're asking me to not kill them, you're essentially asking me to just sit around and wait for Rama to reincarnate and go up against him with a potentially lethal handicap. Is that what you want?"

Pandora just neutrally stares at me before she quietly sighs and rubs her eyes.

"Jereth? Do you know what it's like for me to not be able to interact with the world below? To not be able to interact with my Children beyond dreams that most of the time they won't even remember? To be a bystander to my own children's continual slaughter every era, provided that haven't already killed each other? Now Imagine my excitement, my relief, when after all this time I finally have a child that knows about the threat the King of the End provides, can now actually remember talking to me…"

She stares directly at me and the hurt in her eyes causes me the briefest pangs of guilt before I force myself to stamp it out.

"But most importantly to me, he, without any prompting on my part, called me Mother. And only now am I realizing that he might have been lying, that everything might have just been an act…"

…I guess the only reassurance I can offer her is, ironically enough, the truth.

"Mom. In all our previous conversations, I never once lied to, or deceived you."

We're all quiet for a moment…and nothing happens. A small smile makes it's way onto Mom's face as she whispers out, "I see…"

Letting loose an exasperated sigh I once again ask, "Let's talk hypothetical for a second here. What's your best-case scenario when everything is said and done?"

Without a single second of hesitation she says, "The King of the End is dead for good, and my children are all still alive."

…I quietly snort and reply, "Do you want a pony with that?"

They both look confused at my statement but I ignore their befuddlement for the moment and try to figure out what it is exactly that I want to do.

I could just refuse Pandora, say fuck it and go on a Campione killing spree with the Monasteries backing me up but that's the least desirable choice here. It's not exactly clear just how much influence Pandora wields over us Godslayers, and I really don't want to be the first to find out.

Shit…with Sita hanging around I don't think I can just talk my way out of this, not to mention Mom is aware of my little verbal word games now…

"…You realize if I agree to this I'm risking alot Mom. My life, the lives of my subordinates, the potential fate of the World…answer me honestly, do you believe my Brother's and Sister's lives warrant that risk?"

Without the slightest hint of internal debate Pandora firmly nods and replies, "I do."

…Well that settles it then. I can't agree to Pandora's request. There's too much at stake for me to acquiesce to her little dream scenario.

No matter the consequences of this, I'm gonna have to shoot her down in no uncertain terms.

"Fine. I promise I won't deliberately go after the other Campione until they either threaten my life or the lives of my allies. If they do that, I'm going to respond in kind and I won't stop until I'm sure they aren't a threat anymore. That may not be exactly what you wanted, but I place greater value on my subordinates lives than I do my Brothers and Sisters. I'm not budging on that."

…

…Shit, why do I even try pretending to be ruthless and uncompromising about this stuff when I just fold like a deck of cards most of the time anyway?

Mom is silent for a few seconds, carefully observing me…until she gently smiles at me in such a loving manner that I immediately feel uncomfortable, in a good way that is. She giggles shortly before amusedly saying, "Sita was right after all. You are more Human than you let on."

I immediately feel annoyed and dryly respond with, "Oh? She talking about me behind my back again?"

Sita has the decency to look mildly embarrassed while Pandora merely snorts in amusement at my frustration.

"I'm fine with your terms by the way. I got what I wanted!"

"What you wanted? I thought you…crap. You played me, didn't you?"

She gives a victorious smirk and a thumbs-up of all damn things before cheekily saying, "Yup! I figured you would never agree to my initial request, so I just made the second option seem more appealing!"

"And I fell for it like some wet-behind-the-ears newbie at a blackjack table…I bet Dad got tricked into doing all sorts of favors for you, now didn't he?"

She just chuckles viciously in response to my accusation.

Well damn if Mom isn't kind of scary after all…

"Well is that all then? I think we've covered a pretty heavy topic today…"

She simply nods and explains, "Svarog only gave you one Authority bear in mind, so I'd say it's a safe bet the Triglav is finished with you for the moment. Your future is wide open Jereth."

"Wide open huh? Guess that means it's time to start moving things along then…yah, I think a little shaking up is just what the Magic World needs right now."

There's a light pulling sensation at the back of my skull and Pandora-no, Mom offers me one last heartfelt smile.

"Knock em' dead sweety. I'll be cheering you on the whole way…and good luck."

I ignore the sudden gooey feeling I get from her words and merely reply with, "Love you too Mom. Oh, and Sita? I'm not sorry for anything I said earlier, but thanks for being Mom's friend."

And then I'm gone.

…It's official. Killing a Heretic God is gonna leave me in a coma no matter what I do. Judging by the sun's movement across the sky I'd wager I've been out of it for at least 3 hours, it's probably gonna be getting dark in just a few minutes since we're already approaching dusk.

"Oh, look who's back from the dead."

"Tim already did a variation of that. Try something more original."

"Fine. About time you're slow ass wakes up."

I lazily crack open one eye and look upwards, where Eliza's perched like some exotic bird of prey on a rock outcropping maybe a meter above where I'm laying.

"I take back what I said. The first one was better. And Tim also did that one too."

She quietly snorts before smoothly jumping down from above while I slowly stand up, stretching out the kinks and cramps I accumulated during my impromptu siesta. Thankfully all my burns seem to have cleared right up and there's only a few pinkish looking hues to my skin to show they ever existed.

"I see you healed up everything else while I was out. Thanks."

She shrugs before retorting with, "Wouldn't want the carrion birds to eat burnt leftovers, now would we?"

Her morbid joke causes me to chuckle before I gaze up at the lip of the volcano, still clogged with the sand from Set's Grimoire.

Well…no time like the present to cause a stir.

Let's see what Svarog's Authority does, shall we?

"Place of the Sun, Creator of Metal and Fire, awaken from restful slumber and stoke the fires of the Great Blacksmith once more! Forge of the Father!"

The ground momentarily shakes before there's a deafening BOOM that hits me with an almost physical blast of noise as the cap covering the volcano blows itself sky high and a sudden geyser of flaming rock and glass shoots itself dozens of meters into the air. I curse to myself as Eliza shouts, "The fuck did you just do?!", and hastily summon a shield around us, hoping to deflect most of the airborne crap that'll be heading my way.

Except none of it comes even close.

We can only watch in amazed silence as all of burning fragments, ranging from fist sized chunks of gravel down to minuscule pieces of sediment all halt their motion before flying towards the center of the volcano.

I quickly summon up a small scale wind that blows away the ash and smoke that was obscuring the lip of the crater and freeze as I see what was lurking behind the smokescreen.

A twisting, bulging orb of pure molten rock that's hovering maybe ten meters above the lip, embers and fire dancing around the miniature sun like some sort of primal dance…and I can feel it.

I can feel the crushing pressure of heat and mass like the muscles in my arms, the slurry of liquid material as if it was my blood…

Forge of the Father…a rather fitting name.

Before I even know what I'm doing I'm standing before the construct, reverently staring at the near blinding sphere with a feral grin on my face.

If this is capable of doing what I think it's capable of doing, of what my instincts are telling me that it's capable of doing…

I close my eyes and extend my senses into the fire, feeling the raw material available within and how I can shape it into my will.

Well, for starters, let's keep it simple and make an easy opener…

Making steel is an art us Humans have long been pretty good at, and have the capability of mass producing said metal despite the relatively lengthy and specific process that's required to create it.

I can skip all of that directly.

Impurities in the materials are cast away in the same manner I would clip off a hangnail, desired minerals brought together with a shrug of intention and a steady mental image of what it is I want...

Within seconds a bar of glowing metal maybe a meter long and 10 centimeters across protrudes from the sphere, crude and simple in it's design, but the ultimate proof of concept piece. With a smirk I activate Weaving of Black Wool and brand a simple acceleration spell onto it.

Channel a bit of Magic into the spell, and watch it go flying.

With a quick flare of my Magic the rod suddenly goes shrieking downrange where it punches a hole right through a boulder with momentum to spare and a wild laugh escapes my chest.

Initial impressions?

I can make metal constructs within seconds and use Weaving of Black Wool to engrave said alloys with any sort of Spell effects I can think of, essentially giving me a cheap source of potentially limitless weaponry that doesn't sacrifice quality for quantity.

This is going to be awesome.

No, scratch that.

This is going to be fucking awesome.

A bit of unfortunate news to report, my laptop appears to be finally dying on me after years of faithful service and took with it several thousand words worth of stories, homework and other various documents. Thankfully I'm paranoid enough to back up most important or current stuff on a spare USB drive so this wasn't all that bad of a blow. That said the next update won't be for another 2 weeks, as opposed to the one. I'm gonna have to re-write the next chapter (which I'd already largely finished) and focus on getting my computer checked out or even replaced, so that'll also keep me busy.

But enough about that, Pandora and Jereth finally reach an understanding of sorts! This is also why you never argue with Mom.

I'm doing alot of inferring though, since I don't remember Pandora ever really giving her thoughts on Campione's penchant for fighting and potentially killing each other. I imagine she'd be pretty upset about that, given what little we know of her character, but hey! Who can say for sure.

Also Jereth is only mostly an asshole it seems :D

Kshail: Well we only got a brief look at the possibilities, and I dunno if I'd necessarily describe it as 'utility', but Svarog's Authority focuses less on straight up murdering the other dude and more on providing the means of doing so. Also Weaving of Black Wool is gonna start taking center stage as the catalyst for most of Jereth's powers, the combo of Father of the Forge and Black Wool is something I cannot wait to dive into a few chapters down the road :D As for the description of existing Authorities I like that idea and will probably implement that as soon as I get my aforementioned technical difficulties straightened out.

Griffin13: Didn't quite end in tears, but then Momma layed down the law, so that's a fact of life :D

HelpfulNudge: Those little hints Svarog dropped play a very important role farther down the line, sometimes I wish I could skip ahead a bunch of chapters, but...these things take time lol. As for the Triglav, well...Alot of writers/Authors tend to go for the Greek, Japanese, Indian or Germanic mythologies and I wanted to bring something else to the table if possible. I also wanted Gods who's powers didn't necessarily translate into straight up, 'bring down solar fire or cause an earthquake' kinda categories (Perun being the exception really). Partly because the Authority matches the Campione and also because other writers have done that better than I think I could.

Guest1: Believe it or not I almost forgot about the spear at first, and only remembered it belatedly. Well, better late than never!

Battleking: Hope you enjoyed the direction the conversation went in, I had a fun time writing Jereth getting caught in his own mess.

pwashington: ...yes to all of those things?

JamesFreki: Unfortunately my soul is thus condemned I'm afraid. I can at least assure you that Jereth won't be summoning giant Cthulu squids to rip apart little boys and girls though.