Enter the Dragon
Chapter 16: A meeting of Gods…
Ray stood before a mirror, finishing up the final touches of his armor. The Pale King had insisted he have a suitable set of armor, to match both himself and Pure. The pale white colored metal almost glowed, with how shinny it was, reflecting the light around like a rave ball. It was nicely contrasted with the dark cloak that was connected to his armor at the shoulders. Much like Pure, he had a pair of grieves on his legs, and a pair of arm bracers, with an armored chest piece protecting his thorax. His abdomen was protected by a chainmail like cloth, a slot at the end allowing his stinger to extend should he need it.
All in all, barring the different horns, and the addition of wings, he looked like a smaller, more evenly proportioned Pure. His nail had been upgraded, refined into a pure nail, much like Pure's but smaller, similar in proportion to Hornet's needle. The blade was now so sharp, it sang when it moved through the air.
He lifted his cloak, checking his selection of charms. In addition to a set of armor, he had been outfitted with a selection of charms. He had not had time to explore charms previously, but the rundown he had been given was sufficient. He had a full arrangement of charm notches, which because of his, unique, physiology, was able to carry 15 charm notches, which was frankly ridiculous. Even the Pale King, who was a god, could only safely hold 10 before straining his physical body.
The charms he had been granted, after some thinking on what strategy he would employ, was the Longnail, Shaman Stone, Soul Catcher, Soul Eater, Quick Focus and the Steady Body. All of them thankfully either readily available, or easily crafted. More powerful charms would have required more time, but what he had allowed him to be flexible, able to bring the pain with both nail and spell with ease. And should he take damage, he can heal it away quickly.
After another check to make sure everything was in place, he set off, heading towards the throne room. On the way, he let his thoughts drift, the chatter of the voidlings in the back of his mind quite whispers, talking amongst themselves. The last couple of weeks had been, exhausting, but productive. His reaction times had become sharper, faster, his nail work smoother, more precise. The Pale King and Pure had trained him on their use of soul magic, greatly expanding the spell selection at his disposal, including soul nails, soul daggers, barriers, and explosions. He could even teleport if he absolutely needed to. It required a bit of concentration and expended a considerable amount of soul but was useful in a pinch. Sadly, he could not spam it like Pure could, but apparently that would come with practice.
Rolling his shoulders, he stepped into the throne room, walking up to the Pale King, who was sitting upon his throne, Pure standing at attention to his left, and the White Lady positioned to his right in her own seat. "Greetings, your majesty. We ready to go?" I ask, standing at attention before them.
The King responds "Yes, we are about as ready as we can.", and turns to the White Lady, continuing "My Root, I entrust the Palace to you while I'm gone. We should only be a few cycles, but we are treading the unknown." The White Lady nods, responding "Of course, dear. I'll be awaiting your return."
Letting out a sigh, the Pale King stands up, stepping off his throne, me, and Pure following behind him as we go to gather up those that will be joining us. Hornet naturally volunteered to join us, along with Helia. The remaining vessels all wanted to come as well, but I had to explain that this was a very important meeting, and I needed them to be safe. They naturally objected to being separated from me, but Pure reassured them, promising them I would be kept safe. It was very heart warming, all things considered.
Isma and Ogrim would be joining us, with the remaining three knights staying behind. A pair of kingsmolds were also coming with us, and they had been modified to act as a distraction if the meeting went sour, hopefully alloying us to escape should the need arise.
And the final one to be joining us, is Grimm, surprisingly enough. He had been around, providing entertainment for the vessels, but I was not fully sure why he was sticking around. He was cordial, but strange. Not acting at all the way, I was expecting the supposed Nightmare King to act like, but I was not going to question it. We had enough on our plate as it was.
Once we were all gathered, we set out, leaving the White Palace, moving towards the Crown of Hallownest. The once ancient moth village, and where the Radiance was awaiting.
The Radiance sat, starring of towards the horizon, standing next to the ancient statue of herself. The town of Dirtmouth lay down below, a little town of traders, workers, and crafters, buying and selling wares to travelers that come to Hallownest. It was, serene, lightly listening in on the dreams of the bugs who went about their business, and really put into perspective how, brutish, she had been.
The influx of power granted to her by her brief contact with Ray's mind, allowed her to realize that she had not been herself. The insidious power of Life, which she had gladly partaken in cycles past, had warped her world view, her very personality. And it, disturbed her. She had Ray to thank for the clarity she now had. The power of Life inside of her still whispered in the back of her mind, whispering sweet promises.
She had made a grave mistake, she now realizes. The power she gained from Life was intoxicating, allowing her to expand the Dream Realm into something beautiful. But it was tainted, by the undercurrent of Life. Thinking back on her actions, she had upset the balance. In more ways than one. She had put the Abyss to sleep, forcing it into the deep dark below. And she had struck her brother down, forcing him to separate himself from the Dream Realm, subsisting on nightmare flames in a facsimile of life with the Nightmare Heart.
Her actions towards the Pale King, had been selfish, and destructive. No wonder the Moth's had abandoned her so long ago. Unfortunately, the Moth's relied on her light to survive, and as such, nearly all had died out after a couple of generations, unable to prosper under the cold, clinical light of the Pale King. It was fortunate, that there were any surviving moths at all. She had been careful in her handling of Marina the Seer, Markoth the Paladin, and Thistlewind the Explorer, increasing their power while pruning any hint of the infection from them.
Turning around, she surveyed the newly reconstructed village before her. A series of small homes had been built and furnished in traditional moth paraphernalia, with a larger building serving as the main hall. The moth village had never been particularly large, and the endless march of time has limited the amount of usable space at the top of the mountain, but it will do. If all goes well, then she can begin to repopulate the Moths. "Perhaps with a bit of help…" she thinks, focusing her power to sense where Ray is.
They are moving, moving closer. Good, very good. And she still had time to prepare the main hall for the meeting.
Stepping up onto the top of the tunnel, I take in the sights of the Crown of Hallownest. It was, beautiful, it its own way. And clearly had been renovated, newly constructed buildings surrounding the courtyard. Overlooking the town of Dirtmouth down below, stood a statue of the Radiance.
Stepping to the side as the Pale King and the rest of our entourage finished the climb, a figure approaches us, coming out from the shadow of the statue. Looking them over, they are clearly a moth, standing at a quite tall 6 feet in height, matching my height with a set of three horns extending from the top of their head. Their body is, positively feminine, with an hourglass figure, white fluff accenting their frame. They walk up joined by the Seer and Markoth, who stand slightly behind them.
"Greetings, welcome to my ancestral home. I'm quite pleased, that you agreed to meet with me here." The new figure says, in the same tone and voice of the Radiance. Grimm cackles next to us, and responds "Oh, I see how it is, sister. Finally decided to create a new vessel for yourself did you?"
The new figure sighs "Yes, brother, I figured it'd be easier to discuss terms in person. Now, follow me, I've got the main hall setup for us." and turns away, walking with an exaggerated gait, their hips swaying back and forth as they walk towards the largest building. I turn to Grimm, saying "So, that's the Radiance's new body?"
Grimm just smiles, responding "Yep, it appears she's fashioned herself a vessel body to interact with the physical world." I hum, and go to follow, my entourage following along behind me. The Pale King quickly steps up to take his place in front of me, following behind the Radiance.
Entering the building she entered, we find ourselves inside a meeting hall of sorts, a large round table set in the center of the room, with a set of chairs around it for us to take seats. The wood of the table and chairs seemed, new, with a nice glossy finished across the surface of the wood.
The Radiance takes a seat the head of the table, a throne like chair that is raised up above the table, showing off her new body for all to see. The Pale King takes his seat opposite her, and I take the seat to his right while Pure takes a seat to his left. Hornet situates herself next to me, along with Helia. Grimm decides to stand back a bit, flanked by Isma and Ogrim, who take parade rest positions. The kingsmoulds were left outside, ready to move at a moment's notice.
Once we were all sat, the Pale King leaned forward, saying "Alright Radiance, we are here. I must commend you; you have upheld part of the deal. Already, the infection is receding. However, I must ask, why haven't you fully ended it?"
The Radiance let out a sigh, replying "Come now, Pale Wyrm, no need for our god voices here, don't want to deafen our guests. And to answer your question, it is because I do not have full control of the infection. I never did." with a melancholic tone towards the end, gazing off into the distance. I lean forward, saying "What do you mean, you don't have full control of it? Wasn't the infection your creation?"
The Radiance focuses her attention onto me and responds "It was my creation, yes, but it's not my power that drives it. At least, not fully. As I'm sure my brother has informed you of, when we first came to this land so long ago, we discovered an ancient, sleeping power deep below, hidden in the grasp of the abyss. This power, I partook into myself."
I lean back a bit as Grimm just scoffs, while the Pale King leans forward, saying "Yes, the God of Life, if the black grimoire was to be believed." The Radiance nods, replying "Yes, the great God of Life, held in the embrace of the void. I took its power for myself, and for a time, things were good. Now, I am not going to retell my life's story up to now, so I will cut to the chase. The infection, while a creation of my own in desperation to stay alive, is not fueled in its entirety by dreams. The key component within the infection, is the influence of the God of Life."
She continues "I have pulled my infection from those that can survive it. Those that remain infected, do so because to fully remove it would kill them. The claws of Life within the infection have sunk into their bodies so thoroughly, that to removed it would destroy their bodies. I have been returning the minds and memories of those that were fully lost to the infection, giving them back most of their autonomy, but it is taking time, and they'll never truly be free of the infection."
The Pale King responds "So the reports I've heard have said. So, you want worship, while I want my people to be safe. I am sure it goes without saying, that if the general populous learns of your hand in the infection, then there will be no peace. However, there is a way we can phrase it so that your worship is, beneficial to the kingdom, so that the populace will abide by it."
He continues "Give a bit of time, say 6 decacycles, to let the fear and paranoia of the infection begin to pass. And to give you more time to return the heavily infected their minds. Then, we can officially announce you to the populous, as the God of Dreams, that cured the infection, stopping it in its tracks. This will bring the populous onboard with your arrival, and we can focus on moving forward from there."
Grimm cackles at this, turning to give the Pale King the stink eye and says "My oh my, Wyrm, I didn't expect this out of you. What brought about this line of thinking?" I simply hum in thought, considering the possible ramifications of such a move, as the Pale King responds "It's quite simple. We need a peaceful resolution to the infection, this provides a way for you to be peacefully presented to the populous, and we do not have to fight. It is a win-win scenario for all of us. Isn't that right, Radiance?"
The Radiance blinks, thinking it over, and says "That is, correct, Wyrm. I am, surprised, that you would provide such a generous offer. I know mere words cannot and will not fix the wrong that I've done to your people, but I hope my actions will right what has been wronged, in time. There is one thing I want to add to this deal."
She then fixes me with a glowering stare and points at me, saying "I want him." This silenced the room, with all of us staring at her like she's grown a second head. I'm left slack jawed, trying and failing to understand what it is she meant, as the Pale king responds "Him? What do you mean you want him?"
She clears her throat and says "As I'm sure it is obvious, my moths have been, diminished, with only my Seer and a couple of warriors surviving. I need to create more moths, and I want him to be their father." Again, this sends the room into silence, only to be broken by Grimm losing it, descending into a laughing fit.
"That's, hahaha, hilarious sister. Could you be any blunter, ha." he says, trying and failing to hold in his laughs over the whole thing. I finally get my bearings and growl out "I'm not a sex toy to be handed out at your earliest convenience, Radiance.", going from shocked to furious. The Radiance simply laughs, which pisses me off even more, before responding "Of course not, my dear Ray. I'm going to court you first, of course."
The Pale King loudly clears his throat, giving me a look to chill out, before saying "Whoever you decide to court can be done on your own time. Are we in agreement of everything else?" with a harsh edge in his voice. The Radiance continues to stare at me for a moment, winking at me before turning her attention to the Pale King, responding "Yes, I accept."
Letting out a sigh, the Pale King stands up, saying "Alright, we'll work out the details later. I'll be holding you to your word, Radiance. Don't make me regret this." and turns to leave. I stand up, very confused about this whole situation, giving the Radiance a glare as I walk out, who simply grins and poses provocatively.
Rolling my eyes, I follow along behind the Pale King, Hornet and Helia flanking me while also giving the Radiance their own glares. Grimm stays behind, saying "I'll stay for a bit, catch up with you all later. I have some things I need to speak with my sister about, in private." and went back into the meeting hall.
Letting out another long drawn out sigh, I turn to the Pale King and say "So, what now?" He simply hums, responding "We reconvene at the Palace, and work out the details. That went much better than I was expecting, so I'll take what I can get.", turning to give me a look as he continues "Regarding her, blunt, interest in you, whatever you decide to do about it, please don't provoke her."
"No promises." I reply, rubbing a spot between my eyes on my mask, and am led away by Hornet and Helia as we follow the Pale King out. I'm already dreading future meetings with the Radiance, if this is how our future encounters will pan out.
As they all walk away, she turns her attention back to Grimm, who is glowering at her with his usual smirk. Glaring at him, she says "What do you want, Grimm? Here to criticize me?" Grimm just grins even more, letting out a cackle before saying "Oh, I could criticize you, but we both know you've never listened to anything I've ever suggested. No, I'm just curious, as to why you're so interested in Ray. I know you don't need him to repopulate the moths, there must be some other reason."
"You're correct, I don't NEED him to do so, but the moths created from our union would be stronger, more powerful. And more importantly, able to survive should I recede again. As I'm sure you noticed, there are only three moths that remain in Hallownest. I need to ensure that future moths will be able to outlive me, should the unthinkable happen again." She responds, getting up and stretching herself out, walking around to stand in front of Grimm, giving him a smirk of her own as she says "Now, what might YOUR interest in Ray be, my brother? I've felt your influence, however small it may be. What's your game?"
Grimm just lets out a low chuckle, responding "Oh, it should be quite obvious to you, dear sister." with a sarcastic drawl towards the end. She considered his response, saying "You intend to gain some of his power for yourself. So, you no longer have to rely on the heart to survive. Am I right?"
Grimm's grin just widens, turning away as he says "Oh, I'm sure you'll figure it out. I'll be seeing you, my dear sister." and walks away, leaving her to her thoughts.
AN: Finally, here is the next chapter. I apologize about the delay; I have hit a round of writer's block in addition to IRL stuff getting in the way. I had planned originally for this story to go one direction, only to end up writing it out a different way, and I have been trying to figure out where I want the story to go from here. Future updates will be slow but rest assured that I will finish this story. I will be taking a break for a bit to work more on Enter the Changeling.
Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed, and peace out.