2nd of the 3rd Cycle
Aether could only swallow as he stared over the ledge of the Jade Chamber.
For the first time in millennia, Liyue Harbour was under siege. The Sky was black in rage, rain pelting downwards like falling stones. Lightning arced and struck, followed by ear-shattering roars of furious thunder. The waves rolled in great mountains with the fury of an unchained god, hammering the harbourfront as seawater spilled onto stone.
All the ships trapped in the bay by the raging currents were time and time again smashed against the breakwaters in a cyclic manner - wood groaning and crackling as even the largest of Treasure Ships wrecked themselves.
Ancient daemons rose from the depths, carried by the waves. Grotesque creatures, with slimy, wrinkly grey skin, bright blue eyes and no standard form. There was no end to them as their claws hooked onto wood and stone and pulled them up - slithering on the docks and the ships in a swarm. The great mass of teeth and tentacles were an unstoppable tide, storming the lower city, slobbering and growling.
The black waves of the bay were lit up with countless pinpricks of luminescent blue eyes under the waves - a strangely beautiful view, until the creatures came to shore.
Aether watched as a Treasure Ship was pulled under the waves by a colossal sea creature with two heads filled with teeth the size of trees and five massive tentacles. Its body bore splotches of fluorescent green-blue spots, making the creature visible under the waves as it crushed the once-great vessel into driftwood.
A flash of light caught his attention - coming from Battle Rock's fortress-lighthouse. Liyue Harbour was fighting back, ballistae firing effulgent bolts of gold into the mass of monsters, each projectile exploding in flashes of light upon contact. Onagers lobbed balls of green flame into the waves, the ethereal fires burning even atop the waters. The lighthouse fire burned bright green, eerily illuminating the night as the constant beating of war drums filled the Sky.
Millelith flooded the streets, holding strategic chokepoints and alleyways leading up to the upper city where the people were evacuated. Their tower shields and long pikes desperately held against the endless tide, aiding by the rumbling of earthbender hurling boulders and streaks of ballistae bolts clashing into the mass of beasts.
The desperation in the streets was undeniable, Aether could tell even from high above. He did not know how long the people of Liyue Harbour had been fighting, but it was clear they were up against a tireless, endless tide. Every moment that passed, another street was lost, another strongpoint overrun, another inch gained by the enemy.
Keqing's army was still two days away.
Aether glanced to the side, seeing the lady in question joining him in observing the battle, her face set in a grim line.
"General Li Mu is in charge of the City's defences," she muttered, "He has done well yet…"
Her sharp eyes scanned the battlelines, darting from block to block as she formed stratagems and tactics. Suddenly, she swivelled on her heel and approached the adepti behind them.
"Cloud Retainer!" she snapped, uncaring of courtesies, "I will be of no use against Osial, but my talents could be well-placed in the siege. Bring me down to the city, you and I will command the Millelith in our defence."
"Thee speak of sense, Lady Yuheng," the crane nodded, "Allow us depart at once."
Keqing swiftly climbed onto the adeptus' back, wincing as she pulled her gut. Without missing a beat, the great crane extended her wings and flapped, lifting them into the air before soaring down towards the makeshift mustering grounds at Yujing terrace.
As he watched them leave, Aether suddenly stumbled as a mighty roar shook the earth and skies - compelling him to swivel his gaze out towards the Sea of Clouds, towards the Guyun Stone Forest.
Aether wiped his hair away from his face, his long braid whipping about in the winds as he approached the adepti.
"What are you planning?" he asked them, "Reseal Osial?"
"Futile," Jinpeng growled, "Rex Lapis only sealed Osial because of their rivalry."
"Correct," Moon Carver boomed, "The two gods feuded over this region for millennia, but their war only escalated after Osial did destroy Shangyan and Guili. If't be true Rex Lapis hadst simply hath killed Osial, the rot of his corpse would've spread all over the Sea of Clouds and turn Liyue Harbour uninhabitable."
"Oh, because of the rivalry," Aether nodded, "But that does not explain why you cannot simply reseal him."
"We are not Rex Lapis," Jinpeng closed his eyes, "We do not have his power."
"Xiao," Lady Ganyu spoke softly, "We must trust that he has not abandoned us."
"That is not the point. Rex Lapis has entrusted us with beating back this foe," he replied, "If this is fate, so be it."
Jinpeng left without another word, walking to the edge of the platform and staring out to sea - to the eye of the storm.
"Fate?" Aether questioned.
Lady Ganyu glanced at him, "Xiao was once a vassal of Osial, until Rex Lapis broke him from his chains. During the final battle millennia ago, Xiao led the adepti forces in distracting Osial so Rex Lapis could seal the god."
"Fear clouds his mind," Mountain Shaper announced, "He fears failing our god here, he fears yond if't be true we doth not defeat Osial, he shall fail to uphold his contract."
"A well-founded fear!"
At the sudden declaration, they turned to see the speaker - Ningguang, walking out of the Jade Chamber. Under the rain, her beauty was easy to miss - her long white hair clung to her face as her makeup was ruined. Her white-gold silk and brocade dress was soaked through and completely spoiled, sticking to her skin in a layer - though she paid it no mind.
"I have scoured all of Liyue's records on Osial, and it is a grim picture," she continued.
"You doth not needeth bid us yond, for we were there," Mountain Shaper grunted, "Osial is just as old as Rex Lapis, and just as powerful. He faced Guizhong, Marchosias and Rex Lapis together and won."
"Indeed, we did flee then - one god dead, the other other fatally wounded, and the lasteth did reduce to a pitiful state," Moon Carver growled, "Yet to defeat Osial now, we must thoroughly annihilate his body, lest his deep blight beshrew the Sea of Clouds."
"An impossible task," Aether surmised, "Rex Lapis could not do it, how could we?"
"Rex Lapis has entrusted us with this task," Lady Ganyu said firmly, "He would not allow his rival to be released unless he is certain we could defeat him."
"Have you ever thought that your god doesn't care-"
"Sir Aether!" Ningguang cut in, and he looked away.
The lady took a deep breath, "Illuminated adepti, how did Rex Lapis seal Osial away the first time? The legends say he was pinned to the seabed under the Guyun Stone Forest."
"As did expect of mortals, yond couldst not beest any further from the truth," Mountain Shaper shook his head, "The Guyun Stone Forest does not seal Osial, it seals the entrance to the Vortex - Osial's undersea kingdom. Time and time again, Rex Lapis wouldst visit the Forest to ensure the seals remain sound."
"Then those creatures down there…"
"Are his spawn," Moon Carver finished, "To solidify his rule over the Sea of Clouds, there were two reigning minor deities in the area he had to defeat - the Beisht Kione, and the Jinpeng. He made pact with the Beisht Kione, and together they warred with and defeated the Jinpeng, enslaving it."
The adepti nodded in the direction of Jinpeng, who stood like a statue in the raging rain - eyes still set on the Guyun Stone Forest two days off.
"Together with the Beisht Kione, he forged a kingdom out of the depths - the Vortex - and his subjects would be his children. It appears that he did not remain idle, sealed under the waves, for there are much more of his spawn now than before."
That was a horrid thought that Aether swiftly disposed of, and yet some part of his mind began stirring. Take a step back, analyse the issue. Aether pressed his lips together, he was no longer dealing with any mundane issue, but a divine one.
There were two problems. First, they needed to defeat Osial - and second, they needed to destroy his body so thoroughly there would be nothing left to rot. The first is already near impossible, but still doable. Lady Ganyu was correct - Rex Lapis would only allow something like this to happen if he was sure they could handle it.
It was the second problem, however, that Aether could not fathom any path ahead. And from the expressions of everyone on the Jade Chamber, he was certain his feeling was justified.
"Are you certain," he murmured, "That the Vortex cannot be resealed?"
"Minghai Qixia Zhenjun wast the adeptus who designed the seals," Moon Carver said, "And he is long dead. Only Cloud Retainer and her vassal Shenhe come close in the art, but still too far. And besides, her talents art better suited to the defence of Liyue."
Minghai Qixia Zhenjun - the Perfected Lord who Resounds the Sea and Lives in Clouds, or Sea Gazer.
"Shenhe?" Ningguang asked, "I don't recall ever meeting such a person."
"Indeed. Outlanders has't been encroaching on our lands in Jueyun Karst, so Shenhe has been tasked with eliminating those folk."
"The Fatui, again," Lady Ganyu hissed.
Aether ran a hand through his hair in thought. He turned away from the discussion to see Jinpeng still standing at the ledge, and he followed the yaksha's gaze. The Jade Chamber was still a far day away, but the fires of Liyue Harbour was now behind them, and they were high over the Sea of Clouds - close enough to see through the stormy fog.
Osial was a colossal beast, so large all could be seen were five hydra heads above the water - each as tall as Mount Tianheng, reaching for the clouds. And in the shadow of the god, hundreds of ships roiled in heavy waves. The massive war fleet was like tossed paper in the storm, flashes of cannon fire and white canvas sails in the grey, tumbling as they struggled against maelstrom. Beneath them the sea rose as great mountains, divine ire in the form of black water, turbulent and unforgiving.
Cannons roared and ballistae and onagers hurled their payloads against the angered god, all the while fighting off swarms of malformed beasts attempting to overwhelm them. It was a testament to the shipwrights and the sailors that the fleet continued to war against overwhelming odds.
In the centre of the armada was a great vessel, like a wooden fortress floating atop the waters - the Alcor. The flagship of the Crux Fleet acted like a rallying point, standing stalwart as it fought against the storm, ballistae firing golden bolts of lightning against the great sea god.
And anxiety rose inside Aether, as he did not spot any beast to be recognised as the Beisht Kione.
How in seven hells were they supposed to defeat that?
Lady Ganyu noticed his absence of attention, and followed his gaze - eyes widening as she set her eyes upon the Lord of Waves.
They were nothing more than ants defiant against the tyrant lord of the sea. But, he remembered, ants have defeated tyrants before. A god's power was made of three things; their godhead, their authority, and their belief.
Their belief was their justification, their authority was their domain, and their godhead was what made them a god.
What made them a god?
The gears in his mind began to shift. Take a step back, he told himself, use every piece on the board. He was not suited to politics, but he has fought wars before. Total annihilation is almost never a good idea for an attacking force, so think unconventionally.
First, Ningguang has served her role - mobility and logistics was the backbone of any fighting force. Second, the adepti - Osial would surely notice them, for they have fought before - a distraction, then.
Strike at the heart.
Lady Ganyu, the Perfected Lord who Tears Down the Celestial Heavens - Aether looked to the overcast sky, raging with hidden lightning and thunder. Yes, he thought, that would do. To develop a piece, sometimes you need to sacrifice another.
Finally, they needed a piece that would tip the board in their favour. Aether felt an itch on his hand, and brought it up to his face. He saw bone.
Yes, a queen was exactly what they needed.
"Sir Aether?" Lady Ganyu called, making him look up to see everyone looking at him, "What are you thinking of?"
"I do hate losing, you know."
Aether told them of his plan, and was struck by a variety of expressions. Lady Ganyu's eyes widened, before growing conflicted - before finally settling in a determined countenance. Ningguang's face remained impressively impenetrable, though Aether could see peeks of annoyance through her facade.
The adepti closed their eyes, before bowing their heads.
"My apologies," Mountain Shaper murmured, "You hold a fire in your heart even I cannot match."
"But how will you deal that blow?" Ningguang asked, "Even with Lady Ganyu's help, you are still too weak."
"Death wouldn't be the end for me," he smiled thinly, "And I have another card at play."
"What card?" Jinpeng spoke, making him flinch.
The yaksha was standing right beside him, and Aether hadn't even noticed he had moved from his position.
"What is this plan of yours?"
Aether's smile turned sharp, almost blade-like.
"We are going to murder a god, and forge another from his bones."
4th of the 3rd Cycle
Aether felt himself get shaken awake.
"Aether, Sir Aether!" he heard, and groggily opened his eyes to see Lady Ganyu above him, "We've arrived!"
He groaned and pushed himself up, rubbing the sleep away from his eyes. He wiped his damp hair away from his face, spitting rainwater as he looked up to see the downpour never-ending.
"I find it admirable," Lady Ganyu admitted, "That you can even sleep at a time like this."
"Well, this might be my last time in a long while," he returned, "I find it admirable, and a shame, that mortals take sleep for granted. Can you imagine voluntarily dying each night, with absolute faith that you would be resurrected on the next sunrise?"
The half-adepti paused, mulling it over.
"I doubt many see it that way. And I doubt sleeping is dying, Liyue Harbour wouldn't be so full if that were the case," she smiled, as if jesting.
Aether shook his head as they walked out to the platform.
"Gods don't dream, you know? We have no afterlife, only oblivion once we are gone," he glanced at her, "If you dream, take comfort that you are mortal - you have somewhere to go after life."
She furrowed her brows, "You speak as if dreams are depictions of Diyu."
He barked a laugh, "Not so specific of course. Who is the God of Sleep?"
"Lord Ronove, I'd reckon."
"How fitting," he chuckled, "If you meet your god again, ask him this - before there was a God of Sleep, where do humans go when they dream?"
Aether said nothing more as he looked up, seeing the rest gathered at the staging point in front of the main pagoda. They were close enough that Osial now bore down upon them, cast in his shadow and nary a ray of sunlight to be seen. The rain poured down in strength, stinging against his skin as thunder roared in the distance.
Ningguang noticed his approach, and nodded firmly.
"With the aid of the adepti, we managed to scry the fleet," she informed, "They have been retreating for the better part of a day now. To distract Osial until now, some two dozen vessels have been left behind as a sacrifice, supported by the garrison of Haiwei Fortress."
The Jade Chamber coasted until a total stop, slightly swaying in the gale. Aether leaned over the edge, observing what remained of the war fleet scattered among the waves. Bright torches marked their locations, fiery pinpricks of light amidst the sullen grey-blue. Also among them were great islands of wooden debris - once ships now driftwood - bobbing up and down the waves.
Aether did not know what miracle had allowed them to survive until now - perhaps it was Morax's divine intervention, perhaps it was Osial's size working against him, perhaps it was the pure skill of the brave sailors defying a god. Nevertheless, Aether could not spot any of the children at all, likely having been drawn away by the retreating fleet.
"You needn't do this," Jinpeng murmured, voice clear amidst the downpour, "This is not your battle to fight."
"I owe a debt," Aether replied, "Let me repay it."
"I have told you, all you must do is leave-"
"And lower myself to receiving pittance from you?" Aether snorted, "You know that is not me. Home is when my sister and I are together - help me find my home, and I will help you save yours."
"Arrogance has been the undoing of many," the yaksha sighed, "But you are like the Sky, lofty and prideful."
"I do try."
"Very well," he announced, "Let us partake in your stratagem."
Lady Ganyu took that as her cue, and unslung the great bow from across her shoulder. The adeptus heaved a sigh, and placed the foot of the longbow on the stone at her feat. It was a mighty thing, from nock to nock as high as a man was tall, finely crafted from aged black cudrania wood ordained in gold silk. Its bowstring glimmered in the darkness, hewn from the Irminsul.
All black and gold, the adeptus nocked an arrow of ash and yew, and took her stance - aiming for the overcast Sky.
"▂▂▃▃▅▅▇██▅▇▅█▇██▇▅█!"
The roars of a god washed over them, the force ripping stone from the floors and tiles from the roofs. Lady Ganyu stumbled and cursed, narrowing her eyes as she reclaimed her shot - and drew back the bowstring.
"Gods of my ancestors, grant me due," she murmured, speaking power, "Blood for blood, life for life."
Ningguang choked, grasping at her throat and stumbling backwards. Aether sucked in a rasping breath, the lack of air making his head light and airy. He could not feel it, but he knew it to be there - for it was as if he was back in the Tower. Mana permeated the air, so thick and heavy it displaced all the oxygen, forcing his lungs to cramp.
In the most ancient type of sorcery, incantations ruled supreme - so much so that in current times, incantations were no longer considered sorceries, but miracles unto their own. The only magic that came close was Gwynt Sorcery, but even then that magic called upon minor deities.
Incantations, however, allowed one to impose their will upon reality. Magic allowed one to mould the physical world, incantations allowed one to break and recast it. Once upon a starlit night, all who walked the land were capable of doing so - but now? Now mortal minds could only fathom such being the work of the divine.
"Let my every breath be torment," the adeptus rasped, "My every pleasure turn to insipid ash. Let me have no rest or peace until my arrow pierces my soul and heavens above. I prance across this starlit Sky. Sing for me."
Lady Ganyu released her arrow, and it soared by the trail of moonlight. The arrow sang as it flew, like the sweet psalms of ancient qilins prancing across verdant plains. The arrow roared across the heavens, like the sounds of steel against steel as blood was spilled across ashen battlefields.
The stream of light crossed the Sky, thin and cold, reminiscent of an unforgettable moonflow.
Lady Ganyu coughed blood, and collapsed like a doll with its strings cut.
And a magnificent glaze lily bloomed across the pallid heavens, illuminating cold grey with brilliant cerulean and the clouds were driven away - revealing blue skies above.
The firmament cracked, then. Hairline fractures that ran up and down to all cardinal directions across every axis perceivable. Creation groaned.
And with the sharp screech of shattered glass, the Sky fell.
Shards of white and blue plummeted to the sea below, stark in contrast against the grey sea cloud horizon. The fragments slammed into Osial, some the size of a palm, others the size of mountains. Great spouts of water forged upwards as they fell into the waves, rocks and boulders coming apart as the Guyun Stone Forest was pelted with a rain it had not experienced before.
"▂▂▃▃▅▅▇▅█▇██▅▇██▇▅█!"
Aether slammed his palms over his ears as Osial howled, five heads darting about, open maws blasting great gouts of energy at the falling shards of Sky. And above, where the Sky was looked over all of them, was a great patch of nothing. Inky black, that of the Great Beyond, the endless seas of stars that laid out of humanity's reach.
"Our time hast come!" Mountain Shaper declared, and with a beat of his mighty wings, the crane took flight.
"Indeed," Moon Carver followed, leaping off the ledge and finding purchase on thin air, "Godspeed, outlander."
"Godspeed," Aether nodded, watching the stag as he galloped on the wind.
Moon Carver raced forth, and lowered his head in a charge, antlers crouched.
BOOM
The adeptus slammed into a head of the hydra deity, like an ant headbutting a snake. And yet the snake recoiled as if it were struck by something much greater, roaring as it orientated itself. Only for Mountain Shaper to swoop in from above, loosing a great volley of razor-like feathers which enlarged with each moment they went - carving gouges out of the head, great chunks of white flesh falling to the ocean below.
"▂▂▃▃▅▅▇██▅▇▅█▅▇██▇▅█!"
On the waves, whatever ships that had survived the Sky falling were now retreating, turned full around and darting for the bay - storm winds in their sails. Aether prayed to their god, that they would make it in time.
"Bring Ganyu inside," Xiao ordered Ningguang, "And turn this Chamber around."
Ningguang hastily nodded her assent, hefting up Ganyu into a bridal carry that begets her strength, before speeding inside.
"Seems like I need your help, now," Aether told him.
"Indeed," the yaksha grunted, grabbing Aether by the back of his neck.
Jinpeng crouched, and Aether followed his lead - pooling Anemo around his legs. The yaksha huffed, and he took that as his cue, tensing his legs and leaping. Jinpeng pounced just then, and jade winds carried them into the Sky, the yaksha pulling him along.
Reaching the apex of their jump, he could feel Jinpeng strain his arm.
"Gryah!" the yaksha hurled him forwards, further towards the heavens.
Feeling the wind rushing past him, Aether manifested his wings and caught the uplift - soaring further higher, until the aperture in the Sky - the gateway to the Great Beyond - seemed to be in arms reach. Gazing downwards, he witnessed Moon Carver and Mountain Shaper battling Osial's heads, weaving in and out of snarling maws large enough to swallow them whole.
Then, Jinpeng plummeted from above like a golden bird - slamming straight into the top of one of the heads, plunging his jade-winged spear into the flesh and running down the neck, lacerating meat and muscle as divine ichor spilt to the waters below.
The head released an earth-shaking roar of pain, swivelling and curling about in an attempt to throw the yaksha off - but Jinpeng merely slid down the side of its neck, spear trailing in the flesh, before leaping off and taking flight on ethereal wings. The yaksha crashed into the neck of another head, stabbing the killing edge of his spear deep inside to take hold, before planting his feet on its watery scales and leaping upwards.
Aether tore his gaze away, glancing at the Jade Chamber behind him - it was already heading away, and he didn't know if they'd make it out of range in time. But he doesn't have the luxury to be careful.
Above him was the infinite void, dark and raging. Below him was the endless sea, a great maelstrom whirling in its depths. He saw Teyvat in its fullness, the throne of mortality cut down to three sights - the sea, the sky, the void.
"Paimon!" he roared to the clouds, "I must now request my second boon!"
Like a hound awaiting to be unchained, a great gaping maw of void ripped open beside him with hunger to devour. Paimon's divine form floated outwards - and this time she donned a black dress of twisting shapes that made his eyes throb. She looked about - up, down, then at him, face smeared in disdain.
"You are insane!"
Aether smiled smugly, "I do try."
"Do you think," she snarled, "That I would play your mummer's act?"
"I played to yours," he shot back, "Look around!"
Aether spread his arms open, his wings flaring at the same time.
"If you want me to get to the end of your act," he smiled, "I need to stay alive, no? So, what will it be? Yes or no?"
"I will…." she scowled, "I will not endorse-"
"You swore an oath!" he challenged, "What does your Law say about oaths!?"
The god's face twisted into a rictus facade of rage and indignity. Paimon swivelled her head to stare at the great black eye in the Sky that interrupted the blue plane.
"I will remember this," she hissed, before turning back to enter her portal.
Aether heaved a sigh, bringing his skeletal right hand before his face. With his other hand, he prodded the palm, still feeling the invisible flesh that obstructed him from touching bone. Aether halted his heart of blood, and started his heart of gold. Soon, red veins began to bleed into gold, and starlight flooded his systems.
He continued to stare at his hand, observing as the empty space was filled with golden light - until the hand was visibly solid gold, swirling idly within its imperceivable container.
Suddenly, a booming voice encompassed all he knew.
"Atlas howls, starspawn! Hear her call, and rage!"
Aether jolted, and for the first time since arriving on this accursed plane, he felt power - his true power - run through his body. It was an addictive sensation, a tingling that he couldn't get quite enough of. Unlike last time, Paimon hadn't done anything to him, no, instead she called upon her authority to aid his.
Yes, Aether turned to look back up at the patch of void in the Sky. There was no longer just an empty sable black - now he could discern score and two stars penetrating the dusk, penetrating the False Sky. And they could see him as well.
Viator, how I've long missed you.
He raised right arm in the air, hands grasping at an invisible cord that he couldn't see, but could so clearly feel. And oh did he feel it, it enticed him, promises of unimaginable power, the call of the stars.
He closed his fist, and pulled.
Calling upon the stars he once ruled, he felt them answering his command, the trusted old vassals they were. Their power travelled through space, finding, searching, for their Prince of Stars. Starlight traversed the eye of void in rivers of golden light, gathering in his palm, coalescing into an orb.
He called upon them, his authority, more and more. He did call upon them more than he ever did - and the orb of gold grew, from the size of an egg, to that of a melon, then larger until it no longer fit in his palm. Feeling the raging ball of energy lash out, he realised he could no longer control it.
Aether raised the orb to the skies, until it sat in the centre of the eye - half within creation, half within entropy. The orb engorged itself on the starlight of beyond heaven, growing ever larger, larger than the Jade Chamber, larger than the Favonius Cathedral - until it was as if there was a second Sun in the Sky, fit perfectly within the eye of void like a blazing iris.
He felt his artificial Sun scorch his soul, an aching pain in his chest that permeated throughout his body - and he numbly thought that this was what Lady Ganyu must've felt.
A closed his fist, and a celestial hammer hit the anvil. The eye gazed balefully at the upstart god far below, the silent fury of Night given form. Mother takes notice, her ephemeral gaze washes over Teyvat - a single passing glance of an Elder God that felt like an eternity. And in that eternity, the world quietened, as if someone had placed a muffle over his ears. An old chill ran up his spine.
"Be present, Goddess, to thy suppliant's prayer," he closed his eyes and prayed, "Desired by all, whom all alike revere, blessed, benevolent, with friendly aid dispel the fears of twilight's dreadful shade."
The gaze receded, and Aether breathed a massive sigh of relief - and he swore in his heart of hearts that he could hear Paimon screaming at him from wherever.
Aether tightened his grip, and pulled down his arm - tugging against the cord, feeling the line go taut and his muscles tear and strain. The iris began to spin like a top, spitting solar flares in every direction - lashing out in fiery whips against the sable border of reality. Splendid curtains of green and blue spread out across the Sky, a sudden aurora that would surely be a spectacle from afar.
Steam wafted from his flesh as he desperately held aloft the burning Sky. His skin began to blister and peel, strips falling off like that on a tangerine, revealing muscle and flesh beneath it. Then his flesh burst into gouts of golden flame, melting meat down to bone.
Aether grit his teeth, pulling with all his might - and with a crack the solar iris was displaced from its eye. He felt the cord loosen, and that was all he needed.
"GGRRRRAAAAAAGGGGHHHH!"
He hurled what was left of his arm downwards, and the artificial Sun plummeted past him - the brief period that it did was enough to blacken his flesh to smoking charcoal. The winds roared as it fell, superheated to the fourth matter as the falling star descended. Nearing the ocean, the vapours that soared upwards stung at his eyes, forcing them shut.
Then, all his strength left his body. Paimon, the petty god that she was, had cut his connection short. His wings flickered to non-existence, and Aether began to fall.
He heard an indescribable sound, so loud that he felt his ears pop then shatter. So loud, the five roars and the booming clamour of a star collapsing. He felt the heat and the force that blew past him - the force that prevented him from opening his eyes, and yet it was so bright he could see straight through his eyelids.
And his sight burned.
Aether mindlessly turned onto his back to escape the blinding pain.
And he hit the raging waves amidst the howls of a god.
END OF ACT II: SHATTERPOINT
Author's Note:
That's the end of Act 2, hope you've enjoyed. I've tied up some things that were foreshadowed in Act 1 as well, because Act 3 will be a completely new beast to play with. Any loose ends will be tied up in the two interludes following this chapter. Thanks for reading this far, leave a review telling me what you think.
Rewritten on 7/7/2022