My great thanks toTodaBruh, who kindly chose to use some of his free time to be my beta reader!

Glyu-Uno, homeworld of the Dragon species.

"So, this is your capital city?" I askedAlexstrasza, looking up at the incredibly tall citadel standing proud between the peaks of enormous snow-covered mountains.

Its walls glittered white in the light of the yellow sun of this world, a shining bastion of civilization with tall spires and towers reaching out towards the sky above. Dragons of all kinds and colors flew in the air around the citadel, though there were also roads on the ground that the land-bound mortals used to travel in and out of the city.

Though that wasn't all. As it was a world ruled by the Eldritch Kingdom, I could see signs of both technology and magic as well.

Flying transports, the local equivalent of cars and more flew in the air, and I could see powerful batteries of glowing guns across the city. Moreover, myEyeshad no difficulty seeing the Arcane shields around the city, both those active and those currently dormant, but ready to be activated at any moment in times of war.

A beacon of light shone from the tallest spire towards the sky above, and I recognized the sight as an Arcane ground-to-orbit teleporter.

Looking up, myEyespeered into the orbit above, seeing a number of orbital infrastructures and defenses, with spaceships going to and away from the planet.

Despite this city belonging to Dragons, there was no questioning the highly advanced marks of civilization upon this place. This was no backwater world, but one fully connected to the cosmos beyond.

My vision shifted, and I couldseethe various interconnected computer networks, communication arrays, and more upon this world.

If I wanted, I could even listen in on all communications happening around the planet, but I saw no need to do so.

Another thing I felt was the Eldritch presence upon this world. I could feel the psychic might of various Eldritch gods, but also a lot of lesser Eldritch beings too.

This world was once a battleground between Eldritch Gods and armies, and it still showed. I could feel the psychic and Arcane scars upon this world, the lingering feelings of fear, rage, and sheer Death everywhere, though it was slowly fading away to a more natural state.

Peering at the citadel, I could see and feel a rather impressive number of magic users, though they weren't the only kinds of reality benders around, just the most common.

"It is." confirmed Alexstrasza, looking at the citadel with the fondness reserved only for one's home. "Wyrmrest Temple is my capital city. It used to be an old citadel built in the early days of the Great War, but eventually it became a place of refuge for my people and anyone seeking to escape the destruction and death of the Great War, and we all defended it fiercely in those days. It endured several sieges, but never fell, allowing me and my people to survive the entire conflict until Lady Azathoth put an end to it. Since that day, we worked hard to reinforce it into a true bastion for our people, as well as make it into a proper city where all would be free to live in peace."

Oedon tilted her head, blood red eyes narrowed thoughtfully towards the citadel.

"It's more than that… It's a place of healing as well, is it not? I can feel numerous magical and non-magical healers, along with researchers seeking cures for various diseases. Then there are the gardens, and zoos, and… This place has been turned into a beacon of Life and healing, as far as I can tell."

Alexstrasza smiled warmly at Oedon's words. "Correct. We dragons do not have a single leader, even if I am acting as the de facto person in charge. And with my experiences in the war, I came to embrace the concept of Life with all my being. As a result, I worked hard to guide my followers and children into healers and caretakers of all Life. True, at times this requires us to be warriors instead, but above all else I wanted my people to focus on the preservation of Life."

Her expression was one of pride and joy as she looked at her citadel. "As a result, my people have gained a reputation across the Cosmos as healers and occasional protectors. We heavily support groups dedicated to countering diseases, war, famine and more. We even have created gardens and zoos to try and preserve various species of fauna and flora, if we cannot outright ensure that they begin thriving once more."

Her expression hardened slightly. "This has gained us many friends… and many enemies as well. My red dragons, dragons touched by my power and Will or born from me, are occasionally hunted down by demons, devils, evil cultists and various criminal organizations. Even some nations out among the stars choose to denounce us."

She sighed.

"I have taught my people to never stand aside before evil, cruelty and injustice, and they have learnt well. Too well, at times, for they rush to defend the innocents heedless of the risks to their own lives in the desire to do what is right. Often, they survive, and help people. Sometimes… Sometimes they fail, and pay the price." she finished with a saddened look on her face.

"You must be proud of them." Oedon remarked, and Alexstrasza's smile grew, if slightly tainted by sadness.

"I am. Immensely so. And yet, I cannot help but mourn the lives lost in the pursuits of bright ideals, and the price to pay in the name of leading a righteous life."

"There is nothing wrong with that." I spoke up, Alexstrasza glancing at me. "It is good to mourn the loss of life in the name of one's goals. No matter how righteous the purpose, a leader who does not mourn the cost in lives of pursuing their goal will inevitably become a monster in the end. Every tear shed in the name of lives lost is to your credit, not the opposite. Just remember that for all the losses, there is good born from those sacrifices as well. Evil thrives when good people do nothing, Alexstrasza."

She stared at me for a moment, then smiled softly. "Thank you. Though it seems as if you talk from experience."

"I do." I simply replied. Because as an Omniscient God, I knew every evil in the universe. And yet, I choose to not smite them all, in the name of Free Will, and my own vision of how Reality should be.

No matter how much I dearly, dearly wanted to.

We approached the entrance of the city, the guards standing tall and proud within their gleaming gold and red armors.

Or at least they did, until they saw Alexstrasza, Oedon and I.

They straightened at the sight of the first, but paled at the sight of me and my first wife.

Alexstrasza had of course told her people of her intentions to seek the help of the new King of the Eldritch, but they actually had no idea how to handle me and Oedon actually showing up in person.

I showed nothing of it on my face, but I had to admit that seeing the humanoid forms of the two dragons before us shaking in their boots was mildly funny.

"Come, I will guide you to the Ruby Sanctum." declared Alexstrasza, as she walked us through the citadel, acting like a tour guide, even as a lot of people did double-take at the sight of all three of us walking across the streets.

Of course, I wasn't blind to the reason why she did this. If indeed the Dragons had enemies, political and otherwise, then being seen by the side of the new King of the Eldritch was going to send some shockwaves.

It was one thing to target a species without divine backing, it was another to target one with the King of the Eldritch directly supporting them.

So I played my part. I smiled, waved, and overall made it very clear I was quite happy to be here, and that Alexstrasza was definitely going to end the day with a lot more political weight than she did waking up this morning.

And if the woman in question sent me grateful looks that also held just a hint that she would be very willing to thank me in person behind closed doors… Well, I was certainly not complaining.

Oedon did the same of course, putting to good use her casual ability to make everyone relax around her to chat up various people we came across. The locals never stood a chance, and all of them were all smiles by the times we moved on forwards.

We did make several stops along the way to Alexstrasza's personal quarters, as she introduced us to her capital. The first one was a School of magic, which certainly caught my attention.

I was, after all, the greatest God of Magic in Existence, as far as I could tell.

Alexstrasza noticed my interest, because with a smile and twinkling eyes she invited us to see the school.

The Headmaster of said school was also a dragon currently inhumanoidform, but a blue-coloured one this time.

One that took one look at me and promptly collapsed on his knees in awe.

"Magos!" exclaimed Alexstrasza in shock, even as the poor Blue Dragon kept staring at me in shock.

"You're seeing a measure of my nature as God of Magic, aren't you?" I questioned, the sound of my voice making the dragon, Magos, shudder violently before he began sputtering.

"S-s-so b-b-bright…" he muttered in awe. "Even Malygos can't… Such power… The heart of Magic itself… So wondrous… I never imagined…"

Alexstrasza knelt at his side, her expression one of deep concern. "Magos, can you hear me? Magos, Magos!" she shook him, before forcibly moving his face away from me and towards her.

The dragon flinched, instinctively turning his head again towards me, but Alexstrasza reacted first and kept him looking at her. "Magos!"

The dragon in humanoid form shuddered again, but his eyes began focusing again. "L-lady Alexstrasza? W-what… I saw… a star of magic… No, a supernova… Or more…"

"I'm sorry about that." I spoke up, kneeling by his side. Alexstrasza's eyes widened in concern as Magos glanced at me, but this time he didn't react. I smiled wryly. "Your natural connection to magic let you see the barest hint of my True Self, and it overwhelmed you."

Mangos stared at me, wide eyes. "You're… I remember… so much magic, so wondrous, it was…"

His eyes turned unfocused, losing himself to the shadow of my True Self he caught a glimpse of, but I flicked him in the forehead first.

He flinched back, before blinking. "What?"

"I've taken away the memories of what you saw. You should be fine, now." I said, before standing up and offering him a hand to get up.

Magos hesitated, but took it a moment later.

He still looked at me with wide eyes, though.

"I don't… I can't remember what I saw, but the emotions are still there, and it was…"

I smiled wryly. "I'm Aeon, the new God-king of the Eldritch. Don't worry about being overwhelmed, it's natural if you catch a glimpse of my True Self."

"Right, the True nature of the Divine can overwhelm lesser minds, especially Eldritch Gods." Magos muttered, as if reciting an old lesson. Still, it grounded him, so whatever works.

"You'll be alright, Magos?" Alexstrasza said with concern, but the dragon waved her off with a smile.

"I'll be fine, this was just… unexpected." he straightened, before bowing before me and Oedon. "My deepest apologies for this unsightly display, my Lord and Lady. Still, let me be the first to welcome you to the Ruby School of Magic of Wyrmrest Temple. It's an immense honor for us to welcome you into our halls this day."

"The honor is ours, Headmaster." Oedon said with a warm smile.

"I was wondering if we could see one of your classes, by any chance?" I asked. "I'm a God of Magic, among many other things, and I'm naturally curious to see what your lessons are like."

The headmaster's eyes widened. "Of course! Is there any subject in particular you wish to see?"

"Anything about elemental magic, for now." I replied.

"Elemental magic… Yes, I believe there is a lesson on the matter going on right now. Come, come, I will guide you to the class!"

The headmaster beamed with joy as he moved with surprising speed, visibly emboldened at the idea of two gods watching a class of his school.

We followed after him, Alexstrasza shaking her head with a smile as Oedon and I began asking about the school's history.

"The school first came to be when we dragons moved to Wyrmrest Temple." Declared the headmaster proudly. "The goal at the time was for the more knowledgeable among us in the matters of magic to teach the younger dragons and mortals that had found refuge in this citadel. Part of it was to cultivate talents, and part of it, I must admit, was out of a simple desire to ensure we would have as many skilled mages as possible to defend our home."

I hummed in thought. "I take it that learning how to fight with magic is therefore an important part of the curriculum."

"Correct. The universe is vast and full of dangers, as well as wonders. It is important to be able to recognize both for what they are, and to know how to deal with each appropriately. Moreover, it is never a bad thing to know how to protect yourself or others." The headmaster said firmly.

"And what about those who abuse the knowledge they have learnt?" I asked.

The Headmaster's face turned grimly satisfied. "Then those people will learn that in a population well-trained and ready to handle conflict, to be cruel is a very self-defeating way of life."

I smirked. The people of the USA of Earth would approve of the logic, even if in this case it was enforced with magic rather than guns.

"A very militant viewpoint for a citadel dedicated to peace, prosperity and Life itself." Oedon remarked with no judgment in her voice, merely calm observation.

"Our people and civilization werebornin the fires of a horrifying war, my lady." The headmaster replied, just a matter of fact. "We learnt the value of being able and willing to defend both our right to live and way of life very quickly."

Oedon nodded. "Good to see that kindness has not made you weak. It is good to dream of peace. It is unwise to forget how to defend your hard-won peace."

"As you say, my lady." Agreed the headmaster, before he smiled. "Ah, here we are…"

He knocked on the door, then entered once the teacher inside welcomed us in.

Everyone in the room stared at us in shock, visibly completely surprised to see not only the Headmaster accompanied by Alexstrasza, but no less than two gods as well.

Our sheerpresencereally couldn't be missed, after all.

The headmaster explained the situation, and in no time at all our little group was now at the end of the room, looking curiously at the rather overwhelmed teacher and his students.

Said teacher was another blue dragon in humanoid form, and most students were dragons as well.

Not all though. There were a number of various aliens of different kinds, the vast majority of which felt distinctly Eldritch, though again, not all.

And all of them quite clearly didn't know how to deal with having such important people in the classroom with them.

So naturally, I smiled and waved cheerfully every time one of them glanced my way.

I hadn't expected to get to troll people here, but far be it for me to complain!

Still, the class eventually kept going, with the teacher beginning to speak about the various elements and how to wield them through magic.

The age of the class made it clear they weren't in their last year of advanced education, but they weren't in their first, either. The students present easily threw fireballs at designated areas, along with at least some measure of lightning, wind strikes, water blasts and more.

Nothing spectacular, but I did note the way they went about casting the spells and the overall method behind the magic they used.

And speaking of which…

The teacher glanced at me and the others, visibly hesitated, but ultimately gathered his courage and spoke up.

"If my lord and ladies have anything they wish to share with the students?" he asked, and I smiled when every head turned towards us instantly.

"A few things." I replied. "First, I wanted to confirm something. From what I have seen, when you all created, for example, a simple fireball-" I held up a hand, a fireball floating above it "-you all used your imagination born from memories to create the fire, yes?"

The students glanced at each other, but the teacher's eyes narrowed.

"That is essentially correct. A fireball is a result of us mixing a mental image of 'Fire' with our reserves of mana, with said 'Fire' being in the form of a 'Ball.' Magic fills in the gaps in our knowledge and imagination, allowing the spell to take form. Of course, the greater experience we possess with the spell, the more efficient we can be at creating it, among other benefits."

I nodded, the fireball still floating above my hand. "Alright, so can someone give me other methods that allow a fireball to be created through magic?"

The students glanced at each other, before one of the humanoid blue dragon students raised a clawed hand, her blue eyes both hesitant and determined.

"Hmm… There are runes for that, too?" she hesitantly said.

I smiled. "Can you show me?"

The girl swallowed, but got up, went to the area of the classroom for spellwork, and then inscribed the glowing runes on the ground.

I took one look at them, then hummed.

"Eldritch-based Runes? I expected that in this world, but it's good to see it all the same." I mused.

The girl looked at me hesitantly, but I smiled and waved at her to activate the Runes.

She did so, a fireball appearing above the runes to hit the shields around the area she was in harmlessly.

I nodded. In my hand, the fireball disappeared, replaced by the shining runes she used.

That made the students shift in their seats, because writing Runes in the air like this instead of a hard surface was the pinnacle of the Art, but Iwasa god so they didn't seem too shocked.

"Alright, nice. So we got imagination-based Magic, and Rune-based magic. Does anybody else have a third solution to creating a fireball?"

Most students glanced at each other, visibly lost, but one hand rose.

I grinned at the six-armed purple alien. "Yes?"

"Divine power." he declared, and I nodded firmly. "Indeed! Calling on a Patron God to create the magic for you. It's less learned magic and more magic that isgivento you, but it definitely counts."

The runes disappeared, replaced by a fireball that shone to my senses with Divine power.

A tentacle rose, and I raised an eyebrow at the living mass of green tentacles looking at me with four golden eyes.

"Magic based on mathematics." the alien declared, and I laughed approvingly. "Correct!"

The fireball shifted again, this time a glowing circle full of symbols appeared above my hand, and above the circle a fireball burned merrily in the air.

"Of course, math-based magic isn't to be confused with Block-Form High Order mathematics, those are two entirely different ways of achieving a given reality-warping result." I mused, while everyone in the room except Oedon blinked and visibly wondered what the hell was Block-Form High Order mathematics to begin with.

Which was just math so advanced it could rewrite Reality.

"Alright, anybody else?"

Another hand rose. "Alchemy?" said the female blue dragon from before.

"Good answer!" I said cheerfully, the fireball in my hand shifting as I rewrote reality through Alchemy to create a fireball.

Again, the way I casually performed Alchemy at will made everyone shift in their seats, but beyond a few muttered "What the fuck." and the likes, nobody said anything.

"Alright, so you've answered my question with quite a few answers. Very good! But now, it's my turn to show you all something." I declared.

Everyone in the room leaned forward, the expression on their faces making it clear they were all curious about what I was going to say.

I grinned at them.

"Today, I'm going to reveal a deep secret of magic. It'll be up to you all to see whether you can do anything with it." I said, which elevated everyone's curiosity even higher.

"Let me ask one last question: Between all the different methods of magic we spoke about, which one is the strongest?" I asked.

Everyone glanced at each other, muttering over my question.

The six-armed purple alien raised a hand.

I nodded at him, and he said confidently "Divine power, of course."

There were some discontent muttering and shifting at those words, and I smirked at him.

"Why?"

That seemed to stump him, and quite a few others.

"Because… it's divine power?" he hesitantly said.

"And Divinities are guaranteed to be intrinsically stronger than non-divinities?" I replied, eyes twinkling.

The alien opened his mouth, paused, and grudgingly closed it, visibly unhappy that he couldn't actually say yes.

That would be a lie after all, Reality was full of stories where gods fell before mortals, or other supernatural creatures of various kinds.

"Runes, then?" said the female blue dragon from before.

I grinned at her. "Why?"

"Because Eldritch Runes are based on the True Speech of the Eldritch Gods, the strongest beings in existence." she said with more confidence.

I chuckled. "A good answer. And yet, the wrong one."

That visibly stumped her, and I decided to actually give them the answer.

"The Truth," I declared with visible amusement, "is that the answer to that question is both all of them, and none of them. Because all those various methods are actually one and the same."

They all blinked, even the headmaster and Alexstrasza, and I laughed mischievously as the fireball in my hand suddenly erupted.

The eyes of all present except those of Oedon bulged as suddenly every method of creating a fireball appeared in my hand, all of them working together instead of exploding spectacularly.

"That's… That's… That's impossible!" the Headmaster sputtered, eyes wide in shock.

He wasn't the only one. The teacher was looking at my fireball like he was half thinking of declaring it a holy relic, and half eager to declare it the most unholy heresy he had ever seen.

With a wide grin, my fireball suddenlyshifted.

I reached deep into my nature as God of Magic.

Beyond the various schools of magic.

Beyond Divine power, beyond True Speech and Runic languages.

Beyond the conceptual.

Beyond the Archetypal.

I reached to the very core of the idea of Magic itself.

I reached forMystery.

My previously simple Fireball turned into somethingmore.

It became the perfection incarnate behind the idea of Fireball.

Its color was perfect.

Its shape was perfect.

The light it gave off was the perfect amount.

The heat it gave off was the perfect amount.

It shone before all like something beyond the Divine. Into the realm of such perfection that the minds of all present except me and Oedon kept screaming that something so perfect could not exist.

And yet, it did. A perfect example of Magic. An embodiment of theMysteryof Magic brought forth to perfection, such that Reality has never seen the likes of before.

Tears fell from all the mortals around me, especially the blue dragons.

Their overwhelmed minds and souls simply couldn't contemplate such perfection, and as such devolved into awed shock.

I smiled… and let the fireball disappear.

The majority of all present almost cried out in sheer sorrow, before regaining focus.

"I am Aeon. I am the King of the Eldritch. I am the second strongest God behind Azathoth, and the First most knowledgeable."

My smile widened.

"And I stand at the pinnacle of Existence with only one request for all of you: Join me, if you dare."

I stood up, and looked at the still stunned-looking Headmaster.

"Thank you for welcoming us, Headmaster Magos. I enjoyed my brief time here immensely. Until we meet again."

I shook his hand, though the dragon was visibly in no shape to do much more than instinctively reply in kind.

Then I left, smirking in amusement with an equally amused Oedon following me, and Alexstrasza walking behind us both looking rather stunned herself.

Honestly, I should do that more often. There was something hilarious in blowing everyone's mind by sharing greatTruthswith them.

Truth was definitely one Divine Domain that I will never regret embracing as much as I have. It's way too useful for trolling and enlightening people at the same time!

Alexstrasza followed after us as we left, the dragon queen staying silent for a long moment before finally speaking up as we kept making our way deeper into the citadel.

"If I may… What was that, back there?"

I smiled.

"All I'm going to say is that it was… The Origin of Magic, I suppose, would be the best way to put it."

Alexstrasza blinked. "The origin of Magic?" she repeated, and I chuckled.

"Sorry, but I won't say anymore on the subject. If you want to know, you must walk the path to the answer yourself."

Not that I expected anyone to actually get there anytime soon, if ever.

After all… finding the core, theOriginof Magic as an omniversal concept was no easy thing. Eons of study would be required to even catch a glimpse of the end goal.

This was the kind of project that would require an eternal being to continuously work at it for, most likely, longer than the lifetime of an universe… Possibly many, many universal lifetimes.

But oh, the power one would get if they even get half-way to the end goal…

To say nothing of someonesucceeding.

Multiverses would become clay in someone's hands, by that point.

After all, that was the Great Truth of Magic: every magic systems were just… pieces of the Greater Thing that was Magic itself. Like pieces of a puzzle, showing part of the Truth, but only a part.

But if someone could go beyond that… they would reach towards the fundamental "core" of Magic itself. And at that point, Magic would become whatever they wanted it to be.

Every magic system would be understood instantly, and even Divine Magic would become nothing more than an open book.

It reminded me of Fate and the quest for the Root, only instead of gaining access to all knowledge of a multiverse, you'd gain a perfect understanding of Magic as an omniversal concept.

Of course, again, I hardly expected anyone to actually succeed at reaching that core. At least, not for countless eons more. But it was in my nature to push people towards Greatness, and the road I revealed would ensure countless magic users would grow far, far more powerful and knowledgeable.

Evil magic users would of course exist, but I was the greatest God of Magic in existence. I'll knowexactlywho manages to make progress on the road to perfect understanding of Magic, and anyone seeking to use that knowledge in the name of Evil would get smote before they could beg for mercy.

Alexstrasza nodded slowly, quite clearly not understanding but willing to accept that I had given a Divine Riddle to solve, and I wasn't going to just help her solve it instantly.

Honestly, magic users could solve my little riddle in one of two ways: they could go "Tall", focus on one magic system, and push their mastery of it so high that it would create a path towards the "Origin."

Or they could go "Wide," and seek to understand as many magic systems as possible to eventually reach the same point. Both could work.

Either way, knowledge would be the key to obtaining theTruthI had just revealed.

Though I was going to make very, very sure magic users don't become mad scientists like Magus from Fate. Otherwise, well, divine smites were going to be thrown around like candy on Halloween.

"In any case, where did you want us to go next?" I asked the dragon Queen.

Alexstrasza smiled. "The temple of Azathoth sounds like a good place to stop at."

I blinked.

"I wonder… if you blow a kiss at a statue of Azathoth, will she know of it and react?" mused Oedon.

I blinked again.

Then, with all due solemnity, replied with "In the name of Science, let us find out."

And with that, we made our way to the Temple of Azathoth, two amused women by my sides.

The temple itself was, as expected, utterly humongous. Both because of who it was dedicated to, but also the fact that it was built with massive lifeforms in mind.

There had to be thousands upon thousands of people constantly entering and leaving the temple, and I had no doubts that tens of thousands of humans could easily fit inside. The walls of the temple were a deep, dark blue, with the stained glass windows glowing with Eldritch Runes, symbols, and representations of the Eldritch Court.

Alexstrasza being accompanied by me and Oedon sent shockwaves among the throng of people, especially the priests and priestesses. No one swarmed us or anything like that, far too intimidated to do so, but countless people bowed or outright knelt at our passages.

The constant sounds of voices turned distinctly religious in nature, as prayers were uttered from thousands of lips.

Entering through the front entrance, itself tall and wide enough that a skyscraper could fit easily through the doors, we entered the first room of the temple, finding the ceiling to be a magical representation of the cosmos, somewhat like the ceiling in Hogwarts from Harry Potter… except alotlarger.

As in, large enough to easily fit a castle inside the place.

Seriously, when dragons build shit, they really don't do it by halves.

At the center of the ceiling, seated upon a Black Throne, a representation of Azathoth was present, her form changing to my sight between a humanoid form, a giant pitch-black dragon, and her True Form.

The representation of her was angled as if she was both observing the cosmos around her, and anyone walking down beneath her.

I could feel a hint of her power from the image of her, pressing down upon all watching, a constant presence at the back of my mind.

Deciding to do as Oedon as wondered, and under the gazes of the hundreds of people watching, priests and civilians alike, I grinned and blew a kiss up towards the image of Azathoth.

For a moment, nothing happened… and then the image of Azathothmoved.

With countless gasps of awe and shock filling my ears from the surrounding mortals, the stars in the cosmos ceiling began dancing, Eldritch music began to echo around us, and the image of Azathoth outright turned to look at me, a loving smile on her face.

One of her hands/limbs moved towards me as if beckoning me, before waving to the side.

MyEyesglowed, and I felt my True Self reaching out through me.

Before the wide eyes of all mortals present, a Cosmic Throne appeared by Azathoth's right side, an image of me seated upon it, alternating between my current looks (human with robes of the cosmos, shining full of stars like an open window into Creation, one eye glowing bright and another showing an unnatural blackness), a massive black dragon full of the stars of the cosmos, and my more cosmic humanoid form.

Then with both the images of Azathoth and myself seated side by side, they took the same pose that Azathoth originally held, looking out both at the cosmos around them and the people below.

And while both of them looked like the perfect representation of a noble King and Queen… there was also a sense of deepcontentmentcoming from the image.

For a long moment, I stared at the now changed ceiling… and then turned to look at Oedon.

"She did, in fact, react." I said with unquestionable amusement.

Oedon laughed, while Alexstrasza just stared a bit wide-eyed at the new ceiling.

I glanced at the red Dragon-Queen. "I hope the changes won't cause issues?" I asked, though I really doubted it for obvious reasons.

Alexstrasza visibly agreed, as she snorted at my words and shook her head with a smile.

"We just saw a Divine miracle. What happened here, under the eyes of so many people, will make its way across the entire universe. I'm expecting pilgrims to arrive by the billions at the veryleast." she said dryly, looking like she was both pleased and already dreading the headache she was going to get from all of this.

"Well, I dare say this visit is turning out to be quite the success already!" Oedon said cheerfully.

Alexstrasza shook her head with a smile.

"Come on, we should go talk to the high priestess, and then I'll bring you to my palace, before you can break even more of my people by doing impossible things." she teased me, though Oedon spoke up.

"Actually, I was wondering if we could visit one of the local hospitals. I'd like to take a look at what your people have in terms of healing."

Alexstrasza paused, but nodded. "Very well. It can be done. But for now, I dare say that we really should talk with the High Priestess first…" she glanced up at the ceiling meaningfully.

"Then by all means, lead the way." I said respectfully.

Alexstrasza nodded and began walking forward, while around us the many people present stumbled away from us with awed looks on their faces, a rather high percentage of them beginning to pray.

Moving through the Temple was by no means a quick trip. With the sheer size of the place, and I could feel magic making it even bigger than physically possible, it took us quite a while to move through the Temple to find the High Priestess.

It did let us enjoy the sights, though, and there was much to enjoy. The blue walls were both soothing and brought a certain cosmic atmosphere to the place, helped by the many, many magical representations of the cosmos and the statues and stained glass windows depicting various Outer Gods connected to Azathoth.

I did notice a certain avoidance of showing off anything to do with the Crawling Chaos, but that wasn't to say there wasnothingdedicated to her. Obviously though, the locals really weren't great fans of the deity known for her cruelty.

I did notice far more imagery for Yog-Sothoth, Shub-Niggurath especially, and a number of other deities. Azathoth was definitely the one most represented however, with every room we passed through full of statues, stained glass windows and more dedicated to her glory.

Of course, people of various species kept bowing and kneeling at our passage, awed looks on their faces. I even found some amusement at seeing more than one priest or priestess rush elsewhere so that they could pray in peace for no doubt hours to come after our passage.

Eventually however, we found the main place of worship in the Temple. An enormously long room, easily able to fit the True Form of a Great Old One or three, and at the end of it stood the place for a priest to make mass… with a massive stained glass window at their back representing Azathoth beautifully, the goddess staring down at the thousands upon thousands of people which could easily fit in the room with a dignified expression.

Waiting for us were dozens of priests and priestesses, though it was thewomanin the front which caught my attention.

A green dragon in humanoid form, she looked at me and Oedon with an expression of deep religious awe, though especially towards me.

"My Lord Aeon, my Ladies Oedon and Alexstrasza. I am High Priestess Azera. Be welcome into this blessed temple." She declared, bowing deeply, a gesture replicated by everyone around her.

"Rise." I commanded, and they did so. I glanced at them, then looked at the massive representation of Azathoth at the end of the room.

"This temple is impressive. Especially for a civilization that is not all that old by Eldritch standards. Be proud of your achievement." I declared, making every priest and priestesses beam with joy.

"It took many years and a lot of hard work." Said the High Priestess with a warm smile. "But we are proud of this temple to the Goddess that brought peace to our world, and indeed created all worlds in existence."

I nodded. "Yes, I am aware of the story behind how Azathoth ended the Great War upon this world. That your people ended up worshiping her is no surprise. Though… I can feel that she is not the only deity worshiped by your people?"

I made sure to voice my words without judgment, and while Azera hesitated for a second she quickly answered.

"That is correct, my Lord." she admitted. "Due to the nature of our kind, while all dragons respect Lady Azathoth, praise be her name, many have other deities they look up to more."

"From what I know," Oedon spoke up, her blood-red eyes looking at the high priestess thoughtfully, "Dragon-kind is divided by the nature of the… draconic patron you have chosen to follow. The Red Dragons of Alexstrasza, aligned with Blood and Life. The blue Dragons of Malygos, aligned with Magic and Ice. The Green Dragons of Ysera, aligned with Nature and Dreams. The Black Dragons of Neltharion, aligned with Earth and Fire. And finally the Bronze Dragons of Nozdormu, aligned with Time and Thunder."

"That is correct, my Lady." Azera bowed towards Oedon. "It was Lady Alexstrasza's hope that she could make a plea for Divine backing to the new King of the Eldritch." Azera glanced at me hopefully. "By your presence here today, may I hope that such a blessed event may yet come to pass?"

"That's what me and Oedon are here to determine." I replied with a smile. "Queen Alexstrasza had originally planned to plead for my aid for her people, but as I mentioned to her, my first wife is a better conceptual fit for her Dragonflight. However, that does leave several others, who I am… a much better fit for."

Azera nodded, the hopeful gleam in her eyes not diminishing at my words.

"If I may, which Dragonflight would fit you better, my Lord?"

I hummed. "The Blue, Green, and perhaps Black Dragonflight. The Bronze could work, but I will let them be aligned with Yog-Sothoth. As for the Black, it is my understanding that they serve as the primary warriors of your people?"

"That's correct." Alexstrasza said with a fond smile. "Neltharion has always been a noble soul, and combined with his strength he had long ago decided to act as a protector for our people. His Dragonflight naturally followed his example."

She paused, then turned towards her, her eyes hopeful. "Do you intend to support him and his flight, then? Along with those of Ysera and Malygos?"

"I am considering it." I answered truthfully, which sent the assembled mortals into hopeful smiles and muttering. "My nature as a God is complex, but some Domains echo more strongly than others. Magic, Dreams and noble warriors in general are among them. As such, an arrangement between us could benefit us all."

I glanced at Oedon. "And of course, my wife, as a Goddess of Life and Blood primarily, is interested in your own Dragonflight, if possible."

Alexstrasza looked at me and Oedon with a glint in her eyes. "Well, as mentioned before, I would be more than happy to… negotiate matters once we reach my palace. Moreover, my fellow leaders are aware of my plans, and contacting them to bring them here would not be hard."

Oedon and I smiled, before turning towards the High Priestess once more.

"Naturally, such an arrangement would have far-reaching consequences on the faith of your people." I remarked, with Azera nodding.

"I would naturally do everything in my power to ensure the widening of the pantheon of Gods we worship will be as smooth as possible, My Lord and Lady." she declared. "Though obviously, we would need details about the tenants of your faith, ways of worship, and much more."

I smiled. "Naturally."

I snapped my fingers, two heavy books appearing in the air before I sent them into Azera's arms, who reverently held them.

"Those are my and my wife's Holy Books- Well, one book for each of us. Feel free to peruse them, and be aware, the books can duplicate themselves if asked to do so."

Azera looked at me and Oedon with determined eyes. "Then the priesthood will work hard to memorize the content of these books as fast as possible, My Lord and Lady, so that we may be of use as soon as possible, both for you and to all your future faithful."

"Very well then. One last thing…" I gave her a wry grin. "You were informed of what happened when I entered the temple, yes?"

At my words, the eyes of the High Priestess and those behind her gained a feverish light that could only come when True Miracles are involved.

"We did indeed, my Lord!" Azera exclaimed, her eyes shining with religious ecstasy. "Lady Azathoth had sent a clear message to all of us, one that only repeats those previously given by our seers: You are to be her King, seated at her right for all Eternity, the first equal to her glory in history! Praise be this Age, for at long last our Great Lady has found a man worthy to be her King!"

I chuckled. "That's essentially it, yes." I grinned. "Honestly-" I looked up, staring straight into the eyes of the representation of Azathoth in the background. "-her eagerness to announce the news to everybody wasadorable."

And then, for the second time today, the Temple had a miracle.

Though this one was far more amusing, as the massive representation of Azathoth on the stained glass windows promptlyblusheda bright red.

It took every bit of self-control I had to not burst out laughing at the collective jaw drops of every priest and priestesses in the room.

"Well, I do believe that I accomplished everything I wanted to do here." I declared, amusement clear in my voice.

"Only you would make stained glass windowsblush, dear Aeon." Oedon said with a very amused grin on her lips while shaking her head.

Though Alexstrasza wasn't much better. She had recovered quicker than all the other mortals, and her eyes now twinkled with mirth as she looked up to the massive image of Azathoth.

"Come on, let us go, before I make my blushing bride so red the stained windows will start melting." I joked, deliberately winking at the image of Aza as I said that, and I could swear the blush on the image's cheeks grew slightly.

Heh. Aza was cute. Honestly, this was the best Reality, no question. How can you top the creator-deity of Reality being a cute girl?

Simple, you can't.

Our next stop was at the major hospital of the citadel.

With everyone by now well-aware of our presence, the streets were flooded with people trying to catch a glimpse of us. It wasn't everyday that two Outer Gods just casually took a walk in their city after all, much less the new King of the Eldritch.

Moreover, this was my first "public" appearance, with everything that implied. And as the second most important being in reality after Azathoth, naturally a lot of people were eager to catch a glimpse of me.

I could even feel more than a few gods peering at us from various divine realms, though to their credit they were trying to be polite about it.

The end result was still countless people surrounding us, recording devices and magic spells everywhere, and more.

Of course, the local police equivalent showed up in force, and when those forces were made up of dragons… Well, it certainly helped Law and Order greatly.

Still, Oedon, Alexstrasza and me were all going full "smile and wave" tactics, while still doing our best to keep moving forward.

By the time we reached the hospital, at least, the place had long since had time to be ready for us, especially with the ever-growing procession we had all around us.

The woman in charge of the hospital, afemale red dragonto my utter lack of surprise, warmly welcomed us, though this time I visibly took a backseat role to let Oedon take charge.

"Our hospital can welcome several thousands people at the same time." proudly boasted Lady Radastraza, as we walked through a long corridor full of rooms filled with patients from this world and many others. "We have some of the best healers in the local galaxy, and specialists capable of curing even some of the most esoteric conditions in existence. We red Dragons are proud of our services given to Life, and there is nowhere else in existence where that is proven true more than here, this testament to our never-ending quest to ensure the continuous safeguarding of all Life."

I had to admit, it was a pretty impressive place. The healers present were throwing some rather powerful healing magic around, and the more scientific-based medicine and equipment was nothing to scoff at either.

True, this place couldn't hold a candle in sheer size compared to some of the Hospitals that Insight Corp. had developed in the solar system in the decades before our Jump to the OPM world, but this was still very impressive work.

My wife visibly agreed, as her blood-red eyes looked around with obvious approval.

"I can sense the conceptual weight ofhealingin this place… With some work, you could turn this place into Holy Ground for me, on top of being a hospital. Then anyone interested could double as clerics in my name on top of being healers, using Divine power on top of magic and science to guarantee healing, and you might actually be able to get a 100% successful healing rate at that point." she mused.

Lady Radastrasza paused, her eyes widening. "We do employ a few Clerics aligned with gods of Healing, but actually turning the entire hospital into Holy Ground for an Outer Goddess of Life… Can such a thing be done?"

"I can do it right now, if you wish?" asked Oedon, which made everyone stop entirely.

"I… Right now?" exclaimed the red Dragon. "That is… How long would it take?"

"A minute?" Oedon replied, tilting her head thoughtfully. "It wouldn't be hard."

The locals stared at her, before glancing at each other.

"Err… Just like that? Wouldn't it require rituals or-"

"If you were doing it, most certainly." Oedon interrupted with a smile. "But since I'm here, I can just do it myself."

Again, the locals glanced at each other.

"What exactly would this blessing involve, my Lady?" politely asked Lady Radastrasza.

Oedon quickly fell into a technical talk about the conceptual benefits of Holy Grounds in her Name, potential pitfalls and more, and I glanced at Alexstrasza with some amusement.

"Something tells me that they're going to be at it for a while." I said.

Alexstrasza took a long look at Oedon being surrounded by the Hospital's staff, several of them already taking notes as the discussion turned more and more technical, and her lips twitched upwards.

"So it would seem. Far from me to complain about a good thing, though. By the sounds of it, this might save many lives."

"Fair." I admitted. "Though I fully expect the sight before us to be repeated across more than just this hospital. My wife being as powerful as she is will ensure a lot of people will want to follow her."

Alexstrasza glanced at me. "You have experiences with gaining cults?"

"Some. I tend to have the most, but Oedon is a close second. People tend to happily accept a loving goddess who wants you to be happy and healthy as a good thing. As a Patron Goddess of Mothers and Children, Healers, scientists focused on biology, and much, much more, she tends to have a wide variety of worshippers. And while many Eldritch Gods have some skills when it comes to biological manipulations, I do wonder how many can truly be called Gods of Healing. And, of course, there's the whole Goddess of Blood thing, for when one's family needs to be defended from evil…" I trailed off, looking thoughtfully at Oedon.

Then I chuckled. "It also helps that my wife is a very beautiful woman, I'm sure."

Alexstrasza laughed. "Well, I doubt it's the only reason why people would worship her, but…" she looked at Oedon, deep in conversation on how to best use divine powers to guarantee the survival of sick patients. "I can see her genuine desire to help people. She exudes an aura of peace and serenity unlike anything I have ever seen. Just being close to her makes people's worries fall away."

She turned towards, her eyes studying me curiously. "You have it, too, but differently. Where she relaxes people and makes them feel calm, as if the very thought of harm coming to them while she is around is impossible, you exude an aura that makes people want to trust in you. Trust that you can help them. Trust that you can protect them. Trust that you will find a solution to all of their problems."

I smiled wryly, even as my eyes never left the animated conversation that Oedon was engaged in.

"That's because Oedon is no natural-born warrior. She does not seek battle, indeed she'd rather there be peace between people. Thus, she *is* peace. The antithesis of conflict, such that the idea of people being harmed in her presence seems impossible. That people can work out their differences peacefully. That understanding can be reached, that peace can be found and achieved."

I fell silent for a moment, before speaking up. "She is Life, and Peace, and Harmony. But she is also the Defender of Life, the symbol of the Mother willing to fight for those she loves, if it ever proves necessary. And her nature as a Goddess of Blood thrives on that. The idea that, if her home is ever threatened, then she will do whatever it takes to see it safe."

"And you?" questioned Alexstrasza.

I looked at her in the eyes. "I am the Guide and Protector. I walk the path towards a brighter tomorrow, as the first to stand and fight to see all that follow behind me safely forward. I am both the Teacher and the Warrior. I ensure that those who follow me can walk forward by themselves, but I also make sure first that the greatest dangers waiting forward are dealt with. Thus, my Aura tells people that they can put their trust in me to guide them towards a better place. That they can trust me to protect them. If Oedon is the safety of Home, I am the safety of a leader who guides his people forward to a better Home."

Alexstrasza mused on that for a long moment, her eyes occasionally glancing at me or Oedon.

"You truly are two sides of the same coin." she muttered.

I nodded. "That we are. Life and Death. Peace and War. The safety and comfort of the familiar, and the ambition of desiring forbetter. If my gaze lies ever forward, hers focuses on the now. Both are needed, and together we can achieve more than alone."

I fell silent, before glancing at Alexstrasza.

"If she blesses you, her nature will affect you. You are already the Queen Mother of your people. That will be strengthened. Your very presence will sooth them. Your words will bring understanding and the hope for peace. You will care for them fiercely, and they will love you for it. Always, you will seek to bring happiness to others, and to soothe their pain. At the same time… If your home is ever threatened… If your children are ever in danger… Then you will stand at the gate of your home, ready to drown in blood all who would dare seek to harm those at your back. You will walk among aseaof blood, to see those you love safe. Then you would go back home, and hope to never have to leave its warmth again."

Alexstrasza looked at Oedon for a long moment, before speaking. "And ifyouwere to bless me?"

"Then you would feel the urge to go forth and strike at the threats to your people directly." I replied. "You would leave the warmth of home time and again to see it protected through bloodshed. Again and again the call to battle would burn in your veins, the desire to fight the foes who threaten those you love leaving you unable to stay put without rushing where angels fear to tread, in the name of purging reality from evils who would harm you and yours. No longer would you be satisfied with merely healing the sick and the wounded. No longer would you be satisfied with fortifying your home. You would seek your foes across the Cosmos, and see them crushed before you."

Alexstrasza said nothing, eyes lost in thought as she stood by my side.

Ultimately, however, she made her decision.

It was the one I expected, and I smiled knowingly before she even spoke.

"You have made your choice, then."

She flinched, looking and feeling guilty, but I merely shook my head.

"Do not flinch." I told her firmly. "You choose wisely. You choose home, and love, and the path to motherhood. If you had chosen otherwise, well…" I grinned, amusement in my voice. "As a certain someone once put it, that's Hell you'd be walking into."

Alexstrasza still had difficulty meeting my eyes, but a moment later she took a deep breath and did so without flinching.

"My Lord… The path of Lady Oedon fit me more." She bowed. "I apologize for-"

"Don't." I said firmly, the first ever hint of actual displeasure in my voice making her stiffen. "As I said, you choose wisely. Do not apologize for that. Not all people are the kind to follow my example, and that is fine. After all…"

My voice softened, and I looked at Oedon with gentle love in my eyes.

"People like me need someone to return to once the bloodshed is over. People likeyou, who have the ability to remind us that everything in existence is not merely war and blood. That beauty exists too, beauty that makes all the horrors we experienceworth it."

I smiled at Alexstrasza.

"Embrace the blessing of my wife, once she offers it. Make your home the best it can be, so that those who fight in your name are reminded each time they return from battle why the battles they fought were worth it."

I looked up at the sight of my wife approaching, a gentle smile on my lips. "I take it they can't just accept you blessing the hospital right now?"

Oedon shook her head. "They're worried about possible side-effects on their patients. They want to try lesser, controlled experiments with volunteers first. I can't say I blame them for caring about the people they watch over."

"Indeed not." I agreed. "Well, with this visit effectively over, how about we finish this trip by going to Alexstrasza's palace, as originally intended?"

"That sounds good to me." Oedon replied, before looking at Alexstrasza, who looked at her and smiled a moment later.

"Yes, I think we should get going. There are some matters we must address."

I nodded. As expected, Alexstrasza won't be one of my people, but one of Oedon's.

I was glad for it. The path I walked… I didn't believe that Alexstrasza wouldn't thrive on it, but it would change her. Harden her. Make her more like me.

Better she walks Oedon's path. Then, at least, she would be free to smell the flowers, as the saying went.

My path…

Well.

Only Blood awaited those walking my path.

To be a Hunter was to walk with Death and Madness, after all.

Though perhaps, hopefully, one day far into the future…

We would all reach Paradise, too.

Even if I had to build the damn place myself.

A.N: Alright! Here is the next chapter in which we continue the events of Love Azathoth!

With the character introduction over, it's time to delve further into the setting and its worldbuilding, while also building up Aeon's powerbase.

Right now, that means Alexstrasza and her people.

I also started a bit of a long-term plot about Aeon, Magic and Magic-users: Aeon, as a God, is someone who wants mortals to seek Greatness and become more than, well, helpless mortals. So here, he deliberately started a Grand Quest for every magic user in Reality: to seek ever greater understanding of Magic, in the name of finding the "Core/Source" of Magic, that which all Magic in the Omniverse come from. Basically like Fate's Root obsession for Magus, but focused entirely on Magic itself. And, you know, with Aeon making sure that immoral ways of pursuing knowledge will be severely punished.

Beyond that, Aeon is starting to meet religious people and spread his religion around, same with Oedon. Oh, and he gets to bulli Aza, because she's adorable when flustered.

Still, with all that being said, I hope you all enjoyed this update! Next time, Alexstrasza finally starts the passionate negotiations, and Aeon continues to grow his powerbase…