Queen's note: I… this turned into something longer than expected. I hope it makes sense, I had to get part of a transition done. John is trying to sort out his thoughts and failing. Him being a god is very rapidly going to turn into everyone else's problem even more than normal

Garnets

Chapter Sixty Seven:

Yeet

Ever see a god in person?

Let alone an excited god?

Or one that bounced down to his seemingly stun locked Sentinels, wanting to show off the cool thing he collected.

It did not matter that he had to break a part of reality, he had this cool thing again!

Both Crucibles were quickly hefted up in hand to show off the hilts at first. Still feeding the older one to keep its core alive, while the younger living one seemed to be in just as much shock as the Slayer almost bounced down. Landing beside his Sentinels and let out a wordless sound in Primordial that almost expressed his full excitement.

The too fluid movement also showed something was different, heavy in his movements but… oddly enough just too smooth. More than the Slayer's normal that was.

Zanin looked down automatically as he was shown the hilt. Politely touching the edge of the blackened metal and noting that, yes, it was the Argenta made Crucible. Being over saturated with the Slayer's energy to keep it alive until… until something next?

The Sentinel felt… heady and confused before making a startled sound as Zanin was grabbed. Reflexively chuffing back at the Slayer as the demigod… god? Pulled him down and pressed their helmets together. Able to feel the almost giddy energy that rolled off freely before both the tattoo on Zanin's right arm and the seeming right under his left shoulder… pulsed. Not burning but flaring with heat that matched what the Sentinel could almost see coming off of-

Beating in time with the Slayer's power and heartbeat.

Zanin got just enough sense back to gripped onto the firearms in front of him. Head and shoulders stooped to press back, still feeling heady and warm but his other senses were coming back into focus in a way he had not been aware of. His wraith gift was not replaced or pushed aside but the flood of power pulsing with his own blood now was definitely different.

The wraith power was cool, and settled in Zanin's core and bones, while this new gift was hot and flowing in the blood and muscle.

"...my ribs are healed?" Haco suddenly asked, confused, looking down. Suddenly aware that constant pain in his chest and back had been in, more so when fighting, was now numbed. Then that ever present throb of pain faded all together into the heat bleeding through himself from behind his back. His rapid healing kicked up a gear or three to something that was more alike to the Slayer's own level of healing then what was 'normal' for Night Sentinels.

"They are healed," Vega's voice spoke and that seemed to be able to shake Zanin out of the odd state to stand up right. "In fact, all three of your injuries that had happened over the last few days are healed. You three are gaining some muscle mass and tone that the Sarcophagus' reported you lost… I would suspect at this rate that your body conditions would match what you once did in another day and a half."

Zanin looked down, carefully feeling over his forearm where the glyph was tattooed onto his arm. The Slayer reached out again, Last Gift was back on his thigh and he used his left hand to lift Zanin's arm, there were no visible marks there, but he was looking at the direct spot.

The Slayer blinked glowing green eyes, staring in confusion as he turned Zanin's arm this way and that. Confirming that he was, in fact, able to see his normally inadvertently hidden glyph. He could see it glowing like burnt orange and even through the armor, or through armor and the arm. His mark, the sword breaking through the ground, not that altered one Hell used for him, of the scar like sword coming down at the ground. It pulsed in time with Zanin's heartbeat now, but if the Slayer focused too much on it, it was more like his heartbeat and his Sentinel started to unfocus.

The Slayer pulled back, suddenly realizing a trickle of his power was bleeding through the glyph. When he focused just that too much he was flooding that power...he did not want to overwhelm his Sentinels. Those that were as close to friends, or brothers in arms. He wanted them healthy and alive but not senseless or emotionless-

Zanin gasped, startled and shook himself, looking around confused then down at the Slayer. The glyphs on him gave a last pulse, and settled into something like a burning ember. "...what, was that?"

The Slayer lifted his hands and gave a shrug, his own body language looking just as confused as Zanin felt. Though the Slayer had to keep a hold of the Sunwalker to keep feeding it energy in the living weapon's comatose state. The Slayer motioned to Zanin's marks, then over to the other two Argenta, realizing at the same time that Haco and Asin were… unmoving.

Haco had frozen mid-motion as he started to check something with his new armor. As if just frozen while Asin was still on lookout. The Slayer bounded over, honestly startling himself that he had covered the distance in a notably shorter amount of time and with far less effort than normal. The weight was the same, even his steps sound the same, but the Slayer felt weirdly…light?

The Slayer could see his glyphs burning bright on Haco's armor and where his own tattoos were under the armor on his arms. And the larger one on his back on the armor that was… Burning? Transferring?

Haco had been one of the first Argenta to take up the Slayer's mark. He had been one of few at the very start that first found him, and then once finding Bi'Jay out of the pits offered a hand to get up. Even if that hand got bit a few times when the then still somewhat mad human thought Haco was about to steal his food.

He may not have been Bi'Jay's first real friend on Argent D'nur. That was honestly Valen, but Haco had been one of his first companions, one of the sentinels that had been honestly kind. A few poking moments aside, and had even been there the last time he was able to get drunk before becoming The Slayer. Haco had just laughed when he got bit then too, more than happy to wrestle on the tavern floor with the short, odd outlander until Bi'Jay had gone from an angry drunk to a playful one.

Haco was slowly shaking his head, and took his first deep breath since that gore nest. He felt… warm. The Slayer was humming a confused note, even holding the broken crucible, was inspecting the bigger Argenta man, checking for any damage and even the few warn spots of Haco's armor was self repairing quicker.

His marks were glowing a rose gold on Haco, and the Slayer glanced over to see something like a dark pumice stone shade on the mark over Asin's back and forearm. Something not wrong but like it had not fully… set? The Slayer could see Zanin tapping Asin's left hand for his attention without startling. The bigger Sentinel slowly tilted his helmet to seemingly stare back at Zanin, not out of the deep trance but aware of his brother.

After making sure that Haco was back to more or less normal, the Slayer started to where Asin was as the wintherins were landing again. He was very aware of Jade's soul as she climbed down to check on Haco before feeling the heat coming off of the Sentinel, and that surprised him.

It felt like his power was rolling off of Asin- in fact the Demigod (god?) knew that it was for a fact. As he came closer, he could feel how it was sinking not only into Asin's physical body but started to see it seeping past the wraith gift to the man's soul. Asin had always had extremely good control of expressing his emotions, he had to in order to be a Night Sentinel. Asin also never denied his emotions, that deep rooted want and desire to protect. Almost as deep was the always simmering anger at what had happened to not just his people, brother and sisters Sentinels by the Maykrs and Hell alike.

The Slayer realized his three Sentinels were being given a gift somehow through his glyph. He did not understand it, or how it worked. Vega did not seem to be able to see what he was seeing as he was not commenting on the bright glowing glyphs he was able to see through the armor.

Did he do that?

How did he do that?!

"Hurmph?" The sound that came out of the Slayer was rough, almost hurt, not really any word he wanted to say.

Worry-concern?

Asin looked over at his war king, humming reflexively back in response as there was a not so distant howling. He paused mid step towards the Slayer as if being drawn to him before the almost wolven howl drew up other sounds. Demonic roars and screeching.

Suddenly Taras Nabad's ruins were alive with the sounds of unlife and rage. Then howls of living wolves and horn blasts like the Sentinels used to do.

The Slayer was moving to the broken but still open northern side of the yard. His Sentinels followed, though Asin stayed back, just shifting a half step after. There was activity in the dead city, though not the same as what they remembered. No colorful fabrics of flags, or the blues, silver, purple and yellow clothes of the people who once lived in the city. There were still landmarks they could clearly recognize, buildings, like where the throne room and King's vault were on the western side. Almost directly across to the north east was what was left of that damned machine.

Oddly there was a path of blue fire lighting up in once dark torches that could just be seen coming from the west. Giving a little bit of color in the off white native stone roads and buildings. Something that was not the dulled flags, some even having the Slayer's mark though it did not glow, and the dark reds, tarnished black and ashen bone white of the demons flushed out.

"There's a spike in two very different energies near you." Vega was saying as the echoing cacophony was not fading but staying steady as something… pulsed through the areas that still had strung up bodies. Like testing the vibrations through a giant spider web. The Slayer and the Sentinels seemed to be able to track the energy pulse from the eastern side as it swept around closer before stopping as whoever was manipulating it found both the break on the southern side of the city and the last connecting line that was an entrail from a demon body to the Titan.

The now very dead Dreadnought.

Vega counted a full five seconds before even he could hear a high pitch scream through the helmet comms of those there. It was both so very inhuman (inargenta?) an almost, almost like the echo of the Slayer's spoken Primordial way of communication… but it also had an alarming amount of emotion of pain and fear and desperation- It reminded Vega of his people on Mars in those first waves of uncontrolled, raw Argent energy. What Dr. Olivia then had referred to as Lazarus Waves that came out of the hell rifts and portals alike.

For several moments, almost fifteen seconds, Vega's systems froze, remembering the sounds and sights of his humans altering and changing against their will. The screams and calls to him or anyone to help- Thousands had died in less than three minutes, hundreds more in the next five. Vega had been connected to them all by way of rigs to keep track of their vitals in hazardous areas.

Cascade's awareness suddenly flooded forward, wrapping around the Colony AI, taking control of the Fortress systems to keep it running. There was just a flickering of lights that had some attention but thankfully Riggs was there to keep the Life Support running. Vega was just starting to come to his senses, finding himself, for the lack of a better term, firmly pressed up under the older Altan AI. Cascade was wrapped around Vega supported the colony AI from hurting their current charges from Vega's shock and, well, trauma response.

Fifteen seconds, Vega had no control. Fifteen seconds Cascade and Riggs took over to support. It was an eternity of time of the colony AI unable to claw out of his own fear. Then another two seconds that Vega struggled to remember all of where he had been as that scream faded. If one was to describe it for a non AI to understand, it very much felt like massive hands were wrapped around Vega to support him. An echo of awareness of the Altan holding the comparatively younger AI.

Vega did the equivalent of gasping for breath, getting input for what was really happening in the Fortress. Touching each system and relay that was active. Able to feel living heartbeats from those Argenta still in armor. Then the medical monitors in Lily and Aster's pace maker. Then the armor of the Sentinels off of the Fortress.

Living heart beats that were staying stable and not suddenly stopping.

Fifteen seconds, plus two, then Vega was shifting back into spot, feeling Cascade's presence against the equivalent of his back. Keeping the support. Like a giant hand cupped. Vega could not fully keep his voice the same as seventeen seconds ago, speaking to the Slayer and his three men. "I… I believe that was the so called "Corpse Lo-' Sentinel Asin! Look out!"

The Slayer snapped around and coiled as he saw belatedly the surprisingly quiet Hell Knight. The demon was already bearing down on Asin, maw agape in a feral grin for blood-

The demon got just that too close and the seemingly comatose Asin snapped into action. Grabbing a massive arm hard enough to break bones in the Knight's wrist as he twisted it in the air and over his back. Turning to keep hold before Asin's left foot planted hard enough to crack the demon's right shoulder and flexed. As if not even thinking about it, the Sentinel bodily and admittedly bloody-ly tore off the limb of the demon.

He swung the limb down even as it was starting to char, hitting the Hell Knight hard enough with its own severed limb to collapse its chest cavity.

Asin snorted as the demon choked, struggled and then dissolved into death ash from its chest outwards. He paused and looked up at the admittedly shocked Slayer. Blinking back before it registered what Asin had just done, looking down at his hands as if confused.

He was strong, Asin had always been strong but even he had needed to cleave a joint of a demon that size before he could de-limb it. "...Lord Slayer?"

The Slayer flexed his free hand, confused, knowing what these men were like at top shape and currently. Asin should not be able to do that, and that mark was no longer a dark rocky color but more like hot metal red. It was just starting to cool down as a wave of demonic creatures came charging towards their area.

The wintherins took to the air reflexively, Jade yelling as she had not gotten back into the saddle in time. Haco was already launching over there, his ballista swung back up and the man was experienced enough to use it as crowd control to the altered gargoyles. Zanin was a step behind, backing up and forming a guard around Jade. While at the same time the Slayer and Asin met the ground forces head on.

There was a distinct, definite difference now that the Slayer noticed. He was faster, able to clear distances to the grounded part of the horde quicker. The Slayer could not let go of the broken Crucible, and had to keep that connection to keep Sunwalker alive. He did not really have a convenient gorgon heart to make another crucible core. Even if there was, it would not be the same living weapon.

There was a moment between the first wave and the next when the Slayer stopped. Aware of Haco throwing an almost broken, wingless gargoyle at the titan remains. He gave a warning sound at Asin, calling him back to the Slayer as he unlatched his chest plate. Shoving the crucible between his under suit layer and his chest itself. It was very uncomfortable, more so with the constant bleed of energy, but it was tolerable as he pushed the plate back into place.

It freed up both of his hands now, and the Slayer caught a staggering possessed shambler that was lunging for the still demigod. (...was he really a god…?) It was an older one, but also bigger than the ones on earth. A possessed Argenta not human, but thinner and far more gaunt then any Argenta should be with bone growths. One of those plates on the chest was what the Slayer had grabbed on reflex, feeling his fingers breaking through the encrusting bone growth.

The Slayer made a face, just not expecting it as he reached with his free hand to help pull his hand from the awkward position.

The Demonic horde paused.

His argenta stared.

The demons stared.

The Slayer stared.

The now bisected possessed just managed to blink, blood oozing as chunks fell out of the still standing parts before collapsing as the tentative balance gave out. It dissolved into death ash and char, a trace of shimmering blue drifting towards his own frame. The Slayer's hands still lifted where he had accidentally ripped the possessed in half.

He had done that many, many times before, just, the Slayer normally had to both flex, and have a good hold on two points to rip a demon in half. This was the first time he could remember tearing a demon apart vertically.

The Slayer stared down, feeling… feeling for the first time what little bit was left of the soul in the possessed. A little, half note of a song but that was drawn in by his Praetor suit itself, but let itself be pulled in. What was left of that argenta was giving themselves to the Praetor and twining inside to strengthen it.

There was another moment.

The Slayer's head snapped to look up at the demons, green eyes burning bright under his helmet. Seeing the nearest Knight flinch, finally realizing that he was stronger then even earlier that day. He grinned before launching forward into the horde, Asin at his right side as the battle kicked back into gear. The Slayer tested his own new reflexes as well as watching Asin's.

Haco and Zanin were in their own smooth teamwork, alternating between firearms and hand held as they got Jade into one of the still more intact sections. The Slayer thought he saw her with a curved blade of some sort, yet he and Asin were keeping the worst of the demonic creatures away. He also noticed that Asin was indeed much stronger than before, the more he exerted himself the brighter the Slayer's mark was on his back.

Asin did not rival the Slayer's strength over all, but it was…

It was fun to fight alongside another, moving in tandem with each other. Covering one another even though it may not be needed but… wanted?

It reminded the Slayer of something far back and not so far. Feeling Asin's back against his own the second time had him realize it was a team work he had missed. The Slayer had at one point been a part of a military unit, before hell and then again after once he started to snap out of the haze from Hell in the pits. It was like this feeling finally belatedly clicked in and stuck with the Slayer.

He was not alone against hell.

Asin caught another hell Knight, twisting with it and pulling down on its head and neck to bend the demon backwards and expose it to the Slayer. The man laughed despite himself as he watched the Slayer give a rolling punch to first injure then break the Knight together.

He had his sentinels back, and even with this odd new gift from his power to them. The Slayer would not want to have them taking the worst of the worst of hell, he was still perfectly capable of that- he would want them to keep those that can not fight at all safe.

…was this feeling what the Khan Maykr wanted? This feeling of trust in his people, his Sentinels, and the faith they had in turn?

He grabbed an imp and dragged it out of the air of its jump. The demon screamed as it realized that the Slayer had a hold of it with his bare hands. No weapons to streamline his fighting right now, or give quick deaths, as some thoughts tried to sort themselves out.

No, the Khan Maykr wanted to be a god, thought that she was. She demanded worship with no regard.

The Slayer knew what the feeling of faith in him felt like, warmth in his gut. He remembered worship once, after the divinity machine. but had stopped it. He had not liked it, not the feeling, and the concept.

He had never wanted to be worshiped, did not want to be a god with the examples from hell and the Maykrs… The Slayer suddenly realized every Wraith he had met, confirmed primordial beings. Gods in other words, they did not demand worship, accepted it when mortals offered but did not seem to crave it like the Khan Maykr.

If anything the Wraiths now that the Slayer thought about it, were like strange whine aunts. They loved and adored their creations but also seemed happy to let most get into and out of trouble after a certain point. Maybe he should try asking one about it.

Not Gaia.

He was still mad at Gaia for saying she would take his Flower. His new daughter.

All at once the fight ended, leaving a single blind unwilling stumbling around, not even a possessed creature. Something from Hell that was more of an attendant than a proper fighter that likely got pulled along in the horde that formed. The Slayer grunted and then paused, looking between the confused unwilling and then the titan. Seeing the petrified gargoyle that Haco had thrown there.

The Slayer grinned as he stomped over, a little heavier than he meant before grabbing the unwilling by the back of the neck and dragged it back to the titan corps. Tossing it up at the torso cavity and watching with his sentinels as... yep it was screaming but also petrifying like that Tyrant had.

"...that is unpleasant to listen to." Jade noted, staying behind Zanin before noticing the blood oozing from a gash in Haco's arm. "Lord Jaco, your…arm?"

Zanin turned, starting to reach for the drone with the medical supplies attached to his armor and then paused as he saw the wound on Haco's arm starting to heal already. At least the bleeding stopping. "...what?"

"Did…" Haco started, also staring at the healing wound, now more of an angry scrape. Then looked up at the gore covered Demigod. "Did we just get the equivalent of a wraith gift, from you?"

The Slayer lifted a hand, paused and then shrugged with a confused motion of his hands. After a few moments of staring he seemed to remember how to sign. I don't know? How do wraiths give gifts?

All five awkwardly looked at each other, trying to think of how the process worked when they got there. The Slayer reached up to tap the side of his helmet, pulling a few stringy bits off of himself. Vega know?

"I have not been able to understand the process of giving a Wraith Gift." Vega spoke, his voice seemed to be stronger than the last time he talked. "Even watching what happened to miss Lily, and the readings from her medical device. Her vitals had dropped before picking back up."

An imp was scuttling towards the group, trying to sneak up but Zanin pounced on it. Paused, and then much like the Slayer he dragged it back, after breaking its forearms before bodily lifting the imp and chucked the demon at the titan remains.

The imp too, petrified, managing to roll off but still classified after smacking into the rotting remains of the titan.

This could be useful.

"I have picked up traces of energy that are similar to the Wraith Gaia. In the biggest building to the west." Vega dropped a translucent beacon in the HUDs he could of the group. Seeing Haco tilting his head back and forth again to watch the marker move, it gave a moment of amusement to the AI before he continued. "If there is a wraith, perhaps they can be asked?"

"Well, the mother wraith Gaia answered questions before, didn't she?" Haco asked, as he had not actually been there.

Zanin nodded, "She did, and ranted at the Lord Slayer a lot. They were very angry at each other."


REviews!

XFireStoneX:
He's so happy to have them both. and it will be admittedly funny with fighting with both considering Freddy... XD yes! new power level unlocked! you're always welcome to come hang out on the discord server too if you'd like!