-Lucian ap Costas-
"It was strange how so many different people from so many different cultures can so easily merge into one people with their own unique culture." said Lucien to his guide beside him. "When I was human, I never thought that such a feat of social engineering was possible. Even now I find it hard to believe."
"Many share your bewilderment, believe me, to the point that some thought that his and her Majesties nugged things along with mind control. Well at least until they publicly said that they did not usurp our free will." Said, Sophia, his guide.
"Well how did they do it? I'm curious."
He really was. The only thing that was common among the people of the otherworld of Tír na réalta was that they came mostly from the western cultures. Even the time period wasn't the same.
There are some like him that came from twenty first century Greece, there are some from eighteenth century Russia, there are some from the alternate earth where Britons repelled Anglo-Saxons and made the empire on par with standard British empire, there are some from ancient Greece and Rome, some from ancient Celtic tribes and so on.
"When they call our monarchs wise it is not an empty compliment or ass kissing. One of their titles is literally Akashic Wisdom. Their minds just work differently. Add that to the fact that they can see past and future, travel to past and future, and travel to alternate universes. They just arrange the dominos in the way they want and watch the events play out."
"Bullshit." That was Lucien's only reaction to those words, much to the agreement of people around him that he now realized were listening to his discussion with their guide.
Sophia just shrugged. "I know that you didn't have very extensive lessons on magic in the acclimation center but you should know that one of the biggest laws of Structured magic is that you need to understand what you want to achieve and how. If they were knowledgeable enough to build a working model of the Tír na réalta in their minds and powerful enough to bring it into reality, if they can do that then is it really so surprising that they can achieve this. They literally created the mini universe that we are living in, it is required in order to become the Archfae."
That…He knew all of that beforehand, but he didn't connect the requirement for magic and creating otherworld in his mind. To him the fact that anyone would have such an in depth understanding of reality was much more unbelievable then the fact that they could use brute force in order to create this.
He tuned out the voices of the other people around him that started to pepper their guide with questions and started to look around the path that they were following.
Not all people traveling from the acclimation center to the Astropolis did so in humanoid forms, some traveled in the form of the horse, some in the form of the hound.
One of the main things that they had to acclimate to was the fact that their forms were not static. Although they had their new instincts as Fyrnenon it was difficult to overturn two decades of habit of life as a human without innate shapeshifting.
Lucien quickened his pace and in the same breath lightened his mass, hollowed out his bones, created new muscles and grew out a pair of wings on his back. He liked to practice his free form shape shifting and he liked to fly when in thought.
The Tír na réalta or the land of stars was adequately named. In most parts of the otherworld there is eternal night, there is no sun to light up the night. This was not the problem one would think it would be, for the night sky is so full of stars that their light provides enough visibility for beings without night vision to live. Lucien would say that people without night vision would compare the sunless lands of the Tír na réalta to a twilight on earth.
When he first saw the kaleidoscopic light of the stars the sight took his breath away. He was never the one for stargazing during his mortal life but the beautiful sight rooted him to the ground none the same.
He turned around in the air and cast one last look at the town he lived in for the past five years.
After he accepted to be turned into fae he and other newly turned people were placed in the small town filled with teachers that were supposed to help them become accustomed to their new fae nature for five years.
Now he was headed to the only city of Tír na réalta and the seet of their monarchs Astropolis.
He lost track of time as he flew through the starlight sky. He briefly acknowledged a few others who decided to fly to the capital but for the most of the time he was lost in the feeling of flight.
Soon he saw it. The city unlike any other he has seen. He strained his sight to his limits in order to capture all of it. It was breathtaking.
The huge city was built entirely out of silver-gray marble-like stone. Several concentric circles of walls guarded the city with a palace atop of the hill in the center of it. The city's numerous towers gleamed in the starlight.
The architecture of even the most humble of buildings was incredible. To Lucien it most resembled gothic style but it was somehow more grand.
The traffic of the city was not only busy on the ground but in the air and water also. Number of parts of the city could only be reached by flight or with the ability to breathe in water.
Underwater part of the city was built into many rivers that crisscrossed the city from the same marble as the rest of Astropolis.
The Astropolis wasn't only built in normal three dimensional space but also stretched into multiple other dimensions, both those that also exist in the mortal world, those that are unique to Faewyld, and those unique only to Tír na réalta.
Magnificent…was the only word that came to Lucien's mind when he looked at the peace of art that was Astropolis.
….
Exiting his new home inside the city he unfurled an umbrella, made to resist all kinds of weather phenomena, and stepped into the lightly drizzling rain.
The clouds covered the sky, not allowing the starlight to illuminate the city. His sight was obscured by thick fog that was pierced by golden light from the street lamps.
The rain of fluorescent sky blue color pattered against his enchanted umbrella. He didn't recognize underlying concepts or records of the rain so it's best not let it touch him. It could be beneficial or it could be hazardous and he didn't fancy going to a healer for this.
He could not step sideways into one of the dimensions that he can travers to escape the rain because it's raining there as well.
How could it rain in the realm of consciousness he did not know, but it did.
It didn't take him long to get where he was going and he entered the cafe close to the House of Wisdom.
House of Wisdom was both college that teaches wizardry, main research center of magic and more mundane technology, and biggest library in Tír na réalta.
Both the college and most of the library were free. And Lucien was there for both. His first class was in an hour.
He was swiftly approached by a blurry humanoid shape in the spirit dimension .
"Query?" It sent a telepathic message asking him about his order.
He quickly scanned the menu one more time and telepathically conveyed his order.
This was a spiritual automaton that many businesses used for unskilled labor. It was not any more self aware than a toaster, just a very well programmed VI constructed within the dimension of consciousness.
It quickly returned with his order.
A cup of Witching Hour coffee and a sweet breakfast made out of waffles with a golden syrup.
The coffee tasted of starless and moonless night, that concealed countless mysteries. It left the bitter after taste in the back of his tongue, tasting of fear of the unknown. The waffles were soft like clouds and golden syrup on them had a taste of honey enriched with the concept of life.
Both coffee and breakfast were great. With a thought his mind reached out to the web like construction, that spreads out in dimension of consciousness as far as his sight can see, and quickly posted a glowing review on the cafe's website.
It was well worth twenty paragraphs. He thought.
The currency of fae is weird from the mortal perspective. The Fae use unaligned records as a currency.
Every action, thought and situation produces records. Some of the actions, thoughts and situations are grander than others so they produce bigger records. The records are key to fae's power, prestige, and standing.
So when fae learned the use of soul alchemy to extract and strip them of their inherit story but managed to keep their metaphysical weight they decided to turn it into coin.
The denominations of fae currency are from the smallest to biggest paragraphs, chapters, and tales. Named so because the records are stories of one's existence.
If one were to reabsorb the fae currency into their soul, they would find out that although they had no new stories their old ones would gain more importance and weight.
After eating breakfast and drinking his coffee he exited the cafe and entered the House of Wisdom, and sat down in the auditorium waiting for the professor to come in.
Soon when all of the students trickled in, the professor entered.
She wore the form of a beautiful black haired woman of asian descent. She was breathtaking, but even though Lucien was not Fyrnenon for even a decade he didn't put much weight on physical beauty.
Fyrnenon as a race of fae of course loved beauty in all it's forms. But all Fyrnenon are shapeshifters that look as good as they like. Thus Fyrnenon, while appreciating the beauty of the body, are more interested in the inner beauty.
Or more precisely the beauty of one's story, one's records. For both your kindness and cruelty, both your strength and weakness, both the tribulations you overcame and the ones under which you have succumbed are recorded in your soul and can be perceived by the one with sight.
And although all fae find this attractive, Fyrnenon are the most extreme. For them who can change their forms like clothing, having an unappealing form means that you do not have a sense of fashion. Something that can be rectified by metaphorically finding fashion advice from someone.
From what he could feel from the surface of Prof. Weber's soul, she had a kind and generous but also stern personality. Peering more than that into her story would be rude for someone who he saw for the first time today.
Professor started to speak and her bell like voice rang out in the auditorium.
"I am Prof. Lenora ferch Weber and I am going to hold a lecture on the Foundation of Magic, do not hesitate to ask questions about the subject, in fact I would like it very much." As the Prof spoke she started to walk up and down the room.
"Now as a start of this lecture I would like to ask you a question. Do you know how you do magic? How do you make laws of nature bow to your will?" No one answered her. "Well? Tell me your best guess."
After the moment of uneasy silence one of the people to the side of Lucien stood up and answered. "We cast spells by controlling magical energy produced by our souls with our will and shaping it with our thoughts."
"You were a mage before your transition into fae?" Asked Prof. Weber.
Guy nodded, looking a little unsure. To which Prof. continued. "There are some magical traditions that perform magic that way. Either because, structure of their souls can not support the normal way of casting or because the paradigm which is the foundation of their magical tradition is to heavily focused on magical energy to the exclusion of other things."
She paused, collecting her thoughts. "Not a bad way to use magic, but most of the beings in this world, from fae to gods, devils and angels do not perform magic in this way. Magic is the imposition of the soul on reality with will and thought. Magical energy is just the fuel the soul uses to enact that change. Just like how our bodies need energy to move and you get tired after running too much. You do not control the energy for the body to move, you move and your body consumes the energy to do so."
That makes sense. Lucien nodded.
"Of course that isn't to say that energy is not important for our way of casting. It will be much harder for you to cast healing magic with mana than with life energy and with some energies like demonic energy it is almost impossible. Certain energies are predisposed to certain magics. But let's not get sucked into that topic for now." She waved her hand dismissively.
"At the core, all magic can be divided into Unstructured and Structured magic. Unstructured magic or also called Wishcraft, is at its core willing an effect you want into reality. This however powerful it may seem is incredibly draining. It could be compared to you throwing a tantrum and the universe giving you what you want so you would shut up. And like a parent giving in to its child's tantrum there is a hard limit to what the parent is willing to do in order to calm the child." She said with a slight smile in her voice.
"Structured magic on other hand demands for you to understand what you want to do and how and for you to use that understanding to weave a mental construct out of visualization and intent and then impose it onto reality with your will." She continued, her heels clanking against the ground as she walked. "This means that practitioners of Structured magic have to have a good amount of knowledge about the world. Be it about physical or metaphysical parts of it…"
…..
-Fionn ap Asteron-
Fionn's sight ignored all distance between the House of Wisdom and the private cottage on the other side of the realm, as he observed a certain lecture.
Almost all people that he and his wife recruited to be their citizens are either geniuses or monstrously talented in one field or another.
These people were not as rare as most would think. For every Isaac Newton and Einstein there are thousands of their intellectual peers that either squandered their gifts or died before they did anything noteworthy.
By going for those individuals they both avoid stealing the luminaries of humanity and gain their own with little guidance.
Making sure that Prof. Weber and Lucien meet was not very hard. Both of their personalities were practically perfect in order for the two of them to pull each other out of their funk and to encourage each other to do their best.
They were both talented and smart kids, their only problem was that they are incredibly unambitious.
He strengthened his Sight to look into the near future.
In his Sight, Astropolis became a beautiful beacon of magic. Stones of the city were made of silver flames and light that was beaten into the shape of bricks, cobblestones, and the like. Treas inside parks were both in the verdant vitality of spring and summer, golden and orange pastels of autumn, and the bare snow-covered form of winter. All seasons overlapping with each other.
The city was covered in an obscuring mist that warred with light radiated by miniature stars held in the street lanterns.
Astropolis was their place of power, their sanctum, and with the Sight, it was clearly visible. Every pebble in the city was imbued with their will. And the placement of the buildings, towers, walls, and even parks and gardens in the city was purposeful. Even the shape and gothic architecture of the buildings were deliberate. All this in order to turn the city into a conduit and amplifier for their power.
Astropolis as a whole held meaning and was full of conflicting yet balanced concepts of mystery and the propagation of knowledge. It was the capital of magic.
Beneath the city sat the crossing of seven major leylines. In his Sight, leylines were blue and green rivers of luminous energy.
He looked past the present and into the sea of possibilities.
The future isn't predetermined, free will exists after all, but possibilities are not endless. Some possibilities most likely will happen, some are not likely to happen and some never can happen. This is all influenced by the inertia of past events.
After looking through hundreds of possibilities he looked onto the most favorable ones and leaned into them with his soul, tilting the probability for those futures to happen.
With that the future of the two of them igniting the ember of ambition in each other and fanning it into a healthy fire was secured.
He sighed. Cultivating Fae Lords and Ladies was tedious business.
With another sigh he turned his gaze to another youth that needed guidance in order to use his full potential.
…
-Rhyas ap Asteron-
"So, how is the battle going?" She asked her husband.
Usually she wouldn't have sent him any telepathic messages while he is defending Outer Gate, but his emotions, that she always feels in the background of her mind, gained that half relaxed half ready feel that he always feels when he is resting from battle while still ready for hostilities to start any moment.
Usually as newly risen Archfae they weren't required to defend the gate. This is an emergency however.
"It is going well. My troops are performing adequately and the outsiders aren't pushing particularly hard besides. And you? How goes the summit?"
She sighed in exasperation. All Archfae not defending the Gate were meeting at the summit hosted by Great Father Silas, and it is going nowhere.
The summit was called to discuss what to do regarding the situation in the mortal world.
Because while Outer Gates stop outsiders from just entering the their part of the multiverse, they can bypass them if someone was to summon them from the inside.
This was the duty of primordials, to destroy any outsider that bypasses the gates. It was the duty that the primordial of sky Uranus and the primordial of ocean Pontus were ignoring.
This caused the fae to spend manpower hunting them down or risk the group of the things invading the Faewyld from the mortal world.
"From the exasperation I sense from you I'll guess that it isn't going anywhere." He said with amusement. "I guess killing those two lazy idiots would be pointless although satisfying. Although we can always ritualistically sacrifice them and elevate someone else to their status."
Rhyas hummed in thought. "We would have to be sneaky and hide behind the various cat's paws." They couldn't directly attack primordials unless they wanted to start the war with them.
Remembering Greek mythology from her past life a plan began to coalesce inside her mind.
Now she just had to convince the rest of the fae around her to go along with it.
…
Convincing the Archfae and Great Father Silas that this course of action was the best was relatively easy. Going from there there was no problem in coming in contact with Gaia and offering their help.
She and Gaia sat inside a curiously decorated apartment. It seemed almost sci-fi in it's looks, with an incredibly advanced mixture of magic and technology.
"I do not recognize the style of your home." Rhyas commented, not hiding her curiosity.
"This was the way humans built their homes before the flood." Answered Gaia. She took the form of a beautiful voluptuous dark skinned woman with vibrant green hair made from a collection of hair thin vines from which grew flowers of multiple colors. She looked rather motherly.
Interesting. She was aware through osmosis that the humans before the deluge were much more advanced, both technologically and magicly than many beings in the universe.
"I am curious, why did the Almighty destroy them?"Rhyas asked.
"Ah well, they unintentionally opened the way wide enough for very powerful outsiders to invade." She looked regretful. "They were corrupted when that damn Beast entered reality. When Gabriel created the flood those that could be saved were devolved into what they are today as a by-product of purification. It was a pity. Humans of today are pale shadows of what they once were."
Well that was a widely accepted opinion even amongst the fae. Antediluvian humans were both smarter and more long lived than humans of today. They used to live for centuries.
"This of course wasn't His fault. Between caging the Beast of the Apocalypse and barring the Gate of Chaos so that Azathoth can't enter while this is happening, he had his hands full. Omnipotent or not there is only so much you can do while contending with two beings on your level." Gaia continued.
Their fascinating discussion was stopped when her husband entered the house with an ominous Scythe in hand.
"Lady Gaia, the tool of your vengeance and ascension is finished. As per our agreement." He handed it to their host.
"It is truly a piece of art." Said their host.
"Why the Scythe?" Asked the embodiment of Earth after examining it.
"Its concepts and records are deeply connected to the idea of harvest. We will leverage this connection with the Scythe as a centerpoint of the ritual. You will harvest their lives and use them as nutrients for your growth." Fionn answered.
The Scythe, made inside the fiery heart of Gaia and forged with her most precious metals by the hand of the best Fae smith.
"The ritual will begin when you bestow this Scythe to its wielder. Upon slaying Uranus and Pontus all the records and concepts of the ocean and sky will flow into you and all negative records of your harvesting of their souls will remain inside the Scythe." Her husband continued. "After the completion of the ritual the Scythe will be destroyed. With this you will become the Primordial of the Planet Earth."
Gaia took the weapon and stored it inside her pocket space.
"Well come then, let us celebrate our fruitful partnership with some nectar and ambrosia." Gaia said as she reached inside her pocket space and pulled out a bottle and three glasses, and poured inside them rosy-red liquid.
"Did you two ever drink nectar before?"
"No, we didn't have the pleasure of doing so." Rhyas answered much to the happiness of Gaia who smiled.
"Excellent, I am glad I can introduce you to it. Common try it."
Rhyas took a sip and in that moment it was like a bolt of lightning past through her. It was like nothing she had ever tasted before, it was sweet yet salty, intoxicating yet mind clearing, it tasted of divinity.
Gaia broke into a smile. "From your expression I take it you like it? Well, let's toast to our friendship." She raised her glass in the air and they followed her. Soon clinking of glass was heard and they began their celebration.
…
Maybe we drank too much? Thought Rhyas as she watched Fionn's nude form pounding into the Greek primordial from behind while said Greek eat her out.
Gaia's moans sending vibrations through her caused her to arch her back and tighten her grip on her hair.
"Y-Yes baby. Pound that little slut harder. Make her sing for me." She moaned, encouraging her husband to fuck the primordial deity harder.
He did. Pounding into her and spanking her asscheaks, causing Gaia to scream in orgasm which brought him over the edge as well. Vibrations of which brought Rhyas herself over the edge.
Fionn unsheathed himself out of the dark beauty, and collapsed to her left, clearly spent for the moment. Gaia laid down beside him, cuddling into his side.
Rhyas cuddled into his other side and started playing with the hair on his chiseled chest.
She didn't regret bringing Gaia into their bed, Rhyas decided. This was not the first time that she had another woman in their bed. She was bisexual and even in their past life she used to bring other women into their bed. Besides, watching her other half have sex with other women was kind of her kink.
Fionn of course loves it, which man wouldn't, but is always very careful to go after other women only when she was there to do it with him.
She heard Gaia humm to the side, "Truly, fae are cruel beings. They convinced me to kill my two sons, and now they decided that they want to add me to their harem." She said jokingly while fondling Fionn's balls.
"We don't have a harem, we only have friends with benefits. Rhyas may be less territorial than I but she would never allow any female to have that kind of grip on my heart." said Fionn.
That was true. If Fionn's love for any female turned from platonic to romantic, said female would not be long for this world.
"And, anyway, isn't it the other way around? I knew that the Greeks were promiscuous, but really. To get us drunk and then seduce us into your bed on our first meeting. Have you no shame." Rhyas said playfully.
Gaia pouted and straddled Fionn who was hard again from her ministrations. "Well, if that's what you think of me, I better not disappoint you." She said playfully and inserted his shaft into her with a gasp.
Rhyas met her husband's eyes and a quiet agreement passed between them.
Rhyas's form started to shift as she stood up and started to position herself behind Gaia.
Her shoulders became wider, her hips shifted, her breast grew smaller, and most importantly he grew male genitalia.
Rhyas was now a chiseled male with a shoulder length mane of fiery red hair.
It is always a bit disorienting when I change gender. Because most of their shape shifting is relying on records of the forms they want to take, their shapeshifting is soul deep. They not only change their bodies but minds and souls also, for example when they change into a wolf they will have wolf's instincts.
And now even though Rhyas is still himself deep down he thinks of himself as male.
Rhyas cast a little charm to lubricate Gaia's rosebud and with a groan pushed into her.
The gasp of surprise from the sexy little minx was incredibly satisfying.
….
-Gaia-
Sharing a bed with such powerful shapeshifters is always fun. Gaia thought, exiting out of the home in which her avatar lives with skip in her steps. Later into their night her lovers' shapeshifting escalated past gender switching, and into really fun territory.
Gaia teleported to the one part of her body that was hidden from both Uranus and Pontus.
Their relationship wasn't always so bad that she was willing to orchestrate their deaths for power. She used to love them like a mother loves her children and later like lovers. But that love cooled and turned into hatred for Uranus and dislike for Pontus.
Their growing arrogance coupled with Uranus imprisoning and torturing her children and Pontus taking his side made sure of that.
She took a look at the Scythe in her hands and smiled. Truly it was a magnificent piece of craftsmanship, the ritual imbued into it could only be made by an undisputed master of magic.
Uranus and Pontus were foolish for making fae take sides in our little conflict with neglect of their duty. Now they came to me with an offer too tempting to refuse.
Of course, Fionn and Rhyas didn't make her Scythe for free. Their nature forbids them from doing so. But their price was not steep for the peace of art that is the Scythe.
They wanted her to supply them with samples of records of every species that called her body home, from the moment she absorbs the sky and ocean.
This meant that she had to give them records of every species that ever lived on/in earth, sky or water of this planet.
Which is within her power and not a great price to pay for a way to consume the essence of primordials without negative consequences.
With a thought she called five of her strongest sons that she had with Uranus.
It took some time to convince them to murder their father and uncle. And even when she succeeded, of five of them only the youngest, Cronus, decided to take up the Scythe.
Not surprising. It was literally impossible even for the Archdeities to harm primordial in any meaningful way.
But when he wields the Scythe with the purpose it was intended he and his allies will fight with her might.
As her children left to fulfill their task she watched as they ambushed the avatar in which Uranus poured most of himself inside.
As the Scythe bit into him, Gaia could feel the soul of the sky pour into her.
She smiled. One done, one more to go.
..
-Cronus-
Handling the Scythe that his mother gave him Cronus could feel the strength to uptern the world, as well as deep compulsion to fulfill his task.
He was unable to think of anything else but the harvesting of his father and uncle. And he was sure his brothers were the same.
Guided by some newfound instinct he knew exactly where to wait for his father in order to ambush him.
As they burst out of his mothers body with an explosion of rock and dirt, two of his brothers restrained father's legs and two his arms.
Cronus's first swing with his Scythe castrated the bastard. Next four dismembered him and the last decapitated him.
All the while he heard in the back of his mind male voice chanting over the clanking of metal on metal.
The bones of the mother, willingly given, shall give the strength to the act.
Essence of the sacrifices, willingly given, sall give legitimacy to the act.
Life of the harvest, forcibly taken, shall nurture the the Earth.
Progeny of Gaia! Let your last noble act in this world be to give to your mother all the strength you had in life.
Give your mother your legacy.
Uranus/Pontus return to your origin.
Let this act be done in accordance with the tale of destiny.
Cronus ignored the voice, and with a single minded focus jumped into the sea along with his brothers.
None of them giving the second glance to the beautiful woman rising out of sea foam.
…
-Fionn ap Asteron-
He and his wife sat atop of the mountain on the coast of Adriatic, watching the events play out with their sight.
After killing Pontus, Cronus came to his senses only to find the Scythe starting to weaken and brake.
Fionn didn't know if it was because of his lust for power or something else, but Cronus started to invest his soul into the Scythe. Turning it into his simbol of power.
"Well that is not going to go well for his mental health." Commented Rhyas.
"That is an understatement. He merged his soul with the Scythe stained with the records of kin slaying."
They continued to watch, not speaking any more. Waiting for their voyour to show herself.
Their silence was broken by clicking of tongue behind them. "I knew that you fair folk would do something about the situation. But this is really vicious. I approve." Said sensual female voice.
They turned around to find a crimson haired woman, wearing a skimpy dress that seemed modern to Fionn's eyes. Style of dress from before the flood, most likely.
"Devil, what are you doing here?" He asked calmly.
"Same thing as you, I imagine. I was watching how this scheme of yours was playing out. Although I imagine that last bit wasn't according to plan." she-devil said as she seductively prowled towards them.
"How can we address you, devil?" Asked Rhyas.
"I am Gremory, Duke of Hell." Said she-devil.
"Well met, I am Fionn and this is my wife Rhyas. We are monarchs of Tír na réalta."
"So how much is he going to regret taking that Scythe as his simbol of power?" Asked Gremory casually as she strode over to stand beside them.
"I don't know if he will realize it, but that move cost him his crown and freedom in the future." Said Rhyas.
Gremory raised her brow in surprise and then her blue eyes glowed for a few moments. "Ahh, I see. Eating your own children…" She said with a grimace. "That Scythe really fucked him up then."
He got an amused mental message from his wife."It seems that even the devils have some standards."
"Either that or this one is nicer than usual." he replied. He doubted it was an act, he could feel her disgust for the act echo in spirit and mental dimensions, as well as see her records in soul dimension. That can be faked, however it is incredibly hard to fool the sight of the fae of their power.
"Records are a reflection of you and vice versa. This is why incorporating foreign records into your self is risky." He said out loud to the devil besides them. "Cronus for example will from now on find it easier to do morally questionable acts for power. And if someone related to him threatens his power, his first impulse will be to either ritualistically sacrifice them for power or, if he doesn't know enough about magic to do that, cannibalism."
Gremory frowned. "Well, that is useful information." She reached into her pocket space and pulled out a finger sized cristal bottle. "Take this gift as a sign of my appreciation. This is a bottle of my consort's tears."
His wife took the gift and nodded. "Tears of Phenex, Marquis of Hell. A great gift."
"I am glad you are satisfied with it." She nodded back.
"Now, this was a fascinating and fruitful conversation, but I must go now." She gave them two clearly enchanted silver mirrors. "I'm glad I've met the two of you. You can contact me with these mirrors if you want, it's always good to have more friends."
I have a feeling that half of the reason she came here is to get a chance for networking. He thought in amusement.
She turned around and gave them one last cheeky smile, before a red magic circle flared beneath her and she teleported away.
…
He was in the bed, cuddling with his wife and reading a book. The noise of crackling fire was very relaxing, only rain was missing for a perfect experience.
With a flex of his will the clouds outside of their private little cottage darkened and rain started pouring.
Rhyas who was resting her head on his arm let out a little laugh.
"What?" It was not like they were in their palace in Astropolis, they were in their private cottage a great distance away. The storm will not inconvenience anyone.
"Nothing." she answered him with a snort.
They continued to read. They were both avid readers in their past lives. But reading as a fae, like most things, was totally different than as a human.
Reading the book in both the soul and information dimensions, coupled with their subconcious filling in the details that weren't in the book, they perceived a story like it was reality.
Reading the Hobbit was never so great before. It brought out idyllic memories of his childhood in him.
"We are going to re-read all of our favorite books like this." Whispered Rhyas.
He just hummed in agreement.
The life was great.
…
"Where are we going?" asked him his wife.
"You will see. It's a perfect place for us to recruit everyone that we like and to loot the world to the ground." It was his turn to choose the world from which they are going to recruit more people.
"So some apocalyptic hellhole then." Said Rhyas in annoyance.
"Common, it will be fine," he said with a kiss on her forehead.
The worlds amidst the apocalypse were really the best place for recruiting more people into their new race and kingdom. Almost no one will refuse their offer if it hinges on their escape from their crumbling world.
Not letting her continue grumbling, he took her into the princess' carry and stepped into the Dimensional Gap.
The space between the universe in this part of the multiverse was deadly for the beings of lesser power.
It is a place where neither space nor time existed. There was no matter or energy. It was a total lack of anything. And it is imposing this property onto everything inside it.
In this place that actively imposes it's nothingness on everything inside it, you only exist if your soul is massive enough that it can impose its will onto the Gap. There is only direction if you will that there is one, there is only passage of time if you will there is one, you only exist if you will hard enough that you are.
The beings of their level of course need not struggle and concentrate their will on their own existence in order not to be erased, their souls are powerful enough that they passively impose their sense of self without even trying.
They passed through the Gap swiftly, making sure not to get in the way of two quarreling dragons, and entered dying and gloomy world.