My great thanks to TodaBruh, who kindly chose to use some of his free time to be my beta reader!
The Hunter's Dream.
With my legions now created, I sent them off across Reality, the countless quintillions of new eldritch beings disappearing as they left to begin to carry out my Will across the omniverse.
Sealing off my connection to my True Self, I finally let go of my full cosmic power, returning to my previous look of a tall human in cosmic robes, if with cosmic eyes.
I did feel the beginning of a halo start forming, but I held that back… for now.
My Authority as the God-King of Existence was not, completely, cemented yet. I still needed to claim my Throne by the right of Azathoth's own. Once I did however, then the last conceptual step required would be done.
Technically, It wasn't required, Azathoth herself having already recognized my new position being more than enough, but there were… benefits, to doing it that way.
It was thus without a halo shining above my head that I turned around and began making my way towards the mortals and gods who witnessed everything, Damelone returning to her human form at my side, while my seven Pleromas gathered at my back, ready to introduce themselves to my wives and friends.
Azathoth was the first to welcome me, though Oedon and the others were close behind her.
"Beloved." Azathoth said, her golden eyes shining with awe, joy and love. "That was… awe-inspiring."
"Indeed." Oedon agreed with a warm smile, her blood-red eyes looking at Damelone and the Pleromas with fascination. "You have outdone yourself, Good Hunter."
Uldatrex grunted, the rugged Aeon of Good and Evil smiling wryly under his hood. "I'm glad to hear we didn't end up being disappointments." he said gruffly, a note of sarcasm in his voice.
"Uldatrex." chided Pyhgmi gently. "They are our creator's wives and friends. They are merely happy that things worked out."
Uldatrex grunted again, but notably didn't argue further.
"Our Lord willed it so. There could not be any other outcome." the Aeon of Destiny said calmly, with all the confidence of a person able to see across Time.
The Aeons of Knowledge and Magic/science nodded in agreement.
Zaldroct, Aeon of Space and Time, said nothing and instead began a staring contest with Yog, both of them tilting their heads slightly.
Rwandelux, the Aeon of Light and Darkness, looked on with interest at the gathered crowd, short-lived stars and black holes popping in and out of existence around him.
Finally, Damelone smiled at the crowd and bowed. "My Ladies, and assembled gentlemen. It's a pleasure."
Uldatrex sent her an amused look, before glancing at me. "I don't mind the chit-chat, but I've got work to do." he declared, essentially asking me if he could leave and get to work already.
"You're not planning on talking to father's wives and friends?" asked Pyhgmi, surprised.
He grunted. "I've got eternity to do so. But there's a battle coming up on the dragons' world, and I have a lot to prepare if things escalate in a war with the Abyss."
That silenced Pyhgmi, who paused, then sighed and nodded.
"Then go, son." I said warmly… before giving him a teasing smile. "But don't think you'll always get out of socializing."
Uldatrex grunted, but nodded in thanks. "It's fine. There are more ways to fight evil than just physical combat, we both know that, I won't ignore it. But you're the one who decided to help the dragons, even when it might spark war. And as the Aeon of Good and Evil, I really need to be ready, just in case."
I waved him off, and he bowed slightly at all present before turning on his heels and disappearing.
Oedon stared at where he stood with fond amusement. "That one definitely has your sense of duty and commitment, Good Hunter. Among other things."
I smiled. "That's correct. Still, he wasn't wrong, I did end up setting things up to potentially give him a lot of work right from the start."
"If war comes, our brother will not fight it alone." Rwandelux swore firmly, finally speaking up.
"Hopefully, it won't come to that." Oedon said firmly, before smiling warmly at my new creations. "But enough grim topics! This is a day of celebration! So, let us celebrate!"
Her red eyes pinned the remaining 6 Pleromas and Damelone in place, her smile warm… but also teasing. "All here want to talk to the new children of Aeon, so why don't we get something to eat and drink and get started, hmm?"
The look on her face and the steel in her voice made it clear it wasn't a question.
Damelone smiled, fearlessly stepping forward and earning everyone's attention. "I think that's a wonderful idea."
"Excellent." Oedon replied, her gaze almost predatory. "Then let's get started!"
Sorry kids, I thought with amusement as Oedon directed the groups to a long white table full of food and beverage, some of the Pleromas looking a bit nervous about being the center of attention of so many people personally important to me, their creator/Father. But Oedon isn't going to let any more of you go before she's satisfied she got to know my new "surrogates" to an acceptable level.
"Gotta admit, it still feels strange." Chris Redfield said, Rwandelux being more or less surrounded by a number of his father's Hunters and wives.
"Tell me about it. Sherry was one thing, but this is still a lot to get used to." Jill Valentine remarked, glanced at Rwandelux, then at his brothers and sisters before looking back at him with a slightly apologetic smile. "I don't know what to do or feel, now that Aeon has a literal army of kids." Claire and Rebecca, two other wives of his father sitting nearby, nodded in agreement.
"He will want children with you, as well one day." Rwandelux said without hesitation, making his father's wives blush. "You don't have to worry too much about us. We are Aeons- we were created to be beyond most mortal understanding. If you choose to focus on your own children with him, we will understand." he reassured them.
They all had their own place in his father's Plan, after all. And even now, he could feel his father's warmth in the back of his mind, a connection that will forever remain and give him and his brothers and sisters strength.
Though Father did have contingencies in place if they were ever disconnected from him somehow. Rwandelux found it doubtful, but did recognize the value of being prepared for every eventuality, no matter how impossible.
His words seemed to do the exact opposite effect he had sought however, as the humans all frowned at him.
"That's not right." Claire said firmly. "Even if you aren't one of our kids, you're still Aeon's son, same with all the others. For that alone, we will always try to be there for you."
All the humans nodded firmly, whatever doubts or hesitation they had seemingly vanishing at Claire's words, replaced by looks of firm conviction.
Rwandelux blinked, looking at the various determined faces around him, and after a moment smiled at them.
He had only wanted to reassure them… but he would certainly not complain about this outcome.
"If that is your desire, then I would not mind calling you all mothers." he said warmly.
He blinked again as every one of his father's wives seemed to suddenly be struck by a Time Stop spell, while Chris took one look at him and said women before throwing his head back and laughing loudly.
He turned towards the laughing man, tilting his head to the side in confusion.
"I am confused. Did I say something wrong?"
The man only laughed harder.
On the side, the other male Hunter of his father known simply as HUNK suddenly reached out and patted him on the shoulder.
For some reason, the gesture felt deeply sympathetic… and yet distinctly amused.
"Not at all." Jill shook off whatever happened first, giving him a bright smile.
"Don't worry kid, we've got your back." Claire said next, a warm smile on her own directed his way.
Rebecca nodded firmly, looking at him with a strange look in her eyes.
… Actually, all of his father's wives had the same look…
Also, his father was laughing in the back of his mind…
Rwandelux was confused, but as each of his father's wives started trying to feed him cake and give him more tea, all the while smiling happily, he figured it probably wasn't anything bad.
And if it was, well, that was why he had the power to annihilate multiverses for. Anything that troubled them would not do so for long.
"So. Aeon of Time, huh?" Yog asked Zaldroct, Time and Space being warped around them to keep this particular layer of their conversation hidden from others, while outwardly the people around them would hear them talk about more casual topics.
Well, Zaldroct knew that his father, Lady Oedon, Lady Lucy and Queen Azathoth could feel the time warping, though none of them had done more than send a glance their way in response.
"Indeed." Zaldroct replied. "I can see all the possibilities that father can see."
He paused, looking thoughtfully at Yog. "In that, I am more lucky than you, my lady, as my powers come with…" he chuckled. "A built-in instruction manual, so to speak."
Yog grimaced, looking envious for a second. Time warped to try and make it appear as if she simply nodded to his words, but Zaldroct's connection with his father easily prevented Yog's attempt to work on him.
"Warping time won't work." he said gently, making the goddess stiffen, her face paling.
"You-"
"Yes, your power won't work on me, as it cannot work on father, and his power let me know what truly happened." he explained calmly. He then shook his head. "You need not hide your true feelings like you always do, my Lady. Those around you will not judge you for it- Father most certainly won't."
Yog swallowed, looking unsure how to react to his words as he didn't hesitate to poke at her deepest fears, but Zaldroct smiled kindly at her. "Talk to father, will you? Trust me, and trust him- the future if you do shines brightly, brighter than even you would dare believe possible." he told her, as he knew she could not "path" his father.
One day, he foresees that they would trust each other well enough that he would fully let her see him in her sight, but that day is not yet here.
That does not mean he could not help lay the foundations, however.
Yog looked away for a moment, but then nodded slowly.
"I'm just…" she trailed off, but Zaldroct naturally knew what she meant to say, and he merely smiled kindly at her.
Despite the fact that he was just newly created, he was an atemporal being, one born with the wisdom of his father… and his kindness as well. He could foresee countless times that that very kindness would hurt him, as the future he foresaw would force him to make hard but necessary choices…
But he would never stop caring, as his father had never stopped caring either, even with the weight of omniscience upon him.
"I know." he told her, and he knew that she understood perfectly well that he did.
For a time, neither said anything, before Yog spoke up. "Your father does not let me see him fully… but I do see some things. Some hints of possibilities…" she trailed off, and Zaldroct smiled at her.
"If it happens, it happens." his smile turned slightly teasing. "From what I can see, you'll make a pretty good mom, eventually."
Yog blushed, and Zaldroct mentally chuckled. It'll be up to his father to create that future…
But Yog-Sothoth would, indeed, make a pretty good mother one day.
"I must say, I'm a big fan of you both." Pyhgmi said to both Lady Oedon and Shub-Niggurath. "Though I'm a big fan of deities of Life in general, really!" she joked cheerfully.
"Your father did create you as a being of both life and death…" Shub said, looking at her with curiosity.
"And he did good work." remarked Lady Oedon warmly. "I can feel your love for Life as a whole. For all that you are effectively a goddess of life and death, you certainly seem quite aligned with the first more than the second."
Pyhgmi took a sip of her tea, happily remarking that it truly tasted as good as her instincts gained from her father told her it would, before smiling a bit sadly at both goddesses. "All of us were born with parts of our Father's experiences and personality in us. For me…" she fell silent, then spoke softly, eyes sad. "I was born with his desire to ensure that no one would die alone. That no one would be alone, in the end. No matter how good or evil you are, saint or monster, I am here to be there for them, a friend to make their passing easier. When Father died during the long night of the Hunt in Yharnam, he always did so alone. Yet, he also found comfort in the fact that he would always awaken by your side, Lady Oedon. I exist from that comfort, that desire to ensure that everyone would have the same feeling of peace and warmth at the end, that he had whenever he opened his eyes after dying to find you waiting for him in the Hunter's Dream."
Lady Oedon's expression turned sad yet happy, saddened by the memories of her father's many deaths, but happy she was able to bring him comfort when he needed it.
Then her red eyes gained a steely glint to them. "Just Oedon, dear. None of that 'Lady' nonsense. You are my dear Aeon's daughter, there will be no formalities between us." she said firmly.
Pyhgmi stared at her for a moment, hesitating and playing anxiously with her tea cup, before…
"I could… call you mother, if you'd prefer, too?" she asked, her words rushing together by the end, feeling rather nervous at the hopeful request, but-
Oedon's red eyes widened, before they almost glowed with joy. "Nothing would make me happier, dear." she said softly, her voice thick with happiness.
And Pyhgmi smiled warmly, nervousness gone in an instant.
"Thank you… mom."
Oedon beamed happily at her, the goddess almost glowing with delight.
At the side, Shub smiled warmly. "That was definitely adorable."
Oedon's smile turned mischievous, red eyes glinting.
Pyhgmi had the sudden suspicion that her mom was plotting something.
The way her father suddenly glanced at Oedon, an amused look in his eyes, did little to convince her otherwise…
Amnique looked at Kassogtha, the purple-haired goddess having sought him out quickly.
"Excuse me," She said with a nervous smile, "but you are the Aeon of Destiny, are you not?"
"Destiny and Order, Chaos and Free Will." he corrected with a smile. "And yes, I know why you are here."
She stiffened, swallowing. "You mean-"
"Your worry for your daughters does you credit." he said calmly, even as the goddess flinched slightly at so easily having been seen through. "But you need not concern yourself. Your daughters will be fine. Even in the worst case scenario where things devolve into war with the Abyss, they will accomplish their mission and return safely home, you have my word."
Kass let out a breath, nodding slowly and giving him an apologetic smile. "Thank you. And I'm sorry, I just…"
"You worry for your children. There is nothing wrong with that." he pointed out. "But while it may be ironic of me to say such words to a goddess… you should have more faith. Both in my Father's ability to watch out for them, and in your daughters' ability to get in and out of trouble."
She smiled wryly at him. "I do trust my daughters to be highly capable of getting into all kinds of trouble. But there is trouble, and there is throwing them into the Abyss."
She sighed. "But…" she glanced at his father, her expression conflicted. "I suppose that you are right. If nothing else, this latest show of power has done a wonderful job of showing everyone just how capable your father is."
She gave him a small smile. "A few eternities of constantly worrying for my children just isn't easy to move on from, you understand."
His lips twitched in amusement. "I can't fully say I do, as I obviously have no children of my own, but… I do understand caring for those we love, young as I may be. Father created me with part of his love for Queen Azathoth's Creation. I care about all lives, in my own way, as the Aeon of Destiny. I exist to guide people towards a bright tomorrow… Fundamentally, my purpose as Aeon of Destiny is to guide souls towards [Paradise.]" he explained, the last word echoing unnaturally as he called upon the very concept itself.
Kass's eyes widened, and Amnique could understand why.
His very existence was a solemn vow, a promise to all the souls in existence that Destiny will bring the souls of all things to an ever-distant [Utopia]. His was not a cruel duty, but fundamentally one of hope, and the promise of Salvation for all.
He was not meant to be a Tyrant ruling the lives of mortals with his Authority. He was meant to be a guide, helping to lead people towards a brighter tomorrow.
… However, for all that it was true…
He was also Chaos. Free Will made manifest. In a way, his purpose was also one that was meant to be limited in time. Specifically… While his greatest priority was to help souls reach [Paradise, the part of him that was Chaos/Free Will had another purpose: To find and cultivate individuals who proved themselves worthy of escaping [Destiny]. Beings like Saitama stood as the ultimate example of what his Father sought: individuals who could be trusted to become Free of the power of Gods. People who are powerful enough, and of strong moral integrity, whose paths they would create for themselves, without interference from any Higher Powers.
His Father did not expect for many such individuals to exist. At the same time, however, the mere existence of both Father and Saitama stood as consecutive evidence that it was theoretically possible…
And the Omniverse was, by nature, effectively infinite.
And so, Amnique was created as both the benevolent will of a higher power meant to guide souls to a brighter tomorrow… and as someone who will gladly help those considered worthy to break the chains of fate itself.
"I see…" Kass mused. "Your father really took a lot of inspiration from the White God in Heaven, huh?"
Amnique chuckled. "You'd be surprised, actually. If anything, it would be more accurate to say that Heaven and its wonders merely helped him… refine what was already there."
Kass did not have the time to reply to those words, as a new presence plop herself down on a nearby free chair, a wicked smirk on perfect lips sent their way under bright, sinful red eyes.
"Oh oh? I thought I felt something heavenly in the air… What was that all about, I wonder?" the Crawling Chaos purred, her gaze going from Amnique to Kass with curiosity.
Kass grimaced slightly at the sudden arrival of Nyarlathotep, but still bowed her head respectfully towards her. "We were merely discussing Amnique's nature." she replied, obviously trying to hide the true reason for her presence.
The goddess of Chaos gave her a sharp smirk. "And why would you, of all people, care about Fate and Destiny? Unless of course you'd be worried about your future…" her red eyes gleamed cruelly "or that of your daughters. You came here to beg for reassurances, didn't you? How cute."
Kass's face turned so flat it could have been carved from marble. "To care for another is a joy I doubt you will ever feel, Black Pharaoh. But who knows? It is a time for miracles, after all."
Kass turned back towards him, favoring him a smile, though one slightly apologetic. "If you'd excuse me, I think I'll take my leave now."
Nyarlathotep chuckled in amusement, waving her off. "Yes, yes, run along now, little girl. Go back to fretting over those lovely little snakes of yours. I don't see why you bother- I like them just fine as they are!" she taunted, Kass' eyebrows twitching angrily before she turned on her heels and left.
Then those burning red eyes turned towards him, her original sharp smirk returning in full.
"My, my. Aren't you an interesting one? One side of you is so very boring, so full of silly concepts about how things should be like… But the rest of you, oooooh…" she purred with delight, red eyes gleaming with the fires of a trillion burning civilizations. "What lovely little chaos. How far are you willing to go, for the sake of providing your beloved Father with someone as equally great as Saitama?" Her voice turned inhumanly sweet. "It's so very lonely at the top, you know? And just think how proud of you your Father would be if you could help bring about a second example of Saitama…"
The blood of quadrillion reflected in the goddess' eyes as she stared at him with delighted anticipation.
"How far indeed…" she mused, before suddenly standing up and leaving as quickly as she had arrived.
Amnique stared at the empty chair, then snorted.
"My real worry is ever becoming as overly-dramatic as you, Nyarlathotep. Father spares me from becoming yet another useless cryptic higher being!"
Sydnotra looked with interest as her Father's first child came towards her with a slightly nervous smile. She naturally knew everything there was to know about Sherry, as the Aeon of Knowledge, and while she wasn't her brothers with Domains over Time or Destiny, knowledge alone let her know the possible paths that the young-looking woman could take in the future.
… Though of course, there was that one big question mark that was Saitama. As one of the few beings that even her Father could not path properly, Sydnotra could only make well-calculated conjectures about her future, rather than any true, accurate conclusions.
It was… strange, to be so blind like that, for one who embodied her Father's omniscient mind. At the same time, she could feel an echo of her Father's joy, the delight born from facing the unknown in all of its possibilities.
For all her knowledge, she was not blind to the pleasure that could be found in ignorance… and the quest to remedy that ignorance with knowledge.
Though the idea that ignorance was bliss was both something she understood the wisdom of, and fundamentally rejected in the same breath.
Truth could be a harsh, ruthless concept. It could bring immense pain and suffering.
Kind lies as a concept existed for that reason.
And yet, she was her Father's daughter, and in the same way that he had long ago chosen to refuse to turn his gaze away from painful truths, she too found the idea of willful ignorance rather distasteful.
Understable at times, yes, but still distasteful.
Ironic, then, that as the Aeon of Knowledge and Ignorance, it was her duty to ensure that certain secrets remained exactly that.
Knowledge was not fundamentally good or evil… but it could easily be used for one or the other.
To save, or to kill. To create, or to destroy. That is partly why Father created her: to ensure that knowledge in all of its forms would come to those worthy, to those capable of using that knowledge for good, while those who would use it for destruction- knowingly or unknowingly- would be carefully watched over.
And dealt with, if necessary.
How many versions of Earth burned under nuclear fire? How many worlds across the full width of reality suffered because of a magic spell or ritual gone wrong?
True, such things were more the purview of her sister Altryxna, but their spheres of influences did overlap.
Though she understood the true reason why there were two of them. Sydnotra and her lesser Aeons were meant to uncover the secrets of Reality, not merely to archive them, but to better watch over the entire omniverse as what was essentially the greatest spy network in existence. For all her distaste of ignorance, secrets were what she was made for, both to keep them and to uncover them.
Hers was not actually the duty of shaping civilizations- that went to her sister. Instead, what she was after most of all was information. Enemy Intelligence. The secret plots aimed at her Father's back.
Many might think that creating an Aeon for Magic and Science, when an Aeon for Knowledge as a whole already existed, was pointless.
Sydnotra just considered it a wonderful cover for her own purposes.
To most of Existence, she would be a glorified Librarian and Archivist, focused on collecting information, and ensuring it was not misused, while her sister would actually use the gathered knowledge of science and magic to advance civilizations. In reality, Sydnotra would sit like a spider in the middle of her web, one spreading out ever further outwards across the omniverse.
Her father was no mere scholar. While knowledge for knowledge' sake was all well and good, he was above all a man of purpose. Resources existed to be used to achieve a given goal, and knowledge was no different. Was it surprising, then, that the Aeon of Knowledge would be the same?
Let Reality see her as a woman caring only about gathering information for its own sake. Only a few would know the Truth, and that was better this way.
It would make it all the easier to destroy her Father's enemies that way. If she did her job well, most would never even know that she had anything to do with their deaths and destruction.
"Hello there. Sydnotra, right?" Sherry said with a warm smile.
"That's right." Sydnotra replied warmly, bowing slightly. "It's a pleasure to meet our Father's first daughter."
Sherry waved her words off with a smile. "Ah, don't worry about that! I'm glad to have siblings now, after so long! I had always wondered how it would be to be an older sister when I was a child…" she trailed off, a quick flash of old pain going through her face, gone in a blink of an eye, though Sydnotra did not miss it.
"Well, I'm glad that this came to pass eventually… big sister." she teased the girl, who's eyes went wide before she blushed and smiled brightly.
"You don't have to call me that if you don't have to!" she exclaimed, waving her arms around, but Sydnotra merely laughed softly.
"But what if I want to?" she hammered, and Sherry blushed but smiled even brighter.
"Well… If you're fine with it, then I'll gladly play the part… little sister." she shot back with a grin.
Sydnotra nodded, pleased, before looking curiously at Sherry. "Is there anything I can help you with, by any chance? Or did you come to meet me just out of curiosity?"
"The second, mostly. I'm just curious about you." Sherry replied earnestly.
"Well, I'm Father's Aeon of Knowledge and Ignorance, which mostly means that you can consider me his head librarian and archivist." she replied with a curtsy. "I am here to ensure that he and those he supports always have the knowledge he needs, and that those who would abuse what knowledge they possess will not do so freely, nor be able to cause catastrophes with it."
Sherry tilted her head curiously. "So… you work both as an archivist and as someone preventing catastrophes?"
"Correct." Sydnotra replied warmly. "Knowledge falling into the wrong hands can lead to terrible consequences… I don't think I need to explain that to you, do I?" she asked, and Sherry grimaced before shaking her head.
Sydnotra nodded. "See, your world is a perfect example of why I was created. If a team of Aeons had gone and eliminated all traces and knowledge of mutagenic viruses and the likes from it before madmen and amoral scientists could discover them, how many tragedies could have been averted? How many lives could have been saved? That is why me and my lesser Aeons exist. To gather information to archive and ensure it is never lost and forgotten by time or war, but also to ensure that dangerous knowledge will not fall into the wrong hands."
Sherry nodded, a friendly look on her face. "I understand. While I am not unhappy at how my life turned out…" she sighed. "I can't say I never thought of how different things could have been if the horrors I became so familiar with never happened."
Sherry smiled brightly at her. "If you ever need help with anything, don't hesitate to ask, okay? I will gladly help you out!"
Sydnotra bowed her head. "I will remember it, big sister. Who knows, maybe one day we will frequently work together to save entire worlds? It would not be a bad thing at all, I think."
"That sounds good to me!" cheerfully declared Sherry, obviously happy at the thought of one day saving entire worlds with her family.
Though Sydnotra would most likely still keep her in the dark about what she truly got up to. The loyalty of Sherry was without a doubt immense, but her relationship with the Hero Saitama might make her… an ill-advised choice for the more brutal and bloody work required of Sydnotra in her capacity as spymistress.
But that did not mean that she couldn't find some less sensitive work for her to focus on.
"I will contact you in time with the details of your first mission, then." promised Sydnotra. Whatever her duty required of her, they were still their Father's daughters. She would be happy to work together in whatever ways they could.
"Thank you! I look forward to it!" Sherry said with a bright smile, before reaching out towards her and…
Patting her head?
Sydnotra blinked, then looked curiously at Sherry.
"... What are you doing?" she questioned.
Sherry froze, then pulled her hand back quickly, as if burned.
No wounds indicated such a thing, however, confusing Sydnotra greatly.
"Oh, uh… It's just… Something dad tends to do to me." Sherry replied with a blush.
"... Is that so?" she questioned.
Sherry nodded, still looking embarrassed. "If you don't like it, I-"
"It was… not unpleasant." she told her after a moment. "You may do so if you wish."
Sherry froze, then reached out and began patting her head again, a bright smile on her face when Sydnotra said nothing against it.
She leaned forward a bit, tilting her head for maximum comfort and reach, though Sherry eventually pulled her hand back, Sydnotra feeling… disappointed at that fact.
"Also, do you like cookies?"
Sydnotra blinked, then looked at the cookie that Sherry was presenting her with an hopeful smile. "Father made them for me in the past, but I figure you might want some too…"
She trailed off invitingly, extending the hand holding the cookie towards her, and Sydnotra slowly reached out and took it.
Looking at it curiously for a moment (and making sure it wasn't poisoned, because that was always a good instinct to have as a spymistress), she pulled up the bottom half of her mask up and took a bite of this "cookie."
Then she froze, her mind coming to a screeching halt instantly.
Sherry gave her a big, hopeful smile. "How is it? Is it good?"
Sydnotra slowly began to chew part of the cookie, before swallowing.
Then she gave it a long look.
"... I would like more of these… cookies, if available." she finally said.
Sherry smiled happily and presented a whole plate of them she took out of a personal pocket dimension, all of them still warm.
Sydnotra put the rest of her first cookie in her mouth and began chewing happily, her gaze fixed on the plate of steaming wonders before her.
She took a second one and-
Oh. Sherry was back to patting her head with one hand, while the other held up the plate of warm cookies.
Sydnotra promptly decided that plotting the downfall of a few civilizations could take a backseat to cookies. And headpats.
Yes. Priorities in life were important, after all.
She leaned forward slightly, letting Sherry's hand reach more of her head.
Very important.
Altryxna, Aeon of science and magic, smiled as she got in a conversation with the two Mercer siblings and the Dream-Witch, Yidhra.
Using her knowledge gained from her Father, she was explaining in details the differences and similarities between both Alex Mercer and the Dream-Witch, which was a highly technical talk that left Dana Mercer a bit in the dust, but the decades she had spent by the side of her brother were enough that she could mostly keep up.
Of course, there was also the added issue of the Mercer siblings not being entirely familiar with magic. Her Father did teach Alex Mercer, but some of the higher mysteries were things that belonged to the knowledge of gods that even he had not fully learnt yet.
Despite the need to occasionally dumb things down, Altryxna was enjoying herself. As the Aeon of Magic and Science, there was little she didn't enjoy more than to talk about complex subjects with people educated enough to follow along.
And the nature of both Alex Mercer and Yidhra touched on both science and magic, which made it even better.
The fact that she could afford to hold almost nothing back also helped. These people were trusted by her Father, so there was little need to hide knowledge that would not be wise to give to people who couldn't be trusted with it.
Besides, this was a good distraction before she began her work in earnest across Reality. There were countless civilizations that she needed to influence, Inspiration that she needed to give to countless mortals, and more waiting for her to get started.
To say nothing of reaching out to other supernatural groups, gods and entities who could help her in her duties. The lesser Aeons at her command would be incredibly useful to perform the duties expected of her, but getting some level of cooperations between groups and individuals whose goals aligned with hers would be just as useful.
And on top of that, she really wanted to go into her own workshop and start to tinker and experiment. There were things even she wanted to discover, and a part of her wanted nothing more than to go to her private quarters and close the doors for a few billion years to do even a fraction of all the experiments a few billions of her countless mental iterations currently running in the back of her mind had thought up.
Alas, she had to focus on work for now. Eventually, her Father's Kingdom and rule would be well-established enough that she could afford to go to her personal lab at full time, but such a joyous day was still far and away.
There was simply too much work to be done, and too many fires to deal with, for her to afford to focus on personal projects.
To say nothing of the worst case scenario of if the war with the Abyss actually happened. Then she'd be stuck creating weapons of magic and sciences at all times for a long while.
… Well actually, that sounded fun. Demons were conceptual beings of Chaos and Evil, right? Surely she could create some kind of mass scale conceptual effect that could turn the demons back into primordial masses of conceptual power. Filter out the Evil, keep the Chaotic energies, and that was a lot of potential free floating energy that could be repurposed…
Maybe even conceptually flip it all into its opposite? Create some kind of terraforming tool, except at a conceptual level, able to turn realms of the Abyss into other forms, say into Chaotic Good ones, like Elysium? Fundamentally, all she would have to do is flip "Chaotic Evil" energies into "Chaotic Good" energies…
If she called upon a fraction of her Father's Authority to further empower it… Hmm…
It did lead to the risk of the Demons coming up with its opposite, but then again Abyssal energies were already corruptive by nature, so really, she would just be fighting fire with better fire…
Altryxna shoved that entire thought process to a few additional mental iterations. It was worth considering further.
Of course, if it can be used against the Abyss, it could be used against other realms, like Hell. The odds of war against Hell were lesser because of the very nature of Hell and its Devils, but they were by no means zero.
She took a mental note to come up with some kind of standard device or magic to forcibly purge Outsider Realms energies from the Material Universe, too. The Dragons would definitely appreciate such things to deal with Abyssal energies remaining in their world, and they were far from the only ones.
Father forgive her, but she really wanted to just leave and start tinkering already…
"So you are my beloved's new sword." Azathoth said to Damelone, her golden eyes looking at her warmly.
"I am." Damelone replied with a smile. "I am here to be by his side in all of his battles for Eternity… Don't worry. I promise to always do my best to bring him back to you in one piece, my Queen."
"Thank you." Azathoth said gratefully. "I know well how powerful he is, but I'm still adjusting to having a husband to worry about. Especially when he is as… martially focused as Beloved is."
Damelone's Lord and Creator snorted softly. "That's one way of putting it." he said with wry amusement. "Still, have a bit of faith, yes? I'm pretty damn hard to kill, these days." he pointed out.
Azathoth gave him a long look. "That you ever died at all, much less suffered as you did, is something I am still deeply unhappy with, Aeon. As far as I'm concerned, if it never happens again, I will be very happy."
She paused. "And so will Reality, since I won't have to risk annihilating parts of it while erasing whatever harmed you."
"Dear, your overprotectiveness is showing." Her Lord teased Queen Azathoth, grinning in amusement.
The Creator-Deity of the Omniverse, Ruler of Creation, and countless other titles besides, huffed loudly and pointed dramatically at him.
"Then don't go get yourself killed, and I won't have to worry so much about you!" she accused.
"I will not let him die on my watch." Damelone said firmly, earning her a very firm and approving nod from Queen Azathoth, and an amused look from her Lord.
"Please watch out for him." Queen Azathoth asked earnestly. "If anyone can somehow find trouble big enough for even him to be in danger, it's my Beloved. The fact he somehow got into a fight with the one mortal capable of fighting him as an equal, much less that he found such an individual in the first place, is still something I am struggling to believe!"
"Oi. You talk to me as if I'm a trouble-seeker or something!" Her Lord said flatly.
Queen Azathoth and Damelone turned to look at him, equal looks of judgment in their eyes.
He blinked, then looked at her sadly. "Et tu, Damelone? You already betray me, mere hours after being created? Have you already entered your teenage rebellion phase?!"
"My Lord, this is your fault." Damelone said with a straight face.
He blinked. "Eh? How?"
Her lips twitched. "You created me based on various concepts, and that includes Truth. You have only yourself to blame for me refusing to lie for you, My Lord."
Her Lord's jaw dropped, even as Queen Azathoth threw her head back and let out a startled, delighted laugh.
"I created a sassy sword." Her Lord stared at her in horror. "What have I done?"
"I was born from your will, my Lord." she said innocently. "And from your personality. Perhaps you may want to buy a mirror?"
Queen Azathoth laughed harder, while her Lord slumped in depression, an illusion of a cloud raining water on top of his head appearing as he did.
"Alas." he whispered brokenly. "Betrayed by the last person I ever imagined: myself. Reality truly is a cold, cruel mistress." he declared, his expression shifting to amusement at the dig to the goddess currently laughing at him.
Said "Cruel mistress" wiped her tears of mirth, then reached out to embrace the much taller god. "There, there, beloved." she cooed, golden eyes glinting with amusement. "Have a hug. Feeling better?"
Her Lord turned thoughtful, even as his eyes twinkled with mirth. "Mmmh, I don't know. Maybe I need more. Something like…"
He bent down and began whispering into Queen Azathoth's ears, the goddess quickly blushing bright red even as her golden eyes shone with eager anticipation.
Damelone grinned. "Come on, mom, dad, don't go flirting at the table!" she teased, Queen Azathoth's eyes bulging at her words before she started choking slightly, while her Lord let out a startled laugh.
"It appears I'm not the only one she's willing to use her sharp wit on." Her Lord joked, and Damelone looked at him in horror.
"No… Not the dad jokes!"
Her Lord's sudden smirk made her soul cringe in horror and despair.
Queen Azathoth would have said something, but she was currently muttering frantically to herself about "My heart not being ready!" and "Wait until the marriage before giving me your babies!" while blushing brightly.
"Wow." Her Lord said, staring at his Queen with fascination. "You really are a tool of perfect destruction- it took you a mere 5 minutes to break Azathoth herself!"
"... I didn't think it would hit her that hard." she admitted, both of them now staring at the still frantically muttering goddess currently speaking in no less than a billion different languages at once.
Apparently deciding that drastic measures had to be taken, her Lord took Azathoth by the back of her head, tilting her head towards him and began passionately kissing her.
Queen Azathoth froze, her entire body freezing in place as her eyes went wide in shock… before she slowly relaxed and began kissing back, happy noises coming from her.
By the time her Lord pulled back, a satisfied grin on his face, Queen Azathoth was blushing a bright, crimson red… and looking just as satisfied.
"I don't think there will be much coherent talk between you two if I continue to stay here after this, so I'm going to go mingle." her Lord declared, standing up. "Have fun, you two- try not to destroy a galaxy or something!" he said with a laugh, before leaving.
Both Damelone and Queen Azathoth stared at his retreating back fondly for a moment, before Queen Azathoth's face turned cold and unyielding.
"Damelone." She spoke her name, her voice no longer that of the gentle, loving Queen her Lord easily brought up simply by being around her.
No, this was The Daemon Sultana speaking, here and now, and her voice reflected the overwhelming might and power of the Creator-Deity of all things.
"My Queen." Damelone bowed her head respectfully.
"Do whatever you have to. Kill whoever you have to. Annihilate whatever you must. Now and forevermore, your one and only true duty is to safeguard his life at any cost. Am I understood?" Queen Azathoth spoke, her golden eyes reflecting the birth and death of quintillions of multiverses at every second. There was no hesitation. No doubt. Not even the slightest shreds of pity, or mercy.
For the sake of her Beloved, the Omniverse would burn to ashes, and its Creator did not hesitate to give the order.
Staring into those merciless eyes, Damelone saw the cold, calculating mind of one who had gained a new purpose in life, a new reason to live, and was willing to do anything to safeguard it.
For all her love for her Creation, here and now, the Queen of the Eldritch Gods looked at her with an inhuman expression of pure, uncompromising will.
And her Will was clear. In a choice between Creation and Aeon, the Queen had made her choice, consequences be damned.
Damelone stared at the God-Queen ordering her to sacrifice uncountable numbers of Realities and lives for the sake of one soul… and bowed.
"It shall be done, My Lady."
Queen Azathoth nodded, satisfied. The subtle power that had gathered for but a moment, power enough to outshine even that of her Beloved when he went all out, power enough to break the omniverse to pieces, disappeared as if it had never existed.
Then Azathoth smiled, all warmth and love and joy again. "Now come on, tell me about yourself! Don't think I don't know the message Beloved sent by creating you, my dear. I will not have such a beautiful display of his love remaining quiet about her own desires, hopes and dreams for a moment more!"
Damelone smiled. She could have mentioned how such words came only after getting that promise and its implications, but she didn't.
She was a sword, after all. It was her purpose to serve, and to kill for her Lord.
That he was kind enough to let her be her own person whenever he did not need her was something she would forever be grateful for, but she knew her duty as well as any of the Aeons.
If the call for battle and war ever came, she would do her duty gladly, and drench herself in his enemies' blood.
And if the time ever came to fulfill her Queen's order…
Well. There never was any true need for an order she fully intended to perform from the start if it ever proved necessary, now, was there?
She was her Lord's (Faithful Dream), after all.
She would always sooner sacrifice herself, and others, than to let that dream die.
Uldatrex stepped into the part of the Hunter's Dream dedicated to him and the Lipikas, his lesser Aeons.
The room he was in was a war room, with representations of the entire Omniverse showing on various holograms that no mortals had any hopes of ever comprehending.
Of course, the entire Omniverse was not mapped out. In fact, only a fraction of it was actually visible in any details. One day, when his Father truly will reach Amaranth and become a true Omniscient God on an Omniversal scale, then those holograms would hold perfect data on the entirety of Creation, available to him and the Lipikas tasked with the workings of this room.
For now, however, what was there was more than enough to begin to fulfill his duties.
He nodded at the various Lipikas already at their posts, making his way and reaching the central hologram.
Waving a hand, he connected to the Black supercomputer linked to the hologram, identifying himself with codes and magic greater than what most gods were capable of, before a display of the local multiverse appeared before him.
Studying it for a moment (not that he needed to, as the information was already in his mind by default as the Pleroma of Good and Evil), he observed the developing situation across the full width of the local multiverse.
The world of the dragons shone bright before him, allied forces mixed in with an unfortunate number of abyssal foes that would have to be purged or expelled in their entirety, one way or another.
Local Eldritch forces were noted as neutral-allied, as they were technically not allied to the dragons… but still answered to the Eldritch Throne, with everything that implied. Whether they decided to aid, or stand aside in the coming battles, remained to be seen.
The possibility that they choose to side with the Abyss was considered, but estimated to have very low odds. Such a blatant act of rebellion would earn the wrath of Queen Azathoth herself.
Such a problem, by its very nature, was thus deemed a self-solving one.
He did glance towards the Void for a moment/eternity, where the rescued Goddess of Blood and her people were busy rebuilding the broken pieces of their civilization. The mad god who caused their downfall knew of their rescue and was already on the move, but it would take time for him to make his way with his forces to the Great Old One and her people. For now, orders from his Father were to let Lady Oedon deal with the entire situation, and merely monitor things in case of any unexpected events.
He mentally flagged the situation as a possible matter to focus on quickly if war with the Abyss did start. His orders from his Father were clear in that event: send lesser Aeons and allied Eldritch servants to ensure the protection of the local Goddess of Blood and her people, while Lady Oedon would go forth and deal with the mad god directly.
Letting Nusha and her people see the death of the mad god who broke them was the preferred outcome, but if necessary Lady Oedon would just smite him out of existence quickly.
His gaze then fell on Earth, as a number of Lipikas met with Utftangshasut, the Great Old One in the form of a giant dragon roaming the seas of Earth, and began to discuss the details of the outpost his Father wanted built upon his back. A contingent of lesser Aeons would remain there at all times, keeping an eye on Earth and the solar system, along with the surrounding galactic sector.
Satisfied that things were proceeding apace on that matter, his gaze focused on another subject: the status of the Eldritch Kingdom as a whole.
The news that God-Queen Azathoth now had a consort had led to wide-scale celebrations, but it has also led to wide-scale military mobilization. Officially, it was to better keep the peace, and proudly demonstrate the might of the Eldritch Kingdom. Unofficially, the quickly escalating tensions with the Abyss had been noted by many, both in and out of the Eldritch Kingdom. Various stellar civilizations were at least readying their military a little, though not all were doing so on the same scale.
The overall political situation could, in a nutshell, be described as "tense." Many Eldritch held no love for the Abyss, but there was a difference between a strong dislike and the willingness to go to war. At the same time, many others were all loudly proclaiming their approval, whether because they were heavily militaristic and approved of a good war, because they hated the Abyss, or simply because they wanted to support and gain favor with his Father.
And of course, the rest of Reality was positively freaking out over the idea of an Eldritch-Abyssal war. Fear-mongering existed in every civilization, and the mass medias were quick to have "experts" talk at length of the sheer scale of destruction that such a war would bring.
At the same time, the breaking news of the creations of the Aeons was already making its way across Reality, causing even more chaos as everyone began to contemplate what the consequences of an even stronger Eldritch Kingdom and Pantheon could be.
Uldatrex took note of those who did their best to incite panic, flagging them for potential elimination. Some of them had not entirely incorrect fears, but many had personal reasons to fear a more active, moral Eldritch Kingdom, and Uldatrex would take great pleasure in crushing all the slavers, criminal and demonic cultists hiding behind their wealth and power.
His gaze then turned towards the various heavenly realms. Messengers and envoys had already been sent to each faction, offering greetings and well-wishes, but the underlying message was known to all: who amongst the Heavens would support the Eldritch in a war against the Abyss?
The city of Axis and its inhabitants, birthplace of Order and conceptual opposite of the ever-chaotic Maelstrom, warmly welcomed the envoys of Aeon coming to them. Abadar, God of Civilization, was all too willing to support a potential conflict against the Chaotic Evil forces of the Abyss. He also praised their Father's new Law, condemning the ritual sacrifices of mortals within the entire Eldritch Kingdom. Irori, God of Enlightenment, proceeded to ask a number of philosophical questions at the envoys. Once the tests successfully passed, the God promised his backing, along with an open offer for his Father to come at any time he wished to debate on the nature of Creation.
Goddess Brigh, Deity of Inventions and Innovation, eagerly received the Aeons envoy, visibly delighted by the sheer masterwork of conceptual manipulation required for their very existence. A few gifts of knowledge and a promise of a meeting with his Father was enough to sway the Goddess, who promised her full support in the event of a war.
Other Aeons went to the council of the Primordial Inevitables, demigods of Order who stood against Chaos and Entropic threats. Jerishall, Lord of Order of the celestial bodies of the Cosmos, Kerkamoth, Lord of Order of the Cosmic Void, Ottomans, Lady of Order of universal physics and mathematics, and finally Valmallos, Lord of Order of Magic, welcomed the presence of the envoys with stoic politeness, but eagerly swore their own support in exchange of a large numbers of request for support on countless matters they believed had long since been left unacceptably alone because of a lack of divine backing.
A single look at the… very extensive list made it clear that his Father would not support everything, but there were quite a few issues that definitely needed to be dealt with.
As for the dark god of crimes, murder, secrets and poison within Axis, Norgorber, he and his forces were carefully under watch. If he tried anything, Uldatrex knew where the god lived, and leading a strike team to kill him was entirely possible. If the Abyss tried to use him against Axis, then he would pay for it with his life.
With Axis firmly and utterly secured, Elysium was the next target. The Chaotic Good realm was the conceptual opposite of the Abyss, and its many gods were naturally keen on fighting its influence in whatever ways they could.
The goddess of Rebellion against unjust rule and oppression, Milani, gladly promised her full backing, eager to ensure the start of as many slave rebellions within the Abyss as possible, and even swearing that she would try her best to start as much infighting amongst the demons as she possibly could. Valuable information was given to her in exchange for her help, which Uldatrex was all too happy to give, since the demons would pay the price for it.
Desna, goddess of Dreams, Luck, Travel, Freedoms and the Stars was next, her help a boon to ensure that the Dreamlands would remain as safe as possible from Demonic invasion. In case of war, her support would help ensure that the Dreamlands could not be used as alternate roads into invading various worlds, or at least not without vicious battles for any demons foolish enough to challenge the goddess and her followers on her favored battlefield. The Aeons tasked with convincing her were challenged into creating the most beautiful dream they possibly could. His Father replied by reaching out through the Aeons present and giving a vision to the Goddess, who promptly started weeping, muttering only "The guns… they are silent. They are forevermore silent." The goddess said no more, but promised her full support all the same.
The war god Gorum, despite his nature, resides in this chaotic realm and met the envoy of Aeons as a war god would: by challenging them to a fight. Empowered by his Father, the ensuing battle with the delegation lasted for a full twelve hours before the leader of the Aeons proceeded to supplex the war god through a nearby mountain, knocking him out at last while obliterating the entire mountain (and much of the surrounding lands, for that matter). The ensuing victory party confirmed that Aeons could not get drunk, despite extensive and creative attempts from the battered but cheerful war god (who also swore to find his new drinking buddies a drink worthy of them one day.)
Another "legendary" feat involved the team sent to meet with Cayden Cailean, who straight-up challenged them to a drinking contest in exchange for his help. The ensuing challenge ended as a draw, mostly because no one could find enough alcohol to get the god drunk (or strong enough alcohol, either) and the Aeons simply could not get drunk (not that the God seemed to care about that little fact). The Adventurer God still swore his support, if only so that he would get to try to win again one day.
With the forces of Elysium and Axis convinced, next came the Heavenly Realms. Erastil, god of Nature and the Hunt, challenged the Aeons delegation to one such hunt. Across the breadth of his realm, the Aeons and him hunted prey, until by the end of it both the leader of the Aeons and the god shot the same prey at the same time… Only the Aeon won, because while the god's arrow easily broke the speed of light, the Aeon's arrow broke causality entirely and thus hit instantly.
Shizuru, Goddess of the Sun, Honor, the Ancestors and Swordplay, was one that Uldatrex had to send one of his more skilled subordinates to, as the goddess requested a challenge of the blade in order to test the envoy of Aeons. The Aeon who answered the challenge replied by holding an apple, throwing it in the air, and catching it back while barely moving. Despite his lack of movement, the apple promptly separated in a dozen different pieces, leading a stunned Goddess to declare herself satisfied, as not only did the Aeon break causality such that he tricked reality into thinking he had drawn his sword, he had also done so in a way that reality believed that he had swung it a dozen times over… All of that without using magic of any kind, and merely his sheer talent with the blade.
Iomedae, The Inheritor of Aroden's will, Goddess of Valour, Justice and honor, was actually one of the easiest to convince. Instead of any tests of might or morals, the envoy of Aeon came to her with two pieces of information in exchange for her help: First, the full Truth behind the death of Aroden. Secondly, the location of the undead self of Aroden's former Herald, and once mentor of Iomedae, along with a ritual that could return her to life as a Heavenly being once more, as long as Arazni herself could be convinced of taking part in it. Both of those secrets left Iomedae stare in silent shock at the envoy for a long moment, but once she recovered the goddess was more than happy to promise her full backing.
The White God in Heaven, Creator of Eden and the Hosts of Angels, meanwhile, did not meet the delegation. Instead, Archangel Micheal met the Aeons at Eden's gates, the seventh layer of Heaven created by the White God to be home to all of his people, which stood protected by a gigantic golden wall radiating Holiness and Benevolence. The Archangel's armor and sword gleaming, his expression warm but severe, he came bearing but a simple message of four words:
"We will be there."
The Empyreal Lords, faced with the full backing of the most powerful Gods in Heaven, bowed to their wisdom and swore as one to stand together if war came to break out, pledging their legions to the coming conflict if the worse came to pass.
The next realm to be approached was Nirvana, neutral Good Realm focused on Enlightenment and Redemption above all else.
The Goddess of Beauty, Shelyn, challenged the Aeons to paint her the most beautiful painting they could create. The Aeons did as requested, painting a stunningly awe-inspiring depiction of the cosmos within the material Universe that filled even the Goddess of Beauty with an overwhelming sense of awe, humility, and wonder before the endless nature of Creation. After offering her support, the Goddess put the painting in a place of honor in her temple, so that all who came to visit her may enjoy the same awe and wonder she had felt.
The Goddess Sarendae, Goddess of the Sun, Redemption, Honesty and Healing, who promoted peace and understanding towards all those who may yet be saved, while also preaching of the wisdom of martial power against True Evils that could not be saved, welcomed the Aeons with not one, but two challenges: the first about their understanding of mercy and forgiveness, and the second about their willingness to stand and fight against the souls of the Lost and the Damned who were beyond all hopes of Salvation. After several hours of back-and-forth philosophy and a spar that ended when both the goddess and the leader of the Aeon punched each other in the face hard enough to almost bring down the entire temple on all their heads, Sarendae declared herself satisfied and promised her full support…
Just as soon as she finished fixing her temple, first, before it came crashing down on top of her head.
Qi Zhong, God of Magic, Healing, Knowledge and Protection, welcomed the envoy of Aeons by challenging them to a debate on how to best use magic to heal. This specific diplomatic overture was almost considered a failure… Mostly because the God dragged the entire envoy to his personal workshop by the end of the first hour and began experimenting with the magic the Aeons had shared with him, and it took quite a bit of effort to remind the sheepish old god that they simply couldn't afford to focus solely on research when war may break out at any moment.
The one Goddess in the higher Planes that the Aeons did not go to to ask for her support, but instead to promise support to, was Pharasma, patron Goddess of the Boneyards and Greater Goddess of Death. The Aeons who met her did not ask for support in the war, and instead promised to help her better protect the souls of the dead against the depravations of the Infernal Realms and its inhabitants, who sought to steal souls from their righteous judgment. The offer of help was accepted, though negotiations were still taking place to determine how that help would be best provided.
With the higher Realms thus secured, Uldatrex and his Father's True Self turned their gazes to the opposite. The Infernal Realms, and their inhabitants.
First, Abaddon, home of the Daemons (and not demons), ruled by the four children of Nyarlathotep known as the Horsemen of the Apocalypse, were contacted by an envoy of Aeon with a single order: "Be Neutral." In the case of a war with the Abyss, Chaotic Evil souls still needed somewhere to go to, and Abaddon would become the best place to have them be in. As such, their orders were simple: defense in depth. They were to fortify their realms against demonic invasion more than ever before, in order to ensure that the Abyss could not raid them to steal souls for their own purposes. Limited counter-attacks and punishing raids were allowed, but nothing that would result in Abaddon entering the war.
Secondly, the deities of the Maelstrom, first and greatest realm of primordial Chaos, were contacted, starting with Besmara. The infamous pirate Queen of Souls, known for her daring attacks on Heavenly and Infernal realms alike, was bought off with both wealth and intelligence about valuable targets belonging to the Abyss, with a lot more given if war does break out.
Hanspur, demigod protector of the river Styx, was promised support and helpers in guarding the river in exchange for his help in keeping souls away from the Abyss, and battling the demons of the realms. A pretty straightforward deal was struck, as the demigod was already doing both anyway, and certainly did not shy away from getting help in his battles.
His backer, Goddess Gozreh, Goddess of storms and the sky, was also contacted. As a nature deity who often fought to protect Reality, her help was rather simple to acquire, requiring only promises of healing various worlds scarred by war and cataclysms whose fauna and flora mostly died off.
The Goddess Nadiri, deity of tragic love, was certainly no warrior, but her realm was one of the most peaceful and safe in the Maelstrom, and in exchange of using her realm as a safe haven for Aeons, Eldritch forces and their allies, she requested that the Aeons presented her a story of love that would bring her to tears. The leading Aeon thus gave her a dramatization of their Father's and Lady Oedon's tale, the story of tragedy, suffering and death ultimately ending with a final note of hope, joy and love triumphant against overwhelming odds easily earning the Aeons their victory.
The goddess Sivanah, Goddess of illusion, trickery, madness and knowledge welcomed the envoy and challenged them to tell her a secret about her that none knew. The Aeons replied by revealing the name of the species of her seventh avatar, of which nothing was known. After that, the goddess further struck a deal with the Aeons, promising her full support beyond even the possibility of a war with the Abyss if they could help her better hide her realms and believers from vengeful Proteans, the native denizens of the Maelstrom, who loathed her greatly.
And last, but certainly not least, an envoy of Aeons met the God of Magic Nethys, who was driven mad in an unprepared apotheosis which led him to both want to destroy all worlds, and protect all worlds. The Aeons, empowered by their Father, helped the God perform a grand ritual of healing, in which both sides of his divine power were brought into balance and the god was finally able to gain his sanity back. Once healed, the God swore himself to their Father, promising that in thanks for helping him heal his sanity, he would serve him loyally forevermore, a pact sealed in his own divine blood.
As for the denizens of the Maelstrom, the very nature of their kinds made a species-wide deal impossible, but specific Protean Lords could still be swayed and allied with. Of course, once again, their very nature made such bargains dubious… but sufficient foresight (and extensive contingencies plans) still ensured that such deals were worth it. Even gaining any amount of influence within the courts of the Protean Lords was already a win to begin with.
And then, finally…
There was Hell.
And when it comes to the final Realm, the Lawful Evil plane of Punishment and eternal Damnation, and arguably an even more infamous realm than the Abyss, his Creator and Father had only a single order to give him.
"We wait for them to come to us."
A.N: Alright! Here is the next chapter in which we continue the events of Love Azathoth!
A chapter mostly focused on the Pleromas and Damelone interacting with the cast of Love Azathoth and the characters of the previous jumps, but I wanted to expand on their personalities and some of why they were created, the purpose behind their existence.
Rwandelux is a mix of Micheal and Gabriel from Highschool DxD: dutiful, kind to a fault, loyal… and something of an airhead. Who also happened to have a battle philosophy of "If it's good enough to kill, it's good enough to overkill."
And yes, I turned the Helel equivalent into a pretty boy who is also an airhead. I regret nothing.
Zaldroct, meanwhile, is basically the guy with the shipping chart. As in, ALL the shipping charts. You may now tremble in fear of what his drawing board looks like, and imagine him as the Pepe Silvia meme, crazy look in his eyes and everything.
Pyhgmi, as mentioned, is basically Death of the Endless… except with a rather different view on death, as a result of being an Eldritch Being. More on that later.
Amnique, meanwhile, is essentially a Sage, a Guide for Souls to help nudge them towards Salvation rather than Damnation. He's also, as mentioned in the chapter, someone who stands for Free Will, provided that the one exerting that Free Will aren't idiots, evil, or evil idiots. His ultimate purpose is to get souls to the Heavenly Realms, or instead for them to become new "Saitama-like" existences, if they can be trusted to hold such power.
Sydnotra, meanwhile, has two faces: The first is the cold-blooded spymistress, destroyer of civilizations and secret killers of countless who might pose a threat to Aeon and his plans. Then there is the second face, who is her happily munching on cookies while getting headpats, a speech bubble above her head saying "This is happiness to me."
Altryxna is the nerd who really just wants to be a full-time NEET, staying in her lab/workshop to tinker and play with magic and science all day long, every day. And then there is what happens when she has to "get over there" because some idiots made a mess. Because as it turns out, being one of the greatest, most knowledgeable beings in all of existence means that pissing you off is a REALLY bad idea. She's effectively the Archmage in her tower, the kindly old person that no one ever sees… Until shit goes down, and suddenly she's out there, warping Reality and smiting idiots left, right and center.
Damelone is a Sword. Most of the time, she's a perfectly kind, polite woman who really likes tea, cakes, good books, and having all of that in a relaxing atmosphere. And then war calls, and she's cutting up multiverses like a human cutting blades of grass with his mower when doing the garden.
Finally, Uldatrex, the Aeon of Good and Evil, is as mentioned inspired by Clint Eastwood in western cowboy movies. He was born from Aeon's sheer unwillingness to accept and tolerate Evil, and is basically the Good Hunter incarnate.
Out of all his creations, he's the one who truly resembles Aeon the mortal the most, and Aeon secretly tasked him with watching over Reality in his stead and taking up the mantle of Good Hunter if something ever happened to him.
He is also incredibly weak to children, and must never get close to them, or else he'll end up giving piggyback rides and sneaking them sweets in secret in 10 seconds flat. Oedon is very much amused.
This chapter was essentially the calm before the storm. It won't last.
Though at the very least, the end of this chapter can be summed up to:
True!Aeon: "Hey kids, wanna go on a road trip?"
Aeons: *Put on shades.* "We've got this, dad!"
Also Aeons: *Fisticuff Gods.*
True!Aeon: "That's my kids!" *Thumb up of approval.*
Still, with all that being said, I hope you all enjoyed this update! Next time, the Heavens react, the Dragons go to war, and all of Reality waits with bated breath to see if this turns out to be a Cuban Crisis equivalent… or if the war turns hot and everything burns.