Chapter Three of Ten

God Complex

Fortaime's banshee screams of fear soon died off to a whisper as the Triumvirate loomed over the bed and growled in its timed warped way at the trembling bunny. The figure slipped a small obsidian gear from its golden sleeve and gestured it as a gentle offering to Fortaime letting the bunny inspect it with his twitchy nose.

Triumvirate: I am here to make amends, not to ask for your forgiveness but for your patience and so... I will bring back your hope, your heart. I will heal your loss as I need everyone for what is to happen next... me and the Monarch will not see eye to eye but take my hand Fortaime and I will bring back Valessa

Dakem: Wha..what? How... can-

Fortaime: you'll bring her back?! Do ... J-just her?

Triumvirate: Just her, for now. Bending the rules of life and death is...costly, time-consuming and to be bluntly honest I don't want to bankrupt what little remains of my morals. We don't have the time to spare to bring everyone back right now. We are on the clock I'm sorry

Odd and confused looks were passed from each person baffled at how it could be corrupt to bring back an innocent life. This is until Halin spoke out in a conflicted yet wise voice looking at his creator. His life is unmatched by anyone else as he was created by the Triumvirate's willpower alone with no previous life or home to call his own. This leaves him in the unique position to understand the Triumvirate's point of view.

Halin: I think I understand, changing the rules of life and death. How does that respect everyone else who sacrificed themselves in this war...she died for something she loved maybe we shouldn't be the ones to undo her decision...and you mentioned a cost?

Sovy smiled seeing his apprentice slowly coming out of his shell yet a dark look had grown over the previous Inquisitor. Ulric had regained his senses fuming at the 'generous' offer of the Triumvirate and barked exactly what he thought.

Ulric: Her decision? Nobody decides to sacrifice themselves without a horrific reason, we left her to die because of YOU. She was forced into her death because of your armies, the Triumvirates are responsible for the deaths of thousands!

Give up your life for her to come back. Keep your sick morality intact for a 'fair trade'.

Triumvirate: When this day is done I hope to have everyone alive, families long lost. Paths not taken due to the course of war.. those who have died when we should have stopped this long ago. But here and now I need you and to do that I need to prove myself worthy of mercy so Valessa will rise and we'll talk... so much talk

The Triumvirate shakes its hood showing sorrow at what has happened and what's will come, its gaze upon Fortaime generates a brave nod in return as Damek moves to the infirmary window trying to see the makeshift graveyard Howl was attending with a few followers to help. The black glass gears in the Triumvirates' paws spin into dust and cause them to grunt in pain, leaning on the bedside to brace themselves with strained panting. Glass and mirrors can be heard shattering and combusting as the Triumvirate work their magic to raise the dead seemingly burning time itself to complete this.

Triumvirate: She'll need a face she can trust to help her come to terms with her death. Do not leave her alone and bring her here... now ready for another miracle Fortaime?

The Trivunvrate holds out their white paw to the bunny who braces himself watching their paw reach for Fortaimes wounded bandages. Slowly gold light spirals from the Triumvirate spear and down their arm, trailing down to the fingers a ticklish light wraps around the bloody bandages of Fortaimes stomach. Feeling the brushing ease and vanish a beaming smile comes from the bunny who gingerly touches his stomach. The Triumvirate cocks their head to the side curious to the bunny's reaction.

Triumvirate: There, heh I bring life. Please try moving, gently as I would expect an outcry of pain to be honest yet you seem... perfectly fine?

Moving their paws away and standing at the geared archway entry point the figure nods to Dakem to help Fortaime stand up, the bunny moving impossibly fast for someone who was shot through the stomach by a broadhead arrow. Sovy could be heard inhaling in astonishment as Damek unwrapped the bandages showing Fortaime in perfect health, not a scratch but just dried blood on his fur while hopping about to wake his tired legs. Clocking the many bottles surrounding the bunny's bed the Triumvirate could only assume Fortaime was on a lot of medication to subdue the pain of reanimation.

Fortaime: I...I don't believe it. I guess... I could listen to you. My mother used to say hatred isn't worth wasting on someone unimportant so... I'll give you some time to explain ...all of this.

Demek: Agreed you've earned an ear from me. Bringing back the dead, healing our wounded... just for a conversation?

What are you here to tell us?

Triumvirate: I can't say yet, you'll want Howl and Blur to...clarify my motives. It'll make more sense coming from them rather than my word alone.

From what you've seen of my actions I'm sure you can understand why we were called gods. But envy and faith aren't what I am here for. I will be clear to you all I promise, but not until everyone is in the right time and place.

Now, Damek. Halin. Allow me to heal you as well?

Damek looks to Halin and then to Sovy who gently nods his head telling the general he can be trusted, they move closer together Damek is clearly cautious of both enemies yet stands bold until the Triumvirates holds out their hand. Hesitation spreads across Dameks face as the daunting challenge reaches towards him, holding his breath he accepts the hand of god going a further shade of white and hearing an amused chuckle from the Triumvirate. Halin had no quam and easily accepted the hand also bracing himself seeing Sovys reaction to the pain of regeneration.

Once more gold mist floats from the spear down the Triumvirate's arms as both mortals feel something spin in their hands transferring the gold to their wounds, howling battle screams roar from Damek who buckles against pain groaning on the floor and spots an armoured paw offered to him. Halin had felt no ill effect from his wounds healing and immediately offered to help Damek up, Ulric and Sovy looked to each other signalling their surprise at Halin's reaction both expecting some kind of wince of pain.

Damek shakes his head feeling sick to his stomach with his head spinning as he slowly gets up on his own, Fortaime stands close to him unsure if he'll fall over.

Triumvirate: Now go, both of you find Valessa and Howl. Bring them back and we'll start from the beginning. As a gesture of goodwill, I will remain under the eyes of your warriors till your return. But I ask you both to return quickly.

Fortaime and Dakem look to Ulric and Sovy who both nod accepting that if things went south they were the best champions the Rebellion had to take on the Triumvirate. As they left the infirmary Halin stayed under the watch of Sovy who had been making silent gestures he was trying to amend for the way he treated a friend and ensured Halin was protected against rebellion threats. Blur wasn't going anywhere which must have shown in Ulric's eyes.

Triumvirate: Yes, Ulric. I will heal him too, for as much as I need you to listen to me I fear it'll be you who will get Blur to listen to reason and speak his mind. Once he wakes he will demand my head I'm sure, this won't be easy and mistakes cannot be made again

Halin: Then it's settled once they return with their comrades in tow, then we can discuss why you're here but it'll be cramped...

Ulric: What about the chamber? Seems only fitting to let the discussion happen in the room that caused all the death and destruction to be a place where this new ... uneasy trust should be discussed.

Sovy: hmm yes their orb was destroyed and there's only one way in and out. That will be a fine place, with sufficient room for us to discuss the future Alestia and keep our 'guest' securely surrounded.

Fortaime had ran out of the room blitzing past shattered windows with Damek soon chasing after him shouting for him to wait fading down the corridors. What followed was an uncomfortable silence falling upon the two Grand Inquisitors as the Triumvirate shook their head dismissing an passing throught until they felt Halin's questioning gaze.

Triumvirate: I see it in their eyes Halin, our first Inquisitors together as friends after all we put them through.

Ulric please remember you once thought Sovy was past the point of redemption left with no choice but to kill him.

Now look at you, brothers in arms once more so as much as you may despise my existence, you can learn to trust me.

Ulric didn't respond but slowly stepped aside so the Triumvirate could begin to heal Blur yet the protector didn't give an inch that wasn't needed, breathing down the Triumvirate's neck and watching their every move.

Ulric: Again?

Triumvirate:...Pardon? Ulric

Ulric: You said again, "Mistakes cannot be made again"

Triumvirate: Ahh yes...

I mean everything that we...my brothers have done to cause this war. It's not something I want to repeat. As I said we'll have this discussion in full once everyone is ready

Sovy: And what happens if we don't believe you? If we don't trust or even listen

Triumvirate: I honestly don't know if you have the choice to ignore me, I can feel forces moving against us as we speak and you will feel it soon too. I am not the enemy you have been fighting and believe me...There will be retribution for our actions.

My hands are not bloodless.

I know you both want answers more than anyone but if I told you we have already had this conversation then the problem is clear.

You don't remember it...

When I tell you everything I'm sure some won't believe me, trust me or even listen to me. But listen to my words now. You both know this is genuine.

Though I suppose nobody wants to hear bad news

Ulric: Bad news? You said you are here to help us, make amends and save people. What's the bad news!?

The figure looks down at Blur not saying anything for a time, Ulric tilts his head trying to get the same angle but soon is looking into the unnerving black void of the Triumvirate's hood who swiftly stares down Ulric as his movements brought the Triumvirate out of its trance. The warrior wolf steps back feeling a sudden wave of sorrow and panic crawling into his skin. The bad news warned by the Triumvirate rattling his sixth sense Ulric has always relied on now stirring an uneasy pit in his stomach.

Ulric: You will tell me who you are and what you want.

Triumvirate: This is not a problem you can solve with your sword Ulric!

Soon I will explain everything and why am I here but who I am is privileged knowledge, there are some answers you don't want an answer to.

For now help me hold Blur down he'll feel this... hold him dammit!

Sovy moves behind the Triumvirate with his tusks sticking out with anger sneering across his face loathing the Triumvirates' shout at Ulric, the white wolf's great sword gracefully posed to strike the god dead. Uncaring of the threat of death The Triumvirate grasps Blur's burnt armless stump and channels energy from their spear, with a pale dying glow seemingly flowing with angelic magic it wraps around Blur's numerous wounds causing him to fidget and fit in his bed.

Ulric crouches down to grip his paw and twitching legs helping to keep Blur in his bed threatening to fall out. Sovy reaches over pressing Blur into his bed with great force keeping the king's head still, soon the crazed mumbling of a tortured soul screams out from Blur violently thrashing as the magnificent magic of an arm grows back on the white and blue wolf. His eyes shot open with glazed-over dreams filling them as he forces himself upwards in bed screaming his lungs out looking at the roof.

Sovy and Ulric are flung with a sharp yelp as Blur belts the Triumvirate in the face with his brand-new arm knocking the god clear across the room and the two warriors clattering into the remains of Ulric's table. Ulric's lip bleeds from the tumble while Sovy was caught by Halin while the Triumvirate lays star-shaped on the ground.

Blur took deep breaths slowly taking in his surroundings utterly disorientated, his eyes barely registered the Triumvirate groaning on the floor and instead moved to Ulric gripping him closer off of the floor with unnatural strength.

Blur: Ulric ... you're not...dead?

Blur's voice waved and wobbled clearly under the spell of time with his eyes glossing over staring at Ulric star struck, gold mist flowing out of his mouth and vanishes back into the fallen spear while gold tint swirls in the wolf's eyes.

Ulric: Blur? Blur! Come on wake up, do it for me wake up... come back to us, Monarch.

What happened? Why isn't he waking up??!

Triumvirate: Ugh... bastard of a right hook.

He should be awake Ulric, I assure you be feels awake! Look at him it's working

The Triumvirate slowly gets up off of the floor touching their nose and wiping blood in between their paws seemingly surprised as if it's been an untold time since they last bled from a minor wound. Sovy and Halin share a glancing nod thanking his apprentice for the help and grins at this god being surprised even caught off guard. Ulric is softly shaking Blur who stares vacantly yet his body is sitting stiffly straight up softly holding onto Ulric as one by one his wounds close up, the process looking more painful the longer it lasts.

Triumvirate: It's his mind Ulric, he'll catch up he just hasn't had enough time to process, all those ghosts in him Jesus only knows fresh hell must be impacting the process.

Just be patient... unless...

We're out of time?

Sounding worried the Triumvirate figure inspects a black gear attached to their long ornate necklace, they sigh wiping blood on it and sniffing sadly as their nose bleeds onto the gears struggling to close their wounds wasting a lot of their energy healing the rebels. Blur's wounds visibly taking even longer to heal as the gold mist in his eyes fades, reading into the metal gear on some sort of psychic link the god softly whispers.

Triumvirate: ohhh... god. Oh god, it happened...

The Triumvirate runs a paw through their hood and groans in dismay placing the necklace away.

Triumvirate: Time has died.

We have to move quickly now. It'll be coming back to us and we aren't anywhere near ready, carry him if needs be but we must get to the chamber. We must start now... now come on!Get moving!

Sovy: Wait what do you mean time has just died, what does that even mean? Tell us something. Who are you??

Clutching the Triumvirates arm Sovy glares into the abyss of their void hood feeling his future devoured by time, the fear infecting Sovys skin feeling very nerve stand on end covered in goosebumps as the god slowly almost intimidatingly removes Sovys paw.

Triumvirate: STOP with the questions, you don't know what you're asking especially with our time frame...but to sedate you I'll tell you this and you'll soon want to ask more.

The entire universe just convulsed right in front of your eyes, genocide in a moment.

This the end of the road, the end of everything..ending...dying...destructing. Total event collapse of every sun exploding at every point in history.

Can you even imagine what that feels like to time? Well...DONT BOTHER BECAUSE YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW FUCKED WE ARE...

The Triumvirate's rage boils over clearly stressed as the worst moment in known time is unravelling all paths to history, even those which don't come to pass. The cold touch of steel announced itself on the Triumvirate bare back above his heart but this time it was Halin who growled lowly warning the Triumvirate to step back into line.

Triumvirate: Oh love of... ok.

These gears of time, well they track it and time just ended, erased...now everyone in this room knows just how quickly a life can be extinguished so stop asking questions and go! Trust me, once we finish there's nothing more to know, nothing more to show

The silence in the room reached new levels where nobody dared breathe in fear of testing fate, the Triumvirate didn't have time to waste and moved to the doorway leading to the main atrium. Ulric helped Blur to his feet silently sharing a shaken look with Sovy and even Halin. All three had questions biting at the tip of their tongues to ask more, a sickening feeling sloshing the pit of their stomachs seeing supposed gods to be...fearful of their weapons.

Leaving the rebels behind them the infirmary is soon an empty room with a determined march up to the chamber, they passed the bloody remains of one of the Triumvirate's brothers existing as a significant stain on the floor leaving a distinctive splatter mark, upon seeing this the movement of the Triumvirate visibly changed. Now a soldier on a war path.

Triumvirate: Time has looked at your faces... and time never forgets. I will put this right brother

Halin had been pushed forward to monitor the Triumvirate as Sovy quietly spoke with Ulric checking on his old friend, uncertain how their recent battles have affected the wolf he once knew.

Sovy: Ulric you seem more ... agitated than I remember.

Ulric: oh you think? You cut off the Monarch's arm and now we're playing host to the god that just saved his life nearly taking mine in the process, walking through walls...resurrecting the dead it's just a lot going on right now Sovy.

I've never even seen one like this before and he's...he's just different.

There's something I can't understand about it but my bones tell me I can trust him... a Triumvirate I can trust. Hell look at us, you've been trying to kill me for years yet here I am, dying of old age now.

Sovy: old age... so it's true? I felt the imprint of your immortality on the blade I didn't think you'd go through with it, especially on the eve of war.

Of all the times to go mortal and begin to decay one of our greatest enemies walks back into our lives... for all their strange words and behavior if time is dying you know they are the only ones who could fix it.

They gave us immortality and control the dead. There's got to be a way forward...and I'm sorry about the arm, unavoidable but you surely know that?

Ulric: You don't know anything, none of us do and that's what scares me. We came here to kill the Triumvirate and free Alestia, and now we're leading one of them to their chamber believing on their own good graces we are saved... I wouldn't trust him for a second but Blur. He seems...

Sovy: Alive, he's alive. Fortaime, Damek... me and Halin too and maybe your fox friend Valessa. If they are healed, saved even then maybe we should listen to the Triumvirate, only listen. Nothing more but nothing less either.

For everything we have been through all these years nothing can compare to this last week. We've seen your original leader raised from the dead walking and talking we have to believe this Triumvirate is different... or maybe the same as Howl. Right now we have to let their actions speak for them.

Ulric: We told Blur to kill them before a word could be spoken, their words are what turned us into monsters in the first place Sovy. This is a dangerous path we're walking.

Sovy: And it was us who decided to listen, we're not those impressionable young fools anymore. It was our actions that led to this, but if this Triumvirate tries anything I'll kill them. Just one trick or lie and they will die.

She...he did you see their hands, you're right they aren't like any Triumvirate I know. Imagine the secrets we could learn.

But we've seen all we need to know.

They bleed.

Ulric cracked a smile for the first in a long time since the battle started this morning, having his old apprentice back and even a once-dead friendship being rekindled brought back some hope for the protector yet seeing Blur in a mesmerised state concerned him the Triumvirate was once again plotting another nightmare. The metallic taste of blood chilled his cut lip as the group walked further up the impossibly long staircase bringing back thoughts of a lifetime ago. Ulric's misdeeds for serving the Triumvirate were now coming back to bite him.