It took all of ten minutes to explain to the little avatar why giving away ownership of the planet was a very bad idea. Their visitor outside seemed content to wait and Iris wasn’t in a hurry to meet them either. This was far too important to rush, anyway. The fate of the world quite literally hung in the balance.
In the end, with Alyssia’s help, she’d finally managed a secure promise from Gaia that she would ask them first before giving the planet to anyone, no matter how nice their cake might be. Iris had to reluctantly admit that the alverin was far better at handling children than her and Gaia made no secret of who she preferred of the two. The girl was sitting on the ground, knees up with her arms wrapped protectively around them. She looked sullen as only a five-year-old could and was pouting in anger.
She glared at Iris. “You’re mean. I don’t like you.”
Iris chuckled and ruffled her hair, pulling Gaia to her feet. “I can live with that if it means you don’t hand over the world to the first stranger who gives you a sweet.”
Gaia sniffed and turned her head away.
“C’mon let's go. I’m not sure how much longer our guest will wait for us.”
Once again, Alyssia picked the girl up and they began making their way outside, the alverin covering her eyes every time they came across anything too gruesome. She’d somehow made a game of it, which the young avatar clearly loved judging by her constant giggling. Iris snorted. Had she tried the same thing, she was sure the little devil would have bitten her by now. The closer she got to the facility's entrance, the more her rage began to rise back to the surface. It had been forgotten for a while in the chaos that was teaching Gaia, but that didn’t mean it was gone. The bastard outside had been responsible for all this suffering and, as Iris was slowly beginning to suspect, so much more.
Turning to look at Alyssia, the seer smiled faintly. At least some good came out of all of this. The empty look was gone from the alverin's eyes and she smiled with genuine joy as Gaia whispered something into her ear. Iris didn’t know if she could call it trauma bonding, but Alyssia had become heavily attached to the young avatar, her presence a light that soothed the young woman's wounds.
She didn’t need her seer abilities to know that separating them would be impossible. Leaving the alverin to raise and educate the planet might be unwise, though, Iris considered. While her heart was in the right place, Iris didn’t want Earth to become a prankster obsessed with speed.
With the facility's entrance drawing closer, Iris began to pre-cast her rituals. She doubted things would come down to a fight, but it was best to be prepared. Iris had never fought a Prime before, but there was a first time for everything. Alyssia placed Gaia on the ground and stretched her arms.
“Stay behind us, okay,” she warned the girl. The avatar nodded seriously and took two steps backwards. It seemed Gaia had realised the severity of the situation. Taking a deep breath, Iris stepped out into the open.
It was dark out, a crescent moon reflecting little light. The man was there, waiting for them, suspended in the middle of the air, as regal as any Prime she’d ever seen.
“I’ve never had a Prime wait on me,” Iris said, “to what do I owe the pleasure.”
“Oh no, the pleasure is all mine. It’s not every day one has Fatebreaker's daughter gracing their doorstep,” Zorian replied, his voice silky smooth.
It reminded Iris of a venomous snake. Alyssia's aura flared up from beside her, her legs tensing to leap up. Iris placed her hand on the woman's shoulder and shook her head no.
“Your doorstep? So this is your brainchild, then.” It wasn’t a question, her voice was ice cold. “Why did you do it? Why cause all of this suffering?”
The Prime sighed theatrically and descended until he was hovering a few feet above them. “The whale asked the same question. I didn't expect a seer to be so blind. You disappoint me, Iris.”
“Enough,” Iris declared, her voice enhanced by her concepts and backed by her intent. It cut through the air like a knife, her rage manifest, and froze out the sound of everything beside it. “You will answer me clearly or we will learn today if my flames can kill a Prime.”
“Threats,” Zorian replied coldly. “You forget yourself, girl. This isn’t your father's court.” The Prime sighed. “I didn’t come here to fight tonight. I came for conversation but it seems you’ve lost all sense of civility.”
“Civility,” Alyssia spat, her aura flaring up again. “You lost all rights to that word the second you killed innocent children.”
“I must seem quite the monster,” Zorian replied softly. “The books of history will see me reviled as one, but it is because of me, because of what I did that those books will ever be written. Do you think I do what I do because I like it? Because I want to?”
Zorian’s every word contained conviction, his ardent belief that he was correct, that his way was the only way. His words were like insidious poison, containing a perverted and twisted truth.
“I was given the mantle of Prime, I am The Chaos of Earth, the proverbial stone god throws at man when they become complacent.” The Prime spread his hands wide. “I did not give man fire,” he declared, “but I will light their homes aflame so that they may build better, so that they think grander, so they are forced to grow. You are a seer. Don’t blind yourself to the truth. This realm is dying, our planet is fated for destruction. The mirror worlds attached to us are beyond our ability to handle. And so I did what I must.”
“I burnt the old so the new may grow. I killed children, yes, but only to accelerate Earth's development. I have created the perfect cradle for man's saviour to rise from. I have paved the way for our survival, in blood and destruction, yes, but a pacifist could never chart this path.”
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
Zorian Lark smiled sadly. “Perhaps I am a monster, but none can call me a liar.”
“You are a tyrant and a fool!” The declaration sounded like it came from the heavens itself, echoing into the distance. “A man playing god. Perhaps a lesson is in order.”
The night's darkness was suddenly lifted, washed away in blinding light. Kazi Alukai, The Will of Earth had come, and he’d brought dawn with him.
Iris knew power, she’d been born into it and witnessed feats of magic that boggled the mind. Even she could not deny the awe she felt in her heart as she saw the radiant figure Kazi Alukai cut across the skyline. There was a reason why the Prime had been granted anomalous status. Sadly, Iris knew she wouldn’t get to see the man in action tonight.
“So glad you could join us,” Zorian said, though there was a note of strain in his voice.
“I’m sad I cannot say the same about you,” Kazi replied coldly. “Were you so afraid that you couldn’t come here in person? You talk about a big game, but speaking of sacrifice is easy when you’re not the one making it. You have sacrificed nothing, yet you come here spouting nonsense, painting yourself a selfless martyr.”
“The world has seen your kind before and they will see them again. You are not a stone thrown by god, you are a pebble in the streams of time, the ripples of your existence insignificant. The books of history will not revile you as a monster," Kazi Alukai promised, "they will not mention you at all.”
The Chaos of Earth opened his mouth to retort back, but Kazi Alukai waved his hand, sending a blast of light at him. When it faded, the Prime's apparition was no more, destroyed in an instant. Gaia had watched the whole spectacle play out with wide eyes. Iris doubted the young avatar had understood anything at all—she was probably just fascinated by the fancy light show. The regal Prime descended from the sky and alighted on the ground before them. He walked past Iris and knelt before Gaia, taking one of her tiny hands in his own. The young avatar stared at Alyssia, concern and confusion on her face.
“It is an honour to finally meet you, Mother Earth,” Kazi Alukai said, kissing the back of her hand.
The young avatar giggled nervously. “Don’t be silly, I’m too young to be a mommy.”
Kazi Alukai chuckled. “You’re right,” he said. “I must have lost my mind, little princess.”
The girl beamed at him, immediately smitten with the name. Iris watched the scene with rapt attention. Damn. Am I just shit with children, or what? The Prime had charmed the avatar in less than ten seconds. Groaning dramatically, Kazi Alukai got back to his feet as if he truly was a fifty-year-old man. He turned and finally addressed them.
“It seems I have another granddaughter I need to take care of now. I trust you will be suitable nannies for the girl.”
Alyssia nodded empathetically. “I’ll be the best big sister a girl can ask for.”
“And I can ask for nothing more.” He turned to Iris and winked. “The boy really knows how to pick them, doesn’t he.” With that final line, the Prime faded away, leaving them all alone outside the facility.
Iris felt her skin flush, “I take it all back. He’s just a perverted old man.” Her embarrassment was made worse by the fact that Alyssia was trying and failing to restrain her laughter. Gaia just chortled outright, rubbing salt in the wound. The young avatar didn't know what the joke was. She just found Alyssia’s struggling face funny.
Wait how does he know Arthur’s alive?
~~~
Arthur Ward had been in the Daggerfall mountain range for two days now. In that time, he’d managed to hit level 113 and had finally finished unlocking the skills he’d gained at level 105 and 110 respectively.
Poisonous Swamp of the Hydra was a new Epic+ skill that Arthur knew he’d be using a lot.
The skill was incredible and one that Arthur knew would become a staple of his fighting style in the future. It would help him use his poison affinity more effectively instead of just relying on Poisoned Fangs of The Hydra and was overall, just a potent tool to have in his arsenal. The skill unlocked for his Soul affinity at level 110, however, was a little strange.
His new soul skill was the only one he’d gained from his class that was intended for crafting. It was about time considering how much of Arthur's power was based on his alchemically created elixirs. Huh, I guess everything special about me came out of a bottle. Arthur was honestly surprised he hadn’t received a craft-related skill before now.
Sadly, he wasn’t sure how useful his latest ability would prove to be, at least in the immediate future. As an upper legendary skill, Arthur was sure it would become one of the staples of his build, but that was when he had enough free time to figure out how it worked, not when he was fighting tooth and nail in a fallen realm. He’d invested 257 stats from his level-ups to bring strength up to an even 500 points. After his titles and class effects were applied, that number bloomed to 1,040 strength, more than double what he’d been working with.
The difference was palpable; like he’d finally upgraded the framework of a car to match the engine. His muscles were like steel cords, the power he could bring to bear at any given moment truly devastating. The Daggerfall mountains no longer felt so oppressive. His remaining 632 stats had all been invested into Draconic Vitality, bringing the attribute beyond the 4,000 mark.
His health had crossed well beyond the S grade now and he still had over 170 levels worth of stats to get through.
Arthur grinned and cracked his neck. He’d been searching for a while now and finally found it. The perfect target. Until now, he hadn’t let Wovan do any fighting. That was about to change. His Soul Splinter had her own status page, which gave her the ability to gain her own titles. It was about time Wovan started working on her collection.
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Etherious: Originator
Etherious: The Locus of Power has gone live. As a self published author doing everything myself, my novels success lies entirely on my shoulders. As such, the first day of a books launch is by far the most important time that determines how well my book will do.
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