The Ruler of Ruin

“You are not a monster,” Arx Maxima spoke with absolute certainty.

I directed Katrina to devour those people, that realm. I actively controlled the storm, Arx Maxima. I know what happens if I summon it now, I suppose. I sent my thoughts bitterly at the floating diamond.

The images of massive vortexes of the dark wind churning over communities of the capybara people flickered through my mind, and I had two options. I could ignore this, pretend it never happened. It happened outside of my body; it could have been a dream. My other option was to accept that it had happened, that it might or might not have been entirely real, but to acknowledge the dangers that lurked within me.

“Katrina rampages at the edges of the Gossamyr, as it has done since it escaped from me in the cataclysm. One more realm devoured is immaterial in the grand scheme, more realms are constantly born, old realms constantly die. The cycle of existence has taken new shape, but death to birth to death again is the endless cycle of life. If you wish to blame someone for Katrina, blame me for allowing it to escape, or the Stellarae Enclave for creating Katrina in the first place. It was part of the Cosmogenesis Array, one of the vital pieces required to make all reality one.” Arx Maxima’s words hit me with the force of cold water being poured down my back.

One more realm devoured is immaterial? I couldn’t help repeating Arx Maxima’s words back at her, only slightly hysterically.

“Yes. You have not walked the realms truly alone without a skilled Mistwalker or bereft of the power of a Mist Lord buoying a realm. In the unstable places that lack a Lord reality is an intangible thing where fear, hope, terror, and death are made constantly manifest only to disappear forever, becoming insubstantial mist, lingering bits of reality caught in-between existence and inexistence.” Arx Maxima rebuffed me, but I had never put together the harsh truth of my inexperience with the wilds of the Gossamyr.

So your answer is bad things happen no matter what, it’s fine?

“No, Emery. It is, what it is, and what it is, is based on the past which you cannot change. Change the present or the future,” Arx Maxima finished and floated above me in judgmental silence.

“Why haven’t you asked me about the Tenebrous Dragons, yet?” Arx Maxima asked me after a long, awkward silence hung between us for minutes.

Does it matter? Who are the Tenebrous Dragons, then? I took the bait to shut her up.

“It was prior to Azazel’s tenure, when Lucifer, my first envoy, guided the expansion of the Stellarae Enclave. The Enclave encountered an anomaly, and when investigated, we found it led outside the known Universe into an man-made self-contained existence populated by a group who introduced themselves as the Tenebrous Dragons of Ruin, Masters of the Void, and Lords of Chaos. These ominous people were extremely advanced in technology, long lived, if not immortal, and possessed the knowledge to create their own existence. We wished to know how they had reached this point, and why had they isolated themselves?” Arx Maxima projected still images into my mind to accompany the words.

You keep changing how you address them. You’ve called them the Void Dragons of Tenebris before, too. I pointed out with my best superior voice.

“They had many names for themselves. For all their power, they were the epitome of arrogance, and different factions used different stylizations of names for their race. While they were on our level of technological advancement, they had superior understanding of the binding of concepts, the use of powers we did not understand, and innate capabilities that defied reason. Azazel, leader of the Grigori faction of the Tenebrous Dragons, was the first to join with Lucifer in our cause to make the Universe into One.”

Let me guess, another faction didn’t like that?

“How astute. The leader of the Tenebris faction, Misha, disdained the mere idea of working with other, lesser, races regardless of their own level of advancement. He challenged Lucifer to a duel. My champion lost, and I could not restore him to life due to Misha’s dark magics.” Arx Maxima sounded genuinely sad at the loss of her first champion, which I felt spoke well of her.

Did you or Azazel take revenge?

“Yes. My new herald bathed his people’s stagnant society in fire and blood, and when they returned to my physical body, he destroyed their exo-universe, to reaffirm there was no going back for the Tenebrous Dragons. Once they were the most power, greatest race to exist, now they are a memory carried on by you alone.”

What does any of that have to do with me? Why would you choose me for their legacy?

“I chose you to bear my legacy, and that of my first herald. Delirium of Ruin was the spear of Lucifer. You chose to put on the Mask of Azazel despite the vigorous warnings of Chrys, and common sense. You stepped into the unknown with hope and faith in me, the way Azazel did. You carry the mementos of my past, to forge our future. Rather than throw yourself at the feet of Mithras and beg for mercy, you chose to live, and work with those different from yourself.” Arx Maxima sounded fond, maybe even proud of me. It made me feel awkward.

“So yes, I think you are the opposite of a monster. You carry the traits of my dearest companions from the start of my own tale so long ago. Physically and mentally, you are the image of Azazel and Lucifer. You are no monster, Emery, and I ask you to refrain from indulging in the thoughts that you might be. You are the last vestige of the legacy of the Tenebrous Dragons, the ancient masters of the universe, the first Lords of Chaos.”

I felt… warm. Not in the way that Amaranthine made me feel warm, in the way that being loved unconditionally makes you feel warm. If Arx Maxima had hands or arms, they would have been around me in a hug. Perhaps the silicate fragments of herself that were embedded inside my cellular structure generated the feeling, or maybe it was just the bond between us. For all that I still felt a little uncertain about people called the Lords of Chaos, or a cult that intended to remake the Universe, my doubts about Arx Maxima had faded.

How are we going to take on Mithras? Even this Xian person isn’t going to give us enough power to rescue Etienne in time, is he? I could dwell on the warmth, the love, or I could face the cold fear that had gripped my insides since I’d learned Mithras had turned Etienne into an avatar.

“Deals will have to be made. You do not have the time to become strong enough to oppose Mithras with your own power and to successfully save Etienne.” Arx Maxima didn’t beat around the bush or lie to me. She reaffirmed exactly what I was afraid of. Even with Xian, I would need to call upon other powers. Greater powers than mere Topaz, Citrine, or even Emeralds could muster.

The door to our room opened and small amounts of light spilled in when Chrys entered and closed the door behind her. The rock lady seemed surprised to see me sitting on the floor against the wall, the mostly destroyed bed a ruin next to me, while Remy and Claire slept peacefully. Chrys quietly moved over and sat down next to me, set her heavy stone hand over my scaled one, and gave it a supportive squeeze.

It made me wonder, for the millionth time, how did the dense stone of her body move the way it did? Rock couldn’t move that way, it didn’t flow or bend, it was rigid and inflexible. Gneisslings, like so much of life in the Gossamyr, defied everything that Mithras and the citizens of the True World held to be ideal.

“Rough night?” Chrys asked in a quiet, small voice. I had never heard her whisper before. It seemed so out of place with the normally full volume Gneissling I’d known.

“Little bit. I woke up three abilities, destroyed another bed, and learned Claire sleeps topless,” I tried to keep my voice low, too. In my mind it made me sound like a swarm of bumblebees, the depth and gruffness of my draconic vocal cords seemed ill-suited to whispering. Did bumblebees swarm?

“Three?!” Chrys hissed at me. “I have spent all night awakening a single ability. You enkindlers!”

“Emery did this on his own, no enkindler trickery, unless you count his projection to be an enkindler trick, but any thinking being can learn to project with enough practice.” Arx Maxima quietly spoke in my mind, but I assumed she also spoke into Chrys’s mind. I still didn’t know how that worked.

“Good job,” Chrys said. It seemed reluctant, but she complimented me, nonetheless.

“What did you unlock?” I asked curiously.

“Swarm Mistress,” Chrys answered, voice full of pride.

“Swarm Mistress?” I repeated the words, uncertain I had heard her correctly.

“I can use my copper cloud to manipulate and create items. It is very concentration intensive, but Arx Maxima assures me I will grow in competence with its use over time.” Chrys seemed pleased with herself, but also slightly subdued. Difficult to use abilities could feel underwhelming at first, until you mastered them. Knowing that a power could be amazing, but not being there yet was the sort of thing that haunted you and invited comparisons to your friends who seemed to do so much better with their skills than you did.

I felt like a jerk for mentioning I had awoken three abilities in my sleep, while she’d worked hard to unlocked a singular ability, and was feeling self-conscious about how difficult to use it was.

“You’ll get there, then. What were you working with the gnomes on?” I didn’t know how to reassure Chrys anymore, so I opted for a change of subject.

“Bonecrafting. Several of the gnomes have injuries that traditional healing does not fix, so I have been offering my services with flesh sculpting and bonecraft. The experience has given me many insights into the greatness of Biolo Gy. Coincidentally, their gratitude at being healed provides a wellspring of positive emotions, which I then use to create a growing surplus of consumable items.” Chrys drew a small copper cube from her spatial storage while she spoke.

If Chrys had doubts moments ago, they seemed to be completely gone once she talked about her work with the gnomes, the insights she’d gained, or the items she had made. I eyed the cube of copper in confusion.

“What does it do?” I finally asked when Chrys didn’t launch into an explanation.

“I made that one after reshaping a gnome’s bones. His gratitude was so powerful it became an artifact quality item. I do not fully understand the underlying principles enough to say if there is correlation between fixing his leg and the creation of a permanent boost to agility, but that is the end result.” Chrys explained in whispers, and I struggled to contain myself. Had Chrys always had powers this ridiculously awesome?

“You.. created an item that increases physical prowess, permanently, out of healing someone’s leg? That’s the most self-serving altruism I’ve ever heard of. That’s amazing, Chrys.” I clapped her on the shoulder lightly, but Chrys seemed confused by my compliment.

“You turned doing good into doing better without even trying to. That’s ridiculous. What are you going to do with it?” I eyed the small cube and tried to keep my lust for loot in control.

“I have a few others. I thought it best to distribute them between our party when we finish at this arena, but you may use this one. Perhaps it will help you in the arena.” Chrys offered me the cube.

I took it, and even as I was about to ask how to use it, the mark on the cube activated and energy seeped into me. I didn’t feel any different, but then, I didn’t know how large of an increase in agility it would be, but I had to assume any extra would help.

“Thanks Chrys, you’re the best,” I told her.

“I know,” Chrys agreed.