Chapter 176

Chapter 176

Chapter 176

Riven stared at the young girl sitting across from him a few feet away, red eyes narrowed through the visor slit, and vertical jaws along his ivory plate armor hissing from time to time. Jackal had taken its dog form, a shadowy canine that glared over at Gaia’s reincarnation wordlessly as its body shimmered with black wisps of shadow. “So let me get this straight. You’re saying that you’ve been quarantined here, unable to control any of the monsters you create-”

“I do not like to refer to them as monsters.” Gaia replied sweetly, a smile adorning her lips while new flowers began to bloom from her outstretched palm. “They are my children, just like you.”

Riven blinked. “Right... You are unable to control your children outside of this dungeon because the elves have... What, mind controlled them somehow by using nature-attuned magics?”

“That is correct. My children are very susceptible outside of my dungeon realm, and I cannot leave this dungeon myself until I have matured.” Gaia stated with a nod - letting the flower grow into a fully formed crystalized multi-colored rose, shimmering with light, and plucking it to set the flower on the floor between them. “This is for you as a sign of good faith. I know you better than you think you know yourself, Riven Thane. Being born on my world before the integration I knew you even better back then, and there are both many secrets that I can share - as well as many boons that I can give you, should you help me.”

The fighting had stopped entirely now. Gaia’s treeants, plant creatures, and dryads had all retreated to a safe distance on the opposite end of the cavern from where Riven’s own forces were currently located. Gaia claimed that no harm had been done because she could resurrect any of these creations with their souls intact as long as they didn’t leave Dungeon Alibast, whose avatar was actually one of the greater dryads watching over the goddess reincarnate. The elves, apparently, had been taking the dryads regularly from the dungeon to use as cannon fodder in the war - abducting them to warp their minds with some kind of ritualistic magic Riven was unfamiliar with. Due to the high affinities of the Fae pillar that these elves had, and the high affinities these dryads had to it as well, the dryads were very susceptible to this kind of mental attack and were even identified as minions to the elvish masters by Elysium’s status pages. This made Gaia very angry, because once they left the dungeon and died outside of this dungeon - there was no way to bring them back to life. They were gone for good, and thus the elves of Tereen had essentially kidnapped and murdered many of her newly created children.

Riven hesitated, then picked the glittering rose off the center of the floor that’d been covered in soft layers of moss over the last few minutes just by being in Gaia’s presence. He personally didn’t feel any different, but many of the still-human soldiers he’d brought along and the orc shaman who’d remained unaffiliated to the unholy pillar claimed that they’d felt rejuvenated just by seeing her.

It was... interesting, to say the least.

“Do you know what happened to my parents?” Riven asked slowly while Allie caught her breath on the sideline, waiting expectantly for Gaia’s answer. “Since you are apparently the mother nature of Earth on our old world reincarnated, perhaps you could let me know?”

Gaia slowly shook her head. “Unfortunately I am unable to tell you exactly what happened because they were not born on my body, but elsewhere. I did not have a connection to their spirits as I did yours, or Allie’s, or the others prior to integration. However, I did have eyes and ears. The plants and animals spoke to me even then, and I do have snippets of the things that passed before they left my body together.”

“Together?” Riven repeated, eyebrows raised. “My father left years before my mother disappeared, and I was half convinced they’d died. You’re saying they not only left alive, but they left with each other?”

“That is correct.” Gaia said with visible empathy etched into her features. “I am sorry. I know how thoroughly it broke the two of you at that time. I would have been more involved in situations like yours if the gods of Olympus hadn’t banished me and worked with other pantheons to steal the magic of our planet, but alas that isn’t the case. All I could do was watch as my children, like you two, suffered unjustly.”

That response brought a lot more questions than he’d originally had. “The gods of Olympus are real?”

“As are many of the other pantheons you humans considered mythology.” Gaia replied sweetly. “They were all banished to their own versions of reality when the magic left, after they failed to harness the world’s power properly. It is why Earth was devoid of magic and why magic was a myth to you when the other two worlds Earth merged with during the integration already had some knowledge of the subject. I believe that now many of them will be making an appearance just like me, likely secluded to different dungeons or instance events the administrator has created until... Until we are deemed ready to leave into the combined world of Panu.”

“Back to our parents-” Allie cut in, irritated that the subject had gotten off track. She stepped forward, only to be met with flares of power from the greater dryads and Dungeon Alibast’s dryad avatar - each having auras that matched Allie’s own.

She stepped back, grunting in irritation and glaring down at the little flowering plant girl. “Why did they leave? Why couldn’t you see them and why don’t you know where they went or what happened if plants and animals in their area told you!? That doesn’t make sense!”

Gaia looked up to Allie, sighing softly and shaking her head - causing the vines creating her hair to shift. “I don’t know why your father left you all those years ago, but he remained on my body until he left with your mother much later. When he left you, he entered a complex of some kind that shielded my gaze - it was underground, with unholy auras permeating the structure. I only ever saw him when he came out to feed on my other children. Eventually when your mother was being chased by... some kind of otherworldly creature not native to Earth, she killed the beast and made preparations for the two of you. She wiped clean any traces connecting her to her two children, and headed for the same complex your father had stayed at all those years. It was then attacked by similar shadowy creatures, and I felt a rip in space as a portal activated. Soon after that the presence of your parents disappeared and the complex blew up to stop the monsters from pursuing. That is all I can tell you.”

“What did the creatures look like?” Allie pressed, concern evident while she bit her bottom lip.

“I cannot say.” Gaia stated again with a helpless frown. “My state at the time was weakened, and I could not make out their true bodies. All I know is that they were shadow-oriented creatures of some kind, and that they were dangerous. They killed many of the other people in your father’s facility before the underground complex exploded, and they were dragging the bodies out by the many dozens to use their parts as sacrificial rituals of some kind before everything was purged with infernal flames. I apologize for not knowing more.”

Allie paused, taking in the information, but let out a shaky breath and slumped. “Thank you anyway. It’s more information than we’ve ever gotten before.”

Riven took Allie’s hand and squeezed reassuringly, then turned his attention back to the flower. It looked crystalline in nature, was multicolored and shimmered in the light. He couldn’t get a read on it even with his suit’s low tier identification ability, so he held it up and asked. “What does this do exactly?”

Gaia turned her gaze from Allie to Riven, and then to the brilliant crystal flower she’d plucked from her palm. “That is a piece of my soul.”

Riven stared. “Why would you give me a piece of your soul, exactly? What use do I have of this?”

“Do you not have someone you love waiting to be revived?” Gaia asked, a small grin creeping up onto her face. “Think of this as an upfront payment. Do not worry, my soul will regenerate over time as long as the core piece is intact - and Athela’s core is what attached itself to your own soul aperture. What do I want in return? Free my children from this quarantine the elves have placed on my home, destroy the runic glyphs that siphon my power to keep my growth stagnant, destroy the seals that keep us inside, stop Tereen’s king from mind controlling my children by taking his head - and you will have a lot more than this. That, I promise you. And you will have made an ally of me as well. I cannot leave the dungeon myself yet even if you do destroy the glyphs, but I will be able to do so eventually. When that time comes, you will need me for the invaders that seek to take this new planet for themselves.”

Riven barely heard the words she spoke after the first sentence. “This can help Athela come back?”

Gaia nodded. “It can. It will also impart a gift to her in the form of my own power, should she choose to take it. The art of soul mending is a thin line between utter failure and creating a new being - but this rose already has the commands programmed into it that would allow Athela’s soul to regrow properly while keeping Athela as herself.”

The little girl held up a finger before Riven could speak. “I also suggest that you are very careful about letting in too much aspect in, concerning the sin of gluttony you have acquired. Athela’s soul was created out of nothing by the power of your sin shard, from what I can gather by looking at it. Is that correct?”

“That is correct.”

“Then Athela will be very in tune with Gluttony’s power when she revives. Be very careful that Gluttony does not consume her outright in an attempt to claim my gift, and that the core of her soul remains intact. If done right, she will likely take both the power of Gluttony and my own gifts to combine them into something unique - but it will be up to you to hold back the greed and hunger Gluttony represents when that shard realizes the gift I have given you isn’t for yourself - but rather for your minion. Eat the flower now, and within one week’s time - your minion will be back in your company. Lastly, I would heavily advise against trying this again with her or with anyone else. Soul mending can go very wrong, as I have mentioned, and you could very well destroy the essence of who she is if it isn’t done right. An example of this would be even now, should you fail to keep out Gluttony’s shard from devouring my pre-set sigils of power, you could very well lose Athela entirely.”

Saemi nodded approvingly and took a step back to further evaluate her youngest child. Saemi was somewhere between Fay and Nitidi in height, wore the equivalent of a belly-dancer’s outfit - colored white against her sky blue skin, and didn’t have any shoes on. It was obvious where Fay got her looks from. “I simply can’t believe how well you’ve done! You’ve struck gold, daughter! Securing a prince of the Blood Moon Requiem as a master - you’ll be his servant and have the opportunity to grow for millennia - if not far longer! Vampires do not age after all!”

“I think he wants her to be more than just a servant...” Nitidi cut in with a low chuckle, causing Fay’s eyes to hit the floor and avoid her mother’s gaze.

But Saemi’s smile only widened. “Yes... I saw that. Very interesting. As I said, you’ve done splendidly. Be sure that even if you don’t feel the same way about him, not to let him know. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity even for us demons who live eternal lives should we not get murdered.”

Fay’s fingers clenched. “But I do feel the same way about him.”

There was a brief pause, and then Saemi laughed and pulled her daughter into a hug. “Of course you do! You’re so adorable, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean that to sound bad. I almost forgot that he’s only your second summoner - and hopefully the last! Who knows, right? By the hells, this is SUCH an upgrade from your last warlock!”

Her mother winked down at her before letting Fay go again. “Perhaps your brother will take some lessons on obedience from you while under your care... I can only hope. Anyways, is there a particular reason you’re returning today? Or was it just to catch up?”

Fay’s eyes brightened, and she turned to look up at the soaring stacks of books along many hundreds of extremely tall bookshelves. “I was hoping to find information regarding Azagnitide Rotworms. Riven’s sister has a friend who is afflicted with one, and I was wanting to get a ritual to bring back so we could get rid of it.”

Saemi’s eyes narrowed, and she bit her lower lip while tapping a finger along one cheek. Turning her head up to inspect a particular bookshelf further down the way - she gestured for Fay to follow. “Perhaps I already know where to look. Come now, follow me and we can discuss things further. You too, Nitidi - this conversation involves you as well.”

Launching herself up off the floor, their mother began soaring into the massive pathways between bookshelves - taking a sharp right with her two daughters quickly flying behind her.

Saemi’s grace was unnatural. Some people in the clan often compared her to the angels and how they used their feathers to better adjust with wind currents, but that’s what you got when you had many tens of thousands of years under your belt to practice flying and to acquire new traits that would assister her in the act.

Zipping inbetween the bookshelves a couple dozen yards up off the ground, Saemi eventually came to a stop along one of the large wooden platforms that they used in the library to stand on when up this high. Adjusting a lever and moving the platform to the right a little ways, Saemi stopped the contraption and reached out to pick out two separate leather-bound books.

“I believe these two volumes are exactly what you’re looking for.” Fay’s mother stated while extending them out to Fay with both hands. However she withdrew them a moment later, a clever smile painting her lips. “But there is something you must do for me before I hand these to you.”

Fay, who’d been reaching for the books to put in the bag Nitidi had gifted her, frowned. “What trickery are you up to this time, mother? I hope you’re not scheming again and trying to prank me like the last time. You know I get embarrassed easily.”

Nitidi and Saemi both loudly laughed at her innocent accusation.

“I don’t know what you mean by that, Fay! I’m only looking out for the clan’s welfare and growth!” Saemi replied with another low chuckle. “Those slugworms were harmless, it’s not MY fault you reacted the way you did. Anyways! I was hoping we could have a quick chat about Nitidi here.”

Fay lifted her gaze, just as confused as Nitidi was by the look they exchanged. “What about her?”

“Well she finally escaped that foul man who was using her in sacrificial blood orgies.” Saemi stated with a prompt huff. “Took forever to use that contractual loophole but we managed to get her out.”

“Oh!” Fay said with an excited bounce on the balls of her feet - still holding the sack of clothes in her arms. “Congratulations Nitidi!”

“Yeah it’s way better now.” Nitidi admitted with pooched lips. “But what does my old master have to do with Fay?”

“Well it’s obvious, isn’t it?” Saemi said simply. “You need a new one, and Riven has an open slot. Does he not? Last I checked there were over 3 million demons vouching for that single spot, we need it to go to our clan. Not another.”

There was a pause of silence that followed.

“You want Nitidi to bind to Riven too?” Fay said, skeptically. “Why? Not that I’d mind, but I’d thought you wanted our influence spread out more across different sectors for information accumulation. Our clan is an information broker after all.”

“Riven is not a normal summoner, the benefits of binding two daughters to him outweigh the benefits of binding you to separate warlocks.” Saemi said simply. “If I were low enough level to meet the requirements, I’d bind to him myself. But unfortunately I can’t, as you well know I’m well above level 4000 now. System regulations won’t permit it - and it’s not often any summoner at all manages to make it that far anymore. Unfortunate, truly. Now if I wish to gain access to the mortal realms I have to beat my way through the hells to do it, and we all know how that usually goes for succubi like us. Those damnable devils are truly barbaric.”

Fay grimaced and wrinkled her nose, but hesitated afterwards when her mother gave her an expectant look.

“Are you... being protectively jealous?” Saemi asked, amusement creeping into her voice while rolling her eyes. “Come on now. I know you had fun with that vampire princess and elf slave woman, didn’t you? It wouldn’t be much different than that.”

Fay huffed with irritation. “That was a little bit different than this. And no, I’m not opposed to the idea of Nitidi coming if Riven wants to do so, but I won’t speak for him and I’ll need both of you to respect any boundaries I set. Riven is mine. He belongs to me. I... I’m very much attached to him and I don’t want any other woman taking his heart from me.”

“AHHH!!!!” Nitidi gasped with hands on either side of her cheek. “That’s so cute! You really DO like him!”

Saemi once again rolled her eyes, then extended the books once more. “Well at least ask him, you know how hard it is to find a decent summoner. It doesn’t have to be sexual, I’ll leave that decision up to you since you’ve already made a claim on your prince charming, but do let us know. Go on and rid that other poor soul of the Azagnitide Rotworm, I do hear they’re rather foul and I believe the rituals you need will be within the pages of these texts.”