The foundation of reality quaked, castle shaking, from a oh so familiar roar. Brick and metal crumbling to dust from the sheer intensity of the bellow. 

The blade coming down to reap my life was thrown off course by the shockwave. It landed just above my head, taking off a few inches. 

I didn’t have time to think before a knocking could be heard reverberating from the main set of double doors leading to the throne room. They looked black as night and where at least 40 ft tall, and half as thick.

Knock…Knock…Knock, Knock… Knock…

Everyone silently stared at the doors, hearing the knocks echo throughout the room. With two big bangs, the doors both exploded off there hinges flying and imbedding the doors in the farthest walls from the entrance. A whirlwind of air pressure flung me and Abigor away from each other. My sister, lucky, was chained to the platform holding her down. She was secured except for her long alabaster hair. Grime thrown into the cyclone blasting through the chamber. 

Then, after a few seconds, the storm of air softened until stillness. Dirt and sand floating in the quiet, covering are sight from the open gap in the wall.

Everyone stilled, not willing to be the first one to speak. 

Footsteps, echoing out, come from the direction of the destructive force. Each step seizing up everyones hearts. Clouds of mire keeping the mysterious entity concealed.

“Knock, knock!…” a voice so familiar shots.

The dust finally settled, reveling a sight I never expected to see again, but was happy too.

“Riga?!” I grunt out. Never being more pleased to see his stupid face!

But he gained some new features since I last saw him. 

A set of horns protruded out from behind his ears in a “S” shape, where the points centered right above his head. A black scaled tail as thick as my arm and as long as my body swishing back and forth behind him like a cat with diamond shaped tip. His pupils sharp and reptilian. Orange radiance flowed from his corneas staring at all of us, equal to an adult catching children misbehaving.

“Daddies home!” He finished off his statement with a smile. Teeth so sharp that could chomp through steel.

A wave of primal fear rumbled through the throne room, like sheep seeing a wolf, we all knew one truth…

 A True Monster has descended.

Riga looked around, in anticipation, like he was waiting for a reaction to his entrance. 

“What? Groglin got your tongues?” voice reverberating out in the silence like iron grinding rock.

Me being the first to break this eerie lull, responds to his question. 

“Riga, what took you so long?..(Cough)” Blood sprayed from my lips, covering my chin and chest in a crimson gouache. “Was it harder than you expected?” I say in pain, not caring about my own safety. 

“It wasn’t that!” Cheeks turning slightly red. “I just like playing with my food is all..” He looks at Abigor with a smirk, a starved lion looking at a fresh carcass.

Abigor started to sweat, nervous and trembling. Trying, and failing, to seem more confident than he was. Riga's smile deepens into a fierce grin, drool dripping down his fangs in anticipation.

“Now for the main course!” He says as he slowly starts to walk toward Abigor. Each foot seemed to make the very floor quiver.

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“How did you get past my army! There is no way they would let you through!” Abigor shouts out while stepping back a few steps.

“Oh, are you talking about the appetizers? They where deeply exquisite!” Riga said, relating fighting B to A tier Magic Beasts with going out for brunch with the gals.

“Monster…” He whispers, eyes widened from the inconceivable horror, “Not even Ormir Pups would be able to take on my army without a scratch! Let alone call them a snack!”

“Well thats because there weak? Why is everyone so surprised?” Riga said, confused by everyones fuss, “They where only Pups right?” 

Deus this guy had no common since. Did he say “Just”? A single Ormir Pup can destroy a continent when birthed,  A world after a month! What the hell did he mean by JUST!

A smile creeped its way over my face, finally giving in to this insanity of it all.

 “Are you stupid?” I laugh out. “Of course we would be surprised, Its common sense to be surprised!” 

Uncontrollable laughter came pouring out, totally forgetting my blood loss and pain. “Only you would think that way Riga!” Coughing after my fit, I feel a little lighter. Probably from the blood loss.

“Oh, then you’ll just have to teach me all about this common sense of yours…” He turns to smile at me like he did in the clouds, all warm and soft. 

“Once I deal with this asshole!”

 Abigor not letting this chance slip by, tried to escape into his purple fog form. Riga just stands relaxed and waiting, eyes smiling at his attempt, looking over at him seeming to not mind Abigor's attempt.

Seconds pass as the violet smog that covered the surroundings swirled around looking for an exit. Smashing against the walls, ramming the doors, and even thrusting into cracks on the wall caused by the break-in. It went everywhere except in the direction of Riga, who was still standing fixed to the same spot.

“What the hell is happening?!” Abigor yells out. “Why can’t I leave?!”

Riga smiles, then nonchalantly taps his right foot. Orange eldritchian energy rippled from his foot, instantly surrounding all of us in a nebulous cloud. It's like where floating in the middle of space, stars and galaxies floated around us. If it wasn’t for me feeling the ruff chill of the ground against my back, I would have sworn we where in the cosmos.

“What is this place?” My sister breathed out in awe, the first time since my near death experience.

“Oh this?” Riga lifts his arms, palms up, looking around with casual air. “This is a little barrier I created when I first knocked on the door over there.” He points over to the hole in the wall where doors use to be.

“Whatever or whoever is in here can’t escape, unless I want them to.”

Everyone was amazed by the statement. To create a barrier that strong in such a short time would take tremendous power, focus, and willpower. To say he made it so easy, I knew he was powerful but he keeps raising the bar every second.

“So you can stop trying to flee already. It doesn't look good on a Okun to look like a scaredy cat.”  

After this statement, Riga looked over to his left side and just stared with intensity at a section of purple cloud that was near the nebulas covered wall. The orange fog started to whirl and suck in the purple gas until it all disappeared into the strange magic. It whirled into a ball of condensed amber dust about the size of a boulder. Then all of a sudden, it started to speed towards Riga at an alarming rate, but before it reached him it stopped just an arm’s length from him.    

“There you are! Did you really think you could hide from me with such tactics?” 

Riga said while reaching out his right hand. He touched the metallic like dust that made up the weird sphere. The orb began to have waves ripple out from his contact, giving off a water-like feel. The magic sand slowly left to form back into the barrier leaving a heavily damaged Abigor on his knees in front of Riga. It looked like his whole body and armor went through a meat grinder. Grayed skin Covered in gashes while his armor was all but scraps hanging off of his torn form. He was heaving for breath, barely able to stay on his knees. 

I was in shock. Riga, with just a glance, made Abigor look like he had been through the stomach of an Abyssal Mega-Tooth! What the hell was that magic he just used?!

 My sister spoke in fear, asking what was on all our minds after seeing such a display of overwhelming might.

“Who are you?…. Are you one of the Deus or the Ormir?…”

Riga paused, looking towards my sister. No hesitation to look away from Abigor, knowing he wasn’t a threat.

He stared at her, his usually expressive face was instead replaced with a pensive look. Not knowing what was on his mind, my sister froze, all she could do was stare into his glowing apricot eyes. There depth likened to the brightest stars in the dark oceans of the universe. Her body quaking in the presences of what she thought was a Divine.  

“Who am I?” He seemed to taste the question, his contemplative face grew into a jagged grin with teeth sharp as swords. “Well that’s the question now isn’t it!” He chuckled out.

“Thats pretty hard to answer in a short time, but with the looks of everyone here..” Riga gave everyone a once over, eyes landing on my form, his smirk softened. “I guess I got some time to spare!” saying as he snaps his fingers as the magic around my severed arm wound that was slowing my bleeding then completely closed it up.

Facing Catherine, his dialogue started.

“Well it would be hard to say that I have just one name, it would depend on what part of this vast universe you are in… My name would change depending…” saying as he pointed towards me and continued.

“Some people know me as Riga the good hearted goofball…. “He then points at my sister.

“A few have known me as a Harbinger, bringer of justice to all who need it….” He then points to Abigor who was panting on the ground to his right.

“Others though, called me the greatest evil too have ever existed…”

He pauses for effect, leaving a pregnant silence in anticipation for his reveal. 

He, seeing this, decided to give us what we wanted. He twirled around and then stoped facing me. His arms spread out in a showy fashion to emphasize his last remark.

“But all know me by my true name… From the youngest Mortal…To the most ancient of Immortal… My name engraved into there hearts, to never forget what and who I truly am…”

He closed his eyes if remembering all who knew him.

“My true name is…”

His eyes shot open, staring me down. His eyes peered into mine, in those eyes I witness miracles. I am being so primordial that I saw the birth of reality. I see a universe being birthed from the fires of creation itself. I see beings older than time being crushed under claw as massive jaws the size of existence rip out there beating souls and swallowed it like water. After what seemed like eons, I am back in my own body laying on the cold hard stone. My heart pounding from what glimpses of memories, ones I’ve never experienced yet know better than my own, finally leave me back to my present. 

I, wide eyed, look at Riga like I’ve just stared at the creator himself. He stares back in a knowing smirk. He then states in an ethereal tongue, like whispering echos drilling right into my skull.

 “Ragnarok, King of Creation…”