"Chronomet! Lord Chronomet! Are you okay?!"
Yvilos is kneeling over me. I'm laying on cold rocks.
"Chronomet, what happened?"
I should tell him.
"I fell."
He gives me a weird look.
"You fell an' ate city hall?"
No, Yvilos. You don't understand.
"That's what I get fer workin' fer a god, huh? You'd better give me plenty of hazard pa—"
I cut him off.
"Sure. My name was Pure Evil, remember?"
"Hah? What does that have to do with this?"
"I fought so hard to keep myself in line; to be sensible, to be rational, to stay sane."
He looks at me with surprise, confusion, and worry.
image [https://timjames.net/data/acd/images/077.png]
"Are youuuu. Sane?"
"I fell, Yvilos. I killed so many people."
He looks at the semi-spherical carve-out we're both within.
"Is that a no? I can't run. Hell, nobody can run. Please tell me you're sane."
"Thaddeus and Garne rigged a spell to kill people. They used my own power to do it. They're dead and so is everyone they've ensnared in their sick game. Except me."
"How in—. How did they do that? Hey, that's not your fault, right? It can't be that bad, right?"
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"One billion, three hundred thirty-two million, six hundred and eight thousand."
"You can't mean..."
"Total kills. Not all are human. Every species."
He raises his head to look up.
"Dear lord."
"Your lord has become pure evil. Though that isn't my name."
He looks down at me.
"Then— you owe it to them."
I don't even turn to look at him.
"What?"
"You owe it to them to make it right. Just like you did for Aitos. You can't simply take that many lives then give up because you hate what you did, or what you've become."
"Hate? I stole so much from so many. I don't feel happy or sad; I feel empty."
"You, did you eat them?"
"No, but I d—"
"Then finish the job."
...
"What?"
"That's what you always do, right? Finish the job. Only when you carry the burden of your mistakes, does it feel heavy. But look at you."
I turn my head to look at him. Not myself.
He gestures to my draconic body.
"The weight of your mistakes has made you strong. Stronger than I can scarcely imagine."
He looks at my scaly face, then continues, with a pained expression upon his.
"You're a literal divinity, Chronomet. If you shirk your responsibility now, you're leavin' all those dead bodies to rot and spread disease. To traumatize people. To destroy lives, families, and even nations."
Yvilos shudders a bit, then continues.
"It hurts me to say this. You feel empty because you haven't taken on the weight of your responsibilities."
He pauses, then adds.
"You haven't eaten them."
I stare at him, my maw open.
...
...
...
"That's kinda fucked up."
He rolls his eyes.
"Yeh, but it'll save lives. Now why am I counsellin' a god?"
"Demigod. And it's because I'm a moron, Yvilos. But you knew that already."
"Chronomet, you're powerful, but fallible. I initially thought a lot of what you said was complete horseshit. I came to understand you more in the short time we've conversed about how you want to run your nation. More importantly, how you felt about Aitos. Seeing you layin' here, actin' calmer than any human could in your situation?"
He sighs. "Haaah."
He continues.
"Well, I won't say you're a good person. You're a good dragon, Chronomet, so don't forsake that part of yourself solely because you were tricked."
"I'm forsaking being a good dragon?"
"You feel empty, right? Those who shoulder their responsibilities are never empty. If they are, it's because they've stopped caring."
"This is— I'm being indifferent."
"That's it. You're stunned right now. Don't let it consume who you are."
"Consume who I am. Thanks, Yvilos."
"Thank me by not eatin' the rest of us."
He punches me on the shoulder.
*thok*
I stand up.
"Rawh. I never had the intent."
He stands as well.
"Neither did you when roaring at Haitos. Spend more time controllin' your strength. Next time— if there is a next time? You'll be even stronger, I bet. You get my point."
"Reah."
"Then do it."
I spool up my Mana on a massive level.
I rig Devour to eat dead bodies.
I Devour a few million.
Rh. I set a spell.
Auto-cast.