Chuck wandered around the hellscape that had once been beautiful farms. The land was now torn by large siege weapons, gods, and powerful magic. He stood at the edge of the ground that had been sucked into the singularity he had created, and he shuttered. It reminded him of a miniature version of the Grema ruins.
He hadn't been able to find his friends yet but that wasn't unexpected. After the gods had disappeared from the field of battle people had come to their senses. Most had fled, some had given up and just fallen where they stood. The experience too much for their fragile minds to handle.
It was easy to tell the war was now over. The Vitorian leader had become a god, but it had directly clashed with the manifestation of Firon, their main deity of worship. Being on opposing sides of their god seemed to cause a large majority of them to snap mentally.
The mages seemed to fare better, Chuck figured it was the generally higher intelligence and willpower most possessed. Luckily he hadn't encountered any since the fighting had ended. They were busy dealing with the corrupted knights that appeared in their midst, the few that survived.
Chuck wondered why the creator didn't just remove those from the field of battle, it made him angry that the survivors were left to deal with it. Chuck was sure the Creator had his reasons but it still pissed him off. He also recalled the being saying something about modifying his skill and taking something away.
Chuck opened up his mental menu to try and see what had changed.
The first thing he noticed was the blessing of the creator was gone, there was no longer an icon at all to show it had even existed. Next, he checked singularity.
Name: Singularity
Rarity: Mythic
Level: 0 -1
Prerequisite: Mana Manipulation level 5
Damage Type: Gravity
Status: Active
Stat: Intuition
Range: 100m
SP to Next level: 350000
Conditional Information: Pausing skill training resets skill to 0 Skill Points
Description: Creates a point of intense gravity that pulls everything within a 10m radius into a dark abyss. Lasts 3 seconds. Not even light can escape this monster.
Chuck noticed a new line of text at the bottom.
P.S. - I fixed this monstrosity of a spell... you're welcome. Who the hell designs a spell of this power without a time limit? Anyway, I also reduced the power and let you keep it since I took your blessing. Have fun, don't die. -The Creator
Chuck rubbed his chin. It would have been nice to keep the blessing even if every time he was forced to use it, it tripled the timer. But then again having a spell, like singularity, at his disposal was a decent exchange. And now it could be used without killing himself.
When Chuck returned to the camp, it was chaos. People were piling dead bodies off to the side while injured sat or lay wherever they could find space. Chuck noticed a lack of leadership present and had to look for some time before he found a Commander. He was unable to see anyone with more seniority among the troops. He wondered about that for a bit while he scanned the faces.
Eventually, he found one he recognized, if barely. Jala was covered in dirt, if it wasn't for her missing arm Chuck may have walked right past, instead of giving the face a second look.
"Jala, are you ok?" Chuck said, kneeling by the woman.
"Huh... oh, Chuck... um... I think so... my head... hard to think."
"Shit, let me see."
Carefully Chuck inspected the woman's head, finding dried blood caked to the back of her skull. He placed his hands lightly on the sides of her face. "This may sting," he said, casting hallowed body on the woman.
Her hand shot out, gripping Chuck's armor hard and she was gritting her teeth in pain as the spell took effect. He used his hands to hold her head steady and keep her from thrashing about as the wound closed.
Eventually, her arm went slack as she passed out, either from pain or relief, Chuck wasn't sure. He managed to find a cleanish rag and some water to wash the woman up. It wasn't much but it made her look human again.
He sat by her as she slept, not wanting to leave her alone. His other friends would have to wait a bit longer.
***
Jala slowly opened her eyes, everything was sore and she was starving. The last thing she remembered was fleeing from Chuck's spell. She looked around bleary-eyed, spotting her teammate sitting a few feet away, keeping watch on the camp around them.
"Chuck," she said hoarsely, getting his attention immediately.
***
Chuck swung his head over as soon as he heard Jala speak. "Oh good, you're awake. Here, drink this," He said, tipping a waterskin to the woman's mouth.
"Wha- what happened... did we... win?" she asked after taking a small mouthful of water.
"We didn't lose, what is the last thing you remember?"
"You had a spell... and you told us to run."
"Ok, well, the gods made a clusterfuck of the battlefield before my spell went off. Then..." he said, trailing off, "then I'm not sure. When I woke up the gods were gone and the armies had scattered like dandelion fluff in the wind. I tried to find you and the others but there was no sign of you on the battlefield. That was when I headed back to camp. You are the first one I ran into. I healed a nasty head wound you had and I've been waiting for you to wake."
He decided to omit the part where he conversed with the creator, it was best for everyone if he didn't mention that.
"Oh," she said, slumping back down into the bedroll. "And your spell? Did it work?"
"Hmm, um, yes... and no. But don't worry about that. How are you feeling?"
"Tired, and hungry. Also sore all over."
"Yeah, I think that's a side effect of my healing spell. Let me see if I have anything soft for you to eat."
Chuck faked digging around in a bag and pulled out a ration bar from his ring. It wasn't soft but it was all he had. He poured some water into a cup and dunked the bar into it. This was common practice in the field. He held the cup to the woman. She reached over with her remaining arm, to slide the now slightly softer biscuit out of the cup, taking a small bite. She chewed slowly, swallowing the food.
"Help me up," she said after she finished eating.
"Just rest for a bit longer, another hour at least. You had a nasty head wound."
"Fuck that, I rested long enough, help me up," she demanded, holding out her arm.
Chuck sighed, grabbing the woman's outstretched arm because he knew this was a losing argument. 'But weren't they all when women were involved,' he thought wryly.
He had to steady the unstable woman as she stood. "You good?"
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"Yeah, just need to reorient myself," she said confidently.
"Uh-huh, if you fall you're staying down until you've rested some more."
"Fine, let's go look for the others."
Chuck rolled his eyes but offered his arm to help steady her.
They found their newest teammate and their new commander first... or what remained of them. They had been cleanly sliced in two, just above the waist. It looked like they had been struck by a beam of some sort. Someone had dragged them back to camp when they were still alive. We could tell because bandages had been applied. Unfortunately, their wounds had been too severe to recover from and both had died some time ago.
Chuck and Jala were numb to the sight of death but seeing people they knew personally, had caused both to vomit.
They moved slowly through the wounded. Chuck would have stopped to offer aid but he would have been here all day and it would barely scratch the surface. There were plenty of other healers running about that knew far more than him. He was likely to cause more harm with his spell than help.
It wasn't until dusk that they finally found Vigo. The man was sitting on a log near a campfire, staring off into the distance.
He didn't even respond to us calling his name. It wasn't until Chuck shook him that he responded, the man wheeling on him, with a spell already forming in his hand.
"Woah... easy there, Vigo," Chuck said, raising his hands in surrender.
It took the man a second to recognize them but still, he didn't lower his hand or dispel the deadly magic.
"You." he hissed, "I saw what you did. I didn't believe you had a spell to counter the enemy so I stayed to protect you from yourself... the sight," he whispered in a haunted tone, "I will never forget that horrible sight for as long as I live," he added, trembling. His arm fell and the spell disappeared as he collapsed to the ground, covering his face and weeping.
Jala walked toward the distraught man, "what in the name of the breaker did you do, Chuck?" she said.
"I- uh-," Chuck said, sputtering.
"Go find Raina, I'll stay with him," she said, tilting her head toward the distraught man.
Chuck nodded, walking away. Hopefully, the man only needed time to process the events of the day.
Chuck spent the waning light looking for Raina. He almost gave up and headed back when he came across a wounded soldier. They were wrapped in bandages from the chest up and he wouldn't have stopped if not for the hat lying next to them. It was a mage hat. As he got closer he recognized her robe or at least the part that hadn't been burned away, slung across a crate nearby.
"No," he whispered quietly, sitting down next to her.
He cradled the wounded woman's hand in his. This caused her to stir and her eyes to open. Her eyes held pain but also recognition as she squeezed back.
"Vigo and Jala are ok," Chuck spouted, not sure what to say.
She gave him a confirming squeeze but he could tell in her eyes that she understood the other members of their group had not.
Chuck wasn't sure if healing could remove burn scars and tried using mend. He had to stop as Raina started shaking uncontrollably and moaning in pain. He didn't dare use hallowed body, not if just mend caused her that much pain. Not for the first time, he wondered if the spell was even worth having.
"You should rest, I'll tell the others that you are ok."
She gripped his hand tighter, refusing to let go so Chuck sat back down.
"Ok... I'll stay with you," Chuck said, seeing the fear that had filled her eyes.
He waited until she fell asleep before he carefully set her arm back on the cot and quietly left. He would tell Jala and Vigo he found Raina, then return to keep her company.
Morning broke and Chuck was startled awake by a ray of sunlight piercing his eyes. He nearly tumbled off the crate he had fallen asleep on. His whole body ached from falling asleep sitting upright. So he stood and stretched his aggravated muscles.
When he looked around he noticed Raina's cot was gone. He stopped a healer. "Hey, do you know where the woman I was watching over went?"
"Sorry, if she isn't here she probably didn't survive the night."
"What!" Chuck said, gripping the man's arm tightly.
"Let go soldier, I have others I need to attend to. Check with the corpse crew if you want to be sure."
Chuck released the man, knowing this wasn't his fault. He rushed around in a panic until he found one of these corpse tenders. They led him to an area nearby with dead bodies. He walked along the rows in a daze until he found Raina. Her arm hung limply from the cot and dried tears leaked from her dead eyes.
Chuck collapsed to the ground and wept.
Chuck didn't know how long he knelt there and wept over the woman's corpse. When he no longer had any tears to give, he laid her hands across her body and closed her eyes. Then he said a silent prayer wishing her luck in her next life. The war was over but so many bright sparks had been snuffed out without a second thought.
He walked woodenly back toward the fire where Jala and Vigo had spent the night. Vigo had recovered a bit over the night but he wouldn't make eye contact with him.
Explaining that Raina had died during the night had been the hardest thing he had ever had to do. Every time Chuck started he choked up and had to wait to continue. Jala sobbed at the news but Vigo only glared at Chuck's feet, clenching his fists.
Chuck heard the man whisper that it was all Chuck's fault.
Chuck knew there was no repairing the friendship. He nodded slowly and walked away, tears falling from his eyes.
***
In the end, Nur annexed the forest all the way to the town as recompense for the war. Not that the Kingdom of Vitor could do anything about it. They had lost over thirty thousand men in one battle. Nur faired better, losing only eighteen thousand. Still, the price had not been worth it, at least not for Chuck.
After the official paperwork had been signed the mages from the Tower were released from duty. Jala had stayed with Vigo and the two had grown close in the weeks after the battle. Chuck envied them for that. Vigo eventually did apologize but it was a hollow thing, something Chuck suspected Jala had asked him to do.
Chuck had no bad feelings for his former team and wished them well. He would not be returning to the capital with them. It was time for him to move on, there were too many bad memories here that he wanted to forget.
***
I tapped my fingers on the desk made of celestial essence in front of me. It was weeks after the battle and I had imprisoned the gods involved. I needed time to decide what to do with them.
I snapped my fingers and a massive tiered seating area appeared in a half-circle around me. With another snap, all of the seats were filled with angry gods. I made no allowances for factions or alliances, summoning every god that existed. I ignored the angry shouting and power flung about the room as I wrote something on a sheet only I could see.
The only gods that remained quiet were Firon and Ziriax. Firon because he knew my power and Ziriax because I had already spoken with her.
A large muscle-bound god, that towered over me, approached.
"Who is this puny and pathetic god?" he roared in challenge, causing part of the room to go quiet as they watched the interaction.
I ignored him, verifying I accounted for all of the gods. Some were quite slippery to pin down but I saw them, hiding in the dark recesses of the room.
"I asked you a question, weakling, now answer me," the god of the hunt roared. He reached out to grab me. Probably to prove his superiority. As soon as his hand touched me he popped, leaving behind a diffuse vapor of mana where once a god existed.
"Good, everyone is here," I said, without acknowledging the dead god. There were murmurs of concern and some of anger but everyone remained seated.
"There seems to have been some shirking of duties and bending of the rules, even flat out ignoring or breaking of rules that I set down."
"And who are you?" the god of pestilence said, smashing his filthy fist on the table in front of him.
'Ew, who prayed a god of pestilence into existence?'
"Apologies, I should have led with that. I am the creator, everything you see here," I said, gesturing to the entire universe, "was created by me." That was a fun bit of power to show off and silenced most of the gods. "If I wished it, you would be no more," I said, snapping my finger and erasing the god of pestilence from my universe.
That was enough to get the attention of even the most recalcitrant gods.
"Good, now that I have your attention, it's time to mete out punishment."
I snapped my fingers again. The gods that had joined in battle, in the mortal realm, appeared in ethereal chains, bound to the flat area in front of my podium. The gods that had survived the battle that was. At least eight lesser gods had been killed during the fighting, Chuck's spell had obliterated three of them. I guess that gave him MVP. 'Maybe I should make him a trophy.' I shook those thoughts away, focusing back on the task at hand.
"For blatant disregard for my rules, I sentence you all to mortality. You will live out your short existence in whatever capacity you can cobble together. The only knowledge you will retain is that of losing something monumentally important."
There were cries of anguish and refusal at my judgment, mainly from those being judged. As the gods erupted in loud murmurs the god of trickery tried to backstab me. Really, me, I gotta give him props, he was staying true to his calling. Not that it saved him. As with the god of the hunt he exploded in a puff of mana.
I couldn't fault him, his lover was one of the banished gods, she was screaming in denial and trying to break her bonds.
"ENOUGH!" My words rippled through the gathered pantheons, silencing them all.
I waved my hand and the guilty disappeared to Halcion to live out mortal lives. Without souls, they would fade from existence when they died. Perhaps if they proved they lived a worthy life I would return their divinity.
The only god that remained was Niros. Now you may ask why I didn't include Firon in the proceedings. I would say to you that it is complicated. Let's just say he isn't getting off the hook either.
I looked at my progeny as he glared at me in madness, wrapped in his chains. He still bore the tiny figure of a homeless man as his avatar.
"This won't do," I said, tapping one finger on my desk. Immediately the madness that had invaded his mind vanished, replaced by knowledge. Knowledge of me and knowledge of what he had saught all these millennia. Why he couldn't capture souls.
"Nooooo," he wailed in anguish. "How-" before he could utter another word I bound his mouth and sealed him in a prison made from pure soul essence.
Nothing in my universe had the power to free him from this prison. The one being that had the power, Firon, had it stripped away as punishment, leaving him no greater than any other god.
"This is what awaits those that fail to uphold the rules I have placed upon this universe," I stated quietly. With a clap, the gods were sent back to where I had pulled them from. The room vanished from view, taking the prison with it.
Firon and I appeared next to the vortex of time. He smartly backed away from the now deadly torrent.
"While I have punished you, I also failed you," I said, brushing his cheek.
Immediately the memories that I had taken were restored.
"You have a burden to bear, and you must bear it alone for now. Eventually, I may release your brother. Although, I doubt he will be the same. I return now to the center of the vortex to rest and watch. Try not to fuck everything up again while I'm gone," I added with a smirk.
I left the speechless god gaping as I leaped into the current.