The room hums with the hushed whispers of one hundred voices, each inspecting and dissecting the two divine beasts before them. Moments pass under the persistent vibrations of wind before dying back down to a deathly silence, only broken by the persistent squirming of one spider in particular and the plop as she is dropped from the unyielding grip of a tired monkey. "Ha! Freedom! Now I can make my escape! Where did the exits go?"

"This one is unwilling." "Does she not seek further descent?" "It is their choice to reject the test of passage." "The exits can be opened if you wish." "Though you will lose the chance of a free descent."

Aleph sits down and begins nibbling her tail from boredom while Lyly skitters to her perch to gain a slight boost in height before taking an extremely hostile posture. For her at least. "What? Are you guys gonna stop me if I don't do your stupid test? You think you can? I have a whole-ass dragon on my side! Am I right?" "Huh? Sorry, I wasn't paying attention." "..."

"We do not seek enmity with the children of the gods." "The test of passage is an ancient rite." "One as old as Ch'cha himself." "Should you pass we will direct you through one of our routes." "A safe path of descent to meet the gods." "Should you refuse we will provide you no interference." "You will face the trials of the labyrinth in full." "Our trial is trivial in comparison."

"So if we pass this test you'll give us a free ride to the Progenitor? Sweet." Lyly reduces her hostility by a fragment to her usual levels of perpetual aggression. Not much of a difference, but noticeable. Aleph on the other hand sits up, eyes scanning over the dozens staring back. "If we accept your challenge and fail, what happens then?"

"You have reached this deep with your own power." "It is unthinkable that you would fail." "We will take any further questions now before we begin."

They dodged the question, but fine. "How many divine beasts have accepted your proposal?"

"Our eldest mun'cha has witnessed seventeen pass through haven." "All accepted." "None have failed." "We cannot speak for the n'cha of other cities."

Feels pointless to ask anything else. Everything they say could be a lie or exaggeration and I wouldn't know. "Any of you have questions?" Lyly continues her posturing, Goldy simply leaning against Aleph as he shakes his head. "I have a question for the demon!" Didi announces, a notable green glow pulsing from her core. After a moment of silence without refusal the feathery demon turns its eyes to the crystalline one. "Are you single?" "No." "Oh... Okay..." Giving her a gentle, consoling pat on the head with her tail, Aleph turns back to the observers. "No further questions."

"Then we shall ask our own." "Only the divine beasts need answer." "What are your names?" "Why do you seek the gods?" "Who is your greatest enemy?"

"Ooh! Ooh! Me first!" Lyly declares before Aleph has a chance to think. "I am the great, the one and only, the fabulous and glorious divine beast Lyla! Known by many as the divine weaver, the white shadow, and the master of unified multitudes, I once dominated the surface world with my epic battle prowess and savvy business ideas. But now, my powers have been sealed by that asshole who calls himself the strongest and this is just about my last idea of how to break free. My greatest enemy? Divine bitch Kavlaxhar, the fuck-face who sealed me."

"The divine lion." "One of the traitors, same as Mekrotok." "A desire for freedom." "One to be empathised with." "A fine name." "A derivation of La, god of precision."

All gazes turn to Aleph, though none seem to meet her own. "I guess it's me next? I forgot my true name, but I go by Aleph Null. I'm descending the labyrinth to meet the shadowy figure who emplaced my soul. They seem to be someone capable of helping me reach my goal. Or goals? It's hard to remember with a shattered soul. As for enemies, I have none that I recall, nor a desire to make any. I think angels might have something out for me, but I have no recollection of enmity with them."

"To forget the name given by the gods..." "How disrespectful." "Perhaps the gods simply see fit not to grant names to those who already possess one?" "Reincarnation amongst divine beasts is an unknown to us." "How the gods handle such an affair is equally unknown." "The other mun'cha may know." "We should send word." "What of the rest?" "A soul cannot shatter." "Not by our powers." "The gods?" "For what purpose?" "Only they would know." "Possible enmity with the angels." "Why only possible?" "Angels are enemy to all." "Words are of little consequence." "We should continue to the test." "Bring in the subject for the test of passage."

"An opinionated bunch, aren't they?" Aleph remarks, drawing worried glances from her companions, except for Lyly who just seems proud. "Are you sure we should be saying things like that? They might take offence." Didi responds, nervously tapping Aleph's horn with a noticeable lethargy. "They have no qualms about offending us, why should I care what they think?" "Fuahaha! Yes! Let's speak all the shit we can about these guys! I wanna watch them squirm!" A faint wind tugs at the stale air, drawing the group to turn towards the unfurling fabric door, prying free from its seamless seal. A powerful, desperate Aura crashes into the room, like the roar of a chained beast seeking solace from an inescapable death.

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

"In most tests we ask questions and observe actions." "We seek understanding of your nature to determine your allegiance." "However today we possess a unique opportunity." "The gods have granted us arbitration over our reviled enemy." "A simple method has been granted to us to know if you are kin, or foe."

Ten-thousand eyes pour into the auditorium, a writhing, formless beast spewing out of the tunnel as black chains grip and crush the liquid flesh binding its body together. Masses of transparent fluid reach forth, gripping at the chains only to be further restrained and compressed in an endless cycle of mounting distress. An insurmountable gaze presses out in all directions, locking on every eye in the room with many to spare, until it stops. The writhing gives way to a slow, controlled flow as each eye redirects to one common point, a single dragon at the opposing end of the room, staring intently at every part of her body except the eyes.

"This one has committed the sin of corrupting the creations of our gods." "The destruction it has wrought is to be paid in blood and flesh." "Complete this task and you will be provided safe passage to Nilalalus" "Kill this angel."

"Hell ye-" "No thanks." Aleph immediately stands and begins to walk away, every spider in the room stunned to silence. Lyly quickly shakes herself from the stupor, tapping Aleph on the eye to get her attention. "Hey, wait... This is a good deal for us. Kill a war criminal and get a free trip down." "No thanks."

"It is too late for you to refuse." "The test has already begun." "The actions of this one have led to the deaths of hundreds." "It is your-"

"Then kill it yourself. I'm not your executioner, nor am I part of your war. The last thing I need is the attention of the angels, let alone their enmity." "Huh... Good point! I'm no lackey! I don't take orders from fools! Am I not right monkey?" The golden ape stares at her in exasperation, pinching the bridge of his nose as he shakes his head. "Unfortunately so..."

"To leave now would be to declare yourself a sympathiser of the angels." "And therefore an enemy of the haven clan." "Kill the angel, or you will not be able leave this city." "Mokh'tash, restrain them."

Feathers burst from the ground, wrapping around each individual and binding them to the floor. "How annoying. You just want me to do it because you don't know how to kill a being with an anchor. I value the life of an awakened soul enough to not kill someone just because I was asked to. If you think your demon the chu'sha in this room are enough to prevent the fallout of fighting the four of us, then you're welcome to try." "Well said!" A dense cluster of Mana disperses from above, five spiders coated in pink moss revealing from behind a cloak of bent light dropping from the ceiling, spearheaded by a familiar face. Feathers freeze and shatter under the heavy pulse of energy emanating from the largest one. "Chach'n! How dare you intrude on hallowed grounds!" One of the mun'cha shouts, breaking free from their illusion of union. "What? A guard contingency during a test of passage has been standard procedure for oceans." "And yet you have not been in attendance since the age of the broken stern!" "We always attend in hiding like this. You guys never complained about our absence so we just assumed you knew."

"You have departed from us." "Calm yourself and return to unity." "Remember where we are." "Yes, I- we apologise for the outburst." "You are correct about procedure." "This is on us for never following up on your apparent absence." "Our stance remains firm, however." "Should they refuse the test, they are an enemy to our clan."

"Don't forget, it isn't the n'cha who decide who is and isn't an enemy. It is the chu'sha. And as the eldest chu'sha in Chn, I am of the opinion that they are a neutral party, unaffiliated with us or our enemies. If you still disagree, we can settle this dispute upon Ch'cha's return within three lakes." The room quiets down, the faint hush of whispered thoughts barely audible behind the pulsating thrum emanating from the bound angel, eyes still fixated on Aleph.

"Very well." "This will be settled by elder Ch'cha's decree." "Begone now, we must deliberate."

"Fine by me." Aleph turns to leave, but is halted by the multiplexed rumble of a new voice. "Aether bearer. So you are the source of the scale." She turns again, attempting to match the angel's gaze, only for each eye to glance away before every attempt. "You are no ordinary Aether bearer, your gaze holds proximity to a fragment. Though you have shown me mercy, do not expect reciprocation. By your very nature, you are enemy to all angels." The stale air grows stiff, desperate Aura turning focused as if staring in conjunction with its eyes, waiting for a reply. "Kay, bye."

Through the eyes of a determined elf

Thick layers of soot layer themselves upon the toned muscles of the elf, nestling in the unmoving crevices of each joint as he watches the billowing flames before him with an unwavering stare. Tiny claws brush against a lock of imperceptible metal wires, pulling them through the roaring pyre of flames and winding them together as the come out, a mere hair's breadth of energy shielding the fragile spider from the glowing hot alloy.

Each blink of his eyes washes away a buildup of dust, each closure lasting longer from the prolonged exposure and increasing fatigue. He hasn't blinked even once. I suppose spiders don't even have eyelids, but still. How can he see? Another blink, longer than the last, and a waver of his head as sleep beckons for him to take a break. "If you tire, then sleep. You are in my way." "No. I'll stay awake as long as you do. I can do at least that much." "Stubborn idiot..."

----------------------------------------

I see nilasuun now. Such a strange city that surrounds it... They build from materials of other domains, places completely foreign to me. A white stone, alien to the continent, crimson lumber, too hardy to have originated from here. And they seem to love domed buildings. Two more have been built since last cycle. I wonder what's inside...

Ah, there it is. The crevice, the opening to the labyrinth. Once again they have begun early preparations for their cyclical ritual, and once again I find myself wanting to join them. I want to see the festival with my own eyes, if that is even still what they practice. What do they eat? What do they sing? What is... down there? Does the Progenitor know who I am? I am supposed to know them, yet... I have no recollection of their face, or even their name. If I could just...

No... No matter what disguise I use, how swiftly I travel, I will be noticed. By the divine beasts, by him... the one who stands guard of nilasuun. I have all of this power, to create, to destroy, yet... they scare me. Their power is different to mine. More complete, more... defined...

I should get back to my garden...

- Musings of a lonely god