“Ahh, Drim!” As soon as Rathe realized that special delivery was her very own son, her entire demeanor flipped like a switch. And along with it, her body shifted as well, shrinking down to a more manageable height, her skin becoming softer and less craggy, resembling that of something much closer to human. It was quite close to the form that the Fiends had first spotted when they’d arrived—more like a suitable mother for the man, even with the same matching black, or in her case, obsidian hair.
“Your friends and I were just… roughhousing, having some fun to pass the time while we waited for you.” That was the best excuse she could come up with, and her face was strewn with guilt like a child caught in the act. Clearly she wasn’t the best liar, but as a demigod, she likely didn’t have much reason or experience.
Drim glanced around at his group of friends on the floor, and then over to Jaid next to him who was suffering the same effects, though weaker—at least able to stay upright. It was easy to deduce what was happening to them, and what Rathe had done. But he elected to ignore it all for the time being, the demigod in front of him included.
The Fiendish King slighted his host, not even so much as a smile or greeting, and walked over to the side of the room, kneeling next to the bloody rags where a newborn Feyjrusa lay sleeping, only a lump of their bare stomach protruding beneath the wrinkles.
“It seems like it got a bit out of control,” the man commented coldly, though still didn’t raise his voice in anger.
“Yes, well, they’re a rather rambunctious group,” Rathe tried to defend herself. “As I’m sure you’re very much aware. They were a bit angsty and anxious waiting around for you to join us, so I helped them expend some energy to help calm them down.”
Drim ignored the sad fable that he had to admit likely had some stretch of the truth, and placed a hand on the child, absorbing some of their life. The body grew instantly with limbs sprouting outward in every direction, forming into a young-adult Rusa. Fortunately, she would have virtually no memory of the horrors that had just been inflicted upon her. The woman’s eyes pried open, but she couldn’t thank the man, still too oppressed to speak.
And Drim acted quickly again, creating new clothes with his power to cover her up since the soaked shreds of her former clothes would no longer do. But oddly, the garments he crafted around her were far more sophisticated than any he’d made before.
The man had practiced quite a bit with his plant weaving in an effort to make something presentable, more than just the basic sacks he’d started out with. But this was on another level, something that could be sold in a shop—a high-end one at that. Was that the result of the new power he’d been bestowed? No, his own power that he was just now starting to learn.
With Rusa in proper condition, something else caught the king’s eye. He wandered over to a corner of the room that looked surprisingly untouched, completely devoid of scars and bullet holes like most of the surrounding area. Perhaps it was divine protection. It was Rathe’s personal workshop with shelves lined with dolls.
Drim took a minute to admire them all, but of course he found his eyes drawn up to the top. Though the ones up there were a bit out of reach, so he made a basic step-stool and began inspecting the highest shelf. The man rummaged around for quite a while before he pulled one of the dolls out from the very back. Though it still depicted him, it was far more crude than the others.
“Oh, that was the very first one that I made,” Rathe saw what she was holding and felt she had to explain. “I hope you don’t mind, but I used your likeness to practice the craft. That’s why there are so many of them,” the demigod attempted to deflect some of her obvious obsession.
Drim returned the doll and stepped down to the floor. His diversion more than anything was to help calm himself, specifically an attempt to placate his heart that had been beating madly since they’d first arrived. Perhaps she finally got the hint that it was bothering him, but the ghost of Eleen decided to make her departure and floated out of her son’s body.
But that was the moment the atmosphere changed entirely. Rathe’s eyes widened, and all previous friendly smiles and elegant composure were shattered. The demigod practically blinked across the room, showcasing speed that she’d never even come close to during the previous fights.
And when she reappeared, her motherly form was gone, reemerging more as a ravenous monster than anything else. It was still the same titanic stone version that the group had already faced a few times. But now she was down on all fours, crawling like a beast, showing no signs of dignity or shame. Her pupils were crazed and mouth snarling, with obsidian locks dishevelled and whipping behind her. It was like any trace of humanity had suddenly evaporated
Rathe swiped out a hand, and Drim flinched, ready to defend. But he wasn’t her target. ❝You!❞ Her massive clawed fingers snagged the ghost out of the air—to the others in the room, except for the spirit’s son, it looked like she was clutching nothing. The demigod brought her new captive close to her face. ❝You should be dead!❞
Eleen writhed and squirmed, trying to break free, and she let out gasps of anguish, actually feeling proper pain as she was squeezed.
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“I see, I get it,” Rathe’s uneclipsed anger quelled slightly now that she understood the situation. “To think you of all people would turn into a wandering soul, a vengeful spirit, too stubborn and strong headed to let yourself be taken to the afterlife. I suppose it is my failing for not anticipating this.”
“Drim, you poor soul,” the woman’s anger suddenly turned to empathy and care. “She’s been haunting you this entire time, hasn’t she? You thought you were rid of her, but she’s clung to your side, only to torment you till the end of time. And it’s a burden you’ve had to bear alone, I assume. The others can’t see her, can they? Did they believe you if you told them? Well now let’s have them see the truth.”
Rathe swung her hand towards the still-floored crowd, presenting the captured phantom as if she was holding up an action figure. And with what strength they had, those who could witness it all had their faces twitch with surprise and their minds boggled as the ghost of Eleen Drazah came into full view.
“See what your king has been forced to endure, the hardships he's had to overcome, and understand that he has prospered through it all. This is why he is special. But as this is my own error, I will correct it.”
The demigod then pulled the specter back close, so they were staring eye to eye. “Now he will suffer no more. As his true mother, I will eradicate this pretender. Eleen, my enemy and biggest regret. Long have I dreamed of this moment. There are so many ways I have imagined doing this, but I don’t have the patience for anything but the simple method. After all this time, after all your avoidance and desperate clinging to life, you will face judgment!”
Rathe’s hand crushed close, eradicating Eleen with her grip. Ectoplasm spurted out between her fingers, signalling the end of one who’d many had already thought was long dead.
“That’s better now, isn’t it?” the woman turned back towards Drim, shrinking back down in size, matching his eyeline, briefly hiding her hand behind her while she attempted to shake it clean. “To think this would turn into such an auspicious day. I got to rid the world of that nuisance, and I finally get to meet you!” Without warning, and before Drim could even react, Rathe sprung forward, wrapping her arms around him, pulling him into a tight hug. “Drim, my son, welcome home!”
Frankly, the man on the other end of the hug wasn’t sure what to do, letting his arms dangle hesitantly at his side. He wasn’t exactly in the mood for sudden spurs of affection, but wondered if he should reciprocate just to keep the mood calm and sensible, not wanting to offend her immediately and escalate.
But before he could make up his mind, Rathe suddenly pulled away, her lips scrunched into a frown. “Something’s wrong,” the demigod pondered and examined him closely. “Your divinity… it’s much higher than it should be. Hmm,” she squinted at him and then raised her hand towards his face. This made Drim flinch again, but she took it slow, trying to not appear too antagonistic.
His ‘real’ mother gave his forehead a solid flick, and with a resonating clang, the otherwise intangible crown upon his head briefly glimmered into existence before it faded away again a second later. “I see,” Rathe’s voice was somber, and she turned away, taking a few steps from him. “That explains why your friend is also still standing. She’s been exposed to a divinity greater than mine and gained a slight resistance. You’ve met with my father, with Cosmos.”
There was a bit of awkward silence, but Rathe eventually spoke again, her words a bit more chipper. “But that’s fine. And it explains your absence until now. It’s something I certainly can’t be upset with. After all, as you’ll come to learn, he can be a bit eccentric, popping up or demanding an audience when you least expect it. And his will is law. None among the divine can defy him. I do wonder what he said to you…”
“No matter. Actually, this is a good thing. Yes,” she was clearly trying to convince herself. “I’m certain he would have explained to you what you are, and he’s given you a boost to your powers. That will speed things along. I was already dreading my own impatience when it came to the early stages of your development, so I’d say this is actually a welcome boon.”
“And since you must be aware of the reality of the situation now, there’s no need to dawdle. Let’s get right to the heart of the matter. First, your own proposal,” Rathe turned back towards the man. “Project Fiendless. I won’t accept it. It’s a foolhardy endeavor, one that could ruin this world beyond redemption and make it harder for me to save it should things go awry.”
“But I don’t blame you, my son. And yes, that’s what you are. I’m sure it’s still weird to you, no matter how many times it's said. Like that fact, there were many tidbits of information you were ignorant of. You did not know of me, know of yourself, know how this world actually operated. In that sense, your idea is commendable. But understand this: technology will never be a suitable replacement for the divine, no matter how advanced or refined.”
“So let me counter with a proposal of my own. Today, you will join me and become my apprentice. And I will teach you how to control your powers, to grow into someone worthy, one who can stand proud amongst the rest of the divine.”
“It comes with caveats. Until you are ready, you will remain by my side. That means leaving your friends, abandoning your political goals and obligations—yes I know about those as well. We will enter seclusion for an undefined amount of time.”
“But I’m not completely unreasonable. I will allow you to leave at present, as long as you swear an oath to return. You will have a few days to gather your things, to make any plans and contingencies for your absence, and say your farewells. Though it won’t be for good, and one of the many powers you will learn will allow you to observe and monitor them, though at a distance, perhaps even help continue to guide those you care about along their own paths.”
“That will be all the connection you are allowed to have, as your training must be unhindered and uninfluenced by outside sources. How long it will take is entirely up to you, and if you’re quick enough, you may even see them properly again.”
“When you are ready, we will emerge from this place and introduce ourselves to the world. As a team, we will bring about incredible change and prosperity, change the world for the better. And it is not just limited by my wants. We can make whatever sort of world you desire.”
“So what do you say, Drim?” ❝Will you join me?❞