Chapter 9

“Drew?!” Robert gasped.

Robert’s voice broke the pervading silence of the sanctum they all stood in. The armored man with heterochromatic eyes gave a slight grin and nodded his head. Robert turned back to the throne, only to find that both the beautiful woman, and the living shadow had turned their entire focus to his direction. Robert felt himself wilt from the pressure he felt upon his shoulders while looking in the woman’s azure glowing eyes.

His body felt like he was on a rollercoaster, a heavy weight pushing down against his shoulder to the point he felt like his ethereal knees were about to give out. A chill hit his gut. It was calming, yet he could feel it sap all the heat from his non-existent body. The woman blinked, and suddenly the pressure was gone.

“Robert.” The woman said, her voice hit him and he felt both the warmth of a mother, and the utter cold of the grave.

Robert tried to find his voice, he tried to reply to the woman who acknowledged his presence, but he couldn’t. His voice didn’t want to function, it was stuck in his throat, too afraid to show its face in front of that woman. He did the best he could, and managed a very slight nod. Internally, something was screaming at him, telling him that a mistake here would mean death. Final death. It promised oblivion.

“You know who I am, my Champion spoke of me, yes?”

A sudden realization hit him, and Robert looked to Drew who slightly nodded his head. Oh no, no no… why am I here? The woman in front of him upon the throne raised an eyebrow, waiting for a reply.

“Y… you… You’re the… The Baleful… Lady.” Robert managed to force out. Just getting those words out had taken a supreme effort of will. He felt an extreme fear of the woman in front of him. He knew who she was, Drew’s goddess. But why was he here, and not in Heaven… or even Hell for that matter? He was a devout Christian his entire life, why would he be standing before such a being?

“I am. Do you know why you’re here?” The Primordial of Death asked. Robert felt that shiver run down his spine. He didn’t know if he could manage any more words yet, so he shook his head no. He didn’t know why he was here, and he really wanted to know the reason.

“You are here because no god or goddess claimed your soul upon the death of your mortal body. My Champion tells me you were an adamant worshiper of a god in your newly integrated world. The vast Multiverse is not a kind place, and divine beings typically do not waste their limited resources on creating a space in their afterlives for their weaker worshippers. What was the name of your god?” The Lady asked.

“G…Go…God, ma’am.” Robert breathed out a sigh of relief as he found the ability to speak by pushing himself.

“God? What an arrogant name. Jeeves, do you know who this soul is referring to?” The woman asked as she turned her head to the living shadow.

Arrogant? But… that’s blasphemous! How could she not know?! Robert raged within his head.

“Yes, Madam. He’s a relatively young god under your sister’s pantheon.” The shadow said.

“My sister, which one?” The woman asked the shadow.

Can someone tell me what the heck is going on here?!

“Lady Ezereille, Madam.” The shadow replied in a polite and proper tone.

The woman sighed.

“Bring up the CGTV, and dial her up.” The woman said in an exasperated tone.

The Shadow waved its arms as if bidding the parting of the Red Sea, and Robert heard a slight static noise come from behind and above him. His curiosity won out past his fear of The Baleful Lady, barely, and he looked to the source of the static. A large semi-transparent TV hovered mid-air. The black screen suddenly flared with a blinding golden light that filled the room and caused Robert to temporarily lose his vision.

His vision eventually returned and he saw a young woman, with tan skin, curly golden locks, and a white robe sitting upon a throne made of clouds. She was… well-endowed, and it was shown off in a very revealing cut on her white robe. The woman was front and center on the hovering TV.

“Sister! To what do I owe the pleasure of seeing your beautiful face?” The woman on the TV asked in a rather energetic and bubbly voice that grated on Robert’s nerves. The golden woman’s voice and tone felt like the same sensation of hearing nails on a chalkboard would give, except Robert felt it echo throughout his entire being. It made him feel highly uncomfortable.

“Yes, yes, it’s good to see you as well. I’m calling regarding a new inductee within your pantheon. A divine calling themself, God.” The Baleful Lady said with a slight scowl.

The golden woman tilted her head for a moment, as if she was in thought, and then refocused her attention, a slight grimace shown briefly upon her face.

They can’t seriously be talking about God… like God, God. My God… can they?

“Ah, him. Arrogant damn name if you ask me. What’s this about exactly?” The golden woman asked.

“Does he have the authority to grant places within or create an afterlife?” The Baleful Lady asked.

“Him? No, no he’s much too young for that. Did he go and piss in your breakfast grains?” The woman chuckled.

“Apparently, he is a major patron deity of a newly integrated world that I have a vested interest in. I would have words with him, if you don’t mind.” The Baleful Lady gestured with her hand while talking.

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“A vested interest… and newly integrated you say? How long has this religion been established in the newly integrated world?” The TV woman asked, tapping her chin with one finger.

Robert was in an almost comatose-like state. Two beings that were powerful beyond his comprehension were speaking in such a casual manner, each voice pushing primal feelings into his very soul. The Lady’s voice was that of a mother, and the certainty of death, while the golden woman’s voice only brought severe irritation, almost to the point of feeling like he was on the receiving end of the world’s worst sunburn. The constant flux between the two beings pulled his being in too many directions, and he started to feel very drained.

The Baleful Lady turned to where Drew stood, and the man made eye contact with her.

“About two or three thousand years, to the best of my knowledge.” Drew said while shrugging.

“Ohh, is that your new Champion that I’ve been hearing juicy rumors about?!” The golden woman asked, her tone like an overly excited child.

“He’s mine. Get your own Champion, you’re not going to poach him.” The Baleful Lady sneered.

“Hmph, fine, fine. But he is quite handsome. For a mortal.” The woman pouted.

“The inductee, sister.” The Baleful Lady practically growled. Her voice lost all warmth as a chill wave pushed throughout the sanctum. Frost began growing and spreading across the floors and columns.

“Finee, don’t get your panties all bunched up. The arrogant guy transcended about four millennia ago, and he did take an extended vacation in the same timeframe as the religion was established. You can talk to him if you want, but if you smite him, then you owe me details on this new world and your delicious Champion. Anyways, toodles!” The golden woman teased. The TV went black.

The Lady scowled briefly and then looked to Drew.

“If I do anything, she’s going to learn about your planet. She’s probably bored, and might cause mischief down the road. Are you okay with that?” The Lady asked Drew.

“Is it anything we, or the Cadre can’t handle?” Drew asked seriously.

“No, she’s not like that. She’s… annoying. I doubt she’d do anything to endanger anyone, if anything she’s more likely to sleep with half the planet.” The Lady said, while sighing.

“Oh… I guess that’s one way to work out boredom… I guess I don’t mind. It’s none of my business who people sleep with. Bit creepy though, it’d be like robbing the cradle.” Drew muttered the last bit.

“You have no idea. Anyways, let's get this behind us.” The Lady sighed and she twisted her hands about in strange gestures.

“Uh…” Robert muttered. Unsure of what was happening, and what he was supposed to do.

“Sit tight, I haven’t forgotten about you. I have some questions for your God.” The Lady said to Robert.

The Lady continued her esoteric hand and wrist movements for several seconds until…

“There you are, you sneaky little…” The Lady said, as she twisted both arms and jerked them abruptly.

*POP!*

Suddenly there was a strange man in a white robe and sandals standing in the room in front of the lady. He has mid-length brown hair, a neatly trimmed beard, and a look of bewilderment on his face.

“What the… where am…” The man said in confusion.

“Silence.” The Baleful Lady said. The man fell to his knees as ice sprouted from the floor and coated the man's lower body, trapping him. The sound of The Lady’s voice was unlike anything Robert had ever heard, but he felt it within his very being. His fear of the woman in front of him was suddenly ignited from dying embers, turning into a blazing pyre, as he wanted to find a small dark place to crawl and hide in.

The man turned his head around, taking in his surroundings, confusion clear on his face.

“You are the divine being calling themself God, is that correct?” The Lady asked, firmly.

“Who are you!? Why am I here?” The man practically demanded.

“I am Raynalyr, Primordial of Death, and you are in my realm, The Halls of Reflection. Now answer my question.” She demanded, her lips pressed together in impatience.

“...of Death…oh… Uh, yes. I’m known as God, nice to uh… meet you.” The man sputtered out, suddenly aware of who was talking to him.

“Tell me, is this soul your worshiper?” The Lady said, pointing to Robert.

Me? Why me, don’t point to me! I’m but a flea!

The man turned his head to regard Robert, appraising him.

“Yes, it seems that he is.” The man said, in a low voice.

WHAT?! That guy is GOD?! Robert screamed internally.

“He came from a newly integrated planet, and your local religion there was established roughly two or three thousand years ago, is that correct?” The Lady asked, again very sternly.

“What, uh… well, I’m not sure… and besides, Lady Ezeeille…” The man began.

“Is my sister, and I’ve already spoken with her before summoning you here. I’m well aware you lacked any authority on that planet.” The Lady scowled.

“Oh… OH! Oh no…” The man said.

“Yes, you know the rules. You had no authority, no permission, and you were and… from the look of it, still unable to create an afterlife for your worshippers. All of this, in an unintegrated world. For several millennia your worshippers have been sent into the Abyss, all because you thought you were sneaky enough to pull a fast one over my sister.” The Lady spoke as if to a naughty child.

“Wait, look…” The man tried.

“You abused your divinity to promise something you couldn’t deliver, and damned countless souls to a fate worse than oblivion. You knew I wouldn’t be able to save or notice them in an unintegrated world, and still moved forward in your selfish pursuit of power. You’re a disgrace to divinity.” She scolded.

“No, fuck you! Who cares about the insignificant lives of those insects besides you!? No one! So what if I did it, it happens all the time! There were tons of gods there on vacation doing the exact same thing I was! Who makes you judge and jury you stuck up bitc…” The man foamed at the mouth while yelling.

The man didn’t finish his sentence, his entire body was immediately covered in ice, which then shattered into tiny particles which blew out of the sanctum. The Lady reached forward with her hand, and a giant blue flame pulled into existence from where the god was, it howled in an inhuman shrill as The Lady held it in place.

“OBLIVION.” The Baleful Lady whispered, yet her voice carried throughout the hall.

The azure flame was there one moment, and the next it was sucked into a tiny speck of blackness that hurt Robert’s head just looking at it. A primal fear far worse than all the gods and goddesses he saw today sprung up in his mind while seeing that tiny black dot. Every instinct told him to run for the hills, and he shifted his body to do just that. He had to get away, he needed to get aw…

It was gone.

“Now then, Robert.” The Lady said, her calm and warm demeanor reappearing.

Robert had already left his place in line, along with most of the other souls, all of them starting to run back towards the hall.

The Lady sighed and snapped her fingers.

Robert was back in front of The Baleful Lady.

What? Where… How am I back here, I was already back in the hallway…

“As I was saying, Robert. You are here because an arrogant little shit took advantage of you, and then tossed you aside once you died. Normally, I offer a choice at this juncture. Option one, join the afterlife. It will be one of my many afterlifes, and you will be sent to the one that you’d most prefer. Unfortunately, due to the actions of a certain prick you won’t be able to see your loved ones who died prior to integration, however you will want for nothing, and I promise it will be a peaceful existence…” The Lady began.

“Option two, you join my Cadre. You will work in service to me and the other souls in my service. This can take many forms, from a warrior, to a crafter, to administrative duties. You will be able to choose a new form should you so choose. You will be treated fairly, and you may find a new purpose in existence…” She continued.

“Option three, you will be reincarnated. You will not retain your memories, but you will be born again in a new cycle of life. You will not be able to choose the circumstances of your birth, and you have an equal chance of an advantageous start as an aristocrat, or a poor pauper on the urban streets of another world…”

“Finally, due to helping my Champion, and his kind words for you and the life you led, you will be offered a fourth option…”

The Baleful Lady explained the last option carefully to Robert, and in great detail.

“Now, it’s time for you to choose.” The Lady said.