Morwen studied the aftermath of the battle. None of the other tanks survived, except the long tank she and Lt. Fennex sat in. She’d gained water magic after her interaction with Hidros. So had Lt. Fennex, a fresh addition to the mages. This gave her some options now that they had a mage tank. She’d observed the conversation between the well’s guardian and Akamori. Hidros’ son had taken a particular interest in the spell warrior. She filed that away for review later. She didn’t know what they’d discussed, but expected Akamori debriefing her on his return.
She turned towards Sala, who’d picked his massive form up off the ground. The stony spikes and growths that had enlarged his body were crumbling to dust and shrinking all along his body as the golden aura faded until the last of it sputtered out, blowing away in golden motes on the wind. His chest was heaving with deep breathing as he turned back to face her. His black and red eyes slowly melting to white and blue.
She watched Sala practically drag himself back to the tank. He’d spent a lot of magic fighting with Ominek, and this would likely mean lots of sleep to recover the spent magic, and then lots of eating to recover the spent calories. And maybe some heavy ingesting of magical food to spread the load out. Regardless of how he did it, she was glad he’d survived the encounter to need a recovery. She’d grown fond of him. She knew that thought, and the feelings attached to it were a red flag. Something she could ill afford in her position prosecuting this war.
Though, wasn’t she allowed her own small slice of happiness? Regardless of where she found it? She watched as his skin returned to a more healthy melanin compared to the stone gray pallor it’d taken on earlier. His armor hung loosely from him, clawed and smashed, and she wondered if maybe it was time to make a protection talisman that could warp itself to suit his transformative needs. It would certainly make a more sensible investment than risking him trashing a new set of armor with each battle. She was having trouble rationalizing the expenses, even to her investors, the few that she had, anyway.
As he approached the tank, his body snapped rigid, and she went tense. Then he rendered a snappy salute, and she silently exhaled. She’d seen too many souls shackled not to worry at that kind of behaviour. Corporal Yasiin marched his way over, spell rifle slung across his back. The weapon had an icy blue shimmer to it, and the scope was larger, and the barrel slightly longer than was regulation. The weapon had infused thanks to Hidros. That would enhance Yasiin’s abilities. Water and Light magic now gave him access to life and creation magic now. On top of his void magic. This would help diversify his capabilities now beyond his balance/counter balance abilities. She noted the icy blue air around the spell sniper.
A moment later, the other three fell into formation, with Akamori at its head and the Sergeant on its right flank. They snapped to the position of attention and rendered a salute to her, which she returned.
“All mages present and accounted for Sir. Plus one.” Akamori said with a nod to Lt. Fennex who’d fallen in at the end of the formation next to Amara. His tank situated behind them.
“Thank you XO. At ease.”
“We did it,” Morwen said, allowing a moment of silence to settle in. The gravity of their accomplishment still pressing down on her thoughts.
“We lost much. Many good men and women gave of themselves, the ultimate sacrifice. And for it, we could steal certain victory form Ominek’s jaws. We’ve gained an ally. And we’ve grown stronger for our troubles.”
She could see the pride in their expressions. They had every right to be. But they needed to temper that. Time for the bubble to pop.
“But we must stay vigilant. Today came at substantial cost. Much of which we’ve yet to pay yet. I fear our return home will be a mixed reception. I may lose my post. But we shall cross that road as it comes to us. For now, savor your victory. Our fight is only just beginning and it will grow harder from here forward. But I have faith in all of you.”
“We’ll ready the Cadaver Crasher for flight, and return home. Once we do, enjoy your R&R. It’s well deserved. Dismissed.”
With that, the Mages began the march back to their ship, heroes triumphant.
----------------------------------------
Morwen struggled with the sensation of being bodyless. Weightlessness and a small amount of dread permeated her consciousness. If she had arms, she would have flailed them for stability. Then she sensed she wasn’t alone. Light bloomed in the darkness and saw a small gathering of dragons. A large azure scaled dragon, flanked by a white dragon with feathers, a smaller golden scaled dragon, and a dragon made of living lava
.
Morwen mentally leaned forward in curiosity. She’d never seen so many adult wyrms gathered like this in some kind of conference. The white feathered dragon raged. With a face that looked more like a wolf than what Morwen was used to seeing from dragons.
“Maleficus murdered our mother! This merits a response!” Lightning crackled and showered around her. The blue scaled dragon lowered its contemplatively, but Morwen could sense conflicted feelings. Their mother was the goddess of divination. She could have easily expected such a move.
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“Mother would have been felled easily. She is wise to everyone’s actions before they even take them.”
The golden chimed in. “That leaves two distinct possibilities. Either she knew and allowed it. Or she knew, and what our sister murdered was not, in fact, our mother.”
The larger blue dragon’s head bobbed in agreement. “Fahnes speaks the truth.”
Fahnes, the golden dragon’s head lowered, “I wish Bahumet were here. He would have been able to handle Maleficus.”
A pang of guilt slammed through Morwen and she realized it wasn’t hers. She was feeling Hidros’ guilt at ripping Bahumet’s soul from his body and trapping the raging husk within a black hole. A celestial prison it wouldn’t be able to escape.
“Her treachery bears fruit again. She fooled us into slaying him. It was her all along who’d been plotting.”
“Hidros, what should we do? If we don’t stop her, our sister will plunge the whole galaxy into darkness.”
Hidros rumbled a thoughtful laugh. “The whole galaxy might be a stretch. There are many gods, and skilled as she is, I’m uncertain Maleficus could handle them all. That said, she is cunning, and skilled. She can’t be left unchecked to pose that potential risk. She is our mess, and we must address it.”
The white dragon clapped a clenched fist into an open palm. “Finally. A language I speak.”
The blue dragon smiled ruefully at the white dragon. “If only it were so easy. We lack the strength to lay our sister low, and doing so will cost us just about everything. This compact will cause ripples in the web of fate that will echo out for thousands of years.”
“Anything to avenge our mother,” the white dragon growled.
“Anazi… please.” Fahnes said, resting a dainty golden paw on the larger air dragon’s shoulder.
Hidros resumed control of the conversation. “The pantheon is shattered. Whatever Bahumet was working at building us up for, we unfortunately cannot meet that task. A new pantheon must rise in our wake.”
“What are you saying?” Anazi asked.
“I’m saying our time is limited. We must make the best use of it. Already Sauridius is moving to consume the gaps our dark sister has created.”
Anazi’s eyes narrowed. “Meaning what exactly?”
“Meaning that soon it shall just be you, too. I’ve examined all the possibilities. Morfayus comes for me, under Sauridius’ control. He will come brandishing Star Slayer.”
Anazi and Fahnes both remained silent for long moments, letting the gravity of their elder brother’s words sink in. “I never should have crafted such a weapon,” Fahnes said softly.
Hidros smiled, patting the golden dragon on her head. “Dear sister, you should know by now that Xanofex wouldn’t have asked Mother and Father to craft the weapon if there wasn’t some greater purpose intended for it, regardless of the short-term damage it causes.”
“Murdering you is not short-term harm!” Anazi roared.
“Our existences are but fleeting sparks in the flame of creation, dear sister. We must guide it even with the ends of our lives. My time comes soonest, but I fear you two have the worst of the fates.”
Intense grief rippled through Hidros’ mind. Morwen bit back a sob as it racked her. He didn’t want them to suffer, but knew they would all the same. Anazi most of all. Losing their mother, regardless of the means, hit her hardest. She used her outrage and pain as a shield, but Hidros could sense the anguish underlying that through her aura.
“You can’t just give up Hidros. We have to fight. We’re gods!” Anazi’s voice thundered across the vast expanse of space. A nearby moon shattered from the force, billowing into dust and debris. Hidros sighed softly, a small cloud of ice blew from his nostrils. He held a hand out to the debris field of the moon, and willed it to rebuild itself. A disgusting waste of magic. But then, that didn’t matter anymore. He would be dead, and his magic would sit capped for thousands of years. His son would call it an indulgent waste, but Hidros didn’t mind.
“Sister.” Hidros crooned softly to stem the tide of her rage. The raging storm of electricity around her subsided softly, and he resumed. “I’ve studied Fate’s web. Every thread. No matter the choices I make, I will perish. I’ve known this for some time now. It gave me an interesting question.”
“Such as?” Fahnes asked.
“What choice could I make? That would have the most impact if I died in every outcome? And I realized something. My criteria for measuring that impact were flawed. My survival wasn’t an adjustable factor. So then I looked at other choices I could make which might have other impacts.”
“Like?” Fahnes prodded again.
Hidros chuckled. His astral aspected sister sometimes saw through his verbosity and knew he just liked to hear himself speak.
“Like, how can we defeat Maleficus, even if it’s not us delivering the final blow?”
“Spit it out, Hidros.” Anazi snapped.
“Through the mortals. We raise up agents. Guide their lives to provide them with the power and tools necessary to stop her. Our fates may be decided, but not theirs. It’s a long game, and not as satisfying as an epic clash of martial skills perhaps, but it will be vastly more effective.”
“Sounds like something mother and father would have argued for. I like it.” Fahnes said.
“I will share with you roughly what I’ve devised so far. You two may add or subtract from it what you will. But know this. Whether you choose to take part is immaterial. Our fates have already been decided. We will die by Maleficus’ hand. The only real choice that matters is how we meet that end, and what we legacy we leave behind.”
Hidros paused, glancing up to Morwen directly and nodded. She startled, or at least, would have had she possessed a body. It felt eerie to watch a memory and yet, be a part of it even though she didn't even exist yet.
“You’re looking at me…” She said without a mouth. Or thought? Whatever the case was.
“Indeed.” Hidros’ voice crooned softly around her. “You and your squad are my agents. My chosen legacy. Not one of grandeur, but one of worth. I knew my sister and conspirator’s assassin would come for the rest of us in time. Seeking to pillage our magic. I know not the why, as it isn’t as important as ensuring we stop whatever longterm plans they have. Eventually she will be laid low, leaving just Suaridius behind. He will be diminished. Relegated to little more than a passive influence. But if he is allowed to regain strength, he will blight the sector for thousands of years. I have done what I can to ensure you the best measure of success. The rest is in your hands.”