CHAPTER 12 – THREATS TO A LONE WOLF

An Asteroid in the Deep Reaches of the Multi-Verse

***

It had taken quite a while for Lucian Shadowborn to find the same asteroid but find it he did. Once he got within the same solar system he could scent the taste of his own Divinity lingering on its rocky surface. Spend as many countless centuries as he had floating on it in contemplation permeated the entire structure with his ‘Flavor’. A smile lit his lips. Liestra said it was his ‘Odor’ as if he hadn’t taken a bath since before the beginning of time. Humorous since they literally didn’t sweat as Gods.

His very own Divine Rock. His parents would be so proud. It had been only a blink in the eye for a God since he’d left this place but more events had transpired within that fold of time than the previous eons upon eons that had drifted like stale air rolling back into his memory.

All because of a tiny little Mortal newly integrated into the foul System. He could never think of that murderous creation as anything other than that knowing from what bones it was built upon. Even after the eons upon eons of years his anger still simmered but then he thought of Liestra, her soul as warm as it ever was and couldn’t keep the child like grin off his face. The image of her frog marching him across the cosmos to make amends to his second attempt at children made the grin widen. They now worshiped her more than him and called her the Dark Mother, and his grin flew into a full board smile as the image flashed across his mind. His reputation as the apex predator of the Multi-Verse was crumbling by the moment.

Gideon Sho. The little man was becoming a true revelation, so much potential, so much will and conviction and what was he, Copper? A grin re-upped its commitment to his lips as he thought of the man. Lucian reminded himself, as if he needed one, with the strong tether of energy drifting off behind him, that he’d spent a ridiculous amount of energy making him his Champion. The first one he’d had since the beginning of the System. He didn’t even want to think how many Divine Levels he had given up in the exchange but the man deserved it ten fold over for being the catalyst that woke his melancholy spirit up and rejuvenated his passion for life once more. That and it directly led to his reunion and reconciliation with his love. A thousand times, a million times more he owed his Champion for that alone.

He was still wrapping it around in his head and heart that Gideon was now in all intent and purpose, Nocturne, his child. The race that he and Liestra made together, their pride and joy and when they lived the cause of untold pride and joy within both of them.

He shifted his thoughts away form that tract before he tread down the dark and bitter road of their fate. Those kind of paths had led him to too many heartaches and dark memories. As Liestra often reminded him these days ‘Look forward my Love. Our children, the Nocturne, live once again through Gideon. We have an entire new race of children, rebirthed in the Dokkafur, and I have my sweet sweet L’Sana, my Champion.’.

He chuckled which sent reverberations through the surrounding so he quickly extended his Domain to gentle the energy right before it would have hit a nearby moon.

She was right as she usually was about everything though he was intelligent enough to never say that. He pushed a sliver of Divine Will to the thread that invisibly spun off his Tri-Colored Core. It still only brought a gray wall instead of far sight. It had been so long since he’d had a Champion he had forgotten one could use the tie to take a peek at what the Champion was up to but after their gamble to get Gideon out of that pickle during the Monster Wave that shattered his Soul-Pillar he’d had to go through the hoops of the System to get it fixed. Even using the power he possessed he could not fix someone’s Soul-Pillar nor could his Parents. Say whatever about the System, it was a marvel of technology and magic mixed that surpassed even the power of a Primordial. He’d still shutter it into a mess of pieces if he could regardless of the cost.

Wherever the System had sent him blocked the connection they had and he had to rely on his Father for information on his newest and only Disciple which wasn’t much as his Father couldn’t parse much more than he could himself. When something was created by the combined strength of over sixty Primordials in concert the resulting entity’s Will was inviolate. The only thing that kept it on even sort of a leash was the intense diadem of rules and restrictions it was forced to work under embedded within its creation. It was the spine on which its entire sentience was built off of.

He dismissed the worry that had been building up in the small windows of isolation he’d drifted through since reuniting with Liestra and the whirlwind she’d taken him on. He had every confidence in his Champion that he would defeat whatever the System threw at him. And so far from what he’d seen of the reactions to the Nocturne rebirthed was the System would be pushing the boundaries of cheating and bend whatever Challenge to the utmost and unfortunately this time he had no way of helping Gideon tip the scales back.

He couldn’t do anything about it and the tether of energy still existed telling him Gideon was still alive, still fighting and he would just have to keep to faith in the young Scion. It had been a long time the kid had been stuck in whatever hell hole the System had created for him and the World Council was arriving soon which would be pivitol to not only Umbra Mortem and both their Champions but to Erebus itself. When the one year Sanctuary ended there would be conflict that made what had come before look like a child’s playground and it would only be contested if they first defeated the Challenges of the System.

He could circle argue with himself forever and ever and get nowhere. Enough, that was for tomorrow him. Right now he was enjoying visiting his old haunt watching the passing planets as the asteroid sped through the galaxy. He remembered now why he’d spent so long here. It was peaceful and with so much beauty. He knew the rock’s path like the back of his hand.

His perch would be coming up on an amazing multi-hued nebula within an hour or so. In the past he would always stop his meditating to watch it as he passed. It was hypnotic. The moving stellar phenomenon was an other worldly experience. His Parents and the rest of the Primordials always pushed the idea that they created everything but being one of the few beings that knew the level of power they wielded he found that highly doubtful if not an outright lie. Also considering the races and higher beings in the beginning that contested the Primordials, very much a lie not to mention the sheer size of the endless cosmos. He knew there was something before them, something hinted at, something that even made the Primordials vast strength look minuscule by comparison. And hadn’t he himself proven the deceit of the Primordials being immortal, twice. A growl escaped his lips at the bloody memory.

And it was with those darkening thoughts he felt it, a Domain and Aura he hadn’t felt since the early days and his anger simmered to a hot pumping creation of deep ribbons of darkness and the gray slate of tombs and deep purples of the void. If anything came close to his seething hatred of the System it was this stain of creation that approached. A flash of Liestra’s eyes were the only thing keeping his rising hunger to violence on a quickly slipping leash. The only being with more history with him then what was approaching was his Parents. Their history even preceded Liestra and she had a large hand in sending the bastard down the dark pit he eventually fell.

It had been the endless infatuation with Liestra and her spurning of him followed by the love that developed between he and the Mistress of Tombs that had sparked the flames of betrayal or at least that was the conclusion he’d come to over the vast swathes of time since he was shivved by someone he had once thought of as a little brother.

There was nothing sneaky about the pompous windbag about to arrive unless something had changed drastically in the endless eons since their last meeting. At the emphasized burst of Domain the fool was blowing out from his Divine Presence it looked like that was a hard no. The Shadowborn flexed his Will and Domain and brought the asteroid to a suspended halt along with thousands of miles in each direction.

And as the God appeared the Shadowborn materialized his demon mask upon his face to hide the smile that lit his lips. The man was just as much a peacock as always. He appeared in the body of his children, the Eldarin, who were just as pompous as his Creator. They were 3rd Generation but liked to tell everyone that listened that their race was much older. Very much like their Sire who’d always bent to boasting and over-exaggerating not only his accomplishments but his battle prowess.

He liked to bully the younger Gods and throw not only his own weight around but that of his Faction, the Sanctum, that was solely ruled by him. He wasn’t good at sharing, anything.

The God floated before the Shadowborn at least ten feet tall in a golden and fire red full plate with of course a corona of red and yellow mix of lightning and flames and a big two-handed straight blade on his back and, of course, no helm. A long flowing blonde/gold mane coursed down the back of his armor and with the typical bronze skin tone of the Eldarin which were overly muscular Elves.

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The gloating smile and arrogant eyes were the same regardless of the flesh he wore. The Shadowborn’s voice drilled through the space not wanting to let the pompous windbag get going on his long self-congratulating monologues.

“What do you want Aasinar? You can’t have come all this way just to irritate me as we both know how that ends. In fact, though it has been ages past, the last time you were successful in such, you barely escaped with your existence and only because you ran as far and as fast as you could, sacrificing many to do so.”

Lucien finally stood and was glad his mask was on to keep his ever widening grin hidden as he saw a slight flinch from the fool.

“I in fact remember promising you on that far away day that if I ever laid eyes on you again, it would be the last time.”

With a thought and a flex of his Domain his scimitars and sash materialized at his waist and his leather armor on his body. Aasinar’s voice was still that baritone melody that would have foolish women who couldn’t see past the veneer swooning when they were young.

“That was a long time ago Wolf. I’ve grown a lot stronger since then. Those were the days of my youth when I idolized the flamboyant boy who impressed everyone with his control over, well, you know. Even here on the outskirts, there are rules, for even You and I, Wolf.”

The Shadowborn had heard only a few words out of the man’s mouth and he was already done. He floated a few feet off the asteroids rock.

“You should know better than anyone Aasinar. I am not a big rules guy. In fact, one rule in particular by the great and awe inspiring System says I can’t end you right now. That one is really sticking in my craw if you know what I mean.”

With that, Lucien floated a bit closer with his hands resting on the pommels of his scimitars. He let a bit more of his Domain filter out and push against Aasinar’s and the arrogant God wasn’t lying. He had gotten a lot stronger but than so had the Shadowborn. His black/gray/purple energy shoved against the red/gold energy and shifted it a foot back before the Shadowborn let it go and pulled his back. This time he didn’t keep the humor out of his voice.

“Much stronger than back in the beginning but I believe as it has always been with you, your inflation of your own prowess always higher than reality and certainly not strong enough for what I think you came out here for.”

Aasinar was stronger than any of the younger Gods. He was as old as the Shadowborn himself, of the Alpha Prime generation, one of the handful of them still living which put him in elite company and he used that for all it was worth as always.

He had touched on a memory that Lucien had dug a deep hole and dropped it in long ago, not one he particularly cared for. There was a time before the System and before the Primordial War that they had been friends and he had looked at the slightly younger Dragon like a little Brother back when all the Alpha Prime Generation to the Prime all the way down to the youngest, which had been the Second Generation, had all co-mingled and shared time, history, battle.

Back before the Primordial War there had been another universe spanning battle, the Wars of Primacy. A species of intelligent insect bi-pedal creatures called the Xict ruled by powerful voracious Gods that almost rivaled the Primordials themselves in strength and decimated planet after planet. It was what made the Primordials claim to be the Creators of everything highly suspect.

Legends had been born and created in those thousands of years but eventually the Xict and their progenitors were annihilated, down to the last, their original home dimension found and obliterated. And it had been in that war that seeded the duplicity and fear within the Primordials that led to the Primordial War and the Purge and eventually the System.

Aasinar had been saying something while Lucien had been lost in memories that had been shrouded in shadows for a long long time. He remembered he used to call the young Aasinar ‘Fire Bug’ when the pup had followed him around everywhere. He focused.

“...away from Erebus. You have been too long out of the game Wolf. Erebus will belong to the Sanctum, it is its Fate. I am not without mercy though. I offer you this. Your new Champion, this Gideon Sho, if you do not interfere any further and you instruct him to end his Faction and sit on his hands, I will allow him to leave with those close to him to whatever planet you want him to go to when this all ends, otherwise, if you choose to keep interfering and he keeps causing issues with the new world, I will make sure he does not live to the lifting of Sanctuary.”

And there went even the momentary sliver of goodwill he was going to show based on the ancient memory. The Shadowborn once more flared his Domain taking form as shadows above him in his true form, a night shaded dragon of immense strength. Once more Aasinar floated back a step then growled once he’d realized his reaction.

For the first time the Poster Child for the Sanctum flared his own Domain in golds and dark reds and the image of his own true form, a copper colored Dragon with sinewy limbs and dual horned head. Aasinar’s voice was thunder and the Shadowborn had to temper his Domain with another push of Will to keep it from damaging the asteroid.

“Enough Wolf. You still think you are the Monster Gods hide from and who shiver at the mere mention of your name but that image is long dead. Most of these young Gods don’t even know who you are. While you hid in the outer realms sulking about your losses the rest of the Multi-Verse moved on. I moved on, grew stronger under the same System you hate so much and am now the most powerful God in the Multi-Verse. Only the Primordials themselves stand above me. You chose the wrong side in the war Wolf, just accept that hard truth. You are a pariah and went against beings so far above you I am shocked you still exist.”

The sneer on his face made the Shadowborn want to rip it off but then Aasinar kept monologuing. It always seemed to be his default mode even back in the ancient days.

“You know. I never believed the rumors about what you supposedly did back in the Primordial Wars. I always thought you took the credit for your Father’s work. Still, my gift to you in honor of the old days, Wolf. Take my bargain and I will not kill the new beginning the System has given you with the rebirth of Liestra’s children. I still hold fond memories of her even after all this time. Go take your Champion and even the whore he has at his side and help them bring your children back from the brink. It is the best deal you will ever see and if you turn it down, everything you care about will be turned to ash, again.”

As Gideon would say ‘Fuck the System!”. He was going to do what he’d dreamt of doing for a long time and end the God of the Sanctum. He begin weaving multiple threads within his Domain as shadows rift with necrotic energies started swirling around him and Aasinar finally realized who he’d just threw an ultimatum at and started floating back, half-turning as if he was ready to do what he did best, run for his very existence when a husky female voice, calm, amused but filled with authority backed by her Domain of the Grave cut through everything.

And the Shadowborn’s grin once again made an appearance behind his mask. Her ability to shroud her presence from even stronger Gods was the stuff of legend and had always impressed him. He’d never seen anyone more skilled at it including himself, and her viciousness in a scrap, her willingness to fight dirtier than everyone else was also a part of her mystique and charm and why most Gods avoided pissing her off, even stronger ones, even him. He chuckled and listened in as she appeared right behind the fool with one of her infamous blades at his throat, the star metal emanating waves of gray death.

“So Aasinar. you threaten the future of my children and call my Champion a whore all in one breath. Has my reputation fallen as low as my wayward Husband’s? Do they and more importantly you forget what I am capable of when someone threatens that which I love?”

It took a lot of his Divine Will to keep himself from hysterically laughing. Aasinar, the great and powerful God of the Sanctum, the Lord of Flame and Terror, the Judge of the Guilty, trembled under his Wife’s ensorcelled blade, one of her pair of Artifact Blades, Death and Tomb, the two blades almost as legendary as their wielder, Divine Blades, eternally sharp and hungry. The God of the Celestial Choir stayed silent which had been the only smart thing he’d done so far as far as the Shadowborn was concerned.

Even after so many eons apart and just recently joining once again he knew the look on his Wife’s face and there was a deadly intent in those crystal white eyes. She usually had far more tolerance and forbearance then he did but not when it came to threatening what she considered her children. She still as he did had heavy swathes of guilt and pain in her heart and the murder of their first children and him forcing her to stay out of the failed fight to protect them. Her low toned voice slithered out, threat in every syllable.

“Nothing to say Aasinar? That’s not like you. I know it’s been endless ages since you had the balls to be anywhere near me but still you are well renowned for your lips never ceasing to emit words.”

She pressed her blade against his throat, he noticed it was Death, the blade mostly black while Tomb was mostly gray, and the Divine weapon pulled a golden hued drop of blood from the godly flesh. Finally Aasinar spoke, carefully.

“I misspoke Liestra. My information was lacking. I didn’t know the woman was your Champion. I would have never insulted her so otherwise. I apologize deeply. I also didn’t know you were together once more nor in the vicinity.”

Liestra quicker than thought slid from behind him shifting to her true form, that of a First Generation Tomb Drake, beautiful. She towered over Aasinar’s current shape, the spikes that ran down her broad back, wide jaws open, necrotic energy coalescing in the back of her throat. Her voice was gutteral violence.

“I think it is time for you to leave Aasinar but one word of warning. Call it a parting gift. Any who go against L’Sana M’Ras, my Champion, or my newly reborn child, Gideon Sho, will face my fury and there is nothing, not the System, not even the Primordials who will stay my fangs from ending them. This time will be different than the last. The Shadowborn does not stand alone. We are one, Husband and Wife once more, and woe be to anyone who thinks to stand between us and protecting what is ours.”

Aasinar attempted a sneer but had too much fear laced in his eyes to pull it off. He attempted to pull together the power and fear he engendered from almost all but failed miserably as the reality of who he faced finally settled into his spirit. A flare of golden and red energy engulfed him and he was gone. The Shadowborn’s mask went back to the ethers and the smile he’d been hiding for what seemed like ages flashed towards his wife who shifted back to her usual form, her Divine blades back to the sheathes at her back. His smile diminished quickly as he saw and recognized the look in her eyes. The one that said he would be getting an earful. There went the good vibes of showing his Love where he’d spent the last few eons.