Chapter 518: When The Nights Are Darkest
“I could not stop the dragons, there was no one left who could. I was entrusted by my father and my queendom to protect the people of this world and I failed. Countless elementals died, and after the world was broken, the dragons claimed their sweet victory.” Ananta smiled maliciously, “But it was not to last.”
“You see, the World Soul is bound to this realm, and when the realm was Sundered, fractured into ten, she felt it, all of it. Her pain was so great that for the first time, ever since Love, her own essence fractured. And she poured all of her pain and loss into that one moment and gave birth to the Calamities.”
“The Calamities?” Stryg whispered.
“Yes,” Ananta nodded. “Five titans, the sons and daughters of the World Soul. They were born through ordinary titan mothers, yet they’re essence was forged from the fires of the Sundering. Unlike Love, each was born for a single-minded purpose; the eradication of the dragons.” Ananta’s cold smile widened. “The dragons were at the height of their power, yet the Five were walking Calamities, more powerful than anything the dragons had encountered.”
“Love was born from the brightest Aspect of the World Soul, but the Calamities were born from her darkest Aspects and when they came of age, each one sought to fulfill their purpose. Fear found the dragon lords’ weaknesses and she used it to tear down their defenses. Whereas Hatred resorted to more direct tactics and attacked their lairs, slaughtering those he encountered. Agony sought out the dragons’ nests and snuffed the life of every unborn hatchling.”
“They killed the children?” Stryg asked.
“They killed everyone. The Calamities were relentless, it didn’t matter who or what stood in their way, they massacred the dragons and tore down their newfound kingdoms until there was nothing left. The few remaining dragons were forced into hiding, and even then the Calamities hunted them down, one by one.”
Ananta’s smile fell. “Until one day, after many years, the Calamities suddenly stopped. You see, it was no longer enough to kill the dragons, for they had mated with the lesser elemental species, and their hybrid offspring, what you call ‘chromatic species,’ had spread into all ten Realms.”
Stryg frowned. “I don’t understand. Why does that matter? They wanted revenge on the dragons, not others.”
“Revenge was not the goal. The Sundering did more than shatter our realm. It wounded the World Soul irreparably. My father was right. Drakith sends dragons into worlds to destroy them, but they don’t do it with magic or fire. Chromatic mana itself is poisonous to primordial beings. A world’s leylines mirror the energies of its inhabitants. Chromatic mana has infected the leylines and is poisoning the World Soul, and wounded as she is, she can’t stop it.”
“What are you saying?”
“The Schism was the first sign of the end. So long as chromatic energies permeate the leylines the problem will only worsen. In time, the Realms will shatter into infinite fragments and our world will be devoured by the Dark Fringe and the Null.”
“How— How can we stop it?” he asked anxiously.
“So long as any chromatic species exists in this world, so will chromatic mana.”
His eyes widened. “Then—?”
“The only way to save this world is to finish what my father started.”
Stryg shook his head and took a step back. “No, you can’t be serious. You can’t eradicate every chromatic species! It’s madness!”
“You think this is easy for me?”
“Yes! You hate them! You hate them all for what the dragons did to you and your people.”
“Wouldn’t you?”
“That doesn’t matter! The goblins, the drows, vampires, orcs, everyone, they’re innocent!”
“In your eyes perhaps… That doesn’t change reality. They are killing this world, just by living in it.”
“And what of me? I’m a goblin. I’m a chromatic species just like any of them. Why aren’t you killing me?”
“Your chaotic mana counteracts whatever chromatic poison your soul would create within the leylines, you pose no threat to this world. But the others… Stryg, believe me, if there were easier ways to stop all of this, I’d have done it. The scope of what I want to accomplish is astronomical. I’ve searched the last thousand years for any other answer. This is the only way and we are running out of time.”
“You’re wrong… You’re lying!”
“I have no need to lie to you, I never have.”
“I don’t believe you,” he hissed.
Ananta glared at him, “This isn’t a game, Stryg. Don’t you get it? We are running out of time. The World Soul is dying. Aleirune is dying!”
He froze. “Aleirune…?”
“Wait,” Ananta narrowed her eyes. “You really don’t know, do you?” She laughed incredulously, “You keep trying to convince me to spare these chromatic species without even knowing what you are?”
“I… I’m a goblin,” Stryg said with a trace of hesitance.
She leaned forward, “Are you? Do you know who your father is? Would you like to?”
Stryg swallowed, “I…”
She smirked at his hesitation. “He goes by many names and possesses many Aspects. In the Aurous Realm he is revered as the Pale Owl. In the Azure Realm the sailors honor him as the Navigator. In the Scarlet Realm he is feared as the Blood Sovereign, Mortem. Of course, you might know him by a different name; the Traveler, Stjerne.”
A shiver ran down Stryg’s back at her words. The world seemed to grow small and his chest tightened with every shallow breath. He shook his head in disbelief. “Stjerne is my— father…?”
“The god of stars is only one of his many Aspects. Your father is the most dangerous of his siblings. The firstborn son of Aleirune, the Calamity Titan, Death.”
“Death…?”
“He was born from the deaths of millions on the day of the Sundering, even his own natural parents died as he came into this world.” Ananta spread her arms open in admiration, “No other Calamity has taken the lives of so many dragon lords and their broods. Death was born for one purpose alone, to end the lives of every chromatic species in this world. And you are no different, little traveler.”
“I’m not— I’m not like him,” Stryg said shakily. “I— I’m a goblin.”
“Goblin? Your lineage is tainted, that much is true. The sacred blood of a Calamity, mixed with vile chromatic blood. An abomination. But goblin? Even your mother isn’t purely a goblin, you certainly aren’t. The blood that dominates your veins— is a titan’s. Why do you think that orichalcum spear answered your call? Greater mortals can hold such a weapon, but only a titan can truly wield one and call upon its name.”
Stryg shook his head slowly and stumbled back, “I’m not a titan. I’m a goblin…”
She laughed. “Since when have you ever seen a blue goblin? You are taller than even a dire goblin and far stronger; because the truth is you aren’t like any of them. You are the son of Death and you are more like him than you know.”
“I’ve never even met him! How can I be anything like him!?”
“Is that why killing comes so easily to you?”
Stryg paused at her words. “What?”
“Oh, don’t tell me you haven’t noticed,” she smirked. “You feel nothing when you take a life; for you that must come naturally. And in your Sylvan culture, such apathy would be celebrated, but you’ve also spent time among others. I know you’ve noticed the way they look at you, the shock in their eyes when you so casually kill.”
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“That is the Sylvan way,” he muttered.
“No, even among the Sylvan they thought you strange. Even as a child, they knew there was something ‘wrong’ with you. But there is nothing wrong with you. You are exactly who you were always meant to be. A son of Death. A Star in this lost Realm.”
“No!” he hissed. “I am Stryg, a son of Blood Fang. I am a Sylvan goblin!”
“Deny it if you’d like. But death follows you everywhere you go. You can’t help it, it is your nature. Ever since the day your blood awakened.”
“What?” he whispered, confused.
“That night, three years ago, in the cave of snakes. It was the first time you began to change, yes?”
“How do you know about that?” he asked warily.
“What happened that night? You and your tribemates had gone down to search the burrow for treasure. It should have been easy, right? After all, Mortem’s blood runs through your veins, the lamias posed no threat. But instead, almost everyone died that night. Thanks to you.”
“It wasn’t my fault,” he mumbled.
“They were only there because of you! Or do you think Lunae would have led your shaman into that cave so he himself could wield Krikolm? You are the Veres heir. No one besides you would have been able to hold Krikolm. The lamias would have recognized Mortem within your blood. Can’t you see? It was always meant to be you and yet somehow you still managed to cause the deaths of almost everyone there.”
“It wasn’t like that!”
“Really? Then, tell me, who was it that convinced Lunae to gather the Sylvan warriors and bring them to this city? She would not have made such a reckless decision on her own.”
“What are you getting at?”
Ananta laughed, “Thanks to you, thousands of more people will die tonight, on both sides.”
“If the Sylvan hadn’t come then you would have killed thousands in Hollow Shade all on your own!”
“I have no interest in this city or killing its people. All I wanted was my mother’s key. Your sister was the one who refused to give it up. If it wasn’t for her my armies and I wouldn’t even be here.”
“Sister…?”
“Just like you, she has caused the deaths of all these people.”
“I don’t have a sister,” he muttered.
“Surely, you’ve figured it out by now. You’ve met her before. The other little traveler. You're standing in her city.”
Stryg furrowed his brow. “I… Holo?”
“Your sister doesn’t understand the true dire scope of the situation. She acts recklessly without understanding the true extent of her actions.”
“Then why don’t you explain it to her? If you know so much then why aren’t you working with her to find some other solution!?”
“Your sister has proven to be untrustworthy. She betrayed not only me, but Solis, and even your father. But you, Stryg, you are different. You’ve proven your loyalty over and over again. I underestimated your potential, but tonight you’ve shown everyone they were wrong about you. They were wrong about the misfit of the Blood Fang.”
Stryg tried to recall the battle with the dragonbane, even now it was all in fragments. A mixture of pain and rage. He glanced at his hands and the silver feathers lying scattered across the rubble. It all seemed like a dream, a terrible nightmare. “What do you want from me?” he muttered.
“Your help. Like Maeve, I believe you can play a crucial part in saving our world.”
“Maeve knows about this?”
“Some of it, yes. I wanted to share more with her, such as the solution to our crisis and how she could help, but someone forbade her from contacting me,” Ananta said pointedly.
“You said you wanted to kill all the chromatic races, that includes Maeve. But I guess you left that part out when you spoke to her.”
“I have no intention of hurting Maeve. If only a handful of chromatics are left, their effect on the leylines would be minimal. So long as they don’t have any offspring, the situation wouldn’t worsen. Maeve and a few chosen others could live out the rest of their lives unharmed.”
“And how would you pick these ‘few chosen’?” Stryg asked suspiciously.
“I wouldn’t choose them.” She smiled, “You would.”
“Me?”
“We could spare all your loved ones; your tribe, friends, anyone you care about. There is no need for you to lose anyone else. We could save them all.”
“And condemn the rest?”
“If you spare all the chromatics, you are damning not only them but all elementals as well. Our grandmother will perish and so will this world. Surely, you of all people would understand the sacrifice we must make to prevent that.”
“You aren’t sacrificing anything.”
“I’ve sacrificed EVERYTHING!!” she roared.
Her voice boomed across the ruined home and pushed Stryg back. He fell over and tried to scramble to his feet, but his exhausted muscles refused to answer. His arms and legs shook and he hardly managed to sit up.
Ananta noticed his ragged appearance and softened her expression. “Forgive me. You and I are alike in many ways, but you have yet to experience so much of this world. You are still so young. I wish we had the time to let you live out the life of a mortal. In a few centuries, you’d come to understand how different you are from them. You’d understand how to let go of them… But we don’t have the luxury of time. You must make your decision now.”
“Why? Why should I trust you?”
“Because I am the only one who hasn’t lied to you.”
“You attacked my home.”
“This city isn’t your home. They don't deserve your help. But I understand you still care about this place, so I’ll make you a proposition.”
“...What sort of proposition?”
“Come with me and I’ll spare Holo’s Shade.”
“...Your beast killed my mother,” he hissed bitterly.
“Then will you kill me? Right here and now? You and I both know you cannot. But if I leave now you will never get the chance, I promise you that. A shame, don’t you think?”
“What do you mean? You want me to kill you?”
“I want you to help me save this world and all those you love. Then if you still wish to kill me, you may try. Though I don’t think you’ll succeed.”
He bared his teeth. “I’m not certain about that.”
She smiled and offered her hand, “So, do we have a deal?”
Stryg stared at her outstretched fingers. This woman, no, this goddess, was far more powerful than him. She was right, he couldn’t kill her. He could barely even move. If she disappeared, would he ever find her? And even if he did, even if he managed to somehow kill her, would he be dooming everyone he knew to their deaths? Would Aleirune die without Ananta’s help?
“How long…?” he whispered.
“Hm?”
“How long can the World Soul endure?”
“Not long enough.” Ananta’s eyes shifted and she glanced behind. “And it seems our time is up as well.”
A giant white wolf leaped across the nearby houses and pounced on Ananta. With a casual swipe of her hand, bright green lighting arced out from Ananta’s fingertips and struck the wolf in the chest, sending her crashing into the rubble.
“Come now, Lunae, there is no need to fight,” she said casually.
The wolf stood shakily and her form faded into a white mist, before reforming into the silver-skinned goddess of the moon.
“Stryg,” said Lunae, though she kept her eyes on Ananta. “I need you to run. Find Aurelia and take her as far from this place as you can.”
Stryg swallowed the lump in his throat. “...My mom, she—”
“She lives. You were smart to wrap Blossom around her. The cloak’s power is keeping her alive, but only by a thread.”
Tears welled up in Stryg’s eyes. “She’s… alive?”
“You need to find and help her. The elemental life energy imbued in Blossom’s petals will not last much longer,” said Lunae.
“I can save her, you know. It would only take a moment,” offered Ananta.
“You stay away from them,” Lunae growled.
“I don’t wish to fight you,” said Ananta. “Despite your betrayal and lies, I don’t want to kill you. You are one of the last pure-blooded titans. You might just be the future of our people.”
Lunae glared at her, “I can’t have children, but you already knew that.”
“Ah, yes. You suffered terrible wounds as a child when you and Solis wandered into a monster’s cave. He told me the story long ago. Your injuries may have healed, yet the damage was already done. But what if I told you I could heal you? Restore that piece of your body? What if I could give you back the chance to have children? What would you say?”
“I’d say I am the Mother Moon. All Sylvan are my children, I need no more.”
Ananta glanced at Stryg, “Or perhaps one child is enough?”
“Stryg, you need to go. Now,” warned Lunae in a low voice.
“R-Right,” he nodded and climbed out of the rubble. His muscles ached with every motion, but he gritted his teeth and ignored the pain and exhaustion.
Ananta sighed, “Look at the sky, Lunae. There is no silver moon hanging above us. Only darkness. Your powers are at their weakest. Even at your strongest, your victory would be doubtful. You cannot win this battle.”
“Maybe not alone,” said another.
Ananta spun around and broke into a grin. “Well, hello, Holo the Tall. I didn’t think you’d have the courage to come face me again.”
“Sorry to disappoint, Monster.” Holo stood in the shadows with her scythe, Lyrae.
“Holo…?” Stryg whispered. He met her gaze and she winked at him.
“Do you think her arrival makes a difference, Lunae?” said Ananta. “There is still no moon to aid you, only darkness. You cannot win.”
“Is that so?” mused an unfamiliar voice. “I quite like the dark.”
Stryg looked up and spotted a knight clad in silver armor sitting atop the last remaining pillar in the ruined house. An orichalcum sword and shield hung on her waist and back respectively. Her chestnut hair was tied in a ponytail and a golden circlet sat snugly on her brow. Faint freckles dappled her pale cheeks. Her lilac eyes glowed in the shadows.
“Tell me, sister, when do stars shine brightest?” asked Melantha.
Holo gripped Lyrae and fell into a warrior’s stance. “When the nights are darkest.”
Holo’s olive eyes burned into a bright lilac. Azure flames danced across her arms as tendrils of lightning arced over Melantha’s armor. The women closed around Ananta, weapons at the ready.
Ananta broke into an angry defiant smile, “So be it.”