Interlude 2: Vengeance's Child

Mercy

Mercy watched in the back of her mind as her siblings struggled to find a solution. She felt the weaves of fate change when Fate appeared, with their desperate last ditch plan.

No, not our last resort. Death was wise enough to plant those seeds after all.

But she had to admit to herself that those seeds, those two people from that far distant planet whose souls had merged with the bodies of children who had died, would not grow for a long time. Perhaps never, if they succumbed to the hardships that so plainly lay ahead for them.

This effort however, was one to prevent all of that. To prevent the need for those seeds in the first place. Perhaps, perhaps it would work. Her heart trembled at the idea of its failure, and her hands shook at the possibility of their success.

An avatar of vengeance. What a dangerous thing.

“I hear you my love. He is far from the first God to have an avatar. Nor will he be the only one with a child walking around on the world.” Justice radiated light reassured her that things, no matter how dark, would be set right in the world.

“Thank you my love. I know. We are here after all, to help one of your very own.”

“And to see about raising one up to you as well.”

Mercy smiled at that thought. It was a long shot. The Toad-Prince that stood and bowed in front of his queen mother was on the verge of ascending into the Emperor stage. But Mercy was only one potential aspect he might glean from the Dao. He could very easily see others, and if he did, he would be forced to choose. And there was always the possibility that he did not choose her.

“It is such an unlikely thing. I have never done this before. What if I fail, as our sister Love has done?”

Justice smiled and shook his head slightly. “You are not as . . . inconsistent as our beloved younger sister. And you are not trying to do it alone, in secret. You have me here to guide you, and he has my own avatar, his mother, to guide him. I would say it is a foregone conclusion that he glimpses your aspect of the Dao, and a good chance that you will be selected.”

They stayed there and watched the ceremony. The queen was blessing her eldest living son, and granting him gifts that would help along his path towards ascension. He would be the third of her children to walk that path. And while all the others had since ascended to meet with the Gods, and join their wills against the growing Void, and the other forces in the multiverse that sought destruction of order and civilization, the Queen had always stayed behind. A willing guide to others.

“Are you ever going to encourage her to join us, husband? Should not her sacrifice and her suffering end at some point?”

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“That is up to her. She has met her obligation to me, and yet, stays behind. I know she feels great pride at every step, every one of her thousands of children take. But you are right, she is growing old, even by an immortals standards. And the weight of the death and worry that she has seen falls heavy on her shoulders. I will speak to her again, soon.”

Mercy wrapped an arm around her husbands waste and pulled him towards her. He wrapped an arm around her and together, embracing, they watched as the Prince of the Southern Islands, one who had achieved in the Imperial measure the rank of King, began to cycle. Taking his first steps towards ascension.

Deaths gaze fell on them for a heartbeat as the process began. That was right, it was her domain that this prince was attempting to strain against after all. But it made Mercy’s skin crawl. She loved her sister, with all her heart. But . . . even after eons together, Death still unnerved her.

Then, as if the world shifted a hue more red, a hue more violent and vicious, Mercy heard the words of Death in her ear.

What have we done?

“It sounds like it is finished. Vengeance has him now.” Mercy’s voice was muted, sad even. An emotion she was all too familiar with.

“It was the right decision, wife. The only one we had in earnest.”

“Perhaps Death's backup plan would have worked.” She let the words settle between them. IT wasn’t something she actually believed. But rather, something she wished to have been true.

Sensing her feelings, Justice hugged her more tightly too him. “Perhaps. But we could not have taken that risk my love.” After a moment of quiet contemplation he finished his thought. “Besides, we will still have recourse too it. If need be. Perhaps . . . Perhaps a bit of Divine Providence is in order, to help those walking this world anew. What do you think? It is only just to provide those who have been stolen from one life, with a bit of assistance in building a new one.”

Mercy smiled, such a small act of mercy from someone she knew was almost always as solid and unmoved by the plight of others as she was uncaring of laws and regulations. But they both knew the others domain, the other's path, had merit. And here he was, trying. For her.

“I'll send Chronos. He’ll be happy at getting to help others from his world, I think.”

Even Justice smiled at that. “Yes. I think he would.”

A moment of doubt filled her as she felt Vengeance's influence grow even more in the world. It wasn’t overwhelming by any measure. She could crush it with her own will if she had to. But . . . still. It was growing.

“Do you think he will keep his word?”

“Who?”

“Your brother.”

“Yes. He has never lied to me before. Others, yes. Me? Never. We have been at odds as often as we have been on the same side of issues and problems in the world. But honesty was never a problem between us. He’ll have his new child offer Ascension into the heavens rather then death, should it come down to it. And they’ll avoid a war if they can. We’ll see how it plays out, this chess game we have authorized.”

“Will the Golden One not attempt to interfere?”

Justice’s mask of confidence slipped then. Just for a moment. Just for her. “I do not know. The Dragon God has not responded to any of our summons, and I can not feel him anywhere. Perhaps he is in hibernation, or consumed with some project somewhere else? I do not know. But he has not said, or done anything to stop this.”

“I thought the Dragons of the Jade Empire were his favorite sons. This is very odd husband.”

“Yes. Yes it is. When we are done here, with the Prince, we will launch a search for him. Perhaps he can intercede before the fighting begins.”

“Or make it worse. He is rather prideful.”

“Yes. Yes he is. And his servants in the Jade Empire are beyond most mortal warriors. Dragons . . . Dragons are a terrible thing.”