Trillia and Ialu stepped through the portal into a massive room. Polished sandstone shelves held tens of thousands of books. Various tables and chairs were littered throughout the room, a mixture of various stones polished to a shine.

Most impressive were the walls. Made of clear glass overlooking the entire city. They were in the tower, and judging by how tiny the city looked beneath them, they were pretty high up.

Trillia hopped off Ialu and walked up to the glass wall, staring down and out at the desert. Ialu stayed glued to her side, absolutely terrified of heights and all of the people below them. Ialu jumped and let out a low growl when a strange voice called out to them.

Trillia turned her head. The person calling out was a human. The first human she had ever seen. He was only as tall as the shortest orc woman in the tribe. Dark skin that glistened in the sunlight and short dark brown hair. His eyes were odd, dark brown circles surrounded by white circles. Like he wasn't born with innate mana, like so many of the orcs. His shoulders were wide and strong, at least for a human.

She deduced that because another human about a foot shorter than him was walking toward them as well. This human had the same skin, hair, and eyes. But had long hair and a softer voice. She was also quite shapely and not nearly as covered and dressed as her male counterpart. While the male wore plain red robes that covered him from his shoulders to his feet. The woman wore a more form-fitting dress that had a slit up to her hip.

The language they spoke felt...soft. It flowed over itself. The orc and minotaur languages were all she really knew. She had only recently begun learning goblin.

Almost as an idle thought, her hand had wandered to the hilt of her rapier, and she had moved closer to Stas. Stas was speaking in their language and motioning to himself and to her.

Arlyss said nothing. He stared intently at Trillia and didn't seem to care for the other conversation going on at all.

Trillia offered him a smile, trying to figure out exactly how she was supposed to broach the subject of what she wanted to ask and what she was willing to give.

"Lord Arlyss. We are most grateful that you are so kind. As your benevolence has saved us many times. But this creature before us is an affront to the gods! He is a butcher renowned across the lands! He may not wish us to harm now, but he will stab you in the back as soon as it benefits him to do so!"

Whatever the human said caught Arlyss' attention. The young orc's eyes began to glow. Trillia's breath caught in her throat as waves of power washed over them. Slowly he turned his eyes from her to the man speaking. When he spoke, it was once more that odd feeling of a thousand languages.

"Odd. I don't remember being affronted by one of my father's greatest Generals on Alirast." Arlyss turned his piercing gaze to Stas, who immediately lowered himself to a knee. "Did I perhaps mention I was affronted by your existence, Lord Stas? Perhaps I forgot that I said such a thing. To such a valuable ally."

Stas responded in the goblin tongue; Trillia understood most of it. "No, my Lord. I do not remember you saying such a thing. I am here only to deliver young Trillia. If it will make her mission easier and calm the minds of your...advisors. I can wait on the outskirts of the city."

Arlyss shook his head. Walking over to the three of them and motioning for Stas to stand. "Nonsense. I have things I would request of you during your stay. You will be afforded all of the comforts the spire can offer. " Arlyss turned his head to look at the two humans. "My father has wiped out entire realms. My mother has slain well over a hundred thousand mortals with her own hands. Both of them have killed demons, celestials, and deities. Tell me, would you call either of them a butcher?"

The humans fell to their knees, heads touching their hands. "Of course not! We only meant to inform you that this goblin is a known danger."

Arlyss nodded. Trillia could see he was getting annoyed. "Thank you for making sure to keep me informed of such things. Please show Lord Stas to a guest room. Make sure it's a good one, and don't be disrespectful. I appreciate that the three of you won't get along. Please respect my authority and decision in this matter."

The humans mumbled something else before standing, giving Stas and Trillia rather dirty looks. Stas nodded slightly in Trillia's direction before he followed them out of the room. Once it was just Trillia, Ialu, and Arlyss left in the room. Arlyss sat at a table and motioned for her to sit opposite him.

Trillia looked around the room as she walked over to the table and took a seat. "I didn't think you'd be an orc. How does an orc become the god of a bunch of humans?"

Arlyss seemed amused by the question. "I'm not an orc. Or a human. Deities are... large connected bodies of raw divine energy. We create physical forms to interact with mortals and weaker immortals. It's why you could stab this body a thousand times, and it would do little other than inconvenience me. One of the benefits, or downsides depending on your views, of this setup. Is that I always appear as the most active solution to a person's problem."

Trillia gave him a curious look.

"You see me as an orc. My best guess as to why is that despite not showing it, you're rather nervous. If I look like an orc to you, that takes away some of the edge of my being a deity. Stas sees me as a child-like version of my father's mortal form. Because that brings him the most comfort. The humans that follow me see me as a human with dark skin and dark hair."

Trillia stared for a while. "I'm sorry. That must get lonely, always having to pretend to be something you are not."

Arlyss blinked as he stared back. Apparently, that had caught the young deity off guard. His stunned expression changed once more to a smile. "That's very kind of you to say. While I can read surface thoughts and understand intent while in my domain. I would still like to discuss why you are here. I have no ill will towards Stas. I know he served my father and all of Alirast well, but I also know that he would not come to this place or seek me out unless he wanted my help in something."

Trillia nodded at that. She'd have to be careful how she spoke around Arlyss. He may be a child like her, but something was amiss. He seemed to have knowledge far beyond what his age should allow.

"I..." Trillia paused, closing her eyes. She put a hand on Ialu's head and pulled comfort from her new friend. "I want to save my friends and my family. I am willing to offer you an eternity of servitude. If you will help me see those ends met."

Arlyss' gaze never wavered as she spoke. Once she finished, he raised a hand. Several books from nearby bookshelves flew through the air and landed gently in front of her. "This is all of the information I have on the [Primordial] threat that you fear. It won't cost you an eternity of servitude."

Stolen story; please report.

Trillia squeezed her fist and took in a deep breath. "You're a deity. If I am pact-bound to you, you can channel your power through me and seal the [Primordials] without my mother and uncles having to sacrifice their own lives."

Arlyss stood and walked over to her. Staring into her eyes. Being this close, she realized his eyes didn't look like normal orc eyes up close. They were more like Stas' eyes. They looked closer to a raptor's eyes. Staring into them brought whispers of knowledge forbidden and lost to mortals millennia ago.

"What would I get. If you were my pact-bonded? What do you bring to my domain and arsenal that a thousand other warriors cannot?"

Trillia brought her hand up to her chin. "Honestly? Nothing. I'm sure you are aware of my traits. Of my near limitless mana pool. That is the only unique thing about me. As a warrior, I'd be quite sub-par, especially because I am so young and inexperienced. But I would be loyal and despite calling it servitude. I would see you as a friend. My eternal soul is all that I have to offer. That is why it is what I offered."

Arlyss kept staring at her. He didn't even blink. Trillia began to grow nervous. "What about Ialu? You could offer me Ialu, yes?"

Trillia's eyes turned to look at the wolf-like creature next to her. Reaching over with her right hand to stroke her fur. "If Ialu wishes to go with you instead of with me. That is her choice. I am not her master. My mother raised me to believe it is best not to take the freedom of another creature. We live in symbiosis with the lovax that serve us. We feed them and give them shelter and protection. Ensure that their young are well taken care of. In exchange, they pull our wagons and help us grow crops. When they die, we give them the same honor in death we would an orc warrior. We lay their soul to rest and use their bones and bodies to further the glory of the tribe."

Arlyss nodded. For the first time, he turned away from her and moved back toward his seat. "You sell yourself short. You carry a unique perspective. You are a [Runt] in a land where being weak means death. Despite that, you have survived. Alirast itself has chosen you as a vessel for its power as a last-ditch effort to save itself against the [Primordial] threat."

Trillia looked down at Ialu, smiling as she pet the wolf who had set its head in her lap. "My goal is simple, Lord Arlyss. Right now, my uncles and my mother are planning to fight the [Primordial] in our homeland. They plan to use a divine skill from your father to sacrifice their souls in order to save Alirast. I personally think that after a lifetime of serving your father. As well as a lifetime of loneliness and sorrow at watching everyone they know and love grow old and die. That they deserve a better fate."

Arlyss' smile had returned by the time he spoke. "I couldn't agree more. What if I told you that there is another way? A way for us to seal the [Primordials] without them having to be sacrificed. And without you having to become bound to me."

Trillia turned her gaze from Ialu back to Arlyss. "I'd ask how I could possibly help see that through, and I would ask what it would cost my tribe and I."

Arlyss waved his hand. "It's simple, really. I know how to remove the debuff from Alirast. I know how we can allow my father's presence to once more descend upon the realm."

Trillia sat up straighter at that. It seemed too good to be true. Arlyss continued.

"When I ascended, the debuff weakened. I have two siblings. One lives in Kadessa with my mother. The other was trapped in a mortal's body like I was. We must coax an ascension out of them. If the three of us are deities. I believe the debuff will vanish entirely."

Trillia was lost. She didn't know the first thing about deities and ascension. Well, she knew those were things that existed and had some tidbits of information from Stas and the others. But nothing to actually help anyone ascend. "How exactly do I help with that?"

Arlyss pulled another book from a shelf. This one looked much older and more worn than the others. "I channel divinity through you directly. There are mentions of such a thing happening. Normally it would overload a mortal's body and cause a spontaneous implosion of your mana veins. Destroying your physical form in addition to your soul."

Trillia stared at him dumbfounded. The ease with which we spoke about such things was a touch unnerving.

"But! Because you have an upper limit of mana in the billions. You should be fine. We would basically cause a feedback loop. I overcharge your mana, and you shed the excess into myself and whatever sibling we are near. The feedback loop will cause their mortal forms to die, leaving behind only an immortal form with which they can ascend."

Trillia shook her head now. "I thought deities needed followers? Wouldn't they need to have a certain amount of followers for that to work?"

Arlyss laughed at that as he looked through the book. "We're immortals. Even if we are born into mortal forms. Furthermore, we are Darktones. There are very few mortals on this plane that don't know of our parents. It means wherever we go, we will have people who wish to follow us. It's quite literally an innate trait."

Arlyss raised a hand that displayed part of his status.

Trait: Born To Rule

You are the child of the 2nd Axle and the Empress of Mortals. All mortals within a range of a hundred feet multiplied by your highest Derived stat will feel an innate sense of loyalty to you. Interacting with them in a positive way will cause them to quickly wish to serve you.

Trillia read through it twice. She had thought some of her traits were potent. Arlyss could just create fanatics at random with this, apparently. She wondered if this trait was affecting her right now.

Arlyss flipped through the book. After a few minutes, the status vanished. "I can get word to your mother and uncles to not engage the [Primordials] yet. I've already sent word to my mother. To put your mind at ease. The central [Primordial] is closest to waking up. At the current rate, it will take another five years. The northern [Primordial] of your homeland is nearly a decade out. Yes, things will get worse and worse until they awaken. But we aren't in a rush."

"How do you know that? How do you know so much? I understand you are a deity of knowledge, but how did you become that?"

Arlyss slowly closed the book. His face was a mixture of sorrow and pride. "My parents were ambushed. One of those that ambushed them was a Primordial Deity of Dragons. They wanted to attack my father when he was forced to defend my pregnant mother. The short version of all of that. Is that they weren't expecting my parents to be so damn durable. My father broke the rules to send my mother and the three of our souls away. With the dragon god's last bit of power, it broke some of the rules as well. Cursing my siblings and I with aspects of itself."

Again he raised his hand to show another trait.

Divine Trait: Cursed (Jiraki - Primordial Deity of Dragons) (Sight and Wisdom)

You have been cursed by a powerful divine being. This curse cannot be broken until you are stronger than the creature that cursed you. You will be given [Divine Dragon Sight] in addition to the trait [Ancient Wisdom] in exchange; any dragon that sees you will be enraged and attack without cause. Any descendents of dragons will be hostile toward you but will not attack unless they are sure they can win.

Trillia read the status and felt sorry for him. On the one hand, such wisdom and knowledge would be a great boon. But to be hated by the most feared creatures in the realm was another thing entirely.

Arlyss cleared the status and looked down at the cover of the book. "I have no intentions of leaving Alirast to suffer at the hands of the [Primordials]. Whether you join me or not, I will do everything I can to ensure that the mortals of this realm can lead long and happy lives."

Trillia thought about things for a while longer, the two sitting in silence. Finally, she stood and walked over and kneeled before Arlyss. "I wish to pledge my servitude to you. All I ask is that you let me keep the freedom to make my own choices. And you never ask me to harm my tribe. I want to see my tribe thrive. I want them to live without worry. If your goal is to stay here on Alirast and see that vision through. I'd be honored to do so at your side."

Arlyss stared down at her for what felt like an eternity unto itself. "Are you certain? You will watch your tribe grow and die a thousand times and more. As a child, you will grow to become an adult, but never past that. You've seen firsthand what it does to people, what it has done to Stas."

Trillia nodded. "Then I can protect my tribe and the plains for all eternity."

After a few more minutes. A notification popped up before Trillia.