Penthos looked at his creations. He regretted many things in his existence, but above all he regretted being so aloof. After Penthos had made his mortal creations, infusing them with their innate magics, and ensuring they would grow to be a powerhouse amongst the mixed races of mortals, he had left them to their own devices. He thought he would have so much time.
He would have to go into hiding now and leave them. The other gods would blame him, they would come for him, they would treat him like the titans. ‘Huh’ he chuckled to himself ‘I bet she tricked us into killing them too’.
‘If I leave now then hopefully they will leave demon kind alone.’ He thought to himself. Hopefully my champions will rise to power and become the new guardians. ‘They will have to lead for now until I can prove to the other gods my innocence’
Turning his back on the continent Penthos teleported to his chosen hiding location…. Except he didn’t move at all. A sphere of golden energy had appeared around him, trapping him, cutting him of from the planes of existence. He couldn’t move, couldn’t flee. Only one other god could be responsible for this.
“Sister?”
“Hello brother” Êathera said, in a sad, regretful voice as she manifested in front of him. “I can hardly recognise you after witnessing the slaughter you ordered”
“It wasn’t me sister, you have to believe me”
“Your Demigod suggests otherwise brother, I guess however you’ll be glad to know he escaped”
Penthos looked at Êathera, really studied her. She was fully armoured, wearing the resplendent golden plate he had gifted her. He saw the silver tracks down her face, she had clearly been crying. Her posture, normally elegant and refined, was dejected, and the way she was looking at him, with so much pain and despair, her eyes showing her heartbreak. She already judged him a monster. She his twin sister, had already accepted him the be the monster he was framed as.
“Your demigod wiped out every last dragon, all of them, the island soaked in so much blood that even the animals who called it home have died, drowned and choking on the blood of Drakon’s children. I saw him too; he is furious brother. He demands that we don’t kill you, but instead find a way to torture you for eternity. His demigod can do no more than cry for the loss of his brethren. Why brother, what possible reason do you have for this?”
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Êathera was choking up, and shouted the last of her words at him, as though she had to fight to get them out. The sights she had seen playing havoc with her emotions.
“Sister… please… it wasn’t me; I didn’t do… “
“Do you really think you can convince any of us Penthos?”
That voice, so cold, emotionless, unforgiving. Penthos turned around and to look at the new arrival. There stood a slightly glowing humanoid figure, with 3 arms on each side. Their body looked to be a personification of the universe, with lights and swirling colours the galaxies and stars that glow in the night sky. In fact, only the gods could tell, it was a literal representation of what you would see if you stared into space in the direction of her form. She was revered by the other gods, for being their first born and leader and even with a featureless face, Penthos could tell she was staring at him with an intensity that could kill mortals.
His sister had been stalling him, preventing him from escaping so she could get here. The killer of the titans, the only childless god. It was his turn to feel betrayed. She hadn’t even given him a chance to defend himself before falling for Calamity’s ploy… Calamity…
“Calamity, you bitch, I see through your lies now, it’s a shame it took me too long to realise your deceitful ways”
He was certain now. She had somehow convinced his demigod to betray him. He regretted giving that traitor so much strength and freedom. Naively Penthos had thought his actions would guarantee the demigods loyalty, but still he had been betrayed. What could calamity have possibly offered. What was her plan.
“My deceitful ways? Penthos, you’re the one who tricked us. You’re the one who eliminated the dragons. It was lucky I arrived to stop your demigod killing Drakon’s. What did you give him that allowed him to escape from me?”
Penthos growled, his demigod had betrayed him, he hadn’t given that bastard shit. He knew every word calamity was saying was for his sister's sake, and not his. She was solidifying the lie. But even so every word spoken by her was another blade stabbing into him, another chain sealing his fate.
Calamity’s posture seemed to turn sullen, as she reached into the nights sky and plucked her sword from the heavens.
“Alas Penthos, all the gods have agreed, whilst some pushed for a harsher punishment, Êathera and I vied for mercy. In the end though your fate was decided the second you chose to eliminate the children of another God. I just hope it was worth it.”
And without another word, Calamity swung her greats word.
Far below Akhos, third champion of Penthos, watched the interaction between the gods. He saw his creator observe the land, saw his creator’s sister, goddess of the elves, trap him in her energy, saw the Great God Calamity appear, saw his creator cut in half.
Deep inside, as he watched Penthos fall from the sky in two pieces a seed took root deep inside of him, a seed of pure anger and hatred. A seed he would one day let blossom into sweet and bloody vengeance.