“I'm sorry, Mistress Sarah, but I cannot just give out those Books to you,” grumbled an aging Goblin in a plaid overcoat and jeans. He sat behind the central counter within the Ageless's more personal Library that only him and his family had access to. One which contained a personal vault of ancient stories, along with a more reachable array of classics for both wife and child to enjoy.
The Goblin, himself, was of the dark blue variety. Of which were most notable for their higher intelligence, and stood at a height of one and a quarter metres. However, as this one is a Librarian he was given the rank of Immortal so that the one before her eyes would continue to serve the Library for the rest of his days. Some would consider such a position a living hell, whereas those with a passion to learn and grow would see this as a great honour.
In any case, the Goddess Sarah, after learning of a truth from the book entitled 'The Devil King', had rushed off to their personal Library in order to search up and read from a few books which would allow her a glimpse into the lives of those who traveled with the Ageless's past self, Karastak. Unfortunately for herself, a Goblin stood in her path, and was being rather stubborn. In that he refused to give up anything pertaining to those who were called Lupa and Puella.
“Why not?” she frowned with arms crossed under her chest.
“Several reasons,” he brought up his hands to count the digits present, “One, they're in our Lord High God's personal vault for safe keeping. Two, they're being guarded by a pair of Golems that He created and will only recognise Him, killing anyone foolish enough to step near there.” The Goblin leaned forward as though sharing a piece of gossip, “Believe me when I say this, but we had to scrape poor Bob off the ceiling after he got a little too curious for his own good.”
After which the Librarian leaned back and resumed with, “Third, both Lady Puella and Lady Lupa are Goddesses of the highest order, and won't let someone they don't know near their Books. Fourth, even if you do somehow get their permission, you still need our Lord's permission to bring them out of both his personal vault and the Library.
“Really, Mistress Sarah,” he leaned over with an apologetic grin upon his features, “you're not going to have them, so why bother?”
“It's for research,” she pouted, not knowing what to do.
“Well, you'll be able to at least ask Him soon enough.”
“Why do you say that?” Dread seeped into her mind, not at all desiring to find out the reason, but still curious nonetheless.
“Because He's scheduled to pick up a few books and drop one off with us for cataloging... Ah, speak of the devil,” he grinned voraciously as the main doors were pushed open by a pair of Hoplite Living Armours.
In between them were a pair of Judges in their ceremonial charcoal coloured robes, and at a height of two metres. What is more, their heads were a bulbous grey with half a dozen fleshy tentacles protruding beneath orbs of pitch that allowed them to see everything and nothing as the tentacles squirmed and writhed. Their hands, the same grey tone, were clasped out in front of themselves. These only spread themselves apart when gripping a target with the intention of discerning fact from fiction. However, if they judged them wanting, the brains of the target was eaten and the body discarded for the crows.
It was a harsh punishment, and only rarely was one ever called forth during a trial. However, the Ageless, whilst working, always had a pair of them by his side. For the creatures in the highest position a non-God or Goddess could hold were always exposed to such immortals, hungry for their brains and the powers within. Thus, when released, they would feast and grow powerful enough to be of greater service to He who was above all others.
At least, that is what was said of the race called Illithid.
Between these creatures was a presence that was unmistakable, as it was a God with an aura of divinity hugging their form. However, this one was not just any God, but the God King of Terra. The Nameless. One who stood above all others, and the youngest of three brothers who were of a race of beings called the Ageless. Very few living knew their story, and to speak of it would require time and effort. Suffice to say that it is a long tale would be an understatement.
Regardless, this Ageless was the Terran Pantheon's God King, and held the appearance of a male Kitsune with nine tails trailing behind his body. His fur was as dark as pitch that was bespeckled by numerous strands of silver which depicted countless stars within the darkness of space. Covering his body were simple clothings in the form of a pair of crimson trousers and an equally crimson vest which was left unbutton to reveal a furred chest. Whilst his head was the same as any fox's, sly and sharp, but his eyes contained a pair of burning white orbs devoid of any and all colour within.
Though he was half a head shorter than the Illithid, his presence could not go unnoticed as he took in the sight of the library. Here, he took in a deep breath and released a rare smile, but as he took a step forward, and as the doors behind them were drawn closed, the smile vanished when he noted his wife Sarah. Whereupon his eyes drooped to slits as they locked with her own, and she felt her heart beat with fear.
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'Those eyes,' her mind gasped as she was somehow released from the grip and scampered away behind a nearby shelf, 'Is he angry with my presence here?'
Curious, Sarah peeked around the shelf and noted that the Ageless was speaking with the Goblin in low tones whilst directing the flow of the conversation towards someone to their immediate right. This led her to scamper over towards another shelf several metres away so that she could gain a better look. However, as she did this, she noted one of the Illithids were missing, whilst the second had drifted over towards the pair of double doors and took up a position next to them.
Shaking her head quickly, her eyes drifted back towards her husband and the Goblin, the the blue-skinned creature's body was blocking whoever it was they they were speaking of. Therefore, she moved towards a flight of stairs behind her which took her to the next floor where more books were stored upon their numerous shelves. Here, the Goddess drifted over towards the railing and gasped. For down below were her husband, the Goblin, and her son.
“What are they talking about?” she muttered to herself, trying her best to stretch her divine senses towards the conversation below. However, as she performed thusly, she failed to notice the second Illithid creeping up behind her. Whereupon it tapped a tentacle atop her head, and knocked her unconscious immediately.
*****
“...Therefore, good Librarian,” rumbled the God King as he motioned towards the child who was the spitting image of himself, “I desire the Stories stated so that my son, Nox, may participate in the upcoming trial of the Gods of-”
He paused, frowning after feeling a disturbance in the air. Whereupon his vision snapped towards the second level just as he watched his wife and mother of his child collapse into the arms of an Illithid. This led him to growl as energies as dark as his fur colour, but tinged with the colours of Rage, Chaos, and Madness billowed forth in a great cloud of smoke. Of which caused him to vanish immediately, and flowed forward and up, much to the squawking surprise of the Goblin below.
His body reemerged behind the Judge who dared to touch what was his, and gripped it by its neck, hoisting its body high above as the world around them was replaced by the darkness of a Void Space whilst Sarah's body collapsed upon the ground. Inside the Space, however, the screams of the creature echoed around as a monster howled and roared with anger whilst tearing apart the creature who dared to overstep their bounds.
This fact and its feelings of torture and death were transferred to the remaining Illithid. Of which shivered and paled as its body wobbled under the force, the message received as clear as day.
“dO NoT TOuCH WhaT Is MINe!” howled the message received in a broken sequence of words, but it shivered and caused both Goblin and child to glance at it with great curiosity.
After which the smoke of pitch erupted back into being, and glided towards the first floor of the Library. Whereupon it reformed itself into two personages, the Ageless holding his wife in his arms.
“Mom?” Nox cried out upon recognising who it was, and rushed towards the pair in order to take up a clawed hand which dangled towards the ground, “What happened?” He stared up into his father's glowing eyes with tears in his own.
“An enthused Judge who thought it prudent to dispatch a spy,” the Ageless's voice thundered throughout the area, his head tilted towards the remaining Judge in order to glare at it, “They knew better, and believed she was to be an easy meal, but were wrong. Dead wrong.” His eyes flared a dangerous vermilion, as more smoke billowed out from under his tails. Whereupon it launched itself towards the remaining Judge, which was desperately trying to escape the Library, and engulfed its body in its entirety.
“Dad?” Nox's eyes were large as he stared at the scene, whilst his father's lips upturned into a sneer.
“My apologies, Nox,” he spoke with a growl, “but it appears we'll have to push the trial date further down the line.”
“Why? What happened?”
“It appears the Judges need to relearn who it is that is in charge, but after we put your mother to bed. She will need a week to rest before she can move about. Even then, the touch of an Illithid upon the mind of a Goddess may have led to some detrimental effects,” he raised up a single tail to punctuate his next words, “Therefore, she will need a lot of rest and care. Not to mention a call from one of our many doctors would be prudent to make sure nothing harmful remains inside.”
“Okay,” the child nodded, not at all sure as to what was spoken of, but positive his father could take care of it.
After which the smoke dissipated, and bother father and son left the Library, leaving a stunned blue Goblin behind to wonder what he was to do with his life.
*****
Sarah stirred and groaned beneath a sea of warmth as the winds of something fierce rocked her body this way and that. It felt, to her feeble mind, that the wind had a voice which spouted words, but they were too far away. Therefore, she tried to ignore it, but the wind continued to rock her body more vigorously.
“...mom...!”
That time, she heard a feint voice as the wind became a gale, and her self was tossed this way and that.
“...mo-om...!”
Again, it called out to her, and she felt a little strength return to her body. Of which was used to right herself as the wind continued to attack her.
“...Mo-o-om!”
The voice was close by as she pushed against the currents towards the unknown whilst trying to use her own voice to call out to them.
“MOM!”