Lux

Hoggdin’s evaluation stung; I didn’t think he was wrong though. According to Hoggdin, I needed a change in environment and an adjusted training regimen. I wanted to be able to wipe that smug smile of Nil’s off his face. Even with the insights Hoggdin gave me, just one from Krahinn and Nil felt uncatchable again. He actually scratched Hoggdin; everything I tried bounced off those scales of his. It was a tiny scratch, but it was still a scratch. How far that slash projected was impressive. Luna and I were doing okay against Krahinn as Nil’s idea to combine the halo and were able to hinder him substantially. More of he let it hinder him as Luna kept me buffed with to endure Krahinn’s thrashing. Then once Nil went flying, Hoggdin and Krahinn proved to be too much. Hoggdin was so physically mighty it was unfair. Keeping Krahinn’s fair suppressed was taxing, but once dodging Hoggdin came into play there was no keeping up. Nil clearly beat himself up over his failure, but his failure still felt stronger than my success. After a few moments, Nil’s family left to discuss moving forward more. Nil was grabbed by Krahinn and brought somewhere. I really hate Krahinn. His laughter replayed in my mind which made my blood boil. Luna was standing around before Nautilus ran over and left with her. Soon, it was Orga, Ipnerslei, Hoggdin, and me. Luna was catching me rapidly. Nil had left me in the dust. This is horrible. This sensation tasted so bitter.

“How can I do better?” I asked Hoggdin. Hoggdin chuckled.

“Drinking from the well of bitterness I see.” Hoggdin quipped as he leaned against his arm with a yawn.

“I hate losing.” I snapped. Hoggdin scratched his chin a bit as he thought over his answer.

“Strength and power are not obtained without sacrifice and effort young one. You are not going to suddenly close the gap Nil created no matter how much you want to. Krahinn might be a jerk, but his knowledge possesses only one rival. You also lack the practical and real-world experience Nil currently has over you; this is why I suggested a change in environment where you can get the experience you need.” Hoggdin explained. Stupid wise dragon.

“Why can’t you give me insight too?” I grumbled. His help would be so nice.

“I am helping. As much as I want, I cannot show favoritism or help to any single as the ruler of Phestia beyond what I am doing. Even if I want you to help rip the Void King limb from limb, my personal agendas cannot be put forward like that. Having you three as guests seeking to learn and fight is permissible as it is with the understanding that you are not laying claim nor attempting to climb the hierarchy of Phestia.” Hoggdin answered in a sincere tone.

“But, if I’m a guest, what does it matter if you help me?” I pouted. Hoggdin gave me a pitying stare that made the feeling even worse.

“Fair point, but I am stretching the rules for guests enough. A ruler must lead by example, and I have never been a fan of a rule for thee not for me. It is my duty to uphold the rules of Phestia and be the ruler they need me to be. I would love to make an exception given the Void King is involved, but that would be abusing my position. The safety of the three of you while you grow is more important than my help. If I push the rules, there are beings on Phestia strong enough to make sure I pay for it. As it stands, they should be understanding of my guests and not press the issue.” Hoggdin lectured softly.

“But. We could get rid of him.” I tried. It felt so pathetic; I hated it.

“Lux, as much as I hate to say it, I cannot see the way to win against him. You should learn more from those that can hope and envision victory, not someone like me. This is the most I can do while being helpful. I do not have much time left, so all I can do is help the next generation begin to sprout; a farmer cannot favor one sprout over the entire field. Even if my personal grudge eats me alive inside, I will do my duty first as it is all I have left.” Hoggdin confessed. His face looked like I felt for a moment.

“Why can Krahinn see it then?” I checked. Nil gets better help again; it’s not fair.

“Because Krahinn is utterly obsessed with killing him. Krahinn will pay any price necessary, stoop to any level, and do whatever it takes to kill the Void King. His sole goal in life for the last millennia has been to make sure the Void King dies. His revenge is all he has; my grudge against the Void King pales in comparison to Krahinn’s.” Hoggdin told me. Ipnerslei was emitting this kind of awkward feeling as she stood there.

“Lux, we are trying our bests to help you. You are not as far behind Nil as you think, as you can train and grow much more than he can. You are so used to being near each other and growing together that now there is a gap, it feels suffocating. It’s why you really should go to Phestia, to grow on your own. You’ll be surprised at how far you grow and climb once you have had the chance to. His help isn’t better, it’s just suited to him. We are trying to get you somewhere suited to helping you.” Ipnerslei added, still shifting awkwardly. Her words made me feel a bit better.

“Why are you shifting then?” I pointed out. She’s just trying to cheer me up, isn’t she?

“Because I’ve tried to get Krahinn to have something other than his revenge. No matter what I did, he was too obsessed to let it go. Krahinn loved his brother, and he made a promise that he’d avenge him or die trying. For better or worse, Krahinn always keeps his word. To that end, he has meticulously plotted his vengeance.” Ipnerslei explained with a sigh.

Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

“I kind of understand what has been happening, but what is the Void King’s obsession with Nil? What is Krahinn’s obsession with the Void King? I can piece some of it together, but two of the entities involved seem so motivated it is hard to grasp what could possibly drive them to such an extreme.” Orga interjected, looking a bit confused.

“Nil is the next in a long line of individuals that are a remnant of the Void King’s past. The Void King made a with his wife that he’d hunt down and exterminate every last one; that he would inflict maximum misery upon them before granting them the release of death. It was made in a moment of anguish and fury, and he has maintained his word since. The Void King typically ruins the life of these individuals, gradually but with cruel certainty killing everyone and anyone they care about or get close to until the misery he inflicts upon the world causes the to erode enough for him to come and kill the offending individual. As for why Krahinn hates the Void King, I cannot answer as it ties to the wager he has with Nil other than it is the precipitating incident that led to Krahinn becoming the Great Blasphemer and King of the Wastes.” Ipnerslei informed us. And because I’m Nil’s , I am in the list of beings he will kill.

“On the bright side Lux, should you survive, you’ll get to live your life being hailed as a hero with a legacy that will last an eternity.” Hoggdin pointed out, clearly wanting to change the subject.

“I understand what you’ve said so far. What I don’t get is, what drove the Void King to make such a ? That seems to be a fairly severe reaction to something. What could possibly motivate someone to make such a thing?” Orga asked. Ipnerslei let out a long, heavy sigh.

“Do you know what happens if you wound someone, and then heal it with ?” Ipnerslei checked. Orga seemed baffled by the question.

“You heal the wound. I don’t see your point.” Orga answered, looking at Ipnerslei with a confused expression.

“I guess this information or fact is a little less known about healing . If someone is injured, most people when they cast the healing envision the person going back to how they were originally. Now, what happens if you heal them with the intention of forever altering their body into something other than the original state?” Ipnerslei probed. Orga thought about it, but then looked horrified; her face was completely disgusted. I was struggling to follow the explanation. I don’t get it.

“It permanently becomes their new normal, doesn’t it?” Orga checked while looking revolted.

“It does. It is possible to revert back to the previous state if you can reinjure and heal it quickly enough, but if you repeatedly wound and intentionally heal the injury further from the original state, it eventually becomes impossible to undo. is powerful, but it cannot do everything. Typically, that methodology is used to torture someone you hate, not a former ally. That is all I will say on the matter; I am sure you can piece it together from there.” Ipnerslei confirmed. The light around her was a bit dim as she said that. I am fairly sure she won’t clarify if I ask her to.

“I have a good enough guess. His reaction still seems extreme.” Orga stated while she was looking a bit ill.

“There’s a reason Krahinn was branded the Great Blasphemer rather than executed for his crimes. I cannot say more than that.” Ipnerslei told Orga.

“Let us talk about a less dreary subject please. Also, you have completely lost Lux.” Hoggdin ordered with his voice sounded a bit off as well.

“Can we talk about Phestia?” I requested. I kind of was curious what it was like. I'd also be able to follow the explanation.

“What do you want to know?” Hoggdin checked with a smile.

“What is it like? How does it compare to Tenebrae?” I clarified. Hoggdin laughed a bit at that.

“They are quite different from each other. You definitely won’t find as many buildings on Phestia as on Tenebrae. We also tend to be a bit more open to the sky in the few we build. Side note on that subject, do not damage any buildings while on Phestia. It is incredibly difficult to damage one, but the price for doing so is immense. You will be with me in the Regius Region, which at its hottest is still colder than here currently. The naming convention is fairly straight forward as most things are named what they are. Beings across the board are more spiritual than you will find here.” Hoggdin began, thinking a little after each sentence.

“What do you mean by more spiritual?” Orga blurted out. Hoggdin looked at her, looking a bit annoyed that she spoke when he was thinking over what else to say.

“I’d like to know too.” I added on to cover for her. Hoggdin gave me a knowing gaze as a small light went off in his head.

“Why do you think we are called ?” Hoggdin asked. Um. Good question. It. Uh. Yea.

“I don’t know.” I confessed softly, looking away from him.

“That’s fine, you’re a kid. How about you, Orga?” Hoggdin challenged with a mischievous tone.

“Because are spiritual manifestations of that take the form of creatures according to the most believed theory.” Orga answered. Hoggdin made a noise that shook the courtyard that made Orga and me jump

“Then how can we have children?” Hoggdin tested. He had this odd glint in his eyes as Orga looked stumped.

“I do not know; I just know the term comes from the Lords. It’s origin and facets are left up to much debate.” Orga stated with a sigh.

“Why are we called ?” I asked Hoggdin. I am kind of curious now that he’s talking about it.

“Because we are ethereal beings that solidify ourselves with ; we can blur the line between life and death much like spirits. Most have two forms, their more physical form which we are both currently in, and our incorporeal where we become made of . The beast portion of the name comes from the fact we are animalistic, and do not resemble the more humanoid forms the Lords take when they manifest their wills.” Hoggdin explained. Wait, wasn’t solid? I immediately changed to it and tried walking through Orga, only to bump off. I could hear Hoggdin clench his jaws to avoid erupting in laughter.

“You are not able to properly transition between the two. That is more of a half step.” Hoggdin informed me in a very controlled tone.

“How do I do it?” I probed immediately. What was it like?

“I guess this can land in the realm of insights of being a as this is nothing major. Just brace yourself for the other side.” Hoggdin cooed as his form became hazy. He put a claw delicately to my head, and everything around changed in an instant. Woah. This is awesome!