The High Spirits watched their adopted ‘nephew’ begin cleaning up his Dungeon before turning to each other.
“I think that went about as well as it could,” Krat’Imos said gruffly. “He truly is one of us now in the full sense of the word.”
“Indeed,” Tal’Irieth concurred. “This will cause issues for him down the road.”
“Perhaps, but conflict is inevitable as you all well know.” The others nodded in agreement to Ile’Fen’s words. His domain wouldn’t be nearly as powerful if that wasn’t the case.
“Now what are we going to do with you?” Tal’Irieth muttered as they all turned to look at a certain mischievous god who was currently hog-tied on his throne. Trik’Weri gave them all an awkward smirk.
“Ah, you could let me go? I mean my bargain saved the kid’s life.”
Krat’Imos guffawed loudly. “Ha! Yeah, and you almost got the lad killed when he was forced to ignite a Divine Spark. No, no, no. I think you and I need to have a chat about hidden loopholes in my system again. You have a lot of talking to do.”
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Deep in the woods far to the North, a foul presence woke up. Absolith of the Fallen felt his people ripped from his grasp and roared. He strained at his chains with what remained of his strength but found them as strong as ever. But now he was awake once more and now he knew there was a young Divinity nearby.
He would be free as soon as he could find the key to this infernal prison. He had thought that the archmage would have provided the key but the fool had shattered his own Spark before he could be corrupted fully. Still, what was an archmage compared to a divinity.
He licked his lips, his long tongue sliding over drooling jaws dripping with miasma. That young divine spark would make for the perfect appetizer after he was free. A fine way to soothe his hunger until he went after the High Spirits themselves.
He settled in to wait even as the ache of his missing minions settled in his soul. He had others, of course, Fallen races that had meshed their fate with his. He would bring all of them to bear against the one who had stolen from him. His hiss echoed through the halls of his prison as he began plotting his revenge.
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Horace watched as Cormac and four others were surrounded by his men. They didn’t put up a fight and it was clear to see why. They were beaten and tired. They weren’t wounded but then again why would they be after the display of divine power that had teleported them out and healed their wounds?
Cormac had given his group the slip and by the time they had left Mother Tree they had been a day behind. Though the evident losses tore at his heart, Horace couldn’t help but be relieved by the fact that Cormac hadn’t succeeded. He stepped forward and addressed his former council member in a stern voice. “Cormac Torgir, you are hereby stripped of your seat on the council and are under arrest for betrayal to the Mother Tree. Do you intend to resist or will you come peacefully?”
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Cormac’s gaze lifted to his and Horace was shocked at the shame and deep guilt that lay there. His hoarse voice echoed the look in his eyes. “No. No, I will not resist Horace. Do what you came to do.”
“Very well. Men.” As his men moved forward and clasped the cold iron around his former council member and his team Horace turned and surveyed the Dungeon and its grounds. He didn’t dare enter but he would wait and see if any of the misguided souls that joined Cormac could make it out. He doubted it but he would wait all the same before taking the prisoners back to face judgment.
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The Mouse Captain looked upon the column that housed his lord and then his gaze fell to the scene of war spread out around it. He nodded to the Third Floor Guardian and received a dip of the head in response. He made his way over to the scene of the battle to find his new brother-in-arms resting against a wall.
The former invader simply watched him come, breathing heavily from the rigors of what he had just gone through. The power radiating from him was immense in a way the mouse had never experienced in a monster before. Not even the whales on the fourth floor gave off such an Aura.
“Come…closer little one. I will not bite.” The creature said and the guardian took the offered olive branch.
“What are you?” The mouse asked simply, his muzzle contorting in odd ways to help him speak clearly. The creature leaned its head back and closed its eyes, letting out a breathless chuckle.
“I am what remains of a shattered pact. The shards of a broken race remade. I was Fallen and am now risen again. I made a gamble invading this place, and my gamble has paid off.” The creature looked down at him and smiled a tired toothy grin. “I needed a god to break my chains and your master has provided. You need not worry about my loyalty.”
The Mouse Captain nodded, surprised that the creature had so easily read his intentions in spite of the simplicity of his question. He left the creature to rest with a farewell flick of his tail and moved to the next possible threat.
The rats of the fourth floor were picking through what remained of their dead, spearheaded by the strange rat at their head. They froze when the Mouse Captain approached with his retinue behind him. They moved to stand behind their leader bristling as the mouse moved closer.
The rat’s leader, however, remained impassive. His sparking eyes roved over the mouse and his guard, seemingly encouraged by what he saw. The rat shambled forward to meet the mouse and they stared at each other for a long moment.
The moment was broken when the presence of his lord fell on them. The rat looked around wide-eyed as if he could feel it too despite not being a Dungeon Creature. His lord seemed to want to rectify this as the rat suddenly shone with light as his lord invaded. The other rats too shone with light and the mouse relaxed as the rats refused to fight the claiming. He turned away and moved off, content that each of the remaining threats to his lord were dealt with.
Followed by his retinue he moved to the spire in the center of the room and looked up. It was time to finish his Delve. He climbed the service of the spire, the rock pitted and marked for easy climbing. He entered through the hole in the top and began his descent. The pilgrimage lasted some time as he skirted pools of condensed liquid Aether before climbing down into the lower caverns. But soon, he was greeted by the cool light of his lord. He moved with his entourage and they spread out to either side of him.
He led them in kneeling before the Core, his battle blade held vertical with paws around the hilt. His fellow mice did the same with their needles. They gave subservience to their lord who had given them life and Aether. The Mouse Guardian reaffirmed his conviction. His lord would be protected against all those who would seek to do him harm. He swore it.