Butter slipped on the light yellow sunglasses Nungal handed her with a smirk, their semi-transparent sheen glowing faintly under the immense golden light of the open space above them. Her smile didn’t waver, but the scale of this “palace”—or whatever it was—pressed on her senses, her pulse quickening beneath the radiance.
“So,” Butter drawled, sliding into her casual, yet ever-so-regal stance, “is this what you call a palace?”
Nungal gave a light chuckle, the odd sound of chains clinking resounding around them as she stretched out. “Oh, sweetie,” she grinned, tossing her cosmic violet hair back, “entire universes are smaller than this ‘palace.’ You’re standing at the heart of something much, much grander. Let’s do something about that outfit, too.”
Butter’s aquamarine eyes flickered to her with a tinge of amusement as her clothes changed to a pure gold robe. “Oh, just a little humble abode, is it? Good to know. I was worried I’d stumbled into some godly summer retreat.”
Nungal’s lips curled. “I like to keep things…simple,” she said, voice dripping with playfulness.
The beautiful goddess, or whatever she was, gestured for Butter to follow her along one of the white stone paths that materialized out of nowhere, crisscrossing the space. Their steps echoing softly as if in a grand hall, yet it was entirely open, the bright light in the sky reflecting off the surging, crystalline waters stretched out in every direction, making the area feel infinite.
Butter kept pace, elbows clasped behind her back. The overwhelming Life Energy swirling around them left her void of thought, awe gripping her heart for what felt like the first time. It felt like…home, humming with power waiting to be held close and never let go, like dipping her toes in a stream she hadn’t realized she’d missed
It was a far cry from the cold grip of Death Energy she’d grown accustomed to, being tied to Priss. But there was a comfort in that, as well.
“I can’t help but…fall in love with this place,” she finally whispered, spinning in a slow circle as they reached a flat pathway that rose into the air. Slow, spirally waves of water rose and fell in a restless rhythm, as if begging to be set free, only to be drawn back into the endless rivers and lakes that stretched into eternity. “I suppose I’ll ask the question…”
Butter flicked her liquid-gold hair back with a casual gesture, attention returning to the goddess’ swaying frame, her sleek, comfortable robes weaving in the light breeze.
“Am I right to assume you brought me here for a reason. You dressed me up with stylish shades, given me a tour, and now we’re talking about universes being smaller than this little paradise. What’s the catch… Nungal, was it? Feels…familiar,” she noted tapping her chin and narrowing her eyes. “You know Priss and me, likely from our previous lives… You make it sound like we’re inside my sister’s soul. Curious.”
Nungal’s laugh was light, musical, even. The woman paused, half turning and giving her a mischievous look that made Butter’s fingers tighten against her elbows at her back.
Butter’s smirk lingered, tracing Nungal’s every move as she trailed behind the violet-haired woman. Each step the goddess took had a fluidity that seemed to ripple through the air, unsettling yet alluring. There was the cold prickle of unease about her—a tingling crawl, like a fingertip trailing down her spine.
Something about this mysterious figure’s very presence seemed to shrink the space around her, making even the vastness of Irkalla feel stifling, a breath she couldn’t quite release.
“Life and death are not the edges of existence,” she whispered, her voice low and silky, “but rather the bars of a cage…”
Nungal suddenly halted, glancing back, her violet eyes glinting with a knowing edge that bordered on affectionate mockery. Her lips curved upward, faintly amused, as if Butter’s scrutiny was the most predictable thing in the world.
“…One that mortals spend their lives straining against, while those of us beyond it can hardly see the difference between the two. Sometimes,” she continued, her gaze sharpening like a blade, “it’s eternity that feels the most confining. After all, there is no cage quite like one you cannot see, no prison more binding than infinity itself.”
Butter opened her mouth to respond, but the words evaporated as the ground beneath her vanished. Her heart jolted as gravity seized her, and her lungs leaped into her throat with the abruptness of the fall—not into empty space, no…into something else.
Nungal gave her a two-fingered salute from her lofty position, floating without a care in the world. “Careful where you land…it’s a bright, lonely place that rises to meet you.”
She tumbled, body free-falling into an endless expanse between heaven and earth, her breath stolen by the rush of air and the creeping sensation of something unseen wrapping around her, pulling her ever deeper.
Just as the ground had disappeared beneath her, water rose to meet her—not with the violent impact she anticipated but with a smooth, creeping ascent, as though it was dragging her upward. It enfolded her like a thousand silken fingers, gliding over her skin, pressing gently as though it wanted to crawl into her very being. The sensation felt simultaneously foreign and natural, as if the water knew her, as if it understood her better than she understood herself.
Then, a cold snap. Chains lashed out, clamping around her ankles and jerking her downward with a force that made her gasp, life-giving water filling her lungs.
The weight dragged her under, her limbs straining against the pull, but the more she fought, the tighter the grip became. Shadows churned below, yawning into a dark abyss that beckoned her like an endless, indifferent maw. She tried to push against the pressure, but the chains only dragged her deeper, smothering her defiance until life began to leave her eyes.
In that moment, the world swirled, shadows rippling like ink in water, and then she fell again, this time breaking through a surface she couldn’t see until she was sinking into it, tumbling into an oily blackness that seemed to absorb the very notion of light. The air was thick and tasted of salt and metal, clinging to her skin with a chill that seeped into her bones.
Butter emerged, coughing and shivering, her feet finding steady ground beneath her, the slick surface of what felt like water beneath her feet. As she regained her balance, she took a tentative breath, her pulse calming—but only slightly.
The faint, metallic clink of chains echoed through the shadows around her, a soft, ghostly cadence that seemed to mock her silence. And then, like the first crack of lightning, she heard the slow, deliberate click of heels: Nungal.
Butter stilled, her senses prickling, each echoing footstep growing louder until Nungal materialized from the darkness, draped in a cosmic cloak, her eyes alight with that same omnipotent amusement that made her want to quake, but she refused, fire igniting in her again.
“Tell me, little conqueror,” Nungal murmured, her tone laced with a question far deeper than her words while sleeping back into the shadows. “What does Elinor mean to you?
She didn’t speak at first, letting the silence draw taut as she examined her surroundings, yet the entity that observed her left an intent so intense it felt like a needle pricking her every cell. Butter’s jaw clenched, maintaining her smirk while straightening her posture.
“You could have just asked me to dance instead of going down this roller coaster, but I had fun… As for Priss, that’s a hard question to answer but I get the feeling I’ll get more out of this if I cooperate than resist. I love her, in my own unique way,” she said with a bright grin. “We’re the loving blades at each other’s throats, destined to bicker and pull each other’s hair until the end of time.”
Nungal’s face half materialized from the darkness, her lips curling into a teasing smile as she held up a blade to twist it around her palm in a slow motion. “Always one to get to the point with flavor. I’ve enjoyed that about you… And what do you recall of Ashrit, the you before you?”
Without warning, Nungal flicked her hand, and a dagger shot through the shadows toward her chest. Her body reacted on instinct, sidestepping with swift precision and reaching out, her fingers expertly closing around the blade’s hilt before her mind even registered the movement.
“Well, that’s interesting,” she mused, holding the black item up while watching the weapon convert to smoke and whisper away, Nungal slipping back into the darkness. “What do I know about Ashrit? She was quite the…unsavory character. Nothing like me,” she sighed, tossing what was left of the dagger into the shadows.
“You think so?” Butter leaned back as a spear flew out from her left, her cheek barely escaping its edge. “Memories are such mutable things, don’t you think? Especially when one ascends to godhood. How can you be so sure those memories belong to you…or were corrupted during your last, daring attempt to defeat your sister in the womb?”
Butter’s heart beat faster, yet a strange calm settled over her. She took a slow breath, drawing herself to her full height. The goddess stepped out of the veil, fingers curling around chains that clinked in her fingers.
Instead of a frown or glare, as her twin might do, Butter felt passion welling up in her chest as she put a hand on her hip. “What difference does that make? Whether altered or not, it is still my current known truth. I’m not that loser anymore. I’m Butter—and maybe a little more,” she stated with a positive grin. “If Priss has a bit of me to brighten her up, and I got a little more…whatever she gave me, then I’ll take that as a win because it feels like one.”
Nungal’s head tilted to the side, and for the first time, it looked like she had to reconsider something. Then, she chuckled, her frame shaking softly as the sound reverberated in the darkness like a ripple across a still pond.
“What…a charming way to view it and truly to your strength. Somehow, through the disaster this has been, the results are better than I could have hoped for. Yet,” her tone dripped with honeyed menace, vision narrowing with subtle delight, “you will not be able to escape your past so easily, Lady of the Evening Star. A crack has formed and must be sealed.”
Butter grinned as three more daggers flew out of the shadows from different angles, a spark of exhilaration igniting in her chest. With minimal movement, she evaded each one, stepping to the side as a spear dropped out of the sky to dip into the inky pool below her. Experience from her past lives seemed to be surging through her veins, filling her with an almost electric energy.
“You’re such a tease! Don’t think I don’t see what you’re doing. If you wanted to, you could impale me without the blink of an eye.” Butter puffed up her chest with a bright grin. “I can’t tell if you’re on Priss’ side or mine, but I’m not an enemy. At least not at this moment. You’re preparing me for something. I just don’t know why you’d want to help. Care to illuminate me?” she asked with a bright grin.
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
“Well done,” Nungal softly clapped, her tone laced with approval. She took a step forward, eyes narrowed, assessing. “What do I hope to gain… Well, that’s something for you to find out. You know, Ashrit still asked me that same thing the last time we talked when she ascended to godhood…before Irkalla killed her. So why don’t you return and test out that restored Seed within you?”
Butter blinked as Nungal’s fingertip lightly tapped her forehead, the goddess grinning with a sly twinkle in her cosmic gaze. “Try to play nice with the Hare of Misfortune on the other side of the Crystal, but, hey—go ahead and have your fun,” she teased, her tone lilting in that condescendingly playful manner only a goddess could pull off.
The next thing Butter knew, she was falling—space warping and twisting around her, bright light replaced by the cold void of transit between worlds. She didn’t even have time to register the transition fully before her back hit something soft.
With a grunt, Butter sat up, finding herself back on her side of the spiritual room inside their twin souls. The gentle hum of her life-giving energy radiated around her, the distant echo of her sister’s presence ever close but so far away.
With a weighted laugh, she squinted at the hazy glass-like barrier between them, separating her from where Elinor’s soul should be. It was vacant to her, devoid of life as her sister’s sense of humor.
Leaning back in her chair, she stretched her arms out lazily, fingers interlaced behind her head, a smirk curling on her lips. Let’s see if I can get some mood music going… She tilted her head back, eyes half-lidded as she willed her surroundings to respond.
Sure enough, soft, uplifting music began to filter through the space, a calming melody that contrasted the intensity of the encounter with Nungal. Butter allowed herself a small chuckle, her hand absently brushing against the jewel nestled between her bust. The power of the Supreme Chief still pulsed within it—a warm, rhythmic beat that seemed to resonate with her own Life Force.
Hmm, she thought, fingers tracing the smooth surface of the gem. That little chat with Nungal was more revealing than I expected. So, Priss and I have more of an audience than I first thought… Someone leagues beyond the Scarlet Hand or Shade.
Frown tilting her mouth slightly, her curiosity piqued while creating an image of the stunning purple-haired young woman. She feels so…familiar. Whoever she is, she can’t be alone, and they know us intimately—our actions, our lives. How long have they been watching, interfering?And why? Is it in our benefit or their own? No, the real question is…how does one kill a goddess?
Her gaze drifted back to the illusion she summoned, pondering it for several seconds before shaking her head, unable to come up with a definitive answer. A problem for the future, when needed. Actually…
Butter sat a little straighter, creating an image of her twin next, sitting there with her signature scowl plastered across her face. That little scamp! She tells me that Priss killed me, but not only that, but when I became a goddess?
She couldn’t help but giggle, waving a dismissive hand while considering the absurd experience she’d just had. “Oh, don’t give me that look, Priss. What was I supposed to do? Punch her in the face? Please.”
Tilting her head, her tone shifting to a more serious tone. “I bet you’ll have your own little visitation soon enough, Sister. Let’s see how you handle our little divine stalker.”
The illusion didn’t respond, but Butter could practically hear her sister’s irritated sigh in her head.
Butter leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees, her mood fading into something more thoughtful. “Nungal seemed…invested. That’s a good word for it. Like she’s expecting something big from us, and, obviously, her improving my reflexes, among other things, no doubt, is for this Crystal event.
“Hmm. Whatever it is, it’s not just about us, dear sis. I’m sure of that. This goes deeper—beyond our petty squabbles or even the Scarlet Hand. There is a bigger game being played on that higher level. Not that we will see what that looks like anytime soon.”
She tilted her head to the side as the room changed to a vision of the Valley of Life and Death, the Crystal hovering in the sky. “And that gateway… A Hare of Misfortune, she says? Interesting…” She trailed off, her mind racing with possibilities.
With a shake of her head, she dismissed the illusion of her twin, her expression brightening once again as she pushed aside the heavy thoughts. “Whatever it is, I’m sure I’ll find a way to turn it to my advantage once the fog begins to lift and the future becomes present,” she whispered, her grin returning. “And if I get into trouble… Well, that’s what big sisters are for, isn’t it? I’m such a terrible little sister!”
Butter relaxed back into her chair, her gaze lingering on the darkened barrier between her and Elinor. Whatever was coming, she was ready to adapt. After all, life was so much more fun when it kept you on your toes. And if anyone could handle whatever cosmic games were in play, it was her. For now, though…she had a conquest to perform.
A status window popped up on desire, a low hum rumbling in her throat as she scanned through the Feats she’d been granted and had been automatically assigned to her, no doubt influenced by Nungal herself.
What a naughty goddess you are… she snickered, her vision fixating on the Achievement Feat that most stood out to her. [Conquest’s Domain: Domination]. You know me too well, mysterious lady in the sky. I hope to get better acquainted in time… We can have so much fun together!
Swiping it away, she stood, exiting her internal world, aquamarine eyes flashing with the spirit of conquest burning within her.
Butter emerged with a deep breath, enjoying the stale air that filled her lungs as her feet touched the stone floor of the chamber. Irida jumped to her feet, a nervous note in her voice.
“High Queen…” The Head of the Life Cult glanced up, eyes wide with a mixture of relief and awe, as if sensing the change in the air around her after regaining a body of her own. “What are we to do about the Orb of Seg’tharis?”
Butter’s posture straightened, her golden hair shimmering as she clasped her hands behind her back, the jewel nestled against her chest pulsing in sync with her own heartbeat. Her head tilted toward the repentant woman, a soft smile playing on her lips.
“Let’s save the formalities for later, dear,” Butter said, her tone light but commanding. She felt the Eye of Utelira resonate with newfound strength, an almost magnetic pull as her connection to it deepened. No…not with it, but with the aspect of Life Force itself after whatever Nungal had done. “We’ve got a mess to clean up.”
Without another word, she ascended the steps, her footfalls echoing through the chamber as she moved toward the courtyard. The air grew heavier with each step, the faint hum of Death Energy swirling overhead. She could feel it—the tension in the air, the battle raging just beyond the doors that Mika and White were engaged in.
Beyond the walls, Mika was locked in combat with hordes of undead, rising to attack anything that moved indiscriminately, attempting to drag them into the underworld. The toad woman’s blade cut through bone and rotten flesh alike, Butter sensing her precise, brutal efficiency.
White was even more magnificent, performing the act that Butter had resonated to, and for a reason. The Horseman of Conquest fit her personality like a glove, and she’d join her soon enough as she turned the undead against one another. Butter calmly assessed the situation, getting updates from the three women she’d brought.
Snow and Adoncia were busy facing the faction that had followed Lokar’s claim for leadership. They’d bought her enough time to regain a body, and she had to reward them for it. But that would come later. Now was a time of action.
As she emerged into the open courtyard, the scene before her was chaotic. Snow was still locked in fierce combat with Lokar himself, her white hair matted with sweat, a few cuts on her arms and legs, her dress torn in places, but still fighting fiercely. Frost crept up the stones around them as her ice magic coated the ground in patches, and, perhaps greater, she’d unlocked the ability to purify Death Energy.
I’m like a proud parent! Butter sniffed, her smile never wavering as she gauged her strengthening soul, battling the waves of death that assaulted her soul.
It seems my touch and support has unlocked some rather potent abilities in our little snowflake… Time freezes…momentary phases where she steps between dimensional lines, becoming intangible and passes through time waves. And is it just me, or has she grown even prettier? I knew there was potential in her. Just a little more…and we can shatter that Seed in her to unlock something greater to be sucked in by that Greater one she stole. And let’s not forget my Blue Eyes…
Adoncia was a blur of movement, engaging several Death Raiders at once, her savage brutality mixed with graceful, fluid motions. She was dancing between their attacks in a conflict of competing styles, trying to remain dignified while expressing the frustration she’d harbored toward her parents for most her life that had brought out this oni within the young woman.
Unbothered by their auras of Death Energy that surrounded them, her maid was a terror for the warriors to handle. Then, there were the real threats.
Butter’s gaze shifted to the walls, where two of the Fingers of Seg’tharis stood, defectors, their expressions tense as they watched the battle unfold. Above the fortress, a vortex of Death Energy spiraled, casting a dark shadow over the battlefield. However, the Orb of Seg’tharis was nowhere to be seen.
It seems the two other Fingers escaped with it, fracturing away from this group. Who else would they run to…but Shade? Well played, you underground hermit crab, snapping your claws and getting little snails to dance.
Nergath was waiting at the front doors for her, his eyes hard as he glanced between the fighters and the roiling sky. Beside him stood the First and Second Fingers, their bony, ghastly faces split with amused grins as they watched her approach with a mix of wariness and something else—something like hope.
Butter tightened her grip behind her back, walking with the regal grace of a queen reclaiming her throne. The First and Second of the Right lifted their sunken eyes to the skies, blind but capable of seeing through the aspect of Death that hung around all things, awaiting their time for destruction.
“The High Queen returns.” The First Finger snickered, pointing at the dark heavens. “And the power of Seg’tharis shall imbue his chosen with the shroud of decay. Observe, the greatest honor bestowed by His Unholy Arm.”
“Fools…” All eyes flew to the heavens as a voice whispered from above, caressing every ear from beyond the vortex as if a shadow dug its way into their minds. “You think yourselves triumphant? The end…is upon you.”
The ground quaked and the sky parted to show a floating Skydarter, emerald lightning sparking across the heavens. Atop the undead dragonfly stood the Third Finger of the Right, a shimmering emerald orb sparking to life as if a miniature sun in his hands.
“The living will perish and fade, it is only a matter of time… The skies turn red with the blood of the fallen!” he howled, the vortex above intensifying into a brilliant crimson as the ground beneath the fortress began to tremble. “The Army of the Damned hears my voice!”
Snow staggered back, her hand clutching at her chest, her eyes wide with alarm as the angel of death descended. Adoncia readied herself to strike, her eyes locked on the twisted, ghostly figure that materialized out of the bloody fog, but Butter raised a hand, her voice cutting through the chaos.
“Don’t be so sure…”
White, Mika, stand down. Return to me. Adoncia, grab Snow and bring her into the keep. You’ve done enough.”
Adoncia didn’t hesitate, using the distraction of the shocking figure descending upon them to dart for the trembling, aging Fable to bring her into the fortress.
Butter stepped forward, her eyes fixed on the bloody figure of otherworldly death, a creature from a higher sphere, no doubt…nothing compared to Nungal. The Eye of Utelira flared to life, golden light spilling from her form as she smiled and strode out to meet it.
A brilliant radiance enveloped her, the very air around her seeming to hum with divine power. The ri’bot’s eyes widened, and one by one, they began to drop to their knees, unable to withstand the sheer force of her presence.
Snow gasped as they passed her, life surging back inside her crippling figure. She pressed a hand to her chest, her breaths coming in shallow gasps. “What…what is this feeling?”
Adoncia chuckled and whispered, “The High Monarch of the Evening Star.”
Butter summoned her fan and raised it high into the air, and as if responding to her command, golden clouds gathered above them, creating a barrier between the shrieking figure. Her voice rang out, clear and strong, as she addressed the entity forced into their dimensional sphere.
“Come, fiend. I will prove my right to rule here and now. I am the Radiant Eminence… I am, The Evening Star. Show me your smile!”