| I CREATED THE SOUND OF MADNESS
WROTE THE BOOK ON PAIN SOMEHOW I'M STILL HERE TO EXPLAIN
--- THAT THE DARKEST HOUR NEVER COMES IN THE NIGHT --- |
Aeron had been standing and waiting somewhat patiently as Mythal took hold of the gem and began to ask questions of Darius outloud. She couldn’t hear what Darius was telling him, but it seemed she didn’t need to as Mythal opted to relay everything to her. The disembodied archmage confirmed things that Aeron already knew, that she and Thana shared possession of his phylactery and that Thana was who she was because of the same traumas that Aeron herself suffered. She listened as he explained about not just Ataxia, who was a goddess that used to rule some dark realm before something happened to her. Ever since, another Goddess named Faera had taken over the kingdom, and apparently this goddess was the reason behind Mythal’s power, even the reason behind his very birth.
The brunette frowned. “Darius told us once about Ataxia and us being connected to her. I just… I thought he was joking. He’s always saying ridiculous things, and I… well, it just doesn’t make any sense? Why would some god pick me for an avatar? I’m nobody.” It was obvious Aeron was distressed. She had always brushed off Darius’ words and ignored them, thinking him full of as much shit as Thana, but Mythal looked pale at the very thought of this Ataxia. He knew who she was, knew she was real, and knew she was dangerous.
From there, Darius explained that while he knew that Mythal would be the one to kill Thana that he should stay his hand and capture her rather than kill her right away, stating that doing so would save more than just her own life. He also told the director that as of right now, he couldn’t help Aeron properly anyway, not until he finished amassing some necessary power. Mythal outright insulted the archmage and his kind, annoyed with the crypticness of the message. It is what it is, Darius replied coolly, taking no offense. If I could tell you without risk of altering your desired outcome then I would, but I cannot.
Oh her part, Aeron’s shoulders slumped a little. “Thana’s pregnant,” she told Mythal quietly. “If you killed her before the baby was born, then the baby would die, too. Though I’d prefer death over having that woman as my mother, but… I guess that’s not the kid’s fault.” She could only assume that’s what Darius meant by saving another life besides Aeron’s own. “She told me that she manipulated someone into sleeping with her… I don’t remember the details. I was tryin’ not to listen at the time.. I think she said his name was… Matt?”
Nat, Darius corrected, though Aeron couldn’t hear him at the moment. His name is Nathaniel Stratford, and was a member of the guild Dies Irae up until its recent disbandment. The co-guildmaster Sivvy was his mentor. Thana and Sivvy fought some time ago, and Thana violated her -- in every sense of the word -- before stuffing her broken body into a crate and mailing her back to the guild. And now, as Aeron has said, Thana is carrying Nathaniel’s child. You may wish to consider seeking him out before it is time to deal with Thana. The young man is… troubled, to put it nicely. He has questions of his own, and wishes to confront her for using him as she did.
Electing to move on to a new subject, Mythal inquired about the Divines and Sins, a question that caused Aeron’s brows to wrinkle in confusion. He asked for names and titles, as well as what each of their predispositions were toward mortals. He also asked for information about Faera, the goddess that he had mentioned earlier was the source of his magic. Victoria has already revealed the names and titles of the other Divines to your father, but I can certainly reiterate them. With each name he spoke, a clear and vivid image of the individual would flash within Mythal’s mind. Kronelia of Truth, Orena of Purity, Zalona of Pacification, Amon of Repose, Kihlene of Reticence, Xuhtia of Patience, Iahael of Selflessness, Bilios of Piety, and Ramuh of Faith. These are the Divines outside of Faera who are currently capable of traversing through this reality. Ataxia is the divine of Entropy, and she is stuck in a prison between dimensions where her brothers, sisters, and the sins placed her to keep her from destroying everything.
Of the Sins, you are already aware of Ozorith and Ruzatz. The rest of them are Azaur of Envy, Eraeth of Slot, Iglan of Greed, Goroth of Gluttony, and Xural of Pride. Each Divine and Sin has dominion over a particular element. Ruzatz and Faera control reversed sides of darkness and shadows; Ozorith and Zalona control ice; Xural and Bilios have command over lightning; Azaur and Kihlene command holy energy; Eraeth and Amos have Earth; Ilgan and Iahael have fire; and Goroth and Orena control poison. Of the Divines that remain, Ramuh holds dominion over iron and metal, Kronelia over the air, and Xuhtia over water. There are powerful demons that command these elements as well, but none of them are strong enough to be considered lord as the rest of the primes are.
As to their countenances, the entire group is a bit of a mixed bag, but the overall lot of them are not favorable toward mortals, though many of them hide their intentions masterfully and do not necessarily outwardly show their bias. The ones that are predisposed against humanity are Kronelia, Amos, Xural, Goroth and Ilgan. In addition to Faera and Ozorith, of course. Those who are compassionate toward mortals and strive to protect them are Orena, Kihlene, Zalona, Eraeth, and also Ruzatz, as you have seen. The rest fall more into neutral territory. Some lean more in one direction or another, but they are still decidedly more moderate than their siblings. While neither group has any true leader, both factions tend to defer to the strongest of their orders, which would put Ozorith in charge of the demon lords and Ramuh in charge of the gods. Ramuh is one of the more neutral gods, and I could tell you more about him, but you may wish to instead learn of him from Ruzatz… or more specifically his wife, Agatha. She used to be quite close with Ramuh not long ago.
Knowing that Mythal would not respect the divulgence of the details of his friends’ private lives, Darius elected to only speak enough to encourage Mythal to seek such information from those whom he knew and trusted more. WIth Faera, there actually is a fair bit of important information I can provide that not even your Seals are currently aware of. The first is the identities of the humans that make up her Immortal Thirteen followers. The first is your biological mother, Jihl, who is the closest to the goddess of love and the one whom Faera primarily speaks through. She originates from Fiore. After her, in no particular order there is Thrand, who hails from Iceburg; Petra from Pergrande; Astri from Iceburg; Swain from Seven; Hallvard from Enca; Camilla, Camille, and Camrin from Midi; Haimdall from Ca-Elum; Enna from Bosco; Alessandro from Minstrel; and Cédric from Bellum.
There is very little I can divine about them in detail, including most of their whereabouts, I’m afraid. That information is blocked from me, I presume by some force of protection they have received from Faera. What I do know is that each of them holds a portion of Faera’s magic, much like you once did, and they can use those abilities to come and go from Kingdom Darkness freely. Additionally, I do know that Petra is not only still in Pergrande, but she is one of the higher ranking officers in their army. Another piece of information that will be of interest to you is that Thrand is the one that attacked your father and Monica Belle in an attempt to cause a distraction the night that Faera most recently attempted to take control of your body.
As before with the Divines and the Sins, a flash of each individual played within Mythal’s mind, each member of the Immortal Thirteen bearing white hair and golden eyes. There is one last thing you should know. Should you succeed in killing Faera, there will be a visceral response within Kingdom Darkness itself. It is imperative that Kingdom Darkness have someone there to keep it in control, or else the realm will quickly run rampant. I know you do not wish to take up your mantle as the Darkness King, but there are very few besides you who can reign the realm in without succumbing to its chaos and corruption. As you have seen with Faera, not even the gods can withstand its influence over time. So, be warned that Faera’s death will not be the quick solution to the problem she presents as you hope it to be.