Realm of Monsters

Chapter 593: Children of Gods

  “So what you’re saying is that it’ll be difficult to find Wren… and my sister is running out of time,” Reldros muttered.

  “Melantha can heal your sister’s soul right now, but Zavinti will die in the process,” noted Holo.

  “Or I can try and find Wren the Black, but if I’m too late, then my sister’s soul will break entirely and she’ll be gone forever…”

  “I told you it was risky.”

  “And there’s no other way?” Reldros asked, a trace of hope in his voice.

  Holo, Melantha, and Lunae glanced at each other.

  “None that we know of,” admitted Holo.

  “Then I will search for the black mage. If I cannot find Wren, will this city be a good place to find you, Melantha?” asked Reldros.

  “I only plan to stay here for a few months at best. I don’t usually stay in one place for more than a few weeks.”

  “And if you are not here, then where might I find you?”

  “You won’t,” replied Melantha.

  “Is there no way I could persuade you to—?”

  “Let’s clarify something. I am willing to help you out here at this very moment, as a favor to Holo, nothing more. I owe you and your kin nothing.”

  Reldros frowned. “I am aware, but that does not mean we cannot come to some trade or agreement.”

  “I have no interest in any such agreement. I may not side with my father, but what he and the Calamities did to your kind was not wrong.”

  “Nel!” Holo said in disbelief.

  The dragons growled, outraged. Green fire wrapped around them as their humanoid shapes prepared to change. Only Reldros stayed still, though his eyes burned with a deep inner fire. 

  Lunae watched on in silence and took a few steps back, closer to Stryg. The blue goblin glanced around anxiously, he hadn’t come here prepared to fight a dozen dragons. Arden and Gale quietly walked over to Lunae and Stryg, ready to defend them at a moment’s notice.

  “You may have some friends among the dragons, but I hold no love for their kind,” said Melantha unrepentantly. “The dragonlords murdered our people, Holo. Thousands upon thousands of innocent titans dead. We were their allies and they betrayed us. The dragonlords would have happily hunted down the last of us and ruled over this world without anyone to oppose them. They would have if the Calamities didn’t strike first.”

  “That was a long time ago, Reldros and the others weren’t born yet. They aren’t responsible for any of that,” said Holo.

  “They aren’t any different. I have seen what dragons did to the humans of the Jade Realm. Entire villages turned to ash by dragon fire. Dragons look down upon mortal-kind, they always have. If it wasn’t for their help in the siege I wouldn’t be speaking to any of them.”

  “My lord, just give the order,” muttered one of the dragons.

  Reldros held up his hand for them to stand down. “You are half-human, yes?” he asked.

  Melantha crossed her arms. “I am.”

  “Then I understand why the destruction of human villages would bother you so much. But I hope you understand that humanity is descended from the blood of dragons, just like all the other chromatic species. Does that not make you guilty of your ancestors' crimes as well?” asked Reldros.

  Melantha smiled wryly at him. “Oh, dragons made it very clear that their mortal descendants are nothing like them. Do not try to manipulate me into thinking we are the same. And I do not judge you based on your parents’ crimes. I judge you based on your own. You have lived for thousands of years. How many titans did you kill during that time? Most titans had little power, they could not defend themselves against dragon attacks. And what of humans? Did you kill them too? How many? If the answer is none, then I will travel with you and help you find Wren the Black right now.”

  Reldros tensed his jaw. “I have killed more than I’d like to admit, but perhaps we can look past that—”

  “There is no looking past what is obviously staring in front of me. I know of your reputation. Your sister was the tempered one, not you, Reldros the Amaranth Fury. You are playing nice only because your sister’s life is at risk. We are both monsters, Reldros. The difference is I fight for mortal-kind and you fight only for your own. So no, there will be no agreement. If you leave now, I will not help you later on.”

  “...I was afraid you might say that. I never expected much from titans, especially the daughter of a Calamity,” Reldros sighed deeply and the fire burning in his eyes died a little. “I will seek out Wren the Black and if I cannot find him soon, I will try to make it back here.”

  “If you do this, you’re risking Zavinti’s,” said Lunae. “Risking your sibling’s life is not something you should take lightly. Think on it, at least for the evening.”

  “No, I have made my decision.”

  Lunae glanced at Zavinti’s sleeping face. “Are you certain?”

  “If Melantha repairs my sister’s soul now she’ll die in the process. Zavinti’s soul will leave this world and enter the Soul Chasm. Who is to say Death isn’t waiting for her, just like he was with my parents?”

  “Nel could protect her,” offered Holo.

  “She is a goddess of death, she is not Death himself. Could she stop Death from taking my sister?”

  Holo lowered her head in silence.

  “Then my decision is made.” Reldros bowed his head to Lunae, “Thank you for hosting this meeting. My father’s relationship with you was tenuous, but he respected you. As do I. Farewell.”

  Holo tried to say something, but Melantha grabbed her shoulder and shook her head. Stryg and the others watched the dragons leave the temple and revert to their draconic forms before taking flight. After only a few moments they had disappeared over the clouds.

  “You know, Nel. You can be a real bitch sometimes,” said Holo off-handedly.

  Melantha rolled her eyes and walked away. “And you’re too soft-hearted. The dragons are not to be trusted.”

  “They helped us against Caligo.”

  “They helped themselves. Kaleidrog understood the threat that is the Queen of the Titans. Yet he told no one until it was too late. Who knows if he would have even come to our aid if his daughter hadn’t been captured.”

  “If Kaleidrog hadn’t sacrificed himself none of us might be standing here.”

  “If it hadn’t been for Kaleidrog and the other dragon lords the world would not have been Sundered. Our people would not be on the brink of extinction.”

  Holo’s shoulders slumped. “...I know. But Zavinti wasn’t like her father. She was kind. She was my friend.”

  “Only after the Mortem Order fell to infighting. The enemy of my enemy is my friend, right? Who better to befriend than the traitorous daughter of a Calamity?”

  “A friend nonetheless.”

  “Right,” Melantha said, clearly done with the conversation.

  “When you’ve lived another few hundred years perhaps you’ll understand that you can only hold a grudge for so long, even against immortals.”

  “Tell that to Father.”

  “Enough.” Lunae pinched the bridge of her nose. “I had forgotten what it was like to have you two bickering all the time. Holo, try to be understanding.”

  “What? Me?” Holo said incredulously.

  “Yes, you. You’re the adult. Melantha is an adolescent, she’s barely 400 years old. She’s still too headstrong and idealistic to understand that not all dragons are distasteful.”

  Melantha frowned. “I’m right here.” 

  “And you, Melantha, let your sister be,” snapped Lunae. “Holo is clearly worried about her friend. Don’t be callous to the woman who once gave up everything to save your life.”

  Melantha sighed and nodded begrudgingly. “Forgive me, Holo, I may have gotten worked up. It was unbecoming of me.”

  “You're fine, I’m sorry too. More importantly,” Holo turned to Stryg. “What are you doing here anyway? I thought you’d be at the execution all afternoon.”

  Lunae scooped up Stryg, holding him up from under his arms. “Yes, why are you here? You shouldn’t be here.” Her lips curled in a small, begrudging grin, “Not that such things ever stopped you.”

  Stryg tried to wiggle out of her grasp but it was useless. Her arms didn’t budge whatsoever. “Well, um. Melantha killed Marek… He was mine to kill.” It felt stupid to say it aloud while being held like a toddler.

  “Oh, so the baby is angry that Nel took his toy,” Holo teased.

  “That’s not it, it’s revenge,” Stryg said, but even he knew it sounded weak. Nothing sounded serious when one was being carried like an infant.

  “Apologies, little brother," said Melantha. "I wasn’t originally planning to interfere, but it seemed as if the nobles were going to spare Marek’s life.” She made a fist and then slowly opened her hand, revealing a glowing white marble. “I was going to imprison his soul for eternity but if you wish to be Marek’s warden you may have him.”

  “Uh, is that… his soul?” asked Stryg.

  Lunae put him down and he hurried over to get a closer look at the shining marble.

  “It is. Take it,” Melantha offered it to him.

  Stryg hesitantly reached out and grabbed it, only for the orb to slip through his fingers like smoke. He frowned and tried again to no avail. “I don’t know what’s going on.”

  “You haven’t mastered any of your Aspect powers, particularly the Aspect of Death.” Melantha closed her fist and the marble disappeared. She poked a finger at his chest. “When you’ve learned to control that power then I will give you Marek’s soul.”

  “And how am I supposed to master it?”

  “For starters, accept what you really are. When you’ve stopped rejecting your own power it will come to you. When you’re ready, I will train you.”

  “What I really am…?” Stryg stared at his hand, “I’m a tita—”

  “A baby titan,” finished Holo. “Which makes you doubly dangerous since you can’t control your powers.”

  “Pardon me.” Gale walked over. “I hate to interrupt but my lord has an urgent meeting to attend to soon.”

  “What? Oh, right. I’m having dinner with Tauri and her parents.” Stryg glanced out the window. The sun was beginning to set. “Dammit, we’re going to be late.”

  “Careful with that. You don’t want to accidentally be cursing people or things by damning them,” said Holo.

  Stryg blinked. “Wait, I can curse people?”

  “Father can. We're not sure what Aspects of his powers you’ve inherited or how strongly for that matter. Your powers were slowly developing the last few years, but they’ve finally awakened, we’ve yet to see their true capabilities.”

  Melantha raised a finger, “Holo’s right, but judging by your display against the dragonbane, it’s a pretty good wager that they are very powerful. And while a curse is usually not as simple as saying a few words, seeing as your powers are incredibly volatile right now and you have the emotional control of an infant, I’d be careful with your words.”

  Stryg nodded slowly as the meaning of their words sunk in. “Let’s um, not bring any of this up to Tauri, yeah?”

  “The pretty orc? Why?” asked Holo.

  “Because if her parents end up randomly cursed I really don’t want her to hate me,” Stryg winced.

  “Kill you,” Gale corrected. “Because Tauri will definitely try to kill you if you curse her parents and they end up dying.”

  “Duly noted.”