The Awakening
Many things become a blur after all this time and so many visions seen. That's why I write these words so we can remember the key things that helped our lord become one. I treasure deeply when he named us anew; some he let be nameless, or others kept who they wanted to be remembered as, but for me and Ezra, those names were a new life and proof we were more and God loves us.
—Personal diary of the seer Nora, reflecting what she has seen after a millennium
The souls of the mercenaries offered him something he had not known he needed—no, a craving turned lust that was damn near overwhelming: power.
The soul flames from those he consumed were new life breathed into him, and it was ecstasy. Like being drunk on something he'd never tasted before, intoxicating and addictive in ways he couldn't fully understand. He went from a mindless thing slowly flowing among the edges of his champions to now feeling grounded, real... free. The rush left him reeling, uncertain what it meant but craving more despite himself. It terrified him how much he wanted it—more than he'd ever wanted anything.
He formed his flesh amidst the darkness that pulled upon the earth of the cave and was whole once more. Not bound to the flesh of others or a weak puddle seeking mercy, but to his own self and more. Yet even with that truth, he was still part of the goblin, the beast, and the countless small creatures in the caverns—the rats and shadows, the beetles and things that scurried in darkness, his eyes and ears in every crevice. He even vaguely felt the drow; their eyes were his, their flesh his own, and even the soil to which he spread felt like his flesh more than just earth and rot. He was all and nothing.
The goblin bowed before his new form. Words unspoken, it waited for his will, be it its death or his desire for more power.
His thoughts kept drifting. He had pushed too much, and everything that made him also ate at him to preserve versus the light and rot trying to take back what he claimed. Consuming him was a longing... the one thing he swore never to do. Power was good, but not at any cost. The memory of the goblin's sacrifice, the shadow's desperate hope—these anchored him. He wanted more and would have it.
Yet he was not so weak as to break to a mere desire of lust and greed. The time he took healing merged with the goblin soul and gave him more control. And patience.
"This is not enough for me," he spoke to the goblin.
"This is not a kingdom worthy for me to stand; a cave hiding is beneath me."
He felt he could do more than just stand with nothing, so he pulled upon the darkness and made a throne of shadow made solid to sit as the goblin still bowed, waiting for his command.
Humming to himself, he was not sure how to move forward. His fragmented mind knew of three kingdoms: the dwarf kingdom Aurum, beneath the earth and among the rot. They hated the surface, even though they did keep some above ground, more of a token force and for trades.
He could see some of it in the underground caves. His view was slowly expanding thanks to the small creatures that fed on the darkness—rats, beetles, things that crawled and scurried through cracks, bringing him glimpses of the world beyond. And the kobold that was trying to work against his master shaman, but that link was weak and unreliable.
To the north lay the human kingdom Sunstone, a mock name catering to the light he once hailed from. Tom now traveled there in human form to spread his will.
The goddess kingdom simply named Light was above all, literally. She kept her kingdom floating in the sky with her divinity, and all needed the light, or you would be a shadow beneath it. It was much farther to the east, beyond the ocean, a light glowing that was pain to feel even at this great distance.
There were other dragon peaks where monsters avoided the blight and embraced their own rule—monsters that were fire based. Their fire kept the light and rot at bay, so it was hard to say what existed there. The forest held the elves and the blight nature that worked with the light.
But his knowledge was fragments, pieces of memories that might not even be reliable. He spoke with calm assurance, but beneath it lay uncertainty. Where could he even go? What would happen if he tried? The cave felt safe, familiar. Beyond it lay too many unknowns.
A voice broke his musing.
"If I may be so bold as to speak, my lord?" Still bowing, the goblin asked.
His swirling form made wisps of shadows smiling as they faded in their endless amusement—he felt his disciple was being too meek. He stood here today because of him; he earned the right to speak as an equal.
"Speak freely. You are the firstborn of my darkness and the one I wish to speak most freely to."
"What wisdom do you seek, my first? That I can give you, or perhaps you can offer wisdom that I may lack?" The shadows swirled on his flesh as he tried to focus on the goblin even as his mind wandered slightly, like the shadows that crawled up the wall, focusing on nothing.
"Either way, I'm listening." As he spoke those words, the drifting from shadows finally stopped, and he was waiting to hear.
"I would never assume you lack insight, lord. I merely wish to share my view," the goblin spoke slowly.
"Through our bond I felt you seeking more souls and wanting to expand as an offering. I may know of a place that would be rich in souls of my kind, fragmented and weak."
A series of thoughts and images fed to him: A young goblin, lost and confused among the forest, searching for food with his tribe, ambushed and hunted by elves, chased away, slaughtered save for one as it ran and escaped into the mountains and slowly fled from the beasts there. In time it found him as a puddle, a shadow, near nothing.
Even though the goblin did not know it, he did feel the nature magic. Like holiness, it was dangerous and could hurt him. The darkness of his flesh disagreed, confusing him—he knew what nature did to darkness and beasts. Why would he feel anything saying otherwise? It was why the forest was blessed and why most rot and beasts stayed in the outskirts when they did make a home there.
It was too soon. Too much risk, too many unknowns. He had too many powerful enemies in the kingdoms—or thought he did. It was too much, and any one alone might be a challenge, even with his beasts. He wasn't even sure what he was truly capable of yet.
The goblin sensed his hesitation.
"I should not have offered you more to worry about, my lord. That was my past, not our future."
He waved his shadows in indifference as he leaned on his chin in thought. A distant voice whispered to him that went beyond him much like his thoughts. Before he spoke, he focused once more.
"It matters not. I will found a kingdom in time... Yet I do need time."
He remembered the slug he had killed before, a powerful beast. Yet, was there more? In fact, where were all the monsters? Wasn't there more?
He knew he had not killed them all, just pushed them to the breaking point. He sensed among his puddles of darkness they were out there, beyond his reach. Yet some still prayed even now for more of a home and hope. It ate at him, as he was longing for the same.
He looked at his first, who he had never even named, still bowing in loyal service, and heard the snoring of contentment from the massive beast sleeping nearby.
"Rest, enjoy your peace. You earned your place."
"I will expand my reach before we seek more. We will make others find me."
"Yet you have already given me much, so I offer you something you did not know you would seek—a name."
The goblin looked confused. It was happy his lord cared, but what use was a name to those beneath his lord? Survival was all that mattered.
Sensing the goblin's thought, he voiced his disagreement. "No."
"A name proves your worth and lets you claim power in my name with your own. When others bow to me, it will be because of you. When they fear me, it will be through you. And when they love me, it will be thanks to you. A name is proof you give, and I do not just take."
"Ezra, my first named disciple." He thought of the beast—it was unworthy of a name. His guardian would be enough.
The goblin swelled with pride at being named. It now felt whole for the first time ever in its life. Before, they cared not to name their kind; it was too easy to die, and grunting or fighting for food was enough for most monsters. Those few that did learn speech, even among his kind, tended to hoard that knowledge as power and treat others like cattle to be slaughtered if they themselves did not do it first.
Ezra was saddened to know there was nothing more he could do for his lord, but he knew they needed time, not blind faith or rushing forward. He would do as his lord asked and wait and pray he could find a way to better serve his lord.
Even as the dark god stayed on his throne, sitting indifferently, he dismissed his goblin. He wanted the loyalty but did not need blind servitude; he needed results, and for now, he would have to secure more ways to get them.
He remembered the drow and sought her mind. She seemed to be someone who knew him.
He reached out with his consciousness, feeling for the brief touch they had shared. A whisper in the mental void. She was surrounded by nature magic; it was hard to touch her mind safely. It seemed her reaching him was rare, and then he understood why.
Yet a short time later a voice spoke in his mind, surprising him and making him smile. She had not left him, merely needed time to find a secure place to reach him. It pleased him.
"Sorry, lord. I fear my reach is more a liability than security."
Through their mental link, she showed him her fear. At the edges of light and nature magic, she spoke of others, seeking the source of heresy. Discovery would mean the light coming to purify her and others like her.
He was not sure what she meant and did not like it. "Explain."
She hesitated to deepen the mental link, not from fear or desire to hide the truth, but from knowing she delivered bad news.
"The elves rule absolutely here. We drow are minor compared to them, and their nature magic is everywhere in this forest."
"They also sided with the light goddess to hunt any form of rot and darkness, so we have to use great care. My first uh... vision to you was a mystery, and though now we can speak freely I fear they will sense it."
He did not like this. Was she meant to be forgotten? No... she just needed time.
"Be at peace. You aided me and did more than what was fair. Rest. I will grow and will endure." Doubt entered his mind. He knew he was absolute but wanted free will. He wanted her to have a choice.
"If I offered you a name, would you accept it?"
He could feel her tears through the mental link.
"Lord, I'm unworthy of such a gift. My name is Ash. My mother did not care. We try to be like others but are seen as outcasts at best or hunted at worst, so she said naming at all was more than I was worth."
"I don't mind that fate blessed me with sight, and it was a rare thing to reach for hope of something more—a god that could defy light. Why I was there and saw your birth, I am unworthy to say anything more than that I bore witness."
It was interesting to learn more about his past. His understanding was very limited, and he felt even when he was someone else, he had not cared about such things. That would change.
"No. When I was weak, you were there, so now while you are weak, so will I be there. I name you my first seer, my eyes that I recognize as truth, and may all others bear witness to you, Nora."
"Any who claim to see or know more will only do so thanks to your mercy. You will blind all to my existence unless you wish it to be known, and I trust you to guide my sight to greater heights."
Nora was filled with joy knowing not only that her god lived and grew in power since they last spoke, but that she had a new, better name—one with power. But the joy was short-lived.
"Forgive me, lord. I must break our connection, but I swear I will gain power beyond your current reach so you may have more strength when you come here."
The mental link faded and distance closed between them. A risk, but one with worth—he was setting pieces in distant places.
Weakness overcame him from so much mental pushing and trying to be more than he was. He needed time and rest. Let others use what he gave them; he would build from there. He had time, and he was patient.
As long as they did not find him before he gained more power, he was safe and they were not. For a shadow grows deepest when the light ignores it, and he would ensure they remained blind until it was too late.36Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4kUxYY2XVY
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