Power is Not a Game
It is an odd thing when tiny angry men can make a god pause, yet pause I did as they slaughtered what I thought was a force they could not touch…
It seems I learned too much from the goddess of light—or perhaps too little—if my first thought is to meet force with force. Yet even as my people bled, I did just that.
—Abaddon, reflecting on first war with dwarfs18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4RK9dp6BNm
Things had finally settled within the walls. He regretted what happened to those little dwarfs, but he'd made minions specifically to handle them—a messenger with no will but to deliver. The messenger was sent with no hostile intent or will to fight. I was worried about making another Luma. I loved my first minion but feared losing them.
I made sure the messenger was slender and built for speed. I was unsure if it could survive long-term outside the city, but when it was born, I felt it did not matter. If it met my desire to a T—its sole purpose and desire was to deliver my message.
I could not oversee it more, still within the cave. I could move myself to the city, but I feared... even changed, the humans are too different from me, and I don't know if a god should walk among people. It felt...
Strange.
Tom and Vesperia kept me informed within the newly converted church. They had an altar—an altar of darkness—where their voices flowed easily to share their views with me. At one time I embraced them more intimately and needed no such things, but that was the past. The people had been settling well. They set aside gold for the dwarfs when they came demanding payment for lost goods. Truthfully, coin was meaningless to me, but I knew even if I could sustain the people on darkness essence alone, they could not grow like that. Nor could I.
I also feared the goddess's long-term goals. This was a major event—I knew it. She could play coy, but she would act for this open slander of taking people from her…
Later, word from Luma: the walls in the city randomly echoed my name. He wasn't sure if it was my doing, so he asked. He also said the other children of shadows loved chasing the voice within the dark, trying to find its source, but it was as if it was the dark itself—which was why they asked if it was me. I wasn't sure… I'm not a narcissist who needs to repeat my name among the people, and I never willed walls to speak… so what exists beyond me?
I wished I could consult Nora. She would have the gift to see and could tell me, but she was busy with her own affairs or would contact me, so I was leaving that be…
Tapping my finger, unsure where to go from here, I watched Ezra, my first disciple, quietly meditate with the sleeping guardian… They were always patient with me. I felt bad for them—I had eyes and magic that let me see far beyond this cave, yet they only had me…
I needed to guide them away soon. I was still part of their flesh, also still felt their souls as if they were mine, and I did not like it. Lost to the flame of the light and first being remade, it was hope—something to cling to, to live—when my disciple found me. Yet now it felt like a weakness and a binding, not a choice…
But that was a later matter. For now, he impatiently waited for the dwarfs' response. He tried pooling darkness to the surface he had buried randomly among the vast rot land he walked before coming to this cave. The light still suppressed him as always, just from above, not the earth itself. Yet even now it seemed the rot fought him for the earth as if it had a will of its own and a desire to stop him from claiming anything more…
Was it always this strong? When he willed the light, it fled and turned to ash so easily, yet now, bound to the dark, it seemed to challenge my every move…
Even in this cave—his core self, which I flooded the area I could with my darkness—the rot tried to challenge me, weeding its way into my sides as if to deny me this bit of solace…
Trying to see through the pools of darkness gave him blurry sight. He could see with the random patches where his darkness pooled. It would not last against the light and eating rot, but at least it gave him new views. It was hard—getting annoying to keep trying to see through it—so he made a magic mirror of darkness to shift the view more easily. It allowed him to pool the mana more easily and focus the view more versus trying to make it his eyes and flesh.
He expected to see endless wasteland of random rot, yet he saw caravans?
No… dwarfs?
Was it a pilgrimage? Why would they risk coming to his city? He knew they had to have gotten his message—it had been days with no word since it was sent. It was not that far, and for the creature he made's speed, he calculated it should only take half a day at most for the message sent…
Yet within that time, they responded with… force? As they got closer, he could see clearer—it was not commoners but dwarfs dressed for war, pulling siege weapons… As they rolled over his puddle, he laughed to himself. He could infect their tools, taint them, poison them, and end this battle long before it started. Yet everywhere he touched, it ripped at his darkness as if touching light, and soon his sight was gone as not even the puddle could handle whatever it was they used…
They sided with the light? No… it felt different… The dwarfs have an unknown magic like the light… What does that mean? There are more powers? Or more gods…
It was foolish thinking it was just him and the light goddess. Do the dwarfs have a god? Do they see this as an act of war? Or maybe they have trinkets they bought and assume it lets them challenge a god…
So be it. Let them come. I won't let it end without me being the victor.
"Trouble, my lord?" Ezra spoke, breaking my concentration.
"No…" I said coldly, trying to understand what I was missing.
"Forgive my insolence. I will trouble you no more."
He was doing it again—acting like her…
"You're fine, my disciple. Speak freely as always. The little men move against me, and I do not know what weapons they wield."
Ezra wasn't sure who I meant, so I clarified: "I had an issue with dwarfs—a falling out from their hubris—yet they wish to teach me as if it was my folly."
"Ah, dwarfs. I know them well, lord. Be mindful—they're worse than the elves that hunted my kind."
Now focusing on Ezra, his words piqued my interest. I did not think he had any interaction with them. "Explain. I seek your counsel."
Ezra swelled with pride. "Of course, my lord."
He looked ashamed but spoke clearly. "When I fled the elves and wandered the lands, I traveled closer to dwarfs a few times unknowingly. It was hope for food among their surface dwarfs—they seemed weak, so it was a worthy risk."
"They had homes beyond the garrison walls where I smelled food, and I hoped maybe scraps could be found."
He shook his head and went on. "It seems other monsters shared my view and tried raiding the homes the same night when I was using dark as cover to scavenge for food." Watching me, his eyes got a far-away look as he remembered.
"The laughter even among the beast roars was madness to me. Beasts are coming for your people, your homes—why would you be happy?"
"Yet I soon learned as I fled, not wanting to be swept up in it, as they launched flames into the sky to see all as if day, and then came the booms and fire scattering all that thought they could just invade the land."
"They could not scale the walls to the garrison where bolts and fire rained down. Even the homes which seemed like easy places to tear into were reinforced stone which held as the dwarfs put the monsters in their places."
"The roar and madness ended in only the laughter of dwarfs. The last words I heard as I fled to avoid the same fate was them cheering the words:"
"'More, more,' as if they had not even had enough for that surprise attack and really wanted more…" Ezra looked lost in thought as he went on once more, slowly. "The elves that hunted me and my kind did so for territory, same with the great beasts you tamed, lord—they understood power. But with the dwarfs? I feel uncertainty. My mind is clear now, but back then I never felt safe knowing they could make a game of hunting my kind for no other reason than to hear us roar."
I wasn't sure how to take his warning. So they killed random monsters when he was weak… The biggest takeaway for me is they like war. It explains why they're looking for a fight versus peace.
"Thank you, Ezra, for your insight. We are safe no matter, yet I do fear for my new city." My finger tapped once more, unsure what I should do…
"Do you wish for us to go, lord? I can take the guardian and put them in their place…" Ezra asked, hopeful to be useful. Even the beast looked up, willing to hunt.
"No… I won't risk either of you. I have need of you elsewhere later, but this needs to be addressed first."
Ezra breathed in deep and nodded, going back to his corner to meditate, and the guardian, bored once more, went back to sleep.
He reached out to the altar in the city. Vesperia was not there, but one of his shadow children was playing nearby, got excited hearing his voice, and answered his call. Her mind wandered too much—I felt it—to handle anything too important, but I had them tell Luma, who was able to handle what I needed, which was getting Tom. It was a short wait from there.
"My lord, you have need?"
Smiling at his fast response. "I do. Dwarfs, it seems, answered my mercy with war."
Hesitation—I could sense it. Not from doubt but uncertainty. Even he shared my displaced view? "Speak. I would have your counsel."
"I do not doubt your power, lord, but there's a reason the dwarfs live among rot and monster without fear. They have blessed weapons that are made to hunt monsters."
Hmm, that's what I sensed before, and it did work on even me…
"Do you know of it—the magic they use?"
"I do, lord. It's nature magic—quite common, really. We just never had need. Paying tribute to Light ensured she kept our domain safe. Well, that and the champion of Light."
"Do you know of their battle tactics? What weapons they choose to fight?"
"Hmm… I never got close to them beyond a few drunk dwarfs. They always brag the same thing when they did say anything—they like a direct fight."
"They will use cannons and other ranged weapons if needed, but they like to personally fight… Though the closest I've seen was a bar fight. One dwarf took out four men—not that it was much of a fight. They all were drunk…"
"So I guess my info's not the best, but I still worry. If you've seen them willing to advance on our border, it's probably to fight."
I chuckled at that. I knew they were coming to fight—that was obvious. Just what force did I need to match was the key…
"Thank you for your insight. Stay within walls. I won't stop anyone from facing them if it comes to that, but they won't be able to siege beyond the walls, so staying deep within will ensure most stay safe. I can suppress any fires even if they try and burn from a distance."
I figured I could make a new minion type. I felt there was never a flying monster that I could recall from my fragmented memories, beyond knowing the goddess did, but she preferred a personal, direct war and kept them more as messengers…
Same with my messenger—this will be near mindless with one goal: to see what was moving in the rot lands. He did not use finesse. He wanted them to know they were being watched. It also let him make it easier to see through it—or with it, really. He pooled darkness in a way that helped him gain eyes.
He remembered how it was in the rat lord's mind—the scattered self. It was a bit much, and he still needed the single self more than a scattered self. That was also why he was pushing away from the unity. He did not know how it was for other gods, but he liked his single self.
The creature was impressive, like a large bloated bird. Perhaps he could make unit types like this that could pour his bile of darkness on others to spread it easier… but for now it was hollow. It just looked fat. It was more an attempt to give it mass to avoid being eaten away by the light. He wasn't sure how strong her reach was beyond how it felt on his puddles. There was even a chance that's why they came for war—his messenger never made it…
No… he felt its joy as it left. Even simple-minded and single-focused, it would have despaired if the light or rot was stopping its purpose. So he felt it made it…
The bird was tall beyond just fat. It stood above most curious humans that watched near the church as the shadow bird passed them, readying for flight, and it was wider than a few of them trying to get a better look. Its wingspan awed them back, but they knew it was trying to gain flight and stood back in respect to witness the event as the dust shifted the air around as it pulled itself up.
An odd vertigo hit me—I had too much focus within the mirrors to see and feeling myself still sit. But it passed quickly enough once the bird stabilized in the air.
Vast lands expanded before me beyond the shadow of my newly made kingdom, and the dwarfs looked like ants from the distance. Even getting closer, they were not much more impressive…
They had a mix of metal cannons and even a few caravans I assumed were carrying extra supplies. They marched with indifference. It seemed even seeing my beast gave them little pause, which concerned me. They were too calm…
Then they stopped…
The distance from my kingdom was still far, so their pause gave me a bit of relief. Perhaps they'd learned their folly, seeing what I can do. Yet as the bird hovered to watch as I wished, I saw them realigning, planning something…
Do not linger. Move about.
I did not want to give them an easy shot—not that I believed they could hit from this far.
BOOM.
The bird startled in the air, between moving as I asked, and even with its movement, the shot was near center mass… The startled nature saved it more than wild flight, and I almost lost my bird with a single strike, blind in mid-air… Madness.
Yet even with that, the bird was pierced, and my view shattered seconds after with silent arrows that pierced its flesh and ate away at its existence, stunning me into silence…
The control and speed with which they struck…
That was too good.
So single beasts are easy prey, and at least now I know why beasts don't try to rule the sky. If they can hit with that kind of precision, it would not be many that flew long…
Those weapons were too good versus a single beast. I never knew such things could be possible. The goddess hoarded power, so I assumed all would fear the power of a single entity if it looked strong enough, and his bird—while bloated looking—was a massive flying beast never seen before, yet they did not hesitate…
I tapped my finger on my shadow throne, debating… They were coming, and they were not going to try waiting or talking. Well…
If force is the answer, then force it will be. I will make hundreds of minions—no… thousands. Let them come and face waves.
A zerg and swarm. I did not see that many—a few hundred at most. What can they do against a horde with intent to kill? I will show them they face a god, and a lack of mercy can and will be met with the same.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvv9nIqmzz9
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