The Newt and Demon-8.78 - Fenian’s Egg

“Ew,” Tresk said, pointing a finger at a lumpen creature. “What’s that?”

Arriving in Death’s Realm was strange. Theo had expected something else, not an endless road that was practically exploding with magic. It wasn’t a road at all, but a concept that tested a person. A wisp of a ghost moved past them, the light from its body flashing over the lumped creature for only a moment, giving the alchemist a better view.

The beast itself was disgusting to see. It had blubbery flesh that made no sense for any logical skeletal structure. Its back rose and fell with its breaths, but other than that there were no signs of life.

“Death’s pet, maybe?” Theo asked with a shrug.

“Exactly right,” Death said, appearing near them in an instant. “That is my perfect creation.”

“Might wanna go back to the drawing board with that one, buddy,” Tresk said with a snort. “Cause there’s nothing perfect about it.”

Death’s eyes glittered from underneath his black hood. He dragged his gaze over to the beast. “When he finally awakens, he will help the spirits find their way to my gate. He shall also delve into hell, bringing back the souls ready for reincarnation.”

Theo wasn't sure what he expected in this realm. Maybe a battle, a couple of skeletons to add flavor to the scene. But he hadn't expected to see a pathetic creature and the cordial nature of Death upon the road. Kuzan was being pleasant today, which meant that his training with the warriors of the Shard must have been going very well. So, since he was in a good mood, it was time to play nice.

"Sorry for the intrusion," he said, bowing his head slightly. "We think there may be a mortal soul in this realm that needs ejecting."

"We speak of Fenian, don't you?" Death asked with an amused chuckle. "I'm afraid to say that he dove headlong through Death's gate. By my estimation, he's been there for about 10,000 years. He hasn't died yet, though. He's still very much alive."

“What is he after?” Theo asked, cutting to the core of the problem.

Death simply turned, shaking his head. “If you haven’t figured that out, I’ve overestimated you by a large margin. Come, let’s view the gate.”

Theo, Tresk, and Alex followed Death over his road. It was an apparently expansive thing, but the alchemists saw through the illusion. A person could walk forever. If they didn't conquer something they were being tested for, they would continue walking. Only when they overcame it would they be allowed to approach Death's gate. It was nice to hear that the lord of this realm had considered employing a beast to help those spirits along. That was a step in the right direction, anyway.

"How has the training been going?" Theo asked, understanding all too well that Death was just delaying.

"Quite well, actually," Death responded. "Meya has been an excellent teacher. There was quite a lot that I didn't know I was missing. In my mind, I had served my penance at the head of Taranthum and paved the way for my success. Little did I know I was missing such a large piece of the puzzle."

"And how have you found the training?" Tresk asked, asking an uncharacteristically good question.

"I'll admit, it's been very tiresome. At first, I didn't have an aptitude for the celestial energies of the world, but as a True God now, different avenues have been opened for me. I can now cultivate it much quicker than before, and my instructor informs me I'll have enough power to serve this sector's death before long."

"There was a time that I'd really rather have seen you dead," Theo said, "but it's hard to deny that you're doing your job very well. I'm eager to take at least a sampling from the spirits within your gate to ensure there isn't anything untoward happening in there."

"Are you suggesting that I torture the spirits under my care?"

“Well, one only has to look at your past to question your current motives,” Tresk said. “Which is why we brought the dragon.”

“You’re not the only one,” Death said with a chuckle. “You’ll find that I’m not as petty as you imagine. I see this sector as my new flock, and I wouldn’t do anything to hurt them. This is my chance to regain some of that authority I once had.”

"What was that like?" Theo asked. "I'm always interested to learn more about the way things worked during the time of the Warriors of the Shard. Unfortunately, I've only heard stories from Elrin. I have a feeling he's not a very good storyteller."

Death let out a wistful sigh. “Oh, it was a time to behold. The world was young, about five-thousand years before Elrin’s time. The elves, known as Pera’tal back then, had just crawled from the forests. I established the old kingdom, laying the foundation for my people. When they laid me to rest, I thought I had done a good job.”

“But you came back,” Theo said.

Death shook his head. “My people buried me in Old Hagan… Ah, I think you might know it as Karathima.”

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“Nope,” Theo said. “Doesn’t ring a bell.”

Death hummed to himself. Eventually, he snapped his fingers. “Calet. Does that mean anything to you?”

“Yep! I know that one,” Theo said with a laugh. He kicked himself for getting too giddy with Death. Holding back Tresk’s carefree nature was growing harder by the day. He cleared his throat. “Go on.”

“Well, I was buried there and given all the correct rites. But something happened, forcing my spirit back as a tortured shade.” Death seemed to shiver as he thought about it. “All I could imagine was an end to the pain. It didn’t come until the end of a war I orchestrated. You can imagine how I felt about that.”

"Must have been hard to be the unwitting bad guy for so long," Tresk said. "It doesn't mean I have to like you, but I understand what happened. How do you explain what you did in Tarantham?"

"I'll admit to the design of destruction in the Elven Empire," Death said without reservation. “I can’t blame others for my failing, but I was waiting for the seal to be destroyed.”

Theo nodded along. “The seal that the Ascendants created, right?”

"You understand more of the puzzle than I give you credit for," Death said. "That's right. Before the switch, pretender gods were allowed to flood our world, and when we transitioned over, those pretenders were nowhere to be seen. In their place rose the Ascendance, who seized realms of power that they had no right to. I had to wait, enacting the cycle of destruction to keep the Empire stable. Thanks to the stability of that empire, though, we staved off more disasters than I can count. Sixty thousand years of constantly waiting for the entire world to end because of the idiocy of others. But we made it in the end, didn't we?"

“By the skin of our teeth,” Tresk added.

“When King Leon took the Throne of Death in the old world, I had to act. I sealed him away, claimed the realm, and waited for the reset. Imagine my surprise when I couldn’t accept the throne by the time I woke. The Ascendants were already in place.” Death released a dramatic sigh. “Anyway, we’re nearly there.”

"What aspect of us are you testing?" Theo asked. “I know this isn't a normal road, and you've just been dragging the conversation on so you could test our mettle in some way. Might as well pull the curtain back since we're supposed to be on the same team.”

Death chuckled, turning back to shoot Theo a smile that was visible from beneath his hood. "And now I officially like you. You can think of it as a synergy of a soul. Sometimes there are conflicting elements within a soul which make them unsuitable for reincarnation. Those souls are marked, although I don't know what I'll do with them yet. All three of you are so completely in tune that at this point you're almost indistinguishable as individuals. That's slightly concerning but also a trait I highly prize."

“We are one,” Tresk said in a robotic voice.

They took another step, and then were standing before Death’s Gate. The massive archway seethed with magical energy. The power of the gate was such that Theo felt at awe. Pushing his senses into it, he felt complete rejection. This wasn’t an everyday artifact. It was the kind that held enough power to transcend the traditional concept of power in the sector. It was a one of a kind thing that was hard to look away from, and even harder not to fear.

“Ow, my brain,” Tresk said. “Can you turn down the psychic damage?”

“I’m afraid not. No mortal should stand before Death’s Gate. And for a mortal to delve inside? That’s complete madness,” Death said.

“Unless you’re a psychotic elf,” Theo said. “So, what are the chances he can actually bring her out?”

“Her? He’s going for about 10 souls. Only 5 are there, and he’s only found 2,” Death said. “Yes, of course he found his first target, but the gate is complicated on the inside, and he’s looking for a few of the oldest souls in there.”

“What does a soul’s age have to do with anything?” Theo asked.

“They’re in a queue,” Death said. “Which means the newest ones are closer to the front. He’ll need to travel a physical distance to reach the souls he’s looking for, which will take quite a long time.”

“Dangers?” Tresk asked.

“Swing a stick in there, and you’ll hit danger,” Death said. “As I said, no mortal is meant to go inside. The guardians are designed to thwart spiritual attacks, but they won’t hesitate to attack a mortal. And yet, he persists.”

“Imagine having that kind of love in your heart,” Tresk said, shaking her head. “Would you do that for me, Theo?”

Theo shrugged. “Sure. Why not?”

“That didn’t sound honest,” Tresk said.

“I thought it was quite honest,” Alex said.

“As much as I’m entertained by your rambling, would you like to peer within?” Death asked. “I’ll need to wrap us in a temporary time-dilation field so we can make sense of the images.”

Tresk clapped with excitement. “Yeah! Let’s do it!”

With amusement in his voice, Death turned to the gate. “I’m not sure if you’ll like what you see…”

A bubble sprung up around the group, wrapping them in a time-dilation effect. Theo almost buckled under the pressure, the sudden change in the flow of time making him want to throw up. It was the highest intensity of dilation he had ever experienced, and even if he didn’t fall to the ground, he still felt incredibly dizzy. The portal shimmered, no longer holding the swirling power of a gate meant to change one’s location. Instead, an image appeared.

“Holy hell, is that Fenian?” Tresk asked, her eyes bugging out of her head.

The portal showed the image of a beefy elven figure. He had long, scraggly hair and a beard matted with mud and blood. The two swords he held in either hand were glowing with an intense blue energy, the blades themselves made out of what appeared to be crystals. Fenian wove a dance of death through a field of chimeric horrors. The creatures were all amalgams of other things, some displaying more beast-like traits while others seemed closer to artifice automation.

“Aren’t you pissed?” Tresk asked. “He’s killing your guys.”

Death shook his head. “He’s helping them. Death’s Gate has a way of adapting. Every time he kills a Guardian, they adapt, growing stronger. Of course, Fenian hasn’t slowed down. He’s processing celestial energy while increasing his own level with the local system. Basically, there’s a feedback loop and neither part will step down.”

That made sense. Death had to get something out of this, otherwise he would just eject Fenian from the gate. It was a great way to strengthen Death’s Gate, although the way the elf was fighting was frightening. Theo could still see the base of Fenian’s swordsmanship in there somewhere. But it had become savage, taking advantage of the waves of intense pressure created during a swing to slice through monsters from miles away.

“Is that even Fenian anymore?” Theo asked. “And what’s that on his back?”

Death pulled his hood back, revealing a crooked smile and the aged lines of a long-dead elven king. “An egg.”