Haven watched his little flock. A little more somber. Nix was sewing more clothes as Beloved finished up her stringed instrument. Both humming along to only they knew.
Beloved gasped as the protagonist approached, "Nix he is coming, Nix he looks stern! His heart is so set! Will he admit for what he yearns?"
Randal's lips twitch, they were so… good at killing his momentum. He ignored the following entourage. Honestly, all his bravo went out the window seeing their wide eyed expectation. One would think, he was the more eager of the group… all things considered.
Beloved set her tools aside to cup her face in her hands. "Well, I see you, and you see us three, now that you're here… what dare you seek?"
Randal kept a straight face… even as Beloved rubbed her chin… was she trying to act… mysterious? That really only worked if it was an old man… with a beard… "I came to make a barter."
Haven smiled as the entire flock perked up. They did like their… barters.
"Oh? It's a barter you seek? What can you offer, what can tempt we beasts?" Beloved asked as she leaned forward.
Straight face, straight face. Play along, don't laugh. "Yes, I heard Nix created a… curse breaking enchantment. I can offer three thousand fifth tier mana crystals, a wyvern corpse, and… so long as she likes. Lady Kokono will have free reign over all I possess."
Ashton blinked, what a smart barter. The crystals and corpse were to distract the dragonkin. Ashton glanced over Kokono, still nesting on Randal's head. "You have a daughter, you have a wife, to bring in another, could cause much strife."
"If my daughter is too brainwashed… she will end up like her mother. From what I've seen, she's… too vested in the old ways." Randal admitted with a heavy heart. He loved his daughter… but knowing just how many people she'd already killed. Tortured… he wasn't sure he could still be a father to her.
Ashton's finger tapped rhythmically on the coil they were sitting in. Randal meant it. He might not be willing to kill her, but they were… estranged. "Your offer enticing, the price is just right… unfortunately, too much time has gone by."
Before Randal lost all hope Ashton continued.
"Were it even two weeks ago, the tear was enough, I did not ask just to take hope. You are a fighter, your will stronger than steel, entice a small bird, perhaps later a deal." Ashton offered sending a small silver flame to Kokono.
"She is still young, knows not all she wants, but with her at your side, protection is proffed. So, should you seek battle, should you fight for your cause, no matter how idle, secure at least your life." Ashton clapped his hands together.
"So, think long and hard, don't give up hope, the battle not lost, you still have a few ropes." Ashton watched as Kokono's cloak, talons and beak went from black, to silver. They were all growing up so fast. He thought they'd take at least a decade to start changing their appearance… not a mere few months.
Randal nodded seeing Ashton's eyes slide over the necromancer. Randal gave a half bow.
Zane watched, he couldn't shake the feeling he'd seen the trident from the illusion before. He just… couldn't place it. Tridents were a very common sea beast weapon. Especially in legends… but that trident…
Rommel's mind was going a mile a minute… there was probably smoke come out of his ears he was thinking so hard.
Jantje stiffly turned to her cousins. "Lady Alaina's chambers." She whispered.
Rommel looked like he'd been struck by lightning… how could he forget? When they were bestowed Alaina's protection… she called upon her patron goddess. For his majesty, twice she had asked for blessings, praying to that trident…
Zane recalled just how large the trident was in the illusion… it was probably only… a hundredth of the size while lady Alaina used it. Even then, it was larger than any of them could lift, let alone wield.
Jantje bit her lip, lifting her skirts, she made her way to the nest. Jantje told herself to ignore her blood freezing as the snake god turned on her. "Lord Nix… I have… a presumptuous question."
Ashton tilted his head curiously, "Oh? If I have an answer, perhaps you should seek."
"The goddess, in the illusion… was she holding the trident Lady Alaina prays to during her ceremonies?" Jantje asked.
Ashton tilted his head, "I believe that is so, though to be certain, I'd have to lay eyes on to know."
"May I ask… what happened to the goddess after your… battle?" Jantje asked gauging the beast's mood… his eyes were so… clear. As if it battling gods was of no consequence.
Ashton scratched his chin sheepishly, "I know that it happened, and I know it was me, but what evades, the first hand memory. What happened after, well, did not concern me."
Jantje nodded, that did… make sense. "Can you recall… how the battle ended? Or how the trident was left behind?"
Ashton blinked… twice.
Haven curled the birds closer, "I recall, it was… an eye opening experience. Considering it was the first time Ru didn't drag Nix onto a battlefield."
Ashton popped up, feigning indignance, "I was willing! I went of my own accord! I'm just not usually at the forefront… I am more for support." Ashton added lowering himself down sheepishly.
Haven half chuckled, "It was… startling to say the least. The docile, pretty song bird, laying down the law to a goddess no less. It was such a momentous occasion, a dozen gods stopped to watch."
Ashton covered his face, but peeked through his fingers, "I was… very upset. My advice they did not take. What else should I do? I made them see me anew!"
Haven chortled as he shifted, bringing his face to eye the human female. She was terrified. So terrified, her heart was pounding faster than was healthy. If she died of fright… well, who could be blamed for that?
Beloved fell onto Haven's face excitedly, "Oh! Can you show us? I want to see! Legends of Nix! Before there was me!"
Haven stilled, changing so he had human arms. Catching his Beloved to his chest. He breathed in her scent… curious, expectation, certainty. Her heart started to race, but… Haven tasted the air. She was tempting him. What a naughty bird. A distracting bird. His bird. "I can share the memory if you like."
Beloved hugged his face to her chest. "Oh how interesting! I wish to see! My songbird Nix! Truly fighting!"
Haven chuckled as he settled the excited birds in his coils. "Fighting… may not be the best word. But it was impressive, and… well, I am not so easily impressed."
Jantje shuddered as she remembered how to walk. She slowly made her way back to her table. How anyone dared to tease such a beast… honestly, if she was told to be his bride… she may have run as well.
Beloved glanced at the female's back, if the female dared covet what was hers… well. She was rather… possessive. She turned her attention back to her neglected big snake, peppering him with kisses. "Kisses because you're pretty, kisses because your mine, kisses because I can, kisses because the sun shines."
Haven smiled as he pulled the thousand year old memory up. Allowing his hand to creep up her thigh, he was pleased when Beloved only blushed. Well, blushed as she continued to lightly drop pecks of kisses on his face. Perhaps birds coined the term, pecks.
Beloved pretended to look away as she started to hum, accepting the memory and translating it into an illusion for all to see. Beloved continued to watch her big snake. They were bonded… but his heart had yet to sing for her.
Zane found himself looking down, he was standing on… clouds. Yet he could see the ground as if he were on his hands and knees, counting each blade of grass. Or… where there should have been grass. It looked like… a ruined city. Were it not for the wood and stone Zane wasn't sure he would have even noticed.
He could see rivulets of blood, merging to become tiny streams. Endlessly merging into a river of blood while Nix gathered up the mutilated corpse. Zane shuddered as he felt… a pulse of power. He heard an inhuman scream, he had no doubt that if he'd been physically present the sound would have shattered his mind.
Then… Zane saw the wave. Even with his enhanced vision he couldn't see the end. It engulfed the clouds, reached the far edges of the earth. It was beautiful… it was terrifying.
Zane hadn't even realized he could still feel the pulses of power. Perhaps because of his natural affinity to water, he felt the pulse being interrupted, then being ripped toward the miniscule figure that was Nix. That's when the wall of water, changed to snow, then ice. Breaking as the momentum carried the wave.
As the ice broke, the trident wielding mermaid was revealed. From so high up, she didn't look so intimidating. Not until Zane realized that if Nix was a regular sized human, the mermaid must be over a thousand feet tall.
"You dare kill those with my mark?"
Nix barely glanced up before he lowered his head to drop tears of blood onto the mangled corpse. As the corpse was engulfed in flame, Nix addressed the goddess.
"Mother of the Sea, usually a sight to see. Yet your interference unwelcome, take care with your reasons, or I might consider this treason." For one of the beast gods to interfere with mortal squabbles, was not only highly discouraged, it was one of the few reasons for a god to get challenged. Not to mention, water was not an element meant for attacks, or defense. For her to interfere so directly… well it was not his place to speculate.
Yemoja goddess of the fifth sea stamped her trident into the ground. Water started to gather all around. Her flesh of dark water, her hair of waves held back in luminescent pearls, unlike her usually attire made entirely of strung pearls, she was dressed for battle. Her form solidified, her skin remained dark blue like the deep sea, her scales more radiant than the moon.
Yemoja waved so the pieces of her daughter were gathered up in a ball of water, then cupped in her hands. "You've killed ten thousand, one my own daughter. Yet you think I will let this pass?" Yemoja glanced around the carnage, it would appear time among the humans made him less tolerant.
Nix narrowed his eyes, "You know she's at fault, yet you come to throw salt? So long as she seeks, you ignore all her deeds. That would put us at odds, if you demand revenge for offspring, you'd war among gods?"
Yemoja didn't back down, "No matter what, she was mine. If you had issue, you should have come to me. That was part of your ridiculous treaty, yet you don't even hold to your own word."
Nix glanced up, "This was not a battle, this was not a fight, there were no gods, just lesser beasts who reaped plight. They tarnished my name, I've ignored petty games. But this one… this one had my feather, a favor to call. When his soul resurrects, I'll learn how it was stalled." The fire in Nix's eyes burned brighter than even the midday sun.
"Should I learn you had hand, should I learn you took part, death to more than your kin, I'll slay a god." The menace in Nix's voice was colder than the ice surrounding them.
Yemoja sneered, "Big words for a bird who's only just left his brother's nest. You didn't even dare confront them, flying with your tail tucked. You only say that because you know I had nothing to do with it. Now, return my daughter's core."
Nix gave a mocking smile as his flesh turned to flame, "The word of the sea, once trusted by me. Yet time after time, your daughter comes after mine. You chose to ignore, you chose to let slide. Well today I'm annoyed, so her pain I'll enjoy. If you choose to defend her, then that choice is of course yours. But don't think for a moment, I've no recourse. You might think I am bluffing, might think I've no chance, but remember Lady Sea, no one has broken my stance." Nix didn't need Ru to deal with a princess, not even Yemoja really. The only inconvenience would be finding her replacement. He'd turned the cheek because he had no intention of taking her power.
"You've made your point Nix. You've already enacted your revenge. I am being more than magnanimous by demanding only her core returned." Yemoja reminded pointedly. "Refuse, and it will be war."
Nix tilted his head, "Her core I've no need, but her pain to remind her of me. Stand aside Mother Sea, you've delayed long enough. Let this be the lesson, to sow what you reap. This be a lesson she chose, the hard way to learn."
Yemoja snatched up her trident, "You will return her core Nix. Or Ru be damned, I will take it. Even if that means, I take it from your corpse."
Nix carefully tucked the corpse into his chest plate as silver flames solidified into armor. "I tire of this, no longer wish to speak. Leave with your pride, or be crushed under my feet."
Yemoja didn't hesitate, stabbing at Nix with her trident. He leapt up to evade as his wings burst out. Columns of water shot from all directions at Nix.
Zane watched in disbelief… Nix evaded so easily, bypassing spells, thrusts, even the goddess's lighting fast tail. Nix wasn't… attacking. Not in a way that he could describe. Physical spells were evaded sure… but sometimes… the goddess just stopped. Like when the fae had been preparing attacks against the Wind god. The mana was just… gone? But there was no backlash.
Zane could see Nix was in complete control. As if hoping the goddess would simply leave before things escalated. Escalated beyond the earth shaking, tsunami raising, sky falling spells at least. For all of Nix's stated rage… his spells only dispelled hers.
Time sped up, through the rest of the day, through the entire night, until the sun rose… Nix only evaded or dispelled her attacks. His song that of warning. Zane wasn't sure what changed… but as soon as the sun was at its zenith Nix shot into the sky. Past the clouds.
Zane realized he could see others… not the people, gods. The golden eagle Ru, the spider goddess, a winged tiger, a dragon, a hydra, a turtle, two more mermaids, and a dozen others lurking… now that he was looking, he could feel others. All watching tensely, flicking uneasy glances at the stoic Ru. Dawned in golden armor, he stood alone.
Zane realized… the other gods were only watching, because Ru was there. A piercing cry snapped Zane's attention back to the bird of fire. Nix's form was half covering the sun as his body shown even brighter. His wings, talons, and beak were now covered in gold armor instead of silver.
Zane didn't even blink but he'd lost sight of Nix. He followed the song to see Nix shooting like a meteor toward the goddess. For the first time, Nix was on the offensive. Tearing through her body before she could defend herself.
Yemoja's body split like a waterfall around Nix, quickly regrouping as he shot up with another piercing cry. Yemoja threw columns of water, waves of earth, lighting. If the sun didn't continue to shine, Zane would have thought the apocalypse was descending.
This time, Nix's talons were outstretched as he came at the goddess head on. Ignoring the spells hitting his body, crashing through another wave of solid rock.
Zane thought the goddess body would flow like water once again, but… Nix had grasped her core in his talons. Flapping his wings, he forced the goddess on her back, blood pouring from her chest. Nix may as well have been a sparrow holding down a shark. He barely covered her chest… but she was at his mercy.
Nix didn't release her core, clutching it in his talon as flames engulfed her body. The goddess shrieked, trying to pull Nix away. His grasp on her core meant pulling him away, would pull her own core out.
"I gave you a chance! A night and full day! Yet you refuse my kindness! So, a lesson you learn the hard way! Let this be a reminder! Let this be a show! I am no coward! My wrath you provoked!" The glowing blue core cracked as Nix's talon tightened, silver flames flooding into the goddess's body.
"I know you are watching! Know many thought me weak! Thought alone without Ru, my life you could reap! I am not a god, not bound by your laws! But remember this moment! Because today a god falls!" The roar shook the earth as the core was shattered.
Half a dozen of the watching gods and goddess surrounded Nix. Nix looked up, feeling Ru at his back.
"Remember this moment, this life I could take, take all her power, the earth would then quake. Remember this mercy. Granted by me.A mere monarch, forcing a god to her knees." Nix stood tall as he tucked his wings back.
"Remember this moment, her life I release. Not because I fear, not because I'm weak. I let her liv, without power, just a shell, mere vessel of sea. It won't happen twice. So remember, this mere monarch, remember the power I wield." With that, Nix released the shattered core. Two of the sea gods, a mermaid and merman darted forward. The mermaid enveloped Yemoja in a ball of water, pumping it full of pure mana. The merman carried them both off.
Zane watched as some gods shared looks, others only sneered then disappeared. He wasn't sure if they'd been an illusion, or just that fast. Soon, only Ru was left.