Mecanimus
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A Journey of Black and Red Epilogue 1: Long Live the King
🕑 Added 2023-02-20 12:03:34 +0000 UTCMy mind palace.
The forest has grown exponentially. It still expands with every passing second as more of the power I subsumed permeates my essence. Just as before, it feels less like I am being stretched to the limits of my soul and more a sense of completion. Nirari’s power fills a gap that raw essence could not. Strange new memories assault me. I set them aside for now.
Above and around me, the forest rises to form a reverse sphere with an empty night sky and the gaze of the Watcher far above. More statues appear in deserted squares and empty plazas. More white flowers bloom. The change is also qualitative. A new understanding of the world's nature leaves my mind reeling. I caught glimpses of it when I fought the lich dragon, then challenged Nirari. It covers the ontology of my sphere and the interlocked fates that we are currently aiming for. It takes me… some time to get enough of a grasp to realize that something is out of place.
My steps carry me to the plaza of kneeling forms. New ranks have formed with my latest offerings, so much that a plane could take off from any side with room to spare. The only one that concerns me, of course, is the only one standing up.
I should have guessed that things would not be so easy. Roots shift to answer my call and point towards the intruder. Unfortunately, they do not detect his presence.
Nirari extends his arms in surrender. A smug smile makes him look a little less dangerous than usual, especially with its brittle quality.
“Greetings. If you see this, you are my spawn and you have killed me, hopefully in glorious combat. And if you are my spawn, you must be attacking me right now.”
“I was about to.”
“This is merely a memory, a last message, if you will. You have won. Congratulations. Now, you will learn the true, final nature of the first bloodline. You will understand what it means to be a conqueror. Perhaps you have attempted to bring life to spawns before despite… misgivings. Well, I am pleased to inform you that as the new Progenitor of our line, you may now do so with a content heart.”
“What did you say?”
“Yes, you heard me right. Devourers eat upward. You have dethroned the king and now you are king in turn. Your instincts will inexorably push you to bring more spawns forth and one of them, one day, in turn, may devour you. Complete the cycle. None may stay at the top forever, after all. In any case, congratulations. My powers, my spells, my instincts, my physical abilities, my drives, I give them all to you as my legacy. Where I failed, you shall succeed until defeated by someone greater. And now, farewell… may it be everything you ever hoped for.”
The statue kneels, joining the rest of the cohort.
I do not feel any different. Power still rushes through me at the same speed. It is still too early to assess how much, exactly, I have obtained… but one of his words terrify me.
I do not want his drives.
I do not want the urge to dominate he experienced his entire life.
Around me, the forest extends ever farther. I need time to digest it all. I need to make sure I stay sane.
Sighing, I open my eyes.
A cocoon of thorns falls apart, revealing empty ground for… miles. I can feel a multitude of soldiers in encampment. I perceive airships far up in the sky. They are all within my domain, all those thoughts, all those minds. All this essence. And yet, it does not come close to the full realization of what I am experiencing right now.
I slowly unclasp the mirror armor, then the Aurora gauntlet underneath. I flex my fingers and watch my skin stay pristine in the soft, golden glow of the light of the sun. It does not hurt. Birds sing. The wind brushes the blades of grass that survived the cataclysmic confrontation. Insects buzz, uncaring.
It is day.
It is day, and I am fine.
Comments
e
'Devourers eat upward.' best line lol
Louis Nel
Technically yes. Dudes there the whole time.
Tarodan
I'd really like to see the whole fight scene & sequence with John, Jimena and Diego fighting off Malakim, followed by the swap to Nirari. It's the only thing that left me dissatisfied about the story.
ikbenbarry
Ariane just got hit by an answering machine as old as Babylon and it will take at least 40 to 50 years for her realise it, but my god will she be salty when she does.
Mark
It's not over until the burning pig squeals.
Mark
Is the Watcher out in the day too?
Andrew
Thank you!
Hayden Leech
I’m glad to hear you’re writing a Semirimis scene in the final climax. She was just kinda there as a floating lady until she got eaten without a word. Totally thought she would be a terrible antagonist in the story but…. Not rlly.
Manlor
There is a big danger that needs to be addressed. How are people going to keep her away from driving now? The world is doomed.
Manlor
Probably at least a little bit of relief that this is over. 3000 years on the run can't be a good life.
RageBone
I would like to see a chapter about constance. Wondering how she adapts as aris vasal.
Mecanimus
I'll have to write that because I messed that up.
Isley
good chappie
Young Youghurt
I wonder what Semiramis thought in the moment of her death. She had spent 3000 years on the run yet died 3 seconds before (or after?) achieving apotheosis.
Overclocked
Let's talk about this Xianxia plan. I think that's a good direction for this story :)
Hayden Leech
Really hoping we see a vague idea of what God Ari can do now.
Mecanimus
More epilogues to come. Also you know what they say. You either finish a good series or you write long enough to become a Xianxia.
Louis Nel
It's over? It feels so... sudden.. can we talk about this? Surely there's something we can do to work things out.
Jonathan
I'm kinda inclined to think that Ari would fight her instincts to make new spawn. Nirari left his alive b/c he was bored and wanted a challenge, thinking that he was the strongest. Ari knows how much stronger the sovereigns are and has her promise to Sinead. I don't think she would crumble to the temptation as she has so much left to do and learn. Plus she enjoys games with mortals. I'm expecting there to be like nuclear war or something, otherwise there wouldn't be a need for the world tree seed.
Pierre Steiner
Very nice! How many of these chapters can we expect? I would very much like some more and more spaced out interludes, seeing Ari's evolution, maybe seeing Sinead again, and maybe, just maybe, seeing her end. That would really be an amazing "we've come full circle", where Ari has become the villain in someone's story and, as Nirari predicted, she gets outdone by her own spawn, that consumes her and continues the cycle. Would be a beautiful end tbh
