Ether, Primordial of Matter

My nose wrinkled again and I felt it much to my disconcert.

'This woman…'

It was that speck of dust once again, I felt it as clear as I did a few hours prior to erasing it. Same smell and the same silhouette. I couldn't believe it.

My senses travelled to the location of that beautiful sculpture that she had made prior and it wasn't there. As if my actions had been an illusion, I knew I wasn't going insane, however, because the two gryphons were still there as frightened as they would remain for eternity to come, in their golden shape.

'Does she have an innate capacity to bypass my curse? Is it her race? like an unkillable cockroach? a mutation of cockroach with eight wings?' I wondered inwardly, 'if that is the case, she's the strongest and most beautiful cockroach I have ever seen'.

There was no one in this multiverse that bypass it except for the other Primordials.

'Crush, bastard, did you send an agent to my realm!?' I immediately sent a message to the 'network', he was the only piece of shit that I thought had enough time in his hands to play me some prank.

'… No, what are you talking about, Richter? as if I need an agent to take down a weakling like you' His response didn't wait, as gruesome and resentful as ever.

'You- you think I won't go there and slap you!?' My growl resonated across the entire treasury realm and beyond, it is always like this with this bastard the moment we exchange words, perhaps I'll really need to make a trip to the Disruptive Universe just to shut his mouth.

'Come then! I have been waiting for ages to fight you, Richter! How long will you keep hiding in your treasury realm like a little bitch!?' (Crush)

'Hmph! are you really saying that from your concealed disruptive universe!? I'm here in the primal universe. Come if you have the wings, piece of shit!' (Richter)

'You actually dare to make my honourable self move away from my castle? the galls! you come!' (Crush)

'You come, bastard! and bring your balls with you, I know you never carry them around!' (Richter)

'Y-You!' (Crush)

The thoughts of the multiversal dragons turned into annoying bickering for the rest of the primordials. The Gods could do nothing but step on a corner while the Dragons bickered until a voice halted the nonsense.

'Stop you two! we form this multiverse and keep it together, there shouldn't be infighting between us.' (Nebulous)

The voice was Nebulous, Primordial of Space an exalted entity to the same level of Destiny, when he spoke, everyone else had to make silence.

'…'

'… anyway, I didn't send any agents, coward' Crush harrumphed one last time with disdain.

'Neither did I, Richter. do you have a problem? Could I help you?' Unlike the bastard Crush, Ether was very willing and supportive.

She and I coexisted in the control of our respective laws… She's the Dragon Goddess of all matter that exists, everything that is physical, except Gold which is my domain… under normal circumstances, we would be at odds against each other for supremacy. However, nothing farther from the truth, of all Dragon Gods, aside from Destiny, she is the one I'm the fondest of. And it is not like I'm fond of Destiny or anything.

'He doesn't need your help Ether' (Destiny)

The aforementioned hag was quick to dismiss Ether much to my chagrin.

'It is your help I don't need, Destiny. Thanks, Ether, but there is nothing you can do, it was only an enquiry… you're seeing this woman, right?' After shushing the Dragoness of Fate and the Dragon of Destruction away, I made a direct connection with the motherly Dragoness.

If I didn't allow them; their essences wouldn't be able to feel what was happening in my realm, the only ones that could bypass my blocking were Destiny and Nebulous.

Fate and Space are primal concepts that can't be blocked by any means. Otherwise, what exists wouldn't be able to exist without a 'space' to be on and a 'fate' to drive it forward… another name of fate that mortals often use is 'Time'.

Unlike Destiny and Nebulous; Ether also used a Primal Spark in order to ascend as a Primal Entity, just like Crush and me… but she attained her status as a Primordial even before my ancestors' ancestors were born.

The essence of Ether spreads across the whole multiverse, she can feel and manipulate everything that 'exists', including living beings. Unlike me who is merely able to sense the Gold in the entire multiverse and manipulate it.

She was unable to appear physically in my cave, the reason? everything here is made out of gold, the only element that she can't manipulate.

'I can see her, but I don't understand why she can bypass your curse… her race resembles the demons; a variant of humans, but even then her complexion is different from that of demons, I can tell you… she doesn't hail from this local universe as there is no one like her, how mysterious." She uttered with wisdom, trying to assist me.

Her answer left more doubts than answers.

'Thank you, you shouldn't have… it is but a small matter.' Ether was very kind and like me, had a lonely existence… I had my eyes on her for the longest while, but we're sadly incompatible existences.

Mating between us was impossible, but we did have several 'children' in the form of planets, the current Goldstein was one she assisted me in crafting. It is not only gold, it has an atmosphere, a core and a gravitational pulse, her deed.

"How have you been, Richter? Had a nice slumber?~" I could feel her essence wrapping me softly from all sides like a warm bun, she was using the little air inside my cave to take 'shape'.

"You're always watching, you know how I am. It wasn't good or bad, it was… normal" I answered, laying back down.

"How long are you going to remain here…? Don't you feel like coming out? there are many changes in the Primal Realm, why don't you have your holidays in there?"

"Will you go with me?"

"You know I can't, Richter…"

That was one of the main reasons why we were incompatible. Ether was unable to materialise for too long unless it was an avatar. It was the fundamental difference between me whose authority is a physical 'Gold' and those whose authorities are an abstract concept.

Our powers manifest in different ways and in her case, she's unable to become an 'organism', meaning… she can't produce an egg. Shunned away by other primordials because of this, I was the only one to accept Ether for how she is.

Not having an abstract concept made me weaker than them, but gave me a lot fewer limitations as well. Sadly, at this stage of my life, I wasn't ready to admit that choosing my authority to be 'gold' was a mistake.

I would never admit it. I did it for 'her' sake.

There was a brief silence between the two of us; or the three of us because I know that hag is listening to everything as she always does.

"A new Dragon God is due to ascend soon, Dragon Emperor Hong, his chosen concept is 'moment' and he intends to make Destiny his mate" Ether's voice indicated to me that she awaited my reaction.

"…"

"Say something…"

"The one I wanted as my mate originally was you, Ether."

"You know we can't… between me and Destiny, you don't have a choice..."

"I can choose to remain the way I am."

"Richter, must you be so headstrong? let 'her' go…"

"If I wasn't headstrong, I wouldn't have become a Primordial, Ether."

"..." She used that motherly gaze of hers to tell me to not go against her and I could do nothing but roll my eyes and lay back down.

"I have already moved on. What is so wrong with wanting to remain in my cave!? you all asked me to stop plundering the realms, I stopped… what do you want from me now!? why do you all care so much about who is my mate, it is none of your business… I chose you, but since we can't be together, then no one shall be"

"You know it is important to me… I don't care about the others, but I want to see you happy".

"I'm perfectly happy here with my treasures and Monique" I answered.

A brief gaze of grief showed in Ether's expression when I mentioned Monique before she sighed and lay back down, her head made out of 'air' resting on top of mine.

"I know you like Destiny… you're just being petty".

"… is she manipulating you or something?" I frowned inquisitively.

"You know I would never try to harm you, moreover, she's unable to control me… all I want is for you to be happy. I have known for the longest while that the Primal Spark in the core of Goldstein is gone… I just haven't told the others and neither has Destiny."

"Thank you." I rolled my eyes. As if I care about that thing. It was the ultimate treasure to possess, but it caused more trouble than it was worth.

"That's not the right answer… you know if you don't make this public and point out where it is… your realm is going to be invaded"

I felt warm under Ether's humble embrace, if only she had a body…

"I don't care, Ether… let them come, they will perish here giving me two seconds of amusement, eventually joining my treasury, that's all" I said uncaringly.

"Let's slumber together, don't be upset."

"You never stay" I reproached her.

"I'll stay this time~"

Her voice sounded like the small clacking of bells, drawing my eyes to closure and for the moment like every time I'm with her, I'm able to sleep peacefully.