129 Mercury's Mockery

I slept for what felt like an eternity. The dreams seemed pleasant and yet mixed with what was happening on Melra. I would dream of flying and then seeing an offering being made at a shrine of a gold dragon. All kinds of offerings. And some dumbass deciding to try and Sacrifice a woman at my alter. Needless to say he was dealt with for his attempt before he could actually harm her.

My blessing was powerful for a minor god. And in particular it had become a massive headache. But as I watched the things happening across Melra I felt my energy rising and my mind being forced to wake from my dreams.

Slowly I opened my eyes to the world around me. The root chamber deep within the tree. The queens throne room I believe. But something was different about it. The previously clear room with stone and dirt flooring was now grass covered and flowering vines climbed the root walls.

The ceiling was now covered in glowing crystals that hung off the roots giving the room a mystical glow.

"How long was I asleep for?" I rumbled as I tried to rise from my throne. Many vines had quickly grown over even myself. My throne was covered. So I lit myself ablaze forcing the vines to burn away as I stood. The fire didn't last long. Just long enough for me to stand before I extinguished it with a wave of my hand.

As I stood the room seemed to quiver. Almost jump even. I looked around as I noticed a sudden movement in the corner of my eye. A small creature. Like mixing a rabbits body with a squirrels head and tail stood there chirping at me before it ran off through a small hole in the wall.

I shook my head as I walked towards the doors to the room. I was disoriented and confused. (Why is this place like this?) I thought as I made my way to the door. It's stone and root systems moving without me even touching it. Almost like it was expecting me.

I just pushed onward with each slow step. I felt like my body was made of stone. Heavy and slowly moving.

I felt energy rising from beneath my feet and into my body. Reenergizing me as the energy renewed my cracking joints and limbs. I began to feel my blood pumping as my heart truly beat like a drum. The sound resonating against the walls making dust and dirt fall from the ceiling above.

I took a deep breath as I ventured upwards. the stairs and halls eventually leading me to an open area. A cluster of hallways and a large door. It was as large as I was. 10 feet tall and about as wide. The surface was clean and tidy. I gave it a gentle push and heard the snap of metal as something broke behind it. I heard some people shouting as the doors swing open and I stepped through. Then the sound of my footfall echoed throughout the hall.

I breathed deeply when I felt a small breeze pass and looked around seeing a couple of armored elven guards. "How long have I been asleep?" I rumbled. My voice was a waking groan from my slumber. Having not spoken for a while I imagine.

The guards seemed to shake a little in their boots as looked at them expectantly. I raised my head a little taller my horns scraping the ceiling of the hallway as I did so. And then it came. My rumbling voice that echoed throughout the castle. Reinforced by power I forced it through the walls, floors, ceilings, and stones. I would be heard today and my questions answered.

"Elven Queen! I demand your presence in the lower hold." I rumbled. The stones and roots rattled and I could feel a tinge of fear fill the castle. My voice seemed to be unknown here for some reason. (Why? I can't have slept for that long. Could I?) I thought as I stayed standing in the doorway. The two elven guards seemed very taken aback by my presence. One of them even trembled under his armor.

Thankfully it wasn't long till a large force of guards arrived. Metallic armor glinted against the light of the windows as they passed them. But that wasn't where my attention was.

An elf wearing a gold laced white veil appeared. Her manner of dress was a kimono of similar design. Many intricate vine and flower designs dances across the fabrics surface. But that wasn't what I noticed.

"Val? Why are you here instead of the queen?" I asked as the guards parted allowing her to come closer.

Before I could say anything more she bowed low. So low her head touched the floor. "I'm so sorry Ignis." Her voice rattled. I could already tell. A woman who had previously sounded like a teenager now sounded more mature. Her body had developed and her voice changed. What I thought might've been months. I knew had been years. How many I wasn't certain. Long enough for a change of queen. That's a fact.

"How long have I been asleep Val. And don't sugar coat it. You know I hate sugar coating the truth." I groaned as I put my hand to my face rubbing my eyebrows.

She kept her head to the floor and didn't answer for a couple seconds. I could feel her anxiety and sadness build before she answered.

"125 years, 3 months, and 6 days." She said. her voice echoing through the halls as I heard her voice quiver.

I felt a numb kind of shock for a moment after.

"Your not pulling my leg are you Val? I know you liked your jokes but I never thought you'd say a cruel one." I said hopefully. ( It might be a prank. It has to be. Please.)

Val raised her head and pulled the veil back. It was Val. Definitely more mature. Slight wrinkling had settled at the corners of her eyes. Crows feet I think they're called. And the look in her eyes when she saw me said it all. Tears streamed down her face as we made eye contact.

I felt the world crumble as the walls began to shake. The stone floor trembled as I knelt and put my head in my hands. I felt a pit open in my chest where my heart should be. Emotional pain I understood all too well. And this was it.

"Why did noone wake me?!" I growled as anger rose in my chest quickly overtaking the pit.

Val held up her hands and motioned for the guards to back off. "We tried more times than I can count. But the state you were in was something we couldn't even fathom. The changes you enacted on Melra were more than just a little parlor trick. You tied yourself here. Empowered the very soil. Just trying to touch you with that much power coming out almost killed a few of the attendants. We ended up having to seal the cavern so noone could disturb you. And I hoped and prayed you'd wake up. Just didn't think it would take a hundred and twenty five years to do so." She said as the guards quickly retreated.

I knew I was being unreasonable. Did I know this would take a toll on me? Yes. Did I realize I'd sleep like a damn Rip Van Winkle? No!!! And the fact Sam was more than likely dead and my kids were somewhere in the world drove my mind to wreaking a nightmarish worrying fit inside my head.

I tried to breath and the building along with my body shuddered. The stones rattled as I began to thump my way past Val and her guards towards the world outside. I forcefully opened the stone walls. The roots shifted and stones grating as they moved out of my way. And before me what had once been a somewhat small city had grown into a metropolis. Enormous and spanning many miles now. Trees grew everywhere as I could see and hear children playing in the streets.

That is till I saw a glowing star falling towards my face. I reached up quickly and caught the thing. It's glow dying down till I could see what it actually was. As I opened my hand I saw a piece of parchment. Gold writing was scrawled across its surface and though it was in a different language I still understood it.

"Hope you enjoyed your slumber. A little present from yours truly. You're going to wish it never ended. Yours truly - Mercury." As soon as I finished reading the thing burst into flames as I felt my rage skyrocket.

"Mercury!!!!! I will have your head and turn your spine into a spear to gut cowardly bastards like yourself!!!!" I roared as a fire exploded from me. I floated above the ground as my rage rampaged through my body. Heat eminated in waves across the ground making the stones crack under my body. Some turned so red they seemed to melt.

"Ignis!!!! Your children are still alive! I don't know where they are now. But I know they live! You must put down your anger till you find your family! Else Mercury and his trickery will only cost you more dearly!" Val yelled having thought quickly about things and acted according to the situation.

She was actually standing closer than the others were by at least a yard or two. Her skin was naturally tanned but I saw a bronze color to it. Metallic bronze color. As my rage boiled my flames calmed some and the ground though still hot wasn't in the crisis of melting.

I gritted my teeth as I clenched my fists. I couldn't help but tremble in my fury. (After all the good I've done he pulls this shit!!!) I cursed as I turned to Val.

" You said my children live. Where was the last place they were?" I growled.

To be honest Val impressed me. She didn't tremble. She didn't cower. She just stood there and calmly spoke to me. Almost like a mother trying to calm her child.

"Your children were last seen in Verst. Your wife Sam gave them good farewells as they sought to travel the world. Experience it for themselves as it were. Where they've gone since is a mystery. But if they are anything like their father I imagine a trail of destruction and mayhem mixed with good deeds is left in their wake." She smiled gently, Sadly, and pitying me.

I closed my eyes as I tried to focused my thoughts past my anger.

(I need to find my son's. And then I find my wife. Though if it truly has been 125 years... I doubt she will be hard to find.) I thought as I reached out and felt for my artifacts. And true to form they appeared. Not covered in dust, rust, or weeds. And my godly form manifested as I held them aloft.

In my time asleep I managed to get a feel for something. Advanced magic for light and darkness was so obscure and foreign to people noone had managed to accomplish anything. But it was different for me. My senses had merged with Melra for over a century. If I didn't learn anything in that time I might as well have cut my own head off.

But here I was executing a theory. I forced light and darkness together. Light forming a barrier around a plate of darkness. Darkness absorbing and distorting the light till I felt it. A snap of sorts.

Light began to steam inside my new miniature black hole until I saw the other side. A mansion with minor cracking in its walls. But the overall shape had held up well. I smiled as memories flooded me and I stepped through into the city of Verst. Not just as a god. But as the first being to figure out what only gods had known till then. Light and darkness. Black and White holes. The transportation of the gods.