Nature x Purpose

Amun spoke as if he planned on conquering the city. But his actions belied such notions. His girls entered the cavern and began speaking to Zaraxus and the other draugr who soon awoke as if they were long-lost friends. The beasts took up various positions around the place to lounge or, in the case of the white wolf, to gnaw on frozen corpses.

Amun, on the other hand, did his training, ate a meal cooked by one of the girls, and smoked on a pipe before lounging around for minutes upon hours. I did not even want to stop him or tell him he could not. Not because of the beasts or undead either, but simply because it was the first time I observed him in his natural state.

He seemed so… happy. An emotion felt by no drow I have known before. At least in the sense in which I witnessed from him. So of course, it made Matron Etyl discontent. But for the first time in her life, there was nothing she could do about it.

<<You planned this from the start.>> Matron Etyl approached with an accusing finger pointed towards the God of Gods. <<You knew about these humans from the start. Their nature. How they would react. Even name of their rulers. How?>>

<<I have an eye in the sky.>> Amun coyly shrugged, much to the Matron's annoyance. But that served as the final piece to the puzzle. The rock above. The second sun, as the surface dwellers called it. The one that appeared just after the great void tree brought the peninsula into a state of temporary panic.

I wanted to ask, and with Etyl's attention so focused on Amun, I figured now was my chance and thus heard my voice echo through my mind's eye. 'That is your power? A rock in the sky?'

'… one of them.'

Despite my experience from before, part of me did not expect any particular response. Thus when I heard the calm voice reverberating through my soul, I could not hide my surprise. Thankfully, though, Matron Etyl's focus was turned away from my widened eyes as she pestered Amun further.

<<What is your aim now that you have rejoined with dead?>>

'Gloom panther caught your tongue?' Amun's laugh echoed in my head while his body shrugged carelessly. << I aim to move further down my paths.>>

The wince of her eye told me she caught the distinction of his words. But she said nothing. So I prayed further. 'You are the Destroyer, I know. But… you are a God, are you not. Of what domains?'

<<And what does that entail?>> Etyl scowled.

<<Well. >> Amun shrugged again. <<You've inquired about my toys. Care for a little demo?>>

He did not wait for our answer. Not that I could have. My mind was spinning with the possibilities. Enchanting. Artificing. Crafting. Any and everything could be a part of a deity's portfolio. But only the strongest aspect became the domains that granted power to their faithful clerics.

For the Demon Queen Spider, those domains were Spiders, Fate, Chaos, and Drow. But her portfolio included everything from assassins and deception to darkness.

But what of Amun, I wondered. Darkness, undoubtedly, but also death was in his portfolio; two things Drow could employ with great efficiency. And so too could we employ whatever artistic art that may or may not have been a part of his domain.

But it went beyond that. If Amun- a male drow was truly a God of Gods, he could release us from the horrific fate of acting against the Spider Queen.

Even then, I dared not ask him, though. Instead, I decided to wait and see if he showed me if such was the case. And so, I watched with unblinking eyes as he teased us with a fine three-sectioned staff, a curious hand crossbow, and a staff with a sling affixed to the end; all heavily enchanted.

<<Would you like to try them out?>>

<<Perhaps after you finish your Walk.>> I said before the Matron could speak, risking a beating in the process. But she said nothing other than a soft prayer to utilize a detection spell. Then offered a nod of recognition before giving him the space to meditate. Thus marking hours of frustrating boredom for the Matron Mother.

On the contrary, I was quite intrigued, for there were subtle actions taken that I spent the time observing. First, Amun did not begin meditating immediately. He gathered four undead and infused them with power. What kind, I could not tell, but I was at least able to detect that familiar blue flash before they disappeared into darkness; returning moments later with metal bones and enchanted equipment.

He then spent up to two hours muttering strange things to the wolves. He gave them great feasts, offered words of apologies, and promises of odd things. Then he played with them. They chased each other. Fought. Nuzzled together and remained still for long moments while the girls looked on mournfully.

Then, I noticed the focus ring Amun sat upon once he finally began meditating. Twenty normal undead trailed him, sixteen zombies, and four of those he tinkered with took up seated positions at the edges of the shape as if they were to meditate with him while their king meditated on his throne before them.

When the cavern took on a darker hue, the girls adopted a sudden sense of purpose and darted into the cold night toting spears and tridents. And an hour after that, the undead began chanting.

It started as a singular rasp from ruptured lungs. A deathly rattle that was soon joined by countless others. Their voices sang from the shadows, offering a wordless requiem for the dead that was soon to be. The barbarians, us, or Amun, I could not discern, and so I remained, petrified in a tormented state of suffering and awe.

Matron Etyl of House Za'Darmondiel was not as lucky. She plugged her ears as best she could until it became too much for her to bear, and she shouted with all her might. <<This is the darkest night! Why do you wait?>>

I wanted to stop her. But there was no way I. She was a Matron Mother of the most honored House. Being my mother meant nothing in the face of that. A single uttered word and I would catch a first-hand glimpse of Amun's monastic way. And no such thing empowered the likes of me.

Moreover, my stopping her would have interrupted Amun's meditation further. And the draugr meditating around him would have turned their scowls to me instead. So, I stayed silent and watched.

She did not. <<Daybreak draws closer with each passing moment. Each minute, you lose your advantage.>>

<<Not so.>> Amun calmly replied, hardly breaking his concentration in the slightest. Though the pale king sneered at her dangerously. <<Daybreak is when I am strongest.>>

'That's it!' I realized 'Twilight!'

<<Wipe that idiotic look off of your face!>>

I know not if it was a blessing or a miracle. But the familiar signs of Amun's rapid development saved me from her wrath at the last moment. As quickly as her hand snapped up, her neck twisted to the necrotic energy poured from the eyes of the pale king like magma.

His skin rotted away as the molten fires fell from his eyes first, then from those around him. The energy pooled and poured from their laps like great falls that gathered in the cracks of the focus circle, resulting in an arcane light reflecting from the multifaceted ceiling.

It glowed brighter and burned hotter as it cascaded towards the center, draining everything from the live husks until the fires in their eyes tapered off, and they began to crumple in pairs.

Two. Then four. Then eight and then sixteen. The last drops of that blue-green liquid dripped from their sockets and flowed along the floor until they were but ash and bone, leaving a square of four undead with burning fires in their eyes. The same undead he was tinkering with earlier. Metal-boned zombies of water, ice, steam, and lightning.

In anticlimactic fashion, however, there was no explosion of ethereal fire or haunting visions when the energy flowed into him. Only a wreathe of blue-green fire faded as he stood, baring his devilish grin to the world.

<<The final Ki Pond has opened?>> I eagerly approached, spurred on by the combined forces of genuine excitement and intense desire to distance myself from the Matron.

Luckily, Amun was excited too. "A perk with a domain effect, and a new passive nature to my Ki." He commented in the Common Tongue.

<<What is it?>> Etyl asked from behind me.

"Consume the Living." He cryptically replied, then made a strange clicking sound with his tongue.

The room exploded into movement at the call. The owls flew over to perch on Amun's shoulder while the four zombies darted up the exit. Meanwhile, the fox and wolves reared up and clawed at the air to create inter-dimensional doors to disappear through while the Head repositioned itself to our side, seemingly to watch Amun smoke.

<<Why do you stall?>> Matron Etyl shouted after a few long moments.

Amun sighed with unbridled patience. "Because now isn't the time to strike."

The Matron began to shout out a reply, only to be cut off by Amun reaching into a pit of shadow. "Just put these on and try not to be noticed."

That got a proper scowl out of her. But the gold and black ring thrown to her shortly after kept any venom from spewing through her tongue, choosing instead to utter another detection spell before a curious glint flashed across her eye.

<<Light! >> Matron Etyl gasped hysterically, just as I slipped the ring over my finger and saw my vision turn black. <<Light that causes no pain!>>

My sight returned a moment later. However, stuck within my field of view was a sphere of absolute darkness rimmed by golden light. It morphed and stretched as I stared, forming a window of sorts. Or a mirror that showed me and the Matron from the perspective of those living eyes- the Satellites, staring at us as they drifted around Amun.

"Now then." Amun rose to his feet with a wicked grin. "Let's give these intruders a proper welcome."

***

Blude.

***

"You think he'll kill them all?"

Without looking up or over, I shrugged without a care. "It's their fault for not leaving him alone."

That was the truth and I hated it. Things were different in Bakewia. No one there had the power to fight so it never even crossed their minds. Not that they wanted to in the first place, given everything Amun's done for them. But here, and in places where people fought all the time, they seemed excited to turn their blades on Amun the moment they saw him.

The realization that I wasn't so different was… painful.

It felt like a lifetime ago. I remember so much fear when I saw him for the first time. We made so many assumptions. We agreed to rash decisions that could have cost us our lives. Not to say he would have killed us. But I doubted we would have survived on our own if we turned tail like we planned. Perhaps the only difference between us and them was their foolishness and strength in comparison to ours. Things that made them stand against him. But even then, just like them, we hardly gave him a chance.

I was ashamed to think it took this long to consider his feelings during that time. Only after I trained with that old drow and traveled across Shujen did I even consider how it felt to have others see someone in such a light. Yet, he smiled through it all. He selflessly helped people who needed it the most. He helped us. He fed us. He housed us. He educated us. He gave us power. And yet…

"What have done to repay him?" It was a mumble, but it carried through the waters like a roar all the same. So the others turned to me with raised brows, and I pressed on. "He's done everything for us. In return, we've done nothing but ask for things. And here he is, making himself a monster to help more people. I want to be an example to these two. And I want to repay Amun for everything he's done for us a hundred times over. We owe him our lives."

With that, the small face hovering at the edge of my vision brightened just before Iris' voice rang in my head. 'He doesn't want you to.'

"I don't care!" I shouted. "I'm going to find a way to, whether he likes it or not!"

"How?"

"I… I dunno."

"Well, we're still building the resort, right?" Redd asked. "We can open it up to his guild, or something. I dunno."

"No." I sat straight. "No… that's it! A luxury resort for the Legions, hidden beneath the sea. And we can help people too. Get them on their feet like Amun did. On top of that, I'll make sure these two do the same." I looked at the windows hovering around me.

One, sharing what Iris was seeing, was a picture of a huge man with boyish features. Or, at a closer glance, he just looked like a huge boy maybe a year or two older than me. The other coincided with the map of glowing lines around me. Showing a girl who was much bigger than me, shivering in the forest with a bunch of wolves.

{Order: Extraction.}

"This is our first job. Let's try not to fuck it up."