Roxie turned to Aerigo. “We protected Leviathan’s on Phaedra...”
He nodded.
Nero said, “You don’t have to be an Aigis to break a god’s icon.” He studied Aerigo. “Leviathan had a very close call. Since the obelisk supporting the icon was harmed and not the icon itself, you were able to save him and his icon.” He turned back to Roxie. “There is one last secret more closely guarded than the knowledge of Frava.” He looked at everyone. “Aigis can sense the location of a god’s icon. You just have to get close enough to it with Frava released and you’ll know what it is if you look for it.”
“How close do I have to get?”
“Within the average size of a populated planet. It sounds big but it’s not. The universe is endless. Go in for the kill, not the icon. I pass this secret on to you in the off-chance that the opportunity presents itself.” He waved a hand and the Aigis, gods, and cosmos vanish, the rocky plain and body of water returning, along with sunlight. “Now...” He crouched into a fighting stance, his eyes glowing white. Roxie felt his energy building like she was standing next to a growing bonfire. She backed up a step as Nero released Frava with a thunderous bang. His twenty-foot-tall frame became enveloped in white light before revealing himself clad in black, formfitting armor from neck to toe. He no longer wore the loincloth, but the flaps were still layered over pants that looked like something joggers wore during winter. He also wore gloves and boots and his eyes remained glowing. “Fight me.” He blocked out almost the entire sky as his towering frame came at her. He landed a blow to her face before she could tighten her grip on the hilt of her sword.
Chapter 17
Divine Pawn
“What are you doing here?” Nexus said to Vancor.
Baku was wondering the same thing. Vancor’s attention should’ve been on the war, not the three of them.
“I’ve come to aid you in your discussion,” the satyr said.
“I don’t need your help. Get out!”
“Oh, but you do. I overheard your struggle to think clearly. We don’t want you to abandon your prophecy so late in the course of things, now, do we?”
“Of course I’m not going to abandon it. Now get out and stop eavesdropping. This is a private family discussion.”
“Family? Am I not family after all these millennia?”
“You are my friend and mentor, Vancor. You have my utmost respect and admiration.”
Baku had a very heavy suspicion that Vancor was the one manipulating Nexus. It was all adding up. Why else would he eavesdrop and even butt in on their conversation? But if he was the manipulator, he was making it painfully obvious by showing up like this. What did he stand to lose if Nexus called off the prophecy? The final results? That couldn’t be it. Nexus had the most to gain from it all. Vancor wouldn’t lose any worlds because he’d sided with Nexus.
“Just friend and mentor? After all I’ve taught you about being a Creator, after all I’ve nurtured you. Nexus, you insult me.”
“I am his father,” Baku said flatly. “Not you.”
Vancor gave him a look of disgust. “His father? And where have you been all this time? Gloating over your creations and ignoring a goddess you don’t deserve.”
Baku sucked in a breath to retort but Kara stepped forward. “He didn’t gloat or ignore me. I was avoiding him in hopes that he and Nexus would fight less.”
To hear his wife come to his defense brought Baku so much joy. He was still absorbing the truth that she’d loved him all this time. However, Vancor’s company dampened his joy.
“So I was wrong,” Vancor said with a shrug. “I apologize. However, Kara, you’re too good for him. To lovely.” He reached for her like he was about to cup her face and she froze, eyes wide.
Nexus slapped his clawed hand away. “Don’t you dare touch her. You barge in on a private conversation, accuse me of wanting to abandon the prophecy I’ve worked so hard on, and then try to make on advance on my mother? I should ban you from my realm.”
“Ah, yes,” Vancor said, unperturbed. “Flaunt your control over the only thing you have in this universe. Go ahead.”
Nexus narrowed his eyes and said nothing.
“Any more empty threats?”
“Get out,” Nexus said in a deadly calm voice. When the satyr made no move to leave, he added, “Now.”
“No.”
Baku wanted to make his accusation, eager to keep Vancor around for questioning, but he didn’t want to upset Nexus’s desire to talk to him and Kara. On top of that, he lacked proof.
Kara touched Nexus’s shoulder. “Don’t banish him. We need answers.”
“Answers?” Nexus said, raising an eyebrow.
Baku stepped forward and steeled himself. Solid proof or not, there was no time collect any. “How long have you been manipulating our son?”
“I’m not his puppet,” Nexus said flatly. “What gives you that idea?”
“What indeed?” Vancor said.
“You were struggling to think straight,” Kara said, “just a moment ago.”
“It happens now and then. What of it?”
“Don’t you find those occurrences a bit odd? We were discussing your prophecy and you suddenly lost your train of thought. I find the timing more than coincidental.”
Baku said, “I also find Vancor’s intrusion suspicious.” He met the satyr’s haughty gaze. “Why are you so determined to see this prophecy through? You’re already a Creator. What have you got to lose?”
Vancor’s gaze shifted to Kara for a fraction of a second before returning to Baku. “I’m protecting my investment. I’ve worked very hard on it.”
“You selfish bastard!” Kara snapped. “Let him go!” She shoved him in the chest.
Catching his balance, Vancor smiled as he placed his hands over where Kara had touched him. “Temper, temper.”
Nexus said, “Why have you been making a fool out of me like this? And for how long?”
“There’s nothing you can do to force answers out of me.”
Baku said, “Nexus, call off the prophecy. It’s probably his doing anyway.”
Vancor’s smile waned almost imperceptibly as Nexus gave him an incredulous stare. “Are you insane? I’ve worked so hard on it. Harnessing the power of the Voice of Prophecy was my idea.”
“Who told you such power exists?”
“He did, of course. And he warned me of the risks of everything, and left it up to me to decide whether I wanted to go through with it.”
“Yet he made it too enticing to pass up, I suspect.”
Nexus opened his mouth but closed it again and thought a moment. “No. I refuse to believe the prophecy was his doing. I wanted to use it so I can become a Creator. You and Mother won’t bestow such power on me, so I had to find my own way to acquire it. The prophecy will give me what I’ve wanted for so long.”
“We would’ve made you a Creator if you’d proven yourself ready for such a responsibility,” Kara said.
“I am ready. What in all creation makes you believe I’m not?”
“Your behavior,” she said like the answer should’ve been obvious. “Now I’m glad we decided against it. For a while we wondered if giving you the power would help you mature and become a better person, but I’m certain Vancor’s meddling would’ve prevented that.” She glared at the satyr. “What are you after?”
Baku did not like the smile Vancor gave his wife. It made his insides squirm and his blood boil. He stepped between the two and puffed up his chest. “Stay away from my family.”
“Vancor, release your hold on me. This is beyond disrespectful.”
“Call off the prophecy,” Kara urged, touching her son’s arm.
“No, Mother. Not after all that hard work.”
“Good prophet,” Vancor said. “Your prophecy is the only way you’ll ever become a Creator. I have no intention of releasing my hold over you. My will is stronger than yours. I have you right where I want you.”
Kara stood beside Baku, her waist-lengt
h hair writhing like snakes. “Would you like to find out if your will is stronger than mine?”
“My dear goddess, I would never fight you. You’re much to beautiful and fragile.”
Bam.
Vancor crashed into a wall and plopped to the ground in a heap. Kara stood in front of Baku with an outstretched fist. She straightened up and her hair stretched towards the satyr like it had been kicked up in a sudden wind. Her hair lengthened and wrapped around his body, forming a cocoon and leaving only his head exposed. She lifted him to her face. “Let. Him. Go.”
Eyes squinted shut, Vancor grit his teeth, baring his fangs, and tried flexing his arms. He made the hair bulge, grunting with the effort, but Kara bashed him against the stone floor.
“I’ll break your will if you don’t,” she said with such conviction that Baku backed up a few steps. Nexus glanced at him and backed up as well, standing at his side. They exchanged shocked glances.
“If you don’t mind me saying,” Baku said to Nexus, “I advise against interfering with your mother right now.”
“For once we are in accord.”
Vancor caught his breath and opened his eyes. “Do you think it wise to break my will? Think of my creations. They will suffer with a shattered god watching over them. Despair and chaos will run rampant.”
She bashed him again and he coughed, spitting up blood. “Your selfish meddling is affecting all worlds. This prophecy will create chaos for the entire mortal realm, and it’s all because of you.”
“Not true,” Vancor said in a strained voice. “Your son is responsible for that.”
“You’re the one who taught him!”
“Only because he wanted to learn. He urged me to teach him. He pestered me for a way around you two so he could become a Creator. I decided to be the good friend and surrogate father and tell him, tutor him. I even warned him that he risked his sanity if he failed, yet he plowed forward and has succeeded. Am I so evil for helping him get what he wants?”
“If helping him is all you wanted, then why manipulate him?” She squeezed him and he grunted, then fell silent, face red with strain. Kara lifted him into the air and bashed him a third time. “Answer me!”
Baku tentatively stepped forward. “Kara.” She looked at him, eyes full of wrath that softened a little when she met his gaze. “I believe I know. I saw it in his eyes when you asked him what he’s after.”
Her gaze snapped to the satyr. “That look made my skin crawl.”
Baku stood over Vancor. “You covet my wife.”
Vancor gave him a baleful look full of pain.
Gasping, Kara let go and backed away, hugging herself as her hair shortened to waist length. Baku pulled her into his arms and kissed the top of her head, which smelled like the flowers that grew on her realm.
“Is it true?” Nexus said. “Of course it is.” He looked at his hands. “That would explain all the times I--” He charged Vancor and punched him in the face. “You!” He punched the satyr again.
Kara leaned against Baku. “Nexus, call off your prophecy. Now.”
Nexus paused in his assault. “Only if you’ll make me a Creator.”
She shook her head. “Not until he removes his hold over you, and you prove ready for such responsibility.” Their son glared at them with a mix of hate and hurt.
“We have reached an impasse,” Vancor said.
“Not if I break your will,” Kara said, straightening up. Baku let her go.
“Allow me, Mother.” Nexus cracked his knuckles. “This day was supposed to be the happiest of my life. Now it’s turned out to be the most vexing.”
Kara put a hand on his shoulder. “No. You’ll lose while he still controls you. Just stay back.”
As much as Baku wanted to fight in his wife’s stead, he felt it wiser to let her have her way. She had to have a lot of pent-up frustration and anger.
Vancor pushed to his feet and wiped the blood from his face.
Kara stood before him, the top of her head barely reaching his sternum, and glared at him, unintimidated. “I give you one last chance to peacefully let my son go.”
“I refuse to harm you,” Vancor said tenderly, “hence why I never tried to manipulate you. You’re too lovely a creature for the likes of the mate you’ve chosen.”
“Please tell me you’re not stupid enough to believe I’d ever look your way after all you’ve done.”
“I did it out of love from afar.”
“You’re despicable.”
“Not even gods can control who we fall in love with. Have pity on me.”
It was true, gods were at the mercy of their emotions, just like mortals. Before the War of Creationism, all gods had loved each other equally and unconditionally, but as they grew more individualized and unique, pairings cropped up, along with polygamous relationships. Now monogamy was predominant, along with fleeting relationships, but to meddle like Vancor had? It wasn’t unheard of, but it was looked down upon. He should’ve known better and accepted Kara’s monogamous relationship with Baku. Did Baku pity Vancor? A little, but only a little.
“You should’ve better controlled yourself,” Kara said, eyes narrowed.
“What’s done is done,” Vancor said, “all in the name of love.”
“I’ll never be yours.”
With a bow fit for a ballroom, the satyr vanished.
Nexus made a strangled noise. “No!” He charged the spot where Vancor had been and swiped at it. “We need answers out of him.”
Frowning, Kara shook her head. “It doesn’t matter. Nexus, you’re the one who’s spent the most time with him. Maybe you haven’t put two and two together yet.”
“He never divulged his wants regarding you and I never suspected them. How could I possibly guess any other ulterior motives? And now all my memories of him complimenting and admiring you make me furious.”
“What’s the whole point of the prophecy? Just to make you a Creator?”
“Of course not. That’s just step one. I wouldn’t have been able to persuade so many gods to side with me if there wasn’t something in it for them.”
“So what’s in it for them?” Kara sounded like she didn’t want the answer.
Nexus looked at Baku. “It really shouldn’t be that hard to guess, especially for you, Father, since you’re a Creator.”
With that morsel of a clue, Baku still had no idea what the answer could be.
“Think about the War of Creationism. It was before all our time but we’ve all heard the story. What did the gods fight over?”
“The laws that should govern the mortal realm,” Baku said. “Is that what this is all about?” He felt the color drain from his face.
“You got it. Many want another go at weaving the fabric of reality. Don’t you ever wish you could change some of the laws, or at least bend them?”
“Of course. But the ones put in place were deemed the best course of action, even though they sometimes cause pain.”
“Maybe they didn’t lay down the wisest laws. Have you never entertained that possibility?”
“Of course I have,” Baku said with a nod. “It’s part of being a Creator. However, there are pros and cons to all laws. It’s all about balance, give and take. Everything is connected, so all decisions affect others. It’s why it was so difficult for gods to come to an agreement.”
“Well Vancor and many others want to rewrite laws without another war between gods.”
“So you make it a war between mortals instead,” Baku said unhappily.
“My history lessons made it perfectly clear how much of a waste of energy a divine war would be.”
“You do know that changing the laws governing the mortal realm require us to start all over again, don’t you?”
“Not this time,” Nexus said with a grin. “I’ll be changing only one thing.”
“And what will that be?”
“I don’t know yet. I’ll decide after I’m a Creator. I’ll pull out some old threads and weave in new
ones. My allies have all expressed the changes they wish to see. I’ll pick what I agree with most and make it be so.”
Baku’s stomach did a flop. No wonder so many had been eager to side with Nexus. Even he would have if there was a way around dire repercussions and this war wasn’t a part of the bargain.
But those threads Nexus hoped to rip out and replace... it wouldn’t go seamlessly. History had proven that much. “I doubt anyone but you will get exactly what they want from this prophecy.”
“Well, then that’s just too bad for them. I’ve worked very hard and very carefully on my prophecy. Vancor was quite satisfied with the results. Maybe your fears are unfounded.
“I hope we never find out.” As much as Baku wanted to go to Thanatos and beg him to free Roxie, alive, such words would be a waste. It was all up to Roxie and her ability to wield Frava.
* * *
All alone, no helmet to communicate with, Oemaru battled the manticore Brevelan. He was slowly making his way among friend and foe towards where he’d started before taking to the sky, doing his best to zigzag and mask his general direction. If the manticore caught on, chances were this war would unfold far from how he and Vancor had envisioned. This was supposed to be his glorious, decisive battle, the culmination of his entire career, but now he was bleeding from puncture wounds in his shoulders, and his back ached from getting dashed against the ground, all thanks to the manticore. He still managed to keep Brevelan out of melee range with his starcallers, but he was slowly tiring.
Every now and then, someone else would try to kill him. Oemaru cut them down with his spinning blades, sending heads and limbs rolling. Brevelan charged in every time and Oemaru sent him retreating with a fresh cut. The manticore was bleeding from many places but seemed unfazed, yet not eager to add to his injuries.
Oemaru snuck a glance over his shoulder. There they were!
Maybe two hundred strides away sat four bulky, pyramid-shaped machines with flat tops. The ivory towers. Used only during surface combat as an HQ, yet packing one major round of explosive power each, the ivory towers could turn this basin into a crater. It wouldn’t be the most artful of victories but it’d make this war quick and decisive. Winning by any means trumped winning with style.
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