Chapter 657 The Eldritch and False God
"So, you are the pathetic being that I have Pacted with?" The dark presence from deep within the void asked Kadeon, but the False God held his composure.
He had put up with Matthias for all these centuries and been used as a pawn in a game between two real gods. Now he was before a being that was much stronger than both of them.
"I see that you are not a complete and utter fool to understand how much more I am than the Godlings. You now will stand close to even with that Cat God, but he would still kill us in your current state. On top of that, you have lost all your pawns, save the dozen or so Blood Witches remaining in the mortal realm," the Eldritch mused, but Kadeon spoke up.
"Even if he tries, it is clear he cannot kill me!" Kadeon raged, but then lights started to appear from the void.
As they got closer, ice filled Kadeon's veins as the glowing eyes of nightmare creatures got closer to him. Try as he might, there was no escaping as the disfigured horrors started to tear his body apart. This went on for what would seem like an eternity until it abruptly stopped, leaving the False God shaking with eyes wide.
"There are some things that are much worse than death, and you would do well to remember that. What I did just now was a slight taste of what I could do to you if you fail me. While this creature, Galio, is a coward like my disciple, it is clear from the way he tried to kill you that he is slowly growing where my student could not," the Eldritch said.
"And you expect me to just do your bidding?" Kadeon rasped, bravado drained from him after his horrifying experience.
"Indeed, Kadeon. But remember this, I don't share the sentimentality of my students. Her vision of parading about with her familiar and playing hero nauseates me," the Eldritch confessed, its voice a grotesque whisper in the ashen dark.
"I am anything but a hero," Kadeon admitted, the words hollow in his voice.
"Exactly. That's what we have in common. You will continue your revenge, but this time, you will do so under my hand," the Eldritch articulated, its voice echoing venomously around the void.
"Fine. I have no other choice. What will you have me do?" Kadeon finally gave in, his voice tinged with a bitter realization.
"For starters, you will get in contact with one of your Blood Witches, and have her infiltrate the upcoming Goddess Games. I want them to go as a spectator only, and wait till the very end ceremony to activate the Riftwalker that I will give you to put in the child," the Eldritch explained, and a red and black orb appeared before Kadeon. "This contains the Riftwalker that the Cat God had been using to hold my Chaos Beasts back, but infected with chaos. It will be interesting to see how he reacts to having his pet turned against him. He will be forced to kill her, yet adding another stone to his soul."
"You make it sound as though you have no intention of this even working?" Kadeon questioned as the red and black orb absorbed into his chest. "Isn't it a waste then?"
"Nothing we can do from here will kill him, and going there yourself will get you killed. The only way that you stand a chance of beating a creature like that is to force him to come to you. The best we can do right now is create problems for him while we continue to raise your power. The more chaos we create, the stronger you will become. But for now, enact my plan and await further instructions," the Eldritch explained, and without warning, Kadeon found himself back in his dark castle.
Kadeon looked around at his cold and dark fortress and then sighed. "I really need to spruce this up!" Kadeon Ordered and his magic spread out for a moment before his castle shifted into something as grand as Northwall, at least in his mind it did.
"Your plan is in progress," Kadeon said through his parchment. "My chaos rift will start to turn the world against the other gods while you fill with power in the shadows. They will blame that cat god and when the time comes, I will kill him myself," Kadeon growled, his eyes lighting up with pink and black light as his magic washed.
---
"Achoo!" I sneezed as Karma poured me some wine.
"What in this world would make a god sneeze?" Tallia asked as she leaned back in her chair, and Nemoria laughed softly.
"I would like to say it was from someone talking about him, but if that was the case, I don't think he would stop sneezing!" The Ex Queen of Darkness laughed, making me smile. I tried to compare Nemoria to Akasha, but the Dark Being inside of me was more evil on her best days than Nemoria had ever been ever at her worst!
"I guess so," Tallia said, and I shrugged.
"I would put money on your father, or the thirds of Matthias. Speaking of that devil, that was why I wanted to talk to the two of you," I said as I leaned back on the couch with Luck and Murphy on one side, and Fate surprisingly on the other. Since I was gone, Tallia and Nemoria had been working with her every day it seemed, and it finally seemed for the better!
"What now?" Nemoria asked before taking a sip of wine, and I sighed.
"Well," I said, and then went through everything that happened in the Underworld, focusing more on the end with my memories and my Pact with Akasha.
"Well, if it meant to save Xieus, then it was more than worth it. That man sealed his fate when he ruined the last reality we were in. I personally hope that the Eldritch devours him and turns him into a puppet!" Nemoria growled, and as Kadeon's ex-wife, she had a right to be mad.
"I agree with you mother. Whatever happens to my father will most likely be too good for the things that he has done. I am surprised that you bothered to even talk to us about this," Tallia said, and I shrugged.
"Regardless of what he has done, he was your father at one point," I said, Tallia narrowed her eyes at me, but I put up my hands. "I know, he is a prick, and I will make him pay with his life for what he has done. I just want to make sure that both of you have no regrets going into this, or after."
Tallia sighed, leaning back in her chair, and Nemoria smiled at me. "I am glad that you have resolved to end him. I really think that is the only way for us to be free of his influence," Nemoria said, and I nodded.
"True enough, but I don't think he will be causing too much trouble for a while. There is still the trouble with the Blood Witches, but I plan on waking Xena and Cancer up today. I am hoping that our Blood Witch can shed a little insight on where the others might be, and what they are planning," I said, and then took a long drink from my glass.
"I can help you with that," Tallia offered, her brows drawn together in a frown rich with determination. "I know that Xena is a good person, even after everything, so I want you to give her a chance and even spend some time with her. It might be good to take her out with you when you and Breya leave the city. I don't think sitting here with her guilt will do her any good. She killed me in our previous life, but that was because my father forced my mother to infect her with negative energy. On top of that, you ignored her feelings, which could have prevented everything."
Tallia's words were like a whip, each of them striking me with a guilt that I had tried to suppress all these years. I had indeed overlooked the pain Xena had gone through. My ignorant bliss had come at the expense of her constant suffering, a realization that wracked me with guilt and regret.
"You're right, Tallia. I... I'll try and make it right. For Xena and for all of us," I responded, my voice choked with emotions.
"And for yourself, Galio," Nemoria gently reminded me. "You've done so much, taken on so many responsibilities... You need to forgive yourself too."
Her words, cloudy with wisdom, cast a considerate eye toward everlasting shadows of my past. It's true–I had carried these burdens for way too long. It was high time to start afresh, without the chains of guilt and regrets.
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