Chapter 14: 12
In a dim, foreboding dimension filled with pulsating shadows and the faint hissing of snakes, Set crouched in agony. His once-majestic serpentine form was battered and fractured, his emerald scales dulled, and his chaotic aura flickered weakly. The wounds inflicted by Ender's trident, amplified by the lightning god's divine energy, cut deep, not just into his flesh but into his very essence.
Set's serpentine eyes burned with hatred as he replayed the battle in his mind. "That whelp..." he growled, his voice a low, venomous hiss. "A mere ascendant dares to challenge an Elder God? Dares to wound me?"
But as his chaotic energy wavered, his anger turned to cold calculation. Set knew that he needed power, immediate and immense power, to recover and to plan his vengeance. His mind twisted with schemes as his gaze turned inward, searching for the next pawn in his eternal game.
Set's thoughts drifted to the ocean depths, where another Elder God slumbered. Hyppus, a god of sea creatures and tides, had long lived in obscurity, far removed from the schemes of gods and mortals alike.
"Hyppus," Set hissed, the name dripping with contempt. "The fool isolates himself, squandering his power on the waves. But his life force... his essence... would serve me well."
Set's body coiled, his fractured form trembling with effort as he summoned the last vestiges of his chaotic power. A portal began to form, shimmering with darkness and faint green light. "I will consume him," he declared, his voice filled with dark resolve. "His essence will heal me, and his death will fuel my rise."
The portal solidified, and Set slithered through, his broken form gliding toward the hidden domain of Hyppus.
The undersea realm of Hyppus was a tranquil paradise, filled with bioluminescent coral reefs and swarms of vibrant sea creatures. At its center, Hyppus sat in meditative stillness, his form resembling a great centaur. The god of the tides had sensed Set's arrival but had not expected hostility.
"Brother Set," Hyppus greeted, his deep, resonant voice carrying through the water. "What brings you to my domain in such a state?"
Set, feigning weakness, approached slowly, his form flickering. "Brother," he rasped, his tone disarming. "I... I come seeking aid. My battle with a lightning-wielder has left me gravely wounded. I have no place else to turn."
Hyppus tilted his massive head, his glowing eyes filled with concern. "You are injured indeed, brother. You may rest here and—"
Before he could finish, Set struck. With a sudden burst of chaotic energy, he coiled around Hyppus with terrifying speed, his fangs sinking into the sea god's throat. Hyppus thrashed, his power erupting in waves of violent tides, but Set's grip was unrelenting.
"Fool!" Set hissed, his voice dripping with venom. "Did you think I came here to beg? You are nothing but sustenance for a true god!"
As Hyppus's life force drained into Set, the serpent's wounds began to heal. His broken scales regrew, brighter and sharper than before, and his chaotic aura surged with renewed strength. Hyppus' struggles weakened until the centaur god's form dissolved into faint motes of light, absorbed entirely into Set's being.
Emerging from the realm, Set retreated to his hidden dimension. The space resonated with chaotic energy, pulsating like a living heart. Set coiled within the shadows, his form now radiant with the power stolen from Hyppus.
But he knew he could not act recklessly again. The trident and Ender's storm had proven more dangerous than he anticipated. To challenge Gaia's champion directly would require more than brute strength. He needed a weapon of unparalleled power, a tool to bend others to his will.
Set's mind turned to the Serpent Crown, an ancient artifact imbued with his essence, hidden somewhere on Earth. "With the Crown, I will enslave the minds of mortals and gods alike," he murmured, his voice echoing in the cavern. "Their strength will become mine, and the chaos they sow will feed me."
He extended his senses across the Earth, searching for the Crown's resting place. Its faint, familiar energy pulsed like a beacon, guiding him.
"Let the lightning god celebrate his hollow victory," Set sneered. "For when I return, I will bring chaos not just to him, but to the entire Earth. Let Gaia and Herobrine tremble before my wrath."
As Set's laughter filled the dimension, the shadows deepened, a portent of the chaos to come.
(Chthon)
Chthon stood inside Darque Hold, gazing into the space with a smile that dripped with malice and cunning. His crimson eyes burned with ancient knowledge and insidious ambition, their light casting eerie shadows across his horned visage. The cosmic fabric trembled faintly around him as he reached out with his chaotic essence, sensing the aftermath of Set's treachery.
"So, you've finally decided to take the bait, brother," Chthon muttered, his voice a silky blend of satisfaction and disdain. The chaotic currents around him swirled, amplifying his already oppressive presence. He raised a clawed hand, weaving tendrils of dark magic that danced like serpents in the air. Each thread connected him to the lingering essences of his 'siblings' across the realms.
"The Age of Degeneration is upon us," he said with quiet delight, his words laced with venom. "How predictable you are, Set. Your hunger for power blinds you to the strings guiding your every move. The more you consume, the closer you draw to the abyss."
Chthon's goal had never been a power in the conventional sense. As the first wielder of chaos magic, his ambitions stretched beyond mere dominion over realms or mortals. No, his plan was far more insidious: to orchestrate the downfall of his kind, the Elder Gods, and turn them into something far more malleable, demons.
The Elder Gods, had begun to falter and corrupt over millennia. Set, the Serpent, with his greed and lust for domination with his reptiles, was the perfect example of this degeneration. Chthon had subtly nurtured this decline, weaving chaos into their actions and desires, ensuring that every step they took would lead them closer to their fall.
"Let them devour one another," Chthon murmured, his voice a low rumble that echoed across dimensions. "Let their hunger consume their reason, their essence twist into madness. And when they finally succumb, when they are no longer gods but demons, I shall claim them all."
He chuckled darkly, the sound reverberating like the toll of a bell. "Why settle for a single god's essence when I can feast on a banquet of broken divinities? Once they are fully degenerated, they will no longer stand as equals, they will be mine to wield, to bind, and to consume."
While Chthon manipulated his siblings, he kept a wary eye on Gaia and her newfound champion/lover, Ender. The god of lightning had proven more resourceful than expected, but Chthon knew that raw power alone could not undo his plans. Their interference might serve to accelerate his schemes.
"Gaia," he whispered, his tone mockingly affectionate. "Your storm god is impressive, but even storms falter before chaos. The more your precious lover fights to protect you, the more chaos he will sow in his wake."
With a flick of his hand, Chthon summoned an ethereal quill and began inscribing symbols into a piece of flesh, the chaotic runes glowing with unholy light.
The Elder Gods walk willingly into his trap. Each battle, each act of consumption, and each fragment of chaos magic released into the cosmos brought his grand design closer to fruition.
"The Age of Degeneration," he mused, his voice reverberating across the planes. "A time when gods will become demons."
The Elder God of Chaos, was patient. He could wait. After all, chaos was eternal, and his moment would come.
(Yahweh)
Yahweh sat on a throne of light, his ethereal form radiant with divine authority. The celestial realm around him was an expanse of endless serenity, filled with the whispers of cosmic winds and the soft glow of countless stars. Yet, his thoughts were consumed by the imperfections of various lifeforms the potential for something truly magnificent—beings that could embody his ideals.
"Every reptile is greedy, insatiable in their hunger," he mused, his voice resonating like a symphony of light and power. "Sister Gaia was correct when she dismissed them as evolutionary dead ends. They are tainted with primal sins, incapable of true grace or purity. Even men, flawed as they are, carry the same burdens of greed and anger." He paused, his thoughts briefly wandering to Ender.
"Though Herobrine… he is different," Yahweh acknowledged. "An anomaly in the chaos, disciplined and resolute. Perhaps there is still hope for man through examples like him. But even then, males are a reflection of ambition, struggle, and imperfection." His gaze softened as he contemplated a deeper truth.
"And Herobrine also doesn't belong in this reality, so he is an exception."
"My sisters, though… they were made perfect. Pure. Compassionate. Unyielding yet nurturing. It is only natural that the beings I create should reflect their essence."
Yahweh stood and began to pace the luminous garden, every step causing the ground to bloom with light. He extended a hand, summoning streams of divine energy that coalesced into shapes and forms. He envisioned a new creation, one that would stand apart from the imperfections of man and beast.
"What should they be?" he pondered aloud. "Graceful, beautiful, untainted by the flaws of mortals. They shall serve as messengers of divine will and as guardians of the balance between the celestial and the mortal realms."
"Wings. Yes, they must have wings," Yahweh decided, his mind flickering to the elegance of flight and freedom. "Not like the crude, leathery appendages of beasts, but vast and feathered, radiant with my light. Each feather will shimmer with divine energy, a testament to their purity."
"They will act as defense and attack."
He considered the idea of glowing eyes from Ender but dismissed it "No. They must carry a deeper message, a hollow or aura of light that emanates from their entire being. When mortals look upon them, they will see not just beauty but divine purpose.
"They must be both protectors and warriors, but elegance cannot be lost," he continued. "Their armor will not weigh them down, it will be ethereal, light as air yet unyielding as the heavens themselves. A celestial alloy, a testament to their divine origins."
Drawing from his sister Gaia's insights into life's cycles, Yahweh envisioned another function for his angels. "They must not only embody grace but also serve as purifiers. When they encounter corruption, they must have the ability to cleanse it with their mere presence. Let their essence radiate divine harmony."
He paused, imagining the harmony of his creations. "And their voices… They must carry the songs of creation itself. A single word from them will bring comfort to the broken and fear to the wicked."
As Yahweh worked through his thoughts, his garden responded to his musings, blooming with flowers that mirrored his ideas. Golden petals shimmered with faint halos, and the trees swayed with a gentle harmony that filled the air.
"Females," he said softly, almost to himself. "They will be the first. A reflection of perfection, of creation at its finest. Their presence will bring order, peace, and a reminder of what mortals should aspire to. They will carry not just my essence but the best of what my sisters represent."
A celestial book appeared before him, its blank pages glowing with divine light. Yahweh began inscribing the first designs for his angels, the divine quill in his handwriting words that would soon manifest into reality.
"They will be more than messengers," he said, his voice echoing with determination. "They will be my will, my guardians, my voice in the cosmos. Let them be angels, and let their radiance guide creation to the path of light."
Far away, the celestial winds carried whispers of his intentions, the heavens themselves stirring in anticipation of the angels' coming.
Yet, Yahweh wanted to give his creations their choices whether they chose to be light or dark, male or female forms, filled with empathy.
Someone to judge them if they are in the wrong.
(Muspelheim- Buri's Fiery Misadventure)
Buri, the ancient and wise progenitor of the Æsir/Asgardian gods, had seen many strange things in his time. But sneaking into the volcanic heart of Muspelheim, home to Surtur, the flaming giant who could ignite the end of the world with his Eternal Flame? That was a new one, even for him.
He adjusted his heavy, fur-lined cloak as he trudged through the ashen wasteland, muttering to himself. "Surtur's always going on about Ragnarok this, Ragnarok that. Who's he trying to impress with that oversized torch anyway? If he doesn't need the Eternal Flame right now, he might as well share the wealth."
Buri's plan was simple. Too simple. Sneak in, grab a bit of the Eternal Flame, and get out before Surtur noticed. He'd managed to carve an ice bottle reinforced with runes to hold the mystical green flames. But as he stood at the edge of the flaming chasm, he realized that "simple" might have been an overstatement.
In the center of the chasm, the Eternal Flame blazed like a defiant beacon of destruction. The heat alone made even Buri's enchanted cloak smolder. A few fire demons milled about, but they seemed more interested in roasting volcanic rocks than guarding the Flame.
"Lazy lot," Buri muttered as he tiptoed closer. "Surtur must not pay them enough."
He extended his ice bottle toward the Flame, whispering ancient words to siphon a portion of its power. Green fire swirled and crackled as it reluctantly flowed into the container. Just as the last spark entered the bottle, a deep, booming voice shook the cavern.
"WHO DARES DISTURB THE ETERNAL FLAME?"
Buri froze.
"Oh, for Ymir's beard…" he muttered, turning to see Surtur himself looming above him, his fiery form casting shadows that danced like living nightmares.
Surtur glared down at Buri, his molten eyes narrowing. "Buri? You old coot! What are you doing in my domain? Don't tell me you've finally decided to challenge me for dominion over Muspelheim."
"Challenge you?" Buri snorted, doing his best to appear nonchalant. "Bah! I've got better things to do than wrestle with a walking bonfire. No, I'm here on… uh… family business."
"Family business?" Surtur's flames flickered with curiosity.
Yes," Buri said, holding up the bottle. "You see, my dear sister Gaia has just married a promising young god, Ender, the new God of Lightning. I thought it'd be a nice gesture to gift her a portion of the Eternal Flame. You know, a symbolic thing. Fire for the hearth, unity, all that."
Surtur stroked his fiery chin. "A marriage gift, you say? Hmph. I suppose that's… acceptable. But what about the other bottle?"
Buri hesitated, glancing at the second bottle tucked into his cloak. "Oh, this? This is, uh… personal research. I'm working on refining the mead of poetry, and I thought a touch of the Flame might… add some kick."
"Mead?" Surtur rumbled, his tone softening. "Interesting. Will it burn?"
"If it doesn't, I'll let you be the first to try it."
Surtur let out a rumbling laugh that sent embers flying. "Fine, take your portion of the Flame. But if that mead doesn't live up to its promise, I'll use you to stoke my forge."
"Deal!" Buri said, backing away carefully.
Back in Aesheim, Buri presented Gaia with her gift.
"For you, sister," he said with a flourish, holding out the ice bottle. "A piece of Surtur's Eternal Flame, contained in the purest ice of Niflheim. May it warm your hearth and protect your domain."
Gaia raised an eyebrow, her emerald hair shimmering in the light of the Flame. "This is… thoughtful, Buri. Though I must ask, how did you convince Surtur to part with it?"
"Convince? Pah!" Buri waved a hand dismissively. "He practically threw it at me once I mentioned your name."
Meanwhile, Buri returned to his workshop, eager to test his other prize. He poured a 'drop' of the Eternal Flame into a cauldron of enchanted mead. The mixture hissed and bubbled ominously.
"Perfect!" Buri declared, ignoring the small explosion that followed.
Little did he know, the resulting brew would become the stuff of legends, bestowing both divine inspiration and temporary fire breath on anyone brave enough to drink it. But that's a tale for another time.
For now, Buri sat back, sipped his mead, and chuckled. "Surtur doesn't know what he's missing."
~~~~
I don't what to make of this but the creation of Angels is about to be done and the Lucifer will be a female from the Deadly Sin series, Gabriel will be from DxD.
Villains monologue and that is what Chthon is doing.
I hope the short story is good.
And sorry for the monologues, Chthon.
I will wrap up this volume fast and the next volume will be Avengers 100000000 (few zeroes) BC.
And Powah...