Hey guys, just a heads up, this is an extremely complicated chapter and I still don't think I've got it quite perfect but don't want you going another day without a chapter. It's up to usual standards but with this one I really want the dialogue and motivations to be exact so I'm planning another edit of it tomorrow. It's almost there but if some parts feel a little unjustified I'll work on them.
There was a certain weight to hearing the words ‘Bearer of Infinity’ from the mouth of a god. While Hump had never held the Pantheon in particularly high regard, and even less so these days, it was still rather shocking to have a member before his eyes. Well… somewhat before his eyes. He couldn’t see Loften through the maelstrom of his soul that surrounded him, contained within the four monoliths of stone.
Still, before him was a god. One of the Pantheon. His master would have probably laughed.
Hump took another cautious step into the chamber. Even that one step was enough to almost knock him back. A raging aura radiated from the maelstrom, so vast and incomprehensible that it felt like walking through a storm. Hump bolstered his soul against the force and took another step. It weighed him down with overwhelming intent, but he managed another step forward. The more he bore it, the more it seemed to fade away.
Soon, he was in control of his essence enough to activate Spirit Sight, careful not to look directly into all that power. He didn’t see any sign of traps, though that wasn’t saying much. It was hard to see anything at all with such a dense source of essence in the room, rich in both divinity and intent. There was only one explanation for what it could be.
“Careful,” Emilia called. “There could be traps in here.”
“I assure you, the room is perfectly safe,” Loften said. “You have nothing to fear in here.”
That wasn’t particularly reassuring coming from the thing in the room that Hump feared most, but he didn’t voice that.
“Check anyway,” Hump said, scanning the room once more but still finding nothing. “Anything, Celaine?”
“I don’t think so.”
Hump nodded. “Brilliant. So it was just a hydra to deal with. You didn’t think to warn us about that?”
“You do not trust me,” Loften said. It was unnerving hearing the gods voice but not being able to see him. There was a quality to it that made it feel beyond human, the words not just in the air, but carried on essence, reverberating through the chamber.
Hump saw no reason to lie. “Not really. Can you blame me? Have you forgotten how it is you brought me here? I don’t like being threatened.”
“No, I cannot blame you. You are of Alveron, so I had hoped your loyalties to your gods would help to avoid such time-wasting. A small bother for all that you have done for me, so I shall forgive it.”
“We have not done anything for you yet,” Hump said. “For all my distaste toward the situation, the reason we are here hasn’t changed. We need a way to return home, and you want out help.”
“Then we are aligned,” Loften said. “Yet you are not moving.”
“For a start, you need to do something about this essence,” Hump said. “Even if I can reach you, I’m not going to be able to do anything about your bindings with this in my face.”
“What is it even?” Dylan asked. “I’ve never seen such dense power. Part of the imprisonment formation?”
“That is Loften’s soul,” Hump said. “As far as I can tell, these pillars are forcefully drawing it out of him and cutting off the connection to his body, sealing off his powers from him.”
As if in response to their understanding, the light receded, dimming until it spiralled inward and condensed into the figure of a man. He stood tall—taller than any human—yet bore distinctly human features. He wore simple robes, unburnished by the many years. Chains bound his arms and legs about the wrists and ankles, stretching him taught. Where his skin showed it revealed runic tattoos and muscles that looked sculpted from stone poked out. He had the same thick beard and untamed mane that hung down to his shoulders. The Heartseeker amulet Hump had given him was around his neck, along with its matching piece.
“Correct,” Loften said calmly, clouded white eyes looking over them. “It is only with great effort that I can contain my soul. In these moments, my clarity returns to me. I can influence the world and the altari. I cannot maintain this state for long. You must work quickly to destroy the pillars if you are to release me. I shall guide you.”
Hump could sense the god’s excitement. It was the same eagerness one might hear from a merchant on the street about to make a sale, but it seemed the god of craft did not hide it so well.
Loften was desperate, and he didn’t want them to know. That gave Hump more leverage than he’d anticipated.
Against his instincts, Hump stepped right up to the edge of two of the pillars, looking up at Loften, meeting his white eyes. He felt tiny in every aspect compared to the god. All Loften needed to do was release his soul once more and he would be sent flying back, overwhelmed by his sheer presence.
But it didn’t matter. More important than getting home, more important than his life, was ensuring that they were not setting loose a greater evil than even the warlocks and their masters. Baelkor was one divine being too many already.
“Before we even begin releasing you, you must answer our questions.”
Loften’s face twisted with anger. “Who are you to ask me questions?”
“As you said, I am the Bearer of Infinity. And if I am to free you from your bindings, you will need to convince me that you are not my enemy and that the altari world will not be harmed.”
“Our purpose is one,” Loften said. “I will see the Pantheon destroyed for what they have done, and Osidium will suffer. You have nothing to fear from me.”
“Yet I must still have answers.”
“My time is short,” Loften said. “My recent appearances have already weakened me, and it may be years—decades—before I can be fully cognisant again.”
“Then speak quickly.”
Loften’s eyes narrowed. The white mist swirled in his eyes, and Hump could see the god’s mind churning. Then the anger left his face in place of resignation. “Ask your questions, Wizard.”
“I suppose to begin, what is this place?” Hump asked. “How can it hold you?”
“You stand within one of my greatest creations—a prison forged using power drawn directly from the heart of this world. These pillars are Reality Anchors. Their purpose is to regulate and channel that power. Configured correctly, they can even hold a god.”
“If you made it, why can’t you break out?” Celaine asked.
A shadow crossed Loften’s face. “Because it is damaged. The others brute forced my design to turn it against me. They have always done this. Taking what I build and using it however they see fit. I am a craftsman. I build. But I cannot control the hands that wield my creations.”
“You designed this to draw upon the heart of the altari world,” Dylan said. “How much more destructive can you be? Now it is in pieces.”
Loften did not flinch. “That was not my intention. But yes, their reckless use of my systems led to catastrophe. I warned them and they did not listen.”
“These people worship you,” Dylan said. “Do you feel no guilt?”
Loften’s gaze turned on Hump, and there was no remorse on it. “The world survives because of me. Without their essence, Ur would collapse. Do not mistake necessity for cruelty.”
“What of our world?” Hump asked. “When I asked you about the Chosen, you told me I knew too much. Why? What is it I wasn’t meant to know?”
“The Binding of Faith was designed to enhance mortals with divinity,” Loften said. “It was a way to pass down knowledge and power—to share it with all that possessed the talent. When the war was won, we were meant to move forward. Humanity was meant to advance! To become greater than it was! But the others had different ideas. They feared sharing their power and feared even more that others would come to match our strength. They butchered my binding, turning it into something it is not. A mark to siphon off the potential of a soul and take it for themselves. I sought to undo my work, and for that they doomed me.”
The original sounded much like Celaine’s blessings—something that helped to guide her growth rather than restrict it.
“No,” Bud said. “It cannot be. I do not believe Kelisia would do this to me. I have heard her voice—felt her light in my darkest times. Always she has been there.”
“I am the Creator,” Loften said. “It is as I say.”
Bud stepped closer, fists clenched. “You’re wrong! I would have died long ago if not for her. Her blessings are my strength.”
“Your strength does not come from her,” Loften said. “Each circle functions to stabilise the soul and help to build a steady foundation. As your soul expands, so to do the circles, stabilising it to siphon off a portion of its essence. Her blessings do lend you her strength in a way, but it is in place of your own potential.”
Bud took a step back, shaking his head. “I do not believe it. I do not!”
Hump’s heart ached at the sight of his distraught friend, but there was not time for this right now. Their room for questions would not last long. As if thinking the same thing, Emilia stood in front of Bud and ran a hand down his face.
“There will be time, but it is not yet,” she said softly. “We will get our answers together.”
Bud looked at her. He drew a deep breath and nodded.
“What do you mean for humanity to advance?” Hump asked. “Your bindings enslave us—steal from us. What is it you want?”
“They were never meant to enslave,” Loften said. “Just look at what I have done here on Ur. Altari bear my mark, and the essence of their souls is siphoned off to keep the world together. It is harmless, yet together, they hold their world together.”
“And it takes away their freedom,” Hump said. “They cannot advance. I have not even seen a handful that have manifested their souls.”
“A necessary compromise,” Loften said. “Survival must come first. What use is freedom in a world that no longer exists?”
“But our world was not on the verge of collapse.”
“Not yet,” Loften said. “But calamity waits beyond every horizon. Demons find paths through the veil. And there are things beyond them, deeper still, in the endless dark. We must evolve or perish. My system was a path forward—one world, one people, united in ascent. But fear halted our climb. Do you believe in fate, Wizard? That we are shaped by a force beyond knowing? That every step is written?”
“I don’t.”
“Nor do I. Which is why we must forge our path ourselves. There is nothing out there to protect us.”
“I thought that was your job,” Hump said. “I thought that was the role of the Pantheon. To protect Alveron.”
Loften laughed, bitter and hollow. “We cannot even protect ourselves. The gods will not descend to save Alveron from what lurks in the darkness. They fear it enough to cut the world off from all others—to seal off the veil and isolate us, hiding away like rabbits in a hole.”
“What of Samuel Durain?” Hump asked. “You imprisoned him. You stole his power. He was more powerful than all of you, was he not? Wouldn’t he be best suited to create this world that you speak of?”
Loften’s expression soured. “For all his brilliance, he lacked ambition. He saw the endless worlds and desired only to see them. Infinite opportunities, magics, and technologies, yet he would have us remain stagnant. And while we did, our enemies would grow stronger. If we do not grow strong enough to keep our worlds safe, they will be taken from us.”
Nothing Loften said could make Hump trust him. They had no way to hold him to his word. No way to know his true desires. One thing was clear. What Hump saw before him was not a god, but a man, with all the flaws and imperfections.
“So there it is, Wizard. My mind laid bare. Have I proven myself to you? If you delay further, the decision will make itself. I will fade again soon.”
“Then one final question,” Hump said. “Why should we trust you after you threatened to destroy the altari world if I did not help you?”
Loften let out a long sigh. His jaw tightened, face twisted in anger. “They killed my wife. Is there anything you would not do for your beloved?”
“Yeah, I draw the line at world destroying. Sorry Celaine.”
“That’s alright. I think that’s about where I draw the line too.”
“Tell me that after an eon together,” Loften said softly. “Tell me that when she is taken from you out of spite. Tell me that when she is slain by one of your closest friends, while you are locked away, helpless. You can trust me because I shall do all in my power to destroy the Pantheon.” His eyes roamed over them. “We share a common enemy. If you cannot trust in my word, trust in my rage. Trust in my vengeance.”