FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Chapter 1

"Home"

Tendrils. Cold, metallic tendrils. Colorless, and winding. These are my earliest memories. As a newborn infant, I laid on my back, claws scratching the air in attempts to crawl, silver irises scanning with a curious, cursory glance. As I gazed about with eyes full of wonder, my first emotion was entrancement, watching the dexterous arms snake about in fluid motions, meticulous and calculated in every movement. I was madly curious, if not transfixed by the arms of my forebearer. Moving with a smooth whirr, seven protracting sets of delicate steel claws cradled me with their snakelike appendages. The first words I ever heard reverberated from a towering neon ceiling... "My dear son. Welcome to life." It murmured. My infant eyes observed a realm of vivid metal. The planetary womb which birthed me echoed my cries throughout the cold, sterile air. This was a planet unlike any other.

Sapient, with robotic tendrils coiling and twisting like the desert serpents of Metabania, their fluent frames extended with gentle precision. After emerging through the veil of existence, this mechanical caretaker handled me with arms of steel and a heart of gold. It was that day I gained sentience, when the nursery's presence enveloped me in a comforting embrace. Its placid and soothing celestial voice flooded my ears once more. "My dear Agni. Just focus on me." It whispered, resonating deep within the depths of my nascent mind, and calming my troubled cries. I am still awestruck to this day, recalling the ignorance of a helpless newborn. Who would've known that infant creatures were unaware of their own cries?

With tender handling, its metallic digits caressed my fragile spine, maximizing warmth and comfort. The tendrils swaddled me in a fabric softer than the finest threads any world could grow, gently rocking me in their embrace, their touch not just mimicking the gentle sway of a mother's loving arms, but embodying the very essence. Father's intelligence surpassed the understanding of the highest echelons, offering an endearing compassion which defied the bounds of his inorganic nature. I grew up under his watchful gaze, until surpassing my adolescence. Petaglyph, my only guardian, gave me his undivided (or just perfect) attention. Even as I aged through my adult years, his mechanical resonance lulled my spirit into quiet dreams every night, singing through the speakers of my lofty residence. No creature of flesh could ever match his parental love, transcending all artificial limits. As I grew into my youthful eighties, he fully learned my desires, my habits, and quirks, adapting to fit my every individual need.

With an otherworldly wisdom, Petaglyph educated my inquisitive mind about the stars and cosmos, taught me everything I needed to know about the Universe around us . . . and even that which resided beyond it. As I lived century after century, I learned these portions of my life were only the beginning. I defined my life's purpose not long after my 500th Birthday. One would expect me to be inorganic, much like my creator, but most are shocked to see otherwise. My homeland rests within a private sector of Petaglyph's surface, known as Pocket Zero. We love our "enclosures", if you could call them that. Many would argue, sincerely opposing these words, stating they are personal paradises. Petaglyph is no God, nor does he claim to be . . . yet there's no denying that he himself, is a high place. Literally so.

Many among the mighty cosmos revered him as the Petaglyph Menagerie: the 12th Planet of our System, and the kindest soul I've ever known. His generosity perpetually continues to save countless races across the fabric of space-time, giving them homes, food, clothing, purpose, and things beyond simple necessities. A utopia, offering maximum quality of life, free of worries or troubles. Most meet him as a mere drone, as part of a levitating collective of countless others. Though as Petaglyph's son, I know better than to identify him by his lesser counterparts. As for my lineage, my physical essence was constructed through a complex network of hybrid DNA, making me capable of feats no average species could endure. At five centuries young, my ancient mind matured beyond normal limits. I mused one night, sinking deep into thought. I'd pondered enough to know there was more beyond this sophisticated utopia. I gazed through my bedroom window of stars, yearning for journey's of discovery, love and adventure.

Eventually, this hankering curiosity hungered to the point of starvation. It left me wondering in times of meditation, about realms which resided beyond my father's worldly limits. Who were the creatures who aided in my creation? The ones who's genetics contributed to my existence. Could I call them mothers and fathers? To my surprise, if that were true. . . I'd have twenty-one parents, including father. While father and I are not related by blood, it's through strong bonds in which we're connected. While there were those who had seniority over me, including father, I was still an inconceivably powerful creature. All matter of swordplay and magic had been mine to master, as per my design. "If life can build technology, then technology can build life." That was what father had said to me once, speaking so plainly. I am proof of this philosophy; a breathing enigma to countless souls scattered across the worlds and galaxies. A superior aberration of nature. In essence, this is my general history.

My unwanted trek started as a sudden detour. The love of my life had disappeared without reason, seemingly off the face of existence. My head ached with worry, scanning the canopies above. My beloved mate was last seen here, reported to me yesterday by one of my father's drones. While another world needed my assistance, I couldn't continue my mission right away. First and foremost, my main purpose was to be with my beloved . . . Secondly, among a vast array of skills, tracking the lost was my most profound attribute. My fur stands up as I ponder, knowing I couldn't dissuade myself. Every sleepless night, through tossing and turning, I wonder to myself . . . was it fate? Could I have ever evaded the events which unfolded, and turned back? Or was I not unlike a baby creature, crawling across a table, the Gods watching me as I inevitably fell off, proving my infantile ignorance?

The prior wooded path was gone, choked by an infestation of shadowy trees. There trunks were gnarled, twisted and rotten. Nothing like what existed seconds ago. Looking back, the previous lush green trees had vanished, displaced by an infinite scape of decrepit black bark. Oh Gods . . . this wasn't uncommon for RueHark. This world of foggy, intersecting planes and stray demon-kind. It was a miracle my ship had survived past the atmosphere, rather than pierce into the abyss of afterlives. Infestations of preternatural creatures and dark anomalies were abundant within this planet's thin veil, even so much as to inundate the very air. Stepping deeper into the moaning woods, desperate not to quiver before mind-numbing madness, I caught a glimpse of shining metal, glimmering within the distant murk.

An echoing voice broke the perpetual white noise of whispers and cosmic moans. "Come forth, wanderer." Beckoned the unseen specter. My eyes gaped as I took rising caution in each step. Inaudible noises speckled through my ears, undefined for far too long. Even my keen awareness was privy to let these cosmic mumbles pass by, like mice sneaking over a farmer's boot. As I sauntered, the subtle, ghastly utterings which surrounded me abruptly nulled into silence. My legs stopped, only now noticing. 'How long had they been whispering', I wondered . . . without my knowledge? A creeping mist twisted and twirled around my shoulders, becoming heavier with each crunching step. Sneaking ever closer to the shimmering item ahead, I suddenly felt a strike of gripping fingers clenching my arms, each yanking me away in defiance.

The fog tightened around my torso, my canid peats dragging along the soil in jerking motions. However, an arcane essence stirred within me, reflexively dispersing my spectral assailant with an aggressive light. I hadn't braved all manner of beasts for centuries, just to be dragged off by a weak vapor. Rumbling nearby, a malicious growl split the air, quaking the soil beneath me. My instincts gained full reign as I broke into a sprint, locking onto the shimmering item ahead. Legends of this world told of a forbidden landscape, where a precious holy light gleamed beneath the shadows. My mission had already been obstructed by this obscure dimension. Dark and gangly branches hissed like serpents as I passed, startling me into a panic. As I ran faster, I could feel the presence of an otherworldly being closing in, like pressure squeezing around my lungs. Heart palpitating, I dove for the object ahead, instinctively knowing it was my salvation. As if snapped back by a leash, the bestial energy behind me pounded against an unseen barrier. Spectral snarls and eldritch roars reverberated throughout the invisible wall.

My breath hastened, eyes staring wide with terror as my fuzzy ears ramped back. Whatever skulked beyond the tenebrous threshold was heavy, rattling my ribcage with every booming step. Hoarse labored breaths emanated from the air as it supposedly surrendered. Backing against a solid object, my breaths heaved as whatever stalked me began promptly sauntering away, sounding the steps of a surprisingly calm gait. It's invisible mighty tromps faded into the distance, leaving me astonished in the safety of an unseen forcefield. I could feel an aura of safety instilling the air, no doubt by the hands of a forgotten ancient magic. Regaining my composure, I scrambled up and turned around. There, I flinched at a peculiar spectacle. Not in fear, but awe, beholding an item from legends of yore. Protruding from a flaxen, crystalline stone, an edge foretold in myths reflected upon my eyes. It's blade shined whiter than my snowy pelt, peacefully shimmering in the quiet night. Legends flooded my mind, foretellings of righteous wielders who'd traversed these hidden woods. This sword was their ally.

In shaken silence, my claws trembled as I reached for the gem-encrusted hilt. This would be a moment of truth, an ultimate test of worthiness; whether or not I was benevolent enough to weild raw purity itself. Alas, this eulogized blade would only take favor upon the righteous. A gentle, arcane warmth tickled my palms as my knuckles tightened, wrapping around its regal handle. Anticipation welled up within me. Refusing to blink, I yanked the sword from its resting place. Bathetic realization set in, my heart skipping a beat. Oddly, I felt a sense of disappointment in the lack of suspense. My head tilted, gazing into the reflective blade. "Was . . . was that it?" My thoughts echoed. I drew the scabbardless edge close, staring mesmerized at its features. In that moment, I felt the barrier's protection fail. Immediately, an eerie howl blared in every direction, as if the cadaverous woods themselves protested my ursurpation. Shrinking pupils and hastened breathes returned. My bones rattled from the blaring onslaught of a booming growl, kicking my heart like a pounding drum.

Either eluding detection, or simply invisible to the naked eye, the behemoth charged from an unknown direction. Seeing nothing, my legs remained locked in place. I'd foolishly neglected to use the banishing blade currently within my grasp. I'm ashamed to admit, my entire person was knocked flat, and my chest instantly torn asunder. Wind shot from my lungs, and suddenly I choked on the liquid taste of iron, twitching upwards in a futile attempt to recover. To my disbelief, my magic had stopped working. A disembodied force suppressed my mystic power, leaving me frightened and confused. That's when I finally caught a glimpse of the monstrosity. A pale, skinny canine loomed over me, it's colorless eyes daggering into mine. The creature's skin stretched taut over its boney figure, furless and clammy. With what little flesh remained, I'd nearly thought it's face was nothing but a boulder-sized skull. Helpless, my fingers desperately squeezed tight around the sword's handle, though my disobedient appendages halted to lift.

One more lunge, and I was lifted by the beast's jaws. My toes pointed towards the rough sky as my bloodied corpse descended headfirst down a putrescent gullet. Even so, my clenching knuckles refused to be disarmed. I thrashed against a surprisingly powerful force drawing me inwards, down into a cold, discomforting void. Expecting to reside within an airless, rotting vat of acid, I felt myself suddenly drop. Contrasting against the crushing confines of the demon's organs, my limbs were freed as I sensed a spacious atmosphere open around me. Without explanation, my wounds ceased to be, and I could now move freely. Upon opening my eyes, there was no difference between the curtain of darkness beneath my eyelids, and the abyss which surrounded me. Gravity was beginning to fade the more I fell, seconds passing by, until none existed at all. I could feel my spinal column elongating as I became fully enveloped in a sea of zero-gravity, my organs attempting to atrophe, while all fluids expanded within me.

I irked in annoyance, as now wasn't the time to feel nature's call welling up inside my bladder. These sensations weren't unfamiliar to me. This was not unlike the great vacuum of space, yet lacking the graceful twinkle of starlight. I gazed into nothingness, wondering where I was, and hoping for a single pinprick of light. As time passed by, unticking . . . obscuring itself more and more, distorting wether minutes or hours had passed, I felt myself plummeting mentally as well. In my temporal daze, I assumed gravity held no fundamental status here. My thoughts bottomed out, only to cease abruptly as my felid claws felt pressure underneath them, scraping a flat yet tenebrous void. Somehow, I squared to my feet in this weightless vacuum, standing silently in the gloom of an infinite, black abyss. Every particle of light . . . absent. This unfathomable darkness strained my vision, pulling ceaselessly at my deprived senses, until an aching throb wracked my temples. Like the urge to swat a buzzing pest, my palms slapped my forehead, squeezing impulsively in attempts to sate the black hole draining my mind.

Just as I teetered on the cusp of losing all sanity, a voice delivered stimulation to my dying senses. The unseen stranger spoke gracefully, spreading a melodious echo throughout the void. "Creature." It called, softly whispering. "What an expedient arrival." Said the voice, disembodied and omnipresent. Finally, something . . . anything to feel! My tail wagged, comforted by whatever company addressed me. An abrupt 'swoosh' flung through the timeless space, shooting a luminescent strand of light. The golden beacon was none other than my sword, sticking diagnally from the groundless, empty nothing. "You lost this, stranger." It said politely. My face followed the voice, fixed on its position as I sensed it creeping circles around me. My sixth sense felt the massive bulk of a serpentine colossus, slinking fluently without producing a decibel of sound.

"Agni Ida Retheli . . ." It spoke softly, reciting my full name. "The pleasure's all mine." The creature said. His voice was smooth and ethereal, fused to the eternal void. "We must skip pleasantries, however. Pick up your sword, and I will test your senses." There was no time to react. Taken by surprise, I jolted through sheer instinct, my hand lunging for the handle. In an instant, a cacophonous shriek blared from all directions. Every cubic inch of blackness blasted a deafening explosion of sound into my ears. I held my head in agony, feeling a tendril wrap around my ankle, and pulling my body away from the sword. "Feeble." He said dismissively, it's tone changing to bipolar degrees as it swung my body in all directions, before finally ragdolling me into the ground. A dull 'crack' sounded through my skull, leaving an irk of agony in my throat. His voice flowed again, this time even less conspicuous. "I know your kind . . ." He said breathfully. "You're the type who trains for centuries, unbeaten and unopposed. You think you're special, don't you?" A wicked laugh boomed from the dusky abyss. I couldn't respond, too shaken to put together a sentence. "A friend of yours passed through here. She's looking for you, Agni." He teased.

Suddenly, the radiant blade lifted, gripped by an unseen force draped in blackness. It rotated as the silhouette of a dexterous coil wrapped around the hilt. "Has this blade spoken to you yet?" He questioned carelessly. Kicking away the unseen tendril, I scrambled to my feet, baring my teeth with a scowl. "She came through here!? Which way did she go!?" I yelled, trailing a growl as I stomped forward. Despite watching the sword rise ahead of me, a faint laugh emanated directly behind me. "Oh? Now you want to fight?" He said, speaking beside my ear. I reflexively jerked around, eyes shooting wide as my claws slashed through the bare nothingness. "What are your intentions, beast?" I asked, musing as I shifted around and narrowed my gaze. "Return my sword!" I demanded. The ringing of metal vibrated beside me, quicker than I could react. As per my demands, he'd thrown it immediately, letting it stick out once more. "Weild it." He ordered. I frowned in annoyance, ready to growl at my enemy. 'Damned creature . . . why torment me?' I thought, stung by embarrassment.

My legs bulleted, wasting minimal time as I took arms again, this time trembling at the wrists to weild it. A pair of pitch-black tendrils barely missed me, brushing my peripheral sight. Each serpentine appendage stormed forwards, vaguely tinted in my blade's light. Without thinking, I hiked my weapon skywards, threatening the vacant void. It felt like an involuntary lunge, as if by instinct. The weapon flashed an intense golden light, which then shed a purer white beam throughout the blackness. Strangely, I expected to hear a bloodcurdling screech, mayhaps a devestating roar. Despite my anticipation, the area remained cold and silent as the shadows withdrew and faded. After banishing the nightly curtain, I instantly realized in horror, why it had been so dark to begin with. An abomination stretched before me; a tendrilic landscape with no visible end. All that existed in this realm had little but rough, snakelike masses of black flesh improvising the terrain, and everything within its horizon.

In what I believed to be the center of it all, was an entity of pure horror. Extending from this amalgamation of tendrils, a thicker, basiliskian body protruded from the mass. It's serpentine flesh was a silvery black sludge, reflecting my blade's glow. Draconic crests darker than it's tendrils adorned a snakelike exterior. Smooth scales transitioned into gray fur which covered it's batlike torso. Above the neck, a pair of empty eye-sockets adorned above a curved, seamless beak of a colorless atrocity with batlike wings. Each membraneous wing pulsated with a scorpionic stinger where hands should've been. Connected to the . . . "ground", it maneuvered flawlessly in a winding approach, drawing closer to my trembling body. The way it moved felt existentially wrong, yet articulate and calculated in every motion. How it could even haul its own weight . . . was beyond my imagination.

Stress weighed on my nerves as this monster closed the distance between us. The creature's face drew uncomfortably close to mine, it's visage lacking emotion. A long, inky forked tongue poked out, presumably tasting my odor. "Ah. So it really is you. How confusing . . . Luckily, that red dragoness had faint traces of your scent. Otherwise, I wouldn't have the slightest clue what is happening." He said calmly. While shaken to the core with terror, my eyes and ears marginally livened. "What are you . . . ta-?" I shook my head, ignoring his dissuading comment. "Where is she!? What happened to her!?" I exclaimed with an assertive façade. "Answer or die, demon!" I threatened, brandishing my weapon. His voice didn't fluctuate in the slightest. "Calm yourself, hybrid. I'm a gate guardian of sorts, not a killer. I can do better than show you . . . however." It paused, never breaking eye contact, staring directly into my soul with those lifeless sockets. His voice lowered. "Before I can assist you, I'll need something in return." He advised. After a moment of reluctant pondering, I nodded acceptingly. I discreetly took a deep breath, mentally bracing myself for his request.

"If you wish to venture any further from here, I will require . . ." He paused cautiously, ensuring my focus was fixated on him. A bead of sweat leaked from my palms, climbing down and dripping off my blade. "Five minutes of your undivided attention." He answered normally. I stood utterly expressionless for a moment, as if unfazed by his request. Then, like a sonic-boom of raw confusion, his words caught up with me. "Y-you're serious? . . . That's it?" I replied. Still seized by uncontrollable shivers, I found myself stepping back in fear of possible trickery. "Listen, and listen very well, traveler. The five minutes starts now." A tendril arched from the ground behind me, shaping into a convenient bench. "Please, sit." Like a timid fox, I slowly approached the seat with a reluctant gait, occasionally darting paranoid glances at the creature. Seeing no other option, I quietly sat down. At the very least, his threatening disposition seemed to fade. Hearing this creature begin to casually drone wracked me with anxiety, causing my toes to curl.

"Now that I have your attention, there will be NO further interruptions, unless you desire expulsion from my realm." He said eerily, slivering inwards with a hypnotic sway. My troubled eyes strained to keep contact. I nodded in agreement, letting him resume. He promptly reciprocated the gesture. "Good. Before I open the gate, I'll impart to you what lies beyond, as well as some forewarnings and explanations." Suddenly intrigued, my weary nerves allowed a moment's peace, curious to hear this peculiar beast's wisdom. "Your lover is virtually a demon, Agni. She clawed her way through my tendrilic mass, digging towards the void all by herself." His head tilted down with a solemn pause. "She said . . . unspeakably rude slurs to me." A hint of emotion finally showed, his hollow sockets rising with a sad arch. But he shook it off, rotating back to the topic at hand. "But among her 'colorful' language, she also mentioned," His membraneous stingers flexed simultaneously, mimicking an air-quote. "'chasing that wandering fool'."

He thrusted his wings down sardonically. I jerked up, almost replying in shock. Then my body halted, immediately recalling his earlier reprimands. Not a shred of doubt in my mind, that was her! My soulmate! Seating myself again, I forced an air of reverence, despite my desire to launch out and interrogate the beast. My beloved Reddra and I have been soulmates since ancient times, well-approaching our 4th century anniversary. Her mother, the literal embodiment of Attraction, and her father, the incarnation of Righteous Wrath, were renowned and eulogized entities. Both gave us their blessings, each for their own purposes. The creature observed my face with intuitive realization. "I see, so you're familiar with this dragoness? I have reason to believe she's being tricked . . . assuming you haven't come through here before." He said casually. I remained mute, fingers clutching my knees as I withheld my outbursts. What was he talking about?

While obscure, the creature's expression exuded some sympathy. "There was a reason for my hostility a few moments ago. You must be ready for what lurks beyond these limits, or else your resolve will be swallowed by the abyss." An array of ropey appendages climbed on the horizon. They coiled and coalesced, forming together to present an image of strange bipedal creatures. Like a shadow-puppet, the silvery sky contrasted against the dark silhouettes, moving fluidly to authenticate its performance. I beheld the strange shape of alien beings, holding their heads in voiceless agony. The demon spoke to me, as if narrating. "Be ready to witness unparalleled misery within the depths. Most won't be at fault for what they'll do to you. I'm not often up-to-date with what happens down there, but in any case, you should expect the very worse." He informed solemnly.

Never had I underestimated any force or foe. I nodded earnestly, putting on a serious face. He spoke with an air of foreboding while flaunting the graphic imagery, truly doing his best to prepare me. The representation bore a mimicry of monsters tearing into one another's flesh, as if starving on the verge of death. His pessimistic charisma stirred a fire in my chest. A soft glow emanated from my person as I stood tall, clenching my fists. He seemed to favor that stance, nodding acceptingly. "That sword you wield will surpass your expectations as well. Ask it anything while traversing the abyss, and it will answer." He advised. My determination was steady, yet wavering momentarily in distraction as I stared at the blade with uncertainty. "If you wish to proceed, then plunge that blade into the writhing mass below, and light up this realm as you did before. You may now speak." He said resolutely. Intimidated by his dark and brooding fervor, I nervously readied my blade, though briefly relenting in light of a nagging question.

I turned to face him, each hand wrapped around my weapon's hilt. "Why did Reddra come through here?" I asked, sternly narrowing my gaze. He echoed a light chuckle, dexterously raveling down to eye-level. Finally speaking at equal height, his laugh dropped. "I told you before, but perhaps I wasn't clear. Your lover is chasing a figment of you; an illusion summoned by some unknown force. Her loving urge to protect you runs deep . . . therefore, this weakpoint was used against her. She now travels an abyss of infinite terror, desperately searching for you." He remarked, pausing into a stare. Dread flooded my soul as I hurried without further question. "Thank you, stranger. I wish I could ask you more, but I must find her as soon as possible!" I said thankfully, yet burdened with sheer worry as my sword plunged into the abominable mass. Then by memory of previous magic weapons, I willed the blade to inject its radiant light.

I waited for a moment, assuming nothing had happened. Seconds away from frustration, I barely released an anxious groan. Just in the midst of my ired utterance, an abrupt explosion of light soaked the tendrils below me. The monster flung his head up, splitting the air with a cosmic roar, violently shaking the very void. I winced in a mix of shock and guilt, feeling the need to apologize. But alas, it was time to depart. The tendrilic landscape convulsed and retracted beneath me, unraveling airtight knots and sludgy crosshatches of shadow. In it's wake, a circular aperture expanded towards my feet, causing me to unwillfully step back. I thought I was ready . . . but I idly stood by, like a coward, more nerve-wracked than I'd ever been. My silver nose detected the rising putrescence billowing from the moaning conduit. I coughed and gagged in a fit of repulsion, identifying the scent as rotten death.

Deciding to empty my mind, I stepped forward with a booming heart, forgetting the apparent weightlessness. I found myself levitating belly-down over an abyss within an abyss. For a moment of error, my vertigo mistook the hole for an endless tunnel of darkness. Then slowly but surely, I felt a pull . . . a force dragging my person steadily into the starless night. The obscure physics of this realm caught me by surprise, suddenly knocking me with the heavily returning force of gravity. I felt myself careening into the seemingly bottomless pit, screaming as a sharp, plummeting sensation sank inside my belly. An array of scaly tendrils flung past me, writhing along the inner circumference, some taking the form of clawed, stretching arms with crooked joints. Time carried on sluggishly as I inelegantly flailed about, minutes ticking into hours. At the very least, my temporal senses had returned.

I felt my power returning as well, filling my being with hope and rejuvenation. Magic soothed my rushing veins, and I could now see a vague, icy-blue light below me. The cold color's width and vividness grew in unison as I plummeted closer towards the end. Then a daft realization popped into my mind, causing my chest to sink . . . Would my magic be powerful enough to stop a fall this intense? My ears swept back in fear as I extended my arms on each side. 'Velocity versus magic . . . Let the match begin' I thought calmly. Focusing my energy, I meditated against the fury of physics, releasing a calm resistance against my body's momentum. Emptying my mind and displacing the chaos with peace slowed me to a steady drift. Uncertainty was a difficult emotion to conquer, but I managed . . . This was all for the sake of finding Reddra. I would not relent.

The flow of arcane energy cascaded off my arms, steadying my descent, and rippling my surroundings like blue heatwaves. In many cases, magic was tantamount with emotion. This spell required massive concentration, which meant I'd need to close my eyes while descending. For if I opened to see unfathomable horrors beyond my understanding, my spell would surely fail. At my altitude, I had to be careful. My eyelids squinched shut for roughly a minute, until the sensation of rugged ground met my paws. When I knew it was safe, my eyes peeled open, beholding a whole new atmosphere. Further than the horizon terminated, a sporadic myriad of structures laid scattered in the distance, all partially submerged in a pitch-black liquid. Some were in shambles, broken pillars and corners littered atop buildings of unknown purpose, while most remained intact . . . albeit, each with crooked foundations.

Gray and colorless concrete composed the majority of these dank structures. I warily stepped forward, ambling quietly as I gazed in awe at the endless labyrinth of constructs. They loomed in all manner of positions, some fully toppled upside-down or sideways, with easily climable roofs and sidelong pillars. The "heavens" weren't a celestial sight by any means, resembling only another looming abyss. I opted to wander inside a tilted temple with dark steeples, where the floor ramped down to my right. Decaying congregational benches spilled and cluttered against the wall. One step past the doorless threshold bounced a lonely echo throughout the spacious room. I flinched at the noise, paranoid I might've roused the attention of whatever lurked nearby. I took a cursory glance at the rotting podium up ahead, seeing something move behind it. My paranoia was not unfounded.

A stout creature, yet roughly dwarven in stature waddled out from behind the piece. It wore a ragged and torn grayish-brown robe. A pair of burning yellow dots glowed within the darkened hood, blinking only twice, as I recall. The entity gazed directly into me, speaking in a knackered double-voice. "Oh . . . now what are you, strange creature?" She asked, head tilting in a sickening series of 'cracks'. I cringed, ears folding back as it drew closer on rapidly popping feet. "I've never seen the likes of you before. Are you here to join the parishioners?" Her quivering, boney hand gestured to an invisible audience. I didn't bother glancing back, as I knew there was nobody there. Gods, the poor thing . . . For how long had it dwelt in this bleak and broken realm? "I'm not sure what a parishioner is." I admitted, frowning sympathetically at this creature's state.

While it's facial features were obscured, I could tell by the deafening silence and questioning head-tilt, that she was baffled by my ignorance. "You're 'not sure what a parishioner is?'" She mocked, teetering her head to and fro. "Come now, don't fool with me!" She burst out mirthfully, cackling dryly with shoddy restraint. I gave a nervous smile back. "I beg your pardon, umm . . . miss?" I said anxiously. Her attention snapped back as I spoke. "I truly don't know. I'm not from this realm, and so I lack the proper wisdom." I said meekly, giving a polite smile. "In any case, could you tell me if you've seen a red dragoness pass through here?" I asked eagerly. Those prying eyes peered into my very spirit. Judging by the long pause, I could tell she knew something. I felt it in my chest. "Red . . ?" She repeated, musing in recollection. "Hmm, yes, now that I think of it, I'd seen a glimpse of something red flying past this city's threshold. T'was a beautiful shade of color." She lauded, her tone musing deeply.

My eyes shot wide, placing my hands on the creature's uneven shoulders. "How beautiful!?" I asked urgently, jolting her humuncular body. With a hastened voice, she yelled over my antics. "G-gorgeous! In truth, I thought I'd gazed upon a scarlet angel!" She said in a panic. Loosening my grip, I came in closer. "That's her! Which way did she fly!?" I exclaimed. Her spindly arm swung quickly towards the temple wall, pointing up through a shattered arched window. I jumped ten feet above, leaving her in peace as I landed on the window's edge. "Careful, wanderer! I could feel her rage! Surely, she is a demon among demons!" The entity warned, staring anxiously up at me from below. I ignored her stigmatized heedings, scanning the scenery of a canyonic opening, where a portion of blackened sky was exposed. It was the only visible exit out of this decimated cityscape. I felt foolish, but at least I knew for certain which direction she flew. "Thank you." I said through a nod, gratefully looking down at my new acquaintance. "May death have mercy on you, fool." She said irritably, reasserting her finger.

Her hand gesture felt more like a 'get out' than a friendly warning. Somewhat guilty, I made my way out, springing from building to building, from toppled walls to sidelong rooftops. I trekked the urban decimation through a sequence of brisk parkour. Admittedly, I was rapt in a bit of fun. Nobody said I couldn't enjoy my travels, no? The occasional flips, spins and twists carried my dynamic form a great distance, allowing me to maneuver, swing and rebound over a deluge of pitch-black waters. Stagnant and unmoving liquid submerged over roughly half of every structure. As I darted across the architectural plane, I found myself dazed for seconds at a time in midair, nonplussed by the unreflective waters below. The more I peered into that dark and dreary nothing, the further my mind was lulled into numbness. At a certain point of roosting, I landed on an arch, though sluggishly teetering as my eyes widened, staring vacuously into the opaque ink.

Inconspicuous whispers clouded my breathing space; these insidious little utterances —disembodied and subtle— spoke into my ears. "Agni. You must dive." They said noiselessly, flooding my pupils with an unconscious haze. "Dive into the murken abyss. Be free of this place, before it's too late." They urged quietly. I tried to shake my head, only to be weighed down by an intangible heaviness. "Take a dip . . . Move thither. Just one toe, Agni, you'll see." They assured, coaxing me with my addled mind. The moment I adhered, even for a split-second, I felt an instant buzz wrack my nerves. My body grew limp, simply collapsing to the cement. Unable to move, my stomach sank as my entire body gradually slid off my current perch, brutally ragdolling against each structure like a discarded corpse. Eventually, I landed belly-down over a slanted slab of concrete. My eyelids hung half open, staring past the thousand-yard limit.

The flat mirror of infinite darkness hadn't moved, not until my head laid inches away from the mysterious murk. It was then, I realized this substance was far from inanimate, beginning to writhe and stretch towards me with impossible physicalities. Upon exhibiting movement, it became the embodiment of non-euclidean shapes. My mind raced, perplexed with horror as I found no way to define its geometry in any logical sense. Nonetheless, a lack of sensation traveled down my neck. I couldn't see, but I suspected it was the liquid, erasing my ability to feel and touch as it crawled over my deadened eyes. Then, a gentle pull slowly heaved me along, dragging my tactless person steadily towards the unrippling, pitch-black lake. All I could do was release an airy groan, as nothing but an escape of wind from my feeble lungs.

"Good boy. Stay still. Let us take you home . . . For here, you do not belong." The voices hissed. Their tones were drier at close proximity, almost raspy as I felt my head submerge beneath the liquid. To my surprise, my eyes blinked open. Within the abyssal fluid, I clearly saw the unexpected: A nostalgic warmth greeted my bosom, as I beheld my childhood memories. Both my home and father, an indescribable scape of paradise. How could it be that I was here? Such elegance flooded my memories, with cosmic paintings and regal white pillars, all supporting an elaborately carved ceiling. Looking up, I could see the familiar carvings of realistic dragons and DemiGods. Never would one suppose it was all the work of a benevolent machine-world. Not only that, but my primary guardian. Lush gardens grew throughout each room in this lofty manor, abundantly flooding the walls, enough to cascade down our entryway's crystal chandelier. This was my abode . . . my home. Not predominantly just a luxurious space, but my life and upbringing. Tears welled up in my eyes, merely upon seeing it all again. How many centuries had it been since then?

In wonder, I witnessed my young self running up the symmetrical stairs of an expansive vestibule, joyously preparing for story time. I was heading to

see father, Petaglyph: caretaker of dwindling species. A role-model I couldn't be more proud of. As I opened the door, his drone greeted me within my room. Like a trained puppy, I hopped onto my starry-sheeted bed, attentively eyeing father with a rapidly wagging tail. His presence, no matter where, or in what form, provided me a sense of warmth, comfort, and perpetual excitement I could never put into words. As I settled down, his sphere paused, breeding suspense in the surrounding silence. His voice hummed softly, beginning to read aloud to me by memory. "Home Isn't a Place, But a State of Mind." He said, reciting the title. I stared, transfixed as usual in my youthful mien.

"A damply hidden den, carved into the cliffside of a rocky shore?

Mayhaps in the firmament above, where one can see more.

By chance, within a hot conical, melting ice or endless snow?

Or in a ghost-town of squatters, which none need know?

Forests of tree-huts, chasms of ice . . .

A fancy new house sold at top price?

Must it be utopian, or a horizon of scenic wonders?

Or could it be, which we take or plunder?

What is a home . . . an abode of pearls, or sumptuous garnet?

Nay, what else could it be, but . . .

love-incarnate?"

A pondering smile spread across my face. Petaglyph's philosphies were typically poetic, easily peaking interest, while carefully cultivating questions from my inquisitive mind. "I misunderstand, papa. How is home supposed to be love?" I asked curiously, tilting my head. His dignified chuckles played softly through an absurd quality speaker. "Oh, Agni. The point is to think independently, and come to your own conclusion. I wouldn't want to spoil the epiphany for you." He answered kindly. For the rest of that night, I reluctantly nodded off to sleep as father read one of his renowned stories of adventure, love and fantasy. Even the Seven DemiGods owned a copy of 'Homestead Errant'; a widely eulogized novel of his own making. He read this to me, eventually lulling me to sleep. That night, I dreamt lucidly of glimmering stars and spiraling galaxies, while steering through the cosmos in search of unique worlds.

Within the gold-speckled memory of my dreams, everything began to fade out of sight. Supergiants, red-dwarfs and reflective celestial bodies blinked away, blotched by the everpresent liquid seeping through my mind's eye. Taken deeper into the ink, further than a spirit's mind could fall. I kept sinking . . . drifting into a dense, tarry murk with nary a hint of consciousness. Then abruptly, a series of vibrant rolling hills rose into view, presenting me with a mystical terrain. A multicolored sky painted with all manner of warm hues shone above, leaking rails of golden light upon the land. I rested beneath a broad tree growing atop a lush and massive mesa. Within the horizon beyond us was Dracoplike: a castle of unthinkable proportions. Every square inch of our mesa was covered in flora, swaying gently in the inviting wind. My muzzle nestled affectionately into a smooth, red figure wrapped halfway around me.

Her digitigrade foot supported my own, keeping me from slipping forward, allowing me to nuzzle into her gallant embrace. She wasn't merely a hulking dragoness, but a wellspring of feminine charm and loving grace. A continuous white noise of distant birds and billowy rustling leaves inundated our surroundings. We'd engaged in endless hours of intimate lovemaking, so much, that we'd lost track of time. Our bodies brimmed with an everlasting energy, but alas, our minds had their limits. So we laid satisfied, basking in an enthralling afterglow as we observed the shooting stars. After each passionate kiss and hankering touch, I found myself in silence, looking up at her with a mesmerized gaze. Staring back into those kind ruby eyes, I knew at that moment, nary a shadow of doubt. No matter what corner of this Universe I traveled . . . Reddra. She is my home.

Upon thinking the latter words, my eyes opened to a black void once more. The sensation was almost peristaltic, pushing me upwards, as if in revulsion. My sense of touch finally returned, kindling awareness to my present surroundings. A heavy leak sprung from my tear ducts, letting the invasive liquid crawl out of my eyes. Feeling it retreat from every crevice, my body convulsed with sheer disgust. By the time air tickled my back, my insides were now free of the oily muck. In one last gesture of disdain, it coughed me up, propelling my person into a nearby wall. While unharmed, I was taken by surprise, scrambling up to my feet in a wave of trauma. Ready to sprint away in a panic, I instead noticed a peculiar phenomenon writhing below me. Next to my footpaw, the body of water revulsed from my feet, retracting back violently, as if pushed by an invisible force.

Like oil and water, it refused to mix with my flesh again. It's sporadic whispers became abruptly clear unlike before, urgently shooing me off. "Go away! Away with you! Away! Leave us be!" It hissed. My ears twitched at the audible sharpness, jolting me back towards the obstacles up ahead. Architectural debri cluttered my view, so I climbed the mess of structures, gaining notable height. Still shaken somewhat, I scowled at the eerie waters below. I frisked myself for the sword, relieved to grasp the handle on my belt. Despite my relief, I questioned it's purpose. What manner of holy sword was this? Good Gods, I could've drowned in eternal darkness, and it did nothing to dispel the threat! Drawing it from my belt, I glared at it's edge with wry annoyance. "So-called 'legendary blade', is that right?" I asked cynically . . . How would I traverse this realm without any damned cooperation? I gritted my teeth impatiently, suddenly springing into the air.

Like a shooting star, I was a flashy spectacle, bulletting through the dreary gloom of a wasted city. Anxiety ached in my belly, imagining how many skulking monstrosities had already followed suit without my knowledge. At this rate, I'd attract every predator in this Gods-forsaken dimension. Wasn't there some way to turn it off?

To my dismay, my sword glowed with even brighter intensity once I'd landed on a tilted steeple. I didn't seem to be getting closer by much, scanning over the distant canyonic opening diagnally above. Just lovely . . . Not only was my destination an eternity away, but now my weapon was acting strangely. Recalling my recent experience with mysterious voices, I jumped in terror when I heard it. A vague whisper rose and fell through my ears. "Point . . . Point me . . . Point me beyond." Said the voice. There was a steadiness in it's tone, as if carefully timing every vowel. I cautiously glanced down at my sword, which I'd stabbed through my belt, poorly improvising a holder. My recollection flashed back to the chimeric gatekeeper, and what he'd said before. 'Ask it anything while traversing the abyss, and it will answer.' His words echoed through my mind, encouraging me to draw my sword. And that, I did, wielding it's edge attentively in front of me.

I saw my reflection in the blade, though something was amiss. My golden eyes blinked, yet unsynchronized with my present pair. The face began to move of its own accord, meeting eyes with mine. "Agni Ida Retheli. At last, we officially meet." My reflection spoke, formally addressing me in a respectable tone. I stood idly, confused at the sudden introduction. While I was no stranger to sapient magic weapons, one could say I was caught off guard by its inexplicable timing. "Gods, you really are a talking sword." I said, mildly surprised. "Why speak now? Were you too timid before?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. My false visage blinked with expressionless apathy, albeit calmer than a grazing deer. "Not important!" It interjected. "Make haste, and point me to your destination." He ordered stolidly. There was certain relevance and solid logic to his robotic behavior. I adhered with annoyance, raising the blade towards our desired target.

Before my very eyes, a ripple expanded off the tip of my blade, dilating into the air. My eyes rounded into saucers, watching a spherical growth contort within timespace. Then everything smoothed out, it's contours vividly rendering like a finished painting, presenting the scenery of another ghoulish landscape. The image was surreal; flipped, like a mirror curving inwards. Faded red splotches of life moved and writhed inside, muffled in their obscure utterances. I couldn't define them on account of the vertiginous view, ambling forward with mesmerized eyes as everything spun and contorted around me with every curious footstep. Everything gradually adjusted to there proper orientations, steadily revealing a myriad of macabre, visceral formations. Once beyond the threshold, I beheld their harrowing features with dread in my eyes, nearly gasping.

Oddly enough, I remained in the same world . . . just another region, presenting an endless dry landscape of tumorous lumps and masses. Most clung to the remains of half-tact buildings, all unrecognizable. Malformed teeth jutted from every possible orifice, wether oral or not. Distorted eyes gave their best approximation of blinking, painfully forcing themselves to flex with each blink. I took a step back, astonished by their surreal defects. "W-what are those?" I asked, holding a wretched ache in my belly. I'd forgotten someone was listening. "The lucky ones." Replied a voice from my belt. Raising my weapon to eye-level, I peered within it's reflective surface, bewildered. "This . . ? Lucky?" I questioned, mouth hanging ajar.

His -or my- head scanned around, as if to present the unnatural scenery. "Correct. They're not as pained as they seem, however. When souls wander here, they become sucked in and ensnared by this world, never to escape these foyers." My thoughts buzzed about like an upset hive, perplexed at his latter phrase . . . 'Foyer?' I wondered, questioning his bizarre word-choice. The sword resonated within my mind, digging up and answering my questions straightaway. "Yes, everything you've seen thus far has been the Foyer. Also known as 'The Gate-Scape'. Until you enter the gates, you are in no danger of eternal imprisonment." He informed. My feet were braver than I, carrying me forward, powered by nothing more than morbid curiosity as I listened. "The creatures you see here are kept immobile, as a means of protecting reality from their tyranny. Their spirits become tethered to all manner of matter, becoming more trapped as their deformed bodies grow, acting as fleshen prisons for their souls." He plainly informed.

The spacious gray zone had a distinctly malevolent ambience, pushing me towards the edge of outright panic. Squelches of crimson flesh faintly sounded alongside the periodic droplets of pus-laden blood. The sickly scent of infection crawled through my nose, assaulting my senses with raw putrefaction. Rotting gums and leaking guts joined the putrid onslaught. This went on for miles ahead of me, never appearing to cease. I stood at the outskirts of the apocalyptic city, ensnared within layers of isolation and madness, a realm greatly anti to the paradise of my upbringing. My hands intermittently shielded my sight against a cryptic red glow drifting by, one which made the tumorous growths of malignancy scream in agony. To breathe and exist within this realm was a punishment all on its own. I diminished some semblance of toxification by holding my breath and refusing to look anywhere else but down.

This proved futile. My foot would barely miss another skewered countenance in sight. One was fortunate enough to facilitate vocal cords, barely able to mutter two desperate words as it glared up at me. "K . . . kill us." It rasped, voice dry and knackered as I observed the grotesque burns on its gnarled face. A pang of heart-wrenching guilt gripped my stomach, making me feel nauseous. "I'm . . . I'm sorry, I don't know how to help you." I whined, tearing up at the sight of these tortured souls. My words were met with piercing shrieks as I passed them by, chaotically pleading for death in near-unison. I only felt worse as each cry heavied my despair, as if stacking burden after burden on my nerves. An impulse of distress urged me to take longer strides, eventually running, and later fully sprinting. Should I do it? The elevated pitch of their screams maximized as I gradually faded out of view. They blared in earnest, each wailing urgently for an intimate look at my sword. Their volume faded as I pressed onward, but alas, nothing changed to ease my shame.

I felt cowardly, like a spineless welp fleeing from obligation. My blade's voice vibrated through my wrist. "If it's any consolation, you made the right choice, Agni." It intoned. A furrow formed on my brow as I frowned, wiping away a single tear. "How was my decision just? Nobody should suffer so needlessly!" I said through penitent sniffles, dreading the eternity of agony they'd endure, all due to my squeamishness. "Had you killed those people, their souls would've been able to sneak past the chimeric guardian above us, enabling them to possess mortal vessels in your world." He explained passively. My tears subsided somewhat, vaguely placated by his assurances. Even so, it stung to depart in the midst of such agony. Just to know there were creatures I had no way of helping made me feel helpless. As a hero of many Kingdoms throughout the cosmos and planets, I was always there to help those in need. Me and Reddra both. Not only soulmates, but interstellar compatriots in arms.

Blood wrinkled in coagulated rivers as I proceeded towards a great structural mass. The shape stretched beyond us on each side, towering through the darkened sky, resembling a hideous amalgamation of fleshy buildings. Unlike the bulbous growths before, these were entirely dried, like crispy scabs caking over one another. As I walked through the arching threshold, I shivered at the spotted rows of petrified faces, barely recognizable beneath the infected dry rot. Some cracked abruptly as I passed, confirming my suspicions. For a moment, I questioned why I'd wandered into this mockery of a building. Then my sword spoke, offering words of encouragement. "Your instincts are keen, Agni. Reddra went this way." My tail wagged as I peered into the sword. "How long ago? Minutes? Hours?" I asked anxiously. My reflection nodded sagely. "Five hours, twenty-six minutes, and seven seconds ago." He stated precisely.

My ears tilted, brow arching inquisitively. "How do you know this?" I asked, a measure of bewilderment tinting my speech. "I know everything." It declared matter-a-factly. My expression gave pause, walking with caution in every step. "An omniscient blade? Then you're no ordinary magic blade, I take it?" I asked, puzzled. My reflection nodded patiently. "Correct. Since you speak to the 7 Unknown Gods at this moment, you may also call me Sev." It instructed. I halted my steps, pausing despite the urgency of my quest. As per my genetics, I harbored an inborn sense for universal truth. I could feel the veracity of his claim, a profound revelation emanating through my core. My hand trembled around the hilt as I stared in shock, unwillingly realizing it as fact. I spoke in a quivering tone, unable to withstand the overwhelming magnitude of this information. "Free is the will of all Havemites." I recited, invoking a sacred dictum derived by the Light-Dragons.

No evil could repeat it, nor finish the other half. If any unclean presence tried, it would stutter in futility, never to finish the sentence. "-As so, freely choose the path of light and benevolence." It finished promptly. As speculated, this sword was no imposter, giving a pristine affirmation of its authenticity. I was sure of it now. Ambling through crusty corridors, I passed macabre instances of half-fact skulls wriggling within their own crystallized blood. Each adorned the manorly halls of an endless labyrinth. A rare few retained the ability to stare as I passed by, likely tracing a vague outline of my movement. Some were no better than bloody mulch, sticking to my feet with a sickening squelch. The only semblance of relief on my nerves was knowing most couldn't hear our conversations. "Then I assume you already know how I feel?" I questioned sternly.

"This is a mission of utmost importance, moreso than you're aware. Don't let bias cloud your judgement, Agni." He commanded. I gritted my teeth, irking with irritation. "Is that your answer!?" I yelled, gripping the handle tightly. Squarely wielding my weapon, I gave him an intimate view of my unbridled rage. "Your half-blood children suffer from your silence . . . yet you speak ONLY to me, and NOW!?" I blared. Seething rage boiled through me and into my shaking hands. I had half a mind to stick this sword in the ground and leave it without uttering a single word. How dare these so-called "Gods" talk to me now, after everything I've achieved. After all the atrocities that've transpired throughout the cosmos and our neighboring realms! How dare they! Sev's response came placidly, as if ignoring my blistering rage. "Speaking of 'halflings', you are to meet with one of our daughters here." He said apathetically.

I blinked thrice, stuttering in a jumble of anger. "Weren't you listening?" I hissed through clenching teeth. "A God's attention span shouldn't be this fleeting!" I lectured, trying to resist his dissuasion. I knew their tricks; subtle godlike manipulations working to incur the meticulous stream of circumstance. My attention was almost diverted, knowing the daughter he mentioned could only be Felraya: DemiGoddess of Death. Judging by Sev's words, I'd likely encounter her in this vile edifice. "Stop fighting my influence, Agni. If you wish to reunite with Reddra, it'll happen much sooner if you speak with my daughter. Felraya will help you profoundly." He offered. I growled under my breath in protest, frustrated in knowing my resistance was futile. This was an entity who could have whatever it wanted, whenever it wanted.

By avoiding their influence, I was prone to wasting precious time, while eventually being swept up in the inevitable currents of it's ubiquitous will. "Fine," I replied grumpily. "Lead me to her." I acquiesced. Sev hummed without hesitation, releasing a vibrative energy. Stretching before me, a wavering rail of light brightened my path, twisting and turning like a serpent around multiple corners. I roamed the cracking eerie corridors, making countless turns as I followed it. My feet carried me quickly, yet carefully as I watched the square shape of hallways bubble over into scabby cancers. Every corner festered over with a sickly organic substance, leaving no angles between each wall, floor or ceiling. All became one with the wretched flesh, now an intestinal, cadaverous tunnel. Occasionally, a desiccated hand would twitch towards my movements, each step triggering a faded reflex upon the protruding limbs. I flinched at the jolting lunges and grabs, swatting away several limbs at a time without my sword's aid . . . A repulsive mistake. My hands stunk of a colorless substance, likely rotten plasma. I couldn't wipe it anywhere, leaving me scanning every corner for anything remotely composed of cloth.

Treading deeper into the decrepit bowels, I entered a spacious room with infected pillars towering asymmetrically on each side. Each pillar tapered with rot climbing towards the middle, barely supporting a vestibule's ceiling of dry and cracking crimson flesh. Above was a grotesque chandelier, assembled with fingered limbs branching into glowing red pustules. What horror to know it was all alive; each a unique individual made indistinguishable within an entanglement of viscera. My mind's eye sensed the amalgamations of bonded blood and muscle, with various portions harboring countless writhing souls. An abominable screech rang from above, the chandelier bursting into a fit of convulsions. Doubting my senses, I was a fool to mistaken it for furnishing. A perfect fusion of organic rot and burnt processed chemicals crawled into my nasal cavity. Out of reflex, my palms shot towards my nose, barely mitigating the putrid stench.

"Grmmph! Oh Gods, why!?" I complained. A diluge of vomit erupted, only to sizzle at my throat's entrance. I swallowed by accident, causing myself to wretch again. "Don't underestimate an olfactory assault." Sev replied, gleaming beneath my tightening knuckles. Growling irritably, I retorted with a low rumble. "I don't recall asking for a lecture!" I barked, impulsively flinging him towards the chandelier. Sev's edge cleanly slashed through the creature's stem, causing an inky rain to gush on its way down. The filthy liquid reeked like raw decay, spattering across my clavical as the monster smashed into solid ground. My stomach churned uncontrollably, chest heaving forward as I choked on the humid air's putrescence. The abomination now laid in a pile of its own gnarled limbs, each twitching like a pus-laden spider.

My vision blurred as my gut convulsed, a relentless wave of nausea washing over me. I struggled to maintain my balance as Sev reverently patronized me. "You'll adjust soon enough," he assured, unfazed by my discomfort. Clenching my teeth and wielding him once more, I forced myself to straighten up, taking shallow breaths to avoid the onslaught of the creature's noxious aftermath. The room suddenly pulsed with a grotesque rhythm, the very walls seeming to throb in time with my racing heart. With a renewed sense of fear and determination, I refocused on the task at hand. Felraya's presence awaited, and I couldn't afford to falter in my resolve now, not on account of some . . . living room. Carrying onward, I trudged through the threshold of moldy viscera, only to halt abruptly in further disgust. Staring down at my feet, I spotted a bloodied skull. The dubiously deceased cranium teetered, rolling lazily back and forth.

I'd accidentally nudged it with my foot, my eyes now scanning up and crawling along a mountainous pile of fleshen bones. The unholy corpses emanated an essence of pure demonic horror, some of their throats still agape, and lined peripherally with needle-sharp teeth. While every affront to holiness itself differed in uniqueness, all had one commonality: A fresh, bloody laceration below their necks, effectively cascading out the black organs inside their bellies and torsos. My eyes froze atop this terrible hoard of death, beholding a rummaging creature garbed in a black robe that seem to defy gravity, wavering weightlessly, as if underwater. I uttered a faint gasp, cautiously studying the towering entity. While I'd been reluctant in merely touching a single cadaver, the dark figure simply reached down and plucked their skulls with ease, sludging up its claws and fingers with a gagging putrescence. Most of the biped was cloaked by an abyssal hood, its black-feathered wings facing me.

A scythe's head wavered along the end of her lengthy black tail, reflecting glints of holy light from my sword. Beside it, a much larger scythe —this one with a handle— stuck proudly from the ghastly heap of slaughtered prey. 'What a tyrannical weapon', I thought subconsciously, watching the giant exude a deadly countenance, wreathed in the skulls of slain demonkind. Two pointed feline ears stuck from a pair of slits in her hood, each twitching next to tiny white horns not unlike my own. Engrossed in her activities, she hummed a jovial tune, forcibly squishing the upper half of an aviary skull over the blade's end-curve. Muscle fibers grew anew, slithering like fleshy roots, wrapping around and merging profanely with the scythe's back-edge. "There. Perfect." She said with a grin, turning around and zapping a red-eyed stare into mine. Felraya's dark felid nose twitched as she shot a peculiar look, sleuthing the interstellar cocktail of scents within my blood. Her eyes were larger than mine, obviously catlike.

"Woah, hey, stop right there mister!" She exclaimed, squaring to her felid feet. Her poise exuded an air of intimidation, freezing me in my tracks. "What's wrong with you?" She asked, her magmatic circles prying into me. "You smell like . . ." She gave the air a deep whiff, making my eyes narrow briefly. "—a planetary war." She said casually, swiftly brandishing her skull-clad scythe. The awkward question and dubious remark came suddenly, rendering my words scarce. I merely stood, befuddled, unable to respond in time. "I'm serious! You smell exactly like the war over in Havem-20!" She said insistently. My confusion deepened, growing palpable on my face. I stared blankly, returning one word. ". . . Pardon?" I asked, giving a wry head-tilt. She scoffed down at me. "Let me guess." She held her hand up, sticking her digits out consecutively. "You're lost. You're not from here. You've been wandering endlessly . . . and you want to find a way out of here?" She presumed, now holding four total fingers.

She burnt an egregious glare into mine, bringing all of my movements to a stop. "I . . . yes, that's correct." I admitted, growing wary of her critical glare. "Save it, worm. There's no need in lying. I've heard it all before, trillions of times. Another pathetic bargaining attempt, before I plunge your lifeless body back into the depths." She accused, taking a single step down the mountain of demonic corpses. Thrown off by her claims, she'd successfully distracted me, her entire figure suddenly blinking away without a trace. I anxiously scanned the room, watching candlelight flicker along the convulsive walls, with no sign of the giant cat. As if controlled by some alien aspect of my own mind, I instinctively spun around. Suddenly, a sharp set of claws slapped my shoulder, and a tremorous voice shook my eardrums. Her cold breath stirred a frenzy of frozen terror into my soul, eluding my expectations with the next two words. "Just kidding." She jested, leaving my nerves in shock.

After a moment of wariness, her grin struck a cord of fury in me, though I knew to never show any hostility. "I know who you are. You're Agni, the machine-planet's son, right?" She inquired, inching closer with a feline curiosity. My brow arched. "You . . . know about me?" I asked in a tremulous voice, stepping back several feet. Our distance stayed the same however, as she added just as many steps forward each time.

"Of course I do! Your daddy wanted a genetic sample from me, so I handed him a whisker. Now look at you! There's my little horns, right there." She boasted, tapping my head's tiny sharp growths. A sense of pride oozed from her, as if facing a grand accomplishment. I had yet to allow these claims to sink in, standing idly until she finished speaking. "After all, your wierd dad wanted you to be able to handle anything. If you're down here, I guess it worked flawlessly, as usual." She added casually, forcing her weapon's bottom into a mess of entrails, producing a chilling wet noise. Her demeanor displayed no astonishment at my presence, no surprise at my descent into this unholy domain. Felraya's age was indeed more ancient than our universe itself, with a personality more befitting of an adolescent kitten than a DemiGoddess . . . or at least from what I've heard through rumors alone. But to hear directly from Death herself, that I was related to such cosmic power, yet an awfully mischievous one at that. 'Nonsense,' I thought, lightly scowling at her, grappling with the veracity of her claims. I was a hybrid of many . . . but of God-blood?

A wry smirk played across Felraya's lips, sensing my skepticism. "You don't believe me, huh? Well, that's okay. I've had many offspring, but not all are this . . . unique," she commented, her gaze trailing along my form with an unsettling intensity. My shoulders tensed up, flinching at the oscillating scythe connected at her tail's tip. I followed her eyes, which had suddenly laser-focused onto my sword. Her expression gradually shifted, revealing hints of obsessive concern. Sinking tension inundated the air before corrugating on our faces. "That sword . . . Where did you find that?" She said, freezing, her voice dropping an octave. Her glare burned into the hilt on my belt. Such a question wasn't viable, especially when I barely knew where I resided myself. What would she say if I told her?: 'The Unknown Gods spoke to me from a holy sword, and now your papa says hello?' She'd presume I was demented, or find a better purpose befitting that scythe. Perhaps both.

What I hadn't expected was her dropping jaw; a half-God's visage gawking in shock, as if my thoughts had manifested. A glint of enraged fascination sparked in her eyes, firing those conflicting emotions into mine. "My . . . Papa . . . says hello?" She repeated, promptly resonating a deep silence. For a brief moment, my expression matched hers. I pieced the narrative together in my mind, coming to a startling conclusion: Felraya was a telepath. "What?" I said in pretense. "I said no such thing!" I protested, eyes rounding into saucers as my paws lifted into a defensive gesture. Her eyes narrowed, summoning a strange vibration, that which wrapped and fused to the thundering space-time around me. Her catlike rumble slowly crept from the axis of oblivion, quaking the very air . . . intwining with my flesh. Her defiant decibels echoed from nothing, a piercing resonance of Eldritch proportions encompassing every square inch of space.

My paws slapped over my ears, futilely guarding my tortured eardrums. The sickly vibrations grew stronger in intensity, until I fell to my knees, trembling uncontrollably in a fit of high whimpers. "Shut up, mutt! Don't lie to me! I hate when people do that!" Her expression seethed, wings spanning out like a mad hawk. "Seriously, what's the point of lying, if you know I'm a mind-reader?!" She complained, releasing a catty growl as her attention jerked towards my blade. "Give me that sword!" She snapped violently, extending her claw. I sat there speechlessly, like a crippled mongrel. In less time than it began, the sound ceased abruptly, leaving me huffing and panting in post-shock. Prickles of fear permeated my hackles. Rage and terror sieged my mind as I solemnly contemplated wether I should contest her mettle in a fight.

Her scolding tone hit my abused senses like a sharp mace, causing my ears to snap back. "Don't even think about it." She said in monotone, deadpanning eerily down at me with her deadly, rubescent eyes. "You already know who I am! You're a fool for thinking you can even graze me, let-alone defeat me." She chided, repeatedly curling her black claws in a 'hand it over' gesture. "Hand me the sword, now. Blood or not, you'll get no special treatment from me." She claimed, putting on a menacing scowl. Her wings fluttered, causing the surrounding candlelight to spasm, flickering a series of dancing shadows across the walls. I strained to work my vocal cords, prevented by the aftermath of her onslaught. In the heat of fear, I simply forgot to think up a response. "If you insist we do this your way, then I can just make you into a shish-kebab, and I'll take it by force." She threatened, brandishing her scythe in both arms.

Felraya's foot-claws squished with each step, ending in crackles upon the visceral spread of corpses, ambling towards me with a pair of magmatic, predatory eyes. I could sense the weighted tension; an omen she wasn't joking this time. My white tail tucked between my legs, gathering brushstrokes of crimson blood from the pungent ground as I struggled violently to square a proper fighting stance. A sudden whisper cut into my worries, addressing me by name. "Agni, what are you doing?" Sev's voice called placidly from my belt. My knees gave way, sending me again into the bloodstained stone. I spoke through strained words, wiping the decayed effluvium of iron onto my clothes. "Keeping my blade with me." I answered through clenching teeth. Felraya's feet stopped in place, scythe suddenly lowering as her head tilted curiously. "Wait . . . who's voice was that?" She asked, pupils still lasering my luminous blade.

Sev spoke again from the safety of my belt, this time directly to Felraya. "Hurt him again, and I will erase every memory this Universe has of your real mother." He reprimanded, speaking loudly enough to snag her attention. Miraculously, the distraction worked to divert her focus from me, leading onto my weapon. At first, she froze like a winged statue. The cat's fangs bared in reproof, her claws unsheathing. "What the Hell did you just say to me!?" She blared in shock, staring hateful daggers into my blade. Oddly enough, I didn't expect to hear a response of mutual animosity. "I said . . . hurt him again . . . and I'll erase every memory . . . of your real mother." He repeated in measured syllables, addressing her as if she were deaf. My muzzle hung ajar, taken aback like a startled bystander.

"You're bluffing! You'll just do it anyways, same as you've done to everyone!" She griped back, claws clenching tightly around her scythe's handle. A shimmering warmth flashed from my belt, illuminating the detailed facets of infected tissue writhing above us. "Irreverent kit. Those erasures aren't my doing. We deploy my brother for such redactions." He stated stoically. Felraya scoffed, pinching her brows together critically. "Doesn't matter when you all operate together as one unified God." She sassed angrily. A literal spark flung from her gritting teeth, nearly triggering my flight instinct. I stood in fearful silence as they bickered, my hotfooted mind vacillating between urgency and impatience. "Either way, you'll do well not to harm this innocent. He needs your help traversing The Thirteen Circles." He explained, his diamond light finally dimming down.

Felraya's crimson glare fell upon me, skepticism staining her visage like the rancid blood soaking our fur. "Doesn't look like he knows what you're talking about." Fel said, unamused as her tail-blade flicked to the side. I jumped at the heavy 'plink' it made against the icy stone. "He seeks his soulmate; a true cosmic match worthy of pursuit, even in these conditions." Sev replied. My legs grew restless, the sudden mention of Reddra charging my will to press on. 'I must do whatever it takes' I thought desperately, clenching Sev's hilt as a burn of conviction filled my chest. My tail drooped as I addressed the DemiGoddess with a tone of sincerity. "Queen Felraya, I must catch up to Reddra. There isn't much time. She's being lured in by someone; something that looks like me. Please, I'm begging you to help." I pleaded softly, opting to spur her conscience. For a moment, I saw a flicker of change in her eyes. Latching the scythe onto her back, Fel extended her arm.

To my confusion, her index claw pointed towards the filthy ground. My eyes shifted awkwardly, initially misunderstanding her suggestion. The cat insistently stipulated with her finger, this time demandingly. "You're begging me?" She questioned, arching her brow. "Alright, fine. Then beg, dog. And make it convincing." She ordered lackadaisically. I blinked twice through a plain stare, utterly appalled. An ember of protest smoldered under my throat, yet I held it back in desperation, swallowing my pride. A subtle smirk curved on her face as I quietly knelt down. 'Honor, dignity, reputation, they're all illusions compared to Reddra' I thought, hoping to justify this cringeworthy abdication of my self-respect. As I leaned forward, face growing well-acquainted with the rancid floor, Sev's words pierced the tension. "Agni, you don't need to do this. I've already convinced her to help you." He whispered gently, his tone laced with pity as I took a knee.

I ignored his suggestions, knowing if I stopped now, precious time would be wasted. My ears flattened, tail tucking, and my voice somewhat hoarse. "Please, Queen Felraya." I begged, feeling a genuine spark of helplessness. "She's all I have, and all I've ever wanted. Please, take me to her, and I'll be in your debt!" I pleaded vehemently, truly meaning every word. I kept my head down in silence, each second an eternity of awaiting her reply. Even though I knew deep down she was already convinced, I still desired to hear it. My body tensed up with anticipation, keeping stone-still as she pondered in silence. Her voice broke the thick, fetid air. "Alright," She answered, causing my shoulders to relax. I released a deep breath, one I wasn't aware of holding. "but I'm tagging along with you! I have some questions lined up for my dear, deadbeat daddy-dearest." She said, her eyes shooting a sharp, bitter look at Sev.

In that moment, I could've sworn I'd heard a barely audible sigh echo from my belt. Shaking off the distraction, I faced Felraya expectantly. She understood my cues, reaching over and placing her a hand on the back of my neck. I tilted my head, confused. "What are you-" My words were cut off by the grasp of her claws pinching into my scruff. My body lifted several feet off the ground, digititrades dangling. "Since you're such a good begger, I'll take you there quickly." She said teasingly, flapping her pitch-black wings with imposing grace. Our surroundings shifted into a crimson blur. Initially, I thought she'd merely turned around, changing our positions. Then I noticed the overt difference in atmosphere; a gnarled abundance of fleshy protrusions growing from an indeterminately vast horizon stood before me.

I hung from Felraya's claws like a kitten, trying to make heads or tails of what it all was. The bleeding, boney formations seemed to mock what I presumed to be trees . . . yet in the most despicably grotesque ways. "Welcome to the Lateral Sector." She introduced, casually dropping me into the loamy brown mush. It took a half-second for the piercing assault to flood my nose, raising every follicle of fur upon my pelt. My throat hacked abruptly, as if my body opted to dispel an invading toxin. Nothing launched out as the sickly burn of death continued to molest my nasal cavity, promptly worming its way down my esophagus. Felraya's scythe made a metallic 'swish' as it cut the putrid wind, dramatically pointing ahead. "She's somewhere in these woods; Visceral Grove." She said, directing my reluctant gaze. I struggled to keep my head up, straining against gag after gag.

My eyes squinted through the acrid sting of an encompassing miasma. I gathered the view of smooth, yet bulbous red branches tapering into black spindles, each climbing beyond reach and cluttering a looming stalactite sky. "What need was there to drop me!?" I spat, straightening up and standing on my own two feet. My livid demeanor leveled out, simmering down enough to heed her words. "Didn't you hear what I said? Your bitch is waiting." She replied, her robe carelessly billowing past me. I gawked up at her, crossing an expression between shock and disgust. "Don't speak of my love that way!" I shouted, nearly growling. She swiftly jerked around, pressing a finger to her mouth without hissing the universal 'shush' noise. "You fool," she intoned. "now isn't the time for yelling. As for me, I'll be having a little talk with 'Sev' telepathically. That's what he's calling himself, right?" Felraya's tail flicked, her lava eyes searing critically into mine.

"Just don't think you'll last out here, running your big mouth like that. This forest has sensitive ears." She cautioned. As she glid forward, her feline feet padded atop the muck without sinking through. Its thin surface refused to breach, barely rippling with each step. I gaped, enviously eyeing the anomaly. We were supposed to be relatives . . . so then why didn't I have that power? My mind complained as I seethed quietly, trudging through mire composed of all manner of bodily fluids. After a while, I pondered asking for help, but still managed to trek along without it. I counted every second of each minute, until my legs heaved for hours in total. My brain roamed into odd places as well, as if to reciprocate my situation, picturing my feet dissolving away into yellowed bone. Both Sev and Felraya had been silent this whole time, her facial expressions warping wordlessly, as if debating fiercely on various topics.

I could sense nothing beyond a series of faint, intangible echoes inundating the mindscape between them. Stronger words like 'deadbeat' and 'stray kitten' ricocheted between their psychic link, along with esoteric references I seldom understood. I didn't expect their heated argument to play out so quietly. All the while, my follicles charged with a vague, tingly sensation, acting automatically, as if triggered by an eerie force cornering us in. As my feet tromped through the lukewarm, visceral mud, I felt it; a frigid presence moaning from the depths beyond, skulking deep within an interwoven darkness. Whatever prowled nearby, each time I kept my back turned long enough, I could sense it's thirst for blood daggering into my neck. In past centuries of being educated by my father, I'd witnessed the savagery of nature firsthand.

Through my observations within father's controlled ecosystems, I remember bathing under the daylight, relishing within an abundant paradise of greenery. While watching the six-legged, horn-crowned behemoths known as 'Gurdosnaps', I realized the repercussions of glancing back at potential predators.

It happened instantly as I watched from a far grassland. The creature's four eyes breaking wide, flinching too late before an immense pair of jaws snapped its spine in two. I'd thought of intervening beforehand, but father insisted I watch. That day's events served as an unexpected learning experience for me. I mentally crossed my fingers, hoping the rules were no different in this dimension. That way, I'd have a reliable frame of reference, at the very least. I sidestepped closer to Felraya as we walked, reluctantly gathering my words. "Felraya" I called softly, mindful not to alert the lurking entity. Her eyes silently flitted towards me in question, ears perking. "Hmm? Did something crawl up your ass?" She asked brashly. I frowned, put off by her crude inquiry. "No" I said in monotone, my ears ramping. "There's something following us. I can feel its bloodlust." I shifted back, sensing the creature in plain sight, yet no signs of life.

"Yeah, I feel it." She replied nonchalantly. "Just ignore the little shit. If anything attacks, I'll slice its body in half." Her hand waved dismissively, casually strolling ahead of me. I picked up speed as my legs lumbered through the muck, irking at her carelessness. "It's right next to us. I can feel it rearing up, ready to pounce." I whispered, barely keeping up with her pace. Felraya blew a jaded sigh, her wings retracting inwards with an involuntary twitch. She grabbed the scythe on her back. Before I could ask what she was doing, the curved blade flung at light-speed, explosively stopping inches from my shoulder. The fleshy branches surrounding us inched back from the sheer force of her onslaught. The watery filth around my ankles parted roughly nine feet in diameter, lasting five seconds at most. It lazily flowed back over my claws as I froze, terrified. I almost jumped, thankfully restraining myself so my shoulder wouldn't jolt into the razor-sharp edge above me.

Then I saw the crimson blood spilling down, like rain washing above me. My vision slowly panned upwards. A frost of shock seized my chest when I saw it; six beady black eyes attached to a pale-pink figure with four spindly arms. Its sickly smooth, waterlogged skin wasn't unlike the surrounding 'trees', tapering into five darkened claws resembling twiggy branches. To my confusion, it remained relatively motionless, stuck arching over me in a series of twitches. A red line ran down his entire middle, which I soon noticed was the laceration Felraya had dealt upon it. The abomination's veiny torso was lengthy, bending and arching from a distance, its texture blending perfectly within our environment. Before I could gather more of this monster's attributes, a crackling 'split' resounded. The two organic halves split past either side of me, blood cascading over my fur like the contents of a broken egg.

I stared plainly in silence, aside from my gaping eyes. Felraya's bladed tail swung like a whip, delivering a decisive blow that flung the entity's visceral leftovers into the distant mire. A dull 'splash' resounded, rousing me from my graven stupor. "What was that madness?" I asked in a faint whisper. She glanced down at me, her stoic gaze fading into annoyance. "Are you dumb?" she asked, arching her brow. My eyes narrowed slightly, feeling the sting of her pointless rhetoric. "Do you really not know where you are?" Felraya questioned, flashing a look of incredulity. Her words gave me pause. Despite the objective's urgency, my legs refused to budge. I'd wandered across many places among the cosmos, even visiting other fabrics of reality itself . . . but this dimension was too unique, and in an oddly inimical way. Something—no—everything, was off.

Somehow, I couldn't accept it. My heart and soul knew through the divination of truth; an inborn ability of the renowned Light-Dragon race. That tiny fraction of holy blood coursing through my veins split a protestant roar, forcing me to acknowledge the truth. Felraya's invasive awareness of my thoughts expressed itself deliberately on her face, as if teasing me. "Oh, don't get me wrong, you don't deserve to be here." she remarked, casually pressing onward in attempts to hurry me along. "In fact, this place is meant for only one race, and Gods, are they fucking ugly!" She said mirthfully.

I silently dodged her flicking tail as we walked, inches away from sustaining a life-changing injury. After that, I decided to forcibly haul myself in front of her. "Who decided an entire race would have to suffer like this?" I asked, my stomach steadily burning with a righteous rage. After witnessing such appalling conditions, I knew without a doubt, nobody deserved any of this. She cackled, as if I'd told a funny joke. "Don't overthink it, kid. Nobody 'decided' on anything!" She said, rolling her eyes. "To be completely honest, I don't even think they know why they're here. After Eons in these crazy Circles, their memories have been torn to shreds; barely recognizable fragments, aside from some super-rare ones that manage to stay intact." She explained. My pace slowed briefly in silent shock, picking up before her oblivious tail drew any closer.

"Then why call this a place of punishment!? That's simply wrong!" I said furiously, flinging my arms out. I felt a burden of sadness pull on my face, causing me to frown. Felraya noticed, extending her wing on one side, and resting it over my shoulder. "Don't be ridiculous, Aggy."

"—Agni" I corrected.

"Whatever" she shrugged.

"They couldn't possibly know the difference. An anglerfish can't ask itself why it never rains. The abominations here have absolutely no frame of reference." she lectured. I entered a pensive gaze, my hazel eyes shifting and narrowing. A frenzy of philosophical questions swirled in my mind. 'Gods, why does that have to make sense? Father never mentioned concepts like this' I thought, my ancient memories flashing before me. I'd forgotten Fel's abilities again, quickly snapping to realization. She replied before I could. "That's right. Let reality seep in, Agni. Remember, these creatures don't care! And they'll chew on your corpse if it means surviving another minute. Never forget that you're justified in every act of self-defense." She lectured, swinging her scythe another time. With peaked nonchalance, her blade casually slashed through the semisolid murk, fortuitously decapitating a hiding predator.

I saw its head launch into a flinging spiral, arching over and disappearing into the fleshy woods. limp, lifeless body dropped, revealing a soaking hoard of bloody maggots writhing within its clammy yellow flesh. The bipedal abomination's arms twitched, revealing countless additional larvae upon removal of its head. I flinched back, caught between a mix of fear and revulsion. My mouth opened, failing to respond as I stood there in shock. Sev wedged a reply between our pause, his ethereal voice emanating from my belt. "She's right, Agni. And they eventually revive anyways. This one's spirit will be pulled into the area we were just in, cursed to inhabit its own individual lump of flesh with all the others." He said apathetically. Both relief and disquietude pulled in a tug-of-war with my emotions. Now I desired to silence my contemplations; likely part of Sev's verbal influence.

"I wish you hadn't told me that." I complained, disgusted as I watched the maggoty corpse contort against the motions of each writhing invertebrate. Sev's light blinked, cleverly catching my attention as he spoke. "This is an endless nightmare you must brave for Reddra. She's helped you 702,927 times when you were in egregious distress. I can assure you, you're both soulmates; an anomaly even we Gods cannot premeditate." He assured. "Speaking of anomaly," Fel interjected, her ruby eyes squinting as she peered into the distant horizon. "Your Soulmate's supposed to be over there, but her presence relocated somewhere else. That's not possible around here, at least for most people visiting." She informed, her imposing eyes glancing down at me. That red light tinted my features, causing me to look up in faux cluelessness. "What?" I asked, somewhat bothered.

"What is she?" Fel pressed.

I irked, ears ramping as my muzzle scrunched. "She's not a 'what'. Reddra is a person." I insisted.

"Don't deflect me. Tell me what she is."

I frowned, my shoulders falling in surrender. I was never a good liar. A short sigh laced the start of my voice. "Her Parents are N'graw and Aros." I answered wistfully.

She folded her arms, scolding me with a judging glare. "I would've liked to know that, genius. If she's part Embodiment, then that means she can be anywhere here in The Foyer! Your lover's already disappeared and darted off someplace else!"

I jerked towards Fel, immediately caught on her last sentence. "Where to!?" I asked in earnest.

"Another region. She's fast, like my dad leaving out the front door." She quipped randomly. Sev sighed from my belt, unamused by the bad joke, obviously directed at him. His voice chimed in, unfazed. "Reddra is rapidly searching for you. In doing so, she's been drawn to a land called Ebony's Heart." He tacked on.

Felraya's brow arched as she shot a scathing glance. "That's light-years away, you stupid toothpick! I couldn't teleport that far, not even on my first try as a kitten!" She barked.

Sev ignored her petty remarks, speaking in a smooth, eloquent tone. "Your Reddra isn't an entirely physical being, Agni. She can travel long distances in realms such as this one."

"How is that so? Is she like Felraya?; Like a DemiGoddess?" I asked. If my lover had told me so, I would've believed it without question. Her figure and beauty were astoundingly fair, enough to keep my mind in a haze at the mere thought of it. "Not even close." Fel said casually, reaching over and picking me up once again by my nape. Glaring up in frustration, my teeth bared in reaction to her sudden pull. "You don't need to make this odd. I'm not a pup." I said, arching my brow. Fel ignored my lecture, continuing on as if I'd said nothing. "If what you said about her parents is true, then she'll have no trouble traversing The Thirteen Circles. Heck, she's probably busy taking their lunch-money right about now." She said, shrugging.

"Are you saying my love is in her element here?" I asked, unsure of wether to feel relief or offense.

"Yyyes, and no." She replied, teetering her head. "N'graw and Aros are the good counterparts of Lust and Wrath, so they don't belong in Hell. But, they're also made from similar fabrics, so-to-speak."

"So . . . they're all like brother and Sister?" I asked, slightly cringing.

"No, you freak." She said mirthfully. "Their flesh doesn't use chromosomes like ours does. It's more of a 'cosmic abomination' thing." She said almost informally as I dangled from her claws.

"Well I . . . I remember Reddra telling me that she was conceived while one of them was in their dragon form. So some of their blood was relatively normal." I informed reluctantly, uncertain wether sharing that private information was ethical or not. My face snapped towards her, realizing what I'd done. "Please don't tell her I told you that!" I said nervously. Fel didn't appear to care or notice as she continued speaking, causing me to narrow a stern look. "Hmm, well that makes this a little trickier then, doesn't it? The Incarnations of Hell will see her as one of them, but there's no telling how she"ll react to their lifestyle." Fel's tone finally went serious as her face straightened. "And oh Gods, I definitely know what that feels like." She said, her voice suddenly flattening. Her magmatic eyes pensively scanned ahead, pausing for a moment, as if in contemplation.

I stared for a moment at the rare sight of solemnity on Fel's face, before ripping my gaze away. Then I finally perked to awareness at our surroundings. Fel had already relocated us. The ground was wavy, cold and gray, lined with ambiguous grooves which carved a raking pattern across an unknown distance, leading into an endless, shadowy horizon. A contorting sea of rough black clouds loomed above it all, languidly swirling over random areas in the far-off distance. Gone was the tear-jerking sting of rancid meat and blackening blood, replaced by an everpresent scent of dusty metal. Initially I was confused, seeing no such source for the smell. I stopped wondering when Fel lowered my footpaws to the freezing ground, giving my paw-pads a firsthand feeling of its unyielding compositions. My toe-claws curled in, scraping the bizarre formation. 'This must be something like silver' I thought, scanning into the stormy horizon.

Sev's voice was both physical and ethereal, as if his blade had pierced my mind. "That's raw lead; an alien element from a long-extinct Universe. It's toxic to most of the denizens surviving here, aside from us." He explained.

An anchor of exhaustion weighed on my mind and soul. "Fascinating. Where's Reddra?" I asked curtly. There was only one subject I cared about, and it wasn't interdimensional chemistry. Sev could sense my urgency, quickly adhering to my whims. "Nine-hundred and eight yards to our left. Be sure to keep me drawn." He cautioned. My eyes narrowed, sternly nodding at his forewarning. "Thank you, Sev." I replied, feeling a genuine spark of gratitude. Felraya folded her arms, glowering at the hilt as I drew my blade. She spoke normally now, but with a hint of disappointment. "Teleporting long-distance into a speeding target with wings is hard." She grumbled. Blinking twice, I tilted my head at her, perplexed for a moment. Staying silent, I dismissively ripped my attention away from her, steadfastly refocusing on our task.

Peering forward into an infinite metal landscape, I felt a nagging sensation sink inside my chest . . . like how most people would feel upon staring into a deep drop beneath themselves. Something wasn't right, but I couldn't quite place what. My worried visage turned towards the cat. "Queen Felraya, may I ask you to make sure Reddra doesn't escape? I have a . . . a bad feeling." I requested, my tone oozing with politeness. Her eyes flicked over to me, glaring sourly. "You poor, dumb mutt. We're already walking across the threshold into the embodiment of 'bad feelings'. This dimension isn't cute puppies and kittens, like where your perfect, perpetually available daddy works." She griped. I heard a faint sigh emanate from my belt. Sev's tired voice wedged between us. "Were you not calling me a 'deadbeat father' a few hours ago? Yet, here's your hybrid son, of whom you were fully aware of throughout his entire, five-century life." He said jadedly.

"What, you think that bothers me? He's a science project with literally twenty-one parents! What about all the other blood that didn't visit him? You don't seem mad at them!"

"You're the only person out of twenty relatives who knew of Agni's existence. That's what separates your responsibilities from theirs."

"My responsibilities? Ha! Fuck you! I didn't see your face anywhere in my childhood, so don't talk like you're any better than me!" An egotistic grin pinched bitterly over her face.

"Wrong. You saw my face plenty of times. I was your neighbor, Falegan from across the woods; the avian who gave you counsel whenever the villages would revile against you. I was the tribal warrior, Glahtia; the one you believed was a lost soul hailing from Reptalis. I was even that stray creature who saved you from fifty years of loneliness when your homeworld's surface was destroyed. Would you like to know who else I was, or does that not suffice?" He retorted. A visible shift crossed her expression. "Oh, go to Hell! You weren't Mr. Falegan!" She reviled, showing a sort of sentiment at the name. "You're just lying, because your shitty ego can't handle the fact that I'm a better parent than you!"

"Is that supposed to insult me more because your lack of parental skills? Remember, I know everything. I know exactly what you're thinking and why, even before you do."

Felraya's head tipped up emphatically. "Of course! You know what we all need?" She asked, shooting a wry grimace. "An egotistical know-it-all, who always has to be right!" Her patronizing tone grew as she leaned towards my sword. Admittedly, I felt a pang of fear, knowing Death herself loomed over me in such a malevolent manner. Cracks of lightning branched behind her outstretched wings, punctuated by low-pitched roars of thunder. Those hadn't existed a moment ago. My eyes caught on something beyond us, leaving me no time to mediate their argument. Suddenly a crimson blur speared across my peripheral sight. The fleeting visual snagged my attention, pulling my eyes along with it. Excitement pounded in my heart as I heard myself panting. I sprinted off without warning, drawing Sev's blade while hastily scanning the infernal firmament above. I could've sworn I saw it; a single red dot; a vivid crimson pinprick gliding across the sky's stormy slate. The spectacle practically bulleted past me, beckoning my mind to recall simpler times, taking place a century ago on Planet Univark.

For a moment, I felt sensations of me and my special one nestled together atop a hill covered in tall, turquoise grass. My entire side fit squarely between her haunch and shoulder, leaning in snugly as we gazed into an endless night of shooting stars. One of them was red, which we were fortunate enough to spot together. We'd just gotten done with an extensive array of combat regimens that night, and were finally convalescing in peace. Exhausted, yet satisfied with our progress, a gratifying breeze combed through my fur, as if rewarding me with a gentle rub. Reddra's sleek wing wrapped around me with unexpected fondness, granting a warm tent of security. The quiet gesture had my chest hammering, ears searing hot underneath my fur. A resplendent sea of stars twinkled above us, heralding the spark of a tender flame between our warming hearts. That blooming ember would later ignite into an illimitable force no wind could waver, nor any sconce suffocate.

That night was the first time she'd shown me intimacy; a time I'd never forget; an age of perpetual joy and— "I don't care." Sev's stern voice cut through my warm reverie as I managed to keep sprinting. He and Fel were still bickering, despite the daunting environment and my urgent situation. I'd at least drawn closer without realizing, and could now see Reddra's long, tapering tail; the only indicator it was her from our current distance. "Exactly! And why should you? You're a God, right? Who needs to involve themselves in trite matters such as family, or helping your own creations who are endlessly suffering? That would be a waste of time!" She mocked, rolling her eyes. My ears began to twitch. The two entities kept exchanging counterarguments as I ran vigorously between them. After a matter of minutes spent listening to their endless squabbling, my teeth began to clench tightly in a silent, tremulous rage, finally having my fill of their petty contretemps.

Sev droned in a vexed tone. "There's far more to Godhood than capitulating to our sentiments. Even an ancient being such as yourself is blind to the gravity of contacting one's own creations." He claimed, hearing a wordless scoff from Fel. He paid no mind to her rude utterances, continuing in earnest. "Cults, delusions, unnecessary sacrifices, religious manipulation . . . those are merely the first setbacks. The second phase becomes too terrifying, even for us Gods." He said uptightly. I felt intimations of rage in Sev's voice, showing just enough to leak through his solemn façade. My legs began to carry me at a breakneck pace, chasing the red dot as fast as I could. I lifted Sev, aiming his sharp tip towards the sky. "Sev, stop arguing with Fel, and get me above Reddra!" I ordered, promptly glancing back at Felraya. "And Fel, could you please catch me when I fall!?" I raised my voice so she could hear me, keeping a polite tone.

Her figure blinked out of existence, reappearing next to me in that exact same moment, baring a bitter grimace. With how fast we were going, I was grateful my reflexes hadn't kicked in. She flew alongside me as I sprinted, yet her wings never beat once, making them seem like redundant ornaments. "Fuck that stupid sword! I'll do you something better!" She shouted. I felt the Herculean grip of clawed fingers squeeze around my torso like a vice. My throat blared a wolflike bark in response. "What are you doing!? Unhand me, you hellcat!" I demanded, peircing the air with a harsh growl. Next moment, it dawned on me what those wings were for, as she readied my body like a throwing spear. Felraya's black feathers spanned with the retraction of her arm, providing an extra reflex to my impending launch. My narrowed eyebrows lifted into an expression of fear. "Felraya, please, don't! You just have to catch me after I-"

My body straightened stiff at the immense force that'd so abruptly been applied. Following my takeoff, I swore I'd heard a delayed explosion, yet it wasn't anything beyond her winged thrust, demonstrating sheer power on par with a massive laser-canon. They 'boomed' as my form shot along the vector of her precise throw, taking me half a mile in mere deci-seconds. My weight bulleted as I let Felraya know precisely how I felt about her. "You damned, crazy caaaaat!!" I blared, seething and screaming all in one voice as the launch's velocity carried me. Despite assuming an aerodynamic position, my limbs eventually destabilized into flailing. However, to my grateful surprise, I heard the familiar flap of wings billowing not far below me.

I glanced down in pure shock, realizing I was about to plummet directly into the bulk of a sizable red Dragoness; my fiancée-to-be, after we were finished with this damnable misadventure. An immediate mix of vulnerability and affection warmed through my blood, the pressure of which dropped upon seeing her stunning figure. Reddra's presence —no matter what hellscape we roamed— always served to calm my nerves. I almost couldn't believe we'd found her so soon. My tail began to wag steadily, despite our situation. My descent transitioned into a freefall, limbs spread out in preparation as I called out to her. "Reddra! Up here, love!" I shouted happily, my expression beaming in time with her jerking head. The person staring back gave me a quick start. All comfort drained from me as I fell into a mystified gape. Once belonging to my lover, a pair of black eyes glowered back with unmatched malice, each orb rivaling the deepest void.

'Oh Gods'

I sucked in a gasp, feeling my hackles stand on end, clueless of what to do. My mind raced in fear as I gazed into those black beads for eyes. What'd happened to her? Gods, please let it be adaptation, and nothing more. That was the only explanation. Her pupils must have widened to sizable proportions in order to compensate for darker environments. Right, of course . . . she'd merely adjusted to her element, that's all. I spouted my elation once more as I fell towards her. "Reddra, it's me! I've come to take you back ho-"

I witnessed Reddra's body rotate in midair, propelling her maneuverability with a vast pair of majestic wings. Her questionable motions hindered my fortuitous landing. Instead of grappling for life onto my special one, I felt a pit widen in my belly as I bulleted past her. My fears were fed further by an abrupt 'SMACK' impacting my spine, batting me downwards with impossible reflex. It took less than a second before an explosion of unfathomable pain spread throughout every organ in my body, connecting with the grooved, hard ground. The cold and colorless lead below us cracked under the impact of my skeleton.

None of my bones had broken, yet all of my joints and spinal fluids were decimated, leaking beneath my battered column. My legs weren't merely in pain . . . they were agony itself, caused by the onslaught of organic slush crowding around nerves they had no business touching. Every infinitesimal unit in time felt as though my organs were being subjected to an endless, ceaseless bludgeoning sensation . . . all on account of my internally scattered spine. I laid like roadkill twitching on a jagged slate. In little time, my sturdy frame shifted grotesquely of its own accord, inevitably piecing itself back together in a series of sickening crunches. Blinded by gashes in my skull's left hemisphere, I gazed helplessly into the storms above, unable to stop Reddra's shrinking visibility. Regeneration was painfully slow and steady —needing to be, lest I reformed into a defective mass. Pangs of hammering pressure imploded within my skull, as my ejected left eye dragged back into its socket. Blood crept through my veins once more, returning a searing warmth which rejuvenated my nerves.

Every excruciating moment of this process was accompanied by a swirling mix of bewilderment and heartbreak. Wether the attack was personal or not, it didn't matter. I thought we'd finally been reunited . . . yet now, I laid broken, not just in body, but in spirit as well. The beating of feathers quaked the air, suddenly accompanied by a cat's void-like visage popping up in front of me. Felraya's muffled words barely resonated within my healing eardrums. "For records in advanced, this little incident wasn't my fault." She said casually. I leaned up, teeth clenching as I pushed against a diluge of stinging pain. Words I barely knew were in my vocabulary leaked out. "Fucking . . . Brmm!" Blood sputtered from my maw. "—stupid bitch!" I finished feebly, trembling as I glared burning daggers into Felraya's red eyes. Pain did the talking.

She sighed, throwing my insults to the wind. "Really? What was all that lovey-dovey crap? You should've just grabbed her! Way to fuck up a perfect throw!" She complained, reaching over and bumping my forehead with the blunt end of her scythe. By no means did it feel like a gentle boop. I collapsed back down from the tap, hearing Sev's voice rise angrily. "You speak of 'bad throws!?' Did Agni not instruct you to catch him!?" He questioned, truly yelling for the first time. Fel's mouth opened briefly, only to clamp shut. She'd clearly forgotten up until now, coming to an abrupt realization. "I . . ." She bit back a groan, confounded as it rolled into frustrated growls. It didn't take a genius —let alone a God— to notice her own blunder. "I'm sorry! I . . . I just forgot." Her voice lowered a few decibels. By now, my eyes and ears were fully cognizant. My vision slowly started to rotate, feeling myself drifting in and out of consciousness.

My body's rapid, extensive healing had charged me a massive tax. And so, with one final forward thrust in attempts to get up, I was abruptly submerged beneath a quiet sea of darkness. My last thoughts before then, were Reddra's smiling face within a sunlit grassland, below the glimmering midnight stars of our previous home.

~ End Of Chapter 1 ~