CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

As each seeker-titan was subdued, they were brought to the godly realm of the Keeper of Secrets on Dark Athyx. It was a temporary realm until his power grew and he ascended to a higher status of divinity. The vile god studied each seeker-titan to discover the secrets of their death rituals. One-by-one, the vile god performed the rituals and ended the lives of each individual seeker-titan. Many were horrific to view. The Keeper of Secrets did not flinch at any deed he had to perform. He was evil and had flayed many layers of skin from his enemies just because he wanted to hear them scream. He was akin to Viscus by nature of the negative energies that fueled their existences. While viscus was an incorporeal being known as a wraith, the Keeper of Secrets was corporal and made of rotten flesh. His kind were often referred to as liches. At random, parts of their bodies would fall apart and dark magics would have to be used to reattach them. It was disgusting and yet humorous to witness these random occurrences.

Na-Dene appeared before the lich god. Her jet-black skin only enhanced her natural elven beauty. She wore very revealing clothing which distracted her foes long enough for her to get close enough to end them. The Keeper of Secrets knew her secrets in an instant upon seeing her arrive.

"I know why you are here!" The Keeper of Secrets said, halting the approach of the dark queen.

"I would hope so! You are after all the Keeper of Secrets." Na-Dene responded matter-of-factly.

"You should be out with the others capturing the seeker-titans! What you might do to yourself is unknown even for me. I cannot see the future. I only know secrets." The Keeper of secrets admitted.

"Tell me how I can absorb the power of the titans!" Na-Dene barked.

"If I decline?" The Keeper of Secrets dared to ask. Na-Dene laughed.

"I suppose you would have to ask that. After all it is no secret what I would do to you if you do not comply with my wishes. I would feed you to my demon dogs for all eternity. You would be forced to watch as you slowly fell apart and each part is devoured by my pets. Does that sound nice?" Na-Dene was cruel, even to her possible allies. The Keeper of Secrets was powerful. He did not fear Na-Dene. He had existed long before she did. For some reason however, he decided to help Na-Dene. He figured it might be an interesting experiment to see how the power of a titan reacted when bonded with the host of a god.

"I will comply with your wishes," the Keeper of Secrets said.

"Good," Na-Dene replied.

"Which one do you wish to absorb?" The Keeper of Secrets asked. Na-Dene walked seductively by each of the seeker-titans. They were all massive in size so she phased from one to the other while continuing her seductive walk. She happened upon one female that possessed a dark power that enabled her to feed upon souls. The souls she fed upon accumulated and empowered her.

"This power might be useful for a goddess," Na-Dene said finally.

"You must cut out her heart, eat it entirely, and then perform the final death ritual of the titan." The Keeper of Secrets informed the goddess.

"I guess it's a good thing that I am very hungry today," Na-Dene shifted her size to match that of the seeker-titan before plunging a sacrificial dagger into the seeker-titan's left breast and cut her heart out. Na-Dene ripped the still beating heart from the female seeker-titan's chest and began eating it. Blood ran down her face. She did not cringe. She did not flinch. She seemed to enjoy and savor the flavor and the deed. Upon finishing her feast, she followed the instructions of the Keeper of Secrets and ended the life of the seeker-titan forever. Na-Dene began to absorb the power of the seeker-titan she had just ingested. The Keeper of Secrets stepped back and watched the dark elf clutch her stomach in pain and collapse to the floor gasping. She let out a painful sounding gas secretion before passing unconscious.

"Very interesting!" The Keeper of Secrets said as he studied the goddesses side effects.

*****

Prometheus had felt the pulsing of Oblivion and followed it to the source. He remained at a distance and watched the army of seeker-titans arrive with Kronos and then the avatar of the Forgotten One. He waited and did not move a muscle as he watched the mutated titans cross through the great barrier. Kronos and the Forgotten One seemed to be waiting for something. If time was meaningful to the divine, Prometheus may have complained for how long he waited. Finally, he watched the Forgotten One order Kronos to cross over and then he too passed through the great barrier. Prometheus approached the great barrier. He had never before seen such a thing. It was a powerful veil that hid the gods and life inside its shroud. Only the pulsing foreign relic plane of Oblivion gave away its position or no one would have ever found it. Prometheus crossed through the barrier.