Freshet

Despite the dreadful Ether roaming in the air, augmenting time itself, the Devil is not stopped. He isn't even nearly as sluggish as I am. I may be resistant to such 'chains', but he's a God. And as such...

"Stay back, Graves. This is not an opponent you can face. Leave him... to me. Thank you for the warning. It gave me some precious time."

My eyes widen as time only continues to stutter, and another finger is lost from Remington's hand. The shattered dust ages Louis Fern even further, the first Unnatural God, the First, coming close to a natural death.

Then, the old man retaliates with all the abstract and incomprehensible might of a God.

Ether, so dense and crippling, weaves through the air against Remington's control. In less than a second, I'm forced to the ground as the two beings, the Demigod and God, war for supremacy.

My vision shudders as I barely manage to keep my eyes open. For a moment, I worry about my own strength, wondering how I could ever stand up to Gods, but then, I remind myself. Louis Fern is no ordinary God. He was born in the direst time in all of human history. And... so was Remington Shaw.

The two strongest men from their millennium war with their minds, their souls, and their Ether. Half a century of non-stop battle honed their talents, even more for the Soldier-King, who had slain hundreds before his first Sigil. A millennia of accumulated strength detonates all at once.

A thousand shifting balances surround Remington's palm as the sand continues to shuffle and spread like that of an eternal river, unimpeded by any force. But they are impeded. Order is set upon time as I feel things gradually grow normal. At the same time, Chaos is set upon the hand.

Grains of sand explode when motes of Ether so dense with meaning they sing words collide against them. Moments pass as it seems that despite his aging, the Devil has the advantage. Remington may be supremely talented, but...

His time has long since passed. He is only a hand, corrupted by the Mother Below and ripped from his whole body. Louis Fern sighs with longing as he clenches his fist, the clatter of countless jail cells closing. With the noise, the hand implodes to become a single grain of sand, like that of a bean.

"I am sorry, my friend. But... it was you who chose this path."

The Devil then addresses me as time swiftly restores its balance. Still, he is focused on me and the grain of sand in his palm.

"You fought against him; I'm sure you have figured that. Eldest... Remington... What a clever plan. Sadly... He couldn't have made it. Remington never made a failed plan. That means..."

I nod alongside him, knowing what the God is alluding to.

"She ruined his mind. And soul."

A shuddering breath comes from Louis Fern as he leans direly on his cane. The old age of the man is becoming readily apparent. He must be 'thousands' of years old now.

"Yes. His brilliance was shed, his greatest strengths were rid of, he was ripped in half, and even still... he left a wound that will not heal."

Squinting, I look him up and down as the others react to the sudden aging of the Devil. He was an old man before, but now... he's all skin and bones and carries the scent of death.

"You're a God, right? How come you age?"

The Devil looks up at me, his back bent and lowered from the weight of his wrinkles, time beating him down. The frown falls onto his face as he quickly answers me before changing the subject.

"Time ages all, child. The Divine simply have far more time. Only Naturals can live forever, their bodies built separately from life. If I was but a soul... Save this for later. We must leave now! Remington acted to make us stay longer!"

Louis Fern twists around with his cane, moving awkwardly in the opposite direction, but he only makes it a single step before stopping. At his pause, his head creeks up toward the sky.

"Damn it all."

Above is an all-consuming maw of darkness, of death. My soul trembles at the sight, but I'm no longer the child I once was. I meet the gaze of Kudo, of The Biting Embrace, The Inexorable Touch, Death herself, without shivering.

Not all can say the same, however. Otto and Marion scream in horror, diving to the floorboards for safety while Aniwye and Birdie struggle to stand in her presence. Funnily enough, though, Lennon makes it to his feet just in time to bare his teeth.

My father speaks through pained lips to the man beside me, Louis Fern, demanding an answer.

"Must we kill your wife today? Or..."

The deafening news shocks me and everyone else to the core, but the Devil doesn't treat it as anything special. He simply wipes his face with his hand before turning back to us. Then, he stares specifically at Eli, Alexos, and Killian.

"It would seem so. She... she has been called by her Mother now. I hoped she could hold a while longer, but the awakening must have sped it up. You three. You all want to slay Death, no? Join me. It has been a while since I slayed a God. Nearly a thousand years. They were too scared to try me."

My father immediately bows his head and agrees despite his injuries. Sighing, I step to him while Eli negotiates the fight. Alexos has already signed onto this, after all.

"Here, let me help."

Killian eyes me oddly, but he doesn't refuse as I let the Ether for Sacrifice run through me. Rarely do I finish a battle with some Ether to spare, but it seems today is the case. Still... I must be careful. A God is so close, after all. I let my left leg and arm vanish into nothingness to repair my father's body.

The pain doesn't cripple me this time, though. I stand my ground as a Martyr, and have my limbs quickly regrown by Blodwyn. While the flesh stretches out from my form, I enjoy my father's awed face. Then, I ask something I've wanted to know despite learning the truth of my birth.

"Do you truly not know who I am from? Who... the woman I came from is?"

Killian's eyes fall to the ground as he hesitates to answer. I egg him on, grabbing the arm I gave him back as he finally caves.

"Yes. I do know. It was one of Edmund's first students. Lisa Heartwell. A damned fine spearwoman."

"Is that why—?"

A shaking head cuts me off.

"No. Edmund and I... we were long-time friends. It pains me to see what has happened to him, but... there was little I could do with my hands tied here."

I nod as Silas runs past me, bowing deeply to the Devil as a silent message passes between them. Raising an eyebrow, I know Mie must be saying something to Louis Fern through her mental connections. Still, I have no clue what it is; all I know is that the Devil refuses.

Then, he comes to me. The wizened and wrinkled fingers of the God lifts up the grain of sand toward me. His voice is crackled and pained, but it does not stop at all.

"I killed him. This... this is the half of his soul in that 'body' and the compressed Remnant. Remington had... a unique Sigil himself, four of his eight when I knew him. The Copycat. It is a mighty one, the Sigil Of Impossibility, but unless it is taken first, it simply molds to match the harvester. Take it. It is not quite ready yet for digestion, but it will be soon. Shatter the Remnant and take the Sigil inside when you have the chance."

The grain of gold falls into my hand as the Devil walks away, leaving me in awe. The Copycat? Interesting, yet another unconfirmed Sigil that I don't think I've ever heard of. Makes sense, though. Remington probably had all the ones in the world. Nonetheless, it has changed a lot. I was worried I'd have to get lucky to find a demon with a Philosopher, but this actually makes the search easier, even in the future.

I have one more Sigil that I can use.

The Devil announces to us all his departure with an apology.

"I am sorry. I cannot break all of you out of the Court. If I were to... I'd be too weakened to have any confidence in killing Kudo or any of the others to follow. As such... when I leave, the Court will gain its full power. Do your best to escape. I believe you all can now that those three are gone."

I bite my lip, frustrated by their sudden departure, but I suppose it makes sense. Death. The sky-length maw above is just as worrisome as the Gods on the other side of Hell. The only difference is she's right here. But... but what happens to all the Undead when she dies? Like Silas?

Turning to my friend, I find only fury in one eye while the other is lost in thought. Mie and Silas must have conflicting opinions about all this. I really need to talk to them.

The four leaving to kill a God quickly gather into a tight-knit group, but not before saying goodbye. My father simply nods to Aniwye and me. Alexos doesn't look at anyone in particular, not even me, while Eli grins mischievously. As the three are covered with Ether and an iron grate closing sounds through the air, the Devil speaks once more.

"Good luck. But remember... the Devil's luck is made, not given. Escape the cruelty of my own design and join me, for... it is almost time to strike back. Two more is all we need. Two more."

For some reason, I feel as though the Devil's attention is not upon Killian, Lennon, or Eli, the three closest to what he speaks of, Godhood. Instead, the aged pupils brandish their lights onto me. The weight of his words linger as he and the three others vanish, leaving the original group that came here on their own.

Laughing slightly, I turn and face them all, surprised to find them so ready. Otto and Marion, despite their fear of Death, get their shit together and have their weapons raised. Aniwye, too, stands undeterred, a wide smile beneath her lone eye. Virgil and Lennon are the only ones sitting, but I know they are ready, prepared to fight some more in their own ways.

I only worry that Virgil hasn't rested long enough. A few minutes is not nearly the time needed for his recovery. Nonetheless, Silas, his voice overlaying with Mie's, cuts through the momentary silence.

"I am going to kill that bastard."

We all know who they are talking about. Eli. But... it's not realistic for them to dream of that right now. I open my mouth to say something, but Silas just exhales sharply, stopping me.

"I know. We're too weak. But... there will be an opportunity soon, will there not?"

I shrug, not knowing exactly what to say as a timer is inscribed into the air before me, counting down from an hour. The earth rumbles beneath us alongside each shifting second, and Aniwye's voice is the only one of reason as we're stuck in this literal Godforsaken land.

"Relax. That must be the time we have until we are forced to fight. The Crimson Court must be preparing for something big. We needn't have to worry, though. If even the Devil was having such difficulty coming and going, with this place at its full power... I think our only enemies will be Demigods at best."

Her words, while meaning to be encouraging, only manage to make Otto, Marion, Birdie, and Silas' faces pale. Well, even more so for the Undead. Birdie worriedly proposes a question as we sit in the stands, waiting for our judgments.

"What will happen to us if Death dies? To the Underworld?"

I bite my lip, not having an answer. But... That doesn't mean I cannot give her some peace of mind. From what I know, Gods leave behind objects just as Sigileds do when they die. And these Divinities, carry much of their powers. As such...

"I don't think much will change. As long as someone has access to her lingering Divinity, then I think things will be fine for you all! Hell, we might even be able to remove death itself! Who knows how things will work? The death of Natural Gods always seems to create problems, but I don't know if one as important as Death has ever died."

Birdie nods to me as we mostly fall quiet, some people breaking into hushed conversations. I look at Silas and Mie as the timer counts down, considering speaking to them. But... I really just want to rest for now. That fight... it wore me out.

"Me too."

"Three!"

Holding in the sigh, I nod with the two who share my mind. Although, Lily really shouldn't access it this easily. But whatever. I don't mind. Instead, I close my eyes, feeling the darkness take me quite quickly.

There is another reason I want to sleep so badly. After all, Lily has killed her second Dominion. Meaning... she is due to evolve. In what seems like no time at all, I find myself back on the lonesome beach of Lily's mind, the Cardinal within. She's not here anymore, despite me just hearing her voice.

I guess the ascension was waiting until now until I could help put her back together. That's good. She has more control now it would seem. And already, the river seems larger, more lifelike than before.

Standing, I turn and head towards the distant shack, not wanting to wait a single moment. my steps rapidly turn into a sprint, the incarnadine flowers twisting with each of my paces past them. In no time at all, I enter the ruined and damaged shack, just as true-to-life as the one beside the Cardinal, only a bit further away.

Though, to Lily, I'm sure everything feels far away since she didn't have legs to walk with for a very, very long time.

Striding to the table with all her scattered parts, I focus on the notebook beside it. Could he have written something already? Maybe... Though he was busy fighting for his life in the Court. Nevertheless, I open the book, not expecting to find anything on the pages. And to my surprise, I do. The words are short, but they seem oddly recent.

One last step for my little girl. It's been a long road for you two. I can see that. Due to our proximity, I can discern some more about her evolution. Once more, she's grown to be closer to you. She can't stay outside forever, but a few hours a day is likely. Furthermore... her Dominion. It is... blooming.

I hope you can withstand always having a link to River Cardinal with you. Good luck, my son. And as for your next steps to bring her to the final frontier...

She has to kill a God. Not just land a hit or siphon some life like the other times. She needs to kill one and take their place, becoming the Natural God of the Cardinal, of vitality, of decay, and of goodbyes. Don't let your sister down, Wyatt. Or me. Though, I know you won't. Someone raised you to be better than I.

I finish reading the note in just a short few minutes before turning back to the parts with a smile. That last sentence is new, very new. He must have just written it.

He acknowledged her. Finally. I know Aniwye has been waiting years and years for it, but he finally has. With determined hands, I rebuilt Lily's frame, in awe of the magnificence of each piece. They click together like masterpieces formed for each other. It's a wholly different feeling than before, and in just a little while, the Blooming Spider Lily is put back together. Alongside the Colt in my hand, the lithe young girl smiles back at me with a grin of bloody fangs.

At a singular glance, a thousand meanings flow through my mind, the Ether of the weapon in my hands entering my mind—the knowledge of how her Dominion works and the understanding of just how amazing it is. Furthermore, her connection to the Cardinal has finally reached a point where she can reach it from here. Maybe not from the surface, but from here, it is easy.

She darts for me and wraps me in a hug, and I return the touch, ignoring the chill from her skin. Rivulets of water trail down her now-wet dark hair, falling to the ground. Each drop blooms a lily, the Othershore Flower. Quite a Dominion, indeed, to never run out of flowers or the water for said lillies.

"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"