Familial matters
A large cave with a high roof laid before them. At its center laid a large coiled snake like creature and surrounding it was thousands of skulls piled high. "Hello, brother, or do you wish to be called Eiglay?" Leonel asked. The large snake uncoiled itself to reveal a face upon its neck closely resembling Rykard, anger upon his face. "How?" He asked, "simple, I gained the ability to see the future, past, and present of an alternative timeline, I saw what you would do, what you did, and what you will do now, tell me brother, is it worth it?" He asked.
Rykard watched him approach with calculating eyes. "Do you think that devouring the demigods would give you enough strength to challenge a god?" He asked as he stood but some feet before him. "My" he was cut off by a halberd materializing and resting upon him. "Family? No, your perception of family is skewed, naturally I blame father for this, but allow me to paint the picture for you brother" he said.
Around them hundreds of thousands of glistening motes of mana formed and condensed into a sort of picture depicting a galaxy. "Each and every single light upon this picture, is a star, a star is approximately the size of our sun, each sun is normally surrounded by several planets of which we live on" he paused as he gauged their reactions to the information with Radahn holding a solem look.
"Gods can be of many sizes and shapes, the youngest wield the power of a star, the oldest can crush the galaxies in which they reside, our home, into nothingness but with a simple word, do you honestly think that devouring a single planet would grant you the strength to oppose a single one? You would be turned into dust in less than a second should you try" he said as the atmosphere within the room sank.
"Even if you devour us all all that you would gain is power and the instant enslavement of the gods, how many do you think thought like you? Hundreds? Thousands? And you are arrogant enough to think you have a chance when millions of others couldn't succeed? Rykard I alone can challenge you with ease, my power grows daily while yours requires the powers of others, for what? A bleak and lonely ending even if you do succeed? " he asked.
Rykard did not speak, lava began to pool around them as a sword emerged from his throat and a slimy new arm gripped it. Leonel shook his head and slammed his foot forward sending the giant snake man slamming onto the rocky wall. "A single kick is all it takes to bring you down, immortality was your primary goal, now you seek to assimilate all, quite a leap no?" He said as he walked closer and closer to the downed beast hardly resembling a man.
Radahn watched in silence, his older brother, turned into nothing but a monster. Malenia could see it, not as well as her brother but it was there, a single red thread tying Rykard to… something otherworldly. Even he was claimed by an outer god unbeknownst to him. This outer god… was not one her brother had mentioned, there were currently many who had sunk their claws upon the land but this was a new one.
"Two options, one, I fuse you and what's you already consumed entirely allowing you to keep your immortality at the cost of your physical might but you again would claim the tittle of the most dangerous magical duelist, the other… well you really don't get to choose it as I promised the wife you neglect to bring you back" Leonel said. Rykard tried to fight back but he did not posses the power he wielded as he did not have long to grow.
Crystal chains wrapped him up tightly as he squirmed hoping to free himself but it was all for naught. "The process is simple, every single soul you devoured will be crushed and turned into energy that will nurture the main soul, the soul of Rykard" Leonel said as silver like swords materialized before striking forward driving themselves into Rykard.
"The second step, is to shatter and rebuild the flesh, your body will be remade anew in the form your original soul chooses, any ties to the gods will be severed and absorbed into your elden rune reinforcing it further" he said as Rykard shrieked shaking the cave harshly. Bit by bit the large snake body began to disappear into motes of lights upon the air as the screams slowly ceased.
"What you where before shall be enhanced and perfected, be born anew Rykard" He said as his eyes glowed silver and the air around them spun rapidly collecting the motes of light and compressing it into a tall figure. Bit by bit the power of a demigod among countless others fused and solidified slowly but surely creating something new. The light soon dimmed revealing a cocoon covered in serpentine scales akin to a large dragon egg.
"Well, I miss calculated the time it would take, he will awaken in a week's time, seems like we will have to push the tarnished back while he recuperates" he said as he turned to the two demigods behind him. Malenia looked upon him with wide eyes, shining hope gleamed within her eyes.
"Could you… birth me anew?"She asked, her tone meek and vulnerable. He stared deep into her red eyes full of rot. "I could, but you would loose the rot, any form of connection to it would disappear as it is not a string but a power granted by a god" he said. "This is but a curse, one that has taken many and will take more, please aid me and my daughters" she begged.
"The ones birthed by the rot? Very well, but not now, it will take some time and we do not have such while the tarnished armies prepare for an invasion, I will aid you and yours once they are defeated" he said. Her eyes shined with something he had never seen before, happiness.
Tanith awoke to a splitting headache, the events of the day before instantly sobered her up as she activated the ring upon her finger and was instantly teleported deep into the volcano where Rykard rested. The moment she entered, fear gripped her heart, not a single sound could be heard, no movement, no breathing.
She rushed forward hurriedly until she saw it, a large green scaled egg easily a foot larger than her nestled in between Glintstone as it acted like a nest. Before it word we're imprinted onto the floor reading "he is alive, within a week he will awaken, have food ready for him, actual food and not people Tanith, when he regains his bearings tell him to visit with you and Zorayas, tell him mother misses him and she wishes to meet her grandchild" the message read.
She rushed to the egg and pressed her ear onto it, a slow and soft rhythm of a heart thumped within easing her increasingly worsening anxiety. She slumped against it and slowly slid down as the tension left her body. Still, how? Why? She kept asking herself. She stayed there a bit longer before rising and teleporting out. That night the manor began to heal, warriors in the service of Rykard did not fear their turn to join him.
Workers from outside the volcano showed up at the request of consort Tanith, their job was to repair the manor and rebuild the surrounding towns upon the Gelmir plateau. "Welcome home my sons" Rennala said as she hugged Leonel coming up to his chest and key word "tried" to hug Radahn yet only came up to his thigh. "You… have grown child" she said as she looked up to the large red maned man.
"Do… do you" he was cut off by an ethereal hand shutting his mouth. "Does she still care for your transgressions? The fact that you held back the stars? My fate? No she has not cared for a long time" a figure materialized upon his large shoulder. "Your sister is right child, please, stay the week, grant your old mother this" Rennala said. "Of course mother, I will stay if you'd have me, hello little Ranni, did you miss me?" He asked as he tried to tickle her only to find a cold doll like body.
"What… what happened to you?" He asked as he snatched her up from his shoulder and inspected her before anger became evident upon his eyes. "Who?" He asked. "I did this brother, no one is to blame but myself, Leonel already promised to aid me in the renewal of my flesh so do not fret over this" she said as she pried herself loose and levitated before him.
He looked at her with worry and a bit of sadness within his eyes before nodding and dropping the subject. "Come child, there is much you must tell me, when am I getting a grand child out of you?" Rennala asked bluntly and for the first time in the red lion's life, defeat graced his face.
"So he was weakened? And what now?" Ana asked as she leaned back into her study chair. "Well we have to wait and see what comes out of that shell" Leonel said as he levitated before her trying to master the demanding ability. "So you went into enemy, threatened and trashed the lord, ripped him apart in his own home and put him back together?" She asked with incredulity upon her face.
"Yes" he said, "love you do realize that brother or not if he comes out of there with any bit of anger we'll have a war on our hands?" She asked with an annoyed look. "Then let it be, I'm getting bored just sitting around in the castle and none of the guards can give me a challenge" Iris said as she came into the room and sat down at the couch against the wall.
"We cannot afford another war, the tarnished legions prepare to siege Limgrave as we speak and the warring kingdoms there will not last long" A voice said as a snow robe clad figure materialized at the center of the room before walking over and sitting atop the study table much to Ana's annoyance. "What are they waiting for Luna?" Leonel asked, his cerulean eyes staring into hers. " well agheel has been sighted within the skies of limgrave lake and fort iron still holds strong although now without a lord they claim the lake and its hamlets" she said.
"So they fear two powerful forces? Agheel is nearing the age of an elder dragon so it is understandable and the warriors of the iron fortress have always been the best limgrave had to offer, continue to watch them, if Godfrey pushes for an advantage he would have to smash the kingdoms and baronies upon the shores first" he said.
"And our wedding is pushed back further I take it?" Ana asked to which Leonel wryly smiled. "We get what we get love, besides I know you care more about the honeymoon night with how you keep the servants up at night" Iris said. Ana blushed fiercely but did not retort as she faked being busy with the papers before her.
"Either way, what will you do love?" Luna asked. "Rykard must awaken and decide a side before I do anything but should he choose to die by my hands then so be it, I will lead the forces myself towards Godfrey and meet him in battle, otherwise I will prepare troops and lead them into the siofra depths, another rune lays there, Mogh owns it and he does not wish to play nice so I will deal with him before any harm is done" he said with conviction.
"Very well, then I will call for smarag and survey their forces from atop the sky" Luna said as she snatched a kiss from him and faded into motes of blue lights.