Chapter 135: Revelations – Chapter 127: Restrictive Affection

Aperio furrowed her brows as the [Court of Heaven] shifted almost imperceptibly. What she had intended was not a huge change, but she still had no idea how, exactly, she could make it happen.

Reality itself, however, seemed quite ready to manifest her wish. Without the System, too… She had not stopped watching the secluded space the System called its home, in hopes of figuring out how her will simply became reality if she tried hard enough. Sadly, her System did nothing in this instance to help her understand that part of herself. Maybe there is another System for this?

She doubted that was the case, but then, not long ago Aperio had also thought she was nothing more than a powerless slave that for some reason could not break and become numb to the world as the others like her did.

A more deliberate touch of her magic caused her daughter to stiffen slightly as Aperio directed the [Court of Heaven] to ignore anything a deity might want to do with their divine powers.

Caethya shifted slightly between her arms and wings, undoubtedly noticing the change the All-Mother was weaving into reality. As a Demigoddess, she would be affected by anything that messed with the divine. The Court probably did not need help dealing with an aspiring Goddess, but Aperio wanted to create a level playing field for everyone who might stand accused before the Court. Something that required her to either strip or suppress the more godly aspects of those who came here.

"This feels weird," Ferio mumbled, a small flickering flame appearing on her palm. "Like I am wearing a dress that's way too small."

So, how I feel every day? Aperio mused to herself. It was true that she felt constrained in her body, but it was a sacrifice she was more than willing to make. Especially now, she thought as she gently brushed a hand over Caethya's arm, ignoring the quiet giggle the motion elicited.

"Could you try to open a portal to your Dominion?" Aperio asked, fixing her eyes onto her daughter. She was not quite done yet, but the threads of reality had mostly finished rearranging themselves. The All-Mother did not recognise all of them, but most were clear in her mind.

'Divinity' and 'Suppression' were easy enough to understand, even for someone who did not know what the formation was supposed to do, but that was about the only part of the Court that would make sense to a casual observer. For one, Aperio was fairly sure that she was among the only people who could even see the [Court of Heaven] in enough detail to make out the runes woven out of the threads of reality. Maybe Laelia could…

Her Scion had been able to make out some of the threads after she had received the title. Caethya might be able to see them as well, but her disciple had not shown much of a response to it. Maybe Maria can see them too?

"I can't," Ferio replied, most of the mana she had tried to use refusing to leave her body. Only a small trickle had been allowed to leave to invoke whatever spell she had wanted to use, and it had obviously not been enough to work her magic. "How did you do this? You didn't do anything to me that I noticed."

"I added a bit more to the Court itself," Aperio replied. She also informed her daughter about the fact that she did not truly know how it happened with a mental message.

"Oh," Ferio said, hesitating for a moment. "Isn't that dangerous?"

"No," the All-Mother replied firmly, her voice carrying a bit more power than intended. While her anger had mostly mellowed out, being questioned by her own daughter in front of the Judges still managed to annoy her in just the wrong way. "It is not." I do most everything by just wanting to do it, after all.

Her dress was a good example for that. Aperio had merely imagined the gown she wanted to wear, and it had appeared. She had later made more precise changes, sure, but the general idea and bulk of its creation had been made by forcing her will upon reality.

"If you say so," her daughter relented; verbally, at least. She did make it clear that she did not fully trust the changes Aperio had made with a mental message of her own.

"Is that why we were unable to interact with the [Court of Heaven]?" the Dark Judge asked. "It is fine now, and feels no different than before, but when you were working on it we briefly lost access."

The All-Mother only offered a small shrug in reply, not really sure what she should say on the matter. She barely understood herself what she had done to achieve her goal. Why that process had locked out the Judges was not something she knew or — if she was honest with herself — actually cared about.

Caethya shifted a little in Aperio's lap, leaning a bit more heavily against the All-Mother as she let out a small sigh. Aperio tilted her head slightly at the slight difference she could feel in her disciple's aura. It was not much, and probably only noticeable by her, but it was there. Because I exposed her to my formless self again? …My essence?

She was not quite sure what she should call it, but it was clear that her Demigoddess reacted to it, while everyone else did not. Her daughter was fine, and neither of the Judges had shown much of a reaction. And I even shielded her from it… Maybe being close is enough?

A quick check on herself showed nothing out of the ordinary. Caethya had not somehow stolen a bit of her mana for herself. Even if, somehow, her disciple had managed to do that, the All-Mother used more mana to strengthen her body in the blink of an eye than what was needed to effect the small change in Caethya's aura.

"I gather this takes care of your issue?" Aperio asked, shifting her gaze towards the two Judges. Something about her daughter's behaviour was just rubbing her the wrong way — even if the cause of it was likely her own fault — and at the moment, the All-Mother yearned to leave in order to scream into the Void.

"It should, yes," the Light Judge replied. "If it works on Ferio, it should work on the other deities." It hesitated for a moment, the glow beneath its translucent skin dimming slightly before it continued. "You have also said that you would bring Epemirial here personally, so even if it does not work as it should, you could keep her in check."

"I said I might," Aperio corrected the Judge. "There are some transgressions that require immediate punishment of a magnitude the Court will never be able to deliver."

"Of course," the Light Judge said, bowing its head slightly. "If I may, I would still ask you to be present for the first few cases. Not only would it ensure the safety of the Court, but it would also show that you still trust our judgements. Your absence had our allegiance called into question more than once."

Aperio squinted at the Judge. She wanted to say that she did not trust them, but that did not seem to be the best option at the moment. Being there would show me how they proceed, at least. Not that I know how a Court should work…

The 'legal' process she had observed in the Empire barely deserved to be called such. It had invariably been little more than some random noble the Emperor had put in charge that day looking over the accusations before tossing that out the proverbial window and passing judgement based on how much they liked the accused. Usually, the peasants dragged before them were not well-liked. And they always needed more slaves.

"Sure," Aperio said. "Ferio can call me when you need me." Not like distance matters. "But," she continued after a moment of silence, "realise that I will voice any concerns I have about your practice. I have no need for people who abuse their status." I just need to see that I don't disappoint myself.

"Of course," the Dark Judge replied, bowing again. "I would not dare to judge myself in front of your Grace."

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Aperio squinted at the pair of judges, a part of her enjoying how they shrunk a little under her gaze. Despite the fact that she was lounging in a couch with her arms and wings wrapped around Caethya, they still treated her with respect. A most ungodly view.

She knew that there was a certain grace to everything she did — a result of countless years of training — but she doubted that it extended to hugging her disciple. Just wish I wouldn't have to be so careful…

Even the simple act of brushing her hand along Caethya's arm required her to watch how much force she used. A normal mortal could not even shake her hand if she did not move it on her own. At least the floors have stopped creaking… mainly because I am no longer visiting houses with wooden floors, though.

"Alright," Aperio said, folding her wings behind her back as she leaned forward and letting go of Caethya so the Demigoddess could stand up. "We will take our leave, then."

Her disciple still looked a bit tired. The change in her aura had become a little bit more pronounced as well, but Aperio could not find any indication that it would progress any further than it had. Maybe it's just my proximity to her? Or that I like her?

Caethya was the only person she had regular physical contact with and, when she considered all that touching her soul had done, touching her body might also have some side effects. Especially now that she is a Demigoddess.

A portal manifested behind her, the black expanse beyond inviting her to step inside. She offered her hand to Caethya, who took it after stretching herself briefly. Neither the Judges nor Ferio seemed to mind the rather ungodly behaviour of Aperio and her disciple. Probably because I am the All-Mother.

"How am I supposed to get back?" Ferio asked as Aperio turned to face the portal she had made. "I can't enter my Dominion from here, as it stands."

"How do normal people enter and leave the Court?" Aperio asked, looking over her shoulder at the Judges.

"The gate," the Dark Judge said, pointing at an oversized pair of doors and making a pulling motion that caused them to open. Behind them was a gate that, though it was much more heavily ornamented, was almost like the one on her temple island.

And another version of me, Aperio thought as she looked at the stone version of herself at the top of the gate. She was looming above two Celestials that made up the sides of the gate. They really like depicting me with them, don't they?

"There is your answer," Aperio said, pointing a wing at the Gate and stepping through the portal.

As soon as Caethya followed, the portal closed and Aperio let herself fall forward onto the nothing to let out a scream into a pillow that had manifested itself in her hands.

The entire meeting had drained her in a way that made little sense to her. Not much had happened, but Aperio still felt like she had just spent a century going through the fine print of some contract she had to sign.

Her disciple crouched down next to her, placing a hand on her wing and, after a moment of hesitation, on the solid nothing on which Aperio was lying. "What happened?"

"I don't know," Aperio mumbled. "Maybe fixing a Dominion is more taxing than I thought."

"I think it's your relationship with Ferio," Caethya said. She carefully sat herself down next to the All-Mother and began to gently brush her hands on her Goddess' wings. "You don't seem to be on the best terms, but she is still your daughter."

"But she wants more than I am ready to give," Aperio replied, turning onto her side to look at Caethya. "I do not know what I have done to her in the past. I know she is my daughter, but that's about it.

"I don't feel comfortable telling her what I tell you," she continued, turning on her back but keeping a wing draped across her stomach so Caethya could continue to stroke it. "I barely know her, and I feel like she expects me to be the mother she did not have." I'm not ready to be a mother…

"Maybe just start a little slower?" Caethya asked. "Meet her every now and then and do something together. No godly politics, or anything like that."

"Maybe," Aperio mumbled before she stretched herself and let out a yawn. Being tired is weird.

She had not felt tired until she had come here and laid down in her Void and, if she was honest with herself, she didn't really want to sleep. The last time did not go well.

"Perhaps sleeping would help," her disciple said, echoing the part of her mind that she was hesitant to listen to at the moment. Her eyes wandered over Aperio as she shifted on the nothing, trying to find a place that was comfortable.

Before anything more could be said, Caethya seemed to have made the decision for them both as she laid herself down next to Aperio, carefully tugging at her wing so she could move it across her like a feathery blanket.

Aperio obliged after a moment of confused silence, shifting slightly to wrap her arms around Caethya's midsection and pulling her closer so she could burrow her face as best she could in her disciple's hair.

"You also need breaks," the Demigoddess in her arms mumbled sleepily, gently running her fingers over Aperio's arm. "Try to get some rest. I'll not go anywhere."

GamingWolf

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