Chapter 41: Book 2 prologue

The massive hall was bustling with noise as all the gods of this world gathered in the holy court. The holy court was a small realm, designed as a meeting place for the gods; it consisted of one simple hall with an  opening in the center with seats lining the outside where the gods all sat. Valor himself was seated at the head of the room in an opulent throne, to his left, Taika the human goddess of magic. To his right was an empty chair, where Soter the “human” God of protection would sit, yet he was strangely absent.

“Enough!” Taika yelled, silencing the hall as she slammed her staff on the ground. “Do any of you have anything or are you just wasting our time.”

“You’re the ones who called us Taika,” a dwarven God called from across the room. “Aren’t you a goddess of magic and prophecy? Can’t you divine what happen?”

“You know full well that’s not how divine rights work Iron-bane.” She glowered at the dwarven God.

“Doesn’t Valor have an army of heroes in the mortal realm? How are we so sure he didn’t have Orkthal executed” another voice called as the room erupted into heated arguments again.

“I… I’m just happy it wasn’t more of the moon.” A small bunny kin goddess meekly spoke, “We will need to keep an eye on the red moon to be sure it doesn’t drift any further out of orbit. Whatever that beam was though, it was quite precise. It didn’t break the moon, it's almost as if it were cut.”

“Jaci, your own realm was damaged by the beam wasn’t it?” the dwarven god asked.

“Ye… yes.” Jaci stammered, “luckily I was out of my realm at the time,” she seemed to squirm in her seat as she looked across to a large lupine woman across from her. “Though the damage was minor, the beam merely grazed it as it passed the blue moon.”

“What of your followers?” the large wolf woman asked curtly as she eyed the bunny kin woman.

“They all survived thankfully.” Jaci seemed to shrink under the gaze of the large predator. “Though I’m afraid… we will need to relocate for a little bit so I can fix my realm.” 

These incompetent fools! Valor sighed as he looked around the great hall, a god is dead, and they are sitting here worrying over the damage to the moon. Do they not understand the implications of what has happened?

“Poor Valor, I can feel your fear little god.” A soothing voice called as a cold wind seemed to sweep through the hall. 

“Who dares!” Taika yelled, jumping from her seat.

“Oh be seated little goddess, lest you wish to battle me without your friends this time.” The voice cackled as a flaming portal appeared in the center of the hall.

Walking confidently, a man with purple skin and single black horn appeared in the hall, his tall lanky form nearly bending in half as he bowed to Valor. “It has been far too long god-king Valor” the man spoke with a wicked smile showing his sharpened white teeth. 

“Ashmit.” Valor hissed, “this is the sacred hall of the gods,”

Ashmit cackled in laughter cutting Valor, “Sacred? Maybe before, but now?” he swept his long arms to each side indicating the gods that surrounded him. “You have not only managed to divide the holy court, but you banished Eryl to the mortal realm. All for something truly horrific to happen, now here you sit, have you realized it yet Valor? That feeling creeping up your spine?“

“Your point devil,” Valor waved a hand dismissively though his voice clearly carried an edge of hostility. “We are the gods of this world; we don’t need that woman here to pass our judgment.”

“Keep hiding behind your bravado.” Ashmit chuckled, his tall purple frame swaying as he spoke. “None of you are asking the right questions here, would you like to know what they are?”

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“Enlighten us devil?” Taika clutched her staff as she looked down at the devil.

“Simple, what happened?” Ashmit nearly toppled as the ground beneath him erupted. “You humans are always so quick to anger.” He laughed as he appeared sitting in the empty seat beside Valor. “You always did like those feisty magic types didn’t you Valor, just like that little sage of”

His words were cut short as a flaming sword passed harmlessly through him bisecting the chair he sat on as he laughed. 

“Tisk tisk temper temper. I know you're scared but that’s no excuse for rudeness,” Ashmit laughed as he vanished again, appearing in the destroyed center of the room. 

“Damned devil!” Valor bellowed, swinging his sword again, the flaming blade parting the realm itself as it tore a rent in the ground beneath Ashmit’s image.

“Are you attempting to kill us all, Valor!” Vala howled as several gods vanished, fleeing back to their own Realms.

“Listen to the wolf Valor.” Ashmit grinned, “as much fun as watching you destroy the holy court would be that’s not why I am here.”

Valor took a deep breath before sheathing his sword, “speak quickly demon.”

“So rude, I came all the way here just to see you.” Ashmit teased as he appeared in one of the empty seats beside Jaci who had been too frightened to even breathe since the devil appeared. 

“You said something about the right questions.” Valor growled as Ashmit inspected the small bunny woman who sat petrified beside him.

“Simple, what happened? What in this world can just erase a god?” Ashmit grinned wide as he patted the small goddess on the head, gaining a glare from Vala who sat across from them. At her glare he grinned as he removed his hand and nodded, “why can no one contact Eryl?” He looked pointedly towards Valor, “More importantly,” he waved a hand causing a world screen to appear before him, “what can do this to a world terminal?” he said, spinning the terminal causing all the gods that remained to freeze.

The front of the terminal, though still functioning was shattered, a simple message displayed, “Sorry for the inconvenience, maintenance will commence soon.”

The hall was filled with confused gasps as they all began summoning their own terminals, the fastest of them being greeted by complete and functioning terminals. However those who had been slower soon began to summon terminals with varying amounts of damage. Starting with simple cracks but the more that summoned them the worse the damage became. 

“What… happened to them?” Jaci asked, being the last to summon her terminal, the small obsidian slab in her hand flickering as it displayed the same message as Ashmits.

“Well, clearly they were broken.” Ashmit said with a laugh dismissing his terminal. “that’s not all either.” He laughed as he placed a hand on her head and they both vanished, appearing beside Vala, Jaci landing unceremoniously in the wolf's lap with a squeal. “If you wanted to sit with her, you should have just sat here to begin with.” He laughed looking down at the blushing bunny woman whose whole body fit snugly in the wolf goddess lap. 

Vala glared at him as he laughed, “is that all?” 

“You God types, never thankful. Always asking for more. Maybe if Valor asks nicely, I’ll tell you more.” He looked back at the Valor who sat unmoving holding a world screen for the first time Ashmit’s smile faltered as Valor didn’t even acknowledge the devil. “Well, that’s no fun.” He said, holding a finger to his chin, “it's too bad, if the system administrator happened to be here, she may have been able to tell you more.” With that he simply disappeared, his laugh echoing as he did.

Valor shook as he gripped the sides of a broken terminal, forgetting Ashmits intrusions as he grit his teeth. “Taika, find out what happened to my system.” His voice was barely a whisper as he vanished from the court.