Chapter 490 - A World Held Hostage

This was a fun one. Been looking forward to this scene for a while.

The chamber turned to silence, stunned faces staring at Loften and the First Herald. Hump wasn’t so surprised. He’d seen an opportunity to gage what lay behind the Maker’s Mark, and the possibility that it awoke Loften had crossed his mind. He hadn’t expected the god to appear himself, however.

It seemed he’d really pried where he shouldn’t have.

Loften’s attention turned from Hump to the First Herald. The ancient statue lay on the floor, the essence gone from his metal body, its runes faded. All that remained was the essence of his soul, screaming out in pain. It was a sensation that sent a shudder through Hump. The same suffering he’d been through a few moments ago—the essence that had escaped through the brand had latched onto him, only, the herald had no way of with drawing from it. The brand was on his very soul.

Nishari let out a huff ahead of them, staring down on the First Herald victoriously, pride and amusement swelling in her. Hump couldn’t help but smile.

“What did you do?” Celaine whispered.

Hump gave a slight shake of his head. “Not now.”

“Hump.”

“I may have poked at the First Herald’s brand.”

Hump kept his gaze forward as he felt Celaine’s stare bury into him. He did his best to ignore it.

Loften placed a hand on the shoulder of the herald. A gentle light pulsed from it, echoing in the runes of his body. Slowly, the anguish of his soul diminished, until finally it withdrew inside the armour once more and relaxed. The First Herald stirred, and only then did the room awake. The priests, attendants, heralds, Marcoff and Urella, all dropped to their knees.

Hump watched as Loften’s attention turned from him to the First Herald. He lay on the floor, the essence gone from his metal body, its runes faded, but his soul screamed. Hump realised it was the same suffering he’d been through. The essence that had escaped through the brand hadn’t just latched onto him.

Loften placed a hand on the herald, and a gentle light pulsed in the runes once more. The soul relaxed. Finally, the First Herald stirred. It was then the room awoke, the priests, heralds, Marcoff and Urella all dropping to their knees.

“Lord Maker,” High Priest Jerard said. “You humble us with your presence.”

Loften looked over the gathering, his eyes finally landing on Hump. The white mist in them swirled, and suddenly, Hump sensed a tug on his soul. There was no hostility to it. The intent was that of an invitation, and it was one he could refuse if he so wished. In this case, he decided it was best to hear the god out. He had many questions of his own, and perhaps some of his worries could finally be put to rest.

With a thought, he was gone from the inner chamber of the temple, and stood face to face with Loften, once more surrounded by the chaotic winds of essence he had seen beyond the mark on the First Herald’s soul. Only now, there was something that separated Hump from them, as if the two of them stood within their own small window. It reminded him of when Owalyn had first brought him to her for a private meeting. Loften had tugged on his soul, leaving his physical body behind. This time, Hump had had the presence of mind to refuse if he wished.

Beyond the invisible boundary, the essence churned in a ceaseless storm. The magnitude of the power had been clear when it had almost consumed Hump, but seeing it with his eyes alone made it uncalculatable, like looking at the ocean and trying to guess at how deep and massive it could be.

“Do you understand the damage you could have done?” Loften asked. “This world is balanced on the point of a needle. Everything must be perfect. The slightest mishap and all will be lost.”

“I did not,” Hump said. “I still don’t understand this.”

“Then why?”

“The brand you place upon the altari is interesting,” Hump said. “When your priest tried to insist that we receive one too and wouldn’t take no for an answer, I’ll admit I got a little angry. And then your herald so kindly showed his off. This place… it is the reason you mark them, isn’t it? Their souls are what provide all this essence.”

“Not all of it, but some, yes. It is necessary. The world cannot hold together without it.”

“Is the same true in my world?” Hump asked. “What of the Chosen of the Pantheon?”

“What do you mean?”

“You were the one to create the process of blessing people, weren’t you?” Hump said. “By doing so, you bind a soul with potential to whoever conducted the ritual where they can siphon off what they wish for like a parasite.”

Loften’s face darkened. “You know too much.”

“I’m correct?” Hump asked, genuinely a little surprised.

“Do not be so proud of yourself.” Loften took a step toward Hump, and his presence seemed to expand. He loomed over him, taller than before. “Some things are not meant to be known. Now what am I to do?”

“You need me,” Hump said. “If you want my help, you answer my questions. You are no friend of the Pantheon anymore.”

“Do I need you?” Loften asked, ignoring the rest of Hump’s words.

“Yes,” Hump said through gritted teeth. “Though I do not yet know why. You have an entire world of altari that worship you. Surely there is somebody amongst them with the potential to set you free. You will go to all the trouble of dealing with me instead of setting free the potential of a few. Why?”

“I have attempted it before,” Loften said tiredly. “For a millennium, I have been sealed here, bound by chains. It costs me much to manifest in the world as I do now, but it is my only break from the endless darkness. All of my effort has gone toward holding the world together for long enough to escape. For someone to make it to the depths of my prison. All have failed.”

“How can that be?” Hump asked.

“The seal upon me is ancient. Placed upon me by the other eleven using magic that I have not yet deciphered.”

“If even you have failed, what makes you think that I can?”

“There is no use trying to hide it from me. You can do it, Bearer of Infinity.”

Hump’s heart felt like it had stopped. “You know?”

“How could I not? That book was forged to destroy me and the rest of the Pantheon.”

Loften’s soul pressed down on Hump with more weight than the world, and it was all Hump could do not to fall to pieces. Ice pierced him. He felt himself weaken, a terrifying pain upon a single spot of his soul. The mark descended. Nishari leant him her strength, her flame warming his core. Her flame as soothing as it was destructive to Loften’s will.

Together, they held their ground, but for how long could Hump resist a god?

Power rose from somewhere else—the final bond in his soul. The Book of Infinite Pages awoke, and Hump sensed the presence of Glyndaril.

The silver owl erupted in the spirit space, his wings unfurling like blades of moonlight, and it screeched. Furious intent filled its voice—a shriek of vengeance and anger that pierced Hump to the depths of his soul.

One word came through above all else.

Betrayer.

The pressure withdrew.

“Forgive me, Glyndaril,” Loften said softly. “We did not know the true price of what we did. My regret is eternal.”

Hump felt the soul space start to weaken.

Glyndaril made no answer, but the anger in his eyes said more than words ever could. This was his limit for now. Hump didn’t know why, but he had the urge to comfort the owl. He reached out and touched a hand to his wing. He wasn’t sure what he’d expected, but the soft touch of his feathers surprised him. For the first time, they made true contact. Glyndaril turned to him and that anger softened, though it did not fade entirely.

“Why should I help you?” Hump asked. “I have been asking myself that question since we arrived. Now, even more than before, I find myself thinking it better that you remain sealed away.”

“You believe you are in control,” Loften said. “But you are not. You stand upon ground that I hold in place. You breathe the air of a world that would rip itself apart if not for me, as does every other person here.”

“You would hold the altari hostage?”

“I was sealed here by my closest friends,” Loften said coldly. “Left to die in darkness. And then I discover that my wife was killed by a man I deemed a brother. There is nothing I would not do for vengeance.”

Hump was momentarily lost for words. Loften was right, he had thought himself to be in control. The god needed him, after all. But this world needed Loften, and while he and his friends were here, so did they.

“Would you truly destroy us all if you cannot have your way?” Hump asked.

“The world is already destroyed,” Loften said. “I can hold it together a while longer, but this is not a permanent solution. What difference is there if it breaks now instead of later. All will die the same in the end. Might as well end it on my terms.”

Hump grinded his teeth together, his anger building. “All my life I’ve wondered what the gods think of us. I never believed they cared, or watched, or listened to our prayers. You have proven me correct.”

Hump felt sorry for Bud. For all his bravado, he had always wanted Bud to be right about them. The idea that the gods were evil was overwhelming.

“Think what you want,” Loften said. “Will you cooperate me or not?”

“What will become of this world if you are freed?” Hump asked.

“With my full power returned to me, I will be able to create a permanent system to hold everything together. It will survive.”

Hump smiled, defeated. How could he trust the words of someone that thought nothing of killing everyone in this world. “So you say.”

“You will also have an ally in me,” Loften said. “We seek the same thing. The Pantheon must fall, and I will see Osidium dead by my own hands.”

Still Hump hesitated. He despised this choice. Despised having to deal with a man that was so arrogant.

“You must decide,” Loften said. “I weaken as we speak and will return to my prison shortly.”

Hump sighed. He saw no choice. “Very well. We will continue as planned. My party and I will free you from your prison.”

“Then I wish you luck, Bearer of Infinity. For all our sakes.”

“You are mistaken about one thing,” Hump said as Loften faded. The god looked at him curiously. “While the Book of Infinite Pages was certainly forged for revenge at one point, that is not what it has become. The First Master had something else in mind by the end. It is a guide for those that seek knowledge, a tool to shape a world where no person is bound by the will of another, and one where we are finally free of you and the rest of the Pantheon. I am not meant to destroy you. I am meant to break the chains that your kind placed on my people. That is what he cared for in the end.”

A sad smile touched Loften’s lips, his form fading faster now. “I am glad Samuel lost some of his anger before the end.”

Hump frowned at that. “Who were you to the First Master?”

“Glyndaril already told you. I am his betrayer.”

“There must be more to it than that,” Hump said angrily. “Why did you betray him?”

His words echoed around him. The world of essence grew faint. Hump found himself back in his body once more, all eyes in the inner chamber on him, though he paid no attention to them. Loften had told him much, yet there was so much more he had to ask. So many answers he still needed.

He would find them before he set Loften free.