HTG - Chapter 164 ( Dargo POV )

Dargo

Chapter One-Hundred-Sixty-Four: Echoes of Destiny - Part One

Galactic Quadrant: Darna Quadrant

Ruling Government: Talum Merchant Federation

Solar System: D-447

Location: Orarak City

My pace is slowed dragging Kotina and Kalon through the rubble. My Goddess follows after me, pleading for me to see reason… her reason.

Dargo, please, do not kill him, ask of me anything.

She has never been this desperate before. My eyes turn to look at the boy, dark lines trace along his skin, the tendrils of mana sickness. The Cursed Edict is draining what little mana he held. I have never heard of an Edict bonding to a wielder in such a fashion, I can’t even sense it anymore besides the void of it consuming mana. It will kill him, that I am sure of. What he will become after he dies, that, I do not know. His heart is encased by the Cursed Edict now.

His intention was to die… to stop himself from becoming what they all become, a monster of flesh and rage with near unstoppable power. I did not know this boy long, but I know he does not wish it. He is one of the few that had the strength to end themselves before they changed. Who am I to refuse his last wish?

Dargo! Please!

I have not disobeyed her in a thousand years, why am I doing it now? Why is my heart beating so rapidly? What did I see when he shattered Divine Law? It’s not supposed to be possible to do. No mortal can shatter an Edict, yet he did. He actually did. With his heart encased by Dashkatul, the only way to purge him now is to burn away all of his flesh and turn him to ash. The crematorium, I can sense it is still functioning.

My head turns as I hear Kalon speaking in a fever dream, “They will all die… save them… please… help them.”

He is not speaking to me, yet his words strike me. The city tilts more as I move, it will not be long until the last wards fail and the city plummets to the ground. Millions will die. There is nothing to be done, nothing I can…

Turning to look at him I am reminded of words he once spoke to me. Words about injustice…

You are strong, yet you still do nothing when you see injustice.

Was he right? Why am I so conflicted?

“Damnit!” I curse, turning from the crematorium and moving toward the main cylinders of the Etherium drives that power this city.

Where are you going? Dargo? Do not turn from me. Dargo, take him from this place before it is too late.

“Goddess,” I turn, mustering courage to stand against her, “Shut up.”

She blinks at me, taken aback, as though the words are foreign to her ears.

Where are you going?

“To the Etherium reactor to try and save this damned city you sent to the pyre.”

You are not strong enough Dargo, you must take him and leave before Ravena’s champion arrives. This city is a small price to pay to secure such a prize.

A prize, she sees this as a game. All these lives mean nothing to her. They never have. Why do I serve her? When did I lose myself to her madness?

“I do not fear her house,” I grit as I hoist the two limp bodies onto my shoulders so I can move faster. The wind cracks as I move.

In the skies above, I feel the war of men begin. More ships are jumping in to join the fray, even from this distance, I know the design of the third party that has arrived. It is the Republic of Hekate, no doubt it is Ravena’s house, a three sided fight will ensue. The blood feud between the Gallec Empire and the Republic of Hekate will worsen. The galaxy will burn.

“Everything you touch turns to ash,” I snarl at my Goddess. She does not reply, though her eyes narrow at me.

This is what happened last time she worked in concert with other gods, war that shook the mortal realm. From the ashes the accursed Theocratic Imperium was born. I can feel the tension breaking, the peace being shattered over something it need not be.

The gods are a plague on the mortal realm. Yet I have served her for thousands of years… why now am I doubting her so much? This boy has infected me with the naivety of hope. Something about what he did… truly resonated with me.

The boy’s words echo in my mind again, hastening my steps. Perhaps there is something I can do, perhaps I can alter the fate of those who cannot flee this dying city. That boy broke the manifestation of a god’s will, he defied the fates. If he did it… so can I.

When I arrive at the reactor, Leora leaves my side, the concentration of Etherium and the circuits it powers creates a barrier against the prying eyes of gods. I am happy she has left, her nagging was irritating.

I drop Kotina and Kalon on the ground and search for the damage. It does not take long to find it, three rods from the bombardment managed to pierce the circuits and shatter many of the Etherium cores. This was not chance, they were aiming for this room. They want the city to fall to ruin.

There are a thousand runes that must be drawn to reset the reactor, I know them, but there is little time. I… I don’t think that I can stop it from falling, too much is damaged.

“I believe you can be more than destruction… I believe you can change their fate…” Kalon whispers, his eyes are flitting open and closed, swirls of color pulse in them.

His words strike me again. Damnit, boy.

Time slows to a crawl as I press my spirit outwards and investigate the damage again. I can’t stop the fall, but perhaps I can slow the descent though. That should be enough to give them a fighting chance.

My eyes close as I extend my hands, my will resonating with the mana in the chamber, runes begin etching on the surfaces of the walls, continuing further… it’s working, I can do this… I can…

My eyes peel upwards as something approaches at a high speed towards me from orbit. Someone past the Seventh boundary is flying toward the city. Right towards me.

“Shit.”

The metal ceiling crumples like foil as a heavily armored knight slams into the ground, shattering all the runes I just shaped. The knight turns and looks at Kotina on the floor, then the boy, and then me. The visor folds back and I see cold eyes staring back at me. Eyes I recognize, the Primus of House Ravena, Arkon. A colossal man, larger than most I have known. He is incredibly strong even without the bounds bolstering him. Like all Ravens, he pushes his physical body to the extremes.

When did he pass the seventh? He’s only a few hundred years old, he shouldn’t already be this far along. There is something at play here, either that or he’s been hiding his progress. Even still, a few hundred years to reach what took me thousands. It’s insulting in a way.

“Give them to me,” his voice echoes through the mana. We are technically at the same level of bound, yet I am far older than he. I can easily win this fight, but the city will fall before it is over. A prospect that I do not wish to see happen. Damn that boy.

“I have your apprentice aboard my destroyer, how about we trade?”

“Then she is safe, I thank you for that,” I say cooly, stretching my arms.

“You are not afraid that I will kill her?”

I laugh, “No, I know you won’t kill her.”

With a glance, he knows that I know his secret. My apprentice’s secret, their connection.

The city shakes violently and tilts even more. The Etherium is buzzing loudly as the circuits try to compensate for an angle they were not designed to maintain. Letting out a sigh, I say, “Help me save this city, then we can fight.”

Arkon tilts his head at me, but he doesn’t say no, he is an honorable man, I know this much about him. He turns and looks around before nodding. He glances over at Kotina again.

“I didn’t hurt her. But she was annoying me.”

His cold eyes sharpen.  

“With your help, we might be able to…” something gives me pause, “Shit.”

I look above us, so does he, he also feels another entering the fray, one on the same bound as us. A cruel and wicked presence, one that my Goddess no doubt summoned to fetch the boy.

A second hole tears through the ceiling, shattering more of the runes.

“For fuck’s sake, do both of you have something against doors?” I gripe, looking at the mess they have made for me. From the dust rises a woman that we both know. Inquisitor Victoria.

“Well, fancy seeing you two here,” she smiles, then looks down at Kalon, “Are we all here for him then?”

“The city is going to fall and kill millions, will you help us save it?” I ask.

She laughs, “Save it? Since when are you a saint?” she smirks, “No, Dargo, I’m here to make sure it burns.”

Damnit all. The three of us shift our stances. Arkon turns to me, “I will fight her, you save the city. We can discuss the boy after.”

A temporary truce, acceptable. Besides, he has more reason to fight her than me. Though her confidence strikes me as strange, making me wary of her. If she is here to make sure it burns, then potentially the Theocratic Imperium wills it so. Do they know of the boy? Or is it just to ensure that order is restored for their Vassal the Talum Merchant Federation? My head tilts, or is she working with some other entity? Her power seems to have improved since I saw her last. Such unnatural gains can only be explained by forbidden techniques. Talent alone is not enough. Not in such a short time.

“Fight me?” Victoria cackles, “Oh Arkon, I never took you for an optimist.”

Arkon’s visor closes and he raises a hand beckoning her to come.

“I’m going to enjoy this,” Victoria grins, stretching her neck.

“Not as much as I,” Arkon says, readying his stance. His form is near perfect, honed from the ancestors of Raven. A blade with a very sharp edge.

The air groans in protest as the sound barrier ruptures from their first strikes. Arkon grabs her by the throat and rockets her from the room, shaking the metal structures around us. At least he got her to leave.

My hands splay outwards again, my soul’s pressure expanding again. There is little time.