[M] The Throne of Gods: Memories of Divinity - IC

[Iwazuma]

The other gods had begun to speak their own words, mostly condemning Silvannus' actions-and by Moriteva's own judgment, they rightly were. What Silvannus had chosen to do was reprehensible, a sign of selfishness that both befit the god he'd known as his friend for millennia and also the god of magic who consistently sought out his own ends no matter the cost. Moriteva was a stoic, thoughtful man, but even he was moved to act by the thoughtlessness of his friend. He would never strike or touch his friend unless he had good reason. And Silvannus had given him that very reason. Betrayal was a petty move for one such as him. He'd have expected it from, say, a god like Petos, but Silvannus had been true to his beloved for so long that such an act was thought beyond him. But Moriteva clearly didn't know everything. Machinations were in play far beyond his own sight, and now all he could do was work with the information he was given and adapt. Such was life. Such was his domain.

Marette had been much more forgiving of Silvannus than he thought, enough that he cast her a curious glance, one that wiped away as Silvannus' fans sliced the vines he was using to restrain the god. Moriteva reached into his pouch, ready to produce more if needed, but stayed his hand as Silvannus began to speak. A series of apologies...at least he was seeing some type of reason. He quietly watched as he turned to everyone one at a time, addressing them in kind. When he turned to Moriteva, the veiled threat in his direction had him narrowing his eyes. "Worry not, dear friend. If you ever do something like this again, I will do something much, much worse." Moriteva fired a barb back in kind, though his eyes spoke of jest and kindness-for the most part. He valued their friendship greatly; he was not about to turn his back on Silvannus if he meant his apologies...though part of him wondered. If he still cared enough to complain about putting his foot on his chest, he had to question just how committed Silvannus would be. He supposed there was a long way to go to find out, but he would support his friend in every moment, so long as he could find reason to.

With that out of the way, as well as a particularly curious interaction between Silvannus and Lunae that had Mori raising an eyebrow, he was prepared to move on and work on getting everyone to Averas. Luthious was likely still there; even if not, Averas was a peaceful way to get to their final destination...he hoped. He sighed to himself, casting an eye to Visana as she spat at Silvannus. "I understand your anger, but we have much more important matters to attend to than his penance. If we need a more fitting punishment, it can come when we are safe and can take proper stock of the situation. Let us apprise Luthious of everything we know, and work on a solution from there." He nodded respectfully at the goddess of protection, then listened calmly to Aegis. Calmly...until the words spilled from his mouth. A way to awaken his Matron. Moriteva stiffened, his expression turning stony.

He did not move, listening to Aegis speak fully, taking stock of his every word as his jaw tightened, trying not to say anything and reveal his hand too soon. Was this why Luthious had summoned him specifically for this rescue mission? He quietly thought to himself, his verdant green gaze focused hard on Aegis. If there is even a fraction of a possibility... Moriteva took a step from the group, a step closer to Marette. If there was ever a time he needed his closest friend to lean on for emotional strength, it was now, even as he continued to remain silent. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath, steadying his heartbeat. "We need to keep moving. The faster we get back to Averas, the safer we'll be to...discuss." It likely hadn't been wise to speak so freely while still in Hades; Malphas may have left them, but spies lurked everywhere, and he wouldn't put it past her to have a tail on them even after everything they'd been through. He could speak more freely once he was back in the familiar surroundings of home.

[Hannelorian]

Listening to Aegis pontificate was enough to trigger an eye roll from Marette. The arrogance he possessed was profoundly irritating. Who was he to issue such demands? As though awakening the sleeping Goddess was something so easy. "You have the power?" Marette asked, shooting a gaze toward the God of Kings that spoke volumes. "Silvannus, Moriteva and countless others have been trying to find a way for far too long and you have the power?" She could have laughed. It was this kind of righteousness that was reckless, dangerous even. The Goddess could feel her anger rising within her, only stilled after Moriteva had spoken and slowly made his way closer to her. A deep sigh escaped her, perhaps exhaustion was finally catching up to her.

"That is a bold claim Aegis, one that you cannot take back now. You've set the course, you best be ready to deliver if and only if either of these deities choose to share Selrina's location with you." There was a sting in her words, an impatience, a quiet rage. Marette had just witnessed Silvannus, her beloved brother betray her for the cause of awakening. She had watched Moriteva suffer in silence and it had even prompted her to attempt to find a solution on his behalf if it meant an end to the suffering of Averas. Yet so casually was Aegis able to volunteer his strength, as though the commands of his divine authority would be enough.

The Goddess of Time had seen this before, too many times did the measure of men fall short. Too many times had humans and deities alike made such claims only to fail in their purpose and forever live in obscurity. Surely Luthious had another purpose in mind. Surely it could not be that Aegis was meant for such a fantastic fate? He wasn't ready, he was immature, arrogant, full of the egos that had fueled him for millennia. Had it blinded him? "It's time to go." She concluded finally, stepping closer to Moriteva her arm wrapped around him, offering solace and comfort. Though it was just as much for her as it was for him. He grounded her when she felt she would have lost control.

The anger of Visana and the others was not lost on her. They were justified in their responses and Marette would hold to her words, she would not challenge them, instead allowing them to process as they needed to. To feel as they wished and to come to their own sense of justice. Marette too was not the forgiving type, generally speaking she would prefer to rage against such injustice but no, Silvannus was family even when family made mistakes, she had to be understanding, she forced herself to understand in order to preserve the relationship that she had cherished all this time. "To linger would be unwise.... I can practically feel Minos' screaming presence hunting for us."

[RisingPhoenix]

Palpable silence befell Silvannus as Aegis spoke of awakening Selrina. Could it be that all this time Aegis was the answer to awakening his monarch, the Monarch of Balance? Was it indeed possible for someone such as Aegis to possess the necessary power to achieve something he and several others had tried to but failed miserably? He blinked a few times before turning to Visana who had a few choice words for him. She’d told him to earn her trust, and that alone gave him enough to know that she was willing to give him a chance, but he would have to show her, or rather show them all that he was sorry. The first thing they would need to do is get out of Hades. Malphas was enjoying toying with them and with them being in her domain, she knew every crack and crevice and it would be easy for her to locate them. He wondered if she would be able to locate them within a cave. Surely she had her scouts looking, but they needed to move and move quickly.

After everyone had spoken and shared their reaction to Aegis declaration, Silvannus sighed and slowly lifted into a floating position.

“As much as I want to awaken her and give you her location, I know her location is not mine alone to give,” Silvannus said, glancing in Moriteva and Atrophos’ direction. “A meeting will be called for the gods of balance to determine the best course of action with this new glimmer of hope. I will do what I can to help and I will tag along to speak with Lithuous. You all may restrain my arms and legs if it will bring you peace of mind, but I agree with all when I say we should try to get moving in order to prevent any more injuries.”

[RedKayne]

The Charred's golden eyes remained cold and unreadable, betraying no emotion amid the revelation of Silvanus’s betrayal and Aegis’s bold proclamation of power. As the group prepared to depart, his voice cut through the tense air. “Before we go any further, I need one question answered,” he called out, turning toward Silvanus, his crimson hair draping over his broad shoulders. “How exactly did you send a message to Malphas? How did she learn of our location and send those Devourers after us?”

He stepped forward—not threatening, but with purpose—his gaze sharp and unwavering as he scrutinized the God of Magic. “You see, I’ve been keeping an eye on many in this group, especially you,” Santav continued, his eyes gleaming with suspicion. “And somehow, I never saw a single moment where you could’ve cast a spell to reveal our whereabouts. Care to explain that?”

Silvannus turned to Santav as the Charred spoke to him, his golden eyes peeling back the layers of Silvannus' being with just a gaze. His tone was stern. Unyielding. The words that flowed from him made Silvannus' eyes widen at the realization.

"You never saw it because I never cast any spell to reveal our whereabouts," Silvannus said, his eyes darting to everyone gathered. "I knew not of the Devourers and I am not sure how she managed to find us."

Silvannus paused for a moment before continuing.

"If I did not make privy our location to her, who did? Could it be that she is able to track me somehow? Perhaps I should not accompany you. If she is able to locate you all through me, I dare not put you all at risk again."

Santav’s frown deepened at the celestial's explanations, though his sharp eyes darted between each member of the group, searching for something that might give him a better understanding. And then, he saw it—a fleeting moment of vulnerability. For just a fraction of a second, Aegis’s face betrayed him. Upon hearing Silvanus’s claim that he hadn’t revealed their location to Malphas, the God of Kings instinctively glanced at Marette and Moriteva. Santav couldn't tell exactly who his concern was directed toward, but the change in Aegis’s expression—the sudden gravity—was unmistakable.

“Or maybe… it’s something else entirely, Silvanus,” Santav said, his attention now fully on Aegis, his brow lifting in surprise. “Perhaps, God of Kings, you can explain how she found us?”

Aegis’s lips twitched and tightened, and his microexpressions shifted rapidly before he sighed. His features settled into a more composed stature. “It is not my story to tell,” he answered simply, his voice steady.