[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.

[Hannelorian]

For everything that had happened, transparency was something that should have been paramount. Marette should have been forthcoming about her brush with the specter of death during the fight. But instead there was a deep need to protect Moriteva even if she herself did not possess a full understanding of the matter. The notion that Moriteva would be the source of treachery seemed unthinkable and if it were true, he must not be aware of it. "Santav." Marette finally spoke, she of course, had clocked Aegis' moment of vulnerability. "Are you aware of the gravity of your accusation?" The corners of Marette's mouth upturned into something of a smile.

"Why couldn't it be you? Denizen of this wretched domain, living under the cruel feet of the Duchess of Pain? What wouldn't one do for a brief bit of reprieve from such a beast?" The Goddess of Time cocked her head to the side as she approached the being, her face filled with a combination of anger and sorrow. "We know you not, and yet you are more than comfortable to suggest further treachery? Isn't that all just a bit... convenient?" Something of a chuckle escaped her, as though she were taunting Santav, he had certainly crossed an invisible line he had no way of knowing was there.

"Who is to say it isn't any one of us? We cannot definitively say what may have been done to us while we were imprisoned, unconscious, being transported here, any one of us could be carrying an unwelcome little mark that lets her know exactly where we are." Marette threw her hands up in a rather dramatic shrug, letting loose a sigh that said she was too tired to continue to fight and yet... she would because that is what Marette did. "Now, we could all sit here and point fingers at one another but that isn't productive is it?"

Marette took a step back, moving once more to stand beside Moriteva. "We must get out of here first so that the Gods of Balance may confer and determine our next steps. I have no desire to remain here in this wretched filth. And Aegis... one might implore you to watch your tongue." Marette turned to shoot the God of Kings a glance of pure anger and discontentment. "You are very much correct that it is not your story to tell and it would behoove you perhaps to limit what you speak to what you know, however little that is." There was something so familiar about Aegis, traits that harkened to back to her past, something deep down she could seldom bring herself to even think of. Perhaps it was his righteousness, his arrogance, or the smug way in which he assumed he was fit to rule. All of it seemed to make Marette quick to anger, even if the man did not deserve the extent of her wrath.

"You are not putting us at further risk Silvannus, at least not at this time." Marette seemed confident and assured in her response, she met him with a smile. As though he hadn't done anything severely wrong that had been exposed just moments ago. He got to see the warm and tender side of Marette that was certainly never shown to Aegis. "Malphas already knows we are here, and yes there is a chance she may discover where we are going, but her options are already rather limited as to where that might be. It wouldn't take long to figure it all out anyway."

Moriteva would be able to share his own experiences in his own time, she would not have Aegis rob that from him with his answer that already gave away too much.

[RedKayne]

Aegis stood silent as Marette's sharp words lashed against him, each one delivered with an elegance only the Goddess of Time could muster. He watched her, her graceful movements laced with anger, her protective nature towards Moriteva blinding her to deeper truths. And while he understood her instinct to defend, Aegis also felt a flicker of something more dangerous growing within him—an indignation at being so openly chastised.

Still, he kept his composure.

He waited until she had returned to Moriteva’s side, her final words lingering in the air like a challenge. Then, after a moment of contemplation, Aegis’s voice emerged, calm but resonating with authority that underscored his station as the God of Kings.

"Marette, I have not-"

"You are pathetic, Goddess of Time," Santav's voice cut through like a knife in the air.

With slow, deliberate steps, Santav approached, each step a reminder that he was no longer content to be the silent observer. His tall, imposing frame seemed to cast a shadow over her as he came to stand just a few feet away, his eyes glowing with a seething intensity.

"Let's not forget, you first lied to me about your intentions," he began, harkening back to their introductions. Marette sought to protect their group in Emberhaven via webs of deception. His voice was low, and controlled, but each word carried with it the weight of a storm brewing beneath the surface, "I am no stranger to people like you, who hide their fear behind mockery and deflection. You speak of reprieve and desperation as though they are unique to my existence in the Duchess's domain. As though I haven’t clawed my way through torment you couldn’t begin to imagine. But you—" He pointed at her, his finger almost accusing but steady. "You sit here on your high pedestal, coddling those that openly betrayed the group and chastising those seeking to restore the Balance?"

He shook his head, his lip curling ever so slightly in disgust.

"Your self-righteousness is revolting, goddess." Santav's voice was cold, his eyes burning with an intensity that matched his words. "Cling to your high pedestal all you like, but of all deities, you should know—time doesn’t forgive arrogance. When it comes, your fall will be merciless."

There was no explicit threat in his tone, but the weight of his words was undeniable. The Charred, stripped of godly power, showed no hesitation in calling out even a dominion as ancient as time itself.

Lowering his hand, he fixed her with an unwavering stare. "We won’t walk blindly into another one of Malphas's traps. We’re not taking another step until we know the full truth. So, set aside your emotions and be honest, if only for one critical moment."

[Azazeal849]

“I wholeheartedly agree.” Visana said, looking weary as she stepped into the middle of the arguing gods. “Why not start with yourself, Santav? You told me you want to break a cycle and supposedly help everyone - well what does that look like, and why do you care so much? Who are you?” Her eyes creased as she regarded the lord of the Charred. “Who were you?”

She looked to Aegis, and then to Marette and Moriteva. “And if there is something else that we need to know, kindly spit it out? Marette was right about one thing, Malphas already knows where we are. Thanks to those…creatures, she knows our weaknesses. She probably knows where we’re going. The damage is done.”

Visana motioned to the rest of the group, urging them up.

“The only thing we can do now is try and stay ahead of whoever she sends next. So if we can walk and talk, that would be great.”

[Scottie]

A haze had covered the God of Decays pupils. It was almost like he was sleeping, resting in amongst the torrid waters that surrounded them. He could hear them. He could hear the petty squabbles and insults thrown like pebbles at a window. They tinkled through his skull as he let out a sigh that rattled through creaking ribs. Anger danced through their words. Atrophos could only wearily watch as they tore into each other with such malice. Almost as if that was what Malphas had hoped for from the moment they escaped her clutches.

Turning on each other.

Destroying each other.

Leaving only tattered ribbons of deities that should know better.

The words of Santav slithered through the haze as he brought his own venom to the situation. Hm. Atrophos let out a soft chuckle, the sound drifting through them like the crackling of dead leaves. “How peculiar.” The God of Decay turned his head slowly to Santav as Visana so eloquently put the question corroding through the tip of his tongue. “Yes. Set aside your emotions and be honest, Santav.” He parroted the words back to the leader of the charred.

How hypocritical of one who speaks with rage threading through his words to demand that emotions be set aside. The who and what and when did not matter to Atrophos. If they had to deal with another attack, they would deal with it. They would band together and utilise their weaknesses like Visana and Atrophos had done. The blame game did nothing for their aim. To leave this barren place and return to aid Selrina. Aegis’s discomfort was palpable. Atrophos slid his slate grey eyes to the God of Kings and a threadbare eyebrow was tucked closer to his drooping hair line. “Well….Whose story, is it?”

The floating creature that was Silvannus returned to Atrophos’s attention. Could it be? “Hm.” The sound slithered around his mouth. “I warn you, God of Magic do not lead us head first into another trap….For all things decay, even you.” His lips curled into a small smile, the flesh stretching and digging into the old deep creases in his cheeks.