Zoombieverse - Memory 2: The Knife

Part 3: The Princess - Chapter 1

The young god spent several days acquainting himself with the Key. At first, he had to talk to it verbally, which earned him a few odd looks from the ancient Lord's servants, but eventually, he managed to talk to it within his mind. He had also slowly increased the amount of time he spent with his mind open to it until it became an almost constant presence though he still had to remain in control to avoid getting pulled in too deeply for the Key simply had no way of stopping its constant pulling.

The ancient Lord called for him again. He knew why. He didn't want to go but resisting has never really served him well. He forced himself to enter the room and greeted the older god. "Uncle."

The ancient Lord sat at his usual seat and gestured at the chair in front of him. "Have a seat, child. I can see that you already know why I called you here."

The young god took his seat. He squeezed his eyes shut and nodded. "Yes, Uncle."

"Good, good. The time has come, my boy. You cannot delay this any further."

He stiffened and gripped his chair to keep himself steady as his mind reeled. "I know, Uncle."

"I know this is extremely difficult for you but you have to do this, my boy. Do you understand?"

"I understand, Uncle." He strained to keep himself from jumping off his seat and bolting from the room as he forced his eyes open.

The ancient Lord placed a hand on his shoulder and gave him a sympathetic look. "I really wish there was another way, child, but this is how it has to be."

He simply nodded, not trusting himself to speak anymore.

"Alright then. I won't make this any more difficult for you than it already is. You don't need to do or say anything right now. I'll do all the talking and give you all the information you need. I know you'll be listening."

He stayed mute while the ancient Lord told him where to go and how he could approach his target's location along with the general state of affairs in the area and every other possible information he could use for his mission. He tried to concentrate on what he was being told but all he could think of was that he really didn't want to do this and that he must find a way to solve this without shedding her blood. By the end of it all, he barely remembered anything the ancient Lord said and didn't find a solution to his dilemma.

A few days later, he set off to his destination. Travelling isn't difficult for someone of his status but he brought along some provisions just in case he got sidetracked like he usually does. He disconnected his mind from the Key to focus on his travels and decided to take a roundabout way, both in order to avoid arousing suspicion and to buy himself more time.

He stuck with a route that went through other god's territories and contested lands. He went mostly unnoticed as he passed since his face was not known to ordinary servants and no one had any real business with him. He avoided unknown lands and domains since those would be troublesome, and there was no need to go through any realms since those are isolated from everything else. Any other time, he would have taken the opportunity to stay in each place longer, but his heart wasn't into exploration or socialization with the mission occupying his mind.

He eventually arrived in her territory, still undecided on what to do. She had styled herself as a queen, though she still carried the title 'Feathered Princess', and her subjects are loyal to her. He wandered about in the town her castle was situated in, presenting himself as a traveler looking for prospects. It wasn't far from the truth. He's still undergoing the self-discovery phase every god does and searching for his symbol that would guide him to his future duties and responsibilities.