Zoombieverse - Memory 2: The Knife

Part 4: The Princess and the Key - Chapter 3

The young god sat on the floor with his back against his now-broken bed, having just finished tending to his injuries again. He felt the presence of the ancient Lord at his door but the older god didn't knock or enter the room and just stood outside.

He ignored the ancient Lord and looked at the crystal in his hand. He tried to sense her within it but he couldn't feel anything. He sent some of his magic in it but it didn't react. He tried to emulate the way he fell into the Key even though he didn't really know or understand how to do it but either the crystal wasn't responding or he was doing it wrong.

Frustrated at his lack of progress and irritated at the ancient Lord's hovering presence, the young god shouted at the door, "What do you want?"

"I just want to talk with you," the ancient Lord replied. His voice was muffled by the door but it still came through clearly. "May I come in?"

"It's your place. You can do whatever you want," the young god answered callously. If anyone back home heard him talking to the ancient Lord like this, he would have been severely punished already. But, no one else was in the realm. Everyone was busy either attending to their own duties and responsibilities or making their conquest. The former was always more important than anything, the latter a necessity to fulfill their ambitions. He didn't care if anyone else was present anyway. Nothing could compare to all the hurt and pain he felt at the moment.

The ancient Lord carefully opened the door and tentatively stepped into the room. He surveyed the destruction the young god had wrought but said nothing and only looked at the younger god, who was sitting on the floor and staring at a crystal in his hand.

The irritated young god bristled at the ancient Lord's continued silence and glared at him. "If you're going to say something, just say it. Otherwise, stop standing there and just leave me alone."

The ancient Lord kept a wary eye on the young god as he edged around the destroyed room. The young god watched him closely. He would have commented at how absurd the older god was acting, looking like he was entering an enemy's lair in his own palace, if he wasn't still boiling with rage.

The older god sat across the younger one and said, "I know you're angry with me. I knew it was going to hurt you. I want to apologize for doing this to you. I had no choice but to do it this way."

"Had no choice? Someone as powerful as you 'had no choice'? Do you really expect me to believe that? You've already done what you've done and I can't forgive you for this. I won't forget this."

"I know. And you have every right to do that. You can hate me all you want for the rest of your life but I'll always be here to help you," the ancient Lord said sincerely.

The young god laughed mirthlessly and gestured at himself. "Help me? You've done a really good job at helping me. Now I'm stuck with this thing hungering in my soul and constantly looking for a victim. I can't even die to rid myself of this no matter how many times I've used the dagger." He leaned forward, baring his teeth and clenching his fists. "How are you going to damage me now? Are you just going to keep me locked up and restrained forever then? Or maybe you'd have someone else use a different Key on me? Maybe this is exactly what you wanted to happen, to turn me into a weapon you can set loose against your enemies. Which is it!"

The young god attempted to lunge at and grab the ancient Lord but the sudden move reopened his injuries again, preventing him from moving any further and sending him into a coughing fit. He grunted in pain and slumped back against the broken bed. Breathing raggedly, he wiped the blood coming out of his nose and mouth as he looked furiously at the ancient Lord.

The ancient Lord pitched forward like he was going to help the younger god but he hesitated and sat back down. "It's none of those, child. I want to say that I have a solution to this but this is something new. I was hoping that we could work on this together."

"What? Are you telling me that the all-powerful and knowledgeable ancient Lord with his infinite wisdom is stumped on a problem he himself caused and wants to ask the person he stuck that problem on for help? What trick are you trying to pull this time? Is this another one of your jokes? Am I supposed to laugh now?" The young god clutched his chest and wheezed, both from his injuries and his brewing anger.

"I'm telling you the truth, my boy. I--"

"Don't call me that! I am not yours and I'm never going to be yours," the young god roared as he smoldered with rage.

"Very well, child. I understand." The ancient Lord nodded sorrowfully and spread his hands. "I'm just saying that we could figure this out together. I'm not asking you to trust me. I know you're not going to do that anymore. I'm just asking you to work with me."

The young god spoke despite straining for breath. "It's not like I have a choice. I'm stuck here until this thing is either fixed or out of me. I'm stuck here because I can't go anywhere else. Because despite everything you've done, I know that you're the only one who could solve this without resorting to outright getting rid of me or holding me forever." He clutched his head and groaned as his vision blurred and everything spun. "What do you want from me? I can barely even breathe right now," he gasped out before fainting.