Penumbral

Chapter 52: Immortality meets end

Alexander wandered sloppily through the forest until he reached the gates of Raito, his lack of sleep was starting to show and he angrily grunted every so often.

—I need to talk with Salokir—

—Aye Alexander— The Scaleborn opened the gate and the Human quickly passed through.

Alexander was still stuck on what had happened, "Salokir would've brought me to the temple... Nemea shouldn't be able to... Gaothkadhiam is stubborn... TACUXARAM!... but why?".

Scaleborns passed by and glared at the man, Alexander was dirty from trekking through the woods and flying about, most still treated him with reverence as it was becoming of the Council members.

He took the stairs towards Salokir's temple and continued thinking "Maybe Salokir is testing me? No... urgent"

Alexander had reached the doors of the temple and Salokir took him inside.

—There's been a violent subtle shift, I don't believe you've felt it—

—Where?—

—Grimacreage, I felt the darkness waver and the creatures have fallen—

—Do you think she's done something?—

—Alex... I haven't told you everything... during the war my father had his very being strewn, his heart still beats and I believe my sister has been tampering with it—

—We could've done something—

—Maybe but it seems to be a mistake on your part as well, the one you killed—

—I'm... sorry—

—You thought to be protecting her, it might've been a mistake and now we must deal with it, my brother has been silent and I can only fathom he's finishing Nemea's fang—

—A sword that she used?—

—Yes, now go clean yourself, we'll discuss more as the day passes—

The Human slumped towards the bath and Salokir meditated.

Nemea shouted for her servants to quiet down and raised both arms, the goddess danced through each of them and recounted their memories from a distant sour past.

—A foolish bitter genius spurned by the desire of fame, fell into these hands of mine— She patted Foghin's bald head.

—A renegade with a thirst for violence, that cowers before my gaze— She scratched Burtis' ears.

—An unmovable stone bastard exiled for grafting steel to flesh, that melts before the flame of my soul— She briefly passes a finger on Rocktorn's forehead.

—A forgotten apprentice, that shares my taste in life— She softly kissed Lisana's head.

—And a moving shadow, that heeds my booming voice— She scratches Shinju's chin.

—NOW! RISE!— The men and woman got up.

—Today we purge the scaled, today we bring about but the first step of our Demi-Human paradise, so... today is the day the world learns about us and we shall take it under our wing—

The group descents through the stairs and reaches a large cavern underneath the castle, a large heart beats strapped to stone, an army of large humanoid stone creatures emanating reds, blues and greens, fire, ice and Nemea's very energy, the golems stature could be mistaken for a female Stowrfling's but its strength was far greater.