SRT: A new day

Bigger fish

There are limitations to a god. They can project themselves in the overworld, give instructions and imposing speeches. But for all their power, they can not act. Their restraints limit them to the underworld, to their own minor domains within it, where they alone hold power. But everything outside that domain, even the greater underworld itself, is beyond their physical reach. The best they can do is summon creatures on their behalf. Those gargantuan monsters called ancient dragons, or the souls of viro transformed into angels and demons. It was for that reason that Riachi felt no fear atop the great citadel tower, the legendary tower of babel, when an swirling mass of tentacles and eyes reached out into the great hall and called out.

"Five-thousand soldiers dead, my precious city undefended, and a disobedient son who returns from exile against my command. If not for the stories the dead tell me, I would have already crushed you under the weight of the entire city and a dragon's claw you impude-"

Silence

The words of Riachi were - surprisingly - more authoritative than those of a god in this world. The great eyeball in the midst of the swirling mass seemed surprised for a moment, before it's eyelids quivered in anger. It's gaze set on the back of Riachi, who had not even bothered to turn around and face him. Cogniti could sense something was off about him though. His voice was quite different from what it used to be.

"... If you tell me what you've learned, I might consider just sending you off in exile again rather than executing you. You have shown quite some skill with magic. Our mages would do well with your knowledge."

A god of knowledge admits his ignorance. For that virtue, he will learn just how far his ignorance reaches.

One of the tendrils lashed out at the ground, phasing through it, though Cogniti had hoped that for once he could actually touch this overworld. He wanted nothing more than to shred Riachi to pieces. He remained silent for now. Once he had learned what he could, he would get rid of this disobedient slave.

Gods can be killed

Finally, Riachi turned to Cogniti, holding in his right hand a closed book. His pupils, slitted, had a piercing stare to them. Even to the giant eye of Cogniti, who was known for his disturbing appearance. Still, he released a laugh at this notion.

"You dare threaten me with such lies?"

ALL of them

And now, there was a genuine silence. A silence of shock, signified by Cogniti's many eyes widening to proportions they had never yet needed to.

"How do you know?"

A muddled question

There were a lot of ways in which Cogniti wanted an answer to his question. Hoping one more specific question would lead to an answer for all of these, Cogniti took a moment to resettle himself and ask again. All notion of dominance and strength had left him, leaving only space for bewilderment and fear. And, deep within those, hope.

"How do you know any of this? Who told you?"

I know because I will know, and now I know

"That... Makes no sense..."

It does not need to. It never will. Not for you.

"Then... How do you know about h-"

Such matters should not be spoiled.

Riachi breaks eye contact with Cogniti to give us a glance.

You need know just two things. I can demonstrate it, and so can you.

Now this was a real threat. Cogniti realised this all too well. But it was also an invitation to do something he had always dreamed of.

"How do I know that you are right about this?"

Once killed, the murderer becomes the god they have slain. I can kill you and do it myself, or you can do it.

The appropriate response would have been "You dare suggest you could kill me?" But at this point, Cogniti had learned more than he had in the past thousand years, even if it was foggy and unsubstantial. It had put enough doubt in him to start believing the slave. Considering what he had seen so far, there was only one question on his mind left that truly required an answer.

"Why do you not do it yourself?"

I have all I want right here. I do not wish to abandon it. But I will if I must.

Without another word, Cogniti dematerialised. He had a far more pressing matter than Riachi now.