“So how do I become a Decay Lord again? It’s not just the name you gave me, right? Gotta be more to it!”
Arkay smiled a little as he took Helkas’s hand and led him off the beach, to the classroom. They had only done a small naming ceremony, because Helkas was a little shy, so just Arkay, the big guys, Elksia, Tenuk, Reksi and the two Raptors had really joined in, but Helkas was now an official Decayling of the Thantir, with the codename Foreverflame. Helkas liked the name, even if he expected something a tad fancier, considering how he was now realising how special and important he was, but since the Thantir only seemed to use codenames on special occasions, Helkas was less bothered.
The classroom was pretty packed today. There were already eight beings in it, five of whom were incredibly large. Then again, Helkas was quite small, smaller than pretty much everyone aside from the absolutely tiny Vohra guys and robot Vohra guys. Standing at the front of the room were two beings who looked a bit like Helkas but taller, and one of the students looked like the nice Time Drake but taller and darker, but everyone else was a gigantic monster.
“Oh, hello!” Elkay waved from the entrance. “Welcome, Helkas! Are you joining us in today’s lesson?”
“I am, I think!” Helkas felt a little nervous all of a sudden. “Are… are those guys my classmates?”
“They are, yes!” Arkay held Helkas’s hand tightly. “Don’t worry, they look big and scary, but they are normal folks just like us. They’re also Decaylings, just like you are, and Teekay and Elkay here are already helping them become Decay Lords, and they’ll help you become Decay Lords too.”
“I guess… but why is Teekay’s head all funny?” Helkas suddenly paused. “Sorry… I pick things up sometimes…”
Teekay shrugged. “I’m rather hungover. Admittedly, the only reason Arkay found you is because he was busy being designated driver to take me to a party so I could get… very drunk.”
“But… you are married? To mister big Elkay?”
Teekay shrugged some more. “What tons of people don’t realise is that just because we’re married, it doesn’t mean that Elkay and I have to do everything together. Sometimes we just do our own stuff and have fun doing separate things. But right now, we are doing something together, we’re teaching these guys. And I guess we’re teaching you too?”
Arkay nodded. “Yep. Helkas will be joining you lot for main lessons, but he’ll occasionally be doing some lessons with me as well. Helkas, kid, would you like to introduce yourself? And then your classmates will introduce themselves too.”
Helkas swallowed nervously. “Um… okay… I’m Helkas and… uh… I’m a Decayling now… and… uh… I don’t really have much to say.”
Most of the other Decaylings just shrugged and waved, but the large snake person seemed annoyed.
“Is that it? Who the fuck are you?”
Arkay suddenly glared at the snake person. “Lissandra, what have we told you about being a bitch?”
“Oh! Is your name Lissandra?” Helkas perked up. “That’s a really nice name!”
Helkas’s change of tune caught Lissandra off guard far more than Arkay’s scolding. She blinked a few times, flicked her tongue in and out, then calmed down. “Yeah, that’s my name. I’m Lissandra, codename Cruelfang. I have a habit of making pheromones that make people angry and I kinda get high on my own supply sometimes.”
“Oh, that’s okay! I haven’t learned all my powers yet either!” Helkas smiled. “But that’s why we do lessons, right? So we can be better! Who are the rest of you? Do you all have cool powers too?”
Vexer took the lead and went around the room. “Alright, so, the big dragon is Vokulunaax, he has fire and poison powers; the giant angry horned marsupial is Atteh’Kus, he can breathe fire and literally move the ground; the guy with gigantic scythe hands is Kayenus, he’s just scary but also slow but sweet; the radioactive orange lizard guy is Fragiir, he makes explosions; and my name is Vexer, I seem to have picked up sneaky shadow powers from pretty much nowhere.”
“Are you the same species as missy Elksia?” Helkas asked.
“I am!” Vexer grinned. “I’m Reksi’s biological father. We’re old-universe Vrekans.”
“Does Reksi have powers yet?”
“Uh, no, and she doesn’t have a codename either, but now I’m wondering if codenames are deterministic or something because I didn’t have shadow powers before I became a Decayling.”
Arkay stepped in briefly. “Reksi is too young to comprehend that sort of thing, and Elksia’s time powers and milk do somewhat stop Reksi from developing powers at the baby age. But in answer to your other question? Codenames aren’t deterministic. Entering the Periuniversal Void nullifies all the rules that bound you to it, assuming you don’t instantly die due to a lack of air, heat and pressure. But since you were bound to a Life Goddess for so long, that enforced stronger rules onto you, so you didn’t get a chance to develop cool, identity-defying powers until Elkay-En freed you all.”
“Oh…” Vexer lowered his voice. “So… multiple Life Goddesses just kinda… fucked us?”
“Basically.”
“Oh…”
Helkas glanced at Arkay. “Uh… The way you spoke, you… you don’t like Life Goddesses? My mummy is a Life Goddess… I think…”
“Not all Life Goddesses are bad…” Arkay awkwardly explained. “But the one that made me and Elkay how we are, the ones that deified this lot, they… they were not nice beings. Phovos is a good Life Goddess, Elkay-En is a good Life Goddess, I’m going to assume Syklas wasn’t too bad, but… well… it’s complicated.”
“Oh.”
Arkay grunted, then changed the subject. “Anyway, introductions are over. Helkas, do you want to join these guys in their lesson?”
Helkas went back to smiling. “I’d love to! I have lots to learn!”
“Alright!” Arkay smiled back. “Teekay, Elkay, have fun teaching them all. If you need me, give me a call, alright?”
Teekay and Elkay both nodded. “Will do. See you soon, Arkay.”