“Dessi, why aren’t we moving?”
Tenuk’s ship was supposed to be teleporting through space to reach its destination. It was never going to be instant, especially with the much higher gravitational fields around here, but coming to a complete stop? That was weird.
“Master Tenuk, it seems as though something has grabbed onto the end of the ship…”
“Grabbed?”
The ship jolted backwards. It was moving again, but not in the direction Tenuk wanted.
“Yes, ser. Grabbed.”
Not sure what to do, Tenuk undid his seatbelts and got up to look out of one of the windows round the back. But as he did so, the air began to vibrate.
“YOU TRESPASS IN MY DOMAIN?”
Outside, a massive, antlered being filled the entire western view from the ship.
Tenuk panicked for a moment, then headed back to the cockpit to activate the intercom. “Dessi, can you transmit what I’m about to say please? In any sound or transmission format you can manage.”
“Yes, ser!”
The Kronospast cleared his throat as Dessi gave him the go-ahead.
“Hello! I am Tenuk Theanon, I just wish to speak peacefully to whatever Deity is holding my ship hostage.”
“YOU ARE TRESPASSING. THE CENTRE OF THE UNIVERSE IS OFF LIMITS TO ALL BUT MYSELF, MY FELLOW GODS AND THE BLESSED ALL.”
“I spoke to the Panelix and she requested I speak to you all before she spoke to me…” Tenuk swiftly explained. “I want to converse with all our deities, perhaps find some common ground between us all and get some peace around here?”
Something creaked. The ship’s engines shut off.
“I didn’t do that, Master Tenuk!” Dessi hurriedly explained. “The being outside did?”
“Any damage?” Tenuk whispered, away from the intercom.
“No, ser.”
“Alright. Just keep us steady, please.”
“PEACE? THAT IS A WISHFUL PIECE OF THINKING. MORTALS ARE ALWAYS INCAPABLE OF UNDERSTANDING EACH OTHER.”
“Not always!” Tenuk returned to the intercom. “Most of us are dumb but we don’t have all the information we need to make proper decisions. We know there are gods who created our universe, but you all hide away here in the centre of the universe and we hardly see you! We don’t know what you are!”
The antlered being grabbed the ship around, twisting it so it could see inside the cockpit. Now that this thing had moved the ship, Tenuk could get a better look at the being. Its body was mostly black, sprinkled with small glimmers of gold. Its eyes glowed red but its face seemed flattened, with a pair of antlers on its head. It had four pairs of massive, muscular and well-armoured arms, tipped with long claws.
“YOU ARE A KRONOSPAST, WEARING THE GUISE OF A RETHAVOK. I RECOGNISE YOU NOW.”
Tenuk gulped. “Yeah… uh… I’ve been trying to put the past behind me.
“YOU BETRAYED YOUR OWN.”
“No! That’s not true! I just refused to stand by the Kronospasts as they murdered their way though unaffiliated races!”
The antlered beast sighed. “That incident was a disgrace upon this universe. It upsets me greatly that my spawn would act that way. Very well, little mortal. What is it you wish to ask of Kenon, the Lord of the Void?”
“Did it really hurt you that badly?”
“Little one, the repair work I had to do was terrifying. You have no idea how… close your kind were to succeeding. Epani, Kairos, Yisini, they are all fuelled by the desire to expand and better themselves. Being aspects of this universe and not having seen the Great Before, they have less understanding of limits, of what can and will tear a universe apart. Kinisis and I, we created this universe to have a better existence, to create a better existence for all. But after such a short amount of time, only a few billion years, I wonder if a perfect existence is possible. My four children, they try their best. I believe though that the influences of myself and Kinisis, we will never be able to create perfection, as we are not perfect ourselves.”
Tenuk swallowed, not sure what to say. Kenon was just talking, as if he was letting out years of pent up anger and sadness.
“You see, it is my duty to protect Kinisis and the continuation of this universe above all else. I have immense power, but am bound to the Void, the space between spaces. That is why we have our four children, to create all that is within it and give this universe a form of thought and flow, to create a Cycle. It is a daunting task, one I am glad to have passed on, although I knew that they would not do well with their duties. But nonetheless, I must remain here, bound to this universe and its protection until it melts back into the Void once more and a new Cycle starts.”
“Wait…” Tenuk hesitated as he interrupted. “You knew they wouldn’t do a good job yet… You created them anyway?”
“That… is a question you must ask of Kinisis…” Kenon sighed. “I shall push you in the right direction, little mortal.”
“Thank you…” Tenuk smiled weakly.
“Thank you too, little mortal…”