As Relkir’s eyes snapped open, the first thing they did was try to look around for their kid. They had seen the monstrous Thraki throw Litvir around like a ragdoll, and the sight of Relkir’s beloved daughter bleeding, clutching their arm and trying to get up and stand on a broken leg had driven Relkir into a frenzy. While Relkir was aware that the Defensive Stance of a Rethan looking to protect their young was far scarier than a normal Defensive Stance, they had never experienced such a thing firsthand.
Unfortunately, Litvir wasn’t present, which immediately made Relkir snarl and try to get up. But they quickly realised they were strapped to the bed they were lying on. And as they looked around, trying to find a way to free themselves, they realised they weren’t alone. There was a beautiful green-plated, red-eyed higher-caste Rethan looking over them.
“Hello, Relkir. Litvir is fine, they have healed up from their injuries and are in the room opposite, taking a well-earned nap.”
Relkir tried to speak, but all that came out was a growl. Their mouth had been strapped shut. Probably because Relkir had tried to bite someone.
“Ah, let me take that off for you.”
The Rethan stood up and approached calmly, and did as they said they would. For some reason, this pretty Rethan looked familiar. They looked just like the time Relkir had met the Oath Keeper for the first time, that exact same lithe Rethan build, but in the wrong colours. Actually, now that Relkir thought about things, they decided to try and guess who this being was.
“Is… is your name Elkay?” Relkir asked.
“It is, yes. How did you know?”
“T-the Oath Keeper… He mentioned… someone like him… or… maybe…” Relkir trailed off. “I… I want to bite something.”
“Understandable. That is a common side effect from going Defensive Stance!”
Elkay unstrapped Relkir’s hand and gave them a small silicon cushion. Relkir immediately bit it and almost instantly felt better.
“Thank you… Who are you though, and why are you watching over me? Wait… You… I… I killed… someone…”
“No, you did not kill anyone.”
“I literally stabbed the Whenvern in the eye and the skull while I was Defensive Stance!”
“That is true, but that is not important right now.”
Relkir sat up and hissed. “I killed a deity! And you are brushing it off like it was nothing!”
“You incapacitated a monster who threatened not just the life of your child, but who was threatening the entirety of existence. You have blood on your hands, yes, but you saved every single soul in this universe. But, and I am being genuine, that is not important right now.”
“How… how in the name of the Light is the death of the God of Time not important?”
Elkay grunted. “Little Litvir and Skyavok Elkay helped to convince the old Allbirther, who is also a Time Drake, to come back and replace Kairos. The universe is safe and sound. But we need to talk about you.”
Relkir blinked, then sighed. “I am a murderer.”
“No, you are not. Because murder implies that you killed someone who was innocent. At worst, what you did is kill someone in self-defense. But because… well, you did mostly kill Kairos… but…” Elkay trailed off briefly. “What do you know about the types of deities?”
“That there are different types. Creators of life and space like the Lady of Light, maintainers of time like the Whenvern, and a very rare type, like… like the Oath Keeper and you…” Relkir also trailed off. “I am… surprisingly sober and lucid, considering I went Defensive Stance in the worst way possible.”
“The lucidity may be because you are a demi-deity now.”
Relkir blinked, opened their mouth to speak, but closed it and blinked some more. “Uh… what?”
Elkay frowned briefly. “I had intended to let you down a bit more gently, my bad. But as you just said, Time Drakes are different from other deities. When you kill a Time Drake, a new Time Drake is instantly created. And in the… mess that followed, you ended up becoming that new Time Drake.”
Relkir blinked yet again. “I… I am a… but… how… I am not breaking time, am I?”
Elkay shook his head. “Right now, I am nullifying your connection to the Forward Flow of the universe, so you do not break anything, as is Sini, and also as is the tendril that has been tied to your wrist. Currently, outside of being unkillable, you cannot affect time. Once you are feeling better, one of the Twelve Anew… I think his name is Dalosisaar, he will teach you how to keep your abilities contained.”
“I… feel there is more to it than that.”
“There will be, but for now, you just need to know that you are a hero, and you are now eternal.”
“You are… speaking from experience.”
Elkay tutted. “I am, yes.”
“Can I ask, who are you, really?”
“What do you mean?”
“All I know is that your name is Elkay. But you are talking to me as if I am a long time friend.”
“Well… the thing is… technically, we are the same person. My name is Elkay Theanon, but for a while, my name was Relkir Rethianos.”
Relkir went back to blinking. “You are me but better… and hotter…”
Elkay blinked as well. “I was considered ugly in my old universe. I find it so weird that someone who is not even 2.5m tall and skinny, like me, is believed to be attractive. And I have met a very attractive new-universe Rethan.”
“You mean my sibling, Retvik, yes?”
“I do. You and I are both the younger siblings of someone politically weaker but stronger in every other way.”
Relkir snorted. “Hah, I am only like ten minutes younger than my Retvik! But from your wording… and your colouring… you are not triplets.”
“We are half-brothers. I am five years younger than my Retvik and we only discovered our relationship… two decades ago.”
“You are friends though, yes?”
“Yes.”
“Good…” Relkir fell silent, then sniffed. “This… this has been exhausting.”
“Understandable. But things will get better.”
“I hope so. Especially as Gath and I have a kid on the way.”
“Oh?” Elkay glanced up. “Who is the mother?”
“Gath is. They laid… a week ago. Two more weeks and it should hatch. I hope… I really, really, really hope to be there for that.”
“I will speak to Sini and the staff, I will make sure you will make it!” Elkay smiled. “In the meantime, you should try and close your eyes.”
“I just went Defensive Stance, I cannot sleep.”
“Still, you should try. The sooner you sleep, the sooner you can do your training with Sini and the sooner you can go home.”
Relkir smiled back. “You are right, Kyr Elkay. Thank you.”
“No, Relkir, thank you. You saved us all.”
“I guess I did…” Relkir grinned as they settled down. “I genuinely did…”