Tale – The Voice in the Night

“My beloved children…”

No one expected the booming voice of Stasis to ring in everyone’s ears. No matter where each Deitic was, they heard the voice, clearer than their own.

“I have an idea. A plan.”

Tenuk was lying in bed when he heard it. So his side was yet another partner, his fourth in a month. Whether they would be around in the morning, Tenuk was unsure. But for now, all he could hear was Stasis.

“A plan to end all other plans. A plan to end the tyrannical ways of the Whenvern.”

With a roll of his eyes, Tenuk tried pulling his pillow over his head. It didn’t help. The voice seemed even louder.

“I know what many of you, particularly you traitorous Kronospasts and Lanex, are thinking. You’re thinking that I have once again lost my mind. That I have another idiotic idea that will get some of you killed.”

Tenuk tutted. As if Stasis’s words would do anything to persuade him otherwise. How many times had Stasis come up with a stupid plan, only for it to end up with hundreds of dead Deitics? Heck, his last attempt didn’t get a lot of people killed, but it certainly made more races more aware of Deitics. His stupid challenge had only made Theoktons across the universe angrier than ever.

“But this plan requires no death. No murder. Only servitude and promises. In fact, consider my plan as a way to return to your old ways.”

Old ways? That was a new one. Tenuk wasn’t exactly an old Deitic but he knew most Deitics had given up on their weird ways of getting other races to worship them. They’d slowly stopped doing that even before the Deitic wars had pushed them into the shadows. Not that Tenuk cared. He wanted everyone to fuck off and let him live a normal life.

“This plan is simple. We convince the masses that we are their salvation. We come to them as holy beings, soothsayers and gods, offering them our power, our wisdom, our blessings…”

In an attempt to get the voice to shut up, Tenuk rolled over, pulling more pillows and his blanket over his head. It was no use.

“We offer them immortality. Immortality under the paradise of the Deitics. The immortality of my Eternal Stasis. In return, all we ask for is their faith and their souls.”

Giving up, Tenuk sat up straight. That plan sounded insane. What could Stasis even do with these souls? They weren’t even souls, just the conscious remains of living beings before they get recycled and reborn into new life. Everyone knew that.

“When we have their souls, that is when we still strike. We will reimagine this universe and the conscious life in it. Reimagine everything into an eternal paradise of a universe, free from time, free from death, free from energy. We will all be united once more.”

That sounded insane. Tenuk wasn’t even sure if such a feat was possible.

“My beloved children, I renew my power, I hand it down to you. How you convince the children of Kinisis, I leave that to you. But do my bidding and I will reward you greatly. Remember, no matter what, Kenos loves and embraces you.”

The voice finally faded away. Stasis’s words left a bad taste in Tenuk’s mouth. But a large part of him was positive that many Deitics would not listen. After all, they’d been doing their own things over the last several thousand years.

Something moved next to him.

“T-Tenuk, are you okay?” Kazix asked as he rolled over. “You look like you had a nightmare.”

Tenuk smiled awkwardly. He normally could never understand what always brought him back to this gangly Ethran-type journalist and reporter. But the worried look on Kazix’s face reminded him. Unlike many of Tenuk’s sexual partners, Kazix actually cared.

“Yeah, it was just a bad dream… Just some old memories, and some lingering thoughts…” Tenuk lied. He wanted to tell him the truth, but there were some things one couldn’t simply explain to mortals.

Kazix nodded, then pulled the blanket over them both. “Don’t worry. We’re pretty safe here. I can’t guarantee a hundred percent, but it’s a pretty high number.”

Tenuk wrapped his arms around Kazix, holding him tightly.

“You’re right, darling. We can talk about it in the morning.”

Kazix had already started to drift off to sleep. “Sure, if that makes you feel better. Good night, Tenuk.”

“Good night, Kazix,” Tenuk smiled as Kazix fell asleep in his arms.