“From the unease on everyone’s faces, I think I can kinda guess the news…”
Lissandra crossed her arms and sighed, but the rest of her fellow Divine Guardians seemed to be fine.
“So Sini is gone and you’re taking over?” Vexer asked.
Elkay-En nodded but paused. “Well… she’s not gone. She’s gone back to her little universe to act as its Time Drake. She’s going to spend time with Epani, looking after her original universe until it ends naturally. In the mean time, I will be looking after you and I’ll be running the Pink Paradise.”
The Divine Guardians all glanced at each other. Lissandra was clearly annoyed, but Atteh’Kus and Kayenus were rather amused. Vokulunaax grunted and Vexer was genuinely happy.
“So I get to leave this place whenever I want and get to spend time with Elksia and Reksi?” Vexer exclaimed, a grin growing on his face.
Elkay-En nodded. “Of course. Did… did Sini not allow you to do that?”
Vexer’s smile faded slightly. “She didn’t want me getting in the way too much. Or getting involved in Decay Lord stuff.”
“Why not?”
“I don’t know.”
Elkay-En thought for a moment, then decided to build on it. “Did Sini just want this to be a normal oasis for normal Life Goddesses?”
Vokulunaax grunted. “She did, yes. She absolutely hated Time Drakes visiting and only somewhat liked Voidborns and Decay Lords. She was fine with the Thantir and the Pentathax, but everyone was a bit hit and miss.”
“I see, I see…” Elkay-En trailed off, then turned to the tall, purple Psion standing by his side. “Litvir, do you have any problems with helping me change that?”
Litvir also thought for a moment. “I do not have any such problems. Technically, if you now own this oasis, Elkay-En, it is now part of the Thantir’s territories officially, so we will have to do a little bit of work anyway. The question is, do your new Divine Guardians also want to become more acquainted with Decay Lord society?”
“How do you mean?”
Litvir glanced at the six beings before them. “They could all become Decay Lords, if they choose. But also, if you choose, you can free them from their Divine Guardian bindings. Since you do not seem too certain about essentially inheriting Yisini’s slaves.”
“To be fair, we didn’t really feel like slaves under Sini!” Lissandra tutted.
“Well, you did not!” Vokulunaax countered. “I certainly did, as does Vexer.”
“I am not really fussed either way…” Kayenus added. “But this life is not life I like. I am a guard, that is fine. I do not like the… the hotel work stuff. I just want to protect things.”
Fragiir shrugged. “I’m not as bothered, but I would like more freedom. Us Divine Guardians are mostly stuck on this rock and aren’t really allowed to leave without Sini’s permission. And I suppose we’d also be stuck here and not allowed to leave without Sini’s big brother’s permission either.”
Elkay-En’s smile faded almost completely. “Piss. I… I really did just inherit six slaves.”
“We’re not slaves!” Lissandra protested.
“We kinda are…” Vexer muttered.
“Well, my first action here is that, now, you’re not slaves!” Elkay-En quickly put his foot down. “You no longer serve Sini and you no longer serve me. Not as slaves. You are no longer Divine Guardians, you are no longer slaves, and you are now free beings!”
The six now former Divine Guardians all blinked in confusion.
“Is that… is that all that was needed?” Vexer eventually asked.
“Yes. I will not own slaves. I refuse to take away your rights. You can all now do whatever you want.”
“But… what about this oasis?” Lissandra asked.
“We’ll work something out!” Elkay-En turned back to Litvir. “My friend, do you think Akah, Fengar, Talok and Tahvra would like to come here and help me sort things out? And, if you six want to, you may remain here. But I think, while I work out what to do, I’m going to close the oasis and put it under new management or something…” Elkay-En paused briefly. “Uh… we don’t have any customers here or anything, do we?”
Lissandra crossed her arms and tutted some more. “Sini kinda told them all to fuck off before she left. Litvir here has had us talking his ear-holes off, because we haven’t had anyone to talk to.”
“You have not been that bad!” Litvir also tutted. “But closing the place and reorganising is probably a good idea. Especially since we do have a lot of things to work out. Sini, being a more powerful Life Goddess, did create resources out of essentially nothing, and, no offence, dear, you are nowhere near as powerful as Sini is.”
“Understandable… But I’ll work something out. A lot of resources, I can work out and bring from elsewhere. I mean, I’m not poor and this place does make some money, so I can work out how to balance the books.”
“Can you?” Lissandra was still tutting.
“Girl, Elkay-En here balanced the books for like ten billion Rethans or something stupid like that!” Vexer was getting annoyed at Lissandra’s attitude. “I’m pretty sure he can deal with what is basically a bar and a couple of rental villas!”
“I am sure Elkay-En will be fine!” Litvir ended the conversation, then changed tact. “In the mean time though, you six, do you wish to sign up as Decaylings? You would get all the safeties of Deathven’s society and, once you become official Decay Lords, you would get a periuniversal basic income.”
“Um… wait… Our own money?”
Litvir nodded.
“I’d have my own dosh?” Lissandra repeated herself.
“Yes.”
“That I can use to buy whatever I want?”
“Yes. That is what money is generally used for.”
Lissandra finally settled down and started smiling. “Awesome! Sign me up then! I want money! And freedom and stuff!”
Litvir smiled back, that familiar, fanged smirk. “Wonderful. Let me just fetch some more forms from the ship, and we will get the ball rolling.”