“I am unhappy with your work.”
The shimmering silver being waltzed her way into the Grand Victorious Hall, the throne room of the three Justarian Overlords, not caring that she had not been invited, not caring that she had simply walked through doors, walls and security.
Present was just one Justarian Overlord today. Peacebringer was at a conference with a group of beings down south discussing a treaty, and Lawruler was doing sect-based TV interviews to try and broaden their appeal, which had fallen on hard times as of late. Truthtalker though, he had rarely left the Grand Victorious Hall over the last few weeks, and his reasoning was unclear. He had been oddly silent. Well, more silent than normal.
The being approached Truthtalker without any hint of fear. They had none because they were a Life Goddess, a somewhat ancient one that had been around for as long as the Justar themselves had been around. While they appeared to be silver, in fact, their skin was a gentle pale blue, dotted with gems, and the silver sheen was an ephemeral protective shield surrounding them. They had a busty, motherly figure, even if their head was reptilian, and their tail was incredibly long. But what made them stand out were the black flames running across their body, filled with stars. One of the defining features of a daughter of the First Mother.
Truthtalker remained on their throne, watching as the Life Goddess approached. He didn’t speak though.
“I am very unhappy with your work.”
A small grunt. Truthtalker inspected the Life Goddess. She was… not a regular visitor, but a known being around these parts. Athanasi was a Mother who had fled from the Golden Paradise, one of three of the more powerful Mothers who had done so, before the Golden Paradise became the Goldtorn Remains. Truthtalker often wondered why the Golden Paradise was named as such, because, aside from the First Mother, most of the Life Goddesses from there had no real care for the colour gold.
“You have let me down.”
Truthtalker grunted.
“I am angry. And I want answers. From you.”
No one had dared stop the Life Goddess. Because this was the first time she had come here in her physical form. Every other time Athanasi had visited, she had done so as a projection, a ghostly form, sent out from her universe.
Sensing the Life Goddess’s anger, Truthtalker bowed his head and spoke as gently as he could.
“Ask.”
Athanasi crossed her arms and growled. “Do you know what happened to my most recent universe?”
“No.”
“It’s gone.”
Truthtalker seemed to frown. “I am sorry.”
“Do you know what that universe was?”
“No.”
“It was a small universe. I decided, after the natural death of my previous universe, I decided to take things more slowly. A simple, gentle universe that would grow naturally. My previous universe was similar to those around here, with deities looking after things. After Seimeni… departed, after my temporary testing universe was destroyed by Corruption, I decided to take a natural, organic path.”
Truthtalker wasn’t sure how to respond.
“That universe is gone now. It was destroyed.”
“How?”
“Want to guess?” Athanasi hissed.
Truthtalker remained silent. There were many reasons why a universe could be destroyed. But from Athanasi’s tone, the reason behind this particular universal demise was probably a bad one.
“No.”
“You want me to tell you?”
“Yes.”
“It was Voidborns.”
Truthtalker hesitated, but didn’t say anything. He didn’t know what to say. There weren’t supposed to be Voidborns in the Justarian Circle. He had made quite sure of that. The Justar never considered themselves to be a Voidborn Eradicator sect, but they had eradicated every single Voidborn cult in the Justarian Circle and heavily monitored the handful of Voidborn Darkspawns, places where Voidborns would spontaneously pull themselves into existence. They had control of these things. So multiple Voidborns destroying a universe made no sense.
“I know what you’re thinking. You’re wondering how that happened. You’re going to tell me that you have things under control!” Athanasi growled. “Well, clearly, you don’t!”
“We do.”
“You don’t. There are cracks in the Justar. You are keeping things calm in the centre of your territories, but the edges are crumbling, and tension is building.”
“Not true…” Truthtalker grunted. He didn’t want to say too much, because he didn’t want to reveal the sadness and grief bubbling beneath Athanasi’s anger. “All is calm.”
Athanasi eyed Truthtalker. The way he spoke suggested that he didn’t believe what Athanasi was saying. From his point of view, everything was just as calm as he said it was. And because Truthtalker was, as his name suggested, a speaker of truth, he wasn’t a being that could easily lie. That was the whole point of the Truthtalker race that this being was the patriarch of.
“Things aren’t calm. The void is bubbling. There are problems beneath the surface.”
“No.”
Athanasi sighed. There was no point arguing.
“I am not going to argue. But I am going to be blunt. I am upset with the work of the Justar. I no longer believe you can protect universes within your territories. If my damn sister can keep her universe safe on the edge of Phtharospitesio, why the hell did my new universe die within the best protected sector in the pentacluster, in the damn eniapent?”
“Cannot say.”
“I know you can’t give me answers. I know you believe what you say. So I am going to give you a chance to improve. I am looking for a place to build again. I am giving you time to prove that the Justarian Circle is safe. Prove that to me, and I will remain here. Fail to do so, and I return to the Goldtorn Remains. I’ve heard things are better now, as the sects there have fulfilled their destiny.”
“Will try.”
“I hope so. In the mean time, I will be watching you. Do not disappoint me. Or I will go back to my more… interfering ways. Understand?”
Truthtalker nodded. “I understand.”
“Good.”
With a snap of her fingers, Athanasi disappeared, taking her anger with her.