Elysium's Multiverse-Chapter 322

The rift closed, and so did the tendril - but even that small amount of exposure to the sin was enough to leave the three dragonkin in a state of unease.

Considering the group, Hatchmire turned his gaze upon Kara with a quizzical expression - folding his claws together in thought. “You seem unbothered by the presence of the Great Maw. All others here are higher beings, demons and undead alike, and even the thrall has a hint of greatness. But not you… For a lesser race, you handled yourself well. You must be a great warrior.”

Kara, who’d been polishing her bow, stiffened at the proclamation and warily glanced up at the dragonkin scion with a shake of her head. “I’m quite the opposite, actually. I’m really quite weak. I’ve just seen Gluttony more than a couple times now, and Riven’s really nice. Without him, I wouldn’t be here.”

Riven briefly winced at the memory of almost killing and eating Kara when he’d been starved in the blood realm a while back, but pushed the images away with a mental nudge. She still hadn’t told him what her damn class was either, but if she wanted privacy he’d grant it to her. As for the newcomer calling Kara a lesser race? Riven kind of agreed. He’d had a change of heart about mortals since arriving here for better or worse, and though he didn’t necessarily damn them for what they were - he was seeing them more and more as food. As cattle. Much like how humans saw chickens or pigs, only in this case - it was dark elves. Not only was she a dark elf, a mortal, but she was incredibly weak even by her own admission and needed constant protection just to survive here. Honestly Riven wasn’t even sure if he considered Kara more of a person, a pet, or a would-be meal he’d simply spared on a whim before taking a liking to her - and he was having serious internal battles between logic and ethics trying to decide on which.

Hatchmire seemed unconvinced with her proclamation, though he didn’t challenge it. His attention instead was focused back on Riven, and he raised the goblet of rainbow liquid with a raised snout. “A toast to our fortuitous meeting.”

“Fortuitous? That is to be determined, but thanks for the food.” Riven smirked, and lifted his own glass to toast and downed his drink in a single gulp. His eyes bulged with delight at the sensations dancing along his tongue, and he eyed the bottle with greedy intent before putting the glass in Fay’s hand as the bottle was passed around.

His red eyes flicked back to Hatchmire, who was evaluating him in silence as the other two dragonkin began conversing with Riven’s party. “You’re stronger than you look. The others don’t see it, but I do.”

Hatchmire’s eyes narrowed suspiciously, and he leaned forward to take a piece of monster meat Riven had cooked and stuffed into his own spatial sack days past. Chomping down and savoring the flavor, the dragonkin swallowed and asked: “Don’t see what?”

“That the dome of flames outside is actually your aura at work.” Riven said, tapping his fingers along the staff in his lap in thought. “You’ve been channeling it this entire time to seclude the cathedral and haven’t stopped once. It’s impressive, on par with me - or perhaps even beyond me entirely.”

Hatcmire’s eyes widened in surprise and delight, and his tail slapped against the floor with a grunt of acknowledgement. “It would surprise me if anyone else had figured it out, but from a reincarnation… I should not be surprised. Yes, the flames beyond are under my aura’s control. I am using the ambient infernal energies to better cultivate my soul lattice before proceeding to the lower floors. How did you know?”

“Your body’s energy signature occasionally gives off fluctuations that match the walls of fire outside. I use a similar method, only my aura favors ice and storm more than heat.”

Hatchmire slowly nodded. “I would say I would like to see it, but I become competitive… and my hive would be rather upset if I accidentally killed a reincarnation and brought them bad fortune for it.”

He showed his predatory teeth in a wide grin.

Honestly Riven believed him though, it wasn’t a bluff. Despite all the power Riven had accumulated, despite his absurd magical control and likely being the exact same level as Hatchmire - the dragonkin’s aura control and presence were still beyond him by leaps and bounds. He wouldn’t tell any of the others about how much of a difference it really was after his recent revelation when he’d connected the dots, but Riven was absolutely sure that if this scaly bastard wanted them all dead - he could collapse the rotating storm of flames outside on their position and incinerate everything and everyone within seconds.

And there’d probably be very little that even Riven could do to stop him - the area encompassed by the swirling flames outside was just too vast. It made Riven seriously consider just what the upper limits of the multiverse elite were… because up until now, he’d considered himself the strongest here in the descent. Foolishly so. Allie’s ascension had put that into question, but this wasn’t even a question - rather, this dragonkin of the 9th universe was simply godlike when compared to other F-grades.

Then there was also the mention of another sin coming through here to participate in negotiations of diplomacy, despite no system-wide message about another sin being released. Did the original sin who’d passed through have a perk to hide itself from messages like that? If so, why would it even want to? Riven was pretty sure the dragonkin had no reason to bluff either, so he posed a question:

“Hatchmire…” Riven began, stroking his chin with his right hand. “Where would you say you stack up compared to the best of the descent? Do you know?”

“I am likely 9th strongest here, to my knowledge.” Hatchmire said flatly. “You would rank somewhere around 17th or 18th, if my reports and first-hand evaluations are correct. But the descent only just opened, and there will be more monstrous participants from the elder factions joining us in coming years. I don’t think they’d wait more than a decade given the circumstances regarding Elysium’s battle with Galactis though - which brings me to my own questions. What do you know about the two multiverses and their conflict? Considering who you are, surely you know something.” ꞦäƝộβЁş

Riven’s brow furrowed and his hands crossed on his lap. This was not the direction he’d thought the conversation would go in. “I have… heard, about it. Little more.”

“So you do know of it! From whom did you hear this from?” Hatchmire curiously asked, but there was an undertone of nervousness as he awaited for Riven’s answer.

Riven’s frown deepened. “Gluttony has hinted at it, but won’t say exactly what is coming. Lillith of the Black Skies, my mentor, talked to me about it most directly. But I have heard rumors from The Blood Moon Requiem, and also from an Earl of the Idorac Federation - an ally and neighbor to The Blood Moon Requiem in Universe 10.”

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There was a pause as Hatchmire tasted the words one by one.

“And what did they say on the matter? Please, this is of utmost importance to me.” Hatchmire scooted forward almost instinctively, and his body had become rigid with anxiety. It was the look of a desperate man, and completely out of place on someone so strong.

Riven tried to think back to exactly what he’d picked up along the way, and shook his head. “I can’t remember all of it, but what I do remember are these: Lillith told me that it would be in my best interest to keep collecting rare plant and crystal specimens to take back to the guild hall. She said they’ll be needed in the future, and that the trek through The Abyssal Descent was a good opportunity to collect and buy things for later.”

He internally checked with Gluttony, who gave him the mental nod of approval before saying more. “... Lillith also hinted that the Church of Gluttony wouldn’t be around in the future, but failed to expand upon it.”

Hatchmire’s eyes went wide as saucers, and his claws caused rivets in the stone floor. It was almost… Horror? Yes if Riven had to place it, horror or terror would be the most apt description. He let out a slow shaky breath, and stared at the ground. “Not around anymore… Does Gluttony confirm this?”

“Gluttony will not say, even to me.” Riven shrugged. “Very tight lipped that one.”

Hatchmire slowly nodded. “As was the other incarnate… you’ve told me far more than they just in a few sentences. Their bonded sin forbade them entirely for talking on the subject. What did the others in Universe 10 talk about?”

Riven clicked his tongue, remembering Jarntus Bemule - Earl of the Idorac Federation on a neighboring planet close to the House Wraithtide homeworld: Vartesh. “The Earl of the Idorac Federation told me that his king was amassing a central point of power within their core system, ignoring the plights of all other planets and leaving them defenseless in preparation for something unknown. That rumors were spreading of something big coming, and I’ve been given non-distinct reports from my contacts back in The Blood Moon Requiem that they’re silently doing the same but to a lesser extent - having multiple pockets of concentrated power instead of just one.”

“Can you not ask your High Queen about it? About why she is doing this?”

“I probably could, but am already caught up in a lot back on the frontier. I haven’t had time to focus on that yet. Plus, they have a heretic problem with rogue elders to deal with and only narrowly avoided outright civil war.”

Hatchmire looked disappointed, but regained his composure moments later as the others ate and drank around them. “Is there any more you have to share on the matter?”

“Unfortunately not. The most I can gather is that this clash between multiverses will cause something to happen, and that I’ll probably be cut off from support; at least in term’s of Gluttony’s forces. Given the troop movements in Universe 10, that could just be coincidence but it seems to match up. I wish I had more, I’m sorry it’s so little.”

“Lillith’s comment about losing access to the Church of Gluttony is more than enough to go off of. It is the biggest clue I’ve received in my time here, so no need to apologize friend.” Hatchmire let out another slow breath to relax himself, and let his rigid hulking muscles ease up. “I was tasked with trying to find clues from other scions before being sent here. What I have found is little, but that tiny amount of information is more than enough to disturb me. Just rumors and nondistinct facts that don’t add up, but the Draconic Fists are completely in the dark about what is to come. Because of our aggression and prowess, we have few allies and even fewer that are willing to part with such delicate information. Whatever is coming is big enough to shift the entire power balance of the cosmos, of the multiverse, of a power hierarchy that has been there for eons… Are you sure that Gluttony cannot speak on the matter more?”

Riven mentally checked with Gluttony one more time, and raised an eyebrow. “Gluttony says that even the people who know what is coming at face value - even they won’t know what is truly coming until it happens, and that this is an unprecedented event. That it will happen within the next few years. That’s all he’s willing to say, as saying more would apparently lead to disastrous consequences? Not sure why but those are straight from his big ugly mouth.”

A rift open next to him to produce a gluttonous maw, and a tendril lashed out to slap Riven along the back of the head.

“Ow!” Riven rubbed at the spot where he’d been slapped right before Gluttony’s visage disappeared, and he caught Hatchmire staring at him - bewildered. “What?”

Hatchmire blinked a couple times, laughed, and let out a groan while rubbing at his draconic spines jutting from the center of his forehead. “I don’t know whether to laugh or cry. That was funny, your interaction with Gluttony would be considered rather blasphemous to other followers of the Great Maw, but the information Gluttony provided is even worse than I feared. A few years? That is not enough time…”

The dragonkin’s voice trailed off. “I need to inform my father about this. Thank you, Riven. If we ever meet again, I will remember you to be in good standing with my people.”

Riven took another swig from a goblet that Fay pressed to his lips, and he lovingly ruffled her hair before pushing the cup away. “Yes it’s good, but stop, Fay. Adults are talking.”

She gave him a pooched lips pout in response to the rebuke of her attention seeking, but humphed and went back to talking with Zalzar and Azmoth about god knew what.

Athela snickered from his right, where she’d been content to avoid eating and just watch everything unfold with a keen eye in case of betrayal from the opposite side. “Adults. Yeah, are you sure you qualify Riven dearest?”

“Don’t make me punish you publicly, princess.”

Athela grinned. “I think I’d like that.”

Riven stuck out his tongue and winked, then turned his attention back to Hatchmire. “You could always do me a favor too and tell me how to get off this floor. That’d be helpful, since I got no instructions when arriving.”

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Hatchmire perked up. “Oh, that’s no secret. Just kill the guardian beast, which you did, and wait. Eventually a new portal will spawn to the next floor, which you can choose to close or open at will depending on how far along you are in your soul lattice construction. I’ve already acquired my own portal down, but have been waiting to use it. For some, having altars here so in tune with their gods will be a cultivation boon and the wait can aid your lattice construction. If it isn’t so for you, then there is no need to stay here at all.”

Riven then snapped his fingers. A flash of movement caused Riven’s head to turn, and he saw their wraith-like spirit guide materialize and bend a knee.

“Well?” Riven asked curiously.

The spirit guide nodded. “I cannot find any way out, even with the three dimensional map Elysium provided, and this floor is a new one. I would assume the dragonkin is telling the truth.”

Riven was about to thank the spirit, when he heard a familiar voice cry out in pain. He abruptly whirled and got to his feet, only to see Genua sitting at an altar to the Blood God - where a giant stone figure of a man in decorated clergy robes similar to Genua’s own was crying tears of blood. The high elf thrall had at some point in the feast gotten up and headed over, but was now on her side, laying on the ground and clutching at her swollen stomach.

In a moment he flashed over, kneeling beside Genua with genuine concern, and met her red eyes when she looked up at him. “What happened? Are you ok?”

She winced, and Riven saw her stomach visibly contract.

“The Blood God has declared war on Greed for attempting to revive a lost pillar of Blood. That is what the other bishops and priests tell me.” She said through gritted teeth, glancing at the altar, and she let out another cry when her stomach visibly contracted yet again. “I thought you should know.”

“Genua I don’t give a shit about that!” Riven said, and his eyes widened even further when he noticed a large puddle of clear fluid at Genua’s feet. “Ohhh…. Oh no. Ohhhh no, no, no… not here.”

Reaching out and grabbing his wrist, Genua pulled his attention back to her face. “I don’t think we get to choose. Rather, that choice - mmph! - has been made for us!”

Her stomach abruptly tightened and squeezed, and Genua let out a high pitched scream as her fingers tried to dig into his armored hand.

“Genua I don’t think those kinds of violent contractions are normal even for pregnancy! Your entire stomach is smashing your guts!” Riven said, beginning to panic as he tried to figure out how to proceed. “I’m new at this! What should I do!?”

Athela gasped over his shoulder and let out an excited squeal. “RIVEN SHE’S ABOUT TO GIVE BIRTH OH MAH GAWD!”

“IS RIVEN ABOUT TO BE A DAD!?” Fay screamed, throwing her goblet of wine up in the air - completely forgotten.

Fay immediately scrambled to her feet and sprinted over, and Azmoth followed suit with big lumbering steps. Even Retesh and Kara stopped what they were doing to rush over, and what little padding and pillows they had were quickly stuffed under Genua as her contractions became faster and faster.

“Riven you bastard!” Genua grunted through narrowed eyes, gripping fully onto him like a lifeline now as tears rolled down her face. She was on her back and in obvious torment with her entire body shaking every time her stomach tried to implode. “You did this to me! This is YOUR fault!”

“What do you mean this is my fault!? You asked to be involved that night!”

“Don’t give me excuses! You’ve already been a poor excuse for a husband and I don’t want to hear it now!” Genua snarled and winced. “Just make the pain go away! Please, it really hurts! Please make it stop!”

Riven’s heart thudded in his chest. He was completely clueless.

“aaaaaAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!” Genua let out a scream and began to sob, her body shivering violently underneath him.

All Riven knew to do was wait and watch, and accept the torrent of cursing from the thrall as she berated his honor, his tiny manhood, and his lacking ability in a torrent of rage. This certainly wasn’t like any normal pregnancy or any normal birth, the contractions were too widespread and too violent, and he was seriously worried about Genua’s health.

And about the health of the baby.

“This is JUST like the last time!” Genua snarled again, lips quivering with intermittent sobs. “Just like w-when Len was b-born! You’re so fucking useless!”

Riven blinked. She was obviously getting her memories mixed up again, imprinting them on him when it’d been her previously dead husband that’d really been there. Just like Hatchmire earlier in their conversation, right now Riven didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “I’m sorry! I don’t try to be useless!”

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!” Her back arched off the ground, and Fay pulled out a healing potion just in case Genua needed it.

He was pushed aside by Kara of all people and made to watch only seconds later.

“I’ve delivered babies before.” Kara said, all business while rolling up her sleeves. “Do you have any baltius herb or moore petals? They’re found here in the abyss and can help with the process.”

He actually did have those plants, and quickly began searching his spatial sack for the requested ingredients before handing them over.

Hatchmire cleared his throat behind Riven to momentarily get his attention. “We will stand guard for you at a distance as a sign of thanks for the information you shared.”

Riven realized he was trembling, and he nodded absentmindedly. “Thanks.”

The large dragonkin looked over Riven’s shoulder and grinned, slapping Riven on the back before turning to walk away. “If I heard correctly, congratulations on your first child. I have one hundred and twenty three kids with seven wives, it never gets any easier to deal with - but can be very fulfilling. Welcome to the party, Reincarnation of Gluttony. Welcome to fatherhood.”