Chapter 40 Thayla #3
V’s words about them never being the same if something happened to one of them flood me. None of us would be the same without one another.
“I thought I had our solution all figured out. I’ve been planning and working things out in my mind that I thought for sure was going to set us all free. I don’t know anymore. I don’t feel like we’ll ever be free. One way or another.”
“What do you mean?” Kyzen asks.
Amick sighs and sits himself up. His arms disappear under the water as they rest on his knees and we all shift with the seriousness that crosses his face.
“Since the hot spring, when Seismet told us our role in the realm and what’s going on is fluid based on the choices we make, I began making a list of things that need to change. I, foolishly, thought I was taking our fate into our own hands.”
“We agreed we wouldn’t do shit,” Riven growls.
“You made that statement, then you killed a Domain God,” Amick retorts, staring Riven down with an arched brow. “You don’t believe that was a realm-changing choice?”
Riven huffs, crossing his arms as he grumbles about how that’s a taurnshit example. I think it’s a pretty accurate one.
“Where are you going with this, Amick?” Creed asks.
“I thought, if this was the role cursed upon us, we’d use it to our advantage. We’d make decisions that change the Godsden for both the better and our benefit. We’d get everything aligned to where our father couldn’t touch us.”
“Just fucking explain it all,” Creed shouts, bouncing me around on his chest.
My eyes widen slightly as instead of the anger I thought I’d feel from his soul, I sense…hope.
“My priority was getting us out of the agreement made on our behalf. We’ve got a solution for that now, but I don’t know what will happen truly once the agreement is nulled. Everything after that was things I disagreed with and if we could figure out how to change them, it could change the realm.”
“Like?” I push.
“The Attendants. We need to reframe how they’re viewed and treated.
There’s nothing wrong with the Designation.
It’s frowned upon simply because of Derivius’s disownment.
Next, the Veilatara. They need to be unstrapped.
There are bonds waiting in them and the longer they aren’t fulfilled, the more vulnerable they grow.
Their purposes need to be served. Hellveilious… ”
“What about it?” Creed’s low question has Amick tightening his lips.
“It needs to be restructured. There are souls there that shouldn’t be there. The authority is off. There’s no true reform happening or lessons being learned during their punishment. Our father goes in how he pleases and takes whoever he wants for the picking. There’s a lot, Creed.”
Chill bumps scatter down my arms with Creed’s long exhale.
“I know.”
“The Veiling Days, keeping the power from the people, the Becoming Gods, the skewed history. There’s so much wrong, but correcting one issue will inevitably lead to us mingling ourselves in another. It’s an unavoidable chain reaction.”
“So basically, we either truly do nothing. We stand back, let the realm fall to whatever it’s going to fall to, or we do something about it. Thus, placing ourselves right in the middle of the change in the realm,” I say.
He nods.
“You didn’t say anything about killing our father, that bitch, or decimating the Abandon. If I’m doing a fucking thing, those options will be on the list,” Riven states firmly.
“As much as I want that, I haven’t realistically figured out a way to kill our father or her. Yes, that’s what I want, but I can’t imagine the imbalance killing not one, but two Beginning Gods will do to the realm.
“There will never be another strong enough to take their place.
Not us, and not any other gods. The Abandon, I believe, can and will fall on its own if we get the Godsden in alignment.
Right now, everyone is all about themselves or staying in the middle, waiting for whatever shift will eventually come.
“The shift needs to be in our favor. Not our father’s. We get everything to that point, then we figure out his demise. We may just have to live with him and her being disowned, possibly locked away like they’ve always threatened to do to Derivius.”
“I’d love to see them chained on their knees before me.” Riven chuckles and I snort.
“So what’s the Law of Doppia Disaccord and where does it factor in here?” Kyzen asks.
Amick releases a deep breath.
“A law long forgotten because the Beginning Gods didn’t like how much power it gave those below them. In short, double disagreement means that. Double the number of Domain Gods than Beginning Gods could overturn a decision they made.
“In our case, we have Derivius’s and Consequence’s agreement, but that leaves five Beginning Gods we need outnumbered.
Meaning, we need ten Domain Gods to sign and agree that they believe we’ve fulfilled the expectations of us and should be released from the agreement. Then, the High Chancellor’s agreement.”
Kyzen’s muttered curse grabs all our attention.
“What?” I ask.
He stares at Amick. “You said you’d already been thinking about the agreement and those things before today, yes?”
“Yes. They just hadn’t taken priority over the agreement.”
“Then your decision today made everything you just listed accomplishable. The man who stepped up and stepped in to look after us was appointed High Chancellor of the Godsdawn. Harriseen would’ve put countless obstacles in our way.
Ellian won’t. He’ll help any way he can.
He’s probably already thinking of things he wants to change.
He’ll sign off on getting us out of the agreement with no questions asked. ”
My mouth parts, but nothing comes out other than a whoosh of air. That’s a staggering realization that hits all of us at the same time.
“Gods damn it, Amick. You already put us on the path of fixing every-freaking-thing. Now we have to be the saviors of the realm,” Riven says, throwing his hands up and letting them slap back in the water hard enough it splashes us all.
The other three bitch at him, and they argue amongst themselves. I tune them out as I sit and contemplate the reality of this.
I conclude we never really had a choice.
I strongly believe that obstacles and decisions were going to constantly be put in our way until we finally caved.
V, Seismet, the Messenger, Derivius, whoever, can claim the Valories don’t manipulate their beings’ lives anymore, only align things and show some the way, but that’s taurnshit.
They definitely push their agenda.
The Beginning Gods had to get those personality traits from somewhere…
There’s truly no way for us to get out of this. It’s been decided for us.
I’m not at all trying to justify that. It honestly pisses me off to a deadly degree, but if I shove that shit down and think logically, I unfortunately can see the end and all that could be waiting for us.
“Enough bitching,” I scoff as I get sprayed in the face again. “We aren’t the saviors.”
“Yeah, well, then what are we, little burden?”
“The puppets. The realm’s out of order. We’ve heard it enough times to know it’s true. It needs to be put back in the order that pleases our creators.”
“So that’s what you suggest we do. Seriously?”
I huff as I push myself out of Creed’s lap, followed by out of my tub. I grip the edge of my shower wall before stepping in.
“Yeah. We’re going to put the pieces back in order, then hope we get left the fuck alone.”
I disappear from their sight as I step under the spray of my showerhead. My neck cranes back and my shoulders slouch.
“Okay, Messenger. I get the message now. Where do you want me to go from here? I’m all fucking ears.”